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P. He saith, "The spirit is in the letter, or the whole scripture,' page 254. And 'They that wrote forth the scriptures were imperfectly holy; but God's word was holy. To conclude, the spirit is in the letter, and given by it, daily experience demonstrates it. And they that own not the spirit's dwelling in the letter, have lost their faith of the spirit's presence, and run to other gospels and doctrines; the spirit of error is in all men's doctrines, that have not the spirit in them,' page 255.

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A. They were holy men of God that gave forth the scriptures, as they were moved by the holy ghost; the apostle said they were holy, and we shall believe him before we believe any of you apostate teachwho say they were not holy. And the spirit that was in them that gave forth the scriptures, was received of God the Father of spirits, and dwells in God. And they that are from the spirit of God within, which gave forth the scriptures, are such as follow their own spirits, and use their tongues, and get the good words, the sheep's clothing, deceive the hearts of the simple, and tell them 'the spirit is in the letter,' which never did any of the experienced saints say; but did conclude the spirit dwelt in their hearts, the faith in their hearts, the light in their hearts, the word in their hearts, the anointing within them, God dwelt within them, Christ within them, the law in their hearts, the witness within them, 'the ingrafted word that saved their souls,' the gift within, the hidden man in the heart, strength in the inward man; the holy ghost moved them, the spirit of the Father spoke in them; this led them to speak forth scriptures. These never said the spirit was in the letter, as all the filthy dreamers say, who are in the sensual separation from the spirit of God, and in Cain's, Core's, and Balaam's way, 'turning the grace of God into wantonness,' ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, only wolves in sheep's clothing. These are such as have got the good words, but deceive the hearts of the simple, make a trade of them, tell people the spirit is in the letThese have ravened from the spirit of God in their own particulars, and so they deceive people, and keep them from the spirit of God in their particulars. But the spirit that gave forth scriptures is witnessed, by which they are known; they cannot deceive any longer: who are 'reprobates concerning the faith,' who crept into houses before the apostles' decease, who have kept people always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,' led away with divers lusts.' So have kept people in spiritual Egypt, Sodom, and Gomorrah, and have been guarded with magistrates, and powers of the earth, all over the world. But now is the light breaking forth and shining, that ye are all discovered. And so they have set up other gospels, and lost the faith, that tell people the spirit is in the letter,'

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when the spirit and the faith were in them that gave it forth, and are to be in all them that know it again, and know God the giver of it.

P. He saith, He that is born of the spirit, is born of the holy word written,' page 257.

A. He that is born of the spirit, is born of that which gave forth the scriptures, the word which was before the scriptures were given forth, which lets him see the end of the words: so cometh to dwell in God, of whom they learned that gave forth scriptures.

P. He saith, If setting the scripture in the heart of every man, be nothing else but telling people they have a light of conscience within them, and stirring up that light which every man hath that cometh into the world, they delude poor people, who never heard that light called scripture before,' page 257.

A. They that never heard the scripture outwardly, being turned to the light that every man hath that cometh into the world, with that they will see Christ, with that they will know scripture, with that they will be led out of all delusion, and come into covenant with God; with which they will come to worship God in the spirit, and serve him, and that is more than conscience.

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P. He saith, The light which John speaks of, which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, is a dim light; and it is a piece of the mystery of iniquity, as subtle as any antichrist, to say that the light shines in the darkness, and shineth out of darkness, the light of Christ for salvation,' pages 261, 262. He saith, Christ in you, the light in every man, is a poor, base, beggarly scrap,' page 264,

A. The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, is Christ the ŝubstance, the righteousness of God, and not beggarly; but all the beggarly are out of the light, and it is not dim, but all are in the dim that are out of him the light, that with which he hath enlightened them. And all are in the mystery of iniquity, and are antichrists, that see not the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world, where it shines, and where it shineth out of the darkness. These are the true ministers who are in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures, ministers of Christ within, witnessed and seen. And John was not antichrist, nor Paul, who said, 'light shined in darkness;' and who said, 'light shined out of darkness;' and who said, 'This was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.' Now ye are all ignorant of the prophets before John, who said, 'I will give him for a covenant, for a light unto the Gentiles, and a new covenant to the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah;' mark, here was 'every man.' And John, the greatest prophet born of a woman, saith, This is the true light that lighteth every one,' &c. Christ Jesus, him by whom the world was made before it was made,

"in whom is life, and the life was the light of men: and the light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.'

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P. The law written in every man's heart doth not condemn all sin, nor the branches of it, nor original sin, nor unbelief,' page 266. He saith, To say that every man in his first state is natural, and every man in his first state is as a beast, is a contradiction. And I every where deny the natural light of every man; but I deny the highest degree of light to be here attainable. And the saints' light is not to be seen while we are under the sun.' And he saith he knows he is more brutish than a man, and hath not the knowledge of the holy,' page 272. And the light that shineth in the scriptures, that I profess myself to know nothing of; 'the least degree of it is above the highest degree of the light that every one that cometh into the world is enlightened withal,' page 273.

