For what one Sin O ye People Teacher or Hearer that you were guilty of Seven or more Years since is there which you are not actually in at this Day he that was Drunken or Proud or Covetous or Lustful or Pleasurable or Unjust or the like in times past is found so still no Amendment no Washing of Sin away by all your Doings from amongst you for indeed Words and outside Performances could never do away Sin And so in vain is your Worship whilst your Fear is taught by the Traditions of Men and not by the Power of the Spirit of God according to Scripture for the Kingdom of God stands not in Words but in Power And the Redeemed of the Lord Worship in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Heb. 7. Col. 1. for the Letter-Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of the better Hope doth which is Christ in Man the hope of Glory And so you wanting the Humble Penitent and Obedient Heart your Confessions are in vain and are rather a Mock-service than any true Sacrifice to God And so for want of a pure Heart you can neither see God nor approach to the Throne of his Heavenly Grace but stand Self-condemned your own words being witness against you And so you go on saying after your blind Guides That you are all your Lives long Miserable Offenders following too much the Devices and Desires of your own Hearts Offending against God's Holy Laws doing what you should not do and leaving undone what you ought to do till you are so full of the Leprosie of Sin from Head to Foot that there is no Health nor Soundness in you And then thus continuing from Year to Year to the end of your Days what Sacrifice can God accept at your Hands for the very Prayers of the Wicked are Abomination to the Lord. And therefore whereas in this State you so often call God Father you lie and do not the Truth For he that doth Righteousness is born of God but he that committeth Sin is of the Devil both Christ and his Apostle John being Witnesses see John 8.44 and 1 Epistle of John Chap. 3. and Verses 6 7 8 c. And so for the Words of that called the Absolution which follows wherewith the deceitful Priest would doub himself and you over I declare for the Lord they are no 〈◊〉 fit to either of you whilst you continue in your Sins as it 's manifest o◠do yea those very Words in that same Absolution where it is said He Pardoneth and Absolveth all such and I may add none but such as do truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel shuts you all out from the Benefit of God's Absolution and Pardon For such as truly repent and unfeignedly believe the Gospel are healed of the Sickness of Sin and so have Health and Soundness in them and are not Miserable Offenders as you are but blessed Believers yea a chosen Generation born of God as Scripture saith John 1.13 And he that 's born of God Sinneth not for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God 1 John 3.9 Then certainly such Holy Ones as these Live not in a Continual Breach of God's Commandments as you do And so for the Lord's Prayer it belongs not to you whilst you continue doing the Deeds of the Wicked One for it was taught the Disciples and Followers of Christ who had God indeed for their Heavenly Father because they were really Born of him even of the Immortal and Incorruptible Seed of his Living Word which abode in them and they in it and so were Disciples indeed But alack for you who instead of forgiving as you would be forgiven are seeking your own Revenges and are learning of the Men of this World who know not God nor his Kingdom no nor so much as the Door nor entrance into it For the Heavenly Kingdom is still uncome to such as believe not in the Light which Christ the Door hath Inlightned them withal but love Darkness more than Light because their Deeds are evil For such as love to be called of Men Master and are Proud and Covetous and live in the daily Breach of God's Commandments could never love the Light nor bring their Deeds to be tryed by it because it is an Everlasting Reprover of all such And therefore saith Christ the true Light Therefore doth the World hate me because I witness against their Deeds that they are Evil. And so your most Hypocritical Proceeding to say O Lord open thou our Lips and our Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise shews plainly you heed not what you do for both the Priest and you have opened your Sinful Lips times without number without God's Spirit of Regeneration opening them for that as yet you never waited for and therefore your Sinful Mouth could not nor cannot shew forth God's Praise for the Dead Praise him not For it 's only such as Live in Christ as the Saints do not in Sin as you do that Praises him Glory to his Name that hath Abolished Death from amongst his People and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in them in this his Glorious Day wherein he is Judging the great Whore which hath defiled the Earth grievously with her Fornications and the Day of God is Glorious which thus brings forth all the hidden things of Darkness to Light And Blessed are they and they only that walk in the Light of God's Holy City into which no unclean thing can ever enter So all ye People of the Earth who are thus found only in the Confession but not in the Forsaking of Sin shut your Mouths and cease taking God's Name any more in vain For certainly the Lord will not hold such Guiltless as take his Name in vain And take heed of applying those Scriptures to your selves whilst you live in Sin which belong only to such as witness Redemption from Sin as those words in that 95th Psalm following do which say O come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our Salvation for he is the Lord our God and we are the People of his Pasture and Sheep of his hands c. O stand in awe of God O People and do no more so presumptuously for his Sheep you are not who are so Deaf to his Voice and so Rebellious to his Word as you have and do daily every way manifest your selves to be O what Salvation can such witness as are so deep in their Sins for Christ Saves his People from their Sins from their Disobedience from being miserable Offenders and is the Saving Health of his Heavenly Anointed ones he leaves them not in the Darkness where the Sin is committed but brings all his Followers to the Light of Life where the ever Blessed and Holy and perfect and acceptable Will of God is both known and done and then of such it is truly said They are
Pulpit in that Profession before either he or they was clearly Convinced of or Come to the Eternal Truth and awakened by the Power of God And in as much as that while he was a Publick Priest he would not Baptize his Children at the Font nor Sign them with the Sign of the Cross so that the other Priests were offended at him and upon some Discourse about it they agreed upon a Dispute to be held at Kendall Parish Steeple-house where was a very great Auditory and Three Priests appeared against him to prove Baptizing of Infants by Scripture which they could not do and he came over them all and some of the Hearers run up Kendall-street crying Mr. Taylor hath got the Day Mr. Taylor hath got the Day which Outcry grieved the Priests This was in the Year 1650. And about Two Years after George Fox came into Westmoreland and Preached the Everlasting Gospel and Power of God in the Demonstration of the Spirit of Eternal Life and many of those called Puritans was Convinced and Broken by the Power of God And the said Thomas Taylor was almost left alone it being a very great Cross to become a Fool to the World and lose his Benefit his Wife being a pretty high Woman having Six young Children and nothing else to live on yet he gave up all laying aside all superfluity of Naughtiness and received with Meekness the Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul and sanctifie throughout in Body Soul and Spirit And shortly after Margaret his Wife was Convinced and laid aside all her finery of Apparel and trusted Providence for a Livelihood for her self and small Children and became a very good Friend and kept the Faith and laid down her Head in Peace in the Town of Stafford a Year or more after her Dear Husband Died who Died and was Buried in the same Town of Stafford So Thomas Taylor having received the Truth of God in the Love of it and denied himself in all things for the sake of it in a short time he had his Mouth opened by the Opening and Inspiration of the Word of Life by which his Soul was then quickened and he concerned in the Motion of God and Authority of his Name to describe the Darkness of the Parish Hirelings so that they rose up against him and by the Aid of the then Unbelieving Magistrates got him to Prison in Appleby Goal where he grew in the Knowledge of God and Government of Christ Jesus and after he was released out of Prison Travelled abroad and was a Living Instrument in the Hand of the Lord to the Convincing of many And he being a Man full of Zeal and Integrity and being filled with the Spirit was always in Truth 's Service that when he had been going on the Road he commonly had a Word of Caution to Professor and Prophane and some of his Old Hearers who did not receive Truth I have seen him speak to them on the Market-day in Kendall street and sometime go to their Houses to exhort admonish and reprove as the Lord directed or if he had been Travelling on the High-way and seeing Boys playing on the First Day in the Summer-time and their Barents or Old People sitting besides them he would Preach to them so that he was always concerned for God's Glory and Truth 's Praise and Propagating of his Glorious Gospel of Peace He was a Man I loved when he was a Priest and more abundantly when he was a Gospel Preacher He was a Comely Man of Person Fair and Ruddy his Hair Gray before he Died being of a Good Old Age. I was at his Funeral in the Town of Stafford where was divers Hundreds of People and I was concerned in Testimony in the Lord's Power among them And though it had been a dark Persecuting Town â—et divers of the Priest's Hearers being his Neighbours whose Children he had Taught in the Prison they did there give their Testimonies and said He was a good Man and his Words and Counsel they believed should never be forgot and further said They had not such another to Bury in the Town of Stafford And as he Lived Honestly he Died Honourably yea even in the Lord and his good Works follows him the Reward whereof he is in the Possession of a Life that 's Everlasting out of the reach of his Adversaries Robert Barrow London the 9th of the 11th Month 1690 â— William Fallowfield's TESTIMONY Concerning Thomas Taylor THis short Testimony is with me to give concerning Thomas Taylor having good knowledge of him that he was a Man of a harmless Life and Conversation in which he was a good Savour his Conversation confirming his Doctrine God had undoubtedly indued him with Patience and had committed to him a Dispensation of the Gospel which he was both a Preacher of and a great Sufferer for his Patience in his Sufferings manifested his Christianity he never sought his Liberty by any indirect Means but waited patiently till the Lord effected it and when at Liberty he Travelled much abroad and Laboured much for Truth 's Prosperity God that called him did in all things fit him for that Work in which he imployed him and his Labour therein was very Effectual both for the Comforting and Establishing those already Convinced as also for the Convincing of many as many Living Witnesses that he hath left behind can Testifie also the stopping of the Mouths of many Opposers He had a Word of Counsel to the Weak and Feeble and a sharp Reprover of Disobedient Loose-minded ones he was altogether Accomplished for that Work whereunto his Lord called him And what shall I say but that I have Dear Unity with that Spirit that he was acted by and doth see him in that which is Immutable his Bow was always bent and retained its strength his Arrows were sharp and often pierced the Uncircumcised and as one well skilled he mist not his Mark the Churches amongst whom he was Conversant wants him for he was a Faithful Labourer in his Day he sought not his own but others good walking according to the Example of him that called him in which he was fervent and diligent Preaching the Word both in Season and out of Season and though he be taken from us as to Visibility yet his Life and Memory lives with us several sweet Expressions came from him in the time of his Illness and was very sweetly kept in that time of his Weakness he lay ill not long though for a considerable time an Indisposition of Body did attend him yet his Love and Good-will was such to the Truth that as one striving against his Distemper he kept not his Chamber long but went to Meetings and visited Friends but at last it prevailed over him and brought him to his Bed where he Died the 18th of the First Month 1681. in the Sixty-fifth Year of â—is Age I had Dear Unity with him and with those good savoury Expressions that proceeded from him which tended
Service-sake where I was kept until the next day and afterward thrice carried with the Felons of the Goal to their Judgment-seat so bearing Christ's Reproach where there was first by one Jury as they said it for what is above-said only a Bill of Indictment found against me and then after that an Oath in the open Court taken against me by one of the Scandalous Priests and then by another Company of Men called the Grand Jury who should have better considered of the Matter who are chosen by the Country as principal Men to do Justice and had bound themselves thereunto also by Oath was I found guilty as they said it of a Disturbance but I am sure the Disturbance was on their part for they pull'd me down from one of the Seats in the Steeple-house as I was speaking and violently hawled me thence and so to Prison as is said and so disturbed me in the Work of the Lord but none could I disturb being bound to Peace by a Law the World knows not And how could I be said by any reasonable Law of Man to disturb them seeing violent Hands on none outwardly did I lay neither did I speak in their Congregation till all was done and they were silent And what was said by me either in Steeple-house or out of it at that time they hawled me to Prison I was there ready as was offered in the face of the open Court and Country to make good by Scripture both for Matter and Manner if liberty had been granted me but they liked better to proceed by their own Law than that And so last of all him called the Judge of Assize instead of punishing Offenders who had wronged me he fined me the Offended five Marks and Imprisonment until I should pay it And so because I cannot give them Money for their unjust Proceedings against me and unchristian Dealings with me I am kept here accordingly in the common Goal a Prisoner yet free and in that everlasting Truth of God which cannot be bound but tramples upon the Neck and Head of all Deceit more than a Conquerour But from hence all that have Eyes may see what little liberty Truth can yet get in the Earth after so much War and words protested for it And therefore whoever thou art that reads these things know that in England also now if thou wilt live godly in Christ Jesus thou must suffer Persecution for the Scripture cannot be broken And this Persecution now in England ariseth mainly from the blind Zeal that many have for keeping up their Ministers as they call them from being spoken unto in the Assembly either in after or before the time of their Preaching especially on the first day of the Week by them called the Lord's day and Sabbath day and this the People are prompted unto by the wicked Spirit in their Teachers which cannot endure the Light that God hath raised up in his People in these Islands in these days And so this is the Condemnation of all such Children of Darkness whether Priest or People that Light shines and they love Darkness more than Light because their Deeds are Evil. And so all may see whether the Teachers and People that act in such Darkness are going for in the days of Queen Mary the Persecutor the Law reached only to a punishing of such as spoke to her Priests in the time of their Service but now the Zeal of some for them is so increased that neither in the time of their Speaking nor in their coming nor going from their Steeple-house especially on the day aforesaid must their Teachers be spoken unto but they will impute it to the Party for an Offence without examining whether there be cause for it yea or nay but the Teacher though he be never so false in Doctrine or vicious in Life yet if he be a Parish-Teacher and receive the World's Hire as Tythes Glebe-lands and Augmentations with the State-allowance or upon other Accompts be allowed for a Publick Teacher by the Nation-Law he is like to be defended and he or she that speaks to them though such a one be never so dear to God and speaks truth in that particular never so clearly is like to be punished as an Evil-doer And if this be not a provoking of the Wrath and hot Displeasure of God against thee Oh England then let him that hath Understanding declare what more can be And therefore thou art now in time warned of these things that thou mayst by Repentance be saved from those things that shall assuredly come upon the Wicked But for the present all Poor People every where who are in the dark Mind unacquainted with the Teachings of God in the Spirit and Light of the Holy Anointing but are following the Blind Guides that indeavour to get their Wickedness established by a Law your Misery is great and much to be lamented and the case of such of you as have any true Breathings after God is to be pittied And who shall deliver you out of your Bondage but he that delivered Israel out of Egypt and hath in all Ages been a present Help unto them in the needful Time of Trouble and will still deliver them that fear him out of all Adversity So wait upon him and the Work is done and be incouraged all that wait upon him for there is no end of his Goodness to us for his Mercy indureth for ever and before him goeth a devouring Fire to consume the Adversaries of his glorious Truth round about and the day is dawned that will leave them neither Root nor Branch And in this Rest I am your dear Brother oh all ye Free People of God! And in the Patience and Sufferings of Christ your Fellow-servant for the Imbondaged Seeds sake Thomas Taylor To the Judges Justices Juries Teachers and People of the Nation who profess themselves to be Christians and the Scriptures to be their Rule and yet account themselves disturbed if any speak unto them and cry against them in their Assemblies or Streets in the Name and Word of the Lord without any Authority from Man a few Queries 1 Query WHether was that a Disturbance in Christ Jesus when he went into the Temple at Jerusalem a Figure of his Body and made a Whip of small Cords and with it without any Authority from Man whip'd out the Buyers and Sellers and overthrew the Tables of the Money-changers and commanded the Merchandize to be taken thence Yea or Nay Matt. 21.12 c. 2 Query Whether was it a Disturbance in the young Prophet of God that was sent to cry against the Altar at Bethel whereon the King Jeroboam Sacrificed even in the time of his Worship or the Disturbance was not on the King 's own part who put out his Hand against God's Servant in God's Work and whether the withering of that Hand was not an evident Sign on whose part the Disturbance was 1 Kings 13.1 c. Yea or Nay 3 Query Whether did Jeremiah the
we cannot give over to worship God as he hath taught us seeing to God the Judge of Quick and Dead we must give account and if we could give over our Meetings and Holy Exercises and please God we should certainly do it for God's Fear and Love is in our Hearts but seeing it is God's Good Will and Holy Command that we should assemble our selves together as we do to edifie one another in our most Holy Faith and so to hold forth God's Truth as we have received it before all Why should the King or the Parliament or any of his Counsellors think much that we should obey God rather than Man in this matter Wherein we can with Safety of our Conscience to Christ we do obey you but wherein we cannot is it not your Wisdom to bear with us as your selves in the like case would be done by And so fulfil the Royal Law indeed which saith As you would that Men should do unto you even so do unto them And this is a Law worthy a King to meditate in night and day and not to follow the Counsel that is contrary And this is a Foundation which all Parliaments and Councils ought to build upon or otherwise how is it possible their House should continue for from the height of Heaven hath the Lord beheld the Afflictions and Oppressions and heard the Groans and Cries of the Innocent Sufferers in England this day and will certainly deliver those that wait for him But I would not have the King to be an Object of God's Wrath in that day if possible And therefore in the Name of the Lord God am I thus moved to write unto thee and lay these things before thee desiring that thou maist read them and well weigh them for they are of greatest Concernment And that which rightly made use of tends not only to thy Well-being in this World but also to the Eternal Good of thy Soul Rests God's Servant and thy Soul and the Nations Friend Thomas Taylor To Informers LEt all such in these days as are Informers against the People of God for their Holy Worship and Service to God consider if they have not lost all savour of Good and care of their Souls What became of all such Informers in days past whom the Scriptures make mention of And first let Haman one of the great Informers come into your Mind and consider his Work and End a woful Work did he work against his own Soul in his Informing and Incensing the King Ahasuerus against the Jews because honest hearted Mordecai could not bow to his Pride as the Heathen did and see his End and tremble ye when ye read the History of the Matter as at large you may in the Book of Esther And consider ye in the cool of the Day what became of the Princes mentioned in Daniel who not only in their Wickedness got a Law from the King without cause but also Informed against the Holy Man Daniel for breaking the King's Law which the King never intended against Daniel because he pray'd to God as at other times And read in the History of Daniel where at large you may read it and tremble what a miserable End came upon them Informers who themselves were destroyed in that very Den of Lyons in which they had thought to have seen the end and destruction of honest-hearted Daniel but the Lord did deliver him as he will ever do all them that fear him from the Mouths of all the Lyons And let the dreadful End of those miserable Jews in Jeremiah's Time that Informed against him for speaking the Word of the Lord And in after time of those Jews that Informed against Jesus Christ and his Apostles come into your Minds and affright you at Midnight and terrifie you at Noon-Day for assuredly if you go on with them and be still found with them in their Work of Informing against and Persecuting of the Righteous you must partake of their Plagues as saith God's Truth which never failed in his Servant Thomas Taylor Some Serious Considerations concerning the Priests of the High Places called Churches their Sprinkling Infants Marrying People and Burying their Dead c. 1. IN their Sprinkling they abuse and miserably wrest Scripture to prove their Practice For that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me c. speaks not a word of Sprinkling them much less of their Doings and Doctrines about it And for that Scripture Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit c. it is nothing at all for them neither For it is certain the Spirit of God both can and hath and daily doth Regenerate People without outward Water but the Water without the Spirit never did nor never can Regenerate any and how the Spirit cometh to the Insensible Infants that by their own Confession cannot act Faith or whether it come to them at all in or by this doing of theirs I am sure they cannot tell neither have they any reasonable Ground to say or think it doth seeing there is no Command nor Promise at all in all the Scripture for it upon such their Doings upon such Subjects unless they will say with the gross Papists that Grace is conferred upon People ex opere operato viz. by the Priests meer doing about them 2. They commit another great Evil in this Matter in bringing in People to promise that for the little Children which they neither do nor of themselves never can do nay which they have not Faith so much as to believe that ever any can do by any means whilst they are upon the Earth to wit to forsake the Devil and all his Works c. which is manifest by their denial of sinless Perfection since all Sin is the Devil's Work And after the old Popish manner calling them Godfathers and Godmothers so taking God's Name in vain and otherwhile calling them Sureties so taking Christ's Office from him who is the alone Surety Mediator and Advocate between God and Man 3. And Thirdly In their great Blindness and Presumption calling upon the People to give God Thanks with them for that he hath Regenerated as they say the Infant or Infants then under their hands by such doings though as I said they have neither Precept nor Promise for it nor Manifestation from God then upon the Child for their so believing and concluding And so for their manifold taking God's Name thus in vain and causing you their Followers to do so also how shall they be held Guiltless For saith God I will not hold them Guiltless that take my Name in vain And how can these Priests blame the blind Papists for their foolish Doctrine of washing away Original Sin by their Baby Baptism when they by the like doing proclaim Regeneration and Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven to such as can neither Exercise Faith nor Repentance in it Tell me whether is greater washing away Original Sin or Regenerating and giving Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven O what
