before-hand to judgement so their works are wrought in God who answer the light which they be enlightned withal but the light is not sutable nor according to that birth which is born after the flesh but condemns that in all its ways and actions and is given to lead the creature out of that nature and out of that birth into the regeneration to lead out of the deeds of darkness and out of the shadow of death into the living inheritance among those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus Another testimony concerning the light relating to the two Covenants is this That as there was a new Covenant diverse from the former the old so there must of necessity be another light to accompany it diverse from the former that is as then mans spirit so now the spirit of the Lord c. page 35. Answ. There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.4 5.6 Now all people is to know that there was a ministration different from the administration of the Gospel the new Covenant a different administration from the old but there is no necessity that it be ministred from another spirit nor from another Lord nor from another Light therefore to say that because the Covenants or Administrations are diverse one from another that therefore it must not be the same spirit but the one by the spirit of man the other the spirit of God and that the lights is to be diverse the one from the other this is a false Testimony for the same spirit in which the Law was administred the first Covenant in the same was the second administred which doth make perfect according to the conscience Now as all people is brought out of their own inventions and imaginations and from following their own spirits to own the light of Christ which hath enlightned them they should know the diversities of Administrations and the diversity of operations and yet but one Light and one Power and one Spirit and not as many lights as births nor as many spirits as operations not every Administration to have a diverse light to accompany it for though there be that are called gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be gods many and lords many but to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are things and we by him howheit there is not in every man that knowledge 1 Coâ— 8.5.6 7. and though there be in the world many lights yet to us there is but one him by whom all things was made which doth enlighten every man that commeth into the world that in him all men might believe as every one believes in this light they shal know that mans reason understanding is not the light which every man is enlightned withal for some are unreasonable men and some are void of understanding Neither is the spirit of man the light of the world which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world neither is any thing called the light of the world in the Scripture but Christ for saith Christ I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness Joh. 12.46 Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life Job 8.12 And again I am the light of the world Joh. 9.5 And the messenger which was sent before his face to prepare the way of the Lord and to bear witness to the truth said In him was life and the life was the light of men and that was the true light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh 1 4 9. And this is the light which in all ages generations and under all administrations the Saints did bear their testimony in and this light did never change nor alter though ages and generations have changed and men have changed and do change and the minds of men change and their ways change and their worships change and forms and religions which are not according to the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal which changeth not which as it is followed will lead them out of those ways which do change which is not the living way for the new and living way is one with the light which every man is enlightned withal which is every mans way to the Father who follow it and every mans condemnation who disobey it Another testimony concerning the first man Adam in his first estate without sin the sum of it is this That as it was at first that is at his beginning made so that is without sin for so was he made Eccles 7.29 upright without crookedness without invention that this man yea in his purest naturals cannot receive nor discern the things of the spirit of God until he is born of the Spirit or from above according to Joh. 1.13 8.3 6. 1 Cor. 2.14 Answ. This testimony is false for the first Adam before the fall was the son of God Luk 3 38. and did know and perceive Gods voice and power and he knew Gods command That he should not eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil which if he did he should die the death for he was in Gods image and the Lord spoke unto him and he perceived it and he had right to eat of the tree of life which was in the midst of the Garden and if Adam had continued in that state there needed no Law to have been added because of transgression neither had there needed any precept upon precept nor line upon line neither any teacher or instructer of the ignorant for there had no death passed over to separate God from his creature which he had made in his own image and given him power over all creatures but to say the Son of God in the image of God without sin in uprightness