are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
the same they were before but the Baptism of Christ makes a New Creature and this I witness for I received Water upon my Face as my Parents told me which they called Baptism but I grew up a Heathen as all other Children do and no New Creature though my Parents were counted Believers among the World and their Priests but now I witness the Baptism of Christ by One Spirit into One Body and now I witness a New Creature old things are past away and all things become New And now I see the other to be formal Imitation and the Invention of Man and so a meer Delusion and all are Heathens and no Christians who cannot witness this Baptism who can witness this denies all other for the Scripture saith The Baptism is but One and who can witness this are Believers but who cannot witness this are no Believers and so it is that Water or no Water availeth nothing but a New Creature for all by Nature are the Children of Wrath and except they be born again they cannot enter and as for the Baptism of Water which the Apostles used it being a Figure for its Time the Power went along with it and the Disciples received the Holy Ghost when they were Baptized but none can witness this who set themselves of acting or imitating the Apostles and so take it up by Imitation and their Ground is the Letter and are not guided to it by the same Spirit which guided the Apostles and so they are the same after Water as before and so now Water or no Water availeth any Thing but a New Creature for Water was but for its time though many in Darkness have now got the Form and are groping in it for Life but want the Life and Power and so from such turn away We are accused to deny the Supper of the Lord. The Supper of the Lord we own which is the Body and Blood of Christ which the Saints feed upon and this is Eternal Food and Life And here they all feed upon one and are of one Heart and Mind and here is pure and Eternal Union and Communion and this is not Carnal but Spiritual for Saints are Spiritual and their Communion is Spiritual and Eternal and this we witness who are of one Heart and one Mind who are in the New Covenant and herein we discern the Lord's Body and here all Drunkards are shut out and all Lyars Adulterers Proud Covetous Lustful and Envious Ones and all Back-biters Revilers Extortioners and all Deceitful and Unrighteous Persons are shut out of the New Covenant and are without feeding upon the Husk and Shadow which is Carnal for the Bread which the World breaks is Carnal and Natural and only feeds the Outward Carnal Body and goeth into the Belly and so passeth out into the Dangil and so likewise the Cup which they drink and so the Communion and Fellowship of the World passeth away but this is no Nourishment to the Soul but still the Soul lyes in Death and here is no Communion but Natural Outward and Carnal of several Minds and Hearts full of Filthiness and Uncleanness which is the Table of Devils eating and drinking their own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body which is Spiritual which the Natural Man discerns not And here stands the Worlds Communion and Fellowship which is Carnal and cross but their Carnal Wills and it is turned into Envy and for Earthly Trifles they will go to Law and Cozen and Cheat and Defraud one another for Earthly Trifles and like People like Priest but if they lye in wait for Revenge of one another then they will not take their Sacrament as they call it And here the Devil hath as great Hold for he that envies is a Murderer and here is the Difference betwixt the Worlds Communion and the Saints Communion Life and Death For to be Carnally-minded is Death but to be Spiritually-minded is Life And here they are without feeding upon the Husk and Shadow without and would destroy the Life and Substance where it appears both Priest People and Rulers and so have a Form of Godliness and deny the Life and Power from such turn away for it is a meer Delusion to take the Shadow for the Substance We are accused to deny all Prayer The Prayers of the Wicked we deny and God denies for they are abominable for Cain the wicked one who was out of the Commands of God who was the first Birth he offered up a Sacrifice of the Earth but God had no Respect to it but Abel the second Birth who was the Righteous his Sacrifice God had Respect to so the Prayers of the Faithful and Righteous God doth accept and they avail and what comes from his own which is the second Birth his own is pure what comes from it is pure and God who is pure doth receive that which is pure but he receives nothing which is polluted or unclean for he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity for his Sacrifice must be without Spot or Blemish and that which comes from an unclean Heart is spotted and defiled and unclean for nothing that is pure can come forth of an unclean Vessel But who can witness the second Birth and that the Seed of the Woman hath bruised the Serpents Head which is the first Promise and Faith which purifieth the Heart then that which comes out is pure proceeding from a pure single Heart and this Prayer God receives and he hath Respect to it and this we own and witness and this comes from the second Birth which is pure for the first Birth is unclean and out of the Command of God in the Fall in the Wrath in the Peevishness and Perversness and Frowardness Cain-like and the Seed of the Serpent is first in every one and rules the Head but the Promise is The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents Head So you who are not come to this are still in the Fall and are not come to the first Promise so all your self-acting and imitating thinking to merit with your Prayers and Praises Singings and Duties and Worships and Traditions which are all in vain and you are sacrificing to an unknown God a Sacrifice of the Earth from the first Nature which God hath no Respect to and the flaming Sword is set against that to keep from the Tree of Life for both Drunkards and Swearers Lyars Proud Covetous and all Manner of Unrighteous Persons are offering up Sacrifices and are in their Formal Worships and Duties thinking that is sufficient to pacifie for their Sins and yet do not repent But saith the Lord Bring no more vain oblations away with your New Moons and Sabbaths they are Abomination and my Soul loaths them When you spread forth your Hands I will hide mine Eyes from you yea when you
another Thing and the most Part knew not wherefore they came together and so it is the same amongst you but it is good for you to know certainly what you speak against before you speak lest you speak Evil of that you know not calling Good Evil Evil Good putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness against whom the Wo from the Lord is pronounced and it is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it with weeping Tears therefore take heed of treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath and remember you are warned And now something to all you tender-hearted Ones who are convinced by the Light of God in your Consciences which tenders your Consciences for whose sakes I have laid open my self freely so I desire that you may mind that Light of God to which I speak which is my Witness which hath convinced you that it may be your Guide which will lead you to Conversion into the Life to witness with me against the World that my Labour may not be in vain look not out at Scandals false Accusations or Reports for this is the Reward that the Righteous have received of the World and Christ our Lord and Captain shewed the Example as it is written They who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and they that depart from Iniquity make themselves a Prey but that which can't bear those things is not of God but turn your Ear inward to that Measure of Light in you which is without Guile that is gentle that can bear all as it did both in the Prophets and Apostles and all the holy Men of God This led them through good Report and evil Report through Persecution and through Death and this is the Way to Life and who enters must enter this Way and here is the Tryal of Faith and the Tryal of Faith is more precious then Gold So fear not but be willing to give up and to part with all though it be never so near and dear yea though it be thy Bosom-Friend and Darling For he that loveth any Thing better then me is not worthy of me saith the precious Pearl And he that will not forsake all and follow me is not worthy of me Moses thought it greater Riches to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Pharoah's Court for a Season For the Pleasures of this World and the Afflictions of this World endure but a Time and pass away For all things visible pass away but the Joy of the Righteous endures for ever but if our Hopes were only in this World we were of all Men most miserable but he that endures to the End shall have a Crown of Glory as Paul witnessed So Fear not little Flock but be faithful valiant and bold for it is your Father's Will to give you the Kingdom a hundred fold shall you receive of what you loose whether Lands or Livings Wife or Children or whatsoever it is the Promise is to the Faithful and your Joy and Advancement shall be in the Destruction of your Enemies when the Lord doth make your Enemies your Footstool but this is witnessed through the War and he that endures to the End of the War shall witness this And this in my Measure I witness and out of tender Love from my Soul to your Souls do I declare it and desire that you may all endure to witness with me for Love is Charity and the Light leads through all And so I rest in my Habitation known to all who can read me in Spirit J. P. Farewell THE WATCHER OR THE Stone cut out of the Mountain Without Hands Striking at the Feet of the IMAGE Whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay Dan. 2. 31 32 33 34 35. Written by a Friend to all tender-hearted Ones who hunger and thirst after God who are groping and seeking in Forms for Life to the directing of their Minds where and how to find the true Light which leads into the true Life and Power of Godliness the End of all Forms where I rest with all who in Spirit read me who am known to them wâ—â— are without by the Name James Parnell Reprinted for the Service of Truth This is a Discovery of the Ground End of all Forms Professions Sects and Opinions and also how they now are made as Friends and joyn Hand in Hand against the Substance the Life and Power of God which is now made manifest in his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise as hath been plainly manifest in several Meetings betwixt the People called Quakers and the People called Baptists which is here described And also a Description of the true Church and the Gathering thereof by the Power and Spirit of our God which is now made manifest in these latter dayes which so gloriously doth shine forth in the Earth so that all who have Desires to find the Way of Truth need no longer walk in Darkness and seek the Living amongst the Dead where it is not to be found for now Light is come into the World they that love and follow the Light shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life but such as do Evil hate the Light and will not come unto the Light that the Light may reprove them and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 8. 12. Joh. 3. 19 20 21. TO THE READER THOU that happens to be the Reader of this Book know this that my Mind and Intent in the publishing thereof was in Relation to the Simple-hearted who hunger and thirst after Grace and Godliness to the directing and turning their Minds from the Darkness to the true Light of the Lord Jesus which is not of the World but comprehends the World and makes manifest the many Wayes of the World and the Snares Baits Traps and Nets that therein are laid by him who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience now whatsoever makes manifest is Light the which Light will discover unto them whose Minds are turned to it the Wiles and Subtilties of Satan and so the Simple will come to learn Wisdom and thereby be preserved from the subtile devouring Serpent and therein the Creature will come to see wherein consists its Safety and Preservation and so Israel's Tent comes to be found For I in the Light standing above the World comprehending the many Wayes that are in the World and the Destructions therein with the many Forms Judgments and Opinions one clashing against another with their Janglings and Disputes with their Earthly Wisdom which is at Enmity with God and about those things which they are Strangers to the Life and Power thereof contending for that which fades and
received the Holy Ghost they went abroad preaching Christ and shewing thereby the fulfilling the Law and the Prophets which figured sorth and prophesied of Christ and this they declared in their Temples and in their Synagogues and they haled them out of the Temple and out of their Synagogues and brought them before Governors Rulers and Magistrates and the chief Priests and their Kindred and the chiefest Professors which were the Pharisees were the head-Actors therein but never the less they went on boldly being filled with the Power of the Holy Ghost without the Fear of Man obeying God rather then Man so they were not subject to the Authority of Man in that respect but they were subject unto the Law of Man so far as it was subject to the Law of God and so they went on preaching Christ and many believed and were baptized and received the Holy Ghost and were converted and it was so that the multitude that believed was of one Heart and of one Mind and they were so far of one being exalted over another or seeking themselves that not any of them said that ought of the things which he possessed was his Own and the Works of God went on in much Power the Ministers being acted guided by the Holy Ghost And also Stephen a man full of Faith and the Holy Ghost he declared against the Temple which God had once commanded to be built and said Solomon built him an House yet nevertheless God that made the World and all things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my Foot stool and where is the House that ye will build me and where is the Place of my Rest hath not mine Hand made all things and he judged them and said Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Hearts and Ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye and they gnashed upon him with their Teeth and fell upon him and stoned him And when Saul was converted and became Paul his Message was for to turn Peoples minds from the Darkness to the Light and then saith Paul when it pleased God to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him amongst the Heathen immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood and here was Paul's call to the Ministry and they were made manifest to every Man's Conscience and were a sweet Savour unto God both in them that believed and them that perished And Paul declared against the Temple and told them that worshipped there they were too superstitious and he went into their Synagogues on Sabbath-Days and reasoned with them and they persecuted him and haled him before Rulers and there complained of him to be one that prophaned the Temple and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareans and a pestilent Fellow and a Raiser of Sedition and many cry'd out away with such a Fellow he is not worthy to live and thus they suffered by the zealous Professors in those Daies but they whose minds were turned to the Light they were translated out of Darkness into the Light and became the Children of Light and were baptized by one Spirit into one Body and had passed from Death unto Life and had put off the Old Man and put on the New the old Man being crucified with Christ though some of them were Drunkards some Swearers some Proud some Covetous Idolaters Adulterers yet then they were cleansed and washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God and here was