life togather us unto God in the unity of the light and fellowship of the Gospel to the bringing forth of all vertue in Brotherly kindneâ—â— and unfeigned love so 〈◊〉 the same he passed out of thiâ— City but a few days before he laid down the body in perfect peace returning to the Father who sent him and in whose will he brought forth unto God and his works follow him This and several others that he penned have formerly been printed and some have given praise unto God for the benefit received thereby And now out of a sincere desire that God over all may be glorified from whom every good and perfect gift cometh and the souls that are yet afar off from the life of righteousness may be brought nigh is this again published And in the â—â—eling of the everlasting spirit the justifier of all that believe therein is it sent abroad by her that is a traveller for the breaking of the head of wickedness and the opening of the eyes of the ignorant and that the simple may not stumble at the Authors name but read this or any other of his Writings in Gods fear that thou may receive counsel instruction wisdom and comfort thereby as many who believe have done I have here set down his own words as they were written by him and sent unto the Parliament Concerning Christ Jesus that you may not be harmed or hindred by false reports but receive the truth in the love of it in which it is sent to you in the good will of God from her that is made willing to be a servant for Christs sake R. T. This following Testimony was written by his own hand and delivered to the then Parliament who persecuted him as a Blasphemer in the time of his imprisonment in Bridewel CHrist Jesus the Immanuel of whose sufferings the Scriptutes declares him alone I confess before men for whose fake I have denied what ever was dear to me in this world that I might win him and be found in him and not in my self whose life â—nd vertue I find daily manifest in my mortal body which is my eternal joy and hope of glory whom alone I seek to serve in spirit soul and body night and day according to the measure of grace working in me that in â—â—e he may be glorified whether by life or death and for his sake I suffer all things that he alone may have the glory of my change whose work alone it is in me Even to that eternal Spirit be glory and to the Lamb for ever But to ascribe this Name power and vertue to James Nailor or to that which had a beginning and must return to dust or for that to be exalted or worshiped to me is great Idolatry and with the Spirit of Christ Jesus in me it is condemned which Spirit leads to lowliness meekness and long-suffering So having an opportunity given with readiness I am willing in the fear of God the Father in honour to Christ Jesus and to take off all offences from every simple heart this to declare to all the world as the truth of Christ is in me without guile or deceit daily finding it to be my work to seek peace in truth with all men in that Spirit James Nailor The Heads of the particulars contained in this ensuing Treatise I. What the Possession of the living faith is pag. 1. II. Who they be that are under the Law and who they be that have made void the Law against themselves and who they be that are under grace p. 24. III. Of the way of life from the knowledge that devoures the life p. 26. IV. An opening of light to all sorts of Rulers and people that wait for the Kingdom of God p. 27. V. A Candle lighted to give the sight of the good old way of God at his coming from the wayes that now ensnares the simple p. 42. VI. The Living God glorified in his Temples the true worshippers that worship him in Spirit and in Truth p. 50. VII To the Ranters p. 57. VIII Deceipt discovered by its fruits p. 59. IX A Message from the Spirit of Truth unto the Holy seed p. 69. What the Profession of the Living Faith is c. FOrasmuch as a right Faith is the onely ground of mans Eternal happiness and the only thing which gains the Creature an entrance towards his Creator and without which it is impossible to please God though much hath been said of it already yet I having found by learning the true and living faith which hath the living power different from that faith which is dead and without that power And seeing that so many at this day are at ease in a dead faith and their souls in the grave In tender love thereto I am stirred up to declare something of the faith of Christ which I have found onely effectual to Salvation and Reconciliation with God And somewhat the rather in regard the Enemy hath spread so many false reports of me touching my faith in Christ Jesus which here I shall declare in plainness for the satisfying of simple minds who desire to know Truth rather then to Reproach it and for those who seek occasion I chuse rather to bear their reproach that are in that Nature then contend therewith for my work is not with Flesh and Bloud nor is it in my Spirit to strive with any about words that stir up strivings and contention and edefie not but with God I strive daily and to that of God in all I seek to be manifest which resists not evil but seek to overcome it with good waiting for the Kingdom of God in all and the Souls Redemption out of death and the Seed out of bondage and where that is not effected in measure I look not to be owned nor my witness received though it be not of my self but Christ Jesus in me And first a Faith or belief I have found in the World of which I shall say little in this place having found indeed little in it to the Salvation of Life It s a literal Faith grounded upon the History of the Scripture touching God and Christ and what Christ did in that Temple which the Jewes destroyed at Jerusalem c. But doth not know him in Spirit nor believe him as his Name is EMANUEL to all Generations and so doth not necessarily work the believer into a conformity to that head in his then walking by his coming again in the same Spirit and Power working in them the same Will Mind and Affections and Obedience to the Father in their measure which was in him the Example Author Worker and Finisher of the True and Living Faith And of this Faith being somewhat dressed by the several Opinions of men are all the unclean Spirits living in whatsoever abomination is to be mentioned in the world all Sects and Opinions or whatever may be found in all Colours in these Northern Parts of the World with this Faith they are covered and this
