fo that no Reft could be found: So that he came in the Morning with the fentance in his Hand, and befought us with tears, upon his Knees, to take this Writing again: For, faid he, I have done foolishly, and fpoken rafhly before he had confidered; with feveral other Words of Repentance.

6. So John Reeve, feeing his Sorrow for this Sin, he took the Writing from the Man again; and the Man was fettled in peace of Mind, as at first.

7. Now if the Prophet Reeve had Power to take off his own fentance for Blafphemy, then much more can he take off the fentance that any Saint fhall give against Blafphemy.

8. Another Example fince it, was fo: That Claxton gave the fentance of Damnation upon Mrs. Mason, and he was, at that time, as knowing a Saint counted by the Believers, as ever any of you were; yet when her Husband caufed her to apply herself unto the Prophet, I understanding the Caufe, I took off that Sentance he had given her; and not only fo, but for that and other Things, I took away his Power alfo, fo that no Sentance of his afterwards should be of any Value to any Man.

9. So that Prophets have a prerogative Power, as God, above the Power of Saints; because the Power of a Saint is at the fecond hand, fubordinate to the Power of a Prophet; and therefore a Prophet hath Power to take off that Sentance, where, and whom he pleaseth, &c.

10. And as to the answer of the fifth Affertion, this I fay, Who should uphold a corrupt natured Man but a Prophet, in cafe a corrupt natured Man do believe the Prophet, then the Prophet's Faith fhall uphold him from the Cenfure and Judgments of those that looks upon their own Natures, to be more pure and uncorrupt, as to his Happiness in the Life to come; the Prophet's Love being in him, he will uphold him.

11. And whereas you fay, defraud and deceive all Men, to this I fay, I do not uphold no Man to defraud nor deceive any Man; it was always contrary to my Nature, to uphold any fuch Practice in any Saint or Devil, because I never did

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practice any fuch Things myfelf; not in the Days of my Ignorance.

12. But in cafe fome Mens Natures are fo corrupt, as to practice fuch Things, and yet are true Believers, what thall the Prophet do with fuch Men, fhall he caft them out of the Kingdom of Heaven for ever, because his Nature is corrupt, furely no? For this was not the practice of Chrift when on Earth: But this I do allow and tollerate every Saint, that if they cannot freely forgive the defraud and deceivings of fuch natured Men, they may take the Law of them: The Law is open to right himself that is deceived, or else let them trust fuch Men no more.

13. But this I fay, I think you Fault-finders are the leaft defrauded or deceived by thofe corrupt natured Men of any : Prophets cannot give Men honeft Hearts, that are not honest by Nature; and if they be honeft by Nature, Prophets cannot give them Money to uphold their Honefty.

14. Neither can a Prophet change corrupt Natures, for if the Prophet could, I would have changed yours, and have made you more merciful to forgive the trefpafs of your Brother of your own Faith, and not to rake up the Sins of others, and lay them as a charge against the Prophet, as if he were the cause of their defraud and deceit, because I uphold them in peace of Mind, concerning the Life to come, my Faith being in him it fhall uphold him, fo that the fear of eternal Death fhall not furprize him.

15. Alfo, if I could have changed your corrupt Nature, I would never have fuffered it to have broken forth into Rebellion, as it hath done, but would have upheld you in peace of Mind, and hope of eternal Life, notwithstanding your Nature is corrupt enough; yet while my Love was in you, I did uphold you in peace of Mind, but now my Love is taken from you, through your Rebellion, your Peace, Hope and Affurance, will wither and die in you; and in this fenfe will he uphold corrupt natured Men, if his Love be in him.

16. The fixth Affertion answered, which faith, Tho' false Worship

Worship be an Idol, yet with the Prophets Leave he may go to that Worship blameless: As to this, I never did forbid any Believer of this Commiffion of the Spirit from going to Church, neither did John Reeve in his time, they all went to Church, or to Meetings; John Reeve nor I, never laid any Injunction upon any Believer, not to go to Church.

17. But fince I wrote the Book of the whole Revelation, I had occafion to write concerning Worship, and the Believers reading of it, their Eyes were opened to fee it was Idolatry to worship as the Nation doth, fo that many of them refrained from it, and they found much peace in it; but fome could not refrain, because of Perfecution; but those that did refrain, had much peace in themselves, and were better beloved with me, than the other which did go to Church; fo that they that did go to Worship, they had Shame and Trouble, and doubting in themselves; and I let them bear their own Sin, and never reproved them for it.

