DId you 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? now as in the natural Body there may be many infirmi­ties; so also in the mistical Body some­times it may be subject to distempers, by undigested hu­mors, the want of through closing with divine truths, or the receiving in of untruths, may occasion a surfeit; some­times windy humors, pride, high mindedness, and giving [Page 2] heed to lying Spirits, by some of its Members may distem­per it; sometimes feverish heats of violent headiness, in­stead of well tempered zeal for God and godliness may in­flame it, so that many parts of it are sorely laid open to in­fections, from divers that seem to be of it, or converse with it. Art not thou the man, or at least one of them; oh! who hath his eyes in his head and doth not see, who hath his ears open and doth not hear, who hath his tongue untyed, and doth not speak to vindicate the undeceived's innocency, as well as to publish your folly, in answer to a little Pamphlet, called, The Shirts of the Whore discoveyed, &c. containing in it many things too low and beneath a serious Christians per­using or reading, much more the answering; it being in the middle and both ends stuft with so many unsavoury and un­christian like expressions, yet we shall take the Lords conn­sel, Prov. 26▪ 5. and so answer the Author, lest he should be wise in his own conceit: in which Answer, we shall not recite all the Absurdities and vain hoastings, and untruths, &c. yet being, as before▪ beneath a Christian, much more a whole Church, to spend pretious time, either to read or an­swer, &c. neither shall we at present so lay open your folly in all things, that we have heard or seen, lest our Answer should be seven times as big as your charge. Now to pro­ceed, consider that as every word of God is true, so hath it some more special time of fulfilling: now we read Acts 20. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking per­verse things, to draw away disciples after them. O how tru­ly is this Scripture fulfilled this day upon us and you; first, in your departing from us, and now in those perverse things written and spoken by you, to draw away disciples after you, as is clear in many of those expressions in your Let­ter.

We have of late met with a little Book put forth by you, the Title of which when we had read, and seriously consi­dered the People included and intended by you in those ex­pressions, we could not but even stand amazed to think, unto what a height of Impudency and Malignity you are al­ready come, and whither may not a poor fallen creature run if God stop him not? Is it not a high degree of Luci­ferian [Page 3] pride, for a poor creature, to set his foot upon the necks of all the Assemblies and Churches of the Saints this day in England and Wales, calling them the Whore, (as your expressions must needs import) for if this Church in Bristol be the Skirts of the Whore, then other Churches in your account must needs be the Whore, we being indeed but as the Skirts, or out-casts of Sion: but for your hard censures we shall leave to him that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand, and that walketh among the golden Candle­sticks; in the mean time we shall take up Davids resoluti­on, when Shimei cursed him, 2 Sam. 16. 12. It may be the Lord will look on our affliction, (or tears) and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day. Oh how do the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce, and the uncircumcised triumph? Will not every prophane person that seeth us go in the street, say, lo there goes one of the skirts of the Whore, one of the Synagogue of Satan, one of the un­clean birds, &c. and if we should reprove them for it, will they not say, that one of your selves have written and pub­lished it.

Oh! had it been a Turk, a Heathen, or a professed ene­my to Christ, that had done this, we could have born it, but that one who had tasted of the good word of God, and knowingly professed the Truth, for him to lift up his heel against Christ, and to crucifie him a fresh in his Members, and put him to open shame, how will you look the Lord Jesus in the face at his appearing.

Poor man, you often told us there was some Judas in the Church, but little did we think that ever you would have acted so like Judas, as first to betray us with a kiss, calling us friends, and then deliver us into the hands of our ene­mies to scourge us with their tongues, and to spit in our fa­ces, and so to condemne us and the way of truth which we profess, hardning their hearts against it; yea, will not all that pass by clap their hands, hiss, and wag their heads at us, and say? is this a Church of Bristol, that men use to call an Assembly of Sion? &c. are these your gathered Churches, about which there hath been so much contending of late? nay then we will continue in our Parish Assemblies still, [Page 4] we will never believe separation to be the way of God, nor any of the separated Congregations to be the Churches of Christ, but rather the Synagogues of Satan, &c. O! are not these the thoughts and sayings of many at this day? and how shall we answer these things? Must we not make our solemn addresses unto God? and say as Nehemiah 4. 4, 5. Hear O our God for we are despised, and turn his reproach up­on his own head &c.

You also stile us the mingled People, whom you reproach­fully call the Independent, Baptized, &c. O poor man, was it not enough that you had often spoken reproachfully against that blessed Institution of Christ, which he in his own per­son practised when he was about thirty years of age, Luke 3. 21, 23. and left as a standing Ordinance of the New Testa­ment to all Generations till his coming again, you calling it as you have often done, that ugly thing of Baptism, and so taking it quite away, neither practising it upon your chil­dren for many years, nor allowing it to believers; but that you should now with despiteful hatred open your mouth in blasphemy against God, and against his Tabernacle.

Is it a light thing that you have cast off, and do neglect to practise the Commands and Ordinances of Jesus Christ, written in his word; but you must write contemptuously against them, that do in conscience and obedience unto him, walk in the practise of them: you call us a mingled people, you might possibly have spoken true, had you said so of us before you and the rest left us, for we had (as it is to be feared) a company of rotten Professors mingled a­mongst us, some of which never brought any great honor to Christ, but since you and they left us, we do not know any soul in the Church, but is able to give a good account of their Faith in Christ, and are careful to walk in all the waies of Christ, so far as they have obtained: But for that min­gling the which you mean, of persons differing in their judg­ments about somethings, &c. you know in your own con­science, that it was and is the principle of this Church to own and receive any that are truly godly, though differing in some things; and so you your self did readily receive our Brother Simpson though baptized, and you gave way to a­nother [Page 5] of the Church to be baptized, though now you scornfully stile us a mingled People.

But the Church of Corinth, or the Church of the Romans, or the Church of Philippi, among whom there were many that did differ in their Judgments about some things, yet were not stiled a mingled people, a harlot, &c.

But had some of those that went with you been faithful to their light, to have practised the Ordinance of Baptism, when they were convinced of it, they might have been some of the mingled too, as you call us; and what a preservative that might have been to them, we shall not determine, on­ly this is observable, that there was not, nor is not one of all those that have practised the Ordinance of Baptism with us that have fallen away, but onely one that was long be­fore drawn away by the People called Free-willers. You say we call our selves a Church of Christ in Bristol, &c. We answer, hath not Christ called us so, and owned us so? surely you and others have solemnly professed, that Christ hath e­vidently manifested his presence in this Church; besides, you and others can testifie that she was at first rightly constitu­ted, according to the light that God gave to his People in the work of gathering Churches at that time, but it may be you will say, she is grown carnal and become a harlot, &c.

We shall not proudly boast, but humbly acknowledge both to the Lord and to men, that we have many weaknes­ses and failings, which is matter of daily grief and com­plaint; but where do you find that ever Jesus Christ did un­church a People for such weaknesses as they did acknow­ledge and bewaile, so long as they did not cast off him, nor the faith of him, nor their obedience to him; read over the Epistles written to the Churches, either Corinth, or the Churches of Galatia, or the seven Churches of Asia, among whom there were many very great weaknesses and miscar­riages; pray read and consider, 1 Cor: 5. 1. 2 Cor. 12. 20, 21. Rev. 20. 3. and yet Christ nor his Apostles doth not unchurch them; and who are you then, that durst so proud­ly set your foot upon the neck of this poor Church▪ and trample her down as a harlot, a Synagogue of Satan? &c. [Page 6] Again consider, who were those that are said to be of the Synagogue of Satan, Rev. 2. 9 & 3. 9. It was not the Chur­ches that were called so, for Christ owned them as Churches, and stiled them so, though they had many miscarriages; but those that were stiled of the Synagogue of Satan, were a company of proud boasters, that said they were Jews and Apostles, but did lie and were not; so now consider, who are those at this day, that call themselves Apostles, and boast of perfection; do any of us do so, or do not they that ye own do so; and hath not the Church of Bristol try­ed them and their Doctrins, and found them lyars, and their Doctrins false? as the Church of Ephesus did, Rev. [...]. 2. witness James Naylor.

Christopher Atkinson and others, whose Books some of us have read and tryed, and have found them to be contra­ry to the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, which was preached by the true Servants of God, and therefore have upon a good ground rejected them according to the coun­sel of the Spirit of God, Gal. 1. 8, 9. 2 John 10, vers. But you say possitively, that we are found to be a Synagogue of Satan; was it ever heard that any man, either Prophets or Apostles, or any that feared God, or expected to give an account of his words and actions, did assume that boldness as thus to judge a people professing godliness, every one of which are able to give a good account of their faith in Jesus, and that do strive to walk up to what they know? &c. Is not this to take the place of Jesus Christ, whose pre­rogative alone it is to try hearts and judge persons? &c. Did you not say truly, when you said you did not know Christ? and might you not have said as truly, you did not acknowledg him? for certainly did you ever think to stand before him to give an account of your hard speeches, you could never speak and write thus.

Oh that you would consider, what you have spoken and written to the grief of Christs wounded ones, Psal. 69. 26▪ If it were better that a milstone were hanged about a mans neck, and he cast into the Sea, than that he should offend one of Christs little ones, Matt. 18. 6. How sad is it then for you to offend and grieve, judge and condemn near 60 [Page 7] persons, calling them a Synagogue of Satan? &c. and that for no other cause, but that after praying for you and mourning over you, we sent three times in love and pity to admonish you of the evil of your way; you should now break out thus violently against us? O blush and roul your self in the dust, that if yet the day of Grace, and door of Mercy be not shut against you. You say it is in answer to a charge brought against you by some of the Members, &c. Truly we could have been glad that you had spared us that pains; and had not conscience of our duty, and love to the name of the Lord, and to your soul prevailed with us, more than any delight we had in that work, you had never heard of us in that kind You say it is, by you, for the sake of the simple hearted among us, published; blessed be the Lord there are some simple plain honest hearted amongst us, had you and the rest been so, no doubt you would have stayed with us; and thus much for the first branch of your Title page.

We observe that you begin your Epistle to the Reader, as likewise your Book, with the word outward fellowship, &c. Truly we shall easily grant, that your fellowship in the things of God, was but outward; for had it been inward and spiritual in truth and sincerity, you would, no doubt, have continued in it, but as it is written, 1 John 2 19. They went out from us, because they were not of us. We shall not spend time to answer every passage in your Letter, lest as Solomon speaks, Prov. 26▪ 4. we should be like unto you; and yet we shall answer some things, lest as Prov. 26 5. you should be wise in your own conceit. As for those Scripture expressi­ons in your Book, though misapplied by you, yet we hope we shall consider them, and examine our selves by them, though not as they come from you, but as they are the words of God: and as for those taunts, scorns, false ac­cusations, judgings and condemnations, of which your Pamphlet is full, we hope we may as we have opportunity spread them before the Lord, as Hezekiah did the Letter that he received, Isa. 37. 14. we being otherwise taught than to render evil for evil, or railing for railing but rather to bless, 1 Pet. 3. 9. having the example of Christ herein, as [Page 8] well as a Precept hereto, 1 Pet. 2. 23. Mat. 5. 44. yet we cannot but take notice of the absurdity of your arguing and proceeding, wherein you first beg the question, and then draw what inferences you please: you first stile us a Syna­gogue of Satan, &c. and then heap up threatnings against us as such, &c. much like the heathen persecutors of old, who would first wrap the Saints in the skins of Beasts, and then set the dogs upon them to tear them, &c. Would you not count it an absurd thing if any man should come to you, and heap up all the Scriptures that speak against mur­derers, Adulterers, Drunkards, Swearers, Lyers, Theeves, &c. and apply them unto you, taking it for granted that you are such a one; and then ask you if this be not Scrip­ture? &c. Or on the other side, if one should take all the Scriptures that speak comfort to the true Saints, in a suffer­ing and persecuted condition, and apply them to a common thief that is cast in prison for his wickedness, or to a Male­factor that is going to suffer justly for his evil deeds? &c.

Now this is just your way of reasoning, (and many others with you) first to heap up multitudes of Scriptures that speak against the Whore of Babylon, against Anti-christ, against the Beast, and the false Prophets, against Hypocrites and Rejectors of the Gospel, and against other ungodly and wicked persons, &c. and apply all this to whom you please, either to the Churches of Christ, or to the faithful preach­ers of the Gospel, or to any other godly people; right or wrong, if they stand in your way, you conclude they are such because you call them so, whereas they may as soon prove the former things against you, as you can prove the later a­gainst them; so likewise the comforts and promises made to suffering Saints, may as well be applyed to a common thief, &c. As to some of those that you stile the Servants and Witnesses of Jesus, and this we find was Rabshaketh his way of arguing with Hezekiah, 2 Kings 18. 22. Now had Hezekiah been the man, and had he done the things that Rabshaketh there charged him with, then he had reasoned rightly, but Rabshaketh was mistaken in his foundation ta­king the things for granted, whereas there was no such mat­ter, for godly Hezekiah had done no such thing, onely Rab­shaketh [Page 9] by his wit and subtilty framed such arguments as he thought might accomplish his design, namely to draw away the poor Isralites out of Jerusalem, where God had set them, and from Hezekiah whom God had set over them, to come forth to their enemies, as you may read at large, 2 Kings 18. 30, 31, 32. and therefore do you consider a little, what if you should be mistaken as Rabshaketh was, who was as confident as you are; and suppose that some of them (at least) whom you have cryed down as false Pro­phets and Deceivers, should be found the Servants of Christ, or that those Churches in England, that you or some of your way call the well favoured Harlots, or that this poor despised people in Bristol, that you so contemptuously trample upon, calling them a Harlot, a Synagogue of Sa­tan, &c. should at last be found the Churches of Christ, and that he should own them as his People, his Spouse, the dearly beloved of his Soul, and as those whom he had shed his blood for, and given Grace unto? Oh! how will you then be confounded? &c.

And why may you not be mistaken, seeing you have been mistaken thus long, though few men upon earth were more confident of, and violent for some things than you have been, and yet you have been mistaken, as you now say? there­fore take heed, cease judging of Churches, persons or things, but leave that till he come, whose right it is to judge, and who will judge right, but if you shall go on still to judge us, we shall make our application to the Lord, as David did, Psal. 17. 1, 2. Hear the right O Lord, &c. Let our Sentence come forth from thy presence. But the great matter you harp upon is, that your Letter could not be received nor read in the Church, &c. Some of us had three reasons a­gainst it, first, because it was not directed to the Church, but as it were in a deriding manner, viz. To the People cal­led Independents, though now you joyn Baptized with them; therfore if you would not own us as a Church, we might just­ly refuse to own or receive your Letter. Secondly, you were a person under admonishing, and had refused to hear the Churches Messengers, therefore we had no warrant to read nor hear your Letter. Thirdly, some of us understood [Page 10] that your main design was to draw away some more to you, though the greatest part of the Church were fully satisfied about the falseness of your way, yet it may be, there were some weak, as there was in the Church of the Romans, and of the Corinthians, Rom. 14. 1. 1 Cor. 8. 9. But as for your jeering at our weakness and febleness, and that we were a­fraid of being shaken, concluding that fear had surprised the Hypocrites, and that we were the wicked that could not stand in Judgment, &c. This is like Rabshaketh dealing with Hezekiah and the poor Jews, &c. as we told you before, but we acknowledg we are a poor, weak, and afflicted People, even the poor of the Flock whom the Lord hath yet preser­ved, &c. You likewise jeer at our Fasting day, which in other words you did to a Member of the Congregation, saying to this effect, What could they not open a Letter, but they must pray to their God, and now they have prayed will not their God hear them? as another of your compa­ny also jeering at our prayers, used these words, 1 Kings 18. 26. O Baal hear us, &c. But the truth is we did keep ma­ny Fasting daies after you left us, and we can say, through grace▪ that God did not shut his ear against our prayers, for This passage concerning R. Simpson was inserted by some of us without his knowledge. not one Soul went from us after we did so: As for your reviling and reproaching that godly man, our Brother Simp­son by name, it may be when your Pamphlet comes into a far Country, where neither he nor you are known, some may believe what you write, but in Bristol, or any other place where he and you are well known, your tongue will prove no slander; for his humility, integrity, and godliness, is better known than to be darkned by your pen, but we shall leave him to clear his own innocency: As for your Epistle to the Churches and Elders in England and Wales, and par­ticularly to those in Essex and Norfolk, we shall leave that to them, either to make their Appeals to the Lord, or their Answer to you.