is their strength and here they take comfort to themselves against all Reproof witâ— in or from without though living openly in the greatest Whoredomes against the Spirit of Holiness Carnal or Spiritual that can be mentioned even at a distance from Christ in his whole life yet they believe Christ came to save sinners of which they are chief and they that are whole need not the Physician c. And so the greater their wickedness is the nearer to Christ they believe And by this Faith he that came to save People from sin and to lead out of sin both by Example and Spirit is made a cover for all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and to strengthen the heart of wickedness against the life of holiness some in one sin some in another but with this Faith do all sorts strengthen themselves and hardens their hearts against the light of Christ and that Spirit which reproves the World of sin and convinceth of it and would lead out of it and hence it is that the witness of God that is holy in all is trampled under foot in all and little regarded in any but by this Faith believed on in none to be the way to the Father though the world have no light but it nor is there a Promise of Life in any other And this to me appears to be that Faith of the Devil or dead Faith the Apostle speaks on James 2. Though more hardned in it against Gods fear for the Devils when they believe tremble at it So this Faith I leave being judged already by its fruits with the light of Christ in every honest heart that loves holiness And of that Faith I shall speak something in which I have found a measure of the Life of Christ made manifest in my mortal Body in which life alone is the True and Eternal union and atonement with the Holy God into whom no unclean thing can enter And this is not a notion of what was done in another generation past or to come hundreds or thousands of years distance but that which leads to the beginning of the work of a new Creature at this day and a new birth spiritually begotten and born and brought to light without which none can see the Kingdom of God nor enter therein And this Faith doth not work by the comprehensions of brain-knowledge that because I could here conceive or declare of Christ Jesus from the beginning to the age thereof in words or thoughts that therefore I have learned him or know him as I ought to do or am grown up in him to a perfect man and so to deceive others by declaring and boasting of what God hath not wrought in me as a man may easily do and deceive his own soul and bewitch others also by leading them out of their measures of Gods present work in them But of the living Father wâ—h now worketh powerfully in spirit by love thereto the mystery wherof is holden forth in a pure conscience working out the old leven purifying the heart making all things new judging and killing and crucifying with Christ in spirit the works of the flesh and casting out every thing in me that is not of God and renewing in me the things of God in their order by his mighty working in me in which the soul is raised out of the grave and the dead restored to life actually and not in conceit Of the Grounds and Workings of this Living Faith I shall speak something And though the foundation of this Faith or beginning of it was that I did really believe in that which Christ did and suffered at Jerusalem and that there in that vessel he bare the sins of the World and satisfied the wrath of God for sins past and overcame death hell and the grave and made way for the Seed to arise in all through the whole World who would believe in his light which then shined through him to all men wherein he might be seen to be the Way the Truth and the Life apparent openly triumphing over all that had passed above the Seed And much more might be said of him there finished all which I did believe according to â—cripture which was an opening of me to receive him from Heaven in the same spirit and power without which I could not have received the gift of that holy Spirit God having so purposed from the beginning that the Covenant of Eternall Life and power should be received no other way but by faith in him who in the fulness of â—ime was there manifest in flesh for the taking away sins past and making a way for the Resurrection of life over all to save from sins for time to come The effect of which Faith when in the 〈…〉 ight I first received it did turn my mind out of all my sins past and took my mind out of them and turned me towards God and holiness of life I then believed to attain in that faith and receive power therein to grow up in him to his fulness and stature which then I see no less faith could save me then the perfect Faith of the Son of God which before I had not received but then received with such gladness of heart that it set my face and delights out of all sin towards the perfection of Christ in which I then believed which was the Joy then set before me yet was not the work done and finished in me already though I having received the Faith and Hope of the Son of God and was turned from all my former sin and my own righteousness so that if I had departed this Body I had died in no less Faith then the Holy Faith of Christ Jesus and so being turned to his Spirit out of the works of the Flesh I was turned from my sin and so from condemnation yet was there a great work to do in me before I could witness freedom from the body of death and the root and ground of evil removed and the seed raised to reign and the soul brought into the holy City the resurrection of the dead and fellowship in the Father and the Son c. And that glorious liberty of the new Creature and all things to be of God in me as the Scriptures do witness so this faith did not work me into a conceit of my self glorying in knowledge and so to become a Teacher of others what I had conceived below the life but it led me down into the obedience of the Spirit of Light to wait therein for the Resurrection of Life and I came to see in that Light that the motions of sin did still work from the old ground and root and that must be removed by the power of Christ working in spirit and my obedience and watchfulâ—ess therein was required and that without obedience to this faith I could not come to perfect victory over the enmity nor the glorious liberty of the Sons of God for though this faith had turned my heart towards Christ
not your heads but feel the life of what in this followings paper is declared For though the Thief the Boaster the proud and exalted ones have or may cover themselves with like words yet this birth never was is or shall be brought forth but by the espoused Virgin pure chaste and spotlesse true and abiding innocency far distant from all feigned purity which many being puffed up in their vain minds have or may intrude into things they know not and so deceive the simple by a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels these hold not fast the head which gives the life to every member he that is without beginning of days or end of life by whom and for whom all things were made to him shall every knee bow who filleth all in all of whose fulness he hath received grace for grace who in these following lines salutes the whole elect of God every where plentifully giving forth of the great Mystery of godliness hidden from ages and generations now made manifest to the meek and upright in heart who in the unfeigned love abide which endures for ever R. T. DEar friends Brethren and Sisters of the Seed of Abraham partakers with him in the holy call and who in his faith wait for that glory and inheritance immortal which every one of you shall receive at the appearance of the great God and his Son Jesus Christ to you all be peace truth and love increased wherein you may be established to the end of your calling That which is set before me in the