him foolishness and madness This is the Wiâ—…dom of God and the children thereof judged and condemned by man in his day And how can it be otherwise How can the wisdom of men but judge that as foolishness whose beauty and excellency is hid from its eye But this is because the wisdom of man is out of its place not subjected to the Wisdom of God but exalted above it therefore as a Curse unto it is it suffered to lift up it self in its conceitfulness against and so to persecute the pure Wisdom of God and the birth thereof that it might fall and be broken and snared and taken and its day deservedly come to an end and be shut up in the shadows and chambers of eternal darkness But what Ear of Man can hear this Surely none that is whole in the line of Man's wisdom reason and understanding but that alone which is bruised broken and in some measure dashed to pieces by the inroads of a divine Life and Nature This iâ—… the leading of that Life which hath broken it and in the shinings of the Light eternal upon it and into it may be enabled to take up the Cross to the natural part and to die that Death with Christ which preserves from the second Death with the misery thereof Happy is he who knows and hearkens to the Perswasions of God's Spirit who is born of God and taught to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit who receives his Religion from the Ligâ—… of Faith into the renewed Nature and Mind and not from the Reason of Man into the natural understanding which is easily corrupted and cannot be kept pure but alone by the indwelling of the Principle of Eternal Life in it For though such may suffer very deeply in this World from the men of this world as the Subjects and Servants to the Principle of Life have done in all Ages and Generations yet their Principle will bear them out in which God will appear to strengthen and refresh their spirits and carry them up above all their Sufferings in the Patience Meekness and Faith of the Lamb And keeping to their Principle they cannot be overcome but must either live or die Conquerors according to the will and good pleasure of Him who ordereth and disposeth of all things well and bringeth good out of every evil in despite of all the Powers of Darkness And he that overcometh whether by life or death in the Lamb's Spirit shall wear the Lambs Crown sit down in that perfect Rest in the Kingdom of the Father which will give the hearts of all his Children full Satisfaction In which assured hope Life stirring in our bosoms and quickning our hearts with Love unto our God and Zeal for his Truth we can freely give up all that is near and dear unto us in this World and lay down our heads in inward Peace â—…n the midst of the greatest outward Persecution and Trouble Even so O Lord thy Will be done concerning this Generation of thy People whom thou hast begotten to thy Self and brought forth by thy mighty Power to testifie to thy Truth in this present day Dispose of them as it pleaseth Thee and let not their Faith in thee nor thy Faithfulness to them fail but let them be a Praise to thy Name throughout all Generations and tendered by Thee as the First fruits of thine Appearance in the Glorious Light of the Everlasting Day after this great long thick and dark Night of Apostacy from the Life and Spirit of the Apostles hath so long ecclipsed and covered the brightness of thy Beauty from the fight of the Earth Isaac Pennington A Declaration to all the World of our Faith and what we Believe who are called QUAKERS Also what Ministers and Magistrates we own and what and whom we deny Concerning God Christ and the Spirit FIrst That there is only one true God who is a Spirit and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth he is Eternal and Everlasting the Creator Preserver of all things that Heaven and Earth and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth and all things remain unto this day by his Power and whatsoeveâ—… he willeth in Heaven and Earth he brings to pass by his Word and Power And we believe That this God only is and ought to be feared loved obeyed and worshipped by all Creatures and no other thing besides him in Heaven and Earth and we believe that his Worship and Obedience and Care and Love is to be given in Spirit even iâ—… what his own Spirit moveth and leadeth his people unto And we believe his True Worship required and accepted of him is not by the tradition of men in outward observances or set days or places but he is worshipped only in Spirit and Truth without respect of times places or things and that none can worship him in righteousness but his Children who are born of his Spirit and are led and guided thereby And we believe that this God hath given his Son Christ Jesus into the World a free Gift unto the whole World and that every man that cometh into the World is lighted by him that every man may believe and be saved And we believe That he is given into the World and no Nation Country or People excepted but to all mankind he is given of God and hath enlightened them And every man through the world that believeth in and receiveth Christ who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father shall be saved with eternal Salvation And every one that believes not in him shall be damned and shall possess everlasting misery And we believe That Salvation Justification and Sanctification is only in Him wrought by him and no other for there is no other Name given under Heaven but him alone by which Salvation is and we believe all that receive him and believe in him are reconciled to God and are made alive to God to live to him in all things and do receive the forgiveness of Sins and are set free from all unrighteousness and from the body of Sin and Death and have the witness of the Spirit in them and the Spirit of the Father they have received and it witnesseth in them of the Father and of the Son and of the things that belong to their peace and it is the Earnest of the Inheritance and the Seal of the Promise of Eternal Life and by it are the deep things of God revealed to mankind and by it the Father and the Son dwell in the Saints and by it they have fellowship one with another and the Father Son and Spirit are one And this we faithfully believe Again concerning Christ we believe Thaâ—… he is one with the Father and was with the Father before the World was and what the Father worketh is by the Son for he is the Arm of Gods Salvation and the very Power and Wisdom of the Creator and was is and is to come without beginning or end And we
the World by the things of the World endeavours to blind the mind not the Brain-Knowledge but the Heart Fâ—…eling Sence within in the mind lest the Light within should so shine as God should heal them all the Buslings of Satan with his Gifts are but to blind the Mind within lest God should heal the Soul that complains to him from the true Sight and Sence of his Misery as in himself By this Grace and Gift within we believe That to Us though in the World there be Lords many Gods many there is but ONE GOD the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ witnessed within man only by the Spirit of Truth that manifests both the Father and the Son and yet these Three are One and agree in One and he that honours the Father honours the Son that proceeds from him and he that denies the Spirit denies both the Father and the Son and is Antichrist but he that believes in the Spirit and is led by it is the Son of God Rom. 8. 14. As many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God We believe The Scriptures bear witness unto and testifie of Christ but they say The Witness of God is greater then them The Spirit it self bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God For it is not the Scriptures without the Spirit nor the Spirit contrary to the Scriptures but the Spirit 's discovering the Will of God in the Heart oâ—… opening of the Scrlpâ—…ures in its own Time and Way and not in or by the Will of Man but as it self pleaseth who searcheth all even the deep things of God and manifests them unto the Soul which gives the Perfect Sound and Saving Knowledge for said Christ The Spirit shall take of mine shew them unto you And as Holy Men gave forth the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 21. so Holy Men and they only come truly to understand them and not proud and ungodly men because their Hearts and Lives do not answer the Hearts Lives of those that gave them forth as Face answers Face in a Glass And this we believe to be the Reason why so long Preaching by men of corrupt Minds who have and do handle the Word deceitfully for Selfish Ends and filthy Lucre sake hath brought forth so little Fruit and been to so little Purpose except to their Purses and Bellies for had they believed and therefore spoaken and stood in God's Counsel they should have profited their Hearers Jer. 23. 