AFter I received your feigned accusations from the the mouths of your Messengers, and under one of their hands, I did with much faithfulness and plainness return you an answer, which if you had read amongst you and observed, I intended no further contest; But when through deceit and hypocrisie, it was not permited to be read, I began to pre [...] for the presse and to lay o­pen your deceipt, which so far exceeded; yet with so, much tender­ness did I proceed, that for your sakes, I delayed the printing of it a­bout a year, waiting if God would give you the sight of your evil and repentance for the same: But perceiving you to wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived, setting your mouths against heaven and in your deceit to glory, I gave order for its Printing but not to be made publick, till my further order; Neither did I suffer m [...] books (being printed,) to be published in Bristol, no not in my own family, nor among my near relations, till by the hand of a faithful Messenger, I had conveyed them amongst your selves, and into the hands of many amongst you, to whom of a truth, my love was hop­ing that upon the perusal thereof, your consciences might be awak­ened, and the witness of God therein raised, and so your hearts not being hardened, his voice ye had heard, and to repentance had you been brought, by him who is come and calleth unto it, and so your sin had been covered, and by him forgiven, and by me not permit­ted to be published, but in oblivion had it been buried for ever. But [Page 2]after I had waited several dayes and found that notwithstanding anguish and torment were upon you, who in your consciences were smitten and wounded, so that some durst not read my book, but pre­sently returned it; others beginning to read, could not, but laid it aside, others reading it, shed more tears, then they read lines, (as themselves have said) and yet against it hardened themselves, and repented not: And others reading it, and reproved by it, fell in­to much rage and fury, and therein publishing it themselves amongst their rude companions, endeavouring to raise lies and falsehood a­gainst it. I say, when these and such like effects appeared, and not till then, I consented to the making my books publick, by which I perceive the sence of guilt, and so of torment being encreased, you grew exceeding angry and wrathful: But if ye had stood in that which convinced, its like I had no longer, in publick view contest­ed, because I do neither desire, nor endeavour your destruction, but your salvation (God is witness.) Neither in a spirit of anger and bitterness am I dealing with you, whose welfare I am seeking, not your hurt: But in the fear of the Lord am I faithfully dealing with you, (of whose state and condition I am not ignorant) not daring to use flattering and deceitful speeches, as others do, crying peace and safety to that against which (I know) the wrath and righteous judgement of God is near to be revealed; but in much plainness, in a spirit of soberness and moderation do I tell you the truth, and (whether ye will hear or forbear) the time is at hand in which ye must witness it, notwithstanding (to hide your selves and cover your shame) ye are striving to recover your Vail, and vindicate your selves: And (having given heed to many false seducing and lying spirits) ye have writen a book for that purpose, which I received from you by the hand of a stranger, supposing the conscience ye had of the deceit and falshood ye therein used so far prevailed, that none among your selves could appear to deliver it. But your Book I have perused, and do find that your business therein is, not to an­swer mine, entituled The skirits of the Whore discovered: But by sub­tilty and deceit, the spirit of falshood and lying to cover and vail your selves from the stroak of that truth, which by demonstration and plainnesse, is therein declared, and manifested against you: So that (although I had much rather be quiet, waiting on the Lord, than to be thus contending, yet for the sake of truth and further manifest­ing of the deceit and hypocresie which abounds among you) I am once more by you constrained to appear in the publick war which (in this mighty day of the Lords power) is begun, between the Beast, the fals-Prophet, and the Lamb.

1. And first I must tell you, that (notwithstanding 1 advised and warned you in my former book, that if ye returned an answer, ye take care, it be to some purpose, and not a parcel of weakness, and confusion, &c. yet) I find the conception and birth, which by you [Page 3](who call your selves a Church of Christ) is brought forth into the world, is the same in which you have given so much advantage, to lay open your shame, and discover your skirts, beyond and a­bove others, yea many of the Parish Assemblies of which you speak; that I know not how to let it pass without rebuke.

2. I take notice that that little book (entituled The skirts of the Whore discovered) hath been made effectuall (through the power of the mighty God of Jacob) so that the dart is struck through the liver, and the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in the hearts of the Kings enemy, and torment is upon you on every side, because your skirts are discovered, that passers by see the shame of your nakedness, and that (instead of turning unto the Lord who hath smitten and wounded you, whose tender mercies are towards you, and therefore hath often warned you) with foolish Ephraim of old, you are running to the Assrians for help, and into Aegypts land a place of darkness are ye gone, seeking to recover a vail to hide your selves from the face of the Lamb, who is the Light of the World and of the Temple, in whose light ye are seen and com­prehended, and the deceit of your Religion and powerless profession known and manifested, against which the hand of the Lord is lifted up, though ye see it not, nor are ashamed, but (under your tradi­tional and deceitful forms and waies) seek to hide and cover your selves, as with a vail, making lies your refuge, and under falshood hiding your selves, bringing the wo and the wrath more and more up­on your selves, who cover with a covering, but not of Gods spirit, re­beling against the light not knowing its wais, nor abiding in its paths.

3. That notwithstanding (according to the prophesies that went before the true light is now come, and the glory of the Lord is ari­sen, and the children of the Lord are walking in the light of the Lord, and calling others thereinto, yet darkness hath covered the earth, and gross darkness the people, and therefore, thorow the blindness of your minds, whilest ye go about to vindicate your selves from the stroak of that which was justly and truly declared of you in The skirts of the Whore discovered, ye manifest and prove your selves to be the same, that is to say, no Church of Christ but an harlot, &c. And this ye do in the very Title of your book, which is; The Church of Christ in Bristol, recovering her vail out of the hands of them that have smitten and wounded her, and taken it away, a practise never heard of among those that were the Churches of Christ, in whom the vail is done away; Col. 2.19. for the Churches of Christ were all baptized by one spirit into one body, and united to one head, even Christ, from which all the body, by joynts and bands, having nourishment ministred encreaseth with the en­crease of God, And where Christ is witnessed, the vail is removed, and done away, I Cor. 3.13, 14, 15, 16, 17.18. yea, though it was over the heart in the reading of the old Testament that the people could not see to the end of that which is abolishëd, yet in Christ it is done away, and his Church, who wit­ness [Page 4]him their head and from him have nourishment ministred, comes with open face to behold the glory of the Lord, and by it are changed into the same image. &c. But to this are you strangers and aliens, who are re­covering the vail out of his hands that hath taken it away, that with it ye may be covered, Gen. 38.14. like Tamar the harlot sitting by the way whiles the witnesses of Christ, and Ministers of the new Testament, do not (as Moses) cover their face with a vail, that the people may not see to the end of that which is abolished, but use great plainness of speech, directing the minds of the people to the light, to the an­nointing, to the unction which is in them which guideth them into all truth, shewing the father, and things which are to come, to which agreeth the Prophet Isay, who speak as he was moved of the Lord, and said, The mountain of the Lords house, shall be exalted above the mountains, &c. and in this mountain the Lord will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail which is spread over all Nations &c. and to this also do agree those that speak as they were moved of the holy Ghost: Isa. 25.7. But ye who know not that one spirit, nor the Baptism, nor the body, nor the unity, nor ever came to witness the head, from which nourishment is ministred to the body, and in which the vail is removed and taken away, but are recovering it out of his hands who hath smitten and wounded you, I s [...]y ye are hereby ma­nifested and proved no Church of Christ, but an harlot, a Synagogue of Satan, a cage of unclean spit its, upon whom the Lord hath stretch­ed forth the lines of confusion, and stones of emptiness, and made you an habitation for dragons, and a Court for owles, in which the wild and cruel beasts of the earth [who have no habitation in God] in­habit.

4. That notwithstanding you would seem to reprove me for vain boasting, &c. though ye know in your own Consciences I speak very soberly of my self, without boasting, and far beneath what I was in yours and centers account, till I told you the truth, yet have ye pub­lished a book, [and a pretty big one too] mostly to commend your selves and on the other. And although ye seem [among other things] to boast of your stability, &c. yet let me tell you I well remember the time, when but few amongst you stood stable to your own prin­ciples of Churches and ordinances (as ye call it) but were, like children tost to and fro with winds of doctrine, embracing a Reli­gion which consisted in great swelling words of vanity, without pow­er: At which time Robert Purnel (as stable as he is) undertook to prophesie the down-fall of Independency, Anabaptism, &c. and said by faith he saw it full, by the comming of Christ in spirit, and this he published in his book, entitled Good tydings for sinners, Great joy for Saints. And besides, if ye were indeed so stable, as ye would have the world believe, how commeth it to pass that at this day, ye are so rossed with blasts and winds, and know no stability, but so many of you are of late, turned Anabaptists, which formerly was so odi­ous, [Page 5]and so sad a principle, that Hannah Taylor was near casting cut from amongst you for entertaining it. But it is true, ye hold fast deceit, and refuse to return, in which ye are as stable as most that I ever knew, and equal with those Parish Assemblies, in which (ye make sore complaint) people will rather continue than remove to you, since your skirts are discovered.

5. That ye are offended with me for using bitter and violent expressions towards you, in which (ye say) nothing of the spirit of Christ appears, but the contrarie; And that ye are otherwise taught, then to render evil for evil, and railing for railing, but rather to blesse, having the example and precept of Christ for it, yet notwithstanding your book abounds with [...]ayling, reviling and evil speaking: And where ye cannot amongst your selves frame and make up enough, ye endeavour, the best ye are able, to take up something from others, whom ye do not name, and perhaps I ne­ver saw, and cast the reproach of it upon me, telling me of Luci­ferian pride, folly, impudencie, malignity, untruths, &c. All which is the proper fruit of the corrupt fountain, from whence it came, to which it is again returned. But by this the sober Reader may take notice, how directly ye are found in the steps of your fa­thers, the Scribes and Pharisees, who crucified the just one, and said and did not, &c. And what use it is ye make of Christ his precepts and examples, that is to say, to make them a veil or co­vering, under pretence of which to hide your selves in your un­godly and wicked practices, whiles in words ye would seem to condemn it, just [...]e the harlot whose words are smooth and pleasant, but her pathes lead to the chambers of death, and how can ye say, nothing in my book appears like the Spirit of Christ, when so much of it is the very words of Scripture which ye say is the word of God, and the Scripture saith the father the word and holy Ghost are one, are they one and not a like? are they one and yet contrary? or are not ye rather in blindness and confusion, understanding neither what ye say or of what ye affirm?

To your Reader ye expresse your trouble and griese, that I, a man once famous for professing the truth, did, upon the coming of the people called Quakers, own and plead for them, and by so doing drew many a poor soul, out of the wayes of Christ (as ye say) into the wayes of those miserable de­luded people.

To which I reply, that I did (upon the first publishing of the glad tydings of salvation, by the Ministerie of righteousness) obtain mercy, to own and embrace the same, and by it was turned to God, out of the wayes of miserie, delusion and deceipt, in which ye yet abide, is true: But that I drew any out of the wayes of Christ, is false, and from your father, by whom the eyes of your minds being blinded, ye wander, and by him are led in the dark and blind pathes of lying deceipt, and delusion, towards death and [Page 6]destruction. And therefore ye tell the Reader I prepared a letre. with this inscription, for the people called independents, and by my subtilty engaged two of your brethren, to present it to the Church, which is an absolute lye, at which ye could not but blush, had ye not a whoores forhead, for no such inscription at all, was upon any letter of mine. But for the hands of Robert Simpson and Robert Pur­nel, &c. Neither do I know any subtilty used to engage them, far­ther than in plainnes and honesty to read it in their hearing and de­mand their freedom to comunicate it to those who sent the charge by them to me, and this ye term subtility and deceipt, when the subtilty and designed deceipt is among your selves, who kept my defence from being communicated to those, for whom it was in­tended, fearing (as ye confesse, it might draw away more from amongst you: And this was no disappointment at all of my ends, neither was I enraged at it (as ye say,) But it is another lye, and your torment thereby is encreased, because opportunity was thereby administred, to discover your skirts, and lay open your shame, which otherwise (its like) had not been. And whereas ye tell your Reader, ye cannot without being guilty of my sin, let my folly go unreproved, but have set forth these plain words of truth and so­bernes, &c. This is like the rest, a refuge of lyes, for neither true, nor sober it is, but full of lyes and deceipt, of which I know no page free. And so ye need not trouble your selves, with the guilt of my sin, ye have enough of your own. And it is plain and true, that the lyers are without, and for the lake, &c. which is your portion, from him who will clear the innocent, &c. with whom ye are not companions in tribulation, nor are grieved for the afflictions of Joseph, nor sensible of this day of Jacobs trouble; nor know the welfare of Sion, nor the faith of the Gospel, nor the testi­monie of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecie.

And so I come to your book it self, In the first line of which ye demand, Did I never read, that the Church of Christ in Scrip­ture is resembled to a natural body, wherein are many members united each to other, and most of them to one head and by one Spirit, and say, that as in the natural body; there may be many infirmities, so in the mistical bodie? &c. I answer nay, I never read such a thing in Scripture, but can read you who put this que­ston, as blind as the men of Sodom, that saw not the way; for, where in Scripture, is the Church of Christ resembled to a natural body, I say, a natural bodie in which are many infirmities? Again, where doth the Scripture say, that in the Church of Christ, there are many members united each to other, and [most] of them to one head, and by one spirit [...]? Is there any unitie in the Church of Christ, and not by the Spirit? And are not all who are by the Spirit united together, by the same Spirit united to the head? And is not the Lord that Spirit, in which the vail is remo­ved? [Page 7]But Babilon is your Citie; your first building is confusion, and had ye not thus exprest your selves, ye had not so clearly manifested your gross ignorance, both of the true Church, her members, the head, and the Spirit. But having thus done, ye apply your selves to your blind mistaken conclusions, drawn from what before ye had ignorantly propounded, And say, that as in the natural bodie there may be many infirmities, so the mystical body also may be subject to distempers, &c. To which I say, In your tittle page ye stile your selves the Church of Christ (though ye never proved it) but your language is the harlots, and not the Churches; In Scripture I read of a natural bodie and a spiritual bodie, but never of a mysti­cal bodie so exprest (that comes from the Harlot.) But if by mysti­cal bodie ye mean your selves, then I easily grant, it is indeed subject to destempers enough, which ye number up; and say, is undigested humours, want of closing with truth, and receiving un­truth, windie humours of pride, high-mindedness, and giving heed to lying Spirits, violent headiness, in stead of well tempered zeal for God and godliness, &c. All which (it's like) ye speak from good experience, and if ye had added much more of that kind, to which ye are subject, I know and bear testimonie that it is true. But if by mystical bodie, ye mean the Church of Christ, of which he is head, and hath washed from all her sins in his own blood, and redeemed from all iniquitie, and presents holy and unblamable; without spot or wrinkle, then do ye speak falsely and wickedly, blaspeming the bodie of Christ, which is holy, in which dwell no lying spirits nor windie homours (as ye call it) of pride and high mindedness, &c much lesse is it subject to those things, but is more than Conqueror over it, and is subject onely to Christ who is the head, where other Lords have not dominion, but being made free by the Son of God, is free indeed, while such as you are subject to such distempers and wicked spirits and humours, by which ye are overcome, and in bondage, and never came to witness re­demption and freedom by the Son of God, who gave himself for us, as Paul saith, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, Now if Pauls words be true, as indeed they are, then is your mystical distempered, surfeited, windie humorous, proud, high minded, feavorish bodie, which gives heed to lying spirits, no Church of Christ, but an absolute Harlot, And so have ye your selves manifested your own bodie as filthy as ever I declared it; And so what wrong have I done ye? ye say in my former book there is contained many things too low, and beneath you to read, peruse or answer, thereby manifesting your Pride; for his soul that is lifted up, is not upright. And the Harlot sits as a Queen, and counts it beneath her, to answer what is spoken to her in truth; But I perceive ye are making good the title of your book, covering your selves with such filthie stuff, where ye cannot answer, and yet he that reads and understands, would think ye little regard what [Page 8]ye say, or into what confusion ye run, so ye can but think to hide your heads, for notwithstanding ye said but now it was below and beneath a Christian, much more a whole Church, to read, or an­swer my book; yet presently ye say, ye shall take the Lords Coun­sel, and answer the Author: Is it beneath and too low for you to read or answer, and yet doth the Lord Counsel you to answer? or doth the Lord Counsel you to answer what is beneath you to read? Why should ye thus take the Lords name in vain to cover and hide your deceipt? Know ye not that ye cannot be by him held guiltless? But this is pitiful stuff, to come from a whole Church, as ye call your selves, need enough ye have to seek a covering to hide your folly: Ye say my Pamphlet is stu [...]t in the middle and both ends with many unsavoury and unchristian like expressions, and speak of vain boastings, absurdities and untruths, but mention not the particu­lars, nor make it appear, and so I shall let it pass, as one of your lying refuges. Ye say, how sadly is that Scripture Acts 20.30. fulfilled both on us and you? &c. I answer, nay not on you, who are far from the condition of the elders of the Church of Ephesus, to whom Paul spake, whom the holy Ghost had made overseers of the flock of God, which he with his own blood had purchased, and they did feed who were turned from the darkness to the light, but I say, this belongs not to you, who love darkness, and hate the light, of which they were children, and came to see with open face, as in a glass, the Lords glorie, which condition is witnessed in measure, by thousands at this day of those whom ye call miserable deluded people; Neither is it ful­filled in me, who do not speak perverse things, to draw people from the truth, which is the light, but have declared the truth con­cerning you.

