THE WATCHER: OR, The Stone cut out of the mountains without hands, striking at the Feet of the IMAGE, Whose head is gold and breast of silver, and thighs of brass, and Legs of iron, and feet part iron and part clay, Dan. 2.31, 32, 33, 34, 35.  
OR, A Discovery of the ground and end of all Forms, Professions, Sects and opinions, and also how they now are made as friends, and join hand in hand against the substance, the Life and Power of God, which is now made manifest in his Sons and daughters (according to his promise) as hath been plainly manifest in several meetings betwixt the people called Quakers, and the people called Baptists, which is here described.  
And also a Description of the true Church, and the gathering thereof by the Power and Spirit of our God, which is now made manifest in these later days, which so gloriously doth shine forth in the earth; so that all who have desires to find the way of truth, need no longer walk in darkness, and seeking the living amongst the dead where it is not to be found; for now light is come into the world, and they that love and follow the light, shall not walk in darkness, bat shall have the light of Life; but such as do evil hate the light, and will not come unto the light, that the light may reprove them, and this is the condemnation of the world, who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Joh. 8.12. Joh 3.19.20,21.  
Written by a friend to all tender hearted ones, who hunger and thirst after God, who are groping and seeking in Forms for life, to the directing of their minds, where and how to find the true Light which leads into the true life and power of Godliness, the end of all Forms, where I rest with all who in Spirit read me, who am known to them who are without, by the name, JAMES PARNELL.  
LONDON; Printed for Giles Caluert, and are to be sold at his shop at the Black-spread-Eagle, near the West end of Paul's.   

TO THE READER.  
THou that happens to be the Reader of this Book, know this, that my mind and intent in the publishing thereof, was in relation to the simple hearted, who hunger and thirst after Grace and Godliness, to the directing and turning their minds from the darkness to the true Light of the Lord jesus, which is not of the world but comprehends the world, 
2 Cor. 4.4.  and makes manifest the many ways of the world, and the Snares, Bats, Traps and Nets that therein are laid, by him who is the God of the world, even the Prince of Darkness, 
Eph. 2.2.  who rules in all the Children of disobedience; now whatsoever makes manifest is Light, the which Light will discover unto them whose minds are turned to it, the wiles and subtle ties of Satan, and so the simple will come to learn wisdom, and thereby be preserved from the subtle devouring serpent, and therein the creature will come to see wherein consists its safety and preservation, and so Israel's Tent comes to be found; for I in the Light standing above the world, comprehending the many ways that are in the world, and the destructions therein, with the many forms, judgements, and opinions, one clashing against another, with their janglings and disputes, with their earthly wisdom, which is at enmity with God, and about those things which they are strangers to the life and power thereof, contending for that which fades and vanishes away, pulling down one judgement, and setting up another, pulling down one form, and setting up another; and thus are building Babel, 
1 Cor. 1. ●●  and so are confounded with this confusion by him who confounds the wisdom of the wise, and brings to nought the counsel of the prudent, and so I seeing many poor creatures in this distraction, tossed about with every wind of doctrine, and sucking at the husk for life, and so gets into the comprehension, a deal of light airy notional knowledge, which is all but as chaff, which the wind will scatter in the day of the Lord, & so it will stand in no stead when the Lord comes to plead with all flesh, for nothing will stand in the day of trial, but what comes through death; thus I see many a poor creature lost and tossed in this wide wilderness, even this dark world, being carried captive by the prince of the Air, not knowing the true light to be its guide into the way of truth, which is the way of life and peace: now in the light which was before the world was, I do comprehend the world, and the ground and end of all Forms, Sects, and Opinions, and so for some simple ones sakes, and the tender hearted, have I here laid them open, and withal, directing the mind how and where to find the true light by which these things are seen and read, and understood, and as it is loved and followed, the mind will be brought into the life and power, out of these fading empty shadows, unto the possession of the substance, even the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, 
Mat. 29.39.  the end of all forms, shadows and imaginations; and thus doth the stone which the bvilders rejected, become the head of the Corner, and thus the Creature is turned from the power of Satan unto God.  
I. P.   

THE WATCHER striking at the Feet of the Image. OR, A Discovery of the ground and end of FORMS, SECTS and OPINIONS:  
IN the days of old, the Holy Men of God, (who was endued with the Spirit of God) did as they was acted and guided, moved and commanded by the Power and Spirit of God which dwelled in them, and here was their Rule: and also the Serpent as an Angel of Light, he acted and worked in his Instruments by the power of Darkness in opposition to the Spirit of God, the enmity being placed beiwixt the two seeds; and the more gloriously the true Light appeared in any age, Satan also reform himself and appeared accordingly, in the shape, and form, and likeness thereof, as it is now to this day; but his was always but the form and likeness of the thing but not the thing itself, his is the false Light, the other the true Light, and so the true Light all along discovered him and made him manifest to those in whom it ruled, but thus by his subtlety and deceit, he hath ever deceived the world and blinded the world, so that he might keep his kingdom who is the God of the world; as for example, Moses a servant and messenger of the most high God, to whom God had revealed and made known himself, when he and Aaron was sent unto Pharaoh to require him to let Israel go free, for a sign unto him they cast down their Rod, and it became a Serpent, 
Exo. 10, 11, 12.  and the Magicians of Egypt they was brought, and by their sorceries and enchantments they cast down their Rods, and they became Serpents, and thereby Pharoahs' heart was hardened, and thy would not obey nor believe, and thus the devil imitated and opposed the truth, but Aaron's Rods swallowed up their Rods, so that it was manifest, that he that was with them was greater than he that was in the world.  
And also when Israel had sinned against God, and done that which is evil in the sight of God, the Lord God sent forth his Prophets and Messengers to declare the word of the Lord amongst them, against sin, and evil, 
jer. 20.9.  pride, deceit and oppression, and all ungodliness, iniquities, disobedience, and rebellion, and they had Visions and Revelations, and the word of God dwelled in them, by which they was led, guided, and acted; & Satan he also wrought in his Instruments, 
jer. 23.  with a spirit of delusion, and he sent forth his Prophets with their visions and lying divinations, and false dreams, 
jer. 5.30, 31.  and they cried peace, where the true Prophets cried woe; and the people harkened unto them, and set them up, and the Prophets prohesied falsely, and the Priests bore rule by their means, and the people loved to have it so; but what will ye do in the end thereof saith the Lord, by the mouth of his Prophet jeremiah, who declared against it freely, and said it was a horrible filthy thing, and he was persecuted and the true Prophets who dwelled in the Light and in the power of God; they saw them to be such as run, 
jer. 23.21, 22, 32. ver. 30. jer. 14.  and the Lord never sent them, and therefore they profited not the people at all, and they stole the word from the r neighbour, and they spoke a divination of their own brain, and not from the mouth of the Lord, and say the Lord said, when he never spoke to them; and they were light and vain, and daubed the people up with untempered mortar, and sewed pillows under their armholes, 
Ezek. 22.28. Ezek. 13.18. jer. 20.9. jeremiah 23.  and healed the people slightly, crying peace, peace, where there was no peace, but they turned them not from their evil ways, nor from their evil do, and the Lord was against them, and the true Prophets of God (who dwelled in the Light) they saw them, and plainly and freely declared against them, then whether they would hear or forbear, and told them they built up Zion with blood, and jerusalem with iniquity, and the heads judged for rewards, 
Mich. 3.  and the Priests preached for hire, and the Prophets divined for money, and yet said the Prophet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord amongst us, as that none evil can come upon us? and they saw them to be such as seeked for the fleeces, and regarded not the flock, 
Ezek. 34.  but fed with the fat, and clothed with the wool, and made a prey upon the sheep, but the Prophets of the Lord did not spare them, but freely and publicly declared against them, and they was persecuted, and imprisoned, and destroyed, by those who upheld and sided with the false Prophets, Priests, hirelings, and deceivers, and they had then a way of worship unto God, with their new moons with their sabbaths, with their calling of Assemblies, and Prayers, and sacrifices, and Burnt-offerings, which was once prescribed by God unto Israel, but when their hearts was gone from him, so that they walked not uprightly before the Lord, than said he, who hath required these things at your hands to tread my Courts, 
Isa. 29.13.  bring no more vain oblations, incense is abomination unto me, the new-Moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even the solemn meetings, your new-moons, and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth, and when you spread forth your hands, I will hid mine eyes, when you make many Prayers, I will not hearken: your hands are full of blood, wash you, make you clean, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow, Isa. 1. chap. and saith the Lord, is it such a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul, to hang down the head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him; wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord? is it not this the fast which I have chosen to break the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hid not thyself from thine own flesh? Isa. 8.5, 6, 7. but this they did not do, therefore said the Lord, these people draw near me with their mouths, 
Isa. 13.26.  and honour me with their lips; but their hearts are far from me; and thus the Devil deceived them, and blinded their eyes in that age, with a profession and form of worship, but their hearts he kept to himself; and this the Prophets saw in the light, and testified and declared against it, and left it behind them upon record, and when the time came that Christ was born, the Pharises, and Scribes, and chief Priests had the Letter, the writings of Moses and the Prophets, and they could tell by them where Christ should be born; and when Herod had assembled them together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born, they said in Bethlehem of judah, 
Mat. 2.  for thus it is written by the Prophets, etc. so the Priests and Pharises than was the keepers of the Letter, and they had the types, and the shadows, and figures of Christ the substance, and there they had a life, and thought in them to find eternal life, but would not come unto Christ that they might have life, but despised him, 
john 5.19.40.  and would not believe on him because he came not in the wisdom nor in the pomp nor glory of the world but testified against it, and they was gotten up into Moses chair, but not into Moses life, for they tythed Mint and Annis and Commin, but omitted the weightier things of the Law, judgement, Mercy, and faith, which they ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone, for that was a time when Tithes was due, 
Mat. 23.2. ver. 23.  for the aaronical and levitical Priesthood, to which, Tithes did belong, was not yet changed until Christ was offered up, and they was fair sayers, who said and did not; and the hypocrites, who was hoped above the Light, and so was the blind leaders of the blind, with their fair say, and therefore said Christ beware of the leaven of the Pharises, 
Mat. 25.14. Mat. 16.6. Mat. 23.13.  and they turned people from the Light, and denied the Light, and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, and would neither enter in themselves, nor suffer others that would, but had gotten a wisdom and righteousness of their own, which blinded their eyes, and covered their sins, so that they could not see their sins, nor him that was the way, the truth, and the life, therefore did he pronounce so many woes against them, and called them whited Walls, and painted Sepulchers, who washed the outside, but was the generation of vipers and serpents within: and thus Christ, who was the Light, searched them, and judged them who appeared fair on the outside, but within full of uncleanness, but they could not hid themselves from the Light, therefore they joined against it, and the Saducees, and the Pharises, and the chief Priests and Scribes, and the Herodians, and Pilate, and Herod, and the rude multitude, all joined together against the life; and they consulted against him, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him, 
Mat. 16.1.  and the Pharises came to tempt him, and ensnare him with questions; that they might get somewhat against him to bring him under their Law, but he foresaw their deceitful hearts, their plots, and confounded their intentions, and brought to nought their counsel; then they said, if we let this man alone, all men will go after him, and so they sought false witnesses and took Counsel against him, 
john 11.47.48 Mat. 26.59.  and Crucified him, and let Barrabus go free; and thus the devil blinded their eyes (in that age) with a strict profession, and their own righteousness and wisdom, so that they could not see the Light and the Life, but persecuted it, and seeked the living in the dead Letter, but if they had known him, they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory, yet they was wise in their own eyes, and despised those that followed him, and said, none of the rulers believed on him, 
joh. 7.48.49.  but an ignorant people that knew not the Law, that were accursed because they was the Publicans and sinners, and they themselves was the greatest sinners, but they healed themselves up with their own wisdom and righteousness, and therefore said Christ, they that are whole need no Physician, but they that are sick; therefore he said, publicans and harlots should enter the kingdom before them, 
Mat. 9.11, 12. Mat. 21.31. Mat. 11.5.  but the blind, the deaf, the lame, the dumb, and the Leopardies came unto him, and believed on him, and were healed, and the poor received the Gospel, but the Priests, and professors, or the Pharises, and Scribes, and Elders, and Rulers, could not believe on him, that he was the Messiah, but looked for another, and these was the most zealous in their profession, and builded the Tombs of the prophets, and garnished the Sepulchers of the righteous, and said, 
Mat. 23.29.30  if they had been in the day of their fathers, they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets, and yet those was the chief persecutors of Christ, the substance of those things which they upheld in the Law and the Prophets, therefore they was witnesses against themselves, and filled up the measure of their father's wrath, and those professed Abraham, 
john 8.39. Ver. 44. Mat. 23.33. Mark 15.15.  and said Abraham was their father, and yet denied Christ, whom Abraham foretold of, but Christ told them they were of their father the Devil, and his works they did and would do, and thus he judged them for all their zeal and profession, and said, how could they escape the damnation of hell: Then after he was sacrificed up, he appeared unto his Apostles, and sent them to preach the Gospel to every creature, and here they did not run because the Prophets run, nor take up a command without them in the Prophet's writings to do a thing, because the Prophets was commanded to do it, but they was also acted and guided by the same spirit and word of truth which dwelled in them, 
john 14.16, 17. john 16.7.8.  which Christ before he was offered up, had promised, that he would send the comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, which the world could not receive, which should lead them into all truth, and should reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement, & then after they had received the holy-ghost, they went abroad preaching Christ, and showing thereby the fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, which figured forth and prophesied of Christ, 
Acts 2. Acts 4.  and this they declared in their Temples, and in their Synagogues, and they haled them out of the Temple, and out of their synagogues, and brought them before Governors, Rulers, and Magistrates, and the chief Priests, and their kindred, and the chiefest professors (which was the Pharisees) was the head actors therein, but nevertheless they went on boldly, being filled with the power of the Holy-Ghost, without the fear of man, obeying God rather than man, so they was not subject to the authority of man in that respect, but they was subject unto the Law of man so far as it was subject to the Law of God; and so they went on preaching C●rist, and many believed and were baptised, and received the Holy-Ghost and were converted, and it was so that the multitude that believed was of one heart, and one mind, and they was so far of one being exalted over another, or seeking themselves, that not any of them said, 
Acts. 4.32.  that aught of the things which he possessed was his own, and the works of God went on in much power, the ministers being acted and guided by the Holy Ghost. And also Stephen a man full of faith and the Holy-Ghost, he declared against the Temple, which God had once commanded to be built, and said, Solomon built him an House, yet nevertheless, 
Acts 7.  God that made the world and all things, therein dwells, not in Temples made with hands, as faith the Prophet, Heaven is my Throne, and Earth is my Footstool, and where is the House that ye will build me? and where is the place of my rest? hath not mine hand made all things? and he judged them and said, ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, ye do always resist the Holy-Ghost, as did your Fathers so do ye, and they gnashed upon him with their teeth, and fell upon him and stoned him, and when Saul was converted and became Paul, 
Acts 26.17, 18.  his message was for to turn people's minds from the Darkness to the Light, and then (saith Paul,) when it pleased God to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him amongst the hearhen, immediately I conferred not with flesh & blood, 
Gal. 1.15, 16. 2 Cor. 4.2. 2 Cor. 2.15. Acts. 1●. 22 &c Acts. 17. chap.  & here was Paul's call to the ministry, & they was made manifest to every man's conscience, & was a sweet savour unto God, both in them that believed, & them that perished and Paul declared against the temple, and told them that worshipped there they was too superstitious, & he went into their synagogues on sabbath days and reasoned with them, & they persecuted him, and haled him before rulers and there complained of him to be one that profaned the temple, & a ringleader of the sect of the Nazareans, 
Acts 24. Acts 22.22. Ephes. 5.8.  & a pestilent fellow & a raiser of sedition, & many cried out away with such a fellow, he's not worthy to live & thus they suffered by the zealous professors in those days, but they whose minds was turned to the light, they was translated out of darkness into the light, 
1 Cor. 12, 13 1 john. 3.14. Col. 3.9, 10. Rom. 6.6. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11  and became the children of light, and was baptised by one Spirit into one body, and had passed from death unto life, and had put off the old man, and put on the new, the old man being crucified with Christ, though some of them was drunkards, some swearers, some proud, some covetous, Idolaters, Adulterers, yet than they were cleansed, and washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, and here was the Church which witnessed the Spiritual Baptism, into the Spiritual Body, of which Christ is Head, and they being thereby set free from Sin, their Union and Communion was here, and the Bread which the Saints broke was the Communion of the Body of Christ, 
1 Cor. 10.16. 2 Cor. 5.17. 1 Cor. 12.27. john 2.27. 1 Cor. 1.18.  and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ, and they was in Christ new Creatures, all members of one Body, and needed not that any man should teach them, because the anointing was in them, and to them the Cross was the power of God unto salvation, though to the Greeks foolishness, and to the Jews a stumbling block; and in this Cross Paul rejoiced, 
Gal. 6.14.  by which he was Crucified to the world and the world to him, and they was not conformed unto the world, but transformed by the renewing of their minds, and had one Lord, one Faith, 
Eph. 4.4, 5.6.  one Baptism, one way, one Teacher, one Life, and one Shepherd, and one Priest over the household of God, and one God and Father of all, 
Phil. 3.20.  being united by one Spirit into the bond of peace, and their conversation was in Heaven, and there was the Christians, and though there was a time that when Christ was preached after the flesh, 
Phil. 1.16, 17, 18.  some preached Christ through envy and strife, and contention, to add affliction to Paul's bonds, yet in all this he rejoiced that the name of Christ was spread abroad, for there was many that believed not that that was the Christ that suffered at jerusalem, and was crucified, as Paul himself had not, and as there is many such to this day, and so it rejoiced him that the name of Christ was spread abroad, but after his name was spread abroad, and many believed that that was the Christ, 
2 Tim. 3.5.  than the Apostle declared against such who had the form, but denied the life and power, and said, from such turn away, for as jannes' and jambres withstood Moses, so do they withstand the truth, being men of corrupt minds, and reprobates concerning the faith, and said the Apostle, we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block, 
