Counties at divers Meetings and divers particular Friends he took his leave of them saying to very many That he did not know he should see their Faces any more exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their Souls And said to some I am going up to the City of London again to lay down my LIFE for the GOSPEL and suffer amongst Friends in that Place as having some sence of his Suffering before And a little after his return to the City at a publick Meeting which the People of the Lord have kept these many Years to hear and speak of the things of God to Edification at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate by certain Souldiers under the Command of Richard Brown then General of the City of London he was violently plucked down and haled away in a barbarous manner and carried to the Guard and so committed to Newgate not for Evil-Doing but for testifying unto the Name of the Lord Jesus and for the Worship of God as though this were become a great Crime worthy of Bonds and at last Death He was had to the Sessions in the Old-Baily and his Accusers were Witnesses against him and them that had abused him violently their Testimony was received as good Proof against him And at last after two or three Sessions he was fined by the Court One Hundred Marks which at last was reduced to Twenty Marks and to lie in Prison while payment where he continued a pretty long season about Eight Moneths with Six or Seven Score Prisoners besides upon the same Account many being shut up among the Fellons in nasty Places and for want of Prison-room the Natures of many were suffocated and corrupted till at last many grew Weak Sickened and Dyed At last this same Young Man grew Weak and though a special Order from the King was sent to the then Sheriffs of London for the Release of him and the rest that were left in Prison yet such was the Emnity of some of the Rulers of the City that they did what in them lay to obstruct the Execution of the Order that he should not be released And so Weakness grew upon him daily though in much Patience he was carried through all In the time of his Weakness he was very fervent in Prayer and that often both Day and Night unto the Lord as concerning himself and also his People and at several times he spoke several precious words from the sensible feeling of God's Spirit in his Heart and said I have had the Testimony of the Lord's Love unto me from my Youth and my Heart hath been given up to do thy Will And he said I have preached the Gospel freely in this City and have often given up my Life for the Gospel's sake and now Lord rip open my Heart and see if it he not right before thee Another time he said when he had a little ease There is no Iniquity lies at my Door but the Presence of the Lord is with me and his Life I feel justifie me Another day afterwards he said Thou hast loved me when I was in the Womb and I have loved thee from my Cradle and from my Youth unto this day and have served thee faithfully in my Generation And he spoke to Friends that were about him To live in Love and Peace and love one another And at another time he said The Lord taketh the Righteous from the Evil to come And he prayed for his Enemies and for his Persecutors and said Lord forgive Richard Brown he may be forgiven And though the Distemper and the Disease was violently upon him yet he was preserved sensible And in the morning before he departed this life being sensible of his deaâ—h he said Now my Soul and Spirit is centred into its own Beeing with God and this form of person must return from whence it was taken And after a little season he gave up the Ghost and died a Prisoâ—er and shall be recorded and is in the Lambs Book of Life as a Martyr for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus for which onely he suffered and gave up his life whose death was pretious in the Eyes of the Lord. But now he ever liveth with God and his Work follow him and his Labours shall testifie of him in Generations to come and thousands beside my self can bear witness his Life and Death was to the praise honour and glory of the Grace of God unto whom be the glory of all his Works for ever Amen ANd oh thou City of London who hast been a professing City of the Name of God and Christianity so many years must it be said of thee as Christ said of Jerusalem that a Prophet cannot perish out of thee Oh how many Warnings hast thou had and how dost thou remain in obdurateness and impenitency Oh thou art not worthy of those Heavenly Tydings of Salvation which hath been proclaimed in the midst of thee these many years by this faithful Messenger of God deceased with many more who is taken away in judgment unto thee because many of thy Inhabitants despised and set at nought that in which the blessedness of all Nations consisteth Oh how is thy Gold become dim and how is thy glory stained How is thy Countenance marred How is all thy Profession became dead and like a withered Tree without Sap The Symptomes of death are upon thee Your Sun is set your Glory is passed away Night is coming and Darkness is surrounding you and you shall have enough of Darkness and your Paths and Ways shall be filled with it because you have hated the Light and would not have him who is the Light of the World to rule in your hearts but have chused Darkness rather then Light because your Deeds are evil and in the end thou shalt be made to see you have chosen lying Vanities and have taken Pleasure in the Flesh and have forsaken your own Mercies Repent repent if any can find a place while it is called to Day lest you be shut up in everlasting Darkness and Truth be hid from your Eyes for ever â—ake warning cease from Persecution and afflicting the Lord's People who desire to live quietly and peaceably and to worship God in Truth and Righteousness with a pure heart It is too too much that you have done already the suffering and death of many Innocent Righteous Men who have suffered these Winters past will lie as a load upon your City in Summers to come Remember what God did to Amaleck the first of the Nations and to Moab when Israel would have passed to their own Land and Countrey that God had promised them and have eaten their own Bread and Drank their Water and have passed on peaceably but they rose up and fell upon the Poor and upon the Hindmost and Weak God was Glad to Force his Way though it proved the ruin of Amaleck and the Misery of Moab We would glad walk on
restored again to serve and worship and glorifie the living God who made Heaven and Earth and all things therein THis is chiefly to go abroad into the dark parts of the World among those called Heathens most especially but its service reacheth to all men and people upon the face of the Earth And out of love unto the Creation and to all People in the World was it written and is it brought forth in publick that all that have ears to hear may hear and it is to be translated into several Languages by any who are moved of the Lord thereunto for of a truth the Lord is risen among us and God hath given the Word from his Mouth and many are they that publish it abroad through the World TO all the Sons and Daughters of Adam in the whole World this is the Word of the Lord God the Power that made you and that made Heaven and Earth and all things therein your State and Condition consider How that you are all drove from God your Maker and from the knowledge of him and of his Wayes which are Life and Peace and are in Darkness Blindness and Ignorance separated from that Power that made you and in the enmity against it and are Enemies to it in all your wayes and words where the sorrow anguish wo and trouble is But the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Power by whom all things were made who is called Christ Jesus hath lightened every one of you with the true Light which shines in your hearts in darkness to give you the understanding of the knowledge of him that made you and of his Salvation and Redemption and of eternal Life if you love the Light with which you are all lightened And first The Light measureth every mans state in true Judgment and with it you may all see your selves in the state wherein you now stand which is a state separated from God and the state wherein man was created which was blessed Therefore search and consider your State and Condition in him that is the Light of the World of the dust of the Ground were you made and into man was breathed the Breath of Life from the living Power which formed all things and man was made a living Soul and brought forth into the World in the Image and Likeness of the Power that made him every one in particular that be come into the World for Male and Female in the Image of the Creator created he them without sin or evil And man was a noble Plant wholly a right Seed planted with the choicest Vine and placed in Paradise the Garden of the Creator and there was set to bring forth Fruit and to glorifie and honour him by whom man and all Creatures were made for man was made perfect and upright set in the Counsel of his Maker without sin or spot or evil in his sight and was the glory of the Creator and was made for his glory and Power and Wisdom was given unto man to rule and govern in Dominion in Righteousness and in Wisdom over all living Creatures and was Lord over all things and had rule and authority over all the Creation and was Steward over all things which the Creator had made who made all things for man and made them subject unto him to be ordered and governed by him and used to his Glory by whom they were made and in that day when man was in the Counsel of him that made him and was subject to his Will he was blessed above all Creatures and unto him were 〈◊〉 Creatures blessed and not any thing was evil that was made but good in hiâ— Sight that made it and good unto man that was to use it he being brought forâ—â— in the Image of the Creator and had a measure of his Wisdom and his Poweâ— to teach him and to lead him in the exercise of all Creatures and was in perfeâ—â— freedom over all things to rule in the Wisdom of God And this was the staâ—… of man before transgession which state was blessed and not subject to the cuâ—… of misery or sorrow nor trouble nor torment but man disobeyed the Power that made him and went from its Counsel and contrary to its Will and grievâ—… it and vexed it till it became his Enemy to fight against him and to curse him for he had transgressed against it by feeding on that part which he should not with the knowledg of things and so became wise and lost Uprightness and touched that which the Power that made him had forbidden and so his mind and heart adulterated from the Creator into the visible glories pleasures and things which were less then himself and so he became unprofitable to his Maker by transgressing against him and only profitable to himself to feed and nourish and delight and please himself in the outward Creation and forgot the Power that made him and thus being with his mind turned into the Earth there the evil entred and the Devil overcame him with his temptation and the power of the earthly darkness gained dominion over him to sway his affections desires and lusts into vanities of the Earth and he lost his dominion over the Creatures and they gained dominion over him to serve and worship them and to please himself with them who became captive with his mind to be ruled by them in vanity and in evil And thus man became unprofitable to his Maker and unfruitful in the Garden and kept it not undefiled and being turned from the Covenant wherein he was set into his own willing and desiring in the outward Creation the evil defiled him and he became evil and a fruitless Tree that cumbred the Ground and an enmity was placed in him by disobedience and all things became evil to him and the door of all misery and sorrow was opened and let in the curse upon him inwardly and outwardly for he became dead in transgression to the Life and Power and Wisdom of the Creator and every moment was subject to die in this World also And through transgression of the Power that made him he was cast out of the Creator's Garden and out of his Love to labour under the curse in unprofitable Ground and also out of his own dignity and honour and dominion was he cast and became Heir of death and Child of wrath and an Enemy in his mind unto the Creator and an enmity was placed in him against the Power that made him and rebellion in his mind from which all the works of unrighteousness proceed and innocency was lost and man became hurtful to himself and to all Creatures and grieved continually the Power that made him and was drove from the presence and feeling of his Creator into insensableness And in this state unto this day are all ye the Sons and Daughters of the first Adam in the enmity against the Power that made you every moment transgressing it and death reigns over you all and the power of
Darkness rules in you all and the Law of sin and death and transgression are you all subject to and led captive in your minds affections and desires at the will of the power that leads into transgression called the Devil and in that state you are all strangers to God and are without him in the World and ignorant of the knowledge of his Wayes and are in the perishing state for want of Knowledge and subject to the curse of the power which you transgress and are Heirs of his Wrath having no part of the Inheritance of Blessing for a vail of Darkness through sin hath overspread you all and covered you all from the sight and hearing and feeling of the Creator and of the mystery of his Glory and Wisdom and every one in particular and none excepted of all the Children of Adam upon the face of the whole Earth but all have sinned and transgressed and death reigns over all and blindness of heart hath possessed all and all have fallen short of the glory of the Creator and all men are concluded by his Spirit to be under sin and Children of Wrath and Heirs of Corruption and in disobedience and rebellion to the Life that gives all men a Being The whole World and all People in it without exception of Tribes Generations or Nations this is the state and condition of all the Sons of men all flesh hath corrupted his way upon the Earth in his sight that made it and the wickedness of man is great in the Earth and the imaginations and thoughts of every mans heart are evil continually and grieve the Creator for the whole Earth is filled with violence through mans transgression And now not any Stock or People have priviledge one above another to Redemption and Salvation and to the Kingdom of Peace and Glory but Iew and Gentile Wise and Foolish Noble and Ignoble Male and Female all People without exception are in transgression and by the line and measure of true Judgment are shut out from the Knowledge of Life and Salvation and of the Inheritance of the Father in that state of enmity wherein every man in the World is fallen into and by one the Offence came and so death upon all men which reigneth in the hearts of all and opposeth the Life of the Creator and everyone is imperfect in the sight of the Lord blind deaf dumb lame and without the sence of the Power of him that made him and brought him forth his Eye sees not for it is covered with a vail of darkness neither doth the Ear hear for it is stopped nor the Tongue speak nor the Understanding perceive any thing of the Secrets of the Lord but all are separated and divided from the Tree of Life and are cast out from his Presence by whom the World was made into blindness of heart and to the loathing of your selves and are more ignorant of your Maker then the Ox is of his Owner or the Asse of his Masters Crib for you know not him that gives you life and all good things and that upholds you by the Word of his Power And this is his Word unto you all You are all under the power of Satan and subject to his will acting in iniquity and in evil bringing forth the fruits of death from that ground in which you now stand which is cursed and your Maker hath no pleasure in it for your fruits grieve his Spirit that made you and vex his Soul that brought you forth for man is degenerated into the plant of a strange Vine and brings forth wild Grapes and cursed Fruit which are of a bitter taste unto the Lord's Soul who planted all