Something in Answer to a Book called CHOICE EXPERIENCES, Given forth by one J. TURNER.  
Also the Copy of a Letter sent to the Assembly of those that are called Anabaptists in Newcastle.  
Wherein the simple minded ones may see the deceit of those people, who take up the practices of others, by imitation and tradition from the Scriptures, not having the same commands themselves, as the Saints always had, from the spirit of the Lord.  
And that Christ in the Saints, which is their hope of glory, is the same Christ that was crucified by the Jews, who is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World.  
Also the difference between the Saints who wait on the Lord for the moving if his Spirit to he acted, when, and as he please; And Formalists of these days, who in their own wills and time practise their imitations of Duties and Ordinances, which the Lord abhors.  
By a Servant of the Lord, named of the World Edward Burrough.  
Printed in the Year of the world's account, 1654.   

I Have met with a Book called, Choice experiences, given forth by one I Turner, who by John Spilsbery in his Epistle, is called, a Daughter of Zion; and herself declareth in the 109. pag. of her Book, of being brought out of Babylon into Zion, but all along through her Book, her language is one and the same, before her coming out of Babylon, and in Zion (as she saith) her language is the language of Babylon wholly, and she is yet a servant in bondage in Babylon unto the Mistress of Witchcraft, and never came to witness freedom in Zion; for I know her voice, it's the language of her City where she now dwells, which is in confusion in Babylon. And whereas she declares of some particulars which she calls Deceits, whereby she was deceived, in the 109 pag. in that which she calls, the fifth note of experience, concerning notions and pretended spiritualities in which Satan transforms himself into an Angel of light, and how the Lord was pleased to recover her out of deceit. I answer, It is plain to the spiritual man which discerns of truth and deceit, that she is yet deceived and unrecovered out of deceit; and here I charge her that she belves the Lord, for he hath not recovered her out of deceit, for she hath 〈◊〉 him in that work, as is made appear in her Book; and she is now in notion, and not in power, and in pretended spiritualities and not really in the spirit; and Satan is now transformed in her into an Angel of light by which she is deceived; and whereas she talks of her choice experiences, death yet reigns in her, and is no whi● subdued; I speak as in the presence of the Lord, who am moved to lay open her deceit to the simple, who doth blaspheme the God of Heaven in his Saints, in calling truth error and calling that deceit, which by the spirit of the Lord I own to be truth, and calls those, corrupt principles which was owned by the servants of the Lord in former generations, and which is owned now by them which witness the same spirit; which spirit of Christ she makes appear, she knows not who hath de●yed him, and salvation by him, within; Whereas she speaks of Satan envying her happiness, and waits his opportunity to catch her as a Fish in the Water, covering his hook with a bait of Mystery and spiritually, I answer. She is yet in the power of Satan, he hath already catched her with his covered hook, which is covered with a very fair outside, a fair form of truth a likeness of it, with the likeness of a Church, and of a Baptism, and of a Fellowship etc. is she beguiled already and is unhappy through the opportunities which the Devil hath waited over her; for she is under the curse, lying in the fall and enmity. And whereas she speaks. Of having of es●a●ed him in his former appearances as a Devil yet now transform himself a an ●ngel of light. I answer. She hath not escaped him as a Devil▪ and here she is a liar, for his appearance 〈◊〉 her, in lying and in speaking evil of those things she knows no●; and he is transformed in her as an Angel of light, but she 〈…〉 but lies in darkness, in the my fiery of inanity 〈…〉, and the pretence of spirituality. And she 〈◊〉, 〈…〉 are, so deceived are the fittest Agenes to promeis' 〈◊〉 K●●g●●m●● I answer. Here it is made manifest, she who 〈…〉 Devil doth much promote his Kingdom, 〈…〉 hands of evil doers, who through her 〈…〉 hearts against the truth. Whereas she speaks. O● 〈…〉 ●●●ing persons by corrupt principles, which they would 〈…〉 at the thought of, before they had such principles I answer ●●●is is her own condition, she is drawn by Satan to follow 〈…〉 principles, which if she did see she would tremble at 〈…〉 of them. And she saith God was not only pleased to 〈…〉 from such things but to discover the wa● by which person 〈◊〉 brought to such things. I answer, Here again I charge her that she belies the Lord (which is blasphemy) for he hath not 〈◊〉 her from corrupt principles: he would, but she hath refi●●ed him; and the discovery from God to her, will be pl●gr●● and woe; for death and darkness raigne● which makes manifest themselves in her, which is her discovery. She speak 〈◊〉 avoiding those ways and forewarning others to avoid them likewise. I answer She hath not avoided the waves of darkness but hath chosen them, and hath avoided the way of truth▪ as is made manifest, which hath dented salvation by Christ within; and as she hath avoided the way of truth herself, so she casts a stumbling-blocke in the way of the simple to a avoid it likewise. Whereas she speaks, of discovering Satan under these veils and saith, by harkening to the voice of the tempter she was deceived, and beguiled by him in some particular things.  