1 Cor. 1.23.24. 2 Cor. 5.16.  and the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, and said the Apostle, hence know we no man after the flesh; and though we have known Christ after the flesh, hence know we him no more but he that is in Christ is a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things become new, and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts, 
Gal. 4.24. Col. 26, 27. 2 Cor. 13.5. 1 john 5.10. john 5 25. 1 john chap. 3.5. 2 Pet. 1.4. 1 john 4.11 chap. 5.19.  and the Apostle preached Christ within the hope of glory, the Ministry which had been hid from ages and generations, and they that could not witness Christ in them, was reprobates, and here it was not sufficient for them to say they believed Christ died for them, but he that believeth hath the witness within himself, and he that believeth is passed from death unto life, and he that believeth is born of God, and he that is born of God doth not commit sin, and those was they who was made partakers of Christ's divine nature, therefore saith john, as he is, so are we in this present world, and we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness, and they that are of God heareth us, and they that are not with us are against us; & then the Apostle Paul he spoke of false Apostles that was gotten transforming themselves as the Apostles of Christ, 
2 Cor. 11.13, 4.15.  & no marvel saith he, for Satan himself is transformed as an Angel of light, therefore it is no great thing also if his Ministers be transformed as the Ministers of Christ, whose end shall be according to their works: and the Apostle Peter he foretell of such who through covetousness with feigned words should make merchandise of the people; and jude he spoke of such who go on in the way of Cain, 
2 Pet. 2, 8. jude 11. 1 john 2.10, 1●  and after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards, and saith john it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrists shall come, even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time, they went from us, but they were not of us: Now the false Apostles was such, as under a pretence or profession of true Apostles deceived the ignorant, and brought in heresies, and so Antichrist is one (that under the profession of Christ) opposes Christ, and draws from him in the life, though under a profession of his name and of faith in him; and thus Antichrist got up, even that man of sin, 
2 Thes. 3, 4.  that is exalted in man above all that is called God, sitting in the Temple of God as God, and saith he is God, and thus he decived them in that age as an Angel of Light in a form and likeness of Christ, but a false Christ, who bewitched them from the truth with a form and profession; and thus Antichrist hath reigned by the power of Darkness, ever since the Apostles days, over the world under a Gospel profession, yet I say not but that the Lord hath had a remnant in all ages to himself, who was zealous and faithful in what they knew, but here hath been a long time of cruel darkness and ignorance, and the Lord hath been a long time as a stranger in the earth, and they that were accounted to believe on God or Christ, looked at him as a God a far off in the heavens, without, far off, they know not where, yet they that said they believed that that was the Christ that died at jerusalem, and that he died for their sins and risen again, and was sitting at the right hand of God, etc. as that which they called their Creed, so than they was baptised with water and called Christians, whenas before they were called Heathen, and did not believe that that was the Christ that suffered at jerusalem, but now called Christians and believers, though they were nothing changed from the heathenish nature, and this was at the first coming in of the profession of Christian faith and Religion into England, and those had the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, which is called Scripture, and so was the keepers of the letters, and that they took to be their rule to walk by, as they do now, but knew not that which gave it forth, to lead them unto the life, but had the Letter and the form, but could not walk according to it, being led and guided by a contrary Principle, to that which gave it forth, so they gave their own meanings and imaginations upon it, so then all that were called Christ's, were of the Christian Church and faith, and so were counted believers; then they sprinkled the children of those believers, and by that were they entertained into their Church and faith, and thus came up Infant's Baptism, for which there is no Scripture nor example, either from Christ or his Apostles, and yet they call this an ordinance of Christ, & thus they begin to add their own traditions & imaginations, & all are by nature the children of wrath, and a littlewater on their faces doth not change them from that, 
Eph. 23.14.  but they grew up in all manner of unrighteousness, as drunkenness, swearing, lying, covetousness, adultery Idolatry, pride wantonness, envy murder, deceit, fraud, and maliciousness, the which was cast out of the Apostles Church, and they was washed from such things, and sanctified and regenerate into the new-Covenant, & reckoned such to be without, as now England's Church is upheld by: then they had their two Sacraments (as they call them) for which word they have no Scripture, and Infant's baptism is one, and that which they call the Supper of the Lord, is another; and they had the carnal bread and wine, as the Priests and people hath now, and they give it to natural carnal men and women, and the Apostle saith, he that eats and drinks this unworthily, eats and drinks his own damnation, not discerning the Lords body, And the natural man receives not the things of God, because they are spiritually discerned: 
1 Cor. 2.14. 1 Cor. 10.16.  and the bread which the Saints breaks is the Communion of the Body of Christ, and the cup which the Saints drinks, is the Communion of the Blood of Christ; and here is the Communion of the Saints, and the Supper of the Lord to which, he that hath not on a wedding Garment is not admitted; but England's Priests knows not what a wedding garment is, and thus they planted their church in England, and other places, and then Bishops was set up, and Archbishops; for which name there is no Scripture, and Deans and Priests, and Deacons, and Popes, and one ruled over another, and the Popes bore rule like Kings, but they found never a Pope in the Scripture, and the Bishops they bore rule by their means, & the Priests preached for hire, and the people loved to have it so, & thus Antichrist set up his Kingdom, under a profession of the Gospel, & then tithes came up for to maintain the Priests, contrary to any rule in the Gospel, & then Universities was set up, for to make ministers or priests (as they call them) for the which they have no rule in the Scripture; & thus they was set up by the will and tradition of man, as they are still upheld, as the false Prophets always was, & then they had their long robes like the Pharises, but not like the Apostles, for from them they have no such example, than they set up these Idols Temples, which the blind and ignorant now call Churches, or the houses of God, for the which they have no example from the Gospel's ministers, for God never commanded these to be built, and though Solomon built him one Temple, yet nevertheless when the substance came, 
Matthew 24.  he prophesied of its downfall and destruction; and Stephen witnessed against it, & was stoned to death by those that upheld it; & Paul witnessed against it, & was persecuted by those that upheld it; as many of the servants & messengers of God are now persecuted in these Idols Temples, & haled out and abused, & stoned and imprisoned by those that uphold them now, though these was never ordained by God, and then they got up into their Pulpits, the chiefest places in the Synagogues (as they are now) and called of men Master, and Doctor, and had the uppermost Rooms at feasts, & greetings in the markets (as it is now,) and then they stole the Apostles words, as the false prophets stole the word from their neighbour, so did [and doth] those; and put them into Chapter & verse, an● took a verse, and studied from it a divination of their own brain, and added to it, but not from the mouth of the Lord, and so doth the Priests now; but they run like the false Prophets, & the Lord never sent them, therefore they profit not the people at all, and then with feigned or studied words, through covetousness they made merchandise of the people, as they do now, and so made a prey upon the sheep as they do now, & began to seek about for great live, and fat benefices, and left a lesser and ran to a bigger, so there was their beloved which they seeked for, as the false Prophets, which seeked for the fleece and regarded not the flock, but fed with the fat & clothed with the wool, and made a prey upon the sheep (as they do now) and cried peace to those that put into their mouths, and called them beloved brethren, and Christians, but they that did not put into their mouths, they prepared war against them, and brought a Law upon them, and haled them before Courts & Benches, as they do now, & thus they sought for their gain from their quarter, and ruled them with rigour, so that until within these late years, the Priests reigned like Lords over the people, contrary to the practice of the ministers of the Gospel, who made themselves servants to all, 
1 Cor. 9.19.  and though they did ordain Bishops, they did not ordain that they should live of others Estates, or takes the tenths of the increase of others labours, and live like Lords over the people, but said, a Bishop must be blameless, the Husband of one Wife, vigilant, sober, and of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to Teach, not given to Wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy Lucre, but patiented, not a Brawler, not Covetous, 
1 Tim. 3.  one that ruleth well his own House, not a novis, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil: now try your Priests and Teachers by this rule, but they stood not to this who was ordained by the Pope, or by the will of man, but was lifted up with pride and covetousness, and greedy of filthy Lucre, as they are now, and so came into the condemnation of the Devil, as they do now, and thus your priests old father planted their Church and so set every thing in form and tradition, according to their own imaginations, and here is the ground and foundation of the faith and Church of England so called; and here is the old Fathers, and the old Authors that your Priests have so much talked of, and prated of their ancient Fathers, even the Popes and the Bishops: and though now in words they deny the Pope, and the Papists, and the Bishops and differ something from the Pope in judgement, yet are in the same forms Customs, and Traditions, and are upheld by the same Laws as they was, when they was in the Popes and Bishops Loins, and thus Antichrist hath long deceived the Nations, and ruled by the power of darkness, under a notion or profession of the Gospel and faith of Christ, and one generation hath gone, and another come, and have not known the Lord that bought them, but by the hearing of the ear, and as those that saw him knew him in whom he dwelled, bore testimony and declared of him, and thus the Priests could tell the people from the Records of the holy men of God, what God is, and what Christ is, and what faith is, and how Christ died for their sins and risen again, and that Christ is a Saviour and a Redeemer, and what the Apostles spoke and writ unto the Church freely, they get and speak unto the world for gain and lucre, and so casts the children's bread unto dogs, and so seeds and puffs up the dark minds of men with airy knowledge, what they have gotten into their brains from other men's words, and their own imaginations, and so made and makes the people believe, that they are the means ordained by God; now many may see by this what liars they are, and how they came up and was ordained, and whose rule, practice, or example they follow in this they do, and they will be found the Ministers of Antichrist, 
Look into their own Records which they call the Book of Martyrs.  and such as have long shut up, and do shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men, and would neither enter in themselves, nor suffer others that would, but so long as they had power would bind all unto themselves, and those that had any appearance of Light, so that they came to see their deceit and separate from them, they would scarce suffer them to live amongst them, but praised be the Almighty who hath so weakened their hands and shattered their foundation, and caused his light so to shine out of Darkness, to cause them to be so manifest, so that all people who love Light better than Darkness, may now see how ignorantly & blindly you have been led, as strangers from the father of light, after the vain traditions, customs, forms, ordinances, and imaginations of man, with a vain profession and feigned faith, which you have gotten into the notion, but still in you sins and iniquities alive in the first nature, under death's dominion, still strangers from the God of life, and from Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of his people from their sins, and thus you lie under the power of Darkness and delusion of Antichrist, 
Hos. 4.9. Isa. 9.10.  both Priest and people, for like people like Priest, and so saith the Prophet, and your Leaders cause you to err by their lies and by their lightness, and though you be full of teachers yet you are lost for want of true knowledge, and are still led captive in your sins and iniquities, after these who have gotten the form, but deny the life and power, ever learning and never comes to the knowledge of the truth in yourselves, only differing from the heathen in name and profession, judgement, or opinion, but still alive in the same nature, in the fall under the Curse, the children of disobedience, in whom doth rule the Prince of Darkness, and you must have a Law without to keep you in awe and fear of the same, as they have whom you account heathen, but the Righteous needs no Law, for because of transgression the Law was added, and you are fight killing, and devouring one another, as they do whom you account heathen, & you are Drunkards, & Swearers, and Liars, as they are, & Scoffers, 
Gal. 3.19.  & scornrs and Revilers, and Backbiters, and Whoremongers, and Adulterers, and proud, and covetous Idolaters, and high minded oppressors, as they are, both Priest and people, and you are Idolaters, as they are, eating, and drinking, and rising up to play, and you are envious, and malicious, suing, and rending, and tearing one another at the Law, both Priest and people, pulling down others to set up yourselves, and you are dissembling, & cozening, & cheating, & defrauding one another of the earth, which is none of your own; & you are persecutots, & stoners, & strikers of the innocent children, & servants, & messengers of God, and what sin is there amongst those whom you account heathen, that is not amongst you, & doth abound, yea, those whom you account heathen may condemn you inmuch of their practice; Oh! be ashamed and blush you Priests and teachers of England, to see your Ministry and the fruits of your Ministry so laid open before you, and thus you are these who come near the Lord with your lips and mouths, but your hearts are far from him in the earth or else you would walk more uprightly; 
Math. 15.9.  but saith the Lord in vain do you worship me, teaching (for Doctrine) the Commandments of men, but I know some Pharisees and Priests will be ready to say, we are no drunkards nor swearers nor such like, but I say unto you, you are hypocrites, and your hearts are full of deceit, envy, wrath, and bitterness, covetousness, pride, and earthly mindedness, and self love, and selfe-wisdome, and persecutors, and the greatest oppressors of the truth, and Publicans, and Harlots shall enter the kingdom before you: Jesus Christ the Light marked out your forefathers, and found them to be such, though they was more strict and zealous than this generation: and by the same Light you are found in their steps, and those things both Christ and his Apostles judged to be without, and condemned them out of the new Covenant, for there no unrighteous person can dwell, and there all wars are ended, and the swords beat into pruning hooks, and guns into plowshares, and there is no oppression, nor selfe-exalting, 
Math. 20, 21. Isa. 54.13, 14. Rom. 8.1.  but he that would be the greatest must be the least, and in righteousness are they established, and they are far from oppression, and the Lord alone is their teacher, and there is no need of an outward Law, for to them there is no condemnation who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and there is no respect of persons, but all members of one body, of which Christ is head, serving one another in love, and here is the new Covenant, and the Children of the new Covenant who are washed and made clean by the blood of the new Covenant, but you are Aliens and strangers from this Covenant, who are in your notions and professions; therefore all you ignorant people who are led by these deceitful Priests and Pharisees, and disdain to be wiser than your forefathers, now see who is your forefathers, and the original of your Priests, and who is your example, for you are out of the life and practice of the Apostles and the Children of Light, and by their life are judged and condemned, for they was mortified to that life which you live in; neither did the Ministers of the Gospel Baptism Infants with water; neither did they teach for hire, or stand up in the chiefest place in the Assembly; neither was they called of men Master; neither had they the long Gowns; neither did they respect any place more than another to teach or preach in, except for conveniency; 
Acts 20.17.18 20.  for they teached in dwelling houses, and by the River sides, or in any open place; neither did they give to the world David's Conditions to be sung in a Meeter; neither did they give to natural men and women, bread and wine, which you call a SACRAMENT; neither did they use to Church women, as you call it, and take money for it; neither did they take a Text of other men's words, 
2 Pet 1.21.  and speak from it a divination of their own brain; neither did they study what or how to preach, but spoke as they was moved by the holy Ghost; neither did they teach people the Letter was the Word, 
john 1.  or, that the Letter was the light, but they bore witness of God to be the Word, and Christ to be the light; neither did they tearh people that they could never be free from sin while they were upon the earth; but they preached Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world, and to redeem his people from their sin, and to set them in the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, that he might redeem unto himself a pure Church, not having spot or wrinkle, 
Eph. 5.26, 27.  or any such thing, neither did they teach people that a house of lime and stone was the Church, or the house of God; neither was they set up or upheld by a Law of man, or came by the will of man, or stood in the will of man, 
Gal. 1.  but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and from him they received their Message and Command; neither was they brought up in humane learning, at an University (as it is called) to learn Arts and Sciences and take degrees, from Sir to Batcheller, and from Bachelor to Master of Arts, from Master to Batcheller of Divinity, from Bachelor of Divinity, to Doctor of Divinity, and had so many several Gowns, but the Pharisees loved these things, but the Ministers of Christ was not such, but most of them was ignorant, and unlearned in that wisdom and learning, 
Mat. 13.11.  but unto them it was given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, but it was hid from the world, and the wise ones thereof; and now the wise ones of the world say, that is the means ordained of God, to come to the knowledge of the truth, and that is the original, to wit, humane learning, and deny all revelation or immediate inspiration, and say it is ceased, for all which they have no Scripture proof, for the Apostles never taught this Doctrine, nor prescribed this way, therefore your teachers are such as bring another Doctrine, and climb up another way, who are not to be received but shut out for thiefs, and robbers, who shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men, 
john 10.1.  and will neither enter in themselves nor suffer others that would, and the Ministers of the Gospel never preached up Hebrew and Greek to be the original, but they preached the word to be the original, neither took tithes, 
john 11.  nor ever had a set maintenance, or so much a year, namely, forty, fifty, or sixty, or a hundred, or two hundred pounds a year, more or less, to abide in one place, neither sued any at the Law for any such thing, but all their care was to make the Gospel free and without charge, 
1 Cor. 9. 1●.  neither did they take of those that did not own them, as denied them, but shaked off the dust of their feet, and so left them, neither had they an hourglass to limit themselves by, or had a Clerk to say Amen; but your Priests will tell you now the Gospel is published, and the Churches are gathered and planted: Oh! with shame might they speak it, what Churches have they gathered, here I have before laid down their Church the ground thereof, the gathering thereof, and the planting thereof, and what they are, and also the gathering of the Apostles Church, and the planting thereof, so that here you may see the difference betwixt the one and the other, the one a form and tradition and profession, the other the life, and power, and substance, and here also you may see what England's Church, which England's Priests have planted, now differs from the heathen, and now set Drunkards aside, set swearers aside, set liars aside, set proud ones aside, set covetous ones aside, set railers aside, set murderers aside, and whoremongers aside, set wild ones, profane ones, and wanton ones aside, set quarrellers, and fighters aside, and hypocrites, dissemblers, and persecutors aside, and backbiters, extortioners, and lustful ones, and such like aside, and then see where England's Church is, which your Priests have made you believe they have planted, and let them eat no where but of their own vineyard, and it will make them go about to plant a better vineyard, or else to cast off their long Gowns, and fall to dig with a spade, for some of them have sometimes brought that place of Scripture to uphold their 40, or 50. or 100 or 200. l. by the year, where the Apostle saith, who planted a vineyard & eateth not of the fruit thereof? 