Ye say, when ye had read the title of my book, and considered the people included and intended by me, ye could not but stand amazed, &c. I answer, yea and well ye might, and be ashamed, and confoun­ded that ever a people professing themselves the Church of Christ, should be so notoriously found in the Harlots steps without so much as a shew of a true covering in which to hide themselves from the re­buke of what was spoken of them as in your book the Reader may perceive, but are driven to so many lying refuges, to vindicate your selves, and all in vain, for your covering is short. Ye say, Is it not an high degree of Luciferian pride, for a poor Creature to set his foot upon the neck of all the assemblies and Churches of the Saints, calling them the w [...]ore; And then put your silly interpretations upon my words, us some of you use to do upon the Scriptures, and draw your mistaken mea­nings thereon, and then tell me of Shimei's cursing David, and of your resolutions, &c.

To which I reply, The assemblyes and Churches of Saints, oh how lovely are they unto me? because the living presence and power of God is there manifested; In which I have chosen rather to be a door-keeper, and to suffer reproach with the people of God, (which [Page 9]was Davids portion) than to dwell with you in the ungodly Tent, where Shimei that Curser is. But the voice of the Lords thunders being heard in the earth, and his lightenings gone forth, and his just visitations come and coming upon the Harlot or great whore, whose judgement is now come, I doe, according to my measure, bear testimony against her (your surfeited bodie) though she call her self a Church, and cover her self with scarlet, as with a veil, yet upon her neck do I tread, and all her glorie do I despise, and upon all her pride and Luciferian spirit do I trample, for just and true is he that hath judged her. And notwithstanding ye begin to wail and lament, like them, Rev. 18. ( whose merchandise was destroyed, saying, O how do the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce and the uncircumcised triumph? will not every prophane person that seeth us go in the streets, say, Lo there goes one of the skirts of the whore, one of the synagogue of Satan, one of the cage of unclean birds, &c. And if we reprove them, will they not say, one of your selves have written and published it? And then tell how your enemies will scourge you with the tongue, and condemn you, &c. Reply, If this be so, and the Philistines and prophane persons, in whose na­ture ye are, and with whose spirit ye agree, do thus behave them­selves towards you, yet know, and see the Scriptures fulfilled, and as ye have loved cursing, reproaching or reviling, so it is unto you, and the measure which ye have meted, is measured to you again, & the day of the Lord is upon all the. Heathen, and as thou hast done, it is done unto thee; and thy reward is turned upon thy own head; Lock back, call to mind, and remember, how over your high pla­ces and in your meetings, before these whom ye call uncircumcised, Prophane Philistines (with which your assemblies are filled) ye have not spared to blaspheme and to speak evil of that ye under­stand not, some of your mouths being full of cursing and bitterness, equal with others of Jacobs enemies (with whom ye became as one in the day of his calamitie, when he appeared small and descised) foaming out your owne shame, greatly provoking and enraging the evil spirits, in the mindes of your evil hearers against the innocent, and harmles, who dwelt peaceably in their Tents amongst you, moving onely as the Lord moved them, for which mount Esau, where the prophanenes is, the Philistines uncircumcised in heart (both Rulers, Priests, & people of all sorts and sects) combined to repreach, abuse, persecute and devour, with whom ye have joyned, as if your tongues had been your own, and no Lord could control them. But being a little rebuked by the power and spirit of the living God, ye begin to crye out; and say who hath his tongue unteid, and doth not speak to vindicate the undeceived innocencie, &c.? (As if in one hour your glorie becautie, and costly attire were laid in the dust) and that if it had been a Turk, a Heathen, or an open enemy, that had done this, ye could have born it, and so tell of sifting up my heel against Christ, crucifying him a fresh, and putting him to [Page 10]open shame, &c. All which being your own conditions, uttered forth from your fountain of blindness and arrogancie, I shall onely return it into your own bosomes, from whom it came; who cannot look the Lord in the face, nor stand in the least of his appearings, but with the rest of the untoward generation, have set your selves, and ta­ken Counsel together against the Lord of life and glory.

Ye say, Little did ye think, I would have acted so well like Judas, as first to betray you with a kiss, calling you friends, and then deliver you into the hands of your enemie, to scourge you with the tongue, &c.

Reply. Did I therefore act like Judas and betray you, because I called you friends, and in faithfulness told you the truth? Know ye not that it was the word of Christ to Judas, who was the betraier, and never the word of the betraier, to the betrayed one. And do ye not by this justifie the guilty betrayer and condemn the innocent betrayed one? How well may the passers by (as ye say) clap their hands and wag their heads, and say is this a Church that men call an assembly of Zion? And are these your gathered Churches, about which there hath been so much contending? Truly the very heathen amongst you may easily discern you, as far from an assembly of Zion as is betwixt Zion and Aegypt. And how much more seen and known are ye by the Children of Light, who never can believe your self se­paration to be the way of God, nor the Separated Congregations (as ye call them) the Churches of Christ, but the harlot, whilest they are only in the outward Separation, & not separated within the pre­cious from the vile, and from that which makes a separation be­tween God and them, living in pride and high mindednesse, recei­ving and embracing untruth, and rejecting and not closing with truth, but give head to lying spirits, to which with the rest of the World, the heathen who know not God ye are subject. Ye seem offended that I stile you the mingled people and call you the Independent Baptized, &c. To which I say, I stiled you as ye were, and if ye count it a reproach to be termed so, is it not a greater reproach to be so? But is it not manifest you can be in covenant with that which is truly a reproach to any people? But it is as death to have it published, which is the harlots property who sports and pleas­eth her self in her evil wates, but shames to have it known. Ye seem to bewail my condition, and labour to perswad the Reader, that I spake reproachfully of some blessed institution of Christ, which he in his own person practised, when he was about thirty years of age, and left as a standing ordinance of the new Testament to all generations, till his comming a­gain.

Reply. By it I suppose ye mean a commanded or an appointed thing, and then I take your meaning to be, that your outward wash­ings, in rivers of waters, which ye call Baptism, is a blessed appoint­ment of Christ, practised by himself? and left a standing Ordinance of his, and of the new testament to all generations, till his com­ing again, To which I reply, Baptism with water was Johns Ministry [Page 11]who came to prepare the way of the Lord, and said he shall Baptize you with the holy Ghost, I come baptizing with water, and how then doth it appear that it is a blessed command of Christ, and left by him as a standing ordinance of the New Testament, to all Gene­rations; it is true. Christ was Baptized of John, and so it became them to fulfiill all righteousnesse. I say to fulfill it, and did he by that leave it a standing ordinance of the New Testament to all Generations? &c. Christ was circumcised, and fulfilled the Law, and did he by that appoint and ordain Circumcision, & the Law of Moses to be a standing Ordinance of the New Testament to all generations? And Paul who was a Minister of the new Testament made after the death of the Testator when the new Testament was in force, said, Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, &c.

But ye do alwaies e [...]re not knowing the Scripture, nor the power of God.

But friends, in the four and twentieth page, it is said, it was signed in the name and by the consent and appointment of the whole Church, by Robert Purnel, Thomas Ewine, Robert Simpson, Richard Moon, John Andrews, and Bryant Hanson. Now if they signed it not by the consent and appointment of the whole company, then have they recorded themselves a company of liars, who say and publish that which never was. But if they did it by the appointment and consent of the whole, [...]hen are many, if not the greatest part of your compa­ny recorded to all Generations a company of hypocrites and de­ceitful workers, of rebellious and disobedient Children, who (know­ing the institutions (as ye cal it) of Christ, which ye say is bles'd, which he practised and left as a standing Ordinance of the New Testament to all Generations) do neglect and disobey it, and are out of the practise thereof, To which give ear O earth, and hear O heaven and be ye astonished, what a people; professing themselves the Church of Christ, boasting of their abilities in giving account of their faith, and of walking up to the commandments of Christ, in obedience and con­science, and yet be found so rebellious and stiff necked, neglecting and disobeying that which themselves have published to be the in­stitutions of Christ; Yea those institutions which are blessed, which he in his own person practiced, and left as a standing ordinance of the New Testament to all Generations, &c. Know ye not that rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft, and to hearken is more acceptable than sacrifice? and if he that knowes not his Masters will is worthy of stripes, what will your portion be, who profess ye know it, and can admonish o­thers for neglecting it, and yet your selves be found in the utter dis­obedience? I know in this, ye will need a vail, but it will never hide nor cover your shame. And for me to tell such a people, they are not a Church of Christ, but a harlot, a Synagogue of Satan, &c. is not to blaspheme God, and his Tabernacle, of both which ye are ignorant, and in your blindness worship ye know not what; neither is it a writing contemptuously, as ye say, against any who in consci­ence [Page 12]are obedient to Christ, but it is for your advantage and profit, if to it ye give ear. And for the accompt ye can give of your faith, of which ye boast, I say, that where true faith is, it purifies the heart from lying hipocrisie and deceit, and is a mistery held in a pure con­science.

And Thomas Ewine acknowledgeth in the 52, 53, 54, pages, he doth very much question (as I know he hath cause) whether ever himself, or many of you have received the spirit, to establish and confirm, or to open and reveal the misteries of the Kingdom, or to beautifie, and adorn you with gifts and grace, to purge, purifie, cleanse, and sancti­fie, and make you holy, or to fill you with the spirit of faith and prayer, and when all this is wanting amongst you, ye are sure in a very bad condition, such as the Church of Christ under the new Testament was never in, and so might forbear boasting, either of your faith or obedience, till another spirit from the Lord is powred upon you: And ye might forbear so much washing the outside of your vessel in rivers and brooks, tel your infide comes to be cleansed, sanctified and made holy.

In your fifth page ye seem again displeased, that I call you a mingled people, &c. and say if some with me had been faithful to their light, and practized baptism, they might he mingled too, and that but one of those that haue practised that Ordinance (as ye call it) with you are fallen a­way.

Reply. It seemeth then, ye acknowledge there is a light which convinceth, to which people ought to be faithful, how dare ye then to reproach and speak evil of it, and are not obedient, when by it your evil deeds are reproved. And if it be the light as ye grant it is that convinceth of the need of your water Baptism, how comes it to pass, ye were once so near casting out of Hannah Taylor (as afore­said) for embracing it; and what great glory is it, that but one of your Baptists are convinced of truth, and turned from darkness to the light? &c. Know ye not that Christ Jesus the light of the world said, Publicans and harlots shall enter into the Kingdom before the Hypo­crites? And what advantage was it to the priests and their genera­tions, when Christ came a light into the world, that but few of them believed in the truth, and were obedient to that which the world with themselves opposed, and said it was the Devil? But if ye were able truly to manifest that but few of your company were proud, co­covetous envious, back-biters, oppressors, extortioners, unjust deal­ers, &c. living in the customes and manner of other Heathens, but by the power of God were turned from it, this had been something, and so had not ye been mingled, as now ye are.

Ye say, Hath not Christ called and owned you his Church, and that I can testify ye were at first rightly constituted, and have profest that Christ hath manifested his presence amongst you? &c.

To which I say. That ever Christ called such a surfeited bodie as yours a Church of his, is denyed, and testimonie is born against [Page 13]it. But that his presence was amongst you, and manifested to many, who by the power of it are drawn and separated from amongst you is granted, though ye have neither known nor received him, but cast him off, and were not obedient, but have rebelled and vexed his spirit, so that by the weapons of his power is he fighting against you, with whom it is but the beginning of sorrowes, and if ye turn not, he is whetting his glittering sword, and his hand takes hold of vengeance, &c. And if, as ye say, ye were at first rightly constitu­ted, then are ye your selves (not I nor others with me) Apostates and backslidden from that in which at first ye were gathered: For then ye did disown those called Anabaptists and their practices, in which ye were so zealous, that ye did often admonish and reprove, and were near the casting out Hanna Taylor (as I have said) now cal­led Hanna Packer, because she owned it; But now ye do own the Anabaptists and their practices, and ye your selves become Practi­zers thereof, as ye confesse, and do admonish and reprove others, who in conscience and obedience to the light of Christ, cannot con­form to your customes and traditions, but by his power reproves them, standing in that, by which at first they were convinced, and gathered out of the world, and all its pollutions, so far as to them it was made manifest. And therefore all your feigned words of back­sliding and back-sliders Apostatizing, and Apostates both in your title page, and other places in your book, is clearlie turned upon your selves, who are the Apostates and back-sliders of which ye speak, and to whom belong all the reproofes and admonitions ye pretend to others who are obedient to the light, by which the de­ceipt of your will-worships and inventions is made manifest and de­nied, as was that of Parishes and other assemblies before: And as for the Churches of Galatia and Asia; Alas! what have ye to do with them in whose life ye are not, and are shut and cast out, an [...] [...] the cursed ground, where the briars and thornes grow, and the beasts of prey feed, and with the persecutors of the life of God, which they witnessed, are ye joyned against the truth, and proudly have ye laboured to trample upon, and cast it to the ground, but all in vain, for over your heads it is exalted, and life and immortality is brought to light, and reigns for ever more.

Ye say, Those who were stiled a synagogue of Satan, were a company of proud boasters, that said they were Jewes and Apostles and were not, but did lye;

I answer, just so are ye, who boast your selves the Church of Christ, but are not, and his commands to observe, but do not; and so are lyers in the light which is true, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world, are ye tried and found so; and therefore are no Church of Christ, but a synagogue of Satan, where the owles the Bats, and venemous beasts inhabit, in which crueltie and per­secution dwels.

Ye tell how ye have tried some; as the Church of Ephesus did, and [Page 14]found them who boast of persecution, to be lyers, and their books and doctrine to be contrarie to the glorious Gospel of grace, &c.

To which I say, The condition of the Church of Ephesus ye know not, who were quickened, raised, and set with Christ in heavenlie places, not dead in trespasses and sins as ye are, They walked not in the vanitie of their minds, like other Gentiles according to the course of the world, serving lusts and pleasures, as ye do; but from it were gathered to the light, in which they were made able to judge and try both persons and doctrine, because it is the light which makes manifest the hidden things of darkness, &c. But ye who hate the light, and like the owles of the desart, love to be in darkness, not in light, and therefore cover your selves with a veil, that with open face ye may not see the glorie of the Lord, ye are not able to judge or try as they did, and therefore in your darkened minds call light darkness, and darkness light, rejecting the corner stone, who is the head of the Church, speaking reproachfully of perfection, and those that attain it, when Christ commanded his to be perfect, as their heavenly father was perfect, and his Ministers pressed to the attainement of it.

Ye say, Was it ever heard that a man, either Prophet, Apostel, or any that f [...]ared God, and expected to give an accompt of his words and acti­ons, did assume that boldness, as thus to judge a people professing godliness, because I said, ye were found a synagogue of Satan? &c.