and power to say that he is sensual having not the spirit or to say that he is the natural man that cannot receive nor discern the things of the spirit of God this is greater blasphemy then that which the Apostle reproved Rev. 2.9 in those which said they were Jews and were not but were the Synagogue of Satan and all such which brings forth such mists of darkness ignorance to blind the eye in people which should see the things of God in clearness are to be reproved sharply that they may be ashamed and no more bring forth that which is both uâ—nâ—cessary and unseasonable and contrary to truth as J. Jackson hath done And further he adds That the natural man which Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 2.14 and compares it with 1 Cor. 15.44.45 is not to be taken for the carnal sinful man
sound of Christ as a light hath never been heard where sin and iniquity is discovered but that which hath brought forth these things may well be called an untimely birth which ntver saw the Sun not never knew the light which Christ hath enlightned every man withall which cometh into the world for a little of this fruit doth manifest that tree from whence it springs so we shall judge the tree by it's fruits Another fruit from this tree is to give his testimony of the Law of Faith which is this How far the Law of Faith may be said to be written upon every mans heart is not given unto me to understand only this glimpse I have of it That it appears to have had an influence upon the heart of man by those sacrifices which were offered up to God before the publication of the positive Law wherein as well Cain as Abel offered sacrifices Gen. 4.4 Answ. This testimony doth not proced from the word of Faith in thy heart for that would give an understanding how the Law of Faith is written in the heart as well as how the Law of Works is written and this thy glimpse which thou sayes thou sees from the proposing of the promise and the influence which thou sayes thou seest upon the heart of man by the Sacrifices of Cain as wel as Abel offered unto God if this thy pretended light and glimpse which is so far of Christ be truly weighed and tryed it may prove but a vain vision and a divination of thy own heart as all who consider thy testimony of the Law of Faith in saying that the discovery thereof ariseth from what is without and that it had never been known nor never thought of nor never would it or could it rationally have come into the heart of man to have conceived such a thing but from the declaration of God in his promise Here it doth appear Faith is a mysterie to thee and thy eye hath not seen it nor the ear heard neither hath it entered into thy heart to conceive Faith in the working and operation of it And in that thou sayest well that it was not given thee to understand how it is written upon every man's heart and thou had done well if thou had not stretched thy self beyond the line of thy knowledge and understanding for thou thy self confessest that unto those first believers Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses David Daniel and the rest there was communicated unto them a Spirit of Faith and a Light sutable and proportionable whereby they were enabled to behold Christ who was the object of their Faith Then if it did arise from the Spirit of Faith within them the Light of Christ who was the Author of their Faith it did not arise from the Declaration of God in the promise without so that the mysterie of Faith vvhich is held in a pure conscience is yet to be learned vvhich vvas vvitnessed amongst the Saints So vvhen thou vvrites again of the Lavv of Works or the Lavv of Faith or the discovery vvhich the Lord maketh to his creature under the diversity of these administrations keep back to the measure of the gift of God and then vvil thy testimony be no larger then thy knowledge vvhich is a guilt hath spread over many in these days but this I say Blessed is the man which doth not condemn himself in the thing vvhich he allovveth and vvhich doth not destroy himself vvith the breath of his ovvn mouth but there is a generation which their own breath as fire shall devour them Again concerning the Light which every man is enlightened withal which is thy stumbling-block and rock of offence as it is unto all the rest whose deeds are evil Thou saist God hath not annointed it to that Work nor laid the weight of eternal salvation upon the shoulders thereof it being too weak for that service Answ. Him hath God annointed who is the Light of the World and hath enlightened every man that cometh into the World and there is no work of eternal salvation wrought but in the Light which every man is enlightened withal and this Light is of him and from him which bears the sins in his own body and is not too weak for that service which the Father hath given him to do and this Light is Christ. And whereas some say Hath every man Christ Every man hath Christ to save or to condemn him Christ is as truly the condemnation of those whose deeds are evil as he is the Saviour of them that believe and as those that believe in the Light are already saved by Christ so also those that believe not in his Light which he hath enlightned them withall are already condemned And so Christ is near unto every one to answer every mans work according to the nature of it whether he serve sin unto death or be found in the obedience