SUrely the Magiſtrates of Nottingham are blinde as though they had never read Scriptures, have they caſt a man into priſon for ſaying The Scriptures wer • not the Living Word? Surely they might have underſtood what Scripture ſignifies by all this time of teaching, for writings is not living, nor doth not endure for ever, but the thing written of doth, that is the Word. Surely by all this teaching they might not have been ſo ignorant of Scripture, which ſaith the Scriptures are the Words of God, Exod. 20. and my Words ſaith Chriſt, and he that addes to theſe Words ſaith John, in the Revelation, or takes from theſe words, the plagues ſhall be added to him, and his name ſhall be deminiſhed out of the Book of Life, Rev. the laſt. So mark, the Scriptures of truth, which cannot be broken, are the Words of God, and Chriſt his Name is called the Word of God, Rev. 19. and they that had a perfect underſtanding from the very firſt, took in hand to ſet forth in order a declaration of thoſe things which they had ſeen and believed from the beginning, who were Miniſters of the Word, Luke 1. Surely Nottingham Inquiſitioners had they not been mad in their blind zeal, they would not have perſecuted a man for ſpeaking truth according to ſcriptures, who neither regards the Scriptures nor the law of man, who hath contemptuouſly diſobeyed two Warrants; Surely you would be mighty cruel if you had power; Did you never read that the Scriptures ſaith Chriſt is the Word, and the Word is God? Is not he the living Word? and the Word is immortal; are writings immortal? what would ye have done to John if he had been under your power, who tels you Chriſts name is the word of God? and tels you, the Revelation is words? What would you have done to Peter? who tels you the Word is immortal, and all things are upheld by the Word of his power? And are all things upheld by the Scriptures, is that your Logick? Read Heb. 1. And is it not ſaid the Scriptures muſt be fulfilled? and is it not the Living Word, which fulfills the words? And what would you have done to Luke that tells you many of the Miniſters of the Word took in hand to ſet forth in order a declaration of the things believed among them from the very firſt? Nay, doth not ſome of your old Tranſlations call the Scripture a Catologue? and ſome again calls it a ſtory, and yet you call it the Word? how many names have you given it here? it is called Scriptures of truth, holy writings which were learned of God, and given forth by the ſpirit of God, that is according to the ſcriptures which are the words of God; and wil you ſay writings are God, or writings are Chriſt who is called the word? will you ſet the ſcriptures in the room of God, and give them his name? as you may read, Joh. 1. Have you not loſt your underſtanding? are you not blind that cannot diſtinguiſh writings, weh is Scriptures, from Chriſt, & God, but put them in their place? Surely you are far off from ſpiritual things, while you do not underſtand natural things, have you not read that John ſaith in the beginning was the Word, and was writings in the beginning? you want the Word to give you an underſtanding to know a fulfiller, and that which is to be fulfilled; a fulfiller is the Word, and that which is to be fulfilled is the words and outward types and figures and changeable things: So who is in the Word, he is in the unchangable which was in the beginning, in whom the Scriptures end, Chriſt, and the juſt mens ſpirits both; ſo the Word is called the word of Reconciliation, but he doth not call the Scriptures ſo, but the ſcriptures are called a declaration, and in many places called words, which are to be fulfilled and cannot be broken, and this is the cauſe that all Chriſtendom is on heaps about ſcriptures, they wanting the Word that doth fulfill them, to reconcile unto them, and unto God, and unto them that gave them forth; So are not the babes born again by the immortal Seed, the Word of God; but you remain in the mortal, where the jars and ſtrifes are about words, the things of God not being known by natural men.