several houses for himself to dwell in but inricheth all his posterity purchasing to one of his kindred a Prince-ship and by this it appeareth he hath not forsaken all but covets all or as much as in him lyeth to have Christ when he rode was contented with an Asse but the Pope when he goeth forth though but a mile or two is carried by men and notwithstanding hath several Horses to attend upon him and a Coach with six pompered Horses to tend upon him empty which is a horrid shame for any single eye to behold in such a one who taketh upon him the name of Christs Vicar upon Earth did he do it only in the name of an Earthly Prince his abomination would not be altogether so great but this sheweth him to be in the way of the vain Heathen and not a man of God nor God-like in these actions for Paul when he was called of God into his holy Ministry he immediately obeyed the Heavenly voyce and went and preached the Gospel and not go and shut himself up in great possessions and there give forth Indulgences for pardons for sins but on the contrary declared the terrors of the Lord against all sin and said Such as men sowed such should they reap if they sowed to the flesh they should of the flesh reap corruption but if they sowed to the Spirit they should reap life everlasting And also said That the wages of sin is death So that this was far from giving pardons for sins as the Pope doth Christ saith The Heathen exercise Lordship one over another but with you it shall not be so speaking to those who had truly forsaken all to follow him He that will be greatest among you let him be servant to all for he that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that abaseth himself shall be exalted saith Christ who said Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart But with the Pope and in his Dominion there is Lording and exercising Lordship one over another striving who shall be greatest amongst them as may be seen in the Ecclesiastical Courts in Rome and elsewhere where they are suing and striving for honour and by this they shew they are wholly degenerated from the holy life of Christ and his righteous Commands who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief who sought not his own glory but the glory of him that sent him who was in travels and tumults in revilings and reproaches giving his back to the smiter and his cheeks to him which plucked off the hair when he was reviled reviled not again when he was persecuted he entreated and rendred not evil for evil but sought the good of all and bore the contradiction of sinners This was his holy life and example in the dayes of his flesh even in that body which was prepared him to do the will of his Father in leaving all his holy examples to follow And now let the Pope and all his Adherents be measured by these fruits they will be found wholly contrary and against him for instead of being acquainted with grief they cause others to be grieved and shut themselves up in the fattest possessions and they are fatned themselves as for the day of slaughter sporting themselves with Wine and Musick destroying and devouring the fat of the Creation this is apparent to every single eye And the Pope instead of bearing the contradiction of sinners is one with them and tollerates them in it and suffereth none to come to speak with him without using a deal of flattering and deceit and when they do obtain the liberty must fall down and worship before him and commonly kisse his toe which is a horrible and detestable thing in the sight of God and instead of being persecuted causeth all to be persecuted within his Dominion that will not bow to these his wicked practices And instead of submitting his body to do the will of God he pompers it dayly Dives-like whilest the poor fatherless and widdow is oppressed one need not go far to prove this for it may be seen all over his Dominion in the open streets Christ saith Freely ye have received freely give For his Ministry is a free Ministry but the Popes is altogether contrary for there is nought to be had of his Ministers but what the people must give money for yea when they have given money all the dayes of their life they must give money to be prayed for after they are dead Ages and Generations cannot paralel this horrible cheat which they through deceit and hypocrisie deceive the hearts of the simple with not an Age I say since the Apostacy can shew the like And thus it is the people are spending their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which profiteth not ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as plainly appeareth for if they had come to the knowledge of the truth the truth would have made them free as saith Christ who preached no such thing as Purgatory neither did he tell people they must give money for Masses to be said for them after they were dead to be had out from thence as the Popes doctrine teacheth So this is not with but against Christ and so Antichrist for saith Christ Whosoever is not with me is against me and the tree is known by its fruit and this is a mark for evermore for by their fruits we know them though they may put on Sheeps cloathing yet inwardly they are ravening Wolvs alienated from the Spirit of truth which would lead into all truth and being from it erred are given over to believe lies that they might be damned and so run greedily on in the way of destruction and having lost the key of true knowledge have run on in the fleshly knowledge and wisdome which is earthly sensual and devilish and in it are at