things for himself who is the good Husbandman but the whole Earth is corrupted and all Mankind in it and man is not now acted nor led nor ruled in his heart by the Power that made him which gives him all good things but the power of Satan the Serpent the old Dragon which deceived from the beginning who is in the enmity against the Life of the Creator he acts man and rules man to the abuse of all Creatures and to his own destruction and every particular man is liable to the wrath and to the curse and to everlasting wo and misery and torment from his Maker in that state of disobedience whereinto all mankind is fallen not one upon the face of the Earth excepted from transgression and so from misery nor none priviledged one above another unto happiness but as I have said Male and Female who were made in the Image of their Maker in the first Creation but now every man in the whole World is in the enmity against the Life of the Power that made him and is a Child of wrath and shut up in blindness and unbelief under the Devils power which power abode not in the Truth but is out of the Truth and all mankind is left in this condition without Help or Helper or Deliverance or Means or Way of Salvation from himself or any other Creature upon the face of the whole Earth but is a Sheep without a Shepherd straying and wandring in the thoughts of his own heart after vanity and that wherein there is no profit to the Lord nor to his own Soul but death and sorrow in all his wayes having forsaken the Fountain of living Waters and gone a whoring after other Lovers and defiled himself and so brought destruction upon himself by his own doings who abounds in all Evil Lying Theft Murder Envy Strife stealing and Whoredom and such like which are the fruits of the Ground that is cursed for mans sake But now unto all People the Sons and Daughters of Adam the first man that ever was made Though you be thus fallen into misery by transgression and helpless from your selves or from any other Creature yet hath the living God the Power which made you and which you have transgressed against ordained and prepared a Way to be restored and healed and to be brought to the injoyment and feeling of the Creator from the disobedience and from the curse and misery unto the blessing and happiness and unto all mankind in particular is prepared a Way out of Death unto Life out of the loss which every man hath received in Transgression to Salvation and Redemption and Deliverance out of the captivity and bondage which all are fallen into into liberty and freedom to serve his Maker and to glorifie him for he hath not been served nor glorified but grieved and vexed by all men on the Earth and so he hath brought misery and the curse upon all by forsaking them and leaving them under the Power which made them not to be led and guided by it in rebellion unto destruction And now this same Power by which man was made is mans Restorer and Deliverer and Redeemer and Saviour though he hath transgressed against it for when there was none to help noâ— to save of any creature upon the face of the
hope of Salvation and his Shepheard to feed him and perserve him at all times though he may be tempted yet he is not overcome for God is his strength though he may be tryed yet he is not forsaken of the Lord though he may be cast into the Fire it is not to consume him for the Lord is with him all things he receives as from the Hand of God and all Creatures he enjoyes in the Covenant with God and Peace is in all his ways for it is the Lord that works in him both to will and to do of his own Good Pleasure and this is the state of the new man brought forth in Conversion which is a turning of the Creature from the power of Satan which rules in every man before Conversion to the Power of God which is the Ruler of every man that is truly converted and this is the Truth as it is in Jesus which I have received from God he that can receive it let him and if any have an Ear let him Hear what the Spirit saith this Conversion of the Creature is wrought by the Spirit of God through the Ministry sent of him and even for this cause have we received the Ministry of God through the Holy Ghost that we might publish these things abroad that all people may come to the knowledge of them and may taste and handle and feel of the same Word of Life in themselves which will reveal the Knowledge of these things to them that they may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son And now be it known to all the World and to all people in it that the Lord hath raised up a People and brought forth a Seed to bear witness of his Name and of his Dominion and Power in all the Earth and of these Truths with many more which are but one in Christ Jesus hath God given us the perfect Knowledge of even wrought them in us and revealed them to us by the eternal Spirit and as that same Spirit doth and shall move in us do we and shall we bear witness of these Truths unto all People upon Earth whatsoever both by Doctrine and Conversation holding forth the Testimony unto others which we have received of God that Christ may be exalted and his Kingdom set up in the World And in comparison of this that we may serve God in our Generation by bearing witness of these things which we have heard and seen nothing of this World our Liberty our Life not any other thing whatsoever is dear unto us yea even for this cause that the Name of the Lord may be testified of do we give up our selves continually to suffer all manner of evil in words or works and we love not our lives unto death that Truth and Righteousness may be exalted and this is the cause wherefore we pass through many Dangers on every hand and are in perils often and we are not nor cannot be afraid of the face of any man even that the Lord alone may be exalted whose name and Honour and Truth is more dear unto us than any other thing and for it have we forsaken all and counted it as nothing in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ and his Truth herein declared and witnessed to the whole World to whom it shall come and the Light of Christ in every one shall give testimony to it unto which I do onely commend my self and these truths to be witnessed And know ye assuredly that God who is just and righteous in all his Ways it is he that setteth the Way of Life and the way of Death before every man and he hath appeared in this Generation and he hath caused his voyce to be heard in the Earth and he hath set the way of Death and the Way of Life before you and all that perish it is through unbelief and because they do despise the Way which God hath prepared who hath prepared a Way for life and Salvation unto 〈◊〉 People that all may come to Life and Salvation and may not perish and he hath not shut out any Creature before he was brought forth into the World but giveth to every one that cometh into the World a Day of Visitation and a time 〈◊〉 Repentance and Returning that healing may be received from the Lord wâ—â— is the Restorer of lost man and there is not another so that if man perish 〈◊〉 is of himself and not of God who hath so loved Mankind that he hath giveâ— his Son his own Wisdom and his Power into the World that all that doth receive him Christ Jesus may have everlasting Life and they that receive him not they perish because of unbelief whereby they are hardened for destruction and unto such our Gospel the Gospel of God is hid whose Eye iâ— blinded by the God of this World that they cannot see the things which be eternal nor believe in him from whence Life comes and such are stumbling at Chriâ—â— the Foundation and therefore shall be broken and must not inherit the Kingdom of God and unto such though they be wise in the Kingdom 〈◊〉 this World are we become Fools for Christs sake and our Testimony cannot be received by them nor approved of them even them that seek after a Sigâ— and them that seek after Wisdom to such we are not known nor can our Testimony be acceptable to them which is not with enticing words of mans wisdom 〈◊〉 in the demonstration of Gods Spirit and in simplicity of Truth which is of grâ—â—â— Price with the Lord even above knowledg and all wisdom which is of this Worâ—â— which comes to nothing but the Lord will confound that and bring it to nothing for the World by its wisdom doth not know God neither can it receiâ—â— the things of God but is Foolishness in the Sight of God and the wisdom of tâ—â— World Must be offended in him and in the Testimony which is given of him 〈◊〉 the Princes of this World and the Wise men must stumble and fall the poweâ— of the Earth must be offended at him that they may be confounded and brougâ—â— to nought all the Heathen shall rage and the People shall imagine a vain thing But what of all this the Testimony of the Lord is true which he hath given us 〈◊〉 bear of his Name of it we are not ashamed before the face of the whole World and we are armed to suffer for it and not onely to subscribe to the truth of 〈◊〉 with our hand or to declare of it with our Tongue and Pen but also if we 〈◊〉 called to it may seal it with our blood Wherefore this is sent among you all Rulers Teachers and People in all the World this is sent among you as to giâ—â— you the certain knowledge of what we hold and bear witness to which is received of us from God and born witness of to you by his Spirit even those thingâ— with many
have I not spoken the truth and have I not said well herein for you are joyned with all the wicked in the Nation and as Lyars and Swearers and Drunkards persecutes with violence and as the proud and wanton are filled with scorning and singing wicked rimes in the streets even so also are you come in Print and all of you against them called Quakers the Drunkards and Swearers they beat them and abuse them and cast them as for dead into Ditches with stoning in the high wayes and in the streets beating down with Staves and the wanton they sing there rimes in scorn in Ale-houses and Taverns against them and thou and thy Fellowes and Generation appears in open Print slandering and reviling them yet in pretence of zeal for God and all this you do against us who have the witness that we are of God and that the whole World Lyes in wickedness and now are not you all joyned as an Army and do you not shew your selves in the defence of the Draggon what wrong I have done you let the upright in heart judge whether I have given false testimony against you or no and though you have noted it for a Lye in the Margent yet the Lye is thy own who hath gain-said the Truth herein and called it a Lye and I have dealt justly with thee in the sight of God and all that know him and when the Book of thy Conscience is opened thou shalt also confess to this thing when thou standest condemned with them with whom thou art now joyned against us who have the testimony that we are of God and worshippers of the Father in the Spirit and Truth and my words were spoken by the Spirit of the Lord and that in thy Conscience shall witness them in the day of the Lord though now thou opprobriously sayst they are flung into the wind And whereas thou seemest to be greatly offended that I should say part of the first Book is a Corrupted grain of Babylons treasure c. But have not I spoken the Truth herein also when I say I have numbered 〈◊〉 part of your work and this is the sum thereof that part which I have numbered viz. your Lyes and false Reproaches against the Quakers is a corrupted grain yea and of Babylons treasure too I am not ashamed of my words though thou wouldst defend your work by saying Your discourse was of the Birth Righteousness Death Blood c. And of the second coming of the Son of Mary c. To which I say these things and the knowledge of them by the Spirit of God is not counted by me Corrupted nor of Babylon though now I answer as in my last the words I own but thy voice I deny and knows it to be the voice of the stranger and for this saying have I not nor never shall have any burthen upon my Conscience though thou wouldst say it but 't is cleared in the sight of God even though I say all that thou speakest I deny or thy speaking of any thing of the Kingdom of God with thy lying spirit And whereas thou art offended that I should say you are described to be the Flock of Ishmael and of the seed of Cain whose line reacheth to the murdering Priests c. And thou sayst I am very sensorious and utterest many word without knowledge c. Reply Yea your words doth describe your nature for by your voice I know you to be none of Christs sheep and accordingly I judge in just judgement and in true knowledge and doth not falsly sensure nor utter words voi◠of knowledge and my words shall be witnessed by you in the day of the Lord Envy is of Cains nature and seed and in that you are and Lyars are of Ishmaels stock and you are guilty of that let the sober Reader try and you are among the murdering Priests party and close joyned to them in Doctrine and practise especially in writing against us Now no wrong have I done you that thou needest to be troubled and seek to cover your selves by thy fair words in thy answer as if you were righteous but all will not hide you your works make you manifest to be no less then what I have said of you Then farther thou art hot against me in that I say you are found Enemies to Christ revealed in his Saints and this thou hast noted it in the Margent for false but thou dost not well to be angry it is true what I have spoken thy own words do prove it in saying there was nothing in thee to be taken notice of this was a denying of Christ within and such as deny him are found Enemies to him within So the Lye is thy own who hast denyed Truth let the wise Reader judge and thy many words in a pretending Answer will not cover you from the guilt of what I have charged upon you and not falsly and what I have said hitherto is true and not false though thou feigningly say Thou marvels I should be so overseen as to utter so many false things in so little a space nay my understanding was open when I wrot forth that Book at which thou art so tormented that it hath caused thee some Moneths travel in anguish to clear thy self and yet cannot be at rest and thou art over-seen who resists the reproof of thy Wickedness Then thou goest about to justifie thy Brother Burtons words who wickedly laid it down as thou impudently goest to justifie it who joyned in his Accusation and slanders Quakers with Ranters and this wouldst thou justifie we are one against my just Answer which denied them in the fourth page of my first where I said Between Quakers and Ranters there is no more union c. then betwixt Light and Darkness Good and Evil and that Answer stands untouched by thee and is true and in justifying Iohn Burtons wicked Slander thou art more wicked in comparing the Principles and sayst it will appear they agree in one c. Viz. That the Quakers deny Christ to be a real Man Secondly that they fancy him to be God manifest in their flesh Thirdly that they make his humane nature with the fulness of the Godhead to be but a type of God these thing were charged upon us But what a wicked course hast thou taken to clear him by adding thy own wickedness let all consider that reads for doe not I desire in plainness in my first in these words if thou darest lay the Charge only upon the Quakers write in plainness and bring testimony of thy Accusation and thou mayst receive a farther answer but not a word in plain answer to this is returned though soberly desired neither time nor place nor witnesses evidenced to clear your selves of your first Slanders which had been more honest then to have slandered afresh passing over your first but it seems you cannot clear your selves in honesty and so fulfill your wickedness by adding to your Lyes and Slanders as
