ISHMAEL, And his MOTHER, Cast out into the WILDERNESS, Amongst the Wild Beasts of the same NATURE: OR, A Reply to a Book entitulled, The Scriptures proved to be the word of God, put forth by one of Ishmaels' children, who calls himself a Minister of the Gospel, and a Pastor of S. Augustine's and Savours Parish in Norwich; but is clearly made manifest by the light of God in his Servants, to be a scoffer, and an enemy to the Gospel, which the Saints of God are Ministers of, and sufferers for, by such as he is, who Ishmael-like, hath laid his folly open, and is discovered to the faithful, who are of Abraham, and of the seed of Promise.  
ALSO, A clear distinction between the Ministers of Christ, who are of the seed of Abraham, and the Priests of this generation, who are of Ishmaels' root; who with the Truth are plainly made manifest, by the light of Christ in us, who for the testimony of God do suffer by the sons of Hagar, and this generation of the Priests in Norwich: Given forth for no other end, but that the truth may be cleared from such as scoff and deny it.  
Given forth from the Spirit of the Lord in us that do suffer in the Goal of Norwich for the truth's sake, which is persecuted and slandered by the Priesis and Rulers of this City: Whose names in the flesh is, Christopher Atkinson, George Whitehead, james Lancaster, Thomas Simonds.  
London, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the black Spread-Eagle, at the West end of Paul's, 1655.   

A bundle of papers, being brought unto our hands by one of the chief Priests of Norwich, which he hath rak't up in his imaginations, against the harmless people called Quakers, and being full of lies and deceit, we are moved of the Lord for the truth's sake, to clear the truth from his lies and deceit, and false accusations, and to lay him and his two propositions (as he calls them) open unto the simple minded; who have been bewitched and deceived by such deceivers and blind guides as he is; and put forth by one Samson Townsend, who calls himself a Minister of the Gospel and a Pastor of Saint Augustine's & Savours Parish in Norwich.  Priest. 
THE Title of thy confused papers is, The Scripture proved to be the word of God, as also the only foundation of faith, and rule of our obedience, or a clear conviction of the errors of the quakers, who blasphemously affirm that the Scriptures are not the word of God, nor the foundation of Faith, nor yet the only rule of our obedence; to which lies and falsehoods we are moved to answer.  Answer. 
THe Scriptures proved to be the word of God is false, and one of the blind, deceitful imaginations, which thousand thy generation hath deceived people with, telling them, that that is the word which saith that God is the word, who made himself manifest in the days of old, before the Letter was, which word was Moses rule, who wrote forth Scripture, and not the Letter but the word, which word by which Moses was guided to speak forth Scripture, and this is that word the Prophets prophesied of which dwelled amongst us, which was before the world was and seen before the Letter was written; now with the same life and power by which the Scripture was spoken, do we challenge thee to prove such a Scripture as saith that it is the word of God, & thou that would make people believe that the Letter is the foundation, would make void the foundation, upon which the Prophets and Apostles were builded, which spoke forth the Letter, and thou that would build upon the Letter, hateth the Light and the Foundation, which is Christ, from which the letter was spoken, and thy foundation, and thy rule and obedience is tried with it, and by it thou art judged, now that which is convicted by thy airy spirit is like unto thyself, and is to be scorched up as the briars, but the children of light who are of God and in the truth, cannot be convicted by such as thou art, who from the light of God in thy Conscience is departed, and with it art to be coudemned, so with the word and the life by which the Letter was declared thou art seen and comprehended to be an enemy unto that from which the Scripture was declared, and here again I challenge thee to be a perverter of it, notwithstanding all thy procession from it; and whereas thou hast directed this confused paper unto us, of whom thou hast described the names, as followeth, to Christopher Atkinson, james Lancaster, George Whitehead, and Thomas Simonds now in Norwich Goal for their Errors and Miscarriages.  Priest. 