enmity against God for that wisdome never knew him but on the contrary ever persecuted them which did it being the Seed of the Bond-woman which persecuted the Seed of the free-woman from righteous Abel unto this day enmity being put between the two Seeds for ever and each Seed is manifestly known by its fruits the one gendereth to sin bondage and corruption and the other keeps the Commandments of God the one a Persecutor and Murderer and the other a Sufferer So here one may see the Pope and all his Adherents as in a glass what seed and lineage they are of even by these their fruits which to their faces testifies what Generation they are of witness their Inquisition and places of tortures which they have so that if any seem to arise or stir among them and declare any thing which is not altogether suitable to their lusts then presently to the Inquisition with them away with them they are Hereticks and deserve not to live and so imprison and shut them up it is much if ever they come out except
given you therefore cease from asking in any other name Search and read and be no longer deceived for God is come to look for fruit in the earth and every tree which is not found bearing fruit to God shall be cut down and cast into the fire Read the Parable of the Fig-tree and lay it to heart before it be too late and cease from your Taskmasters which tell you a house of stone is a Church contrary to the Scripture which sayes the Church is in God the ground and pillar of truth you may see in this they also deceive you 1 Thess 1.1 For in the true Church nothing that defileth can enter but in yours drunkards lyars and all manner of unclean persons may enter Thus you are deceived by the lying and lightnesse of your Teachers who through covetous practices make Merchandize of your souls for were you truly instituted you would come to know that the Saints bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost and their bodies was not for fornication which is openly tollerated amongst you but for the Lord and the Lord for the body therefore you are ignorant of this Doctrine of Paul who said Know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ for if you were not ignorant thereof you would be afraid to make them the members of an Harlot For who is joyned to an Harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh Therefore repent and return to God and then you will come to witness your bodyes the Temples of the Holy Ghost which God will put in you and you shall no more be your own for through repentance you will come to know that ye are bought with a price and so will come to glorifie God in your bodies and spirits which then will be Gods as you come to the blood of cleansing as the Saints of old did and so did witnesse God to live and walk in them which was a true Christians state for they were led by the Spirit of God and so became the Sons of God but if any come amongst you now and say they have the Spirit of God in them ye make a mock at them and say they are mad and so are ready to stone them though the true Christians did witnesse the same else they could not have been Christians For it is the life of Christ in the Creature which makes him a Christian through which he comes to witnesse the promise of God to be fulfilled which the Prophet Joel prophesied of saying Thus shall it come to passe afterwards that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions And also upon your servants and handmaids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit Therefore I in the Spirit do declare unto you my Countrey men this acceptable day that you may turn from your sins and find mercy that the powring out of the Spirit ye may come to witnesse amongst you which will lead you into all truth and from your deceitfull Teachers so will you come to know the spirit of prophesie as the Saints of old did who were truly sanctified through the blood of the Lamb for saith Paul unto them You may all prophesie one by one which was the true Churches order And againe Your Priests tels you you must look for teaching from them but the Covenant of God is That all his people shall be taught of him For this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel After these dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall no more teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them saith the Lord For I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more And all the children of the Covenant come to witnesse this which is their great peace for they that come to witnesse the Anointing need not mans teaching but if this you should come to witnesse your Priests should soon be discovered which is the cause they every way hold you in bondage and blindnesse being Ministers thereof themselves as manifestly appeareth by their fruits for were they Ministers of light they would bring people to the light and so to the true knowledge of God for God is light saith the Apostle God is light saith he and in him is no darknesse at all and if we walk in the light as he is in the light then have we fellowship one with another Mark the Saints fellowship was in the light therefore he that saith He knoweth God and walketh in darknesse is a lyar for he that cometh to the light cometh to know the teachings of God which the everlasting Ministry brings into So here People you may measure your Priests by the Scriptures of truth And again Your Priests tell you you must give money to pray for those which are dead which is an invention of the Devill the deceiver from whence