Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	scripture_n	way_n	3,397	5	5.4178	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82555	The Quakers confuted, being an answer unto nineteen queries; propounded by them, and sent to the elders of the church of Duckenfield in Cheshire; wherein is held forth much of the doctrine and practise concerning revelations, and immediate voices, and against the holy Scriptures, Christs ministry, churches and ordinances &c. Together with an answer to a letter which was written and sent by one of them to a family of note and quality in the said county, which pleaded for perfection in this life, and for quaking. By Samuel Eaton, teacher of the Church of Christ heretofore meeting at Duckenfield, now in Stockport in Cheshire.	Eaton, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Waller, Richard, d. 1657.	1654 (1654)	Wing E125; Thomason E719_8; ESTC R9865	69,620	98

our own upon such Scriptures which they have given out which is not their sense but that which is Jeft to us is to find out the sense and meaneing which they have put as in Re2 13. 18. after some mystical things had been held out in which there was a meaning but hard to be understood it is is said Here is Wisdom let him that understandeth count the Number of the Beast that is let him set all his Wisdom and understanding that he hath on work to search it out Nevertheless it is not to be understood that the meaning which the Apostles intended in the Scripture which they gave out doth perpetually follow the sound of the Letter for the Letter contains contradiction many times in it but the Apostles meaning as he interprets himself hath sweet congruity in it without contradiction Querie 3. Whether Plagues be not added to them who add Concerning adding to and diminishing from the Scripture In what sense it is to be understood to the Prophecies Written in the Book And whether his name be not diminished out of the Book of Life who diminisheth And whether you can witness this name yea or no Answ It is plain and clear from Rev. 22. 18. that the Evils are great and terrible that are threatned against adding and diminishing But what this adding and diminishing is that hath such woes belonging to it is the question If expounding the Scripture and interpreting it and shewing the sense and meaning thereof be the adding or diminishing that the question intends against which such a fearful Sentence is pronounced then it would reach Ezra and those others with him mentioned Nehem. 8. 7 8. For they read and they gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading And Christ also gave the sense of those words in Isai 61. 1 2 3. and declared how they were fulfilled in himself and he expounded Moses and the Prophets their Writings to those two Disciples who were travelling towards Emmaus And Philip guided the Eunuch in his reading unto the right sense of the Prophet Isar in Chap. 53. 7 8 9. He shewed the Prophet spake not of himself but of another via Christ Acts 8. 31. 34 And what was preaching the Gospal ordained of God for And why were Gifts given unto men but that the People might be brought to Knowledge and might come to understand the Scriptures Therefore the Apostles were much exercised in opening those sealed Prophesies which were often read and never understood which respected Christ and in proving out of them that Jesus was the Christ Therefore the interpreting of Scripture is not adding to it so long as it is not any private interpretation that is given which a mans heart hath found out and his fancy hath imagined but such an interpretation as agreeth to the Spirit of the Scripture in other places 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. and such as accords with the Analogy of Faith Rom. 12. 6. that is holds Proportion with the Doctrine of Faith as it is laid down in other Scriptures This is not adding but adding is when the sufficiency of the Scriptures to build men up to salvation and to make them perfect throughly furnished unto every good work is not acknowledged and thereupon Traditions Canons and Doctrines and Commandments of men are brought in and annexed and imposed upon the people As of old by the Scribes and Pharisees which Christ so often conflicted with and by the Roman Synagogue and by some of that stamp amongst our selves And when Persons assume an Authority and Power to themselves to be the Judges of the Scripture and expunge what they please out of it and introduce into it what liketh them and what sense they give unto it whether it agrees or not agres with other Scriptures yet that must be the sense of of it and none must question it Whereas Scripture it self ought to be its own interpreter else there would be no plain standing rule to try truth by but the Truth of God must be subjected to the various and opposite fancies of men And when Persons pretend the Spirit and say they have dreamed and come with their apprehensions and say it is made out so to them or it is so given in to them and though there be never so much repugnancy in it to other Scriptures yet that must be the sense by which means the Spirit of Truth comes to suffer many affronts in this Age This is adding And indeed the rigid adhering to the letter of Scriptures and to the sound of words therein without admitting a wholesom sense such as accords with other Scriptures is adding which is the way of all Seducers and Deceivers to make their blasphemous doctrine the more vendible For the letter of Scripture in some places without searching out a sound sense will countenance Papists Arrians Ranters and whom not in their Tenents This is the introducing of another Scripture then that which is Scripture indeed and it is properly such adding to the Scripture against which such plagues are denounced Let these Persons who are called Quakers look to this for it is their grand imposture wherewith they beguilc the people they bring the Letter where it serves