21 22 23 to the end Through this Gift we believe That Christ Jesus the Son of God was manifest in the Flesh in the Fulness of time And this we know by the same Spirit by which our Fathers believed he should come and Abraham saw his Day by the same we do believe he is come and do see his Day as also by the Prophet and Apostles Writing which two-fold Cord is not easily broken We believe also according to the Scriptures of Truth That this same Jesus hath God highly exalted and given him a Name above every Name that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life and that there is not another Name whereby any can be saved than this Name of Jesus Christ nor is Remission of Sins to be preached by any other Name But as we do not believe that the outward Letters and Syllables are that Name that is to be bowed to by the outward Knee no more then the Letters or Syllables in the words God or Spirit seeing the Scripture faith Unto God who is a Spirit every Knee shall bow Isa. 45. 93. But the Name which saves is the Power and Arm of God that brings Salvation from Sin and makes every Soul that names it to depart from Iniquity This is that Name which was preached and which is preached through Faith in which Name Remission of Sin is obtained Therefore was the outward word Jesus given him as his outward Name Thou shalt call his Name JESUS for he shall save his People from their Sins mark for he shall save c. So that which saves is the Name which is to be believed in which is that Arm of God that brings Salvation when no Eye pities neither is there any Help the Power of God that then saves is that Grace that comes from the Fulness of Christ the Saviour And without this Virtue Christ and Jesus are but empty Names 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Jesus is the LORD but by the Holy Ghost We believe also That this Jesus dyed for or because of Sin and rose again for the Justification of those that believe in him as well as to manifest to all the World that he was the Son of God and that he thereby spoiled Principalities and Power and triumphed over them openly and led Captivity captive in his own Person yet we believe and know by his Grace in our Hearts that as his Name Jesus without Virtue and Power is but an empty Word so his Dying without man's Conformity to his Death or being planted into the Likeness thereof or being crucified with Christ as saith the Scripture Rom. 6. 2 3 4 5 6. Gal. 2. 20. will not profit man as to the Salvation of his Soul no more then the naming of his outward Name Jesus doth at this day make People to depart from Iniquity For we believe and are â—…ure that man must dye inwardly as well as Christ dy'd outwardly and must be put to Death in his Flesh as Christ was in his for he that is in the Flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. Neither ceaese froâ—… Sin but he that is dead is freed from Sin Rom. 6. 7. And yet man 's dying unto Sin and the Root and Principle of it in himself is so far from making void Christ's Death in his own Person that it establisheth it to all those Ends and Purposes for which it was intended of the Father As the Cures which the Physitian doth manifest and establish his Skill and Ability so doth man's dying unto Sin and Self and living unto God manifest and establish the Virtue and Power of Christ's Death for as man manifests his being risen with Christ by his seeking the things that are above Col. 3. 1 2. so doth he manifest his Knowledge of the Death of Christ by his being crucified with Christ and bearing about in his Body the Dying of the Lord Jesus For as it is not an outward Belief gather'd from the Letter that will change the Heart and Life though the Judgment and Opinion it may so it is not a Belief from the History or Letter only that can give man a saving Knowledge of the Death of Christ but he must have the same Glory and Power of the Father in measure working in him there to beget Faith in his Heart thaâ—… he may believe unto Salvation from his own Filthiness and Righteousâ—…ess as well as confess with his Mouth Rom. 10. and must have that
of it remaineth unsatisfied in a restless longing desire to find receive feel and enjoy the thing it self which the words declare of and that which satâ—…fieth the true thirsting Soul comes clearly from God to the refreshing of the inward parts of man and filling of the empty barren hungrv Spirit which cannot be satisfied without God's indwellings and thus the Disciples were led along and at last in a foolish way to the great Professors they waited among them in Jerusalem and the Lord had regard unto them and sent his own Spirit unto them and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost And the secret invisible Hand of God whose Power was and is felt in my heart having out of the sight of Flesh and Blood in the hidden counsel of his secret Will led me by the vertue of the opreations and drawings thereof through those things which thereby I come to leave behind and to receive and feel that which now goeth before and is my Leader in whose Covenant of Life Eternal my Soul is now satisfied and so by good experience of the Lords Leadings and from an experimental knowledge sensible Feeling and present enjoyment of the incomes of the Spirit of Truth and Life which filleth the inward parts with the Holiness of it self and giveth Power to do the things required before of God even from the right and good understanding thereof is this written That where it meets with the like condition in a weary Travailer it may answer its own and be helpful to the weak and feeble that such may not give over pressing forwards nor faint in their long travel though many Mountains on which they did nourish themselves at formerly will not yield them Bread now yet that they may with me and the rest of the Followers and Friends of Câ—…ist past and present always continue following the Spirit as it leads until the inward man be filled therewith and so Power and Strength from God comes to be known and received in every particular For thus it is with Chirsts Followers now they are not satisfied until they are filled with that which they have heard of and their Souls thirsted after and so it was with them then and they were filled with what they wanted before and then from that which they were filled with they spoak forth and so they did teach the Nations and brought People under the Power of God and baptized them into that and dipt them into the Name of the Father and brought them under that which saveth from Sin and plunged them into the holy Spirit and as they teach'd they did this baptizing as they did teach and plunging them as their doctrine went forth into that which washeth and purifieth the Conscience from the filth and guilt of Sin of which the outward Baptism was a figure of this which saveth And so their Doctrine was from an inward Life and proceeded from that which was invisible and so reached to that which wanted life in the Hearers and so brought up the Power of God over them and them under it and into it for the Word is â—…nto and they were to bring people into the Name not Water and they were to bring or Baptize them into the Name as they did Teach Go ye and teach Baptizing into Baptizing is in the Present Tense when they did Teach and here the spiritual and Inward Baptism goes along with the Preaching of the Word of Life which is inward and brings Man into an inward enjoyment of God being baptized into his Name which is a Strong Tower which preserveth from the power of the Devil and we all who are brought into this and are come in here 〈◊〉 all by one Spirit baptized into one Body and so worship God in the Spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience by the washing of Regeneration in the Ministration of the Gospel of Peace whereby there is a Drawing nigh to God being brought into his Name and a free access to the Throne of that Grace which saveth from and out of all filthiness of flesh and spirit Humphrey Smith The Discovery of mans Return to his first Estate by the Operation of the Power of God in the great work of Regeneration ALL Men and Women behold and see 〈◊〉 what estate you were created And God said Let us make Man in our Image God created Man in his own Image and in the Image of God created he him male and female created he them And the Lord took Man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress and to keep it And the Lord God commanded the