that deceit sprung to make you believe there is a place called Purgatory to be purged in after you are dead which thing is only taught for filthy lucres sake for the Scriptures no where speak of a Purgatory for men to be purged in after they are dead but on the contrary it saith As the Tree falls so it lyes for such as a man soweth such shall he reap therefore the true Ministry was for to bring people to the Spirit of God that so their sowing might be to the Spirit the fruits of which is life everlasting So here they were brought off from the works of the flesh by the vertue of the blood of Christ Jesus and came to be cleansed from all sin for saith Paul When you were servants of sin you were free from righteousness Rom. 6.20 Mark They were made free from sin so here was no need of a Purgatory to be purged from sin after death being made free from sin while in the body as Adam was and as true Christians were who followed Christ through the regeneration even to the witnessing of the new-birth which sinueth not as saith the Scriptures He that is born of God sinneth not neither can he because his seed remaineth in him And as we know that God is righteous so we know that he that doth righteousnesse is born of him and so this is the Christians boldness in the day of Judgement that as he is so are they in this present world so according to Christs words they come to be perfect even as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect And this is a true Christians life to be like Christ to live in him as he doth in the Father such only are Christians who witnesse Christ in them as the
Father is in him for people read and consider as you prize the salvation of your precious souls For the soul that sinneth shall dye as saith the Prophet Likewise your Priests tell you you must honour and invoke the Saints that are dead and get pieces of their bones to carry about you such vanity as this do they feed you with for saith Christ The flesh profiteth nothing but the Spirit quickneth This he spake to them who were looking at his flesh outwardly but did you once come to the Spirit which only profiteth you would come to know the will of God fulfilled in you which is your sanctification and then you will be ashamed to make reliques of one anothers cloaths flesh or bones but will come to know the true Sanctification to be in and by the Word which is Christ for so Christ prayed Sanctifie them by thy word thy word is truth and they who come to know the truth come to know the word in them which sanctifies them through soul and body and this word David knew right well and the vertue thereof who said Thy word have I hid in my mouth that I might not sin against thee And if you once come to the knowledge and power of his word it will keep you also from sinning against God which is the true sanctified state and this is no new Doctrine for Moses the true Servant of the Lord preached the same to the children of Israel saying The word is nigh you even in your mouths and in your hearts Mark the word was nigh them even in them and this was the word of faith the Apostle Paul preached he that comes to the word of faith comes to that which purifies and makes clean and here the sanctification comes to be witnessed in the particular by which means the perfect unity comes to be known and enjoyed with the Saints with Christ in God so here will be no need to invoke one another but all will be asked in the name of Christ the power of God which power will infallibly be heard and answered of God For whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name it shall be given you saith Christ Jesus who is the true Teacher and Shepherd of the soul even of all that come unto him who will teach them how to pray and to whom even God the Judge of all And by this you may sufficiently prove your Pope and Priests Doctrine to be none of Christs but contrary to him which is Antichrist You are also forbidden by them meats and marriage which the Apostle said was a Doctrine of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisie unto you having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron for they forbid you that which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth for every Creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 3.4 5. For unto the pure all things are pure For they that come to the purifying come to know all things pure unto them but to the impure nothing is pure their minds and consciences being defiled therefore men knowing this but who comes to the true hope which purifies even as Christ is pure which is a purifying throughout in soul and body in this life yea and gives Dominion over Sin Hell Death and the Devil and he that witnesseth this hope in him needs not a Purgatory to purge him after he is dead for he comes to be purified as Christ is pure as also saith the Scripture This is the true Christian hope whereby he comes to be-purified and made clean as also knowing that God hath created all things for them that fear him but to the impure as I have said nothing is pure unto them though they may lye and say they fast when they only forbear one sort of meat and eat another which will but adde to their condemnation and their Priests which doth teach them to lye will not be able to deliver them but the Teachers and the Teached shall perish together except they repent for the Lake is prepared for the lyar for is it not damnable lying and hypocrisie for men to say they fast when they only forbear one sort of meat and eat another Is not fish flesh