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it shows that the apostles' words are fulfilled among you, 'the doctrines and commandments of men, perish in the using.' And who are greater in the world in striving for the earth, for maintenance, for tithes, casting into prison, haling before courts and sessions, than you that have called yourselves pastors, and ministers of the gospel, who have declared your fruits to all the nation? And as unlike the ministers of Christ, as your hearers are unlike christians, (by your own relation,) without reproving one another. The apostle reproved them that taught for filthy lucre. Christ reproved them that were called of men master, and reproved them that taught for money, and for means, and those that minded earthly things. But how can ye reprove these things and live in the things yourselves? how can one reprove another, and be in the same thing himself? This will stink among all sober men, and set you all on heaps among one another, as ye are. So how can ye or your people either, know any thing of the fundamentals of religion, or salvation, that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world? Christ Jesus, the foundation of God, the wisdom of God, the end of the prophets, and of the law, types, figures, and shadows? Ye have denied the very key that opens to it. Therefore ye all come short of the glory of God; and teachers and people are all fallen into ignorance, since the days of the apostles in the apostacy. But now Christ is come, and coming to reign.

P. They say, 'Upon the sad experience of men's ignorance, we have been brought to consideration of our neglect, &c. And our hearts have been brought low, to think how we have wronged Christ, lest God should require your blood at our hands,' page 19.

A. Repent, repent! for ye have long deceived the people, and their blood will lie upon you, and the blood of many, that hath been shed in the nation, who have died in prison, and been whipped, stocked, and beat through your means: their blood lies upon you all. Repent! the judgment of the great whore is come. The magistrates begin to see you, and you shall not ride upon them. And of your ignorance and that of all your hearers, you may well cry out. Repent, and come to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one withal that comes into the world, to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus,' out of the ignorance. And none come to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, &c. but who come to the light that shines in their hearts, (yea in darkness,) which Christ hath enlightened them withal. Where it shineth out of darkness, it gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And all are ignorant who are from the light, and wrong Christ, and you have all wronged him that have denied the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, who are inward

ly ravened from it, and have had the sheep's clothing: and so have kept people in ignorance, blindness, and darkness. But now the true light shines; the day of glory is dawning; Christ and the saints are reigning and have the kingdom. Glory to the Lord for ever.

P. They say, "Alas! that any reasonable soul should be so brutish! most of their lives are spent in ignorance, and worldliness, living in the flesh,' &c. page 24.

A. Here are the fruits of your ministry. Are not ye ashamed to manifest your fruits thus to the whole nation? Is this like a vineyard, that your people that you have taken maintenance of, and the magistrates, should give you maintenance all this time, and your people spend most of their lives, in ignorance, worldliness, and the flesh? Is this like the fruits of the ministers of Christ, or the fruits of the false prophets, that have not profited the people at all? Did not the apostles keep them from those that bewitched them, and would have brought them into the flesh. And they ministered to the spirit, and got out the wheat and the corn. And are not you fifty-eight ministers ashamed to publish such a thing to the nation, as to say a reasonable soul should be so brutish? can that which is reasonable be brutish? That which is brutish wars against the soul. But this is but to discover your ministry, and what ye minister to, and that of the soul ye are ignorant.

P. They say, 'Is it not a pity that God should have any reasonable creature that knows not his maker, or his laws, or his own happiness? Is it not a pity, that after all that Christ hath done, and suffered for the world, any that calls themselves disciples, should so little know him and the salvation, and should set so light by him,' page 26.

A. In this all you pastors and teachers have shown your work. What! do not the creatures yet know their maker? what! are they heathen yet? what! do not the creatures yet know God's laws? What! worse than the Jews, and heathens! they that call themselves the disciples of Christ, and christians, so little know him, after Christ hath suffered for them? What hath been your work all this while? what have ye been doing? what have ye had wages for, that they so little know him that hath suffered for them, and their salvation, and should set so light by him? How can they prize him, or see any light from Christ, when ye keep them from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world? without which none see salvation; and none see Christ that suffered, but with it and by it: and none come to see and know Christ's end, and the end of God's law, and prize him, and set much by him, but by the light. And do not reasonable creatures know the law of God? Are not reasonable creatures in the faith? are not the unreasonable out of the faith now, that know not their maker, nor his law, and little of the suffering of Christ, or their

own happiness, and know little of their salvation, and set light by Christ? Are not all these your fruits? Are not all these your hearers, that ye complain of to the nation? Have not ye now discovered yourselves in this to be those that have the form of godliness, but deny the power? that keep people always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth? But are such as are led away with divers lusts, and laden with sins. And now are ye complaining that your people serve the lust of the flesh, and the earth, not knowing their Maker, nor his laws, nor their salvation, and setting light by Christ: this ye may complain of with shame, who are such as crept into houses before the apostles' decease, and since ye have gone over the world. But now ye are discovered with that which gives to see the end of the apostacy and apostates; which gives to see before the world was made.

P. They say, 'If the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them; who is the image of God. And the people perish, when visions fail,' &c. page 28.