I answer, Satan is not yet discovered to her, but lies under his veil in Flesh deceiving her; and by her harkening to the voice of the tempter, she is now deceived by him, not in few things, but in many: I speak it as in the presence of the Lord which shall judge of her and me. And she speaks of ever being humbled in the presence of God for it. I answer When the dreadful God shows his presence, she cannot stand, but shall be confounded, who doth here speak to the dishonour of his name: True humility she knows not, for the man of sin is exalted in her above all that is called God And whereas she speaks of beginning to be somewhat confused in her judgement; and she speaks, of not being swallowed up with confusion. I answer, She is in confusion, and hath never been out of it, as to every single eye may appear; she is not somewhat in confusion, but is rolled and swallowed up in it; and it is long since it began in her. Whereas she speaks of being weak in Principles. I answer, It is true, the Principle which is of God, is, and hath been weak in her, for it is overpowered by the Principle of deceit which is not weak, but strong, and which rules and guides her in her own will. Whereas she speaks of being with a people, and by them being deceived in some particular things: naming only three things; the first whereof is,  
That godliness being a Mystery, that it did consist of something within, and not of something without: and that the Saints were to expect life and salvation from a Christ within, and not from a Christ without.  
I answer. Godliness is a mystery; the Image of God, which is godliness is a mystery hidden from the eye of I. Turner and from all vulturous eyes; and this mystery is within, in life and power, consisting of the new man Christ Jesus, who is the Image of God made manifest within the saints, in whose Image man is like God godly; and this mystery is not in outward things, in word or declaration, or outward practice though where this mystery is made manifest, godly practices will flow from it to without; but yet the power, life, and mystery of godliness is within, and cannot be seen with the carnal eye, nor comprehended with the carnal mind. And here I charge I. Turner, in the presence of God, that she knows not the mystery of Godliness, who blasphemously calls this a corrupt Principle; and here it is made manifest, that she is in Babylon yet, and is deceived and bewitched by the Devil: I bear witness to the truth, and to this particular, and against her who denies it. And the saints hath life and salvation from Christ made manifest within, which is the same Christ which suffered without; and this I affirm, that till Christ be revealed within, there is no salvation nor life partaked of. The Scripture saith, they were reprobates in whom Christ was not; And the Apostle said, Christ in you, the hope of glory; and Christ lived in him, which was his life and salvation. Where Christ is not made manifest within, the Serpent is Head, and the Devil is King in the heart; and this I witness, and doth declare it, as in the presence of God, that t●ll Christ was made manifest within me I was not saved nor had n●●lig●●s to God, though I was high in profession and Knowledge outwardly. And here again I Turner h●th showed 〈…〉 blindness and sottishness to all and may 〈…〉, and confess that she is a be noschke in Bab●●● 〈…〉 a corrupt Principle, which is the very power 〈…〉 Religion and salvation, which is Christ Jesus wi●h 〈…〉 ●●●fest in the saints, which takes away sin and 〈…〉 Werkes' of the Devil; and she and all others, wh● w●l●es and 〈◊〉 the flesh following the lusts and desire● of it living 〈…〉 own wills in the broad way, and talks of salvation by 〈◊〉 thing without, will be deceived for nothing wil● pre●●nt 〈◊〉 b●t the righteousness of Jesus Christ revealed, which takes away sin, and sets free from it.  
