The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.

The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.

The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.

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THE Fiery darts of the Divel quenched; OR, Something in Answer to a Book called, a Second Beacon fired, presented to the Lord PROTECTOR, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Ʋnderhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the Heathen. By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, FRANCIS HOWGIL.

Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his Scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.

London, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the blackspread Eagle at the West end of Pauls. 1654.

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FIrst of all you go about and flatter the powers and the Magistrates, and tells them they ought to have a care of their peoples souls in keeping them from infection of idolatry and blasphemy, and you say you are to informe them of the dangerousnesse of great meeting in London of Quakers, whose opinions are blasphemous, Paganish, Antiscriptural and Anti-Christian, even as the former. And further, the greatest thing that troubles you, is Printing and publishing books many thousands, you say, concerning blasphemous and heretical, and antimagistratical opinions tending to unchristian people, and disorder the people of the Nations, and to bring in paganisme, and libertinisme, and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeale against them.

Oh you blood thirsty minded men, all the care that you would have the Magistrates to take of the people is to destroy them, and to have them shut up in holes and caves, and dens, and prisons, and the truth ever suffered by your generation, and your generation hath ever pressed the Magistrates that they might abuse their power, and if they will but hearken to you, instead of healing the people, they will be destroyers▪ [Page] and in stead of making up breaches, they will make desolate, and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt wil, and to uphold your Diana, and your craft, that you may make merchandize of that which hath been long enough sold and printed by you; and what hath it done? who is turned from darknesse to light? and you that makes a trade of others writings and words, to maintain you in your lusts, and deceive, this you would have them to uphold; but as for the care of peoples soules, its far enough from you, and all along your filthy lying slanderous booke, you are made manifest to bee of those that would have fire to come down from heaven in your wils to destroy all those that withstand you and your imaginations. And therfore let all magistrates in whom the fear of the Lord is, take heed how they take things from the hands and mouthes of them who hath alwaies persecuted the power of truth, and called truth errour, and light darknesse, and darknesse light; and in a blind zeale for God, destroy them whom the power of the Lord is manifest in; for so Paul persecuted Christ, and the Saints, and so the Jewes crucified Christ, and all the Saints have suffered. And you are offended at our meeting in London, while wee have beene here in the City wee have not been in a corner, and wee challenge you and all the City in the name of the Lord, who is dreadfull to all liers, and slanderers, to show what are those blasphemies that you speake of, you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites: opinions we deny, for the light of Jesus Christ which is spirituall which appears and declares against all sects, and opinions, and blasphemies, and all you who hates it, are in contention, and in opinions, and blaspheme the truth; and here I charge it upon you in the presence of the living God, that you are blasphemers who calls the light naturall and paganisme; and the Lord wil plead with you, you filthy corrupt minds, who calls the light of Christ. [Page] Antichristian, for here in the presence of the Lord of hosts▪ I speake it, no other light doe wee owne to walk by, but that which is spiritual and eternal, the light of Christ, which he hath enlightned every one that comes into the world withal; and this is not Anti-scriptural as thou cals it; for the Scriptures witness the same, and Christ bears witness of it, and no other light do we own but the same that ever was, which was in the beginning, and which convinceth the world of sin, and the same that led up the Saints to know the Father and the Son: and you that cal this paganisme and heretical, and blasphemous, and Antichristian, let all who have any light in them judg, and let shame cover your faces, and fear take hold upon you, for your words stinke, and come out of the mouth of the dragon; ye filthy unclean frogs, which hath poison under your tongues▪ And as for the bookes which wee have Printed, wee owne them, and are ready to lay downe our lives for the testimonie of Jesus, and the truth of them, and seale them with our blood, and what are written in them, through the eternal power of God, which is made manifest, and that wee have published any thing against any just Magistracie, let all our writings, and all who reade them judge; and if bearing witnesse to Jesus Christ unchristians people, let all judge; for no other do wee owne, but the same Christ to day and yesterday, and for ever; and here all your petitioning is made manifest, from whence it did arise and proceed, and your shame and nakednesse, and envie appears.

And the Sacraments which you say you use, which is appointed in the Scripture, and Farnworth in Answer to a petition did deny them.

Answer, His answer we owne; and I challenge you to bee perverters of the Scripture; where read you of Sacraments in the Scripture? here I charge you to be liers and slanderers, and deniers of the Scripture, and adders to it, and the plagues shall be added to you; and [Page] as for that which you use among you is traditional and imitatory. Yet the bread which wee break is the Communion of the body of Christ, and the cup wee drink is the Communion of the blood of Christ, and this is that which Paul received from him: and Baptisme by one spirit into one body we owne; the baptisme is but one, and this wee owne, and here you liers and slanderers are seen and denied.

Another thing you call heresie and blasphemy, is, that wee say that Christ hath enlightned all men; but I shal lay downe your own words, and prove you liers out of that booke called the General good to all people: and you say the light of God that is in all men, that is to wit, natural conscience, that it is sufficient, if wee give heed unto it, to discover sinne, and and turne our minds towards God, and that this light within, is the grace of God, and that it is Christ in us.

Answer, Let all that reades that booke, see if you bee not liers and slanderers, and perverters, and are in the generation of those false witnesses which bore witnesse against Christ; and here I charge you to be liers. Where in all the bookdoth he say that the light of a natural conscience is sufficient to guide to God, if it be taken heed to? or where doth it say it discovers sin? there is another lie: and where doth hee say that natural conscience is the grace of God? there is a third lie; and where doth hee say that natural conscience is Christ in us? there is a fourth lie; bee ashamed that ever you should goe and present so many filthy lies to authority that there is no truth in at all. Oh▪ yee darke mindes, would you be judging and prescribing what is heresie and blasphemie, and cals the light of Christ paganisme and heresie? but I am bold in the Name of the Lord, to declare unto you, and unto all the world, that Christ is the true light that hath enlightned every one that comes into the world, and that this light is spiritual, and not natural, and it convinceth of all sinne; hee shal [Page] convince the world of sinne, and whoso obey this light which shines into the conscience, it leads up to Christ, and out of sinne, and it turns the mind towards God, and it shines in darknesse; but you dark sottish children know it not; yea, you that hate it, have it, and it shal condemne you, and when the book of conscience shall be opened, you shall be judged for all your hard speeches against the truth.

