the enemy adversary of all mankind and to this did the true Christians attain in this life even a perfect Redemption from sin and did witness the Blood of Christ sufficient to purge them from all unrighteousness and saith the Apostle he which hath Suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin Marke such ceased from sin and witnessed the body of sin put off and again the Apostle Paul saith unto the Romans when they were Servants unto sin they were free from righteousness being then made free from sin they Became the servants of righteousness So these things did the true Christians come to witness though you are not ashamed to take their words to plead for the Devils Kingdome as long as you live though the Apostle saith His servants ye are to whom ye obey So he which obeys sin is a servant of sin and the Apostle James saith let no man say When he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God tempteth not to evil but when a man is tempted unto lust he is tempted of the Devil and lust when it is conceived brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death so be not deceived with vain words For such as you sow such shall you reape if you sow to the Spirit ye shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting but if to the flesh ye shall of the flesh reape corruption for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life So come all to the gift of God which is the Light of Christ Jesus which he hath enlightened you withall and you will come to know the free grace of God unto Salvation which will teach you to deny all ungodly lusts and not to plead for them and to live Soberly and righteously in this present evil world Marke this is the fruit and effect of the Grace of God and is not onely given to talke of and say you are saved by grace while you turn from it in wantonness which the Saints and Christians did not but came through the Cross to be saved even from sin and being redeemed from their vain conversation which they lived in in times past so witnessed a new birth which was of God which sinned not being washed with water by the word which word is Christ the Saviour of the soul and all who comes to know the word abiding in them they do know and witness this state even a perfect state from sin and that was their boldness in the day of Judgement that as Christ was so were they in this present world perfect even as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect So here is a true measuring line for you to measure your selves by what stock and lineage ye are of and who is your Father and whom ye obey for the true Christians Christ was their Example in all things and left them a perfect Example that they should follow his steps who said Learn of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and the true Christians followed him and were like minded in all things Friends my hearts desire is to the Lord for you that you may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth which truth will make you free from sin and pollution though this thing stumbled the Jews when Christ spake it unto them for they looked out at some worldly thing not considering they were servants to sin which was the cause of all their misery Therefore be ye warned and fear pleading for that which will be your utter destruction if ye live and die in it read through the whole Book of Scripture and see if ever any Covenant of God stood with any Nation or people but as they did forsake their sins or were there ever any people to whom God did so largely manifest himself as unto the Jews and yet when they forsooke the holy Commandement which was delivered unto them did not the Lord forsake them yea verily and will all who do the like But if any of you shall say they were under a Covenant of workes and we under grace were they not under the Covenant of grace as well as any yea verily in all their travels did not the spiritual Rocke follow them which was Christ And after the Law was administred unto them by Moses did not he preach the true and living faith unto them saying they were not to say Who shall ascend or go beyond the Seas that they may hear and do it but what said he The word is nigh you even in your mouth and in your heart that ye may do it and was not this the same word of faith the Apostle Preached yea even the living faith which gives dominion over sin Hell Death and the Grave by which all the Saints of old had their glorious dominion and by which the Just liveth and they who come to witness this true and living faith they know a Shield against all the fiery darts of the Devil which faith Worketh by love and love fulfilleth the whole law of God which is to love God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy self So here is the true faith and the man which is in it does unto all men as he would all should do unto him which is the true Christians life and there is not another Oh! how doth my soul pitty you to see the blindness and ignorance you are fallen into though ye pretend the Scripture to be your rule which condemns you in all your practises as will plainly appear when you come to be tried by them doth any thing availe but a new Creature doth not the Scripture say and also doth not Christ say Except ye be converted and become as a little child ye cannot inherit the Kingdome of Heaven And againe Except ye be born againe ye cannot see the Kingdome of God Is there any true Christians but who witness this state and birth nay verily there is not any but those who followeth Christ through the Regeneration who cometh to sit with him in his Fathers Kingdome Is there any who do not suffer with him that shall Reigne with him Consider these things in the coole of the day and do not any longer take up a rest and a security in a beare name but come to the nature and then you will witness a true redemption out of all earthly affections and not plead for them but loath them for the Saints conversation was in Heaven which are above you which plead for beggarly lust which shuts out of the Kingdome For no uncleane thing can enter there These things I speake unto you in great plainness and singleness of heart as I am moved of the Lord that ye may come to the true Salvation from sin for who knoweth Christ and his power knoweth him to be in vertue as he is in name even A Saviour of his people from their sins therefore is his name called Jesus God hath sworne that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner
