THE VOYCE OF Him that is escaped from BABYLON Reasons given forth to all sober minded people why I departed from the Ministery of thosâ— called Ministers of Parishes and why I departed from the Ministery of those called Anabaptists and why I have and what I have contended for some years past It 's the duty of believers in Christ to contend for the faith that once was delivered to the Saints Although for it I have been persecuted and am hated Woe is me my Mother that thou hast born me a man of strife and a man of Contention to the whole Earth Jer. 15. 10. LONDON 〈…〉 The Voyce of him that is escaped from Babylon Reasons given forth to all sober minded people Why I departed from the Ministery of those called Ministers of Parishes and why I departed from the Ministery of those called Anabaptists and why I have and what I have contended for some years past It 's the duty of Believers in Christ to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints although for it I have been persecuted and am hated Woe is me my Mother that thou hast born me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole Earth Jer. 15. 10. VVHen I turned at the reproofs of God then the word of God entred into me and by it my understanding was enlightned and understanding was given me and then did I see that the Parish Ministers so called was Teachers of that that they walked not in themselves When I pressed them to it to wit to walk as examples to the people of what they preached some of them told me the things I said ought to be done and it was good if it was so but it could not Then being asked the Reason one of them replyed to wit William Hughes of Marlebrough who said he should then wrong his wife and Children Upon this I departed from them being satisfied of them that they was sayers and not doers for I had proved others of them before Then after my departure from them with whom I walked in an Independant way as they called it I went and heard the Anabaptists so called whose Conversations was more agreeable to what they said than those called Parish Ministers but their doctrine was one in this particular to wit that Christ died but for a Remnant whom they called the Elect I being unsatisfied with that doctrine by reason of a friend whom the Lord made useful to me who proposed this question to me Whether Christ dyed for all if not how can it be preached to all that he dyed for them and whether the pressing of all to believe be not the pressing of men to believe a lye if he dyed not for all seeing all are pressed upon 〈◊〉 bâ—liâ—â—â—â—hâ—t â—â— dyed for them After I had considered of it this wrought in my understanding that it was uncertain who Christ dyed for if he dyed not for all and that it was a lye to preach to the people that he dyed for them if he dyed not for them and that for me to believe he dyed for me if he dyed not for all was uncertain and so I was put upon the tryal of my faith In the proving of which I found that it was not according to the form of the Apostles doctrine for that was that he casted death for every man and that he dyed for all and gave himself a Ransome for all to be testified in due time God being no respecter of persons for when we was enemies Christ dyed for the ungodly the just for the unjust as it is written that he might redeem us from all iniquity not that he did then and that he might bring us to God I being convinced of this form of doctrine contended for it with those baptiz'd people with whom I accompanied and in love to them and the truth obtained a dispute between them and one John Cooper concerning that matter but the things disputed of being stated unsound proved to be of little profit as for the matter or question disputed on it was stated thus Whether that Redemption by Christ was greater or larger then salvation by Christ now this is not according to the former sound words Stated to wit the Scriptures of the Prophets for there is none saved by Christ's death but those that are redeemed from all unrighteousnesse and there is none redeemed from unrighteousnesse but by the blood which is the life for the death of Christ singly considered saveth not from death but the life as saith the Apostle we are saved by his life for the life is the Ransome 〈◊〉 5. 10. that redeems to God so then Redemption and Salvation by Christ is equal now Christ giveth himself a Ransome for all as it 〈◊〉 20. 28. is written for the free gift is unto all and lighteth every man that cometh into the world and this is to be testified in due time Now â—â—m 2. 6. when I saw that the baptized people would not be convinced of their errour to wit of personal Election and Reprobation before time I departed from them for I knew by light received that God who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will hath ordained a way of life and a way of death before we was but did not decree persons to those wayes but set them before them to chuse life and good death and evil as it is written Deut. 30. 