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P. And as for your speaking of judging, and not to judge before the time, until the Lord do come,' &c.

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A. That was spoken to the Corinthians, and the apostle adds, "who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart.' Now the same apostle said to the same Corinthians, that God would dwell in them, and walk in them,' and they were not to judge before the time until that he did come. And he told them the saints should judge the world,' and the world should be judged by them. Now where the Lord is come, such as have the son, and the Father, and bring this doctrine, they are to be received; and they know where sin and transgression are finished, and where it is standing. So if any man have an ear to hear this, and can receive it, let him.

And as for the rest of the things in your book, your silence might have covered your shame, for every man's words shall be his burden.' Therefore, he that hath the word of God, speaks that which shall be so, which now comes to be richly known, and is known among the saints and believers, the true church which is come out of the apostacy, since the days of the apostles, to that the apostles were in.

Jonathan Clapham, a labourer of the gospel,' as he saith, and William Jenkin: their book to the protector, called 'A discovery of the Quakers' doctrine.' Their principles, &c.

P. HE saith, 'I dare not say that I am infallible, as the pope and the Quakers.' And 'the magistrate in this external politic kingdom is a mediator, though he is no officer nor magistrate in the spiritual kingdom of his church. And if this be received by magistrates, that they have nothing to do with the worship of God, Christ is little beholding to them. Then they may protect the worship of Mahomet, as well as Christ's.' And yet ye say, 'That the magistrate is the officer of Christ.' See his epistle to the protector.

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A. How is it, then, if the magistrate be no officer of the church, that you make use of magistrates to prison, to persecute, to give you tithes, and to quench the spirit when any thing is revealed to another that sits by? Were not the magistrates in all ages stirred up by the blind priests, prophets, and teachers, to persecute and prison such as they judged to be blasphemers? And so, did not all the saints in all ages suffer, not as for truth, but as for blasphemy; yea, by them that had the form, covered with the sheep's clothing?

Now the magistrate that is in the power of Christ, is beyond an

external kingdom, and sees over the kingdoms of the world; and as he is a help-governor for Christ, he is a member of the church, and knows who worship God, and who worship idols. And who worship God are in the power of God, in that which sees over all external kingdoms; that is the higher power which the soul must be subject to, and that is the true magistrate. And thou not being infallible, art not in the spirit, and so art not a minister, and art not able to judge of powers, nor magistrates, nor kingdoms, nor churches. For who is in the infallible, is in the spirit that Christ was in, and the apostles and prophets that gave forth scriptures. But we say, that thou, nor the pope, thy elder brother, (in the apostacy from the apostles,) are either of you infallible, nor in the infallible spirit that the apostles were in; but ye are both erred from it in the apostacy, as your fruits declare.

P. They say, 'The magistrates are to protect the church from the ravenous wolves; for ye are to stop the freedom of the Quakers in your dominions, and their license, and the Lord bless your highness.' See his epistle to the protector.

A. Before, thou saidst they were not officers in the spiritual church, and now wouldst thou have them to limit and quench the spirit? and to be your executioners, by telling them the Quakers seduce people? Ye have manifested your own spirits, that ye have not the spirit to resist their spirits, but are crying to the magistrates. And did John bid the saints call to the magistrates, to the outward powers of the earth, to try seducers, or did the saints so? And have not you manifested yourselves to be them that cry, help men!' against Christ and the saints? and cry to the mountains to cover you; crying to the magistrates, 'Help men of Israel! these are the men that will turn the world upside down,' and so go to the arm of flesh? Have not ye here showed your spirits to be them that should come, who were inwardly ravened, who John saw were come, and to be the wolves in sheep's clothing, and the blasphemers; such as you cannot tear, yourselves, you would have the magistrates to tear. But the Lord hath opened an understanding among many of them that they see you.

P. He saith, We dare not contest with the Quakers, they teach men, by minding the light in the conscience, to attain a moral righteousness, that is the highest; and as if they had accomplished it wholly now, and not to be fulfilled in another world.' See epistle to the pro

tector.

A. We do believe that you are not able to resist the Quakers, who have appeared in that that cannot be shaken. Therefore, is it not a shame to you to say you are a church and ministers, and to say the magistrate is no officer in the spiritual church; and yet fly to the magistrate, and tell him you dare not contest with the Quakers, and

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.

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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 proper to 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.

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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

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