and the Seruices of the holy Woord and to shewe Obedience therin â wherwith the Man is assisted to the godly Knowledg are as though they had no Signifycation which thing I commend not 17. For my Heart hath much-more Affection to those that with Ignorance / do seeke God and his Righteousnes and that shewe Obedience therin / then to those that with Vnderstanding / do estrainge them from God and his Seruice and are strainge and disobedient vnto all Righteousnes / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord of the holy Spirit and Seruice of Loue and so do liue after ther owne Mynde l Ier 7. c. 23. b. 18. b and Good-thinking The XVI Chap. FOr this cause / my Beloued â as is before sayde and for that I do now fynde Many / which â according to their owne Good-thinking do liue in all Disobedience / against the Requyring of the holy Woord and which bost them falsly of the Vnderstanding of the spirituall and heauenly Things and so â â—leaueing-vnto or loueing the Worlde and the corruptible Things· or the Following of the false Libertynes desyre to conuersate or to haue fellowshipp with mee and for more such-like things cause and for that I do neither seeke nor desyre any such matter / I haue indeuoured myself to be conuersant with certen zealous Hearts To th end that I in my Zeale / mought not haue my Course with the Vnwillingones â which take-on a false Freedom / to seperate themselues from the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and cleaue to the earthly corruptible Things but with the Good-willingones to the Righteousnes and that the Vnderstanding of the godly Trueth and of the peaceable Loue / mought â by that Meanes beare-swaye among the Louers of the vpright Vnderstanding / which do loue the Treasures of Wisdom and the Obedience to the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue / aboue Golde and Siluer a Pâ—o. 8. â— Sap. 7 a. and aboue all what is in the Worlde 2. For whosoeuer loueth the Wisdom or the holy Vnderstanding and the Obedience to the Requyring of her Seruice of Loue / aboue all earthly Things / and doth not contemne enuye nor blaspheame anyone / that also laboureth ther-after with Ignorance / To him b Pro. 8 â— Sap. 6 b. 7. â— Math. 7. â— wil likewyse the Wisdom or holy Vnderstanding / appeere But whosâ— loueth anything aboue the Wisdom / or whoso contemneth and blaspheameth anyman / in his Zeale to the Righteousnes and seperateth himself from him / is not wyse neither shall hee also fynde vnderstande nor inherite the Wisdom For the Wisdom is much-to-noble to-honorable of Lynage c Pro. 8. a. b. Sap 7 a. b. Ecclâ— 24. b. and to-precious / for to ioyne or shewe herself vnto those / y t do not loue her with all their Hearts / aboue all Things 3. Oh â alas I fynde too-feawe of those which loue the Wisdom aboue all things But let it go how it will / with the Wysdom and the vpright Righteousnes the Man doth in-any-case take good heede to the earthly Things / which doutles are nomore to be esteemed then as d Phil. 3. b. Dirt / in comparyson to the Preciousnes or Worthynes of the Wisdom and Righteousnes of God 4. Vnderstande now â thou Beloued wherfore I haue indeuoured myself to haue my Conuersation in Freedom / with those whom thou wel knowest and also with others more namely for the Wisdom and the Righteousnes sake as is before rehearsed and as I wil yet partly rehearse vnto thee / because that thy Heart shoulde in-nowyse doubt that I haue sought or liked anything-els / but the Vertues of the vpright and true inuisible Beeing 5. For in all Things and Dealings that I haue has with them / this hath bin all my Grounde and Intent / for to heare-ouer their Vnderstanding and Wisdom / vnder the Obedience of the Loue· to question with them· and to answere agayne / To th end that we mought therby becom agreeable or concordable e 1 â—or 1. a Phil. 2. a. mynded / in the Loue and in the Vnderstanding and to the vpright Righteousnes / and that we shoulde not take or construe anything of each-other / to the worst but I haue not yet vsed thesame Course among them nor-yet the Speeche that tendeth therunto 6. I haue not yet lykewyse bin in any Communialtee among them / wherby to deale boldly with them But the Lorde do with vs according to his Will and thatt which serueth most vnto Peace and to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 7. O Thou Beloued / Although I haue â out of Loue submitted myself heerunto among Somme wherby to informe the Louers of the Trueth / to all Vnitee in the Loue and so haue not contemned nor blaspheamed the Outward / Yet am I not therfore outwardly mynded but this do I veryly acknowledg that it is much-more Pleasure vnto mee / to deale with the Loue of the Wisdom and to talke therof / among those that loue the Loue and the Wisdom / because that the Righteousnes appeereth vnto Such then to inherit all the Ritches and Pleasures of this Worlde or to deale among those which loue the earthly Things or their owne Good-thinking / aboue the Wisdom and aboue the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue / and so to dissemble with Men / as though all were inward and heauenly Things that they loue / wher-with they deceaue both themselues and other moe / which heare them and do seduce them from the true Seruices that leade to the Lyfe 8. And like-as thou wrytest / that it is vnpossible for thee to cause thyne Eyes and thy Heart to hope / as to waight for Deliuerance through any outward Things euenso is thesame likewyse vnpossible for mee Yea although it were so that I woulde do it / yet coulde I not For the Light of the heauenly Trueth â wherwith God hath illuminated f 1. Cor. 4 a. my Heart / out of his holy Heauen is an Against-shyning vnto mee / against thesame But the Ministration of the Good / by the godded Men or Olde-fathers in the Famyly of Loue / is awayes very profitable and a good Preparation to the Deliuering of the Man from his g Rom. 7. c Bandes of the Sinne. and that men haue familyer brotherly Conuersation together to that ende / is also very louely and likewyse greatly edyfying to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 9. Beholde â thou Beloued like-as I haue heere written vnto thee in naked and bare maner / Euenso standeth my Mynde and I hope not to forsake thesame / till I haue founde or gotten all what I seek-for and desyre among the Louers of the Trueth The Lorde graunt me Mercy and doowith mee / according to his Will Amen Fare-well and behaue thyself vprightly Heere-with I do thee heartly greete In the Lyfe of the Loue most-sweete The Ende of the Sixt Epistle Our Heart / is the
Children of God and Saincts of Iesu Christ. 7. COm now all likewyse / which â through your v Rom. 1. c. EPhe. 4. b. ignorant Knowledg or Misunderstanding haue turned-away your selues from thissame x Esa. 16. â— Heb 5. a. Seate of Grace and louely Howse of the Loue of Iesu Christ and from our y Iohn 17 b. 1. Iohn â— a. Communialtee· growen-offended at our Meannes or a 2. Cor 1. c. Simplenes and at the godly Testimonyes of our Sayings· and so made-vp yourselues b â— Tim. â— 3 b. resistant against vs and our good Doctrine and Exercises· seperated yourselues from vs· and growen bitter or wrathfull towards vs / together withall yee that haue mistrusted vs· and c Ioh. 8.10 c. 2 Tess. 2. b. not beleeued the holy Woord of the eternall Trueth â which wee by Gods Grace / do administer vnder the Obedience of the Loue / but doubted therof· and so for-that-cause â through som Peruers-conceaueing towards thesame or towards vs refused the d Pro 1. c. d. proffered Grace or kept yourselues baâ—h and repent e Eze. 18. d. you for your Sinnes / to your Sainctification and to the Health of your Soules 8. COm likewyse all yee / which â through any Opinion of the Self-wyseones or through any Good-thinking or Imagination of the Knowledg haue bin f Pro. 18. a. vnregarding towards thissame gracious