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-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-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
to thesame Loue of God the Father and likewyse to the seruice of my Neighbour and that altogether to thesame Loue. 2. But seing the Tymes are now perillous â my Beloued and that ther are also many Harmes to be feared to ensue / if one shoulde minister the Woord of Lyfe vnto anyman vnforesightfully / Therfore doth it oftentymes seeme perillous vnto vs / to handle to speake or to wryte of the Woord of Lyfe and of his seâ—ret Clernes / before eueryone that woulde desyre it For it is not euerymans Matter / to comprehend thesame in his Cleernes or Secretnes but a Math. 12.13 c. 1 Cor. 1.2 a Theirs / whose Hearts be b Iohn 6. â— stirred-vp â by God to a Deuont-meditation of the Woord and his Righteousnes and haue intended Loue and Peace 3. For which Causes / we deale with godly Care / in the Seruice of our Neighbour and are likewyse to consider / what is most-profitable or necessary to be adminisâ—red vnto eueryone / out of the Seruice of the gracious Woord / to th end that he mought by that meanes â without doing him any Harme be furthered to the good and vpright Knowledg of the true godly Things / through som Seruice shewed towards him by vs according to that Estrainging wherin he standeth comprehended but cheefly towards those that with feruencie of Heart / desyre or seeke any Information at our Handes 4. And seing that we â through the Light do beholde the many-maner of Perils in this Matter as that it is hurtfull vnto Many / to reueale the Secretnes of God vnto them / therfore do not we open the Iewels of the Secretnes of God or the Secretnes of all godly Things / vnaduisedly or vnforesightfully / before eueryone 5. And although likewyse / that many are our Freendes / who also nodout woulde gladly knowe the Fulnes of the Instruction of all Things / yet do not wee oftentymes follow their Will for-al-that / in our Seruice which we shewe on them out of Loue but do deale with them / in Longsufferance and with great Carefulnes / c 1. Tess. 2. â— like-vnto a Moother / with her Children for to be seruiceable vnto them in thatt which is most profitable or needfull for them For thatt which the one can abyde / the other cannot and thatt wherby one farethwell and wherthrouh he is amended / therby mought another fare euell and be made worse therthrough 6. NOw mought som man saye One shoulde not of right hyde anything from the Freendes For ther-is sayde for a Prouerbe One ought not to lock-vpp any Bread from the Freendes 7. It is true It shoulde be so indeede / if the Stomacks were eueryone so sounde that they coulde endure the Bread in them or were accustomed to the Taste of Bread 8. But seing now that we do perceaue by Experience / that many Stomacks are not accustomed vnto Bread and for-that-cause growe soone d Iohn 6. offended / through the e 1. Cor 3. a. Heb. 5. b strong Foode of Bread and that Many of them likewyse / haue receaued or taken no Bread into them for a certen-tyme / to a Foode of Lyfe but haue swallowed-in somwhat heere-and-thear / out of the Wildernes / in the Darknes / Therfore are also the Stomacks generally defyled / by the Multytude of strainge Meates and Mens Complexion growen very weake and tender and cannot therfore f Iohn 16. b. 1. Cor. 3. a Heb. 5. b. endure the Bread of the liueing Woord cheefly / because they are nourished-vp with so many-maner of strainge Meates â in the Darke in the Wildernes By meanes wherof / their Stomacks haue corrupted their right State serueing to the Taste of Bread so that they haue no Hunger nor Lust at-all / to g Num. 21. b the Bread of the liueing Woord· neither-yet any sweete Taste in thesame For their Lust standeth alwayes bent towards thatt wherunto their Tastes are accustomed 9. And thatsame is likewyse the Cause / why the secret Bread of the holy Woord / doth not oftentymes serue for eueryones Stomack 10. For one may fynde many Men / for whom it is much more profitable and better at-the-first / to receaue good Medecine out of the holy Woord / for their vnsounde Stomacks cause then any strong Meate / to th end that their Stomacks mought be cleansed therby· and accustomed vnto Bread agayne 11. Whosoeuer then is com alittle vnto Health and is yet but weake and tender / to him ther serueth nothing-els at the first / but to receaue Hony h 1. Cor. 3. a Heb. â— b. 1. Pet. 1. a and Milke / out of the holy Woord to a Sustayning of him in his Weaknes For he cannot as-yet endure strong Meate 12. But when Strength cometh vnto him and that he can beare the Weaknes of his Neighbour / so doth it then serue him very-well / to receaue of the â—ecâ—et Bread of the holy Woord / for a Foode of the strong Lyfe / that he may yet growe stronger· and haue the i Iohn 10. a. Lyfe in Fulnes and that nothing may hurt k Mâ—r. 16. b Luk. 10. â— nor lett him for to liue The II. Chap. THis wryte I vnto thee â my Beloued because thou shouldest not stumble or growe-offended at our Littlenes or Childishnes nor at the Seeming of our Foolishnes / in the Ministration of the holy Woord nor-yet at our mostholy Seruice of Loue / because it is a 1. Cor. 1. b. â— playne· and not according to the Course of the Wisdom of this Worlde· nor of the Scripture-learned 2. Notwithstanding although our Seruice of Loue be playne / yet is it vnto vs / a godly Seruice in the Woord of Lyfe Which Seruice / wee â out of Courtesie b 2. Cor. 4. a. Tit. 3. a and a good