the Church which witnessed the Spiritual Baptism into the Spiritual Body of which Christ is Head and they being thereby set free from Sin their Union and Communion was here and the Bread which the Saints brake was the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ and they were in Christ new Creatures all Members of one Body and needed not that any man should teach them because the Anointing was in them and to them the Cross was the Power of God unto Salvation though to the Greeks Foolishness and to the Jews a Stumbling-block and in this Cross Paul rejoyced by which he was Crucified to to the World and the World to him and they were not conformed unto the World but transformed by the Renewing of their Minds and had one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Way one Teacher one Life and one Shepherd and one Priest over the Houshould of God and one God and Father of all being united by one Spirit into the bond of Peace and their Conversation was in Heaven and there were the Christians And though there was a time that when Christ was preached after the Flesh some preached Christ through Envy and Strife and Contention to add Affliction to Paul's Bonds yet in all this he rejoyced that the Name of Christ was spread abroad for there were many that believed not that that was the Christ that suffered at Jerusalem and was crucified as Paul himself had not and as there are many such to this Day and so it rejoyced him that the Name of Christ was spread abroad but after his Name was spread abroad and many believed that that was the Christ then the Apostle declared against such who had the Form but denyed the Life and Power and said from such turn away for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth being men of corrupt minds and reprobates concerning the Faith and said the Apostle we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling block and the Greeks Foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and said the Apostle hence know me no man after the Flesh and though we have known Christ after the Flesh hence know we him no more but he that is in Christ is a 〈◊〉 Creature old things are passed away and all things become new and they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and the Apostl◠preached Christ within the Hope of Glory the Mystery which had been hid from Ages and Generations they that could not witness Christ in them were Reprobates And here it was not sufficient for them to say they believed Christ dyed for them but he that believeth hath the Witness within himself and he that believeth is passed from Death unto Life and he that believeth is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit Sin and those were they who were made Partakers of Christ's divine Nature therefore saith John As he is so are we in this Present World and we are of God and the whole World lyeth in Wickedness and they that are of God hear us and they that are not with us are against us And then the Apostle Paul he
you can witness of the Work of God in your Hearts for all this your long and great Profession and esteeming your selves of the Church and Faith of Christ and Saints in Christ So if you can witness yet the Earth-Quakes and that the Earth is yet removed out of its Place and Mountains removed by the Eye of Faith and if the Vail of Darkness be yet rent Is not the first Man yet standing and the first Image and the Serpent's Head For while you are Strangers to the Light and your Minds are from the Light you are wandred and strayed in the Pathes of Darkness and so are the Children of Darkness in whom the Prince of Darkness ruleth even the Serpent who is Head in Man but the Promise is The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head But you are acting in your own Wills and Wisdom the Serpent is your Head and you are not yet come to witness the first Promise fulfilled but are still in the Fall under the Power of Darkness in the Disobedience and Strangers unto the Cross and so have no Part in Christ in that Nature For none come to have a Right in Christ but through the Cross for As many as are baptized into Christ are baptized into his Death and they that are Dead with him do Live with him and they that are Dead are freeed from Sin and they that are in Christ are New Creatures old things are passed away and all things become new But they that are not in Christ are still in old Adam and so in the Fall under the Curse and under Death's Dominion drove out from the Presence of God into the Earth and Death reigns over all from Adam until Moses of what Profession soever Therefore now read your selves by the Light which comes from Jesus Christ and shineth into your dark Hearts and searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and maketh manifest the Secrets to which Light I am made manifest and by it witnessed in you all and unto it I do direct your Minds for the turning of your Minds from the Darkness to the Light all you that have a Desire to find the Way of Truth in what Form soever that thereby you may come to see how you have been wandred and scattered in the many ways of Darkness in the Land of Darkness in this cloudy dark day as Sheep without a Shepheard being carryed about after the Voice of Strangers from the Shepheard of your Souls Therefore hearken no more without to those that cry Lo here or Lo there is Christ and so draws your Minds without to seek for a Christ without and a Redemption and a Sanctification without a Righteousness without and a God without but turn your Minds within for it is to be found within if ever you find it For there is no Way to come unto the true Knowledge of the Truth or of God or of Christ but by that of God within For what is to be known of God is manifest within and the same which descended the same doth ascend And so the Way to God is to be found within by the Light which maâ—nifests Death and slayes Death Do not you read the Parable of the Woman that had lâ—st the Piece of Silver and could not find it until she had turned into the House and lighted the Candle and swept the House and then she found that which she had lost and rejoyced with her Neighbours Now the Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord and his Life was the Light of Men so turn in your Minds to the Light of the Lord Jesus which if you love it to bring your Deeds to it it will let you see the Deeds of Darkness and the Paths of Death and it will also search your Hearts and make manifest your inward Parts and let you see what you have lost and as you love this Light and like to retain it in your Minds and by it to be guided it will lead you out of all the crooked and froward Wayes of Darkness into the Light of Life and so to come to find and know the Voice of the true Shepherd who is come to seek out and gather all his scattered Sheep out from amongst the Mountains and Valleys and the many Wayes and crooked Pathes wherein they have been scattered and strayed in the Land of Darkness and to gather them together into one Flock into one Way into one Sheepfold and he alone will be their Shepherd and this you shall come to witness as you love this Light and follow it it will lead you out of your many Forms and many Wayes into one Way out of your own Wisdom and Imaginations wherein you have been building Babel and this will strip you of all your own Righteousness wherewith you have covered over your deceitful Hearts and it will lay your Deceits before you and bring you to Judgment and if you love this Light and follow iâ— and be willing to wait upon it out of your own Wills and Wisdom and Imaginations and Carnal Thoughts Reasonings and Consutations and self-Acting and Imitating it will lead you to know the Voice of the true Shepherd within you from the Voice of the Stranger and so to know the precious from the vile he who saith I am the Light he saith I am the good Shepherd who will bring you to know the Way and the Door into the Sheepfold if you do not run out in your own Wills and seek to climb up another Way for the Way is but one and he that saith I am the Light saith I am the Way and I am the Door into the Sheepfold so if you turn from the Light and stumble at the Light you stumble at all and so fall but if you love the Light and be willing to follow the Light it will lead you through all and to deny your selves and to take up his Cross unto your selves and to pass through good Report and evil Report through Persecution and through Death and the VVay will not be grievous but joyous and so you will come into the VVay and in at the Door unto the Sheepfold and so into the Fellowship and into the Life and into the Power and into the Faith of the Saints where all live in Union in one united by one into one Body the End of all Jarring Jangling Divisions and Disputes therefore said the Apostle Where is the Wise where is the Disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World Therefore I do call you to come out from amongst them and be ye separate and touch no unclean Thing and I will receive you saith the Lord and I will be unto you a Father and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters Now you are called and this is the Day of your Visitation for now Light is come into the VVorld and if you like to retain it in your Minds happy are you but if
do you own immediate Revelation now yea or nay 10. What is a Minister of Christ and what is a Minister of Anti-christ and do you distinguish the one from the other 11. What Scripture have you to give unto the World David's Condition to be sung in a Meeter 12. What Rule have you in the Scripture to abide in a certain Place and to agree with the People foâ— so much a Year â—or preaching as forty sixty or an hundred or two hundred Pound as you can get it 13. How and by what are you gathered and united who call your selves a Church 14. And what is the Church in God and whether to it you be come yea or nay 15. What is the Baptism into the Church and whether to it you be come yea or nay 16. And what Scripture have you to sprinkle Children with Water and to what End do you do it 17. Whether you be of one Heart and Mind as the true Church was yea or nay 18. Whether you have passed from Death to Life yea or nay 19. What is the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and whether to it you be come yea or nay 20. Whether he that believes is not born of God and whether he that is born of God doth not commit Sin yea or nay 21. Why do not you maintain your Teacher but let him rob the VVorld instead of robbing other Churches and so is chargeable unto the VVorld 22. VVhether do you own and hold up the first Priesthood that took Tythes or second Priesthood that took no Tythes and which do you deny seeing you pay Tythes and you Teachers take Tythes yea or nay 25. Why do you own and hold up such that are â—alled of Men Master and have the chiefest Place in the Assembly and stand praying in the Synagogue and love Greetings in the Markets which Christ himself cryed Wo against 24. How is Christ the Light of the World and how doth he enlighten every one that cometh into the World if it be not in the Conscience and whether that Light which comes from him be Natural yea or nay 25. How is the Light the Condemnation of the World if it be not in the Conscience 26. Aâ—d how is it said That he that doth Evil hateth the Light and will not bring his Deeds to the Light lest the Light should reprove him if it be not in the Conscience and whether that be a Natural Light which reproves for Sin Yea or Nay 27. How did Paul turn Peoples Minds from Darkness to Light if it be not in the Conscience and whether that Light was Natural which Paul was sent to turn the Minds of the Gentiles unto 28. Whether that Light which shines in Darkness be not one the same with that which shines out of Darkness Yea or Nay 29. And whether the Light of the World be not a saving Light in the least Measure Yea or Nay and how can that be said to be Natural 30. Whether the Light which John came to bear Witness of was Natural or Spiritual 31. How hath the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation appeared to all Men if it be not in the Conscience and whether it be Natural 32. How doth it stand with the Impartial God to give to one Man a Measure of Grace and not to another and yet requiâ—e Obedience from all 33. Whether the sloathful Servant hath not a Talent as well as the faithful though he hides it in the Earth and what is that Talent 34. What is the Account that God will require of every one in the Day of Judgment and how can he call all justly to an Account and reward them according to their Deeds if he hath not given to every one a Talent 35. What is that which leads to Repentance and whether that which leads to Repentance be not in the Conscience and whether it be Natural Yea or Nay 36. And where do you read in the Scripture of a Natural Light to be in the Conscience 37. What is the Redemption and what is the End of Christ's Coming 38. Whether the Redemption by Christ be not as full in every Respect as the Fall by Adam and what is the Fall by Adam 39. And whether you do not go about to make the Commands of Christ unjust who saith Be you perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect and you say It cannot be while you are upon the Earth then how is it your Rule 40. Will you own a Purgatory or where is the Place betwixt Heaven and Earth where Man shall be cleansed if not upon the Earth seeing no unclean Thing can inherit the Kingdom of God 41. Whether do they deny Christ come in the Flesh that witness forth Perfection from Sin here or they that tell People They can never be perfect or be wholely set free from Sin so long as they are upon the Earth and whether such be not the Ministers of Anti-christ Yea or Nay 42. Where had you this Doctrine to tell People The Light in the Conscience is Natural and that Christ hath not enlightened every one that cometh into the World 43. And whether in this you do not bring another Doctrine in Opposition to the Doctrine of Christ who saith He is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World 44. And where had you this Doctrine to tell People They could never be wholly cleansed or be set free from Sin so long as they are upon he Earth 45. And whether this be not in Opposition to the Doctrine of Christ who saith Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect 46. VVhether God justifies any in their Sin and whether Sanctification goes not before Justification Yea or Nay 47. VVhether you do not seek Justification by VVorks who put one another upon Prayer and Duties Observations Ordinances and Commands without the Light in Imitation of the Letter and whether these be not your own Works which are done out of the Light Yea or Nay 48. What is your own Righteousness and what is the Righteousness of Christ and how do you distinguish betwixt the one and the other 49. And whether he that is justified by the Righteousness of Christ doth not dwell in it and it in him and whether he that dwells in the Righteousness of Christ doth sin Yea or Nay 50. Whether any can walk according to the Scripture but by the Light of Christ and whether any that are guided by the Light of Christ do or can act contrary to the Scripture and whether this Light be not a sufficient Guide if it be owned and followed 51. How is the Scripture left unto the World for a Rule who know not the Light seeing to them it is a Parable and as a Book Sealed 52. And what is the Word and whether there be any other VVord of God then one 53. VVhat is the Death that hath passed over all Men forasmuch as all Men have sinned and whether this Death you ever passed