and godly Seruice of Loue and towards his Requyring / and also yee / which haue heard or read the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ· and shewed no right Obedience as likewyse all yee / which haue ouerreached pourselues in any disorderly g Sap. 14. c. Rom. 1. c. Dealing or false h 2. Pet 2. b. Iudae 1. b. Freedom or in hearing and beleeueing of any i Ier. 23.27 c. vnsent Preachers and so are falne to your k Ier. 7. c. â—8 a. owne Counsayle â or to the Counsaile of those that stande not submitted to the Howse of the Loue of Iesu Christ nor to his Seruice and Requyring or are Straingers ther-vnto / or yee y t â through your l Pro. 6.24 d. Negligence or Little-regarding of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue are becom vaynly-mynded / with the wicked Worlde and with the vayne or false m Rom 1. c. 2. Pet. 2. a. Praters / through the Imagination of the Knowledg Ø›that false Light Com and n Eccli 7 b. 1 Pet. 5. a. humble you / and let all your Vnderstandings be renewed· and â to thobtayneing of a good o Ephe. 4. b. Knowledg of Iesu Christ and his Godlynes brought-to-right / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and vnder thesame p 1. Pet. 1. c. d. Obedience / q Eze. 36. â— wash your Bodyes with the pure Water of the Loue and so cleanse your â–ª Hearts from all vngodly Beeing r Esa. 1. c. and wicked Thoughts 9. Com now all hether and s Gal. 6. b. Ephe 5. d. Apo. 2.3 b. neglect not your tyme To-daye becometh the Grace of the Loue of Iesu Christ / proffered yet vnto you all and the Hande reached-forth seruiceablely with thesame to a peaceable t Ephe. 4. d. Col. 3. b. Reconcilement with each-other in Iesu Christ to an Vnitee of Heart with vs / in all Loue. 10. Yea To-daye er-euer the Punishiment of the last Iudgment go-forth ouer all Vngodlyones v Pro. 1. c. Math. 25 d. / to thier Condemnation in the hellish Fyre ye be yet all called and bidden â euen out of meere Grace x Eqhe. 1.2 a. and harty Loue to the Communialtee of Saincts / which haue thier y 1. Iohn 1. â— felowship with Christ / in the Howse of the Loue of Iesu Christ. and that altogether / to the Preseruation of you all in the Godlynes The Third Chap. COm likewyse all ye People Gouernours / and Subiects Noble / and Vnnoble Ritch / and Poore Wyse / and Simple as also all a Math. 9. b. Men-sinners and Women-sinners Turne you about betymes to b Heb. 5. a. the Mercie-seate / er-euer that ye be quyte and cleane swallowed-vpp by the wicked Worlde or with seducing Babbling / through the false Light· and ouerwhelmed with the Cursse / by the Wrath c Eccli 5. b. Mal. 4 a. Rom 2. a of God 2. Com now all hether and confesse your Sinnes laye-open d Pro. 18. b. Eccli 2. a. the Inwardnes of your Heartes and bring-forth right e Math. 3. a. Luk. 3. a. Fruits of Repentance and so then suffer yourselues to be f Eze. 36. c. Heb. 10. c. washed with the pure and safe-making Water of the Loue / in the Fonte of g Sap 3. a. Eccli 2. a. Humiliation / To th end that ye may be h Rom. 5.8 a. Heb. 9. c. iustifyed or cleansed from all your Sinnes· receaued into the holy Comunialtee of Loue / to be i Rom. 12. b. Ephe 4. b Fellow-members of the Bodye of Iesu Christ· and byde-standing in holy k Psal. 45. b. Sap. 5 a. Garnishing and not perrish with the wicked Worlde / when-as she now in thissame Daye / is iudged with the Lords mighty Hande 3. Which wicked Worlde / is kept l Pet. 3. b. to the hellish Fyre / till vnto this Daye of Loue / for to condempne thesame for euermore / in thesame Daye of Loue to her eternall Curssing and m Math 25. d. 2. Pet. 3. b. Iudgment of the Fyers Crueltee / together with all those that mayntayne the wicked Worlde as also are affected to thesame and wil not turne them to Repentance 4. Verily in thesame Daye / when-as now all Vngodlyones n Math. 15. d. Tess. 1.2 b. Iudae 1. b. and all Self-wysones with all Vnrepentantones and false Hearts of the Scriptur-learned â which in their owne Opinion / haue o Math. 24 c. falsly bosted themselues very-stoutly to be Christians do inherit the tirrible p Psal. 13.47 Rom. 2. a. Condemnation / with many Smarts / in the Crueltee of the helâ—ish Fyre / Then shall the People of God namely / the whole Comunialtee of the Loue of Iesu Christ and all those that haue turned them penitently from thier Sinnes / to thesame Comunialtee or Family of Loue q Esa. 35.65 c reioyce them in all Loue. and obtayne a perpetuall Rest / r Esa. 32. c. Sap. 3. a. in the euerlasting Lyfe / according to the Promyses of God the Father and his Christ. 5. for-that-FOr-that-cause â O all ye People vppon Earth take-heede to this my Voyce or Calling· to this proffered s Pro. 1. c. Esa. 49. â— Grace· and to my Warning / all yee â sayth the holy Spirit of Loue which wil remayne preserued and be saued / now in thissame last Daye 6. For after the Daye of Loue inasmuch as it is the last or newest Daye / on t Act. 17. d. the
a. Apo 19. a b. is righteous in his Iudgment 4. Thus sayth the holy Spirit of Loue I haue to deale with thee / O all thou Flesh / that art borne of the falne Adam â–ª and likewyse with you all that wil excuse or defende thatsame For this is the righteous Iudgment of my God / ouer you that ye all are i Rom. 2. a. resistant against the Kyndnes of the highest God Who wil now I pray you / iustify or excuse himself against thesame For according to your owne inclyned Mynde / ye haue all doutles fleshed yourselues with the Deuill and so are incorporated to all Euell and Wickednes wherthrough ye haue eueryone â how prudent-wyse soeuer ye be k Apo. 17. b. fought against God and the Lambe / with your owne Wisdom or Good-thinking and â—o haue troden-downe the Loueing-kyndnes of God in yourselues / with Feete· shedd the Blood of the Righteous· and accounted the holy Blood of the true Testament of the Lorde Iesu Christ / for l Heb. 10. f. vncleane shutt y e Glory of God quyt out of your Hearts and so are becom replenished m Math. 23. c with all Vnrighteousnes Wickednes Maliciousnes Mocking and Blaspheamy 5. Ouer-and-aboue this / ye haue couered your euell Deedes / with Hypocrisie wherby to hyde your Vncleannes and Craftynes And in this Falshod / ye haue also sought n Ioh. 5.12 d· Prayse and Honour / on-of-another â–ª sâ—â—t yourselues in Iudgment / which belongeth o Esa. 3. c. Sap. 3. a. Math. 19. c. 1. Cor. 6. a. Iude. â— b only to God with his Saincts· and dealt coueredly trayterously and deceitfully / in your Counsayle of priuy Conspiracies / for to accuse and defame the p Esa. 53 b. Sap. 2 b. Vpright of Heart therby / with wicked Deedes and so wil haue right / in your owne Wickednes and Lyes 6. But in all this your Vnrighteousnes / ye haue loued and defended the Creatures / aboue God attributed the Honour vnto the q Iohn 5. c. Creatures / which only belongeth vnto God and so haue among-each-other / ascrybed the Vertues of God / vnto the Flesh â–ª and drawen the gloryous r Iohn 8. Rom. 6. c 8. b. c Freedom of the Children of God / vnto yourselues so that all your Iudgment is false / and proceedeth out of the Lye and not out of the Trueth 7. Beholde This false Iudgment proceeding out of the Wisdom of the Flesh and out of the crafty and wicked Sight / is com before the Eares of the supreame God s Gen. 6. a. and thesame hath greeued Him For-that-cause hath He now in the last tyme â or in this Oldnes of the tyme taken the righteous Iudgment vnto himself / against all lying Flesh t Psal. 96.98 a. for to iudg with Righteousnes vppon the Earth namely vnto the Good / to a Reward of all Good v Rom. 2. a. but vnto the Euell / to a Reward of all Euell and Wickednes And thatsame is the Light of Trueth and the true x Iohn â— c. Iudgment that God hath now in the last tyme / sent into the Worlde / through his Loue / to the Declaring of y e Righteousnes / for to iudg y Psal 96. b Act. 1â— d. Iude. â— b the Circuit of the Earth with Righteousnes / through