prepares for his glorious and everlasting Kingdom the desire of all Nations is come and coming blessed are all they that wait for him and receive him where there is neither Greek nor Jew Col. 3.11 Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and all And this Love of God to the World in his Son Christ Jesus the Lord of Heaven and Earth by his universal Power and Wisdom hath raised thousands of Living Witnesses who cannot deny him before men knowing assuredly that the Cause is the Lord's and he will plead it with all flesh and to all faithful and true witnesses that continue to the end they shall have a Crown Immortal Life the which Life and Immortality is brought to Light through the Gospel praises be to his holy Name forever So it s for True Christianity that many who are call'd Quakers have so deeply suffered to this day and in this true Self-denyal and dayly Cross following our blessed Leader and Commander Christ Jesus we have sought the good of all mankind testifying against Infidelity and Corruption where-ever it appears Take but a view of this Nation and see what abundance of poor distressed Families are begging up and down and many are ready to perish for want of Conveniencies and do but view how others do swell in Pride and Luxury and cover themselves over with a Name of Christian whatever esteem this may have in the sight of fallen men I am sure it hath none with God nor those who are raised unto some degree of knowledge of his divine power and wisdom by which all things were created good in the beginning and by which alone that which is out of order must be put into order again The Lord God prosper his blessed work of Reformation which he hath begun in the Earth saith my Soul and the Souls of all who are truly sensible of his Righteousness therein By one that did Live several years amongst them Stephen Smith The 8th day of the 12th Month 1673 THE END A Faithful Testimony Concerning the SCRIPTURES And Dangerous Estate that they are in who through their private Interpretations do add unto and diminish from the Holy Prophesies therein Contained And do thereby make void the End and Tendency of Gods great Love through the Moving of his Holy Spirit in Holy Men in giving forth those Blessed Testimonies plainly shewn And the Blessed Motion Operation Revelation and Divine Inspiration of Gods Holy Spirit in its Blessed Works and Manifestation in this day time and season Asserted And an Exhortation unto all to Bow to the Light and Manifestation of Gods Holy Spirit in them least the things which concern their Everlasting Rest and Peace be hid from them With some brief Instances of Wicked motions and their Effects and Blessed motions and their Effects taken out of the Scriptures Revel 22.18 For I Testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book Printed in the Year 1679. A Faithful Testimony Concerning the SCRIPTURES COme all Professors of the holy Scriptures to the tryal whether there may not be great and high talking of by those who are real opposers of the very end and tendency of that love and mercy of God which through the Scriptures is testified unto Come to plain dealing and weigh things in a true ballance and let that which is light and vain which is a lett that the Noble Seed cannot come forth Let that be cast off that the Nobility of your Understandings may be opened and cleared from darkness and error that the things which concerns your everlasting peace may be witnessed before you go from hence and shall be seen no more The 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Knowing this first that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For the Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of man But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Now mind since the Prophesies in Scripture is of no private interpretation let all who would not be supposed to be of that number who are giving their private Interpretation of those weighty and high concerns consider what Spirit they are led and acted by therein For as much as those weighty concerns cannot be understood but by the universal love and mercy of God in and through the manifestation of the Light of his holy Spirit given to every man to profit withall Therefore all had need to consider whether they feel and understand the mind and will of God through the manifestation of his blessed Spirit leading and guiding them into the knowledge of those Prophesies aforesaid And if this love of God in the manifestation of his Spirit be not taken heed unto and received and used for that end it is given all they who neglect it can give no other Interpretation of the Prophesies but what they conceive in their private Conceptions the which is a dangerous Estate the Prophesies being deep things wherein the great Salvation of the Lord unto mankind is signified and this goodness and mercy of the Lord is only revealed by his Spirit as said the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for he searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So it s by taking heed unto the manifestation of the blessed gift of God by which the love and mercy of God were witnessed unto by the holy men of God that the Scriptures of Truth come to be clearly understood And this Spirit of God giving to man kind light and understanding in the things of God this also pure and holy in man the which must be taken heed unto by all that comes to a clear understanding in those weighty concerns of life and peace under that penalty least they be hid from them Therefore there is a necessity even for all to take heed to that love of God in the blessed operation and inshining of his holy Spirit in them as saith the holy Apostle Rom. 1.19 Because that which may be knâ—â—â— of God is manifest in them for God hath 〈…〉 unto them And therefore aâ—â— that deny this universal love of God the moving of his holy Spirit and do nor the heed to the manifestation of it in themselves they are they who are the opposers of the love and mercy of God signified through the Scriptures And thus in the works of darkness being found opposers of the 〈◊〉 intent and meaning of the will of God through the blessed operation of his good Spirit how are people giving private Interpretations of the Prophesies in the Scriptures according to their own private Imaginary conceivings adding and diminishing to bring them to their corrupt minds and wills In which works of darkness they make void the great love of God testified of by holy men throughout the Scriptures and so are without the real benefit which