for their purpose as the Papists were wont to bring their hoc est corpus meum This is my Body to prove the bodily presence of Christ in the Sacrament And these press upon the people the Letter and cry out upon the Ministers of Christ and say they are lying Priests and they lead the people in darkness and so by the Letter destroy the sense of Scripture and bring in another sense which is not Scripture-sense and so themselves are found both adders to and diminishers from the Scripture Querie 4. Whether you have an infallible Judgement to judge of things eternal yea or no Concering Infalibility in judging how fat men may have it and how far not Answ The first state of every man is darkness the natural man understands not the things that are of God they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. When any man is brought from darkness to light even then he knoweth but in part Paul himself was in some darkness now we see through a glass darkly said he of himself and others 1 Cor. 13. 12. Those to whom John wrote who had the annointment to teach them all things and of whom John said that they knew all things which was but an hyperbolical expression and did import only much knowledge to be in them 1 Ioh. 2. 20 21 27. yet those were not all light without any darkness but they were such who might be deceived and were subject to errour therefore the Apostle warns them of Seducers not withstanding the unction that they have received They had not an infallible judgement but might be mistaken in some of the things of God though they had the Spirit for the Spirit gives himself out

further attainments we ingenously confess that no man is ever like to grow up so high as to need no teaching nor are we our selves come up to such a perfection and we think our selves to be but Children in knowledge in comparison of that which we hope to attain unto in heaven nor do we think it any dishonour to us to confess so much especially while we medicate upon the Apostles expression 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly speaking of the time of this life but then we shall see face to face speaking of the time after this life Nor do we find that Christ himself or the Apostles ever bred up persons to such a condition as these men speak of to need none to teach them in their sense Paul bred up Timothy and to a great height he bred him under his Ministery whom he cals Son because he had been with him as a Son yet he exhorts him to meditate upon such things and to give himself wholly unto them that his profiting might appear unto all 1 Tim. 4. 15. And Peter exhorcs those that he wrote to of whom he Iaith that he did ouly put them in remembrance of things and that they knew them already and were established in the present truth that they would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. The Conclusion that they put to all these Questions is this The Church of Christ say they is a pillan and ground of Truth which doth witness the eternal Spirit and if you be the same Church and have the same Spirit answer me these Queries without any consequencies or senses otherwise diny your Eldership and Pastorship and to be no Church of Christ Answ The Church of Christ is the ground and pillar of Truth and doth witnese the truth of all that is contained in the holy Scriptures and more especially that the mysterie of godliness is gteat viz. That God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory And this we assert without any Consequencies or senses many of which if not all you that urge us thus most desperately deny As for your questions we have answered them agreeablyto Scripture and have made such inferences and necessary consequences and have put such senses as cannot be contradicted by any knowing Christian nor indeed by any but those whose design is to destroy all Scripture and utterly to subvert the Faith of the Gospel and to lead men captive after their own delusions and instead of denying a Pastorship and Eldership and our selves to be the Church of Christ we shall pray God to open the eyes of so many of these poor creatures who are thus sold over to delusions that so many of them as belong to Gods Election may be recovered out of the snare of the devil who are led captive for the present after his will A Coppy of a Letter which Richard Waller a Quaker sent to a Gentlemans Family near Stockport in Cheshire in which both he and his wife had been formerly servants Wherein he pleads for an absolute perfection and for Quaking Dear Friends MY dear love in the Lord presents it self unto you all in the power of the truth desiring the Lord to establish you all in the truth it self that you may grow and become faithfull unto the Lord to bring forth much fruit that the Lord in all things may be glorified by you Dear friends I did long stand in opposition against a company of people by the World called Quakers So it pleased the Lord in his time to let me see my condition So that I did plainly see that I had got the Saints words to talk of before I came to witness the Saints condition Now the Scripture saith Jesus Christ was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever can witness Christ manifest in him can witness sin destroyed But he that saith Christ is manifest in him and committeth sin is a lyar For whosoever is born of God sinneth not 1 Job 2. 4. For his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now the Priests of the World tell us we cannot be perfect here So they leave a hole for Satan here contrary to Scriptures and when will they have him cast out As for me I deny all the Teachers of the World For I can really witness that I have found my Teacher within me which is a mysterie to all the World Now I and the rest that can witness that Christ is made manifest in us we are hated of the World for we disown the Worlds ways Worlds worships and Worlds Customs and they disown us Now the Scriptures saith He that is a friend to the World is an enemy to God The World calls us witches and mad men they did so by Christ they said he was a Devil and they said Paul was mad and Stephen spoke Blasphemy It is just so now as it was then they Jear and say Never any of the Saints Quaked and Trembled Read these Scriptures at your leasure and you may find them lyars Heb. 12. 