thatsame Light / vnder the Obedience of y â— Loue and so to make-manifest the Self-wyseones / with their owne Wisdom· the wicked crafty Sights / with their Wickednes and Craftynes· and y e Prudent and Subtilones / with their PrudeÌ„ce and Subtiltee The III. Chap. COm all hether therfore to the righteous Iudgment of my God / O all ye Flesh of the falne Adam Com and let yourselues be seene in the Light But what auayleth it / ye shall all now be made-manifest before thesame Iudgment / what ye are For all your Nakednes â although ye think to couer yourselues becometh theare layd-bare and ye cannot also with all your owne Power / a Psal. 76.130 Mala. 3. a. Apo. 6. b byde-standing against the vertuous Nature of the Loue. 2. Beholde such a Glistering of Cleernes hath the Loue in her Beawty and Righteousnes / that no Vncleaneone can â with Ioye endure with her nor with her Comunialtee For his Wickednes or Craftynes is manifest ther-against euen-like as it doth also appeere with Many now in this present Daye Therfore hath likewyse no Flesh of the falne Adam / any pleasure therin Wherby it is knowen and manifest / b Esa. 40. a 1. Pet. 1. c. how vayne all Flesh of Adam is / in all his Knowledg Sight and Wisdom 3. Who wil now I pray you / defende the sinfull Flesh any longer / to a Couering of his crafty Nature Who wil â–ª I saye excuse it / in his Subtil-wylynes For ther dwelleth c Gen. 6 a 8. c Ier. 17. b. Math 15.23 b Rom. 7. c no Good-thing in it but nodout / all Hypocrisie and Deceit 4. Truly / it shall not be excused / before the Spirit of Lyfe neither-yet can men also excuse thesame before Mee / wherby I shoulde alow it in any Thing let it then appeere as good or holy as it will but that it is d Rom. 3. d. false and lying / in euery-poynt and can witnes no Trueth / of any godly Things 5. Seing now that the Deceit of the sinfull Flesh with all his Inclynacion according to his owne Sensualitee / is â euen in Experience by the Deede and Trueth becom knowe vnto Mee / through the Light / So cannot I likewyse for-that-for-that-cause / trust any Flesh of Sinne neither-yet beleeue nor alow any Iudgment e Deut. 1. b. Iohn 7. c 8. b that it iudgeth according to the Sight of his owne Eyes or according to the Hearing of his owne Eares but am altogether against thesame as that it is wrong in all his Iudgments that are according to the Sight of the Eyes or Hearing of the Eares / and iudgeth Gods Trueth falsly and out of the Lye and I do also testifye against all Iudgment of the sinfull Flesh / that it vseth all his Industry and Prudence / f Phil. 2. c. to the preferment of his Selfnes and euenso iudgeth to his Self-seeking· 6. Beholde / so false lying and deceitfull· and so full of Dissimulation and Hypocrisie / it is in all his Dooing and Leaueing Not only in that â which hath an euell showe but cheefly in thatt wherwith it wil showe itself â with a Shyne of holy Speeches to be holy and vpright and wherin it wil be alowed 7. To conclude ther is nothing but g Psal. 14. a. 58. a. 116. b. Rom. 3. a. b. Lyes and Falshod / in all Flesh of the falne Adam and in all what is borne out of the sinfull Flesh and that hath no Lust to performe the Requyring of the gracious Woord of the Lorde and whatsoeuer it witnesseth affirmeth or speaketh /
is all to the Couering of his Craftynes and false Selfnes let it iustifye or cleere itself then / somuch as it will let it transforme his Countenance to be so woful-hearted / as it will let it sobb let it sigh or lament then / somuch as it will let it speake then so sweete or flatteringly / as it will let it testify then his Sight and Hearing / so perfectly as it will let it also be then so vnderstanding or skilfull / touching y e new Birth· the Loue· the Trueth· and y e Secretnes of God or of the heauenly Things / as it will â if it be not obediently mynded to the Requyring of the gracious Woord and his Seruice So is it doutles all false and nothing but Poyson that it speweth-foorth against the vpright Lyfe of the Soule / wherby to h Iohn 10. a. kill and to spoyle the Peace of the Soule i Rom. 16. b. and to rende y e Concord of the Goodwillingones towwards the Loue. The IIII. Chap. THerfore / O ye young Children / which are borne out of the Seruice of Loue and out of her Spirit / to the God of Lyfe / to the Lande of his Glory / together with ye Disciples and on-coming Men / in the holy Vnderstanding of the gracious Woord of the Lorde / Beware of all sinfull and lying Flesh of Adam and of all Myndes that take-part with thesame a Rom. â—â— â— Gal. â— â— Col â— â— or which do excuse defende or alow thesame in his Vanitee and Falshod / To th end that ye do not committ Whordom therwith nor-yet becom spoyled of the Peace / which ye do inherit vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 2. For all sinfull Flesh / dealeth in Couerednes and Craftynes / with his Lyes and Deceit and those that cleaue-vnto thesame and defende or excuse it for anything that is Vpright / b Act. 7. f. are all Traytors and Imaginers-of-euell towards the vpright vncorrupt Good / which cometh-forth or is witnessed out of the Loue / to an Vnitee of Heart / in the Loue. 3. Therfore be mistrustfull towards all sinfull Flesh / as also towards all vnregenerated Men / which turne them away from the Obedience to the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue / beleeue not the Very-best of them / much-lesse / those whom ye knowe to turne-away themselues from vs and our Doctrine vnder the Obedience of the Loue c 1. Iohn 2. â— and to stand-vpp against the Loue and her Seruice and to vse their Hypocrisie / towards the Comunialtee of Saincts in the Loue. For no Flesh â—that is borne of the falne Adam d Psal. 143. a â–ª Rom. 3 â— shal be â—ounde righteous / when it is iudged according to the Trueth 4. for-that-For-that-cause let noman com-before mee with any Mynde of the Flesh for to excuse the sinfull Flesh / how lamentable or wofull soeuer it maketh itself or how holy and vnderstanding soeuer it appeereth 5. Oh let noman tell me any good or vertue / of the lying Flesh nor-yet of the vnregenerated Man / which seperateth himself from the Loue and her Seruice but let eueryone take-heede in the Spirit / to the true spirituall e Iohn 3. b. Birth of the Children of God which cometh out of Heauen / to the Beleeuers of the holy Woord of the Spirit of Loue / vnder the Obedience of the Loue which spirituall heauenly Children of God / are full of all Goodnes and Vertue· and of-one-mynde with Vs / to all Concorde in the Seruice of Loue. 6. Therfore f Math. 24. c. Mark 13. c. Luk. 17. c. beleeue no Men of the Earth / which com vnto you out of y t Flesh and Blood of Sinne and are without the Famyly of Loue but beleeue the Men of God / which com vnto you out of the Seruice of Loue and which descend-doune to you g Iohn 1.3 d. 2. Pet. 1. b. 1. Iohn 1. a. from Heauen / who / are Spirit and Lyfe and haue had their Rest in the Bosom of the Almighty Father / till vnto this last Tyme And from thence do they â in the Obedience of the Loue com agayne now with their God / in Glory h Esa. 3. b. Iude. 1. b for to bring the Iudgment â with Righteousnes ouer the Worlde 7. Beholde thatsame i Iohn 12. d. Iudgment is now kept against all sinfull Flesh. For Hee which iudgeth righteously / hath sett himself vppon his gloryous Iudgment-seate k Math. 24. d 25. d. 2. Tess. 1. a. Iude. 1. b And all his Saincts com with Him / in great multytudes of Hosts for to possesse the Earth with Righteousnes For it is geeuen vnto them l Math. 11. c. 28 b Luâ— 10. d. Iohn â— d by that God / who hath made it all 8. For the Prayer m Apo. 6. b of the Saincts is now hearde and their God cometh to take Vengeance / to a Righteousnes n Psa 96.98 a Apo. 19. a vppon the Earth euen-as is written therof / because that the Will of God the Father / may be don vppon o Math. 6.26 c. the Earth likeas it is in Heauen and that