else they perish; and so will you, if you continue in your darkness, envy, and blasphemy against the light within.

3. You grossly belie us, in accusing us with preaching down the authority of the scriptures, undermining the gospel faith and appointments, in our preaching up the light within; for without, the minding and following the light within, men can neither truly understand the scriptures, nor come into the fulfilling of them, nor acceptably practice the Lord's requirings or appointments in the gospel and new covenant. And none can come into the true gospel faith, but they that obey and believe in the light, as Christ commanded, when he said: "Believe in the light, that you may be the children of the light." You, therefore, who term this either "damnable heresy," or "a conceited Christ," are guilty of damnable doctrine against Christ's doctrine and light within. Had you been in his days it is probable you would have joined with the hypocritical Jews who persecuted Christ, and issued your bill of excommunication against him and his apostles.

Excom. "By such a scriptureless notion as is hearken to the light within,' which saying is not only scriptureless, but against the scriptures, or the way of God noted in the scriptures of truth."

Answer. You have before said your worst against the light within, showing that you do not hearken to the light of Christ within, but to your own darkness within. However, that you may see your ignorance, and be convinced that to hearken to, to obey, or believe in the light within, is neither against the scriptures, nor any scriptureless notion, as you falsely call it, see John i. 4, 9.-Acts xxvi 18.—John xxii. 36.—Psa. lvi. 13. Job xxv. 3.-1 John i. 7.—Isa. ii. 5.—2 Cor. iv. 6.—Rev. xxi. 24.-1 John ii. 9, 10.

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Excom. "For when Saul, who afterwards was called Paul, was converted, the Lord did not say, hearken to the light within thee,' but go to Ananias,' &c. or when the angel was sent to Cornelius, did he say, hearken to the light within' but send for Peter,' &c. Nor those who inquired of the apostles what to do, the counsel was not, hearken to the light within,' but repent and be baptized."" Acts ii..

Answer. How gross, silly, and false, is your arguing and assertion, which is but Mat. Caffin's old stuff, long since answered. For was not Paul converted to the light within, when he was sent to turn others from darkness to light? And what was that which pricked him before? And could he have either a vision of Ananias, or Ananias a vision of him as praying, or could he be filled with the Holy Ghost, as Ananias told him he should be, without respect to the light within? How could he receive the pouring forth or gift of the Holy Ghost, without re

garding the light within? And what is that in the conscience, to which the preaching of the gospel is manifest? And did not Peter preach him and his name to whom all the prophets gave witness? Acts x. 43. And was not he that light of the Gentiles promised? And did not Peter bear witness to the “light shining in a dark place?" 2 Peter i. 19. But your counsel excludes the. light, and is not to hearken to it, and yet you exhort people to repent and be baptized. It seems then they must do both these in darkness. O, ignorant men! how do you lead silly women captive blindfold, and in darkness, into your water-baptism. You never knew the nature of true repentance, nor the Spirit's baptism, through which the mind is changed from darkness and sin to light and righteousness.

Excom, "And when the man came to Christ to know what to do to inherit eternal life, Mark x. 17, Christ did not say, Hearken to the light within. Nor when Christ sent the gospel to be preached to all nations, did he say, that such as hearken to a light within should be saved, but that he that believed and should be baptized should be saved. Mark xvi. 15, 16.”

Answer. This argues still your continued darkness. Can men believe, inherit eternal life, keep the commands of God, or be saved, and yet continue in darkness, as you do who shut out the light, and divert people's minds from it, as much as in you lies? Besides, you belie both Christ and the apostles; for they preached up the light within. As for your water-baptism, it is not the saving baptism, as you imply contrary to divers of your brethren's confessions, and to Peter's testimony, 1 Pet. iii. 21. But, you are for believing and being baptized, but not for hearkening to the light within; wherefore we deny your dark and dead faith, and your night-dipping; for you are in the dark in all you do you are out of the righteousness of faith which directs man to the Word that is nigh, even in the heart, to obey it, and do it.

Excom. "For his not only taking that scriptureless liberty to go to a people, that he before knew to be a people who preach down the way of gospel appointments, but doth now himself plead for a light within, as that which he is to be guided by, and not by the scriptures, to judge whether that be light or darkness within him."

Answer. 1. Your charge of preaching down the way of gospel appointments, is false. Yet we deny that you have a commission from Christ to baptize, or plunge people in water.

2. To be guided by the light within, is that which you still boggle at; but is this matter worthy of excommunication? The darkness wherein you walk is sufficiently manifest, and therein you undertake to judge by the scriptures, without the guidance of the light that gave them forth, though the light be most suffi

cient to discover itself, and to make manifest all things that differ. "For whatsoever things are reproved are made mani

fest by the light."

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Excom. Though Christ said, take heed that the light within thee be not darkness."

Answer. There were those who put light for darkness, and darkness for light, as you do; in which sense Christ gives this caution, “if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" Therefore it could not be really light, neither can real light be properly counted darkness.

Excom. And for the rule by which Christ saith, we shall be tried at the great and last day, is what he had spoken to the sons of men when in person among them, (John xii.48, 49.) but now saith John Richardson, we must try the scriptures by the light within."