15. and thus our salvation is of God because he hath ordained the way but our destruction is of our selves if we turn from it or if called Baptists I began to consider that I had contended for the forme of truth but where was the power to be known and what was it that so my mind might be stayed upon it for as yet I knew not the Lord although he was within me and had enlightned my understanding by which I did know and discern Doctrines thus the Lord was within me and I knew it not then it did appear to me according to Scripture that that was the Lord which did search the heart and make manifest sin to me and did reprove me for it then I questioned what the everlasting Gospel was and reasoned with some what it should be Some said one thing and some another â—o that their sayings satisfied me not what it was It was so ordered by the Lord about two or three years after I had seperated from the Baptists that I went to their meeting then they desired to reason with me what the Gospel was to which I agreed willingly now it was referred for a fourteen dayes after and then it was Reasoned by them and I. There was about eight or ten of their Teachers besides many people he who was their chief Reasoner was one Blase Allen who affirmed that the everlasting Gospel was Remission of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ and glory by him at his appearing to all that thus receive it it s the power of God unto salvation
are not spoken in vain Now if you would ask me what God I do â—orship my answer is A measure of the same light which shines unto you which is one in the male and in the female and thus we as it s written know whom we worship and declare John 4. 2â— him unto you that you may know him for he is not far from every one of us now that which may be known of him in the particular is manifest within them For to every one is the manifestation of the spirit given to profit withall and that is the spirit of the Lord that convinceth you of sin I have written John 16. 8â— this because I have reasoned with many that have granted that they ought to be lead by the spirit of God But said they to me there be many false spirits and how shall we know the spirit of God from the spirit of Errour Now as I have said to them so I say to all That which makes manifest sin unto man and reproves him for it that is the spirit of God therefore obey and follow it for the devils knoweth the voyce of Christ but followeth him not be you not like them for the Lords spirit will not alwayes strive with man awake to righteousnesse and sin not and dishonour no longer the profession of a Christian in saying you cannot in this world be free from sinning when in very deed you will not come to Christ it 's written he is able to save to the uttermost all them that come Heb. 7. 25. unto God by him will you give the Scripture the lye and dishonour the Lord O you foolish and unwise how long will you hate knowledge and delight in folly Now to conclude let not the unclean spirits within you deceive you in perswading any that I have written or given this forth because I would be advanced or because I hate any I tell you nay it is because I fear the Lord who would reprove me if I should Levit. 19. 17. Psal 50. 18. suffer sin upon my brother and not reprove him or if seeing a thief I consent to him Here followeth in love a general Epistle to all Saints who are the Remnant of Jacob in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord and as showers upon grasse Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through obedience to the truth and sanctification of the spirit Grace mercy and peace be multiplyed amongst you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Brethren know certainly that although we be weak in Christ as he was in the dayes of his flesh in the Father yet our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory now we are the Sons of God but we know not what we shall be but this we know we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure and know it is not onely given to us to believe on his name the light but also to suffer for it that your faith might be more pure then Gold that 's tryed in the fire for it 's no strange thing to suffer for the Lord for it hath accompanied our brethren which was in the World before us and our suffering for the Lord is an evident token we are of God and to them under whom and by whom we suffer it is a token evident that they are not of God And now brethren the day of our Redemption draweth nigh be faithful to the death and valliant for the truth upon Earth in this day of Zions controversie against Babylon for the Lord is with us and the shout of a King is amongst us and goeth before us to make War in Righteousesse and to thresh the Nations and to stain the glory of all flesh and to bring in contempt all the honourable of the Earth that so the great Whore which