whence Streams of Refreshment flow which make the Heart glad and the Soul to rejoyce in the Land of the living Oh my dear Ones who are anointed with the holy and living Oyl which he was and is anointed withal who is the Life you have received into your Hearts which teacheth you all things and is the Truth which abides forever and as you abide in him and he in you you are made Partakers of Eternal Life and because he lives you live also Now dear Ones having set your Faces towards Sion and towards the holy Tabernacle where he dwells look not back but all mind your Leader and Captain who hath chosen you to follow him in the War and to be Partakers of his Glory and Crown as they are faithful to his Commands which are not grievous to them who deny themselves therefore you all have known the Terrours of the Lord and the Indignation of the Almighty while you were in the disobedient Nature and in time past when you were in the Alienation and without the Knowledge of the true God in the World and worshipping dumb Idols even as you were led by the Enemy of God who ruled in you and seeing while you were in that Nature captivated unto divers Lusts which the Wrath of God hath come upon and you having tasted of the Cup of Wrath and that with the living God nothing that defiles can have Fellowship but with Doubting and Trouble and with Fear and Condemnation in you and not true Peace nor Assurance you did witness then but now being changed in your Minds by hearkning to his living Word which killed you while Sin ruled which brought Wrath and works Death now to the disobedient but now hath he changed your Minds and brought you subâ—ect and hath subjected the Adversaries under your Feet who have believed in him and have given up all to the Death of the Cross Oh my dear Ones stand all in that pure Freedom and your Measure which hath been obtained through the Death of the Cross and which Peace and true Liberty you have already obtained hath been purchased at a dear Rate and therefore dwell every one in that Measure and be diligent in the VVork of the Lord and press on that all may be subject by him who is the Light and Guide that he alone may have the Preeminence who is the Head of all Principalities and Powers in whom you have believed and received the VVord of his Power which is eternal to whom be Glory and Praise fâ—r evermore which VVord after it had judged and condemned Sin in the Flesh now gives pure Peace and Life to all who believe in it and are judged by it and it seals you and is the Spirit of Promise and bears witness in your Spirits as you act according to its VVill and therefore now all deâ—r Friends being all sensible of your Guide and Teacher shut him not up in a Corner but wait that his Word may be preached for a Testimony to all the World and the Nations of the World that so the End of it you may come to see in you and the utmost Part of it may be given in Possession to the Son that he may alone be glorified And all DEAR FRIENDS wait in Patience and be circumspect every one over your own Hearts that there be no fainting nor looking back amongst you but that you may all keep out that which would lead you into the Rebellion and it may be cut off that so you may come to the End of your Hope the Salvation of your Souls and watch one over another in the living and not with the Evil but cover one another and bear one another and if any fall by Temptation admonish and restore them in Love and let not Strife nor Contention be among you but all be low meek and gentle one to another that so no Pride nor Presumption nor fleshly Exaltation may be amongst you but that you may every one walk as Ministers of Righteousness in your Place and so preach Righteousness in the Earth that the Lord alone may be glorified who is enlarging his Kingdom in this the Day of his Power and in his Strength we run and are not weary fulfil our Joy and grow up as living Branches of Righteousness and bring forth Fruit in him who hath called you and begotten you by the Word of his Power to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of the dead incorruptible which hath changed you from Death to Life my Desire is to you and my Heart is enlarged when I think upon you and my Prayers are to the living God whom I know hears for you that you may all walk to the Praise and Glory of his Grace which hath saved you from Sin and will save you as you abide in it and will be sufficient for you to keep you single and without Stain and present you perfect before the Throne of God which is Grace God Almighty of Life and Glory be with you all my dear Brethren and preserve you all in the Arms of his living and eternal Power that you may all have Dominion by the Blood of God which is Life Eternal over all Sin and be cleansed by it from all Uncleanness and so receive the Eternal Reward the Inheritance with the Saints in Light which is the Inheritance of Jacob over which God reigns forever and blessed are they that come to witness this Forever the Lord of Life be with you all and preserve you under his Everlasting Shadow that so you may be brought to see the Lord and be ever with him who lives forever and ever and unto whom be Glory and Praise forever Amen Amen Dear Friends Glad would I hear from you that my Bowels may be refreshed for our Labour and Travail hath not been a little and our Suffering in this desolate Land my dear Brother E. B. whose Love I know is dear to you all I have not seen towards five Moneths I am in Hope I shall shortly the Work of the Lord prospers abundantly blessed be the Lord in such a wicked Generation as this is but Hell hath opened her Mouth against us and all is on Fire Councils and Head and Tail Rulers Officers Priests and all the Heathen are on an Vproar and so we must pass through Fire and Hail and Pillars of Smoak pray that we may be preserved for the Work whereunto he hath called us to gather the rest that are scattered and to turn them to the Shepherd and his Fold that they may lye down with you in the same Everlasting Fold and herein we war and strive and fight with Beasts but strong is the Lord who hath covered us and girded us with his own Armour and hath taught our Hands to War and our Fingers to fight in this the Day of his Power unto whom alone be Glory and Praise forever and ever Your dear Brother in the living Fellowship and Brotherhood which all that come to know must lay down their
or Scripture and if that will not do then you look to be Justified by the Righteousness of one you have heard of without you and even then when you your selves are found Sinners and so would make Christ a Minister of Sin How long will you speak these Things and how long shall the Words of your Mouth be as a strong wind doth God pervert Judgment or doth the Almighty pervert Justice Job 8.2 3. shall not he that 〈◊〉 dye and is not he that commits Sin of the Devil doth God justifie him that 's of the Devil nay he shall condemn him the Gospel is not preached to that Seed but the Day of Vengeance and Tribulation and Wrath upon every one that doth Evil and whom he Condemns he Justifies not and whom he redeems he redeems out of Sin and creates them that they may walk to the Praise and Glory of his Grace them that praise Grace and glorifie Grace walk in it and are under it and it hath Dominion over them and their Ungodliness and worldly Lusts are denyed and Holiness and Righteousness is brought forth and the Image of God is restored Oh! how long shall Death talk of the Fame of Wisdom how long shall a deceived Heart lead you aside how long will ye be bind how long will ye hearken to your Imaginations is any redeemed out of Sin where sin rules and where it is acted Grace reigns not is not this the Grace of God which Condemns man's Will and Self and the Lusts of the Flesh and you that are in your Wills and Self in every thing standing doth not the Grace Condemn you how then or by what are ye Justified but this hath been a Piece of your Divinity when that in your Consciences Condemned you looking up to Christ Justified at a Distance Oh you vain minds is not the Light of Christ one with Christ is Christ divided from his Spirit or against himself or in himself when that his Light Condemns and his Spirit reproves thee for Sin doth he Justifie doth not his Spirit bear VVitness in the Spirits of them that are sanctified and is not this the Spirit which Convinceth for Sin and as thou actest Sin it reproves thee and bears witness against thee then how should it bear witness to thee and so you may see all of you who tell of Justification by Faith that you are in a Dream and not in the Faith that Justifies for he that is Justified by Faith which is true he hath the VVitness in himself now if thou be reproved in thy self for Sin by the Light of Christ where is thy witness in thy self shew it For them that are saved by Grace and justified by Faith self and self-will and the Lusts of the Flesh and Disobedience to the Grace of God is judged and condemned and self-Righteousness Tit. 3.5 6. Not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Ephes. 2.8 By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it 's the Gift of God and them that receive and believe in the Gift of God are justified and Grace is the Gift of God which teacheth to deny Ungodliness and them that are taught by this it teacheth and leadeth out of all Sin and so Redemption from Sin is witnessed and Justification is witnessed and the Gift of God which is the Spirit of Promise sâ—als the Assurance in the Heart but where Sin is committed Grace reigns not through Righteousness and thou that art here art under the Law and under Wrath and Condemnation and art not under Grace that justifies through Faith and so your Cover being taken off see your Shame all and blush and repent The Difference betwixt the Faith which is feigned which is the Worlds and the Saints Faith NOW your Faith which leads you not to believe that you can ever be freed from Sin this Faith is Reprobate and brings forth no good Works but dead Works and is not the Life of the Just but tâ—e Life of the Unjust which leads not to overcome the Evil and the Works of the Devil nor leads not into the Rest which is in God for you speak your own WORDS and think your own THOUGHTS and have not ceased from your own Works but worship in your Wills act in your Wills speak in your Wills and are your own and do notice an overcoming of Sin but a growing into it into Deceit more and more and looking all is done for you and you believe Christ hath done all and hath fulfilled the Law for you and yet do witness nothing done in you nor the Law fulfilled in you nor Sin destroyed in you and yet you say you lay hold upon the Righteousness of Christ by Faith Oh! what Righteousness is that you lay hold of which is imperfect leads not out of Imperfection that is not true Faith that layes hold on a Righteousness which is imperfect and all of you say all that is in you there are Defects and Imperfections in it yea even the Graces and Gifts of God you say they are imperfect then consider if you see Imperfection in all those Things you have laid hold on and have received then you know not Faith nor Grace nor the Gift of God which is perfect but believe in a Dream of a thing done and an Apprehension of a Thing at a Distance without you imagining you are eating but when you awake you are hungry imagining you are saved but when you enter into your Hearts see nothing witnessed nothing done nor redeemed from nothing your Faith and Hope stand in Words and that is all preaching the Letter over and proving that which is proved and was proved in them that witnessed the Life of those Things in them that are written but nothing is proved in you but apply their Righteousness which was the Righteousness of Faith and of Christ which was in them wrought through Death to you that are alive in Sin Lust Pride Enmity Malice and Deceit yea even to the Head of the Serpent and so would be covered in your Iniquity and saved from Guilt Condemnation and Wrath but to be cleansed from Sin you regard not for if you own that Word Faith and Hope which is of God it will slay and kill that Life forever and destroy all your Wisdom which stands in the earthly Nature and therefore I say unto you repent and cease from your Way from your vain Conceivings and all be uncovered and you will see the first Principle you have to learn So all your Faith which is out of the Light is seen which you gather in from the Letter and not wrought in the Light it leads not out of the World nor to above the World but all who have Faith work in the Light and Mortification Sanctification and Holiness is brought forth in Purity Uprightness Meekness Temperance Patience and the Fruits of Righteousness