25 26. Ezra 9. 3 4. Heb. 12. 21. Moses quaked and trembled David trembled Psal 119. 120. Psal 18. 7. Heb. 3. 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered Jerem. 23. 9. Isa 66. 2. Ezek. 32. 10. Dan. 10. 7. and 11. Daniel Trembled Acts 9. 6. Joel 2. 10. Job 26. 11. Amos 8. 8. Jer. 30. 6 7. Acts 13. 40. 41. See here is a Cloud of Witnesses against them And whereas they deny that perfection is to be attained here they are found lyars See Phil. 3. 15 Let us as many as are perfect be thus minded Col. 1. 28. Col. 4. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Heb. 6. 1. Heb. 10. 14. He. 12. 23. Heb. 13. 21. Jam. 1. 4. Col. 4. 12. Deut. 18. 13. Joh. 17. 21. I in thee and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one I plainly see the Priests taught deceit and we believed them But the Lord hath discovered their deceit to his and he will teach all his himself Oh therefore wait upon the Lord and cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils and mind the light of God in you which discovers deceit and the peace of God be with you all and keep you all in the sense of him staid in your minds that you may be kept in his feare which keepeth the mind clear and pure and open to receive his teachings and to forsake the evil and choose the good and so bring you into obedience and it will suffer you to joyn with nothing but what is of it own nature pure and clear and it will keep you from the evil of the World The Lord cause you all to grow up as trees of Righteousness and stablish your hearts in the living truth that his name in all thing may be glorified

Dear friend Christian I have sent you a little book read it without partiality and you may see deceit discovered My wife desires you to present her service to her Master and Mistress and all the children and her love unto you and all the servants We are both well and our child grows fast As for me as I begun with my dear love unto you all so I end For I dare not complement because it is a Custom of the World Farewell A Copy of an answer to the forementioned Letter written in the name of the Church of Duckenfield now meeting in Stopport and sent unto the wife of Richard Waller for the setling and establishing of her in the faith of Christ being a member of the forementioned Church wherein all such Scriptures which were brought to prove an absolute Perfection and Quaking are Interpreted and the true sense given to them and freed from such corrupt fense for which they are alledged Sister Waller YOu are very precious to us though your miscarriage against God and us hath been very great We are apt to hope that the Lord either hath or will convince you of the sin you committed in your unadvised Marriage Which you so selfwilledly carried on against us And when your heart is kindly humbled we know you will give praise to God and justifie us And then we shall conceive as much can see of joy from your repentance as we have done grief from your sin We cannot yet think otherwise but that you do belong to the Lord And if so he will not suffer you to have rest in any evil way you have gone in till he have made you truly sensible and sorrowfull after a Godly manner which if ever you once manifest to us we shall with as much tenderness own you as in any time heretofore For you are very dear to us and our bowels do very much yearn after you Especially since we heard of a Letter which your husband wrote to Duckenfield which some of us have seen by which we discern what deadly poyson he hath sucked in to the undoing of his poor Soul if God be not very mercifull to him and bring him to Repentance And you also through your nearness of Relation to him are exposed to multiplicity of Temptations to forsake the faith of our Lord Jesus and to turn aside to such Satanical delusions which he is carried away with We do conceive hope that as yet the Lord hath kept you by observing one passage of his Letter which holds out your desire that your service may be presented to your Master and Mistress therein owning the relation they stood in to you and you to them which he declares against making it the worlds way and not Gods Our desire and prayer to God for you shall be that he will yet keep you even to the end And who can tell but that the Lord may bring out a great deal of good to your soul by this evil of your Husbands fearfull apostacy which his Letter holds out God may open your eyes thereby to see your sinfull haste which you made in that Marriage He may humble you for rushing upon it against Counsel he may make you to know that he was angry against you by leaving him to such fearful error of way He hath laid a sore affliction upon you by giving up one so near and dear to you to such fearfull Temptations You have offended God through him and now you must be chastned in him Be awakned be awakned and consider the Lords righteous hand in this matter The person whom you have chosen God seems to have forsaken at least for a time he is become the Devils Captive O fear you and repent you least he also forsake you But we hope better of you and our prayer is that you may be setled and established in the truth We foresee that you will be strongly sollicited He that thought himself bound to tempt persons by his Letters at so great a distance what alluring ways will not he take to cause you to forsake your integrity and to turn aside to such fleshly deceits of Satan take heed you be not bewitched with pretences and quotations of Scripture presented in the Letter there lyes the greatest danger The Devil tempted Christ by telling him that it was written and his Instruments will use the same fleights They will put false Glosses upon Scripture while they deny all senses to be put upon Scripture to deceive themselves and others thereby The Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 3. 