unto vain jangling 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. Again ver 18 19. he chargeth Timothy to hold Faith and a good Conscience which sâ—me having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack Again Chap. 3. ver 9. The Mystery of Faith is held in a pure Conscience The Apostle Peter writes to the Believers thus viz. Having a good Conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of Evil-doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 3. 16. Concerning evil Conscience THE Apostle writes thus Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to the seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. Now the Prince that begets and upholds this evil Conscience hardened and seared is the Devil who abode not in the truth in whom there is no truth he is that Prince of the power of the Air who works in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience as the Apostle saith This is he who leads into the fleshly Liberty from the Cross of Christ into the fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul and drowns such men in predition who become Enemies to the Cross of Christ This Liberty is not to be given way unto nor to be pleaded for by any true Christian this is not the Liberty of the Sons of God which he hath promised to restore them into who believe in Jesus Christ and take up their daily Cross and follow him giving and taking Liberty to this evil Conscience brings into corruptible Bondage yea it vassalizeth the Creature Soul and Body to Satan and if this Liberty be continued in it brings everlasting destruction both upon Man and Woman Paul writ to Titus saying Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their Mind and Consciences defiled they profess that they know God but in Works they deny him See Tit. 1. 15 16. Again the Apostle writing to the Hebrews saith Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience c. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised and let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the Assembling our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another c. See Heb. 10. 22 23 24 25. Oh my dear Friends All tenderly consider that the great work of God in and through Christ is to put away this evil Conscience and to work in man a good one yea to redeem out of all corrupt sinful fleshly Liberty which Liberty embondageth the Creature under Satans power as I said before Now Christ the patient and innocent Lamb of God was sent by the Father to take away the Sins of the World which John Baptist in his Eternal Light saw and testified of and in the same Divine Spirit and Light of Christ Daniel the Prophet saw and testified of saying He shall finish Sin and Transgression and shall bring in everlasting Righteousness Blessed are all they who in Faith and Patience wait to see this great Work carried on and finished in the appointed season of the Father O my Friends Seriously consider how enclinabâ—e apt and prone Men and Women are after they are come to some degree of the knowledge of God and of Christ and of the daily Cross to hearken to the Serpents voice who deceived Eve who leads into this ungodly Liberty who by his Transformations hath deceived some in our Age after they knew God and Christ as aforesaid and he has promised them Liberty and great things as he did Eve and has brought them into misery as he did her and through this his accursed work a Root of Bitterness is sprung up in some which is in danger to defile many which God through his tender Mercy put a stop unto confound and drive backward This is the earnest desire of my Soul The Apostle Peter writes against the fleshly Libertines with which the Church was exercised in his day which became matter of much Travel and Grief to the faithful Apostles of them he thus writes viz. These are Wells without Water Clouds that are carried with a Tempest to whom the mist of Darkness is reserved for ever for when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the Lusts of the Flesh through much Wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour While they promise them Liberty they themselves are the servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought into Bondage c. See 2 Pet. 2. 16. to the end Dear Friends Something more is upon me to write concerning Conscience The Apostle writing to the Church at Corinth speaketh of the Idolatry of the Gentiles viz. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto Idols we know that an Idol is nothing in the World for though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be gods many and lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge for some with Conscience of the Idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an Idol and their Consciences being weak are defiled But meat commendeth us not to God for neither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse But take heed lest by any means this Liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak for if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the Idols Temple shall not the Conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to Idols c. Read 1 Cor. 8. 4. to the end of the chap. Observe here that some with Conscience of the Idol did eat things sacrificed unto it and their Consciences therein and thereby were defiled The Christians who knew there was no other God but one were warned by the Apostle that they should not sit in the Idols Temple at Meat with those who eat their meat unto the Idol lest their so doing should embolden those ignorant Idolaters to persist in their Ignorance and Idolatry for though some might say they did not eat it to the Idol as the Idolaters did but for strength and sustenance to the outward man yet this would not answer the Counsel of the Lord in the Apostle nor the Light of Christ in their own Souls but they were to abstain from eating with them at such Sacrifices thereby to prevent emboldening them therein And in chap. 10. ver 20. take his Testimony against this sort of Idolatry in these