Yea is the Yea and the Nay is the Nay Such I say of you who found the Bill and brought in the Verdict as it is called against me for a Disturber of the Peace because in Obedience to God I witnessed against Deceipt publickly amongst you Consider Do you know what you have done Do you know what Verdict signifies a Verdict sounds in your Language as much as a true Saying or conclusion upon consideration of things in question and is yours brought in against me so to that of God in all your Consciences I speak which if you had taken Counsel at and not your own Wills you would not have called Good Evil nor brought in your own words against the Innocent for by judging this which was done in me to be a Crime do you not condemn the Holy Men of God mentioned in Scripture who were often commanded of God both contrary to their own Wills and the Wills of all the World to declare against the Sins both of Priests Rulers and People in the most publick Places and greatest Meetings yea and most solemn Assemblies as you may read in Scripture and by this your Judgment do you net justifie those in those Days who Persecuted the Prophets and Holy Men of God for their Witness sake and so do what in you lies to bring the Judgments of God upon your own Heads as those in those Days did who took Counsel and not at the Spirit of God So consider what I say and make your Peace with God for it is your own Sins and not the words that were spoken through me which have disturbed it and broken it and do no more so wickedly for the Day of the Lord is upon all the Unrighteous of the World and in him have I Peace who breaks no Peace but that of the Wicked whose Peace God will break for ever and so you having time prize it for this is the Day of your Visitation and a warning to all your Souls rests Thomas Taylor From Appleby Goal And further consider how durst you say or how dare you say that what was done by me was done maliciously and wilfully is there no fear of God abiding in your Hearts Awake awake to Righteousness for herein you have not done according to the knowiedge of God I speak this to your Shame To Judges and Rulers HEar O Judges and Rulers and hearken O all People the Lord hath a Controversie with you your Teachers have deceived you and you that have followed them are destroyed You are full of Strifes and Debates your Iniquities are increased your Assizes are full your Fat overflows your Pride and Vain-glory with your Profession is grown high and in the open Sun are these things manifest and you are grown a heavy Burden so that the pure God will speedily ease himself of you for the Soul of the Righteous is grieved with hearing and seeing what is daily done amongst you Therefore while you have time all prize it for this is the day of your Visitation and in this day shall no Hypocrite nor Worker of Iniquity be able to stand As witnesseth the Spirit of the Lord God in and by his Servant Thomas Taylor A Testimony of Truth MANY are the Enemies of the Glory of Christ in this his day who through their wilful and affected Ignorance would set up a Faith in the People that purifies not their Hearts to God nor presents them Spotless and without Sin in his sight carrying the poor People in hand that they may be Christians and abide in Christ though they Sin and do Evil directly contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Scripture 1 John 3.3 6 7 8 9. which John saith And ye to wit the Brethren know that he to wit Christ was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him And amongst these Enemies of Christ's Kingdom and Glory are found even many who highly profess him in words who therefore would be accounted better than others yet upon true Search and Tryal are as Ignorant of the Mystery of God and Christ as any as was yester day manifest by two of their Teachers one whereof affirmed That even the Perfection wrought by or in Christ was not Sinless And the other denying and going about with all his might to prove That this plain Scripture here set down must not be understood literally as it speaks nor that other Verse 9. of this forementioned Chapter which saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God But it must saith he be understood some other way than the letter speaks otherwise saith he it would make People go out of their Wits What none born of God that Sins Can People live and not Sin or to this purpose I will bring a Scripture saith he to prove That these words of John have some other meaning and not to be understood literally as they speak Yet H. Osland in one of his Papers says They follow the Lamb in all his ways Which Profession of his though it be most False as is manifest yet from his words I demand Whether such as follows the Lamb in all his ways or whithersoever he goes do Sin Yea or Nay Is not the Lamb's way undefiled And they that walk in that way are undefiled are they not Are not these the Called and Faithful and Chosen And then he turned to the Book of Ecclesiastes Chap. 9.3 which saith Yea also the heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead To which was answered This shews only the State of Man by Nature in the Fall and so under the Law and Curse and doth not at all concern the Gospel-Dispensation which Ministers Righteousness and Life to the Soul and gives a new clean and wise Heart according to the Blessed Promise that saith I will give them a new Heart and Circumcise their Hearts that they may sear me saith God According to that blessed Doctrine of the Apostles which saith To such as really believed in-Christ and so were not under the Law but under Grace ye are God's Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath ordained you shall walk in them What will this Contender go on in his Blindness Blaspheming and saying That Madness is in the Hearts of these while they live and that these new Creatures in Christ Jesus are full of Evil in their Hearts while they live and so go to the Dead O Sad that ever such should take upon them to be Teachers of others and be so Ignorant of the Gospel-Mystery themselves And therefore Woful and Miserable must needs the Condition of all such be that follow them for as Christ said If the Blind lead the Blind they must both fall into the Ditch and in
who are in their own Wills doing the Will of the Flesh which is Enmity to God And so Wo to the Climbers over the Door who are gotten into a Prosession of Christ without his Cross without the Lord's Law which is Spiritual without the knowledge of that Flaming Sword to cut down the Man of Sin that in the Birth which is Holy one may come to the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Garden O ye People harken a while who have been feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and never came through God's Judgments the Flaming Sword to the Tree of Life your Food is Death your Works will burn and your Fig-leaf Covers will fall off and you be left naked and bare to the Shame of your Nakedness as in the day that you were born For what is any Covering worth unless it be that of the Spirit of Christ The Lord God who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity will bring your Deeds to the Light of his Judgment and before him will nothing stand but that which is pure your defiled Preachings Prayings Singings Hearings Readings will all be rejected and cast out as Dung from the Presence of the pure holy God that consuming Fire You have multiplied Words without Knowledge you have not been neither yet are ye Doers of God's Will to God's Witness in your Consciences I speak therefore in vain do you say Lord Lord and he will not hold them Guiltless that take his Name in vain Your Garment is not of the pure white Linnen which is the Saints Righteousness but Linnen and Woollen is your Covering the Linsey woolsey Garment a thing forbidden by God's Law Your Field is not sown with the one Heavenly kind of Grain the good Wheat but another Seed have you mingled with it and the Mixture is so great that the Earthly hath almost covered and quite choaked the Heavenly in you If you will work you must into God's Vineyard and be exceeding Diligent and Laborious in plucking up the Weeds by the Roots in you the Light of Christ in the Conscience waiting in it will give the Understanding But Wo will be to them that call Light Darkness and put Darkness for Light and so suffer the Good in them to wither and nourish the bad part which is like the Grave that never hath enough always Learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth But both Teachers and Hearers all in Sin and laden with divers Lusts all their Lives long And Wo to the Fleshly and Selfish Workers on this Holy Sabbath day of the Lord wherein he hath given his People Rest from all their weary Labours and Burdens The outward day the First day of the Week shall not cover you nor be a Sabbath to you but in the Breach of God's Holy and everlasting Sabbath you being found you must bear his Judgment And you feed upon the airy Words of Man's Wisdom raised up by the Crafty Spirit to please the Itching Ears of Fallen Man and whose Faith stands in the Wisdom of these Words and not in the Power of God a day of Scattering cometh upon you it cometh and a grievous Whirlwind from the Lord and though a Famine of the Word of the Lord is upon you already yet you will not know it nor he humbled for it but the pleasant Breasts of Mystery Babylon which you so much delight in will be dried up that you will get no Suck nor Food for that unsatiable Mind in you that is like the Grave that can never have enough always learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth which sets free from Sin and the Songs of your Temple shall be Howlings in that Day because of the Vine of Sodom that will bear no more Grapes for all the Earth hath drunk so deep of the Wine of the Fornication of the great Whore that the Nations are Mad against the Appearance of the Lamb who is arisen to set up his Kingdom over all for the Lamb must have the Victory and Reign so be it for Evermore And you that talk so boastingly of your Faith and Suffering Mind you know not what Spirit you are of for the same Mind that you think to suffer in is it which hath formerly caused Sufferings to the Righteous and would do the like at this Day if Power were in your Hands and so if you could give your Bodies to be burnt in this Uncharitable and Persecuting Nature it would profit you nothing at all Thomas Taylor To the Presbyterians O Ye People called Presbyterians you have fully manifested your selves this Day to be of the Spirit of Cain the first Persecutor of God's Righteous Seed and as for your threatning of me and hawling me out of your Synagogue towards the Mayor because in Obedience to God I came to speak in his Name to let you see your Sins and to warn you of the Judgments of the Lord God that will certainly come upon you for them if you speedily Repent not and humble your selves for all your Pride and Hypocrisies and false Accusations and Persecutions of the Righteous Seed of God which he hath raised up this Day in the Earth to witness for him against all the false ways of fain Man that so all may come to the Power Christ Jesus to know him in them to be their Light and Life and alone Teacher to Salvation And this is my Witness for God this Day that except you come hither you will never be Established Thomas Taylor But what are you grown so high already that one must not come amongst you though in never so peaceable a manner to speak a word though in the Name of the Lord This is not only contrary to the Order of the true Church in the Apostles Days but also contrary to the King 's Late Declaration which saith That the Places of Toleration must stand open for all to come into But this Persecuting Spirit is but the same that hath been in you of Old notwithstanding all that hath come upon you in these Late Days To the Blind Teachers WO to the Teachers that have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not and Hearts that will not understand who can put no difference betwixt the Precious and the Vile but give the things they account Holy to the manifest Unholy Wicked and Prophane and so dishonour the Lord and deceive the Souls of the People and so they not discerning the Lord's Body nor the Members thereof which are holy they speak Peace to the Wicked who are Members of the Wicked One for his Servants and Members People are to whom they do Obey so Wo is to this present evil and wicked World who in words profess Christ but in their deeds do grievously dishonour him the Day hastneth wherein the Scripture must be fulfilled upon you who will not that Christ should Reign rests a Mourner in Zion for all the Abominations that are done amongst you Thomas Taylor For
from entring in but help them on in their Journey if you can lest you be found Fighters against God For now is the Effect of every Vision coming in and a feeble one in this Blessed Jerusalem that is descended and daily coming down from God out of Heaven is as David and David as the Angel of God before them Zach. 12.8 He that runs may now read if his Eye be open And Blessed are all that have believed in God's Holy Name these will not be troubled at Zion's Prosperity but will set to their Seal that God is true and praise the Lord with us the Children of the Womb of the Eternal Morning Praisâ—d be God So be it And all know a separation in your selves betwixt the Precious and the Vile and the Vile brought under and the Precious bearing rule there and then will you be in some measure able to discern and judge aright of things abroad but not until then The Carnal Man seeks to gather a great heap into a Form but the Spiritual Man whose Eye is in his Head he seeks to bring People out of the Evil of the World into the Good of God's Kingdom and Power of Godliness Blessed are they that can lay down all their own at the Feet of Jesus Christ that they may be what they are in him for the World and the Glory of it and the Lovers of it is as a fading Flower but he only that doth the Will of God abides for Ever Given forth in the Movings of the Spirit of the Lord God in his Servant who is a Sufferer amongst his Reproached Ones called Quakers for the Testimony of his Everlasting Truth Praised and Blessed be God for Ever who hath counted us worthy thereunto Thomas Taylor A Few Necessary Questions and Conclusions For the Present Parish-Teachers OF ENGLAND c. Deeply to Ponder and Answer in God's Fear for the good of their own and the Peoples Souls that are under them for the Lord is arisen to call all things into Judgment 1. WHether any can be said to be true Gospel-Ministers who are not sent of Christ as Christ was sent of the Father seeing Christ said As my Father hath sent me even so send I you for all Power is given me in Heaven and Earth John 20.21 and 17.18 Mat. 28.18 2. Whether any can be justly blamed for not hearing or upholding such as are not thus sent of Christ seeing Christ said My Sheep hear my Voice and a Stranger they will not follow for they know not the Voice of a Stranger John 10. 1 John 4. 3. Whether it benot the greatest Presumption for any upon what Pretence soever to take upon them to be Embassadors for Christ the Great King who were never Authorized or Commissionated thereto by Christ as aforesaid it being his Proper Right to send forth his own Labourers 4. Whether any who are not thus sent of Christ as Christ was sent of the Father can profit the People at all though they have never so much Authority from Man or be furnished with never so much Oratory or Wisdom of Words or Excellency of Speech according to Man seeing the Scripture testifieth The World by Wisdom knew not God 1 Cor. 1. And if any should say How was Christ sent or can any be sent now as Christ was sent I Answer Christ was sent in the Wisdom Power and Spirit of the end less Love and Life of the Father to Preach the Kingdom of God and the Everlasting Gospel thereof as it 's said Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor c. and so were the true Ministers formerly sent of Christ Luke the last 49. Acts 26.16 17. Acts 20.28 John 16.13 14 15. 2 Cor. 3.5 6. And as in all former Ages all the true Messengers and Ministers of God and Christ were sent in the Wisdom Power and Spirit of God and Christ and thereby directed and guided in their Work both when to whom and what to speak Jer. 17. c. Exod. 3.10 c. Amos 7.14 16. Acts 10.19 20. Acts 8.26 27 29. 1 Cor. 2.12 13. Gal. 2.7 8. Even so are Christ's true Messengers and Ministers sent now and always must be because without Christ they can do nothing John 15.5 and because no Man knows the Things of God but the Spirit of God and therefore without that Spirit it must needs be impossible for any either rightly to know or minister the Things of God 1 Cor. 2.7 c. and so saith Christ I am with you not some but all my Servants John 17.20 21 22. not for a time only but always even to the end of the World Mat. 28.20 And therefore saith the Apostle How can they Preach except they be sent to wit as Christ was Luke 4.18 c. as is plain by the Apostle's applying that in general to Christ's Ministers which the Prophet speaks in the singular number of Christ Rom. 10.15 compared with Isa 52.7 Again Christ was sanctified and sent so are also his Messengers and Ministers sanctified and sent as Lambs among Wolves John 17.16 17 18 19 c. Isa 6.7 8. Let no unsanctified Man here shelter himself under Judas who was only for the turn of fulfilling the Scripture numbred amongst the Twelve but not at all for a Pattern of true Gospel-Ministers Again Christ came not to do his own Will but the Will or him that sent him and so it is with every one that Christ sends and who abide in his Doctrine and as Christ endured the Contradiction of Sinners against himself with all Patience even so do all he sends and who abide in his Doctrine not avenging themselves but committing their Cause to God who is the Avenger of all Wrongs done to his Servants Also seeing Christ said The Tree is known by its Fruits and by their Fruits ye may know such as come to you in Sheeps Cloathing but are inwardly ravening Wolves Mat. 7.15 Therefore it is further asked of you 1. Whether such as love to be called of Men Master which Christ forbad Mat. 23 10 11 12. or seek and affect other Titles of worldly Honour and to be Great and to exercise Lordship in the Earth like the Gentiles do not plainly manifest themselves to be such as Christ is not with seeing he said to his It shall not be so amongst you Mark 10.24 c. And how can they believe saith Christ who receive Honour one of another and seek not that Honour which comes from God only John 5.44 2. Whether such as make Merchandize of their Words even selling them as it were for Money by agreeing with the People for so much a Year to settle at a place for Preaching c. and yet will not settle at a Place as Teachers but where they know before-hand so much Hire or certain Yearly Maintenance provided for them seconded with the worldly Power to compel People to pay it them or by Force
which sets the Soul free from all Sin for how should People ever come to the Knowledge of the Truth by following such Teachers as are out of the Truth For if the Blind lead the Blind must they not both fall into the Ditch Also seeing you profess the Scripture and not unwritten Traditions to be your Rule and would have People to believe that what you do is according to Scripture therefore it 's demanded in a few words further 1. What Scripture have you for your Sprinkling of Infants and Signing them with the Sign of the Cross and telling People That thereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheriters of the Kingdom of Heaven when in your own Catechism in Contradiction to your Practice you teach That Children by reason of their Infancy or tender Years then cannot perform the Requests of Baptism to uit Faith and Repentance 2. And what Scripture have you for your Sureties so called which you most unscripturally call the Childrens God fathers and God-mothers which you pretend to make up the Defect in the Infants by and for putting these Pretended Sureties upon such bold Undertakings and unadvised Promisings of that for the Child which they never yet did for themselves nor indeed have Faith to believe that so great Works can be done in any upon Earth to wit To forsake the Devil and all his Works c. seeing that such generally held That none can live without Sin Is not Sin the Devil's Work Yea yea And is there any Undertaker for Man to God-ward but Christ And was there any Surety betwixt God and Man but Christ only who saith Without me ye can do nothing So then this evil Custom of your undertaking being derogatory to the Honour of Christ Who can say that God hath required it at your Hands But if you will yet plead for it shew us your Scripture for it if you would be esteemed to act as Protestants and not as Papists and to own Scripture above Mens Inventions and Traditions 3. Also what Scripture have you for your Surplice Canonical Coats Typpets c. and for wearing Black rather than other Colours seeing the Apostle blamed such as placed Religion in Days Meats and the like surely he would not agree with such as place their Religion in Garments and Colours Blessed be the Lord whose Day is dawned which makes all things manifest and none will hate the Light of it but Evil-doers 4. And what Scripture have you for your Tithes Easter-Reckonings Mortuaries and the like now under the Gospel and for your Laws which you call Spiritual to compel the People to pay you them seeing Christ is come the End of that Levitical Priesthood under whiâ—h Tithes were payable by Law 5. What Scripture have you who profess your selves to be Christians for your Swearing Swearing in your Courts so called Swearing in your Spiritual Courts 〈◊〉 The poor People called Câ—uâ—eâ—-Wardâ—ns grâ—â—an under the Burden of this evil Custom O this is far from following Christ who said and saith unto his Swear not at all but you are grown to that pass that you cannot trust one another without Swearing no not in your Church-matters Is not this a Fruit of Apostacy and departing from that ancient Faith which was once delivered to the Saints 6. And what Scripture have you for giving David's Prayers Prophecyings Roarings Quakings Tremblings and Confessions in Rhyme and Meeter to the World to sing who are of another Spirit than David was and so utterly unacquainted with David's Conditions and so instead of singing with the Spirit and Understanding as the ancient Christians did you sing in a Form without the Power thereby not honouring but rather dishonouring the Lord who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth 7. And what Scripture have you for teaching People to worship one another and for your Ring in Marriage where you teach them to say With this Ring I thee Wed and with my Body I thee worship Is not God alone to be worshipped How then are such to be accounted Christian Ministers who abide not in Doctrine 2 John 9. And lastly seeing you pretend to be Christ's Ministers and so God's Free-men I ask you these few plain Questions further Gal. 1.10 viz. 1. Why do you limit your selves or suffer others to limit you to such and such Forms of Words and Gestures and Apparel as is in Use amongst you in all your Services Is it from any Excellency you see in those Words or Forms more than in any other Or is it because you are so weak of Judgment or brittle of Memory as that you can do little without Book Or is it not rather for filthy Lucre sake you are willing to be soâ—ty'd because you know that without Conformity to the Wills of the great Ones in this Matter you can get no Power to compel Peoples earthly things from them O what will not the Love of Money compel covetous-minded People unto 2 Tim. 6.10 11. 2. What is that makes you go to the Bishop rather than any other Man or Men for Ordination as you you call it Is it because you know or believe that he is more Holy than any other Or hath more Power to confer any Spiritual Gift upon you by Imposition of his Hands more than any other If you say he hath where had he it And wherein doth it appear Or is it not rather that you go now to the Bishop for Ordination as you or your Brethren went formerly to the Classical Presbytery so called in Oliver's time because this is the Way now as the other was formerly to impower you to come into Parishes and be their Teachers and command their earthly things from them by Force whether you do any Spiritual Work for them or no Yea from such as in the Lord's Light see you to be no Ministers of the Spirit and therefore not able to minister Spiritual things and therefore deny you Oh that ever such a thing should be among such as profess to be Gospel Ministers 3. Whether do you believe that all things in the Church ought to be done and spoken in the alone Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus And if so then how can you expect but that God will overturn overturn all Things until he to wit the Lord Jesus Christ to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is given comes to rule in all and over all to whom of Right it belongs So be it And what is the Cause that you are so dark in your Minds as concerning the Mystery of Christ's Kingdom and the Spiritual Saving Power thereof if it be not that mentioned in the third Chapter of Micah's Prophecy verse 5 6 7. where it is written Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him therefore Night shall be unto you that you shall not have
