THat Principle which caused Moses, David, Daniel, the prophets & holy men of God to quake & tremble, hath been often struck at by a Principle of Darkness which knows not the Word at which the Saints Trembled, Isa. 66.5. and this alwayes under a pretence of Truth, saying, let God be Glorified; but it never could be dashed in pieces though many weapons have been formed against it which are carnall and out of the truth: And it is the same now, as wil appear by this which thou Enoch Howet hast written, wherein thou wilt be found in the same ground of opposition, gathering up false accusations to cast on the the truth, where it is manifested, and being blind, thou thinks thou dost God service therein, that the Scripture may be fulfilled upon this Generation, who are gathered as the sand of the Sea for multitude, Mat. 24.6. against the despised people of God. And the seven-Heads thou hast lifted up against the Truth, with the many horns arising from thence, pushing at the Saints with many lies, which heads thou callest our mistakes, but six of them, as thou hast discri­bed them, are thy own mistakes (if not thy malitious slanders) as wil ap­pear upon tryall when with truth they come to be weighed, to which thou adds many lyes to make up thy number.

Before thou comes to the seven heads, thou begins an oration: The God of the whole earth is now about to declare his glory to the Gentiles, and [Page 2]the Kindoms of this World are about to become the lords and his Christs.

I Answer: Many such as thou in a vain minde, have long fed your selves with what wil be, but for the present, lives in your own wils and pleasures, and are not subject to the Kingdom of Christ, Luke 17.21. nor that way in which he raigned when he was upon earth (which the litterall knowledg could never owne,) and whilest we fed with you upon these vain words without knowledg and life, we were beloved of you, being of this world with you, but now being come to the knowledg of the Lord by the name of (I am) and seeing his glory (having denyed the glory of the world in our selves and others) to own Christs Kingdom wherein he reigned above the worlds pleasures, now you hate us, and out of all forms are you gathered against us, 2 Cor. 4.8. &c and on every side are we beset, but not destroyed, neither can thy boa­sting words dash in pieces that principle wherein we stand, and when thou hast made way with thy fair speeches, then thou begins to push with thy horns, wherein is the names of Blasphemy, casting out thy lyes, saying, that we call the God of this world that blinds the eyes, a God of light, and all this darkness, spiritualness, and that we can hardly endure what is written, but run to unwritten notions, &c. whenas we own no Light but that which God hath made to shine out of darkness, wherein he hath shi­ned in our hearts to give the knowledg of himself, 2 Cor. 4.6. which is the light of Christ, and thou that calls this the God of this world, or an unwritten no­tion, makes it appear thou hast not the light in thee, nor the Testimony of Jesus. And thus (being not born of the truth) thou serves the Land of thy Nativity (as thou sayest) with false accusations, and calling Christ thy Master, wil not hide thee, for such works he never owned.