To which I say, what I said in that particular stands unanswered by you, onely ye would deceitfullie veil it over, to evade the matter in hand, and in stead of answering what I said, propound so pitiful a question, was it ever heard, &c.? To which I say, was there ever a people so blind, as to take to themselves the name of a Church, and for so long time profess the Scripture, and some of them gain so many hundred pounds for trading with them, as some of you have done, and novv to say, Was it ever heard, that any man, Prophet, A­postel or any that feared God, was so bold, as thus to judge a people profes­sing godliness, as if ye had never read the Scripture; Were not Isaiah and Jeremiah Prophets, who cryed against the Jewes a people pro­fessing godlines, and said, Ah sinful Nation, a seed of evil doers, chil­dren that are corrupters, that have forsaken the Lord, provoked the holy one of Israel, &c. Hear the word of the Lord, ye Rulers of Sodom, give [...]are to the Law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha, Hell hath enlarged her self, and opened her mouth, without measure [...], and their glorie and pomp shall descend into it. How is the faithful City become an Harlot, and with thy whordoms, the land is polluted, &c. Was not John the greatest of Prophets, who said to a professing people, O generation of Vipers, &c. And did not Stephen. a man full of the holy Ghost, say, ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do alwayes re­sist the holy Ghost, &c.? And did not Christ Jesus, the light of the world, say, O generation of Vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell? And to the chiefest professours, ye are of your father the Devil, [Page 15]&c. And did not Babylon, the mother of Harlots from whence ye proceeded, professe godliness, and so bewitched the Nations with her sorcerie? &c. whom John saw, and said, she is become the habita­tion of Devils, and the h [...]d of unclean spirits, and a cage of hateful birds, where ye may read yourselves, and your condition at this day, who are indeed fallen, and become the habitation of Devils, and foul Spirits, and unclean and hateful birds, and cruel devouring beasts inhabit your hold, who live upon the prey and spoil of that which falls into their net, of which sort I perceive your cage is much filled since my departure, which happily occasions you to boast and tell the world your number of 60 persons, which are not now mingled as it was, &c. But if I should manifest what I know, of some of your washt (but yet filthy) members ( [...] I forbear) many might wonder, that ever such a people should accompt themselves the Church of Christ. And whereas ye bespeak my condition sad for judging and condemning (as ye say) near 60 persons, &c. whose way, spirit and principles I am well acquainted with: And know ye are without, and not in the life, as I often told you, whiles I was amongst you. How sad must your condition be, who reproach, revile, belye, judge, and condemn the generation of Gods children, who are many thousands, whose way, principle and spirit ye cannot know nor comprehend, but speak evil of that ye know not, calling them mi­serable deluded people, wandering in the dark and blind pathes of deceipt and delusion, towards death and destruction, but cannot truly demonstrate any thing, in which the deceipt and delusion lyeth, but belie the light which is their glorie. But ye accompt it strange, that we run not with you to the excesse of [...]iot, and there­fore speak evil of us, for which ye must give an account.

Ye say, ye shall easily grant that my fellowship with you in the things of God, was but outward; for had it been inward, and spiritual, I would have continued in it, but as it is written, 1 Joh. 2.19. they went out from us, because they were not of us, &c.

Repl. What fellowship I had with you, must needs be in that in which your fellowship stood, which is outward things, beyond which ye cannot see, being covered with a vail, and not able to see to the end of what is abolished, and so are shut out of that condition and fellowship, of which John there speaks, And was as truly ap­plied formerlie to you by the Parish Masters and their Companies as it is now to me by you. But I shall freelie grant that I went both from the Parish Priests and also from you, because I was not of you, and that had I been of you, I had continued, &c. But God ha­ving prepared better things for me, than that which is abolished, and waxeth old, and is now perishing, and in love manifested his Son, and by his powerful arm gathered me unto it from amonst you all, I was not disobedient, but by him am made freelie willing in my measure, to renounce and forsake my share in Aegypt and Babylon, and all that is on this side the promised land, that in it, with John, [Page 16]and those to whom he writ, and all that are faithful to the light, I may, have fellowship, and know him that was from the beginning before the Scriptures were given [...]or [...]h. For John, and those to whom be writ had fellowship in the light, and so that vvhich they had heard and seen and handled, that they declared, and that vvhich they declared, was that God is light, and those that vvalk in the light as he is in the light have fellovvship, &c. And they that vvalk in darkness, and say they have fellovvship vvith God, are lyers, He that keepeth [...]is vvord, in him is the love of God perfe­cted, The annointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things, and is true, and is no lye, &c. He that committeth sin is of the Devil, and the Son of God vvas made manifest, to de­stroye the vvorks of the Devil, and whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and i [...] this the children of God are manifest, and the Children of the Devil, This vvas their condition, and the doctrine vvhich they preached, vvho had an unction from the holy One, and knevv all things, from and out of vvhich the Antichrist vvent into the vvorld, because they vvere not of them; for had they been of them, they vvould have conti­nued vvith them. But novv vvhat is this to you, vvho knovv not that vvhich vvas from the beginning? And so are declaring that vvhich others have heard and seen, but never heard, savv, nor felt it your selves, vvho vvalk in darkness and knovv not God but hate the light, condemning that in vvhich their fellovvship stood, that cry dovvn the annointing, and true Teacher vvithin, opposing those that declare that by committing sin the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil pleading for the kingdom of the Devil, vvhiles ye are here, and declaring that your mysti­cal bodie may be subject to distempers, and vvindie humours of pride, headines, high mindedness, and giving heed to lying Spi­rits. I say, vvhat is this to you, vvho are as far from the condition of vvhich John vvrites, as the East is from the West, manifesting your enmitie thereunto. And might not the Pharisees, vvhose righteousness exceeds yours more fitly applie those vvords to Paul, to John, and all that turned to the light, and by it gathered from amongst them, testifying against them, that their vvork are evil, Or might not the Parish Masters, as rightly applie it against you, and say you went out from them, because ye were not of them, as ye do it to me? But in this also, your covering is too short, and your shame appears.

And vvhereas ye tell me of spreading before the Lord, ta [...]nts, scorns, false accusations, &c. of vvhich ye say my Pamphlet is full; but name none, I shall not [...] need take notice of it, farther than to tell you, it is a lye framed by you, to cover your shame, and that taunts, scor­nings, and false accusations, are denied by all the children of light, vvho by the annointing vvithin, vvhich leads into all truth, are [Page 17]taught and guided, and it is to be found vvithout, vvhere the God of the vvorld rules, and the unclean and cruel beasts inhabit, and are distempers of your mystical bodie.

In page 8. Ye seem to tell me of some absurdities in my proceeding, beg­ging the question, and drawing inferences, &c. Which also is but your refuge of lyes, &c. But ye say, I stile you a Synagogue of Satan, and then heap up threat [...]nings against you as such.

Repl. I truly stiled you a synagogue of Satan, and proved you so, by vvhat lodged in and amongst you, vvhich vvas by your ovvn messengers acknovvledg [...]d, as in my former bo [...]k I declared, and from which ye have not vindicated your selves, but over your heads it stands and the judgement thereof ye cannot escape; except ye repent. But to your refuge of lyes ye again betake your selves, saying I do like the persecutors of old, who first wrapt the Saints in skins of beasts, and then set dogs upon them, to [...]ear them.

Repl. This is your own case, and the work in which ye have been employed by your Master some yeares past, as well as in your present book, in which ye speak of wretched Quakers (a title of re­proach) used by you, and others of Ishmaels seed, at which the dogs of Aegypt open their months, and would rend and [...]ear, if not by the power of the Lord restrained, and with a sheeps skin have I not covered you, but a [...] laying open and manifesting your wolvish nature, though ye would cover your selves with sheeps clothing as with a veil. And why should I set dogs and persecutors upon you, who are of the same nature and Spirit with them, And the world loves its own, And because ye are of the world, and speak of the world, the world hears you, and in it you glorie.

And whereas ye tell me of heaping up Scriptures against you, which concern you not: and how like it is to Ra [...]shak [...]h. &c. I say it is your own, it is your portion, from it ye cannot flie, nor have ye at all acquitted your selves, but over your heads it stands, and your vail covers not your shame, who by the King of Babylon, are emplo­yed to reproach and revile the servant of the Lord, whom he hath redeemed, out of kinreds, tongues and people, and through the rege­neration brought, following himself who judgeth the false Prophets and deceivers who are seen and witnessed against tho­roughout the Nations, wher [...] the voice of Gods thunders is heard, and the well- [...]avoured Harlot is discovered, upon whose neck do I trample, who shall never the Church of Christ be found, In which I am not mistaken, but from his presence, your sentence is come forth, to whom ye say, ye will make your application as Da­vid did.

And whereas ye speak so much af applying pr [...]mises, to those to whom they belong not, &c. It is your own case, who being proved an Har­lot, and have not proved your s [...]lves a Church, would have that applied to you by others, and do apply i [...] to your selves, which be­longs to the Church, and that which is the Harlots portion, and [Page 18]Proper to you, ye love not to hear nor receive.

In your 9. page, ye pretend three reasons, why my defence, which ye call my letter, could not be received, and read amongst you, &c. But whether it were indeed reasons why ye read it not, or else a feigned pretence, and lying shift since found out to veil your deceipt, that of God in your own Consciences will bear testimonie, for ye say, your first reason was, because it was not directed to the Church, but as it were in a deriding manner, to the people called Independents. Which is an absolute lye, for it had no such direction at all upon it, but, For the hands of Robert Sympson and Robert Purnel, &c. And how then could that be a reason why it was not read? Besides, If it had been directed To the people called independants, was not that a so­ber direction? Was i [...] like deriding, except ye begin to be ashamed of that by which which ye have been called, and which your selves have owned? But he that taught and devised for you that lie, hath taught you many more in your book, which in its season, may be manifested▪ Secondly, ye say, I refused to hear your messengers, and therefore ye had no warrant to receive or hear my letter; Which is another absolute lie, for I heard them out patiently, what they had to say, and afterwards replied; and the [...] themselves acknow­ledged, some of them staid near an hour, and sc [...]lded, &c. And so far was I from refusing to hear vvhat they said, that after they had spoken, I, not being able to remember the particulars, desired to have it in writing, that I might consider it, and return an answer, which accordingly was done, which answer ye recei­ved not, and have published this lie to the world as the reason of it.

Ye say, some of you understood, it was my main designe, to draw away some more to me, &c. which ye give as your third reason. To which I reply, Who were those some that understood what my designe was in that letter, which ye never read, nor opened, nor saw what was in it, till after I published it; Is there any diviner among you, who by the Spirit of divination, can tell what was contained in that which he neither saw nor read? or is it another lie, devised since my defence was published, and pretended to be a reason why ye read it not, above 12. moneths before? or else is it Robert Simp­sen and Robert Purnel, to whom I read it before I sealed it, that is the some among you, that give those reasons? If it be the latter, then let all the world take notice of their falsehood and deceipt, in whose hearing I read vvhat I had vvritten, and afterwards deman­ded their freedom to communicate it to you, &c. Who replied, they were free and saw no reason why it should not be publickly read, and therefore promised to do it, &c. And that after all this they should to you pretend reasons why it should not be read, were strange hy­pocrisie, and wicked deceipt. But however it is evident ye have been giving heed to some lying spirit, in some of your members, by whom ye are led, which have thus distempered your humorous bo­die, [Page 19]and caused you thus to erre from the right way, for which truely, my Soul pitieth you, and sorely do I mourn over you.

As for what ye tell me of jearing at your weakness, and feebleness, fasting dayes and prayers, &c. and in page 23 of scoffing, scorning, and deriding, in which ye say, I outstrip all others, it returns upon your ovvn head, who stand guiltie enough of such things But vvhat I writ in that particular, I writ in words of soberness, and not [...]ing­ly, as the sober Reader may perceive, and Tho. Ewins. confesseth pag. 62. I writ more seriously, and did not jeer.

In pag 10. ye fall a commending your brother Simpson (as ye call him) for his humilitie integritie and godliness, To which I migh [...] re­ply in the words ye mention, pag 18. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, a stranger, and not thine own tips, because Rob. Simpson signes this his own commendations. But ye say, in the margin, it was inserted by some of you, without his knowledge. To which I reply, Did he then sign that vvhich he did not know? If so, then let all that read consider, vvhat credit may be given to that vvhich is published, and comes forth under your names, vvho sign and publish ye knovv not vvhat. But if Rob. Simpson did know vvhat he put his hand unto, but was ashamed to ovvn his ovvn commen­dations, &c. then are ye, that are offended, that I ovvned you not a Church, taken with another lie in your mouth, saying, some of you inserted it without his knowledge, when he did knovv it. But if ye think to hide your selves, by saying he might not knovv it when ye inserted it, though before he put his hand to it, he might know it: Then I demand, Is not here that equivocation, evasion and mental reservation found upon your selves, which ye would cast upon me, because I said I owned Baptism and the Lords Supper, vvhich was and is true, and dearlie do I love it, and long to be more a par­taker therein: And all your traditions and beggerly elements in which ye deceive your selves, I deny, and against both it and you do I bear testimonie.

And as for those many reproachful, contemptible, reviling ex­pressions, ye scatter here and there in your book, calling me foolish, deluded man, &c. Comparing me with Rabshekah, Judas, Ralph Far­mer, &c. I say its not much to me, to be numbred by you, amongst transgressors, and the worst of men, who am so much desirous, and by any means pressing to know and witness, him which made himself of no reputation, but was obedient, even him who is the light of the world, and the life of men, who was a man of sorrowes, and acquainted with griefes, and hid not his face from shame, &c. Who was never known to the wisedom of the world, but by it, in those that profest the Scriptures, vvas reproched, reviled, persecuted and murthered, and the servant must not be above his Lord: And therefore from those vvho are of the World, and speak of the World, and the World heareth, do I not expect better usage. And wo were me, if all men [Page 20]spake well of me. But over it all do I rejoyce, and in it do I glorie knowing that even in your own Consciences, a witness I have, that vindicates me, and condemns you: To which it were well, if ye took heed, before it be too late.

Ye say, ye will not d [...]p [...]e your power, but resolve to do your duty, &c. By which, I suppose, ye mean, some immitation, or invention, which to your selves ye fancie of separating some from amongst you, and the power ye have to do it, ye will not dispute, &c. And so something ye will do, and e [...]i [...]e God to it, to whom ye say, to do it and your power ye will not dispute. And is not this the Harlots voice? Is not here the self same spirit appearing which was and is in the Parishes, and their Priests, the Pope, the Bi­shops and all that adulterous generation against which you did once bear some testimonie, who when any saw the pollutions, corrup­tion: and defilements that were in their waies and worships, and se­parated from it, would be offended, and sometimes excommunicate them (as they called it) and their power they would not dispute, which is the practice of the Harlot; for the Churches of Christ wit­nessed the power of God, and disputed with small and great, &c. But ye say ye are a Church, though ye never proved it, nor will dispute your power, but are proved an Harlot. But I must tell you ye must prove your selves a Church of Christ by other manner of Ar­guments and Demonstrations of power then your meer saying it i [...] so, or else no child of Light, who walks in the Light, and by it is gui­ded, can believe it whiles your fruits manifest the contrarie. And what if ye (that the Scripture may be fulfilled) do hate, reproach, and separate me from your Companie, and cast out my name as e­vil, for the Son of mans sake, who is the light of the World, and hath enlightened every man that cometh into the World? Is not this a blessing to me, and am I not in that day, to rejoyce, and leap for joy, my reward being great in Heaven? Your fathers in like manner dealing with the Prophets, Luke 6. And truly ye may spare your labour, and save your threat'nings, for your powerless pretences, are to me as light as vanitie, and not worth the men­tioning, And by the powerful arm of the good shepheard, whose voice is heard, am I eternally separated, and gathered from amongst your ignorant and crooked waies, never to return to Egypt again, nor have fellowship with you in your unfruitful works, which by the light are reproved.

Ye confess it is a sad sentence and spotted garment with which ye are cloathed, and say ye durst not proudly boast, as do others, and presently justi­fie your selves, and boast that ye never observed so much of the evi [...]s before mentioned, in those now together as ye have seen in me, and some of those that went away, &c.

To which I say, are ye not then w [...]ful hypocrites, to profess your selves, a Church of Christ and to walk according to his rule and boast of your faith and obedience, and yet acknowledge ye saw, pride [Page 21]hipocresie, slandering, envie, back-biting, railing, lying, &c. which [...] the evils there mentioned to break forth more in us, then it did in any of you, which truly is too too much, and never reprove it, nor manifest dislike thereof, tell now, that we are absolutely by the power of the Lord separated from amongst you, and have born wit­ness, that your works and waies are evil, and now ye tell the word those things, which are but your lying accusations, else why had ye not put them into your pretended admonitions? It is like ye are hard put to it, that to vail your selves, ye must so commonly betake your selves to those refuges of lies. And how can one believe a word ye speak, who will seem to speak so solemnly, and profess (as ye say) ingenuously, things so absolutely false, and untrue, that by it, ye may be vailed, &c. Truly ye want a bridle for your tongues; and the pure fear of the Lord placed in your hearts, which might prevent these distempers, windie humours, and Lying spirits, &c.