THE True Light Discovered to all who desire to Walk in the Day In several little TREATISES Written by that faithful Member of the true Church of Christ Jesus lately deceased STEPHEN SMITH Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8.12 LONDON Printed in the Year 1679. To the Friends of Truth in the Counties of Surrey Sussex and Hampshire Friends HOw greatly hath the Lord appeared in this day in raising up many Instruments to sound forth his glorious Truth yet many are not sensible of it nor of the great Work he is a doing who is a setting up his Spiritual Kingdom and is establishing Righteousness in the Earth and all those that oppose this Work shall in â—im be ashamed and the Lord will go on with his Work who is come to restore Man into the primitive purity he was first created in Man that hath been drove from him into the Earth by reason of Transgressions and been a Servant to sin and under the power of Satan and been ignorant of the Life of God and of the sweet refreshments of his living presence not knowing the motions and leadings of the Father neither hath his ear been open to hear the voice of God but hath been without any sensible feeling of the Life and Power of God and had no savour of the things of God In this condition is Man that is drove from God in the Fall But now is the Lord come to restore him again by his beloved Son Christ Jesus who redeems Man again from his lost estate and brings him out of the Earth and out of all such things which had separated him from God to delight in the Lord his Maker again and from being a Servant of sin to be a Servant of God and of Righteousness and Holiness and to bring him again into Innocency in which he was first created And this hath been the Work of the second Adam the Lord from Heaven in all that did receive him and it is his Work at this day The Father of Mercy and great Compassion he hath considered Mankind who had corrupted his way and he sent his Messengers to foretell the coming of the acceptable day of the Lord and the day of Salvation of God who invited all the hungry and thirsty to come and drink at the Fountain of Life And this was the free Love of God to help Man out of the Pit wherein there was no Water and to offer him the Wells of Salvation to drink at that so he might be washed from sin and from pollution into which he was fallen and could see no deliverer till the Lord was pleased to open a door of Hope and to set him free by his Son Christ Jesus and to save that which was lost and to bring Peace and Salvation whose power is indeed as able to cleanse from sin as ever the Devils was to defile and corrupt This is true and witnessed by some though many cannot believe that ever any can be free from sin in this life Now he that is in the first birth and sees no further but is overcome with sin daily and his mind is earthly and corrupt and has never known the power of God to work in him the New birth and a change from his sinful Estate he judges he can be no otherwise while he is here and so is like a blind man who though the Sun shines because he cannot see it he will not believe that it shines or that others see it But this must not make the Faith of some void who have known the second Adam to be a quickning Spirit and have found him able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him and the bloud of Christ is to them of full effect and they witness him to be a perfect Saviour and indeed for this end was Christ given of the Father and for this end came he into the World and was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil and to save his People from their sins and until Christ hath brought Man out of the Transgression he hath fallen into he hath not finished the Work that the Father hath given him to do for as sin hath reigned unto death so must Righteousness reign unto Life Eternal and as through the power of Lust man hath been defiled throughout in Body Soul and Spirit so by the power of Christ is man to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and being once cleansed by his power to be saved from those sins which formerly have defiled him and by this Man doth witness the Restoration by Christ and the renewing by the Holy Ghost into the Image of God again which he had lost whilst in the Transgression and so Man comes again into unity with God and to know his voice his motions and the leadings of his Holy Spirit which while he was in darkness and served sin he was wholly ignorant of This makes Man fruitful again unto God who before was as a barren Wilderness and whereas he was before filled with Darkness he now comes to be filled with Light and Life and now he hath Visions and Revelations of Heavenly things before he was crying There was no Revelation nor Vision they are ceased whilst night was upon him he saw no Vision and because he saw no Vision nor had no answer from God therefore he thought it was so with all others and that Revelation and Vision was ceased and he measured all men by his dark rule darkness being over him and his eye blinded Whilst he was in the first birth he was Earthly his mind Earthly delighting in Earthly things he could not then believe there was any immediate Teachings of the Father by his Holy Spirit nor any enjoyment of Heavenly things neither was his eye inward but to an outward Teacher and outward Books and Writings but when the inward ear came to be opened and the day of the Lord appeared unto him then he heard the words of God and saw the Visions of the Almighty and then he began to praise the Lord for his goodness and for his mercies which endure for ever And now being come to taste of the loving kindness of the Lord and his heart being filled with Heavenly blessings he ministers forth the same to others and these are the true Ministers indeed who are moved by this blessed power of God to seek the Salvation of Souls And of this number was our dear Brother Stephen Smith now deceased a man who laboured in faithfulness and constancy according to the ability God had given him to beget others to the Truth and was constant in Sufferings in Travels and Labours and had a good esteem in the hearts of many for his faithfulness to the Lord as you well know and therefore I need not write much concerning him especially since some others have written so