Man saying Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou 〈◊〉 thereof thou shalt surely dye the death The Serpenâ—… was more subtil then any Bestâ—… of the Field which the Lord God had made he said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as God knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant unto the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed Fig-leaves together and made them Aprons And they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord among the Trees of the Garden and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him Where art thou And he said I heard thy Voice in the Garden and was afraid and because I was naked I hid my self and he said Who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof that I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And the Man said The Woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Woman What is this that thou hast done The Woman said The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Serpent Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all Cattel and above every Beast of the Field and upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life And I will put enmity betwixt thee and the Woman and betwixt thy seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel And the Lord God said Behold this Man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now left he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat live forever Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden
broad way to destruction whatever thou be whether a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Letter of the Scripture under what Form Name or Title soever thou be thou art a dead Man and a dead Woman and the wrath of God abides on thee though thou see it not Rom. 7. 9. there Paul witnesseth I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I dyed Friends every one in particular deal justly with your hearts see what you can witness of your death with Christ by the powerful Word of Truth which enlightens the Conscience and condemns Sin in the flesh for every one would ascend with Christ to be partakers of the Life and Glory with him but he becomes a stumbling stone to be Baptized with him unto his Sufferings and Death to descend with him into Hell this thou must witness before ever thou comest to sit with him in heavenly places for it is they and they alone that shall reign with him who suffer with him and they that are dead shall live with him It is the dead that hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Arise thou that sleepest in the dust of the Earth securely in thy serpentine wisdome thy Mind feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish Arise stand up to Judgment that Christ may give thee Life This is required of thee O man To do Justly love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God Examine thy heart and deal justly with thy own Soul There is a Light in thy Conscience which Light is of Christ minding it it will let thee see the Mystery of Iniquity that lodgeth in thy heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked and this Light in thy Conscience which discovers unto thee the evil of thine heart is of the Eternal Word of God and was from the beginning according as it is written in the outward Testimony of the Truth In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is God and the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was Life and the Lifo was the Light of men And the Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not Every one arise out of your earthly wisdom and mind the Light in thy Conscience and wait on the Power of the Lord in it and it will bring thee to Judgment before the Throne of the Lamb where the righâ—…teous Law will be opened in thy heart that will cry through thy earthly heart for Righteousness and Judgment and the Book will be opened in thee where thou shalt see all written that thou hast done in the body and shalt give an account for every idle word and receive thy reward for what thou hast done and thy reward is wrath and Condemnation which will pass upon thee from the presence of the Lamb for thy disob dience and breaking of the righteous Law that goes out of the mouth of the Lamb 't will turn every way and meet thee cut thee down and cast thee into Hell where there is weeping and wailing for want of the presence of God and thou canst do nothing to pacific the Wrath of God which is gone out against thee Now wouldâ—…t thou hide thy self as Adam did when he appears in thy heart thy fig-leav'd garment of prayers tears form outward observations according to thy comprehension of the Letter will not cover thy nakedness it served to cover thy nakedness from the sight of men but now when the Lord appears in thy heart thou canst not stand before him Now comes Cain in thee to be driven from the Face of God to be a fugitive and a Vagabond in the Earth not withstanding all his Sacrifices and Esau in thee reprobated never to have the blessing though he seek it with tears and the Bond woman and herâ—…son cast out and the first Adam now slain with the sharp Sword that goeth out of the mouth of the Lamb and art made to give up thy soul to God whose it is to do with thee what he will if he destroy thee forever he may and if he save thee from Eternal Death it is his free Love Now art thou Baptized with Christ into his Sufferings and Death where thou liest sealed down under the Eternal Judgment of God and there perishest forever for any Power or help thou hast in thy self and this is the Administration of Moses where thou liest condemned forever under the righteous Law without any help or hope until the Administration of the Prophets that prophesie of a Christ that hath satisfied the righteous Law of God for thee who art lost and condemned under the Power of the Law of Moses And now there is a secret hope raised up in thy Soul and thou lookest up from under the condemning Power of Moses for a Saviour And the prophets are until John and of all that were horn of Women there was not one greater then John for he is a burning and shining Light that lets thee fee the filthiness of thy heart and the Law shines in its purity to condemn the Earthly man in thee bu the strengthens the hope in thee that was raised up by the Prophets to see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ which ravished thy lost condemned Soul that thou art willing to sell all for him the Scripture now being fulfilled in thee who witnesseth this from the days of John even until now The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force now is every Mountain and Hill laid low in thee and crooked wayes made straight and the rough way in thee made smooth and thou waitest in the Wilderness and lost condition of thy self for the Salvation of God to be manifest to thee in Jesus Christ and in the appointed time of the Father the Son of Man comes to thy soul as a thief in the night as the lightening from the East to the West so is his appearance in thee and causeth thy â—…ead soul to hear his voice which witnesseth to it eternal life freely through his own Blood and thy soul hears his voice and by the Word of his Power is made to live and is sealed up by the Holy Spirit of promise the Spirit of God bearing witness with thy spirit that thou art his child Now comest thou to witness the second Adam to be a quickening Spirit and Isaac the promised Seed to be Heir forever And that the wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life And that by Grace thou are saved through Faith in the Lord Jesus not of works left any should boast and he that hath Hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure and the Love of Christ constrains thee now who canâ—…t witness this work of Regeneration manifest in