Now thy first head thou sets up to oppose us with, is, that we slight the Written Word, To which I answer: If thou means the Scriptures, I say thy accusation is false, for the Scripture we own which testifies of the Word, which Word was in Spirit, and spiritually discovered in them that spake forth the Scripture, before they spake it or writ it in Letters, which Word we witness in spirit according to Scripture, Gal. 1.11, 12.15, 16, 17. 2 Cor. 3.6. discovered in us spiritually, which thou denies to set up a litte­rall discovery: 2 Cor. 13.15 to the 7. verse of the 4. chap. And the Vaile being untaken away, by turning to the Lord, which is that spirit, thou canst not see the Gospell Light, nor the end of the Scriptures, which were given to lead to the spiritual light and Word that gave them forth, where the life eternall is, which they who think it to be in the letter without, deny it in spirit, as the Jews did and thou dost; and thou that denies this end of the Scriptures, art he that de­nies the Word to set up the Letter in his place, and calls it by his Name who is the word before the Letter was, which we dare not do, which the Letter doth not. Now if thou calls this slighting of the Word, then did not the Saints also slight it before us, who called what they writ a Decla­ration of the Word? 1 Ioh. 1.22.3. Luke 1.1. And its called the words of Ieromiah, to whom the word of the Lord came; a cleare distinction, be­tween [Page 3]the invisible Word that came to him in spirit, and the visible wri­tings declared from that word, for the words were many, but the Word is but one from whom these words were spoken, Ier. 1.1. 2. And thou goes on in thy Book often repeating, It is written, it is written; Iohn 1. i. Rev. 19.i3. now it is writ­ten that God is the Word, and Christ his name is called the word of God; but where is it written that the Letter is the Word, or of a written word? And now it wil appear who owns what is written, and who adds to it, or would take from it, prove what thou sayest with plaine Scripture, then thou maist boast of its written, thou holds out ignorance of the Scriptures to be the ground of error, which if thou meanest litterall knowledg, I de­ny what thou sayest, for many such as thou knows the history, but ers from the life, for it is the ignoronce of the Spirit and power that the Scriptures declare of, thats the ground of error, without which knowledg puffs but up to oppose the life and power; and for thy rancking us amongst the Papists, and saying we perswade you to the uselesness of the Scriptures; calling subtile devils and the like; these are but lying slanders to make us odious and on thy head shal they fall, for the Devil is known by his works, a ly­ar and false accuser he was, and so he is, as it is written, and his subtilty he uses to uphold his Kngdom of sin, and not to pul it down, and in that work thou art found in thy book by his subtilty, pleading for sin against perfection, for respect of persons his own kingdome: and whereas thou chargest us with lust, envie, pride, idolatry, luxury, and uncleanness; I say these are thy own, we deny them, and that spirit that acts them, else we should not be so hated by those that live in them: Thou saist your sound­ation is laid upon the doctrin of the Apostles & Prophets: If thou means that spirit that was in them, that foundation I own, but if thou meanst the Letter, then where had thy foundation been, hadst thou never seen the Letter; and that foundation I judge which stands in the visible, to be none of A­brahams foundation, which was laid before the Letter was, 2 Cor. 4 18. Heb. 8.i0, 11. Iohn 16.18. and thou tells of the Scripture being the bridle that checks lust: But thou that knows no­thing nearer then the letter to bridle and check lust, thou knows not the law of the New Covenant written in the heart, nor the Spirit of Christ that reproves the world of sin, but without book, without bridle, and its no strange thing that such should plead for a being for sin whileft they live, who have no bridle for lust but when the Bible is in their hands, un­less thou meanest that keeping it in the house wil do it: and how that bri­dle (thou tels of) hath kept thee and many more it is evident by your practise. The words you have, but not the life, it seems thou hadst forgot thy bridle when thou wrote this book, else thou durst not have vented so many lyes and false accusations against the truth, which they that are checkt by that spirit that spake what is in the Letter, bears witness against. Thou saist if wisdom to salvation be contained in the Scriptures, and if the Scriptures are the means of comfort and hope, &c. But why dost thou not speak plain, that salvation is in the Letter contained, and that [Page 4]the Letter is the means of comfort and hope, it seems thou dares not po­sitively say it is, and therefore puts in [if] thou dares not wholly exclude Christ, thou wilt allow him a name in the thing, though thou give the power to the Letter, for to say salvation, wisdom, is contained in the Let­ter, and that the Letter is the [...]eans of comfort, is not this to deny Christ and the Letter too? where is it so written? Thy places thou makest use of wil not prove it, without adding or wresting, and to prove that the Let­ter is so, thou brings that of Dan. 10.21. where the Angel when he would comfort Daniel said, I will shew thee what is written in the Scriptures, where it plainly appears that Daniel for all his wisdom could not know what was the life and comfort declared of in the Letter, without the Spirit shewed it to him; and here thou hast wel proved the life, wisdom, salvation and means of comfort to be contained in the spirit & its opening, which be­fore thou saidst was contained in the Scriptures, and thus whilest thou art about to dash in pieces the quakers principles, thy potsheards are clashing one against another: Thou saidst thy expectation is from the Scriptures, but where findes thou it so written? the Saints expectation is from God, Is the Scriptures thy God? And then to cover thy self thou sayst thou makes not the Scriptures thy sole cause of knowledg: I answer: That's the sole cause of knowledg, wherein is contained the wisdom to salvation, and which is the means of comfort which thou hast ascribed to the Letter, and now this cover wil not hide thee: Thou sayest it is able in the hand of the eternall Teacher to make wise to salvation the man of God; but thou hadst done wel to have given thy judgment clearly, whether thou thinkest the Eter­nall Teacher can make wise to salvation without it, or the man of God can be saved without the Letter? Thou saies the Scripture proves the work of the New Birth, but is it so written? Shew me that place, the new Birth was before the Letter, and does the latter prove the former? It is written the Spirituall Man proves and judgeth all things, but not the litterall; and here thou come not with, 1 Cor. 2.i0.i5. it is written, this is but imagined, and this is thy first mistake against us: and now thou comes to the second head, which thou calls our mistake, and that is our speaking to that vvithin.