when he is cast out of those more upright hearts and more thankful that he may possess those Swinish natures and so throw them headlong into a Sea of Destruction whith others of the like bad natures of whom I shall say something Those are they which have heard and seen something of Truth by reading Books or speaking with some in the Truth whose words being accompanied with power proceeding from the Spirit of Truth they not having been able to resist but standing over them questionings and reasoning have been raised in them concerning their buildings whether or no they be upon the right Foundation but that being catch'd too which shews them their conditions so plain that they have no assurance of their well-being but in doubting and reasonings and fears through which secretly torment doth arise but their minds being from him that shews them their conditions which though it be the greatest Love that God could bestow on lost Mankind yet in that it brings a Cross to flesh seeing plainly that if they hearken to it they must forsake all their vain Customs and Traditions of the World with all its Lusts and Vanities these things not agreeing with Flesh and Blood which they are consulting the mind being drawn from the Witness for God in their hearts by their wilful yielding to the Enemy of their Souls who is alwayes ready with his Baits to betray them who desire ease in the Flesh and whose minds are out in studying Arguments to keep them in the same the subtle Serpent being here at work to the end that the Creature may partake of his Table for he knows that then they cannot partake of Gods Table as the Scriptures of Truth declares so at his Table he hands out curious words in Prayers and hanging down the head like a Bullrush and with feigning and flattering words to all sorts of Deceitful Workers and doth help to turn and wind all sorts of Worship which the Beastly Nature sets up and so tells them there is Flesh as well as Spirit to be satisfied and that they must live in sin as long as they have a being here and to others whose natures be inclined to Lust he provides plentiful Dishes for them and others who are disposed to Drunkenness he directs them to Companions and opportunity and at his Table are variety of Dishes for the Covetous man or Proud High Heady Boaster Curser Ranter for all sorts that will come to his Table he hath curious Dishes in a plenteous manner and in all these he promises content and satisfaction but as he ever was so he is and ever will be a Lyar for let those speak who hath fed most plentiful at his Table if ever they were satisfied but that the more they fed the more hungry they were let all these forementioned and Gamsters speak for themselves and Thieves and Murtherers and the like But in some he works more in a Mystery and furnisheth his Table with curious words and so feeds them and decks them but alwayes at his Table he hath this Dish for all sorts of Professors and Prophane that they must live in Sin in this Life this is as it were a Chain by which he holds all that will believe so fast to his Table and then let them be as rich as they will in comprehending and getting into the Brain-knowledge the Scriptures and outward Learning so though the work grows so high in the Mystery of Iniquity that the Enemy of the Soul hath exalted himself above all that is called God and so makes a shew in fine words and in long Prayers and in curious Arts yet whilst he can keep them in his Chain to his Table if they cannot have ease in professing in one Sect he will give them leave to profess in another Sect and if that will not serve he will give them leave to go into the profession of Truth it self and further to meet together with them in the Truth any thing but hearing the Voice of the Son of God and obeying which brings to the Table of God and so overthrows his Table to any thing but this his Chain will reach Now as to what is before those that have seen something of Truth and some trouble hath by reason thereof risen in them but for love of a little ease to the flesh such their minds being out willingly goes into the Devils Chain and so feeds at his Table where they are furnished with Arguments against the Spirit of Truth manifested to lead and to guide into all truth and so out of Sin which is the Devils Chain but being thus furnished according to their hearts lust being in the Adulterous Spirit takes all occasion to speak evil of Truth and them that are in it who are true Worshippers of the Lord according to his Will in Spirit and Truth so the god of the World having blinded their minds an evil eye gets out and this watches for the halting of them who are in Truth and when the just hand of God is gone out in making manifest some who have been in the profession of Truth who have hardned their hearts against reproof till at length their hypocrisie and guile is made manifest on which they hereby take occasion to speak evil of the Way of the Lord and them that are in it the Enemy of their Souls giving them thereby some ease for the present but it lasts not long but the Fame of Truth is sounded in their ears again by the Witness of God within or else from those in whom it dwells without them then the Lamb riseth and gives torment again and their Coverings be too narrow and will not serve them neither shall they Wo to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not with my Spirit So all unrighteous Coverings which people of unstable minds are under the Wo of the Lord is against so what will become of them that are under them O that men would in coolness consider whose day of Gods Visitation in Love is not past least by their often provocations he visits in his great displeasure and says My Spirit is weary with striving it shall strive no more now for the sakes of many who have yet true Breathings after Living Refreshment and are willing to take up Christs Yoke and Burthen and to follow him that is meek and lowly in heart that so they may rest for their Souls for their sakes I shall give a brief Relation of the Ministers of Christ and of the Ministers of Antichrist First The Ministers of Christ must know Christ and see him and believe on him Joh. 6.40 But some will say Who is there that knows not Christ Doth not all that can read see what is writ of him in the Scriptures of Truth And is not the Christ which you mean who suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem and the like Yes we do own the same Christ and that which the