Another thing you present to be blasphemie and heresie, is that the worship that is performed in England with those Ministers that sing Davids Psalms, baptize infants, weare double cuffes, boot hose tops, take tithes, say men shal never be perfect in this world, and that say the letter is the light, and the letter is the word; and that salvation is in the Scripture, and that cals Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, the Gospel, are seducers, and no Ministers of the word, but shew forth the Spirit of error.

Answer. All those Ministers in England which abide not in the Doctrine of Christ▪ all those worshippers and worships which is contrary to the Scripture are Heathenish, and they worship they know not what; and all such worship is an abomination to the true God; and I charge you and all those that would be counted Ministers in England, to prove from the Scripture where the Saints sung Davids conditions, and Psalms in rimes and meter; and where is there any Scripture for baptizing of Infants▪ and whether any of the Ministers of Christ lived in pride and lusts of the flesh, and where any Ministers of Christ took tithes, which belonged to the first Priesthod and the first covenant; and so they that uphold the first, denie the second, and the one everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified; and where doth the Scripture say that the letter is the word and the light? but it witnesses against you and saith, God is the word, and Christ is the light, and Christ is the Gospel, yea the everlasting Gospel; and Mathew, Marke, Luke and [Page] John declared of him: and heare be you a witnesse against your self, ye dark minded men: and I charge you that you deny the Scripture; and all those who upholds those things are in the heathenish nature, without God in the world, in the earth where the Divil dwels who is an accuser of the Bretheren: and doth not the Scripture and they declare it who were Ministers of Christ, that there were that ran after the errour of Balaam, and their hearts was exercised with covetous practises? and were there not such that was raylers, and false accusers, and blind watchmen, and greedy dumb dogs, and such as sought for their gaine from their quarter, and such as lead into wichcraft, and Antichrists, deceivers? you might as wel have called Christ, and Paul and Peter and Jude Blasphemers and Hereticks; but you are made manifest just to be them and in the same nature that called Christ a blasphemer, and Paul a pestilent fellow, and a setter forth of strange Gods, and the Ministers of Christ seditious; and thou might as wel say Christ despised a Governor when he called Herod a fox; and now blessed be the Lord the houre of his Judgments is come: and we freely declare against all deceit both in Magistrates, Priests and people as they did that wrote forth the Scripture, and beare witnesse to his name as they did, in our measure, and we have suffered and do suffer dayly by slanderous tongues, such as you have; and imprisonments, and cruel mockings, and stripes, and bonds, and can truly say to the praise of his name, we beare in our bodies the markes of the Lord Jesus; but we must passe through good report and evil report, and it is our Crown and rejoycing to suffer for his name; and now Gog and Magog and all the powers of the earth bends themselves and are angry, even the nations that professe Christ in words, and say the Scripture is their rule, but walke not according to it; and against all such hypocrisie are we witnesses, to the fulfilling our testimony, [Page] and the laying down of our lives, that he alone may be honored who sits upon the throne of David, and of whose Government there is no end, to whom be praise for ever, who shall breake all your combinations and plots, and you shall be ground to powder who set your selves against him, and be dashed to pieces as a Potters vessel.

And now to that which you call Antimagistratical errors, that the magistrates are not to have titles of worshipful or right worshipful, and that the Subjects of a Common Wealth which is not Israels Common wealth are to be disturbed, and that no civil Government is to be acknowledged but the government of the Law within us.

Answer. Where reads thou or any, that any Magistrate was called worshipful or right worshipful, or ever any of the Saints of God did so? he that is righteousnesse and truth, unto whom all honor and worship belongs, God blessed for ever, we owne and worship, he is no respecter of persons. And you filty flaterers who are in the curse, respect mens persons, and so you are rased out for ever from the faith of Christ, and from the faith which all the holy men of God lived in, that you know it not: but you false accusers, Magistrates we know, and they are for the punishment of evil doers and for the lawlesse, for liers and slanderers, such as you are, and for the praise of them that do wel, and we honor such in our hearts, and obeys their just commands; and are not like him that said he would goe and went not, but are subject for conscience sake to the powers that are of [...]od, and are subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake; but we cannot flatter nor respect mens persons and deny the faith of Christ, but are brought from under the power of unrighteousnesse by the mighty power of God, and are subject to all just lawes which stand not, nor were made in mans wil, but obeys them for consciences sake, [Page] and if any Law which is not just nor equal be required upon us that wee cannot do; wee suffer for conscience sake, and resist not at all, as many of our enemies will witnesse for us; and therefore you false accusers be silent; they that are subject to Israels Commonwealth are righteous, and walkes in righteousnesse, in that which is just, good and holy; and wee witnesse against all the Canaanites who walk in unrighteousnesse, and all who are enemies to the Commonwealth of Israel must be broken to pieces, and them that strive and contend against the faith which was once delivered to the Saints, and is now witnessed, praysed be the Lord, all such must be disturbed and broken to peices by the just, even all the unjust shal be broken; and as for that which thou sayest wee say, we ought not to be subject to any civil Government but that which is within us, oh thou lyer, when wilt thou cease thy lying? where is that? I charge thee to prove where that is spoken: yet this I say unto all, Moses received the Law from the mouth of the Lord, and it was revealed to him, and in him, and then he wrote it without and was subject to it, and all who makes Laws now and doe not receive them from God, they make them in their own wils, and such as doe act contrary to the Law of God; but that Law which is righteous, which is according to that in the conscience, which is holy and good and civil, we are subject both within and without to it: and all you your subjection which is not from a principle within, is not in truth not singlenesse of heart, but with flattery, and your eye service and your bowing downe in hypocrisie and saying you are subject when there is no truth in the heart, and so you are not subject for conscience sake.

And further, you say in Farnworth general good to all people, let every soule be subject to the higher Powers, By powers is meant God, the Father of Jesus Christ, and by King the Lord of Hosts, and that is another Blasphemy.