Spirit of truth and for which my soul travels and breaths after in the whole Creation but especially in you who are already called thereunto I am moved to impart unto you thereby to stir you up earnestly to press on towards the appearance of that to which you are called in one which is no other then what hath been holden forth from the beginning even the only begotten of the Father filled with grace and truth for the obtaining whereof you that are faithful have denied the delights of this present world and do daily undergo the enmity thereof Of whose appearance many of you have received a certain hope which cannot be shaken and a measure of him some are come to in the same Spirit who have seen felt and handled of his appearance and have received of his fulness wherein alone you excell and are able to hold forth that life iâ— the power of obedience meeknesse and fear which no form nor knowledge without is able to bear or bring forth which is that alone wherein I rejoyce in you and not onely so but find cause in heart to magnifie that goodnesse and glorious power of God already manifested in you and through you to the world whose praises will daily increase as his vertues appear in you which that you and all the number of called ones may increase and grow to the age stature and full appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the full desire of my soul and that which will give us an assured joy and perfect peace in one when knowledg will vanish and that which is in part shall be done away Wherefore you that have received the Spirit of Prophecy and that light out of darknesse which lets you see what manner of one the Son of God must be at his appearing in Spirit and power holiness and great glory I beseech you that none of you sit down at rest in this sight nor be you puffed up therewith as though you had already attained lest thereby the Enemy prevail to assault you above what is meet and so others lesse in wisdome who are more lowly in spirit step in before you and obtain that Crown and glory to which you were called and so while you feed on the knowledge you loose the life but that every one waite in the light to feel the power and life of the Son of God manifest in your bodies giving you victory over your own spirits and raising you up out of death into the life of the Prophecies that you may all know the true worship in Spirit and what you bow unto that henceforth you may be servants of righteousnesse begotten and not made which only hath food able to satisfie your thiâ—sting souls that you may all feel the onely begotten of God in vertue and power working mightily the work of the Father and destroying the work of the devil in every particular for hereunto were you first called that you should inherit eternal life and power the true riches of grace in righteousness and to receive a Kingdome that cannot be moved but that is able to keep you against all assaults of the enemy which â—iches is Gods onely begotten in whom is received of the perfect fulnesse of God which is only able to satisfie all fears and supply all wants in all who attain to his appearance And further I beseech you that you satiâ—fie not your selves onely with a feeling of this working in you but that you diligently attend an entrance thereinto that you may put him on whom the Father begetteth and formeth in you that you souls may be bathed and anointed therein And not only so but that you bring him forth before all men even him the only begotten Son of God in meekness long-suffering in patience in righteousness in godly holinesse and all his vertues the living image of him by whom he is begotten that it may appear to all men whose you are and who possesseth the vessâ—l and what he is that appears therein that it may be seen and confessed that God is in you of a truth revealed in his only begotten For this is he to whom at his appearance every tongue shall confesse and every heart be struck with fear though the form of his beauty and visage of his glory hath amongst false Births and fained professions been more marred then any mans who instead of bringing forth into the world the only begotten of God to convince and condemn the world of all ungodliness and save them from it have brought forth the conceivings of their own brains and the child born to them is no Saviour but their birth hath left them in the world and one with it who are now turning the words of Christ against his works and their power to withstand his appearance in others who is the same which was and is and is to come to all generations So that instead of holding forth that spiritual power of perfect Redemption from above to save his people from their sins and set them at liberty from the bondage of corruption to serve God in the new man the Son of Righteousnesse of peace and holinesse Gods image there appears the Son of wickednesse in every form at liberty and pleaded for the Image and power of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse preached and set up so that the very faith and hope of Gods appearance in this generation is destroyed So these not waiting in faith single
must needs have perished under them had he not spared And just I have found him also for as they were not committed all at once against the light of his Spirit so he hath at one time or other visited for them and laid them before me yet not all at once nor no way so heavy as those committed after I believed and gave up my self to follow the light and yet to an account he hath brought me for them and coming to feel the terrours of God I have learned to fear and love and have found the ground and rise and deceits of that Faith that believes Christ to have taken away the sins of believers past present and to come with which many at this day make merry over the witnesse of God and the just slain in them and that Scripture I have learned without a meaning if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation to devour the adversary though none know how but he that comes to it in the fulfilling and then shall be seen he that 's born of God sins not and he that believes is born of God but he that sins turns his back both on the Faith and Birth that 's towards Christ and becomes adverse thereunto in his work whatever he sayes he believes and this I have found an everlasting truth whatever men believe or imagine that no longer then a man keeps his face towards the light of God no longer is his sins cast behindâ— his back whether they be sins past present or to come but if he turn from Gods righteousness his own iniquities will rise and mee him both new and old and in vain doth such believe they are then blotted out of Gods fight whose eye shews him his way in which he then walks and condemns him for it in his own heart Now was the ground and root of sin removed so soon as my minde was turned by the light from sin towards God but the motions thereof I found and the lust seeking to go forth to its objects to bring in to conceive sinne again afresh that ground was but removed as I grew in Christ and he in me and as I came to learn him that was in the beginning before sin was