Gâ—insayers stopt which made many gnash their Teeth on him and some undertook to club out the Priests Professors Arguments by beating this dear Lamb with Fists and Staves who took all patiently as particularly one who struck him with a great Staff as he came out of one of the Steeple-houses called Nicholas and said There Take that for Jesus Christ's sake To which he returned this Answer Friend I do Receive it for JESUS CHRIST ' s sake And many other intolerable Affronts were offered him in all which his Spirit was not seen to be raised in Heat or Anger but was a Pattern of Patience and Meekness And having laboured in that great Town about Ten Dayes it lay upon him to go back to Cogshall to a Meeting holden as a Fast of which read more in that part of his Writings called The Fruits of a Fast from whence he was committed to Colchester Castle and from thence had up to Chelsford Assizes in Irons and again thither re-committed where he remained until he offer'd up his Life for his Testimony He lived in that Castle about Ten or Eleven Moneths in great Self-denyal and Carefulness being truly watchful over the Flock of God both in Essex and in Cambridgeshire Huntingtonshire and the Isle of Ely and elsewhere where he had travaled and turned many to God and wrote many blessed and heavenly Epistles both to particular Persons to the Churches in general which were so many that we have no certain Account of them nor cannot place them in order as we would if all could be collected together but those Books and Papers which could be found are here composed for the View of those who desire to taste the first Fruits of this Tender Plant who in the Dayes of his Youth laid down his Life for his blessed Testimony Many Things he suffered in that Prison which is other-where in this Book to be found And as he lay in Prison he laboured for the building up of them that were Convinced and he saw the Desire of his Soul concerning many in whom he saw the Seed which he had sown Multiply and Grow to his Refreshment And at last having passed through many Tryals and Exercises both Inward and Outward and fulfilled his Testimony in Patience Courage and Faithfulness and been a Comfort to us who had believed He at length laid down his Head in Rest and Peace stretching forth Himself saying Here I Dye Innocently And after his Departure he was buried in the Castle Yard where other Prisoners use to be buried because the Cruel Goaler would not deliver his Body without Fees And though he be as to the Outward taken away his Life doth remain and his Testimony doth yet live in the Hearts of many and will live through Generations to come and happy and blessed are and shall all they be who are Partakers thereof and are Faithful therein they shall be also Partakers of that Crown Immortal with which He is Crowned Thus honest Reader have I given thee a brief Account of this dear Plant of God and of his blessed Fruit some whereof thou may'st find in this following Book which if read in Sincerity and in Uprightness of Heart will tend to thy Benefit and will give thee Cause with me and many more to bless the Lord on his Behalf who is the Well-spring of Life from whom all Good Gifts come and to whom all Glory and Honour doth belong now henceforth and forever Amen Stephen Crisp. Samuel Cater's TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel COncerning our Dear Friend and Brother Iames Parnel I have this Testimony to bear for him in a true Remembrance of him as being Turned unto the Truth of God by him through Obedience unto which Heavenly Light Truth of God within which he turned me unto I have found and do enjoy Peace with God so that although the Dark World and Envious Priests and Professors Raged against him Imprisoned him and Persecuted him unto Death and made Lyes of him when he was dead speaking Evil of him accounting of him a Deceiver when he was alive I do say He was unto Me a True Minister and Messenger sent of God who brought Tidings of the Way of Life and Salvation unto me and many more in these Parts of the Nation whom I know have the same Testimony to bear for this Innocent Man For God hath made us Seals of his Ministâ—y through a blessed Experience of the Work of Regeneration brought to pass by this Heavenly Light Everlasting Truth unto the which he turned our Minds And this I can say also As the Lord was pleased to call him into his Blessed Work so he furnisht him with Virtues suitable for the same according to the Work of the Day in which he brought him forth and did mightily appear for him and with him in giving of him Courage and Wisdom and Power whereby he was Prepared and Fitted for every Service Exercise y â— the Lord called him unto which Service he faithfully perform'd of a Ready Mind with a Willing Heart not neglecting Nor did he refuse to appear in any Service in which his Testimony was concern'd which God had called him to bear although it were to the Ieopardy of his Life which many times he did both in Going to Steeple-Houses amongst the Rude Schollars in Cambridge both in Disputing with them and Declaring the Truth And after he went from Us he was moved of the Lord to go into Essex where he was gladly received by the Honest-hearted which wanted the Knowledge of the Lord and his Wayes which he declared unto them and many there were that Received him and Believed in the Truth which he declared But the Envious Professors roâ—e up against him in Cain's Murdering Spirit and cast him into Prison and there kept him in Hard Bonds until Death at whose Doors Hearts and Consciences the Guilt of this Innocent Man's Blood lies which all their Outward Washings nor Carnal Ordinances nor Outside Performances neither could nor can purge away but the Judgments of the Lord have been and yet will be executed upon all that have had a Hand or have taken a Part with them in shedding of Innocent Blood which the Lord will not acquit And now as to the Person Virtues and Parts of this our Dear Friend it is something upon me to give some Account of as having a Certain Knowledge of him not only because I was turned unto Truth by him but my Heart loved him which Love constrained me as oft as I could to be with him so that what Service he had in these Parts in Meetings of Friends or amongst Professors or with Priests I was frequently with him whereby I was both Eye and Ear Witness of the Mighty Power and Wisdom of God that attended him by the which He was prepared for every Work and Service which he was called unto and which he performed to the Honour of God and Comfort of his People and to the Confounding of those that
Opposed the Truth He was but Young in Years and of a Little Stature for the which he was by Brutish Envious Persecuting Priests and Professors Mocked and by them in a scornful Mind called The QVAKING BOY but in him was seen the Mighty Power of God VVhen any of them that were climed up so high in their Imaginations and strengthned themselves in their Self-righteousness and came forth in the Strength of the power of Darkness to Oppose the Truth of God which he bore Testimony unto with him did then appear the Name and Power of the Living God which was with the little Stripling David in which Name and Power he many times stopped the Mouths of Gain-sayers and by the Wisdom of God that was with him he caught the Wise and Crafty in their own Snares and Confounded them in the sight of all that had an Eye to see and so brought shame upon them whereby the Saying is fulfilled That by Weak things the Lord would confound the Mighty and things that are Despised hath God chosen yea and things that are not to bring to nothing things that are He had also a good Gift to declare the Truth and was full of Zeal and Heavenly Courage in the which he performed the same for the informing of the Minds of those that wanted the Knowledge of the Lord also to Mark Out and Make Manifest the Deceivers which People were to turn from His Exhortation was unto Us that were turned unto the Truth To Walk in it and to Watch unto it and to Keep Low in God's Holy Fear to Deny our selves and Take Vp the Daily Cross to our own Wills and to be Faithful in that Little Appearance of Light Truth which we had already receiv'd alwayes declaring unto us That if we were Faithful in that the Lord would make known more unto us whose words many of us are now Living Witnesses of the fulfilling of Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever and for evermore saith my Soul Also He was a Good Example and a Pattern in his Life and Conversation unto us by the which he preached Truth unto us as well as by his VVords for He himself lived according to what he taught us for he was adorned with Gravity and walked before us in Humility yea he had a Blameless Conversation and was unspotted from the World so that his Presence as well as his Words was a Strengthning and a Comfort to the Upright and Honest-hearted but he was an Awe a Dread to the Careless and Disobedient which made a Profession of the Truth but did not walk Answerably thereunto who he alwayes told should be cloathed with Rags which could not cover them and their SHAME should appear and they left Naked for the Light and Day of the Lord was come that would make all manifest and strip off all False Coverings so that a Profession although it were of the Truth it self would no longer do nor cover without the Life and Power be known and witnessed which doth not only Discover Sin and Evil but also Overcomes it Removes it Takes it away The Truth of this Doctrine which he preached unto us there are many of us by the good Hand and Power of the Lord have do see the Fulfilling of this Honest-hearted Young Man's Testimony both on them that received the Truth which he preached into an Honest and Good Heart and also upon the Careless and Disobedient so that I shall and do conclude in this Testimony concerning Him That He was a Faithful Servant and Messenger sent by God to Declare the Way of Life unto them that wanted the Knowledge of it and to Reprove Sin and to Make Manifest Deceivers and to Testifie against them which may be seen and felt to the better Satisfaction of them that never saw his Face in reading over his own Books and Epistles which were written by his Own Hand which all that read with an Honest Heart in a Serious Mind I doubt not but will say with me Surely the Mighty Power and Wisdom of the Lord was with him of a Truth Samuel Cater Thomas Bayles HIS TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel THis Blessed Man the Writer of these following Books was made a Partaker of that Faith Patience through which the Righteous in all Ages obtained the Crown of Life and Victory over all their Enemies and had a share in his Day and Time as alwayes they had in this World of the Sufferings of Christ in him He was sent into this County with the Testimony of God in his Heart Mouth and therefore was Bold in the Name of the Lord to cry REPENTANCE in the Ears of the Sons of Men and as He said so lived he as many in this Town and Place are living Witnesses of who have true Cause to bless and praise the Name of the Lord and do for that He and other of his Brethren were sent amongâ—â— us He was of a sweet Savour of Christ to the Almighty God through his Faithfulness to him who sent him hither in them who receiv'd his Testimony though many there were that hardened their Hearts against the Lord of which Number were many of the Rulers Priests and Professors of that Time who notwitstanding they cryed Reformation the Ordinances of Christ Jesus Christian-Duties and the like yet manifested themselves of that Stock and Generation which always slew the Righteous and the Lord God soon stretcht forth his Righteous Hand of Judgment upon some as Warnings unto others whom he spared from that swift Stroak that they might Repent as some did and seek his Face who is the Light of the World God blessed for evermore He was as a Youth and mean in hâ—s Outward Presence and Appearance but God hath chosen the Foolish Things of this World to confound the Wise And so high was the spirit of the Professors and the Prophane encouraged thereby that with whom among such was his Name used but in a way of Derision and Scorn terming him The Railing Fellow in the Castle He owneth himself to be Christ Jesus A Wandering Star to whom is reserved the Blackness of Darkness forever But since it came to Light and the Wandering Stars seen and their Blackness of Darkness felt who durst not stand by their Ordinances Duties nor Christianity but in Obscure Holes Secret Places Vaults which shews them of a low dark earthly wandering spirit who know not the Spirit of Life from God nor the Stability thereof to set them above the Fear of Man where they lie in great Captivity The Lord hath put it into my Heart in the blessed Remembrance of his Innocent Life to bear my Testimony upon this Occasion and thus to appear in the Memorial of him And I am assured in my Spirit That although the Lord suffer'd him to be cruelly kept in Bonds until Death and to be hated persecuted beyond what we had known before amongst us yet it was for his Righteous Life sake as from
his Enemies and testifying against tâ—e gross Hypocrisie of that Day And this I have to say concerning him and it 〈◊〉 in many and shall not dye That he was an Innocent Man and lived in the Testimony and Feaâ— of God that he sought nothing here for himself but alone laboured and traviâ—ed that People might be brought into the Knowledge and Love of God and had he bin otherwise spirited he should have had Acceptance with many of hâ—s Enemies I believe And as he was an Innocent Man so he lived Innocently towards all men and so he dyed Innocently as himself estified a small time before his departure Here I Dye Innocently And as several who were with him were Eye-Witnesses of the sâ—me and is enter'd into the Bosom of the Eternal Rest with God forever His Testimony was That God was Light and that Christ who proceeded and came from God did enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that all Men through him might believe which Testimony of Truth bearing although it was rejected by many and the heavenly Light of the Lord too mean an Appearance for the aspir'd Minds of those Dayes â—o submit unto yet accepted of was it by some who by it soon were taught to take the Yoak of Christ upon them and to receive his holy Fâ—ar into their Hearts and were blessed of the Lord prospered and encreased although therefore persecuted and reviled by the Vngodly Generation who turn away their Eyes from the Reproof of Instruction because of the Reproof thereof and preserved through many grievous Trials Tribulations through their faithful Obedience in the Light Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth so what Acceptance ever had the Righteous in this World by the men and spirit thereof is apparent by Scripture and Historical Account and our Experience doth confirm the same viz. Persecution and Cruelty Prisons and stinking Holes Banishments and Death Destroying of the Goods and Estates of the Innocent and what do I behold at this day I never saw or read of a Lamb worrying a Dog nor an Innocent Sheep to tear or devour a Wolf What Christianity or Holiness is that which hurts and destroyes and thinketh thereby of doing God good Service Surely it is not to be found in all God's Holy Mountain saith the Lord. And so The Name of the Righteous is had in Everlasting Remembrance aâ—d his Memorial shall shine forever and ever In true Faith and Assurance as a Brotherly-Testimony to my deceased Friend's Innocency is this written that it may be known from one who was acquainted with his Life and Death in this Town that the Lord was with him in his Life and Death that those who are yet in being that had a Hand in his Sâ—fferings or consented may Repent Repent unfeignedly and seek the Lord while He is to be found for if thou art found out by Him to be a Blood-guilty Man and knowest not his Hysop in thy Day of Visitation to have purged thee know thou that the Lord God will give thee Blood double to drink in his Day of Judgment with Horror and Destruction for evermore â—olchester the 7th of the 7th Month 1671. Thomas Bayles A TESTIMONY Concerning the Sufferings and Death OF James Parnel I Having a Knowledge of J. P. the Author of these Books and being an Eye-Witness of part of his great Sufferings he under-went for the Testimony of the Blessed Truth which he sealed with his Blood being persecuted by a