[Page]Woe unto filthy lyers; I challenge you that you have perverted his words, and would give meanings upon them as you do upon the Scriptures, and your owne dark sottish mindes cannot comprehend, and therefore you give your own imaginations, and then calles it Blasphemy; and let all that read that Booke, see if you have not belyed the truth, and perverted his words

Another thing you set downe for Blasphemy, that none are ministers of God and called by him who are sent forth by Authority of man, and that he that is not infallible in his judgement, is no Minister of Christ.

Answer. You might have said Pauls words were Blasphemy; he was made a Minister, not by mens wil, and all the holy men of God, and apostles were not Ministers by the will of man, but contrary to the wil of man, and all who are made Ministers of man, and by man, we deny, and the Scripture denies them, for what they Preached, they neither received it of man nor from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ; and all who have and are made Ministers by heare say, and what they have formed up in their imaginations from the Scripture, with their points, and their doctrins, which they raise in their carnall mindes, all such we declare against; and all such who abide not in the Doctrine of Christ, and all who were made Ministers of Christ, were Spiritual and infallible; that which is not infallible, is carnall: and all who are guided by the Spirit of Christ is infallible, and they that are not guided by it are none of his, nor the Sons of God, nor Ministers of Christ: and therefore, all that such can judge of, is nothing but imaginary; and all you who have subscribed this Booke, and all such Ministers I deny. Yee shamelesse men, would you be trying and perscribing, and set dowe what is Heresie, and Blasphemy; and cryes out of that for Heresie, and [Page] Blasphemy; which you should try with all? your shame is laid open to all, and now your shame I hope will appeare to the Parliament, whom you Petition. What cry you out against books, and printing, and blasphemy, that cannot distinguish a lamb from a dog? would you judg truth by darknesse? and you are offended that there are so many Quakers met in the North parts lately, two thousand; yea blessed bee the Lord, there are many thousands that sees you, and never will bow to Baal, nor worship in the house of Rimmon more; and m [...]ny shal not only come from the North, but also from the South, yea in London, that now sees all your deceit, and they shal enter, and you shal be shut out. And what truth is this that cannot defend it selfe; and what religion is that which cannot defend it selfe, but you must have all bend to your image that you would set up?

And now unto you who are petitioned unto; I say, unto you, take heed and beware how you call or suppresse any thing as error, or how you meddle in the prescribing God a way to walke in, for he cannot, he will not be limited: and I say unto you, it were better a milstone were hanged about your necks, then to hinder or stop, or make any law to hinder the passage of the truth which is arising: and consider the Lord hath thrown out all powers before this because they would needs limit the Holy one of Israel, and prescribe him a way, and a government how he should be worshipped, and many have suffered, and what hath all come to? all the rules that men hath laid down, hath they not beene as the untimely fruit of a woman and as corne upon the house top, and for that all hath beene throwne downe, and broken? and the jealousie of the Lord is broken forth as fire, and and woe to them that withstands him in his way: and now I say unto you, if you now prescribe God [Page] a way, and if that in the conscience have not liberty, but you wil goe about to set bounds to him, and his people in the worship of God, you shall be broken as a potters vessel, for the government is upon his shoulders, and he wil not give his glory to any other; the Lord hath spoken it. And for the rest of the bookes in the Beacon fired, wee disowne them; but I believe you have belied them, as you have done ours.

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A Certaine Book being come forth into the world, ful of lies and slanders against the innocent, called A voice from the word of the Lord, to those grand impostors called Quakers; to the Author of which book (who calls himselfe J [...]hn Griffith, a servant of Christ) and to all to whomsoever it may come, I am moved to write something in Answer, that his lies and slanders, and false r [...]proaches may be made manifest, and that he may proceed no further; for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so doth he resist the truth, being a man of a corrupt mind, and reprobate concerning faith, and is not a Servant of Christ, nor a witnesse for his name, but a child of disobedience, in whom the Prince of the aire rules.

And first to the title of thy book, I Answer, the word of the Lord is powerful, and wil cut thee down, thou sensual minded man; yet thou knowest not, but takes the words of others declared from the word vvhich vvas in them, and thou useth thy tongue, and saith the Lord saith it; but I say unto thee, the Lord hath not spoken unto thee, neither commanded thee to speak of his name: and I charge it upon thee in the presence of the Lord God of life, that thou art of that generation which Jeremiah was sent to cry against, Jer. 23. 31. for thou speakes thy imaginations upon their words which dwelt in the life of God▪ but the life thou knowest not, and thy whole book is no more but an empty sound and voice, & is as the untimely fruit of the womb which wil wither and perish away: and one of them I am whom thou calls Quakers, to whom thou saist, thou directs [Page] thy speech; but that wee are grand impostors, I do denie, for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of God lived, and are fallen from the world, and from its wayes and nature: and I charge thee here to be a slanderer, and from the mouth of the Lord I do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward. And vvheras thou saist thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindednesse, together vvith the judgments of God attending them.

I Answer. Fleshly and filthy mindednesse, we have denied by the Power of the Sonne of God made manifest in us; thou hast laid it to our charge, but thou hast not proved it nor discovered it, and here againe thou art a false accuser; fleshly and filthy mindedness shal stand for thy ovvne condition; for there thou art in the flesh and filth, living to thy vvil in the lust of uncleanesse, for you may remember thou came out of the bowling Allie to our meeting, though Pharisee like thy out side is painted and made clean, but thy heart is ful of enmity and lies, and slanders and false reproaches, to that in thy conscience I do speake which shal for ever vvitnesse me, and as for the judgments of the Lord upon thy own head wil they fal, and with what measure thou metes it shal be measured to thee again; we are passed from judgment, and from the condemnation, and who art thou, thon enemy of righteousnesse, that shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? And whereas thou saiest thou art one that bears witnesse against those wandring starres.

I answer, this shal stand for thy owne condition, a wandring star thou art, and hath no habitation in the heaven, but speaks swelling words of vanity, thou thy self being a servant of corruption, we have an abinding place, and an habitation in the Lord, and are not wandring; and here againe I charge thee to be a false accuser, and a false witnesse, who bears witnesse of thy selfe; for the Father bears no witnesse of thee, but against thee.

