and fore-warned thy Rulers also oft-times of the evil to come and that they should set free the Oppressed and break the heavy Yoak of Persecution from off the Necks of God's People that with freedom and cheerfulness they might serve him but they have not hearkned thereunto nor regarded at all therefore is thy Plagues come and thy Judgment have not lingered as is seen at this day But well much of this kind have ofttimes been presented to thy view and consideration so that I could even almost despair of hopes that thou wilt hear or lend an Ear unto what I say at this time because I experimentally know that thou art a Rebellious Nation against the Lord yet my Bowels so yearns towards those of thine Inhabitants who have not quite sinn'd out their Day that I cannot but strive with them a little in representing these things to their consideration that such who have any tenderness left in them may Repent with speed and turn to the Lord with all their hearts not feignedly but in sincerity that so they may find a hiding place in him from the Wrath to come and that they may understand the Cause wherefore the Lords Hand is stretched out against thee in Judgment Oh Nation surely all who are prudent in spirit cannot but confess and acknowledge that these things before mentioned is the very cause of the present Visitation that is upon thee and also of the future Judgments which are threatned for these are but the beginning of thy sorrows which it to come upon thee because thou Repented not of thy Evil Deeds Well But some it may be will say what and where hath been the cause that all these Abominations hath thus abounded and been continued in thee seeing thou hast had such a large Profession of a reformed Christian Religion to whom I say Search and examine whether or no the main ground and cause is not found in thy Teachers and Leaders for have they not caused thee to Err and have they not strengthned the hand of the worker of Iniquity so that none can turn from the Evil of his Way by promising of him life and may not I say of thy Teachers Oh England as the Prophet of the Lord said of the false Prophets in his day viz. from the Prophets of Israel is Prophaneness gone forth into all the Earth for hath not they Leaders been evil examples unto thee of prophaneness of drunkenness and whoredoms many of them and universally of covetousness which is Idolatry for most or all must needs see that their hearts are gone after covetous practises and by their Lyes against the people of God and by their lightness they have caused the People to err from the right way and have led them into rebellion against the Light of the Son of God wherewith they are enlightned which would have led them out of the dark pathes of ignorance and works of Iniquity under pretence that it was a dangerous principle to be adhered unto and that it was not sufficient to lead out of sin nor to save from sin when indeed there is none other name given under Heaven whereby Men can be saved from sin but the name of Jesus who preached himself the Light of the World and who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and whose free grace that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men so that all who turn from this Grace of God which teacheth us to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present evil World such turn from the right way and all who rebell against this Light wherewith they are enlightned they know not the way thereof as Job said and so they are strangers to the good and right way which is Christ who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and is not this Light or Spirit of Grace in the inward parts the very thing that thy Leaders hath long perswaded thee against that thou shouldest not encline or adhere thereunto under pretence as aforesaid and so are like unto them whom Christ said did shut the Kingdom of Heaven against Men who would neither enter in themselves and them that would enter they hindered and although they have in pretence made large Prayers against sin and iniquity and seemed to preach against it likewise yet they have indeed told thee thou couldst not be washed or freed from sin while here on Earth and so have denyed the very work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting of the Saints for the Apostle laboured that he might present every Man perfect in Christ and have they not hereby strengthened the hands of the Workers of iniquity even by begetting a belief in them that they cannot turn from the evil of their wayes so as to be set free from their evil deeds and yet they promise them life hereafter but be not deceived with good words and fair speeches for God will not be mocked with an out-side profession for if you live after the flesh you shall dye for the wages of sin is death but the Gift of the Spirit of God is eternal Life through Christ our Lord unto all them that receive and obey it Again have not thy Leaders been the great Stirrers up of thy Rulers to persecute the harmless People of the Lord whom he hath raised up by his power to trust in his Name and to bear witness for him and to testifie against thy abominations have they not moved thy Rulers and Majestrates to make Laws and to put them in execution as aforesaid against us Consider this Oh Nation what a blood-thirsty Generation of covetous Hirelings thou hast nourished within thy bowels may I not say of them as Hosea said of the Priests in his dayes viz. As Troopes of Robers wait for a Man so the Company of Priests murder in the way by consent for have they not been even unanimous in this work of Persecution how many have they murdered in the way of Cain which they are in by consent in casting of them into Prisons for their filthy lukers sake and how have they provoked and stirred up thy Rulers and people to the same work and even made them their vassals to fulfill their envious wills So that all these things being considered with many more which might be mentioned have we not just cause to attribute the main ground of thy continuing in these so gross abominations unto these covetous Hirelings and filthy Dreamers that defile the flesh I confess I cannot but believe that there are multitudes of thousands within thy Borders Oh England that see their folly and madness and their unstableness and how they toss up and down and are driven about with every tempest that ariseth even as Clouds without rain as their Predecessors were whom the Apostle spoke of and saw come in his day who went in Cain's way of Persecution and Murder and were wandring Stars for whom was reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever For have not the unstabillity of these
Reader that these things testified of him are true as many living Witnesses can seal to the same look over his own Writings and read over his several Epistles written to the Churches at several times and upon several Occasions which are gathered together and presented to thy vew and if thou hast any true spiritual sence in thee thou wilt feel and discern that such sweet and pleasant Streams must needs flow from a sweet and good Fountain knowing that one Fountain doth not send forth sweet and bitter Water therefore the Streams being sweet the Fountain or Well from whence they spring is sweet also and he having drunk deep draughts of the Water that Christ gives it became in him a Well of Living Water springing up into Eternal Life according to the saying of Christ our Saviour Whosoever shall drink of the Water that I give it shall be in him a Well of Living Water springing up into Eternal Life And that this was true in him is attested unto by one who had large experience of his Integrity and Holy Zeal for God who has been often in travels with him and still is a Labourer in the Lord's Vine-yard desiring and praying to Almighty God that the scattered Sheep may be gathered into the Fold of the good Shepherd That so there may be one Sheep-Fold and one Shepherd A. P. A TESTIMONY Concerning Josiah Coale AS concerning our dear Friend and Brother Josiah Coale I having had a certain knowledge of him and his Life from that Conversation we had many times together in the Service of the Lord and living Society of the Holy Spirit I have this Testimony to give of him That he was a Man indued with an heavenly and effectual Gift and therein was enlarged and increas'd as a Reward upon him after his sore Travels and Labour in the Gospel beyond Seas and he had a real love and estimation of his Brethren in the Service and Work of the Lord and delighted in their Fellowship and Communion being often refresht thereby His faithfulness was manifested to God and to his People amongst whom he laboured he was freely given up to improve his Gift in the Heavenly Calling wherewith he was called to spend and to be spent for the Gospel's sake wherein he had his reward counting nothing too dear of Life Relation or Estate to resign up in and for that Service wherein he manifested both his Commission and Power to be of God and not of man for the gathering out of Darkness false Wayes and Worships emty Professions and vain Traditions of men into the Light and Living way of Truth that therein they might serve and worship God in Spirit which admits of no confidence in the Flesh nor products thereof He was a Man of a tender spirit having a reverent esteem of his faithful Brethren and elders in the Truth and he had a tender care to preserve Unity and Brotherly Love as also the sence he had of his reward made him chearful in his Service and fervent in spirit and zealous in his Testimonies against all false and deceitful spirits which slight and dis-esteem Truth and lead into Apostacy from the Unity and Fellowship of the Gospel whose wayes do not tend to Peace but Strife and Self-separation He fervently preached the Cross of Christ and prest the necessity of obedience through it and unto watchfulness in the fear of God He preached Faith in the Power of God and the Righteousness thereof not to stand in the wisdom of man nor in lifeless Professions or traditional Opinions nor yet to consist in self acting and voluntary humility but in Spirit and Life from which living Obedience and Righteousness naturally spring by which Testimony and Preaching he was instrumental to affect the Hearts of many with the excellency of the Truth as it is in Jesus and turn many thereunto even from Darkness unto Light and from Satan's Power to God that they might both receive Remission of sin and Possession of Life Eternal And as he had freely received of Christ so he freely gave and as he was freely given up to spend and to be spent for the Lord so he spared not of his outward Substance in his Service his care being such to cut