Doth not the Apostle call it so And in this your pretended fast you drink Wine and feast your selves without fear whilest some have hardly bread to eat These things are an abomination unto the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for his wrath you shall surely feel for this hypocrisie except you repent though you say you hope to be saved that shall stand you in no stead in the dreadful day of vengeance which is very nigh you For the hypocrites hope shall perish as saith the Scripture and though some of you who are more zealously given than others may fast and hang down your heads like a Bulrush for a day Pharisee-like and give almes to be seen of men which is as though you offered up Swines blood or as the cutting off of a Dogs neck it being in that nature which crucifies the Just in your selves even that which would lead you out of observation of dayes and times up to God which was before time was and untill you come to take diligent heed to this just principle of God in your selves which condemns for all hypocrisie sin and deceit profess what you will it will stand you in no stead ye though you should give all your goods to the poor and your bodies to be burnt it will avail you nothing for it leads all who diligently follow it to do to all men as they would others should do unto them which is the true Christian life in which only all works are accepted with God for it is the fulfilling the Law and the Prophets for the Law was added because of transgression and untill there be a fulfilling of it in you ye are under the curse profess what you will Some may say this is an hard saying who can bear it Did not Christ Redeem us from under the curse of the Law and was not he made manifest for that end I answer to this end was the Son of God made manifest in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us and all who come to know the teachings of God in the Spirit know him to fulfill the Law not to abolish or destroy it in as much as it is righteous and layeth hold on nothing but the transgressor to condemnation therefore saith Paul The Ministration of condemnation was glorious in its time and this all the Saints and holy men of God did witness Christ the righteousness of God manifest in them who did all their works in them and for them and by which all boasting was excluded because It is not of him that willeth nor him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy
heart and consider for it is because of sin the Land mourneth and because of sin wrath hath ever come upon the sons of men and think not that ye shall be exempted more then others seeing your abomination exceedeth all the forepast Generations for God spared the old inhabitants of the Land of Canaan no longer then till the measure of their iniquity was filled up And by it do you take warning and turn to the Lord by true repentance least the Angel of his wrath smite you which he is sending forth whose sword is already drawn to smite the inhabitants of the earth Therefore except ye turn to God speedily and bring forth fruits meet for repentance and amendment of life the Sword shall be sheathed in your bowels for God respecteth not the manner nor the person of any man nation or people but all in the particular shall receive according as they have done whether good or evil if they slight the day of their visitation which is freely tendered unto them which is Gods endless mercy and goodness after so long forbearance with them therefore beware least this love be turned to your condemnation by reason of the hardness of your hearts and there be no place found for repentance though with Esau you may seek it with tears for he had a birth-right but he sold it for a mess of pottage a thing of nought so before you is life and death set good and evil chuse you whether one or other I shall be clear of your blood if ye perish who have truly warned you as I was moved of the Lord even to you people of this nation of what sort or degree soever and ye shall one day remember though at present ye may slight it and count it as idle talk yet ye are warned in an acceptable time and in a day of salvation if so be ye accept it And also your observing of dayes and times will not excuse you as I have already said for the Apostle said he was afraid of those which were in those things least he had bestowed labour in vain upon them for his labour was to bring people out of the observation of dayes and times up to him who was before time was who is God over all blessed for evermore And they who are not come hither are in the beggerly Elements and Rudiments which fadeth away for saith Paul Let no man judg you in meats or drinks or new Moons or the Sabbath dayes which things are but shadows of good things to come mark how far the Pope and his Ministers are from this doctrine who commandeth dayes and times to be observed which are neither Types nor Shadows of things to come nor of any thing promised but are their own inventions so that ye are taught for doctrine the Commandments of men and for the peoples Fear towards God is taught the Traditions of men Therefore cease in time from them for wrath is kindled against them and their works who thus lead the people in gross ignorance even to have as many Advocates as there are dayes in the year And your dayes and times ye observe were never commanded of God nor his Servants yea the very day you call the Sabbath is not the day which was commanded the Jewes they being witnesses against you in that thing for it was the seaventh day that was commanded