hearts, and in their minds, to bring them off all other teachers, whereby they need not teach one another, nor say, 'know the Lord.'

P. He saith,

Men may be called of men master, and it is but a

cavil to deny it. And they may deny to be called father, as well as master,' &c. See page 68. A. Thou hast in this denied the doctrine of Christ, and slightest it, who saith, 'Be not ye of men called master; for ye have all one master, which is Christ, and ye are all brethren.' And thou hast showed thyself out of the brotherhood; and there is a birth to be born, which can call no man father upon earth, which thou art ignorant of.

P. He saith, There is lawful respect of persons, and it is said God himself is the respecter of persons: and the Quakers overthrow all authority, because they do not respect persons,' page 71.

A. God is not a respecter of persons,' as saith the apostle, for his covenant he gives to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. And the faith of God's elect is held without respect of persons; and he that respects persons commits sin, and transgresseth the law. And so thou dividest not the word aright.

P. He saith, False prophets shall arise, and damnable heresies, and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.'

A. The apostles saw them come up, the false prophets that brought in the damnable heresies, that were covetous, &c. and many followed their ways. And the false prophets go from the light that Christ hath enlightened them with, and raven from the spirit, and get the sheep's clothing, and through their covetousness, make a trade of that: and you are such as cause the truth to be evil spoken of, who are come up since the days of the apostles.

P. And the Quakers are not to be received into their houses, nor bidden God speed, and such as creep into houses, lead silly women. captive, laden with sin, and led away with divers lusts.'

A. The apostle saw such as crept into houses, and such as transgressed the doctrine of Christ, that were not to be received into houses; and saw the deceivers that walked after their ungodly lusts, before the apostles' decease; and such as kept people always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, as is manifest now in the world; they are learning 40, 50, or 60 years, and yet there is a cry among them that they must have the body of sin, and live in their sins while they be upon the earth, and that none can be without it; and this is the height your doctrine leads to, which is now in the mouths of all people that are under your teaching that teach that doctrine. And yet you will say, the work of the ministry is for the perfecting of the saints, to the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come into the unity

of the faith unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ! And this work ye have denied yourselves to be in; but how should it be otherwise with such that are as Jannes and Jambres? that have ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, that went forth from the apostles, that are covetous, that keep people 'always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.' So you are they that keep people from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, and keep them in spiritual Egypt, Sodom, and Gomorrah, where they are always learning, having the form of godliness, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; and this to you all will be a sad cup at last.

And as for all thy lies and slanders in thy book, which are not worth mentioning, they will come sadly upon thyself one day for the grievous lies thou hast uttered in it unto the nation; but thousands in the nation, that are not under the name of Quakers, know and see the contrary of what thou hast published; they will fall upon thy own self, and be thy own burthen. And then thou shalt say, when thou feelest thy own works burn, thou hadst better have been silent, and not have published forth thy folly, and made thy name to stink, and brought thy name upon record, who hath made lies thy refuge; but the hail is come, and coming, that will sweep them away.

William Thomas, called Minister of the Gospel of Ubley, his book called 'A Vindication of the Scriptures and Ministers.' His principles follow.

P. HE saith, Christ directs to look for life in the scriptures, because they testify of him; and that the scriptures are the ground of faith, and the saints' rule.' And again, We are justified by Christ without

us, and not within us.' See his epistle.

A. Many had the scriptures, and searched them, and found not life in them, for Christ is the life; and if men have all the scriptures, and have not Christ, they have not life. And so Christ did not say they should have life in the scriptures; but he saith, they thought to have life there, and that they testified of him, 'and they would not come to him that they might have life.' How ignorant art thou of the scriptures, and of Christ's words, to divide them in this manner! And Christ is the author of the faith. And many have scriptures, and have not the ground of faith, until they have Christ the author of it, and God the giver of it; which are able to make wise unto salvation,' through the faith which Christ is the author of. For Enoch, and Abel,&c.

had faith before the scriptures were written; and so before thy ground was. And the saints had a rule before the scriptures were written; for the spirit was their rule that led them into all truth, and to speak forth scriptures; that is the rule that mortifies, circumciseth, baptizeth, and leads into all truth. The word of God, that fulfils scriptures, leads into all truth; that is the truth that leads into all truth. Now the scriptures cannot lead into all truth, but they testify of that that doth. And if Christ be not within people, they are reprobates. And is a reprobate justified? And if Christ be within, is not the justification there, and redemption and sanctification witnessed, Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.'

P. He saith, We consider how few there are in the church that belongs to God.' See his epistle.

A. This is your own church, which is not the pillar and ground of truth. For who are in the church of Christ, the pillar and ground of truth, (where there is not a spot, or wrinkle, or blemish, nor any such thing,) they are those that belong to God; they are living stones, built up together a spiritual household; but from this thou art afar off.

P. He saith, 'We willingly acknowledge we are fallible men, that may be deceived; and to find infallible teachers is against experience. None pretend infallibility but the pope.' See page 9. He saith, The scriptures are the well and living fountain, from whence living waters have been drawn this hundred or thousand years,' page 8.

