true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World without Exception and why is this utterly false if he be fâ—llowed that he who is the true Light is an infallible Guide and the Rule of Life Hath he not enlightned every man that cometh into the World If thou makest Exceptions where the Spirit makes none then thou pervertest the Scripture doth not he say I am the Light of the World the World in the Scriptures Account is set in Opposition to Believers for Believers are not of this VVorld but are redeemed out of it as for Example God so loved the World that he sent hâ—s Son into the World that whosoever did believe in him might not perish but have Everlasting Life for it is manifest that the Saints and Believes had Life given 〈◊〉 that followed Christ and were his Sheep and saith Christ I put them forth and go before them and give unto them Eternal Life and he said to them who had not Eternal Life While you have the Light believe in it that you may be the Children of it And is not Christ God's Righteousness who is given for a Covenant of Light to the blind and dead and lame and to the dumb to open their Eyes to quicken them to make them leap as an Hart and their Tongue to sing and utter forth Praise we say Righteousness is not by the Law but by Christ that lighteth every man who is the End of the Law and why is not the Light which lighteth every man Gospel Light seeing it is said Go preach the Gospel in every Creature under Heaven go learn what that means And if Natural Light must be construed in Opposition to Spiritual and the Light of Nature contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit then it must needs be sinful for that which opposeth spiritual Light and is set in Opposition against its leading must needs be sinful and that which is contra or against the Light of the Spirit must needs be sinful and then if it be as thou hast said and if this must be the true Sense of that Scripture that it must be understood of natural Light and that natural Light thou construest in Opposition to spiritual and say'st It is contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit and in Opposition unto it That which is against the Spirit 's Light or the Light of the Spirit must needs be Darkness sinful and evil and yet thou hast confessed It will teach that none ought to lye or steal and to know one God and the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency and yet it must be taken in Opposition to the Spirit and contra-distinct from the Spirit that which leads to know the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency is that Spirit of God through which God and the Things of God are revealed and that that teaches that a man should not lye that is Truth and that that leads from Sin and accuses for Evil-doing and convicts that is the Spirit 's Light as it is written He shall convince the World of Sin And so thou like a man who hâ—th lost all Aim ramblest up and down in every By-Path and like a blind man gropest but canst not enter into the Treasure-house of Wisdom thou hast called the Light that every one is lighted with the Righteousness of the Law and no Gospel Light and in Opposition to spiritual and contra-distinct to the Spirit and in a Word hast made of it at the best Construction but bad and evil and then when thou hast done thou confesâ—est That it will put a Dâ—fference between Good and Evil and shew that God is to be worshipped and Eternity is known and Omnipotency and are not these the deep Things of God And so Babylon is the Land of thy Nativity and thou reelest and staggerest up not and down like a drunken Man and wouldst be a Teacher and knowest not whereof thou affirmest nor of what thou speâ—kest Further thou say'st That thâ—â— little Light there is is much miscarried and thy Reason is because it is mannaged by the reigninâ— Power of Darkness and the Judgment of Man is corrupt and then thou goest on the Light of Nature siâ—ce the Fall is not to be compared say'st thou with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and it hath no Proportion with Gospel Light but is gross Darkness nay is worse then gross Darkness Answ. And how did the Light miscarry thou blind-man and when did the reigning power of Darkness manage it seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt Light Darkness and the Light which every man is lightned with hath born witness against Darkness and the Reigning Power of it and though the Judgment of man be corrupt his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the Light and because he hath turned his Back on it and then Sin entered and then came to Reign in the Power of Darkness and corrupted the Heart and this hath made man miscarry and though thou sayst that the Light which lighteth every man is not compared with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and hath no Proportion I 'le tell thee a Riddle go learn what it means the Light of the Image of God before the fall is the same in it self after the fall and holdeth its proportion and is no whit lessened or diminished in its purity in its self although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it because Sin hath entred and Death by Sin and that is it which obscureth the Image of God from man and it 's Light yet the Light shined in Darkness but thou concludest it is Darkness yea worse then gross Darkness and thou bringst a proof to prove it ye were Darkness the Apostle doth not say that the Light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then gross Darkness as thou ignorantly saist but he said the Ephesians or the men of Ephesus were darkness and not the Light in them which shined in Darkness though the Darkness comprehended it not but how now John Norton what will the General Court of Boston say when they see thy confusion laid open and the Deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance thou confest in the 16. page That it would lead to know God and the Worship of God and Teach not to Lye and Steal and so forth and to discover some of God's Attributes as Eternity Omnipotency and the like here was some good in it in thy own account but now it s become gross Darkness in the 18. page and worse then gross Darkness and so hath made as bad if not worse then any Principle that is in a Beast and it may truly be said of thee even in thy own Phrase Qanta sub nocte Jacebat Nostra dies But now thou comes to a further Interpretation of 1 Joh. 9. and thou saist The Light which we are enlightned with it is either the Light of Nature the Light of Reason or the Light of saving
the Apostle's Doctrine and so this R. I. is tryed by his own infallible standard to be a Deceiver who teaches contrary to that which he calls his Law and Testimony and the Law which is outward is the Law of the first Covenant which made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by which we draw nigh unto God Heb. 7.19 Therefore the Lord sâ—â—d by the Mouth of the Prophet Behold the Dayes come that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with them when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt when I was as a Husband and unto them which Covenant they brake but I will write my Law in their Heart and put my spirit in their inward Parts I will be to them a God and they shall be unto me a People Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.9 10. Now this blind man who gropes as at noon-day saith This is imperfect which is written in the heart and so faulty with him and therefore to be ruled over and the other which is outward is perfect and faultless and so ought to be a rule but saith the Apostle contrary to R. I. If the first covenant had been faultless there had been no place for the second which second the Apostle saith is a better Covenant and stands upon better Promises but yet saith R I. this is not the rule nor fit to be a rule And furthermore the Apostle said as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and this was their Rule and the Law of the Spirit of Life made the Apostle free from the Law of Sin and Death and the new Creatures Rule by which they were led into all Truth and as many as did walk in it out of all Sin But nay saith R. I. It is not fit to be a Rule for this is imperfect and is that thing to be ruled and for his Proof brings Psal. 17.4 By the Word of thy Lips I have kept me frâ—m the Path of the Destroyer and how doth this prove that the Law in the Heart is to be ruled thou ignorant man who utterest forth nothing but Deceit and Error and so the Scriptures declare against thee for they say The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Psal. 19.7 8. For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 and the Commands of the new Covenant are spiritual and not carnal and they are perfect and fit to be a Rule Guide to all them that believe in a perfect Way and not as this R. I. saith unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection and would in his blind Distinctions cast a mist before Peoples Eyes And all may judge not only of this R. I. his Mistake but of his wilful Impudence in preferring that which is visible and outward and may be seen which was given forth in time viz. the Commands outward and the Letter outward above the Law of the Spirit of Life which is invisible spiritual and eternal And as I said to S. S. so I may say to thee Lean Souls are they like to be who receive such damnable Doctrine as this for Atticles of Faith but however Reader thou mayest take notice of R. I. in his Epistle to the Reader he saith the Quakers Money is counterfeit Coin which he hath nailed on the market-post and instead thereof hath tendred other Money and that thou mayest see what kind of other Money the Priests is and what Image it bears by the Principles here discovered which is altogether Tin and Dross and reprobate Silver which will be received by none but them whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of that they should not see the things that belong unto their Peace And Edward Dod being sensible that he and all his Stuff or he and all his Arguments were carried captive and became a Booty and a Prey he is glad that any will step in and rescue him and flattereth R. I. and saith I am engaged to you to imbrace you as a precious Friend that of so weak Principles as mine have raised so perfect a Structure so absolute rational and demonstrative that more need not to be done Answ. R. I. his Vindication hath not redeemed E. D. his Principles at all but rather hath laboured in vain and spent his Strength for naught and hath brought forth such a Birth as sober men will blush at made up of Ignorance Blasphemy Derision and Lyes which they that have the least Moderation will abhor and detest and the Principles of E. D. and R. I. are not only weak and feeble but wicked and impious as is manifest in what hath been declared and the Structure that R. I. hath made is but builded with untempered Mortar Lyes Falshood Error false Doctrine which the stormy Wind of the Lord will rent and scatter and confound and exalt his Truth above it all But Edward Dod saith What can be said to reduce such a People I know not since so many convincing Arguments cannot prevail alas poor Men whether would you reduce us or bring us back to the slime Pits of Sodom where Edward Dod fell with his Stuff or turn us back again to Images Pictures and Crosses to Mass-houses Hirelings and Tythes to Lace Ribbons and Cuffs which both E. D. and R. I. have strongly pleaded for as faithful Servants to their Master who would not have him loose a Foot of his Territories however Edward Dod hath resolved to continue one in Life and death with R. I. who hath shaken Hands with the Prince of darkness and made a Covenant with death which must be broken and though S. S. E. D. and R. I. joyn Hand in Hand yet the wicked shall not go unpunished fore-very one shall receive a Reward according to their Works And so I have done with R. I. his Book called Ignis fatuus whose Arguments false doctrines errors and lyes are disolved into nothing his 〈◊〉 made void his Ignorance made manifest his false doctrine brought to Light and reproved by the Word of Truth only I shall return him a few of his Lyes back again for him 〈…〉 the second time and repent of them and remember the Sentence for all Lyars is The Lake that burneth Rev. 22.15 First That their Worship differs not in whole nor in Part in Matter nor in Manner from the Churches in the Primitive Times Secondly According to the Scriptures their whole Worship is framed Thirdly That Jezabel was never more madder against the Prophets then these Quakers are against Christ's Ministers Fourthly The Quakers contemn Magistracy and infect the Common-wealth with Faction Fifthly That the Quakers burnt some Houses at Oxford Sixthly That Timothy and Titus were setled in a Parochial Way in their Quarters Seventhly That F. H. complains of the Darkness of the Sun when the Fault is in his own Eyes Eighthly
Meekness that the still Voice you may hear which till you come down within you cannot hear for the loud Voices of the Egyptians and Inchanters are so many and Pharaoh's Voice and Herod's is so loud and you whose Minds are abroad you thinks as they thought it 's the Voice of God but I say be still he shall not cry nor lift up his Voice in the Streets who you must hearken unto in you that your Souls may live and so be low and still if you will hear his Voice and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile now that which you must wait in is near you yea in you the Eye that seeth and the Ear that heareth that is of the Lord for that which is visible is natural and carnal and the natural Ear cannot hear the Word of the spiritual God for that which hearkens without that Ear must be deaf and that Eye blind Now that which reveals the pure spiritual God must be in you pure and spiritual For none knows the Things of God but by the Spirit of God and doth not his Spirit bear Witness alwayes unto their Spirits and doth it not so now to all that know him So in the Light wait which comes from God who is Light and dwells in the Immortal Light which the mortal Eye cannot behold and it will lead you to know Christ who is Immortal and not carnal but spiritual and eternal and as you love the Light and keep your Minds inward then you will hear the Motion of Christ Jesus in you and so loving it the Good you will come to see from God which will lead out of Sin and sanctifie you and the acceptable Year you will see and the Day of Vengeance and this is he whom the Father hath given for a Covenant to bring Man out of the Alienation to himself again and to reconcile man unto himself even by the Blood of the Cross and he who is the Light is the Covenant and he who is the Covenant is the Light for they are one in him and this Covenant of Peace is tendered unto you who are afar off and herein is the eternal Love of God made manifest to the Jew and the Greek and the Life of his Son to be the Light of the World and of men and so in the Covenant of Life abide and you will see he is near you the Peace-maker the Gift of God which presents you perfect in himself to the Father and this Gift is free and offered freely to all that will receive it and yet you cannot receive the Gift in your own Wills but through the DENYAL OF YOUR OWN WILLS for the Light is contrary to the Will and so you will see the Will of the earthly man and God's Will contrary and as you receive the Will of God you deny your own Wills and so do the Will of another and another guides you and leads you and this is God's alone Work not of your selves but wrought by Christ in his own Way and Truth and so the Covenant of God comes to be established to the Seed and the Foundation stands sure and his Promise is fulfilled in you as you come to witness the Seed which is one in whom the Promise is fulfilled And Friends thus must you wait to have Judgment set up within you and this is he who is the Judge and the Light of the World and so wait to see the Law set up within which is added because of Transgression to cut down and the unjust destroyed in you and the rebellious Nature yoaked which hath had its Liberty in the earthly where the Beasts of the Field dwell and so it will come to decay and the Law works Wrath upon the Deceit in you which hath had the Preheminence and so you will see the Thunder as the Seal is opened and the Earthquakes and Lightning insomuch as you cannot behold and live but the Transgressor and the Transgression which is contrary to the Law is cut down and when there is a Time of great Sorrow and great Trouble and Tryal and Temptation wait in Patience in the Judgment and let the Lord's Work have its perfect Operation in you and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you he will bind up and heal and give up all to the great Slaughter of the Lord unto the Cross all that which is discovered by the pure Law of God and as the Earth comes to be plowed up the Seed which is sown comes up and the Rocks broken the Water gusheth out and so you will see some Promises will arise in you to the Seed which is comming up out of the Grave and so the Love of God will appear in you and you will be stayed and see Hope in the midst of Calamity Then take heed that the Serpent get not that which is to the Babe and so the carnal come to be exalted but as you wait you will see the Subtilty of the Enemy and Sin and Death rules till Moses who was a faithful Servant in his House and brings to the Law of God revealed in you then Sin comes to be crucified and to loose its Dominion over you and in you and so you will see one brought forth under the Law who fulfilled the Law and now fulfils it in all those who walk after him in the Spirit and fulfil not the Desires of the Flesh and wait and you will see some Prophecies opened in you and the Day-star in your Hearts which leads to where Christ is and Openings of the Inheritance which is to be received and the Promise is to the Seed And all wait in the Light and keep in your Minds to it and you will see John's Ministry the Water which washeth and he is the Preparer of the Way and turn to God lest he smite the Earth with a Curse and his Ministry breaks down the Mountains and removes them and makes a plain Way and your Minds being turned to the Lord and as you own the Gift of Christ given you Repentance you will see unto Life and then you will see something arising and shine in you opening your Hearts and there will be a Breathing after the Lord and his Righteousness and standing in Obedience in the Cross the Vail you will see rent and you will see him that hath turned you from Sin by his free Gift made manifest in you and he who is the Gift saves you from Sin and so the Seals will be opened by the Angel of the Covenant and the Lamb So all in Patience wait and keep in the living Principle of Life and things will open in you even the dark Sayings of old and that which spake Parables to the Serpent's Seed will open the Parables to his own Seed then you will see him whom you have pierced even the Lamb who hath been slain since the Foundation of the World and your Hearts will be broken and Water will gush out of
joyned for so far as a man denies himself in acting or joyning to that which the Manifestation of God's Spirit shining forth in its own Purity in him reproveth so he comes nearer and comes to joyn in some measure to the Spirit of Holiness or the holy Spirit and to receive it and to feel the Power of God in some small Measure though but weakly working in him to the purging out those things which the Spirit lets him see is evil which hath been reproved in him and so in some Measure feels in himself what to wait upon and where to wait and in what even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own Condition within and opens their Understandings How the Spirit of Truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet have not obeyed shewed THough God who is a Spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all yet all have not received it he that hates the Light hath not received it The Eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of Death that which manifesteth and bringeth to Light all evil the evil-doer likes it not heeds it not receives it not but still is without God in the world that lies in Wickedness and without the Spirit in death and Dead in Trespasses and Sins a Sepulcher in which the just lies slain in this state God is not remembred there is no Remembrance in the Grave nor thanks in the Pit yet Light shines in Darkness and a man unconverted yet convinced is that Darkness and that which convinceth him is the Light so Light shines in Darkness in man in the greatest Darkness and this may convince all vain Disputers who say every one is not enlightned neither that the Spirit of God hath appeared to all good men have it bad men it 's near them they that bring forth the fruits of Darkness and bring forth the Deeds of Darkness they are lighted yea they that are in Darkness and are Darkness the Light shines in them the Spirit of God shines there in Darkness manifesteth their Darkness here man is Darkness the Ephesians were Darkness in the unconverted Estate yet had Light shining in them Eph. 5.8 the Spirit 's manifestation they had but were not led by it once they were without God in the world but after it was turned unto it shewed them their Darkness and it leading their minds they came to be made Light in the Lord who is that Spirit whose Manifestation hath appeared to all so all are without Excuse for he had not left himself without a Witness and they that have not God's witness to be theirs that is to say to possess it they have no Faith nor Assurance in God at all but that which should bring Assurance of Salvation unto them it assures their Condemnation and also reveals Sorrow Now as every one is turned to the Measure of God's holy Spirit and keeps his Mind unto it he comes to feel and to see its Reproof and so as the Mind is kept still into it it arises in its Purity and shines forth in the Heart in more Brightness still checking man for Disobedience still judging and as it is listened unto it appears in Strength and layes every man's heart open and lets him see how full of Unrighteousness he is how full of Imagination he is how his Heart is full of vain and idle Thoughts and how lust aboundeth in the Heart this makes his Trouble to increase and his Sorrow to multiply and this is alwayes present none can run from it but it follows him and shall pursue every one to the Pit who obey it not and kindle his Torment and whatsoever the mind may run into to take Pleasure for a Moment and the heart be exercised in yet this Measure of God's Spirit is alwayes present to condemn it and judge a man for it so the Strokes of the Almighty are still heavy upon his Back being still in the Disobedience of the Spirit it never bears witness unto any man in that State but God through it still sounds the Alarum of War and Terror in his Heart so that Fear compasseth him about on every Side and though for a Moment the cry may not be heard and through Disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him yet if ever the Mind be but still and a man sober and calm and ever mind what he is doing it appears again and though a man may take up something and perform something which is called religious and pray in Words and read and talk of the Scriptures and may take up some carnal outward Ordinances and there content himself for a time yet still the Witness of God's holy Spirit for that shews him his Hypocrisie and that he seeks a Cover to shelter himself under that he may live in Disobedience and be at Ease in the Flesh but all in vain for there is no peace within but the Measure of God's Spirit still shews him he serves Sin and follows his own Will and in this Will brings forth a Worship and this is Will-worship nay if a man should practice all those things which others who were in the Life performed and were accepted yet this will not satisfie God hath no Pleasure in this no more then if one slow a man or blessed an Idol or killed Baal all is Abomination to the Lord and though a man may sin so far against the Light of Christ in his own Conscience that the Light be to him as though there were no such thing yet all this will not do for the Lord will thunder from his holy Place though thou hast stopped thy Ear as to him and closed thy Eyes yet he will make thee hear and see and will cause his Terror to strike into thy Heart so that Dread shall compass thee about as a Wall and thou shall be afraid for that which thou shalt see and hear and though the Spirit strives long yet being still disobeyed the long-suffering of God comes to an End concerning him that hath been unfaithful and then his Wrath is kindled as Fire which shall burn to the lowest Hell into which all the rebellious and stiff-necked shall be cast and have their Portion forever among all the Children of Darkness therefore all who have been convinced long and still are by God's holy Spirit of the Way of Truth and yet have not submitted to the leading of the Spirit think on this for it 's the Lord's Truth which I declare unto you or else eternal Misery will be your End And if thou still persist on after the Imaginations of thine own Heart and in thy rebellious Will thou quenchest the Spirit and the Motions thereof and though it be Life in it self yet is as dead unto thee who art in the gainsaying resisting that through which God's eternal Power is manifest in them that believe and thou wilt grow insensible and past feeling and become as seared Flesh and be sensless as to the things of God and
now hath Union with unclean Spirits which are cursed from the presence of the Lord forever he that had Union with all God's Creatures hath lost the Union with all being gone out of the power in which all were created and moreover now in Enmity to it and joyned to him who hath the power of Death which is the Devil and now draws Iniquity as with a Cart-rope and Vanity as with a Cord and he who was joyned to the Lord and to the Lamb now joyned to the Dragon who makes War against the Lamb he that had Union with the Seed the Heir of all Things now hath Union with the Seed of the Serpent the first born of Wickedness Heir of Condemnation and everlasting Vengeance who is driven from the Lord's Presence and curst forever and to be tormented from the Presence of the Lord forever Now the World set in the Heart and the Heart gone out after earthly Things even Things that perish and now his Life grew in that and after that which fadeth his Delight on transitory Things in Lust in Pleasure and Wantonness delighting in the Flesh hath forgotten God his Maker and now dishonours him Oh let the Heavens mourn and let the Earth be without Joy let Hills lament and the Valleys be grieved let Gloominess cover the Face of the Deep let the Floods be sorry and Springs lament let all that is movable take up a lamentation and let it be for a lamentation forever Misery is spread over all the Earth is polluted and defiled and all is out of Order disjoynted from the Lord and great Confusion and Perplexity is come upon all and the whole Creation groans and travails in Pain in Grief and Sorrow and all is made subject to Vanity the Oppressor bears Rule the land mourns the lamb is slain the Serpent and his Seed rejoyceth and triumphs all is filled with Violence the Seed suffers the Lord is grieved the Angels mourn the proud and presumptuous are now counted happy and now the Worker of Iniquity set up to be a Ruler and a law-giver now to man and in man who before had the Lord to be law-giver and his King Oh woful Change oh sad State oh deplorable Condition gone from Honour and Glory into perpetual Misery and Contempt And here all the whole Earth and all Mankind may read themselves as in a Glass in what State they are in in the Fall in the first Nature in the Disobedience Time would fail me to express the Misery and the sad State of all Mankind in the Curse yea it is unexpressible and undeclarable and unfathomable and incomprehensible by the Sons of men in the Unbelief but God hath revealed to me by his Spirit that which is now spoak and he shall bear me Record that my Witness is true also that of God in every man's Conscience when the Book of Conscience shall be opened and the Secrets of all Hearts revealed shall bear Witness that this is true How Sin entered and Death by Sin into the World and now Man dead while he lives and all are dead Works that Man brings forth wherein the State of all the Sons of men may be seen and their Works in the Fall NOw the Serpent being more Subtil then all the Beasts of the field in presumption of himself moved without the Power and formed a thing without the Power and began his Work and brought a lye being gone out of the Truth Sin conceived and a Lye conceived he is the Father of it and not the Power he spoke of himself who was gone out of the Light motion or the Powers acting man also his Eye being abroad out of the Life and Power let in the Temptation upon him but if he had stood in the Power as God had ordained him and commanded him and had not moved out of it he would have seen when the Serpent oâ— any other thing had gone out of the Power and have still had Dominion over it and though it was Evil in the Serpent to Tempt who moved without Commandement from the Lord yet if man had stood in the Power he had kept him out and it had been no Sin to him neither condemned should he have been and so that blind Doctrine of the world and the Teachers thereof is a lye who have said and taught that God ordained him to Fall and upon this account that so Christ might be revealed and that his Son might be honoured for if man had not Faln say they there had needed no Saviour This is Ignorance and Blindness he created man in his Image to stand in the Power and ordered and Commanded him so to do and to Glorifie him who made him to stand in the dominion over all the Works of his Hands And this doth not make Christ useless or of no use yea he was of use before and was his Life and the Life of all things and what if I say Salvation the wise will understand the unlearned will say what need their Salvation when there is no Sin yes there needed Salvation and Preservation in that State that he was made in that he might be upholden in that state and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that State so as to weaken him that he might not have Power to fulfill the Will of God and to glorifie his Maker Object But some may say He was not saved and preserved but was Created and left to himself to order himself whether he would stand or Fall Answ. I say whose was the fault that he was not preserved and saved in that state was it in God nay and that he was left to himself is also as false and Unlearned he left him in the Power and in the Dominion everlasting and Commanded him to stand there and he was not to go out of it but to act in the Motion of the Word and in the Power by which he was made which was Christ who was glorified with the Father before the World began I say according to God's appointment and Ordination man was not left to himself but to stand in the Power and authority of the Word wherein man had power to fulfill the Will of God and keep all in Order according to God's appointment but he going out of the Power contrary to God's command giving heed to the Woman and the Serpent who were gone out of the Command before I say he of his own accord going out when the Power commanded him not to Hearken to any such thing but on the Contrary forbad him so let in a Lye and believed the VVoman and the Serpent and so went from his Preservation and Protection and Salvation and so was catched in the Serpents Snare who abode not in the Truth Object But then some may say He had a voluntary Will to do as he would and was not that will good Answ. The will was good in it self as it stood and went out in the Lifes Motion but moving or acting contrary to the Motion
Self-acting was not known now Self-will Self-worship Self-righteousness nay they moved in the Power Righteousness was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my Tongue is the Pen of a ready writer Oh that all had an Ear to hear that their Soul might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false rest false and feigned Hope and Faith and of his own ragged Garment and let go his Self-righteousness and his dead Works and come to Christ the Life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have Life and Peace Object But some would say That thou wouldest have all upside down anâ— unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our Worship and then what should we do all would be as Heathens and turn into Atheism I say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come when nothing shâ—ll stand but that hath the Image stamp and Character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the Transgression must be turned down into the Pit again and all that have got a Name of Christian and wants his Life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as Clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind and all imitated Worships and will-Worshippers and the feigneâ— Faith and the feigned Hope shall be confounded and all will-worships and Worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the Light and tryes his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbelief it is but Sin or Self-righteousness which is brought forth by him who abode not in the Truth in the Unbelief and so who be come to the Power which was in the Beginning before Sin entered and death by Sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works and man that is in the loss in the Fall and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living Fruits unto God nor living works of Righteousness being in the Unrighteousness neither the fruits of Faith being in the unbelief neither the works of the Day being in the Night neither the works of charity being in the Enmity in a word without Christ the Power the Light the Life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say the said it himself who is the Beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his Testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is well-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true State of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable Naked Hâ—peless Helpless Faithless and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of God his Maker or to the ordering of any thing in the Creation to his glory having lost his Dominion and God's Wisdom and this being câ—â—sidered seriously by all and brought to the Light in all and their Deeds tryed by it would make the losty bow and the Stout-hearted fear and the conceited sit down in Solitariness that they should so long deceivâ— their own Souls with a conceit of Righteousness and redemption whâ—â— as Death yet reigns in them and over them and not Life eterna 〈◊〉 the Devil is a distinct being from God and his Works are distinct anâ— his Deeds from the Works of God and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of God but he and they tha◠〈◊〉 him and fellow him who is our of the Truth they their work 〈◊〉 whâ—t â—ort soever they may seem unto men to be whose Eyes the 〈◊〉 hâ—â—h â—linded so I say all is to condemned and shut out from God's 〈…〉 â—â—rever and to be Destroyed by him who is a consuming Fire 〈◊〉 all the Righteousness of man burned as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 Aâ—d by what hath been said the Principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their Imaginations and foolish 〈…〉 being Darkned and are seen and their Principle overthâ—â—â—â— As that Light and Darkness is one and good and Evil one and 〈◊〉 Righteousness one and Truth and a Lye one and that God is all and doth all and whatever is done is of God and that there is no Evil but to him that thinks it so and it is only a false apprehension of things and that there is no such thing as Sin and that Sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true Ground of things laid down as the Spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this Matter Object But some may object further and say Will not reading the Scriptures and conforming to the practice of the Saints in the use of his Ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the Fall and make us good Christians Answ. No while Death hath dominion in man and over man and the vail over the Heart man doth not understand the Mystery of God's Kingdom neither understands the Scripture which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth or any thing of Truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the Spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure Spirit of God in him to direct him and inform him which Spirit was the Original of the Scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost without the holy Ghost in some measure be known and that which is infallible the sayings the writings the Scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into Heads and Sects and Opinions and large Treatises and Volumes and expositions have been written and yet differing one from another and all from the Spirit and in all these particular Sects Persecuting one another and Envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the Scripture of Truth and in latter Ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the Fall and in the Transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the Power of the Beast whom makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not Worshippers of the Lamb but of the Beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the Lake For the
