An equal ballance wherein the ministers and churches of the Anabaptists (so called) are truly weighed and by a just and lawful tryal ... they are fully proved and clearly manifested to be neither ministers nor churches of Jesus Christ, but in very many particulars they appear in a great measure to differ from them ... : being an answer to a libel published by (or in the behalf of) Thomas Collier, entituled The hypocrisie and falshood of Thomas Salthouse discovered ... / written by Robert Wastfield.

An equal ballance wherein the ministers and churches of the Anabaptists (so called) are truly weighed and by a just and lawful tryal ... they are fully proved and clearly manifested to be neither ministers nor churches of Jesus Christ, but in very many particulars they appear in a great measure to differ from them ... : being an answer to a libel published by (or in the behalf of) Thomas Collier, entituled The hypocrisie and falshood of Thomas Salthouse discovered ... / written by Robert Wastfield.

Table of contents

AN EQUAL BALLANCE, WHEREIN The Miniſters and Churches of of the Anabaptiſts, (ſo called) are truly weighed, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

AN EQUAL BALLANCE, WHEREIN The Miniſters and Churches of of the Anabaptiſts, (ſo called) are truly weighed, &c.

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ALthough many are riſen up in this Age and Generation, and are joined in confederacy to make war with the Lamb and his followers, who hath both with Tongue and Pen ſet themſelves to oppoſe, gain-ſay, and reſiſt the Truth, and to raiſe all manner of falſe reports and ſlanders which their wicked hearts can imagine to caſt upon it, and upon thoſe who in ſincerity of heart walk in it, thereby to affright the ignorant, and deceive the ſimple, leſt they ſhould turn from their wickedneſs, and be converted, and be healed; and ſo even ſhut the Kingdom of heaven againſt men, neither entring in themſelves, nor ſuffer thoſe to go in that would; yet amongſt them all I have not obſerved any more deſperately wicked, and notoriouſly impudent, then the forementioned Author hath manifeſted himſelf in a ſheet of Paper, as one indeed paſt feeling, given up to a reprobate mind, as if his conſcience were double ſeared, or as one that cannot bluſh vvhen he hath done vvickedly; neither is it pleaſant to me to meddle vvith ſuch noyſom ſtuff, or the foame of ſuch an unclean ſpirit, vvho like the raging ſea, caſts up mire and dirt, even foaming out his ovvn ſhame; but having conſidered the ſaid Paper, and finding it ſtuft vvith ſuch notorious lyes, and abominable falſhoods, and in particular, one moſt horrible falſe Accuſation, to vvhich I ſhall ſpeak more particularly in its proper place, and knovving it meet that ſuch a forger of lyes ſhould not be hid, nor paſs [Page] without rebuke, and alſo that the truth might be cleared from thoſe falſe aſperſions caſt upon it; and in love and tenderneſs towards them who are at preſent deceived by the lyes and by the lightneſs of thoſe who uſurp Authority over them, by whom their hands are ſtrengthened in wickedneſs, ſo that they cannot return from the evil of their wayes, that they might come to ſee the groſs hypocriſie and palpable deceit of thoſe by whom they are now led captive, and ſo come to be redeemed out of the ſnares of the Devil, and come to hear the voice of the true Shepherd, and particularly to diſcover to them the impudency and wickedneſs of the ſaid Author, who hath moſt maliciouſly (with his venemous Aſp-poyſoned tongue, ſtruck at the innocent, and under lyes and falſhoods hath endeavoured to hide and cover himſelf in the abſence of Thomas Salthouſe: For the Truth's vindication I was c [...]nſtrained to write ſomething in anſwer to it; and although the Author hath ſo maliciouſly and wickedly ſlandered and reproached Thomas Salthouſe and others, in his ſaid Paper, yet I ſhall not make it my work to vindicate Perſons, but Truth, which is chiefly my aim and end in this undertaking; and in clearing the truth from thoſe ſalſe Aſperſions, Reproaches, Lyes and Slanders, which the ſaid Author hath caſt upon it, the innocency of thoſe at whom in particular he ſtrikes will not onely be clearly vindicated, but alſo his own folly and wickedneſs be fully manifeſted, who (probably to hide himſelf from the light) hath refufed to ſubſcribe his Name to his Paper, which renders it in the eſteem of all people of underſtanding, to be of no credit, and to be reputed as a ſlanderous Libel. His main work in his Paper (wherein he hath ſo wickedly and impudently ſlandered and falſly accuſed the innocent) ſeems to be a Vindication of Thomas Collier; and though he hath not named himſelf, yet by his Work he hath manifeſted himſelf to be in the ſame nature with T. C. if not in the ſame perſon; for whoever hath viewed the Writings of T. C. eſpecially thoſe in which he hath ſet himſelf to reſiſt and ſpeak evil of the Truth, and the right wayes of God, namely, his Dialogue, his Looking-Glaſſe, (ſo called) his Anſwer to T. S. his Epiſtle, &c. compared with this ſheet of Paper, [Page] might almoſt conclude by the method which he follows, That this alſo is his Work; for impudency and lyes are the ſtrength of his Arguments, and his own affirmations offered for proof of his Aſſertions, when it is but the ſame lye told over again, onely this laſt ſeems to come forth with more impudency then the former, as if he had now poured forth ſome of the very bottom and dregs of that wickedneſs of which the other was the froth and the ſcum.

Now the Author having concealed his Name, I could not direct a particular Anſwer to him, and therefore (by advice of ſome Friends) drew up this ſollowing Paper to make publike inquiry after him, and to that end cauſed it to be poſted in ſeveral Market Towns in the County of Somerſet.

§

FOraſmuch as th re lately came to our view ae certain printed Paper, entitul [...]d The Hypocriſie and Falſhood of Thomas Salthouſe diſcovered, a noted Quaker, containing in it many ly [...]s and [...]alſe aſſertion [...], and publiſhed in the Vindication of Thomas Collier, as by the Contents thereof appears. And whereas the Author [...]her [...]of being (as we have juſt cauſe to think) conſcious of his own guilt in pu [...]liſhing ſuch lyes and falſhoods, and to hide himſelf from the reproof of truth, and ſhame due to ſuch a worker of darkneſs, hath refuſed to own it by ſubſcribing his Name: Theſe are therefore to give notice, That if the Author thereof hath not concealed his Name for theſe or the like reaſons, let him manifeſt the contrary by diſcovering his Name to any one of the Subſcribers, that ſo a particular Anſwer may be [...], ſome of us being concerned therein particularly, and in the mean time there is no rational man hath ground to credit that which the Author himſelf appears not to own.

Jaſper Batt,

John Collins,

John Dando,

William Beaton,

Robert Waſtfeild.

But as yet the Author hath not diſcovered his Name to any one of us, and therefore I ſhall proceed to ſpeak ſomething in anſwer to his Paper, and ſo let it go abroad to find out the unnamed Author.

And firſt he ſaith (as the Title of his Paper) The hypocriſie [Page] and falſhood of T. S▪ diſcovered, a noted Quaker; manifeſted in a pretended line of true Judgement.

To which I anſwer, Thou haſt plainly diſcovered thy ſelf to be the hypocrite, though under falſhood thou haſt endeavoured to hide thy ſelf; and the Truths aſſerted by T. S. ſtands over thee, and his Judgement is according to Truth, as will more evidently appear when the filth and dirt which thou haſt endeavoured to caſt upon it, is wiped away. And this is one of thy marks whereby thou art known to be an hypocrite, in that thou haſt ſlandered and reproached perſons and Principles publikely in print, and then (left thy Wickedneſs ſhould be diſcovered, & thy lyes and falſhoods be turned upon thee) like the Thief or the Murderer which are afraid of the light, thou haſt endeavoured to hide thy ſelf by refuſing to ſubſcribe thy Name in token of owning thy Work.

Thou ſayeſt, The abominable hypocriſie and falſhood manifeſted in T. S. his pretended Line of true Judgement, occaſioned thee to let it lye for ſome time by thee, &c.

I ſay, Thou ſpeakeſt great ſwelling words of vanity, thereby to allure thoſe who live with thee in Error, crying out of the hypocriſie & falſhood of T. S. but is it not ſtrange to hear one in whom abomination reigns, to cry out of abomination in others? And to hear a Hypocrite cry out of Hyocriſie, and a lyar to cry out of falſhood? But by ſo doing, he that is indeed the notorious lyar, and the abominable hypocrite, may have hopes to paſs undiſcovered.

Thou ſayeſt, Yet for Truth's ſake, and for the ſakes of poor ſouls, thou wilt give a very brief touch in a ſheet of Paper, &c.

To which I ſay, It is not thy pretences will hide thee, the light hath diſcovered thee, and thy unclean ſpirit, and thy fruits doth manifeſt thee to all who have an eye open to ſee thee; and though thou pretend a care for truth & poor ſouls, yet thou art found to be one of Truth's greateſt Enemies, and one that labours to keep ſouls in blindneſs and ignorance; and by this Work of wickedneſs thou haft endeavoured to touch the Lord's Annointed, and to harm his Prophets, for which the Lord will reprove thee in the day of account, which is near at hand.

[Page] Thou reciteſt ſome of T. S. his words in the Title Page of his Book, where he ſaith, The exaltation of the Spiritual Man with his Ordinances and Adminiſtrations, above the Man of Sin, with the weak and unprofitable Ordinances that doth not make the comers there unto perfect. Which ſound, wholſome Words of his, thou goeſt about moſt wickedly to pervert, and his plain and honeſt intention moſt falſly and hypocritically to interpret, ſaying, The Spiritual Man muſt be the light within, their own fancy and imagination which they perſwade all to follow; and Jeſus Chriſt crucified, raiſed and aſcended, and made Lord and Chriſt, he muſt be the man of ſin.

Truly if thou hadſt not (as it were) a brow of Braſs, thou wouldſt bluſh▪ and even tremble to utter ſuch blaſphemous words as theſe; Didſt thou never think to give an account for theſe (with other thy hard ungodly) ſpeeches, which in the pride of thy heart thou haſt uttered forth? Thou accuſeſt T. S. in thy Paper for Hypocriſie and wretched perverting: Now let all ſober-minded people judge whether thou be not manifeſtly guilty of that evil which thou falſly chargeſt upon him: But becauſe there is ſome words of truth mixed with thy unclean filthy language, though it comes out of a polluted Veſſel, I ſhall ſeparate it from the reſt, and when the Jewel is taken out of the Swine's ſnout, the remainder may be bundled up for the fire.

Thou ſaiſt, The Spiritual Man muſt be the light within: To which I ſay, The Spiritual Man is light, and the light of Chriſt is ſpiritual, and the Spiritual Man is within, even the hidden man of the heart; and he that knows not this Spiritual Man living in him, is not a Member of the Church of Chriſt▪ and he in whom the Spiritual Man lives, doth thereby mortifie the deeds of the fleſh, and his mortal body comes to be quickened by the Spirit which dwelleth in him, and hereby he is made a member of the Church of Chriſt, and no otherwiſe, and comes to partake of his Ordinances, and knows his Adminiſtrations and ſo comes to be exalted above the Man of Sin, and ſtands over all the beggarly rudiments, and traditional invented Will-Worſhips, ſet up in the imagination which doth not purifie the heart, nor purge the conſcience [Page] from dead works, nor give victory over the World, and ſo makes not the comers thereunto, or practiſers of them perfect, but periſheth with the uſing; and this is not fancy nor imagination, but ſound and wholeſome Doctrine; according to the Scripture of truth; neither do we at any time perſwade any to follow their own fancies & imaginations, as thou moſt wickedly and falſly chargeſt us, but it is Chriſt the true light, the Spiritual Man, who leads out of darkneſs all that follow him, and from every vain imagination; it is him alone that we exhort all men to obey and follow.

And the reaſon that thou giveſt why Jeſus Chriſt cruciſied, raiſed, and aſcended, &c. muſt be the Man of Sin, is, Becauſe (thou ſayeſt) it is his Ordinances you follow and plead for according to the Scriptures. Thou ſayeſt, You own Jeſus Chriſt crucified, and juſtification by Faith in his blood, which Faith purifies the heart, (though you confeſs that abomination reigns in your ſouls, and that iniquity is apparently written on your fore-heads, and that you are drawing it with cords of vanity) and Baptiſm with Water after believing, and Church-fellowſhip in breaking of Bread, and Prayer, &c. and this thou ſayeſt T. S. calls the Ordinances of the Man of Sin, which is another moſt abominable falſhood charged upon him▪ When? Or where did he ever call Juſtification by Faith in the blood of Chriſt, Baptiſm, breaking of Bread, and Prayer, &c. which are Ordinances of Chriſt, the Ordinances of the Man of Sin? Thou haſt made a great outcry of the hypocriſie and falſhood of T. S. doubling it over to, four times in thy title page, and yet before thou concludeſt the ſame page, how manifeſtly and publikely doſt thou play the hypocrite with him, in drawing ſuch a damnable Concluſion from his Words, and moſt wickedly and falſly to accuſe him, ſaying, He calls the Ordinances of Chriſt▪ the Ordinances of the man of ſin; when at the utmoſt it is but the deceit of thy own wicked heart, and not his words nor intentions, as may evidently appear to any who have but the leaſt meaſure of honeſty to judge.