believe That all the Prophets gave Testimony of him and that he was made manifest in Judea and Jerusalem and did the Work of the Father and was persecuted of the Jews and was crucified by his Enemies and that he was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures And we believe He is now ascended on high exalted at the right hand of the Father for evâ—… and that he is gloâ—…ified with the same gloâ—…y that he had before the world was and that even the same that came down from Heaven is ascended up to Heaven and the same that descended is he that ascended And we believe Even he that was dead is alive and lives for evermore and that he cometh and shall come again to judge the whole world with righteousness and all people with equity and shall give to every man according to his deeds at the day of Judgment when all shall arise to condemnation or justification he that hath done good shall receive Life and he that hath done evil everlasting Condemnation And we believe He is to be waited for in Spirit to be known after the Spirit as he was before the World was and that is the knowledge unto Eternal Life which all that believe in him do receive he subdues death destroys him that hath the power of it restoreth from Death to Life and quickeneth by his Spirit all that the Father hath given him and we believe such he justifieth and sanctifiâ—…th and such are taught of him but he condemns all that believe not and continue in unbelief and are not taught of him And this we faithfully believe And we believe That unto all People upon the face of the whole Earth is a time and day of Visitation given that they may return and be saved by Jesus Christ who is given of the Father to call the worst of men to repentance and the most ungodly of sinners are convinced by him of their ungodly deeds that they may believe and be converted and saved And we believe Herein is the love of God manifested to all mankind and that none wert shut out by him before they were born into the world but unto all men is a visitation given and they that perish it is because they do not believe in Christ and Destruction is of a mans self but Salvation is of God through believing in his Son who takes away sin and reneweth into his ownImage that they may become Heirs with him And we believe That there is a Crown of eternal Glory and an Inheritance of eternal Life to be enjoy'd for evermore by all that believe are chosen of God and that there is an everlasting Misery and Destruction to be possessed by all that believe not but continue in the state of Reprobation and are not changed from the ways of sin and death but walk after the ways of their own hearts lusts fulfilling the will of the flesh in the evil of this world and follow not Christ the Light of the world that they may be saved and we believe upon all such the Wrath of God abides and that they have no part in the Inheritance of God And we believe That it is only he that is born again of the Spirit and that walks after the Spirit who is changed from Death unto Life and who is redeemed out of the world and all its ways such only must inherit the Kingdom of God and they only have right thereunto and none besides even they that are washed and cleans'd from all unrighteousness by the Blood of Jesus by which their sins are remitted for his Blood cleanseth them from all Unrighteousness and Sin yea all such that walk and abide in the Light which Jesus Christ hath enlightned the World withal And we believe That the Saints upon Earth may receive forgiveness of Sins and may be perfectly freed from the body of sin death and in Christ may be perfect and without Sin and may have Victory over all Temptations by Faith in Jesus Christ And we believe Every Saint that is call'd of God ought to press after Perfection and to overcome the Devil and all his Temptations upon Earth and we believe they that faithfully wait for it shall obtain it and shall be presented without sin in the Image of the Father and such walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and are in Covenant with God and their Sins are blotted out and remembred no more for they cease to commit sin being born of the Seed of God And we believe the Goâ—…pel of Christ is the Power of God unto Salvation and that it ought to be preached freely unto all People Christ to be held forth to all Mankind by the Ministry sent of him And we believe this Ministry is receiv'd by the gift of the holy Ghost and all they that receive it are lawfully called to the Ministry and they may preach the Gospel of Christ freely as they have received it freely and this Ministry is not of man but of God and is made powerful to the converting of sinners and to the bringing of People to God and to the knowledge of his ways And we do not believe that any man is a Minister of Christ without the gift of the holy Ghost or that the Gospel can be received by natural Larning or Education And we believe such as preach for hire and have hire for preaching are not the lawfully called Ministers of the Gospel of Christ such as are proud and high-minded and covetous men who do not profit the people at all such as have run and never were sent of Christ who calls by his Spirit into the Work of the Ministry and as every one hath received the Gift of that Spirit so he may administer to others Concerning Rulers and Governors we believe That there ought to be Rulers and Governors in every Nation City Country or Town and they ought to be such men as fear God and hate every evil way who will judge for God and not for man and will judge Righteously Equally and Justly and will give true and sound Judgment unto all men without bribery or respect of Persons not regarding the Rich above the Poor but being a Praise unto all that do well a terror to all evil doers having knowledge in the pure Law of God and themselves continually exercised therein And we believe That every Law of man ought to be grounded upon the Law of God pure Reason and Equity being the Foundation thereof that Gods witness in every man may answer to it and the Law ought to be known unto all People before Transgression be charged or punished in any man And we believe That every Transgression ought to be punished according to its nature that the punishment exceed not the greatness of the Transgression neither ought Transgressors to escape unpunished neither ought any upon false suspicion or jealousies be caused to suffer without the Testiâ—…ony of true men or the
preach without a price who are not sanctified by the Word of God but plead for a continuance in sin while people walk upon the Earth Such as Minister from the Letter and not from the Spirit who cannot Preach except they have time to study and so by their industry povide themselves and are not provided of the Lord such a Mninistry is of works and not the Free Gift from God such cannot profit people but lead them captive in an empty and dead Form always hearing but never able to come to the true knowledge of God such called Ministers we do deny turn from them and testifie against them as the holy men of God fromerly did read Isa. 56. 10 11. Jer. 5. 31. Mic. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 1. 19 20 26 27 28 29. chap. 21. 11. Jer. 23. 15 61 17 22 30 31 32. Isa. 50. 10 11. Phil. 3. 18 19. Jude 11. John 8. 24. 1 Joh. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Ezek. 34 Hos. 6. 9. Mat. 23. 1 Tim. 5. 6 10 11. 2 Tim. 3. 2 Pâ—…t 2. 2. Such Magistrates who rule for God who be men of Truth fearing God and bating covetoâ—…sness who execute true Justice and Judgment in the Earth without partiality not respecting the persons of the Rich nor despising the persons of the poor but in Tuth and Equity giving to every one his due and portion according to the Law of Equity who neither seek nor receive honour from men but seek the honour that comes from God only who are a terror to evil dâ—…ers but a praise to them that do well such Magistrates we own and in the Lord honour Exod. 18. 21. Deâ—…t 16. 18 19 20. Joh 5. 41 44. Rom. 13. 3 4. But such Magistrates who be proud and lofty who rule not for God but for themselves who love the praise of men and judge for Gifts and rewards and love money which is the root of all evil who respect the rich in their gay cloathing above the poor in vile raiment who seek and receive honour of men and if they be not honor'd with that which they seek for turn judgment backwards that Equity cannot enter such as be wrathful and malicious cannot rule for God such are encouragers of vice wickedness and turn their sword backward againsâ—… the Upright and Innocent who reprove sin in the gate such magistrates we do deny and testifie against for when the wicked bear rule the Righteous mourn and the Evil-doers rejoyce over them and mock and reproach them Isa. 1. 21 23. chap. 2. 11 12. John 6. 43. Mic. 3. 11. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Isa. 59. 13 14 15. Isa. 29. 21. Prov. 29. 2. Such as live in pride and pleasures and follow ungodly Lust and wicked practices deny God though in words they may profess him even so all such as do evil who follow Drunkenness Oathes Games vain Sports and Pleasures and such like ungodly actions do deny disgrace and greatly dishonour both Ministers and Magistrates though in words they may own them and bow the Hat and Knee and give flattering Titles unto them Tit. 1. 16. Psalm 15. Hosea 4. James 1. 25. Job 32. 