who was learned in faithful following serving of his Spirit in watching in fastings in prayers and in all spiritual wrestlings as I came to be led into with the light in which warfare I came to see the hardship of him that will be a souldier of Christ Jesus and the baptisms into his death the slothful servant and the faithful and their reward and the parables and figures of the Kingdom opened as that â—pirit grew in me which interprets the Scriptures in the life and opens the sealed mysteries thereof in their season as they come to be fulfilled and so I came to the gift of the Scriptures by inspiration which onely profits to the perfecting of the man of God which the man of this world not having learned wrests to his own destruction getting the words of them in the earthly part before they be fulfilled in his heart through the Spirit and such receive them not by inspiration nor the gift of the Holy Ghost And in this journey I have seen the slothful servant overtake with a 〈◊〉 which he had once cast behinde him and never intended to joyn to again of which the diligent servant is kept free and I have seen the wages of each servant according to his diligence in that which he hath of God betrusted in him and not by his own strivings in the thoughts of himself his worth or wisdom and in diligent hearkening and obeying of the Spirit have I found the right fâ—rthfulness towards God though getting knowledge be highly esteemed with men and I have found that as I have the Spirit manifest in me to profit withal so the times of my profiting is onely in his hand and my waitings upon him when he moves not is my reasonable service and a profiting time to me as if he moved though I see it not and this I found a great crosse to my hasty will which indeed is the true worship in Spirit which when I knew not this Spirit to hearken and bow to and obey and observe in all things as his will leads I worshipped I knew not what and my fear towards God then was taught by the precepts of men and I was not taught of the Lord not being born of that Spirit and so all the children of the Lord are taught of the Lord and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God these Scriptures I then could read and understand without meanings not by that which my wisdom taught me but which the Holy Ghost taught me and the Scriptures thus learned and received was no more a notion to be lost but a possession and I came to have an inheritance therein amongst them that are sanctified in all ages and no subtle â—an could either steal them or change them or any way beguile me of the truth of them by wresting them nor take away my comfort I had in them my comfort and fellowship therein being in the same Spirit life that gave them forth and the word of God thus grew and endureth for ever and the Spirit of truth that leads into all truth endures for ever and the Seed of God is one therein to all generations and that is one which perfects the Spirits of all just men and God himself is Judge over all and leader of all by his own begettings in all that enter into this rest of the faithful which remains to all his Children out of which false Faiths and Disobedience shuts themselves And that which declares the righteousnesse of God for remission of sinnes past and for an inheritance against sin for time to come have I found to be Faith without falshood which righteousness though in the Faith and Hope beyond declaring yet inherited but as the vertues that are in Christ Jesus comes to be received in the life of them And that faith which hath not that righteousness for its ground and end and the vertues and several measures of the growth of Christ for its life and increase that I have found upon tryal to be a fained fancy after mans minde and not after Gods measures And he that saith he hath faith in God and is without the hope of this righteousness for his inheritance Or saith he hath Christ further then he hath his Vertues for his life and growth towards this inheritance when he comes to be weighed with Truth will be found too light to stand in judgement or abide the fire or to dwell with everlasting burnings the tryal of that Faith will leave him without faith then shall it be read as it is written When the Son of 〈◊〉 comes shall he finde
all that 's he that 's born of God here the kingdom of God is near and as this increases so God draws near and his Kingdome increases and that of God in you all will answer thereto and rejoyce thereat which waits for him and that which is upright in every heart shall say that is the judgement of God and in that Vessel is God on his Throne according to the measure of that Spirit set up in Judgement so is Jesus Lord by the Holy Ghost known and bowed to But on the contrary in what place of authority soever it be in which the Innocent comes for Judgement against the Oppressor who is too strong for him and so seeks to Justice to plead his Cause and to deliver the seed of God that is burthened and when he comes his Cause is not heard but is thrust away if not further ensnared because he cannot oppress that of God in him more either by bowing to something of vain Customs or Worships never set up by God nor owned by his witness for Conscience sake or else because he cannot hire his judgement by feeding a covetous Spirit which is for Rewards and not for God that he Judges and so the innocent soul is not relieved at this throne but sent away as an offender from that place where he should be eased and justified with the judgement of a free spirit for justice sake doth not that of God in you all testifie against this that judgement is here turned backward in that vessel and that Jesus is not Lord therein so the innocent heart is sadned but not saved and the Kingdom of God put afar off and the Scepter of Righteousness not seen Wherefore Rulers and People who set up flesh instead of the holy Spirit to rule over you the wills of men the pride and glory of this world or any visible thing here below born after the flesh see what you chuse and what you put afar off and with that spirit you now chuse you will never see the Kingdom of God nor be able to say in truth that Jesus is Lord it s by the spirit of holiness meekness and true judgement and works of righteousness that Jesus is known to reign and therein stands the sight of his Kingdom and Lordship in every heart in every Court and in every place of judgement to all generations which you deny in chusing the man of this world after the flesh to rule in you or over you therein and yet you say you look for him and thy Kingdom come daily but deny him in the simplicity of his lowly spirit to rule for his own in all as all your Rulers ever did as you have read in words and now may read in deeds the world by wisdom knows not God so that spirit chuses its own to rule but cannot receive him whom you say you look for And how should any one who sees the kingdom of God and where the simplicity of Christ is above own that kingdom or worship that Spirit and not betray the simplicity of Christ and give his honour to another And if in the meeknesse of mind you did but weigh this you could not