words viz But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God See Acts 15. 28. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils My Friends these Testimonies I bring not only to shew good Conscience from evil Conscience and weak from strong but also to shew how careful the Apostle was that those believing Gentiles who had received the knowledge of the one true God should walk in faithfulness to him according to the knowledge which he had given them that by their good conversation in Christ as well as by their preaching of the word and Doctrine of the Gospel those Idolaters might be turned from their dumb Idols to serve the living God Concerning them that are weak in the Faith YET something further concerning them that are weak in the Faith The Apostle writing to the believing Romans writes thus viz. Him that is weak in the Faith receive you But not to doubtful disputations for one believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth hearbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully persuaded in his own Mind c. See Rom. 8. 1 5 c. My Friends some unruly and some unskilful persons of our time who would be accounted strong faithful and wise under the Profession of the Light of Christ Within have endeavoured to strain and wrest this last cited Scripture thereby to justifie and cover themselves in the practising of some things which are contrary to the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus as also in the omitting and neglecting of some things which the Light of Jesus hath led the faithful into not only the Elders or aged in Christ but the younger also In bearing with weakness we are of the Apostles mind and concerning eating of Hearbs or any sort of Food or Meat we would have all who profess the Light of Christ Jesus to wait diligently in it that by it their Understandings may be cleared that they may see as the Apostle did and be persuaded as he and many more were and are that there is nothing unclean of it self that so out of weakness they may grow strong in the Lord. The same Apostle who took this care that they might not judge one another about Meats Drinks and Days Hear what he further saith concerning these things when some among the Christians would or did command to abstain from Meats and would have it received as a Principle or Doctrine of Christ in his Church then the Apostle judged it and ranks it as one of the Doctrines of Devils See Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Observe whilst the abstaining from Meats in the before mentioned sense was practised as a Weakness which it really was through shortness of Understanding he bore with it and exhorted others so to do saying We who are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak Rom. 15. 1. But when some did account themselves strong and wise in Christianity but were not so would have enjoined it as a Command that he judged as aforesaid Concerning Days AGain concerning Days hear what he saith viz. Howbeit then when ye knew not God ye did service to them which by nature are no Gods But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggerly Elements whereunto ye desire again to be in Bondage Ye observe Days and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you Labour in vain Brethren I beseech you to be as I am Gal. 4. 8 9 10 11. Again hear what he saith viz. Now the God of Patience and Consolation grant that you be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that you may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15. 5 6. Again hear what the Apostle saith concerning these things writing to the believing Colossians viz. Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come But the body is of Christ c. Col. 2. 16 17. Observe That the Apostles and Primitive faithful Christians who bore with the weaknesses of some in their observation of Days and limiting themselves to eating of Hearbs they were not to be judged in their eating or drinking who eat and drank in the Faith and Counsel of God neither were they to be judged because they did not observe the Jews Holy-days so called neither because they did not observe the Jews New Moons or Sabbath days which are a shadow for they were come to Christ who is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes as it s written Again hear what Christ saith And he called the Multitude together said Hear and understand Not that which goeth into the Mouth defileth the Man but that which cometh out of the Mouth defileth the Man Do not you understand that whatsoever entereth in at the Mouth goeth into the Belly and is cast out into the Draught but those things that proceed out of the Mouth cometh forth from the Heart and they define the Man For out of the heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False Witness Blasphemies these are the things which defile a man Matth. 15. 10 11 17 18 19 20. And concerning the Jews Sabbath hear what Christ saith And he said unto them The Sabbath was made for Man and not man for the Sabbath therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath Mark 2. 27 28. Observe this he said unto the Pharisees who judged his Disciples for plucking the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath day who said unto him Behold why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful Upon which he brought them an Instance what David did in eating the Shew-bread c. But Christ by offering up himself through the Eternal Spirit hath since that put an end to these shadows so that the Apostles and Primitive Christians were not to be judged for their refusing to practise them when Christ had ended them And though the Apostles and Christians did bear with the Practice of these things in some after they came to make some profession of Christ yet they bore with it as weakness which it was which the strong in Christ knew they would outgrow as they diligently did follow on to know the Lord through obeying him in what they did already know for that is the way for every one to know what is needful for them to know which they yet know not even to be obedient to God in what they do already know For he is faithful who hath promised saying He