the Ministers of Christ should be qualified as is before mentioned the Ministers of Antichrist may be easily known but for the sakes of such afore-mentioned I shall lay down some marks of them First They are such who never knew the Son of God in the Everlasting and Unchangable Covenant manifested in them so not learned men in the Book of Life but are alienated from the Life of God through the ignorance that is in them knowing him manifested in them who is Infallible but in their fallible wisdom by the Art of Tongues gets the Prophets Christs and the Apostles words and something out of Heathen Authors and so in their vain imaginations patches up anothers Discourse and so for the love they have for their god which is their Belly they sell their Art at as dear a price as they can for several hundreds by the year some for more and some for less but all as dear as possible as I heard a Priest say once if it were not for Tythes who as would should preach for him but this being so well known to all that its alone for their god which is their Belly that their Mouths is opened there is little need to speak of that these being Sayers but not Doers so not accepted of God these are they which run and are not sent which speaks a divination of their own Brain so not like to profit the people you may read of them at large Ezekiel the thirteenth read the Chapter from such Priests and Prophets as these is Profaneness gone forth in all the Land read Jeremiah the twenty third so they are sufficiently markt out in the Scriptures of Truth But some say we know all the Priests now adays are bad enough and the smoothest of them preach for filthy lucre sake but they speak good words so we may do as they say and as they do O foolish people is it not because you love such easie Prophets who speak peace to you in your Sins that you thus speak have you not heard what the Scriptures of Truth sayes Do men gather Grapes of thorns or Figs of Thistles By their Fruits you may know them Should we not count him a very Fool that should go look for Figs on Thistles or sweet water out of a bitter Fountain What if they should say the Lord lives that is a true saying to them which know it in themselves but it s a Lye to them who say it and know the contrary in them but these Priests which Preach for Hire cry peace to men whilst they put into their Mouths to the end their god may be supplyed which causes and constrains their Mouths to be open but in case you deny to put into their Mouths then Demetrius like prepares War crying out we have a Law and if you won't pay we will make you pay But by the way what compulsive Law of men doth Christs Ministers use or were they to use prove any such thing in the Scriptures of Truth that they were to compel any man to give to them Now if God hath appointed no such Maintenance by his Righteous Covenant and Law Is it not stealth in his sight to compel and take that by mans Law which God hath not appointed in his Law Look about you Priests for the Righteous Judge will sit in Judgment and to the Lambs Bar to give an account you must come and then the twisting Serpent will stand you in no stead but all things will be laid bare before you what esteem you have of your god which is your Belly for the serving of which how have you yielded unto the lying Spirit and so like Ahabs Prophets perswaded and instigated many to go on in the Persecution though to their destruction Have you not told the Magistrates that the Quakers are Ring-Leaders of Faction though you never come to their Meetings nor never examined the cause why they dissented from you nor never heard that they went about to disturb or molest any of their outward enjoyments but barely because they bore a faithful Testimony against the twisting twining Serpent the great Enemy of mans Soul which Spirit of Error your god cannot be served without so a great stir and ado you make in being Instruments of casting into Prison haling and tearing away the Goods and the like from those who lives in the Fear and Dread of the God Almighty and in peace with men though in enmity with the Serpent the Enemy of mans Soul so in the Innocent Blood which hath been shed in Nasty Holes and Stinkiug Prisons cries aloud unto the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth who is Lord of all who created all at his pleasure and can destroy all in the same those that be innocent out of the revengeful spirit have committed themselves and so cannot use any compulsive way with Weapons that are Carnal but in plain Demonstration and Power of the Spirit of Truth and their innocent Cause to the Judge of all they have committed to be cleared in his will and time who will assuredly do it But further to clear that you are the Ministers of Antichrist if notwithstanding what is declared any yet be in doubt Hearken what Christ saith to the Wicked I was an hungry and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and visited me not Then shall they also answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirsty or a stranger or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee Then shall he answer them saying Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me and these shall go away into everlasting punishment Matth. 25. In the same Chapter he shews the Righteous mans love and his reward and how did they express their love to Christ Did they do it in speaking great words of his Name No as you may read they visited his Brethren in their necessities so mark by the way there were Righteous men and now are though the Ministers of Antichrist for the gods sake would have all erre and stray again from the Lords way but the Pearl for which they have sold all and bought is of more value then so but since Christ hath Brethren are not they them which are led by the Spirit of Truth and if people be given up to obey it will it not lead them out of the Spirit of Error If so then must they not depart from your wayes who are in the Revengeful Spirit Well then since those that are led by the Spirit are Sons of God as the Scriptures of Truth declare Rom. 8. and Heirs with Christ for he that sanctifieth and them that are sanctified are all of one wherefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren now since there is such an unity between Christ and his Followers Shall it