for he hath prepared a way and a means for the Salvation of all that they might be saved For he so loved the world that he hath given his onely begotten Son into the world that all through him might believe for he is the Covenant of God even a Covenant of Light unto all Nations that he might be his Salvation unto the ends of the earth This testimony John did bear of him that he was the true Light which enlightens every man which cometh into the world and as many as receive him and believe in his name even in the Light to them he giveth power to become the Sons of God which is another birth then yours Which is of the flesh and will of man Read and consider you that desire Salvation unto your souls for it is the visitation of Gods eternal love unto you for I am truly constrained by his pure Spirit hereunto therefore whether you will hear or forbeare I shall be a sweet savour unto God Even in them which believe and in them which perish But my hearts desire is that ye may come into the Covenant of God and be saved even to be taught led and guided by him for the way is plaine and it is but one in all even the Light which reproves for sin maketh manifest all the deeds of darkness though never so secret for saith the Apostle whatsoever makes manifest is Light he that comes to that which makes manifest cometh to Christ for saith he I am the Light of the world I am the way No man cometh to the Father but by me So come to the Light and then you will come to the Way the Truth and the Life this will be more then a bear name unto you life truth even truth in the inward part which God onely accepteth out of which all profession is vain therefore he which comes to the Light comes to the truth and comes to know the teachings of God as it is written All thy children shall be taught of me and great shall be their peace so in the Light you will witness the teachings of God which is his holy Covenant with his people I will write my law in their hearts saith God and put it in their inward parts the law is Light saith Solomon and if you come to turn to the Light you will witness the same I will live in them and walk in them saith God Marke this is the holy true and everlasting Covenant of God to his people and this the true Christians came to witness even their bodies to be the Temples of God through the Spirit and God dwelleth with no unclean thing neither dareth such a one plead for sin as long as he liveth for they are sanctified and made fit for their Masters use not having only the forme of Godliness but the life and power and they who had the form without the power were to be turned from it which power is the Light which cometh from Christ and leadeth up to God and the Saints were Saints in Light for they were sanctified by it which was the will of God And as saith the Apostle this is the will of God even your Sanctification this is no new Doctrin but the good Old Way which God hath prepared even for his Ransomed ones to walk in in which path the way faring men though fools shall not erre therein for the way is Light as saith the Apostle if ye live in the Light and walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we Fellowship with God and one with another Mark fellowship with God this Light leadeth unto in which the Saints fellowship onely stood which brought them to the knowledge of God and he which said he knew God and walked in darkness was a liar for the darkness comprehendeth not the Light which is the only habitation and Covenant of God so as you come truely to confess your sins you will witness the Blood of Christ to cleanse you from all unrighteousness but if you say you have not sin before you come to this and say it is done away in Christ then you are lyars and the truth is not you no more then it is in them who say they have not sinned as you come to witness the Blood of Christ and its vertue you will witness these sayings to be true and faithfull not onely to be talked of but to be witnessed in you and untill you come here you are perfect strangers unto the several states and growths the true Christians came through in their Warfare there was little children young men and old men for saith John I write unto you little children that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Marke He freely offered up himself for all And by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him Marke the true Christians state is life And consider what state and nature you are in and whether ye keep Christs Commandement yea or nay for these things are of great weight and concernment unto you even you that have taken up the name but are out of the nature And againe saith the Apostle Whose keepeth his Word in him verily in the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him Marke by this they the true Christians knew that they were in Christ because they kept his word and he which dwelleth in him ought to walke even as he walked are you here nay your consciences witnesseth to your faces the contrary therefore forbeare the name untill you witness the life else the greater will be your condemnation which is the Word of the Lord unto you all therefore be ye warned in time And againe saith he A new Commandement I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth Marke againe they did witness the darkness past and the true Light to shine which Light giveth the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which treasure saith Paul we have in Earthen vessels this treasure even the Light they the true Christians witnessed in them and walking in it had fellowship with it and one with another For God is Light and he which liveth and walketh in the Light liveth and walketh with God and witnesseth a true translation as Enoch did and is not seen Because his life is hid with Christ in God and this is a true translation from death to life which is the true Christians life and he which saith he is in the Light and hateth his brother is a liar and is in darkness even untill now he which loveth his brother dwelleth