Thou sayest if ever the truth of God were turned into a lie, it is by us (thou sayest) that deny the Scriptures to be the Truth of God, and pretend immediate Revelations to be our rule for our actions, and canst not produce any proof but the words of a dead man like thyself which thou calls Mr. Burroughs; to which we answer.  Ans. 
By thee Priest Townsend, is the truth of God turned into a lie, & thou art taken with one in thy mouth, who saith that we before mentioned are in the Goal of Norwich for errors and miscarriages, here thou slanderer we challenge thee to prove what errors or miscarriages can be laid to our charge, what is thy lies and slanders, that which you would make the people believe? and are we counted deceivers for declaring the Truth, and testifying against thee and thy generations, as it is counted an error in us to unveil thy deceits, and lay thee open to all men: here in the presence of the Lord do we declare against thee, for errors and miscarriages do we deny, and this thy confused stuff wherein fyrst thou sayest that we deny the Scripture to be the truth of God, which is a lie, as thy own words makes it manifest, who in the same page of thy shamelels discourse, which now is laid open to the understanding of the Simple.  Priest. 
And again thou sayest that we atknowledg the Scripture to be the truth, and yet deny them to be the word of God, here let all that sees thy confused paper judge thee, who art in Babel, where the confnsion is, and a minister of it.  Ans. 
The Scripture we own as it was spoken forth by them that lived in the word, and receive it as a Declaration of God, and of what he spoke unto them of former ages, Luke i. i. but thy words and imaginations we do deny, who would call that the word which saith God is the word, and that the light which is not the light, but saith Christ is the light, which is thy condemnation, that hates it in particular, and the world's condemnation that hates it in general, as is made manifest, who hates revelations and us who witness it, shutting thyself forth from the Scriptures, and from them that gave them forth, whereas Christ saith, no man knows the Father, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal him, as thou may read, Mat. two. 27. here thou hast plainly shown thyself to be both without the knowledge of the Father and the Son, who art in thy mediate natural knowledge, which from the light which comes from Christ is erred and with it to be condemned; thou dreamer, what hast thou to do to profess thyself a Minister of the Gospel, who art but yet in thy mediate natural conceivings, when the natural man knows not the things of God, for they are Spiritually discerned; so we from God is unto thee thou deceiver, who would make people believe that that which is natural and carnal is the foundation of Faith and obedience, and so would bewitch people with thy lies, to draw them from the anointing within to obscure something without them, as they did, that would have drawn away the Galathians from the Spirit, as thou mayest read, Galath. 3.  Priest. 
And whereas thou sayest in the third Page that thou wilt reason with us, and tells ùs, that we did acknowledge the Scripture to be truth, which in the page before thou did deny; and thus is making thy folly manifest, who saith that it is our judgement, that we are perfect and free from Sin, which thou never heard us affirm, but these thy lies will clearly be made manifest by the Scriptures which thou calls thy foundation of faith, & only rule of obedience, by which thou shalt be judged, for Christ saith unto them whom he taught, be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, Matthew 5.28.  Ans. 
But thou and thy generation hates this, and says that there is no perfection to be attained here; Oh thou blind guide! did Christ ever command any thing that might not be accomplished? or did he speak of being perfect not till after death, here thou dost deny the very end for which Christ came, who came to take away Sin, and in him is no Sin, Mat. i 2i. i john 3.3, 4, 5, 6. and i john 5. i8. here thou hast, plainly made it manifest, that thou art without Christ and his knowledge, and in Antichrist, now what the Scripture speaks, in our meafure do we witness concerning these things, and thee we do deny, and all thy generation, thou enemy of God, who doth pervert the Scriptures, and wrest them to thy destruction, and here with the light that never changed art thou to be condemned from God and all the Children of God.  Priest. 
Another of thy lies is made evident, thou slanderer, who art not ashamed impudently to affirm, that we deny the power of the Magistrates in the matters of God, and that we speak not evil only of Governors, but of Government, and condemn the Ministers of the Church of England, and despise them as  teachers, and say they know nothing of the true light, and say we condemn them for preaching for hire, and says we deny Ministers should take any wages for their works.  Ans. 