Everlasting Father which is Spirit and Life the Resurrection and the Life in every believing Soul for we are Redeemed from Death thereby that we might for Ever hereafter serve God in the newness of his own Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as all such do as know no other Teaching Word but the Letter as this R. B. doth and so they having gotten a little Brain-knowledge by their Humane Helps and not by the Spirit of Truth they wrest Scripture to their own and others Destruction desiring and boasting themselves to be Masters and Teachers of others whilst themselves need teaching what the very Principles or beginning Doctrines of the true Christian Religion is as is plainly manifested by his seeking to bring in a graceless Minister or Wolf into Christ's Fold surely the Wolf comes not but to rob and destroy All that ever came before me saith Christ are Thieves and Robbers and never came in by the Door as its plain the Graceless Man doth not but hath climb'd up another way by his Humane Helps as Baxter speaks and to this purpose see John the 10th and Mat. 23. where Christ at large sets forth such Wolfish Teachers who can perk themselves up in Places of Teachers by the World's help outwardly but will neither enter into the Kingdom of God themselves nor suffer others but shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men by such deceitful Doctrine and Antichristian Inventions as this R. B. hath by saying That Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration than Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the Benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it which last saying doth directly thwart and contradict the Scripture which saith I was found of them that sought me not Isa 65.1 And Paul sets believing and working in this great Matter of the Knowledge of God and Christ to Salvation one against the other as the way of the Law and Gospel for to him that worketh saith he is the Reward reckon'd of Debt not Gift of Grace but to him that Believeth it is of Grace to the Glory of God's great Love to Man for saith the Scripture God so loved the World that he gave his Son that whosoever on him believe should not perish but have Life Eternal And none can truly say but those are the best knowers and wisest People that have Eternal Life in them though they never laboured for it nor sought for it and so such as this R. B. who looks at all as obtain'd by Time and Labour they are those Spiritual Proud Ones who are swelâ—ed so big with Spiritual Pride that Self-idolizing Sin which as himself saith in his second Direction so called is the great Rebel against God the chief part of the Devil's Image that one Sin which breaketh every Commandment the Heart of the Old Man the Root and Parent and Summary of all other Sin the Antichristian Vice which is most directly contrary to the Life of Christ c. and these Letter-wise Men that have parched together a Garment of Fig-leaves to cover their sinful Nakedness are Proud of meer supposed Spiritual Excellencies for the way of the Blessed Spirit and its free Gifts and free Workings in the Children of Men they are strangers unto and then through their Humane Learning and lost Labour having gotten a little or a great deal of talk from the Letter of the Scripture concerning Religion in their Earthly Spirits which sees nothing of the Kingdom of God they condemn the Generation of the Just whom God teacheth and Blesseth with all Spiritual Knowledge in Heavenly Things and call them Spiritually Proud because they cannot but speak very highly and yet in the truest humility of Heart concerning the great Things that God hath done for their Souls and because they cannot join with the Wicked whom God abhorreth neither in their Worship nor other sinful Customs And so out of that Old Bottel come all those unsavoury Expressions of R. B. before-mentioned against the free Teachings of God's Spirit yea so great an Enemy he is to the wholsom Doctrine of Free Grace that Page 7. he saith Is it not Blaspheming of God's Spirit to make it the Patron of Mens sloth and idleness under pretence of Magnifying Grace To which I answer That pretending we deny and truly say with the Apostle That God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us yea most freely without our own La-Labour or any Humane Help The Knowledge of the Glory of his Kingdom and those that call this Doctrine either in the Apostle or us a Patronizing of Sloth and Idleness are those that do really Blaspheme God's Spirit which teacheth it But many Texts saith R. B. commands us diligence and sloth is a great Sin To which I say the Scripture indeed commands a diligent Improvement and holy Exercise of the free Gifts which the Spirit hath given the Faithful But the Scripture never said that Humane Labour and Helps are the Means to be used for getting the Spirit 's Teachings and without which no Knowledge in Spiritual Matters is now received Stir up the Gift of God in thee saith Paul to Timothy so say I but he no where puts the Humane or Carnal Man to Work or Labour to get the Spirit for that is quite contrary to this Scripture Gal. 3.2 as also Rom. 9.16 Obj. But this R. B. asks this Question Why hath God setled a Teaching Office in his Church and commanded all to attend and hear and learn if we are taught by the Spirit without Man's help Why were the Apostles sent forth into all the World c Answer Here is the great stumbling of these Unbelievers the Worldly-wise Ones indeed what because God in his free unlimited Spirit did begift Men and in his own Spiritual Power sent them forth to preach and publish all abroad the Glory of his Kingdom and Good Will to Men cannot People therefore be taught by the Spirit without Man's help What Reasoning's this When the Scripture expresly saith That all the Gifts and Abilities Helps and Means of bringing People to God and the Knowledge and Enjoyment of all the Good Things of his Kingdom are meerly solely and wholly from God and his Blessed Spirit 's free Gift in Christ and not from Man at all And therefore when the Corinthians began to look at Man whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas he calls it Carnal and said Christ was not divided signifying plainly it was Christ and the Spirit of his Power that alone did all in all as Christ said Joh. 15. Without me you can do nothing for in the True Church Christ ever was and ever will be all in all and and Man nothing as Paul said of himself Paul is nothing But in the False Church where R. B. is pleading for Man yea Graceless Ministers Man
is all and Christ suffered to have no Rule But those mine Enemies saith Christ that would not that I should Rule bring them and slay them before my Face But what sottishness is this in R. B. to ask such a Question as this when himself confessed in the very last words before it That none are so forward to Preach as these same Men that cry down Mens Teaching VVhereby it plainly appears that we do not deny God's Teachings and the Spirit 's Good and Gracious Gifts freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect Man to the measure and statutre of the fulness of Christ no more than the Apostle did Ephes 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian Spirit in R. B. and all such Men as by setting up Self and Flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their Painted Words and Love-killing Doctrines who are this Day Goliah-like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to pieces Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly Spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful Ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantments bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know O vain Man R. B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to Preach without Man's help were sent forth Then thou may'st know it was to reprove such as thâ—e that would limit God to vain Man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on Mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and said Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers it plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the Free and Gracious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou dost But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Page 8. Advise with the Experience of all the World who was the Man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writing Where dwelleth the Man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the Vulgar Tongue And where is the Man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by Man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Page 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Labyrinth or Mist of words about their Uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to Humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own Knowledge he there adds and says in that 16th Page especially If you know your Advantages for Knowledge have been less than other Mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the Study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger Natural Parts than other Men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means than you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Page 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst Men are not always the Wisest in the Matters of Religion he saith many Men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applied not their Studies that way and many Men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in Sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others Here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this R. B. is who is not ashamed to say That Man that lives in Sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in Sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist Chap 3. expresly saith but this R. B. goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long Study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or something like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against Singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not always in the Right therefore why should my Singularity discourage me But because his Answer hath a pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do Answer and say in breif thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this R. B's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural Spirit and Humane Industry and Studies and Trading in Books and Letters without him from which earthly or humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right Meaning and Understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it For the natural Man as the Apostle saith perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that earthly Spirit and all the cruel Wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this Day have proceeded from it to the miserable and woful Undoing of the Generality of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel Usage of Spiritual-minded Men for their pure Conscience Sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly Spirits and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the
Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were Slain upon the Earth Rev. 18.24 For what Spiritual Man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an Affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Vnfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never Read or Heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was never taught by Man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to lead them into all Truth according to Promise John 16. without being beholding to vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this R. B. who is not content to fit among the Parish-Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these Days that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it comes in Man's Way and by humane Study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing Man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without Man's help for he is worthy who as he Created all things by his own alone Power and according to his good Will so he Restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also Speaks John 1.13 But Oh! How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostles to R. B's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God lest any should think as this R. B. doth that it was either by Man's Labour or Study or humane Endeavour or Art or Parts or any Natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. And he bids not Err as this R. B. doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God And his Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 So this Word though it works according to the Witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of Men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ that witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them Record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to Knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this R. B. and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirits Teaching by the Letter and humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual Men 1 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this R. B's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Vnderstanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much Reading and long Study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them had need of some Miracle or something like a Miracle to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and Language in this R. B. from the Language of the Holy Men of God that writ the Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things Judge for the Holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased Man and all meer humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture Witnesseth But this R. B. tyeth the weight and main Stress of all upon humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Custom and Countries much Reading long Study and the like insomuch that without them Man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unless seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery thereof of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their unsound Doctrine as I may well say And Oh! for ever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lye down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's Fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the Hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the Holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God for ever Amen Again let us review and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your Advantages for Knowledge have been less than other Men's that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entered upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger Natural Parts than other Men or that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your Knowledge of the Holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means
than you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. To which I Answer That by these words it is easily seen what manner of Knowledge it is that this R. B. trades in and would have all Slaves unto and what are his Means for obtaining it to wit a meer natural Knowledge which by meer worldly Helps and Advantages may be attained For a meer Heathen accompanied with many Years and much humane Learning and strong Natural Parts that can but talk much of the Scripture especially having on him a Form of Prayer and the like must needs go for a better knowing Christian with him than the dearest Child of God especially if he be young in Years and want those natural Helps and outward Appearances Oh what havock hath such Doctrine as this of R. B's made amongst his deluded Hearers and Admirers in this Nation so that now let the Man God come to one of them in the purest Evidence and most powerful Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth if he appear not to them Cloathed and Accompanied with these Natural and Worldly Abilities and Indowments they are fenced against the Lord's Messenger with such Arguments as these You are but young you have but Studied a while you are of slender and mean Natural Parts and little or no Schollar-ship and have Prayed but little c. in comparison of our Grave and Learned Divines and the like So that as Christ said so we find now true That Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before such and now what a Curer of Church-divisions this R. B. is like to prove is easily seen and therefore that Charge which his Self-condemned Heart fear'd would come upon him may justly be brought upon him here which in his Preface to his Book he sets down thus They will affirm saith he that I have clawed with one Party and have girded at the other and have sought to make them Odious by bringing them under the Reproach of Separation of censuring and avoiding the Vngodly and that being Luke-warm my self and a Complier with Sin I would have others to do so too And that these Reconcilers are neither Flesh nor Fish and attempt Impossibilities even to Reconcile Light and Darkness Christ and Belial and that for the sake of Peace we would sell the Truth and would let in Church-Corruptions out of an over-eager desire of Agreement and when they have all done neither Parties will regard them These are this R. B's words in that Preface of his to that Book which is justly come upon him And indeed he may as well go about to reconcile Light and Darkness as bring the Children of Light whom God hath delivered out of the Darkness and Filthiness of Egypt and Sodom Spiritual into Unity with them again for there is Enmity put between the two Seeds and those words of Christ in John 17.21 22 c. which he deceitfully puts in the Title Page of his Book are only proper to the Living Members of the Spiritual Body of Christ which he calls Mystical and not to any of the World's Churches or visible mixt Congregations of People whatsoever the Words of the Apostle in John 17.21 c. are weightier than any Hypocrite can bear and they are these That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that thou also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me and the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made Perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me God is arisen to drive Hypocrites from under all such shelter of words as they would hide themselves under for now is the City and Kingdom truly Manifested and Witnessed into which no Uncircumcised or Unclean shall enter but only the Redeemed Born babes and Living Members of Christ And now to the Knowledge and Experience not of the Evil World but of all that know God do I appeal to Judge whether this R. B. or any of like Spirit with him can be said to know any thing of the Oneness betwixt the Father and Son the Members of the Holy Heavenly Body much less can be any of them who are not afraid to affirm That such are not to be disallowed from being Ministers of the Gospel though they want Grace totally And that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration than Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the Benefit of the Church that hath no saving Grace at all as Page 114. of his Book aforementioned and that there is no Man alive that Worshippeth God without some Sin And adds Do you ever Pray your selves in Secret or in your Families without Sin as in Page 19.5 And in Page 30. of his Preface to that Book That there is no Person Church or Worship on Earth faultless and without Corruption and saith there further I Justifie not the Faults of my own daily Prayers and yet I never Pray without them And in Page 34. c. That Cain was the First-born Member in the Church of Adam 's Family And Cursed Cham was of the Church of Noah And reckons Lot 's two Sons-in-law and Esau yea and the Ten Tribes in their Apostacy to be of the Church And so having reckoned up and raked together the Faults of the Race of Abraham before Christ's coming in the Flesh and of those called Christians after that mentioned in Scripture he wickedly and imprudently says Page 44. That no one Member is in all these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any one of all these Churches as if their Communion in Worship were Vnlawful Directly contrary to 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 6.17 Rev. 18.4 5 6 c. Come out of Mystery Babylon the false Church saith God to his People Oh the Blasphemy of such Men's Hearts that dare Intitle wicked Men for a bare Profession-sake of Religion to the Glory of the benefit of this Prayer of Christ's who Prays and his Prayers were always heard That his might be one as He and the Father were and are one the Father in Christ and Christ in them and so made Fellow-heirs and Partakers of the Glory of Christ by free Gift But neither R. B. nor any graceless Minister nor sinful Praying People whom he pleads for while such can ever be one as the Father and Son are one Therefore I may safely say to you all who desire the good of your Souls and the Glory of God Come out from amongst them and joyn not with them No not in their Worship Actions as he calls them nor be ye Partakers in any of their Sins or Sinful Worship lest ye partake of their Plagues for the Temple of God is Holy and the Worship of God is Holy And so R.