his vpright Beeing with his Saincts / may also beare-swaye thear· the Scripture p Math. 26. f. Luk. 24. e becom fulfilled· and that God may bee all q 1. Cor. 15. â— in all according to the Promyses 9. Beholde Thatt is Gods Glory and the righteous Iudgment of my God Who wil open his Mouth / to speake against thesame lest he com to shame / in his Tongue 10. Therfore shut-too your Mouth / with a Bitt r Psal. 39. a. Luk. 3. a. that ye fall not through your Tongue but s Esa. 30. b. in Stilnes / take-heede vnto God who appeereth and cometh t Iude. 1. b. on the Earth with all his Saincts / in great Glory euen-as is written therof The V. Chap. WHat hath God to doo with you or what careth Hee for your Wayling and Lamenting / O ye flattering Tongues or all yee that wil excuse or defende the Flesh of Sinne For beholde the Lorde shall in thissame Light of the Loue / shame you all in a Psal. 5â— a Math. 25. d. his Beholding and his mighty Hande of Iustice / shall stand ouer you / to a Suppressing of you / till that ye be confounded and remayne confounded for euermore 2. True it is I haue heard a mighty Crye with a great Lamentation and Waylling / vppon the Earth / wher-through / I was almost mooued to Compassion But I went alittle neerer to that Howling and Lamenting And lo / when I considered theron It was the Flesh of Sinne / that wayled and lamented excedingly / b Apo. 18. b because that his Worthynes mought be nomore of Value and for that it was nomore esteemed nor coulde gett any Prayse or Honour anymore and that God with his Saincts / did only gett the Glory 3. But when
I vnderstood the Lamenting and Wayling / then was I not mooued to Compassion ouer y e lamenting Flesh of Sinne / as to fauour or defende thesame / in his sinfull Lusts and vnchast Desyres For it was mynded against God / in all his Lamenting and Wayling but my Heart was compassionably-bent with the Godhead For looking-vpon the Falshod and Deceipt of the sinfull Flesh / I hoped to reioyce me in Gods Glory and so myne Affection stood-bent with the God of Lyfe / to th end that his Glory mought breake-thorow / ouer the Darknesses of Men. And I coulde not bemoue the Generation of the euel-willing Men / in their Howling and Weeping because they did not repent For all their Howling and Weeping was / because they mought nomore vse their Vnrighteousnes and their Pleasure of Whordom and Theeuery / according to their owne Will And to leaue thesame / was their Payne and Greef which they suffered 4. Beholde thatt is the Reward of the Vngodly / wherin they now at the last / be punished according to the Woord of our Lord and God For all Vngodlyons shal be punished c Sap. 11.12 â— Apo. 18. â— in their owne Wickednes / wherin they haue liued / according to their owne Lusts. 5. Do ye Vnderstand this well / O ye Lamenters and Defenders of the Sinful-flesh Ye do lament the Flesh greatly / in his Wayling because it fayleth him in his Will or Lusts but ye do not aboue-al / lament the Goodnes of God which hath bin forced to suffer from the begining d Apo. 15. a of the Worlde / for the Resistances cause of the sinfull Flesh. 6. O Ye foolish Lamenters yee which saye to the Flesh and to those which â according to y e Flesh seeke nothing e Phil 2. â— but their Selfnes Oh how are ye burdened against your owne Myndes and Vnderstandings / and what a matter haue ye to beare to endure or to suffer Oh ye cannot do it and it goeth altogether euell with you doutles / because ye may not vse your Sensualitee and your Lusts / in Freedom Ah cast from you all Burdenings / that com vppon you against the Flesh / as also the Seruice of Loue / which is against you in all your Myndes of the Flesh and take not thosame Burdenings on you but take-heede to the f Sap. 2. â— Lusts of your Flesh and leade your Lyfe according to the maner of the Worlde / for your Peaces cause and so liue in Freedom / concordablely 7. Beholde such things do the Enemyes g Phil. 3. b. of the true Crosse of Christ speake wherwith they shewe how well they are contented that the Man shoulde liue in a false Freedom and in a false Concord and that ChristØ›the Goodnes of God the Father shoulde still suffer h Rom 6. a. Phil. 3. b. 1 Pet. 2. c 4 a and be crucifyed and killed but / to suffer with Him and to be planted into i Rom. 6. a Him / with his lyke Death / for the vpright Lyfes sake wherby to inherite the euerlasting Lyfe with Christ / in the sâ—conde k Iohn 3. a Rom. 6. a Col. â— b Tit. â— a. Birth from the Death â–ª they wil none of thatt but desyre to liue in the Sinne / l Psal 81. b. Ier 7. c. according to their owne Will or Desyres of the Flesh and to go-on according to their owe Good-thinking 8. Yet do these Lamenters of the Flesh notwithstanding / talke likewyse somtymes / of the Suffering or Crosse of Christ / euenas the Knowledg prefigureth thesame vnto them but to follow-after Christ obediently therin and to be partakers m Rom. 6. a Phil. 3. b. of his Resurrection in themselues / to a new Lyfe of their Mynde / thatt do they forsake / because they seeke their Delyte of Lyfe / n Rom. 16. â— Phil. 3. c. in the Flesh and not in God who is the o Iohn 4. b 2 Cor. 3. b Spirit of Lyfe himself 9. But vnto those that sett all their Consolation of Lyfe vppon God and which p Math. 19. b. â for the Kingdoms sake of the God of Heauens do circumâ—ise themselues in the Obeying of the Loue and her Seruice / cometh Saluation Peace and Ioye For the Kingdom of the God of Heauens / cometh vnto them q Apo. 2â— â— with Beawty and Glory and it shall with his Heate / cause â–ª all the Beawty of the r Esa. 40. â— â–ª Flowers of the Flesh to wither and so shall make-manifest the liueing Soules of Righteousnes / with their Garnishing / to an euerlasting Tryumph of the Glory of God to his Honour to the Ioye and Peace of his Saincts and to y e s Esa. 65 b. 2. Pet. 3. b Apo. 21. â— Renewing of the Earth with Righteousnes whose growing Beawty / withereth not / vnder the Loue but it remayneth-ouer in the euerlasting Lyfe 10. Beholde my beloued Freendes in the Loue This wryte I vnto you all / for a Warning from the Destruction / to th end that ye may knowe the t Gen. 3.8 Subtiltee of the sinfull Flesh and the Perills of thesame / which are hidden in the Delytes of the Flesh and for that it inought alwayes go-well with you / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and that ye mought not be deceaued by any Straingers v Pro. 6. c. 7. a or Declyners from the Seruice of Loue. The VI. Chap. WHerfore / O ye little and young Children / yee which are borne out of the Loue and be yet Esa. 66. â—â—Pet 2. a suckled with the Milke of her Brests for a Foode of Lyfe / in all Sweetnes / Take-heede â I aduyse you of the Straingers and of the Declyners from the Seruice of Loue Let not the Milke of their Brests b Pro. 5. c. 7. b delyte you that ye suck not the strainge Brests of the adulterous Whoores who are growne with childe in Whordom / through their Vnfaythfulnes Fall and Adultry / wherunto they haue suffered themselues to be prouoked by their crafty Eyes and wicked Thoughts and so do bring-foorth the strainge or c 4. Esd. 6 c. vngodly Seede vppon the Earth / out of the Lust to their owne d Deut. 12. a. Goodthinking 2. Forasmuch then as they do bring-foorth the vnfaythfull and adulterous Seede / out of their adulterous Fruitfulnes / Therfore do they also giue-forth nothing out of their Brests / but Poyson / in steade of Milke 3. Heer of beware â ye Deerly-beloued that ye do not in-any-wyse suck such Whoores-brests nor receaue any of their Milke / that-ther be no Poyson sucked into your Soules for the which / ye shoulde be constrayned to wade-thorow or suffer many Paynes of Death / er-euer ye coulde be sounde agayne But with submitted Hearts / vnder the Obedience of the Loue / holde yourselues e Math. 10. â— 24. b Heb. 12. a constantly to the single and
