THomas Moore, when wilt thou love the truth, and cease thy deceit, and minde the light of Christ, to lead thee out of thy crooked paths, that the mouth of the Serpent may be stopt, that belcheth out thy own shame in thy lies and confusions, as thou hast done; not onely when I was with thee before many witnesses, but also in the ethy two Books, wherein thy lies are too many to number: In thy first Book, I sent thee back 48. lies, out of three times as many more, that thou might prove them; But instead thereof, thou adds heaps upon heaps; and so it must be, that he may be revealed, who abides not in the truth; and so is a lyer from the begin­ning, and so thou art found. As thou didst make up the substance of thy first Book with lies, so thou begins this. And in the front of thy lye, thou makes a cover for it, least it should be seen. In thy first Book thou sayes, thou shalt refuse further to meddle, or have to do with me, un­lesse thou perceive in me some turn to the Lord; And in thy second Book, thou renders me as the mouth of the Devill, to cast out his poyson: Is this the turn to the Lord thou perceives in me? Orthou would have me be­lieve, that in this Book (thou hast thus filled with deceit to cast upon me) thou dost not meddle with me therein: This by the way, all may see thou art no bungler in that Art; for in the most part of thy lies thou makes sure. so to present them, as to leave open a way or two to escape, if thou be taxt therewith; and if not, then let it passe for [Page 2] truth, and this all shall see in thy Books, who doth but read them with the light of truth: which deceipts, I shall not much trouble my selfe to trace thee in, onely in some few where the Serpent would devoure the simple by the way, and shut up the Kingdom against such as desire to chuse the plain way, I shall discover thy spirit, of what na­ture it is, that they that will, may beware.

1. There is three things thou would have the Reader to believe from thee, if any be so void of truth: First, that I have belied thee, and the truth attested by thee; To which I say, 48. of those thou calles thy truths, I sent thee back again into thy bottle, besides many more of the same nature I layed open. I knowing these to be notorious lies, attested by thee for truths, I could do no lesse then testifie again them, Any other belying of thee, thou art not able to prove.

2. How empty, filthy, and corrupt my Answers is, and how plainly the Scriptures are wrested by me: To which I say, to the first part; the boaster speaks the frothy words. To the second I say, if quoting Scriptures, without ad­ding or diminishing be no wresting then thou hast but herein added a lie more to the number.

3. How the Woolf appears in the Sheeps Skins, in the beginning, and close of my Book. To which I say, My Book begins with discovering, thy lying Antichristian Doctrine least by it the simple souls should be deceived; and what I say, I make it appear to be truth, and my Book ends with twelve points of truth laid down, needful to be cleared to all from the Devills mists cast upon them, and this is no part of the Wolfs work; But what Beast was that which was up amongst thee, and thy Companions, who when I spoke the truth amongst you, your Weapon was heared up to knock me down in the yard, when you was on Horseback, and left the dispute the latter day, which in this Book thou wouldst cover with a subtle lie. If I had intended such a thing to any Creature, I could not have been excused in the sight of God from a Wolf, or [Page 3] a Dogg; for I am sure it was no part of a man, much lesse of a Saint, to knock one in the head, who did not resist, neither had any thing in his hand, wherewith to re­sist.

For the first of these, and the deceiptful crooked wayes thou takes to excuse thy lies and blasphemies, who doth but read thy Books, and my Answer to thy first, needs not any further to see thee withall, if they minde but any light in them; yet for love to the simple ones, I shall lay thee open in some of them, that they may the better finde thee out in the rest.

In thy first, thou begins with, Thou sayes thou dost not gather thy charge against me, that I preach down the per­son and work of Christ in one body for us, &c. from my letter, because I witnessed the flesh of Christ the food of the inner Man; But from my comparing my Confession of the flesh of Christ in me, with the Apostles preaching down Circumcision, &c. Wherein all that ever reads my letter in thy book, may be witness against thee, if in any part of my letter I have compared these two together, nor ever did it enter into my heart so to do; But the end of my letter is this, to let you see your selves more blinde, as to the knowledge of the spirit, and its reaching and reve­lation then the Jews was, as much as if I had said, if you oppose my Testimony when I confessed the flesh of Christ, which the letter doth declare of; what a Generation would you have been, had you lived in the time of the Apostles, who preached down Circumcision, which the letter said should continue? So the comparison stands be­twixt your opposing the testimony of the spirit in me, which is according to the letter, and the Jews opposing the Apostles Testimony in spirit, which disannulled the Letter, wherein you are found double to them in blind­nesse: Now how this preaches down the person of Christ, or whether I made that comparison, thou sayes I did let a­ny judge, who all may see thou hast made it thy selfe to slander withall, without the least ground from me, and [Page 4] then sayes, I made it. O thou shamelesse man, how dost thou bend thy tongue for lies and slanders?