think it so strange why so many at this day who have received the kingdom of God in his lowly just and righteous spirit chuse rather to suffer death under that spirit of this world then to bow to worship it or confess that due thereto which belongs onely to Jesus the Lord neither would you say it was obstinacy or contempt of Authority rather to suffer by the will of man then to rob the Lord of his glory and deny Christ in his kingly office set up another in his place And herein true wisdom may see that in so doing we resist not that power which is ordained of God nor the person but that spirit we testifie against by sufferings under which God never anointed for a Saviour holding forth the anointing as we have received for a witness against him in the spirit of meekness confessing our King in whom we receive power to suffer so to us he is come and by the gift of the Holy Ghost we can say he is Lord therefore to us there is but one Lord though there be many so called whether in heaven or in earth yet have we but one in all both in heaven and earth and him we know where ever he is by the gift of the Holy Ghost and to him in spirit we confesse and bow and the fruits of his spirit are manifest with the light of the world testifying against all the works of darkness in all the children of his kingdom And to us he is born who is from above the Holy Child wonderful in Councel and Strength whose heavenly power and vertue takes â—uâ— affections from all earthlyobjects and worship whose name is Immanuel and it is written in our hearts and shed abroad into the world in our lives and Christ Jesus is the end of our conversation him alone to put on above all to preach by walking in him as we have received of that lively image of holiness and truth the anointed of God and so we confess him before men who is the right heir in what vessel soever he appears and the praise we give to God where this treasure is found in the earthen vessel and the hope of all our glory is Christ within and the increase of his government is Christ within of which there is no end and with that spirit is all righteousness established the kingdom of God upon earth and eternal life And where this is not seen chosen and followed there men rule in their own wills and where mens persons and riches is respected in chusing such there the same is respected in judgement by such and the Law of God is perverted and the sword of Justice which should defend the cause of the innocent is laid by and the fist of wickednesse is lâ—ft up against that which is tender of God in every conscience and when this rules the righteous seed mourns in secret but wickedness reigns openly and this is and ever was the state of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles the one rules in the Spirit of Holiness and the other exercise Lordship in their own wills chosen and set up not by the Holy Ghost as you may read in the Scriptures concerning Israels common wealth who when they wanted the ruling of this spirit they sold themselves under their enemies but when this was their Judge they had a Saviour chosen after the spirit not after the flesh what ever was the vessel the Spirit was their Saviour Moses was a poor wandring Shepheard yet in this Spirit a God to Pharaoh and Saviour of Israel Samuel a poor man who received no reward for judgment and when they went about to chuse another after the manner of other Nations they rejected God who then gave them a King in his wrath David a poor man not chosen by
not that which they profess in them but tell of great things which they have not who are without God in spirit and his worship in Spirit such as Christ said worshipped they knew not what and such now worship they know not what who worship that they have not and profess him they possess not without God in the world in whose heart there is not God who are not the Temples of the living God but to this day worship in Temples made with hands as those who resisted the Holy Ghost ever did and how should such be holy vessels holy men and women what should sanctifie where God is not and what should lead where the spirit is not but the blind eye that leads into the ditch and what is like to govern where God is not in his throne in the heart how can such but be filled with unrighteousness who retain not God in their knowledge so it is not strange to the children of light who with the eye of God are guided to see the whole world lie in wickedness and to see such thingâ— acted againsâ— God in his Temples now by such as are without God as ever was so the Scriptures are fulfilled as you may read And ye holy iâ— heart rejoyce and lift up your heads towards the day of Redemption and own your generation here on earth that you may be gatâ—ered to the Fathers with that which comes from above and that spirit which perfects the just and casts out the unjust where are the dogs and Adulterers and such as know not God and where the hearts are gathered to the Fathers in God there the earth is blessed whose God is the Lord who have received the spirit from on high and are filled with the Holy Ghost as Stephen was who saw heaven open who was full of God whom the great Professors stoned who was full of wrath and yet said they looked for his coming from Scriptures yet like mad men run upon him destroyed his Temple so he destroyed their temple which they thought to uphold who resisted God the Holy Ghost because he had no place in them who could not receive the light of the world nor his word could find place in them but in such as they â—â—st out it found place whose bodies were the Temple of the livâ—â—g God as he hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and 〈…〉 och walked within with God in spirit and was not Isaiah God â—ad wrought all his works in him Jeremy waâ— full of the fury of the Lord Ezekiel was the son of man And Daniel had the spirit of them mâ—st High God the spirit of light understanding Aâ—d Paul had the Son of God revealed in him the same that he Preached and said they that knew not Christ in them were reprobates and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And to David the Lord said Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and David declared it and the Saints were begotten of God and partakers of the Divine nature and confessed the Father and the Son in them and that the Son of God was come and had given them an understanding which they that looked for him to come without understood not who beat him in their Synagogues and shamefully intreated him because they knew not the Father nor the Son but said he was to come And they that had the Son had Life and the rest was children of wrath filled with wrath and so the Father and the Son supt with such as had them and the Lord was at their Table and they fed with him in his sufferings and blood and the rest made a large Profession of him but fed at the table of Devils and these grew great in violence and strong to devour and shed blood and the other excelled in meekness and patient in suffering and here were they separated into life and death never like to meet more And here now may all read the