the holy and godly Knowledg / and so shall feele and s 1. Pet. 2. a taste liueingly in the Spirit / the mostholy Beeing of the supreame God The VI. Chap. MOrouer â my Beloued Forasmuch as thou doest now desyre to knowe som larger Instruction at our hands / then thatt which we haue alredy spoken vnto thee / to th end thou mayest com to the simple Trueth and so to be partaker of the a 2. Pet â–ª 1. a. godly Beeing / Therfore do not I desyre also to withholde thesame from thee but to figure it foorth vnto thee in Wryting / according to the Gift of the Grace of God / which is chaunced vnto Mee out of his Light of Lyfe and which is profitable vnto thee to Edification for-that-For-that-cause beholde and consider and giue eare b Pro. 4. to the holy Vnderstanding 2. First-of-al / submitt thyself to the outflowed gracious Woord of the Lorde wherby to enter obediently into the Requyring of his Seruice of Loue and so in thy Obeying of the Requyring of thesame Woord and Seruice / take-heede to the Wisdom of the Woord / c Iam. 1. c in the Meeknes of the Loue / in thy Spirit and Mynde For thesame Wisdom / in the Meeknes of the Loue / is much humbler / then all Knowledg of the Good and Euell / much better / d Psal. 19 b Pro. 3. b â— b Sap. 7. a then all Golde and Siluer / and much-more of value / then all precious Stones Whosoeuer fyndeth her / he hath a costly Treasure For the Wisdom in the Meeknes of the Loue / is the principall and euerlasting Good and excelleth it all 3. This Wisdom â seing it is of God e Sap. 7· c Iam. 3. b. is also 〈◊〉 â–ª courteous and freendly For it is the true Christ of God the liueing Woord of the Father and the euerlasting Lyfe 4. Beholde this is the Lyfe that was with God the Father / from the Begining f Gen 1 a. Psal 33. a Pro 8. c Sap. 1. b Iohn 1. a. thorough the which / God hath made all Things and without thesame / God hath made nothing / that is any-what 5. This Lyfe g Iohn 1. d. is for a Light of Men / to th end that the Man shoulde liue the Lyfe / that proceedeth h Rom. 6. a 1 Pet 4. a out of God And this Lyfe is in Vs i Iohn 1. a and we are made through thesame and grounded or sett ther-vppon / as vppon a liueing Woord k Esa. 40. b 1. Pet. 1. c that continueth for euer And to thesame Woord in his Seruice / we be all called and bidden / because that we shoulde euenso through his Seruice / beleeue theron 6. Thissame was in the Worlde also l Iohn 1. b Heb. 1. a and the Worlde was made by thesame but the Worlde knew it not 7. Thissame Woord or Lyfe / doth likewyse beare euery-thing / m Heb 1. a with the Beeing of his Power and maketh the n Ephe. 1. a. Cleansing of our Sinnes / through Himself 8. Beholde by thatsame hath o Gen. 1. â— God made all Things well / in the Begining and ther was nothing made in the Begining / of all that God had made / but it was all good And God did also beholde it all for good 9. And so from the Begining / ther was no euell nor dâ—mnable Thing / with the Lyfe that is of God and this Lyfe was vniforme â as one like Beeing p Gen 1. c Sap. 2. c Eccli 17. a with the Godhead And in Beholding it / ther was no Difference For it was in euery-poynt / godded with God and so in the Begining / ther was nothing-els but one God one Light and one Lyfe 10. Out of this Lyfe / did God bring-foorth the Memory or Vnderstanding q Gen. 1. b â— to be an Help to the Lyfe / to th end that euery-thing shoulde be handled and gouerned well and orderly / by the Memory or Vnderstanding· and by the Lyfe / wher-out God had brought the Memory Therfore did likewyse the Lyfe / inclyne to the Vnderstanding and cleaue vnto her for she was a Light / of his Light and a Lyfe / of his Lyfe Therfore was she also the Most-beawtyfull and the Most-delytfulone to the louely Lyfe 11. Thewhiles that this Vnderstanding / turned-not-out or fel-not-away from the Life but did alwayes stand-firme in the Lyfe / for r Gen. â— b â— an Help to the Lyfe / so was-ther Ioye and Peace with God and the Man and ther was no Diuision or Middle-wall / betwixt God and the Man neither had the Vnderstanding any other Knowledg / but that she liued to the Lyfe and stood obedient / to the Seruice and Welfare of the Lyfe and to the Rest and Peace of all Generations of the Earth 12. Beholde this was the former Kingdom of God / full of all pure Beawty / wherin God â before the Man fel-away from Him was knowen / as a s Iohn 1. b Lorde in his Glory and the t Math. 24. a Act. 1. a Setting-vp of thesame Kingdom agayne / those are the Promyses of God the Father namely to establish thesame / through his Loue and her Seruice / in the last tyme. 13. But when the Memory or Vnderstanding turned-away from the Lyfe taking-vpon-her to knowe somthing / that was not the Lyfe itself nor that stood grounded in the Lyfe neither-yet was for an Help vnto the Lyfe / Then did the Vnderstanding mingle herself with thatt which was nothing or which God had not made and thatt was the Euell / against the Good the Lye / agaynst the Trueth and the Death / against the Lyfe And thus did the Vnderstanding committ Adultry and she was inflamed with the knowing of somthing without the Lyfe And she became subiect to the Vanitee or Thatt which was nothing and then was the Transgression brought-to-pas and the Sinne was in-that-sort brought-forth / v Iohn 6. â— 17 2. Tess. 2. a as a lost Childe of the Deuill and of the Condemnation 14. Beholde euenthus was the Man captiued in his Memory or Vnderstanding / x Rom. 1. c. 2. Cor. 4 a. Ephe. 4. c. with a blynde Knowledg or with an Vnderstanding of the Darknesses which Darknesses are y Iohn 3. â— beloued of the Man· and taken-on for Couerings z Esa 25. a. 2. Cor. â— b. or Aperus to a Couering of the a Gen. 3. a. naked Cleernes of the manly Foorme / which God had created to be b Gen. 1.2 his Image and so â in the Taking-on of the Couerings God was nomore for a Light of Lyfe vnto the Man nor for a Delyte in his Paradise but for a Dryueing-out c Gen 3. from his Face 15. And now when the Man was estrainged from the Beholding of his God / then was the Lyfe also / nomore for a Light to the
christian Ceremonyes out of their owne Opinion and b Ier. 23. b. Good-thinking and therfore is also their Office against Gods Commaundement For they are vnmeete to the Seruice of the Lorde / which God esteemeth-of for they knowe not his c Psal. 95. a Sap. 5 a â—eb 3. b. Wayes neither do they knowe the Waye of d Psal. 14. a Psa 59 b Rom. 3. b Peace but they are blynde dumme and deafe / thouching the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God and so in their Seruices / are e Math. 15. b â–ª 23 b Luk â— d Blyndeguydes and do likewyse leade the People into Captiuitee / with the Bandes of their Blyndnes 2. They breake not the f Iohn 6. c. Bread of Lyfe vnto the People they baptise not also in the g Math. 28. b Name of the Father â who is the liueing God nor in the Name of the Sonne of God â who is the true Light and Lyfe of his Father nor-yet in the Name of the holy Gost who is the heritable h Ephe. 1 b Paune of the Godlynes 3. Forasmuch now veryly / as these holy spirituall Ritches are not among them / therfore do they not likewyse keepe i 1. Cor. 11. c the Supper of Christ / according to the Trueth For the Bread k Iohn 6. d from Heauen / is not with them for-that-For-that-cause also / they knowe not the Woord of Lyfe nor the Spirit of Agednes l Ephe 4. c. or of the Man Christ nor they m Esa 40. b Sap. 9 b Rom. â—â— â— 1. Cor 2. b vnderstand not his Death n Rom. 6. a Phil. 3. b. nor his Resurrection nor the Counsayle of God nor-yet the Wisdom nor the Christianitee 4. Seing then that they haue not receaued the Bread of Lyfe froâ— Heauen neither are o Ier. 14.23 c sent by God nor by Christ and are Straingers from the secret Counsayle of God and vnderstande p Sap. 9. b 1. Cor â— b. nothing-at-all of the godly Things / How shoulde they then be able rightly to minister the Beginings q Heb. 6. a of the christian