As for what you observed in eminent Church-Members, and other high Pretenders to Religion, (as you say) while you sate in Parliament, and other chief places of Council and trust in the Nation, we shall say nothing to that, only this we do remember, and did observe in what a height of [Page 11] discontent you came home, and continued one while cry­ing out against the Priests, and false Prophets, another while against Hypocrites, and sometimes concluding and saying, that al the Religion then profest in England was nought, and that we must find out a new Religion, at which some of us were silent, as not knowing what you had seen and ob­served where you had been, though some of us did reply, as we doubt not but you doe remember; but in this posture you continued till a new Religion came, which you pre­sently within few daies or weeks embraced, without so much as setting apart one hour with the Church to enquire of the Lord, what was in the bottom of that new Religion, but rather threatning of us, that if we did not speedily come a­way and embrace it we were all lost, though you could not tell us of any thing we should come unto.

We come now to your chief Letter wherein you betray us again with a kiss, calling us friends, &c. As for your Preface, wherein you first disown any power that we have over you, &c. we shall not dispute that, but resolve to do our duty according to Scripture rule, Mat. 18. Tit. 3. 10. 11. and shall leave the issue to him in whose hands are the hearts of all men.

Secondly, as for your pretended faithfulness, but most unparallel'd impudency, and sensoriousness, in judging us to be no Church of Christ, but a Synagogue of Satan, and a Cage of unclean and hateful Spirits, wherein lodgeth pride, hypocrisie, envy, slandering, back-biting, railing, lying, love to this present world, and conformity to the fashions, &c.

We confess this is a sad sentence, to cloath neer threescore persons with such a spoted garment, many of which are able to give a better account of the work of grace in their souls, and of their faith in Christ, and have a more blameless con­versation, than ever we could hear of you, or observe in you; what secret seeds may be in the hearts of any among us we cannot say, neither durst we proudly boast as others do, but this we must profess ingeniously that we never ob­served so much of those evils before mentioned to break forth upon any of those that now are together, as we have [Page 12] seen in you, and in some of those that are gone away with you, and we are perswaded there is no judicious Christian this day in Bristol, that hath known and observed you and us, but will say the same thing; so that there being so many such persons with your self gone from us, we hope there is some Reformation in the Church, but if there should still remain any such among us, (as we hope there doth not) surely we shall be ready to deal with them, as we have done with you and others, onely we must know they are such, for we must not take the railing accusations of our imbittered enemies for a sufficient proof.

Thirdly, you say, notwithstanding there is that in some of us, after which your soul doth greatly long, that the sal­vation of God were come out of Sion, &c. We do believe there is many a soul in this Congregation, that doth long and groan day and night after more of the blessed Spirit of Jesus Christ, that so they might know him better, believe on him more, love him more, and live more to him, and yet we trust there is never a soul in this Congregation, but seeth sufficient ground to stand at a distance from your Principles and waies; so that you may cease hoping for any of them to come unto you, the Lord preserving them by his grace.

We come now to the five things in your Admonishing, a Copy of which we having by us, do here insert verbatiam.

First, your leaving the Church, which hath three sad consequences in it, as we judge: First, the drawing of many away from the faith and waies of the Gospel: Second­ly, the offending, grieving and stumbling of many weak souls: Thirdly the opening of the mouths of many to speak evil of the waies of Truth, as 2 Pet. 2. 2.

Secondly, your contemning of some, and neglecting of others of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, your extream sensoriousness and rash judging, not only of persons abroad, but also of the Church, con­trary to Matt. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 3. also your calling the Church an Harlot.

Fourthly, your asserting in the Church Doctrins con­trary to Truth: As first, that we did not know what Faith [Page 13] 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 Scriptures, affirming they were blind, and a plague to souls; and further saying, they are not the Word of God, nor the Rule of Life.

Now because you say these are studied Accusations, and from the Father of lies, &c. we shall therefore prove eve­ry title of these things to be true; First, that you have left the Church, is true, and that your so doing hath drawn a­way some, grieved others, and opened the mouthes of many to speak evil of the waies of Christ, this is clear and plain, and not a studied accusation, but a real thing, and that which hath been matter of grief and sadness to the Church, and therefore we did send to admonish you of the evil of it: Now in that you reply, all judgment is given to the Son, whom you say we are ignorant of, and enemies to, &c. and therefore what is our judgment worth, &c. and then you go on to heap up fourteen dreadful Sentences a­gainst us, such as the Spirit of God doth in Scripture give to Reprobates and cast-awaies, and so conclude with that 2 Thes. 2. 8. Now we desire any sober Christian to consi­der of this your Answer, (which you call your defence to our charge, of which you complain you had much wrong, because your Letter of defence was not read) whether this be a Christian-like answer to the Admonition of a Church, you not giving us herein one word or reason of your departing from us, but onely heaping up 16. or 18. dreadful Sentences against us.

The second thing you were admonished of, was your contemning of some, and neglecting of others of the Or­dinances of Christ: First, that Ordinance which you con­temn is Baptism in Water, which you utterly reject and cast away, neither using it to your Children, nor allowing it to Believers, but calling it as you have often done, that ugly thing of Baptism; with other bitter and violent ex­pressions against it, to the grief of some of us: Now we did not send to admonish you for not practising of it, for we knew your judgment was against it; but to admonish [Page 14] you of your great sin, in speaking so contemptuously a­gainst it, calling some of them that practised it, ugly Ana­baptists, as you have done in some of our hearing. Now whereas you call us hypocrites, &c. because as you say, we sent to admonish you for not practising Baptism by Wa­ter; you speak falsly and do us wrong, for we did not so, but onely for your contemning of it, which we shall leave to the Lord of Ordinances to judge. The second Ordi­nance which you neglect, is the Lords Supper, and such other Ordinances as are practised, and to be practised in the Churches of Christ; which that you do neglect is clear by your practise, &c. And whereas you demand whether we had medled in any such thing for some years past, and then fall a threatning of us again as hypocrites, with deceit and hypocrisie, &c. To which we answer, you speak false a­gain, for the Church never neglected that Ordinance of the Lords Supper any years; it is true that through your means and some others, the Church did forbear the practise of it about a year together; but it is one thing for a Church upon occasion to forbear an Ordinance, and another thing totally to neglect it, or deny it as you do: but for your flying out as you do, in the first part of your Reply to this particular, against Inventions, Traditions, Imaginations of mens carnal wisdom, &c. We answer, we use no Or­dinance but the Institutions of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he hath commanded to be observed in his Churches till his coming again; in the mean while all men may see, we had ground to admonish you for the contempt of some, and neglect of other of the Ordinances of Christ; so that this is no lie, nor studied accusation as you call it: and where­as you say in the close of this Reply, that Baptism and the Lords Supper you own; Oh! how durst you to publish such equivocation to the World, when in your conscience you know, you own neither of those two Ordinances, nei­ther Baptism by Water, nor Breaking of Bread; why then do you use such mental reservations? deal plainly that men may know what you are, did you not say in the words preceding, that God requires truth in the inward parts, and then presently write an abominable untruth? is there any fear of God before your eyes? &c.

[Page 15] The third branch of your Admonition is, for your ex­tream sensoriousness and rash judging, not onlie of per­sons abroad, but also of the Church, calling it a Harlot, the truth of which sensoriousness, the whole Church can testifie, yea we could give many particular instances were it necessary: but what need we go further than your pre­sent Letter, where, in your Reply to this third particular, you call the Church a Harlot, &c. and page 20. where you, rehearsing what you had said amongst us before you left us, confess that you did at last say, our Church was but a Harlot; and yet now you say this charge is false, and from the Father of lies, and that the Church of Christ you do own dearly, &c. Now here you come in again with your mental reservation, saying you did not call the Church of Christ so, but the People in Bristol, which you say is a Harlot; now is this honesty or any thing else but deceit and hypocrisie: did not we send to admonish you, for calling this Church in Bristol a Harlot, which you confess you did, and yet you say this charge is false, and from the Father of lies; we wonder who is your Father in this thing, and what appears in you but meer deceit and subtilty, equivocation, and mental reservation; O! for shame lay aside these unchristian practises; and here we de­sire all Christians to consider, whether this were a studied and false accusation, as you say.

The fourth branch of your Admonition is, your assert­ing in the Church Doctrins contrary to truth, three of which are mentioned, many more might have been, &c. First, you asserted at a Meeting in your own house, that as Christ was the great light of the World, so he was the great Faith of the World; and that Christ and Faith was all one, and that Christ was not the object of Faith: Our question was not about the oneness or nearness that there is between Christ and Faith; but whether the person of Christ, and the grace of Faith were not to be distinguished; and whe­ther Jesus Christ in his person, as God-Man, be not the object of Faith, as him whom man is to believe in for Sal­vation: Your assertion was, we did not know what Faith was, and that Faith was an eternal thing, alleging that [Page 16] Scripture, 2 Cor. 4. last. But the things which are not seen are eternal. This occasioned many Scriptures to be brought to prove that Christ and Faith were to be distinguished, and that Christ was the object of Faith; and though the word object be not used in Scripture in that sense, yet, we are often bid to look unto Christ for Salvation, as Isa. 45. 22. Zach. 12. 10 Heb 12 2. which Scriptures were then alleged against what you asserted: Now in your Reply you allege 1 Tim. 1. 9 you say faith is a Mistery held in a pure consci­ence, hid from al ignorant and vulturous eyes, &c. in which Reply of yours, you shew your weakness, in abusing the words and sense of the Apostle, as any judicious Christian may perceive by comparing your Book with that Scrip­ture, &c. but upon the matter you do now say as much as we did then admonish you of. And whereas you demand why we did not then question you, and that if it be for con­science sake, why had we not done it sooner, and why had we not disproved you by the Scripture, and why would we suffer things contrary to truth to be asserted among us without rebuke? &c. We answer, you were presently op­posed and blamed for asserting such things, as you were at several other times for asserting such things, which in the 20 page of your Book, you call some manifestation of truth that was breaking forth in you some years past; at which some were offended, and contradicted it, &c. though for a solemn dealing with you, we did not, till you left the Church; which perhaps was our sin and your mise­ry; but considering your spirit, and the state of the Church, we knew not how to set about it, though some saw ground enough to do it, &c.

The fifth branch of your Admonition, which was for speaking against the Scriptures, affirming they were blind, and a plague to souls, and that they were not the Word of God, nor the Rule of Life, &c.

For the first part of this branch, you did, at a Meeting again at your own house, affirm, which many took notice of, as well those that were not of the Church, as those that were, whereby the thing was publickly known in the Citie, and became a reproach to the Church; an eminent [Page 17] person of the Citie enquiring of one of us about it; and that you did speak these words, is as certain as ever you did speak word in your life, some of us sitting over against you, do well remember with what kind of passion you spake it, clapping your hand upon the Book or Table, say­ing, that that Book or Scripture, was one of the greatest blinds and plagues to mens souls this day in England; and these words became a reproach to the Church, upon which we did admonish you; and though now in your Book, you say that this charge is utterly false, and from the Father of lies, and invented by his instruments; yet we do again affirm, and will set our hands to it, that you did speak these very words.

Secondly, for that expression, that the Scriptures are not the Word of God, &c. did not you, at the red Lodge in the Gardenhouse, before near twenty people, say so? when one of us being by, bid you for shame not to speak so; it is true, you did at a Meeting a little before you left us, propose it to consideration, as a thing wherein we had been mistaken; yet so, as your very proposing of it, did imply the negative: other instances also we could give at private conferences that some of us had with you about the same thing; but what need we say more, do you not demand in your Book, page 19. where doth the Scripture call it self the Word of God? to which we answer, we shall give you four plain places instead of many, Jer. 30. 2, 4. Rev. 17. 17. Prov. 30. 5. Mark 7. 8, 9, 13. But what should we go to light a candle to the Sun? have not many judicious and godly Writers long ago proved against former Athiests and Hereticks, that the Scripture is the Word of God; though neither they nor we deny, that glorious Tittle, that God the Father hath put upon the person of Jesus Christ, that his Name should be called the Word of God, Rev. 19. 13.

And thirdly, whereas you demand, to whom was the Scripture, the Rule of Life? We answer, to all the People of God to whom they were given, Deut. 4. 8. and 5 31, 32. Mat. 5. 6. 7. chap. Rom. 12. All which containeth Rules and Directions for Christians to walk by; but it is [Page 18] the character of wicked men, that they cast the Law of God behind their backs.

And thus we have proved every tittle you are charged with in your Admonition, to be true and clear, so that we are no liars, nor false accusers; but we must turn that back again upon your self, professing to all the World, that you have wronged us in what you have written against us.

As for the other part of your Letter, wherein you some­times flatter your self, and commend your self, about your righteousness, faithfulness, diligence and deserving; as likewise how freely you had served us, and been a keeper of our Vineyard, and that now it is time to look to your own Vineyard, and to mind your eternal habitation, &c. We answer first, as Prov. 27. 2. Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth, a stranger and not thine own lips: But we never did blame you, nor admonish you, for any good you did among us, but for your departing from that which was good; Jehu was not blamed for the good he did, but because he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; neither was Amaziah bla­med for any good he did, but because he did it not with a perfect or upright heart; and as for your gift of discerning, &c. most of us know it was a thing you did much pretend to, and boast of, &c. though we could observe your gross mistake therein, &c. And for your now looking to your own Vineyard, and minding your eternal habitation, &c. truly we hoped you had done that when you were among us, and that your care and diligence which now you speak of, had been as well about your own soul as others: but if it were not, we wish you may make better use of your pre­sent time, than you have done of that which is past: As for any manifestations of truth breaking forth in you as you say, page 20. at which some of our hearts burned, and others were offended, &c. We know not any one Truth, that ever you spake in the Church, but it was readily assen­ted to, and seconded by those that sate by; whether you did press to believing or holy walking; but for other things which were not according to Scripture, nor did not tend to faith or holiness, &c. some of us did sometimes manifest [Page 19] our dissent from you; yet with all tenderness, as knowing your spirit, and the spirits of some others now with you, we were not willing to offend you or them. And as for that which you so often asserted in the Church, and now mention page 20, 21. That you did not know Christ, and that that knowledge we had of him should profit us no­thing, and that our habitation is in deceit, and through it we refuse to know the Lord, &c. First, we did not vio­lently oppose you in that thing, as thinking that it arose from a sight and sense of the want of the Spirit of Christ, to open and reveal the glory of his person, virtues, Offices, and Mysteries, more clearly unto you, according to what is written, Ephes. 1. 17▪ 18. Col. 2. 2. John 16. 14, 15. and herein we could and did joyn with you in complain­ing of the littleness or smalness of our knowledg of Christ; yet some of us did often tell you, that our comfort stood not so much in a speculative knowing, as in a believing ac­knowledgment of Christ, to be that which he is said to be in the Scriptures, and so to own him, believe on him, love him, and obey him; and therefore we did then, and have since, and do now declare, that we owned no other Christ, but that one annointed glorious person, who was born of the Virgin, and who is made both Lord and Christ, who died, rose, and ascended, and is now sitting at the right hand of God, and is the Mediator, between God and man, who shall one day come again, according to the Scriptures.