A. If every one that hath the scriptures hath the fountain, hath the devil the fountain? for he can bring scriptures; hath he the fountain and well of living waters? Nay, we say, God and Christ is the fountain of all good. And saith David, all the springs are in him.' And so, many may have the scriptures, and yet want the waters, want the fountain; who have had them since the days of the apostles, who have had them this many hundreds of years in the apostacy, the sheep's clothing, and have known no other fountain, but them, nor any other well. So all the leanness of souls hath been among people, because they have not known the fountain of whom they learned that gave forth scriptures. And we do believe you, that ye are fallible men, that say 'the scriptures are the well and fountain of living waters,' and you are not infallible. And it is contrary to your experience to be infallible. And we say the pope is not infallible neither, though he be your father, the ancient. Yet we say, he and you are apostatized from the infallible spirit that the apostles were in, to which we are come, with which ye are seen and judged, not to have the spirit of Christ Jesus, not to have the spirit of the prophets and apostles, not to be led by the spirit of truth into all truth,' not to be in the spirit not to speak as ye ( are moved of the holy ghost;' but to be such as are ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, and have gotten the sheep's

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clothing, ye and the pope, and so have devoured nations for this many hundred years, so have all been like ravening wolves. For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the scriptures, they witness infallibility, an infallible spirit, which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers: glory to the highest for ever,' that your folly now should be made manifest; the morning is springing in, the night of apostacy is going. So I say, the devil, false prophets, antichrists, deceivers, beast, mother of harlots, none of these can witness an infallible spirit, nor the well nor fountain, but the letter; though they may get all the sheep's clothing, and come in likeness of a lamb or a sheep to deceive people. But being out of the spirit that Christ, the prophets and apostles were in, that gave forth scriptures, they are not infallible as they were, but with that they are all judged out; which will answer that which they are all gone from, where the key is known, and the well was and is, in believers.

P. And the scriptures is the rule; and the Quakers dream of the light to be their rule to walk by,' page 14.

A. The word of God which lives and endures for ever, (which came to the saints of old, which caused them to give forth scriptures, and to write them,) which fulfils all the words again, is the rule: which word was spoken to the saints before scripture was written: which lets all people see that declaration, and fulfils that declaration to them, Christ the leader of the people, the covenant of God, who is the light; and they are in the dreams that deny it.

P. He saith, But Christ, by his magistrates, hath appointed tithes a maintenance for his ministers,' page 21.

A. Since the days of the apostles the pope gave tithes; and other magistrates that followed him and he hath had the tenths, the tithes, since this night of apostacy, and the reprobation hath been from the apostles' doctrine. And many have had the sheep's clothing, but have been raveners from the life that they lived in that gave it forth: so have not seen to what state and condition the scriptures were spoken; being out of the life they were in that gave them forth; and see not the substance, Christ Jesus, who came to end the first priesthood, and the ministers that took tithes, tolerated by the first covenant, (which the apostle witnessed the end of,) and to bring in an everlasting covenant, and another ministry, and another maintenance to them. Since the days of the apostles, such as are ravened from the spirit of God, have lost the maintenance the apostles and Christ gave; and so have set up tithes, and another ministry, which is neither agreeable to Jews, nor Gentiles; nor Christ's, but more dark. But the night of VOL. III.

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apostacy is going over, the true light shines, and the light of the living is springing in.

P. He saith, The immediate spirit excludes the word to be the rule," page 38. And the word, and the spirit,' he saith, are different things. And the Pharisees thought right, that eternal life was laid up in the scriptures,' page 39.

A. Christ told the Pharisees they would not come to him that they might have life: and he was the life, and he was the way, and no one cometh to the Father but by him. He doth not say he was scripture, but he bids them search it, for it testified of him: and none have life but who are in him. And the word and the spirit are one: and the spirit doth not exclude the word nor the scriptures, for they were given forth from it, and it owns them again; with it are they seen, given forth in time, fulfilled in time, and they cannot be broken, and the saints' life is hid in Christ who ends them.

P. He'saith, Men are saved, but not by Christ within us,' page 42. A. How is man's salvation wrought out, but by the power of Christ within? How is the old man destroyed, but by Christ within? How is the justification felt, but by Christ within? And where the seed Christ that suffered without,' is made manifest within, there is redemption, and life. He that hath the son of God, hath life;' redemption to God out of the first Adam. And who feels Christ within feels salvation; and who doth not is a reprobate though he may talk of him.

P. He saith, It is a fond sign to depend upon an unwritten word immediately, within themselves: and say, from that word is the life manifested within,' page 43. 'And Christ is not come to them in the flesh.' And he saith, Timothy had the gift of God freely; and elders are called ordinarily, and not immediately. This call ordinary is common to all ministers, to continue to all ages in the church,' page

47.

A. All they that have not the unwritten word in their hearts, which is immediate, know not the word of faith, know not the word of reconciliation; know not the ingrafted word that is able to save their souls, know not that which lives and abides and endures for ever; know not eternal life, neither have they it who have not the word, the immediate word within them; and know not the immortal seed. And such are in the fondness, that have the scripture and put that for the word, which is words. And since the days of the apostles, in your churches, your ministers, your elders, your makers of your ministers, have been all mediate, and so it is 'ordinary,' as ye call it. But before the apostacy, in the days of the apostles, we say, neither elders nor ministers were mediate. But that which made the elders, was the holy ghost, to oversee; and that which brought them to minister was