Answer. The words should rather be, we must make use of the scriptures by the light within; but Christ doth not say, that the rule by which you shall be tried at the last day, is the scriptures. You pervert his sayings. He says, he that rejecteth me and "receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him, the Word," &c. John xii. 48. For God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus, and his living Word, (Christ being the universal Judge,) and by his law in them; their own thoughts and consciences bearing witness in that day, for or against them. Howbeit, the Jews that sinned in the law, were also judged by the law, (or scriptures,) for rejecting Christ, and so are you also, for contemning his light within.

Excom. "Oh horrible profaneness! that ever any should dare to set up their own whimsical imaginations above Christ's sayings! and not only so, but condemn them where their erroneous opinions cannot own them."

Answer. We perceive you have not said one good word in favour of the light within; you have rendered it as bad as you could; one while calling it a "diabolical conceit," another while damnable heresy," "their new conceited Christ,"

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scriptureless notions," "darkness ;" and now whimsical imaginations." But your own opinions are erroneous and blasphemous; and you have most grossly belied us; for Christ's light within cannot lead us either to slight or condemn his sayings, but to fulfil them.

Excom. "For refusing to hear the counsel of the church, wherein the church's endeavours have been to convince him of his errors and to reclaim him."

Answer. It is easy to see what a church you are, that blaspheme against the light within, and do not admit of it in any duty. A sad church, thus to shut out and contemn the lightYou are in thick darkness until now; your envy greatly blinds

you; therefore it is well not to hear your counsel, seeing it is to persuade us not to hearken to the light within. We will never hearken to your darkness, nor be led blindfold by your blind guides.

Excom. "And for the church's authority to excommunicate persons guilty as aforesaid, see 2 Thes. iii. 6.-Rom. xvi. 17.-Mat. xviii. 17, &c. The apostle's way was one and the same in every church. 1 Cor. iv. 17. Written by W. Flecher, W. Claton."

Answer. The true church's authority was given her by Christ, who is the true light, and this we own, and reverence the power the apostles had. But you falsely assume a power, and pretend their authority to excommunicate persons for professing and owning his light within; and, (it seems,) to cast out such as you need not, who withdraw themselves from you. The true church never cast out nor excommunicated persons for owning the light within, but for running into the deeds of darkness. Therefore in the name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ we deny you, who are called Baptists and Anabaptists, to be the church of Christ; we deny your authority; we deny your excommunication; we deny your blasphemous and scornful doctrine against the light within, and exhort you to leave your envy, and turn from your darkness, and condemn your blasphemy, and embrace the light of Christ within, lest you perish in your darkness and gain-saying. Some of the Baptists and apostates have upbraided us for excommunicating persons out of our society; but we never excommunicated any for owning the light within, but for their unfruitful works of dark

ness.

Hereafter follows a rebuke to the Baptists and their Zion, or church, from some of their own ministering brethren, given out when they were more tender and free from prejudice than they now are; and in which they have confessed to those truths, viz. the immortal seed, the light, trembling at God's majesty, travail of soul, the inward work, and perfection, which now divers of them deride and oppose: also their reigning abominations are confessed, which since are greatly increased against the light, which then made some of them sensible of their iniquities, and to bewail them.

And this is recited, for these Baptists and their hearers, to remind them of the former tenderness and desires in some of their brethren after an amendment among them, and that these our present opposers may consider and see how greatly they are declined, hardened, and apostatized from the good that formerly was stirring among them. In all which I desire their return, repentance, and conversion to the true light, that they may have regard to the inward work of God, to break their hearts, and work out their abominations, pride, envy, &c.

Some confessions concerning the baptized churches, made by their messengers in their bewailing epistle from Twerton, dated the 18th day of the 7th month, 1657, and signed in their names, and by their appointments, by Thomas Colliar, Nathaniel Strange, and Thomas Glass, and directed,

"To all the churches of Jesus Christ, called to be saints, through the immortal seed, which dwelleth in you, and shall be with you for ever.

"A few poor worms-we would labour night and day, warning every one of you, striving with you, and together with God for you, that every one of you may be presented perfect, † in Christ Jesus-The several weights that lie upon you and us-we have been ready to cry out, we are cut off from before thine eyes— while we carried the yokes and burthens of Zion, and have been as the souls under the altar, crying, How long Lord, holy and true. The Lord hath lighted us, while we thus looked unto him-we could not be satisfied with life for ourselves, some revivings have attended our souls-and now, as we have been faithful for you to God, so we would now be faithful for God to you.

"We have been arraigning the abominations of Zion before the bar of the most High; we have been crying for justice from the throne upon every sin; for strength and light, § to purge out every persisting impenitent sinner, as enemies and traitors to the crown and dignity of our Lord Jesus. More particularly, we have made confession of those reigning abominations in our own souls, and in the churches, of that light spirit, living short of the true sight and sense of God's Majesty, in his churches, and among his saints, from whence proceeds that vanity and carelessness which doth so much attend them.

"We have bewailed that wretched worldly spirit, that plucks down the saints from their excellency, and leaves such blackness upon them- which renders them so uncomely in the eyes of men.

"We have bewailed that coldness and deadness that is upon ourselves, and upon the churches; that formality in holy duties;

*Some of your brethren now scoff at the Quakers, for bearing witness to the immortal seed within.

For this doctrine of perfection, the Baptists now revile us who are called Quakers, and furiously oppose it.

+ Which enlightening and revivings do assert the inward light and immediate teachings of God, now opposed by many of the Baptists.

§ And this strength and light must inwardly be received; but not by them that hate the light.

Which are since greatly increased among you.

Many of you are greatly guilty of that, witness your railing pamphlets and sermons against us.