[Page]Whereas thou saist the most high God that made the heavens and the earth, hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witnesse to the truth, and to witnesse against the abmoinable fleshly mindednesse, and yet spiritual pride of those grand impostors called Quakers, by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the gospell, to another gospel, which is not another Gospel, but the vanity of their owne minds, and their owne fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they cry up as Oracles of God. I answer▪ The most high God judge between thee and us; whose wrath is kindled against thee▪ thou enemie of righteousnesse, and child of wrath; thou hast belied the Lord of heaven and earth, for to this he moved thee not, for he moves none to utter lies and slanders as thou hast done, but the spirit of enmity and of the Divil hath moved thee, and to the truth thou beares no witnesse, but against the truth, and against the innocent; and charges us with fleshly mindednesse and spirituall pride. O thou lier and false accuser, the Lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee, and render upon thy head according to thy deedes; prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud, or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee for ever; sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the Gospel wee doe deny; but the plaine single truth wee doe declare, by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves Churches and Preachers of the Gospel; which is not the Gospel that the Apostles preached but an adding your own Imaginations upon their words, who witnessed the Gospel, and it shal stand for thy own condition, thou art in the sorcery and witchraft; who draws people to observe an outward visible thing, from the light of Christ within them; which leades to the simplicity of the Gospel, which is inward and not outward; and thou art in [Page] thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts, crying up the Ordinances and Oracles, of God, which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world, which passeth away; and here thou art seen and made manifest in the light of Christ, to be a hypocrite, who false accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy selfe; the same Gospel as ever was, doe we declare; and not another, which wee received not from man, neither was taught it by man: and as the Oracles of God it shall stand for ever for a witnesse against thee, and all the world who doth not believe, for even the Father beares witnesse of us, and therefore our witnesse is true; and the righteous God will plead with thee thou lyar and false accuser, and here be a witnesse against thy selfe that the Lord moved thee not, but the Divil, acting in thy owne imaginations, and in the vanity of thy one minde, and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts; and whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the Lord, thus saith the Lord to thee O Quaker, thou art fleshly minded.

I answer, It is not the voyce of the Lord to us that speaks in thee, but the voyce of the Divil, and the Serpent which speaks from thee: fleshly minded we are not, but are redeemed out of it, and our mindes are changed and are Spiritual and 'tis the Spirit of the living God seales unto us and witnesses in us, and here thou art of thy Father the old Dragon, an accuser of the Bretheren, but it is God that justifies, and who art thou that condemns? and this thy speech is seene and comprehended, which thou hast directed to us, and it is judged by the spirit of true judgment to be a false accusation and a lie, and not the word of the Lord, and into the lake amongst the false Prophets thou art to be turned, who useth thy tongue when the Lord never spake to thee; and thou saiest we looke upon the Institution of Christs Supper with a fleshly and carnal eye, because wee say that the bread and wine which Christ commanded [Page] his Disciples to eate and to drinke, is carnall. I Answer. The bread, and wine, is visible and carnal, and fleshly, and not Spiritual, nor Eternal, and in the eternall light by the Spiritual eye of God opened in us, we see them and do owne that it was a command of Christ, to stand for its time, and no more, but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing, and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witnesse, the figure is denyed and declared against, and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limiting God to a visible thing (that without it no salvation) art in the sorcerie and witchraft, and an enemie to the substance; for Christ never since he was sacrifised brake of the bread or dranke of the cup with his Disciples, but new in his Fathers kingdome; and thou who art in the carnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of Christ art sensual and by the light of Christ is to be condemned and juged, with the world, who art without God and without the injoyment of Christ, in the beggerly rudiments of the world, thou saist O fleshly minded men whom the God of this world hath blinded because you believe not: and thou sayst, thus saith the Lord and speaks the Prophet Mal. words: to which I answer; this again I do deny; the God of the world is cast out, and the eye is opened through judgment, and our fleshly minds are judged, and in the Name of Jesus we do believe, and our belief in him hath purified our hearts; to the praise of the living God, who hath wrought all our works in us, and for us, do I speake without boasting; and here againe I charge it upon thee, that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser; and let shame cover thee who professes thy selfe to be a teacher of others, who thy selfe is not taught of the Lord; but steals Malachies words, and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations, and calls it the word of the Lord; the Lord is against thee thou false prophet, who prophesies lies in his name; and that which [Page] thou speaks to us is thy owne condition, and that which shall come upon thine own head, for a child of disobedience thou art, and thy eye is blinded by the God of this world; and whereas thou saiest wee are spiritually proud, that give forth our selves to bee some great ones; and wee say wee are Apostles, and are not, but are found liers, proud Pharisees, hypocrites, that say wee are just, holy, humble; and the poor sinful publicans are more justified then wee; I answer; proud wee are not, our God shall judge between thee and us in this thing, for wee have nothing but what wee have freely received from him: and that we give forth our selves to be great ones; here thou art a lier, and a false accuser again; this we have said, and do yet again declare that we were moved of the Lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this City; but this is no boasting, and by that same spirit which was in the Apostles, were wee moved, and are guided, and by no other, but who hath found us liers since wee came, I challenge you, and all thy sect to prove one lie that wee have uttered; or else let shame cover thee, and let thy mouth be stopped; and let thy owne heart condemne thee to be found the lier thy selfe; and this we testifie against thee, and all the world, that by Jesus, and in him are wee made holy, just, and humble, he is made these things in us, and for us; and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance; and whereas thou saist wee that boast of our light within, and faith, thus saith the Lord and brings Christs words. I answer, this is another lie, wee doe not boast of our light within, but vvee vvitnesse it to bee within us, and to have enlightned every one that comes into the vvorld; vvhich thou and thy generation denies▪ and so vvould make Christ a lier, and the Scripture a lie; but against you all with all the vvorld vve beare testimony, and the Father beares vvitnesse [Page] with us, that every man that comes into the world is lightned by the light of Christ; which teaches all that love it into righteousnesse, but condemns them that hate it, wherof thou art one who utters forth thy lies and slanders, and false accusations against the innocent; and that Scripture John 9. we owne, and do witnesse to be fulfilled in us by the coming of Christ; hee which did see, is blind, and hee which was blind now sees; and while wee did see our sin remained, but being blind wee have no sinne; but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed, and never to be known in that nature and wisdome; and here againe thou hast used thy tongue false Prophet like, and must receive a false prophets reward. And whereas thou saist if Christ had not spoke to us in his word, we had had no sin, but now wee have no cloak for our sinne. I answer. Christs words we owne, but here thou art made manifest to all to be an adder to the Scripture (in his word) this thou hast added false Prophet-like, and therefore the Lord will adde his plagues unto thee as the Scripture saith; bee ashamed and blush, thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest, who is not ashamed (to carry on thy designe) to adde to Christs words. And whereas thou saiest, wee do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law, but the law it selfe, teaching men so to doe; for wee said that the Scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation, as one of us taught Sept. 27. in thy hearing, and many others that will witnesse it.

