bless him if he will but stop them! Think ye not the magistrates will see you in these things? And the light which Christ, the righteousness of God, hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world, withal,' leads man to the end of the righteousness of the law, that comes to be fulfilled in all its righteousness whatsoever. And so the light is too heavy for thee, and too hard for thee; and it is the precious stone thou stumblest at. And things fulfilled in another world, the prophecies, the parables, the types, the figures, the shadows, the gifts, the revelations, the dispensations, these things were in this world manifested. And who comes to Christ, who is the end of all, comes into the power of the world that hath no end. What is there to fulfil there, in the world that hath no end. Things are to be fulfilled in this world, that hath an end. And thus thou hast showed thy igno

rance.

P. He saith, The scripture is the word of God.' And saith, Christ is not properly the word, but figuratively,' page 3. And the scripture is in more proper sense, without figure, called the word of God.' He saith, Without the scripture we do not know how to worship God aright, and serve him, and therein attain to eternal life.'

Again they say, 'God is not pleased to use this way of immediate revelation now: neither indeed is it the work of God's holy spirit to discover things unto us now immediately,' page 5.

A. Christ's name is called the word of God' properly, and not figuratively, and more properly than the scripture, as in the Revelations. And the scriptures are the words of God, and words which Christ the word fulfils. So it is proper to call the scriptures the words of God, and properto call Christ's name the word of God, and 'the word that became flesh,' that is proper scripture. And they that had not the scriptures, worshipped God, before the scriptures were written, as Abraham and Enoch, and others; and they attained to eternal life. And if people have all the scriptures, and not the spirit which was before they were given forth, they want the standing rule; they cannot know the scriptures; they cannot worship God aright; they cannot find eternal life; they have not unity with God; neither do any worship God aright, but they who are in the spirit that gave them forth. And we do believe you, that immediate revelations. now by the holy spirit of God revealing things to you immediately, ye have not; and you say it is not the work of God's spirit now, nor the way of God now, &c. You that have ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, have been the wolves which Christ said should come, which John saw were come, after whom the world hath gone, and ye have burst into names, and heads, and horns, and sects. And the power was given to the beast, and the false prophets; and the great whore hath corrupted the earth. All nations

have drunk her cup of fornication, and the kings of the earth. So they have fled to the kings for help against the saints, and against the Lamb, but the Lamb and the saints shall have the victory. And so when you have been ravened from the spirit of God, it hath not been likely ye should attain to immediate revelation by the spirit of God. But now who are come to the Lamb, are come to that ye have ravened from, they witness immediate revelation. They are come to that the apostles were in, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God; they witness immediate revelation. Who are come into the fear of God, the things of God are revealed unto them; who are come into the spirit of God, it reveals to them the deep things of God. So you that deny immediate revelation by God's holy spirit now, and discovering things to you immediately, you have showed your spirits to be the false spirits, unclean spirits that be in the earth, like the frogs that go out of the mouth of the beast and the false prophet, which was discovered by John, and revealed to John, discovered and made manifest; and now with the same holy spirit of God are all you apostates revealed and discovered to the children of the light, to the lambs and the saints, who witness the spirit of God which reveals the things of God to them, and immediate revelation. The false prophets, false apostles, false teachers, in their false prophecies and teachings, who had gotten the form, ever denied the power, and immediate revelation by God's holy spirit. And was it not they that cried to the powers of the earth for help against the saints in all ages, which were discovered and judged by the spirit of God, and must go into the fire.

P. He saith, The scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation, and they are a more sure word of prophecy than any voice we can hear from heaven,' page 6. < And we will call them the word of God, whether the Quakers will or not, and we are to go to the law and testimony,' page 7.

A. And in this ye are contrary to the ministers of the word, who call the scriptures the words of God, and Christ the word; and call the scriptures a declaration and a treatise, which Christ the word came to fulfil. And the law and testimony, which you say is the Old and New Testament, many may have, and yet stand against 'the law' which is light,' as saith Solomon; and stand against 'the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophecy,' and crucify them that are in the law and testimony, as witness the ravening wolves that have had the sheep's clothing, but inwardly ravened from the spirit; which Christ said should come, and John saw were come, went out from the apostles, whom the world have since gone after. And many may have the scripture, and stand against the voice from heaven, as the Jews did against him that spoke from

heaven, who was more sure; he that spoke from heaven, was the end of the scriptures, and comes to fulfil them. And the scriptures are not able to make wise unto salvation,' as you say, who leave out the faith; but through faith they are.

P. Let the Quakers show wherever Christ or the apostles bid people look to the light within them. And the Quakers say they write from the spirit of the Lord, and speak from God immediately and infallibly, as did the apostles, and doth not this bring them under the curse in the revelations?' page 8. 'And say the letter is a dead and killing letter,' these he calls wicked errors.' And to say the light within is sufficient, is an old Popish argument.'