Truth and for Deceit that the Simple-hearted might for ever be warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Dr. Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for Conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of Mens Breath be silenced as R. B's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confoundâ—d with the Fall that when they awaked and got a little Breath that they should for fear of Men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouths blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a Man-made Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing which passage is contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober minded People may well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsly says to please the present Evil World with all that the Holy Scriptures warrant them in a Sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for it 's absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward Sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture now here commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest Praises to God And therefore People consider what a Wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst Men. What was was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it become such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep Prejudice for not Consormity to it What will not that Spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou Blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren Can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truly concluded that the Service thou pleads for is not of God because for Conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it But Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the Consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish-Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouths wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as Prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think says this Bryan in that P. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest Request to you is to lay aside your Prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your Separation be not sinful Answ To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouths are by the sinful Priests of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any Prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most Holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our Separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the Offence which the Parish-worshippers take is Offence without all Canse on our parts given and so it is no other than the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those days because they could not worship with their Neighbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not only so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their Separation then as they do us at this day and so the Reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so Bâ—essed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through Prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their Return be as Shameful as their Separation was Sinful like this Bryan and R. B who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been only in the Self separation according to the Will and Force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such Men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times than your Hearers are as R. B. says yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end But let all know that these Self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are not real Dwellers with God though this Bryan it 's like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom it 's like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering Words and Desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these Non-conforming Ministers by R. B's report are not so much against the Parish Way of Worship as now managed
thou wilt not follow nor be led by them And then these Ignorant Sureties of what sort soever being fore-instructed by the Priest must Answer I Renounce them all What! People are ye all Dead or fast asleep that ye never consider such things as these but rush like a Horse into the Battel without fear into such weighty Matters as these Were it not fit that such who promise so boldly so great Matters for others were first looked into whether ever they did half nay the hundredth part of so much for themselves but where the Blind leads the Blind what less than such Pits can be expected And further these Bold Sureties on the Child's behalf being asked concerning his Belief of the Articles of Faith called the Creed go on and being taught of Man are not afraid to say any thing and affirm That all that they stedfastly believe though in their Heart the Knowledge of God is not And being further asked Whether be will obediently keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of his Life The Answer is without stop or lett without asking Counsel of God at all I will O what a thing is Man left to himself What a heap of Confusion and Contradiction is he O what Task-masters of Egypt are these Blind Guides to bind that on others which they will not touch with one of their Fingers for they themselves neither forsake the Devil nor his Works as is manifest nor believe in God nor Christ stedfastly for how should they trust God for their Souls who dare not trust him for their Bellies as their Covetous Practices shews And how can they be said to keep God's Holy Will and Commandments all their Days who are doing what they should not do by their own Confession all their Lives long And when the Priests have thus far taken God's Name in vain and deceived themselves and the Parents by making them believe that they are what they are not by this their sorry doing they proceed to give Charge to the God-fathers and God-mothers so called that they bring the Child when it can say for it must be noted that their Religion stands in saying the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue that they bring it to the Bishop to be Confirmed by him O sad O sad that ever Men should thus dare to trifle with Holy Things For Regeneration is a Holy Thing but is neither wrought by outward Washings nor vain Mens Words nor Promises nor their Prayers but only by Jesus Christ the great and true Baptizer according to the working of his Heavenly Power and Spirit of Life in the Will of God as he saith The Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is Born of God's Spirit John 3.8 And to shut up this Business that none may be ignorant of the grosness of Darkness that goes all along in this thing and so ends it they say It is certain by God's Word that Children which are Baptized dying before they commit Actual Sin are undoubtedly Saved Understand thus Baptized as aforesaid Now to this I say that if People can be wrought into such Darkness as to believe this and to rest satisfied that it is according to the Word of God when it is a meer Invention of the Nations in the Apostacy and so no Scripture of Truth at all for it it 's no wonder if they can get them into the Belief of lesser Errors And also it 's no wonder to see the Poor People thus deluded make such haste to get their Infants to the Priest when they perceive them in any danger of dying For these that lay so much stress upon this outward Sprinkling or Baptism as they call it must needs have dismal Thoughts concerning such as Die without the same to wit that they are little less if not altogether Damned And as also may easily be gathered from the Words before their Burial of their Dead which runs thus Here is to be noted say they that the Office ensuing to wit of their manner of their Burial of the Dead which they call Christian Burial is not to be used for any that Die unbaptized to wit unsprinkled by the Priest as aforesaid or Excommunicate or have laid violent Hands upon themselves O what Darkness what Destruction and Misery is in all their Ways who account not People worthy of Christian Burial who are either Excommunicate by these Wretched Men and that may be for not paying a Groat or two for Repair of their Steeple house or high Place Or will not nay cannot for Conscience-sake come under their Sprinkling But as for the Man they speak of who hath laid violent Hands upon himself what if it prove one that they say has been made Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven yea confirmed in it by their Office and was never Excommunicated by them must not he have Christian Burial neither O strange confused doings Then it seems the Gates of Hell may prevail against such as are of your Faith though they be confirmed in it never so much And by this it also appears that you are such Sinners as God hears not as was said before for you prayed after your wretched Fashion in your sprinkling of them that the Old Adam might die in them but lo here he lives and hath laid violent Hands upon the Body you prayed for Power over the Devil for them but lo here the Devil hath overcome them you prayed that those Dedicated by your Ministry might be Everlastingly Rewarded with good but lo here your Child is become a Man and a Self-murderer and not thought worthy of Christian Burial as you call it But the Lord sees all your grievous doings your End is come and coming and the Lord Jesus Christ himself the Everlasting High-priest is at Work Baptizing with his Holy Spirit and Fire O! his Fan is in his Hand throughly to purge the Floor But you Mer-made Priests who have presumed to speak and he never sent you you are not as his Mouth or Messengers for you put no difference neither know ye how to put difference betwixt the Precious and the Vile You bring in the uncircumcised and unclean you matter not what you do you weigh not your Doings nor Words in God's Ballance but the Love of Money the Root of all Evil hath so blinded your Eyes that you will see nothing at all of Truth for your Eye being Evil your whole Body is full of Darkness as Christ saith your Skirts are discovered the Books are opened and now will the Lord give you according to your Deeds as you have grieved and burdened his good Spirit so will he burden you with his Plagues and Terrors And though you may cry to the Rocks and the Mountains yet nothing shall hide you from his Wrath as Truth hath said it is so Some have been lopping
against you and his Vials of Wrath is he pouring forth upon you and he will not fail nor be discouraged until his Judgments be brought forth to Victory over you And now to you the Magistrates and Powers who Rule in this Nation of England lend not your Power much less give it to this dead Image uphold not this Ministry which cannot profit you nor the People at all lest God plead with you in his Wrath for your Abuse of it for though they may perswade you that Christ is not against them yet such as God hath Redeemed from amongst them know them to be no Ministers of Christ but Hirelings who have run without Christ's sending and so not going Christ's Message they cannot be content with Christ's Maintenance but cry unto you Acts 21.28 O Magistrates help help the People will not Pay us their Tythes and the like lend us your Laws your Prisons c. O Rulers Consider consider what Teachers these are who instead of compelling People to Love and contribute to them by the Power of the Word are glad to run to the Worldly Magistrates Sword is not God against them that are thus against him O leave them Leave them to try and prove themselves to the Peoples Conscience to be true Ministers by a free and powerful Ministry of the Word not of Man but of God unto them or never own them for Christ's ancient and true Ministers had freely received and therefore could freely give and did Plant before they Eat Mat. 10.8 and Fed the Flock before they had the Milk thereof but these Buy their Words and therefore Sell them like Merchants of Babylon Ezok. 34. They eat the Fat and clothe with the Wooll and kill them that are fed as the Prophet speaks but God's Flock they feed not but persecute them calling them Hereticks and all that 's naught as the Old Jews who persecuted Christ and his Followers did Acts 24.14 But after the Way that they call Heresie so worship we the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing his Living Word which perfects us to himself and the Scriptures which testifie thereof Glory to his Name for Ever And all ye Peoplâ—y who are Lovers and Followers and Upholders of this false Ministry which keeps you always learning 2 Tim. 3.5 5 and never brings you to the Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus which alone perfects to God cease from it and the Masterly Teachers in it and from them turn to God Jer. 23.28 29. for what are their Dreams to the Living and Eternal Word of God which is as a Hammer and a Fire in the Hearts of all that receive it Ezek. 18.23 Ezek. 32.11 And what are their Inventions to the Ordinances of Christ The Lord loves your Sâ—als he hath no Pleasure in your Death it is not his Will that your Precious Souls should be lost for the pleasing of vain Men and answering their ungodly Lusts Jer. 30.17 What is there no Bulm in Gilead Is there no Christ no Physician in England that the Breach which Sin hath made betwixt God and your Souls can never be made up Hos 4.2 but the Wound must stand open still like a Bloody-Issue running out the very Life of your Souls so that you have no Power no Victory over Sin but Sin stands still in its Strength and perfect Dominion over you O when O when will you come to the Light that your Eyes may be opened to see the dangerous Paths that you are in Rev. 3.18 by following these Blind Guides Mat. 23.13 who having shut up the Kingdom of God against Men will neither enter into it themselves nor suffer others Oh! why will ye Die ye People of England Exod. 10.21 22 23. Isa 11.10 Joh. 3.19 20 Gen. 31 4. Why will ye sit in Egypt's Darkness still and the Land of God's People so full of Light The Lord God hath listed up the Standard of his Truth in the midst of you but you chuse rather to Fight under the Banner of the Power of Darkness because of your Love to the World to your Hurt and so the Old Dragon who beguiled Eve leads you Captive at his Will who will not have Christ the true Light the good Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul to rule in you The Word of the Lord God unto you all both Priests Magistrates and People Awake Awake the great and mighty terrible Day of the Lord God is at Hand 2 Pet. 3.16 2 Thes 5.2 3. Prov. 1.27 Mal. 2.1 Rom. 1.18 is very nigh to come upon you like a Thief in the Night like an Armed Man like a terrible Tempest to scatter you to spoil you of your Glory to leave you neither Root nor Branch For now is the Lord Jesus Christ Mighty in Power arisen to plead with you in his Wrath because you have made void his Law and transgressed the Everlasting Covenant of his Gracious Light and instead thereof have set up a dead Image Rev. 13.14 a liveless Form of Man's devising the Image of Jealousie a Religion and Worship which makes nothing perfect to God your Root is seen and judged by the true Light Christ Jesus the Root and Off-spring of David It is so And if you still continue in your vain Thoughts thinking to please God with such a Life wherein you are daily doing what you ought not to do and leaving undone what God commands you and never come out of that wretched and miserably defiled State but think a customary Confession of Sins without forsaking of them is a Worship worthy the pure God who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity I say if these Thoughts and this Heart continue in you Hos 1.6 9. the Lord will cast you off and will utterly forsake you and bring his sore Plagues upon you and you shall know in that Day that God will not be mocked but will be sanctified and exalted in his Judgments over all his Enemies especially over such as you who take his Name daily in your Mouths in vain saying Lord Lord and living in a continual Breach of his most Holy Commandments and who instead of waiting for his Holy Spirit to kindle a pure heavenly Zeal in you towards God and Christ Lev. 10.1 2. do offer the false Fire of your own Blind Zeal as Nadab and Abihu did whom God in his Jealousie consumed with a grievous Destruction And now unto you the two Mothers of these Priests of this Nation of England called Oxford and Cambridge Isa 1.4 fee what you have brought forth and nourished at your Breasts O! a sad Generation it is O! what a Generation of Evil-doers are your Children whom you have given Suck unto become How have you with your Heathenish Arts and Sciences strengthned them against the Simplicity of the Everlasting Gospel which Christ hath restored unto us in this his glorious Day Col. 2.8 Isa 1.26 Rev.