fall with it Page 4. He proceeds thus viz. You know it was said by our blessed Saviour that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it And I little doubt but that an appearance at first of a greater strictness and narrowness in your way then in theirs that differs from you was a temptation to some injudicious persons c. Answer If we were not in the same strait and narrow way that Christ did speak of where we are partakers of Gods great love in that rest and peace which he hath prepared for them that believe fear and love him it were an easie matter to go back again into the broad way there be opportunities enough given besides this great one given by this Author of that Book in his gross abominable Insinuations But such is the manner of such dark Spirits to pretend great love to the Souls of others and are not in a capacity to pity and love their own But he saith That might have been escaped had we considered that the strictness and narrowness consisting in outward austerities and incivilities c. Answer whither may a rambler go when he is turned into the way of mischief and pursues his journey without care of what will be the end of it But I perceive this is his great trouble as it was Hamans Mordicai would not bow to him we not going out of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ into the respect of persons but faithfully keeping his commands and abiding in his Doctrine the which is true whatsoever he wickedly suggests to the contrary This he accounts Incivilities and a piece of Superstition of our own devising and that several orders among the Papists have been built upon the same bottom but mind all this while his name is concealed shewing that he is not willing others should know what bottom he is built upon but who that are wise can expect any better fruit of such a corrupt tree that grows upon the root of Imaginations he hath nothing else for his bottom of all that he hath said And he goes on in page 6 7. in these words Ye have taken liberty to walk loosly and cast off this yoak and that is in not governing your spirits passions and tongues according to the Laws of his Kingdom c. And this he infers from some words he hath taken out of Edward Burroughs's Book as thou cursed thou beast to whom the Plagues of God are due a reprobate a Child of darkness thou art thou disobedient one c. Answer By this it is manifest that if that Author had been in the false Prophets dayes he would have been as much offended with the true Prophets for calling the false Prophets greedy dogs and dumb dogs and many such like words and as David said Psal 49.12 Man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish or if he had been in that day of Christ who indeed was very humble and meek but in his reproofs of Hypocrisie he was very sharp as appears in these words Wo to you Hypocrites likening them to whited Walls painted Sepulchres and he said to them who supposed themselves to be the Children of Abraham and that they had one Father even God But Christ said unto them ye are of your Father the Devil And he said unto the Scribes and Pharisees ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell And the Apostle Paul saith whatsoever he be that preacheth any other Gospel then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Here is but a hint of much that might be said what the Language of the Spirit of Truth was in those days against those dark opposite Spirits to the way of Truth and there is no question but Edward Borroughs knew what Spirit of opposition he had to encounter with that by the Light of Christ Jesus he knew what was the portion of that Spirit But let the Author of that Book or any for him prove if they can that ever Edward Borroughs did do any wrong either to Man Woman or Child And he saith speaking of Christ he hath strictly injoyned his followers to be humble and lowly in heart to esteem others better then themselves to speak evil of no man c. and not to judge c. Answer But all this while this man that doth thus prescribe from what is written what others should do he himself doth not so it appears by concealing of his name he is not willing to be known But sure when he bethinks himself he cannot suppose that the spirit of Truth doth lead its followers to esteem Hypocrites and those that oppose the way thereof above them that are led and guided by it And sure the Author by disesteeming of the Light of Christ that lighteneth every man that comes into the World rendering it a natural Light as he hath done in many places is become very blind indeed if he thinks the Spirit of Truth did forbid the judgment of Truth by these words of Christ Mat. 7. Judge not that ye be not judged this he spoke to Hypocrites that went about to pull out a mote out of others eyes and the beam remained in their own saying Thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy Brothers eye But such gross darkness hath happened to many that do not believe in the Light and not knowing the way of the Spirit of Truth yet for sinister ends in great presumption undertakes to correct them who are born of the same and are in measure acquainted with the way thereof as that dear and faithful Servant of the Lord Edward Burroughs was as may be seen by his works which stand a witness against deceitful flattering Tongues But this is the old way of the enemy and adversary of the peace and happiness of Souls to cover his hatred and malice with smooth flattery in words As saith David in another case Psal 55.21 The words of his mouth were smoother then Butter but war was in his heart his words were softer then Oyl yet were they as drawn Swords But to speak the Truth by the leading and guiding of the Spirit of Truth as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did though in very sharp reproofs to gainsayers is not against true humility nor a speaking evil of any man In Page 11. The Author saith Neither you are not guilty of rejecting Gods way and method of converting men to and keeping them in the way of saving Faith Repentance and Evangelical obedience and of inventing and chusing one of your own c. Which method he instances out of two Authors Edward Burroughs's Book and one of William Pens The which is as followeth word for word In the works of Edward Burrough who you are pleased to stile that true Prophet in the Title page which are published