I answer, here I challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken, and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of; oh thou lier be ashamed to forge such lies, and declare them in writing for truth, we neglect not the weightier matters of the law, nor the law, nor teach any so to do; all that ever heard us wil bear witnesse against thee, and they (though our enemies) shal witnesse for us, and against thee in this thing, for we declare the everlasting [Page] Gospel, which is the fulfilling of the law, and this we declare, that the law must have its operation through, before the Gospel be witnessed; and one of thy owne society said to us, wee had preached the law, and brought men to understand it from grace; now let all take notice of the confusion you live in, and let your owne hearts condemne you, and the light in your owne consciences convince you, that you are in Babylon and in confusion, and are no true Church of Christ, where all are of one heart, and one mind▪ and this againe I affi [...]me as before I did in thy hearing, that the Scripture is not the Saints rule, but the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture, as the Scripture it self witnesses, Rom. 8. Faith was before the Scripture was, and therfore the Scripture is not the ground of it, but a declaration of it, and no other faith we owne but the faith which Abel had, and which Moses had, which was when no Scripture was written, and that we own to be the rule of our conversation, which they walked by, the immediate spirit of God which was before the Scripture was written; and all you who professe the Scripture to be your rule, your own rule shal testifie against you when the eternal God judges you, and they vvho vvitness that to bee their rule which gave forth the Scripture, walkes up in the life of the Scripture more then you all; and you are proved to be but the Jew outward, who bosts of the Ordinances from the letter, but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches, who witnesse the substance; and your praise is only of men, and not of God; and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us wil fall upon thy owne head for this thy grievous slander, that we neglect the law, and teach men so to do; and whereas thou brings many Scriptures, and saith thus saith the Lord, I answer, the Scriptures we owne, and by that spirit which speaks them forth, wee witnesse them to be true, and they are ours; and though you say they are the savour of death to us that [Page] perish, yet thou art found a lier, for wee are saved out of the perishing state, and death is destroyed through death, and thou hast diminished (through faith) from that Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15. false prophet like againe, and so art both an adder and a diminisher, and thou maist read thy portion in Rev. 22. 18, 19. and whereas thou saiest, know this thou perverter of the right way of God, thou shalt bee judged by the word of Christ spoke. I answer, here thou sets the Scripture in the roome of Christ, and art the perverter of the right way of God thy selfe, for the Scripture saith, all judgement is commited to the Sonn, and the Scripture is not the Sonne; and thou didst say and now againe writes, that the Scripture shall judge the vvorld; and so I charge it upon thee that thou art a blasphemer, vvho exalts the Scripture above the Sonne, of God, and shalt be judged by the Sonne into utter drrknesse, and into the pit, from vvhence thou art come; yet this I testifie, he that receives the Sonne rejecteth not those vvords vvhich vvas spoken by him; though thou and thy generation Pharisee like may make a profession of the vvords vvhich Christ spoke and yet reject the Sonne, and all to vvhom Christ speaks, vvhich receives him not, shall be judged by the vvord vvhich he speaks, for he speaks eternally which shal stand eternally; but when did he speake to thee? for this I doe declare, thou maist have those words which he spoke, and yet never have heard his word nor voice; as the Pharisees had those words, which God spake by the Prophets, but never had heard his word, nor seen his shape. John. 5. and thou saist quake and tremble at this; that word which you reject and dispise shall judge you at the last day; and saith, thus saith the Lord, and brings Christs words, and the Apostles words; I Answer. the Lord rebuke thee thou scorner, here thou hast made the filthynesse of thy heart knowne, for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks: here thou [Page] art seen to be a scorner; quaking and trembling we own, it is that which the holy men of God witnessed, but here be a witnesse against thy self, that thou art a scorner of their conditions: what hast thou to doe to talk of the Scrip [...]ure, who art scorning that which it declares of? here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power, and scornes at it▪ God scornes thee, thou scornful one; and let all that feare the Lord depart from thee, and see thy filthinesse and search the Scripture whether it testifies not of that, which thou scornes at, and makes a mock upon. And that we reject and despise the Scripture and the words which Christ spake, which thou accusest us of; this is another lie, and a false slander, for the scriptures vve ovvne in their place, and by the Spirit of God sets to seale that they are true, but that they shall judge the vvorld vvee doe deny; and herein thy ignorance doth appear, and that thou art blinded by the God of this vorld, which thou vvould cast upon us: and Christs vvords, and the vvords of the Apostles shall fall upon thy own head, for vengeance in flames of fire will the Lord render upon thee, thou lier and slanderer and false accuser, who art in disobedience to the Gospel of God. And whereas thou saist the Lord hath spoken it, and it shall surely come to passe, and bringst many Scriptures,

I Ansvver. The Scriptures vve ovvn and vvhat is spoken in them shall be fulfiled; but thou lier when did God speake this to thee? the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy ovvn head, because thou art guilty of the same iniquities, as they vvere of, against vvhom these Scriptures vvas declared; and wheras thou saist we are those that the Lord before hath spoken of in his vvord, (and therefore no marvel vve vvould not have men to reade it) and cites the 2. of Peter. 2. Chap.