16. that some that are unlearned and unstable do wrest Scripture to their own destruction and he doth warn them lest they being led away by the error of the wicked do fall from their own stedfastness by such means And we also do beseech you to beware of this Snare viz of Scripture abused by misconstructions It is a misconstruction when the construction is made to follow the sound of the words though it be never so much repugnant to other Scripture You know that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim 3 16. And that holy men spake as they were Inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. Now God is a God of Truth and the Spirit is a Spirit of Truth and cannot speak contrary things nor contradict himself therefore if there be any seeming contradiction in Scripture taken in the Letter of it we must seek after a right sense by which the seeming contradiction may be removed Your husband produceth many Scriptures to prove an absolute perfection without sin And the first Scripture he mentions is Phil. 3. 15. Let us saith Paul speaking of himself and the Philippians as many as be perfect be thus minded He Collects from hence that the Saints here have such a perfection that excludes all sin Alas poor Creature We thought he had been better acquainted with his own heart But he might have looked a little higher in the Chapter upon ver 12. and have discerned that Paul expresly denies Perfection in reference to himself Not as though I were already perfect saith he Was Paul perfect and yet was he not perfect In the Letter there is a contradiction But Paul speaking by the Spirit of God cannot contradict himself therefore we must look after the sense of the word Perfect It is many time taken for sincere 2 Kings 15. 14. Asa took not away the high places that was his failing Yet his heart was perfect In what sense perfect Was it perfect without sin Not so For it was his sin that the high places were not taken away But perfect that is Upright He did not serve God in pretence but in truth They say we must not give the sense of Scripture but must take it in the Letter but that is contrary to the examples of Scripture Those in Nehemiah 8. 8. read in the Book of the Law and gave the sense and it is necessary sometimes to avoid contradiction which is in the Letter to

the Earth onely but the Heaven also Now the Apostle gives the sense of these words yet once more vers 27. It signifieth faith he the removing of those things that are shaken that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Now those Persons whom they call Quakers they are shaken in their meetings first one and then another then the Text taken in the Letter shews that they shall be removed and taken away seeing they are shaken but others who are not shaken shall remain so they fall by the Text which themselves alledge But the true sense of this Text is Metaphorical and signifies the removing of things corrupt in Church and State so far as it remains yet to be fulfilled and it did signifie the removal of Moses Law of Rites that the Gospel might be establ●shed instead thereof There was an outward shaking of the Mount and of Moses but it was typical of this Metaphorical and spiritual shaking and shewed how Moses Paedagogie or Childish Discipline was to be removed away but what is this to their purpose There is also a spiritual trembling arising from the reverence of God and his Word which is inward in the foul which all Saints have more or less Isa 66 2. Ezra 9. 4. which are Texts of his citing but they make nothing for the upholding of their outward shaking nor are they persons that tremble at the Word of the Lord but are despisers of it There is also a quaking and trembling of Flesh but it did ar●se from the sense of Gods Judgements Psal 119. 120. Jer. 23 9 Ier. 30 5 6. and from a sense of Gods Wrath Psal 187. but they who have the name of Quakers being all of them perfect and without sin as they pretend cannot be afraid of Gods judgements of his wrath nor do they quake upon that account what they shall do hereafter if they repent not we leave to that one ludge of the world to determine in his time There is also a quaking from Visions and Apparitions as when an Angel appeared to Daniel Dan. 10. 7. 11. and the outside of the Vision those that were with him saw and quaked and fled through fear they saw not the inside as those that were with Saul did which saw a light though they saw no man and they were terrified And Paul was astonied and trembled Acts 9. 6. upon the appearance of Christ to him Now whether these persons pretend to apparitions or not we know not and whether there be any Apparition unless the Devil doth appear we know not onely this we know Those persons who saw many Visions and to whom God immediately or by an Angel spake familiarly which caused quaking and trembling they were such for whom and by whom God wrought many wonderful things therefore said the Pharisees to the people We know that God spake with Moses It was known to all by signs and wonders that Moses did that God had Communion with him and spake to him so also it was with Daniel Peter Paul and all others so that all might be assured that God spake with then and the appearance was visible also Now when these persons can confirm their Visions by miraculous things wrought for them and by them it will be better received that God hath appeared and spoken to them But that which most satisfies us that neither they nor their quaking are of God is first because though some particular persons upon some particular and sudden appearances have trembled and quaked yet there is nothing in all the Scripture that makes out the meetings of many people together in a constant way and course waiting