Also having, in thy book, called perfection, a devilish Doctrine, and being told of it, and confounded in it by Scripture: now thou covers it, as though thou call'd our Doctrine of perfection devilish, and sayes, thou no where findes Christ gave gifts to perfect men in lying, &c. I say, When didst thou read of any other Doctrine of perfection preacht by us, but the Doctrine of Christ, and his Light and Spirit for perfecting the Saints; and this is it thou callest divelish; and for thy lies, our Doctrine layes thee open therein, else we should not be so much opposed by the [...] and the Generation of lyers, who deny the light of truth within, as thou Child of darkness dost, who sayes, the grace of God that brings salvation to all men, instructs them not to look to any light, or spirit in them for di­rection; herein shewing thy selfe wholly ignorant of the spirit of Christ and his light; for all who have the spirit of Christ, they have it within them, and his light in them, which thou denies for direction; and so art Antichrist, opposing the spirituall light, and teaching, without which none can come to know God, or themselves, and that is the cause of all thy lies thou hast told in thy books; for, who denies the spirit of truth, which is appointed of God to lead into all truth, must needs be led with the contra­ry, who are sensuall, not having the spirit nor light in them; and if thou hadst said no more in thy books, this had been enough to have shewed thy selfe a blinde Guide, who denies the teachings of the spirit and light within, to be from the grace of God; for none can have the grace of God to appear with its light and teachings, and salvati­on, but within; for the grace of God is spirituall, and that which is spiritual is within, else no Creature can have it to salvation; wherefore Christ saith, the King­dom of God is within you, Not lo here, lo there, (as you Luk. 17: 20. 21. Rom, 10. 8 Pharisees would have it:) And saith he; Go not forth, and, the Apostles preached the word of Faith that was in [Page 5] peoples hearts, to whom they preached, and they came to the knowledge of God, and his glory, by the light that 2 Cor. 4. 6. Col. 3. 16. Hob. 13. 9. Gal. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 18, 19. shined in their hearts: and the Saints had their grace in their hearts, and the word of God dwelt in them richly; yea God himself dwelt in their hearts by his spirit; and yet thou sayes the grace of God teaches not to look to any light within; and here thou art clearly manifest, to be heart-blind, and would have all in thy State; for herein your Kingdom would fall, and you could no longer raign over peoples Consciences and Estates: if they come once to know Gods grace in their hearts, and the teachings of the spirit within them, they would soon see your Idoll­worship, and high place-preaching to be out of both form and power, of that which the Saints liv'd in and practised, and no longer would they give their money for that which is no bread, and their labours for that which doth not pro­fit; and then could you no longer ride upon the Nations 2 Cor. 3. as Masters; and the Whore would fall: so thou, and the rest do what you can, to keep people spiritually blind from looking within, that so they may come to you for teaching, and so be ever learning; but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ever loadened with sin, but never set free, being led out by you, and kept from enter­ing in where freedom is; for the vail must be over the heart till they turn to the spirit: Now the Lord is that spirit; and where the spirit is, there is liberty from sin, from glory to glory by the spirit, which no litteral Mini­stration Luk. 17. 20, 21. Isa. 51. 7. Psal, 119. 11. Jer. 20. 9. 2 Cor, 6. 16. can ever come to, though the Letter be read every day, and so you deny both Letter and Spirit also; for saith the Letter you shall be all taught of God; and none can be taught of God but by the light of Christ within, in spirit; and thou that denies this, art against Christ, and his Kingdom is in the heart, and his Law in the heart, and his word in the heart, and he himself in the heart: therefore thou his enemy would not have his people to look there for teaching so let all who desires to be u­nited unto Christ, avoid thee and thy Antichristian [Page 6] Doctrine, and it is no matter what thou sayes, as touch­ing the things of God, who art heart-blinde, and hast not thy teaching from the light and spirit of Christ-within thee. All that comes out must needs be of the Devill, and so it is in all, who hath it not from the light and spirit of Christ within them; for he that speaks of himself is the lyer, and the Father of it, and so it is seen of thee in thy books; and also thy blasphemy, who sayes, to direct, to look to the light within, is the lame, as directing men to seek to a Familiar spirit; and of that brood thou art, who ever called Christ Beelzebub; and light, darkness. O thou blasphemer! did Christ direct to a familiar spirit, when he told them, The Kingdom was within them, and Luk. 17. 21 Luk. 11. 34, 35. 36. that the light of the body is the eye, and if it be single, the whole body is full of light, as the bright shining of a Candle doth give light: And, keep thy heart with all di­ligence, for from thence are the Issues of life: And saith, Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin; and Commune with your own hearts, and be still; and the Law of God is written in the heart, and the heart of the wise Prov. 4. 23 Psal. 119. 11. Psal. 4. Heb. 8. 10. Prov. 16. 23. Joh. 16. 13 teacheth his mouth, and the spirit of truth is that which must lead into all truth: Nay doth not all the Scriptures testifie to the light and spirit-teaching within; and that they are none of Christs who have not the spirit of Christ, and is it counted a familiar spirit now with thee? Now is it seen to all the Children of the light, that Antichrist is revealing, as the Scriptures hath foretold, and the Man of sin pleading against freedom from sin, and the blinde Guids preaching against the light, and he that is born of the flesh against the spirit and its teachings, and the Chil­dren of darkness against the light that manifests the evill deeds, and he is discovering who abode not in the truth, and the spirit and light is that truth which thou would preach down, to lead out into the world, where the lyer is, who hates the light because his deeds are evill; And this is thy work in thy books, and to thy Master, and his work thou art faithful, using thy utmost subtlety to do his [Page 7] work thorowly, to preach Christ out of his Creatures, that none should minde his light and spirit, but without in an­other world, that so the Devill may have his will in the heart in this World, while any one lives, and serve God, and be made free when they are dead, and can do their Master no more service, if they would; and when thou hast struck them off, from looking at any light or spirit within, then like the Serpent, least his head should be seen, thou hides thy selfe, with telling, of, Not to lean to their own understanding: and (sayes thou) though the word be nigh them in their hearts, that it might be, yet it is not, received by them in their hearts, or dwelling there as a light or principle to direct them, while in their naturall estate, when thou hast done what thou can to perswade them, that the looking to it, is but as to a familiar spirit; But is that their own understanding, which condemns their natural understanding, as they are fallen from God, and lets them see, that all their understanding, wisdom and prudence, is God hid from, and manifests all their deeds in that state to be evill: this hath every natural man in him, from the Father of Spirits, which manifestation of spirit is given to every one to profit withall, if it be but minded, and not quenched; and without this can be no knowledge of God, and if this Candle be put out, there is no doing the work of God, till it be lighted, further then to wait; and there is no waiting, but with the heart in spirit, till it shine out of darkness again; and till then, all the Creature doth, is but deeds of darkness, and not ac­cepted by God; his prayers are abomination, and his plowing sin; yea though all the world should flatter such a one, they could not save him nor unite him to God, nor give peace of Conscience with God, nor Sealing in spirit; and this the Children of light know, though blinde Ser­pents and deaf Adders oppose it, who walk in crast and deceit; but the Apostles who handled not the word de­ceitfully, did commend themselves to that in every mans 2 Cor. 4. 2. Conscience in the sight of God: and the Ministration of [Page 8] Christ, is to the spiritual seed, whereby the spiritual seed is quickned, and raised out of darkness and death; but the Ministration of the Hireling and false Prophet, is to the itching eares; and so the Beast and the false Prophet joynes against the seed of God, to keep it in death and darkness; and if it be born up, then they persecute him in whom it is born, And these take the letter, there with to deny the light, and oppose that spirit that gave it forth, and whereof the letter restifies, because they have not the John 5. word abiding within them, and this was the work of the Pharises and Hirelings; but never any one of Christs Ministers denyed the light and spirit within as thou dost, yet slaidly and covertly: so as if thou be taxt for it, thou may have an excuse to come out of, and deny thy work with a meaning and consequence; but if none disproves thee, then goes on with thy work, to lead out simple people from the light of Christ in spirit, to follow thy I­maginations without, a spirit and light without, which thou never saw.

Yet in this one thing, there is not many exceeds thee; for when ever thou layes down a deceit, the end whereof is to deny the light, or spirit, or perfection, or to slander any, who own the truth, in these things thou makes sure before thou leave it to make two or three wayes for es­cape, least it fall upon thy head, knowing before the thing to be such, thou cannot stand by with Scripture; and this the least Child of Light may see in thy books, where­fore I shall not much need to trace thee therein, the thing being so plainly evident to all, that in the light read thy books, and my answers thereto.

And when thou hast told a lie, and being told thereof, thou on purpose having left out a word or syllable, there thou makes an escape. As for instance, in thy answer to the last Query, which asks, What that grace of God is, which brings salvation, and hath appeared to all men: thy lie is, that indeed we believe no such thing, as the grace of God appearing to men; which I finding this to be as answer [Page 9] to the Query, I tell thee, Thou answers with a slan­der, saying, that indeed we believe no such thing, as the grace of God appearing to all men: now thou having left out the word all (for escape) which is in the Query, and in the Scripture also: In thy defence sayes thou, my words are, They believe no such thing, as the grace of God ap­pearing to men; and this thou would charge upon me, to be a lie, when the lie is thy own; and hath both abused the Query, and the Scripture, on which the Query is grounded, leaving out the word [all] to make it, and such holes as this thou creeps out of, to hide the lyer from be­ing seen.

And in other places where thou hast gone a crooked way to fetch a compasse to make a lie (for otherwise thou could not) which when I come to answer, and takes the sum of the thing in brief, (which otherwise might fill a volume) then thy escape is, because I tell not all the lying story over again after thee; and in these and such like crooked wayes, thou goes about to avoid the truth, and winde out thy head, least it should be bruised therewith: and this shall any see, who in the light doth but read thy books, and my answer; wherein I might trace thee into every particular, were it needful or dark to the least sim­plicity.

Also in other places, where thy escape will not serve thee with a seeming shew of truth, before thou stick, thou wilt forge an absolute lie. As for instance page 9. where thou mentionest my charging thee to say, that none have yet ceased from their own works: To which thou sayes, thy Tayings are, that none here have yet so ceased from their own works, &c. To prove which words, thou quotes Antepage 44. which all that read that page, shall read thee a lyer, thereby to accuse the truth; for these words are not so there, nor any where else that I have yet seen; and so according to the Doctrine, to thee it is, who hast not yet ceased from thy own works, who art yet a lyer, and covering one lie with another, carping at words, [Page 10] when I speak the sence) to make me a lier, when thou canst not hit thy own words; but he that is come to Christ is ceased from his own works, who is become Gods workmanship; but the Serpent hath no portion here, and so would exclude all others, who knowes no better but to believe him; but where God works all our work in us, he ordains peace there; and such are entred into the Rest, the Serpent knowes not, Isay 26. 52. Phil. 2. 13. but they which did believe, were entred into rest, Heb. 4. 3. but thy Sophistry is to keep people from looking for any rest from their own works, till they be cut off by death, and can serve the Devil no longer, and so art one of those who will neither enter thy selfe, nor suffer those that would, like the rest of thy Fathers, who art seeking to overthrow the faith; by thy lying Divination. For the Devil knowes unbelief is that which keeps from entring into rest: so he strikes off Faith. But many are entred in, who have heard his voice, and such will believe thee no longer; for thou casts out thy flood, after such as is out of thy reach. Ano­ther way thou hast, that when I tell thee of thy lies, and deceits in thy book, lest people should find them, thou sets them to seek in another page, where thou hast made some cover for that deceit, and not in the place in which it is spoken; and thus thou shuffles to hide thy selfe, lest thou should be discovered in plainness to the simple: Instance, that about the Resurrection.