The powers that are of God ordained, we own in our souls, and for Conscience sake are subject to them, and such as rule well in the things of God without respect of persons, which respects of persons is contrary to Scripture, such we say are worthy of double honour, and such our souls are subject to, for such executed the Law upon transgressors, and encourage them that do well, and their honour lies not in a hat, or bending of the knee, which is nothing but filthiness, which thou and thy generation upholds, but the honour and subjection to him that ruleth well is in our souls, as it is written, Rom. i3. i. and here thy lies and thy slanders we do deny and charge it upon thee from the Lord, to prove where ever we were not subject unto the power of Magistrates as it was of God, or where ever we spoke evil of Governors or of Government: thus art thou found with lies in thy right hand, thou enemy of God, and where thou sayest we condemn the Ministers of the Church of England, the Ministers of Christ we own, but such as thou art we deny, who seek for your gain from your quarter, and such as call Steeplehouse Church, and letter word, and foundation, and light, and rule, when Christ saith he is the way, and he is the light, and he is the foundation, and he is the word, which was before the Letter was, i john i 9 and john 3. and Rev. i9. i Cor. 3. i2. and here again we do deny all such as say that sprinkling of Infants is the Baptism and the seal of the Covenant, as thou Samson Townsend did affirm, and take i2. pence for sprinkling of a poor prisoners child here in this prison of Norwich, the sixteenth day of the eleventh Month, and the Scripture saith that the Baptism is with one Spirit into one body, and the baptism is but one, and the Church but one, which is in God, as thou may read, Ephes. 4.5, 6. and i Thes. i. and here thou and thy Church, and thy Baptism is shut out of Scripture, and with it judged, and with the light condemned to be all upheld by such sottish blind guides as thou art:  Priest. 
And again thou sayest that the Ministers of England speaks nothing but what is according to the Law and the Testimony of God in his word, which is the rule to try all teachers by, and thou sayest that this our judgement is contrary to Tit. 2.15.  Ans. 
Whosoever read that Scripture will condemn thy blindness in these things, who hast pretended thyself a teacher of others, and yet shut up in perpetual darkness; thou blind sot, where is it said in all the Scriptures that the Letter is the rule to try all reachers by, or where doth it ever say that the Saints did ever try the Spirits by the Letter, or how canst thou prove that ever it was called by the Saints the only rule of obedience; or a written word of God, with these thy lies thou and thy generation hath deceived the blind and: simple, taking their money for that which is no bread, making them believe lies instead of truth, Oh, ye enemies of God, how long will ye despise the truth, if Scripture had not been, these your filthy lies would have gone forth as truth to those that are in darkness, but praised be the Lord who hath discovered your filthiness, and laid you open with his light, from which the Scripture was spoken, by which light we read you in the Scripture to be among the false Prophets in their steps, and in the ways of the Pharises, and now finding you in the latter times your condemnation is justly related in the Scriptures, who go in the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Balaam, as thou may read jude. 4.10, 11. and 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5, 6.  Priest. 
And again thou sayest that Christ and his Apostles gave strong reasons for their maintenance, and to prove it; thou brings those Scriptures Mat. 10 1●. 〈◊〉 10.7.  Ans. 
