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<DATE>2009-01-28</DATE>
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<NAME>Emma Leeson Huber</NAME>
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<ITEM>Corrected 1 illegibles of 136. Converted 135 illegibles To GAP DESC="illegible RESP="apex".</ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Truth's Defence AGAINST the Refined Subtilty OF THE SERPENT Held forth in divers ANSWERS to &s;e|verall QUERIES made by men (called Mini&s;ters) in the North. Given forth by the Light and Power of God appearing in GEORGE FOX and RICHARD HUBBERTHORN</P>
<Q>And they watched him, and &s;ent forth Spies, which &s;hould feign them&s;elves ju&s;t men, that they might take hold of his words, that &s;o they might deliver him into the power and authority of the Governours.</Q>
<BIBL>Luke 20. 20.</BIBL>
<P>Printed for <HI>Tho: Wayt</HI> at his hou&s;e in the <HI>Pavement</HI> in <HI>York.</HI> 1653.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
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<HEAD>To all general Profe&s;&s;ors of CHRIST in the VVorld.</HEAD>
<P>_WHat think <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e! Is it not yet time to cea&s;e from &s;trife, but ye must be &s;till beating your fellow Servants, even when your Master is at the Door! Have ye not yet understood the Parable of the Tares and Wheat, that they &s;hould grow together till the Harve&s;t, and now is not the Harve&s;t almo&s;t ripe! Hath not the wi&s;dom of Man had a long day of judging the righteous Seed, But now that Seed i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> ri&s;ing up to judg it: be &s;ilent then, and cea&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> from Man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> while, and thou &s;halt &s;ee his highe&s;t wi&s;dom declared to be his greate&s;t folly: what will it profit thee to re&s;i&s;t the breathings forth of the Spirit of Righteou&s;ne&s;s in any? will it not add fuel to that unquenchable fier, which already burns as an Oven, tho it may be thou &s;ee it not yet. but as it was of old &s;ayd, <HI>In the la&s;t days &s;hall come Scoffers,</HI> men which onely have a <HI>Form of Godline&s;s,</HI> but deny and oppo&s;e the Power where ever it ap|pears; 'tis well if it happen not to this Generation as it did in the days of <HI>Noah,</HI> the Preacher of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, the world then being drowned in the &s;en&s;ual life, they could not hear nor under&s;tand, therefore the Flood came and &s;wept them away. He not high-minded but fear, for though ye have heaped to your &s;elves many Teachers, and clothed your &s;elves with many Forms of Wor&s;hip, yet the&s;e will not abide the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ier, nor defend you from the Iudgment that is coming upon you; con&s;ider what a Night of Confu&s;ion is already upon you how are ye &s;hattered and rent a&s;under, that you cannot give a tru account what ye are,
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or where you are; this is the Lords doing, that will &s;poil you of all your Idols, and make you a&s;hamed of your hard &s;peeches a|gain&s;t the innocent. Cannot you be content to &s;uck what &s;weet you can as long as you can out of the pride and vanityes of this World, but you mu&s;t pu&s;h with you Horns the low and con|temptibl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Servants of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who through his mighty power is now rai&s;ing up tho&s;e Valleys whereon him&s;elf will &s;it, in them, &amp; with them, to judg that &s;pirit in you, both quick and dead.</P>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>Divers QUERIES of great importance, propounded by <HI>Thomas Atkin&s;on</HI> of <HI>Cartmall</HI> in <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> TO <HI>Gabriel Camelford</HI> Par&s;on of <HI>Stafley-Chappel:</HI> with his An&s;wers to them.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Al&s;o,</P>
<P>REPLIES to the ANSVVERS, wherein is layd open the &s;ubtilty and deceit of the Prie&s;t, and his Invencions, Snares, and Baits, and fal&s;e Imaginations: di&s;covered by the pure light of God, which hath &s;hined in our hearts, and hath given us to &s;ee the darkne&s;s which he and the World live in, hating this Light which hath appeared and enlightned every one that cometh into the World, <HI>Iohn</HI> 1. 9. and all who are guided by this Light, and have a pure eye opened in them, which is the light of the bo|dy, may &s;ee and di&s;cern the darkne&s;s, blindne&s;s, and igno|rance of the Prie&s;t.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_I Have received many confu&s;ed Queries, which came from a dark minde, which would know the condici|ons of the Apo&s;tles, or have another meaning to the Scriptures, and that minde I do deny, for if thou have the Spirit, that gave them forth, then thou would&s;t witne&s;s us; but as a Serp&eacute;nt full of Venom, ha&s;t thou &s;hewed forth thy &s;elf, &s;puing forth thy venom, which mu&s;t be turned into Hell, who erre&s;t not knowing the Scriptures, and the
<PB N="2" REF="4">
power of God. Friend, in thy Queries, thou aske&s;t thou do&s;t not know what; for &s;ome Queries were &s;ent to thee, and thou looked&s;t upon them to be frivelous and ab&s;urd things, &s;o thou may&s;t look upon that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;poke, and the Apo&s;tles, and the Prophets, and &s;ay that is frivolous and ab&s;urd; for they were given forth all by one Spirit according to mea&s;ure, as they ever did in that Gene|ration, they are &s;o with thy frivolous and ab&s;urd minde, though thy frivolous and ab&s;urd minde <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;erve &s;uch things for thy ends. Thou &s;ay&s;t they were condemned to the fier to be burned, which if they had, it would have been a figure to thy &s;elf, which Nature could do no other, for they came to torment him and thee, who are for the fier, as it is written, <HI>The Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet &s;hall be turned into the fier:</HI> you might as well have condemned the Scriptures to the fier. And I have received certain Papers, in which there is confu&s;ion, which thou calle&s;t thy An&s;wers, and many con|fu&s;ed Queries, which hath come from a <HI>Babylonian</HI> Merchant, which hath &s;ent &s;ome of his &s;tuff to me, who art the &s;carlet-coloured Bea&s;t, and the well-favoured Harlot, proceeding from a confu&s;ed minde, which art confu&s;ed and come out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> from a dark un|der&s;tanding in whom the Prince of the Ayer lodgeth, who main|tain&s;t the Devils Kingdom with all thy force and might, and power, as it doth appear, which would be &s;atisfied, who art in the unrea|&s;onable nature, thy &s;atisfaction mu&s;t be Death; therefore for the &s;imple ones &s;ake have I freely let forth my &s;elf in a few An&s;wers and Replies to thy unlearned and confu&s;ed Queries, Que&s;tions and An&s;wers, that thy deceit might be di&s;covered, and the power of truth known, and the &s;imple ones directed, and God alone glori|fied.</P>
<P>To all profe&s;&s;ed Mini&s;ters, who have taken the title of Mini|&s;ters of the Go&s;pel of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who is the end of the Law and the Prophets, and Shadows, which &s;hadow him forth, a few Que&s;tions to you who have taken this Office upon you.</P>
<P>Querie 1. <HI>Whether thou ha&s;t that Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world (which Light is</HI> Chri&s;t) <HI>yea or no.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pr. An&s;w.</HI> Through grace and love di&s;played and &s;hed abroad in my &s;oul, I am able to &s;ay, that <HI>my beloved is mine, and I am his;</HI> and therefore all he has is mine, at lea&s;t for my advantage, his light as a Prophet, and his love as a Saviour is mine, and all to teach me and lead me to my Fathers hou&s;e, but thy inference thereon is ab&s;urd
<PB N="3" REF="4">
and fooli&s;h: thine do I &s;ay? I mi&s;took, the inference of thy Ma|&s;ter or Scribe, for it is not thy hand-writing; and in that I won|der, but that it is u&s;ual with you, how you can be &s;o contradictory to your own Principles; for you generally charge others with &s;peak|ing that which is not their own, and yet thou come&s;t in the face of the Congregation and give&s;t that which is not thy own, thy &s;elf: for &s;hame either deny your Principles, or act and &s;peak according to them. But to let that pa&s;s, thou proceede&s;t with this inference; if &s;o, why do&s;t thou deny and &s;ay that every one hath not that Light to teach them and guide them to God; Is this a &s;ufficient inference, that bececau&s;e I have it, therefore it mu&s;t not be denied but that all have it? Let any, that God hath given an under&s;tand|ing to, judg; &s;urely God hath left you, you have even lo&s;t your common Rea&s;on among you.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Pr: An.</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t thou art able to &s;ay through grace, that thy Beloved is thine, and thou art his; &s;o do the fal&s;e Prophets &s;ay, <HI>He &s;aith it, Jer.</HI> 23. 31. but thou knowe&s;t nothing of the Beloved nor of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> which is the Beloved, nor through grace. Thou &s;ay&s;t all that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath is thine, his Light for thy Prophet, his Love as a Saviour to guide thee to thy Fathers hou&s;e; as a Thief thou ha&s;t gotten the Letter, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23. 30. and a form which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;poke, and that thou calle&s;t thine; but (thou enemy of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>) thou neither knowe&s;t the Light which is <HI>Chri&s;t, that en|lightneth every one that cometh into the world, John</HI> 1. 9. that thou can&s;t not witne&s;s according as the Query was put to thee, nor the Pro|phet, nor the fathers hou&s;e, nor the Saviour which the Scripture &s;peaks of; but thy fathers hou&s;e thou knowe&s;t, and thy beloved which is the God of the World, and thy imagined Light which leads thee to thy fathers hou&s;e, which we utterly deny, thee and thy fathers hou&s;e, and thy beloved thou ha&s;t &s;hewed, thy beloved is thine, which is thy Lu&s;t for thy gift.</P>
<P>Qu. 2. <HI>Whether your Gospel be the &s;ame that the Apo&s;tles preached? and if it be, Why go you to</HI> Oxford <HI>and</HI> Cambridg, <HI>when the Apo&s;tle &s;aid the Gospel he preached was not after man&punc; neither was he taught it by man, neither received he it from man, but by the revelation of</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> I &s;hall &s;peak as to my own particular, and this through grace I have to &s;ay, God hath carryed forth my &s;pirit to preach and to declare <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and him crucified, as the Apo&s;tles preached, 1 <HI>C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r.</HI> 22. and to declare the manner of Gods giving this
<PB N="4" REF="5">
gift to &s;inners, as the Apo&s;tles did, and that freely through grace <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 24. the Doctrine of grace appears to be the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 5, 6. compared with the 9. &amp; 10. <HI>ver&s;es.</HI> And he that preacheth another Go&s;pel than this, is a perverter of the Go&s;pel of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and under the cur&s;e, though he &s;eem to an Angel from Hea|ven, 7, 8. <HI>v.</HI> Thy Inference is, If it be &s;o, why do you not live on the Go&s;pel? I do live on the Go&s;pel, and that is thy trouble and grief it &s;eems: but thou adde&s;t, when as it is &s;aid, <HI>Freely ye have received, freely give, Matth.</HI> 10. 8. If thou examine&s;t well what is cited by thee, thou would&s;t finde that this is principally &s;poken of healing the &s;ick, clean&s;ing the Lepers, rai&s;ing the dead, and ca&s;ting out Devils, which were things at that time more likely to get them money than preaching the Go&s;pel: but again, if thou wilt take no notice of that, but apply it wholly to the gift of preaching, this I &s;ay, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did even there approve that <HI>the Labourer was wor|thy of his hire, Luke</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. 7, 8.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t, that God hath carry|ed forth thy &s;pirit to preach and declare <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and him crucified, as the Apo&s;tles preached; I utterly deny thee to be any Preacher of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or to know God or <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or the Word of God: and the Apo&s;tles condicion thou knowe&s;t not, and the grace of God thou art an enemy to, and thou art one of them that cruci&s;ies <HI>Chri&s;t; Matth.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">7. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. where&s;oever he is ri&s;ing thou would&s;t know him and crucifie him, who art giving thy Expo&s;icions upon the Do|ctrine of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and wre&s;ting the Scriptures to thy own de&s;tructi|on, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 8. being unlearned; and thou art he that preaches ano|ther Go&s;pel, which art a perverter of the Go&s;pel, which art cur&s;ed, as thou ha&s;t made it openly appear in thy Queries: and thou &s;peake&s;t of Angels from Heaven, them thou knowe&s;t not. Friend, thou &s;ay&s;t thou live&s;t upon the Go&s;pel, but it is upon that which the Apo&s;tles &s;poke <HI>(the Letter)</HI> a Declaracion, that is thy Go&s;pel, which was made manife&s;t to the Apo&s;tles, which is not to thee, and that thou live&s;t on and trade&s;t withall, as a Thief and a Robber, <HI>Ier.</HI> 32. 30. and &s;o deceive&s;t poor people, who art a Mini&s;ter of the Letter and not of the Go&s;pel: and thou &s;ay&s;t, that <HI>the Labourer is worthy of his hier,</HI> but what pay did <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> give to his Labourers that he &s;ent into his Vineyard? Did not he &s;ay, they might have but a Penny? Wilt thou be content with his wages? O thou Ene|my to him, who art without God in the world, and thou h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t &s;hewed that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never &s;ent thee to preach, therefore tho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> know|e&s;t
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not his wages that he gives, but the Devil he leads thee, and thou take&s;t his hier, and he is thy Ma&s;ter, for thou receive&s;t the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, &s;hewing thy &s;elf wor&s;e than <HI>Balaam,</HI> who loves the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>Iude</HI> 11. which wo was upon, who art <HI>without,</HI> perverting <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, and wre&s;ting the Scri|ptures, and like a Thief would&s;t be like one of them in thy words, but like the Devil in thy practice; and thou &s;ay&s;t, the doing of Mi|racles, and the ca&s;ting out Devils, and rai&s;ing the Dead, were things at that time more like to get money than preaching the Go&s;pel; O thou Enemy of God! where do&s;t thou finde any of the Mini&s;ters of God that took money for working Miracles? <HI>Simon Magus</HI> would have bought the Spirit to have wrought Mi|racles withall&punc; but the gifts of God is not to be bought and &s;old for money, thou &s;elle&s;t thy carnal gifts, but thou &amp; they mu&s;t peri&s;h that do &s;o, for it is your peri&s;hing minde, for thou can&s;t not wit|ne&s;s one of the gifts of God, nor of the Miracles of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> neither the dumb to &s;peak nor the blinde to &s;ee, nor the deaf to hear, but art a &s;ilthy Bea&s;t, wich art &s;pued out from God, <HI>dead in thy &s;ins and trespa&s;&s;es, Ephe&s;.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1. and whereof thou would&s;t have the Scripture an&s;wer thee, thou art dead from hearing of them.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>Whether you can give another meaning to the Scriptures than they are, and whether the Apo&s;tles did not give the right meaning to them, when they &s;poke them forth, or no, and if they did, what need learned men to give another meaning to them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> What a man can do is one thing, and what he doth or de&s;ires to do is another, if no man can give an Expo&s;ition, be&s;ides the meaning of the Scriptures, me thinks you &s;hould be quiet in that particular, and not &s;pend your breath &s;o vainly; the &s;ame Spirit of God that gave out the Scriptures, being in the hearts of his cho&s;en ones, doth in&s;truct them to compare one Scripture with another, and to give out the meaning of one Scripture by another, and &s;o it is not another meaning to the Scripture, but their own meaning though covered and veyled, till cleared and opened: and yet thou goe&s;t on, and &s;ay&s;t, we give another mean|ing to them, which if thou can&s;t charge me with, and make it good, &s;pare me not, if not, this in the paper is of no validity, for it was given to me, but that the Apo&s;tle's meaning was often dark to a weak eye, before expounded, thou mu&s;t needs confe&s;s, if thou &s;halt but view two or three for a trial, and clear up the meaning of the Apo&s;tle in <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 14.</P>
<P><PB N="6" REF="6"><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Thou &s;aye&s;t, what a man can doe is one thing, and what hee doth or de&s;ires to doe, is another thing: here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elfe to bee compleat in thy &s;elfe. And thou &s;aye&s;t, that no man can give an expo&s;icion be&s;ides the meaning of the Scriptures; and thou thinke&s;t we &s;hould be quiet: we cannot let thee be quiet, who live&s;t in thy thinkings, and de|ceive&s;t peeple with thy imaginacions, whom God is come to &s;cat|ter, and God is again&s;t thee, who art giving expo&s;icions upon the Scriptures, and would&s;t have them who live in the power of the Scriptures, to let thee alone; but thou art hee who wre&s;ts the Scriptures, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 16. who ever was denyed; therefore thou art di&s;covered to them who live in the power of them; all Scrip|ture is vayled and covered from thee, and &s;o thou would&s;t give a meaning to them, and &s;o under a colour make peeple beleeve it is the &s;ame meaning; but thou art di&s;covered, who &s;ay&s;t I charge thee, I can; do&s;t thou not &s;ay, the Scriptures are dark, I charge thee to have &s;poken a Ly, and art a lyar, and do&s;t not &s;ee the Scriptures at all, and all thy imaginacions of them are lies: thou &s;ay&s;t the Scriptures are dark to a weak ey, here I charge thee to be a Lyar before the Living God; the darkne&s;&s;e is in thy &s;elfe, and not in the Scriptures, <HI>Luke</HI> 11. 33. 34. therefore thou do&s;t wre&s;t the Scriptures, and do&s;t make a Ly upon them, and turne&s;t them into a Ly, <HI>Ier.</HI> 5. 22. O thou enemy of God, tremble before him, thou ha&s;t nothing to doe with the Scriptures. Friend, thou would&s;t have mee to vieu one Scripture or two for a tryall; the Scriptures we know, but thou &s;ay&s;t they are dark, thou art full of darkne&s;&s;e, and they are as they &s;peak; he that can receive it, let him, he that hath an ear may heare what the Spirit &s;ayth: thou woulde&s;t have me to give Expo&s;icions upon the Scriptures as thou do&s;t, whom the plagues are aded to, for as it is written, the plagues are added to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m that addeth to the Prophecy of this Book, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22. 18. and there is thy porcion; but wee know the Scriptures, and own them as they &s;peak, but all thy Expo&s;itions of them wee do deny, for with them thou do&s;t bewitch the peeple, but the plagues of God will be poured upon thee, for thou do&s;t neither know the Scripture nor God, but art a lyar and of thy father the Devil, <HI>Iohn</HI> 8. 44. Thou do&s;t al&s;o bid me clear up the meaning of the Apo&s;tle in the fift chapter to the Romans, ver&s;e 14. &s;o heer I charge thee again that thou do&s;t wre&s;t this Scripture, for men of corrupt mindes do wre&s;t them, and &s;o thou art, but the Scriptures
<PB N="7" REF="6">
are clear; it is thy corrupt mind and heart that mu&s;t be cleared: Let the Scriptures alone, thou ha&s;t nothing to do with them; thou vayn man, do&s;t thou talk of clearing up the Scriptures who art full of filth and corrupcion! woul&s;t thou have that cleared which was &s;poken from the Spirit of the Lord! thou blind hypo|crit and Phari&s;y, all peeple who walk in the light, may &s;ee how thou ha&s;t uttered forth thy folly, and record again&s;t thee.</P>
<P>4 Query. <HI>Shew me by the Scriptures where the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t ever took Tythes, or Augmentacions of the world.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pr. An&s;wer.</HI> I &s;hall an&s;wer but for my &s;elfe, &s;eeing the paper was &s;ent to mee in particular: and my An&s;wer is, that I take no Tythes, no nor Augmentacions, from the world; and that thou knowe&s;t well enough, but that thy Kaini&s;h nature in thee, to u&s;e thy own expre&s;&s;ions, hath made thee blind: it is not any Augmentacion unle&s;&s;e it have &s;omthing added to what I had be|fore: now thou know&s;t I have nothing be&s;ides it, nor before it, from any of you all: All I have is a Gift from the State, and why may not I take a Gift from the State (call them the world or what thou wilt) as well as <HI>George Fox</HI> and <HI>James Nayler</HI> take a Gift from the world among you, I know not, but I would willingly be re&s;olved in this.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer,</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t, thou take&s;t no Tythes nor Augmentations of the world, but thou confe&s;&s;e&s;t thou take&s;t a gift, who goe&s;t in the way or <HI>Balaam,</HI> for gifts and re|wards, <HI>Iude</HI> 11. and art in his generation, &s;o art one of the&s;e filthy dreamers, which <HI>Iude</HI> &s;peaks of, therefore wo unto thee who &s;hall peri&s;h in the gayn&s;aying of <HI>Core. 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 16. O thou fal&s;e accu&s;er, where can&s;t accu&s;e either <HI>George Fox</HI> or <HI>Iames Nailer</HI> of taking gifts of the world, as thou do&s;t here, thou would&s;t make them like thy &s;elf, and a colour for thy own filthine&s;s, by accu&s;ing <HI>George Fox</HI> and <HI>Iames Nailer,</HI> becau&s;e they bear te&s;timony unto the truth, and te&s;tifie again&s;t thee, and thy gift, that thy deeds are evil, and would&s;t fetch up the Apo&s;tles to maintain thee in thy filthine&s;s, <HI>Acts</HI> 20. 33. he did eat no mans bread for nought, and &s;o colour|ed Bea&s;t would&s;t colour thy &s;elf with the Apo&s;tles words, to main|tain thy &s;elf in the generation of <HI>Balaam,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle cried wo again&s;t, and wo is thy portion, therefore own it, and there is thy re&s;olve.</P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts &s;econd An&s;wer to the fourth Query.</HI> Be&s;ides, God hath &s;aid, The Earth &s;hall help the Woman, and did the Woman reject that help, becau&s;e tis from the Earth? An&s;wer me. He hath &s;aid, Kings
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&s;hall be nur&s;ing fathers, and Queens nur&s;ing mothers to his people, &s;hall Gods people then refu&s;e to take their fatherly and motherly kindne&s;s? An&s;wer me, Are we not to be thankfull, and take their refre&s;hing as from Gods hands, for, he &s;tirs up their hearts to it, who&s;oever they be that do it; <HI>Paul</HI> did not run away and refu&s;e kindne&s;s when it was offered him by the <HI>Barbarians, Acts</HI> 28. 7, 10. neither did he refu&s;e a lodging from them, which no que&s;tion was of &s;ome value.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t be an&s;wered whether the Earth helpeth the woman yea or no. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yea, the earth doth help the woman again&s;t all &s;uch Dragons as thou art; the Scri|pture we do witne&s;s is fulfilled, and Kings and Queens which are nur&s;ing fathers and mothers, thou art an enemy to, <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 49. 23. and knowe&s;t not, but as a Thief ha&s;t gotten the words of the Apo&s;tles, and &s;o with them would&s;t maintain thy gift: O thou blinde Phari&s;ee! are the&s;e thy meanings that thou wilt give to the Scripture with thy carnal minde to maintain thee, and to hold up thy carnal gift, and the&s;e things which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids his to do &s;o, who &s;aid, <HI>Freely you have received, freely give,</HI> but here thou art not, and it &s;hews that thou ha&s;t not received it freely, therefore thou &s;elle&s;t that which thou calle&s;t thy gift, which the Apo&s;tles never did, 1 <HI>Cor. 9. 18. Paul</HI> was not hired, when he was refre&s;hed with the nece&s;&s;aries of the <HI>Barbarians;</HI> O thou Enemy! why do&s;t thou accu&s;e <HI>Paul,</HI> and would make him like thy &s;elf? let him alone, for thou knowe&s;t him not, nor his Mini&s;tery, for he was a pri&s;oner of the Lord, a traveller of the &s;ea, when the <HI>Barbarians</HI> lodged him; what is that to thee, to maintain thee to bear rule by thy means, which <HI>Ie|remy</HI> cryed again&s;t, <HI>Ier.</HI> 23. 14. &amp; holde&s;t up the horrible filthy thing that is committed in the Land, to ju&s;tifie thee, to be a hierling, and to receive thy gift, and here thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be an accu&s;er of the Apo&s;tle, and would&s;t make him like <HI>Balaam,</HI> like thy &s;elf: and would have the woman to help thee, and tho&s;e are thy nur&s;ing fathers, Kings and Queens which hold up thy gift, which the Prophet cryed wo again&s;t, but it is that fools may utter forth their folly, and be taken in their own &s;nare, <HI>Prov.</HI> 13. 16. here thou art an&s;wered, the Bea&s;t that hath held up the fal&s;e Prophet, and the fal&s;e Prophet &s;hall both into the fier: And thou &s;ay&s;t, thou do&s;t not take gifts of the world, but if any Prophet of the Lord come among you, &s;on or daughter, you &s;hew your &s;elves to be of the world, you &s;hew your &s;elves to be &s;trikers, and of the Devil, hal|ling
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them out of the Synagogues, <HI>Matth.</HI> 10. 17. and to be no Saints&punc; nor no Church of God, nor no Mini&s;ters of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou take&s;t of the world, and thy &s;elf to be a Lyar, for thou never reade&s;t of any of the Churches of God, if any of the world came in among them, that they halled them out and beat them, but it &s;hews the effect of thy mini&s;tery and bla&s;phemy, which &s;ayth, ye are <HI>Iews,</HI> and are not, but are Synagogues of Sa|tan, <HI>Rev. 2. 9. &amp;</HI> 3. 9. we have found thee out and tryed thee.</P>
<P>Query 5. <HI>Whether the Plagues be not added to him, that adds to the Prophecy of the things written in this Book.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> 'Tis tru, the Spirit of God &s;ayth &s;o, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22. 18, 19. I do believe it, yet again, the expounding and opening of it, by the Light of the Spirit of God given in, comparing it with other Scriptures, is not that which brings the cur&s;e, for then the Apo&s;tle him&s;elf would have been under it&punc; 1 <HI>Cor. 9. 9, 10. Rom. 4. 3, 6. Rom.</HI> 11. 3, 4, 5. For expounding it, wherein I have added or taken away is not yet di&s;covered by any of you, and that is the waight of the bu&s;ine&s;s when thou did&s;t write to me or any other; the Lord judg, and let all the Lords people judg, whether he be not more apt by far to add to the Prophecy of this Book, who by his doctrine begetsi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;light e&s;teem of the Prophecy of this Book, and per&s;wades his hearers, that his words are as true as any Scripture, and he cannot err, and therefore all is to be believed that he &s;peaks, and not to be que&s;tioned, though many things are contrary to this Prophecy; than they that are &s;o much blamed by them, and reproached dayly.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t it is tru, that the Spi|rit of God &s;ayth, that the Plagues are added to him that adds to the prophece of this Book; here thou &s;peake&s;t a Lye; thou &s;ay&s;t it is tru, the Spirit of God &s;ayth, He that adds or dimini&s;hes to the prophecy of the Book, which had&s;t thou not &s;een the Letter, then had&s;t known no &s;pirit; and becau&s;e the Letter &s;ayth &s;o, that is thy &s;pirit, but as I finde thee adding, wre&s;ting and lying, I do &s;ee that the plagues are added to thee, by the &s;ame Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, and of them thou knowe&s;t nothing, in that thou &s;peak|e&s;t a Lye, in that thou &s;ay&s;t thou do&s;t know it, for thou knowe&s;t it not to be a truth, though the Letter &s;peak it, as they &s;wore the Lord lived&punc; and &s;wore fal&s;ly, <HI>Jer.</HI> 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. if thou did&s;t, thou dur&s;t not add nor dimini&s;h: thou &s;ay&s;t comparing one Scripture with ano|ther is not that which brings the cur&s;e, for then the Apo&s;tle would
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have been under it, and &s;o with thy corrupt minde do&s;t accu&s;e the Apo&s;tle fal&s;ly, and would&s;t make him like thy &s;elf: and who &s;peaks of the Scriptures fulfilling, which thou can&s;t not witne&s;s, but make&s;t a trade of them without thee, and would&s;t have Points and Rea&s;ons of them, as thou would&s;t have made a poynt of the Re&s;urrection in thy former writing, and here the plague of God is due to thee, and here I charge thee again, and here the Fool is out of the truth, and the Rod is for the back of the Fool, <HI>Prov. 10. 13. Prov.</HI> 18. 28. and here is the Scripture fulfilled upon thee, and thou &s;ay&s;t it is not di&s;covered by any of us, whether thou adde&s;t or di|mini&s;he&s;t, here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a Lyar, thou ha&s;t been told both publickly and privately of it, and of thy deceit: and now &s;eeing thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a Lyar, here openly do I make thee manife&s;t as a Lyar, who would&s;t ju&s;tifie thy &s;elf in thy deceit, but thou harlot art made bare and di&s;cover|ed, <HI>Nah.</HI> 3. 4, 5, 6. who ha&s;t &s;itten long under a colour, and here is the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee, and the Prophets words tru, we finde them fulfilled, Pray&s;es, pray&s;es, be to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for ever, who gives his &s;ervants victory over the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, <HI>Rev.</HI> 15. 2, 3, 4. &s;uch as thou art, who have been en&s;nared by thee, therefore we &s;ee that Plagues are thy porcion; thou &s;ay&s;t that plagues are the waight that we give thee, it is &s;o, 'tis thy due and porcion: thou &s;ay&s;t, the Lord judg, and let all the Lords people judg, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 2. the Lord doth judg, and the Lord hath judged, and the Lords people doth judg all &s;uch as thou art; Him that thou do&s;t accu&s;e, as to add to the prophecy in the Book, he doth not, but witne&s;&s;es it, thou having not the &s;ame witne&s;s can&s;t not believe, and neither &s;ees him nor the prophecy of the Book, thou &s;ee&s;t the out&s;ide of the Letter with thy vi&s;ible eye, as they did which &s;aw the out&s;ide of the Vi&s;ion of <HI>Daniel, Dan.</HI> 10. 7. But we that do believe him, do believe his Doctrine, not an outward te&s;timony, but we have the witne&s;s in our &s;elves which are one with him, and it doth witne&s;s that he hath the Spirit of truth, which cannot err, but we do know thy &s;pirit by the &s;ame Spirit to be the &s;pirit of error, and here thou would&s;t not have the Spirit of God to be believed on; but here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf, that would que&s;tion truth, for there is nothing in thee born up in thy under&s;tanding to receive truth withall; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be an open Lyar, to &s;ay he acts contrary to the Prophecy who is one with it, and bears te&s;timony to it, and the truth of it, again&s;t
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all &s;uch fal&s;e accu&s;ers, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 3. as thou art, for fal&s;e accu&s;ers &s;hould ari&s;e, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 3. and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one, who accu&s;e&s;t the Spirit of the living God, to be more fal&s;e than tho&s;e that have the &s;pirit of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> who &s;hall be con&s;umed, and turned into the Lake, by the <HI>brightne&s;s of his coming, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 8. the mouth of the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;poken it.</P>
<P>Query 6. <HI>What Scripture have you that &s;peaks of the word</HI> two Sacraments, <HI>which you tell the people of, and what Scripture have you to act &s;uch things.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Certainly Satan hath blinded your mindes, you would never have put forth &s;uch a Que&s;tion el&s;e, for the &s;ub|&s;tancial Word the Lord <HI>Ie&s;us,</HI> that we preach, of him the Scripture &s;peaks every where; and for the Word, as the Declaracion of the minde of God, in and by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to poor &s;inners, the Scriptures are plentifull, take two or three, <HI>Iohn 5. 24. Iohn 8. 31. Iohn 12. 48. Iohn 15. 3. Iohn 17. 20. Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 13. Many more I might add, but that I have a check on my &s;pirit, for gratifying your folly &s;o far as I have done in this particular.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> In thy An&s;wer thou &s;ay&s;t that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the &s;ub&s;tancial Word, thou &s;ay&s;t &s;o, becau&s;e the Letter de|clares he is the Word, but no other knowledg ha&s;t thou; but this is no an&s;wer to the word <HI>two Sacraments,</HI> for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> we know who is the Word, but the word <HI>two Sacraments,</HI> which there is no Scripture for, which you tell people of, which is an addicion to the Scripture, and a thing that never was practi&s;ed among the Saints, as thou be|ing one with thy fellows that holde&s;t up tho&s;e things, the Query was, what Scripture you have to act &s;uch things? but Satan hath blinded your eys, 2 <HI>Cor. 4. 4. 1 Iohn</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11. which will not let you ju&s;tifie tho&s;e things which you act, which &s;hews that you &s;erve but an ill Ma&s;ter, that will not bear you out, neither can you own the Scriptures as they are, but you mu&s;t give Expo&s;icions upon them, and poynts, and your imaginacions and conceivings, who would have the Scripture cleared, but it is thy evil eye and minde that mu&s;t be cleared, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 23. for the Scriptures are as they &s;peak; thou &s;ay&s;t the Word you preach, (Alack for thee!) thou never knew&s;t the Word, if thou did&s;t thou would&s;t not &s;peak of clear|ing up the Scriptures, as in thy other Queryes thou &s;peake&s;t of.</P>
<P>Query 7. <HI>What Scripture ha&s;t thou to &s;tand praying in the Syna|gogues, before Sermon and after, and where the Apo&s;tles did &s;o, or ever took a Text to treat upon.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="12" REF="9"><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Ob&s;erve that place, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 5. and thou &s;halt &s;ee that the thing <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> ayms at is not &s;o much the po&s;ture nor the place, but their end of praying in the Synagogue, and that was to be &s;een of men, for he did not before nor after condemn the dutyes of fa&s;ting, praying, alms-deeds, but taught his Di&s;ciples how to do the &s;ame things, though to avoyd the hypocri&s;ie of others in doing of them; and though another may be in the &s;ame place and po|&s;ture as they were&punc; yet he may have other ends than they had, which thou can&s;t not lightly judg of, as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did, for Chri&s;tians in prayer with upright hearts are not bound up to any place, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 8. And for praying in the publick meeting place, and among the A&s;&s;embly it was &s;o common and u&s;ual, that the place even had its name from it, it was called the Hou&s;e of Prayer, <HI>Matth. 21. 13. I&s;ai</HI> 56. 7. and the hours of prayer were known by the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Acts</HI> 3. 1. And that it was &s;o in the times of the Go|&s;pel may be &s;een by <HI>Pauls</HI> Doctrine about it in the 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. from the 9. to the 18. <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> and in 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 13, 14, 15. For the times of prayer before Sermon and after, the Apo&s;tle gives a general Rule, 1 <HI>Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying:</HI> now what way is more edifying and building than for the &s;ervants of God to way<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> on the great Builder God in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for help in the beginning of their work, and in the clo&s;e after mercyes received, in &s;peaking or hearing, to &s;peak good of the Name of our God in ble&s;&s;ing&punc; and pray&s;es; the thankfull heart &s;hall not want goodne&s;s from God; but more fully the Apo&s;tle is clear in it; 1 <HI>Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1. That fir&s;t of all prayers mu&s;t be made,</HI> to begin with that, and that the thing is no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> without example, to conclude our &s;peech with prayer; &s;ee that in <HI>Acts</HI> 20. 36. This was likewi&s;e his manner in the clo&s;e of his Epi|&s;tles, as may be &s;een in &s;even of his Epi&s;tles, which I could never &s;ee in any of your Letters, you like not prayer &s;o well it &s;eems. And after that comes in thy frivolous and &s;imple Que&s;tion, this is all I &s;ee thy hand to, and therefore I call it thine. [Or ever took a Text to treat on.] I may well an&s;wer thee as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did the <HI>Saduces, Thou erre&s;t, not knowing the Scriptures;</HI> for look <HI>Acts</HI> 8. 35. whe|ther <HI>Philip</HI> took not a Text to treat on to the Eunuch out of <HI>I&s;ai 53&punc; 7. Acts</HI> 10. 34. where <HI>Peter</HI> took a Text out of <HI>Deut. 10. 7. &amp; Acts</HI> 13. 17. out of <HI>Ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d.</HI> 3. 14. and above all we have the example of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in this, in his Sermon <HI>Luke</HI> 4. 17, 18. who took his Text out of <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 61. 1. in the Synagogue, and he took a Book to reade it too, though I believe he had the Scripture more in his heart than
