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P. He saith, They who had the light within, and pierced into the invisible things, and eternal power and godhead, had but the wisdom of this world,' &c. page 23.

A. And so he would make the light of Christ the wisdom of this world; which light cometh from Christ the wisdom of God. The wisdom of the world, cannot pierce into the eternal power and godhead.

P. He saith, The light within denies all things that God hath done for us in Christ, which hath no glory, but spreads a veil over,' &c. page 25,

A. None know what God hath done for us, nor see the glory in Christ, but by the light which comes from him, 'who works all both in us and for us, according to his good will and pleasure,' and brings not to deny what God worketh in us. And they nullify it that are against his light, and are against his glorious person; for the light that is within lets see his glory.

P. He saith, Obedience to the light within is another atonement, and a denying the atonement of Christ,' and calls it 'a mystery of iniquity.' See page 28.

A. None know the atonement of Christ but by the light within, and all are in the mystery of iniquity that are out of the light which cometh from Christ, the covenant of God to Jews and Gentiles; and that 'gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.' Mark! he saith, the light is that which gives the knowledge; and the light within doth not set up another atonement; but they that deny the light within set up another atonement than Christ.

P. He saith, To obey the law within,' (which we say is the law of the spirit of life, which makes free from sin and death,) in this, he saith, we agree with the Papists and Pagans.' See page 30.

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A. Now in this thou mayst see where thou art, out of the apostles' doctrine. And neither thou, nor the Papists, nor Pagans own us in this, that we should be made free from the law of sin and death while we are upon the earth. And here the blood of Jesus is witnessed, and the atonement, and the Father and the son; and this is all seen with the light within.

P. He saith, he began by faith to behold the love, joy, and redemption prepared for him, before any evil or good was done by him,' &c. page 37.

A. Dost not thou say, thou beheld it by faith? And now is not the work good to behold by faith? And doth not that give victory over the evil? And doth not that do good that beholds by faith? And so what is not of faith is sin.

P. He saith, 'He is in heavenly places, and yet in the shadow of death with the earthly.' See page 38.

A. He that is in heavenly places is in Christ Jesus, is a new creature: and he that believeth in the light, shall not abide in darkness ;' so comes out of shadows. And he that believeth, abideth not in condemnation, and so comes out of the shadow of death, though they have sat in the shadow of death before belief, and comes out of the earth. So thou hast proved thyself not a true believer, who comes out of the shadow and death.

P. He saith, "To purify the members, as reckoning it our redemption, our righteousness, all such purity is sin, blindness, and idolatry,' page 40.

A. The apostle calls Christ our redemption, and our sanctification, and our righteousness; and so we can truly say 'Christ is ours,' and are no idolaters. And they that cannot say Christ is their sanctification, redemption, righteousness, and mortification, are in idolatry and sin.

P. He saith, The way to attain the spirit of Christ, is not by waiting on the light within,' &c. See page 52.

A. Christ saith, 'Believe in the light, that ye may be children of the light;' and he that is a child of the light cometh to the birth born of the spirit. And Christ doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world; and as many as received him, he gave them power to become the sons of God.' And none hear faith, but who hear the light within, which is Christ within, who is the author of it, by which the spirit is received.

P. He saith, 'That doctrine or spirit that calls to the light within, doth but build up the worship of the world,' &c. page 53.

A. Contrary to the apostle, who said, the light that shined in their hearts' would give them the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus.' And Christ saith, 'they that worship God, must worship him in truth.' And he is the light, and he is the truth, that enlighteth every man that comes into the world, and this throws down all the worship of the world. And I say, none come out of the worships of the world, and the doctrines of the world, but who come to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every man, &c. that shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not.

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P. He saith, To believe in God as the light within men, redeeming from sin, is to deny the witness of the son, and have neither son nor Father,' &c. page 54.

A. I say, none own the witness of the son, but who own the light which comes from the son, with which they are enlightened; nor none know the Father nor the son, nor receive them, but who receive the light which Christ the son hath enlightened them withal, nor know God to be a saviour but by the light within.

P. He saith, They that seek for righteousness by obedience to the

light within, differ nothing from the Jews, but only in the copies of the law,' &c. See page 56.

A. None see the obedience of Christ the second Adam, the end of the law, and copies of it, but with the light within, which comes from Christ Jesus, that brings in righteousness, and ends sin and transgression, who is the end of the righteous law, with which light man sees the weakness and unprofitableness of it, and the types and the shadows of it, which Christ is known in the light within, who ends it.

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P. He saith, To rest in hope that I am saved from sin and wrath by the blood of Christ the head, and while conscience condemns for sin, this is to hope against hope,' &c. See page 57.

A. Such as are saved from the wrath by Christ the head, and his blood, they are saved from their sins. And then they that are saved from their sins, how can conscience condemn, and the wrath come upon them for sin; and they that are saved from the wrath, are saved from their sins. But where conscience doth condemn for sin, there is wrath; and such cannot witness a cleansing, nor salvation wrought out, nor a being saved from sin, but are in the false hope, and not in the true hope which goes against hope, for the true hope is Christ within. P. Thou speaks of Christ's working and giving an example,' &c.

page 67.