Another way thou hast, with thy Divination to turn a thing quite contrary to what I both speak and intend; and this is usuall to thee in most places of thy book: Instance thy 55. page, thou having in thy first book seemed to de­ny any other manner of preaching, then which was left by the Apostles; to which I answer, Then you may spare your pains (you Steeple-house-Teachers) who are out of the manner, yea, and matter also; and with thy divina­tion thou turns this, that I would set up a new manner of teaching, of two or three years standing; when both my words and end is to establish the old way; and therefore [Page 11] deny your Idoll-worship, which is out of it, your preach­ing and Printing; And in some of these wayes, or some other such like crooked way, hast thou cast a mist over the truths, wherewith I have laid open thy deceits; yet canst thou blinde none therewith, but thy own Generation, who are blinde already; and as any of them mindes the light in spirit (which thou so much opposest) they shall see thee, and thy deceit also. And now having a little o­pened the way to all, who desires to know the truth, that they thereby may see all the rest of thy rotten Covers, I shall not much contend about words; but leave the truth to manifest it selfe, to all who in the principle of truth reads our books, and enquires after it; and they who will be filthy and loves deceit, in thy book, may cover them­selves therewith.

Thou goes on saying, We come to give some Instances of his false charges, and you mention some perticular things. To which I say, how many (that we) is thou speaks on, you know not further then that there is Legions against the Lamb; but to that I have said, I shall make it appear to be true, as to the true intent of thy Doctrine without the least desire to aggravate, as follows.

First, As to thy seeking to exclude God and Christ, the spirit and light out of the world, and that he should no more dwell in his people till dooms-day, and so on to all the rest.

To which I say thy words are, that it cannot be properly said, that in a full and absolute sense, God was, or is manifest in the flesh of any naturall Son of Adam, in the time of his Mortality; where it is plain, thou excludes all Mortality, with all the time till Dooms-day: If not, let the wise judge: as for thy word naturall, thou hast thrust into blinde people with, it is of no force in that place, unless thou prove, that all men must be in their naturall estate, during the time of their Mor­tality, which indeed best suits thy end and condition; and as for the spirit, thou calls it as Popery, to confess a spirit within, [Page 12] to open the Scriptures; and the light within thou compares to a familiar spirit: In another place thou sayes, God was not, God is manifest in the flesh: which words, not God is, is as absolute a deny all as can be made, and so preaches him not onely out of the world, but out of all the Saints and thy self; thou sayst also, the Word Christ is personally absent from us, while in these bodies. And in another place speaking of the mani­festation of God, thou sayes in that one person, not in divers; and this is to deny the Father and the Son; for he that hath not the Father, hath not the Son, and he that hath not the Son hath not life; and so this preaches an eternall separation, be­tween the Creature and the Creator, and keeps God out of his dwelling-place, denies him present to judge, rule, and guid; and this preaches him out of the heart, and not to be manifest in the flesh; and the whole is herein proved upon thee, which I have said, out of thy own mouth; and whereas thou would shuffle out, by saying, thou dost but uphold that Scripture Paul speaks to Timothy. Isay, Paul sayes no such words, as that God is not manifest in flesh, that's thy own, therewith to deny God in the flesh; for Paul saith, Great is the Mystery, and speaks of what Timothy should wait for then in him, that so by God manifest in him, he might know how to behave himself in the Church of the living God, the Pillar, and ground of truth; which Church was in God, and God in them, who did dwell in them, and walk in them; and they knew that what God was in Christ, he was in them, as they had received Christ, according to these Scriptures, John 14. 20, 21. 23. John 17. 23. and they knew that they was the Temples of God: which Temples was holy, in which God was known and manifest, to dwell and walk. 1 Cor. 3. 16, 17. 2 Cor. 6. 16. And if any had not the Father, and the Son in them, they was warned, Nnot to receive them into their houses, 2 John 9. 10.

[Page 13] And therefore they was to try all Antichrists, who de­nyed Christ in their flesh, as thou dost, and so all Idoll-Shepheards and Hirelings, who had not God in them, they denyed, and those that was without God, they saw them to be in the world, and so the world would hear them, but them in whom God was they knew not; but as thou dost now to envy and reproach, 1 John 4. 3, 4, 5, 6. 12, 13, 15, 16, 17. So that which I have said of thee, is no slander, being proved out of thy own mouth, & afterward contradicted by plain Scripture, and thou proved to be that Antichrist, who art without God in the world, de­nying Christ now in the flesh, and God also, and knowes not the great mystery of God manifest in flesh, which was great, and is great, though thou know it not now, no more then the blinde guides did then. And thy cover is, that that word Christ, is personally absent from us, while we are in these bodies upon earth. I say thou may stop thy mouth for any knowledge thou hast of Christ, perso­nall or spirituall: he was never known to the Idoll-Teachers, and Hirelings, and blinde Guides, and such as preacht for gifts and rewards, such never knew his person, nor appeanance: Had there not been a letter, we should have little talk of Christ, or his appearance, with thy Ge­neration of Chemerims, who have alwayes put his ap­pearance into another Generation, wherein thou exceeds all thy Predecessors, who would binde him in Heaven, while he is, and while any man lives, which seeing, thou goes about to deny, I shall repeat thy words, which are these, in thy first book, page 36. That he remains in the Heavens, as opposed to the Earth, and where while he is, he is personally absent from us, while we are in these bo­dies on Earth; and yet with the same shameless mouth Jer. 4. 22. am I accused as a lyer, for telling thou hast limitted his person from the Earth till Dooms-day (as it is call'd) when thy words reaches further, even to while he is, which is as much as to say for ever: thou blinde Sot, wilt thou limit the Lord in Heaven, who fills Heaven and [Page 14] Earth, who after he had descended into the lower parts of the Earth, ascended far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things? And was not this the person of Christ, E­phes. 4. 9, 10. which descended, and ascended, and that above all Heavens (which now filleth all things) which thou would limit in Heaven? Art not thou blinde, as to the letter it selfe? was he personally absent from any of his dear Lambs in their sufferings, though but once in the likeness of sinful flesh, to growe from a Child to a mans state, that in himself alone he might work Redemption, and leave a living example of faith and obedience, tempt­ings and sufferings, to all Generations that believe; and for that end was he lifted up, that through him all might believe, yet hath he appeared in divers forms, both before his sufferings and since, Mark 16. 12. wherein he is not personally absent? was he personally absent from the three Children in the Furnace, Dan. 3. 25? Was he personally absent from John in the Ile of Patmos, Reveb. 1? Was he per­sonally absent from Paul, who confesseth his personall presence, 2 Cor. 2. 10? Nay thy selfe sayes, page 2. of thy first book, that Paul with his bodily eyes, did behold the person of Christ, after his asscention; and this thou could make use on in thy dispute, to plead against any immedi­ate Call from God; and now thou would limit him to a place while he is: Cease thy Imaginations about the per­son of Christ, the Serpent is as blinde about the person of Christ, as he was about the body of Moses, yet will he be disputing to see if he can get in. Christ is revealed in the light; whose person is before the world was, and by whom the world was made, which light, thou calls a fa­miliar Spirit, as thy Fathers called him Beelzebub: so much knowes the carnall Imaginations of his person, or his light, wherein he leads out of the world to reveal his person to them that follow it: Is not Christ whereever the right hand of God is, though the blinde see him not? Col. 1. 15. 16, 17. was not the person of Christ with him, when he made the World, and by him he made it? was not he at the right hand [Page 15] of God in Davids time, Psal. 110. 1. And is not he at the right hand of God in the New Creation? And is not be, in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, whereby they become of his flesh, and his bone? Was it not the person of Christ that came in amongst his Disciples, the doors being shut? And was it not the person of Christ that said he would come again to them, though he had yet to ascend? Which, Joh. 14. 18, 23. till then, the work he had to do was not wholly done; and wilt thou now bind him as a man in a Chair, who fills Heaven and Earth; yea, who is fat above all Heavens: yea, Ephes. 4. 10. where ever the right hand of God reaches, he is there; and without him (present) he doth nothing. Cease, vain man, thou knows not whom thou would limit, who limits the word to be personally absent from Believers: All the De­vils in Hell cannot limit him absent, from his Lambs, in their greatest straits; who, though he be to be preacht in Heaven, yet is he not to be limited from the Earth, whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, Ephes. 4. 9, 10. Nor doth that place, Act. the 3. limit him, though it say the Hea­vens must receive him (which the world will not) but saith, upon their repentance, God will send him, whom the Hea­vens hath received: As in many other places, his appear­ance is promised, waiting for, and received, as he is in him­self, not in imagination; and in this book thou denies him, as Mediator to be in Man, because the Letter sayes, between God and Man; thou sayes, not in man: thou may as well say not in God, so much thou knows of him in thee: Read Christs words, Joh. 14. 20. if he be not in God, and in Man: And whereas thou would accuse me, for asking thee, if thou dost not deny the Resurrection of the Body, in saying, No man, as from Adam, can approach, or see the Lords Throne in Heaven, I say, had I not good ground to ask question; yea, and rebuke that Lie also, as I did, telling thee, John and Ste­ven was men from Adam, and yet did see Gods Throne, and Christ Promises, to such as overcome, to sit on his Throne: And dost thou call this a slander to tell thee of it? then keep in thy false doctrine, if thou would not hear it reproved; and think not to hide thee under Johns words, which saith, No man hath seen God: for John saith, The onely begotten Son hath [Page 16] revealed him: John did not speak these words, to deny the sight of God and so make himself a lyar, who had seen him; but to declare the true way, to come to see him, which is by Revelation; which thou denies, and so would wrest John's words against what he did witness and declare of.