of truth unto eternal life for now is the day appeared to try every mans Work of what sort it is and now are many offended because the Light is broken forth and their eye is evil because the Lords is good But wo unto the World because of offences if any have the Spirit of a King let him search out the cause of the offence which is now broken forth amongst the children of men that the enmity which is in all sorts of people of all professions should rise up together and become a body the wicked joâ—ning hand in hand preaching and printing and crying for unity which they are making up of enmity that they may be strong against that which the Lord hath now brought forth in his Light and Power to be Witnesses unto him in every place wheresoever he doth call them witnessing forth his Mercy and Truth by which iniquity is purged out and preaching the Gospel to every creature whereby they may come to the knowledge of the truth that they may be saved But in the World it is so come to pass in these days that he that can but give reviling terms and hard speeches against the Light which Christ hath enlightned every man withall calling it natural or insufficient and if they do but revile those whom they call Quakers and put this in the beginning of his Book then it passeth with toleration and hath as good approbation from the World as any of the Priests have for their Ministry but if any man begin to speak of the Light within and the Annointing within and the Word of Faith in the heart and of the Mystery of Faith in a pure conscience and of the sprinkling of the heart from an evil conscience and of believing in the Light as Christ said such a one speaking of these things and not directing his speech in open reproach against them called Quakers the peoples hearts will be fiâ—led with jealousies lest he be one So that even the Light is become a reproach unto them and their derision daily but the Lords hand is
vve ovvn and vvitness and as for our equality or unity vvith God vve that believe in him are one vvith him as the Scripture saith and as Christ prayed for us that believe John 17.21 that we might be one in him and in the Father and unity vve must confess for that is a doctrine â—ffirmed by the Apostles of Christ that as he is so are vve in the vvorld and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are both one and so vve deny no doctrine but vvhatsoever is a doctrine vve vvitness it And to say that vve corrupt the doctrine of justification that is false for vve are freely justified by his grace and so do vvitness the doctrine of justification and vvho are true vvitnesses of it do not corrupt it but if vvhile vve seek to be justified by Christ vve our selves be found sinners is Christ therefore the Minister of sin God forbid Gal. 2.17 but herein doth the Priests of the World corrupt the doctrine of Justification professing to be justified by Christ while they themselves are found sinners and say that God doth account them righteous in Christ but unrighteous in themselves and so would make Christ the minister of sin and to justifie or save his people in their sins and not from them and so by them the doctrine of justification is corrupted and the Scripture perverted and the grace of God by which the Saints are freely justified is turned into wantonness and so by their faigned words in hypocrisie they cast thick clouds and vails of darkness over the peoples mindes to keep them in ignorance of the redemption of their immortal souls which is to be redeeâ—â—d by the blood of the Lamb they saying that the soul came indeed from God but is not of the being of God and yet in the 51. page tels of turning the whole frame of the soul to center in him again if it must centre in him again then it was in him before and so let thy confusion stop thy mouth Now let all consider in the light which comes from the immortal God whether Gods being is not in life and immortality and whether there is an immortal life but from the same being For God breathed into man the breath of life and through the breath of life he became a living soul Now the breath of life came from the life in which the being is and so to the people I say you have a light which comes from the same life in which the soul lived unto God in the beginning before death passed over which light is made manifest to lead out of death into the life from whence it came and to witness again a living soul and the breath of life and so to be wiser then all your teachers and to know him who hath all souls in his hand who breathed into man the breath of life and he so became a living soul and when he doth the evil the anguish is upon it and to feed atop those mountains which you have wandred after in the forgetfulness of God having forgotten God days without number Rom. 2.9 But now the light is come and knowledge begins to increase and shine in the hearts of the children of light to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and these things live in us Therefore we are his witnesses who is the light and life of men and did only for the seed sake let forth our knowledge of the mystery of God that they may be gathered into the fold among the Lambs of Christ for the day of scattering hath been long but now is the day of gathering begun wherein all they shall rejoyce that fear the Lord. 2 Cor. 4.6 And whereas many other accusations are charged upon us