I answer: This only of thy seaven we own, as it is laid down, and thou that knows not that within to speak to, 1 Pet. 3.19. knows not his Ministry that prea­ches to the spirits in Prison, nor that quickned in thee, that death hath passed over, but art stil dead in sins and trespessas, and knows not the seed of Abraham, to which the promise is, which is not after the flesh nor of the flesh, which seed Christ takes upon him to renew the Image of God: And whereas thou deniest it to be Gods language, and calls it Satans Langu­age: I answer: 1 Cor. 2.4. 2 Cor. 4 2. Iohn 5.25. What language spake the Apostles when they spake in de­monstration of spirit, and commended themselves to that in every mans Conscience in the sight of God, and what is that dead that must hear the voice of the son of God and live? what is the inward man and the outward man, if there be nothing in man to speak to? and what was that which [Page 5]Christ spake to in Peter, when he said, 2 Cor. 4.16. Mat. 16.18.23. Upon thee will I build my Church and presently after get thee behind me Satan? was this all one thing in Peter? or was it to him alone as he was a Creature? and herein thou de­clares thy self to be an unbeliever, for he that believeth hath the witness in himself, i Ioh. 5.10. which witness thou knows not in thee: And saith the Apostle, my Conscience also bearing me witness, in the sight of God I lye not: And what eyes was Paul to open in the Gentiles? Acts 26.19. was it not an eye within? Or was he but only to preach to men outwardly blind? here thou hast manifested thy selfe to be a blind guide, who hast not a witness of God in thee thou knowest of, to exercise thy Conscience towards God and man, therefore the devil hath h s wil in thee, lying, slandering, and false accusing, calling the inward man in the Saints, Satan, or some of his Legions, 2 Cor. 4.i6.

Now to thy third head, That we deny the use of reason or consideration in matters of God. I answer: If thou meanest carnall or naturall reason, I say it knows not nor discerns the things of God, and we deny to consult with flesh and blood to know the things of God, and shew where that is written, 1 Cor. 2.14. Gal. 1.i6. Iude 10. that natural Reason is to be considered with about the things of God: but if thou sayest thou meanest spirituall Reason, I judge thy accu­sation to be false, for that Reason we own which stands in the faith of God and leads to reasonableness. And whereas thou accusest us, that we wil not do as Christ and his Apostles did, to dispute with gainsayers of the truth: Herein let most of the Prisons in the nation be witness against thee, where­in we are and have been imprisoned for going into your Synagogues and Idols Temples to dispute and reason with gain-sayers of the truth, and herein we are not different from the words and practise of Christ, Acts 17.2. as thou accusest us to be, which thou in thy reason a voids and saves thy self, least any of those things that befalls Christ and his Saints now, should befall thee; and here is thy own reason wherein Satan is conversant (as thou sayes) that will not suffer thee to follow Christ and his Saints herein, further than thou canst have thy own pleasur s, honor, and ease, and worldly beloveds, that thy lusts may live, and so throws by the Cross of Christ and his afflictions, for which thou accusest us. And thou layes down wayes in thy reason, to know the things of God, as by the aire and sun, and by the Creation of the world, to know the new Ierusalem, and Rome at the day of Iudgment, and many such things of Gods secrets thou wilt know, without in thy reason; but thou hast lost (it is written) for it is written, that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, Rom. 1.i9. for God hath shewed it to them; but where is it written that God is known by rea­son? And many words thou utters not worth answering. And thou tels of a day Star rising in the heart, now thou wilt confess somthing within, and not all in the Letter; but what foundation thou art on, that art thus tos­sed to and fro, is manifest to the Light, but the blinde must needs stum­ble.

