the prophets and apostles were in, ravened from it since the days of the apostles in the apostacy, and so are not in the counsel of God; and are out of his teaching and instruction, and so far from having fellowship with God; for who have fellowship with him come to see him. And you are not of Abraham's seed who saw God face to face, but are of the Pharisees' stock, who never saw his shape, John v.

P. And you say, 'In the last days false prophets should arise, and show signs and wonders; and if it were possible they should deceive the elect. And the coming of the man of sin is after the working of satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders,' &c. page 44.

A. Christ said, the false prophets and antichrists should come, which John saw were come; yea, many antichrists were gone out into the world. And the apostle Paul saw the man of sin before his decease, the coming of him with the lying signs and wonders; which man of sin since the days of the apostles, in this night of apostacy, has ruled and reigned, with his lying signs and wonders; and these are not the true signs, but lying. And when they were ravened from the spirit of God they got the sheep's clothing while inwardly ravening wolves, which if it were possible, would deceive the very elect;' which went forth from the apostles in the apostacy; and since they have deceived the nations, the wolves, the inwardly raveners, though covered with the sheep's clothing. And here these things have been among you in the apostacy: and the apostates have reigned and ruled, and have had the dominion since the days of the apostles. But now with that which ye all have ravened from, are ye made manifest and comprehended. So this man of sin, with his lying signs and wonders, who ravened from the spirit of God, as the devil did, who went from the truth, is he that compels all his members to plead for the body of sin while they be upon earth, and so to keep them out of the faith of God's elect, that gives the victory over the world. And such he cannot deceive, nor any of his members, that are ravened from the spirit of God.

P. He saith, The Quakers' despising the fashions of the world, contemning the honours and pleasures thereof, and their sober carriage and deportment among men, and willingness to suffer;' all these he calls 'wickedness.' See pages 49, 50.

A. But it seemeth this practice of denying the fashions of the world, and contemning the honours and pleasures thereof, and their sober carriage, offends him and the world, and the rest of the priests and professors, and the denying the lusts which they are in.

P. He saith, The devil is not an adulterer,' page 51.

A. Did the devil abide in the truth? Did not he go out of it? And are not all that go out of the truth with him, adulterers, who begets his own image, and is the foundation of adultery?

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P. He saith, The light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, is a natural light, or law,' page 56.

A. Which light, Christ Jesus, is the end of the law, before any natural light was made or created; for all things that were made were made by him, and he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world." P. He saith, the light will not bring men to salvation,' page 56. A. The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, is Christ, the salvation to the ends of the earth.' P. He saith again, "The light is not sufficient to lead men to salvation,' page 60. And to witness sanctification within, and justification there, is to confound justification and sanctification. And grace and justification is a created thing, and the light within is mere darkness, which the Quakers speak of.' See page 61.

A. The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened with, comprehends all darkness, and leads out of it, and there is no occasion of stumbling in it; for, as many as receive him, to them he gives power to become the sons of God.' And the light is not darkness; but he that saith the light is darkness, is out of the light, in the darkness. And justification and sanctification being within, doth not confound it without, but it is the same that is within that is without. And grace is the gift of God, and sanctification both, Christ Jesus, who was before any creature was created, and the grace comes from the throne.

P. He saith, They are the unestablished people that are running after every way of error, that own the Quakers in these nations,' page 62.

A. In that the nation will witness against thee; for they that own the Quakers are known to have been the most knowing, seeking people that have been in the nations, and the most sincere people; and none come out of error, but who come to the Quakers' light which they follow, which is Christ.

P. He saith, That Christ hath a human created soul.' See page 63. Again, 'And the light in the conscience to be Christ is a false doctrine. And the Quakers seek to bring people from all other teaching but the light within them,' page 65.

A. The soul of Christ is witnessed: but to say it is human, earthly, and created, (when the scripture doth not teach us that doctrine,) we cannot believe nor own your words, but deny them. And Christ is the light in the conscience, which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, who was before any creature was; which he that receiveth comes to him to be his teacher, and feels him reign. And all men must come to the light which Christ hath enlightened them withal, who is the covenant of God, to feel the law written in their

hearts, and in their minds, to bring them off all other teachers, whereby they need not teach one another, nor say, 'know the Lord.'

P. He saith,

Men may be called of men master, and it is but a

cavil to deny it. And they may deny to be called father, as well as master,' &c. See page 68. A. Thou hast in this denied the doctrine of Christ, and slightest it, who saith, 'Be not ye of men called master; for ye have all one master, which is Christ, and ye are all brethren.' And thou hast showed thyself out of the brotherhood; and there is a birth to be born, which can call no man father upon earth, which thou art ignorant of.

P. He saith, There is lawful respect of persons, and it is said God himself is the respecter of persons: and the Quakers overthrow all authority, because they do not respect persons,' page 71.

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A. God is not a respecter of persons,' as saith the apostle, for his covenant he gives to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. And the faith of God's elect is held without respect of persons; and he that respects persons commits sin, and transgresseth the law. And so thou dividest not the word aright.

P. He saith, False prophets shall arise, and damnable heresies, and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.'