off occasions from such as seek them and so to keep the Gospel without charge as that he many times would not use his power and freedom which Christ allowed his Ministers in that case as mentioned in Luke Chap. 10. Verse 7. but with the Apostle Paul debased himself that he might not prove chargable to the Churches and indeed he went much a warfare at his own charges giving freely up both his Liberty and Life for the promotion of the Gospel of Truth both in this and other Nations through many Hazards and difficulties particularly of late years in this City of London wherein the blessed effects of his Labours Travels and Sufferings are felt and known by many And as he lived in and by the Faith of God's Elect so with him to live was Christ and to dye a Gain who being outwardly spent for the Gospel sake was inwardly renewed by the Vertue of the same whereby having conquered Death and the Grave he chearfully embraced his Dissolution and changed for a full and perpetual Injoyment of that Joy and Reward of Life and Glory which he had long an Earnest and Evidence of in himself and in the fulness of which his Soul now rests and lives for evermore Yea his life is felt in the heavenly Society and though he being dead yet speaketh in him in whom he died who is his Resurrection and Life for evermore G. W. A Short TETIMONY OF The Life Death and Ministry of that Faithfull Servant of the LORD Josiah Coale THough I knew him not from the beginning yet I knew him in that which hath neither beginning of Dayes nor end of Life which is the Eternal Power of God that by which he was separated from the World and made an able powerful and faithful Minister of the everlasting Gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord and which in all Travels Trials and Sufferings that did attend him made him more then Conqueror to the glorifying of the Name of the Lord in the sight of his Enemies and to the replenishing of his Soul with Divine Consolations In the Eternal Light I knew him and had often and sweet Fellowship with him therein to my great refreshment even in the gloomy and dark day of my early and deep Exercises and though he was a man free in his disposition and ready to help all through the tenderness of his spirit yet was he indued with sound Judgment to the discerning of spirits and giving no liberty to the Flesh but was dreadful in his Testimony against the Life Glory and Customes of the World being redeemed therefrom and made a Witness through Judgment of that pure Spirit of Glory which was before the World began which vails and darkens the beauty of Flesh and gathers into
Purity and Self-denial through the Sanctifying operation of the same I had intimacy with him above many but so mixt was his kindness with seriousness and his familiarity with a stay'd and examplary Behaviour as he was ever an honour to the Truth and therein a confirmer of his holy Testimony and weaker Brethren He was an incessant Labourer in the Gospel and Few more spent in its Service his Soul seem'd wholly bent to the Renowning of it and its Enemies he ever accounted his His Declaration was to the Ungodly World like an Ax an Hammer or a Sword sharp and piercing being mostly attended with an eminent appearance of the dreadful Power of the Lord to the cutting down of many a tall Cedar and to the making of many lofty Oaks to bow but to the Faithful and diligent who mind the things of Christ more then their own O the soft and pleasant Streams of Life Immortal that have run through him to the refreshing of those the Lord's Heritage yea 't was his life and joy to be speaking the Word of the Lord and not his own And many thousands doubtless rest behind who are living Testimonies to the Power Vertue and Efficacy of his Ministry but above all terrible was he to the Sowers of Strife secret Back-biters and such as rend the holy Body and separate from the Life Love and Fellowship of the Blessed Truth Who in their own selfish spirit set themselves over the holy Brethren by feignedness and deceitful appearances to the betraying of the Simple-hearted and ketching the Innocent in their Snares Yet was he ready to reach out an helping Hand to save the upright Hearted whose desires were to the Lord and the Fellowship of the Faithful He was Hardy Valiant and fixt not of those that shun the Cross or sell their Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage He baulkt no Danger for the sake of his blessed Testimony but ever met in the Lord's Armour by which he has many times overcome in England Holland Barbadoes Virginia New-England Mary-Land c. where through many difficulties he boldly preached the everlasting Gospel Christ in him the Hope of Glory He was a good Example as well for his Liberality as Faithfulness for as I am a Witness that the prosperity of God's Truth and dear Friends was above all things most in his Eye so was he alwayes cautious of making the Gospel chargeable to any but having some Estate of his own he freely imploy'd it in the Lord's Service counting nothing too dear for the Name and Service of the Lord. And thus having laboured his natural strength away in this heavenly Warfare for the promotion of the glorious Truth of the Lord and the advancment of its Interest and Dominion in the World for about twelve Years together he did with perfect understanding and in an extraordinary enjoyment of the Lord's Life Majesty and Presence to the refreshment of the Beholders on the 15th of the 11th Moneth 1668. he chearfully laid down his Mortal Body it being in the five and thirtieth Year of his Age that he might be perfectly cloathed on with Blessed Immortallity which is the Wages of the Work and the Eternal Recompence of his Temporal Tribulations And now is he truely ascended above and beyond every Trouble and Temptation where all Tears are wip'd away from his Eyes and upon Mount Zion does he stand amongst the rest of our holy Brethren and those Martyrs who kept the Testimony of Jesus in their day singing the Song of the Lamb for evermore Therefore shall his Memorial remain as a sweet Oyntment with the Righteous and time shall never blot him out of their remembrance for amongst the Worthies shall he be reckoned in the Generations to come because he loved not his Life unto Death but chos'd to pass through the many Tribulations which have given him an enterance into the Everlasting Rest where his spirit lives and remains with God for ever My Soul is often heavy and bowed down in the sence of the loss of these Valiants at this time of the day but herein am I satisfied that our God that raised them will fill up their places and daily bring forth by his Eternal Arm many noble Champions for his Glory who shall sound forth his Wonders to the Ends of the Earth and stand as Saviours upon Mount Zion to the Nations And therefore woes to the dark hellish sin-pleasing persecuting Priests Professors and Prophane of the whole Earth for the Lord God Omnipotent is taking to himself his great Power and he will Reign whose Kingdom stands in Righteousness and is an Everlasting Kingdom and of whose Government and Dominion there shall be no end W. Penn. AN EPISTLE TO THE READER As Concerning Josiah Coale HE did labour much in the Power of the Lord and did stand in the Power of the Lord against the spirit of the World and against all the Opposers of the Truth to his dying day yea within one Hour and a half of his death see his Testimony against the dark blasphemous spirit of Muggleton in the latter end of this Book and besides the several Opposers of the Truth of the several Sects in New-England Barbadoes Virginia Mary-Land and other Islands and the several Cruel and Inhumane Sufferings and Imprisonments by the chief Priests Professors and Rulers which would be to large to mention and would make a great Volumn that he suffered amongst them And also his sore Travels among the Heathen in America concerning the Truth and preaching the Gospel and when the cruel murdering Priests and Professors of New-England which Murdered and Martyr'd and Spoyled so many of the Goods of our Friends and burned some of them with their hot Irons and cut off the Ears of some of our Friends for the Truth and Gospel's sake These New-England persecuting Professors said to some that they did persecute Why did not our Friends come thorow the Heathen by Land from Virginia to New-England thorow the Wilderness on foot for they looked for Miracles but Josiah Coale and another was that very Time passing thorow the Heathen and the Wilderness from Virginia to New-England and the persecuting Professors of New-England then did not think that they were so near them that did pass thorow the Woods and Wildernesses which immediately came among them having passed thorow the Woods and wilde Wildernesses and thorow the danger of the Men-Eaters and wilde Beasts and venomous Creatures but when they came through much Hunger and Cold and Weariness through the Bogs and Waters into New-England they found worss entertainment among the New-England persecuting Priests and Professers then they had found among the wilde and venomous Beasts and Men-eaters yea they were worss to them and others of the Disciples of Christ as I said then the Heathen and Men-eaters who had passed thorow much danger of their lives and oft times were fain to cut down Chest-Nut-Trees for the Nuts for Food when they were hungry And nevertheless when these came immediatly