you but as that teacheth you c. and you know all things And these things saith another Apostle to the Brethren do I write unto you by way of remembrance not absolute Necessity as this Man speaks to stir up your pure Minds And this Doctrine of the Hirelings is only to keep up their Masterly Power over the poor Peoples Consciences and indeed denies the Gift of God's Spirit and coming of Christ in the Flesh and the very End of his Ministry which was for the perfâ—cting of the Saints even in this Life See Eph. 4. at large But the Hirelings Doctrine which perfects nothing but Sin keeps People always learning laden with divers Sins and Lusts but never brings them to the Knowledge of the Truth which sets free from Sin and therefore from such according to Christ's Doctrine ought all People to turn away But what must this Sam. Smith and his Fellows who would be accounted Masters of Assemblies be taught of others Indeed they stand in need of teaching for they have run and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all as is here manifest The Reasons of this Smith for denying Perfection saith he is Because the Best of God's Saints and Servants in this Life are not capable of Perfection And is any Child saith he put by his Master into the highest Form the first day he comes to School Or doth he not lead him on by degrees The Apostles themselves that had the Spirit and so in a Capacity of more plentiful Revelation than we are yet Christ tells them he had many things to tell them but they could not bear them then And for this he brings John 16.12 To which I answer That this Man here doth manifestly abuse Scripture and by that the Nature of his Naughty Spirit in all his Discourse is easily seen For here he saith they had the Spirit and yet could not bear Christ's words whereas Christ in that place makes the want of the coming of the Spirit the very Cause why they could not then bear his words and therefore he saith in the very next words in that of John 16.13 Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth and shew you things to come And so this Smith is one of them that abuses and wrests Scripture tending to his own and others Destruction But whereas he saith That the Apostles who had the Spirit were capable of a more plentiful Revelation than they are that 's true for they to wit such Hirelings and Wresters of Scripture as this Smith is are Sensual not having the Spirit and so are far from receiving any Vision or Revelation from God seeing it 's their common Doctrine to deny Immediate Teachings and Revelations from God for that 's ceased say they But for him to say as these his words would insinuate That the Apostles in those Days were capable of more plentiful Revelation than any are in these Days is false for God is the same to his now as then and such as are Faithful in a little now shall be Ruler over much as well as formerly and saith Christ I pray not for these only but for all that shall believe on me through their words that they may be one as we are One. And for his Reason or Proof That the Best of the Best of the Saints and Servants of God in this Life are not capable of Perfection the very Child or School-boy he speaks of may come forth and consute it For what though a Scholar be not perfect in his Book at first doth it follow that he never shall be while he lives He may as well say so as the other for his Comparison doth utterly make void his false Doctrine against Perfection as Experience of all Men both Masters and Scholars proves But what a Mountain of Enmity is risen up in these Deceitful Teachers of these Times who love to be called of Men Master against that Heavenly Doctrine of sinless Perfection is manifest to all in this that though they can allow of a Perfection in all Arts and Sciences in their kinds yea and of a Perfection in the growth of all other Creatures in this kind but cannot endure to hear tell of much less to allow of a Perfection in the Children of the Everlasting Father God over all who is this Day well witnessed upon his Throne Ever Praised be his Name bringing forth his Heavenly Birth and Babes and so making all things new But who ever but this Slanderous Spirit in this Smith said That though People have lived in Drunkenness Swearing and open Prophaneness many Years yet if but once come to be lifted as he scornfully calls it into that Society to wit of such as he and the rest of the World in Scorn call Quakers that presently they are perfect and without Sin And then like the troubled Sea he foams out his own Shame and adds saying in that forementioned Book I Challenge all the Quakers on Earth and in Hell to give a sober answer to these Texts of Scripture Eccles 7.2 1 Kings 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Answer By these words of this Enemy of God and his Perfect Work in his Saints any who judge in the Light of God in the least measure may see the Rancour and Malicious Blind Nature of that Spirit by which he was acted O! that ever Men should take upon them to be Ministers of the Gospel as such would be accounted and yet utter such base words Did ever any Enemy of Truth from the beginning of the World to this Day make such a Challenge What! must People come out of Hell to give thee a Sober Answer What! hath Passion and Envy so blinded thy Heart as to imagine that the Inhabitants of Hell can resolve Questions and that in soberness nay nay they must be Heavenly People that give truly sober Answers in such weighty Matters as these and therefore thy unsober wild words in these Matters shews where thy Dwelling is to wit not in Heaven amongst the Saints and Spirits of Just Men made perfect but in the Earthly Sensual and Devilish Wisdom amongst those who are Enemies to Truth and Perfection and so Ministers of Antichrist who plead for Sin during tearm of Life and not of Christ who came for that very end to perfect his Saints and to present them himself even in this Life without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.25 c. And so the Reproachful and Malicious words of this Sam. Smith against the People of God called Quakers and their Holy Doctrine of Perfection put aside I say concerning those Scriptures he mentions and first to that Eccles 7.20 For there is not a Just Man upon Earth that doeth good and sinneth not that Solomon here speaks of Men under the Law and of the Generation of the First Adam in the Fall amongst whom there is not indeed a Just Man that doeth good and sinneth not but this doth not make
void the Covenant of God with his Elect in Christ Jesus the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven for as is the Heavenly so are they that are Heavenly And so whosoever is Born of God and abideth in Christ sinneth not for he that sinneth hath neither seen Christ nor known Christ as the Apostle saith expresly in 1 John 3.6 9. And herein is that saying true 1 John last If we say we have not sinned to wit in the First Adam or Flesh we make God a Liar but now being Translated out of that Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of the Dear Son of God the Light we put on Christ's Nature which is Holiness and Righteousness without which none shall see God Blessed be God for his Unspeakable Rich Gift And so though in the First Man 's faln Nature there is Sin and Death yet in Christ Jesus there is Life Righteousness and Everlasting Peace And if thou wouldst not have Death the Wages of Sin thou must come out of the Flesh into the Spirit of Christ where Life and Everlasting Peace is witnessed This is the Day of the Lord 's Mighty Working wherein he is separating the Sheep from the Goats and making the difference plain and manifest betwixt such as serve God and such as serve Sin And for that other Scripture 1 Kings 8.46 which saith There is no Man that sinneth not it must in like manner be understood as the former to wit of Man in the First Adam or faln Fleshly Nature where all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God and in which state of Sin and Unbelief whosoever abide they do sin daily But this toucheth not at all the sinless and perfect state of the Children of God in Christ Jesus where Sin which is the Devil's Work comes not as was said before for the Prince of this World hath no part in me saith Christ And therefore who art thou that lays Sin to the Charge of God's Elect Thy own words shall be thy Burden but Peace on God's Israel for Evermore And for that third Scripture Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my Sin I say No Man can say that he hath made himself so though in Christ Jesus he is so for not of our selves but of God's alone Mercy and Free-gift in Christ Jesus it comes to pass that the Elect Vessels are cleansed and made pure in Heart according to that well-known place Eph. 5.25 26 27 Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word that he might present it himself a Glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Is not here a Company made clean indeed yea clean at Heart and pure from Sin in and by Christ Jesus Therefore let all the Enemies of Christ and his perfect Work be silent for ever So be it But above all it seems strange what he sets down in that Defiling Book called The Looking-glass where he saith That Philpot Bradford and Cranmer confessed That they were vile sinful and wretched Hypocrites even at the State when to be burnt for their Religion I say either he or the Printer or Relator of the History or all of them do greatly wrong them Sufferers or else their Condition is greatly to be lamented who had so much Zeal and Boldness as to Suffer for the sake of their Conscience and yet had so little Knowledge and Understanding of the Mystery of God and Christ as not to know the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost no better But we leave this and so proceed to see what there is in those Scriptures which he saith the Quakers make so much use of to prove Sinless Perfection The first is Psal 37.37 Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Vpright for the end of that Man is Peace The second is Heb. 6.1 Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on to Perfection The third is 1 Cor. 2.6 Howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are perfect The fourth is 2 Cor. 13.11 Finally Brethren farewel be perfect To all which I say It 's most plain to every pure Eye that these Scriptures with many more that might be brought to the same purpose prove sufficiently a Sinless Perfection otherwise it is no Perfection at all if not Sinless of God's working for every Work of God is Sinless and Perfect for that Perfection which is in or with Sin is the Work of the Man of Sin and is that Perfection which pleaseth his vile sinful hypocritical Members so well And so whosoever marks and beholds this imperfect and unbelieving Generation shall plainly see their End is Trouble and Misery and therefore it is that our words which we speak this day from the Lord concerning the great things of his Kingdom are accounted no better than Folly and Error amongst these sinful Opposers of God's Work of Sinless Perfection in his Saints and so these Opposers are never going on to God's Perfection but backwards from that of God in them which should lead them to God and so their Back and not their Face turned to God they are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus which perfects to God all that come to it And so how can they for shame exhort their Hearers to Perfection who are themselves the great Opposers of God's perfect Work in his People above all others To conclude That which remains at present to be spoken to that filthy Looking-glass is to wipe off a heap of Lies and Dirt which he hath falsly charged upon the Innocent and Harmless People of God called Quakers as in p. 249. where he saith That we disown the Ordinances of Christ and his Gospel the Word preached by his Ministers Church-order Baptism and Supper of the Lord Prayer Singing of Psalms the Publick Ministry as no Ministry of Jesus Christ Albeit saith he God hath set his Seal thereto in the Conversion of many Souls To all which in a word I answer and say The Lord both hath and yet will rebuke that Lying Spirit by which this Book was written And in particular to the several parts of this false and notorious lying Charge against us I say That the Ordinances of Christ and his everlasting Gospel we dearly love and own and the Word preached by his Ministers but not the Ministers of Antichrist we dearly own and delight in for the Word of God which the Ministers of Christ which he sends preach is Spirit and Life not the dead Letter for the dead Letter which the Hirelings preach for filthy Lucre we know to be no better than Chaff compared with that living Word which the Ministers of Christ preach for the Letter of the Hireling killeth but the Spiritual Word of the Gospel of Christ gives Life the Word of the
ascended far above all Heavens and out of all Figures and Shadows that he might fill all things with his Holy Substance And as in former Days he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all saith the Apostle to wit the Heavenly Body not the Body of Sinful Earthly Flesh come in the Vnity of the Faith and the Knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature and Fulness of Christ Ephes 4.11 12 13. Even so the Lord is now giving forth of his Spirit to his Children Born of his Spirit for enabling them in this Day of Restoration for the Work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints and fitting them for Glory and this now after a long Night of Darkness and Desolation is to the Praise of his Glory who hath made us in this his Blessed Day as he did his Faithful Followers in the Beginning accepted in the Beloved to shew forth his Praises to Ages to come whom he will also raise up by Christ Jesus together with us to magnifie his Mercies for Evermore But that the Parish Teachers of these Times who Preach for Hire and Divine for Money loving to be called of Men Master and like the Pharisees of old love to go in Long Robes and receive Honour one of another John 5. are such to wit so given of Christ and begifted from Heaven and fitted for so great a Work as to perfect the Saints as those before in Eph. 4. mentioned were I utterly deny and their Fruits as also the Fruits of their Hearers make manifest that they are of another Sort Seed and Generation even such as the Prophet Jeremiah speaks of and declares against who have run and God never sent them For why they waited not for the Word of God to speak in them and by them but stole the Words from their Neighbour and used their Tongues to say The Lord-saith when the Lord never spoke by them Ier. 23.30 and therefore saith the Lord these Teachers shall not profit the People at all Verse 32. For what are their Chaffy Words to the Word of God Verse 28. So the Teachers of the Parishes this day get into the Pulpit with the Words of the Prophets and Apostles in their Hand and Sin in their Hearts as those other did dreaming over them for Filthy Lucre and cry to the People BELOVED yea Beloved because they put into their Mouths Hear the Word of the Lord as you shall find it written in such a Chapter and such a Verse when the Lord never spoke to these Hirelings nor sent them thus to preach but they are Men made Ministers Men of the Evil World and great Lovers and Pleaders for it and therefore the World hears them 1 John 4.5 But â—â—e true Messenger of Christ saith for himself and his Brethren We are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness And saith Christ to his Disciples Ye are not of the World as I am not of the World for if you were of the World the World would love you for the World loves its own but now I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hates you John 15.18 19. So all People fear the Lord God for the Name of Christians without the Nature of Christ will do you no good at all for the Lord is come to search all that called Christendom with Candles and to pull down the lofty Hearts and Looks of all amongst them called Christians first and then of all the World besides for now is the Lord exalting his great Name over all as in the Beginning before the Antichrist Beast False Prophet and Whore got up and who shall stop the Passage of this mighty Jehovah in the great Work of setting up his Kingdom over all the Kingdoms of the Man of Sin that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ whose Right alone it is to Rule and Reign according to that Saying in the Prophet I will Overturn Overturn Overturn till he come to Rule whose Right it is And now Wo and Misery begins to take hold of all Hypocrites and all the Wicked because of the arising and appearing of the great God from Heaven this day who is on his Throne judging in Righteousness and in Righteousness making War whose Fiery Word his Two-edged Sword goes out of his Mouth not only to discover but also to destroy and consume the Man of Sin in all the Earth And now the Hireling Teachers of all sorts the Merchants of Mystery Babylon shall cry Alas alas that great City People begin to see us and they will not Trade with us nor buy our Merchandize as in former days but declare against it see Rev. 18.10 11. O yea it cannot be otherwise for now the Witnesses that lay slain in the Streets of the great City Sodom and Egypt Spiritually so called are arisen and stand upon their Feet praised be God And now Judgment is given to the Saints of the Most High God Dan. 7.12 25 26 27. So that though the great Antichrist under many Shapes and Appearances hath spoken great words against God his Truth and People and hath oppressed the Saints yet now the Judgment of God being set against him his Dominion shall be consumed and destroyed and the Saints of the Most High God shall have Dominion and Reign with Christ whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him to wit our Lord Jesus Christ for whose Blessed Name and Truth 's sake the Holy Tremblers who Tremble at his Word and follow him in the Regeneration do this day suffer it is so Thomas Taylor In the Year 1679. Something in Answer to some Passages in that Wicked Antichristian Book written Catechism-wise by some Popish Stickler for his Master the Pope the Romish Antichrist and his Followers Printed at Douay and Subscribed H. T. IN his second Chapter he saith Faith is necessary to Salvation and that Faith is firmly to believe Matters of Faith because God hath revealed them Then say I Not the Pope But saith he again It is not enough to believe all that is written in the Bible but we must believe also Apostolical Traditions citing 2 Thess 2.15 Now say I in answer hereto That through wresting and abusing of this Scripture have they made way for bringing in all their Filthy Popish Stuff whereby Thousands and Ten thousands of poor Peoples Souls both have been and are at this day miserably deluded for certainly the Traditions which the Apostle there tells of whether by Word or Epistle where all of one nature and not directly contrary or contradictory one to another But the Popish Traditions though they may falsly call them Apostolical are directly contrary to Holy Scripture But saith he The Apostles Creed is not in the
Christianity for saith Christ to his Followers when they were telling of who should be greatest of them he Convinced them of their Error by setting before them a little Child and saying who will be greatest of all must be Servant of all and least of all and that not in Words only but in Deed and Truth say I. But what is any thing that is said of Peter in the Scripture to the Pope O yes saith he he is his Successor To which I say it is as false as any thing is true for Peter was a Holy Man of God of Christ's sending but the Pope an unholy Man of the wicked World's sending chusing and setting up witness the Men chusing him and the manner of their chusing and setting him up the very relation of which in all the Foolish and Antichristian Circumstances of it would even make a truly Honest Spiritual Man's Heartake to hear or read it Again Peter was a Humble Man clothed with Humility as he exhorted others not a Lord over God's Heritage but an Example to it of Faith and Goodness as he exhorted others but the Pope is a Proud Man set up at Rome like a Worldly Prince Ruling and Lording it over God's Heritage not only with his wicked Curses and Excommunications of all that will not bow to his Superstitions and Abominable Idolatries but even Persecuting to Death with worldly Power and Force where he can do it either by his own or others whom he can stir up and perswade to act his wicked Will all such as deny him and against him bear withess though otherwise they be never so dear and near to the Lord God and so instead of being an Example of Goodness to any he is become an Abhorring to Nations and therefore is the Wo come and coming upon him and his Seat and Upholders and Lovers from him who is a Consuming Fire and this Babylon with all its Strength and Glory shall be burnt in his Fire and Zion shall not take one of her polluted Stones to put in her Holy Building It is so Thomas Taylor There is more by me of this kind as in Answer to more Passages of that Bad Book herein mentioned which in due time may come forth and it is this Again as concerning the Pope's succceding Peter and all Successions relating to the Church of God truly so called I say it is meerly Spiritual as the Lord said concerning his Prophet The Spirit that I have put upon thee and the Word which I have put into thy Mouth shall not depart from thee nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed from henceforth and for ever And so we finding both the Spirit and Word of the Pope to be quite of another Nature than that which was in Peter and the other Apostles we deny him and his Succession together with all other Pretenders to the like Succession who want that Heavenly Spirit Life and Doctrine that they were in In the Ninth Article this Bad Book saith But why may not a well-meaning Man be saved in any Religion He answers First from Ephes 4.5 and Heb. 11.6 where mention is made of one Faith and that without Faith it is impossible to please God Then I say well meaning in the Popish Way without true Faith will not save no more than in any other But then saith he Secondly because as in a natural Body that part which hath not a due Connexion to the Heart or Root presently dies for want of Continuity So in the Church the Mystical Body of Christ faith he that Part or Member that hath not a due Subordination and Connexion unto the Head and Commen Councils thereof that is the Pope and General Councils thou shouldst have said Christ as in Ephes 4.15 16. from whence under Christ we have our Spiritual Life and Motion as we are Christians must needs be dead nor indeed can be accounted a Member of that Mystical Body O Profound Antichristian Doctrine indeed For here thou hast pulled off thy Vizard with thy own Hand and any one of a very mean Understandstanding may see that by this Popish Doctrine Christ the Living Fountain is thrust out of Doors for it must not by this be known what saith Christ and his Spirit to my Soul but what faith the Pope and his Councils to mine Ear. And afterwards this Pleader for Baal to wit the Pope and his Councils accounts them Novelists Hereticks and Idle Brains that will not submit to this Tribunal of Christ he should have said Antichrist on Earth to wit the Pope and his General Councils and makes this alone to be the Cause of all Heresies and Sects as he calls them whether Protestants or other For saith he they will not be tried by this Tribunal but by their own idle Brain and the dead Letter of the Scripture To which I say God will judge this Man and all such for their Wickedness in coupling an idle Brain and the Letter of the Scripture together for though the Scripture be but as a dead thing to them that will neither understand nor believe it yet to an Inlightened Understanding Believing Soul it is of such Service that the Apostle is not afraid to say That the Scripture is given for our Learning upon whom the Ends of the World are come And the Scripture is of such force in the Hand of such Inlightned and truly Understanding Ones that Christ made use of it against the great Wrester of Scripture to wit the Devil and by the right use of it in the hands of the Faithful through the Spirit which gave them forth all the Mud-walls of Popery and Paper Bullwarks of the whole Antichristian Kingdom of False Professors both have and daily are beat down and therefore doth the wicked Popedom keep the Holy Scripture from the poor Slaves under them But the great King Christ Jesus upon his Heavenly Tribunal is bringing his great Work to pass in these latter days against the Beast Whore and False Prophet under what Name or Notion soever and by his Spirit according to Scripture to pour Judgments and Plagues upon all their Tribunals Glory to his Name for evermore Again this Popish Book asks Is not this to wit the want of a Popish Tribunal the reason why the Protestants and other Sects are so divided c. He answers Yea a principal reason For how can different Fancies says he upon different Principles be united I answer No The want of this Tribunal is not the cause And ask What was the Reason of Differences amongst the Jews that had their Tribunal of the Law outward and High Priests and Sanhedrims or great Councils for ordering Matters of Religion Yea and what was the reason that there was Divisions and Dissentions amongst the first Christians when even Peter and other Apostles were living Yea saith the Apostle There must be Heresies among you even you that all profess Christ and he gives a Reason that these that