reigned but three years The next Emperor was Gordianus in the year two hundred and forty who was more moderate towards the christians so that the sixth Persecution ceased but after he had reigned the space of six years he was slain by Philip the succeeding Emperor Philippus who slew Gordianus who was called the first christian Emperor who slew Gordianus and began with blood he with his Son Philip governed the Empire seven years about the year 246. it is said this Philip with his Son and Family was converted by Fabianus and Origen it is said that both he his Son were slain by Decius one of his own Captains and though being the first that brought in Christianity into the Imperial seat but the name of Christianity would not save him being out of the Nature beginning with blood it was required at his Hands and Anthetius Bishop of Rome after Pontanius Damasus saith that this Bishop was put to death because he recorded the deaths of the sufferers and here was the Beginning of that which they call the Legend of Martyrs in the Chucrh of Rome The seventh Persecution began by Decius who succeeded Philippus in the Year 250. by whom was moved a terrible Persecution against the Christians which is noted to be the seventh Persecution Fabianus being a married man and had a Wife was chosen Bishop of Rome this Doctrine of Devils forbidding to marry was not yet brought in which the Apostle to Timothy prophesied of no not in the Church of Rome nor for two hundred and fifty Years after Christ so the Emperor Decius put him to death and gave forth a Proclamation that all that professed the Name of Christ should be put to death Origen suffered many bonds wrackings torments for Religion yet afterwards it is said he sacrificed to Idols and was excoâ—municated yet afterwards repented And Nicephorus saith of this Persecution under the Emperor Decius that it was easie to number the Sancs of the Sea as them that suffered under him Cheremon a married Bishop fled with his Wife into the Mountain of Arabia and never was seen more the prohibition of Ecclesiastical men or Ministers marrying was not yet begun no not in the Church of Rome although they plead Antiquity for their Institutions and Practices the Emperor reigned but two Years and was slain by the Barbarians about this time divers Bishops suffered and others were condemned to mettal mines Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was banished these had no Power yet to give forth Laws or Inquisitions nor to force things upon People for they had not the outward Authority then though divers things which were unsound crept in by little and little even among them About the year two hundred and fifty five Valerianus together with his Son Gallienus came to be Emperors who reigned together at first they were moderate to the Christians for about two or three years insomuch that in the Emperors Court there were many Christians but afterwards being moved by an Egyptian was stirred up to persecution which was about the year two hundred fifty nine this Emperor was stirred up to persecute the Christians which was the eighth persecution being instigated by the Egyptian who was great in his court telling the Emperor that the Christians were the cause of all the Evils of Famine â—nd Plague upon the Empire divers Bishops and many hundreds were put to death besides Stephanus suffered with six more that were leading men also Lawrence suffered who was pinched with Fire-Tongs and laid upon an Iron Grate or Grid-iron red hot and so broyled to death In the sixth year of the Reign of Valerianus Gallianus having lâ—id for the space of three years in prison which Claudianus and Bossa his Wife were pâ—t to Death for being Christians likewise Fructuosus Bishop of Tarraconia with two Deacons were burned the same year for being Christians this Valerian the Emperor reigned seven years and was taken in the War by the King of Persia who made him his block to take horse on to his dying day and though the Christians in this time were much darkned yet they were much more justified in the Sight of God then the Heathen Emperors who came all or most of them to a woful End of their Cruelty and Tyranny and Murder for the Hand of the Lord who distributes Justice equally to every man according to his Works found them out and Gallianus the Son of Valerianus who joyned with his Father in persecution had many earthquakes and thirty Rebellions and Insurrections raised in his time in the Empire in nine years time and this stopt their persecuting of the Christians somewhat and after Gallianus the Emperor succeeded Claudius who reigned two years and after him Quintilianus the Brother of Claudius who continued only seventeen Dayes about the year two hundred seventy four in this time the Christians had some rest from Persecution The nineth Persecution began under Aurelianus who began his Reign mildly but soon after moves the nineth Persecution about this time many Christians suffered and some of the Bishops of Rome and Sixtus and Dionysius and many others in the middle of his Reign there was a Council of the Christians at Antioch the Emperor seeming not to be against it nor them but afterward he was about to seal an Edict for further Persecution of the Christians but he was so terrified with thundring and lightning that it stopt his Tyranny in the sixth year of his Reign he was slain about the year 276. After him succeeded Tacitus who reigned but six Moneths and Florianus reigned next who reigned but sixty Dayes and after him reigned Marcus Aurelius Probus who reigned six years and four moneths in this time there was no Persecution but the Christians had rest as in matters of Religion but he was slain by his Souldiers in the year two hundred eighty five Carus with his two Sons Carinus and Numerianus succeeded Probus in the Empire the Reign of which Emperors continued in all but three years Carus was slain with lightning and Numerianus was also slain Carinus the other Son reigned alone in Italy with much Wickedness who afterwards was slain by the hands of the Tribune at Rome so that from the latter end of the Reign of Valerianus unto the Reign of Dioclesian there seeming to be about forty four years in which there was little Persecution of the Christians but they had rest and enjoyed their Worship in quiet and they were kept under Sufferings and the Law and did not exercise Authority over the Consciences of the rest as afterwards they did when they came to have Power in their hands although as I said before divers things were brought in by the Bishops of Rome in this time which were much disagreeing with the Apostles Dayes yet they held part of the true Worship and bore a Testimony against the open prophaneness and cursed Idolatry and pride of the Heathen Emperors who killed one another for the Imperial Seat and in this Testimony that
should be the greatest and said unto them The Gentiles exercise Lordship one over another but it shall not be so amongst you and though Peter and the rest of the Apostles who were in the Power of God had that which did open into the Kingdom of God and shut out that which did defile yet this we are sure of he sold no Pardons nor Indulgences for Gain and filthy Lucre as many have done whom you call Peter's Successors and Christ's Vicar and Universal Bishop and visible Head but it is manifest how the Pope became visible Head and Universal Bishop not because of any Work or Labour in the Doctrine of Christ or the Work of the Gospel but by means of the Roman Emperor for while the Christians were under Persecution and Suffering there was no talk of visible Heads or much of Universal Bishop for then Rome had no more Priority then the rest for the Churches at Constantinople at Jerusalem at Caesaria at Cyprus and Alexandria for the first three hundred Years they had as much Power in their several Churches as Rome had and often the Elders or Bishops of the afore-said Churches did reprove sharply the Bishop of Rome but at last above five hundred Years or upwards Phocas to aspire to the Empire of Rome he murthered his own Master Mauritius and his Children to attain unto the Empire so at that time Boniface the third was Bishop of Rome and Phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have Boniface his Favour condesceâ—deth to all his Petitions and grants him to be Universal head-Bishop over all Christian Churches and there was the first rise of Rome â—s visible Head for this frivolous Reason of being Peter's Successor could never have raised him to that height but then the Emperor's Power and Authority became to be the more forcible Plea for before that time the Bishops of Rome were chosen by the Emperor's consent but after he had got Power Emperors could not be chosen but by the Popes consent and then came the Bishop of Rome to be a visible Head and be called Universal Bishop Christs Vicar a Lord spiritual over all the Churches and in process of time Lord temporal over all the Empire And thus your Church of Rome became magnificent and great to sit as a Queen upon the Waters Nations Kindreds and Tongues as you acknowledge your Church of Rome hath spread over and here is a Head and a Body which are joyned together in Union Christ is the Head of the true Body which is his Church and his Wife and Antichrist he is the visible Head of his visible Church and Wife Mystery-Baâ—ylon The next piece of Merchandize which the Authâ—r brings forth to view is Purgatory and prayer to be made for the dead and also prâ—yer unto Saints and the Authors proof is 1 Cor. 3.15 wheâ—e he Apostle speaks Every mans Work shall be tryed and that Work whâ—ch will not abide the Fire must be Burnt and this the Author calls The Fire of another World and Prayer for the Dead he proves out of 12 of Maccabees and prayer to the Saints he sayes it's lawful to Pray in this Wâ—rld unto good People and Paul while he lived did Pray for others and also did beg their Prayers And the Angel in the first of Zachary prayed for Iâ—rael and there can be no harm in Praying to them that can Pray for us Answ. They that dwell in the shadow of death are lik to speak out of thick darkness they that have made a Covenant with Death are loath to have it broken and they that have a mind to continue in Sin while they live have a mind to put the Evil day afar off Judgment afar off Evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their Evil deeds and so put it off till they are Dead and to another World and let â—he Devil have Prehemience in their Hearts while they live and reckon their Sins venial and Light faults this is contrary to the Doctrine of the true church of Christ and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said The Wages of Sin is death and there is no Sin goes Unpunished nor Unjudged and Sion is redeemed through Judgment and by the Spirit of burning and Purgatory is a Fiaction falshood and a Lye and there is no cleansing from Sin in another World Solomon saith As the Tree falleth whether to the North or to the South so shall the Tree lye and the Word of God who have received it in their Hearts which is as a Fire that purifies and the Blood of Christ is that which cleanseth from all Sin and there 's not any cleansâ—ng from any Sin but by it and there is no cleansing in another World but Purgatory hath been invented and Prayer for the Dead that thereby the Pope might be enriched and sell the invented Prayers and Aâ—e Maâ—â—es and so cheat People of their Money and there 's no Sacrifice to be offer'd for the Dead who dye in their Sins nor no Remission after this Life And as for praying to the Saints the Scripture makes no mention of and though Paul did Pray for others and beg the Prayers of others yet he prayed not for them when they were dead neither did beg the Prayer of the deâ—d but prayed for them who were Believers in the true Church and desired the Prayers of them that were living Members and were alive and lived in the World and were redeemed out of it and the Angel prayed not for the People of Israel when they were dead and that which thou calls Jeremy's prayer in the Maccabees was never spoken by the Spirit of the Lord nor the Offering was not made in the Will of God and the Prophet saith Though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us yet thou O Lord art our Father And the Lord said unto David Seek my Face and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and Answer Not upon Mary Peter and Paul Dominick and Anthâ—ny Again it 's contrary to the Practice of the Saints in the Primitive times and contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said unto his Disciples Whatsoever you ask in my Name the Father shall give it to you He doth not speak of any other Name neither is any Prayer or Supplication accepted of the Father but in the name of Christ alone So these Doctrines are false and Doctrines of Devils never commanded nor Practised by any of the Saints in the Primitive time but only have been invented and practised by the Apostatesâ— who have Erred from the Faith and Practice which was onâ—e delivered unto the Saints which the church of Rome hath made Ship-wrack of in many things which I have made appear and I shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it lest any should be beguiled with such deceitful Babylonish Merchandize which the Nations are too much corrupted with already The next false Doctrine which the Author layes down is That
and Vexation unto the Spirit of God in any in the Spirit of Christ which is but one in all I am burdened with them and do bear a Part of their Grief I speak without Ostentation or Glorying for what have I to glory in any but the Lord or to rejoyce in but that which all the World hates because it testifies against it and therefore we are become the Objects of Scorn and Hatred in this World by them that are of it who glory in Sin who rejoyce in Iniquity whose End is Destruction and perpetual Misery and their Rejoycing shall be turned into endless Sorrow and Grief Elected of God our Portion in this World is to be Sufferers in it and by it because God hath chosen us out of it and its Nature therefore we are hated despised and persecuted in our Generation like as all the People of God were in former Generations we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same Cup which Christ the Heir of all things drank neither be exempted from being baptized into his Suffering and therefore Christ told his Disciples In the World ye shall have Trouble and the Apostles and Ministers and Believers in Christ did drink of the same and were baptized into the same Baptism and therefore testified That them that will live godly in Christ must uffer Persecution for the World loves only the Children of it but alwayes hated the Children of God and them that were redeemed out of it and they bore Witness against it and the Works thereof it 's no new thing or strange thing for it 's that Portion which all the Prophets and holy Men of God were Partakers of Christ and the Apostles and all true Believers in every Age and the nearer any came to be unto God in their Life and Practice the more they were hated and the more vilified slandered and evil spoken of sometime by the Jews sometime by the Heathen and now by the Apostatized Christians for the Nature is one through all Ages and Diversity of Names in Profession do not at all alter Man or Men at the Heart the Jews who professed God in Words and cryed up the Temple and Moses and the Law in Words slew the Prophets and laid false things to their Charge Jeremiah when he prophesied against Jerusalem and spake to the Princes and Rulers when they were revolted from God in the Dayes of Zedekiah and denounced Evil against the City and People because of Transgression they put him in the Dungeon and where his Feet sticked in the Mire and said He was fallen away to the Caldeans and did alienate the Hearts of the Jews from them and their Law and despised their Government Christ was accounted a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and had a Devil a Transgressor of Moses's Law though he came to fulfil it and an Enemy to Caesar and a Blasphemer and what not who said so the Elders the Doctors the Rabbies and Rulers of the People and they crucified him as an Evil-doer though none could convince him â—â—â—in the Apostles of Christ as seditious Men Ring-leaders of Sects Authors of Uproars Turners of the World upsiâ—e down as disobedient Enemies to Peace as discontented Men with the present Laws and Customs then established and judged as not fit to live And therefore many suffered long for holding out their Testimony faithfully they had received and last of all suffered Death not as Saints and Prophets but as Evil-doers at last some by the Jews some by the Heathens The primitive Christians of whom the World was not worthy were falsly accused by the Romans Heathens and Pagans in the great Persecutions that arose were evil spoken of and falsly represented and rendered odious and as Objects of Hatred through the Envy of the Devil because they opposed his Kingdom of Darkness Tertullian saith The Heathen commonly reputed the then primitive Christians incestuous men Killers of Children Enemies of all Mankind Enemies against the Gods against the Emperours against the Laws they made an Out-cry upon them it 's not lawful they should live And when any Judgment did befall them Augustine saith it was become a Proverb Our Rain fails us because of these Christians and Eusebius saith The Religion of Christ was called the Heresie of godless Christians Likewise after the Name of Christ and Christians became in Repute and Esteem many Hypocrites and Formalists took on the Name when it was countenanced by the Kings and Princes of the Earth and then turned against them that were more in the Life and Power then they were as the Bohemians and the Waldenses and first Protestants in Germany how were they branded with Heresie and Schism as seditious factious Enemies to the Laws Church and State and to the Princes and how was the Hatred of the Pope and Emperour kindled against them and War raised upon them and many suffered Death in their Account as Evil-doers who persecuted them Likewise come nearer our own Age in the Dayes of Queen Mary how were the best of Men and the best of Christians in that Age censured as Enemies to the Queen 's Lawâ— and Government Enemies to the Church seditious Hereticks and such as were not fit to live and therefore many suffered in the cruel Flames of Fire and did undergo many great Torments and Sufferings and last of cruel Deaths many suffered and by them called Christians and yet slew him and persecuted him in his Members Last of all God hath brought us forth in our Age to bear witness unto him and unto that Life Power and Light by which we are quickned and raised out of the Grave of Sin and Death to live unto him and serve him in Newness of Life and to confess unto his holy Name and Power by which we are saved illuminated and directed and to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the Manifestation of his Spirit to us and in us and according to the Scriptures of Truth for the Lord God of Heaven and Earth judge and all his holy Angels and all just Men that are anointed with the holy Unction that know Truth from Error whether we hold any thing either in Doctrine or Practice but that which the primitive Christians bear Witness of and also the Scriptures bare witness unto and that which we are perswaded in our Consciences by the unerring Spirit of the Lord which doth give us Assurance of his Acceptation and Peace in our Hearts And how often have we declared our selves both by Word and Writing which is sufficiently manifest unto all who have not wilfully closed their Eyes and stopped their Ears against us that we are of no other Faith Hope or Religion but that which Christ and his Apostles and primitive Christians were of which they did hold forth both in Doctrine and Practice as in Respect of Worship and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all Men without seeking the hurt or detriment of any thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth knowest and
not F. H. To all you who have Eyes and yet are blind and who have Ears and yet are deaf and have Hearts and yet cannot understand To you am I moved to declare THE Lord is proclaiming himself to be King and all the Mountains and every Isle and every Oak of Bashan and all the Cedars of Lebanon and all who rule as Kings and Conquerors shall bow Hear ye deaf the Trumpet is blown the Standard is lifted up there is open War proclaimed between Michael our Prince and all the Inhabitants of the Earth Arm your selves O ye Mountains and gather your selves on Heaps O ye Isles the glittering Sword of the Lord is drawn and a Fire is before him and all ye will be found as Stubble and you are all to be slain Heaps upon Heaps and are all to go down with all the Uncircumcised Rulers and People into the Pit The Lord the mighty Jehovah is revealing himself from Heaven in Flames of Fire to render Vengeance upon all the Workers of Iniquity for you have slain the Heir of the Vineyard you are killing his Prophets and imprisoning his Saints to you all Professors Rulers and Priests who say you are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan I speak in Plainness of Speech unto you all who live in all the Abominations of the Heathen and yet say you love Christ Do not you call the Master of the House now Beelzebub do not ye mock and set your Mouthes awry ye Sons of the Adultress and of Sodom at the Light of Christ which enlightneth every one that comes into the World which Light did lead all Saints into Purity and up to God and this you call Natural and them who witness Redemption by the Son you call Blasphemers Christ which you profess and yet know not was accounted by your Generation a Blasphemer and all the Apostles and Saints were persecuted by your Generation as Evil-doers as Despisers of Government as Disturbers of the Peace as Leaders of the People into Iniquity as the Off-scouring of all Things as Sheep for the Slaughter and many of them put to Death and in Prison by that Generation which professed God and said they had his Ordinances yet slew them who professed him and kept his Statutes for if ye be not wilfully blind are ye not doing the same now mocking haling imprisoning bringing before Magistrates them that witness Jesus Christ in them and because they bear witness against all Sin Did ever any of the Saints of God persecute imprison or hale before Magistrates and falsly accuse any Did ever the Saints complain to Authority to guard them Hear ye whited Tombs ye painted Sepulchres what Gospel is this you profess What God is this ye serve that must be defended with Clubs Swords Rulers and Carnal Weapons the Saints who had the everlasting Gospel said their Weapons were not carnal but spiritual and yet they were mighty through God to beat down strong Holds even Principalities and Povvers Thrones and Dominions but your Gospel and Ministry can do nothing vvithout a Svvord All People see vvhere you are and vvhat you are doing you run headlong to run those vvho vvere despised by that Generation of Pharisees and Professors vvhich you are in vvere a burthensom Stone upon vvhich all that opposed did break themselves so this Generation vvhom ye set at nought ye shall be made to bovv and throvv dovvn your Crovvns before them and before the Lamb vvho is our Leader and Guider Glory unto him forever more its hard for you to kick against the Pricks for vve vvitness the tvvo-edged Svvord of the Lord shall bathe it self in the Blood of his Enemies and shall be made fat vvith Slaughter O ye Mountains ye shall become a plain for the ransomed to come over you all your Profession shall be as Stubble and you shall be left naked and bare and nothing shall be able to cover you because you are Crucifiers of Christ and the Saints repent that you may be hid in the Day of his fierce Anger vvhich is to come upon all the Workers of Iniquity Francis Howgil This was The Word of the Lord Which Francis Howgil Was moved to Declare and Write TO OLIVER CROMVVEL Who is named Lord Protector The Word of the Lord came to me the last of the First Moneth about the Nineth Hour as I was waiting upon the Lord and waiting in James's Park at London FRiend I was moved of the Lord to come to thee to declare the Word of the Lord as I was moved of the Lord and deal plainly with thee as I was commanded and not to petition thee for any thing but to declare what the Lord had revealed to me concerning thee and when I had delivered what I was commanded thou questionedst it whether it was the Word of the Lord or not and soughtest by thy Reason to put it off and we have waited some dayes since but cannot speak to thee therefore I was moved to write to thee and clear my Conscience and to leave thee Therefore hear the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord I chose thee out of all the Nation when thou was little in thy own Eyes and threw down the Mountains and the Powers of the Earth before thee which had established Wickednesse by a Law and I cut them down and broke the Yokes and Bonds of the Oppressor and made them stoop before thee and I made them as a Plain before thee that thou passedst over them and trode upon their Necks but thus saith the Lord now thy Heart is not upright before me but thou takest Counsel and not at me and thou art establishing Peace and not by me and thou art setting up Laws and not by me and my Name is nor feared nor I am not sought after but thy own Wisdom thou establishest what saith the Lord have I thrown down all the Oppressours and broken their Laws and art thou now going about to establish them again and art going to build again that which I have destroyed wherefore thus saith the Lord wilt thou limit me and set Bonds to me when and where and how and by whom I shall declare my self and publish my Name then will I break thy Cord and remove thy Stake and exalt my self in thy overthrow Therefore this is the VVord of the Lord to thee whether thou wilt hear or forbear if thou take not away all those Laws vvhich are made concerning Religion vvhereby the People which are dear in mine Eyes are oppressed thou shalt not be established but as thou hast trodden down my Enemies by my Povver so shalt thou be trodden dovvn by my Power and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for my Gospel shall not be established by thy Sword nor by thy Law but by my Might and by my Power and by my Spirit Unto thee this is the Word of the Lord Stint not the eternal Spirit by which I will publish my Name when and where and how I will
I deny them and they and all vvho act in Uncleanness And thou goest on and shevvest as thou hast stollen from other mens VVords from the Prophets and Moses That the Judgment of the Lord was against all Idolaters and false Prophets and Dreamers and how they and them that served strange Gods were to be put to Death Wo unto them saith the Lord that steal my Word every Man from his Neighbour and say thus saith the Lord whenas the Lord hath never spoken unto them thou hast stoln other mens VVords and shalt be judged by thy ovvn mouth and thy ovvn Lavv that thou never hadst the VVord of the Lord made manifest nor never did the Lord speak to thee and therefore thou art that false Prophet and art that Dreamer and he that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath the Word of the Lord let him speak it novv them that speak the VVord of the Lord from the Mouth of the Lord as the true Prophets did and do then thou callest to the Magistrates to put them to Death And as for the Worshippers of strange Gods many in the County of Durham and many other Places let them declare vvhether they vvorshipped any but a strange God at a Distance and vvent after dumb Idols even as they vvere led vvhile they follovved the ministry vvhich vvas never sent but novv is the Lord made manifest and the strange Gods are put avvay and broken and the false Prophets are seen and the Prophet is raised up vvhich Moses spoak of and vvhosoever hear 's not his Words shall be slain vvith the Svvord And further thou tellest the Magistrates That if any Hypocrite shall presume to speak a Word in the Name of the Lord which he hath not commanded even he shall dye and it is an old Statute unrepeal'd Rep. If thou knevv vvhat thou spoak thou hast given Sentence against thy self I charge upon thee in the Presence of the living God that thou never heardst his Word nor spake his Word but in thy ovvn Name and I charge it again upon thee when did he ever speak to thee that Spirit by which the Prophets of the Lord spoke thou dost deride and call'st it a miraculous Infusion and so thy Spirit is another and not the same and that it is an old Statute thou shalt know that thou hast spoken in thy own Name and what thou hast learned by Tradition but in Christ all the Law and the Prophets is fulfilled and all Statutes who come to witness him he is the Law-giver Judge and King and all is fulfilled as he comes to be witnessed and all strange Gods put away even the Idols of Gold and Silver and all false Prophets by him come to be seen judged condemned and slain and thou that would'st put it upon the Magistrate without to kill Men by a Law and so to usurp the Power which is given to the Son and so make them guilty of innocent Blood thou art a Murderer And now further who must judge of the false Prophets of Heresie Schism and Blasphemy I know thou denyest Revelation and the rest of the Priests in England who trade with other mens Words and I know thou darest not say thou art infallible and thou hast not discerning of Spirits the Apostle exhorted them who dwelt in the Light to try the Spirits but he bad not them who are led by the Prince of the Air and were Children of Disobedience as thou art of a covetous earthly Mind he bad not them to try nor them who were carnal and therefore stop thy mouth thou canst not discern a Lamb from a Dog not a Kite from a Dove And let all Magistrates who fear the Lord either in this Nation or else-where take heed how they judge of Heresie and Blasphemy not that I am ignorant but that there is Heresie and Blasphemy but that none can judge who they are but who have an infallible Spirit therefore it is now as it hath been many have suffered as Hereticks as Christ for a Blasphemer and the Apostles as Setters forth of strange Gods and were persecuted to Death and many do and are like to suffer by this Spirit that dwells in Thomas Ellyson And therefore all you who are Magistrates that sit as Judges and Rulers take heed what you do and take heed of Zeal without Knovvledge for so Paul persecuted and so the Jews slevv Christ the Heir and so many vvould have their Will satisfied but thou must be judged by all vvho dvvell in the Light thou that sittest as Judge over another see that thou be judged in thy self for to take your Knovvledge and Direction from such as these men instead of planting you vvill be Destroyers And thou art offended at some that hold forth new Lights and Gifts which thou say'st the Word of God never taught us Rep. All vvho are taught by the Word vvhich is eternal are guided in one Light for the Light is but one and this is no nevv Light but the same that ever vvas but thou that callest the Letter the Light and the Word thou art blind and art a Hater of the Light from vvhich the Scripture vvas declared And in the Conclusion thou beggest That Schollars and Universities may be preserved for the breeding of able Ministers to preach the Word and hold out the Sacraments Rep. And this is the Sum of all that thou and the rest of false Shepherds may be carryed in the Bosome of the Magistrates and so to preserve you and destroy all that oppose you As for Learning it is Natural I ovvn it in its Place but that it makes and breeds able ministers I deny it and all those ministers for many filthy Frogs and unclean Spirits have come out of the Universities that have spread over the Nations as Locusts vvithout a King and all their Preaching and their Sacraments is carnal and all their Ability that is got by their Trading leads People to be seven-fold moâ—â— the Children of the Devil I speak vvhat I vvas a Witness of vvhile I follovved the chiefest of them And therefore I say unto you vvho are Governours Hold not that up which the Lord hath cursed for that which is Natural cannot lead up to God And therefore be ye all vvarned That you turn not back to build again that which God is destroying who threw out one Power after another because they would needs limit the Lord a Way to walk in And truly God vvill pour you out from Vessel to Vessel till you be emptied of all and till you give him all Power and Honour to rule over his Church and People that they may serve the Lord in Freedom of Spirit and not in the Flesh and if any vvalk disorderly and break any righteous Lavv and vvalk in the Flesh them execute your Lavv upon there is your Place but that you should prescribe a Way for God to vvalk in he cannot he vvill not be bound and you that go about to
are like to be tryed Your Armour is Righteousness on the right hand and on the left your City is free The Gates stand open Day and Night a VVolf Lyon nor any Beast cannot enter no not so much as a flying-Fowl Oh how goodly are thy Tents O thou Seed of Jacob the Elect whom he hath chosen O how pleasant is your scituation The Tower of David Mount Sion stands sure and cannot be moved O! who is a People like unto you saved by our God that lives forever His Love is large he is kind he is long-suffering he is faithful and keeps Covenant and his Promises are Yea Yea He is the Amen the first and the last Come forth my dear Brethren set forth his Praise declare his Name among the Heathen publish his Name among the Congregations let the Earth be filled with his Love and power that his Judgments may be declared and his Statutes that they sound in the Ears of Generations to come O ye that are convinced of the Truth of our God wait in that which doth convince and keep your Minds to it and love it and follow it whither it leads you and it will lead you to know the Gift of God which leads to Repentance from dead VVorks to serve the living God who dwells in the Immortal Light and take heed of looking back at the Pleasures of Sin you have formerly lived in but wait upon the pure Light of Christ Jesus in Patience that so you may see the Enmity which is against God and it slain in you daily that so you may see him that is the Saviour of the Soul and take heed of rebelling against the Lord who hath given you a measure of his true Light to lead you from Sin if you love it unto Righteousness from whence it comes even from the righteous Judge of all the VVorld who judgeth every man ouâ— of the Book of his Conscience and so prize the everlasting Love of God to your Souls that you may see him who lives forever And all Babes who are born again who have suffered and Pangs of Death and know the Indignation of the Lord against Sin and the Terrour of the Lord against the man of Sin who have roared for the Disquietness of your Hearts who have born the Indignation of the Lord and are come to the giving forth of the Law where there is Thundring and Earth-quakes and Terrour and great Hail and Fire and Smoke even such as was not since the Beginning insomuch that you could not bear his Voice and live nor see his Face and live Stand still in Patience and let it have its perfect Work in you and hear the Indignation ye that are in it if you endure the Tribulation with Patience Hope you will see and a Time of Refreshment will come endure the Cross that the mortal and earthly and carnal may be judged and the bad ground shaken and taken away and that you may see the living Hope to stay your Minds upon And ye who are enlivened and do witness the Law of Righteousness set up in you which is a School-master and keeps in the Fear stand in it and keep in the Fear low in Soberness and Calmness and then you will see your Hearts purified daily and the cursed Nature judged which is out of its Course and it bridled and subjected and the Law which is pure and holy and eternal which stands forever in Power and force against the Transgressor to judge all Unrighteousness And so wait that you may see the Lyon tamed and the wild Heifer yoked and the Yoke of Christ born and the wild Colt tamed by him upon which never man sate before then and not till then is Hosanna sung And all wait in your Measures dear Babes that the Milk of the Word you may see and be nourished by it and grow up as living Branches about the Table of the Lord. And all you young men and Virgins that know Virginity keep your Virginity you in whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the righteous Law of God revealed and given forth in which you stand and walk and have Peace from him who is the Law-giver and Judge who hath saved you from your Iniquities and blotted out your Sins for his own Name 's sake you who know the living Water and Spirit of which you are born again and witness the Birth which enters into the Kingdom of God where no mortal or unclean Beast can come Keep in the Life and Power of God which limits all and chains all under that the Life of the Son of God may live and speak in you and be bold In the dread of God stand and that which leads into Slavery keep out And now being made Partakers of his everlasting Love walk worthy of his Love and of the high Calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto Holiness and Righteousness forever that to the praise of his Grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the Remission of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified So wait in the living Hope and the living Faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly Father And this Faith ye know which is a present Power and a Shield against all Temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortress by which you are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the Day of Tryal My dear Brethren of the everlasting Kindred and Heirs of the everlasting Promise wait all in Patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the End abide in the Father's Counsel and at Wisdom's Gate Ye know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the Truth but because you know and are made free in your Measures by him who is the Truth and the Way in which all our Fathers and you also have obtained a good Report even of all the Houshold of Faith and take heed of the Glory of the World and look not at Hardship for verily all the Suffering is not worthy to be Compared to that Glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in Patience and Faithfulness unto the end but be ye as good Souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the End of your Hope and the everlasting Price and the purchased Possession and the Crown of Glory which God will give unto you in his own Day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the Hope in the Faith and in the Love unfeigned which thinks no ill by which and in which Love we have Victory over the Grave Sin and Death which he hath freely shed abroad in our Hearts unto whom be everlasting Praise forever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the Mediator of the new Covenant of Life and Peace in which we have Access