outward written Law since they must be judged without any such Law for transgressing of what Law must they be judged it cannot be denyed but that God hath given them a Law to walk by and that it is for the transgression thereof that they come under condemnation and must be judged Before this question be answered in Truth that Gospel must be known that is preached in every creature which is under Heaven Page 37. The Author saith we that have the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles brought down to us in the Scriptures may according to Scripture Dialect be said to have Christ and his Apostles as truly as it was said of the Jews in our Saviours days on Earth that they had Moses and the Prophets for it was by having in the Scriptures what they said and did that they were said to have them and by hearing and believing the Scriptures of the New Testament we may as well be said to hear and believe Christ and his Apostles c. Answer That ever such a stranger to Christianity should be so impudent as to say I will shew you the method and way of God that doth not know himself one step therein as appears by his dark arguing The Jews had the writing of Moses and the Prophets and no question but they did believe them to be so but what did they profit by them when out of that Faith and Spirit through which they are profitable they did testifie of Christ and were a witness to the righteousness of God as saith the Apostle when by them they judged Christ ought to die Christ did send the hard-hearted Jews who went about to kill him to Moses and the Prophets saying Joh. 5.39 40. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me and ye will not come to me that ye may have life And mind what the Apostle saith Rom. 3.12 But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets which righteousness the said Jews did not know though they had heard what Moses and the Prophets said of it But mind the cause of their not hearing so as to understand Neh. 9.20 Thougavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them but the cause of their blindness was even their rebellion against Gods Spirit And Stephen said to the Jews Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye So it 's very clear though the Jews had Moses and the Prophets writings yet by not taking heed to the Instruction of Gods Spirit in them they were without the knowledge of them and thus it is with the generality of those called Christians they have some of the writhings which gives a relation of Gods great love to the World in his heavenly and powerful gift of his holy Spirit manifest in the flesh to bruise the Serpents head and to destroy the Devils works But by disesteeming the blessed appearance of the Light of the Spirit of Christ in man as the Author of that Book doth in calling it a natural Light being thus in unblief their foolish hearts are darkned So though they have the New Testament as it is called by many that do not know the Law and the Testimony though they have some part of what was writ concerning Christ the Way Truth and Life of Christianity Yet by their quenching and grieving the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit in them they are as clearly void of the knowledge of the end and tendency of Gods great love in and by the motion of his holy Spirit that gave forth those writings with the several blessed Testimonies therein even as the hard-hearted Jews were of the Law and the Prophets when they were in the gainsaying and rebellion against Gods holy Spirit But such kind of smooth teaching as the Author of that Book who is unlearned in the blessed Teaching of the Spirit of Truth is very pleasant to unlearned people in the things of God but the Scripture is fulfilled in many of them Acts 13.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your days a work which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you So it 's very clear and that in a true sense that people may have the writings and not have Christ nor his Apostles neither be in their Doctrine but in lieu thereof they may have the Spirit of Antichrist and Doctrine of Antichrist and the ravening Woolves nature though they may have the Sheeps clothing First The Scriptures we must needs highly own in that they refer us to and exalt Christ and his immediate teaching of his Divine Light and Spirit within as being subservient thereto where they are received therein But since a great part of the work of the Author of that Book is to maintain the Scriptures being a rule of Faith and Practice and to gainsay the sufficiency of the Spirits teaching without the Scriptures or its immediate teaching now adays without some outward teaching I do ask whether the Authority be in the Spirit that spoke the words or in the words when spoken or written if none can deny but the Authority both was and is in the Spirit And Isaiah by the same Authority of Gods blessed Spirit he can work a saving change in people either with or without what is written therefore it is a high degree of presumption in going about to limit the blessed holy Spirit of God as the Author of that Book doth But what Authority or effect had the true Prophets words in the false Prophets mouths this sad effect they stole away the hearts of people from the living fountain and put them upon a vain labour in making broken Cisterns that could hold no water And what Authority profit or advantage have the true Ministers and Apostles of Christs words now in the false Teachers mouths with their meaning upon them Even this sad and lamentable effect they thereby steal away the hearts of people from the sense of the immediate motion of Gods holy Spirit in them and to gainsay its powerful teachings and the universal love of God in the moving of his universal holy Spirit through all the World in its convincing and reproving the World of sin c. And then to set them upon vain and unprofitable service First having turned their hearts and minds out of the way that the holy Spirit of Truth leads in and then set them upon a vain labour and travail in seeking but never finding till at length they conclude with the Devils Doctrine that there is no way out of a body of sin and death on this side the grave And such flattering and deceitful Teachers are in a high esteem and account among a flattering deceitful people So all may mind that we do not oppose the in ward Teaching of the Spirit of Truth
