THE Fiery darts of the devil quenched; OR, Something in Answer to a Book called, a Second Beacon fired, presented to the Lord PROTECTOR, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawn, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. wherein, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceit laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the Heathen. By one who is a witness for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, FRANCIS HOWGIL.  
Also something in answer to a book called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his Scandals. By one who is a witness against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.  
London, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the black-spread Eagle at the West end of Paul's. 1654.   


FIrst of all you go about and flatter the powers and the Magistrates, and tells them they ought to have a care of their people's souls in keeping them from infection of idolatry and blasphemy, and you say you are to inform them of the dangerousness of great meeting in London of Quakers, whose opinions are blasphemous, Paganish, Antiscriptural and Antichristian, even as the former. And further, the greatest thing that troubles you, is Printing and publishing books many thousands, you say, concerning blasphemous and heretical, and antimagistratical opinions tending to unchristian people, and disorder the people of the Nations, and to bring in paganism, and libertinism, and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeal against them.  
Oh you blood thirsty minded men, all the care that you would have the Magistrates to take of the people is to destroy them, and to have them shut up in holes and caves, and dens, and prisons, and the truth ever suffered by your generation, and your generation hath ever pressed the Magistrates that they might abuse their power, and if they will but harken to you, instead of healing the people, they will be destroyers▪ and in stead of making up breaches, they will make desolate, and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfy your corrupt will, and to uphold your Diana, and your craft, that you may make merchandise of that which hath been long enough sold and printed by you; and what hath it done? who is turned from darkness to light? and you that makes a trade of others writings and words, to maintain you in your lusts, and deceive, this you would have them to uphold; but as for the care of people's souls, it's far enough from you, and all along your filthy lying slanderous book, you are made manifest to be of those that would have fire to come down from heaven in your wills to destroy all those that withstand you and your imaginations. And therefore let all magistrates in whom the fear of the Lord is, take heed how they take things from the hands and mouths of them who hath always persecuted the power of truth, and called truth error, and light darkness, and darkness light; and in a blind zeal for God, destroy them whom the power of the Lord is manifest in; for so Paul persecuted Christ, and the Saints, and so the Jews crucified Christ, and all the Saints have suffered. And you are offended at our meeting in London, while we have been here in the City we have not been in a corner, and we challenge you and all the City in the name of the Lord, who is dreadful to all liars, and slanderers, to show what are those blasphemies that you speak of, you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites: opinions we deny, for the light of Jesus Christ which is spiritual which appears and declares against all sects, and opinions, and blasphemies, and all you who hates it, are in contention, and in opinions, and blaspheme the truth; and here I charge it upon you in the presence of the living God, that you are blasphemers who calls the light natural and paganism; and the Lord will plead with you, you filthy corrupt minds, who calls the light of Christ. Antichristian, for here in the presence of the Lord of hosts▪ I speak it, no other light do we own to walk by, but that which is spiritual and eternal, the light of Christ, which he hath enlightened every one that comes into the world withal; and this is not Anti-scriptural as thou calls it; for the Scriptures witness the same, and Christ bears witness of it, and no other light do we own but the same that ever was, which was in the beginning, and which convinceth the world of sin, and the same that led up the Saints to know the Father and the Son: and you that call this paganism and heretical, and blasphemous, and Antichristian, let all who have any light in them judge, and let shame cover your faces, and fear take hold upon you, for your words stink, and come out of the mouth of the dragon; ye filthy unclean frogs, which hath poison under your tongues▪ And as for the books which we have Printed, we own them, and are ready to lay down our lives for the testimony of Jesus, and the truth of them, and seal them with our blood, and what are written in them, through the eternal power of God, which is made manifest, and that we have published any thing against any just magistracy, let all our writings, and all who read them judge; and if bearing witness to Jesus Christ unchristians people, let all judge; for no other do we own, but the same Christ to day and yesterday, and for ever; and here all your petitioning is made manifest, from whence it did arise and proceed, and your shame and nakedness, and envy appears.  
And the Sacraments which you say you use, which is appointed in the Scripture, and Farnworth in Answer to a petition did deny them.  
Answer, His answer we own; and I challenge you to be perverters of the Scripture; where read you of Sacraments in the Scripture? here I charge you to be liars and slanderers, and deniers of the Scripture, and adders to it, and the plagues shall be added to you; and as for that which you use among you is traditional and imitatory. Yet the bread which we break is the Communion of the body of Christ, and the cup we drink is the Communion of the blood of Christ, and this is that which Paul received from him: and baptism by one spirit into one body we own; the baptism is but one, and this we own, and here you liars and slanderers are seen and denied.  
Another thing you call heresy and blasphemy, is, that we say that Christ hath enlightened all men; but I shall lay down your own words, and prove you liars out of that book called the General good to all people: and you say the light of God that is in all men, that is to wit, natural conscience, that it is sufficient, if we give heed unto it, to discover sin, and and turn our minds towards God, and that this light within, is the grace of God, and that it is Christ in us.  
Answer, Let all that reads that book, see if you be not liars and slanderers, and perverters, and are in the generation of those false witnesses which bore witness against Christ; and here I charge you to be liars. Where in all the bookdoth he say that the light of a natural conscience is sufficient to guide to God, if it be taken heed to? or where doth it say it discovers sin? there is another lie: and where doth he say that natural conscience is the grace of God? there is a third lie; and where doth he say that natural conscience is Christ in us? there is a fourth lie; be ashamed that ever you should go and present so many filthy lies to authority that there is no truth in at all. Oh▪ ye dark minds, would you be judging and prescribing what is heresy and blasphemy, and calls the light of Christ paganism and heresy? but I am bold in the Name of the Lord, to declare unto you, and unto all the world, that Christ is the true light that hath enlightened every one that comes into the world, and that this light is spiritual, and not natural, and it convinceth of all sin; he shall convince the world of sin, and whoso obey this light which shines into the conscience, it leads up to Christ, and out of sin, and it turns the mind towards God, and it shines in darkness; but you dark sottish children know it not; yea, you that hate it, have it, and it shall condemn you, and when the book of conscience shall be opened, you shall be judged for all your hard speeches against the truth.  