Let all that read those Scriptures judge thee by me to be a liar, who formerly hast testified, that the Scripture was the word of God, and thy rule and foundation, and now calls it reason, which from reason was never spoken, but holy men of God spoke them forth, as they were moved by the holy Ghost, now the Apostle which was a Minister of Christ never took wages of the world, neither did he compel them, though to them he preached the Gospel, and though he rob other Churches, yet he rob not the World, neither took he wages of the world, nor hired with them for a certain time, as thou and thy generation do, and this was his boasting to cut off offences, 2 Cor. i3. 9, 10.12. but with the light of God in the offences we find you, who take wages of the World contrary to the Apostles, whose practices judges you to be without their life whose entrance unto the Thessalonians, he plainly doth declare, that it was neither for pleasing men, neither of deceit, nor guile, nor a clack of covetousness, neither was their Gospel burdensome, as thou may read, i Thes. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. contrary to which thou and thy generation art found in the steps of them, the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles cried against, as thou may read, Is●●. 56. and jer. 5, and Mic. 3. and Mat. 23. and 2 Pet. 2. and jude. 11. And this is the Gospel the Apostles preached, which is witnessed by the same Spirit which to thee is hid, and all thy generation, who out of their steps are found walking in the steps of the false.  Priest. 
Again thou sayest the Apostle intimates that God is mocked, when His Ministers are not maintaintained, and thou sayest that God will not be rob.  Ans. 
Here is another of thy lies, who perverts the Apostles words, and 〈…〉 thy lies to Scripture, when there is not such a word in all the Apostles words as intimate, but thou and thy generation are seen to be both thiefs and robbers; who enters not in at the door, but climbs up another way, in your inventions, consequences, and Imaginations, which are here plainly seen and discovered to them that enter in at the door, and for dishonest gain you destroy Souls, 〈◊〉 22.25, 26, 27. and as a Troop of Robbers wait for a man, so do the company of Priest's murder by consent, Hosea 6.9. and are found Robbers of God, as the false Prophets were, who in the time of the Law took tithes, and did not bring them to the store-house, as thy generation now do, as thou may read, Mal. 3.8, 9, 10.  Priest. 
And thou says thy design according to promise, is, to prove the Scriptures to be the word of God, the only ground of faith, and rule for our obedience, which thou sayest thou presented us with, and bids us read it, examine it, if it be not truth, witness against it by truth, if it be so, as undoubtedly you will find it truth, as thou sayest, and so bids us submit to it, be ruled byit, and undoubtedly our bodies shall be freed from our deserved imprisonment.  Ans: 
We have read it, and examined it, and thee both, and have found thee to be a liar, and a denier of the Word, and of the rule, and of the foundation, which is Christ, and with that which thou calls the rule, and word and foundation, art thou judged, and with the light thou art seen to be a wrester of the Scriptures, and thy Rotten foundation being already to fail thee, for it is among the blind Watchmen and greedy dumb Dogs, and hire ling, and among the thiefs and robbers, and among the Dogs and swine and filthy dreamers which the Scriptures speaks of; & as for our deserved imprisonment, here thou liar do we challenge thee and them that imprisoned us, to prove the breach of any la wby us, for they that did imprison us as many can witness, could not charge us with the breach of any Law; but by their wills to maintain such dumb shepherds as thou art; for, for the truth's sake, which witnesses against thee and all thy generation do we suffer, for which thou and thy generation never did suffer imprisonment, nor persecution of the world, for ye are of the world, and the world speaks well of you, and hears you, as it did of your Fathers the false Prophets, 1 joh. 4, 5, and Luk. 6.26. drunkard's swearers liars and thiefs speaks well of you and fights for you, and loves you, and pleads for you, and there is your fruits and freedom; from our imprisonment will we never speak for in yielding to thy lies, and false accusations, as is plainly here laid open.  Priest. 
And thou sayest from thy study january 29.  Ans. 
Here thy filthy rotten stuffed which thou hast been such a long time of gathering together in thy study, it's tried and seen to be fuel for the fire, and thou art seen to study divinations of thy own brain, and to be an inventor of lies, contrary to Scripture, and where did ever any of the Saints go into a study, and rake up such filthy stuff, and invent such lies as thou art disaproved in, & with that which thou calls thy word, thy foundation, and only Rule of obedience. Here let the life of all the holy men of God judge thee to be both shut out of their life and out of the Scriptures.  