1 Cor. 19.7.  now according to this the vineyard must be planted first, before they can eat of the fruit thereof, and set those aside that I mentioned as aforesaid, for the Apostles cast out suchweeds and wild plants out of their vineyard, and then see where their vineyard is, which they have plaeted, & let them only eat of the fruit thereof, and not rob others vineyards, and this is but equity according to Scriptures example, but they are such greedy Dogs as the Prophet Isajah declared 
Isa. 56.  against in his time, and such ravening wolves and foxes, as they live all upon the spoil, and the fruits of others labours, and those that hunts them out of their Vineyards, and Barns, and Flocks, and Herds; then they have a Law, even to devour them and their whole estates, and this is far from Gospel Ministers, nay, Jesus Christ the Light saw their forefathers and marked them out to be the ravening wolves, 
Mat. 7.15, 16.  in sheep's clothing, as these doth now appear to any, but those that love to have it so, for so long as you put into their mouths, they cry peace, peace, and speak you far, and calls you christians and beloved; but put not into their mouths, than they even prepare war, than they have a Law for you to take triple damage from you, 
2 Pet. 2.3.  and so fulfils the Apostles words: Oh what a horrible filthy thing is here committed in the land! are not they plain ravening wolves, that would devour hoth body and soul? Now you people of England, consider where you are, and whom you follow, and whither you are going, and see now who is your forefathers, and see now how you have walked by tradition and form, and have been blinded by a vain profession and outside-worship and so have taken Antichrist for Christ, and the Ministers of Antichrist for the Ministers of Christ, and have put Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness, and your fear towards God hath been taught by the precepts of men, 
Isa. 29.13.  and they have taught for Doctrine the traditions of men, as I have before proved, how many things they have led you in by tradition, without any Scripture proofs, though to you they have been Oracles of God, but now they are searched, by the light, they are made manifest to be vain heathennish traditions, and thus the blind have led the blind along, and many of them into the ditch; but yet I say not but the Lord hath had his people in all ages, those who was zealous, and faithful, and true in what they knew, but I know the Priests have been long utter enemies to God and his truth, and the tares have long covered the wheat, and in the time of ignorance God winked, but now the Light shines out of Darkness, and now is the separation, and gathering the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, and to convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement, because the Prince of the Air is judged, and now the Lord doth require all every whereto repent, and they that love the light will bring their deeds to the light, that the light may prove them whether they be wrought in God, and it is not to say you will follow your forefathers, and go on the old way, for such are they that hate the light and despise it, and love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil, and so having drunk old wine doth not straightway desire new, for they say the old is better; and those are they that cry up the old way, and cry away with new ways and new Lights, and this is the condemnation of the world, 
john 3.19 20.  light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil, Light is now to them who have always been in darkness, and truth is new to them who have always lived in deceit, but the light is the same, as ever it was, for it is unchangeable, and the truth is the same.  
So people take heed of obstinancy and wilful blindness, and love not to be deceived, for now the light plainly and clearly shines, and here your old way is plainly laid open, what it is, and from whence it is, and also your Priests, and though they be more refined within this late years than they was before it is because the Light is more broken forth within this late years, so that many is come to see their deceit, and declare against them, and now they are but the more subtler and closer deceivers, Satan transformed into anothe shape more like the light, but still they have not parted with their great benefices, add Augmentations, or tithes, nor the chiefest place of the Assembly, nor their long gowns, though they are almost ashamed of their colour, nor to be called of men Master, nor from seeking their gain from their quarter, nor from making a trade of other men's words, nor from their lying divinations, and saying the Lord saith, when he never spoke to them, nor from stealing the word into their mouth, and saying, hear the word of the Lord, when they never heard his voice, neither turns the wicked ones from their wickedness, nor the proud ones from their pride, nor the ungodly from their ungodliness, nor the profane from their profaneness, but are still profane themselves, and still proud and covetous, and still shelter themselves under the powers of the earth, as their forefathers the false Prophets always did, and still runs when the Lord never sends them, but ordained and set up, and upheld by the will of man, therefore they profit not the people at all, but only hath gotten a higher notion to feed the notionists withal, and so makes more Pharises, hypocrites, and whited walls, and they are more whited over themselves to deceive the world, but the pure light is so broken forth that they cannot hid themselves, and many sees the deceit of the Priests, and their folly is a manifesting even to all, so that none need to be deceived by them but the wilful, obstinate, and blind, who love to have it so, who love darkness rather than light, which is their condemnation, the light which reproves them for their evil deeds, and therefore they hate it, for every one that doth evil hates the light, and this is his condemnation, and no ignorance here is to be pleaded, and these are they that uphold the Priests and the Pharises, but all who have desires to see, may see; and now here is the Priests or the ministers (so called) of England laid open, with the church of England, with their form, profession, and outside worship, with their ground, and original, and sandy foundation, and to be within, differing from the Heathen but in name, and form, and profession, therefore down it must, though the powers of the earth hath long upheld them, more than any other sect, so that they have continued so long, as they do not a little boast of, and thereby say they are of God, but let the Magistrate look to his office, and let the minister alone with his office, and then you shall see the professed ministers of England, to be the weakest of all sects and forms, but Antichrist hath had his limited time to reign over the earth, but now the King of righteousness is risen with a sword in his hand, and by his mighty arm he will overturn, overturn all until it come into his hand, 
Psal. 149.8.  whose own it is, and he will bind the Kings in chains, and the Nobles in fetters of iron, and he will broke the powers of the earth asunder, and all who oppose him, 
Rev. 19.20.  and the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken, and all that receive his mark, and worship his image, into the Lake shall go small and great, and there to lie forevermore; 
Mat. 31.42.44  and this is the stone which the bvilders have rejected, which now is become the head of the corner, and whomsoever falls upon it shall be broken, but on whomsoever it falls, it will grind them to powder, & this is the Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which strikes at the feet of the Image, & here is a blow to the foundation of the priests & church of England.  
Therefore now all people who are captivated under the Priests, turn your minds within to the Light of the Lord Jesus, which reproves you in secret when you tell a lie, or use any deceit, which shows you your evil deeds, and that your hearts are not right towards God for all your duties and shorship and profession, and that which calls for uprightness of heart and an holy life, and a change, and reformation, and a newness of life, harken unto this, it is the free grace of God unto your souls, and teacheth freely, and by this you will come to profit, for it teacheth godliness, and godliness is great gain, so that you will not need to spend your moneys for that which is not bread, 
1 Tim. 6 6. Isa. 59.1, 2.  nor your labour for that which profiteth not, nor to be led captive by your blind guides, ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth, but still in blindness and darkness, for you have a teacher within which is a more sure word of prophecy, 
2 Pet. 1.19.  to the which you do well to take heed unto, as to a Light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Daystar arise in your hearts; this is the measure of the grace of God, even the free gift of God, which God hath given you to profit withal, which will accuse you or excuse you before the throne of God, to which I now leave you, having discharged my conscience concerning you, and so I proceed to the rest of forms.  
Now within these late years the Light of Christ beginning to stir in people's hearts, so that many come to see themselves in much darkness and ignorance of these things which they read of in the Scripture, and also the corruption of the Priests and Teachers, and what Reprobates they were concerning the faith, and that they profited not the people at all, but they had heard them so long, and still blind and ignorant, so that many come to see their folly, yet their minds not being directed to the light, which showed them this, and should have led them out of this condition, upon which they should have waited for direction to have found the way of truth, but they run without to the Letter in their own wills and wisdom, and so would find out a way by their own wisdom and imagination, and so went out to search the Scripture, but with a wrong eye, giving their own meanings and interpretations upon the Scripture, and one cries this is my opinion, and another cries this is my opinion, and another cries this is my judgement, and thus they are confounded and divided into their several judgements and opinions, yet all still in one life and one Nature, but only confounded and divided in their judgements of what the Prophets meant, and Christ meant, and what the Apostles meant, but it is as a Book sealed, both to the learned and unlearned, and none is found worthy but the Lamb to open the seals, 
Isa. 29.11.  who is the light wherein lies the Ministry; so this is the cause why they whose minds are from the light, are so divided and scattered in their judgements and opinions, and one sets up a form in his imagination, and another sets up a Form in his imagination, and one runs abroad into the world with his wisdom, and he will go preach up his form and judgement to be the truth, and another he will cry down that form for delusion, anp preach up his form for a truth, and so many deceivers and false Spirits are entered into the world, and one cries, lo here is Christ if you can believe and be baptised you shall be saved; so they that can say that is the way, and that they believe Christ died for them, than they must be dipped in the water, and that they call baptising of them, and then they are of their Church, and then they call themselves Saints, though they are still in the old nature, and so in the fall, and in their sins, and corruptions, and it is not the washing away the filth of the flesh that doth change them; but because they are come out from the Priests, and turned into another judgement and profession, they think themselves Saints, 
Acts 19.6.  and they read the Scripture of laying on the Apostles hands, and then the disciples received the Holy Ghost; and so those formalists and selfe-actors lays on their hands, but there wants the Holy Ghost, and thus they act, and form and imitate, and make the form or likeness of a Church; and they read of washing the feet in the figure, and so they dote upon the Letter, 
john 13, 5. 1 Cor. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  and wash one another's feet; and they read of delivering up to Satan, one for fornication; for the destruction of the flesh in the name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in the spirit Paul discerned it, for saith he, though absent in body, yet present in spirit, I have judged already as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this deed; and so those formalists & imitators, if any differ from them in judgement, they will also deliver him up to Satan as they imagine, taking the Apostles words, though they cannot tax him for any thing; but his judgement differing from them, but they want the power; and here they are the Magicians, like jannes' and jambres, opposing the truth, and those are they that are called Baptists; and another form, they are more spiritual in their judgement, and they hold a spiritual baptism, and not a water baptism, and as many as hold with them, are of their Church and faith, and thus they are divided into several forms and Churches, and so have several names, and there are several judgements of one thing, under one name, and here is the confusion of Babylon, with their several sects, judgements, and opinions, and every one professing the name of the Lord, and stealing the words of the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles, and saying the Lord saith, when he never spoke to them, and here the difference from another, only in profession, judgement or opinion, but still in Babylon, and Babylon's fashions, customs and traditions, and fellowship, manners, and breeding, which is all heathenish, and at enmity with God, being in the fall, and thus they stand in the first nature, in pride, in covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, fleshliness and lustfulness, and idle words, vain talking, foolish jesting, and evil communication; and to be short, still alive in the world's nature, strangers to the holy God, and so under death's dominion, and here I comprehend all forms, sects, judgements, and opinions, by the light which slays Death, and takes away its Dominion unto its self, to whom it belongs, and doth see them and judge them to be out of the light, in Darkness and so in confusion, one clashing against another, with their judgements and opinions, and here is the disputes of this world, and the one cries, Lo, here is Christ in this form, and another cries, so here is Christ in this form, and none else, when as Christ is within his Saints, and theirs is a false Christ which they have set up in their imaginations, and here is the false Prophets and false Christ's that are gone out into the world, who have deceived many,  
And hereiss the ground of forms, a setting up a likeness of a thing, a figure or image of a thing, 
Reve. 13.  but not the thing itself; and here is the beast and the image of the beast, which all the world worships, and wonders after; even Satan as an Angel of light, in his several shapes, forms, and likenesses to deceive the simple, and here is the form without the life and power, and here is the building upon a sandy foundation, which all must come down, 
Luk 6.49. Mat. 19.20.  who here the words, and talk of the words, and are sayers of the words; and hear is him that saith he hath kept the commandments and Ordinances, and yet his heart from God after other lovers, who is searched and found out by Christ the Light, and here is the Spiritual Babel with its foundation, and Babel's building, and Babel's bvilders, and here is the Image whose head is gold, whose breast is silver and thighs of brass, 
Dan. 2.  and legs of iron, and feet part iron and part clay, but now is he come and made manifest, who strikes at feet of Image, who is called the stone cut out of mountain without hands, even Jesus Christ the son of God; now after all this profession of his name and of faith in him, but now he finds none in the earth who hath revealed himself in the poor despised one's of the world, and those which have been counted the blind and ignorant, and as you have read the poor receive the Gospel, the world was made by him, but the world knew him not, he came unto his own and his own received him not, 
john 1. Acts 2.16, 17, 18, 19  but as many as receives him, to them he gives power to become the Sons of God, to whom that promise is fulfilled which was promised in the days of old, by the father, that in the last days he would pour forth his Spirit upon all flesh, and his sons and daughters should prophesy, and the young men see visions, and if you will receive it, this is the Elias which was for to come in the Spirit as he came in the flesh, even the life and power of what hath been so long professed, which the Lord hath now manifested in his servants and handmaidens, whom he hath now sent forth abroad, 
Mat. 22.2, 3.  freely to call into the Supper of the Lord, even the marriage of the Lamb, and to preach his name no more after the flesh but after the Spirit, and to preach him within the hope of glory, the Ministry which hath been hid from ages and generations, and they that will be his disciples must deny themselves and take up his Cross and follow him, through evil report, and good report, through persecution and through death, and who are faithful until death must receive a Crown of life, and reign with him for evermore in his Kingdom, of which there is no end neither beginning, over which he is made heir and King, blessed be Jehovah, sing Haelalujah to his name all ye that know him.  