In page twelve ye come to the five things in your admonition, a coppy of which [...], having by you, therein ye insert verbatim, and yet in numbring ye forget one, and make but four. In page twenty four ye say, ye doubt not of the faithfulness of your Messengers, and in page ten do commend Robert Simpson (who was one of them) for his integrity and godliness, and in page thirty four Robert Simpson saith, he did engage himself, to write out a coppy of what ye did by them charge as sin upon me, which he did truly, and deliver to me; so then, since ye say, ye insert it verbatim ac­cording to the copy, and he saith, he writ out and delivered to me a true coppy, If what ye published, and what he writ out and de­livered, agree not in every particular, then is he or you, or all toge­ther proved not the Church of Christ, the pillar and ground of truth, but an Harlot, and a company of Hypocritical lyers, and false asser­ters. But what ye have published, and what he writ out and deli­vered, do not agree in many particulars, Therefore are ye no Church of Christ, but an Harlot.

For, besides some small difference in the first particular, which I shall not mention, Robert Simpson saith, Secondly your contemning and neglecting some of the Ordinances of Christ, and this he saith is a true copie, &c. and ye say, Secondly your contemning of some and neglecting of others of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ and this ye say (if ye could be believed) is verbatim, &c. And yet how much it differs, let the Reader judge, one saith, your neglecting of some and contemning of others &c. which is much different, the one saith of Christ the other adds sayings of Jesus Christ. But how comes this to pass, that one saith, it is a true copy and the other, that they insert it verbatim and yet no better agreement. The Reader may understand that after I had answered Robert Simpsons copie, in my former book, and manifested, and laid open the deceit, and Hypocrisie of this people, and reproved them faithfullie and sharplie, for pretending to admonish me for that, of which themselves are guilty they betake [Page 22]themselves to the refuge of lies to be vailed, publishing to the world another thing, and say its verbatim, And that they sent not to admo­nish me for neglect of water baptism, but for speaking contemp­tuously against it, and that I spake falsely and did them wrong in calling them hypocrites, &c. for charging me with neglect of water baptism, which they say, they did not, but onely for contemning of it, when under the hand of their messen­ger it appears, as before, that they sent to admonish me for neglect and and contemt of some of the Ordinances of Christ, which said their Messen­gers, were baptism in water and breaking of bread; so that it appears evidently to be a plain, and studied untruth, and feigned thing, and not verbatim according to the coppy; and yet so impudent and void of the fear of God are they that they dare say they shall leave it to the God of Ordinances to judge, &c. O horrible falshood and deceit! Oh impudent and hard-harted people, not onely to speak and publish lies under your own hands, one contradicting the other, but to entitle the Righteous God to judge, &c. Thereby thinking to vail themselves and hide their shame, but all in vain, for the Lord is de­stroying the vail and the covering cast over all faces, &c. And ye are seen and comprehended, who may read, that he that speaketh lies cannot escape, and that the lying lips and double tongue cannot stand in the pre­sence of God. And how dare ye then contrive and publish such filthie faise things, and leave it to God to judge? Do ye think he is altoge­ther such a one as your selves, &c? or is the scripture fulfilled upon you, and there be none amongst you that understand it, &c. but are all gone out of the way, the throat being an open Sepulchre, and their tongues using deceit, destruction and miserie being in your waies, who the way of [...]ace have never known, and no fear of God is before your eyes: And to you may I return your own words, that I stand almost amazed to think unto what an height of impudence and wickedness ye are allreadie come, and whe­ther may not poor fallen creatures run (if God stop them not) since ye ar [...] [...]eady so hardened.

[...] Simson saith, Thirdly your extream censoriousnesse and rash judg­i [...] [...]nely of men abroad but also of the Church. Mat. 7.1. Rom. 14. [...] the Church of Christ an Harlot. And ye say, Thirdly your extream [...]tiousnesse and rash judging not onely of persons abroad, but also of the [...]urch, contrary to Mat. 7.1. Rom 14.3, also your calling the Church an Harlot, leaving out the word (Christ) in which the strength of all did lie. But why were these words left out, being ye say ye inser­ted them verbatim? the Reader may take notice that after I had re­ceived the copy from Robert Simson, of what ye had charged upon me, viz. rash judging and calling the Church of Christ an Harlot I re­plied the charge was false and from the father of lies, for I never cal­led the Church of Christ an Harlot, but do own it dearly; but the Harlot is an Harlot and not the Church of Christ, and so demonstra­ted by the spirit that acted you, that ye were not the Church of Christ, but an Harlot, from which ye not being able to vindicate your selves [Page 23]betake yourselves again to this refuge of lies, and say ye insert the charge verbatim, when ye did it not but left out the main thing there­in, contained, without which your charge hath little weight, for though I never called the Church of Christ an Harlot, yet I have both said and proved that ye who call your selves a Church, are an Harlot and not the Church of Christ, and do again plainly say, and declare it so, and might farther prove it were it needful, which it is not, since my former proof stands good, and not controlled by you, nor you giving proof that ye are a Church of Christ And I do once more say, and affirm, that your charge is false, and from the father of lies who was a liar from the beginning. And your labour might be saved in using arguments to prove that I said ye were an Harlot, and not a Church, I had so plainly published it. But here ye would perswade the Reader I came in with mental reservations, and ask, is it honestie, or any thing but deceit and hypocrisie, because I said I did not call the Church of Christ an harlot but the people in Bristol? &c.

To which I say were ye not quite blind and full of deceit and sub­tiltie, ye might easilie see and know, that I spake plainly and truly, without your mentals, and other carnal stuff, when I said, and ma­nifested, that I dearly owned the Church of Christ, which were all living stones, &c. and did clearly bear testimony against you that ye were not so, but an Harlot, and herein I appear both just and honest towards the Church of Christ, and towards the Harlot in hearing testimony to the former and against the latter, in which no deceit nor subtilty appears, but just dealing; and all your equivocations and mental reservations (as ye call them) together with your shame­lesse unchristian-like practises (in which ye appear one with the black spirit of Ralph Farmer) is denied, together with all lies and the father thereof; but the Church of Christ is lovely, &c.

Robert Simpson saith, Fourthly your asserting in the Church principles contrary to Truth: as first, That faith is an eternal thing. Secondly, That Christ and saith is all one. Thirdly. That Christ Jesus is not the object of faith. And ye say, Fourthly, Your asserting in the Churches doctrines contrary to truth; as first, that we did not know what faith was, and that faith was an eternal thing. Secondly, That Christ and Faith is all one. Thirdly, That Christ is not the object of faith. Fourthly, Your speaking reproachfully of the blessed scripture, affirming they were blind, and a pla [...] to souls, and further saying that they were not the word of God nor the rule of life: and this ye say is verbatim, and therefore must be examined. And first, I find that the copy saith principles contrary to truth, and ye say, doctrines contrary to truth, and that's not verbatim. But I take notice that I having given true answers to each particular aforesaid: contained in the copie, and published it in The skirts of the Whore, &c. which stands in sound and wholsome words unanswered by you, by which your shame appears, of which being sensible, ye labour to re­cover your vail to hide your falshood, and having given heed to ly­ing spirits, ye again betake your selves to your wonted refuge, and [Page 24]say, having the copie by you, ye publish it verbatim, And say, First, That we did not know what faith was, every word of which is forged and feigned, and not in the copie delivered to me, and there­fore well might ye say, whether may not a poor fallen people run, if God stop them not. And it is no wonder ye began your book, plea­ding for the kingdom of the Devil, saying that, as in the natural body there may be many infirmities, so the mystical body (by which its like; ye mean your selves, who are not a spiritual bodie as the Church of Christ is) may be subject to distempers, and among many other things, make mention of windy humors of pride and high mindedness and giving heed to lying spirits, &c. Its like ye had some sence what spirit ruled you, to which ye intended to give heed, and with what filth and falshood ye intended to fill your book; and the lying refuge, to which ye intended to betake your selves, before ye drew such false conclusions in the beginning thereof. But this is not all in the co­pie delivered to me, in this fourth branch were inserted but three particulars, which are before mentioned, to which ye adde a fourth, viz. your sp [...]aking reproachfully of the blessed scriptures, affirming they were blind, and a plague to souls, and farther saying, they were not the word of God and ru'e of life, and this ye say is verbatim, notwith­standing, that which here ye make as a fourth particular in the fourth general, is in the copie a fifth general including three Particulars, and so do your selves afterwards reckon it, notwith­standing (in the wisdom of God) ye are lest to ensnare your selves and manifest it to all the world, saying it is verbatim when ye have left one of your five things mentioned, but the line next before.

Its like the pangs of a traveling woman are upon you, who have so long cryed peace and safety to your selves that the sword of the Lord is upon you, and your eyes utterly darkened, that ye cannot see: But the blind have so long led the blind, that ye are all fallen into the ditch, and under pretence of recovering a veil, have manifested your shame, and published things which ye endevoured to perswade the world to believe is true and verbatim, according to the copie which in three or four pages, your selves contradict, manifesting your falshood, at which so many of you, as are not given up to hardness of heart, may be ashamed and blush, for if such things had been pub­published by a diviner, or a particular person amongst you, that had been to your shame, but for a whole company of sixty persons (who call themselves a Church) to agree in such works of darkness and wickedness, and no one amongst you free, is such a thing, as hath hardly been heard before in our daies, &c. And notwithstanding my former answers, to the three particulars mentioned in the copie stands good, and not toucht by you, yet I find you deceit­fully nibbling at the heele, and going on falsely to ac­cuse, saying I asserted that as Christ was the great light of the world, so [Page 25]he was the great faith of the world, none of which was in the copie, nor I suppose spoken by me, but is another lie inven­ted among you, because I then knew him not the light of the World that lighteth every one that commeth into the World, while a­mong the diviners, and sorcerers I stood, by whom the light is denied, And I could not say, he was the great faith of the World, because both to you, and the rest of the world, who are of the world, and speak of the world, and believe not in the light, both Christ and faith is a Mistery hid and unknown, and is none of theirs who in their imaginations talk of objects, &c. and deny the light, and know not the onely foundation but by sorcerie, and wicked art would di­vide that which God hath joyned: And so ye go on telling many words spoken by one and the other, which truly I take to be but so many lies invented, to serve you as a vail, for if your memories are so short, and your wits so confounded, that ye are not able, or wil­ling to draw sixteen or twenty lines out of a copie, which (ye say) is by you, without so much falshood, and untruth, as is before men­tioned: how can a man believe, ye are able and willing to remember and truly publish without forgery and falsehood, so many words and passages, which so many years past were spoken (as ye say) in seve­ral meetings. And whereas in my answer to what ye say touching faith being an eternal thing, ye say I alleadge, 1 Tim. 1.9. and tell me I shew my weakness in abusing the words and sence of the Apostle, this is another lie, as the Reader may perceive who reads my book, for I said, faith is a mistery held in a pure conscience, and unknown to all ignorant and vulturous eyes, as well as to yours, &c. And asked whether that faith, by which the Saints are justified, by which they overcame the world, saw him which is invisible, by which their hearts are purified, by which Enoch was translated, that he saw not death and is the substance of things hoped for, &c. be eternal or carnal, &c. In stead of answering which ye publish a down-right lie, and say I a [...]leadged such a scripture, and abused the words and sence of the Apostle which I did not as the Reader may see; so that although those who are given over to believe lies, may happilie embrace what ye say, yet none (whose eyes are truly opened by him that is given a light to the Gentiles) is like to believe what ye say, though ye together joyn, to frame and to publish so false an accusation, which is so visible, that all that read both our books may perceive it, and it had been well, if ye had taken my former advice, and been silent, till by the true light ye had been guided and known how to speak truth, for though hand joyn in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished, nor he that spea­keth lies escape. But as I said the sool will be medling, &c.

In your sixteenth page, ye labour to cover your selves the best ye are able, that all beholders may not see your shame, by what is char­ged upon you in The skirts of the Whore, where it is demanded why ye had not questioned me for these things sooner, and whiles I was amongst you? And why ye would suffer principles contrary to truth to pass without rebuke, [Page 26]&c. To which ye reply that I was presently opposed though for a solemn dealing, ye did it not till I had left the Church, which ye say perhap [...] was your sin: But considering the state of the Church ye knew not how to set about it, though some saw ground enough to do it, &c. To which I re­plie, O woful Church in a woful sad state and condition indeed which is worthy thy serious consideration, who with thine own pen, hast confest and published to the world, that thou knewest thy duty and sa [...]est ground enough to do it, but knewest not how to set about it.

Art not thou worthy to be beaten, with many stripes? Oh wick­ed and sloathful servant whose judgement is come; and into dark­ness art cast, and so no marvel that some amongst you, did oppose some manifestations of truth, whiles I was amongst you, of which you speak; for I know some son of Baliel was there, who knew not the Lord, some blind guid, who leads the blind into the ditch, who for the wages of iniquity, hath laboured to curse the Israel of God, and to make you stumble at the stumbling stone, who often opposed the life and power of truth, as it was made manifest, and against it contra­dicted, as I before made mention, whose judgement lingers not, &c. But I take notice, how unwilling the harlot is to confess her own guilt, and therefore saith, perhaps it was her sin, which is but a deceit­ful shift, from a just stroak for her hypocrisie; and if ye could speak truth in this particular, ye might have told the world plainly, that whilest I was amongst you, ye had not whereof justly to accuse me, of which I know I have a witness in your consciences, so that most that then were of the company loved and prized me dearly, and many were sorely grieved at my departure. But when nothing could prevail, because into Aegypt again I could not go then and not before some Diotrepes, that loved preheminence, prating against the innocent with malicious words, by degrees made a partie, and devised those pretended accusations, and with much deceit, and de­ceivableness of unrighteousness prevailed with you, to charge upon me, &c. which if ye had clearly manifested and not drawn this fur­ther guilt of lying, &c. upon your selves, some had been excusable, but now ye must bear your shame and judgement whatsoever ye are.

But now ye come to a fifth branch of that ye call an admonition, though in pag 13. where ye say ye insert it verbatim, ye number but four, and that which here ye put as a fifth general branch, ye there make a fourth particular in the fourth general, and yet ye say its ver­batim: But in this also, not onely your falshood, but also your con­fusion is so fully manifested, that I need say no more, but leave it to the Reader to judge.

But ye say, It is for speaking against the Scriptures, affirming they were blind, and a plague to souls, and that they are not the Word of God, nor rule of life, and this ye would have understood to be verbatim, though like the rest, it will easily appear to be a parcel of falshood, hypocrisie and deceit, for besides your own confusions before mentioned, in the [Page 27]Coppy delivered to me by Robert Simpson, which he saith is true, and ye [...] testimony he is faithful, it is thus, Your speaking reproachfully of the pretious Scriptures of truth, as first, affirming, that it was a blind to souls, and secondly, one of the greatest plagues of the Land, and thirdly, af­firming farther, that it is not the Word of God, nor rule of life.

Now let the Reader, whose eye is opened, judge how these agree, The person sent to admonish at the same time or thereahouts, gives it under his hand, that what he writ out, and delivered to me, was a true Coppy of what he received. And the whole company, after they received an answer thereunto, deviseth and publisheth another, and say it is verbatim, though it much differs from the former: The latter saith, the charge there mentioned was verbatim, in these words, Speaking reproachfully of the blessed Scriptures, affirming they were blind, and a plague to souls, &c. the former in these words, Speaking reproachfully of the precious Scripture of truth, as first affirming that it was a blind to souls, and aly. one of the greatest plagues of the land; The one puts both together, The Scripture is blind and a plague, the other divides them into two particulars, and saith first, a blind to souls, and 2ly. one of the greatest plagues of the Land; the one, that the Scriptures were blind, the other, that it is a blind, the one, that they were blind, and a plague to souls, and never mentions the Land; The other, that it is first, a blind to souls, and 2ly. a plague; yea, one of the greatest plagues of the Land, and mentions not souls: The one saith, The pretious Scrip­tures of truth, The other, the blessed Scriptures, and mentions not the words (of truth) And yet if any man is given over to believe lies, ye will perswade him all this is true and verbatim, that is, word for word, according to the copy. And that (notwithstanding this lying spirit, which is found in your mouths, to which ye give heed; ye are a Church of Christ, or a mystical body (a word of deceit from the bottomlesse pit) which may be subject to this spirit, as it plainly appears to all beholders, ye are by what your selves have published. And truly the day hath manifested you very much, and ye cannot be hid but by the light your deeds of darknesse are and will be reproved, and your pre­tended admonition farther manifested to be but studied accusations, and from your father the devil, who was a liar from the beginning, and abode not in the truth.