And now to the fourth head: That we deny the ascension or being of the body of Christ, and when thou hast raised this slander, thou goest about to disprove it, and so thou disproves thy own and not ours, for the body of Christ we own, Iohn 3.13. Iohn 1.1.14. Iohn 3.13 s Iohn. 53; to the 56. and the ascension of it, and that it is the same that came down from heaven, which became flesh, and is reall flesh and bone, which flesh is our food to spiritual life, but if thou saist this body is carnal, (as the Priests do, let us know thy meanining in plain words, for a carnall Christ I own not, but if thou saist Christ cannot be real flesh except he be carnal, I say thou knows not the Scripture nor power of God, for Christ is not be­gotten by carnall generation, nor by flesh, but the spirit of promise: Si­lence flesh and stop thy mouth, for into this MYSTERY thy Reason can­not enter, but Christ and his flesh we know, therefore does the world hate us, had the flesh of Christ been Carnall, it had corrupted as thine must, but being spirituall it could not.

Thy fifth head is also a filthy lye: That we deny all Ordinances of Christ, and that there is nothing which Christ hath commanded as Lord over his heritage, but we deny it, O that ever any should profess the pure name of God, and utter such abominable lyes, that all that ever knows our practise or judgment may witness against thee, for all the Ordinances of Christ we own in their place, and the end of them in Christ, who is the body and life of all, yet cannot we give or attribute that to the figure which belongs to the substance; Col. 2.8. to the end. and otherwaies prove if thou canst that we deny any one thing that Christ ordained; but it may be thy meaning is that we deny the worshipping in the Idols Temple, or your churches as thou calls them, which thou pleads for in another place, or sprinckling Infants, singing Davids words in rime, hour-glass preaching from a text as now it is used, preaching over the dead, churching women, taking tythes and set wages, and much such like stuff, which neither thou nor all the priests in England can prove any one thing of them that Christ ordai­ned as now they are used, but had their rise from Rome, and are inventi­ons of men which have the pope for their predecessor, which thou accu­sest us withall, who deny such beggarly popish rudiments, and bears wit­ness against them both in them and you; and here be ashamed of thy slander, and let it return upon thy own pate, and thy reproofe be to thy selfe, who denies the Lord to set up those traditions in such a way as hee never commanded: And whereas thou mentions baptisme and the Lords supper, I say that baptisme we own which is with one spirit into the death of Christ into one body, 1 Cor, 12. i [...]. which is the baptisme of Christ; and the baptism of Iohn we own in its place, and the Supper of the Lord we own, and the bread we breake is the communion of Christs body, and the Cup we drink is the Communion of his blood, and we being many, therby become one body, and one blood, soul, and minde, and the Lords body we discern, and eat not damnation but eternall life: And thou that calls this denying of those ordinances, thou knowest not the end for which they were ordained: [Page 7]Thou sayes, have we a spirit to guide us without a written Word? He that bad not the Spirit to guide without the Letter, went to the Familiar spirit, &c. Sam. 128.13. Iohn 16 Rom. 8.14. Thou saist we may be familiar spirits for ought thou knowest: O thou Blasphe­mer, is that a Familiar Spirit that guided the Saints in all ages before the Letter and without the Letter; and is not that Spirit the same now to those that know it? Doth not Christ say the Spirit of Truth shall guide into all Truth, and doth he say, not without the Letter? And was that a Familiar Spi­rit? how dost thou denie the Spirit and blaspheme against it, to set the Let­ter in its steed: And thou makest a dissembling as though thou pittied us; but wert thou not blinde thou wouldst bewaile thy self who art spiritually blind, who hast not the Spirit of Iudgment to guide thee and to try all things, but by the Letter wouldst try the Spirit, when a lying Spirit in thee must read it; its no wonder that thou should'st call Light Darkness, and say the Letter is