but in the 6th page he saith, that as he was thus circumscribed, and thus consisted of soul, body and spirit, he was that form of God.

compacted, is a creature of an eternal being, of an own self-subsisting consistency.

Answer. R. C. hath here described a creature that subsists of itself contrary to the scripture, that saith all things are upheld by the Word. And besides this eternal creature, as

this coagulated substance, (he saith,) was to be a centre for God's insensitive life. What Robert! had it not a centre before? But if this coagulated substance subsists of itself, then not by the life that centres in it. And if the soul be a spark of God's nature, how comes it to be created? If it be his nature, how comes it to be corrupted in the life-time as thou say. est it is? How can a spark of God's eternal nature, let into itself the poison of the serpent and so die? Where is its own self-subsist ency now? is this thy explaining the matter? or, where is its being a centre for that insensi tive life of God?

How now R. C.? What! is the form of a servant, and the form of God all one. And is the form of God a circumscribed form? Hast not thou learned this of Lodowick Muggleton, he calls it, this spark of God's eternal nature, that false witness and notorious blasphemer? who saith God is but the bigness and compass of a man, whose steps thou art treading, and whose end will be thy end, except thou repent. Then again concerning the blood that saves and does away sin; hear what R. C. in his 11th page saith. My brethren, you are bought with a price, not of blood of bulls, and goats, nor heifers of a year old, but by the blood of God. But in his 13th page he is of another opinion, and saith quite contrary; these are his words, viz. Which blood being the blood of his humanity, as he was creature, was that which did with God expiate for sin. So now which of these two doctrines shall we believe, that we are saved by the blood of God, or the blood of the humanity? Or shall we suppose them to be both one, and so God to be human, and the doctrines indifferent?

R. C. will do well to clear up these things; or own his condemnation upon his folly and presumption; for it is unlikely he should ever be reconciled to the people of God, who is so at odds in himself in this manner. Alas! Robert! dost thou not yet see whither thou art gone, by going from the light, and now staggers and reels, and dost not know whither thou goest? Oh! that a day may be yet found for thee and thine, and that thou mayest come to bow down to that, which thou now kickest and spurnest against.

And in page 21, thou sayest, if the light in the conscience be Christ, then so many men as are in this world, so many Christs. Why so, Robert? Hast not thou thyself answered this, in confessing that one Christ hath with his life served to lighten every man that cometh into the world? What need is there then for every man to have a distinct Christ, seeing he is the Christ of God, thou sayest, that enlightens them all? Thou sayest in this same page, that Christ, as he is the Word and maker of all things, is not the light in the conscience; but in the next line or two, thou sayest, but the Word that was God, &c. in him was life, and the life is the light of men, and he lightens every man. How dost thou mean by this? dost thou not mean that he lightens them in their consciences? or where else?

As to the soul of man, thou sayest in thy 4th page, that it is a spark of God's eternal nature; coagulated into a spiritual substance for a centre of his insensitive life; and as thus

And further in thy 5th page thou sayest, this spark, this coagulated substance, this own self-subsistency dieth; and in another place speakest of its perishing; and yet talkest of an eternal creature. But R. C., what life of time is that which corrupts the soul? and how came it to have its abode in an infectious life of time, seeing it is an eternal creature as thou sayest? But what man's soul, or the soul of Jesus either, is, thou knowest not; for if thou hadst, thou wouldst not have thus befooled thyself to say, man's soul was a spark of God's eternal nature, and yet say the soul of Christ was but of the properties of nature made by generation; nor yet have affirmed that to be the Seed of promise which came by generation of and from the properties of Mary. Is not that the Seed of promise mentioned in Isa. ix. 6, who is called the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace? And what is Mary the mother of God? This will please the papists well. Is this the way to settle Christians, and preserve the young sprouts of the nation from corruption? Where is thy scripture to prove that Jesus the Saviour was created, as in thy 6th page thou sayest? But oh! this darkness and confusion, that thou mayest see it, and be ashamed of it.