and expecting to see or hear something which casts them into trances and brings upon them quaking and trembling and in a kind of order also as first one and then another Indeed the Apostles did abide waiting at Ierusalem once but never after for the receiving of the Spirit according to the Promise of the Father by Christs own special Injunction but then the Spirit came in visible manner there was a rushing wind and sound from Heaven and an appearance of cloven tongues like as it were fire sat upon every one of them and they spake with tongues But what injunction have these men to meet and sit together waiting for any appearance of spirit or Angel or ought else And what promise have they made to them or what outward appearance is there of any comming of the Spirit to them Or what mighty works are done by them Or what communion with God or with his Spirit can they have which oppose God in their many blasphemous assertions which come from them and who destroy many of the great Doctrines of the Gospel and who change and subvert Gods Ordinances viz. Relations betwixt Magistrates and Subjects Masters and Servants c. which God doth build up in his word Sister You may discern what little strength there is in those many Scriptures in your Husbands Letter heaped togegether by that which we have presented in answer A cloud of misapplied Scriptures we hope will deceive none but the simple We are willing to believe that God hath and will give you a better understanding then to be deceived with vain words Watch you stand fast in the faith quit your self well like a solid Christian be strong If you doubt of any thing send to us we shall endevor to give you satisfaction and shall beg of God to guide you even he himself by his Spirit into all Truth Appear not in any other meetings as you tender the welfare of your Soul tempt not God to leave you If your Husband bring them to your house get from among them If by any means you can have no discourse with them least you be ensnared You are warned in your Husband he conversed with them and how soon is he become one of them as his Letter shews We pitty his condition greatly What would we do to recover him and bring him out of such snares But we fear least some sin is unrepented of and that God is offended and hath left him Look you to your self and past wayes and know the evil you have done and meet the Lord by faith and timely Repentance It may be God will be gracious to you and you shall be kept in the fire and in the water in the midst of the greatest and nearest dangers so that they shall not touch you nor hurt you Which shall be the prayer of those who are true friends to your soul and do watch over you as those who must give an account to God for you Farewell From the Elders and some brethren of the Church of Christ meeting at Stoppors In the name and on the behalf of the rest Sam. Eaton The Quakers Reply to our forementioned answer sent by Richard Waller with an injunction that it should be read in the presence of the CONGREGATION I Have received a Letter wherein I find many busie minds giving senses upon the Scriptures

and false Accusations Can you give a better sense upon the Scriptures then they are thereby you shew another Spirit then that which did give forth the scriptures For all Scriptures being given forth by the Inspiration of the spirit it is of no private Interpretation nor came not by the will of man O flesh be silent before the Lord who art giving senses and speakest with thy own will wherein thou hast uttered forth thy solly who art unlearned therefore thou art wresting the Scriptures which thou wouldst turn upon the backs of others and the same turns upon thy own back and pate who art giving senses who livest in the corrupt nature and pleadest for it a servant to the Devil maintaining his Kingdom Whereof thou Accusest him being led Captive and thou art led Captive doing the work of the Devil and art a witness against him or them who are in the second Birth and the children of the living God Jacob was a perfect man God saw no iniquity in him Iob was a perfect man And God saw no transgression in Israel and Christ said be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect and the Apostle said see that you stand perfect in the will of God And he that is born of God sinneth not neither can be sin because the seed of God remains in him he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous let no man deceive you with vain words and in that number you shew your selves to be deceiving with vain words and we speak wifdom among them that are perfect saith the Apostle Yet not the wisdom of this world that cometh to nought but in the wisdom of the world thou art witnessing against that which the Apostle justified and hast raised thy self out of that which he was in giving Senses and Meanings upon his words as they painted Serpents did shewing a contrary Spirit then the Apostles had Shewing thy self in the first Birth and not in the second which is perfect Litterally learned but not Spititually that which will own it own without any Witchcraft Sorcery or twining humane inventions or its sence upon the Scripture which all is for Destruction and Fire For to that in thy Conscience do I speak which shall eternally witness for me and before you witness the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures you must witness these things in your selves The contradiction is in your selves and a seeming contradiction and not in the Scripture Therefore it is you that look after the sense of the word which cannot own it as it is and so make the contradictions had you the Spirit which Paul had and which gave forth the Scriptures you would not wrest it to your own destruction but the confusion is in your own minds and that is wresting the Scriptures in you and giving senses to it which is for destruction And whereas you speak of Pauls condition I desire you to let Pauls condition and the Saints alone