Another thing you present to be blasphemy and heresy, is that the worship that is performed in England with those Ministers that sing David's Psalms, baptize infants, wear double cuffs, boot hose tops, take tithes, say men shall never be perfect in this world, and that say the letter is the light, and the letter is the word; and that salvation is in the Scripture, and that calls Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, the Gospel, are seducers, and no Ministers of the word, but show forth the Spirit of error.  
Answer. All those Ministers in England which abide not in the Doctrine of Christ▪ all those worshippers and worships which is contrary to the Scripture are Heathenish, and they worship they know not what; and all such worship is an abomination to the true God; and I charge you and all those that would be counted Ministers in England, to prove from the Scripture where the Saints sung David's conditions, and Psalms in rhymes and meeter; and where is there any Scripture for baptising of Infants▪ and whether any of the Ministers of Christ lived in pride and lusts of the flesh, and where any Ministers of Christ took tithes, which belonged to the first priesthood and the first covenant; and so they that uphold the first, deny the second, and the one everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified; and where doth the Scripture say that the letter is the word and the light? but it witnesses against you and saith, God is the word, and Christ is the light, and Christ is the Gospel, yea the everlasting Gospel; and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John declared of him: and hear be you a witness against yourself, ye dark minded men: and I charge you that you deny the Scripture; and all those who upholds those things are in the heathenish nature, without God in the world, in the earth where the devil dwells who is an accuser of the brethren: and doth not the Scripture and they declare it who were Ministers of Christ, that there were that ran after the error of Balaam, and their hearts was exercised with covetous practices? and were there not such that was railers, and false accusers, and blind watchmen, and greedy dumb dogs, and such as sought for their gain from their quarter, and such as lead into witchcraft, and Antichrists, deceivers? you might as well have called Christ, and Paul and Peter and Jude Blasphemers and heretics; but you are made manifest just to be them and in the same nature that called Christ a blasphemer, and Paul a pestilent fellow, and a setter forth of strange Gods, and the Ministers of Christ seditious; and thou might as well say Christ despised a Governor when he called Herod a fox; and now blessed be the Lord the hour of his judgements is come: and we freely declare against all deceit both in Magistrates, Priests and people as they did that wrote forth the Scripture, and bear witness to his name as they did, in our measure, and we have suffered and do suffer daily by slanderous tongues, such as you have; and imprisonments, and cruel mockings, and stripes, and bonds, and can truly say to the praise of his name, we bear in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus; but we must pass through good report and evil report, and it is our Crown and rejoicing to suffer for his name; and now Gog and Magog and all the powers of the earth bends themselves and are angry, even the nations that profess Christ in words, and say the Scripture is their rule, but walk not according to it; and against all such hypocrisy are we witnesses, to the fulfilling our testimony, and the laying down of our lives, that he alone may be honoured who sits upon the throne of David, and of whose Government there is no end, to whom be praise for ever, who shall break all your combinations and plots, and you shall be ground to powder who set yourselves against him, and be dashed to pieces as a potter's vessel.  
And now to that which you call Antimagistratical errors, that the magistrates are not to have titles of worshipful or right worshipful, and that the Subjects of a Common Wealth which is not Israel's Common wealth are to be disturbed, and that no civil Government is to be acknowledged but the government of the Law within us.  
Answer. Where reads thou or any, that any Magistrate was called worshipful or right worshipful, or ever any of the Saints of God did so? he that is righteousness and truth, unto whom all honour and worship belongs, God blessed for ever, we own and worship, he is no respecter of persons. And you filty flatterers who are in the curse, respect men's persons, and so you are rased out for ever from the faith of Christ, and from the faith which all the holy men of God lived in, that you know it not: but you false accusers, Magistrates we know, and they are for the punishment of evil doers and for the lawless, for liars and slanderers, such as you are, and for the praise of them that do well, and we honour such in our hearts, and obeys their just commands; and are not like him that said he would go and went not, but are subject for conscience sake to the powers that are of ●od, and are subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; but we cannot flatter nor respect men's persons and deny the faith of Christ, but are brought from under the power of unrighteousness by the mighty power of God, and are subject to all just laws which stand not, nor were made in man's will, but obeys them for consciences sake, and if any Law which is not just nor equal be required upon us that we cannot do; we suffer for conscience sake, and resist not at all, as many of our enemies will witness for us; and therefore you false accusers be silent; they that are subject to Israel's Commonwealth are righteous, and walks in righteousness, in that which is just, good and holy; and we witness against all the Canaanites who walk in unrighteousness, and all who are enemies to the Commonwealth of Israel must be broken to pieces, and them that strive and contend against the faith which was once delivered to the Saints, and is now witnessed, praised be the Lord, all such must be disturbed and broken to pieces by the just, even all the unjust shall be broken; and as for that which thou sayest we say, we ought not to be subject to any civil Government but that which is within us, oh thou liar, when wilt thou cease thy lying? where is that? I charge thee to prove where that is spoken: yet this I say unto all, Moses received the Law from the mouth of the Lord, and it was revealed to him, and in him, and then he wrote it without and was subject to it, and all who makes Laws now and do not receive them from God, they make them in their own wills, and such as do act contrary to the Law of God; but that Law which is righteous, which is according to that in the conscience, which is holy and good and civil, we are subject both within and without to it: and all you your subjection which is not from a principle within, is not in truth not singleness of heart, but with flattery, and your eye service and your bowing down in hypocrisy and saying you are subject when there is no truth in the heart, and so you are not subject for conscience sake.  