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any of your Teachers: thus having an&s;wered this Query, I have one word to &s;ay to thee, or the Inditer of it, before I go on,&punc; and that is this, you have in this to me di&s;covered a profane &s;pirit, that findes fault with our often &s;eeking and calling on God, and ble&s;|&s;ing his Name; I am jealous that you are acted by the &s;pirit of Sa|tan among&s;t you,&punc; you are &s;o like tho&s;e &s;poken of in the 3 of <HI>Mal.</HI> 7. 14, 15. Reade, and God give you to under&s;tand it well, for to me it appears, that the Spirit of God is quite of another nature, that &s;ays <HI>Pray continually, and without cea&s;ing, in every thing give thanks, Ephe&s;. 6. 18. 1 The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 17, 18. it calls and encourages to the thing, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 15.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> A Scripture thou wre&s;ts to main|tain the An&s;wer of it, in <HI>Matth. 6. 5. Chri&s;t</HI> bids his Di&s;ciples pray not as the <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> did, for they prayed &s;tanding in the Synagogues, but [when thou praye&s;t, enter into thy Clo&s;et, and &s;hut the door;] and here thou art a Lyar of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and pervert&s;t his words, who took his Di&s;ciples off from the cu&s;tomary praying of the <HI>Pha|ri&s;es,</HI> and bade them not pray as they did, but thou goe&s;t about to maintain the <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> Kingdom, which <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> cryed wo again&s;t, and wre&s;ts &s;everal Scriptures to hold it up withall, which is nothing to thy purpo&s;e: and another Scripture thou bringe&s;t, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 8. [he would that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting:] thou nor the world can&s;t not witne&s;s this, nor your hands to be holy to lift up to God, therefore they are abomination, and is to be denyed; the Apo&s;tle to <HI>Timo|thy</HI> did not bid him go &s;tand praying in the Synagogues, but thou wre&s;ts his words, to maintain thee in the chiefe&s;t place of the A&s;|&s;embly, <HI>Phari&s;e</HI> like. Another Scripture thou bringe&s;t out of <HI>Acts 3. 1. Now</HI> Peter <HI>and</HI> John <HI>went up together into the Temple, at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.</HI> They were commanded to pray not as the <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> did, who went to &s;hew forth <HI>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us</HI> the &s;ub&s;tance, of all tho&s;e types and figures which they lived in, (all the&s;e Scri|ptures will not maintain thee to hold up thy <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> &s;eat) they went to cry wo again&s;t them, and &s;o do we now cry again&s;t thee, and thy bea&s;tical wor&s;hip; and here I charge thee in the pre&s;ence of the Lord to be an adder to the Scripture, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 56. 5. and a wre&s;ter and a perverter of it, 2 <HI>Pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 3. 16. For thou can&s;t not finde any of the&s;e Scriptures thou bringe&s;t to hold thee up in thy <HI>Phari&s;e</HI> like wor&s;hip, but ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> a Rod for thy own back, and openly thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and one that doth maintain the
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Kingdom of the <HI>Phari&s;es:</HI> another Scripture thou bringe&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 26. and here I charge thee again to be a wre&s;ter of the Scri|pture, let all people look upon the Scripture, and &s;ee if it will main|tain thee to have the chiefe&s;t place in&punc; the A&s;&s;emblies, and to &s;tand praying before and after Sermon; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be out of the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and art di&s;obedient to him, and he that doth pervert his words, and wre&s;ts the Scripture; O thou &s;ub|til twining Serpent! how fain would&s;t thou have a place in the earthly Letter, but there is no place nor corner for thee, but thou art found out and di&s;covered, <HI>Obad.</HI> 6. For the Apo&s;tle which &s;poke to the <HI>Corinthians</HI> &s;poke to them, to whom the end of the world was come, which were Brethren, one had a P&s;alm, another a Do|ctrine, another a Tongue, another a Revelation, and another an Interpretacion, <HI>that all things might be done to the edifying, 1 Cor.</HI> 14. 26. and they might &s;peak one by one, and if any thing were revealed to him that &s;tood by, the other &s;hould <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">old his peace, <HI>that all things might be done to edifying,</HI> that God in all things might be glorified: but let all people con&s;ider how this Scripture doth con|firm thee, to have the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;emblyes, and to &s;tand praying in the Synagogues before and after Sermon; let all people &s;ee if thou be not a wre&s;ter of the Scripture, and a perverter of the Apo&s;tles words, and the condicions that the Saints were in; thou openly &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf not to be in, and thy Church not to be in the condicion as the <HI>Corinthians</HI> were in, for they were a ga|thered people out of the world, but thou art without in the world, in the Church of the <HI>Phari&s;es,</HI> who had the chiefe&s;t places in the A&s;&s;emblyes, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. 6. and &s;o art an Enemy to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> here openly thou &s;hewe&s;t it: thou &s;peake&s;t of wayting on the great Builder God in <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> Do&s;t thou &s;peak of wayting upon God, who ju&s;tifie&s;t the &s;eat of the <HI>Phari&s;es,</HI> who were Enemies to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and teache&s;t people to do &s;o? <HI>Acts</HI> 13. 10. O thou Enemy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and full of &s;ubtilty, a childe of the Devil! I cannot but deal plainly with thee: thou &s;peake&s;t of the great Builder, and wayting upon God in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and art a maintainer of the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> Kingdom, and art ju&s;tifying them in their ways, and &s;o doth teach <HI>Babylon</HI> which is confu&s;ion: thou &s;peake&s;t of con|cluding thy &s;peech with prayer, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 28. 9. Thy prayers are abo|minacion, and &s;o are thy conclu&s;ions of them, &s;o long as thou walke&s;t in the &s;teps of the <HI>Phari&s;es,</HI> all thy ble&s;&s;ings are cur&s;ed, and thy &s;eed is corrupted, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s <HI>Mal.</HI> 2. and as he &s;aw them then, &s;o we
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&s;ee thee now in the &s;ame generacion by the &s;ame &s;pirit as he did, the Lord hath &s;poken it, and thou can&s;t not hide thy &s;elf from him, Pray&s;es be to the Lord God for ever, who hath di&s;covered your abominacions: and friend, another Scripture thou bringe&s;t, [<HI>Acts</HI> 20. 36. He kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept &s;ore, and fell upon his neck, and ki&s;&s;ed him, &s;orrowing that they &s;hould &s;ee his face no more:] O thou filthy Bea&s;t! What ha&s;t thou to do with this Scripture, that art an hierling and take&s;t the worlds gift, and without God in the world? and this Scri|pture, Do&s;t thou take him as an example to pray after thy bea&s;tly wor&s;hip, which <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> forbad to &s;tand praying in the Syna|gogues? and here again I charge thee before all the world to be a perverter of the Scripture to thy own de&s;truction, to whom the Plagues of God are added, <HI>Revel.</HI> 22. 18. Thou &s;peake&s;t of the &s;e|ven Epi&s;tles of the Apo&s;tle, which thou ha&s;t nothing to do with|all, but as a bu&s;ie fellow make&s;t a trade upon them; neither do&s;t thou know the Letters that are given forth by us now, which are given forth by the &s;ame &s;pirit, which cannot be divided; and thou art an accu&s;er; for if thou did&s;t &s;ee our Letters, thou might&s;t &s;ee the &s;ame as was in the Apo&s;tles, but in the Letters that are &s;ent to thee, judgment is thy porcion, and that is given thee, &s;hewing thy filthine&s;s and abomination which thou live&s;t in: the te&s;timony of love to thy &s;oul is plaine&s;s of &s;peech: as for accu&s;ing us that we do not love Prayer &s;o well, here thou art an open Bla&s;phemer, but thy Prayers we do deny, for they are abominacion to the Lord, <HI>The prayers of the wicked are abominacion, P&s;alm</HI> 28. 9. No Prayers can we &s;end to thee, but for thy de&s;truction, thou man of &s;in, and Enemy of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e us of erring, <HI>not know|ing the Scriptures,</HI> here thou ha&s;t taken <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words not knowing him nor the Scripture, and wre&s;ts them all along, as thou ha&s;t di&s;|covered it, &s;o thou make&s;t thy &s;elf a Lyar and a Thief, taking <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words and accu&s;ing others with them who live in the life of them, for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;poke that Scripture as touching the Re&s;ur|rection, which thou would&s;t have turned into a Poynt, therefore to thee that Scripture belongs, that <HI>thou erre&s;t not knowing</HI> them, nor the power of God, <HI>Matth.</HI> 22. 29. as thou ha&s;t made it plainly appear: And thou bringe&s;t another Scripture as concerning <HI>Phi|lip,</HI> thou &s;ay&s;t he took a Text to treat upon, and here I charge thee to add to his words, <HI>Philip</HI> did &s;hew forth <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> which was the &s;ub&s;tance, he finding him riding in his Chariot; and thou Bea&s;t
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do&s;t wre&s;t this Scripture and pervert it, and &s;o take&s;t a place of Scripture and rai&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t Doctrines, Poynts and U&s;es, as thou calle&s;t them, and what thou conceive&s;t and imagine&s;t of it, and &s;o &s;elle&s;t it for money, and &s;o make&s;t an hours talk of it, and art in one of the&s;e Text a moneth, or more, and &s;peake&s;t thine own inventions of it. Did they do &s;o? O thou Bla&s;phemer! <HI>Philip</HI> had not a &s;et wages of him, but he was moved of the Lord to go to the Eu|nuch, when he was going to <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> to wor&s;hip; &s;o if any were moved of the Lord to come unto any of you, who are going to wor&s;hip, and reading of the Scripture, and &s;hould &s;hew you the &s;ub&s;tance of it, &s;uch as thou art, would fall a raging, for it takes away your Trade; we do witne&s;s that which <HI>Philip</HI> did, but we deny thee to be in <HI>Philips</HI> place&punc; but onely <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> like hath gotten his form, O thou Enemy of all Righteou&s;ne&s;s! who hath wre&s;ted many Scriptures, and perverted them to thine own way, <HI>Acts</HI> 23. 6. to maintain thee in thy filthine&s;s, and to make a cover for thee, but thou art di&s;covered with all who are uncovered and &s;tand naked before the Lord God Almighty: Pray&s;es be to him for him. And above all, thou &s;ay&s;t thou ha&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for an exam|ple, for taking a Text, the words which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;poke, he &s;aid it was fulfilled, <HI>Luke 4. 17. I&s;ai</HI> 61. 1. and if thou take his words for an example, Is thy Text which thou &s;peake&s;t fulfilled? then why do&s;t thou&punc;ly &s;o long in a Text, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;aid his was fulfilled that day, who &s;aid the Lord had anoynted&punc; him to preach, <HI>Luke</HI> 4. 21. which thou art not, nor <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">an&s;t witne&s;s; and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did not take it and rai&s;e Doctrines, Rea&s;ons, U&s;es, Tryals and Motives, and have a &s;et time, and a &s;et wages, and preach out of it a moneth or more, as thou do&s;t, but &s;ayd it was fulfilled that day, which thou could&s;t never witne&s;s nor yet &s;ay: O thou impudent and brazen|faced! how dare&s;t thou take <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for an example to maintain thee in thy &s;ilthine&s;s? <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words we own to be tru, and to be fulfilled, pray<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ed be the Lord for ever, which thou ha&s;t nothing to do with, but wre&s;ts them with thy corrupt carnal minde to thy own de&s;truction, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 16. but as the Prophet did &s;peak of the Mer|chants of <HI>Babylon,</HI> as thou art one of them in the my&s;tery of Witchcraft, and &s;o with thy craft do&s;t deceive &s;imple ones, and the Scriptures I know cannot err from that which gave it forth&punc; and thy &s;pirit I know to be the &s;pirit of errour, which is the &s;ame that ever deceived the Nations, and we witne&s;s the Scripture in our hearts as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did. And as touching thy Belief, we deny it, for
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thou neither believe&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> nor us, for if thou wert of God tou would own us, as they &s;ayd, <HI>who needed no man to teach them, but the anoynting, 1 John</HI> 2. 27. but that thou art <HI>without,</HI> and in the world, an <HI>Antithri&s;t,</HI> and there I leave thee. Whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e us of a profane &s;pirit, it is the profane minde and &s;pirit in thee which judge&s;t the &s;pirit of truth &s;o, becau&s;e it doth &s;hew that which the profane nature cannot bear: and whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e, that we finde fault with your often calling and &s;eeking to God, that is fal&s;e, for we would have all to call upon the Lord, while he is near, and to &s;eek him while he may be found, <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 55. 6. and that is the intent of all our writing and printing, or coming to your Steeple-hou&s;es, or coming abroad for your &s;ouls good, which you &s;hall eternally witne&s;s, though&punc; your corrupt filthy mindes do reject it; but thou Hypocrite and <HI>Phari&s;e,</HI> and Enemy of all Righteou&s;ne&s;s! all thy prayers we utterly deny, for they are abominacion to the Lord, and all thy ble&s;&s;ings are cur&s;ed, as in <HI>Mal.</HI> 2. Your praying in the Synagogues as the <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> did, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did deny, and we al&s;o do deny the &s;ame, and &s;o will every one where <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is ri&s;en deny thee, and &s;uch as thou art, for he is but one, <HI>the &s;ame to day, ye&s;terday, and for ever,</HI> whom thou art an Enemy to, and in the Generacion of them that ever were &s;o: Friend, thou &s;ay&s;t, thou art jealous that we are acted by a &s;pirit of Satan, and do&s;t accu&s;e us to be like tho&s;e &s;poken of in <HI>Mal.</HI> 3. the&s;e are thy companions eternally; I witne&s;s it, and there thou art pre&s;ent now among them in the &s;ame nature, and one that walks out of the commands of God, as I have proved before, and out of the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> following thine imaginacions, and therefore are we all witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee, that thou art in the Sorcery&punc; in the Witchcraft, and in the Adultery, and in the corrupt &s;eed, who&s;e ble&s;&s;ings are cur&s;ed, the &s;ame light &s;ees it now, and &s;ees thee in the &s;ame Generation: And whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e us concerning Prayer, thou gathere&s;t many Scriptures in thine imaginacions; the Saints prayed continually, and from them Scriptures thou imitate&s;t a Form, and accu&s;e&s;t us who live in the praying continually; and to thee it cannot ap|pear in thy carnal form, neither do&s;t thou know our &s;pirit, for it terrifies thee, nor the &s;pirit of the Apo&s;tle, and we do witne&s;s the condicion that the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of <HI>praying continually, and in every thing giving thanks, 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 17. 1 Tim.</HI> 2. 8. But this thou can&s;t not witne&s;s to be fulfilled, to that which &s;hould exerci&s;e thy
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con&s;cience do I &s;peak, which &s;hall eternally witne&s;s we, for thou art dead, and the dead cannot pray&s;e God, and that which &s;hould pray&s;e God in thee is in the Grave, and <HI>none in the Grave can pray&s;e him, I&s;ai</HI> 38. 18. and thy carnal minde in thee is limiting God in thy carnal form and cu&s;tom, and with a pretence of thy Prayers <HI>Phari&s;e</HI> like, which is but mocking God, and hatefull, and abominacion to him, and all who are of him, thy Prayers and &s;pi|rit will be denyed by them; and thou accu&s;er art <HI>without,</HI> in the world among the fal&s;e accu&s;ers, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 3. and thou mu&s;t deny all thy prayers, and all thy cu&s;toms, and all thy wor&s;hip, and all thy imitated Churches&punc; as thou calle&s;t them, and all thy pray&s;ings, and all the worlds ways before ever thou knowe&s;t God or us.</P>
<P>Qu. 8. <HI>Shew me by the Scriptures where the Apo&s;tles went into the world, and gave the world</HI> David's <HI>P&s;alms to &s;ing in Meeter? the&s;e things that ye practi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, an&s;wer them by the Scripture, or the Apo&s;tles practi&s;e, without con&s;equence and imaginacions.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> That the Apo&s;tles went into the world, that is, up and down in &s;everal parts of it, is clear by all their Epi&s;tles. That the Apo&s;tles Commi&s;&s;ion from <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> in their going forth to preach to all Nations, was this, [Teaching them to ob&s;erve all what&s;oever I have commanded you] is as clear, <HI>Matth.</HI> 28. 20. That the Apo&s;tles were men that were under the &s;ame commands that were generally commanded of all men, cannot be denyed, and if &s;o, then they were to teach this very Le&s;&s;on of &s;inging <HI>P&s;alms</HI> to the world where they went, &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 100. 1. &amp; 96. 1. &amp; 117. 1. &amp; 61. 32. &amp; 148. 11, 12, 13. &amp; 145. 21. &amp; 150. 6. Now be|cau&s;e you generally keep &s;uch work about this particular, but fur|ther lea&s;t you &s;hould evade this, the <HI>New Te&s;tament</HI> is not altoge|ther &s;ilent in this ca&s;e, for we reade of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that he &s;ung a Hymn with his Di&s;ciples after Supper, according to the manner of the <HI>Iews</HI> at their Fea&s;ts, which &s;ay &s;ome, was a Part of the 116 <HI>P&s;alm, Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> &s;ung in Pri&s;on, and be&s;ides this <HI>Paul</HI> ob&s;erved the command of God in this particular, for he taught the Churches this very thing, <HI>Ephe&s;. 5. 19, 20. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ol.</HI> 3. 16. yea and the Apo&s;tle <HI>Iames</HI> declares the very extent of the command, <HI>Iames</HI> 5. 13. holding it forth as a general duty without exception, he &s;ayth, <HI>Is any merry, let him &s;ing P&s;alms.</HI> For &s;inging them in Meeter, I would ask thee &s;uch a Que&s;tion, whether a truth in Meeter holding forth the goodne&s;s, greatne&s;s, maje&s;ty, or mercy of God, do not remain a
<PB N="19" REF="12">
truth, in&s;tructing, comforting, edifying, as well as the &s;ame in Pro&s;e. If &s;o, the Devil hath befooled you exceedingly, to make you &s;o bu&s;ie without cau&s;e as you are in this thing, and while you pretend for truth of one hand, you are beating down truth on the other hand publickly and vi&s;ibly; but be&s;ides this, the <HI>P&s;alms</HI> were penned by the Spirit of God, &s;o no que&s;tion they were di|rected to be &s;ung in the Temple, to that end <HI>David</HI> &s;ent the P&s;alms to the chief Mu&s;ician or Ma&s;ter of the Mu&s;ick, to put them in Meeter for &s;inging, and gave them grave Tunes to &s;ing them forth in, for the <HI>Hebrew</HI> P&s;alms were &s;ung in Meeter in the Temple, and in Tunes invented, and what makes it wor&s;e now than it was here|tofore? God hath required the &s;inging of P&s;alms even of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> men, as they are a part of the world, then to that end Scripture-P&s;alms which were Themes and Ver&s;es are tran&s;lated into <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> P&s;alms, which Themes and Ver&s;es in like &s;ort that we might &s;ing them: be&s;ides all this I would have thee to know, that we are not to live onely by examples, but by precepts, al&s;o now I have di&s;co|vered general precepts for the practi&s;e of this; and as we are to do it, &s;o we are to do it &s;piritually, orderly, and mo&s;t to edificaci|on, and &s;o the general Rule is 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 26, 40. the Apo&s;tle in the 26 <HI>ver&s;e</HI> &s;pecifies this particular of a P&s;alm, now what can be more for edificacion, and decency, and order, than to follow that order that had been u&s;ed &s;o long before, with the approbacion of God him&s;elf; <HI>Hezekiah</HI> &s;et the hou&s;e of God in order, and this was one thing he did, he put the &s;inging of <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in or|der, as in the 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29. 30. and in <HI>chapter</HI> 7. 30. 26. God blames him not for it, but &s;aith he, <HI>There is none like him from the days of Solomon,</HI> and to this day the order is not contradicted by God, that I know, if thou knowe&s;t more di&s;cover it. La&s;t of all ex|ception is taken, becau&s;e they are given forth to the world; any A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;tians coming together to wor&s;hip God are not bound up &s;o clo&s;e, but a company of the world may come in among&s;t them, and joyn with them in tho&s;e things which are re|quired of all men, as hearing the Word, praying, or &s;inging of P&s;alms; and Chri&s;tians are not to refrain becau&s;e they are there, for this &s;ee that place 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 23, 24. Now what&s;oever thou judge&s;t, I dare not, but judg that God hath &s;ome of his people in our meetings, that are Chri&s;tians indeed, and though there may be more of the world, I know not that this &s;hould be a ground to forbear that which all in the Congregation are required to do&punc; <HI>viz&punc;</HI> to &s;peak good of God.</P>
<P><PB N="20" REF="13"><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Whereas thou goe&s;t about to maintain the &s;inging of <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in a Meeter, and that the Apo&s;tles did &s;o, and went into the world to give to the world <HI>Da|vids</HI> P&s;alms to &s;ing in a Meeter, which <HI>David</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>The dead cannot pray&s;e the Lord;</HI> here I charge thee in the pre&s;ence of the Almigh|ty God to be a perverter of Scriptures and of the Apo&s;tles words, and <HI>Davids</HI> words; and do&s;t bring in a con&s;equence to bring them into the &s;ame carnal invencion that thou art in, and would&s;t make them like thy &s;elf: and thou bringe&s;t a Scripture <HI>Matth.</HI> 28. 20. that the Apo&s;tles went into the world to give to the world <HI>Da|vids</HI> P&s;alms to &s;ing in a Meeter; there is not a word in the Scrip|ture that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ent his Apo&s;tles into the world to give them <HI>Da|vids</HI> P&s;alms to &s;ing in Meeter, here thou accu&s;e&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and would&s;t make him like thy &s;elf, and would&s;t make the Apo&s;tles like thy &s;elf; here again I charge thee to be a wre&s;ter and a perverter of the Scriptures: thou &s;peake&s;t of <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> &s;inging, and them thou do&s;t bring to confirm thy going into the world to give to the world <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in a Meeter; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy blindne&s;s, &s;otti&s;hne&s;s, and ignorance; <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> when they &s;ung pray&s;es to God they were in Pri&s;on, which condi|cion thou never knewe&s;t&punc; and another Scripture thou bring|e&s;t concerning <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his Di&s;ciples, when they did &s;ing an Hymn, which thou art ignorant of, but art in the Generacion of the Phari&s;es and Prie&s;ts that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ought to put him to death, who hath gotten the form of his words, therefore as <HI>Amos</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>The &s;ongs of the Temple &s;hall be turned into houling, Amos</HI> 8. thy &s;ongs and all your &s;ongs: another Scripture thou bringe&s;t in the <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> and <HI>Colo&s;&s;ians,</HI> to maintain thy bea&s;tly end, of going into the world, who are ignorant, and live in darkne&s;s, and giving them <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in a Meeter contrary to all the Scripture, and the practi&s;e of all the Saints, and would&s;t compare the Church who are ga|thered out of the world, the Saints, to be like the world, and thy bea&s;tly wor&s;hip, who &s;ung with the &s;pirit, and with under&s;tand|ing, and with grace, <HI>making melody to the Lord in their hearts,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 15. <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 12. but the world turns the grace of God into wantonne&s;s; and how dare&s;t thou compare them with tho&s;e that lives and dwels in the grace of God, and &s;ings with grace and with the &s;pirit; but here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy ignorance and blindne&s;s, and it is that fools may utter forth their folly, and that blinde Guides might appear openly; and here I charge thee again
<PB N="21" REF="13">
to wre&s;t the Scriptures: and <HI>David</HI> thou bringe&s;t for the ju&s;tify|ing of thy going into the world, and giving them his P&s;alms to &s;ing in Meeter, who &s;ayd, <HI>Sing unto the Lord a new Song,</HI> and none can &s;ing a new &s;ong, but who are <HI>rede<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">med from the earth, Rev.</HI> 14. 3. and who are not of the world; and here thou art an adder, and the Plagues are added to thee, therefore all thy con&s;equence and Songs we utterly deny, and thy vain imitacions: thou would&s;t fain get a colour out of the Apo&s;tles words to maintain thee in thy filthine&s;s, but thy &s;helter is taken away, and thy coverings, and thou art di&s;covered to be <HI>without,</HI> and not in the practi&s;e of the Saints: Friend, the &s;inging with the &s;pirit as they did we own, that &s;inging in grace we own, and making melody to the Lord in the heart we own, and the &s;inging of a New Song we own, and witne&s;s, as the Saints did, but thy &s;inging we do deny, and witne&s;s again&s;t it, <HI>Glory, glory to the Highe&s;t!</HI> Another Scripture thou bringe&s;t to maintain the &s;inging of <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in Meeter, that the Apo&s;tle gave them to the ignorant world, which is <HI>Iames</HI> 5. 13. where there is not a word in the Scriptures for it, but he &s;ayd. <HI>If any be merry, let him &s;ing P&s;alms,</HI> which he &s;poke to the Saints, &s;cat|tered abroad, and not to the world; and there thou art a Lyar of him, and a fal&s;e accu&s;er of him, the Apo&s;tles &s;ayd, they would &s;ing <HI>with under&s;tanding,</HI> and here thou &s;hewe&s;t that thou ha&s;t no un|der&s;tanding, nor no grace that thou live&s;t in, its not to be given to people that <HI>turn the grace of God into wantonne&s;s,</HI> and have no un|der&s;tanding in things that be eternal, nor of the Saints condicions, that were gathered out of the world, here thou ha&s;t made thy &s;elf voyd of the knowledg of God, and of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and of the Apo&s;tles, and all the Saints; thy Meeter we do deny, and they who turned them into Meeter are like thy &s;elf, therefore do we witne&s;s the beating down of all thy &s;trong holds, and &s;inging in Meeter; thou ha&s;t got another mans condicion into Meeter, and all people I take to record, if thou &s;hould&s;t &s;ee <HI>David</HI> roaring, qua|king, and trembling, and <HI>water his Bed with his tears; P&s;al. 32. 3. &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11. &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. &amp;</HI> 42. 3. and have this turned into a Meeter, and get up into a Pulpit among ignorant people, of bea&s;tical mindes, and then &s;ay, Let us &s;ing to the pray&s;e and glory of God: Let all people judg what thou ju&s;tifie&s;t; and this is thy imitated &s;inging, which is altogether to his di&s;honor, and this is thy P&s;alm: but who are moved to &s;ing with under&s;tanding, and making me|lody to the Lord in their hearts, we own; if it be in Meeter we own
<PB N="22" REF="14">
it. O thou blinde Hypocrite! was <HI>David</HI> of the world when he did &s;ing pray&s;es? and did <HI>David</HI> &s;end his P&s;alms to the chief Mu&s;ician to havo them put in Meeter, and &s;o to give them to the world? thou neither knowe&s;t the Example, nor the Precept, which thou would&s;t have us to know, nor <HI>David;</HI> and all thy Precepts we do deny, and that minde in thee which doth di&s;cover them, as thou &s;ay&s;t, which is thy own practi&s;e, and not the pra|cti&s;e of the Saints, for there is nothing proceeds out of thee, but what comes out of thy imaginacions and invencions; but the Precept which the Scripture &s;peaks of we know and witne&s;s, which thou art ignorant of, as thou make&s;t it to appear; and all tho&s;e P&s;alms which you have turned into an <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Meeter we deny, and &s;uch as thou art, who keep people in blinde forms and cu|&s;toms; but the &s;inging pray&s;es to God as <HI>David</HI> did we own, and witne&s;s, <HI>Psal. 104. 33. &amp;</HI> 144. 9. which thou art without, and igno|rant of, and an Enemy to, and to them who witne&s;s the &s;ame con|dicion as he was in: And friend, another Scripture thou bringe&s;t 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 26, 40. to maintain thee, that the Apo&s;tle went into the world and gave them <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in a Meeter to &s;ing; and here I charge thee in the pre&s;ence of the Lord to wre&s;t the Scri|pture, and to add to the Scripture, for the Apo&s;tle &s;poke this not to the world, but he &s;poke to the Brethren; if thou wert not blinde thou might&s;t &s;ee it, the very Letter declares it: O thou &s;landerous Bea&s;t! why do&s;t thou &s;lander the Church of God, and would make them like the rude world, &s;trikers &amp; fighters? <HI>P&s;. 33. 2. &amp;</HI> 89. 5. but it is that thou might&s;t &s;hew forth thy folly, blindne&s;s, &s;orti&s;hne&s;s, and ignorance; thou Hypocrite, if thou would&s;t &s;ing now as <HI>David</HI> did then, where is thy Harp, Lute, and thy loud Symball? here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf that thou art neither in <HI>Davids</HI> condicion, nor the Apo&s;tles, nor in the Saints condicion, but art without, following thy own filthy imaginacions, living in the cur&s;ed nature, which holds up all the&s;e abominacions, and the abominable invencions of men, which God forbids: Thou &s;ay&s;t, God hath required the &s;inging of the&s;e P&s;alms of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> men, in this thou art a Lyar; O thou Lyar! God never commanded the&s;e P&s;alms to be &s;ung of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> men which you have turned into a Meeter, but they are your own invencions, and when you reade them Hats you keep on, and when you &s;ing them Hats you put off, and here you wor&s;hip the works of your own hands: thou &s;ay&s;t, you ought to do it &s;piritually, which is thy own invencion and
<PB N="23" REF="14">
applicacion, and thee and thy application we do deny, and there is nothing of the &s;pirit born up in thy under&s;tanding to guide thee; now here thou &s;hewe&s;t to be in the &s;ame nature that the world is in, they &s;ay they ought to do &s;uch things, and doth not; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one of them without, and not in the &s;ame minde the Apo&s;tle was in, who &s;ayd, <HI>We will &s;ing with the &s;pirit,</HI> and we will &s;ing <HI>With under&s;tanding,</HI> and with grace; but we do deny all thy imitacions: And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">riend, another Scripture thou bringe&s;t to hold up giving to the world <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms to &s;ing in Meeter, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29. 30. and here I charge thee in this Scripture to be a Lyar in the pre&s;ence of the Lord God Almighty, and an adder to the Scriptures, for they <HI>&s;ang pray&s;es</HI> to the Lord who were Bre|thren, that came to the hou&s;e of the Lord, as the Scripture &s;ayth, and <HI>Hezekiah</HI> did not give them <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms to &s;ing in Meeter, which were Enemies to God, but the&s;e did &s;ing when the Hou&s;e was clean&s;ed; and this is nothing to thee to hold up thine abomi|nacions, and to give the world <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in Meeter, but open|ly to all people ha&s;t thou &s;hewed thy &s;elf; thou &s;ay&s;t God blamed him not, <HI>there was none like him;</HI> therefore thou may&s;t &s;ee thy &s;elf, he was not of the world, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou do&s;t not know the old Covenant, and ha&s;traced thy &s;elf out of them both, and ha&s;t made thy &s;elf &s;tark blinde: thou &s;ay&s;t, to this day the order is not contradicted by God, Did not <HI>Steven</HI> witne&s;s and &s;ay, <HI>God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands, Acts</HI> 7. 48. and for witne&s;&s;ing forth the &s;ub&s;tance was &s;toned to death; and the Apo|&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> witne&s;&s;ed again&s;t all the Figures, Types, and Shadows, and all their Cu&s;toms, and out&s;ide Ob&s;ervances, and all their offer|ing, and contradicted that which God had commanded, when the everla&s;ting Offering was come, and again&s;t the outward Temple; but thou art blinde and can&s;t not &s;ee it, Phari&s;e like, but thy minde is &s;een to be contradictory, who would&s;t contradict the truth, and doth not &s;ee the end of God, in fulfilling his Types and Figures, and when they are fulfilled, he doth contradict them, and there|fore do we contradict thee, which acte&s;t the&s;e things God never commanded; that which God had commanded was contradicted, as Circumci&s;ion, and the outward Temple, and the Sabboth, and all the Prie&s;ts were denyed, with them who had received <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a blinde Phari&s;e, which knowe&s;t not the precepts nor commands of God, but fol|lowe&s;t thy own imaginacions and thy own invencions, which I
<PB N="24" REF="15">
have charged thee withall formerly: and here I charge thee to be a blinde Guide, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. 16. and therefore came the Apo&s;tle to contradict all the <HI>Jews,</HI> who held up the Figures after the &s;ub|&s;tance was come, but thou art blinde as the Phari&s;es were, and wor&s;e, for when the Apo&s;tles had received the &s;ub&s;tance they con|tradicted the Phari&s;es, which held up the Types and Shadows, which God had commanded, and killed them that did witne&s;s the &s;ub&s;tance come; but thou natural brute Bea&s;t, who knowe&s;t no|thing of God nor his truth, mu&s;t be con&s;umed by unquenchable &s;i|er: thou &s;peake&s;t of an A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;tians coming together to wor&s;hip God, but a company of the world may come and thou joyne&s;t with them, here thou &s;hewe&s;t plainly that thy wor&s;hip is no tru wor&s;hip of God, for they that <HI>wor&s;hip him mu&s;t wor&s;hip him in &s;pirit and truth, Iohn</HI> 4. 23, 24. for &s;uch are they which he &s;eeks to wor&s;hip him, but not in the Steeple-hou&s;e; the mighty day of the Lord is coming, and God that made the world doth not dwell in Temples made with hands, therefore come down thou painted Bea&s;t which deceive&s;t the people, God will overturn thee and thy wor&s;hip, and all &s;uch as thou art; and them who are of God God is &s;ending them forth to give you the Cup double that ye have given to them: thou &s;ay&s;t, an A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;tians com|ing together to wor&s;hip God are not bound up &s;o clo&s;e but a com|pany of the world may come in and joyn with them; here thou &s;hewe&s;t that thy A&s;&s;embly are all of one &s;pirit, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t plainly that thy &s;pirit and their &s;pirit is the &s;pirit of the world, and not the &s;pirit that was in the Apo&s;tles and Saints, which &s;ayd, <HI>What concord hath</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>with</HI> Belial, <HI>and what fellow&s;hip hath righteou&s;ne&s;s with unrighteou&s;ne&s;s? 2 Cor&punc;</HI> 6. 14. and here thou ha&s;t raced thy &s;elf out of the tru wor&s;hip of God; and I know thy &s;pirit is not bound up, but it is at liberty in the world, in the broad way, and therefore with them it can joyn, and &s;o here thou &s;hew|e&s;t thy &s;elf to be of a contrary &s;pirit to them that preached the Word; the Mini&s;ters of the Word are not Mini&s;ters of the Let|ter, wherein it doth appear that thou art a Mini&s;ter of the Letter, &amp; a wre&s;ter of it; tho&s;e who are the Mini&s;ters of the Word &s;peak forth freely, and te&s;tifie again&s;t &s;uch hierlings as thou art, (who art bound up in thy form and &s;et place) and again&s;t all thy cu&s;tomary praying and &s;inging, for the preaching of the Word is to declare freely to all, it is not bound up, but &s;uch as thou would&s;t limit it, who doth keep poor &s;imple people in bondage under thee:
<PB N="25" REF="15">
I do believe God hath a people which is in captivity under thy dark imitated Forms, and &s;uch as thine, and who are mi&s;led by &s;uch as thou art, for we were all under &s;uch blinde Guides as thou art, until God of his infinite love did &s;hew us his way, and his light, and your ways, therefore in the pre&s;ence of the Lord God do we te&s;tifie again&s;t all &s;uch practi&s;es as thine, and for the &s;imple ones &s;akes, (who are under &s;uch blinde Guides as thou art) do we let forth our &s;elves, that they may &s;ee how &s;uch as thou bewitche&s;t them, and keepe&s;t them from wor&s;hipping the living God, by thy imaginacions, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 1. Thou bringe&s;t a place 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 23, 24. to maintain &s;inging of <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms in a Meeter, but in that Scri|pture there is no &s;uch thing in it: here again thou openly &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a perverter of the Scriptures, and a wre&s;ter of it, what communion hath the believer with the unbeliever? here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one of <HI>Babylon,</HI> full of confu&s;ion, and con|fu&s;ed in thy words, contrary to the Scripture, and a wre&s;ter of it, for the world knows not God by all its wi&s;dom: Thou &s;ay&s;t, that your Congregacion is required to &s;peak good of God; O you <HI>Ge|neracion of Vipers!</HI> how can you being evil &s;peak good things? <HI>Mat.</HI> 3. 7. Here thou cro&s;&s;e&s;t <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, thou would&s;t have the Ge|neracion of Vipers to &s;peak good things, <HI>An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit,</HI> how can you &s;peak good of God, that &s;peak nor good of his people? the Phari&s;es when they met together, did they &s;peak good of God, when they &s;ayd <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was a Devil, and gathered together with the chief Prie&s;ts, and &s;ought to put him to death? <HI>Iohn</HI> 11. 53. and in this generacion thou art taking coun&s;el again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and again&s;t his anoynted, in|cen&s;ing the rude multitude again&s;t them, and is this &s;peaking good of God?</P>
<P>Query 9. <HI>Whether a man &s;hall overcome the body of &s;in, while he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> on the earth, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> There are divers and &s;everal victories over &s;in, as fir&s;t a victory over the dominion, and reigning power of &s;in, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 14. this is not given by the power of man, but by the po|wer of grace: there is a victory over the condemning pre&s;ence of &s;in, &s;in cannot &s;o hurt any elect Ve&s;&s;el, as to throw him into <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ell, and eternal wrath and condemna<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 1. There is a victory over the being of &s;in in the fle&s;h, and what&s;oever cur&s;e thou &s;aye&s;t on me for the &s;ame, I mu&s;t profe&s;s that I am of the minde, that vi|ctory <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s not fully enjoyed while we are on the earth, for then and
<PB N="26" REF="16">