And now for the second Principle, That Saints were not to do duties by, or from a command without but from a command within; and that the Word command in Scripture, was not a command to them, till they had a Word within them.  
I answer, That is no command from God to me, what he commands to another; neither did any of the saints which we read of in Scripture act by the command which was to another, not having the command to themselves: I challenge to find an example to it; they obeyed every one their own command, one was sent to Baptism and to Preach the Gospel; another was sent, not to Baptism, but to Preach the Gospel. And thou I. Turner, or any other, who goes to duty, as you call it, by imitation from the Letter without, which was commands to others, in your own wills and time, your sacrifice is not excepted. but is abomination to the Lord; for you go without the moving of the spirit, in your own wills and strength, which God hates, and which his wrath is upon. And I charge her here, as in the presence of the Lord, that she knows not what a command from God in spirit is: but is ignorant and not a daughter of Zion; and let her mouth be stopped, and let shame strike her in the Face, who professes herself to know the Lord; and let all be ashamed of her who proferses themselves members joined with her in Church; she hath made manifest the ignorance of them all.  
Now for the third particular, That as to the time of doing duties, they were to wait for the moving of the spirit, to carry them forth to it; and this they called, Waiting for a power; and till they had such a power, they were to do nothing but sit still, and wait; and this not only in private duties, but in church also; not owning any Ministry by way of gifts, of Office, but to come together, and there sit st●ll and wait t●ll they had a power, and then to speak whether man or woman.  
I answer, Who dare call this a Principle of deceit none but who are led by deceit, and such is I. Turner, who puts light for darkness, and darkness for light; all duties as she calls them whatsoever if the moving of the spirit do not carry forth to act them; then the movings of the corrupt will and vain mind carries forth; and who act from such Principles, are accursed from God. And I. Turner, and all who denies to wait for the moving of the power of the spirit to carry forth, but goes before the moving of it all their Prayers, Preach, Ordinances, and Churches, I do deny, and declare against, by the Eternal spirit of God, they are odious and abomination in the eye of the Lord, and is no duty which he accepts, whether they be done in private, or in the Church. And that Ministry which is not carried forth by the moving of the spirit of God, but of man, and in the will of man, which ministry is hated of God; and she which denies waiting upon God, till power be given in from God to act and speak for God, hath denied the way of God, and the practice of the saints in former generations; and woe is unto her, which makes the simple believe this to be deceit: whereas she saith in these particulars, which carried such a face or show of spirituality, she was corrupted, but did never fully own them in judgement nor practice. I answer, O blind deceived spirit, which calls these but a show or face of spirituality; she calls the substance a show, and the show or likeness, a substance; And woe unto her, which calls good evil, and evil good; these particulars by the eternall-spirit, I own, and work in; but that spirit of deceit, and Antichrist in her, hath denied them and calls them deceivable, and saith by them she was corrupt; let her be ashamed, and all of her faction; it was the Principle which led her from these things, by which she was corrupted, and which hindered her to own them and practise them, and which now makes her declare against them; which Principle is the spirit of the false Prophet, which now rules which I know will never own nor practise these things She also saith, She did oppose those Principles which led to looseness either in conversation, or in slighting the Churches or Ordinances of Christ, though she believes such Principles naturally follow the others. I answer, She did, and doth oppose the Principle of God, which would have led her out of pride and ●ust into an holy conversation; and out of false Churches into ●●e church which is in God. And I charge her here that she believes lies and utters what she believes, which is blasphemy▪ who saith she believes that wicked Principles naturally follow the three named by her. And whereas she saith, As to that Principle of waiting▪ yet could never come up to it in practice, in private duties she could not stay so long from duty▪ till she had such a power, but did frequently go to duty when she had it not.  