For you know nothing of them but are giving senses upon their words and wresting them being unestablished with his Spirit and his life and the Saints For that mind in you hath nothing at all to do with it The Letter saith that the Saints were compleat in him and is not upright perfect Wherein it shews that you are not compleat in Christ but without in the world giving meaning to his words whereas you speak of giving a particular exposition of every Quotation it is the busie mind which would be exalted So if I should answer to every sense which you have given upon the Scripture from your conceivings I should make fools wise in their conceits which God hath promised he will scatter the proud in their imaginations and there you are and there is your portion Friends Your weakness you have uttered while any one thinks they are perfect they cannot tell but are in the same mind that you are in giving senses upon the Scripture which was given forth by an eternal spirit and you are giving senses upon ir with your external minds and your own imagined wisdom which is from below you utter it forth for it denies perfection and while your minds stand in imitation there is an Image in your minds which sets something up in it that neither knows Christ nor the way nor the Scripture Neither can it refolve doubtfull minds But that sense giving upon the Scriptures doth heal up the beast which hath a wound and applies the Scriptures to a wrong nature to your own sense that thereby many are led blind by you and led into doubts and instead of stablishing you unstablish and that is it which keeps so many in sin and from waiting upon Jesus Christ which comes to take away sin Friends here you sit as Judges of the Saints conditions speaking you do not know what of the Gospel of Moses Law of Justification and Sanctification which of these things you know nothing of but are busie minds uttering forth your folly for none of these things can you witness which you speak of not the Law of Moses nor Justification nor Sanctification nor the Gospel not in the inward man but in the Notion he that is sanctified is justified and witnessed and where it is not it is babled and disputed upon as you do giving your own imaginations and senses upon it which leads into temptations from God both your selves and others By one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified Friends give over your babling and see which of you can witness this Christ this Sanctification and this Perfection and give over your disputes and rabling and rambling with an unclean mind For the Grace of God teaches to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Which I do see you know nothing of but in the Notion and the History of it who are Ministers of the Letter Friends see if you be brought to see a Conscience that doth accuse for sin For that you must witness before you witness the Gospel and look within your selves and gad not abroad For that is the woman that abides not in her own house Friends let me ask you one question are you come to the end that you are Teachers of others I believe it will appear with a literal knowledge or have you an infallible judgement to judge of perfection who were perfect and who were not perfect For you make it appear as though you were able to judge but it is with your own sense and dark thoughts and not with the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures who was the Minister of Christ which had it said that they might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus You speak forth your imaginations Is the perfection that is in the Saints but a kind of perfection as you speak of These are your Saints which live in the Imaginations and your Perfection and your Sanctification which is your own sense who wrest the Scripture to your own destruction by one offering he hath for

more of like nature But there is scarce the shew of an answer to any thing in ours though it be very large and tedious Some of the un-favory and un-Christian expressions I have gathered out and presented to publike view that all persons that have to do with them may know what scurrilous language they may expect instead of an Answer I find many busie minds giving senses upon Scripture O flesh be silent before the Lord who art giving senses Who speaks with thine own will Thou hast uttered forth thy folly Who are unlearned therefore thou art wresting the Scriptures The same turns upon their own back and pate Thou livest in corrupt nature and pleadest for it A servant to the Devil maintaining his Kingdom Thou art led Captive doing the work of the Devil Thou art a witness against him and them who are in the second birth Thou art deceiving with vain words In the wisdom of the world thou art Shewing a contrary spirit to the Apostle Shewing thy self in the first birth and not in the second Litterally learned but not spiritually Had you the Spirit you would not wrest Scripture to your own destruction The confusion is in your own minds Let Pauls condition alone for you know nothing of it You are not compleat in Christ but without in the world It is the busie mind that would be exalted If I should answer to every sense you give I should make fools wise God will scatter the proud and there you are and there is your portion Your exernal mind and imagined wisdom which is from below There is an Image in your mind which neither knows Christ nor the way nor the Scripture That sense giving heals up the beast that hath a wound Here you sit as Judges of the Saints conditions speaking you do not know what of the Gospel of Moses of the Law of Justification of Sanctification Of these ye know nothing but have busie minds uttering forth your folly None of these can you witness to not the Law not Moses not Justification not Sanctification not the Gospel in the inward man but in the Notion It is babled and disputed upon as you do Friends give over your babling Give over your disputing and rabling