And further, you say in Farnworth general good to all people, let every soul be subject to the higher Powers, By powers is meant God, the Father of Jesus Christ, and by King the Lord of Hosts, and that is another Blasphemy.  
Woe unto filthy liars; I challenge you that you have perverted his words, and would give meanings upon them as you do upon the Scriptures, and your own dark sottish minds cannot comprehend, and therefore you give your own imaginations, and then calls it Blasphemy; and let all that read that book, see if you have not belied the truth, and perverted his words  
Another thing you set down for Blasphemy, that none are ministers of God and called by him who are sent forth by Authority of man, and that he that is not infallible in his judgement, is no Minister of Christ.  
Answer. You might have said Paul's words were Blasphemy; he was made a Minister, not by men's will, and all the holy men of God, and apostles were not Ministers by the will of man, but contrary to the will of man, and all who are made Ministers of man, and by man, we deny, and the Scripture denies them, for what they Preached, they neither received it of man nor from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ; and all who have and are made Ministers by hear say, and what they have formed up in their imaginations from the Scripture, with their points, and their doctrines, which they raise in their carnal minds, all such we declare against; and all such who abide not in the Doctrine of Christ, and all who were made Ministers of Christ, were Spiritual and infallible; that which is not infallible, is carnal: and all who are guided by the Spirit of Christ is infallible, and they that are not guided by it are none of his, nor the Sons of God, nor Ministers of Christ: and therefore, all that such can judge of, is nothing but imaginary; and all you who have subscribed this book, and all such Ministers I deny. Ye shameless men, would you be trying and perscribing, and set dow what is heresy, and Blasphemy; and cries out of that for heresy, and Blasphemy; which you should try with all? your shame is laid open to all, and now your shame I hope will appear to the Parliament, whom you Petition. What cry you out against books, and printing, and blasphemy, that cannot distinguish a lamb from a dog? would you judge truth by darkness? and you are offended that there are so many Quakers met in the North parts lately, two thousand; yea blessed be the Lord, there are many thousands that sees you, and never will bow to Baal, nor worship in the house of Rimmon more; and m●ny shall not only come from the North, but also from the South, yea in London, that now sees all your deceit, and they shall enter, and you shall be shut out. And what truth is this that cannot defend itself; and what religion is that which cannot defend itself, but you must have all bend to your image that you would set up?  
And now unto you who are petitioned unto; I say, unto you, take heed and beware how you call or suppress any thing as error, or how you meddle in the prescribing God a way to walk in, for he cannot, he will not be limited: and I say unto you, it were better a millstone were hanged about your necks, then to hinder or stop, or make any law to hinder the passage of the truth which is arising: and consider the Lord hath thrown out all powers before this because they would needs limit the Holy one of Israel, and prescribe him a way, and a government how he should be worshipped, and many have suffered, and what hath all come to? all the rules that men hath laid down, hath they not been as the untimely fruit of a woman and as corn upon the house top, and for that all hath been thrown down, and broken? and the jealousy of the Lord is broken forth as fire, and and woe to them that withstands him in his way: and now I say unto you, if you now prescribe God a way, and if that in the conscience have not liberty, but you will go about to set bounds to him, and his people in the worship of God, you shall be broken as a potter's vessel, for the government is upon his shoulders, and he will not give his glory to any other; the Lord hath spoken it. And for the rest of the books in the Beacon fired, we disown them; but I believe you have belied them, as you have done ours.   

A certain Book being come forth into the world, full of lies and slanders against the innocent, called A voice from the word of the Lord, to those grand impostors called Quakers; to the Author of which book (who calls himself J●hn Griffith, a servant of Christ) and to all to whomsoever it may come, I am moved to write something in Answer, that his lies and slanders, and false r●proaches may be made manifest, and that he may proceed no further; for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so doth he resist the truth, being a man of a corrupt mind, and reprobate concerning faith, and is not a Servant of Christ, nor a witness for his name, but a child of disobedience, in whom the Prince of the air rules.  
And first to the title of thy book, I Answer, the word of the Lord is powerful, and will cut thee down, thou sensual minded man; yet thou knowest not, but takes the words of others declared from the word which was in them, and thou useth thy tongue, and saith the Lord saith it; but I say unto thee, the Lord hath not spoken unto thee, neither commanded thee to speak of his name: and I charge it upon thee in the presence of the Lord God of life, that thou art of that generation which Jeremiah was sent to cry against, Jer. 23. 31. for thou speaks thy imaginations upon their words which dwelled in the life of God▪ but the life thou knowest not, and thy whole book is no more but an empty sound and voice, & is as the untimely fruit of the womb which will wither and perish away: and one of them I am whom thou calls Quakers, to whom thou sayst, thou directs thy speech; but that we are grand impostors, I do deny, for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of God lived, and are fallen from the world, and from its ways and nature: and I charge thee here to be a slanderer, and from the mouth of the Lord I do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward. And whereas thou sayst thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindedness, together with the judgements of God attending them.  
I Answer. Fleshly and filthy mindedness, we have denied by the Power of the son of God made manifest in us; thou hast laid it to our charge, but thou hast not proved it nor discovered it, and here again thou art a false accuser; fleshly and filthy mindedness shall stand for thy own condition; for there thou art in the flesh and filth, living to thy will in the lust of uncleanness, for you may remember thou came out of the bowling ally to our meeting, though Pharisee like thy out side is painted and made clean, but thy heart is full of enmity and lies, and slanders and false reproaches, to that in thy conscience I do speak which shall for ever witness me, and as for the judgements of the Lord upon thy own head will they fall, and with what measure thou metes it shall be measured to thee again; we are passed from judgement, and from the condemnation, and who art thou, thou enemy of righteousness, that shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? And whereas thou sayest thou art one that bears witness against those wandering stars.  
