types, and shadows, who took the tenths of the earth, among them was a storehouse for all widows, and strangers, and fatherless, to come and be filled within their gates. But there is no such thing among the pope's church, not in christendom, no such storehouse for widows, and strangers, and fatherless; but the widows, and strangers, and fatherless beg up and down at the mass houses' doors. They who set up their lying signs and wonders, who have tithes in the earth, that take tenths, and keep people in the ninths of the earth, God hath discovered them, and the false church that set them up, and their law, since the true church went into the wilderness. And the apostles that preached Christ witnessed the seed of God, which ended all the figures, and types, and shadows, and the tenths, and ninths, and priesthood, and all types, and figures, and shadows, and bowings, and brought to the beginning, to know the election before the world was made, and so they witnessed redemption, that brings up out of the earth, into the everlasting priesthood and covenant, out of the ninths, as well as tenths, all being offered up to God. For signs were given to man since the fall, and tithes since man was driven into the earth; so man who comes to Christ and the church, comes out of the earth to the beginning, to reign upon the earth. And so the Papists are they who lead the people into the earth, with all their earthly images set up by the earthly, such as went forth from the apostles, who have set up tithes since the apostles, and bring people quite into the earth with all their earthly images. But the apostle brought them up out of the earth, and into the redemption, out of types, figures, and shadows, and out of tithes, to the election before the world was made, and so into the everlasting priesthood. Now the false prophet, beast, and antichrist, the great whore, this woman, the false church which went forth from the apostles, bring people into the earth, from the life and election both, that none there are assured of it; but they bring them into images, and into lying signs and wonders, and into ninths and tenths, and there nations stick in the earth, out of the image of God, and this hath been set up by the beast, dragon, whore, and false prophets, who had the sheep's clothing, who are out of the sheep's life, and who are now with that seen, and with that judged.

P. And thou say st, Tithes by our law were counted an ecclesiastical inheritance, oblation, obvention, offerings, this was called mere spiritual, as were offered to God and holy church."

A. Here thou hast drunken the whore's cup, who came up since the church went into the wilderness: and do men hold their estates by ecclesiastical laws, and ecclesiastical inheritance? Indeed it is a Popish, superstitious inheritance, and so you may see whence your inheritance comes, and who hath given it you; but the church of Christ never

required any such thing, but these things have been set up since the days of the apostles, your oblations, obventions, offerings; and this hath been your cover, to say they were offered to God and holy church, and thou sayst, tithes, the tenth part, have been given by the law, to the ministers of the gospel.

By the ecclesiastical law it hath been given to clerks, and vicars, and parsons, and their curates, and thou say st our laymen by the common law could not have had their inheritance of tithes descendable and grantable as of other temporal possessions, neither will they pass by the same words in grant, as other temporal possessions will do. Then men do not hold their temporal possessions by ecclesiastical laws, but by that which you call your common law. So all these laws the pope, the whore, the false church were the author of, which have been got up since the days of the apostles, by them that went forth from the apostles, into the earth, who keep people in the lying signs and wonders in the earth, under the false prophets, and the people must give them their tenths, and put into their mouths, and they live in the ninths, though they have no storehouses for widows, fatherless, and strangers; and this is done by the corruptible mystery Babylon, got up since the days of the apostles and their church: by us she is judged, and all their ecclesiastical laws and government, by them that are in the law of Christ, the law of life, that witness the judgment of the great whore to be come, and the lamb and the saints have the victory, who are come into the power that the apostles were in. And these witness the marriage of the lamb, Christ Jesus, in whom there is no shadow of turning, him by whom the world was made before it was made, who was glorified with the Father before the world began, who ends the first priesthood, and its tithes and storehouse, and redeems men out of the earth up to God, from whence they have been drawn, to know the word of life, which was in the beginning, by which all things were made. And who are in it, are in the life, and the word of wisdom by which all things were made and created, with which wisdom they know how to use all things again to the glory of him that created them. And thus men glorify God, in their bodies, soul, and spirit, which are the Lord's, amongst whom the blessing of God is felt, who in his kingdom reigns, and among whom the life and power of God dwell.

Thomas Hodges, bachelor of divinity, rector of Soldren in Oxfordshire, his principles in a book, called A Scripture Catechism,' as followeth, where he goes about to confute errors, who confutes himself among them.

P. THOU saуst, 'What godly heart without sorrow should see Christ's witnesses prophesy in sackcloth.'

A. Instead of sorrowing, you are they that kill them, and persecute them, and prison them, as you have done many that have prophesied in sackcloth, and with ashes on their heads in this nation amongst you, the false church, who are in sheep's clothing, since the woman went into the wilderness; so instead of sorrowing, you persecute, and so thou confutest thyself, and art finding fault with the Papists and bishops of Rome, and speaking of their errors, and art found in them. Did not they set up the tithes, and the mass-houses, and the colleges where thou wast made a minister, and give you the names of rectors and curates, and your means to your colleges and old mass-houses? Art not thou found in them and among them, their errors, false church, and great whore, since the true church went into the wilderness, among them that drink the blood of the saints, with sheep's clothing, having not the spirit as the sheep had, nor in their nature, so in the error? P. Thou sayst, 'The scripture speaks of God after the manner of men,'

A. The scripture speaks of God after the manner of the spirit, and to the spirit, whereby men might receive him, and know him by the spirit, which natural men cannot.