not before, when this corruptible &s;hall have put on incorruption, <HI>Death is &s;wallowed up in victory, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 54. and the Apo&s;tle cals the body of &s;in <HI>the body of death, Rom.</HI> 7. 24.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Friend, thou bringe&s;t &s;o many Scriptures, which is to the throwing down of thy own &s;elf, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 6 14. and thou de&s;ire&s;t to be &s;atisfied to the contrary to thy belief, for thou believe&s;t that man &s;hall not be made free from &s;in as long as he is here, and here I will &s;hew thee that thou ha&s;t a lying &s;pirit, for in <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. they &s;ayd, they were <HI>made free from &s;in,</HI> for while they were &s;ervants of &s;in, <HI>they were made free from righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and here thou &s;hewe&s;t a contrary &s;pirit to that which was in the Apo&s;tle; and thou de&s;ire&s;t to be fully &s;atisfied in tho&s;e Scriptures, in <HI>Rom. 7. 18. 25. Paul</HI> &s;poke his condicion that he was in to the Saints, and what he had pa&s;&s;ed through, which yet thou art alive in the fle&s;h, and not come to know the Law of God&punc; therefore thy carnal minde rules and reigns in thee, and &s;o thou art making a di&s;tinction in the Apo&s;tles words, and wre&s;ting of them, who wit|ne&s;&s;ed that there was <HI>no condemnacion to him that was in Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us,</HI> and witne&s;&s;ed the condicion under the Law, and without the Law, and was made free from the Law through the Law, which thou knowe&s;t not, &s;o thou being a dead man can&s;t not hear; thou &s;peake&s;t of a Victory and reigning power of &s;in, and yet in the conclu&s;ion of thy words thou &s;peake&s;t to the contrary again, and that thou art of that minde, that Victory is not fully enjoyed while we are on the earth, and here thou &s;peake&s;t contrary to the Scriptures, and there is a confu&s;ion in thy words; for fir&s;t thou &s;ay&s;t there is a Victory and Dominion <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ver the reigning power of &s;in, and then again thou denye&s;t it, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> for the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, <HI>We are more than conq<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">rours through him that loved us, and there is no condemnacion to them who are in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us:</HI> Another Scripture thou would&s;t be &s;atisfied in, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 54. the Apo&s;tle did &s;peak what he &s;aw in this Chapter which thou ha&s;t taken a word or two of, and we witne&s;s and &s;ee the &s;ame, yet death reigns in thee, and corruption reigns in thee, and the natural minde which doth de&s;pi&s;e the glory of God, therefore is this Scrip|ture hid from thine eys, but it is as it &s;peaks, we witne&s;s it to be fulfilled; and the Apo&s;tle was in the condicion that he &s;poke of, for he witne&s;&s;ed the Victory, and &s;ayd, <HI>Thanks be to God, who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 55, 56. and &s;ayd, <HI>O death! where is thy &s;ting? O grave! where is thy victo|ry?</HI>
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<HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 9. and thou ha&s;t raced out thy &s;elf from the Apo&s;tles and from the Saints condicions, and &s;hewe&s;t that death yet hath dominion over thee, and that &s;in hath dominion over thee, and that the mortal hath dominion over the, and that corrupcions have do|minion over thee, and that that thou art in the grave, and that Vi|ctory cannot be witne&s;&s;ed, and art an enemy to it, and ha&s;t not &s;o much as a belief in thee of overcoming of &s;in; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy hypocrites hope, as thou &s;ay&s;t, and &s;o keepe&s;t poor people in death, in corruption, and in the mortal and carnal minde, and in the grave, and in unbelief, as thou art in thy &s;elf, and &s;hewe&s;t that thou art damned openly, <HI>he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth is born of God, and doth not commit &s;in, but is pa&s;&s;ed from death to life.</HI></P>
<P>Query 10. <HI>Whether any natural man can preach the Gospel, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> I do believe they may preach the hi&s;torical part of the Go&s;pel, I believe <HI>Iudas</HI> did preach and was not behinde in his gift, to outward vie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the eleven Apo&s;tles, for the Apo&s;tles had no ground to have any ill conceits of him, for had they, they would &s;oon have reflected on him, when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayd, <HI>One of you &s;hall betray me,</HI> but they que&s;tioned them&s;elves and not him, <HI>Matth.</HI> 26. 21, 22. And God gives great gifts many times to wicked men, <HI>Rom 2. 18, 19, 20. 2 Cor.</HI> 11. 13, 14, 15. Mini&s;ters of Satan may be transformed into Mini&s;ters of righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>Gal.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 8. They cannot preach the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pel nor <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> from their own experience or enjoyment, for this they know not, 'tis folly to them, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 14.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Here thou art pleading for the natural man, for <HI>Iudas</HI> and the fal&s;e Apo&s;tles, and it is true, in that generacion thou art among them, and therefore thou mu&s;t needs love thy own, and &s;tand up for them, for no other generacion thou knowe&s;t, I am a witne&s;s again&s;t thee, and I know thee, and have tryed thy &s;pirit, to be one of the&s;e fal&s;e Teachers, which would&s;t transform thy &s;elf into an Angel of light, and which do&s;t intrude into the&s;e things thou never knew&s;t, and &s;o thou puffe&s;t up thy fle&s;hly minde, there thou art, I witne&s;s thee there eternally by the Eternal &s;pirit: Thou &s;ay&s;t, Mini&s;ters of Satan may be tran&s;|formed into Mini&s;ters of righteou&s;ne&s;s, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 15. here thou would&s;t make Satan and righteou&s;ne&s;s one, and &s;hewe&s;t forth thy error, not knowing the words as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks; and if they
<PB N="28" REF="17">
cannot preach the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, how can they be transformed into righteou&s;ne&s;s? for the Mini&s;ters of Satan transform them&s;elves as the Mini&s;ters of righteou&s;ne&s;s, but he doth not &s;ay, he transforms into it&punc; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a Lyar, and thy &s;elf to be one of tho&s;e who are no Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, getting the <HI>form,</HI> but <HI>denying the power, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 5. which ever was to be turned away from, who&s;e end is de&s;truction according to their works, and &s;o thou &s;hewe&s;t all along that thou ha&s;t but onely the form of the Apo&s;tles words, for thou pleade&s;t for them who are without, and again&s;t tho&s;e who are within, who are in the power and life of the truth, thou pleade&s;t again&s;t the truth and the life which the Apo&s;tles were in, and the life of the Apo&s;tles, for the Apo&s;tles did di&s;cern the fal&s;e Apo&s;tles, and tho&s;e who did transform them&s;elves, &s;o with the &s;ame &s;pirit we di&s;cern thee to be in the &s;ame generation among them, and there thou mu&s;t own thy porcion, and own the Scriptures to be tru, and thy porcion in it, which it &s;peaks of to the fal&s;e Prophets and fal&s;e Apo&s;tles: Another Scripture thou bringe&s;t 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 14. thou bringe&s;t a Scripture which &s;ayth, <HI>The natural man receiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God,</HI> they are fooli&s;hne&s;s to him, that is thy own condi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, own that Scripture for a truth to thy &s;elf, for the preaching of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Cro&s;s is fooli&s;hne&s;s to thee, as it was to them that held up the <HI>Iewi&s;h</HI> Synagogues which yet thou hold|e&s;t up; another in imitation from the carnal Letter, being carnal, and blinde, and ignorant of the my&s;tery and of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and of the Go&s;pel; but the my&s;tery, and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Go&s;pel we wit|ne&s;s and own, <HI>but we have not re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ived it of man, neither were we taught it of man, but by the revelacion of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, Gal.</HI> 1. 12. and we do witne&s;s forth the &s;ub&s;tance as the Apo&s;tle did, and there|fore we do deny all &s;uch as thou art, who art not &s;o much as a Mi|ni&s;ter of the Letter, and ha&s;t not yet got the form of it to &s;peak it tru as the form is, but thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy ignorance and fooli&s;hne&s;s of the form of the Letter.</P>
<P>Query 11. <HI>Whether the Tree be not known by its fruits, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> No que&s;tion but it is, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf &s;ays &s;o, but I pray thee tell me, did ever a good Tree bring forth De&s;pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion for its fruit, it was <HI>Cain</HI> that de&s;paired, <HI>Achitophel</HI> and <HI>Iudas</HI> that went and hanged them&s;elves: Is that a good Tree that brings forth wrath, &s;trife, &s;edicion, here&s;ie, cur&s;ings, and &s;uch like? Is
<PB N="29" REF="17">
that a good Tree that brings forth fruits of di&s;obedience, and &s;lighting of tho&s;e whom God hath commanded us to honour? Is that a good Tree that hath for his fruits a ca&s;ting by of the Ordi|nances of God, and a &s;lighting of, and reviling and reproaching the &s;ervants of God? Is that a good Tree that hath apparant fruit on it, of ju&s;tifying them&s;elves, and condemning all that are not of their minde, how precious &s;oever in the eys of God? Is that a good Tree who&s;e fruit is brought forth in Satans dre&s;s, very like him, for if they once believe your opinions, the thing they look for is to tremble, <HI>Iames</HI> 2. 19.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Here thou de&s;ire&s;t to know whe|ther a good Tree brings forth de&s;peration, as <HI>Iudas,</HI> here thou ac|cu&s;e&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for <HI>Iudas</HI> denyed <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> when he did de&s;pair, and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> found him out, &s;o he doth thee, and all who deny the good Tree, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> findes out now; and all who do de&s;pair, deny the good <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ree as thou do&s;t, who accu&s;e&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> now, as they did then, and <HI>Cain</HI> when he &s;lew his brother <HI>Abel,</HI> then he de&s;paired, when he &s;lew the righteous &s;eed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 5. and &s;o are all you now in the generacion of <HI>Cain,</HI> and God doth no more accept your Sacrifice, than he did <HI>Cains,</HI> who live in envy, and you are in the &s;ame de|&s;peracion who &s;lay the righteous, as dayly may appear; and in an&s;wer to this Query, in that evil Tree thou art, and bring&s;t forth wrath and &s;trife, for in this very An&s;wer thou ha&s;t &s;hewed it, and &s;hewed forth <HI>Cain,</HI> and malice, and fal&s;e accu&s;acions, and igno|rance: and in thy former Query thou can&s;t not witne&s;s the over|coming of &s;in, and is not &s;in of the Devil? and is not &s;in the cau&s;e of de&s;pair? and is this the good Tree? and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, Matth.</HI> 5. 48. and here thou &s;hewe&s;t openly, that thou art that evil Tree, <HI>which can|not bring forth good fruit,</HI> for he &s;ayth, <HI>An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a good Tree bring forth evil fruit;</HI> and this I witne&s;s fulfilled; therefore I &s;ee thee, and di&s;cover thee, to be that fruitle&s;s Tree, which art <HI>cur&s;ed, and for the fier:</HI> and again, thou pleade&s;t for the honor of man, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>How can ye be|lieve that receive honor one of another, John</HI> 5. 44. And thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be that evil Tree, that ca&s;teth the Ordinances of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> behinde thy back, and &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be the Reviler, and the Reproacher of the &s;ervants of God; for doth not <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ay, <HI>They are called of men Ma&s;ter, and have the chiefe&s;t places in the A&s;&s;emblies&punc; Matth.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">3. and art not thou there? and he bids his Mini&s;ters not
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to be as they were, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to di&s;obey the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and to be the evil Tree: becau&s;e we deal plainly with thee, this thou calle&s;t reviling and reproaching; we &s;peak the words that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf &s;poke, which te&s;tifie again&s;t thee, who live&s;t in thy filthine&s;s, and with all thy might and main, would&s;t hold it up again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his &s;ervants, and would&s;t pervert his words, but <HI>the Lamb hath got the victory; pray&s;es, pray&s;es, be to the Lord God Almighty for ever, Rev.</HI> 17. 14. Thou aske&s;t if this be the good Tree that ju&s;tifies it &s;elf, thou hypocrite! can a good Tree condemn it &s;elf? here thou would&s;t not own it to be a righteous Tree to bring forth good fruit, would&s;t thou make a good Tree to accu&s;e it &s;elf? here thou bla&s;pheme&s;t and accu&s;e&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and he that doth witne&s;s this good Tree doth witne&s;s again&s;t all who are not of the &s;ame minde, for all who are this good Tree are of one minde, and of one &s;oul, and of one heart; and here thou ha&s;t &s;howd forth thy ignorance, and thou art a fal&s;e accu&s;er, that a good Tree can condemn that which is precious in the eys of God, here thou art an accu&s;er and an enemy of righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, and knowe&s;t not what thou &s;peake&s;t, did ever <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> con|demn that which was precious in the eys of God, but nouri&s;hed and cheri&s;hed it? but &s;uch a fal&s;e hypocrite as thou art he con|demns, and cryes wo again&s;t thee, who art got up into the chiefe&s;t place of the A&s;&s;emblyes, &s;tand&s;t praying in the Synagogues <HI>de|vouring widows hou&s;es,</HI> and painting thy &s;elf with other mens words, and &s;o Serpent l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ke, and here thou art a Serpent, and the evil Tree, bla&s;pheming again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> which is the good Tree, here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to &s;tand in the &s;ame place which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cryed wo again&s;t, which called him a Devil, as thou do&s;t now, where he is made manife&s;t; thou believe&s;t there is a God, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou art not come to the &s;aith of Devils, for <HI>the Devils be|lieve and tremble, Iames</HI> 2. 19. and they condemn thee and thy faith; and the power of God which makes to tremble thou knowe&s;t not, as the Apo&s;tle when he came among the <HI>Corinthians,</HI> he was with them <HI>in much trembling,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 3. and thou might&s;t &s;ay the Apo|&s;tle was in the Devils dre&s;s, when he trembled, for the &s;ame po<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er of God that made him to tremble, the &s;ame power of God we witne&s;s now which makes us to tremble; and here thou ha&s;t openly &s;hew|ed thy &s;elf that thou do&s;t not know the Scriptures, but make&s;t thy &s;elf manife&s;t to be in the Devils dre&s;s, and a bla&s;phemer. And as touching opinions they are thy own, for opinions we do deny;
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and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that the power of God thou knowe&s;t not, nor never heard&s;t his voyce, <HI>who&s;e voyce &s;hakes the earth&punc; P&s;alm</HI> 46. 6. and &s;hewe&s;t that thy wi&s;dom is of the earth and earthly, and all thy Go&s;pel notions to be earthly, and all thy knowledg to be earthly, and all thy manife&s;tacions and gifts (as thou cal&s;t them) to be earthly, for thou denye&s;t the power of God <HI>which &s;hakes the earth, P&s;al.</HI> 2. 18. and &s;o ha&s;t here &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be in the natural &s;tate, and in the fir&s;t birth, and as a fool ha&s;t uttered forth thy folly, &s;hewing thy minde to be full of iniquity, and being the Tree which <HI>beareth no fruit, which is cur&s;ed, Hebr.</HI> 6. 8.</P>
<P>Query 12. <HI>Whether a man &s;hall grow up to that condicion under your Mini&s;try that he &s;hall need none to teach him but the Lord, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Truly I do believe that God hath given &s;o far many of his &s;ervants to grow up among&s;t us, as they &s;ee God alone the onely Teacher of him&s;elf in all that is di&s;covered by his &s;er|vants, they know him to be the worker of all their works in them, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is all, and in all, the <HI>Alpha</HI> and <HI>Omega,</HI> the teacher of his Fathers minde to us; and yet notwith&s;tanding I believe few are grown up to that de&s;perate folly and madne&s;s, as when God hath afforded means of di&s;covering his will &amp; mind, to ca&s;t them all by, and ty God up to work immediatly without means, to humor their fancy, this is to tempt him, <HI>Mat.</HI> 4. 6, 7. to confine him, which God cannot like, he will not take it long from proud fle&s;h: I am per|&s;waded the Scripture you bring in, <HI>I&s;ai 2. ult. Cea&s;e from man,</HI> will not &s;erve your turn, for many Prophets, and Apo&s;tles, and men of God, taught after that, even by the command of God and <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> be&s;ides you cry, <HI>Cea&s;e from man,</HI> but you practi&s;e quite contrary, witne&s;s the running of many of you many miles to hear <HI>George Fox;</HI> and you u&s;e writings, and printings, which are outward means of teaching.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth pre&s;umption and lying, to &s;ay that many are grown up under your teaching to &s;ee God alone the onely Teacher, and that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is all in all, the <HI>Alpha</HI> and <HI>Omega,</HI> and thou thy &s;elf not to know the <HI>fir&s;t Principle,</HI> nor they whom thou <HI>teache&s;t, Heb.</HI> 5. 12. for if it were &s;o, that they knew the &s;econd Covenant, and the Law of God written in their hearts, they would all deny thee, for it <HI>teach|eth</HI> them to know God, and need not to &s;ay, <HI>Know the Lord,</HI> and
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needed not any man to teach them, who witne&s;&s;ed the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> and need not any of thy carnal means, as thou talke&s;t of, for the means that God doth teach his people, is <HI>by his Spirit, Gal.</HI> 3. 5. for they that did draw them from the &s;pirit within them, bewitch|ed them, and &s;o do&s;t thou, and they that drew them from the <HI>An|oynting</HI> within them, bewitched them, and &s;o do&s;t thou, which telle&s;t people of a carnal means; &s;o that Scripture which thou bringe&s;t <HI>Matth.</HI> 4. 6, 7. it is for thy &s;elf, for thou tempte&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and would&s;t have him <HI>to bow down</HI> to thy fal&s;e wor&s;hip, to thy carnal means, as the Devil did <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> then own it and witne&s;s it, for it is thy condicion, herein thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a fal&s;e Pro|phet, &s;owing pillows under the peoples arm-holes, and flattering and keeping them in carnal &s;ecurity, and telle&s;t them that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is their Teacher, when thou who art blinde and carnal art &s;et up for a Teacher, who make&s;t a Trade with the Scriptures, and nei|ther knowe&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> nor the Spirit, nor the teaching of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> (as thou &s;peake&s;t of) and &s;o keepe&s;t all people in blindne&s;s and ignorance from waiting upon <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> and friend, whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e us of tying God up to work immediately, herein thou &s;hewe&s;t that all that thou ha&s;t is but fancy, and lying in thy carnal &s;tate, who tempts God, and draws all others to tempt him, and &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf void of all them that &s;poke forth the Scriptures; for all Scriptures being given forth by the in&s;piracion of the Spi|rit, and <HI>holy men &s;poke as they were moved by the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> was not all this immediate and eternal; and here thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be carnal, and not knowing them that gave forth the Scriptures, and would&s;t draw all others into the &s;ame carnal &s;tate with thee, and it is thou that would&s;t ty up and do&s;t ty up with thy carnal minde, and limit the holy One, as may appear by thy blindne&s;s and ignorance, and the people that thou teache&s;t, who drawe&s;t them under the carnal Form, and here thou ha&s;t denyed the immediate <HI>teaching</HI> of God, <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 54. 13, 14. which all the Saints of God witne&s;&s;ed and followed the ways of, and all that ever know the Lord, and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that thou do&s;t not know the Lord, but live&s;t in high bla&s;phemyes, and in the &s;tate of the Scribes and Phari&s;es, who profe&s;&s;ed God and <HI>Abraham,</HI> but <HI>were of their Father the Devil,</HI> and there thou art in the &s;ame gene|racion doing the lu&s;ts of thy father the Devil, who was ever an enemy to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as thou may&s;t reade thy &s;elf in the generacion of all them Teachers, as thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thy &s;elf: Friend, it
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is thy own proud fle&s;hly minde, that doth confine God, but thou art di&s;coverd, and it &s;hall not be long but thou &s;halt be more ma|nife&s;t to thy open &s;hame, thou ha&s;t walked long enough under a cover, but now <HI>thy skirts are uncovered, and thy nakedne&s;s appears;</HI> and a Scripture thou bring&s;t <HI>I&s;ai&punc; 2. 22. Cea&s;e from man,</HI> which thou &s;ay&s;t will not &s;erve our turn, but it doth &s;erve our turn, for we own it, and witne&s;s it fulfilled, therefore do we <HI>cea&s;e from all men,</HI> which hold up the carnal means, which thou &s;peake&s;t of, and all hierlings, and all them that bear rule by their means, and all them that &s;eek for their gain from their quarter, and all them that are called of men Ma&s;ter, and hath the chief place in A&s;&s;emblyes, and all they that paynt them&s;elves with other mens words, and <HI>all them that go in the way of</HI> Cain <HI>and</HI> Balaam <HI>for gifts and rewards, Jude</HI> 11. and all tho&s;e that have <HI>the form of godline&s;s and not the power,</HI> and all tho&s;e that wre&s;t Scripture to their own de&s;truction, and give meanings and carnal &s;en&s;es upon it, and all &s;uch as <HI>lead <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">illy women captive,</HI> (which thou ha&s;t &s;ayd to be us) <HI>ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 7. for thou &s;ay&s;t, they &s;hall never overcome as long as they are here; and thou believe&s;t here; but thou art one that live&s;t in thy lu&s;t; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that thou art one that the Prophets and &s;ervants of God cryed again&s;t, who were taught immediately by the Spirit of God, and this was not after man, neither according to man; the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, the <HI>Gospel</HI> that he <HI>preached was not after men,</HI> for he had not <HI>received it of man</HI> that taught it, all &s;uch we own, but all &s;uch as are in the way of man, as thou art, we utterly deny them, which holds up the&s;e abominacions, which all the Pro|phets of God cryed again&s;t; and here thou ha&s;t raced thy &s;elf out from among them all; tho&s;e that God &s;ent and commanded, as thou &s;ay&s;t, &s;ince the Prophet bade them <HI>cea&s;e from man, I&s;ai</HI> 2. 22. tho&s;e were not made by the will of man, neither was their teach|ing according to man, but it was immediate &amp; eternal, which thou know&s;t nothing of, as thou make&s;t it appear; and &s;uch we own&punc; but thee we do deny, for thou art blinde and know&s;t it not: And as touching the Books, and Writings, and Printings, which thou accu&s;e&s;t us of, and running &s;o many miles; the Queen of the South came to hear the wi&s;dom of <HI>Solomon,</HI> and the Prophets of the Lord &s;omtimes they were moved to &s;peak again&s;t &s;uch as thou art, (who live&s;t in the abominacions) and &s;omtimes were moved to write, as one of the Prophets did; and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf
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<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">gnorant of the Scripture, and envious again&s;t the &s;ame power, and the &s;ame eternal Word which is now di&s;covering your abomi|nacions, as the Word did then, &s;o the eternal Word doth now; and thy minde being carnal and outward, looking up at things outward, and &s;o thou &s;hewe&s;t thou ha&s;t nothing eternal born up in thy under&s;tanding, and &s;o thou looke&s;t upon the &s;ame which we &s;peak or give forth in writing, to be the &s;ame carnal minde that thou art in, and &s;o thou judge&s;t all the Prophets, and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Apo&s;tles, to be in the &s;ame carnal &s;tate as thou art, judging Scripture according to thy carnal minde, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 6. &amp; 3. 4. and &s;o to thee, truth is a &s;avour unto death, as it was ever; but wee are moved of the Lord to write forth or to &s;peak; it is not an outward means as thou looke&s;t upon, but it is to the con&s;cience of every man, from that which is eternal to that which &s;hall eternally witne&s;s it; but thou art high up in thy hypocri&s;ie, and ha&s;t mens per&s;ons in admiracion, becau&s;e of advantage (<HI>for the gift;</HI>) there|fore it grieves thee to &s;ee the immediate and eternal teaching of the Lord alone, who is teaching of his people, and guiding them up to him&s;elf by his Spirit, who&s;e <HI>Sacrifice</HI> God doth accept, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 5, who are in the &s;econd birth; but thou art <HI>Cain,</HI> and becau&s;e thou &s;ee&s;t the works of God, and God accepts not thy Sacrifice, therefore thou &s;hewe&s;t forth thy envy again&s;t the righteous Seed in all thy words.</P>
<P>Query 13. <HI>Whether they be not Antichri&s;ts and do di&s;obey</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>that have the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;emblyes, &s;tand praying in the Sy|nagogues, called of men Ma&s;ter, which things</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>did forbid his to act, and cryed wo again&s;t them that acted &s;uch things?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> No que&s;tion, what is again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in the fle&s;h is a part of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and to be de&s;troyed, but as yet none of you all that I know have proved, that the uppermo&s;t &s;eats in the Syna|gogues were Pulpits, there &s;eats were more for honor than for &s;er|vice, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids and reproves, and the&s;e places were taken out of love to them: and for the Title of Ma&s;ter, I would to take off the offence, if that would do it, that all would agree to call me by my name, I take not the Title in love of it, nor to have do|minion by it, and the Wo is again&s;t this, yet I know there were Ma&s;ters of the A&s;&s;emblyes, &s;o called by as wi&s;e a man as any a|mong&s;t you, for ought I know, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 12. 11.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> In thy An&s;wer to this Query, thou can&s;t not ju&s;tifie the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;emblyes, there|fore
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thou mu&s;t own the Wo upon thee: and Friend, thou bring&s;t a Scripture in <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 12. 11. to cro&s;s <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, herein thou &s;hewe&s;t to be a fighter again&s;t <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hri&s;t</HI> for to maintain thy Ma&s;ter|&s;hip, that thou may&s;t be a Ma&s;ter of an A&s;&s;embly; and here openly thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a Phari&s;e, and in the Phari&s;es &s;tate; &s;ayth <HI>Chri&s;t, A greater than</HI> Solomon <HI>is here:</HI> Now thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy venom and ignorance indeed, and openly to act again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and openly to be an <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and a Pleader for the &s;tate of the Phari&s;es, and to contradict <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t, no que&s;tion but that which is again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in the fle&s;h is a part of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be an actor again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in the fle&s;h, and an <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and &s;hewe&s;t that thou never knew&s;t him in the fle&s;h nor in the &s;pirit, for <HI>he that walks in the &s;pirit doth not fulfill the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, but hath crucified them, and all things are become new, Rom.</HI> 8. 13. but as thou &s;ay&s;t and do&s;t believe, that a man &s;hall never overcome as long as he is here, &s;o &s;hewing forth the <HI>old Bottle,</HI> and what is within thee, <HI>Matth.</HI> 9. 17. here is pour|ed out, which neither knows God nor <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in the fle&s;h nor in the &s;pirit, but ha&s;t poured forth thy bla&s;phemy again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his Doctrine, and all who hold up his Doctrine, and live in it, and love <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Query 13. <HI>Whether tho&s;e be not Antichri&s;ts, and of the Devil, and no Mini&s;ters of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>which do not abide in the Doctrine of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>yea or no, and which hold up tho&s;e things</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>forbad?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Thou <HI>&s;traine&s;t at a Gnat, and &s;wallowe&s;t a Camel;</HI> thou take&s;t great care of <HI>Mint</HI> and <HI>Annis,</HI> and <HI>neglecte&s;t the weigh|ty things of the Law,</HI> who preache&s;t up that which <HI>Cri&s;t</HI> for bad, prove what thou &s;peake&s;t; if thou dare&s;t tru&s;t God, as I de&s;ire to do, wait with me for the time that God &s;hall di&s;cover, who abides with him and in his Doctrine, and who doth not, &s;o far as it is re|vealed and open.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> In thy An&s;wer to this Query, thou &s;ay&s;t <HI>we &s;train at a Gnat and &s;wallow a Camel,</HI> becau&s;e we deny that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> denyed; who were called of men Ma&s;ters, as the Phari&s;es were, who <HI>&s;trained at a Gnat, and &s;wallowed a Camel; Matth.</HI> 23. 7. and thou may&s;t &s;ay that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did &s;o, for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;poke again&s;t them who were called of men Ma&s;ters, and taught his not to be &s;o, nor to call any man Ma&s;ter, and here thou ha&s;t ju&s;tified that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids: And thou do&s;t accu&s;e us that we do
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take care of <HI>Mint</HI> and <HI>Annis,</HI> becau&s;e we &s;ay, Who&s;oever abides not in the Doctrine of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is a Devil; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf that it is thou that take&s;t care for tho&s;e things that pa&s;s away, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did forbid: thou bid&s;t me prove thee to preach that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did forbid; here in thy very words thou preache&s;t up that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids and cryes Wo again&s;t, and here I chargethee in the pre&s;ence of the living God, <HI>who will render ven|geance</HI> in flames of fie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; <HI>Jer. 51. 6. Nah.</HI> 1. 2. and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be in the Doctrine of the Phari&s;es and of the Devil, and accu&s;e&s;t us with tything <HI>Mint</HI> and <HI>Annis,</HI> who art a Lyar, for all tho&s;e things you hold up, and we deny, and it is thou that do&s;t ju&s;tifie them; Do&s;t thou not hold up the&s;e frivo|lous things? the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;embly, and to be called of men Ma&s;ter, <HI>laying heavy burdens upon the People, and &s;tand praying in the Synagogue,</HI> this thou &s;trive&s;t to hold up, which we deny; the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> thou calle&s;t them <HI>Mint</HI> and <HI>Annis,</HI> which is a Ly; and here thou wre&s;ts the Scripture to thy own de&s;tructi|on; I charge thee here, and have proved thee to preach that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbad, and &s;hut thee forth to be any Mini&s;ter of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> eternally, or knowing any thing of him: thou would&s;t have me to wait with thee, if I dare tru&s;t God; I waited with thee too long, but thou art now <HI>revealed</HI> and di&s;covered <HI>thou man of &s;in and &s;on of perdicion, 2 The&s;&s;. 2. 3. who art exalted above all that called God,</HI> and thy Doctrine is di&s;covered, and the end of it, for it leades to perdicion, for out of the bottomle&s;s Pit it came, and thi|ther it mu&s;t go: and in thy Queryes thou de&s;ire&s;t to know which is mo&s;t like <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and here thou &s;hewe&s;t that thou do&s;t not know <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> but we know thee to be <HI>Antichri&s;t, 1 John</HI> 4. 3. and acting in tho&s;e things which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never commanded, contra|ry to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and yet thou profe&s;&s;e&s;t thy &s;elf to be a Mini&s;ter of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and yet knowe&s;t not <HI>Antichri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Query 15. <HI>Whether they be not Seducers that draw People from the Anoynting within them, and tells them they mu&s;t have a Teacher without them, when as he who was a Mini&s;ter of the Gospel &s;ayd, You need no man teach you but as the &s;ame Anoynting teacheth, and the pro|mi&s;e is to him that abideth in it, eternal life.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> If thou can&s;t prove and make good thy charge, that I draw People to look from the <HI>Anoynting</HI> within them, to the Teachers without them, &s;pare me not, God hath taught me to in&s;truct tho&s;e whom I &s;peak to, not to look on, or
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re&s;t on the outward Teacher, but to look unto the Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> the Teacher even within them, where he is, to have that made out to them by his light and power that they here &s;peak of, the Mini&s;ters without, and that thy own con&s;cience mu&s;t needs convince thee of to be tru, unle&s;s thou art wilfully blind, which is, I fear, a judgment upon many of you: The Lord make out &amp; di&s;|cover more &amp; more, let it fall where it will, who are Seducers of the People, and whether they be not &s;o that teach &amp; per&s;wade People, that every man hath the <HI>Anoynting</HI> in them, and a Light that will lead them to Heaven without any more ado: I am much mi&s;taken if the Preacher of the Go&s;pel that thou &s;peake&s;t of prove not the very thing in 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 18, 19, 20, 26. reade and con&s;ider, and God give thee to under&s;tand; note what <HI>John</HI> &s;ayth in that place cited by thee, 1 <HI>John 2. 27. and you need not that any man teach you, but as, &amp;c.</HI> in this to me, not quite taking off men from &s;peaking and hearing, but onely from &s;peaking and hearing what is not agree|able to the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> men are to &s;peak as the <HI>Anoynting</HI> &s;peaks, and then they are as the Oracles of God, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 11.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> Thou would&s;t have it proved, &amp; have the charge made good, that thou drawe&s;t People from the <HI>Anoynting</HI> within them to the Teacher without them. I an&s;wer, thou do&s;t openly &s;hew that thou do&s;t draw People from the <HI>An|oynting</HI> within them, for he that is taught of the <HI>Anoynting need not any man to teach him but as the Anoynting,</HI> and he that &s;ayd &s;o did not bear rule by his means, as thou do&s;t, and ha&s;t got the Form of words, and may&s;t &s;peak tho&s;e words, but if any come to witne&s;s that <HI>they need not any man to teach them, Heb.</HI> 8. 10, 11. as the Saints did them, thou &s;ay&s;t, he denyes the means which God hath afford|ed, becau&s;e they will not hold up thee, and ju&s;tifie thee in thy bea&s;tly and carnal wor&s;hip, and calle&s;t that tempting of God, and fancy, and de&s;perate folly, when we come to witne&s;s the <HI>Anoynting that they need no man to teach them;</HI> herein thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy folly, and fancy, and de&s;perate wickedne&s;s, fooli&s;hne&s;s, and madne&s;s, as <HI>Balaam</HI> did when the dumb A&s;s rebuked him: thou &s;ay&s;t, God hath taught thee, but thou art a Thief and a Lyar, and ha&s;t &s;tollen the word, for thou denye&s;t that which &s;hould teach thee, the <HI>Light</HI> which God teacheth by, <HI>the Light which en|lightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. yet thou de|nye&s;t the immediate teaching of God; I charge thee, for if any witne&s;s to be taught alone with the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> and deny all mens
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teaching but onely the immediate Spirit, which all the men of God were taught by, that thou &s;ay&s;t is a tying up of God, and herein thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;elf, that thou do&s;t not know the <HI>immediat Teaching,</HI> nor the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> for tho&s;e who are taught with the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> do deny thee and all &s;uch as thou art. Thou &s;ay&s;t, God hath taught thee to in&s;truct others; thou ha&s;t nothing from God to in&s;truct others withall, but keepe&s;t them in thy im|mitated Forms, and Cu&s;toms, dead and husky prayers, and what thou do&s;t get with &s;tudying and devi&s;ing of thy own Brain, that thou feede&s;t poor ignorant people withall, and &s;ay&s;t God in&s;truct|eth thee; here I charge thee to bee a Lyar, and the wo was de|nounced again&s;t &s;uch as thou art: therfore we deny thee as the Prophets of God denied them, for the &s;ame is made manife&s;t to us now, which lets us &s;ee thee, as it did them then: <HI>Pray&s;es be to God for ever.</HI> Friend, the Light and power of God thou denie&s;t, and art ignorant of, and that which &s;hould exerci&s;e thy Con&s;ci|ence, for thou denie&s;t the Light <HI>that enlightneth every one that com|eth into the world:</HI> And why do&s;t thou talk of the Light and of the power of God, who art ignorant of the Light, and di&s;obedient to it? but <HI>the God of this World hath blinded thy eyes, 2 Cor.</HI> 4. 4. and therfore thou endeavoure&s;t to keep others in the &s;ame heatheni&s;h nature thy &s;elfe art in: wherfore to my Con&s;cience thou &s;peake&s;t nothing, nor can&s;t &s;peak to the Con&s;cience, for thou denie&s;t the <HI>immediat Teaching,</HI> and calle&s;t that a tying up of God, O thou bla&s;phemer! Thou de&s;ire&s;t to let the <HI>Plagues</HI> and <HI>Judgments</HI> fall where they will, upon them who are Seducers; thou neede&s;t not de&s;ire the <HI>Plagues,</HI> for they are thy porcion, and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elfe to be blind and ignorant indeed; for thou do&s;t not know a Seducer, nor thy own condicion; therfore thou art not fit to teach others.</P>
<P>A Que&s;tion thou aske&s;t, <HI>Whether they be not Seducers, that teach and per&s;wade peeple, that every one hath the Anointing in them, a Light that will lead them to Heaven without any more ado? An&s;w.</HI> Here thou &s;hewe&s;t forth thy fooli&s;hne&s;s indeed; for thou would&s;t bring peeple forth into the doing the works of the fle&s;h, into the broad way, which work is death, and the End of all thy Mini&s;try is to draw peeple from the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> and from the Light within them, and to draw them to thy Teaching, wherby thou make&s;t thy &s;elfe manife&s;t to be a Seducer: All who do witne&s;s the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> and walk in the Light, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. 8. &s;uch thou looke&s;t upon to be Seducers,