Conscience do minister in the Woord of Lyfe â–ª vnder the Obedience of the Loue to eueryones Welfare and Health of his Soule namely c 1. Cor â–ª 1. b. c vnto all and ouer all those that beleeue theron 3. For truly in all this our mostholy Seruice of Loue / we do not follow-after the Wyâ—e of the Worlde / in their Wisdom nor-yet the high-bosting Scripture-learned / in their Knowledg nor any Chosen-spiritualtee / in their Holynes nor any taken-on God-seruices / in their Controuersie but we witnes the Wisdom that auayleth before God which seemeth to be a d 1. Cor. â— b Foolishnes before their Eyes / and do make-manifest the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes which God esteemeth which seemeth before the Eyes of the Worlde and before all her Hipocrits fayned Holyons and Scripture-learned / to be e Esa. 15. â— Sâ—p 2. b. 5. â— nothing but Sinne Vnrighteousnes or Seduceing 4. For in all thissame / all Hipocrites fayned Holyons and Wyse or Scripture-learned ones of the Worlde / haue â through the Bewitching of their Hearts accounted the Darknes / f Esa 5 c. 5â— â— 59. b
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
7. b. Sorrow and Amendment be shewed and that men may be of one-mynde with each-other / e Rom. 12. b. 15. a. 1. Cor. 1. a. 2 Cor. 13. b. Phil. 2 a. in the Loue / wherby to liue peaceably in all Loue / to laude and thanke the God of Lyfe / for all his Goodnes / and to giue the Honour only vnto Him 3. Beholde heerunto do all wee â which stande submitted vnder the Obedience of the Loue / the mostholy God-seruice stand concordably inclyned and in-that-sort â to the f Iohn 17 d. Ephe. 4 a. Vnitee in the Loue loueingly to receaue into our Armes of the Spirit of Loue / our Enemyes which turne them to the Loue and her Seruice / to a Reconciliation with each-other / To th end that they mought escape g Math. 3. a. Luk. 3. b. the Vengance of God· and be kept from the h Luk. 21. b. Apo. 18. a. Plagues which shall now in thissame Daye / fall vppon all Vngodlyones Ø›our Enemyes 4. Thissame is all our Lust and Desyre / for to shewe Mercy likewyse vnto eueryone / out of Loue inasmuch as Mercy is shewed on Vs and not to remember anymaÌ„s former Sinnes but cheefly towards those / that giue themselues penetently to our Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / for to bring-foorth good i Mat 13. a. Luk. â— a. Iohn 15. b Fruits of Lyfe 5. Oh That it mought once com-to-light· and gett the k 1. Cor 3. b. Prehemynence in the Heart of Man / that hath so long-tyme remayned in secret namely the vpright Beeing of the Loue / 6. To thatt God now / l Ephe. 3. b. who hath thesame in his Hande and bringeth it bountifully vnto eueryone that turneth vnto Him / be Laude Honour and Thankes / for euermore Amen 7. This Letter â thou Beloued with more other Wrytings which thou desyerest / do I sende vnto thee to thy Edifying and my Desyre is / that thou â through the Goodnes of the Loue of God wilt m 1. Tim. â— b. exercise thyself therin / with an humble Heart and haue a regarde vnto the Trueth for to vnderstande this our holy Mynde rightly Thatt graunte vnto thee / the God of Lyfe and thesame God establish thee in his Loue. Amen The Ende of the Thirtenth Epistle The Fourtenth Epistle A breefe Exhortacion vnto a Disciple in the Seruice of Loue Wherwith he is exhorted â in the Lande where he dwelt to keepe a sharpe watch towards the Spirits that make-vp themselues in him or that be borne in him And also that he shoulde learne to descerne with good Vnderstanding / the euell Hearbe â which is destroying and deadly from the good Hearbe of Lyfe and the false Spirits â which aryse out of the Flesh from the good Spirits / that are of God / to th end that he mought therby growe-vp in the good Beeing of the Loue / without any Harme Ye Beloued Beleeue not euery Spirit but proue the Spirits / Whether they be of God or no 1. Iohn 4. Health and Saluacion be vnto Him / who â in his Spirit hath intended Loue and Peace / with our Spirit The First Chapter THE God of Heauen who out of his bountefull Mercy / hath herited mee in the a Ephe 4. b Olde-age of the holy Vnderstanding of Christ and in the spirituall b Ephe. 1. b. 2. a. 3. a Col. 1. c 2. a Ritches of his heauenly Goodes / for a good Confession c Math. 10. d. Luk. 12. a. before all Men / that in the Loue / is an vpright Beeing be vnto thee â my Beloued a Light vnto thy Waye a Lyfe vnto thy Spirit and Mynde and a Cleernes vnto thy Vnderstanding / That thou mayest â in thissame Daye of his Loue vnderstande â according to his heauenly Trueth and not according to the Mynde of the Flesh the ouerflowing Vertues and godly Wisdoms / which He hath declared d 2. Cor. 4. a. Ephe 1. b. 3 a. Col. 1. c. and brought vnto vs· also giue-ouer thyself with all thy Heart / to thosame and their Requyring / for to liue therin· and laude and thanke thesame God / in an vpright Beeing Amen 2. O my Beloued I haue a long tyme â out of a fatherly Heart that I beare towards thee had a greate longing to knowe how it may go with thee / in the Lande where thou dwellest and that for because thou hast neuer written vnto me / how it standeth with thee or wherin thou hast thy Mayntenance or wherby thou liuest 3. For if thou hadst written anything heerof vnto mee / then mought I haue vnderstoode or perceaued therby / Whether that thy young e 1. Cor. 3. a. Heb. 5. d. Manhod / did yet liue or no Whether it were succoured or nourished-vp with the vpright f Math 24. c. Iohn 6. f. Foode of Lyfe and whether that thou also