concerning the Gift of God which is Life Eternal you being really out of it in your own imaginary Parts Gifts in comprehending the VVorks done without you and so not sensible of any Real Perfect Pure VVork of God's Holy Spirit in you the which is the Cause you are so Dark and wickedly Blinded to plead for Sin the which is accompanied with the VVages of Death the Cause of Death being Sin the which remaining the Effects cannot cease even Death and Corruption from that venemous Sting over all Flesh that is corrupted with it So for Shame leave your false Accusations against an Innocent People called by the Name of Quakers for testifying of the VVorks of God's holy Spirit the which are perfect in every Degree and therefore there is not the least Sin nor Evil in them So all you who say You are not without Sin in your Best Duties I say They are all VVorks of your own which blind and hide God's Works from you And as you may read of the Works of God's Spirit in Mordecai how they could not bow to the Pride and Arrogance of Haman and also the Works of God's Spirit in Daniel how they could not bow to them that would have restrained and limited them and also the Works of God's Spirit in Shadrach Meshach and Abednego how they could not bow to the Golden Image set up by Nebuchadnezer though Laws under Penalties of Death in a Cruel Manner was before them and also the Works of God's Holy Spirit in the primitive Christians through the Strength of which they under-went hard and grievous things under the spirit of Antichrist which got up in a Form of the good Words in the Pleasures and Vanities of the Works of the fleshly Wisdom the which have been kept up by the same Wisdom by an Arm of Flesh under which the Innocent People who are true Witnesses of the Works of God's Spirit have suffered very deeply in this Age the which cannot be hid though the Cause for which they have thus suffered is so far hid that it cannot be believed though they have been wonderfully declared of But it is Mordecai Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego's God which we who are in Scorn called Quakers do worship in and by the Effects and blessed Operation of his own blessed Spirit wherein stands our Confidence and not in Flesh and our Faith Belief and Hope is in him that he will turn the Hearts of many of our Enemies unto us though many will perish in their Gain-saying So over all the VVorks and Powers of Darkness is our Faith and Belief that the Holy Righteous VVorks of God's blessed Spirit shall be exalted and the God of Truth in and through his blessed VVorks in preparing and fitting the Hearts of people the Knowledge of him shall encrease till it spread over all And for this Purpose hath God raised many contrary to the VVisdom of the VVorld in whom he hath made known his Righteous Works who have Unity and Fellowship therein who are true Labourers therein purely out of Love to God and his blessed VVorks in Good-will and true Love to all men that all may taste of the Goodness of God the Experience of which will bring Mankind to be of one Mind and Heart and therein to agree to Praise and Magnifie God who shows Man his Thoughts to whom belongs Honour and Glory forever And now all you Leaders of the People in all Forms and Fashions who are denying the Works of the Divine Power of God in its blessed Operation and powerful Working in setting free them who are heavy laden and weary through the Enemies works of Sin and Iniquity the which you say cannot be Overcome therefore you are Denyers of the Sufficiency of God's Works and his Kingdom wherein dwells Righteousness Peace and Joy in and through the Effectual Workings of God's Holy Spirit the which though you say in words Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done c. But being Sayers and not Doers you are so darkened that with all your own Wills and Mights you are strengthening the Old Kingdom of Transgression where Sin and Iniquity aboundeth the Devil's works Was it not by reason of Transgression that the first Law the first Covenant was added which was written in Tables of Stone And was not this in Force till the Manifestation of the Seed of Life and Power the Coming of the Messiah to finish Transgression and to put an End to Sin and so bring in everlasting Righteousness God's Kingdom Now all you blind Leaders of the Blind is not here God's Second Covenant writ in the Heart into which all must come that come unto God where his Light is to shine who is the True Light that enlightens every Man that comes into the World And if this Righteous Law be taken heed unto will it not judge Lust when it rises in the Heart And will it not judge Anger when it rises in the heart and will it not judge every Desire of Breaking Promise when it arises in the Heart And will it not judge every Hasty and Froward Action and Lightness when they appear in the Heart And is not all that proceeds from this Righteous Law and Covenant of God in the Heart Pure Truth Yea and Nay And what is more then Plain Truth Yea and Nay is it not judged by this pure Law in the Heart And are not all forbidden to Swear by this one Law-giver who is able to Save or to Destroy And must not his Righteous Law and Decree take place though many Laws through Darkness and Ignorance may be made against it And must not all that come to Sion the City of the Living God be Redeemed through these Righteous Judgments And are not the great Mercies of God witnessed in and through these Righteous Judgments And all that will not come under this Righteous Law and Government