and rambling with an unclean mind Look to your selves and gad not abroad for that is the woman thae abides not in her own house Paul did not tell you these words but you are thieves and steal his words You live in that nature by whom offences come But here you are not in this light nor can witness this blood nor the confession of your sin You are in the Generation of the Pharisees contending against Christ Children of the Devil and in that Generation are ye pleading for sin and not for faith You have one of the beasts colours of profession You appear beautifull as every harlet doth None in your Church and Generation can bridle his tongue Herein thou shewst thy self and thy Religion to be vain You are evil beasts and slow bellies You are Blinded Fogged Misted with the corruptions of a dark mind You are liars which would draw somthing out of Johns words Here you stand up for the Devils Kingdom You have uttered forth your folly without knowledge The world by wisdom knows not God and there are you You are in the same nature who justifie them who are for condemnation The earth within is that which pleads for the Devils Kingdom Thou shewest thy self to be of the same Adulterous Generation of the Scribes and Pharises You have uttered forth many lyes and slanders and scandalous speeches You are in Cains nature murthering the righteous one You are spewing forth your venom against an harmless people As dogs ye snarl and bite them that are guided by the Spirit of God You speak a vain divination You are yet under the dominion of Satan You have uttered forth your folly and filthiness They that say they are Iews and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan there are you This is some of that mire and dirt which as the Sea they cast up against us meerly for the cause of that Letter which we sent to one of their wives who stood related to us But this is not all for the whole Reply consists of such kind of Language save that here and there there is some small intermixture of some Scriptures produced for the Justification of Perfection anh Quaking which I see no cause to return any further answer to because the answer that is already given in the Letter that we sent which is now presented to publike view may be equally applied to such Scriptures which are here added as to those other Scriptures which I met with before and will remain in like force These are the persons who alone pretend to the Spirit and to the second birth and do not onely lay us but all the Saints in all the World under the condemnation of such who have not the spirit and are in the first birth and not in the second But what spirit it is that Dwells and Acts and Rules in them doth appear from their expressions for their speech bewraies them These things have I presented for this end and purpose to obstruct their way and stop their further proceedings that by their impostures they may pevail no longer If God shall be pleased to give his blessing to my endeavors herein it will be a good reward of my labors however I have discharged my duty and shall have peace in that There was a paper given unto me containing the confession of Iohn Gilpin a Quaker Which is now printed for publike view that all may take notice what spirit it is that possesseth these persons and may fear and tremble at Gods just Judgements who delivers up them to Satan who cast off him FINIS There is lately Printed and sold by Thomas Brewster at the three Bible in Pauls Church-yard near the West and these Books viz. A discovery of Mystical Antichrist Displaying Christs Banners but attempting to lay waste Scriptures Churches Christ Faith Hope c. Containing an examination of the Doctrines and ways of the Quakers in York-shirie Written by John Pomroy Pa. Glissen Ioseph Kellet Milk for Babes in Christ or Meditations Observations and Experiences Divers Cases of Conscience Resolved c. by M. Fynch Preacher of the Gospel in Lincoln-shire Sions glory Discovered in the Churches and Ordinances before the fulness of the Iews come in by I. Prowd Three Treatises 1. A Discovery of the unsupportable burthen of sin 2. The Resolution of a soul to return to God that is sensible of his withdrawings 3. The Entertainment that such meet within their returnings by P. Hobson The Resurrection of the Witnesses and Englands fall from Rome by M. Cary. Refractoria Disputatio Or the Thwarting Conference In a Discouse between different Interests Disputing about the Dissolution of the late Parliament and other Changes of State A stop to the mad multitude being an Answer to a scurrilous book published against the peace of this Commonwealth Entituled The Grand Politick Informer A Description of Ierusalem as it flourished in Christs time With a large Map Explaining 268. places therein and in the Suburbs thereof shewing the several places of the Acts and sufferings of Jesus Christ and his holy Apostles As also of the Kings and Prophets c. Also seven general Rules for expounding Scriptures that speak of Christs coming and Kingdom and calling the Iews by H. Jessey Vindicae Justificationis Gratuitae Justification without conditions or the free Justification of a sinner and the absoluteness of the New Covenant Explained Confirmed and Vindicated from the Exceptions Objections c. Cast upon it by the asserters of conditional Justification viz. Mr. Baxter Mr. Woodbridge Mr. Cranford By W. Eyre Minister of the Gospel and Pastor of a Church at New-Sarum