didst in-like-maner growe-vp to the manly Age g Ephe 4. b. in the godly Vnderstanding or-els / whether thou hadst bin choked with any Poyson or deadly Hearbes / that do growe out of thesame Earth where thou dwellest or bin weakened or vtterly dead / in the Lyfe which proceedeth out of God For it is certaynly well knowen vnto mee / that the Earth and all Countryes of the Kingdom-of-the-earth / are h Gen. 3. b. Heb. 6. a. of themselues â for the Vnrighteousnes cause full of Poyson deadly Hearbes and naughty Fruites 4. SEing then that all Disciples of the Loue that be nourished-vp in the holy Vnderstanding of the Spirit of Loue must passe-thorow many Perills vppon the Earth / which is i Gen. 3. b. 5. c curssed for the Wickednes cause of her Inhabitours / So do I therfore beare so-much-the-more a greate Care for thosame Disciples / thewhyles they are yet young and cannot discerne the deadly Hearbes / k 4 Reg. 4. Math 13 d from the right Foode of Lyfe 5. Wherby nodout â if they shoulde be suffered to go-on in their Youngnes / according to their owne Goodthinking they woulde rashly or vnforesightfully â out of their owne Affection or Lust of their Hearts receaue the one or the other of the deadly Hearbes· and swallow them in / in steade of the Foode of Lyfe wherthrough then likewyse / the precious Manhod mought be strangled and such Disciples of the Woord / which â following their owne Counsayle are vnexpert heerin / mought most lamentably betraye spoyle or kill themselues / and disenherit themselues of the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God 6. Wherfore â my Beloued inasmuch as it is now a perillous Tyme / to nourish-vp the Youngnes of Vnderstanding / to the vpright Ephe 4. b. Agednes of the holy Vnderstanding / so is this my Exhortation and Counsayle out of the liueing God / vnto thee to thy Preseruacion that thou wilt dayly vse Foresightfulnes m Ephe. 5. b. or dilligent Heede and haue a sharp regarde
Gods Ignorance and his Foolishnes / is b 1. Cor. 1.3 b wyser and procureth more Fruits of Righteousnes vppon the Earth / then all the Ingenious-witt of Mens Prudencie 3. Therfore we regarde not how Men â out of the Knowledg of their corrupt Vnderstanding do c 1. Cor. 4 a. iudg Vs and the Seruice of Loue / which we minister For it is well knowen vnto vs doutles / that all the Iudgments that the Man â out of his Ingenious-witt iudgeth of the Wisdom and Workes of God / are false and Lyes d Psal. 116. b. Rom. 3. a. and that God with his Saintes / is only true / in his Iudgment 4. And forasmuch as wee now in thissame Daye of Loue / are appeered before the Iudgment-seate of Christ and do carry the righteous Iudgment of God in our Hearts / therfore can no outlandish Men nor any Estraingedones or Fallers from the Seruice of Loue / iudg vs / although they woulde neuer-so-fayne For how shoulde they â I pray you be able to iudg vs rightly / inasmuch as they cannot see vs 5. Forasmuch then as they do e Exo. 33. c. Iohn 5.14 b. 1. Iohn 3.4 b not see the liueing God / in the Maiestee of his Glory / therfore can they not likewyse see Vs. For Wee together with all the Holyones of God / do liue and tryumph vniformly with God / in his Glory f Esa. 3. b. Sap. 3. b. Math. 19 c. 25. d. 1. Cor. 6. a. Iude. â— b. and do with Him / iudg the Worlde / with Righteousnes and Trueth / vnder the Obedience of his Loue. 6. Therfore also the Children of Men â that are without our Comunialtee or without the Famyly of Loue do vnderstande nothing-at-al â according to their Iudgment of our holy Vnderstanding / which we suck out of the Breastes of the Loue. 7. Veryly / therin do we acknowledg the Goodnes of God towards vs / that none of the foremencioned Men can ether see or iudg vs. But He himself / g 1. Cor. 4. a. the true God of the Liueing â who is a God with vs iudgeth euery thing by Vs and his heauenly and spirituall Wisdom and we vnderstande that his Iudgment is true 8. If anyman then haue a Lust to doo the Will of the Lorde also to be a Disciple of the Loue / in y e Schoole of Christ and to vnderstande the secret Iudgment of God / let him go-out or seperate his Heart / h 1. Cor. 3. b. from all the Wisdom of the Worlde and so com to our Comunialtee and to the Wisdom that we shall showe him / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 9. He being com to our Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / so let him â for the Loue and her holy Vnderstandings cause forsake i Math. 10. d. 16. c. Mark 8. d. Lud. 9.14 c himself and all his Industry Wisdom and Knowledg and so haue regarde to y e Seruice of Loue / what it requyreth 10. Now when-as he forsaketh himself for the Loues cause and hath wholly geeuen-ouer himself to the Wisdom and to the holy Vnderstanding of the Loue / for to be obedient to thesame and so taketh-heede to the Doctrine of the Loue / in our Schoole of the christian Doctrine not as a Iudg of thesame Doctrine but as a Disciple / which is content to be informed and taught by the Doctrine of the holy Spirit of Loue Then shall he k Math. 13. b. well vnderstande the right Mynde of the Secretnes of the Loue and the secret Iudgment of God as also well perceaue / that God hath distincted and declared euery-thing wysely and vnderstandably / with vs. and shall in-nowyse be able to see nor fynde / that-ther-is any Fault in our Wrytings and Ministracion of the Woord as likewyse very-easely perceaue / that we do apparantly shewe the Submission the Trueth and the Patience / each-one in his right Place and according to his