where Mercy and Peace kisses and Truth and Righteousness is set over all is it not just that they be left to Judgment without Mercy So is not Destruction from Self-willing and Running of people out of the Counsel and Knowledge of the Will and Mind of the Living God And is not the Salvation of every Soul in and through the Righteous Decrees and Just and Holy Laws of God which is Light in every Conscience And must not all that come to Salvation come first to the Way and Means that God hath ordained And is not the Second Coming of Christ in the Light of his Holy Spirit the Way by which all must come unto God the which is without Sin without Spot without Guile And must not all that come unto God come unto him in this one Blessed Savoury Offering And is not this Christ of God the same yesterday to day and forever as he was before Abraham was and so the same in the beginning of all things And must not all that come to God come out of Transgression the Cause why Mankind was drove from the Presence of God
they be bitter to the Guilty for the Present come I say look where you are by the Light you may see you must see by it at last it were better for you if you would let your Eye be opened now and see that offensive Eye pulled out which hath been offended at God's Works all this while So do not harden your Hearts in this Day of God's Power being manifest lest you be cut off from his Rest forever Come therefore you that are judging others that did wickedly in their Generation by resisting God's holy Spirit so had none of the Works of its Revelation come see now what Latitude your Works are under If you be in the same Liberty in the Flesh as they were in it s no matter what you say Come now to the Tryal What Experience have you of the Operation of God's Spirit How much of the Mind and Will of God hath it revealed to you Can you say Thus saith the Lord by the certain Knowledge of the Revelation of God's holy Spirit Or have you only talkt of it as the Jews did who said We have God for our Father when they were doing the Devil's Works Come do not stop your Ears Have you heard the Voice of God or seen his Shape or are you ignorant of it as they were who accused Christ as if he was bearing False Witness Nay come further Have you not said That Revelations are ceased and thereby shut up the Way to the Kingdom of God and from the Knowledge of his Righteousness by your wicked Works in going about to establish your own Righteousness and Works therein for term of life Come you that have set up the Law and Covenant without above the Law and Covenant within are not these your own Works and have not they made you as blind as your Fathers the Scribes and Pharisees that you can neither see nor hear but in your blind Zeal are persecuting Christ's near Relations who follow him in their Generation even by the Drawings of his Father's Spirit unto his Humility and Patience who is the Way in whom God's Will was done And did not Christ give Testimony of his Relations his Mother his Brothers and Sisters who did his Father's Will And is not this to be done on Earth And is it not the Will of God that we should speak the Truth at all times and that we should be led and guided by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth is there any Sin in the Guide And is not this Christ of God the same Auointing or Teacher as he was in the beginning of the World Was not he before Abraham was And is not he the same yesterday to day and forever as he was in the beginning who was David's Lord and the Holy Men's Lord in all Ages And is not he the Covenant by which all must come unto God Was he not given for a Covenant and a Light to enlighten people and to be their Salvation to lead and command his People And must not his Sheep hear his Voice And is not he the same that he was in the beginning And is not this the Precious and Tryed Stone which the wise Builders building without are confounded and stumble at even the highest Notionists in the fleshly Wisdom in their highest Conceivings about the Holy Men's Words Come examine your selves and see whether Christ be not in you except you be Reprobates You Unbelievers how hath the Godd of the World led you about and blinded you that you cannot see the Light of this Glorious Gospel Come see the Cause Have you not been making Provision for the Flesh in the first place and answering the Lusts thereof after the Glory of the old World of Sin and Iniquity Hath not Respect of Persons been in your Eye and Filthy Lucre and Praise of Men and Greeting in Market-Places Have you not preacht and prayed in your own Wills and run for Gifts and Rewards in your own Wills And is not all this Honour to be had below And have you not sought it before the Honour of God's Work in your Hearts And is not this the Cause of your Ignorance of God's Kingdom and his Righteousness Christ and his Relations his Mother Sisters and Brethren who are sanctified and blest by the Will of God where it is done in Truth and Righteousness and where that is done do not such only confirm in Truth and Reallity all God's blessed and holy Works without in all Generations So do not envy and hate the People called Quakers for maintaining the Works of God's holy Spirit within them for there are many of them have been as high Talkers of the Works of God in holy Men without as you are but found not such Salvation as to venture Souls and Bodies and Estates till we came to cease from our own Labours in our own Willings and Runnings and so our Hearts were bowed unto God's holy Will in the deep Silence