And now that his name is spreading abroad, and his message declaring by the mouth of his faithful messengers; those who have long talked of his name, and so long professed his name knows him not, neither believes on him, but are found hypocrites, and dissemblers, and blind leaders of the blind; whited walls, and painted Sepulchers, but within full of uncleanness, hypocrisy, and deceit, even the generation of vipers and Serpents, and those will not receive the message, but makes light of it, and saith, they believe on a Christ at Jerusalem, and now in the heavens far off they know not where, and they cry, he hath done all for us, and hath satisfied for our sins, and they shall not be imputed to us say they; and they cry out this is a new Light, and a strange Light, and we know not whence it is, but they say they will keep to the old Rule, the Scriptures (which they call the word of God, and the old way) though they be mere strangers to the life of the Scriptures; but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them, as Christ saith, for judgemet am I come into the world that they which see not might see, 
john 9.39.  and that they which see might be made blind, as their forefathers professed Abraham and Moses, and said, we know that God spoke unto Moses, but as for this fellow, we know not whence he is, john 9.29. and they said, God was their Father, but Jesus Christ answered them and said, 
john 8.  If ye were Abraham's children ye would do the works of Abraham, and he also said, If God were your Father then would you love me, for I proceeded forth and came from him, but saith he, ye are of your Father the Devil, and his works you do and will do; and thus are the Pharisaical professors of these times, marked out to be in the steps of their forefathers, for this is the same Christ that suffered at jerusalem, but they are blind and cannot see, neither (indeed) do believe the Scripture, nor walk according to it, but are in the old and broad way of the world, wherein their forefathers walked, and led many to destruction, but if these did believe the Scripture, they would believe on this light which is come into the world, which the Scripture bears testimony of, even the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive, and some of them scoff and scorn, and revile, reproach and slander, and rail at the messengers of Truth, and some strike them, and stone them, and buffer them, and stock them, and whip them, and imprison them, and despitefully use them, yet they are made able through the power of him that hath sent them, for to go on in boldness, 
Mat. 22.4, 5, 6.  but those persecutors are not found worthy, Therefore the Lord will send forth his Armies and destroy these murderers and burn up their City: and these are they that have professed to be his near kindred, friends, and acquaintance, but now are found strangers who prophesied in his name, and in his name done many wondrous works, and yet they must departed for works of iniquity, he knows them not; now read yourselves you wicked ones, you murderers, you rude multitude, you Priests, you Pharises and professors, you formalists, selfe-actors, and imitators, for now all join hand in hand, and Gog, and Magog joins in Battle against the Lamb, and Pilate and Herod is made friends, and you chief Priests and Pharises who are the professors of these times, and you Rulers, and you rude and brutish ones, and you formalists and sectaries now at the coming of Christ in the Spirit, even the substance of what you have long talked of, all joined together in one, who formerly have been at great division and wars among yourselves, but now you are made friends, and muster up all your strength against the substance, even Jesus Christ, whom you (as your forefathers did) call a blasphemer, a seducer, a deceiver, and a devil; and now the rude multitude they stand up for their Priests, and they fall upon the messengers of Christ when they come into their Synagogues, and they hale them out of their Synagogues, and strike them, and buffet them, and despitefully use them, and stone them, as their forefather ever did, and the Priests they seek to Rulers & Magistrates, and hales them before them, and they persecute them and imprison them, as their forefathers ever did, and the pharises and ancient hypocritical rotten professors, they side with the Priests, and goes about railing, and evil speaking of the truth, learning and insensing people's minds against it, with their lies and slanders and reproaches to present it odious to all people, and also fawning, and crouching, and seeking to Magistrates, to act in their wills and persecute, as their forefathers always did against the same seed, and likewise the formalists and sectaries do the same, and thus they that were after the flesh always persecuted them that were after the spirit, 
Gal. 4.29.  and yet these are ready to cry out what hard hearted Jews was those that crucified Christ, and persecuted his Apostles, and if they had been in those days they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of Christ and his Apostles, whenas they are now found the same generation of persecutors, persecuting the righteous seed, and so they fill up the measure of their father's wrath, that upon them might come all the righteous bloodshed from righteous Abel until now.  
And now the Priests and the Baptists can agree, and they join together, and the Priests calls them honest men, and the Baptists calls them Gentlemen of Divinity, and the Baptists and Independents, they join together, and the Independants, and the Presbiterians, they join togegether all against the life and power, which the Lord hath now manifested in his Sons and Daughters, and hath sent them to declare and lay open their hypocrisy and deceit, which they have long covered with a Gospell-like profession, but now all their cover are found too narrow before the Light which is come now into the world, to convince and reprove them of their sin, of their righteousness, and of their judgement; and therefore now they have enough to do to join together with all their strength and wisdom, to put out this light, and so they endeavour to sew their tares in people's hearts, and all the ways they can invent to destroy the work which now is begun, and as jannes' and jambres withstood Moses, so do they withstand the truth, according to the prophecy of the Apostle, being men of corrupt minds, and reprobates concerning the saith, which I have much experience in several meetings which I have had with the teachers of the baptised people, which shall follow in order afterward.  
But the more they strive in their wills and wisdoms, the more doth the work of the Lord prosper and go on, and flourish by his mighty power, and outstretched arm, and their shame, and folly, and down-fall the more appear, and when they have done all they can, they shall be glad to lay down their grounds, and bow unto this truth which they now so oppose, and every tongue shall confess it though to their condemnation, who do now oppose and gainsay it, woe unto such, they shall perish in the gainsaying of Core, And the time shall come, 
Luke 13.25.  that when the master of the house shall have shut the door, they shall knock and shall strive to enter and shall not be able, all who now oppose and reject the Counsel of the Lord and will not hearken now they are called.  
And thus the LORD will exhalt his SON in his SAINTS, when his ENEMIES shall be his Foot stole, and be made to bow before him.  
And thus doth all Sects, Judgements, and Opinions, join in one against the Life and Substance, they being all sprung from one Root, so make up all one Image, whose head is Gold, Breast of silver, whose Thighs is Brass, and Legs of Iron, and feet part of Iron and part of Clay; and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, which strikes at the feet of the Image.  
Now the head of the Image which is of gold, & those that have had a light shining into them, and have had a sight of many things, & have seen the emptiness of many forms, and have gotten the thing in their comprehension, & have a notion above others, of much of that which is now witnessed & possessed in life by the faithful, & there have been exalted & gotten up a life therein, and a false rest, but have lost the light which once shined into them, by catching the thing in their Comprehension, and so got it in the notion, but did not obey nor suffer the death of the Cross, and the breast of the Image which is of Silver, and the thighs of brass, are the rest of the sects, and opinions, and forms, and likenesses; which are more glorious one than another, for as I said before; Satan can imitate every appearance of the true Light, in his forms, shapes, and likenesses, and the more glorious the light appears in any creature, so doth he refine himself, and appear more glorious to deceive the simple; so that many (by the light of God stirring in them) have come to see the deceit and emptiness in one form, and how they have been deceived therein, then presently the deceit appears in another more glorious shape or form, and calls that the truth, and the creature still looking without from the Light, within it is ensnared there, again still painted with the Scripture words, and then the creature thinks its a Saint in that form, whenas it's but a painted Sepulchre, still in the old nature; and under the power of the same deceit, but the Cross tries all, for there all forms and professions misses and comes short, so that many a creature hath passed through many forms, and hath thought itself a Saint in every form, but coming, yea, but to see the Cross which they are to take up before they can be the Disciples of Christ, and there have stumbled and cried out, it is hard and strait, and goes away sorrowful, I know this is witnessed and answered in many consciences, for here every man's faith and works comes to the trial, and so to some the preaching of the Cross is foolishness, and to some a stumbling-block, but unto them that believe and take it up, it is witnessed the power of God unto salvation, and such rejoices in it with Paul, who are crucified to the world and the world to them, upon whom the ends of the world are come, but it would be an easy thing to the flesh if that was all, 
1 Cor. 10.11.  to turn out of one profession into another, and out of one form and judgement into another, but the way to life is through death.  
And the Legs of the Image, which is of Iron, is the Beast, or the power of the Beast, upon which these stand, where lies their strength; and the feet of the Image, which is part of Iron and part of Clay, are the Priests and Pharises, joined to the powers of the earth, which upholds them, for but for that, as I said before, they are the weakest of all forms, and so they are the part of clay, and the power that upholds them, is that part of Iron which is the strongest of the metals; and the watcher, or the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which strikes at the feet of the Image, is the King of righteousness, 
Rev. 19.11, 12, 13, etc. Rev. 17.12, 13, 14.  even he that rides upon the white horse, out of whose mouth goes a sharp sword, whose name is called the word of God, who comes to strike at the powers of the earth, even the Kings of the earth, who have given their power unto the Beast, and join in war against the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome, and he will overturn all until it come into his hand whose own it is, 
Rev. 19.20. Rev. 21.1.  and the Beast and the false Prophet that hath thus deceived the nations, and all that receive the mark of the Beast, and worship his Image, shall be taken and cast into the lake that burneth for ever, which was of old prepared for them, and he will create new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, where there shall not be war any more, but he shall reign in peace with his Saints for evermore. Oh blessed are all they that fight in this Banner, and here lay down their lives, they shall take them up again with an everlasting Crown, and reign for evermore, singing hallelujah to their king, to whom be all praise, honour, power, dominion, and thanks for evermore, Amen: And thus shall this great Image be broken to pieces, by the Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which will become a heavy mountain, even a burdensome stone to all nations, but upon this Mountain shall the true Church stand, as a City set on a Hill, 
Mat. 5.14.  that cannot be hid: and thus I have laid down the ground and end of all sects, forms and professions, with a blow to this great Image, with a weapon which is not carnal but spiritual, he that can receive it let him.  
And now concerning the CHURCH which is now gathering and redeeming, not by the will of man, nor by the wisdom of many, but by the will and power, and spirit of God, which according unto his promise he hath poured down upon his Sons and Daughters now in these latter days, by which we are carried abroad in the power of the Almighty, now to declare abroad his powerful Truth, which the Lord hath decreed shall prevail upon the hearts of the people, which is glad tidings of great joy, unto them that receive it, but unto the stubborn and stiffnecked and rebellious, tidings of woe and misery, and though the messengers of the Gospel are by some rejected, reviled, reproached, scoffed, and scorned, stocked, stoned, and imprisoned, and despitefully used, slandered, and abused, yet nevertheless, blessed be the name of the Lord, there are some found worthy and do receive with much joy the messengers of the Gospel, 
Rom. 10.15.  so that they know how beautiful are the feet of those that bring glad tidings, to the reviving the just witness for God, and raising up to life the dead, and so the living comes to know and praise the Lord, and so the just comes to reign, and the wicked comes to be judged, and the mind comes to be turned from the darkness to the light, to which we do preach in every creature, and to the same are made manifest, and known to them who do like to retain it in their minds, and from whence we come, and the testimony which we do declare; but they that do not receive it, to them we are not known, and therefore are by them esteemed as deceivers, and deluders, vagabonds, and wanderers, and the like; yet at all this we do not wonder, for we read the servant is not greater than his lord, for if they have called the Master of the House Belzebub, how much more those of his household, and if they had known him, 
Mat. 10.24, 25  they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, yet nevertheless we have a witness in every Conscience, both in them that believe, and in them that perish, unto which we do clear our consciences, and leave all without excuse by the same, which will answer for us in the mighty day, though to the condemnation of those that hate it, wherein we have our great joy above all our sufferings, but as many as receives this, to them he gives Power to bccome the Sons of God, and those are they who are led and guided by the one spirit of Truth, which the world cannot receive, even the Comforter, of whom you have heard should come, by which they are separated out of the world, & redeemed out of the rudiments & pollutions thereof, their fashions, their customs, their words, their ways, their manners, their breeding, their fellowip, love and friendship, their honour and glory, and their worship, and so are become strangers to the world, and so are hated of the world, because they are not of the world, and the enmity stands betwixt the two seeds; but while they was of the world the world loved them, but now they are gathered out of the world, and separated from the world, and testifies against the world both in words and actions, therefore the enmity is raised in the world against the righteous seed, and those are they upon whom the ends of the world are come, to whom it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, though to the world in Parables; and those are they that are come with a mighty arm and power, to turn the world upside down, whom the Lord hath gathered, and is a gathering out of the world by his own Spirit of Truth and Love, to walk in the way of Truth, even the way of Holiness, where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk, and serve and worship him in spirit and in truth, and such is the Father seeking to worship him, 
john 4.23, 24  in whom he is, in doing his own ork, even to destroy the old Creation, and create new Heavens and new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness, and those are they that are the new creatures in whom this new work is witnessed, in whom the Father hath manifested his Son, that in the likeness of sinful flesh he might condemn sin in the flesh, and to bind the strong man, and cast him out of his house, and spoil his goods, and so to destroy the works of the Devil, and to cut down the Man of Sin, even that son of perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD, sitting in the Temple of God as God, and saith he is God; this is he by whom the world is deceived, who is the God of the world, even the Prince of Darkness, who rules in all the Children of Disobedience, and so said john in the light, the whole world lies in wickedness, and unto this doth Christ come with a sword for to make war with him, and to take and bind him, and cast him into utter darkness, and so to take his Kingdom from him, and to rule himself in righteousness.  
And this is the King of the SAINTS, who is now come to redeem unto himself a pure people, and to wash them and cleanse them from their sins by his BLOOD, and so to wash away all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit, and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith, and here is the effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN; and thus he doth and will manifest his mighty power, to purify, and cleanse, and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in, and thus is GOD with us, manifested in Flesh, and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST, and thus is the word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed, to the raising up the Soul to Life, and reconciling the Soul to GOD, and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth for ever, and here is the Household of God, the Household of Faith, and the Household of Love, 
1 john 1.1.  who speak the things which they have heard and seen, and tasted of the good Word of Life, which was in the beginning, and those are the children of Light who are gathered out of the dark Forms, Judgements, and Opinions, into the life and power of godliness, to walk in the Light of Life, wherein they are gathered and united by the one Spirit of Love and Life, into one body, of which Christ is head: and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering, and washing, and cleansing, and purifying by his Spirit, that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, whose insides are washed and made clean through the Word, 
john 15.  by which they are reconciled into the love and union which springs from the Life of God, and here is the Vine and the Branches, and here is the communion of the Church, all feeding upon one Bread, all drinking upon one cup, this is Christ the Life of the Saints, and as many as are baptised into this Church, partake of this communion, and those are they which have denied themselves, and have borne the Cross of Christ, by which they are crucified to the world, and the world to them, who are gathered into one Covenant of Life, where all are Fellow-Servants, under one MASTER, who serve one another in love and meekness: and here is the true Humility in the HEART wrought, and here is the true washing of feet without Hypocrisy, which some are imitating without for LIFE, but falls short, for the heart the Lord requires.  