21 22. To walk Soberly Righteously and doing Justly according as the Grace of God which brings Salvation doth teach and direct is a sweet savour to the Lord and a true owning and in thâ—… Lord honoring true Ministers and Magistates Micha 6. 8. Tit. 2. 11 12. Psal. 15. 17. Isa. 〈◊〉 15. Rom. 13. 3. But to walk loosly and prophanely doing wieked and unjust actions turning the Grace of God into Wantonness such are an ill savour to God and deny and dishonour true Ministers and Magistrates James 3. 14 15 16. Jude 4. Isa. 59. 2 3 c. True Honour doth not consist in bowing the Hat and Knee and such like things for that is the honour below which men seek and receive one of another which is in the unbelief but in the obedience of the Magistrates just Commands who are a Terror to wickedness but a praise to them that do well For the Law was not made for the Righteous who fear God and live uprightly but for the Lawless who are out of Gods Fear who live wickedly casting the Law of God behind their backs John 5. 44. Romans 13. 3 4. 1 Tiâ—… 1. 8 9 10. Psalm 50. 16 17. So this may certifie all whom this may come unto that we do not deny Ministers nor Magistrates who are made and ordained by God but honour them in the Lord let our Lives and Coversations and that of God in all your Consciences judge for if all were brought into our life the Magistrate should live at peace and so as the eyes of your understandings come to be opned with true Light you will see that those who live soberly and righteously do own and honour Ministers and Magistrates though they cannot for Conscince sake respect their persons nor give them flattering Titles as your Highness your Lordship your Worship and such like for such belong to God For Christ Jesus said I receive not honour from man and saith he How can you believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God onlyâ—… Gal. 1. 11 12. Rom. 13. 1. Dut. 16. 18 19. John 1. 9. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Read with understanding prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. A. Parker To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought home To the thirsty breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Caâ—…tivity among and in the midst of all Professorsâ—… Greetings of Love Mercy and Peace from God the Father of the Living WHere the Bowels are not shut up nor the Heart darkened and where that doth not bear rule which stoppeth the ear end closeth the eye and where Prejudice and Rebellion against the Light with the wisdom of the flesh through that knowledge which pusseth up hath not wholly caten up devoured got over and wholly overcome that tender Principle which once moved in the heart towards that Being of the living Substance there may my words take enterance and unto such who feel that which breathes to God and who are willing to be satisfied concerning the Living Truth of his Son and who would receive the Truth if they knew it and do yet more desire after the Power of God then all the temporal things that are seen and who are yet come no further than the reading of the Law the Priests Tythe's and that Religion that makes nothing perfect and who are come no further then the outward Baptisâ—… or Shadow or Figure or such things which are to be left behind Heâ—… 6. or who are come no further then the Supper or the Death and so not yet saved by his Life nor drunk of that which saveth is to cleanse from all that which separateth from God after whom and the incomes
to come and that they might not run to teach others as many do now before they had received the Spirit of Truth in themselves by and with that to be led into all Truth but might receive the Power of truth in themselves from the Life thereof to convert others unto the same therefore said he further after he was risen again But tarry ye in the City of Jerusa em until you be endued with power from on high Mark 24. 4. so that though they had seen his body before and had now seen him after his Resurrection yet that and all the rest was not enough without the Power and the Spirit which was to come which they were to wait for And so now men should tarry wait and stand still to see the Salvation of God and until they receive the Spirit for it is the Spirit not the body which searcheth all things and sheweth plainly of the Father And by this before written in short I have a little endeavoured to shew unto the â—…cek and single-hearted that Moses when he was upon Earth directed unto Christ as in these words The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midest of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken Dcâ—…t 18. 15. And Christ when he was upon Earth directed unto the Spirit which was to come in like words saying These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things John 14. 25 26. And then what if I did write after the manner of men and fay If Moses were now upon the Earth and Christ in his own body upon the Earth and Moses with all his Pâ—…iests Tythes Offerings and Religion which discovers Sin but makes nothing perfect which Paul profited much in If he I say should command and exhort all People under his Ministry to go to Christ and hear him And if Christ were now upon Earth and notwithstanding his outward Miracles Circumcision Baptism Supper and Death yet he should command and exhort all that â—…ome through the Law or Ministration of Moses unto him to look and tarry and wait for another Comforter that they might receive the Spirit in them and say unto them that that should teach them all things and lead them intâ—… all Truth Then whether or no people were to continue following Moses's Priests with their Tythes and long Prayers and still be seeking the Law at their mouthes or to come to Christ to seek the Gospel for Moses himself did not fay that they should seek the Gospel at the Priests mouth And then when did the Priests ever preach the Gospel And then whether those obey not Moses who leave the Priests and come to Christ the Light and whether such when they are come to Christ should alwayes be looking and following after his Body Miracles Baptism or Supper without them or tarry and wait to receive the Spirit within them And then which of these now should all people that profess Christ be led by in these dayes either Moses or the Person of Christ or the Spirit of Truth And whether such as have received and are truly indeed led by this Spirit of Truth and know that to be their Teacher and follow it and are ruled governed and guided by it according to the Command of Moses and Christ do not hereby obey the command of Moses and Christ and fulfil their Doctrine And whether any other People or Professors whatever do obey the Command of Moses and Christ but only such And whether this be not a thing of great concernment to be known and learned by all who Profess Christianity But why then do People follow these Priests of England any longer which are contrary to Moses and also to Christ who have no Store-houses but suffer the poor to want within and without and the Widdow and the Stranger ready to perish and moreover devour and can never have enough of the Spoil of other mens goods And why do others dispute about and talk of the Body so much which they never saw nor knew And is it not better to be silent and know God who dwells in his People and the Spirit of Truth which he requires in the inward parts and to feel after God even the Life in themselves because the Apostle said they were saved by his Life being before reconcited by his Death Rom. 5. 10 And until the Life came there were many things which they were not saved from by the Body for the Body was before the Death and the Death which reconciles was passed through before the Life was received again to save and Justifie And why then are people so much busied about that which was before the Reconciliation and so therein much short of the Life and for outward Bread Wine and Water Are not these things which are seen And are not the things that are seen Temporal But Christ the true Prophet being come of whom Moses did write who is the end of the Law and so the end of that Ministry whereby that is done away for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof and Christ coming after John of whom John bore witness that he was before and greater and came after him and Christ also having finished that which he himself came to do and likewise so largely and often Exhorted to wait for another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth Then what Ministration is it that now standeth and remaineth which is according both to Moses Christ and the holy Scriptures and what Ministration is to be expected or waited for but the Ministration of the Spirit And whether all they be not compassed about with a cloud of error who are upholding that Ministry of the Law or a worse which Christ is the end of and the Apostles said was done away and likewise such as are upholding and keeping up that which Christ said he had finished And whether the upholding of such things now be not quite opposite both to Moses Christ and Scriptures And being that Moses nor indeed his true Ministers of the Law are not upon Earth neither that Body of Christ which by the Professors was murthered at Jerusalem visibly to be seen upon Earth then what is it those have to follow who have not received the Spirit to be led by and if they will say they have the Writings of Moses and the Words of Christ I say if that be all then they that forsook and denyed Christ had more then them for they had the words from his own mouth which were Spirit and Life and yet they understood not and then what do those understand who have not so much as they had therefore after he had suffered and rose again he opened their understandings And so what is all their Religion worth who are not come to the Spirit And whether Moses's Ministration being ended by Christ and Christ also having
