God with men, in which they have peace. So in this light stands every man's happiness, and he that hath the happiness, hath Christ the light within him, and the peace with God. And the light within, which cometh from Christ the word, is not against the word, nor scriptures, which are the words, but it owns them, and with them hath unity; and no one sees the word but with the light within. And as for all the rest of thy unsavoury expressions, and childish speeches, they are not worth mentioning. And thou hadst better have let silence cover thee, than to have published thy nakedness to the nation: for thy words will be thy burthen; in the time of thy necessity, the witness shall answer in thee.

Ralph Farmer's book, called Satan Enthroned in his Chair,' &c. His principles follow.

Which is a title suitable to himself, who is discovered by the children of the day to be satan's seeds-man, as to the nation he hath declared. But them that are in the truth, love, and peace, he doth not touch.

P. HE saith, We do not pretend to infallibility as you do, which is lying, and hypocritical,' &c.

A. We do believe you, that in the infallible spirit of God you are not, but in the false fallible spirit gone out into the world, that went forth from the apostles, who had the spirit of Christ. And so how can you be ministers of the spirit, and not of the letter, if ye be not infallible? for who are in the spirit, are in that which is infallible. This I say, none are ministers of the spirit, nor in the spirit, nor have the spirit of Christ, nor the holy ghost, nor the spirit of the Father speaking in them, but who have that which is infallible, and are in that which is infallible. And they are in the lying spirit and hypocrisy that are out of it, as are all the false spirits that are gone out into the world. So ye do well to confess that ye have not the infallible spirit; ye are not infallible, and so no ministers of the spirit. And how can they but delude people that are not infallible, and are none of Christ's, which have not the spirit which is infallible, and are not ministers of the gospel, which is the power of God, which is infallible?

P. He saith, We are foretold, that false teachers that shall bring upon themselves swift destruction, and evil men and seducers which wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, should come. And there should come false Christs and seducing spirits, and the doc

trine of devils, seeking lies in hypocrisy, such as deceive the hearts of the simple with their feigned speeches,' &c. See pages 39, 40.

A. Hast not thou here brought forth thy ignorance of the scriptures, which say the seducers, and the false Christs, and the false apostles, the doctrine of devils, and the feigned words, and fair speeches, which deceived the hearts of people, came up before the apostles' decease? And dost not thou in this show thy spirit to be that spirit that went out into the world, not able to divide the word aright? But art telling people they are now come, when the apostles saw they were come before their decease; among whom, since the days of the apostles, all the confusion hath been; and you that deny the light are in distraction. And yet ye that be not infallible, in the infallible spirit, but fallible, are crying to people, they are come but now, and so grow worse and worse. And thou and the priests of Newcastle, and many of the rest of you, are crying against such as say 'Christ is their example:' and yet many of you have published to the nation in print, that Christ is an example,' and the men are respected who speak them and not the words simply as they are in themselves; and that is partiality and respecting of persons, not the truth itself.

P. He saith, 'If we will but acknowledge their ministry and church according to Christ, he will write a recantation." See page 53.

A. Your church and your ministry have made themselves manifest not to be agreeable to the prophets, Christ, and the apostles; for you say you are not infallible, and have not the infallible spirit; and you say you never heard the voice of God immediately from heaven, which the prophets, Christ, and the apostles did. And how can you be ministers of the spirit, who are not in the infallible spirit, but the false spirit gone out into the world? You are such as are ravened from the spirit of God, and only have the sheep's clothing, and so cannot gather to the church in God, but make the nations like waters. recant before ever you come into the ministry of God, phets, Christ, and the apostles were in, and to their church, and to own the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world.'

And you must

which the pro

P. He saith, The wise men of the east came to Christ by a star,' &c. page 64.

A. You say, 'The scriptures bring to Christ:' but the Jews had the scriptures, and came not to him, nor knew him, who were out of the spirit that gave them forth; and so are you by your confession, and so not come to him.

P. He saith, A man is not justified by that which is within him,' &c. page 65.

A. We are justified by faith, which is a mystery held in a pure con

science, that purifies the heart, and this is within. And here again thou hast showed thy spirit to be that that went into the world, which was reprobated concerning the faith held in a pure conscience, without which men are not justified. And so ye are broke into heaps, into sects, and opinions, who are out of this faith which is a mystery held in a pure conscience, by which people have access unto God, through which faith they are justified, in which is unity; and it gives victory over sin, which you plead for while you be upon the earth.

As for all the rest of thy stuff in thy book, it will be thy own garment, and a heavy load and a burthen thou wilt feel it, whose nakedness might have been covered by thy silence, but thy spirit must be tried. I say, the Lord forgive thee, for a heavy charge is come upon thee, and you: for instead of seeking the peace of all men, you have made yourselves manifest to be neither ministers, nor fathers, nor elders, nor sober christians, but wolves, that tear and rend to pieces. Indeed, the ragged righteousness of men, the world's clothing which hangs on your back, ye may have; but the elect, and the saints, and the Lamb's clothing, the righteousness of the saints, ye cannot touch, but the lambs are lain down in the fold.

Magnus Byne's book, called, The Scornful Quakers Answered.' His principles follow.

P. HE saith, Beware of false prophets that come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God, because many false spirits are gone out into the world.'

