the blood, death, righteousness, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but with the light which comes from Jesus Christ, who hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world, and that is it shall give every man assurance that he is raised from the dead; the light of the body is the eye, that lets see salvation.

P. They say, 'Christ went away into heaven from his disciples, and so is not within them.'

A. Did not he say he would come again to them? did he not say he was in them, I in you?' and did not the apostle say Christ was in them, the hope of glory, except they were reprobates? was not he revealed in the apostle, and so in him? and did not the apostle preach Christ within? and you preach Christ without.

P. They say, 'that those believers that are in the body now at this day, are absent from the Lord.'

A. Doth not the apostle say, that Christ is in them except they be reprobates, and that he is in them the hope of glory, and they have fellowship with God, and God will dwell in them, and walk in them? And he that believes, believes in him, in Christ, so is not absent.

P. And they say, 'He is absent from them, as touching his flesh.' A. Doth not the apostle say that they are of his flesh, and of his bone, and he that eats not his flesh, hath no life in him, and they sit in heavenly places with him? and he that eats his flesh hath it within him.

P. They say, that there is not any heaven within, into which the man Christ is ascended; nor can any man contain a man four foot long?"

A. Christ is a mystery, and is not he to be revealed within, who is a mystery? he who did ascend to be revealed and made manifest in his saints, in flesh and spirit, he that did descend; who is now manifested, that the world wonders at, who is ascended far above the heavens, who is the saints' life, living bread, and drink. And where ever used the ministers of Christ any such expressions as thou dost? which shows. that Christ is yet to thee a mystery.

P. They say, 'Stars falling from heaven, are professors falling from the faith to the earth.'

A. This is fulfilled upon you all, who have given judgment upon yourselves; and so you are from the faith in which is the unity, in which men please God and have victory over the world; and this you may read since the days of the apostle, who are fallen all down into the earth for money and stipends.

P. They say, 'that God hath given assurance to all men, and commands all to repent every where, in that he will judge the world in righteousness by the man Christ Jesus.'

A. Every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by Christ the light of the world, him by whom it was made, who will give them a reward according to their works that deny his light, and are found in the works of darkness.

P. They say, that the end of Christ's coming is, that the people of God should shine as the sun, and the cause that hinders them from shining is the body of death.'

A. The righteous and the saints come to witness the body of sin put off, and thank God, who hath given them victory, and come into the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, (out of the first Adam,) where the shining state is witnessed, the holy mount of God, the city that cannot be hid.

P. They say, 'If a man's obedience flow not from the faith, it is but sin in the sight of the great God.'

A. And yet they say, faith is not perfect in the measure and degree! P. And they say,Four times Christ ascended away from his disciples, and was not in them.'

A. And Christ said, "I in you, and you in me;' and that he would come and dwell in them, and make his abode with them, which the apostles came to witness, and sat with him in heavenly places..

P. They say, 'That the man Christ that was crucified, his body is now in the presence of his Father, absent from his people, as touching his bodily presence.'

A. Doth not the apostle say he is the head of the church? And doth not the apostle say, they are of his flesh and bone, and sit with him in heavenly places, with Christ. And Christ saith, they must eat his flesh, and he is in them.

P. And they say, 'That Christ is absent from the saints in the world, is clear.'

A. When the apostle saith, Christ was in the saints; and 'Christ in you the hope of glory.' And the apostle said he had revealed the son in him. And he that hath not the son of God hath not life.' And after, the same Christ which was crucified and risen, came to be manifest in his saints, and not another. And so the saints come to feed upon his flesh, and drink his blood which is their life, which body Christ gives for the life of the world, and which blood appeaseth the wrath of the Almighty. And as for the rest of John Burton and John Bunyan's lies and slanders, they are not worth mentioning; but the scriptures are owned. And John, art thou finding fault, because men wear no hat-bands, and eat and drink bread and water, and cast by their pride? Now thou mayst see who thou hast taken part with, and who is the scoffer, and showest thyself, and who is thy master, short of all good. And as for all your bad names, and misconstruing

of scriptures, it will come upon yourselves. And thou hast shown in all thy book, that thou art not able to divide the word aright, nor an instructer of babes.

P. And thou sayst, 'that Christ died for the sins of the elect.'

A. And the scripture saith, he was an offering for the sins of the whole world; and who shall lay charge to God's elect whom he justifies.

P. And thou speaks of God and they shall find no favour in A. Whereas the scripture saith, the time of ignorance God winked at, but now he commands all men every where to repent,' and 'every man that cometh into the world is enlightened.' And the spirit of truth shall reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment,' which leads believers into all truth. And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men,' but they turn it into wantonness, which is the saints' teacher. And this shall make every tongue to confess to the glory of God, and every knee to bow at his name, which is the Emmanuel; and so none shall plead ignorance, as thou said, who art in the ignorance thyself, but inexcusable, because convicted. And thou hast rejected the tender mercies, who hast lifted up thyself against the saints and the Lamb; but a stone is set over thy head that shall grind thee to powder, and the saints shall have the victory, and the kingdom that is an everlasting kingdom. The witness in thy conscience shall witness against thee for all thy hard speeches, and let thee know that you and thou had better have been silent, than to fight against the Lord, the Lamb and his saints: that is the word of the Lord God to thee and you all. When ye are judged, the witness in all your consciences shall answer.

destroying men for their ignorance,' the day of judgment.'