right Order in like-maner / the Beleefe the Loue and euery-thing â each-one in his whatsoeuer serueth the Man to his Saluacion 11. For how shoulde wee possible shewe anything contrary or vnrightly / out of the Testimonyes of God inasmuch as they stande so cleere and vpright before vs / in our Sight and that God is l Deu. 8 b. Phil 2. b. Ephe. 3. c. Heb 13 c. the Worker and the Bringer-foorth of thosame Testimonyes himself The III. Chap. BVt Albeit now that anyone of the vnrenewed Men / do yet for-the-present-tyme â by reason of his Ingenious-witt or Blyndnes of Heart looke peruersly into the Loueing-kyndnes of God and the vpright Vnderstanding â witnessed out of Gods mostholy Seruice of Loue or construe it to the worst / yet is not the Worke of God nor the vpright Vnderstanding â which we bring-foorth out of God peruerse for-al-that neither-yet is God nor Wee â his Ministers to be blamed / for such a peruerse Sight but hee which â out of his peruerse a Math. 5.6 c 18. a. Sight Iudgeth falsly 2. For if the Earth â which doutles is altogether blynde and ignorant in the Arte or Worke of the Potter do iudg a b Esa. 2â— 45 b. Rom. 9. c. Potters Worke wrong / then is it no-dout greatly to be blamed because that it knoweth not the Honorablest / from the Dishonorablest nor the Foremost / from the Hindmost nor-yet any of the Workmasters Tooles For-that-cause also / it knoweth not how to distinct them rightly 3. Euenso is likewyse the earthly Man to be blamed / that iudgeth the Worke of the Lorde peruersly / because that he seeth so purblyndly and therfore he c Esa. 59. a. 2. Pet. 1. b. gropeth or coniectereth after it / like a Blynd-body or-els â out of the Purblyndnes of his Sight he iudgeth the Hindmost / for the Foremost and the Foremost / for the Hindmost the Wagon / for the Horsses and the Horsses / for y e Wagon and Men / for Trees And so through his Ignorance / he also nameth the Carpenters Tooles contraryly For like as the Sight and Discerning of the Man is peruerse euenso is also his Iudgment 4. Seing then that his Eyes are not cleere and d Ier. 4. a. â— b Math. 6. â— 7. a. Luk. 6. c. 11. d. Act. 7. f. 1. Iohn 2. b that his Eares are thick and that his Body is yet darke and that therfore he beholdeth not the Sunne of Righteousnes neither-yet standeth in thatt Place whear she giueeth her Cleernes but is altogether a Straunger therfrom / Therfore doth he neither knowe nor vnderstand anything-at-all of the Cleernes of the Sunne For-that-cause he cannot also iudg in the Light nor according to the Trueth 5. Now when an illuminated Man â with the Cleernes of his Eyes seeth into the Trueth of God and that he likewyse witnesseth of the Beawtyfulnes of the Daye-light of y e Sunne also giueth such high Honour and Prayse vnto thesame
Ephe. 1.4 b Renewing of our Lyfe and Mynde and to an euerlasting x 2. Pet. 3. b. Righteousnes vppon Earth euen-as is written of Him The II. Chap. FOrasmuch now â O ye beloued Heartes as this pure and spirituall· and this heauenly and true louely Beeing / is a Eph. 3 a. 2. Timo. 1. b appeered vnto vs Poore and Littleones / among so many Thowsandes in this Worlde and is â out of Gods Mercy and his Loue administred and presented vnto vs / by ChristØ›the true Minister b Heb. 8.9 b. of the spirituall and heauenly Goodes in his Coming / Therfore let vs take-heede with all our Heartes / to the Seruice of thesame Grace / to our Amendment and to the c Rom. 12. a. Ephe. 4. b. Renewing of our Hearts and Myndes and euenso therthrough / lay-away d 2. Cor. 7. a. Ephe. 4. c. Col. 3. a. 1. Pet 2.4 a. Heb. 12. a. all earthly and fleshly Pollution and all vncleane Thoughts / which in tymes-past â when we walked yet in Ignorance haue drawen and leadd our Hearts to the Flesh and Blood of Sinne and to many-maner of Errours and also to many-sorts of Bewitching with visible and corruptible Things 2. From all these and from all what is not agreeable to the Woord of Trueth and his Requyring / let our Hearts be e Eâ—e 36. c. cleansed / thorough the Seruices Doctrines or f Iohn 4.7 b Waters of Lyfe / which do now flowe from the Body of Christ and his holy Spirit of Loue / To th end that we may with pure Hearts / cleaue to the Loue and her louely Beeing· becom incorporated therunto· and so may be heauenly and spiritually mynded / with all our Myndes and Thoughts 3. THerfore submitt yourselues eueryone / g 1. Pet. 5 b. Iam. 4. a. vnder the mighty Hande of God and indeuour you moreouer / for h Heb. 3. b. to heare â with meeke Hearts now in this present Daye / the Voyce of the holy Spirit of Loue which doth now giue-foorth her Sounde and speaketh vnto you / out of Heauen / with a spirituall Tongue and which likewyse despereth to drawe you all with your inward Man / to the spirituall heauenly and true Being / for that yee mought in like-maner / haue your fellowshipp with our Comunialtee For our Comunialtee is vniforme i 1. Iohn 1. a. with the spirituall Comunialtee of the Saints of God namely with the louely heauenly Company / which walke with vs in all Loue and so wee do all one-with another / eate the true k Iohn 6. e. heauenly Breade with Christ Ø›our Headd and King in the l Luk 22. d. Kingdom of God our Father and so drinking with Ioye / of the new Fruit of the true Vyne / we are ioyfull in the euerlasting Lyfe To which louely Beeing â for to liue all therin / with one Heart Mynd and Delyte we are eueryone created· and called therunto â out of Grace by m Rom. 10. b 1. Pet. 1. b. the Preaching of the holy Gospel of Christ. 