A PAPER Sent forth into the World from them that are scornfully called QUAKERS. Declaring the Grounds and Reasons WHY They deny the Teachers of the World( who profess themselves to be Ministers) and dissent from them. FIrst, They are such Shepherds that seek for their gain from their Quarters, and can never have enough, which the Lord sent Isaiah to cry out against, who bid all come freely, without money, and without price, and was not hired, but spake freely; and these make merchandise and a trade of his words and therefore we cry out against them, and deny them, Isaiah 56.11. and 54.1. They are such Shepherds that seek after the Fleece, and cloth with the Wool, and feed on the Fat, which the Lord sent Ezekiel to cry wo against; who made a prey upon us; and the Lord said, he would gather his Sheep from their mouths, and that we should be a prey to them no longer, and we do witness the promise of the Lord fulfilled; and therefore we deny them, Ezek. 54.34. They are such Priests as bear rule by their means, which was a horrible and filthy thing committed in the Land, which the Lord sent Jeremiah to cry out against; while we had eyes and did not see, we held up such Priests, but the Lord hath opened our eyes, and we see them now in the same estate that they were in which Jeremiah cried out against; who did not bear rule by his means, and therefore we deny them. Jer. 5.31. They are such Prophets and Priests that divine for money, and preach for hire, which the Lord sent Micah to cry against; and whilst we put into their mouths, they preached peace to us; but now we do not put into their mouths, they prepare war against us; and therefore we deny them, Micah 3.11. They are such as are called of men Masters, and call men Masters, and have the chiefest place in the Assemblies, and stand praying in the Synagogues, and lay heavy burdens upon the people which Jesus Christ cried wo against, and bid his Disciples not to be so; Be ye not called of men Master, for one is you Master, even Christ, and ye are all Brethren; so we do witness Jesus Christ our Master, and see them to be in the steps of the Pharisees, and therefore we deny them, Mat. 3.10. Mat. 20.3. They are such Teachers, that with feigned words, and through covetousness, made merchandise of us, and do upon the People; who by Oppression maintain themselves and Wives in pride and idleness in hoods, veils, and changeable suits of apparel; who go in the way of Cain; to envy, murder, and persecute; and after the error of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, following after gifts and rewards, which the Apostles cried against, and therefore we deny them, 2 Pet. 2. judas 11. They are such Teachers as have told us, the Steeple house hath been the Church, when as the Scripture saith, the Church is in God, and therefore we deny them. 1 Thes. 1.1. They are such Teachers that have told us, the Letter was the Word when as the Letter saith, God is the Word, therefore we deny them. Joh. 1.1. They are such Teachers as have told us, the Letter was the Light, when as the Letter saith, Christ is the Light; therefore we deny them. Joh. 1.1, 19. and 8.12. They are such Teachers as sprinkle Infants, calling it an Ordinance of Christ, and baptizing into the Faith, into the Church, when as the Scripture saith no such thing, and therefore we deny them: but the Baptism by one Spirit into one body we own. 1 Cor. 12.13. They are such Teachers as tell people of a Sacrament, for which there is not one Scripture, and so feed the people with their own inventions, and therefore we deny them, but the Table and Supper of the Lord we own, 1 Cor. 10. They are such Teachers as tell people, that matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is the Gospel, which are but the Letter. The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the world, is glad tidings to poor Captives: glad tidings were promised before the Letter was written, The seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head, and He shall be a Light unto the Gentiles: the Letter is a Declaration of the Gospel, and many have the Letter, but not Christ; but we having received the Gospel, know them to be no Ministers of it, and therefore do deny them. Gen. 3.15. Luke 1.1. They are such Ministers as go to Oxford and Cambridge, and call them the Well-heads of Divinity, and so deny the Fountain of living mercies, and there they study, and red books, and old Authors, and furnish themselves with Philosophy, and fine words, and other mens matter; and when they come again, they sell it to poor people; when as the Apostle saith, he was not made a Minister by the will of man, and that the Gospel which be preached was not of man, nor had he received it from man, neither was be taught it, and denied all his learning which he had got by the will of man at the feet of Gamaliel; and, so finding them in the will of man, preaching by the will of man, we cannot but deny them. Gal. 1. They