Exclusion of all Church Government

View in Source Document Now, this latter part (about church-government) hath been so misrepresented, as if, because the wrong church government was excluded, the exclusion of all church-government was intended by me, there being no notice taken of my owning the true church-government, but only some passages of my disowning the false produced, as if they intended to overturn and deny all church-government, which never was intended by me: for in that very book, which is thus made use of, I did positively affirm the necessity and use of the true church-government, which may more fully appear in that which hereafter follows.

The voice of God in others not to be neglected.

Source: Some Misrepresentations of me Concerning Church Government.

View in Source Document "Yet in none of these dispensations was any testimony from God to be despised; but his voice to be heard in the prophets, in Christ, and in the apostles. And though men are blessedly and gloriously turned, and to be turned to the light within, in these our days; yet they are not thereby taught to neglect or despise the voice of God, in any whom he sends and speaks by, and pretend it is contrary to their light; but to lie low before the Lord, that in the true humility and holy fear, they may know the voice of the Shepherd, both in their own hearts, and in whomsoever he pleaseth to speak. For the great Almighty God is not limited, but he may speak in and through whom he pleaseth. He may speak to me from the anointing in my own heart, and the holy anointing may please to speak to me through others; and so far as I am of God, and sensible of his appearance, I cannot despise the voice of the anointing in my own heart, or through others. Yea, truth teacheth that modesty, temperance, humility, tenderness, and sobriety, that I dare not despise the voice that pretends to the anointg in any, until I have made trial of it. Yea, John Pennyman’s voice and testimony I durst not condemn, until the Lord my God, in the unerring light and pure springing life, manifested unto me that it was not of him, but of the transforming enemy, who had bewitched and deceived him by his strong delusions (he forsaking the rock, which would have been his strength), to receive and believe a lie instead of the truth."