4. If yee now â O ye Beloued do see into thissame / according to the Trueth and that ye do consider / to what an excellent Maiestee ye be called and bidden now in thissame last Daye / through the Seruice of Loue wherby to n 1. Esd. â—0 3. Esd. 9 renew you eueryone / through the Woord of Lyfe and to confirme you in your Calling wherunto ye are chosen by Iesu Christ / So consider then likewyse / how o 2. Pet 3. b. pure or cleane your Heartes ought to bee from all earthly and corruptible Things / wherin p Leuit. 26. b. Apo. 21. a. the liueing God of Heauen will dwell liue and walke / with such a Glory of God and heauenly Kingdom of Christ euen-as is witnessed vnto you by the Seruice of Loue and as is now heald-foorth before you / with this loueing Exhortacion 5. When-as we now do consider and perceaue thissame / how pure and cleere our Heart or inward Mynde ought to bee and that we contrary therunto / do fynde ourselues still defyled and that we likewyse for-that-cause / do not yet for the present tyme / fynde thesame Cleernes· nor the vpright Being of the louely Beawty of God / perfectly in vs but that the vncleane Being and the q 2. Tess. 2. a Contrary-nature vnto God / doth yet generally dwell in vs and doth yet dayly r Rom. 7. c. Gal. 5. b. mooue our Myndes and Thoughts / with euell Inclynacions / So let vs then â to y e Purifying of our Hearts and mynds submitt ourselues with all our Hearts / before s Eze. 43. a Heb. 5. a. the Seate of the Maiestee of God and before the Tabernacle t Apo. 21. a of his holy Dwelling / out of the which / He doth now let his Woord of Trueth and his holy Will / be hearde vppon the Earth and so in Humilite â with the t Math. 1â— â— Luâ— 14. c Forsaking of all our Selfnes and Self-wisdom let vs take-heede â with Beleefe and firme Confidence to the Seruice of y e holy Spirit of Loue and his Requyring / proceeding out of thesame and giue-eaxe and with whole Heart v 1. Pet. 1. e. be obedient to the Woord of Trueth / that is administred ther-out x Act. â— c 1 Cor. 9. breake destribut and feed-vpon thesame Woord â the which is y Iohn 6 c the heauenly Breade among eachother / for a Foode of our Soules and as often as we doo this / let vs publish the Death z 1 Cor. 11. c of Christ namely of thissame holy Beeing of God or Woord of the heauenly Father / that ought to liue and to raigne or gouerne in our Inwardnes and yet notwithstaÌ„ding / is as deadd or killed with the Death of the Crosse / For our Sinnes cause and a Math. 3 a. Luk 3. c. confesse our Sinnes till that our sinfull Members together with ther euell Lusts and Desyres / be b Rom. 6. a Gal 6. a Phil. 3. b Col. 3. a. crucifyed and killed with thesame or the lyke Death of the Crosse of Christ and that we be in that sort / planted into Christ / with the lyke Death c Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. and buryed with Him passe-ouer and suffer-out thesame Passe-ouer of his Crosse Death and Buryall / in that maner with Him / till that the heauenly Beeing of God or Christ according to the Spirit / do com vnto vs â liueingly and mightely to the d Rom. 16. c. Treading-downe and Rooting-out of all vngodly Beeing and that we do euen so through the second Birth from the Death / e Rom. 6. â— 1. Cor. 15. c f. Col. 3. â— ryse with Him in a new Lyfe / out of our Buryall â–ª to be an holy f Iohn 14. â— Apo. 21. â— Dwelling of God and Christ the which is
â with their false Testimonyes against vs persecute Vs very vehemeÌ„tly / which do minister the holy Woord or innocent Beeing of God / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 7. Wo be vnto them / that runnfoorth with their foolish Desyres and false Heartes / s 2. Pet 2. b. Iâ—de 2. b after the Workes of the Flesh which are defyled with Darknesses / to th end to liue euenso in all Vncleannes Voluptuous-pleasures WantoÌ„nes and Wickednes and vnto all those that giue Prayse and Honour to the vngodly Beeing and accounte thesame to be a Freendshipp for them â–ª not once careing for this / that they are the Enemyes of God / ther-through 8. Wo be vnto them / that for t Iam. 〈…〉 the Worldes Freendshipp or for the Pleasures cause of the Flesh / becom Gods Enemyes Wher-with they shewe sufficiently / that they are Witnesses of the Craftyones as also Witnesses / that they neither will nor desyre God nor his holy Beeing 9. Beholde the Curssing v Math 25. d. Heb 9.10 c 2 pet 3. a. and the tirrible Iudgment of the Fyres Crueltee / hangeth ouer theÌ„ / as a Snare / for their Sinnes cause And thatsame wil fall x Luk. 21. d. heauely vppon the Pate of all Euel-willing and arrogant Highmyndedones 10. Therfore looke into it betymes â O ye Children of Men what a louely and godly Beeing ye haue forsaken and how ye haue liued in all Vngodlynes and Vnmanlynes and repent / er-euer the seuere Iustice or the Iudgment of God fall vppon you For when thesame ketcheth-holde of you and letteth you see your wicked Deedes / y Sap 5. a b. then shall ye knowe / that the euell Things haue incompassed and caught-holde of you By the which ye shal be z Sap. 12 c Apo. 18. a punished â–ª and not be able to escape the Hande of Dengaunce The VI. Chap. O ye beloued Hearts / which are yet healde or captiued with any vngodly thing / put-away now a Iosu. 1. the Wickednes from you and b Iam. 4. cleanse your Hearts therof Seperate your Myndes and Thoughts / from all what is vayne and corruptible in the Worlde For-sake all thatt / whatsoeuer ioyneth not itself to a godly Lyfe Circumcise yourselues c Deut. 10. b Ier. 4. a. on the