Performances without the Inward Leadings of the Spirit of the Lord and in this Antichristian-spirit by which they have been exercised in the aforesaid Idolatrous Abominations they have been Killing Destroying and Devouring one another about those things which are their own Inventions set up in their own Wills which they would have all to conform to and have long imposed it one upon another by Penal Laws and thereby have enforced many who fear'd Man more then God to conform contrary to what they were perswaded in their own Consciences to worship the Image set up by them yet a Remnant there was alwayes whom God preserved and rais'd up by his Power to stand faithful Witnesses against their Idolatrous Worships and Traditions whose Blood this Antichristian-spirit in the Beast and false Prophet that carries the Whore hath always drunk and many Faithful Martyrs of Jesus in times past have seal'd their Testimony against this false Church of Apostate Christians in which this Antichristian spirit rules even with their very Lives though they did not see nor understand the things that are now seen and understood by many yet blessed be the Lord they were by his Power and Spirit so furnished and sustained and so filled with Love to God and his Cause and with Zeal against the false Church and her Antichristian Impositions and Idolatries that they loved not their Lives unto death but laid down their Lives with Chearfulness as a Testimony against them and so through Faith have obtained a Good Report amongst us who are now following the Lamb in the same Foot-steps of the Flock And so my Beloved Friends Seeing that now in fulness of time God hath rais'd us up by his Power according to his Purpose and Determination and Fore-knowledge to be faithful Witnesses for his Name and Truth and to the Power of his Appearance in our Hearts and to bear Testimony against the aforesaid Superstitions and and Idolatrous Impositions which are practis'd at this day amongst them that know not the only true and living God nor Jesus Christ whom he hath sent a Light into the World I say my Friends These things are sufficient to engage our Hearts unto the Lord follow him unto the end through all Trials and Exercises of what nature or kind soever that for the future may come upon us for our Testimonies sake For my Friends We know right well that God hath not been wanting unto us in any Tryal or State whatsoever if we have not been wanting in or Obedience unto him but hath been alwayes present with us and hath oft caus'd his Love to abound unto us and in us being shed abroad in our hearts by his good Spirit so that for joy of Heart we could even sing Praises to the Name of the Lord in the midst of our Sufferings and Afflictions so that we have no Cause to be discourag'd at the Sufferings which attend us nor at the Threats and Frowns of Wicked Men who hate and persecute us without a just Cause but we have rather great Cause of encouragement to persevere and go on bearing forth our Testimony for the Lord through all Sufferings if it be Death it self knowing the Reward thereof to be so exceeding great and having this Confidence in our selves That none of these things shall be able to move us nor to seperate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus Nay but rather shall confirm us for as the Apostle said It is an evident Token to us of Salvation but to our Adversaries of Perdition and that of God And so my Beloved Friends You who are already Exil'd and sent into forreign Parts of the World for your Testimony 's sake I doubt not but you experimentally know in an especial manner the Largeness of the Extent of God's Love unto his People in a Suffering Condition you having been in measure exercis'd therein beyond many others though I doubt not but have the Testimony of God's Holy Spirit that many are as freely given up in the same Faith for the same Testimony to partake with you outwardly of the same Sufferings as they do inwardly sympathize with you therein if the Lord see it meet for the Honour of his Name so to suffer them to be exercised Yet nevertheless All who have been and are faithful to God in their Places have and do enjoy so much of the Peace and Presence of God as is fully satisfactory unto them so that in the Unity of the Spirit of Life which from God we have receiv'd and by which we are seperated from the World and its Wayes and Works of Darkness and by which we are rais'd up to be faithful and true Witnesses for God and against the Traditions of men by which they have made void God's Commandments I say in this Spirit we do sympathize and partake with you both in Suffering and in Rejoycing and have a real Sence upon our hearts and spirits of your Estate and we are not unmindful of you but do heartily pray That Grace Health Mercy and Peace together with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ our Lord may be continually multiplied and encreased amongst you that the Aboundings thereof you may know unto your great Consolation that so being thereby watered and refreshed you may grow in the Grace of God and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus and may feel his Life to encrease in you and so to strengthen you that you thereby may be able to teach others also and to instruct them in the Way of Life and Salvation that so your Sufferings and Exilement may make for the Furtherance of the Gospel of God and for the spreading of his Blessed Glorious Truth through the Nations and for the gathering into it them who are yet afar off from God and Strangers unto him that so the Witness of God in all Consciences being answer'd by you both in Life Conversation and Doctrine you may be a good savour unto God both in them that believe and also in them that perish that the Justification of Life in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ you may all feel and witness and that will be your alone Satisfaction in all Conditions and therein my Love doth dearly salute you all And in this my Dear Friends pray one for another and walk together in Love and be of one Mind and Practice in all things that appertain to the Worship of God and to your Testimony for Him and against the World and its Wayes and Worships and live in Peace one with another and build up one another in your most precious Faith and watch over one another in the Spirit of Love and Meekness and let there be no Straightness nor Strangeness one towards another but be Open-hearted and Tender one to another And if any thing appear amongst any of you which tends to the Hurt of any Particular or to the Truth in general in the Spirit of Meekness let it be spoken to them and in the same Spirit let
discourag'd because of Tryals and Sufferings and Persecutions nor because of the Frowns of the Enemy for God's Truth neither be Dismayed because of the prosperity of the Wicked whose Day shall pass away swiftly and shall be no more but every one put on Strength and Courage and Boldness in the Name of the Lord and as valiant Souldiers endure Hardship and fight the Good Fight of FAITH and lay holy on Eternal Life for the Lord God Almighty is with us and take our part and he assuredly will fight our Battels for us before whom all the Nations of the Earth are but as the Drop of a Bucket and therefore it s in vain for them to contend with the Almighty who is on our side and is greater in us then he that is in the World whose eternal Glory and Excellency is now revealed Praises and Halelujahs to the Most High forever Wherefore Arise arise thou Seed of the Covenant arise and shine for thy Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee though the Earth be covered with Darkness and gross Darkness be over the People yet the Lord is become thy Everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Wherefore shake thy self from the Dust of Earth and put on thy beautiful Garments Oh Jerusalem the holy City for this I testifie in the Name of the Lord That henceforth there shall not come into thee the Uncircumcised nor the Unclean but thou shalt be called the City of God the Place wherein his Honour dwells Wherefore all ye Inhabitants thereof my Fellow Citizens and beloved Brethren and Sisters with whom my Life is bound up and with whom my soul rejoyceth who are surrounded with the great Salvation of God and know it to be the Wall of this Holy City the Gates whereof is Praise and stand open Night and Day though the Unclean cannot enter into it I say unto you all Let the High Praises of God be in your Mouthes and cease not to make mention of the Wonders of the Lord and of his Works which he hath wrought for you and tell of his Goodness and Loving-kindness and speak of his Praises that the Glory of his Appearance in you may be admired amongst the Heathen in this the Day of the Lords Power wherein his Excellency and Majesty is seen of which we are Eye-witnesses and therefore can we not cease to make known his Power and Coming that others also may be turned to the Light of God in them their to wait for his Appearance And though there be a Generation that would have us silenced as the Pharisees would have Christ to rebuke his Disciples when they went Triumphing to Jerusalem and the High Praises of God were in their Mouthes yet they were not to hold their peace but to go on and preach his Name amongst all Nations that People might be turned unto God And though they were again afterwards charged to speak no more in his Name yet they considered That it was better to obey God than Man For they who followed the Lamb were Called and Chosen and Faithful and they loved not their Lives unto the Death but went on boldly preaching in the Name of Jesus not regarding the Threatnings of corrupt Man but had respect unto the Lord above all who is the same at this day as ever he was and his Faithfulness is the same forever unto them that are truly Faithful unto him And his wonderous Works and Majesty and Glory is now seen by us in this our Day even as by them in the dayes of old wherefore let the same Courage Boldness and Faithfulness appear amongst you as was in them though I do not at all upbraid you neither was it in my Heart so to do but as a Brother of the same Root and Off-spring with you who are begotten by the same Word and brought forth by the same eternal Womb which is Holy forever do I exhort you in Bowels of the same tender Love with which our Hearts are filled to continue in Stedfastness hold fast your Integrity in Faithfulness unto the End every one in your several Stations and Callings that you may adorn the Glorious Gospel of Peace and of Salvation that so you dwelling in the Pure Divine Heavenly Power thereby your Lips may be opened and your Mouthes may shew forth his Praise that his Name may be known to be great in the Assemblies of his Saints and in the Congregations of the Righteous that so Nations may be gather'd unto him and Kings unto the Brightness of his Rising that so the Name of the Lord may be spread even to the Ends of the Earth which is now to be exalted above every Name to which every Knee must bow and all Tongues confess Wherefore all you my beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters who are of the Royal Off-spring and of the Holy Seed which is the Heir of the Blessing and Promise of the Father I say unto you all dwell in the feeling of the Immortal Birth every one in your own particulars for therein the Heirship stands and to that the Blessing is sure and as you keep Faithfully joyn'd unto it therein you will know the Heavenly Dominion and Power which goes over the Powers of the Earth and Darkness with which the Earth is cover'd and will give you to see before they were And here the Son is known who was glorified with the Father before the World began and who is the express Image of his Father's Substance and in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwells and unto whom all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given And this is he who now is come in Power and great Glory of whose Power and Coming you are his Cloud of Witnesses who know the Birth of the Immortal Seed and it is because of this that the Heathen rages and the Nations are angry and therefore do they Revile and Persecute and Smite with the Fist of Wickedness according as it is written He that is born after the Flesh persecutes him that is born after the Spirit And these things they do unto you because they know not him of whose Coming you are Witnesses Nevertheless Dwell ye in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit ye that have the sense and feeling of the working and operating thereof in your inward Parts in any measure and answer the Motions thereof in all things for therein your Peace and Consolation consisteth and your Everlasting Refreshment which none can hinder you of as you obey the Truth according to the Motions of the Spirit of Truth and therein walking you will not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh but the Cross will be dwelt in and Self-denyal will be known and witnessed and the Power of the Lord will be felt which makes willing to come into the Obedience of the Cross whereby the contrary part will be crucified and mortified and the Old Man will be wholy put off with his Deeds and the New Man put on which is created
