here, lo there:' and so are in the natural reason and conscience, which the light is not; the light was before they were.

P. They say, 'None should ever have known a justification or a sanctification, if it had not been written.'

A. I do believe you had not, but here you have laid aside the holy ghost: how knew they before they gave scripture forth? Here thou hast denied revelation of the spirit; for though a man has all the writings, yet he knows nothing of God, but by the spirit of God, and the light which comes from him; nor of sanctification, nor justification, which is Christ.

P. You say, 'You are fallen into the last times prophesied of by Christ,' and you are to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.'

A. The faith once delivered to the saints, ye are out of, in respecting persons, and are apostates from it; and the last times which Christ spoke of that should come, John saw were come, when the false prophets which Christ prophesied of, were come, who went forth from the apostles, who, since their days, the world went after; and now from them is the Lord God bringing his people to the rock of ages, into the faith they are out of.

P. 'Foolish man would have his righteousness in himself."

A. Every one that hath Christ hath the righteousness of God wrought in him, and none own the righteousness of Christ but who own the light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; and they are foolish that know not this, and the righteousness of faith in them.

P. It is blasphemy,' they say, and colourable pretences, to witness an infallible spirit in them.'

A. The spirit that leads the saints into all truth, is infallible, and that shall reprove the world; and he that hath the spirit of Christ, hath that which is infallible, and he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his, but is in the colourable pretences.

P. They say, 'The scriptures are the quick and powerful word.' A. Many may have the scriptures and the form, and deny the power; and the scriptures are words of God, and the word is God; and this word is in the heart, which led them to speak forth scripture. And many scriptures they bring to oppose the doctrine of Christ, who saith, 'Be not ye called of men master; for ye have one master, even Christ,' to whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, to the glory, of God. Will men receive worship, when angels would not receive it, but bade them worship God!

P. They say, They rail and cavil at the lawful maintenance that God hath ordained for them."

A. God hath suffered the beast to make havoc, and spoil the saints' goods: but where doth God ordain that you should take tithes and treble damages, easter reckonings, and midsummer dues, and that you should sue men at the law, and cast them in prison till death,—where did God command this? They that preach the gospel should live on the gospel, and they bring glad tidings to people, and this is not glad tidings, to cast into prison till death, and hale up and down to courts and sessions, for outward maintenance. Let the spiritual judge whether these men bring glad tidings, or whether they do not make their folly manifest to all men that can but read the scripture.

P. They say, Such as trust in their own inherent righteousness, compass sea and land to make proselytes."

A. It was so in the days of the Pharisees, it hath been so since the days of the apostles, since the beast and the false prophet got up, who deny the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world, God's righteousness, (Christ.) And such as denied the light had the form; and such gather people into the form of Moses, the prophets, Christ, and the apostles' words; establishing their own righteousness, and denying the righteousness of God, the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world. And all you that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, have trodden the blood of the covenant under foot. And you tell us of human and inherent righteousness, but the scripture tells us no such words. And as for all the rest of the lies in this book, we let them go home again upon their own heads; every word shall be their own burthen, and that in their conscience shall witness. And the scriptures are owned by the Quakers, and denied by you, but owned for your own ends, that deny the light.

A book entitled, "The Quakers' Cause. No name is found in it, but it is a book of darkness, railing, and lies. And because some leave father, and mother, and wife, therefore he rages, who is out of the light and doctrine of Christ. The principles in it are as followeth.

P. SUCH as forsake husband and wife, to do the will of God, this he calls a breaking of relations.'

A. And thus ignorantly speaks evil of those things he knows not. Thus, ignorant of the command of Christ and the scriptures, he hath showed himself to be a member of the world, and not of Christ, who

saith, he that doth not forsake father and mother, wife and children, is not worthy of me.'

P. He saith, Because he saith thou to God, it doth not follow that he should say thou to his earthly father, to speak to God as he doth to man.'

A. Now mind what proud flesh would have, of whom thou hast learned to speak you to an earthly man, or to a particular person, which the scripture hath taught no such language, nor the accidence. That which teacheth thee to give more to man than to God is the spirit of the world, but the spirit of God teaches to speak righteously, and when there is but one, not to say as of many, but thou to one, and you to many. And so here is the form of sound words that cannot be condemned: now you may see where your original stands, who cannot endure the form of sound words.

P. He saith, To be justified by grace, which is Christ in them, this is a kind of Popery.'

A. Contrary to the scripture and the apostles' doctrine, (before the pope, and them too,) which saith, 'Christ was in them,' who are justified by faith;' and faith was in the heart; and 'justified in the spirit,' and who witness the spirit, it is the spirit of grace; and by grace ye are saved,' and that which saves, justifies; and 'being justified by grace.' And thou art of the pope, and in the apostacy, that deniest this.