Doctrine or the Christian-ceremonyes / wherwith the vpright Righteousnes is requyred 5. Veryly they haue not the louely Feete of the r Esa. 25. b. Nahu 1. b. Rom 10. b Messengers / which com from the Hill of the Lorde they bring also no good Message they publish not the Peace neither do they likewyse make-manifest the Saluation that auayleth before God but they are quyte darkened in their Vnderstanding / through s Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. c. the Blyndnes of their Hearts and through the Vnbeleefe that is in them Therfore are they all likewyse / Ianglers Stryuers and Contenders against one-another / for the Ceremonyes and for the litterall Scriptures cause and do make among each other / Disturbance and captiued Consciences chooseing priuate t Rom. 10. a Col. 2. c. Righteousnesses vnto themselues / according to the Good-thinking of their owne Hearts The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then / as that the Kingdom of Peace / is â out of Grace a Math. 11. c 13. c. 1. Cor. 2. b. Ephe. 1. b. Col. 1. c. reuealed and geeuen Vs to see-into in the Woord of Lyfe / through the Loue of God the Father / Therfore is not the Counsayle of God vnto vs now / to take-in-hand nor to vse anything of thatt which is past / according to Mens Imagination 2. Yet do we well perceaue this / that the former Seruices â at that tyme when they were ministred through the Woord of Lyfe and vsed out of the Trueth were profitable nodout / vnto Saluation and serued for an Hand-reaching b Gal 3. c. Heb. 6. a. 7. b or Gyding-in of the Little or Youngones of Vnderstanding / to the Woord of Lyfe Howbeit / now it is also well knowen vnto vs / that many Scriptur-learnedones do now striue and conteÌ„de their-about / in their good-thingking Knowledg / and vse much Disputing and Arguing about them And thatt woulde not God haue c 1. Cor. 7. b. For we are called vnto Peace 3. If wee then shoulde likewyse bring-in and vse the former Seruices â which are passed-thorow according to the Order and Opinion of the contentious Setters-foorth of Ceremonyes or Scriptur-learnedones and shoulde not declare the Requyring of the right Seruices and Ceremonyes / So shoulde wee haue then to stryue to contende and to dispute with Them 4. But no thatt is not our Seruice Wee haue all our Regard / to note what a louely Beeing in the Peace / the Word of Lyfe holdeth before vs / as a Light and do follow his Commaundement d Iohn 6. d. 1. Tess 4. a and Will and do labour after the attayning to thatt which the Ceremonyes do requyre or thatt wherunto they were ministred in tymes-past / To th end that our Seruice wherunto God hath called vs in these last Dayes / through the e 2. Timo. 1. b Tit. 1. a. Reuealing of the Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ shoulde not be darkened f 2. Cor. 6. â— with any Intanglement 5. For God woulde not y t anyman shoulde stryue or contende for Seruices nor-yet for Ceremonyes but that eueryone shoulde bow g 1. Pet. 5. a. and submitt himself vnder the Obedience of the Loue / our mostholy God-seruice and shoulde receaue the Administration of the Counsayle of God / for a Lyfe of Saluation follow-after h Pro 4. b. 5 a 2 Timo. 3. b. thesame Counsayle and so shoulde â out of the Beginings of his simple Chyldhod increase in the christian Doctrine or Ministration of the Loue â–ª or grow-vp therin i Ephe. 4. c. to the Age of the Mâ—n Christ that is till that the Loue haue a liueing Foorme in him not looking-about after thatt which is past but haueing regard k Phil. 3. b. vnto thatt which is to com that is to the Inheritance of the Peace / to the Saluation of the Soule 6. But if anyman be mynded heer-against or resteth self-wyse and wil alledg much out of the Scripture / with his darke Vnderstanding / hee shall burthen his owne Conscience intangle his Senses and Thoughts and not fynde the Refreshing of his Mynde nor the l Act. 3. â— Comfort of his Soule The IIII. Chap. FArdermore thou testifyest / that thou vnderstandest not certen Sentences which are rehearsed in the Testimony of the Mediation of Christ and seemest to affirme ther-out / that thatt which the Prophet Esaias a Esa. 7â— 11 hath spoken of Christ / shoulde be only of Christ / that was to com b Math. 1. â— Rom. 1. a. 1. Tim. 2. â— in the Flesh. 2. Thatt is suerly very-right But not as thy Mynd conceaueth it Therfore consider of the Meaning and vnderstand what I wryt vnto thee For this do I testifye vnto thee as a Secret of God that the Woord of Esai / is a liueing Woord
Foolishnes nor of Gods Righteousnes / which is so safe-making in vs / ouer the Sinne nor-yet of the manly Power of God / which is so like-chyldish in vs / ouer the Childishnes 2. But seing that ther are Somme now / which thinck themselues to be e Esa 5. c. Pro. 3. a. Rom. 12. b wyse and so do figure-foorth a Cleernes vnto themselues / according to the Mynde of the Flesh and Imagination of the Knowledg / Therfore haue they stumbled or taken-offence at our Chyldishnes and at the Appeerance of our Foolishnes and turning themselues awaye from vs and falsly reporting som euell matter of vs / behynde our backs they haue shot-out their false Testimonyes and Lyes / against vs and so haue made-manifest their false Hearts / against our chyldish and simple Kyndnes shewed towards them / as that ther is nothing-els in their Hearts / but Backbyting and Traytory and al-maner of Venom f Psal. 14.140 Rom. 3 b. vnder their Tongues and that they â with their subtill Knowledg are thorowly-mynded to g 1 Timo. 4. a 2 Timo. 3. a seduce those of small Vnderstanding / from our safe-makeing Ministration and to bring them into errour / wherthrough the erring Sheepe becom then scattered or skared froÌ„ each-other also rent h Esa. 53. b Eze. 34. Iohn 10. 1. Pet. 2. c. and strangled and not gathered-together â to a Concord into their right Sheep-folde nor-yet saued 3. Therfore haue not Such nor-yet their euell Nature / any Power nor Vnderstanding to informe the Ignorantones with the safe-makeing Testimonyes of Christ nor to assist the Sinners with the true Vertue and Righteousnes / to a Repentance for their Sinnes wherby to gyde them into y e perfect Righteousnes which God esteemeth / nor to informe the Vnwyseones / with the true Wisdom / nor to poynt the Erringones / i Eze. 34. a. into the right Waye / nor through Loue / to take al-things in Patience / concerning the godly Matters / not-yet to couer k 1. Pet. 4. b. Iam. 5. c. the Multitude of Sinnes that the miserable People mought be holpen-vp out of the Pitt of their Fall and becom l Psal. 34.51 b 147. a. Esa. 57.61 a saued but according to their vnreformed Nature â like-as it appeereth they are much-more inclyned to reporte euerything to the worst / that meeteth them agaynst their owne Myndes and to rayle-at and blaspheame thesame 4. for-that-For-that-cause seing that they in their Contrarynes / are growen wrathfull towards vs / therfore do they likewyse much-rather cry-out in euery Streete and Corner / that Wrong is offered them / and that wee and all simple Hearts / which â to there Cleansing from the Sinne do cleaue vnto the Doctrine and Concorde of the Seruice of Loue / are wicked / and y â— it is all Wrong Misunderstanding and Foolishnes / wherafter we labour and are zealous and so then m Psal. 10.64 Ier. 11.18 b Sap. 2. b. they knowe how to iudg ieste mock enuye and to speake much euell against vs / and to fome-out and spredd-abrode althings to the worst / that is against their owne Myndes / and with false Bruits / to make their Neighbour â towards whom they haue conceaued a Mislyking to be reprochfull euerywhere 5. SEing then that I haue respect vnto my God / and how beneficiall loueing faythfull True and n Eze. 1â— c. 1. Timo. 1.2 a 1. Pet. 3. a. safe-making / He standeth-mynded / and how He hath illuminated and endowed mee with thesame Loueing-kyndnes in-such-sort / that I