of darkness by which all who are guided by it comes to receive power over sin which made a separation between God and you And this is he which the Holy Prophets of God prophesied of in the dayes of old who is given a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And whom Moses said the People should hear and said that he that would not hear this Prophet which the Lord should raise up to wit Christ Jesus the Light of the World Even he should be Cut off from amongst the People and therefore every one you being enlightened with a measure of the Light which comes from this Prophet Christ Jesus by whom the World was made and whom the people is to hearken to it is a thing of concerment to you all to wait to hear his voice who calls your minds out of the vanities of the World and the love thereof that you may hear live and no longer to spend your labour for that which doth not satisfie the soul But to hearken diligently to the Voice of God who is Light that you may come to eat of that which is good and let your Souls delight in fatness and so every out who prizeth the Everlasting Peace and welfare of your Souls beyond the pleasures and delights of the World Return unto him who calls in your minds out of the visible and perishing things of this World and the love thereof and wait to know the Sword of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace to Cut down the Transgressor in every particular of you and to know the Righteous Law of God revealed in you to take hold on the unrighteous Nature which hath led you into Rebellion against God and against his pure witness in you which hath long called for purity and for a holy Life and a godly Conversation that so into purity and holiness you might all come without which none can see the Lord And so they who comes to the Light of Christ in them such comes to that which is pure and holy with which they may come to see God And Friends This is the Word of the Lord God to you all and his Everlasting Counsel to you all who have desires in Truth and Righteousness to walk in the way of Life that you hearken diligently to the Voice of God the Light in every one of your Consciences and to it be obedient at all times in whatsoever it makes manifest to be the mind and Will of God the Father that so his will may be done by you in Earth as it is in Heaven and that your sins and iniquities may be blotted out by him for his own Names sake Who is now arisen for his Glories sake which hath been long trampled upon and for his Seeds sake which hath long cry'd unto him from under the burden of oppression which hath ruled above the pure in every one of you And the Cries and Groanings of the Oppressed hath entered into the Ears of the Lord God of Rest and he is arisen and is zealous for his Glory And in the valley of Judgment will he plead with Egypts King and with all the Host of the Egyptians and by his out-stretched Arm will he bring deliverance unto his own Elect Seed and the Host of the Egyptians will he destroy in the Red-Sea of his Wrath and then shall the Seed rejoyce over its Oppressors And so Friends as you hearken to and obey the Voice of the Lord the Angel of his presence you will see leading you in the way in which he will have you to walk and beware of him and obey his voice for he will not at all pardon your transgressions any more Exod. 23.20 21. But will give a just reward to every one according to their deeds whether they be good or whether they be evil And so that you may come and receive the reward of Everlasting Life which is enjoyed in my Fathers Kingdom Every one be good and faithful Servants and improve your Talents which is committed to you that so when the Lord shall come you may be found doing his will and not your own So shall an enterance be Administred unto you into the Kingdom which is without end where you may feed on the Heavenly Manna and drink of the water of Life out of the Wells of Salvation even abundantly and be filled and your Souls satisfied therewith And so Friends and people arise and come out of Death you that have desires after the way of Life and Salvation Which is now Preached freely and be all obedient to the measure of the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared unto you and believe in the Light which you are enlightned withal for saith Christ I am the Light of the World he that believeth in me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the Light of Life and this is the sure word of Prophesie unto which you do well if you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts which Star being followed will lead unto the knowledge of the Saviour as it did the wise men who found him lying in a manger for there was no room for him in the Inn because it was full of other guests him that reads let him understand and so when you have found him according to the Angels Inteligence though it be but in a low place in you yet wait to know him to grow in stature and you in him to increase in Wisdom and in Favour with God for truly People no Union nor Fellowship with God can be known by you until you come to be Obedient to the Son of God and to hear him in whom the Father is well pleased and in whom alone we are accepted of God and by whom we have free access to his Throne of Grace where he sits at the Right hand of the Majesty on High Judging and Condemning all who walk contrary to his Light and that disobey the Gospel which is now Preached and justifieth and giveth life unto all that obey and follow him and stand in his Counsel which is the desire of my Soul that you all may do who have desires in the least measure after this Life of Holiness And for your sakes have I written these Lines according as the Lord gave it me by his Spirit Who am a true lover of all your Souls and a Labourer and Traveller for the Seeds sake which is Scattered throughout the Earth That those who are wandering upon the Barron Mountains and in desolate places may be gathered into the Everlasting Rest and Fold of Jesus Christ with me to lie down in peace and safety where none can make us afraid Josiah Coale A SALUTATION TO THE Suffering-Seed OF GOD Wherein the Things are Declared and Signified before-hand that must shortly come to pass DEarly beloved Friends Brethern and Sisters Babes Lambs and Children who
of reputation in the World and seeks the praise of men and the honour of men and not the honour that comes from God only and whatsoever pretence or shew of humility this spirit comes under yet it seeks it self and its own reputation and will admire mens persons for its advantage and will justifie the wicked for reward or for its advantage or to set up and exalt it self and will cry peace to the wicked and ungodly and preach judgement to the righteous And this is the temper of that unrighteous exalted self-seeking spirit where or in whomsoever it gets an entrance as hath been largely made manifest and as by woful experience we have seen Wherefore beware of that spirit and receive it not but deny it for it is not of God but shall fall and wither and come to nought the Lord hath spoken it Wherefore dwell every one in true subjection to the Cross and see that your joy and rejoycing be in that for therein alone is your safety and there you learn of Christ and have and feel the teachings of his good Spirit and this keeps in the true humility which goeth before the true honour and in this you are sensible of the prosperity or going on of the Work of God in you and here you will know a daily weakning of the strength and power of the wicked one whose work is to lead or drive out of the straight pure and holy way into which God hath brought you which leads unto life and so diverting you from this he then leads or drives into exaltation or desperation both which leads to the chambers of death But as you all wait in the true simplicity and in obedience to the Word of Gods Power in your own hearts you will be kept clear in your understandings for as said the Apostle He that heareth the Word of God and doth it not is like unto a man that beholds his natural face in a glass and straightway goeth his way and forgetteth what manner of man he was But be not you forgetful Hearers but Doers of the Word and let it dwell plentifully in you so will you be kept sensible of your state and condition but if you go from that then you lose your fence and underandsting that you had before of the manner of your state and then deadness will grow and carelesness and negligence and thou wilt become dry and barren and unfruitful and so my dear hearts having large experience and being largely sensible of the many wiles subtilties and craftinesses of the wicked one I cannot do less for the love sake which I bear in my heart towards you then to lay these things before you and to re-mind you of them although you have been told of them before yet as the Apostle said I think it meet yea and it is my duty so to do while I remain in this Tabernacle to re-mind you of these things and according to the working of the Power of God and Word of life to stirre you up to watchfulness diligence and obedience knowing that therein your preservation and safety consisteth So dwell and watch in the Light and in the sense and feeling of Gods eternal quickning Spirit of life and in simplicity and true subjection thereunto and there all the snares of the wicked one will be discovered to thee and a Way seen to escape them all so that none will fall therein