And whereas thou would accuse me, as slandering thee amongst the Parish-Masters: I said not, that thou was a Pa­rish-Master, but thou art one with them, in the same Spirit, for gifts and rewards, though yet thou hast not got a Parso­nage suitable to thy will: But art thou not a Master-Teacher, and in their way also of Parish-Steeple-houses; and then what wrong have I done thee, in reckoning thee amongst Parish-Teachers, and Masters also? But thou wants something to accuse me, that thou might make me like thy self; and so thou seeks all along in thy book: Instance thy accusing me, for saying thou tells of some abatement of Persecution, &c. I say, let any but read thy Epistle to the first book, pa. 2. line 1. and they may see the Lyer; and so in ma­ny other things, not worth mentioning after thee; where­in, going to prove me a Lyar, thou proves thy self one: But if any, who have the least measure of Christ in them, read but thy 28. and 29. pages of this last book of thine, they may see what spirit is in thee, as to persecution of us; and how thou goes about with thy lies and slanders, to add to our suffer­ings, which one day thou shalt know thou should not have done, rendring to us to all the world, as though it could not stand with the security of any Common-wealth to suffer us: wherein it is plainly seen, what shall become of us, if thou get power; or if such as are in Power, will but give ear to what thou hast published to them: but to the Lord we ap­pear in these things, and if he do suffer your Generation of Murderers to get power, we may read, by what hath been done, what mercy we map expect from thee, and the rest of that Generation, who art shewing thy teeth, before thou have power, rendring us in as vile a manner as thou canst, as Papists, and would lay the blood they have shed upon us, who art in the state of their Papist-Priests thy self, incensing, (and in most notorious slandering too) the Earthly Powers against us, all thou can, by thy false accusations, too many to [Page 17] mention; and when thou hast done, to cover thy self, thou sayes thou would have to have us liberty, that thou may fair­ly deal with us with other weapons. O full of all subtilty! can these words cover thee? It hath been always known what weapons is of most use in the hands of the Idol-Shep­heards; which Weapons thou art sharpning before-hand in There are ma­ny more, be­sides thee, who thinks our sus­ferings are not great enough: but your day is coming on apace. this thy book, in which thou renders us, as not fit to be suf­fered to live in any Common-wealth, heaping up thy Accusa­tions upon us, of which we are clear; and rendring the suf­ferings of hundreds of innocent Ones, as evill-doers, and ju­stifying there in the bloudy cruelty acted upon many of them, saying, It is not so great as we pretend, nor as it was in the bodily and bloody Persecution; and then would cover thy self with feigned words: But the Lord who despises not the sufferings of the Poor, shall find thee out, and the Chil­dren of Light sees thee, and thy opening a door to Murder and Persecution.

And whereas thou (after thy usuall manner) casts a slan­der upon me, and when thou hast done, aggravates it again in thy second book, where in thou would make people believe, that I own no sufferings, nor satisfaction of Christ for the world, but what was in me; and much such like conjur'd stuff, thou raises out of the bottomless Pit, and calls it my fancy, which is but thy forgery; for I know the Offering of Christ for the sinne of the whole world, in his own person, as I have hinted in page 56. of my Answer, which might have stopt thy mouth of this Lye: but more at large in that book, called, A Salutation to the Seed of God; and divers o­thers; which all remains, as so many Witnesses against thy false slander: Yet did I never know his Reconciliation, Sufferings, not Satisfaction, as I ought to do (but by hear­fay) untill I knew Christ revealed in me, with his Sufferings, Satisfaction, and Reconciliation; though I could have talked much of a thing without me, as thou dost; yet had alwayes such a feeling within me, as kept me from such a common road of lying, as thou delighrest in, and dost exercise as a Trade, beyond all that ever I read or heard: Surely, dost thou think that people are all as blind, as those thou hast in gui­ding Dost not thou blush, to tell such abominable Lies, [Page 18] as thou dost in thy books, that he that runs, may read rhee so to be. What a Lye hast thou framed to excuse thy bro­ther (as thou rightly calls him) about lifting his Rod to have struck me on the head in the yard, at your departure, which thou knows in thy heart is a lye, and so many people Eye­witnesses against thee: Did not John Frey himself say con­cerning it, Now is the Devil up: Whereupon Richard Farns­worth bad him go, and reprove him then: To which he said, If he was called to it of God, he should: And yet thou hast co [...]ered over the thing, as though he was but reaching to me with his Rod, to speak to me; yea, so smooth hast thou made it, that any who knows not thy spirit, or saw the thing, would believe thee therein. Was there ever such an impudent spi­rit? How art thou brazened in thy wickedness, as though thou should never account for thy tongue? And when thou hast done, being conscious of thy deceit, and that it could not be hid, so many being present, then thou would make me the Offender, for telling of it; and sayes, what ever it was, I am not guided by the Spirit of Christ, who opened not his mouth in such sufferings, &c. I say, Christ opened his mouth, and told the Murderers, Lyers, Serpents, and Vipers, what they were, though there was a time when he opened not his mouth: but if the Chief Priests may be Judge, Jesus is the Offendor, and Barabbas cleared; which if thou be not acting in this thing, let all that see that thing acted judge thereof, who hath forged a Lye, to clear him that offered the violence, and would make me the Offendor for reproving it, though I did not resist him, further then with telling him, that was the nature of a Dog to de [...]our and murther.

Also, take notice of thy notorious Lies in page 30. thou accusest me (but falsly) to say, Th [...] i [...] Christ bore sinne, in that his own body that died at Jerusalem, so he had born sinnes in my body: And ere thou leavest that page, thou forgets that Lye, and contradicts it thy self; saying, (this note) That I say no­thing for disproving what thou saidst of Christ, having so born our sins in his own body to the Tree, at that he have not left them, so to be born in our soul or bodies, but [...] perfected the Sacrifice in that one Offering of himself once for all: And as thy tongue bew [...]ays thee in this; so doth it in most of the rest; [Page 19] as I might shew, were it worthy the while, to trace the Ser­pent in his crooked ways.

And thou speaks of the enmity being slain in him, I say, that I know, but it is alive in thee, as the venome of thy mouth doth plainly manifest.