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with thy dark mind, who can&s;t not &s;ee them who draw peeple from thy dark Mini&s;try, to mind the Light of God within them, as the A|po&s;tle &s;ayd, <HI>take heed to the Light of God within you:</HI> and this thou do&s;t look upon to be &s;educing, &amp; that it is not &s;ufficient for to guide them to Heaven, but&punc; that they mu&s;t come out from the Light within them, to thy Doing, which we deny, and all thy preach|ing practi&s;e, and Invencion, which is witchcraft; and here I charge thee to be a Witch, and to bewitch the people. Thou do&s;t bring a place of Scripture 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. 18, 19, 20. which thou exhort|e&s;t to read, which is a Rod for thy own back, concerning <HI>you need no man to teach you but the Anoynting:</HI> for many <HI>came out with us, but it is manife&s;t they were not of us, becau&s;e they did not continnue with us:</HI> but thou art uncome-forth, and thou knowe&s;t not this condicion, but art in the world among Antichri&s;ts fal&s;e prophets, and Bea&s;ts; and yet thou would&s;t be bu&s;y among the Saints con|dicions: but this I &s;ay to thee, All who are come out from among &s;uch as thou art, need not any man to teach them, but as the <HI>An|noynting.</HI> But they who do not continu, they turn from the <HI>An|noynting:</HI> and he that denieth the Father and the Son, is a Lyar and an Antichri&s;t; <HI>he that hath the Son, hath the Father al&s;o:</HI> ther|fore we do know thee to be Antichri&s;t, who &s;hould come. Friend thou &s;peake&s;t of Speaking and Hearing what is not agreeable to the Anoynting; be &s;ilent, O fle&s;h, for thou knowe&s;t nothing of the <HI>Anoynting;</HI> thou art one of tho&s;e who&s;e mouth mu&s;t be &s;topt, thou art one of tho&s;e dumb Prophets, who ha&s;t nothing from the <HI>Anoynting,</HI> but denye&s;t it, but onely thou ha&s;t got the form of words to make a Trade of it, and denye&s;t the thing it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Query 16. <HI>Whether they do not bewitch People, that draw them from the Spirit within, to ob&s;erve the Ordinances of the world? when as the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, They did bewiteh you, that drew you to ob&s;erve Cir|cumci&s;ion, which was the command of God, when he who was the &s;ub|&s;tance of tho&s;e Types and Figures was come.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> The Lord rebuke this lying &s;pirit that is a|mong&s;t you; who is that which goeth to draw people from the Spi|rit within to ob&s;erve the Ordinances of the world name them, and blame them: tho&s;e that are lead by that Spirit of God, and have him in good earne&s;t, do make u&s;e of the Ordinance of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> in a more &s;piritual manner, not to draw them from the Spirit, but but to draw them into the Spirits likene&s;s, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and enjoy|ment,
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the Lord rebuke that prophane Spirit among you that dares to call the Ordinances of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the Ordinances of the world, that cares not what di&s;honour you put on Chri&s;t, his Truth, his Waies, his Servants: The Lord judg, and let all the Lords People judg who&s;e Eyes are open, whether they do not bewitch poor creatures that carries them from <HI>beginning in the Spirit to end in the Fle&s;h, Gal.</HI> 3. 1. 3. from the Go&s;pell to the Law, from Ju&s;tificacion by Faith, to Ju&s;tificacion by works, from loving the Appearance of God, to Strife, Malice, Hatred, and to the Appearance of Sathan; from Peace, to a con&s;tant re&s;tle&s;ne&s;&s;e either in their own Spirits, or outwardly troubling others, by Writing, Printing, bra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">en-faced-Rayling, and Reproaching, without heeding whether they &s;peak Truth or a Lye.</P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prei&s;ts an&s;wer,</HI> Thou art he that goes about to draw people from the Spirit within them, to ob&s;erve thy carnall Tradicion, and Imitacion, and to ob&s;erve the Ordinances of the World, and it is thy Spirit which is that Lying Spirit which thou mencione&s;t, which the Lord will rebuke and mu&s;t rebuke; for thy Lord and God I do deny, for the living Lord God of Heaven and Earth, thou knowe&s;t not, no more than a naturall bruit Bea&s;t <HI>Jude</HI> 10. for thy God is the <HI>God of the World,</HI> and he is thy Lord, and the Lying &s;pirit rules in thee, as thou ha&s;t made it to apear; thou art he, therefore I name thee, and blame thee <HI>Camelford,</HI> and the Lord will blame thee and rebuke thee. Freind, none of the Ordinances of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> do&s;t thou know, for all thy Preaching is of thy &s;elfe, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never commanded it, nor never commanded thee, nor thy Praying, nor thy Singing, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never conmanded it, but it is the Invencion of thy Brain, and the invencion of man, and to the Ordinances of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> thou art an Enimy: Thou do&s;t openly &s;how thy &s;elfe to be a witne&s;&s;e again&s;t them who are the Mini&s;ters of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and who a|bides in the Ordinance of Chri&s;t, that witne&s;&s;e again&s;t &s;uch as thou art, but all the Ordinances of <HI>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us</HI> we witne&s;&s;e and own, but thou to them art an Enimy&punc; therfore thee and all thy Ordi|nances do we deny, and all that which thou cal&s;t &s;pirituall manners for this is but thy Glo&s;s and Colour, that thou may&s;t appear beu|tifull with thy &s;pirituall <HI>nocion,</HI> but thou art di&s;covered! Prai&s;es be to the glorious Lord God Almighty for ever. Thou &s;ay&s;t thou do&s;t not draw them from the Spirit, but draw&s;t them into the Spirits likene&s;&s;e; here thou ha&s;t made a graven Immage, and the likene&s;&s;e of a thing, and the Lord forbids that thou &s;hould&s;t make
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to thy &s;elf any graven Immage, or the likene&s;&s;e of any thing that is in Heaven or in the Earth, and here thou ha&s;t &s;howed thy &s;pirit to be a contrary &s;pirit; in this thou &s;howe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a Lyar, for thy wor&s;hip is not &s;o much as the likene&s;&s;e of a &s;pirit, for the Spirit is one, and it we own, but thy likene&s;&s;e of Spirit we deny. Thou &s;aye&s;t again, the Lord rebuke that Lying-&s;pirit, and I &s;ay to thee, thy Lord we deny, and the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, doth now rebuke thee thou Lying-&s;pirit, for him thou knowe&s;t not, and cale&s;t it a Lying-&s;pirit, for thou praye&s;t to thy Lord to re|buke the Spirit of truth, which &s;hall confound thee and thy Lord; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy prophane&s;&s;e, and bla&s;phemy, and it is made manife&s;t what God thou &s;erve&s;t, even <HI>the God of the world.</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t, let the Lord judg and all who&s;e eyes are opened: The Lord doth judg, and hath judged, and all the Lords people doth judg who&s;e eyes are opened, they judg thee and all &s;uch as thou art, in Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and &s;ee thee clearly; Pray&s;es be to the glo|rious Lord God. <HI>The day from on high d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th &s;pring.</HI> A que&s;tion thou a&s;ke&s;t, whether they do not bewitch poor creatures, that turn them from beginning in the Spirit, to end in the Fle&s;h? <HI>An&s;:</HI> yea I &s;ay they do, and thou art one, for as thou &s;ayd&s;t before in thy Query, when thou asked&s;t whether the Light was &s;ufficient to lead people to heaven without any more adoe, thou &s;hewe&s;t all thy doings tend to draw People from the Light, into the works of the Fle&s;h and from waiting to be ju&s;tified in the Spirit, and to lead them into condemnacion, and there thou art, one that be|witches the people, who know not the Spirit, but tho&s;e who are led and guided by the Spirit and walk in it, deny thy Freedom in the fle&s;h, and thy liberty, and all thy carnall Ordinances and Tradicions, And it is thou that drawe&s;t people from the Apo&s;tles doctrin, and from the Law of God within, and from Ju&s;tificacion to the Law of works, into thy carnal imitated way: but the Law of Faith, and the Law of God, and the Teachings of the Spirit, this we witne&s;&s;e and own, as that which the Apo&s;tles was taught by, and by this we &s;eek to bring all People from under thy carnall teaching, and we deny it all, and thee both. And whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e us for drawing people from the Appearance of God, to Strife, Mallice, Envy, and Hatred, and to the Appearance of Sathan; herein thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elfe to be a fal&s;e accu&s;er, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. and a Lyar, in &s;aying we draw people from the Appearances of God; we draw People up to God, from Wrath, and Malice, and the Appea|race
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of Sathan, for in Wrath, Malice, and Envy, and Strife thou live&s;t in; for who are drawn from thee, and the Appearance&punc; of Wrath, Malice, and Strife, lives in Joy, and Love, and Unity one|with another: and as for what thou &s;peake&s;t of con&s;tant re&s;tle&s;&s;e|ne&s;&s;e it is thy own, for all who are drawn from you are drawn in|to &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e, and the Spirit of them that are drawn from you thou knowe&s;t not: Thou who art re&s;tle&s;&s;e and keepe&s;t all other in re&s;tle&s;ne&s;&s;e, ever learning and never able to come to the know|ledg of the <HI>Truth, 2 Tim.</HI> 3, 7. and therefore thou judge&s;t them like thy &s;elf: and it &s;eems our Papers, and Writings, and Speakings do torment and trouble thee as ever the power of Truth did the Pha|ri&s;es; for the <HI>Prophet</HI> who was moved to write the <HI>Roul,</HI> when he &s;ent it to him unto whom it was directed, he burned it; &s;o doth Writing now torment and trouble thee: And whereas thou accu|fe&s;t us of brazen-faced Rayling, and reproaching, without heeding whether we &s;peak Truth or a Lye: <HI>An&s;:</HI> All this &s;tate and condici|on thou art in: Brazen-faced thou art, for thou art a Bea&s;t, and brazen-faced in uttering forth thy Lyes, and thy Railing, and thy venomous filthy Speeches, and thou it is that do&s;t not heed whe|ther thou &s;peak&s;t Truth or a Lye; for Truth thou can&s;t not &s;peak, for thou can&s;t do no otherwi&s;e, for thou art of thy Father the De|vill <HI>Who was a Lyar from the begining,</HI> for the truth yet thou know|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t not, but we &s;peak the Truth as it is in Je&s;us, and lye not, and te&s;tifie to that which &s;hould excerci&s;e thy Con&s;cience 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 2. and eternally &s;hall all you witne&s;&s;e us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Cor</HI> 5 11 though the ly|ng-Spirit in you now judg the power of Truth to be a Lye, which ever the lying-Spirit did, but thy Spirit is tryed, and we know what thou art, an enimy to the Truth, and without God in the World</P>
<P>Query 17. <HI>Whether you have the &s;ame Spirit as was in the Apo|&s;tles, and</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>and the Prophets, which gave forth the Scriptures, &s;eeing you act contrary to the Scriptures, and follow your own Invencions and Tradicions, and &s;o have erred from them all.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prie&s;ts An&s;wer.</HI> The &s;ame Spirit that Chri&s;t had, the Prophets, and Apo&s;tles had, and the &s;ame have all that are Chri&s;ts; there is but one Spirit of Light, Truth, and Peace in the Body of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9 14. and all Di&s;pen&s;acions are given forth by this one Spirit. Yer I do beleive this Spirit is given forth in &s;everall mea&s;ures, and degrees, to the Body of Chri&s;t, <HI>Ephe&s;: 4, 7. 1 Cor:</HI> 12. from the 4 Ver&s;e to the 12. Yea I do al&s;o beleive; no man to this day, in the
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world, hath &s;o full a mea&s;ure of the Spirit, as the Penners of the Scriptures had: they had the gift of Toungs, and were by the Spi|rit enabled to preach to any part of the world; I do not know any that hath &s;uch a gift by the Spirit; they had a gift of healing the Sick, and curing the Lame in their bodily infirmities: I know non &s;uch, no not the perfecte&s;t among you; they had by the Spirit a gift of Prophe&s;ie, which was tru, and came to pa&s;&s;e: and though you have had tho&s;e among you that have pretended to this, yet all that hath been, is but a di&s;covery of that Lying-Spirit they were led by, enough to make you blu&s;h, but that you are brazen|faced: They erred not in di&s;covering the minde of God to us; I know none that can rightly boa&s;t of &s;uch a mea&s;ure.</P>
<P>I have taken the Pains to an&s;wer thy Queries particularly; ex|cu&s;e it not, but an&s;wer me. I have propounded &s;o again, that is particularly. The Lord open your eyes, that what is of God, and Truth, may fix on many of you, that you may e&s;cape out where the Snare of Satan is broken, and I &s;hall rejoyce in my Pains&punc; <HI>Farewell.</HI></P>
<P><HI>A Reply to the Prie&s;ts An&s;:</HI> Freind, here thou ha&s;t confe&s;&s;ed that all hath the &s;ame Spirit that are <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> and here is Confu&s;ion in thy words, and thou &s;hewe&s;t that thou can&s;t not witne&s;s it thy &s;elf, but &s;aye&s;t others hath it thou do&s;t beleive, and yet after, thou com|e&s;t to deny it, and &s;ay&s;t no man in all the world, hath &s;o full a mea|&s;ure of the Spirit, as the Penners of the Scripture had; and Freind, here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou ha&s;t not the &s;ame Spirit that was in <HI>Ie&s;us, and he that hath not the &s;ame Spirit is none of his, Rom.</HI> 89. and it doth &s;how, that thou read&s;t the Scripture with thy Carnall minde; and &s;ay&s;t, thou do&s;t beleiv the Spirit is given forth in &s;everall mea&s;ures, and degrees; thou &s;ay&s;t it becau&s;e the Scripture &s;ayth it, but thou knowe&s;t not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> neither art thou a Mine&s;ter of him; and the working, and Operacion of the Sp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rit, thou knowe&s;t not, as thou &s;howed&s;t it before, neither do&s;t thou know the gift of God, but art querying the Condicions of them that had received the gift, and afterward fell away, after they were made pertakers of the heaven|ly gift, which &s;howes that thou knowe&s;t not the gift of God, nor art not made pertaker of it (but art in the Fall, and &s;o &s;howe&s;t forth thy Ignorance) for if thou wert made a pertaker of the hea|venly gift thou would&s;t leave of buying and &s;elling the Letter, and making <HI>Merchandize of it Rev.</HI> 18, 11. Thou &s;ay&s;t, thou do&s;t not know any one, that hath &s;uch a gift to preach in any part of the
<PB N="44" REF="25">
world, nor the gift of Tongues, here thou &s;hame&s;t thy own Pro|fe&s;&s;ion in the natural &s;tate, and the natural preaching, and all thy fellows who profe&s;s Tongues&punc; and your carnal Original; thou &s;ay&s;t thou knowe&s;t not any that are &s;o gifted, to &s;peak in all parts of the world&punc; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never &s;ent thee, for whom <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ent to preach, he &s;ayd, <HI>Go preach to all Na|tions, to every Creature, Matth&punc;</HI> 16. 15. but he did not &s;end them for gifts and rewards, for it was <HI>Balaam</HI> that looked after &s;uch things, and in that generacion thou art, envying the righteous: thou &s;ay&s;t thou do&s;t not know the &s;ame gift among&s;t us; neither do&s;t thou &s;ee it among the Apo&s;tles; for the &s;ame that was in the Apo&s;tles, we witne&s;s, the blinde &s;ee, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and them that have layd long under &s;uch fal&s;e Phy&s;icians as thou art are cured, the dumb &s;peak, and therefore thou rage&s;t (as thy Example the Phari&s;es did) <HI>and &s;ons and daughrers prophecy, Ioel</HI> 2. 28. but &s;uch were called mad men and fools by &s;uch as thou art in their genera|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, who art out of the truth; and whereas thou do&s;t accu&s;e that we have had &s;uch among&s;t us, as pretend to this Prophecy, thou art a Lyar, there is none pretends Prophecy, and the lying &s;pirit &s;peaks in thee, and thou neither art a&s;hamed, neither can&s;t thou blu&s;h; thou &s;ay&s;t thou do&s;t not know &s;uch among&s;t us, therefore thou di&s;covere&s;t thy &s;elf, that thou know&s;t nothing; Thou deaf Adder and Serpent, who art full of Cockatrices, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8. 4. for if thou could&s;t &s;ee, but thou art blinde, thou might&s;t &s;ee the &s;ame gift among&s;t us as was among the Apo&s;tles, for we witne&s;s the &s;ame by the &s;ame &s;pirit, according to the operacion, but the lying &s;pirit in thee can judg no otherways of truth it &s;elf but to be a lying &s;pirit, for it is in the generacion of them that know nothing of the truth, for that Spirit that we are led by thou knowe&s;t not; for if thou wert led by the &s;ame Spirit we &s;hould be one with thee: but Friend, thy &s;pirit is tryed and known to be the &s;pirit of Er|ror; thou &s;ay&s;t, the Prophets erred not in declaring the minde of God to you; thou knowe&s;t not the Spirit that the Prophets were guided by, nor thou knowe&s;t not the minde of God, though thou ha&s;t the out&s;ide, a declaracion which is to the vi&s;ible eye without thee, but&punc; art in the generacion of them that could tell by the Pro|phets words where <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hould be born, yet they <HI>&s;ought to put him to death, Mark</HI> 14. 64. the chief Prie&s;ts, and &s;o thou art one of them which is an Enemy to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> where he is born now, as they were them, and as <HI>Iannes</HI> and <HI>Iambres</HI> wit&s;tood <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> &s;o do&s;t thou
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re&s;i&s;t the truth, out of a corrupt minde, in the &s;tate of <HI>Iannes</HI> and <HI>Iambres,</HI> out of the faith, a Reprobate, as thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed it, but thou &s;halt proceed no farther, for thy <HI>folly is and &s;hall be made manife&s;t, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 9. Thou &s;ay&s;t, thou ha&s;t taken pains to an|&s;wer the&s;e Queries, thou ha&s;t wre&s;ted many Scriptures, as it is made manife&s;t, to maintain thee in the &s;tate of the Phari&s;es, and to maintain thee an Enemy again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and to maintain thee to be one of <HI>Balaams</HI> Prophets, and to maintain thee to be one of the hierlings, and to ju&s;tifie that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids, and to main|tain thee to hold up <HI>that horrible filty thing that is committed in the Land, and to bear rule by thy means, Ier.</HI> 5. 30, 31. which the Prophets cryed again&s;t, and with the Prophets words, and <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words; and with the Apo&s;tles words thou would&s;t &s;helter thy &s;elf, and make thy &s;elf a cover to maintain thee in thy filthine&s;s; but the Lord God of power is coming to uncover thee, and lay thee more and more open, and make thee bare, that thy filthyne&s;s may ap|pear, to the end that the &s;imple ones who are in captivity under thy &s;ubtlety, and &s;nare of iniquity, may be delivered, and peoples mindes directed unto God, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e alone may&punc; be exalted <HI>to whom be all pray&s;e, honor, and glory for ever.</HI> And Friend, thou &s;ay&s;t, that thou de&s;ire&s;t that the Lord would open our eys; thou tempter of the Lord, thy Lord we deny, and thy Prayers we deny, the Lord hath opened our eys, <HI>Pray&s;e and glory be to him for ever,</HI> the Lord hath opened our eys without thy Prayers, <HI>Matth.</HI> 20. 34. (there|fore we deny them, they are abominacion) and contrary to thy means hath the Lord opened our eys? 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 1. 1. neither is there any thing of God in thy An&s;wers, but thou and thy imagi|nacions are raced out for ever; and all thy pains thou &s;peake&s;t of, are the works of thy own hands, which were ever cryed out a|gain&s;t. Thou de&s;ire&s;t we may e&s;cape out of the &s;nare of Satan&punc; where it is broken, we have e&s;caped out of thy &s;nares <HI>where they are broken, P&s;al.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">24. 7. and therefore out of thy dominion, and from under thy power are we come, and &s;ee thee to be one that the Devil en&s;nares, who art one of his Souldiers, and not of <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> fighting for the Devils Kingdom, and fighting again&s;t the Saints with thy carnal weapons, and again&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">he <HI>Lamb,</HI> but <HI>the Lamb hath got the victory over the Bea&s;t;</HI> Pray&s;es, pray&s;es be to the Lord God&punc; Almighty for every.</P>
<CLOSER>Amen.</CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
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<HEAD>QUERIES &s;ent by <HI>Gabriel Camelford,</HI> to the People who out of reproach and envy of the blinde and dark world are called <HI>Quakers.</HI></HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">An&s;wered by the Spirit of the Lord, which doth enlighten and &s;hine in our hearts: and tho&s;e that live in the pure light of God, and can reade with the Spirit, may &s;ee him taken in his own Snare, and condemned out of own mouth, and his Deceits layd open.</HEAD>
<P>Query 1. <HI>_WHat is a Reprobate?</HI> 2 Cor. 13. 5.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;wer.</HI> Whereas thou would&s;t know what a Reprobate is, thou art out of the truth, hated of God, a Childe of the Devil, an Enemy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, the Son of Per|dicion, in whom <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> rules not, but the works of the fle&s;h, who knows not the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into world, but denyes it and hates it.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>be in a Reprobate to lead him to God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou aske&s;t thou knowe&s;t not what, Shall ever a Repro|bate enter to God? Jacob <HI>have I loved,</HI> E&s;au <HI>have I hated;</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> condemns the Reprobate, and the Reprobate <HI>hates the Light, Iohn</HI> 3. 19, 20. as thou do&s;t, which &s;hews forth the works of darkne&s;s, and there thou art a Reprobate, and one that knows not the Light that enlightneth every one that comes into the world, and this Light &s;hall condemn thee who keepe&s;t others in the &s;ame nature with thy fair glo&s;&s;es and colours which thou &s;ette&s;t
<PB N="47" REF="26">
upon the Scriptures, which mu&s;t go into the Lake, and into perdi|cion, who live&s;t in thy filthy and fle&s;hly imaginacions, which ever was cur&s;ed from God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. 5. an Enemy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, whom the Lord according to his promi&s;e will &s;catter, who live&s;t in thy <HI>imaginacious</HI> and <HI>conceivings, Rom.</HI> 1. 21. and there thou art.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>If &s;o, why are not all men brought to God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Becau&s;e they hate the Light as thou do&s;t, and love&s;t the darkne&s;s tather than the Light, becau&s;e thy <HI>deeds are evil;</HI> Do&s;t thou profe&s;s thy &s;elf to be a Mini&s;ter of <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and querie&s;t why all men are not brought to God? here openly thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a <HI>Hater of the Light,</HI> for &s;hame give over and blu&s;h. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I am the Light which enlightneth every one which cometh into the world, Ioh.</HI> 1. 9. which thou art ignorant of; he that loves the Light, and walks in the Light, there is no occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling, but thou that hate&s;t the Light, thy <HI>deeds are evil,</HI> and therefore <HI>thou &s;tumble&s;t, Iohn</HI> 11. 9, 10. and there is thy condemna|cion, which is the Light, and with &s;uch blinde Guides as thou art are poor people lead from the Light within them which &s;hould guide them to God, to hearken to thy imaginacions, and to fall down to thy images, <HI>but the Plagues of God will be poured down upon&punc; the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet, Deut.</HI> 28. 59. and thou art one which keepe&s;t people from God.</P>
<P>Query 4. <HI>Whether any man hath power to re&s;i&s;t in the day when he comes to draw the &s;oul to him&s;elf?</HI></P>
<P><HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;w.</HI> Here thou &s;hewe&s;t that thou do&s;t not know the power of God, neither ha&s;t ta&s;ted of it, but &s;tand&s;t in the power of Satan, and do&s;t re&s;i&s;t and deny, but a day of power and <HI>vengeance, Ier.</HI> 51. 6. will come upon thee, which thou &s;halt not be able to re&s;i&s;t, though now thou art querying, and can&s;t not tell whether man can re&s;i&s;t or no: by thy Query thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;ubtle|ty Serpent like; the children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> which had ta&s;ted of the mighty power of the Lord, when they murmured they were de|&s;troyed, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14. 28, 29. but this thou knewe&s;t not, but art &s;hut|ting up the Kingdom of Heaven again&s;t men as the&s;e did, who were called of men Ma&s;ters, which &s;tood praying in the Syna|gogues, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cryed wo again&s;t, in <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. reade thy porcion there, who hated <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and there thou art; for &s;hame give over profe&s;&s;ing thy &s;elf to be a Mini&s;ter of God, who know&s;t not the power of God, but art querying whether any man can re|&s;i&s;t it, yea or no.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="27">
<P>Query 1. <HI>Who were they the Apo&s;tle &s;pake this word to? Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 12.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They were they that were made nigh by the bloud of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> whom thou art an Enemy to, and without God in the world, in the generacion of the Phari&s;es, and a childe of di&s;obe|dience, <HI>Light &s;hines, and Darkne&s;s doth not comprehend it:</HI> the god of the world hath blinded thy eys, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 8. and thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a Tempter.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether you dare own this as a truth, made out by the Spirit of God in the Apo&s;tle?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We do witne&s;s in us what the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, by the &s;ame Spirit that was in the Apo&s;tle, therefore we witne&s;s again&s;t thee, who ha&s;t nothing but the Letter and the lying &s;pirit to be thy witne&s;s, and we do witne&s;s what the Apo&s;tle &s;ayth, <HI>He that be|lieveth hath the witne&s;s in him&s;elf, 1 Iohn</HI> 5. 9, 10. and this do we own, therefore <HI>tremble before the Lord</HI> thou childe of the Devil, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 99. 1. and bla&s;phemer, and Enemy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s; who art querying without.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>If &s;o, whether your opinion is not contrary to truth, and &s;o a Ly?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Opinions we do deny, and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy dark minde, thou can&s;t not witne&s;s that ever thou wert in the Light, <HI>for darkne&s;s cannot comprehend it, Iohn</HI> 1. 5. and there thou art, for thy minde is full of confu&s;ion and frivolou&s;ue&s;s, and the Lye &s;peaks in thee, and there is nothing of truth born up in thy under|&s;tanding, and that which &s;hould exerci&s;e thy con&s;cience thou art an Enemy to, and to the Apo&s;tles life thou art an Enemy, and know&s;t it not, though thou can&s;t and do&s;t make a Trade of his words, and <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, and the Prophets words; O thou fal&s;e|hearted di&s;&s;embling Hypocrite! the Plagues of God are due to thee, and that is thy porcion, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18. 8.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether there be not a time that men are darkne&s;s? Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 8.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou art in darkne&s;s, and the man of &s;in is darkne&s;s, and <HI>the Light &s;hines in darkne&s;s, and thou do&s;t not comprehend it, Iohn</HI> 1. 5. Thou <HI>hate&s;t the Light</HI> thou childe of <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> and therefore thou art in <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> which <HI>Light</HI> &s;hall condemn thee, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. 19. the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God is revealed upon thee in flames of fier, thou childe of di&s;obedience.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether there be a po&s;&s;ibility to hide</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>the Son of</HI>
<PB N="49" REF="27">
<HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s quite under a cloud, where he really is?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou Enemy of God, thou do&s;t hide the Talent in thee under the clod of earth in thee, <HI>If thou ha&s;t an ear thou may&s;t hear, 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 19. the Mini&s;ters of God they &s;peak <HI>to the &s;pirits in Pri&s;on,</HI> and the Pri&s;oners &s;hall come out of Pri&s;on; Art thou a Teacher and &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be &s;o &s;otti&s;h, and to be ignorant of the Form, and mu&s;t be taught the Letter? therefore thou &s;hewe&s;t thy ignorance, becau&s;e <HI>the &s;on of perdicion is above all that is called God in thee, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 3. Thou blinde Hypocrite! was not he in <HI>Egypt</HI> while <HI>Herod</HI> was King, and <HI>out of</HI> Egypt <HI>have I called my Son, &s;ayth the Lord:</HI> Who ha&s;t thou preached all this while? or who hath &s;ent thee to preach? Here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that thou never knew&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never &s;ent thee; O thou dark dumb Prophet! thou wert &s;peaking of the Prophet, and of Grace, <HI>which hath appeared to all men, Tit.</HI> 2. 11, 12. which thou turn|e&s;t <HI>into wantonne&s;s,</HI> for this Grace is the Saints Teacher, tho&s;e who are taught of it deny thee, and thou art one that keeps the Light in Pri&s;on in thee, and the Devil is exalted <HI>above all that is called God</HI> in thee, who art for condemnacion and de&s;truction, as it is written.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>Whether the Devil be &s;tronger than</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>the fle&s;h than the &s;pirit? or where do&s;t thou finde he was ever a Pri&s;oner in Satans chains?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We witne&s;s that he was in Satans chains, and is in thee, el&s;e how could they crucifie him afre&s;h? thou Enemy of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, who ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy ignorance, and thou art he that keeps him in them; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be ignorant of the Letter, but art one of them that impri&s;ons the truth; <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I was in Pri&s;on,</HI> and is kept in Pri&s;on by thee, <HI>and ye vi|&s;ited me not, Matth. 25. 43. The Devil &s;hall ca&s;t &s;ome of you into Pri&s;on, Rev.</HI> 2. 10. And <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, Saul <HI>why per&s;ecute&s;t thou me?</HI> and in that generacion thou art per&s;ecuting, but in all the&s;e things thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be ignorant of the life and power within, but art querying without with thy bu&s;ie minde, looking with the eye that cannot &s;ee, and hearkning with that ear which cannot hear, which &s;hews that thou never knew&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but do&s;t impri&s;on him; <HI>The &s;ame which di&s;cended did a&s;cend,</HI> which &s;ayd, <HI>He</HI> had <HI>over|come the world, Iohn</HI> 16. 33. If thou ha&s;t an ear thou may&s;t hear, but thou art he that <HI>quenches the &s;pirit,</HI> and <HI>despi&s;e&s;t prophecying,</HI> who lives in the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, who art for de&s;truction and the
<PB N="50" REF="28">
fier, doth not the Letter &s;ay, he was taken from Pri&s;on, from Judgment, and was he not in Pri&s;on when <HI>Barnabas</HI> was delivered, when a company of rude fellows came from the high Prie&s;ts (&s;uch as thou art) to take him and lead him to Pri&s;on, and he it is which is impri&s;oned &s;till, the cau&s;e of it is, thou and &s;uch high Prie&s;ts as thou art, <HI>Mark</HI> 15. 1. which &s;tir up the rude company to bring him to the Magi&s;trate, and to the Pri&s;on &s;till, <HI>Matth.</HI> 26. 59. O thou Enemy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s! do&s;t thou inquire whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was in Pri&s;on, thou art <HI>born after the fle&s;h, and per&s;ecute&s;t him who is born after the Spirit,</HI> here thou art an&s;wered.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether it be not a needle&s;s expre&s;&s;ion to &s;peak of drawing the &s;oul to</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>if</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>be &s;o near us as in us a Teacher and Leader already, Iohn</HI> 6. 44.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou Enemy, the Tempter and Serpent, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath cal|led thee to repentance, and thou ha&s;t been convinced with the Light which is <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but thou live&s;t in the fle&s;h and in the filthi|ne&s;s, in the my&s;tery of iniquity, who would&s;t have the Scripture to be an&s;wered without thee, who art an Enemy to the life that gave it forth, <HI>Mark</HI> 15. 1. therefore to &s;uch as thou, and to thy generacion the Wo was ever preached, for thou art one of them which was in the generacion of the Phari&s;es, who tempted <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who were Enemyes to him, though they profe&s;&s;ed the Prophets words, and <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> words, but thou art for de&s;truction, and mi&s;e|ry will be thy end.</P>
<P>Query 2&punc; <HI>Whether it be not an improper &s;peech of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>to &s;ay, You will not come to me, when he is in them, and they in him before? according to what you affirm.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou blinde Hypocrite and Phari&s;e, here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a blinde Guide indeed, that neither knows <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor the drawing of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> how dare&s;t thou &s;ay there is improperne&s;s in his &s;peech, but it is that thou being an Enemy of him might&s;t utter forth thy folly, who art one of them that will not come to him, that <HI>thou might&s;t have life, Iohn</HI> 5. 40. but thou art &s;eeking the outward Letter, which is a te&s;tificacion of him, &s;tanding up in thy own imaginacions, and would&s;t have the Scrip|ture an&s;wer thee; &s;o thou Serpent would&s;t have du&s;t, but with imaginacions I will not feed thee&punc; but with judgment (as it is writ|ten) but thy minde I do deny, and to the Spirit that is in Pri&s;on I &s;peak, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 19. whom thou art an Enemy to, and to thee the Plagues of God are due.</P>
<PB N="52" REF="28">
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether the time of dark Natures power be not a night to the &s;oul? Iohn</HI> 11. 10.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This is thy own condicion, thou neede&s;t not to have asked it, for thy &s;oul thou knowe&s;t not, but the dark power reigns and rules in thee, therefore thou &s;tumble&s;t, becau&s;e there is no Light in thy under&s;tanding, <HI>John</HI> 12. 10. thou art in the night, and there is &s;tumbling, and know&s;t not whither&punc; thou goo&s;t, one that hates the Light, a childe of di&s;obedience.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whence it is that they that walk in the Light &s;tumble, if they have &s;uch a pure leading Light in them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou &s;tumble&s;t in the&s;e Queries, becau&s;e thou art di&s;|obedient to the Light, and hate&s;t it, as others do, and the&s;e are fri|volous Queries that proceed from a frivolous minde, who bringe&s;t Scriptures, and art ignorant, as a natural bruit Bea&s;t made to be taken and de&s;troyed&punc; (as <HI>Peter</HI> &s;ayth) now the evil nature in thee at this may rage, but in that generacion thou art, one that hateth the Light, and &s;tumbles and walks in darkne&s;s, and knowe&s;t not whither thou goe&s;t, <HI>John</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11. and here again thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf ignorant of the Letter, and of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words.</P>
<P>Query <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Whether the Rea&s;on given by</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>be a tru and &s;olid Rea&s;on, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou with thy damnable Doctrine would&s;t compare <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> like thy &s;elf, with thy filthy Rea&s;on, who art one of the fal&s;e Prophets, who denye&s;t the Lord, therefore thou art que&s;tion|ing <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, which &s;hews thee a Phari&s;e, who did que&s;tion <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> thou Enemy of God, where can&s;t then accu&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> that he &s;poke un&s;olidly or un&s;oundly, or &s;poke a Ly? O thou bu&s;i|minded fellow! what ha&s;t thou to do to que&s;tion <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words? <HI>Mark</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. but thou &s;hewe&s;t forth thy bu&s;ie filthy minde, <HI>Luke</HI> 23. 2. that thou might&s;t accu&s;e him where he is made manife&s;t; thou Phari&s;e and Hypocrite.</P>
<P>Query 4. <HI>If &s;o, whether they that &s;ay Every man hath a &s;ufficient Light, be not Lyars and Deceivers of the People, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a deceiver openly, and all thou &s;peake&s;t is deceit, &amp; from thy dark minde, that comprehends not the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the world, who hates it &s;tumbles at noon-day, <HI>John.</HI> 5. and there thou art, who ha&s;t put forth &s;o many &s;tumbling Queries, and in that gene|racion thou art; the &s;ame Spirit is made manife&s;t as was in the Apo&s;tles which doth comprehend thee, who &s;halt eternally witne&s;s
<PB N="52" REF="29">