falsly for the name of Christ by the Priest yet seeing Christ the true Prophet hath said it should be so because they know not the Father nor him who hath enlightned every one that commeth into the World therefore can we bear all things being manifest unto God and to all men to be witnesses of those things which he saith we deny His accusations are these That we deny the Resurrection of the body the last Judgment Heaven and Hell Are enemies to all the Ordinances of Christ are not true mortified persons and our doctrine tendeth not to destroy sin That we are the common sink of all Heresies and enemies to civility and good manners Ans. Our doctrine is the same as is testified of in the Scripture of truth and where it is received remission of sins is received it being the same that our Example the first-born amongst many brethren the first begotten from the dead preached vvhich Gospel vve preach to every creature vvhich Gospel is the povver of God and where it is received doth both destroy sin and sanctifie them throughout in body soul and spirit and by it is the members vvhich are upon the earth mortified for this is the povver that raised up Jesus from the dead and doth also quicken out mortal bodies by his Spirit that dvvelleth in us in vvhich the Scripture is vvitnessed which was a Treatise of those things which was knovvn and surely believed amongst the Saints and vvhich saith they that are asleep in the dust of the earth shall rise some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt and from â—he true foundation vvitnessing these doctrines vvhich the Apostles did not lay again the foundation of Repentance from dead vvorks and faith tovvards God of the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands and of the Resurrection from the dead and of eternal â—udgment Heb. 6.12 for vve having learned vvhat it is to be baptised for the dead deny such as say there is no â—esurrection of the dead the first fruiâ—s of this Resurrection is Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 of which â—hey tâ—at are of Christ are witnesses of these things and they come to know each seed in the light through the figures and through the parables Now in the parables I say to you that seed which you sow in the earth whether it be Wheat or other grain you sow not that body which shall be but God giveth it a body as pleaseth him If it be so in the earthly parable then learn to know the seeds and the nature of them which God giveth to each of them it s own body there is heavenly bodies and earthly bodies â—he glory of the heavenly is one and the glory of the earthly is another and so all being turned to the light which you are enlightned withal you in it will know the things that differ both the seeds the bodies and the glories and so let every one be a witness of what they profess of the things of God for by the Spirit of the Lord have we received the knowledge and so are made witnesses of these thingâ— which our brethren the Prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ hath testified in the
vain have you sought divination against Israel and to no purpose have you risen up to resist Mount Sion whom the Lord is establishing and exalting above the Dominions of the Earth and though many set themselves and of the wisest too in our age to gainsay the truth which is revealed by subtil Arguments and have travelled in pain to bring forth misty vapors to blind the eyes of the simple and have laid and sought so to do stumbling-blocks of iniquity before the people by multitude of crafty productions and lying arguments Wo unto you wise Writers and Scribes you have taken away the key of knowledge and have neither entered the Kingdom nor suffered others to enter that would what will be your doom and what will be your judgement Oh the heavy hand of the Lord will be upon you your damnation sleeps not a moment And whereas John Stelham one of Gogs Army against the Lamb and his followers a falsly supposed and contrarily called and unjustly named Minister of the Gospel hath out of his corrupt wicked old lying heart which he confesseth he hath brought forth a large piece out of Babylons Treasure of falsly collected and falsly framed arguments whereby he hath sought to offend the way of the Lord but the rather hath burthened his own soul by his own wickedness and offended himself and made himself unworthy of life eternal and is reckoned in the sight of the Lord and proved in the sight of man to be indeed sinful John Stelham yea he is numbred and truly too among Babylons children and the Lyars and Hypocrites whose portion is in the Lake and not among the children of the Lord for them he hath set himself to oppose and by his subtilty secretly sought out Inchantments and endeavouring to curse whom God hath blessed he is accounted among the uncircumcised and shall not dye the death of the righteous neither shall his last end be like unto his except he repent yea God hath kept him back from honor and to shame and disgrace he is already promoted in the sight of all the Saints and all his work is trodden down as a branch of a dead Tree to be cast into the fire And what though he hath travelled full ten Months or more yet his birth is imperfect and the fruit of an Egyptian Womb which hath obtained neither praise of God nor favour of man And what though his Arguments be many and subtile through the