hath corrupted the Earth may be consumed and it 's in order to the remainingdispensations which is to come to wit the filling of the Earth with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters do cover the Sea that so the unclean spirits may passe no more through the Land but be bound for so they shall be for a thousand years for the Nations shall not be deceived under the Rule and Reign of Christ who shall Reign in Righteousnesse and Rule in Judgment after the Redemption of the body of our brethren the servants of God who are yet asleep in Jesus at which time we shall be changed to wit the body and so as i'ts written they without us should not be made perfect for as by one offering all that are sanctified are made perfect for ever even so at one season in a moment in the Twinckling of an eye shall they be raised and we changed and meet the Lord our Root the off-spring of David the bright and morning Starre who is one with that within us and not another Lord but another manifestation of the same Lord for there are differences of Ministrations but the same Lord yesterday to day and for ever and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace in which we stand which is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified by faith in him Farewell A warning from Zion to the Inhabitants of the Earth and to the Virgins that sleeps and slumbers Awake from sleep ye slumbring men for night on you long time hath bin the mid-night cry is a near at hand and Christ shall Reign over all Lands in Righteousnesse for to set free Zion from her Captivity Awake from sleep and slumber then you Virgins all in number ten your Lamps prepare with Oyl to trimme that you with him may enter in he is the Sabbath of the Lord where we do rest with one accord and longs for you for to come in that you with us may to him sing Halleluja to him is our song for unto him it doth belong who have raised us from death's State to Reign with him that did us make And now farewell to worldly joy which formerly did us annoy and Captivate us time hath bin when we rejoyc'd and liv'd in sin then death did Reign which now is fled before him which is now our head the Lord of glory is his name it s on our hearts to spread his fame that darkness may flye quite away that light over all may bear the sway for darknesse it his time hath had and Babylon hath made men mad the Prophet false and Beast also shall now alive into lake go for Christ must Reign then all give place for evil shall flye from his face Why will you dye O Sons of men or where 's the place to purge from sin or where 's the thing that will you save from sin when
is very high Your minds to him turned must be or else without must lye 15 Where 's he that I to him may come and Zions gates to know He is within manifesting to thee thy sins he shews 16 Your spirits it is Zions gates where knocked long hath him O lift it up and He to you will suddenly come in 17 Then in your spirits will He be to you a hope again And then with he you shall he free in Zion to remain 18 For he will open unto you the gate of righteousnesse Through which the righteous Nation have entred into rest 19 And thus in love I have you shewn the way to Zion's hill The City of solemnity where the Lord God doth dwell 20 That so without you may not be amongst those unclean beasts And where the wine presse trod shall be so there will be no rest Concerning the Mount of Olives which stands before Jerusalem which shall cleave in the midst and be removed this Testimony I gives of it The mount before Jerusalem spoken of by Zechariah is a Mistery of iniquity not created by God but gendred by mens Zech. 14. 4. joyning unto the Serpent which mount stands before their spirits as the mount Olives did before Jerusalem on the East thereof whereon stands their idol gods which they have set up in their hearts Now mount Olivet is alluded to by the Prophet because upon mount Olivet stood the idol gods of Solomons strange wives and therefore it was called the mount of Corruption †Mount Olivet mentioned or mount of Corruption is one in Ranke with Hagar and mount Sinai and the mount before Jerubbabel which is a mystery of iniquity in which Satan moveth which shall become a Plain be removed and consumed Deut. 23. 3. 1 Sam. 15. 3. as you may read 2 Kings 23. 