Secondly, we do own no other knowing of Christ, but that which is according to the Scripture, namely, under­standingly, to know him in his person without us, and ex­perimentally to know him in his Virtues, or by his Spirit within us; and so through grace we do know him in our measure, and are waiting and praying daily for a further and clearer knowledge of him in his Virtues, and powers, by the revelation of his glorious Spirit, according to the Scripture; in the mean time we desire to acknowledge him, believe on him, love and reverence him as our Lord and King▪ and do submit to his Laws and Commands lest in his Word: but we did little think, that your meaning [Page 20] had been as now you declare, both in your Book, and by your practice, that you and we should take up that kind of notion of Christ, as to call that light that is in every man, both Heathens and others, Christ, and so to slight and nullifie that glorious person now in heaven, from being the object of Faith, &c. as many of your way do and have done to some of our faces, scoffing and jeering at us for speaking of the person of Christ, and for thinking to be saved by the blood of him that died at Jerusalem, and as you your self did jeeringly ask one of this Congregation, to this effect; whether we did believe Christ to be an old man, sitting in a chair in heaven? &c. You further tell us, page 21. That many who desired to see Christs first Ap­pearance in the flesh became his betrayers and murderers; so now in his second Appearances in life, power, and spi­rit, would be found the greatest enemies to him, and that some of us would betray him; and then appeal to all that have any discerning to judge, how sadly this is already ful­filled in us, &c. We grant that many did stumble at Christ when he came in the flesh, and that many in all ages have stumbled at the truth, and waies of Christ, as likewise ma­ny do now at his person, his Gospel, his waies, and his Ordinances, &c. which might put you to consider two things: First, whether you be not one that do so; and secondly, whether you be not one that have caused many to do so? &c. But you seem to beg the question, and take it for granted, that Christ is now come in life, power, and spirit, in you and your party; but truly you must give bet­ter demonstrations of it, before we or any other judicious Christians will believe you; for we have read much, and know something by experience through grace, what the sweet, gentle, & dove-like spirit of Christ is, & we have seen and known by sad experience, how unlike your spirit is to that: Secondly, how can you call this a murdering and betraying of Christ, namely our sending brethren three times in love and pitie to enquire after and admonish you and the rest that departed from us? we shall leave this to the Lord to determine, &c. As for those strange and un­christian expressions▪ page 21. of our sporting our selves, [Page 21] and making a wide mouth, and drawing out the tongue and the hand against you, &c. and then calling us children of transgression, a seed of falshood, comparing of us to Ishmael and Cain, &c. We shall say little to it, onely desire the Lord to rebuke your railing; yea, we say again, the Lord rebuke your railing. Have we done any thing to you or a­gainst you, more than sent three Brethren, (after many prayers made) for to seek to recover your soul. And as for our imagining a vain thing, and setting our selves, and taking counsel against the annointed one, (as you say) as likewise our joining in confederacy with the enemies of God, and that we must be broken to pieces, for the Lord of Hostes is with you, and the shout of a King is among you, &c. We see it is an easie thing, for a man that hath brain-knowledge in the Letter of the Scriptures, to heap up a multitude of good words, right or wrong: but whether we or you have set against the annointed one, whether we or you shall be broken in pieces, we shall humbly leave to the Lord of Hostes, and King of Israel to determine, but we deny that the shout of the true King is among you, though some of your way have shouted and cried, Hosan­na, holy, holy, King of Israel, to James Naylor; and if you mean that King as they called him, &c. we desire with hu­militie, to shout and rejoice: First, that God hath through the riches of his grace preserved us from those strong de­lusions, that you and others are fallen under. Secondly, that the Lord hath so wonderfully discovered, the abomi­nable wickedness of those proud boasters and blasphemers, who called themselves Apostles, and were owned by you as infallible; & that God should do it in this Citie, even in the very faces of you, that you might see it & be ashamed, &c.

You make mention in the 22. page, of some of us beat­ing in our Meetings, like the enemies of Christ in their Sy­nagogue, &c. Now as we cannot but wonder at your shamelesness in printing such a thing; so we cannot but declare to all the world the truth of this story. You know it hath been the practice of the Women of this Congrega­tion for some years past, (especially since the Apostacy of you and others from us) every second day of the week, [Page 22] towards evening, to seek the Lord by supplication and prayer by themselves; at which Satan hath much raged, and some of your way have come several times to disturb them, and in particular upon the day you mention, there came two Women, one of which had been an old Ranter, but now fallen into your way, the other a late Member of this Church, but now turned to your opinion; these two wretched Women came rushing into the room, (one of our Sisters being then in prayer) and so did in a most un­christian, uncivil, and inhumane manner, walk up and down the room, humming and making a loud voice, at length came to the Woman that was in prayer, and putting their mouth to her ear, uttered these words, The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; and so forced her to give over praying, whereupon after many civil intreaties by some, to cause them to depart, and to leave off telling them, that there was no place for them unless they would be quiet; but this not prevailing, one of the company, an ancient godly Woman, took one of them by the arm, and would have put her forth at the door, but could not, she being too strong for her; which striving together, is that which you call a beating, and so at length the Woman of the house, claiming her privilege, did command them to depart; and this was all the beating and occasion of it, &c.

Now let all the world see the wretched wickedness of these two women which you justifie: Secondly weak­ness, and shallowness of your foundation upon which you build your large Discourse of 11 or 12 lines together where you heap up many dreadfull expressions against this Church for this act, calling it a beating like the enemies of Christ in the Synagogue; whereas there was but 5 or 6 wo­men there: now is not this to justifie the wicked and condemn the rightous both of which are an abomination to the Lord? as Prov. 17. 15. what more wicked act could there be than for these two wretched women to come huming, ranting, and roaring into the room, to disturb a company of poor Christians when they were seriously powring forth their Soules to God in prayer? &c. You desire us page 22. to read without prejudice or deceit the [Page 23] 83 Psalm from end to end, and see whether our practise and portion be not contained in it &c. We do conclude that if you were to be our judg, the things written therein should be our portion: but blessed be the Lord our sentence shall come forth from him who will with rightousness judg the poor & with equity reprove for the meek of the earth &c. but O poor deceived man, how can you apply the things written in that Psalm to us, or that in Obediah, from verse the 11, to the 15. as you do? What gross darkness hath seized upon your mind, that you should be crying out against us, and threatning of us, for that which we through grace, are innocent of, and you your self so notoriously found to practise, for are not you joined with all the Pa­pists, Athiests, Ranters, and ungodly rabble of the world, in this one great design of the Devil, to break in pieces the Churches of Christ in England? Hath it not been the at­tempt of one power and party after another, to rout, break, and scatter the Congregations in England, under the name of Independents, Anabaptists, Sectaries, and Schismaticks? &c. And hath any party gone so far in this wicked pra­ctice, as you and your company, that call themselves Qua­kers have done? Nay, was there ever any partie in Eng­land, or the Nations adjacent, that have offered the like violence to the Lord Jesus Christ, in his person, in his Word, in his Gospel, his Ordinances, his Saints, his waies, &c. as you and your partie have done? And what have those poor sheep done? have we, (or have not you ra­ther) joined with the Persecutors of the waies, and people of God at this day? poor man! where are your eyes? are not you joined in practice with the most embittered spirits in England against the people of God, whom you and others make the objects of your scorn? Nay, do not Athiests, Drunkards, and prophane persons, cry Aha, at the reading of your Book? Have you not pierced the sides and hearts of Christs wounded ones, and will not this be bitterness in the later end? Nay, have you not out-strip­ped all others in lies and falshoods, slanders and reproa­ches, scoffs, scorns, and derisions, which in your Book you have unjustly cast upon us, teaching the wicked of the [Page 24] world, yea, even the children that have no understanding, how to blaspheme, and call the Churches and Servants of Christ, the skirts of the Whore, Synagogues of Satan, and cages of unclean birds? have you not made our Saviour to stink in the nostrils of all the Nation, at the least of so many as do not know you and us, but will credit your un­truths, &c. O! stand still, smite upon your thigh, & blush for shame at what you have done. Suppose the things had been true, which the Lord knows they are not true, which you lay to our charge, was it not the part of wicked Ham, to proclaim his Fathers nakedness? but as you say to us, so say we now unto you; what should we advise, we perceive your heart is heardned and you will not hear? O! that we could mourn for you! your last clause in your Letter is, That from henceforth we should not trouble you or our selves by word or writing; when we have performed the last Ordinance that Christ hath left for persons in your condition, unless God give you a new heart, which we should be glad to hear of, we shall not trouble you: And so to close up what at present we shall say to you; take notice, that whereas you lay blame upom our Brethren, whom we sent to admonish you, of whose saithfulness we doubt not in discharging their trusts to you and the rest; we do desire them to answer for themselves, that their faithfulness may appear as visibly as your folly.

I Intend by the grace of God to forbear giving like for Mat. 5. 38. to the end. Luke 6. 27, 28, 29. Rom. 12. 17. to 22. Heb. 12, 15. like, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, reproach for reproach, through the infinite abounding grace of God extended to me by Christ, in some measure I have learned otherwise.

And your censorious bitter language, and judging with­out, nay against the Rule which God hath set as bounds for us not to pass over; in which judgings of yours you climb up as high as the Temple of God, I shall say little, or but small, to you about, but in reference to that seriously consi­der these places, 2 Thes. 2. 1 to 13. Rom. 14. 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. The Lord give you to see your wickedness in your bitter censorious spirit, which sure is not small, though you Ezek. 16. 1, 2. Isal. 30. 1. seem not to discern it, but cover it with a covering that is not of Gods Spirit, and so add sin to sin, and the good Lord give you repentance for it, you have not hurt or injured me at all by it, though your self you do; God hath of his infinite goodness, made your hard false speeches, and cen­sorious [Page 29] judgings of me, of good use to me, though no thanks at all to you for it nor any thing but what is sad to think on can you reap from it.

As I have said to you somtimes upon the like occasion, when you affirmed unto me that some men, to wit, such as then you had in admiration, though for that in which they ex­ceeded, or God owns above others, I never saw nor yet heard, but this you affirmed to me concerning them, that when they were in the light, they could see what mens in­ward states was before God; some of which as you said, they saw you named to me, though such as they never saw, Matth. 7. 16. 19, 20, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Deut. 29. 22. nor yet heard of any thing visibly apparently evill by them; by which man, by the blessed Rule of the Scriptures of truth, is to judge: otherwise our rule is to judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shal every man have praise of God.

My answer then to you in that affirmation concerning Isai. 8. 20. 1 Cor. 4 4. Job 10, 15. 2 Cor. 10. 17, 18. 2 Cor. 5. 9. them, was this in words, or to the same effect, that as I could give no credence to such assertions groundedly, but contrarily had more than ground of jealousie to be suspi­tious they were delusions, as all such things and pretended revelations be, which have not the Law and the Testimo­ny to warrant them: So what if all the men in the world, did approve me, what is that in order to certain ground of holding up my head before God in reference to it? So, if all did disapprove me, yet upon, & from such a ground, as that I have a sure word, & certain witness of Gods approving of me, I should not flagg in my Spirit, nor hang down in refe­rence to that. That use (besides others) as to my self I have endeavoured to make of those great charges you lay upon me; and if your considerations Were otherwise of me, as sometimes it hath been, and also of others, I would not in Phil, 3. 3. the least heed or give any regard to it, so as to flesh my self from it, Phil. 3. 3.

The charges indeed that you lay upon me, and send me cloathed with before the world, if so indeed, how sad were my condition; well might my countenance be changed, and [Page 30] my thoughts be troublesome unto me, and the joynts of my loyns be loosed, and my knees smite one against another, as if I did inhabit deceit, and devise wicked imaginations, and speak lies to you, and that in the name of the Lord, and the like. Sore charges they be, wickedness of the highest degree, and of the dangerousest attendance that can be.

But truly it is sufficient to me, that under all the charges you load me with, that I have alwayes a witness in heaven, Rom. 8. 33, 34. Psal. 3. 3, 4, 5. Job 34. 29. and brought into my own heart from thence, and confir­med unto me by the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father and the Son, by which I am cleared of your char­ges, and so by that means they take no hold upon me, God To wit, your own private spirit and consideration, 2 Pet. 1. 20, 21. gives me much case under all your clamors. Truly, it is a ve­ry small matter to me to be judged of you, (I say of you) who are more than apt to judg all, both persons and things, to be light, that bears no weight in your Ballance.

By which Ballance I know you must not your self be weighed at the great day and appearing of the Lord Iesus: but by that Ballance or Rule, that who ever walk according to it, peace and mercy shal be upon them; the Word that John 12. 48. Christ hath spoken must judge all at that day.

But truly Dennis Hollister I pitie thee, me thinks I could even mourn over thee in the consideration of thy being in Rev. 12 10. Luke 3. 14. Mat 12 43, 44 the Divels work and imployment, to wit, an accuser of the brethren, as I am sure thou art in thy printed Papers.

And for that false charge (as it is altogether) of my speaking lies to you in the name of the Lord.

That charge of yours, I know, hath reference to my be­ing (as you slightly say) the mouth of three Messengers sent to you by the Church to admonish you of your sins, (which sins of yours I am sure was obvious, visible and clear.) Truly in order to that, I knew well what I spake, Mat. 28. 18. Mat. 18. 16, 17, 18. when I spake on that rate I did unto you. I with my bre­thren that came with me, had a Warrant sealed and given forth to us from him who hath all power given unto him in Heaven and Earth, for what we did. And if I may speak it without boasting, as I trust I do, so we did at­tempt it, as those that God had vouchsafed that grace [Page 31] unto, to take up into the Mount with him, to confer with his Majesty by Christ about it, before we did dare to at­tempt upon it, his Majesty being pleased graciously to incline our hearts in some measure of holy reverence, feare and trembling, and in faith to wait upon his Majesty by Christ our Mediator and Iutercessor, and we had a gra­cious answer from him by Christ, to our very hearts a­bout it. And so we are strenthened to that work of the Lord, which otherwise we had rather any had been Exod. 3. 11. Jer 6. 7, 8, 9, sent about than we. And then we went not staggering­ly, nor yet ignorantly, but knowingly and understanding­ly about it, God having in some measure fitted us for it, and left us not without some sure witness, that he was with us in it.

And not any reluctancie have I or my brethren had for what we did; but are fully satisfied that what ever was set upon you, and laid at your door as your sin, to a tittle Isal. 28, 17. is true, and will be so found when the Lord shall lay Judgment to the Line, and Righteousnesse to the Plum­met, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

And whereas you say in the first line of your Letter to me, that it came upon you in soberness to manifest to my conscience, a little of the deceit in which as you say I inhabit.

That it came upon you to write to me, that is not Jer. 17. 9, 10. 1 Tim. 1. 4, 5, 6, 7. 1 Tim. 4. 7. 2 Tim. 2, 16, 17, 23. questoned, but did it indeed come upon you in soberness, look back, recall your self, it's possible you may be mistaken, is it not?

The occasion of your writing of it (which I would here relate, but that then I should be too tedious as wel as be of little use to the Reader as all such Discourses usually be) the tumult and heat which you gave a clear manifestation of but a little before you writ and sent it, may give, I say, at least a reall ground of jealousie, that it came not from a Spirit in a sober frame at that time.

And sure when you are come to your selfe, as I may [Page 32] say, into a sober mind, you will not say it came upon you in soberness to write what you did, and when you did write; sure were you not in that altogether a stranger at home, you would charge upon your self passionate­ness, even this, that the occasion of your writing of that, and most, if not all that you writ and sent abroad con­cerning others; came from a fire indeed kindled in you, but not from a Cole from off the Altar, but from a vio­lent heat of wild-fire that came upon you, and was then in you, by which you were hurried, and in that hurry you writ and sent it.

Sure that soberness that is put into the heart by God, which is one of those good and perfect gifts that cometh Jam. 1. 17. Jam. 3. 17, 18, 13, 14, 15. Gal. 5, 22, 23. from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, is just as that Wisdom is which cmometh down from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, easie to be intreated, gentle, full of mercy and good works, with­out partiality and without hypocrisie.

If that soberness you speake of were of that nature, 1 Sam. 15. 13, 14. Phil. 4. 5. or had that stamp upon it, how comes it to pass, that, that which you say came upon you in soberness to write, had so little (if any thing at all) of that Wisdom that is from above in it. That moderation that the Apostle ex­horts Saints to make known to all men, nothing at all of that in your printed paper, clearly manifests to any in­different, sober, unbyassed man; but most (if not all of it) o­otherwise.

And sure that which you say came upon you in so­berness to manifest, had little of any thing at all of that Wisdom that is from above, which in order to the same is first pure; but indeed that which is poynt blank con­trary to purity of hearts, to true speaking, was it stuft withall. And so I come to speak and give a true An­swer.

