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the law of God written in the heart, and neglect that which brings into covenant with God, by which the scriptures are fulfilled. So here again thou dost not divide the word aright, and bringest not people into that which doth fulfil scripture.

P. He saith, Because this light doth not lead us to close with God's ordinances, the sacraments, he looks upon it as a delusion of satan,' page 26.

A. The scriptures mention no such word; and the light was before your invented sacraments were, and cannot join with them, but condemns them, but it owns the scripture and the ordinances of God.

Richard Baxter's book called, A second sheet to the ministry, justifying our call against the Quakers,' &c. His principles follow.

Because the children of God cannot satisfy his ungodly lusts, therefore he is complaining to the magistrates. So he is one of the complainers and murmurers.

P. HE saith, that Timothy was not to hold fast that which he had immediately received from God, but that which he had received from Paul,' &c. See page 5.

A. In this thou art contrary to the apostle, who bid 'stir up the gift that was in him, and keep the faith,' (which Christ was the author of,) and that would not contradict the apostle's words who was in the faith: and that which Timothy received from God, he was to hold fast, in which he had unity with the apostle.

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P. He saith, The holy ghost is to help us in keeping that which is committed to us, and not to reveal more.' See page 4.

A. Timothy could not know doctrine but by revelation, and doing the will of Christ. How art thou exalted, that wouldst put lies upon the apostle, and limit the Holy One, and set bounds to the just, and be a teacher of the holy ghost, what it must not reveal! how art thou exalted in this above all that is called God, and blasphemously sittest in the temple of God! Thou wouldst be a teacher of the holy ghost, who must be the teacher, and tell what it must reveal, and what it must not reveal! Thou must be stopped for thy presumption. If ye have nothing but what the holy ghost hath given forth, the form of words, the church of Rome hath the same, and all the false prophets upon earth; and antichrists, seducers, and devils get the scriptures given forth from the holy ghost, and hold these words in the unrighteousness, and resist the holy ghost, and say it must reveal no more. These come under the judgment of the Almighty; God's decree is against them.

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But the spirit, the holy ghost leadeth into all truth,' and doth reveal; and the apostle bids the saints wait for the revelation of Jesus. And the grace was brought by the revelation of Jesus, and the secrets are revealed to them that fear God, and the 'spirit reveals the things of God,' but thou sayst it reveals no more; which shows thou dost not know the scriptures, nor God, nor the spirit.

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P. Whereas thou sayst, ye have the scriptures of the prophets and apostles, and Christ's words, and so are not to look for new prophets, and that would be a question to the church, and that would show mutability in Christ.' See page 6.

A. In this thou hast showed thyself of what generation thou art; for there hath been the mother of harlots, that hath drunk the blood of the prophets, martyrs, and saints. And such as drink the blood have the form, and get the sheep's clothing, but cry 'prophecy is ceased, and revelation from heaven is ceased,' only they have a standing rule, the scriptures without; and so here they have their clothing, the sheep's clothing, but ravened from the spirit, and so have denied the church in which there is prophecy, and the spirit of God; for where that is, there is prophecy amongst sons and daughters, but not amongst you apostates.

P. He finds 'fault with a man that will not believe except he see, as instance, a man will not believe they are ministers of Christ, except they work miracles, &c. And will not believe there is a parliament, or Holland, or France, or Spain, except he have been in them,' &c. See page 6 and 7.

A. Thou and thy wits are compassed, for revelations and prophecies are now spoken forth and witnessed, and thou canst not believe, because thou dost not see; and thou art finding fault with others that do not believe because they do not see. Thou art seen and disapproved, and so now in that thou judgest others, thou art judged thyself, who art blind and out of the life. And many may see there is a Holland, and other countries, though they have not seen them with an outward eye. And we believe the ministers of Christ, though they do not work miracles; but that you are apostatized from them we do believe and see. P. He saith, The saints were not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of some was,' &c. See page 8. A. That was in the time of the apostles, before the apostacy. But since the apostacy, the beast, false prophets, and murderers of the saints are got up, and assemble themselves together, and deceive the nations, and are breaking the saints' meetings, that keep the testimony of Jesus and the spirit of prophecy, and overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of Jesus. Christ is the rock, and his church doth continue: but they that Christ said should come are come, the false prophets that should get the sheep's clothing. And John saw

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they were come, who went forth from them, and made war against the saints and the Lamb; but the saints and the Lamb shall get the victory. And we are come to the assembly of the saints, to that which was before you were apostatized; for your assemblies have forsaken the saints, your fruits declare it.

P. He saith, Because they have the people's consent, and the magistrates' allowance, therefore that is true ordination,' &c. See page 11.

A. Balaam had the people's consent, and the heathenish magistrates' allowance, when he should have cursed the children of Israel, and so this is no proof of ordination. And the chief priests had the people's consent; and many of the magistrates turned against Christ. So this is no ordination for ministers of Christ. And the beast and the false prophet shall rise against the Lamb and the saints, and yet they shall have sheep's clothing; this is no proof of their ordination from God, but all this proves it from man. But they who have their ordination from God, are not owned either by people or magistrates, in their wills; but by those who fear God, and are come to the spirit of God, they are owned by that to which they minister; and they never went to the magistrates for their allowance. And here again you are apostates from the apostles, and in the steps of the false prophets, whose ordination is by the consent of the people, and your allowance from the magistrates, who are from the allowance of Christ that he gives to his ministers, and the ordination of the apostles, that was not from man, nor by man.