the Rock and so Love will encrease in you who abide faithful in your Measure and the good and perfect Gift of God will be made manifest in you and the Hope upon which the Soul comes to be anchored will come to be witnessed which Hope purifies the Heart and as you stand in the perfect Law of Liberty revealed in you revealed by the Spirit which cuts down the Oppessor and gives Liberty to his Seed unto which the Covenant is and the Promises forever and this Seed Christ took and takes upon him to redeem even the Seed of Abraham unto whom the Promise was made and so wait that the pure Law of Righteousness which is Life to the Righteous and the Seed may be set up and you will see all chained under and this binds and fetters the unclean Spirits and shuts them up into utter Darkness forever And as you come to be redeemed from under the Bondage of Sin and come above the Bonds of Death and the pure Principle lives in you there will be a Delight in you to do the Will of the Father who hath redeemed you from Sin and its Law unto Righteousness and its Law And all who hunger and thirst after Righteousness wait in that which thirstâ—th that the Gift you may receive which perfects forever them that receive it and believe in it and cleanseth and purgeth you from Unrighteousness and this being revealed in you as you obey it its leads to true Peace and will reveal in you the immortal Seed which came not by the Will of man but is contrary and revealed out of man's Will which all must witness to be born of that inherit the Kingdom of God and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible Seed which the Promise is unto and are in him fulfilled Yea and Amen come out of time before all time the Son of God who leads out of time and this is he whom the Father revealed in Paul and this is he of whom I am a Witness in whom I have Redemption by the Blood of the Cross and he is my Sanctification Justification and Wisdom who is the Son of God who came to do his Father's VVill and now doth where he is witnessed who by his eternal VVord of Life hath begotten me and made me a Partaker of his eternal Inheritance which never fades away Glory unto him for evermore who is Life and translaeteth all that believe and follow him in the VVork of Regeneration unto his Kingdom So silence all you Diviners and Sorcerers forever who believe with a Faith and teach a faith that none can be ever cleansed from Sin while they are here you and your faith is denyed for it is not the same which was once delievered to the Saints which gave them Victory over the World and by which they overcame Paul a Minister of Christ by the will of God said the Colossians were translated into the Kingdom of God where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter your Preaching is vain your Hope and Faith is vain and all your Hearing is vain while the perfect Gift of God is not witnessed nor the everlasting Offering which perfects forever them that are sanctified by him even by his Word of Life and his Will which sanctifies and makes perfect the Comers thereunto and presents all that believe and receive him without Spot And therefore all you that love the Lord and wait for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ feed no longer upon Imaginations nor vain Words cease from looking lo here and there for the Kingdom of God will the Father reveal in you as you wait in the Measure of the Light in you by which he reveals himself in his Sons and Daughters and will bring them to his everlasting Fold and true Rest all who follow him through the Denyal of all and to the loosing of all for him shall come to witness an incoruptible Inheritance which never fades away And now a few Words to you who would thrust your selves into the Kingdom and would be called Christ's Disciples and Church-members who are gathered into Confederacies and make a Likeness unto your selves and are now professing the Saints Conditions in Words How came you hither to climb up so high in Words when as you are what you were before if not worse think it not a hard Saying for it is so among many of you and in the Light which is pure you are weighed and when one comes to try you your Language bewrays you that you are not what you profess for when you are tryed by the Saints Practices and Life that was in them and the Injoyment they had with God you are found so far from being any such that you even oppose the Faith they even believed in as some of your Pastors openly to my Face in the hearing of two hundred People said All the Saints dyed Sinners and so was so far from owning the Perfect Righteousness of Christ that he even denyed it and said it was Heresie and othres of you say you believe That all the Grace the Saints enjoy are imperfect yea even Faith is imperfect and others saying That all the Righteousness that was wrought in them by Faith was imperfect and others saying while the Light of Christ Jesus condemned them yet Christ Justified them and yet that which was wrought in them there was Failings in it and so you have imagined a Faith and Righteousness of your own and such a Christ to talk on and a Redemption as you may live in Lusts and be Men-pleasers and in the Customs and Fashions of the World and Covetousness and plead for Sin and puts perfect Righteousness to another VVorld and thus the Devil hath deceived you and so you set up and make Covers but all will not hide you in the day of his Appearance for God joyns not to that which is imperfect neither is that true Faith which is imperfect and which layes hold upon an imperfect Righteousness that is such a Faith as never was professed by any of the Saints whose VVords you profeâ—s for they had received Faith the Gift of God the least Measure of which was perfect and as they stood in it though it was but a Grain of Mustard-seed they said to this Mountain be removed and it was so and that which was in them reveal'd by the Son led them that did believe in it to lay hold upon Christ's Righteousness which was and is perfect which had yea hath no Spots nor Wrinckles nor Stain and this Righteousness was made manifest in them by the Faith of the Son by which they were justified in the Sight of God and came with boldness before the Throne of Christ for in them there was no Condemnation neither guilt but became one with the Judge and reconciled unto him and his Throne and to the Lamb by him who is the Mediator and hath made Peace betwixt them and the Father and so were justified in the Sight of God and this
which saves you not from Guilt and Condemnation for the Word of the true Christ where it is owned cleanseth and takes away Sin and blots it out and destroyes the Root from whence it flows forth and works a new Creation in Righteousness and the Lamb of God takes away Sin in which the Churches of Christ believed and is Glad-tidings to all that do receive it now none can witness Gladness of Soul where there is Guilt which you all affirm is in every Christian while in this World and so you might see that it 's not the true Christ nor the everlasting Gospel you preach but this you cannot bear yet you say he hath taken away your Sin how much is Sin taken away if you say all how comes the Guilt and Trouble that is in you for if it be taken away and his Justice satisfied this was to make God unjust to charge it upon you again but I tell you when his Witness in your Conscience convinceth you and manifests unto you that you commit it and reproves for it I say you cannot witness his Justice satisfied for the Light is just which is one with God and when this condemns you there is no God that will justifie you but you use to say It 's all done in Christ I ask where if it be not taken away and unless you have the Witness of it in you your Faith is vain for he that believes hath the Witness in himself which none hath which walks contrary unto the Light the pure Witness of Christ for this convinceth you of Sin and bears Witness against you Now shew your Witness within you and your Assurance I say unto you while the Testimony of Jesus bears Testimony against you it bears not Witness unto you and so see your Confusion but after you have believed in Christ as you say and have received all his Ordinances if any thing after did judge you and bring Trouble upon you this you used to call a Temptation and so put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light I say there is no Guilt where Sin is taken away and crucified but Peace and Rest in the holy God who is unchangeable and so his Witness is unchangeable which judgeth and condemns the changeable but you use to say His Love is uncâ—angeable and whom he loves once he loves to the End yea but it is to him who is begotten by the Immortal Word which was in the Beginning which Word leâ—ds to the Beginning again before the Hatred was the Promise is to this Seed not Seeds as to many but the Seed of the Covenant there he loves from the Womb yea the Womb that bears the Seed of Jacob and the Paps that give them suck and where this is known as to Enjoyment Esau is cast out and Ishmael and the Seed of Abraham inherits the Promise and Edom and Moab is laid waste and Amaleck is slain by the Edge of the Sword and the Seed of Evil-doers cut off blessed are they that can witness this in Truth and till this be known the everlasting Love of God is not known which is stronger then Death and Sin is Death and where it is acted and conceived Love is not witnessed nor its Strength but VVrath comes upon the Children of Disobedience are you not Children of Disobedience while you break the holy Law of God in which is Power which is in the Heart and bears witness against you and in you and yet say You cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fulfil it if you fulfil it not you break it and then the Wrath of God abides upon you but then you say If we must fulfil the Law what Use is Christ of I say he who abides forever fulfilled it and fulfils it in them who know him and his Work and this the Scriptures bear witness of and herein Man comes to be justified in God's Sight by Christ who works all our VVorks in us and for us and self becomes dead and because he lives we live also Glory unto him forever and therefore we cannot but lay open the Deceit of Satan and exhort all to come up to Christ out of the VVorks of Condemnation Oh foolish People and unwise when will ye seek after Wisdom and hearken that your Souls may live How long will ye trust to the Imaginations of your own Hearts Verely verely I say unto you The Time is coming your building shall fall and there shall not one Stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down and the Shame of Ethiopia and Egypt shall come upon you and your old Garments shall be torn off you and you shall walk naked and bare and shall see your Shame and the holy Nation of the Lamb shall rejoyce and your Sorrow the Lord hastens upon you who will not own the Cross of Christ nor the Word of Life which would turn you from Unrighteousness and out of the World and its Nature but you harden your Hearts and bend your Bowes and shoot your Arrows against the Lord and his anointed Ones and take your Paâ—t with all the uncircumcised in the Nations in the Confederacy in the Nation against the Lamb yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared and many of you who have been a Reproach now reproach O! tell it not in Gath never let it come to other Nations shame shame and blush at this you who thus requite the Lord Evil for Good Hath the Lord broken the Band of the Oppressour without And have you not seen the Hand of the Lord against them that were Oppressours cut off in his Wrath and overthrown And are not many of you the highest Professors both in England and Ireland now acting in their Footsteps Even you who profess Separation from the World who have been taken from the Sheep-fold and as you were seeking the Asses and raised from a low Estate in the World now to Places of Dignity and Honour and to bear Rule and to sit as Judges among the People and now have you forgotten that you were Servants under Pharaoh but now have taken up his Power and have forgotten the Afflictions of Joseph and your Fingers are becoming heavier then your Fathers Loyns and now you are joining your Strength with the Canaanites and Egyptians against the Lord where is the Liberty of tender Consciences you have told of and what is become of your Reformation Is it ended in this like Absolon when you are come to be Judges in the Gate act in open Rebellion against the Lord and now would be Judges of him every where and would limit him and ' set a Bound unto him and would break his eternal Decree which stands forever Oh if they who had professed no Love to God had done thus it might have been born but ye treacherous Hearts your Ingratitude and Hypocrisie cannot be born but the Lord God will visit for these Things that you should now act by those Laws you cryed out
whence Streams of Refreshment flow which make the Heart glad and the Soul to rejoyce in the Land of the living Oh my dear Ones who are anointed with the holy and living Oyl which he was and is anointed withal who is the Life you have received into your Hearts which teacheth you all things and is the Truth which abides forever and as you abide in him and he in you you are made Partakers of Eternal Life and because he lives you live also Now dear Ones having set your Faces towards Sion and towards the holy Tabernacle where he dwells look not back but all mind your Leader and Captain who hath chosen you to follow him in the War and to be Partakers of his Glory and Crown as they are faithful to his Commands which are not grievous to them who deny themselves therefore you all have known the Terrours of the Lord and the Indignation of the Almighty while you were in the disobedient Nature and in time past when you were in the Alienation and without the Knowledge of the true God in the World and worshipping dumb Idols even as you were led by the Enemy of God who ruled in you and seeing while you were in that Nature captivated unto divers Lusts which the Wrath of God hath come upon and you having tasted of the Cup of Wrath and that with the living God nothing that defiles can have Fellowship but with Doubting and Trouble and with Fear and Condemnation in you and not true Peace nor Assurance you did witness then but now being changed in your Minds by hearkning to his living Word which killed you while Sin ruled which brought Wrath and works Death now to the disobedient but now hath he changed your Minds and brought you subâ—ect and hath subjected the Adversaries under your Feet who have believed in him and have given up all to the Death of the Cross Oh my dear Ones stand all in that pure Freedom and your Measure which hath been obtained through the Death of the Cross and which Peace and true Liberty you have already obtained hath been purchased at a dear Rate and therefore dwell every one in that Measure and be diligent in the VVork of the Lord and press on that all may be subject by him who is the Light and Guide that he alone may have the Preeminence who is the Head of all Principalities and Powers in whom you have believed and received the VVord of his Power which is eternal to whom be Glory and Praise fâ—r evermore which VVord after it had judged and condemned Sin in the Flesh now gives pure Peace and Life to all who believe in it and are judged by it and it seals you and is the Spirit of Promise and bears witness in your Spirits as you act according to its VVill and therefore now all deâ—r Friends being all sensible of your Guide and Teacher shut him not up in a Corner but wait that his Word may be preached for a Testimony to all the World and the Nations of the World that so the End of it you may come to see in you and the utmost Part of it may be given in Possession to the Son that he may alone be glorified And all DEAR FRIENDS wait in Patience and be circumspect every one over your own Hearts that there be no fainting nor looking back amongst you but that you may all keep out that which would lead you into the Rebellion and it may be cut off that so you may come to the End of your Hope the Salvation of your Souls and watch one over another in the living and not with the Evil but cover one another and bear one another and if any fall by Temptation admonish and restore them in Love and let not Strife nor Contention be among you but all be low meek and gentle one to another that so no Pride nor Presumption nor fleshly Exaltation may be amongst you but that you may every one walk as Ministers of Righteousness in your Place and so preach Righteousness in the Earth that the Lord alone may be glorified who is enlarging his Kingdom in this the Day of his Power and in his Strength we run and are not weary fulfil our Joy and grow up as living Branches of Righteousness and bring forth Fruit in him who hath called you and begotten you by the Word of his Power to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of the dead incorruptible which hath changed you from Death to Life my Desire is to you and my Heart is enlarged when I think upon you and my Prayers are to the living God whom I know hears for you that you may all walk to the Praise and Glory of his Grace which hath saved you from Sin and will save you as you abide in it and will be sufficient for you to keep you single and without Stain and present you perfect before the Throne of God which is Grace God Almighty of Life and Glory be with you all my dear Brethren and preserve you all in the Arms of his living and eternal Power that you may all have Dominion by the Blood of God which is Life Eternal over all Sin and be cleansed by it from all Uncleanness and so receive the Eternal Reward the Inheritance with the Saints in Light which is the Inheritance of Jacob over which God reigns forever and blessed are they that come to witness this Forever the Lord of Life be with you all and preserve you under his Everlasting Shadow that so you may be brought to see the Lord and be ever with him who lives forever and ever and unto whom be Glory and Praise forever Amen Amen Dear Friends Glad would I hear from you that my Bowels may be refreshed for our Labour and Travail hath not been a little and our Suffering in this desolate Land my dear Brother E. B. whose Love I know is dear to you all I have not seen towards five Moneths I am in Hope I shall shortly the Work of the Lord prospers abundantly blessed be the Lord in such a wicked Generation as this is but Hell hath opened her Mouth against us and all is on Fire Councils and Head and Tail Rulers Officers Priests and all the Heathen are on an Vproar and so we must pass through Fire and Hail and Pillars of Smoak pray that we may be preserved for the Work whereunto he hath called us to gather the rest that are scattered and to turn them to the Shepherd and his Fold that they may lye down with you in the same Everlasting Fold and herein we war and strive and fight with Beasts but strong is the Lord who hath covered us and girded us with his own Armour and hath taught our Hands to War and our Fingers to fight in this the Day of his Power unto whom alone be Glory and Praise forever and ever Your dear Brother in the living Fellowship and Brotherhood which all that come to know must lay down their
turned from dead VVorks unto the Measure of the living God and they separated from the Temple and left Circumcision and all those things of the first Priest-hood which were commanded by God and out of the VVorld's VVayes Fashions Customs and VVorships and came to see the worshipping in Spirit and in Truth was that worship God required and the Ground of their Separation was not from any literal Command or Precept for all that was written there was flat against it but they which were Ministers of Christ which had believed in him preached him the Substance and the Measure of him and of his Grace which was in them unto whom they preached and this was the Apostles Witness in their Hearts unto which they did commend themselves in the Sight of God which is a great Mystery and they are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Now in these few words before written with much more I could write compare your Ministry and your Members gathered and you will see you differ in the Ground in the first for your Command you take from the Letter and so are Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit 2. Ye preach the Letter for the Word of Faith which they did not as is plain in their own Writings without adding 3. Them whom you gather it 's but into Conformity to the Letter and to that which is visible which all may be done in the Will of man which is fallen from God and see if it be not so with you both Pastors and Members not witnesses of that VVord which they preached which did beget Faith in them that received it and believed in it which Faith was in them wrought by the Power of God which gave them Assurance and their Assurance was in them and their Hope in them brought in and wrought by the Operation of the Spirit which the preaching of the Letter Sound or Declaration only of that which was in them never works Assurance nor true Faith nor Hope And now consider where had your Ground of the Knowledge of God been and your Gospel and your Faith and Hope if you had not had the Letter I speak not to upbraid you but to the Light of Christ Jesus I speak which will let you see how far short you are and that you must come back again to the first Principle and now you may see if it had been the same Word or Command it would have the same Effects as it had and Change into its own Nature all that received it now see whether a Change be wrought in you or not some of you yea many running back after the Foot-steps of the Priests preaching for Hire and upholding the Idols Temple if you can get into them and in the Customs of the World nay most of you not come to yea and nay in your Communication but one with the world in all or most of things differ only in Words and Names and your Gospel you have preached hath not begotten such a Faith as was in them that had the Gospel not to respect Persons nor none dare own cleansing from Sin in the Body but call that a Delusion but the Word and Faith which they preached and received gave them Victory over the World Sin and Death and by its Power made them more then Conquerors and their Hope purified their Hearts but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from Sin nor have not hope in that and therefore are ignorant of the Body of Christ you so much talk of which made them clean and free from Sin Secondly your Doctrine is the same with the World your Hope your Faith your justification is all at a Distance grounded upon the Report of Christ dying at Jerusalem and of their Report that knew him and believing this you call it Faith and so are one with the Faith and Hope which the World hath for the Report of Christ's Righteousness what he did suffer and wrought in the Saints if this be the Ground of Salvation then why have you separated from the World If you say Because the world hath not right to the Ordinances I say Doth not Faith in Christ give Interest to all his Ordinances And if this be onely your Faith the World hath as good an Interest as you so why do you separate from them And so you shall see the Matter is the same with the VVorld of which your Fellowships consist and the Name of Christ is a great Mystery which they were sent to baptize in who knew his Name his name is not Letters and Syllables and using these this with the lips speaking over is not to baptize into his Name And so Friends in Love I speâ—k unto you There was such as separated themselves and were sensual and had not the Spirit and so there was no Difference betwixt them and the World for they are Clouds without Rain appeared VVells but hâ—d no VVater in them seemed something but were but a Shew Friends your foot-steps I know your ground I know and your Compass and your Measure yet I shall not glory over you nor boast my self against you but rather to inform your Minds that you may not build upon a Foundation which will moulder away And now boast not your selves in your Ordinances as VVater bread and Wine which is but elementary and was never but a Sign and in the Day of Appearance of Christ the Elements shall melt with servent Heat and while you stand here and have Confidence in these things your Sun will set in Obscurity and you shall know the old Heavens and Earth will pass away with a Noise which when you come to know and hear your Hearts will fail for Fear for this I say to the highest of you If you build upon any thing or have Confidence in any thing which stands in time and is on this side Eternity and Being of Beings your Foundation will be swept away and Night will come upon you and all your gathered in things and taken on and imitated will all fail you Many more things I might write time would fail me to utter but these few among many I have written that you may compare your selves with the Ministers of Christ then and the Gospel which they preached which were separate from the World in the Ground and Nature and if you see your selves in the Light of Christ in your Consciences not to be the same neither in Matter nor Manner let not a deceived Heart lead you aside any longer Further I say they were sent out for the gathering in of the Saints some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers yet all was by the Spirit Now if you deny the Command of the Spirit or cannot witness it but from the Letter take it up and talk of it because the Scripture speaks of it then your Ministry is not that Ministry Again this End was the Ministry sent forth for for the perfecting of the Saints which it did which not
or Scripture and if that will not do then you look to be Justified by the Righteousness of one you have heard of without you and even then when you your selves are found Sinners and so would make Christ a Minister of Sin How long will you speak these Things and how long shall the Words of your Mouth be as a strong wind doth God pervert Judgment or doth the Almighty pervert Justice Job 8.2 3. shall not he that 〈◊〉 dye and is not he that commits Sin of the Devil doth God justifie him that 's of the Devil nay he shall condemn him the Gospel is not preached to that Seed but the Day of Vengeance and Tribulation and Wrath upon every one that doth Evil and whom he Condemns he Justifies not and whom he redeems he redeems out of Sin and creates them that they may walk to the Praise and Glory of his Grace them that praise Grace and glorifie Grace walk in it and are under it and it hath Dominion over them and their Ungodliness and worldly Lusts are denyed and Holiness and Righteousness is brought forth and the Image of God is restored Oh! how long shall Death talk of the Fame of Wisdom how long shall a deceived Heart lead you aside how long will ye be bind how long will ye hearken to your Imaginations is any redeemed out of Sin where sin rules and where it is acted Grace reigns not is not this the Grace of God which Condemns man's Will and Self and the Lusts of the Flesh and you that are in your Wills and Self in every thing standing doth not the Grace Condemn you how then or by what are ye Justified but this hath been a Piece of your Divinity when that in your Consciences Condemned you looking up to Christ Justified at a Distance Oh you vain minds is not the Light of Christ one with Christ is Christ divided from his Spirit or against himself or in himself when that his Light Condemns and his Spirit reproves thee for Sin doth he Justifie doth not his Spirit bear VVitness in the Spirits of them that are sanctified and is not this the Spirit which Convinceth for Sin and as thou actest Sin it reproves thee and bears witness against thee then how should it bear witness to thee and so you may see all of you who tell of Justification by Faith that you are in a Dream and not in the Faith that Justifies for he that is Justified by Faith which is true he hath the VVitness in himself now if thou be reproved in thy self for Sin by the Light of Christ where is thy witness in thy self shew it For them that are saved by Grace and justified by Faith self and self-will and the Lusts of the Flesh and Disobedience to the Grace of God is judged and condemned and self-Righteousness Tit. 3.5 6. Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Ephes. 2.8 By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it 's the Gift of God and them that receive and believe in the Gift of God are justified and Grace is the Gift of God which teacheth to deny Ungodliness and them that are taught by this it teacheth and leadeth out of all Sin and so Redemption from Sin is witnessed and Justification is witnessed and the Gift of God which is the Spirit of Promise sâ—als the Assurance in the Heart but where Sin is committed Grace reigns not through Righteousness and thou that art here art under the Law and under Wrath and Condemnation and art not under Grace that justifies through Faith and so your Cover being taken off see your Shame all and blush and repent The Difference betwixt the Faith which is feigned which is the Worlds and the Saints Faith NOW your Faith which leads you not to believe that you can ever be freed from Sin this Faith is Reprobate and brings forth no good Works but dead Works and is not the Life of the Just but tâ—e Life of the Unjust which leads not to overcome the Evil and the Works of the Devil nor leads not into the Rest which is in God for you speak your own WORDS and think your own THOUGHTS and have not ceased from your own Works but worship in your Wills act in your Wills speak in your Wills and are your own and do notice an overcoming of Sin but a growing into it into Deceit more and more and looking all is done for you and you believe Christ hath done all and hath fulfilled the Law for you and yet do witness nothing done in you nor the Law fulfilled in you nor Sin destroyed in you and yet you say you lay hold upon the Righteousness of Christ by Faith Oh! what Righteousness is that you lay hold of which is imperfect leads not out of Imperfection that is not true Faith that layes hold on a Righteousness which is imperfect and all of you say all that is in you there are Defects and Imperfections in it yea even the Graces and Gifts of God you say they are imperfect then consider if you see Imperfection in all those Things you have laid hold on and have received then you know not Faith nor Grace nor the Gift of God which is perfect but believe in a Dream of a thing done and an Apprehension of a Thing at a Distance without you imagining you are eating but when you awake you are hungry imagining you are saved but when you enter into your Hearts see nothing witnessed nothing done nor redeemed from nothing your Faith and Hope stand in Words and that is all preaching the Letter over and proving that which is proved and was proved in them that witnessed the Life of those Things in them that are written but nothing is proved in you but apply their Righteousness which was the Righteousness of Faith and of Christ which was in them wrought through Death to you that are alive in Sin Lust Pride Enmity Malice and Deceit yea even to the Head of the Serpent and so would be covered in your Iniquity and saved from Guilt Condemnation and Wrath but to be cleansed from Sin you regard not for if you own that Word Faith and Hope which is of God it will slay and kill that Life forever and destroy all your Wisdom which stands in the earthly Nature and therefore I say unto you repent and cease from your Way from your vain Conceivings and all be uncovered and you will see the first Principle you have to learn So all your Faith which is out of the Light is seen which you gather in from the Letter and not wrought in the Light it leads not out of the World nor to above the World but all who have Faith work in the Light and Mortification Sanctification and Holiness is brought forth in Purity Uprightness Meekness Temperance Patience and the Fruits of Righteousness
many Waters which shall make all the Potentates and the mighty of the Earth bow the Eye-lids of the morning are opened and the Sun is rising to his Height and the dark Air is scattering by the Breath of his Mouth and so all things shall appear in the Earth as they are and every thing under the Face of the Heaven shall be brought to Light and all the Powers of Darkness discovered and the Works and Workers of Iniquity shall no longer be hid but shall be discovered by the Light of the Son of God and shall be judged and condemned by the Life of Righteousness and blessed are they who know a hiding-Place in him when his overflowing Scourge passeth over the Nations which is already made ready to execute his Judgment upon the Heathen that know him not Oh! who may abide his Presence when he appears in his Power Majesty and Glory all the ungodly of the Earth shall be as driven Stubble before his Bow and shall flee before him nevertheless the Pursuer shall overtake and the Destroyer shall lay hold upon them and all the ungodly shall hear the Sentence Go ye cursed from the presence of the Lord into the Pit of Everlasting Destruction And when this Day comes upon the Nations all your Prophets Diviners and Teachers who are out of the Life of Christ who have flattered you and told you You were the higher Power and you must sit as Judges in the Things of the Father and Lord it over the Consciences of People and prescribe the Lord a Way and a Limit in your several Nations and Dominions they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you but the Helper and the helped shall both fall together the Strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble and their Loins weak so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher Power and the greatest Dignity who will rule over all Usurpers and over all the Children of Pride the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet and Teller of Lyes shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns Then shall the ransomed of the Lord and the righteous Seed whom the Nations have slain and persecuted the Prophets and holy Men of God and all that have been slain for the Testimony of Jesus rejoyce over the Deceit and it shall be sung in that Day The Lord God omnipotent reigneth who will ascend above all Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions and tread down all under his Feet that the Earth may be filled with his Glory and behold he cometh quickly in a Moment and suddain Destruction shall be upon his Enemies and the Breath of his Mouth shall make all melt away that hate the Lord and their Remembrance shall rot forever and ever Therefore oh all ye Powers of the Earth who are the Sons of fallen Adam whose Power ariseth out of the Earth in which the Devil dwells and the Serpent feeds who bear Rule but not by the Lord who sit as Judges in the Earth and yet your Judgment is from the Earth and from below know this you shall all be judged with the Just and all your unrighteous Decrees Laws Constitutions Ordinances and Edicts which are made in the fallen Wisdom you and they both together will be cast aside as a Thing of nought and must all be judged with the Just Therefore repent and turn to the Lord of Heaven and Earth that you may know his righteous Judgment set up in your Hearts and the Spirit of Injustice and Error purged out of your Hearts or else you judge not for God for all the Laws Constitutions and Ordinances which are made in the fallen Principle and fallen Wisdom to have all these in the Head or in the Memory so that he may act in a Nation or Kingdom according to the Letter of a Law prescribed in a Nation that doth not at all make a Man an able Minister of Justice or a Magistrate for God for the Root being unholy corrupt and erroneous from whence those Laws were given forth the Branches are unholy also the Ground being corrupt the Tree bad the Fruit is bad also and so all Nations who are degenerate from the Life of God their Laws and Constitutions do alwayes imbondage the regenerate so the Heart being deceitful and unrighteous such Laws proceed forth which do oppress the upright in Heart and all or most of the LAWS in all Nations are received by Tradition from Generation to Generation since the scattering of ISRAEL who received the Law from God's own Mouth by the Hand of Moses a Magistrate of the Lord and a Judge over Israel and so Heaps of Decrees Statutes and Ordinances there are in the Nations which do not answer that of God in the Conscience of every man and so that which is pure of God in the Conscience of every one cannot be subject to those Laws and Traditions but rather suffer as many Thousands have done cruel Deaths and great Oppression all this dark time of Anti-christ's Reign and of the Beast in all nations since the Apostacy and Death reigning over all the Sons of the first Adam in the Transgression Death hath breathed forth it self upon the Face of the Earth for Sin entering and Death by Sin it rules in the Heart and exerciseth his Power which stands in Unrighteousness and so all Mankind in all their acting can do nothing for God but against him and against his People who are redeemed out of the Region of Death and so all Law-givers Law-makers and Laws which stand in the Will of man and in the unrighteous Principle will the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Restorer of Mankind utterly overthrow abolish and take away their Power for the Law-giver shall come out of Sion whoever in all Nations that ever come to see him must see him come from thence whose Appearance shall be as a Lamp that burns and he shall change the Customs the Times and the Laws and overthrow all them that stand in the Curse for he shall lead out of Death and out of its Path and from under the Law of Sin and Death that all that hear him and come to be subject to his Law shall deny all those Laws in the very Ground and bear their Testimony against them which stand in that nature that transgresseth the Life And therefore give Ear all Nations and all Emperors Kings Monarchs Lords Judges and Rulers of the Earth in all Nations he is come and coming whose Right it is to judge the Earth in Righteousness and the People with Equity even he unto whom all Judgment is committed and he hath appeared as the Son of God in the North Region of the World in Power Majesty and great Glory and hath made the Mountains melt before him and he hath dryed up all the Springs of Babylon and hath made the Cedars bow and made the Trees of the Forrest to shake and the study Oaks hath he cut up by the Roots and turned