of Eden to till the Ground from whence he was taken and he drove out the man and placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Every Man and Woman behold and see how you are fallen from the estate and condition you are created in you were created in the Image of God to delight alone in him but you are fallen in obeying the Counsel of the Serpent and are driven out from the Presence of God into the Earth and there your Minds are feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish some delight in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Lands some in Money and Gold some in Meats and Drinks some in Raiment what they shall put on some in Lusts and Pleasures in Wantonness in vain idle Communication foolish Jesting and Laughter which is madness and folly and some in Honour Preferment in this world wherein their hearts are lifted up in Pride and Exaltation above others whom they have Power over not considering how you are driven out from the Presence of the Lord wherein you were placed in the beginning and some there are that feed upon the letter of the Scripture which is death comprehending God and Christ in their wisdom from what the Saints of the most high God have spoaken forth from the Life they have injoyed in Christ Jesus which was in them the Hope of their glory and man in his serpentine wisdom steals the Saints words into his understanding and never knew the Life and Power thereof in himself and so speaks a divination of his own brain a ridle to his own heart and while he speaks to others himself is cast away Every man and Woman in particular deal justly with your own hearts and see where your hearts are and what they delight in For in some of these created objects you delight in and feed upon if you cannot witness your change by the Eternal and Powerfull Word of Truth for into the Earth you are driven from the Presence of God and these are the fruits which spring out of the Earth which are in your hearts Self-love Pride Covetousness Anger Revenge Hastiness Frowardness Back-biting Hard heartedness Cruelty Oppression Lust Uncleanness Drunkenness Impatiency and Unbelief you are fenced out from coming to the Tree of Life with Cherubims the flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life So every one see what you can witness of your return again unto God from whence you are separated by the disobedience and evil of your hearts see what is the ground of the hope of your calling by what Power you are acted in your obedience unto God whether by the power of the first Adam or by the power of the second for if thou upon the convincement of the evil of thy ways dost not wait in the Light which is in thy conscience that convinceth thee of the evil of thy doings for power from the Lord to guide thee forth of the evil which the Light discovers which would guide thee into the kingdom of God but thou runest out into the wisdom of the first Adam to seek the Kingdom of God in outwrad forms and observations according as thou comprehendest of the Saints practices and thou imitatest their practices in thy wisdom and though thou walkest never so strictly in these outward Forms thou art alive in the first Adam sewing fig-leaves together to cover thy nakedness a piece of new cloth in an old garment thou art putting new wine into old Bottles and art building up a Tower to get up to God in thy Heathonish and Babylonish Wisdom and confusion will come upon thee In the day when the Lord comes to look for fruit thou wilt be found a fruitless Tree that cumbers the Ground Cain with his offering up Sacrifice unto God in thy first Nature Esau seeking the Birt-righ with tears who shall never find it and all the fruit that is raised in thee is from Hagar the Bond-woman and thou hast thy end for thy self in all that thou dost which is thy hire which thou expectest in the end life for thy labour and obedience and regardest not the Glory of the Lord and his Fear is not before thine eyes Therefore every man and woman deal justly with your own hearts under what name or title soever thou art whether thou be a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Testimony the Saints gave forth from the Life and Power of Christ that was in them and thou expectest Life in thy outward Forms and observations and mindest not to be guided by that Light which is of Christ in thine own Conscience which Light guided the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures and while thou disobeyest that Light profess what thou wilt thou art in the fall first Adam is yet alive in thee Cain is not yet banished nor Esau reprobated nor the bond woman and her Son cast out which are all figures and types of the first Nature which is yet alive in thee and thy will is thy guide and thy heart is in the Earth notwithstanding all thy profession and thou art a painted beast made drunk with the wine of the wrath of the Whore which is thy Wisdom which comprehends that which thou never didest know manifest in it self and sits deckt a well-favouored Horlot above the Cross of Christ thou wilt be found a Thief and a Robber who comest not in by the Door Jesus Christ but climbest up some other way and thus far went the Scribes and Pharisees and the young man who had kept the Commandments from his youth but when he should have sold all for Christ he went away sorrowful And thus far went Paul when he persecuted Jesus Christ according to the Law he walked blameless and all thy strict walking to get life in observations according to the Letter is striving again to get to the Tree of Life by thy own Power who are fenced out with Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life And if thou never sawest thy self fenced out from the presence of God notwithstanding all thy righteousness in observations thou art not come so near God as to see the flaming Sword which is placed to meet thee in every way thou turnest to get life in thy own Power and to cut thee down and kill thee that Christ may be thy life thou art alive in the first Adam and art in the death for Death reigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses is until the Prophets and the Prophets till John and John until Christ and if thou canst not witness that thou art come to Moses profess what thou wilt thou hast not set thy face towards God nor one step in the strait and narrow way to Eternal Liâ—…e but art going the