A. Must thou show thy ignorance of the letter? so much a man unlike to divide the word aright? For Christ saith, false prophets should come, and antichrists, that should be inwardly ravening wolves, that had the sheep's clothing; these John saw were come before the apostles' decease; which went forth from them, and all the world went after them. And they could not have deceived the world, if the wolf had not had the sheep's clothing upon him. You may read in the Revelations, how they ravened and devoured, and drunk the blood of the martyrs, saints, and prophets; and so you that are crying to the world, 'they are come but now,' are the deceivers of the world, as you may read Matt. vii. and 1 John ii. 4. Revel. chap. xiii. xiv. xvii. xviii. and are not dividing the word aright. For now are people come from them, and coming to Christ the rock, the foundation of God, and to that spirit which you have ravened from; which stands sure, before the world

was made, out of the waters.

For the nations are as waters, and the false spirits, the false prophets, and the mother of harlots have ruled, and with the sheep's clothing have deceived the nations; but now the Lamb and the saints shall rule: for ye have confessed that ye have not the infallible spirit, as the prophets, Christ, and the apostles had: so we say you are ravened from it, and only have the sheep's clothing. The prophets, Christ, and the apostles, had an infallible spirit, out of which the false prophets, antichrists, devils, and deceivers always were; and the mother of harlots, and Babylon, though they might get the sheep's clothing.

P. He saith, It is filthy blasphemy to say, the spirit of Christ that dwells in the son, dwells in man, and he must be infallible, and he must be perfect, and sinless:' and saith, Let them alone to their father the devil,' &c. See his epistle to the reader.

A. He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his;' and who hath the spirit of Christ hath that which is infallible, and this is out of the spirit the devil is in. And they that were not in the spirit, and are not in the spirit that dwells in the son, though they have all the scriptures, are in the spirit of blasphemy, that will blaspheme against the son: and there thou art. And the false spirits that are in the world are on heaps about the son's, the prophets', and apostles' words, out of the infallible spirit of those that gave them forth, who were perfect and sinless, as in Rom. vi. they were made free from sin.' The apostle said they were perfect, and he spoke wisdom among them that were perfect.' And this you deny who are ravened from the spirit of God, and the one offering which 'perfects for ever them that are sanctified;" and so are the unsanctified.

P. He saith,There are many ways to Sion."

A. There is but one way to God, out of the fall, into the paradise, to the tree of life, out of the condemnation, and that is Christ the light, the covenant of God. Now with the light the way to the Father is seen. In the first Adam are many ways, fighting about their ways, and destroying one another about their ways; but Christ the light, the way to the Father, teacheth otherwise, to love enemies and to do good to them, and to overcome evil with good,' and 'heap coals of fire upon their heads;' which way is but one, which you who deny the light are out of, in the many ways, and names, horns, and heads, and images, which is the beast's number, ravened from the spirit of God, and from the one Christ the light, in which is unity.

way,

P. He saith, The scripture may be understood by the help of tongues,' page 12.

A. All scripture was given forth by inspiration; and so without the same inspiration it is not understood again. Pilate had the tongues, and VOL. III.

20

yet did not understand the scripture, nor Christ the substance of it. And these your tongues, you have set up since the apostacy, ye raveners from the spirit.

P. He saith, Tithes is not his infirmity, the Lord hath given him tithes: and he doth take them as the Lord giving him maintenance, and it is his liberty.'

A. Tithes to the first priesthood were allotted by God; but Christ, the second priesthood, ended that priesthood and tithes, and the priests that took them, made by God's law, and disannuled the commandment that gave them. And Christ is come, the everlasting priesthood, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchisedeck, the similitude, in whom the similitude ends, Christ the end, the substance, the end of war. So thou that takest tithes art (out of the substance of Melchisedeck and the first priesthood that took tithes) in the transgression, and in the imitation, and the veil is over thy heart, and thy liberty is bondage, in the unsanctified state. But the sanctification is in the son of God, who ends types and similitudes. And he it is that sanctifies, and who preacheth the gospel, lives of the gospel. And the pope hath given thee thy tithes by his command, and not by the command of the Lord, for Christ and his apostles established them not.

P. He saith, that the scriptures are the sure word of God: and that the scriptures are a precious light,' page 17. Again he saith, "The son of God is the first principle of the pure religion.'

A. The fulness of the godhead dwells in the son, and he is in the Father, and he is the author of the first principle, and the end of the law, for he is all and in all; for many have something from him, yet cannot say he is come; but he that hath him, hath life eternal, hath the substance, the end of things. And the scripture declares and testifies of the light, which is Christ; but many may have the scriptures, and stand against the light, for they are they that testify of me,' the light. So Christ is the precious light, and the scriptures are the words of God; but Christ the word was before they were given forth, the word in whom these words of God end. So thou mayst see thy ignorance.

P. He saith, While we stay in Sodom, we crucify the Lord of glory. And Christ is buried in us,' &c.

A. And John Bunyan, a teacher there, fights against him; and thus they are not only against the truth, but one against another. But he must know the suffering of Christ in the spiritual Sodom in him, and see the seed that suffers there, before it reign, and he reign with Christ in glory.

P. He saith,

It comprehends our suffering in the flesh after his example.' Page 21.

A. At this do the priests of Newcastle, and John Bunyan, and many