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Q. 82. Whether some men may not be acted with a spirit of falshood and delusion, even then when they think that they pro∣phesie by the Spirit of God, as Zedekiah was, 1 King. 22?
Q 83. Whether the Lord did ever send forth Boyes or strip∣lings to be his Prophets and publick Teachers, seeing John the Baptist who was born to be a Prophet of the most high, Luk. 1.
76. and was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb, Luk. 1. 15. was not sent forth to preach and prophesie till he was thirty years old?
Q. 84. Whether there be the least probability that God will shew more favour, power and wisdom upon any other then he did upon his own Son when he was upon the earth, who was not sent forth to exercise his Prophetical office publickly, till he was about thirty years old, Luke 3. 23. that you should be sent out upon the same employment about half those years?
Q. 85. Whether the Lord will break his own orders and commands expresly set down in his Word, where he saith (as you already heard) by Paul, 1 Tim. 3. 6. that a Bishop or Elder must not be a stripling or novice, lest he be lifted up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil?
Q. 86. Where did Christ or his Apostles send forth women to be publick Prophetesses, as you have done many, and some of them not long since infamous for lewdnesse of life?
87. If you be extraordinary Prophets immediately inspired, as many of you pretend to be, where are the miracles which such inspired men wrought in times past?
Q. 88. What have you foretold by way of prediction which hath accordingly come to passe, as the Prophets, Apostles, and inspired men were wont to do?
Q. 89. Why do you quarrel with us for being called by men Doctors, and Masters, when both names signifie but Teachers; which office you take to your selves with authority more then enough in your writings?
Q. 90. Is it the receiving such names, or the arrogant seeking of them, and that in chief place (which was Christs own privi∣ledge) that our Lord prohibits, Matth. 23. 8. saying, But be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all you are Brethren, seeing the Apostle Paul, Ephes. 4. 11. calls the or∣dinary Teachers of the Church Pastours and Doctours, or Tea∣chers, as was said before?
Q. 91. When many of you meet at a feast or repast, do not some of you sit in the uppermost rooms, as some of necessity must do? why then do you blame us or others for taking those rooms, when they are assigned unto us by the Master or Ruler
of the place? Is it the taking of those after a modest refusal and offer of them to others, or an arrogant affecting and seeking of them that Christ blames in the Pharisees, Matth. 23. 6. saying, They love the uppermost rooms at feasts?
Q. 92. Do not many of you stand up even upon tables, stools, forms and seats, when you speak to a great multitude, as we do in the reading-pues and pulpits prepared for that end? Is it then the taking and using of such places to a right end, or the pride and arrogance of the vain-glorious Pharisees, in affecting and striving for the chief seats that our Saviour reproves, Matth. 23. 6. saying, They love the chief seats in the Synagogues?
Q. 93. Do not you receive greetings and salutations from your brethren and disciples where ever you meet them, and even in the Market-place? And why do you blame this thing in us or others which your selves omit? Is it the giving or receiving of courteous greetings, or a proud Itch after honour and ap∣plause that Christ condemns, Matth. 23. 7. saying, They love greetings in the Market-place?
Q. 94. Whether is a multitude of disciples and followerr a sure sign that his doctrine is from heaven who is so followed, see∣ing the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many there be that find it, Matth. 7. 13. And the Apostle, 2 Pet. 2. 2. speaking of the false teachers, saith, And many shall follow their pernicious way, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of?
Q. 95. Seeing this Age is earthly-minded, and willing to serve God with that which costs them nothing, contrary to the pious and noble spirit of David, 2 Sam. 24. 24. is it any great wonder that your doctrine against Tythes should find so many willing, yea, greedy entertainers of it, as it hath done since it was first broached?
Q. 96. Did ever Christ or the Apostles disturb the Priests and Ministers of their times while they were teaching the people, as many of you and yours have done?
Q. 97. Doth the Gospel ordinarily call any man from his lawful calling, whereby he should maintain himself and his fa∣mily, seeing the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called? and, Ephes. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with
his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Q. 98. Were any of the disciples of Christ or his Apostles so strangely and prodigiously, yea, so phanatically and diaboli∣cally acted in their first conversion, or afterwards, as Sir William Spencer, John Gilpin, and others sometimes; our auditors and followers have been?
Q. 99. Can any man guided by the Spirit of God speak against Jesus of Nazareth, as Robert Collinson and other of your Ad∣herents have done?
Q. 100. Have so many fallen into distraction and madnesse in any sect, or under any doctrine, as there hath done among your hearers, especially where the number of disciples was no greater?
Q. 101. Under what sort of Teachers have so many hearers and followers out of so small a number laid hands upon them∣selves, as some of yours have done?
To say nothing of the Sorceries charged upon many of you, nor of the familiar spirits with which some of yours are reported to deal; can the best of you be so fully enlightened, and so to∣tally filled with, and acted by the Holy Ghost, as you pretend to be, that are mistaken in so many things as your own books dis∣cover you to be? But I will conclude with the words of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13. 7, 8, 9. Now I pray God that ye do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak, and ye are strong. And this also we wish, even your perfection.