Now as that which ye call your admonition, and say ye did insert verbatim as a bundle of lies and confusion as hath been manifested, so is that which ye call your proof; for in page 13. ye say because I said those things (that is to say your charge) are studied accusations, and from the father of lies, &c. ye shall therefore prove every tittle to be true. And in page 18. ye say ye have proved every tittle to be true and clear; and in page 26. your 3 Messengers who boast that they received their Com­mission from God to this work, say that the things that they charged me withall are all true in every sillable of it, as doth appear by the foregoing an­swer of the whole Church. Now then if ye have not proved every tittle of your charge to be true, and if it do not appear by your foregoing [Page 28]answer, that every sillable of that with which your Messengers charged me is true, then are ye proved (both those that did send, and those that were sent) no Church of Christ, but a company of lyars and false asserters. But ye have not proved every title, and every silla­ble thereof to be true, and therefore are ye no Church of Christ, but a company of lyars, for first ye charged me for leaving the Church, and now ye say, that I have left the Church is true, but no proof thereof have ye given, neither is it true which ye say, for the Church I have not left, but to witness the Church I have left the harlot, and that I have absolutely forsaken, left and renounced fellowship with you in all your idolatrous heathenish wayes and wor­ships which stand in the will and time of man, and not in the will and power of God; and by the mighty arm and power of the Lord am I separated from amongst you, never again to have fellowship, nor communion with you, in those unfruitful works of darkness, which by the light are reproved, is granted, else could I never know nor witness the Church of Christ which is in God the fa­ther: But that ye are the Church of Christ is denyed and was deny­ed, and by your fruits, and what lodged in you were ye proved an harlot, a synagogue of Satan, &c. which stands vvholly unansvvered by you. And therefore it is not true, but a lie, to say I left the Church, when I was separated from the Harlot, that I might witness the Church. But suppose it had been true, that I had left the Church, by vvhat have ye proved it? Why onely your selves say it is so, but that is no proof, and yet this is more than tittles and syllables, it is vvhole sentences, ye a general charge not proved, except vvhat the harlot speaks (to save her head, vvhen to judgement she is brought) is to be believed and admitted as a proof.

But ye go on and say, that my so doing hath drawn away some, grie­ved others, and opened the mouehs of many to speak evil of the wayes of Christ which is clear, and plain, and not a studied accusation, but a re­al thing, which hath been grief, and sadness to the Church.

To which I reply if the Harlot or Synagogue of Satan, might be believed in her own case, when she speaks not truth, then what ye say were of some value. But from the Church have I drawn none, nor been a grief, nor sadness (that I know) to her, with whom in some measure I have unity. Neither do I know of any whose mouths I have justly opened, to speak evil! of the wayes of Christ which are pure and spiritual; So that the whorish and adulterous harlot cannot see it, who is grieved and sadned at my departure, whose judgement is come and her torments from the living God are pouring, and there­fore hath she opened her mouth very wide, and from her unclean fountain and spirit of envie is pouring out of stoods of reviling & bit­ternes, not onely when she assembles in her harlots houses, and Idol Temples with the rest of the proud and persecuting World, where the Churches of Christ after they were gathered did never assemble, but in her books and pamphlets speaking evil as she can, not only of [Page 29]the Church & ways of Christ, which she understands not, but of Christ Jesus himself who is come a light into the World, ane is the light of the World, which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World, and this is clear and plain, and no studied accusation, but a re­al thing and her proper sentence justly due is gone forth from the presence of the Lord, and over her head doth stand.

And notvvithstanding ye say, I gave no vvord or reason of my de­parture, the sober Christian ye mention will easily perceive that this is another refuge of lies, for it was reason enough of my departure, to deny you to be a Church of Christ, and to prove you an har­lot, a Synagogue of Satan, a cage &c. And all this I have done not­withstanding ye blush not to say I gave no reason of my departure, &c. But I perceive that which troubles you is that I who so well knew you, and was so long as an Elder amongst you; whom ye did so often chuse and elect to that employment; and so highly esteemed, should now so sadly apostatize (as ye call it) as not to acknowledge you a Church.

To which I reply, Were ye indeed a Church of Christ, how glad­ly would I acknowledge ye? But till ye prove your selves so, I may (in the words of Thomas Ewins to Ralph Farmer, in the 60 page of your book) tell you, though you be so wise to propose, I cannot be so foolish as to grant it, lest I make my selfe a transgressor like unto you, and rebell a­gainst the light, which hath manifested you.

But now let me demand your proof; for although ye say, ye would prove every tittle, and had proved every tittle of what ye charged me withal, yet is here no proof at all produced to prove that I drew any from the Church, grieved and sadned many, or opened the mouths of any, to speak evill of the wayes of Christ, yet is this more than a tittle or a syllable, it is many words and sentences.

Oh foolish people and unwise! how hath the Devill, the god of the world, and Rulers of the darknesse blinded you? why, is there no feare of God before your eyes? who are adding one iniquity to another, as drunkennesse to thirst, and yet bespeak your selves a Church. And because ye have recovered a veile, with which your selves are blinded, do think all others must be veiled too; but where Christ is witnessed, the veile is removed, and in the light of Christ, which ye have despised, and set at nought, are ye seen and compre­hended, and your hypocrisies, inventions and traditions, will-wor­ships, carnall ordinances, together with that lying spirit, to which ye give heed, are in the same light judged, denyed, and witnessed against as that which to the Lord is abominable, and burthensome, in which he hath no delight, but his soule hates because it is iniqui­ty, and a loathsome thing ( Isa. 1.16.)

But from you whom have I drawn away? Why had ye not men­tioned one that some colour of truth might appear? or that by it al­so ye might be reproved, who of the strong and mighty arme and power of the Lord are ignorant, by which he hath powerfully drawn [Page 30]and gathered many from amongst you (as well as from others who in the like deceit, are worshipping they know not what) into his moun­tain of holinesse, which he in this his day is setting up, and establish­ing over your heads, and a top of all mountains, in which to his peo­ple the Lord is making a feast of fat things, of which those that pour out a drink offering to that number, must not eat; in which moun­tain the Veile is removed, the shadows taken away, no Lyon or car­nall devouring beastly thing can ever come; but in it is the way of holinesse known and witnessed, and life, light and immortality reigns for evermore, and the true and living God, in spirit, life and power, known and worshipped, who is light, and in whom there is no dark­nesse at all. And so, although gross darknesse hath overspread the Aegyptian land, where the Diviners, the Sorcerers, the Taskmasters and oppressors dwell, yet in Jacobs Tent there is light, by which the deeds of darknesse are seen and reproved: And therefore although ye have taken liberty to vent your lies and slaunders, and false accu­sations against the innocent, over your high places, when ye assem­ble by troops in harlots houses, where the children of light dare not come to reproove and gainsay it, except they are thereunto power­fully moved of the Lord, to testifie against your deceipt and abho­mination: Yet must ye learn wisdome, and take heed of printing and publishing such stuffe to the world, else may ye be sure, whilst ye seek to cover it with a veile, your iniquities will be marked, your filthy sepulchre opened (which is already but badly painted) your skirts more discovered, so that shame and confusion will be your por­tion for evermore, except ye repent: And therefore of this be ye warned.

In your third branch ye lay the charge thus, viz. your extream cen­soriousnesse, and rash judging, not onely of persons abroad, but also of the Church, &c. And tell the world ye will prove (yea that ye have proved) every tittle and syllable of these things to be true, when ye have not endeavoured so much as a shew of proof for ought ye speak touching persons abroad, but past it over as if ye had never spoken it: And yet this is tittles and syllables, yea words, &c. But a bridle for your tongue ye want, who have so long given heed to lying spirits, that now ye appear to love lying, more then to speak truth, and (being out of the fear of the Lord) speak ye care not what.

I come now to your fifth branch, and shall not trouble my selfe again with those many lies, falshoods, and contradictions which I there finde in what you say is verbatim, having mentioned some of them before, but shall examine your proof of that also, and see if e­very tittle of it be proved, or whether ye may not be proved lyars in this, as in the rest.

Ye say, I did at a meeting at mine house affirme the first part of this branch, viz. That the Scriptures were blinde, and a plague to souls: And for proof, ye again produce your own saying, it is so, and that some of you sitting over against me, do well remember how I spake it, [Page 31] Clapping my hand upon the book or table, saying, That Book or Scriptures was one of the greatest blindes and plagues to mens souls this day in England. And that ye will again affirme, and set your hands to it that I spake those very words.

To which I say, There was a time in which many false witnesses were brought against him who was the truth and the light, but they agreed not. And when by the truth ye are examined, it will be found, that ye also are far from agreeing in testimony; for proving what your selves affirme, if your own testimony were admitted in your own case, which it is not. Ye say, ye will again affirme, and set your hands to it, that I spake those very words. And what words are they? Not the same in the charge, which ye say is verbatim, but is much otherwise, and so the charge is fall'n and false, as the Reader may see: And who are they that will affirme and set their hands to it? Are they the whole company, or but a part? If it be the whole, then many or most of you will affirme and set your hands to that which themselves have confest they ne­ver heard: If it be but a part, and not the whole, then that which yee have already said, is altogether false, and untrue, and your testimony invalid: For what is said, is said by the whole, or else those that signed it, are in this, as in other things, abhominable lyars.

Again, in what ye say ye will affirme, and set your hands unto, there ap­pears much uncertainty; for ye say, I clapt my hand on the book or table, but on which I perceive ye are ignorant: And ye say I said that booke or Scripture. Now if ye so well remember the manner of speech, as ye say ye doe, it is much ye cannot remember the matter. But having before accused me for saying the Scriptures were a blinde to soules, and a plague to the Land. Now ye say, It was, the booke or Scriptures that I said was one of the greatest blindes and plagues to mens soules this day in England. Manifesting your selves to be at a losse and in confusion, not able to say, whether it were the Book or the Scriptures, or what it was, for indeed it was neither: And so the charge or accusation is quite fallen, and by your selves brought to nought.

And why are these words, viz. one of the greatest plagues, &c. in England, now added? being left out in the place where ye say ye did insert verbatim: Is here no designed subtilty and deceipt? Is all proved? Are here no tittles, nor syllables neglected in the proof? Or is what ye have published like to be true, or fit to be believed? Let the Reader consider it.

But ye say, some of you sitting over against me (it's like, at the Table) do well remember, &c.

But why had ye not told me, who these some were that sate over against me, and do remember it? For I know but four that were wont to sit with me at the Table, and with three of them have I spoken, neither of which could to my face say or affirme, they ever heard me speak such things, and then the some is but one, and that is an hireling too, a Diviner, a deceitful worker, that daubeth with untempered morter, and cries peace, peace, to that to which the Lord speaks no peace, and his testimony is little worth; for if ye say he sate over against me at the Table, when I spake such words, Jane Frye contradicts him, who is the only person besides himself, that ever I heard, or could learn, had the shamelesse confidence to say, she heard me speak these things, with whom I had conference in the presence of other witnesse, and demanded where it was spoke, she replyed, in mine owne house at a meeting; I cold her it [Page 32]was much many others heard it not as well as she. To which she replyed, it was after the meeting was done, and I was risen from the Table, and stood out in the roome, and there clapt my hand on the Booke, and spake as before. And that her selfe, with her sister Hassard, and her sister Anne Davis, went out into the streets, and bewailed it; which I knowing not to be true, sent to Anne Davis to enquire the truth of it, by a relation of hers, who answered, that she never heard me speak such words, nor any thing like it: So that it is evident, false witnesse do not agree; for ye say, some of you sitting over against me, which must needs be at the Table, upon which, or upon the book, ye say, I clapt my hand, when I spake. But she saith, it was after the meeting was done, and I was gone from the Table, in which is no agreement. She said, Anne Davis with her selfe and another went into the streets and bewailed it: but Anne Davis denies that ever she heard it. She said, standing out in the room, I clapt my hand upon the booke, and said, the Scriptures were a plague, &c. But ye say, I clapt my hand upon the book or table, and said, the book or Scriptures were blinde and a plague; but cannot agree whether it was a Book or a Table, a book or Scrip­ture: And so are all in confusion, being led by a lying spirit, and able by a­greement to prove nothing. Besides ye say, the book or Scriptures, but in the copy delivered to me, it was said the Scriptures of truth, in which is no agree­ment. Besides all this, one of you being asked, if ever he heard me speak those words, answered, that hee heard me speak to this effect, That the Scri­ptures, as men goe to worke with it, making it a pattern of all manner of vice and wickednesse, was one of the greatest plagues, &c. And being demanded then, why ye had not laid the charge in the very words that were spoken, he was silent as to that, and said, he had already purchased jealousie from some in the Church, as one that was in danger, &c. And this I have under the hand of him to whom it was spoken.

Now let all, to whom true judgement is known, judge what differing testi­monie here is, and how like it appears to that of old, in which no agreement could be against the innocent: And how desperately-wicked ye appear under a cloak of Religion, accusing for something, but cannot manifest for what, but in it contradict your selves: And in some things Jane Frye is nearer the matter than the other 59. or thereabouts who false witnesses are found; because af­ter a meeting was ended, in which Thomas Ewins had been speaking about that Idol called Divinity, and the people mostly gone, and I rose from the Table, and standing neer the middle of the room, did there say, and declare, that that accursed thing called the body of Divinity was a plague to the land, or words to that effect, of which I told you before, though ye wickedly shut your eyes, and not observed it because it was the truth. And were it not so, it had been one with that spirit to which ye have taken heed.

But suppose credit vvere to be given to such a generation, vvho in testimo­ny do not agree, but are proved as before, &c. yet to the Reader vvould I say, vvhat probability of truth can be in vvhat they say I affirmed, viz. That the Scriptures of truth were one of the greatest blindes and plagues to mens soules this day in England, as if truth could be a blinde and a plague to soules, vvhen it is a lying spirit is so to yours. And notvvithstanding I never made a trade of the Scriptures, nor preach't for hire, nor divined for money (as others do) nor ever co­veted [Page 33]any mans gold or silver, or apparel amongst you, nor accepted thereof, vvhen by some I was earnestly prest thereunto; but on the contrary have admini­stred something largely of these things amongst you. Yet from the Scriptures did I daily discourse, as opportunity I had; and by it have convinced many amongst you, of your pride, formality, and other evils; so that once ye were very much awakened, and brought to some sense of your condition, af­ter ye had been too much taken with the doctrine of some called Notionists, which it may be, is the same ye now call Ranters, whose principles and do­ctrines, by the Scriptures, I did withstand and oppose, and with much la­bour, and sore wrestlings was I instrumental to deliver you out of their mouths, to whom many of you were become a prey; I say, much awakened ye were, and the spirit which convinceth of sin, began to work, until ano­ther Ministry of unrighteousness came, which, for the wages of iniquity, taught you to erre, and (when ye were convinced of sin, and troubled with­in, and saw your filth and wickedness appear; by which your peace was bro­ken, and your consciences awakened, and true judgement took hold on the transgressor) prest you to believe lyes, and shut out that which troubled, and said it was temptations of the Devil, and that your sin was done away, and that God saw it not, that it was all pardoned, daubing with untempered mor­ter, crying peace, peace, to that to which no peace is spoken from God, by which your bonds were made strong, and the hands of evil doers strengthen­ed, that they turned not, nor repented, which wicked doctrine of the Devil, by the Scripture I opposed, and withstood, perswading you to the last, not to build on the sand, but come down to the rock; and told you, your peace was but security, which the Devils goods may attain, and that all your assurance, in which ye gloried, was but vain confidence, which in the time of tryal would deceive you; and so far did I dispute it with you, dailie, by the Scri­pture that Thomas Ewins, your publique Preacher told me, I dasht his com­forts, and weakened his hands, so that he was not able to preach, but when into the Pulpit he was to go, fear and trembling sometimes took hold upon him, so that if necessity had not been upon him to speak, the people being assembled, he should not have spoken a word, and told me of retiring to his former Calling, and leaving the City, with much more. Others who loved to have smooth things spoken, that they might be at ease in Zion, who put far away the evil day, complained (as he said) that all the comforts and joy they received and gathered from his Ministry all the day, was dasht and broken by me in the evening. Others complaining, at last confest I led you safely, though not comfortably; and all was, because the Devils Kingdom was di­sturbed, and his goods not suffered to be at peace; and in your consciences do you know, that by the Scriptures I demonstrated what I said; to which I was as true as any amongst you whatsoever. And if in this ye shall say I boast, re­member its you that have compelled me, and if ye have a mind to gain-say or contradict any particular of it, do it honestly, plainly, and down-rightly, not coverty and deceitfullie as ye have done before, that when I come to reply, I may have something like as from men, to speak unto, and not as from a com­pany of foolish tost children. For although to this was I was at first averse, yet by the power and presence of the living God, shall I be free and a­ble to quench your thorns, scatter your deceit, and remove your veil, and dis­cover the Harlots skirts.