behold his Invisibility Who can reach his endless Beeing He filleth Heaven and Earth and of his Fulness every Creature in Heaven and Earth receiveth and by him doth subsist though it is only given unto Man-kinde to behold and perceive of him it is only his Gift unto his Saints that fear him to understand of his Wayes and in us he hath opened of his Fulness and Treasure even in our Hearts and the divine Mystery of this Infinite God is revealed and discovered in the Hearts of the Sons of Men whom he hath chosen and he hath given us to enjoy and possess in us a Measure of that fulness that is in himself even a Measure of the same Love and â—ife of the same Mercy and Power and of the same divine Nature and a Measure of the same heavenly quality and property which is in him in all fulness dwelleth in us his Saints by measure even in all that are born of him in whom the Immortal Birth is brought forth which is of his own nature and is Immortal Spiritual Holy Meek Merciful even as the Father for the quality of him that hath begotten is in us that are begotten of him we bear his Image and are of the Father Partakers of his Substance Immortal and Infinite and are one with him in Nature and Fellowship and perfect through him that dwells in us and hath changed us into his likeness these things ye know if ye be born from above and if the Immortal Birth live in you and you be constant in the Faith then are you Heirs through it of the everlasting Inheritance of eternal Life and already have received the Earnest and Assurance thereof and all are yours because you are Christ's and he is God's and you have the Father and the Son And this Life and Immortality is brought forth in us and Infiniteness it self dwells with us and eternity possesseth us and Fulness it self is shed abroad â—n our Hearts and we have the Treasure of Life of Wisdom of Knowledge and of divine Fulness in our Tabernacles of Clay which also are sanctified by his Word and Power to be fit Habitations for the eternal God to dwell in And oh what love is this with which we are beloved by him Oh what Mercy is this of which we partake from him Who are become the Sons of God and Children of the most High in whose earthen Vessels dwells Immortallity and Life and Infinite Substance being gathered into his Shepherds Fold of defence where we have Immortal Food and are established on the holy Mountain where nothing can destroy and are at rest and peace and under the shadow of the Rock of Ages that Hell nor Death nor wrath of Man can terrifie Oh what Eye hath seen this what Ear hath heard it and what Heart hath perceived it and not admired the loving-kindness of the Lord who among you are Witnesses of this that sayes not great and Infinite is the Lord and Immeasurable in Mercy and Truth and Righteousness Oh Friends if you know these things and if ye receive daily of this Fulness and if the Measure of that Immortal Life be risen in you and hath raised up you with it self into its own fulness which once was descended out of its own fulness of eternal Rest and Strength and was manifest in its Measure in poverty and weakness in your Hearts in the feeling of Afflictions and Wrath because of Sin but it descended to suffer all and to bear Transgression that you might be raised with it into its Life and Glory and Fulness and if this be finished and effected in you Oh then how shall you not live to his Glory and Praise in your Generation and in Love and Peace and Unity with himsel and one with another and magnifie him in Soul and Spirit that hath called you and chosen you and now works all your works in you and for you and you live by him because he lives in you But though it is thus that some are entred into the Rest and have received of his fulness and have the Testimony of Life and Assurance in the Father and are risen with Christ yet are you and we and all the Children of the Father so set and placed in this Creation as that there is an Enemy to be ruled over and also a service to be fulfilled by us for the Lord that hath chosen us and therefore watchfulness and faithfulness is required from us and unto this I cannot but exhort you all even to walk in the Fear of the Lord in watchfulness and faithfulness in Humility and Meekness in Truth and Justice and in every good thing and that you fulfill the Will of the Lord in all things whatsoever the Motions of his own Life draws you unto that every Member of his Infinite Body which is highly exalted at his right Hand may be preserved in dominion over Sin and Death and also may shew forth the Honour and Glory and Praise of him who is the Head even Christ whose vertue hath an ointed every Member and is shed abroad through the whole Body I say Friends of every Member is required the duty and service thereunto partaining according as it is placed of him that the Treasure of Life may shew forth its vertue in one manner or another through you all in all well-doing to the glory of him who is God above all and that in the sight of your Enemies whom you know watches for evil and would rejoyce in any occasion against you that they might speak evil of the Lord because of you you may walk without offence in the answer of a good Conscience and if you walk as such as are the Lord's you will cut off all occasions from them that seek it and they will be confounded and you preserved in the blessedness and peace everlasting and you will grow in Immortallity and into the knowledge and fulness thereof more and more till you know the Father even as you are known of him And be not unmindful of the Word of the Lord which begat you which first entred into your Hearts and wrought mightily in you to the wounding and destroying of Death and Enmity and remember the Travel of the dayes past and the Indignation which once you felt because of Sin through the Word of God and the Word endures for ever of which you are begotten and if any appearance of Iniquity or motion thereunto arise in you into desire to be fulfilled the Word will quench it and give you dominion over Sin and Death and save you from the effects thereof for the Word changes not but is the same alwayes but if man change and pervert his Way into Iniquity it reproves and corrects and so delivers him for this Word keeps clean the Heart and it sanctifies and also keeps in subjection the mortal man with all his thoughts desires and actions and destroyes the Man of Sin the sinful Man by whom the whole Creation hath been corrupted and
long sate in Darkness that their Souls may live and be refreshed with the Light of the Living And for this Cause do we Labour and Spend and â—re Spent accounting nothing too dear for us that the Light of Truth may shine abroad and guide the Upright in the perfect Way till the Elect be gathered into the Pasture of Eternal Life and the Son so elivated on the Firmament of Joy and Praises never to go down but the Saying fulfilled There shall be no Night but the Light of the Son shall be as the Light of seven dayes These following Testimonies were written at divers Times as the Lord drew forth my Spirit through the Motions of his Life in me some of them some years since and being cast by among Bundles of Manuscripts and now lately coming to my sight and looking them over I have thought good to send them abroad as being of service to many And this is the Occasion and End of my present publishing these things And to the Iudgment of the Spirit of God in all the Saints do I commend my Labours and myself to be approved Westmoreland the 25th of the 7th Moneth 1661. Who am a Friend to all Men E. B. A DISCOVERY of DIVINE MYSTERIES c. CHAP. I. A Testimony concerning Life and Death and their several Fruits and Effects Distinguished THere is only Life and Death and there is but only Life and Death in the whole Creation that Ruleth and Raigneth in and among and over all the Children of Men and all the Children of Men upon the Face of the Earth are under the Government and Dominion of LIFE or of DEATH in whatsoever they are and in whatsoever they do and Life or Death hath the Rule and Government in every Creature in every Exercise whether of Works or Words and all people upon the Earth are subject to the Government of one or the other and bring forth the Fruits and Works in obedience to Life or to Death and shews them forth in visible appearance Now these two to wit Life and Death are contrary one to the other in Beeing in Nature in Works and Fruits and each of these are known and distinguished the one from the other in Beeing in Nature in Fruits and Effects which diversly they bring forth in this World and each of them hath a Kingdom and Government in himself distinct from and contrary each to other and each of them have their several Subjects which also are contrary in Birth and Generation in quality and kind over which they Rule and Govern and to whom they give distinct Portions and Heirships in this World and hereafter and where Life Rules and reigns Death is held in Captivity and Bondage and where Death lives the Life dies and where one of these brings forth Fruit the other is Barren for they agree not in one but are in all things contrary and the Subjects of the one are alwayes opposing and striving against the Subjects of the other And between Life and Death there is continual War and Strife among the Creatures who are the Subject of the one of them in whatsoever man is and in what he doth First Concerning Life I will speak Life was in the Beginning with God and is without descent and God is Life in himself without beginning or ending of Time Place or Matter and Life put forth it self out of its invisible Beeing into Work and Action in the beginning of the World and appeared in visible Operations and Works and brought forth all Creatures and all things into visible Appearances and Life was the Author of all the Beginning and Foundation of all and Life was and is that Beeing and Vertue of all things that are and it was the Ioy and Delight of all things that it self brought forth for all Things and Creatures subsisted through it and it gave Breath and Life to all Creatures and Life blessed them all and in it were all Creatures at Unity being framed and brought into Visibility and for the Pleasure of Life which was all in all in the Beginning and there was a sweet Concurrance and Harmony in the whole Creation through the Power and Beeing of Life in the midst of all Creatures through which the whole Creation was made and framed by the Eternal Word of Life and through which they stood and did remain 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—sedness and Life ruled and raigned in every Creature that was brought forth and was the Glory and Substance thereof For Life was and is that only begotten of the Father the Son and Heir of the Everlasting Father his express Image and Brightness being one with the Father not separated or divided from him And as for Death it was not yet known nor had it any place in the Creation it had yet received no Power nor Kingdom nor Government neither was it in beeing But Life was all over all through all and in all in the Beginning before Disobedience and Transgression entred to war against Life But Life was Prince Ruler and Governour in and over all the Works of the Creator And Life in its beeing is God and God is Life and in its Government and Fruits and Effects is Purity Righteousness Truth Holiness Meekness and all the Works that are Just and Equal according to God and like him and which shews him forth in the Creation and this was and it was thus in the Beginning before Death entred into the World or had a kingdom But it is written The Devil abode not in the Truth but went out of the Truth and he is the King of Death and hath the Power of it he went out of the Power of God and out of the Life by which all things was made and created and abode not in the Truth nor in the Life to live and act and speak in that but desired to be and became to be something of himself without God and he spoke of himself and acted of himself without the Power and Life and also contrary to the Power and Life of the Creator being separated from it and become a distinct Beeing of himself and then having lost his State and first Condition thus became an Enemy to Life and Truth and became the King of Death and he was the first of Death's Race and he holds the Power of it unto this Day he being gone out of the Truth and out of the Power and Life of God and become a distinct Beeing of himself having a kingdom of his own to promote in Opposition to the Kingdom of God Then he drew Mankind out of the Power and Truth and Life and beguiled Eve and Adam as you may read in the Scriptures and they lost the Life and Power even all Feeling of it and Comfort in it by which they were Created and made and they also transgressed and acted contrary to the Life and Power and acted of themselves and spake of themselves without the Power and Life of their Creator being separated from it and were and did something
of themselves without God the Creator and then the Power and Life cast them out of all Peace Joy and Happiness into the Earth and into Death and Death became the King and Prince over Mankind and they had no more possession of Life nor Blessedness by it in their separated Estate neither did it any longer raign in them but they having transgressed against the Life and acted of themselves and spoken of themselves without the Leadings and Movings of the Life this was their Transgression They went out of the Power and Life in all Motions and Actions and then Life drove them forth of its good Pleasure into the Earth separate from its Vertues and Peace and into Death which is contrary to it self to live in Anguish and Sorrow And so when the Devil was gone out of the Truth and had led Mankind out of the Truth and out of Life and thereby they were all separated from Life and drove out from God out of his Pleasure into his Wrath Then became Death to have a Beeing in Mankind and great Authority and not before and then Death began his Kingdom in the World and over it and he set up his Rule and Government in and among and over all the Children of Men. And so from Transgression came Death that was its Beginning Man having Transgressed against the Life that brought him forth and being separated from Life then Death took place and its kingdom was established over the World and in all the Children of Men in opposition to Life and its Government and Kingdom and Death reigns from Adam so saith the Scripture and the Life was transgressed against and so provoked into an absence and to withdraw it self into invisibility from the enjoyment of Mankind that it should not be felt nor perceived of Him to comfort him and then the whole body of Death came upon Man to load his Conscience and vex his Soul and Death and only Death hath a preheminence over all in Transgression and is established into a Kingdom over sinful Subjects who are under its Command and hath its Rule and Goverment and brings forth its Works and Fruits in Mankind contrary to Life and in opposition to it and to its Kingdom and Power and opposeth the Kingdom and Power of Life the Creature and in its Nature and all its Fruits and Works it is contrary and opposite to Life and its Works and Fruits and through Death is the whole Creation in its exercise by man perverted from the right use and end ordained of God and out of Death proceedeth all evil as Lying Swearing Drunkenness and Whoredom Pride Strife and every evil work and word These things are the Fruits and Works of Death and Death governs the Children of men in the practice of all these things and in transgression Death lives and acts and speaks through Men and Women and Death rules in them and hath perverted them in all their wayes for they have given their Power to it and it wholly Captivates them and is established over them and hath the dominion in them and Life is swallowed up of it And this Kingdom of Death opposeth God and the Kingdom of Life and exalts it self against Life and hath its operation in the Creature in all manner of unrighteousness bringing forth daily such words works fruits and effects as doth oppress and is a burden unto the Life and unto the God of Life and Death and its Kingdom doth continually war and strive against Life and its Kingdom and the one opposeth the other through all Generation since the beginning for the Devil is the King of Death and hath the Power of iâ— and he is King in its Goverment and Ruler in its Dominion and this is the state of all the Children of men in Transgression Death rules and the Kingdom of Death reigns in them and it brings forth cursed fruits through them and they are subjects thereof and in obedience thereunto in all things And through Death which hath Power over them are they separated from Life and have no part nor portion therein because of Death