but it is the first day they put you upon to keep and instead of keeping it holy according to the Commandment it is commonly kept the prophanest of all the rest except your other dayes dedicated to dead men and women as the Heathen do to the Sun and Moon for in the ground there is no difference between you in this particular and your keeping these days as you pretend at best is in honour to such such Saints but ye are a shame to Saints and the very name of Christians is evill spoken of through such means for which cause the Lord will assuredly plead with you if ye repent not for the day which all Saints are in is perfect pure holy peace and rest of which the Land of Canaan was a true Type for saith the Apostle He that believeth is entered into rest and hath ceased from his own works as God did from his which Rest is Christ the Saviour of the soul and whosoever comes to enter in will witness my words and out of him there is nothing but grief and vexation of spirit for in me saith Christ ye shall have peace but in the World trouble Peace is the true Rest so where it reigneth in the heart the true rest and Sabbath is known and not until then can an holy day be witnessed Oh come all to the Light which reproveth for sin in the Conscience so will you come to Christ who is the only way and path of peace to all who believe but to the disobedient he is condemnation And this ye shall witness whether ye will hear or forbear for it is the word of the Lord God to you for if your hearts condemn you ye cannot have confidence towards God for God is greater but if your hearts be turned to the Light they come to be purified and then the peace of God which passeth all understanding will reign there so will you come to have confidence towards God as saith the Scripture for if the heart be smitten it is because of transgression and saith my God There is no peace to the wicked but woe and torment shall follow them for ever though they may seek to avoyd it through the cursed delusion of the blind Priests by giving them money for pardons when ye have committed murder or some wicked act and are judged in your selves for by the Light of Christ Jesus in your Consciences are you judged I say to think to get ease ye run to the covetous corrupt wicked men and confess to them giving them money for pardons for sins and money for saying of Masses and the like but know ye assuredly that the Lord God will not pardon you except ye come to confess and forsake your sins ye will never find mercy at the tribunal seat of the righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth neither you nor your Confessors therefore cease from them least you and them perish together which will assuredly come to passe if ye continue in your stubbornness and gainsaying Remember the dreadful end of Dathan Abiram and of Corah who perished in their gainsaying least you come to the same end which is unrecoverable for evermore Let the word ever sink down into your hearts so may you remember the endless time of torments which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels even the man of sin who was a Lyar from the beginning And do but try his Ministers by this and try if they preach not up sin as long as life lasteth and say that man cannot be free therefrom nor put off the body of sin while in this life by which means they strengthen
the hands of the wicked so that they cannot turn from their wickedness by preaching up their Masters Kingdome for term of life which thing accomplished the Devil knows he hath them sure enough because it was the sin unto death which the Apostle said should not be prayed for So people Consider the miserable captivity and bondage you are in spending all the dayes of your lives in being taught by these Deceivers and in the end you must die in your sins which is a deplorable state for the Wages of sin is death and as the Tree falls so it lyes saith the Scripture and every one shall receive according to the deeds done in the body for his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of righteousnesse unto eternall life So read and consider and be no longer deceived God will not be mocked Such as you sow such shall ye reap and money cannot buy you an immortal possession neither can corruption purchase incorruption as your wicked leaders make you in effect to believe Thus hath the mistery of Iniquity and the man of sin fully wrought and revealed who by all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse deceived the Nations one after this manner and another after that manner but his subtile wiles hath wrought the deepest amongst men under the name of Christians that thereby he might the easier deceive the hearts of the simple who have any desire in them after the true and living God and for these his instruments in this work he hath imposed the most subtile and craftiest men in all generations since the power of his working thereby the more to amaze the people in saying are not these the learned men are not these the Orthodox men and if these do not know how should we know who are illiterate and unlearned every way and by this his deceiveable working hath he possessed the hearts of the people with a lye for the wisdome of the wise men of this world know not the things of God neither can the naturall man discern the things of the Spirit for they are spiritually discerned therefore saith the Apostle Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called for God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh might glory in his presence