Having returned answer to the former part of thy retten stuff, Samson Townsend wherein thy lies and deceit is uncovered to all them that have eyes to see, may see thy nakedness and thy shame laid open: now for the Simple ones sake, which thou by thy lies and divinations makes a prey upon, and through thy covetousness makes Merchandise of, who pharisee-like would neither enter into the Kingdom thyself, nor suffer others to enter in; now for their sakes are we moved to unveil thee and thy deceit, that they that see not might see thee in thy lies and wresting the Scripture, as thou hast also made it appear in the latter part of thy book; wherein thou sayest,  Priest. 
That thou hast undertaken against the Quakers these two propositions, i. that the Scriptures contained in the Old and New-Testament (commonly called the Bible) is the revealed will and word of God, 2. That the Scripture which is the word of God, is the only foundation of our Faith, and only rule for our obedience, which thou sayest thou wilt prove, 1. by Scripture, 2. by reason, and thou sayest that he that will not hear the voice of Scriptures is an Infidel, and he that will not hear the voice of reason is a beast.  Answer. 
We who in scorn by thee and thy generation are called quakers, do own Scriptures, but thee we utterly deny for an evil Beast, whose mouth must be stopped, Tit. i. 10, 11, 12. who in thy filthy reason art going about to maintain those things which thou canst not prove by any plain Scripture, but to it art found adding in thy reason, and thy invention, and thererefore the plagues that are in it written is thy portion, and the Lake which is the portion of all liars as thou art, Rev. 21.8. Rev. 22.18.19.  Priest. 
Again thou sayest that the Scriptures ought to convince us as Christians, reason as rational men.  Answer. 
They that are Christians do see and comprehend thee, and thy reason, thy faith, thy obedience, thy rule, thy foundation, to be without the foundation and the word, which was before thy inventions was, and before Tubal Cam the inventor thy father was, in whose condition thou art, and the word and foundation, and the way, was before the Beast and and false Prophet was, which thou art, Isa. 9.15, 16. and this rule and foundation and word, did Moses, David, and the rest of the holy men of God witness, who spoke forth Scripture, which thou calls the word rule, and foundation, 1 Cor. 3.11. Psal. 18.2.31.3. Here thou would make Moses, David, and the rest of the holy men of God who spoke forth Scripture, blind, like tey self, both without the word, rule, and foundation.  Priest. 
Now to prove the Scripture the word of God, thou brings Exod. 20.1. Levit. 10.3. and many other Scriptures thou brings to the same effect, how God spoke these words.  Answer. 
Thou blind sot, we challenge thee in the presence of the living God, to prove in any of these Scriptures, that the Scriptures are the written word of God, or else stop thy mouth thou evil Beast, and slow belly, dost thou make no disterence between the word and these words? and here again we charge thee to be a liar, and an adder to Scripture.  Priest. 
And thou brings these Scriptures Isa. 24.3. and Psal. 12.5, and other Scriptures to the same purpose, how the Lord saith, and thus saith the Lord, and Jer. 1.1, 2.4.9. the words of jeremiah to whom the word of the Lord came.  Answer. 
And the word of the Lord that came to joel, Amos, and others, thou dreamer, doth ever Isaiah, jeremiah, or David, or joel, or Amos, or any of the holy men of God, say that the Scripture is the written word, whenas God who is the word, john 1. spoke these words unto them, whose voice thou never heard, who spoke unto them before the Letter was written, which is a declaration of what the word spoke unto them, or was that paper and Ink, or could it be contained in paper and Ink, which came to the Prophets, whenas jeremiah saith the word is fire in his heart, and a burning shut up in his bones, and a hammer that breaks the rocks, jer. 20.9. jer. 23.29.30. and behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord, that steal my word every one from his neighbours, and behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say he saith, and behold I am against them saith the Lord, that profess false dreams and tell them as thou dost, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness, yet I sent them not, nor commanded them,  they shall not profit the people at all saith the Lord, and there thou art among the false Prophets and dreamers, which jeremiah who witnessed the word, cried woe against such Pastors as thou art, jer. 23.1.  Priest. 