the Rule of Life and Love, and so denies Christ to be the Rule of Life, unless thou saist the Letter is Christ. And whereas thou hold'st forth as that all that Christ commanded to any, is to be observed by all: Then why do not all that reads those commands, go Teach and Baptize all Nati­ons: And why art thou in thy certain dwelling house, and art not wandring without Bag or Scrip, freely Preaching and working Miracles? And why was not Paul sent to Baptize as wel as the rest, if they had not their parti­cular Calls? Art not thou now he that hath lost Scripture and thy Reason too which thou slanders us withall? All that are not blinde like thee may see thee; Thou goes on lying all along, saying, that we desire to overthrow the writings of the Spirit of God, and to shake off all rules, and thou brings Mr. Pope to witness thy filthy slanders; but hast not thou cast off Christs rule and the writings of the Spirit too, in lying and calling Pope, Master? which Christ forbids. Chandler. And thou sayes none ever promised so much liberty to them­selves as we do, and tels of Chandler as being our head formerly, who is one that we never knew; & suppose that he did own the truth in shew, wilt thou slander all the eleven for Iudas? here thou shewest but thy envie and foolishness, to slander those that abide in the Truth, for one that falls from it; stop thy mouth and be ashamed of thy lyes, Is this thy religion? that knows nothing in thee to bridle thy tongue and guide thee in the truth, thy refuge of lyes must be swept away, and the Truth cleared.

Thy sixt head is, That we deny honor to men. To which I answer: If thou meanst such honor as stands in the Lord, wherein every one is bound to honor one another without respect of persons, or if thou meanest sub­jects to the power of God, in whomsoever it is, without respect of persons, as to Magistracie, &c. Or if thou meanest Old Age, without respect of persons or parents, or Masters in the Lord, such honor as God requires; this we own and practise both in doing and suffering, and thy slander can­not reach us herein; but if it be that honor that stands in the pride or ri­ches, or respect of persons, we deny it, and thee in it; and do see thee in Hamons condition, who vvould have the seed of God to bovv to thede­vils pride, but vve have not so learned Christ, God is no respect or of per­sons [Page 8]Christ is no respecter of persons, and they that are in the faith of Christ are no respecters of persons; and thou that art, read thy self in the Scriptures, wert thou not blind thou should'st see the devil reproved and resisted with (it is written) 2 Sam. 14.14. Rom. 2.11. Acts 10.34. Luke 4.7.8. Math. 22.16. Iohn 5.44. Iam. 2.1. to the 10. Iob. 32.21.22. Est. 3. These and many more places might be added to them, Iob. 32.21.22. which all forbid respect of persons: Now all may see how thou regards what is written but for thy own ends; thou perverter of Scriptures, stop thy mouth for shame, or shew me one Scripture that commands me to honor any for their pride or riches; til then, all the examples of the world is nothing to me, I fol­low Christ and his commands, and not the traditions of men, good or bad. And whereas thou brings that command, Levit. 19.32. Thou shalt-rise up before the hoary bead, &c. But how is that command fulfilled? when gray haires must bow down to pride in young ones, or else such as thou wilt accuse them to commit a sad offence against what is written: hast thou not brought this against thy self? and now who is the Conjurer or famill­ar Spirit (thou tels on) but thou, who by alledging Scriptures wouldest lead contrary to Scriptures, & the commands of Christ, & his practise, wherin the Scriptures condemns thee. And whereas thou wouldest possess people that we have Familiar Spirits and are wizards, because we wil not bow to mens persons who are proud and rich; O thou Serpent! How dost thou cast out thy venom against that seed that would never bow to thee? Had Christ a Familiar Spirit, who would not bow to the Prince of this World, who would allow him no share in its Glory if hee did not? Had Mordecai a Fa­miliar Spirit, who would not bow to the Devil in Haman, who else would kil him and all that seed? Or was he a wizard, because thou sayes, they that are wizards use not to bow or honor mens persons? Was Elihu a wizard? Or had the Aposile and they that he wrote to Familiar Spirits? O thou Blas­phemer! Thou shalt now know that thou hast spoken against the Holy Ghost; Iames. 