The Quakers Confuted, Letter 3
The Quakers Reply to our forementioned anſwer, ſent by Richard Waller, with an injunction that it ſhould be read in the preſence of the CONGREGATION.
I Have received a Letter, wherein I find many buſie minds, giving ſenſes upon the Scriptures, and falſe Accuſations.
Can you give a better ſenſe upon the Scriptures then they are? thereby you ſhew another Spirit then that which did give forth the scriptures. For all Scriptures being given forth by the Inſpiration of the ſpirit, it is of no private Interpretation, nor came not by the will of man. O fleſh be ſilent before the Lord, who art giving ſenſes, and ſpeakeſt with thy own will: wherein thou haſt uttered forth thy ſolly, who art unlearned: therefore thou art wreſting the Scriptures, which thou wouldſt turn upon the backs of others, and the ſame turns upon thy own back and pate, who art giving ſenſes: who liveſt in the corrupt nature, and pleadeſt for it, a ſervant to the Devil, maintaining his Kingdom: Whereof thou Accuſeſt him being led Captive, and thou art led Captive, doing the work of the Devil, and art a witneſs againſt him, or them who are in the ſecond Birth, and the children of the living God: Jacob was a perfect man, God ſaw no iniquity in him; Iob was a perfect man; And God ſaw no tranſgreſſion in Iſrael; and Chriſt ſaid, be ye perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect: and the Apoſtle ſaid, ſee that you ſtand perfect in the will of God, And he that is born of God ſinneth not, neither can be ſin, becauſe the ſeed of God remains in him; he that doth righteouſneſs is righteous, even as he is righteous; let no man deceive you with vain words, and in that number you ſhew your ſelves to be deceiving with vain words; and we ſpeak wifdom among them that are perfect, ſaith the Apoſtle; Yet not the wiſdom of this world, that cometh to nought: but in the wiſdom of the world thou art, witneſſing againſt that which the Apoſtle juſtified, and haſt raiſed thy ſelf out of that which he was in, giving Senſes and Meanings upon his words, as they painted Serpents did, ſhewing a contrary Spirit then the Apoſtles had; Shewing thy ſelf in the firſt Birth, and not in the ſecond, which is perfect; Litterally learned, but not Spititually, that which will own it, own without any Witchcraft, Sorcery, or twining humane inventions, or its ſence upon the Scripture, which all is for Deſtruction and Fire; For to that in thy Conſcience do I ſpeak, which ſhall eternally witneſs for me, and before you witneſs, the ſame Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, you muſt witneſs theſe things in your ſelves. The contradiction is in your ſelves, and a ſeeming contradiction, and not in the Scripture: Therefore it is you that look after the ſenſe of the word, which cannot own it as it is, and ſo make the contradictions; had you the Spirit which Paul had, and which gave forth the Scriptures, you would not wreſt it to your own deſtruction; but the confuſion is in your own minds, and that is wreſting the Scriptures in you, and giving ſenſes to it, which is for deſtruction; And whereas you ſpeak of Pauls condition; I deſire you to let Pauls condition, and the Saints alone: For you know nothing of them, but are giving ſenſes upon their words, and wreſting them, being uneſtabliſhed with his Spirit, and his life, and the Saints; For that mind in you hath nothing at all to do with it: The Letter ſaith that the Saints were compleat in him, and is not upright perfect? Wherein it ſhews that you are not compleat in Chriſt, but without in the world, giving meaning to his words; whereas you ſpeak of giving a particular expoſition of every Quotation, it is the buſie mind which would be exalted; So if I ſhould anſwer to every ſenſe which you have given upon the Scripture from your conceivings, I ſhould make fools wiſe in their conceits, which God hath promiſed, he will ſcatter the proud in their imaginations, and there you are, and there is your portion.
Friends, Your weakneſs you have uttered, while any one thinks they are perfect they cannot tell; but are in the ſame mind that you are in, giving ſenſes upon the Scripture, which was given forth by an eternal ſpirit, and you are giving ſenſes upon ir, with your external minds, and your own imagined wiſdom, which is from below, you utter it forth; for it denies perfection, and while your minds ſtand in imitation, there is an Image in your minds, which ſets ſomething up in it, that neither knows Chriſt, nor the way, nor the Scripture; Neither can it refolve doubtfull minds; But that ſenſe giving upon the Scriptures doth heal up the beaſt which hath a wound, and applies the Scriptures to a wrong nature, to your own ſenſe, that thereby many are led blind by you, and led into doubts, and inſtead of ſtabliſhing, you unſtabliſh, and that is it which keeps ſo many in ſin, and from waiting upon Jeſus Chriſt, which comes to take away ſin.