but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God hath made him unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 26-31 yea and God taketh the wise in their own craft and turneth the wisdome of the wise backward because the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the wisdome of man is foolishnesse with God and Christ Jesus also saith I thank thee Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes and sucklings Mark God hath even revealed his secrets unto babes and sucklings in which God doth perfect his praises and this is marvelous in the eyes of many And also the Apostle James saith God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome Friends this is far from the Romish Doctrine who exalt learning above the Spirit of God in whom is the candle of wisdome and in saying this I doe them no wrong for it appeareth evidently every way doe they not make use of a sort of men which they call Jesuits and Monks whom they esteeme the most to go to and fro abroad in the Nations and by their subtilty any way exalt their own horn through which means much blood hath been shed and grievous disorders amongst many hath been their fruits and effects will be witnesse enough for these things This is far from the example of Christ Jesus who made choyce of simple poor Fisher-men to send forth in his work even such who knew not the letter as saith the Scriptures and the wisdome of the Jews in those dayes had the simple hearted who believed in derision esteemed them accursed because they knew not the Law and asked if any of the Rulers did believe for ye may see preaching of Christ was esteemed a thing very much below them yet through the foolishness of this preaching as it was accounted of by the wisdome of man it pleased the Lord to save many for the Cross of Christ was preached which to the Jews was a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse who sought after wisdome in those dayes but to every one that believed it was the power of God unto salvation as hath been said for he that will be truly wise unto salvation must truly become a fool as saith the Apostle that he may be made wise and saith Christ Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And this was witnessed by Paul who according to the learning and wisdome of this world surpassed many in his generation who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel yet accounted it but dung and drosse that he might win Christ though according to the flesh he might glory above many Where is the wise where is the disputer hath not God appointed the the foolish things to confound them yea verily and shall for ever The little stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands which is spoken of in Daniel shall become a great mountain and cover the whole earth and blessed are they who shall fall upon it that they may be broken for if it fall upon them it will grind them to powder be they never so mighty or never so learned and never so prudent they shall never be able to stand before him Therefore all people submit and come under the banner of his love which is stretched forth over your heads for if you doe not you must come under his iron rod which will dash you to pieces for reign over all he must for ever and evermore though Gog and Magog set themselves in battel against him yea no weapon formed against him shall prosper for their great grength shall be turned into confusion for ever the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath determined it whose will and purpose none shall be able to prevent though the Heathen may rage and the people imagine a vain thing yet all shall be in vain for God will set his Son upon his holy hill of Sion to reign over all for ever whose right alone it is and for his sake he will rebuke Kings Therefore blessed shall they be who resist not his glorious coming though Satan may have power a while to kill some of his followers and cast others into prison to
for if you will wilfully continue to follow your blind guides who dare not appear openly to vindicate their own way as manifestly appeareth ye will utterly fall into the pit of utter darknesse both you and them together out of which there is no recovery I my self have been a Prisoner in Bourg de Ault for speaking to a couple of Priests desiring them that I might have the liberty either in publick Market place or some other convenient place where the people might hear and I should prove what I said to them to be the truth of God but seeing they denyed me that Christian liberty this I publish amongst you the truth of what here is written I proffer'd to seal with my life for I did proffer them my body to do with it what they had power the same I desired of the Judg which had me in examination yet it would not be granted me yea the two said Priests did take two oaths against me yet would not stay for to hear me speak but hasted away though desired and some of the people did expect it and this proves their works to be the works of darknesse and not of the light for he which doth good cometh to the light that his works might be made manifest that they are wrought in God but they whose works are wrought in the dark hate the light neither will they come to the light because their deeds are evill So that by their fruits we know them as Christ said who is the bread of life which is invisible and nourisheth the invisible Soul this is the true bread which came down from Heaven and whosoever feedeth thereon shall never dye and except you come to eat of this his