witness they had in them that they pleased God and were accepted of God and this Righteousness was wrought in them and is now the same which is wrought in the Saints by him who is their Light and Life and this was the Righteousness of Faith and that which was wrought by Christ in the Saints as they believed in him and in the Measure of Grace received from him which saâ—ed them from Sin which was not of themselves he perfected his own VVork in them through and by Faith and justified them and sanctified them and became their VVisdom by which they were led into all Truth out of Failings and Imperfections and VVeaknesses and he became their Strength and Rock and they were builded upon him and as they stood upon him the Rock they were preserved when the VVaves did beat and when Temptations came and were sure and stedfast and immoveable and so overcame the Armies of Aliens and quenched the Violence of Fire and resisted the Devil and quenched his fiery Darts and had Victory over the Heathen and reigned as Kings over the Beasts of the Field and over the Deceit and by the receiving and believing of the VVord of him who was and is called Jesus by which Faith came by the hearing of they overcame the Enemies of their Souls and him who hath the Power of Death by the Blood of him who is eternal who is Jesus the Mediator of the new and Living VVay they overcame the Dragon even by the VVord of his Testimony which was revealed in them which Word of Faith Paul who was a Minister preached unto them even to them who had the Word in them and turned them to it and as they believed in it they were sanctifâ—ed by it and cleansed by it made perfect and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better Hope which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which while they stood without looking at Elementary things and divers VVashings and those things which were Figures of the true Tabernacle made without Hands which stood until the time of Reformation and then done away to wit the Hand-writings and them that witness the new Covenant now they see them done away and the time of Reformation is come the same which they witnessed Glory for evermore And therefore all you Professors who have builded high Towers and Castles in your Imaginations and have told of Reformation these many Years but you have nothing but a Hand-writing to establish your Building upon and all your Reformation hath been but the washing of Cups and pulling down one Thing and set up another beggarly elementary Image and do not witness the better Hope brought in nor the time of Reformation nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you nor believe it nor hear it nor while your Eyes are without and not in the Head you cannot see when Good comes but are as Heathens in the Desart and although you are among the Brambles and Bryars yet you would be counted Kings and Heads over others and one making an Image in this Manner and another in that of all Sorts high and low but all stand in the Earth and all in one Ground and what do they avail you for they cannot save for your highest Enjoyment is imperfect you say what then serve these for only for you to talk on and this is all they serve for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your Wills while the Will of God in you is not hearkened unto but cast behind your Backs and so the Way of true Peace you never come to attain unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the Wind and of Husks among Swine and upon that which dyes of it self and when will you enquire after the living God who is Power how long have you talked of his Power to come many Years and you are still as far of if not further then you were before and have told of the Glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the Heart and of God teaching his People himself and of his Spirit being poured out upon his Sons and Daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amiss and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feed them with the old Dregs and Lees which you are setled upon and the old Leaven of airy Notions and Conceptions and Wine of the sour Grape which sets on Edge the Childrens Teeth and fills them too full that when the living Bread is broken they cannot eat nor relish it nor taste and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the Life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that do declare it and when the Power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your VVay that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jews did whose Eyes were without and your fallen VVisdom cannot receive him nor compass his eternal VVisdom And yet you will say The Jews did require a Sign and were in the Adultery and the Greeks sought after Wisdom and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same State Did ever God reveal himself to the fallen VVisdom which is learned from that Principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the VVill of Man which is at Enmity against God Nay nay he never did nor will reveal his Counsel but to that which is of himself which is the least of all Seeds in the VVorld and it is he that is born of God that heareth God's VVord and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spiritual God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his Testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching and live in the Oldness of the Letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal visible and elementary and VVashing is not known from Sin nor cleansing and so you may see what Operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a Change in the Ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own Nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a Shadow for the Word was in the Beginning and gave Life and is spiritual and when it 's known and witnessed within in the Heart it separates from Death and gives Life to all that hear and believe in it What Christ what Gospel is this you preach
which saves you not from Guilt and Condemnation for the Word of the true Christ where it is owned cleanseth and takes away Sin and blots it out and destroyes the Root from whence it flows forth and works a new Creation in Righteousness and the Lamb of God takes away Sin in which the Churches of Christ believed and is Glad-tidings to all that do receive it now none can witness Gladness of Soul where there is Guilt which you all affirm is in every Christian while in this World and so you might see that it 's not the true Christ nor the everlasting Gospel you preach but this you cannot bear yet you say he hath taken away your Sin how much is Sin taken away if you say all how comes the Guilt and Trouble that is in you for if it be taken away and his Justice satisfied this was to make God unjust to charge it upon you again but I tell you when his Witness in your Conscience convinceth you and manifests unto you that you commit it and reproves for it I say you cannot witness his Justice satisfied for the Light is just which is one with God and when this condemns you there is no God that will justifie you but you use to say It 's all done in Christ I ask where if it be not taken away and unless you have the Witness of it in you your Faith is vain for he that believes hath the Witness in himself which none hath which walks contrary unto the Light the pure Witness of Christ for this convinceth you of Sin and bears Witness against you Now shew your Witness within you and your Assurance I say unto you while the Testimony of Jesus bears Testimony against you it bears not Witness unto you and so see your Confusion but after you have believed in Christ as you say and have received all his Ordinances if any thing after did judge you and bring Trouble upon you this you used to call a Temptation and so put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light I say there is no Guilt where Sin is taken away and crucified but Peace and Rest in the holy God who is unchangeable and so his Witness is unchangeable which judgeth and condemns the changeable but you use to say His Love is uncâ—angeable and whom he loves once he loves to the End yea but it is to him who is begotten by the Immortal Word which was in the Beginning which Word leâ—ds to the Beginning again before the Hatred was the Promise is to this Seed not Seeds as to many but the Seed of the Covenant there he loves from the Womb yea the Womb that bears the Seed of Jacob and the Paps that give them suck and where this is known as to Enjoyment Esau is cast out and Ishmael and the Seed of Abraham inherits the Promise and Edom and Moab is laid waste and Amaleck is slain by the Edge of the Sword and the Seed of Evil-doers cut off blessed are they that can witness this in Truth and till this be known the everlasting Love of God is not known which is stronger then Death and Sin is Death and where it is acted and conceived Love is not witnessed nor its Strength but VVrath comes upon the Children of Disobedience are you not Children of Disobedience while you break the holy Law of God in which is Power which is in the Heart and bears witness against you and in you and yet say You cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fulfil it if you fulfil it not you break it and then the Wrath of God abides upon you but then you say If we must fulfil the Law what Use is Christ of I say he who abides forever fulfilled it and fulfils it in them who know him and his Work and this the Scriptures bear witness of and herein Man comes to be justified in God's Sight by Christ who works all our VVorks in us and for us and self becomes dead and because he lives we live also Glory unto him forever and therefore we cannot but lay open the Deceit of Satan and exhort all to come up to Christ out of the VVorks of Condemnation Oh foolish People and unwise when will ye seek after Wisdom and hearken that your Souls may live How long will ye trust to the Imaginations of your own Hearts Verely verely I say unto you The Time is coming your building shall fall and there shall not one Stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down and the Shame of Ethiopia and Egypt shall come upon you and your old Garments shall be torn off you and you shall walk naked and bare and shall see your Shame and the holy Nation of the Lamb shall rejoyce and your Sorrow the Lord hastens upon you who will not own the Cross of Christ nor the Word of Life which would turn you from Unrighteousness and out of the World and its Nature but you harden your Hearts and bend your Bowes and shoot your Arrows against the Lord and his anointed Ones and take your Paâ—t with all the uncircumcised in the Nations in the Confederacy in the Nation against the Lamb yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared and many of you who have been a Reproach now reproach O! tell it not in Gath never let it come to other Nations shame shame and blush at this you who thus requite the Lord Evil for Good Hath the Lord broken the Band of the Oppressour without And have you not seen the Hand of the Lord against them that were Oppressours cut off in his Wrath and overthrown And are not many of you the highest Professors both in England and Ireland now acting in their Footsteps Even you who profess Separation from the World who have been taken from the Sheep-fold and as you were seeking the Asses and raised from a low Estate in the World now to Places of Dignity and Honour and to bear Rule and to sit as Judges among the People and now have you forgotten that you were Servants under Pharaoh but now have taken up his Power and have forgotten the Afflictions of Joseph and your Fingers are becoming heavier then your Fathers Loyns and now you are joining your Strength with the Canaanites and Egyptians against the Lord where is the Liberty of tender Consciences you have told of and what is become of your Reformation Is it ended in this like Absolon when you are come to be Judges in the Gate act in open Rebellion against the Lord and now would be Judges of him every where and would limit him and ' set a Bound unto him and would break his eternal Decree which stands forever Oh if they who had professed no Love to God had done thus it might have been born but ye treacherous Hearts your Ingratitude and Hypocrisie cannot be born but the Lord God will visit for these Things that you should now act by those Laws you cryed out
faithful Witness the Beginning of the Creation of God and all that wait not in the Light wait not in the Grace of God but wait in that which turns the Grace into VVantonness there Christ suffers and is denyed and another is owned and learned of and another Teacher and where the Grace of God is not taught and learned of Ungodliness is not denyed but Ungodliness is denyed where the Grace teacheth and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of that which is not like God is learned and Deceit is brought forth and the Child of Fornication which must not inherit and all who learn of this Nature they are blind and ignorant of the Will of God and so know not the Doctrine of Christ but their Eyes are without in the VVorld where the falâ—e Prophets are gone out into the VVorld and there are the Errors and the Sects and Judgments which are many and the Opinions which are out of the Unity and there vain Imaginations and vain Thoughts lodge in the Heart and there the Light of Christ is not known but the VVoman speaks which ought to learn in Silence who was first in the Transgression And all you that put the Letter for the Light are blind and call it the Word and the Gospel you err not knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God for the Word of God is the Power of God which is Immortal Eternal and all that which is visible stands in time and cannot lead to know him which was before time in the Beginning And so all you who are in your Earthly carnal Minds imagining a Rule without you and a Word without you you have not learned of him who is entered within the Vail you are hunting upon the wild Mountains and Forrests and know not the Voice of the true Shepherd who saith Learn of me whose Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and thou that hast not hearkened unto this a Separation thou didst never see but Darkness is upon the Face of the Deep and the Word of God is not known by which the Heavens and the Earth were made and all things therein are upholden by the Word of his Power which Word of Power is seen by them whose Minds are turned within and there the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart are by it discerned and seen which Word is quick and powerful and discerns the Secrets of man's Heart and is as a Hammer to break the Rocks and the hard Hearts and this is Immediate and Eternal and all who know not this your carnal Mind stands wholly in you and your hard Hearts are unbroken and the Mountains are unleveled and you walk in the crooked Waves of the old Serpent in Subtilty and Deceit and stand covered before the Lord and the strait Pathes of Righteousness you have not known Therefore awake out of Deceit and Security all Sorts of People where you have been making your Rest in the Lap of the Adulterer and have drunken of the VVine of Fornication and of the old Dregs of Unrighteousness whereby the whole man in enflamed and the whole Course of Nature is set on the Fire of Hell and Filth and Abomination lodge in the Heart and you talk of the VVord of God and of the Law of God and of the new Covenant and yet never see any thing in you which you can own to guide you which is contrary to your VVills which is the VVill of God All Sorts of Professors whether Presbyters Independents Baptists or of what Name soever you are called by who say you are separated let me ask this what are you separated from and what separated you If you deny the Sufficiency of the Spirit 's teaching alone and it to be the Rule and alone Guide unto God who is separated from Sinners and beholds them afar off I say you who cannot own that which shews you your vain Minds and vain Thoughts and that discerns the Thoughts if you cannot own this the VVord of God you never knew nor the Law written in your Hearts nor the VVord of Separation and all are in your Imaginations and vain Conceivings in your fleshly Minds here and there setting up an Image raised from a dead Letter and founded on your Earthly