P. Thou queries to know, whether the holy ghost be a distinct person, and the worship of God in three persons.'

A. Art thou going about to confute the Papists' errors, and hold them up, and justify them, which the scripture doth not? Matt. xxviii. But the Papists' common-prayer-book, and old canon-book speak of three persons, but the scripture speaks of Father, son, and holy ghost; and thou speakest of Christ, but yet are not come to the light which Christ hath enlightened every man who comes into the world with. And thou speakest of Adam's being the image of God, and yet art not come to Adam's state as he was in the beginning; so therefore knowest not redemption, nor predestination, nor election, but art found in Adam's state, in the fall and reprobation. Thou speakest of ordinances, and yet art a transgressor of the commands of Christ, who art called of men master, and art an imitator of the Pharisees' doctrines. Thou speakest of the church, but art found one of those that are dressed with the whore's rags, since the true church went into the wilderness. Thou

speakest of the magistrates, yet art not in the higher power, which goes over all sin and transgression, which answers the transgressed in every man upon the earth. Thou speakest of dogs, and evil workers, seducers, and heretics, who art doing their work, as your jails and prisons may witness in the nation and whole Christendom, the fruits of dogs and evil workers, and seducers, and heretics, which was not Christ's work nor the apostles'. Thou speakest of the commonwealth, but yet art out of that which is the general good to all men, Christ, the light of the world, who is the saving health: all power in heaven and earth is given to him, in whom men have wisdom, by whom all things were made and created, to order the things by the wisdom by which they were created. Thou speakest of soldiers, and yet art not come to John, a man sent from God, but art from the colleges, the Papists' houses, since the church went into the wilderness, and made by the will of man, and set up by the dragon's power, so art not come to the light that John came to bear witness to, that did enlighten every man that comes into the world; so art short of rectifying the soldiery, who stoppest up the eye by which they should see. Thou speakest of the error of the Quakers, who art found in error thyself; not come to see that which must be shaken, before that do appear which cannot be shaken, nor come to the trembling of the devils; not knowing the strong man bow himself that hath kept the house, who is at peace, who is the author and ground of the error, and he that is stronger than he that kept the house, to make the devil tremble, and shake the earth where he hath had his foundation, yea, and the heavens also. Thou also speakest of the first birth, whose habitation is in the earth, and property there; 'Who made me a divider of men's inheritances,' me, who am the end of the law? for the law is just among you to divide to every man his right, but I who am the end of the law, redeem you from under the law, and out of the earth, but you who are found in this first birth in the earth, have set up your tenths, and keep people in the ninths, your greediness of it your presence declares. Thou speakest of mine and thine in collections, so, self you are found in, and your coldness in collections for the blind and lame, fatherless and widows, the streets in London declare you, and the countries abroad. Yet you are all christians and baptized, and you wear rings and scarfs, and points, and others are crying for bread. Thou speakest of buying and selling, &c. who art arming thyself to hold up the honour of the beast; and as for your buying and selling, the fruits of the great whore have declared themselves, who make merchandise of souls, and all other things, being out of the law of equity, which who acts in, acts in the will of God. Thou speakest of good-morrow and good-evening, and would blind the world, though thou broughtest scripture for it, and

makest them believe it is the Quakers' error to say the contrary. The morning is good, and the evening is good, and all is good that God created and made, as it was in the beginning, but by transgression they come to be vile and evil, by going out of the truth, as things were created, and standing in the truth are all blessed. Thou speakest of giving of thanks, and craving a blessing, and yet you say you must have a body of sin whilst you are upon earth; so your thanks and your blessings are from unclean lips, in the mouth that blesses and curses, and so proceed from the bad fountain. Thou speakest of christian magistrates, and higher powers, and thou speakest of saluting and honouring, and bowing down before men, who art not come to Christ the power of God, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him. Thou art not come to the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world, and hath all power, who subjects all magistrates to himself, who doth enlighten them to see him; and you are not come to the angel's state, that said to John, see that he did not bow to the angel, but worshipped God, John saw all the world worshipping the beast. In the old time they had bowed to the angel, but Christ is come, to whom the angels must bow, and who is in him, hath life and worship; and that is honourable which is in the truth, for he who honours God, God will honour, but honour to a fool is not seemly, but like snow in summer. And thou speaks of Christ's freemen, and thy choosing it rather than to serve idolatrous masters, and these freemen that have chosen their freedom, and cannot serve you who are idolaters, who are spiritual Egypt, to work in the earth for you, to make you brick to set up your building, you persecute them as idolaters, you imprison them. You have the form of godliness, and deny the power; who will talk of the words but deny the freedom thou speakest of, one sitting and another standing to serve at meat, and so you put yourselves among the Pharisees; and doth not Christ serve the children at the table who is the master? But in the world there is the lordship and exercising authority, and men do not know their own brethren; but masters and servants, as the scriptures declare, is owned, as Paul to Philemon. Thou speakest of Cain's and Abel's offerings, you who are the persecutors, and slayers, and prisoners of the just, offerers up of the earth, and are the city got up since the true woman went into the wilderness; but the city of the living God is known again, and you are judged, and your false church. Thou speakest of salutations, and saluting enemies; how do you salute those that you imprison till death for your tithes? What a salutation is that! and cause them to be whipped and imprisoned for speaking to you! this is like Judas' salutation to Christ when he betrayed him, and not the salutation of the saints. Thou speakest of calling days by other names than the first, second,'