2. And I charge thee, and all thy proud generation to prove ever any who required bowing to their own persons, or persecured, hated, and accused for not so doing, but such who had the spirit of the Devill, and the same spirit that tempted Christ to it, tempts his Saints to it: And now see how thou be-lyes what is written, neither can the Saints weakness prove Gods commands nor our obedience to them, no more than Davids Adultery, or Iosephs swearing by the life of Pharoah, though thy brood who loves such things take liberty by them, and so wrests the Scriptures to their own destruction: Thou goes on in thy blasphemy, and saist, thou art sure that these two are both sins a like, viz. being a wizard, and not bowing to men, or honouring mens persons, for so is thy meaning, or else thou touches not us, then must needs follow that Christ, Mordicai, and Elihu committed that sin, and the Apostles exhorts to that sin, when he saith my brethren have not the faith of Christ in respect of persons; for if you do respect persons, you commit sin, and transgress the Law, which Law [Page 9]thou wouldest bring to prove respect of persons: And here thy spirit is try­ed to be contrary to the Apostles, for he brings the Law to sorbid respect of persons Iames 2. and thou would'st wrest it to prove it, Iames. 2. and this is the Spirt of Satan, for that Law which saith, honor thy Father, &c. saith, thou shalt not bow to any creature, &c. And herein thou canst not accuse us, but thou must accuse Christ and the Saints that followed him. And why dost thou [...]o often bring that word (Master) unless thou intends to bring the practise of Ahrahams servant, to disprove the express Command of Christ Mat. 23. which if thou dost deale plainly, (for I know that command is much in the way of Priests and proud Teachers;) and when thou hast pressed respect of persons, and calling (Master) and such things (though Masters and Servants we deny not.) Then thou sayest, though these things wil vanish away in the day of restoration, yet abide in them til that day: What art thou affraid that we should come too soon into the practise and command of Christ? It seems thou art convinced, the Kingdome of thy Father must down, but thou wilt set too thy shoulder to uphold it as long as thou canst: All that are not blind may see whose work thou art doing; and saist thou, though forms and ordinances shall cease (and Churches as thou calls them) yet let us worship in them til Christ come, which if thou meanest Christs comming to his in spirit, then its plain thou hast not received him, who art stil in these things, and pleading for them, which must perish at his comming: But if thou meanest his comming at the end of the World, then it seems thou wouldest take a long day for them to con­tinue, even as long as God is to have any worship here, and such stuff as this thou brings forth, to dash the quaking Principle a pieces. Is this thy standing truth that lyes thus in confusion? But it is no wonder to see thee oppose Christ and all that follow him, who knowest him not yet come, nor the day of restoration, and yet in a busie blind zeale (without Christ) wouldst set judging the things of God, Christ, and his Saints, with a re­probate Spirit that knows not Christ in thee, and with thy carnall spirit wouldst keep up carnal Ordinances, and yet wouldst accuse us for wizards, 2 Cor. 13.5. but read the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, and there thou maist read thy self, and how the Galatians were bewitched by such wizrads, holding up carnall commandments against the spirituall life, For we own a time of Death, a time of quick­ning, a time of growth, and a time of perfecti­on, and with the Light of Christ we see it, which the world doth not, nor when we was in death we did not. but thou art much worse than they, who art holding up that which was never commanded but for­bidden; and here the witch is found out, but not in the quakers, and into thy pit thou hast digged thou art falne, and let thy mischief be upon thy own pate, but peace and truth be upon Israels seed for ever.