I desire with that which is reall soberness indeed, to the main thing in your Letter to me, in reference to which you so sport your selfe, and insult over me as a Lyar, and so present me before all, as one that shall have his [Page 33] part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, Rev. 22. 15. Rev. 21. 7, 8. which is the second death.

Whereas indeed not any thing at all was a lye in what I asserted, but what I said you had my Hand unto, as my particular affirmation, that I say still, and that groundedly and truly you cannot manifest, much, less have you any ground at all to lay that upon me which makes a lye, or any other sin, out of measure sin­full, in order to the aggravations of it, (to wit) that it was a Lie invented, a Lie prosecuted, a Lie denied, and a Lie proved upon me; which words you say to me in the prin­ted letter to me: Sure you were not in a sober mind when you said so, I am sure of that, but a great distance from it and true speaking.

And I cannot but think if you did indeed commune with your own heart, that light that is in you, and is in all men, if not put cut, it would tell you so, and that it is a very slender proof that you have of it.

I could wish that in plainness and singleness of heart you had put out that Letter you have under my hand from end to end, as you did the Letter you sent to me, but that is forborn by you; for what end you best know: but had it so been, I know you had not gained any thing at all by it, to be a proof of what you would charge upon me. Had you in Simplicity, and godly honesty with it, declared how you came by it, and upon what account it was given unto you, which for satisfaction to the Reader, I shall truly re­late.

You know that after I, with my brethren, had endeavou­red to set your sins upon you, and to admonish you for them: afterwards I meeting with you, or rather as I think, you calling of me in to speak with you as I went by your shop, you desired of me a Copie of the Churches charge of sin, that I with my brethren did admonish you for, from the Church, (which, said you to me, I know you have a Copie of) I was not free and forward to do it as you did well perceive; not as if I was unsatisfied of the warantableness of the doing of it; I was satisfied, I might, though I told you [Page 34] then, I could not do it as from the Church, I being but a single person: But that way wardness that was in me of gi­ving you a copie of the Churches charge of your sins, sprang from some jealousies that I had, that you would but your self with it, because of that fierce violent spirit that was manifested from you against your Reprovers, and that obdurateness that lay upon you.

Yet with your more than once or twice perswading of me with importunity and intreaty, I did engage my self to you to write out a copie, of what the Church by us did charge as sin upon you; which I did truly, and deliver to you: and yet it was both promised and delivered to you, with this engagement, and actuall promise on your part, which I bound you to that you should not make use of it, for the making of that breach wider, that the wicked one by his Instruments had made here, I at that time saying these words to you, or to that effect, I am sure that I would be loath to be found a setter up of partition walls, I had rather God would make all his people diligent, mindfull and carefull, of minding the things that make for peace, and by which we might edifie one another. Which you gave me a promise of; how clearly and fully you have broken your promise and personall engagement, you cannot be ignorant, unless wilfully ignorant.

So according to my promise to you, to which I was made more forward then else I should have been by your solemn promise,, I brought you a true copie of the charge of the whole Church of your sin, not any one of them but did agree in it, and did also agree to send us with it; but the copie that I brought you, I did not bring it signed then with my hand at it, for indeed I was jealous of your spirit, notwithstanding your promise, who will wring and screw out of words that which they speak not, and which those that speak them, intend not,

Which was the cause I had not then set my hand to it: but you looking at it, and seeing my hand was not then to it, you intreated me to set my hand to it, that it was a true Copie of the Churches Charge of those sins, [Page 35] for which I, with my brethren from them, did admonish you, I not considering what end you had in it; which was, it appears, to make me a transgressor before all: in that your own conscience cannot but tell you I was clear, you tendring me a pen with ink in your shop, with the Copie I brought to you, I set my hand to it.

And what did I set my hand to? you know, speak truth, deal plainly and singly, do not evade and equivocate, though too much you have of that in your printed paper, in that you do profess you own Baptism and the Lords Supper, or breaking of Bread, as Institutions and Ordinances of Christ, whilst it is visible to all that have eyes, that in your oxning of them you give no answer at all to those that upon good grounds question you about them (just so you deal with me) you know that what I set my hand to, was that; that which I delivered to you, was a true Copie of the Churches Charge, and that is all that you have my hand to, in reference to which you make such a noyse all over, in order to which there is meerly by you the sounding of brass, and the tinkling of the Cymball, onely the bea­ting of the aire. But to wind up this troublesome discourse, as to me it is, in which I would have been altoge­ther silent, if not, drawn and put upon it by weighhty con­siderations.

I shall propose this before you, take it and consider of it.

Say it be thus; That apparent injury and violence is offe­red to you in that which is near and dear unto you, say your nearest relations, or to your name and estate, which I conceive you would preserve and rescue to your power, by all lawfull means, from those forces that is put upon them, and injuries done to them, you being really satisfied with­out any the least scruple or question, that such violence and injury is done to them though your self was not personally present and saw all done, though the most part of it you did; yet you being so clearly satisfied about that part you saw not, that the fact in every part of it, is as clear to you as the Sun at Noon-day. Now if in this case of yours that [Page 36] doth so nearly concern you: you should go; and from those from whom you could not have the least sus­pition from, of speaking otherwise than right in every Tittle.

And from those from whom you are so fully satisfied, Deut. 17. 6. Deut. 19. 15. Mat. 18. 16. besides the testimony of many standers by, about two or three Witnesses by which the matter is established.

I say, in this case should you go in a sober and Christian way, and tell such as have done that injury, and put that vio­lence upon you of it, and debite the matter with them, tel­ling of them they were much out of the way; they were injurious in what they did, and the end of it without re­pentance, would be very sad and lamentable. Do you think that in this case fair & even dealing were measured out unto you in case you should be rendred as a Lyer all over the nation for it, because you did not see it every bit your self, though the most part of it you did; and what little part you did not, you had certain reall true testimonie of, not to be questioned? I judge you would not.

This is the naked reall case I conceive between you and I, in reference to that for which you so fouly fall upon me, and tell me for it in your printed paper, that I am without, and for the Lake, and have a proud look, and a lying tongue, and a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, which in­deed the Lord hates, and say I have uttered pervers­ness; and as the false witness shall not go unpunished. Whilst I spake nothing but what was true in every Tittle of it, and could not for bear to speak, but with the making of my self guilty of your sin, having that clear Lev. 5. 1. Lev. 19. 17. Call to speak it which I had, the most part of it being that, which to my grief I heard my self, and that which I did not hear, I was fully satisfied of by true, clear, and un­qustionable proof. I would leave this to you to make appli­cation of, as in order to that, that yo write in your Letter concerning me.

But, sure I am, you did offer apparent violence and injury to that which should be nearer and dearer to us than our nearest relations, much more our names and estates. [Page 37] I saw and heard it, almost all the particulars you were char­ged with; that which I did not hear, I wanted not satisfa­ction in.

Now being called to put to my hand with others, to see if I could be a means to recover you out of the snare of the Divel, and the pretious Institutions of Christ from those forces and violences that you offered to them: judg right; am I, think you, for this to be blamed? you do, it is true, but I pass not for it, if that make me vile, as to you it doth, I resolve to be more vile.

So that by what I have said as to your great charge a­gainst me, I sland clear, and never had you my hand in par­ticular, to that which I said, I heard not, & you well know it your own self, though I said I was not there when you spake so reproachfully of the blessed Scriptures of Truth; yet I said I did believe it, and yet do; and you know you had not my hand to any thing but this, that, that which I delivereed to you at your your request and solicitation, was a true copie of that the Church sent us to admonish you for; if it be not, prove that, and then I shall own the condemnation as just, that you lay upon me for being a Liar, which I knowingly know you cannot, and tell that Rom. 2. 1, 2, 3 you say nothing at all in order to your great charge: but only quibble at words, catching to get some hold so of me, but cannot.

Besides, it was some good space of time after you had that, you have my hand to, ere you did pick any quarrell with me about it, though if you had pleased you might have spoken with me everie day, I think, in my passing to and fro▪ or at the least word of yours sent to me to desire it, and, I judge, I should not have denied it.

But I conceive you had not spoke when you did, but that you were heared by that fire that is sure from beneath by my contesting against that held out by you, which I desire to war against by the Spirit and spirituall weapons, so long as I have any being, and not otherwise, as being fully sa­tisfied Rom. 6. 13. 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5, 6. that onely such a war, of that kind and nature, is to be maintained; the wrath of man and carnal weapons not [Page 38] being appointed of God, and so not under a promise of 2 Thess 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25, 26. 1 Tim. 1. 18, 19. 1 Sam. 17. 45. 47. 50. Rev. 12 7, 8, 9, 11. a blessing from him, to bring down and to naught such wickedness. And indeed I am clearly and in some measure satisfied by God, from that most sure word of prophesie, whereunto we do well to take heed, that one main cause why the Lambs Warriours and Souldiers gain no more ground than they do against the Lambs and their enemies and opposers, both those enemies within, and those ene­mies they combat withall without, is because such contests and combats with them, the war is so little maintained by the Spirit and spiritual weapons, which if it were, sure they would she and fall before them.

And immediatly after you have subscribed the Letter you sent me, in the third line of the next page you say con­cerning your Letter that you sent me, you have received no answer of me; this is true, but did I promise to send you an answer? If so, you might charge me home, which I know you would not spare: But I did not, neither indeed could you groundedly expect any answer from me of it, if in a sober mind: but yet that had been done, but that the bearer, by whom you sent the Letter to me, by some thing that he proposed to me, which had weight in it, did per­swade me not to meddle in such vain fruitless janglings, as to that effect some of his words was to me, by which I was detained from writing to you; and indeed his counsell in that was sound and savourie,

And whereas you mention that Festus, a Heathen Ro­man Governor, was so noble, that he heard Pauls defence, as to the accusation made against him by his own Countrey­men; and King Agrippa said, Thou art permitted to speak for thy self: but, say you, you are falsly accused, condem­ned and refused to make your defence.

First, I say, you are not falsly accused, condemned and refused to make your defence, that is but your own saying, it is a meer a rie vapour.

Secondly, were you not desired, nay intreated to come and appear, and so if you had any thing to say, to speak and make your defence? Do you not wel know, that libertie [Page 39] was never denied unto you? but what ground, I pray you, hath one in your case to expect the making his defence that way you would do, by a Proxes, as I may say, with re­fusing to come face to face, as Paul did before Agrippa and Festus, that you know you were intreated and desired to do, and therefore in your naming of them in order to that you name them for, you speak nothing at all; you were per­mitted to do it as they were and might have done, as Paul did; and I hope that groundedly; an evener Rule, and ano­ther kind of dealing had you found than what Paul was tried by, or he found from them, though I know you are more than apt to conclude otherwise of all that is not of your stature; but I fear sense of guilt lay so open upon you, as that if you speak truth, that was it that kept you away from making your defence in that way, that was clear by that Rule, we are to go by in the managing of the things of Gods House, and so not any would have denied or excepted against you in a warrantable way, which you had free li­berty to do; and then before your self, it not falling down under the sins charged upon you: all in every particular had been proved, so as that you could not justly have ex­cepted against the Charge in no part of it; and I believe that would have been done by some of those, if not all, for whose sakes, as you say, you made that you sent, and was not read visibly.

So simple honest hearted they were, and so remain, as that they, to save you out of the snare of the Divel, would have in soberness of Spirit, in conscience of their duty to God, and in love to your soul, witnessed before you that which was charged upon you.

But I forget my self, now a true Answer you have of all that Letter which in particular you sent to me, with a small Isal. 43. 2. 1 Pet. 4. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 15. & 3. 1. 16. Psal: 37, 5, touch upon some thing, that in order to the not sending you an answer you speak to me afterward, I confess I have more words in my answer than I would or intended. But I could not tell how plainly to answer it so, as to satisfie the Reader in a briefer way.

It is probable a flood you will cast after me, but I pass [Page 40] not, such floods shall not drown me, nor such fire burn me; I resolve, in the strength of Christ, in the way of wel doing, to commit my self to him who in this I know will bring forth my righteousness as the light, and my judgement as the noon-day, and so to labour, by well doing, to put you to silence in this, as not knowing any way otherwise better to do it. And for your self, I have, if my heart deceive me not, no coar at all against you; but could be glad I might be of any use unto you, and could rejoyce to see God recove­ring of you out of the snare of the Divel, by giving of you repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, the which I am sure you are departed from; which is the groans of your Friend, who is a lover of your Soul, though a Witness against your falshood and deceit.

I Have of late met with a Book put forth by you, in which there is a Letter formerly written by you to me, which Letter I acknowledge I received above a year since; and having read it, I laid it by, intending never to have Answered you, lest (as Solomon saith, Prov. 26. 4.) I also should be like unto you: but now you having published it (with your folly) to the world, I take my self bound to Answer you, lest as (Prov. 26. 5.) you should be wise in your own conceit, &c.

In the second Branch of your Title page, you say, That I have before several witnesses often denied my self to be a Minister of the Gospel; in which you deal like your self, though not like a friend, nor like a Christian: but as for your ends in so publishing, I shall leave to him by whom Actions and Spirits are weighed, who will preserve the faithful, and plentifully reward the proud doer.

I shall therefore with all plainness, soberness, and faith­fulness, declare (both unto your self, and also to the world) upon what grounds, and in what sense, I have sometimes denied to be called Minister, though I never denied my self a Preacher of the Gospel. [Page 42] But the first ground upon which I denied the title of Mi­nister, was this; When you with, many others, as I shall farther shew, had prevailed with me to come to Bristol, I gave it under my Hand to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commissioners, That I should not come as a Parish Mini­ster to take any Parochial Charge upon me, but rather as a Publike Preacher of the Gospel in the City, by way of Lecture, and so I have (sometimes by word, sometimes by writing, as I had occasion) denied my self to be a Minister of any Parish in Bristol; so that I never did, nor I hope never shall own my self a Minister of any Parish, &c. so that this is the first ground, and this you know in your Conscience to be true, and that I did it in tenderness of Conscience, though now you make it matter of re­proach.

Secondly, I have sometimes (as it is like in your hear­ing, and some others) denied my self a Minister in Office, I having not then been Called, Constituted, or Ordain­ed to any Office in any Church otherwise than by the una­nimous Consent, Approbation, and Request of this Church of Bristol, to serve them in the Lord, as that other godly man who left the City at my coming hither had done be­fore me, I alwayes distinguishing, between a Person sent forth to preach the Gospel to the World, and a Person Called, set apart, and Ordained to Office in a Church: whether this distinction were right or no, I shall not now dispute, but this was your judgement then, and therefore in this you deal unworthily in publishing this to the world, to my reproach, whereas you know in your Conscience, that I never denied my self to be a Preacher of the Gospel, nor a Minister, or Servant to this Church, but only that I was not a Minister by Office, at least by an actual, and solemn Ordination.

Thirdly, There is yet another ground (as the Lord on­ly, who is the searcher of hearts knows) upon which I have often put off, that honour and dignity, when you and others have put that stile or title upon me, my heart hath secretly answered, What am I that I should be called [Page 43] so, I being a poor inconsiderable worm, the least in my fa­thers house: which have often brought those words to my mind, Amos 7. 14 I was no Prophet, neither the Son of a Prophet, &c. and this did arise from the sense I had of the honour and dignity, weight and excellency of that high Calling, and the great unworthiness and unfitness that I saw in my self of so glorious an employment, and this also I am perswaded you know in your Conscience, that I have often hinted unto you in private discourse, and when you have spoken of me, and to me, (more indeed than was fit for any wise man to speak to the face of any Christian) namely, what God had done in Bristol by me since I came hither, &c.

But that I have been, and am through the grace of Christ (though the unworthiest upon earth) yet a Preacher and publisher of the glorious Gospel, of the grace of God both in Wales, and now in Bristol, I have no need to seek a proof of you, nor of any other man; I having had

First, The approbation, and recommendation of a Church of judicious Saints in London, where I had been for some time a Member, and unto whom my Principles as to matters of Religion, my Gift as to the work of Prea­ching, and my manner of life was well known.