persevere and go on in the Spirit and not to quench and grieve the Spirit and abundance more to this purpose in Exhortations to the Churches to follow the spirit and mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit Had not Christians need to have the immediate motions and help of Gods blessed spirit in this work and to be their rule of life and guide in judgment that all wicked malitious spirits under the cover of the Prophets Christs and the Apostles words may be judged down let all the wise in heart consider this and lay it to heart What a sad tendency such unprofitable talkers and teaching hath in opposing the immediate motion and teaching and guiding of Gods holy spirit and whether such Agents and props in the Divels kingdom and power of darkness be not a lett to the blessed works of the Lord who sits upon his Throne and saith behold I make all things new And whether such dark works as are manifest in that Book be not the cause that there are so many mockers now adays at the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit in and through his servants according to their several measures and services therein But such is the work of all dark spirits to pretend love to peoples souls But in the dark to work against the great love and mercy of God in the immediate motions of his holy and blessed spirit for the bringing of souls to peace and happiness and everlasting rest in his heavenly gift the which is life Eternal But by what hath been written as before the whole drift scope and tendency of the Authors spirit in that Book may be seen where several particulars might be answered with the same sharp reproof as that which is answered hath Such works have been answered over and over again as may be seen at large in abundance of Books but one more especially I refer the Reader to And that is a Book Intitled The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony vindicated c. By George Whitehead and William Pen And though the Author of that Book hath concealed his Name and covered his spirit of Error with smooth words stolen out of the Scriptures yet by the light of Christ Jesus he is seen clearly though he calls that Light Natural and like a foolish builder hath built without the Corner-stone By the Light of Christ his building is seen to be raised from no other foundation and ground but meer imaginations And that it must be cast down into the pit of darkness out of which it was raised So though he may complain as he doth in the beginning of his Book of the entertainment others have had in the like endeavours Yet unto the Truth and wisdom of God in all who have not lost the sense of his holy spirit from them I do appeal whether this be not an entertainment according to Truth And though he hath pretended his work to be in love to souls yet it is manifest in the Light of Christ to have this tendency even to deprive souls of the infinite benefit of the sense and injoyment of the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit and to make void their Testimonies who are planted into the same But to prevent the Enemies works is this written in love to Truth and Righteousness and all people who desire after the same Stephen Smith Worplesdon in Surrey the latter end of the 5th Month 1677. A Testimony against the Worlds vain Mirth and Pastimes c. BLessed are they who feel the Inspiration of the Almighty giving them understanding that in reading the Scriptures of Truth the Holy-mens Testimonies they may be understood and deliverance witnessed from them who wrest them to their own destruction There is indeed a time for all things as said Solomon who in that wisdom given him knew that God created man upright but man found out many Inventions And all that Mirth whereby Gods righteous spirit is grieved they who live in it they increase their own sorrow The Rejoycing and Melody which David had in his heart to the Lord who gave him power over his foes Psal 30. And girded him with gladness But what is this to them who are overcome with their foes the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life All such have not a true knowledge of that joy and melody which David witnessed as being girded with gladness by the Lord who said My soul and all that is in me praise the Lord and let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord And figuratively he makes mention of outward Instruments all which are but Types in comparison of that heart that is prepared and put into a right frame even as a well Tuned Instrument to make Melody to the praise and honour of God this is the substance shewed forth by holy peoples praises to the Lord for his work of deliverance as is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth When the Children of Israel were delivered and their foes destroyed Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel and this was the substance the Lord shall reign for ever and ever And Miriam with the women went out with Timbrels and Dances in a Heavenly Melody unto the Lord who had delivered them But the wicked and proud who hate to be reformed they have nothing to do to take the name of the Lord in their mouths And none but wicked Instruments dare bring those Scriptures to stir youth up to be Prodigals and to spend their Portion of precious time in riotous living in keeping company with some who wallow in pride and idleness Sodoms sins and except such Prodigals do turn whilst the door of mercy doth open and they find a reception into the Fathers house by a true unfeigned repentance they shall never witness that Melody or Musick whereby the Soul is made to leap for joy which the Prodigal obtained through a true repentance and returned to his Fathers house he had not that Musick and Melody among the Harlots nor when he kept Swine mind that see the generation of the wicked Job 21.11 They send forth their little ones like a flock and their Children Dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce in the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Therefore they say unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him c. See here you wicked generation of proud prophane persons who stir up the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life one in another by your light frothy behaviours in your wicked Inventions Oh for shame do not go about to cover your evil works by the instigation of wicked Instruments who wrest the holy mens words which if persisted in will be to their destructions and of all them that follow them therein See what the Prophet Amos pronounced to them that chant to the