Thou sayest thou shalt not need to mention the say and doing of our Saviour Christ, which are frequently recorded in the New Testament, and hence it is called the word of Christ, and thou bring that Scripture, Coloss. 3.16. let the word of Christ dwell in you.  Answer. 
Here again we challenge thee to be a liar, and an adder to the Scripture: dost thou make no difference between death and life, for Christ saith, my words gives life, and it was by his word that the dead was raised, john 11. now that which Matthew, Mark, Luke, and john wrote of Christ, could not give life, for that is called a Declaration of those things which was freely delivered among them, Luke 1.1. and that thou calls the word which is death and killeth, as thou may read, 2 Cor. 3. and Paul was a Minister of the New-Testament, and not of the Letter, which thou calls the New Testament: ver. 6. and this word which dwelled in the Saints, they did neither call the Bible nor the Letter, as thou dost, here thou hast manifested thyself to be a blind guide, both ignorant of the Word and the Letter.  Priest. 
Thou sayest that it is all one to say the Scripture saith, and God saith.  Answer. 
Thou blasphemous beast, dost thou make no difference between the Scripture and God, or is the Scripture God, when the Scripture saith God who is the word, was in the beginning, and by him was all things made, and this was before the Scripture was written, john 1.1. which thou would make thy God of, and here let all that reads this see thy blasphemic.  Priest. 
Again thou sayest the word Scripture is put for God speaking in the Scripture, and thou brings joshua 1.5.  Answer. 
Let all that reads that Scripture judge and condemn thee to be a Liar, for it speaks not such a word, as God speaking in the Scripture.  Priest. 
Again in the same page thou sayest, that all the rest that is written in the volume is but a comment or exposition of those ten precepts.  Answer. 
Thou diviner, where dost thou prove such a Scripture as comment? was that which the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles spoke out a comment or exposition? here again we charge thee Priest Townsand, to be an inventor and a deviser of lies, which thou hast no Scripture for  Priest. 
Again thou sayest that thus it appears that the Scriptures are the word of God, because God writ them, and caused them to be written.  
Answer. That which is written is the Letter, which is death and killeth, 2. Cor. 3.16. but the word is living, Heb. 4.12. there again with the Scripture thou art disaproved to be a liar.  Pr. 
Again in another page thou sayest, that the Scriptures are called the counsel of God, the will of the Lord, the mystery of God's will, and thou bring these Scriptures, Rom. 3.2. 1 Pet. 4.11. Acts 20.27. Psal. 33.11. and Pro. 19.21. Ephes. 5.17. and to conclude this, thou sayest that God himself calls the Scriptures his word, and to maintain that thou brings, Zach. 1.6.  Ans. 
Let all that reads these Scriptures, see thee to be a perverter of Scripture, and adds thy inventions to them, for they that spoke forth these Scriptures, knew the Counsel of God, and the mystery, and the Gospel, which to thee is hid, whom the God of this world hath blinded thy eyes, and out of the mystery and Gospel, and rule, and foundation, thou art with that which thou calls the only rule, and word, and foundation, art thou judged, and with light seen and condemned, to be an inventor of lies and a deceiver of the blind, but no further canst thou proceed, for thy folly shall be made manifest to all men.  Priest. 
In a second reason of thine; thou sayest, the antiquity of the Scriptures do clearly prove them to be of God, for man could never write of things done before he had a being, but the works of the five first days Creation, are mentioned in Scripture, but man was not made till the sixth day, therefore they must needs be the word of God.  Ans. 