I answer, this shall stand for thy own condition, a wandering star thou art, and hath no habitation in the heaven, but speaks swelling words of vanity, thou thyself being a servant of corruption, we have an abinding place, and an habitation in the Lord, and are not wandering; and here again I charge thee to be a false accuser, and a false witness, who bears witness of thyself; for the Father bears no witness of thee, but against thee.  
Whereas thou sayst the most high God that made the heavens and the earth, hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witness to the truth, and to witness against the abmoinable fleshly mindedness, and yet spiritual pride of those grand impostors called Quakers, by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the gospel, to another gospel, which is not another Gospel, but the vanity of their own minds, and their own fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they cry up as Oracles of God. I answer▪ The most high God judge between thee and us; whose wrath is kindled against thee▪ thou enemy of righteousness, and child of wrath; thou hast belied the Lord of heaven and earth, for to this he moved thee not, for he moves none to utter lies and slanders as thou hast done, but the spirit of enmity and of the devil hath moved thee, and to the truth thou bears no witness, but against the truth, and against the innocent; and charges us with fleshly mindedness and spiritual pride. O thou liar and false accuser, the Lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee, and render upon thy head according to thy deeds; prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud, or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee for ever; sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the Gospel we do deny; but the plain single truth we do declare, by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call yourselves Churches and Preachers of the Gospel; which is not the Gospel that the Apostles preached but an adding your own Imaginations upon their words, who witnessed the Gospel, and it shall stand for thy own condition, thou art in the sorcery and witchcraft; who draws people to observe an outward visible thing, from the light of Christ within them; which leads to the simplicity of the Gospel, which is inward and not outward; and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts, crying up the Ordinances and Oracles, of God, which are but carnal and beggarly rudiments of the world, which passeth away; and here thou art seen and made manifest in the light of Christ, to be a hypocrite, who false accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thyself; the same Gospel as ever was, do we declare; and not another, which we received not from man, neither was taught it by man: and as the Oracles of God it shall stand for ever for a witness against thee, and all the world who doth not believe, for even the Father bears witness of us, and therefore our witness is true; and the righteous God will plead with thee thou liar and false accuser, and here be a witness against thyself that the Lord moved thee not, but the devil, acting in thy own imaginations, and in the vanity of thy one mind, and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts; and whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the Lord, thus saith the Lord to thee O Quaker, thou art fleshly minded.  
I answer, It is not the voice of the Lord to us that speaks in thee, but the voice of the devil, and the Serpent which speaks from thee: fleshly minded we are not, but are redeemed out of it, and our minds are changed and are Spiritual and 'tis the Spirit of the living God seals unto us and witnesses in us, and here thou art of thy Father the old Dragon, an accuser of the brethren, but it is God that justifies, and who art thou that condemns? and this thy speech is seen and comprehended, which thou hast directed to us, and it is judged by the spirit of true judgement to be a false accusation and a lie, and not the word of the Lord, and into the lake amongst the false Prophets thou art to be turned, who useth thy tongue when the Lord never spoke to thee; and thou sayest we look upon the Institution of Christ's Supper with a fleshly and carnal eye, because we say that the bread and wine which Christ commanded his Disciples to eat and to drink, is carnal. I Answer. The bread, and wine, is visible and carnal, and fleshly, and not Spiritual, nor Eternal, and in the eternal light by the Spiritual eye of God opened in us, we see them and do own that it was a command of Christ, to stand for its time, and no more, but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing, and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witness, the figure is denied and declared against, and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limiting God to a visible thing (that without it no salvation) art in the sorcery and witchcraft, and an enemy to the substance; for Christ never since he was sacrificed broke of the bread or drank of the cup with his Disciples, but new in his father's kingdom; and thou who art in the carnal figure acting those things without the enjoyment of Christ art sensual and by the light of Christ is to be condemned and juged, with the world, who art without God and without the enjoyment of Christ, in the beggarly rudiments of the world, thou sayst O fleshly minded men whom the God of this world hath blinded because you believe not: and thou sayst, thus saith the Lord and speaks the Prophet Mal. words: to which I answer; this again I do deny; the God of the world is cast out, and the eye is opened through judgement, and our fleshly minds are judged, and in the Name of Jesus we do believe, and our belief in him hath purified our hearts; to the praise of the living God, who hath wrought all our works in us, and for us, do I speak without boasting; and here again I charge it upon thee, that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser; and let shame cover thee who professes thyself to be a teacher of others, who thyself is not taught of the Lord; but steals Malachy's words, and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations, and calls it the word of the Lord; the Lord is against thee thou false prophet, who prophecies lies in his name; and that which thou speaks to us is thy own condition, and that which shall come upon thine own head, for a child of disobedience thou art, and thy eye is blinded by the God of this world; and whereas thou sayest we are spiritually proud, that give forth ourselves to be some great ones; and we say we are Apostles, and are not, but are found liars, proud Pharisees, hypocrites, that say we are just, holy, humble; and the poor sinful publicans are more justified than we; I answer; proud we are not, our God shall judge between thee and us in this thing, for we have nothing but what we have freely received from him: and that we give forth ourselves to be great ones; here thou art a liar, and a false accuser again; this we have said, and do yet again declare that we were moved of the Lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this City; but this is no boasting, and by that same spirit which was in the Apostles, were we moved, and are guided, and by no other, but who hath found us liars since we came, I challenge you, and all thy sect to prove one lie that we have uttered; or else let shame cover thee, and let thy mouth be stopped; and let thy own heart condemn thee to be found the liar thyself; and this we testify against thee, and all the world, that by Jesus, and in him are we made holy, just, and humble, he is made these things in us, and for us; and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance; and whereas thou sayst we that boast of our light within, and faith, thus saith the Lord and brings Christ's words. I answer, this is another lie, we do not boast of our light within, but we witness it to be within us, and to have enlightened every one that comes into the world; which thou and thy generation denies▪ and so would make Christ a liar, and the Scripture a lie; but against you all with all the world we bear testimony, and the Father bears witness with us, that every man that comes into the world is lightened by the light of Christ; which teaches all that love it into righteousness, but condemns them that hate it, whereof thou art one who utters forth thy lies and slanders, and false accusations against the innocent; and that Scripture John 9 we own, and do witness to be fulfilled in us by the coming of Christ; he which did see, is blind, and he which was blind now sees; and while we did see our sin remained, but being blind we have no sin; but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed, and never to be known in that nature and wisdom; and here again thou hast used thy tongue false Prophet like, and must receive a false prophet's reward. And whereas thou sayst if Christ had not spoke to us in his word, we had had no sin, but now we have no cloak for our sin. I answer. Christ's words we own, but here thou art made manifest to all to be an adder to the Scripture (in his word) this thou hast added false Prophet-like, and therefore the Lord will add his plagues unto thee as the Scripture saith; be ashamed and blush, thy folly and wickedness is made manifest, who is not ashamed (to carry on thy design) to add to Christ's words. And whereas thou sayest, we do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law, but the law itself, teaching men so to do; for we said that the Scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation, as one of us taught Sept. 27. in thy hearing, and many others that will witness it.  