Friends, here you ſit as Judges of the Saints conditions, ſpeaking you do not know what of the Goſpel, of Moſes Law, of Juſtification, and Sanctification, which of theſe things you know nothing of, but are buſie minds, uttering forth your folly; for none of theſe things can you witneſs, which you ſpeak of, not the Law of Moſes, nor Juſtification, nor Sanctification, nor the Goſpel, not in the inward man, but in the Notion; he that is ſanctified is juſtified, and witneſſed, and where it is not, it is babled and diſputed upon, as you do, giving your own imaginations and ſenſes upon it, which leads into temptations from God, both your ſelves and others; By one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified.
Friends, give over your babling, and ſee which of you can witneſs this Chriſt, this Sanctification, and this Perfection, and give over your diſputes, and rabling, and rambling with an unclean mind; For the Grace of God teaches to deny all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts. Which I do ſee you know nothing of but in the Notion, and the Hiſtory of it, who are Miniſters of the Letter.
Friends, ſee if you be brought to ſee a Conſcience that doth accuſe for ſin; For that you muſt witneſs before you witneſs the Goſpel, and look within your ſelves, and gad not abroad; For that is the woman that abides not in her own houſe.
Friends, let me ask you one queſtion, are you come to the end, that you are Teachers of others? I believe it will appear with a literal knowledge; or have you an infallible judgement to judge of perfection, who were perfect, and who were not perfect? For you make it appear as though you were able to judge, but it is with your own ſenſe, and dark thoughts, and not with the ſpirit that gave forth the Scriptures, who was the Miniſter of Chriſt which had it; ſaid that they might preſent every man perfect in Chriſt Jeſus; You ſpeak forth your imaginations; Is the perfection that is in the Saints, but a kind of perfection as you ſpeak of? Theſe are your Saints which live in the Imaginations, and your Perfection, and your Sanctification, which is your own ſenſe, who wreſt the Scripture to your own deſtruction; by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that were ſanctified: out of your own mouths you are judged. Friends, the Apoſtle Paul did not tell you theſe words, but you are theeves that ſteal his words; For he ſpoke to the Saints which had an underſtanding, when he bad them forget thoſe things which were behind, which you need not give a ſenſe to his words, and wreſt them to another meaning; that is your condition which James ſpeaks of, for you live in the nature by whom Offences come; that is but a form, and the Robber to apply his words, except you had a Principle within you that told you ſo: And Iohn ſaith, if they ſay they have no ſin, they deceive themſelves, and the truth is not in them; But ſaith he, if you confeſs your ſins, he is faithfull and juſt to forgive, and to clenſe from all ſin; and if you walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jeſus, Chriſt cleanſeth from all ſin; But here you are not in this light, onor cannot witneſs this blood, no not the confeſſion of your ſin, but in the generation of the Phariſees, gathered Churches, ſeparated from others, contending againſt Chriſt; Who ſaid, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and witneſſed a good Conſcience before Pontius Pilate: and where Chriſt is made manifeſt, he hath deſtroyed the works of the Devil; and he that is born of God ſinneth not, and he that ſinneth is of the Devil; Hereby are the children of God known from the children of the Devil; And in that Generation you are pleading for the ſin, and not for the faith, which purifies the heart; But that mind and ſervant muſt ſerve its own maſter, whom you contend for; So every kingdom ſtands for it ſelf, yet you have one of the beaſts colours of profeſſion, which makes you to appear beautifull, as ever the Harlot did, under a pretence of the true worſhip of God, which is a ſtranger from the Spirit of God, as you utter it forth, which the Saints were guided by.
Friends, you give Expoſition of the Apoſtles words, which he gave no ſuch expoſition, but ſpake plainly; he was a perfect man that could bridle his own tongue; and I know none in your Church and Generation can do it; Herein thou ſheweſt thy ſelf and thy Religion to be vain: For he that hath not power over his own tongue, his Religion is vain, and thy ſelf no Miniſter of Chriſt; For he was a Miniſter of Chriſt that ſaid ſo, but you are evil beaſts, and ſlow bellies, which the Scripture ſpeaks of; Are they not hirelings, as the Prieſts were? are they not called of men maſters? and have they not the chiefeſt place in the aſſemblies? are they not lyars, which pretend to be in the ſame ſtate the true Prophets were in? you are in the ſame nature which juſtifies them, who are for condemnation, and God will condemn that high wiſdom of yours; the Apoſtle ſaid, as he is, ſo are we, in this preſent world: which of you can witneſs that there is no hole for Satan? But friends, look within, and you ſhall ſee he keeps the houſe, you plead ſo much for him; Friends, in that life you live in, you cannot ſee it, For none can ſee God and live: therefore are you blinded, Fogged, and Miſted with the corruptions of the dark mind: therefore take the alaſs, alaſs, to your ſelves, and pitty your own ſelves: he that believes is born of God, and he that is born of God ſinneth not, and he that is born of God overcomes the world, and this belief you ſhut your ſelves out of, and do make it appear that you do not believe, to that in your Conſciences I ſpeak.