But what though you in a hypocritical manner, according to the vain and fooliſh imaginations of your dark hearts, [Page] have fancied to your ſelves a Worſhip in your Wills, and practiſe things in imitation of others, which you ſay you plead for, and follow, and call Ordinances of Chriſt, becauſe the Scripture declares that ſuch things were practiſed by thoſe who were thereto led by the Spirit of God, though you from that Spirit are erred; and ſaith the Scripture is your Rule; muſt it therefore follow, that T S. doth account Jeſus Chriſt crucified, &c. to be the Man of Sin, and his Ordinances, the Ordinances of the Man of Sin? Oh wicked and damnable Concluſion drawn from ſuch an Argument! Thou tells of the Quaker's Logick; ſurely this may truly be call'd the Devil's Logick; for greater Wickedneſs, and more horrible iniquity I believe never dropped from the Pen of any one that pretends to plead for, and follow Ordinances of Chriſt; but it is not your profeſſing the Name of Chriſt, or profeſſing Juſtification by Faith in his Blood, or practiſing things by imitation, and calling it the Ordinances of Chriſt, that will avail you any thing, whileſt the Man of Sin bears rule, and is exalted in you; for notwithſtanding your profeſſion, whilſt ſin doth reign in you, all that you practiſe is but the Ordinances of the Man of Sin, and thoſe Ordinances are weak and unprofitable, and can never make the comers thereunto (or the practiſers of them) perfect; and in this ſtate the Spiritual Man, which is Chriſt, you know not, neither of his Ordinances which are ſpiritual, can you partake; for this I affirm, That the Ordinances of Chriſt, which are ſpiritual, are onely uſed and practiſed in the Church of Chriſt, and amongſt the Saints, and not elſevvhere; and for any other to ſay that they either follovv them, or plead for them, I ſay they are intruders into thoſe things vvhich they have not ſeen, and are talking of thoſe things vvhich belongs not to them, neither vvere they ever intended or ordained for ſuch to practiſe; and it vvill be ſaid to all ſuch, Who hath required theſe things at your hands? And therefore notvvithſtanding your profeſſion, and your great boaſting of the Ordinances of Chriſt, except it may appear that you are the Church of Chriſt, and that his Spirit leads you to (and guides you in) the practiſe of thoſe things, they are not the Ordinances of Chriſt to you, but a Worſhip [Page] ſet up in your wils, in imitation of others who were thereunto led by the ſpirit of God; for he that hath not the ſpirit of Chriſt to lead him and guide him, is none of his, and then no member of his Church, & ſuch cannot partake of his Ordinances. And he that hath received that ſpirit, is thereby made a Member of the Church of Chriſt, and by it led and guided into all truth, and ſo into the practiſe of thoſe Ordinances of Chriſt that are ſpiritual; and this is agreeable with (and according to) the Scriptures of truth; and therefore I ſay, except it may appear that you are Members of the church of Chriſt, and led and guided by his ſpirit in the exerciſe & performance of thoſe things which you practiſe, & which you call Ordinances of Chriſt, all that you do, is but imitation at the moſt; and not withſtanding your boaſting of the Ordinances of Chriſt; and that it is his Ordinances you plead for, and follow, yet it will appear to be but will-worſhip, and voluntary humility, and the fooliſh inventions and imaginations of your own hearts, which wil never make the comers thereunto perfect; and ſo your Faith (of which you ſpeak) will appear to be vain, and as (by your own confeſſion it appeats) it hath not, ſo it will not purifie your hearts, nor give you victory over the world, but you will ſtil remain in your ſins, and the Law ſtil have dominion over you; & if you are not Members of that church whereof Chriſt is the Head, and ſo Members of his body, and that his ſpirit leads you to (and guides you in) your Worſhip and your Practiſe, then you are of the Synagogue of Satan, and ſo the man of ſin is exalted in you above all that is called God, and his voice you obey, and his ſervants you are, and his Ordinances you practiſe, and him you worſhip, and of the true God, and his Worſhip, and the true Chriſt, and his Ordinances, you are ignorant; and therefore you ſhall be tryed whether you are the church of Chriſt or not, or wherein you differ from them; and thereby it will appear what thoſe Ordinances are, and whoſe they are, which you ſay you follow and plead for; & herein you ſhall have juſt meaſure, for you ſhall be tried by [Page] your own confeſſion, and the Scriptures of truth ſhall be witneſs; which ſaid Confeſſion is recorded in a printed Paper, directed to all the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt, (as you call them) from a meeting of the Meſſengers of the Churches in Tiverton, the 18. day of the 7. Month, 1657. Signed in their Names, and by their appointment, (as the Subſcribers ſay, who write themſelves) Thomas Collier, Nathaniel Strange, Thomas Glaſs: And ſo this Author, with all the reſt of the people called Anabaptiſts, are concerned in it; which ſaid Tiverton-Writing, or printed Paper, was the occaſion of T. S. his directing his Epiſtle to you, called, An Epiſtle to the Churches of the Anabaptiſts, (ſo c [...]lled.) Which ought rather to have been received by you in love, then for any of you thus to reward him evil for good; but his reward is with the Lord, and whether you hear or forbear, whether you believe or periſh in your gain-ſaying, he will be clear of your blood, and be a good ſavour to the Lord.

And amongſt many other particulars contained in your ſaid Epiſtle, you ſay, You have made confeſſion of thoſe reigning abominations in your own ſouls, and in the Churches. To wch I ſay, Hereby you appear to be neither Miniſters nor Churches of Jeſus Chriſt, but very much to differ from them; for if abomination reigns in your Churches, then abomination is the Head of your Church; for that which reigns in the church, is the head of the church; and if abomination be the head of your church, then is not Chriſt your head; but the church of Chriſt did witneſs Chriſt to be their head, and not abomination; and they were exhorted to grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Chriſt, who is both the Head and the Saviour of his church, which is his body, according to the Scriptures, Eph. 4. 15. Eph. 5. 23. Coll. 1. 18. and thus it's evident that you are not the church of Chriſt, which is his Body, becauſe Chriſt is not your Head. Again, that which reigns in your churches, hath dominion over your churches; and you ſay abomination reigns in your churches, & in your ſouls; therefore abomination hath dominion over your churches, and over your ſouls; and this proves you to be no [Page] Church of Chriſt, becauſe you are ſubjects to another Prince, and other Lords hath the Dominion over you, and you are not ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdom; but the Church of Chriſt were in ſubject on to Chriſt, and he did reign over them, and had the dominion over them, as the Scriptures declares, which ſaith, He ſhall reign over the houſe of David for ever, and of his Kingdome there ſhall be no end; who is ſet far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, &c. to whom they aſcribed praiſe and dominion for ever and ever, Luke 1 33. Eph. 1. 21. 1 Pet 4. 11. Again, Abo nination is that which God hates, and his wrath and diſpleaſure is againſt ſuch in whom abomination reigns; for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, &c. muſt have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone; but the Church of Chriſt are beloved of God, and have their part, and their inheritance, and fellowſhip with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Saints in light, as the Scriptures doth witneſs, which ſaith, For the Father himſelf loveth you, becauſe ye have loved me; and the love of God was ſhed abroad in their hearts, and nothing was able to ſeperate them from the love of God in Chriſt Jeſus; And they had known and believed the love that God had to them, John 16. 27. Rom. 5. 5. Rom. 8. 39. 1 John 1. 3. 1 John 4. 16. And thus you in whom abomination reigns, are proved to be no church of Chriſt, for where abomination doth reign, there Chriſt doth not reign; but ſuch were they who ſent a Meſſage after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us; who muſt be brought and ſlain before his face, And where Chriſt doth not reign, there his Statutes and his Ordinances are not known, but every one walketh and worſhippeth according to the imagination of his own heart, and every one doth that which is right in his own eyes, even as they did when there vvas no King in Iſrael, and the Statutes and Ordinances vvhich you follow, and plead for, are the dictates of the man of ſin vvhich bears rule in you; yea even from the abomination vvhich is ſet up where it ought not to ſtand, (vvhich makes deſolate) do you receive them, and not from Chriſt vvho is the Head, King, and Law-giver to his Church [Page] and People; and in this ſtate vvhilſt abomination reigns and is head in you, vvhat ever you profeſs or vvhat ever you practiſe, it is all abomination to the Lord; For the prayers of the wicked (or thoſe in vvhom abomination reigns) are abomination to the Lord; and vvhileſt that vvhich is abominable in the ſight of the Lord▪ rules, and is head in you; all that proceeds from you, yea, even your beſt performances, (though they may in outward appearance ſeem to be the ſame vvith the people of God, or Church of Chriſt, and like that vvhich the people of God and Church of Chriſt did practiſe according to Scripture-Teſtimony) yet it all ſtinks in the noſtrils of the Lord, and is an abomination in his ſight; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. And ſurely you in whom abomination reigns, are unclean in the eyes of our God, for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity: And therefore vvhilſt abomination reigns in your Churches, and in your ſouls, call not your ſelves Miniſters of Chriſt, nor Churches of Chriſt, nor do not ſay you plead for, and follow his Ordinances; for the Church of Chriſt hath an Altar whereof you have no right to eat, neither can you taſte of the Supper of the Lord, neither have you any part or lot in this matter; for your hearts are not upright before the Lord, neither into the City of our Solemnity may you enter; for into that City can in no wiſe enter any thing that defiles, or worketh abomination, or loves or makes a lye▪

You complain in your Epiſtle, of a light Spirit, living ſhort of the true ſight and ſence of Gods Majeſty in his Churches, and among his Saints.

By vvhich alſo it appears you are not the Church of Chriſt, neither is that light Spirit, of vvhich you complain▪ the Spirit of God; but it was otherwiſe vvith the Church of Chriſt, of vvhich the Scriptures declares; for they had received the Spirit of Truth, (vvhich vvas not a light ſpirit) by which they were led into all truth, and had the true ſight and ſence of Gods Majeſty amongſt them, and did not live ſhort thereof, but beheld his glory, and were made glad with the favor of his countenance, which was lifted up upon them, Pſal. 89▪ 15. Pſal▪ 21. 6▪ Acts 2. 28. John 14. 16, 17. 1 Cor. 2 12. [Page] Gal. 4. 6. 1 Ioh. 3. 24. & your ſpirit is a ſpirit of blindnes, by your own confeſſion, ſo that you cannot perceive the things that pertain to the Kingdom of God, but you are without the true ſight & ſence thereof, & ſo you are walking in the dark paths, and going on in the broad way which leadeth to deſtruction▪ but the church of Chriſt did walk in the light of the Lord, & the ſpirit by which they were led and guided, led them out of darkneſs into the marvelous light of the Lord, and guided their feet into the paths of peace, as the Scriptures doth witneſs, 2 Cor. 4. 6. Epheſ. 5 8. 1 Theſſ. 5. 4, 5. 1 Pet. 2 9. And thus you who are led and guided by a light ſpirit, that lives ſhort of the true ſight and ſence of Gods Majeſty in his Churches, and among his Saints, are not the Church of Chriſt, but are under chains of darkneſs, and the god of this world hath blinded your eyes▪ Now you ſeem to confeſs that Gods Majeſty is to be ſeen in his Churches, and his preſence to be enjoyed by his people, and among his Saints; and if ſo, then you who live ſhort of the true ſight and ſence of his Majeſty which is ſeen in his Church, and do not behold the glory of his preſence which his Saints doth ſee and behold, and which is amongſt them; I ſay, Then you are not of that number who are indeed his Church and Saints, but you live ſhort of the true ſight and ſence of that glory and excellency which they behold, and are made partakers of; and in this ſtate of ignorance and blindneſs you are groping, but cannot find the door, and you call evil good, and good evil; you put darkneſs for light, and light for darkneſs; you call your own fancies and imaginations, Ordinances of Chriſt; and the light of Chriſt which is ſpiritual, and ſhines in the hearts of his people, by which they have the true ſight and ſence of Gods Majeſty amongſt them, this you call fancy and imagination; and your own inventions you ſet up as an Altar to the unknown God, and you worſhip you know not what, but of the true God and his Worſhip you are ignorant, for his voice at any time you have not heard, nor his ſhape you have not ſeen, and of the true Chriſt and his Ordinances you are unſenſible▪ and his body (which is ſpiritual) you cannot diſcern, and therefore though you boaſt that it is the Ordinances of Chriſt you [Page] plead for, and follow, as Church-fellowſhip in breaking of Bread, and Prayers, &c. yet you are diſcovered to be of that number that are unworthy to partake of the Supper of the Lord, and of the Ordinances of Chriſt; for you being out of the true ſight and ſence of Gods Majeſty in his Churches, and amongſt his Saints, you are out of the diſcerning of the Lords body, which is ſpiritual, and therefore inſtead of partaking of the Ordinances of Chriſt, you eat and drink to your ſelves damnation, not diſcerning the Lords body.

Again, you complain in the ſaid Epiſtle, of a wretched, wor [...]y ſpirit, which plucks the Saints down from their excellency, and leaves blackneſs upon you, which renders you uncomely, &c.

Which doth alſo manifeſt you to be no Church of Chriſt; for the ſpirit which is in them, doth build them up, and not pluck them down; and doth beautifie them, and not render them uncomely, and it cauſeth them to excel all other people, & doth not pluck them down from their excellency, & it is not a wretched wordly ſpirit, but the ſpirit of God, by which they overcome the world; and this ſpirit was in the Saints and Church of Chriſt, of which the Scriptures of truth doth witneſs; and they had received that Grace which taught them to deny ungodlineſs & worldly luſts and had eſcaped the pollutions which are in the world through luſts, & they did witneſs that Faith which overcomes the world, and knew him to live in them by whom the world is overcome, and were directed and commended to that Grace which was able to build them up, and they were built up together, and became a habitation of God through the Spirit, even a ſpiritual Houſe, an holy Prieſthood, to offer up ſpiritual ſacrifices unto God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. Gal. 6. 14. Tit 2. 12. 2 Pet 1. 4. 1 Ioh. 5. 4. Acts 20. 32. Eph. 2. 20, 21▪ 22. Iude 20. 1 Pet. 2 5. Iſa. 28. 5, 6. Iſa. 61. 3. By all which it appears how much you differ from the Church of Chriſt, inſomuch that the abſolute contrary marks, fruits, and effects, doth appear in you, and amongſt you, as was in them, and amongſt them; but you are of thoſe who turn again with the dog to the vomit, and with the Sow that was waſhed, to the wallowing in the mire, who were indeed once more excellent while you were little in your own eyes, before [Page] you were thus ſetled on your Lees; & there was a time when there was breathings in ſome of you after the Lord, and ſomething which did hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, and there was then ſome tenderneſs amongſt you, and a ſenſibleneſs of ſomething that was oppreſſed, and held captive as under the power of a ſtrange King, and then there was ſome groanings for deliverance, and ſome deſires raiſed in you after the Lord, and after purity and holineſs, which did render you comely whilſt you abode in that ſtate; but you have loſt that condition, and the cry of the oppreſſed is not regarded by you; but you are joyned (and become one) wi [...] [...]he oppreſſor, and that which onc [...] breathed to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, you have even choaked & ſtrangled, and ſo you never knew that born or brought forth, which is heir of Gods Kingdom, but an untimely birth is brought forth, and you are ſate down by the way, in an empty form, wanting the life and power, and have taken up a falſe reſt, but the true reſt you have not known: And thus a wretchedworldly ſpirit hath overcome you, accompanied with many other evils of the like nature, by your own confeſſion, and hath pluckt you from that excellency which you once had, and hath defaced that comelineſs which was once upon you, and hath left blackneſs and deformity upon you; and thoſe deſires which once appeared amongſt you, are forgotten, and the tenderneſs quite loſt, and hardneſs of heart got up, and nothing remains but deadneſs, and dryneſs, and emptineſs▪ amongſt you, according to your confeſſion; and thus the ſeed even rots under the clods, and you dwell in a Land of darkneſs, where the preſence of the Lord is not found to refreſh you, nor the dew of the laſting Hills falls not on you, but you remain dry and barren, bringing forth no fruit to God, but deceit and abomination rules in your hearts, and the man of ſin is exalted in you above all that is called God, and great cluſters of the ſowre Grapes of Sodom appear amongſt you, and is plentifully brought forth by you to the diſhonor of God; So your latter end is worſe then your beginning.