abounds and makest the coming of Christ who came to fulfill the Law to destroy it through the evil of thy heart that when the righteous Law cryes in thee for Purity and condemns thee for thy unrighteous walking then thou fleest to the free Grace in Christ to save thee from the power of the Law but thou shalt find the Law hath Power over the fleshly man as long as he lives and the fleshly man that now guides thee is under the Law until it be destroyed through Faith in Jesu Christ For he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and the Saints witness it though thou wrest the words of Paul when he declared his condition before he came to the fulness of stature in Christ to thy own destruction I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin which is in my members but he gave not up himself to be a Servant of â—…in as thou dost it was his Burthen that made him to cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death And he waited in the Faith until he was freed Rom. 8. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit He witnessed Christ come in him to fulfill the Law and so do all the Saints now according to their growth Some witness the Law fulfilled in them and others are waiting in the Faith patiently following the Lord daily through the Cross until the Law be fulfilled But thou art departed from the Counsel of the Lord thy God and causest his Name to be evil spoken of and hast made the Hearts of his people sad as they did that the Apostle speaks of For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose End is Destruction whose God is their Belly whose Glory is their Shame who mind Earthly things These Scriptures are fulfilled in thee which the Apostle mentions And while they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into Bondage For if after they have escaped the Polution of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the later End of them is worse with them than the Beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them But it happened unto â—…hem according to the true Proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire And thou mayest read what will be manifest to thee from the Lord For if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fâ—…erce Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law dyed without Mercy how much sorer Punishment supposest thou shalt thou be thought worthy of who hast troden under foot the Son of God and hast counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith thou wast Sanctified an unholy thing and hast done despight to the Spirit of Grace and we know him that hath said vengeance belongetâ—… unto me I will recoâ—…pence saith the Lord It is a feareful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Remember from whence thou art fallen Repent and do thy first work in minding that Light of Jesus Christ in thee before whom thou once stoodst condemned for that thou now livest in Prize the time and give up to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord in thee the Light of thy Conscience that discovers every vain thought wait on the Power that is present with the Light and it will dash Babylons childern against the Stones which is Sin in its conception so will thy carnal mind be brought to the Cross daily and thy heart will be purged with the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning Kiss the Son in obeying his Counsel the Light in thee lest thou perish in the way for if his Anger be kindled a little blessed are they that trust in him The Discovery of Mystery Babylon To all enslaved Captives in Babylons's Kingdom who are made drunk with the Wine of â—…he Wâ—…ath of her Fornications and bewitched through the multitude of her Inchantments FRiends Babylon is within you the Mother of Harlots is within you and she bewitcheth you through the abundance of her Sorceries and the Beast is within you that ariseth out of the bottomless Pit of the deceived heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked and the Beast which all the World wonders after is your wills that make war against the Lamb of God in you which is the Light that makes manifest the evil of your hearts and your wisdom is the great Whore that sits upon the Beast that ariseth out of the bottomless Pit of the deceitful heart and she finds out many deceitful inventions to preserve the beastly will alive having a golden Cup in her hand full of the abominations of the Earth and this Golden Cup is your outward professions glorious comprehensions and conceivements of God and Christ imitating what the Saints did in power according as they were moved by the operation of the Spirit of the Most High God and you imitate the Saints practice by your wisdom There is nothing but confusion in the Kingdom of Babylon So come you to be divided into so many particular Forms as Presbyterians Imdependants Anabaptists and divers others that are in outward worships painted over with glorious words and yet you whose wills guide you are painted Beasts bewitched with the Mother of Harlots notwithstanding all your outward professions and glorious observations they are but the golden Cup and within you are full of the Abominations of the Earth as Self-Love Covetousness â—…usts Uncleanness Frowardness Backbiting Slandering Hard-heartedness Cruelty and Oppression Grinding the Faces of the Poor Impatiency and Unbelief and the fear of the Lord is not before your eyes and thus you lie enslaved Captives in the Kingdom of Babylon refreshing your hearts in the Creature enjoyments which will perish some in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Land some in Gold and Silver some in the Self Wisdom delighting in themselves some in Honour and Preferment in this World and when there is enjoyment of these visible creatures then there is content and when they are taken away there is trouble the mind alwayes Plotting Contriving and Acting every way to get of the creatures what the heart lusteth after and he that gets the
most is highest exalted so every one is exalted above another and there is nothing but Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression among you you sous and daughters of Babylon and in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saiuts and all that were slain upon the Earth The Merchants of Babylon are your Teachers who draw you from your Guide which is the pure Light of Christ in you to seek the Kingdom of God in observations without you contrary to the mind of Christ The Kingdom of God comes not with Observations neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you But these your Merchants have no Scripture for their Merchandize which they sell to you enslaved Captives for so many hundreds in the year and is paid in the Nation or elsewhere for these observations they tell you you must observe or else you cannot come to the Kingdom of Heaven though they are contrary to the Scriptures as are practised by them there is no Scripture that witnesseth their call to the Ministry by humane wisdom Not many great not many noble not many wise after the flesh There is no Scripture which testifies of any that Jesus Christ sent forth that made a bargain with the people for so much a year as thâ—…se do that profess themselves to be sent of Christ This is the call of the Ministers of Christ Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ neither of man nor by man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ I send you forth saith Jesus Christ as Lambs among Wolves Into what Town or City ye enter enquire who is worthy and if they receive you there abide eating such things as are set before you the Labourer is worthy of his meat freely ye have received freely minister Those whom Jesus Christ commits the Word of Eternal Life unto and calls them forth to declare it unto others the Love of Jesus Christ which is sealed up to their Souls through his own Blood constrains them to give up themselves to death in witnessing forth the eternal Life they enjoy in Christ as it was it is The Love of Christ constrainetâ—… 〈◊〉 tâ—… preach the Gospel saith Paul But these your Merchants are they which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ—… the Son of Bâ—…sor who loved the wages of unrighteousness And as there is no Scripture for their Call to the Ministry by their human learning nor making bargains with the people for so much in the year So there is no Scripture for these observations they call Ordinances of God as they are Practised by them There is no Scripture that Christ or any that he sent forth did take a Child and sprinkle water on its Face and said in so doing They Baptized it into the Church of Christ Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall not enter therein He sets the Child as a Type and a Figure to shew forth to every one that they must become as a little Child depending upon the will of God before they enter into the Kingdom of God He took them up into his Arms and put his Hands on them and blessed them but that he sprinkled water on their Faces and said He Baptized them into his Church there is no such Scripture Another observation your Teachers tell you you must observe is hearing these studied Sermons in taking a part of Scripture and adding to it their wisdom call it The Word of God which is contrary to the Scriptures but they say They have Christ for an Example There was delivered to him the Book of the Prophet I saiah when he had opened the Book â—…oe found where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospâ—…l unto the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to Preach Deliverance to the Captives And recovering of the Sight of the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised to Preach the acceptable year of the Lord And he closed the Book and sate down And he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth He was the substance of the prophecy which was then fulfill'd in him This is no ground for any to take the Saints words and to add to them their wisdom and call that the Word of God The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord is not my Word like a fire and like a hammer saith the Lord that breaks the Rocks in pieces all to whom the Word of the Lord is committed can witness it to be as a fire within them and as an hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces subjecting all in the heart under the Power of it self so it alone rules and guides him that he is what he speaks that if he had never seen any thing that the Saints have declared without him he had known what is manifest in him and he to whom the Word is thus made manifest is a true Minister of Christ who is called to speak the Word faithfully But these that call themselves your Teachers and make bargains with you for so much by the year they never witnessed the word of the Lord in them as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces so they never had any thing to have spoken of the Lord but as they have stoln it from the Testimony of the Saints so they speak a divination of their own Brain a Riddle to their own Hearts and whilst they speak to others themselves are Cast-aways And the Lord testifies against them Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Word every one from his Neighbour Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongue and say He saith Behold I am against them that Prophesie false Droams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my People to err by their Lyes and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit the People as all saith the Lord And this fruit is made manifest of the Ministry that hath been in England Another Observation your Teachers bid you observe which is contrary to Scripture as it is practised by them in singing of David's Psalms in meeter taking David's words who was a man after God's own heart and putting words into the mouthes of poor ignorant People to sing that which they never knew and so cause them to blaspheme the name of God saying Let us sing to the Praise and Glory of God as O Lord I am not puft
he might read his condition within Therefore despise not the day of small things but mind the Counsel of the Lord Jesus the little Light that shines in thy dark heart look upon the figures the parables The little Leaven which is hid in three measures of meal it changeth the whele lump into the nature of it self So the little Light that shines in thy dark Heart is the powerful Word of Faith which was in the Beginning by which all Things were created and without him was nothing made this Word is Life and the Life is the Light of Men and Light shines in Darkness and the Darkness comprehends it not This Light is the Word of Faith the Apostle exhorted to take heed unto Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend up to Heaven to fetch Christ down or down into the Deep to fetch him up the Word is nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth and this is the word of Faith which we preach the unctioâ—… of the Holy One given of the Father whereby we need not teach one another but as the Anointing teacheth us which is Truth and no Lye which is the sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts All People return within give up your selves freely to be guided by that Light that discovers to you the Evil of your Hearts and none be discourâ—…ged because you see an evil Heart but prize the Love of God that discovers it to you and whatever the Light makes manifest to you to be Evil Wait on the Lord for Power and he will give thee Power to obey and in being faithful in a little more will be communicated from the Lord so will the Righteous Law be set up in your Hearts that will cry through your Earthly and Carnal Hearts for Righteousness and Judgment and so will bring yâ—…u to an Account for every idle Word and all Deeds done in the Body Look up unto the Lâ—…rd against whom you have sinned and he will arm you with Power to what he lays upon you with Patience to undergo his Will until all the Powers of the Earth in you be faâ—…ished and slain under his Righteous Judgments then will Judgment be brought forth into Victory that you can no longer live without the loving-Kindness of your Father in Christ Jesus Now is the Parable fulfilled the little Grain of Mustard Seed grown up above all Herbs and the little Leaven hath leavened the whole Lump and the Prodigal starved forever if his Father receive him not freely into his House Thou that canst witness this Condition stand still in the Will of God he will raise up his Seed in thee to trust in his Name and to delight in the Eternal Covenant of Love and Life he hath made with thy Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ and will guide thee by the Word of his power in a Way thou knowest not forth of Babylon where thou wast an enslaved Captive under the Power of the filthy Beast which is thy Will and the Whore the Mother of Witchcrafts which is thy Wisdom which enthrall'd thee under the Powers of Darkness to satisfie the Lust of thy own Heart which led thee to Destruction up to Sion to live by Faith in the Lord Jesus which will purifie thy Heart and set thy Soul free from under the Powers of Darkness into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God where thou shalt sing the Songs of Sion Hallelujahs and Praises for evermore unto the Lord God that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb forever and ever W. D. To all enslaved hard-hearted and unbelieving Jews in this Nation and else-where who are made drunk with the Wisdom of the Whore and bewitched through the Abundance of her Sorceries to put the Day of the Lord afar off looking for Christ's coming in the Spirit as the hard-hearted unbelieving Jews in the letter did for his coming in the Flesh according to the Promise but they limitted the Holy One according to their carnal Wisdom expected his coming in great Pomp and Glory and when he came in that poor despised Way contrary to their Expectations they stumbled at him and would not own him to be their Saviour but rose up against him and put him to Death Mat. 27. I to Vers. 50. BEhold you hard hearted and unbelieving Jews do you not look for Christ coming in the Spirit according to his Promise as they did for his coming in the Flesh but you limit the Holy One as they did expecting Christ to come in Power and Glory according to your own Fancies and so put the Day of the Lord afar off you in rejecting and despiâ—…ng the counsel of Jesus Christ the pure Light in your Conscienees which lets you see every evil Thought Word and Action and cryes behind you This is the Way walk in it but you disobey the Light and hearken to the Counsel of your Hearts as the Jews in the Letter did who put Christ to Death and so you slay the witnesses in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt in your Hearts where our Lord is crucified in not regarding the Counsel of Christ which is that Light that shines in your dark Hearts which knocks at the Door according to his Word I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Oh! thou enslaved Soul under the Power of Babylon in thee come forth mind the Light in thee which is the sure Word of Prophecy whereunto you do well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts stand not out against this secret Counsel of Christ in you leâ—… you perish in your Gain sayings for if his Anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him All give up give up freely to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you believing in his Power that is present with the light he will lead you daily through the Cross in the stâ—…aight Way of his Sufferings and Death where the Old Man will be put off with hiâ—… Deeds and so you shall have right to the Tree of Life and shall enter with him through the Gates into the City New Jerâ—…salem where you shall have Communion with the Father and the Son and an Inheritance with those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus and shall reign as Kings upon the Earth to the Praise Glory of the Riches of the Grace of our Heavenly Father to whom alone be all Power Dominion Honour and Glory forever and ever W. D. A Word from the Lord to all that are waiting on the Lord in Sion and to those that are weeping and are seeking the Lord their God asking the Way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards FEar not ye