And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one spirit, and by the same circumcised and baptised into one Light, and Life, and Power, where all dwell as MEMBERS of one BODY, of which CHRIST is the HEAD. And here is the blessed Union and Communion in one, and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, and as CHRIST is spiritual, so is his Body, and so is his Ordinances; and here are the true Christians, not those that only have the Notion of those things, but they that witness, and possess this in Life, and they that believe hath the witness within themselves, and they that believe, have passed from death unto life, and the life which they now live in is by faith in the Son of God, which faith is without respect of persons, who are the new creatures, who are in Christ Jesus, to whom there is no condemnation, who walk not after the FLESH, but after the SPIRIT, 
Gal. 5.23.  for against such there is no LAW, for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added, and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life, and are made partakers of the Divine nature of Christ, 
Rom. 8.2. 1 john 4.17.  by which they are made Christians, and therefore saith john, as he is so are we in this prasent world, and such now witnesss the effect of the blood of Christ wrought within them, and the end of his coming, and the benefit of his Death, who are dead with him, and risen through the death of the Cross, and these are they that have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Son of God within them, Christ within the hope of Glory, or else no hope of Glory, for they that cannot witness him so, 
2 Cor. 13.5. john 17.23.  are in the Reprobation, so saith the Apostle, and here is the Son in the Saints, and the Father in the Son, and thus are all made perfect in one, and here is the true Church, where there is but one Teacher, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one Light, one Life, and one way, one Shepherd and one Sheepfold, and one Priest over the household of God, and one hope, and one language, one family, and one God and father of all; and they that cannot witness this, are Strangers to Christ, and Strangers to his Cross, and Strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel.  
And this is the work which the Lord now hath begun, and is carrying on by a strong arm and mighty power, to redeem unto himself a pure Church, and blessed are they that harken unto his voice; Here all you Formalists, Imitators, and selfe-acters are shut out; here all you proud ones are shut out; here all you lustful ones, fleshly ones, and carnal ones are shut out, and all you that are conformed like unto the world in their fashions, in their customs, in their words, in their ways, in their worships and traditions, in their love and in their fellowship, who are seeking the glory, and honour, and riches of this world, you are the children of this World, under the Dominion of the GOD of the WORLD, whose Kingdom is of this World: Here all you are shut out, who live at ease in your pleasures, and live want only upon the earth in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, 
james 5.5.6.  and the pride of life; you are the Children of Babylon, you kill the just, and he lies slain in the streets, but here you all are shut out of the new Covenant of Life in the dark world, under death's dominion, of what profession and judgement soever, Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise, for they that are not with us, are against us, and our union and society is in the light of life, 
Mat. 12.30.  but you must all suffer the death of the Cross to the life, which you now live in, before you can witness this Redemption; for those that live with Christ are crucified with him, therefore so it is, they that will take up life, must first lay down life, for the way to life is through death; therefore you must be stripped of all your old covers naked and bare, that your deceit and shame may appear, which you have so long covered with your own righteousness, but now you must suffer the shame of the Cross, if you would have part in Christ, and all your old wisdom, knowledge, and notions, which you have gotten into your comprehensions, by your conceivings of the Scripture Letter, wherein hath been your life and pride, and exaltation, must all come to the death of the Cross, that no flesh should glory in his presence; but I say unto all you Professors, Formalists, Notionists and Disputers, and Wise ones of this World, if you will not take up and embrace this Cross, Publicans and Harlots shall enter the Kingdom before you; therefore, not many mighty, nor many noble, nor many wise after the flesh are called, but he hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, 
1 Cor. 25.26. to the end.  and the weak to confound those that are mighty, that no FLESH should glory in his PRESENCE, but CHRIST is made over unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, that they which glory might glory in the Lord, and this I witness in my measure the things which I have seen, and heard, and felt, and tasted of, the good Word of Life, which was in the beginning, the same do I declare, and am known and read by the children of Light. And now I shall proceed to several passages that I have had with the people called Baptists, in several meetings, that their deceit and delusion may be laid open to the simple hearted.  
Upon the thirtieth day of the first Month called March, in the year 1655. I was atone Ashens house in Fenstanten, in Huntingtonshire, where I was freely declaring the Truth of God to the people that came there together that day, as I was taught and moved by the Spirit of Truth, by which the holy men of God spoke forth the Scripture as they was moved and there came several of the people called Baptists into the Room amongst us, amongst whom was one of their Teachers, called Richard Elligood, who after a while stood up in his will and wisdom to accuse me, and said that I said that God did not respect any forms, and yet, saith he, you use the form, and so use that which God hath no respect to; but his first words was, Sir (if you please) I will speak something to what you have said; to which I made answer, here needs no compliments, and then he runs on as aforesaid, to which accusation I replied was false, and bid him prove what form I used, and he said the Letter, and I replied, he that takes the Letter to talk of without the life and power, such sets up a Form and makes a Form; but this would not satisfy his filthy wisdom, which darkened his understanding, but because I spoke words which are mentioned in the Scripture, by the same spirit that spoke forth the Scripture, by which I challenge the Scripture, from him and all such who have gotten it to talk of, but denies the life, and are strangers to the life and power, therefore with his contrary spirit tasked me with a Form, which by his logic and deceitful art would have proved, but could not, but his deceit was laid open to the people, and many declared against him, for a form is this, as I said before, the likeness of a thing, but not the thing itself, as they have the likeness of a Church, which they have imagined from the Letter, with their Elders, Pastors, and Teachers, but not the Church it self, and so they imitate the Scriptures, but live not in the life of them that spoke forth the Scriptures, neither are acted or guided by the same spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, and so wants the life and power, and those are the formalists that makes forms and likenesses, to deceive the simple, as the devil hath the form of an Angel of Light, but not the life and power, who appears to rule in those formalists and selfe-actors, but the day doth make him manifest, and therefore he rages: and then this Elligood denied that I had the same spirit that gave forth the Scripture; and he said the Spirit might be tried by the Letter, for he said, many false Spirits are entered into the world, and I asked him by what did the Apostle know that false spirits were gone out into the world; and he replied and said, by the Spirit of God; then I replied and said, if by the Spirit of God the Apostle knew that there was many false spirits gone out into the world, then by the Spirit of God he tried false Spirits, and knew false spirits from the true; and here his deceit was laid open to the people, and he judged out of his own mouth to be a liar, and to be guided by a false spirit, who would try the living by the dead; and again he said, that one Spirit could not try another, for by that judgements the evil Spirits might try the good Spirits; to which I replied, by the Spirit of God all other spirits are tried, and also that by the Light darkness is discovered, but Darkness cannot comprehend the Light, neither discover the Light; and here again his blindness and ignorance, and deceit, was much discovered to the people, although he fed himself and would have shuffled it off by his consequences and filthy logic, but it the more laid open his deceit, and presently the said Elligood was found with another lie in his mouth, for he said that I said the thing should be proved by every man's spirit, which was a very lie, for I said that the baptism of the spirit was the substance of the outward baptism, the which he denied and bid me prove it, and I said I spoke to the witness in every man's conscience, which his dark mind could not comprehend, but with his dark mind wrested my words, and therefore said that I said it was witnessed by every man's spirit, but his spirit was a lying-spirit, there tried and made manifest to the people, and his blasphemy against the Spirit of God, 
Isa. 5.20.  in calling truth error, and error truth, and putting Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness, because the God of the world hath blinded his eye, and many witnessed against him, for his filthy Spirit was odious to many of the hearers; then afterward he again said, that I was a deceiver, and his proof was that I was not obedient to the command of Christ to be baptised, and I told him I was baptised, but he said with water, and he said that were a command of Christ to be baptised with water, and I bid him show me that Scripture, but he could not, 
Acts 10.47, 48  but brought a Scripture in the Acts, where the Apostle commanded some to be baptised; and this by his filthy logic and consequences he would have made a command of Christ, but he could not decevie the Light which did him try and make him manifest to the shame of his profession, but he could not bring one Scripture to prove it to be a command of Christ to baptise with water, and then he shuffled to that Scripture where the Apostle said, Be ye followers of us, even as we are followers of Christ, and then he said Christ was baptised, but he confessed it was to fulfil all righteousness, and I said, he was also circumcised, and he said that was not for example, than not the Baptism, for both was to fulfil all righteousness, to which end, he the substance came; but Christ himself baptised not with water, neither do they read that the Apostles was baptised with water; than who is their example? and how do they follow the Apostles in that, seeing they are baptised, and the Apostles was not; then he fled from that, being there routed, and said they might be Disciples before they could take up the cross of Christ, and I replied, with Christ's words, that they might take up his cross before they could be his Disciples, which he denied, and said, that wicked men upon that account might take up the cross of Christ, and that Christ required wicked men to take up his Cross, and I said, it was so, he did them require so to do, for by taking up his cross they come to deny their wickedness, for they that bear his cross live not in wickedness; but this Elligood said, that wicked men could not take up his cross, for he said reproaches and outward sufferings was the cross of Christ (for his name's sake,) but this was not the cross by which PAUL was crucified to the world, and the world to him; and saith PAUL, (where he was speaking concerning wickedness and unrighteous ones, to the Corinthians,) Such were some of you, but you are now cleansed, etc. 
1 Cor. 6.9.10, 11.  And here wicked ones and unrighteous ones took up his CROSS, which to them was the Power of GOD unto Salvation, though to the GREEKS foolishness, and to the JEWS a stumbling Block; amongst whom this ELLIGOOD is found, who is a Stranger to the CROSS of CHRIST, who saith, Reproaches and outward sufferings is the CROSS of CHRIST, when as the CROSS of CHRIST makes Disciples, and they must be Disciples before they can suffer Reproaches or Persecution for the Name of CHRIST, and must departed from iniquity before they be a Prey to the World for CHRIST'S sake, for the World loves its own, and they that take up the CROSS do departed from iniquity, which is before Reproaches or Persecution is suffered for the Name of CHRIST: And here ELLIGOOD is found the Liar, who said, Wicked men was not called to take up the Cross of CHRIST, when as all are wicked before they take up this Cross; and here ELLIGOOD is found to be no Disciple of CHRIST, who is such a Stranger to the Cross of CHRIST, who is a Liar, and so are not the Disciples of CHRIST, for the Liar is of the DEVIL, and therefore is ELLIGOOD.  
Then I knowing him to be one of the Baptists Teacher, I took out some queries, which (not long before) I had sent them, but no answer to them had I received, and I would have read them openly that the people might have heard, and also he that was one of their Teachers; but as I was reading, he not having power over his own will could not bridle his tongue but disorderly run into many words, so that the people could not understand, and I spoke to him for it, and he said he had not time to stay, and further said that he was not of the society of these Baptists at Fenstanton, and yet he came with them, and from them, and then I replied that he owned them to be the Church of God, and this he did, and then if he was not of their society, he was shut out of the Church; and then he would have shuffled off with his consequences, and said he dwelled far off, and then I replied with the Apostles words, though absent in body yet present in spirit, and the multitude that believed was of one heart and mind, and here was the Society of the Saints, 
Acts 4.32.  and he being out of this society is shut out of the Church, and then he would have made it have stood by his logic, which only is to make a false thing seem true, but it the more laid open his deceitful heart, and shame to the hearers, who severally witnessed against him, to speak nothing but deceit, and then saith he you call the Apostles words deceit, because he had often stolen the Apostles words to make his deceit seem truth, by covering it with the Apostles words, and this is a more subtle deceit, and then in his will he called me deceiver, the which he was to prove, and all the people was silent, and there he uttered several lies, and laid open himself to be the deceiver, as I had told h●m, in going about to prove me a deceiver, he would the more lay open his own deceit, and prove himself to be the deceiver, and the people did plainly see it so, and witnessed with me against him, for he did so utter forth his folly and deceit, that he made himself odious to many that was there; and at last he shuffled away, under pretence he had far to go, but the judgements of God he cannot escape, for his damnation slumbreth not who is an opposer of the truth of God,  
Then there was one Phillips, an old man of the Baptised Party, in another Room, who in scorn and wrath stood up and said they knew the first Principle of Religion before I was born, because one of my Queries to them was, what is the first Principle of Religion? so I replied to the old man if they knew it, they should have answered, and then presently as he was running on in many words, he swore as he lived and breathed, and Christ saith, Swear not at all, and here he was found not come to the first Principle of Religion, 
Mat. 5.34.  but out of the Doctrine of christ, and so hath not God, so I told him of his swearing, and he would have shuffled it off, but he could not, 
2 jobn 9  and I told him, He that seems to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue his Religion is vain, and therefore he might own his Religoin to be vain, who could not bridle his tongue, and then in his will he shuffled off and said he would not confess his sin to me, 
jam. 1.26.  for I could not forgive sin, in scorn he spoke, than I said woe unto him that hides his sin and covers his iniquity, but he shuffled away in much confusion of face, as they will all appear, as by the Light they come to be searched and tried, their cover will be found too narrow, and their nakedness will appear to their great shame, and confusion of face, and they will be made to bow to the truth, and lay down their Crowns at the feet of jesus, for he is risen and reigns in his Saints, to whom the Nations must bow, and every tongue confess to their condemnation who do oppose him, but here now by the single eye, you may see the emptiness of these forms, and what a blind hypocrisy this is of them, to wash the outside, but leaves the inside full of uncleanness, and so the inside defiles the outside.   

A Copy of the Queries which was sent to the Baptised people in Fenstanton, with some more added, for them, or any whom they do concern to answer.  

Several queries to you which be called Baptists, by your Teachers to be answered.  
Querie 1.  
What is the first Principle of Religion, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
2. What is the bridle of the tongue, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
3. What is the Church in God, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
4. What is the order in the Church, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
5. What is the Baptism into the Church, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
6. Whether you will own the Baptism of the Spirit, or the Baptism of water, and which you will deny, seeing the Scripture saith, The Baptism is but one? Eph. 4, 5.  
7. And where Christ ever commanded water Baptism.  
8. Why did the Apostles Baptism with water, and why do you baptise with water, and where, and when, and by what were you commanded, and where was any of the twelve Apostles baptised with water?  
9 And whether you do it because the Apostles did it, yea or nay?  
10. What is the Faith of our Lord jesus Christ, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
11. Whether your Faith purify your Hearts, yea or nay?  
12. And whether you commit sin, yea or nay?  
13. How would you know there is a Christ but by the Scripture, and how do you witness the Scripture is truth?  
14. And what is the ground of your faith?  
15. What is the redemption, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay.  
16. What is the Communion of the Saints, and wherein it stands, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
17. And whether you that breaks bread do discern the Lords body, yea or nay?  
18. What was their rule and guide that spoke forth the Scripture.  
19 Whether you have the same infallible Spirit that gave forth the Scripture?  
20. Whether is the Scripture your rule and guide, or the spirit that gave it forth.  
21. Whether they that are guided by the Spirit that gave it forth live not in the life thereof, yea or nay?  
22. Whether the life of the Scripture be perfect, yea or nay?  
23. And whether you are or think to be made perfect while you are upon the earth, yea or nay? Or where do you think to be made perfect, if not upon the earth?  
24. And what is the life and power of godliness, and whether in it you dwell who have a form, yea or nay?  
25. Whether you be washed and cleansed by the blood of the Lord jesus and the spirit of our God, as the true Church was, yea or nay?  
26. Whether you have put off the old man and put on the new, as the true Church did, yea or nay? and what is the new man?  
27. And whether you have put off the image of the earthly, and put on the image of the heavenly, and how are they known the one from the other?  
28. Whether you be not conformed like unto the world, so long as you follow their customs and fashions?  
29. Whether you be come that you need no man to teach you, as the true Church was, yea or nay?  
30. What is the cross whereby Paul was crucified, and whether to it you be come yea or nay?  
31. What is the watcher that strikes at the feet of the Image, and whether to it you be come, yea or nay?  
32. What is the word, and what is the death that hath passed over all men, even over those that had not sinned, after the similitude of Adam's transgression, and whether this death you ever passed?  