I answer. Here I do believe her she speaks truth▪ with her lying spirit; she never yet could wait upon God, to act for him, but hath run in her own will, which is abomination to him, which is no acting for God, but for self, and for the the Devil; and here hath she shut herself out, from the holy men of God's practice, who waited upon him to be led by him, by the power of his spirit; and she shows herself openly to all, that she went to that which she calls duty in her own power and time, and knew not the power of God, nor his time to be acted in; and all her duties, as she calls them, is no more but imagined and imitated from the letter without, acted by the serpent's strength and wisdom in her; and she hath here plainly discovered she knows not what waiting upon God is, in truth and sincerity.  
She saith, She thought sometime she had had it; and saith, she thought she had had communion with God. I answer, Her thoughts I do deny, who calls truth deceit; and she did, as now she doth, live in thoughts and conceivings, by which she is beguiled; that spirit which rules and speaks in her, never had communion with God, but is contrary to him; nor never was acted in the truth of God, but against him. She saith, She knew no Scripture-ground for the practice of weighting to be acted by the power of the spirit, and led to duty. I answer, The saints ground of acting, is not the outward letter, but the spirit which gave forth the letter; but the Scripture doth declare of such, as waited to be acted by the spirit and power of the Lord: Dare any say, the Saints Prayed or Prophesied, without the movings of the spirit and power of the Lord? here she hath sh●t herself among the Heathens, who knows not God, nor what it is to be acted by his spirit and power. She speaks of losing her peace, and having little or no communion with God, nor scarce any thing to speak to, or for God. I answer, True peace in Christ she never knew, for there is no peace to the wicked; neither have any, who denies waiting upon God, as she hath done, any communion with God, nor nothing to say to, or for God, but through deceit, and in deceit is I. Turner. That which brought her into trouble, and let her see the confusion (which she speaks of) which she had lived in before, but saw it not till then; that witness I own, and it shall witness for the Lord and the Truth of what I say eternally; though she have shine the ●●●●●sse, yet it shall arise to her co●●●nati●●, and her everlasting misery. And whereas she saith, Some laboured to persuade her it was a despensation of God, and that the Saints after brought out of Egypt, must be in the Wilderness, before they come to Caraan. I answer, I bear witness by the eternal spirit, the truth of this particular, as having witnessed the same condition; and she which hath denied this to be of God, hath openly showed herself to be of the Devil, denying the truth of Scripture. She saith, this did not at all satisfy her, but she continued in a sad condition. I answer. She here hath showed what spirit she is of, of the viperons generation which fled the wrath which came upon her, and could not abide the judgement; and of the spirit of them which would have been bacl in Egypt, which murmured, and therefore, with them, she entered not, but is perished with them in the Wilderness. Whereas she saith, She was never so troubled with temptations, as at that time. I answer, Here she hath showed herself to be the stony ground, which when temptation came, withered away. She speaks of a particular remptation, which was, Questioning the being of God. I answer. That which was troubled, wrought the temptations, and not that which troubled; and here she shows her ignorance, which cannot discern the ground of temptation, but lays it upon God, which is blasphemy; for he tempts none to evil. Whereas she saith, this was the sad fruit of her straying from the pure ways of truth. I answer, Here again she shows her blindness, who knows not that temptations are for good: That which she calls, straying from the pure ways of truth, it otherwise; for the stronger man came to dispossess the strong man, and then began the war, and happy had she been, if she had patiently endured to the end; but not abiding under the judgement, but starting aside, she is cast out, and must not enter; for the second beast whose deadly wound is healed, is alive, which makes war with the Lamb, which exereiseth all the power of the first Beast: and here I. Turner is under the dominion of the second Beast. She speaks of blessing God that she strayed no further. I answer. She who hath denied to wait unto Prayer and Praises, but