fengers and Commiffioners of the Law, fo likewife are we the two chofen Witneffes and Commiffioners of the Spirit: And as Mofes and Aaron were the two firft which God chofe to give forth the Law, and to prefcribe Rules of Worfhip for the People of Ifrael; fo likewife we two, being the two last chofen Witneffes of the Spirit, we have Power and Authority in this Commiffion of the Spirit, for to declare what the true God is in his Form and Nature, and what Worfhip doth belong to the Knowledge of the true God in these latter Days, which cannot be known but by this Commiffion of the Spirit only.

And as for my taking of all pardoning Power from God and Chrift, in this you fhew that you have gone no further, nor hardly fo far, as the Priests of the Nation; for you have got a God and a Chrift too, and yet neither your God nor your Chrift hath never a Body; and in this you are worfe than any other Sect; for though other Sects of Religion will have a God and a Christ, yet they can find but one Body, and that is the Body of Chrift; but the Father's Body they cannot find at all: But you Quakers can find never a Body, neither for God nor Chrift, but your own Bodies; for you have got your God and Chrift all within you, fo that Chrift hath never a Body of his own, but is forced to make ufe of every Quaker's Body for his Spirit to dwell in. But from that Chrift which fuffered Death in his own Body, and rofe again in the fame Body, and is now in Heaven in the fame Body, according to the Scriptures; from this Chrift, which is the only God, I fay I have Power over all other Gods or infinite Spirits, what foever; and from this Chrift, which is God-Man, now above the Stars, have I this pardoning Power and damning Power; neither did I take it of myfelf, but it was put upon me by God himself; for if I had not obeyed the Voice of God when he fpake to John Reeve, then was he to pronounce me curfed to Eternity; and fo, by my yielding Obedience unto the Voice of God, I was made Partaker of that Power, to blefs and curfe to Eternity: And this is that Power which you fay I prefumptuously have exalted myself; neither will God give this Power to any more after me, neither can any Man come to the Affurance of the Favour of God now in thefe Days, but in believing that God gave this Power unto John

Reeve and myself; for there is no coming to know God, nor fee God, but by the Faith in this Commiffion of the Spirit: For I having the Keys of Heaven and of Hell, none can get into Heaven, except the Witnefs of the Spirit doth open the Gates, and fo the King of Glory may enter in; that is, the Knowledge of the true God, his Form and Nature, may enter into your Hearts, by having Faith in this Commiffion of the Spirit: For God hath given me the fame Power now as he gave to Peter when he was upon Earth; and what Power that was mav be eafily read, where Chrift faid unto Peter, Upon this Rock will I build my Church. Alfo he did give unto Peter the Keys of Heaven and of Hell. Alfo he fhould have Power to bind and loofe, and whofe Sins he remitted fhould be remitted, and whofe Sins he retained fhould be retained. What is the remitting and retaining of Sins, but to forgive them their Sins which received his Doctrine, and to retain and bind their Sins of Unbelief more close upon their Confciences, for their defpifing of the Doctrine of Chrift, which he did teach? And was this any less than bleffing and curfing, or opening the Gates of Hell and of Heaven? And yet you fee that Chrift gave this Power unto Man. You would have faid as much by Peter and others, if you had been living in thofe Days, as you do by me: You would have faid that they did it out of the Pride and Prefumption of their Hearts, though they had their Commiffion put upon them by God himself, as I have now in this Commiffion of the Spirit: And as Peter had Power to bind and loose, or to remit and to retain, so likewife hath the fame God given me Power to blefs and curfe Men and Women to Eternity. And this is the Keys of Heaven and Hell; for the Bleffing of a commiffionated Prophet, it opens the Gate of Heaven; that is, it opens the Heart in Love to that God that fent fuch a Messenger of glad Tidings of Salvation. So, on the contrary, the Curfe of a Prophet, it opens the Gates of Hell; that is, it opens the Heart in Envy, Malice, and Revenge; nay, fometimes, when the Gate of Hell is opened by the Curfe, it hath caused Revenge to increase fo hot, that it hath broken forth into a great Flame, the Fire of Hell hath been fo hot burning within them. This I know by Experience, which I never did know, until the Keys of Heaven and of Hell were put into my Hands by God himself: And

by

by this I know what Peter's and other Prophets Power was; for God hath given Power for one Creature to judge another; and what that Man doth which hath Authority from God, God himself cannot undo it; for it is not the Light of Chrift within you Quakers, nor the Letter of the Scriptures, nor God without you, that shall deliver you Quakers and others, that are under this Sentence, from that Curfe which I have pronounced upon you, though you call it Error, lying Divination, falfe Doctrine, Pride and Prefumption; but it will appear to be no other but the Curfe of God himself, though it be pronounced by a mortal Man like yourselves.

3. And as for my being fingular in Doctrine, Knowledge, Judgement, and Power, above all Men, either Prophets, or Apottles, fince the Beginning of the World, or that shall ever be hereafter, whilft the World doth endure.