that hath separated them and vailed and clouded them and loads their Consciences But now the Promise of the God of Life is to restore Mankind out of Death and Darkness and that Life shall reign again and subdue Death and destroy it and its Kingdom and swallow it up and this is the Promise of the Father For in Transgression Death hath subdued Life and overcome it in Mankind But in the Restoration Life shall swallow up Death and subdue it and overcome it and this comes to pass through the rising again of Life from under Death which hath held it in bondage and Life that made the World in the beginning and gave to all things Life and substance as I have said which Life in its measure in Mankind hath been overcome and swallowed up in Transgression That Life shall appear though in another manner of appearance than it did in the beginning for then it appeared freely of it self without opposition and brought forth the first Creation But now it doth appear through great opposition and through all that doth oppose it in this second Creation when Life comes again to reign over Death and swallow up and overcome and subdue it and who comes to witness this the new Creation they know Life appearing through opposition and through the destroying of Death and all its works and fruits for CHRIST is the Life and he is the Seed of the Wâ—… which bruiseth the Serpents head who hath the Power of Death Life bruiseth his Head breaketh his Government and destroyes his Works as it appeareth and riseth in the Creature and Death and its Works opposeth Life and its manifestation and appearance and gainsayes it and often quencheth it iâ— its appâ—… Now the first Appearance of Life in the Creature it convinceth and reproveth the works of Death and the words that proceed from Death which are unrighteous words and unrighteous works and Life when it rises it reproves them and condemns them and though Death doth oppose and gainsay the Operation of Life yet Life works through and overcometh subdueth and swalloweth up Death and destroys all its works in the second Creation and Life again comes to take possession of the Creature which it made in the beginning and Life comes to reign again whose Right it is to raign for by it the Creature Mankind and all Creatures were in the beginning formed and brought forth and therefore it is its Right to reign and to have the dominion over the works of its own hands whom since the beginning in Transgression the Devil and Death and his seat of Government has had the possession of and CHRIST the Power of God and the Life hath been as it were dispossessed and thus the first Creation hath been defaced and lost its Glory and it hath been corrupted and degenerated quite from the perfect state as it was created in and Mankind hath
it self forth in a higher appearance and fairer shew than ever it did before for this Mystery hath sate in the Temple of God and shewed it self to be God and been worshipped above all that is called God this Mystery of Iniquity the Man of Sin which hath put on the Sheep's-Clothing and shews it self as the Sheep of Christ and as Christians and Churches all which hath been for many Ages the Manifestation of this Mystery while that the Mystery of the Devil hath not been destroyed but now is the Lord arisen who will discover and destroy this Mystery and save the Creature and in the destruction of this Mystery is the other Mystery revealed to wit The Mystery of God and of Christ and that is the Mystery of Christ that destroyes the Mystery of Antichrist and of the Devil And now the Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty are coming into this Mystery of God Eternal who is blessed for ever and all that is coming to be overthrown which doth oppose it and gainsay it and there is nothing that can destroy or discover this Mystery but the appearance of Christ the Son of God for it is he that doth discover and destroy the Mystery of Iniquity by the Spirit of his Mouth and by the Brightness of his Coming and this are people coming to The Man of Sin is to be thrown down and the Man of Righteousness the Manof God is revealed and Sons and Daughters shall shew him forth in the World and the Mystery of God shall shew it self forth over the World and in Nations and blessed are all they that come to the opening of this Mystery of God which is the Mystery of Life and Eternal Salvation CHAP. III. A Testimony Concerning true Liberty of Conscience what it is in itself and how it is obtained and what the true Guide and Rule is of the Exercise of Conscience THis is my Testimony as I have received from the Lord true Liberty of Conscience is Liberty and Freedom of the Conscience from the Bondage of Sin and all Transgression past and present and from whatsoever hath been or is a Burden or Oppression upon the Conscience whether inward or outward the Conscience I say is at Liberty when it is freed from the Burden of the Guilt of Sin past and from the present Temptation unto Sin And till this is witnessed there is no true Liberty of Conscience for every thing whatsoever which is Sin and Transgression against God in Works or Words brought forth by the Creature is Bondage and a Burden and oppresseth the pure Conscience and therefore perfect Freedom from all Sin and Transgression is Where the Body of Sin and Death is put off and where the Evil is crucified and the guilt of it taken away and where the Conscience is truly exercised by the Spirit of Christ which leadeth into all Truth and preserveth from all Evil then is the Conscience at Liberty and this is true Liberty of Conscience when this is brought forth in the Creature For where Sin is brought forth and Transgression lived in there the Conscience is bound and the Cord of Iniquity imbondageth the Conscience and it hath not its Liberty in the Service of God nor from the Service of the Devil because the Spirit of God doth not exercise it but the spirit of Unrighteousness leadeth the Mind into the Lusts of this World into Lying Swearing Pride Drunkenness Hypocrisie and Idolatry and the guilt of these things burdeneth and presseth down and is a Bondage upon the Conscience And where the Conscience is bound by Unrighteousness within and by the spirit of the World which leadeth contrary to the Lord there is no Power of Man without can set that Conscience free or give Liberty to it because the Cord of Iniquity hath bound it within and the Burden of guilt is upon it and Conscience lies under Bondage unexercised with the Spirit of God which is free and setteth free the Conscience in the practice of all Good and from the Power and Captivity of all Evil. Therefore before true Liberty of Conscience be witnessed or any have true Liberty in Conscience Iniquity must be purged out and Sin crucified and the Body of Death put off and guilt washed away and the Annointing received that leadeth into all Truth and the Blood of Christ the Seed felt that sprinkleeth the Conscience from all Sin and Works of the Flesh and washeth away all that which staineth and defileth the Conscience and then the pure Conscience hath its true Liberty from the Bondage of all Evil and from the guilt thereof and in the Exercise of all good and this is true Liberty of Conscience and thus it is attained and by no other Way nor Means than by the Sword of the Spirit of God which cutteth down the contrary And where Conscience is thus freed within by the Power of the Lord and delivered from the bondage of Evil and from the burden of all guilt and exercised in all good by the Spirit of God Then nothing without nor any Power of Man which may work against such by Persecution and act in opposition to such whose Consciences are thus freed can imbondage the Conscience to God-wards or bring it under a burden to God-wards I say for it is not altogether Bondage of Conscience or the Burden or Oppression upon his Conscience that is set free as aforesaid though he is outwardly persecuted by men for that doth but hinder the Exercise of his Conscience to Manwards but not to God-wards for there his Conscience is free in Joy and Peace though by reason of Persecution he cannot have the Exercise of it to men I say Though such be put in Prison Banished or whatsoever Suffering be laid upon them by any Men or Laws without yet their pure Conscience is Free and at Liberty in it self to God-wards through all this and over it all for the Lord hath set them free from all that Bondage and Guilt of Iniquity which hath been a Bondage upon their Consciences within And whether they do Suffer or have Freedom or Captivity in their Persons from men yet is their pure Conscience at Liberty to God-wards and in perfect freedom in it self and to themselves though for the Name of Christ and his Truth they be persecuted and all Evil done against them by evil men and the exercise of their pure Consciences prevented as to Man-wards For that which defiles the Conscience doth bring it under Bondage but that which keeps it pure and free from pollution that keeps it in Liberty and in perfect freedom to God over all Persecution and Evil Men and Unjust Laws which would exercise dominion in and over the Consciences of the Saints and bring them into Captivity as sometimes their Persons are by Evil Laws and Persecutors But who stand in the Power of the Lord and in the exercise of the Spirit of God which freeth the Conscience in their own particulars as I have said doth not come
was a Spirit and here art thou a Witness against thy self that thou speakest not by the inspiration and moving of the holy Spirit but speakest thy imaginations and lyes in the Name of the Lord And whereas thou sayest In this confused Age there hath appeared variety of spirits pretending to be sent by the everlasting God yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another that their own Opinions may bear rule I Answer Among the Many Pretenders thou speakest of thou art one and it is true you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another that your own Opinions may bear rule and though there be among you variety of Opinions yet by one spirit you act for the Kingdom of the Devil is but one and yet divided and it is at war with it self and therefore it cannot stand and you cannot overthrow one another but one is appearing to overthrow you all and all your Opinions for all you Pretenders are made manifest by your fruits and thereby men may try you for nothing is to be gathered from you but Opinions and airy Imaginations some of you speaking of a God and Christ a far off to believe in others of you speaking of a God and of a Christ within and a far off to believe in thus you feed people by your own imaginations and some of you pretend Revelation others of you denying Revelation and thus you strive to set up your own Opinions but you live all in one nature and are of one Generation and he that walks in the Light seeth you all and comprehendeth you all and judgeth all your Opinions and are redeemed out of all your vain imaginations into the Life of God acting and speaking as the Spirit acteth and speaketh and seeketh to exalt Christ and him to bear rule that all Opinions may be by him thrown down and that by him people may be brought out of a confused Age into the Land of Rest and Peace and Righteousness to serve the true Spiritual God in the Spirit and by the Spirit of his own Son And further thou sayest Some there are that take upon them to speak of a God and of a Christ in the invisible Heavens above the Stars but are uncapable to demonstrate how Christ by his spiritual Word liveth in mens hearts and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his Elect Angels I Answer there are not some but many which lives in and speaks forth their own imaginations upon God and Christ and one of them thou art thy spirit is tryed God who is a Spirit dwells in the Spirit of his Son even in the high and holy Place and with him also who is of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his Word but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen neither can any demonstrate how Christ dwells in the heart but he who witnesseth it through death and where he reigns his Glory is with him and his Elect Angels this I witness but to thy carnal eye it is invisible and by thy carnal wisdom he can never be known Christ and his spiritual Word is not to be divided though thy sensual spirit would divide them but by the Flaming Sword thou that speakest art divided from both and shalt know neither but to thy condemnation And further thou sayest Others there are which speak of an eternal Spirit or Christ only in the Consciences of men as if there were no Creator or Christ at all visibly reigning upon his Throne of immortal Glory I answer they who talk of an eternal Spirit or Christ in the Conscience by hearsay or of other mens words without as thou dost and doth not in Life and Power witness it from the Father within made manifest such are denyed by them who witness the eternal Spirit dwelling with the contrite heart which Spirit is the Creator which dwells also in the high and holy Place and reigns upon his Throne for ever and who do in Power witness this sees and judges all your carnal imaginations and conceptions of the living God in your carnal minds where he dwells shall no unclean thing enter but is without to be troden in the Wine-Press of his Wrath for ever and ever and by him shall thy carnal conceptions be consumed even by the Breath of his Mouth for he is Eternal and his Throne is Eternal and by the carnal eye shall never be seen And further thou sayst There are some who through unbelief that ever any living Creature had a beginning do affirm there is no God or Christ at all but perishing nature this sort are innumerable witness the lives and conversations of people every where I answer All who do witness the Eternal Spirit made manifest to rule and guide all such do deny and declare against such Opinions for nothing was without beginning but the Eternal Word which was the beginning of all things and will be the end of all things even the destruction of the wicked and the Salvation of them that believe who are born of the immortall Seed and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of God and such do set to their seal there is a God who will reward every one according to their works and bears witness against them who in their lives and conversations denies God as all do who do not witness the eternall Spirit of Christ ruling in the Conscience but talkes of a God in imagination at a distance and such are innumerable and sayes in their hearts there is no God and such are the fools the Scripture speaks of and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars I answer They are considered and by them thy ignorance is made manifest and thy folly disclosed and thy blasphemy who calls thy self the last Witness 1 Quer. In thy first particular thou queriest Whether these men were sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true God is in himself and how he is a distinct Beeing from all living Creatures and how he reigns in the Elect by a created Word Voice or spirituall Motion onely Answ. Those men were not sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach who have not received it and such know not God what he is nor where he is but in their imaginations imagine him to be like a creature by being in a creaturely Place or Habitation God is a Spirit and he is not distinct from living creatures for in him living creatures lives moves and have their beings and he is not far from them nor distinct from them as he spake who was sent by the eternall Spirit to preach he reigns in the Elect not by a created word voice or a created spirituall motion for the Word which lives in the Elect from which voice and motion proceeds is not created but is uncreated even as God is uncreated for God is that Word and here thy ignorance appears by calling the Word which lives