33. Whether you have passed from death to life, yea or nay.  
34. Where, and when, and how received you the command and power to deliver any soul up to Satan, and where is that Satan you deliver it up to?  
35. What is the tree of life, and what is the tree of Knowledge, and whether upon it you do not feed, and what is the flaming sword that is set to keep from the tree of life, and whether it you ever passed, yea or nay?  
36. What is the beast which all the world wonders after and worships, and what is the worship of the beast, and whether any worships the only true God but the true church, and what is the worship in this church?  
37. What are you Ministers of, and what do you minister unto, and what is the end of your ministry?  
38. And by what do you try the Spirits, and by what did the Prophets and Apostles try the spirits, and whether yours is the same tryer of Spirits as theirs was, yea or nay.  
39 What is the faith of the Saint, and what is the faith of the hypocrite, and how are they known the one from the other?  
40. How and by what was you called to the ministry which you profess?  
41. What is the Gospel which you profess, and what is the light of the Gospel which the infidel cannot see, and what is an infidel, and what is the eye which the God of the world blinds in the infidel.  
42. What is the state and condition of the jew inwardly, whose praise is not of man but of God, and wherein doth he differ from the jew outwardly?  
43. What is the new Csvenant, and where any in the New Covenant paid Tithes, and why do you cry against the Priests, and their Tithes, and their worship, and yet upholds them by paying them Tithes, and helping to maintain their places of worship, and whether this be not Babel, yea or nay?  
These things I do not ask because I know them not, but that the Truth may be made manifest, and the deceit laid open, therefore answer by plain Scripture, or else all you formalists, imitators, and selfe-actors, bow unto the truth, and be silent, and let your mouths be stopped, and thereby confess and yield yourselves in an error, and to have gotten the form without the life and power, that the simple may no longer be deceived by you taking the shadow for the substance.  
Read this openly in your Church, that all may hear and answer for themselves, from him who by one of you was called a deceiver yet true, who according to the world am called,  
james Parnel;   
A Copy of most of these Queries was sent to the chief Teacher of the baptised people in Fenstanten, and after a certain time, these words they sent me back again, as followeth.  
A few words to him that saith that according to the world he is called JAMES PARNELL.  
We have received your Paper, and according to your desire read it in the Congregation, unto which you desire our answer by plain Scripture; to which we reply, that when you make good your affirmation that you are no deceiver, but true by plain Scripture, then shall we return you a further answer to your queries:  
From them who desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, john Den, Edmund Male.  
Then after I had received this Libel, I returned them this answer at the bottom of their own paper.  
An. This is plain Scripture, though as a deceiver, yet true, and if my life and conversation doth not prove the same, and make good my affirmation, then in your answer to my queries you might have taxed me, and proved to the contrary; but this of you is but a plain shuffle to blind the world, and shun the shame, and still to blind the people who are enslaved under your deceit, but this will the more manifest your ignoranre; than not long after they returned me this answer as followeth.  
It is not plain Scripture, though as a deceiver yet true, as deceivers and yet true, is plain Scripture, the greatest deceiver in the world might as well brought it to prove himself no deceiver, but true as well as you, for your conversation we know it not, we have not to say to that, but this we know, that wolves may come in sheep's clothing, and this doth appear in you, in drawing people from the truth, as namely, from Water-baptism which is a command of the Lord unto believers; as for your saying we might have taxed you in our answer to your queries, we think you might plainly see your folly in this, you affirmed nothing in them as your judgement, how should we then tax you and prove the contrary? and again, we made no promise to answer, and therefore you might have spared your daring and false words, to say the people are enslaved under our deceit, and therefore until you have made good what you have taken in hand by plain Scripture by the fruit of your lips, by bringing the Doctrine of Christ, and owning his Commandments, we say until then, we are exhorted to let you alone, let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind, you having been so plainly manifest unto us.  
Rep. Here all people who with a single eye reads, may see the deceit of this people, for I spoke but of one, and therefore in that respect it is plain Scripture, though as v deceiver yet true, but these are they, who if they could, would make a make a man an offender for a word, 
Isa. 29.21.  my conversation they cannot touch, and yet are not ashamed to say, the greatest deceiver might as well have brought this Scripture as I, and this is the blindness of their minds; and also say (because I deny water-baptism to be an Ordinance or a Command of Christ) that I am a wolf in sheep's clothing, which they do affirm to be a command, but cannot prove it, and so are such as use their tongues, and say the Lord saith, when he never spoke to them, but surely a wolf in sheep's clothing is to be known by the life and practice, but in this they are blind and cannot discern, and so themselves are the blind leaders of the blind, but I shall not let you alone but make you manifest unto the world, neither did Christ let them alone but pronounced woes, and declared against them; and here I am sure you might see your folly, who say I have been so manifest unto you, and said, you know not my conversation, what a confusion is this, but it is your mother's language and also in expecting me to affirm my judgement upon my own queries, then what need I send them to you to answe if I answer them myself; and here I am sure you might see your own folly, for it is here plainly plainly laid open, so that all who are led by you, are plainly seen to be enslaved under your deceit, and these words shall stand for truth against you, which you call false, who are the blind, and so put evil for good, and good for evil: and the Doctrine of Christ I have brought, and his commandments I do own, from and against you, who are the busybodies and selfe-actors, who have nought to do with him nor his commands, therefore silence deceivers, for here I have made good what I have taken in hand, which witnessed shall be in your condemnation.  

The occasion of another meeting betwixt the people called Baptists and the people called Quakers.  
Several times when I have come to the Town of Cambridge, I have heard a rumour of a boasting and daring, that sprung from the people called Baptists, behind my back concerning a dispute with me, yet I had received nothing from them, neither by word nor writing, to be certain of their minds, therefore I being in the Town sent them word that I heard a voice of such a thing, but knew not the certainty, therefore to let me know their minds in writing, if they intended such a thing; so then one Hinds a Tanner in Cambridge, sent me this Note as followeth, which joseph Doughty had sent unto him.  

The Note.  
Brother Hind, as touching a Discourse with James Parnel, I shall be willing to do God and men service in it, to my power given to me.  
Frst, Provided that it be somewhat public; the questions in controversy may be stated in writing.  
2. That the questions may be such as may be resolved and answered according to Scripture.  
3. That the questions agreed upon, may be delivered into the disputants hands, three days before the day of dispute.  
4 That to avoid confusion in multitude of words, a short form of Argument shall be used on both parts.  
5. That some shall be chosen on both sides, to see order on both sides observed in discourse, and competent Judges also appointed.  
6. That censorious rash terms of judging, shall not be used.  
7. That the disputants shall declare before the people their intent in dispute, Aprill this 17. 1655.  
joseph Doughty.   

My reply to this was as followeth, as not being willing to come under their snares.  
Rep. This is not to me, but betwixt Brother and Brother, so if you two Brothers are agreed concerning this your intent towards me, let me know your mind in writing now while I am in the Town, for while I was abroad there was a voice of such a thing as from you, but to me you did not declare your minds, neither in word nor writing, therefore now I am in the Town, let me know your minds in writing, that there may be no boasting nor daring in secret, for truth is bold and seeks no covers, this from me to you I send, and do require your answer, who am called,  
I. P.   
This was writ on the backside of their note and sent back to Hinds, who forthwith flew into a great rage against the messenger in the street, and said that I lied in saying that the note was not to me, which any one who can read, may plainly see it so, and him to be the Liar for the Lake, and his seeming Religion to be vain, who is still in old Cain's nature, in wrath and bitterness, without a bridle to the tongue. Then the next morning I received this from them as followeth.  

james Parnel, this is to thee, my intent towards thee is this, If thou art minded to dispute with me, appoint time and place public, and if the Lord will, I will dispute with thee, and so on with his provisoes as aforesaid.   

Then my Reply was as followeth.  
To thee joseph Doughty, I do reply, That thou must understand the occasion of this Dispute to be sprung from thee or thy party, as I did declare on the backside of thy other paper, so if thou, or any of you, that made your boasts or dare behind my back, or have any thing against me or the truth, which I bear testimony unto, or the way which I walk in, I am ready now at all times through the power of God, to stand up for, and defend the same, against thee or any other, who shall object against, oppose, or gainsay it, be it in the Towns-hall, or as public as you will, and what I have at any time declared against you people, or your profession, I shall be ready to maintain, and justify, by such weapons as I have, which are not carnal, but spiritual, and here is time and place from me declared; but to the end of all Disputes and Arguments I am come, for before they was I am, and in the Light do them comprehend, and judge to be out of the Light in Babylon, and the Disputer and Arguer of this World: but still I say against such I stand a Witness for the truth which I have received of God, and by his power am carried abroad, to declare and preach abroad, to the directing and turning people minds to the true Light of the Lord Jesus, and there to come into the love and unity, where lives the Children of Light, the end of all Disputes and Arguments, and this I am ready to defend and seal with my blood; but I say my weapons are not carnal, but spiritual, and as for these provisoes of thine, they are rather for me to lay upon thee, according to equity, for I am the defender, but these things of thee I do not require, neither three days before hand, but am ready at any time to stand to what I, have here declared, and as for confusion in multitude of words, which is thy fourth Proviso,  
Reply. Look thou to that on thy part, and if thou canst tax me thou mayest.  
And as for order in the discourse, for which thou would have some chosen, which is thy fifth proviso.  
Reply. Look thou to that on thy part; for my God is a God of Order, and if thou canst tax me thou mayest, and let that stand against me; but if there be men of power, to keep the people of the world in order I am not against it.  
And as for competent Judges which thou would have appointed:  
Reply. Is the Scripture thy rule, and not thy judge, but thou must flee from that to the judgement of man, which is changeable, or else how comes Disputes and controversies? but to that judgement I shall not stand, the spiritual man shall be the competent judge, and the Scripture shall witness.  
And as for censorious rash terms of judging, which is thy sixth Proviso.  
Reply. Look thou to that on thy part, and if my judgement thou canst find contrary to Scripture, thou mayest by scripture disprove it; but what is that, that would not be judged?  
And as for declaring before the people the intent and purpose in disputing, which is thy seventh proviso.  
Reply. If thou who art the Disputant amengst the people, hast any thing to say unto the People, thou mayest declare thy mind according to the freedom of thy mind, I shall not bind thee, neither shall I by thee be bound, but as the Lord puts into my mouth, I shall declare unto the people, what is my mind and intent, as his spirit guides me; so that for that I take no thought.  
So here I have declared my mind in Reply unto thy writing, where thou may●st understand my mind, if thou hast an ear to hear, and an understanding open, and if this do not satisfy thee, and the rest of you, yet nevertheless cease your boasting and daring behind the back for the time to come; and let this witness for me to any honest heart, whether it be not fair and equal, and so I rest in the unchangeable,  
I. P.   
So it seems this pleased them, and so it was concluded to be of the twentieth day, called Friday, of the second month, called April, so when the hour came which was appointed, we was disappointed of the meetingplace which the Baptists had provided; for they sent me word they had provided a place, but when we came to meet it could not be had, and so we was disappointed; then we was in this Hind's house, and the woman of the house much fumed and raged at us all the while we was in the house, which manifested what spirit she was of, and that water had availed her nothing, for she was nothing departed from the old nature: so than they would have had us to have met in the yard, but there could be no order for multitude of rude people, and brutish Scholars, which was as untamed bruit beasts, 
1 Cor. 15.32.  like the beasts at Ephesus, which Paul fought with after the manner of men; so I passed to a friends house hard by, and there continued declaring the truth, as I was moved to the people, and there the idle drones followed, even Babylon's Children, with their turbulent vain contending spirits, opposing and gainsaying the truth, like jannes' and jambres, their forefathers, who must perish in the gainsaying of Core: so than word came that the Baptists was in the Shire-house in the Castle-yard and had sent for me, and so I went up thither, and when I came there the Gaoler discharged me for staying there, and said I caused tumults, though I had not spoken any thing to the people whereby to cause a tumult; but the generation of this world was always tumultuous, both about Christ and his Apostles, though they were known to be innocent and harmless, offering violence to none, yet it was so with them then, and it is so now with the same seed, where it is born up to rule, because it is not of the world, but hated of the world, for the enmity lodgeth in the world, the world is the sea, with its tumultuous gathering together of the raging roaring waves, castnig up mire and dirt, foaming out its own shame: and though an innocent person travel here, he must such distractions expect, and tumults of raging waves about him, casting up such as they have; but he that made the bounds of the sea, can and doth deliver his out of the compass of its bounds, and then it cannot pass its bounds, for its bounds it keeps; here is a parable hid from the wisdom of the world, but the same which gave it forth, the same will open it to the unlearned.  
Then after the Gaoler had spoke to me, they made some way for me to come up to the Baptists, who was there sitting upon the bench like Judges; this Doughty and one Rix a brewer, an old Pharisee in Cambridge, the one a baptist, and the other of the Independent sect so called, but two great enemies one again another, in opposition against each sect, yet these two was joined together as friends against me, and thus sat Pilate and Herod together like judges against the innocent, so when I was gotten amongst the people, I would not meddle until the Gaoler had given freedom for me to stay there, as he had before discharged me; so after a while he gave leave, so that we would be short, than this Doughty the baptist, so called, stood up and put off his hat to the people, after the manner of the heathen with a compliment, pleading of the shortness of the time, and so begun with a question, so I said his question might stand, and as he had liberty to speak to the people, so would I, and then he would have hindered me, contrary to what was before agreed upon betwixt us by the passages aforesaid, so I got liberty to speak something to the people, and declared what I was made a minister of, according to the will of God, and then I took out a paper and read unto the people the occasion of my coming thither to meet the baptists that day, and by the conclusions therein I was to have liberty to speak my mind as well as he, and he was to accuse me before the people, or the truth which I bore testimony unto, but he broke his first agreement and flew to question, so then to satisfy the simple hearted, I gave this answer to the understanding of the simple.  
First, the Baptists question.  
Qu. The writings of the Prophets and Apostles which are called Scripture, whether are they the words and say of the most high God, yea, or nay.  
Answ. The Word of God, which is God, which dwelled in the Prophets, and Apostles, from it they spoke forth the things which is recorded in Scripture, but this would not satisfy the Baptists, but cried out no answer, and Doughty stood up, and put off his hat, and beckoned to the young Priests and Scholars, and said, Judge ye Gentlemen of Divinity, & there was one Anger, a drunken Priest, sided with the Baptists; now let all see how contrary to their own principles they acted; but some of the Scholars had so much understanding as to receive it for an answer, but the drunkards sided with the Baptists, and the ruder sort, who could not understand, though there was many simple hearts that with this answer was satisfied, but the wise must be catched in their own craftiness, and several times I repeated this answer over to the people, but the Baptist and his party could not receive it, because it was in the gross to their wisdom; but there was that which I spoke to, which could and did receive it; then joseph Doughty the Baptist, and Henry Rix the old Pharisee, joined together, and with one consent said I durst not answer it; and thus the unclean spirits joined together, and made lies their refuge; and after that I was repeating my answer over to the people, Doughty stood up, and said, I spoke I knew not what, and then I taxed him with a lie, and then he said it was not to his question, but I bid him prove that I spoke I knew not what, but he could not, but shuffled off, and said I would fly from his question, and there he stood; then the Gaoler called to departed, and Doughty stood up and spoke to the Gaoler, not to suffer me to stay after him, lest I should seduce the people; there I stood up, and challenged him to prove me a seducer to the people, but he had noting to say for that, but manifested himself to be a seducer, and a slanderer, and a reproacher of the truth of God, and so must take part with his forefathers of the wrath of God; then I openly spoke to the people, that if any there could tax me, or lay any thing to my charge, I was there to answer, but none did or could there accuse me: so than I passed into the Castle-yard, than the wild brutish Scholars who had plotted together (as I was after informed) to abuse me, and they flocked together about me like the wild beasts of the Forest, & there I was tossed as amongst the raging waves of the Sea, to and fro, and at last was hurried into a house, where I got shut of those Caterpillars, which the Nation swarms with, but the baptised party passed away without disturbance, so it appears the world loves its own.  