but be kept by the Power of God in the even pure straight and holy way which is narrow and leads to life eternal and herein is no exaltation nor desperation nor deadness nor dulness of spirit but a diligent and patient witing upon the Lord to receive his Counsels and Instructions in all states straits and tryals whatsoever that may come upon thee for the tryal of thy Faith which is much more pretious then that of gold which perisheth And Friends be nothing terrified nor yet dismayed at the prosperity rage or fury of the wicked for they have their day and their consolation here and when that is over as David said they shall be cut off for their feet are set in slippery places and their Rock is not as our Rock they themselves may be Judges but wait you upon the Lord for the manifestation of his will and give up your selves to do or suffer whatsoever he calls you unto and be you resigned up to be wholly disposed of according to the ordering of his Hand of Love or Arm of Power manifested in his Covenant of Light and follow the Lord Christ your Captain whithersoever he leads you not loving your lives unto the death and as valiant Souldiers endure hardships and continue to the end looking over and beyond all difficulties that may appear in your way and keep your eye upon the mark that stands before and then you will feel forcible drawings in your hearts by the Spirit of the Lord to press on towards it and nothing will be accounted dear to part with for it nor any thing grievous to be born or suffered that in the end thou mayst purchase it but there will be courage and strength sufficient given thee of the Lord to bear all things and endure all things as thou resign'st up thy self unto him and thou wilt have peace with God in thine own heart and conscience in all tryals and in all tribulations and in the end thou wilt have the full desire of thy soul and satisfaction to it and so my love is dear to you all who are Babes in Christ and is largely extended to the whole flock of God in all Countreys Regions and Quarters of the Earth But for your sakes have I chiefly written this Epistle who are young in the Truth and have not so full acquaintance with the workings of Satan and so full a knowledge of the depths of the mystery of iniquity as others have who are of a more full age in the truth and receive this as a Salutation of my dear love to you and a manifestation of my tender care for you and the Lord God Almighty give you wisdom and understanding and discerning that you may chuse the good and refuse the evil and may follow after that above all things which makes for your everlasting peace and happiness Amen Kingston the 25th of the 1st Moneth 1664. I am your dear Brother in the Tribulation and Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ Josiah Coale To the KING AND Both Houses OF PARLIAMENT Who have made Laws and Decrees and caused them to be put in Execution to Restrain and Prohibit People from having the Liberty of their Consciences in the Exercise of the Worship of God This is sent as a Warning from the LORD FRIENDS WHat do you mean by these Practises Or what do you expect to bring to pass by these your Undertakings and Proceedings Do you think thereby to root out the Holy Seed and Royal Off-spring of God which he hath raised and brought forth in these North parts of the World
that the Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome are wrought by the Power of God or how can you distinguish between Miracles wrought by the Power of God and Miracles wrought by the Dragons power Answ I answer we have an infallible way to judge in this particular For all Miracles wrought by the murdering power are not wrought by the Power of God but by the Dragons power for the Dragon that old Serpent who is called the Devil was a Murderer from the beginning but Christ the Power of God is not a murdering power for he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9.56 Therefore the Miracles wrought by Christ the Power of God are not wrought by a murdering power But the Miracles of the Church of Rome if now there be any are wrought by a murdering power for the many murders she hath acted sufficiently testifieth to the whole Christendom that a murdering power rules in her By which its clear that the Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome if there be any are wrought by the Dragons power and not by the Power of God So that my judgement concerning the Miracles in the Church of Rome is not harsh but according to the Spirit of Truth and sound Reason Thirdly but for all A. S. in his Epistle Dedicatory hath made such a great noise about Miracles wrought by a Roman Catholick Priest in and about London and Westminster yet when he comes to prove that the Church of Rome is powerful in Miracles then he doth just as much as nothing but takes an easie way to get out from that thing which seemingly he undertook to go thorow with by referring of us for a witness of his Affirmation to nostre dame de Loretto nostre dame de Montague nostre dame de Hall and to the whole World c. Now what a pittiful proof or witness is this which A. S. directs us to For as the Apostles saith the whole World lies in wickedness 1 John 5.19 and wonders after the Beast by whom lying Miracles are wrought Rev. 13.3 So that the Miracles which the World bears witness to are lying Miracles for the World knows not Christ nor his Church 1 Joh. 3.1 by whom true Miracles are wrought for when Christ wrought Miracles amongst the World they did not bear witness to him but said he did it by the Prince of Devils Mat. 9.34 So that the witness that A. S. calls for confirmeth my forementioned Affirmation viz. That the Miracles in the Church of Rome are wrought by the Dragons power in the Beast and false Prophet that the whole World wonders after Fourthly and for nostre dame de Loretto and the rest mentioned they signifie nothing as to our satisfaction in this particular because they are altogether unknown to us neither can we attain to a certain knowledge of them if we would for the information of the Church of Rome is to us no satisfaction so as I said before that A. S. for matter of proving his Affirmation hath done just as much as nothing only made a shew like a Cloud without Rain But methinks if there were so many Miracles wrought daily by a Roman Priest about London c. as A. S. seems to make a noise of he should have instanced some of them particularly for our satisfaction but seeing he hath not instanced any we have just cause to believe that there are none at all Ninthly So to proceed to the ninth part of A. S. his first Argument viz. Out of the True Church none can be saved I answer That thing I do not at all deny for all that are saved are of the true Church but that none can be saved out of the Church of Rome that I do deny for the Church of Rome is not the true Church but the Whore that drinks the Blood of the Saints as afore-proved therefore out of the Church of Rome people may be saved Wherefore let all who expect or desire Salvation make haste out of this great City Babylon And run for your lives towards Jerusalem the holy City the true Church the Lambs Wife in whose Light the Nations of them that are saved must walk Rev. 21.24 lest you perish within the Borders of Babylon whose desolation shall certainly come in one day Yea Death and Mourning and Famine for strong is the Lord who is now arisen and judgeth her The Mystery of the Whore farther discovered Well But if the Church of Rome saith That she doth not drink the blood of the Saints but the blood of Hereticks c. and therefore she is the true Church 1. I answer so or to that effect said the Destroyers and Murderers in all Ages even they that put Christ to death they did it not in their own account as he was the Son of God but as a Blasphemer and the Apostles were persecuted as Spreaders of Heresie and Shedders of Sedition and not as Saints and Servants of the Lord in their Adversaries account Acts 24.5 and thus the murdering persecuting spirit hath in all Ages as at this day sought to shelter it self but this covering must now be ript off for the Power of God is arisen that rends the vail of Darkness and the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest 2. And further If they were Heretick c. whose blood the Church of Rome drinks yet that doth not argue that she is the true Church but the contrary for the true Church did never drink the blood of Hereticks nor persecute any because they were Hereticks but the greatest punishment that ever Christ appointed for Hereticks was that they should account them as Publicans and Heathens Mat. 18.17 3. So its clear that Christ the Power of God and the true Church that had the mind of Christ did never kill nor persecute any because they were Hereticks or did not believe nor yet because after they believed they made shipwrack of faith but laboured in the Spirit of Love and Meekness to restore them and to convince them by sound Doctrine but if they refused to receive admonition or to submit to the Church after due admonition given then they let them receive the punishment aforesaid and refused to have fellowship with them and this was the greatest punishment that ever the true Church inflicted upon any though they were Rebellious and this was the way to make true Believers of people which force and compulsion by penal Laws will never do though its true compulsive Laws may make many of them Hypocrites who fears man more then God but they who fears not man that can kill the body and can do no more but fears the Lord God almighty above all such will not bow to the compulsive Laws of men which violates the righteous Law of God in their own hearts no more then Shadrach Meshach and Abednego would bow to the Image that Nebuchadnezar set up though for their stedfastness they suffer the pangs of death as many of their Predecessors