in these did the true Ministers of Christ glory and did not get into a place there settle themselvs at their own wil to preach to this or that people but as the Lord did send and direct them they were to go whether in life or in death bond or prison yea wo were to them if they did not doe it and again they preached to the people nothing but what they had seen tasted and had handled of the word of life and that only did they minister unto others but if you should preach nothing but what you did witnesse in this nature which every true Minister of Christ ought to doe and no more then you might stop your mouths and indeed untill then it would be a thousand fold better for you so to doe for your condemnation would not be so great if you did not presume thus to teach the people the knowledge of God and his holy wayes but did sit down and labour with your own hands for your livings for of a truth you doe but adde to your condemnation in this state you are in as your fruits manifest to your faces Can you look upon your assemblies not blush and be ashamed to see the fruits of your ministry in pride lust and ambition dressed more like antiques than sober moral men ful of vain talk and foolish jesting swearing lying and all manner of vice is to be found amongst them even amongst your constant hearers whom you call Reformers of Religion but what they are reformed from in nature let the pure light of Christ Jesus judge in all their consciences as it doth for God against them and you and I am sure it sheweth that they differ nothing in nature from the common practise of the Nation but rather through them and their ungodly practises cause the good way of God to be evil spoken of And this O ye Priests is the manifest and evident fruits of your work and labour but the free and true ministry of Christ Jesus was for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body untill they all come to a perfect man into the measure and stature of the fulnesse of Christ who was and is head of their body unto which no corrupt nor prophane member can be joyned and thus your ministry differeth from the true yea even as much as light from darknesse the one teacheth and leadeth out of all sin and the other teacheth that there can never be a freedome from sin in this li e though the Apostle said ye being made free from sin became the servants of righteousness for while ye were servants unto sin ye were free from righteousness so there was the fruits and effects of the true ministry and the fruits and effects of the ministry of Satan is so far from this that they preach up sin for term of life as hath been spoken of already Therefore O ye Priests be ye warned of the Lord God of life and cease thus from deluding the people and let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he might have to give to him that needeth And this is counsel of life unto you all O ye Protestant Priests in France I say cease from stealing other mens words and making merchandise of them to others but come to the light your selves that ye may hear and learn of Christ your selves and then if he pleaseth to send any of you forth to open the blind eyes and turn the people from darknesse to light and from Satans power to God then obey his voyce and go forth freely and preach as he hath given you freely so will ye profit the people though this manner of call will be contrary to your own wills and against mens wills ye come to preach to and till you come to witnesse this only holy and true call I say again and again as from the Lord God of life cease and be still and let the people alone until the Lord send labourers amongst them for the Vineyard is only his to send into it to labour who he only will appoint thereto and he which goeth and is not sent is but a thief and a robber which is the word of the Lord God unto all Priests of this Nation Therefore cease cease and repent that ye may find mercy for the blood of one man if it be laid to your charg will be too heavy for you to beare which assuredly ye must for many if ye refuse to hearken unto the counsell of God which he in the infinitenesse of his love tendereth unto you for know the end of the true Ministry is to bring people unto God and on him alone to wait for teaching which is his Covenant and promise to bring people to be sensible of the gift of the holy Spirit of God in themselves and the Apostle said every man hath a manifestation of the Spirit given to him to profit withall which being turned unto to profit is a sufficient teacher of it self such need not mans teaching any more and so people come to know their bodies to be the Temples of God through the Spirit which dwelleth in them and so they come to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit which are love meekness long-suffering patience and the true reconciliation by Christ Jesus between God and man the enmity being slaine upon the Crosse and of twaine one new man is witnessed and so peace comes to be witnessed with God and not before and untill the new creature be witnessed all availeth nothing but the true and everlasting Ministry of Christ Jesus bringeth the creature unto this and none else by which and in which the creature comes to bring forth naturally the fruits of the Spirit as he did the fruits of the flesh before which was nothing else but lust and uncleannesse and filthinesse of life So give up to be taught by him in this the day of his Almighty power Therefore let this be a warning unto all Priests Let God alone with his own work for he needeth no mans wisdome to help him for the best of your stuff you have is but compacted with your own natural wisdome which you must all loose before you can come to know God For man by wisdome knows not God neither can the natural man discerne the things of the Spirit for they are spiritually discerned therefore ye must all come to the teachings of the Spirit of God your selves before you can come to teach others These things are plaine and manifest unto every one who is not wilfully blind and drunk with prejudice therefore consider Paul had more to lose of this kind then most of you have yet he said he counted it gaine to lose it all to gaine Christ and let him be your example who reasoned not with flesh and blood but immediately obeyed the Heavenly voice I speak this unto you in love and some of you the Lord may