me, who cannot flatter thee; and ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf openly to be without the Light of God in darkne&s;s, yet art pleading for it&punc; Therefore thou make&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> a Lyar and a Deceiver, and art in that generacion that ever called him &s;o; <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayd, <HI>I am the Light of the world which enlightens every one that comes into the world, Iohn</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 9. One he loves the Light and walks in it, and there is no occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling; the other hates the Light becau&s;e <HI>his deeds are evil,</HI> and becau&s;e it will reprove them, and this is the con|d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mnacion of the world, and of thee.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether all men are lead by the Spirit of God? Rom.</HI> 8, 9, 14.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No thou art not lead by the Spirit of God, but art lead by the <HI>Prince of darkne&s;s who rules in the children of di&s;obedi|ence, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. &s;o thou art one that hate&s;t the Light, and <HI>quench|e&s;t the Spirit, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 19. crucifie&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf openly blinde; Do&s;t thou profe&s;s thy &s;elf to be a Mini&s;ter of God, and querie&s;t whether all be lead by the Spirit? here thou make&s;t thy nakedne&s;s and fooli&s;hne&s;s appear.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether all men without exceptions are the &s;ons of God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No, thou art not, nor none of thy flock, we know thee &s;o to be, <HI>Except ye be born again, Iohn</HI> 3. 3. ye mu&s;t fir&s;t be born again, but thou art a childe of wrath and di&s;obedience; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy natural birth, and as a bruit bea&s;t which <HI>Iude</HI> &s;peaks of, <HI>Iude</HI> 10. and this mu&s;t thou own before thou know&s;t what it is to be a &s;on or &s;ervant, which yet thou art an Enemy to.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether the preaching of the Gospel be not a &s;piritual husbandry and warfare? 1 Cor.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 9, 13, 14.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We do witne&s;s the preaching of the Go&s;pel to be a &s;pi|ritual warfare and husbandry, to pluck up &s;uch fruitle&s;s Trees and Briars and Thorns as thou art which cumber the ground, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 9. and to war again&s;t &s;uch Phari&s;es as thou art, which hath long &s;tood in the Vineyard cumbring the ground, who&s;e fruit &s;tinks, as it is written, <HI>Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and ca&s;t into the fier, Matth.</HI> 3. 10. which thou art one, and the cur&s;ed Fig-tree, &s;o the warfare is again&s;t &s;uch as thou art, who li|ve&s;t in &s;piritual wickedne&s;s, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cryed Wo again&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 11. 21. that <HI>had the chiefe&s;t places in the A&s;&s;emblyes, Matth.</HI> 23, and there is the war that wars again&s;t &s;uch as thou art.</P>
<PB N="53" REF="29">
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether men go to war at their own Co&s;t. 1 Cor.</HI> 7. 9 13 14.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> A Query out of the Scripture thou bringe&s;t, <HI>who goeth a warfare at his own Charge,</HI> but the &s;ame Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, he did <HI>u&s;e none of the&s;e things, neither have I written the&s;e things, that it &s;hould be &s;o done unto me, I preach the Go&s;pel, I have nothing to glory of; Wo is un|to me if I preach not the Go&s;pel, Cor.</HI> 19. 15 61. Thou wre&s;te&s;t his words, to maintain thy gifts, and thou ha&s;t planted no Vineyard, nor never wa&s;t in the Warfare, and art not come to know it, and the Flock the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of, thou knowe&s;t not, but art an eni|my to it; neither knowe&s;t thou the Milk that was given to the Flock, but thou art one of them that <HI>fayl with thy Feet, Ezek:</HI> 34. 18. that ha&s;t nothing but the Husk, which is fit for nothing but the Swine, but as a Theif would&s;t be up in the Apo&s;tles Condicion. The Apo&s;tl &s;poke the Truth, which thou art out of, and to the flock he &s;poke of it, and the Vineyard thou art an enimy to, and that with all thy power and might, would&s;t wre&s;t the Scripture: but thou art thru&s;t out, and di&s;covered, with them who are within and &s;een by us, and &s;o, I bid thee Farewell; unto Perdicion thou mu&s;t go.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>Whether the Apo&s;tles did not give a tru Expo&s;icion, of the 9&punc; ver&s;e in the forecited <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hapter, and in the 10 ver&s;e; And if &s;o, then he that Plougheth, and Thre&s;heth, may do it in hope, and expectacion of outward pre&s;ervacion in his labour; not to have his mouth muzelled.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou would&s;t not have thy mouth muzeled, the mouth of the fal&s;e Prophets mu&s;t be &s;topped, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Evil Bea&s;ts, Slow-b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">llies, who&s;e mouths mu&s;t be &s;topped, Tit.</HI> 1. 11 12. and thou art one of them who takes the Apo&s;tles words for thy carnal ends, and would&s;t have Expo&s;icions upon his words, who perverts his words, and &s;ay&s;t, he gave Expo&s;icions, who &s;poke plainly, and thou &s;howe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one of them that the Apo&s;tle &s;poke unto</P>
<P>Query 4. <HI>Whether there be not the &s;ame equity that tho&s;e that wait on the Gospell &s;hould have maintenance, as well as tho&s;e that wayted on the Temple, and on the Altar.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Aen&s;w:</HI> They that waited on the Altar, lived upon the Altar, and they that preached the Go&s;pel, lived on the Go&s;pel, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9&punc; 13. but repent, thou knowe&s;t neither, but art a deceiver, and mak|e&s;t a Trade upon the Scripture, but prai&s;ed be the Lord God, who hath given a Light to di&s;cover thee, and to draw from under thy bands, for thou neither waite&s;t upon the Altar, nor can&s;t not wit|ne&s;s
<PB N="54" REF="30">
the Go&s;pel, but only that Scripture thou bringe&s;t to maintain thy gift, which thou confe&s;&s;e&s;t thou receive&s;t: wor&s;e then <HI>Balaam, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 15.</P>
<P>Query 5. <HI>Whether the Ordinances of Chri&s;t in this be out of Date, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Chri&s;t is the &s;ame he was, where he is made manife&s;t, and his Ordinances the &s;ame, but thou art one that do&s;t deny them, and di&s;obey them; Did not Chri&s;t command his whom he made Teachers, <HI>Mat.</HI> 23. 8. 10. that they &s;hould not be called of men Ma|&s;ters? and that they would not have the cheife&s;t place in the A&s;|&s;emblies? for they were all Brethren. Come down thou painted Bea&s;t, and proud Phari&s;y, who ever wa&s;t an enimy of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> Wo is thy Porcion, for thou art out of date with them, for thou do&s;t not ob&s;erve them.</P>
<P>Query 6. <HI>Whether &s;imply taking of Wages make a Hierling yea&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou robe&s;t the World, whereas the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, he robed the Churches, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11 8. and thou rob&s;t the world, for the Church of God is the ground and Pillar of Truth&punc; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 15. Thou blind Sot, and coloured Bea&s;t, doth not wages make a Hyer|ling; thou can&s;t not deny but thou art an Hyerling: thou receiv|e&s;t a gift, <HI>Balaams</HI> wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, therefore Wo is thy Porcion. VVhat ha&s;t thou to do with the Apo&s;tles? who &s;poke a|gain&s;t gifts.</P>
<P>Query 7 If &s;o, <HI>How could</HI> Paul <HI>be excu&s;ed from being a Hierling, he taking wages as well as others?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Art thou as <HI>Paul</HI> was? or would&s;t thou make him like thy &s;elf? who robe&s;t the world, and he took of other Churches. O thou filthy Bea&s;t! who &s;landere&s;t the Church of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the A|po&s;tles with thy filthy minde, who would&s;t make the Apo&s;tle an Hyerling, like thy &s;elf, who ha&s;t nothing to do with the Apo&s;tle, nor the Church of <HI>Chri&s;t&punc;</HI> but as a filthy fellow, thou make&s;t a trade upon the Letter, and other mens Condicions, to deceive withall; but thou art di&s;covered to be wor&s;e than <HI>Balaam,</HI> who denyed the gift of <HI>Baalack,</HI> though he loved it, <HI>Num.</HI> 22. 18. but all thy Plea|ding, and Querying, is for the gift, &s;howing thy &s;elf to be wor&s;e than <HI>Balaam.</HI></P>
<P>Query 8. <HI>Whether the worlds wages doth not imply &s;ome kinde of con|tract between them yea, or no? becau&s;e he had wages of other Churches, for preaching to tho&s;e of</HI> Corinth, Phil. 4. 17 18.</P>
<P><PB N="55" REF="30"><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou a&s;ke&s;t, whether <HI>Paul</HI> did well or no, in receiving a gift of the <HI>Phillipians;</HI> thou wre&s;te&s;t his words in &s;aying he receiv|ed a gift, for &s;aith he, in the Scripture, <HI>not becau&s;e I de&s;ire a gift, but I de&s;ire fruit that may abound to your account: But I have all, Phil.</HI> 4. 17 18. How fain would&s;t thou make the Apo&s;tle like thy &s;elf, an Offender, &s;o thy eye is blinded with a gift, (as it is written) and here I charge thee to accu&s;e the Apo&s;tle fal&s;ly,</P>
<P>Query 9. <HI>Whether if Paul received a gift, why may not others &s;up|ply their nece&s;&s;aries?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Paul &s;ayd, <HI>not becau&s;e I de&s;ire a gift,</HI> in the &s;ame ver&s;e, which words thou perverte&s;t, <HI>but that fruit might abound,</HI> for he de|nyed <HI>Balaams</HI> gifts. Thou enimy of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, how dare&s;t thou &s;lander the Apo&s;tle who was a tru Mini&s;ter of God; all thy end in thy Querying is for thy gift, to maintain thee in <HI>Balaams</HI> Seat; here I charge thee by the Lord to be a perverter of the Scrip|ture, who art in the way of <HI>Kain, Iude</HI> 11. I can &s;carce compare thee to <HI>Balaam,</HI> for he denyed the gift which thou pleade&s;t for, and wre&s;te&s;t the Scripture to maintain it, and therefore Wo is to thee, who love&s;t the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s; but thou art one who <HI>&s;erve&s;t not the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, but thy own Belly, and by good words, and fayr &s;peeches deceive&s;t the hearts of the &s;imple, Rom: 16 18. Phil:</HI> 3 19.</P>
<P>Query 10 <HI>Whether</HI> David <HI>was not in a heavenly condicion, while on the Earth, as well as any of you, being a man after Gods own heart?</HI> Acts 2 34.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> He was in that heavenly Condicion, which thou &s;halt never &s;ee: <HI>David</HI> we witne&s;s and his Condicion, whom thou art an enimy to, and with thy a&s;piring mind would&s;t know; but it is the &s;ubtle <HI>Serpent</HI> which is &s;hut forth, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cryed, <HI>Wo unto you Serpents, which paint your &s;elves with the Prophets words, Math</HI> 23 33 and &s;o thou art painted, and would&s;t be painted, and Wo is thy Porcion, as twas theirs, <HI>Math:</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">3. 33.</P>
<P>Query 11 <HI>What Heaven is this, that he is not a&s;cended into?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hou would&s;t know what Heaven <HI>David</HI> is not a&s;cend|ed into: thou never kn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">we&s;t <HI>Davids</HI> Condicion that he was in, that Minde of thine mu&s;t fir&s;t know Hell, <HI>where the wicked are turn|ed into P&s;al:</HI> 9 17. Thou ha&s;t nothing to do to know where <HI>David</HI> is a&s;cended, for thou never knewe&s;t his fir&s;t e&s;tate, nor thou art not brought into his Condicion, but he that knowes the Heaven of heavens, knows what heaven it is; he that hath an Eare let him
<PB N="56" REF="31">
hear, but thou art in the generacion of them that hated <HI>David.</HI></P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>If not a&s;cended into Heaven, where was he all that time, being dead long before? di&s;cover this by Scripture any of you all, if cleared to any of you.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou Bea&s;t art got up, and &s;hewe&s;t forth thy pride, when thou knowe&s;t the Heavens thou &s;halt know where <HI>David</HI> is, would&s;t thou have a meaning to that which the Apo&s;tle &s;poke, another meaning to his words? he &s;ayd it was &s;o plainly, and we witne&s;s the &s;ame; <HI>David</HI> is not yet a&s;cended, what &s;ay&s;t thou to that? we witne&s;s it is as the Apo&s;tle &s;poke, <HI>Acts</HI> 12. 34. would&s;t thou pervert his words? here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy dark minde; <HI>Davids</HI> Sepulcher we know and &s;ee, and it is with us as the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, <HI>Acts</HI> 2. 29. if thou ha&s;t an ear thou may&s;t hear; but thou art blinde, and therefore do&s;t thou rage and cavil, and there thou would&s;t have another meaning to the Scripture, in this Query, which &s;hews that thou ha&s;t not the &s;ame Spirit that gave them forth, and plainly ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy blindne&s;s and igno|rance; would&s;t thou have the Scripture cleared up to thy dark minde and carnal eye? as <HI>Job</HI> &s;ayd, <HI>It is hid from thee;</HI> the Scrip|tures are as they &s;peak, we witne&s;s them; here I charge thee again, thou would&s;t have another meaning to Scriptures than they are, and thou would&s;t have us to clear them to thy covetous eye, but thou mu&s;t have thy eye cleared, <HI>for Darkne&s;s cannot comprehend the Light, John</HI> 1. 5. (as the Scriptures &s;ayth) <HI>for the natural man knows not the things of God, 1 Cor.</HI> 2. 14. thou knowe&s;t them not, nor no Serpent, nor Scribes and Phari&s;es, who are in thy nature; but God is Light, in him is no darkne&s;s at all, who hath made him&s;elf mani|fe&s;t unto us, &amp; we do witne&s;s that <HI>they are of no private interpretaci|on, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 20. and we deny all thy clearing which thou would&s;t have us to give of them, for we own them with that Spirit which gave them forth. And in the &s;ame Query thou &s;peake&s;t of <HI>George Fox,</HI> who as thou &s;ay&s;t, is our cunning and &s;ubtle Leader; the name of <HI>George Fox</HI> is carnal, and thou with thy carnal eye, and by thy carnal imaginacions look&s;t and imagine&s;t our Leader to be car|nal, &s;uch as thine is, the carnal Letter, but herein thou art under the power of witchcraft, and the deceit hath blinded thy eye, for our Leader is not carnal, but eternal and &s;piritual, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 14. which leading yet thou never knew&s;t nor can&s;t not witne&s;s, there|fore do&s;t thou bla&s;pheme&punc; but art lead by thy imaginacions, as in this thing thou make&s;t plainly appear, and art guided and lead by
<PB N="57" REF="31">
him who is the &s;ubtle&s;t of any Bea&s;t of the field, the cunning Serpent, under who&s;e dominion and government thou art, and that which all the tru &s;ervants of God in all generacions were guided by do we witne&s;s to be our Leader, who was before time, when as <HI>George Fox</HI> is in time, and &s;o not the Leader of the Saints, but him we own as one with us in the eternal unity.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>What they were that had not &s;inned after the &s;imilitude of</HI> Adams <HI>tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, he being the publick head of mankinde in the fir&s;t Creation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t know what they were that had not &s;inned after the &s;imilitude of <HI>Adams</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, but thy know|ledg is bruiti&s;h, and they are hid from thee, without thy under|&s;tanding eternally; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;elf not to have the &s;ame Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, for if thou had&s;t thou might&s;t &s;ee them, and if thou knew&s;t <HI>Adam</HI> as he was in the beginning, as he was in the head, (as thou &s;ay&s;t) thou might&s;t &s;ee them, but thou do&s;t not &s;ee thy &s;elf in the fall, and the death pa&s;&s;ed over thee, <HI>which hath pa&s;&s;ed over all men, Rom.</HI> 5. 12. and art in the trangre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Adam</HI> in the fall, eating of the Tree of knowledg which God forbad, but tho&s;e we do know, which thou with that eye &s;halt never &s;ee, who art a bu&s;i-body.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Wherein was</HI> Adam <HI>a Figure of him that was to come?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Would&s;t thou have the Figure cleared to thy dark minde, he was the Figure of him that was to come; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou neither knowe&s;t the Figure nor the Sub&s;tance, if thou had&s;t known the Figure or the Sub&s;tance thou would&s;t have known the Apo&s;tles meaning, we witne&s;s as it is; and here I charge thee again that thou would&s;t have another meaning than the Apo&s;tle &s;poke, who would&s;t have the Scripture cleared, &s;hewing that thou ha&s;t not the &s;ame Spirit that the Apo&s;tles had, <HI>R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m.</HI> 5. 14. here thou make&s;t thy &s;elf manife&s;t to be a &s;tranger to the life of God, death reigns in thee, and thou neither knowe&s;t <HI>Adam&punc;</HI> nor <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and there is the Scripture cleared up to thee, it is thou that mu&s;t be cleared; and there is thy meaning to it.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Who were they that were bapti&s;ed for the dead? 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 29.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Would&s;t thou have another meaning of them, who are bapti&s;ed for the dead? it &s;eems that the dead is not ri&s;en in thee; and here th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;tand&s;t in thy imaginacions, and that dead minde in thee &s;hall never know any thing of the Scripture, nor any thing of
<PB N="58" REF="32">
God, but art dead from the truth, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 29. but we witne&s;s it to be fulfilled.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>What his meaning is in being bapti&s;ed for the dead?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here is the evil minde in thee, that would be a&s;piring to know the Bapti&s;me of the Dead; here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou never knew&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor the Apo&s;tles, nor Bapti&s;me, nor <HI>Death in thy &s;elf, Rom.</HI> 6. 3. but make&s;t thy ignorance and fooli&s;hne&s;s to appear, when ever thou knowe&s;t Death to that which is alive in thee, and that thou mu&s;t before ever thou come&s;t to know the Scriptures, that which would have a meaning to it, we do deny, for we wit|ne&s;s it through the death of that nature which is alive in thee, who art blinde and can&s;t not &s;ee, which never &s;hall know the meaning of that Scripture (but Death) with thy carnal eye, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 6.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>How this makes to the proving of the Point of the Re&s;ur|rection, the Apo&s;tle in&s;tancing it to this end?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> When thou knowe&s;t the Bapti&s;me, thou &s;halt know the Re&s;urrection, but to make a Point of Re&s;urrection I utterly deny; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy witchcraft, I charge thee in the pre&s;ence of the Lord God Almighty <HI>to make an Image for</HI> thy dead minde, as touching the point of the Re&s;urrection; <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 73. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">0. the Re&s;urrection thou would&s;t have a Point made of it, and the proof of this Point to thy dead carnal minde: I utterly deny thy Points with thy dead minde, rai&s;ed out of the dead Letter, which was gi|ven forth from a living and an eternal Spirit, but thy dead minde is an Enemy to the Re&s;urrection; and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf plainly <HI>unlearned, 2 Pet.</HI> 3. 16. and untaught of God, for before thou know the Re&s;urrection, thou mu&s;t deny all thy dead Points and Proofs; and openly ha&s;t thou declared it in the&s;e Queryes, that thou neither knew&s;t Life nor Re&s;urrection.</P>
<P>Query 4. <HI>What guile and craft was it he taught them by? 2 Cor.</HI> 12. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> O thou vain man! thou would&s;t know what guile and craft the Saints were taught by, not thy guile, and witchcraft, and Sorcery, which thou live&s;t in, <HI>Ier.</HI> 27. 9. which thou drawe&s;t Peo|ple from the truth withall, by thy fair colours and imaginacions, and &s;o feede&s;t them with thy corrupt &s;tuff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and it is that which thou art an Enemy to, and never knew&s;t, for thou art in the gall of bitterne&s;s, buying and &s;elling the Letter, catching with thy witchcraft, and this is thy guile, giving thy imaginacions upon the
<PB N="59" REF="32">
Scriptures which <HI>Paul</HI> gave forth, <HI>Rom.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 21. &s;hewing forth thy &s;piritual whoredom from the life of them that gave it forth; thou art not come &s;o far as <HI>Simon Magus,</HI> who would have bought the gift of God for money, but the wi&s;dom of God takes the wi&s;e in their own craftine&s;s; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be ignorant of the Mini&s;ters of God, and thy &s;elf to be full of &s;ub|tilty and a fool.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>What enlightning this is? Heb.</HI> 6, 4, 5, 6.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is the enlightning which thou knowe&s;t not of, which is not born up in thy under&s;tanding, which thou art an Enemy to, which is the Light of God, which Light <HI>thou hate&s;t, Iohn</HI> 3. 20.</P>
<P>Query <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>What heavenly gift it is they ta&s;ted?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. If thou knew&s;t the gift of God, Iohn</HI> 4. 10. thou would&s;t not buy and &s;ell the Letter, for the gift of God is not to be bought and &s;old, and that gift &s;halt thou never know, which is the gift of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 23.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>How or in what &s;en&s;e they were made Pertakers of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Would&s;t thou draw the Holy Gho&s;t to thy &s;en&s;e, and to thy carnal rea&s;on? with which thou &s;halt never know it, but art blind, without God in the world, &amp; would&s;t intrude into the Saints condicions, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 12.</P>
<P>Query. <HI>What world to come is this they ta&s;ted of?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Not of the dark world which thou art in: that world which thou &s;halt never &s;ee, for that world and the Holy Gho&s;t we witne&s;s, therefore we &s;ee thee in the dark world without God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 13.</P>
<P>Query 5. <HI>Whether &s;uch as the&s;e did fall away?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy ignorance of the Form of the Letter, many did ta&s;te of the power of God, and did <HI>eat of the &s;piritual meat, and did drink of the &s;piritual drink, and were de&s;troyed, 1 Cor.</HI> 10. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, 4. this meat and drink thou knowe&s;t not, nor art not come to eat of it.</P>
<P>Query 6. <HI>How or in what &s;en&s;e they cruci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ied the Son of God afre&s;h&punc; and put him to open &s;hame?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t know in what &s;en&s;e they crucified the Son of God afre&s;h, and thou art he that crucifie&s;t him where he is ri&s;en and made manife&s;t, and they are they which crucifie him afre&s;h, who have ta&s;ted of the heavenly gift, and draw back from it, which gift yet thou art not come to know, had&s;t thou an ear <HI>thou</HI>
<PB N="60" REF="33">
<HI>might&s;t hear, Rev.</HI> 2. 11. but thou art in the e&s;tate of the chief Prie&s;ts and Phari&s;es, who could tell by the Letter where he &s;hould be born, but were they that put him to death. In the&s;e &s;ix que&s;ti|ons thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;elf that thou do&s;t not know the Light which the Saints were and are enlightned by, nor thou do&s;t not know the heavenly gift; now here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf openly to be a blinde Mini&s;ter of the Letter, and what do&s;t thou &s;peak to People but the carnal Letter, which do&s;t not know the gift of God, and thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that thou do&s;t not know the Holy Gho&s;t, but would&s;t have a carnal &s;en&s;e upon that which is eternal; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be a natural man indeed; for &s;hame blu&s;h and give over thy Trade, and prating about other mens matters; thou bu&s;i-body, thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thou do&s;t not know <HI>the world which is to come, Heb.</HI> 6. 5. but ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be one that keeps People in the dark world; and here thou make&s;t it manife&s;t that thou never ta&s;ted&s;t of the world to come; and here thou ha&s;t raced out thy &s;elf, and &s;hut thy &s;elf up in the dark world; and here thou art taken in thy craftine&s;s, and catched in thy &s;ubtle guile, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t &s;hew|ed thy &s;elf that thou never wert in the way; therefore thou do&s;t not &s;ee them; and here it is that makes it manife&s;t, thou art in the fall, and in the by-path, and in the dark, and in the broad way, and there thou keep&s;t poor People; and thou ha&s;t &s;hewed that thou art he that <HI>crucifies Chri&s;t, Mark</HI> 15. 13, 14. and bring&s;t all others to crucifie him, and do&s;t not know that condicion of them that crucified him afre&s;h, but art &s;pending all thy &s;trength to keep People from him, which eternally thou and they and all People &s;hall witne&s;s us to &s;peak the truth; wheras thou ha&s;t &s;ayd thou ha&s;t given me a ta&s;te, lea&s;t thou &s;hould&s;t tyer me; but Friend, thy &s;pi|rit I did ta&s;te before I did &s;ee thy Queryes, which is the &s;pirit of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and knowing nothing of the tru <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed, that &s;pirit of thine cannot weary us, for it is for de&s;truction.</P>
<P>Thou blinde Sot, how dare&s;t thou &s;peak to People, that neither know&s;t the enlightning nor the Holy Gho&s;t, nor the gift of God, nor the world which is to come, therefore what do&s;t thou lead them out of? nor what is it to crucifie <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> afre&s;h, nor the con|dicion of them that fall away, which &s;hews that thou art not out of the fall; therefore all People who hear this fellow, take notice of this blinde Guide, how ignorant he hath &s;hewed him&s;elf of the
<PB N="61" REF="33">
<HI>Doctrine of Chri&s;t, 2 John</HI> 1. 9. and raced him&s;elf out to be no Mi|ni&s;ter of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as not knowing the Apo&s;tles condicions; all the&s;e things we witne&s;s <HI>fulfilled, Acts</HI> 13. 33. the Holy Gho&s;t, the En|lightning, the world to come, and the heavenly gift, but not by any &s;uch Teacher as thou art, Pray&s;es be to the Lord alone for ever&punc; the Lord alone is our Teacher, therefore do we deny and te&s;tifie again&s;t all &s;uch as thou art, all the&s;e things hath God <HI>fulfil|led in us, Rom.</HI> 8. 4. therefore we witne&s;s them, Pray&s;es be to the Lord God for ever.</P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Whether the</HI> Old Te&s;tament <HI>di&s;covering the minde of God to man, be of any e&s;teem with you? yea or no.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We witne&s;s the <HI>New Te&s;tament</HI> and <HI>Old</HI> both, and thee to be without both, but onely to make a Trade of them, and there they are in e&s;teem to thee, for thou ha&s;t never come out of <HI>Egypt</HI> yet, for when he lead them out of <HI>Egypt he gave them a Covenant, Judges</HI> 1. 2. but thou neither knowe&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> nor the Prophets nor <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but they are in e&s;teem with us, and we witne&s;s again&s;t thee.</P>
<P>Query 2. <HI>Whether thou can&s;t or dare deny the generality of the Pre|cepts given in this particular before cited?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Precepts of God we own all, but thou neither own|e&s;t Prcepts, Law, nor Command, nor Statutes, nor Ordinances; therefore a bu&s;ie fellow thou art, querying whether we own them or no, that thou might&s;t accu&s;e; for if thou did&s;t own them, thou would&s;t own us and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but thy <HI>Precepts</HI> and <HI>Commands</HI> we deny, and <HI>Doctrines,</HI> and <HI>Ordinances,</HI> for they are not to be ta&s;ted, touched, nor handled, for they are to peri&s;h with the u&s;ing of them, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 21, 22.</P>
<P>Query 3. <HI>Whether it be not the work of Satan on your &s;pirits, to en|deavour to &s;top the greate&s;t part in the world from giving that to God which he calls for?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is the work of God to &s;top the mouths of the world, that we witne&s;s; and it is the work of Satan to open the mouths of the world, and he opens their mouths, who keeps open thy mouth, <HI>who&s;e mouth mu&s;t be &s;topped, Tit.</HI> 1. 11. and that which the world gives to the living God is abominacion, for the whole world lyes in wickedne&s;s, and thou would&s;t have the worlds mouth kept open, and that which is abominacion to the Lord God &s;et up; but the Lord is coming in power to throw down the abominacion, and to &s;top the mouths of the world, which thou would&s;t ju&s;tifie and
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&s;et open, &s;hewing thy &s;elf to be a Freind of the God of this world: It is the work of God to &s;top the mouths of the world. Freind thou would&s;t have an An&s;wer to the&s;e Scriptures and Queries, <HI>Ro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">: 7. 18, 25. 1 Iohn</HI> 19.</P>
<P>Query 1 <HI>Whether thou do&s;t own the Scripture for a Truth?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> We witne&s;s the Scripture to be a Truth, and thee to be a Lyar, not knowing any thing of them.</P>
<P>Query 2 <HI>Do you not deceive your &s;elves in &s;aying you have no &s;in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Here thou erre&s;t in not knowing that <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> which thou bringe&s;t to accu&s;e us withall, for the &s;ame that gave it forth, &s;ayd, <HI>If ye confe&s;s your &s;ins, he is faithfull and ju&s;t to forgive and to clean&s;e you from all uncleane&s;&s;e 1 Iohn,</HI> 1. 9. here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elfe that thou art not come yet to the confe&s;&s;ion of thy &s;inns, there|fore farre &s;hort from clean&s;ing from all thy filthine&s;&s;e of Fle&s;h and Spirit; but ble&s;&s;ed be God the Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is making manife&s;t him&s;elf to de&s;troy <HI>the works of the Devill, 1 Iohn</HI> 3 8. and here thou &s;hewe&s;t that <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is not made manife&s;t to thee, and that the works of the Devill are yet &s;tanding in thee. O thou enimy of God and Righteou&s;ne&s;s! what ha&s;t thou preach|ed all this while to poor ignorant blind people? now thou ha&s;t &s;hewed here that thy Faith is vain, and <HI>that thou art yet in thy &s;ins,</HI> (as the Scripture &s;hews plainly) <HI>He that beleives is born of God, and cannot commit Sin, 1 Iohn</HI> 3 9</P>
<P>Query 3: <HI>How can&s;t thou ju&s;tifie thy &s;elf to be in the Truth, and the Truth in thee, when thy words make it a very Token and Signe that the Truth is not in thee?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thy Token and thy Signe is without thee, and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be in the generacion of the Phari&s;es, looking for outward Signes, and outward Tokens, and &s;ay&s;t, <HI>how can we ju&s;tifie our &s;elves,</HI> Thou dark Sot, did ever Truth come to ju&s;tifie Selfe? Truth ever comes to condemn Selfe; Here thou ha&s;t &s;howed forth thy Confu&s;ion in this Query, and in thy dark minde: <HI>If we &s;ay we have not &s;inned, we deceive our &s;elves, and make him a Lyar, and the Truth is not in us, 1 Iohn</HI> 1. 10. But where <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is made ma|nife&s;t, he is made manife&s;t to de&s;troy the works of the Devill, and <HI>he that &s;inneth is of the Devil, 1 Iohn</HI> 3. 8. Here are the Children of God made manife&s;t, and the children of the Devil, for he that commiteth Sin never knew God; if we had not &s;ined, we had need|ed no Saviour, and here thou &s;howe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a Child of the Devil, and never knewe&s;t God, but &s;tande&s;t for the Devils King|dom,
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making thy &s;elf manife&s;t, not to be in that condicion as they were that &s;poke forth the Scriptures, <HI>but art without God in the world, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 12. hating tho&s;e now who have the life of them made manife&s;t, and <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who is come and made manife&s;t to de&s;troy the works of the Devil; this I witne&s;s to be fulfilled, and the taking away of &s;in, and the clean&s;ing from all unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s, therefore I clear my con&s;cience. Pray&s;e to the glorious God for ever, who is coming to lead poor &s;imple People from their blinde Guides, for to the children of God ye are di&s;covered to be <HI>the children of the Devil.</HI></P>
<P>Query 1. <HI>Are the Scriptures owned for a Truth? yea or no. James</HI> 3. 2.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy bu&s;ie minde, one que|&s;tion had been enough to have asked, whether the Scriptures be tru yea or no? We witne&s;s the Scriptures to be tru, and we witne&s;s thee to be a Lyar, and erring from the Scripture <HI>not knowing them, Matth.</HI> 22. 29. Many Scriptures thou ha&s;t &s;tollen to maintain thee in thy &s;in, and to uphold the Devils Kingdom, who live&s;t wholly in offences, and bring&s;t them into the &s;ame offences like thy &s;elf, and would&s;t make the Apo&s;tles offenders like thy &s;elf, for the Apo&s;tle &s;ayth, <HI>Who&s;oever offends not in words, the &s;ame is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body, and who&s;oever hath not power over his own tongue, his Religion is vain, James</HI> 3, 2. and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy Religion to be vain.</P>
<P>Query 2: <HI>Is there a greater Priviledg or Freedom now for</HI> Chri&s;ti|ans, <HI>than there was for the Apo&s;tles or Brethren in tho&s;e times? if &s;o, di&s;cover it by Scripture.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thou know&s;t nothing, for thou art de&s;iring to know their Priviledg, which minde in thee never &s;hall, for the &s;ame Priviledg the Apo&s;tles did enjoy we enjoy, and the <HI>unity</HI> is but one, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 13. and the &s;ame word they did en|joy we do enjoy, and the &s;ame <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> we enjoy, and the &s;ame God they did enjoy we do enjoy; here thou would&s;t make two, which &s;hews thou art in the con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;ion; there is a greater Priviledg and Freedom now than there was then, yet the &s;ame; and in thy que|ry thou ha&s;t &s;hewed, thou knowe&s;t nothing of Scripture: and again thou &s;ay&s;t that as for what any of us &s;ay, be&s;ides, or above it, or again&s;t it, thou weighe&s;t it not, <HI>And all Scripture is for the perfecting of the man of God, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. which we witne&s;s, but thou &s;hewe&s;t thou know&s;t nothing of the Scriptures, but ha&s;t &s;po|ken
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be&s;ides it, and again&s;t it, as oft I have &s;hewed thee in thy for|mer Writings and Queries, and added to it&punc; and perverted it, there|fore are the Plagues du to thee, and are thy porcion. Clear thy &s;elf if thou can&s;t, let that in thy con&s;cience clear thee, but it can|not I know: thou would&s;t be &s;atisfied (if we can) what are the Rea&s;ons that &s;o many que&s;tions &s;hould never be an&s;wered till our days, though God had &s;till a People in the world; and where did&s;t thou &s;ee &s;uch que&s;tions put forth before, for the darkne&s;s has reigned long, and Gods People did ever &s;tand again&s;t &s;uch things; thou may&s;t reade of many Martyrs that &s;uffered Death, who wit|ne&s;&s;ed the truth again&s;t the pretended truth, for the dark time and power of <HI>Babylon</HI> hath long reigned, and the works of the Bea&s;t; but now God is <HI>rai&s;ing up Light</HI> in Peoples hearts, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 6. by which ye are de&s;cended that profe&s;s the Scripture to be your Rule and Touch-&s;tone to try withall, for the queries are put forth to you that ye might &s;ee <HI>your &s;elves, 1 Cor.</HI> 4. 5. that there is no Scrip|ture for what you act, and that you might &s;hew forth your filthi|ne&s;s; and here in thy queryes and writings thou ha&s;t made it ap|pear openly, the dark power that hath reigned in thee hath been an upholder of this <HI>Babylon,</HI> that never knew any thing of the life of the Scripture come to be opened to thee, but now thy tor|ment is but beginning, and &s;o fare thee well, and <HI>if thou ha&s;t an ear thou may&s;t hear, Rev.</HI> 2. 11. but thy carnal filthy blinde minde in this will not be &s;atisfied, nor never mu&s;t, but mu&s;t fir&s;t know de|&s;truction, and is for de&s;ruction, which is an Enemy to God; therefore do we not flatter thee, nor few Pillows under thy arm|holes, that thou may&s;tly &s;oft.</P>
<P>Query. <HI>A que&s;tion thou aske&s;t, Which is mo&s;t likely to be Anti|chri&s;t, and of the Devil, he that&punc; preaches a Power in all men to obey.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Now here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf openly to be <HI>Anti|chri&s;t,</HI> and of the Devil, and knows not the fir&s;t Principle, for <HI>Je|&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I am the light of the world that enlightens every one that comes into the world,</HI> he that loves the light brings his deeds to the light, that the light might prove them, and he that walks in the light there is no occa&s;ion of &s;tumb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing, and the other he hates the light&punc; <HI>becau&s;e his deeds are evil,</HI> and <HI>the Light will reprove them, Iohn</HI> 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. The Light is the condemnacion of the World, which Light is <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who &s;ayth&punc; He is <HI>the Light;</HI> here thou ha&s;t made thy &s;elf openly to be blinde, and one of the children of di&s;obedi|ence,
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who di&s;obey the Light, and would&s;t have all others to di&s;o|bey it, and to follow thy imaginacions, and &s;o thou do&s;t not onely deny it thy &s;elf, but thou would&s;t have all others to deny it; <HI>For the Grace of God which bringeth &s;alvacion, hath appeared to all, and teacheth us</HI> (the Saints) <HI>to deny all ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts, Tit.</HI> 2. 11, 12. this is the Saints Teacher, but thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be blinde and ignorant of the Letter: this Grace hath appear|ed to all freely, and this Grace of God is the free Teacher, but &s;uch as thou art in the world, <HI>turns this grace into wantonne&s;s,</HI> and &s;ets up Teachers without you, and &s;o denyes the Grace of God to teach, and &s;o lives in ungodline&s;s and unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and tempts God for Grace when the Grace of God hath appeared to all; and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be a <HI>Tempter of God, Iames</HI> 5. 5. and void of grace and under&s;tanding, turning it into wantonne&s;s, which &s;hould teach thee, and draw&s;t ot hers from it.</P>