I answer, here I challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken, and all thy witnesses which thou speaks of; oh thou liar be ashamed to forge such lies, and declare them in writing for truth, we neglect not the weightier matters of the law, nor the law, nor teach any so to do; all that ever heard us will bear witness against thee, and they (though our enemies) shall witness for us, and against thee in this thing, for we declare the everlasting Gospel, which is the fulfilling of the law, and this we declare, that the law must have its operation through, before the Gospel be witnessed; and one of thy own society said to us, we had preached the law, and brought men to understand it from grace; now let all take notice of the confusion you live in, and let your own hearts condemn you, and the light in your own consciences convince you, that you are in Babylon and in confusion, and are no true Church of Christ, where all are of one heart, and one mind▪ and this again I affi●me as before I did in thy hearing, that the Scripture is not the Saints rule, but the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture, as the Scripture itself witnesses, Rom. 8. Faith was before the Scripture was, and therefore the Scripture is not the ground of it, but a declaration of it, and no other faith we own but the faith which Abel had, and which Moses had, which was when no Scripture was written, and that we own to be the rule of our conversation, which they walked by, the immediate spirit of God which was before the Scripture was written; and all you who profess the Scripture to be your rule, your own rule shall testify against you when the eternal God judges you, and they who witness that to be their rule which gave forth the Scripture, walks up in the life of the Scripture more than you all; and you are proved to be but the Jew outward, who boasts of the Ordinances from the letter, but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches, who witness the substance; and your praise is only of men, and not of God; and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us will fall upon thy own head for this thy grievous slander, that we neglect the law, and teach men so to do; and whereas thou brings many Scriptures, and saith thus saith the Lord, I answer, the Scriptures we own, and by that spirit which speaks them forth, we witness them to be true, and they are ours; and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish, yet thou art found a liar, for we are saved out of the perishing state, and death is destroyed through death, and thou hast diminished (through faith) from that Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15. false prophet like again, and so art both an adder and a diminisher, and thou Mayst read thy portion in Rev. 22. 18, 19 and whereas thou sayest, know this thou perverter of the right way of God, thou shalt be judged by the word of Christ spoke. I answer, here thou sets the Scripture in the room of Christ, and art the perverter of the right way of God thyself, for the Scripture saith, all judgement is committed to the son, and the Scripture is not the son; and thou didst say and now again writes, that the Scripture shall judge the world; and so I charge it upon thee that thou art a blasphemer, who exalts the Scripture above the son, of God, and shalt be judged by the son into utter darkness, and into the pit, from whence thou art come; yet this I testify, he that receives the son rejecteth not those words which was spoken by him; though thou and thy generation Pharisee like may make a profession of the words which Christ spoke and yet reject the son, and all to whom Christ speaks, which receives him not, shall be judged by the word which he speaks, for he speaks eternally which shall stand eternally; but when did he speak to thee? for this I do declare, thou Mayst have those words which he spoke, and yet never have heard his word nor voice; as the Pharisees had those words, which God spoke by the Prophets, but never had heard his word, nor seen his shape. John. 5. and thou sayst quake and tremble at this; that word which you reject and despise shall judge you at the last day; and saith, thus saith the Lord, and brings Christ's words, and the Apostles words; I Answer. the Lord rebuke thee thou scorner, here thou hast made the filthiness of thy heart known, for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks: here thou art seen to be a scorner; quaking and trembling we own, it is that which the holy men of God witnessed, but here be a witness against thyself, that thou art a scorner of their conditions: what hast thou to do to talk of the Scrip●ure, who art scorning that which it declares of? here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power, and scorns at it▪ God scorns thee, thou scornful one; and let all that fear the Lord depart from thee, and see thy filthiness and search the Scripture whether it testifies not of that, which thou scorns at, and makes a mock upon. And that we reject and despise the Scripture and the words which Christ spoke, which thou accusest us of; this is another lie, and a false slander, for the scriptures we own in their place, and by the Spirit of God sets to seal that they are true, but that they shall judge the world we do deny; and herein thy ignorance doth appear, and that thou art blinded by the God of this vorld, which thou would cast upon us: and Christ's words, and the words of the Apostles shall fall upon thy own head, for vengeance in flames of fire will the Lord render upon thee, thou liar and slanderer and false accuser, who art in disobedience to the Gospel of God. And whereas thou sayst the Lord hath spoken it, and it shall surely come to pass, and bringst many Scriptures,  
I answer. The Scriptures we own and what is spoken in them shall be fulfilled; but thou liar when did God speak this to thee? the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy own head, because thou art guilty of the same iniquities, as they were of, against whom these Scriptures was declared; and whereas thou sayst we are those that the Lord before hath spoken of in his word, (and therefore no marvel we would not have men to read it) and citys the 2. of Peter. 2. Chap.  
