The Quakers Confuted, Annotations to letter
Annotations upon this Reply, and an Extraction of the unſavory paſſages contained in it.
THe greateſt part of this Reply contains nothing but reproachfull and villifying expreſſions, and is extremly cenſorious of us, as of perſons who have nothing but darkneſs in us, and is ſelf-magnifying, as conceiving themſelves onelyonly in the light, and having themſelves, and they onelyonly the ſpirit. And ſome ſmall part of it makes mention of the very ſelf ſame Scriptures which Richard Wallers Letter doth contain, and of ſome few more of like nature; But there is ſcarce the ſhew of an anſwer to any thing in ours, though it be very large and tedious; Some of the un-favory and un-Chriſtian expreſſions, I have gathered out and preſented to publike view, that all perſons that have to do with them, may know what ſcurrilous language they may expect inſtead of an Anſwer.
I find many buſie minds giving ſenſes upon Scripture.
O fleſh be ſilent before the Lord, who art giving ſenſes.
Who ſpeaks with thine own will.
Thou haſt uttered forth thy folly.
Who are unlearned, therefore thou art wreſting the Scriptures.
The ſame turns upon their own back and pate.
Thou liveſt in corrupt nature, and pleadeſt for it.
A ſervant to the Devil, maintaining his Kingdom.
Thou art led Captive doing the work of the Devil.
Thou art a witneſs againſt him and them who are in the ſecond birth.
Thou art deceiving with vain words.
In the wiſdom of the world thou art.
Shewing a contrary ſpirit to the Apoſtle.
Shewing thy ſelf in the firſt birth, and not in the ſecond.
Litterally learned, but not ſpiritually.
Had you the Spirit, you would not wreſt Scripture to your own deſtruction.
The confuſion is in your own minds.
Let Pauls condition alone, for you know nothing of it.
You are not compleat in Chriſt, but without in the world.
It is the buſie mind that would be exalted.
If I ſhould anſwer to every ſenſe you give, I ſhould make fools wiſe.
God will ſcatter the proud, and there you are, and there is your portion.
Your exernal mind, and imagined wiſdom, which is from below.
There is an Image in your mind, which neither knows Chriſt, nor the way, nor the Scripture.
That ſenſe giving, heals up the beaſt that hath a wound.
Here you ſit as Judges of the Saints conditions, ſpeaking you do not know what of the Goſpel, of Moſes, of the Law, of Juſtification, of Sanctification.
Of theſe ye know nothing, but have buſie minds uttering forth your folly.
None of theſe can you witneſs to, not the Law, not Moſes, not Juſtification, not Sanctification, not the Goſpel in the inward man, but in the Notion.
It is babled and diſputed upon as you do.
Friends, give over your babling.
Give over your diſputing, and rabling, and rambling with an unclean mind.
Look to your ſelves, and gad not abroad, for that is the woman thae abides not in her own houſe.
Paul did not tell you theſe words, but you are thieves and ſteal his words.
You live in that nature by whom offences come.
But here you are not in this light, nor can witneſs this blood, nor the confeſſion of your ſin.
You are in the Generation of the Phariſees contending againſt Chriſt.
Children of the Devil, and in that Generation are ye pleading for ſin, and not for faith.
You have one of the beaſts colours of profeſſion.
You appear beautifull as every harlet doth.
None in your Church and Generation can bridle his tongue;
Herein thou ſhewſt thy ſelf and thy Religion to be vain.
You are evil beaſts, and ſlow bellies.
You are Blinded, Fogged, Miſted with the corruptions of a dark mind.
You are liars which would draw ſomthing out of Johns words.
Here you ſtand up for the Devils Kingdom.
You have uttered forth your folly without knowledge.
The world by wiſdom knows not God, and there are you.
You are in the ſame nature, who juſtifie them who are for condemnation.
The earth within is that which pleads for the Devils Kingdom.
Thou ſheweſt thy ſelf to be of the ſame Adulterous Generation of the Scribes and Phariſes.
You have uttered forth many lyes, and ſlanders, and ſcandalous ſpeeches.
You are in Cains nature, murthering the righteous one.
You are ſpewing forth your venom againſt an harmleſs people.
As dogs, ye ſnarl and bite them that are guided by the Spirit of God.
You ſpeak a vain divination.
You are yet under the dominion of Satan.
You have uttered forth your folly and filthineſs.
They that ſay they are Iews, and are not, but are of the Synagogue of Satan, there are you.
This is ſome of that mire and dirt, which as the Sea they caſt up againſt us, meerly for the cauſe of that Letter which we ſent to one of their wives, who ſtood related to us; But this is not all, for the whole Reply conſiſts of ſuch kind of Language, ſave that here and there, there is ſome ſmall intermixture of ſome Scriptures produced for the Juſtification of Perfection anh Quaking, which I ſee no cauſe to return any further anſwer to, becauſe the anſwer that is already given in the Letter that we ſent, which is now preſented to publike view, may be equally applied to ſuch Scriptures which are here added, as to thoſe other Scriptures which I met with before, and will remain in like force.
Theſe are the perſons, who alone pretend to the Spirit, and to the ſecond birth, and do not onelyonly lay us, but all the Saints in all the World, under the condemnation of ſuch who have not the ſpirit, and are in the firſt birth, and not in the ſecond. But what ſpirit it is, that Dwells, and Acts, and Rules in them, doth appear from their expreſſions, for their ſpeech bewraies them.
Theſe things have I preſented for this end and purpoſe, to obſtruct their way, and ſtop their further proceedings, that by their impoſtures they may pevail no longer; If God ſhall be pleaſed to give his bleſſing to my endeavors, herein it will be a good reward of my labors; however I have diſcharged my duty, and ſhall have peace in that.
There was a paper given unto me, containing the confeſſion of Iohn Gilpin a Quaker; Which is now printed for publike view, that all may take notice what ſpirit it is that poſſeſſeth theſe perſons, and may fear and tremble at Gods juſt Judgements, who delivers up them to Satan, who caſt off him.
FINIS.