of the Faithful who naturally only proceed from such as do but in general only profess the Christian Religion though their Lives even in your Judgment are judged to be no better some if not many of them to be I say no better than Heathens is such a piece of Darkness and Wretchedness that the Earth groans under it and the Spirit of the Lord is burdened with your Doings as a Cart under Sheaves And whereas thou brings that Scripture Mat. 18.10 to prove that by little Children he intends the Natural Infants is so gross that it shews thou wilt not see for those little ones whose Angels Christ said did always behold the Face of his Father are plainly said to be such as believed in him Ver. 6. and humbled themselves like a little Child and so he still brought little Children as Figures and Examples to Men that they might come to the Birth of God in them which Heirs his Kingdom according to what is said before Rom. 9.8 and John 3. That which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit Also as to that which thou brings against our Objection from Mat. 28.18 concerning Infant Baptism it is nothing but thy groundless Argument drawn from a falfe Supposition of our understanding of the place as though we understood the reason wherefore Teaching is to go before Baptizing because of the meer standing of the words in the Sentence and so troubles thy self to prove by other Scripture That Precedency of Action is not always deducible from the Precedency of Words For thou maist know that we do not say that Teaching goes before Baptism meerly because it is placed so in words though in that place that is true but especially because of the Nature of the Thing as is manifest amongst many other Reasons 1. By your own Confession that the Sacraments do not beget Faith but only confirm and that Faith cometh by hearing the Word Preached 2. From the Practice of those that Baptized with Water in the first Times as is to be seen in Scripture where none were Baptized with Water but upon Teaching first going to the Understanding of such whatsoever you imagine to the contrary from the Goaler's or Stephana's Families 3. From the Judgment of those that Compiled that Catechism which saith What is required of Persons to be Baptized The Answer is Faith and Repentance And so because they in their dark Minds and Self-will would needs have Children into that Ceremony right or wrong they devised that strange and unheard of and unreasonable Custom of Sureties or Godfathers and Godmothers to Promise that for the Children which the Lord never required of them and indeed is most unreasonable to think possible for can any Promise for another that they shall do such things as forsake the Devil and all his Works c. especially for Infants whose Minds and Hearts are wholly hid from such Presumptuous Promisers But what if the Lord should require the Performance of this Promise in the Day of Judgment on behalf of such Infants that when they come to Years are found following the Devil and all his Works Would'st thou be content to suffer the Punishment of such Disobedient Ones for their Sin Were it not just thou should'st seeing thou wast the Surety or Undertaker for them and they have failed Must it not therefore fall on thee except thou Repent And so if thou be Damned do not say that we Damn thee for it 's thy self that art the Cause and God and his Servants are clear of all your Blood And do not trifle and say as one of you said See these Men can bring a Proof out of our Catechism and therefore it is so and so and drew this wretched word forth from it The Spider draws Poyson out of the same Flower the Bee draws Honey The Heathens might have said so to Paul who brought their own Authors against them And did his bringing some true words out of their heaps of false prove all to be good and he a Spider for so doing any more than our present Work make us Spiders or allow of all that 's written in that Catechism Nay nay the Lord is Judge between us and he sees who are in Heart true Lovers of him and his Truth and who are not and will give every one according to their Works and that is our Joy Glory to his Name for Ever and so at this time rests the Lord's Servant Thomas Taylor This Writ upon Occasion of a Visitation so called UNto you who are called Divines In Love are sent these following Lines And so if you are Wise you 'll not Disdain A few plain Verses from a Heart that 's plain They 'll serve as Monitors unto that part In you which is grown dull with weight of Art And evil Customs in these lazy Times Wherein the Truth 's Extirpate Prose and Rhimes Wherein Ambition Pride and Cruelty Is like a Fiery Flame advanc'd so High That if with Moistning showers it go not out It will consume the Tree both Branch and Root Wo to the Shepherds that lead the Flock amiss And follow Cursed Covetousness what 's this Save gross Idolatry to give to th' Earth Your Hearts which is the due of him that gives you Breath And Wo to People when even for a Word A Man's Offender made then comes the Sword Then comes the Plagues of God upon that Land To cut off Sinners who against him stand And Wo to People when their Bishop's Blind That neither sees nor knows their Sores to Bind Who feeds himself with Thoughts of Worldly Glory And knows not that his Life 's an empty Story And knows not that the Holy One Beholds How such the Sheep impound in dirty Folds How they the Fleece and not the Flock do seek Howl howl ye Shepherds Roar Lament and Weep The Day of your Dispersions is at Hand You shall no more the Lambs Tear Kill and Rend But Heaven and Earth shall Joy the Day to see Wherein the Sheep from Bondage shall go free Weep Weep and Wall all strong and stout of Heart Who with Proud Babel's Whore have taken part Upon a Bed of Sorrow you must lye Because the Cursing thing you come so nigh What Madness is in Men in these bad Days That will not heed what Christ and Scripture says That will not once believe that God will come And give upon your Deeds a Righteous Doom What are your Ears and Eyes so clos'd that ye God's Truth will neither Practice Hear nor see Hath Midnight Darkness all your Senses drown'd That of God's Truth you 'll not endure the Sound Must every vain Invention Suffered be And with a Brasen Face i' th' Land go free And only such as do Proclaim God's Day Be stopt and from your presence sent away Into some nasty Prison or such Place To spend their Days in Sorrow with Disgrace As though the Great and Holy One of Heaven Would not pour out
his Vials Seven times Seven Upon the Seat of that proud Beast and Whore Who hate his Truth and would his Lambs devour And would set up that Worship which he hates And all that Bow unto it Desolates And will not suffer Light and Life to Reign But Preach and Pray and all for filthy Gain God shakes his Hands against you for such things And He 's the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Who will not be o'er-top'd by Mortal Birth Whose Origin and Root is from the Earth But will be Honour'd as a Heavenly King Or else his Judgments through the Earth shall Ring With Terrors great he will his Foes Confound Who have wrought all their Works as under Ground And in their Hearts have said Tush none doth see But we shall Rule and Reign and only we O turn your Ears and listen then a while Let not the Serpent always you Beguile He that deceiv'd the simple one at first Doth after all your Souls and Spirits thirst He leads you out to love the Perishing things Which swiftly fly away with Eagles Wings Which answer not the Heavenly Minds desire But leaves your Spirits scorch'd as with a Fire You seem to Eat and sumptuously to Fare But when awake you Lean and Hungry are You spend your Money for poor empty Shells And go to Drink at Springless empty Wells And when your Minds with Wind and Air are fill'd And you a little in School-Learning Skill'd Then do you Jude your selves fit Guides to be Unto the poor Unskilful Commonalty Who do not know the difference 'twixt the Wheat And Chaff which to the Soul was never Meat But hark what is it now my Mind doth see Sad Oaths impos'd on Men that should be free That should their Office do as Christians did In former times as great Jehovah bid And not as Worldly Men whose Will 's their Law Who with their Fines and Threats still kept in A we The silly Multitude which knows not God But are more Fearful of the Tyrants Rod And are in Earthly-mindedness so deep That they will lose the Soul before their Sheep And are so Ignorant of things Divine That they will part with Truth before their Swine And what Religion is it that such Men For Worldly Ends will not Profess but when The Tide of Times doth turn and changes Face Then they will leave you all unto Disgrace And that which now seems as an Iron Post Will then forsake you and be gone and lost For it 's their Bodies that by force is gain'd When as their Souls i' th' change of Sin 's detain'd So that a perfect Man you cannot bring Of all your Number unto God to Sing And Sound forth Holy Praises ' mongst the Choire Of Holy Ones who burn in pure Desire Of setting up the Lamb upon his Throne Of Highest Glory and all Sorrows gone Then what 's your Work and where will you appear When you have Slept and Slumb'red Year by Year And in mean while have suffer'd Souls to Pine For want of Heavenly Bread and Spiritual Wine And would them neither Feed nor suffer such As God hath sent to Feed them but do grutch That any but your selves should have a share I' th' Work of Feeding such as to God precious are But this be known unto you all this Day That Israel's Holy One none limit may If Christ an Amos or a Peter will Have in his Vineyard Work his Word 's their skill By which without Book-Learning they do know ' Gainst Satan's Kingdom how to bend their Bow And if proud Scribes and Pharisees Disdain Their mean Appearance and their Language plain Then doth their Master plead their Innocent Cause And soon delivers them from Tyrants Jaws And makes the Earth to know that maugre spight He 's able to secure the Harmless Wight Who trusts unto his Strength and walks the Ways Of Truth and Holiness unto his Praise And that the Earthly Man with all his Power Shall not secure himself from Heaven's sharp Shower Of Hail-stones which upon the Wicked must Be Rained down as thick as any Dust But stay a little to the present Work A Word or two in Love that does no hurt A Visitation's talk'd of in these Towns Wherein the Priests must come with Long Black Gowns To make Appearance but whose Will to do They best can tell who perfectly do know Then I demand in plainness that you may Prove by the Scripture what you do this day Why doth your Bishop Ride in so great State As if to Kings and Princes he were Mate And yet will say to others they must Dye To Worldly Pomp and Earthly Vanity Why are you Teachers now call'd Masters when Christ saith Be ye not Masters call'd of Men And why your Courts which Spiritual are by Name Do Trouble Men for carnal Things O shame That you should Read so long the Scripture Letter And yet your selves and Business do no better Why is your Maint'nance forc'd when th' Gospel's free And God's pure Day is dawn'd that all may see That those that dare not trust the Lord for that Are such as Minister they know not what For such in the Beginning that did Preach The Everlasting Gospel and did Teach Men to observe Christ's Doctrine knew not how At all by outward force to make Men Bow But said Our Weapons are not of the Earth But Spiritual Powerful from that Heavenly Breath That Fans and Winnows and doth not beguile But separates the Precious from the Vile And so into Subjection they did bring By force of Truth unto their Holy King They sought not Earthly Honours nor did crave The Earthly Riches but the Soul to save You have received freely freely give Saith Christ who took the Care how they should Live And be maintain'd and did not bid them take Wages of Heathens who the Truth do hate But now you have a Custom sad to see To force your Wages both from Bond and Free You force your own Disciples yea and those That are as Heathens Judged by your Laws Which if your Spirit were not over-base You would soon reckon it a foul Disgrace Can any Man that 's Noble in his Heart Take Hire of such as from the Lord depart And not Require it only but compel Them to Maintain you Judge is this done well May not such truly say You Love your Pride More than the Gospel and all things beside For sure a little will serve Natures turn But what can satisfie where Lust doth Burn For when in Pride and Fulness Men will Live Then comes the Horse-leach Daughters crying Give Give give yea which is ill yea worst of all We 'll have it or we 'll bring you into Thrall We 'll have your Tythes we 'll have your Easter's Dues We 'll have them all you's neither Will nor Chuse And thus old Eli's Sons are still alive Which in this World nor that to come will thrive What! Preach the Gospel and yet Sue to such For Maintenance as
plunged or overwhelmed in Outward Water If yea then tell us upon what Scripture Proof your Faith is grounded seeing there is no Water there mentioned And if some were then Baptized in Water a second time why then may there not be as much Necessity now unto such as have not received the Holy Ghost at their first plunging into Water to be Baptized again in Water a second time And why was the Name of the Lord Jesus there only used and not the Form of words which you use and plead for seeing it was after that Commission Mat. 28.19 Let us know your Faith concerning these things and whether the most Orthodox amongst you be of one and the same Judgment concerning them 6. Why do you call you Dipping or Plunging People into Outward Water Sacred Baptism What Scripture President and Rule have you for that Tearm Did John the Baptist call his Baptism Sacred Or did Paul call it so Acts 19.3 4 Or was it not the Pope of Rome in his Decretal Epistle that called his Baptizing in Water Sacred Baptism and the Water in which he Baptized Holy Water And do not you use the same Tearm for yours But tell us plainly whether it be your Act of Dipping in Water that you call Sacred or the Water in which you Dip or Plunge People Or where you had that Tearm to call your Water-baptism Sacred if not from the Pope of Rome 7. Wherefore are you offended at us for calling your Baptizing in Water Dipping or Plunging seeing that we understand to be the import or signification of the Word in plain English 8. When you Dip or Plunge People into Elementary Water whether do you Dip or Plunge them in reality of Truth in or rather into the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit yea or nay For if not do you not deceive them in making them believe that you Baptize or Plunge them according as Christ commanded his Disciples into the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit when in reality you do but only Dip or Plunge them into Outward Water 9. Do you believe that the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit is Elementary Water seeing I find in that Scripture Mat. 28.19 so often quoted by you to prove your Mission to Baptize in Water that Christ gave his Disciples Commission to Baptize in or rather into as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit but nothing said of Baptizing in Water Or do you believe that the Father the Word and the Spirit are one Is not his Name Spiritual representing his Nature yea Spirit Power and Life If yea why then do you seek to introduce and impose your Baptizing in Water from that Scripture And why do you presume beyond what is there written especially seeing that you your selves Confess that the Scriptures are the Ground and Rule of your Faith Why do you seek to impose a Faith upon us from that Scripture beyond what is there written What Ground and Rule have you for that And what Ground and Rule have you for your Baptizing in Water from that Scripture seeing Water is not in the least mentioned in it Tell us plainly 10. Did not Jesus Christ who gave that Commission Mat. 28.19 Command his Disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they were Endued with Power from on High Luke 24.49 And whether did they go forth to Baptize all Nations before they had waited at Jerusalem and received that Power Answer plainly 11. Have all you that go forth to Baptize in Water under pretence of that Commission Mat. 28.19 obeyed Christ's Command Recorded Luke 24.49 Acts 1.4 And have you received that Promise and Power If yea what is it A Book or Books or Writings without or the Spirit Power and Life of Christ revealed within But and if you have not obeyed Christ's Command as aforesaid but run before you have received that Power are you not therein manifest Transgressors of the Doctrine and Command of Christ even in that which you pretend to be the Ground and Rule of your Faith and Mission And if so are you not thereby plainly manifested to be Intruders and false Apostles who are not to be owned nor received but to be denied and judged by all that live in the Power of God and true Gospel Fellowship 12. Was the Apostle Paul any whit inferior or behind the very Chief Apostles And was not that Commission Mat. 28.19 as much his as yours And did not he know the Mind of Christ in it as fully as any of you the Counsel of God being revealed to him Notwithstanding which did not he expresly testifie that Christ sent him not to Baptize 1 Cor. 1.17 but to Preach the Gospel Now if you have a Mission or Commission to Baptize in Water which belongs not to him as fully as to any of you tell us plainly who gave it when you received it and your Scripture for it 13. Do you believe that Paul was Called and fully Endued for the Ministry And was his Commission Acts 26.17 18. Evangelical and Full for the Gathering and Planting of Churches according to Gospel-Order seeing we find nothing in it of Christ's sending him to Baptize Or do you think his Commission insufficient for the End aforesaid because he was not sent to Baptize in Water and that yours now is more Full and Evangelical If you do tell us what Scripture have you for the Ground and Rule of your Faith in that Matter 14. Whether do you believe that the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.5 be that of John's in Water or that of Christ's in the Holy Ghost seeing both John Christ and his true Apostles did distinguish betwixt them as aforesaid Now if you say that that One Baptism there mentioned is the Baptism in Water then I Query whether you do believe that the Baptism of or in the Spirit is now ceased or not of such Absolute Necessity as that in Water seeing the Apostle speaks but of One Lord even so of One Faith and One Baptism And whether you do believe that any now are or can be really made Members of that One Body and true Church of Christ by Water-baptism or any other way than by being Baptized by that One Spirit into that One Body Answer plainly Thomas Taylor Christ Exalted above Moses and the Spirit above the Letter MANY are and have been in all Ages the Enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Truth and Life Immortal which he hath brought to Light by his Appearance in and through his Servants both in the Days of his Flesh and since his Ascention by the pourings out of his Spirit according to his Holy Promise whereby it hath come to pass that many simple Minds have been greatly hindred from receiving the Truth for a time until it pleased the Lord by the Arm of his Mighty Power to Consume the Adversaries of his Glory and so to remove the Stumbling-blocks out of the