Foreskinne of your Hearts and put-away froÌ„ your Hearts / all what is vnpure and hath defyled your Hearts Turne you and com â with naked Hearts d Ier 18. b. 25 a 35. b. Eze 18. d. Ioel. 2. b. to the Lorde your God / vnder the Obedience of his Loue and in thesame Seruice / learne the Sweetnes of Lyfe the Humilitee and Meeknes of Heart and the vpright Vertues 2. For thatt is the cleane or pure Lyfe of Iesu Christ / which cometh vnto vs out of the Loue / through her Seruice / to th end that we shoulde liue vnto God in thesame and laude and prayse Him therin 3. Beholde â ye Deerly-beloued ther-vnto strecheth our Seruice of Loue which vndeceaueable Seruice / is the mostlouely and holyest Seruice of God / the which / God willeth that it shoulde haue his Minisâ—raâ—ion ouer all the Worlde and that all People shoulde be obedient or subiect to the Loue / in her Seruice For in the Loue is the e Gen. 13. â—â— Blessing of all Generacions of the Earth / according to the Promyses 4. Therfore is my Eâ—hortacion and harty Request vnto you all / which are the Auncientest and Most-zealousones in our holy Comunialtee / that ye wil all likewyse haue regarde in that-maner / vnto the Seruice of Loue and euen so accomplish his Requyring 5. And although it be knowen vnto me / that ye do also partly with mee / see into the Difference of thatt wherof I wryte vnto you / yet am I notwithstanding constrayned / to wryte and to present thissame vnto you / To th end that ye shoulde alwayes be myndfull / not to put to-much trust at the first / in the on-coming Disciples / which inclyne vnto vs in the Seruice of Loue as to declare all the Misteryes of God / among them f 1 Cor 2. â— but well among those that are growing-vp with vs obediently / in the holy and godly Testimonyes of the Spirit of Loue / to the g Ephe 4 b Agednes of the holy Vnderstanding and those which we fynde faythfull therin / Because that we may therby â so much-the-more-certenly and foresightfully minister the mostholy Seruice of Loue â wherunto God hath stirred-vp and chosen vs to h 1 Cor 14. d. all good Order and Decentnes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. The VII Chap. SEing then that ther are feawe now / that wil a 2. Timo. 4. a endure the godly Doctrine of the Loue / therfore is likewyse all my harâ—y Exhortacion vnto You / ye Elders and Wyseones â to whom the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue are committed / for to minister in the Seruice of Loue that yee â in thesame Seruice wil alwayes keepe a circumspect Watch towardes the vpright and louely Beeing cheefly because of those that com-in besydes the Loue and her Seruice b Rom. 16. 2 Timo 3. a and bring-in Contencion and Breache of the Concorde / with their Knowledg 2. But contende not you with them / aboute any Knowledg but requyre alwayes the Loue and the Obedience vnto her Seruice / to all c Ephe. 4. a. Vnitee of Peace For if anyman knowe the Loue / hee knoweth all what he shoulde knowe and whosoeuer knoweth not the Loue nor is mynded to the Requyring of her Seruice / hee doutles d 1 Cor. â— a. knoweth nothing No nothing-at-al of the godly Wisdom nor can in-any-wyse e Math 11 d 1 Cor 2. b vnderstande the Trueth It is very-true 3. Heerwith â ye beloued Elders in the holy Vnderstanding my Request and Exhortacion is vnto you all / that ye wil alwayes be myndfull of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and not leaue-of to f 2 Timo 4. a. rebuke and to exhort still / with Woordes of holy Vnderstanding and with Informacions of Discreation namely those which holde with vs / in the Comunialtee of Loue and are yet loofe or lightmynded of Heart and cheefly g 2 Tâ—â—s 3 a those / which walke disorderly / as also y t Vnchastones which wil serue the Flesh / with vncleane Hearts For they marre their Vnderstanding and corrupt their Sences and Memory / with their Fleshly and vnchast Thoughtes 4. Before these holde-foorth the conuenient Orderlynes and exhort them to a h psal â—1 b Math â— a cleane or pure Heart / To th end that they may becom i 2 Cor. 7. a cleansed from all Pollution and Filthynes of the Flesh and so â growing-vp in the holy Vnderstanding may be founde worthy / that the God of Lyfe may â in Cleannes and Cleernes or Purenes dwell and walke in
k Iohn 14 c Apo 21. â— them and so mought â through the godly Beeing be meete to vtter-foorth and to publish the Glory of God / to the l â—phe 1 a Laude of his Maiestee and also to be seruiceable vnto their Neighboure / to thatsame Beeing / that it may all go vprightly m 1 Cor 14 d in his Course 5. Beholde thus dooing / we shall be founde n Math. 24. c 1 Cor 4 a faythfull Ministers of God also faythfull Ministers of the holy Woord which do further the Saluacion or Welfare of Men. For after that maner â as is before sayde shall the Loue alwayes continue fruitfull among vs in her Seruice / out of pure Nature and God shall sainctify his great and gloryous Name in vs· seale vs therwith to be his People· and accept vs o Ier 31. a. 2 Cor 6 b for his beloued Sonnes and Daughters also p Esa 66. b playe and dandle with vs / as with his beloued Children and keepe vs / q Psal 17 a Zach 2 a as the Apple of his Eye And He shall leade and nourish vs vp in his Pasture / like r Eze 34 b Iohn 1â— a Sheepe and Lambes 6. All our Course-of-lyfe shal be in Loue and Peace Faythfulnes s Zach 8 a b and Trueth shal be seruiceable vnto vs. Righteousnes and Holynes t Esa 58 b shal be alwayes in our Beholding and God shall alwayes go-before vs / as a Light He shal be