Professing Generation who though they made great Pretence to Christianity yet they were upon Tryal found to be such who were born of the Flesh who always persecuted them that were born after the Spirit and were like the Professing Jews who reckoned they were of the Stock of Abraham and that he was their Father when they were of their Father the Devil doing his Works Persecuting the Innocent And that the Remembrance of the Great Suffering of this our Dear Friend and Brother JAMES PARNEL may not be extinguished I shall insert a full Relation of his Imprisonment and Death as followeth The said JAMES PARNEL being moved of the Lord to go to a Steeple-House at Coggshall the Priests and the People having appointed a Fast as they said against Error the 12th Day of the 5th Month in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Five after the Priest had Ended James spake a few Words to them so passing forth of the Steeple-House one called Justice WAKERING followed him and clapt him on the back and said He Arrested Him although he shewed no Writ and by the means of divers Priests he was by Dionysius Wakering Herbert Pelham Thomas Cook and William Harlakenden committed to Colchester-Castle and there kept close up and none of his Friends suffered to come near him and from thence at the Assizes was carried to Chelmsford where they kept him on the Chain Day and Night but when he appeared at the Bar the Chain was taken off only had Irons on his Hands where Judge Hill urged the Jury to find him guilty declaring what he could against the Prisoner to them and would not suffer him to speak to the Jury to clear himself so the Judge fined him Forty Pounds and to be committed Close Prisoner till Payment and gave Charge to the Goaler Not to let any Giddy-Headed People as he called them come at him so the Goaler denyed his Friends to come to him to Relieve him and would not let them in but such as came to Abuse Scorn and Beat him they let in to him and the Goaler's Wife did set her Man to Beat him who threatned to Knock him down and make him shake his Heels and she her self did Beat him several times and swore She would have his Blood And sometimes they would not let him have any Victuals brought to him other times they would set Prisoners to take away such Victuals as was brought to him and would not let him have a Trundle-Bed which his Friends would have brought him to lie on but forced him to lie on the Stones which in a wet season would run down with Water and when he was in a Room for which he paid Four Pence a Night he was threatned if he did but walk to and fro in it Then they put him in the Hole in the Wall which is very high from the Ground and where the Ladder was too short by Six Foot and when his Friends would have given him a Cord and a Basket to have taken up his Victuals in they would not let them though they much desired it but he must either come up and down by a Rope or else Famish in the Hole which he did a long time But after a long Suffering in this Hole where there was nought but Misery as to the Outward Man it being no Place either for Air or Smoak and James being much benumbed in his Naturals as he was climbing up the Ladder with his Victuals in one Hand and coming to the top of
Unholy nor Unclean thing must enter So now What Assurance have you of your Salvation or what is your Faith built upon when both Christ and the Scriptures witness against you And Faith which is not built on the Rock Christ Jesus is vain and perisheth And he that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is Pure Here all your Faith is searched tryed and proved and is found all vain and perishing and so is not built upon the Rock which Perisheth not Therefore come down all you High-minded Pharisees and lay away all your Profession and throw down all your old Building and begin and lay a new Foundation for the higher the Pharisee climbs the greater will be his Fall and he that will be Wise let him first become a Fool For man by his Wisdom knows not God Here the Pharisee is shut out from the Knowldge of God who stands in his own wisdom And all you Wilful Blind Carnal Ignorant Creatures whom my Soul pittieth to see how ignorantly you are led who pin your Faith upon the Sleeves of your Fore-Fathers and live in Lightness and Wantonness spending your Youth in Vanity in Gaming Pleasures and Sporting in Drunkenness in Swearing and Lying in Vain Talk and Foolish Jestings in Pride and Lust and Filthiness and say You follow your Fore-Fathers and say What is become of them and say Your Pleasures is Pastime and Recreation and your Vain Talk and Foolish Jesting is Pastime and Merriness and so you pass the Time away and say Your Drinking and Rioting and Feasting is Good-Fellowship and Neighbourhood and so you cover over your Sins and Iniquities but Wo unto him that hides his Sin and covers his Iniquity and all this will not profit you any thing neither can your Fore-Fathers excuse you before the Lord for in the beginning it was so that Eve could not Justifie Adam neither could be any Excuse but rather Condemned him because he hearkened to the to the Voice of the Woman and Disobeyed the Lord so Adam suffered for his own Sin and so did Eve for her's And so this will be no Excuse for you in the Day of Account to say You followed your Fore-Fathers and did as they did before you But then will the Lord say Because you followed the Traditions and Fashions and Customs and Inventions of Man and have hearkened to the Voice of the Serpent and have Disobeyed my Voice and my Command and Sleighted my Counsel and would none of my Reproof but cast my Law behind your Backs and trampled my Mercy under Foot and have turned my Grace into Wantonness and have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter and have spent my Creatures upon your Lusts and Stoned Stocked Buffeted and Imprisoned and Shamefully intreated my Messengers which I sent unto you to Forewarn you of your Iniquity and have killed my Son therefore depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know ye not into Everlasting Torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels To see now how vain your Hope is and how unstedfast your Faith is when you have more Assurance of your Damnation than your Salvation for the Lord saith No Unrighteous Person must enter into his Kingdom nor no Unholy nor Unclean thing Therefore all you who desire Salvation to your Souls Try and Prove your Faith and Hope which you do trust to and take heed of trusting to a broken Reed lest it deceive you Experience hath taught you That if a Foundation of a Building be decayed and wasted and naught the Building will Fall when a Storm cometh so let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he falleth So every one whose desire is after Righteousness hearken to that in your Consciences which raiseth up Desires after Righteousness and which sheweth you the Vainness of your Lives and checks you when you do amiss and troubles you and torments you in Conscience when you have been Drunk or have done some Evil Act be willing to be guided by that and that will lead you to Repentance and Newness of Life to forsake those things which it discovers to be contrary to the will of God and if you be willing to follow this and be guided by it you shall find a Teacher continually present checking in the Conscience for vain Thoughts and for Vain and Idle and Needless Words and Actions and so will Crucifie the Lust which is the Ground of those things and which will lead you out of the Pathes of Death into the Way of Life out of the Traditions and Customs and Fashions Opinions of the World into the Assurance of the Eternal Truth And thou that art willing to follow this and be guided by this shalt need no man to teach thee but it will be a Teacher unto thee Teaching and Directing in Righteousness Purity and Holiness and if thou art Dilligent keeping thy Mind within with an Ear open to the pure Voice thou shalt find it present with thee wheresoever thou art in the Fields in thy Bed in Markets in Company or wheresoever thou art when thy Outward Priest or Teacher is absent it may be in the Ale-House or at his Pleasures and Delights or far off it will be present with thee and will Check thee and Condemn thee for that which no Outward Eye can See and will cleanse thy Heart from Lust and Deceit and Uncleanness and will purifie thy Heart and will make it a fit Temple for Purity to dwell in and then thy Sacrifices will be Pure which come from a Pure Heart the Lord will accept them for Abel's Sacrifices he receiveth but Cain's he denies but if thou wouldest attain to this thou must be willing to deny thy Lusts thy Vanity thy Delights or whatsoever hath been thy Life For He that will save his Life shall lose it and he that will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it So there is no obtaining of Life but through Death nor no obtaining the Crown but through the Cross So thou must deny thy self and take up thy daily Cross and follow Christ if thou wouldest be his Disciple and give up thy Self wholly to be guided by the Will of God that all which is contrary to the Will of God may be Crucified though it be never so near and dear to thee and be forsaken Lands or Living Wife or Children Friends and Acquaintance or all the World and all Delights in the World For he that loveth any thing better then Me is not worthy of Me And all things below the Lord Vanisheth but He Endureth forever So the Lord God Almighty prosper all the Tender Desires which are raised up towards him and feed the Hungry and Thirsty Souls as he hath promised and raise up his own in all his that he alone may be Glorified Praised and Honoured who is Worthy and to whom all belongeth And this is the Desire of his Soul who is a Servant of the Lord who is Hated Reviled and Derided of the World
Fornication with the Creation and the Grace of God which should guide you out of the Lust and Ungodliness of the World you turn into Wantonness and your Teachers who cause you to err by their Sorcery and Enchantments and James the Son of Thunder utter'd forth his Voice against such and thus saith the Lord Because the Daughters of Sion are Haughty and walk with stretched-out Necks and wanton Eyes walking and mincing as they go making a tinkling with their Feet therefore the Lord will smite with the Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Sion In that day the Lord will take away all the Bravery of their tinkling Ornaments of their Feet and their Cauls and round Attire like the Moon and the Chains and the Bracelets and the Head-bands and Tablets and the Ear-rings and the Nose-jewels the changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples and the Crisping-pins and the Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vails and it shall come to pass that instead of sweet Smell there shall be a Stink and instead of well-set Hair Baldness and instead of a Stomacher a girding with Sack-cloth and Burning instead of Beauty Now all you high and lofty Daughters of England who are sporting your selves in the day time and Scorning and Disdaining your Fellow-Creatures read your selves and your Portions Howl and Lament for a Day of Vengeance of Rending of Burning of Famine is coming upon you for the Land mourns because of Pride James Parnell To the LIBERTINE whose Liberty stands in the Flesh. WO unto thee who art at Ease in the Flesh devouring the Creation and spending it upon thy Lusts whose heart is run from God a Whoring after other Lovers committing Fornication with the Creation nourishing thy heart as in a day of Slaughter satisfying thy Lusts in whatsoever thy heart runs after and so art at ease in the Flesh and feelest no Sorrow nor Grief but the Harlot is exalted in thy Bosom above all that is called God and thou hast cast his Law behind thy back living without the Fear of God and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace saying within thy self He that doth Evil is Good in the sight of God and where is the God of Judgment Can we do any thing without God Is it not by his Power we do all things And can we do any thing contrary to his Will Yea thou shalt find that all thou dost is contrary to his Will and thou shalt find him a God of Judgment for thy Sins have separated thy Soul from God and long in his Love and Mercy to thy Soul hath he forborn thee and hath not cut thee off from off the face of the Earth but hath still spared thee and waited to be gracious though thy heart hath been wholy gone from him and never regarded to do that which is pleasing in his sight but instead of serving him thou hast served thy own lusts with his good Creatures to which thou hast had no right and he to thee hath been a merciful God but will not the Lord visit for these things yea he will not alwayes strive with man and though thou takes thy pleasure now remember thou must come to Judgment And lo saith the Lord I come quickly and my reward is with me to give unto every one according to his deeds And they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption And then thou shalt finde that power thou hast had and instead of using it to the Honour and Glory of God thou hast hid thy Talent in the Earth and lived wantonly upon the Earth serving thy own will dishonouring the Holy Lord of Glory and Righteousness and then in the day of thy Judgment thou shalt confess that the Lord hath visited thee time after time and called thee time after time handing forth his Mercy to thee when thou hearkned the Lord was with thee when thou walked in his fear he was not far from thee but thou hast hearkned to the voice of the Serpent and false Prophet which hath drawn thy heart from God into the visible things of the Creation which pass away and hath promised thee Liberty and Peace in the same and it being pleasing to thy lustfull earthly minde thou art become one with the Harlot which lyeth in thy Bosom and thus thou hast accepted the gift with which the Old Serpent tempted Christ and so art become a Servant of the Devill of whom thou art brought in bondage of him being evermore and while thou art promising to thy self Liberty thou thy self art a Servant unto corruption and thus thy Lusts have separated betwixt God and thy Soul and art become the Image of the Devil yielding thy Members servants to uncleanness and thus thou sets up a rest in the Devils Kingdom wherein thou sports thy self and art at liberty eating and drinking in merriness so if there were sorrow only in this World thou art of all men most happy then our Fathers that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and we are of all men most miserable if there be joy only in this World but out of the Liberty of the Children of God thou art found and by them seen to be in the fall wallowing in the myre and lust and so art unredeemed living under the Curse for this is the redemption from death to life and thou livest after the flesh and are dead the carnall minde ruling which is death and is at enmity with God for it is not subject to the will of God and so long as this hath dominion over thee thou canst not obey God for he that lives in the flesh cannot please God but if through the Spirit thou mortifie the deeds of the flesh thou shalt live and here is the Liberty of the Children of God Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit but their Liberty is not in the Flesh but in the Spirit for by the Law of the Spirit of the Life they are set free from the Law of Sin and Death and from Christ their Redeemer they have received Power to become the Sons of God and in the same have dominion over the World Flesh Self and the Devil Death and Hell and this comes through the Cross by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them and here is the Liberty of the Children of God who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which Liberty no vulterous Eye can see nor venemous Beast shall know nor the rebellious disobedient One Therefore do not deceive thy self in saying thou art a Christian and believest in Christ and art a Child of God for They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh and to whom thou yieldest thy Members Servants to obey his Servant thou art To the Light of God in thy Conscience I speak which if thou love it and unto it hearken