Imaginations and they stand in the Vallies of vain Hopes and there is no Life in nothing you worâ—hip and set up neither Sight nor Hearing and every one of you worship a dead thing and that which makes not the Comers thereunto perfect but you are all pleading for Imperfection and Sin in the Body and all joyn together to oppose the Life and Power of God which the Saints ought to press after and they that stand in the Counsel do obtain Victory and witness of his Righteousness which is perfect Are not many of you turning into the old Bishops Road who would tye all unto their Idols Temple or Parish-Church so called and are not many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you under Pain of Excommunication Oh the gross Darkness you are led in and the wilful Blindness who have taken up your Rest in that which is carnal and without where all the Hypocrites may come verily I say unto you your Rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed Wall or as a Reed of Egypt for the Ground of Iniquity stands whole and the whole Body of Darkness is not removed the Earth is whole the Fallow Ground is not plowed up Thorns and Bryars and fruitless Trees which cumber the Ground of the Lord are not cut down and so the Works of Condemnation you are none of you brought from under but self stands and your Wills are alive which are at Enmity against God only talking of a Christ at a Distance and his Righteousness as far from you as betwixt Earth and Heaven and here is your Justification applying this unto your selves while you are disobedient to the Grace of God in you this is your Faith and your Rest and this Faith all the World hath and this Hope but this Faith cannot justifie nor not one of you hath Assurance who hath but this who doth not witness God's Righteousness brought forth in you which is wrought by the Word of Faith which is incorruptible which justifies and gives Assurance and is witnessed through the Death of the Cross. And therefore I cannot forbear but to declare your Ignorance and shew you your Deceit you lye in and your ragged Vails you hide your selves under for I know your Peace you have is that which will not last And therefore be not secure and careless nor obstinate but lay down your Crowns at his Feet and come out of your Ease and Rest and fleshly Exaltation puffed up by the Wisdom of the Flesh and that which you have gathered in and not Witnesses of the same wrought in you all for the Fire yet a little while and time shall be no longer for the End of time shall come upon
for it is not dead but the Just Man lives by it and his Works appear in the World and is as a Light but your Faith which is dead talks of it and when you are vewed in the Light no Fruits of Righteousness grow in you your Hope and Faith is vain and it will not save you from Condemnation in the Day of the Lord and because you find written in the Scriptures That by the Deeds of the Law no Flesh can be justified therefore you would exclude the Work of Grace and the Righteousness of Faith and the Life of Christ which brings forth Fruits and all Faith is dead without VVorks for as the Body lives not but it moves and acts no more is Faith living except it move and so you whose Faith stands in VVords and in things taken up in the Fallen VVisdom which you read without you that Faith is reprobate unto every good VVork and is vain for the living is not witnessed nor the dead raised in you to Life nor the lost Sheep found nor that which hath been driven away brought back but the Earth yet closeth the Blood and the Earth in you covers the slain and the Grave you see not opened nor the dead raised incorruptible and so you are unchanged but the corruptible lives and the mortal and draws you after it and is exalted and the Head not known who is the Life of men nor exalted and so he draws you not nor leads you not but you are led by your own wills and another girds you not nor the Gird of Strength is not at all known but in words and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his Deeds but his Deeds are brought forth and so by your Fruits you are known Concerning Hope and the Difference betwixt true and false Hope AND to all Sorts of Professors I shall clear my Conscience to you all and finish my Testimony that I may dwell in Peace with the Lord who hath commanded me to bear witness to his Name and his Love also constrains me and in Love to the Seed of Israel who are Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh who are of the true Circumcision that they may come out of Captivity from among the lying Inchanters Sorcerers and Diviners where they have been long held Captive and the Heritage of the Lord laid waste and therefore you whose Hope is without you it 's vain whose Hope stands without in these Things which are week as the Apostle said of the Law which made nothing perfect because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it which stood in washings and Signs of the true Tabernacle they were yet they did not make perfect so I say unto you your Bread VVine and Water which were Figures of a more Heavenly Thing they do make nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 7.18 19. And so while you have Hope in any thing without you you stand in that which is imperfect and contend about that but look not for the Hope to be brought in by which you might draw near unto God Christ the Hope the Light and while this you own not to lead you the Light you cannot draw near unto God but he will slay you and kill you notwithstanding all your Words and all that walk in the Light come to see the Hope brought in and this Hope purifies the Heart as Christ is pure and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto God and an Access to him with Boldness for where the lively Hope is there is no Guilt then there is Boldness and so you whose Hope is in Words without and not in you you forget God all that forget the Light forget God your Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite which shall perish whose Hope shall be cut off as a Spiders Web Job 8.14 And all your Hope which doth not purifie the Heart and give you Victory over Sin daily is the Hope of the wicked Job 11.20 But the Eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their Hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost True Faith how it is wrought and what it is in its Effects and Operations Now concerning Faith it is begotten in the Heart of man by preaching of the eternal Word which Word is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart and all that come to hearken to the Word which is pure and receive it and believe in it come to see Faith revealed by which they draw near unto God and this is begotten by the Word of Faith which is the Word of Christ which Word is Spirit and Life to all that receive it and by it are the Mountains removed and Sin overcome and Victory witnessed over Sin Mat. 17.20 and this Faith is pure and leads into Purity it is the Gift of God and leads all towards God that have it and it is perfect and all that stand in it come to have the Will of God perfected in them and that which is imperfect comes to be done away and the Just live by it Heb. 2.4 and in it and by it and through it is the Righousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 and all that do witness the Birth which is from above which is born of God which sins not Faith is the Life of this Birth which is just and the Son of God lives by it who doth the Will of God as it is written The Life that I now live is by the Faith of the Son of God and all who have it and believe in this shall never dye for by it is Translation witnessed from Sin Death and Condemnation into the immortal Life and by it is God's Righteousness revealed and well-pleased is he with all who walk in it and where this is not his Wrath and Displeasure arises and all who stand in the least Measure of it are perfect and come to be free from Sin for it brings and reveals the Righteousness of God which justifies sanctifies and mortifies even the Righteousness of God which takes away Sin and purges the Heart from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and thus Remission of Sins comes to be witnessed and man justified by the Rightâ—ousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of Faith wrought in the Creature by the eternal Spirit and VVord which are one and thus Assurance comes to be made manifest for it bears witness and is the true Evidence of the everlasting Substance which is brought in and Sin and Self and all Iniquity come to be seen revealed judged condemned and cast out and God's Righteousness comes to be the Life of a Believer even the Life of Christ which is immortal by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto God and not his own but becomes Servant to him and obedient to him whose Life is given and laid down and revealed to redeem his own Seed and all that come to see this come to prize his Love
in due time to be revealed through Death they come to be known that is to say through the Death of Death for Israel the true Type after they passed over Jordan and had taken Jericho and Aie and had made an Enterance into the land yet there were many Enemies to be subdued and much Land and possessions which they were not made Partakers of long after even so after there be of the true Rest enjoyed and possessed and an Enterance made into yet there are many Enemies to be subdued and much of the heavenly Inheritance to be enjoyed by them that stand in the Power which giveth Dominion over Sin the Devil Hell and the Grave and they come to be made Partakers of God and so the Enmity being slain man comes to enjoy God who is eternal Life and comes to receive the Crown immortal which God the eternal Power and Strength giveth in due time to them that wait in Patience and in Faith through which the immortal Inheritance comes to be revealed to all the Children of Light And so to conclude in few Words this I say unto all who are longing after God and waiting to feel his Power keep in your Minds to the pure Measure of God's holy Spirit and therein wait to see his Kingdom and his Dominion and to be made Partakers of it which brings the World to an End and will let you see to the End of it too before it was and him who is now glorified with the Father in the Kingdom of God with the same glory he had with the Father before the World began and whoso comes to the End of the World and to the Beginning again comes to see him and his glory and the Kingdom of glory which fades not away which whoso come to enjoy are eternally happy AN Epistle to Friends IN LONDON A Servant of Jesus Christ unto all the chosen obedient and faithful Friends and Brethren in and about London wisheth an Increase of Righteousness Faith Obedience Patience Love Peace Mercy Long-suffering Humility Knowledge Wisdom Virtue Life Power Immortal Happiness and Felicity among you all and in you all that you may know and feel an Increase in the Increase of God that your Joy Rest and Peace may be full in him who is Eternal Life it self who hath brought and is bringing Immortality to Light through the Gospel unto all and in all who receive it and believe in it which is the Power of God unto Salvation unto all that believe and by it alone is the Remission and Forgiveness of Sins witnessed and in no other Name but this who is the mighty Power of God is Eternal Life witnessed nor Victory and Dominion over Sin the World and the Devil but by Christ Jesus the Word of God the Power of God by which Power alone is Strength and Victory witnessed over Death and the Grave by all that believe in him and receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God and to receive an Inheritance with the Saints in Light among them that are sanctified Therefore dearly beloved in the Lord fulfil our Joy who have laboured and travailed amongst you and have declared unto you the Gospel which is preached unto every Creature under Heaven and the common Salvation which was delivered to the Saints who are at Rest in the Lord and now again delivered and declared unto us in this his own Day of Mercy Love and Grace and the Revelation of his Righteousness that they without us might not be made perfect for all make up but one Body and if a Member want the Body is not perfect And you your selves are our Witnesses That we preached unto you Christ the Lord which we were made Partakers of and only our selves your Servants for his sake and the Lord is our Witness and that of him in you all is our Witness that we followed not devised Fables nor through enticing Words of the Wisdom of Man declared we unto you nor handled the Word of Truth deceitfully but in much Fear and Soberness and Tenderness unto all in whom there was any Ear to hear or any Desire in their Hearts after the Lord neither did we seek to exercise Dominion over you but rejoyced when any had Dominion in the Lord over Deceit and when they reigned we reigned also but they who reigned without us and not in the Lord and would have entred through Deceit and Craft any Way into the Vineyard of the Lord and have spoiled the Plants and would have subverted from the Faith we could give no Place unto that no not for a Moment to them who have made the Offence of the Cross to cease and glory in the Flesh and would lead all thither again and have made Havock of the Flock of Christ for whom he dyed and would have had them to have lived and reigned who put him to Death and counted that which cleansed from Sin a vain and a low thing unto such I am wholly without Compassion but wait to see the righteous Indignation of the Lord fall upon them who have resisted the Holy Ghost and have done Despight unto the Spirit of God Misery and eternal Vengeance will be the End of such and the upright shall rejoyce Therefore dearly beloved of the Lord who are obedient unto the Word of his Grace these things are come as a Tryal that none may henceforth glory in Man nor in any thing but in the Lord the Life it self and in them who are in the Life and every one may keep to their own singly and so they will not be easily moved and you whom the Lord hath kept in the Hour of Tryal and Temptations that you joyned not with the Error of the Wicked prize his Love and keep low stand in Awe of the pure presence of the Lord else you will know his Wrath will be kindled against you again but the Fear Awe and Dread of the Lord keeps you clean clear and pure in his Sight mind all the first Love and that which keeps your Hearts open and tender to the Lord and one to another put away all Strife and Contention watch not for one anothers halting for that which would rejoyce in that is in the Transgression it self dwell in Love and Peace one with another take heed of Security and Carelesness and Ease in the Flesh for then Poverty Dryness and Barrenness will be among you and the Womb will be shut that brings forth the Children which the Lord delights in but all feel the Life and the Power of God and let your Faith stand in it alone and they that trust in it shall never be moved for there you will be preserved out of the Changeableness and changeable things which adulterate the Mind from God who never changeth for God who is pure stands off at a Distance from that Heart which goes a whoring after other Lovers there the Bed is defiled there he will not lye nor his Love he will not manifest to the