Hereticks did she Condemn Answ I answer she hath not been in a capacity in her Wilderness-state to hold General Counsels as in the time of her flourishing state yet the mighty God hath alwayes been her wonderful Counsellor Isa 9.6 and the Members of her hath stood in and held to his Counsel according to the manifestation thereof received by them not loving their lives unto death as the Church of Rome well knows who have drunk the blood of many of them or shall know to her sorrow and pangs And as for the true Churches condemning Hereticks the Church of Rome knows that those members of her whose blood she hath drunk did alwayes condemn those Heresies that are healed and the Idolatries acted in the Church of Rome and did always give Testimony against her Superstitious inventions and denied to have Fellowship with her therein and looked upon her as reprobated from the true Faith as Fox his Acts copiously relates and this was a great Condemnation as the Spirit of Christ gave commission to the true Church to pass upon Hereticks Again as to that question viz. What Academies did she erect Answ I answer A people Erecting of Academies is not an Argument sufficient to prove them to be the true Church for what Academies or Universities did the Apostles erect or confirm or attain the Knowledge of God in Was it not the Light that shined in their Hearts that gave them this knowledge 2 Cor. 4.6 And was not this Light the Law that was the Apostles Schoolmaster till Christ Gal. 3.24 And is not the Law which is Light Pro. 6.23 written in the hearts of all people And is it not a sufficient Schoolmaster now to bring people who are taught by it unto the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ as it did the Apostles then What need then is there of erecting Academies for people cannot attain to the Knowledg of God by natural Learning 1 Cor. 1.21 nor thereby be made true Ministers of Jesus Christ Yet I am not against having an outward School-house or some convenient place for the educating or bringing up of children in Natural Learning which is good in its place but that any can thereby be brought to the Knowledge of God or made true Ministers of Jesus Christ that I cannot own Neither was this way of making Ministers by Natural-Learning or setting of them up by man in being untill people had forsaken the right way and went into Cains way and Balaams and then the envy and murder began amongst the profest Christians and then they could not endure sound Doctrine but heapt up to themselves Teachers according to their own hearts lusts who knew nothing but what they knew naturally as bruit Beasts c. and this the Apostle Paul foresaw and wote of to Timothy 2. Tim. 4.3 and Peter prophesied of them also 2 Pet. 2. and John and Jude saw them come 1 John 2.18 Jude 10.11 so that by natural learning and ordination of man no true Minister of Christ was ever made or sent forth but contrariwise the Apostle Paul was made a Minister viz. not of man nor by men nor yet by natural learning but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.1 so we do not understand that in the Apostles dayes they did erect Accademies or that they had any need of them and indeed I cannot but look upon it as an Ignorant question to be proposed by A. S. upon this account But to his next Query viz. What Churches and Monasteries did she build Answ I answer this is as Ignorant a question as the former and great foolishness to ask what Churches the Church built however this I say they who were Members of the true Church did build up one another in their most holy faith Jude 20. And as for Monasteries or Monk-houses we hear of such thing that was in being in the Apostles dayes neither do we believe that there is any need of them for we do not read in the holy Scriptures that ever the true Church in any Generation built such places but we know that many such places have been erected and built within the borders of the great City Babylon since the Apostacy began and since the right way was forsaken and many other Superstitious inventions and Idolatries as before hinted hath been set up relating to the Beasts and Dragons worship all which God hath determined to throw down and when the Desolation of all these things cometh and the seven Mountains upon which the Whore sits comes to be laid waste according as hath been prophesied in Ages past Isa 42.15 And when the great Whore comes to drink the Cup of Gods fury which is already filled into the hands of the Saints of the most High to pour out unto her Rev. 12. I say then shall she knows that God hath spoken by me and that I have herein declared the Truth according as I received it from and by the Spirit of the Lord. And thus much as to his Queries But then he speaks of another Clear and Easie Way to find out the True Church te try all Churches by the true Catechism and see which of them all sayes it truly believes it rightly c. and that which doth is the true Answ I answer to try all Churches by their Doctrine and Practice and see which is most agreeable to the Principles Doctrines and Practice of the true Church in the Apostles dayes is indeed a way that I do very well approve of and if all controversies betwixt you and us might be decided after this manner laying aside all carnal Weapons carnal Laws Prisons Fires and the like which hath been the Weapons that the Church of Rome hath defended her self with for many Ages past and doth at this day I say then it would be indeed well and we shall be very willing to engage with you with spiritual Weapons bring the best you can form or find out but for carnal Weapons we are redeemed from them and the Weapons of our warfare are spiritual so I say upon equal terms we shall be very willing to dispute the matters with you that are in controversie betwixt us and they who are found either you or us in Doctrine Life and Practice to be most agreeable to the true Church in the primitive times shall be owned and acknowledged to be the true Church now at this day And they who are detected to be in the Steps Practises and Doctrines of them whom the holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles testified against shall be concluded to be the false Church now at this day and upon these termes as I said before we shall be very ready and willing to joyn issue with you at any time or place that you with us shall agree upon And whereas A. S. saith That all the Schismaticks Sectaries and Hereticks in the World cannot truely say that Prayer that Christ taught his Disciples viz. Our Father which art in Heaven c. or
shall they believe in him whom not of whom as their Bible saith of purpose to excuse themselves See above they have not heard or how shall they hear without a Preacher or how shall they Preach unless they are sent 4. Note this well gentle Reader and consider seriously with your self how deplorable a thing it is to see such Hypocritical Intruders to stand in a Pulpit or Tub with such a brazenfac'd Book as is their unjust corrupt and perverse Bible in their hand lulling the Poor Ignorant people to the sleep of death with these words Thus saith the Lord when the Lord saith no such thing Are not these they of whom the Lord himself saith Jer. 14.14 They prophesie falsly in my Name I sent them not and I did not bid them neither did I speak unto them a lying vision and divination and fraudulence and sedition of their own hearts they prophesie unto you See more Dent. 13.5 Item 18.20 c. And when they have done with their Thus saith the Lord and can say no more then they rowse up their slumbering spirits by singing unto them one of Tho. Sternholds Jack Hopkins or Rob. Wisdoms Psalms suppose From Turk and Pope c. which Sacrilegious Psalm or Diabolical Song passeth with these Deluders and their deluded Auditors and Chorists for holy Scripture and the Word of God as well as Dixit Dominus Domino meo c. Oh times Oh manner Oh God amend them Amen See Erastus senior and jun. who copiously prove this Subject The Last Testimony OF That Faithful Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ RICHARD FARNSWORTH Whereunto is prefixed a brief Testimony concerning his Life Death and Travels c. To which is added a few words of Exhortation unto those that believe in the Light of the Lamb. Published for the Consolation of the Houshold of Faith and for the stopping of that Mouth which is open'd in Blasphemy against God his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven FOrasmuch as it hath pleased God Almighty after the long Night of woful gross Darkness Apostacy and Ignorance which hath been over the Nations amongst those who have had a Profession of Christianity again to make known and manifest the true new and living way which leads unto Life Eternal even by and through the Revelation and Operation of his Eternal Power and Word of Life in the hearts of a Remnant whom in this our day he first reached unto and visited and raised up to be Witnesses thereof that by them it might be born Testimony unto amongst those who were strangers to it and that thirsted after it that so thereby they also might receive the manifestation and knowledge thereof for want of which many perish and are strangers to the way of Life having only at best a Form of godlyness without the Power In which dead Forms or outside empty Professions some are at ease and rest as though they were in the true Heaven that should never pass away and some are at rest and at ease without any profession living in all uncleanness unrighteousness and abomination and some cannot find rest in either The faithful and true Witness of God being awakened in their Hearts and Consciences which takes the false peace from them and lets them see the emptiness of all outside professions which are without Life and Power and also the Abominations and vanities of the World and makes sin exceeding sinful to them And by this true and faithful Witness are desires and breathings and pantings begotten in their hearts after the Knowledge of God and Christ after fellowship and acquaintance with the Father and the Son which desire cannot be satisfied without the Knowledge and enjoyment of the Presence of the Lord and of the Light of his Countenance And for this cause many run to and fro and wander like Sheep gone astray from the true Shepherds Fold and are wearying themselves upon the barren Mountains in vain looking thereunto for Salvation and seeking the Living amongst the Dead and so spend their labour for that which doth not satisfie And in these several states and conditions aforesaid the whole Christian World lieth who are not turned to the Light and Spirit of Jesus in themselves and true rest and salvation cannot be found by them until they return to the Light and Power of the Spirit of God in their own hearts which is that whereby a dislike of sin is begotten in them and also desires after Life and Salvation and Freedom from sin is thereby begotten and that is it alone which can answer every desire which is begotten by its self Well But when it pleased the Lord to reveal the Son of his Love and to make known his eternal Power in these latter dayes for the rending of the Vail of Darkness that had long been over the heart by which he caused the Light to shine out of Darkness which gives the Knowledge of his own Glory he did not then give the knowledge and manifestation thereof unto all People but he chose certain Witnesses whom he raised up to declare of the manifestation of this Power and to preach the Word of Life nigh in the Heart and in Mouth