are such Teachers, that tell people that Hebrew and Greek is the Original, when as the Apostle spake in the Hebrew tongue to the Hebrews, who heard him in their own Language, and yet persecuted him; and the Greeks, who had the Gospel in their own Tongues, said, The across of Christ was foolishness; these who had the Scripture, in their own Language were as ignorant of the Life of them, as our natural Priests, who spend so much time in learning a natural Language, to find out what those meant that spoken forth the Scripture; who make poor people believe that to know a natural Tongue is the means to understand the Original; the Word which is the Original, was before all Languages were, the Word was in the beginning which Word was made manifest in all the Children of God, who spake forth the Scriptures; holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost. Now all ye learned ones, where is your original; here you and your original is razed out from the Word, which is the Original which the Apostles preached amongst the Hebrews and Greeks, which was before tongues were and your original, which will break all your tongues and original to pieces. Pilate had your original of Hebrew, Greek, and latin, who crucified Christ; he that draws back into many Languages, as into Hebrew and Greek, draws back into the naturals, and so draws into confusion: but the Ministers of God, who preach the Everlasting Gospel which endures for ever, draw up into our Language, and so the Priests, and all that trade in natural languages we utterly deny: Acts 22. 1 Cor. 1.13. John 19.20. They are such Teachers as have told us, that the Steple-house is the Temple, when as the Apostle said, Your Bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost; and Stephen was stoned to death for witnessing against the Temple, who said, God that made the World dwells not in Temples made with hands; and here finding them in the Generation that hold up the Figures, and deny the Substance, and to be ignorant of that Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, we cannot but deny them. 1 Cor. 6.19. Acts 7. They are such Priests that take tithes, the Tenth of mens Labours and Estates; and those that will not give them, they sue at Law, and hale before Courts and Sessions, yea, even those they call their own people, their own Parishioners. Levi according to the Law received tithes, and he had a command to set open his gates, that the Strangers and the Fatherless should come within his Gates, and be satisfied and filled; but we find none more pitiless of the Fatherless and Widows then they; and the Strangers they complain against to Justices, and persecute,( though they neither seek to them nor others for any outward thing) as Wanderers; and here they walk contrary to the old Law: and the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews said, The Priesthood being changed, there must of necessity also be a change of the Law, and we witness both the Priesthood and the Law changed; but they that take tithes, and they that pay tithes, according to the old Covenant, deny Jesus Christ the everlasting Priest to be come in the Flesh; and here these Priests show themselves to be Antichrist, that are entred into the World, and oppress the Creation, when as Jesus Christ said, Freely ye have received, freely give, and the Apostle said, Was there a wise man amongst them that went to Law one with another: here they are evil examples to the people, to sue, wrangle and contend, and walk out of the steps of Christ, and all the holy men of God; yea, they exceed all the false Prophets in wickedness, for we do not red that ever any of them sued men at the Law; and therefore we cannot but utterly deny them, Deut. 14.29. Hebr. 7.12. They are such Priests as beside their tithe of Gorn, Hay, Beast, Sheep, Hens, Pigs, goose, Eggs, cherries, Plumbs; take ten shillings for preaching a Funeral Sermon, more or less, as they can get it, and ten shillings for the death of a man; and Money out of Servants Wages, and Money for Smoke passing up the attorneys, and Easter-reckonings, and Midsummer-dues, and money for Churching of Women; and thus by every device get money,( and burden poor people that labour very hard, and can scarce get food and Raiment,) to maintain them in idleness and pride: these are they that have hearts exercised with covetousness, burdening the Truth, and making the free Gospel chargeable: if the Apostle was here, he would be ashamed of them, and so are we, and therefore turn from them, and deny them, 2 Pet. 2.3. They are such Priests as not only take tithes and Money for many other things of their own hearts, and sue them at Law for it; but they take money of them they do no work for; but only rail against them, and say, They that wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar, but live of them who are not of the Altar, and say, The Labourer is worthy of his hire; but take Wages of them that have not hired