an euerlasting King and Sheapheard vnto vs and the Loueingnes in the Peace / shall alwayes be among vs and haue no Ende according to the Promyses 7. Let all our Lyfe and all our Course-of-dealing / be heerin / my beloued Hearts ye louely Comunialtee of Saints in the Loue. For you â ye louely faythfull Comunialtee of Loue hath God chosen to be a kingly Seede vppon the Earth / according to his Promyses / for to bring-foorth by you / the Light of Lyfe / out of the heauenly Trueth to the Blessing of all Generacions of the Earth according to the Promyses 8. Take-heede v 2 Cor 6 â— Gal 6 a now all to thissame Tyme of Grace Be watchfull in y e Spirit x Esa 60 a Rom 13 b Ephe 5. â— and stand-vp in the Righteousnes The Loue of God the Father and the Glory of Christ in his Coming / take the Victory in all your Hearts Amen The Ende of the Nyntenth Epistle The Twentith Epistle A Chastising and Reproofe of Whoordom / with sondry good Lessons Informacions and groundly Instructions / how the Man shall giue-ouer himself to Iesus Christ and to the Woord of his holy Spirit of Loue and Trueth· forsake and leaue himself and all what he hath / for the Loue of Iesu Christ-his sake· and follow-after and only cleaue-vnto Iesus Christ and the Woord of his holy Spirit of Loue· and shewe all Obedience Loue and Faythfulnes / to thesame Woord Thus sath the Lorde IESVS CHRIST If any man com to Mee / and hateth not his Father Mother Wyfe Children Bretheren Sisters and also his owne Lyfe That is Whosoeuer doth not â for y e Loue of Iesus Christes sake forsake and leaue all wher-vnto he is bounde or wher-vnto he hath sett his owne Affection and Will of his Heart / without the Requyring of the holy Woord of Iesu Christ and his holy Spirit of Loue and beareth or taketh not his Crosse on him / and Followeth-after Mee / cannot be my Desciple Math. 10.16 Mark 8. Luk. 9.14 The First Chapter THIS IS THE Woord of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ / which HN hath witnessed â vnder the Obedience of the Loue against the Whooring of the Generacion of Men 2. O Thou Generacion of Men / How long shall I sett a psal 108 a Cant 7. c. my Loue on thee / without being loued agayne and my b 2 Cor 11 a Faythfulnes / without being shewed Faythfulnes agayne 3. When wilt thou â I pray thee turne thyself away from thy Whoordom and turne thee â—ightly â c Ier 3 a with a faythfull Heart to thy d Oâ—e 2 a 2 Cor â—1 a right Husbande 4. I haue â sayth the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ sett all my e pro 2 c Loue towards thee / O thou Generacion of Men. But seing that I am not loued by thee agayne and do perceaue / that thou whoorest with thyne owne Imaginacion f Deut 12 a of the Knowledg and with almaner of Spirits and g Ier 2 d Eze 16 b. c. Rom 1 c elementish or naturall Things and doest not sett thy Loue and Faythfulnes / h Ier 2. d. firmly to my Loue and Faythfulnes â which I shewe towards thee to an vpright Obeying of the holy Woord / Therfore doth my Heart â for loves-Loues-cause suffer somuch-the-greater Sorrow and I must also be captiued the-more with i 2 Cor 1â— a Mistrustfulnes towards thee 5. OH / alas Must not I alwayes â like vnto an Husband towards an k Ier 2 d 3 a 2 Cor 12. a whoorish Wyfe haue a mistrustfull Eye towards the Man which bosteth him of the Loue and of the Knowledg of the spirituall and heauenly Things and yet committeth whoordom with l Ier 2 d. Eze 16. b â— Iud. 1 b strainge Spirits / without the Famyle of Loue m 2. Cor. 11 a and not suffer thesame Mistrust to be taken-away or denyed me / before I fynde that the Man do bynde or betroth himself â with a faythfull Heart vnto the holy Woord of Grace and his Spirit of Loue and doth with an n Deut. 16. b. obedient Heart / vtterly forsake all his Whoordom whether it be with Flesh or Spirit· with any-maner of o Eze 16. b Imaginacion of the Knowledg· or with anything that is Outward or Inward· or with anything of p psal 49. c Gods Sayings and euen so goeth-thorow the Waye to the Lyfe / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord 6. Oh! How is my Heart thus greeued / by reason of greate Loue. and so perplexed / through great Mistrustfulnes 7. For like as a valyant Champyon / hath sett all his Loue and Hearts-lust towards an whoorish Wyfe and bounde it vnto her / to the intent to with-drawe her from her Whoordom and to drawe her with her Loue / into his Loue / to be an vpright Maryed-wyfe vnto him and can obtayne no Looking-on nor Harkening-vnto â or very-little at her handes and so for great Loue / suffereth such sore Greefe in his Heart and is so exceedingly combered / that he cannot at any-tyme take any rest / for shewing his Loue still towards her Euenso am I in-like-maner swallowed-vp in Loue / toward the Generacion of Men for to withdrawe thesame from his Whoordom which doth now committ-whoordom with so many-maner of Knowledges and strainge and erring q 3 Reg 22. d. Esa 18 b