to Pieces as Flesh for the Pot and grownd to Dust as though they had not been God's Workmanship and his Seed in all Nations hath been in great Captivity whose Sighs Groans and Tears have pierced through the Clouds and is entered to the Throne of God who is now arising to plead the Cause of the poor and the needy and now wo to the World and to all them that have born Rule but not by the Lord. An Advertisement to all the RULERS upon the Earth THere is one only God the Creator and the Bringer forth of all things whose Way is equal and whose Judgments are Just whose Law is righteous whose Statutes are pure answering his own pure Witness in every Man under the Face of Heaven in all Nations upon the Earth so as every Man in all Nations upon the Earth comes to own God's pure Witness in himself placed by the Lord he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those Rulers who rule in Righteousness by the righteous Law of God but where any Ruler is not ruled himself by that which is pure of God which condemneth Self and Self-actings in himself he bears Rule but not in God's Dominion and so layes Yoaks upon a Nation Countrey or People to make all submit to his Will Decrees and Ordinances and to deny that which is pure of God in themselves and then joyn to his Deceit and thus Iniquity gets Head and is set up as a Rule and the Law of God both in the Ruler and the ruled is thrown behind their Back and so Deceit leadeth and the changeable Mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withal and so Tyranny and Oppression spreads over a whole Nation and the Just suffer in it And hence it is that there are so many several Laws Ordinances Constitutions Traditions and Customs among Men in many Nations Countries and Regions one differing from another and Heaps of Confusion that hardly in any Nation or few in a Nation know what is Law there is so much Variableness and Changeableness amongst the Law-makers one while setting up another while pulling down and as Deceit advanceth it self in any particular Ruler then there must be a Law made and a Penalty upon the non-performance as Death Banishment Torturing Whipping Racking Imprisonment Fining to the utter Destruction of many and all the Ground of this is because the Rulers are gone from that of God in themselves and then act in their own Wills and by their Craft and Deceit which stands in the Ground which is cursed and call this Christian Policy and Wisdom and Cruelty becomes a Law and the Devil keeps his Dominion in the Earth and Deceit gets a Cover and hides it self Now it was not so from the Beginning for as God is one and his name one his Law is one which is pure equal and unalterable and endures forever and ever now Man being made in God's own Image answered the pure Law of God and being God's Image was one with the Law and the Law was not against him but was his Life and Joy and he had Power to obey it for he was of its own nature for as God is pure and holy and the Image which he brought forth Man in was pure and holy and that which was Man's Guide and Rule was pure and holy here was Unity and Purity and he that created and Man that was created were in Unity and then there was no Wo no Condemnation no Sorrow no Death no Tribulation Anguish nor Wrath revealed against Man who was the Image of God and he stood in the Dominion of God and had Dominion over that which was contrary here was no Tyranny here was no Cruelty no Prisons no Envy no Persecution no killing nor destroying no defrauding no Jar no Strife no devouring but all God's Creation at Unity and Man at Unity with God being Partakers of his Dominion whereby all the Earth was in Order and in that Wisdom which changed not and here Man had Dominion and Power and ruled in God's Authority and was guided by the higher Power and while he was subject to it Death had no Power over him now this was before Sin entered and before Death entered and before Enmity had appeared in the Earth but now was the Lord King Law-giver and Judge who ruled in Righteousness and man being subject to him there was no Law against him nor no Guilt of any Thing for Transgression was not known in the Earth and there was no Curse but all was in Unity and Peace no Changeableness but all was in the Covenant all the Workmanship of his Hand was united unto him and all that he had made was blessed and all the Creation were Partakers of his Blessedness and all stood in the Covenant by which every Creature received Power Virtue and Dominion here was one Mind and here was no double no Variation no Mutation nor Change but the Dominion of the everlasting God was felt which endures forever and ever and any other Thing was not seen in the Earth but man crowned with Honour Dominion and Dignity wherein could be nothing but rejoycing and pure Peace and Joy now no Evil was known neither was there any such thing but Goodness possessed the whole Earth and Righteousness breathed forth it self in all Things in the Circumference thereof and all the Works of his Hands pleased him and Man made Partaker of his Pleasure and was accepted and not rejected Thus in Part I have shewed unto you the State of the Earth and of Mankind and the Glory of God's Creation and the Blessedness thereof but if I could declare unto the whole World from Years End to Years End I should fall short and Words would be wanting to express the Felicity Happiness in which Man was brought forth neither shall any be able to see into those Things or to declare certainly of those things who come not beyond time to him who is eternal who gave them a Being But after man had taken of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and had eat of the Fruit thereof and consented to the Beguiler and to the Serpent Sin entered and Death by Sin man lost his Dominion and became subject to another and another had Power over him and now the Course of Nature was set on the Fire of Hell the Curse entered and man dead while he lives and in that Day he eat did dye and Death breathed forth it self in the Earth and Cain is brought forth in his own Image to wit in the Image of him who was gone out of God's Dominion and he became a Murderer and slew him that was accepted of God and here appeared now the Enmity and its Life was to destroy and to murder and to kill Abel who believed and offered up a Sacrifice and Cain offered in the Unbelief and was not accepted so Abel who was Just lived by Faith but Cain who was in the Envy and in the Wrath
this Life was Death to him and to his Nature and so all who are out of the Faith are dead while they Live Now after the Transgression in Process of time when the Seed of fallen Adam began to increase in the Earth being driven out from that Presence of the Lord they spread over the whole Earth and sought many Inventions being gone from that of God in themselves by which they were united unto him having broken his Covenant and joyned in Covenant with Death Death acts forth it self against the Seed which is not of its Nature and alwayes sought to imbondage it and to kill it as Cain did Abel and Esau Jacob and Ishmael did unto Isaac and unto his Seed Now the Seed unto which the Promise was received the Law from the Mouth of the Lord and they that persecuted the Seed invented and made Laws of their own according to that Nature in which they lived and so became Heathenish in their Fashions Laws and Customs and Cruelty grew up as it was nourished and leavened into its own Nature and Unbelief grew into a mighty Stature and Monsters were brought forth in such a strange Shape in every thing that the Enmity did appear in as had not been seen in the Earâ—h before and so man being gone astray from the Life of Righteousness every thing is abominable and of a stranger Nature that he brings forth yet take notice of this that as the Seed unto which the Promise was who were in the Faith and obeyed through Faith they had a Law so they in Unbelief had also a Law as the Seed worshipped the living God through a lively and a living Faith and so sinned not in so doing the Seed of the Serpent imitated a Worship and worshipped in Death and Unbelief and as the Laws of one were equal such as David and Solomon the other were unequal such as Jeroboam and Rehoboam and as the one set up Equity by a Law the other made a Law to set up Iniquity And the Seed sought not their own Honour but the Honour of him who was their Reward but the Seed of the Evil-doer sought himself and his own Honour and as the Spirit of the Lord breathed forth it self and spoke the Truth in the Power of God Deceit uttered forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and in the Power of Death and as the upright lived unto God in the Spirit Deceit lived unto the Flesh and unto him who hath the Power of Death which is the Devil and as they fulfilled the Law of God who were led by the holy Spirit of God into all Truth the other followed their own Imaginations and answered the Deceit and foolish Mind and they whose Understanding was darkened loved them and had Pleasure in them So it may be truly said Many Nations Rulers and ruled sit in the Region of the shadow of Death and the living God is forgotten among them and one against another they are seeking one anothers Ruine and all in the Violence and in the Cruelty Therefore all Rulers and Potentates of the Earth Magistrates and Governours under the whole Face of Heaven hearken unto the Words of my Mouth and listen unto Understanding that you may be Partakers of the Happiness and Felicity which God is shedding abroad now in the â—â—â—ter Dayes that so the Restorer you may know in your Regions and the Deliverer in your Nations and the Maker up of the Breach in your dominâ—ons that he who is the desire of all Nations may be revealed among you He which must restore is not born of man nor cometh not to a People or a Nation in the Will of man neither seeks he himself but the Glory of the Father who hath sent him to seek and to save that which is lost and to heal the Breaches and to destroy that which hath made the Breach that so all Nations who receive him and believe in him may be reconciled unto him and one to another that the Earth may enjoy Rest and the Regions Quietness therefore all be warned not to look forth in your Wills for there you will not receive him but slight him as many before you have done and so lye down in Sorrow and weary your selves in Vanity and lye down in Infamy and never come to see his dignity Now he of whom I declare unto you is the Son of God who is the Light of the World and the Life of Man and hath lightned every man that cometh into the World which Light wherewith all men are enlightened is not contrary to the Law of God which indures forever but one with it and this will let you see Violence Treachery Murder Envy Wrath Maliciousness Drunkeness Whoredom Lying Cursed speaking Stealing Defrauding Cheating Cozening Riotousness Pride Arrogancy Emulation Contention Strife Hatred Persecution Cruelty Oppression I say the Light which comes from Christ by whom the World was made will shew you that all these things is Sin and evil in the sight of God and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these and all other evils proceed which ground is in all the Sons of men in the Transgression till it be removed and these things before mentioned be the fruits that grow from it and bud forth themselves in all Nations and in every man in every Nation so the Earth is filled with Violence and the Grapes are as Sodom and the Fruit as Gomorrah whom God overthrew and till these things be done away and these fruits wither and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a Ruler he cannot be a Blessing to a Nation neither rule for God in a Nation neither will he or can he be a Terrour to all these things before mentioned While he himself is in those for he cannot destroy his own Life neither will Iniquity set up Righteousness nor the Worker of Iniquity advance Christ. Therefore listen to the words of my Mouth and despise not Counsel lest you perish among Fools and go down to the horrible Pit where there is everlasting Misery unto all Perpetuity Now God that made both Heaven and Earth and all things that therein are he is Light and with him is no Darkness at all he never changes his Purity nor alters his righteous Decrees his Eye is pure and alwayes fixed to behold all the Works of the Sons of men and he searches the Heart of man with his eye and pierceth through the secret places and is near to every man although man do not see him he is invisible and eternal and his Law indures forever and the unalterable decree by which Sin is judged and reproved in the World and in every particular man and every man who hearkens and hears the Words of the pure Law which judges all Sin in man receiveth the Sentence of Death in himself and is judged by the righteous Words of his Mouth and so Sin in the particular comes to be condemned and all these changeable things
and Teacher if it be received but in Order to the thing in Hand let all take Notice of this that when I speak of the Sufficiency of Grace and that it is a sufficient Teacher I do not speak of it distinct from Christ or of a thing separated from the Power of God but one with it and him from whence it comes for as he is Salvation it self so the Grace of God is of the same Nature by which he manifests himself and his Salvation to them that believe and also reveals his Witness in them for where the Appearance and Presence of Christ is manifest there is his Power and Strength manifest either to Condemnation or Salvation and though his pure Appearance and Presence is one in it self yet them that have marred his Countenance and pierced him his Presence alwayes hath been and will be very dreadful and terrible but unto them that believe and have continued with him in his Temptation and have suffered with him and have longed for him his Appearance and Presence will be amiable beautiful and lovely sweet pleasant delightful desirable glorious and admirable so that they who have seen it have been melted into Tears and dissolved as into Water because of his Love and Beauty who is the chief of ten thousand Oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in Patience in that wherein he will appear they shall see him whose Sight will be a Recompence for all longing and thirsting and desiring and waiting the Sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away when he that makes glad the Heart appeareth who lifteth up the Light of his Countenance and maketh whole them whose Hearts have been broken for him whom their Souls loved Therefore all wait and think not the time long keep in your Minds to his Grace which is his Appearance and him you will feel and see and be satisfied and say This is he we have waited for let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad for now he is come and his Reward is with him to give every one that wait upon him in Purity full Contentment and Satisfaction where Peace comes to be felt and Joy unspeakable which is full of Glory And though God out of his everlasting Love unto the Sons of Men hath followed Man and hath called him to return yet that Nature which is above in Man which hath transgressed the Life doth alwayes resist the drawing of the Lord and is not subject to the Law of God neither to the Grace of God which teacheth to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts that have beset and compassed the Creature about as a thick Cloud and alwayes make War against the Soul that till there be a listening unto thaâ— which sheweth Ungodliness which hath Power in it self none have Power neither Dominion over that in themselves which leads into the Transgression Therefore though God who is Salvation it self hath let out himself so far and hath appeared in his pure and perfect Grace unto all men yet all have not received Grace for though the Lord proffers his Gift intentionally that the Creature might receive it and so have Benefit and partake of its living Virtue and Operation yet while that hath Preeminence in Man which is contrary to Grace that will never receive it because it is contrary to the Life of the corruptible and takes its Life away and mortifies and slayes the Enmity therefore all must be still and quiet and wait in that which is pure of the Lord that they may feel that raised up which receiveth Grace above the corruptible Thoughts and Desires of the carnal Mind but many who talk of free Grace have put no Difference betwixt the precious and the vile but have put them upon doing and working who are in the Enmity and Curse and in Death and so have brought forth dead Works notwithstanding all Performances they being dead to the Life of God another acteth in them even he which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil and so have not known that which was precious in themselves could not minister unto that which was precious in others but have been Ministers of Death and have ministred to Death and so Death nourishes it self in all them who are not yet come to the Separation to see betwixt the precious and the vile Now though all have not received Grace so as to save them from the committing of Sin the Fault is not in God Israel would have none of my Counsel they stopped their Ears Neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men Neither is it because of its Imbecillity and Weakness but because it is not hearkned unto and waited in and obeyed believed in and received For this is eternal Truth which shall forever stand the least Measure of the Grace of God hath Power in it self to save man from committing of that Evil or Sin which it shews man and as it is received the Power comes more and more to be made manifest where all that believe come to be preserved out of Evil. Object But some have said and now say There is common Grace and preventing Grace and restraining Grace and saving Grace and the former that hath appeared to all but the latter hath appeared to the Saints and to the Elect onely Answ. Grace is God's pure and perfect Gift and is but one thing I speak not of Quantity but of Quality not of so much as that the Fulness of Grace hath appeared to all but of a Measure of that Fulness which is in Christ the Head although I do not divide the least Measure from the Fulness in Quality or Nature for it 's one and the same for that which shews a man he should not lye nor swear that is as pure according to its Latitude and Proportion as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done and that same Grace which leads a man from Drunkenness and Excess is as pure and of the same Kind and Nature as that greater Proportion which leadeth a man from all Sin I speak what I have seen from the Father though the dark World cannot receive it But people have been blinded and darkned with Sounds and Distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural Reason and by their natural Parts which are out of the Life although I do not condemn natural Parts which are purely natural if they keep their Bounds and Compass that is to say to the Mannagement of natural Things of the visible Creation but the things of God's Kingdom are of another Quality and Nature and cannot be reached unto by the natural but as I said men through Distinctions and Names have wracked Peoples Minds and confounded their Understanding and have led them into a thick Wood or a Wilderness so they know not where to get forth neither what the thing is of which one speaks because not being spoken through the enticing Words of mans Wisdom which darken the counsel of God
Now that which shews a man Evil after it be committed is the pure Appearance of God And that which shews a man the Temptations when they arise that is the same now this they call Common and that which preventeth a man and keeps him back that he lend not his Heart nor put forth his Hand to commit Evil but restrains a man from it is not that saving out of evil and that which stops the Adversary in his Way that he enter not but preserveth the Creature out of Defilement and saves him from it is not this saving is not this the same thing that the Apostle who was well acquainted with the Grace of God and of its Operation wrote of to Titus That Grace of God which brought Salvation which had appeared and doth now appear to all men which taught them self-denyal to deny worldly Lusts and also to live godly or like unto God in this present World and now doth the same is not this sufficient to believe in and sufficient to save Now I do not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto God then is to them that are convinced of their Evil by the same Grace yet still it is one and the self-same thing one Gift yet a greater Measure of one and the same pure Vertue and Power which is given to them that obey the Life which is already made manifest by its Appearance unto all Object But some will be ready to say that this is Errour and that which is contrary to the Scripture and to orthodox Teachers that the Grace which is saving is near all men and hath appeared to all men To that I answer Though grace be saving in it self even the grace that hath appeared to all men and may be truly called saving grace yet to them that believe not in it neither are taught by it it convinceth and shews Evil and checks and judges for it yet there is no Variation nor Change in the Gift of God but as it worketh upon different Objects for Faith and Unbelief are two different things as Light and Darkness are different and so the Word of his Grace is the Savour of Life unto Life that is to say unto them that believe and is the Savour of Death unto Death unto them who are in the Unbelief who indeed are dead while they live yet here is the same Grace and the same Word of Grace yet here are different Operations so the Lord killeth and maketh alive yet the same Lord the Spirit convinceth of Sin and reproveth for Sin and also consolates and comforts here is Diversity of Operations yet the same Spirit which never alters Object But further some may say If that it be saving Grace or at least a degree and a Measure of saving Grace that hath appeared to all men then how is it that all are not saved by it Answ. Because I would all stumbling blocks were removed away that the Path might be made plain that all might come to believe in that which is God's Gift in which there is Power and Sufficiency therefore I am constrained by the Grace of God to declare of it and to bear witness to it thus largly which I know will be to the Edification of all that hunger after Righteousness All are not saved by it because they believe not in it neither are taught by it yet its Validity Power and Vertue is nevertheless in it self and though them that are careless and heedless say We feel no Power nor Sufficiency in it to save us from Sin yet this makes not void their Confidence who have receiâ—ed it and know its Power which hath given them Power and also Sufficiency to do the Will of God what though Unbelievers who are in the Alienation say there is no Beauty in Christ neither Fâ—rmnor Comliness this makes not his Glory void who is the express Image of the Father full of Grace and Truth the Disciples saw it and bore Record of him who were in the Faith and the Pharisees said he had a Devil who were in the Unbelief but in brief this is my Testimony that the Grace of God the perfect gift of God which shews Ungodliness and leads from Ungodliness all that are taught by it is a sufficient Teacher of it self I mean as the Power of Christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it Paul a Minister of the word of Reconciliation who was rapt up into the third Heaven where he saw things unutterable came to be tempted and buffetted with the Messenger of Satan and Fear and Doubting rose up in him and he prayed unto God thrice and this answer was given unto him my grace is sufficient for thee so this is evident to all Understandings who are opened by the Lord that which shewed him the Temptations and Satan's Messengers and Satan's Buffetings was sufficient to preserve him and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it sufficient to shew Ungodliness because of its Purity and to lead from worldly Lusts by its Power and to teach the Will of God and to live like unto God in this present World and this Testimony I bear of it and to it even what I have felt and tasted and handled of its Sufficiency and Vertue and Power of its Operation for the Confirmation of the same Truth which is believed by many Brethren and also for the Information of them who thirst after the Lord and for the Opposition of all the Gain-sayers and Opposers of it which Testimony I commend to that of God in every man which will witness me herein in the Day of God when all Hearts are opened and all Falshoods and Truth is made manifest in the mean time shall rest in that which I have declared of in which there is pure and perfect Peace A Word to you wise Men of this World who are glorying in the Sound of Words and worshipping outward Appearances to all wise and literal Professors who think you are worshipping God aright who think to search into the deep Things of God by your natural Wisdom Learning Parts and Study GOD hath broken open the Seals of the great Deep where the wonderful unalterable things of God are revealed from whence eternal Wisdom is flowing forth to his little Ones whom he hath sanctified from the Womb and his Power and Glory he is shedding abroad and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a Womb by which Power and Wisdom you are all weighed even by one who is swadled about with Righteousness and girded up with the Girdle of Truth you are all measured as with a Span and are all weighed as with a Scale all your Parts Tongues Languages Interpretations Significations Wisdom that are come to be enjoy'd by them who have believed in the true Light that lighteth every Man which rounds you all as an Heap and measures you all as with a Line your Breadth Length
Height and Depth your Parts Tongues Languages and Interpretations are all but natural Words are but empty Sounds although there be many Languages and each have an Interpretation and a Signification they are all short to declare the Life the immeasurable Being of eternal Life you with all these are on Heaps disjoynted one from another your Rhetorick Philosophy your framed and despised Disputations your Tongues and the Significations of all Tongues cannot know the Mind of the Spirit neither know the Original of eternal Salvation by all these and so not knowing the Signification of the living eternal Spirit in your selves you invent study devise form and frame up things in your carnal Minds by the Strength of your learned studied devised Parts and framed Speeches and have fâ—â—led the whole World with your dark muddy Conceptions and have led all out from seeking after the living Wisdom of God which is from above which was before your Tongues and Languages were and they have sucked in your Conceptions and Distinctions and your devised Fables and your imagined Worship that many have lost the Sense of any thing of God in themselves to guide them and when you have come as far as you can in those things and have devised in your Minds by the Strength of those Parts natural you are farther from the Knowledge then before and all that hear you and suck in your Conceptions and Imaginations into their Hearts they are farther off God's true Knowledge then they were in the Day in which they came out of their Mother's Womb it 's a Lamentation to see how People are gone out of the pure Simplicity which is in Christ into Subtilty and Deceit stuffed up full brim-full of that which must be all poured out as Water before they and you all come to the least Measure of God's true and saving Knowledge Oh! a dreadful Day is come upon many and it lingers not but will come swiftly as a Thief upon you who have taken away the Key of Knowledge and give People that which will not open and tell them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them Entrance you and all they will be shut out together among the Uncircumcised as Fools though you count your selves wise Men your Wisdom will perish and your Honour will be laid in the Dust the time hastens it is the Word of Truth to you all And you litteral Professors who have got the Scripture into your Head and into the carnal Mind to talk on and are run into so many Heads you are almost past numbring and have exalted so many Horns yet the Number is read the Number of the Heads of the Beast and the Number of his Name you have taken up things and are exalting a visible shadowish Practice and neglect the Life and are making Idols of those things which were but a Figure and a Representation in their purest time now you like the Pharisees are limiting the Lord that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves and fetched in from the Letter and gotten it into the fleshly Part which is heaped up as a Mountain in many of you so high above God's pure Witness in you and so high above the Appearance of God in you that you have quite lost the Sight of that in your selves which should give you the Knowledge of the living God and make you sensible of his pure Presence I say if he appear not in the Way you would limit him to in those things you would confine him in you cannot receive him the Lord open your Understanding that you may see your selves and how frothy vain light and wanton you are one with the World in all things in the very Ground pretending Liberty in Christ and Priviledge in him when you may see you are Servants to Corruptions and to many noisome Lusts that make War Again what are all outward Appearances any more but as a Curtain or as a Vail and as a Shadow in Respect of Christ God's Righteousness within But you are filled so full of your Apprehensions of his Righteousness at a Distance that you have forgotten all at home and your own Conditions for his Righteousness will not be a Cloak for your Self-Righteousness and Unrighteousness and if Christ be not formed in you God's Righteousness and live in you and act in you and work his Work in you you are in the Self-Righteousness and a Talk of Imputation will not save you while you are not in that Capacity Nature and Faith unto whom his Righteousness is imputed Are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly Hills among which you have situated your selves Do you not see your Land grows barren and your Possessions dry and your Worship dead Heaven rains not on you the Bottles are stopped the Dew falls not on you you wither daily as a Stick without Sap what have you found that which will last unto Perpetuity Oh! nay it 's rusted already it 's cankered already it 's moth-eaten already it 's fading the Glory is staining the Renown of all earthly things is fading and all terrestrial Appearances though never so glorious they are all to cease a Consumption is coming Blasting is near there will be no more Glory in these things they will fly away as a Shadow when the Sun arises your Riches are wasting when will ye seek after that which endures forever I pitty you who have had Breathings after God and have sate down at Ease in that which is not eternal be warned return home consider see what Corruption thou hast Power over now which had once Power over thee dost thou rest in that Faith that thou shalt never be cleansed here that Faith is curst it 's reprobate it 's rather properly Unbelief it 's not the Faith of God's Elect by which they were sanctified and overcame the wicked One in themselves by the Power of Christ who is able to save and manifest his Ability in all them that believe in the Light which they are enlightened withal through which he manifests himself to the Creature and makes known his Power in the Creature to redeem the Soul out of Death and to redeem the Creature from under the Bondage of Corruption to serve him in the free Spirit of God in which the Sons are made free from Sin from the Act and Guilt they become the Temples of the holy Ghost how far you are from this many of you consider who are yet Temples of Uncleanness and a Habitation for many noisome Lusts repent and mind that which empties you of your Thoughts and Conceitedness that you may know Poverty of Spirit that the Kingdom may come unto you and be yours in Possession else you are everlastingly miserable and this is the true State of many of you own it and repent that if it be possible you may find a Door of Mercy yet opened unto you and that you may enter in thereat for it is not
in due time to be revealed through Death they come to be known that is to say through the Death of Death for Israel the true Type after they passed over Jordan and had taken Jericho and Aie and had made an Enterance into the land yet there were many Enemies to be subdued and much Land and possessions which they were not made Partakers of long after even so after there be of the true Rest enjoyed and possessed and an Enterance made into yet there are many Enemies to be subdued and much of the heavenly Inheritance to be enjoyed by them that stand in the Power which giveth Dominion over Sin the Devil Hell and the Grave and they come to be made Partakers of God and so the Enmity being slain man comes to enjoy God who is eternal Life and comes to receive the Crown immortal which God the eternal Power and Strength giveth in due time to them that wait in Patience and in Faith through which the immortal Inheritance comes to be revealed to all the Children of Light And so to conclude in few Words this I say unto all who are longing after God and waiting to feel his Power keep in your Minds to the pure Measure of God's holy Spirit and therein wait to see his Kingdom and his Dominion and to be made Partakers of it which brings the World to an End and will let you see to the End of it too before it was and him who is now glorified with the Father in the Kingdom of God with the same glory he had with the Father before the World began and whoso comes to the End of the World and to the Beginning again comes to see him and his glory and the Kingdom of glory which fades not away which whoso come to enjoy are eternally happy AN Epistle to Friends IN LONDON A Servant of Jesus Christ unto all the chosen obedient and faithful Friends and Brethren in and about London wisheth an Increase of Righteousness Faith Obedience Patience Love Peace Mercy Long-suffering Humility Knowledge Wisdom Virtue Life Power Immortal Happiness and Felicity among you all and in you all that you may know and feel an Increase in the Increase of God that your Joy Rest and Peace may be full in him who is Eternal Life it self who hath brought and is bringing Immortality to Light through the Gospel unto all and in all who receive it and believe in it which is the Power of God unto Salvation unto all that believe and by it alone is the Remission and Forgiveness of Sins witnessed and in no other Name but this who is the mighty Power of God is Eternal Life witnessed nor Victory and Dominion over Sin the World and the Devil but by Christ Jesus the Word of God the Power of God by which Power alone is Strength and Victory witnessed over Death and the Grave by all that believe in him and receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God and to receive an Inheritance with the Saints in Light among them that are sanctified Therefore dearly beloved in the Lord fulfil our Joy who have laboured and travailed amongst you and have declared unto you the Gospel which is preached unto every Creature under Heaven and the common Salvation which was delivered to the Saints who are at Rest in the Lord and now again delivered and declared unto us in this his own Day of Mercy Love and Grace and the Revelation of his Righteousness that they without us might not be made perfect for all make up but one Body and if a Member want the Body is not perfect And you your selves are our Witnesses That we preached unto you Christ the Lord which we were made Partakers of and only our selves your Servants for his sake and the Lord is our Witness and that of him in you all is our Witness that we followed not devised Fables nor through enticing Words of the Wisdom of Man declared we unto you nor handled the Word of Truth deceitfully but in much Fear and Soberness and Tenderness unto all in whom there was any Ear to hear or any Desire in their Hearts after the Lord neither did we seek to exercise Dominion over you but rejoyced when any had Dominion in the Lord over Deceit and when they reigned we reigned also but they who reigned without us and not in the Lord and would have entred through Deceit and Craft any Way into the Vineyard of the Lord and have spoiled the Plants and would have subverted from the Faith we could give no Place unto that no not for a Moment to them who have made the Offence of the Cross to cease and glory in the Flesh and would lead all thither again and have made Havock of the Flock of Christ for whom he dyed and would have had them to have lived and reigned who put him to Death and counted that which cleansed from Sin a vain and a low thing unto such I am wholly without Compassion but wait to see the righteous Indignation of the Lord fall upon them who have resisted the Holy Ghost and have done Despight unto the Spirit of God Misery and eternal Vengeance will be the End of such and the upright shall rejoyce Therefore dearly beloved of the Lord who are obedient unto the Word of his Grace these things are come as a Tryal that none may henceforth glory in Man nor in any thing but in the Lord the Life it self and in them who are in the Life and every one may keep to their own singly and so they will not be easily moved and you whom the Lord hath kept in the Hour of Tryal and Temptations that you joyned not with the Error of the Wicked prize his Love and keep low stand in Awe of the pure presence of the Lord else you will know his Wrath will be kindled against you again but the Fear Awe and Dread of the Lord keeps you clean clear and pure in his Sight mind all the first Love and that which keeps your Hearts open and tender to the Lord and one to another put away all Strife and Contention watch not for one anothers halting for that which would rejoyce in that is in the Transgression it self dwell in Love and Peace one with another take heed of Security and Carelesness and Ease in the Flesh for then Poverty Dryness and Barrenness will be among you and the Womb will be shut that brings forth the Children which the Lord delights in but all feel the Life and the Power of God and let your Faith stand in it alone and they that trust in it shall never be moved for there you will be preserved out of the Changeableness and changeable things which adulterate the Mind from God who never changeth for God who is pure stands off at a Distance from that Heart which goes a whoring after other Lovers there the Bed is defiled there he will not lye nor his Love he will not manifest to the