by them but all along their Lives and Conversations condemn yours and therefore you Hate them Revile them and Reproach them in whom the Power of the Living God is made manifest the same which ever was Which Shaketh the Earth and maketh the Strong Man to bow himself and the Keepers of the House to Tremble And the same Power which all the Children of God in all Ages witnessed and passed through which then by the same Generation Suffered both by Magistrates Professors Priests and People who were and are Strangers to the Life of God and his Power and therefore Reproached Scoffed and Scorned it as you now do but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon you Who are Despisers of those that do Good Isaac the Seed of the Promise Trembled Gen. 27. 33. who was Mocked by Ishmael the Son of the Bond-Woman who was cast out as the same Seed and now by you Ishmaelites who are the Children of the Bond. Woman who are cast out and are found without Mocking and Scoffing the Righteous Seed Gen. 21 9 10. Gal. 4. 30. And Moses a Servant of God Quaked and Trembled who counted it greater Riches to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season Heb. 12. 21. Heb. 11. 26. and this you now call Madness and Folly who know not that Godliness is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. And David who was a King Quaked and Trembled and Roared and Watered his Couch with Tears Psal. 69. 12. Psal. 22. 14. Psal. 38. Psalm 6. 6. And Drunkards made a Song on Him And some shut out their Tongues and wagged their Heads and gaped upon him with their Mouthes Psalm 64. and Psalm 122. 7. and this you sing in your Steeple-Houses like Hypocrites without knowledg Psalm 35. 16. and yet scoffe and scorn and reproach those in whom the same Power is made manifest and yet you will say as he said you are not puft in mind nor have no scornfull eye c. but he spoke the Truth and you lye Psalm 131. 1. and thus you deceive your souls and loves to have it so your Leaders cause you to err Isa. 9. 16. and Job a Servant of the Lord quaked who by the same Generation was laughed to scorn Job 4. 14. Job 12. 14. and Jeremiah a Prophet of the Lord quaked who was then persecuted by the same generation Jer. 23. 9. and Daniel a Prophet of the Lord trembled who was cast into the Lyons Den because he would not deny his God Dan. 10. 11. Dan. 6. 16. but by his power he was preserved as we are now from those Lyons Whelps who would us devour and Habbakkuk a Prophet of the Lord his Belly Trembled and his Lips Quivered Hab. 3. 16. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ fell down and trembled Acts 9. 4 5 6. who was reviled reproached and persecuted even to death who was one that hazarded his life for the Name of Jesus Acts 6. 26. and said all the day long were they killed and accounted as sheep to the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. now these were all Quakers who then suffered with patience by the same Generation now read what Generation you are of for they that were after the flesh always persecuted them that were after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. there was always a generation by which the righteous ever suffered since Cain the first-born upon earth in whose way you are found who envy who are in the wrath Iude 10. you kill the just and he lyes slain in the streets Jam. 5. 5 6. at whose hands his blood shall be required Mat. 23. 35. and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with trembling Ezek 12. 10. out of which life you are found who are at ease in the flesh feeding without the fear of God spending the Creatures upon your lusts 1 Cor. 10. 7. Jam. 5. scoffing and scorning them who are not one with you in the same liberty but fears before the Throne of God 1 Pet. 4. 4. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 31. and thus you erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. therefore behold ye Dispisers and Wonderers and perish I will work a work in your days which though you see it you shall not believe it Acts 13. 41. Is it not apparent before your eyes the wicked man returns from his wickedness and the ungodly from his ungodliness and the drunkard from his drunkenness and the prophane one from his prophaneness and now seeks after God and fears his powerfull name and this you see and cannot believe but despise scoff and scorn the Power by which this Work is done for it is no new thing but the same which was and is you are in the same adulterous Generation which cannot see the Signes which follow the Truth Mat. 16. 3 4. from whom the Gospel is hid whose eye is Darkned with the Godd of the world 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. and so speaks evil of the things you know not Jude 11. putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Evil for Good and Good for Evil Isa. 5. 20. you are the Scoffers that the Apostle fore-told of to be in the last times Jude 18. who are Despisers of those that are good Incontinent Fierce Traitor Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but deny the Life and Power 2 Tim. 3. 3 4 5. and here you are both Priests people and professors who are Scoffing and Scorning Slandring Reproaching Reviling and Persecuting the Righteous Innocent Servants and Messengers of the Most High God who is uttering forth his Voice through them in Power against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of men who will you call to Judgment and convince you of all your ungodly Deeds and all your hard Speeches which you have wrongfully spoken against him and his Power and will reward you accordingly Jude 14. 15. Rom. 22. 21. Therefore to that which is of God in all your Consciences I speak which is my Witness against your Ungodly Lives which turning your minds to it and unto it taking heed will let you see you speak Evil of the things you know not loving Darkness rather then Light because your deeds are Evil John 3. 19. Therefore Fear and Dread the Lord God and Repent and take heed of Mocking lest your Bonds be made strong Isa. 28. 22. for God will not be Mocked such as you Sow such must you Reap Gal. 67. Therefore fear before the Lord and try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. And despise nothing before you know it lest you speak Evil of Gods Elect for it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Hebr. 10. 31. Therefore take this for a Warning as from the Mouth of the Lord for no Ignorance is to be pleaded before the Throne of God This was given forth in
uppermost Roomes at Feasts and love Greetings in the Markets such Christ declared against See whether these be outward signes of Pride yea or nay But you will say that one may have as Proud a heart in plain Apparrel I answer But where pride is it will vent forth it self either less or more according to the outward ability of the Creature but it shewes it selfe the most in Apparel but the Light of God makes manifest the Heart where lies the Root Covetousness is a Fruit of the corrupt Tree see whether your Teachers be covetous yea or nay who have some Fifty some Sixty some and Hundred or two Hundred Pounds in the Year more or less as they can get it and some have Money for Smoak passing up the Chimnies and for Pigs Geese Eggs and Chickens and many other such like things which are too tedious to reckon but your Hirelings will reckon them when they come to take them to seek for their Gain from their Quarter and this Gain they make of the Letter which was spoken forth freely by the true Prophets and Apostles of God Where the greatest Benefices are there will they be so are like the false Prophets which Ezekiel declared against Who seek for the Fleece and regard not the Flock Now see whether your Teachers be Covetous or we who have left our Countries our Lands and Livings and Possessions and have forsaken all and have not where to lay our Heads but as the Lord provideth for us neither covet any man's Silver nor Gold Gifts or Rewards for freely we have received freely we give for we come not to seek yours but you God is our Witness and our Justification then who art thou that condemnest Drunkenness is a Fruit of the Corrupt Tree now see whether we or your Teachers are guilty of this he that hath an Eye to see let him see Envy is a Fruit of the Corrupt Tree now see whether your Teachers be guilty of this who sue men at Law for their own Estates and earthly things and trifles though they be of their own Flock or we who sue no man at the Law but are sued by them because we cannot maintain them in their Pride and Idleness by the Sweat of our Brows contrary to the Scripture which saith He that will not Work let him not Eat and if they did administer to us spiritual things they should reap our carnal Now see if these be not the Ravening Wolves in Sheep's Clothing for so long as we put into their Mouthes they cryed Peace Peace and told us we were Christians when we were Heathens and knew not God so sewed Pillows under our Arm-holes and appeared to us in Sheeps Cloathing but now we that are redeemed into the Flock of Christ by Christ our eyes are opened and now we see that we profited nothing by them but were deceived by them so we cannot put into their Mouthes nor Maintain them any longer in their Deceipts but testifie against them and so they Sue us at the Law and hale us before Magistrates and take Tribble Damage and appear Ravening Wolves and would destroy us and our Families and would live upon our Estates by Compulsion and an outward Law and some of us they cause to be put in Prison and call us Hereticks Deluders and Deceivers false Prophets and yet could live on our Estates and covet our Silver and Gold and Estates and by your Law and Justices Warrants straine upon them and so seek ours and would destroy us like the false Prophets which Hosea declared against who as a company of Robbers wait for a man so the company of Priests murder in the way by consent and also the false Teachers which Peter foretold of who through covetousness with feigned words make merchandize of the People or we who are made merchandize of though we take none of their stoln Wares and make merchandize of none God is our Witness And see if these be not the false Teachers which Paul fore-told of to come in the last times Covetous Proud Boasters Blasphemers Disobedient Unthankful Unholy without Naturall Affection Truce-breakers False-accusers Incontinent Fierce Despisers of those that are good Traytors Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away For of this sort are they that creep into Houses who lead silly women captive full of sin and corruption and divers lusts ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the Truth Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Now see if your Teachers be not Lovers of their own selves who seek for the Fleece and regard not the Flock but feed with the Fat aud clothe with the Wool and live by the Sweat of others Brows living at Ease devouring the Creation and spending it upon their Lusts they and their Wives and Children nourishing their Hearts as in a day of Slaughter and of changable Minds according to the Government of Man that they may save and shelter themselves under the Power and Will of Man as the false Prophets did by which they stood and were upheld and the same that Prayed for the King and Realm the same Pray now for the Lord Protector and the State of England Now see whether these be false Prophets or we who have forsaken our outward Livings and Estates and Countries and Acquaintance and come into Strange Countries and lite among Dogs and Wolves and Heathens as Christ saith he sends us forth as Sheep among Wolves which are of the Priests Flock and suffers our Bodies to be Stock'd Ston'd Reproach'd Revil'd Imprison'd and shamefully Intreated and love not our Lives unto Death for Christ's sake he is our Witness and only Protector in whose Power we stand and are upheld contrary to the Will of Man And see whether we or your Teachers are Covetous as it is before proved and Proud as it is before proved And see if they be not Boasters who boast that they are the Ministers of Christ and sent of God when as they are come but from Oxford and Cambridge approved by the Will of Man And boast of Gifts and sell them for Money when the Scripture saith The Gift of God is not to be bought with Money And they boast they are the mediate Means ordain'd by God when as they are ordain'd by their Parents or some other and their Means are Mediate and the Apostles Immediate and the Way is but One saith Christ he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear And see if they be not Blasphemers who say They are the Ministers of Christ and some of them Drunkards some Proud some Covetous and are Evil Examples to all that follow them contrato Christ or his Apostles who said Walk as you have us for
Ground of the Religion made manifest to us is God himself for God is the Fountain of all Truth and Truth is Religion and Religion is Truth and this Truth we witness made manifest by God the Life of Truth and here is the Religion which we witness forth and here is the Ground witnessed forth from the Ground and this Religion is pure unspotted and springs from the Light which is pure wherein there is no Deceit neither can be for it discovers all Deceit and leads out of it both within and without but Deceit discovers not Deceit for Satan divided against himself cannot stand bâ—t all Sects and Opinions arise out of Darkness and the End is Confusion and so as Darkness is opposite to Light and Death to Life so are all Sects and Opinions against the true Religion and all will side together against the Truth though they be opposite one to another in Judgment as Pilate and Herod did against Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and Saducees and rude Multitude So it is now both Papist and Protestant as they call them and all other Sects and Opinions which arise out of the Fall for though they differ in Judgment yet they spring from one Root and no Difference in Life but the Light strikes at the Root which is Darkness and layes open the hidden things done in Darkness so Darkness cannot endure the Light and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil And this is the Cause why our Religion is spoaken against more then any Profession besides all Drunkards Swearers Lyars Whoremongers Adulterers Thieves Murtherers Proud Covetous Lustful ones and all Unrighteous Persons will speak against it and call it Delusion and Heresie and Witchery and all manner of Evil which the Devil can invent and those stand up for the Priests and persecute the Truth as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles times and this will all Pharisees and Professors do as they ever did for they can wink at one another and bear with one another in Deceit but Truth cannot at all bear with Deceit because there is perfect Enmity as there was ever in all Ages and it is no new thing And here all your Sects and Opinions are shut out of the Light and are in Darkness and so is Confusion both Popery and all other But the Truth is but one and who dwels in the Truth dwels in the Light and are the Children of the Light and there is no Confusion but all of one Heart and one Mind Epistles written in one anothers Hearts and there is that in every Conscience which shall witness it be the everlasting Truth which ever was is and is to be for ever both in them that believe and in them that perish though to the Condemnation of them that hate it And this I witness by the infallible Spirit of the Lord which cannot lie And now I have discharged my Conscience before all People in the behalf of the Truth of God not that I would have any to speak well of it but from the Ground of it for the Love and the Hatred of the Unrighteous is all one to me but for some Simple ones sake