and he furnished them with Armour of Righteousness and with all spiritual Weapons which were mighty through him to break down the strong holds of Iniquity and the spiritual wickednesses that were in the high places and impowred them as Instruments in his hand to turn many from Darkness to the Light that the Salvation of God they might come to see and the Work of God greatly prospered in their hands and multitudes were brought to the acknowledgment of the Truth to the saving of their Souls and though they met with great opposition and persecutions by the Emissaries of Sathan even in all Quarters where they came yet that was not prevalent to hinder the prosperity of that Work whereunto they were called of God but it still prospered and doth still prosper to the spreading of the unchangeable Truth abroad even as is seen at this day And of this number whom God Almighty at the first raised up by his Power for this Work aforesaid the late deceased Richard Farnsworth was one concerning whom the chief occasion of this my present writing is that so a Testimony concerning him and of what the Lord did by and through him may remain upon Record for Generations to come and that this present Generation of the Just may see and hear his last Testimony which proceeded from his own mouth a little before his departure out of the body and I doubt not but thereby the Consolation and spiritual Comfort of the Houshold of Faith will be added unto And for these Causes I could not well rest satisfied in my spirit without taking in hand to publish these things though I well know that there are many living Witnesses that knew the Life Labours and Travels of the said R. F. who are the Seal of his Ministry And also
the many Writings of his own which remain upon Record will speak forth to those who are of a true spiritual understanding what he was yet notwithstanding all these things were in my mind and divers other Considerations which occasioned me to defer the publication hereof so long as till now yet being I could not be so clear in my duty towards God and my Brother in neglecting to give forth this my Testimony concerning him and in suffering so precious a Testimony as his last was wholly to be put in oblivion I have with freeness and cheerfulness of heart undertaken it And when it pleased God to manifest his Eternal Power in the heart of the aforesaid R. F. it is well known unto many how effectually it wrought in him insomuch that although he was before a man of great abilities and parts and knowledge accounted of among men even excelling many of his equals yet he was content and willing in obedience to the Power of God to become a Fool to the World and to be stript and emptied of his own wisdom and knowledge which stood in the state faln from God and his Power and to suffer the loss of all worldly reputation and favour and the pleasures and delights thereof that he might win Christ Jesus and be found his Servant clothed with the Righteousness of Faith preferring the simplicity that is in Christ beyond all worldly wisdom and honour whatsoever and his Sufferings for the sake of Christ beyond all worldly reputation and so great was the change that was wrought it him that he became a wonder amongst many and the Word of God and his Power was great and mighty in him and through him in which he was sent forth by the Lord who had manifested himself unto him to preach the Everlasting Gospel to the Poor and to declare of that great Power of God of which he was made a Witness and of the Effects of its operation and so powerfull was his Message and Testimony that many were begotten into a firm belief thereof and believing the Report were turned from Darkness to the Light of Jesus with which they were enlightned and from Sathans power unto the Power of God which wrought mightily in their hearts to the changing of their minds and affections from things that are below towards things that are above all that is fading and corruptible and to the bringing of Life and Immortality to light in them And although they were atttended with many foul temptations because of their obedience to the Truth and Light of the Spirit of Grace and brought in many distresses in their passage from Death unto Life yet was he so experienced in the Depths and Subtilties of Sathan and also in the Dealings and Goodness of God in such conditions and estates that he had obtained the tongue of the Learned and could as oft times he did speak words in Season to the strengthning of the weak and refreshing of the weary and to the reviving of that which was near ready to faint So that he was in the Lords Hand even as a Father to the fatherless and as eyes to the Blind and feet to the lame and the eye that truly saw him blessed hm and the ear that heard him gave witness unto him for through the Power of God which enabled him he delivered the Poor and the needy and built up many that believed in their most precious Faith and confirmed them therein And went about from place to place through the Land of his Nativity turning many from Darkness to Light and confirming the Churches and doing good And his Service was very great for the Lord in his day for he was so furnished with Heavenly Wisdom and Understanding through the Grace of God and also so seasoned thereby that his Patience Meekness and Humility exceeded many And although God had so endued him with Heavenly Vertues and Abilities exceeding many yet was he not pufft up therewith neither sought to exercise Lordship over those that were weaker and younger then himself but gave place unto any that had the least Gift of God to exercise so that through the Spirit of Meekness and Humility with which he was adorned he was exceeding lovely and beautiful and the hearts and souls of many were affected therewith who in simplicity thirsted after Righteousness and such waited for him as for the Rain upon whom his Doctrine so dropped Yet nevertheless he was terrible to the Worker of Iniquity and the Sword of his Mouth was very sharp for the Word of God was therein and when he had to do with any who opposed the Truth and Way of Life and Salvation which we profess and walk in as oft-times he had his Weapon was very sharp to them and they were not able to resist the Wisdom of the Spirit by which he spoke for thereby he confounded their wisdom and broke their Weapons in pieces so that they were oft ready to Blaspheme God because of the plague that it was to them and a Conqueror he was over the Beast and false Prophet against whom he made War in Righteousness in and though the Power of the Lamb in whose Spirit he finished his Testimony and Course in the Faith And as the Enemies of the Truth of God were many and in divers shapes that this valiant Souldiers of the Lamb had to encounter withal so he was alwayes furnished with Armor and Weapons fit for the Work and Service in which he was exercised by which he was enabled to encounter with and Conquer all But at last that his Armor and Weapons might be proved to be sufficient to encounter with the Enemy of Truth in all kind of Appearances and Transformations it was his lot with me and divers others of the Servants of the Lord to be engaged against the Enemy of Truth who had transformed himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and under a seeming pretence of appearing on the behalf of God and his Cause c. and against Formality and Traditions begun strongly to oppose the Truth of God and the Ministry thereof in and through his Servants and Messengers who have approved themselves as the Ministers of God and as his Embassadors and to cry against our Assemblies and manner of Worship and our Exercise therein as only Formal in which we have always found the glorious Presence Power and Majesty of the Lord amongst us refreshing comforting and strengthening of us even according as our Hearts Souls can or could desire so that we were engaged to justifie the Lord in opposition to that gainsaying spirit of delusion by which many were beguiled led away after Satan to their hurt And in our Testimony for the Lord and against that self-separating gainsaying Spirit the Power of the Lord did greatly accompany and assist us and was as greatly with us as in any service that he had called us unto The sincere and upright in heart who have kept their first Love and their first Faith
are Witnesses of it and how in Love we laboured for the restoration of those who were beguiled through the craft of the Enemy and for the preservation of those who hitherto have escaped his Snare that is well known to many witnesses But if none were sensible of it the Lord he knows and is Witness that in sincerity of heart in the Name of the Lord towards God and his People we were exercised and in our Labour and Travel for them the Blessings of the Lord and his Peace and the comfort of his Spirit did possess and fill our hearts beyond the understanding of the World although many towards whom we were so in love exercised could not believe but some withstood our Testimony and kicked against it in their hearts and resisted the Counsel of God against themselves to the grief and sorrow of our hearts Therefore it pleased the Lord in Love Mercy and good Will to his Servant my dear Brother R. F. that his Travels Burdens and grievous Sufferings might be put to an end and that our testimony for the Lord might be sealed with the Life of his Servant against that Antichristian intruding Spirit of Opposition which laboured to intrude its self into the Church to sit as Ruler and Judge there I say for these causes and for none contrary hereunto it pleased God to visit my dear Brother R. F. and to take him out of the Body at which I perceive some who are ignorant of what the Lord intended thereby have rejoyced But let such know that they have made a wrong application of the dealing of the Lord therein by which they have hardned themselves instead of being humbled through that which was ordered of God for their humiliation and good and if possible that such may yet see and turn to the flock of the Companions of Christ And also that the flocks who are and have remained in the true Fold may be refreshed thereby I shall here insert the Last Testimony of the aforesaid R. F. which was given by him a very short space before his departure out of the Body in the presence of several good Friends at which time in the Name Strength and Power of God he was moved to sit up in his Bed and spake concerning the Love of God and concerning our Testimony against the aforesaid Antichristian intruding factious spirit with as much strength Power and freeness of spirit as at any time he had done in the time of his outward health Whose words were as followeth Friends