flesh and drink of his blood ye have no life in you for it is incorruptible And though he took bread and brake it to his disciples the night before he was offered up and said Take eat this is my body he did not really give them his body though he bid them break bread in remembrance of him untill he came Mark they were but to doe it untill he came which shewed plainly the natural bread was not him even whilst it was in his own hand but a figure of him for as it was distributed amongst them so was his life and that they were to do in remembrance untill his holy life descended upon them again which they did witnesse not many dayes after at Jerusalem and they had not need of any thing to put them in mind of him for he lived and reigned really in them and the Apostle Paul said it shewed the Lords death until he came which saying was a glorious truth of God for it brought them out of all visibles shewing that the invisible light was to reign in them for he reproved many of them who had gotten so into the breaking of bread that they eat and drank until they were drunk 1 Cor. which the Lords body would not have done yet their bread and wine had as much vertue in it as yours can have But of these things we who are called Quakers we would bring your teachers to open trial to see whether it hath more vertue in it after consecration as ye call it then before the Priest hath spoken some of the words of Christ over the bread for it is not unknown that the Devil did take the words of Scripture to tempt the Son of God with therefore his children may in like manner speak them deceive the sons of men with them So that if they have any vertue in them let them come forth in like manner as hath been proposed unto them to wit if their bread after consecration hath more vertue in it then other bread hath let them shew it by the tryal of it by putting it with other bread and we and they shall see to the keeping of it and if the one doe not corrupt as well as the other then it will appear there is more vertue in it but on the contrary if they both corrupt then may ye see your teachers to be Deceivers and that ye are fed with a lye for the body of Christ cannot corrupt neither did it ever see corruption in that nature for it is incorruptible and spiritual Truly people this concerns you much to look into seeing you are thus taught and deluded for the Soul which sinneth shall dye and it will be a folly for any one of you for to say in the dreadful day of account Our Fathers have eaten sowre grapes and our teeth are set on edge pleading antiquity will not serve your turns though I know God hath forborn you in these abominable abominations and Idolatry even worshipping of pieces of Bread Stocks and Stones the one you say is the very body of Christ and the other his likenesse and all a lye and hath and will be reproved and made manifest and will get further to the utter overthrow of it all for the likenesse of Christ can no more be made by any no more then bread naturall can be converted into his body by any seeing he is the expresse Image of his Father and never bare any other But say you generally it puts us in mind which plainly shews that ye are of those who forget God David said The wicked should be turned into Hell and all who forget God Consider you who say you must have a dead Image to put you in mind of the living Christ and also this sheweth that ye have not the mind of Christ as the Christians had Friends in this the day of tryal you are found bare naked and miserable therefore be warned that you may all come to the Light which is the dore the way the truth and the life and no man can come to the Father but by him even Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world who is the only dore and way to God and whosoever goeth about to enter any other way but by the Light the same is a thief and a robber as saith Christ who is the Covenant of God to all mankind upon the face of the whole earth and to this end came he into the world that through him all might believe and whosoever doth out of his belly shall flow a River of living water which is beyond all Naturals which can alone be seen handled and tasted by the Spiritual and whosoever comes to be sensible of its pure streams will for ever delight to drink thereof there being satisfaction therein only which my soul knoweth right well therefore am I drawn forth in the same wherewith the Lord hath loved me to invite many that they may eat and drink that which my Father hath provided for many even for those who are strangers and straglers in the high-wayes and hedges for a banquet hath my God prepared and hath and is sending out his Servants to invite and bid many but many already have made their excuses