A Seasonable Warning To such who profess themselves MEMBERS OF Reformed Churches INTO What Forme soever gathered or where-ever scattered over the face of the whole earth but most especially to France and the parts adjacent With a few remarkable QUERIES c. Given forth in love to all souls a tender visitation of breathing desires of good to the whole Creation by a friend thereof CHARLES BAILY LONDON Printed in the Year 1663. try your spirits and there is no difference between you and those you seem to deny for in nature ye are one in pride and hypocrisie envy malice and cruelty drunkenness swearing lying whoredom deceit and whatsoever is evill and were the power in your hands ye would be more cruel then those ye seem to complain of and in the ground there is no difference between you for ye have lost your suffering spirit which was once amongst you at the first and are grown as vaine in your Imaginations as any of the heathen of the Nations Therefore repent repent ye also and think not in your hearts that it will serve your turns to say you are reformed while iniquity and abomination is in your inward parts and are not at all reformed from that to wit iniquity though ye say ye are saved by faith in Christ ye are found wholly out of that spirit and doctrine which leadeth To do unto all men as ye would others should do unto you as your fruits hath proved some of you casting out of the Synagogues or Temples as the Jews did and as is foretold should be done unto my servants Therefore be ye warned in time and remember how the Jews came under the reproofe of the Just when they said they were Abrahams children whilest they were Of their father the Devil whose works they did and do you not think but your evill deeds are as abommable as theirs they boasted as well as you they were the children of my Covenant while you and them trample the Blood thereof under your feet for which cause a curse came upon them and shall also come upon you if ye repent not and take not warning in time while my hand is stretched out towards you for good that ye may live and not die in your sins for if you die in your sins Where I go ye cannot come saith Christ Jesus the Light of the world who is the Covenant of God given for Salvation unto the ends of the earth and untill ye come to this Light ye are far from being children of the Covenant as ye pretend but in Covenant with Hell Death and the Devill pleading for sin as long as you live which is the Devils Kingdom and for so doing ye give men great sums of money yearly which is an abominable thing to the Lord God Almighty And then you say you are Christians by Baptisme and the like sprinkling a little water upon the face or head of a child and thereby have an entrance into the Church and yet will not admit the same to the Roman-Catholicke though their Water hath as much vertue as yours and the child of the one believeth as much as the other and both when they grow up are in one nature which sheweth plainly you are ignorant of the one onely true Baptisme which washeth away sin and corruption and gives a true entrance into the Church which is in God the ground and Pillar of truth into which no unclean thing can have an entrance for it is a spiritual House built with living Stones elect and precious Christ Jesus being the chief corner stone who gave himself for it That he might present it to God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing And this is the true Church and Baptism which gives an entrance into it and the true saith which once came and takes the possession So read and try and prove your selves If Christ be not in you ye are reprobates professe what you will and if Christ were in you The body would be dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness but how far you are from this let the Light of Christ Judge in you therefore repent that ye may find mercy and think not that God will have respect unto your persons no more then he had respect to those who said They were Jewes and were not for because of that he said he would spue them out of his mouth and seeing he spared not the natural branches but cut them off the root because of transgression do you think he will spare you Nay verily The soul that sinneth shall die saith God for he spared not the Angels who kept not their first estate but hath reserved them under the chaines of darkness untill the Judgement of the great day And let these things be a seasonable warning unto you for it was so and is so that he which is a Jew outwardly is not the true Jew neither is he a Christian who beareth the name outwardly and hath not the nature of Christ all such are an abomination to the Lord. You are so far from being leavened into his nature which only maketh a Christian that if any one come amongst you and say he hath the Spirit of God he is had in great derision amongst you and is laughed at to scorne though the Apostle saith He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and all who were Baptized with the true Baptisme they received the Holy Ghost So read consider and try your selves what state you are in and do not think that the nature of Christ is changed since the Apostles time nay it is all one though many have the name and are out of the nature You fall a quarelling and killing one another about their words this was not the nature of Christians for they were the sons of God led by his pure Holy Spirit which was Gentle meeke and easie to be intreated full of long-suffering and mercy even to enemies and ready to do good unto all in which spirit walking they did not fulfil the lusts of the flesh but in it conquered and had dominion over sin Hell and the Devil though a time of warfare they came to witness before they came unto this state as all the Saints and holy men of God ever did witness the travel of the children of Israel through the wilderness into the land of rest which is the true Type of all the travel of the faithfull for they came to witness the true Baptisme as it is written They were all Baptized into Moses under the Cloud who was a true Type of Christ and because of unbelief many did not enter because they received the false report and believed they should never overcome their enemies which things relate all unto the true spiritual warfare of every true Christian which did believe and entered and possessed the land of rest which is the true Sabbath and it is written He that believes hath entered into rest ceased from sin which is