I Ansvver. I doe in the presence of the living God [Page] deny thee & thy false assertion, but it shal stand for thy owne condition; thou art one in the generation which Christ spake of, and that vvas in the Apostles dayes, which hath the forme, but denies the power as they had; and I charge thee againe with a lie in thy mouth who saith, we would not have men to read the Scriptures; they who have heard us shall witnesse against, thee, that wee do direct to search the Scripture, whether our doctrine be not true, and by the Scripture shal our doctrine be tried; how long wilt thou utter thy lies in the name of the Lord? the Lord will plead with thee thou unclean lying spirit, and that which thou pronounces against us, shal come upon thy selfe; and thou saiest we through covetousnesse make merchandize of some; wee challenge thee and all the City of London to prove this, thou lying serpent, God shall plead with thee, wee are free and cleare in the sight of God, of thy false accusations, and have desired nor sought after no mans mony, nor gold, nor apparel, God is our witnesse, and many in this City knowes the same, though thou slanderingly an enemie of God doth accuse us; but I challenge thee in thy reply to this, make it appear what thou assertest, or lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and let shame strike thee in the face for ever; I charge thee that thou canst make appeare plainly in particular, and do not darkly accuse us, what those damnable heresies are, which we bring in, and wherein we deny the Lord, and what our pernicious waies are which thou falsly and slanderously accuses us of, and wherein wee are fleshly and despise government, and are presumptuous, and wherein or how wee speake evil of Dignities, and wherin we are as natural bruit beasts, and what these things are, wee speake evil of which wee know not, and what our swelling words of vanity are, and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh, and through much wantonness. in the presence of the Lord I challenge thee to prove [Page] the particulars of thy accusations, and not to slander in the darke, though such as these there were in the Apostles daies, who were turned out from the light, and the Apostles which dwelt in the light saw them, and such a generation there is now, they are seene and known where they are, by them who abides in the light; but of these thy false slanders▪ upon us, we are cleare in the presence of the Lord God, and that portion which thou wouldest give unto us must thou have thy self, for with what measure thou hast meted, it shal be measured to thee againe; even the blaknesse of darknesse for ever, and the day of the vengeance of God is at hand against thee. And wheras thou saist, we pretend to tremble, it is true, we pretend the example of Moses, and thou saist O abominable hypocrysie and dissimulation, will that justifie your shaking your hands like idiots, and your raving like mad men? Moses was a man in whom the fear and dread of the Lord was, who kept his word, but you dispise it; who loved the law, but you reject it.

I Answer. We doe not only pretend to tremble, but oft doe we, and have we witnessed it, by the mighty power and dread of the Lord upon us, and we walke not by the example of the servants of the Lord without us, but the same power we witnesse which was in them by which they were made to tremble; vvhich thou scornes and derides at, and calles it madnesse: the holy men of God vvere counted by such as thou art, mad men; and vvere cast out of their assemblies vvhich trembled at the vvord of the Lord: but that vve despise the vvord and lavv of God, here thou art a lier againe; and the plagues of God hang over thy head▪ for thy lies and slanders against the innocent; the same seare of God vvhich vvas in Moses vve vvitness, and no other, and thou vvho art vvithout it art a Heathen, and Moses, and Jeremiah, and Habbakuk, which thou speaks of, were our example, who walked by the same [Page] spirit; and served the Lord by the same spirit, but that wee served our fleshly lusts▪ which here again thou accusest us of; I do challenge thee to prove it; but I know thou canst not, and therefore art in the nature of the Divel accusing the Brethren; and to walk by tradition, wee deny, which you also would lay to our charge; but the same spirit by which they were acted, acts us the same way according to its measure; and the same light which they walked in is our light, and this light is the light of Christ within us and not without us: And whereas thou saiest its true, if wee served the Lord, and kept his word, it would make us to tremble, as it doth those that fear him, but wee have rejected the law of the Lord, and the word which hee hath spoken; and the Lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth, shal give us our portion in the lake that burnes.

I answer. Let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it selfe through thee; thou before was scorning trembling, and now thou art approving of it; and if it be they that tremble which serve the Lord, here be a witnesse against thy selfe, thou serves him not, who art not yet come to tremble, but art in thy high nature above the fear of the Lord; and here againe thou art found a false accuser, for wee reject not the Law of the Lord, nor the word which hee hath spoken, but live in it, and rejoyces in it daily, for in it is our hearts delight; and here againe, as thou hast measured to us, it shall be measured unto thee when the Lord God arises to recompence his enemies▪ thy portion will bee the same, as thou hast said in the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone.

And now a few words in answer to that which thou calls a Caution to all that are called Saints in the Nation, which may concerne all people.

[Page]I Answer. They who are Saints who dwell in the light, and walkes in the light, doth discerne thee to be no Saint, neither wil receive any caution from thee, but will testifie against thee, for thy lies and slanders and false accusations which thy booke is filled withall, and herein it may concerne all people that thy lies and slanders be reproved and laid open, lest they receive lies for thy truth, and be deceived by thy subtil speeches, who brings the Prophets words, and the Apostles words, wresting them and f [...]lsely applying them, to make thy lies to be received; but all people who love the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened them, will see thee and deny thee, and turne away from thee, as having the forme of Godlinesse without the power. And whereas thou saiest ye may rejoyce that you live to see not only the mystery of godlynesse, but also the working of the mystery of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men, called Quakers.