strength of his divellish Wisdom whereby he hath descended into the darkness to fetch up his stuff and invented in his mind and framed in his evil thoughts which hath filled his Volumes by his envious pen. And what though he hath taken seeming occasion against us by his industry and bent his tongue to utter it as friendly and zealously as may blind the single eye and in as great hypocrisie and pretended righteousness as possibly may What then of all these things Let hâ—m take this for an Answer in full to all his many Arguments and to his whole Work and whatsoever is brought forth or may be yet lodging in his sinful heart ever to declare We are of God and his Covenant is with us and the whole World lyes in wickedness and he that is of God heareth us And this is enough Reply to all what he hath or can say further against us And this Testimony the Father gives of us who hath chosen us in him before the World was and let him and all our Adversaries know That our Religion is in that which keeps unspotted of the World and our acceptance with God is in him who is the Light of the World who exerciseth our consciences in all good things towards God and towards man And though we answer not yet are we no worse and though we answer yet are we no better praise of men approves us not to God nor dispraise of men makes us not sorrowful but our peace is in the Father whether the World do us love or hate or praise or dispraise us And first of all like unto Rehum and Shimshai and their companions he appears with his Dedication much like unto theirs from the same Spirit and unto the same end as may be seen Ezra 4.9 11 12. c. and in the manner of Amaziah Priest of Bethel unto Jeroboam the King with a Message much of that nature as in Amos 7.10 11. c. And this man with his feigned flattering titles appears to the chief in Authority for approbation of his Woâ—k that men may accept it the more But that 's little worth if God accept it less and in much secret hyyocrisie hath he uttered the intent of his mind in less than a sheet of paper to the Protector and Council of State whom we hope in for more honesty than to believe lyes and the indictments of a sinful wicked heart Well but if they will harden their hearts to believe unrighteousness they shall be filled therewith till both the ancient and honorable and the false Prophet that prophesies lyes which is the tayle Isa. 9.15 be consumed together 〈…〉 the Dominion shal be given into their hands then among his flattering titles he seems secretly to Complain of Abuse made of the Press for the spreading of Anti-scriptural and Anti-christian Errors as he saith Indeed his own works do prove his words true that the Presse is abused which hath by his Pen scribled so many Lyes Reproaches Slanders and Errors and the Presse the instrumental cause of spreading them abroad whereby the Press hath been abused to the dishonour of Religion and Piety if not to the dishonour of Authority also Then he seems to hint at the Cruelty and Outcry of many for crying Club-law against the men called Quakers but whether with approvement or otherwise of it his mind is not uttered however by the Lyes and Slanders ensuing out of his owne mouth it is easily proved that he is of that very generation of persecutors though he so well do not approve of Persecuting with the hand yet he allows and himself is guilty of persenting with the tongue which is one in nature so that hereby the great hypocrisie of this man appears in condemning others secretly of what himself is guilty of openly then he is pleased though the Lord be vexed to cast forth his peevish smite against the light of Jesus Christ wherewith every man in the world is lighted in words thus venomously uttered that perverse Principle of their viz Quakers self-adoring light Will the Protector and Council believe this or will they promote him to honour or magnifie him because of his opprobious speeches against the light of the Son of God let them answer and testifie against him for blasphemy who hath in his hastinesse uttered his envie and wickedness and no less then denied the Lord that bought him in calling and shamelesly stiling the pure light of Christ the Way the Truth and the Life Perverse Principle and Selfe adoring light and thus it
and whether was Matthias one of the eleven seeing he was not then chosen when Christ did arise from the dead But there needs not much be said to thee only to let thee see thy ovvn folly lest thou should say thou art wise To the eighth thou seemest to affirm that the Scriptures are to be taken as they speak and not otherwise a Mysterie Ans. Then why dost thou and the Priests give meanings to the Scriptures and do not let people take them as they speak but makes them such a Mysterie without your meanings and so plain with them but this is thy practice and doctrine to condemn thy self in the thing that thou allowest and builds again that which thou hast destroyed and so makes thy self a transgressor Lastly In thy conclusion thou falsly chargest me That I do not believe that any of these things mentioned in these Scriptures be really done Which is not my Faith for I do believe that those things mentioned were really done and fulfilled as the Scripture speaks but it is no new thing vvith thee to accuse falsly and to make lyes thy refuge but vvhat in all those things thou hast done against me I do forgive thee and