Again, you ſay in your ſaid Epiſtle, You have been, as in a great meaſure without the ſence of the work, ſo without the true [Page] travel of ſoul, which this work ſhould have pat you into.

So hereby you utterly exclude your ſelves from being a Church of Chriſt, and are manifeſted in a great meaſure to differ from them; for if you are inſenſible of the work of God amo [...]ſ [...] you, and in you, and if it be not he that worketh the will and the deed, and that works all your works for you, and in you, then you are doing your own works, and your righteouſneſs is your own, and not the Lords; & ſo your righteouſneſs is the ſame with that of the Scribes & Phariſees, who were not the Church of Chriſt, but thoſe who crucified him: But the Church of Chriſt were ſenſible of the work of God in them, and amongſt them, as the Scriptures of truth doth witneſs, and they gave a particular relation thereof, how it wrought in them, ſaying, That patience worketh experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not aſhamed; and theſe were the works of God in them, of which they were ſenſible, & they ſaid, Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou haſt wrought all our works in us: So they were ſenſible of the work, and of him that worketh, and they knew that they were of God, and that the Son of God was come, who had given them an underſtanding to know him that was true; and they were in him that is true, and they teſtified that this was the true God, and eternal life; and thoſe were not inſenſible, but had their ſences exerciſed in the knowledge of the Work of God, and they had known the terrors of the Lord, and therefore did perſwade men, and ſo were not inſenſible of the Work, as the Scriptures witneſſeth, Rom. 5. 4, 5. Iſa. 26. 12. 1 Ioh. 5. 19, 20. 2 Cor. 5. 11. Again, the Church of Chriſt had known the true travel of ſoul, and witneſſed the birth which is born of the Spirit, which inherits the Kingdom of God, of which travel it ſeems you are ignorant, and therefore never came to the birth which is immortal; but they had cryed as a Woman in travel, and felt the anguiſh as of her that bringeth forth her firſt child, and every man was ſeen with his hands upon his loins, as a Woman in travel; and they have alſo known the deliverance, and forgotten the anguiſh and the pain, for joy that a Man-child is born; and the Miniſter of Chriſt ſaid, That he travelled in pain until Chriſt was formed in them; And they were born again, not of corruptible [Page] ſeed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, as the Scriptures doth witneſs, Ier. 4. 31. Mic. 4. 10. Gal. 4. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 23. But you who are without the ſence of the Work, and have not known the ſouls travel, are not born of the ſeed which is incorruptible, and ſo not heirs of Gods promiſe; for the promiſe is to the Seed, in which all the Nations of the earth are bleſſed; and thoſe who are not born of the Seed wch is incorruptible, they are under the curſe, in the tranſgreſſion, alienated from the life of God, & ſtrangers from the Common-Wealth of Iſrael; out of Gods Covenant, with whom the Church of Chriſt can have no fellowſhip.

You further ſay in the ſaid Epiſtle, The world as a Canker, doth eat out your affections to the Lord Jeſus.

Which doth alſo prove you to be no Church of Chriſt, but to differ from them; For the Church of Chriſt had their affections ſet on Chriſt, and the Miniſter of Chriſt ſaid, If ye be riſen with Chriſt, ſeek thoſe things which are above, where Chriſt ſitteth on the right hand of God; Set your affections on things above, & not on things on the earth: And he ſaith, If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be, Anathema maranatha. And ſuch who are accurſed, are no Church of Chriſt. And he ſaid, Who ſhall ſeperate us from the love of Chriſt? And he was perſwaded▪ That neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature, ſhould be able to ſeperate them from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus: And the World had not eaten out their affections to Chriſt Jeſus; and this was their confidence, That nothing could alienate their affections from him: And Iohn ſaid, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; and he ſaith, Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him that is begotten of him, Col. 3. 1, 2. 1 Cor. 16. 22. Rom. 8. 35, 38, 39. 1 Iohn 2. 15: 1 Iohn 5. 1. But you ſay your affections to the Lord Jeſus are eaten out by the World, as by a canker, therefore the love of the Father is not in you, but the god of this World hath blinded your eyes, and being in love with the World, you are in the enmity againſt God; for the friendſhip of the World is enmity to God: And the World being thus [Page] ſet in your heartſ, you cannot find out the beginning, nor know the end of the Work of God, but are without the true ſight and ſence of his Majeſty, and without the ſence of his Work in your ſouls, and in your Churches; and although you may think you are rich, and encreaſe in goods, becauſe you call your ſelves Churches of Chriſt, and becauſe you have heaped up together a bundle of unprofitable & carnal Ordinances, according to your own imaginations, (in imitation of the Church of Chriſt) wch you call the Ordinances of Chriſt, which you plead for, and follow, yet in as much as your affections to the Lord Jeſus are eaten out by the love of the World, and you pluckt down from your excellency by a wretched worldly ſpirit, you thereby appear to be no Church of Chriſt, neither do you, nor can you partake of his Ordinances, which are ſpiritual, but are (upon tryal) found to be miſerable, and wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Likewiſe you ſay in your ſaid Epiſtle, That this Iniquity hath been apparently written on your fore-heads.

To which I ſay, You are thereby apparently known to be no Church of Chriſt, but to differ from them; For their Father's Name is written on their Fore-heads, & not Iniquity; And the Lord cauſed his mark to be ſet on the fore-heads of all that did ſigh & cry for the abominations that were committed by them whoſe iniquities were exceeding great; and the ſervants of the Lord, & Church of Chriſt, did receive the ſeal of the living God in their Fore-heads, & upon them is written the Name of God, and the Name of the City of God▪ and the new Name; and ſuch ſee his Face, and his Name is written in their Fore-heads, and not Iniquity, Ezek 9. 4. Rev. 7. 3. & 3. 12. 22, 4. And theſe are redeemed from iniquity, and their garments waſhed and made white in the blood of the Lamb; For where Iniquity is apparently written, there the Fathers Name is not written; and where the Fathers Name is not written, and his mark received▪ they are not the Church of Chriſt; For Holy and Reverend is his Name, and holineſs becomes the Houſe of the Lord (which is his Church) for ever; and his mark is Chriſts righteouſneſs, with which his Church is covered and adorned; and his Seal is the holy Spirit of Promiſe, by which they are ſealed to the day [Page] of Redemption: But you on whoſe Fore-heads Iniquity is ſo apparently written, your gathering together is not into the Name of the Lord, which is a ſtrong Tower to the righteous, who run in thither, and are ſafe; neither are you covered with Chriſts Righteouſneſs, nor ſealed with his holy Spirit; neither is his mark upon you, or his Name written on your Fore-heads, but your iniquity is marked before the Lord; and Iniquitie being your Mark, thereby you are plainly known to be of that number that worſhip the Beaſt▪ and his Image, and his Name you bear, and his mark is on your Fore-heads, and whilſt you bear this mark ſo apparently on your Fore-heads, (to wit) Iniquitie, you ought not to make mention of the Name of the Lord, for he that nameth the Name of the Lord, ſhould depart from iniquitie, elſe it would be ſaid unto you, Depart hence, I know you not, ye workers of Iniquity; although you may ſay with them, We have eaten and drunk in thy preſence, and we have pleaded for, and followed thy Ordinances; Yet I ſay, Notwithſtanding this plea, if Iniquitie be your mark, you muſt depart with the workers of iniquitie.

Alſo you ſay in your ſaid Epiſtle, That this ſin eats out all the divine ſweetneſs of regenerating and ſanctifying Grace.

And by this alſo it appears that you are no church of Chriſt, For if that be eaten out by ſin, which ſhould regenerate you, then are you unregenerate; and if unregenerate, then no church of Chriſt; For the church of Chriſt are regenerated and born again, not of corruptible ſeed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, and ſaved by the waſhing of regeneration, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghoſt; and ſin had not eaten out that which ſhould regenerate them, wch was the Grace of God; for they were quickened together with Chriſt, and ſaved by Grace, Tit. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Eph. 2. 5. Again, if that be eaten out by ſin, which ſhould ſanctifie you, then are you unſanctified; and if you are unſanctified, then ſurely you are no church of Chriſt; for the church of Chriſt were waſhed, & ſanctified, & juſtified in the Name of the Lord Jeſus, & by the Spirit of God; & they ſaid they were ſanctified by the will o God, through the offring of the bodie of Je [...]us; & Iude did write to them that were ſanctified by God the Father, &c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 10. Iude 1. And thus you being unregenerated, & unſanctified, [Page] you cannot enter into Gods Kingdom; for except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; but he which is unregenerate, is not born again, and therefore cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. And without holineſs no man can ſee the Lord; but he that is unſanctified, is without holineſs, and therefore cannot ſee the Lord. And ſo though Grace hath abounded towards you, yet it ſeems your ſins hath much more abounded, in ſo much that ſin hath overcome you, and eaten out all the Divine ſweetneſs of regenerating and ſanctifying Grace; but with the church of Chriſt it was otherwiſe; for though there was a time in which ſin had abounded, yet Grace had much more abounded in them; ſo that by Grace they were ſaved from ſin, and were become dead to ſin, and alive unto righteouſneſs, and had their fruits unto holineſs, and the end everlaſting life.

And ſo by all theſe particulars, of which you have confeſt your ſelves to be guilty, it is evident that you are neither Miniſters nor churches of Chriſt; but on the contrary, it plainly appears that you very much differ from them: And alſo there are many other particulars expreſt in the ſaid Tiverton Epiſtle, of which you confeſs your ſelves to be guilty, which time would even fail me to inſiſt upon; whereby I could further (and more fully and largely) prove that you are neither Miniſters nor churches of Jeſus Chriſt, ſome of which are as followeth.

That coldneſs and deadneſs is upon your ſelves, and upon the churches; formality in holy duties, indifferencie, and a Laodicean ſpirit is ſallen in upon you; that you have been drawing iniquitie with cords of vanitie; that there is amongſt you perſonal iniquitie, congregational iniquitie, national iniquitie, familie iniquitie, cloſet iniquitie; that you are without ſoundneſs, from the crown of the head, to the ſole of the foot, full of bruiſes and putrified ſores, and the crown is fallen from your head by reaſon of your iniquities; that you have but as it were, played with God, and not trembled in his preſence, but have been wanton before him, and without the terror of his Maieſtie; and [...]at you have delighted to confeſs, and to word it out with the Lord, and being gone away, preſentlie forgot what manner of men and women you were, & thought [Page] no more on your prayers, and ſo confeſs that you have often mocked God; that the World doth eat out your time, your ſtrength, your zeal; and that in the lap of this Dalilah (whilſt aſleep) your locks have been cut off, and you are but as other men; that Satan hath ſhewed you the Kingdoms of the world, and this hath bewitched you, and alienated your minds from the Lord; that you are remiſs in meetings, and that you neglect the poor Saints & Miniſters of Chriſt, whoſe dailie complaints and addreſſes (you ſay) are living monuments of this reigning abomination That you are cruel to ſervants and children, exacting all their labours, and takes no time to counſel or inſtruct them, whereby their ſouls might be the better for you; that ſlaviſh fear hath ſtopped your mouths, until the mouth of this Iniquitie hath almoſt devoured your poor churches. That theſe evils are ſo deeplie rooted in your hearts, that it is hard to get them out; that they have wreſted all weapons out of your hands, that have been formed againſt them; ſo that you have laboured in vain, and that which you have brought forth, hath been to little purpoſe. Several other ſuch like things as theſe, you confeſs your ſelves and your churches to be guilty of, in the ſaid Tiverton Epiſtle. To all which I ſay, If you are indeed guiltie of all theſe reigning abominations, and apparent iniquities, according to your confeſſion, then aſſuredlie may I conclude, That you are neither Miniſters nor churches of Chriſt; and that the Ordinances which you practiſe, are not the Ordinances of Chriſt, but the Ordinances of the man of ſin, which is exalted, and bears rule in you; for of theſe abominations and apparent iniquities, the church of Chriſt was never guiltie, as hath been proved: And if you ſay you are not guiltie thereof, according to your confeſſion, then is this confeſſion of yours a moſt abominable piece of hypocriſie, wherein you have even mocked God, as you ſay you have done often, which will render you no leſs culpable of his fierce wrath and heavy indignation, then the former.