And thou would make people believe, that there was a time when God did not impute sinne unto the world, and this time thou imagines to be in the time of Christs under­takings; and thou asks me, Where do I find those that have re­ceived the word of Reconciliation, called the world. I say, Where dost thou find the world reconciled to God (though he be reconci­ling them that come out of the world.) But on the contrary, the whole world lies in wickedness, and of such I spake; And did not God impute the trespasses of the Jews to them, who murdered him, which was in the time of his undertakings: so thou calls me blind, but it is thy self. And again, I say, if Psal. 32. 2. God impute no sinne to the world, then no Condemnation can be to them neither then, nor now; for they are blessed, to whom he imputes not sinne. And this thou says opens a large door of Faith: I say, to the worlds faith and thine it doth, who can believe your sins are imputed to another, and not to you, though you live in them; that makes thee so free in thy lying, and false accusing: but we know where sin lives, and is served, the world is not reconciled to God, but sin is imputed, and your large faith will be too large for the strait-way: thy hope will perish with the world, who art not reconciled, though God be now reconciling, as he was then in the Apostles time; and some have the word of Reconciliation, which the world and thou opposes, and preaches personally absent; and yet art telling of two Re­conciliations, but knows not one to live in it: but preaches a distance from GOD, to whom the Saints are reconci­led.

Thou further tells me, if I had minded the Scriptures more, and my Imaginations lesse, I might have seen that Scripture, Revea 3. 8. means not of the Lambslain; but of Beast-Worshippers: To which I say, were I so blind, as to leave both the Spirit and Scripture also, and believe thy blind imaginations, contrary to both, then should I become a [Page 20] Beast-worshipper like thee: this is like thy divination of that in Amos 2. 13. where thou would have the people to read, I will press you, instead of (I am pressed) putting man instead of God; and here thou would put the Beast­worshippers instead of Christ the Lamb, and with such as this thou leads blinde, when thou meets such as knows no better guide, within themselves, but to follow thy Divinations.

And thou sayst, By his stripes you are healed, and yet de­nyeth him come, and saith, the Scriptures rendereth his ap­pearance alwayes to all believers, in the time to come, as that which they are to be looking for all their time in this world. I say thou speakest a truth, as concerning thy self, and so take notice, thy healing is without Christ, and so deceit­ful; but why wilt thou that art without Christ, judge be­lievers, and belie the Scriptures; for he that believeth hath the witness in himself, and Christ in you the hope of glory, who is that witness, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life, 1 John 5. 10. Col. 5. 27.

And the Scripture saith, We know that we are of God, and we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding: And, Christin you, except ye be Reprobates, And, he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ, hath both the Father and the Son, else they was not to receive them into their houses, 1 John 5. 20. 2 John 9. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. And Paul had Christ revealed in him, before he was a Minister, Gal. 1. 16. and this with thee is alwayes to come; and so all that thou hast proved herein, is but thy self without Christ, healing, and being healed: like the false Prophets, who hath not the word in thee, and so speakest of thy self, and so art believed by all that have Christ in them, and fellowship in his sufferings, and in his Resurrection; and with such thou art seen to be Reprobate, thy preaching, and healing; who art preaching Christ at a distance, from believers, which the Apostle preaches in them: so thy work is discovered in all thy crooked dark paths in thy book, who art putting Christ far from thee, and from all that will believe thee, destroying their faith, by telling them they must never see, nor receive him while they live, such a faith as none of the Children of God ever preached; but is of him, who, (that [Page 21] he may keep his house in peace, while people lives) cannot endure they should believe the appearance of a stronger then himself whilest they are in this world?

And with thy subtle divination, thou goes about to make people believe, that the Apostles since, was of an inward light and spirit when he told, Of serving their bellies; and with this thou wouldst cast thy dirt on the light of Christ, and his spirit within his Saints, shewing thy beastly blindness against the light of Christ, shining in his dwelling place the bodies of his Saints, and brings to prove it, Rom. 16. 18. where all may see thy grosse darkness, and abominable wresting the Scriptures, doth either that, or any other Scripture, speak against minding the spirituall light within, or call it serving the belly, which thou woul­dest make it speak with thy divination? be ashamed of thy meanings, who wouldest wrest the Scriptures, which all te­stifie of the spirit and light within, (by which they was spo­ken forth,) which thou wouldest call serving the belly, to own an inward light and spirit: doth not the Scriptures say, he that believeth out of his belly, shall flow Rivers of living waters, John 7. 38. which how much thou knowest of this, or the in-dwellings of Christ his light or spirit, or how much thou lovest it to be believed or received in o­thers, thou hast sufficiently manifested herein, if thou hadst said no more: nor did the Apostle speak of them that minded the light or spirit within; but of them that minded earthly things, minding your bellies more then the work of God, as thou and thy Companions did at the dispute, who broke it up, because it was an hour past dinner time; such are belly Gods, and not they who minde the light or spirit of Christ within them. And let all honest people judge what it is, thy deceitful lips will not make the Scriptures speak, who would make the sence of the Apostles words, to intend a­gainst minding a spirituall light within, whose words is of such as minde earthly things: yet in this, as in all other of thy deceits, which thou darst not plainly a vouch: thou so layes down the thing, as to leave thy self a way to escape, if thou be taxed for thy falshood, as by thy words (some pre­tended light opposed to Christ) when any may see thy envy is at the light of Christ and his spirit within; for no other [Page 22] do we pretend; and this is not opposire to Christ, as he is in Heaven, but the only thing that revealeth him in spirit.

And thou layest down two Reasons, to prove thy deceits, which no Scripture will: the first opposing, that the Apostle did mean, Earth-worms in a grosse and carnall sence; and in thy second thou sayst, they were walkers, Brethren, they had not such a form of godliness as stood in talking only, but in walking also. In the first whereof, thou strikest at the A­postles words, who said, they minded earthly things; but thou sayst, not Earth-worms; and in thy second, thou strikes at uptight walking, yet doth neither of them prove any thing for the further then thy confusion.

And thou wouldst prove me to be one whose God is my belly; and the thing thou wouldst prove it withall is, be­cause I say the Apostles preached the spirit and light with­in, shining in their hearts, to give the knowledge of the glo­ry of God in the face of Jesus; and this Treasure they had in Earthen Vessels; but if angred, 2 Cor. 4. 6, 7. they may see, that instead of proving me one, whose God is my belly, thou hast proved thy self one, whose Father is the Devill, who saith, the Apostle saith no such thing; but saith, its my spirit of Antichrist: so let plain Scripture judge, which is good reason, that it should be believed, before thy lying spirit, who goeth on to deny the spirit and light, to shine into their hearts, as though God would shine into their hearts, without his spirit and light; and such dark stuffe thou utters, who knowest not his spirit and light, mangling thy confusions to darken the truth, as though I had said, their hearts should give them the glory of God, without his light and spirit, when my words are with the Apostle, and all the Servants of God, who witness the light and spirit, to give the knowledge of God; without which, there can be no knowledge of God, which Treasure is in the Earthen Vessels: which words thou leavest out, lest they should have spoyled thy design, in perverting the words, and deceiving the simple. And thou makest much adoe in thy Book, to drive a believers light far distant without, as far from them, as to the place where Christ was crucified, say­ing, he that was crucified on the Tree, was the fountain of [Page 23] Believers light, which though he be the fountain to those who have him in them, yet is he known to none, but by hear-say, who have him not: to such the fountain is sealed, therefore dost thou (blind) utter forth so much of thy folly, who imagineth a fountain without thee, but darkness within, which cannot comprehend the light, though in the darkness it shine; and the Devill himself knowes what was done upon Mount Calvary, and the wickedst men in the Nation, as well as thee, who hast it not in thee: so you be­lieve in a Tradition, who have not the Revelation. And thou makes a babling to blinde people with, as that the A­postle preached not the Earthen Vessels, or themselves. I say those are thy own words; for none else I know, that in­tends them, or mentions them; but the most of thy bustling in thy Book, is to wrest my words, or to add to them thy own, and so start a lye out of thy own bosom; and when thou hast done, much to do thou makes to conflite it; and this pleaseth thy fancy, as though thou hadst done some great thing, when thou hast but confuted thy self, and laid open thy solly.