Letter that was given me and the Answer which I sent unto it which was directed to his wife together with the Reply that the Quakers made unto it which indeed is too tedious to be read of any who have most time it is such a sottish and senseless piece of stuff and hath so much scurrilous language in it But by it and by the Queries the Saints and World may know what a people these are what little hope there is of any good to be wrought upon them if they would admit of any rational discourse from Scripture some encouragement would be given to spend time that way with them but they can easily evade all with such Answer as this Busie minds give senses to Scripture and are Persons that have nothing to do with Scripture can witness nothing of that they speak of They pretend to speak and act all by the Spirit and if any one will try the Spirit that they speak by their Reply is that such an one can neither witness Scripture nor Spirit and therefore hath nothing to do with such things Yet they deceive many and they increase in number continually but the time will come that they shall proceed no further In the mean time it ought to be sad to every godly spirit that Satan should have such power to work so effectually in and upon many who have been reputed Saints who are drawn into them but God will issue all to his Glory at the last and in this I rest and remain Thine in the Lord Jesus Samuel Eaton THE Quakers QUERIES For some Friends who call themselves Elders of the Church of Christ meeting at Stopport these c. A few Queries to you who profess your selves to be Teachers Pastors and Elders Querie 1. WHether you have the same eternal Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures yea or no Querie 2. Whether the Apostles did give a right meaking to the Scriptures when they gave them forth or left them to you to give a meaning to them yea or no Querie 3. Whether the Plagues be not added to them who add to the Prophesies written in the Book and whether his Name be not diminished out of the Book of Life that diminishes and whether you can witness this Name yea or no Querie 4. Whether you have an infallible Judgement to judge of things eternal yea or no Querie 5. Whether you be above the Apostle and are able to judge his Condition because you say he was not perfect who said he spoke wisdom among them that were perfect Querie 6. Whether you have the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the World was which the Apostle speaks of yea or no Querie 7. Whether you have heard the voice of the liveing God of Heaven and Earth or whether do you not take the Prophets words Christs words and the Apostles words and say he saith it when saith the Lord I never spoke to you Querie 8. Whether a man shall overcome the body of sin while he is upon the Earth yea or no Querie 9. Whether you preach no other Doctrine then that which the Apostles did that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and with our hands have handled of the word of life For this life is made manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew it unto you Querie 10. Whether you have this word which was from the beginning and this life manifested to you which was to the Apostles And if it be why do you take a Text from the Letter and Preach from it and shew the People the Letter Querie 11. And shew me where the Prophets did take a Text and preach from it but only Christ read a place and said it was fulfilled who said he was anointed to preach and which of you can witness you are anointed to preach by the living God yea or no Querie 12. Tell me why you sing Davids Conditions and Experiences in Meeter and when you read them hats you keep on and when you sing them hats you put off Querie 13. Whether you have the voice and whether you do know the voice of Christ from the voice of a Stranger My Sheep know my voice saith Christ seing that you are so forward to judge and sit as Judges of the Saints Conditions Querie 14. Whether that which is in you which Judgeth be eternal and infallible yea or no Querie 15. What is the Ordinance which is ordained of God that those which you call Quakers deny and where or when did God command you to observe them As to sprinkle Infants to pray before and after your Sermons as you call them or to set times dayes and hours which was in the Generation which were enemies to Christ who observed such things Querie 16. What these Ordinances of God be which you speak of And where God commanded them and to whom which you say those that you call Quakers do deny mention them in particular and declare them openly in Writing and give over accusing Querie 17. Whether you do not seduce the People to draw them from the anointing within them when as John saith they need no man teach them but as the anointing and the Promise was Eternal Life to him that did abide in the anointing Querie 18. Whether you do not bewitch the people to draw them from the Spirit of God within them to observe these things which God never commanded to tell people of a Sacrament and following your outward Teaching who stand praying in the Synagogues and are called of men-Masters which Christ did forbid Mat. 23. And have the chiefest places in the Assemblies Whether these be not Antichrists which act contrary to the Commands of Christ this yea or no Querie 19. Whether a man shall ever grow up that he need no man teach him under your Ministry yea or no seeing the Apostle saith you need no man teach you and you which have been long Teachers how many have you brought up into this Condition The Church of Christ is the Pillar and Ground of Truth which doth witness the eternal Spirit and if you be the same Church and have the same Spirit Answer me these Queries without any consequences or senses otherwise deny your Eldership and Pastorship and to be no Church of Christ From some Friends in the Truth in Lancashire whom the World calls Quakers An ANSWER to the forementioned Queries brought by one Richard Waller a Messenger of the Quakers and presented by him in the name of them unto the Elders of the Church common-called the Church of Duckenfield now meeting at Stockport in the face and presence of the whole Congregation and an Answer required fromthe above said Elders upon the 5th of Iune 1653. Querie 1. WHether you have the Eternal Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures yea or no Answ We do believe and assert that all Concering the indwelling of the Spirit in the Saints that do