And thus are your skirts diſcovered, & your deeds brought to light, & you weighed in an Equal Ballance▪ [...]nd true judgment paſs'd upon you; and therefore although you call your ſelves churches of Chriſt, & Miniſters of Chriſt, yet your preſumption [Page] is hereby diſcovered, who call your ſelves churches of Chriſt, and are not; as their blaſphemie was known who ſaid they were Jews, and were not; and you with them are found lyars. And although you boaſt of the Ordinances of Chriſt, and ſay it is his Ordinances you follow, and plead for according to the Scriptures, and would ſeem to deck your ſelves with precious Stones, and Pearls, yet whilſt theſe abominations reign in you, and ſuch iniquities ſo apparentlie written upon you, your Name is, Myſteris Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, and Abomination of the Earth; a Synagogue of Satan, a habitation of Devils, a hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful Bird: And therefore though Joab flie to lay hold on the horns of the Altar, yet from thence he muſt be taken, becauſe he is a man of blood, and ſo on his head muſt the blood of Abner be charged, and reſt for ever, that Davia and his houſe may be clear before the Lord for ever.

And thus the Spiritual Man (which is Chriſt the true light) with his Ordinances and Adminiſtrations, which are ſpiritual, are exalted above the man of fin, and above his Ordinances, which are weak and unprofitable, and which doth not make the comers thereunto perfect; and above that imagined, falſe Chriſt, which doth not ſave his people from their ſins; and above that Juſtification which juſtifies people in their ſins; and above that blood which doth not reach to the purging of the conſcience from dead works; and above that faith which doth not purifie the heart, and give victory over the world; and above that baptiſm which is not by one ſpirit, into one body, whereby ſin and tranſgreſſion, reigning abominations, and apparent iniquities are waſhed away; and above that Churchfellowſhip which is not with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Aſſembly of the firſt-born, and with the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect; and above that Bread which is not the Body of Chriſt; and above that cup which is not the cup of bleſſing, of conſolation, and ſalvation, even the Communion of the Blood of Chriſt, the ſpiritual Rock of which the Iſrael of God drunk. And above thoſe Prayers which are but liplabour, which are ſo ſoon forgotten, and no more thought upon, and wherewith God is ſo often mocked, which comes [Page] not from a pure heart, and holy hands lifted up without wrath and doubting; and above that Worſhip which ſtands in the will of man, in conformity to a Rule, or Law without them, not being thereunto led by the Spirit of the living God, whoſe Worſhip is ſpiritual, and who will be worſhipped in the ſpirit, and in the truth; I ſay, The Spiritual Man with his Ordinances and Adminiſtrations, which are ſpiritual, ſtands over the man of ſin, and over theſe his carnal, weak, unprofitable Ordinances, beggarlie rudiments, vain ceremonies, and traditional imitations, which although you call them the Ordinances of Chriſt, yet they are but your own fancies and imaginations.

And thus by a juſt and a lawful Trial, it plainly and evidently appears that you are neither Churches nor Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, but in all the particulars before-mentioned, you are found very much to differ from them; and becauſe you are not the church of Chriſt, and that his Spirit doth not lead you to (and guide you in) the practiſe or performance of thoſe things which you plead for, and follow, therefore thoſe things by you pleaded for, are not the Ordinances of Chriſt, but the Ordinances of the man of ſin; and ſo the Spiritual Man with his Ordinances and Adminiſtrations, are exalted above the man of ſin, with the weak and unprofitable Ordinances that doth not make the comers thereunto perfect, according to the truth aſſerted by Thomas Salthouſe, which is hereby vindicated, and fully confirmed.

And now I ſhall return to ſpeak to ſome particulars in thy Paper, wherein thou ſaiſt, Becauſe in the Tiverton Epiſtle there is a complaint againſt the ſins that are remaining in the Churches, T. S from hence ſuggeſteth that they are no Churches of Chriſt.

I anſwer, T. S. had ſufficient ground from your own confeſſion in the ſaid Epiſtle, to conclude that you are no churches of Chriſt, as was by him fully proved, and is now again more at large confirmed: For the church of Chriſt (which is his bodie) is in all things anſwerable and proportionable to him who is the Head: Now you will all confeſs that the Head is holie, harmleſs, undefiled, ſeperate from ſin and ſinners; and if the Bodie be unholie, full of abomination, and defiled with ſin and iniquitie, then is Chriſt the Head of a defiled, polluted, unclean, [Page] ſinful Body; and this is not proportionable▪ for as is the Head, ſuch are the members, and they ſaid, As he is, ſo are we in this preſent world, 1 Joh. 4. 17. But in that Epiſtle you do not onely complain againſt thoſe ſins that are yet remaining in the churches, but you there ſay that abominations are reigning in your churches and in your ſouls. Now theſe expreſſions in thy Paper, where thou ſpeakeſt of ſins remaining, &c. might ſeem very much to alter the caſe, and to leſſen the crime, in the judgement of thoſe that have not ſeen your Conſeſſion in the ſaid Epiſtle; and ſuch might begin to think that T. S. had dealt ſomething uncharitably with you, to exhort all that fear God, to ſeperate from you, and to come out from among you, becauſe ſome ſins were yet remaining amongſt you; for to ſpeak of ſins yet remaining, might ſeem to imply, that ſome ſins were mortified and put off, and as if you were warring againſt, and waiting to receive power to overcome thoſe that remain; and ſuch a condition as this, we could own, though we cannot own thoſe for a church of Chriſt, who live in ſin; for we own and witneſs a ſpiritual warfare, which all muſt know before they can be Members of the church of Chriſt; and had you been found in ſuch a condition as this, to be armed with the power of God, and ſo to ſtand in the war againſt ſin and Satan, we could have owned you in ſuch a ſtate, as a people whom the Lord was purging, and cleanſlng, and ſanctifying for himſelf, ſitting and preparing you to be a habitation for the Lord to dwell in, that your bodies might become the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, and ſo you might be married to the Lord in righteouſneſs, & become the Spouſe of Chriſt, which is his Church; but it is far otherwiſe with you, for ſin is not onely remaining in you, but reigning in you, and apparently written upon you; and where ſin and abomination reigns, it hath the ſole dominion, power, and preheminence, and as a ſtrong man armed, keeps the houſe, and is at peace, and the ſtronger is not come that ſhould diſ-poſſeſs him, and make the keepers of the Houſe to tremble, and the ſtrong to bow, that ſhould enter in, and break his peace, and ſpoile his goods; neither are you in a condition to war againſt ſin, for you confeſs that all weapons are wreſted from you, with which you ſhould maintain war againſt [Page] it; ſo that ſin & abomination hath quiet & peaceable poſſeſſion in you, & hath got both ſtrength & weapons to defend it ſelf upon all occaſions. And ſo you are altogether ſervants to ſin, & ſlaves to Satan, & under Aegyptian darkneſs; & this is much more then to ſay, Sins yet remaining in you; and as I have ſaid, doth very much alter your caſe, from what theſe expreſſions of thine might ſeem to render it.

And (ſaiſt thou) that which T. C. ſaith, is That the true churches of Chriſt have had the ſame▪ or as great ſins and abominations in them, as are mentioned in that Epistle, and yet were the true churches of Chriſt, owned of God, as is fully proved, &c. to which Scriptures (thou ſaiſt) T. S. gives no anſwer.

To this I ſay, It is a very light thing with T. C. to lay ſin to the charge of Gods elect, and to condemn the generation of the Juſt, and alſo to plead Juſtification for thoſe in whom abomination reigns, and in whoſe fore-heads iniquitie is apparentlie written, but T. C. will one day know, that he which juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juſt, even they both are abomination to the Lord: Yet by all that T. C. hath ſaid, (though he hath quoted ſo many Scriptures, perverting them, and even wreſting them to his own deſtruction) it doth not appear that ever the church of Chriſt was guilty of theſe or the like abominations▪ as in the Tiverton Epiſtle is expreſt; neither doth any one of thoſe Scriptures at all prove any ſuch thing; therefore it was needleſs for T. S to give any anſwer thereunto; but foraſmuch as thou ſeems to vaunt thy ſelf becauſe T. S. hath not ſpoken particularly in anſwer to thoſe Scriptures which thou call'ſt T. C. his Cloud of Witneſſes▪ and that both in thy Paper, and alſo in T. C. his Anſwer to T. S. his Epiſtle, the perverting of the Scriptures, eſpecially what is written to the church of Corinth, is made uſe of as a Stirrup, whereby you may mount you ſelves upon the Throne of Iniquitie, taking occaſion from what the Apoſtle writes to them concerning ſuch as had ſinned to boaſt your ſelves to be the church of Chriſt, notwithſtanding your great abominations and apparent iniquities, confeſt and expreſt in Tiverton Writing; I ſhall therefore ſpeak ſomething briefly to ſome of thoſe Scriptures, thereby to diſcover thy blindneſs and ignorance of the [Page] things of God▪ of which the Scriptures of truth declares: And firſt concerning the Church of the Romans, chap. 13. ver. 12, 13, 14. which T. C. mentioneth, where the Apoſtle ſaith, The night is far ſpent, the day is at hand, let us therefore caſt off the works of darkneſs, and let us put on the Armor of light; let us walk honeſtly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenneſs, not in chambering and wantonneſs, not in ſtrike and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c. Doth the Apoſtle here charge them with walking diſhoneſtly, becauſe he exhorts them to walk honeſtly? Nay aſſuredly, for he ſaith to them, I am perſwaded of you my Brethren that ye alſo are full of goodneſs, fill'd with all knowledge, &c. Rom. 15. 14 And if they were full of goodneſs, then there was no room for diſhoneſty; and rioting, and drunkenneſs, chambering, and wantonneſs, ſtrife, and envying, are works of the night, and of darkneſs; but he ſaith, The night is far ſpent, the day is at hand, let us put on therefore the Armor of light. Now if they had not been come to the day, how could they put on the Armor of light? And if they were come to the day, then the night was paſt, and the works of darkneſs put off, & this exhortation he gave unto them, to ſtir up their pure minds by way of remembrance, as the Apoſtle Peter did likewiſe, who ſaid, Wherefore I will not be negligent to put ye alwayes in remembrance of theſe things, though ye know them, and are eſtabliſhed in the preſent truth, 2 Pet. 1. 12. And ſo this proves nothing at all for T. C. that the church of the Romans were guiltie of the ſame, or as great ſins and abominations as is mentioned in the Tiverton Writing.

And as touching the church at Corinth, although the Apoſtle did write to them concerning Fornication, yet he doth not ſay that ſuch Fornicators were of the church of Chriſt, neither doth he tollerate them, though T. C. ſaith that Fornication was tollerated amongſt them; but doth exhort the church of Chriſt when they were gathered together in the ſpirit and power of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to deliver ſuch to Satan, and bids them to have no fellowſhip with ſuch, nay not to companie with ſuch, nor to eat with ſuch, eſpecially if any ſuch were called a Brother, that was a Fornicator, or covetous, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard, or an Extortioner; but [Page] they were to put away from among them that wicked perſon, 1 Cor. 5. chap. And ſurely this was not to tollerate them, as T. C. hath affirmed; For although ſuch might creep in amongſt them, as Jude ſaith in his Epiſtle, ver. 4. That there were certain men crept in unawares, who were before ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the Grace of God into laciviouſneſs; yet theſe ungodly men were none of the church of Chriſt; for though they might creep in amongſt them, yet they were not of them; and ſuch Iohn ſaw, and ſaid of them, They went out from us; [Mark] They went out: Therefore they had been in, or had crept in: They went out from us, that they might be made manifeſt that they were not of us, 1 Ioh. 2. 19. And the Apoſtle did ſay to the church of Chriſt at Corinth, That neither Fornicators, nor Idolators, nor Adulterers, nor Effeminate, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, ſhall inherit the Kingdom of God; And if they ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God, then aſſuredly they are not the church of Chriſt; and this would be but ſmall advantage to T. C. and his Brethren in iniquitie, if they could ſhelter themſelves under ſuch Fornicators, Idolaters, Railers, Drunkards, Revilers, &c. and cover themſelves with the Name of the church of Chriſt, whilſt as wicked, and as abominable in the ſight of God, as the worſt of them; I ſay, This covering would be of ſmall advantage to them, ſeeing the portion of ſuch is to be ſhut out of God's Kingdom. And the Apoſtle makes a noted diſtinction between the church of Chriſt, and ſuch wicked perſons, ſaying, And ſuch were ſome of you, [mark] They had been ſuch▪ but ſaith he, Ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified in the Name of the Lord Ieſus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. 6. 9 10, 11. And this ſhews your blindneſs, that you cannot make a diſtinction between ſuch ungodlie ſinners here ſpoken of, and the church of Chriſt; you may trulie ſay that you live ſhort of the true ſight and ſence of God's Majeſtie in his churches, and among his Saints, who are thus blind, that you cannot diſtinguiſh between a member of the church of Chriſt, and a Fornicator, eſpeciallie where the Scripture hath made ſuch a noted diſtinction; Might not T. C. as well have inſtanced Iudas [Page] for a Member of the church of Chriſt, as theſe Fornicators and unclean perſons? Yea rather; for the Diſciples were not for bid to keep him companie, nor forbid to eat with him, nor bid to excommunicate him, as the church of Chriſt was thoſe before-mentioned, and therefore his being tollerated amongſt the Diſciples, might better have ſerved for your purpoſe, from his example to endeavour to perſwade people that you are, and may be accounted a church of Chriſt, notwithſtanding your great abominations confeſs'd in your Tiverton Epiſtle; trulie your blindneſs may even be felt, and if you were not quite inſenſible, you might bluſh, and be aſhamed of your groſs ignorance.

But T. C. ſaith, The Apoſtle did not unchurch them, as the Enemies of Chriſt do in theſe dayes.

Take notice Reader, Did not he unchurch thoſe whom he delivered to Satan, and thoſe whom he commanded the church of Chriſt to have no fellowſhip with, or not to company with them, nor to eat with them, but were commanded to put away from amongſt themſelves ſuch wicked perſons? Is not this to unchurch them, according to T. C. his own expreſſions? What doth he call unchurching, if this be not to unchurch them?

He ſaith, The Churches of Galatia were ſo deeply corrupted, that the Apoſtle wondered they were ſo ſoon removed to another Goſpel, &c. yet notwithſtanding (ſaith he) he owns them to be the churches of Galatia, and wiſheth Grace and Peace to them▪ &c.