to Pieces as Flesh for the Pot and grownd to Dust as though they had not been God's Workmanship and his Seed in all Nations hath been in great Captivity whose Sighs Groans and Tears have pierced through the Clouds and is entered to the Throne of God who is now arising to plead the Cause of the poor and the needy and now wo to the World and to all them that have born Rule but not by the Lord. An Advertisement to all the RULERS upon the Earth THere is one only God the Creator and the Bringer forth of all things whose Way is equal and whose Judgments are Just whose Law is righteous whose Statutes are pure answering his own pure Witness in every Man under the Face of Heaven in all Nations upon the Earth so as every Man in all Nations upon the Earth comes to own God's pure Witness in himself placed by the Lord he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those Rulers who rule in Righteousness by the righteous Law of God but where any Ruler is not ruled himself by that which is pure of God which condemneth Self and Self-actings in himself he bears Rule but not in God's Dominion and so layes Yoaks upon a Nation Countrey or People to make all submit to his Will Decrees and Ordinances and to deny that which is pure of God in themselves and then joyn to his Deceit and thus Iniquity gets Head and is set up as a Rule and the Law of God both in the Ruler and the ruled is thrown behind their Back and so Deceit leadeth and the changeable Mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withal and so Tyranny and Oppression spreads over a whole Nation and the Just suffer in it And hence it is that there are so many several Laws Ordinances Constitutions Traditions and Customs among Men in many Nations Countries and Regions one differing from another and Heaps of Confusion that hardly in any Nation or few in a Nation know what is Law there is so much Variableness and Changeableness amongst the Law-makers one while setting up another while pulling down and as Deceit advanceth it self in any particular Ruler then there must be a Law made and a Penalty upon the non-performance as Death Banishment Torturing Whipping Racking Imprisonment Fining to the utter Destruction of many and all the Ground of this is because the Rulers are gone from that of God in themselves and then act in their own Wills and by their Craft and Deceit which stands in the Ground which is cursed and call this Christian Policy and Wisdom and Cruelty becomes a Law and the Devil keeps his Dominion in the Earth and Deceit gets a Cover and hides it self Now it was not so from the Beginning for as God is one and his name one his Law is one which is pure equal and unalterable and endures forever and ever now Man being made in God's own Image answered the pure Law of God and being God's Image was one with the Law and the Law was not against him but was his Life and Joy and he had Power to obey it for he was of its own nature for as God is pure and holy and the Image which he brought forth Man in was pure and holy and that which was Man's Guide and Rule was pure and holy here was Unity and Purity and he that created and Man that was created were in Unity and then there was no Wo no Condemnation no Sorrow no Death no Tribulation Anguish nor Wrath revealed against Man who was the Image of God and he stood in the Dominion of God and had Dominion over that which was contrary here was no Tyranny here was no Cruelty no Prisons no Envy no Persecution no killing nor destroying no defrauding no Jar no Strife no devouring but all God's Creation at Unity and Man at Unity with God being Partakers of his Dominion whereby all the Earth was in Order and in that Wisdom which changed not and here Man had Dominion and Power and ruled in God's Authority and was guided by the higher Power and while he was subject to it Death had no Power over him now this was before Sin entered and before Death entered and before Enmity had appeared in the Earth but now was the Lord King Law-giver and Judge who ruled in Righteousness and man being subject to him there was no Law against him nor no Guilt of any Thing for Transgression was not known in the Earth and there was no Curse but all was in Unity and Peace no Changeableness but all was in the Covenant all the Workmanship of his Hand was united unto him and all that he had made was blessed and all the Creation were Partakers of his Blessedness and all stood in the Covenant by which every Creature received Power Virtue and Dominion here was one Mind and here was no double no Variation no Mutation nor Change but the Dominion of the everlasting God was felt which endures forever and ever and any other Thing was not seen in the Earth but man crowned with Honour Dominion and Dignity wherein could be nothing but rejoycing and pure Peace and Joy now no Evil was known neither was there any such thing but Goodness possessed the whole Earth and Righteousness breathed forth it self in all Things in the Circumference thereof and all the Works of his Hands pleased him and Man made Partaker of his Pleasure and was accepted and not rejected Thus in Part I have shewed unto you the State of the Earth and of Mankind and the Glory of God's Creation and the Blessedness thereof but if I could declare unto the whole World from Years End to Years End I should fall short and Words would be wanting to express the Felicity Happiness in which Man was brought forth neither shall any be able to see into those Things or to declare certainly of those things who come not beyond time to him who is eternal who gave them a Being But after man had taken of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and had eat of the Fruit thereof and consented to the Beguiler and to the Serpent Sin entered and Death by Sin man lost his Dominion and became subject to another and another had Power over him and now the Course of Nature was set on the Fire of Hell the Curse entered and man dead while he lives and in that Day he eat did dye and Death breathed forth it self in the Earth and Cain is brought forth in his own Image to wit in the Image of him who was gone out of God's Dominion and he became a Murderer and slew him that was accepted of God and here appeared now the Enmity and its Life was to destroy and to murder and to kill Abel who believed and offered up a Sacrifice and Cain offered in the Unbelief and was not accepted so Abel who was Just lived by Faith but Cain who was in the Envy and in the Wrath
setting up and conforming to a visible Practice without that will justifie you while that which is in the Transgression and hath transgressed the Life and hath disobeyed the Light in your Consciences is Head in you and above the pure that will not recommend you unto God neither can you have any Access or Acceptation with God in that State till you come out of the Waters upon which the Whore sits which are unstable and boisterous and reel to and fro and unsetled which are all to be dryed up and all the Springs cut off that nourish and you must come to the Rock before you know any thing that will endure to build upon which Rock is Christ who abides for ever but you are all gone from that which should give the Knowledge of him in your selves and do not retain him in your Knowledge neither that which gives the Knowledge of him the Light of his Spirit which shineth in your Hearts making manifest in your Hearts the Intention of your Hearts when Motions unto Evil do arise this must you all come to before God's Salvation or Redemption you come to know in your selves or have the Witness of God's holy Spirit without which there is neither Seal nor Evidence nor Assurance enjoyed or felt of the Love of God The Time of restoring is come and many are restored again into God's Covenant and are delivered out of the Jaws of Death and feel him who is the Healer of the Nations and the Restorer of the desolate Places to dwell in but first you must come to see those Places made desolate wherein the wild Nature lodges before you come to have a Share in the Restoration come off these barren Mountains where you are feeding to Christ the Life of Men who hath lightned you and wait in it that you may feel his Mind in your selves and the Signification of the Spirit of Truth from your own Spirits or else you will still err for Lack of Knowledge and perish for Want of Understanding and so lay down your Heads in Sorrow The Kingdom of God and of his Christ declared in some Measure as it is revealed what it is and where it is to be waited for and how it cometh to be revealed to them and in them that believe that all who are waiting for it may know wherein it consists and so receive the End of their Hope and the End of their Expectation and know the Dominion which hath no End THE Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and without End God is a Spirit his Kingdom is spiritual his Habitation is sutable to his own Nature he is immortal his Kingdom is so he is Light his dwelling Place is so a pure Situation in which there is no Uncleanness nor ever shall be It 's eternal Dignity it is an immutable Being that remaineth alwayes in its Purity and Pleasantness Eternally glorious it consists in Power in Righteousness in Purity in Joy in Hope in Peace in Life in Vertue eternal in Quietness it 's a quiet Habitation it is a incomprehensible unsearchable and indeclarable Words are too short they are but as Sounds as Vails It is unexpressible in its is the Treasure-House of Wisdom out of which all that believe in him who is the King of eternal and immortal Glory come to receive of his Wisdom of his Life of his Power Vertue Righteousness and come to enjoy him who is the Fulness that filleth all things whether visible or invisible whether terrestrial or coelestial his Power is over all his Dominion is over all who is eternally Blessedness it self and Felicity it self who makes all that believe in him to partake of his Kingdom of his Grace of his Power of his Dignity of his Dominion and of his Glory caelestiall but these things are hid from the World who are not redeemed from the Earth neither never look to be while they are in the Body Unto such I say God's Kingdom you shall never see nor enjoy while you are in that Faith which is reprobate but may be truly called Unbelief although you imagine a Glory and a Kingdom in your earthly Minds and dream of a thing to come sutable unto that wherein your Glory now standeth but that will all fail and those Imaginations will be confounded and dissolved into nothing because they are centered in that which is out of the Truth Christ and so are without Ground or Bottom and are out of that which should give you the Sight and Knowledge of God in your selves and his Kingdom Christ when he taught them that followed him exhorted them that first of all they might seek the Kingdom of God even while they were in the Body Mat. 6. and 39. the Pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly Knowledge although they had the Scripture that declared of Gods Kingdom yet they knew it not and this Generation is the same who are in the same Nature and in the same Wisdom which is earthly and litteral and they are imagining as the Jews were and are lo here and lo there in this Observation and the other and look to see it there Nay Christ said The Kingdom of God is within you to the Pharisees And he bad them and others seek it first what strange Doctrine was this might the Pharisees say he saith The Kingdom of God is within us and yet bids us seek it Need we seek that which is in us may Professors say Yea it 's like a Pearl hid in the Field it 's like a Grain of Mustard-seed among many great Seeds which is not easily found it 's like a Piece of Silver lost in the House among much Rubbish till that be swept away thou wilt not find it thou must dig deep sweep clean search narrowly before thou find it although he said to the Pharisees The Kingdom of God is within you he did not say they were Possessors of it or that it was theirs but to the Disciples whom he taught to pray in Faith thy kingdom come and they came to find it that which they prayed for that Pearl that Groat that Grain of Mustard-seed which it was like and having found it and believed in it he said unto them Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God And in Luk. 6.20 And he lift up his Eyes on his Disciples and said blessed be ye poor for yours is the Kingdom of God They had seen it and were Possessors of it it was theirs And Christ said unto his Disciples There are some of you standing that shall not taste of Death till ye see the Kingdom of God come in Power And his Words were fulfilled they declared what they had felt and seen and some of them say The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power And Paul to the Romans writes Rom. 14.17 who were also made Partakers of the same Power and the same Kingdom he