18. And because I did not advife, nor command them to the contrary, they were the more encouraged, but had not that peace in themselves, as thofe had that did refrain, not because of my diflike, but because of their own peace of Confcience; but having no command from us to the contrary, fome few took leave, that were in high places, which could no ways uphold their Honour and Livelyhood, except they went fometimes to Church.

19. Now thofe not being forbid by the Prophet, they were not difobedient to the Prophet, nor to God, but to their own Souls, they brought guilt upon their Confcience, and fear upon their Mind, yet by the Prophets winking at them, as God did in the Days of old at their Ignorance, and not accufing them of evil, but continuing his Love in them; the Prophet remembering their former Faith and Love to John Reeve, they are blameless as to the fear of eternal Damnation; and why, Because the Prophet did never forbid them, nor never did condemn them for any thing they had done in that Nature.

20. And in this fenfe they are blameless of the Prophet,

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and blamelefs of God, for a Prophet's power is unlimited as God's power is; none is to call a Prophet to an account, but God only, for if the Prophet will wink at the failings of fome, upon confideration of the fnares great Men are in, and of other good they do, and the Prophet will not wink at others that are not under fuch fnares of this World, nor can do no good to others of their own Faith, who fhall again-fay it, none but Rebels.

21. They will undertake to be more Righteous than the Prophet, they would make all the Lord's people Holy, if they where in the Prophet's place, by reproving and exhorting, and judging the people, fome for going to worship an Idol, and others for defraud and deceit, but if we were in his place we would give righteous Judgment upon all, according to demerit, without refpect of perfons; this is Korab, Dathan, and Abiram like, the practices of Rebels.

22. And in this fenfe, thofe that go to worship an Idol, may be faid to be blameless of the Prophet, and no other Ways.

1.

The Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Affertions Answered.

H

WOW fhould Men that do evil, after the bleffing is given, be supported, if the Prophet should not support him; fuppofe fome that are under the bleffing may borrow Money of his Brethren of the fame Faith, and never pay them again; others perhaps are paffionate, hafty natured, which wounds their own Souls; others may fometimes be Drunk ; others of a hafty, rafhful Nature as you are.

2.

Those things are all evil, the one as well as the other, and perhaps fome of this Faith to whom the Prophet hath given the bleffing, are guilty of thofe things; now to whom shall they apply themfelves too, to be fupported; in the trouble of his Mind he hath borrowed Money, but cannot pay it again,

fo

fo his Credit is loft, he can borrow no more there, neither will he forgive him freely, but looks upon him, though he be of his own Faith, but a paitry, deceitful Man, and will have no more dealing with him: This is punishment enough, where an honeft Heart is.

3. And where fhall fuch a Man be fupported, but by the Prophet, for his Brethren will not fupport him, and the World condemns him for a bafe Cheat, and his own Confcience condemns him and makes him afhamed, and where fhall he go? he cannot go to God for Relief, but to a Man like himself, a Prophet.

4 And to this Prophet he can appeal unto, and be fupported under his Bleffing he once gave him, for a Prophets Word is as the Word of God himself, in cafe the Man's Faith be in it: For who hath need of Support but fuch, for legal righteous Men need no Support, neither of God, nor of the Prophet, for it hath a Eleffing in itself, in the very deed doing.

5. Therefore it is faid, that Chrift did juftify the ungodly, but not the legal righteous Man, but rather condemn him, as the proud Pharifee, who boafted of his Righteousness, and did thank God that he was not like the Publican, who deceiv'd all Men he dealt with.

6. And in this fenfe it may be faid, that the Prophet doth uphold a Man, though his Life and Conversation be counted wicked by Rebels, yet his Faith being ftedfaft, fhall be upholden by the Prophet.

7. As to the eighth Affertion, my anfwer is, fuppofe Christ when he was taken and carried before Pilate, and when he was examined by him, whether he was the Chrift, the King of the Jews; if Chrift for fear of Death fhould have denied, and faid, No, I am not the Son of God, &c. If this fhould have been faid by Chrift, then he would have proved a falfe Christ, and his Faith, a falfe Faith.

8. And fo, thofe that believed him, their Faith would be falfe and vain, and the affurance of eternal Life in them would have perished, for a falfe Chrift will be Damn'd, than all that believe in that falfe Chrift will be Damn'd alfo.

9. For