W. P's. principles, in his book entitled, 'According to truth, that quakes not, trembles not, nor quails.'

P. THEY say, 'If the apostles had been put to preach upon a short text, or methodically, as by a long practice in the church, is expected from us, they might oft times have studied for it.'

A. In this you have showed your spirits, and made manifest you are void of the revelation from God, and your ignorance of the scriptures; for the holy ghost shall not speak of itself, but take of his. And the apostles, what they had seen and heard they declared. And Christ, what he had received of the Father, he declared. And the spirit is that which speaks in the church, and it shows the fulfilling of the

scriptures, and it keeps not people long in texts, as the world doth, that wrests scriptures up and down, and keeps people in sects. And so, there is the spirit leading into all truth, and the spirit of the Father speaking within, and the holy ghost that moved men to give forth scripture, that teacheth to divide the word aright, which is the spirit of prophecy in the church, not studying.

P. They say, 'Every man that hath the spirit in some measure, doth not attain to the great height and degree that they did that gave forth scriptures, therefore may not lawfully and infallibly teach as they did.'

A. Every man that hath a measure of the spirit of God, in the least measure or degree, it is infallible, and so far may they teach infallibly, and know scriptures; but they cannot know all scriptures, but as they attain to the full measure of the spirit of the prophets and apostles, and to the measure, and stature, and fulness of Christ. And if they do not attain to all this, they are not able to know all the scriptures; and the work of the ministers of God was to bring people to this, to the measure, and stature, and fulness of Christ; and the apostle saith, Let every one minister as he hath received the grace.' And take heed of any of you going beyond your measure. And they that deny the grace of God appearing to all men, cannot minister.

P. They say,The greater part of professors in the visible church were, and always are, earthly minded, nor can rightly value spiritual and heavenly things.'

A. In this you and your ministers have showed your fruits like Balaam's, which wither and are earthly; such as Jude speaks of, that separated themselves, sensual, and had not the spirit, but went forth from the apostles, that were got up since the days of the apostles, church and ministry, like priest, like people; and to be such as were coming up before the apostles' decease, as he speaks of in Timothy, 'who minded earthly things;' like teacher, like people; that pierced themselves through with many hurtful lusts. While they coveted after money, they lost the faith, and so came people to be all on heaps (out of unity) in the earth, being out of the faith of God's elect. So this is all in the apostacy since the apostles.

P. And he saith, that he is not a hireling that takes wages. The wages are allotted to him for his work.'

A. But do not all you preach for hire? and is it not for hire you preach? Now the least in the truth may see you. Is there ever a priest in the nation but he is hired to work, or if he have it not, he will not stay? Now to prove that you do preach for hire; where there are many steeple-houses in many parishes that have no priest, thither you go not, because there is but a little benefice, and they have souls as well

as others; and where there is an agreement for so much a year, thither you go; is not this for hire? And so the prophet's words are fulfilled, the priests preach for hire.' And all these great sums of money which have lifted you up, and a great deal of it has been gathered out of poor men's labours; this hath been the undoing of you all and of nations, and many poor people, because they cannot put into your mouths. But now is God come to judgment upon you all apostates, in the apostacy.

P. And thou calls the steeple-house a church.

A. Which is the church that is come up since the days of the apostles, in the apostacy; for the church is the people of God, the elect seed, which Christ is the head of, who in the midst of this church doth sing praises, which is the pillar and ground of truth, without spot or wrinkle. Whereas the steeple-house you call your church, will spot, wrinkle, and blemish, and decay, and fall down, and wicked men may prevail against it; but the gates of hell cannot prevail against that church which is built upon the rock.

P. And thou sayst, Thou dost not speak in that degree of the holy ghost as the prophets and apostles did that spoke forth scriptures.'

A. Then thou must take heed of exalting thyself above thy measure; for thou canst not know scripture, but by the same degree of the spirit the prophets and apostles had.

P. And he saith, 'He hath no command in scripture to sprinkle infants, and he holds it not absolutely necessary, and he hath no command in scripture against it, and he hath a commandment of the governors, and so he is subject to every ordinance of man.'

A. An ordinance of man that is of absolute necessity, consider what it is! and that which the scripture no where commands, nor thou hast any example for, consider what that is! And as to saying the scripture no where forbids it, it forbids all the traditions and doctrines of men: so that is judged by the spirit of God that is set up by men.

P. Thou sayst, 'The Lord may, with the outward washing, give the spirit to the child.'

A. Can man receive the spirit of God by following traditions of men and outward things? Were not they all from it, and from the spirit? and doth it not judge them for setting up such things as God never commanded?

P. And he speaks of 'David's Psalms given to the world suitably.' A. The world must repent and be in the spirit, (for it lies in wickedness,) before they can know David's singing; for the prophet saith, their songs must be turned into howling, and David's condition is not the world's.

P. He saith, men may respect persons in their places.'