worship in spirit in such as know God in spirit and the worship in Letter in them that have not God and know not what they worship and these know not what they do who know not what they worship and the Son of God saith Father forgive them they know not what they do who saith they worship they know not what who worship not in spirit who worship in their thoughts of God but not the Spirit of God in possession and knowledge who think they do God service to kill and destroy the Temple of God because they know not him in themselves that is worshipped therein as Christ hath foretold and must be fulfilled at the coming of the Holy Ghost And when God descends from heaven to walk on Earth in his Temples and to require his worship to himself out of all Sects and traditions this is his entertainment from all that look for him in observations whose coming is within and his Kingdom is within you And now to you he is come of whom you have been long talking and in that way he appears among you of which you are Preaching The Jews had but the prophesies and shadows to know him by reading without them but you read and Preach in words of the lively pattern in spirit and have heard of the same Life and Testimony which now he bears against you in his Temples and when he comes you cannot receive him who suffers the same things among you Oh England how wilt thou stand in judgement what wilt thou plead for thy self when he arises to judgement whose Testimony against thee is drawing to an end what will be thy excuse and who wilt thou say thou took him to be who now endures such contradiction against himself such haling beatings scourgings and mockings and banishings imprisonings and death without resistings hast not thou heard of him before he came that thou might have known in this thy day the things of thy peace hast thou not read of him that is sent to seek his lost in Temples and Synagogues in Markets and where the greatest of the people be in which manner he now appears and being refused of the rich gathers the poor in the high wayes and hedges and yet hath no where to lay his own head hast thou not heard of the everlasting way of his walkings in Prophets and Apostles and his pilgrimage in their bodies upon eaâ—th who was ever a stranger in the world at his coming from Heaven what spirit wilt thou say this is which hath conformed so many at this day who was amongst you like wolves to devour others now to suffer the spoiling of their goods and torturings of their bodies and taking away their lives without seeking the least revenge wilt thou at that day say thou had thought it had been the spirit of the Devil as many of you now doth though in your consciences otherwise convinced Alas for thee how art thou wept over at this day And what a lamentable sorrow
hath many of the Lords servants for thee whom thou hast cast in holes and prisons for their obedience to God and testimony of their conscience towards God in them whose patient sufferings and unparaleld cruelties are no more valued with thee then if they were dogs and this hath gone throughout thee from the least to the greatest till there be very few left which are not wholly hardned so that to hear of these evil dealings exercised upon the innocent doth no more enter your hearts then the rain enters a rock wherefore our souls are troubled for you and our hopes concerning your healing grows daily less and our sufferings in the Lord Jesus daily greater hasting to the full and what will you do in the end thereof Or whom shall we take to witness for you or may you be compared with any that ever hardned themselves in these wayes and escaped destruction that our hopes might revive and our prayers not cease did ever any thus deny the life of what you Preach in words your selves and which some of you have measure felt and suffered for and have been answered in by the Lord and your eyes have seen the vengeance of the Almighty and how dreadful it hath been both upon Kings Priests and Rulers for resisting Ah how much better had it been for you never to have known these things which you have seen read and Preached then now that they should be fulfilled upon you to the uttermost how well had it been for you had you been as those you call heathen rather then to Profess Christ and thus act against him at his coming even in the same way your selves Preach him Alas alas what hath the innocent done why he thus is used among you doth he cry against sin against pride against false worships against corrupt Rulers corrupt Teachers corrupt Lawyers c. And with much meekness bears his witness against these evils in you for a testimony of light to your words whom he hath lifted up in wrath and zeal and judgement against the same things in the persons of others and will not this arise against you of which you are witnesses all in one generation But sayst thou he breaks the peace and breaks our Law and is unmannerly c. But was he not ever so accounted and is he not now in the same way he ever walked what could that peace do for you could you keep it whole which is broken by reproving sin and deceit Is there any peace to the wicked from God and will he keep that Law which will not give him liberty to Reign in his Temples and to lead his people by his Spirit or will you plead that Law against him in judgement when he comes to deal with you who should know his Law written in your hearts to limit you and not your Laws to limit him not your manners must not bind the conscience where he is known to be King and this you know is truth and have pleaded it against others and now cannot own it will not the Laws of Christ and the manners of Christ of which you read in Scripture agree with your Government and peace who calls for his Kingdom to come amongst you and profess to rule according to Scriptures how will this stand at that day when you must not be your own Judges nor by your own Laws And why is he counted your enemy seeing his appearance now is in love to give you light out of this for your Eternal salvation against which he will certainly come in Judgement to condemnation Have you not heard of the love of the Father to the world who sends his Son to lay down his Life therein for a light to the world that whosoever believeth therein might not be condemned can you read and confess this life laid down in the Prophets in Câ—râ—st in the Apostles in the Martyrs and in all in whom this righteâ—uâ— blood hath been shed from Abel to your time and can you not say they were blind Priest and People who could not see this innocent suffer in his seveâ—al appearances And what will you say of your selves seeing the same testimony is before your eyes but not received was ever his sufferings so increased in so little a time and for such little foolish things as your selves calls them which though they seem little yet much innocent blood hath been shed and this life is laid down daily in many And why should you count that so little which your brethren count dearer then their precious life Is there any thing makes it so but the tenderness of the one and hardness of the other But say you they are guilty of their own