I have laid open my self and freely discharged my Conscience and I doubt not that my Labour is in vain but whosoever owns the Truth of God must own it through good Report and evil Report and must be content to loose their good Name in the World as both Christ and his Servants did and the Servant must not be greater then his Lord. And now a few words to all you Heads and Rulers and Magistrates in what Degree soever who have the Power in your own Hands who by your Power persecute and imprison the Servants and Messengers of Jesus Christ as Deluders and Deceivers Witches and Vagabonds and have no Ground for it but only by Hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts and because they cannot please nor satisfie your corrupt proud Wills which is your Law by which you persecute them not weighing nor searching the Ground of things You are they in whom the Beast reigns and his Image you bear which upholds the false Prophet and Tyrannize over the Nations by his corupt Will and cause them to bow to and worship his Image and you oppress and persecute those who cannot You must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without mixture for in the bloody Generation you are found filling up the measure of your Fathers Wrath upon whom must come all the righteous Blood shed from righteous Abel until now and this I say in the Presence of the living God by the Spirit of the living God that all you who have had a hand in persecuting of them Guilt shall follow you in the Conscience until you come to Judgment And therefore I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion or to lay your Law upon any tender Conscience but see that your Law be according to that in the Conscience which is pure and perfect and medle with such Affairs as you are set about and rather give Liberty to Religion then take it away as you own the Grace of God you will and see that you discharge your Consciences there lest that while you are persecuting the Truth you neglect that which you are set about for you will both persecute them your selves and suffer the Bruits to stone strike buffet them which is all contrary to your own Law Neither when they are brought before you can they have the Liberty of the Law to clear such Accusations as are laid against them but you will hear the Accusers but not the Accused and this is contrary to the Heathenish Law and are more unjust then the very Heathen who said Doth our Law judge any one before it hear him And so for Shame profess no more Love to Christ in this Nature who execute your Law upon his Servants upon such a fallible Ground which no Judge ought to do by the Law of God especially about Religion but to search out the Ground of the Matter on both side before he judge but this he cannot do about Religion except he have the Spirit of the Lord therefore take heed of medling about spiritual Matters lest through Ignorance you call Christ Beelzebub and persecute him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver as many of you have done which is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it to your Sorrow And all you blind People who persecute rail and revile and reproach the Truth of God and have no Ground for it but by hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts one imagining one Thing and another another Thing as the Multitude which gathered together against Paul one crying one Thing and another
vanishes away pulling down one Judgment and setting up another pulling down one Form and setting up another and thus are building Babel and so are confounded with this Confusion by him who confounds the Wisdom of the Wise and brings to nought the Counsel of the Prudent And so I seeing many poor Creatures in this Distraction tossed about with every Wind of Doctrine and sucking at the Husk for Life and so get into the Comprehension a great deal of light airy notional Knowledge which is all but aâ— Chaff which the Wind will scatter in the Day of the Lord and so it will stand in no stead when the Lord comes to plead with all flesh for nothing will stand in the Day of Tryal but what comes through Death thus I see many a poor Creature lost and tossed in this wide Wilderness even this dark World being Carried Captive by the Prince of the Air not knowing the true Light to be its Guide into the Way of Truth which is the Way of Life and Peace Now in the Light which was before the World was I do comprehend the World and the Ground and End of all Forms Sects and Opinions And so for some Simple Ones Sakes and the Tender-hearted have I here laid them Open and withall directing the Mind how and where to find the true Light by which these Things are seen and read and understood and as it is loved and followed the Mind will be brought into the Life and Power out of these fading empty Shadows unto the Possession of the Substance even the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands the End of all Forms Shadows and Imaginations and thus doth the Stone which the Builders rejected become the Head of the Corner and thus the Creature is turned from the Power of Satan unto God J. P. THE WATCHER Striking at the Feet of the IMAGE c. IN the Dayes of old the Holy Men of God who were indued with the Spirit of God did as they were acted and guided moved and commanded by the Power and Spirit of God which dwelt in them and here was their RULE And also the Serpent as an Angel of Light he acted and worked in his Instruments by the Power of Darkness in Opposition to the Spirit of God the Enmity being placed betwixt the two Seeds and the more gloriously the true Light appear'd in any Age Satan also reform'd himself and appear'd accordingly in the Shape and Form and Likeness thereof as it is now to this Day but his was alwaies but the Form and Likeness of the thing but not the Thing it self His is the false Light the other the true Light and so the true Light all along discover'd him and made him manifest to those in whom it ruled But thus by his Subtilty and Deceit he hath ever deceived the World and blinded the World so that he might keep his Kingdom who is the God of the World as for Example Moses a Servant and Messenger of the most high God to whom God had revealed and made known himself when he and Aaron were sent unto Pharaoh to require him to let Israel ge free for a Sign unto him they cast down their Rod and it became a Serpent and the Magicians of Egypt they were brought and by their Sorceries and Inchantments they cast down their Rods and they became Serpents and thereby Pharaoh's Heart was hardned and they would not obey nor believe And thus the Devil imitated and opposed the Truth but Aaron's Rods swallowed up their Rods so that it was manifest that He that was with them was Greater then he that was in the World And also when Israel had sin'd against God and done that which is Evil in the Sight of God the Lord God sent forth his Prophets and Messengers to declare the Word of the Lord amongst them against Sin and Evil Pride Deceit and Oppression and all Ungodliness Iniquities Disobedience and Rebellion and they had Visions and Revelations and the Word of God dwelt in them by which they were led guided and acted And Satan he also wrought in his Instruments with a Spirit of Delusion and he sent forth his Prophets with their Visions lying Divinations and false Dream and they cried Peace where the true Prophets cried Wo and the People hearkned unto them and set them up and the Prophets prophesied falsly and the Priests bore Rule by their meanes and the People loved to have it so But What will you do in the End thereof saith the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Jeremiah who declared against it freely and said It was an horrible filthy Thing and he was persecuted And the true Prophets who dwelt in the Light and in the Power of God they saw them to be such as run and the Lord never sent them and therefore they profited not the People at all and they stole the Word from their Neighbour and they spoak a Divination of their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord and say the Lord said when he never spoak to them and they were light and vain and daub'd the People up with untempered Morter and sewed Pillows under their Arm-holes and healed the People slightly crying Peace Peace where there was no Peace but they turnd them not from their Evil Wayes nor from their Evil-doings and the Lord was against them And the true Prophets of God who dwelt in the Light they saw them and plainly freely declar'd against them then whether they would hear or forbear and told them They built up Sion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity and the Heads judged for Rewards and the Priests preach'd for Hire and the Prophets divined for Money and yet said the Prophet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us as that none Evil can come upon us And they saw them to be such as sought for the Fleeces and regardeâ—â— ot the Flock but fed with the Fat and cloathed with the Wool and made a Prey upon the Sheep but the Prophets of the Lord did not spare them but freely and publickly declared against them and they were persecuted and imprison'd and destroyed by those who upheld sided with the false Prophets Priests Hirelings and Deceivers And they had then a Way of Worship unto God with their New Moons with their Sabbaths with their calling of Assemblies and Prayers and Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings which were once prescribed by God unto Israel but when their Hearts were gone from him so that they walked not uâ—rightly before the Lord then said he Who hath 〈◊〉 these things at your hands to tread my Couâ—◠〈…〉 were vain 〈◊〉 Iâ—cense is an 〈…〉 the NewMoâ—ns and Sabbaths 〈…〉 I cannot away with It is Iniquity even the 〈…〉 and your appâ—inâ—◠〈…〉 spread forth your Haâ—â—s I wiâ—◠〈…〉 Eyes wheâ— you make many Prayers I will not hearken your Hand are full of Blood wish you
they stole the Apostles Words as the false Prophets stole the Word from their Neighbour so did and do those and put them into â—hapter aâ—d Verse and took a Verse and studied from it a 〈…〉 own Brain and added to it but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so do the Priests now but they run like the false Prophets and the Lord never sent them therefore they profit not the People at all and then with feigned or studied words through Covetousness they made Merchandize of the People as they do now and so made a Prey upon the Sheep as they do now and began to seek about for great Livings and Fat Benefices and left a lesser and ran to a bigger so there was their Beloved which they sought for as the false Prophets which sought for the Fleece and regarded not the Flock but sed with the Fat and cloathed with the Wool and made a Prey upon the Sheep as they do now and cryed Peace to those that put into their Mouthes and called them beloved Brethren and Christians but they that did not put into their Mouthes they prepared War against them and brought a Law upon them and haled them before Courts and Benches as they do now and thus they sought their Gain from their Quarter and ruled them with Rigour so that until within these late years the Priests raigned like Lords over the People contrary to the Practice of the Ministers of the Gospel who made themselves Servants to all And though they did ordain Bishops they did not ordain that they should live of others Estates or take the Tenths of the Increase of others Labours and live like Lords over the People but said a Bishop must be blameless the Husband of one Wife vigilant sober and of good Behaviour given to Hospitality apt to Teach not given to Wine no Striker not greedy of filthy Lucre but patient not a Brawler not Covetous one that ruleth well his own House not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil now try your Priest and Teachers by this Rule But they stood not to this who were ordained by the Pope or by the Will of Man but were lifted up with Pride and Covetousness and greedy of Filthy Lucre as they are now and so came into the Condemnation of the Devil as they do now And thus your Priests old Fathers planted their Church and so set every thing in Form and Tradition according to their own Imaginations and here is the Ground and Foundation of the Faith and Church of England so called and here are the old Fathers and the old Authors that your Priests have so much talked of and prated of their ancient Fathers even the Popes and the Bishops and though now in words they deny the Pope and the Papists and the Bishops and differ something from the Pope in Judgment yet are in the same Forms Customs and Traditions and are upheld by the same Laws as they were when they were in the Popes and Bishops Loyns and thus Antichrist hath long deceived the Nations and ruled by the Power of Darkness under a Notion or Profession of the Gospel and Faith of Christ and one Generation hath gone and another come and have not known the Lord that bought them but by the hearing of the Ear and as those that saw him knew him in whom he dwelt bore Testimony and declared of him so the Priests could tell the People from the Records of the Holy Men of God what God is and what Christ is and what Faith is and how Christ dyed for their Sins and rose again and that Christ is a Saviour and a Redeemer and what the Apostles spoak and writ unto the Church freely they get and speak unto the World for Gain and Lucre and so cast the Childrens Bread unto Dogs and so feed and puff up the dark Minds of Men with airy Knowledge what they have gotten into their Brains from other Mens Words and their own Imaginations and so made and make the People believe that they are the Means ordained by God Now many may see by this what Lyars they are and how they came up and were ordained and whose Rule Practice or Example they follow in this they do and they will be found the Ministers of Anti-christ and such as have long shut up and do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men and would neither enter in themselves nor suffer others that would but so long as they had Power would bind all unto themselves and those that had any Appearance of Light so that they came to see their Deceit and separate from them they would scarce suffer them to live amongst them but praised be the Almighty who hath so weakned their Hands and shattered their Foundation and caused his Light so to shine out of Darkness to cause them to be so manifest so that all People who love Light better then Darkness may now see how ignorantly and blindly you have been led as Strangers from the Father of Light after the vain Traditions Customs Forms Ordinances and Imaginations of Man with a vain Profession and feigned Faith which you have gotten into the Notion but still in your Sins and Iniquities alive in the first Nature under Death's Dominion still Strangers from the God of Life and from Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of his People from their Sins and thus you lye under the Power of Darkness and Delusion of Anti-christ both Priests and People for like People like Priest and so saith the Prophet and your Leaders cause you to err by their Lyes and by their Lightness and though you be full of Teachers yet you are lost for Want of true Knowledge and are still led Captive in your Sins and Iniquities after those who have gotten the Form but deny the Life and Power ever learning and never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in your selves only differing from the Heathen in Name and Profession Judgment or Opinion but still alive in the same Nature in the Fall under the Curse the Children of Disobedience in whom doth rule the Prince of Darkness and you must have a Law without to keep you in Awe and Fear of the same as they have whom you account Heathen but the Righteous need no Law for because of Transgression the Law was added and you are fiâ—hting killing and devouring one another as they do whom you account Heathen and you are Drunkards and Swearers and Lyars as they are and Scoffers and Scorners and Revilers and Back-biters and Whoremongers and Adulterers and Proud and Covetous Idolaters and high-minded Oppressors as they are both Priest and People and you are Idolaters as they are eating and drinking and rising up to play and you are Envious and Malicious suing and rending and teaâ—ing one another at the Law both Priest and People pulling down others to set up your selves and you are dissembling and cozenning and cheating and