down the Altars of Baal and thrown down the high Places did they say it 's requisite and convenient that our Priests and the Levites and the Congregation do meet at the Altar of Baal or at the high places Or did the Apostles bid the Gentiles who did believe go to their Idols Temple again and say it was a convenient Place to worship the true God in And have you forgotten that Exhortation or Precept Abstain from every Appearance of Evil And though some know an Idol is nothing in the World how be it there is not in every man that Knowledge and is it not yet called by most of you yet The House of God House of Prayer But as you did begin so will you end to carry no Traffiqe but for your Mother Mystery Babylon And thus Reader I have led thee through many things from the rise of the Whore and through the most of her merchants and through the most of her Traffique merchants of divers orders and Ranks but I find them all to trade with nothing but Inchantments and Sorceries which hath long bewitched the Nations but the time is come that she is manifest with her Merchandize and Sorceries and turned from by me and many thousands more which is my exhortation to thee that so thou mayst come to the Church which is in God and to the Elect assembly and to know the Seed which is heir of the promise and of the Life which is without end Which Mystery Babylon with all her merchants have sought to Destroy since she got up to ride upon the Beast who hath compelled all both small and great to worship him and also all Nations to buy the Whores Merchandize and Traffique which hath deceived the Nations and bewitched them but the time is come that she shall be hated of her Lovers and they shall forsake her and her Merchants shall say Alas alas which day is dawning and dawned which discovers the Whore the Beast and false Prophet with all their Sorceries and the Lamb shall reign and the holy men of God and Prophets shall rejoyce over her when the smoak of her Torment ascends up forever and ever which the Lord hasten saith my Spirit Amen A Warning to Friends to beware of such who had departed from the Faith FRiends and Brethren who have heard believ'd and received the Word of Truth as it is in Jesus and kept the Word of his Patience which will preserve all that abide faithful in this Day of Tryal and Hour of Temptation wherein Satan is let loose for a Season to try them that dwell on the Earth even to try your Faith and Patience and Love that you may be made manifest unto all that love the Lord my Bowels earn after you all and my Spirit is vexed in me for the Lord's Inheritance which the old Dragon which was and is a Deceiver seeks to destroy and root out But all who stand on the Rock and are built thereon the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against you therefore dear Friends be more circumspect and diligent because dangerous Times are come and coming wherein many shall depart from the Faith and give heed to the Deceit of their own Hearts and will endeavour to subvert and overthrow the Faith of some and will labour by all Means to make your Hope vain and your Faith void and they themselves having made Shipwrack of Faith and put away that far from them which works the Answer of a good Conscience and now seek to devour all and destroy all especially the weak and unstable Minds but blessed are they that are not offended and that turn not aside for a Thing of nought after lying Vanities which the Wrath of God will come upon and be revealed upon to the utmost because they have not the Truth and this could not have come upon them but that they take Pleasure in Unrighteousness whose Hearts are filled with Mischief and the whole Course of Nature set on the Fire of Hell being filled with Unrighteousness and now it pours out of their unclean Vessels to defile all who come near it or touch it Friends I say all be awakened for this Spirit could not have come forth nor appeared but first there was a Departure from the Faith and then giving heed to the lying Spirit and Doctrine of Devils their Understandings being darkened have brought forth these Fruits whereof all that dwell in the least Measure of Truth will be ashamed and therefore give no Place to the Devil nor to none of their lying deceitful Confusion nor enter not into consulting with it none have done or shall do but they shall be defiled dwell in that which savours Words the Ground from whence they come and that discerns Spirits take heed of feigned Words and feigned Humility and feigned Tears and feigned Joy touch not taste not handle not but all keep your Garments clean lest you be turned out of the Lord's Camp as they are and be a Vexation to the Children of Light which would be a Lamentation And therefore having seen the Deceit and having heard it judged with the Life of God which answers that of God in every Man and being warned and your Eyes have seen and your Ears have heard that which the least Measure of God cannot but abhor therefore stand not gazing and wondring and sparing one and accuse another for from Head to Tail it is all accursed and cursed is the Father of it and the Womb that brought it forth from this time forth and for evermore and all that shelter under it who have been disobedient here shelter and all who would have the Offence of the Cross to cease that so they may glory in the Flesh will find a Shelter here but the End is Death and Bitterness greater Tribulation then before will come which the Lord will hasten that all who have turned the Grace of God into Wantonness may receive a just Recompence of Reward Flames of everlasting Wrath which shall never be quenched never heed it the same came in the Apostles time after they had planted the Devourer entred and there arose from among them that had believ'd Men speaking perverse things and were proud self-willed treacherous high-minded and presumptuous of which Generation these are the same who are turned from the Truth Life and Power of God after their ungodly Lusts and having started aside from the holy Commandments of God and having slain God's Witness now make merry and call it greater Glory this will God confound for thus is the Enmity got up again which is not of himself but of another and he will not give his Glory to another keep out all feigned Love and foolish Pity and all Imitations and all sloathful Spirits and all those that run gadding up and down in Idleness and Foolishness and are not diligent in their Places all such Practices are denyed and therefore every one be diligent in your Places and Callings and there abide and all wait to
out of the Power hearkened to him that was out of the Truth who turned the Truth that God had spoken into a Lye she joyned to the Tempter and hearkened unto him and eat of the Tree of Knowledge without the Power and she looked out and the Eye ran out from the Life from the Power and was deceived and did eat of the Knowledge without the Power without the Life and she also tempted the Man and the Temptation entered into a Ground which was blessed before and good in the Motion of the Life of the Power but she having transgressed contrary to the Command and the Man received it contrary to the Command without the Motion of the Power or the Life that all was to move in he also going out of the Power received it in and fed upon Knowledge without the Life without the Power out of the Truth he became one with the Woman one with the Serpent who went out of Truth and abode not in it and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the Life and the Power and here was the Beginning of the Father of Lyes and of him who spoak of himself out of the Power out of the Truth and his Beginning is without Foundation now he that is wise in Heart read his Generation or who made him now appeared the Angel of the bottomless Pit and not before and made War against the Power against the Lamb and so the Heart of Man was turned away from obeying and feeding upon the Power to obey and feed upon Knowledge without the Life or Power and here was the first Transgression out of the Power and the Motion of the Light which made all Things good and so as this Knowledge was fed upon and grew Man dyed unto the Life unto the Power and Wisdom and Dominion that he had over all that God had made he lost and so dyed unto the power and lived upon Knowledge without the power and now became afraid of the power because he was in the Transgression of it And thus the Serpent who was most subtil went out of the Truth and acted in Sin and led into Transgression and so there became Fear where there was none and Shame where there was none and Nakedness where there was no Nakedness before the power was dyed unto which was their Clothing in Righteousness and there was a hiding place sought by him who before Iniquity needed no hiding place and this is the Foundation and Beginning of that Seed in the Transgression which shall call to the Mountains to cover them and to hide them from the Wrath of the Lamb. Oh how is Man degenerated now and grown quite out of the pure Quality and Kind and Nature in which he was made now afraid of the Power that made him which before he had Union with and was his Life and gave him Dominion and this fulfilled upon Man he was planted a Noble Vine a holy right Seed now become a degenerate Plant of a strange Vine now when the Lord appeared and examined him and Man knew his Fault that he had acted against the Power yet that which acted in Transgression would excuse here is the Fruit of the Devil's Work transgress and then hide and excuse it and so the VVoman put it off to the Serpent he was the Beginner of it but if she had stood in the Power he would have had no Place nor his Counsel but they all went out of the Light and Life into the Knowledge without the Power and Life and so the Curse came upon all now the Man cursed and the Ground for his sake and the Woman cursed in Sorrow to bring forth and the Serpent cursed the Beginner of Inâ—quity cursed above all the Beasts of the Field to go upon his Belly and Dust to be his Meat forever and an Enmity put between the Seed of the Woman and his Seed forever and an Eternal Decree passed against him forever and he made VVar against the Seed of the VVoman which the Lord promised to bruise his Head now came the miserable Estate in that which led him into Transgression grew and he in it and to be at Unity with it then came Hardness of Heart and then came the VVorld to be founded in his Heart and he grew in the Heart and he grew in the devouring beastly Nature to follow the earthly Imaginations of his Heart and became earthly and fed upon that which the Beasts of the Field fed upon and now the Lamb came to be slain since the Foundation of the VVorld now was Man driven out from the Tree of Life and out of the Garden and could no way come there again he had no right to it the Lamb being slain and was cut off to wit Man from him which before gave him Peace and from the Power in which he was made he was driven out from and the Sword set that go what way he could he could not come into the Life again the Image of God lost then the joyful Day was lost and Rejoycing in the Lord at an End then the Day of Peace was finished and perpetual Misery and Wo came in then Unity with the Lord of Glory gone and now Shame and Contempt came and woful misery Now Hell was formed and the bottomless pit sprang up and the Angel thereof ruled and advanced and the Lamb slain and now the lake was prepared and Tophet ordained now came the Day of Anguish of pain of Wo Sorrow and Misery Blackness and Darkness Terror Horror Fear on every Side and the Day of great perplexity Dominion lost power lost Authority lost peace lost Joy lost Health lost Unity lost with God and Unity lost with every Creature and endless Misery brought in Alas alas what is become of him who was the Son of God now become as the Beasts that perish now a Vessel of Wrath a dishonourable Vessel Oh unspeakable Loss forfeited all Life and all gone into plunged into the deep Pit of endless Misery driven from the Presence of the Lord from Blessedness and Happiness into Cursedness and Misery never to come to Life again but through the loss of Life man in Honour in Dominion partaker of Eternal Riches and the durable Riches now turned out of all and become vile in the Sight of the Lord and hath forfeited Life and all Eternal Life and he who was in perfect Freedom become a Bondman a Slave to the Devil and to noysome lusts he who was Lord over all now became a Servant to all and every Creature he who was in Dominion in the power of God now became base and vile he who was the Image of God now became the Image of the Devil he who was Heir of Life and Felicity now became Inheritor of Death and endless Misery he that was partaker of the unchangeable Love now partaker of Wrath he that was in the Covenant of Life in which he had Union with God and all the Angels and all the holy Host of God
Covenant shall be broken and your Confederacy disanulled and you confounded in the midst of your Counsels what have you your Law yet to make to serve your Turns It seems you act not by the Law of God which is made already which is equal just and good and is for the Transgressor of Justice Goodness and Equity but takes not hold upon the just equal nor good but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious Minds and to accomplish your wicked Determinations and you that think to make a Law to banish and to put to Death your Thoughts are vain and wicked and God will bring them to Judgment and condemn you for them for Christ came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them but the Devil makes Laws to destroy and not to save Read your Example and let Shame cover your Faces and Astonishment fill your Hearts that you should become so brutish and vain in your Thoughts as to think to limit the Lord of Heaven and Earth Can you command the Wind that it blow not can you stop the Bottles of Heaven that they pour not forth Water If you cannot no more can you limit the Lord And if you make any such Law to banish or put to Death it will procure the Indignation and Wrath of God more speedily then if all the Popish Princes that are in the WORLD did enter into the midst of your Land But this is come to pass that your Hypocrisie and Deceit might be made manifest in the Sight of the Sun and that all men may see what Prâ—fession of Words is without the Life of Christ to rule in Men If it should have been told you when you fled from this Nation what you would do in the time to come against God and his Servants you would have said with Hazael Are we Dogs But the Heart of Man is deceitful unconverted and your deceived Hearts have led you aside Thou thinkest they are the worst Hereticks Thy Eye being blinded and thy Understanding darkened and thy Heart full of Envy how should'st thou think otherwise But thy Thoughts shall be discovered to thee and thou shalt be convinced of the Evil of them Thou say'st One whom many think is a Jesuite pressed for a Conference with one of our Teachers called Mr Norton but the Quaker was quickly weary of it You live by your Thoughts and know nothing if he had been a Jesuite it 's like he might have had more Favour from you and the Minister might be very bold knowing before-hand no Evil was like to befall him having the Rulers with their Clubs on his Side the Prison-Doors and House of Correction ready to receive the Quakers the Goalers and Task-masters with their Whips and butcherly