it and do you thereby take warning and read search and see your state if you are true Christians and redeemed of God and be no longer fed with a name for they were a Royall Priesthood a holy nation and did Reign as Kings upon the earth even over the World Sin Hell Death and the Devil and though on the earth yet they loved not the world neither the things of the world but used all those as though they used them not being in the Light which is Christ the wisdome of God they came to use all creatures in the same wisdome as they were created and to the same end for by Christ Jesus the eternal Word of the Father were all things created and as ye come to live and walke in him who is the wisdome of the Father ye will come to the right use and understanding of all things and know and witness the ends of the earth upon you and your conversation will be in Heaven far above all created things Therefore come all to the word by which all was created even the good word of God which is quick powerfull and sharper then any two edged Sword dividing between the precious and the vile the clean and the unclean for it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and this is the true word which sanctifies makes clean which is Christ the Light the Word of God which will be a Light and a Lanthorn unto your path if you diligently heed and follow it as David did witness and unless you come to witness this word in you you can never witness Christ nor the end of his coming Who hath given himself for us to redeem us from this present evil world according to the will of God These things are plain to every single eye Who desires not to hold the truth in unrighteousness nor make Christ a cover for sin and uncleanness by crying they are saved by Christ and have remission through his Death and shed his Blood for their Redemption and yet witness nothing they are redeemed or saved from and are aliens unto the Covenant of promise which is That he shall save his people from their sins and his Blood which purifies sanctifies and makes clean for so the true Christians did witnesse it even through it they had access to God and were redeemed from their vaine lives and conversations through and by it even By the Bloud of the Lamb which was offered up to God Without spot or blemish who hath also given himself for his Church that he might present it in like manner unto God which is a spiritual building Built and joyned together a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God Christ being the chief corner stone even he who the builders have in all Ages rejected and refused therefore come to the living Stone that ye may be joyned and united to it as the Christians were and as you come to be joyned here you will come to be one Spirit in the Lord and be covered with it without which covering wo unto you as it is written Wo be unto you who are covered and not with my Spirit saith the Lord for the day is come and coming even upon you O ye Protestants in France as well as in all Nations that all other coverings will be too short for to hide you and will stand you in no stead in the day of tryall Therefore be awakened and awake arise and stand up ye which sleep in the dust and the Lord shall give you Light and understanding of the things which belongeth unto your peace in this the day of your visitation therefore sleep not any longer in a false security least they be hid from your eyes you be left desolate and without excuse for ever for of a truth this is the day of Gods everlasting love and mercy unto you which constraineth me to warn you and wo would be unto me if I did not but whether you hear or forbear I shall be a sweet savour unto God if ye perish therefore I use great plainness of speech unto you and not as mans wisdome teacheth but in the demonstration of the Spirit I speak beseeching you to be reconciled unto God I being one who truly hath known the terrours of the Lord for sin and hath been accepted at the tribunal seat of God for Christ sake in whom and through whom I have had access unto God and by his stripes am healed and purged by his Blood from sin and corruption and this hath not been of works but by grace I am saved through faith in Christ by which victory is obtained through patience and hope which purifies even as Christ is pure Which hope is an Anchor unto the soul in the time of tryal And this hath God done for my soul not by any works of my own righteousness as though I had any thing to boast of above another for all boasting is excluded for ever by the Law of Faith neither have I any thing but what I have received of God whose love hath been in an unexpressible manner extended unto me since I gave up unto him believed his report by his holy servants messengers of his holy new and everlasting Covenant unto the sons of men which is Light and in and with the same love the Father hath loved me am I drawn forth to invite you my Countrey-men after the flesh whom God moved me to visit even from a far Countrey where my outward habitation was many years even in Virginia and truly my soul is often powred out unto God for you and sure I am if you do not wilfully reject his love but open freely unto him his love will touch many of your hearts as it hath touched mine which if you receive you will I know with a ready heart and mind follow him and forsake all earthly treasure to follow him in the delightfull way of peace and holiness And dear Countrey-men remember Moses who chose Rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season refusing to be called the son of Pharaohs Daughter and take all the holy Servants and Prophets of God for an example of patience and suffering through which and by which they plainly declared they sought not a habitation in this world but were strangers and Pilgrims therein Seeking a City whose builder and maker is God into which my soul desireth that ye may have an entrance and habitation even into the new and Heavenly Jerusalem which cometh down from God into which nothing that workes abomination or makes a lie can enter Though the gates thereof stand open day and night but without are Dogs and Sorcerers and all uncleanness And this the true Christians waited for even for a new Heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness therefore saith the Apostle Peter Seeing these things what manner of persons ought we to be yea they were