Secondly, I having been solemnly sent forth by a Church of Christ in Wales, with Prayer and Supplication, recommending me to the Work and Grace of God, ap­pointing me to Preach the Gospel in Wales, where, though I was accompanied with manifold weaknesses and temptations, yet the Lord was pleased to give me some Seal of my Ministry, the lawfulness of which Call, and sen­ding forth to my work of Preaching, I could sufficiently prove, both from Scripture, and from the practises of the Churches of Christ: but of that more hereafter.

Now having continued Preaching in Wales about the space of three years, it came to pass that some Overtures were made by the people of this City for my coming hi­ther, and your self, with a Minister then of this City came as Messengers to treat with the Church of Lannachas, in [Page 44] Wales, to spare me to this place, which though at first they denied, yet the importunity of many here (and as some have said) the incessancy of Prayer prevailed, so that that Church did consent that I should come, and or­dered that a Letter should be written to acquaint the City and Commissioners, That if they could prevail with me, I should come unto them, &c. Whereupon as you know there was two Letters sent unto me, the one from the City, sign­ed by the then Major, some Aldermen, (one of which was then a Parliament man) with divers others of the Council, and Commissioners of the City of Bristol, your self being then one: Some of the words of which Letter I shall here insert, &c.

We being met together to consider and advise of able and god­ly men to Preach the Gospel in Bristol, and having experi­ence, and much assurance of your faithfulness, and sufficiency for that Work, do desire you, Sir, that you will please to come unto us: And they adding farther, their care of my main­tainance, &c.

Another large Letter I then received from divers god­ly people, the inhabitants of the City, some of which words I shall also here insert,

Dearly beloved, since after much waiting upon the Lord, the hearts of the People, generally throughout the City, is so much set upon you, desiring to enjoy you in the service of the Gospel, &c. And since our Motion formerly made by our Messengers, hath been so much prospered by the Lord in the hearts of our Brethren there, &c. We do therefore earnestly and very seriously beseech you in the Name of our Lord Jesus, that you will with all convenient speed come to Bristol and help us, &c.

Upon the receipt of which two Letters, and some ad­vise had with godly friends, I resolved in the strength and garce of Christ, That I would come, though I had much fear and trembling in my own heart, from the apprehensi­on I had of the greatness of the Work of Christ in Bristol, and the insufficiency I saw in my self, so that it was not Riches, nor Honours that drew me hither, but meer Con­science, [Page 45] and Obedience to that Call, which I judged was of, and from the Lord; the thing having never been sought or desired by me, which hath much supported my Spirit under many tryals and temptations which I have met with since.

But all this is little in comparison of what I have yet (through grace) farther to speak, and that is; That the Lord hath been pleased, through his goodness, to own me in my Work, so that though I am the unworthiest in the world, yet I trust I may say with a holy reverence, and humble boldness, that my record is on high, and that God hath given me a seal of my Ministry in Bristol, there be­ing many Souls in this City that lay weltring in their bloud of ignorance, and ungodliness, when I came hither, that are now, through the riches of grace, made living and pretious stones, and are able to give to any man that shall ask them, a clear account, of the time when, the place where, the manner how, and the word and instrument by which the Lord was pleased to turn their Souls unto him­self, several of which are since received into this Church, and though they seem contemptible now in your eyes, and in the eyes of some others, yet I have good ground to be­lieve that they are pretious in the sight of the Lord Jesus, and will be found in him at his appearance.

Likewise I doubt not but I have a testimony in your con­science (though now it seem obliterated) that you have found by experience, that Christ was with me in my Work, and I am sure I have often heard it from your mouth (if that were worth any thing) &c.

But I trust there are hundreds in Bristol, that can say, That the Lord hath been, and still is, with my Ministry, quickning, comforting, teaching, and refreshing their Souls, however you and others make it your work to tra­duce and reproach me, casting contempt upon me, to weaken my hands, and sadden my Spirit, and what in you and them lyeth, to discourage, and take off people from hearing of me; you saying to one in this City, That I Preach the Doctrine of Devils, &c. And to another, That I [Page 46] do wors hurt to your Way, than all the Preachers in Bristol: Others cry me down as an Ʋsurper, Ʋncalled, Ʋnlearned, Ignoramus &c. And another in his late Book, loads me with Scoffs, Jeers, [...], &c. which makes me won­der, That you and they which are so different in other things, yet can all agree, to cast stones at me, and dis­couragements upon me, who never intended them or you any hurt, &c.

But, through grace, I find this by experience, That all your and their labour (as to this particular) is in vain, for the more you and they strive to beat me down, and to cast me out of the hearts of the people, the more room the Lord gives me in them, and the more prosperous and suc­cessful, I trust (and some think) my work is among them, through the help, grace, and goodness of my dear Lord Jesus: I write this with lowliness and humility, without boasting or vanity, to the praise of God, and to the stop­ing the mouth of envie, &c.

It is true, I am no Preacher of that thing which you, and some of your way, call the Gospel, namely, To bid every man turn to a Light within him: neither did I ever read, or hear, that any of the Prophets, Apostles, or holy men of God did preach such a Gospel, &c.

But that Gospel of good newes and glad tydings, which Jesus Christ gives commission and commanded to be pub­lished and preached, to all Nations, and to every creature, that Gospel I preach, and you have sometimes born wit­ness to me therein, though now your testimony be vailed, even the Gospel of the grace of God, as Acts 20. 24. wherein the everlasting love, grace, and good-will of God in Christ, is freely published and declared to poor lost and one sinners, and the way to eternal life by Jesus Christ, through Faith in his bloud and righteousness, &c. this Gospel I preach, pressing all that receive it to give up themselves to Christ in love and obedience, according to the scope and tenor of the Gospel.

But the great Argument by which you would prove me to be no Minister of the Gospel is my speaking, as you say, [Page 47] in the second branch of your title page) of having Sarah Latchet whipt and sent to Bridwel, &c. Now that the Reader may be informed, and you, if possible, convinced of your weakness and folly in publishing this thing; I shall here faithfully relate the truth of that story.

This Sarah Latchet was sometime a Member with the Baptized people in Bristol, but Apostatizing from them, was Excommunicated by them, and so doth seem to have the greater hatred to, and rage against the truth, wayes, and people of Christ; this Sarah Latchet being one of the fiercest sort of the people who call themselves Quakers, hath come several times to disturbe us in our Meetings: I shall mention three times especially.

First, Once in the publick Place after Sermon was done, she fell a rayling at me, as their manner is, with fierce and cruel words, at which time she was only turned out of the place, and nothing done to her.

Secondly, Another time the Church being assembled to break Bread, and to celebrate the Lords Supper, this Sarah Latchet came into the place, I having spoken to the Church a word of Exhortation, in reference to that Ordi­nance, and addressing my self to administer it to the Church, this Sarah Latchet came rushing up towards the Table, and in the face of me, with a loud shrill voice be­gan thus, O thou deceiver, the plagues of the eternal God, &c. I spake not a word to her, but desired the Church, to be still in their spirits, and to mind the work in hand; one of our Brethren stept forth, and took her by the arm, and led her to the door, and put her forth; and this was all the hurt she had at that time.

Thirdly, Another time, the Church being assembled, at the usual time and place of Meeting, one of our Brethren being in Prayer, as soon, as ever he had done, she being present in the room, did again with a loud shrill voice be­gin thus, The Prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord, &c. and so ran on a long time, with railing, mena­cing, dreadful, expressions, wher upon I did endeavour to stop her, by casting in some words, but it would not be, [Page 48] she still continued to heap up, and threaten plagues and judgements against us; then I went near, thinking to speak a word to her, but she let flee at me with a multitude of rayling, reviling terms, such as they use to give to the Ministers of the Nation, and that in such a fierce and fu­rious manner, as hardly any Scould in the street could par­rallel; whereupon I spake these words, or to this effect, That it were fitter such an idle Huswife as she was, should be whipt, and sent to Bridwel to work, than to go about railing at people as she did. And when I had spoken these words, I went from her, and she went her way, and never was questioned, nor punished for any of these abuses; and those words I spake but once to her, and this was all I did and the occasion of it, upon which you build your great structure, concluding that I am no Minister of the Gos­pel, but a Persecutor of the truth, &c. as in your large Letter to me thereupon you declared; and that now in the title page of your Pamphlet you proclaim to the Nation, &c. but I wish you lay a better foundation for your other buildings, lest you prove a foolish builder.

Now I would ask you a few sober Questions.

First, How comes it to pass, that you can stile Sarah Latchet a Servant of Jesus, and publish her so to the world, who is an Apostate, and an Excommunicate person, going on in such a rayling, reviling, fierce, manner, as hath been now declared, and as divers witnesses can prove, whereas there are many pretious Servants of Jesus, and Saints of the most High, now living in England and Bristol, that have been known to walk with God for many years in uprightness, their foot having held its steps, and not declined from the good wayes of the Lord, neither gone back from the Commandments of his lips, but have esteemed his words, before their appointed food, and have stood fast in the worst of Times, and sorest of Tryals, &c. and yet they must be censured, judged, condemned, and cryed out against by you, as if they were the vilest Persons on earth, and all because they cannot close in with you, and your way? &c.

[Page 49] Secondly. How durst you in your Conscience say, That those raylings, revilings, cursings, and lies, &c. which she uttered, are a testifying from the Lord? Do you not blush to name, or write such a word? Will Jehovah, the great and glorious God of Heaven and Earth, ever own such raylings, revilings, &c. to be a testifying from him? Or will he ever justifie you, in what you have here written, and published to the world? O be ashamed, and confounded, poor deceived man.

Thirdly, How will you bring both ends of your Parallel to­gether: you endeavour in your Letter to parallel Sarah Latchet with Paul, and Sarah Latchet's sufferings with Paul's sufferings, and me with Paul's Persecutors? Now then let me a little examine your Parallel.

1. Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, having received a Commission from heaven, doth accordingly preach and publish the glorious Gospel of the grace, mercy, and love of God in Christ to poor sinners; and likewise sets forth the Lord Jesus, in his person, virtues, and offices, in­viting and beseeching, with all love and tenderness, those where ever he came to receive this grace, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, &c. And Sarah Latchet comes forth rayling, reviling, cursing, &c. Ergo: Sarah Latchet and Paul are alike.

2. After Paul had with meekness and love, tendred the grace of God, and the person, and vertues of Jesus Christ, the Saviour, as before, some did rise up against him, beat him, stone him, imprison him, and whip him, so that five times he received forty strips save one, with many other fore and cruel abuses, as you mention in your Letter out of 2 Cor. 1. &c.

And Sarah Latchet, after she had rayled, reviled, and pronounced curses against people; it was said to her, It were fitter such an idle Huswife were sent to Bridwel; Ergo, Sarah Latchets sufferings, and Pauls sufferings, are both a­like, &c.

3. Pauls Persecutors, after they had heard the pretions glad-tydings of the Gospel, and the report of Jesus Christ [Page 50] made unto them, as before, did actually take, and cruel­ly beat, stone, whip, and imprison Paul, &c. And I af­ter I had been revised, rayled upon, &c. said of Sarah Latchet, it were fitter she were whipt and sent to Bridwel, Ergo, Pauls Persecutors, and I, were both alike, and under the same condemnation, &c.

Is this good Logick? May not all that read your lines, read your folly? &c. But to go on.

Fourthly, Will you ask your Conscience this question, Did you not publish and set forth this thing (to wit, of my not being a Minister of the Gospel, &c.) to lay me, if you could under contempt and scorn, both in the City and Nation, though you know in what sence, and upon what ground, I had denyed the title and dignity of a Minister, as I have before declared: but you knowing that this was a nail that would go, and there­fore you strick here; and was not this such another piece of en­vie and hypocrisie, as poor Mris. Prince did manifest when she came to rayl at me, and reproach me at my Lecture at Nicholas, when in her Conscience she durst not object against any thing that was delivered, though it were often put to her by me, but instead thereof, after much bitter revilings against me, called to the People, and bid them to beware of me, for she had heard me say, I had not the Spirit of God, &c.

Now suppose this had been true, That I had at any time uttered my complaint to her, or any others, in the sadness and bitterness of my soul, when under temptation (as the Lord knows what sad hours and dark dayes I have passed through, since I came to Bristol) though you and many others little observed it, or enquired after it: but suppose, I say, I had uttered my complaint to her, as she and ma­ny others have done to me, was it a Christian-like part in her, to publish this in the face of a Congregation, many of which might be apt enough to take up a prejudice a­gainst me? &c. would you, or she, or any other, think it, either honesty, christianity, ingenuity, civility, or humanity in me, if I should publish to the world, what you, or she, or they have at any time uttred to me, as a matter of grief, burden, trouble, sadness, affliction, or temptation, that [Page 51] lay upon your, or their spirits? now both you and she also knew full well the sad complaints of my soul under the sense of my own weakness, the fore and terrible temptati­ons that I encountred with the greatness and weightiness of my work, the many eyes that were upon me, and the great dishonour that would have come to the name of Christ, if I should have miscarried in my work, which made me to see the necessity, and prize the excellency and long for the supplies of the Spirit of Christ, and often to complain of that small measure I apprehend I had of it, &c.

But Secondly, Both you and she, and some others, know in your Consciences that there was another ground upon which, and another sense in which, I had sometimes questioned, whether I and many other Christians, had yet received the Spirit: which for the Readers information, end my own vindication, I shall now declare: When I li­ved in London, and sate under the Ministry of some choice godly men, I did sometimes hear expressions to this effect, That there was a two-fold coming of the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of Believers. The first was that by which the eyes of mens understandings are opened, and they tur­ned from darkness to light, Faith and Repentance, wrought in the Soul, conversion, regeneration, or the new birth, effected; and so he that was once a dead sinner, becomes a living Saint or Believer, though as yet but weak, a babe in Christ, &c.

The Second work or coming of the Spirit, is that by which the Soul is sealed, confirmed, established, filled with joy and peace in believing, and fitted and furnished to every good work, that God calls them, whether doing or suffering, &c.

Now this put me upon the search of the Scripture, as first, Ephes. 1. 13. After you believed, you were sealed: which Scripture relates to that Acts 19. 2. Have you re­ceived the holy Spirit since you believed? &c. So Acts 8. 14. to 17. Samaria having received the Word of God, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, were baptized by Philip [Page 52] the Deacon, the Church at Jerusalem, or rather the A­postles sent forth Peter and John, that they should pray, that they might receive the holy Ghost, for as yet he was not fallen upon any of them, &c. Another Scripture, I find, Joh. 7. 37, 38, 39. In the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cryed, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: but this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, for the holy Ghost was not yet (given) because that Jesus was not yet glorified: So Luke 11. 9. to 13. such as God is a Father unto, are bid to pray, to ask, to seek, and to knock, &c. with assurance, by many Arguments, that they should receive the holy Spirit: So in the 14, 15, 16, Chapters of John, our Saviour speaking to such as did be­lieve in him, love him, and keep his Commandments, &c. he promiseth to send the Comforter unto them, even the holy Spirit which the world could not receive, &c: and to this a­gree many of the Prophecies both in Isa. Jer. Ezek. Joel, Zach. and others.

Now then as to the first work or coming of the Spirit, (namely) to make a man to become a Saint, a Christian, a Believer, a new Creature, &c. I never denied, but alwayes affirmed, that whosoever did believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or had the least beginning of a work of Grace in their Souls, it was by the Spirit of God, and they had the Spirit of Christ in the first sense, according to. Rom. 8. 9. now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, &c.