A General Epistle Given forth in OBEDIENCE TO THE God of Peace For the Preservation and Increase of CHARITY and UNITY amongst the Professors of Christ Jesus and the Teachings of his Divine Light within By a Servant of Christ a True Lover of Christian-Charity Peace and Unity WILLIAM GIBSON Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Mat. 5. 9. Put on Charity which is the boâ—d of perfectness Col. 3. 14. He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself even to walk so as he walked 1 John 2. 6. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1. 27. LONDON Printed and sold by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Gracâ—-Church street near Cornhil 1682. REader notwithstanding the Authors great care to prevent Errors in the following matter yet several Errors have escaped the Press which thou art desired to take notice of as the mistake of the Printers Those which are most material to hurt the Sense I have collected in this Errata some other small literal Faults and Errors in pointing and transposing or misplacing of words there are all which may be discerned in reading by such who are skilful and diligent therein and by such corrected so far as may be for the help of those who are less skilful in reading and correcting the two greatest Errors take particular notice of the first is in the Introduction page the 5. line the 16. where speaking of the Spirit of the Creature Man or Woman it is there rendred the Spirit of the Creator the second great error is in p. 107. l. 15. where the word sensually is put instead of the word sensibly ERRATA INtroduction page 3. line 10. for Light read Spirit p. 5. l. 16. f. Creator r. Creature p. 6. l. 17. f. were read was p. 12. l. 14. f. word r. words p. 10. l. 3. blot out some of First PART IN Margin p. 52. r. God commanded the Light to be and appear and separated it from the Darkness in the First days work p. 59. l. the 8. add the word one p. 76. l. 18. add the word same p. 78. l. 12. f. nember r. member p. 95. l. 21. add the word the p. 102. l. 23. f. Chrisi r. Christ p. 105. l. 7. f. Justifying r. Justifie p. 107. l. 15 f. sensually r. sensibly p. 109. l. 10. next after the word you make a full stop p. 126. l. 22 and 23. read O all ye ends of the Earth p. 160. l 19. dele and fear l. 14. dele or Second PART PAge the 2. l. 5. blot out and p. the 6. l. 13 14. r. thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall p. 19. l. 5. r. the verse 9 and 10 c. l. 23. blot out him l. 29 f. careful r. careful p. 20. l. 11. f. fevere r. severe p. 24. l. 7. add spoken of p. 28. l. 20. f. understanding r. understand p. 29. l. 12. r. 1 Cor. 13. p. 45. l. 24. next after and add have p. 56. l. 12. f. soberly r. sober p. 65. l. 31. f. â—oâ— r. to p. 80. l. 25. blot out to p. 93. l. 22. f. sowed r. soweth p. 96. l. 6. f. sealed r. seal p. 99. l. 8. f. comended r. commended Several Scriptures which should have been in the Italick Letter are omitted particularly the First Chapter of Genesis c. in p. 52 53 54 55. Note this Book being printed by several Men occasioneth it to be in two Parts only becaâ—â— of the beginning anew of the Figures upon the top of the pages and that which is called the Second Part begins with the figure 1 at the top of the page or leaf There is also some part of the Book put in Black Letter which had been most properly in the Roman these improprieties of the different form of Letters doth no way hurt the matter as to the sense thereof THE CONTENTS AN Exhortation to the Professors of the Light within to live and walk in the same and the Walker in the Light distâ—nguished from the Talker of it who walk in Darkness Page 1 Concerning good Conscience 21. Concerning evil Conscience 23. Concerning them that are weak in the Faith 28. Concerning days 30. Something concerning Christian Order or Order in the Church of Christ 42. Something more concerning the Order of the Works of God in Heaven and Earth and particularly in his People 52. Something more particularly concerning the Order of Christ in his Church 72. Concerning the Form of the true Apostles Doctrine 95. Concerning the Commands of the Apostles of Christ which they gave not of themselves or by their own power but by and in his Power VVisdom Strength and Authority for they were his Ambassadors over them he reigned in them he spake and gave commands who is the Head of his Church and one in the Male and Female 97 Concerning the Honour that God gives unto his People 130. Concerning Rule and Government in the Church of Christ 133. Concerning the Living Faith with its Fruits and Works 142. Something concerning Self-Separation 155. The Second PART COncerning falling from God 1. Concerning just Judgment amongst Gods People given or committed to them or spoken by or through them in whom God dwells â—ccording to his promise against the Devil and his works sin and wickedness 9. Concerning the Just and Righteous Judgment of God in and by his People under the Dispensation of the Gospel 13. Concerning the Mercy of God and of his People 17. Something concerning true Love or Charity 28. Something concerning the Vnity and Fellowsâ—ip of true Christians 53. Something concerning the Seven â—hurches in Asia who were gathered into the Profession of Christ Jesus 57. Something concerning Marâ—iâ—gâ— 78. Concerning pure Religion 83. A General Epistle TO FRIENDS c. An Exhortation to the Professors of the Light Within to LIVE and WALK in the same and the WALKER in the Light distinguished from the TALKER of it who walks in Darkness ALL you who profess Christ Jesus the Prince of Life and Peace to be your Prince Captain of your Salvation and Bishop of your Souls who profess to be Taught Led and Governed by his Spiritual Light within you See that you all Live and Walk in the same that you may all possess that which you do profess and it is most certain if we walk in the light wherewith God in Christ hath enlightened us then have we fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin But if there be not a Walking in this precious Divine Light which shines from God the Fountain of it then there can be no Fellowship with God the Father nor with his beloved Son nor true Fellowship one with another No cleansing from Sin then but the sin of all such who only Talk of the Light Walking contrary to it remaineth and encreaseth Therefore all be very careful in this great weighty Concern wherein the Glory of the great God