Again, Richard Cobbet, in his 26th page, saith in plain words, that Christ and his spirit are not one. His argument is, that Christ said, I go away, but I will send you a comforter. Which argument is sufficient to prove, that Christ, the Messias and Saviour, is one with the Spirit of Truth, and not distinct. If one should ask R. C. how many were mentioned in that text, where he saith, he that dwelleth with you, shall be in you; would he answer that there was more than one. If not, then here is

no more, (to wit,) Christ and his spirit, which eternally are one.

one,

But that he may sufficiently manifest his folly, he tells us in the same 26th page, that the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, are all both in respect of consent in their testimonies, and also in respect of their eternity of being; so which of these shall we believe? that Christ and his spirit are one, or that they are not one? R. C. will do well to tell the people which he will stand by.

And for R. Cobbet's pleading or hoping, that the powers will keep up a charity to us, upon the account that thousands of us do, (he hopes,) | believe his narrative of God; and his desire altering the matter for a corporal form, into a nature for production of creatures, speaking forth the model by his word, &c. page 26. Truly we need not R. C. to set forth an account of our faith and belief in these things, neither can we own it or him; for if we should we should soon be brought under the judgment both of God and man.

the Lord Jesus Christ, as I think he doth. But he that really and truly is his Lord, viz. the prince of the air that rules in the hearts of such disobedient children and apostates as he is; I confess, he must deny more than ever yet he hath done, before he can become a Quaker, or have unity with them, who are scornfully so called.

But why doth R. C. in his 30th page, come with a kiss, Judas-like, and say, brethren, I will ask you a question, &c. when as the matter he intends there to insinuate to his reader, is, that we deny that Christ that was born of the virgin Mary, to be Christ. Is not this on purpose to betray us and beguile his reader? and that with a lie? For we never yet denied him that was born of the virgin Mary, and suffered under Pontius Pilate, to be the Lord and Saviour. But indeed we never did believe him to be produced by coagulation, as R. C. doth; nor by generation of and from the properties of man in Mary: for then some might have declared his generation, which the scripture saith, who can do? And besides, we believe him to be the eternal Son of God. But if R. Cobbet's doctrine be true, then he was not before Mary: but his ignorance of Christ, is sufficiently manifested to all that have an eye opened.

And for his pleading, that in the soundest bodies, there sometimes breaketh forth a boil; truly if he aims at us by this body, (as I think he doth,) we do confess, that so far as ever he was of us, so far he is that boil which we confess is now broken forth. But they that know As to his saying, that the apostle saith, 1 him in particular, know how little he was of Cor. xv. 1, 2, 3, that the sufferings of Christ is us, and how little while he professed himself the power of God and gospel by which we are to be of us so his breaking out, and running saved; that is false and a belieing the apostle like a boil or sore, the corrupt matter that was and scripture too. For all that read the text in him, is no great disparagement to the body; may see, that the apostle speaks of his sufferfor the body is sounder without him than with ings but as one part of many of that gospel him; and whilst he was amongst us, he was which he had preached; but it was the resuroften breaking out with his whimsies and ima-rection of Christ he most of all pointed at, as ginations, so that he became nauseous unto us, but not in so gross a manner as now.

And for R. C. saying, that some of us knew that he counted our language but a cant language; we know that from the first of his coming among us, he was far enough from our language or life either. But it is no great matter for him to call our language a cant, who replies to our works thus, viz. when we said, the Lord is one, and the name is one; he answers, Friends, do not caper, as in his 2d page. And he saith in his 31st page, that he is no Quaker; of which, all that ever saw or heard any thing of the Quakers' books or doctrines, will bear him witness; for never did Quaker appear in such a heap of confusion as R. C. hath done. Yet for that malicious say ing of his in this 31st page, that to be a Quaker is to deny his Lord and Master, God will judge him; if by Lord and Master he means

the principal thing they must come to feel the power of; as in verse 12.

Many more of R. Cobbet's absurdities and contradictions I might note down, as also those noted in the answer to his first book, which yet remain unanswered, nor so much as an attempt made thereof; he, (it may be,) despairs of ever reconciling them in the sight of rational men. But these at present may satisfy the ingenious reader, what spirit it is in Robert Cobbet, that hath taken in hand to settle people in these erring days, and to preserve the young sprouts of the nation from corruption. Let Robert Cobbet mind, if he writes again, to keep more within the bounds of moderation, and not to let his envy against the light so captivate his reason, as to bereave him of the use of it, as it hath done; for truly is that scripture fulfilled in him, He that walketh in darkness, stumbleth, and knoweth not whither he goeth.

CONCERNING THE LIGHT THAT LIGHTETH EVERY ONE THAT COMETH INTO THE WORLD, WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT, AS ROBERT COBBET SAITH.

