to the only God and his true Christ or to have his fellowship with them such a one will likewise according to the sight of the true life which is appeared unto me out of the living God be inclined or bent unto such an upright being of the upright communalty of Christ whereof we bear witnesse for to live or to be comprehended therein under the obedience of the love through the belief 22. Wherefore let every one note and marke our testimonies of truth according to love and not with perversenesse of heart nor in reproach or partiality that they appear not unto him in a crosse or a contrary sense 23. For sure it is very lamentable that the testimonies of truth which are brought forth to the best should be taken overthwartly and not aright because the perverse sight maketh many to judge perversely and falsly and unrightly to understand the director causeth many greatly to stray It is true 24. It is recorded in the first book of the Glasse of Righteousnesse y 1 Glas. 2 that the upright procreation of the righteous spirit cometh not of men but z Luk. 1. out of God only this same word or sentence is very right yea unchangeable for ever For otherwise God hath never wrought among his holy ones and yet hath testified of such things afterward to come by the mouth of his holy a Eze. 36. Joel 2. Act. 2. Prophets to the intent that men should think upon his wonders of old time and trust firmly upon those of the time to come according to the promises namely how that God is the Salvation and will establish his holy Covenant b Luk. 1. according as he hath made the same with Abraham and his Seed 25. Now when men have read this saying and heard such a sentence to wit that God will work things by his righteous spirit they must then have regard to the counsell that directeth the way to God and from the heart follow the same with humble souls c Rom. 12 still persevere in prayer untill the coming of the promises d Tob. 4. Rom. 13. and not consent to the sin but so take heed to such a healthfull grace as being out of Gods mercy called to the very same according to the promises 26. For aforetimes the heathen were no people of the God of Israel but were e Eph. 2. strangers in the Testaments of the holy Fathers and in the inheritance of the godly promises and f Eph. 4. 1 Pet. 4. every one walked his way in ungodlinesse and in sundry Idolatries and were ignorant of the Lord. 27. But the everlasting God of Israel forgot not his Covenant g Luk. 1. but was mindfull of the oath which he had sworn to Abraham his beloved to a blessing of the Gentiles and looked on h Act. 17. the time of their ignorance and did in like manner for a season cast off his people and shew his hearty love on all the Generations of the earth or heathen and caused a joyfull message through his Christ to be published unto them i Mat. 3. Luk. 3.13 Act. 2.3 to a repentance and amendment from their offences calling and bidding them k Eph. 2.3 to be co-heirs with the Citizenship of his people Israel l Esa 2. Amos. 9. Zach. 8. Act. 15. that unto his people Israel he might prepare him an upright people also out of the heathen according to the promises and foreshewing of his holy Prophets 28. Hereon ought all Generations of the earth to have regard and duely to consider whether they do accordingly take heed aright to their calling which is out of grace come unto them from the bountifull God of Israel and whether they do also with lowly hearts as those that are unworthy the same humble themselves for to obtain the right m Ioh 1 3â— 1 Pet. 1. birth of the righteous spirit out of God to be fellow brethren with the children of the house of Jacob for to serve the living God and in those daies when n Act. 3. the refreshing shall appear from the presence of God to celebrate and glorifie the same God of Israel with them what time as he ingrafteth his branches into their right stock again who for the Gentiles sakes have been broken off and scattered p Lu. 21. Rom. 12. untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles should be come in the treading down of Jerusalem have her end and so all Israel be saved according to the promises 29. Therefore let us have a right regard to our calling and separate our selves according to the spirit from the foolish course q Rom. 1 Eph. 4 5 1 Pet. 4 vain walking and ignorant boasting of people and humble our souls to the grace of our calling 30. For if God in times past spared not his own people but did cast out break off and scatter them abroad for their stiffeneckednesse and prides sake and r Act. 13 Rom. 11 rejected the heathen in their roome how much lesse will he then spare the proud heathen but cast out break off lay wast and scatter them and in their stead receive his own people Israel again that they may serve him all the daies of their lives Å¿ Luk. 1. Eph. 4 in such righteousnesse and holinesse as is pleasing unto him they shall be his people and he God with them shall be their God from Generation to Generation everlastingly 31. For thus saith the Lord concerning Israel t Esa 59 Rom. 11 there shall come a redeemer unto them in Sion and to them that turn them