Oh Cambridge! is this the fruits of thy Ministry, which thou hast so long professed, which hath been so long preached in thee? is this thy Divinity, and is these thy preachers of Divinity? nay, they are now found out (by the light of God) to be the Diviners and Sorcerers, Witches and Magicians, that are only opposers and gainsayers of the truth, who must perish in the gainsaying of Core, they are known by their fruits, and the fruits of their Ministry, and thy Wel-head of Divinity is now found the Wellhead of Sorcery, witchcraft and spiritual whoredom, 
jam. 3.11.  and all abomination, and uncleanness, the day doth declare it, and one Fountain cannot bring forth both bitter water and fresh. Oh! Antichrist hath reigned long over poor enslaved captivated souls; but now Israel's Redeemer hath appeared, and the Son of Righteousness is risen with healing in his wings, and Antichrists Kingdom is come, and coming to an end, 
Mal. 4.2.  and Christ himself will reign, and rule in truth and in righteousness in his ransomed ones, and this is the mighty King, and Redeemer of Israel out of captivity, into a Land of peace, and love and unity, where the ransomed ones do dwell with their Captain and their King, who doth deliver his own Lambs out of the mouths of raging wolves and dogs; Praises, Praises everlasting, eternal, 
Mat. 01.16.  to the everlasting God of Life for ever: and thus we are sent as sheep amongst wolves, but in the power of the Almighty we are sent forth, and the arm of the Almighty is with us, and doth deliver us from being a prey to the Lion's whelps which would us devour, and blessed are all they that receive our testimony, it is Peace and salvation to their souls: Now where is the Wise? 
1 Cor. 1.  where is the Scribe? where is the Disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world, and hath chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, and the weak to confound those that are mighty, that no Flesh should glory in his presence? Unto this Doughty I sent several of these queries which are before mentioned, but I received no answer.   

Another Meeting betwixt the people called Baptists, and the people called QUAKERS.  
Upon the fourth day of the third month called May, we was several of the Lords people, met together in a friend's Orchard at Litleport in the Isle of Elie, and there came in three of the Tachers of the baptised people, the chief of them was one john Ray of Wickombruck in Suffolk, and he came (as he said) with a message, and that was to excommunicate two persons that was there, namely, Samuel Cater, and Ezekiel Cater (who had formerly been Elders amongst them) out of their society, whenas they was come out of their society before, and owned the substance, and denied their form and shadow, without their casting out; but thou Ray to uphold thy form, did there disorderly run into words in thy own will, and then went away, and would not stay to prove what thou had done, but said, thou was to be at the Steeplehouse shortly: so as I was moved, I spoke unto the people there present, and after a while when I had spoken what was given me of the Lord to speak, I passed into the town, and there I hearing how the Baptist was railing on the truth in the Steeplehouse, I passed to the Steeplehouse with some friends that had formerly society been of their society, and when I came there, I found thee john Ray set up in the seat of the Pharisee, the chiefest place in the ASSEMBLY, speaking a Divination of thy own brain, and not from the mouth of the Lord, as thou confessed openly amongst the people, that none in these days had any open vision, or heard God speak immediately, and here thou wast an open liar amongst the people, but here thou barred thyself from the same Spirit that spoke in the Prophets and Apostles, and therefore art a deceiver, for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his, and so thou measured others by thyself, but I and hundreds more of the Children of light, 
Rom. 8.9.  do witness thee to be a liar and deceiver in these days, who comes not in the name of the Lord, but in thy own name, therefore the world receives thee, but here out of thy own mouth thou art judged and condemned out of the new Covenant, for there God himself is teacher, and thou that never heard him speak immediately, 
john 6.45.  and yet comes to preach his word, thou art a stranger unto God, and a blind guide, a deceiver, and a false Prophet, who runs and the Lord never sent thee, therefore thou profits not the people at all, but art a thief, and steals the words of the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles, and adds a divination of thy own Brain, and so feeds the people with notions, and airy knowledge, 
Mat. 23.14.  and casting the children's bread unto dogs, but the greater is thy condemnation, who for a pretence makes longs prayers, and wrists and perverts the Scripture to thy own destruction, but think not that thou shalt be heard for thy much babbling, for the hand of the Lord is against thee.  
And there in the seat of the Pharisee thou Ray had taken a text of the Apostles words, and added thy own meanings, uses, applications, and divinations, thou merchant of Babylon, and diviner, where hast thou any such example from the Prophets or Apostles, 
2 Pet. 1.21. Acts 2.4. Acts 4.8.  they spoke from the mouth of the Lord, and as they was moved by the Holy Ghost, and as the Spirit gave them utterance, and they spoke with power and authority, and not as the Scribes, but thou dost speak in the wisdom of the World, like as the Scribes and Pharises, and Priests, amongst whom I number thee, and here thou art shut from the Apostles and their practice, with thy carnal meanings, uses, applications, and divinations; and this was thy text which thou had stolen out of the Apostles writings, which was writ unto the church and thou applied them unto the world and said, 
Text. 2 Pet. 2.0, 21, 22.  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning, etc. and from this thou raised thy Uses, Applications, and dark Meanings, whenas neither thou nor any there which belonged to thee, or owned thee, that had ever escaped the pollutions of the world, or ever had come to the knowledge of Christ, but are still in darkness and blindness, in their sins and corruptions, in covetousness in pride, and wantonness, in lightness, in wrath, and in anger, and maliciousness, in backbiting, in slandering, and false accusing, in railing and cursed speaking, in lying, and blaspheming, only it may be have passed through the water, 
1 Pet. 3.21.  but it is not the washing away the filth of the flesh, but here both thou and they are still, and these are the pollutions of the world, but they that know and witness jesus Christ come in the flesh, witness the washing away those sins and pollutions; and thus thou wrists and perverts the Scripture to thy own destruction, and then thou went on dreaming and flattering, and daubing up the people with untempred mortar, saying the Lord saith when he never spoke to thee, and then thou run on railing behind the back of people that was not there, as thou often said, thou spoke it of none there; and thus thou uttered forth thy folly, and it is like thou might be-lie those whom thou spoke of, for I heard the utter forth many open lies, and then thou run on to thy water baptism, to maintain it an Ordinance of Christ, and thou brought this Scripture in the six of Romans, which the Apostle spoke to the Church; 
Rom. 6.3. 2 Cor. 5.17.  Know you not that so many of you as were baptised into jesus Christ, was baptised into his death; thou blind hypocrite, was this water baptism, they that are in Christ are new Creatures, and so are not those who are baptised with water, but they are in the same nature as they was before; and thou mayest read in Corinthians the eight, what baptism that was he spoke of there, for saith he, by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, etc. and they that are thus baptised, are baptised into Christ, but as I said before, it is not the washing away the filth of the flesh; and here is thy folly and ignorance laid open, who art so blind as to bring this Scripture to prove water baptism to be an ordinance of Christ, and again it saith they was baptised into his death, and in the same Chapter it saith, they that are dead are freed from sin, and this thou denied that any could be set free from sin so long as they are upon the earth; & thus thou denies Jesus Christ & his ordinances, who came to take away sin, & to cleanse his people from their sin, but praised be the Lord we do witness a freedom from sin by Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world; & to redem his peope from their sin, and to redeem unto himself a pure Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, and saith he if the Son have set you free, then are you free indeed; and here is the liberty of the Sons of God, 
john. 8.36. 1 john 3.1.  and now are we the Sons of God, and now they that witness this and confess it, such blind hypocrites as thou, calls them blasphemers, and so denies Jesus Christ come in the flesh, and so are of Antichrist, and one while thou affirmed in thy Pulpit that they that pressed and led people into holiness, was no deceivers, but they that led them into sin and evil was deceivers, and then afterward told the people they never could be free from sin, so long as they are upon the earth; and thus thou would settle them upon the lees, and deny Jesus Christ come in the flesh, who comes to cleanse from all sin, and thus art thou judged out of thy own mouth for a deceiver.  
And thou also brought this Scripture to maintain water baptism, where the Apostle said, for as many of you as have been baptised unto Christ, 
Gal. 3.27.  have put on Christ, now let any whose understandings are enlightened by the Light of Christ, read this Scripture and see if this mention water baptism, and if any by water baptism do now put on Christ, and by the Light judge thee to be a Liar and a deceiver, and a perverter of the Scripture to thy own destruction, and all who believes thee except you repent, and then thou run on to prove the Letter to be the word, by way of despising those that say that God is the word, and that there is no written word, when the Letter saith itself, that the word is God; and then thou brought this Scripture to prove the Letter to be the Word, in 1 Pet. 1.23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever; for all flesh is grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass, the grass withereth and the flower fadeth away, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever, and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you; here thou dark sot, thy blindness and ignorance is more laid open; is the letter immortal, or any written word immortal, or liveth or abideth for ever? or is any born again but of God, and is not he that same immortal word which the Scripture often bears testimony unto, and also in this place, 
john 15.3.  and Christ the Lamb of God is the everlasting Gospel, who preached the word, and his Apostles was made clean through the word which he preached unto them, but this was not the dead Letter, in the which thou would find life, 
john 5.39.  and so art seeking the living amongst the dead, like the blind Pharise, who thought in the Scripture to find eternal life, but would not come unto Christ that they might have life; and here thou art in their steps, though thou made light of this Scripture, and said that some added ye to it, and said, ye search the Scripture, for in them ye think to have eternal life, they are they that testify of me, but ye will not come unto me that ye might have life, this was spoken by Christ unto the Pharises, who could not believe that he was the Christ, but thought in the Scriptures to find eternal life, but would not come unto Christ that they might have life, and therefore he bid them search the Scripture, for there the Prophets had prophesied of him, and thereby they might know that he was the Christ, if they had searched with the single eye, therefore without ye, I say unto thee, search the Scriptures, for they are they that bear testimony of Christ to be the word, and all that do search the Scripture with a single eye will find Christ to be the word and will believe it, 
john 1.24.  and not be so blind as to put the Letter for the Word, as thou dost, who brought another Scripture with thy dark mind, where the Apostle saith, ye have a more sure word of Prophecy the which ye do well to take heed unto, as to a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts, 2 Pet. 1.19.  

Isa. 5.20.  Here thou still the more manifests thy blindness, who puts darkness for light, and light for darkness, and so art under the woe from the Lord, who puts the Letter for the light, how doth the Letter shine, and what dark place doth it shine in as a Light? here the ignorant may see thy folly; and thus thou art a Stranger to the Light of Christ, which dwelled in the Children of God, and the word is nigh in the heart and in the mouth, 
Rom.  to which thou showest thyself a Stranger, who draws people's minds from this word in their hearts, to the Letter without, putting that for the word, and so art a blind guide and a deceiver, who cries, Lo, here without in the Letter, when the Apostle saith, Go not forth, the Word is nigh in the heart: And thus thou opposes the Apostle, and draws from his Doctrine, and brings another Doctrine, and so art not to be received, 
2 john 10.  but held as accursed, as thou art, by the children of Light, and sometimes thou called the Letter the Word, and sometimes a Story, and here was thy confusion; and then thou run on with thy fawning dissembling Speeches, making a show oftentimes to the people of speaking more of a matter, but for wearing their patience. Oh blush and be ashamed of thy Doctrine! now thou makes it appear what filthy stuff it is, that art afraid it should weary people's patience to hear it, if it was of God it would not be wearisome to any thing of God to hear it, but it was not of God, therefore I am sure it was wearisome and burdensome to the Spirit of God: and here thou art shut out with thy frothy Stuff and vain Compliments, to be a deceiver: and then thou said, If you please, I will speak more, and thus thou marks out thyself for a Man-pleaser, and the Apostle said, If I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ. Now read thyself where thou art, 
Gal. 1.10.  who art yet a man-pleaser, who comes with such enticing words of men's wisdom, so that the Preaching of the CROSS to thee is foolishness, and the Prophets who had the Spirit of the LORD, and the Word of the LORD, they spoke, whether they would hear, or forbear, and here thou art shut out both from the Spirit of GOD, and the Word of GOD, which is one, who art a Man-pleaser, and if not a Servant of CHRIST, than a Servant of the DEVIL, and so I mark thee out, that all may know thee, and no longer be deceived by thee with the shadow instead of the substance, with thy enticing words of men's wisdom; and thou told the people thou spoke to the Reason of Man, when as all men in the fall their Reason is corrupted, and the natural Man receives not the things of GOD, 
1. Cor. 2.14. jer. 10.14.  for Man by nature is worse than a Beast, and there art thou, who art preaching to the corrupt Reason of MAN in the FALL, to judge of thy corrupt stuff, for I know there was none there that owned thee, but such like; but the Message of PAUL was to turn People's minds from Darkness to Light, but thou strive to draw People's minds from the Light within, 
Act. 26.18.  to the Dead LETTER without them, telling them, that was the LIGHT, and that was the WORD, and so thou bewitched them with thy Lying Divinations, and bid them search that, and read often that, and cleave unto that; but I say, they that read that, and not by the light within them, read a parable, and it is unto them as a book sealed, though they may by their carnal wisdom add their own meanings, but that must be shut out of the Scripture, 
2 Pet. 3.16.  for such are unlearned and unfruitful in the word, and so wrists the Scripture to their own destruction, but by this know, that I go not about to draw men from reading the Scripture; so that they read with this single eye, the Light which gave it forth, so shall they that read understand, but to thee this is a mystery, and therefore thou went about to deny Christ in man, and God in man, by way of derision to those that witnessed forth Christ within, God within, & thou saith that he meant he was in them by his words, and thou brought this Scripture, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you; in this place (thou Serpent) he meant as he spoke, but Paul witnessed Christ within, and said, They that could not witness Christ within was Reprobates, and so art thou, who denies Christ come in the flesh, and Paul preached Christ within the hope of glory, 
Gal. 2.20. 2 Cor. 13, 5. Col. 1.26, 27.  the ministry which had been hid, and so it seems is still from thee, therefore to thee this preaching is foolishness, and as fancies, and whimsies, but unto us that are saved, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, by which thy folly and thy ignorance of Christ is here made manifest, and that thou never escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of Christ, who denies him, as he is known to all who have escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of him, and they that thus know him not, 
2 Coo. 13.5.  are in the reprobation; & here art thou a Minister of Antichrist, who denies Christ come in the flesh; and then thou went on with thy deluding spirit, pressing the wicked to pray, yea there was many there present of the people of the world besides thy own company, whom both thou and thy company counts as heathen, yet thou pressed them much to pray, and to take unto them words and pray, whenas the Scripture saith, The prayers of the wicked are abominable; and thus thou did that which was abominable in the sight of God, 
Pro. 15.8.  in praying thyself, and teaching the wicked to pray, and to steal other men's words and pray, for neither you nor they have any words but what you steal out of the Scripture, for thou hast shut thyself from that by which the Apostles preached, therefore thou thus runs into confusion, and thou told the people of deceivers, and nominated them to be such as denied Baptism and Ordinances of Christ, and the Scripture, and the Resurrection of the Dead, and eternal judgement: so when thou had done thy divination and thy formal prayer, I stood up and claimed the order of the true Church, that all might speak one by one, and if any thing was revealed to him that stands by, let the first hold his peace, and then like Cain thy countenance fell, thou being struck with guilt in thy conscience, 
2 Cor. 14.30, 31  and fear surprised the heart of the hypocrite and thou was shuffling away, but I bid the stand, for, said I, thou art a deceiver, as I shall prove the one before all the people, therefore stand to maintain what thou hast said, but said I unto the people, the Prophets and Apostles, and the holy men of God who spoke forth the Scriptures, they spoke from the infallible spirit of God, as they was acted, guided, and moved thereby, but all who comes with their words, and pretending to preach and not from the same infallible Spirit, such are deceivers, of which this man is one, who stands here in the seat of the Pharisee, and he being smitten with guilt, fettled to be gone, and several would have stopped him, but he said he would be gone, unlese they kept him in by violence, and I said unto the people, know this, that these things wherewith he marks out deceivers I own, so that I am none of those, for the Scripture I own, and the true Baptism of Christ I own, & the Resurrection from the Dead I own, and eternal judgement upon the wicked I own, so that I am none of those which he marked out, but this man is a deceiver, and so I shall prove him if he will stay, but thou Ray was ashamed of thy Ministry, and durst not stand to what thou had said, but plainly like a hireling fled from thy stage, and left thy Flock like a cowardly Serpent, I never knew Baptist so routed out of a Pulpit; but the Independants joined with him, and the Priests rude multitude stood up for him, and several would have been persecuting of me, but by the power of God I was preserved and kept from the hands of such unreasonable men; but thus did all Sects ever join against the one single Truth, but it is but that the Scripture should be fulfilled, 
Isai. 3, 1, 2, 3.  that Gog and Magog should join in Battle against the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome, and they shall lay down their Crowns before Him, and his Enemies shall become his Footstool, and he will tread them in the wine-press alone without the City, therefore tremble all you Formalists, Imitators and Selfe-actors, who have gotten a Form but deny the life and power, even jesus Christ whom you have crucified, which you shall be made to confess with weeping tears, where your eyes behold him whom you have pierced.  