A. The apostles saw them come up, the false prophets that brought in the damnable heresies, that were covetous, &c. and many followed their ways. And the false prophets go from the light that Christ hath enlightened them with, and raven from the spirit, and get the sheep's clothing, and through their covetousness, make a trade of that: and you are such as cause the truth to be evil spoken of, who are come up since the days of the apostles.

P. And the Quakers are not to be received into their houses, nor bidden God speed, and such as creep into houses, lead silly women captive, laden with sin, and led away with divers lusts.'

A. The apostle saw such as crept into houses, and such as transgressed the doctrine of Christ, that were not to be received into houses; and saw the deceivers that walked after their ungodly lusts, before the apostles' decease; and such as kept people always learning, and nevér able to come to the knowledge of the truth, as is manifest now in the world; they are learning 40, 50, or 60 years, and yet there is a cry among them that they must have the body of sin, and live in their sins while they be upon the earth, and that none can be without it; and this is the height your doctrine leads to, which is now in the mouths of all people that are under your teaching that teach that doctrine. And yet you will say, the work of the ministry is for the perfecting of the saints, to the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come into the unity

of the faith unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ! And this work ye have denied yourselves to be in; but how should it be otherwise with such that are as Jannes and Jambres? that have ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, that went forth from the apostles, that are covetous, that keep people 'always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.' So you are they that keep people from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, and keep them in spiritual Egypt, Sodom, and Gomorrah, where they are always learning, having the form of godliness, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; and this to you all will be a sad cup at last.

And as for all thy lies and slanders in thy book, which are not worth mentioning, they will come sadly upon thyself one day for the grievous lies thou hast uttered in it unto the nation; but thousands in the nation, that are not under the name of Quakers, know and see the contrary of what thou hast published; they will fall upon thy own self, and be thy own burthen. And then thou shalt say, when thou feelest thy own works burn, thou hadst better have been silent, and not have published forth thy folly, and made thy name to stink, and brought thy name upon record, who hath made lies thy refuge; but the hail is come, and coming, that will sweep them away.

William Thomas, called Minister of the Gospel of Ubley, his book called A Vindication of the Scriptures and Ministers.' principles follow.

P. HE saith, Christ directs to look for life in the scriptures, because they testify of him; and that the scriptures are the ground of faith, and the saints' rule.' And again, 'We are justified by Christ without us, and not within us.' See his epistle.

A. Many had the scriptures, and searched them, and found not life in them, for Christ is the life; and if men have all the scriptures, and have not Christ, they have not life. And so Christ did not say they should have life in the scriptures; but he saith, they thought to have life there, and that they testified of him, 'and they would not come to him that they might have life.' How ignorant art thou of the scriptures, and of Christ's words, to divide them in this manner! And Christ is the author of the faith. And many have scriptures, and have not the ground of faith, until they have Christ the author of it, and God the giver of it; which are able to make wise unto salvation,” through the faith which Christ is the author of. For Enoch, and Abel, &c.

had faith before the scriptures were written; and so before thy ground was. And the saints had a rule before the scriptures were written; for the spirit was their rule that led them into all truth, and to speak forth scriptures; that is the rule that mortifies, circumciseth, baptizeth, and leads into all truth. The word of God, that fulfils scriptures, leads into all truth; that is the truth that leads into all truth. Now the scriptures cannot lead into all truth, but they testify of that that doth. And if Christ be not within people, they are reprobates. And is a reprobate justified? And if Christ be within, is not the justification there, and redemption and sanctification witnessed, Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.'

P. He saith, We consider how few there are in the church that belongs to God.' See his epistle.

A. This is your own church, which is not the pillar and ground of truth. For who are in the church of Christ, the pillar and ground of truth, (where there is not a spot, or wrinkle, or blemish, nor any such thing,) they are those that belong to God; they are living stones, built up together a spiritual household; but from this thou art afar off.

P. He saith, We willingly acknowledge we are fallible men, that may be deceived; and to find infallible teachers is against experience. None pretend infallibility but the pope.' See page 9. He saith, The scriptures are the well and living fountain, from whence living waters have been drawn this hundred or thousand years,' page 8.

A. If every one that hath the scriptures hath the fountain, hath the devil the fountain? for he can bring scriptures; hath he the fountain and well of living waters? Nay, we say, God and Christ is the fountain of all good. And saith David, all the springs are in him.' And so, many may have the scriptures, and yet want the waters, want the fountain; who have had them since the days of the apostles, who have had them this many hundreds of years in the apostacy, the sheep's clothing, and have known no other fountain, but them, nor any other well. So all the leanness of souls hath been among people, because they have not known the fountain of whom they learned that gave forth scriptures. And we do believe you, that ye are fallible men, that say the scriptures are the well and fountain of living waters,' and you are not infallible. And it is contrary to your experience to be infallible. And we say the pope is not infallible neither, though he be your father, the ancient. Yet we say, he and you are apostatized from the infallible spirit that the apostles were in, to which we are come, with which ye are seen and judged, not to have the spirit of Christ Jesus, not to have the spirit of the prophets and apostles, not to be led by the spirit of truth into all truth,' not to be in the spirit not to speak as ye are moved of the holy ghost;' but to be such as are ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, and have gotten the sheep's