P. Thou bids us mark the canon of the holy ghost in Timothy.' See page 11.

A. There is no such word as canon in Timothy; and thou tells us of a Catholic church, and we cannot find any such word in scripture; but we perceive of whom thou hast learned these words, and what centre and stock thou comest of, the pope, and not the apostles.

P. He saith, they have an uninterrupted succession drawn from the apostles,' &c.

See page 13.

A. Your succession is from the pope, apostatized from the apostles, for ye are out of the apostles' doctrine, and in all your whole worship corrected and reproved by scripture. Did the apostles set up a temple? set up tithes? set up your schools and colleges? Is not, the pope the author of all these? Are not ye his successors?

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P. Thou sayst, ye are the ministers of Christ, because ye have the scriptures and books,' and such like, 'and that you are not usurpers of the authority,' &c. See page 16.

A. Now there is not one of you all, that ever durst say, ye have heard God's voice immediately from heaven, or Christ's voice, or have

the same spirit the prophets, and apostles, and Christ had, or immediate revelations from heaven as they had. So then you are in another ordination than they were in, and usurpers into the ministry, and intruders into those things you never saw. And cannot any one be as

good a pastor or minister as you, seeing all your teaching is but from books and other men's writings? Why may not others learn the same books and writings, and so come to be teachers and pastors as well as you, seeing you have nothing but from books and writings, and old authors? Why may not all that read those be pastors and teachers, and so then where would be the hearers? And so with the life are you all judged, the spirit of God which gave forth scriptures, which was before your old books and authors were.

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Thomas Higginson's book, called, The Testimony of the true Jesus.' His principles follow.

P. HE saith, The word is not righteousness without the flesh,' &c. See page 3.

A. The word is righteous itself, and the flesh righteous as it be

came.

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P. He saith, Men are presented perfect to God, and without spot, before any work done, or good whatsoever,' &c. page 3.

A. There is none doth the work of God but who believes; and he that believes overcomes the world, and his works are wrought in God, and he hath the word of reconciliation in him. And by this doctrine of thine all the world is presented perfect to God; for he is the offering for the whole world. But those that believe are partakers, and those that do not believe are condemned. Yet I say, the Lord helps the unbelief of many, who is the saviour of all men, especially of them that believe; and men are not presented to God while they do evil, and before they are sanctified and holy.

P. He saith, The invisible things of God, and the eternal power and glory of God, may be known by that of God in every man, but not his good pleasure or purpose of grace,' &c. See page 4.

A. Is the glory seen and known, the godhead known, the invisible things of God, and the eternal power, and not the good pleasure of God, nor his purpose of grace? Doth not the godhead dwell in Christ, and his fulness, bodily? And is not Christ the power of God? And doth not he that knows God, and his glory, and his eternal power and god

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head, know the son? Consider that; For he that hath known the son, hath known the Father also,' and grace, and the purpose of God.

P. He saith, Man may know God, and his eternal power, and godhead, and glory, and yet know nothing of the mystery of Christ, nor can that (which thou sayst shows these things) lead unto the mystery of the knowledge of Christ,' &c. See page 4.

A. Where the eternal power and godhead is known, his power, his glory, and the invisible things of God, there is something of Christ known, the mystery. For there is none knows the Father but the son, and he to whom the son reveals him.' And he that knows the Father knows the son.

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P. He saith, To say that Christ is within man, is to worship angels, and not to hold the head Christ,' &c. See page 5.

A. None come to witness Christ the head, but who witness him in them, that the angels must worship, that died and suffered at Jerusalem; and they that worship him in them, worship not the angels; and they that are not worshipping him in them, are worshipping men, devils, or angels.

P. He saith, 'It is a bewitching of the mind, to preach Christ within the saints,' &c.

A. Did not the same apostle that spoke to the Colossians, of worshipping of angels, not holding the head,' preach Christ in them? And he told them of 'intruding into things they never saw.' Did not he say, Christ in you the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus? How contrary to the apostles and Christ Jesus dost thou divide the word, that callest this doctrine bewitching? And thou that preachest another doctrine contrary to his, art accurst.

P. He saith, To say the light in every one (wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened them that come into the world) is the way to Christ and the Father, and is the sure word of prophecy which people are to take heed unto, this is to deny the person of Christ, as the object of faith, and the scriptures as the rule of faith, and faith itself,' &c. See page 8.

A. In this thou hast showed thy ignorance; for none know the person of Christ but with the light that comes from him: none know the mediator, none know the author of their faith, but with the light that comes from Christ: and none know the scriptures of truth but with the light. And Christ is the rule of faith, and author of it, and the giver; and many may have the scriptures and not faith. So in this thou dividest not the word aright, but art incapable of dividing the word. And that is the sure word of prophecy that shines in a dark

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