But friends, suppose all ye say were granted, and that I had indeed, whilst I was amongst you entertained, and asserted many principles contrary to truth, and said, that the Scriptures of truth were a blinde to souls, and one of the greatest plagues of the land, (which I have, and utterly do deny,) And suppose it were granted an error, and a very great sin so to say and affirm, yet was not all this done in your meeting, whilst I was one and amongst you? and not then re­proved nor gain sayed. And was it not then time for all that feared the Lord, and loved the truth to depart out of such an Assembly, in which such things are permitted to be entertained and published without rebuke? Was there any safety in being one with such an Harlot, though she call her self a Church? And are not these things spots, whilst the true Church of Christ, which is his glorious body, is without spot or wrinckle? Surely, little cause have any who know the truth, and love and believe in the light, to be grieved or sad'ned, that any be drawn from such an Assembly; and happy for me was the day, in which the light manifested you, and from amongst you separated me, to another people, where no such principles are entertained, nor permitted to be ven­ted. And for mine own part, I do freely declare to all the world, that since, by the power of the good shepherd, I was gathered from amongst you, I am fan from entertaining or uttering any such things: but do dearly own the Scriptures of truth, as given by inspiration, and see them of great use and service. And if I received and entertained such principles, contrary to truth amongst you, with you I also left them, to whom the Scripture is of little use, more then to talk of, and trade with for an advantage; and by wresting and corrupting the same, make use of it as a veil to cover your deceipt and filthiness, but the life thereof do not witness.

But I have not yet done with your testimony, in pag. 13. where ye say, ye insert your admonition verbatim. Ye charge me with asserting in the Church, doctrines contrary to truth, one of which is, that the Scriptures are not the Word of God, and every tittle of this, ye say ye have proved; notwithstan­ding, ye have not proved any thing of it to be true, but only ask if I did not at a meeting at the Red-lodge in the Garden-house, before near twenty people say so? one of you being by, &c. Truly the Harlots fore-head is very hard, if at this she do not blush: What! Lay a general charge, and say ye will prove, and have proved every tittle, and yet can say nothing, but ask me if it were not so. And in pag 12. & 13. ye lay this thing to be asserted in the Church, and say ye will prove every tittle, and now ask me if I did not speak it at the Red-lodge in the Garden-house, which was at a meeting of those ye call miserable delu­ded people, who are wandring as ye say, in the dark. At which time say ye; one of us was by. So then, by your own confession, either those ye call mi­serable deluded people, who are wandring in the dark, must be the Church, or else ye a company of lyars. And let me tell you, these things are not on­ly aequivocations and mental reservations, of which ye speak, but down­right lying and deceit. And because I asked where the Scripture called it self the Word of God, ye say, for answer, ye shall give me four plain places in­stead of many; three of which places have not these expressions in them, viz. the Word of God, much less that the Scriptures calls it self so; and the fourth place saith, for laying aside the commandements of God, ye hold the traditions of men, and full well ye reject the commandement of God, that ye may keep your own tra­ditions; [Page 35]and again, making the Word of God of none effect thorough your traditions. Now although in this Scripture, the Word of God is mentioned, yet doth the Scripture therefore call it self the Word of God? Or rather do not ye manifest your selves to be those that do erre, not knowing the Scriptures nor the Word of God, which was before the Scripture was written, and from which the Scriptures were given forth, who through your own traditions, and the traditions of other men, do go about to make the powerful Word of God (by which all things were made, and forever are upheld) of none effect. And therefore ye say, what shall we go to light a candle to the Sun? Have not many judicious and godly Writers proved that the Scriptures are the Word of God? To which I reply, Many men have both said and written it, from whose traditi­ons, not from the Scriptures, ye have received it; and amongst others, those ye call Popes, Papists, Priests and Jesuits as well as other ignorant and unlear­ned men, who wrest the Scriptures as ye do, have asserted, and do affirm it, and in their printed books called Catechisms, and Christian doctrine, have laid it down as principles and fundamentals (as they as well as you call it) to be learned of all good Christians; in which ye may find also the ground of your word, mystical body, Sacraments, and some of that ye call institutions, and most, if not all, your invented and carnal observations used in and about the worship of your God, for which no ground being in the Scripture, ye and o­thers have by tradition received it from the Popes, Cardinals and Priests, and other Heathens that know not God. But those that knew and ministred of the Word of God, which was not a dead letter, but quick and powerful, com­manded that men should not say, Who shall ascend into heaven to fetch Christ from above, &c. for the word of faith, which they preached, was nigh even in the mouth, and in the heart. And this is that which against your selves ye have rejected that ye may hold your own and other mens traditions, received as aforesaid, and so do bear the character of those wicked men, of which ye speak, that cast the Word of God behind their backs, who hate to be reformed thereby.

And so having in your blind minds, without the fear of God, rambled tho­rough what ye had to say, in pretence of proof of that ye call your admoni­tion, which indeed is but studied accusations, and from the father of lyes, and invented by his instruments amongst you, as before I said, In the close ye say, Ye have proved every tittle to be true and clear, so that ye are no lyars nor false accusers, but must turn that back again upon me, professing to all the world I have wronged you in what I have written.

To which I reply, I wish ye had been found innocent before the Lord, and both true, and clear, and no lyars nor false accusers, then I needed not so to have spoken; but instead thereof, ye are found more and more guilty, ad­ding iniquity to iniquity; so that were it needful, I could reckon up many more of the lies, slanders, and false accusations, of which ye stand guilty: To close this particular, for I profess to all the world, ye are become such a Sy­nagogue, and Cage of false, lying, and deceitful spirits, that to my remem­brance, I never met with the like, nor did believe was to be found upon the earth, under the title of a separated Congregation, of whom the Parish As­semblies may say (as ye say they will) they were better to remain as they are, then come amongst you, except they intend to be made, twofold more the chil­dren of hell then they are already; for instead of proving your selves no lyars [Page 36]nor false accusers, and the things ye charged me withal to be true and clear; how clearly and truly are ye proved (yea have proved your selves) by many degrees, greater lyars then before; so that what is justly charged upon you, and said of you, in the skirts of the whore, stands over your heads, in that au­thority and power of truth, that ye shall never be able to return it back, nor free your selves of it, for it is your portion, and ye must bear it; and labou­ring to acquit your selves, being guiltie, ye have brought upon your head, much more of the same righteous judgement, so that, notwithstanding all your consultations with all those lying spirits, to which ye have given heed, for whose entertainment in your mystical windie humour'd bodie ye plead, the better to recover your veil, and hide your shame, yet is your vail removed, your coveting ript off, and your shame manifested more then before, and your selves in your imaginations confounded, which from God is the portion of those that hate the light, and bring not their deeds thereto.

In pages, 18, 19. I find a parcel of deceitful stuff, scarce worth answering, yet can hardlie let pass something without rebuke; I find you blaming me for flattering and commending my self, as ye say, when your selves have published a whole book, mostly to vindicate, flatter and commend your selves, and one anothor in your e­vil wayes, till your iniquity is found out to be abhorred: Why had ye not cast the beam out of your own eyes, before ye had meddled with motes in mine, and better considered the Scripture ye mention, viz Let another man praise thee, and not thy own lips. Again ye say, Amaziah was not blamed for the good he did, but because he did it not with a perfect heart, & yet your selves speak contemptuously of perfection, and those that labour to attain it. Ye say, ye knew my spirit, and what I did pretend to, and observed my gross mistake, but were not willing to of­fend me, &c. which is deceit and hypocrisie, for the true Church cannot bear them that are evil, but testifies against them. And whereas I had said, the knowledge ye had of Christ, shall profit you nothing, and that your habitati­on was in deceipt, and thorough deceit ye refuse to know the Lord, &c. Ye say, in this thing ye did not violently oppose; and then its like ye confess it, as knowing it was the truth, and why then had ye not repented. Ye say, some of you did often tell me, that your comforts stood not so much in a knowing, as in an acknowledgement of Christ to be, that which he is said to be in the Scriptures, and that ye own no other knowing of Christ, then understandingly to know him in his person without you. &c. which is the sum of most of the 19. page. And so have de­clared, and clearly manifested the ground and foundation of all your Religi­on, comforts, joy and peace, to be one and the same with the foun­dation of the Religion of the Pope, Jesuits, drunkards, swearers, prophane, ignorant and superstitious people of the world, namely, an acknowledgement of Christ without you, to be that which he is said to be in the Scriptures: And so the devils in this particular excel you, who did not only acknowledge him, but knew him, who he was, Jesus the Son of God. And (concerning the Ministers of Christ, which those of your literal profession, opposed and per­secuted) cryed out, these are the servants of the most high God. But the comfort, joy and peace of the children of light, stands not in your ground of general acknowledgement of Christ without them, to be what the Scriptures de­clare him to be, but in a particular knowledge of him, as by the spirit of ho­liness he is revealed within them, whereby they come to witness him the [Page 37]Son of God, with power by the resurrection from the dead; and so Paul knew him, and so to know him, was, and is eternal life, and witnessed so to be, by those to whom he is so revealed: But this is a mysterie, hid and unknown to all that lie in the death, and never come to witness the first resurrection, but declare the ground of their comforts to stand in that in which the wick­ed of the world, with them are one. And this is not to slight and nullifie that glorious person in heaven, as ye falselie say many of our way do, scoffing and jeering at you, for speaking of the person of Christ, and thinking to be sa­ved by the blood of him that dyed at Jerusalem, which is but your false accu­sations and slanders, and proceeds from the same fountain and spirit of envy and wickedness, as Ralph Farmers bundles of lies did, in which he and ye are one, and at an agreement for scoffing and jeering, lying, and false accusing, being the works of darkness, in which your generation are exercised, is deny­ed by all that vvalk in the light, vvhich is our vvay, and the vvay everlasting. But to declare against your follie, and your thinkings to be saved by the ac­knovvledging of Christ vvithout ye (whilst of him and his life, ye are igno­rant, living in wickedness, lying, hypocrisie and deceipt, hating the light, and erring from the right way) is no error, but love to your souls, who pretend honour to the person (but hate the light) of Christ, and know not his Gos­pel, which is the power of God, nor his way, which is everlasting, and lives; nor his Ordinances which are living, spiritual and true, not traditional, invented, and carnal: The consideration of which, together with the lying spirits, to which ye give heed, might justly cause you to mind whether ye are not those that stumble at Christ the corner stone, and do cause others to stumble at him, who is now come, and witnessed in life power and spirit; and living demonstrations thereof are given and manifested in thousands, who by expe­rience have known and felt the dove-like spirit of Christ, of which ye speak, though both to you and others, who live in envie, murthering the just, and betraying the innocent, pretending honour to the name, but hating the light, and persecuting the power of Christ. This is hid, and ye say, ye will not be­lieve it.

And if those that owned and seem to honour the Scripture, in which Moses wrote of Christ, did not believe, but crucified him, when in flesh he was made manifest, no marvel then if ye do not believe, who call the verie words of Scripture (in which to you I spake, page 21. of my former book) strange and unchristian expressions, surelie ye are strangelie erred from the way of truth, and true wisdom, who live in such confusion and deceit, one while calling the Scriptures the Word of God, and rule of life, when by wresting it ye can serve your lusts; but when by it ye are reproved for your wickedness, then ye call it strange and unchristian expressions, and say, The Lord rebuke your railing, as if the Scripture, which ye term the Word of God and Rule of life, were rail­ing, and the Prophets, and holy men of God, which gave it forth, were railers, because it bears true testimonie against your wicked wayes, as well as others, for the words I mentioned are recorded, Isa. 57. 4. Psal. 2.1, 2, &c. and in some other Scriptures, as the Reader will perceive, that reads my former Book.

But ye say, its easie to heap up good words right or wrong: Alas poor blind peo­ple, by what blind guides are ye led? Is it strange and unchristian expressions, [Page 38]and yet good vvords? Are they good vvords, and yet vvrong? What exceed­ing confusion are the children of darknesse brought into, in this day of the Lords povver, in vvhich light is risen out of obscuritie, and the Lords glory appeared, &c.

In pag. 21. Ye say, Though some of our way have shouted, and cryed Hosannah, holy, holy, King of Israel to James Nayler, &c.

To which I reply, When will ye be weary of lying and false accusing, which is the work of the Devill; for none of our way ever so cried to any man: But that which is our way, is the truth, and the life, and is everlasting, the light and life of men, from which whosoever turns aside, forsakes the right way, and turns to lying vanities, as some in this day of the Lords visitation have done, who must bear their burthen. But ye are easily seen of what generation ye are, who watch for an occasion to speak evill of the way of Truth, and the Saints, and Children of light, who in the fear of the Lord do walk, and in his Councell abide, which to you is not known, who are glad with an ad­vantage by any means to speak evill of the way of Truth, and the people, who (being gathered into it) are for its sake become strangers in the earth, and to their familiar friends, and aliens to their mothers sons, as all their fathers were. But in this again are ye and Ralph Farmer one; and by one and the same spirit are ye guided, to whom it is known, that those that cried as afore­said, are not of our way, but denied and witnessed against before ever they did those actions. But if I should go about to gather up the actions and ex­pressions, contrary to truth, which I have known and heard passe from some of your vvay (which is a very broad way) how abominable filthy would it ap­pear. But I forbear, farther then it may be for your advantage. Yet let me aske, if none of your way which is the broad vvay, leading to destruction, did tell me it vvas the pride of Mordecais heart, that bovved not to Haman: And another, that the Rulers and Elders had sinned, if they had not crucified, or put Christ to death, because they judged him a blasphemer. And another, that the Pope and Jesuits do believe in Christ. But this I cast not upon you, vvhom I knovv not particularly guilty; but that ye may see the unjustnesse of your ovvn ac­cusations, and that the guilty ones may see it and be ashamed.

Ye fall a vvondring at my shamelesnesse, as ye call it, in mentioning, that some of you did beate in your meetings, like the enemies of Christ in the synagogues, And say, yee will declare to all the world the truth of this story.

To vvhich I say, if ye can at last declare truth, it's vvell, and fit ye had done it sooner: But ye tell hovv Sathan hath raged at your vvomens praying, in vvhich its like ye mistake, and that it vvas the vvitnesse of God that strives against your hypocrisie, as it did of old against your fathers, vvhen their vvaies vvere corrupt before the Lord: And vvoe unto you, vvhen it shall strive no more.

Ye say, Two wretched women came rushing into the roome, one of which had been an old Ranter, the other a late member of this Church. Whereas they had been one as much a member vvith you, as the other, and neither are Ranters, but in so­bernesse do vvalk, and so came into your meeting; and, as ye say, told you, the prayers of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord: With vvhich you vvere disturbed, and the Woman forced to give over.

reply; Its like then there was power in what was spoken, and its mani­fest [Page 39]the very words of the Scripture are your disturbance. And therefore, like the Gadarens who in this are your pattern, ye desired as ye say, these disturb­ers to depart your room (as they did Christ to depart their Coasts:) But when they departed not, ye exceeded your pattern, as ye your selves confess, and would have put them out (its like) by force, which ye say is all the beating and occasion of it: Which is an absolute lie, for down the stairs yee would have thrown them, as your fathers would have thrown Christ down the brow of the hill, which to do ye did attempt, haling, beating, and pinch­ing them till their bodies were sore, in which your marks they did bear a long time after. So that here appears no truth nor ancient godlinesse, but the con­trary in them that did it, and this wickednesse do I not justifie, being condem­ned by the light, to which it is abhomination, and a more wicked thing than for two sober women to come soberly into your meeting, and declare amongst you the truth; whether ye hear or forbear.

