The lying spirit in the mouth of the false prophet made made manifest, who seeks to pervert the right way of the Lord, and openth his mouth against the lord of life, and denies his light within, as appeareth in a book, entituled, The doctrine of the light within ... set forth by ... Henock Hovvet ... Some things therein being here answered in the light of the Lord ... Declared in the movings of the Lord for the truths sake, and that all deceit might be made manifest. / By one who is a lover of all those who love truth in the inward part. W. S.

The Lying spirit in the mouth of the false Prophet made manifest &c.

IN the beginning was all things created very good, in the wisdom of God, and he took pleasure in the works of his hands, and man was made Lord over them all, standing in communion with the life in God; he had au∣thority to govern the Creation in the wisdom of God, un∣till the subtiltie of the Serpent overcame him, and prevail∣ed over him, to turn his mind from the wisdom and life of God, into the earth, to feed upon that which the Lord had forbidden, where he entred into the transgression, and fell from the wisdom and life from which he received power and authority to govern and rule, and so the curse came over him, having lost his innocency, being subject to the Serpents subtilty, which he yeilded himself unto, to be guided by, and so was driven out from his place of excel∣lency into the earth, to eat his bread in sorrow all the dayes of his life. He that can read this, let him; For that subtile Serpent which led into the transgression, leadeth still in the transgression all that yeild themselves to his enticements, and are taken Captives by him at his will, and so are led by him to oppose that in which Gods love is made ma∣nifest, to break his head, and to recover out of his snares: This being the great design of that roaring Lyon, to keep people in that which he hath led them into, and from that, which is to recover them from under his dominion; and this is that which was, and is an enemy to the righteous seed of God in all its appearances, through ages and gene∣rations unto this day, as is manifest in this generation of wicked and ungodly men, who in the envious spirit, sets their faces to do mischiefe, as Henoch Howet hath done, as his own words do manifest, who saith, he having had much to do with a generation of men that held forth another doctrine of converting, or another means of convincing of men in their naturall condition, then ever Christ or his Apostles did, and to prove this by Scrip∣ture

light, as he calleth it, he names 2 Tim. 4.23. but here he is not in the light of the Scripture, (his own lan∣guage) for there is not such a verse as he hath named; and so he is here shut up, and let his mouth be for ever stopped in his ignorance, and blindness, who is charging a genera∣tion of men with holding forth some strange doctrine con∣trary to Christ and his Apostles, and hath no testimony to what he saith; and yet he tells us he is a labourer in a good Vineyard, and that he knowes the enemy now rageth more by delusions, then by open persecutions; these being the dayes (in which if it were possible) to deceive the very Elect.

Ans. John saw many deceivers entred into the World in his time, which was those that Christ Jesus said should come to deceive the very Elect, if it were possible; and hast thou been a professor so many years, and hast not seen them before these dayes? If thou hadst not op∣posed that by which all deceivers are made manifest, and in which John saw them, thou mightest have seen them ma∣ny years ago, and thy self to be one of them, who speakes a vision of thy own brain, and not from the mouth of the Lord; and this is the doctrine which is contrary to Christ and his Apostles, and the enemy which now rageth both by delusions, and open persecution; for the spirit of delusion never ceased from persecution against all who bear forth a living testimony to the Gospel and the power of it, but was alwayes an enemy to it, and laboured against it, as thou dost, though thy labour be to no purpose.

Then thou sayest, thou hast taken it upon thee as thy du∣ty to forewarn all men of that doctrine that teacheth men to look to the light within them for directions from their naturall condition all along, untill they come to that e∣state they call their perfection.