Now to thy last head, which is not thy least lye, that is, affording absolute per­fection at one instant, and that we admit of none but perfect men into conjun­ction, and when thou hast doubled the lye, that thy bonds of wickedness may be strong, then thou goes about to disprove it; and here thou raves and raises up much mud and dirty stuffe, as shooting and hitting, and stating the matter to cast upon us, as though we held Absolute perfection at one instant, but he is blinde [Page 10]that cannot see thy shooting is against any perfection, and yet thou darest not speak out: The great controversie at this day between Christ and Antichrist, and their Ministers is about perfection, and being free from sin, God made man per­fect and free from sin, but the Devil having led man out of his perfection into sin, labours there to keep him, and God in love hath given Christ and furnished him with power, to lead man again to his perfection and freedome; and now here is the contest between Christ and Antichrist and their Disciples, Christ gave out his Ministers for the perfecting of the Saints, and to bring them into one faith unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ, Eph. 4.11.12, 13. Col. 1.28. And all that ebelive in him, preach this and press after it, and none of these did ever plead against perfection, or say, none could be free from the being of sin while they live, but believed in perfection and freedome, and this faith stands in Christ, who is able to save to the uttermost all that believe in him. Now Antichrist he hath his M [...]nisters sent out under the name of Christ, and making use of Scripture to beget a saith in all that will believe them, but quite contrary, (that is) that none can be free while they live, but when they dye then they may; And thus each master hath his Ministers pleading for their Masters Kingdome here in this life, who should be served in this life; now because the Devil hath nothing at present to give to deceive withall but sin and filthiness, therefore he alwayes deceives those that believe him, with promising a thing that is to come, perswading them to do his work here, and they shal have Christs wages hereafter; This is the lyar; Now saith Christ I am the Son, and if you know the Son, he shall make you free even from the committing of sin, John. 8.32. to the 37. But then the works of the Devil must not stand, for to this and I am made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil, 1 John 3.3.9. and you cannot serve two Masters saith Christ, me and Mammon; now all that believe in Christ believes this, and so denies the works of the devil and follows Christ, and these never want power, for they have him who is the great power of God to salvation, and as they grow in the knowledge of Christ, so they know Power and Victory, and their faith is that which overcomes the world and the Devill, 1 John 5.4. Now the other hath a Faith without Power, Rom. 1.16. which withstands the power, (that is) to believe they can never be free from sin till they dye, and yet belives there is a God that will re­ward accordingly, and this the Apostle calls the faith of the Devill, Jam. 2. And this faith is to uphold his own Kingdom, but perfection and freedom destroys it. And now read thy self whose Minister thou art, and whose faith thou preaches, and according to thy faith so shall it be unto thee (and every one else) and that the Devill knows wel enough, that makes him thus rage, that any should believe freedome, for he that comes to God must first believe that he is able to save, or else he justly cuts himself off by his unbeliefe, But all that know God have learned to deny thee and thy Faith and Doctrine, and with that light which is before sin was, art thou comprehended and judged, who art tossing and searching out ways, and gathering up those Scriptures to plead for sin, that holy men wrote to lead out of sin; and the Saints imperfection in their growth thou usest, to make people be­lieve they never came further; and when thou hast wrested many Scrip­tures [Page 11]to that end, to keep all blinde that are blinde, for those that see, thy mist cannot hurt. Then thou falls to thy lying again, repeating them over, least they should have forgotten them; in this confusion thou hast led them through: And thou tells again of denying Christs Body and his Ordinances; and thus thou leads them that will believe thee, into thy practise to tell it after thee, but least any should behold thy