for-that-cause haue no regard at-al to y e vayne and false Babling of many People but to the Ministration which is profytable and needfull for y e Man vnto Saluation / Therfore doth Hee also keepe o Psal. 17.63 â— my Soule vnder the Wings of his Loue / because that I shoulde cleaue vnto Him and his Maiestee and be seruiceable vnto all Men / to their Preseruation in the Godlynes and not regarde the Backbyters / that speake Euell of me and mock me / nor the Deryders / that walke in Lightmyndednes / p 2 Pet 2.3 a. Iude. 1. â— according to their owne Desyres and Good-thinking Who do likewyse turne-away themselues from vs and our godly Doctrine· dispise the Dominion of God· as also the q Iohn 17. b. Comminialtee in the Vnitee of Heart / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. Yet do Many of them bost that they for-al-that â in their false Deedes do stande at concord· cleaue to the Woord of the Lorde and his Loue· and desyre to holde Peace with all Men. 6. It is true they cleaue indeede to their good-thinking Woord and their owne Mynde of Loue neither do they also fall very-soone from thesame and with the Worlde / Many of them are likewyse at concorde and they seeke their Peace nodout / with the Children of the wicked Worlde and with those that are cleaueing to thesame and that giue eare and respect vnto them in them they see no Euell neither do they contende against them nor-yet blaspheame them for they are most-like vnto their owne Heartes 7. But those that haue submitted their Soules vnder the Obedience of the Loue / for Gods Righteousnes cause and which do dayly â with Christ r 1 Math. 16. d. 2. Cor 4. b. Gal. 6. a. carry the Crosse and Suffering in their Hearts / with them they stande not at concorde neither do they desyre also / to be one Heart and Mynde with them but to contende boldly against them and knowe alwayes how to rehearse much Wrong and Ignorance of them Yea / vpon them they haue dayly all their sight bent s Psal. 41. a. to see if they mought spy-out anything by them or heare anything of them / that were not right in their Eyes or Eares / to th end that they mought then spreadd thesame abroade and bring them to Shame 8. Beholde Thatt is the Nature of all Self-wyseones and Declyners from the Obeying of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and of all false concordable People and false Hearts / which take vppon them arrogantly out of their vnrenewed Hearts / s Esa. 30. b. Mich. 2.3 to witnes of the godly Matters / for Trueth and to institute or to vse any Seruices 9. Ah consider I pray you / what a false Concorde and what a false Christianitee and false Loue such do carry and what a common Peace / they do all very gladly desire to holde with the wicked Worlde and all Vngodlyones 10. OH â my beloued Hearts consider well of Such I pray you / how vtterly their Vnderstanding is t Sap. 2. c. Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b corrupted through their good-thinking Knowledg / Wher-through they do also take their occasion to blaspheame our Comunialtee of Saints in the Loue and to defame vs with al-maner of Euell and so ther-vnder â as in a v Math. â— 23 Showe of som better thing they
couer their owne wicked or euell Hearts 11. Seing then that my God â who only is the Lorde giueth nothing-els into my Heart / but Wisdom x Sap. 7. â— â— and holy Vnderstanding and sheweth and teacheth me nothing-els but all Dooing-of-good / Therfore cannot I forbeare / through the Nature y 1. Cor 3. a. of his Loue / but I must shewe vnto myne Enemyes / Freendship / for Enimitee and Loue / z Math 5. c. Rom. 12. b. for Hate declare vnto them the SaluacioÌ„ and Blessing / for Blaspheamy and Curssing / and figure-foorth before them / the Vniformnes of Heart in the Loue / for the Seperation and so to proffer the Grace of my God / vnto myne Aduersaryes / which do hate blaspheame and cursse me and to reache them the Hande / for to drawe them to the Loue of my Lorde and God and to shewe all Faythfulnes and Loue / towards those that haue smitteÌ„ me priuâ—ly or trayterously· spewed-out many Lyes and false Testimonyes / after me· and shewed all Vnfaythfulnes towards me and the Seruice of Loue / informing them a 2. Timo. 2. c 3. b. 4. a. with Rebuke Doctrine and Exhortation / for that they mought b Act. 17. d. repent be set-vpp from their Fall of the Sinne and mought liue with Mee / in the Vnitee of the Loue / wherby to serue c Luk. 1. b. 1. Tess. 1. a. the leueing God and to vse all Concorde and Peace among each-other The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then as the open Rebuke / is alwayes better a Pro. 27. a. then secret Loue the chastenable Information / muchmore blessed / theÌ„ for one to smyte anyman priuily and the Seruice of the holy Woord vnder y e Obedience of the Loue / much-more edifying and profitable / then the Backbyting / Therfore is likewyse all my Desyre in our Seruice of Loue / to further b 2. Cor. 13. b. Phil. â— â— thatt which is most-edifying and Most-godly 2. Wherfore â O ye Resisters of our mostholy Seruice of Loue as also ye ignorant People consider once rightly I pray you / of the Loue and Kyndnes shewed on you / out of our mostholy Seruice of Loue Receaue you my Rebuke and ExhortatioÌ„ and take-heede vnto my chastenable c Pro. 4. â— â— Information Com hether and harkeÌ„ after the right Knowledg and learne d Pro. 1.2 a. 3.4.5 a. Vnderstanding and holy Knowledg and e Eccli 6. c. â—ow your Backs vnder the Rodd of the Lorde For the Strypes or the sharpe Woords of Louers / are much meeter f Psal. 141. â— Pro. 27. â— then the Kisses or the Flattering-woords of Enuyers 3 For-that-cause com now all hether / into the Howse of Informacion g Eâ—cli 6.8 â— Math. 11. c and learne to humble your Hearts vnder the Obedience of the Loue and to open them nakedly before the Elders / To th end that ye may be cleansed from the Wickednes or Euel of your Heartes 4. Suffer yourselues now to be h Deut 1â— c. Ier. 4. â— circumcised on the Fore-skinne of your Heartes / in this holy Daye of Loue which is y e Eigth or Newe Daye / to the Renewâ—ng i Esa. 65.66 c. Ephe 1. b 2. Pâ—t 3. b. Apo. 21. â–ª of the Worlde with Righteousnes and so â–ª through the Light of Loue and his Seruice â put-awaye the k Ier. 4. a. Fore-skinne namely the Darknesses from your Hearts / Or-els ye shall not com to the Glory of God nor to his Sainctuary For no l Esa. 35.52 â— Eze. 44. â— Vncircumcisedone / shall enter into the Sainctuary of God 5. BVt Many of you do refuse this Grace / which is proffered vnto you and do bitter and harden your Hearts against thesame Therfore is also my Complaynt against you / vnto my God for that ye are yet so vtterly m Ier 6. b. 9. c Act. 7. f vncircumcised on your Eares Lipps and Hearts as likewyse for that ye sett yourselues so presumpteously in Iudgment and wil seeme to iudg Gods n Esa. 30. b. Mich. 2.3 b Matters / out of your vncleane Hearts / according to y e Imagination of your owne Knowledg 6. I woulde aske you / on the behalfe of my Lorde and God / who hath prouoked you therunto or what Spirit hath mooued you to iudg such Matters The Cause I haue cheefly to demaunde of those that conuersate themselues dayly with vs / in Hipocrisie and that shewe towards vs or ours â in our Beholding a laughing o Psa. 28. a. 37. b. Ier. 9. a. Mouth or fauourable Countenance and in secret / speake all Euell of vs. 7. Ah-beloued speake it out boldly I pray you / yee which are so wyse now p Pro. 3. a. Esa 5. c. Rom. 12. b. in your owne conceites With whose Spirit and with what Toungs / do ye thus smyte vs priuily and slaunder and blaspheame vs behynd our backs / where we haue None to reply against you Out of what Nature haue ye thatsame I pray you Or out of whose Brestes do ye suck such Venom of corrupt Milke And wherout do many of you frame such a false Freedom / that ye haue shewed vs a fayer Face / before our Eyes also