holy Vnderstanding is the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine / in the Famyly of Loue / wherin / all good-willing Hearts to the Righteousnes and all vpright Beleeuers of the holy and gracious Woord / do shewe by the Deede / that they do i Math 22. c Iohn 24. loue the Lorde Iesus Christ with all their Hearts / and haue a good Will Lust or Desyre / to k Math 16. c Luâ— 9.14 â— follow-after Him with faythfull Hearts and for-that-cause / haue a Lust â with good-willing Hearts to fulfill or to accomplish y e Requyring of the Obedience of the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine in the Seruice and Famyly of Loue / wherby to l Ephe. 4. c growe-vp out of the nethermost Place â or out of the Turning-about to be like obedient m Math 18 a 19. b. Mar. 9.10 Children to becom right Elders in the godly Vnderstanding 12. BEholde â ye Deerly-beloued if now ye wil n Math 16 c follow-after the Lorde Iesu Christ duly and rightly / with perfect whole Hearts and o Col. 1 a 1 Pet 2. a. growe-vp in the godly Vnderstanding / according to the Trueth / then submitt yourselues obediently vnder the holy Woord of Grace and so then p Math. 16. â— Mat. 8. d. Luk. 9 14. c follow-after Iesus Christ / according to the Counsayle and Doctrine of his holy Spirit of Loue. 13. And if ye woulde gladly be delyuered q Math. 6. b. Luk. 12. g. from the Euell· incorporated to the Lorde Iesu Christ or one-substance r 2. Pet. 1. a. with Him· and so partakers with Christ â in the Kingdom of the God of Heauens of the spirituall Vnderstanding s Eâ—a 45. a. Matth. 11 d and heauenly Goodes â for to minister them rightly / and inherit y e euerlasting Lyfe / Then take this my good Doctrine t Pro. 1.2 3. Math. 19. â— Maâ— 10 c. Luk. 8. c. and godly Counsayle of the Wisdom / to heart and apply yourselues at the first therunto / in all Obedience and Faythfulnes The V. Chap. NOw when ye haue applyed yourselues heerunto· geeuen all a 1 Pâ—r. 29. c Psal 24.88 a thatt ouer â in the Seruice of Loue vnto the Lorde and his holy Woord Ø› Iesu Christ which belongeth vnto Him â to a Preseruacion in Righteousnes or sett it submitted ther-vnder and vowed and promysed your Fayth and Loue / vnto Iesu Christ / b 2. Cor. 11. a your right Lorde or Husbande / So think then also vpon nothing-els / but c Deut 6.10 a with all your Hearts / to loue your Lorde or Husbande to whom ye haue geuen-ouer your Fayth and whole Heart / for to loue Him only and bounde or marryed yourselues vnto Him / in all Faythfulnes and to shewe all Faythfulnes and d 1. Reg. 15. c. Obedience towards Him in such-sort / that it may be a e Psal. 40 a. Rom. 12. a. 1. Pâ—t 2. Delyte vnto you with all your Hearts / to doo all his Will and to follow-after Him in his Wayes 2. But first-of-al / in the f Ier. â—â— Circumcision of your Hearts â through the g Eccli 1. â— â— 19 â— Feare of God to the h â—eâ— â—2 â— Laying-away of the Sinne in the Flesh â–ª or of all i 1 Pet â— 2 vngodly Beeing and of the heathenâ—â— Misâ—urtour 3. Secondly â through y e Fayth of Iesu Christ â–ª in his Death of the Crosse or Suffering / to the Killing k Rom 〈…〉 b. Col 2. b. and Burying of the Sinne or of all vngodly Beeing 4. Thirdly â through the Loue of the holy Spirit of Iesu Christ in the second l Iohn â—â— Rom. â—â— b T it b Birth from the Death or the Resurrection of Iesu Christ / m Rom â—â—â— to the Righteousnes of Lyfe and n Rom â—â— 1 Ephâ— â— c. Renewing of your Spirits and Myndes 5. And so foorth-on vnto o Act â— a. â— the heauenly Beeing / at the Right-hande of God his heauenly Father from whence He doth now â in this Daye of his righteous Iudgment ouer p Math 1â—â— 2 â— g â—â— d. Act. 1â— f Iude â—â— Quick and Deadd appeere q â— Tess 4 d. and com vnto vs / in Power and Glory / with the many Thowsandes of his Saincts and with the aboundant Treasures r Col 2 a. or Ritches of his spirituall and heauenly Goodes / for to s Matth. 24 â— 25. d. assemble vs â–ª as Fellow-members of his Body vnto Him and his Saints / in the euerlasting Lyfe to the Inheriting of his holy t Heb. 4. c Rest and of all his spirituall and heauenly Goodes 6. for-that-FOr-that-cause â my beloued Heartes follow-after v Math 16. c 1. Pet. 2. c our Lorde Iesus Christ in such-a-maner euen like as I do heere figure-foorth thesame before you and apply you euenso at the first / to the first Schoole-rule or x Heb. 5. c. Begining of the christian Doctrine and of the godly Lyfe / in the Famyly of Loue. 7. Exercise yourselues first-of-al / thorowly and faythfully therin And so in the Following of Iesu Christ â in the Takeing-vp y Math. 16. c Mar 8. d. Luk 9. d. or Beareing of your Crosse / against all the Enemyes of the vpright Lyfe of Christ z 2 Pet. 2 c. Heb. 10. c. and Blaspheamers of the holy Spirit of Loue growe you vpp out of thesame / to the perfect a Ephe. 4. c. Age of the manly Beeing of Iesu Christ / and of his holy spirituall and heauenly Vnderstanding That is till that Iesus ChristØ›the true High-preeste / b psal 110. Heb 5 b. after the order of Melchisedech com vnto you from the c Heb. 1. b. Right-hande of God his Father and hath â with his holy Spirit of Loue and heauenly Goodes gotten d 2. Cor. 4. b. Gal. 2. d. 4. c. a liueing Shape in you· and herited you in his spirituall and heauenly e Col 2. a. Goodes and that likewyse thosame heauenly Goodes / do flowe agayne from your Bodyes / like f Iohn â— 7 d Floods of liueing Waters to the Refreshing of all thirsty Soules after the Righteousnes And so becom vpright Elders in the holy and godly Vnderstanding and Ministers of the holy Woord The VI. Chap. TAke it effectually to heart / which I wryte vnto you and thatt wherunto a Pro 1.2.4 â— I do exhorte you For it is the Lordes Woord and his Will / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes 2. Also refuse not to assemble you with vs to the Famyly of Loue wher-vnto ye be called / by Gods Grace / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes· and requyred on the Lordes-behalf / for to fulfill b Math. 5. c all Righteousnes 3. For I saye vnto you veryly / that all those which refuse c Math. 22. â— thesame·