And thou goest creeping about to make people believe, that Christ is not a spirit, but darst not deny it, (yet as thy manner is) casts a mist before it, Christ in spirit being that thou seeks most to oppose, for nothing else discovereth the 2 Cor. 5, 16. Devills seat in man; and therefore said the Apostle, I know him no more after the flesh, and, When they shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away: now the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; 2 Cor. 3. 16, 17 but this liberty breaketh the Devills Kingdom: therefore his Ministers he sets to keep people without in the letter, i­magining a thing at a distance, but to believe the appearance of Christ in spirit, that is death to him, and his Ministry; and whereas thou tells of Christ, being glorified in Heaven in your nature, I say Christ was never of the nature of the lyer, neither in Heaven, nor on Earth, though he was flesh: yet it was not that which lusteth against the spirit: none knowes his flesh nor nature, but who knowes the word in them, which thou opposeth, which art full of the old Leaven, and [Page 24] thou askestance a question of the Scriptures say the same] so take thy Question back, and apply it to thy self.

In thy first Book thou made an objection, Can flesh and blood enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? and thou answers, No, yet the same flesh and bones may, the blood being pow­red out and gone to which answer, what confused stuffe is this that proceeds from thy imaginations? Is Christ ascen­ded without blood? or is it onely the blood of people that keeps the in from ascending, which they must leave behinde them, taking the same flesh and bones, but not the same blood; and in this Book thou excuses the matter, with say­ing he is ascended without material blood; and yet with the vertues of that blood. I say, again, hath he materiall flesh and bones, and not materiall blood, then is he not the same that he was, when he was upon earth. But why dost thou not make some answer to thy other clause; how people must do to get shut of their blood, seeing thy faith is, they cannot ascend till their blood be poured forth▪ This being a new Doctrine which the Scripture doth not declare of, it stands in need of better grounds, then yet thou hast laid down, if thou intends any to believe thee therein; and this is like the rest of thy stuffe, out of the dark bottle, fit for such a believer to receive: then grounds [...] of whose faith are other mens words from their Imaginations, where the word of God is personally absent, and know neither light, nor spirit of God within them.

And much adoe thou makes, and many crooked wayes, thou takes, to preach Jerusalem out of this world, and that must be alwayes to come, and that yet it came not from God to any, and to disprove that which John spoke in Rev. 21. 2. 10. (who saw the new Jerusalem): thou sayst, that was but a Vision, and from that thou conjurest up a deal of thy own filth to cast upon me, not worth mentioning after thee: but this I say to thee; thou must first see thy self in Babylon yea and the slandeous mouth slopt ere thou knowest the new Jerusalem, the City of God or his dwelling place: the lyars and [...] are with one and now it is seen in the Mount of God, asking of Vision seen by others; but the [Page 25] strong man keeping the house, and thou joyned with him, so bring forth his works, opposing thy self an enemy of Sion, and her Children who are come, and comming to their rest, which thou would destroy the faith concerning God, Christ, the word, their In-dwelling in the Saints, as in thy first Book, who would deny that the Apostles preached the word and faith in the hearr. And when I instanced that place Rom. 10. 8, 9. where the Apostle saith, The word of faith is migh in the heart. In this book thou would'st cast a mist be­fore it (least any should look for it there) saying, he saith not, the word and faith, but the word of faith. And sayst thou, he saith not simply in their hearts, but nigh them in their hearts. What shifts is the Devil put to, to keep Crea­tures from looking what God hath placed in their hearts; where God hath written his Law, and placed his word, a guide to all that minde it: what shameful shifts art thou put to, lest the Devil should be discovered in the heart, and his Kingdom fall: Is not the word and faith, where the word of faith is, if ever that Creature come to faith: or can any have either of them but in their hearts? And doth not the Apostle say, they are in their hearts, because he saith, they are nigh them in their hearts? But from the word [nigh] if thy divination fail not, thou wilt attempt to preach them clear out of the heart: so that which the Apostle saith nigh in the heart, (by thy will) must never come near the heart, but would put word and faith as far off, as thou hast put Grace and Light, who saith, The Grace of God that bringeth salvation, teacheth not to look to any light within for direction. And as thou dealest concerning God, Christ, The word, Faith and light, so dost thou with the City of the living God, being blinde thy self, would keep all at a di­stance from others: such are thy Visions, such as thy Ima­ginations: But seeing thou would put that Jerusalem John saw out of the expectations of any whilest the world stands, Read Heb. 12. 22. And judge if thou canst, of that Heaven­ly Jerusalem, whether that was a Vision also; and whether the Apostle spoke truth, when he said, the Hebrews was come to the City of the living God, to the Heavenly Jeru­salem [Page 26] salem; but they had denyed Babels Builders, and the Idoll-Priests, and their Idoll-worship, else could not they have seen an entrance into Sion, a City which thou hast sufficient­ly cleared thy self to be ignorant of. And thou askest, where did [James] read of its being taken away, after its comming down from Heaven, I say in thee, I read it and thy Genera­tion, whose work is to deny it present: I need go no further for proof, then thy own Books; As for the rest of thy heap of confusion, thy lies, thy slanders, and thy threatnings, be they to thy self, for me they touch not; but seeing thou denyest Jerusalem, what City was that the Ephesians was Ci­tizens of with the Saints; which was builded upon the foun­dation of the Apostles and Prophers, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone, in whom they was builded a habitation of God, Ephes. 2. 19. 20, 21, 22. was not this the City of the living God, the new Jerusalem; but this makes ill for thy Doctrine, whose work is to preach God out of his people; yet when thou writest again, let us see what a shift the Serpent hath to avoid this; for he must be disco­vered in all his holes, and thou canst not hide him. Yet didst thou but declare thy own experience, I should not contend with thee; knowing thou canst declare no more of God, his word, his light, his faith, his dwelling place, then thou knowest; But seeing thou goes about to limit God out of his dwelling in the hearts of his people; in faithfulness to God, and love to souls, I can do no lesse then bear testimo­ny against thee, and thy work, which is contrary to the Mi­nisters of Christ, who preached reconciliation to God, and God in his people; but thou preaches division and sepa­ration, and thy work is against any believing reconciliati­on.

And because I tell thee of thy shuffling, in thy Answer to thy third Query, which asks Where the Covenant of God is (having respect to the manifestation of it to the Crea­ture) for so is the intent of the Query: And because I tell thee thou shuffles and answers not to the Question, thou tells me therein, I have crodden undersoot the Son of God, and put him to open shame; and that there is no more sa­crifice [Page 27] for sin: I say it is thy deceit I tread upon, and puts to open shame, which is for open shame before the Son of God, who is the Sacrifice, and remains a Witness against thy con­fusion.

The fourth Query thou pretended to answer, asks, What? and where that anointing is? &c. And because I tell thee, thou would'st put that to literal teaching, thou rakes up a Seal of thy own Imaginations, out of thy own bosome, to cast upon me; as though I had said, That the name of God, in Christ Jesus, is no better then literal Teaching; when my An­swer is, to reprove thee for setting litteral-teaching, instead of the Unction and Name of Christ; And that thou do'st thrust out from the Spirit within, to the Litteral-teaching, thy Answer doth clearly manifest: though first to cover it with, thou makes a Confession to the person of Christ, and such like words, to blind the eye, lest thy intent should be seen: Afterward, thou comes to tell what the summe of this Anointing is, the sum of the Gospel concerning Christ, which thou saist is meant the things heard from the beginning, cal­led the Anointing; which after thou brings to the writings of Paul to Timothy: And following it a little further, thou brings it to be the same to this day; which is no other but For that which is not imme­diate from God; nor from any light and spirit with­in must be litterall teachings. the letter: For, sayst thou the preaching of it, was given by those great Apostles, and of the same vertue, or quality, that ever it was, for teaching all things; and afterwards calls it the Anointing, and yet denieth any light and spirit within. So that all that reads thy Answer shall see, that I have spoken nothing but the truth of thee; in saying, Thou would thrust it to literal teaching, and thy crooked ways cannot hide thee: But thine own words, in another place, may put the thing wholly out of doubt, where thou saist, That the grace of God that brings Salvation to all men, instructs them not to look to any light or spirit within them for direction. Here would thon thrust out from the light and spirit within to literal teach­ing contrary both to the Spirit, and the Letter also; for that which is in Spirit, is within, and the Letter saith, The anoint­ing that you have received of him abideth in you; and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things.