Here thou blind Beast, who art ignorant of God, who makes antiquity as thou calls it, the perfect knowledge of God, and says that man could not declare of things before ever he had a being, and so would make people believe that the Scripture reveal God, thou blind Beast, whether was man, or the Scriptures first? and whether did God make himself manifest unto? and thou that sayest that the Scripture reveal God, thou art a liar, for God revealed himself to Moses, before the Scripture was written, and Moses who was the first penman of the Scripture, was 14 Generations after the fall, and yet he wrote of things, before the fall was, and thy father Cain was before Moses was, and yet he knew no Scripture, and thou that would make the Letter the light and way of knowing God, art not so much as a Minister of the Letter, and here thou art made manifest to be in the fall, in the death, which passed over all men before Moses was, and are not come to see the first day's work, to see light divided from darkness, and here let all the Prophets and holy men of God judge thee with the Light, from which thou art erred, for they wrote of Christ, and saw his day many Generations before he came in the flesh, and here thy antiquity, and thy reasons, and the three persons thou dreams of, which would divide out of one, like a conjurer are all denied, and thou shut up with them in perpetual darkness for the Lake and pit, for thou hast no Scripture that mentious such things.  Priest. 
And where thou art telling that the Scripture converts the Soul, and works Grace, and the opening thereof make hearts to tremble, and says that Scriptures discovers men's thoughts, and makes Laws for them.  Ans. 
Here thou hast made thyself manifest, where did ever any of the holy men of God, say that the Scripture converts the Soul or make Laws for men's thoughts? and what is that which opens the Scripture? or where is it, if the bare Letter convert the Souls? here thou Priest of Baal, for that is thy name, thy lies are made manifest and deceits laid open to the Children of the Light, and art seen with the light from which the Scripture was spoken.  Priest. 
Again thou sayest the Scripture speaks to all men alike, but thus do not the word of man, therefore thou sayest they are the word of God.  Ans. 
But thou thyself and thy generation are perverters of the Scripture, and are respectors of persons, for you are called of men Master stands praying in the Synagogues, has the chiefest places in the assemblies, and the greeting in the Markets, and are pleading for cap and knee and says we do not reverence Magistrates, because we do not put off our hats, and bend our knees, as thou and the rest of thy generation of Hypocrites do, who have men's persons in admiration, because of advantage, jude. 16. and this which you calls the word, speaks not to all men alike, for woe is pronounced in it to such as thou art, who art found in the steps of the false Prophets and Scribes, and Pharises, and goes in the way of Cain, to envy, and after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards, which woe was never pronounced to the righteous, and woe unto thee thou liar, who art a wrester of Scripture to thy own destruction, and art found with so many Lies, as thou hast here uttered.  Priest. 
In another place thou sayest no Creature (Angels men or Devils if all were put together in one) could ever Diclare beforehand, what paarticular person should be borne, and what should be their names, in so many thousands years before their birth.  Ans. 
Here thou art taken with another lie, with which thou hast stuffed up this thy confused Book, for both by Angels and Men was jesus Christ the Son of-God prophesied of Moses, who was many years before Christ came in the flesh, prophesied of Christ, and said, like unto me will God raise up a Prophet, him shall the people hear, Mat. 1.17. see if thou can number the year of all these generations which prophesied of Christ and when Christ came, he saith, before Abraham was I am, thus art thou-known and comprehended with the truth, which all thy fathers and generations passed persecuted, so be ashamed and stop thoy mouth for e'er  Priest. 
In that thou calls thy two propositions, 1. thou sayest the Scriptures are the means by which faith is wrought, and to prove that by thou brings Rom. 10.17  Ans. 
Shame cover thy face, thou full of rottenness and filthy dreams, where did thou ever read in Scripture that it is the means whereby faith is wrought, when that Scripture saith, faith comes by hearing, and hearing; by the word; here thou art deaf, and never heard the word, and thy faith and word is without, but the word of faith which we preach, is nigh in the heart and mouth, Rom. 10.8 therefore search thou the Scriptures with the Saduces who knew not Christ, for in them thou and thy generation thinks to have eternal life, but ye will not come unto Christ, that ye may have life, john 5.38, 39, 40.  Priest. 