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A. Who believe not in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' the God of the world blinds their minds. Every one that cometh into the world is enlightened, that through the light they might believe. And every one that believeth in the light, hath the witness in himself, and abides not in the darkness, but hath the light of life. And you that keep people from the light that doth enlighten every one,' &c. are the messengers of satan, out of the truth; and the God of the world blinds the minds of such as do not believe in the light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withal, that all through it might believe. And who believes in it 'that doth enlighten every man,' &c. the light of the glorious gospel shines in them, which is the image of God.

P. And you say, 'Visions are ceased, and revelations, and immediate inspirations.'

A. But I say, 'Repent, every one of you, and come to the light;' for the burthensome stone is fallen upon you, and all that stand against the light 'that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' shall split yourselves against the rock, and be ground to powder. And every one that cometh into the world,' teachers and professors whatsoever, must come unto the light which Christ Jesus the salvation, that saveth the soul, hath enlightened them with, before they come to life, or know the light of the glorious gospel shining in their hearts, or come to the end of the law, or end of the prophets, or end of the revelation, or out of the apostacy, or out of the Jews' state, VOL. III.

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whose ears were stopped, and eyes blinded, out of the Gentiles' state that go astray after the vanities of their mind. So all you, and all upon the earth, Jews, Gentiles, and Christians of what sort soever, must come to the light which every one of you is enlightened with,' before every particular comes to see his salvation or satisfaction; yea, 'the salvation to the ends of the earth,' the glory of Israel, the light of the Gentiles. The apostate Christians have ravened from the spirit of God within them, have got the form, but stand against the light 'that doth enlighten every man,' &c. such have caused the way of truth to be evil spoken of, yea among other nations of the heathens. They have been hot, and broiled in their lusts, having had the form of godliness, and sheep's clothing;' but all standing against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' smiting, and striking their fellow servants. Such must have their portion with the hypocrites. But now the Lamb is come, and the saints reign with him, who to every one will give a reward according to their works. And the Lamb, and the saints shall have victory, him by whom the world was made before it was made, 'glorified with the Father before the world began.' Now is the seed Christ come to reign, and the just have pre-eminence. And I say to you all, the subscribers to all these books, priests, professors, teachers whatsoever, your patience would have better covered your shame and folly, than your heat, extremes, and rashness. But your folly must come forth, that to all men it might appear.

Abundance more of stuff is in it, which is not worth mentioning, whose words shall be your own burthen; the witness in all your consciences in the day of your judgment, when your works are all tried with fire, shall answer. I am a friend of your souls, and your eternal good, but judge your fruits, words, and actions; for the day of the Lord is come that will try every man's work.

John Stalham, who calls himself a servant of the great bishop of souls, who watcheth over a flock at Terling in Essex,' in his book called The reviler rebuked.' These are some of his principles.

P. HE saith, Immediate raptures and revelations seduce simple people's minds,' &c. And the perverse principles of their self-adorning light.' And the Quakers deny all external worship of divine authority, as not to be found among us.' And let learning be advanced among pious men, for God hath his witty and learned ones.'

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And the life of their religion glory of the blessed trinity.' A. The life of religion is the spirit that gave forth scriptures; for all that have the scriptures, and are out of that, are in the feigned religion. And the scripture no where speaks of a trinity, but the Papists, who are apostatized from the life of the scripture. It speaks of Father, son, and holy ghost, and the water, spirit, and blood; and the learned ones upon earth never know Christ with all their natural learning. And if one get all the naturals upon the earth, and the scriptures in all the natural languages, and one supreme power of a nation tolerate all these languages to be the original, and they have the scriptures in all these languages, these are witty ones;' but these know not God nor Christ by all this, though they have all the scriptures, while they are from the spirit of God that gave forth scriptures. For that which brings to know God, is the revelation of the spirit of God, the light which doth not deceive the mind; but their minds are deceived that are from the light. And all worship that is in the truth, and in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures called the Old and New Testament, we own, and is owned among the Quakers. For God who is a spirit, led his servants, and prophets, and son, by his spirit to speak forth the scriptures, which Christ the son is come to fulfil, who saith, "they that worship God, must worship him in spirit and in truth,' and that among the Quakers is owned. And the light which cometh from Christ leadeth from perverse principles, and from adorning self, for it leads out of its righteousness. But perverse men ever stood against it in all ages, and so spurned at the foundation, and overthrow themselves.

is the rule of the holy scriptures, the See his epistle to the protector.

P. He saith, The spirit speaking in the scriptures.' And 'them that say they have no sin, a gracious heart will slight and despise.' He saith, The kingdom of God is not within them.' Luke iv. And saith, 'The soul prepares itself for death.' See epistle to the church.

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A. Such as had gracious hearts, never despised him that had no sin, but the ungracious did. As for example, all the Pharisees against Christ, and against the apostles, and saints. And the apostle told the they that were dead to

Romans, they were made free from sin;' and sin, how could they live any longer therein?' he slighted them not, but encouraged them. So we find thee not to be a minister of Christ, and have proved and tried thy spirit to be of such as say they are apostles, and are not.' And the spirit spoke in them that gave forth the scriptures, so they were declared forth. And men may have the scriptures, and not know the spirit that spoke in them that gave forth scriptures. That is the cause that all people are on heaps about the

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