But in the second or latter sense, namely, to seal, stablish, fill with joy and comfort, &c. with many other glorious ef­fects which the Scripture speaks of, and which the Saints in the primative times, did enjoy, in this sense I have often said, that I did question, Whether I (then) had or whe­ther many others in the Church had received the Spirit? and to this you did then assent, &c. And therefore I did often press it in the Church, that we might pray more for that blessed Spirit, according to the command and promise [Page 53] of Christ, Luke 11. 9. 13. as before; and this is that which I have often called the great legacie of the new Testament, and as Jesus Christ was the great promise of the first or old Testament, so this blessed Spirit is the great promise of the second or new Testament, which all believers are to wait, pray, and long for, as the believers under the first Testa­ment, were to wait and long for the Messiah; and this was my meaning, when I have sometimes said, That a man may be a Christian, a Believer, a converted Soul, or a babe in Christ, and not as yet have received the Spirit, I mean still in this latter sense, in respect of sealing, establishing, &c. yet I neither did, nor do expect the Gift of tongues, or working Miracles, &c. neither do I find that the great promise of the Spirit, was principally to that end, though that was accomplished by it, when and how the Lord plea­sed, as Heb. 2. 4. with divers miracles and gifts, or distri­butions of the holy Ghost, according to his own will, but I find rather that the great promise of the Spirit, is, for such glorious ends as these, &c.

1. To open and reveal the hidden Mysteries of the king­dome of heaven, as Matth. 13. 11. to you it is given to know the Mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, &c. So 1 Cor. 2. 9. to the 14. we read that those things which the eyes of men (as men) have not seen, neither can the natural man per­ceive, yet God doth reveal by his Spirit, &c. So it is pro­mised in John, to lead and guide into all truth, therefore, Eph. 1. 17. the Apostle prayes for believers, that they might receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, &c.

2. To comfort and chear up poor drooping believers, filling them with all joy and peace, consolation and re­freshment, which is one main end for which it is promi­sed: as in 14, 15, 16, Chapters of John, to which agree many of the sayings of the Prophets, &c.

3. To heighten and strengthen the Saints with bold­ness, courage, constancy, and resolution in their Spirits, to do, or to suffer for God, as Acts 4 8. Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost, said, &c. so to the 19. vers. So Acts 5. 41. And they—rejoyced that they were counted worthy to [Page 54] suffer, &c. which thing neither they nor Peter could do (a little before, as Mark 14. 50▪ 66 to 71.) But observe, they had not then received the Spirit, so Acts 16. 25. Paul and Silas sang in prison

4. To purge and purifie, clense and sanctifie believers, and make them holy, as Isa. 4. 3, 4. so Ezek. 36. 25. to 29. Joel. 3. 17. then shall Jerusalem be holy, that is, when the Mountains shall drop new wine, and the hills flow with milk; as vers. 18. And the fountain come forth of the house of the Lord, to water the valley of Shittim.

5. To make poor, dry, barren, empty souls to become fruitful to God, and to grow in grace, Isa. 32. 5. until the Spirit be poured from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, Isa. 44. 3, 4. I will pour my Spirt upon thy seed, &c. and they shall spring up, &c. so Hos. 14. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel, and he shall grow, &c.

6. To fill the Saints with meekness and love, yea, with end cared love towards Christ, and bowels of pity towards men, as we see it was with the Saints in the primitive times, but is much wanting now

7. To unite the Saints more together in judgement and affection into one heart, and one way, as the Scripture speaks.

8. To make them more exact and spiritual in the use and practise of all Gospel Ordinances, as Acts 2. 41. to 47.

9. To beautifie and adorn Christians with every spiritu­al gift and grace, as Gall. 5. 22. Ezek 16. 10, 11, 12, 13.

10. To fill them with a mighty Spirit of Faith and Pray­er, as the Saints in the primitive times, after the pouring forth of the Spirit had.

In a word it is a Christians All, for by it he can do all things, as Phil. 1. 19. 4. 13. and without it he can do no­thing well, as John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing.

And thus I have declared my judgment fully about this blessed truth, and what I mean by the pouring forth of the glorious Spirit which I so often mention in prayer and preaching, as the great legacy, privilege, and portion of [Page 55] the Saints or believers in the New Testament, &c.

Now then let me ask you this Question, Whether it had not been better for you, and those that are gone away with you, that you had set your selves solemnly to seek the Lord by Supplication and Prayer, and so have continued in the wayes, and under the Ordinances of Christ, waiting for that blessed spirit, as many of the Servants of God have done, and still do, &c. rather than to have taken up a No­tion of a Light in every man, and call that the eternal Spi­rit, as some of your way do, and then jeer and scoff at them, that pray for the Spirit, and reproach them which complain out of their sense of the want of it, as poor Mris. Prince did, when she came to revile me at my Lecture, &c. But blessed be the Lord, there are many Churches in England and Wales, that are now wrestling with the Lord day after day joyntly, and day and night singly (in the deep sense of their wants) for the accomplishment of that glorious, new-Testament promise, and such an Answer is already given to some, both Independant and Baptized, as you call them, that they have no cause to repent of the time they have set apart for that work; and I verily be­lieve, That if the people whom you and others so much de­spise, go on and continue praying as now they do, for the pouring forth of the blessed Spirit, there will shortly be such a breaking forth of the day of Christ, that all the an­tichristian foggs, of false doctrins and false worships, will flie and fall, as the darkness before the rising Sun.

And Oh that some men in England and Bristol that are now wrangling and quarrelling about their humane learn­ing, and scoffing and envying those that have it not, would seriously consider this thing, before their lamp go out in obscurity, and their feet stumble upon the dark mountains, before their arm be dried up, and their eye utterly dark­ned, &c.

Now before I part with this, I will also clear my self a­bout another expression, that I have sometimes used, and at which many have been offended, and that is about an old and a new Testament Spirit (though of late to avoid [Page 56] offence, have forbore it) now by those expressions, I did not mean nor intend the Spirit of God, so as to call that an old Testament Spirit, for I know that Spirit, was one and the same from everlasting, but by an old or new-Testament Spirit.

1. I mean the frame and temper of a mans own Spirit, and so by an old-Testament Spirit, I alwayes mean, that dark, weak, childish and low frame and temper of Spirit, which professors generally had, in the time of the old Te­stament, while under the Mosaical administration, with that bondage and fear, that weakness and sadness, that did accompany it, &c.

2. By a new-Testament Spirit, I alwayes mean, that lively, chearful, active, joyful, bold, son-like frame and temper of Spirit, which the Saints generally in the primi­tive times under the new Testament did enjoy, which is called a Spirit of Adoption, as the other is called a Spirit of Bondage; a full description of what I mean is set forth in two Scriptures, as namely, Gal. 4. from the 1. to the 7. and Heb. 12. from 18 to 24. In which two Scriptures is set forth,

First, The weakness, darkness, childishness, fear, bondage, &c. of the old-Testament state, which is that that I call, the frame, temper, or spirit of the old-Testa­ment.

And Secondly, There is set forth, the light, life, strength, boldness, comfort, courage, joy, & rejoycing of the new-Testament state, which is that that I call, the frame, temper, or Spirit of the new Testament, &c. And whether Chri­stians be not generally, more under the old-Testament frame, than under the new, I leave to their experiences: and thus I have fully declared my self, as to these two parti­culars; and if any sober Christian, into whose hands this may come, shall apprehend that I am mistaken in either of them, I shall be glad to receive a word from them in love, but I do not expect it from you, to whom I now write, &c.

You farther tell me in your Letter, that you were [Page 57] warned from invisible lights some months past, to beware of me, which you could not believe, till now it breaks out like fire, &c. I conceive those invisible lights, were some secret whisperers that did bring you many stories, both of me, and others, &c. but truly I could discern by visible light, long before you left us, that my speaking was but little acceptable to you, and some others, especially after I did begin to oppose your spleen and passion, though whilst I sate still and silently approved of what you spake, then I was the excellentest man that ever you met with, & you would often, both to my face, and behind my back, applaud and extol me; but when once I began a little to cross you, as many others of the Brethren did, and as some godly men had formerly done (as they saw cause enough) then you and your partie began to fume and fret, and as it was often observed to go out of the Meetings, when I had been to speak though I did oppose you with all the tender­ness that possibly I could, as knowing what a partie you had in the Church, and what influence you had upon them; but now you say the fruits doth appear, and break out like fire, &c.

Q. And what is it?] But that I should say, That such an idle Huswife, as is before mentioned, should be sent to Bridwel, rather than to go rayling about, as she did: Now I appeal to all Christians upon the face of the earth, what hurt this was, to this poor, rayling, cursing, fierce crea­ture? &c.

Q. And was this the ground upon which some of your company spread it about the Country, and place of my na­tivity, what a persecutor I was become, so that the good people there, that had known me to be of another temper, did wonder, and were troubled, until they understood, what you and your company meant by such things, and that it was because I would not joyn with you and your new Religion, and with the people that call themselves Quakers. Again, Was this the ground upon which you did so often cry out against Judases in the Church, a little before you left us; but blessed be the Lord, we can now [Page 58] rejoice, that the innocencie of the upright is cleared, and the Judases are discovered, &c. and whether I or you have betraied and crucified the Lord Jesus, in his Saints, in his waies, in his name, and in his truth, I shall humbly leave, &c. I do not boast, but desire with all humilitie and reve­rence to acknowledge and admire the power, grace, mer­cy, and goodness of him by whom, I a poor worm have been preserved, whilst such a Cedar, or Star, as you were taken to be, is so sadlie fallen; but it is no more than what some have thought and said long ago, That pride and ar­rogancie would have a fall, as Prov. 29. 23. But let him that thinketh he stands, take heed lest he fall, &c. 1 Cor. 10. 12.

But now you say, I openly oppose the appearance of Christ, where it is found in life and power, &c. What, be­cause I said of that poor deluded Creature, It were fitter she were sent to Bridwel? O poor deceived man, that you should be a professor of Religion, so long, and now come to publish such a piece of folly to the world, as to call the Since this I have been three times disturbed for which one is now impri­soned. fierce raylings, &c. of these people, the appearances of Christ, in life and power; and my speaking that one word to her once, an opposing of Christ, &c. whereas she had no hurt done her, not a word spoken to any Magistrate a­gainst her; nay, though she, and others of your way, have 16 or 17 times opposed me, and rayled at me, yet never but one, and that but once was questioned or imprisoned for it, and yet I am cried out against in word and writing by you and your companie, as the great persecutor, which now you tell the world you have been warned by invisible lights some months past, to beware of me: But how can you call Sarah Latchet the Servants of God, and Witnesses of Jesus (in the plural number) whereas it was but to she only, and that but once I spake those words, though she rayled at me many times, but ask your own heart, whether your Design were not to draw out my supposed Offence to the world, and then consider, whether instead thereof you have not let out your own folly, envie, and hypocrisi? But where is that meekness, and bearing, that some of you [Page 59] boast of, that you would not return evil for evil, but being cursed, you bless, &c. poor-creatures, it is an easie thing to flatter your selves, and speak words, &c. but let any one touch you, though but in a word, and they shall find you as rough, both in rayling and writing, as any: But what would you have done unto me, if I should have come into your Meetings and disturbed you, and railed at you, &c. as she and others have done at me? you would have sent me (not to Bridwel) but to the bottomless pit, if words could have done it? You close your Letter with many seeming expressions of love and pity: as,

• 1. That I might see the sandiness of my foundation.
• 2. Know the things that belong to my peace.
• 3. Escape the pit.
• 4. Not shut up the kingdom of Heaven against my self and others, &c.

1. As for my foundation, I know no other, nor preach no other than that foundation and Corner stone which is laid in Sion, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Son of man, in one person, upon whom, through grace, I have cast my soul for eternity, and other foundations I look not for, &c.

2. As to my knowing the things that belong to my peace, &c. I bless the Lord it is the groaning of my soul to him, for that blessed Spirit of revelation, in the knowledge of the Mysterie of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, that I may believe more, love more, and obey more, &c.

3. As for my escaping the Pit: I desire the like for you: and in order to that, I have consented to, and helped on, the Admonitions that have been sent by the Church to you, and the other poor souls that are with you, &c.

4. But fourthly, As for my shutting up the kingdom a­gainst my self, and others, &c. I can say, through grace, it hath been, and is daily my great care and work, to preach the kingdom of God freely to sinners, and to set forth the Lord Jesus Christ, as the way to that kingdom, and to in­vite, and encourage all poor souls to come into that king­dom, [Page 60] by Jesus Christ the true door or way, and by the strait gate of believing, which the Scribes and Pharisees, by putting men upon working for life, did shut up against themselves, and others: and who doth so now, but those that bid all men turn to a Light within them, and so take them off from believing on the person of Jesus Christ, or looking to be saved by what he hath done, and suffered, wrought, and accomplished for man, &c.

But I suppose your meaning is, That I should give o­ver preaching, and come to you, and your way; I know this hath been the longing desire of many of you a great while: for these were the words of one of your way, the last time I was in your house, That I kept many from receiv­ing, or embracing the Light: but I desire to bless the Lord, that through the riches of his grace to my soul, I have been hitherto preserved, and I have seen my Call to, and Work in this City clearer since you left us, than ever I did before, both as to this poor desolate Church, and likewise to many precious souls in Bristol, among both of which I trust I may say with humility and comfort, that God hath made me of some use, though I be as nothing, &c. And truly I do hope, that God who chuseth the things that are not, to confound the things that are, &c. wil yet use me, as an in­strument for good unto his people in this City, and the rather because, both you with them of your way, and others that are of other waies, do so violently, and causelesly set against me, which makes me sometimes take up the com­plaint of the Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 15. 10. Wo is me, &c. I have neither lent upon usury, nor have men lent me upon u­sury, and yet every one of them doth curse me, or speak evil upon me, as some translations read it: but blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that yet my lamp is not gone forth in obscure darkness, &c. And thus I have done with the substance of your Letter, I in­tend to add a short word to the ensuing part of your Book, but I shall first make a little digression, by joyning an occasional word to what I have now written, &c.

I shall desire you to Consider, Whether you are not [Page 61] by this act of yours, in publishing me thus to the world, tickled the hearts, and pleased the fancies of many, who were full enough of prejudice against me before; nay, are you not joyned as a Brother in bitterness, with him that wrote the late Book, called, Satan Enthroned in his chair of Pestilence: Let any judicious Christian compare your Book with the latter part of his, and see whether those two bitter streams, do not both arise from one corrupt foun­tain; namely, the Spirit that is from beneath: may not I return your own words upon you, which you unjustly charge upon me and this Church, from Obediah 11, Thou wast like one of them, &c. and is this the kindness of a friend, or the part of a brother? O how truly are those Scriptures fulfilled in you, Mic. 7. 5. Trust ye not in a friend &c. Jer. 9. 4. Take ye heed, &c. for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. You had written your Letter to me about a year ago; and if you had known ought by me, you might have written more; but for you, now to publish it to the world, and to proclaim it in your Frontispiece, and that in such a sub­tile manner, that he that reads your title page and my name, would verily think (if they did not know other­wise) that I were some dreadful persecutor, and that I had caused some Servant of Christ to be whipt and punished: but I trust the Lord will look upon my wrong; and your envie; my innocency, and your hypocrisies, &c. but I know it is in vain to write farther to you, and truly had it not been for the vindication of the truth, and satis­fact on of some poor souls in this City and Nation, I should have cast your Book, and the other mans Book aside, and never have troubled my self to have answered you or him; but since it is so, that both your Books are spread abroad, and read by many, at which some are grieved; others stag­gered, and people generally apt to conclude that things are so, as he and you have said, because I am silent and say nothing, as I remember it was with me once before, when a publick Scandal was raised and cast upon me at my first coming to Bristol, which the Lord knew, and I in my [Page 62] own Conscience knew, I was as innocent in, as any man or child under heaven, and therefore sate still about half a year, resolving my innocency should answer for me, &c. which made many conclude I was guilty because I was si­lent, till at length I was forced to seek a publick Vindica­tion by the Magistrate (which I had) and then the mouths of bad people were stopped, and the minds of good peo­ple satisfied:

So I conceive it might be now, if I were wholly silent, as to what you and he do write, though indeed I had re­solved silence, and to have given you, and him, and others, leave to have trampled upon me; and were I in a private capacity, I think I should do so: but forasmuch as the Lord hath set me as a publick instrument in his work, and that; that which you and he have written of me, tends much to the defaming of me, and the hindrance of my work, by laying stumbling blocks of prejudice, into the minds of people against me, I therefore think my self bound for the truths sake; and for the sake of some good people in this City; being thereunto also advised and perswaded by godly friends, to set forth a few words of truth and sober­ness, both to your Book and his.