practise and ours, and so come to suspect thee, or own us, thou shuts the Kingdom against them, thus, Satan (sayes thou) may let them be pure and holy in regard of outward holiness or Iustice between man and man, and freedom from the pollution of the world through lust, if he can make them be of those that deny the Lord that bought them: This error is sin enough to damn them, as though a man could be free from the pollutions of the World through lust, and yet deny the Lord that bought them; here shall all that know freedom from pollution through lust judg thee that thou never yet knew it, who sayest it may stand with denying Christ. And thus being convinced that our practise will prove thee a lyar, thou wilt hide it as wel as thou canst. It seems thou owns not freedom from the pollu­tions of the World through lust, to be the redemption of Christ, unless they jump with thy fancie; then to conclude thy lying slander, and to make us odious indeed, thou saist, the Ranters were our forerunners, when all that know us may witness against thee that no people in the Nation more differ, both in judgment and in practise than they and we; but were we one with the Ranters, we should have more of thy favour and less opposition; for thou and many of thy generation have writ many Books against us, but I never heard none of you write a book to oppose them. Thou tels of Franckling, what he is I know not, accuse us with what we own, and not with what we deny, who is gone out from us, are not of us, nor do we own their practise. And least any should spie out thy envy in often repeating thy false Accusations, thou saist it is for several purposes, but all for good of souls; but who sought the good of souls durst never lye, slander, nor speak evill of the things they knew not, nor pleaded against perfection nor freedome from sin, nor for respect of persons, this was never for the good of souls, nor did he ever love souls that set thee on this work; but thou knows not of what spirit thou art of, who knows nothing in thee contrary to thy own will to guide thee, and to exer­cise thy conscience towards God and Man, which is in God and in Man. But when thou comes to an end of thy wickedness, and shalt cease to deale treache­rously; then shall the witness arise, and thou shalt see what thou hast done in pu­shing against the Lamb. Thy Heads and Horns, with thy Names of Blasphemy, must be dasht to pieces with that Principle at whose presence the Saints quake & tremble, which now thou scorns and them that own it; till then I leave thee to run thy course, yet in thy greatest zeale (if thou minde) thou maist sometimes find a check in thy Conscience, that is not of thee nor of thy ways, that is a witness against thee, which sometimes wil hint to thee thy latter end, and what then shall befall thee, who now hates to hear it, or be reformed by it; at that day it will ap­pear thou hadst better have been silent, then out of a lofty proud zeale in thy blindness to have spoken against the things thou knowest not.

There is a bundle of lyes more in thy Book, not worth answering, all [Page 12]that know our practise shal witness against thee in them; As, that we work upon people to cause a disesteem of the Scriptures, That we deny the Lord that bought us: That the Papist is our Predecessor: That we wil not have Christ to rule over us, but deny both his Person and Word: That we have not Faith, but a bewitching Spirit: That we use unseemly kissings in our meetings: That we deny the way of righteousness: That we deny the ver­tue of what is written: That we fear not God, nor care for man: That be­ing one time wrought upon we are perfect: That we deny any man being under frailty: That we leave Christ neither Body nor Laws extant, and so no being no Son: Divers more there is not worth the raking up: These I re­turn thee into thy bottle from whence they came, there to rot. Is this thy Religion? What a spirit art thou guided by? Hast thou done as thou wouldst be done unto? But this is thy fruit, who hast denyed any thing within thee to exercise thy conscience towards God and man: O shame! shame with thy guide and his fruits, thy envy against the truth.

Did God create man in Sin, Imperfection, and respect of Persons? &c. Or is it in the Fall: which if it be, Then see whose work thou art doing that pleads for it, and a continuance of it while man lives, and against such as witness Redemption from it; didst thou ever read any of Gods children in that faith or works?