<P>Query. <HI>Another que&s;tion thou ask<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t: Who is more likely to be Antichri&s;t and of the Devil, he that &s;ayth he is</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>and the Light of the world, or he that preaches that fal&s;e</HI> Chri&s;ts <HI>&s;hould come?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The &s;ame that &s;ayd fal&s;e <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> &s;hould come, the &s;ame <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayd he was <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Light of the world, this <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and this Light we witne&s;s; here thou calle&s;t <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t Antichri&s;t,</HI> and ha&s;t &s;hewed forth <HI>thy blasphemy, Iames</HI> 2. 7. Thou bla&s;phemer, how dare&s;t thou profe&s;s thy &s;elf to be a Mini&s;ter of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and bla&s;pheme&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t? 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 2. and que&s;tione&s;t whether he that &s;ayth he is <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> be not of the Devil or no; and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be in the generacion of the <HI>Iews</HI> that bla&s;phe|med <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and called him <HI>Devil, Iohn</HI> 10. 33, 36. for the &s;ame <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> we witne&s;s made as manife&s;t as ever, and thee to be a Re|probate without <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and thou ha&s;t made thy &s;elf openly to ap|pear to be a Reprobate <HI>without God and Chri&s;t in the world, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 12.</P>
<P>Query. <HI>Another que&s;tion thou aske&s;t&punc; who is like to be the man thou &s;peake&s;t of, he that &s;ayth he is equal with God and</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>or he that preached</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>the Head?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Here in this que&s;tion thou ha&s;t openly &s;hewed thy &s;elf not to have the &s;ame minde the Apo&s;tle had, for &s;ayth he, <HI>I would the &s;ame minde were in you that was al&s;o in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, and yet made him&s;elf of no reputa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ion&punc; Phil.</HI> 2. 5. and here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf that thou ha&s;t neither the minde of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor his Apo&s;tles, but art an <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and an
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Enemy again&s;t them that witne&s;s the&s;e things, which the Apo&s;tle &s;aid, <HI>I would that ye were of the &s;ame minde;</HI> and again the Apo&s;tle &s;ayth, <HI>Our fellow&s;hip is with the Father and the Son, 1 Iohn</HI> 1. 3. and he did write to others that their fellow&s;hip might be with them, and he that hath the Father hath the Son al&s;o, and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit, and he that is joyned to an Har|lot is one fle&s;h, and there thou art, harloted from all the Saints, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the Apo&s;tles, and ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be an Enemy again&s;t them who are in the &s;ame minde and condicion as the Apo|&s;tles and Saints were; here be thou a witne&s;s again&s;t thy &s;elf, that thou art witne&s;&s;ing again&s;t the life of the Saints, he that preached <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> witne&s;&s;ed the Head and the Members, and wi&s;hed the &s;ame minde to be in them as was in <HI>Chri&s;t, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, Phil.</HI> 2. 6, 7. which thou art ignorant of, but thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf that thou neither knowe&s;t the Head nor the Members, nor the Body, but would&s;t &s;eek to take the preheminence from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who ha&s;t got the chief place in the A&s;&s;embly, and art called of men Ma&s;ter, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayd, <HI>Call no man Ma&s;ter on earth, for you have one Ma&s;ter even Chri&s;t, Matth.</HI> 23. 7. and there thou ha&s;t taken the preheminence which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>He that will be greate&s;t mu&s;t be &s;ervant to all, Matth.</HI> 23. 8, 11. but thou art got above all, in the place of them that the Wo was preached to, and there is thy porcion, own it.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
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<HEAD>Certain QUERIES occa&s;ioned by a Printed Paper of <HI>Richard Farn&s;worth,</HI> &s;ent to be an&s;wered, and no Name &s;ub&s;cribed: From dark mindes which be full of &s;ubtlety, not knowing the fir&s;t Principle.</HEAD>
<P>1 Query. <HI>_WHether that Light within unto which thou ex|horte&s;t all to attend, be in unbelievers, as well as in believers? yea or no.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Friend, in this fir&s;t Query thou would&s;t know, whether the Light be in others, which &s;hews forth thy dark minde, which cannot compre|hend the Light, neither ha&s;t thou the Light which the Scripture &s;peak of? <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I am the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. the one he loves the Light, and brings his works to the Light, and walks in the Light, and <HI>there is no occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling, Iohn</HI> 11. 9. the other he hates this Light, <HI>becau&s;e his deeds are evil,</HI> and this is his condemnacion, the Light; be &s;ilent all fle&s;h! Friend, thou art one that hates this Light, thy &s;pirit is tryed, for if thou wert in the Light, there would be no occa&s;ion of <HI>&s;tumbling,</HI> but thou art <HI>Antichri&s;t, without this Light, Iohn</HI> 4. 3. therefore thou do&s;t not &s;ee the Light which hath enlightned every one, the believer and the unbeliever, which is his condemnacion that believes not.</P>
<P>2 Query. <HI>If in unbelievers as well as in believers, whether is it one and the &s;ame Light, with that Anoynting thou &s;peake&s;t of? yea or no.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is one with the Anoynting, and if it were not one with the Anoynting, it were one again&s;t the Anoynting, an ima|gined
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Light, wherein thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy blindne&s;s, and thy ignorance thou make&s;t appear, which neither knowe&s;t the Light nor the Anoynting, for thy dark minde cannot comprehend it, <HI>Light &s;hines</HI> in darkne&s;s <HI>and darkne&s;s comprehends it not, Iohn</HI> 1. 5. and there thou art exalted in the fooli&s;h wi&s;dom which is of the world, which is fooli&s;hne&s;s to the wi&s;dom of God, &s;welling in the lying vanityes, one of them that are di&s;obedient to the Light, with|out God in the world, the &s;on of perdicion, <HI>which is exalted above all that is called God.</HI></P>
<P>3 Query. <HI>Whether it be not the new Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s written in the heart to condemn &s;in in the fle&s;h, which thou &s;ay&s;t a man may &s;ay he is above the Law by the Gospel, be not the pure and true Gospel ma|nife&s;ted by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t? yea or no.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That is thy own condicion, for thou art got above pro|fe&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel, or the new Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which knowe&s;t neither in the power of truth through the death, for if thou did&s;t, there would not be &s;uch a confu&s;ion in thy Queryes, and in thy words, for thou profe&s;&s;e&s;t the Go&s;pel, with thy bu&s;ie minde, and would&s;t be informed as touching tho&s;e things, and would&s;t be up in the highe&s;t place profe&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel, but thou mu&s;t come down <HI>to the fir&s;t Principle, Heb.</HI> 5. 12. and &s;ee thy &s;elf a childe of di&s;obedience, in whom the Prince of the Ayer yet lodg|eth, for hence it is &s;o many do profe&s;s the Go&s;pel and the new Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and are not come through the Law, for the Law hath power over a man as long as he lives, and who are <HI>made free from the Law are made free from &s;in through the Law, 1 Iohn</HI> 3. 4. I am dead to the Law, where this is witne&s;&s;ed, and the Go&s;pel known and the new Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s; but Friend, this is out of thy dark minde, for thou art drunk yet with the Earthly &s;pirit, and appeare&s;t &s;omething in thy comprehen&s;ion, which is gathered in with imaginacions and conceivings, but the promi&s;e is, thou mu&s;t be &s;cattered, and if ever thou witne&s;s that fulfilled, thou wilt witne&s;s what I &s;ay, but thy dark minde comprehends me not.</P>
<P>4. Query. <HI>Whether thou make&s;t any di&s;tinction between the new Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, written in the heart, by the life of</HI> Je&s;us, <HI>and the Law admini&s;tred by</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>which &s;ayth, Do this and live; and if thou make any, wherein lyes it?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t be comprehending with thy Rea&s;on, to know a difference without thee, which &s;hews forth thy blindne&s;s,
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Death reigned from <HI>Adam</HI> till <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and that it doth in thee yet, for that which &s;hould &s;ee is in the death: the Law and the Pro|phets they were untill <HI>Iohn,</HI> and <HI>Iohn</HI> untill <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> he that can re|ceive it let him, if thou can&s;t receive it thou may&s;t, and when thou come&s;t to go through <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and through the Prophets, and through <HI>Iohn</HI> to come to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> then &s;halt thou &s;ee the Light is but one, but thou art making a difference betwixt <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> as the Phari&s;es did, who knew not <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> nor the Prophets, nor <HI>Iohn,</HI> nor <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and in that generacion of the Phari&s;es thou art; I mu&s;t deal plainly with thee, thy &s;pirit is known and tryed, which is not the &s;pirit that rai&s;ed up <HI>Ie&s;us;</HI> therefore thou who would&s;t be comprehending with thy Rea&s;on, thou and thy Rea&s;on are comprehended, which &s;hall never &s;earch into the things of God, the pure wi&s;dom of God is &s;hut up from that <HI>vulterous eye, Iob</HI> 28. 7. and venomous Bea&s;t, who art come out of the bottomle&s;s Pit, and thither mu&s;t return again, and in the viperous generacion thou art: And as touching the outward commands and ob&s;er|vances, where the life of <HI>Ie&s;us</HI> is made manife&s;t, the &s;ub&s;tance of all Types and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">igures is come, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 4. there is no more ob|&s;erving them, being <HI>made free from all them by him who was under the Law,</HI> made under the Law to fulfill the Law, and the righteou&s;|ne&s;s of the Law fulfilled in us, <HI>who walk not after the fle&s;h but after the &s;pirit, Rom.</HI> 8. 2. and who are here denyes all the carnal out|ward Ob&s;ervances &amp; Tradicions, as the Temple outwardly which God had commanded, and Circumci&s;ion outwardly, and the Prie&s;ts outwardly, for they had received <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the high Prie&s;t who is the end of the Law, Rom.</HI> 10. 4. &s;o the carnal minde had carnal Types and Figures and Shadows of heavenly things, but he that is <HI>made free from the Law,</HI> is made <HI>free from the cur&s;e,</HI> which thou art not, which gave forth the&s;e Queries, if thou had&s;t thou would&s;t not have &s;hewed forth thy bu&s;ie minde; but it is now as the Apo|&s;tle &s;ayd, it was then, there was &s;ome doting about que&s;tions, and the Law, which thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one of them who ha&s;t uttered forth thy folly, therefore be a&s;hamed and lay thy hand upon thy mouth.</P>
<P>5 Query. <HI>Whether</HI> New Jeru&s;alem <HI>and the holy Temple therein be but newly come down from Heaven, as in this our Age, or the like, wherein the tru wor&s;hipers wor&s;hiped the Father in &s;pirit and truth, or hath it always been the place and Temple, wherein the Saints of God have wor&s;hiped</HI> the Father in &s;pirit and truth, <HI>Iohn 4. 23. from the</HI>
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<HI>beginning of the world, &s;eeing our Saviour &s;peaks that</HI> Abraham <HI>&s;aw his day and rejoyced, and that the time is coming, yea now is, that neither at</HI> Samaria <HI>nor at</HI> Jeru&s;alem?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t know whether <HI>New Ieru&s;alem</HI> be newly come down in this our Age, and it is that which ever was, and ever did come down to the Saints, they witne&s;&s;ed this; but Friend, to thee in thy age and generacion where thou art in, it is not come, (but thou art a &s;tranger querying without) nor never did, nor ne|ver &s;hall come, in that generacion thou art among the Serpents which the Wo was ever preached to, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. even that genera|cion which got the form to &s;peak of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> and the Temple, but are the Synagogues of Satan, and full of dead mens bones, and who are whited out&s;ides, and beautifull outwardly, but full of corruption within; and in that generacion wherein was and is all the righteous bloud &s;hed, and in that nature which thou would&s;t know the&s;e things in, it was ever hid from, who <HI>have the chiefe&s;t places in the A&s;&s;emblyes,</HI> and <HI>called of men Ma&s;ter, Matth.</HI> 23. 7. and in that generacion thou art, which the Wo was ever preached to, try thy &s;elf, for to that in thy con&s;cience which &s;hould exerci&s;e it do I &s;peak, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 2. and when it doth appear, it will witne&s;s me, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 11. the time is coming, and now is, that not at <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> in your highe&s;t profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor your highe&s;t glorious nocions of him, which you live in, nor none of your Steeple-hou&s;es, nor none of your Exerci&s;es, as you call them, nor the daintie&s;t Di&s;h you have will be meat for the tru wor&s;hipers of God, for they have run to this Steeple-hou&s;e and that Steeple-hou&s;e, and to this mountain and that mountain, and here is a dainty Di&s;h, and there is a dainty Di&s;h, &s;ayth the Harlot, which hath long deceived the &s;imple ones, but now all you Har|lots are di&s;covered, which have deceived the Nations, and now <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;hall ari&s;e, who is the Friend of God, whom thou knowe&s;t not, but art in the generacion of them who profe&s;&s;ed <HI>Abraham</HI> and freedom, and God to be their Father, but were <HI>of their Father the Devil, Iohn</HI> 8. 44, 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. doing his work, who was a Murderer, crucifying the ju&s;t, who are in the fall, and not come to the beginning, for thy Father was a Murderer &s;ince the beginning, and <HI>Dives</HI> mu&s;t be turned into Hell, and the <HI>Dives</HI> with your dainty Di&s;hes mu&s;t be layd low, and you who profe&s;s the <HI>New Ieru&s;alem,</HI> will be found to be in the <HI>old Ieru&s;alem,</HI> where the Lord <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> was and is crucified in your <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> now, in the
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<HI>highe&s;t place of Wor&s;hip,</HI> the tru wor&s;hipers of the Father in Spirit and Truth, witne&s;s it to be &s;o, and the time is come that the Scrip|ture is fulfilled, and the words of <HI>Chri&s;t, Iohn</HI> 4. 23. Prai&s;es, Prai|&s;es, to the Eternall glorious God of Heaven, and Earth, for ever, and ever, who now hath made his Power known, by which we &s;ee the Deceits of you all.</P>
<P>6 Query <HI>Whether it be not Gods Ordinance that the inward, living, &s;piritual, powerful word of God, whereby all the Saints of God are taught, and the tru inward &s;pirituall Wor&s;hip of the Saints, &s;hould in the outward appearance of them be held forth in earthen ve&s;&s;els, as under a form of Speech, or word, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;:</HI> Freind, in this Query thou ha&s;t uttered forth thy weakne&s;s, and thy ignorance in the form of the Letter doth appeare, yet Ser|pent-like thou art full of Subtilty; but thy nakedne&s;s doth appeare openly. The word of God is as a Fire, and cannot be limited, no not with thy carnal Rea&s;on: It is as a Hammer to beat thee to pei|ces, and as a Sword to cut thee a&s;under, when&s;oever thou come&s;t to know this powerfull word of God. And this is the word which the Prophets &s;poke from, who cryed Wo again&s;t all them that &s;ayd <HI>the Lord &s;ayth,</HI> and he never &s;poke to them, and cryed again&s;t all them that bear rule by their meanes, <HI>Ier.</HI> 5 30 31. the horible filthy thing is committed in the Land, which is and was held up with Prei&s;t and People, but now the &s;ame living, &s;pirituall, eternall Word, is made manife&s;t, and is preached abroad, again&s;t all you Hyerlings and greedy dumb Dogs, which have not a word from the Lord, but &s;eek for your gain from your quarters, and get up into the cheife&s;t place of the A&s;&s;emblies, and are called of men Ma|&s;ters, and &s;tand praying in the Synagogues; he that is the Word cryed Wo again&s;t all &s;uch, and them that had this Word, he bade them <HI>not to be as they were, Math.</HI> 23. 8 9 10. And this Word is made manife&s;t in the Saints, which is declared abroad: but thou who live&s;t in Appearance, and would&s;t &s;ee things in Appearance, in thy carnall wi&s;dom and Rea&s;on, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hou art &s;hut out from this know|ledg, for to thee it is death to thy carnall minde; therefore freely do I publi&s;h the Eternall Truth abroad, and as knowing you that you have not a word from the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ord, but are in that generacion of tho&s;e that did &s;hut up the kingdom of Heaven again&s;t men, neith|er go in your &s;elves, nor &s;uffer others, laying heavy burthens upon the People, and will not toutch them with one of your fingers, but what you do, you do it to be &s;een of men, making broad your Phi|lacteries,
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<HI>and devouring Widdows hou&s;es, Math.</HI> 23. 45. who art de|&s;olate from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who ha&s;t got the Form of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, but art in the &s;teps of the Scribes and Phari&s;es, who had got the form of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the <HI>Prophets,</HI> and were enemies and &s;trangers to the Life of God. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the <HI>Prophets,</HI> and their Form you have got in your comprehen&s;ion, <HI>in the earthly ve&s;&s;el,</HI> and that's your heavenly Trea&s;ure, but now you are tryed, with what you hold forth in a Form of words (but the word of God is powerfull) and in him is no Form, but thou art a <HI>Theif and a Robber,</HI> who &s;teale&s;t the Pro|phets words, <HI>Ier.</HI> 23. 30. who art <HI>without,</HI> who knowe&s;t not the Word, nor the Lord, nor the tru Mini&s;ters of the Word, &s;hutting out thy &s;elf in the dark world, and Querying whether the Word <HI>&s;hould be held forth in earthen ve&s;&s;els,</HI> if thou had&s;t an Eye, or if thou had&s;t an Eare thou might&s;t hear and &s;ee it preached dayly; but as I &s;aid to thy fir&s;t Query, thou know&s;t not <HI>the Light, whith enlightneth every one that commeth into the world,</HI> but art ignorant, deaf, and blinde, one that hates the Light, that makes thee let forth &s;o many &s;tumbling Queries, for had&s;t thou the Light, thou would&s;t not &s;tumble, but be as a Citty &s;et upon a Hill; but thou art <HI>without,</HI> who ha&s;t &s;hewed forth &s;uch a dark minde, but that minde is for de&s;truk|cion, for if thou did&s;t walk in the Light, and love it, it would lead thee to the Day, which would let thee &s;ee all things, and there would be no oca&s;ion of &s;tumbling, but thou art him that hates the Light, &s;o all thy Preaching as thou calle&s;t it leads from God, being blinde and leads the blinde, and mu&s;t both go into the Ditch to|gether; but we who are Mini&s;ters of the Eternal Word, &s;ee it, and dwell in the Light, and declare freely without a Bag or a Staffe: without Bra&s;s, and Silver, or two Coats, for the workman is wor|thy of his meat, <HI>freely you have received, freely give, Math.</HI> 10. 8. therefore we do deny your preaching, and for the &s;imple ones &s;ake who are in the Simplicity, who have been en&s;nared by you who are in the Subtilty, and &s;uch as you are, who have let forth the&s;e Queries, for we know your Spirits, though you have not let forth your names: &s;o who are in the &s;implicity, &s;eeking after the Truth, for their &s;akes have I let forth my &s;elf, and &s;hewed forth your folly.</P>
<P>Query 7. <HI>Whether the Idols Temple, and the Wor&s;hip that's done therein, be onely vi&s;ible things, as a hou&s;e of Wood, and Stone, and out|ward appearances, as Forms, and Rites, and Cu&s;tomes that were ob&s;erv|ed therein? Or the Idols Temple, and the Wor&s;hip thats done therein, be</HI>
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<HI>not al&s;o in mans Spirit, and My&s;ticall, Inward, and Invi&s;ible, as to &s;ence according as it is begotten of the spirituall Prince of Darkne&s;s, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Whereas thou would&s;t be informed, who art querying without, in whom lodgeth the My&s;tery of iniquity, which minde holds up the Forms, and the Rites, and the Cu&s;toms, and the Idols Temple of Lime, and Stone, which is the my&s;ticall Spirit, which thou &s;peak&s;t of, for if thou own the Light which enlighteneth eve|ry one that comes into the world (which is Chri&s;t) it would bring thee into the Cro&s;s, which is to thy carnall minde, and let thee &s;ee the Prince of the Ayer rule in thee, who art a Childe of di&s;obedience, where the My&s;tery of iniquity lodgeth, and this light would let thee &s;ee the carnall minde in whom all the Images lodge, and the Idols Temple, and the carnall part being wrought out within, and the Devils tremble, and the Earth &s;haken, <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 2. 19. and thrown down there, which is the foundacion of all images; for that within holds up the&s;e without, the carnal part within holds up the car|nal Temple without, and that looks at all the&s;e Rites, Cu&s;toms, Forms, and Tradicions thou &s;peak&s;t of, and the minde that is peri&s;hing is that that holds up all the&s;e peri&s;hing things, in whom <HI>the My&s;tery of Iniquity lodgeth, 2 The&s;.</HI> 2. 7. but if thou wert obe|dient to the Light, and loved it, it would bring thee to know God, and to e&s;cape the prince of the Ayer, which holds up all the&s;e things without thee; for <HI>I&s;rael</HI> when he had forgotten his Maker, builded Temples, &s;o thy carnal minde ruleing, and di&s;obeying the Light which would guide thee to God, that carnal mind within, brings thee to hold up Temples without thee, and &s;o thou art in the Pride and the Highne&s;s of minde, for out of Pride (who&s;e Dominion is Satan) came the&s;e Queries, but who are made the Temples of God are holy, and deny all your outward Temples of the Prei&s;ts, and and all your carnal Ob&s;ervances, which you live in, who profe&s;s the new-Covenant, or the Go&s;pel, or <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or the Word: but I will deal plainly with you: you are not come to know the old Co|venant, for from the inward doth all Idols, and Images ari&s;e, and there is many Idols and Images which thou bowe&s;t down to, with out thee, then look within thee, and thou art full of Imaginacions and Images both within and without, <HI>Pro.</HI> 6. 18. for as the &s;piritu|all Prince of Darkne&s;s, as thou &s;peak&s;t, they have their Idols and Images without, as ever it was in all that Generacion, which thou live&s;t in; and when thou ha&s;t denied the outward Idols all of them by the Light of God, which thou hate&s;t, then thou &s;halt &s;ee them
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within thee, thou that &s;tumble&s;t at the Light art he that hold&s;t up all the&s;e Images, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 7. 20. in whom the my&s;tery of iniquity lodgeth, for the Light of the body is the eye, which &s;hews all the&s;e things, and that it is which I &s;ayd to thee before, thou knowe&s;t not, (for thou art full of Images within) thou knowe&s;t it not, born up in thy under&s;tanding to guide thee, for it is <HI>the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. which thou art an Enemy and a &s;tranger to, and &s;tumble&s;t at, which Light &s;hall be thy condemnacion, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. 19.</P>
<P>8 Query. <HI>If the inward living invi&s;ible Word of God, which is the Teacher, in no way held forth under a Form, as to outward appearance to men, in earthen ve&s;&s;els, why do I &s;ee thy Expre&s;&s;ions and Exhortati|ons come forth in Print?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> To the eighth Query; Thou full of &s;ubtlety, &s;pu|ing forth thy Venom, and aske&s;t in the Query before, whe|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">her the word &s;hould be held forth or no, and now thou do&s;t hear &s;omething that is publi&s;hed abroad, which is a cro&s;s to thee, and which makes manife&s;t you are &s;tirred up, and doth torment you, therefore do&s;t thou pu&s;h with thy ten Horns, neverthele&s;s thou &s;ende&s;t not the Queryes to him whom thou do&s;t accu&s;e, and &s;ay&s;t, why &s;ee I thy Expre&s;&s;ions in Print, and &s;ende&s;t them to ano|ther, but &s;uch is thy rage and fury, and now it doth appear to all men, though it hath layn clo&s;e, the eternal Word hath &s;tirred him up; but Friend, I declare plainly to thee, God Almighty of Hea|ven and Earth, hath rai&s;ed up a Light in the hearts of People, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 9. (and he is coming to teach them him&s;elf) whereby your abominacion and filthine&s;s is di&s;covered to the &s;ons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, and according to his promi&s;e <HI>he hath poured forth his Spirit that his &s;ons and daughters begin to prophecy, Ioel</HI> 2. 28, 29. Pray&s;es be to the Lord God Almighty, who now is &s;etting up his Kingdom, who &s;ends his &s;ons and Daughters abroad, &s;ome to prophecy, and &s;ome to preach, and to declare his Name, <HI>Freely ye have received, freely give, Matth.</HI> 10. 8. and &s;ome write, and &s;ome &s;peak face to face, &s;o you &s;hall &s;ee it nearer you ere long, and as the Prophets of the Lord who &s;pake his Word, &s;omtimes &s;poke, and when they were moved to write they writ <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd publi&s;h|ed it abroad, &s;o do we the &s;ame, being ab&s;ent in body, &s;ending forth writings or Printed Books to declare to the &s;imple mindes the deceits that ye who are blinde Guides have led them in; but <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> the Light now &s;hines, by which ye are &s;een and
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di&s;covered, therefore &s;top your mouths &amp; be a&s;hamed, who have ne|ver <HI>had word from God, Micah</HI> 3. 7. for the Lord God is coming to &s;top your mouths, ye dumb Prophets, and Dogs, Thieves, and Robbers, who <HI>have &s;tollen the words of others, whom ye know not, Jer.</HI> 23. 30. but the Earth hath got the Declaracion, which is Earth, and &s;o &s;peaks the Earth for the Earth, but <HI>O Earth! hear the Word of the Lord, for wo is to ye that inhabit the Earth;</HI> and now the Devil begins to rage, becau&s;e the Word of God is &s;ounding abroad, and the Trumpet is blowing, which makes the Inhabitants of the Earth to tremble: but all your Preaching we do deny, and all your Ble&s;&s;ings; for as it is written, as the Prophet &s;ayd, <HI>their ble&s;&s;ings were cur&s;ed, and their &s;eed were corrupt, Mal.</HI> 2. 2, 3. and in their generacion you are, the Light which is <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is made manife&s;t, which lets me &s;ee you to be in that generacion, which hath gathe|red us up to God, and lets us &s;ee thee without God.</P>
<P>9 Query. <HI>Whether to exhort a man to attend to that Light which is within, which his eye can &s;ee, and which his ear can hear, and which his under&s;tanding can comprehend, and of which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e can give a Rea&s;on, be not to draw men to attend to vi&s;ible things, and to wor&s;hip in the Idols Temple, and to bow down to the Image of things, which he hath &s;een in Heaven and Earth, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> to the ninth Query; In it thou art compleat, if thou did&s;t &s;ee thy &s;elf in the my&s;tery of iniquity, fencing with thy wea|pons, which are &s;piritual wickedne&s;&s;es, which lodgeth in the high|e&s;t place, and with thy thoughts and imaginacions as it doth open|ly appear to him that obeys the Light, &s;o thou drawe&s;t People to look after vi&s;ible things, and to wor&s;hip <HI>in the Idols Temple, 1 Cor.</HI> 8. 10. to that which thy Rea&s;on can under&s;tand, and thy carnal eye can &s;ee, and thy carnal ear can hear, &s;o thou wor&s;hipe&s;t the Ho&s;t of Heaven, and that is thy Heaven, and thy Earth; but Heaven is Gods Throne, and thou with thy carnal eye can&s;t never &s;ee that, but draw&s;t all under to thy wor&s;hip, and that thou bow|e&s;t down to, to thy own imaginacions within, and then thou &s;et|te&s;t up &s;omthing without thee, and bringe&s;t others to bow down to thy Images and Idols without thee, which thou <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;t &s;et up, which flows from the &s;piritual wickedne&s;s within thee, in the high|e&s;t place, and there thou do&s;t climb up to the highe&s;t Pinnacle, and he that will bow down and wor&s;hip thee, thou give&s;t thy glo|ry to him, if he will not thou drawe&s;t out thy carnal weapons to murder him, for all the Mini&s;ters of the Letter are Per&s;ecutors of
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the Spirit, where thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf to be one; but Friend, the&punc; Light which is exhorted <HI>to take heed unto, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 19. thy dark&punc; minde cannot comprehend, thy ear cannot hear, thy eye cannot &s;ee, therefore do&s;t thou &s;tumble, as he who was the Light &s;ayd, and he that waits in the Light (which Light is <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>) it guides him up to God, and to the Church in God, and to bow down to no|thing bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> God, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 1. and it teacheth to know things that be eternal and invi&s;ible, by which Light we deny all thy Images, Forms Rites, and Cu&s;toms, all thy Images within thee, and the Idols without thee, for thou art full of them&punc; Pray&s;ed be the Lord God Almighty, who is come to teach his children, and hath ga|thered us from your mouths, who made a prey upon us, who wandred from Mountain to Mountain, but now the Lord hath ful|filled his Promi&s;e, and is fulfilling it; for thou art full of Images, and art the well-coloured Bea&s;t, and ha&s;t the well-coloured Robes, and art <HI>the Harlot out of the truth, Nah.</HI> 3. 4. who deceives with thy evil eye to draw People to vi&s;ible things.</P>
<P>10 Query. <HI>Whether to &s;ay, obey the Light that is within, and that is life, and di&s;obey it, that's death, be not to &s;peak according to the tenour of the old Covenant, which &s;ayth, Do this and live, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> to the tenth Query: In the Ob&s;ervance of outward things and Tradicions there is a difference, in the obeying of the Light within, and ob&s;erving things without, as the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, Take heed to the Light within you, untill <HI>the day dawn, and the day|&s;tar ari&s;e in your hearts, 2 Pet.</HI> 1. 19. who witne&s;&s;ed the new&punc; Cove|nant, and they that did obey the Light within, &s;aw through the old, and &s;aw <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;o a new command I give unto you, yet not a new but an old, if thou ha&s;t an ear thou may&s;t hear, but as I &s;ayd to thee before, it is that which thy Rea&s;on cannot comprehend, nor never &s;hall, and ye <HI>are &s;anctified through the obedience of the Spirit, John 17. 19. 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 22. and thy intent in the&s;e Queryes is to draw into di&s;obedience from the Light of God within them, to follow the imaginacions of &s;uch as thou art, but who doth obey the Light, thou art di&s;covered to them, and thou and all who hate this Light, it is thine and their condemnacion, and eternally &s;halt thou witne&s;s me, for to the Light I &s;peak, which thy dark minde cannot comprehend, and all who di&s;obeys the Light, holds the truth <HI>in an unrighteous minde, Rom.</HI> 10. 16. but the Lord <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is coming, <HI>Who will render vengeance in flames of fier, upon all them</HI>
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<HI>who know not God, and that obeys not the Gospel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 8. now thou may&s;t call this the old Covenant, and the Covenant of Works, who live&s;t in the my&s;tery of iniqui|ty, and art di&s;obedient, who art one in that generacion that is di&s;obedient to the Go&s;pel of our Lord <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and &s;eeke&s;t to keep others in the &s;ame generacion from obeying the Go&s;pel of our Lord <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> with all thy bea&s;tical power in the&s;e ten Queryes, who ha&s;t uttered forth thy ten Horns, that pu&s;heth with them, <HI>again&s;t the Lamb and again&s;t the Saints, Dan.</HI> 7. 7. but the Lamb hath got the victory over the Bea&s;t, and over the fal&s;e Prophets, <HI>the Light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world,</HI> this Light he dwelleth in which &s;ees thee, which hath an|&s;wered the&s;e Queryes, who art without, yet &s;o as not to the feeding of that minde and rea&s;on which mu&s;t die in thee, for Plagues, and Wo, and Judgment, and Vengeance, and <HI>Flames of Fier,</HI> will the Lord render upon thee, who doth not obey the Go&s;pel, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 8. and &s;o fare thee well, for in the Pit and Fall thou art, one that doth di&s;obey the Light, and hate&s;t the Light, and &s;tumble&s;t at it, and there thou &s;tande&s;t condemned, for to that <HI>in thy con&s;cience do I &s;peak, 2 Cor.</HI> 4. 2. which &s;hall eternally witne&s;s me, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 11.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
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<HEAD>Certain QUERIES given forth by a &s;ort of high Profe&s;&s;ors that dwell in <HI>Farnez Fels</HI> in <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> and &s;ent to <HI>George Fox,</HI> which are an&s;wered by him, and their &s;ubtlety and deceits di&s;covered and layd open.</HEAD>
<P>1 Query. <HI>_WHether</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t <HI>have a Body in Heaven, if he hath, whether it is the &s;ame that appeared among men in the fle&s;h, or what manner of Body hath he? Is he a particular Man or Per&s;on, incompa&s;&s;ed with a Body, to live in for ever? or is it the Body which the Saints &s;hall have, when all fle&s;h &s;hall be rai&s;ed to the la&s;t Judgment?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou would&s;t know, whether <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> have a Body in Heaven: he remains in the Heavens; if thou ha&s;t an Eare thou may&s;t hear: And whereas thou would&s;t know whether it be the &s;ame that appeared among&s;t men, it is <HI>the &s;ame that did de&s;cend, the &s;ame did a&s;cend, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 10. he that hath an Eare to hear let him hear: and whereas thou would&s;t know, what manner of Body he hath; here thou art di&s;puting as the Devil was about the Body of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> with <HI>Michael</HI> the Archangel, who &s;ayd, <HI>The Lord rebuke thee,</HI> &s;o &s;ay I now, the Lord rebuke thee, who art di&s;puting about the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is but one, which makes free from the Law and &s;in, and he is the Head of the Body, which is <HI>the Church;</HI> but this to thee is a my&s;tery, and he liveth in his Bo|dy, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 4. and whereas thou would&s;t know whether it be the Body, which the Saints &s;hall have, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 18. when all fle&s;h &s;hall be rai&s;ed to the la&s;t Judgment; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy
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ignorance, not to di&s;cern the Lords Body, and to be of them that would make a divi&s;ion in the Body that is &s;poken of in the Scrip|ture, for the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is but one, as it is written, being <HI>many members, yet one Body, 1 Cor.</HI> 12. 20. and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Head and Members of this Body, and liveth in it, <HI>I in thee, and thou in me, that they may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, Iohn</HI> 27. he that can receive it, let him, but thou art he who doth not <HI>di&s;cern the Lords Body, therefore thou eate&s;t and drinke&s;t damnacion to thy &s;elf, 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 29. and to thee it is a my&s;tery, and damnacion thou mu&s;t know, and with that Eye thou &s;halt never &s;ee it, for it is evill as <HI>Herods</HI> was, who &s;ought after the Child to wor&s;hip him, but would have &s;lain him <HI>Matth.</HI> 2. 13. he that rai&s;eth the Body he is the judg of the world: in flames of fier, and in flaming fier, and in vengeance &s;halt thou know, and in judgment, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1. 7. 8. who art without, in the world, querying about his body <HI>who is the Re&s;urrection, John.</HI> 11. 25. and in this Query thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy dark mind, which is full of Confu&s;ion, and thy &s;elf to be ignorant of the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and with thy fle&s;hly under&s;tanding, which is for de&s;truk|cion, thou would&s;t know it, and this minde which hath asked this Que&s;tion; but <HI>the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Faith &s;peaks on this wi&s;e, not to &s;ay to fetch Chri&s;t from above, or de&s;cnd into the deep, that is, to bring up Chri&s;t again from the dead: But what &s;ayth it, the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of Faith which wee preach, Rom.</HI> 10. 6. 7. 8. wherein thou ha&s;t &s;howed thy &s;elf that gav|e&s;t forth the&s;e Queries, that you never heard this word of Faith preached to you, and he is the Head, and the Saints are the Body, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 15. and in him we live, <HI>who &s;it with Chri&s;t in heavenly places, Eph.</HI> 2. 6. and his body is but one, and he lives in it for ever, whom the Heavens mu&s;t receive untill the time of Re&s;titucion of <HI>all things Acts</HI> 3. 21. but you dark Sots, this is a my&s;tery to you, as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is who is the Head of the Body; and this Body of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> which thou de&s;ire&s;t to know, thou &s;halt never know, nor &s;ee, for thou art for judgment, and condemnacion&punc; <HI>ordained of Old, Iude</HI> 13. and in dark|ne&s;s thou live&s;t, who art <HI>dead in Sins and Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, Eph.</HI> 2. 1. and who art querying after <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> whether he be a particular Per&s;on, &s;howing forth the &s;ame minde that was in the <HI>Iewes,</HI> who knew not <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but queried whether he was the <HI>Carpenters</HI> Son or no, <HI>Math.</HI> 13. 55. who was not born by the will of man, and is born now but not by the will of man, him you know not, nor cannot &s;e <HI>Iohn</HI> 1&punc; 13. nor believe where he is made manife&s;t, and he is but one
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in all his Saints, who is their Head, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7 4. and their Life, who comes into the World from above, and redeemes and makes free from Sin and the Law, with the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> he that hath an Eare may hear; to us it is plainne&s;s, who are in the Gate and Fold, but to you it is a my&s;tery, who live in the my&s;tery a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Iniquity, who are without the Gate, and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Re&s;urrection, and the Judg, <HI>Iohn</HI> 11. 25. that &s;halt thou finde when he comes upon thee to ren|der vengance in flames of fier, <HI>Iohn</HI> 5 22. who art a Childe of Di&s;|obedience.</P>