And I desire that neither you nor he will be offended that I joyn you both together in this my Answer, for first you are much alike Brethren in bitterness, against the peo­ple called Independants and Baptized, as may be seen throughout your Book: and in the latter part of his.

Secondly, I find, that he hath often joyned you with me, therefore I think it not improper to coupple him with you, and I hope that neither your friends, nor his, will look upon my so doing as any disparagment to you, or him. Yet I must needs say in some things he is more modest than you in that he doth not name me, as you often do, though in some things you are more serious than he, in that you do not [...] as he often doth; but both you and he have done what you could, to lay me under contempt and scorn to the whole City and Nation, and therefore I shall now address my self to answer some few passages in his [Page 63] Book, though not for your information, but for my own Vindication, and for publick and general satisfaction, &c.

And first in the 48 page of that his Book, called, Satan enthroned in his Chair of Pestilence, &c. he tells a story, how they, meaning the Church in Bristol, send for a Taylor out of Wales to be their Teacher, &c. in which he deals very dis-ingeniously, for first, he knew that I was sent for by the Major of the City, some Aldermen, many of the Council, and other Gentlemen and Commissioners of the City of Bristol, which I take to be the Representative of the City, &c. As likewise, I was sent for by many of the godly inhabitants, as I have elsewhere declared; and that not only to be a Teacher in the Church of Bristol, but to be a publick Preacher of the Gospel in the City, as I have, through the help and grace of Christ, hitherto continued; and he himself, at my first coming, gave me the right hand of fellowship, and professed he was satisfied in my Call.

But secondly, I was no more a Taylor in Wales, than he was any of his former Callings after he came to Bristol: For when I was called to Preach the Gospel in Wales, I left my former Employment, as he did leave his several Callings, when he took to Preaching: the next thing con­cerning me in his Book, is page 50. where he mentioneth a great Woman, that had three Children unbaptized: the truth of which I shall relate, by which the falseness of his Relation will appear, &c. There was about the time of my coming first to Bristol a godly woman, one at whose Husbands house, the Church did often use to meet; she having been delivered of a Child, did about a month after desire the Church to meet at her house, to render praise to the Lord, and to spend some time in Prayer and con­ference, &c. accordingly the Elder, that then was, did upon the first day of the week appoint that the next Meet­ing should be at such a place, to such an end: now when the Church was met, she desired that her Children might also be presented to the Lord by Prayer, both that which she then lay in with, and one more about the age of two [Page 64] years, whether any more of her Children were then pre­sent, I do not remember; but the like was done again a­bout two years after, when the Lord gave her another Child, and as it hath been done for many others upon the like occasion, and as I have known it often done in Wales, and I here recommend it to all sober Christians, especially such as are dissatisfied in their judgments and Consciences, about Infants Baptism, namely, That when any godly Woman, a Member of a Congregation, hath received such a mercy, she should at some convenient season present her self with her Child in the Church, that Praise may be rendred to the Lord on her behalf, presenting her Child also to the Lord by Prayer, &c. at which time the Parents may declare in the Congregation the name of the Child, that it may be entered into the Book, where the names of the Congregation are written, as the Children of the Church, who upon occasion may be mentioned to the Lord as the seed of the faithful, that when these Children come to age, and the Lord shall give them to profess Faith in Christ, and that they do believe with all their hearts, as Acts 8. 37. they may then be admitted to the Ordi­nances of Christ, both Baptism, and the Lords Supper, as Believers were in the Primitive times, Acts 2. 41, 42. this I leave to the Consideration of all, but especially such as do not see ground to sprinckle their Children, and I the rather mention this, because there are many who since they left of Infant Baptism, that are (as I conceive) too remiss in the duty of thankfulness, and too careless of the preti­ous Souls of their Children, &c.

Now this was all, that I know, that was in the eye and intent of this godly Woman, and this was the utmost which was done at that time, concerning the Woman and her two children, (which this man calls a blood-daring at­tempt) which I desire the judicious Reader to consider, &c. As for this jerking, jeering, quibling, and scoffing at the learned Teacher, the reverent Congregation, the mock-Ordinance, and dry Baptism, &c. I shall not an­swer him, lest I should be like unto him, neither can I say [Page 57] what discourse she had with the other discreet Gentlewo­man which he mentioneth, but this I know, the Woman was a very judicious Christian, and was well informed and satisfied about the unwartantableness of Infant-Baptism, and was her self shortly after Baptized, according to the true intent, manner and administration of that Ordinance, so that this was no invention to give her satisfaction, as he saith; neither did she or any of the Congregation look up­on this as Bapt [...]m, for both she and they (for ought I know) were fully satisfied against that practice, before I had ever any acquaintance with her or them; and for his jerking, and jeering again about prayer, before and after and about the words of Institution to the new Ordinance, &c. All which might better become the mouth of a Stage-player, than the pen of a Minister. And for his saying the Children were as much heathen as before; truly I trust they had more benefit by this solemn act of the Churches prayer, than if he had in his way baptized them; but I did not think till now, that he had held that Children were made Christians by Baptism.

The next thing he mentions is, about my being Bapti­zed at London, &c. I had two reasons for my being Bap­tized there rather than here: First, because I am a Mem­ber of a Church there, who are of the same judgement, as to this particular: Secondly, because I knew none there that had that latitude in their Principles, as to Baptize me, unless I should come off from this Church in point of Communion, which in my conscience I could not do, I knowing them to be a pretious godly people, how ever now under contempt; but that I did it there, or that I concealed it at all to save my Maintenance, that is not true; for I did publickly own it as soon as I did come home, though with that moderation and tenderness, as not to grieve or offend any, but as for his jerking and jeering, at my falling from dry Baptism to Dipping, &c. I shall not answer him: But for that godly man Mr. Jesse, whom he calls an Anabaptist, Teacher of London, I shall not say much for him, he hath grace enough to bear his reproches, [Page 58] onely this I must say, his coming hither was not to per­form any Bishop like confirmation, as this man seems to in­timate; but rather to endeavour the setling and establish­ing the minds of the People of this Citie, against the per­nicious Doctrin of the Quakers; and I believe his endea­vours were not successless in that thing. Again, for my becoming an open professed Dipper, (as he saith) though I abhor his jeering, yet I do own the word and practice, and therein I do no more than all the Preachers in Bristol do, for they Baptize and Preach, and I Preach and Bap­tize; onely they Baptize Infants, and I Baptize Men and Women, as Philip did, Acts 8. 12. and whose practice is most justifiable, theirs or mine, I refer to the Scriptures in their proper and genuine sense to determine, and to any judicious impartial Scholar to interpret, as Iohn 3. 23. Acts 8. 37, 38, 39. Acts 10. 47, 48. Acts 22. 16. But for my unchristening him and his Children; I never uttered such a word; but if my practice grounded upon Scripture do it, J ought not to be blamed: Likewise for his unchristian-like dealing with that godly man, Mr. Tombs, publishing his name to the World; I shall say little, for he hath wisdom and grace, either to answer him, or to bear his reproa­ches, onely this I perceive by a Letter from Mr. Tombs, that the thing is false; And for his calling Mr. Tombs our greatest Champion, &c. truly the man is much mistaken, for we do not lean upon Man for our practice, we ha­ving both the Command and example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his blessed Apostles, recorded in Scripture, as Matt. 28. Mark 16. Luke 3. 23. Christ himself was Bap­tized when he was about 30 years of age; so that Mr. Tombs, is not our Champion: But for his mis-drawn con­sequences, how I can give the Lords Supper to the Devils children, if Mr. Tombs had said so, as he writes of him, would it therefore follow, that I, and all others, must be of Mr. Tombs his mind in that thing? I cannot see this to be a necessary consequence, &c. but I do abhor and detest any such uncharitable sensoriousness, and I believe Mr. Tombs doth so also, &c.

[Page 59] He asketh further, by what authority I make a single judgement to my self; I ask again, how he durst to say that I make a single judgement to my self, when as there are many Churches, and many men both learned and god­ly, that are of my judgement in this particular, so as to hold communion with persons differing in that point? and so I do administer the Lords Supper to this people in Bri­stol, as they are a Church of godly sober Christians, be­lieving in Christ, though some of them mis-baptized, yet none of them deny the Ordinance of Christ, onely some of them have not light to see the right Administration of it, but reckon their Infant Baptism sufficient; yet as further light comes in, they are willing to walk up to it, in the mean time we can bear with them in love, as we desire them and others, to bear with us in other things.

As for that mis-construed passage in my Lecture, about dry breasts, which he applies to Infant Baptism, &c. 1, I deny that ever I spoke those words in such terms: 2. Much less to that sense, but I have often prayed against that sore judgement threatned, Hosea 9. 14. and that I might not have a miscarrying womb, so as not to bring any soul to Christ by conversion; or dry breasts, so as not to feed or refresh any poor thirsty soul, that comes to wait upon God in his Ordinances, as I fear it is with many Congre­gations in England; and this was the substance and sense of what I spake, though as for Infant-Baptism, I have de­clared and do declare my dislike of it; yet so as not to judge or condemn any godly man, that thinks he hath Warrant to do it, &c.

And whereas he saith, That the professed, thorow-pa­ced Anabaptists, leave me, and would not joyn with me, and therefore commends them that they are true to their principles, and do not juggle, implying that I am not so, but do juggle, &c. Truly I know no thorow [...]ac'd, godly man, either Anabaptist, or others in Bristol, but do shew love and respect to me in their way, onely in this, they walk according to their light, and so do I; but they think I am too large in my Principles, and I think they are too [Page 60] strait in theirs; yet we do not differ, but can bear with each other in love, though for my juggling or dis-ingenuity I pass not to be judged by him, &c. though I know it would please him better, if I were of a furious, impetuous, violent spirit, so as to break all in pieces, and set the Citie and this Church in a flame, and thereby make my self to be abhorred of all both good and bad; but, I trust, as the Lord hath, so he will graciously give me a more sober, sweet spirit, to walk tenderly towards all, and to do good to all: And truly I can say, through grace, that I do not love any man the more or less for his judgments sake, whether he be Pres­byterian, Independent, Baptized, &c. But where ever I see the Image of Christ appear (which is love and holiness) there I desire to love and honor.

And for his large Parentheses, from page 52. to page 55. wherin he makes an Apologie for his bitterness & passion, (as he had need enough to do) and then closes with a pro­posal, that if we will but acknowledge his Ministery, Churches, and Ordinances, to be according to the Institu­tions of Christ, and such as with whom we will hold com­munion, then he will write a Retractation, &c.

I answer, let him first but prove that they are so, and then we will soon acknowledge it; but till then, though he be so wise as to propse it, we shall not be so foolish as to grant it, &c.

And as for his Marginall Note upon page 55 about our being thought to own their Ministery, because we hear some of them. Truly, I think, he had need not speak of that, for few of us do hear him, or intend it, till he be of another tem­per, yet I do not refuse to hear any sober, godly man, though I must needs say, I have but little comfort in, or in­couragement to, the hearing of some, who are so often ven­ting their passion and bitterness, &c.

The next thing concerning me is, pag. 55. where he layes an accusation against me, and the Society with whom I walk, that we neglected (for a long time) the Declarations of his (Highness) for solemn meetings, &c. whereby he endevours if he could, to render me, and this Church, obnoxious in the [Page 61] eyes of the Governours of England; but, through mer­cy, the chief Magistrate, and chief Governours of this Common-wealth, have more wisdom and grace, than to hearken to such accusations, especially from men of his temper; but if I were so wicked, and void of ingenuity, as to go about to accuse men for such neglects, I might find matter enough to write and publish against my neighbours; but I abhor and detest such an envious and unworthy spi­rit, &c. But I do not remember that ever this Church neg­lected one such meeting, neither did I ever omit above once or twice, at the most, preaching publickly, as I durst appeal to the whole Citie to bear me witness; but suppose I had upon the change of the Government, being scrupled or dis­satisfied, so as to omit once or twice preaching, are there none in England or Bristoll have done the like, and is it the part of a Minister to rake up old Stories, to present to the ears of the Magistrate, and to publish to the Nation to incense them against a person or people that live peaceably under, are subject unto, and make supplication for those that are in authority, as the Scriptures require, Titus 3. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2. and as we are well known to do, &c. I shall say no more but the Lord rebuke the Spirit of En­vie, &c.

As for many other things in his Book, both concerning me and the Church with whom I walk; as first, his jeering at our cutting out Churches according to our fancied pri­mitive patern, and our being mar'd in the shaping, &c. wherein he pleaseth himself, and men like himself: And se­condly, his gross mistake in laying the blame of all the mis­chief the Quakers have done in Bristoll, with many other evils and falsities to the charge of this poor Congregation, some of whom bave stood as much, and born as full a testi­mony against the principles and practices of those miserable deluded people, as ever he hath done, and perhaps to better purpose, &c.

Now as for his large and unlearned Discourse about an un­godly learned man, being fitter to preach than a godly man, that wanteth onely human learning, in respect of divers [Page 62] Tongues; as likewise his supposed insufficiency of the Spi­rit of Christ, to furnish and accomplish, fit and enable men to that work, &c. I shall not undertake to answer e­very particular that he asserts about this matter, from pag. 62. to pag. 66. Onely if I might be thought worthy to in­form such a man as he is, or any other of his mind, I should advise them to take heed of grating upon, jerking against, slighting or undervaluing of that blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus, in any of its Offices, operations, effects, or different administrations, in and among the People or Church of God; I say, I should advise them to take heed, lest when God sets the solitary in families, the rebellious dwell in a dry land, and whilst some are like trees planted by the waters, never ceasing to yeild their fruit, others be like the Heath in the Desart, that should not see when God cometh, but inhabite the parched places in the wilderness; For all the Trees of the field shall know, that the Lord can bring down the high Tree, and exalt the low Tree, he can dry up the green Tree, and make the dry Tree to flourish; yea, and by the pouring forth of the Spirit from on high can make the Wilderness become a fruitful Field, and the fruitful Field to be counted for a Forrest, as Ezek. 17. 24. Isa. 32. 15.

He layes it upon some as a reproach, page 62. That we teach by the Spirit, &c. I desire humbly to acknowledge and attribute it unto the blessed Spirit of Christ, that I have at any time been, or now am enabled in any measure to speak or publish any truth of God, either to the conver­sion of sinners, or to the edification or consolation of the Saints and People of God; and truly if this man do not lean and depend upon the help of the Spirit in his work of preaching, I shall not much wonder, if his Ministry prove as I have sometimes said or feared, many mens have done, as a miscarrying Womb, and dry breasts, notwithstand­ing all their great learning, of which they seem to boast. &. He further demands, page 62. whether all that have the Spirit can teach publickly, &c. First, if by teaching publickly, he mean preaching and publishing what God hath done for them; and likewise declaring to others what [Page 63] the Lord hath taught them, &c. Then I answer it is the duty of all Christians so to do, 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the gift, so let him minister the same, &c. as Eldad and Medad did, Numb. 11. though one man envi­td, and another complained, as some do now, yet Moses the man of God, he approved of it, &c.

But secondly, if by preaching publickly, he mean a publick and solemn undertaking the work of preaching &c. Then I answer, I do not think that every one, that hath the Spirit of Christ in him, or the work of grace in his soul, is fit to be a publick Preacher; for there are diversi­ties of gifts, and differences of administrations, as ap­pears, 1 Cor. 12. 4. to the 11. Yet, where the Spirit of God hath fitted any, and the People of God that know them well, do see them fit, and judge them fit, and ap­prove of them publickly, calling them thereunto, these may be fit to teach publickly, at lest to their own Nation, as the 70 Disciples were, Luke 10. 1. though they had no gifts of Tongues as we read of, no more than the twelve Apostles had, during the time of their preaching to their own Nation, before the Assention of Christ; and that they were to preach to all Nations according to their se­cond Commission, Matt. 28. Mark 16. yet I do not in the least slight, despise, or undervalue learning, nor learn­ed men, that have grace with it, and do not scornfully trample upon them that want it; but to say that no man may preach without it, is to make a law, where Christ hath made none; for the seventy Disciples, and twelve Apostles, did preach long before the day of Pentecost, &c.