Ans. It is manifest from thy own mouth, that thy work was not wrought in God, nor thy duty in obedience to his movings, but taken upon thee in thy own will, and per∣formed in thy own wisdom, which is contrary to all that are sent of God, & labours in his Vineyard, who do not take up∣on them any thing in their own wills, and call it their duty,

but waits on the Lord, to be obedient to his movings, to receive from him what is their duty to perform unto him; so the Lord gives forth his word, and it is declared in righ∣teousness; but that which thou hast taken upon thee at thy own will and pleasure is all denyed, not being received from the mouth of the Lord; for thou who denyes the light within, and art forewarning people for looking to it, thou denies the Scriptures, and the spirits testimony therein, and thereunto; for David bare forth his testimony in the spirit of the Lord, That the light of Christ enlightned the world, and in his light they saw light. John testified that Christ was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Christ said he was the light of the world; and if this thou wilt owne, which thou sayest thou art examining by, then shew who they are, and what sort of people that Christ doth not enlighten, and whether he doth enlighten people with∣in, or without them, and where is his light to be looked for, and walked in, and prove thy self a labourer in Gods Vine∣yard; for all that were sent of God, and laboured for him, exhorted all people unto the ends of the earth, to look un∣to Christ and be saved, and to turn from the darkness to the light; therefore repent and be converted, that thy sins may be blotted out, thou who art in the Antichristian state.

Then thou sayest, thou wilt endeavor to shew what the enemy (which thou sayest is the light within) drawes peo∣ple to, which is, to take counsel at a corrupt heart; and saith, It is evident, if they look to that which they call the light within, two things being in communion, a disobedi∣ent natural man, they are like to see nothing but ayrie notions, with spirituall working powers to delude within them.

Ans. Hast thou not made it evident, that the spirit of God liveth not in thee, and that thy body is not the Tem∣ple of the Holy Ghost, who knows nothing within thee to take counsel at, but a corrupt heart? Hast thou been so long looked at to be a teacher of others, and now brought to confess, that man hath nothing to look at within him but a corrupt heart? Hast thou then ministered from any

other principle, then from a corrupt heart? For shame give over deceiving people, and tell them plainly what it is thou takes counsell at, for some have seen thee, and with∣drawn from thee, because a corrupt heart is thy counsellor, which leads thee into all confusion; for thou here talks of a disobedient natural man, and that he cannot see himself otherwise, if he look to the light within, and yet thou talks of obedience to Christs commands and ordinan∣ces in another place; What is thy obedience performed in to Christs commands and ordinances, seeing thou sayest that man is naturally disobedient, and his heart corrupted, and nothing else to be looked at within him? Then hath not the Prince of the power of the Aire dominion over thee who ruleth in all the children of disobedience? Consider thy own words, and see if there be any thing in them besides Airie notions.

Then thou sayest, But if they will say, they have no com∣munion with the Devill, or Prince of the Aire, then thou sayest his design must needs be to bring them to consulta∣tion in a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked; and being deceitful, it will offer darkness for light, and so una∣voidably put them in danger of being deceived.

Ans. Thou hast unvailed thy self to all the children of light, who reads thee, & sees what thou art consulting with, who denies the light and hates to be reformed by it, and despisest the counsell of it, though it stand a faithful wit∣ness in thy conscience to reprove thee of all thy ungodly deeds, which in the darkness is brought forth by thee, from thy wicked and deceitful heart which thou art consulting with, being alienated from the life in God, thy foolish heart being blinded by the Prince of darkness, who hath dominion over thee; receive thy own words which thou hast layd down, and then consider what that is which makes the heart manifest, by which thou comes to see the heart to be corrupted, and the desperate wickedness of it, and the danger of consulting with it, and what it offers in that state; submit to that of God in thee, and own plainness of speech, and thou canst not deny but it is the light that makes all things manifest; for whatsoever doth make mani∣fest,