but what is declared of in the Scripture by the Holy Men of God and neither without it nor above or beyond it do we speak I challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted and all the City of London whether we have spoken or declared any thing but what the Scriptures bears witness to and the Light which we declare of is the Light of Christ which the Scripture saith hath enlightened every one that comes into the World and it is not besides the Scripture so as contrary to it but the Scripture bears witness of the Light And here I charge thee with Blasphemy who calls the Pure Light of Christ thick Darkness and that the Light of Christ which is the Light which we declare of hath led men or leads any to contemn God or his Ordinances or Righteousness let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one who blasphemously sayes that the Light of Christ is thick Darkness and leads into contempt of God let the Light in thy own Conscience condemn thee thou Enemy of God for thy Lyes and Slanders and Blasphemy which in this thy Book thou hast uttered And whereas Thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in Christ in the Word of Christ and in the Church and Ordinances of Christ. I answer For the simple Ones sake that they may not be deceived none ever shall see any excellency in those things but who owns and walks in the Light of Christ which lets every one see themselves first and your talking of the same and report of Christ and of his Word and Ordinance is not to know the excellency of those things for death in you talks of the same but the thing in Substance you are ignorant of and you who stumble at the Light wherewith Christ lighteneth every one are above the Door which is the entrance unto the life of these things And so I exhort all to mind the Light of Christ and to walk in it and it will lead unto Christ from whence the Light comes and it will lead to the fulfilling of Christs Words and to the one Bread and to the one Baptism and the Light is the Door and Entrance unto the Life of those things But you who hate the Light and deny it to be in every one hath but the Husk and outward Declaration of those things and are without the Life And whereas thou sayst They that are of God will hear John Peter and Paul and the rest that were the Servants of Christ not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men and Christ Sheep hear his Voyce and a Stranger they will not hear I answer They that are of God do own the writings of all the Servants of Christ but many may profess their words as the Pharisees did the Prophets words and as thou dost now and yet not be of God but children of the Devil but that our conceits are fleshly I do deny for all conceits of the flesh we deny and bears witness against and it shall stand for thy own condition and thy voice is the voice of a stranger and they that are of God will not follow it though thou bringst the Saints words in thy mouth as the Devil did unto Christ yet in the Light of Christ thou art seen and comprehended and from the Light of Christ answered and by it judged to be without the life of those Scriptures which thou speakst of and they are to thee but as an empty sound And whereas thou cites many more Scriptures which are exhortations of the Apostles to the Church and exhorts thy Brethren with them To which I answer as before The Scriptures I do own but to thee thou envious man they do not belong for as in this thy writing thou art proved a Lyar and a Scorner and a Slanderer and a false Accuser and a Blasphemer out of thy own mouth be a Witness against thy self and let all thy whole Assembly bear witness against thee that the Scriptures which were spoken to the Saints who walked in the light and had denyed ungodliness do not belong unto thee who art an hater of the light and lives in the pollutions of the world but the Scriptures will surely be fulfilled upon thee The wicked shall be turned into Hell and the Lyar shall have his portion in the Lake and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepress of the wrath of God without the City and such like And now somthing in answer to some things in the Epistle to the Reader Whereas thou and the rest of you there say although the light hath appeared yet there is a Generation of men in the world that do hate the light and endeavour to put it out crying against the Scriptures of Truth it s a dead letter and against the form of doctrine therein contained To which I answer It is true the light hath appeared Christ who is the Light lightneth every one that comes into the world which light hath appeared in every mans conscience and there is a Generation which hates the light and you are of that Generation which say every man hath not the light and calls the Light of Christ thick darkness and endeavour to put it out and here you have read your own condition though you make a large profession of the Scriptures which is not the light but words declared from the Light as the Iewes did profess the Prophets words but persecuted Christ and spoke against him who was the light and substance of the Prophets words and if you know any who cry against the Scripture and against the doctrine therein contained we cry and declare against such for the Scripture we own in its place to be a true declaration of God of Christ and of the Saints conditions but they are not the light but Christ is the light as themselves bear witness nor are they the Saints guide but the Spirit that gave them forth as they themselves bear testimony neither were the Scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon but they themselves are doctrine and are as they speak he that hath the same spirit which speak them forth reads them and understands them and none else And whereas thou sayst Lest that simple plain meaning men should be kept in Babels darkness or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked for that reason your Book came to publick view I answer truly you are deceived who think to gain into your form the simple plain meaning men by Lies and false Slanders and false Accusation who are simple and plain unto God will descern your deceits and how falsly you have accused the innocent and will see you to be in Babels darkness and who walks in in the light wherewith they are enlightned will see you to be in the errour of the wicked and out of the Truth and it is well for the Truths sake that your Book came forth that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness and
you that were scattered in the cloudy and dark Day and were a prey for the wild Beasts of the Forrest and were driven away as lost Sheep in the Wilderness hath God gathered into the Fold to lie down by the Springs of Living Water in fat Pastures for evermore Your Bread is sure and your Waters never fails a Feast of fat things is made unto you of Wines well refined the Lord is become the Lot of your Inheritance and the Portion of your Cup forever Your Crowns have you laid down at the Feet of the Lamb and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you and let this never repent you for now the Lord will exalt you and Crown you with Immortal Glory The Everlasting Day-Star is risen among you which gives Light unto the Nations and the light of the Sun is as the Light of seven dayes and there is no need of a Candle in your Dwelling but the Lamb is the light thereof fair as the Sun clear as the Moon yea it is he which was dead and is alive and behold he lives for evermore Praise him all ye people praise ye him ye holy Host let all that hath breath praise him for ever Who can express his noble Acts And who can declare his wondrous Works Oh my Soul is ravished and my heart is overcome let me speak that I may be refreshed and let me declare his Wonders among all People The Lord is our King our Judge and our Law-giver and our Rock of defence Just is he in his Judgments who hath avenged us of our Enemies Mercy and Judgment meet Righteousness and Peace do imbrace each other Rejoyce for evermore ye Saints of the most High and tell it to your Children that they may tell it to an other Generation what the Lord hath wrought among you and what his Hand hath brought to pass Salvation is come and plentious Redemption and the dead hath heard the Voyce of the Son of God and liveth Let sorrow and mourning flee away and be ye comforted ye that have mourned and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary for God hath opened the Everlasting Fountain and the Streams run pleasantly which refresh the City of our God He is come and his Reward is with him even he for whom we have waited this is he who is our Life our Peace and our exceeding great Reward the Light of the World is our Saviour but the Worlds Condemner our Peace but the Worlds Torment Glad-tidings glad tidings the acceptable year is come praise ye the Lord ye Sons and daughters of Sion beautifull is your dwelling place and aboundeth with pleasant fruit for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a Garden of lovely branches let the wonders of the Lord never be forgotten nor his works never pass out of your remembrance for he hath wounded and healed killed and made alive raised the dead and slain the living brought out of captivity and bound with chains gathered and scattered brought low and exalted saved and condemned all this hath your eye seen and your ear heard and the Heavens and the Earth hath been burned as a scroule and the indignation of the Lord you have born But the Winter is past and the Summer is come and the Turtle dove and the singing of Birds is heard in our Land O magnifie his Name for ever you are made vessels of honour wherein the everlasting Treasure abideth which never waxeth old the voyce of the Bridegroom is heard among you and how can you have any more sorrow instead of weeping rejoycing and instead of heaviness of heart fulness of everlasting joy the Lord hath fulfilled his promise and made good his word and his Law and Covenant is with you and from you doth the Law go forth and the powerfull Word of Life and Death soundeth out of your Dwelling and you are Gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all Nations some of you by suffering and some by declaring Oh endless love and life and riches an eternal Crown is upon your heads and your suffering which hath not been a little is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shall be revealed I speak to you who have an ear to hear my soul and heart is comforted in you in the midst of my burdens and sufferings who is separated from you outwardly yet joyned and united to you by the Spirit which is unlimited which doth comprehend all Nations yea I behold your beauty afar off and my heart is ravished with it and I am sick of love let his works praise him forever which he hath wrought for his Dwelling is with you in the Light unto which no mortaleye can approach The new Ierusalem is come down from Heaven and no unclean can enter but you are made white with the blood of the Lamb and purged as silver and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given and the way is prepared and the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and the Way of the Lord is pleasant to you and his Commands are not grievous no unclean thing can pass over nor no Lyons Whelps can tread therein but it is called the way of holiness where only the ransomed of the Lord do walk even your Mountain is established upon the top of all hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Sing praises for ever for the Kingdom of endless peace is come which passeth understanding and of glory which on mortall eye can behold and of life which no flesh can live in Oh my beloved come up hither and I will shew you what God hath done from you he hath rebuked the Sea and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about and he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind and be hath given you to feed upon the flesh of Kings and of Captaines Can you call to mind the doings of your God and his marvellous works brought to pass and not cry out in praises for evermore O drink and be refreshed and eat and be satisfied for ever and let your soul delight it self in fatness the planting of the Lord you are and his own purchased Possession he hath separated you from the womb and hath called you out of kindreds and ye are the Royal Seed of the Off-spring of the Lord Almighty and all Nations shall call you blessed And O thou North of England who art counted as desolate and barren and reckoned the least of the Nations yet out of thee did the Branch spring and the Star arise which gives light unto all the Regions round about in thee the Son of Righteousness appeared with wounding and with healing and out of thee the terror of the Lord proceeded which makes the Earth to tremble and be removed out of thee Kings Princes and Prophets did come forth in the Name and Power of the most High which uttered their voices as thunders and
thy Law and defends by thy unrighteous power thy power is limited and it shall be taken from thee and thou shalt be overcome and the Lamb shall get the victory and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting place And thou false Prophet which hath deceived the Nations and scattered the Inhabitants thereof and builded by fraud and daubed with untempered morter thy Judgment is past upon thy head already and the Decree of our God is sealed against thee thy smoke shall ascend for ever and ever and of thy sin there is no forgiveness nor of thy torment no remission Over you do we and shall for ever rejoyce and sing and over your god and your King the Dragon that old Serpent cursed be he and his memorial for ever Ye Lambs of the true Shepherds fold with whom my soul resteth whether ever I behold you outwardly yet my heart is with you and I am one of your fold and I lye down with you under the shadow of the rock upon the Mountain which the beast cannot touch where we are safe from all our enemies and am to you wel known to be read in your hearts in the Record of the Lambs Book of Life and known only to the world by the name of EDWARD BURROUGH Written at Dublin City in Ireland To the Camp of the Lord in England Several Epistles to Friends in LONDON Written in the Year 1655. by E. B. Some of which were subscribed by F. H. who was Fellow-Labourer with him in the Work of the Lord. FRiends of God in the Truth whom the Lord is gathering as desolate Stones to build unto himself a Habitation whom the Lord is bringing back out of Captivity wherein you have been held under the Chains of Darkness in the Land of the shadow of Death the Lord is calling you and chusing you to place his Name in you and to spread forth his glory among you Therefore all dear Friends whose hearts the Lord hath touched by his Love and by his Power be faithful unto God who hath called you and look not out at any thing that is mortal to draw you from the Obedience of the Eternal Light of Jesus Christ which shines clearly in Darkness Resist not the Drawing of the Father but take up the Cross and abide in it daily that your wills may be crucified in which the ground of enmity lodges So all in your own conditions wait in the Fear of the Lord in singleness of heart and in simplicity of mind for the powerful Appearance of the Son of God to be revealed in you to destroy the works of the Devil for where he is not witnessed the works of the Devil stands and the nature of the earthly man in the fall All of you whose minds are turned home to within where the Pearl and the Lost Money is to be found dwell and walk in the pure Fear and Obedience to that of God which is made manifest in you and made known unto you and there will Peace flow in from the Presence of the Lord unto you and refreshment and strength to the Seed and the Pure will live and the Corrupt will die daily Beware every one that have put their hands to the Plow that you look not back at any thing which you have left behind in the World but press on in the strait Way which is the Light which gives no liberty to the fleshly man but which judges and condemns all that hates it and turns from it the Light is the Way that leads to Life and by it as you wait in it the Life will be made manifest which is immortal and your Redemption will be witnessed dwell in the Judgment and in the Burning that the Dross may be consumed and the Pure may be refined and the earthly carnal minds may be confounded and judged The Lord is near unto you wait for his powerful Presence in his own Light to see him and in it to comprehend all the World with all its Profession which leads not to God but keeps in the separation from God your Way is near walking in the Light you will