blood to suffer for such foolish things but who is their executioners do not you suffer fools daily they shall witness against you that there is something in it more then folly have you not read that God chuseth the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and base despised things to bring to nought things that are and weak things to confound the mighty and can you read and Preach this and not see it fulfilled nor understand without a meaning then take heed how you call that foolish which God hath chosen to lay down his life in for a witness against the murtherer in the wise men of the world will you call that foolishness whereby the mysteries of God comes to be manifest that which he hath chosen to declare himself in openly in his Temples and his worship his service and his suffering long in meekness and the Devil in his Temples with his servants his pride his rashâ—ess and cruelty and to lay each open to the simplest heart by their fruits which have been long covered withwords but now every one that knows a Wolfe from a Lamb may see and cannot be deceived will you call this little which discovers so great a depth of deceit so closely hid and opens the painted Sepulchres and searches the heart of the deceitful laying it open to your selves and others which else you could not have known nor believed if you were told it could many of you have believed the Prince of pride had ruled in you till you see him act you in cruelty on your Brethren because they cannot worship you or could you have believed that the murtherer had been there till you proceed to cast into prisons your brethren and keep them there till death for these little things And these things some suffer under you for a witness and the rest are spared though that spirit would have none to live that the Scriptures may be fulfilled Satan shall cast some of you into prison c. And are not these things manifestly laid open to your selves and all that are not willingly blind and also the contrary Spirit of Christ Jesus where these things are patiently endured And will you call this foolishness which thus leaves all the world without excuse and prepares all for righteous Judgement many
will stand in your way as thick Darknesse which you cannot remove nor passe then shall you curse your God who hath set you on Preaching Words above Life and lies by which the Spirit of truth in you and others have suffered and been denied and Gods Witnesse lie waste and been resisted in its gentle Calls Motions and Reproofs All which a just hand and unresistable will bring upon you in that day when Chains of Darknesse hath compassed you in the Horrible Pit Deceipt Discovered by its Fruits YOu that call the Children of the Light blasphemers and Seducers and many evil Names you give out to People against them because they Preach Christ the light of the world and Christ for Righteousnesse and Perfection c. Hear what Blasphemy and Seducing and Deceiving is and who are the Deceivers They were blaspemers who said they were Jews and were not and this was Blasphemy in Gods account To professe in words what they were not in works Rev. 2. 9. And they were blasphemers who said He that wrought the works of righteousnesse was of the Devil Mark 3. 22 28 29 30. And James said They Blasphemed that Holy Naâ—e by which the Saints were called who drew them before Judgment Sâ—ats and Oppressed them Jam. 2 6 7. And Saul blasphemed in persecuting for Conscience towards Christ Now this God callâ— blasphemy Falsly to take upon them the Name of a Jew seeing the Jewes were to be a Holy People to the Lord and to beâ—r his Holy Name before all the world in Righteousnesse and Truth and the fruits of his Spirit which Name they who had not the Life did blaspheme by taking the Name of a Jew And Christ callâ— it blasphemy to condemn the fruits of that Spirit â—o be of the Devil And the Apostle calls it blasphemy To hale before the Judgment Seats and persecute the poor that God had chosen out of the world These were the old blasphemers in Gods account and their children be in the same steps till this day and therein the truth finds them and uncovers them So come to your Rule and be tryed as you are in Deed and not in Words in Gods account and not in your Own This is the blasphemy to say You are Christians and are not To say You are in Christ and are not To say You are of God and do the Works of the Devil that old Murtherer and Persecuter To say Such as do the works of God are blasphemers and to Oppresse your brethren for conscience sake And this blasphemy exceeds your Fathers by how much the Name of Christ excels the Name of a Jew Will you bring forth the abominable fruits that God hates and cover them with the Name of Christ and father them upon the Spirit of Christ and say you are in Christ and Redeemed and Baptized into him and have Communion in him and get up Likenesses and Imitations from the Letter to cover you with in a nature contrary to Christ And is not this the Height of Deceit and Blasphemy What is the Name of Christ and the Redemption of Christ the Death of Christ the Baptism of Christ the Resurrection of Christ the Communion oâ— Christ and the Words of Christ become a Cloak for the Works of Wickednesse And doth not this blaspheme his Name his Words his Spirit his Ordinances and his People and all his Holy things and cause them to be blasphemed amongst the Heathen and throughout the World But to preach Christ the Light of the world and to confesse him in us so far as we feel the power of his Spirit taking us out of the power of Sin and Conforming us to himself and to bring forth the fruits of his Spirit in Truth and Righteouseâ—sse this doth not blasphemâ— but in such he is Honoured who shew forth his vertues and walk in his Spirit such exalt his Name This was Pauls work when he had left off to blaspheme Now come to your Rule and be tryed it tells you who are Christs and who are Antichrists Deceivers and Blasphemers and they are known by their Works and not by their Words It saith They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin And as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ And as you have received Christ Jesus so walk in him And he that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked and ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature and all things are of God And he that saith he know Christ and keeps not his Commandements is a Liar And this is the blasphemer who covers himself with the words of truth but is an enemy to the life Now here is the testimony of Truth lay it to the testimony of your lives and measure your selves therewith and we will measure our selves therewith also and let Truth judge the Deceiver and Liar and Blasphemer by his Fruits and where he hath his Seat What will Truth say where Covetousnesse is found Have such Crucified the Affections Have Proud men Crucified their Lusts Have Wanâ—ons Crucified the Flesh Have Swearers Lyars and cursed Speakers put off the body of Sin Oâ— iâ— it dâ—â—d where these workâ— are alive where there is Envie Strife Suits and Contentions Is this to put on Christ or to be all one in