from sin in Jacob saith the Lord and I make this Covenant with him saith the Lord u Esa 59 my Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor from the mouth of thy Seed and childrens-children saith the Lord from henceforth for evermore 32. In those daies shall the treading down of Jerusalem have an end and the vvord of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning her and unto her he said x Esa 60 arise Jerusalem be bright for thy light cometh and the glory of the Lord ariseth upon thee then also will the Lord cause himself to be heard even to the worlds end y Esa 62 And they shall say to the daughter Sion Lo thy Salvation cometh behold he bringeth his Treasure with himself and his revvard is now prepared before him they shall name them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord and thee O Jerusalem they shall call the visited and not the forsaken City 33. Lo these are the promises concerning Jerusalem and concerning Israel in the last time let every one take heed to his time according to his calling through Jesus Christ and the end or principal scope of all righteousnesse z 1 Tim. 1 is the love wherein the promises of God are established and that same is the true a 1 Joh. 3.4
gotten the heat of the Summer and are become ripe or full grovvn 16. Therefore pluck not the unripe fruit to eat before the time untill it be through ripe els shall your teeth i Ezek. 18. be dulled or set on edge and your mouth be made unrelishable and unlikeing of the fruit but vvho hath regard hereunto or vvho hath knovvledge of this time 17. The hope k Rom. 5. remaineth firme in the Patience and profereth her treasure of l Jam. 5. patience bountifully to every one that no man might be ashamed but in due time rejoyce vvith her 18. But the hasty people that vvill not tarry the due season but in the vvinter vvill reap and gather the fruit and seek for it on the Sabbath or m Mat. 24. Mat. 13.1 Gal. 12. in the barren vvinter they think not on the treasure of hope 19. Therefore let us pray for patience that in the time of heavinesse vve may stand fast in hope and n Lu. 21. 2 Cor. 6. Col. 1. Heb. 10. Jam. 1. unto patience commit our souls but this I know well the world in generall is not minded unto for by her this treasure and riches of God is contemned despised and rejected 20. The love which hath all these the truth beliefe and hope clasped in her arms is inclined to nourish all things with the milk of her concord which floweth abundantly out of her brests for to unite her self with those to a concord in the love whom she imbraceth in the truth and in the belief and hope and with all those likewise which love equity and righteousnesse 21. Lo This is the Christian oyl and holy unction and this o Mat. 11. Lu. 20. 1 Cor. 1.2.3 neither the world nor her wise or letter-learned can away with neither do they esteem the precious treasure of God as being for them much too base for there is no pride nor arrogancy to be found in it nor any disputation about the knowledge nor any wisdom of the Philosophers 22. But ye that fear God and love the upright judgement sincerely p Esa 1. Jer. 18.25.35 Ezek. 14. put away the bewitching of your hearts and labour for the oyl of the true vertues 23. Do not sleep slumber nor go to rest or be sluggish before you have first filled your vessells or Lamps with the oyl of the spirituall and holy understanding 24. For in time of the midnight q Sap. 18. when the darknesses have covered the world and every one resteth in his sleep she shall then through the voice of the Bruite and noise of the sound of the last Trumpet r Esa 9.60 2 Pet. 2. shine in the darknesse as a light and be esteemed very precious and of great value among all that are wise for unto the wise she shall be for an entrance to the everlasting joy at that time there shall none among the wise have too much nor yet any of them lack any thing 25. Who so now is wise and well-affected let him not like the unwise Virgins give himself to the sleep or rest with Å¿ Mat. 25. empty vessells or lamps that have no oyle in them for then verily he shall find himself deceived as the foolish and unwise Virgins were 26. Therefore ye beloved you I mean that have any sight of the Peace or affection to the good consider once I pray you of this present time how the world together with her wise and learned standeth in many contendings and divisions and all for the knowledges cause and esteem not above all things the vertue of godlinesse in Jesu Christ the which thing I mean to love any thing above the vertue of godlinesse is nothing else but an unknowne erring darknesse and a being of the fall which the world will not know nor believe because she seeth it not but walketh in t Esa 59. the darknesses like the dead and is also without the light and life which is of God 27. Wherefore seeing they know not the fall or separation from their God therefore can they not though they would never so faine turne them rightly unto him the which Esay bewailed in the blind people when he noted mens fall and separation from their God saying 28. We u Esa 59. are in darknesse like the dead we