Anfwer. This is as true a Saying as ever was fpoken; for this being the Commiffion of the Spirit, it hath more fpiritual Knowledge, Judgment, and Power, above all Men, either Prophets, or Apoftles. Why? Becaufe Mofes and the Prophets did not know fo much as the Apostles did, because Mofes Commiffion was that of the Law, under the Title of God the Father; therefore the Apoftle faith, concerning those that were educated under the Law of Mofes, they were under a Cloud, and faw but darkly, as in a Glafs; fhewing the Benefit which came to thofe that were under the Faith of the Gofpel; for thofe that were under the Law, they were come but to Mount Sina, which gendred unto Bondage; but those that were come unto the Faith of the Gofpel, were come unto Mount Sion. Now the Law of Mofes was Mount Sina, and the Faith of the Gofpel of Jefus was Mount Sion; and this Gospel of Jefus, which was committed to his Apostles, was the Commiffion of the Blood; and this Commiffion of the Blood did know more than the Commiffion of the Law of Mofes and the Prophets did; fo likewife this Commiffion of the Spirit doth know more than either of them both; for Mojes and the Prophets had no Scriptures for to interpret or expound, but their own Prophefies; therefore the Apostles

must

muft needs know more than the Prophets did, because they were the only Interpreters of the Law and the Prophets, and of their own Signs; fo therefore their Knowledge in the Gospel muft needs be greater than that of the Law; fo likewife we, the Witneffes of the Spirit, muft needs know more than either Prophet or Apoftle, because none can interpret the Scriptures but we the Witneffes of the Spirit; and this Commiffion of the Spirit did God force, and lay upon us, against our Wills; and withall, he hath given us Understanding of his Mind in the Scriptures, above all the Men in the World; which Words. of God's I find to be true, for I do certainly know that I have more fpiritual Knowledge than all the Men in the World, nay, I am sure that I do know more in fpiritual Things, than ever Prophet or Apoftle did, fince the Beginning of the World; then of Neceffity it will follow, that I do know more than any shall do to the End of the World, because I am one of the two laft Witneffes and Prophets that God will ever fend; therefore my Knowledge, and Judgement, and Sentence, mult needs be above all that is gone before me, or that shall come after me, to the End of the World; yet I am no Ways lifted up with Pride and Prefumption, because of this Knowledge and Authority that God hath given me above all Men, fince the Beginning of the World, to the latter End.

I know what I fay to be Truth, for true Knowledge is never puffed up with Pride, neither am I, whatfoever the Seed of the Serpent may judge of me; for I do neither bless any out of Affections, for any By-ends, but according as I do difcern their Faith in the Thing; neither do I curfe any through Envy or Malice, but either it is because they have finned against the Holy Spirit, a Sin that is not to be pardoned, or elfe I do know them to be of that reprobate Seed; and fo I know my Judgement is true, and according to the Tenor of my Commiffion; fo that I am neither lifted up with Pride, nor caft down, or troubled with Sorrow; but am very well fatisfied in those that go on the Right-hand, though they are but few, as I am with thofe that go on the Left hand, though they be many; for I fee it must be fo; for God hath fo decreed it, and he hath been pleased to make it known unto me, and hath

made

made me the only Judge of the two Seeds now in this last Days, which is a Thing I never did defire.

4. There is little of your Matter in this particular, but rehearling of my Words, only you fay that I, under the Pretence of the Commiffion of the Spirit, that I do prefume to exclude all true Witneffes of the Spirit, and alfo all true Minifters, Meffengers and Embaffadors of Chrift, from the Work of the Ministry, both now in this Age, and whilft the World doth indure, to the End and Intent that I might fet up myfelf alone in their Places and Stead.

Anfwer. That my Commiflion of the Spirit is no pretended Thing, but as true as God is Truth, neither is there any true Meffenger, Minifter, or Ambaffador of God in this World at. this Day but myself, neither fhall there be any fent of God after me to the World's End; for there can be no true Minifter except he be fent of God by Voice of Words, to the hearing of the Ear, or elfe by him that is fo authorized; which I know no Speakers in the World hath, neither the Priests of the Nation, which are ordained by Man, nor no other Sect, which, by their natural Wit, from the Letter of the Scriptures, doth think, because they can play upon the Letter of the Scriptures as upon a Harp, that they are very good Minifters of Chrift, but he fent them not: And as for you Quakers, which thinks the Light of Chrift within you is. fufficient to make you Meffengers and Ministers of Chrift, you are much miftaken, for you do but run into the Ministry before you were fent; for the Light of Chrift within a Man did never authorize any Man to be a Minifter of Christ, except he be ordained and authorized from a God without him, or from a Man without him, which you Quakers do abhor to think that there fhould be any other Authority befides the Light of Chrift within you; but you will find that the Authority of a God without you, will be too hard for the Light of Chrift within you.

For little do you Quakers know what that Son of Man is, which John, in Revelation i. 13. fpeaketh of, fo in the 16th Verle, There went out of his Mouth a sharp two-edged Sword.

Now