<P>2 Query. <HI>With what Bodies &s;hall the Saints ari&s;e with, and dwell, and live in for ever, &s;hall there be given to every particular Saint, a particular Body.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Whereas thou would&s;t know with what Body the Saints &s;hall ari&s;e, In that Body which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> doth live in, for he is the Sa|viour of the Body, he is the Head of the Body, he is the Re&s;urrecti|on and the Life of the Body, and his Body is but one, <HI>So wee are many members, yet one Body, Cor.</HI> 12. 20. and here thou ha&s;t &s;how|ed thou do&s;t not di&s;cern the Lords Body, but art under the Dam|nacion: Thou Fool, whereas thou would&s;t know whether there &s;hall be given to every particular Saint a particular Body, and with what Bodies they &s;hall ari&s;e, as they &s;aid in the <HI>Corinthians,</HI> with what Bodies &s;hall they come, <HI>and how &s;hould the dead be ray&s;ed.</HI> Paul makes an&s;wer, <HI>Thou fool, that which thou &s;owe&s;t is not quicken|ed except it die, and that which thou &s;owe&s;t, thou &s;owe&s;t not that Body that &s;hall be, but bare grain, it may chance of Whear, or of &s;ome other grain, but God giveth it a Body as it hath plea&s;ed him, and to every &s;eed his own Body: All fle&s;h is not the &s;ame fle&s;h, but there is one kind of fle&s;h of Men, another fle&s;h of Bea&s;ts, another of Fi&s;hes, and another of Birds: there are al&s;o Cele&s;tiall Bodyes, and Bodies Terre&s;tiall, but the glory of the Cele&s;tial is one, and the glory of the Terre&s;tiall is another. There is one glory of the Sun, another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the, Stars, for one Star differeth from another Star in glory,</HI> So al&s;o is it in the Re&s;urrection of the dead; if thou ha&s;t an Eare thou may&s;t hear; but thou Fool art never the wi&s;er here, but thou art a Conjurer, and live&s;t in Conjuracion, <HI>Ier. 27. 9. Zach.</HI> 10. 2.</P>
<P>3 Query <HI>With what Bodies &s;hall the wicked ari&s;e, with natural, or &s;pirituall?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> With thy corrupt naturall &s;pirituall wickedne&s;s, to Con|demnacion; with that Body doth the wicked ari&s;e that thou live&s;t in; thou Enimy of God &s;halt finde it, and the Eye in thee &s;hall &s;ee
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de&s;truction, and eternall Condemnacion, who querie&s;t with what Bodies the wicked &s;hall ari&s;e: thou art ri&s;en high in thy &s;pirituall <HI>wickedne&s;s, Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 12. who live&s;t in the corrupt nature, and high art thou ri&s;en in it, who&s;e Judgment is appearing, and Judg &s;tands at the door, and lingers not, <HI>who&s;e damnacion &s;lumbers not, 2 Pet.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3. If thou ha&s;t an Eare thou may&s;t hear, and there read thy Porci|on, and thy An&s;wer to the Query.</P>
<P>4 Query. <HI>Whether is there, or &s;hall there be a Locall Place of Hea|ven and Hell, to be inhabited and dwelt in, for the Saints to enjoy, and the Wicked to &s;uffer in, with their Bodyes? And how &s;hall they be tor|mented, with materiall Fier and Brim&s;ton, or how? And if every Saint and Devil, have a particular Body, mu&s;t there not be a particular Locall Place? Can Bodies be&punc; no where? Mu&s;t they not re&s;t and &s;tand upon &s;ome place, the Saints &s;inging Hallelujah, to the Highe&s;t for ever|more?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In thy Query thou ha&s;t uttered forth thy Confu&s;ion, who ha&s;t joyned Heaven and Hell together; and whereas thou would&s;t know, whether there is, or there &s;hall be a Locall Place of Heaven and Hell: here thou &s;hewe&s;t forth thy blindne&s;s, in that thou knowe&s;t neither Heaven nor Hell, and in the Locall Place, as thou cal&s;t it, thou art, and there's a Hell, thou &s;halt finde it, and there thy &s;infull body &s;hall &s;uffer, who art &s;eperated from God. Heaven is Gods <HI>Throne,</HI> which the Saints do enjoy (he that can re|ceive it, let him) but thou art &s;hut out of it, and that which asketh the Que&s;tion &s;hall never know it, for thou art without the Gate, as I &s;aid to thee before. And whereas thou would&s;t know how the Wicked &s;hould be tormented; here thou would&s;t learn <HI>thy Porcion, Rev.</HI> 20. 131, 4. with that Fier that <HI>cannot be quenched;</HI> look upon Fi|er and Brim&s;ton and it may teach thee, and thou may&s;t read thy Fi|gure daily. Whereas thou would&s;t know, if every Saint and Devil have a particular body, thou art of the particular body of the my&s;t|ery of Iniquity&punc; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 7. who art to be tormented from <HI>the pre&s;ence of the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, and all his Saints and Angels, Rev.</HI> 20. 10. and if thou call that a Locall place, take it. <HI>The Saints &s;hall &s;tand upon Mount Sion, who are redeemed from the Earth by the Blood of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;ings Hallelujah for evermore. Rev. 14. 1. Rev.</HI> 21. 10. who&s;e Body is but one, <HI>and Chri&s;t is the Head of the Body, Col.</HI> 1. 18. If thou ha&s;t an Eare thou may&s;t hear, for without this Body thou art kept, from making <HI>any divi&s;ion, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 3. Thou Enemy of God, and man of Sin, for de&s;truction
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thou art ordained, to go therein, thy fear of it doth begin, and the <HI>Lake</HI> that burneth, and the Pit thou art for to be turned into Eter|nally: thou &s;halt know me that I &s;peak the Truth, for who&s;oever thou art called by Name, thy Spirit I know&punc;</P>
<P>5 Query. <HI>Whether Ie&s;us Chri&s;t be the Eternall Father, and fulle&s;t Fountain of Bli&s;s, and that be&s;ides him, and above him there is no God? Was he the fir&s;t Contriver, Determiner, and Former of all things; the Creator of every thing, the giver of every good gift? Or was he the be|gotten of the Father&punc; &s;o not the Father, and Fountain, but &s;et apart from him, being by him when he gave to the Sea his Decree; &s;o Chri&s;t is not truly God in the Originall, but a Son, being alwaies by the Father, to &s;ee what works he doth, the Son may do likewi&s;e? Is he but the Gift, and Di&s;pen&s;ator, or Maker-out of the Fathers Love to Sinners, as a Mediator and Advocate betwixt the Father and them; &s;o not the &s;ub&s;tance, and Fountain in the Bult and Dignity. Therefore what is Chri&s;t? hath he a body and the Father none? how may he be di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Father? So not the Father: So no God, unle&s;s there be two or three di&s;tinct Gods, and no more one God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Whereas thou would&s;t know, whether <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> be the Eternall Father, and fulle&s;t Fountain of Bli&s;s; thou Serpent, thou aske&s;t a que&s;tion, and art giving an an&s;wer thy &s;elf, as the Ser|pent did, <HI>Mich. 7. 17. 2 Cor.</HI> 11. 3. he is not thy Eternall Father that pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t forth this Query, nor Fountain, for of another <HI>Fountain</HI> thou drinke&s;t, and Bli&s;s (us thou cal&s;t it) which is one of thy Con|jured words; and thou &s;ay&s;t, be&s;ides him, and above him, there is no God: God was in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> reconciling the World to him&s;elf, 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 19. he that hath an Eare to hear let him hear. Whereas thou would&s;t know, whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was the fir&s;t Contriver, Deter|miner, and Former of all things; him who is the Fir&s;t, and the La&s;t, &s;halt thou never know, but death and de&s;truction, for thou art the Contriver, Determiner, and Former; who would&s;t poynt out God a way, and who art contriving with thy Serpentine wi&s;dom, to intrude into the things of God, and to know God, and <HI>Chri&s;t, Col.</HI> 2. 18. who art cur&s;ed <HI>above all the bea&s;ts of the field,</HI> from God and <HI>Chri&s;t, Gen</HI> 3. 14. In the world thou may&s;t make a divi&s;ion, but betwixt God and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> thou can&s;t make none, as it is written, <HI>A Virgin &s;hall have a Childe who&s;e name &s;hall be</HI> Emmanuel, <HI>which is by interpretacion, God with us, Math. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> 23. Luke</HI> 1 31 32 he that hath an Eare to hear let him hear, but thou ha&s;t none, who art making divi&s;ions: He that is the Father, is the giver of every good
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gift, and the Creator of all things, and he that was <HI>in the Father, and the Father in him, by him were all things made, and by him doth all things con&s;i&s;t, vi&s;ible and invi&s;ible, Col.</HI> 1. 16, 17. whereas thou ask|e&s;t if <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was the Begotten of the Father, which &s;hews thou neither knowe&s;t the Father nor the Son, for he that knoweth him that did beget, knoweth him that is begotten of him, for <HI>the Son is in the Father, Iohn</HI> 5. 1. who is not born by the will of man, and thou in thy will &s;halt never know him, <HI>Iohn</HI> 14. 10, 11. for thou art <HI>Herod</HI> that &s;eeke&s;t to know, but it is to <HI>de&s;troy, Matth.</HI> 2. 13. if thou knew&s;t the Son thou would&s;t know the Father, who cannot be divided, for <HI>the Father and the Son are one,</HI> from whence all good and perfect gifts flow; and as he &s;ayd to the Di&s;ciple, <HI>Ha&s;t thou &s;een me and not &s;een the Father, I am in the Father, and the Father in me, Iohn 14. 9, 10. and he that hath the Father hath the Son, and if there come any among you, and bring any other Doctrine, receive him not into your hou&s;es, neither bid him God &s;peed.</HI> Friend, thou art the &s;ubtle Serpent, the Tempter, who &s;hewe&s;t forth thy pre&s;umptuous bla&s;phemy; thou &s;ay&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not truly God; in that Original thou ha&s;t no more knowledg of him than the outward Original, for through thy &s;ubtlety thou ha&s;t conjured up the&s;e many Que|ryes, which mu&s;t go into perdicion again, who art making a diffe|ren<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and di&s;tance betwixt God and <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> for as I &s;ayd to thee before, God was in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> reconciling the world to him&s;elf, and he that &s;ees the Son &s;ees the Father al&s;o, the Mover of all things, and Maker of all things; but here with thy bu&s;ie minde thy blindne&s;s and ignorance doth appear, who art &s;craping in Hell to gather up your conjured &s;tuff, who neither knowe&s;t God nor <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and it is <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> that you crucifie: Friend, here thou &s;itte&s;t as a Judg of the Father and of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> thou Enemy of God, who &s;ay&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not the Father and Fountain, but &s;et apart from him, being by him when he gave to the Sea his Decree; God was in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> who is both Father and Fountain, reconciling the world to him&s;elf, and it was he that gave to the Sea its Decree, and he that &s;ees the Son &s;ees the Father al&s;o, for the Son is in him; but thou that make&s;t a difference to &s;et God in one place and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in another, art in the &s;ame nature that the <HI>Iews</HI> had, that could not di&s;cern the Father that &s;poke in him, as he &s;ayd, It is not you, <HI>but the Spirit of the Fa|ther that &s;peaketh in you, Matth.</HI> 10. 20. but thou live&s;t in <HI>Philo&s;ophy</HI> and <HI>Logick,</HI> which are of the Devil, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 8. who art &s;torming with thy Rea&s;on, but Truth hath comprehended thee, who art for
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de&s;truction, thou high Bla&s;phemer and <HI>Lucifer</HI> like: VVhereas thou aske&s;t whether is he but the Gift, and Di&s;pen&s;ator and Maker out of the Fathers love to &s;inners&punc; as a Mediator and Advocate betwixt the Fater and them; he is him whom the Father loveth, who is the Mediator, who is thy de&s;truction, <HI>God &s;o loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son into the world, that who&s;oever be|lieved on him &s;hould not peri&s;h but have everla&s;ting life, Iohn</HI> 3. 16. Friend, thou art but querying to &s;eed thy fle&s;hly minde, who art one of them that crucifie&s;t him, high in thy pre&s;umption, &s;o to thee he is no Mediator, and to thee he is no Gift, nor made mani|fe&s;t, but art querying <HI>without</HI> of him, and one of them that &s;ay, <HI>Lo here, and lo there, Matth.</HI> 24. 23. and thy knowledg is the Let|ter, and that is the Original, and Gift, and Manife&s;tacion, which is du&s;t, which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eeds thee Serpent, which the Cur&s;e is upon, and it is the Seed of the Woman that mu&s;t brui&s;e thy Head, as God who hath promi&s;ed and &s;ayd, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3. 15. and this mu&s;t every one wit|ne&s;s who witne&s;s <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> thou with thy evil eye looke&s;t at <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and God at a di&s;tance, and the Father and the Son at a di&s;tance, as thou &s;ayd&s;t before, he &s;et him at a di&s;tance, which cro&s;&s;eth the life of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who &s;ayd, <HI>I in thee, and thou in me, Father as thou and I are one, Iohn</HI> 17. 21. and he that hath the Father hath the Son, and the Son is in the Father, and in the Fountain, but thou to this art ignorant, who art &s;craping with thy carnal Rea&s;on, to get up to the highe&s;t Pinnacle to tempt <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who &s;itte&s;t as a Judg upon the Father and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and who crucifie&s;t him, and knowe&s;t not God, but thou mu&s;t be judged with him, even the &s;piritual man, and as it is written, <HI>the fir&s;t man is of the Earth, earthly, and the &s;econd is the Lord from Heaven, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 47. but thou &s;ay&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not truly God; O thou fal&s;e Judg&punc; who knowe&s;t neither God nor <HI>Chri&s;t&punc;</HI> who art making a &s;eparacion betwixt the Son and God, and who art &s;etting <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> at a di&s;tance, who &s;ayth, he is <HI>in the Father,</HI> and who make&s;t a Ly upon the Scriptures, and &s;peake&s;t contrary to them, which thou calle&s;t the Original, for it &s;ayth, <HI>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and became Fle&s;h and dwelt a|mong&s;t us, Iohn</HI> 1. and they knew him not, no more do ye know him now, who dwels among&s;t us, but &s;eek to crucifie him where ever he is made manife&s;t, who hath his being in the Father; thou Ene|my of God and of all Righteou&s;ne&s;s, who &s;ayth &s;o, not the Sub|&s;tance&punc; and Fountain in the bult and dignity, in thy bult and digni|ty he is not; here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;elf, thou Lyar, who
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&s;ay&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not in the bult (as thou calle&s;t it) and dignity, who pre&s;umptuou&s;ly would&s;t &s;it as a Judg upon him to <HI>whom all power in Heaven and Earth is given, to the Son, Matth.</HI> 28. 18. who is in the Fountain, and the Fountain in him, who is in power and dignity, who &s;hall overthrow thee and thy dignity, thou who art raced out from God and the Son: and again thou querye&s;t what is <HI>Chri&s;t&punc;</HI> it is him thou crucifie&s;t, and &s;eeke&s;t to crucifie and &s;lay; and here thou Tempter, who art without, art querying whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath a Body, and the Father none, &s;hewing thy &s;elf not to know the Lords Body, for the Son is in the Father, and they are one; and with thy carnal eye looke&s;t upon him to be like thy &s;elf; if thou knowe&s;t his Body thou knowe&s;t the Fathers, for they are both one; thou full of &s;ubtlety, who art querying how the Son may be di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Father, he that knows the Son knows the Father, and he that &s;ees the Son &s;ees the Father, for he is in the Father, and they are not to be di&s;tingui&s;hed, but it is thou who art without, in the world, who art making many Gods, as the world doth, 1 <HI>Cor. 5. 8. Ier.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 28. and art di&s;tingui&s;hing, who art di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Father and the Son, who art making and make&s;t three Gods, and know&s;t none, nor ha&s;t none but the God of the World to rule thee; and here thou twining Serpent, who art en&s;naring art en&s;nared, who art full of &s;ubtlety, and catcht in thy wile, who ha&s;t been rabbling upon thou know&s;t not what with thy filthy minde, and talke&s;t of thou do&s;t not know what, &s;o thou art turned and mu&s;t be turned into that which to thee will be hot; and the Son and the Father are one, <HI>I and my Father are one, Iohn</HI> 10 30. and not two, but to thee; <HI>he that hath an Ear let him hear,</HI> but here thou ha&s;t none, who ha&s;t a bu&s;ie minde, medling with that which doth not concern thee, and &s;o thou &s;hewe&s;t thy &s;elf where thou art&punc;</P>
<P>6 Query. <HI>Whether there be a pure and an eternal Light in every Male and Female, if a true and &s;aving Light, in and to every one, how is it that there &s;hall &s;o many peri&s;h? Is Satan &s;tronger than God? Shall or can fle&s;h and bloud quench and extenuate the Spirit in his ope|racion, and &s;o the arm of the Almighty &s;hortned, fru&s;trated, and made void by the di&s;obedience of fle&s;h? Is there a power in every man as he is man, to be &s;aved if he will?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I am the Light of the world that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. The one he loves the
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Light, and brings his works to the Light, and walks in the Light, and to him there is <HI>no occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling, Iohn</HI> 3. 20, 21. and you that hate the Light, you &s;tumble, and know not whither you go, who ha&s;t put forth &s;o many &s;tumbling Queryes, and with thy dark minde thou can&s;t not comprehend the Light, but Light com|prehends thee, and &s;ees thy end and intent, which Light &s;hall <HI>be thy condemnacion, John</HI> 1. 5. and thou &s;ay&s;t, How is it that there &s;hall &s;o many peri&s;h? that which asketh the que&s;tion mu&s;t peri&s;h; who hates the Light as thou do&s;t, and <HI>gayu&s;ays the truth,</HI> &s;hall peri&s;h as <HI>Core</HI> did, <HI>Iude</HI> 11. and the Eternal pure Light &s;hall be thy condemnaci|on, in thy own mouth &s;halt thou be judged, who live&s;t in the di&s;|obedience of the pure Light, and &s;lighte&s;t his mercyes, and <HI>turne&s;t the free Grace of God into wantonne&s;s;</HI> the mouth of the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;poken it, who is the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, and my arm is not &s;hortned, &s;ayth the Lord; and Satan is <HI>exalted above all that is called God in thee&punc; 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 4. thou &s;on of perdicion, and that which is of God in thee is impri&s;oned, and thou with thy fle&s;hly minde crucifie&s;t the ju&s;t, and quenche&s;t the Spirit, as the <HI>Iews</HI> did who <HI>crucified Chri&s;t,</HI> as thou reade&s;t in the Letter, <HI>Iohn</HI> 19. and in that generacion thou art, if thou ha&s;t an Ear thou may&s;t hear, thou Enemy of God ha&s;t none, who crucifie&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> now, who art he that fru&s;trate&s;t&punc; and quenche&s;t the Spirit, who mu&s;t be con&s;umed with the breath of his mouth, and de&s;troyed by the brightne&s;s of his coming: thou querye&s;t whether there be a power in every man as to be &s;aved if he will; here thou &s;ubtlety who art ditted full of Eearth ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy ignorance of the power of God, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 4, 5. Man in his will would be &s;aved, as thou would&s;t, but the power of God is contrary to thy will and de&s;troys it, which &s;aves, and as many as receives <HI>Chri&s;t, to them he gives power to become the &s;ons of God, Iohn</HI> 1. 12. but here thou &s;on of perdicion ha&s;t made manife&s;t thy &s;elf, not to love <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor receive him, therefore thou want&s;t power, and there thou ha&s;t &s;hew|ed thy &s;elf to be that wicked and &s;lothfull &s;ervant which <HI>hide&s;t thy Talent in the Earth, Matth.</HI> 25. 26. and there is that Light and Power in every man, which if he take heed to it, and wait within, there he &s;hall finde his Saviour, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 19. but if he hate this pure Eternal Light, it &s;hall <HI>condem him</HI> eternally <HI>who&s;e deeds are evil, Iohn</HI> 3. 19. as thine is, and &s;o all &s;tumbling is by being di&s;obedient to the Light, as the <HI>Iews</HI> who &s;tumbled at <HI>Chri&s;t&punc;</HI> who &s;ayd, he was
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<HI>the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into world,</HI> &s;o thou do&s;t now at the &s;ame Light, which &s;hall be thy condemnacion, eter|nally thou &s;halt witne&s;s me; it is the &s;ame Light as ever was: to that which &s;hould exerci&s;e your con&s;ciences do I &s;peak, which will witne&s;s me, and condemn you, though God is greater than Con|&s;cience.</P>
<P>7 Query. <HI>Whether there &s;hall be a general Re&s;urrection of all fle&s;h, all &s;ummoned to one place, and to what place, to receive a tru and du Sentence of Iudgment, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Chri&s;t Ie&s;us</HI> is the Re&s;urrection of the ju&s;t and unju&s;t, &s;ome to &s;alvacion, and &s;ome to condemnacion, the &s;ame that &s;aves the &s;ame condemns, <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. 31, 32, 33, 34. And thou de&s;ire&s;t to know the place, it is the day that God will judg thee and the world in righteou&s;ne&s;s, whom he hath ordained; thou bu&s;ie fellow who art querying of others condicions of the world without thee, but it is that thou Fool might&s;t utter forth thy folly, and here thou ha&s;t made it appear, and in thy Queryes thou art little wi&s;er, and there is a place where thou &s;halt finde a Judg, and his Trumpet is &s;ounding, but thou art deaf yet, and can&s;t not hear it, and the Sumpter-hor&s;e is gone forth.</P>
<P>8 Query. <HI>Whether may the Scriptures by the Spirit of God be open|ed, and unfolded, and expounded to the People, yea or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Here thou Serpent art full of &s;ubtlety, High-Prie&s;t like, un|der a colour come&s;t and would&s;t be taught, but in thy other Que|ryes thou art teaching and judging, and thou did&s;t &s;hew thy &s;elfe to be one that did&s;t not know the Light <HI>which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world,</HI> and what do&s;t thou talk of opening the Scripture, who hates the Light and &s;tumble&s;t at it, and art <HI>di&s;obedient</HI> to the Spirit, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 6. to it thou <HI>art an Enemy, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 6. but it is that thou maye&s;t be kept in <HI>the high place of wickedne&s;s, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 2. but by them who dwell in the Light thou art comprehended and taken in the &s;nare, and art without the Truth of God, and an Enemy to that which &s;hould guide thee, and to be a Cloud <HI>without water, Iude</HI> 12. and the &s;ame Spirit where it is made manife&s;t, and lived in, and walked in, and not the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, it opens the Scriptures in the People, and fulfils them, for it is the &s;ame that gave them forth, and where this is witne&s;&s;ed it needs not be queryed, whether it opens the Scripture to the People or no, for it doth open them in the People and to
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the People, but thou art without the Gate of Truth, what is this to thee, one that art without, &s;tumble&s;t at the Light, a Childe of Di&s;obedience, whom <HI>the wrath of God abides upon, Iohn</HI> 3. 36. but it is the Serpent that would be wi&s;e, and would&s;t paint thy &s;elf with other mens words, who pretende&s;t to have the Spirit, but art a De|ceiver in the world, in thy Fathers Kingdom, and Dominion, and this &s;halt thou &s;ee when thou owne&s;t the Light, which is thy con|demnacion, and witne&s;&s;e&s;t me to &s;peak the truth.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>George Fox.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
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<HEAD>Certain QUERIES given forth from one <HI>Robert Lucas,</HI> of <HI>Kellet</HI> in <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> who is wi&s;e in his own conceit, profe&s;&s;ing in words that he knows &s;omething, but i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> here found out to know nothing but what he knows na|turally, as a bruit Bea&s;t, and in tho&s;e things hath cor|rupted him&s;elf, as <HI>Iude</HI> 10&punc; and that through his wrath, bitterne&s;s, envy, and malice&punc; again&s;t the wonderfull and mighty power of God, which he hath manife&s;ted in his People, which now makes the Devil to rage, per&s;e|cute&punc; and bla&s;pheme, and to &s;et all his Servants a work, to tempt, to mini&s;ter Que&s;tions, to de&s;pi&s;e, fal&s;ly ac|cu&s;e, and to &s;lander, and contemn all tho&s;e who are re|deemed from the Earth, and are Servants to the living God, and walk in the Truth; judging, and condemning, and overturning all tho&s;e who profe&s;s the Truth in words but walk contrary: which Que&s;tions were propounded to one who is de&s;pi&s;ed of the De&s;pi&s;ers for the Truths &s;ake, who&s;e name among men is <HI>Richard Hubberthorn,</HI> but are an&s;wered by the Spirit of the Lord, from the mouth of the Lord, as followeth:</HEAD>
<P>_I Have here received a Paper, who&s;e name &s;ub&s;cribed to it is <HI>Robert Lucas,</HI> in which are many unlearned Queryes, proceeding from the &s;ubtle minde, Serpent-like&punc; which minde is full of mi&s;chief, and dark, about Que&s;tions and <HI>&s;trife of words, 2 Tim.</HI> 2. 23. being full of darkne&s;s, and in them are many temptations; yet becau&s;e thou Fool &s;hould&s;t not be exalted in thy pride and foolery, a few things in An&s;wer I have given forth to the uttering forth of thy foolery, thou that ha&s;t been a Profe&s;&s;or &s;o&punc; long, and art querying what Faith is, and whether Faith be attained by hearing the Word preached, and whether all
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men have not Faith, and whether it is po&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God with|out Faith; and thou querye&s;t how <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is in man, and whether any be elected to Salvacion, and whether all men be conceived in &s;in&punc; and querye&s;t how it is done away: after thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy fooli&s;hne&s;s, thy blindne&s;s, and thy ignorance, as not knowing any thing, thou ha&s;t made a Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and here thou &s;hewe&s;t thou know&s;t him not: for &s;hame give over thy Profe&s;&s;ion, and lay thy hand upon thy mouth and be &s;ilent; but to us the uttering forth thy folly is &s;erviceable, as it is written, <HI>Fools are uttering forth their folly,</HI> and thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be one, <HI>Prov.</HI> 13. 16.</P>
<P>1 Query. <HI>What Faith is?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Faith is the Gift of God, and that which asks the que|&s;tion is without, and &s;hall never know it, for thou art a Reprobate concerning it, the Faith, and art one of them that <HI>art ever learn|ing, and led away with divers lu&s;ts, never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 7. Faith is that which leads out of the World, up to God, from all the Worlds Teachers, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 4. and denyes all them as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did, and doth, <HI>who are called of men Ma&s;ter, and &s;tand praying in the Synagogue, and which lay heavy burdens upon the People,</HI> which Wo was pronounced upon, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. and is upon all &s;uch now, <HI>he that hath an ear to hear let him hear</HI> the my&s;tery of <HI>Faith, 1 Tim.</HI> 3. 8.</P>
<P>2 Query. <HI>Whether is Faith obtained by hearing the Word preach|ed?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ha&s;t thou been a Hearer &s;o long, and art querying whe|ther Faith cometh by hearing of <HI>the Word preached, Rom.</HI> 10. 17. it &s;hews forth thy &s;ubtlety, Serpent like thou feede&s;t upon Du&s;t, which is the Letter, and the Word thou never heard&s;t, the Word which is God, and Faith is the gift of God, and comes by the hearing of the Word, and the Word <HI>became fle&s;h, John</HI> 1. 14. but thou art in the generacion of them that ever per&s;ecuted them that heard this Word, where it &s;poke forth, and as for thee, <HI>thy Faith is vain, thou art yet in thy &s;ins, 1 Cor.</HI> 15. 14.</P>
<P>3 Query. <HI>Whether have all men Faith?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No, thou ha&s;t none, but art vain in thy imaginacions, but as I &s;ayd before, thou art a Reprobate concerning the Faith, 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 8. and thou art one of them that art <HI>unrea&s;onable, 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. which have not Faith, which the Apo&s;tle prayed to be delivered from, and thou that doubts art <HI>damned already, Rom.</HI> 14. 23.</P>
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<P>4 Query. <HI>Whether is it po&s;&s;ible for any man to plea&s;e God without Faith?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou can&s;t not plea&s;e God, for thou ha&s;t not Faith, <HI>for what&s;oever is not of Faith is &s;in, Rom.</HI> 14. 23. and all that ever thou do&s;t is &s;in, all thy Profe&s;&s;ion, all thy reading, all thy hearing, and all thy praying is abominacion to the Lord, for they are not offer|ed up from the pure heart, but thy heart is rotten, filthy, and cor|rupt, and all thy hearing, and all thy pratling of that thou calle&s;t the Word, by it thou &s;halt never get Faith, which is the Gift of God, but it is all the Serpents meat which feeds thee; thou Ser|pent which art cur&s;ed above all the Bea&s;ts of the Field, who in the&s;e Queryes ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;ubtlety and <HI>temptations, Matth.</HI> 22. 35. who would&s;t have us to deny the Scripture, but it is ours, we own it, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. 15. and thee we do deny, for thou art without the life of it, as the &s;ubtle Serpents were which tempted <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> can&s;t thou deny it? but thou holde&s;t up &s;uch as have the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;emblyes, and &s;tand praying there, and with pretence make long Prayers, and lays heavy Burdens upon the People, and called of men Ma&s;ter, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> forbids; and the&s;e are thy Teachers of the Word, and Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, as thou calle&s;t them, but ye are <HI>Antichri&s;ts</HI> and Enemies to all the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> O thou blinde Hypocrite, and dark Bea&s;t, why do&s;t thou que&s;tion things contrary to the Scripture? but thou would&s;t make a Lye of it as ever thou and thy <HI>Fathers</HI> did, <HI>John</HI> 8. 44.</P>
<P>5 Query. <HI>How is</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>in man?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> O thou carnal man, and Enemy of <HI>Chri&s;t!</HI> do&s;t thou query how <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is in man? thou art of the &s;ame minde with the <HI>Jews</HI> which doubted whether that was the <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> yea or no: <HI>Light &s;hines in darkne&s;s and darkne&s;s doth not comprehend it, Iohn</HI> 1. 5. I am <HI>the Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. and that Light &s;hall condemn thee, who &s;tumble&s;t at it, be|ing without God in the world, it &s;hall be thy condemnacion, the Light, for thou walk&s;t in darkne&s;s, and know&s;t not whither thou goe&s;t, but art led with thy blinde Guides, and both &s;hall fall into the Ditch together, <HI>Matth.</HI> 15. 14.</P>
<P>6 Query. <HI>Whether</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>as</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>be in all men?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No, in thee and thy dark under&s;tanding there is no room for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for thou art one of them that hates the Light, which Light is <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which <HI>hath enlightned every one that comes into the</HI>
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<HI>world,</HI> which is the condemnacion of thee and all the world, and thou art one of the <HI>Builders, Mark</HI> 12. 10. that buildeth and &s;tumbleth, and <HI>rejecteth the Corner-&s;tone, Acts 4. 11. 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 7, 8. who live&s;t above the Light in thee, in thy vain imaginacions, which Light &s;hould guide thee to the Father, which Light thou &s;tumble&s;t at, and hate&s;t, and do&s;t not obey, &s;o in flames of fier will he render vengeance upon, all &s;uch as thou art, who do not <HI>obey the Gospel of our Lord</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 8. and do not wait for his ap|pearance.</P>
<P>7 Query. <HI>Whether hath God elected any to Salvation?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We are elected to Salvation, we have the witne&s;s within us, pray&s;es be to the glorious Lord God for ever, who hath elected and cho&s;en us, before the foundacion of the world; but thou art ordained of old for Condemnacion and for Perdicion among the ungodly ones, and art a Reprobate, one that hates <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and art <HI>blinde, doting about Que&s;tions and &s;trife of words, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 4. in that untoward generacion which the Apo&s;tle prayed that the Saints might be kept from. I know thy &s;pirit, it is tryed to be the &s;pirit of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and the &s;pirit of Error, which is in the world, which the Wo is to, and that is thy porcion, read <HI>Iude</HI> 11.</P>
<P>8 Query. <HI>Whether hath any man, or but onely he that is elected to Salvacion, a &s;ufficient Light in him&s;elf, to lead him to</HI> Chri&s;t?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou &s;tumble&s;t again at the Light, asking whether every man have a &s;ufficient Light to lead them to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>I am the Light of the world, Iohn</HI> 8. 12. and <HI>enlightneth every one that cometh into the world, Iohn</HI> 1. 9. One he loves the Light, and walks in it, and is a Childe of Light, and <HI>there is no oc|ca&s;ion at all of &s;tumbling, Iohn</HI> 11. 9. the other <HI>he hates the Light, becau&s;e his deeds are evil, and will not come to the Light, le&s;t the Light &s;hould reprove him, Iohn</HI> 3. 19, 20, 21. which Light would lead to the Father of Light, living in it, and taking heed to it, which Light &s;hall condemn thee, and all who hate it, who&s;e deeds are evil; there thou art to be condemned by the Light, which would teach thee, and draw thee out of the World, and from all the Teachers of the World, and would lead thee up to Salvacion, but thou hate&s;t it, therefore it is thy Condemnacion, that love&s;t Darkne&s;s more than Light, following thy own imaginacions, which are raced out from God for ever, and which Light &s;hall be thy Condemna|cion from God, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. 19.</P>
<P>9 Query. <HI>What is original &s;in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="93" REF="49">That which thou live&s;t in is the Root and Author of all Sin, &s;o if thou can&s;t read thy &s;elf thou may&s;t know what Originall Sin is, as thou cal&s;t it, which is ca&s;t out from God, and &s;hall never enter into God, where thou, and all you are, who are di&s;obedient to the Commands of God, and &s;tumble at the Light, becau&s;e it will over|throw thy Pride and High-mindedne&s;s, who art <HI>Lucifer</HI>-like, temp|ting with thy Queries, as the <HI>Serpent</HI> did <HI>Eve, Gen.</HI> 3. 5. So here thou art cur&s;ed, and ca&s;t out Eternally.</P>
<P>10 Query. <HI>Whether all men are conceived in Sin.?</HI></P>
<P>Thou art conceived in all Sin, and live&s;t in Iniquity. What ha&s;t thou to do to meddle with other men? &s;top thy mouth with that, thou evil-Bea&s;t, and <HI>Slow-belly,</HI> who&s;e mouth mu&s;t now be &s;topt, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 10. 11. 12</P>
<P>11 Query. <HI>How is it done away?</HI></P>
<P>It is done away in de&s;troying of thee, thou <HI>Man of Sin, and Ene|my unto all Righteon&s;ne&s;s, and Son of Perdicion, whom Ie&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall con&s;ume with the Spirit of his mouth, and de&s;troy with the Brightne&s;s of his Comming, 2 The&s;.</HI> 2. 8. but this thou man of Sin <HI>put&s;t far from thee, ver&s;e</HI> 3. but this &s;halt thou know, before thou know thy Sin taken away, and witne&s;s thy Queries to be vain: thou do&s;t not yet know Sin taken away, but live&s;t in Iniquity and Sin, which thou wa&s;t brought forth in; and as a Theif thou ha&s;t named <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but not <HI>departed from Iniquity, 2 Tim.</HI> 2. 19. and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> comes to de&s;troy <HI>the work's of the Devil, 1 Iohn.</HI> 3. 8.</P>
<P>12 Query. <HI>Whether is it a Righteou&s;ne&s;s in Chri&s;t imputed unto us by Faith? Or a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Works in our &s;elves, by which wee are ju&s;tified before God?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou ha&s;t tempted to thy own de&s;truction, for thou art not yet come to know the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of the Law of Works in thy &s;elfe, nor the &s;tate of the fir&s;t Covenant, and the Faith of God thou art a Reprobate to, which ju&s;tifies alone without <HI>impu|tacion, Rom.</HI> 3. 28. and thy imputed Faith we utterly deny, which Faith is dead without Works, and thou art dead both to Faith and Works, and thy imputacion to thy dead Works without thee, we do deny, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4. 5. 6. for that is your Cloak for your Sin and Fil|thyne&s;s: <HI>Abraham,</HI> to whom the imputacion was &s;poken, he was come from his Fathers hou&s;e, which thou art not, and he was a Freind of God, which thou art an Enimy to, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">2. and God will wound the Head of all his Enemies, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68. 21. for thou ha&s;t not Faith, we are witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee; <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI>
<PB N="94" REF="50">
<HI>which is by Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Rom.</HI> 3. 22. this we own, which was witne&s;&s;ed of, by the Law and Prophets, therefore we are witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee, and all thy blinde Guides, to be without the Faith of Je&s;us, and the Prophets, the Law, and not yet come to &s;ee the Death reign in thee, <HI>which hath pa&s;&s;ed over all men,</HI> and there thou art, as it is written, <HI>Death reigned from Adam till Mo&s;es, and Death and De|&s;truction &s;aith, wee have heard of the fame thereof with our Eares,</HI> and this is thee, Iob 28. 22. and thou may&s;t read the Chapter through it is &s;erv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cable to thee</P>
<P>13 Query. <HI>Whether a man may keep the whole Law?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou aske&s;t a Que&s;tion, whether a man may keep the whole Law, as though thou wa&s;t affraid, and dur&s;t not keep the Law; if I &s;hould &s;ay yea, thy Ma&s;ter would be angry with thee, for thou and thy Ma&s;ter &s;ayth nay: Our Ma&s;ter <HI>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us</HI> is the end of the Law, and fulfileth the Law in us <HI>who walk not after the Fle&s;h, but after the Spirit, which makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death, Rom.</HI> 8. 12. and we love God <HI>becau&s;e we keep his Commande|ments, 1 Iohn</HI> 5. 23. and to us they are not greevious; and God &s;aith, <HI>if yee love me, keep my Commandements, 2 Iohn 1. 6. 1 Iohn</HI> 3. 14. and thou aske&s;t a Que&s;tion, whether a man may keep his Law, here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed thy &s;elf to be one that hath ca&s;t his Law behinde thy back, for God cals for the walking in, and keeping of his Law: and thou querie&s;t whether a man may keep it or no, therefore thou ha&s;t ca&s;t away the Law of God, and de&s;pi&s;e&s;t the word of the holy One of <HI>I&s;rael, E&s;ay.</HI> 5. 24</P>
