walk holily, but who are led by that, out of the self righteousness. And the light which the Quakers are in, is the light with which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, which cometh from Christ, and is one with him. And no one upon the earth owns Christ but who owns the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' which the Quakers are in, which thou calls a light from satan. And they must all come to the Quakers, if ever they own the light, and if ever they own Christ the way to the Father, and come into the power of godliness.

P. He saith, 'It is wretchedness to say that Christ hath redeemed them perfectly, and now lives in them the Lord of all things, by which they are the sons of God,' page 50.

A. The scripture saith, he is in all and through all, who is God blessed for ever.' And are not they who are redeemed, redeemed into perfection, into Christ? are not they redeemed perfectly? are not they redeemed out of imperfection? And doth not Christ, who is Lord of all, say, he will dwell in the saints? And are not all they in the wretched state, that will not have him to reign over them?

P. He saith, The ministers of Christ received the gospel not by man, nor were taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, but we own no such revelation as this,' page 51.

A. We do believe you, who are apostatized and ravened from the spirit of God, having only the sheep's clothing, and are the wolves gone abroad in the world, who, if it were possible, would deceive the very elect: but the elect are kept in the arm of Christ, ye cannot pluck one of them out of his hands: his Father and he is greater than all. And none know the gospel, but who know immediate revelation; for the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and this is immediate. And so all you in the apostacy, since the days of the apostles, are gone from the foundation, Christ Jesus, that doth enlighten every man that cometh in the world, with it you are all seen and fathomed, over the world doth the light reach, answered with that of God in every one, the salvation to the ends of the earth; which light cometh to fulfil scriptures. The apostles were judged deceivers; who came to bring the people to the substance the scriptures spoke of; so they were judged deceivers.

P. 'If the Quakers say that the ministers have not the spirit that the prophets and apostles had, then positively we say we have not. And if the Quakers say they have it so, then I say the prophets and apostles had it not,' page 53.

A. We do believe you, that ye have not the same spirit that the prophets, and apostles, and Christ had: this is made manifest in that ye

are all on heaps about their words, and are fain to run to schools and colleges to be made ministers by men, and not by the spirit. But the Quakers witness the spirit that the prophets, and apostles, and Christ had, with which they own their words; with which spirit they see you who have gotten their words, and make a trade of them, and are all on heaps about them, and fall out about church and ministers.

P. He saith, The infallible spirit did not guide Isaac when he blessed Jacob, for he missed the person,' page 53.

A. God with his eternal spirit did direct Isaac what to do, for that stood in his counsel, though of that spirit thou hast shown thy ignorance, and thy fallibility, and thyself to be one of them in whom the devil is transformed into an angel of light; which Christ said should come, the false prophets, and deceivers, and false apostles; which the apostles saw were come, which, since their days, have had the reign. over the world. But now to that which they ravened from, and into the truth, (in which the devil abode not,) are the saints come; and the Lamb reigns that is the substance of the scriptures, the end of the scriptures, that hath dominion. Glory in the highest for ever.

And as for all the revilings, lies, slanders, vilifying, hard expressions in thy book, they will fall upon thyself, and to thee they will be sad, and thou shalt feel that every one of thy own words shall be thy burthen, and they shall come home unto thee; in the day of thy judgment the witness in thee shall answer. All along thou hast showed thy ignorance of the infallible spirit, that is poured upon all flesh; for whosoever prays, or hath a humility, or sings, and not by the infallible spirit, they sing not with the understanding, nor pray with the understanding. And under the judgment of God thou hast brought thyself, and all thy generation.

Thomas Collier's book, called, A Dialogue between a Minister of the gospel, and an Inquiring Christian.' His principles follow.

P. HE saith, that the scriptures are the absolute rule of saints, that are endued with the spirit and faith,' page 7.

A. Such as were endued with the spirit and faith, had a rule before the written scripture was, and they knew the seed, and they knew the promises, and they knew Christ more than the Pharisees that had the scriptures: nay more than the apostates since the days of the apostles that have the scriptures, and the Epistles, and Revelations. For by faith they saw the glory, they were in the foundation, they say Christ the everlasting covenant, and that is the foundation still, Christ Jesus, him

by whom the world was made; and all that have the scriptures, and have not him, they can do nothing. And that which ruled the saints. before the scriptures were written, is the saints' rule after the scriptures are written, to know what is written, and to know God of whom they learned that gave it forth, or wrote it: with that they know to what state and condition it was spoken. And the spirit is the record, and he that hath all the scriptures, and wants the true record, which is the spirit, he cannot know all things.

P. And the scripture of the New Testament is the saints' rule, and the rule of judgment,' page 10.

A. The scriptures being given forth from the spirit of God, people know not to what state they were spoken, but as they come into the spirit that gave them forth. And besides, the epistles were written to the saints in several conditions, according to their growth: and some of them grew higher than others, for in the hearts of some of them the day-star was not risen, and some of them were children of the day. So that still was the rule that led them to give forth the epistles, and revealed to them the states and conditions of the saints, and to ages, and to generations, and to nations, and the condition the world was in, and should come upon it, that was the rule, and is the rule by which all these words are seen again: and there is the record of the spirit of God. And he that hath found the true record, the spirit of God, with this he shall know all the scriptures; and is come within the book where all things are written, and which writes all things forth, the spirit.