Fellows with their Knives to cut of their Ears at the Pleasure and Wills of a Company of envious men before whose Face the Fear of the Lord is not But it is like you will make the Quaker weary soon if he would look out at your Cruelty if you did as sometime some of your Priests and Rulers caused to be done in New-England stop Napkins in their Mouthes and bound Keys over their Mouthes that they could not speak and boast and say The Quaker had nothing to answer Well all these things are recorded and are written as with a Pen of Iron and they are engraven where they shall not be blotted out and you are registred among the Uncircumcised with Mesech and Tubal the great Princes of Gog which make War against the Lamb his Followers but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory and you shall be trodden as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet for they shall melt away that hate the Lord. Reading the 16th of the 12th Moneth 1658. F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light AND REPROVED IN Answer to divers false Doctrines and Principles of John Wells of St. Ives so called in Huntingon-shire Concerning the Word and the Gospel and the Way to Christ and the Tryal of Spirits and the Light which lighteth every Man and the Ministers Maintenance His vain Arguments and Proofsmade void and Truth manifested in all these particulars Also some Queries propounded to John Wells to answer By him that loves the Truth as it is in Jesus F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light HE that hates the Light as it is written will not bring his Deeds to the Light lest they should be reproved and made manifest of which Sort John Wells a pretended Minister of the Gospel at St. Ives so called in Huntington-shire is who hath declared and published unsound Doctrines contrary to Scripture of Truth which were asserted by him and taken from his own Mouth and the Reply thereunto sent and his Doctrines reproved as to be unsound and inconsistent to a true Minister of Christ the which Paper of Information and also of Reproof John Wells in Vindication of his former Assertions hath divulged abroad in his Parish as in Answer to the said Paper delivered unto him and also in Vindication of his former Doctrines which Paper of his hath been read up and down by his Auditors as some great Oracle which could not be gainsayed and he never yet sent his Answer unto them who contradicted and reproved his aforesaid Doctrines and Principles unto which his Answer did properly belong it could never yet be purchased or obtained from him or any of his Auditors and all this he hath done lest his Works should be brought to Light and his Deceit should be discovered and his Kingdom weakened which stands in Darkness but seeing that there is no Work of Darkness must be hid but must all be brought to Light and be discovered in the Day therefore is his Paper come forth by another Hand that he and his Work might be tryed and reproved and that the ignorant might see his Confusion and also that Truth might be made manifest to the Understandings of People that they may no longer continue in Ignorance and Blindness now when the Lord is shining forth in his Brightness and revealing his Glory from the rising of the Sun His first Position is That Eternal Life is to be found by or in the Scriptures II. They are the VVay and Means which God hath discovered for the obtaining of it viz. Eternal Life In the Vindication of his foresaid Assertions he saith he will explain himself and saith That God is pleased by his Infinite Grace and VVisdom to continue this excellâ—nt Plot of Redemption by his Son and then concludeth how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard therefore was God pleased by the Scriptures to reveal Jesus Christ and none can ever come to the Knowledge of Chrâ—st but in or by the Scriptures This man talks like a Heathen Politician rather then a Minister of Christ who tells of an excellent Plot of Redemption for he who is the Redeemer was with the Father was his Delight before the World began which in
already enjoy and Possess and so the Apostles brought them to a further examination not to look at things visible but to examine themselves whether they were in the Faith for he that is in the Faith is not in that which is visible Prove your selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 Now they who came to witness Christ in them knew the Resurrection and the Life in them and Witnessed the Life of the Son of God to live in them and they in it and this was a further State then looking at visible Things which were in remembrance only of his Death and blessed are they who have an Eye to see and an Heart to believe these things And now the Apostle spake unto wise Men and bad them â—udge what he said 1 Cor. 10.15 So that Novices or they that were young or Babes had hâ—rdly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them but he spoke to wise men which could judge of what he said and ver 16. thus he said The Cup of blessing that we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we breakâ— is it not the communion of the Body of Christ ver 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one bread and that one Bread was Christ who said I am the Bread of Life and this they witnessed and these are great Mysteries and they whose Eyes are towards visible things cannot see them and what a Nâ—ise and a Stir hath been made these many hundred Years and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen And since the Mystery hath been lost and the Key which opens the mystery how People have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves and are sunk down into utter Darkness as hath been manifest about visible things which do corrupt how many have been killed about this Bread and this Cup which are visible since the Apostles Dayes and how many Institutions and Laws have been made about this and have fought like Swine about the husk and discern not the Life neither the Lords Body It is endless to declare what stir they make about this Bread and this Wine in the Church of Rome which I shall not now stand to particularize much but however after the Priest hath consecrated it they conclude it to be the very Body and Blood of Christ and yet a thing which may be seen and that is a temporal thing and so give it Names past numeration And what work have they made about times and dayes when it was fit to be received and how many Decrees have been made about these things Anacletus caused a Decree to be made that all were to come to it under pain of Excommunication and Victor denounced that those should be interdicted from all Service when they should receive the Sacrament that would not be reconciled to their Neighbours of all Grudges and Hatred again Clepharanius one hundred Years after Anaâ—letus commanded that all that professed Christ or bare the Name of Christians being of the Age of twelve or fourteen Years should at least once a year at Easter receive the blessed Sacrament Fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a Year and Innocentius the third decreed it should be kept in the church that it should be ready at all times lest they that were sick should want to spiritual comfort of it and Honorus the third confirmed the same and Austin concluded the Eucharist to be of absolute necessity for Infants And what a stir hath been in the reformed churches so called about this and what disorderly work and what high Imputations they have gained to it whenas they commanded the Parishes to buy it and then sell it them again that the Priest must have a Offering at Easter also a token of a piece of Lead a token that they are at Unity with the Priest or else they may not have their Bread and Wine again for which they paid before and this hath been called a great Mystery HAP XII Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and the Gospel BEfore the Law was given forth there were divers did offer Sacrifice and builded Altars unto the Lord as Seth Abel Melchizedeck A braham Isaac and Jacob who were Guiders and Directors of People in the Way of Righteousness who instructed their Families in the Fear of the Lord but after the Law was given forth Aaron and his Sons and they were to offer Sacrifice according to the command of the Lord and to perform the Worship that God had appointed for that Time and Age at the Tabernacle and Temple there were Levites who bore the Ark and looked to the Vessels and pitched the Camp and divers other Services as Singers and Readers of the Law and Prophets on their Sabbath Dayes and Porters and the like and all these pertained to the First Covenant and Priesthood which was to have an End both the Priesthood and the Law and the Service thereof for it was but to continue till the Substance came Now Christ being come to the End of the Law for Righteousness unto all that believe made after the Order of Melchizedeck and not by a carnal commandment he offered up himself once for all and became the Author of eternal Salvation unto them that believe put an End to the first Worship and Priesthood Before he was offered up he chose Disâ—iples unto him twelve and also seventy and endued them with Power and many did believe through their Words and they were not Men of great parts but as they were fitted by the holy Ghost that gave them Utterance and they were sent out not to preach the Law but the Word of the Kingdom and many did believe and grew and were confirmed in the Faith and after Christ s Ascension the holy Ghost was poured forth upon them in a more ample Manner and it did bring to their Remembrance as Christ had foretold and they received great Gifts for the Work of the Ministry some were Prophets some Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers and all made Ministers by the Spirit for the Work whereunto they were chosen and many were converted and did believe then they that had the Word of God to publish travailed as they were led and moved by the Spirit to publish the glad-tidings of the Gospel and when the Believers were many and many young in the Faith they ordained Overseers or Bishops or Elders who were sound in the Faith to watch over them that were begotten but mark they were approved men and faithful and of blameless lives not given to Covetousness neither did tyrannâ—ze over them in rigour but were apt to teach and instruct in Love Gentleness and they that had been ancient Labourers in God's Work did so who had received a Gift to minister unto others and as to be
and Judges ought to do so and so have made them put their Neck in a Yoak which is too heavy for them to bear which the Lord hath not required at their Hands and because of this compellings and forcings many Hypocrites have been made and many of God's Peoples Consciences wounded and burdned and many Kings and Rulers have lost their Dominions and they have been taken from them because of this by the Lord. So all that have intruded upon Christ's Prerogative and Soveraignity in this thing are sure to be reckoned as no other but as Usurpers and Intruders into that Power which the Father alone hath given unto his Son which Power Dominion and Glory he will not give unto any other as to be Judge and Law-giver in the Hearts and Consciences of his People Object But some may say Did not the Prophet exhort to enquire for the old Paths and the Good old Way and did not the Prophet say Kings should be nursing-Fathers and Queens should be nursing-Mothers And must not this be fulfilled in these Dayes Answ. This is true that the Prophet did exhort the Princes and people of Israel who were in the revolted Estate who had transgressed the commandments of the Lord and had lost their Guide of their youth the Râ—st of their Souls and therefore he turned them back to consider of the dayes of old and enquire after the good old Way that they might walk therein which they were gone from but this doth not pertain at all unto this time of Christ Jesus is the new and living Way which all are to enquire after now who is the end of the Law for Righteousness and the first Covenant unto them that believe and as for Kings being nursing-Fathers the Queens nursing-Mothers this was prophesied by the Prophet before they went into captivity and how the Heathen should have power over their Kings prophets and priests and people and Jerusalem should lye desolate now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the Lord and they to inhabit their own Land then their own Kings and Queens should rule over them and be as Nurses to them when they should return from their Captivity then Jacob should rejoice and Israel should be glad and this was spoken to the Jews and this had Reference to their State in that time Further it may be objected ought not Blasphemy and Idolatry and Adultery be punished is this to be suffered now seeing it was punished under the Law Answ. Yea this is to be punished and shall be punished and that even with Death for as I said the Father hath committed all Power unto the Son who will execute his Judgement upon all them who will not have him to reign in their Hearts as it is written Those mine Enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring them before me that I may slay them with what Weapon with carnal nay but with the sharp two-edged Sword which proceeds out of his Mouth and with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the spiritual Weapon which runs through the Blasphemer and kills him and slaves the false Prophet and Southsayer and Inchanter and Idolater and yet saves the Creature alive take one Example of Christ the new and living Way when the Pharisees brought a Woman tempting Christ which was taken in Adultery saying according to the Law of Moses she ought to be stoned to death he that was the end of the Law said He that â— without Sin cast the first Stone convicting them all that they were in the same Nature and yet did not approve of the Adultery but said Go and Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee likewise Paul said I was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer this Generation who profess Paul's words would say Let him dye he hath confessed he was a Blasphemer but he was slain with other Weapons Christ slew the Blasphemer and the Persecâ—tor in him and left the man alive and made him a chosen Vessel to declare against Blasphemy and lead out of all Ungodliness And herein is the second Covenant more excellent then the first and the Ministration more excellent then the former and the Dominion and Goveâ—â—ment of Christ more excellent then the Dominion and Governmeâ—t of 〈◊〉 Kings of Israel and the Weapons more excellent then theirs and the Powâ—r greater then theirs whâ—ch is able to destroy the Works of the Devil iâ— Blâ—â—phemy Idolatry and Adultery and save the Creature aliâ—â— this is the better Covenant indeed the everlasting and herein is the Mercy of God exalted his Dominion and Power exalted and Christ the King of Glory exalted and these Sins before mentioned punished with great Severiâ—â— and great Judgement for in the first Covenant they slew with a temporal death but Christ when he appeareth in his Power and Glory in Flames of Fire renders Vengeance within upon the Wicked which burns and scorcheth brings Anguish and tormenteth all them that are in that Nature and banisheth all them from his Presence and from the Glory of his Power till that be dead and slain which would not have him to reign to wit that which is born of the Flesh which is within and Blasphemy Idolatry and Murder are the Fruits of the Flesh where the Flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth I speak not of the Creature who is God's Workmanship for that may be alive when the Birth and Fruits which are after the Flesh are both dead and herein is the mighty Power of God made known and his Justice and his severe Judgement which all must pass through before they come to witness eternal Life he that despised Moses's Law died by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses which was a natural Death of how much sorer Punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the Son of God and counteth the Blood of the Covenant 〈◊〉 unholy thing Heb. 10.28 29. and blasphemeth But further it will be objected that the Apostle exhorteth for a Submission unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake 1 Pet. 2.13 whether it be unto Kings as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him and Rom. 13.1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Power for there no Power but of God and the Powers that be are ordained of God Answ. From these Scriptures many bad Constructions and Inferences have been gathered as that Kings and Rulers were to be obeyed in all things and that every Worship that is commanded by a King or Superior ought to be obeyed and that Kings and Rulers had Power in spiritual things to make a Law for such a Worship or forbid such a Worship and all these ought to be obeyed and so in the Apostacy the Ministers of Antichrist have brought in many Inventions and Traditions and humane Institutions for divine Worship and Service and thereby have pressed Rulers to make Laws and compel all People
not out of use till more then one hundred Years after Augustin's coming that is till past seven hundred Years after Christ as may be conjectured out of the Testimony of Bede which extends so far in the City of London till the time of Henry the third no Tythes as Tythes were generally payed but only a Decree made that for every twenty Shillings rent a farthing a Sunday was to be paid which came to fifty two farthings yearly and this was given by way of Offering but was supposed as due and the tenth part of the yearly Rent of their Houses As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons it is reported that in the year 786. in the time of Pope Adrian when his Power began to grow great he sent two Legates with Letters into England for Reformation as it was call'd first to Offa King of Merceland and Alfewold King of Northumberland who call'd a Council in the North and Offa and Kenulph call'd a Council for the South wherein they ordained That a tenth of the Fruit of the Earth should be Payed as it was written in the Law of Moses and when this Council had thus concluded by Alfwold the Legates and Embassadors took all the Decrees and Canons of the Council and carryed to Offa and he and his Bishops and Abbots did subscribe it with a Cross to it likewise Selden makes mention That Ethelulfe King of the West Saxons in the year 855. he made a Law That the Tythe of all his own Lands should be given to God and his Servants and should be freed from all Taxes But there is great difference among Historians about his Grant some restrain it to the Tythe of his own demesne Lands others to the tenth part of his Land and others to the Tythe of the whole Nation About this time heavy pressures by Danish Invasions and great Wars came on so that he called a Council where were present Bernereddus King of Mercia and Edmond King of East Angles and they to remove the heavy Judgment that was upon them gives the Tythe of all the Land to God and his Servants as the Phrase then was King Athelstone about the year 930. and King Edmond about the year 940. and King Edgar about 970. King Ethelred about 1010. King Knute about 1020 Edward the Confessor and others of the Saxon Kings made several Laws for Tythes as Histories do relate Likewise the Normans afterwards entring this Kingdom and subduing it William the Conqueror confirmed the Liberties of the Church Also Henr. 1. and Hen. 2. did the like and King Stephen also The Reader may understand the Principles upon which these men acted and the Doctrine then was believed by them and maintained to be good by Prelates of that Age that Heaven was merited by good Works and Sins pardoned for Works of charity which Works were chiefly reckoned to be good by the Prelates of that Age when some Monastery was builded Church or Chappel so called and dedication of Lands and Goods to such places for the health and happiness of their Souls they had perswaded many men almost out of their Estates leaving their Heirs and children very poor Many instances thereof might be given but one or two for manifesting the Truth of this King Stephen in his dayes gave to the Priory of Eye in Suffolk as may be seen in an Original charter of his made to the said priory wherein he gives the tenths of all his Mannors of Stedbrook Rading Seldia Bedima with divers other places for the pardon of his Sins and obtaining the joyes of Heaven and not only he gave it for the health of his own Soul but for the Soul of his Father and of his Mother and of his Uncle and interceding Kings to the use and End aforesaid Likewise out of another old Charter granted by Ralph then Bishop of Chichester to the Abby of Battel the tenths of Voulwaine of Hennam and of Servin and of Lezein and Badhurst and the tenths of many other places to the said Abbey for the health of his own Soul and the health of the Souls of his Ancestors Also out of the charter of the Monastery of Ridding in Herefordshire in the time of King John Walter Clifford for the health of his Fathers Soul and of his Wifes and children doth give the whole Tenth of Hamenesca unto the Church of Lempster But notwithstanding the many Laws Canons and Decrees of Kings Popes Councils and Bishops allâ—ding to the page before that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased which made so many rich Aâ—bies and Monasteries And till the year 1200. or thereabouts every one gave their Tythe at their own Pleasure which made Pope Innocent the third send his Decretal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterâ—ury commanding him to enioyn every man to pay his Temporal goods to those that Ministred Spiritual things to them which was enforced by Ecclesiastical Censures and this was the first beginning of general Parochial Payment of Tythes in England this his Decretal was admitted and enjoyned by the Law of the Nation King and People being then Papists The Decree of the Pope receiving all possible assistance from the Bishops and the Priests in whose behalf it was made did not only in a short time take away the Peoples then deâ—â—red right to give their Tythes to those that best deserved them but did also so much corrupt the Clergy that in the time of Richard the second Wickliff our famous Reformer did make a heavy complaint to the Parliament in these Words following Ah Lord God where this be reason to constrain the poor People to find a Worldly Priest sometime unable both of Life and cunning in Pomp and Pride Covetous and Envy Gluttonness Drunkeness and Lechery in Simony and Heresie with fat Horse and Jolly and gay Saddles and Bridles ringing by the way and himself in costly Cloaths and pelure and to suffer their Wives and Children and their poor Neighbours perish for Hunger thirst and Cold and other mischiefs of the World Ah Lord Jesus Christ sith within few Years men paid their Tythes and Offerings at their own will free to good men and able to great Worship of God to profit and fairness of holy Church fighting in Earth why it were lawful and needful that a worldly Priest should destroy this holy and approved Custome constraining men to leave this freedom turning Tythes and Offerings unto wicked uses A cloud of Witnesses might be brought out of the Ancient Fathers and also latter Testimonies who witnessed against them and divers Martyrs some whereof were put to Death others grievously troubled and suffered long and great Imprisonments as John Huâ— Jerâ—me of Prague the famous Reformer John Wickliff who is spoken of before and Walter Brute William Thorpe William Swinderâ—y and it was generally the Judgment of all the Wickliffans and the predecessors of the
whole Families extirpate O great Oppression that again Makes us doubly complain Our heavy Burthen fetcheth Groans This cruel Tything forceâ—h Mâ—ans And wrongfully they have pretence Of Scripture made for their Defence From Levi's Tribe they would possess Tythes to them are by Success And thus the Gospel's Day in vain To get their Prey they would disdain But God's Worship that shall stand When they have done what 's in their Hand For what is done against God's Power Shall be thrown down as in an Hour The World shall destroyed be Who lives not long may come to see God will â—ry as there is need And send Deliverance to his Seed This is my Faith I do believe That God will sore the Wicked grieve Therefore let wicked Men repent That unto Hell they be not sent And if they subject be to God They may escape his heavy Rod The Time comes on and hastes apace Wherein great Babylon God will raze Out of her Power and Might so great That she 'll be turn'd out of her Seat That Christ may reiâ—n whose Due it is That all the Faithful him may bless Babylon's Merchants with their Pay In God's Time he 'll turn away For he is come to be their Fâ—e Which is Cauâ—e to bring their Woe For they shall cry Woe and Alass When there is none to make Redress As in one Hour shall Judgment come With Violence perpetual Doom Of Death and Famine shall she taste Her stately Buildings all laid waste The Day of howling shall betake And she thrown down into the Lake Thâ—s dreadfully her doubled Cup Of Wrath and Sorrow she 'll drink up For why the Lord's Decree shall stand His Purpose now is near at hand And what is prophesy'd shall come Babel's Merchants they shall mourn They shall weep and howl right sore Their Merchandize will sell no more After that which they did luâ—t Departed from them is as Just Read your Sentence Babel's Train Judgment comes with Might and Main The Wrath of God and Fury great Peâ—â—red from his Judgment-Seat From his Presence yea from him Will your Cup be 〈…〉 Kings will mourn and cry alaâ—s When they theâ—e Things see come to pasâ— For through Christ's Power and Renown Down goes Babel she goes down J. R. As one soreseeing the Day of Terror that is to come upon BABEL makes this Invitation COme out of her my People O return Make haste her Day 's at Hand to weep and mourn Her Dayes of howling hasten on apace She hath nigh liv'd her Time and run her Race Return return lest that her Plagues you taste For desolate must she her Buildings waste Her fiery Burning Smoak â— nigh at Hand For Fear of Torments Kings at Distance stand The Voice of Mourning shortly comes to pass Babylon's Merchants cry alass alass This City great is now coâ—â—'d ruinate And all her stately Buildings desolate Thuâ— Babylon the great is thrown to 'th Ground And never any more is to be found Then shall the glâ—rious Day and then the Voice As if of mighty Thunderings Saints rejoyce And they their Song of Halelujah sing Their Praises Honour Glory to their King Their Joy and Splendor now the Saints do say The Lamb is come this is our Nuptial Day O glorious Sun-shine King of Saints we 'll praise And in thy Powerful Wonder we amaze With admirable Joy our Souls to thee The Song of Sion sing O praised be Thou holy holy glorious righteous God Who Babylon hast shaken by thy Rod And givest thy Saints the Songs of Joy to sing Praise to their God Praise to their gracious King The Saints in Righteousness thou wilt aray With fine Adorning thee to praise alway And in thy glorious Habitation rest For evermore with Joy their Souls be blest Rejoyce rejoyce ye Saints of the most high To Sion's King give Praise eternally The wondrous Joyes unto you which are come Unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb In Admiration which to you belong The doubled Halelujah is your Song When Babel's just Reward that Day shall be As a great Milstone cast into the Sea Reward her as she hath rewarded you Double her Cup her Torments eke renew For insomuch as she the Saints Blood shed With righteous Judgment shall she be judged Sit down ye Sufferers in the Patience-Seat And willingly content thâ—ugh it be great Your Measure 's hard in this your suffering Day But your Reward shall come with double Pay Resign your selves and willingly sit down In the Expectance of the glorious Crown For why your Portion glorious shall be A great Reward is sure you shall it see Fret not your selves because of Wicked Men Your Day will joyous be even so Amen E. G. The great COMPLAINT and OUT-CRY of one of the Sufferers of SION O Rulers of England and Teachers and People how long will it be ere you will awake out of the deep Slumber that hath seised upon you and consider a little you do all look upon in this Age that Popery is Idolatry and to maintain their Worship and Practice is not consistant with the Worship which you own but do you think that talking against Popery in the general whilest that you are upholding it in many Particulars in Point of Laws and Worship doth answer your Profession or will preserve you in the Day of the Lord when the Righteous Judgments of God shall be revealed seeing that though you have broken off from them in some circumstantial and ceremonial things for that very main Basis and Foundation upon which it standeth is absolutely Covetousness and filthy Lucre but to speak plain Tythes Offerings Oblations Mortuaries Peter-pence and quid non is claimed and looked upon to be due as to the Pope in Imitation of the Jews High Priest with all the Rabble of that Crew even from the very Bishop to the Quirister-boy and yet in Point of Wages and Pay all the aforesaid Ordinances which constitute by Authority from Râ—me stand as Evangelical or Jure divinâ— unto this Day amongst the reformed Churches so called which are not only disconsonant to the first primitive times but also contrary to the very Law of the Jews when Tythes Oblations and Offerings were due to be payed for then the Husband man Poor Fatherless Widdows and Orphans might all eat together of that which was offered or given according to the Command but now they which pretend another Ministry and lay little Claim to the Levitical Priest-hood and have also Possessions of Lands amongst their Brethren which the Levites had not these go with Tythes Offerings and divers other things never claimed by the Levites but claimed by popish Constitutions in the Mid-night of Popery and all these things the reformed Priests so termed lay claim unto and must have and will have or else the whole Nation shall ring with their Noise Common Pleas Exchequer Capiter Court Assise and Sessions Shrieffs Goalers Bâ—yliffs and every common Catchpole shall be employed to do their Work and all too