is light, Eph. 5.13. so the heart being within people, the light which makes it manifest is there also, and searcheth the heart thorow all the corruption & deceit of it; for all things are naked and bare before it; and this is so plain that all peo∣ple may know that there is that in them which stands a wit∣ness against all the deceit of their own hearts, and never doth consent to sin, but reproveth for it in the conscience of every man, which is the light that Christ Jesus doth enligh∣ten every man withall; therefore be not stiff-necked and re∣bellious, but turn to the Lord God of Life and Power, and wait in the light which he hath enlightened thee withall, that thou may come to the knowledge of the glory of God and to feel his living Power mortifying sin in thee, and crea∣ting a clean heart within thee, before thou talk of obedience to Christs Commands, and the Apostles practice; for until thou obey the reproof of the light of Christ within, and turn at the reproof of it, to be guided by it, thou knowest not the first Principle of the pure Religion, though thou hast made a profession many years, nor hast not set one foot into the way of Christ, though thou imagine a long travel in it, & that thou art come to the end of it. So some of thy folly is here fully answered in few words and plainness, therefore silence flesh, and contend no longer against that in which the love of God is made manifest to sinners; and this I am made to testi∣fie in the power of the Lord for the seeds sake; and he that can receive it, let him.

Then thou saist, If they would yet excuse themselves, and say they do not take counsel at their own heart, then thou saist it can∣not be evaded; but if they look to the light within for counsel, they must needs look to their own souls.

Ans. If thou wert not altogether in darkness, thou migh∣test here see thy confusion, who art endeavouring to fore∣warn people, and knows not of what, neither can shew di∣stinctly what it is, but saist, If it be not a corrupt heart, then it is a deceived heart; and if not a deceived heart, then it is their own soul: How blindly art thou led from all light and truth! for if thou wert guided by the light of Christ, thou migh∣test have shewed in what a corrupt heart, and a deceitful heart differs, (if any difference be) and what the soul is,

and in what part of man it is placed; for if thou knowest not this, then art thou wholly ignorant of all that which thou hast been charging a generation of men withall; and all thy imaginations is denied, and thy confusion and stan∣ders is returned again unto thee, as dung upon thy face.

Then thou saist, To look to the light within, leads men to look at a Judgment here in this life, and so takes off mans expectati••n from eternal Judgement; and this (thou saist) gives licence for lust to rule, and is an invitation for the world to lye still in wickedness, and for the Epicure to sing a delightful song to his soul, Soul, take thine ease.

Ans. The Saints witnessed the Lord come near to judge∣ment, and every transgression and disobedience to receive a just recompence of reward; Doth not the Scripture stand a witness against thee? Did not David witness the Judge∣ments of the Lord to be true? and Moses witnessed all his ways to be judgement; and was not this known by them in this life, which brought them to fear the Lord, and to de∣part from evil, and to stand in awe, and not to sin? And doth this deny eternal Judgement? or give liberty for lust or wickedness to rule? Or brings it not those to cease from the evil, whom the righteous Judgements of God takes hold upon? Therefore wo be unto all the Epicures who put the Judgement of the Lord afar off, and sit down at ease in the flesh, and makes their belly their god, minding earthly things, devouring Gods Creation to satisfie a lustful appe∣tite, and so treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds, when the Workers of iniquity will not be known by him, but must all depart from him into the everlasting fire, there to abide un∣der the eternal Judgement: Therefore I say unto thee, Re∣pent, and sink down under the Judgement in this life, that all sin and transgression may be judged out of thy heart by the light and power of Christ, that eternal Judgement be not thy portion.

Then thou sayest, That to look al the light within carries a deceived people for a self-loving heart, and to an imagination of perfection, and that their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness,

and proud; and that their tongues proves them perverse.

Ans. And here thou speaks as if thou wert not to be con∣trolled, but as if thy tongue were thy own, and there was no Lord to be over it: But that which thou slanders the truth with, is denyed, (that is to say) That any who are guided by Christ the Light of the World, do bring forth any of these things which thou falsly accuses them of, but thou art seen and read in that which is eternal, to slander the truth with that which hath Dominion over thee; yet is the Truth pure, and all thy dirt cannot stain it, and all who live in it have a sure defence and a refuge from this stormy tem∣pest which the Devil hath raised up, even to shake the foun∣dation of the righteous; but it is a Rock higher then all, and above all, which the righteous are set upon, and there stand in safety; therefore either prove thy words, that such fruits are brought forth by those who look to the light within, and are guided by it, or else own thy confusion, and in it thy shame.

Then thou brings thy Reasons why men are carryed head∣long to these delusions, and mixeth the Scripture with thy reason, saying, It is evident from the Apostles Doctrine to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 11.3. evidently shewing the cause to be Satans transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and sayes, The word Transforming imports the carrying of himself through all forms as an angel or messenger of light.

Ans. The Apostles Words I own, and they shall stand a Witness against thee who denies the light by which he was guided, and so art gathering his words into thy Reason, but cannot thereby come into the life; and so thou rests in the form, (out of the power) where Satan is transforming him∣self, as from thy own words, who saith he carries himself through all forms, then how canst thou exclude him from thine? Therefore I say unto thee, and all who abide in forms with thee, Come out from him, for I deny both him and thy forms, that so it is plain from thy own mouth, that thou rests in that into which Satan can transform himself, having the likeness, but is not the substance; and these are his Ministers who are thus transformed by his deceitful working, as Ministers of Righteousness, though they be false Apostles,

deceitful Workers, transforming themselves as the Apostles of Christ; if thou hast an ear open, thou mayest hear if these be not they who are labouring to uphold visible things, as thou hast done in thy Book, crying, The Ordinances of Christ, the practise of the Apostles, these are to be walked in, and so the imitation is taken up, and the visible thing is pra∣ctised, as the Apostles of Christ, but the light, life, and pow∣er of God is denyed, in which they enjoyed the substance, which was sweet to their taste, who felt that the Lord was good; and this was not a thing visible without them, but en∣joyed within them, which was the Bread of Life, and Water of Life, into which Satan cannot transform himself; and this I own, and in my measure witness to be ordained of God from the beginning, who satisfieth the hungry with the fat∣ness of his House, and refresheth the thirsty with the Rivers of his good pleasure; and this thou art a stranger to, who denies Christ the light of the World, who is the Fountain where living Mercies are witnessed: And so thou erres, not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God, though thou hast made a long profession of them, and can speak much of them, as the Pharisees could do, and as the Devil can do; yet whilest thou denies that by which they were given forth, they are as Weapons formed against thee.

The second Reason (thou sayest) is Natures darkness; for (thou sayest) if the Ephesians were sometimes darkness, then in that state they had nothing but darkness [supposed Light] to look unto.

Ans. All who are in the light, sees thy darkness, vvho knows not Christ from Natures darkness, and calls him a sup∣posed Light; for Christ was in the Ephesians in that state of darkness, though by them unregarded, as he is by thee; Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light; by the reproof of the light were they awakened, and did arise from their dead state of darkness, and were made light in the Lord. And here was something to be looked unto besides the da••kness, which re∣proved them in the darkness, as it doth thee and all the World, who refuse to be guided by it, and rejects Gods visi∣tation; therefore thou art darkness, and abides in darkness,

and knowest not whither thou goest, because that darkness hath blinded thy mind.

Then thou sayest, Having shewed what this delusion is a means to draw people to, thou wilt now shew what it is a means to draw them from.

And this thy Wisdom lays down in many particulars; say∣ing, First, it keeps us from seeking a City that hath foundations, the Doctrine of the Apostles & Prophets, and that these people have a Christ they account more spiritual then the Carpenters Son, and that they will not have that man to reign over them.

Ans. The City is witnessed, into which no unclean thing can enter, but must abide without amongst the Dogs and Sorcerers; and the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is owned and enjoyed, and Christ is received who is King of Saints; but all thy inventions and imaginations is denyed, who knows Christ no otherwise then as the Carpenters Son, and so would have him to reign; if this be thy Faith, then prove by plain Scripture that Jesus Christ is the Carpenters Son, or that his Dominion is exercised in that nature, else own delusion to be upon thee, and thy spirit to be a spirit of error.