or audience in so much that the boasting Spirit began to get up in some of them as in this John Reynolds as though nothing should stop their passage and so would have all accounted Liars that had said to the Contrary But behold the Wisdom if God in suffering things so to come to pass that all things might be fully manifest And so an Act of Parliament must come out against them unless they will Conform And then lo behold this shower of Rain forces in their tender Heads as not being able to endure the sharpness of the Storm for want of the true Spiritual Armour For Words and Profession could never secure any from the Fiery Trials that are still ordered in the Wisdom of God for the manifesting of every Seed So if these ensuing answers may be serviceable unto any of these Zealous Hearts to provoke them to a further search of themselves and be a means now when they are something low to give them a sight of any thing wherein they have Sined against God and Erred from his way of Life and so to move them to Repentance it will be well and a gladding of my Heart and of my Brethren who cannot but desire and endeavour not only theirs but even the good of all Men yea of them that either in times past have or at this day do shew the greatest Enmity against us for we know they none of them understand aright the Innocency of our Hearts to them and the Fear and Love of our Souls to God and his Truth for if they did how could they forbear to Love us But Glory to God for ever that hath given us not only to believe but even as need is to suffer for his Name and Truths sake and to pass by great Offences done to us which in Love to the Soul we could desire might be also the Portion of all that name Truth Rests God Servant Thomas Taylor Ignorance and Error REPROVED c. JOHN REYNOLDS A Paper of Queries coming to my hand as seems from thee to John Finch and John Payton of Dudly and weighing it well I could not but in obedience to God write something to it not so much for the use of these two young men who by the Light that God hath raised in them do see thy deceit therein as for the sake of some simple people who are as yet admirers of thee and deceived by thee and such like who under a pretence of zeal for the letter of Scripture and things you have set up in your wills under the name of Ordinances not knowing nor considering that Christ is come the end of all things to them that believe Though you may sometimes unwillingly light on Scriptures that speaks the thing and so if by what here may be said the Truth may more appear and their simple Souls be helped God will be Glorified and that will be Reward sufficient But before the Queries themselves be answered something may be said to that which goes before them in that Paper and from that I have noted the nature of thy Fawning Flattering Self-contradicting and Confused Spirit but to hide that from the Light thou backs thy sayings with quotations of Scripture as though mentioning what the Holy Men of God spoke by the true Spirit could prove that to be a true Spirit which acts in thee Nay nay the day is dawned Praised be God and the Sheepskin no longer can hide the Wolves from being seen of the Lambs of Christ for such hear Christs Voice and follow him and so are Children of the Light but the Stranger they will not follow though he may Paint him self over never so cunningly with words but all your fair words in the beginning of your work ye Fair-sayers whether in Pulpit or in Press is but to make way for your sting that follows for you resemble the Scorpion whose sling is in his Tail mentioned in Revelations for the end of all thy fair words here is but to draw these young men from the simplicity that is in Christ and his Light that Lighteth every man that cometh into the World for the great Malice of thy Heart is against the sufficiency of Christs Light in every man and so would have something to be added to it from without that so thou may'st bring in thy own traditions but what condition shall one gather by thy words these two Men John Finch and John Payton were in at the writing of these Queries to them for one while thou seemest to apply Scriptures respecting the conditions of the unbelieving Jews to them and another while thou applies those that respect the condition of pretty well-grown Christians But however the sum of all is to perswade them from following the Light of Christ in them as not being sufficient and so thy love is not testified unto them in Deed and in Truth as thou say'st it is but in meer Hypocrisie and Deceit as may further appear But what is that Soul enlightning Commandment Psalm 29.8 Whereby thou seemest to desire they may be enlightned Is it this letter without or the Light of Christ within If thou say the letter as thou must say or else thwarts the whole current of thy Doctrine and then all that have Eyes may see thee to be an outward Jew only But if thou say with us it is the Light of Christ that shineth in Darkness John 1. which at the Commandment of God shineth out of Darkness 2 Cor. 4. to give the knowledge of Gods Glory to Man in the Face of Christ then the business about Sufficiency of the Light between us is at an end and the Truth stands over the from thy own words The next is when thou hearest the Scripture mentioned thy Windy Slightly Crafty Doctrine of Deceivers Ephes 4.14 then thou shoots thy Sting at the Innocent and would'st have People believe that is to be applyed to us who Preach Christ and his all-sufficiency in and for every one that can Receive Him who is near every Man and by his Light shineth to Conviction and Judgment in every Man who would have all Men to be saved and come to the knowledge of his Truth which is nigh in the Heart and in the Mouth but this was the Apostles Doctrine and so not to be condemned in us but thou goest on telling of two ways of Deceiving the one thou namest the upper way which thou say'st is by Philosophy the Traditions of Men Rudiments of the World and Sciences falsly so called And Praised be God thou art as it were forced by the Light in thy Conscience to acquit us from being of this Number but truly the Light in our conscience tells us expresly that thou John Reynolds art one of them that areiâ—n this upper way as thou callest it of deceit for of Philosophy Traditions of Men Worldly Rudiments and false Sciences is the Body of thy Divinity made up as well as other of thy Brethren the Hirelings â—â—ou would'st condemn for the difference
How could the Word of God be called a Mystery hid from Ages and Generations but now is made manifest if the Light within be sufficient And then quotes Eph. 3.9 Col. 1.25 26. Mat. 11.25 I answer That it was within and sufficient when it lay hid as a Mystery till God's full time came of revealing it and therefore Christ compares it to many Powerful and Precious though hidden things and of little account to the outward view as to a Grain of Mustard-seed in the Earth to a little Leaven within much Flower to Treasure hid in the Field and Christ said to the Pharisees that God's Kingdom was to be found in Man he excludes none and those Scriptures thou sett'st down prove for this Truth and against thy roving Mind which is in the outward observings thinking to find the Kingdom there when Christ saith it cometh not that way see Luke 17.20 21. What wilt thou conclude it was not because it lay hid What Logick is this Doth not Paul there say that the Mystery which was so hid and which he by the Spirit now Preached which was Christ in the Gentiles the Hope of Glory And Christ was Light and to this Light he warned every Man to take heed but the little Children not the Masters obey the Voice and so are led into the Understanding of the Mystery Qu. 2. In the next general Query thou askest Are not the Scriptures the Words of the Lord whose Words are they And why is the Scripture so often called the Word of God and the Word of the Lord And for this thou brings many Scriptures as Exod. 24.4 2 Kings 20.26 27 28 29. Psal 12.6 Jer. 36.4 6 8 11. Acts 19.10 2 Cor. 2.17 1 Thes 1.8 Answ To this I say First That the Holy Scriptures were given forth by Holy Men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and so they may be called the Words of God or of the Lord not that Spirit and Living Word but that those Scriptures prove what thou bringest them for to wit that the Scriptures or Writings without is there called the Word of God is not true it is said indeed in that of 2 Kings 20.16 That Isaiah said unto Hezekiah Hear the Word of the Lord and Hezekiah said Good is the Word of the Lord and in other places of Scriptures that the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets and that in the fore-mentioned place of Acts and Corinthians and Thessalonians mention is made of the Apostles Preaching the Word of God all this is true but of Exodus and Psalms and Jeremiah mention is made of Words but what doth all this prove but only that the Word came to Holy Men this Word was God and as this Word moved in them and gave them Wisdom and Utterance they writ or spoke forth Words as a Declaration of what was in the Mind or Word of God or what God was and what though the Scriptures may be thus called The Words of the Lord or his Prophets or Apostles Acted by his Power which we never denied this is nothing to the Hypocrites who use their Tongues to say The Lord saith when he never spoke by them but make a Trade of the Scriptures for filthy Lucre and by their much pressing the Declaration to be the Word of God have quite clouded the Word it self Christ from whence true Words come from the Peoples Minds so that scarce any have any true Living Feeling after God in his Word Christ for in the beginning was the Word before all Declarations and shall be after all the Peaceable Life of all that Believe for ever So that the Lord saw it good to stir up a People in these days to be True and Living Witnesses of the Word for the stopping of the Mouths of all such as have gotten the Words as Thieves from others and so kept People in the form with themselves always Professing but never Possessing the Power which the Scripture Witness unto and so the Letter and empty Words kill'd and do kill but now the Living Spirit and Living Word being Witnessed the Scriptures is owned in its place and Resurrection to Life being felt the Crown is set upon the King's Head whose Name is called The Word of God who was and is and is to come over all God Blessed for evermore and it is considerable that the Ministers of Christ are never called Ministers of the Letter or Words but of the Word and Spirit 2 Cor. 3. and that Christ and his Apostles mentioning the Prophets Words usually called them Scripture and not The Word of God as the custom of Hypocrites is now All Flesh is Grass and all outward Sounds and Signs vanish but the Word of the Lord that endures for ever and this is that Word which by the Gospel the Power of God is Preached and by nothing else savingly which when understood People are One but not before for it is the weakness which is like the Womans speaking makes Dissention so let the Scripture have its due and the Word of God its due and all is Beautiful in its place Query 3. In thy third thou askest How shall we know whether the Spirit that speaks in us be the Spirit of God or an evil Spirit but by trying them by the Scriptures And for this thou bringest 1 John 4.1 Isa 8.19 20. Acts 17.11 John 5.39 then thou replies and as it were says If you say we know the Spirit to be of God because it convinceth of Sin then I ask how do you know that to be Sin but by the Scripture For this thou bringest 1 John 3.4 Sin is a Transgression of the Law and afterwards says If we say that Spirit tells us it 's of God or that we know it but by its Fruit how do we know it not to be a lying Spirit or how do we know the Fruits of the Spirit but by Scripture Answ Now I say by all this it plainly appears that thou art no Gospel-Minister no Minister of the Spirit of God at all but art a meer talker of the Letter and Law not knowing what it faith nor whereof it affirmeth for doth not the next Covenant run thus I will put my Law in their Hearts and in their Minds will I write it Jer. 31.31 and Heb. 8.8 and the Apostle that said unto his Brethren Try the Spirits in that place 1 John 4 1. did not say you have a writing without by which you know all things but you have an Anointing from the Holy One and this abides in you and by this they know all things 1 John 2.20 27. according to what Paul in 1 Cor. 2.15 16. saith The Spiritual Man judgeth or discerneth all things but is judged or discerned of none for the Natural Man knows nothing aright though he may have all the Scriptures to talk of without him and though he may cry up in appearance even as Isaiah said to the Law and to the Testimony yet he never goes to the Law
the Powers of the World as we are at this day But whereas thou speakest of every Man that is not so ordained thy self and your selves who never were ordained by the Holy Ghost as they were for when did the Holy Ghost in your Assemblies say as in Acts 13.2 Separate such and such for the work I have appointed them unto Nay nay you have run and God never sent you for you never heard his Holy Voice at any time and therefore you profit not the People at all but make them more Cunning to Dispute against the Truth than they were before they followed you But what Ordination of Man had Paul at his first going out to Preach See Gal. 1. he received not the Gospel by Man and went not to Man no not to the Apostles themselves for Ordination and Commission to Preach but immediately Preached Christ as many have done and do at this Day who go under the Reproach of the name Quaker And so God is Restoring his Church to its Primitive Purity and Power to the stopping of the Mouth and confounding the Wisdom of all Flesh whether called Pope Cardinals Bishops or Presbyters that the true Eldership and Body of Christ to God's Glory may again appear And what Rules and Orders are and shall be in this true Church is known to God and by him Manifested and to be Manifested to the Body it self and not to the World for the World must neither have the right Understanding nor Management of those things no more than they had in those Days when it was said I stand not to Mans Judgment for the Holy Anointing must be all in the Church of God for ever Qu. 10. Thy Tenth and next Query is a plain discovery of thy Folly and of thy manifest Enmity against the simple Appearance of Truth in any discovery and though thou say the Scripture is thy Rule yet by it thou canst not endure to be Ruled but plain Language it self is thy Burthen and therefore thou askest how it can be said that ever Christ or his Apostles or Patriarchs or Prophets used the words Thou and Thee when they never spake English And how can it be unlawful for us to use the word You to each other since the same words in Hebrew Greek and Latin that signifie Thou signifie You in the Singular Number also and may be Translated You as well as Thou and so it seems thou say'st 2 Sam. 15.27 Answ John Reynolds Didst thou Read this Query twice over Or didst thou at all Consider what thou said'st in it Was either the Fear of God or Care of thy own Credit before thy Eyes when thou writest it Surely neither But thou hast judged in thy self with thy vain Thought that because thou hast used to blind thy poor Hearers and make them believe any thing for Truth thou speakest or writest therefore it will be so with others Nay nay the Day is dawned the Lord hath given his People an Eye whereby all Covers are seen through and to this Light thou hast manifested as much Nakedness and Blindness to be in thee as in the grossest of them that say Mass at Rome or read Common-Prayer in English Nay I do believe many of them would be ashamed to argue thus as thou dost to wit because Christ his Apostles Patriarchs and Prophets did not speak in the English Tongue that therefore they used not the words Thou and Thee How came the Translators to Translate their Words when they speak to a particular Person Thou and Thee and never You as may all over Scripture be easily found thou may'st as well say Christ his Apostles Patriarchs and Prophets said nothing at all that is Recorded in Scripture in the English Tongue because they spoke not English so the Lord hath catched the Wise in his own Craftiness but thou goest on and say'st the same words in Hebrew Greek and Latin that signifie Thou signifie You in the Singular Number also and may be Translated You as well as Thou which I say is altogether false for You is not at all Singular but Plural altogether and so the Translators of the Bible knew and therefore never Translated their Singular Term in the forraign Language to you in English but Thou and Thee as is before mentioned and for that place in 2 Sam. 15.27 thou set'st down and says it seems that You is used to a singular there it shames thee for if envy to the Truth had not Blinded thee thou mightest 〈◊〉 fee that the King speaking to Zadock and saying Your Sons and you speaks not of Zadock and his Son but of Zadock and Abiathar and their Sons as the very words next after and in Verse 29. plainly shew and so here thou hast committed that great Error thy self that thy Generation use to Charge falsly upon us to wit in taking a piece of a Verse that seems to make for thy purpose and leaves out the rest that shews fully the Sense Qu. 11. Thy Eleventh and next Query is for the World where thou undertakest the part of an Advocate for Flesh not only pleading for the Honour that is below but also for the Manner of it Thy Doctrine is very pleasant to the fall'n Man and the World cannot hate such Preachers as thee for ye are not only of the World but chief Master-Builders of the old House of the fall'n Adam who loves the Earthly Honour But now that Christ the second Adam is come the Lord from Heaven above the Earthly Man let all Flesh bow before him and give up his Honour to him otherwise this shall be fitly applied unto you that Christ said unto the Jews How can you believe that not only receive but also seek and plead for Honour one of and from another John 5.44 For Christ received not Honour from Men Verse 41. So that tho' there was a time that Angels were bowed unto which were greater than Flesh Gen. 19.1 yet a time came that Angels denied that Honour Rev. 22.9 For now the Son himself was Glorified of whom it was said And let all the Angels of God Worship him Heb. 16. And at his Name shall every Knee bow Phil. 2.10 And Christ said to the Devil who was like his Children that would now be Worshipped Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve The Devil and Haman would be bowed unto but the true Jew will bow only to God But thou queriest and say'st Qu. Whether did the Saints in Scripture-times Sin in giving Honour that is say'st thou A Civil or Inferiour Honour unto Men and upon occasion Testifying the same by Honorary Words or Deeds Answ To which I answer and say All that the Saints before the coming of Christ did is not to be an Example to us now but we must all now that would be approved to Christ take him for our Example and to follow no Man for our Example further than they followed or do follow him and when the Apostles speak of
Honouring all it must be understood as in some place is mentioned in the Lord and that is not with Cap and Knee and false Flattering Titles and Gestures as the World useth but in Heart and Truth as the Spirit of God moveth So that a Man must first be in the Lord out of the first fall'n false Mind otherwise he knows not at all how to Honour either God or Man but is a Dissembling Wretch making fair Shews outwardly of Love where nothing but War and Self-love is in the Heart See 2 Sam. 20.9 10. Jude 16. Thus Children being in the Lord do through the Lord Honour Parents aright thus Servants in the Lord Honour their Masters after the Flesh aright and so Church-members the Elders Wives their Husbands the Ruled the Rulers Yea thus they Honour their Faithful Brethren aright and in a Word all Men and so the Scripture is fulfilled in them But what Honour do these Faithful Ones look for from Men Nay nay they believe and seek for that Honour that comes from God only and so the Scripture will not help the fall'n Man now to his Honour which is his Life but as the Scripture saith He that would save his Life must loose it And so all you Hypocrites of the World who are giving Honour to Proud Flesh and receiving Honour from it cease your Work and let Christ have his due or verily he will break you all in pieces with his Iron Rod. But in the end of thy Query thy Conscience a little checking thee for this vain Work thou wouldst daub over the matter by telling People the Honour from below which thou hast been pleading for must not be in Opposition to but in Subordination to God's Honour Nay nay I say the true Christ the Son of God is come and all Power in Heaven and Earth is given to him and so all Honour and Glory and Worship is his due and the due of none else to whom be it given of all his Angels and Servants both now and for evermore So all People hearken and hear a word for your good would ye be Honoured Then Honour the Lord by obeying his Voice and he will Honour you in due time though for doing his Will you loose the Worlds Honour as assuredly ye will if once ye be Faithful Qu. 12. The next Query Consisteth of a great Boast of the Ministry as though it were Unrebukeable And thou queriest whether that Ministry can be lawfully Condemned as Antichristian which the Lord hath owned and sealed with the Conversion of many Souls Answ To which I say if your Ministry were such as this thou speakest of then indeed it were not safe to condemn it But where are these Converts thou speakest of to be a Convert is to be turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God bring forth the Man that can witness thee to be a Minister of the Gospel this way that he may give us an Account of the true Hope if he have it in him But Men cannot gather Grapes of Thorns nor Figs of Thistles so thou being such an Evil Tree as thou hast manifested thy self in these Queries to be how can a true Convert be expected from such a Ministry But thou say'st it s in Power c. and that many stubborn Sinners have been brought down unto their Faces and to confess that God is in you of a Truth But I say it will be hard for thee to bring forth such a Man for when I use to come amongst you to declare Truth against your Deceit as the Lord ordered me I found a heap of hard-hearted Sinners more like to destroy the Creature than to be Witnesses of Truth O shameless Men that bring forth such bad Fruit And yet with a Whores Fore-head dare take the Scripture which speaks of Prophets in God's Church in God's Power and apply it to your selves who deny the sufficiency of Christ's Light in Man and know nothing but meerly by the Letter without as thou for thy own particular hast made manifest and so are sensual not having the Spirit as was noted in the third Query I observe also in this present Twelfth Query the Ignorance of the Grace of God for when thou hast falsly Boasted of your Ministry what it hath done thou say'st is not this the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation Tit. 2.11 12. I say no your Ministry not being the true is far from being the Grace of God there spoken of But if it were the true Ministry it were not that Grace there spoken of for the true Ministry is but a service to that Grace not the Grace it self for the Grace of God is that which hath appeared unto all Men and that which brought Salvation to Jew and Gentile as God's Gift without Words or Works and which was the Teacher of the Apostles themselves as well as others And so when People would have been setting up Paul for his Ministry's sake he denied it as nothing in comparison of the All-sufficiency of the Grace of God and the Word thereof to which only at best he was but a Servant But if it could be manifest that any under or amongst you were Convinced of the Evil of their Ways in some measure and so in their Dark Minds set upon a seeking after the unknown God which is the most can be found amongst you and that rarely neither this is no warrant either for them to stay with you who are Ignorant of the Way out of Sin unto God neither is it any proof for you to be Gospel-Ministers nor your Ministry to be a Gospel-Ministry For the Gospel-Ministry is not only Convincing but Converting and Perfecting Eph. 4.11 12 13. which work ye have utterly denied and so shut out your selves for ever from the Gospel-Ministry and amongst the Priests of the Letter Law at best must you be reckoned which made nothing Perfect and hence it is that you are such bitter Enemies to the Spiritual Ministration or New Covenant mentioned Rev. 8. And such earnest Contenders for the outward Shadows outward Law Tythes Temples Days Priests c. as is now every where found But for the True Power and Gospel-Ministration it is risen above all your Languages and Tongues and hath darkened the Glory of all your Fleshly Forms and Likenesses And the Babes of God are in Obedience to God turned and turning from you unto this his Power that perfects to God for ever And Pharoah and all his Host will not now be able to hinder Praises to the Lord God for ever Qu. 13. In this next Query thou goest on seeking false Covers to hide thine and your Nakedness asking How can the Quakers Condemn your Congregations because of some Wicked Unprofitable Hearers when Christ himself say'st thou did not Convert all his Hearers And for this thou bringest Mat. 11.20 and Mat. 23.37 and Isa 49.4 I say all this will not cover your Nakedness Oh ye Teachers nor your Congregations for what have you