A. Yet thou and the rest are offended at those people that are called Quakers, who say Christ was their example. And so ye can allow what ye speak yourselves; but if another speak the same words, it is ant offence to you.

P. He saith, Such as preach redemption by the light in every man, are not of God,' &c. See page 70.

A. The redemption is of Christ the light, that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world; and every man that cometh into the world that seeth his redemption, it is by the light, which he that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world hath enlightened him with, which is Christ the redeemer, the saviour, the second Adam, the way to the Father, who shall make every tongue to confess him to the glory of God; but thou that hatest the light art condemned.

P. He saith, Not the light in every man, but the words of the prophets and apostles, is that which leads to the Lord Jesus,' &c. See page 82.

A. Many may have the words of the prophets and apostles, but none come to that which leads to the Lord Jesus, but who come into the light and life that the prophets and apostles were in, which Christ Jesus is the end of, who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world.' Therefore every man that cometh into the world must come to the light which Christ hath enlightened him withal, before he

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come to the end of the prophets and the apostles, Christ Jesus, the Lord of life and glory.

P. He saith, The scriptures are the image of Christ; and he that seeks for God out of the humanity of Christ, he shall lose both God and himself,' &c. See page S2.

A. The scriptures are writings, and the writings will not endure for ever; and the image of Christ is the image of God. And all who are in the life that gave forth scriptures, are in the image of Christ, which was before scripture was; and all that have the scriptures out of the life that gave them forth, they have not the image. And he that is out of the truth may have the scriptures; but all are out of the image, who are out of the truth; but who are in the truth, are in the image. And • God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.' And 'who knows the son, knows the Father.' And he that hath found the son, hath found the Father also. And he that seeks after God out of Christ, shall never find him.

And as for the rest of thy lies and slanders in thy book, and unsavoury expressions, which are not worthy of mentioning, upon thy own head they will come one day, and thy words shall be thy burthen.

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Jeremiah Ives' book, called Innocency above Impudency, or the strength of Righteousness exalted above the Quakers' weakness and wickedness.' His principles follow.

P. HE saith, 'It is a rare thing to see any of the seed of the devil grown up to that degree of impudence, to charge a man, that he hath done that which he never did do,' &c.

A. The seed of the devil always said that which was not true, so not a rare thing to find them; for the devil and his seed are out of the truth, and when he speaks a lie, he speaks of himself, and so speaks a thing that is not, and there thou art.

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P. He saith, The apostle in his catalogue of the evils of the times," &c. Page 1.

A. Is it not better to call the scripture a declaration, (as they call themselves,) than to call them a catalogue? And some of you will say it is a history, and some a catalogue; and again ye will say, it is the word of God, whereas the scriptures of truth are words, and God is the word; and thou art in the evil time, out of the good, and thy time and day are evil.

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P. He saith, The Quakers give that name (as quaking,) to them

selves, and others do not give it them as a nick name,' &c. See page 2.

A. The first that ever I heard them called Quakers, and that name given to them, was by one Gervase Bennet in Darby, a persecutor, called a justice of peace: though many years before the power of the Lord was witnessed, yet I never heard them have that name of Quakers given, before that corrupt justice gave it them, and misnamed them so, and in scorn called them so, and thou art one of his scholars. But quaking and trembling we own, though they in scorn call us so; and the salvation wrought out with fear and trembling we witness. P. He saith, The devil speaks truth sometimes,' &c. Page 2.

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A. Christ saith, He was a liar from the beginning; and when he speaks a lie, he speaks of himself,' and hath no truth in him; and so he cannot speak truth as it is in him. And the greatest professors upon the earth are in the situation of the devil that speaketh the words of truth, but not as being in it, as Christ said to the Jews, 'they were of their father the devil,' they spoke of themselves. So they that speak the scriptures but not by the spirit that they did that spake them forth, they speak of themselves, as the devil doth that abode not in the truth, but was a liar from the beginning.' And thus the truth comprehended it. For it is one thing to speak the truth in the truth, and to be in it, (for he speaks not of himself, but the truth in him ;) but it is another thing to speak of themselves, and there thou art.

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P. He chargeth us, whether ever any gave worse words to us than we did to others,' &c. page 9.

A. To speak truth is not to give bad words, to tell a Cain, he is a Cain, an Esau, he is an Esau, an Ishmael, he is an Ishmael, or a wolf, he is a wolf; and to tell evil beasts they are evil beasts, that are worse than the common beasts. And to say, the greedy dogs that can never have enough, are worse than the common dogs that are biting and tearing; and are worse than the common beasts that feed in peace, and eat their meat in peace. Now to speak such words and names as these to them that are not so, is to give bad names, and wrong names. But the spirit that gave forth the scriptures, gave such names to such as were found in those steps. It gives to see now, and the whole nation may witness, that Friends may answer to his challenge; the jails and courts show the greediness of such, and their persecution, and their malice against the lambs; and so the saints in the spirit give them their proper names, according to their properties, among which names thou art found.

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P. He saith, Much of the scriptures may be understood without the spirit,' &c. page 12.

VOL. III.

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