the Flesh in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ for in the Spirit Paul discerned it for saith he Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit I have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this Deed and so those Formalists and Imitators if any differ from them in Judgment they will also deliver him up to Satan as they imagine taking the Apostles Words though they cannot tax him for any Thing but his Judgment differing from them but they want the Power and here they are the Magicians like Jannes and Jambres opposing the Truth and those are they that are called Baptists and another Form they are more spiritual in their Judgment and they hold a spiritual Baptism and not a Water-Baptism and as many as hold with them are of their Church and Faith and thus they are divided into several Forms and Churches and so have several Names and there are several Judgments of one Thing under one Name and here is the Confusion of Babylon with their several Sects Judgments and Opinions and every one are professing the Name of the Lord and stealing the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and saying The Lord saith when he never spoak to them and here is the Difference from another only in Profession Judgment or Opinion but still in Babylon and Babylon's Fashions Customs and Traditions and Fellowship Manners and Breeding which is all Heathenish and at Enmity with God being in the Fall and thus they stand in the first Nature in Pride in Covetousness Anger Wrath Malice Fleshliness and Lustfulness and Idle Words Vain Talking Foolish Jesting and Evil Communication and to be short still alive in the World's Nature Strangers to the Holy God and so under Death's Dominion and here I comprehend all Forms Sects Judgments and Opinions by the Light which slayes Death and takes away its Dominion unto its self to whom it belongs and doth see them and judge them to be out of the Light in Darkness and so in Confusion one clashing against another with their Judgments and Opinions and here are the Disputes of this World and the one cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and another cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and none else whenas Christ is within his Saints and there is a false Christ which they have set up in their Imaginations and here are the False Prophets and False Christs that are gone out into the World who have deceived many And here is the Ground of Forms a setting up a Likeness of a Thing a Figure or Image of a Thing but not the Thing it self and here is the Beast and the Image of the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after even Satan as an Angel of Light in his several Shapes Forms and Likenesses to deceive the Simple and here is the Form without the Life and Power and here is the Building upon a sandy Foundation which all must come down who hear the Words and talk of the Word are Sayers of the Words here is him that saith he hath kept the Commandments and Ordinances and yet his Heart from God after other Lovers who is searched and found out by Christ the Light and here is the Spiritual Babel with its Foundation and Babel's Building and Babel's Builders and here is the Image whose Head is Gold whose Breast is Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay but now is he come and made manifest who strikes at Feet of Image who is called the Stone cut out of Mountain without Hands even Jesus Christ the Son of God now after all this Profession of his Name and of Faith in him but now he finds none in the Earth who hath revealed himself in the poor despised ones of the World and those who have been counted the blind and igrant and as you have read the Poor receive the Gospel the World was made by him but the World knew him not he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God to whom that Promise is fulfilled which was promised in the Dayes of old by the Father That in the last Dayes he would pour forth his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie and the Young Men see Visions and if you will receive it this is the Elias which was for to come in the Spirit as he came in the Flesh even the Life and Power of what hath been so long professed which the Lord hath now manifested in his Servants and Hand-maids whom he hath now sent forth abroad freely to call into the Supper of the Lord even the Marriage of the Lamb and to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and to preach him within the Hope of Glory the Ministry that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves and take up his Cross follow him through evil Report and good Report through Persecution and through Death and who are faithful until Death must receive a Crown of Life and reign with him for evermore in his Kingdom of which there is no End neither Beginning over which he is made Heir and King blessed be Jehovah sing Halelujah to his Name all ye that know him And now that his Name is spreading abroad and his Message declaring by the Mouth of his faithful Messengers those who have long talked of his Name and so long professed his Name know him not neither believe on him but are found Hypocrites and Dissemblers and blind Leaders of the blind whited Walls and painted Sepulchres but within full of Uncleanness Hypocrisie and Deceit even the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and those will not receive the Message but make light of it and say they believe on a Christ at Jerusalem and now in the Heavens far off they know not where and they cry he hath done all for us and hath satisfied for our Sins and they shall not be imputed to us say they and they cry out this is a new Light and a strange Light and we know not whence it is but they say they will keep to the Old Rule the Scriptures which they call the Word of God and the Old Way though they be meer Strangers to the Life of the Scriptures but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them as Christ saith For Judgment am I come into the World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind as their Fore-fathers professed Abraham and Moses and said We know that God spake unto Moses but as for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and they said God was their Father but Jesus Christ answered them and said If ye were Abraham ' s Children ye
all made perfect in One And here is the True Church where there is but One Teacher One Lord One Faith One Baptism One Light One Life and One Way One Shepherd and One Sheepfold and One Priest over the Houshold of God and One Hope and One Language One Family and One God and Father of all And they that cannot witness this are Strangers to Christ and Strangers to his Cross and Strangers to the Common-Wealth of Israel And this is the Work which the Lord has now begun and is carrying on by a Strong Arm and Mighty Power to redeem unto himself a pure Church and Blessed are they that hearken unto his Voice Here all you Formalists Imitators and Self-actors are shut out here all you Proud Ones are shut out here all you Lustful Ones Fleshly Ones and Carnal Ones are shut out and all you that are conformed like unto the World in their Fashions in their Customs in their Words in their Ways in their Worships and Traditions in their Love and in their Fellowship who are seeking the Glory and Honour and Riches of this World you are the Children of this World under the Dominion of the God of the World whose Kingdom is of this World Here all you are shut out who live at Ease in your Pleasures and live wantonly upon the Earth in the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life you are the Children of Babylon you kill the Just and he lies slain in the Streets but here you all are shut out of the New Covenant of Life in the Dark World under Death's Dominion of what Profession and Judgment soever Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise for they that are not with us are against us and our Union and Society is in the Light of Life But you must all suffer the Death of the Cross to the Life which you now live in before you can witness this Redemption for those that live with Christ are crucified with him therefore so it is they that will take up Life must first lay down Life for the Way to Life is through Death Therefore you must be stripped of all your Old Covers naked and bare that your Deceit and Shame may appear which you have so long covered with your own Righteousness but now you must suffer the Shame of the Cross if you would have part in Christ and all your old Wisdom Knowledge and Notions which you have gotten into your Comprehensions by your Conceivings of the Scripture-Letter wherein hath been your Life and Pride and Exaltation must all come to the Death of the Cross that no Flesh should Glory in his Presence but I say unto all you Professors Formalists Notionists and Disputers and Wise Ones of this World If you will not take up and imbrace this Cross Publicans and Harlots shall enter the Kingdom before you Therefore not many Mighty nor many Noble nor many Wise after the Flesh are called but he hath chosen the Foolish Things of this World to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no FLESH should Glory in his PRESENCE but CHRIST is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that they which Glory might Glory in the Lord. And this I witness in my Measure the things which I have seen and heard and felt and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the Beginning the same do I declare and am known and read by the Children of Light And now I shall proceed to several Passages that I have had with the People called Baptists in several Meetings that their Deceit and Delusion may be laid open to the Simple-hearted Upon the Thirtieth of the First Moneth called March in the Year 1655. I was at one Ashen's House in Fenstanton in Huntingtonshire where I was freely declaring the Truth of God to the People that came there together that Day as I was taught moved by the Spirit of Truth by which the Holy Men of God spoak forth the Scripture as they were moved and there came several of the People called Baptists into the Room amongst us amongst whom was one of their Teachers called Richard Elligood who after a while stood up in his Will and Wisdom to accuse me and said That I had said That God did not respect any Forms and yet saith he you use the Form and so use that which God hath no Respect to But his first words were Sir if you please I will speak something to what you have said To which I made Answer Here needs no Complements And then he runs on as aforeâ— said to which Accusation I reply'd was False and bad him prove what Form I used And he said The Letter And I replyed He that takes the Letter to talk of without the Life and Power such sets up a Form and makes a Form But this would not satisfie his filthy Wisdom which darkened his Understanding but because I spoak words which are mentioned in the Scripture by the same Spirit that spoak forth the Scripture by which I challenge the Scripture from him and all such who have gotten it to talk of but denies the Life and are Strangers to the Life and Power therefore with his contrary Spirit tasked me with a Form which by his Logick and deceitful Art would have proved but could not but his Deceit was laid open to the People and many declared against him for a Form is this as I said before the Likeness of a Thing but not the Thing it self as they have the Likeness of a Church which they have imagined from the Letter with their Elders Pastors and Teachers but not the Church it self and so they imitate the Scriptures but live not in the Life of them that spoak forth the Scriptures neither are acted and guided by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and so want the Life and Power and those are the Formalists that make Forms and Likenesses to deceive the simple as the Devil hath the Form of an Angel of Light but not the Life and Power who appears to rule in those Formalists and Self-Actors but the Day doth make him manifest and therefore he rages and then this Elligood denyed that I had the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture and he said The Spirit might be tryed by the Letter for he said Many false Spirits are entered into the World and I asked him By what did the Apostle know that false Spirits were gone out into the World and he replyed and said By the Spirit of God then I replyed and said If by the Spirit of God the Apostle knew that there were many false Spirits gone out into the World then by the Spirit of God be tryed FALSE SPIRITS and knew False Spirits from the TRUE and here his Deceit was laid open to the People and he judged out of his own Mouth to be a Lyar and to be guided by a false Spirit
going about to prove me a Deceiver he would the more lay open his own Deceit and prove himself to be the Deceiver and the People did plainly see it so and witnessed with me against him for he did so utter forth his Folly and Deceit that he made himself odious to many that were there and at last he shuffled away under Pretence he had far to go but the Judgments of God he cannot escape for his Damnation slumbreth not who is an Opposer of the Truth of God Then there was one Philips an Old Man of the Baptized Party in another Room who in Scorn and Wrath stood up and said They knew the first Principle of Religion before I was born because one of my Queries to them was What is the first Principle of Religion So I replyed to the Old Man if they knew it they should have answer'd and then presently as he was running on in many Words he swore as he lived and breathed and Christ saith Swear not at all and here he was found not come to the first Principle of Religion but out of the Doctrine of Christ and so hath not God so I told him of his Swearing and he would have shuffled it off but he could not and I told him He that seems to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue his Religion is vain and therfore he might own his Religion to be vain who could not bridle his Tongue and then in his Will he shuffled off and said He would not confess his Sin to me for I could not forgive Sin in Scorn he spoak then I said Wo unto him that hides his Sin and covers his Iniquity but he shuffled away in much Confusion of Face as they will all appear as by the Light they come to be searched and tryed their Coverings will be found too narrow and their Nakedness will appear to their great Shame and Confusion of Face and they will be made to bow to the Truth and lay down their Crowns at the Feet of Jesus for he is risen and reigns in his Saints to whom the Nations must bow and every Tongue confess to their Condemnation who do oppose him but here now by the single Eye you may see the Emptiness of these Forms and what a blind Hypocrisie this is of them to wash the Outside but leave the Inside full of Uncleanness and so the Inside defiles the Outside A Copy of the Queries which were sent to the Baptized People in Fenstanton with some more added for them or any whom they do concern toanswer Several Queries to you who are call'd Baptists by your Teachers to be answered Query I. WHat is the first Principle of Religion and whether to it you be come yea or nay 2 What is the Bridle of the Tongue and whether to it you be come yea or nay 3. What is the Church in God and whether to it you become yea or nay 4. What is the Order in the Church and whether to it you be come yea or nay 5. What is the Baptism into the Church and whether to it you be come yea or nay 6. Whether you will own the Baptism of the Spirit or the Baptism of Water and which you will deny seeing the Scripture saith The Baptism is but One Ephes. 