I answer. I do in the presence of the living God deny thee & thy false assertion, but it shall stand for thy own condition; thou art one in the generation which Christ spoke of, and that was in the Apostles days, which hath the form, but denies the power as they had; and I charge thee again with a lie in thy mouth who saith, we would not have men to read the Scriptures; they who have heard us shall witness against, thee, that we do direct to search the Scripture, whether our doctrine be not true, and by the Scripture shall our doctrine be tried; how long wilt thou utter thy lies in the name of the Lord? the Lord will plead with thee thou unclean lying spirit, and that which thou pronounces against us, shall come upon thyself; and thou sayest we through covetousness make merchandise of some; we challenge thee and all the City of London to prove this, thou lying serpent, God shall plead with thee, we are free and clear in the sight of God, of thy false accusations, and have desired nor sought after no man's money, nor gold, nor apparel, God is our witness, and many in this City knows the same, though thou slanderingly an enemy of God doth accuse us; but I challenge thee in thy reply to this, make it appear what thou assertest, or lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and let shame strike thee in the face for ever; I charge thee that thou canst make appear plainly in particular, and do not darkly accuse us, what those damnable heresies are, which we bring in, and wherein we deny the Lord, and what our pernicious ways are which thou falsely and slanderously accuses us of, and wherein we are fleshly and despise government, and are presumptuous, and wherein or how we speak evil of Dignities, and wherein we are as natural bruit beasts, and what these things are, we speak evil of which we know not, and what our swelling words of vanity are, and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh, and through much wantonness. in the presence of the Lord I challenge thee to prove the particulars of thy accusations, and not to slander in the dark, though such as these there were in the Apostles days, who were turned out from the light, and the Apostles which dwelled in the light saw them, and such a generation there is now, they are seen and known where they are, by them who abides in the light; but of these thy false slanders▪ upon us, we are clear in the presence of the Lord God, and that portion which thou wouldest give unto us must thou have thyself, for with what measure thou hast meted, it shall be measured to thee again; even the blackness of darkness for ever, and the day of the vengeance of God is at hand against thee. And whereas thou sayst, we pretend to tremble, it is true, we pretend the example of Moses, and thou sayst O abominable hypocrisy and dissimulation, will that justify your shaking your hands like idiots, and your raving like mad men? Moses was a man in whom the fear and dread of the Lord was, who kept his word, but you despise it; who loved the law, but you reject it.  
I Answer. We do not only pretend to tremble, but oft do we, and have we witnessed it, by the mighty power and dread of the Lord upon us, and we walk not by the example of the servants of the Lord without us, but the same power we witness which was in them by which they were made to tremble; which thou scorns and derides at, and calls it madness: the holy men of God were counted by such as thou art, mad men; and were cast out of their assemblies which trembled at the word of the Lord: but that we despise the word and law of God, here thou art a liar again; and the plagues of God hang over thy head▪ for thy lies and slanders against the innocent; the same fear of God which was in Moses we witness, and no other, and thou who art without it art a Heathen, and Moses, and Jeremiah, and Habbakuk, which thou speaks of, were our example, who walked by the same spirit; and served the Lord by the same spirit, but that we served our fleshly lusts▪ which here again thou accusest us of; I do challenge thee to prove it; but I know thou canst not, and therefore art in the nature of the devil accusing the Brethren; and to walk by tradition, we deny, which you also would lay to our charge; but the same spirit by which they were acted, acts us the same way according to its measure; and the same light which they walked in is our light, and this light is the light of Christ within us and not without us: And whereas thou sayest its true, if we served the Lord, and kept his word, it would make us to tremble, as it doth those that fear him, but we have rejected the law of the Lord, and the word which he hath spoken; and the Lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth, shall give us our portion in the lake that burns.  
I answer. Let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth itself through thee; thou before was scorning trembling, and now thou art approving of it; and if it be they that tremble which serve the Lord, here be a witness against thyself, thou serves him not, who art not yet come to tremble, but art in thy high nature above the fear of the Lord; and here again thou art found a false accuser, for we reject not the Law of the Lord, nor the word which he hath spoken, but live in it, and rejoices in it daily, for in it is our heart's delight; and here again, as thou hast measured to us, it shall be measured unto thee when the Lord God arises to recompense his enemies▪ thy portion will be the same, as thou hast said in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.  
And now a few words in answer to that which thou calls a Caution to all that are called Saints in the Nation, which may concern all people.  
I Answer. They who are Saints who dwell in the light, and walks in the light, doth discern thee to be no Saint, neither will receive any caution from thee, but will testify against thee, for thy lies and slanders and false accusations which thy book is filled withal, and herein it may concern all people that thy lies and slanders be reproved and laid open, lest they receive lies for thy truth, and be deceived by thy subtle speeches, who brings the prophet's words, and the Apostles words, wresting them and f●lsely applying them, to make thy lies to be received; but all people who love the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened them, will see thee and deny thee, and turn away from thee, as having the form of godliness without the power. And whereas thou sayest ye may rejoice that you live to see not only the mystery of godliness, but also the working of the mystery of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men, called Quakers.  