Ease Hardness of Heart is generally over People and clearly to me it doth presage Judgment Tenderness of Heart and Spirit is generaly lost among people and the most have made Shipwrack of all their Hope Faith and Profession to please the time and men of this Generation who are perverse and froward they have been treacherous to God and to their own Souls and cannot do Good to his People keep as much as in you lyes out of their Spirit Manners for they are corrupt and though God's Judgments be abroad in the Land and his Anger kindled and broken forth yet few enquire the Cause or say What have I done but if any do enquire it is generally in that dark Spirit that leads them to Evil which God hides his Counsel from and will not be found of and yet they make Conclusions and give Judgment as the Heathen of old if any Pestâ—leâ—ce Famine or Drought or Judgment came upon them thâ—y said The Christians were the Cause and so stirred up Persecution against them the like and Dreamers of this Age in their Mock fasts and Humiliâ—tions they say Heresie the Cause and because all dâ— nâ—t conform and are not willing to submit to the changeable Institutions of men though never so repugnant to the Law of God they tell the Magistrates The I hanaticks and Quakers are the Cause and so they fast for Strife and to kindle Debate and to stir up Persecution and they seem to cleave so close to the Magistrates that will force and exâ—ct Gain for them and give them large Pay they will cry them up as the higher Power that all are to submit unto in all things under the Pain of Condemnation and they will cry them up and dance and clap their Hands and rejoyce as Israel did about the Calf when they had forgotten God so the Lord is provoaked more and more and they think by rooting out his People if possible will stay his Judgments it 's lamentable to see what Blindness is over the Hearts of the Seers of this Generation who cry Peace Peace and how Peâ—ple are given up to believe their Lyes and to Hardness of Heart and never consider their own Estate neither the Afflictions of Joseph is remembred Another thing also hath been in my Heart many Weeks and a Query hath been in my self and I know hath been on many Spirits why in this common Calamity and in God's Visitaâ—ion of the City of London and many other Places of this Nation that they that have suffered so greatly so long and so faithfully and have born such a Testimony for the Lord why also they should be taken away among the rest seeing the Lord was able to deliver and also command his destroying Angel to pass over as it pleased him and spare and take away as he pleased and why it should not be wholly upon his Enemies and upon them that called not upon his Name in Truth and Righteousness I had many sad Thoughts of Heart and have waited upon the Lord concerning these things with Supplications and Tears concerning his afflicted Peâ—ple and concerning his Name and Truth and this Satisfaction I have received in my self and do communicate unto you First of all it is said That Paul stayed and preached the Gospel at Ephesus two Years so that not only them of Ephesâ—â— but all Asia heard the Word of God both Jews and Greeks and many were gathered unto God and believed and the rest were hardened When I considered this that not only two Years but twelve Years that City of London hath heard the Word of the living God declared and published plentifully in it and the everlasting Gospel of Christ in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power insomuch that the Sound went through and through and many believed and the rest were hardened having lost the Day of their Visitation but alas it was but a few considering the Labour and Travail and considering so many Thousands who counted the things of God a slight Matter and for them that were worthy and did believe they were hated and despised and evilly entreated with the most and shut up in Holes and miserable Bonds and Prisons and lingring Torments which oftentimes were the Cause of their Death whose Lives God is requiring at the Hands of that Place and the Messengers of God were mocked abused and evilly entreated and shut up in Bonds till Death and Wickedness did abound and Peoples Hearts grew hard in Ease Riches Pride and vain Glory till the Wrath of God broke forth and cut down Thousands in his Displeasure and this was seen and foreseen full three whole Years and upwards by some of the faithful Servants of God who laid down their Lives in Bonds in that City and are gathered unto the Lord and also some who remain in the Body unto this Day and it was prophesied of and the City was warned thereof Rulers and People but the most made a Mock of it till the just Judgment of God seized upon it Secondly The Lord took away these faithful Men of God Edward Burroughs Richard Hubberthorn and George Fox junior who had been much conversant there who were faithful Watchmen and prevailed often with the Lord till they were shut up in Bonds for all their sore Travail and Labour amongst the Inhabitants thereof and that Place being unworthy of them any more he delivered them and took them away to himself from the Evil to come that they had seen and prophesied of that they might see none of that Misery that is now come Thirdly They were gathered unto the Lord as a Token and Sign unto them that believed of many following after and of their Dissolution Fourthly The Lord did fore-know and fore-see and also had determined Evil against that City and that which is now come to pass and that this Generation notwithstanding all the Entreaties Woings Warnings and Exhortations which they had and slighted and they would proceed on to more Mischief and Persecution in presumption against God and his people and are yet determined and have said in their Hearts Though the Bricks be fallen down we will build with hewn Stone to fortifie themselves that their End might not fail which the Lord God will blast and confound and though Friends have born their Iniquity they shall at last bear it themselves and know the Reward thereof and have none to help so the Lord hath taken away many in his Love and Mercy from the Evil to come and hâ—th freed them from further Misery and hath translated them out of the Reach of all their Enemies Fifthly Seeing they have suffered long and faithfully in that plaâ—e and and elsewhere and have born a living Testimony many to the Loss of their Lives and to their ruinating in this World against the Abominations that did abound and their righteous Souls were vexed as Lot's was with the Sodomites the Lord hath considered and hath said It is enough your Afflictions I will end and
God's Creation when all was blessed and at Peace and in Unity and Harmony one with another when Man was the Image of God and you through the rich Mercy and Love of God being called to believe in the Hope and Promise of God and having waited and obtained Life through Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given for Life and the Covenant thereof and of Peace unto all that believe I say it being given unto you of the Father to believe and receive him whom the Father hath sent to restore again all even all receive the free Gift and close therewith according as the Father tenders him unto all believing and obeying his Voice they come to witness Restoration and to be delivered from Darkness and Death and every evil Way and Work into perfect Freedom in due time and to serve the living God in Righteousness and Holiness and to be made Partakers of his precious Promise and of the Kingdom Power and Glory of God that fades not away and of Life eternal and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost now and forever and makes all his chosen Ones who believe in his Name Partakers of his piteous and long Suffering and of his heavenly and spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus to whom be Glory forever and ever Amen I say because the Lord hath chosen you and hath wrought Change in you and brought you out of their Pathes whose Habitations are full of Cruelty all that are in Bondage hate you and your Freedom and your Life and Way and there can be no Reconciliation no Concord in the Ground for as it was of old time even so now since Cain slew his Brother so all the Children of the Flesh of the Bond-woman and of the World hated them that were born of the Spirit and were redeemed up unto God to live unto him and glorifie him forever by shewing forth by a holy Conversation that they were so called and chosen of God I hope the Consideration of these things and the Knowledge of them dwells with you and in your Hearts and you see you are joyned to a blessed Company and an holy Assembly who are gone before and are entred into Rest and have precious Fellowship with them who now remain alive unto this Day who have Fellowship with the Father and the Son and in all our Trials and Afflictions are afflicted with us although you have had Exercises above many and have walked through the Region and Shadow of Death inward and outward yet the Lord hath upholden you unto this Day that you may bear in Mind his great and dreadful and wonderful Works and fear before him land honour him and speak Good of his Name and worship him in the Beauty of Holiness which he hath led you into and glorifie him in his Temple comfort and strengthen one another in the Truth and let not the World neither the fading Glory of it overcome your Hearts but in the Dominion of God stand over the World and its Temptations lest you be entangled that you cannot run with Patience and follow the Lord in the Cross the Dayes of our Pilgrimage go on apace the time is short all outward Suffering will have an End and Wrath shall cease to be any more happy are they that continue in the Patience for this Moment of time we have to follow the Lamb here through the War and Tribulation Victory is at the End thereof in the mean time God by his holy Spirit gives daily Hints of his Love in the inward Man unto all stay'd Minds and Assurance of the Victory which makes me often overlook present Suffering and forget the Afflictions that are past and little to heed present things though they seem to frown because the Light of God's Countenance is lifted up and his Favour and Love and strengthning Power felt in the inward Man which ballances all and weighs down the Scale of present Trouble and Affliction so that hard things are become easie and ponderous things light look not out at Trouble and Hardship but rather admire the great Goodness of God that hath so much restrained the Wrath of Men which was great and hath made some of it to turn to his Glory he hath made void the Intention of the prudent and hath turned Counsel backward and hath frustrated the Expectation of the proud and lofty who took Counsel together even as of old against the Lord and his anointed yet for all this God hath established his Son on the holy Hill of Sion and his Saints reign with him sure you cannot but have taken notice of these things and of the Out-goings of the Lord and have considered his handy-Works and say with me the Lord hath created Deliverance upon Mount Sion and hath appeared to the Joy of the Righteous and his Enemies he is making as the Dust under his Feet and is scattering the Devices of the Sons of fallen Adam and making them as the Chaff of the Summer Floor which the Wind scattereth Friends what shall I'say unto you that I love you ye know that it 's no less neither diminuished to the faithful I now give you to know I often remember you upon my Bed and not only so but before the Lord whom I know hath a Regard unto the Supplications of the upright and their Prayers are as Incense and from whom he smells a sweet Savour and gives them to feel and know it in their Hearts so that they come unto him with Confidence having Access through Jesus our Life and Joy unto whom be Glory and Honour forever and ever Amen Dearly beloved what shall I say to comfort your Hearts and stir up your Minds to the Exercise of his Grace in you but the plenteous Harvest of the Lord is come wherein they that have sown to the Spirit and have walked in Obedience thereunto do reap the plenteous Fruits of Righteousness Peace Joy Assurance and pure and perfect Consolation so that all Cause of Complaint is taken away Glory to the Lord forevermore the Vintage is ripe the Press is full and many Fatts overflow because of Plenty and many are filled with the Fatness of God's House the new Wine is drunk that comes from the pure and living Vine Christ Jesus Clusters of heavenly Grapes are possessed better by far then them the Spies brought from Eshcoll which may animate all your Hearts and encrease your Faith and Hope and further this I say unto you God is ready to give bountifully unto all if you be ready to receive and meet to digest his heavenly Food and I am sure you cannot want any good thing neither will his Consolation be withhâ—lden from you but that which the Prophet Hosea prophesied concerning Israel and the Blessings that should come upon them The Lord shall hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and Wine and Oyl and they shall hear Israel the same you shall feel inwardly to the Satisfaction of all your Souls the