them, and if they will not give it them, cast them into Prison, or take their Goods by Justices Warrants; these are they that Christ cried wo against, who lay heavy burdens upon the people, who oppress tender Consciences, that own the Everlasting High Priest; where do they find any of the Ministers of Christ bargaining for so much a year? here they abide not in the Doctrine of Christ, but are Hirelings, and therefore we deny them. Mat. 23.2. They are such Preachers as have told us, They have been gifted men, and we find in the Scriptures, that the Gift of God is free, and not to be bought and sold for money; and Job said, Wisdom is not to be purchased for Money nor Gold; but they will not sell their gift under 200 l. 100 l. 80 l. or 50 l. a year, more or loss, as they can get it, here we find they have not received the Gift of God, but are like Simon Magus, and therefore we deny them. Acts 8.20. Job 28. They are Babylon's Merchants that make a trade of the Scriptures, and the Saints conditions, which the Prophets and Apostles spoken forth freely, without money, and without price, and bad all come freely. How many hundred thousand pounds in England is gained by the Scripture and human Authors joined to it? Where is there a more profitable Trade? Here they make the Scriptures their Cloak and colour to get Money by, and so make an Idol of it; and if any come to witness it fulfilled, as it was in them that gave it forth, they cry out to the Magistrates against them as Blasphemers and Deceivers: And if they answer, He that administers spiritual things, ought to reap carnals, let him consider, the Apostle wrote not that to the World, but to those that they had gathered out of the World, to whom the ends of the World were come; and let them gather people out of the World, and then they shall not need to bargain with them for things of the World; but their trading is with the World, and therefore we deny them. Isa. 55.1. They are such Teachers as take a Text out of the Saints conditions, and take a Weeks time to study what they can raise out of it, adding to it their own Wisdom, Inventions, Imaginations, and heathenish Authors, and then on the first day of the week go amongst the people, having an hour glass to limit themselves by, and say, Hear the Word of the Lord, and for money tell people what they have scraped together. These are they that speak a divination of their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord, which the Lord sent Jeremiah to cry out against, Jer. 23. These are they that use their tongues, and say, The Lord saith, when as the Scriptures say so, & the Lord never spake to them, Jer. 23.30. These are they of whom the Lord speaks, I am against all such as steal my Word every one from his Neighbour: and so we are against all such as Jeremiah was sent to cry wo against, the Pastors that now steal the words of the Prophets, of Christ, and the Apostles; the Lord hath shaken his hand at their dishonest gain, and to them belong the Plagues that are written in the Book they make a trade on, for adding to it their own inventions, therefore do we come out from amongst them, and deny them. Jer. 23.31. These are they of whom the Apostle speaks: That creep into Houses leading silly women captive, which are lead away with divers lusts, which be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, though some have learned 50, 60, or 70. years, covetous, proud, high-minded, self-willed, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, who have gotten a Form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, from which the Apostle bad turn away, and so do we. 2 Tim. 3.6. They are such Teachers that gave us, and give people, Davids conditions in metre, and when we had no understanding we sung after them, as ignorant people do now, his tremblings, his quakings, his weepings, fastings, prayers, and prophesies; and when we sung we put off our Hats, and when they red them, we kept them on, and so they caused us to worship the works of their own hands; here they show the spirit of Error, making wicked people to sing, O Lord, I am not puffed in mind, I have no scornful eye, I do not exercise myself in things that are too high, when they are puffed in mind, and have scornful eyes, and do exercise themselves in things that are to high, and are full of Filth, Pride and Loftiness, and can scarce look at one another: here they make poor people to offer a Sacrifice of lies and make them Hypocrites, deceiving themselves, saying what they are not, but the Singing with the Spirit and understanding we own: and therefore the Priests that Sing without understanding we deny, 1 Cor. 14.15. They are such Teachers as deny the conditions that the Saints witnessed, viz. trembling and quaking: when as we find the Holy men of God that gave forth the Scriptures witnessed such things. Moses, who was Judge over all Israel, feared, quaked, and trembled exceedingly: and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking: and Daniel the man of God trembled and was astonished: and Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord reeled to and fro like a drunken man, and all his bones did shake; and David who was King trembled and quaked; and Ephraim when he trembled was exalted in Israel; and Habbakkuk who was a Prophet trembled, his belly shook, his lips quivered: and Isaac in whom the seed was called Trembled exceedingly; and Paul a Minister of Christ trembled; but they make a scorn of trembling and quaking, and show themselves ignorant and strangers to the Life and Power of God, as their Generation ever was, who still made a scorn and reproach of the holy men of God that trembled and quaked; but the Seed of God, and the Prophets, and the Servants of the Lord we own; and their conditions we witness; and therefore all the Priests, and them that deny the holy men of God, we utterly deny, Heb. 12.21. Ezek. 12.18. Dan. 10.10. Jer. 23.9. Psal. 119.120. Hos. 13.1. Habbak. 3.16. Acts 9.6. Gen. 27.33. They are such Teachers as tell the people that Christ hath not enlightened every one that comes into the world, when as Christ saith, He doth enlighten every one that comes into the World: and here they go about to make Christ a liar, and John Baptist a false Prophet, and deny the Scriptures, and they say, God hath not given every one a measure according to his ability, when as Christ saith, He hath done it, Christ is the Light of the World, and by him the World was made, and he came into the World, and the World received him not; it is so now, Light shines in darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not; and this is the condemnation, That Light is come into the World: the one he loves the Light, and brings his deeds to it, that they may be made manifest, and walk in it, there is no occasion of stumbling in him, the other he hates the Light, because his deeds are evil, and this is his condemnation; and we witness the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every one that comes into the world, and by obedience to the Light, he is become our Master, our Teacher: and all who stumble at the Light, and deny it, are ignorant of the Foundation ston, and know not the first Principle, but are shut out from knowing any thing of God; and therefore the Priests and all their followers we deny: Joh. 1.9. & 3.19, 20. Mat. 25.15. They are such teachers as walk out of the Doctrine of the Apostle; and practise of all the Churches, Paul saith, if any thing be revealed to him that sits by, let the First hold his peace, for all may prophesy one by one, that God in all things may be glorified, and you edified: and the spirits of the Prophtes are subject to the Prophts, and God is the Author of Peace, and not of Confusion, and this was in all the Churches of the Saints: but now if any man come among them, while they are speaking, or when they have done, and be moved to speak any thing, them of their Church, the rude multitude, fall upon him with Staves, Fists and Punches, and knocks him down with Stones, showing themselves to be of that generation that stoned Stephen to death, and the Priests call to the Officers to take him to the stocks, and to carry him before the Magistrate, and from thence he is sent to prison, and called a disturber of the peace: here they show themselves to prison, and called a disturber of the peace: here they show themselves to be no Ministers of Christ, and their Assembly to be no Church, but in confusion, for that which was order amongst the Saints, is disorder amongst them; the Church of Christ was never Fighters, not quarrelers, nor Scorners, such Churches are the fruits of the Ministry of ENGLAND, who were made by the will of man, and never sent of Christ, and therefore they do not profit the people at all, but are Persecutors of the Messengers of Christ, and therefore we deny them. 1 Cor. 14.32.33. Acts 7. Ver. 23, 32. They are such Teachers as have told us, we should never be made free from Sin while we are upon earth, when as the Apostle saith; They were made free from Sin, he thanks God, and had put off the body of Sin; so we find they had told us lies contrary to the Scripture, and the Apostle saith, While we were servants of Sin we were free from righteousness; so in that state we Find them, and therefore we deny them, And they have told us, none shall ever be sanctified, nor the body of Sin destroyed, nor cleansed from Sin while they are upon the earth, when as the Apostle said, They were sanctified, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin; and the Ministers of God said, they reigned as Kings and here they deny the Scriptures, and therefore we deny them. And they deny the begotten Son of God, which Sinneth not, and calleth it blasphemy for any to witness that born which Sins not, when the Scripture saith, He that is born of God Sinneth not, neither can he Sin, because he is born of God, and the seed of God remains in him; and he that commits Sin is of the devil, and hereby are the Children of God made manifest, and the Childen of the devil; and as he is, so are we in this present world, and a good three cannot bring forth evil fruit; if the root be holy, so are the branches, and one Fountain cannot sand forth sweet water, and better: he that can receive it, let him: but the chief Priests, and Elders, and Pharisees, and Seducers, and Rulers, at this stumbled then, and so they stumble now at the Light, from whence these words were given forth, which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world, and therefore we deny them. Rom. 6.18. and 6.6. Rom. 8.10. 