P. To say, 'Christ is within, is never to mention Christ without.' A. There is none knows Christ within, but he knows him without, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and there are none know him but they know him within, revealed of the Father, which is beyond flesh and blood.

P. And he says, 'To run upon new birth, self-denial, light within, Christ within man, if this be not a kind of Popery, and a fair gate for Rome, he is deceived.'

A. Light within, Christ within, new birth, and self-denial are out of your works and Rome's, which was the doctrine that the apostles held forth and the saints witnessed, Christ within, light within, and new birth. Such were they that came into the kingdom of God, over the kingdoms of the world. And because some have been moved of the Lord to go naked among you, a figure of your nakedness and want of clothing, you rage at it; that you may appear more naked of the spirit of God. And as for all thy lies and slanders and hard expressions in thy book, though thou hast hid thy name, yet truth will bring thy works upon thee, and make the witness in thee to answer; who and which are for the fire, and to thee this shall be thy burden, who art like a man that scorns and scoffs, and yet thou hidest thyself.

P. And thou sayst, 'That good woman called who went naked.' A. Thou hast justified her to be good, and thou canst not say, that that which was good called that which was good beastly or bad, that went naked, which was your figure. Then thou talkest of higher power, and honour of men, like thy brethren the Pharisees, and not like one that knew the higher power, which respects no man's person. And the good women are those that fear God, that have the adorning of the hidden man of the heart, that have the array of Sarah.

John Jackson's book entitled, Strength in weakness.' ples are as followeth.

His princi

P. ONE that is kept groaning and waiting for the adoption, because of the adversary's assaults and contests within her; and yet she is in the kingdom, (thou sayst,) and union with Christ, and spiritual sonship.'

A. Spiritual sonship, and in the kingdom, and yet groaning for adoption! how hast thou brought thyself to the light to be judged; for the least in the kingdom was greater than John. He that is in the kingdom is in righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy ghost, and thou sayst, in the kingdom of grace groaning;' that is but a notion of the kingdom that keeps them groaning for adoption.

P. And as thou sayst, False prophets, and Christs, and deceivers many should come: if it were possible to deceive the very elect.'

A. Yea Christ told his apostles they should come, who before their decease did come, and went forth from them; who Christ said should inwardly raven, and get the sheep's clothing; and since the days of the apostles all the world went after them, as thou mayst read in the Revelation. And now are people but coming from them to the rock, and now shall the everlasting gospel be preached to them that dwell upon the earth, over the heads of the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be taken, and the Lamb and the saints shall have the victory.

P. He saith, 'I hope you will not condemn the generation of the righteous because they are not perfect.'

A. That which condemns is righteous, it condemns that which is not perfect, and that which is righteous is perfect, and the generation is righteous and not to be condemned.

P. A son or daughter that is translated into the kingdom of the dear son, hath filthiness and pollutions of flesh and spirit to put off, and the members to be mortified.'

A. How is he translated into the kingdom of the dear son of God, or grace, if he have that before mentioned to put off? and what is he translated out of, if when he is translated into the kingdom he hath filthiness of the flesh and spirit to put off, and the members to mortify? which filthiness of flesh and spirit, and unmortified members, come not into the kingdom: for they are mortified in their passage to it, for no unrighteousness enters into the kingdom, as saith the apostle, nor any unmortified thing; for the kingdom of God consists of joy and peace in the holy ghost, and unrighteousness and all filth of flesh and spirit, are without it.

P. It is the comforter that convinceth the world of sin, but all men have not the spirit, neither are they convinced so of their unbelief.'

A. Every man that cometh into the world is enlightened, that he may believe in the light, and he that believes in the light receives the comforter, and he that believes not in the light, the spirit of truth reproves him for his unbelief, for his righteousness, and his judgment. And I say, the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is sufficient, and those who believe in it shall have the light of life, and shall not abide in darkness, and come to the rock, Christ. And all being in the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, shall in the light see their salvation to the ends of the earth; and need not say, 'Lo here,' or 'Lo there.' And as for all the wrangling stuff in thy book, what he said, and what she said, and what thou sayst, (a garment to cover,) you had been better silent and not have laid open your nakedness to the nation. I say unto thee, this stuff, and bush, will burn in the fire, and the witness in thee shall answer, which shall witness me, and judge thy contentious spirit, which shows thou art far from the kingdom. And silence had preached more, and patience, than the strife which stands in self-justification, and justifying that which is to be mortified and put off, which never came into the kingdom. And all men that do not believe in the light 'that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' the spirit doth convince them, and is manifest to them and in them.

1