CONCERNING CHRIST, HIS BODY, SOUL, AND BLOOD, AND WHAT HE IS, AND IS NOT, AS R. C. SAITH.

PAGE 19. This Christ being born of Mary, proceeded from David and Abraham, according to the line of the covenant, Christ coming from Mary, and God forming himself in and with that body Christ; for its saviour to man, was the power to Christ, by which Christ brought forth man's salvation; but could he, or did he, without the body of Christ reconcile?

PAGE 11. My brethren, you are bought with a price, not of blood of bulls, and goats, nor heifers of a year old, but by the blood of God.

stance as I am, he being made so from the nature of Mary, by which she became creature, as the offspring of Adam, of soul and spirit consisting as do I.

PAGE 18. Being out of doubt that the soul of Christ was of and from the properties of nature and creature, made by generation of the properties of Mary, is that seed that God promised to send to break the serpent's head.

PAGE 19. Is it not the body of Christ by which we are reconciled unto God? yes verily.

PAGE 13. Which blood being the blood of his humanity, as he was creature, was that that did with God expiate for sin.

A letter from Germany to Friends, exhorting | but in his name and power make war with the them to diligence in meetings.

ALL Friends every where, who have tasted of the goodness of God, keep in the savour thereof, and let not your minds be stolen away from that which is living, for that which is living cometh from above, and makes you lively, but that which is corruptible, cometh from the earth, and brings death with it over your souls. Therefore watch in diligence to retain the savour of the life of Truth, that you may live, from a sense that Christ liveth in you, who is the seed, the truth, the noble plant, and grows, and bringeth forth fruit in you.

flesh, and with the drowsy spirit that lodgeth
there, and in the faith overcome it, and be not
overcome by it, for that is bondage.
Hold your
meetings in the spirit, where every one is made
alive, and flourish, and grow in life and in do-
minion, and shine forth to the glory of God,
and to the comforting and refreshing one of an-
other.

For as any one suffereth himself to be overtaken with sleep in a meeting, he loseth the sense of the power of God, he becomes a grief to the diligent, and an evil example to the negli gent, and brings himself under the judgment of God's power in his own conscience, which All Friends, every where, who thus keep and when he awaketh, riseth up against him; and retain the savour of life in them, will come to also he is under the judgment of the power in feel daily quickenings thereby, and will have the whole meeting, which, when he comes to a power over the nature that is dead in Adam to true sense of, will be no light thing. And furall good works, and especially to waiting upon ther, if any that are unbelieving come in among God with a steadfast and staid mind. Nothing you, and see such things among you, who make so hard as this to that old and corrupt nature a profession of an inward power, and an inward which is soon weary. This is that nature quickening spirit, and a worship that is inward, which cannot watch with Christ one hour; but in the Spirit and Truth, this causeth the name let his trials and sufferings be ever so great, of God to be dishonoured, and the way of Truth this leads from watching to sleeping, this hath to be holden in little esteem, by such who know no fellowship with the seed of God in its suffer- it not in themselves, and a stumbling block is ings, and shall have none in its dominion. hereby laid in their way, to hinder them from Where this drowsy nature stands uncrucified, any further seeking after the truth.

it keeps you in the weakness, out of the power, Oh, Friends! consider these things, and be and this brings out of the savour and feeling of all diligent in this matter, and let not that earthly the goodness of God, and so makes meetings part have liberty, but let it be kept in the cross unprofitable. As it comes through custom to till it dies, or else it will keep and hold you be allowed and subjected to, it leads into hypo- dead and insensible of God or one another. crisy, that is to say, into a professing to wait, This is that which hath hindered the growth of upon God, and a presenting the body in the many, namely, their carelessness in coming to meeting, and then letting the heart, which God requires, depart from him, even into the ease and liberty of the flesh, in which the apostle said, they that lived could not please God.

Therefore, dear Friends, in the name of God I exhort you, consider what you do when you assemble together; and let it be in the name of Jesus, that is, in his power, not in the weak ness, nor in the flesh, like a fleshly meeting, VOL. XIV.-No. 5.

meetings, and their slothfulness when they are there. Therefore for the time to come, let every one that bears the profession of Truth, be dili gent in the work of God, and be good exam ples to each other; and observe your time and hour of coming to meeting; and set not one hour, and then come at another. Neglect not your middle week meetings, by reason of your outward occasions, for that will not bring a

25

blessing upon your affairs, but let all things give way to the service of God, and then all things shall work together for good unto you, and there shall be no lack of any thing that is good for you.