him Where Flâ—ttering Scorning Back-biting and Slandering is and the Vessels filled with such Wickednesse are all things of God And are such baptized into his death or planted into his Resurrection And are not they blasphemers who persecute others for Conscience towards God But to preach Christ to be the Light of the World and the Hope of Glory in the Saints our Life our Righteousnesse and Perfection and to suffer for it is no blasphemy Now here is your Measure and with Truth are you measured weighed and tryed Your Baptismes your Communion your Redemption your Death and Resurrection and your life Eternal And in the light you and we are seen and with the life thereof you are found who bring forth thesâ— fruits to be under the power of sin unredeemed and out of Christ the life deceiving your own souls and others of the righteous Inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified and blaspheming the holy Name of Christ and grieving his holy Spirit by professing that in his Name which you have not and by your evil deeds acted under his Name whereby it is polluted which was not given for a cover to such Works In this holy Name of Christ hath God placed his Covenant and Life and in these Holy things did Holy men and women meet with God worship him and dwell with him in Spirit as his house in which he was seen and walked And are these now become a cover for a Den of thieves a habitation and hiding for all the abominations now acted in the world Is
the vine in a contrary nature Wherefore all who aime to hold forth in life to his appearance and to attain his coming in purity and glory must be diligent in the heavenly light ever minding the way and moving of the holy Spirit him that is from above that his form you may see who hath the heavenly image and the holy power that so beholding him with open face as in a glass you may be changed into the same image and formed thereafter from glory to glory by the powerful working of the same Spirit until the Tabernacle be built conformable to the heavenly exâ—mple and holy pattern in body and Spirit that as he is so may you be in this world that God may appear in his Temple that as the image of the earthly appeares in the world so the image of the heavenly you may bear a witnesse against them And by drinking in the communion of that holy Spirit and power from above you may become as able zealous and willing to hold forth the heavenly in holiness meekness purity patience love long-suffering faith and obedience to God and all the fruits of the Spirit as the Sonnes of the world are to hold forth the earthly in lusts and pleasures strife and envy cruelty and oppression and all manner the works of the flesh that you may as truly and really give up your bodies minds and strength to suffer with Christ that he may be manifest and magnified therein in your mortal bodies as others who are without God in the world do give themselves to act according to the principles and power of the God of this world his unrighteous wayes worships and fashions and all his cursed courses and the whole body of sin and mystery of iniquity born in them And where the Tabernacle is thus edified and the Temple thus cleansed there is a vessel of honour fit for the Masters use that being filled with the holy Ghost God may dwell on the earth and take up his rest therein his Tabernacle being with men the appearance of the blessed day so many souls hunger for and Abrahams Seed longs to see which the God of this world strongly opposes in all whose minds he hath blinded and whole spirits he possesseth in disobedience to the heavenly light for which the wrath of God remains upon that generation till this day and for ever Wherefore all you who wait for the Kingdom of God and love his appearance whose coming again is without sin abide within and wait in that Temple where the witnesse ariseth against the world that in faith and patience you may be counted worthy to receive that witnesse that it may arise and cover you and that in bearing it you may come out of the world being conformable to him who suffered without the gates bear his reproach and you bear his name touch not the unclean thing and he will receive you for himself in you to appear and be glorified lifted up against the powers of darknesse You that have received the earnest of this Spirit hath he not said I will dwell in you and walk in you wherefore come out from among them and be you separate This is the joy that is set before you to wit his appearance and that glory for the attaining whereof we endure the present sufferings and reproach not to be compared therewith for glory immortality eternal life O friends who shall be found worthy at his coming and in whom may he appear and not consume them for our God is a consuming fire even in his holy Temple is he known and with clean hands will he take up his rest and in the pure heart shall he be seen else who may dwell with everlasting burnings and who may abide that baptisme wherein every one shall be salted with fire at his coming THere is a Spirit that I feel that delights to do no Evil nor to revenge any Wrong but delights to endure all things in Hope to enjoy its own in the End Its hope is to outlive all Wrath and Contention and to weary out all exaltation and Cruelty or whatsoever is of Nature contrary to its self it sees to the end of all temptations as it bears no evil in it selfe so is conceives none in thoughts to any other For its ground and Spring is the Mercies and Forgivenesse of God its Crown is Meekness its Life is Everlasting Love unfeigned and takes its Kingdom with Intreaty and not with Contention and keeps it by Lowlinesse of mind in God alone it can rejoyce though none else regard it or can own its Life It s conceived in Sorrow and brought forth without any to pitty it nor doth it murmur at Grief and Oppression it never rejoyceth but through Sufferings for with the Worlds joy it is murthered I found it alone being forsaken I have fellowship therein with them who lived in Dens and Desolate places in the Earth who through Death Obtained this Resurrection and Eternal Holy Life J. N. Through the negligence of the Printer and the diligence of that spirit that would not have truth and righteousness to Reign some faults have escaped which the friendly Reader is desired to correct and not impute the blame to the Author for herein he was blameless In pag 1. line 1. for profession r. possession p. 11. l. 21. for wherein r. where p. 13. and last line for the bodies r. his bodies p. 15. l. 10. for here r. there l. 38. for Estate r. state p. 17 l. 1. for or r. of p. 19. l. 21. for him r. them p. 20. l. 27. for towards righteousness r. towards Gods righteousness p. 26 l 20. for mind r. wind p. l. 32. for oorn r. born p. 42. l. 3. for innocent pass r. innocent cannot passe p. 46. l. 7. this sentence is left out these resisted the spirit that spake in him p. 48. l. 35. for our r. your p. 49. l. 22. for the r. their p. 53 last l. for measure r. in measure p. 57. l. 6. r. to come and l. 25. for rooted r. blotted p. 65. l. 9. for she r. the. p. 72. l. 7. for you souls r. your souls THE END