I Answer. That name Quakers was cast upon us by the Heathen, through their scorne and derision, as the name Christians was upon the Disciples, though quaking wee own, for all the holy men of God witnessed it, and the Holy Scriptures declares of it; and here againe thou enviously and maliciously hast cast a slander upon us, fleshly, corrupt▪ and sensual mindednesse, and the working of the mystery of iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ, which takes away sin; to the praise of the living God I speak, in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders, and it shall stand for thy owne condition, fleshly corrupt and sensuall minded, and the working of the mysterie of iniquity. And herein I prove thee to be so by thy fruits, thy lies, and false reproaches, and envious false acusation which is the fruites of the flesh and of corrupt sensuall mindednesse, which fruits doth appeare in this [Page] thy writing, and as for the mysterie of godlinesse, it is hidden from thee, and in that mind and nature you shall never know it, for thou lives in the sight of thy owne pollutions, and of thy carnal ordinances, and not in the injoyment of the mysterie of Christ, which is godlinesse; and whereas thou saiest, yee may rejoyce, and in nothing be terrified, because the Scriptures did foretel of such, and is fulfilled in these men, and thou brings many Scriptures where Christ and the Apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets and teachers: I answer, Though yee do now rejoyce, yet your joy shall be turned into howling and sorrow, and the Lord hath said it, and the day of terrour will overtake you, wherein your hearts shal faile you for feare, and your foundation shall be removed; and it is true, that the Scripture doth foretell of us, and is witnessed in us, that all the Lords children should be taught of the Lord, and that the Lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dum be shepherds▪ &c. and according to our growth up in the life of the Scriptures, they are fulfilled in us; but false prophets wee do deny, though all those Scriptures which thou hast set downe we owne to be prophesies of false prophets, those false prophets which Christ prophesied of, came in the Apostles dayes, they saw them coming in then, 1. Joh. 2. 18. and as all these Scriptures testifies which thou hast cited; and since the Apostles daies, hath beene a great Apostacie and not a true Church of Christ could be found, and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances, deceiving the nations: but now the pure light of Christ shines, discovering to them who walke in the light who they are; and daily more and more clearly shall they be seene, and thou wilt be found in their number, who art a cursed child, in whom the son of perdition is exalted, which utters forth thy lies and slanders [Page] sensually, and make it manifest to all, that thou hast not the spirit of God, but art separated from it, in self separation which is abomination unto God, and must be scattered by him: and whereas thou saiest, seeing it is so, let you be filled with boldnesse, and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen; I answer, ungodlinesse wee deny, and your boldnesse shall the Lord turne in weaknesse, and faintnesse, and your contendings against us shall not prosper, for this is our heritage; every tongue that riseth up in judgement shal be condemned; you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaffe before the wind, who sets your selves to contend against the truth, for that which is now risen shall confound you all. And whereas thou brings many Scriptures, which were exhortations of the Apostle to the saints, with exhorting thy brethren.

I answer. The Scriptures I do owne, and that spirit which spake them forth I witnesse, but thou art an enemie to the power of them, though thou have the forme of truth; thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemie to the life which the holy men of God lived in, and so hath cleared thy selfe from those Scriptures which were written to the Saints, and must owne those which was written to the world, the lier must be cast into the lake, the wicked must bee turned in hell, and such as these must thou owne to belong unto thee, and these are thy Scriptures which thou hast right unto. And whereas thou saiest, wee talke of high enjoyments, and great revelations without, above, and beyond the Scripture, and that wee talke of a light which is besides the Scripture, but it is deepe, and thick darknesse; and what hath such lights led men unto? even contempt of God and of all righteousnesse.

I answer. Here again thou art found a lier, and an accuser of the brethren, for what wee do declare, [Page] the Scripture witnesses to the same, and wee speake of nothing but what is declared of in the Scripture by the holy men of God, and neither without it, nor above or beyond it do wee speake. I challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted, and all the City of London; that we speak or declares any thing but what the Scriptures bears witnesse to the same, and the light which wee declare of, is the light of Christ, which the scripture saith lightneth every one that comes into the world; and it is not besides the scripture, so as contrary to it, but the scripture bears witnesse of the light; and [...]ere I charge thee with blasphemie, who calles the pure light of Christ thick darknesse, and that the light of Christ (which is the light which wee declare of) hath led men, or leads any to contemne God, or his ordinances, or righteousnesse, let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one, who blasphemously say, that the light of Christ is thick darkness, and leads into contempt of God; let the light in thy owne conscience condemne thee, thou enemie of God; for thy lies and slanders, and blasphemie which in this thy booke thou hast uttered: and wheras thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in Christ, in the word of Christ, and in the Church and Ordinances of Christ.

I answer. For the simple ones sake, that they may not be deceived, none ever shall see any excellencie in those things, but who ownes and walkes in the light of Christ, which lets every one see themselves first; and your talking of the same, and report of Christ, and of his Word and Ordinances, is not to know the excellencie of those things, for death in you talkes of the same, but the thing in subst [...]nce you are ignorant of; and you who stumbles at the light wherewith Christ lightneth every one, are above the doore which is the entrance unto the life of these things; and so I exhort all to mind the light of Christ, and to walk in it, and it will lead unto Christ from whence the light [Page] comes, and it wil lead to the fulfilling of Christs words and to the one bread▪ and to the one baptisme, and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things: but you who hate the light and denies it to be in every one, hath but the huske and outward declaration of those things, and are without the life▪ and wheras thou saist, they that are of God wil hear John, Peter, and Paul, and the rest that were the servants of Christ, not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men & Christs sheep hear his voice, and a strangerthey will not hear.

I answer. They that are of God, do owne the writings of all the servants of Christ; but many may professe their words, as the Pharisees did the Prophets words, and as thou dost▪ now, and yet not bee of God, but children to the divel▪ but that our conceits are fleshly, I do deny thee, for all conceits of the flesh wee deny, and beares witnesse against, and it shall stand for thy owne condition, and thy voice is the voice of a stranger, and they that are of God will not follow it: though thou bring the Saints words in thy mouth, as the divel did unto Christ; yet in the light of Christ thou art seene▪ and comprehended, and from the light of Christ answered, and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speaks of, and they are from thee but as an empty sound.