thee but as it appears in thee thou shalt bear me Witness that these are holy faithful and true and have and shall be fulfilled in that which is immutable I bid thee farewel F. H. The chief Particulars or Heads in the ensuing Discourse treated upon and opened by the Spirit of the Lord who was an Eye-Witness unto these Things 1. THE Work of the Lord declared which was in the Beginning when the Word was with God and man in the Image of God 2. Although the Heavens and the Earth were created and all Things therein finished yet the World was not begun that lay in Wickedness which the Devil is the God of neither was Christ the Mystery hid nor the Lamb slain 3. The understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and also may see the sottish doctrine of the Apostates 4. An Objection answered 5. Another Objection answered 6. How Peace Joy and Delight possessed every Thing that God had made how every Thing which he had formed glorified him with one Consent in the Beginning 7. How Man lost his State and Dominion and Unity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the World that lay in Wickedness came to be framed in Man after the Tempter entered how endless Misery came in upon all after the Transgression 8. How Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and how Man is dead while he lives and all are dead Works that he acteth and the States of all the Sons of Men and their Works may be seen in the Fall 9. Three Objections answered about this Particular 10. Self-Righteousness Deeds of Darkness also and dead Works are to be condemned also and Man who acteth them in the Fall 11. An Objection answered as to the present State of the Ministry of the Nations their Practice and their Worship 12. An Objection as to the Churches so called and their Worship in the Nations 13. The dark and blind Doctrines of the Ranters denyed 14. An Objection about reading the Scriptures and conforming to the outward Practice of the Saints informer Ages 15. How all Men upon the Earth in the Degeneration and in the Fall have corrupted themselves and been Idolaters in every Administration being gone from the Life and Power of God in themselves and having lost the Power of God Man can neither worship honour nor obey God aright 16. A few Words to that which is called Christendom who profess Christianity 17. Something about Water-Baptism to both Priests and Separatists 18. Something about Rome in the Apostacy and all their Worship in the Degeneration 19. The Protestants or reformed Churches so called not yet come out of the Waters nor from under the Beast's Power â—0 The Presbyters and Independents are yet under Anti-christ's Reign in the Apostacy and have among them yet the Attire of the Whore 21. How the Woman that travailed in Birth who was clothed with the Sun and brought forth the Man-child fled into the VVilderness when the Dragon had Power and the Man-child was caught up unto God 22. How the VVoman comes out again and when and he that was caught up unto God descends again and appears again to take the Rule to himself and how he makes VVar with the Dragon and all the Apostates and overcomes them 23. How the Glory of the Lord shall appear after the Apostacy greater then before and the Ministration into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought shall be more spiritual and coelestial then before for that shall appear in which all visible Types and Shadows end in and shall be the last that is to be expected by the Sons of Men the Sight of which hath appeared which yet cannot be uttered THE Invisible Things OF GOD BROUGHT TO LIGHT The Work of the Lord declared which was in the beginning when the Word was with God and was the Fathers delight and man made in the Image of God and lived in the Lamb's Power and he was mans Life and this was before the Transgression of these declared as God hath manifested them by his Spirit IN the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning before the Foundation of the Earth was laid or the Hills were framed he was with the Father and was the Fathers delight and he delighted in the Father and the Father in him then did the morning Stars sing together and the Sons of God shout for Joy In the beginning were the heavens created and the Pillars thereof set and the Earth was framed by the Power and all things both in the Heaven and in the Earth were created by the Power God's Son every Beast of the field every fowl of the Heaven and the decreed place for the Sea was broken up and all things that moveth therein were created by the Word and by the Power and man was made by the Power and in the Power and he was the Image of God as it is written In the Image of God created he him Male and Female created he them and he had dominion over all the Works of his Hands over every Beast of the field which were created by the Power over the Serpent among the rest which was created by the Power and was good as he was made in the Power and by the Wisdom they were all brought forth and man made in that Wisdom that brought them forth who was better then them all and was made Partaker of the Power and of the Wisdom more then them all and by the Wisdom called every thing as it was in its Nature so named he every thing and the Dominion he had was in the power over all things over all the Creation of God which waâ— good and the earth and all things that are therein the Tree of Knowâ—ledge good that stood in the Garden also but not for Food so these be the Generations of the Heavens and the earth in the Day when Gâ—d created them they were all good made and created by God in the Power eternal which is good unchangeably good without Variation and the unchangeable Power in which and by which they were made moved in them all and they all received Virtue and Power from the Power God's Son and the Power moved in them all and shined through them all and ran through them all and they were all to abide in the Covenant in which they were made and not any to move or act without the Power but only as the Power which was the Life of them all moved them and acted them and so Goodness possessed them all for all were Partakers of the Goodness of God and it was the Life of them and they were none of them to move nor stir but as the Life of men the Power by which they were created moved them which was God's Son the Heavens and the earth were finished and all things that therein are and they were all good and this
Deep smiled and all things that were therein the Springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a Womb now every thing that had Breath and lived praised the Lord neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their Maker and he Lord and King over all yet in eternal Glory yet let the wise in Heart understand this was in the Beginning and though it was in the Beginning yet this was when the Heavens and the Earth were created and all Things that therein are even then the Lamb of God was alive and the Son of God glorified with the Father and Man in Happiness and in pure Perfection without Sin in Innocency for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared neither was there any such Thing in all that God had made Here the Wise may learn and they that have a good Understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and also see the dark sottish Doctrine of the blind Apostates who have lost the Power and are keeping People ignorant of the Mystery of God NOw this hath been a common Doctrine and received to be orthodox and as they call it authentick that while we are in this Life there cannot be an overcoming of all Sin nor no Expectation of it in this Life and their main Ground hath been this because we have natural Bodies Now I say had not Adam a natural Body when he was in Purity and Perfection in Innocency in Paradise in the Garden yet was this any Hinderance to him to answer the Will of his Creator No For as the Soul Spirit and Body was moved by the Power out of which Power he was not to stir then I say he had Ability to perform the will of his Maker in the Body for as he was created by the Power in the inward man that led about the natural and earthly or outward form according to its will which Will was pure and kept the Body acting in its Place in the Power for then I say all was good for the Celestial Power in which he was made moved the whole man according to its Will and while he stood in the Power he was in Innocency and Purity and without Blemish and in the Power was his Health and Peace and he knew no Evil. Obâ—ect But some may say What is this as to the Confutation of the Doctrine which hath been taught as to the Freedom from Sin in this Life Answ. This declares that there was such a thing in being to wit a natural Body and an earthen Vessel and yet without Sin as he stood in the power for the earthen Vessel was good as all the rest of God's creation was in its Place to serve the Power as the rest of God's Creatures did in the Beginning and who ever comes to know that state again may come to glorifie God in Soul Body and Spirit though in the Body in this tabernacle but take their own Phrase for the clearing of the thing not to be freed from the committing of sin in this Life I say in the corruptible Life or the Life of Unrighteousness which may be properly called Death there is no freedom from Sin neither of Soul or Body or Spirit but who comes to know Regeneration or the Life of men in which Adam was created in the Beginning in that incorruptible Life there is no Transgression and if he live in man the Body is dead because of Sin and I know none who have preached any other Life who have spoken by the Spirit of God in which freedom from all Sin is obtained but onely the Life of Christ and whosoever comes to know the Lord from heaven who ruled over all in the Beginning and was the Life of all and all moved in his Life before the fall whether they were things visible or invisible and that same Power or Life of Christ the Lamb of God who was alive then if he live in man and man come to be guided by his Power as in the beginning he living in man the Soul Body and Spirit being quickned by his Power and raised from under the Bondage of Corruption then Death hath not power over man but Life and because he lives in them they live also their Souls to praise him and their Bodies and the Members thereof to be Servants of righteousness and so that unbelieving Doctrine of the World is turned into the Pit and Truth is set above it Object But further it will be objected That our Bodies are not like Adams in innocency we are in the Fall and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all Sin and ever will while upon Earth Answ. That the naked Truth may appear to them that seek after true Knowledge I answer freely that I grant that the Soul lies in Death and the Creature is subject to Vanity and the whole Creation groans in travail and in Pain and waits for the manifestation of the Son of God and the Redemption of the body and in this State is all mankind upon the Face of the whole Earth in the first Adam but he who is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven who was in the Beginning and is now what he was and shall be forever I say as man comes to believe in the Son who hath Life in himself and he comes to be revealed in man and man subject to his leading he brings the Soul out of death to have Union and Communion with himself and restores the Creature from his Bondage and breaks the Bond and knocks that down which hath imbondaged and so changes the Body I do not mean the form of the Body but the quality and Nature thereof for the Form of Adams body was not changed but the quality it was degenerated from its pure Nature wherein it glorified God as he stood in the Power so I say Christ who is the Life of men the true Light which lighteth every man that comes into the World he changes all that follow him into his own Nature restores the Creature into his first estate again into Purity that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the Power and serves the Power so the Members of the Body are also yielded Servants unto Righteousness and they receive Vertue and Power from the Power the Life and so the whole man comes out of condemnation to glorifie his Maker and the Will of God is done in Earth as it is in Heaven and he saves to the utmost them that come unto him now if he save the Soul and not the Body then hâ— saves not to the utmost But this is a high State blessed are they who wait in the Faith to the end are happy that they may see and know the redemption of their Souls and also the redemption of their body For I deny redemption in the Grave or in Death or after this Life for the holy men of God never mention a cleansing from Sin in the
of the Life was not good for that was out of God's Order and Appointment for nothing in man or without man of all that God had made was to stir or act without Commandments now the Son was not honoured by man's Falling but both the Father and the Son was Dishonoured and now the Son or power was not revealed by the Fall but vailed as from men so the foggy Mists of Darkness are scattered the blind doctrines of the VVorld and VVaste Object Some will be ready to say how dost thou say he was in Dominion everlasting then how should he fall that lasted but a while Answ. I say he was made by the Word which abides forever and in it which was in the Beginning with God and was God and God's Son and his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Throne is established in Righteousness forever and ever and in it self it is what it was ever and after the Fall retained the same Power and Authority in it self and so will do forever Man's Power stood in it only out of it he had none so going out of it dyed to it and not any more Power to do or to will or to order or to rule any things but by it but he lost the Feeling of it and the Guidance of it the Virtue of it and Life of it and became dead to it and alive in his Heart and Mind to another Power to wit the Power of Deceit and to the Power of him which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil so God is clear no Fault in him nor in the Power nor Weakness in the Dominion and Authority which he had but Destruction meerly wholly and only of himself and he is to bear his own Burthen Thus man receiving in the Devil's Conceptions who was gone out of the Truth and became one with it feeding upon Knowledge without the Life this was evil thus Sin entered and Death by Sin man cut off from the Power from Life from the Dominion which he had in the Power now man is dead while he lives and in the Day he eat he dyed dead to the Power dead to the Life dead to Good dead to Truth dead to Purity dead to Righteousness estranged and alienated from it the Grave covers him Death hath Preeminence and bears rule and not Life and he gone into its Nature and loves it and imbraces it Oh sad Life oh sad State now his Life cursed which is Death he cursed all his Actions cursed all his Conception cursed all his Works cursed labouring in Sorrow in Travail and Pain and Grief and Sweat and Perplexity Now all may as in a line read the happy Estate of Man before the Fall the sad and deplorable Estate in the Fall which who can declare or who can measure or who can demonstrate the miserable Estate of man dead in Trespasses and Sins and Life swallowed up of Death Death and Destruction lives and man in it and now in the Grave God is not remembred but forgotten Now the World set in the Heart and the Earth in the Heart the Heart becomes earthly and vain Thorns and Bryars spring up and the Earth covers the slain now Death lives and man lives in and one with the enmity and in enmity against God who was before his Life man now in Chains of Darkness when any thing moves Heaven-ward the Power of Death draws the Mind down again into the Pit of Darkness now the Nature of all things in the Earth set in the Heart Beasts Rocks Hills Mountains Dogs Swine and brutish Creatures and man becomes brutish and vain they have all Dominion over him he is a Slave to all all rules over him and Death grew and dead Works brought forth he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the Love of God nor give a Ransom for his Soul now the Root of Bitterness grew and the Enmity and man in Lust and when his Lust is crost or his Will crost then the Enemy which liveth in him riseth he would kill that and destroy that imprison that and bring it into Bondage that the enmity might be Lord over all and bring the innocent into Bondage that which is nocent is set up and the higher Deceit grows in the Heart the more Stir it makes and the greater Destruction of that which crosseth it and here came in Oppression Murder Cruelty Tyranny Prisoning Imbondaging Revenge Maliciousness and Envy Rage Fury Headiness Pride this is all in the Curse and springs up from the Foundation of the World in the Heart and so being given Way unto and loved grows in Strength and Iniquity multiplies and the Beast grows and the Name great and numberless the Serpent's Root spreads forth it self and sprouts out in the earth and comes to grow great and is admired now the Deeds of Darkness and the Works of Darkness come to be many Envy Murder Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Riotousness Sporting Covetousness Defrauding Cheating Maliciousness Theft Dissimulation Feignedness Hypocrisie Witchcraft Cursed Speaking Railing Reviling Filthy Communication unsavoury Speeches Wantonness Lightness Foolish Jesting Idle Talking Vain Babling Back-biting Swearing Lying Cursing Blasphemy Slandering Pride Arrogancy Vain Boasting Contention Strife Emulation Mischief these and many more are now the Fruits of the degenerate Plant and dead Works and the Works of Darkness in man who was once a noble Plant a holy right Seed now the Fruits of Sodom and the Grapes of Gomorrah whom God destroyed and overthrew are brought forth and the whole Earth is filled with Violence and these be the Fruits that grow and are become great over all Nations which are wrought by the Devil the Father of Lyes who spoke of himself and works of himself in the Dark in the Night out of the Light out of the Day who went out of the Truth and now worketh in all the Children of Disobedience who are out of the Light and out of the Power and here are all the Sons of fallen Adam in the Curse under the Wo and these be the Works that are wrought and brought forth which have stained the Earth and the Father of them and man in whom they are wrought and the Works themselves are all for Condemnation never to be numbred among the Saints in Light nor among their Works Self-righteousness Deeds of Darkness also and dead Works which though they be not counted as bad as the former by them that act in them yet they are to be condemned also and man who acts them being in the Fall CAin who was the first begotten in the Full the Similitude Likeness and Image of Adam his Father who had transgressed and disobeyed and lost the Power and became dead to it Cain I say his express Image out of the Faith out of the Power he brought a Sacrifice and offered in the same Nature he slew his Brother with and envied him who was in the Faith and was accepted of the Lord through Faith in the Power of God I say in
the Whore hath decked her self with and Life it shall be known in the Body and God enjoyed worshipped glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter but abides forever and this shall be and is the last Ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men We who are come out of the Apostacy know what was before and see what shall be after the everlasting Gospel of the Son of God shall be Preached again to them that dwell on the Earth the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Testament was written the latâ—er all Sects since the Apostacy call the Gospel and so greatly manifest their Ignorance for that were to make two Gospels to call the Scriptures the Gospel or that which is written and they who so err in their Judgments are yet among the Smoke of the Pit and are yet under Anti-christ's reign and are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations And he living Infallible true lasting and everlasting Spirit of the Father shall be poured out again and many now witness it and a numberless number shall witness it and the Time hastens And the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Sion and many who are redeemed from the Earth and from among men which shall be the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb and they shall sit with him and shall Reign with him and have Power over Sin Temptation and the Devil Hell and the Lake and this is to come to pass and is coming to pass and hastens greatly and the Voice out of Heaven shall be heard as the Voice of many Waters and the Voice of Harpers harping with their Harps and the new song shall be sung the pure Song of the Lamb shall be sung by all who are redeemed from the Earth in every Nation Kindred Tongue and People who have heard believed and received the joyful Sound of the everlasting Gospel again and now they shall fear God and Glorifie him and Honour him even they who have feared the Beast and glorified him in the Apostacy they shall deny his Power and own the Lamb's Power and Worship him that sits upon the Throne of Righteousness who lives forever and ever and is eternal Life it self the worship shall be now in Spirit and Truth where the Dragon cannot come neither the Beast Harlot false Prophet nor Anti-christ nor none of his followers can come and herein the Ministration shall be more Glorious after the Apostacy then it was before the Worship stood before in many outward Visible things and Representations and outward Performances and Ordinances and I manifestly say the Dragon Beast Whore and false Prophets and Apostates took up these things and Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and People who drunk of the Whore's cup and all that were gone from their Maker their Husband they have been and are acting and performing Imitating like Jannes and Jambres but since the dayes of the Apostles they corrupted these things and have made Idols of them and Painted themselves with them and have got the Sheeps Cloathing Therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his Power Life and Glory in a way more invisible and pure then before and more divine Caelestial and Glorious where never an Hypocrite shall tread in the Path and so the restoration is a Mystery that shall be after the Apostacy the Glory is not to appear in external things for there the Mother of Harlots hath hid her self long which hath made all Nations Drunk but the Cloathing of the Lamb's wife and of the Bride shall be another thing then the attire of the Harlot for the Spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed in the same attire that the Lamb is cloathed withall and with the same Vestment and the Tabernacle of God is to be with men and he shall dwell in them even the Lord that Spirit and shall walk in them and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and in them and Sorrow shall be done away and Tears wiped away and that done away which was the cause of Sorrow Rev. 21.3 and 4. and there shall be no more Death nor crying nor any more Pain for the former things are passed away to wit Death which entred in by Sin it shall be destroyed and the Earth out of which the second Beast arose and the Sea out of which the first Beast did arise and upon which the Whore sate and Hell and the Lake which was prepared and raised up when man was degenerated from the Lord they shall be Destroyed and he also which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil he shall be destroyed and his Works the cause of scorn and then they shall see the Lord face to face even them that have but seen him darkly as in a Glass or as in a Cloud they shall see his pure living countenance which giveth Life and Death and Hell shall be cast in the Lake of Fire and whosoever is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life must be cast into the Fire Then the new Heaven and Earth shall be seen and the heavenly City which shall come down from God out of Heaven which no mortal Eye shall behold neither shall be able to behold which hath twelve Foundations and twelve Gates and the Glory of God shall be upon her and her Light shall be as a Stone most precious and as clear as Crystal yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it for in it there need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and all who have been partakers of this Glorious Ministration shall walk in the Light of the Lamb there shall be no Night nor the least appearance of a Cloud or Darkness but transparent Brightness and Glory which shall be permanent durable and everlasting for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City in which the Saints shall Worship him that sits upon the Throne for evermore and shall give unto him Glory and Honour and Dominion and eternal Praises for evermore who alone is worthy who lives forever in eternal Glory and everlasting Light and Brightness for evermore And his Face shall be seen in whom all Figures Representations and Shadows end in and the pure River of Water of Life which is as clear as Crystal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and all who have kept the Word of his Patience shall drink thereof and be nourished up in Immortality and Life everlasting forever and the Tree of Life that stands in the Paradise of God them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live forever and the Nations Kindreds Tongues People and Regions who have heard believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his Saving Health and the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be seen and his Servants shall serve him who
Grace and the Light enlightening is either the Word considered as the second Person or Christ the Son consiâ—ered as Incarnate Answ. It seems that thou knowest not which it is but Guessest like a blind-man and like a wild Archer shoots at Randome and why dost thou make such distinction betwixt the Word the Son of God and Christ the Son of God thou madest but three Persons in the Trinity before but it seems by thy arguing thou wouldst now make four And as for thy Câ—lle â—ive and distributive Light the distinctions is that which would cast a Mist before People Eyes and thou bringst the Judgment of Calvin Beza and Piscator and others that as concerning Man endued only with the Light remaining since the Fall they conclude him to be Darkness and unable to comprehend the Light or to improve it to Salvation their Judgements are more sound then thine though thou wouldst bring them to strengthen thee that the Son of God hath not enlightned every man they confess the Man in the fall is in Darkness and Darkness is over him and in that he is not able to comprehend the Light which is in him and as to the Improvement of it in the Darkness man hath not Power to improve it to Salvation but what doth this invalidate the Light which is in Darkness the Power of improving is in the Light being turned to again and received and what if I say it is the Light of Life in its self though thou deny it I knowest what I speak for in him was Life and is Life and that Life is the Light of men and the Light of the World and so that Light which every man is lighted with is of the Life and from the Life and so may truly be said to be the Light of Life in it self though man in the Transgression doth not feel it so as to him but may truly say it is the Light of Condemnation because he feels it so in the Operation thereof being in the Transgression it convicteth reproveth accuseth and condemneth for Evil and therefore it cannot be the Light of Life to him till it be received closed with obeyed and followed and then the back is turned upon the Transgression and man is come out of the Darkness and therefore the Apostle spoke well and understandingly according to Knowledge that which was ordained for Life wrought Death in him that was because the Law was against him and he in the contrary Nature to it the ignorance of many wise Men so accounted in this Generation is such that when they see or feel contrary Effects they judge there must needs be contrary Subjects or Objects because there are different Effects for now the same Light which shews Evil and accuses for it and Judges for it there is one Operation and excuses him that loves it and obeyes it here is another Operation that which Convinceth the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and that which consolates and gives Peace to the Believer is the self same Spirit so here is not two Spirits or two Lights so that he which kindles a Fire in the Earth and appears in flames of Fire and rendereth Vengeance upon all them that obey not the Gospel which is the Power of God here is one Work or operation of Christ the same bringeth Peace Joy and gladness and refreshment and makes the springs of Life to bubble up in them that believe here is another Operation yet the same Christ these things I write to inform thee and all where this may come that that is truly an Appearance of Christ which sheweth Sin and condemns it in a measure and he alone is the Judge of the Quick and the Dead and if all Judgment be committed to the Son then to be Judged for Lying for Stealing and for wronging any man it is the Work of Christ and the Work of the Son Oh man thou hast much to Repent of and thy Ignorance is great which hast called Christ the Light or the Light of Christ or the Light of Life Darkness and contra-distinct to the Spirit and worse then gross Darkness so this is thy conclusion against the first of John the 9th that Christ hath not enlightned every man or all men that come into the World but all men so qualified of every sort so then by thy conclusion the first of John and the 6. verse gives an uncertain Sound like the 17th of John and 22th so then its Qualifications of men that procures Light from Christ and so it s not of Grace but of debt but if it be of debt which is owing unto a Person so qualified then it is not of Gift but thou err'st in thy Judgement for it is by the gift of Righteousness that Justification comes upon all that believe it is not this or that Qualification before their conversion which is any cause of God's enlightening them but it is the free Love of God unto man without Exceptions or respect of Persons that he hath lighted every man to the intent that all and every man might see his Error and depart from it and turn to him that shews him it who would have all men saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth and such is the large Love of God unto whole Man-kind which thou wouldst restrict and bind up to such and such Persons so Qualified as though Qualifications of Persons were a Meritorious cause wherefore Christ was Bound to give them Light this is rank Popery and not according to the Doctrine of Godliness And thou citest 2 Pet. 1.19 We have a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts hence it is inferred thou say'st that after the Reception of the Spirit there is no need to attend to the Scripture and so thou goest on and say'st the Word of Prophecy is the Scripture of the Old Testament that thou art to take heed unto until the Day dawned and the Day-star arised in their Hearts and that until signifies forever Answ. And here thou art in Confusion I know none that make any such Inference but thy self for the Scripture is seen most clearly who know the Day dawn and the Day-star arisen in their Hearts and first thou say'st We are to understand the Word of Prâ—phecy the whole Scripture and then in the same Page say'st That Peter expounds the Word Prophecy of the old Testament only so then Peter's Exposition by thy Account and thine is different thou say'st he spoke of the old Testament and thy Interpretation is of the whole Scripture but thou hast mist it both of Peter and thy self for Peter wrote to People in that Epistle in several States yet they all might be said to be Believers according to a Proportion of Faith given unto them and in that which thou hast cited 1 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more
understand that here was seventeen years that he preached publickly before that and where was his Ordination Many of the Brethren who were scattered abroad in the Persecution that was at Jerusalem went every where preaching the Word of God and when or where were these ordained And who ordained the Brethren that were persecuted after Steven's being put to death who travailed as far as Phenicia and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Word and the Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and were turned unto the Lord Acts 11.19 20 21. yet these things I bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the Church and many were ordained and many were ordained Elders who were grown up in the Truth and established who had received the holy Ghost by whom many were confirmed and strengthned in the Faith but what is all this R. I. to your Ordination and who ordained you the Pope a Bishop or a Council or a Parliament and what are they you ordain Such as learn the Art of Speech seven years at Oxford who have read Homer and Aristotle Plato and Diogenes and learn to play on a Fiddle these are no Mechanicks but gifted Men indeed and qualified and fit to be ordained and made Ministers Pastors and Elders to carry abroad the Traffick of Mystery-Babylon but this R. I. is very peremptory and saith it is utterly unlawful for any that are gifted to preach the Word contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine who saith as every one hath received the Gift so let him administer and not such as R. I. would have to be Ministers who have learned an Art to speak and this must be called a Gift and a Qualification and a fit Man to be a Pastor and thus they have ordained one another and have set up a Trade of preaching and with their confused Stories have filled the World with Darkness And as concerning an infallible Spirit saith R. I. None except Christ who was without sin can challenge it or lay claim to it and I may say of such Runnagates and wandering Stars as this F. H. and the Quakers are as John did 1 John 2.9 They are gone out from us because they were not of us Answ. However this R. I. hath cleared himself and the rest of his Brethren for being Ministers of Christ for they do not only deny an infallible Spirit neither look to be made Partakers thereof but quite shut out all the Saints from enjoying it and though in Christ the fulness of the Godhead dwelt who was full of Grace and Truth he is the Root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his Virtue and so many of his Members may lay claim to it as they have received it by a free Gift according to the Promise of Christ I will send you the Spirit of Truth whâ—ch shall lead you into all Truth and the Apostle had received the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus who had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death and the Sons of God had received it and they were led by it and the Ministers of Christ were made Ministers of it who hath made us able Ministers as it is written not of the Letter but of the Spirit and that Spirit was infallible and true and that Spirit which they declared of was an unerring Spirit and as they were led by it they erred not but were kept by it that the Evil one touched them not and they spoke from it and ordered the Church in it in the wisdom of God But what do these Men minister from who wait not to be made Partakers of this but deny that ever any had it or ever shall have so are but a company of Dreamers and tell their dream that they dreamed in the Night or at best steal the Words from their Neighbour and say Thus saith the Lord when God hath never spoken to them And though thou mayest say we are Runnagates because we sit not dreaming over thirty or forty Families twenty years but travail from City from Country to Country to publish the Word of Truth freely as the Apostles Ministers of Christ did we must by such as this R. I. and his Brethren who have gotten Holes and Nests in the Earth to creep into be counted as Runnagates though John said They are gone out from us because they were not of us this he spoke of them who went out of the Light in which he and the rest of the Disciples had Fellowship with God and one with another and they that went out from this went into the Spirit of the World and you are such as they that are gone out already and blasphemously call the Light of Christ Ignis fatuâ—â— and so all that fear the Lord will come out from you and out from Babylon where the Blood of the Prophets hath been shed and the Witnesses killed you who deny an infallible Spirit are like to be in blindness and follow the Spirit of Error for you have nought else to cleave unto And further R I. saith when the Lord said by Joel that he would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and his Daughters should prophesie the Prophet speaks not of a ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven given by Christ to his Apostles and Successors but of an extraordinary Measure of enlightning Grace and a more copious effusion of the Spirit and also to Pastors to whom more is given more is required and this Text doth not prove that all Sheep shall be Pastors and all Schollars Teachers An. Nay this Text doth not prove all Sheep to be Pastors neither all that are taught to be Teachers for all are not Prophets neither Pastors nor Teachers for as Christ said the Labourers are but few but this Man 's afraid that there should be too many indeed there are too many hireling Loiterers that are ready to supplant one another for filthy Lucre though many may be said to believe yet all have not received the Spirit of prophecy or a Gift to be Pastors but only they to whom it is given of the Lord for the Work sake yet notwithstanding they who have received it ought not to be limited either Son or Daughter for they who do quench the Spirit and dâ—â—pise Prophecy as this R. I. doth and how should he do otherwise seeing he hath denyed the infallible Spirit from which all the Ministers ministred and all the Prophets prohesied and spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost but R. I. saith the Prophet spoke not of a Ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven if by ghostly Power he means the Spirit 's Power as I believe he will not deny then was it not by a spiritual Power Sons Daughters prophesied and did not this Power open the Kingdom of Heaven and if it be a more copious Effusion of the Spirit which is given under the Gospel then the Law