13. but in the margin it s rendered the mount Olivet Now when the feet of the Lord which is power shall stand upon it it will cleave in midst in which day the light shall not be clear nor dark So it is with every one untill they can discern between their spirit and the divine nature and then the mountain that stands before Jerubbabel to wit the mystery of iniquity in mankind shall become a plain and be removed and consumed by the spirit of the Lord and the brightnesse of his coming in all his and then as it is written the Lord my God shall come and all his Saints with thee and Reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his antients gloriously but mount Sinai or Hagar shall be cast out with her Children and shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord in ten generations for ever but shall be utterly destroyed from under heaven Amaleck is its figure Now for this cause is and was the Gospel preached to wit for the consummation of iniquity and by it shall it be destroyed If thou ask me what the everlasting Gospel is I answer the glorious light in the World it hath been preached under differing names or sounds which I shall if God permit in my next book informe the Reader with A song of my beloved to my beloved which is within the Vaile song by her that was barren in the I le of the sea Isa 24. 15. 1 My Mother is a Queen most bright and I her daughter dear Beloved of the Lord of life who of me taketh care 2 A wall unto my Mother is the Lord who keeps from sin So that in freedom she 's preserv'd though Captive I have been 3 And then I was in prison strong where I defil'd have been But now I am purged again and am made a Virgin 4 Come my beloved unto me for welcome thou shalt be For thou hast done for me great things and by thee I am free 5 From death and sin by thee my Love and now am thine by right For thou hast bought me with a price and me redeem'd with light 6 I have Redeem'd thee let me go and I will come again For comely now thou art to me and I le with thee remain 7 I will not let thee go my love come now thou into me That so a Child now I may have an Heir that is free 8 A Virgin I am made by thee known unto thee in light O that I had a Son by thee who art in glory bright 9 I will return to thee my dove and thou shalt have a Son According to the time of life what 's sayd it shalt be done 10 Shall she that barren was now bear Yea thou shalt bear by me A Child an Heir which is free in which thousands shall be 11 Behold a Virgin is with child Emanuel is his Name A King of Zion is this Child Now I will spread his fame 12 And I will sing unto my King which wonders great hath wrought For he to me have done great things a Child for me he got 13 I barren was and did not bear in prison was I strong By the Children of Babylon they have opprest me long 14 Rejoyce now thou that barren was and praises to him sing For he to thee and thy Children will great deliverance bring 15 Lift up your heads you holy ones Redemption draweth near Your life which hid in God hath been will suddenly appear 16 For now a Nation shall appear which have been much in scorn O who have heard of such a thing in one day to be born 17 No sooner Zion travelled which hath been long in pain But all her Children she brings forth with her King for to Reign 18 A goodly sight is it to see the King with all his Taryn For they in white all cloath'd shall be and shall on the Earth Reign 19 Both Zion and her Children dear for maried they shall be And then Zion unto her Sons a City may you see 20 A Heaven new and Earth also the Lord will have remain For he to it married will be and he in it will Reign 21 Why should it seem incredible Prophets have it foretold And in the faith of it have dyed the Holy men of old Neverthelesse when the son of man cometh shall he find Luke 18. 〈◊〉 faith on Earth But he that 's fallen from the faith of Gods Elect may say this following Inscription Within this Temple 1 Cor. 6. 1◠Rev. 12. 17 Prov. 5. 1◠Mala. 2. 14 lyeth a woman bereaved of her life my mother companion of the Covenant the wife Beware of the errour mentioned in 2 Tim. 2. 18. Written the 22 of the 8 month 1658. in love to all For the foundations of the Earth shall be shoken and their Cedar works uncovered and their Gods famished Zeph. 2. And men shall worship the living God who is to be praysed for ever and ever Amen Reader the wayes of the Lord which is invisible have been figured forth by visiable dispensations under differing administrations but now the time is neere that the Sons of God shall appear Rom. 8. 19 Mat. 13. 43. Luk. 13. 28◠in a visible manifestation to be seen by their enemies in the Kingdome of their Father This following Question I do propose in love to them whom it concerns to consider of it Q. What is that that the ministery of the Gospel quickens◠the seed of God in man or the spirit of man or man in the spirit of his minde I do in this way proceed for truths sake because I have been denyed to be reasoned with concerning things delivered that 's questionable Again beware of accusing the Apostle Paul falsely you who in your printing and preaching saith that he to wit Paul desired to know nothing among the Corinthians save Jesus Christ and him crucified now he saith no such thing but he then knowing that all that live in pleasure and wanton upon earth kills the just therefore saith I brethren when I came unto you determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified for he determined before he came unto them that they crucified unto themselves the Son of God FINIS