Thou hast made such a mixture of thy own inventions with the Scriptures, that it is hard to draw the Wine from the Lees, for thou hast altogether set Christ in opposition to the Light within, which the Saints never did; and yet thou sayest, They that look to Christ, and are enlightened, their faces shall not be ashamed: So here thou hast confest none can be en∣lightened but such who look to Christ, and thou hast owned Christ to be the light which doth enlighten, therefore now it is laid upon thee, either to confess, or deny in plainness, Whether Christ doth enlighten people within, yea, or nay? if yea, then he is the light within which people are to look unto, and be saved, which thou art fore-warning people from as a dangerous delusion. If nay, then it is laid upon thee to prove by plain Scripture where he is, how he doth enlighten, and how people may come to him, and receive him, and be baptized into him, and put him on, and be led by him; so the Work will be short, and many Words needs not be multiplyed to manifest truth, for it stands not in

word, but in power, though much thou hast laid together in thy Book, as if truth did consist or stand in many inventions; I am moved of the Lord to tell thee and all people, That the Lord is risen to overturn all the inventions and imaginations of man, and all false wayes and worships, which are not in spirit and truth, and they shall fall and come to nought, though never so strongly contended for; but that which is of God shall stand.

Thy other particulars I shall here lay down, as in thy Wis∣dom thou hast drawn them forth.

• 1. Thou saidst the Light within, draws people from Christ appea∣ring in conversion.
• 2. From confirming in assurance, and working of us up to follow on to know the Lord by several visitations.
• 3. From the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets.
• 4. From the blood of the Covenant.
• 5. From the experience of the creating Word.
• 6. From waiting for commands of Gods loving kindnesse.
• And then thou concludes, That watching in the light within to bring us to perfection, will be a vain watch.

I shall here wait for thy Answer to be published, as to what is laid upon thee, for I have born my Testimony in the spirit of the Lord, against all that which thou sayest the Light within leads people to; so in general I do deny that it leadeth any, or draws them from any one of these particulars which thou hast laid down; for I am made to stand a Witness against thee in the power of the Lord, knowing that Christ Jesus the Light of the World, who lighteth every one that cometh into the World, doth lead all that are guided by him, from all that which thou sayest the Light within leads people to, and unto that which thou sayest it draws people from, that so thou art calling the light darkness, and darkness light: And for what thou hast said in thy considerations upon Baxters Papers which thou saidst was against the Quakers, thou hast there considered nothing but what is carnal and visible, saying your Water is in Fountains and Rivers visible, and that the natural Tongue of the godly can shew the Way of Life to the natural ear and eye, and so to the understanding of the natural man; and much more such like as this thou hast considered of, which are all to perish, as all other

visible things must; and so thy hope will perish with them, who knows not a life above them; but those whom thou hast set thy self against, knows their life to be in that which is eternal, and will abide for ever, and are made to deny all thy visible and carnal things, as rudiments of the World; and this I have also observed in thy Considerations, Herod and Pilate made friends.

I am moved of the Lord to tell thee, That whosoever wat∣cheth in that Light which thou sayest will be a vain watch, they shall be defended from the Enemies Power, for there doth the Lord preserve his people, and keep them from the Heathens rage, though thou hast bent thy bow, and shot thy Arrows at the upright in heart, they shall return again upon thee, for no harm shall come nigh the dwelling-place of the Saints of the most High; for who dwel in the Light are compassed about with mercies, and there are made to sing songs of Deliverance; so thou art now to answer to what is laid upon thee, and expected from thee, that is, To confess, or deny plainly, Whether Christ doth enlighten people within, yea or nay? and to distinguish be∣twixt Christ and the light within; for until thou hast done that, all thy Work is but confusion; which if thou refuse, let thy mouth be for ever stopped, as a mouth full of iniquity and per∣versness.

Let all flesh be silent.