To which I ſay▪ If the churches of Galatia were removed from the Goſpel of Chriſt, (which is the power of God) then the churches of Galatia were not the churches of Chriſt, no more then the churches of the Anabaptiſts (in whom ſuch abomination reigns) are the churches of Chriſt; neither doth his owning them to be the churches of Galatia, prove them to be the churches of Chriſt, any more then T. S. his calling you the churches of the Anabaptiſts, proves you to be the churches of Chriſt. And whereas he ſaith, he wiſheth Grace and Peace to them, and endeavours their reformation; I ſay, Your reformation likewiſe hath been endeavoured by the ſervants and meſſengers of the Lord, whoſe counſel ye have rejected; and [Page] Grace hath been tendered, and hath appeared to you, but ye have turned from it, and deſpiſed it; and except the churches of Galatia did (and the churches of the Anabaptiſts do) return to that Goſpel from which they were removed, the Peace of God neither did, nor doth belong to them, nor you; neither could they, or can you be accounted the churches of Chriſt.

He ſaith, So likewiſe the church of the Philippians, many ſo walked, of whom the Apoſtle ſaith, I have often told you, and now tell you weeping, that they are enemies to the croſs of Christ, Phil. 3. 18. Yet (ſaith he) they were owned to be a Church, with their Officers.

To which I ſay, That thoſe who are enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, are not the church of Chriſt; for the church of Chriſt did glory in the croſs of Chriſt, and were not enemies to it, Gal. 6. 14. and the preaching of it was to them (and it is to as many as believe) the power of God, 1 Cor. 1. 13. And the Apoſtle tells what is the end of ſuch who are enemies to the croſs of Chriſt; he ſaith, their end is deſtruction, and that is not the end of the church of Chriſt. But though the Apoſtle writes to the church of the Philippians, of ſuch who were enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, yet he doth not ſay that the church of the Philippians were enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, nor that any of them in particular were ſo. He alſo bids them beware of dogs, and of evil workers, &c. Doth he therefore ſay that the church of the Philippians are dogs and evil-workers? But this is ſome of thoſe Scriptures which are called T. C. his cloud of Witneſſes, to prove that the true churches of Chriſt have had the ſame, or as great ſins and abominations in them, as is confeſs'd in the Tiverton Epiſtle: Now though T. C. be a noted lyar, yet the Scriptures are true, and cannot be broken. And although by perverting and wreſting the true ſence thereof, thereby endeavouring to make the Scriptures ſpeak what he would have them, to abuſe the ſimple▪ minded, and deceive ignorant people, he hath drawn this wicked concluſion from the whole; That they are (& may be owned to be) the churches of Chriſt, notwithſtanding their great abominations confeſs'd in their Tiverton Epiſtle. Yet now theſe Witneſſes being honeſtly examined, [Page] without wreſting or perverting, they are found to witneſs againſt T. C. and the ſame Witneſs which he brings to prove his aſſertions, doth witneſs againſt him, and proves himſelf to be the lyar; and this is uſual, that if the Witneſſes which T. C. offers for proof of any thing, be the Scriptures of truth, they ſurely teſtifie againſt him, and prove him to be the lyar, and inſtead of witneſſing for him, they witneſs againſt him. And when he affirms a thing that is ſo notoriouſly ſalſe and wicked, as that he cannot any way wreſt the Scriptures to make them ſeem to prove what he aſſerts, he uſeth to ſay, That this is true; Is ſo evident that it needs no proof; or, That this is true, is ſo evident that he that runs may read; and ſuch like words▪ witneſs his Looking-glaſs, as is at large diſcovered in a Book, call'd, Truth vindicated, by John Pitman, and Jaſper Batt. Some other Scriptures are by him mentioned, whereby he hath endeavoured to prove the churches of Chriſt in former ages, to be ſinful, thereby to make way for themſelves to be owned as a church of Chriſt; but all that he ſaith is to no more purpoſe then that which hath been already anſwered, & could as eaſily be anſwered, & his folly thereby made manifeſt, as it hath been ſufficiently by what hath been anſwered to thoſe Scriptures by him quoted. But he ſaith of thoſe before▪ mentioned, that they were called to repentance. What? were they then a church of Chriſt, or the churches of Chriſt, before repentance, that he makes uſe of this to prove them churches of Chriſt, becauſe they were call'd to repentance? Simon Magus was call'd to repentance, was he therefore a member of the church of Chriſt? And the Apoſtle ſaid, that God commanded all men every where to repent; Are therefore all men every where the church of Chriſt? Oh groſs darkneſs and ignorance, to uſe that as an argument to prove them to be the church of Chriſt becauſe they were call'd to repentance! And ſo are you call'd to repentance, and to repentance you muſt come, before you can be owned as a church of Chriſt; for we ſay Chriſt came to call ſinners to repentance; and his Miniſters were ſent to turn people from the darkneſs to the light, and to bring them from under Satan's power unto God; but though you have been call'd to return from your wickedneſs, and live, and have been [Page] invited to come to him who is the way to the Father, who gives eternal life to all that come unto him; yet you have refuſed to return, and have rebell'd againſt the light. Neither is it onely the calling to repentance, that makes them or you the churches of Chriſt; but it is them who anſwers that holy call, and comes to repentance, even to that repentance which is never to be repented of; that is, to repent and forſake; it is ſuch ſhall find mercy and acceptance with the Lord, and they ſhall be his, and accounted members of his church in the day when he makes up his Jewels; but as for ſuch as have been call'd to repentance, and have not anſwered that holy call by obedience to him that hath called them, his call, and his loving invitation ſhall ſtand as a witneſs againſt ſuch for ever; and becauſe the Lord hath called, and they would not hear, therefore when they call and cry, there ſhall be none to deliver them.

Thou ſaiſt, That T. S hath manifeſted abominable hypocriſie and deceit, in that he ſaith that T. C. instanceth the Saints infirmities in former ages, to encourage in a state of ſin, &c. when its evident (ſaiſt thou) that he inſtanceth thoſe examples to ſtop the mouths of lyars and deceivers, &c. and to diſcover the ſimple and vain notions of thoſe who would ſuggest that the churches of Chriſt are none of his, becauſe there is ſin in them.

To which I ſay, I have anſwered ſome of thoſe Scriptures call'd T. C. his Cloud of Witneſſes, which may alſo ſerve for anſwer to all the reſt, thereby to diſcover the folly and ignorance, ſottiſhneſs and blindneſs of thoſe who would ſuggeſt that Fornicators and unclean perſons, Drunkards, Railers, Revilers, Extortioners, Thieves, covetous perſons, Idolaters, and ſuch like, are Members of the church of Chriſt; and alſo to ſtop the mouths of ſuch lyars and deceivers who ſay the true churches of Chriſt have had the ſame, or as great ſins and abominations in them as are mentioned in Tiverton Epiſtle, and yet were the true churches of Chriſt notwithſtanding.

And although according to thy wonted manner, thou raileſt at T. S. accuſing him with hypocriſie and deceit, becauſe he ſaith T. C. doth encourage in a ſtate of ſin; I ſay, It is evident that by what T. C. hath written, he doth more then encourage [Page] in a ſtate of ſin; for he makes it of abſolute neceſſity, that if any will be a Member of the church of Chriſt, he muſt be a ſinner; and that if Chriſt have any church at all, it muſt be a ſinful one; and that whoſoever ſaith the contrary, is a hypocrite; and ſo ſin and wickedneſs muſt be (as it were the condition or qualification required of all who are capable, or deſires admittance into the church of Chriſt; for he ſaith God never had yet a church in the World free from ſin, nor were there ever any durſt ſo to ſay, &c. And he further ſaith, They that call themſelves the church of Chriſt, and ſay they are without ſin in this mortal eſtate, are none of the church of Chriſt, for he hadnever yet any ſuch church, nor none ever dare ſay ſo, except the Scribes, Phariſees, & Hypocrites; & likewiſe he ſaith, That he that will not be a member of a church till he can find one without ſin, is never like to be a member of any. Now who will believe that T. C. doth not write this to encourage in a ſtate of ſin? Or if any ſhould be ſo ignorant as to believe what he ſaith, who is it but would ſtrive to be a ſinner, eſpecially▪ if they have any hopes to be Members of the church of Chriſt? For by his relation there can be no other plea for admittance into the church of Chriſt, but ſin and wickedneſs; for if any ſhould be purged from their ſins, and ſhould ſay with John, Rev. 1. 5. He hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood; Such comes (by T. C. his account) under the notion of hypoerites, and ſurely hypocrites are no members of the church of Chriſt; therefore if Chriſt never had a church free from ſin, it might make people afraid of loſing their ſins, leſt thereby they ſhould be excluded from being members of his church, and be caſt out to have their portion with hypocrites; and then, whether this be not to encourage people to live in ſin, that ſo they may not miſs to be members of the church of Chriſt? Yea, and a diſcouragement to any that ſhould be in danger to loſe or forſake their ſins, leſt thereby they ſhould be diſ-priviledged of being Members of the church of Chriſt? let the wiſe in heart judge. And as I ſaid, It is more then an encouragement to continue in ſin, if they have any hopes to continue members of the church of Chriſt, in T. C.'s eſteem; for if any one ſhould come to him, and tell him that [Page] by the blood of Chriſt he is purged from his old ſins, and that he is come, and lives in him, who ſaves his people from their ſins, and that by him ſalvation and redemption from ſin is witneſſed; T. C.'s words ſay, that ſuch a one is an hypocrite, and no Member of the church of Chriſt; for he had never yet any ſuch church, nor were there ever any that durſt ſo to ſay, but hypocrites; neither doth he own any ſuch Saviour, or Salvation, as is clear from his own words at a meeting at Glaſtonbury, where he affirmed, That he believed in a Chriſt that was at the right hand of God in Heaven, and not in the Saints; therefore if T. C. may be believed, ſuch a one were better continue in his ſins, and then if he can ſometimes make an hypocritical confeſſion thereof, and mock God therewith, and ask to be forgiven, though as ſoon as he is gone away, he forget what he hath done, and think no more on his prayers, (as is confeſs'd in Tiverton Writing) yet ſuch a one ſhall be eſteemed an humble, ſelf-denying Chriſtian, living in the ſence of his own unworthineſs, and be eſteemed a Member of the church of Chriſt; for it ſeems by this Doctrine, if a man ſhould confeſs and forſake his ſins, (though thereby he ſhall find mercy from the Lord, yet) T. C. would account him an hypocrite, and no Member of the church of Chriſt; Therefore I ſay, if any believe T. C. and receive his teſtimony, and own his damnable pernicious Doctrine, ſuch are thereby more then encouraged to continue in ſin and wickedneſs; yea, they are enjoyned under the penalty of being diſowned to be a church of Chriſt, to continue ſinful and wicked, and falls under the cenſure of T. C. to be termed hypocrites, if ever they ſhould overcome ſin by the power of God, and make confeſſion thereof. And thus what T. S. hath ſaid as to this particular, is fully proved, and the abominable deceit and hypocriſie ſtands charged upon thine own head, who haſt thus falſly accuſed him for hypocriſie and deceit, in a buſineſs wherein T. C. is ſo apparently guilty.

Thou chargeſt T. S. to be a notorious lyar, becauſe he ſaith T. C. hath ſpoken againſt the being of the Seed of God, and light of Chriſt in men; for thou ſaiſt T. C. hath not affirmed any ſuch thing, but owns the ſeed of God, & light of Chriſt in his people; & [Page] in the next line thou ſaiſt, This light is not in all men. Now hath not T. C. ſpoken againſt the light of Chriſt in men, if he affirm that it is not in all men? Who is the notorious lyar now? He that ſaith T. C. hath ſpoken againſt the being of it men, when he ſaith, It is not in all men; or he that ſaith, He never affirmed any ſuch thing, as that the light of Chriſt is not in men, and yet ſaith, It is not in all men? If he ſay the light of Chriſt is not in all men, then there are are ſome men in which (he ſaith) the light of Chriſt is not: And ſo T. C. hath ſpoken againſt the light of Chriſt in men; and here thou art proved the lyar. But I ſhall prove that T. C. hath alſo ſpoken againſt the being of the Seed of God, and light of Chriſt in his people, if he account himſelf one of his people; For he ſaith in his Anſwer to T. S. pag. 16. Our faith is not in a light within. Now if he believes not in a light within, either he doth not own the light of Chriſt to be in him, or elſe he believes not in the light of Chriſt, and ſo is out of the Doctrine of Chriſt, and walks contrary to his commands, who ſaith, While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of the light; Therefore T. C. is either a child of darkneſs, becauſe he doth not believe in the light of the Son of God within him; (for where▪ever the true light ſhines, it is to be believed in) or elſe he doth not own the light of Chriſt to be in him. And thus what T. S. hath ſaid, is proved, and the lye returned to reſt upon thine own head.

Thou ſaiſt T. S. ſaith, He will joyne Iſſue, and plead with T. C. according to the Law and the Teſtimony; but firſt it muſt be conſidered what the Law and the Teſtimony is, and that he further ſaith, The Law is in the heart, the Light is in the heart, the teſtimony of Jeſus, the ſure Word of Propheſie is in the heart, the Word of Faith in the heart: And now come to the matter to which thou ſcoffingly and wickedly ſaiſt, Now he is fit for the work; out with the Scriptures of truth, and follow the Law of his own heart, of his own imagination, and be ſure Salthouſe will prevail, and carry all before him. Thou hypocrite, Is this outing of the Scriptures of truth, to ſpeak truth in the very Scripture-language? Hath not T. S. quoted the Scriptures for proof of what he aſſerts, concerning the Law in the heart, the Light in the heart, the Word of Faith nigh in the heart, the [Page] ſure Word of Propheſie in the heart? And yet thou art ſo impudent as to ſay, Out with the Scriiptures of truth, and follow the Law of his own heart; Is the Law of God in the heart? Or the Light of Chriſt in the heart? Or the Word of Faith in the heart? Or the ſure Word of Propheſie, which is the Teſtimony of Jeſus, in the heart? Is this the Law? or the imagination of his own heart? Thou haſt no cover for thy wickedneſs here, but haſt manifeſtly publiſhed thy folly, and thy envy, in charging T. S. for outing the Scriptures of truth, when he hath cited the Scriptures of truth for proof of what he hath ſpoken; therefore becauſe thy wickedneſs is ſo plainly and openly diſcovered in ſetting thy ſelf through envy to oppoſe, gain-ſay, and reſiſt the truth, the leſs needs be ſpoken in anſwer to it, & if any wil believe thee, or be deceived by thee herein, it is ſuch who are willingly ignorant, and are given up to believe lyes, and their blood will be upon their own heads.