see it and in the Light you will see all the paths and all the wayes of the Harlot which leads into the Chambers of Death look not out at words for that which feeds there is for the Famine but dwell in the Light joyning with the immortal Principle which receives nourishment from the Eternal Fountain which the World knows not nor comprehends as you grow in the Pure and in the Life so you are unknown to the World and your growth will appear by your obedience in the Cross of Christ so take off stumbling at the Cross for such hath no part in the Eternal Inheritance but walk in the Cross which is life to the New-man and death to the Old and so through Death Life is made manifest and the pure Life of God arising in all the World will be trampled upon and denied by you but such amongst you that chuseth the World wrath from God I declare against you and you who knows the way and casts off the Truth and for the love of that which is visible turns from the Truth you cannot escape the Damnation of Hell So all dear and tender hearts abide in the Counsel of God and let not the World overcome your minds but wait for a daily victory over it that so you may with the Saints possess the Eternal Riches and that in you which is carnal and corrupt may be overcome by that which is Eternal and Holy as you abide and walk in the Truth and grow up in the knowledge of the eternal God so our joy will be fulfilled in you and our rejoycing will be encreased by you therefore walk and live in that which God hath made manifest in you which is of himself and the eternal God of Life and Power prosper you and lead you up unto himself to dwell and walk in his Love for evermore Be not troubled at the rage of the World nor at Temptations but stand in the Will of God which hath been declared amongst you that you may all be established and guided by that which is not of this World but by the Principle of Life which is Eternal which judges all the fruits and grounds of Darkness Our love salutes you all who walk in the Truth and our prayers are for you that Life may spring up in you to praise the Lord for ever We are Servants unto you and unto all the Elect Seed of God every where for whose sakes we give our selves to be spent E. B. F. H. To Friends in London ALl Friends whose minds are turned to the Lord by that which is Pure which comes from him who is the Light of the World all mind it that with it your minds may be turned to him from whence it comes out of all the perishing things and out of all the visible to the invisible that so
who saith in your hearts you are the onely people but your lying hearts deceives you and you are found naked and without a covering All ye that desire after the way of the Lord of all sorts of people who are simple and honest hearted whether prophane or professor you have a day of visitation from the Lord yet stretched forth unto you Come ye unto the Lord and forsake all your lovers lay aside your evil hearts which hath led you aside from the way of salvation and now learn the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and mind the one thing needful which is of great prize even the salvation of your souls press after and come out of the broad way of perdition wherein the world goes on to destruction and enter into the strait-way where the unclean walks not cease from all the deceitful wayes and worships of the world and love truth and walk in simplicity Cease from all your Idoll Temples for God dwells not in them but his Saints are his Temples wherein he dwells and walks cease from all your Idoll worships and feigned prayers and praises for God is not worshipped in vain traditions as in observing dayes and times and outward things but in Spirit and truth is he worshipped and such he seeks to worship him and a broken spirit and an upright heart is accepted with him Cease from all your Idol Shepherds and Priests of Baal that preaches for hire and divines for money and seeks for their gain from their quarter for they profit not the people at all who are ever learning while they live upon earth and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth therefore cease from man and wait upon the Lord who is now risen to teach his people by his Spirit in his way of truth and righteousness in his peace and purity where his blessing is received from his presence which is with all that fear him Therefore awake awake out of darkness and love not to slumber in the dark night which long hath ruled over you this is the day of your return and of your visitation wherein the Lord would gather you Therefore resist not the love of the Lord wherein he calls you to repentance from dead works to serve him in righteousness but every one turn your minds inward to the Light of Christ Jesus wherewith every one of you is lightned which light is it which convinceth you of sin and lets you see your evil deeds and whom you have served and how you have spent your time the Light shines in darkness and reveals unto you the secret intents of your dark hearts and doth secretly reprove the wicked purposes of your minds with this light in your consciences your sins are written and all that ever you have done is recorded and this light shall be the swift witness and the condemnation of the wicked in the day of the Lord and by it all your works will be brought to remembrance and your sins will be set in order before you to receive judgement by Christ Jesus And here is the free love and gift of God unto you who hath given you a light to guide you in his way if you own it and wait in it it will manifest the judgements of God against sin in you and will condemn sin in your flesh and will reveal the righteousness of God to be your covering if you dwell in the light it is your Teacher and way unto life eternal and if you bring all your deeds to it it will reprove every evil word and work and give you discerning of things that differ it will manifest the secretest deceit of your heart and winding of the Serpent and will be judge thereof till unrighteousness be taken away and a birth brought forth from above and born of another nature and Seed which if you be not born again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Therefore in the fear of the Lord all consider and search your selves in tender love to all your souls I write You must be judged in the flesh that you may be justified in the Spirit and you must be made poor and emptied of all your knowledge and wisdom that you may be filled and made truly wise So if you believe in Christ Jesus the Light and life of the world your hearts will be cleansed by the word of God which endures for ever and the Covenant of peace will be established with you where sin is no more remembred being condemned so â—ow you have all time this is to you all a warning as I was moved of the Lord. Repent the dreadfull day is at hand and meet the Lord by confessing and forsaking your sins and prepare the way of the Lord his coming draweth near lest his Judgments come upon you unawares and his Wrath sweep you away in fury and your Nation become more cursed then the rest all your applying of Christ's Righteousness whilst your selves are Sinners is to no purpose for no Hypocrite can enter into Life nor none that work wickedness have Eternal Life abiding in them but are in the death which hath passed over all men and the curse remaineth upon the Disobedient and all in the first nature are Children of wrath Therefore every one wait in the Light that you may be changed and take up the daily Cross of Christ that your own wills affections lusts and desires may be crucified and you may become dead to the World and may live unto God in his Nature and Likeness that your souls may be satisfied therewith and all that hunger and thirst after Righteousness shall be filled with the true Food Therefore wait all you that fear the Lord and meet together in his Counsel and wait for his Law that you may walk therein and lay aside the works of Darkness which are made manifest by the Light and also condemned in all that come to Sion Spend not your time in the vain deceits of the World nor follow noâ— the delights thereof for according to your works must you be judged in the day of the Lord. Depart from Iniquity and all the works of the Flesh Pride and Cotousness Lying Swearing and Double-dealing and all the fruits of unrighteousness let them be judged and let the time past be sufficient that you have wrought evil and now return and work Righteousness in God by the Light which all that love works in God And deceive not your selves with a deceitful covering of self-making and self-righteousness professing Scriptures in your carnal minds which was given forth by the Spirit and is not understood but by the same Spirit Whilst the first nature stands alive in you you cannot please God but are in the emnity against him Humble your selves and come down to the Light and search your hearts thereby Wo unto the Lofty and High-minded who will not be instructed but hatâ—â— reproof Wo is unto all Lyars and Swearers and Whoremongers and Vagabonds and prophane Persons
all your Nation of Ireland our very Enemies to prove the contrary though otherwise we stand falsly accused and falsly reputed to be Disturbers and Makers of disorders to the breach of publique Peace and such like grievous things upon the false Information whereof a Warrant was issued out from the chief Ruler and Council of Ireland and we thereby were apprehended in the City of Corke and haled by Guards as Malefactors too before the Council in this City where none of all these false Accusations were or could be proved against us nor the transgression of any known Law could we be convicted of and though occasions were sought against us yet none could be found and though snares were laid for our feet yet were we not entrapped but were cleared in the sight of God witnessed by the Light in all their Consciences and were found innocent and without reproof in the Eye of the Lord and by our innocency were their orders of false Accusations made of none effect and we thus far proved to be guiltless before the Throne of true Judgment Yet notwithstanding contrary to the Light in their own Consciences and contrary to the just Laws of the Nations which afford freedom to the Free-born and Righteous were we committed to Prison without conviction or any guilt charged upon us or the least appearance of evil towards any man's person though falsly accused yet no true testimony given against us whereby our boldness in the Way of the Lord could be discouraged as having the Testimony of the Spirit of God bearing us witness in the Holy Ghost that in all good Conscience towards God and towards man we have lived to this day and so are without reproof in the sight of God and all just Men and though upon search and examination we were found guiltless thus far yet further hath the Enemy the Devil prevailed in cruelty against the Innocent that it is endeavoured that we be banished under the account of Vagabonds which last Accusation is the most false and unrighteous for we challenge this Of whom have we begged or to whom have we been burdensome or whose bread have we eaten for nothing or what evil have we done Where is the testimony of your Slanders But innocently do we suffer these things bearing reproaches and binding the cruelty done unto us as Chains about our necks and as Crowns upon our heads having the assurance that for well doing we suffer these things from the hands of the Rulers through the Lies and Slanders of the Teachers who are in Cain's way of persecution till they have fulfilled their measure of wickedness and be laid waste as the Wilderness And this is our cause and hereby it comes before you by the Light of Christ in your Consciences to be judged if your Hearts be not altogether hardened and your Minds wholly blinded and we lay it at the door to receive sentence from you and without respect of persons holds forth our guiltless cause before you not begging any thing from you but herein to clear our Consciences that you may save your selves from this untoward Generation whose Root is corrupt and Fruit bitterness for while we have breath from the Lord and injoyment of his Presence our duty is to serve the Lord in bearing witness against injustice and all cruelty and oppression and shall appeal to receive justice from the present power which now rules for in the Name of the Lord we challenge our priviledge of freedom as being Free-born till we be accused guilty by the just Law of Equity unto which we are subject for Conscience sake and not to any mans will but by word and writing are bound by the Law of God to bear witness against the unjust proceedings herein of the Heads and Rulers of Dublin and shall seal our witness against them and against their unrighteous Decrees sealed in their cruelty against the Innocent with our blood if thereunto we be called Edw. Burrough Dublin the 26th of the 12th Moneth 1655. A Challenge to the Priests of Dublin to try their God and their Ministry and their Worships WE the Servants and faithful Witnesses of the most High God called and chosen of him and redeemed out of Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who are Ministers of the Word of Life and Reconciliation and Messengers of Glad-tidings and Salvation unto captive and weary Souls our glorying is only in the Lord and not in our selves who are by the World in scorn called Quakers who are at this present in outward bonds for the Testimony of Jesus Christ in Dublin and who have been in the labour and travel of the Gospel of God these six moneths and upwards in this Nation of Ireland according to the Will of God ordained hereunto and moved and commanded by his Eternal Spirit into this his Work for the Seed's sake which is not of this World to the gathering of it into the Fold of Everlasting Peace and to the clearing of the Lord from the blood of his Enemies that they may be left without excuse by his Powerful Word given unto us and uttered by us and herein we are a good savour to God both in them that perish and in them that believe and for this cause have we denied our dearest and nearest Relations and love not our lives unto death that our Testimony we may finish which is committed to us of the Lord and because of this are we Labourers under many burdens and travels in many afflictions and sufferings and are abundantly reproached and our Lord's Truth of which we bear witness greatly infamed by many slandering and back-biting Tongues especially by Teachers and professed Ministers in the ears of their People and Hearers slandering us with being Jesuits and Deceivers and Seducers and Hereticks and Blasphemers and Witches and such like and we of those false Accusations being clear and our Lords Truth the Testimony which we hold wholly innocent and are willing to be tryed and proved and made manifest to the Inhabitants of this City and Nation in the sight of God This therefore am I moved to give forth and hereby in the name of our Living Eternal God of Heaven and Earth whom we serve and worship in that Way which is called Heresie to send it abroad as a Challenge to all you Teachers and pretended Ministers of what sort and form soever and to all you People whom it may really concern and especially to all you in the City of Dublin and Places elsewhere in Ireland to whom this may come that you meet us in the City of Dublin at some publique Place at a convenient time appointed by you at which place and time if the Lord permit by the permission of the Council of Ireland whose Prisoners we are we shall meet you then there to have a fair and sober Dispute in the presence of all People who may desire to be informed or satisfied concerning us and you in these things whereof you can accuse us and also of