So after I had passed out of the Steeplehouse, when the Baptist was put to the rout, I stood upon a Grave in the Grave-yard, and there I called to the people, if any of them had any thing to object against me I was there to maintain and stand up for the truth, to the which I had openly born testimony in their Town but none would come to my face; and there was one Captain Cole there present, who had been counted an Independent Teacher, until his flock forsook him and owned the Truth, and he had railed against the Truth behind my back, but he would not come then and speak to my face, and since he hath imprisoned one of his neighbour's Son for obeying the command of God, and coming to his House for a sign: so I spoke the Truth unto the people, and proved this Ray openly to be a Deceiver among them, and judged him out of his own mouth, and so cleared my conscience to the people, and so I came away with my friends in Peace, having cleared and discharged my conscience unto them, by which they are eternally left without excuse, whether they would hear or forbear, their blood will be upon their own heads, and so I leave them.  
Now upon the Day following it happened that a friend of mine did speak with this Ray, who unto him did falsely affirm, that I said I was the head of the true Church, when as I never spoke any such a thing, therefore I hearing of a meeting of the Baptists that day, and that this Ray was there, I & several of my friends went unto this meeting, & when I came at the house the door was open, and I went in amongst them, and this Ray was speaking unto the people, and when he saw me he stopped his speaking, and shut his book before I opened my mouth to speak, and bid me be gone out of the house, and I said, is thy spirit limited? is thy spirit bound? and he bid me begun, and said why did I disturb them? and asked him, how did I disturb you was not I silent until thou spoke to me? but guilt tormenting him within he could not forbear me, but called for the man of the house to command me out several times, but he was not amongst them as they said, so this Ray was much vexed and in much wrath, and one of their Elders, named john Tabram of Wickin, stood up and pushed me with his hand upon my breast several times in much wrath, to have me out of the house, and I did not resist him, & he said if I would not go out they would send for the officers; now let all people see what weapons they make use of, when one comes soberly and civilly without any violence amongst them, and presently to be in such disorder, and confusion, and rage, as they was, and threatening to send for the officers, whenas there was no violence offered by us, but here you might see what these people would do if they had a law to guard them as the Priests hath: then there was one man that had been hearing of them, and he spoke and said to this Ray, you say they are deceivers, and they say you are deceivers, now I would have you dispute it, that those that are ignorant might know which are the deceivers; but Ray slighted him, and said, who are you? I know you not, & would by no means have his deeds brought to the light to be tried, but gets amongst the blind where he cannot be seen, so than they brought the woman of the house to me, and she bid me go out of her house, which I did not resist, and so I called to Ray and told him he was ashamed of his doctrine, & so I shaken off the dust of my feet for a witness against them, and so left them, and then they shut their door, but poor people I do pity you, to see how ignorantly and blindly you are led by the deceitfulness of Satan, to think that you are the Church of Christ, and none else, whenas your teachers dare not stand to maintain their doctrine, but flies away when they should come to the proof, and calls for Officers when one comes in amongst you without any carnal weapon; is this the doctrine of Christ which you talk so much of, or of Antichrist? surely if I had been a deceiver and he a minister of Christ, than I could not have stopped his mouth, but he would have stopped mine, for the ministers of Christ are able to stop the mouths of gainsayers, but his mouth was stopped, yea, when he was busy at that he calls preaching too, but my mouth he could not stop, and he was found the deceiver, whom truth put to silence, who was ashamed of his doctrine.  
Oh people take heed how you reject so great Salvation, for this is the day of your visitation, now you are warned by one, who amongst you is counted a deceiver, yet true, witnessed in all your consciences, by that which will either accuse you, or excuse you before the the throne of God, who am known to all the children of Light.  

The Excommunicaiion of Ezekiel Cater, & Samuel Cater out of the Bapists society, by john Ray, with their Answer thereunto.  
We two, namely, Ezekiel Cater, and Samuel Cater, being met together amongst our friends, upon the 4 day of 3 month, waiting upon the Lord, there came three of the teachers of the baptised people, amongst whom was one John Ray a chief Teacher, who came and said he had a message to deliver, but his message was denied, but he said he would speak, and so disorderly ran into many words to this effect,  
There being a general meeting at Cambridge this week, 
Excom John Ray.  where the Church of Christ was met together, and there it was agreed upon by the Elders, that Samuel Cater, and Ezekiel Cater, who were formerly Elders of the church of Christ in this town, namely, Littleport, and being they have departed from the sweet fellowship of the Church of Christ, etc. and after so many admonitions, would not be reconciled, should be delivered unto Satan, I was there appointed to be the messenger, and so he run on with his excommunication, according to their form, with their stolen words.  
Reply. Now for the truth's sake, for which thou John Ray hast cast us out of your society, we shall hereby clear ourselves from what is or may be cast upon us in this matter, by thee John Ray, and the rest of thy society, whom we know to be most bitter slanderers of the truth.  
This we deny that ever we was Elders in the church of Christ, you made us Elders in your church, who call yourselves jews, and are not, but the Synagogue of Satan, out of which you have cast us, but not before we forsaked you, we by the light of jesus Christ, through the love of God, seeing both you and we, setting ourselves of acting and imitating the Apostles in our wills, with a blind zeal for life, but strangers to the life and power; neither could witness the same infallible spirit as they had, as you know we all confessed, and therefore we had nothing but what we got into our brains of their words, and so got a notion, with adding to our own imaginations of them, and wresting the same with our fallible spirits, for we durst not say it was infallible, as you also confessed yourselves, than it must needs be fallible, for there are but two kinds of SPIRITS, and if not the INFALLIBLE, than the fallible; and though we did the very same things and spoke the same words and not from the same Spirit, it was all false and as nothing, as they that swore God lived swore falsely, for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his, and his spirit is infallible in the least measure, and thus you are shut out in all that you can do of yourselves, with your form Ordinances, and this we know, we was also strangers to the Cross of Christ, and the Light and Life and Power of Christ, which the Apostles lived in, and also the one Baptism of Christ without which none can be his Disciples, so we was only jews outwardly, washing the outside, but within as foul as ever, as you also are, yet we say not but we had a zeal in the same, though not according to knowledge, but now the true Light is sprung in, through the mighty love of God towards us, so that we see the weakness of our own actings and formings in our own wills for life, and now are made willing through the power of God, to lay down our crowns at the feet of jesus, and to wait in what he hath given us of his Light, and we have tasted of his powerful Word through his gracious love towards us, and now we have a witness within ourselves, whenas before we knew it not, but murdered it as you also do and for this you have cast us out of your society, but not for fornication, as he was in that place of Scripture which you imitate, 
1 Cor. 5.  nor for making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, for we witness an increase of both, but the discerning and power is wanting in you, and so you do you know not what, but know this, we are not fallen to a loser life, but to a more stricter severe life, for to serve the Lord jesus Christ, but remember this, that if they that believed your form to be the truth could but patter over a few words of faith, and call it theirs, and then according to your form they was put into the Water, and taken out again, and then received into your Church and communion, though no change of life or nature, and this must needs be the Synagogue of Satan, and this I Samuel Cater can witness, for so have I baptised, and at you I learned, and you allowed of it, but now my eye is opened, I do see it and do testify against it, that all I did so by I deceived them, though then I confess it was ignorance, and so was yours, but now you might see if you would, therefore it shall no more be called ignorance, but wilful blindness, but I know you will allege you teach Godliness and holiness; but I answer, you run and the Lord never sent you, as we also did, therefore you profit not the people at all, and if you had not the Words of Godliness and the form, 
2 Cor. 11.14, 15  than the Ministers of Antichrist would not be like the Ministers of Christ but you are, but I say your lives comes short of what you profess, for in them there is no change, but they that are Earthly Minded, and Covetous, are so still, and your lives are in pride, ambition, and arrogancy, puffed up with your vain knowledge, and with respect of persons, and so are out of the faith of Christ and in wrath and anger, and envy, and bitterness, and in lying, and slandering, and backbiting, and lust, & fleshliness, we formerly being in the same Society do witness it now our eyes are open, out of which society you have cast us, and praised be the Lord that we have escaped the snares of darkness, by the bright shining of his light into our dark hearts, to the which light do we speak in you all, by it to read yourselves, and judge yourselves, for by it are you seen and judged to be in darkness and in confusion, out of the faith and society of the Saints, but these things do we not speak out of envy or Revenge, but for the clearing of the Truth and our consciences from your slanderous tongues, and to lay oped your deceit and way of delusion to the simple, that they may escape the delusion which we was ensnared in, and that so you may proceed no further with it, that your folly might be manifested to all men, as theirs was who withstood Moses.  
E.C. S.C.   
A Copy of the most of the Queries aforesaid was given to this Ray, but no Answer did he return.  
NOw a word to all you who are still in your own formings, selfe-actings, 
Rom. 8.7.  and imitating, you are acting in that nature which is at enmity with God, which is not subject to the Law of God, neither can; so all your formings and actings is in vain, for it is not from life, but from death, for life; but life comes from death, for in the destruction of death is life obtained, therefore to the light of the Lord Jesus in all your consciences take heed, which is the witness for God, to which I speak in you all, which witnesseth for God against the secrets of your hearts, which reproves you in secret for your secret actions, and deeds of darkness, and it will search you through, and let you see what you can witness of the work of God in you hearts, for all this your long and great profession, and esteeming yourselves of the Church and faith of Christ, and Saints in Christ, so if you can witness yet the earth quakes, and that the earth is yet removed out of its place, and mountains removed by the eye of faith, and if the vail of darkness be yet rend. Is not the first man yet standing, and the first Image, and the Serpent head? for while you are strangers to the light, and your minds are from the light, you are wandered and strayed in the paths of darkness, and so are the children of darkness, in whom the Prince of darkness rules, even the Serpent who is head in man, but the promise is, 
Gen. 3.15.  the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpent's head; but you are acting in your own wills and wisdom, the Serpent is your head, and you are not yet come to witness the first promise fulfilled, but are still in the fall, under the power of Darkness, in the disobedience, and strangers unto the Cross, and so have no part in Christ in that nature, for none comes to have a right in Christ but through the Cross, for as many as are baptised into Christ, are baptised into his death, and they that are dead with him do live with him, and they that are dead are freed from sin, and they that are in Christ are new creatures; old things are passed away, and all things become new, but they that are not in Christ are still in old Adam, and so in the fall under the curse, and under death's dominion, drove out from the presence of God into the earth, and death reigns over all, from Adam until Moses, 
Rom. 5.14.  of what profession soever; therefore now read yourselves by the light which comes from jesus Christ, and shines into your dark hearts, and searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins, and maketh manifest the secrets, to which light I am made manifest, and by it witnessed in you all, and unto it I do direct your minds, for the turning of your minds from the darkness to the light; all you that have a desire to find the way of truth, in what form soever that thereby you may come to see how you have been wandered and scattered in the many ways of darkness, in the land of darkness, in this cloudy & dark day, as sheep without a shepherd, being carried about after the voice of strangers, from the shepherd of your souls, therefore harken no more without to those that cry, lo here, or lo there is Christ, and so draws your minds without to seek for a Christ without, and a redemption, and a sanctification without, and a righteousness without, and a God without; but turn your minds within, for it is to be found within if ever you find; for there is no way to come unto the true knowledge of the truth, or of God, or of Christ but by that of God within, for what is to be known of God is manifest within, and the same which descended, the same doth ascend, and so the way to God is to be found within, by the light which manifests death and slays death, do not you read the parable of the woman that had lost the piece of silver, and could not find it until she had turned into the house and lighted the candle & swept the house, & then she found that which she had lost, and rejoiced with her neighbours; 
Luke 15.8.9. Pro. 20.27. john 1.4.  now the Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, and his life was the light of men, so turn in your minds to the light of the Lord Jesus, which if you love it to bring your deeds to it, will let you see the deeds of darkness, and the paths of death, and it will also search your hearts, and make manifest your inward parts, and let you see what you have lost, and as you love this light, and likes to retain it in your minds, and by it to be guided, it will lead you out of all the crooked & froward ways of darkness into the light of life, and so to come to find and know the voice of the true shepherd, who is come to seek out and gather all his scattered sheep out from amongst the mountains and valleys, and the many ways and crooked paths wherein they have been scattered and strayed in the land of Darkness, 
jer. 23.3.  and to gather them together into one flock, into one way, into one sheepfold, & he alone will be their shepherd, and this you shall come to witness; as you love this light and follow it, it will lead you out of your many Forms, and many ways, into one way, out of your own wisdom and imaginations wherein you have been building Babel, and this will strip you of all your own righteousness wherewith you have covered over your deceitful hearts, and it will lay your deceits before you, and bring you to judgement, and if you love this light and follow it, and be willing to wait upon it, out of your own wills, and wisdom, and imaginations, and carnal thoughts, reasonings, and consultations, and selfe-acting, 
john 1●  and imatating it will lead you to know the voice of the true shepherd within you from the voice of the stranger, and so to know the precious from the precious from the vile, he who saith, I am the light, he saith, I am the good shepherd who will bring you to know the way and the door into the sheepfold, if you do not run out in your own wills, and seek to climb up another way, for the way is but one, and he that saith I am the light, saith I am the way, and I am the door into the sheepfold: so if you turn from the Light and stumble at the light, you stumble at all and so fall, but if you love the light, and be willing to follow the light, it will lead you through all, and to deny yourselves and to take up his Cross unto thyself, and to pass through good report, and evil report, through persecution & through death, 
2 Cor. ●. 8.  and the way will not be grievous but joyous, and so you will come into the way, and in at the door unto the sheepfold, and so into the fellowship, and into the life, and into the power, and into the faith of the Saints, where all live in union in one, united by one into one body, the end of all jarring and jangling divisions and disputes, therefore said the Apostle, where is the wise, where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world, 
1 Cor. 1.  therefore I do you call to come out from amongst them, and be ye separate, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you saith the Lord, and I will be unto you a father, and ye shall be my Sons & Daughters; now you are called, and this is the day of your visitation for now light is come into the world, and if you like to retain it in your minds happy are you, 
2 Cor. 6.17 18.  but if not, by it you are left without excuse, and it will judge you at the last day, for he that loves the light shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life▪ but he that doth evil hates the light which is his condemnation; 
john. 8.12.  now the way is plain to all simple ones, who have a desire to find it declared by a friend and witness to the eternal Truth: who am called,  
I. P.   
FINIS.