Viol c. And are at ease wo to them Amos 6. And concerning comparisons in the sound of Instruments being certain or uncertain this makes not at all for your purpose who extol that Musick by which the Lord is dishonoured and the seed of life grieved and burdened so for shame leave off your lightness and vanity least you be left as them who are filthy to be filthy still and you seek repentance as Esau did with tears and cannot find acceptance And see the effects of wicked Dancing Mat. 14.6 7. But when Herod 's birth-day was kept the Daughter of Herodias danced before them Now read and see what effects her brave Dancing procured weigh these things you that have Children that are Light and Airy and restrain them from that wicked practice least they add sin unto sin and bring woe upon them as you may see Herodias Daughter who added one wickedness unto another Stephen Smith To all Bishops and Priests and all concerned with them in a Book Intituled A form of Common Prayer for Gods blessing upon His Majesty and His Dominions and for the averting Gods Judgments Printed this year 1678. ANswer The Lord God hath signally shewen his great displeasure by Sword by Plague and by Fire against that opposite spirit that hath led into all rebellion against the motions of his holy spirit wherein he is making known his way of blessing and his saving health among the people Yet for his great name sake and in his love mercy and pity he did put a stop to those Judgements and hath given space and time of repentance and through many faithful Servants hath the Lord manifested his good pleasure that all who are erred from the way of blessing in life and peace that they might return unto him and wait upon him who is Lord of Heaven and Earth for his teachings and instructions in his holy Covenant of Life and Peace But how regardless have you been of the many and frequent Testimonies that have been faithfully in the moving of Gods holy spirit of Truth given forth against the swelling and groaning abominations of the times So that instead of hearkning and obeying the motions of Gods holy spirit you have proceeded in vexing and grieving the same in a most high degree you have abused the Servants of the Lord God And through your pride and presumption you have drawn the heavy displeasure of the Lord upon you whose dreadful judgments do hang over you and will not be averted or turned from you by any feigned shew of fasting made up in the will of man contrary to the good will mind and pleasure of God In that which is called the order for Morning Prayer are these words Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful c. Answer To them that do in Truth and in unfeigned repentance open their hearts unto him with a faithful resignation of heart soul and body unto the pure manifestation of his holy Law of his pure spirit of life unto such he hath shewn himself very gracious and merciful in setting them free from the Law of sin and death But how often do you repeat those words and yet keep your hearts whole in the friendship of the World in the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life you have been so far from renting your hearts that you have not so much as rent your garments are not the garments of your own righteousness which is no better then filthy rags whole upon you and in that loathsom garment you appearing before the Lord who seeing your loathsomness and hypocrisie in imputing the righteousness of Christ unto you whilst you are really and truly whole in your loathsome garments of your own righteousness where the righteous judge both of the quick and the dead beholding you as you are in your loathsome garments he will never agree with you in your accounts whilst you account so falsly of your Interest in the righteousness of Christ and yet whole in the garments of sin and iniquity doing the things you should not do and leaving undone the things you should do would you when you reckon with your Servants agree with them in such account and allow of their doing so all their life and leave them to account of your riches and that you are bound to give it them sure its time to be awakened from this misery of ignorance And take notice of your following words Though we have rebelled against him neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws which he set before us Now mind was ever your hearts rent from this condition do not you persist in your rebellion and so grieve Gods holy spirit in keeping your heart whole in persecuting them who are led by it Are not the Priests whole in their sin of preaching for Hire and for filthy lucre sake they tell lyes in Hypocrisie promising that to people which neither they nor the people have right unto whilst they are Servants to sin Come down from these barren mountains of imaginations and rent off these filthy garments and rent your hearts from these evils and follow the example of them who are really in this work and from the Lords acceptance have found him gracious and merciful and in the righteous government of his holy spirit of Truth the knowledge of his way of Truth is known in this World and in walking therein there is that hope manifest by Christs righteousness in us of having Eternal life with him in that World which is without end And you say Dearly beloved Brethren the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness and that we should not dissemble and cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart c. Answer Here you acknowledge yourselves to be fallen from the Primitive Christians guide and moreover in the service and work of the Lord they did speak as they were moved by Gods holy spirit and did declare the pleasure and will of God as that gave utterance and by his holy spirit they were made Ministers not coveting any mans Silver or Gold or Apparel nor they did not move for any filthy lucre sake but how have you erred and strayed from this way being lost as to a true and saving knowledge of the motions of Gods holy spirit And in this lost Estate every private spirit is set a work and imaginations dreams do tell their several conceivings of what was given forth by the moving of Gods holy spirit but having erred from the way of the spirit of God and being strangers thereunto they are also strangers to what was given forth by the Spirit of God thus being in error they don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God And thus being become strangers to the motion