He likewise demands, who will step forth and tell him, (and not lie) that the Spirit doth teach them to under­stand the meaning of the word Justification, or Adoption, &c. I answer, if none but such as can speak Greek and La­tin, can understand what Justification and Adoption is, &c. how then can any that have not Greek or Latin, be­lieve they are justified or adopted, seeing that it is another Maxim in the Schools, that no man can believe more than he doth understand: But surely those Souls that have been first enlightened by the Word and Spirit of Christ, to see [Page 64] and know their lost condition, while under sense of con­demnation; and hath also been led by the same Spirit through the Word of grace, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all ther hearts, and by his pretious blood, to see themselves freed from condemnation, and in his righ­teousness to be made righteous, aod so to find the comfort of it in some measure in their own souls, they can speak of it to the praise of God, and to the edification of others, and that by the help and assistance of the same blessed Spi­rit, yea perhaps more sensibly, feelingly, plainly, and pro­fitably, than the most learned Doctor in the world, that knows it onely speculatively, by learning, reading, and studying.

As for that scornful word unlettered, which he doth so often use, and cast as a reproach upon some men, &c. I answer, truly some of us do know our Letters as well, and can put them together into Syllables and Sentences as right, and pronounce them as distinct and plain, perhaps as him­self; but I shall not ad to this, onely conclude with Prov. 3. 34. Surely the Lord scorneth the scorner, and giveth grace to the lowly. And I desire seriously to weigh, and to com­mend to all sober Christians, those words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1. from 19. to 29. and Chap. 2. from 1. to 15. and Chap. 3. 18, 19, 20. by all which it appears, the great A­postle of Christ, was of another mind, than this man seems to be. He demands page 65. what an unlettered Teacher, or Ignoramus would say, if he were to discourse with a Papist, or an Adversary about Justification, &c. Truly, I would say this, if any should out of pride, curiosity, and vain confidence, run without a call, to discourse with an Adversary, (Papists or others) about that or any other point of Christianity, &c. he might expect that the Lord might justly leave him to himself, and so he might betray, or shame the truth, and so might it be with the most learn­ed Teacher in the world.

But secondly, if a godly man were providentially, or clearly called, to maintain or defend, that or any other truth of God against an Adversary, (Papist or others) he going in the fear of the Lord, and in a sense of self-in­sufficiency, [Page 65] in faith and hope of the presence and assistance of the grace and Spirit of Christ, he might expect according to his promise, Matt. 10. 9. Take no thought for it shall be given you in that same hour, what ye shall speak. And verse 20. For it is not ye which speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And how truly was this fulfilled in the Martyrs, both in plain Country-men, and also Wo­men, yea, young Youths and Mayds, who discoursing a­bout points of Christian Religion, and disputing with men of as profound Learning, as some are now, who boast so much of it, namely, the Popish Bishops and Doctors, and how those poor Martyrs did by the help of the blessed Spirit, without Latin or Greek, confound those enemies of truth, and assert and maintain both the Doctrin of Ju­stification, and other points of Christian Religion, as the History of Acts and Monuments do sufficiently declare; and though we have no cause to presume, yet we have good ground to hope and believe, that the same God, will by the same Spirit, give in the same supplies to his Ser­vants in the same case, if he should again call them to it, or if he should call any of us to assert and maintain the bles­ [...] Doctrin of Justification, or to despute the glorious pri­vilege of Adoption. And whereas he saith, page 56. That we give out our selves to be gifted Brethren, and so fit for the work of the Ministry, &c. For my own part I do not know that ever I gave out such a word, and the Lord knows, that I have lower and meaner thoughts of my self; and truly had not the importunity and perswasions of some prevailed with me, beyond what I thought of my self, I think I had never been an eye-sore to this man in Bri­stol, nor a trouble to any others in the work of preaching; and if he or any other can make it appear to me, that it is the will of God, that I should give over my present work, I trust it is not all the Gold and Silver in Bristol, that should hire me to continue in it; but truly (as other things) so the violent opposition that I meet with from men of divers sorts, do much confirm that it is the will of God, that I should continue in my work of preaching, &c. And so long (though I should meet with greater difficulties than [Page 66] over I have yet done) I trust I shall go on with it, expe­cting the presence of Christ with me; and his blessing upon me therein. I do not at all reflect upon those godly men, that he quotes page 66, 67. though I cannot but wonder that a man should express so much bitterness against Ana­baptists, as he doth in his Book, and yet seem so to ap­plaud a baptized man, that is a person of honor, &c. Like­wise how a man can speak so contemptuously against Sepa­ration, and separated Churches, and yet seem so to ap­plaud that eminent Dr. Owen, who is a man so eminently for the Congregational way, that some men call Indepen­dency or Separation; which makes me to think, that if all the people in England and Bristol, which are called Inde­pendents or Anabaptists, were great or in high places, he would love them, or make them believe so, &c.

But thirdly, for that godly man Mr. Baxter, whose face I never saw, yet do I highly honor & esteem for some of his works, and for what good I hear of him, yet I see no ground, why I should so understand Mr. Baxter, or the o­ther two, as this man seems to force their meaning; for, admit it be true, that an ungodly learned man, may know as much, or more, of the literal and grammatical sense [...] Scripture, than a gracious man may do, which is all that they affirm; doth it therefore follow, that a godly unlearn­ed man, (if it were proper to call any so) may not un­derstand and know, publish and declare the truth of Christ, to their own comfort, and the edification of others, for my own part I cannot see this to be an infallible conse­quence, and I am confident that two of those men are o­therwise minded; and if godly Mr. Baxter should mean so, yet I know, there are many others of like eminency, both for Learning and Godliness, that are of another mind in this particular, as I might abundantly shew from their works that are extant, as likewise that experience God hath given us in this later age, of his owning, bles­sing, and prospering, such in the preaching of the Gospel, to the conversion of many souls, both in England and Wales, &c. But what I have here written may be sufficient to disprove what he doth falsly assert, page 67. that the [Page 67] pretence of preaching by the Spirit is but a pious fraud, to set up our selves in the hearts and consciences, and consequently in the purses of people, &c which thing he again mentions, pag 51, 52 where he jeers at my contribution, calling it a Feeling argument &c. wherein he seems to compare me to the Lawyers, who account a good Fee to be a feeling argument in their Clyents cause: But I shall not answer him, onely as the Proverb is, It is the property of a covetous Man to think every thing too much that another hath. But he draws up the result of all. pag. 68. and concludes, that the in-let and out-let, the fore-door and back-door of all our miseries, is an ignorant, unlettered, and contemptible Ministery.

If by the word (Our) he mean our misery in Bristoll, then I 1 answer. Surely it is strange, that so great a flood of evill and misery should come in at so narrow a door, there being but one unlettered, uncalled Minister in Bristoll (in his sense) all the rest (be they what they will) are learned and called, con­stituted and established Ministers, as he mentions again, pag. 60, &c. No doubt but the Princes of Israel, through the insti­gation of the Prophets, thought the like of Jeremiah when they were wroth with him, smote him, and put him in prison, and when they said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be Jer. 37. 15. 38. 4 put to death, for he seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. So likewise Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, when he sent to Jeroboam King of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against Amos 7. 10. 14 thee, &c. Poor Amos he had not indeed been bred a Pro­phet, neither was he the son of a Prophet, but a Herdsman and a gatherer of Summer fruit; and now he must be banished the Kings Chappel as a conspirator: this was hard measure, but God provided better for him. Reader, I do not compare my self with Jeremiah and Amos but onely to let thee see that as Solomon saith, That which hath been is now, and there is no new thing under the Sun.

But secondly, if by the word Our misery, he mean the mi­sery 2 and calamity of England first or last; truly then I shall grant and say as he doth, that the in let and out let fore-door and back-door of much of Englands misery (and consequently of Bristols) is an ignorant, ungodly, [...]asie, proud, scandalous, [Page 68] soul murdering Ministery, who have made themselves con­temptible and base in the eyes of all good men, and in the con­sciences of many bad. And though (as I have heard) there were two thousand of them petitioned against in the time of the long Parliament, and many of them then pluckt up by the roots both in England and Wales; besides what hath been since laid aside for scandall and insufficiency, by other Committees and Commissioners appointed for that purpose: yet I think England hath cause enough still to mourn for, complain of, and pray against, a great part of the Ministery thereof: I do not speak this of all, nor intend it to all; for I doubt not to affirm against the Quakers, that God hath many pretious servants in the Ministery, both among those called Presbyterians, and them called Independents, and the Baptized, and some that are of, or under none of these names; yea, both learned and unlearned, &c. who yet are faithfull to the Lord Jesus, and do prefer the conversion and salvation of pretious souls, before all the treasures in the world, and who do rejoyce to see that work of God carried on by any, either learned or unlearned, as men now speak; and I trust, that as the Lord, who holds the Stars in his right hand, will establish such; So the time is near, when men shall not wear a rough garment (or a propheticall garb) to deceive, but that the false Prophets and unclean spi­rits shall pass out of the Land, and that God will raise up, and give Pastors, according to his own heart, for faithful is he that hath promised, who also will do it.

And whereas he saith, page 68. That you shall know them (to wit the ignorant and unlettered Ministers) by this Badge or Character, they are separating, factious, and schismaticall, &c. I remember these were words much in use, and cast as brands upon the godly people called Puritans, by the Bishops and their Clergie about 20, or 30 years agoe, and how it comes to pass that these words are taken up again, I know not, unless it be that the same spirit that was in the Bishops and their Clergy is again revived: and if so, then they in whom it is, had best take heed that they apply those Nicknames righter than the former did, lest, &c.

But I shall give another Badge or Character of those that [Page 69] I mean, and that is, you shall alwayes know them by their pride, envy, and covetousness, or their scorning, reviling and persecuting all those that differ from them; and therefore as he commends the caution and counsel of the Apostle Rom. 16. 17. 18. So shall I make bold humbly to recommend the caution and counsel of our Lord Jesus Christ, Matth. 7. 15, 16. Be­ware of false Prophets, &c. for by their fruits you shall know them. I do not speak this of any godly man or men, for I know no godly men can do so as above.

Now for his closing word to the Ministers that are lawfully called, &c. if by lawfully called he mean Pastors or Elders, called, chosen, constituted, ordained and appointed to office in Churches, and by Churches, according to the New Testa­ment, and according to the example and practice of the Churches of Christ both in New England and Old, then I freely close with him therein; for such a Calling and Ordina­tion I own and plead for according to Scripture.

But if by Ministers lawfully called, he mean all the Parish Ministers in England or Bristoll (as such) then I cannot but wonder how any man pretending to godliness, durst so to a­buse that pretious Scripture, Acts 20. 28. and how he will be able to prove that Parishes are such Churches, and that all Pa­rish Ministers (are such) and by the holy Ghost made Over­seers in the sense of that Scripture; for my own part I must be silent, and so I think might he well have been. It is true the 29. verse may in a sense be rightly applied to some men in England that call themselves Ministers, who since the Apo­stles times, and the apostasie that followed, have like grievous Wolves entred in, not sparing the flock, &c. I write not this of, nor intend it to any godly man of any judgement what­soever.

But as for the rest of his jerks, jeers, quibles, scoffs, derisions, reproches and untruths, which he hath cast upon me, with all the injury and wrong that he hath (thereby) done to me, I shall lay it at my feet looking upon it as the fruits of a froathy brain, and the products of a spleenish temper, and shall not bestow a pen full of ink, or one minutes time to answer it, but do rather in my heart wish and desire, that he may so repent of this piece of folly and wretchedness, whereby he hath harde­ned [Page 68] the hearts, and opened the mouthes (of many against me) that it may do his soul no more hurt another day than it doth me at present; in the mean time I resolve to sit down in si­lence as to him, &c.

And now I return again to you Denn [...] Hollister, to close up my answer to your Book, and I cannot but take no­tice (as many others do) of your shamefull abusing that pre­tious upright servant of Jesus Christ Robert Simson, though I suppose, he will clear himself, or (at least) his innocency will answer for him, and stop your mouth another day: In the mean time I cannot but bear a testimony of his integrity and your impudency, in that you do so fiercely and faisly charge him to be a lyar; whereas I can testifie that the thing was true, which he, as messenger of the Church, did admonish you of; namely, that you should say, that the Scripture was a blind and plague to Souls; which thing you did speak at a publick meeting in your own house, as I doubt not but there are more than twenty persons, some of the Church, and others not of the Church, who can also testifie the same. Whether your mea­ning was then as now you write, pag. 18, 19. I shall not dis­pute; but that you did speak those words is true, and no lye invented, nor lye prosecuted, &c. Therefore if there be any lyar in this thing, you are the lyar; yet I durst nor judge you to the Lake, but rather pray & hope that God may shew a miracle of mercy in saying you from it, and do advise you to take heed how you throw them into the Lake, or under condemnation, whom Jesus Christ hath by his pretious blood, and perfect righteousness graciously freed from it. And as for the sin of lying, you will do well to east the beam out of your own eye, &c. For Robert Simpson is a man as well known in Bristoll to be a truth speaker, and a just, upright, conscientious dealer, as any of those that do accuse him. I shall say no more, but let every man prove his own work, Gal. 6. 4.

But passing by many of those impertinencies in your book, I find that after your letter to me, there is an answer to 16. Queries, formerly sent to you, or to the people called Qua­kers, and afterwards printed by that pretious servant of Christ, John Pendarves before his death.

[Page 69] I might commend your wit, in putting forth your an­swer after the man is dead: Secondly, I observe that these sixteen Queries have been once answered (in a fashion) by Iames Naylor, a man then highly admired and cried up by you, or those of your way, as a man of great infallibi­lity, which perhaps might help to puff him up with pride, by which he came to fall into this fad condemnation, &c.

Now whereas some of your way, boast much of your being all led by one and the same Spirit, so that though they were at a great distance, yet they all speak but one thing, &c. Now let any man read and compare your an­swers with Iames Naylors, and see how near they come together, unless it be in railing, judging, and censuring, though therein I must needs say his answers are more mo­derate than yours.

And whereas a late Writer for your way, puts it by way of derision to the Preachers in England, that if six of the most able Doctors, should have a portion of Scrip­ture given them to interpret, and they shut up in six seve­ral rooms, &c. that perhaps not two of the six agree in their interpretation.

Now suppose you had taken four more of your Teachers, (such as some of you had challenged the whole world to accuse of sin) and made them six in number, and have given them these sixteen Quaeries apart to answer, perhaps they would have come as rear, as you and Naylor do in your answers, or as six of the weakest Preachers in Eng­land might have done in their interpreting a place of Scripture.

As for your word to England, I shall say little to that, but desire rather to mourn for the evils and abominations therein, as I know it is my duty and yours also, if you knew how to do it; and so I conclude, expecting that I shall have many sharp Arrows of bitter words shot at me, both by you and others; but for that I matter not much, being conscious to my self, that I have written in plainness words of truth and soberness, and that I have been pressed by others to do what I have done, and that rather, for the [Page 70] vindication of truth, than of my self, and rather for the sakes of some godly people who may read it, than for your sakes to whom I direct it; and if you or others, shall dip your pens in Vineger or Gall to write again, I hope I shall bear it, or modestly reply to it, though my thoughts, are rather to suffer my self to be trampled upon, then a­gain to answer a word, seeing that of making many Books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh, Eccles. 12. 12. And knowing also that neither you nor others, can speak or write me so vile, as I can and do, see, and acknowledge my self to be, as in my self, yet is my perfection and compleatness in another, even in Christ Jesus my Lord; in whom is all righteousness, all strength, and all fulness, laid up for all those, that sensibly see and feel that in them, (that is in their flesh) dwelleth no good thing, &c. and thereupon do look unto him, to receive of his fulness, grace for grace; in which glorious person, all that do believe are justified, and by whose grace and blessed Spirit, they are in a measure sanctified, and through whose pretious blood, and perfect righteousness, media­tion and intercession, they shall be eternally saved, and in whose way, I could as gladly now as ever, subscribe my self,