But although T. C. hath cited the Law and Teſtimony for a Rule, yet when T. S, had proved by the Scriptures of Truth, that this Law and Teſtimony is within, in the heart, it's like T. C. had no mind to join Iſſue, or plead with him; for he well knows, that ſhould he ſpeak no more of the Law of God, or of the Teſtimony of Jeſus, then what is manifeſt in him, and written in his heart, his mouth, and the mouths of many of his Brethren would ſoon be ſtopt; for though that which may be known of God, is manifeſt within, (according to the Scripture) yet they that believe not in that which doth make manifeſt, but are enemies to it, they know little of God, or of his Law or Teſtimony, neither is it their rule. Now that which doth make manifeſt is light, Eph. 5. 13. But T. C. ſaith, Your faith is not in a light within; therefore your Faith is not in that which doth make manifeſt; and how then ſhould you know the things of God, or his Law and Teſtimony, of which the Scriptures of truth declares. And thus though in words you profeſs God, and talk of his Law and Teſtimony to be your rule, yet in works you deny him, and his Law of righteonſneſs is caſt behind your backs, and the Teſtimony of Jeſus (which is the Spirit of Propheſie) you have denyed, and deſpiſed, neither is his Law your Rule, or his Light your Guide, witneſs [Page] your own confeſsion in Tiverton Epiſtle: Therefore I ſay Should T. C. plead onely from what of God is manifeſt in him, he would have very little to ſay, and ſo no marvel if he refufe to joyn Iſſue with T. S. upon thoſe terms.

Thou ſaiſt T. S. hath ſaid, That T. C. is againſt the Saints attaining to perfection and freedom from ſin whilſt in this mortal ſtate; And thou ſaiſt, He is not againſt perfection by faith in Chriſt, their perfection to be in another; nor is he againſt preſsing after perfection; but ſuch a perfection as the Quakers boaſt of, he is againſt, &c. To which I ſay, The perfection which the people call'd Quakers, own, and preſs after, is the ſame which the Saints and Servants of God in all ages did preſs after, of which the Scriptures of truth makes mention, which is, to perfect holineſs in the fear of the Lord, and to know him to work all their works for them, and in them, whoſe works are perfect in the ſight of God, whereby all boaſters and boaſting is excluded; and this perfection thou ſaiſt T. C. is againſt, and indeed I believe it; and herein the truth of T. S. his words are verified. But what perfection or freedom from ſin, ſuch do own or preſs after, who are drawing iniquity with cords of vanity, and in whoſe ſouls ſuch abominations reigns, and out of whoſe hands all weapons are wreſted (with which theyſhould make war againſt ſin) I leave to the wiſe in heart to judge. It ſeems the perfection which you own, is at a great diſtance from you, and not holyneſs perfected in you, but in another, and ſo you imagine it ſhall be imputed yours hereafter, when you are dead, though you are perfecting wickedneſs and ungodlineſs all your life long; and this imagination you call Faith in Chriſt; But though we own no other perfection then that which is by Faith in Chriſt (who is the perfection of his people, and is all in all to them) yet except you know him to live in you, and know him to work in you both the will and the deed, even he of whom its ſaid, That he came to do the will of God; and ſo to know perfection and freedom from ſin in your ſelves, wrought by another; it will avail you nothing to ſay you own perfection in another; for what the better are you to tell of perfection and freedom from ſin in another, whilſt you are imperfect, and are ſervants unto ſin? And what preſsing [Page] after perfection or freedom from ſin, is there like to be with ſuch who affirm that God never had yet a church in the World without ſin, and that who ever affirm the contrary, are Hypocrites? Would any that believes this, preſs after that which none yet could ever attain? Or is not this to preſs after an impoſſibility? And if by preſſing after it, they ſhould attain to it, and make confeſſion of it, it ſeems they muſt be accounted hypocrites; this is ſmall encouragement to any to preſs after perfection or freedom from ſin. But we are not ignorant what that imagined perfection is of which you ſpeak, and which you ſay you preſs after; for although abominations reigns in your ſouls, and iniquity apparently written on your fore▪heads, and that you are even drawing it as with Cart-Ropes, yet becauſe you can ſometimes make a hypocritical confeſſion of this condition, and therewith mock God, (as you confeſs you have done often) this is call'd a preſſing after perfection: And becauſe you have read in the Scriptures, of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, you imagine that his Righteouſneſs ſhall be imputed yours, and ſerve to cover your unrighteouſneſs; and this is your perfection (as you call it) by▪ Faith in another, which you ſay you own and preſs after; but the perfection which the people of God in all ages did preſs after, it ſeems you are againſt.

Thou raileſt at T. S. extreamly, charging him with hypocriſie, wretched perverting, and to be a forger of lyes, for ſaying T. C. hath contradicted himſelf in directing his Epiſtle from Tiverton, to them that are called to be Saints through the immortal Seed that dwelleth in them; and yet ſaith, It is language beſide the Scripture to mention the oppreſſed ſeed; For thou ſaiſt, He doth not ſay it is language beſide the Scripture to mention the ſeed within, but for the oppreſſed ſeed, he knows no ſuch Goſpel expreſſion, &c.

Novv to this I ſay, If the immortal Seed be in them to whom that Epiſtle vvas directed, and that abominations reigns in them, as in the ſame Epiſtle is confeſs'd, I query, Whether the Seed in them be not oppr [...]ſt? If yea, then T. C. is found in confuſion and contradiction, and knows nothing of the immortal Seed of vvhich he ſpeaks: Now where enmity is put between tvvo, if the one bears rule, then the other doth ſuffer oppreſſion; [Page] and I ſuppoſe you will grant that there is no concord or agreement, fellowſhip or union, betwixt the immortal ſeed and abomination; for that which worketh abomination, is of the Serpents ſeed, betvveen vvhich, and the ſeed immortal, enmity isput; and vvhilſt abomination reigns in you, and that iniquity is apparently vvritten upon you, and you are dravving thereof vvith cords of vanity, the Serpent's ſeed is head in you, and the ſeed immortal is oppreſſed; and thus the blind guide is fallen into the pit vvhich for another he had digged, vvho ſtreins at a Gnat, and vvould ſeem to make a man an offender for a vvord, notvvithſtanding the ſubſtance of the matter by him declared, be clear and evident.

Thou art much offended vvith T. S. becauſe he ſaith, It ſeems they have refuſed to return from their wickedneſs and great abominations, if T. C. may be credited, but ſaith he truſts they ſhall be found ſo more; if this be to be vile, we ſhal yet be more vile; for which thou uttereſt many bitter railing expreſſions againſt him, ſaying that T C. ſaith, If to deal faithfully with ſins and ſinners, if to arraign abominations, &c: If this be to be vile, we ſhall yet be more vile, &c.

To which I ſay, That you have refuſed to return from your wickedneſs and great abominations, is a truth clear and apparent; for T. C. hath endeavoured to prove you to be a church of Chriſt, notvvithſtanding your great abominations, and ſaith, the true churches of Chriſt have had the ſame, or as great ſins and abominations in them, as is confeſt in Tiverton Epiſtle, and that Chriſt never had a church in the World free from ſin; and vvhether this doth not ſtrengthen the hands of the vvicked, (ſo that they cannot return from their vvickedneſs) and give encouragement to ſuch to live in ſin, let all who are ſpiritually minded, judge: And vvhilit you are endeavouring to vindicate your ſelves in ſuch a condition, and ſuch practiſes, there is ſmall hopes, or little likelyhood of your returning from that condition.

And whereas he ſaith, If to deal faithfully, &c. be to be vile, &c. I ſay, Hovv can ſuch a deceitful hypocrite deal faithfully with ſin or ſinners, in whoſe own ſoul (by confeſsion) ſuch abominations reigns, & on whoſe own Fore-head ſuch iniquities [Page] are ſo apparently written, and out of vvhoſe hands ſin hath wreſted all Weapons wherewith he ſhould deal with it? ſhould not the hypocrite firſt pull the beam out of his own eye, and deal faithfully with his own ſoul in arraigning and caſting out his own abominations by the power of the Lord, before he go about to pull the mote out of his brothers eye, or to deal with his ſins, or to arraign his abominations? I am ſure for T. C. to tell of arraigning abominations in others, whilſt abominations are reigning in his own ſoul; or for him to talk of dealing faithfully with ſin and ſinners, whilſt (by his own confeſsion) he is manifeſted to be as bad as the worſt of them, (if not the worſt of all) and hath more need to be taken under dealing, then any of thoſe with whom he ſpeaks of dealing with, this renders him to be ſo much the more vile, as T. S. hath truly ſaid.

Some other falſe accuſations thou bringſt agaiſt T. S. in particular, and againſt the people called Quakers in general; as, That he pleads up their own righteouſneſs beyond all bonds, not onely of Religion, but of modeſty and civillity too, and that no people upon earth are ſo great enemies to Chriſt, according to the Scriptures, as they; & that none are more obedient to their own fancies & imaginations, then they, &c. And thou tells the old lye over again, ſaying, He calls the Ordinances of Chriſt, the Ordinances of the man of ſin.

To all which I ſay, Thou haſt made it thy work to ſlander, and falſly accuſe; and for as much as thou haſt been ſo often proved a lyar, I ſhall not ſpend time to anſwer every impertinency and falſe accuſation, eſpecially where no proof is offered by thee, for what thou affirmeſt; but let it lie and rot, as the foame and filth of a Tlanderous ſpirit, which cannot touch the innocent, nor gain credit or acceptance with any people of underſtanding.

Thou goeſt on with thy work propounding queries, and anſwering thy ſelf, lying and perverting, ſlandering, and falſly accuſing the innocent, digging a pit, and ſpreading a net for them; but into the pit which thou haſt digged for others, art thou fallen; and in the Gin which thou haſt laid, is thy own ſeet ſnared. And becauſe T. S. ſaith, Without boaſting we can ſpeak it, to the praiſe of his grace who hath wrought all our works [Page] for us, and in us, that we are of God, though the whole world lieth in wickedneſs; and that Chriſt hath had, and yet hath a Church without ſin in this mortal Eſtate. Thou therefore querieſt, Whether this Church without ſin be not the Quakers? And thou anſwereſt thy ſelf, Yea doubtleſs, if they onely are of God, and the whole world lyeth in wickedneſs, it muſt needs be them. And here thou haſt proved T. C. a lyar; For if it be an undoubted truth, that they who are of God, are a church without ſin, then undoubtedly T. C. is a notorious lyar for affirming that Chriſt never had a church without ſin in this mortal eſtate; For John ſaith, We know that we are of God, and the whole world lyeth in wickedneſs, 1 John 5. 9. And becauſe they were of God, they were without ſin, according to thy own reaſoning.

Then thou querieſt, Whether the Quakers have not dealt notoriouſly wicked with T. C. in denying their owning themſelves to be perfect, and calling T. C. a lyar for affirming it, and now T. S. ſo openly and publikely not onely to confeſs it, but to plead for it.

To which I anſwer▪ Thou haſt herein dealt notoriouſly wicked with T. S. as T. C. hath done with others before: For T. S. hath not ſaid he is perfect, nor confeſt that the people call'd Quakers doth own themſelves to be perfect; and therefore thou art a lyar for affirming it: And becauſe the ground or foundation of thy query is a lye, therefore I ſhall give no further anſwer to it.

Thou querieſt, Whether John Pitman, Jaſper Batt, Robert Waſtfeild, &c: (whom thou call'ſt Preachers and Leaders in that Faction) be members of the true Church, or of the Devil? Becauſe T. S. ſaith, That thoſe that remain in ſin, in the unconverted and imperfect ſtate, and are ſeduced and deceived, being out of the truth, they are enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, and are not the church of Chriſt. And thou ſaiſt, The forementioned perſons at a Meeting at Glaſton with T. C. proteſted that they were not perfect, nor free from ſin, but preſſing after it; Therefore thou querieſt, How they ſhift themſelves from being Enemies to the croſſe of Chriſt.