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A. The light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightened withal, was before degrees, and ends degrees, and is not natural; for it was before the natural was made or created; and this bears not witness against the natural, the sun, moon, and stars, but owns them in their places. And the light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightened with, which comes from Christ the son, they not believing in it, it is their condemnation. And that which doth make manifest and reprove sin, is light; yea, all sin, branches, and roots, and original, and unbelief, that which doth make it manifest is light; and where this light is that makes all this manifest, there is the law in the heart, and new covenant written, the law and the spirit of life that makes free from the law of sin and death. And believing and receiving the light which every man is enlightened with, they come into covenant with God, they come to know the law of God in their hearts; for that is the law of God in their hearts, the light which doth enlighten every man,' &c. And every man is in his first state, in the transgression; many are worse than beasts, and brutish; and what they know they know naturally, as brute beasts.' And thou, and all of you, who are ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, what ye have known, it hath been naturally, as brute beasts; for ye are gone from the spirit that should give you to know and understand, and so that is no contradiction. And we do believe thee that thou art brutish, who lookest for the light in the letter of scripture, and sayst the light of scripture is higher in the least degree, than the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world.' Alack for thee! the light which doth enlighten every man, &c. was before scripture was given forth. And the saints that receive the light that doth enlighten every one, &c. receive Christ the perfect light, and receive God, and Christ the substance, the end of degrees. And thou shalt never see the

saints' light, while thou art looking at the letter, and art from the life which was in them that gave it forth; and the light shined in the hearts of them that gave forth the scriptures.

P. He saith, The scripture light, that is a standing rule for our faith, and there is present light in it to guide men to salvation, and so are not immediate revelations and teachings. And the knowledge of Christ and eternal life is given forth in the letter,' page 283.

A. They that had scriptures knew not salvation, and they knew not the rule, being erred from the spirit of God. And none know salvation, but by the immediate teaching and revelation of Christ Jesus the son of God, the salvation. And if men have all the scriptures given forth from God, they themselves are not able to make men wise unto salvation without faith, which Christ is the author of, who is the substance of what the scripture speaks of, and so they are not able of themselves 'to guide men to salvation.' Neither are they a rule of faith, but Christ is the author of faith, and the spirit the rule that gave them forth; and all that have them, and are not in the immediate, know them not, neither the gospel. And none know eternal life, nor Christ (who is the author of life and faith, who was before scripture was) by the scriptures, but as they come into the life that they were in that gave them forth. And there is the life found, Christ found, Christ seen, him by whom the world was made before it was made; for the life was in them that gave forth the scriptures, by which they knew God and eternal life, and Christ the saviour, Abraham, the prophets, and Moses; so the life must be in all now, before they know scriptures, or Christ, or God.

P. He saith, 'If the letter declares of Christ's fulfilling, then we should need to know no more of Christ than what for substance is in the scriptures; then there is no need of immediate teachings,' page 284. He saith, new apostles and doctrine discovered, of a righteousness within them, that is their justification. And this is as the ringleaders of the Jews among the Galatians,' page 286. And the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling is not the same as made Moses and David, Habakkuk and Paul tremble,' page

287.

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A. The power of God is one, which threw down Paul, shook Habakkuk, and Moses, and David, whereby these all came to know Christ; which power, who cometh into it, and into the infiniteness of it, which raiseth up the seed, which is Christ, whereby the salvation is known, and wrought out with fear and trembling. And when ye all come to know this power that works out the salvation with fear and trembling, your reproaches will be laid aside, for reproaching of such whose salvation is wrought out with fear and trembling. And righteousness within, and sanctification within, is a new doctrine to you

that are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God since the days of the apostles, and so from the spirit of faith, from the hearing of faith; as they that drew the people to the circumcision without, went from the hearing of faith within, by which they should be justified. So they that are come to the hearing of faith, are come to the justification and sanctification within, and look not to the circumcision and baptism without. So this is an old doctrine, and not new but to you apostates. And though the scriptures declare of Christ's fulness, if people have all the scriptures, that speak and declare of his fulness, (and you say you need know no more of Christ than what for substance is in the scriptures, and so have no need of immediate teachings, we believe you,) none know the fulness of Christ but they who come into the immediate teachings. Your mouths may be full of scripture, and you may use your tongues about the saints' words, and run up and down, and the Lord never sent you, saying, thus saith the Lord, in chap. and verse, and it is sufficient that the scripture speaks of his fulness;' yet I say, neither you, nor any upon the earth, can ever know his fulness, but as ye come to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened you, in every one of your own particulars, though ye may have all the scriptures. For they that knew the fulness of Christ, and they that gave forth the scriptures, had the spirit of God in them: so must every one that knows it and them again.

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P. He saith, If the scriptures be a rule for thee and thou, then it is a rule for respect to superiors: and keeping on the hat shows the pride of the heart, and a lying spirit.' He saith, they have not a growth of perfection in this life, but a pressing on,' page 290. And he saith, 'the prophets took texts, and raised motives.' And he saith, he that believes not our points from scripture, shall be damned; that he must tell him from Christ,' page 299.

A. They who are standing up against thee and thou, and the hat, show the pride of their hearts, and are out of the humility, looking for an earthly honour; but before the honour is the humility. Nay, the scripture is not a rule for respecting persons, neither is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; they that respect persons are out of the faith, and are convinced by the law to be transgressors, and committers of sin, and so out of the law, and faith. And David saw the end of all that perfection, so he was past the growth of it, when he saw its end. And the scriptures, and Christ, you know not, who are not come into the immediate teachings, and have no need of it; who say, the scripture it is sufficient that declares of Christ. And the prophets did not take texts, and raise motives, and uses, and reasons, and lay in them half a year together, and sell them for money, as ye do now since the days of the apostles in the apostacy. But now I am come to reckon with you, VOL. III.

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