roare all as bears and mourne like doves when we look for equity it is not any where for health so is it farre from us for our transgressions are too many before thee and our sins answer against us for we must needs confesse our transgressions and know our misdeeds to wit our trespassing and lying against the Lord and our fall or separation from our God c. 29. In like manner seeing unto me now in this perillous time it is indifferently well knowne that many albeit they boast them of God do not yet know the mans trespassing and lying against the Lord nor the fall or separation from their God and do neverthelesse speak much of repentance and converting unto God therefore do I also truly note that in such a state whilest this is unknown to the man neither the mans repentance for sin neither x Esa 55. his conversion to God neither his praying is y Iam. 4. at all performed aright 10. But this the man will not understand but in the separation from his God he will judge of divine things erect righteousnesse and preach and teach the equity such as in his separation from God he conceiveth for right as if it were very righteousnesse he will also fast and pray as though his matter which he intendeth to himself were upright before God saying dear Father dear Master thou Physitian of our soules vouchsafe to help us and defend us and so supposeth that God will not suffer him to come to shame 31. But what availeth it all such shall find themselves in darknesse as the dead and mourne like the doves till that they perceive their transgressing and their sins answer against themselves and so their trespassing and lying against the Lord be made known unto them and the off-fallen being from our God 32. Then shall they say and confesse we have looked for equity and to that purpose have preached taught if happily it might any where break through or come forth z Esa 59. howbeit when we look about every way after it it is no where to be found and our righteousnesse vanisheth in it selfe as a shadow and consumeth it selfe like smoke in the aire and the salvation is farre from us for we see nothing before us but sorrow and desolation 33. Now whilest that such things floted unto me before the eyes of my spirit and that I saw the sundry blindnesses of men whereunder they lay bound with ignorance through the falling away from their God which fall a 2 Thes 2 when I saw it was so deep and so utterly unknowne that the children of men were by meanes of it unwittingly inclosed and
sinners 11. But h 1 Tim. 1. mercy is shewed on me inasmuch as the most high God hath permitted me to see my humane ignorance and throughly inlightned mine understanding i Mat. 13. Eph. 3. and revealed his secret unto me to the end that I should discover the mind of the life and of his righteousnesse according both to the divine and also humane nature and form for to shew evidently whereunto the man was created 12. Now might some man say that is assuredly a great gift of the most highest It is true I must needs highly praise land thank the goodnesse of the grace of God therein inasmuch as the Salvation of men is manifested thereby But I my selfe have never had my respect upon the knowing of this whereby in any wise to rejoyce my selfe therein nor to glory thereon as in regard of my knowledge but to the end that I would not set my confidence upon the knowing nor upon the inlightning of mine understanding I esteemed it rather as if it were not given me or were not appeared in mine understanding then that in respect thereof I would be without the love 13. Wherefore in regard of the love let us give no respect unto any of all the gifts of God for to rejoice our selves or to glory in any of them without the love to the end that we may get and obtain the love k Cant. 8. which is the sealing or making sure of the divine promises whereunto also all prophecies do point l Mat. 22. Mar. 12. Rom. 13. and therein cease for if we have not the love or if we attain not thereunto then m 1 Cor. 13. have we doubtlesse nothing 14. Therefore namely for the loves sake I do esteem it to be hurtfull to repose our selves on any gifts of God which in our knowledge are committed unto us for to obtain the love and to have love one to another must be all our exercise to the end the same might have a forme in us 15. For that cause let no man give respect unto his knowledge nor to the excellency of his understanding nor to the richnesse of his Spirit out of the heavenly knowledge nor to the gifts of his divine Prophecies nor to his learnednesse in the Scripture nor to his sundry tongues and languages nor to the constancie of his righteousnesse and holinesse as thereby to think himself to be any thing but let him set all such things behind the back in silence having no regard thereunto and n 2 Cor. 10. so give his understanding captive under the obedience of the love in the spirit and set his expectation and longing fully and wholly on the love to the end he may win the love 16. For the love o Rom. 13. is the fulfilling of all this and the divine being it self and it is the true life and holy wisdome promised for to come to a