praise in her own strength and time, her praise is abomination to the Lord and she calls that, straying from God, which was leading unto God, and so hath forsaken the right way and hath c●●● the way of God behind her back, and resisted him, who would have lead her out of darkness, and out of confusion. Whereas she speaks of God remembering her. To which I answer, he will remember her to plague her, who hath brought dishonour to his great name, and hath called his way, the way of error, and of deceit; and his real truth, a show or notion; she hath chosen her own way, the way of destruction. Whereas she speaks, being turned from owning these particulars▪ she was restored to these joys that once she had. I answer. She is returned with the Dog to the vomit, and with the Sow to her wallowing in the 〈◊〉, and there's her joy; and she now joys in the earthly dust, in forms and traditions, and likenesses of things, and knows not what it is to joy in God the substance, as by her writings it is made manifest, who hath denied salvation by Christ within, and hath denied to wait upon God for the power of his spirit, and calls them deceitful Principles; she hath chosen the way of death rather than the way of life, and hath taken herself to follow shadows and likenesses, and neglected the substance, which is Christ within, the 〈◊〉 of ●lory; her latter end is worse than her beginning and the P●●●● is fulfilled upon her. And she speaks in the 126. pag. of 〈◊〉 being d●servered under his veil; and in particular, as to that ●f being saved by a Christ within, and not by a Christ with ut; and the Lord was pleased to show her it was quite another thing, differing from the Gospel, and that it was attended with this evil consequence, to overthrow the whole Gospel, and to deny the Lord that bought them. I answer. I charge her here, as in the presence of God, with belying the Lord, and with horrible blasphemy; who saith, That that which the saints and servants of God witnessed, who Preached the Gospel and established it, (Christ within manifested) is quite another thing differing from the Gospel, and that it is attended to overthrow the wh●●● Gospel: O horrible blasphemy, and belying the Lord, who saith, that the Lord was pleased to show her it: did ever he show any of his, lies? all take notice of this wicked and horrible blasphemer; the Lord rebuke that unclean spirit of Antichrist in her, She goes on and saith, than secondly, as to that of waiting for a power to Pray, and that here was no command but from within; concerning both these, the Lord was pleased to show that it was not according to his mind, but a mere invention of Satan; and that it was attended with this evil consequence to slight Scriptures and commands of God, and to expose the soul to Satan's deceive, to walk by the imaginations of their own heart, in stead of the motions of the spirit. I answer, The Saints waited for the moving of the spirit, which was power in them to help them to pray; they knew not to Pray as they ought without it, and this command and help, they had not without them, but within them: And I again here charge her with belying the Lord and with notorious blasphemy, who saith, that that which the saints witnessed (waiting for the power of the spirit to Pray) is not according to the mind of the Lord, but an invention of Satan; and she is not ashamed to say, the Lord shown her, and the same which they witnessed, which spoke forth the Scripture, and which walked in the commands of God, tends to slight Scriptures and commands of God, and to expose the soul to Satan's deceive: this is blasphemy and error, and corrupt principles: and she which hath denied waiting, to be led by the motions of the spirit, is led by the imaginations of her own heart, and is under the power of Satan's deceiving, & speaks contrary to what the Scripture speaks, and so slights it, and the commands of God she hath blasphemed the God of Heaven, and accordingly will the Lord requite. And thus have I for the simple ones sake declared the truth, and every single eye may see, who it is is led by corrupt principles; and what I have written shall she eternally witness to be true, and all her copartners. And I pass by the rest of her Book, as not worth answering, for it is nothing but a●ery imagination and confusion, and death yet reigns in her, and in her Book is spoken out by her; and she knows not the Baptism of Saints, nor Communion, nor the true Church of Christ; to that witness in her conscience do I declare, and when it shall arise, it will eternally Witness me,  
Whose Name in the Flesh is Edward Burrough.   

The Copy of a Letter, etc.  