I anſwer, Though thou haſt laboured much to bring forth this work of wickedneſs, hoping thereby to trap the innocent, [Page] yet it will not at all ſerve for thy purpoſe, For though (in the words of the Apoſtle) we did in plainneſs, and in the ſimplicity and integrity of our hearts declare, (which thou call'ft a Proteſtation) That we were preſſing forwards towards the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus, not as though we had already attained, or were already perfect, but were preſſing after it▪ yet this doth no more prove us to be of the Devil, or enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, by any thing that T. S. hath ſaid, then the Apoſtles words did prove him to be of the Devil, or an Enemie to the croſs of Chriſt; For though we did ſay, not as though we had already attained, or were already perfect, yet we did confeſs openly to the glory of God, That we did witneſs him come, and to live in us, who is perfect; and that we did believe that perfection is attainable in this life through him▪ and that having this hope, it doth purifie our hearts, even as he is pure, who worketh all our Works for us, and in us; and that in this Faith we are preſſing after perfection: And of this Faith did we make confeſſion openly, as many can teſtifie; and this is the Faith to which vve are converted, and ſo vve do not remain in the unconverted eſtate, neither are we ſeduced or deceived, but are eſtabliſhed in the eternal living Truth, and not out of it; and by the Spirit of Truth which vve have received, vve are able to judge of ſeducers and deceivers: And vve did likewiſe declare, that vve vvere by nature children of Wrath as vvell as others▪ and that vve had long travelled under the burthen of ſin, and bondage of corruption, vvhilſt the ſtrong man armed kept the houſe; and that we had known the terrors of the Lord againſt ſin: And vve did likewiſe ſay, That there is ſometimes in us motions to ſin, from vvhich vve are not freed, and that vve are exerciſed vvith temptations; but thoſe motions not being conſented unto, nor the temptations joyned with, or entered into, but reſiſted in the povver of God, thoſe motions are not imputed to us as ſin; for it is no ſin to be tempted. And we did alſo declare, That we now vvitneſs the ſtronger come to eaſe us of our burthen, and to ſave us from our ſins, and to deliver us from the bondage of corruption, that we might ſerve him without fear, in holineſs and righteouſneſs before him all the [Page] dayes of our lives; and this doth not prove us to be no church of Chriſt, or prove us to be of the Devil, therefore vve are without the reach of thy envy, for vve are none of thoſe which T. S. ſpeakes of, who are enemies to the croſs of Chriſt; but thou haſt not contrived thy Work ſo, as that it may ſerve for thy purpoſe; for thou canſt not ſtrike us all at once, as it ſtands, which appears to be thy intention; neither canſt thou divide our Teſtimony, ſo as to take us in confuſion or contradiction, which thou haſt laboured after; for if we had proteſted (as thou ſaiſt) that we were not perfect, then thou haſt nothing againſt us as to that, it being one main charge againſt the people called Quakers, (though a very falſe one) that they ſay they are perfect; and now if we have ſaid that we are not perfect, then are we clear of that charge: But thou art not willing we ſhould paſs ſo, and therefore thou ſaiſt, thou doſt queſtion whether we did not lye notoriouſly, &c. And here through thy envy thou haft manifeſted thy folly, and in ſtriking at us, thou haſt wounded thy ſelf▪ For if we did lye notoriouſly in ſaying we were not perfect, then it will follow, that if we had ſaid we were perfect, we had ſpoken truth; and yet if any ſay they are perfect or free from ſin, ſuch are accounted hypocrites; ſo if any confeſs that he hath not attained, but is preſſing after perfection, he is ſuſpected to be a notorious lyar, and if any (through the love of God) ſhould confeſs to his glory that he is redeemed from ſin and tranſgreſsion, and brought into the glorious liberty of the ſons of God, where he doth not commit ſin, ſuch a one is ſaid to be an hypocrite. What work is here! Confuſion with a witneſs! Who can eſcape thy ſlanderous tongue? Truly thou art ſo drunk with rage and envy, that it even darkens thy underſtanding, ſo than thou canſt not ſee thy folly and confuſion; but becauſe of the perverſeneſs of thy ſpirit, thou erreſt in thy Work, as a drunken man ſtaggereth in his vomit.

Thou ſayeſt, The reaſon why thou propoſeſt this query, is▪ Becauſe we ovvned T. S. to be a Miniſter of Chriſt, and vvould vvitneſs for him, and vvith him, ſo that doubtleſs vve muſt be one in vvitneſs.

[Page] To which I ſay▪ Yea doubtleſs, we are one in witneſs, and our witneſs is true, and doth agree together, and thou haſt loſt thy labour in ſtriving to make our witneſs diſagree; For our vvitneſs is for the truth, and in the truth, and there is union and agreement, and not confuſion.

And thou ſaiſt, A perfect Church without ſin, cannot admit of an imperfect Miniſtry, Pitman and Batt being Preachers amongst the quakers.

I ſay, The church of Chriſt cannot admit of an imperfect Miniſtry; for that Miniſtry which is imperfect, is unſound, and untrue; and ſuch a Miniſtry cannot be owned by the church of Chriſt: For the ſheep of Chriſt know the voice of Chriſt, and follows him, but will not follow imperfect, unſound voices; and although ſuch grievous Wolves (like thy ſelf) ſhould array your ſelves vvith the ſheeps clothing, to deceive, yet by your ſtrange voices your imperfect Miniſtry is knovvn; and by the Spirit of Truth vvhich rules in the Church of Chriſt, are all ſuch imperfect Miniſters denyed. But John Pitman, and Jaſper Batt did declare▪ That they had received the gift of God vvhich is perfect; and the Apoſtle ſaid, When he aſcended up on high, he gave gifts unto men, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry: And ſuch who miniſters from that gift of God which is perfect, their Miniſtry is not an imperfect Miniſtry.

Thou ſaiſt, Thou ſuppoſest T. S. will not own two Churches, the one perfect, and the other imperfect, leaſt there ſhould be room for you.

To which I anſwer, T. S. can truly allow you the title of an imperfect, ſinful church, or Synagogue of Satan, who are going on in the broad way to deſtruction, where you have room enough to commit very great abominations, and apparent iniquities, (by your own confeſſion in Tiverton Epiſtle) but in the Church of Chriſt there is no room for ſuch; For the church of Chriſt is a chaſte Virgin, without ſpot, and cannot join to any thing that is unclean, neither can any perſon, or any thing that is unclean, be joyned to it; For although the Gates of the holy City, New Jeruſalem, ſtand alwayes open, yet there can in no wiſe enter into it any thing that defileth, or that [Page] worketh abomination, or maketh a lye, but they that are written in the Lambs Book of Life. And the church of Chriſt hath no fellowſhip with the unfruitful Works of darkneſs; for they vvalk in the light of the Lord, and what communion hath light with darkneſs? Or vvhat fellowſhip hath righteouſneſs vvith unrighteouſneſs? Therefore whilſt your abominations reigns, and you are drawing iniquity, and bears the mark thereof on your Fore-heads ſo apparently, (according to your own confeſſion) there is no room for you in the Church of Chriſt, neither can you have any fellowſhip vvith them; For vvhilſt there is no room for Chriſt in your hearts, nor in your affections, there is no room for you in his Church; And you confeſs that the World as a canker hath eaten out your affections to the Lord Jeſus, and your minds are much, yea too much alienated from him; but it ſeems by your Tiverton Epiſtle, that you vvill leave no room for your ſelves in the church of Chriſt, for there you promiſe to take ſome effectual courſe to purge ſin or ſinners out of the Houſe of God. Now to purge out ſin, vvould be to make ſuch a church as T. C. ſaith God never had in the World; For he ſaith, God never had yet any church in the world free from ſin: And vvould you go about to make ſuch a church as you have not ſo much as a pattern or preſident for? You ſay in your Tiverton Epiſtle, That whoſoever beholds you, may ſay, What ſingular thing do ye? But now it ſeems you think to do ſomething that is ſingular indeed, if you make ſuch a church for God as T. C. ſaith he never had the like before: But are not you hypocrites by T. C.'s Words, if you ſhould make ſuch a church? For he ſaith, None durſt ſay that God had ever a church in the world withous ſin, but hypocrites; And if you purge away ſin out of your church, then yours vvill be a church vvithout ſin, which if you ſhould confeſs, then you fall under the notion of hypocrites; but if you cannot purge out ſin, then you fall upon ſinners, for you promiſe to purge out ſin or ſinners; Now if you purge out ſinners, do not you then exclude your ſelves from having any room there? And yet this is not all that you do, onely to exclude your ſelves, (if T. C. his words be true) but you will leave no church for God at all; for he ſaith, God never had a Church in the world without Sin; and if he never [Page] had a Church without ſin in the World, and now you are promiſing to purge ſin, or ſinners out of his Church, is not this to leave him no church at all, neither with ſin, nor without ſin? Oh read your confuſion, and bluſh thereat, you ſottiſh children; What a ſtrange piece of Work have you promiſed to undertake, who ſay that God never had a church in the World without ſin, and yet now you will undertake to purge ſin out of his church? And ſo you who are as vile as the worſt of them with whom you intend thus to deal, are going about to do that which (according to T. C.'s account) none of the faithful ſervants of the Lord, or Miniſters of Chriſt could ever do, that is, to purge ſin out of his church, and if you cannot do that, then to purge out ſinners, and ſo exclude your ſelves amongſt the reſt, who are abominable ones by your own confeſſion; and when ſinners are purged out oſ that church which did onely conſiſt of ſinners, (For T. C. ſaith, They that ſay they are without Sin, are none of the church of Chriſt; And if they that are without ſin, be none of his Church, then all that are of his church muſt be ſinners) I ſay, When all thoſe are purged out, what becomes of that church? Or where will the place of any one of you be found? Or whereof muſt the church of God conſiſt? Or muſt he have no church at all? Therefore mind what you are going about, left whilſt you are ſuppoſing T. S▪ will leave no room for you, in going about to purge out others, you leave no room for your ſelves.

Thou ſaiſt, T. S. hath paſt ſentence upon all the churches that ever was in the world, to be the churches of the Devil; and that he hath likewiſe ſentenced all the Prophets and Apoſtles in their Doctrine, and the Scriptures, to be all the Doctrine of Devils, and they the Miniſters of the Devil, &c. Becauſe T. S. hath ſaid, That for any to perſwade men to joyne themſelves with, and to be members of a Church that is ſinful and imperfect, is no better then a Doctrine of Devils.

I anſwer; Thou art ſentenced for an impudent lyar, and a falſe accuſer; and I am ſure that lyars are of the devil; but neither Prophet nor Apoſtle, Scriptures, nor church of Chriſt, are at all concerned in his ſentence, nor comes not under it; For none of them did ever perſwade men to joyne with, or to [Page] be members of a church that is ſinful and imperfect, which they muſt have done if T: S. had ſentenced them for preaching a Doctrine of Devils; but on the contrary, they did exhort the church of Chriſt to ſeperate from ſuch, and to have no fellowſhip with them, but to come out from amongſt them, and not to touch the unclean thing; and the Prophet of the Lord did complain againſt thoſe that did not put a difference between the clean and the unclean; between the holy and the prophane; between the precious and the vile: And thoſe that do perſwade people to joyn themſelves to a church that is ſinful, they are the Devils Miniſters, and not Chriſt's, and they are adding to the Devil▪s church, or to Satan's Synagogue, and are not adding to the church of Chriſt; and the Doctrine which ſuch do preach, is the Doctrine of Devils, and not the Doctrine of Chriſt, as T. S. hath truly ſaid.

And becauſe T. S. ſaith, You follow cunning deviſed fables; Thou ſaiſt, He calls Goſpel▪Ordinances cunning deviſed fables, and that in ſum he ſaith, our Lord Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, were cunning deviſers of Fables▪

To which I ſay, Deceit and Falſhood hath ſummed up the matter, and by the falſeneſs of the account, the wickedneſs of the Accountant is diſcovered, and he is thereby manifeſted to be a notorious lyar, and a falſe accuſer▪ but if honeſty had caſt up the ſum, the account would have appeared otherwiſe. And I have already proved, That whilſt you remain in that ſtate where you ſtand at preſent, (as appears by your confeſſion in your Tiverton Epiſtle) that all that you do, or perform in imitation of others, whilſt you are not thereunto led by the Spirit of God, but your rule is without you, & abomination reigns within you, though you may call it the ordinances of Chriſt, or great Goſpel-Ordinances, yet it is but Fables and Fancies of your own deviſings, and ſuch things as Chriſt nor his Apoſtles did ever ordain or deviſe for you to follow or practiſe; and you might as well charge all the reſt of your abominations and apparent iniquities, upon Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and ſay they were the deviſers of them, as to ſay that Chriſt or his Apoſtles did deviſe thoſe Fables, Fancies, and imaginations which you follow, plead for, practiſe, and call Ordinances of Chriſt; For [Page] that which you account the beſt of all your doings, is as great an abomination in the ſight of the Lord, if not greater then the very worſt action, or moſt apparent iniquity which you confeſs your ſelves to be guilty of; For the very prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; and nothing will ſooner or more certainly bring deſolation upon you, then the ſetting up of thoſe abominations in the ſtead of the Worſhip of God, and the Ordinances of Chriſt, and thoſe Exorciſts who adjured the unclean ſpirits in the Name of Jeſus, whom Paul preached, might as well ſay that our Lord Chriſt had deviſed thoſe Exorciſmes which they uſed, becauſe he had commanded unclean ſpirits to come out of people; as you to ſay that Chriſt and his Apoſtles deviſed thoſe Fables which you follow and plead for, and call Goſpel-Ordinances, becauſe you imagine that ſuch things were practiſed in the church of Chriſt; for it's poſsible that thoſe Exorciſts were as much in the words of Chriſt and Paul, as you are; and I am ſure you are as great Enemies to the iife and power of Chriſt as they were▪

And after thou haſt thus wickedly and ſalſly accuſed T. S▪ and ſo impudently and groſly belyed him, Thon ſaiſt, Thou muſt have done with Salthouſe at preſent and thou thinkeſt for ever, unleſs there were more truth and honeſty appearing in him.

Oh wonderful! that ſuch a notorious lyar, and ſuch a vile diſhoneſt perſon as thou haſt manifeſted thy ſelf to be, (partly by thy own confeſsion, and fully and largely proved both by thy practiſe, and by thy principles) ſhould be ſo impudent as to accuſe another for want of truth and honeſty! But although thou mighteſt have hopes to ſhelter thy ſelf, and to eſcape undiſcovered by accuſing the innocent of the ſame crimes whereof thy ſelf art guilty, yet know, that thy covering is too narrow, for thy skirts are diſcovered, and thy ſhame and nakedneſs doth appear, and thy refuge of lyes cannot hide thee; and it had been much better for thee if thou hadſt ended ſooner, or that thou hadſt never begun this work of darkneſs and wickedneſs, wherein thou haſt ſo deſperately hazarded the loſs of thy precious ſoul, to ſatisfie thy cruel, envious, blood-thirſty deſires, againſt the innocent Lambs of Chriſt; Onely (thou ſaiſt) take this Interpreter with you, and T. C. his Anſwer [Page] to his Epistle, and this together, and you will find them to be a choice pair of Spectacles to help you to ſee into, and underſtand what you read in T. S. his Books.

To which I anſwer▪ The truth as aſſerted by T. S. in his Books, are ſo plain and clear as they ſtand, that whoever looks on them with a ſingle eye, and a mind not ſtuft with prejudice, may eaſily read them, and underſtand them, without an interpreter; and all who are not quite blind, and given up to believe lyes, may eaſily ſee and diſcover thy hypocriſie and deceit, thy railing and falſe accuſing, thy lyes and thy confuſion, without the help of a pair of Spectacles.