I said unto E. D. that Christ was the Seed of David according 〈◊〉 the Flesh and according to the Spirit the Son of God And furthermore said and now say that Christ is glorified in a spiritual Body an incorruptible Body and so by incorruptible Bâ—dy and spiritual Body according to R. I. his dark understanding must also be understood human Nature and again human Nature may be understood of the Soul O dark and Sottish man what art thou like to confute who saith The human Nature may be taken for the Soul and also it may be taken for Flesh and also it may be taken for the Regenerate part and thus like a blind man hast lost all aim thou runnest-Rambling up and down in every by-Path but how shouldst thou do otherwise seeing thou hast denyed that Spirit that doth not Err and all wouldst have all others to deny it and saist that none may lay claim to it although God hath Promised it to give the Spirit of Truth to lead his People into all Truth and if into all Truth then out of all Error but this Doctrine of Christ comes too near Perfection for R. I. to own which is a Doctrine so offensive to him that he cannot endure to hear of it or that ought should be Perfect and therefore he hath condemned the Law of the Spirit of Life and saith it is Imperfect as may be seen in the 55th page of his Book and if Flesh and the Regenerate part of man and the Soul may all be understood by human Nature then they are all one and then the Soul is Human and earthly but the Soul is spiritual and immortal and Flesh and Blood inherits not the Kingdom of God and the Regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the Immortal word of Life and that which born of the Spirit is Spirit and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest and so R. I. may take his lye home unto himself as that F. H. deny real Body of Christ for F. H. hath said and now saith again and that according to Knowledge that Christ hath an incorruptible Body and a Glorious Body and a spiritual Body and in this Body is Christ glorified with the Father and human Nature is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible Bâ—dy in the Scripture's account as this R. I. and his blind Tribe do imagine and yet the Flesh of Christ is owned and the Word that was made Flesh the Saints know and do feed on by which they are nourished up into everlasting Life and so I say unto thee as I did to E. D. when thou writes again speak plainly if by Human Nature thou intendst a carnal Body or the same Flesh thou art on and thou wouldst divide the Flesh of Christ from the Spirit wouldst divide Christ and Christ is not divided and thus he goes Quarreling on and heaps Lye upon Lye and saith that F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body but hâ—s Mystical Body which Thing is thy own and never affirmed by me either in Word or Writing and so repent of thy Lyes and for shame call in thy Book lest the Judgments and Plagues of God be multiplyed upon thee And further saith R. I. How do the Quakers condemn themselves when they so proudly boast themselves as the Pharisees did to be clear from Sin who need not Christ's Righteousness for their Justification how then can they say that Christ's righteousness is their Justification when they are so Righteous in their own Eyes for Christ hath not Promised to Justâ—fie any but those that confess their Sins Answ. We have confest our Sins and also departed from them and not like you feigned Hypocrites who are confessing from Year to Year with your feigned Lips and your Hearts never turned to the Lord from Iniquity and takest the Name of Christ's righteousness to be a Cloak to cover your Iniquity withal and we do not say that we have no need of Christ's righteousness for our Justification for if we should say so we should be Lyars like thy self for we have need of Christ's righteousness for he is our Life who is called The Lord our Righteousness he is our Justifier and who art thou that condemns any but the false accuser of the Brethren for Christ's righteousness is our covering and we are not righteous in our own Eyes but in the Eyes of him who hath made us so and we never said that we have not Sinned and so we have not made God a Lyar as this vile Slanderer would make men believe through his false Aspersions for we say we were once Darkness but now are we Light in the Lord and he who is our Light and Life is our Justification and Righteousness and his Blood cleanseth from all sin and the Power of God keepeth us That the Evil one toucheth us not and yet all Boasting excluded And the further R. I goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomless Pit and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his Book and speaks out of thick Darkness like a Man that never saw the Sun who hath altogether taken up his dwelling Place in Death's Region and as though that were the Land of his Nativity as thou shalt see Reader by what ensues R. I. saith Though it be said he that commits Sin is of the Devil not that the Devil can claim him for his own or that he is in his Possession but he is Captivated of the Devil and over-Powered And for his proof he brings Peter was cryed up to be a Saint and at that same time when he was Cryed up to be a Saint Christ called Peter a Devil and that must be understood a Saint hath Sinned Answ. He that is Captivated by the Devil hath gone from the Power of God and he that commits Sin doth the Devil's Work and he may claim him for his Work-man and he that is over-powered is brought into Captivity and he that carryes into Captivity hath the Captive in his Possession as it is written his Servants you are to whom you obey and he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin And these black confused Distinctions R. I. maketh to make People believe that they are Saints of God when they are the Devil 's Captives and that they are in the Possession of Christ who yet do the Works of the Devil who is an Enemy to Christ thou know'st no more for Saint then thou know'st of a Devil who saith that Peter at the same time that Christ called him a Saint called him a Devil for thou must know that Matthew recorded many things it may be in one Chapter which were acted and done and spoken in many Dayes and Weeks for when Peter confessed Christ to be the Son of God he was in the Faith and Christ said Flesh and Blood had not revealed that to him but at this time had spoken little of his Sufferings and it is written Mat. 16.21
them that receive it then the Blood of Abel There hath been in those Parts some stirring of the Lord amongst you but the Power of God hath been much abused and great runnings out have been amongst you and many have followed their own devisings and one hating another and have erred from the Spirit and there have been Factions and great Breakin gs amongst you and many seeking themselves until Darkness hath come over again and so are come to be setled into a dead Form so that little of the Presence of God is found in all your Assemblies nevertheless though all these things are so yet the Lord's Love is reaching towards you again and a Visitation and a Day of Mercy there is yet held forth Oh happy and blessed will you be if you do not despise nor reject it and be not offended in the lowest Appearances of Christ to the Sons of Men wherein a greater Glory is revealing and shall be revealed then hath been since the Apostates entered in Now the Way wherein God doth purpose to make known his Mind and his hidden Riches and communicate his Heavenly Mysteries will be in a more hidden secret and spiritual invisible manner then yet ever hath appeared for hitherto Deceit hath transformed it self and Satan's Messengers have conformed and Antichrist hath imitated and the unconverted have been worshipping observing and practising of outward things without the moving of the Life so that Antichrist hath gotten into every outside Appearance and by this means hath sheltered himself with a colour and shadow and the Devil the Enemy of all Mankind hath kept his Kingdom whole by covering himself with the Words Shadows and Outward Performances And now take but a View over all those Kingdoms that are called Christendom and see how much of the Life of Christ is brought forth and how little of the Image of God is manifested and the Kingdom of God revealed among people which stands in the Power and Life of Righteousness therefore the full time of the Lord is come wherein every Word and Work shall be tryed and the Secrets of every man's Heart shall be made bare and the root and ground of every Action shall be weighed And Wo will come upon all who are covered with the words and outside shews and cloathed with outward Performances and not with the Spirit of the Lord God Therefore Friends and People high and low rich and poor bond and free of these things we have a blessed Cloud of VVitnesses whom God hath now raised up in this the Day of his mighty Power wherein God hath shined forth in Brightness From his holy Habitation are these things seen which have lightned the Earth from his dwelling Place he hath given forth his Word and great is the Company of them that publish it and there shall be many more for a numberless number shall hear it yea the dead that are yet in the grave shall hear it and by it shall come to live and we are a great Number who have travailed through many dry Places and barren Wildernesses who have had the tryal and tast of all outward professions and visible Worships and external Performances and visible Ordinances which are contained in hand writings and we have waded through all these things with a great deal of Diligence and strict Observancy and we have travailed many Years with great Pain that so we might have found Rest and Refreshment to our Souls that so we might have sitten down in it and as Seekers and Travailers who are weary were willing to lend an ear unto any who have but said come hither and here is Rest and one hath cryed lo here and another hath cryed lo there and so we wearied our selves at last from Mountain to Hill and spent our Strength for nought for none could truly inform us where we should find him whom our Souls loved and whom our Hearts panted after and our Bowels yearned Until at the last the Eyes of many were opened by the Lord who saw that eternal Life was not to be found in any external visible thing and do know that all they who are exercising themselves after those things in the exactest strictest manner cannot be made perfect as pertaining to the Conscience and all these great Talkers of the Fame of Christ and of his Glory and Power Miracles and Works and of his Death Obedience and Sufferings the bare Report and Sound of these things doth no good at all to him who feels Sin hath full Power and Dominion in his Heart so that the Life of Christ must be felt within enjoyed and possessed within and revealed in the Light or else he cannot stand justified in the Sight of God nor clear when he judgeth neither can he find Rest nor Peace for his Soul so I am one who have found Mercy and Favour at the Hand of the Lord among many Thousands to be a Witness of that Life which was with the Father before the World began which is now manifested in the Hearts of Thousands of his People destroying the Works of the Devil and bringing in everlasting Righteousness So the Love of God which is shed abroad in my Heart through the Bowels of Compassion which I have unto all Mankind knowing that all in the first Adam's State are lost in the Fall I do now give forth these Lines and say unto all seek not the Living among the Dead not in dead Forms not in dead Graves not in dead Worships neither in dead Performances for the Lord is risen out of all these things and is sate down in Glory in a living holy Habitation and now his Appearance unto the Sons of Men is in a more spiritual manner for I have fully tried already what is in all these external things and because I know and have seen his Appearance therefore I speak to the informing of all how they may come to find him who is the Desire of their Souls and the Salvation thereof I say listen and hear that your Souls might live for Christ is that eternal incorruptible pure unchangeable immortal Life which hath ligtned every man that cometh into the World John 1. yea he that hath enlightned every man with his true Light he is that eternal and immortal Life so that I say unto you all high and low who desire Rest unto your Souls cease from your willing cease from your running cease from your own Performances cease from worshipping you know not what and cease from seeking in that Nature which the Lord hides himself from and come ye to learn of Christ and sit at his Feet even at the lowest Appearance of him even at the lower End of the Table must you come before you can be exalted for thou must be contented to sit down there that which climbeth high and exalts it self God will bring down and that which manifesteth Sin is Light and that which reproveth Evil is the same and what is reproved in the Heart of man is manifested
the Hollow of a Hand and we have thee in the Apostacy clear thy self when thou canst if the Beast compelled all both small and great to worship him and made War with all that bore not his Image then we have thee between us and the Apostles time as in a press for no such compelling was in the true Church by any Ecclesiastical or Secular Power instance if thou canst from the Apostles writings any such thing or where Cain's weapons were lifted up or Creatures Men and VVomen killed by the Sword or destroyed with lingring Torments in the time of the Apostles Now in that it hath been said the Church hath been universal to that more might be said Europe or some Parts adjacent is not all the Earth and it is no where found since the Apostles that killing and compelling and forcing hath been but by thee and them that are at the best but in the Suburbs of thy City which afterwards I shall in brief descend to And so it is evidently known that thy church so called hath been upheld more by cruelty and force then any sound Doctrine or Practice agreeable to the Apostles Dayes though thou mayst wipe thy Mouth and say I am clear we persecute none to Death we have a Beast to ride upon and will make war for our City and will compel to our VVorship and Institutions we will cry him up for the higher Power and we will frighten People that who resists this resists the ordinance of God and he will kill and destroy and compel and force and we shall be clear and he will call us the holy church and we will call him the higher Power and so it is clear and evident by what hath been said that thou art in the Apostacy as hereafter shall be manifested by Name and Practice First Thy Ministers are not according to the Ministers of Christ in the primitive times their call not such their practice not such They were made Ministers in the primitive times by the holy Ghost and by the Spirit but yours by natural Parts Tongues Arts Philosophy and Study and packing up old Authors together to make a little discourse of and this must be called the Gospel Secondly the Ministers of Christ they preach freely not for Gifts and Rewards and Tythes but you have brought in Judaism Tythes which belonged to the first Priesthood your Oblations Obventions your Mortuaries and these Invented and introduced things to maintain your Ministers by Thirdly The Ministers of Christ did not compel any at Corinth Thessalonica Macedonia or any other Church to give them such and such maintenance by Force who received not their Doctrine but you compel and force and have made that which you call the Gospel chargeable to the Earth where you have Power 1 Cor. 9.18 Fourthly Your Doctrine is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the primitive times as that the real and substantial Presence of Christ's Body Blood after the Consecration of Priests is in the Bread and Wine which may corrupt so doth not the Body of Christ you do contrary to Christ's Doctrine who saith he that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood shall live forever John 6.56 but you that eat that which you call his suâ—stantial and real Body and Blood both it and you shall corrupt Fifthly Of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass this Sacrifice doth no good at all for where there is no Blood there is no Life and where there is no Blood there is no Remission saith Paul Heb. 9.14 and so your Sacrifice is abominable and an Idol and such an one as there is no mention made of in the Scriptures Sixthly Of your Litturgy and publick Prayers in an unknown tongue this is an unprofitable and a vain Worship and this is like your unbloody Sacrifice herein you are like Barbarians one to another and how should they that worship with you say Amen when they know not what you say your praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine who said 1 Cor. 14.18 I thank my God I speak with Tongues more then you all ver 19. yet in the Church I had rather speak five Words with my Understanding that I might teach others also then ten thousand in an unknown Tongue Seventhly Your Doctrine of Purgatory an invented and an imagined thing as to cleanse from Sin this is contrary to the primitive Doctrine The Blood of Christ cleanseth from all Sin John 1.7 and your distinctions of mortal and venial Sin is to blind People withal For the Wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6.23 Eighthly Of worshipping and invocation of Angels and Saints as Mediators between us and God this is contrary to the Primitive Doctrine there is one Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 and he alone makes Intercession for all them that believe Heb. 7 25 and the Angel reproved John Rev. 22.8 9. when he would have Worshipped him and said unto them See thou do it not for I am thy fellow Servant c. and the Prophet said thou art our Father though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us Isa. 63.16 Ninethly Of Reliques and sacred Images this is contrary to â—hat the Lord spake by the Prophets Lev. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor graven Imaâ—e neither rear you up a standing Image neither shall you set up any Image of Stone in your Land to bow down unto it Deut. 6.22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any Image which the Lord thy God hateth Ezek. 6.4 and your Images shall be broken and Rom. 1.23 there they were Condemned that changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man c. Thus you may plainly see your Idolatrous Image Worship is forbidden and condemned in the Law Prophets and New-Testament and as for your Relique worship you have neither command â—or Example for it from Christ nor his Apostles Many more things might be enumerated which are found among you in the Apostacy as your Voluntary poverty and feigned Humility and your wilful Vows and many more things which are â—ound to be coâ—trâ—ry to the Church of Christ which must be turned from and denyed if ever you come to know the everlasting Gospel which is to be preached again to the Nations by which they must be brought out of all this Apostacy Furthermore as to the practice and Discipline of the Catholick Church as it is called which pleads for Authority we find it not consonant and agreeing to the Church in the Primitive times the first hundred Years after Christ. As for the vestiments your Priests wear at certain times one on this manner another on that your Ecclesiastical men or Church Officers of several Ranks and orders such we find not in the Primitive times in that which may be truly called Primitive And for the invented Holy-dayes and their Eves for Fasting and Feasting we find no such in the Primitive Times and such
the Sunday Urbanus the seventeenth Bishop of Rome ordained church-yards to be hallowed and forbad Marriage of Priests Pontianus the eighteenth Bishop Ordained that Psalms and Mattens should be sung in Church Night and Day to drive away Evil Spirits Sixtus the twenty fourth Bishop in the Year 222. after Christ ordained that Priests should wear Holy Garments as Cuffs and divers others things in imitation of Aaron and then came up Surplices he commanded Images to be set up in Churches Foelix the twenty sixth Bishop of Rome ordained division of Parish churches and Diocesses to Bishops Leo the Emperour gave commandment that all Images and Pictures of Saints should be takenâ—out of the Churches for the avoiding of Idolatry but the Bishop of Rome withstood the Emperour the Emperour for his confirmation of taking of Images away called a Council of Bishops about three Hundred and thirty and they ordained and Decreed that all Images should be taken away and burned in the year 740. But in the Year 762. Gregory the third called a Council together at Rome near a thousand Bishops and condemned Leo the Emperor and three hundred Bishops for taking Images out of the Churches and yet the former Council and this all of one Faith and Church which they use to say could not Err and the latter Decreed they should be adored and Worshipped with all Reverence Boniface the eighth he gave License to Mendicant Fryars to hear the private Confession of Sins that People should confess to them Pope Alexander gave commandment that the Sacrament should be made of the Sweet Bread and commanded that Water should be mingled with Wine Innocentius the third ordained that People should confess their Sins to a Priest once a Year at the least And these kind of Decrees stand for Apostolical to this day among the Apostates and the Reformed churches so called do own many things that are too near a Kin to them and press them for Ordinances and Holy Institutions yea in many Countries the self-same Things are both owned and Practised in many Particulars which I have mentioned before in other parts of this Book and are looked upon as divine Service and holy Worship which the Ministers of Christ who have the Word of Reconciliation to publish are ashamed of knowing them to be such things as never was Practised nor holden out by Christ or his Apostles but are brought in since Darkness hath over-spread the Earth and the Power of God hath been lost And at the first Institution thereof though there might be some shew of a good Intention in the Formers of them but now they are become absolute Idols and however at the first some of these things mentioned might seem to some to be indifferent yet now being prest of Necessity as the Ordinances of God they are become Idols and ought to be thrown away and departed from by all that profess the Gospel of Christ Jesus and the Worship of God in the Spirit For the Lord God hath drawn away his presence out of all formal and visible Appearance since Anti-christ and the false church hath got them on for a Garment and to cover themselves withal to the deceiving of the Nations And now in this the day of his Power hath Appeared in a more Mysterious and secret and hidden way and in a more spiritual Appearance into this deceit cannot enter nor Transform therefore all Babylons Merchants are angry and Anti-christs followers are full of Wrath and the Dragon casts out floods after the heir and her that brings him forth and makes War with the Seed but the Lord is putting on her beautiful Garments and Marrying her to himself and she shall Reign and her Seed who are born of the Spirit when she that sat as a Queen upon the Waters shall have an End and the Dragon shall be laid hold on and Chained up and the Beast and false Prophet be cast into the Lake forever Blessed are they who keep in the Faith and Patience till these things be fulfilled their Hearts shall rejoyce and their Tonâ—ue Praise the Lord and Magnifie him whoâ—e Throne is established in the Heavens and his Kingdom is over all And although there was a defection from the Faith and Practice of the Apostles in the first two hundred Years after Christ yet doutless there were many who lived and died in the Faith and suffered as Martyrs in the time of the great Persecutions by the Heathen Emperors and many who could not nor did not Sacrifice to their Idols suffered Death and under-went cruel Torments by the Heathen who were in the Dragon's Power for the Testimony of a good Conscience for confession of Christ Jesus and although divers of the Bishops of Rome and other places did bring in things which they instituted as matter of Worship and so People were darkned by them yet in the ten Persecutions by the Heathen Emperours many suffered Death and Thousands of the christians besides but Deceit crept in by degrees and invented things were brought in by the Leaders of the People but these things that were invented were prest to be observed in their Diocesses and Parishes which they had made and sate down in but there was little compelling yet till the Dragon gave his Power to the Beast and it was 650 Years before ever the Bishops of Rome did climb up unto their height as to claim the Title of the Universal Bishop or head of the church or challenged Supremacy over all christian Churches yet before this time abundance of Darkness was entred in and the Power was much lost and divers innovations were brought in for Ordinances divers of the Jews ceremonies and divers of their Institutions which belonged to the first Priest-hood and these were prest upon the Churches by several Leaders or Bishops as Apostolick Ordinances which had no concurrence with the Primitive church in the first hundred Years after Christ as hereafter may be shewn in divers things wherein they were Apostatized from the Life and Power of God and from the Practice of the Saints mentioned in the Scripture and of the churches planted in the Apostles dayes CHAP. XIII Something concerning the ten Persecutions by the Heathen Emperors of Rome FOR the first three hundred Years after Christ who was born in the Reign of Augustus Caesar then Emperour of Rome and was rejected and Crucified by the Jews in the seventeenth Year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar then Emperour of Rome who Reigned eight Years after Christ was crucicified whom Pilate gave Sentence against and delivered to the Jews the said Pilate was banished by the Emperour and afterwards he killed himself in which time Stephen the Martyr was stoned to Death by the Jews and the same day Stephen was Stoned Dorotheus saith Nicanor one of the Deacons suffered with two thousand Christians more in his Reign about this time Paul was converted The next Emperour that succeeded Tiberius Caesar was Caesar Caligula who commanded his Image to be set up in the
Temple at Jerusalem to be Worshipped as God Herod who Mocked Christ with his Souldiers and set him at nought was banished and died miserablely he likewise put forth Caiphas the High Priest and afterwards in the forth Year of his Reign Caligula was slain Claudius Nero succeeded him and Reigned thirteen years a grievous Tyrant and an hater of all Good by him was James the Son of Zebedee Martyred and Simon and Parmenâ—s the second of the seven Deâ—cons Martyred and Thomâ—s who preached to the Medes and Persians was slain with a dart in his Reign about this time Simon Zelotes who Preached in Africa was crucified Andrew and Matthew the one crucified and the other slain with a Spear Matthias and Philip the one was crucified and the other Stoned to Death About the 62 year after Christ James the Son of Alpheus called the Brother of Christ was Stoned to death with many more and Mark slain at Alexandria Domitius Nero began his Reign about the sixty seventh year after Christ he Reigned fourteen years Emperour of Rome under him was the first of the ten Roman Persecutions he caused the Christians of all Ages Sects and sorts to suffer he commanded Rome to be set on Fire in twelve places and to avoid the infamy thereof he accused the Christians with it and caused them to be persecuted and put to Death and in the latter end of his Reign Paul was put to Death for the Testimony of the Faith of Christ. In the year sixty nine this Nero was afterwards proclaimed by the Senate of Rome an Enemy to all Mankind and condemned to be drawn through the City and to be Whipt to Death for fear of which he fled and afterwards slew himself and the Church had Rest for a season from Persecution after him In the ninety sixth year began Domitian the Emperour to Reign who began the second Persecution who was a Blasphemer against God and an Idolater In his dayes was Simon Bishop of Jerusalem crucified and John the Evangelist banished into the Isle of Patmos but after the Death of Domitian he was released by Pertinax this Domitian the Emperour fearing the coming of Christ again commanded that all that could be found of the stock of David in Jewry should be slain and many false Accusations were brought against the Christians and the Inquisition was this Swear the Truth whether thou art indeed a Christian and if they confessed they were condemned and put to Death for that alone Clement succeeded Anacletus the Bishop of Rome and after him Everistus who was martyred under Trajanus in the 102 year after Christ. In the Reign of Trajanus the Emperor began the third persecution of the Christians Simon who was said to be Christ's kinsman was Bishop of Jerusalem and Ignatius Bishop of Antioch who suffered Martyrdom in the Reign of Trajanus in the year 111. with many other of the Christians who were destroyed in this persecution the churh of Rome was not so highly exalted as afterwasd she usurped Authority neither were the Officers thereof nor Bishops so corrupt as afterwards they came to be both in Doctrine and Practice Marcus Antonius Verus began the forth Persecution in the year 162. in whose time a great number who professed Christ suffered cruel Deaths in Asia and in France and other parts among whom was Polycarpuâ— the Bishop of Smyrna this persecution continued thirteen years The church had some rest under the Reign of Lucius Antonius Comadus and then the Christians began to wrangle and jangle about the celebration of Easter and about Observations of Times and Feasts and run into things outward and contended about them and so weakned themselves and hurt one another Alexander Bishop of Rome succeeded Everistus and Telesphorus succeeded him likewise and Higinus and Pius and Ansatus Soler and Elutherius all these were Bishops of Rome but many things began to creep in in their time but being kept under by the Roman Emperors they did not get much outward Power because they had no outward compelling Laws to force their Institutions in divers things which were contrary unto the former Apostles Practices yet notwithstanding there was something of Truth and of the Power of it kept and they testified against the Idolatry of the Heathen and so suffered death Severus succeeded in the Empire about the year 195. under whom was the fifth Persecution against the Christians who reigned eighteen years in the beginning of his reign he was somewhat favourable to the Christians but afterwards through the malicious suggestions and accusations of wicked men he was so enraged and incensed against the Christians that by proclaimation he commanded through the Empire that no Christians any more should be suffered whereby a great number were destroyed and killed as Eusebius saith in his 6 th Book about the year 205. This Severus the Emperor was slain in Brittain about the year 214. and was buried at York Aurelius Alexander Severus began his reign about 224. at this time the Church had gotten some rest from Persecution at this time the Christians had gotted some House or Place to meet in in this time of rest in Rome and the Cooks and Tiplers challenged it to belong to them the matter being brought before the Heathen Emperor Severus he judged it to be more honest and reasonable that this Place should be continued to the Christians to worship God in then that the Cooks and Victualers and Tiplers should enjoy it by this all may understand that there was no great Minsters Steeple-houses or Places called Churches erected in Rome unto this time for the Christians although there is so much ado in this time about Steeple-houses and Minsters and Parish-churches within this latter Age by them that are run into visible things have been so strongly pressed for a house of God and a holy Church so that in this time the Christians had no Mass-houses with Steeples and Crosses and Bells and Organs standing East and West which are pleaded for to be decent and holy Institutions yet notwithstanding the Moderation of this Emperor Galistus and Urbanus Bishops of Rome were put to death but yet the Bishops of Rome did not arrogate to themselves to be universal and these were not called Popes though divers superstitious things crept in and were allowed by the said Bishops and they were declining from the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles in the first century and this was about the year 226. Maximinius the next was chosen Emperor rather by the wilfulness of Souldiers then the Will of the Senate he caused the sixth Persecution which was great against the Christians especially against the Leaders and Teachers hoping that when they were smitten the Sheep would soon be scattered this was in the year 237. Pontianus Bishop of Rome was banished by this Emperor and many more christians suffered under this Emperor and were put to death and more it is likely would have suffered but the Lord shortned his dayes and his Tyranny for he
people into Distraction and Madness and this Canon and the other Institution one while it's Idolatrous another while Sacred and Holy And thus people have been led up and down many Generations to and fro up and down and Persecution about changeable mutable and alterable things and the Life which redeems out of the World up unto God hath been sought after and so all that look to have Peace and to enjoy the Testimony of God's blessed Spirit come out of this Babylon this City of Confusion whose Seat is erected upon the Sand whose Foundation is laid in the Waters and Faith upon the human Institutions of men which are variable and subject to Mutation and come to know the Rock of Ages and the unalterable Council of the Lord and the Wisdom of the most high to rule in your Hearts and wait in the immortal Light of God which is within that you may see overall these Mountains of Darkness which are risen up in the Apostacy and over all the Institutions Decrees Statutes Ordinances and Inventions of men to be before all these things were and come 〈◊〉 him who is the Beginning of the Creation of God who is that quickning Spirit by which all that believe are raised out of Death to be Partakâ—â—s of the Life which is immortal which fades not away and the Lord 〈◊〉 be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth away with all Types and Figures Shadows and Vails human Institutions and Ordinances of men Câ—â—â—mâ—nies and vain superstitious Traditions which God hath no Pleasure 〈◊〉 which God hath no Pleasure in which do not profit at all and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things from the invisible God is to be thrown aside as a mestruous Cloath and as the Breath of abominable things which God will confound because he hath no Pleasure in them for the Life is risen and the Vail of the Covering is rent which hath been spread over all Nations the Night is gone the Day is come and appeared in Brightness the Shadows are past away and the Morning of Righteousness is appeared the Son of God is come who hath given his Flock an Understanding in whom Life and Blessedness and Peace and everlasting Consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for evermore CHAP. XVI Something concerning the Worship of God whether that Kings and Rulers now in Goâ—pel-times have any Power from God to compel or force about spâ—ritâ—al things declared and some Scriptures answered which have been perverted by them who are in the Apostacy to maintain the Beâ—sts Power and the false Church's Worship under the reign of Antichrist WHen the Lord brought Israel out of the Land of Egypt by a strong Hand and an outstretched Arm he made a Covenant with them gave forâ—h a Law at Mount Sinai by the Hand of Mose the Judge of Israel and Statutes and Ordinanâ—es which Israel should walk in who were as a Family who came of one Stock and the Laws and Statutes which were then given forth were concerning civil things as concerning man and man and betwixt a man and his Neighbour and for the Government of whole Families and the Camp of Israel and likewise Laws and Statutes which concern'd the Worship of the true God which may be read at large in Exodus Numbers and Deuteronomy and they that worshipped not the true God according to the command given in the first Covenant which was outward were to have Judgment executed upon them according to the Law and Moses and the rest of the Judges over Iâ—rael were to see the Laws and Statutes executed upon the Transgressors and if any were an Idolater and worshipped a false God or a Blasphemer were to be stoned to death or Sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death and this was according to the Law of God and their Blood was upon their own heads and when Israel-lusted after a King he gave them a King and they had many Kings who were anointed of God by his appointment who were to rule in the same Manner as Moses Joshua and the rest of the Judges had done and whosoever was disobedient unto the aforesaid Command of God whether in things civil or things concerning the Worship of God several Punishments were to be inflicted by them for several Transgressors as Blasphemers Sabbath-breakers false Prophets and Wizzards and Witches were not suffered to live this was before Christ the Seed was manifested in the Flesh this was the Old Way the old paths that Israel were to walk in but this Covenant was faulty as the Apostle saith and the Ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death the Law was changed and the Priesthood was changed and the Ordinances and Worship was changed when Christ came to be manifest the end of the Law for Righteousness now as Aaron and the rest of the high-Priests were but Types and Figures of the everlasting high Priest so the Judges and Kings of Israel were Types and Figures of Christ the King of Kings and King of Saints and Law-giver and Judge and their outward Power which continued but for a time in compelling to the true Worship under that Covenant or restraining from Idolatry did but continue until the time of Reformation was but a Type and a Figure of Christ and his spiritual Power and Weapons and spiritual execution upon his Enemies who are not subject to his Government or Power seeing the Father hath committed all Power unto him in Heaven and in Earth and Moses the Mediator of the first Covenant which stood in outward Ordinances both the Mediator the Covenant the Ordinances had an end when the better Covenant was given the Covenant of Light and Christ the Mediator thereof was manifest this Covenant Ordinances pertained unto the Jews and the compelling unto the Worship and punishing for Idolatry pertained unto the Jews only who were under that Covenant and not to the Gentiles as it was written To Jacob he gave his Law and to Israel his Statutes to every Nation he did not so So they which would bring People now under this Covenant and the Power thereof deny the second the everlasting Covenant and his Power and they that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship and bring those Scriptures of the first Covenant to be their Ground are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken and upon this false Foundation hath the false Church persecuted about Worship this many hundred years and this Doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes who say they are under the Gospel and this hath made People to hate and persecute one another And the Ministers of Antichrist have pressed it upon Kings and Rulers that God hath required it of them to enforce and enjoyn all People unto a Worship although they themselves are divided among themselves one while for this thing and another while for that and because the Kings of Israel did so and had Power to do therefore they have concluded that Princes