by which means they are not found worthy Therefore ye which are straglers come away even ye who are as much strangers as any fear not faint not ye shall have your penny as well as those who laboured in the heat of the day I say come away a feast of fat things is prepared for you even a goodly heritage which floweth with Milk and Honey there is large possessions therein my friends for you and if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat of the good thereof yea In my Fathers house are many Mansions and if it were not so I should not say it but as my soul hath richly fed thereof so I would all should come away and partake with me of the same I am truly filled with love ever as a vessel which is filled with new Wine even to all the whole 〈◊〉 of God and would if it were possible perswade all the Sons of men to come away for the Bride hath made her self ready and the Marriage-Chamber is prepared And the voice of the Spirit saith come yea all that will come freely see therefore that you have your Lamps trimmed all to the Light that ye may not be of the number of the foolish Virgins and so miss your entrance into the Marriage-Chamber for though the door may be freely opened yet it will not be alwayes therefore Blessed are they who are found watching that when the cry of the Bridegroom cometh they may enter for they shall enjoy the joy of their Lord and there will be no more cause of weeping because the Bridegroom will be alwayes with them but they which are foolish shall be shut out among the Dogs and Sorcerers therefore be ye warned that ye may be partakers of peace rest and joy for evermore and think not any thing too dear to part from for the price of the Mark of the High Calling which is in Christ Jesus that is set before you for saith Christ Whosoever shall forsake father and mother wife or children house or land for my sake shall receive an hundred fold in this world and in the world to come life everlasting And truly friends I tell you by true experience that the sufferings of this world is not to be compared to the joy which is and shall be revealed in us and though many may speak evil of you and revile you because ye run not into the same excess of riot as before heed it not if you receive Christ ye shall have power to become the Sons of God which will be greater riches than ye can loose in this world being made witnesses of the birth which is not of man nor by man but of God I say this will bear you over all the reproaches of the wicked one and this state you will come to know by taking up the dayly Cross and following of Christ for he that will be his Disciple must so do in reallity and in truth which Cross is not a piece of Wood or Stone neither will you need any such thing to put you in mind of God or Christ but the Cross ye will witness to be the power of God unto salvation if you believe for Paul said God forbid that he should glory in any thing but the Cross of Christ whereby he was crucified unto the world and the world unto him so as you come to witnesse the true Cross and to bear it dayly you will come to witnesse the same thing without which all your profession will be vain so as you come to dwell abide and walk here you will come to know what the true Baptisme of Christ Jesus is which is the Fire and the Holy Ghost without which you cannot witnesse the body of sin put off and except you do witnesse this ye are far from Christs life which makes a true Christian for it is not only the washing away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God And this is the onely Baptisme which must be witnessed by all before they come to a Christians life for the Apostle Paul said There was but one Baptisme which is the Baptisme of the Spirit for John said He was to decrease but Christ was to encrease for his Baptisme was but a figure of the true Baptisme for Christ came through all Figures having the Substance and the Life in himself so they who come to this only true Baptisme which is onely needful to salvation they come to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for they who knew no other but Johns Baptisme they knew not whether there was a Holy Ghost or no therefore it is said concerning Apollo That he onely knew Johns Baptisme and that Priscilla and Aquilla ministred unto him and instructed him in the way of God more perfectly Therefore be ye instructed in this matter and be ye no longer deceived with a name and shadow but come to the substance that your souls may live for ever so will blessing and mercy follow you all your dayes and happy shall you be in the end thereof though men may persecute and revile you matter it not for so they did to Christ Jesus and the Holy Prophets before you and remember The Servant is not greater than his Lord And the Saints of old who wandred up and down cloathed with skins and wandred up and down in dens and holes of the earth of whom the world was not worthy I say all who desire eternal life take them for an example in sufferings and patience and your names will be written in the Book of Life with them even amongst those who are sanctified who loved not their lives unto the death by which means they came to be crowned with immortal Glory even to live and reign with the Lamb upon Mount Sion for ever which is not to be compared with all the treasures of Egypt the Gold of Ophir or Onix stones And it being so that nothing availeth any but a new creature What do you think will all your Crosses avail you with your Beads and Reliques of dead men and womens bones with your Processioning and counterfeit Fasts Pardons for sins from the Pope and the like stuffe as your vain repetition of other mens words in your prayers and giving your means to build great Monasteries for men to be kept up a fatting like so many Swine living idlely upon the Creation of God and likewise women who are as wanton as Beasts kept and fed there I say what will all these avail you and them but adde to your condemnation seeing the ground and root of the old man stands whole in you in which nature all your works is not accepted with God who is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and such onely he seeketh to worship him So it is no more at Jerusalem or at this or that place or house where God is worshipped neither doth he dwell in Temples made with hands for he hath no need of these things nor