But although thou haſt done with T. S. I have not yet done wth thee▪ for I have yet to queſtion thee concerning a moſt horrible falſe accuſation twice charged in thyſheet of Paper, where thou ſaiſt, Would not theſe men as truly judge and condemn Saints and Churches in former ages, that were ſubject to the like failings and paſſions, were it not becauſe they know it will not be born? Elſe what meant the Anſwer of a Preaching-quaker, in a publike meeting of them in Briſtol? one preſenting ſomething concerning the Scripture to him, he anſwers, I came not to tell you of Paul, and Barnabas, and Timothy, the ſerpents of old▪ but we were ſent to direct them to look to the light within, &c. And thou ſaiſt, The ſame perſon, at the ſame time, ſpake the ſame language of Samuel and the Prophets; and this (thou ſaiſt) thou hadſt from credible testimony, who was preſent and heard him, and propoſed to query to him, Whether he did own the Scriptures to be a rule for Chriſtians to walk by.

Now to this I ſay, The righteous Lord God of Heaven and Earth is witneſs for us againſt thee in this thing, that we the Servants of the Moſt High God, who are in ſcorn call'd Quakers, do from our hearts abhor and deteſt any ſuch words or thoughts concerning the holy men of God, either Prophets or Apoſtles, as thou moſt falſly from thy envious heart, and ſlanderous tongue, haſt caſt upon us; and we do likewiſe utterly diſown any ſuch to be of us, or to have any fellowſhip with us, or to be permitted to ſpeak amongſt us without reproof, who ſhould declare or hold forth any ſuch wicked, damnable, unſound, unſavoury words, as to ſay that either Paul, or Barnabas, [Page] or Timothy, or Samuel, or any other of the holy Prophets or Apoſtles, were the Serpents of old; for of them▪ and of their words, we have a more high and honorable eſteem; we being made partakers of the ſame eternal life, and have obtained like precious Faith in which they lived, and by which they obtained a good report, and have received a meaſure of the ſame ſpirit by which they ſpoke, and from which the Scriptures of truth were given forth; and ſo we have the witneſs in our ſelves, of the truth of what they declared; and I do with confidence affirm, That it cannot be proved that ever any perſon who is diſtinguiſhed from other people by the name of Quaker, did ever either in Bristol, or elſewhere, either publikely or privately ſpeak, utter, or declare theſe, or any ſuch like words; and therefore be it hereby known unto thee who art our accuſer, and to all that own thee, and to all people whereſoever this ſhall come▪ that thou art hereby charged and required to bring forth the Author, or Authors of this falſe accuſation, which thou call'ſt credible teſtimony, that ſo the whole ſum of this matter may be found out, to the end that thoſe who are guilty may be diſcovered, and their wickedneſs diſcloſed, that to ſhame they may be brought, and from them and their wickedneſs, all that fear God may turn away, and of them beware; and alſo that the innocent may be cleared, and the truth vindicated▪ and for this cauſe chiefly it was that publike inquiry was made after thy Name, to the end, the truth of this matter may be known; and therefore if thou ſhalt refuſe thus to do, then in the preſence of the Lord God, upon thy own head ſhall this falſe accuſation be charged, to ſtand for ever; and all that either own thee, or believe what thou haſt ſaid, and ſhall not endeavour to bring this matter to a juſt tryal, are not onely willing to be deceived by thee but alſo guilty of thy moſt abominable wickedneſs; therefore until thou haſt done according to what I have ſaid, this alſo ſhall be numbred amongſt the reſt of thy lyes and falſe accuſations.

But it ſeems though thou haſt done with T. S. thou haft not emptyed out all the abominable broth out of thy boiling pot, or unclean veſſel, under which the fire of Envy doth continually burn; but John Collins muſt alſo have a part of it, ſomething [Page] to aſſwage thy malice, and allay thy burning heat; and although thou canſt not touch him concerning any thing which he hath written, yet thou wilt aſſault him with a company of lyes and falſe accuſations, which thou haſt muſtered up againſt him, which ſhould they be ſevered from the reſt of that wch thou haſt written, there would remain very little to be anſwered unto. But I ſhal not need to trace thee in all thy crooked waies and by-pathes, I having alreadie ſufficientlie laid thee open, and diſcovered thy follie, and wicked lying ſpirit to all who have an eie open to ſee thee; therefore I ſhall ſpeak brieflie to ſome particulars, and ſo conclude.

Thou ſaiſt, He confeſſeth he was one with you in the form of Truth.

But where is that confeſſion? I am ſure he doth not ſay any ſuch thing in that Book to which this ſheet of thine is a pretended Anſwer▪ nor I think no where elſe; For it is a very eaſie matter to prove that you are neither in the form nor power of Truth, but out of both: But this he confeſſeth, That he was owned a Brother by you, whilſt running into the ſame exceſs of riot; but ſince in mercie viſited, he hath been hated and deſpitefullie uſed by ſome of you, which is not the Form of Truth to uſe any one deſpitefullie▪

Thou ſaiſt, A day will come that John Collins, and others, ſhall not boaſt of their gain in leaving you, when they ſhall know it to be the ſaddeſt ſeperation that ever they made. And yet thou ſaiſt in the ſame Paper, (over, and beſides all the great wickedneſſes, reigning abominations, and apparent iniquities, whereof you confeſs your ſelves to be guiltie in your Tiverton-Epiſtle) Thou knoweſt that you are bad and that you need purging, and more of the ſence of the evil of your own hearts, and that you need a lamentation, &c.

And wouldſt thou perſwade J. C. or any other, that ever they ſhall repent their leaving you, or repent that the Lord hath ſeperated them from ſuch a companie? Verilie when ever they look back upon you, and remember the deliverance that the Lord hath wrought for them, in ſeperating them from amongſt you, they have as much cauſe to rejoice (if not more) then Lot had when he eſcaped out of Sodom, or the Iſraelites when delivered [Page] from Aegyptian darkneſs and bondage.

Thou ſaiſt, They have ſeperated themſſlves from the Law and Word of Truth.

I ſay, They are ſeperated from a companie of hypocrites, who have caſt the Law of Truth behind their backs, and have hated inſtruction, and rebelled againſt the light, following their vain imaginations, which they call Ordinances of Chriſt, who confeſs they have delighted to confeſs, and to word it out with the Lord▪ and preſently forget what manner of men and women they were, and think no more on their prayers, and ſo have mocked God often; it is from ſuch they are ſeperated: But to the Word of Truth, which is Chriſt the light of the World, are they turned; and his Law (which is light, which is written in the heart) have they received; and the Word (at which you ſtumble) is a lanthorn to their feet, and a light unto their pathes, who in times paſt did wander with you in dark and ſollitarie places, and in the valley of the ſhadow of death, ſtumbling upon the dark and barren Mountains, wandering from Mountain to Hill, after thoſe who cryed, Lo here, and lo there; and where you are yet wandering in your vain imaginations, who knows not the Law, nor Word of Truth.

Thou ſaiſt, If you could, or dare to lye as faſt as they, you could quickly be as perfect, and as free from ſin as they, &c.

I ſay, Witneſs T. Colliers Writings, and this Sheet of thine, whether you dare to lie, or no; I verilie believe, more impudent Liars did never appear in Print; and you have attained to as great a meaſure of perfection in that part of your Fathers Work, (who was a Liar from the beginning, and the Father of it) as any people that ever I heard of▪ who pretend they plead for, and follow Ordinances of Chriſt: But this is not our waie of perfection or freedom from ſin, it is Chriſt the Truth and the Light, that is our waie of perfection, and by him alone it is that we have freedom and remiſsion of ſins, & not through lying, though you make uſe of that waie to cover your ſelves in your ſins; but the light hath diſcovered you, your bed is too ſhort, and your covering too narrow; Your iniquities are apparent, and your abominations and tranſgreſsions cannot be hid; and the day is come wherein your refuge of lyes (unto [Page] which you have leaned, and into which you have ſled for ſhelter from the ſtroke of truth) muſt be ſwept away.

Thou ſaiſt, Heaven and Earth, and our own conſciences doth witneſs, that what T. C. hath written concerning our principles, is truth.

To which I ſay, That both Heaven and Earth, and the Witneſs of Truth in our own conſciences, doth teſtiſie againſt thee▪ that thou art a moſt abominable Lyar, and a falſe Accuſer; and were not thy conſcience ſeared, thou wouldſt tremble to utter ſuch damnable lyes; but know aſſuredlie, that the righteous God will bring thee to judgement, where thou muſt give account for all thy ungodlie deeds, which thou haſt ungodlie committed, and all thy hard ſpeeches which thou haſt ſpoken againſt the innocent; and for all the lies, ſlanders, and falſe accuſations which thou haſt (from the pride and naughtineſs of thy malicious heart) uttered againſt them:

Thou ſaiſt, Note this one thing, how John hath learned to abuſe the Scriptures, becauſe he ſaith, (ſpeaking of Chriſt) When he cometh in ten thouſands of his Saints. Whereby I note, how little thou knoweſt of the being of Chriſt in his Saints, that ſeems to be offended with J. C. for ſpeaking of the coming of Chriſt in his Saints; maiſt thou not as well have accuſed Chriſt and his Apoſtles for abuſing of Scripture, for ſaying, I in them, and thou in me, Ioh. 17. 23. And Chriſt liveth in me, Gal. 2. 20. And Chriſt in you the hope of glory, Col. 1. 27. And Chriſt in you except you be reprobates; 2 Cor. 13. 5. And if in them, why not in ten thouſands of them? But what Scripture is it that J. C. hath abuſed? Hath he quoted any Scripture particularly? Or doth he ſay, It is thus written in ſuch a place? Or muſt he be limited by thy imagination, who thinks he thus ſpeaks, becauſe Jude ſaith, The Lord comes with ten thouſands of his Saints, as thou ſaiſt the Scripture reads it? But glory to his Name for ever, we know that he cometh in his Saints, and that he is admired in them, though you like not to hear of it, nor believe it, as T. C. affirmed at Glaſton, that he believed in a Chriſt that was in heaven, and not in the Saints; and all ſuch reprobates who know not Jeſus Chriſt in them, muſt know that the day is come, in which the Lord cometh in thouſands, and ten thouſands of his Saints, to execute the judgements written, and to [Page] take vengeance upon all ungodly ſinners, for all their abominations wherewith they have provoked the Lord to jealouſie; and therefore if you are not wholly given up to hardneſs of heart, and blindneſs of mind (but that there is in any of you, any tenderneſs or breathings after the Lord) to ſuch I ſay, Heare, and give eare, and no longer harden your hearts, nor ſtiffen your necks, nor no longer rebel againſt the light, but depart from the Tents of thoſe wicked men with whom you walk, and come out from amongſt them, and be no longer partakers with them in their Sins, their reigning abominations and apparent iniquities, wherewith the Lord hath been long provoked; nor partake not with them in their vain ceremonies, and invented Will-worſhips, which they call Ordinances of Chriſt, wherewith the Lord hath been ſo often mocked; but prepare to meet the Lord by ſpeedy repentance, leaſt his wrath break forth againſt you; and while ye have light, believe in the light, leſt the Lord turn it into darkneſs; and when ye look for light, it be turned into the ſhadovv of death, and into groſs darkneſs: And this in love is the counſel of him vvho loves your Souls, but hates your Sins,

R. W.

POSTSCRIPT.

[Page]

SInce the writing of the greateſt part of this, we have received information from ſome of the People call'd Anabaptiſts, that Thomas Collier did write the ſaid ſheet of paper, and ſo he is the Author of that wickedneſs alſo, as an addition to his account, which is exceeding great, who even haſtens to fil up his meaſure, that he may be rewarded according to his doings; and indeed I verily believe, amongſt all the enemies of God who hath in this day of his Sons appearing liſted themſelves as ſoldiers of Gogs army, and joyned themſelves in the war with the Dragon, againſt the Lamb and his followers, none hath more deſperately hazarded himſelf in the ſervice of the prince of darkneſſe, then this man Thomas Collier, who hath (as it were) ſet himſelf in the fore-ſront of the battel, & hath bent his tongue like his bow, for lyes, to ſhoot at the innocent, and yet is ſo impudent as to ſay, If he could, or dare to lye as faſt as we, he might quickly be as perfect and as free from ſin as we; when as thoſe very Books that he hath written againſt, and concerning the people call'd Quakers, we can juſtly account above 150. Lyes that he hath uttered; and it is high time for all people who hitherto hath owned and followed him, to beware of him, and not to partake with him in his ſins, leaſt they alſo be partakers of his plagues.

R. W.

The End.

Information about this book

Title statement

An equal ballance wherein the ministers and churches of the Anabaptists (so called) are truly weighed and by a just and lawful tryal ... they are fully proved and clearly manifested to be neither ministers nor churches of Jesus Christ, but in very many particulars they appear in a great measure to differ from them ... : being an answer to a libel published by (or in the behalf of) Thomas Collier, entituled The hypocrisie and falshood of Thomas Salthouse discovered ... / written by Robert Wastfield.

Wastfield, Robert, fl. 1647-1665.

Edition statement

1659

Publication

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Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A65230

ID [STC]

Wing W1033

ID [STC]

ESTC R25195

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

08793245

ID [OCLC]

ocm 08793245

ID [VID]

41843

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65230)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41843)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1271:6)

Source

— An equal ballance wherein the ministers and churches of the Anabaptists (so called) are truly weighed and by a just and lawful tryal ... they are fully proved and clearly manifested to be neither ministers nor churches of Jesus Christ, but in very many particulars they appear in a great measure to differ from them ... : being an answer to a libel published by (or in the behalf of) Thomas Collier, entituled The hypocrisie and falshood of Thomas Salthouse discovered ... / written by Robert Wastfield., Wastfield, Robert, fl. 1647-1665..

Extent

52, [1] p.

Printed for Thomas Simmons,. London :: 1659.. (Reproduction of original in the British Library.)

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