I Answer. That name Quakers was cast upon us by the Heathen, through their scorn and derision, as the name Christians was upon the Disciples, though quaking we own, for all the holy men of God witnessed it, and the Holy Scriptures declares of it; and here again thou enviously and maliciously hast cast a slander upon us, fleshly, corrupt▪ and sensual mindedness, and the working of the mystery of iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ, which takes away sin; to the praise of the living God I speak, in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders, and it shall stand for thy own condition, fleshly corrupt and sensual minded, and the working of the mystery of iniquity. And herein I prove thee to be so by thy fruits, thy lies, and false reproaches, and envious false accusation which is the fruits of the flesh and of corrupt sensual mindedness, which fruits doth appear in this thy writing, and as for the mystery of godliness, it is hidden from thee, and in that mind and nature you shall never know it, for thou lives in the sight of thy own pollutions, and of thy carnal ordinances, and not in the enjoyment of the mystery of Christ, which is godliness; and whereas thou sayest, ye may rejoice, and in nothing be terrified, because the Scriptures did foretell of such, and is fulfilled in these men, and thou brings many Scriptures where Christ and the Apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets and teachers: I answer, Though ye do now rejoice, yet your joy shall be turned into howling and sorrow, and the Lord hath said it, and the day of terror will overtake you, wherein your hearts shall fail you for fear, and your foundation shall be removed; and it is true, that the Scripture doth foretell of us, and is witnessed in us, that all the Lords children should be taught of the Lord, and that the Lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dumb be shepherds▪ &c. and according to our growth up in the life of the Scriptures, they are fulfilled in us; but false prophets we do deny, though all those Scriptures which thou hast set down we own to be prophecies of false prophets, those false prophets which Christ prophesied of, came in the Apostles days, they saw them coming in then, 1. Joh. 2. 18. and as all these Scriptures testifies which thou hast cited; and since the Apostles days, hath been a great apostasy and not a true Church of Christ could be found, and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances, deceiving the nations: but now the pure light of Christ shines, discovering to them who walk in the light who they are; and daily more and more clearly shall they be seen, and thou wilt be found in their number, who art a cursed child, in whom the son of perdition is exalted, which utters forth thy lies and slanders sensually, and make it manifest to all, that thou hast not the spirit of God, but art separated from it, in self separation which is abomination unto God, and must be scattered by him: and whereas thou sayest, seeing it is so, let you be filled with boldness, and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen; I answer, ungodliness we deny, and your boldness shall the Lord turn in weakness, and faintness, and your contendings against us shall not prosper, for this is our heritage; every tongue that riseth up in judgement shall be condemned; you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaff before the wind, who sets yourselves to contend against the truth, for that which is now risen shall confound you all. And whereas thou brings many Scriptures, which were exhortations of the Apostle to the saints, with exhorting thy brethren.  
I answer. The Scriptures I do own, and that spirit which spoke them forth I witness, but thou art an enemy to the power of them, though thou have the form of truth; thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemy to the life which the holy men of God lived in, and so hath cleared thyself from those Scriptures which were written to the Saints, and must own those which was written to the world, the liar must be cast into the lake, the wicked must be turned in hell, and such as these must thou own to belong unto thee, and these are thy Scriptures which thou hast right unto. And whereas thou sayest, we talk of high enjoyments, and great revelations without, above, and beyond the Scripture, and that we talk of a light which is besides the Scripture, but it is deep, and thick darkness; and what hath such lights led men unto? even contempt of God and of all righteousness.  
I answer. Here again thou art found a liar, and an accuser of the brethren, for what we do declare, the Scripture witnesses to the same, and we speak of nothing but what is declared of in the Scripture by the holy men of God, and neither without it, nor above or beyond it do we speak. I challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted, and all the City of London; that we speak or declares any thing but what the Scriptures bears witness to the same, and the light which we declare of, is the light of Christ, which the scripture saith lighteneth every one that comes into the world; and it is not besides the scripture, so as contrary to it, but the scripture bears witness of the light; and ●ere I charge thee with blasphemy, who calls the pure light of Christ thick darkness, and that the light of Christ (which is the light which we declare of) hath led men, or leads any to contemn God, or his ordinances, or righteousness, let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one, who blasphemously say, that the light of Christ is thick darkness, and leads into contempt of God; let the light in thy own conscience condemn thee, thou enemy of God; for thy lies and slanders, and blasphemy which in this thy book thou hast uttered: and whereas thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in Christ, in the word of Christ, and in the Church and Ordinances of Christ.  
I answer. For the simple one's sake, that they may not be deceived, none ever shall see any excellency in those things, but who owns and walks in the light of Christ, which lets every one see themselves first; and your talking of the same, and report of Christ, and of his Word and Ordinances, is not to know the excellency of those things, for death in you talks of the same, but the thing in subst●nce you are ignorant of; and you who stumbles at the light wherewith Christ lighteneth every one, are above the door which is the entrance unto the life of these things; and so I exhort all to mind the light of Christ, and to walk in it, and it will lead unto Christ from whence the light comes, and it will lead to the fulfilling of Christ's words and to the one bread▪ and to the one baptism, and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things: but you who hate the light and denies it to be in every one, hath but the husk and outward declaration of those things, and are without the life▪ and whereas thou sayst, they that are of God will hear John, Peter, and Paul, and the rest that were the servants of Christ, not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men & Christ's sheep hear his voice, and a strangerthey will not hear.  
I answer. They that are of God, do own the writings of all the servants of Christ; but many may profess their words, as the Pharisees did the prophet's words, and as thou dost▪ now, and yet not be of God, but children to the devil▪ but that our conceits are fleshly, I do deny thee, for all conceits of the flesh we deny, and bears witness against, and it shall stand for thy own condition, and thy voice is the voice of a stranger, and they that are of God will not follow it: though thou bring the Saints words in thy mouth, as the devil did unto Christ; yet in the light of Christ thou art seen▪ and comprehended, and from the light of Christ answered, and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speaks of, and they are from thee but as an empty sound.  