In page 23. ye endeavour the best you can to veile your selves from the stroak of truth, contained in Psalm 83. and in the Prophesie of Obadiah. But all in vain, for it is your portion, and ye must bear it; from him who with righteousnesse doth judge the poor; and your demanding what grosse darkness is upon my minde, that I should be crying out against you that are innocent, will not veile you. Nay, notwithstanding ye demand again, whether I be not joyned with all the Papists, Atheists, Ranters, and all the ungodly rabble of the world, in this one great designe of the Devil, to break in pieces the Chur­ches of Christ, &c. And then mention under the name of Anabaptists, Inde­pendents, Sectaries, Schismaticks, &c.

To which I answer, nay, with the Harlot I am not joyned, for then must I be one body with you. But from among you all am I separated by the power of the Lord, to witnesse his presence, And therefore your selves, with all Pa­pists, Atheists, Ranters, and ungodly rabble of the world, who in the great de­signe of the Devill are joyned, to hate the light, and persecute and oppose the life & power of God, do I deny, and stand a witnesse against. And although ye are the many-headed Beast in divers forms, sects and opinions, under the name of Papists, Atheists, Independents, Anabaptists, &c. and upon a like ground pretend to Christs person, Gospel, and Ordinances, as before I said, and with one mouth, and with one shoulder, cry out against, and oppose his light and living presence, for which ye associate and take counsell together of one and the same lying spirit, yet ye must be broken, and as a new threshing instrument is the Lord making the worm Jacob, to thresh your mountains, as chaffe, and your little hills as dust: And the day of your distresse and visita­tion is begun, in which all that see you shall wag the head, who with the most embittered enemies are joyned against the light and life of God, and with Atheists, Drunkards, and prophane persons, who live in scoffing, scorn­ing, reproaching, and deriding, in slandering, falshood and lies, do ye assem­ble, teaching the wicked of the world your wayes, and the Children that have not understanding, to blaspheme the light, and living way to the Father, which is your own returned.

But can ye be honest and own what ye say, and novv flie from it? If so, then I demand, Is it indeed the great designe of the Devil, to break in pieces the Congregations in England, under the names of Independents, Anabaptists, Secta­ries, [Page 40]&c. as ye pretend it is? If nay, then are ye false and deceitfull in what ye have written: If yea, then is there a false Prophet, and Minister of Satan to be found amongst you, in whose mouth he hath been a lying spirit, to which ye ought to give no longer heed. For Robert Purnell, in his book entitled, Good newes to sinners, great joy to Saints, declares the contrary. And in pag. 65. undertakes to be a Prophet, and saith, a few words by way of prophesie of the downfall of Presbytery, Independency, Anabaptisme, &c. And then he calls upon all the servants of the most high and mighty God, heirs of promise, and sons of Zion to look for great alterations and changes, and to see what desolations God will make in the earth, and for nothing but the Lord to be revealed from heaven, which saith he will be mighty in his dispensations, exceeding glorious in his revelation, and strong and powerfull in his operation, and will bring to passe his determinations, and destroy in this mountain the face of the cover­ing cast over all people, and the veile that is spread over all Nations; which veile he saith, is knowing Christ and Christians after the flesh, which Paul did not do, after his eyes were opened, &c. And so he goes on to manifest how Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, &c. are all vailed with the same veile, And therefore saith he, what I say to one Sect, I say to all, ye shall speedily receive a totall rout. Yee have gathered your selve together, but ye shall be scatter­ed, yea yee shall be broken in pieces. Ye all have built your outward house of ex­ternall discipline upon the sand, and it must fall, because it is not grounded upon the Rock Christ. Ye have made your communion the ground of your union, and that must fall, because it is not the Lords, but mans building: And himselfe puts the question how he knew Presbytery, Independency, Anabaptisme, and the rest of the Sects must down, and answers, if Abraham by faith did see the day of Christ coming in the flesh many years before he came, why may not I (saith he) and others see the day of Christ coming in the spirit (to destroy all fleshly forms) some few years before it be finished: And again saith he, I have by faith seen all these opinions fall, and have heard from many others, that they have seen them fall also. Therefore that which I have heard and seen declare I unto you, that ye might have fellowship with the father and the son in the spirit; for then, saith he, and not till then ye will give over saying, as in effect ye do, I am of Paul, I am of Apollo. Then ye will not so much cry up the forme, but endeavour the power of godlinesse. These with many more, are his words, as the Reader may see in his foresaid book.

Now therefore, if it be true, that all these formes are fleshly, and are not built upon the Rock Christ, but upon the sand, are not the Lords, but mens building, and therefore must fall, and be broken to pieces, and scattered, and speedily receive a totall rout. And that he by faith hath seen it all fall; and hath both heard and seen what he declared, that is to say, Christ Jesus com­ing in spirit to destroy them, that people might have fellowship with the Fa­ther and the Son in the Spirit. Then are Robert Purnell and you found dire­ctly in the steps and practice of your Fathers, the Scribes and Pharisees, who (when Christ came in the flesh, according to the Prophecies that went be­fore) said, It was the Devil a blasphemer, a friend to publicans and sinners, &c. For ye, now that Christ in spirit, in life and power, is appeared, mighty in dispen­sations, glorious in revelation, and very strong and powerfull in operation, ma­king great alterations, changes and desolations in the earth, and revealing [Page 41]himself from heaven, breaking down and scattering what he hath not built, nor gathered; destroying and breaking in pieces those Forms and Sects of yours, which he saith are fleshly, not built by the Lord but men; not upon the Rock, but upon the sand, and speedily receives a total rout, &c. I say, since Christ is thus appeared against all those Forms, that his people may have fel­lowship with the Father and the Son, in the spirit, and not cry up the Form, but endeavour to know the power of godliness, according to the very words himself hath said; both Robert Purnel and you agree to call it the design of the Devil, asking if I be not joined with all the Papists, Atheists, Ranters, and ungodly rabble of the world, in this one great design of the Devil, to break in pieces the Churches of Christ? And say, hath it not been the at­tempt of one power after another, to rent, break, and scatter the Congrega­tions in England, under the names of Independents, Anabaptists, Sectaries, &c? And hath any party gone so far in this wicked practice as you, &c? Nay, say you, was there ever any partie in England, or the Nations adjacent, that have offered the like violence to the Lord Jesus Christ, his person, in his Word, in his Gospel, his Ordinances, his Saints, his wayes, &c. as you and your partie have done, &c? Notwithstanding it be the very thing (and no other) which he in his said Book saith, By faith he saw Christ in spirit, coming to perform, a few years before it was finished; which few years, its like are now accom­plished, it being about eight years since the said Book was published; so then that which Christ cometh in spirit to perform, ye call the great design of the Devil, and a wicked practice, and those who with Christ in his work are joined, bringing to pass his determinations, ye say are joined with Papists, A­thiests, Ranters, and the ungodly rabble of the world.

But why do Robert Purnell & you now call Independent, [...]nd baptized Assem­blies the Churches of Christ, when he had before declared them fleshly Forms and Sects, not built by the Lord upon the rock, but by men, upon the sand, and must fall, and be broken, and scattered, and receive a total rout; and that he saw Christ in spirit, coming to destroy them, that his people might have fellowship with the Father and the Son by the Spirit; and that what he declared, he had both heard and seen, manifesting to all the world (against your wills) that that which ye call and cry up as the Churches of Christ, and Assemblies of Zion, are indeed but fleshly Forms and Sects, not built by the Lord, upon the Rock Christ, but by themselves, upon the sands, which Christ comes in spirit to destroy, and therefore must fall and be broken, routed and scattered: and that notwithstanding among your selves it is known and manifested to be so, by a spirit of faith (as R. P. sayes) by which it was seen; Yet ye hold the truth in unrighteousness, and do erre from the spirit, else might ye know, that the Churches of Christ, which are in God the Fa­ther, are not fleshly Forms and Sects, like yours, but is a spiritual house, an holy habitation for God, by whom it is built upon the rock of ages, the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Christ being the corner-stone, against which all the gates of Hell, and powers of darkness, shall never prevail, to break, scatter, destroy, or cause to fall, but as mount Zion shall it stand, and a burthensom stone shall it be, against all fleshly Forms and Sects that fight against it, in this day of the Lords appearing in the power and glory of his spirit, to break in pieces, scat­ter and destroy all your fleshly Forms and Sects which he never built upon the [Page 42]Rock; but your selves have built upon the sands, and so are no Churches of Christ, but the strong holds of Satan, in which he having blinded their minds, keeps his goods in peace, and under pretence of beating up the form, the power of godliness, is there denyed and not known. But the desires of the flesh and of the mind, are there served equally as among other people, and this I do see and know, otherwise had I not declared it unto you. And so in­to the pit that ye have digged are ye fallen, and in the works of your own hands are ye snared; and not I, but ye are found joined with the ungodly rab­ble ye mention, in the great design of the Devil, opposing the truth, blasphe­ming and offering violence to the Lord Jesus Christ; and well may I return your vain words into your bosoms, and say, Ah pour deceived people, what gross darkness hath now seized upon your minds? Where are your eyes, (and may add) what blind guide hath misled, and bewitcht you, th [...] ye should be crying out against me, for that in which I am innocent, and your selves so notoriously found to practice? And this from amongst your selves, and out of Robert Purnels mouth are ye judged.

But if what Robert Purnel hath said be not true, but a lying spirit hath led him, and that by faith he did not see Christ in spirit, coming to destroy the fleshly Forms of Independency, Anabaptism, and other Sects there mentio­ned, and so declared a false vision, which he neither heard nor saw; notwith­standing he saith, he had heard and seen it. Then is Robert Purnel a lyar, a false Prophet, a deceiver, that causeth the people to erre, by his lies and by his lightness, and his faith, by which he saw is vain, and he to the true faith found reprobate, and the reward of a false Prophet must he receive, that hath seen vain visions, and spoken lying divinations, Ezek. 13.8, 9. Because ye have spoken [...]nity, and seen lye, therefore behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God; and mine hand shall be upon the Prophets, that see vanity, and divine lyes, they shall not be in the Assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel. And his Cabinet richly stored, in which he proclaims a reme­dy for every malady, and a ready way to attain salvation, as is said; its like, is filled with deceit, and all kind of venemous filthy stuff, such as comes out of the mouth of the false Prophet, the dreamer that speaks a vision of his ovvn heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord, and therefore e [...]res in vision, and stumbles in judgement, vvhich vvhosoever believes and follovvs, is like to find the ready vvay to destruction, and not to salvation, of vvhich let all people bevvare; and since you proclaim your selves an Assembly of the Lords peo­ple, and boast of your obedience to all his Commandements and Ordinances vvritten as you say in his Word, and that your feet hath held its steps, and not gone back from the Lord, nor declined the Commandments of his mouth, and tell of your readiness to deal vvith them that are evil, &c.

You are charged every particular of you to look to it, and approve your selves faithful and obedient to vvhat is vvritten, and as you intend to ansvver before the Lord D [...]cline not the Commandements of his mouth, vvho hath said, Woe to the foolish Prophets that follow their own spirits, they have seen vanity and lying divinations, saying, the Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them, &c. Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lyes, therefore behold I am against you, saith the Lord God, and my hand shall be against the Prophets that see vanity, and devine lyes, they shall not be in the Assemblies of my people, neither shall they be written in the [Page 43]writings of the house of Israel; Ezek. 13. Novv if Robert Purnels Prophesie aforesaid be not true, but a lying divination and a vain vision, then is he by an express Commandment of the Lord not to be in the assemblies of the Lords people; and therefore look to it, be not deceitful nor false in what your selves have published, for in it you will be observed, and your obedience and faithfulness to what you say is your Rule, will be tryed, and if you are found false and treacherous, your iniquity will be marked, for you have made your selves publick, and must be manifested and remember you are warned of it in time; and Robert Purnel is advised to consider it, and repent throughly, if place for repentance to the false Prophet may be found and with shame and confusion let him manifest the same, owning his just condemnation for so horrible a transgression. But if his said Prophesie be true, and Independen­cy and Anabaptism so called, together with other things there mentioned, be but fleshly Forms and Sects not built by the Lord, but by men, not upon the Rock, but upon the sand, and that Christ is come, and coming in spirit to destroy it, and therefore must fall and be broken, as he declares; then let both Robert Purnel, and every one of you look to it, and repent in time of your horrible wickedness, in blaspheming the work of Christ, which he in spirit is come to perform in this his mighty day, calling it the great design of the devil, &c. otherwise the just judgements of our God (whom we serve, who is the Creator of the ends of the earth) ye cannot escape, who is near to be revealed from heaven, in power and great glory, taking vengeance of all blasphemers and disobedient ones, and will render tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil; and in this am I seriously under fence of your condition, and therefore do warn you of these things, whether you will hear or forbear; and as for any other false Prophets and Deviners amongst you to whom the mysteries of Gods Kingdom (which to the Saints is given to know) is not revealed nor opened, and so have seen nothing but vanity and lying devinations revealed; The Lord hath said, he is against them, and they shall not be in the Assemblies of his people; and it concerns you to take notice of it, least you manifest your selves to be those that flatter with your mouths, and lye with your tongues when your hearts are not right with God, nor you sted­fast in his Covenant: And your own words ye may take to your selves, O stand still, smite upon your thighs, and blush for shame at what ye have done, for though man, Harlots have played the harlot, yet thou excellest them all, who upon a lofty and high mountain hast set thy bed, and speakest loftily, and that it is beneath thee to an­swer many things contained in the skirts of the Whore, fulfilling the Scriptures, Pro. 30.19. There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes, &c!

But the day of the Lord is dawned, in which the eyes of the lofty must be humbled, and your lofty looks abased: Yea, the day of the Lord of hosts is upon eve­ry one that is proud and lofty, and by him who shall be alone exalted in this his day, shall all those be brought down that dwell on high; and by the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy is he treading down the lofty Citie to the ground. And with you have I no kindred, part, nor inheritance, who inherit lies and falshood and with it would be veiled. But a witness against both it and you I stand, and the harlots nakedness must I discover, and her advice to the contrary is rejected, because it is her portion from the Lord; and by her to have my name [Page 44]cast out as evil for the Son of mans sake, is a blessing, at which I may rejoyce, and leap for joy.

And whereas ye wish me to take notice, that ye desire your three Messengers to answer for themselves, that their faithfulnesse may appeare, &c. This is a piece of deceipt, like the rest; for Robert Purnell, Robert Simpson, and Richard Moon, who were the three Messengers, to desire themselves to answer, and presently put their hands to their own desires, with three more, two of which were ne­ver of the people with which I walked, and the other long since removed his habitation near thirty miles distant. But however being by themselves desired, because they had none else, to desire it of them, they like themselves begin to answer, and after many vain and idle words, they say they received their commission from God, to this worke, and met together, and conside­red the particulars, of which they were to admonish their backslidden Bre­thren and Sisters.

Reply. Here they blaspheme the holy and dreadful name of God, by entitu­ling it to their lies and slanders, who never gave commission to false Prophets, lyars and slanderers, to admonish any of his, but reproved such, saying, They run, and I sent them not, therefore they shall not profit the people: And so it is with you.

But from what did your brethren and sisters, as ye call them, backslide more than from your deceitfull wayes and practices, which to God are abhomina­ble? If ye say, it is from your outward fellowships, wayes, and worships, Then the Parshes, from which ye have separated your selves have the same thing to admonish you of: And ye justifie those filthy polluted Priests, who cast out the names or persons of some from amongst them, [...]t John [...]l guilty of [...] because they separated them­selves from their polluted worships. Besides, one of the three said, by faith he saw the downfall of all these Sects and Forms, and that it was not of Gods building, and that he saw Christ coming in spirit to destroy it: And then how is it that ye are not ashamed to say, that to get out of that which God never built, is backsliding? And that God gave you a commission to admonish any for departing out of that vvhich Christ in spirit came to destroy. But your God (vvho is the God of the vvorld) that gave you such a commission, and put you upon those vvorks of vvickednesse is denied, together vvith your selves, vvho his Commissioners are, vvith all your pretended admonitions inventions and deceitfull stuffe, vvhich to the children of light are manifest, and seen to be as light as vanitie.

They say, They knew much themselves, and what they knew not, they were fully sa­tisfied by the mouths of many faithfull and true witnesses.

Reply. Where were they found? in many particulars, sithence ye are alrea­dy proved an unfaithfull company of lyars and deceitful workers.

They say, In the name of the Lord, and in obedience to his command, and in a filial feare to God, love and pity to our souls, they did admonish, &c.