Spirit and with Understanding But thou bringest several places out of the Writings of the Apostles and Luke as in Acts Corinthians and Hebrews to prove that the Apostles and Saints use Praying Preaching Psalms and Blessing amongst them Yea but what is that to you that deny that Infallible Spirit of God to be Head in you that guided them and so get the Worlds Wisdom Acts and Helps instead thereof to make you Ministers and Saints by You have indeed in some things a Form of their Works but the Power being found not only wanting amongst you but denied by you the Children of Light are necessitated to turn away from you and thus to witness against you But thou say'st Christ did not only Read the Letter in the Jews Synagogues but also Preached from a Text of it To which I answer For his Reading he did upon account of being a Jew to fulfil all that Righteousness of the Law in his day till his Offering up but that he Preached from a Text as you Priests do I utterly deny For his doing at that time was only this He being Reading in the Prophet as is mentioned in that Fourth of Luke and in providence meeting with that place which said The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath Anointed me to Preach the Gospel he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted c. And the Spirit of the Lord arising in him in Life and Power and Witnessing in him to the fulfilling of that Scripture in himself He was overcome with Love and Glory and so closed the Book and gave it again to the Servant and sate down and so the Eyes of the People were fastened on him through Admiration and Ravishments of Love and Spirit that was upon him and so as that Living Spirit gave him Utterance in the Silence of all Flesh he spoke to them and Preached in many Gracious Words the fulfilling of that Scripture in the Ears of that Day And this was Christs doing there But O you poor naked Teachers of England c. What have you to do to boast of this Example for warranting your Practice There was no choosing a Verse in a Chapter in the Will of Man which you think you can raise most words from and so consult with your own Imaginations and old rusty Books how you may raise an Hours Discourse from it and so divine to please the itching Ears of Carnal Professors that they may give you outward Honour Glebe-lands Tythes Augmentations Easter-Reckonings and the like to please your Lusts and if need be to Fight for you and lay their Sword and Law upon all that will not hold you up and Cry Peace to you O Hypocrites How have you deceived the poor People with your long wrestings of Scriptures But now that the Spirit of Truth is come it is leading us into all Truth without your help Praised be the Lord for ever And so for Christ his Expounding out of Moses and the Prophets and opening the Understanding of the Disciples to know the Scripture mentioned Luke 24. And Paul's Expounding and Testifying of the Kingdom of God and Perswading the Jews concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets mentioned Acts 28. is nothing to you who now a-days instead of Testifying to the Kingdom of God and opening the Understanding to know Scriptures and the Light of the World which they witnessed unto do Testifie of this World Pleading for your Carnal Ordinances Set Places Set Times Bowing one to another and the like as is manifest in these Queries and so instead of opening shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men and so with these of old will neither enter into the Kingdom of God your selves nor suffer others but are under the Wo as you and the People may Read all along in Mat. 23. And for Singing of Psalms it doth not say that the Saints Sung the very words of David and no other and that in Rhime and Meeâ—er in Worldly Tunes after Mens Inventions or with Organs or so but they Sâ—ng as the Spirit gave them utterance in plain words as thou may'st Read in Acts. 4.24 c. Which thou bringest for Singing if that may be called Singing this was a Song by the Persecuted not the Persecutors which in the Persecuted Church of God at this day is often Sung worthy Consideration but a shame for all Persecuting Priests and Professers to take these words into their Mouths And the same Apostle in that place 1 Cor. 14.26 that saith every one hath a Psalm saith I will Sing with the Spirit and with Vnderstanding so then a Psalm was a Gift of the Spirit spoken forth from the Understanding to the Edifying of the Hearer and they were to be silent when that Gift was Exercised as well as others but your Confused Noises and Temple-songs is but as Howling in God's Ears and his Childrens Ears in this day for there the Proud and Scornful Sing Falsly and say that they are not Proud and Scornful because David said so Psal 131. and so with and amongst you is David's Psalms in words used but the Holy Life and Innocent Love that he Lived in in Deeds denied and so the Lord can take no Pleasure in you And for that Scripture thou bringest of Aaron and his Sons Blessing the Tribes of Israel in the Name of God And Paul's commending of the Churches in the closure of his Epistles to the Grace of God makes as little for your customary Blessings of and speaking Peace to the Wicked for self-ends as the Preaching of Christ doth for your Daubing and Divining for Mony for you are neither of Aaron's Order nor of Christ's Anointing and so wash you and make you clean and put away the Evil of your Doings and God will Bless you but not otherwise and better will it be for you to have the lowest place in that Blessing than the uppermost Room where you stand in the Cursed Ground Qu. 17. Thy Seventeenth and next Query is Hath not Christ Jesus sent out his Ministers to Disciple him all Nations and to Baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Promised to be with them to the end of the World Mat. 28.19 20. Is not that Baptism with Water And having set down some Scriptures that speaks of washing with Water thou criest Are not they then contrary to Christ and his Apostles that deny Water-Baptism Answ To which I answer That all this if it were granted thee is nothing at all to thine and thy Brethrens Practice who take a little Water and sprinkle it on a Childs Face calling it Christ's Baptism for there was Discipling and Confessing of Faith and the Holy Ghost before Baptizing which cannot groundedly by you be said of Infants of a day old or so and this thou sawest which made thee so busie in the words of that Query there following to proâ—e Infants sprinkling And first Thou goest about to prove it by saying
The Scripture intimates that the Children of Believing Parents are Disciples Acts 15.10 I say to the Children of Light this Scripture intimates no such thing at all but plainly holds forth the contrary for the words there are Why tempt ye God to put a Yoke upon the Disciples Necks which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear Now these Disciples here spoken of were not Natural Infants but grown Men Christian Believers as the First and the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Verses of that same Fifteenth Chapter do plainly shew and so if thou hadst not beeâ— a Blind follower of the Blind Guide Richard Baxter whose Argument this is thou would'st not it 's like have offered to bring this for this purpose for it shames you all for ever But this Argument being too weak for thee thou endeavourest by another Argument as little to the purpose to prove the Natural Infants Subjects of Water-Baptism because say'st thou they have received the Holy Ghost or else how could the Kingdom of God consist of such To this I answer and say But which of the Natural Infants which you sprinkle hath the Holy Ghost and which not How come ye to see this difference Or you will say that all have it if so then may People have the Holy Ghost ordinarily by Natural Birth without hearing then where is your great Glorying of your Words or Sermons But to proceed thou say'st Can we imagine that God will give them the Kingdom and deny them Water-Baptism I answer God will give the Kingdom of Heaven to whom it belongeth and it consisteth not in outward Observation or Washings as Dipping or Sprinkling or so but in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And thou that with the Papists attributes so much to Water-Baptism how comes it to pass that after all your Sprinkling the Children as they grow up in Years many grow up in so much Wickedness and Vanity as is every where manifest And as concerning Children of Believing Parents we deny them to be Believers that hate the Light and believe not in it but say it is Insufficient as before is declared But as for that Mat. 28. which thou and thy Brethren usually bring for your Custom of Preaching and Sprinkling of Infants I say it makes nothing for you who sit down in some Fat Benefice or other as times favour you and there Divine from the Letter as is said an Hours Discouse or two in a Week to the People for Mony Why go you not into all Nations as they did and Disciple the Turks and Indians if you will be warranted by this Scripture But whereas you take the Apostles for your Example I query first When did ever the Apostles go to the Schools of the World so many Years to be made Ministers Did ever the Apostles seek to the Magistrates to compel People to pay them Wages as you do or compel People by their Sword to conform to Christian Doctrine Or when did they sprinkle Infants receive Tythes of the People or Sing David's Prayers Quakings in Rhime and Meeter as you do When were they called Master as you are And many the like things wherein you differ as much from the Apostles as Darkness from Light whereby you shew your selves to be Guided by a contrary Spirit to wit the Spirit of Error So for ever be silent and stop your Mouths for you are both out of the Apostles Doctrine and Practice as your Fruits make you manifest Qu. 18. Thy Eighteenth Query is concerning the Supper and thou askest Hath not Christ Jesus given us his own Example for the Celebrating of his Last Supper And hath not the Apostle Paul delivered it to the Church and Commanded the Saints to do it in Remembrance of Christ and thereby to shew forth the Lord's Death till he come again Answ The Lord's Supper we own for Behold I stand at the Door and knock saith Christ and if any Man hear my Voice and open to me I will come in and sup with him and he with me And for the Doctrine of Christ his Eating and Drinking with his Disciples so we own it in its place and for its time but what is that to you who are both out of the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles as by your Fruits is manifest And so you Eat and Drink unworthily and thereby are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and so Eat and Drink Damnation to your selves and do not discern the Lord's Body And so in witnessing against you and your Practices in this State we neither Vilifie Men nor Jesus Christ And thou say'st What a vain pretence is it to say We Eat Christ Spiritually I say it it vain if it be but in Pretence but if it be in Truth it is the greatest thing for it is Eternal Life and he that thus Feeds upon Christ's Body is Alive to God But you in all your other Eatings and Drinkings are Dead whil'st you Live And so of you that would keep People always in the Figures and Signs saying The coming of Christ spoken of 1 Cor. 11.26 is never to be witnessed here I demand Whether that Cup which the Apostle said The Cup of Blessing which we Bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we Break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Body and one Bread for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10.15 16 17. I say Whether was this outward Bread and Wine yea or nay Qu. 19. And in the next Query thou comest over with these things again saying How can those Persons be Faithful to Christ Jesus and Obedient to his Gospel that refuse to Pray and Sing Psalms and Baptize with Water and reâ—eive the Lord's Supper I answer and say If any disobey God in any thing he commands them unto whether in any of these things or in any other they are not Faithful to Christ and his Gospel but those People thou here secretly shoots at are taught to obey God in all his Requirings ☜ and so to Glorifie him in their Bodies and Spirits which are his and so are we clear before the Lord from this thy Charge and also from that which follows for we Revile none much less those that in Conscience of their Duty to God observe them or any thing else And so the Reviler must lodge in thine own Bed who fears not to Revile and speak Evil of such in these days as in Conscience to their known Duty to God Worship him in Spirit and in Truth But you whose Fear towards God is taught by the Precepts of Men in vain is all your Worship for I Testifie for the Lord that whatever you do though it had the very Form of the Saints Practice of old which yours have not and not led thereinto by the Motion of the Eternal and Infallible Spirit of Life it is nothing but the Precepts of Men and Will-worship
the Kingdom of his own Son over all to whom every Knee shall how and every Tongue confess for he is worthy The Springs of Life gush out apace from the Presence of the Lord into the Hearts of the Righteous and Righteousness runs down like a Stream through the Valleys of Israel to bring forth the Heavenly Fruits of Righteousness to the Glory and Praise of the Great and Good Husbandman who is over all God Blessed for Ever of whose Holy Reign Kingdom and Government there never shall be end But of the Kingdom of the Man of Sin and all Antichrists there shall be an utter end and Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and the Judgment of the Living and Everlasting Truth of our Heavenly Father shall go forth more and more for the discovering and consuming the false Hope and lying Refuges of all Hypocrites who have covered themselves and not with the Spirit of the Lord the Zeal of the Lord of Life will perform this that his Name over all may be exalted who is worthy whose Appearance in Glory this Day the Children of the Night have greatly withstood and the Dragon hath made great War against the Lamb but praised be the Lord the Lamb hath got the Victory and the Lamb's Followers are this Day with their Feet upon the Holy Mountain where none can make them afraid rejoicing in this that they have found the Lord whom their Souls loved and do love for Evermore So be it Thomas Taylor To some of T. Hicks's Friends YE Hicks's Hearers of Tixall-hall and elsewhere who Read his Defiled and Defiling Book called A Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker Fear the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for I do affirm in the Truth of Christ that it is a meer Work and Invention of the Wicked One in that Servant of his called T. Hicks who goes under the Name and Profession of an Anabaptist as they are termed I say this Man was put on by the Wicked One who is called the Devil and Satan who was a Lier and False Accuser of the Brethren of Christ from the beginning to Render us the Servants of the Lord called Quakers Odious to the World For the very first Words and Title of his Book is an absolute Lie for never was there such a Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker but it is a meer Fiction of his own naughty Heart and Head for Rendring us and the Truth we hold Odious and it is a False and Wicked Representation of us and our Religion to the World for the which God will severely Judge him And indeed by this manner of way that he takes who or what kind of Profession is there that he can miss grosly to abuse Seeing he takes upon him like a Prevaricator or Stage-player both to ask the Question and give the Answer so as may serve most for his own wicked End and Purpose and make his Opposite infamous O the Wickedness of such Actors and their Work but Praised be the Lord we are out of the reach of his Malice for under the Holy Wing of God's Power and Protection are our Souls gathered by the Eternal Power of his Living Word in Christ Jesus our Lord And you that Read this Book whether called Papists or Protestants if this Hicks had a Mind to Render you Odious could he not this way he takes do it as Plausibly as against us and so I would not have you hurt your selves so as to strengthen your selves against us and the Truth which we Live in by such bad Books and Endeavours as this Hicks hath come forth in for if that your Minds stand open to receive them you will never want them for the Enemy of your Souls and ours yea of all Mankind will never be wanting to furnish you with Lies for Strengthening his Kingdom in you and hindering you from entring into the Kingdom of God And if you would know the Reason of his thus rising up against us I say it is because through the Grace of God given us we Preach the Mystery of the Kingdom of God even the Wisdom of God in a Mystery as Scripture speaks And that Striking at his carnal Conceptions of things and his Idolatrous Thoughts of outward Water-Baptism hath stirred up the Venom in him which by this his Book he hath Vented but the Lord is the Pleader of his People's Cause which is our Joy and our Armour against all the fiery Darts of all wicked Ones for the Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascention Glorification of Christ and his Coming again to us according to the Scriptures of Truth and Heavenly Promises through the Power of God to our Souls Eternal Salvation and Comfort we Witness Glory to the Lord for ever whatsoever this Book or any thing of like nature can or may say to the contrary so as Christ said to one of our Brethren in times past The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against us And so in the Peaceable Habitation of the Love of God in Christ Jesus do we lye down together with all Holy Souls and Spirits of Just Men made Perfect Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth in Mount Zion and before his Ancients Gloriously And so let the Mouth of all Iniquity be stopped for ever saith my Soul Thomas Taylor Something concerning that called the Common-Prayer AND Now all People that you may see we do not without cause Cry against the Priests and deny to joyn with them in the present Common Service now in use amongst the Parish Teachers of England which you are enjoyned upon several Penalties to submit unto I shall in the strength of Truth unbowel it a little unto you that you may at least in part see the true inside of it and not be deceived with the outward Appearance any longer for the Lord is arisen in his mighty Glorious Power to scatter all those Clouds of Ignorance and Error that have long vailed and covered the Minds of People and to be himself the Teacher of his People how to Worship him For his Spirit is greatly burdened with the Manners of the People who take his Name so continually in vain as such do as are only Confessors of their Sins but never forsake them but all their Lives long doing what they should not do and so instead of lessening their Sins are daily adding Sin to Sin covering with a vain verbal unfeeling Confession of Sin but not with the Spirit of the Lord. And so in the very entrance into their Work their Foundation is seen for they manifest themselves not to be in the New Covenant of the Spirit of the God of Life but in the Old Covenant of the Letter saying The Scripture moves them to confess their manifold Sins and Trespasses But when will it be seen that the Scripture moves them to forsake them for a Confession of Sin in Words we hear amongst them but the time of forsaking them never as yet come to be seen