P. He saith, The scriptures are that word which makes the devils to stand in awe and tremble. The written word for after generations, by which men's souls are brought to Christ,' pages 14, 15. Again, the scriptures are the sword of the spirit,' page 16.

A. The Pharisees had the scriptures, which Christ said were of the devil, and were swallowed up in his power; and they stood against Christ, the life, the substance. The devil came with scriptures (who is out of the truth) to tempt Christ the word: but the word, the substance of scriptures, hammered down the devil, and the Pharisees that had got the scriptures, but were out of the life that gave them forth. And they have the sword that have the word of God, which was before the scriptures were given forth, and they are in that the devils are out of. So if the devil, and wicked men, bring scriptures, they hammer them under, and redeem the scriptures out of their ungodly mouths. And the written word brings no soul to Christ the life, but who comes to the life that the written words speak of: and so it testifies of him, the life, that brings them to Christ that gave it forth.

P. God is willing that all should be saved; but he worketh not all

into a saving condition.' See page 21. He saith, 'It is true, there is a spirit and life in the scriptures.' See page 22.

A. The spirit and life are not in the scriptures, but the spirit and life the scriptures testify of; and the light, Christ Jesus, (the salvation to the ends of the earth,) doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world with a saving light. And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world is saving: but many hating the light which hath enlightened them, and not coming to it, neglect and slight their salvation, and not believing in it, they walk in darkness, and come not to the light of life. But they that believe in it, come to the light of life, and abide not in the darkness. And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men.' Such as turn it into wantonness, and walk despitefully against the spirit of grace, own it not for their teacher, but set up teachers according to their own lusts; so turn against that which brings their salvation, and walk despitefully against it, and follow their own lusts, and trample upon the covenant of grace, and the blood of the new covenant. And all that see the bishop of their souls, Christ Jesus the saviour of their souls, it is with the light that cometh from him; and God wills that all men should be saved.

P. He saith, To use Christ's name to catch souls, when indeed it is but juggling, and to stab him, and crucify him afresh.' See page 42. If Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, &c. if this were truth, then Christ died in vain, and in vain hath Christ spoke of himself, saying, I am the way, the truth, the life, the light,' &c. See page 45.

A. Such as do not believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, such as mention his name, and are haters of the light that cometh from him, are in the juggling state, and deceivers of the souls of people. And none see Christ the one offering, but with the light that cometh from him: nor do any know the saviour Christ Jesus, but with the light that cometh from him: and that lets them see the body prepared, Christ who was the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, the one offering, that ends all offerings; and his blood that is the atonement, is the saints' drink, which, who drinks, shall live, with which their consciences are purged from dead works, to serve the living God. And no one knows the foundation of God that standeth sure, nor feels it, nor sees it, but with the light which cometh from Christ the foundation, which breaks down all other foundations; which light that every man' is enlightened withal, gives him the knowledge of the foundation of God.

P. He saith, I do believe that there was never a saint perfectly free from sin here; but they shall have the body of sin and death, which will be their burthen to keep them humble.' See page 52. And it

doth not appear that they attain purification, or perfection, before the change of body.'

A. That which is the true humiliation bears the sin and iniquity, and is Christ; such as are not brought down with the judgments for their sinful actings, never knew the seed that puts off the body, (from which all the roots proceed,) in that is the true humility, and the righteousness of Christ, and the glory, revealed. And the saints witnessed the body of sin and death put off, while they were upon the earth; and such as were in Christ were new creatures, all things had become new. And the apostles spoke wisdom among them that were perfect; and that was before the change of the body, ye speak of. And the work of the ministry was for the perfecting of the saints, until they all came into the unity of the faith, (that gives victory,) and to the knowledge of the son of God; unto a perfect man unto the measure; and stature of the fulness of Christ.' This was the ministers' work. Not as children tossed up and down with every slight, and windy doctrine of men, who lie in wait to deceive. So ye have tried the work of your ministry, and brought it to the light.

P. He saith, Such a trembling as a way to perfection, is to set it in the room of Christ, beside the truth, and slight and undervalue the word of God: and let all men beware of this trembling.' See page 78.

A. All who own the word of God, that reconciles to the Father, and hammers down, and brings out of the fall, and cuts down and burns up, must know their salvation wrought out with fear and trembling. And these own the word of God, and the words of God, the scriptures: and these own this trembling: there is a cloud of witnesses in the scriptures. And none will deny this trembling that own the salvation wrought out, or to be wrought out: but such as are out of the truth; and they that get scriptures, (being out of the truth,) and deny the power of God, are with it judged. Those that have the form, but deny the power, deny the trembling, so they deny the salvation to be wrought out with fear and trembling, and none know the salvation but they that know trembling. And such may say, (that are the devil's messengers,) beware of this power that makes to tremble.

P. He saith,The scripture is truly the ministry of the spirit to us.' See page 67.

A. Those were the ministers of the spirit that gave forth the scriptures: and those are the ministers of the letter, that are out of the spirit that gave forth the scriptures, and that cannot minister the spirit. P. He saith, The scriptures do not speak of a general redemption of all, from the state of sin, and freedom from sin.' See page 75. A. There is a general state and redemption of all, and freedom from VOL. III.

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