And whereas thou citys many more Scriptures, which are exhortations of the Apostles to the Church, and exhorts thy brethren with them, to which I answer as before. The Scriptures I do own, but to thee thou envious man, they do not belong, for as in this thy writing thou art proved a liar, and a scorner, and a slanderer, and a false accuser, and a blasphemer; out of thy own mouth, be a witness against thyself, and let all thy whole assembly bear witness against thee, that the Scriptures which were spoken to the Saints who walked in the light and had denied ungodliness, doth not belong unto thee who art an hater of the light and lives in the pollutions of the world; but the Scriptures which will surely be fulfilled upon thee, the wicked shall be turned into hell, and the liar shall have his portion in the lake, and he that works abomination is to be trodden in the winepress of the wrath of God without the City, and such like. And now something in answer to something in the Epistle to the Reader; whereas thou and the rest of you there say, although the light hath appeared, yet there is a generation of men in the world, that do hate the light, and endeavour to put it out, crying against the scriptures of truth; it's a dead letter, and against the form of doctrine therein contained▪  
To which I answer. It is true, the light hath appeared; Christ who is the light, lighteneth every one that comes into the world; which light hath appeared in every man's conscience; and there is a generation which hates the light, and you are of that generation which say, every man hath not the light, and calls the light of Christ thick darkness, and endeavours to put it out; and here you have read your own condition though you make a large profession of the Scriptures (which is not the light, but words declared from the light) as the Jews did profess the prophet's words, but persecuted Christ, and spoke against him, who was the light and substance of the prophets▪ words: and if you know any who cries against the scripture, and against the doctrine therein contained with you, we cry and declare against such, for the scripture we own in its place to be a true declaration of God, of Christ, and of the saints conditions, but they are not the light, but Christ is the light, as themselves bear witness, nor are they the saints guide, but he spirit that gave them forth, as they themselves bear testimony, neither was the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon, but they themselves are doctrine, and are as they speak, he that hath the same spirit which speaks them forth, reads them and understands them, and none else; and whereas thou sayst lest that simple, plain meaning men should be kept in Babel's darkness, or the enlightened fall into the error of the wicked, for that reason your book came to public view; I answer. Truly you are deceived, who think to gain into your form, the simple, plain meaning men by lies, and false slanders and false accusation; who are simple and plain unto God, will discern your deceits, and how falsely you have accused the innocent, and will see you yourselves to be in Babel's darkness, and who walks in the light wherewith they are lightened will see you to be in the error of the wicked and out of the truth; and it is well for the truth's sake, that your book came forth, that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness, and enviousness might be laid open to the simple. And truly I say unto you, you have, and will miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours; and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose. I answer, I challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call Quakers, in many particulars which before I have demanded; what they are is before spoken of; and whereas you say, you account that light within (not witnessed by the scripture without) which some so much talk of, to be deep darkness. I answer, if you know any who speak of any light which the Scripture doth not witness of, we with you freely declares against such, and such a light is darkness, but the light of Christ which we speak of, which hath lightened every one that cometh into the world, I hope you are not so impudent, but you will acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light; and dare not deny, but that the scripture witnesses that Christ is the light of the world; for as I said, we freely give way, and desires that all might search the scripture, whether these things be not so as we declare.  
And whereas you say, and exhort to let the Scripture be the rule of faith and practice.  
I Answ. Here you would always keep people in darkeness, under your teaching, and would make void the new Covenant which is the Law written in the heart, and the spirit of the Lord put in the inward parts, to be the rule and guide of the Saints, for who walks by the rule without them, and teaches men so to do, would make void the Covenant of life and peace, where the teacher is not removed into a corner, which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witness, which teaches not contrary to what the Scripture speaks, but is a teaching fulfilling of the Scripture, and an establishing of it, though thou and many may profess the teaching of the Scripture and may in your own wills, conform unto it in the outward appearance, as the Pharisees did, and yet be but Hypocrites and deceived as they were; and I say again, that faith was before the Scripture was written, which faith is declared of in the Scripture, which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word Preached, which word is even in the mouth and in the heart; if you have an ear you may hear; & now I advise you all in the name of the Lord to cease striving and contending against the truth, for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands, will dash your image of many mixtures to pieces, and it falling upon you, will grind you to powder, and your conforming the outward man, to an outward thing and teaching men so to do, and limiting and tying the Holy one to a visible thing, will not cover you in the day of the Lord: nay verily, though concerning the Scripture without, you may walk blameless, yet one thing will be found lacking even the cross of Jesus Christ, by which all sin is crucified in them who walks in it; and I say unto you, that your covering is too narrow, and it will not hide your secret parts: for in the eternal light of Christ you are seen and comprehended, your beginning, your time, and your end, for though you have the Scriptures, and Jewish like, walks up in the outward appearance of them, crying the ordinances and Churches are ye, yet your praise is of men, and not of God, for you are enemies to the life of the Scriptures as is made appear by your many lies and slanders against us, which you have uttered; and I say returens your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities, it will let you see where your hearts are, and how far they are mortified to the world, and the love of it, and this light wherewith every one of you is lightened is the light of Christ, and it is the Lords true witness and shall witness for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil, who walk in disobedience of it, and all who love it and walk in it, it leads unto Christ, and into all purity and holiness and uprightness of heart towards God and man; and this light leads unto justification, all them who are taught by it; and here is your teacher, loving it; and your condemnation eternally, continuing to hate it. And thus I have answered your book, and the truth is witnessed, and many false lies and false accusations denied and testified against, and thus I rest, waiting for an answer to clear yourself (if you be able) of those things which I have denied from you, which you have charged upon us, for God is my witness, this I do desire, that truth may be made manifest and embraced, and deceit and error discovered and denied.