things unto your Idol-god hath been your defilement and pollution in the sight of the true God to Images and Pictures have you bowed and have worshipped the Saints Dayes and Names and bowed to their likeness of mans inventions but have slain their life and trodden under foot their nature and glory and buried their righteousness and knowledge in the grave of your wickedness and ignorance and in imaginations have you rested and in vain superstitions have you hoped honouring the Name of Christ and killing his Life the Womb of Darkness are you shut up in upon Earth and it will be your bed for ever in Hell and Death and your Purgatory will deceive you and your cleansing will never come Defiled defiled and loathsome are you in the pure Eye of Light which the secret of your deceit searcheth and your darkness feeleth and shall judge you for ever Rome Italy France and Spain and your Dominions to all your Kings Princes Bishops Priests Jesuits Prelates and Friers and Nuns and whole train of Idolators The Cup of my Vengeance is towards you and the Dreggs thereof you shall drink and my overflowing Whirlwind of Wrath as an inresistable Flood is against your Banks and my Fire of eternal Fury shall burn through your Stubble and my everlasting Light shall make search and inquisition for the blood of my Elect which is found in thy skirts Thou abominable Harlot of loathsome adultery Tremble tremble at my dreadfull living presence ye Worshippers of dead Images the day of repentance is well nigh past your long Idolatry will my long patience turn into everlasting Misery and Judgment and Nations shall see your shame and in the sight of your Lovers shall you be tormented And this from Authority by my Spirit of Glory is sent you a Warning and is the voice of a Trumpet which gives a certain sound against the mighty dreadfull Day of the Lord which upon you is coming to make you a Desolation for ever and ever and the Eternal Decree is sealing against you never to be altered To all you called Protestants of the Eldest sort THus saith the Lord my controversie is against you and my hand will be upon you you have a strong taste of the Bottle wherein the Wine of Fornication is and your scent is leavened with the first vessel of abomination you are seated in darkness pitched upon six of the first Mountains under another Branch of the first Tree Ignorance and are thildren of the first womb begotten in another appearance of the Whores Beauty and are more comly in stature then your eldest Brethren and little is your difference to be discerned from the first Beast in your appearance and nothing at all in the ground you say you believe for Eternal Life but your unbelief will bring upon you everlasting death your talking of Christ and his righteousness imputed which you profess will not cover your infidelity and filthiness for you are in the enmity against his Life the working of the first for life and your believing for life springs both out of one ground and while you say you eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ in the figure you kill and cruifie him in the Substance and art partakers of thy Sisters sins in Whoredom and Idolatry and must partake of her plagues Wo wo will be your Inheritance in the Pit of Earth for ever instead of a heavenly glory which you dream oâ— above the Sky I have armed my Armies to do my work herein which hath in part and will fulfil it to break you to pieces the intents of your heart have been known to be always against my people neither could you bear any appearance oâ— me but blasphemes my Name and Truth in every discovery you have loved darkness upon Earth and in its Chains shall you be bound in the Lake for evermore To all you that are called Presbyterians and Independents THe Lords controversie is against you for you are a higher branch of the first tree deeper rooted in the cursed ground of fleshly and sensual wisdom and the Womb of your conception is the first Whores daughter more comely decked and your Cistern holds the Wine of Fornication at which you drink in a measure her abomination and where you say you believe for Justification and applies the Promises for Savation your works of Wickedness and Hypocrisie will bring Damnation and gains the promise of Condemnation who are in pride and high-mindedness and double-heartedness which is the condition of that promise and you are found wanting every whit the conditions of the Promise of Eternal Liâ—e you have reformed the outward man into the obedience unto another likeness of the Truth without the Life and are as vile in the inward in hypocrisie and self-exalting and hath covered your selves with the Saints words and laid up more in store of the report of their riches then your fore-fathers and now you are become Worshippers of the form and words of the Saints and are grown in the knowledge more then some of your Fathers Children but in extolling the Saints words you limit their Spirit and keeps in Death their Life which was not of the World neither in appearance nor ground and while you say you eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ in secret and separate you put him to death openly and among the multitudes your hearts are full of bitterness against my Remnant whom I have called and aloud you cry Heresie and Error and Blasphemes my Name and loaths the Honey-comb in your full stomachs you worship the same God as your fore-fathers did only in another appearance more refined through stronger wisdom and appears in the reformed old man thinking him to be the new man and deceives your Souls hereby and are zealous in your blindness in your will-worships and feigned humility which is without the knowledge of God and you depend upon your imaginations thinking to have life in the Scripture as they did which put Christ to death and will not come to Christ that you may have liâ—e you are in the knowledge gathered from without you which is natural and in it you are corrupted and some of you are bruitish in your knowledge and are thereby pufft up into pride and vain-glory your separation from the World is sensual and self-separation and differs but a little in your appearance and nothing in the ground for the cursed ground stands within untilled and unbroken and you worship God ignorantly at a distance and feeds upon the report of a thing done many hundred of years ago and your Faith doth not give you victory over the World for it is set in your hearts and the vanities of it without is followed pride and oppression and fulness Some of you are hot and furious in your blind zeal and cannot endure sound Doctrine your fruits will wither and all your knowledge will perish and all your hopes and expectations will fail and all your praises and prayers and all
your good works brought forth in your own wills in that nature in which the enmity lodges is a lame and a blind Sacrifice and of Cain's nature which God accepteth not you are in the liberty of the flesh and the daily Cross of Christ you do not know but lives daily to the World and dies not to it and your knowledge of Christ is without you by what such a Prophet and such an Apostle spoke of him and the witness of the operation of his Spirit and Power you have not in you nor his sufferings you do not know in your life but by your life make him to suffer in you in his Life the horrible filthy thing is commited amongst you and your Teachers are perfect in the false Prophets steps and some of you are as bruit Beasts in their knowledge gathered in by vain study and humane learning through Phylosophy and vain deceit and have large Quarters from which they seek their Gain and through Coveteousness with feigned words make merchandise of souls and are compleat in Balaams way of Idolatry following his Error loving the Wages of unrighteousness teaching for filthy Lucre devouring souls for dishonest Gain by trading with the Scriptures and selling their Imaginations upon them for money gaining many thousand of pounds a year thereby having stolen the Saints words into their unclean hearts uttered forth by them for advantage to themselves when the Lord hath not sent them nor spoken unto them nor ordained them for his service but their Call and Ordination have been by man and their work and testimony of themselves and have not profited you at all and yet you have loved to have it so but what will you do in the end thereof Even you that have been helped and they that have holpen shall both fall together in the Day of the Lord's Recompence which will fall grievously upon you and none shall be able to deliver you but miserable Comforters and Physitians of no value shall all be unto you and your long applyed Promises shall suddenly fly away No Peace from God is to the Wicked neither do I sow Pillows under your Elbows but to the Light in your Consciences I commend these things which Christ hath enlightened every of you withal which shines in Darkness and you cannot it comprehend nor in it believe but at it stumbles and by it shall be broken which if it you loved it would teach you in the Spirit the Living God to worship and would condemn all your set forms of worship in the imaginations the Light is given you of Christ Jesus unto Life Eternal or unto condemnation everlasting when the Hand of the Lord is upon you remember you had Warning and when you are in the Lake and in the Pit remember you had a day of Visitation upon Earth The Light in all your Consciences shall witness Gods Judgments to be just and your mouths shall be stopped To all you that are called Anabaptists WIth you also is the Controversie of the Lord for you are Children of the same seed more purged in the Fire of blind Zeal and begotten in the transforming of the Serpent into more secret hypocrisie and deeper subtilty your covering being larger the greater deceit and abomination lodges under Death reigns among you and your Kingdom is scituate in the Mountains of exaltation and you feed aboundantly in the Valleys of pride and vain glory and are nourished with the bread of prosperity you are grown high and great in your number and have joyned your selves for advantage and glory in your strength having through Policy and Craft and bowing to the beastly power highly exalted your own Horn and by Flattery have gained much of your dominion which you hold in possession by the Law of guile many simple Ones have by your curious colour and bed of fair pretences been deceived to commit Adultry with your Image brought forth in the likeness of the Saints God by imaginations from the Saints words you worship the Practice and exercise of the Saints with the same mind that the Papists do worship their Names and dayes You allow not Idols without nor a vain conversation in the World but you are stricâ—t in observation in your outward conformity in your self-righteousness which is your greatest sin you are cloathed with the Saints words and practices which you have climed up in your own wills to obtain not having entred in by the Door and while you say you eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ in the Saints manner shewing forth his Death till he come to Salvation you kill him as the Heathens do till he appear unto Condemnation and you shew forth daily that you cruciâ—e him in the World eating and drinking to your selves condemnation you say Christ dyed only for you as Elect but your works make manifest that he dies by you as Reprobate You take up a command from the Letter and imitate the Apostles some of you in a lower and some of you in a higher degree in that mind and nature which in the Apostles was crucified and you say Christ commands it when the Letter doth but declare it and you are not led with the same Light which gave forth the Commands declared to observe them but say in such a Verse of such a Chapter such a Command is not having received the Command by the same Spirit Here you are proved to be them which use your tongues and say he saith it when God hath not spoken unto you but as you read it without you as the false Prophets may do the words of the true Prophets and thus you are in the Witchcraft as they were Gal. 3. who take on things in your own wills and observe Commands without from the Letter thereby drawing from the Teachings of God within by the Spirit you are zealous as they were for the Traditions and Figures and cannot see him which is the end of all that which perisheth with the using so you are not dead with Christ from the World who are yet subject to Ordinances which are of the World They that obeyed Christ and followed him were led by the Spirit and not by the Letter for they were not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit and such were judged to be in error and this is your condition who say such are Breakers of Christ's Commands and Makers void of the Scripture and Destroyers of the Ordinances who witness Christ the Substance and him to be King and Judg and Law-giver and in whom and upon whom the Scripture is fulfilled and so it established and the Commands of Christ kept which are in Spirit and his Law daily walked in which condemneth sin And this is not contrary to the Scripture but a fulfilling of it in Principles in Doctrines and in Practise and in Conversation The Apostles were sent to preach the Gospel to every Creature and they were all led by the same Spirit and did not go before it in their own wills
as you do neither did one go from the Command which had been given to another using anothers words and excercising themselves in anothers practises when the Lord had not commanded but such they bare witness against which did use their tongue and transform themselves into the likness of true Prophets and Apostles as you have done and are in the love of the World and only separated in the appearance and not in the ground You stumble at the â—ight and therefore know not the Door of entrance nor where the Commands of Christ are to be received and the Will of God to you is to be known and so your obedience is the conformity in your own wills to that which was the Will of God to another this Sacrifice is also lame and blind and God saith to you Who hath required this at your hand For if you have observed and done all those things which the Declaration of the Law and Gospel doth require you are unprofitable Servants and yet one thing do you lack the dying with Christ and the Sufferings and Cross of Christ is not known but in the liberty of the flesh you are and not in the condition of the Promise to Life Eternal Friends you have ruâ— into the form of Godliness without the Power into a Church which is not in God but of the World into a Baptism which doth not wash away sin for you live in sin and plead for it while you live upon Earth into a Communion which is not with God which no unclean thing can enter into for the Proud and Coveteous partake with you and while some of you have said they that preached for Hire have been Antichristian you your selves are fallen into the same abomination taking Gifts and Rewards and large somes of Money and upholding such who do it Here you are unjust to your own Principle and are for condemnation with the Light in your Consciences Let shame cover your heads ye Hypocrites your covering will not hide you nor your high talking of Christ without you so long professed by you will not justifie you while you are found disobeying this Light in your Consciences which Light is one with God with Christ and with the Spirit in its measure and it doth convince you of sin and is a command to you and would lead you if you walked in it from all iniquity which is the Will of God to you and to that mind which is carnal which ruleth in you the Commands of Christ which are Spiritual are not given nor can be received but say Lo here and Lo there Christ is to be found with the Light you are comprehended which if the least measure of it you did own it would lead you to the Baptism inward of the heart and to the Church which iâ— in God whereof Christ is the Head in every Member and into the Communion with God and to follow the Lamb of God wheresoever he goeth and out of your imitations and liknesses and strife and contention about the words given forth from the Spirit who are in your own unity in Division and several Meanings and divers Constructions and Judgments and several wayes of Obedience and Worships and Belief which by your imaginations you draw from the Scripture which is the Declaration but of the one God and one Truth of one Obedience and of one Faith and thus you exalt the great Image of many mixtures your selves being a chief Member of his body You say the Scripture is your Rule but are divided into Opinions and Conceits contrary to the Scripture every one worshipping that which you imagine from the Scripture not being in the Unity of the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture which is