shining of Jerusalem round about 17. After this wisdome let us hope and long and esteem all to be nothing worth whatsoever is without the same For whatsoever is without the love shall perish melt and consume p 1 Cor. 13. but the love abideth for ever whose years are not shortned neither doth the number of her daies fail 18. And so for the loves cause let us not know or maintain that we know any thing save q 1 Cor. 8. only the love to the end we might win many unto her for the ministration of the true Christianity shall out of the love only bear sway according to the promises 19. But alas the children of men have very little regard hereunto for every one will needs know much and besides that know also what is right howbeit they come not to the knowledge of that which they should know yet every one giveth his judgment out of the knowledge and will thereout judge of the wisdome of God and all understandings 20. But this I lament with sorrow of my heart the which I see hear and prove by manifold experience that the man is so unstayed and that the upright understanding of wisdome is so darkned in the children of men 21. For I find that many of them doe much fail in their judgement and do not comprehend the truth out of the testimonies of Scripture because they r Mat. 22. understand not the Scripture 22. Not onely they which are apparently without understanding but they also Å¿ 1 Tim. 1. that give out themselves for masters and teachers of understanding t Rom. 2. as foregoers and leaders of the blind and as lights unto them that are in darknesse and that account so of themselves as if much divine understanding were discovered and disclosed unto them and therefore through the shew of their deeds and works they boast them highly to have received u Mat. 13. Luk. 11. the key of the entrance into the Kingdome of God for to open the same or to let in or to shut it to and keep out for to forgive fins or to retain 23. The which I find in many to be nothing but a conceit imagination and self-wisdome which themselves have taken upon them and so think to be wise through the riches of their knowledge and because of the respect which they give to their understanding they judge the sooner and boldlyer of those words and writings which are set forth to the good not rightly respecting that which is sought therein and required or desired thereby 24. But they that do rightly regard the word will not judge rashly but still will have their respect unto the love also they will not search the Scripture nor study therein for to know utter recite or to publish the same in historicall manner as the clarks of the knowledge use it in ther schools as the letter-learned do in their Synagogues and Assemblies vvho indeed hold very much of the Scripture and according to their ovvn sense do gladly hear and speak thereof u Mat. 23. but vvhat the Scripture requireth that do they not 25. But in the service of love it ought not so to be ye deerly beloved but every one is to cast dovvn himself x 1 Pet. 5. and to humble his soul that he may obtain such a heart mind and spirit as the service of the vvord pointeth us unto and so regard his calling vvhereunto he is required by the Scripture to the establishing of the godly promises not after the y Deut. 12. choosing of any mans conceiving but as God hath heretofore spoken it by the mouth of his holy Prophets 26. If therefore vve have an inclined mind to the same in the belief of the love that the love may obtain a lively forme in us then need vve not to study strive or dispute much neither yet to ask much advise nor to hold Counsells thereabout but vve ought vvith our hearts z Ezek. 14. to turne avvay from sins and abominations and so to come to an humble
and janglings and that all for the law and the ceremonies cause but God had no pleasure in any thing save only his beloved the like life of his being in whom he had good pleasure And this is his Commandement n Deut. 18 Mat. 17. Act. 3 even that men should heare believe and obey the same and live for ever therein and that men should obey the services and ceremonies administred out of the true light and word of life to an incorporating thereinto 7. Now inasmuch as divers in times past o Mat. 15 23. Joh. 9 gave greater respect to the ceremonies and works of the Law then to the life of godlinesse therefore they did cleave to the ceremonies and works of the Law and believed not the life that was required thereby but fell away from the right stock of the p Joh. 8 father Abraham 8. But the believers that gave more regard to the life of godlinesse then to the ceremonies or works of the Law abode still q Ioh. 6 by the word of life and were not bound albeit they forsook the ceremonies of the Law which were out of the Letter commanded by the unilluminate and unbelievers of the word of life for the ceremonies could not in themselves without the word or light of life extend to any commandement of God 9. Therefore was the upright life at that time r Deut. 18 published and taught because men should believe the same as a precept or commandement of the Lord and be obedient unto his requiring that so