of all Fleshly Reasonings and Consultations So by the Works of God's holy and blessed Spirit the Way of God came to be made manifest in us the which is a Pure Holy Undefiled Way Christ the same yesterday to day and forever as he was in the beginning without Guile without Sin no Iniquity is in him he that is the Hope of Glory the great Mystery made manifest in us Gentiles who in former times when without the Knowledge of him in the World had Lords many and Masters many and feigned Faiths and Beliefs concerning him many and divers But when we were given up clearly to seek the Kingdom of God without any reserve of making Provision for the Flesh then the New Jerusalem God's Building came down from above the Mother of all the Faithful wherein no Evil can be conceived whose Children in her are made free from the Law of Sin and Death and this blessed City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof This blessed Habitation is prepared for God's People who love the Light of his Appearance and delight to do his Will So away with all False Accusations from all you False Accusers of the People called Quakers who say We expect to be Saved by a Righteousness of our own and by Works of our own If it were so as you falsely and vainly do say then might we not keep in the Broad Way with you Hypocrites who are gotten above the daily Cross and so led about by the Thief above the Door where you Foxes who are cunning in Hunting about after others Works have Holes enough to creep and cring into to keep you in the Glory of the World of Sin and Iniquity where you have had a long Trade in your Imaginations conceiving God's Works in his blessed Instruments without you whose Lines you have long made your boast of so your Lyes are upon your own Heads For this I testifie and the Testimony is the same
c. So the Sight of all the Good and Blessed Works of God's Good and Holy Spirit are become as a Sealed Book so that they who have exalted their Parts and Knowledge in Hebrew Greek and Latin above the pure Life of Jesus they can't read in it because it is sealed and these Learned Men Unlearned in the Things of God can't read in it because they draw near to God with their Mouthes and seem to Honour him with their Lips but their Hearts not being Right in his Sight therefore are their VVisdoms confounded and Understanding in the Things of God kept from them So it s such who have nothing to minister from but a Divination of their own Brain in Conceivings and Imaginations concerning the Works of God in others but from no Knowledge of his Works in themselves so they run and Divine for Money and Gifts and Rewards in that adulterated whorish Spirit which hath sate a long time and reigned over People who have been as unstable and unsettled as Waters reeling and staggering to and fro through the Sorceries and Witchcraft of that whorish wicked spirit into which Cup the Kings of the Earth have drunk and been made drunk with Envy Malice and Hatred one against another and from Lusts which have been conceived in that Wicked and untimely Womb have proceeded VVars and Fightings and Hatred one against another and also Hatred against the Appearance of God's good VVorks in others So it s against that bad and wicked spirit which is not to speak in the Church that I am moved to give Testimony in and through the Operation of God's good and holy Spirit the which is mightily at work this Day wherein his Power is made manifest to destroy the Devil's works and so a VVay making for the Pouring forth of God's Holy and Blessed Spirit more and more upon all Flesh from whence I believe there are at present Hundreds of Able and Gifted Ministers in this Nation in some Degree or Measure or other of God's Holy Spirit who can speak experimentally of what they have felt handled tasted and seen of his VVorks therein who is the Beginning and Ending of every Good and Perfect Work and Gift in and for them who wait to know his VVill and do it And through these Blessed Works must the Wounded and Destracted Nations be healed and set to rights and all that hinder these blessed Works of God's Holy and Unlimited Spirit they are Enemies to God and to their own Souls and to the Nation and Country where they live So to that of God in every ones Conscience I appeal in these weighty and high Concerns wherein I having done the Will of God I rest A Lover of the Truth wherein I seek the Good of all Mankind Stephen Smith The 9th Day of the 4th Moneth 1673. NOW unto you who will say I writ out of Enmity Therein you say true for in the true Enmity which God hath put between the two Seeds viz. The Blessed Seed of the VVoman and The Cursed Seed of the Serpent So that in that which is truly good that blessed Seed by which Evil is overcome according to the Good-will of God in that I give Testimony against that which is Corruptible and Bad by which Mankind is led away into Darkness and there captivated under the Enemy's Power But if any shall say I wish herein any Ill to any one's Person I do say in the Truth and Uprightness of my Heart That such do falsly accuse me For I know in the Blessed Seed Intercession is made through me and many Thousands that Light may rise in them who sit in Darkness that the Cause of Enmity against the blessed Seed may be slain and that Mankind who are dead in Trespasses and Sins may be quickened and raised into the Glorious Freedom and Liberty in the Son of God where we may live together in Peace with God and one with another to the Praise and Glory of his Holy Name forever Stephen Smith THE END