[Page 28] Thou goes on to the fifth Query, and there thou casts down all thy whole work, if thou do'st but mind what thou art there driven to, to hide thy self; where thou confesses the Comforter that reproves the world, and leads into all truth, and reaches effectually to be in the heart, and cannot be out of it: so that by thy Confession now, there can be no teaching out of the heart: So let any compare this with the rest of thy books, and see thy confusion, and what shifts thou art driven to, to and fro, like one stark drunk in thy Imaginations, vomiting out thy own shame. Is there no teaching out of the heart, and the grace of God (thou sayes) instructs not to look into our selves, or to any Light or Spi­rit within us for direction: What a Birth is this thou hast brought forth into the world? How will these two agree? Or with what divination wilt thou reconcile them? No Teaching but in the heart, and yet not look within? But see­ing thou hast confessed, that there can be no reproving and Teaching but in the heart, let me mind thee of it again, lest thou forget it, it being a truth I would have thee no more to contradict it: Might not thou as well have confessed this long-ago, and have spared all thy wranglings and crooked paths thou hast walked in, thereby to deny the Light and Spi­rit within, to be the onely Teacher, and now confesseth it cannot be out of the heart: So if thou own it in thy heart, thou maist read thy Condemnation, for opposing it all along in both thy books.

And thou adds another Accusation as false as the rest, and that is, That I pervert most of the Scriptures I meddle with; and for instance, thou names that of Jer. 23. 30. which thou sayes I do in the close of my 32 page.

I say, thou shamelesse man were thou not hardened in thy wickednesse, past feeling, thou would blush to say I pervert a Scripture, where I mention none: But this is like the rest of thy slanders, who can both name the Scripture, and per­vert it thy self, and then slander it upon me, that doth not so much as mention it, nor any other in that place. In thy other thou accused me for perverting Scriptures, where I did but quote them as they are, without a word adding; and now thou accusest me, where I quote none, nor mention any at [Page 29] all, but it's impossible to escape thy tongue. It's not much to be wondered, that thou should call Christ and his Light within, which convinceth of sinne, nothing but a fancy, and as a familiar Spirit, as thou do'st. It's a strange Doctrine, to thee, to know the Son of God condemning sinne in the flesh; and so it appears, when the Lyar is so strong in thee. If thou knew any light in thee, but what is thy own fancy, the Devil would be reproved, and sin condemned, did'st thou know Christ in the flesh: But the Prince of the world not being udged, the Reprobate is Head, which knowes not Christ in thee, his Light and Spirit, which reproves the world, and guids into all truth, in whom he is known and followed: So thy Confession is suitable to thy practice; for thou that hath not Christ in thee to condemn sin, it's not like the Devil should condemn what he begets: so thy tongue becomes without bridle, and thy heart without knowledge, that thou do'st evill.

So deceiving, and being deceived, is thy work, even whilst thou art telling what Christ did on the Cross: Thou hast lost the Cross, and to the Devil is at liberty in thee, unreproved or condemned: So not believing in the Light, thy self is in the same Condemnation, and knows not, but is past feeling, being heart-blind.

And thou tells of a Promise thou hast made, to prove a Wolf in a sheeps skin; and thou wilt prove it out of my Ac­knowledgment of the righteousness of God, wrought in the One Person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, his Sufferings, Re­surrection, and Ascension, according to the Scriptures. And thou tells of two little words I have left out: so it seems, that to confess Christ, according to the Scripture, without two little words more, with thee is a Wolf; and with such muddy, dirty stuff as this, not worth naming after thee, thou keeps thy promise, and fills thy hook.

And thou sayst, I care not how full I make my Acknow­ledgment of the righteousnesse of GOD wrought in the Death and Resurrection of that Person, in that Personal bo­dy: So they be not understood to be therein finished, and need not be wrought in us. To which, I say that it is the thing most feared by thee, and him for whom thou labour'st, [Page 30] lest any should look for the righteousnesse of God wrought in them: A thing which thou art little guilty of thy self, out of whom springs the work of the Devil like a flood: yet do we know that the work of righteousness is not ended and fi­nished for any Creature, so as to bring them to GOD, till God's righteousness be wrought in them: A thing the Devil and his Ministers, doth now, most of all oppose, though you confess what was done at Jerusalem; yet can he keep his Kingdome in England in every heart, wherein God's righ­teousness is not wrought: So righteousness (to talk of) without, but the Devil within, is the Doctrine best-pleasing to the Devil, and his Ministers: But who are his Workman­ship, have not so learned him, which knows Christ in us, which thou calls Antichristian; and thou that art without Christ, with the Lyar, in thee would be counted the Christi­an.

And further thou sayst, the Wolf appears under the sheep­skins, in my following Declaration of our Principles: To which, I say, I did lay down 12 particular Heads, being the chief things, which thou cunningly went about to deny in thy book, which I plainly laid down, to see if thou would'st plainly oppose them, as thou hadst secretly sought to under­mine them, that so the Serpent might be brought out of his holes, and discovered in the sight of the simple, which now thou casts thy venom at them, calling it a Wolf, but dar'st not deny one of them. And because they may stand as Wit­nesses against thy deceit in this book, as they did in the o­ther, and seeing this may come to the hands of some, which the other does not, I am free to send them to thee again, and to all the world: and do not call them Woolfs, till thou hast so proved them: neither seek to cast thy dirt upon them, by shuffling them out of their place, and seek to make people believe I mean another thing, then I speak: so turn­ing the truth into a lye, before thou dare encounter with it, that being thy old way, by which thou hast raised these lying slanders in thy book, not having a ground for raising a slan­der from any thing that I have spoken in it, till thou hast ta­ken it one piece from another, and thrust in thy own For­geries and Meanings, to make some shew unto people to co­ver [Page 29] thy nakedness: without which, as it appears, thou durst not meddle to oppose these Truths (though they be much in thy way) which are as followeth:

1 That the light of Christ, is the first principle that shews a man his condition, and leads to Christ the Saviour; and with­out it, the Gospel is hid from every Creature living; and without it, none can read with profit.

2 That though Christ Jesus in himself, hath suffered and satisfied the whole will of God for all the world; yet none but who by faith in this, comes to receive a measure of the same Christ, in the same spirit and power, and life in them, can have redemption by him from sin and death.

3 That the Word of God is spiritual; and who hath it, hath it in their heart; and that none who hath it not in their hearts, hath eternal life, though they may have the let­ter, as the Devil hath, to pervert to wrong ends, to plead for sin, and tempt the sons of God.

4 That none can understand the Scriptures, nor know the voice of Christ in them, but who have that spirit and light in them, that gave them forth to open their understanding to know the mystery and life of them.

5 That no man knows his own heart, but who first owns the light of Christ to search it, and the same light that sear­ches the heart, gives light to know God and his glory.

6 That the least measure of living faith, (that is not a fancy) but stands in Christ Jesus, is present power against all sinne, and the greatest power of Satan, if the Creature abide faithful in it, and run to no other helps, but mind obedience in it.

7 That no man can be a Minister of Christ, nor preach him truly, but who preacheth perfection, and that is the end of his Ministry, (which thou callest a Doctrine of Devils.)

8 That there is not one particular of the worship you perform in your high places, but it is added or altered from what it was, when Christ appointed it, and established it.

9 That God and his Word is now manifest in the bodies [Page 30] of his Saints in the same manner, and as freely as formerly he hath been; and that there he is a sufficient Teacher and shield against sinne, without any other help to all, according to the measure of their knowledge of him present.

10 That no man can receive the things of Gods spirit, but who minde somewhat of God in them, to receive it withall.

11 That the least measure of Gods spirit is an infallible guide, and without it no man knows Christ, nor can judge of any thing of God, or his truth, his Kingdom, or the way to it, or the Devil and his subtleties; but lies open to be decei­ved in all things, and to be led by men of corrupt minds, in whom the Devil is.