God hath been mightily with me and hath stood by me at this time and his Power and presence hath accompanied me all along though some think that I am under a Cloud for something but God hath appeared for the owning of our Testimony and hath broken in upon me as a flood and I am filled with his Love more than I am able to express and God is really appeared for us If God himself had come down and spoken as a man he could not have spoke more clearer to us than he hath done by the many Testimonies from Heaven in his People concerning this thing Therefore I beseech you Friends here of this City of London whether I live or dye be you faithful to your Testimony which God hath committed to you and as it ariseth in your hearts be faithful to the Lord therein After which he was silent for a little season and then his Mouth was again opened in the Name and Power of the Lord even as before and he spake very preciously unto Friends concerning the things before mentioned testifying of the greatness of the Love and Power of God of which he was made partaker and which he then felt and of the preciousness of the Truth which he had with us born witness of and exhorted them to faithfulness and stedfastness therein and to singleness that nothing might be suffered to creep in of another nature to intermix therewith saying No Linsy-woolsy Garment must be worn c. with much more to that effect which cannot be remembred And having thus given his last Testimony as a Seal unto all the former Testimonies which he had given for the Lord and on his behalf in about two or three Hours time after being filled with the Peace and Love of God beyond declaring as himself signified he departed this Life even like a Lamb and Slept with his Fathers and Brethren and is entred into everlasting rest with the Lord. And this may serve also as a sufficient Testimony to stop the Mouths of all who vaunt themselves in his death as though he had been taken away in Judgment and Displeasure of the Lord because of his appearing on the behalf of God against that Antichristian spirit of opposition which contends against our Meetings and Preaching and the manner of our exercise in the Worship of God as Formal c. And let such know that if his being removed prove a Judgment unto any it will be to them who rejected the Mercies of God by him tendred to them and have thereby hardned themselves against the Lord and his Servants and have made a wrong application of the dealings of the Lord with his Servant even as those who know not the purpose of God therein and so have shewed themselves not to be the Friends of God as Abraham was from whom God did not hide the thing that he intended but let such yet repent if a place can be found for them And so let all my dear friends every where who believe in the Light of Jesus and who have tasted of the Love Goodness and Power of God dwell in the sence and feeling of his Love and Power and let nothing divert or turn aside the minds of any from persevering in that pure holy way of Life which they are called to walk in and in which the daily renewings of the peace and good will of God is witnessed neither let any be slack or remiss in performing that ancient godly Christian practice of Assembling your selves together in the Name and Fear of the Lord forasmuch as ye know the exceeding benefit and advantage that ye have received thereby because of the Lords Appearance amongst us who acording to his Promise hath not failed us unto this day but his Name and Power hath been great amongst us and still is opening the mysteries of his Kingdom and revealing of the vertue of his Life in our Hearts and Souls by his own Spirit to our great refreshment and comfort so that we have not at any time been sent empty away who have in sincerity thirsted after him and in faithfulness waited for his Appearance which is sufficient to encourage all to persevere in that godly practise of meeting together with all integrity without wavering And forasmuch as our assembling together at this day is the great thing that the Enemy of Truth strikes at in all his Instruments of all kinds in which he appears against us it behoves all to stand and be faithful
therein that the Cause of God may not be betrayed by any through their declining from that godly Practice and duty that the Enemy may not be encouraged thereby to vaunt against the Remnant that are faithful to oppose them therein also but rather through your faithfulness and stability the enemy may be discouraged in his Enterprises and put to flight that you may be Conquerors over him and may tread Satan under foot and may reign with the Lamb for ever And my Friends consider the faithfulness of many of the Servants of the Lord who loved not their lives unto death who are gone before who preached and made known the Truth and way of Life to you how they laboured and traveled amongst you in the Name and Strength of the Lord to beget you unto God and to build you up in the most pretious Faith and how they exhorted you time after time to that godly practice of Assembling together and how they gave Example and President therein as well as Exhortation thereunto Nay have not divers of them laid down their Lives not counting them dear to them for that very Practice of Assembling together Yea certainly they have so some in Prisons and some otherwise Oh therefore my Friends this Duty of Assembling together ought not to be slighted nay hath not the present Liberty that we do enjoy in our meeting together cost the Lives of many was it not with the blood of many of them that bore the same Testimony which we bare that this present Liberty hath been purchased and ought not this Liberty then to be prized and made a right Use of I am jealous with a godly Jealousie that all who are concerned do not rightly weigh ponder and consider these things but I desire all to consider it and let not that Testimony fall by the negligence of any which hath been sealed with the Lives of so many of Gods Servants and Messengers whose Knowledge and Understanding in the Way and Mysteries of God was not inferiour unto any that are left behind and yet they chearfully offered up their All for that Testimonies sake Therefore my Friends be diligent and faithful to the Lord walking in his Covenant of Life which will be a true Guide unto you and an Instructor and will keep your Desires fresh towards the Lord and your Love one towards another so that you will be constrained to Come together and to wait together upon the Lord to receive refreshment from his presence which you will see and feel in the middest of you as your hearts are kept in his Fear and enter not into consultation with Flesh and Blood nor into reasonings which will say Thou needest not go to Meetings because thy Teacher is present in all places and so will draw thee into negligence of meeting with the Children of Light for if thou gave heed unto such reasonings thou wilt soon find thy Love will wax cold towards the People of God and thou wilt lose the sence of the Teachings of the Lord who is present in all places for although he be in all places present yet hath he ordained and appointed that his People should Assemble themselves together to wait upon him and to worship him and hath given the promise of his Presence unto such that do so But if any draw back from answering his requirings his Soul will have no pleasure in them and such will dye as to God and will become as dry and withered Branches and their Love will decay and wax cold and they will not have a sight nor a sense of the Omnipresence of the Lord nor of his Teachings though they may talk of it as multitudes do at this day who are altogether strangers thereunto further than by hear say And therefore once more I say unto you all Be faithful to the Lord in your several measures and stations where the Lord hath set you and be diligent in that godly Practice of Assembling your selves together in which a Testimony for the Lord is born which many have laid down their Lives for and let none make their blood of no effect by slighting Meetings the present Liberty for which hath been purchased through the shedding their blood but let all meet together and being met wait upon the Lord in faithfulness that you may feel the Springs and Fountain of Life opened amongst you and in the midst of you that you may be refreshed and strengthened and may grow and be enabled to encounter with your Souls Enemy in all his appearances and may put him to flight and may tread Satan under foot and reign as Kings on Earth and as Conquerors to the praise of his Name who hath called you that he may take delight to dwell amongst you and to do you good who over all is worthy God Blessed for evermore By a Companion of those who hold the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ and suffer for the same Josiah Coale A SONG Of the Judgments Mercies OF THE LORD Wherein the things seen in Secret are declared Openly Being A Brief Demonstration of the Secret Work of the Almighty in me his Servant Given forth at the Movings of the Spirit of the Lord and is to go abroad throughout the World With a Hearty Salutation of Pure and Unfained Love flowing from the Innocent Life 〈◊〉 in a few words to all the Souldiers of the Lambs Army though out the Nations and also to the Suffering Seed every where With a few Words by way of Information unto such who may have desires in them to know the Way to the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness which we 〈◊〉 and are Heirs of through Christ Jesus our Lord which to the◠〈◊〉 the Visitation of God I Will sing of the Judgments and Mercies of the Lord and declare his wondrous Works unto all people that the Inhabitants of the Earth may hear and fear and reverence the Lord who is holy When I walked in the way of the Wicked and knew not the Path of the Just when I lived in Transgression against God and knew not his holy Law to walk therein then oft-times did fear surprise me and terror seized upon my heart for I saw that the way in which I walked was the way that led to destruction then as I considered the way of the World I saw they were all gone astray and though they had a Profession of God yet acquaintance with him they had not neither was he to be found in their Assemblies Then my Soul languished after the Knowledge of him and after the Knowledge of the Way of Life yet still was I captivated with vanity and the deceitfulness of sin stole away my heart But the good Spirit of God still strived in me to come out of the wayes of the World whose Worships I had long seen to be but as the offering of Swines-blood and in my heart I could not joyn with them but had a testimony in me against their wayes and that which