1 Cor. 6.11. 1 Joh. 1.7. 1 Joh. 3.6, 9, 10. 1 Joh. 4.17. And they are such Teachers that have told us, none shall ever be perfect while they are upon the earth, when as Christ saith, be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect; and the Apostle saith, by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and the ministry of Christ is for the perfecting of the Saints, till they all come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, to a perfect man. Here we find them to deny the Scriptures, and the everlasting offering, and all such we cannot but deny; and we witness the everlasting offering, which perfects for ever them that are sanctified. Praises to the Lord for ever; who hath sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn Sin in the flesh, that in him we might be made the righteousness of God; and all that deny perfection and sanctification, deny this offering, and the gift of God, which is perfect, and the ministry of God, which is for perfecting the body, and such Ministers are not members of the body, nor can present any man perfect in Christ Jesus, and therefore we deny them. Mat. 5.10. Heb. 10.14. Eph. 4.12, 13. 2 Cor. 5.21. James 1.17. They are such Teachers as deny the everlasting Covenant, and the Anointing, for if any come to witness that they are taught of God, and that he hath written his Law in their hearts, and put his Spirit within them, and that none need say to them, know the Lord; then they cry out to the Magistrates, and ignorant people, These are the Deceivers and false Prophers that shall come in the last times, they deny the means; and when any witness that they have received an unction from the holy one, and need not that any man teach them, but as the anointing teacheth them of all things; then they cry out, These are Seducers and seduced: and so here they deny the Covenant of God, and the Promise of God, and show themselves to be the great Seducers that draw from the Anointting, and finding their Spirits contrary to the Scriptures, we cannot but deny them. Jer. 31.33. Heb. 11.8. 1 Joh. 2, 20, 27. They are such Teachers that say, Revelations are ceased, and deny revelations and so deny the Son, For no man knows the Fathers, but he to whom the Son reveals him, and no man knows the the things of God, but the Spirit of God, and he to whom the Spirit reveals them: and the Apostle said, It pleased the Father to reveal his Son in him: And so he that denies Revelations, denies both the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit; these are the Priests who talk of Religion, and have gotten a Form to trade with, and have received things by tradition, but are ignorant of God, and of the Spirit, by which all the Saints were ever guided, and therefore we deny them. Mat. 11.27. 1 Cor. 2.11. Gal. 1.16. Phil. 3.15. Therefore all people, consider what you do, and hold up, and worship, for the Worship is but one, and the Word is but one, and the Baptism is but one, and the Church is but one, and the Way is but one, and the Light is but one, and the Power is but one; but they that are without have many Teachers, many Ways, many Opinions and Judgments, and many Sects; but we have but one Priest, which is over the household of God, and therefore are all of one heart and soul. Moved of the Lord, written from the Spirit of the Lord, for the cleansing of the Land of all false Teachers, Seducers, and Deceivers, and Witches, who beguile the people, and enchanters, and Diviners, and Sorcerers, and Hirelings, and which is for the good of all people, that fear the Lord, and own Jesus Christ to be their Teacher. From them whom the world scornfully calls Quakers; but quaking and trembling we own, else we should deny the Scriptures, and the holy men of God; but the Scriptures we own, and the holy men of God; therefore we deny all them who deny quaking. If you say, these things are frivolous things, which you have taught us, then we have been taught frivolous things all this while; but we find all these things frivolous things, wind and air, and therefore we deny them. All people that red these things, never come ye more at the Steeple-house, nor pay your Priests more tithes, till they have answered them; for if ye do, ye uphold them in their Sins, and must partake of their plagues. THE END.