Reply Did they know the name of the Lord, which is dreadfull to all de­ceivers, false prophets, and hypocrites, they would not dare to name it, whiles they live in iniquity; but out of his name are ye all shut, and have no porti­on in that which is a strong tower, to which the righteous run, and are saved. Who for your rebellion and disobedience against his name (who live out of his feare) which is the light of the world, are by the light judged and con­demned, [Page 45]who in your vaine mindes talk of love and pirty to soules, but never came to witnesse the living soul, nor the quickning spirit, where the true love and pity comes to be witnessed.

But did your three Messengers in the name, and in the fear, and in obedi­ence to the Lord admonish? How then came it to passe, that they came to a near relation of mine, and told her, in the name of the Lord, &c they were sent to admonish her also of something, as sin. To which she replyed to Robert Simpson that spake, Hast not thou something in thee that tells thee thou dost lye in the name of the Lord? For, what sin do I live in which thou knowest? To which he said; Dear sister, I doe not say, in practice, but in judgement. To which she replying, What is my judgement? Canst thou tell? He appeared confounded, and said, Doe not you heare those men (meaning those called Quakers) Now is not here deceit and wickednesse, to pretend to admonish people in the name, fear, and obedience of God, and at last know not for what, but aske if she did not hear those men, which Robert Simpson himself had often done (it's like more often than she at that time.) Now have ye not read that God is not mocked? but what ye sowe, the same yee must reape. Why then doe yee thus to the flesh sowe corruption, falshood, lying and deceit, and make mention of the name of the Lord as your covering?

To what they said to me in particular, I need not say much, because what I said before stands unanswered, and in power over your heads, only they say, the things they charged me withal are true, every syllable, as appears by the foregoing answer of the whole Church, which is false, and those they call the Church proved lyars: And whereas they say, they did not feare me, nei­ther did their consciences accuse them. In this they presently gave them­selves the lie, and say the reason they staid not was, because they found my spirit the time before as a boyling fornace boyling over, and scalding all that stand near it, which made them resolve not to stay the second time. Now what deceit and wickednesse is here? Who can believe a word that comes from amongst you, who are out of the feare of God, and therefore regard not what ye say. For I having charged them in my last, that they fled as men surprized with feare, or accused by their own consciences: They deny it, and say it is false, and that they neither feared me, nor were accused, &c. And yet in 6. or 8, lines have fully granted what I said, saying the reason they staid not, was because they found my sprrit as a boyling fornace, boyling over and scalding, &c. Now is it not evident, they feared lest they should be scalded? and what was there that scalded, but the witnesse of God within themselves? Poor men! I knew they were wounded, tormented, and scalded by the witness of God, in their own consciences, testifying against their hypocrisie and de­ceit, so that they could not stand, nor abide it; for the day of the Lord is now great, and who may abide it; for it is like refiners fire, yea it burns as an oven, and all that doe wickedly are as stubble, and not onely scalded, but burned must ye be, and neither root nor branch shall be left. And the false Prophets that see vanity, and divine lies, and all that imbrace and receive them, who must not be in the assembles of Gods people, are not in a capacity (as they say) for those that feare the name of the Lord, to converse withall. Neither is dried stubble in a capacity to contend with those in whom the spirit of judg­ment and burning is, left thereby they be both scalded and burned.

But Robert Purnell and Robert Simpson, were it not meet for you to take liced, & beware, lest (whiles ye pretend a Commission from God, to admonish others for backsliding, who are not at all drawn back, but are of those that be­lieve, to the salvation of their souls, who for the hope set before them, doe endure the Crosse, & despise the shame, and with much patience, through many tribulati­ons, the race doe run, and through good report, and evil report, as deceivers, and yet true, do passe, pressing on, if by any meanes they may attain to the resurrection of the dead, and to apprehend that for which they are apprehended of Christ Jesus.) Ye your selves be not found in Satans work, and indeed gone back, by many degrees into the world, and the pollutions thereof, being intangled and overcome by that which once ye seemed in a measure to have escaped, and so your latter end become worse then your beginning. And therefore to you, or to one of you I say, do not eate and drinke with the drunken, do not fill your selves with wine and ftrong drink, nor spend the creation of God upon your lusts: Do not spend your time out of the feare of the Lord, in pleasure and wanton­nesse, in lightnesse and vanity, abusing the servants of the Lord, For he is at the door, and ye know him not, that will cut you asunder (except ye repent) and all your inventions, traditions, foolish customes, and carnall washings, will not hide nor help you: And this is a warning to those of you that forget God, and cast his law, which is light, behinde your backs, to consider, lest he teare you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you, who as unsavourie salt are become, whose ill savour is gone abroad from Alehouses and Taverns (too much frequented) sporting your selves with the enemies of God, with which ye now begin to appear as one, rather than to be grieved for the afflictions of Joseph, or to be­come companions of those, who for witnessing the power and life of Jesus, do suffer by the world, the generation of Vipers, as ever they did of old. And this is all the fruit I know that your invented washings have brought you to, and yet for this time I do very much spare one of you.

But why are Robert Simpson and Thomas Ewins so much troubled, that my letters to each of them are made publique; for what is published was written to them many moneths before, without an intent to publish it, and in all that time, which one of them acknowledgeth, was above a yeare, no answer was given in word or writing, nor any word spoken to me about it by them, testi­fying dislike, as if all were quiet and well. But now it's made publique, and brought to light, and their deeds seen and openly reproved, how angry do they appear, crying out of wrong, lies, &c. and after me pour their floods of contempt, reproach and scorn, notwithstanding, under their hands it may ap­pear, I was before called their honoured Brother, and when of worldly ho­nours I could accept (though I did not, as others seek it) and when into his mouth I could freely put, Thomas Ewins to me cryed peace, and in my absence declared he had little or no encouragement to abide in Bristol, were it not for me But since to the light I have been turned, and by it convinced of the blindness and falseness of your minds and worships, and could not put into his mouth, as before, hovv doth he bite with the teeth, and prepare war against me, though his weapons appear too weak and carnall to prevail, against which the bowe is in strength; and the Reader, whose eyes are opened, will easily per­ceive, that had not the things been true, which to each of them I writ, and not at all to be gainsaid, nor contradicted, they would in all that time, either in [Page 47]words or writing, plead their own innocency against me, who had so much wronged them as now they pretend: But being very true, and not to be gain­said, the subtilest beast in the field (it's like) perswades them to be quiet, that it be not noised abroad, but in oblivion kept: But since, beyond their expectation it is come to light, and they cannot prevent it; some course (if it be possible) must be taken, that it be not believed. And therefore (how falsly soever accused) it must be of lyes, falshood, and folly, though themselves feel the power of it, standing in truth and wisdome, and have not told the Reader in what the folly and falshood lies: But (by all the means they are able) labour to recover a veil, though but little have either they or you done, more then to ensnare your selves in your own vvorks, whose webb is not be­come a garment, neither do your works profit, for your works are works of vanity: But how comes it to passe, that my letters were true, and not to be contradicted before they vvere published, but are not so novv? Why onely thus, our skirts are discovered, our sepulchre is opened, and our nakednesse is novv made manifest, that people (as vve passe the street) point us out Noto­rious, and at us vvag the head; so that before the people (that are not vvilful­ly blinde) vve and our povverless, hypocritical profession (vvhich stands in vvords and forms, not in spirit and povver) are like to receive but little ho­nour.

Novv because they have vvritten severally, I shall reply particularly: And first to Robert Simpson, in vvhom (me thinks) I see most honesty, though it be clouded and covered vvith much deceit and hypocrisie, vvhich the light reproves: And had I not a desire very much to spare him, for the honesties sake, the second stroak vvould exceed the first: And because I perceive his main vvork (as vvell as yours) is to seek a veile of deceipt, under vvhich to hide himselfe from the stroke of truth, and to attain it, spends himselfe in ma­ny light, vaine, and angry words, which have little weight, I shall not trouble my selfe, nor the Reader in speaking much to it, for of it selfe it falls, yet I would not that he should so often take the name of the Lord in vaine, as he doth in the beginning of what he speaks, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless. But in page 29. he saith, If the charge I laid upon him were so indeed, how sad were his condition? Well might his countenance be changed, and his thoughts trouble him.

To which I reply, That though he hath laboured till (he saith) he hath forgotten himselfe, to vindicate or cover himself from what was truly laid up­on him, yet from it hath he not delivered himselfe, but the charge stands good, in sound and sober words, in the power of truth, and whiles he covereth his sin be cannot prosper. And whiles he addeth one iniquity to another, he cannot come into Gods righteousnesse: And oh! that he would consider it, and lay it to heart whiles he hath time, that in the day of the Lords anger, which is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall come, he might be hid and find mercy of the Lord, with whom his vain speaking of a witnesse he hath in heaven brought from thence into his heart, and confirmed by the Spirit of Truth, and of his being taken up into the Mount to confer with him, who hath all power given him and of a Warrant sealed and given forth from him that hath al power, &c. is of little accompt, whiles he understands not what he speaks; For the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation, but the kingdome of [Page 48]God is within, and in his Kingdom he is who dwells in heaven, where the Fa­ther, the Word and Spirit agree, of which all blind Pharisaical Professors are ignorant and cannot know it, till in the light, and by the spirit it be revealed and made manifest.

And whereas he saith, All that he, with the rest, laid at my door, was to a tit­tle true; and that neither he nor his brethren have any reluctance for it. This is all fals, for I have before proved it lies and deceit, and themselves have confest they found that which boiled like a furnace, and scalded all that stand near it, and they were near it, and so resolved not to stay another time. And judgement is now laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and all refuges of lies and deceit are to be swept away, and by truth and soberness such hiding places are overflown, and in soberness do I stand; and so much to my self am I come, that I see many of his words there mentioned to veil and cover him­self, to be light and vain, and not worth answering, and that what I writ, was both sober and true, without fawning and flattery, in which many among you are too much exercised, who love to have smooth, not true things spoken, and would have me peaceable, gentle, and full of mercy to hypocrisie, deceit and wickedness, all which is for judgement, and no peace from God is spoken to it. And therefore without partiality do I declare against it in him and you, as well as in others, and to my self am I not a stranger. And this is pure wisdom from above, and moderation, known unto all that receive and believe in the light, by which that spirit appearing in my former book, is justified, though to you that hate the light, and by the light are condemned it is as gall and worm­word. And for sporting my self, and insulting over him; I did it not, but it is another refuge of lies; for I told him before, I did not insult over him, nor delight in his wo and misery, but was sorely grieved, as still I am, to see how the wicked one, whom the Lord would destroy, was exalted in him and you, and what I writ is true. And whereas he saith, I was not a in a sober mind, but at a distance from it, and true speaking (when I mentioned to him the portion of lyars) and that not any thing he said was a lie, but what he said I had not his hand to, as his particular affirmation; and so goes on speaking many words, but to what purpose I cannot see, except it be by words to darken the Readers understanding. But if I mistake not, that which he would do, is to vindicate himself from being a lyar, with what else I charged upon him in my former Letter, by telling me he said I had not his hand to it, as his particular accusation. And if this be his meaning, then is it gross deceit, for I never said or thought it was his particular accusation, but a general accusation deli­vered by him, in which himself and each other particular, was included, and so I spake to him in soberness and pitty, my very howels moving towards him, knowing my self innocent, and that it was a dreadful thing for him in the Name or the Lord to speak a false vision or thing. I asked him, how he durst come to me, and in the name of the Lord tell me, I said the Scriptures of truth were one of the greatest plagues of the land, when I never spake nor thought such a thing. To which he replyed, he never spake it, nor laid it to my charge, though out of his own mouth it came; and when I told him I had it under his hand, he denyed it. When I told him I could shew it him, he re­plied, if I could, he would acknowledge himself a lyar; upon which ground I char­ged him for it as before, and so I do still, and good were it for him, if he own­ed [Page 49]the judgement and repented, for otherwise he cannot escape. But if he forgeting that his hand was to his paper, did run himself into the evil of de­nying it, as is before exprest; yet if (when he came to the sight of his er­ror) he had clearly acknowledged it, and owned his condemnation and re­pented, to which in love he was advised, there had been mercy for him: but being convinced and reproved of the evil, hardened his neck, and labours to hide and cover his sin, adding one iniquity unto another; here he cannot prosper, but brings himself justly under, not onely the judgement and con­demnation mentioned in my former Letter, but more and more misery due to those that rebel against the light, by which they are reproved, and to those that add iniquity unto iniquity, and must not come into Gods righteousness. And from it all the waters in Jordan can never wash him, not the Rocks and Mountains cover him, nor all your outward observations, imaginations and will­worships, preserve him, till he own the light, by which he is convinced and reproved, and the just condemnation thereof pass upon the rebellious, and the transgressor which hath sinned, and he brought to repentance, and the ac­knowledgement of the truth; and so his soul come to be saved in this migh­ty day of the Lords power. And this is not from a violent heat of wild-fire, as he calls it, but from a spirit of soberness, soundness and truth, and is true love to his soul; and the time is near, in which he that rebuketh plainly shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his lips, and my end is not to make him a transgressor before all, as he supposeth, but according to my mea­sure to advise him, into the way, the light, the life and the truth, which lea­deth out of transgression, into the inheritance of the Saints in light; and in this I do not equivocate, nor evade, as he falsely chargeth me, but do speak plainly and truly, though at it, both he and ye are offended. And both Bap­tism and the Lords Supper I do own, as before I said; and all your traditi­ons, imaginations, inventions carnal observations and will-worships I do deny, who in the many things (about which ye are troubled) oftend all, and are not come to the one Baptism, by which the Saints were baptized into one body; nor know not the Cup of the New Testament, nor the bread of life, which is the life of men, nor the fruit of the Vine, of which Christ with his Disciples drank new in his Fathers Kingdom; and so are feeding your selves with that which will never satisfie, but is corruptible, and must perish in the using. And the ground on which ye stand and question me is not good, but of God is rejected, and bryars and thorns doth it bring forth, and its near unto cursing. And whereas he saith, though he was not present when I spake so reproachfully of the Scriptures, yet he did believe it, and still doth.

I Reply, Here is plainly, and without equivocation, as he calls it, the ground of your lies and slanders, false accusations and charges, as well as of your windy, heady, and powerless Religion, (that is to say) your believing things, which ye neither heard nor saw, but have got by tradition and hearsay from others, as he confesseth of himself in this particular, and few can believe it besides those that are given over to believe lyes, because there is no truth at all in it. And although he saith, I had not his hand in particular, to what he heard not, yet I know I had it to the whole, of which that is a part; and I have it to that which he denies, and saith, I had it not; and well was it that I had it under hand, or else how stiffely would it be denyed and gainsayed, as it [Page 50]was directly at first, and after plain conviction, what shuffling and deceit is here used amongst you, to hide and cover it, though to little purpose? And had I not by the wisdom of God, had a Coppy of your charge, signed by some of your selves, how must all your lyes and forged accusations (which ye pub­lish and say was verbatim, and proved to a tittle and syllable) pass for truth, because ye say it is so, which by the said Coppy is proved not verbatim, nor is proved true, but the contrary.

And whereas Robert Simpson declares I had no ground at all, to lay that agrava­vation of lying upon him, viz. a lye invented, a lye prosecuted, a lye denyed, and the lye proved, and afterwards adviseth me not to evade nor equivocate, but speak truly, and deal plainly.

Reply. I have before dealt so truly and plainly, without flattery, that ye are offended, yet I shall take his advise, and plainly declare, the lye was inven­ted amongst you, when ye studied your accusations, the lye was prosecuted by your Messengers, who charged me with the guilt of what ye had falsely contrived. The lye was denyed by Robert Simpson, when he denied that he spake such a thing, or laid it to my charge, though I had it under his hand; and the lye by me stands proved, both on you and him, from which ye can never deliver your selves by all your shifting and striving, but like a bird in the snare, the more ye strive, the more ye are intangled, till ye acknowledge your iniquitie, and own your condemnation, and repent. And so Robert Simpsons weapons being but the wrath and deceivableness of man, and not un­der promise of a blessing from God, are found too carnal (as he acknowledge­eth) to war against the Lamb and his followers, whose weapons are not car­nal like his, but mighty, thorough God, to the pulling down, and laying low all high things, so that no lying refuges, nor deceitful coverings, are able to stand. But the Armies of the world, who follow the beast, to make war with the Lamb, do flie and fall before them. Glory to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for evermore.