Friends, as touching Johns words, let fleſh be ſilent for giving ſenſes upon them, for that fills the world full of imaginations and fancies: For you are the Lyars, which would draw ſomething out of his words, and give another meaning to them, and ſhew a contrary ſpirit, and the wreſting of the Scriptures; but all ſuch as you are diſcovered, where the life of them is made manifeſt, who wreſt the Scriptures, and give your own ſenſe and meaning upon them, and ſo bewitch them by your craft, and draw them from waiting upon God to have them fulfilled: ſo that mind judgeth all to be deceit, which is not according to your own lenſe, and ſo calls light darkneſs, and evil good: Friends, you ſtrengthen your ſelves with that Scripture, as he that ſaith he hath no ſin, deceives himſelf, and the truth is not in him.
And here you ſtand up for the Devils kingdom, For you have not confeſſed your ſins yet; If you confeſs you… ſin, he is faithand juſt to forgive, and to cleanſe from all ſin; but theſe thinge you know nothing of, but ſhew forth your corrupt mind, and your ſelves of them which the Scripture ſpeaks of.
Friends, here you have uttered forth your folly without knowledge and underſtanding, and make it appear that you never heard the voice of God, for his voice ſhakes the Earth; Firſt you muſt witneſs the Earth ſhaken, before you witnes the Heavens; and make it appear, that an your knowledge is notionary and earthly, and yet ſtanding, and of this World; and the world by their wiſdom know not God, and there you are: to that in your conſcience I ſpeak; here you thruſt your ſelves out of the Church of God, and ſhew forth your ignorance, not having the form of the Letter; For Paul when he came among the Corinthians, he was with them in fear, and weakneſs, and much teembling, that their Faith might ſtand in the power of God, and not in the wiſdom of Words; but here are you not: and the Corinthims received Titus trembling: and he that was a Miniſter of Chriſt, exhorted the Saints to work out their ſalvation with fear and trembling, for it was God that wrought both the Will and the Deed; and the Aſſembly which aſſembled to Ezra, had all trembling hearts, and Iobs fleſh trembled, and Davids fleſh trembled, and his bones quaked, and Moſes when he heard the voice of God, he trembled; & Habbakuk when he heard the voice of God, he trembled. Hear the word of the Lord all you that tremble at his Word; when your Brethren hate you and caſt you out and ſay … the Lord he glorified, he ſhall appear to your joy when they ſhall be aſhamed; and in that Generation you ſhew your ſelves to be, not knowing the Power of God not the Scriptures, but err; ſo ſhutting your ſelves out, from the life of them that gave forth the Scriptures, making your ſelves openly to appear blind; Friends, beſilent, as giving ſenſes of ſhaking and of removing of things without you; for, it is the e…th within you, and the Corruptions within you which plead for the Devils kingdom ſo much, which muſt be removed, and that bufie minds which are giving ſenſes upon the Saints Conditions, for eternally you know nothing. Friends, as touching Moſes Condition, when any one witneſſestlie, ſame Condition, you cannot own it, but are cavelling about words; neither can you witneſs that you are made free from the Law, for the Law hath power over a man as long as he lives; The Saints that did witneſs they were made free: from the Law by the body of Chriſt, witneſſed this quaking and trembling, which you with your ſerpentine wiſdom would give ſenſes upon them, and deſpiſe: but he ſhall not enter into the Kingdom: Did not Habbakuks lips tremble; and his belly quake? And did not the Prophets knees knock together and quake? David and Ioh, their fleſh trembled, and ſo muſt all proud fleſh he laid low, and the loftineſs of man be brought down and your imaginations, and God alone be exalted; the power that makes you to quake and tremble is now made manifeſt, which you know not; for if you did, you would not give ſo many ſenſes upon the Scripture; and the ſame Power is now made manifeſt as ever was, praiſed be the Lord for ever; As they that ſaw the outſide of the Viſion, as you ſpeak, ſo you ſee the outſide of the Letter, and would flie from them who have the power of the Letter, as Daniel had; ſo you ſee the outſide, but not the inſide, as Daniel did, if you did, you would not utter forth your ſolly, ignorance and weakneſs: the ſame Chriſt they do witneſs to be made manifeſt, that makes proud fleſh to tremble, and the ſame operation and death to be brought conformable to Chriſt they witneſs: but this power working in them as thou ſayeſt thou knoweſt not, and whereof you ſpeak, that you know them whom God ſpake to by Angels and Viſions, whom