12 That the ground of all Errors, Sects and Opinions, Heresies and Blasphemies that are in the world, is, in being led from the guidance of this spirit; and all live in error, but who are guided by it; but none ever errs, who was guided by it alone, nor ever shall.

These being the main things for which thou accuses us in thy book, having wrested them contrary to our judgment and pra­ctice, thereby to darken the way of truth, more dear to me then life: to the end, that all may find it, and rest to their souls, I have laid them down as plain as I can, as they are in Jesus, in me re­vealed without any adding or diminishing, as in the sight of God: so when thou writes to oppose again, let it be plain to the people, whether thou owns or denies: so the difference may be judg­ed with the truly wise in heart, and the ground of it, nad do not cast a mist over the truth, as in thy book, and yet dare neither own nor deny, but secretly bite and devour.

[Page 31] Here is also some of thy lies, sent back to the Authour, and when thou provest them, I shall make my defence: till then, let them rot with the raiser of them, which are as fol­loweth.

• 1 That I own my self to be one of those, that sleight and reject the word of the Lord.
• 2 That the way of lying, proud boasting, and false accusing, is the perfection of our Doctrine and Principles.
• 3 That I own Some other spirit, then that in and with the Scriptures, as Gods Spirit.
• 4 That we would present men perfect in themselves, while there is nothing perfect, that so they may not look to the perfecti­on of Christ.
• 5 That we promise others liberty, freedom from sin, glorious Conquest, in themselves.
• 6 That we count that sin, that is looking to that Jesus which is the very Christ.
• 7 That we never make it our work, in our speakings, or wri­tings, to preach, lift up, or commend that Jesus, as he is in that one personall body, &c.
• 8 That we preach not Jesus, and the Resurrection, as the A­postles did.
• 9 That we make up our whole Doctrine and matter, without that which God hath laid in Zion for a foundation.
• 10 That we magnifie not the Son of Man.
• 11 That I assert nothing in my Book, of that Jesus of Naza­reth, in that which he hath done, &c
• 12 That I array Christ as Herod did, that I may marre his visage, and mock at him.
• 13 That in my Book I say, I am Christ, and that we leave no­thing of the Declarations of hope that we so invert not.
• 14 That if any do preach things, according to Scripture, we revile it, as the Heathen reviled the Apostles, for preaching Jesus and the Resurrection.
• 15 That I am a denyer of Christ as Judas was.
• [Page 32] 16 That we make not Jesus the sum and subject matter of our preaching.
• 17 That we pervert all those Scriptures that speak of those things.
• 18 That we are in greatest rage against those that plainly preach Jesus to be the very Christ.
• 19 That at the Dispute, we did stoutly despise trade under­foot, and marre, the visage of the Lord.
• 20 That I say I justifie no such thing, as if any strike us on the one Check, to turn the other.
• 21 That my usuall way of asserting Christs personall appear­ance, is in my own name.
• 22 That we contemn Authority, and deny Honour, and re­spect, civill and natural, where due.
• 23 That Christ or his light in us, is darknesse it self.
• 24 That we use Christ in us, and the light, as a Cloak of ma­liciousness and pride.
• 25 That all our sufferings are occasioned, as defiling the flesh, or as evill doers.
• 26 That we are as the Papists, who suffer much for their prin­ciples sake.
• 27 That our Principle leads us to follow our own spirit, in contempt of all Commands of superiours, even such as might be obeyed, in the Lord, and for his sake.
• 28 That our Principle leads us in contempt of all Principles of Honesty, Justice, and Equity.
• 29 That we desire to provoke wrath in others, against such as are in places of Trust.
• 30 That we desire to rush our selves into petty sufferings, that we may glory in them.
• 31 That I said, that as Christ bore sins, in that his own body that died at Jerusalem so he had born sins in my body.
• 32 That I confound Christs forbearance of sin done in our bo­dies, with his bearing sin in the imputation of sin and strokes in his own body, to satisfie justice, &c.
• [Page 33] 33 That I acknowledge no such thing as Christs bearing sin himself in his own body, in any other sence then he may be said still to bear them in us.
• 34 That I reject the Testimony of Christ, having suffered the just for the unjust, bearing their sins in his body, &c.
• 35 That I fully signifie, that the sufferings left behinde, are to be suffered in divers persons, as propitiatory.
• 36 That my meaning is not, that Christ so suffered for sin, in that his own body prepared for him, according to Scripture.
• 37 That I hold forth Christ, bearing sin, as the propitiatory Sacrifice in us.
• 38 That I say that the name of God, as in Christ, and in and by him declared, and as precious Oyntment powred out, is litteral teaching.
• 39 That I destroy the distinct consideration of the Fathers work, in laying our Iniquitles on his Son, and renders it as the work of my fancied Christ in the Creature.
• 40 That I take away from you the personall sufferings of Christ in his own body, and put in the room my imaginary or fan­cied Christ.
• 41 That I wholly pervert every thing of Gods name that I meddle with, and turns it contrary to its scope and end.
• 42 That I render the great things of the Law, to be carnall letter.
• 43 That I reproach thee for not believing Christ bearing sin in thee, as the propitiatory Sacrifice.
• 44 That my sence is, that Gods righteousness wrought in the person of Christ, was but at most as a pattern, of what should be wrought over again in our particular persons, &c.
• 45 That I justifie Christ, being offering himself daily to put a­way sin by the sacrifice of himself.
• 46 That we imagine that the Death and Resurrection of our light in us is the foundation of our salvation.
• 47 That I intend not the lifting up of Christ, but exalting my self in his room.
• 48 That my excellency lyeth in using craftinesse, and hidden things of dishonesty.
• [Page 34] 49 That indeed our spirits rejoyce in our likenesse to Sa­than.
• 50 That our inside tends directly to marre the visage of Christ.
• 51 That I deny thy saying, That the word is not a Principle of men.
• 52 That I reject the Name of God, as declared in Christ, and brought to light through the Gospel, as carnall and litterall Teaching.
• 53 That I affirm, that all that receives the word, suffers and satisfies the whole will of God for all the world in them.
• 54 That we render the light and spirit to be naturally in men, as of them.

These 54 Lies have I taken out, (as I told thee in thy last book) from three times so many: these, with the 48. in thy last book, make up the number of one hundred and two. I should not have troubled my self to reckon them up, had not the Lyar gone about to seek to lay them on the truth, and slander the Quakers for Lyers: so let the Lyer be known by his fruits, who must be revealed by the Spirit of Truth. And when thou writest again, either prove what thou hast said, or stop thy mouth for calling Lyar for ever. And one thing more I warn thee of, that thou do'st not, as thou did'st in thy last book, who (because I reckoned up but part of thy Lies) goes about to make people believe, I own all the rest: For I tell thee again, there is above three times as many more, in both thy books, as false as these, which I am not guilty of, though I reckon them not here: Neither, say thou, I have wronged thee, in setting down these, in that I have not set down all thy words; for it is plain to every Reader, that I have set down the substance of thy slander, as it sounds in the ears of the Reader, though in the most of them, thou hast before-hand made thy way of escape, knowing them to be, what thou canst not prove: Yea, this shall any see in thee, who are in the light, and do but observe thee, that in this art thou exceeds, I must confess, of all that ever I had to do [Page 35] withall, thou art the Master of this Craft of Lying: for, not the clearest truth that ever I can speak, but if it be in thy way, thou wilt take into pieces, and mangle it with thy own, and turn it all into Lies, which is the Master-piece in thy Bookes, as I have shewed in particulars. And as boldly and impudently wilt thou let them fly, having but made a way to creep out and deny them, if thou be charged therewith; and if not, then thou holds it out for truth, that all is owned, that is not denied in particular: which should I have done in these thy two Books, for one sheet of Paper, five would not contain an Answer: But they being most of them, so gross, and the Truth it self arising against them a living Testimony in most parts of the Nations: It will clear it self better then Paper and Ink, to the confusion of Antichrist, the Lyar and his Father.