4. 5. 7. And where Christ ever commanded Water-Baptism 8. Why did the Apostles baptize with Water and why do you baptize with Water and where and when and by what were you commanded and where was any of the twelve Apostles baptized with Water 9. And whether you do it because the Apostles did it yea or nay 10. What is the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and whether to it you are come yea or nay 11. Whether your Faith purifies your Hearts yea or nay 12. And whether you commit Sin yea or nay 13. How would you know there is a Christ but by the Scripture and how do you witness the Scripture is Truth 14. And what is the Ground of your Faith 15. What is the Redemption and whether to it you are come yea or nay 16. What is the Communion of the Saints and wherein it stands and whether to it you be come yea or nay 17. And whether you that break Bread do discern the Lord's Body yea or nay 18. What was their Rule and Guide that spoak forth the Scripture 19. Whether you have the same insallible Spirit that gave forth the Scripture 20. Whether is the Scripture your Rule and Guide or the Spirit that gave it forth 21. Whether they that are guided by the Spirit that gave it forth live not in the Life thereof yea or nay 22. Whether the Life of the Scriptures be perfect yea or nay 23. And whether you are or think to be made perfect while you are upon the Earth yea or nay Or where do you think to be made perfect if not upon the Earth 24. And what is the Life and Power of Godliness and whether in it you dwell who have a Form yea or nay 25. Whether you are washed and cleansed by the Blood of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God as the true Church was yea or nay 26. Whether you have put off the Old Man and put on the New as the true Church did yea or nay and what is the New Man 27. And whether you have put off the Image of the Earthly and put on the Image of the Heavenly and how are they known the one from the other 28. Whether you are not conformed like unto the World so long as you follow their Customs and Fashions 29. Whether you are come that you need no Man to teach you as the true Church was yea or nay 30. What is the Cross whereby Paul was crucified and whether to it you be come yea or nay 31. What is the Watcher that strikes at the Feet of the Image and whether to it you be come yea or nay 32. What is the Word and what is the Death that hath passed over all Men even over those who had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression and whether this Death you ever passed 33. Whether you have passed from Death to Life yea or nay 34. Where and when and how received you the Command and Power to deliver any Saul up to Satan and where is that Satan you deliver it up to 35. What is the Tree of Life and what is the Tree of Knowledge and whether upon it you do not feed and what is the flaming Sword that is set to keep from the Tree of Life and whether it ye ever passed yea or way 36. What is the Beast that all the World wonders after and worships and what is the Worship of the Beast and whether any worships the only true God but the true Church and what is the Worship in this Church 37. What are you Ministers of and what do you minister unto and what is the End of your Ministry 38. And by what do you try the Spirits
Church of Christ was met together and there it was agreed upon by the Elders That Samuel Cater and Ezekiel Cater who were formerly Elders of the Church of Christ in this Town namely Littleport and being they have departed from the sweet Fellowship of the Church of Christ c. and after so many Admonitions would not be reconciled should be delivered unto Satan I was there appointed to be the Messenger And so he ran on with his Excommunication according to their Form with their stoln Words Reply Now for the Truth 's sake for which thou John Ray hast cast us out of your Society we shall hereby clear our selves from what is or may be cast upon us in this Matter by thee John Ray and the rest of thy Society whom we know to be most bitter Slanderers of the Truth This we deny that ever we were Elders in the Church of Christ you made us Elders in your Church who call your selves Jews and are not but the Synagogue of Satan out of which you have cast us but not before we forsaked you We by the Light of Jesus Christ through the Love of God seeing both you we setting ourselves of Acting Imitating the Apostles in our Wills with a blind Zeal for Life but Strangers to the Life and Power neither could witness the same Infallible Spirit as they had as you know we all confessed and therefore we had nothing but what we got into our Brains of their Words and so got a Notion with adding to our own Imaginations of them and wresting the same with our Fallible Spirits for we durst not say It was Infallible as you also confessed your selves then it must needs be fallible for there are but two kinds of Spirits and if not the Infallible then the Fallible and though we did the very same things and spoak the same words and not from the same Spirit it was all false and as nothing as they that swore God lived swore falsly for They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his and his Spirit is Infallible in the least measure And thus you are shut out in all that you can do of your selves with your formed Ordinances And this we know We were also Strangers to the Cross of Christ and the Light and Life and Power of Christ which the Apostles lived in and also the One Baptism of Christ without which none can be his Disciple so we were only Jews outwardly washing the Out-side but within as foul as ever as you also are yet we say not but we had a Zeal in the same though not according to Knowledge But now the True Light is sprung in through the Mighty Love of God towards us so that we see the Weakness of our own Actings and Formings in our own Wills for Liâ—e and now are made willing through the Power of God to lay down our Crowns at the Feet of Jesus and to wait in what he hath given us of his Light and we have tasted of his powerful Word through his gracious Love towards us and now we have a Witness within our selves whenas before we knew it not but murdered it as you also do and for this you have cast us out of your Society but not for Fornication as he was in that place of Scripture which you imitate nor for making Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for we witness an Increase of both but the Discerning and Power is wanting in you and so you know not what you do but know this We are not falleâ— to a looser Life but to a more stricter severe Life for to serve the Lord Jesus Christ But remember this That if they that believed your Form to be the Truth could but patter over a few words of Faith and call it Theirs and then according to your Form they were put into the Water and taken out again and then received into your Church and Communion though no change of Life or Nature and this must needs be the Synagogue of Satan And this I Samuel Cater can witness for so I have Baptized and ye allowed of it but now my Eye is opened I do see it and do testifie against it That all I did so by I deceived them though then I confess it was Ignorance and so was yours but now you might see if you would therefore it shall no more be called Ignorance but Wilful Blindness But I know you will alledge You teach Godliness and Holiness But I answer You run and the Lord never senâ— you as we also did therefore you profit not the People at all and if you had not the Words of Godliness and the Form then the Ministers of Antichrist would not be like the Ministers of Christ but you are But I say Your Lives come short of what you profess for in them there is no Change but they that are Earthly-Minded and Covetous are so still and your Lives are in Pride Ambition and Arrogancy puffed up with your Vain Knowledge and with Respect of Persons and so are out of the Faith of Christ and in Wrath and Anger and Envy and Bitterness and in Lying and Slandering and Backbiting and Lust and Fleshliness we formerly being in the same Society do witness it now our Eyes are open out of which Society you have cast us and praised be the Lord that we have escaped the Snares of Darkness by the bright Shining of his Light into our dark Hearts to the which Light do we speak in you all by it to read your selves and judge your selves for by it are you seen and judged to be in Darkness and in Confusion out of the Faith and Society of the Saints but these things do we not speak out of Envy or Revenge but for the clearing of the Truth and our Consciences from your Slanderous Tongues and to lay open your Deceit and Way of Delusion to the Simple that they may escape the Delusion which we were ensnared in and that so you may proceed no further with it that your Folly might be manifest unto all as theirs was who withstood Moses Ezekiel Cater Samuel Cater A Copy of the most of the Queries aforesaid were given to this Ray but no Answer did he return A Word to all who are still in your own Forming Self-Actings and Imitatings YOU are acting in that Nature which is at Enmity with God which is not subject to the Law of God neither can be So all your Formings and Actings are in vain for they are not from Life but from Death for Life but Life comes from Death for in the Destruction of Death Life is obtained Therefore to the Light of the Lord Jesus in all your Consciences take heed which is the Witness for God to which I speak in you all which witnesseth for God against the Secrets of your Hearts which reproves you in secret for your secret Actions and Deeds of Darkness and it will search you through and let you see what
not by it you are left without Excuse and it will judge you at the last Day For he that loves the Light shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life but he that doth Evil hates the Light which is his Condemnation Now the VVay is plain to all simple Ones who have a Desire to find it declared by a Friend and VVitness to the Eternal Truth who am called J. P. THE Fruits of a Fast Appointed by The Churches gathered against Christ and his Kingdom who go about to mock God with their Outside Worship and Appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary HUMILIATION Or A Declaration of the Persecution of a Messenger of the Lord by a People who go under the Name of Independents in Essex who have set themselves in the Enmity of their Spirits to oppose the Truth of God calling it a Lye and persecuting his Messengers as Deceivers and Wanderers wherein their Persecuting Spirits are made manifest and them to be in Cain's Generation Strangers to the Spirit of Christ which never presecuted and so are none of his Rom. 8. 9. And also Of the Unjust Dealings of Judge Hills who sate upon Life and Death at the last Assizes at Chansford which began upon the Eleventh Day of the Sixth Moneth And also Several Queries that were sent to the Priests and Magistrates which may be serviceable for them or any other to Answer whom they do concern By a Witness and Sufferer in Outward Bonds for the Vnchangeable Truth of God by Cain's Generation who am known to them in Colchester Castle by the Name JAMES PARNEL Printed in the Year 1675. THE Fruits of a Fast Appointed by the Churches gathered against Christ and his Kingdom c. FIrst I shall give unto the Reader a Declaration of the Work of God in my Soul and the Conversion of my Heart from Darkness unto his marvellous Light and from the Power of Satan unto God and out of the Path of Death into the Path of Life where I now walk in the Light of my God with the Ransomed of the Lord who are availing towards the Holy City and also the Cause of my coming forth into the World to declare the Truth for which I now suffer Bonds by the Persecuting Generation wherein I once lived a Child of Wrath as all are by Nature and then I was loved of the World while I followed the Vain Courses and Wayes of the World where by Nature I was led in Imitation of others being in that Nature which is prone unto the same the time I was sent unto the Schools of Humane Learning for to learn the Humane Wisdom for which End the Schools are profitable but for the attaining of Heavenly Wisdom and Knowledge they are as far unprofitable and many Books that are there read are much for the Corrupting of Youth and nourishing of the Wild Prophane Nature which then ruled in me and I was as Wild as others during the time I followed the School and after I was taken from the School I still continued in the same Nature growing and encreasing in Sin and Iniquity following the vain Courses of the Wicked World and also was trained up in the Customary Way of the Worship of the World which is held in the Idols Temple every First Day of the Week but no Conversion there was wrought but all still continued in the old Nature both Priest and People Young and Old and as was the People so was the Priest all walking in Darkness and Blindness by Form Custom and Tradition but ignorant of the pure Light which is the Guide and Teacher of the Faithful which oftentimes did reprove in Secret when I was alone but then I knew not what it was but oftentimes it did strike me into a Consideration of my Ways and Doings and set Life and Death before me so that I have sometimes promised within my self never to do the like again but the Promise being in the Will made it did not stand but when the Temptations came the Careless Mind got out again and led me still to delight my Heart in the Vanity which my Eye did see and my Ear did hear which all passed away with the using thereof and left me to the Judgment which was due unto me for my Iniquity which did follow me time after time calling me to Repentance and the more I did incline my Mind and draw nigh to it it also did draw nigh to me and so the Goodness of God led me to Repentance and the Grace of God wrought in my Heart a Reformation and so I was found of him when I sought not and thus he both wrought the Will and the Deed of his own good Pleasure and plucked me as a Brand out of the Fire to make me a Vessel of Honour to his Name all Living Eternal Praises be to his Name forever my Soul shall Praise and Magnifie his Name forever For I may well say with Paul of Sinners I was chief for according to my Years I was as perfect in Sin and Iniquity as any in the Town where I lived yea and exceeded many in the same so that there was as little Hopes of my Conversion as any in the Town and yet though it is a Place of many People I was the first in all that Town which the Lord was pleased to make known his Power in and turn my Heart towards him and truly to seek him so that I became a Wonder to the World and an Astonishment to the Heathen round about but they were such Enemies to Goodness and so given up to Idolatry that as much as before they had loved me in my Vain Conversation so much the more they hated me in my Conversion yea and they oâ— my Family came to ensnare me and lay wait for me to entrap me but when they could not prevail they stood afar off me and Reproached me with Lyes and proved my Greatest Enemies yea and my Relations became my Adversaries and laboured to destroy what God had begun in me because that thereby I came under the Reproach and Shame of the World because I could not conform to the World in their invented Fashions Customs and Traditions and their Words Wayes Fellowship and Worship but was made subject to the Law of God and could not Respect Persons neither in Word nor Deed then the Beast which rules in Proud Flesh was disturbed who before ruled in Peace while he was worshipped but when I came to see proud Lucifer the Lust in Man to be the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life therefore I could no longer follow the World in Blindness for by the Power of God my Eye was opened so that I did behold their Idolatry and therefore I could no longer be conformable to them so that their Rage and Persecution arose against me and I became a Mock in the Streets yea and I was accounted