and Judges ought to do so and so have made them put their Neck in a Yoak which is too heavy for them to bear which the Lord hath not required at their Hands and because of this compellings and forcings many Hypocrites have been made and many of God's Peoples Consciences wounded and burdned and many Kings and Rulers have lost their Dominions and they have been taken from them because of this by the Lord. So all that have intruded upon Christ's Prerogative and Soveraignity in this thing are sure to be reckoned as no other but as Usurpers and Intruders into that Power which the Father alone hath given unto his Son which Power Dominion and Glory he will not give unto any other as to be Judge and Law-giver in the Hearts and Consciences of his People Object But some may say Did not the Prophet exhort to enquire for the old Paths and the Good old Way and did not the Prophet say Kings should be nursing-Fathers and Queens should be nursing-Mothers And must not this be fulfilled in these Dayes Answ. This is true that the Prophet did exhort the Princes and people of Israel who were in the revolted Estate who had transgressed the commandments of the Lord and had lost their Guide of their youth the Râ—st of their Souls and therefore he turned them back to consider of the dayes of old and enquire after the good old Way that they might walk therein which they were gone from but this doth not pertain at all unto this time of Christ Jesus is the new and living Way which all are to enquire after now who is the end of the Law for Righteousness and the first Covenant unto them that believe and as for Kings being nursing-Fathers the Queens nursing-Mothers this was prophesied by the Prophet before they went into captivity and how the Heathen should have power over their Kings prophets and priests and people and Jerusalem should lye desolate now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the Lord and they to inhabit their own Land then their own Kings and Queens should rule over them and be as Nurses to them when they should return from their Captivity then Jacob should rejoice and Israel should be glad and this was spoken to the Jews and this had Reference to their State in that time Further it may be objected ought not Blasphemy and Idolatry and Adultery be punished is this to be suffered now seeing it was punished under the Law Answ. Yea this is to be punished and shall be punished and that even with Death for as I said the Father hath committed all Power unto the Son who will execute his Judgement upon all them who will not have him to reign in their Hearts as it is written Those mine Enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring them before me that I may slay them with what Weapon with carnal nay but with the sharp two-edged Sword which proceeds out of his Mouth and with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the spiritual Weapon which runs through the Blasphemer and kills him and slaves the false Prophet and Southsayer and Inchanter and Idolater and yet saves the Creature alive take one Example of Christ the new and living Way when the Pharisees brought a Woman tempting Christ which was taken in Adultery saying according to the Law of Moses she ought to be stoned to death he that was the end of the Law said He that â— without Sin cast the first Stone convicting them all that they were in the same Nature and yet did not approve of the Adultery but said Go and Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee likewise Paul said I was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer this Generation who profess Paul's words would say Let him dye he hath confessed he was a Blasphemer but he was slain with other Weapons Christ slew the Blasphemer and the Persecâ—tor in him and left the man alive and made him a chosen Vessel to declare against Blasphemy and lead out of all Ungodliness And herein is the second Covenant more excellent then the first and the Ministration more excellent then the former and the Dominion and Goveâ—â—ment of Christ more excellent then the Dominion and Governmeâ—t of 〈◊〉 Kings of Israel and the Weapons more excellent then theirs and the Powâ—r greater then theirs whâ—ch is able to destroy the Works of the Devil iâ— Blâ—â—phemy Idolatry and Adultery and save the Creature aliâ—â— this is the better Covenant indeed the everlasting and herein is the Mercy of God exalted his Dominion and Power exalted and Christ the King of Glory exalted and these Sins before mentioned punished with great Severiâ—â— and great Judgement for in the first Covenant they slew with a temporal death but Christ when he appeareth in his Power and Glory in Flames of Fire renders Vengeance within upon the Wicked which burns and scorcheth brings Anguish and tormenteth all them that are in that Nature and banisheth all them from his Presence and from the Glory of his Power till that be dead and slain which would not have him to reign to wit that which is born of the Flesh which is within and Blasphemy Idolatry and Murder are the Fruits of the Flesh where the Flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth I speak not of the Creature who is God's Workmanship for that may be alive when the Birth and Fruits which are after the Flesh are both dead and herein is the mighty Power of God made known and his Justice and his severe Judgement which all must pass through before they come to witness eternal Life he that despised Moses's Law died by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses which was a natural Death of how much sorer Punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the Son of God and counteth the Blood of the Covenant 〈◊〉 unholy thing Heb. 10.28 29. and blasphemeth But further it will be objected that the Apostle exhorteth for a Submission unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake 1 Pet. 2.13 whether it be unto Kings as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him and Rom. 13.1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Power for there no Power but of God and the Powers that be are ordained of God Answ. From these Scriptures many bad Constructions and Inferences have been gathered as that Kings and Rulers were to be obeyed in all things and that every Worship that is commanded by a King or Superior ought to be obeyed and that Kings and Rulers had Power in spiritual things to make a Law for such a Worship or forbid such a Worship and all these ought to be obeyed and so in the Apostacy the Ministers of Antichrist have brought in many Inventions and Traditions and humane Institutions for divine Worship and Service and thereby have pressed Rulers to make Laws and compel all People
Christ is really and Personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist And his proof is Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.25.26 For saith he God who is Almighty is able to change Bread into his Body and Wine into his Blood in the Mass as he did change the Water into Wine and make the World of nothing Hence also by the way you may learn that we are no Idolaters adoring the Eucharist because it 's no more Bread but whole Christ our God and Redeemer who placeth himself there by Miracle after the Priest hath uttered the sacred Words of Consecration yet the external accidâ—nt of Bread and Wine remains as our Eyes represent to us but Faith tells us the true Body of Christ is hidden under it and the substance and Nature of the material Bread is there no more Oh! horrible Blindness and gross Ignorance great Idolatry and horrible Blasphemy your Priests by their Words it seems can make God who made all things and can make Chrisâ— the Redeemer thâ—n your Priests are greater then God and Chriâ—â— for he which createth and maketh must needs be greater then that which is Created and made And thou confesseâ—â— that it is really Bread and Wine before the Priests sacred words are uttered of Consecration but afterwards it becomes the real and true Body of Christ yea whole Christ our God and Redeemer So it is clear that the Priest hath Power in your Judgment to make the Body of Christ to make God and whole Christ a Redeemer Oh! that ever such gross Darkness should enter into the Hearts of the Sons of men As for those two places in Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11. it is but a pitiful Ground for you to plead that the material Bread and the material Cup is the very Body and Blood of Christ was not Christ present when he broke the Bread and gave the Cup and after too and alive Did they eat his Body when he was with them and drink his Blood Was his Body broken for them then before he was offered up and was his Blood shed then before he suffered upon the Cross nay it 's manifest he was alive in the real Bâ—dy after they had eaten the Bread and drunk the Cup and this was a sign unto them of his Suffering for them and of his Death and as the Apostle saith As oft as they eat the Bread and drunk the Cup they shewed forth the Lord's death till he came And reveal'd himself in his own Life and Power and then they saw and felt that which was signified through the Figure before that like as the Bread and Cup did nourish the natural man likewise their Souls were fed and nourished with the Bread of Life and the Cup of Blessing which they knew and felt little of when Christ broke the Bread and gave the Cup and doth not Christ say I am the Door I am the Way I am the Vine and also This is my Body and This is my Blood Why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted and not another so 2 dly And we do not question what Christ can do but what he did that he turned Water into Wine we do believe and that God made the World of nothing is for thee to prove yet and that Christ made himself invisible and passed through his Enemies sometimes without being seen we believe but that he made himself invisible when he broke the Bread and gave the Cup to the Disciples is clear contrary to the afore-mentioned Scriptures and divers others or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the Bread and into the Wine as you ignorantly suppose or that he was so under it as thy own Word is so as that he was not seen visibly by the Disciples even when they eat the Bread and drank the Cup and after he blessed it is utterly false for they saw him before he took the Bread and when he took it and blessed it and brake it and when they eat it and aâ—ter they had eaten he was visible in all these Moments of Time is evident both by Matthew Mark Luke and John in their Narration of the Supper and so all your twining and turning and vain Arguments are made void 3 dly We do not believe that ever any of your Priests turned Water into Wine or Bread into Flesh or Wine into Blood of one Sort or other much less into the Flesh or Blood of Christ for thou say'st the external Accidents remain as our Eyes represent unto us after Consecration but yet the Nature of the material Bread is no more as your Faith teaches you so it seems you confess the visible Appearance which may be seen and felt as to the natural Aspect doth remain that the natural Elements of Bread and Wine still remain in Sight but the Substance Nature and Marâ—â—â— is no more in being I shall appeal to the Light of Christ in your Consciences whether this be true yea or nay nay it is so ridiculous a thing that I dare appeal to any Man or Woman that have not lost their Senses whether that which may be seen with the natural Eyes and may be felt by the natural Hands and tasted by the natural Taste be not the very same in Nature and Matter after Consecration as before if the external Accidents do remain as you say they do we will joyn Issue with you in this Thing for Tryal if you dare venture it and put it to Proof you and we with a joynt Consent will chuse Bread and Wine and you and we will both eat and drink of some Part of it before and then your Priest shall consecrate it and we will hear and see what he saith and doth provided that he shall only speak to it or pray over it and then when he hath done we will both eat again and if it be not of the same Substance and the same Effect as to your own Understanding Sence and Feeling as you are Men and Creatures which if there be no Alteration but it remain the same in Substance in Taste in Matter Nature and Quality with that before Consecration then you shall confess your Error and deny your Doctrine but if it be altered we will deny ours and joyn unto your Faith Or secondly If you will stand Tryal and appoint Time and Place for two or three of you and two or three of us to meet together where both Parties may be secure as to their Persons you and we will take Bread and Wine one Part of it shall be unconsecrated and another Part you shall be allowed to consecrate as well as you can for the Honour of your Church and that which is consecrated and that which is unconsecrated shall be set together and shall be watched by some of each Party and if that which is consecrated do corrupt and decay as well as that which is unconsecrated then you will renounce your Doctrine and leave your killing about it but if it do not corrupt and decay
which are but fabulous Stories and now let them who are lightned with the true Light of Christ judge who are in the Delusion and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory Resolutions unto the aforesaid Doubts or Questions which may convince them that have erred from Christ the Power of God and gone in their own Traditions and Inventions and have forsaken the straiâ— Way and the narrow Path that leadeth to Life and all are exhorted to come unto him who is the Light and Life of Men that their Souls may live and that they may witness Assurance of the Love of God unto them by his Spirit 's Manifestation And now let us see whether the Author will keep to his Word whether the Church of Rome will all turn unto our Way which is Christ the Way the Truth and the Life or whether follow their Visible Head the Pope who is changeable and doth not abide forever who leadeth only to an Observance of outward things but neglect the weightier things to walk in And now I shall come to some Propâ—sitions which the Author saith have been propounded which are unanswerable and the Propositions are against all Sectaries and the Propositions are laid down by Francis Costerus as the Author saith of the Society of Jesus which have been laid down fifty Years ago and they are in Number eight and with them eight Propositions the Author sâ—ith he hath put all the ablest Ministers of Germany and the Low Countries unto their Wits End now I hope some will be able to give an answer and yet keep both their Faith Wit and Reason 1. The first Poposition is this That never since the Apostles Time till the Year 1517. wherein Luther began his Doctrine were any found in the World who did consent with either the Lutherans Calvinists or Anabaptists or other Sectaries Opinions nor ever shall any of the Sectaries prove that any of the Apostles or Evangelists were of their Faith and so by Consequence the Sectaries are without Faith and they are the Men whom the Scriptures in several Places affirm that should come In the latter times false Prophets c. Answ. As I said before any Opinion which Luther Calvin or the baptized People do hold I shall not stand to vindicate it because they have so holden yet in many things they are separated from you upon good Ground and their Doctrine and Worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the Apostles Dayes then yours are but I am one that own my self a Protestant who deny the Church of Rome and I do say this Proposition is silly poor and feeble and I do not believe that any were so hard put to it as to be brought to their Wits End by answering of it for what need he talk of since the Apostles time till such a Year we shall come to the Apostles time and age and if any Society of People now are found the same in Faith in Doctrine in Worship in Life Practice and Conversation then they are the true Church and let Francis Costerus with the rest of the Roman Merchants take that Faith to themselves and that Doctrine to themselves and those particular Points of Worship and Tradition to themselves since all the World hath wondered after the Beast and hath worshipped his Image and this was since the Apostles Dayes And if the Church of Rome pleads the whole World as for a Proof John saw that Anti-christs false Prophets Deceivers were entered in then fifteen hundred Years ago and the World went after them and he saw the whole World wonder after the Beast and the Whore sit upon the Waters Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and this comprehends the World the Whore's Seat and we matter not for her Consent neither to Doctrines and Principles nor Opinions nor for the Approbation of them that have drunk of her Cup But if we can prove a People which are gathered by the Word of God and through the preaching of the Gospel into the same Faith Hope Doctrine Life and Practice which the Apostles walked in then this is the Church which is coming out of the Wilderness again where she hath been preserved while the Mother of Harlots hath sit as a Queen and hath been so visible as over all the VVorld and hath made the Nations drink her Cup of Fornication and therefore your Unity in this thing and in this time is clear that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ but there are some whom Rome is pleased to call Sectaries that own the same Practice the same Doctrine the same Faith which the Apostles walked in and therefore this great Proposition is false That all that have separated from the Church of Rome have no Faith or a new fancied Faith and now I come to his second Proposition 2. Proposition The Religion and Faith of the Roman Church hath not been any Way changed in any Article that belongs to Religion by any Pope Councils or catholick Bishops but it is the very same Faith hath remained intire and inviolate from the Apâ—stles to this present Day There were churches planted before there were any at Rome and the Faith which they received was that which did overcome the World and gave them Victory over Sin and Death and the Religion which the churches of Christ professed as Corinth Galatia Thessalonica and the rest of the churches which the Apostles planted is no more like the Faith and Religion of the church of Rome now then Black is to White as for instance Prove us out of the Scripture what Foundation you have for Purgatory for selling Indulgences and Pardons for Sins and what Scripture have you for Auricular confession for an Unbloody Sacrifice for Prayer to Saints for worshipping of Images in the New-Testament for observing of Lent consisting of so many days what Scripture example from the churches that were in the Apostles days before Rome was called a church concerning Prayer for the Dead for your crosses your tapers and candles for anointing with Oyle and cream in Baptism which was only invented by Pope â—lement which another Pope Pope Silvester confirmed 315. Plat Volat. Sabil And what example from the true church of Baptizing of Infants and for God-fathers and God-mothers in Christ's day when he planted the church And that Infants should be Baptized and only at Easter and Whitsuntide was not this ordained by Pope Leo in the Year 676. Lib. Council Volat. Pol. Chron. and was not Transubstantiation which you call the Body and Blood of Christ after the consecration when the Priest hath Whispered over the Bread and Wine a few Latine Words as Hoc est Corpus meum Hic est enim sanguis meus c. The Bread is turned into the Natural Body of Christ's Flesh Blood and Bone was not this ordained by Pope Innocent held at LATERAN by Twelve Hundred Romish Priests Monks and Fryars in the Year 1215. decret de summa Trinitate Cap. Firmiter And whether
to discern the same lest they decree and uphold that which in this Case they ought not to wit Tythes lest the Lord be angry for their so doing it being so repugnant to the Testimony of Truth And so let every honest Reader weigh and diligently and seriously consider whether he ought to uphold Truth or Error Light or Darkness I assume he will say that he ought to uphold and maintain the Truth and to stand by it and for it then let me ask him a Sober Question in the Sobriety and Calmness of Spirit and I desire that in the Coolness of the Day he may answer it according to the Witness of his Conscience my Question is this whether he doth not believe after that he hath had a serious View of this Piece that he meets with such valid Arguments such Clearness of Demonstration as may or doth convince him that the Imposition of Tythes now in Gospel-dayes is absolutely out of the Doctrine of Truth and ought not so to be and if so convinced whether he ought not to side and adjoyn with that of God in his Conscience in a Testimony of this Nature and so partake with Truth which is a duty ought to be and is incumbent upon every Christian Man's Heart which is the desire of him who is a Well-willer to Sion's Prosperity E. G. THE Great Case OF TYTHES AND Forced Maintenance ONCE MORE REVIVED SInce the Seat of Anti-christ hath been set and his Throne Exalted so high as it now is and he himself exalting himself above all that is called God and not only so but he hath laboured to make void the Laws and Commands of the Lord and his Christ concerning his Church and likewise to set up his own Institutions and Commandments which are repugnant and eontrary to the commands of Christ and the Practice and Example of the Apostles and Holy Martyrs of old who laid down their Lives for the Testimony of that Doctrine and Faith which they had received of the Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of Man-kind and knowing the Practice and the examples of Christ and his Apostles and holy Witnesses they continued in their Doctrine to hold forth still the same in Purity and to keep it unviolated even to their Death that they might shew themselves forth to be followers of their Master Christ Jesus and to abide in his Doctrine and walk according to the Primitive Example notwithstanding all the Opposition and contradiction of Anti-christ and his Followers which hath been great through many Ages since the Nations have drank and the Kings of the Earth of the Wine of the Whore's Fornication and the way that Anti-christ and the false Church have had to exalt themselves hath been by Policy Craft and Deceit in perswading the Nations that that which was once given and offered freely unto the Lord for his Works sake is now made of necessity and claimed as Divine right to them and their Ministers notwithstanding both the Doctrine the Worship and Practice be altogether inconsistent with the Primitive times truly so called But seeing the Ministry of the false Church who abode not in the Doctrine of Christ but hath violated it and now hath turned against the Saints the Ministers and Seed of the free Woman hath not had Power by vertue of their Doctrine to work upon the Hearts and consciences of People so as to open them and make them freely willing to minister earthly things to their Ministers because indeed most People in the Nations 〈◊〉 not perswaded that they have ministred Spiritual things And therefore the false Church hath perswaded the Powers of the Earth who have drunken of her Cup that is their duty to force and compel all to give 〈◊〉 her and her Ministers as of divine right whether People be perswaded 〈◊〉 no that they are sent of God and make the Scripture a Clâ—â—k to cover their force or Injunctions and produceth the Example of the 〈◊〉 Christians for a cover though they do nothing at all of the Work of the Apostles or Ministers of Christ in converting of Souls but rather Ministring their own Inventions and vain Traditions of men instead of the true Ordinance of Christ yet however Maintenance they must and will have though they do none of Christ's Work and are so Imperious and Arrogant as to reckon Tythes the tenth part of the encrease of the Earth whatsoever and of every man's labour and Merchandize yet this they would perswade all People is by divine right and a Gospel-institution And this hath been received by many in our last Generation whose minds have been darkned with the cloud of Ignorance for a Truth and for any to withstand or deny it hath been counted Error and Heresie no less then a curse from Mystery Babylon did come upon all such as did Gain-say also some with loss of lives as Hereticks upon this account and in this last Age many Imprisoned for divers years even until Death and many have suffered great Spoiling of their Goods ten or twenty Fold more then that which they pretended due and yet all this People must believe is Gospel institution and divine right The consideration of which thing hath been an inducement unto my Heart of late to make a true and a narrow search of the Lawfulness or unlawfulness of this particular thing not only enquiring the true State of Tythes amongst the Jews but also in the Primitive time and amongst the ancient Fathers of the Church whose Doctrine hath been approved among the most faithful Members of the Church of Christ downward untilâ— this last Age. First of all to speak of the tenths which were given before the Commandment was given forth to the Jews Abraham in his return from redeeming his Nephew Lot after the Pursuit of Chedâ—laoâ—er the King of Elam with the rest of the Kings â—oyned with him having recovered his Nephew Lot with all his substance and all the substance of Sodom Gomorrah was met by Melchizedeck King of Salem and Priest of the most high God who blessed Abraham and brought forth Bread and Wine and gave unto 〈◊〉 and to the rest who were with him unto whom Abraham gave the Tythes of all the Spoil that he had taken from the aforesaid Chedorlaomer and the rest of the Kings Chryâ—â—stome understands the Text only to â—e of the Spoils whereof Abraham made Melchizedeck a partaker by giving him the first fruâ—ts of his Martial performance And Jerom often stiling it Decimas spoliorum praâ—â— and Victoria that is the tenth of the Spoil of the prey and of the Victorâ— And this is made one of the main basis or Ground for probation of Tythes due before the Law which is but only a free gift of Abraham to Melchizedeck of the Spoil he had taken and that but once that we read of take notice of that not of his Familys Labours or industries but of the spoil of what he had taken And it is very clear that it was a
little to satisfie their vulturous Eye And if they can get a Scrowl under any Hand that hath Authority they will break open Doors pull down Hedges carry away the Corn at their Pleasure drag away Pots and Kettles and tugg away Bedding and Cloaths of all Sorts Childrens Night-beds as a Priest of this Order did in Kent lately yea Curtains and Vallans drink Bear of the Cellar and if it be but half a Cheese and this is their Plea He that preâ—cheth the Gospel shall live of the Gospel and the aforesaid Husbandman Fatherless and Widdows have not any Part or Share in the aforesaid falsly claimed Tythes but all is too little to satisfie the insatiable Covetousness of these Evangelical Priests falsly so called O how can ye know and behold these things and not blush and be ashamed and shall the Laws which have been made in the Night of Darkness and Popery of Necessity be a Rule in this Age to Magistracy and Ministry which pretend they are in a more pure Light Oh that the Lord would open all your Eyes to consider but however them unto whom his marvelous Light is shed cannot but call unto you and also bear their Testimony against the aforesaid Grievances and Disorder which are executed beyond Measure upon the poor Pâ—ople in this Nation which certainly if not amended will draw down God's heavy Judgments upon the Nation and so I cannot but as one among the rest give in my Testimony for God and his Truth against such cruel Actings and falsly pretended Maintenance of Black-Coats and Turn-Coats and my Testimony is true and to seal it I have given up my Life and Estate By a Servant of the Lord M. L. To all who say you are gathered out of the World into Church-Fellowship these Queries are for you to answer I. WHat was the Woman that was cloathed with the Sun and crowned with twelve Stars which travailed in Pain to bring forth 2. What was the Sun she was cloathed withal and twelve Stars she was crowned withal and when was she so cloathed and crowned 3. And what was the Man-child that was brought forth seeing Chrâ—st was born of the Virgin in Bethlehem long before John saw this in the Isle of Pathmos 4. And when did the Woman fly into the Wilderness and what is the Wilderness into which she fled and what is the Wings of the great Eagle which she did fly withal 5. And what is the Time Times and the half Time which she is to be in the Wilderness and when did it begin and when will it be expired and whether is the Woman ever to come out again and when shall be the Time of her Return 6. When was the Time that the Man-child was caught up unto God which the Woman brought forth seeing Christ was ascended long before this Man-child was caught up to God which was to rule the Nations and how long it is since 7. And whether is he ever to descend again and be made manifest to rule the Nations and when shall he begin to reign 8. When was the Dragon in Heaven and how came he there seeing that it 's written No unclean thing can enter there or nothing that doth defile 9. And when was he cast out of Heaven into the Earth and how long hath he to reign in the Earth 10. When began he to persecute the Remnant of the Woman's Seed and how long shall his Reign be 11. When begin the one thousand Years that he shall be bound or whether is it begun or to come 12. When shall he be taken hold of and with the Beast and false Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire 13. What is Mystery Babylon and when had she her Rise when was her City raised up over which she rules as a Queen 14. And what is the golden Cup of Fornication she hath made the Nations drunk withal 15. And what is her Merchandize which her Merchants trade withal and the Sea upon which they carry their Traffick and upon which the Ship-Masters and Ships ride and when shall it be dryed up and what shall dry it up 16. When shall the City over which she hath reigned be destroyed and when shall her Flesh be burnt with Fire and what is the Gospel that shall be preached again 17. And how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the Nations seeing it 's to be preached again to the Nations and whether is the Time begun or not when was the Gospel lost seeing all Europe is professing it or whether is it yet to come when shall it begin to be preached again to Kindreds Tongues and Nations 18. And what is the Light of the Lamb the Nations that are saved shall walk in after the seven Vials be poured upon the Seat of the Beast Declare if thou hast Understanding F. H. A General Epistle to all who have believed in the Light of the Lord Jesus and are called of God to follow the LAMB through the great Tribulation Dear Friends WHom God called out of the World and the Vanities of it to serve the living God in Newness of Life and to be Worshippers of him in Spirit and Truth and to be Followers of Christ in the Regeneration and to be baptized with him into his Suffering and Death that so you may be partakers of his Resurrection and Life and manifest unto all that you are risen with him out of the Grave of Sin Wickedness and Death by having your Hearts renewed and your Affections and Minds set to seek those things which are above which are not transitory and visible but everlasting and immortal by which the Souls of all the righteous and obedient Children are refreshed and nourished up unto eternal Life and through the eternal power of the Son of God which hath been and is manifest among them that believe in the Measure of his Spirit and keep their first Love and Integrity unto the Lord all his are preserved out of the Temptation of the Adversary within and without who seeks to root out that which God hath planted and to nip the Blossom and the Bud which God hath caused to spring forth through his tender Love in your Hearts so that you might dye to the Good and be spoiled in that wherein all your Happiness lyeth now and forever Oh therefore all watch and be circumspect so much the more against Temptations lest you be ensnared and your Faith fail and you fall short of the promise of God in not continuing Faithful to the End Friends a Care and a tender Love and a godly Jealousie is in my Heart to you and over you all that have believed that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the Desarts and Mountains and dry and parched places where you have sometimes been in the time of Unbelief where the Goats who are rough can feed that must go to the left Hand and have the Curse The Zeal of the Lord and his Truth who so gloriously hath
sometime that and changeable whenas every true confession and Testimony is equivalent thereunto in the presence of the God of all Truth and who ever denyed this And there is no necessity so to Judge that he that fears to Swear and take an Oath yet refuseth not to give Testimony about any matter whether it doth concern the Lord or his Neighbour that therefore he denyes the Magistrates Authority or yet disobeys their legal commands so that though all Swearing should be denyed yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed true Testimony and therefore the Magistrates Authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed and right done unto every Man and Christ's command stand also these are but the Secret smitings and suggestions of A. Smalwood to render them Odious to the Magistrates and all People who dissent from him in Judgment And indeed such like Discourses and Instigations from such like Mouths and Pens as his is who is accounted Learned and Eminent hath not a little added afflictions unto our Bonds and they have made wide the Wound and have made the Breach seem greater then it is and the matter more grievous then there hath been any Cause for I desire they may consider of it and Repent And in page 13. from this Text Mat. 5.34 But I say unto you swear not at all he layes down this Proposition or Doctrine viz. Our Saviour did not intend by these Words Swear not at all an absolute universal and limited Prohibition of all manner of Swearing and goes on to prove it by divers Reasons The first he gives is That the Father and the Son are one in Nature Power Wisdom Immutability and Eternity and one in Will and Wisdom therefore they cannot give forth contrary Commands but God the Father hath commanded Swearing in these Words Thou shalt fear the Lord and swear by his Name and serve him Deut. 6.13 And therefore it is not possible that God the Son should forbid it Answ. Though the Father and the Son be one in Nature Power and Wisdom and Immutability and Will as in themselves and alter not but keep Covenant from Age to Age and from Generation to Generation there is no Contrariety in them yet there are Diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Differences of Administrations but the same Lord It is granted that after Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and Diffidence and Unbelief Variance and Strife and many Transgressions for which the Law was added and because of which the Law was added and the Command given forth unto the Jews to swear by the Name of God as Jerome saith upon Mat. 5.3 37. It was permitted the Jews under the Law is being tender and Infants and to keep them from Idolatry which the rest of the Nations did run into they might swear by the Name of God not that it was rightful so to do but that it was better to swear by the Lord then by false Gods or Devils but the great Evangelical Sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath Secondly For the ending of Strife and Variance being in the Unbelief which was the Occasion of the adding of the Law and the Cause of the Command given forth Deut. 6.13 with divers more Words specified by Moses and the Prophets And though Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and to destroy that which the Law was against and which it took hold upon and to finish Sin and Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness and to restore to the Beginning and we say according as we have believed and received of the Lord and have a Cloud of Witnesses both them that are gone before and of them that yet remain alive As Christ said of Divorcement It was not so from the Beginning so we say Oathes were not from the Beginning but were added after Hardness of Heart and Sin and Unbelief entered into the World but Christ who was made under the Law and fulfilled the Law put an End to the Transgression Sin Unbelief Variance and Strife in whom all the Promises of God are fulfilled he is the Righteousness of God and who are true Christians indeed are come out of Unbelief Variance and Transgression and do see and know Christ to be the End of the Law for Righteousness unto them that believe who exhorted to do the Truth confess the Truth and speak the Truth who said Swear not at all by Heaven and which after more shall be said God willing to the Text it self And so A. Smalwood his Reason is made void and his Impossibility made possible that God gave forth a Command and permitted the Jews to swear in that Covenant and Ministration and yet Christ in the New Covenant countermands it as in the Text being the Minister of a better Covenant which stood upon better Promises who leads to the Beginning and is the Restorer of all Mankind that do believe and yet the Father and the Son are one in Will Wisdom Power And though A. S. and others cannot understand or else have no Mind in that Latitude as generally prohibitive of all Swearing because he sayes God did require it no less then he did his own Worship and Service in the moral Law these nice Distinctions of Moral Judicial and Ceremonial have confounded Peoples Understandings though it is still acknowledged they did vow and did swear in the first Covenant under the Law but whether he or any other making Swearing moral judicial or ceremonial is not much matter seeing that Christ the Righteousness is the Sum and Substance of all and the End of the Law for Righteousness to them that do believe and in him is Life and Righteousness enjoyed for the Law was given by Moses but the Grace and the Truth cometh by Jesus Christ who in the Sum of all Types and Shadows and therefore the Apostle said We are circumcised in him and baptized in him and we do look upon an Oath under the Law to have some Type and Figure in it notwithstanding A.S. sayes It was none and that Christ is improperly called the Oath of God no more improper then he is a Vine a Door a Way a Shepherd for all the Promises are fulfilled in him and are yea and amen And as for the Morality of it so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the Gospel is in Confession of Truth and bearing Witness thereunto as before the Lord or in his Presence and speaking the Truth when there is Necessity as when any man's Person or Estate or any Part thereof is in Danger and this we have ever owned and do own and have and are ready to testifie the Truth before the Lord or in his Presence as concerning any Matter which concerns the Glory of God or the Good of our Neighbour without being pinched or bound up to a certain Form of Words imposed upon us but according as Necessity requires so amply and largely