FRiends, (for so I call you) I was moved of the Lord to come unto your Assembly, to declare the truth from him, concerning you, as by the eternal spirit was revealed to me; and I do acknowledge it, it was a mercy from the Lord that I had that small liberty which I had, to clear my conscience amongst you, and to discharge my duty, in obedience to the Lord, and to every one's conscience am I made manifest, whether you will hear, or you will forbear: truly friends, there is something among you which I own, and which is owned of my Father; but yet many things hath he against you, and as I said, I now again say from the mouth of the Lord, that your covering is too narrow to hid your shame, and your bed too short to stretch yourselves upon; Now friends, the Ordinances of Jesus Christ, which you act in, (you say) in obedience to him, I do not speak against, but doth witness them in life and power; neither do I judge such amongst you who have extered in at the door, by the Principle of God, to the Ordinances, (if any such) but you I do declare against, and doth judge by the infallible spirit, who have in your own wills thrust in yourselves, and acted by imagination and imitation from the Letter without, and not having received the command from Christ into yourselves; such I judge to be in deceit, deceived by the Serpent, which deceives the simple, by the likeness of a thing, and you that limit the Lord to any outward visible thing, that without such can be no salvation, you I judge again to be in deceit, and my judgement shall stand; for nothing is available, that which God once commanded, nor that which was not commanded, but the new creature, which is borne of the immortal seed, contrary to the will of man. Truly friends, you are acting in darkness, and there is no separation in you betwixt the precious and the vile, betwixt the clean, and the unclean; for that which did convince you of false hirelings, and of their deceitful worship, (which is owned of my Father in you) hath not b●●n obeyed by you, but your minds have been drawn forth from within, to obey a thing without; and herein have you been bewitched from the obedience of the truth within, to obey the letter without; as they wore which the Scripture speaks of; and you are acted in another forms, and likeness than you were before, and which some are acted in yet, but by though same spirit; and you have a zeal, I bear you record, but it is not according to knowledge: I declare against that spirit, by which you are now acted, as knowing it to be the spirit of Anti Christ; and that which is owned by my Father in you, is oppressed by you, by your wisdom and ●●●sen which stands above, and is head, and rules amongst you, which is for destruction, and for the Lord to accomplish his wrath upon: and happy were you if you knew the day of vengeance, which is the acceptable year of the Lord; but you are yet full and rich, and think you have need of nothing; and hath a name that you li●e, but you are dead, and empty, and miserable; your form is corrupted, and you se●k the living among the dead, and you act in the form, but w●lkes at liberty in your own wills, despising the daily cross of Christ, which if you walked in, would bring down the high mind, and high nature in you; and through the Cross, that which is low in you, would be exalted, and the witness of your Ordinances would you have within, which you are seeking in the letter without. And now Friend, to thee who was the Speaker when I was present among you; thy Name I know not, but by thy nature and spirit, thy spirit is the same which they speak from, which thou seems to d●●y as false spirits; and by that spirit hast thou been deceived and now at works by thee to deceive others; and that spirit infallibly, by the eternal Spirit do I judge; for the time is come, that by the Saints, the great Wh●re must be judged which hath wade all the men of the Earth drunk with the Wine of her Fornteat●●●● and which hath deceived the simple. And whereas thou did 〈◊〉, what one thing I will deny as untruth which you had 〈◊〉? I answered then, as now I do; I do deny thy v●yee and 〈◊〉, for it is the voice of the stranger, and not of Christ: and though you swear by that spirit, The Lord lives; I say, surely thou swears falsely; and the false Prophets which used their tongues, and said, The Lord saith it, when the Lord had not spoken unto them, speak the same words of the true Prophet; but he that had the true spirit judged the false spirit, and so it is now. And therefore Friend, out of love to thy soul, I do advise thee to be silent before the Lord, and wait upon him, te●● he manifest himself to speak in thee, and by thee; for Friend, thy Ministry is in the will of man, and thou ministers death unto dead minds; and the Ministry which is to the Seed, thou art ignorant of: to that in thy conscience I speak, which shall witness for me before the Lord, who is appearing in his power, to utter his thunders, and all Flesh shall tremble at his presence; and all Forms of Worship will he dash to pieces at his appearance; And yours, who is the purest Form, shall be broken to pieces, that he may rule, who is without form and comeliness. Now Friends, for the Seeds sake have I speaken and written to you; and to that in your consciences have I cleared my conscience, in the presence of the Lord, which you shall Eternally witness, whether you will hear or forbear: By a Servant of the Lord, who is named of the World,  
Edward Burrough.  
FINIS.