haue flattered vs with your Toungs / whilst ye were present / and do now with such a false Heart / mock vs priuily or behynde our backs / among those that do gladly giue eare vnto you and so boldly smyte and blaspheame vs / with your false Spirit and Blaspheamous-toungs Noâ— Vs only q Luk. 10. b. â— Tess. 4. â— 2 peâ— 2. b. but also the godly Wisdom and holy Vnderstanding / wherwith God hath â through his hearty Loue r Ephe. 1 a. 2 pet 1. a endowed vs and so in blaspheaming s Heb. 10. d. the holy Spirit of the Loue of God and Christ / ye dispise the precious Treasures of the spirituall heauenly Ritches as likewyse y e highest Cleernes of God 8. Which gloryous Light or godly Cleernes â wherin t 2 Cor. 4 â— a the Mosthighest hath comprehended vs / vnder the Obedience of his Loue doth ouershadow or farr exceede all the Lightes of this Worlde Yea all Vnderstandings of this Worlde / v Psa. 37.46 b Esa â—0 b. Aba c. â— b Sâ—ph 1. a. Zach. 2. b. must be dombe before thesame and â—ow them eueryone vnder thesame gloryous Cleernes of God / which is made-manifest vnto vs. And all those that loue the vpright Righteousnes / must saye Thatt Light is verytrue The IIII. Chap. O Ye foolish People Do ye dispise the precious Pearle / because thesame is a Math. â—3 c founde in an earthen Feelde / wherin it was hidden or for that it is by God / layde in an earthen Vessell / b Rom. 9. c. 2 Tess. 2. c. that seemeth before you to be too-dishonourable and for that Hee also / declareth thesame ther-out 2. Do ye dispise the
c. Benefite / in what Humiltee and Holynes soeuer it turneth or giueth-ouer c Esa. 58.59 â— Col 2. b. c. itself vnto and that all his Conuersion is nothing-els oftentymes / but an Inclynation to his owne Sensualitee / according to his owne Pleasure / Therfore haue I doutles to consider well theron and to vse a great Circumspection to the things that the Man giueth-foorth of himself and likewyse for to perceaue out of what Grounde of the Heart / the Mans Conuersion or his Mynde to the Good / cometh-to-pas or out of what Intent he calleth Thatt the Good / wherunto he turneth him namely whether y e thesame which he turneth him vnto / do d Rom. 6. b. â— a. 13. b. Gal. 5. b. delyte him according to the Flesh of Sinne and according to his fleshly Will or whether that he turne-away himself from all what is a Delyte vnto the Flesh and so hath a e psal 40. Desyre with all his Heart / to doo the Lordes Will. 4. for-that-For-that-cause â thou Beloued inasmuch now as all sâ—nfull Flesh is generally â in his Conuersion so f Gen 6 â— â–ª self-chooseing and is also oftentymes / founde deceitfull therin / Therfore cannot I so simply beleeue nor trust thee / at the first / because y t I may yet perhapps haue som Suspicion / whether that thy Conuersion may proceede out of a g Rom. 8. a. 13. b. Delyte of the Flesh / or no and therfore cannot continue stedfast with thee Notwithstanding / by thy Wryting / I hope the Best of thee 5. But seing that it is all h Pro. 11. b. vnstedfast / whatsoeuer is taken-on out of the Pleasure of the sinfull Flesh / therfore must I needes wryte vnto thee of thesame and of my Mistrust that I haue towards it For doutles I can trust no Flesh of Sinne nor anything that the Man inclyneth-vnto / according to the Mocions or Pleasures of the Flesh / as to thinck that his Humilitee and Lowelynes or Littlenes / is so wholly inclyned to the Loue of God the Father / with an vpright Heart / as his Woordes and Wrytings do import Also / none of those things can perswade me to trust firmly theron / that it shal be found euen so in the Deede 6. Notwithstanding although I do mistrust the Man / according to the Inclynacion of his Flesh and do not so simply beleeue him at the first / yet do I wel vouchsafe vnto him with all my Heart / all the Good wherof he bosteth him Yea I woulde also that he had obtayned such Mercy at the hands of the highest God / as his Woordes do speake-of or as his Wrytings do import 7. But veryly all whatsoeuer is testifyed enterprysed or begonne / out of the Will and Pleasure of the Flesh / without the Spirit of God or without our Mostholy Seruice of Loue. or whatsoeuer is beleeued accepted and deuised / out of anymans Doctrine and Counsayle / that standeth not wholly submitted to the holy Spirit of Loue and his Seruice let it be then in the accomplishing erecting or obeying of what Holynes or Righteousnes soeuer it be therin shall noman â whosoeuer he be be able to continue stedfast but they must all needes be varyable and com to shame therin 8. For seing it procedeth out of the Flesh of Lyes / i Rom. 7. b. c â–ª 8. a. â— Cor. 3. a. therfore also is not the Power to the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes / with thesame but it is only with the highest God Which God / bringeth or sendeth his Power / k Ephe. 3. b. Phil. 2. b. 3. c Col 1. c. vnto his Beleeuers or Holyones / that heare his Woord and giue-ouer themselues with all their Hearts / vnto Obedience vnder the Spirit of the Loue of Christ and to the mostholy Godseriuce of thesame 9. Vnder which vpright Seruice and godly Righteousnes / God doth not fauour any Flesch as to honour thesame with any fleshly Righteousnes or Holynes / l 1 Cor 1. c. for that it shoulde in nowyse bost itself of his owne Goodnes The II. Chap. SEing then that ther belongeth no Honour to the Flesh of Sinne / therfore doth God likewyse now in his gloryous Daye of y e Coming of Christ bring all sinfull a 1. Cor. 1. c. Flesh to shame â in the Purpose of his owne Holynes or Righteousnes through the Seruice of his Loue and sheweth that Hee Ø›the Lorde is the vpright Righteousnes of the true Lyfe and the Loue itself Which God / permitteth not himself to be approched vnto nor reconciled / in his Righteousnes let it be then by what meanes it wil b Psal â—5 24 a Esa 33. b. Heb. 12. c. but only by his owne vertuous Beeing and godly Nature or Spirit of Loue. 2. But this doth the Flesh dislyke-of for-that-cause also / it hath no pleasure in the God of Heauen nor in his Glory nor-yet in the Iudgment of his Righteousnes For ther-through it fyndeth itself altogether vayne and weake / before God and his Trueth also vtterly c Iob. 9. â— b. c Psal. 126. b. Rom. 3. a. vnrighteous false and lying / in his owne Iudgment 3. And the Flesh or the Wisdom proceding out of the Flesh / doth likewyse growe-offended at the true Light of God â the which notwithstanding / is Christ / d 1. Iohn 4. c the Sauiour of all the Worlde himself because that all his Fleshes owne-proper Righteousnes e Col. 2. b. c. and self-chosen Holynes and Wisdom / auayleth not with the true Light neither-yet is it esteemed as to make any account therof 4. But seing now that the Flesh of Sinne / woulde so fayne haue Prayse or Honour for his Holynes Wisdom or Righteousnes / therfore doth it seeke thesame among the Children of Men / in diuers maners By which occasion / ther is so many Diuisions of chosen Holynes / growne euerywhear f Rom. 10. a. Gal. 3 a. 4. b Col. 2. b c. in the Worlde or among the Children of Men. 5. But Gods Saints â which dwell in Heauen shall laugh the Flesh of Sinne to-scorne / with his foolish Bewitching and with all the Hipocrisy of his forged Holynes For the Man hath therthrough forsaken the louely Righteousnes of the vpright Lyfe in the Peace and â with his owne Righteousnes plucked much Stryfe and Controuersy vppon his owne Neck 6. He hath also lest to giue g Ier. 2. â— Rom. 1. â— to the God of Lyfe his Honour / h Iohn 5. â— that belongeth only vnto Him and hath sought and defended his owne Honour Therfore hath he likewyse dealt with so many Wickednesses and Killings or Murderings By which occasion / he cannot also vnderstande or conceaue any-thing-at-all i Math. 23. Rom. 10. â— of the vpright Righteousnes which auayleth before God which notwithstanding / bringeth-the Loue and the Peace vnto him 7. Seing then that the