he wrought wonders by, but only by a hiſtory-knowledge by Paper and Ink, and there you ſhew your ſelves to be lyars; for them whom you do accuſe, which you call Quakers, the wonderous Works of the Lord are made manifeſt among them; though that Chriſt wrought Miracles among the people, yet they ſaid, he did it by Belzebub the Prince of Devils; and thou ſheweſt thy ſelf to be in the ſame Adulterous Generation that the Scribes and Phariſees were, which would have a ſign or a wonder, but there in none ſhall be ſhewed to thee but the ſign of Jonas; for an adulterous Generation ſeeks for a ſign, and there thou art. Friends, you ſay there is nothing in all the Scriptures, makes out of the people meeting together as concerning trembling; did not the Corinthians tremble when Titus came to preach among them? and did not the Aſſemblies that came to Ezra tremble? there is nothing in your minds of God, born up in your underſtandings to judge withall; ſo in your'own conceits you are ſatisfied; and doth not the Lord ſay, I will ſhake all Nations; and let all the Inhabitants of the Earth tremble; ſo ye ſhew forth the ignorance of the form, for the power of it you cannot own, nor believe where it is operating and working; Friends, you have uttered forth many lyes and ſlanders, and ſcandalous ſpeeches; lay your hands upon your mouths, bluſh and be a ſhamed, who art in Cains nature, murdering the righteous ones in your hearts, and ſpewing forth your venome againſt a harmleſs people; was it not the practice of the Saints to wait alone upon God for counſel, for wiſdom, for grace, and for the Spirit? and being guided by the light of God they waited upon God; and the Apoſtle exhorts them, that they ſhould take heed to the light within them, until the day dawn, and the day-Star ariſe in their hearts; and no Propheſie of the Scripture came by the Will of man, ſo it was of no private Interpretation, but Holy men ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt; this moving you ſpeak not from, neither know; therefore as dogs, fnarle and bite them who are guided by the ſame Spirit, and wait for the ſame Spirit, by which we have unity with them in the ſame Spirit; and you ſhew your ſelves to be in the number of them who uſe their tongues, and ſay, he ſaith, when ſaith the Lord, I never ſpoke to them; but you ſpeak a vain divinatition of your own brain, and not from the mouth of the Lord, gathering your ſelves together againſt the Lord and againſt his annointed; but I am ſatisfied, that I ſee your folly and weakneſs uttered forth, which doth blind many; but God is raiſing up a light which will diſcover you; the Doctrine of God they own, but your Doctrine which is of man, they deny; And if theſe be your Ordinances which you ſpeak of, as ſprinkling Infants, and telling people of a Sacrament, theſe we deny, for God never commanded them; and if you draw people to theſe things which God never commanded, you bewitch them; for the Galathians were bewitched, which were drawn to act theſe things, God had not commanded when the ſubſtance was come; & ſo you do bewitch them to follow your Traditions from the ſight of God within them. And as touching Magiſtrates, you are falſe accuſers which the Scripture ſpeaks of, which have the form and not the power; For all who are brought into the Truth, do labour with ſingleneſs of heart unto God, and not with eyeſervice; and their ſouls are ſubject to the power of God, and Juſtice they own, and honour in their ſoul, which cuts down filthineſs and corruptions which are alive in you, which makes you to give forth ſo many falſe accuſations upon a harmleſs people, who wait for the reſtoring of the Kingdom, and the overturning the World and the Kingdoms of it, and the Image of the Devil defaced in man, and the Image of God renewed in Righteouſneſs, and man brought into his being from whence he was fallen; and ſo you are yet under the dominion of Satan, judging truth errour and blaſphemy as ever they did, which had the form and not the power, in whoſe ſteps you walk; ſeeing you have uttered forth your folly ſo and filthineſs, and call your ſelves the Church of Chriſt; his Church is not a ſinful Church, for that you ſtand up for; but his Church which he hath purchaſed with his blood, is without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch, and yours is but an imitation; therefore ſlander not the Church of Chriſt, as they which ſay they are Iews, and are not, but are Synagogues of Satan; and there you are.
I charge you by the Lord, that you read this among all your Churches as you call it, and as you will anſwer it before the Lord, for to that in your Conſcience do I ſpeak.
From ſome Friends in the Truth, whom the World calls Quakers in Lancaſhire.