do vvarn thee for the time to come that thou go not on to commit the unpardonable sin against God and his Spirit never to be forgiven Again in thy last paper thou declarest thy ignorance of the two Seeds and askest what be those two seeds Answ. These two the Scripture speaks of the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent 2 Who did or doth sow them seeds Answ. God doth sow the one and the wicked one the other 3 Where be they sown Answ. In man 4 When be they sown Answ. When man had a being and a body to receive them 5 What be the bodies they shall rise with Answ. Their own bodies according to their own natures the one pure and the other defiled 6 Whether be these two seeds and two bodies in all the world or two seeds in every man and the two bodies to or in every man Ans. The seeds are but two in the whole world having each seed its own body and in every one until the one be cast out 7 When shall those seeds arise or be raised whether after the bodily death or after the spiritual death Ans. Every one in its own order after the death of that which is born of the flesh and also after the death of the spiritual wickedness which is yet alive in all hirelings and deceivers such as thou art where the seed of God is yet in its grave 8 What are the graves these are in and out of which they shall arise These of which the Scripture speaks which when thou comest to understand it thou wilt understand both the seeds and graves of which we speak Christ the seed made his grave in the wicked and in the rich in his death and out of that grave shall rise with his body into everlasting life if thou canst receive it thou maist be satisfied And as to the 9. Query Why I say that the one shall rise unto everlasting life and the other unto condemnation Ans. Because it is so therefore I say so and if thou say to the contrary make it manifest but in this as in other things thy folly and ignorance is manifest to ask why I speak the truth which thou thy self darest not deny to be truth R. H. A short Relation of the twelve changes of Government that hath been in England within these 8 years under all of which we have suffered Persecution SInce by the Lord we were called chosen and separated to be his people and had unto us committed the word of Reconciliation and since his eternal power broke forth and was manifest amongst us hath he done great things in the Earth for he hath prepared his way and made it plain before the face of all people by the appearance and testimony of his eternal light in their hearts which hath not onely there shined but is broken forth into a life of Righteousness in many whom the Lord hath accounted worthy to be his servants in his Work to raise up a seed unto Jacob and to gather the dispersed of Israel and Judah both Jews and Gentiles into the Covenant of Light and Life with the Father from whence they are erred by transgression and for the accomplishing of this work and service hath the Lord furnished us with spiritual Weapons to war even against spiritual wickedness in high places 2 Cor. 10.4.5 and against the Rulers of the darkness of this World Ephâ—s 6.12 which hath appeared under many Forms and Governments since the breakings forth of truth in this Nation Yea many Heads or Governments hath been raised up and cast down again by one Hand and Power and have all from the Lord through his Servants had a word of Wisdom and Counsel administred unto them what they should do that they might be established which if they did not the Lord would break them to pieces which word of the Lord was fulfilled upon them all And every divers Head had a Horn in it to push at the Lambs of Christ withal and at every appearance of his Spirit and Power in his people but for his Elect sake was their days shortned and his breakings and destruction came upon them according to his word spoken to them by his servants at divers times And it is to be observed as the Lords doing and ordering by his mighty power that within this eight years siâ—ce we have been persecuted and cruelly used for the Name and Testimony of Jesus and the Answer of a pure Conscience there hath been twelve Changes of Government in this Nation which have all of them more or less been guilty of our Sufferings either in acting against us or in suffering others to act cruelly and not endeavouring to restrain them when they had power in their hands to do it and the sufferings laid before them who suffered for righteousness sake so that they could not plead ignorance but was left without excuse which now in the day of their misery and tribulation some of them do consider it when their time is no more I. As first in the time of the long Parliament in the Year One thousand six hundred fifty two although many pretended some prayed and some fought for Liberty of Conscience in matters of Religion yet at that time were we imprisoned beat and persecuted for obeying and worshipping our God in Spirit and Truth according to his teaching and at that time the Priests rage begun to burn like fire and they run one unto another and kindled the wrath in one another against the Truth even to petition against the spreading of it and those that walked in it as a dangerous thing and they generally with one consent called the Truth Heresie Delusion and Blasphemy and those that ministred it abroad they called Ring-leaders of Sects as in the Apostles days