A. The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened with, is the salvation to the ends of the earth, and sufficient; for he that believes in it shall have the light of life, and come to witness the law of God in his mind and in his heart; and the new covenant, in which he shall not need to say, 'Know the Lord.' And the letter of scripture, paper and ink, is a dead letter: and thou and you all that speak and write, and not from God immediately and infallibly, as the apostles did, and prophets, and Christ, but only have gotten the words, you are all under the curse, in another spirit, ravened from the spirit that was in the apostles, only have had the sheep's clothing, inwardly ravening wolves; so deceived the world and the nations, and have been held up by the powers of the world, the powers of the earth. And the kings of the earth have drunk the cup of fornication, and they were like to maintain that which they have drunk. And so power hath been given to the beast over all kindreds, tongues, and nations, and they should make war against the Lamb and the saints, and continue it till the words of God were fulfilled. And the apostles told the Corinthians, that light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.' And so all people upon the earth that have gotten a knowledge, if the light that has shined in their hearts hath not given it them, what they know, they know naturally; in these things they corrupt themselves. And so thou and you that are ignorant of the apostles' doctrine, the light that gives people the knowledge, and the immediate infallible spirit that the apostles were in, and that the scriptures were given forth from, are, together with the pope, in another spirit than the apostles were in, comprehended by the spirit that gave forth scriptures.

P. 'And what a dreadful judgment is upon them that leave the scriptures to look to the light within them,' page 9. • And many deceivers should come into the world that confess not Christ come in the flesh, receive them not into your houses.' And 'the man Christ is testified against by the light,' page 13. And he saith, They publicly deny

6

the resurrection of the dead body.' And saith, The sufferings of Christ in the flesh were but an example and a figure.

A. Christ ended all figures in suffering, and examples, and patterns; yet he is the saints' pattern and example, as the scripture witnesses, and there is no other example nor pattern to be heeded but Christ alone, which they are to learn of. But to say he is nothing but a figure, for that thou, and you all, will be judged: for he ended all figures and is the resurrection, and the life both. And thy dead body shall live with my dead body,' this is scripture. And they that said the resurrection was past in the days of the apostles, overthrew the faith of some. That which overthrew the faith, denying the resurrection, kept the seed in death, where it hath been in you all since the days of the apostles; for who are of faith, are of Abraham, of Christ according to the flesh; and so if the dead arise not, their preaching is vain, and their faith is vain. So I say, mortal must put on immortality, and corruption must put on incorruption. "The first man was made

a living soul, the second was made a quickening spirit; there are earthly bodies, and heavenly bodies,' and there is a resurrection of the just and unjust, the one to eternal life, the other to condemnation. And the judge is the man Christ Jesus,' to judge the quick and the dead, who both died and rose again, that he might be God of the dead and the living. And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world, doth not testify against Christ; and the light doth not bring to deny the scriptures, but to own them. And none own them aright, nor Christ, but who are in the light which cometh from him. And all that deny the light that doth enlighten every man, &c. are the wolves, and the false prophets, and antichrists, that have gotten the sheep's clothing; and such cannot be received into the houses of the saints, that are from the light which every man is enlightened withal. And none confess Christ come in the flesh, but who are in the light which Christ hath enlightened them with. And so now all professors, and teachers upon the earth, and kings of the earth, are ravened inwardly from the light which Christ enlightened them all with; standing against the light, and the Lamb, and the saints, that are in it; and are not to be received into the houses of the saints, neither to bid them God speed; for they are out from God that are out of the light which Christ the son hath enlightened them with.

P. And he saith, Christ hath a human reasonable soul.' Again, 'Christ, the eternal son of God, distinct from the Father eternally; before he was made flesh, his spirit was distinguished from the Father, and was the son from eternity; and not only when he was manifested by descending on Christ in the likeness of a dove, or by falling upon the apostles like cloven tongues,' &c. See page 17.

A. Christ saith he is in the Father, and the Father is in him, and he will send them the spirit of truth, the comforter, that proceeds from the Father and the son; and Christ saith, he was glorified with the Father before the world began; and yet ye say, the son is distinguished from the Father from eternity. And the son saith he is in the Father, and the Father is in him. And you say the spirit is distinguished from the Father and the son from eternity, and Christ saith it proceeds from him and the Father, and he is the God and father of the spirits of all flesh, and the substance of all things. And is not a human soul earthly? for you say that Christ had a human soul, and is not human earthly? and hath a human body, and is not a human body an earthly body? Is not his body of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh? and is not his body a glorified body? Was not the first man of the earth, earthly, and had a human body, the second man the Lord from heaven? And is not the soul immortal, which cometh out from God who is immortal, and goes into God again? and is not human, or earthly, mortal? And are there not three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the word, and the spirit, and are not they all one? How then are they distinct? And there are three that bear record in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, which agree in one. And Christ saith, ‘I and my Father, are one;' and 'I in the Father, and the Father in me,' and he is in the saints, and so not distinct.

P. He saith, 'It is impudency in the Quakers to deny the word trinity, and three persons. And the church ever denied such as deny the doctrine of the trinity.' See pages 18, 19.

A. As for the word trinity, and three persons, we have not read it in the Bible, but in the common-prayer-book, or mass-book, which the pope was the author of. But as for unity we own it, and Christ being the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his substance (of the Father) we own; that which agrees with the scriptures, and for that which the scripture speaks not, which men speak and teach for doctrine, their own words, that the scriptures speak not nor teach, such the scriptures shut out, and we deny.

P. He saith, That is the weak, ignorant, dark, and the wicked sect of the devil, that maintain an equality with God; the soul to be one being with God, or part of God.' And saith, The Quakers say, there is no scripture speaks of a human soul, and the soul is taken up into God, and God is all in all.'

A. The assembly, or synod of priests, put forth a catechism, and say that the holy ghost and the son are equal with the Father in power and glory: and this they put forth that people should learn it: then, if any come to witness the holy ghost, they come to witness that which is equal in power and glory with the Father? if any come to witness