Quaker Heritage Press > Online Texts > Adventures of John Toldervy > The Great Mystery
WHom the Priests, and his intent is to father the work of the imagination that was in John Toldervy, upon the spirit of the living God, and of Christ that is in the Quakers. But all their work and imaginations is with the Light, and the spirit of Truth judged, and him, and his Priests, and all of them their feet fast in the snare. And all that is in this Book which is contrary to the truth, and the Scriptures is judged; but all that is truth, is owned: And here is some of their Principles as followeth. John Toldervey, and the rest in the Book entitled, The foot out of the snare, he and they would lay all his actions upon the Light, but they split themselves against the Rock; and he himself hath split himself upon the Rock, which made him recant again, and deny all his foolish actions, and so these great high Priests come off with shame.
Pr. He saith, the declaring against all sin is nothing of the mystery of the Gospell of Christ. See page 3.
Ans. Ignorant are you; for that which makes manifest sin, is the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ the mystery, all his will-worships, and his will-actings, his self-righteousnesse, and obediences, and motions, and fancies which he followed, the Priests would lay it upon the Covenant in the heart, and Christ within, and doth not clear the Covenant and Christ within from all those actions which was destructive to the creature; which Christ the Covenant preserves, and the creation, and brings the creature into the liberty of the sons of God: and here your madnesse and blindnesse appears without distinction.
Pr. He saith, Not to call any one Master, nor to pull off the hat to any one, not to you any one, but to use the word thee & thou to a single person, not to use any Complements or greetings to any, not to bow to any man, to honour the Creature, not drinking to any: and to pull off the points and ribbons from his knees, band-strings and hat-band, and buttons that was unnecessary on his Coat, and other things, and burned divers books, &c. And call this that put off all these things which were unnecessary, they calls it seduced persuasions, &c. See page 15.
Ans. Now all these that have born record with thee, under the life are ye come, and judged, which abides and remains, and for ever with it judged: For to instance, as for not calling men Master, that is the command of Christ. As for the not fashioning yourselves according to the world in your former lusts of ignorance, that is the command of the Apostle: And as for the forsaking of gorgeous apparell, naughtiness, and superfluity; they are corrected by the Scriptures, and judged by the spirit: And as for drinking to one another, and tempting one another with Beer, and bowing the Hat, and respecting and honouring the Creature, which is earthly Adams honour in the Fall, which Christ receiveth it not, the second Adam. And as for respecting of persons, they that do so commit sin, and are convinced of the Law as transgressors. And now see where thou wast, and all the Priests in your seduced perswasions, and judgeth good of evill, and evill good: And thou and the Priests may see that all this that which thou did from thy own perswasions, is thy own will: But that which led thee from sin, and from the world, to righteousnesse, was owned, that shall be recorded for ever against thee and all the Priests, and stand a witnesse against you, though now thou art in the flower of thy age. And it will be hard for thee John, & the Priests, to get in that which ye have spread abroad; and the weight and the feeling the burthen of all thy words, and your words ye are not yet come to feel: But when the fire and the heat enters into your flesh, that ye are scorched with the vehement heat, then remember every word that ye have given forth, comes pat upon you a burthen: From a lover of your soules, and a cherisher of truth.
And John and the Priests, all the Actions which was done in thy will, and set forth in the same to the view of the world by the Priest which abused the power, and that which was of God rising in thee to the sight of the world, crucifying afresh the Son of God, and so puts him to open shame, Thou wilt suffer, and the Priests; and that which was done in thy presumption which abused the power of the Lord God, that was never accepted of the Lord God, nor never owned by the men of God. But there is a thousand I do believe in the Nation that can see, and do see what thou and the Priests have recorded to the world, and are able to judge when the power moved thee, and when there was imaginations; and they see that the Priests took thy part, and are one with that nature in thee which betrayed the just, even Judas like, and mind and take notice those that Judas betrayed Christ to, as thou betrayed the Just too. See what friends they were to Judas? and what friends they will be to thee after that Judas has done, and after that thou hast done? Now come to the just principle in thee. John, thy flight was in the winter.
And as for the word Thee and Thou spoken to a particular, shews they have forgotten the Latine books, that which they call their Learning; for is it righteous to call one many, or many one? That is a sound speech which cannot be condemned.
And all the people upon the earth that have run out in their imaginations, whereby truth comes to be hurt; if they have done it willingly, the greater shall be their punishment; they shall be whipt however. But all you that have bent your wills, and given your strength to the adversary of God, whereby the way of truth cometh to be reproached: You are such as turn his grace into wantonnesse, as cause the way of truth to be evill spoken of, and such shall have a reward according to their works, thee and you all.
Pr. They say, The fashions of the world, and the Complements are not sin to use them, &c. See page 45.
Ans. Which is contrary to the Scriptures, which the Ceremonies commanded of God, to use them after the substance was come was sin, much more the fashions and customes of the world: Yea, but saith they, this brings us in our living, and by the other we lose our livelyhood, so ye may see what minde is up in choosing. And all the zeale in the wills which runs out before the Light guide; that is that which the Priests catch at to make their defence withall against the truth. But the Lord will reward them according to their works, who hath shewed mercy to Toldervy, and made him confess in another Book that which formerly the Priests and he had set forth, and vilified the truth, and so is published to the Nation, as the Answer to this Book called, The foot out of the Snare.
Such as deny the fashions of the world, which the Priests are in, points and ribbons, double cuffs, and boot-hose-tops, and the honour of men which God will stain, and be called of men Master; Such things as these 8 great Priests justifies, and insnares people under them; and if any forsake them, they will say they are snared and deluded; and it is manifest who is their Master, and whom they serve, that the keeping Christs command is a snare to them; and because we cannot call them Master, and keep Christs commands, therefore they rage, who transgresseth his command, and then say they are Ministers of him, but your fruits are seen, and works, praysed be the Lord; you eight Priests have discovered yourselves who are the false spirits gone out into the world from the Apostles, and out of Christs command, Matth. 23. Where do you read Mr. Paul, Mr. Peter, and, &c. And where do you read that Paul and the messengers of Christ were hung about with poynts and double cuffs, and boot-hose-tops, and ribbons, and made such a stir about doffing of hats, and thee and thou, as the novice Teachers do now, that are found in the lusts and fashions of the world, which the Apostle declares against, and brought to sound words which could not be condemned, and to obey the doctrine of Christ, not to be called of men Master: But you are the transgressors that abide not in Christs Doctrine, but are the Antichrists, 2 John, which the Apostle speaks of, that hath reigned from their dayes, but now discovered by the spirit; praised be the Lord God; and they know in their Latine original, it is not proper to say you to a single person, and they know that to be called of men Master, is against the command of Christ in the transgression, and so usurping that authority which Christ forbids.