Again thou sayest that the Scripture which thou calls the word, is an everlasting rule so long as we live on earth.  Ans. 
Thou blind sot, see thy confusion; can that Letter be everlasting while we live upon earth? here thou hast showed thy reason where it is, that they that are not stark blind may see thee, thy reason and thy foundation to be in the mire and dirt, and may see thee to be a senseless natural bruit Beast, who with thy lies art made to be taken and destroyed, 2 Pet. 2.12.  Priest. 
And again thou sayest, the most eminent believer sin in many things.  An. 
Here is the end of thy teaching, here is thy rule, & here is thy foundation, and here is thy obedience, and here is thy fruits, and here is thy service, who commits sin and a Servant to Sin, and free from righteousness; john 8.24. Rom. 16.20. Oh thou blasphemer and slanderer of the just, when wilt thou cease from thy Lies, and blasphemy, where dost or canst thou prove such a Scripture as the most emmment believer, Sin in any things, when the Scripture saith he that believeth is born of God, and he that is boar of God sinneth not, for whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him, and he that committeth sin is of the Devil, and there's thy condition, and he is thy Father who is the father of all liars as thou art, i john 3.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.  Priest. 
And to conclude thy filthy rotten stuff, thou sayest they that make not the word of God the rule for their actions are led either by their own fancies, or the Devil's temptations, or both.  Asn. 
Thee Priest. Townsend art here laid open, and thou art uncovered, and here thou art found to be a denier of the word, and rule, and foundation, and thou art led by thy dreams and fancies, and thy foundation is in the dust, and thou art reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, for everlasting fire, and here thou in all these thy lies, art shut out from God, and all the Children of God, among the dogs and Sorcerers, and the Lake is thy portion, which is the portion of all liars, jude. 6, 7, 8. thus have we returned a full answer unto thy senseless stuff and in plainness have we dealt with thee, and have not flattered thee at all there, call it not railing, lest thou violate the Scriptures so with the word of truth thou art tried, and comprehended, and us shalt thou witness eternally, when the book of Conscience comes to be opened, and thou judged out of it, so we remain, Sufferers for the truth, and witnesses against thee and thy generation.  
Named according to the flesh, Christopher Atkinson, james Lancaster, George Whitehead, Thomas Simonds.   

Several words spoken by this said Priest Townsend, before he sent these Propositions.  
THE 16. day of the 11. month, this Priest Townsend came to this Prison of Norwich, and said that sprinkling of Infants was the seal of the Covenant, and that it was an ordinance of Christ, and that it was to the seed of believers, and he sprinkled a woman's Child in this prison aforesaid, who was imprisoned for whoredom, and for sprinkling of it he took twelve pence, and when he was charged with it he denied it, and then it being laid further to his charge, he then could not deny it, and he said he took it not for sprinkling of the Child, but for coming to this prison, and he said the Labourer is worthy of his hire; and he said that Paul was not sent to baptise, but to preach, but he said he was sent both to baptise and to preach, and that he had a Commission for both, and he said we were of the Devil's confederates, and he said the Devil spoke in Christopher Atkinson, and he said the Lord rebule thee Satan, and he said the Bible is the word of God, and he called Christopher Atkinson saucebox, and he said that we would take the Minister's maintenance away, that they might go begging from door to door, and he said he would send four or five propositions within a fortnight, and afterward he said he would send them within a month, and he said that Paul had good victuals and strong beer at one man's house, and he said we might reverence Magistrates in daffing the hat, and having the heads uncovered, and in bowing, and he said that he that prays or prophesies with his head covered, dishonours his head, and he being demanded why the Priest had some of them two caps on when they pray, he said because of infirmities of their bodies, and he said that he would have sent propositions before now, but that he said he thought we would send them to be printed, therefore he said he would be cautious and wary in writing them, & he said that God recorded the Devil's words.  
These words were spoken by this said Samson Townsend, who calls himself a Minister of the Gospel and a Pastor.  
FINIS.