And whereas thou cites many more Scriptures, which are exhortations of the Apostles to the Church, and exhorts thy Bretheren with them, to vvhich I Ansvver as before. The Scriptures I doe ovvne, but to thee thou envious man, they doe not belong, for as in this thy vvriting thou art proved a lier, and a scorner, and a slanderer, and a false accuser, and a blasphemer; out of thy ovvne mouth, be a vvitnesse against thy selfe, and let all thy vvhole assembly beare vvitnesse against thee, that the Scriptures vvhich vvere spoken to the Saints vvho vvalked in the light and had denyed ungodliness, doth not belong unto thee vvho art an hater [Page] of the light and lives in the pollutions of the vvorld; but the Scriptures vvhich vvill surely be fulfilled upon thee, the wicked shal be turned into hel, and the lier shal have his portion in the lake, and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepresse of the wrath of God without the City, and such like. And now somthing in answer to something in the Epistle to the Reader; whereas thou and the rest of you there say, although the light hath appeared, yet there is a generation of men in the world, that doe hate the light, and endeavour to put it out, crying against the scriptures of truth; its a dead letter, and against the forme of doctrine therein contained▪

To which I answer. It is true, the light hath appeared; Christ who is the light, lightneth every one that comes into the world; which light hath appeared in every mans conscience; and there is a generation which hates the light, and you are of that generation which say, every man hath not the light, and calls the light of Christ thick darknesse, and endeavors to put it out; and here you have read your owne condition though you make a large profession of the Scriptures (which is not the light, but words declared from the light) as the Jewes did professe the prophets words, but persecuted Christ, and spoke against him, who was the light and substance of the prophets▪ words: and if you know any who cries against the scripture, and against the doctrine therin contained with you, we cry and declare against such, for the scripture we owne in its place to be a true declaration of God, of Christ, and of the saints conditions, but they are not the light, but Christ is the light, as themselves bear witness, nor are they the saints guide, but he spirit that gave them forth, as they themselves bear testimony, neither was the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon, but they themselves are doctrine, and are as they speak, he that hath the same spirit which speaks [Page] them forth, reads them and understands them, and none else; and whereas thou saist lest that simple, plaine meaning men should be kept in Babels darkness, or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked, for that reason your book came to publick view; I answer. Truly you are deceived, who think to gaine into your form, the simple, plain meaning men by lies, and false slanders and false accusation; who are simple and plain unto God, wil discern your deceits, and how falsly you have accused the innocent, and wil see you your selves to be in Babels darkness, and who walks in the light wherwith they are lightned wil see you to be in the errour of the wicked and out of the truth; and it is well for the truths sake, that your book came forth, that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness, and enviousness might be laid open to the simple. And truly I say unto you, you have, and wil miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours; and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose. I answer, I challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call Quakers, in many particulars which before I have demanded; what they are is before spoken of; and whereas you say, you account that light within (not witnessed by the scripture without) which some so much talke of, to be deep darkness. I answer, if you know any who speake of any light which the Scripture doth not witnesse of, we with you freely declares against such, and such a light is darkness, but the light of Christ which we speak of, which hath lightned every one that cometh into the world, I hope you are not so impudent, but you wil acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light; and dare not deny, but that the scripture witnesses that Christ is the light of the world; for as I said, we freely give way, and desires that all might search the scripture, whether these things be not so as we declare.

[Page]And whereas you say, and exhort to let the Scripture be the rule of faith and practice.

I Answ. Here you would alwaies keep people in darkeness, under your teaching, and would make void the new Covenant which is the Law written in the heart, and the spirit of the Lord put in the inward parts, to be the rule and guide of the Saints, for who walkes by the rule without them, and teaches men so to do, would make void the Covenant of life and peace, where the teacher is not removed into a corner, which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witnesse, which teaches not contrary to what the Scripture speaks, but is a teaching fulfilling of the Scripture, and an establishing of it, though thou and many may professe the teaching of the Scripture and may in your own wills, conform unto it in the outward appearance, as the Pharisees did, and yet be but Hypocrites and deceived as they were; and I say againe, that faith was before the Scripture was written, which faith is declared of in the Scripture, which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word Preached, which word is even in the mouth and in the heart; if you have an ear you may hear; & now I advise you all in the name of the Lord to cease striving and contending against the truth, for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands, will dash your image of many mixtures to peices, and it falling upon you, wil grinde you to powder, and your conforming the outward man, to an outward thing and teaching men so to doe, and limiting and tying the Holy one to a visible thing, wil not cover you in the day of the Lord: nay verily, though concerning the Scripture without, you may walk blamelesse, yet one thing will be found lacking even the crosse of Jesus Christ, by which all sin is crucified in them who walks in it; and I say unto you, that your covering is too narrow, and it will not hide your secret parts: for in the eternall light of Christ you are seen and comprehended, [Page] your beginning, your time, and your end, for though you have the Scriptures, and Jewish like, walkes up in the outward appearance of them, crying the ordinances and Churches are ye, yet your praise is of men, and not of God, for you are enemies to the life of the Scriptures as is made appear by your many lies and slanders against us, which you have uttered; and I say returen your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities, it wil let you see where your hearts are, and how far they are mortified to the world, and the love of it, and this light wherewith every one of you is lightned is the light of Christ, and it is the Lords true witnesse and shall witnesse for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil, who walk in disobedience of it, and all who love it and walk in it, it leads unto Christ, and into all purity and holinesse and uprightness of heart towards God and man; and this light leads unto justification, all them who are taught by it; and here is your teacher, loving it; and your condemnation eternally, continuing to hate it. And thus I have answered your booke, and the truth is witnessed, and many false lies and false accusations denied and testified against, and thus I rest, waiting for an answer to clear your self (if you be able) of those things which I have denied from you, which you have charged upon us, for God is my witnesse, this I do desire, that truth may be made manifest and imbraced, and deceit and errour discovered and denied.

Information about this book

Title statement

The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.

Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.

Edition statement

1654

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A86649

ID [STC]

Wing H3159

ID [STC]

Thomason E817_16

ID [STC]

ESTC R207383

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99866438

ID [PROQUEST]

99866438

ID [VID]

167992

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A86649)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 167992)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 124:E817[16])

Source

— The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough., Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669., Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662..

Extent

[2], 33, [1] p.

Printed for Giles Calvert, at the black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls.,. London, :: 1654.. (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Nou: 24".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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