<P>14 Query. <HI>Whether Chri&s;t is an Advocate for all Beleevers, if &s;ome be without Sin?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou full of all Subtilty, and full of Sin, and Tempter, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Advocate for all Beleevers, and doth take away their Sins, and de&s;troyes the works of the Devil, which are yet &s;tanding in thee, therfore do&s;t thou &s;tumble at the Scriptures; and here ha&s;t thou &s;hown forth thy Envy, Kain-like: I know the intent of thy Queries, and the mi&s;cheif of thy minde, who art in the Generacion of <HI>Kain,</HI> &s;eeking to &s;lay the Righteous Seed which cannot Sin, but thou that Sinne&s;t art <HI>of the Devil, 1 Iohn</HI> 3. 8. 9. and ther is no Medi|ator for thee, but thou art for De&s;truction, for thou that &s;inne&s;t art of the Devil, and never kn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">w&s;t God, but art a <HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;or of the Law, 1 Iohn</HI> 3. 4. To that in thy Con&s;cience do I &s;peak</P>
<P>15 Query. <HI>Whether is the Blood of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, that was &s;hed upon the Cro&s;s at Ieru&s;alem, the Price that bought us?</HI></P>
<P><PB N="95" REF="50"><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In the Query thou perverte&s;t the Scripture, and the &s;ame minde thou ha&s;t there that the Phari&s;es had. The Blood of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is but one, as ever twas, by which we are redeemed from our vain Conver&s;acion, and by which all are redeemed, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 7. which thou make&s;t light of, who live&s;t in thy vain minde and Conver&s;aci|on, for this Blood is our Witne&s;s, and Seal, by which we are re|deemed, but not at <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> only, but made manife&s;t in us; Glory Glory, to the Lord God for ever, who hath begotten us from the Dead, and brought us again by the Re&s;urrection of Je&s;us; and the &s;ame do&s;t thou &s;eek to crucifie now, <HI>Math.</HI> 3. 34. the &s;ame minde being in thee as was in them that crucified him at <HI>Ieru&s;alem:</HI> and the Saviour thou looke&s;t for at <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> his Blood is upon thee, as it was upon the Jewes, and the Price of Blood thou knowe&s;t not no not in the fir&s;t Covenant, nor the Blood of Lambs and of the Goat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, which was a figure of the Everla&s;ting Covenant, which makes perfect; but thou art one of the filthy Swine, wallowing in the Mire, and <HI>without are Dogs, Rev.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">2. 15.</P>
<P>16 Query. <HI>Whether is Faith counted for Righteou&s;ne&s;s to him that beleiveth?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Faith is Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and was counted to <HI>Abraham for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Rom.</HI> 4. 9. and is &s;o &s;till with them who are of <HI>Abra|ham: And the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Faith &s;peaks on this wi&s;e, not to &s;ay in thy heart, who &s;hall a&s;cend into Heaven, that is, to bring Chri&s;t down from above; or who &s;hall de&s;cend into the deep, that is, to bring up Chri&s;t from the dead: But what &s;aith it, the Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: this is the Word of Faith which we preach, Rom.</HI> 10. 6 7, 8. and this we witne&s;s, and are witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee, and all thy Train, <HI>who are Reprobates concerning the Faith, 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 8. and know not <HI>Abraham,</HI> but draw out from the Word within, for where Faith is, it is walked in, and it purifies the heart, and brings to walk in the Steps of <HI>Abraham;</HI> but thou as a bu&s;ie Fellow art querying whether Faith be counted for Righteou&s;ne&s;s to him that beleiveth, wherby thou would&s;t have an addicion to the Scrip|ture, or would&s;t have it wre&s;ted, or would&s;t thou have us to &s;peak contrary to the Scriptures? for it we witne&s;s, and the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Faith we witne&s;s, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4. 11. 12. 13. 16. and if thou &s;houlde&s;t &s;ay the &s;ame, we know thee to be a Lyar, as they that did &s;wear <HI>God lived,</HI> and &s;wore fal&s;ly, becau&s;e we know thee to know nothing of it, but as the hi&s;tory &s;peaks, who ha&s;t &s;howed thy &s;elf here to be an Antichri&s;t, one of them that hath the Form but not the Power
<PB N="96" REF="51">
which <HI>ever is to be turned away from, 2 Tim. 3. Iohn</HI> 4.</P>
<P>17 Query <HI>Whether hath not Chri&s;t Ordained a Mini&s;try in his Church?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Chri&s;t</HI> is the Mini&s;ter to the Church, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8. 2. he is the Head of the Body, and Saviour, he is the Members and <HI>the Head of the Body</HI> the Church, <HI>Col.</HI> 1 18 19. he hath Ordained a Mini&s;try, but it is that which thou art an Enemy to; what is it to thee what is in the Church of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for thou art an Enemy to the Church of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for thou art in the worlds A&s;&s;emblies, and among the Hyerlings, going in the way of <HI>Cain,</HI> and after the Error of <HI>Balaam, Iude</HI> 11. which the Wo was to, and among them which are called of men Ma&s;ters, which are pearkt up into the cheife&s;t place of the A&s;&s;emblies, which were Enemies to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which bee cryed Wo again&s;t, <HI>Math</HI> 23 Read thy Porcion, and thy Church there</P>
<P>18 Query, <HI>Whether did the Apo&s;tle</HI> Paul <HI>command</HI> Timothy <HI>to Ordain Mini&s;ters, by laying on of hands? and whether</HI> Timothy <HI>him|&s;elfe, was not &s;o Ordained?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Anw&s;,</HI> Whereas thou would&s;t know whether <HI>Timothy</HI> Ordained Mini&s;ters by laying on of hands; the &s;ame that made him a Mini|&s;ter, the &s;ame Ordained other Mini&s;ters, by laying on of the &s;ame hand; if thou ha&s;t an Eare thou may&s;t heare, for it is one Word of Life which the &s;ame hand layd on: what their Eyes &s;aw, what was from the beginning, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 1. 1 2 3 which was made mani|fe&s;t, which was the Word of Life, which was made manife&s;t even from the begining, which they did declare&punc; but Freind, what is this to thee for the maintaining of thy Imitacion, and the likene&s;s of it, and thy laying on of hands, which thy Mini&s;ters imitate, who walk out of the Steps of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and of the Apo&s;tles, and are made Mini|&s;ters by the w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll of man, and your laying on of hands is by the will of man, and your Ordinacion &s;tands cut by the will of man, which is all Carnall, and we do deny it all, as the Apo&s;tles did, who deny|ed the carnall commandements, <HI>Col</HI> 2 22 23</P>
<P>19 Query, <HI>Whether hath not Chr&s;t Ordained a Maintenance for that Mini&s;try?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w,</HI> They that <HI>Preach the Gospel, live of the Go&s;pel, 1 Cor</HI> 9 14 and freely they have received, freely do they give, <HI>Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 10 8 and he that mini&s;ters &s;pirituall things to the Brethren, they mini|&s;ter unto him carnall things, <HI>Rom</HI> 15. 27. but Freind what is this to thee to maintain thy Church, and thy Mini&s;ters, who bear rule <HI>by</HI>
<PB N="97" REF="51">
<HI>their means,</HI> and who <HI>goe&s;t in the error of</HI> Balaam, <HI>receiving the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, Jude</HI> 11. and who &s;u men at the Law that will not pay them. <HI>A horrible filthy thing is committed in the Land, Jer.</HI> 5. 30, 31. by tho&s;e who profe&s;s them&s;elves to be Mini|&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, which it is &s;landred by you all, and <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> his worthy Name is di&s;honoured and bla&s;phemed by you all, and the&s;e are the Mini&s;ters of thy Church who are ordained by laying on of your hands, who walk contrary to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the Apo|&s;tles, for they did never &s;u men at the Law; here under a colour thou aske&s;t whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath not ordained a Maintainance for that Mini&s;tery, whereby thou would&s;t have a Cloak to maintain the Mini&s;ters of the World, which &s;eek for their <HI>Gain from their Quarter, Ier.</HI> 5. which the Lords Prophets cryed again&s;t, and &s;eek for the <HI>Fliece</HI> which <HI>Ezekiel</HI> cryed again&s;t, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 24. 2, 3. and <HI>Hierlings</HI> which <HI>Micah</HI> cryed again&s;t, <HI>Micah</HI> 3. 11. and them that loves <HI>the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle cryed Wo again&s;t, <HI>Iude</HI> 11. and the Wo is upon thee now, which &s;tande&s;t up for <HI>Balaam</HI> with a colour.</P>
<P>20 Query. <HI>Whether were Tithes payd before the Levitical Prie&s;t|hood, and when? and how do&s;t thou prove by Scripture they were taken away?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Abraham</HI> payd Tithes, and the Levites received Tithes, and they that are the &s;ons of <HI>Levi,</HI> who receive the Offices of the Prie&s;thood have a Commandment to take Tithes of the People, according to the Law, that is, of their Brethren; but the <HI>Prie&s;t|hood</HI> being changed, there is al&s;o a nece&s;&s;ity of changing the Law, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. 12. and here is a proof for thee, and here I prove thee to be under the Cur&s;e, and to &s;tand up for the Law, and to be a De|ceiver, and an <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e thou <HI>denie&s;t</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>come in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">le&s;h, 1 Iohn</HI> 4. 3. and there thou art holding up that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came to put an end to; and here I will prove all your Teachers (as y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u call them) to be without <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never &s;ent them&punc; for whom he &s;ent forth he &s;ayd unto them, <HI>Freely ye have received, freely give:</HI> and what a &s;tir is here for your Tithes, and Gifts, and Augmentacions, you make it manife&s;t where your heart is; for you are wrangling for the&s;e things which are earthly, and &s;u men at the Law, contrary to <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> command, and the Apo&s;tles pra|cti&s;e, who coveted <HI>no mans Gold nor Silver,</HI> God was their wit|ne&s;s; and here you are raced out from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and from all the &s;ervants of God, for <HI>they that are &s;uch &s;erve not our Lord</HI> Je&s;us
<PB N="98" REF="52">
Chri&s;t <HI>but their own belly, Rom. 16. 18. who&s;e glory is their &s;hame, who minde earthly things, Phil. 3. 19. evil bea&s;ts, and &s;low-belleys, who&s;e end is de&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>21 Query. <HI>Whether did</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>command his Di&s;ciples to baptize with Water? and whether did they baptize with Water?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here thou ha&s;t &s;hewed forth thy &s;ubtlety, that thou art ignorant of the Letter, what do&s;t thou reade in the Letter, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ent them forth and bade them <HI>Go teach all Nacions, bapti&s;ing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t, Matth.</HI> 28. 19. the <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> and <HI>Water</HI> we witne&s;s, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. 5. for the <HI>Water</HI> is a witne&s;s which the Apo&s;tles baptized withall, 1 <HI>Iohn 5. 8. He that hath an Ear let him hear,</HI> but thou ha&s;t none, neither did&s;t thou ever come to this Bapti&s;m, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did not &s;end forth his Di&s;ci|ples to &s;prinkle a little durty Water upon Childrens faces, as your filthy Dreamers do, and tell them it is an Ordinance of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who are Lyars of him, for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did not mencion any Water to his Di&s;ciples when he &s;ent them forth, but bade them <HI>teach</HI> the People all things what&s;oever he had commanded them, and &s;ayd&punc; he was <HI>with them to the end of the world:</HI> in this Query I &s;ee thy intent, thou would&s;t have a Cloak to hold up thy bea&s;tical Tradi|cions which never were commanded, thou Eenemy of God; and with thy carnal Tradicions and beggerly Rudiments thou art full of Earth, pleading for the earthly Tradicions and Command|ments, and keepe&s;t poor People in ignorance and blindne&s;s in tho&s;e things God never commanded; and here the Plagues of God are added to thee, who adde&s;t to the Prophecy written in this Book, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 19.</P>
<P>22 Query. <HI>When</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>commanded his Apo&s;tles to baptize all Na|ci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s, where do you finde Children excepted?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In thy Query before thou asked&s;t, whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> did command his Di&s;ciples to baptize with Water, now thou &s;ay&s;t in thy next Query, when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> commanded his Apo&s;tles to bapti&s;e all Nacions; here thou full of all &s;ubtlety, who laye&s;t Snares, and art taken in thy Snare&punc; What ha&s;t thou to do to talk of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> Bapti&s;m, or the Apo&s;tles? &s;eeing thou walke&s;t contrary to them all&punc; and with them would&s;t make a Cloak to hold up another thing which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never commanded, as to &s;prinkle Infants, for &s;ayth he, <HI>Believe and be baptized, to the wa&s;hing away of &s;in,</HI> which thou art full of, and live&s;t in; fir&s;t they were to be preached to, and to come to repentance, and to <HI>believe and be baptized;</HI> but thou dark
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Sot, what is this to thee in maintaining of the &s;prinkling of Infants with a little Water, who under&s;tand nothing? all thy Bapti&s;m I do utterly deny, they are excepted, thou and all are excepted, but the &s;eed; <HI>and the Promi&s;e is to the &s;eed not of &s;eeds as of many, but one, Gal: 3. 16 he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear;</HI> but thou art dead in thy &s;ins, and uncircumci&s;ed in heart, and knowe&s;t no Bapti&s;m but the &s;prinkliug of Infants, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> never commanded, and live&s;t in the lu&s;t of thy ignorance, having thy under&s;tanding darkned, being <HI>alienated from the life of God,</HI> &amp; art <HI>a &s;tranger from the covenant of Pro|mi&s;e, a child of di&s;obedience,</HI> who <HI>the wrath of God abides upon, Eph.</HI> 2. 12</P>
<P>23 Query. <HI>Whether was not</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>baptied with Water, who was above both Faith and Repentance?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou Hypocrite, what is this to thee? to the &s;prinkling of Infants with Water, who are neither come to Faith nor Repen|tance, who thirty or forty years after do&s;t tell them of Faith and Repentance, who knowe&s;t neither thy &s;elf; and what ha&s;t thou to do to talk of <HI>Je&s;us</HI> who <HI>went out of the Water, Matth.</HI> 3. 16. and <HI>&s;o the Heavens were opened, and he &s;aw the Spirit of God, Mark</HI> 1. 9, 10. but this makes thee never the wi&s;er in thy fle&s;hly under|&s;tanding, for thy curious minde and fle&s;hly under&s;tanding is to be de&s;troyed before thou come to know this Bapti&s;m, for thou art in the nature of <HI>Herod,</HI> that queryed for the Childe to &s;ee him that he might <HI>wor&s;hip him,</HI> but would have de&s;troyed him: but for the &s;imple ones &s;akes have I di&s;covered thee and made thee bare and naked.</P>
<P>24 Query. <HI>Whether did not</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>in&s;titute his la&s;t Supper with Bread and Wine?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Chri&s;t</HI> doth not &s;peak of Bread and Wine, but he took Bread, and brake it, and &s;ayd, it was his Body; and he took the Cup when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they did drink all of it, and he &s;ayd unto them, <HI>This is my Bloud of the New Te&s;tament which is &s;hed for many, Mark</HI> 14. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">3. and this I have wit|ne&s;&s;ed, and we witne&s;s the breaking of the Bread, <HI>which is his Body, and drinking the Cup which is his Bloud, Luke</HI> 22. 17, 20. for <HI>weare many Members and but one Body,</HI> but <HI>the Cup which thou drinke&s;t</HI> we do deny, for thy Cup is the <HI>Cup of Devils,</HI> and thy Table is <HI>the Table of Devils, 1 Cor.</HI> 10. 16, 17, 21. which is an Idol and Imitacion, and thy Sacrifice is to Devils, and not to God; and as the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, <HI>I would not you have fellow&s;hip with Devils, 1 Cor.</HI> 10. 20. for do not Drunkards meet at thy Table, and Swearers, cur&s;ed Speak|ers,
<PB N="100" REF="53">
and Fighters, and who follow all manner of filthy plea&s;ures, and Idolaters, and Covetous, who live in all manner of Pride and filthine&s;s, and the&s;e are thy Companions, and thy fellow&s;hip at thy Table; and what ha&s;t thou to do to talk of the Cup of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who &s;its at the Table of Devils, and drinks the Cup of De|vils, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 21.</P>
<P>25 Query. <HI>Whether did not</HI> Paul <HI>admini&s;ter the Lords Supper to the</HI> Corinthians <HI>with Bread and Wine?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou carnal Sot, where did the Apo&s;tle give to the <HI>Co|rinthians</HI> Bread and Wine? did not the Apo&s;tle &s;ay, <HI>The Cup of ble&s;&s;ing which we ble&s;s is it not the Communion of the Bloud of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of</HI> Chri&s;t? <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 16, 17. for we being many are one Bread, and one Body, for we are all Partakers of that one Bread; we witne&s;s this, who cannot drink the Cup of Devils, nor &s;it at their Table, where thou do&s;t, for it is forbidden, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 21.</P>
<P>26 Qu. <HI>Of what concernment is it to others, and how long to continu in the Church, &s;eeing the Apo&s;tle &s;ayth, [As oft as you eat of this Bread&punc; and drink of this Cup, you &s;hew forth the Lords death till he come?</HI>]</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Thou de&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;t to know of what concernment it is to others, <HI>He that eateth and drinketh, not di&s;cerning the Lords Body, eat|eth and drinketh Domnacion to him&s;elf, untill the Lord come, 1 Cor:</HI> 11. 29. Thou aske&s;t how long it &s;hall continu in the Church, this Bread and this Cup doth continu for ever in the Church; it is &s;o, <HI>As oft as they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup, they &s;hew forth the Lords Death till he come, 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 26. but Friend, what ha&s;t thou to do to talk of this who art in the generacion of them that were Enemies to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> holding up the chief Prie&s;ts which &s;ought to put him to death, who <HI>per&s;waded the multitude again&s;t him, Matth:</HI> 26: 59 and who per&s;waded <HI>the Rulers again&s;t him, Iohn</HI> 11: 53 &s;o do all thy Prie&s;ts now, where he is made manife&s;t, and in that Church thou art, as thou calle&s;t it, and of the &s;ame na|ture of them who ever &s;ought to de&s;troy the ju&s;t: This Cup thou never ta&s;ted&s;t of, nor of the Bread, but they were them that were gathered off from the Prie&s;ts, and from the Temple, whom this was &s;poken to, for the&s;e were Figures of the &s;ub&s;tance: but Friend, all thy Imitacions, and Prie&s;ts, and Suppers, and Bread, and Wine, is an Imitacion, &amp; an Image, which is the likene&s;s of a thing which the Lord forbids, <HI>Thou &s;halt not make to thy &s;elf any graven Image, nor the likene&s;s of any thing,</HI> and <HI>thou that eate&s;t and drink|e&s;t</HI>
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<HI>not di&s;cerning the Lords Body, eate&s;t and drinke&s;t Damnacion to thy &s;elf 1 Cor.</HI> 11. 29. and there thou art</P>
<P>27 Query <HI>Whether the Scripture beeing Carnall, and the Letter Killing, as you &s;ay, wee may read them without danger?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Letter which killeth, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 6. is dangerous, for thou take&s;t it here to warr withall again&s;t the Saints, with thy Carnall minde, giving out thy Carnall Expo&s;icions upon it, and the Mini&s;ters of the Letter are the Mini&s;ters of Death, which is to Condemnacion, and you take it to make a Trade with it, and with what the Prophets, <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and Apo&s;tles &s;ayd; and again you take it to make a Trade upon it, &s;o that &s;ome have 30, &s;ome 40, &s;ome 50, &s;ome 60, &s;ome a 100 pounds a year: where was ever &s;uch things practi&s;ed, or heard of, among&s;t all your Fathers the fal&s;e Prophets! you do exceed them all in wickedne&s;s, and Paint your &s;elves, and are Hyerlings, and get up in the room of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> you &s;eem like <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in words, having painted your &s;elves with <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> words, and the Apo&s;tles words, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cryed Wo unto &s;uch whited wals: and here you read with danger, who &s;peak of them and &s;peak a Lye, <HI>Ier</HI> 5 2. becau&s;e you &s;peak not what is in you, becau&s;e you &s;peak of your &s;elves; and it is dangerous to read that, and to make a Trade of that which the Prophets, <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Apo&s;tles &s;poke forth freely, and to give meanings to it contrary then it is, and to rai&s;e Poynts, Tryalls, and Motives, and U&s;es; here is adding, and the Cur&s;es and Plagues, are added to him that adds <HI>to the Prophe&s;ie written in this Book,</HI> and there you are, for de&s;truction is your Por|cion, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22. 18. But I &s;ay, ble&s;&s;ed is he that doth read, and doth under&s;tand, and he that doth neither add, nor dimini&s;h, for he walks in the Paths of the Prophets, of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Apo&s;tles, and in the Steps of <HI>Abraham;</HI> and the Apo&s;tle &s;aid, <HI>I charge you by the Lord, that this Epi&s;tle be read among all the holy Brethren,</HI> but you are <HI>Ignorant and unlearned, 2 Pet:</HI> 3: 16: and you <HI>wre&s;t the Scriptures to your own de&s;truction&punc; P&s;al:</HI> 56: 5: and to you it is dangerous to read or &s;peak of it, who know not the Life of it, even as the Phari&s;es, who were learned in the Letter, but knew not <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> and &s;ome of the Apo&s;tles who were not learned men in the Letter, did not wre&s;t the Scriptures, as the &s;ame <HI>Peter,</HI> was learned in the Life, though not in the Letter: but you are in the &s;tate of the Hypocrits and Ser|pents, <HI>which garni&s;h the Sepulchers of the Righteous: Fill yee up the mea&s;ure of your Fathers: yee Serpents, yee generacion of Vipers, how can you e&s;cape the Damnacion of Hell, Matth:</HI> 23: 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">: 23&punc; and the Letter
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is carnall, and killeth, and Du&s;t is the Serpents meat, <HI>Gen:</HI> 3: 14: and that is thy meat; and Cur&s;ed is the Serpent which beguiles, and thou art he: look not for him without thee, for he is in the Letter, and you get the Letter into your mouths, and come and &s;ay, The Lord &s;aith, when he never &s;poke to you: Wo is unto you, and the Harlot which is dect with &s;o many Colours, and there you are, read your own Porcion, de&s;truction: he that hath the &s;ame Spirit that gave the Scriptures forth, reads them without Conceiv|ings, or Imaginacions&punc; and witne&s;&s;es them fulfilled, but thou art Proud, and live&s;t in thy Imaginacions and Conceivings, and thou Conceive&s;t of the Letter, and what&s;oever thou builde&s;t mu&s;t be &s;cat|tered, <HI>Luke</HI> 1: 51, 52: &s;o to thee it is dangerous.</P>
<P>28 Query. <HI>Whether they were written for our In&s;truction, and are profitable, that we may be throughly furni&s;hed?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They are for the perfecting of the Man of God, for the furni&s;hing of him through Faith in <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us;</HI> and they were written to in&s;truct them whom they were written to, which had an Eye to &s;ee them, and an Eare to hear them, and an heart to un|der&s;tand; whom the Apo&s;tles &s;poke to for in&s;truction, till the ends of the world was come; and they are for in&s;truction, to in&s;truct &amp; to admoni&s;h, but not to make a Trade of: but Freind to thee I &s;peak in this Query, thou art a Tempter, and that minde in thee knowes nothing of them, that they were not &s;poken forth to in&s;truct, for that is for de&s;truction, for look within thy &s;elf, and thou wilt &s;ee thou art full of Corrupcion, and the man of Sin, and he it is that talks and prattles of the Scripture, <HI>who mu&s;t be con&s;umed,</HI> but wee witne&s;s that they are for the perfecting of the man of God, <HI>through Faith in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us,</HI> for to Convince, and to Reprove, and to In|&s;truct, but not thee <HI>thou man of Sin, and Son of Perdicion, who &s;ite&s;t in the Temple of God, above all that is called God,</HI> and gatte&s;t the form of words, and deceive&s;t the Simple, as a coloured Bea&s;t, and the Plagues of God are thy due and Porcion: for thy in&s;truction they were not written, who walke&s;t contrary to the Commands of God <HI>who art exalted above all that which is called God</HI> in thee, <HI>in whom the My&s;tery of Iniquity, lodgeth, and the Son of Perdicion, which &s;hall be de&s;troyed 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P>29 Query. <HI>Wherefore doth Chri&s;t command Iohn to write to the An|gell of the Churches, in the</HI> Revelacions, <HI>and not teach Immediatly him&s;elf, &s;eeing you tell us that God Immediatly teacheth his People, and that all men have this Teacher within them?</HI></P>
<P><PB N="103" REF="54"><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou Enemy of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and of all Righteou&s;ne&s;s, what ha&s;t thou to do to que&s;tion <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> commanding <HI>Iohn?</HI> thou full of all &s;ubtlety, and bu&s;ie fellow, what ha&s;t thou to do to que&s;tion <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who art <HI>exalted above all that is called God;</HI> here thou &s;hew|e&s;t thou would not have him to reign: the &s;ame that &s;poke to <HI>Iohn</HI> was immediate, and that which <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;poke was immediate; <HI>if thou ha&s;t an Ear thou may&s;t hear</HI> what <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;poke to the Church; but I &s;ee thy intent in thy Query, to me thou art di&s;covered, for in thy Query thou would&s;t have a Cloak to keep up the Teachers of the World, and your imitated Churches, who walke&s;t in the path con|trary to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and all his Apo&s;tles: God immediatly doth teach his People by his Spirit, by which he draws them up to him&s;elf into the everla&s;ting Covenant, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8. 11 by which they need <HI>no man to teach them, 1 Iohn</HI> 2. 27 and every one is enlightned with the Light, which is <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> but all &s;uch blinde Guides as your Teachers are, who draw People from this Light within them, to hearken to their imaginacions of the Letter without you; &s;uch I &s;ay do bewitch them, and draw them into the uncleanne&s;s, and into the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> that the <HI>fruits</HI> of it &s;hews it &s;elf, <HI>Gal:</HI> 5. 21 drunkenne&s;s, fight|ing, wrangling, quarrelling, railing, di&s;puting, and &s;landering, en|vying, per&s;ecuting, lying, &s;wearing, and taking the Name of God in vain, idle talking, and fooli&s;h je&s;ting, &s;coffing, &s;corning, and mocking, and all manner of filthine&s;s and uncleane&s;s; and the&s;e are they that are led from their Teacher within them, which is the Light, by you <HI>blinde Watchmen, I&s;ai</HI> 56. 10, 11, 12 from the Light which is <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which he hath enlightned them withall, and he that loves the Light brings his works to the Light, and there is <HI>no occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling</HI> to him that walks in it, and loves it, and this Light is not a Chapter without, which the Teachers of the World read, Thou that hate&s;t this Light, thou ha&s;t it, it lets thee &s;ee that all thy <HI>Deeds are evil,</HI> if thou bring&s;t thy works to it, it will re|prove thee, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">0 and this is the condemnacion of the World; and here every one hath a Teacher, who&s;e mindes are informed: <HI>Iohn</HI> 8. 12 to that in every mans con&s;cience do I &s;peak, which &s;hould exerci&s;e it, which &s;hall eternally witne&s;s me, and eternally condemn thee, and you all who are haters of Light; and what ha&s;t thou to do to talk of <HI>Iohn,</HI> and of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and of the <HI>Churches,</HI> and of the <HI>Angels,</HI> and knowe&s;t not <HI>the fir&s;t Principle yet? Heb:</HI> 5. 12 which &s;hould guide thee out of the World, and bring thee to Repentance, but to this thou art an Enemy to, and among the
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<HI>Antichri&s;ts,</HI> which &s;ay, <HI>Lo here,</HI> and <HI>Lo there, Matthew</HI> 24. 23</P>
<P>30 Query. <HI>Why do you teach, exhort, write Papers, and print Books?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Answ:</HI> In thy Query before thou aske&s;t whether the Scriptures were written for our in&s;truction; and now thou aske&s;t, why do we exhort and teach; here thou &s;hewe&s;t forth that thou art tor|mented, and thy terror begins: for our giving forth Papers or Printed Books, it is from the immediate eternal Spirit of God, to the &s;hewing forth the filthy practi&s;es of the Worlds Teachers, and thine, who with a pretence and fair colours and glo&s;&s;es, and with a &s;eeming Religion deceives the &s;imple, and thy own &s;oul too; we have bin long under captivity by you, and &s;uch as you, fol|lowing your imaginacions, but God hath rai&s;ed up a Light within us, by which we &s;ee you Deceivers without us, and all the <HI>blinde Guides, Matth:</HI> 23: 16. &s;o for the &s;imple ones &s;akes, who are led by the blinde, as we are moved by the immediat Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> to write, to teach, or to exhort, or to put in Print, and this is it which doth torment thee, but it is but the beginning of thy sor|row, and this is from the immediat Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which thou art offended withall, as ever the Phari&s;es were; but thou &s;halt &s;ee more Papers and more Printings, and as the immediat Spirit grows, there will be more abominacions, and filthine&s;s layd open, and all Deceit will be di&s;covered, and the Truth &s;pread abroad and che|ri&s;hed, which will and doth trouble thee, as <HI>Herod</HI> was when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was born, <HI>Matth:</HI> 2: 3</P>
<P>31 Query. <HI>What is Con&s;cience? where is it &s;eated in man? and what is its office and duty?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou hard-hearted <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> ha&s;t thou been a Profe&s;&s;or &s;o long, and yet aske&s;t what is Con&s;cience! thou full of &s;ubtlety, and Tempter, it is that which thou <HI>make&s;t &s;hipwrack of, 1 Tim:</HI> 1: 19 &s;hut up from thy dark under&s;tanding, and thy dark Rea&s;on; it is &s;eated below the hypocri&s;ie in thee, thou art a Tyrant to it, and rule&s;t over it, yet in thy carnal knowledg thou would&s;t know it to talk of it; but Plagues and Cur&s;es are du to that nature, which thou mu&s;t know before thou know the office or duty of it, as thou &s;peake&s;t, for yet thou art in the hardne&s;s of thy heart; and here thou ha&s;t overturned thy &s;elf: thou ha&s;t before asked many Que|ryes, but the intent is to maintain thy carnal &s;tate, which &s;eares the Con&s;cience, the tender part in man: but Friend, if thou hearken to the Light, to that in thy Con&s;cience do I &s;peak, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI>
<PB N="105" REF="55">
5. 2. it will let thee &s;ee what Con&s;cience is, thou hard beart, and it will exerci&s;e thy Con&s;cience <HI>towards God and towards man, Acts</HI> 24. 16 and here &s;halt thou &s;ee its duty and office, and where it is &s;eated, and by it how thy under&s;tanding is enlightned, and by it how thy heart is clean&s;ed; <HI>if thou ha&s;t an Ear thou may&s;t hear&punc;</HI> thou that would&s;t be taught what Con&s;cience is, and where it is &s;eated; for &s;hame lay away thy filthy Profe&s;&s;ion, who would&s;t know where Con&s;cience is, it is under thy hypocri&s;ie, who art comprehending Con&s;cience with thy carnal Wi&s;dom and Rea&s;on, but thou mu&s;t be confounded and condemned with that which &s;hould <HI>exerci&s;e thy Con&s;cience, 2 Cor:</HI> 5: 11 and here thou ha&s;t &s;hew|ed forth thou do&s;t not know the fir&s;t Principle, but art without&punc; and one of them <HI>who&s;e Con&s;cience is &s;eared, 1 Tim:</HI> 4: 2</P>
<P>32 Query. <HI>If thou have the Spirit of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>and in a large mea|&s;ure, as &s;ome give out of thee, taking upon thee to be a Teacher, as al&s;o &s;ending many Queryes to others; I require of thee an An&s;wer to the&s;e Queryes not in ambiguous and doubtfull terms, as the Devil in his Ora|cles, but in plain Language affirmatively or negatively, full and clear according to the Spirit in the Gospel-times, that he that runs may reade it; or el&s;e confe&s;s thou art led with a &s;pirit of deceit and darkne&s;s which would not willingly de&s;cover it &s;elf?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> Thou &s;ay&s;t, if I have the Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which I have and witne&s;s it, but as taking upon me in the <HI>will</HI> to be a Teacher as you are made Teachers, that I do deny; I do deny <HI>the will,</HI> and you both, 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 2: 17 and all who are made Mini&s;ters by <HI>the will of man:</HI> but the &s;ending forth Queryes which grieve thee&punc; to others, is that you may &s;hew forth your folly as you have done in an&s;wering them, by your dark minde which cannot comprehend the Light, in which they are given forth, but &s;hews forth your darkne&s;s, blindne&s;s, ignorance, and folly, and de&s;pight again&s;t the Spirit of Grace, being Enemies to <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> which is the Light in us, and hath di&s;covered and layd open your deceits and blindne&s;s, and to all who have their Eys in their Head your <HI>folly is made mani|fe&s;t. 2 Tim:</HI> 3. 9 And thou ha&s;t here di&s;covered thy ignorance, and &s;hewed forth thy folly in the&s;e Queryes, thou do&s;t require an An|&s;wer to the&s;e Queryes in plain Language which thou ha&s;t &s;ent. I have &s;poken plainly to thee, and not flattered thee; and as touch|ing ambiguous terms they are thy own, as the Devil in his Oracles, thou art guarded with them; I comprehend thee, and &s;ee thy Cloathing, and thy Affirmative, and thy Negative proceeds from
<PB N="106" REF="56">
thy cur&s;ed minde, but &s;ound and clear I have an&s;wered thee, ac|cording to the Spirit that is in the Go&s;pel, but to thy dark minde they will be dark, for thou neither knowe&s;t the Spirit nor the Go|&s;pel, for I have an&s;wered thee in the Go&s;pel-time, and he that hath the Spirit may run and reade it, and reade thy &s;pirit to be <HI>the &s;pirit of Error&punc;</HI> erred from all them that did preach the Go&s;pel, which ever were: we are not led by a <HI>&s;pirit of Error,</HI> but it we do deny, therefore we do deny thee; therefore openly, and freely, and na|kedly do I declare my &s;elf to the di&s;covering of the <HI>&s;pirit of Error,</HI> which is in thee, and all thy blinde Guides: who is led by the Spirit of Truth hath di&s;covered you to be in the deceit, and in darkne&s;s, without God in the world, the Plagues of God are to be poured upon <HI>the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet,</HI> and <HI>the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e Prophet are to be ca&s;t into the fier, Rev:</HI> 20. 10 there is thy porcion; now do not call this railing and ra&s;h judgment, for thou knowe&s;t the Let|ter thunders, and &s;peaks forth &s;uch words to &s;uch as thou art, who live&s;t in that nature; Friend, this is thy day of <HI>vi&s;itacion, 2 Cor:</HI> 5. 11 to that which is in thy Con&s;cience I have &s;poken, which &s;hall eternally witne&s;s me, and condemn thee, 1 <HI>Cor:</HI> 4. 2 The mouth of the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;poken it.</P>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q>The Preparacion of the Heart in Man, and the An&s;wer of the Tongue <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> from the Lord,</Q>
<BIBL>Prov: 16. 1</BIBL>
</EPIGRAPH>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="107" REF="56">
<P>NOw all you who are doting about Que&s;tions, and are Mini|&s;ters of Que&s;tions, and not Mini&s;ters of Grace, nor Edifica|cion, but are bu&s;i-bodyes, tempting, and laying Snares, and dig|ging Pits, lye are now fallen into the Pits which ye have digged for others, and you who are wi&s;e are taken in your own craftine&s;s&punc; and you are now an&s;wered from the mouth of the Lord, and di&s;co|vered, and to every one is rendred his du and porcion; but you &s;ol|lowing the &s;teps of your fathers the <HI>Iews,</HI> you (as they did marvel at his An&s;wers, though he was the Son of God, <HI>Luke</HI> 20. 26) now you are an&s;wered, own your porcion, for I have kept back no|thing, what I received freely from the Lord, freely I have declared unto you without parciality, or having mens per&s;ons in admiraci|on, becau&s;e of advantage, not favouring deceit, nor giving liberty to &s;in, for the Lord hath given us a mouth, and wi&s;dom, which all our Gain-&s;ayers are not able to re&s;i&s;t, and we walk in the pure wi&s;dom of God, and wi&s;ely towards you that are without, re|deeming the time, and our &s;peech is with Grace, &s;ea&s;oned with Salt, and we know how to an&s;wer every man, <HI>Col:</HI> 4. 5, 6</P>
<P>Pray&s;es, Pray&s;es to the Lord for ever, who takes the wi&s;e in their craftine&s;s, and confounds, and brings to &s;hame all his Enemyes, and di&s;covers all Serpents, with their twi&s;tings, and twinings, and &s;ubtle and cunning temptacions, and hath fulfilled his Apo&s;tles words in his Sons and Daughters, in making their folly manife&s;t to all men, and they &s;hall proceed no further, 2 <HI>Tim:</HI> 3. 9 and now the painted Serpents, the well-favoured Harlots, the divers co|loured Bea&s;ts, and the wily Foxes, are di&s;covered to his Sons and Daughters, that they cannot &s;poyl the tender Plants which the Lord him&s;elf hath planted in his Peoples hearts, the Plants of his Renoun grows and flouri&s;heth; Pray&s;es, Pray&s;es to the eternal, powerfull God for ever.</P>
<P>Let all the Sons and Daughter of the Lord pray&s;e the Lord&punc; Let all the Fathers and young men, Children and Servants ble&s;s and pray&s;e the Lord for ever, who reigns for evermore.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Richard Hubberthorn.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