So, dear Friends, in the true love of God have I written this unto you, as it lay upon me from the Lord, as a word of exhortation, to stir up the pure mind in you all. The God of power and strength, give you of his might, and of his power to help you in all your necessities, and in all your combats, and strengthen your faith, in which, and by which, the victory is obtained, which is the desire of my soul for you all, who am your friend in the fellowship of the gospel. STEPHEN CRISP.

ness, but those who come to a love and sincere waiting upon the God of power, for an opening in the things that are truly spiritual; which the carnal man, with his carnal counsel and booklearned wisdom cannot understand.

Therefore in the aboundings of the love of God in my heart towards you all in the parts of Germany, and in the provinces, dominions, and states adjacent, am I drawn forth to visit you with these few things, that you may be prepared to meet the Lord in the day which is dawning upon you; that you might not be as the foolish virgins, contented with the lamp, and sleeping whilst ye should get oil. This I say unto you all in the name of the Lord God of heaven and earth, that a day, a glo rious day is breaking forth, and shall break forth upon your nations and countries, even a

A WORD OF CONSOLATION, AND A SOUND OF glory that shall stain the glory of all profess

GLAD TIDINGS TO ALL THE MOURNERS IN
GERMANY, AND THE PARTS ADJACENT.

With a tender visitation and salutation of love to
all that wait for redemption and freedom from
the burden of sin with an exhortation to love
the appearance of the day of deliverance which
is now dawning upon them.

From one that seeks nothing more than the spreading of the everlasting gospel, that the meek and poor may be comforted thereby; known by the name of Stephen Crisp.

ors that are out of the holy life of the Son of God. A day of gloominess and darkness. shall this day be unto all who are established upon their own mountains; but a morning of gladness, with a refreshing dew unto all that long for a habitation in the mountain of the Lord, which is rising over all the mountains; yea, this day shall discover the mountains on which every sort of men have fed, and the kind and sort that have trusted therein.

tain, and that a den of dragons. Ishmael the Esau, the profane man, hath had his mounmocker had his mountain, he mocked at the ALL ye who hunger and thirst for the fulfill-seed, and is cast into the desert, with her that ing of the promises of God made unto his holy bore him. Cain hath a city, who slew the and beloved Seed, in the latter days to be rais-just, but was filled with fear, and his plagues ed, and in the latter age to rule; and all you more than he could bear. In these cities and that are come to a sense of the great oppres- mountains where the plague enters, the dra sions of the just, both in particular and in the gons lodge, the wild beast seeks his prey; and general, and feel pure groanings within your-where the wicked builds a wall for his deselves, to see deliverance brought forth unto your souls immortal from under the bondage; unto you is this salutation of my tender and dear love flowing forth, by the operation of the Eternal Spirit, by which God worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will.

Dear hearts, I am sensible how that pure Spirit of the living God is searching out the habitations of them that sit in solitary places, sighing; for the delight of the everlasting gospel which we have read, must be preached again in the latter days; which gospel is Christ the power of God, that opens the prison doors, and brings forth the prisoner out of the prison. But Christ Jesus visits them in prison also; so that it is one thing to feel your spirits visited with living breathings after perfect freedom, and the glorious liberty of the children of God. This you may have and feel in you, and yet be in prison. And then it is a further work to know the desire answered, and to know the freedom obtained; and this none come to wit.

fence, in these have nations trusted. But the thundering power of the Lord is arisen, to lay waste these mountains, to raze these cities, and destroy all wild beasts of the forest, and to bring anguish and desolation upon all mur derers about religion, upon all the mockers, and upon all the idolaters, upon all the oppressors of the pure seed. In this day shall anguish take hold of many professors of Christianity, whose religion hath stood in names of things, and words of godliness; but at the appearance of the substance, they shall fret themselves, and resolve if they can but kill the heir, they shall have the inheritance; but if they should let the heir live, they should be cast out. Now will the wisdom, and strength, and arm of flesh, with its power and policy, seek by all means to stop the spreading of this glorious day, lest their high religion which is accompanied with sin, the work of darkness, should be discovered.

Howbeit, this I say unto you who sigh and