intrinsecally evil by Christ Mat. 5.39 40. But I say unto you that you resist not evil and whosoever shall smite the one Cheek turn hâ—m the other also and if a Man sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain And it is in the new Testament I hope written Avenge not your selves And was iâ— evil in it self or morally Evil to keep the seventh day of the Week as a Sabbath or only good because commanded or was it lawful to fight with Amalicks Edomites Egyptians Canaanites because Israel was only commanded or because they were real Enemies to God in their Hearts or as Samuel Fisher well said in Answer to Doctor Gauden which A. S. quarels with that Circumcision Sacrifices and Offerings Passover and New-Moons Fasts and Swearing was not Evil in themselves but because forbidden and though A. S. give such a great Challenge to S. F. to produce one Instance that any thing was prohibited by Christ but what was intrinsecally evil or else his Argument is in vain I say the afore-mentioned thing prove it that something was forbidden that was not Evil eternally intrinsâ—â—â—lly but because prohibited and again in the same Chapter ver 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them thaâ— Curse you though under the Law they did fight and might fight with the aforesaid Enemies the Canaanites and Gentiles but now I say put up forgive love your Enemies Peter put up thy Sword he that takes hold on it shall perish by it Avenge not go not 〈◊〉 Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 suffer forbear forgive if thy Brother siâ— against thee seventy times 7. times And though A. S. says That nothing was forbidden by Christ or in all the New-Testament but what was in it self Evil or in some respect conducing thereunto methinks he hath given 〈◊〉 bâ—ld a Challenge what will he say to all the former things mentioned and what evil had Circumcision in it or the Passover or Sacrificing or New-Moons and the Sabbath days or what tendency had they to Evil but rather were good for the end they were ordained to be Signs and Types and Figures of holy things to come like a Swearing was among the rest what-ever A. S. say or Argue and yet when the substance of the good things was to come to them that had believed and received him who was sum of all the Apostle said Gal. 5.2 3. If you be Circumcised Christ profits you nothing after he was offered up And Gal. 4.9 10 11. You observe new-Moons and Holy days and Sabbaths And these things that were once as really good as ever Swearing was considering the End wherefore they were enjoyned and these things were never Evil in themselves yet the Apostle reckoned them beggarly Rudiments and told them they had begun in the Spirit and now sought to be made perfect through the Flesh and so stood in doubt of them that his labour had been in vain and thereof if A. S. or any other will needs uphold Swearing because commanded to the Jews before the Seed Christ was revealed I say he is Gal. 5.34 a debter to the whole Law and is as much bound to keep it in all other points as this or else he is a Transgressour and is one of those that would be laying Yoaks upon the Disciples Necks unto whom they were never intended for if the Ceremonies and Rights and outward observations which properly did belong to the Jewish Church and State to observe till the fulness of time when the partition Wall should be broken down and the Jews and Gentiles should be one and one Shepherd and one Fold for them both and no longer and they were never given to the Gentiles to observe and therefore for ought I can perceive many would have the gentile-Christians who never were under the Law neither the Ordinances of the first Covenant neither ever given to them yet they would compell the Christians to live as do the Jews and to observe their Ordinances and therefore are greatly to be blamed Gal. 2.13 14. Therefore we do not look upon any Swearing to be now a duty under the Gospel among true Christians truly such as some Swearing was once under the Law but affirm all Swearing to be now a Sin because forbidden by the positive Law of Christ under the Gospel who by his Death ended the right of that and many more legal Rites and Rudiments which whoso doth observe now as Christians doth it not without Sin and Guilt and Superstition and therefore S. Fisher that faithful Servant of God who suffered in Bonds till Death for his Testimony even in this particular saith well That that sort of Swearing which was not Sin simpliciter in its Nature under the Law is now a sin upon the account of Christ's Universal prohibition of all Swearing who was of Authority to put to an End as he did by his Death unto the Law And therefore that sort of Service and Worship which stood in outward Observations which was duty because commanded under the Law and no Sin in their own Nature neither were Evil in themselves nor in any respect conducing thereto as they were observed but had some single good in them once and yet who observes them now as Service of God maketh Christ of so little effect to himself as that he profits him nothing at all I hope A. S. will not deny but these things as forbidden in the new Testament which sometime were not Evil in their own nature but now are evil when the Substance is come in whom they all End and therefore S. F. his Argument is not vain but of force And yet let A. Smallwood know that there were many things observed and done not only by the Jews but by them that believed in Christ and thought well of him while he was present with them and yet did not see to the end of those things which were Shadows and Signes and good as once commanded and had no Evilin them but were Good as commanded and for the end for which they were ordain'd which afterwards in the more full growth and Knowledge in the Mystery of Christianity they came more to be seen through and that was felt in which they all ended and though Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and to observe the Ordinances commanded in that Covenant to fulfill that which was written of him Psal. 40.6 In the Volume of the Book it is written I am come to do thy will O God And further he said himself It behoveth us to fulfill all Righteousness and that which was commanded but this was before he was offered up and was as a middle dispensation betwixt the ending of the Law and publishing of the Gospel yet howbeit Christ knew it and did speâ—k of it at some time that those things that had been sometime commanded Deut. 12 5. and
and are ready to answer all these necessary ends and as well and this is as good and expedient to be put in practice among Christians as interposition of Oaths enjoyned by God in the first Covenant and far more Evangelical and therefore shall conclude with that of Jerome The Gospel Truth admits not of an Oath His eighth Argument is That Christ did never any things without some Ground of reason but no reason can be shewed why all manner of Swearing should be forbidden in a due manner and upon a just and necessary occasion and therefore we may well believe that such Swearing was neither here or any where else forbidden Reply We shall not much dissent or disagree about terms with A. S. that Christ did never any thing without some Ground or Reason but yet we must deny his Conclusion that no Reason can be given why all manner of Swearing should be forbidden first of all there was a time since Man had a being in this Creation when he was in the Image of God and stood in the Covenant of God when there was no Oath neither any necessity thereof Man being endued with Power from God which was placed in him so that he was in a capacity to fulfill obey and serve and believe his Maker without an Oath for unbelief or Sin had not entred and this was before the Fall Gen. 1.26 27. Secondly Christ the unspeakable gift of God who is the Mediator of the everlasting Covenant yea the Covenant is self who is given for a Leader to the People and who is made a Propitiation for Sin and Transgression to end both Sin Transgression and Unbelief which was the cause of the Addition of the Law who leads to the beginning again all that truly do believe and are worthy to be called true Christians or by the Name of Christ to have Union with God again in that Life Power Truth Righteousness and Wisdom in which the Image of God truly consists which was before Sin and Transgression and before the Law which was added because of it which was commanded four hundred and thirty Years after the Promise was made Gal. 3.17 Thirdly After Sin was entred and Death by Sin an unbelieving part got up in all the Sons of Adam so that they could not believe God nor his Promises and yet such was his love unto Mankind considering the State into which they were plunged for confirmation of his Word unto Man he Swore by himself this was the Lord's condescension unto their low and unbelieving Estate all that time and no way exemplary for Christians truly such who are come into the Faith and to the Truth in it self who do believe that all the Promises are fulfilled in Christ yea and Amen who is the Author of Faith and of eternal Salvation to them that believe Heb. 9.12 who prohibited that by his command Mat. 5.23 which sometimes was permitted yea and commanded yea and added because of Transgression and for which the Law and the command for Oaths was only added which he did not destroy because he leads from under the Power of that which the Law came against which is just and good and Holy and the Seed fulfills it and hath Unity with it and with him who is the Judge and Law-giver and Saviour of all that do believe in him from Sin and Transgression Fourthly At that time when the Law was given forth at Mount Sina Exod. 19.20 generally all the Nations were given to Idolatry and to serve and Worship strange Gods as Baal Ashtaroth Chemosh Rimphan and many others as the Gods of Samaria which were said to be according to the number of their Cities and their Idols were called the Sin of Samaria Amos saith They Swear by the Sin of Samaria that did say thy God O Dan lives and the manner of Barsheba lives even they shall fall and never rise again Amos 7.14 Which was no other then the Calves which Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel which they feared Worshipped and Swore by therefore God having chosen a peculiar People to himself to Worship and serve him and honour him who should not walk after the manner of the rest of the Nations who knew not God he commanded them to serve him and Worship him and Swear by his Name as Jerome saith well to keep them from Idolatry and that they should not Swear by the Gods of the Heathen as the rest of the Nations did round about yet still this must be considered that this State of the minority of the Jewish Church wherein God gave them Ordinances suitable to their State but it doth not follow neither can it be reasonably concluded that these Ordinances were to be perpetually binding unto all future Generations especially when Christ the Seed unâ—o whom all the Promises are in whom the Law is fulfilled and in whom the former Ministrations end that his Disciples and true Christians should always be bound to these things once commanded especially seeing Christ their Master in whom the Father is well pleased hath prohibited this about Swearing and also did Prophesie of the time to come after his Resurrection and his Ascension that those Visible things which were as a Ministration for a time should end as to the outward exercise and Typical and Figurative appearance of them and that all these things should be revealed within by the Spirit and felt in the Power of God in all that did believe when the Holy Ghost should be poured forth and the Promise of the Father be made manifest Fifthly Now considering that the Name of God is believed in and he is confessed unto and his Christ and that there is not that Idolatry especially outward as there was in the Nations before and after the Flood especially in that which is called Christendom though we dare not conclude that all are Israel that are of Israel or that all are Christians that have the Name yet generally I say the Name of God and his Christ is acknowledged and worshipped and not Idols and false God's therefore there is no necessity of Swearing by the Name of God as there was at the time of the giving forth of the Law but especially among them that the Father will reckon as truly his subjects and Disciples of Christ who are partakers of his divine Nature here is not that necessity among them for they through the Law being dead to it it hath no more Power over them and therefore no reason that they should be kept as under Tutors and Governours seeing that the Age and Ages is come which the Apostle spoke of Eph. 2.7 wherein Christ is revealed the hope of Glory and whom he makes free are free indeed Joh. 8.32 36. Sixthly and lastly The command of Oaths was given for the ending of Strife and Controversies among Men Heb. 6. which hath relation to the Law and to the State of the Jews and their Political proceedings the Apostle brings but that in as an instance or an example and
taken are binding in Respect of Creatures Relation to the Creator and Christ reckons them among sinful Oaths and teacheth them to use only bare Affirmations or Denyals in their Communication And this is the very Sum of his Judgment and the Words of Christ are only to be limitted to this Sense and no further that is not to swear at all by Creatures in their mutual Converse or Communications and this he hath repeated over and over in his Book and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto Christ's Prohibition Swear not at all and this Interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof and is the Judgment of Doctor Gauden also who hath contended as hard for some Swearing as A. S. hath and I perceive that A. S. hath read the Answer to Bishop Gauden published by that precious Servant of the Lord Samuel Fisher who finished his Life in Bonds for the Gospel-Truth against all Swearing whose Answer stands firm and his demonstrative Arguments of Force and are yet unanswered though A. S. hath a little here and there carped at and hath bitten at the Heel but hath not made void at all his Answer which will live as a living Testimony in Generations to come as consonant unto Christ's Doctrine wherein he prohibits all Oaths under the Gospel Reply Though there be some Truth in the different Authors that are alledged and also in A.S. his Words that swearing by Creatures as Heaven and Earth Jerusalem and vain Oaths is forbidden and customary Oaths and the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees and the false Interpretations yet all this comes short of Christ's mind and of the true genuine sense of the words the scope of Christ's Sermon as is manifest in the Chapter and in his Testament and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that Work he hath undertaken viz. the Justification of any or the lawfulness of any Swearing or the defence of that limited sense he would put upon the Universal terms in the 2. Texts wherein Christ and the Apostle forbids all Swearing And though A. S. often tells us Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded neither gave any new positive Law before his Death he sure hath forgot himself much what will become of the two great Ordinances still upheld as Baptism and breaking of Bread and whether was this a new Institution of Christ or was it an Institution in the Law and if it was an Institution of Christ as the Church of England doth hold and not of the Law nor of Moses as indeed it was not then A. S. his Argument is fallen to the Ground that he gave no new Commandment neither instituted any new Ordinance and then what is become of these two great Mysteries as they have been called but he hath ravelled out and spun out his Threed so long that he often runs off his Legs and though A. S. does often urge that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and therefore hath said falsly that Christ Sware before the High Priest after he had given forth this Commandment Swear not at all which if it had been true it had been no more president for Christians then eating the Passeover and though he sometimes urge that such Oaths as were commanded under the Law are not forbidden by that Text Mat. 5.38 because it was spoken sometime before his Death and the Ministration of the first Covenant was not ended till his death and therefore he concludes That all Oaths would not be forbidden by Christ in this Text for saith he Christ did not forbid what the Law commanded but though this prohibition was given out before his Death yet with reference to the Gospel-times after his Death It is evident by the Texts before it and behind it viz. of divorce and of deportment towards injurious Ones and Enemies so in this of Oaths Christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross Abuses of those things that they had a Dispensation for under the Law and that by Divine indulgency which abuses crept in by the Pharisaical false Glosses too much loosing the meaning of God's Law by Moses by their depraved examples or popular Customes but Christ condemned and prohibited those very things which in regard of the hardness of their Hearts distrust and wicked Cruelties God himself in that very Letter of the Law indulged them in and gave them both a dispensation and a precept for in the Law for the Law said of old time before the false gloss of Scribes and Pharisees came in some things so as it was not said from the beginning when Man was in Innocency and was merciful as his Heavenly Father was merciful and the Law said Deut. 24.12 whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a Bill of divorcement then she may go be another man's Wife but I say whose putteth away his Wife causeth her to commit Abultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth Adultery Mat. 5.32 So that not only the corrupt Glosses and irregular Practices of the mis-informed Jews are forbidden but even that which the Law not only permitted and allowed and dispensed with but commanded is for bidden and another thing injoyned and in cause of injury as he hath done so shall it be done unto him ye have heard it hath been said an Eye for an eye and a Tooth for a tooth this was the Law Exod. 21.44 Levit. 24.20 Deut. 19.20 and this was commanded But Christ saith I say unto you that ye resist not Evil whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other also and if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain Mat. 5.39 40 41. So here is not only a further thing but even another thing commanded by Christ. Further the Law said Exod. 20.14 thou shalt not commit Adultery but Christ the wisdom of God saith Mat. 5.28 whosoever looketh upon a Woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart again ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy though A. S. sayes That is not found in the Law but a corrupt Gloss of the Pharisees I say that is found which amounts to as much as hath been shewed for the Jews that were of the Law might and did spoyle their Enemies the Gentiles and Canaanites and Egyptians and Amalekites and had a command so to do and kill them and Root them out and yet to help his Enemies Oxe or Asse under a burthen if he were belonging to a Jew that personally hated him and not an Amalekite one of that cursed race but this is a ridle to many But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and
Estate and Dominion and Vnity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be sâ—ain and the World that lay in Wickedness came to be framed in Man after the Tempter entred how endless Misery came in upon all after the Transgression p. 185. VI. How Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin and how Man is dead while he lives and all are dead Works that he acteth and the States of all the Sons of Men and their Works may be seen in the Fall p. 177. VII Three Objections answered about this Particular p. 189. VIII Self Righteousness Deeds of Darkness also and dead Works are to be condemned also and Man who acteth them in the Fall p. 191. IX An Objection answered as to the present State of the Ministry of the Nations their Practice and their Worship p. 192. X. How all Men in the Degeneration and in the Fall have corrupted themselves and been Idolaters in every Administration being gone from the Life and Power of God in themselves and having lost the Power of God Man can neither Worship Honour nor Obey God aright p. 196. XI How the Woman that travailed in Birth who was clâ—athed with the Sun and brought forth the Man-Child fled into the Wilderness when the Dragon had Power and the Man-Child was caught up to God p. 211. Darkness and Ignorance expelled by the Light shining forth and the Appearance of the Day p. 217. The Popish Inquisition newly erected in New England wherein their Church is manifested to be a Daughter of Mystery-Babylon p. 237. The Works of Darkness brought to Light and reproved In Answer to John Wells concerning the Word the Gospel and the Way to Christ p. 262. The Mouth of the Pit stopped In Answer to a lying Story called Hell broke loose p. 275. The Heart of New-England hardened through Wickedness In Answer to a Book entituled The Heart of New-England rent p. 299. An Information and Advice to the Army and Committee of Safety p. 324. One Warning more unto England before she give up the Ghost and be buried in the Pit of Darkness p. 333. One of Anti-christ's Volunteers defeated and the true Light vindicated In Answer to a Book called Ignis satuus p. 344. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear their Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience p. 369. The Deceiver of the Nations discovered and his Cruelty made manifest p. 372. Some Openings of the Womb of the Morning to all the Princes of Germany and People who profess the Name of Jesus Christ in those Dominions p. 383. The Glory of the true Church discovered as it was in its Purity in the primitive Times also a Manifestation how and when the Apostacy came in p. 401. I. The State of the true Church from the Manifestation of Christ in the Flesh to the End of the Apostles Dayes p. 407. II. The entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began p. 411. III. The Reformed and Separated Congregations called Parochial proved to be in the Apostacy compared with the Primitive Times in Worship and Practice p. 417. IV A few Words shewing unto all how they may come out of the Apostacy to the true Church which is in God the Lamb's Wife p. 422. V. Concerning baptizing or sprinckling Infants p. 424. VI. Concerning the Sign of the Cross and ordaining of Parish-Churches p. 426. VII Concerning Swearing by the Gospel as it is called and kissing the Book and Bishopping of Children p. 427. VIII Concerning Fasts Feasts and Holy Dayes their Institutors and Founders in the Apostacy p. 430. IX Concerning Priests Vestures and Bells which are practised amongst Christians as Apostolick Institutions p. 431. X. Concerning the Mattens and singing of Psalms by Course in Musical Tunes and Supplications and short Prayers called Letanies â—hâ—ir Authors shewn p. 433. XI Concerning the Passeover and Lord's Supper and the Ceremonies about it p. 436. XII Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and under the Gospel p. 438. XIII Concerning the Ten Persecutions under the Heathen Emperors how divers vain Traditions and Institutions got up among the Christians in those Times and Constitutions among the Eastern and Western Churches after the Apostacy was entered in the first Three and Four Hundred Years after Christ p. 443. XIV Of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances and Institutions p. 457. XV. Concerning the General Councils since the Apostles Dayes which belonged to the Church of Rome their Decrees not infallible but contradicting one another p. 460. XVI Concerning the Worship of God and whether Kings and Rulers ought to compel in spiritual Things declared and some Scriptures cleared and several Objections answered about this Thing p. 463. XVII Concerning Oaths in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the Vnlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in the Gospel-Times though the Apostates mingle Ordinances of both together p. 469. XVIII Tythes in their first Institution unto whom they were due according to the Command of God declared and that Tythes are no Way Lawful to be received neither sought for by any who are Ministers of the New-Covenant and the Everlasting Gospel proved out of Scriptures and Antiquity p. 476. XIX Respecting of Persons and complemental Bowings and worshipping one another and flattering Titles are no good Manners but are in the Transgression and have been anciently reproved and condemned p. 487. XX. Vniversities and Schools of Natural Learning were of no Vse as to the making of Ministers of Christ in the Primitive Times but a Thing introduced and brought in in latter Ages by the Apostates who had erred from the Spirit and then admired and set up Natural Languages and Philosophy that thereby they might be furnished to make Discourses Speeches and Sermons to get Money by and as they are holden up at this Day are made an absolute IDOL p. 490. The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome 's Imagined Rock on which her Church is builded p. 497. I. What the true Religion is and where it is demonstrated p. 501. II. The Church of Rome proved to be the false Church p. 502. III. The Pope proved not to be the Head of the true Church and Christ proved to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and the Rock upon which his Church is built p. 505. IV. Purgatory proved to be an erroneous Doctrine which is held forth by the Papists and their Praying for the Dead proved to be another false Doctrine not commended nor practised by Christ or his Apostles p. 507. V. The Papists Doctrine which saith Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist to be Blasphemous and great Idolatry p. 508. VI. The Papists Mass and their Ceremonies proved not to be Apostolical p. 511. VII
witness they had in them that they pleased God and were accepted of God and this Righteousness was wrought in them and is now the same which is wrought in the Saints by him who is their Light and Life and this was the Righteousness of Faith and that which was wrought by Christ in the Saints as they believed in him and in the Measure of Grace received from him which saâ—ed them from Sin which was not of themselves he perfected his own VVork in them through and by Faith and justified them and sanctified them and became their VVisdom by which they were led into all Truth out of Failings and Imperfections and VVeaknesses and he became their Strength and Rock and they were builded upon him and as they stood upon him the Rock they were preserved when the VVaves did beat and when Temptations came and were sure and stedfast and immoveable and so overcame the Armies of Aliens and quenched the Violence of Fire and resisted the Devil and quenched his fiery Darts and had Victory over the Heathen and reigned as Kings over the Beasts of the Field and over the Deceit and by the receiving and believing of the VVord of him who was and is called Jesus by which Faith came by the hearing of they overcame the Enemies of their Souls and him who hath the Power of Death by the Blood of him who is eternal who is Jesus the Mediator of the new and Living VVay they overcame the Dragon even by the VVord of his Testimony which was revealed in them which Word of Faith Paul who was a Minister preached unto them even to them who had the Word in them and turned them to it and as they believed in it they were sanctifâ—ed by it and cleansed by it made perfect and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better Hope which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which while they stood without looking at Elementary things and divers VVashings and those things which were Figures of the true Tabernacle made without Hands which stood until the time of Reformation and then done away to wit the Hand-writings and them that witness the new Covenant now they see them done away and the time of Reformation is come the same which they witnessed Glory for evermore And therefore all you Professors who have builded high Towers and Castles in your Imaginations and have told of Reformation these many Years but you have nothing but a Hand-writing to establish your Building upon and all your Reformation hath been but the washing of Cups and pulling down one Thing and set up another beggarly elementary Image and do not witness the better Hope brought in nor the time of Reformation nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you nor believe it nor hear it nor while your Eyes are without and not in the Head you cannot see when Good comes but are as Heathens in the Desart and although you are among the Brambles and Bryars yet you would be counted Kings and Heads over others and one making an Image in this Manner and another in that of all Sorts high and low but all stand in the Earth and all in one Ground and what do they avail you for they cannot save for your highest Enjoyment is imperfect you say what then serve these for only for you to talk on and this is all they serve for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your Wills while the Will of God in you is not hearkened unto but cast behind your Backs and so the Way of true Peace you never come to attain unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the Wind and of Husks among Swine and upon that which dyes of it self and when will you enquire after the living God who is Power how long have you talked of his Power to come many Years and you are still as far of if not further then you were before and have told of the Glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the Heart and of God teaching his People himself and of his Spirit being poured out upon his Sons and Daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amiss and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feed them with the old Dregs and Lees which you are setled upon and the old Leaven of airy Notions and Conceptions and Wine of the sour Grape which sets on Edge the Childrens Teeth and fills them too full that when the living Bread is broken they cannot eat nor relish it nor taste and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the Life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that do declare it and when the Power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your VVay that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jews did whose Eyes were without and your fallen VVisdom cannot receive him nor compass his eternal VVisdom And yet you will say The Jews did require a Sign and were in the Adultery and the Greeks sought after Wisdom and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same State Did ever God reveal himself to the fallen VVisdom which is learned from that Principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the VVill of Man which is at Enmity against God Nay nay he never did nor will reveal his Counsel but to that which is of himself which is the least of all Seeds in the VVorld and it is he that is born of God that heareth God's VVord and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spiritual God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his Testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching and live in the Oldness of the Letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal visible and elementary and VVashing is not known from Sin nor cleansing and so you may see what Operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a Change in the Ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own Nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a Shadow for the Word was in the Beginning and gave Life and is spiritual and when it 's known and witnessed within in the Heart it separates from Death and gives Life to all that hear and believe in it What Christ what Gospel is this you preach
are trodden under foot which are acted and brought forth from the changeable mind of man and so all Laws Constitutions and Decrees which are made in the Will of man come to be thrown down by his righteous Law which proceeds out of the Mouth of the righteous God who is Light and so as his unchangeable and unalterable Decree comes to be set up in every particular Ruler and Governour and himself judged with the just he comes to bear his rule for the just and answered that which is just in every man and no longer can he act against well doing but is a Leader and an Incourager of it in all and is a terrour to the unjust and so comes to know the Dominion again which man lost through Disobedience and Transgression Now all you Powers of the Earth wait that you may come to see that and feel it revealed in your selves to wit the Law of God from the Mouth of God that so you following it Sin may be judged in your selves and you come to know the one Lord the Lawgiver which leads man back out of Sin and Transgression by his Son whom he hath sent into the World that all men through him might believe in the Father and be restored out of Sin and Transgression unto Life eternal where Death hath no Entrance And so all who wait upon the Light of the Son of God and are obedient to it they come to feel his Power and his Decree which cannot alter its Property or Verity and all who come to be guided by it you will come to see that which unites you unto God and one Nation to another in the Covenant of God Oh! that all your Eyes were opened that you might see that which belongs to your Peace and the well-being of all Nations that so the Power of the Flock might be refreshed among you and this I speak unto you a Change must be witnessed in your selves before you will cease acting in the changeable Mind now the time draws near the Lord will try you for the Earth must be lest without Excuse and he will have all warned for God will no longer be limited and therefore take heed how you gainsay any or resist any who may declare unto you the Counsel of God and cause them not to be persecuted or hurt but all be calm and moderate and learn Wisdom from above from him who hath enlightned you that you may come to deny your selves and follow him who condemns all Self-actings and Self-will in man and all Customs Laws Worships and Traditions that are made in the Will of man that so he unto whom all Power is committed may be feared and worshipped in Spirit in Life Truth and Righteousness that so all Sedition Rebellion Treachery and Unrighteousness may be cleansed out of the Earth and that all quarreling fighting contention may end and people come out of that which the sword is against that so the Swords may be beat into Plowshares and the Spears into Pruning-hooks that so Violence may be done away and Cruelty swept out of the Nations that the Dominion of God may be set over all and his Truth advanced above all that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Lord's and his Christ's and blessed are they that stoop unto his Scepter who judges the Nations in Righteousness and the people with Equity who is the Salvation of all his people for evermore and a hiding Place in the day of Trouble LONDON the 20th of the 2nd Moneth 1658. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH For the Information of all such who have erred for Lack of true Knowledge in their Judgments and have perished for Lack of Understanding to the Intent that they may for the Time to come wait in that which gives the true Knowledge of God and of his Kingdom and of the Mysteries thereof which come to be revealed through Faith to the upright in HEART Also for the Confirmation of such who are made Partakers of the like precious Faith By one who is made Partaker of the Riches of his GRACE and of the SALVATION which is in Christ Jesus revealed through the SPIRIT F. H. The Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him The Particulars treated on in the following DISCOVRSE I. WHat the Day of the Lord is and to whom it hath appeared and how it is seen and discovered II. What it is and what it will be to the wicked declared III. What it is to the Righteous and how he appears to them and whether we are to look for it while in the Body resolved IV. Where it doth appear and how it cometh and how it is to be looked for declared V. What the Spirit of the Lord is and how it comes to be received which discovers the Things of God VI. How the Spirit of Truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet have not obeyed it shewed VII How the Spirit of the Father worketh in them who hearken to it and are in some Measure made Partakers of its Power shewn VIII Unto whom the Spirit of the Father bears witness and seals Assurance of the Father's Love and of Justification with God declared IX What the Grace of God is which is free and to whom it hath appeared and where all are to wait to receive it X Whether all have received the Grace of Godor no and whether it be a sufficient Teacher in it self demonstrated XI Some Objections answered XII A Word to the wise Men of this World who are glorying in the Sound of Words XIII Also another to them who are glorying in outward Appearances and worshipping visible Things instead of the Life XIV The Kingdom of God and his Christ declared in some Measure as it is revealed by the Spirit what it is and where it is to be waited for and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe XV. Divers Objections answered TO THE READER Reader IN Times past in the Night of Ignorance when Men groped in the dark as blind Men since the Apostles Dayes and out of thick Darkness have spoke darkly of the Things of God and of his Kingdom and written many things about the Things of God and of his Kingdom which have fed the dark Minds of many who are unconverted unto God And seeing how many People are confused in their Minds and err in Judgment and have lost the Key of Knowledge which should give an Entrance into the Mystery of God's Kingdom and open their Hearts therefore in Compassion unto them who are thirsting after the Lord to find him these few Things I was moved to write for the sakes of those who have no Place to rest in or upon to the Intent that all may wait in that through which God reveals his Mind and manifests his true Knowledge in Man and these Things that I have written as they were revealed to me and in me by his