through the beliefe they might be made free Å¿ Act. 15 Rom. 3 Eph. 2 from the sinne or be justified therefrom and might live thereby with God the Father to an everlasting peace according to the promises 10. This communalty or believers of the good life were as children of the belief and obedience t Mat. 26.28 Acts 2.4 joyned together to a bringing in to the same life under the service of the holy Word and the hand reached them thereunto with the Christian ceremonies of Baptisme and the Supper of Christ which Christian ceremonies were administred unto them out of the word of life and observed by them to obedience yet not for the ceremonies but for the upright lifes sake which being afterward to come was u Infra 23 required therewith And thus the Christian ceremonies were not the everlasting commandement of God but the word of life was it 11. Howbeit the ceremonies were annexed thereunto for an assistance x Gal. 3.4 Heb. 7 and bringing in of the believers into the life as is aforesaid even as the same is prefigured unto us by the ceremonies of the Catholike Church of Jesu Christ to the intent that the believers of the holy word and of the good life or Christ should through the service of the ceremonies y 2 Pet. 1 have regard to the same word of life being afterward to come 12. Even thus for the good lifes cause and for the mans sake are the true Christian ceremonies of the gracious word and of his service of love now in the last time annexed unto Gods everlasting Commandement for an assistance of all them to the z 2 Pet. 1 entrance of the upright life which believe in Jesu Christ and humble themselves to the service of his love to the end they should be brought thereby to the life which is Gods everlasting commandement and still abideth namely to a Deut. 10 30 Mat. 22 love our God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selves and to obtain the same b Rom. 3 Eph. 2. through the belief even as it is preached and written because no man should trust upon the ceremonies and find himself deceived by being without the upright life 13. Neverthelesse after those daies of the fore-said ministration of the Christian ceremonies many c 1 Tim. 4 2 Tim. 3. 2 Pet. 2 fell away from the true belief of Christ or of the good life knowing no difference in Gods precept or commandement wherethrough there are now also many become vaine in their understandings in such sort that they themselves know not the meaning of the christian ceremonies nor yet to what purpose they were adjoyned to Gods commandement and by that occasion there is risen up for the Christian ceremonies cause much discord and debate even as heretofore it came to passe for d 2 Cor. 11 Gal. 1.2 3 4 5 6 the Jewish ceremonies 14. Wherefore seeing the services of the former Christian ceremonies after the Letter do bring in controversie and are not set forth or observed out of the word of life nor out of the love of Jesu Christ to the unity of heart in the love but out of the letter with different understandings and in dissention and cannot alone in themselves extend to any commandement of God therefore are not the believers of the good life namely the communalty under the obedience of the love of Iesu Christ bound as is rehearsed thereunto as of necessity outwardly to observe them but they stand free unto them either to keep or to omit them to wit e Rom. 14 as they serve them to peace and are edifiable unto men for Gods commandement f Ioh. 12 is the everlasting life and that is the very love it self even g Deut. 10.30 Mat. 19.22 Rom. 13 to love God above all things and our neighbour as our selves 15. Lo this to be short is the difference of the Jewish and Christian ceremonies and of those of the Family of the Love of Jesu Christ namely to what purpose their office or service is commanded and to what intent they are annexed to the everlasting Commandement of God and observed 16. Now there are likewise divers people that will not use some ceremonies because they judge them as heathenish or idolatrous services and as a forbidding of the Lord by means of abhorring and fear that they have of them least any harm or hinderance should happen unto their souls thereby concereing the which it also must be considered how and wherefore the same should be idolatrous services and a forbidding of God for every unright asage hath his occasion sense and signification 17. For whilest the heathen or the urcircumoised people are in respect of the knowledge of God become vain h Rom. 1 Eph. 4 blind and insensible as being utterly estranged from the upright life which God esteemeth therefore do they make or counterfeit unto themselves out of the vanity of their thoughts services and ceremonies which the vain hearts that understand not Gods Law and Ordinance are bewitched and bound with 18. So then the vaine corrupt and bewitched life which neither knoweth nor loveth the living God nor his i Rom. 1 Eph. 4 righteousnesse but is rebellious and unfaithfull to God is Gods forbidding And out of it have the blind people which know not the upright life joyned thereunto their services and ceremonies k Deut. 12 wherefore