one and not divided in Obedience Worship or Faith and while you say the Scripture is your Rule your lives are squared by the spirit of the Divel and hewn out into Pride and Hypocrisie and love of the World And to you who are called Free-willers who say Christ died for All. HErein you affirm that whereof you are ignorant which may be true in Christ but a Lye unto you for you are not dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World but are alive against him in the World they for whom he died are dead and they who yet live put him to death Free-will unto the wayes and fashions and vanities of the World stands in you you know not the daily Cross of Christ which is unto man's will nor what it is to follow Christ and obey him which is contrary to man's will You say He that is condemned it is because he will not believe this is true in Christ but not in your carnal apprehensions of the natural man in whom there is no power to believe He that hath an ear let him hear There are some true desires among you but your minds are not truly informed to the fulfilling of your desires and your minds are outward and apply peace to that which is for condemnation Your reason and wisdom is corrupted and cannot receive Truth but call it error and this is your sin Death over you hath passed and reigns over you as over all men and your knowledge is in time and you cannot hear of things which were before the World was your wisdom is sensual and your comprehension is strong and the little simplicity in you is betrayed by the subtilty which hath dominion in your Governour Your Crown must be laid down and Fools must you become before you be truly wise or can be crowned with the Lamb. And among the rest Remember you had warning and a Day of visitation before you were destroyed and this shall be by you witnessed in the day of the Lord. To all you who say you wait and believe for the Coming of Christ to Reign in Person upon Earth HEre you the Lord's Controversie which he hath against you The Way of his coming is not prepared but Rocks and Mountains are standing and Valleys are not filled up and rough and crooked is your present way your hopes and expectations in that ground wherein they spring will wither and fade away as the Grass for your hope of his comming hath no whit purified you as he is pure for you are in the flesh and in the liberty of it which is Rebellion to his Reign and Christ is kept in Prison in exile with that mind and the Divel is yet at liberty working in your earthly members and leads you captive into his covenant in his government in seeking your selves and to strengthen your selves in the Kingdom of the World and murmur that any should be above you and that is he which put Christ to death and will not have him to reign in his Power over the Earth and to you what purpose is it to desire the day of his coming for with wrath will he come and with vengeance will â—e appear and will break your Kingdom like a Potters vessel for suddenly will he come but your
expectation will be prevented for his Reign and Kingdom is not of this World Your high nature stands and Satan is not bound nor one of the dayes of the thousand years for his limit is not yet come your minds are outward and they are your own thoughts which are vain you know not of what Spirit you are The Sufferings of Christ must you know before you can see him Reign and through his War must you strive before you can obtain his Victory and him must you own in his convincing you of sin before you can witness his reign in Glory upon Earth over sin To all you that are called Ranters THe Controversie of the Lord God is against you your Seat is in the mystery of iniquity and Satan transformed into an Angel of Light is your god and King and the Kingdom of the second Beast is your Dominion your deadly Wound is falsly healed and Satan thereby hath enlarged his Government you continued not to the end but the Prince of Darkness is more strongly entred and your latter end is worse then your beginning and your last end will be the worst of all while you have scorned self-righteousness your selves have been impudently poluted with the spiritual Wine of Whoredom and though you have cryed against and abhorred the form of Religion your selves have been in the highest power of Iniquity sold to do wickedly and given up to commit sin with greediness glorying in your shame and are become vain in your Imaginations your foolish hearts being darkened because when ye knew God you glorified him not as God The womb of your corruption is the wel-favoured Harlot begotten by the false Prophet Plead with your Mother for she is an Adultress and hath aboundantly gone after other Lovers loving their Bed of Adultry where ever she saw it naked shall she be stripped and set as in the day that she was born and no Mercy shall be to you her Children You had a Convincement under the Law and were brought under condemnation some of you but as the viperous Generation you have fled the wrath and now are become Enemies to the Cross of Christ and turn the Grace of God into wantonness which largly to you appeared which would wholly have sanctified you if iâ— it you had walked but having slain the Witness of God you now are in the cursed peace following Drunkenness and cursed Speaking and Swearing and beastly Lusts and beggerly Vanities sporting your selves as in the day time and you are the Crucifiers of Christ afresh and Putters of him to open shame in the sight of the Heathen And while you speak swelling words of vanity your selves are the Servants of corruption and of sin in the highest degree and free from Righteousness in the least measure doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace and being bound in the Chains of darkness and your professed freedom is devilish stolen by you and is not the Freedom of the Son of God purchased through death you never came through the Law but by your Oaths and Drunkenness and Prophaness have cast it behind your backs you that are in wantonness do kill the Just and you that are in pleasures are dead while you live and you that live in fleshly lusts are in War against your own souls Iezabel is your Prophetess and the Dog that is turned to thâ— Vomit again is your example and seven unclean spirits worse then the first are entred upon you that is your Parable and your House is become the Den of Robbers which was once the House of prayer the Hand of the Lord is against you and his Breath will kindle the torment of Tophet upon you and everlastingly shall it burn upon you and shall not be quenched and your professed love shall be turned into my Wrath and Fury and sin shall you find in its Vengeance though you have seen none in the action and my Witness which you have slain to gain peace shall arise to your everlasting trouble saith the Lord and your myrth shall be turned into everlasting sorrow and your communion in unrighteousness shall become your unity in the just indignation of wrath and your liberty enjoyed in the World shall be turned into your bondage in the â—ake of Fire and your wisdom and knowledge shall rot in the pit and your righteousness and uprightness which once was in you shall never be mentioned to you for your own iniquities shall you bear in the Day of the Lord With the eternal Light you are comprehended your beginning which was in judgment and your time which is in false peace and false liberty and love and fleshly joy and your end which will be everlastingly miserable And though you speak of the Light and what it once wrought yet being from it turned into Darkness bringing forth fruits of Darkness and unrighteousness the Light is your eternal condemnation and because you are the highest stone in the Building of mystery iniquity the greater will be your fall into the Ditch of deeper perdition you have been the greatest dishonourers of the true God and in the way of the upright are you a stumbling unto this day your state is read and your portion is foretold and this prophesie shall not fail but upon your heads shall be fulfilled To all you that are called Seekers and Waiters THe Lord hath many things against you and his Controversie will be with you you are the highest in the Image of many mixtures and your Tent is pitched in the Plains of feigned humility and your goodly building stand upon the Sand repaired and beautified by the scattered stones gathered out of the ruins of the former Cities of confusion among you there is a simplicity and a calm spirit for you have been poured from vessel to vessel and your scent is not so strong as the former neither is your growth so perfect in the mystery of iniquity as by appearing in so perfect a shape of the Serpent you seek not at the true Door nor wait not at the Gates of Life and your seeking will end before life eternal you find for you with the rest stumbles at the Foundation and in him who is the Light of the World and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World you cannot believe you are airy in your words and knowledge and speak of that which through death you never obtained your knowledge is high but it ariseth out of the cursed ground which is not removed in you Form outward you deny but your Form is inward and your chiefest Idol is in your heart and while you say you eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ in the Substance you slay him in his least measure and your wills prophesie a false peace which will be turned into true trouble and when you speak the mans head is covered and the womans head is uncovered and this is a shame that the woman hath not power on her head your Seeking and Waiting is of your selves and
Love undefiled was your Conception begotten by the Word of immortal Life unto the Inheritance incorruptable whereof you are Heirs of the faithful Promise made free by the Son through the slaying of the enmity upon his Cross whereby you are nourished up into Immortallity to reign over Hell and Death and the Grave for evermore With thoughts of eternal Love are you remembred and read in the Lambs book of Life recorded by the eternal Spirit and of the Lord cannot be forgotten Your Mother is a Virgin unspotted and your City is new Ierusalem come down from Heaven and glorious and full of Pleasure is your Dwelling place there is no need of a candle for the Lamb is the Light thereof and the Temple therein Your God is no Image nor your Worship no Imgination nor to the great Image you do not joyn nor his power hath no dominion over you but the Yea and Amen is your Covenant and the I am whom there is none besides is your God and he that lives forever is your Rock and sure Defence and Salvation is appointed your VValls and Bulwarks Gladness is sown for you yea everlasting Mercies shall you reap and your long mourning shall be turned into everlasting Rejoycing and your present Heaviness into durable Joy your VVaters shall be sure and your Bread shall never fail your Fulness shall abound and your Plenty shall be enlarged never more to hunger nor thirst but your little Seed shall become a great Nation and the whole Earth shall be replenished thererewith and your despised Government shall rule over Kingdoms and your Laws shall all the Nations of the Earth become subject unto Ye are no part of the Image of Idolatry but your beginning is the little Stone cut out without a hand and it shall fill the Earth and become a great Mountain whereupon the Fowls of the Heaven shall be refreshed eating the flesh of Kings and Captains You are found faithful in your Tryals and the glory of the VVorld cannot steal away your Hearts you cannot be moved for your feet are set upon a Rock Satan you scorn and the glory of his Kingdom you utterly disdain upon his power you tread and your feet trample under foot his majesty and renown Your King reigns for ever and of his Government and Dominion there shall be no end but the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be given for a Possession to him his Scepter is Righteousness and his Law is Equity and his Statutes are full of Justice and Judgment And thus saith the Lord of Hosts your God and King Because you have been found faithful and have not loved your lives unto death for his Names sake and for his Glories sake but have continually abased your selves and laid down your Crowns that you might honour him therefore you will he honour and exalt and will establish your Kingdom in peace forever and all that riseth up in judgment against you shall be consounded and condemned and his Hand will be against all your Adversaries to their overthrow and dishonour everlastingly You have loved Righteousness and Judgment upon Earth and your Path hath been in Equity and you have born the Affliction and Storm with patience and have endured with joy the Burden of the Oppressor you have been tryed to the bottom and have been found Innocent and without Guile before the Throne of God clothed with the Garments of Uprightness your Light is the Candle of the Lord and your Life and Glory is the Possession of the Most High Babylon is given you for a Prey and the riches of Aegypt is given you for a Spoil and you are free-born Children of the Seed Elect the first Fruits unto God and unto the Lamb your Purchase is obtained through death and your Crown of honour is purchased through suffering and the glory of Babylon is no whit equal for thou excellest in Beauty and Vertue Whereunto shall thy Beauty be compared O thou fair and comly Virgin unto whom shall I liken thee O thou choice and free-born Daughter of Sions King thy long travel of sorrows in the womb of Anguish hath brought forth Children of a comly stature thy Babes are truly lovely upright and faithful-hearted thy Young-men are noble bold and valiant chosen of thy God and Victory is with them thy Virgins are perfect in Beauty pure and undefiled and no spot in their Garments thy Old men are lively and honourable and stedfast in the Path of Righteousness and their gravity shall be truly respected thy Body is perfect in the Lords Record and Remembrance and with an eternal Crown of infinite Glory shall the Righteous Judge honour thee because you have delighted to do his Will and have kept his Covenant undefiled which abides with you for ever sealed and signed unto you by the Spirit of Promise decreed before the World was All Nations shall call you blessed and of your fulness shall they partake Who is like unto you A People saved by the Lord elect and chosen and redeemed out of Kindreds Tongues and People and have a name better then of Sons and Daughters Praise ye the Lord and Glorifie him for evermore Young-men and Maidens Old-men and Children and all that breath Praise you the Lord for thereunto are you called and for this cause are you brought forth Clap your hands and sing for joy of heart your Redeemer is the holy One and your Maker is your Husband I know you and to you am I known and I read you within the Vail and do behold you the Train of the Most High filling his Temple Follow him forever and let his Name be testified of throughout the Earth Make War in Righteousness and prepare your selves to do his service Let not your hands be slack neither be you sloathful in our Lords Design but wound the Head of your Enemies and mannage War against Gog and Magog throughout all Generations Ride on and prosper tread down the fenced Cities and enlarge your dominion and let the Children of Strangers of the Seed of Esau be your Slaves and Bond-men and fill the Earth with your precious Seed and sow it in the morning and in the Evening with-hold not your hand though you are despised of men yet the Lord hath made you truly honorable in his Glory you appear and his Righteousness is your clothing which will never wither and though some of you for a moment suffer Bonds for his Names sake yet you are free everlasting and are not ashamed of your Testimony before the Princes and Nobles of the Earth O Sion thou art desirable because of thy Beauty and thy Dwelling-place is scituate in a very fruitful Hill and thou feedest in the Valleys of fat Pastures of eternal Pleasures where nothing that defiles can enter nor no Devourer treadeth on thy Mountain nor no Lyons Whelp treadeth in thy Path it is the Way of the Ransomed of the Lord who hath blotted out thy Transgressions never more to remember thy Sins thou Seed
Earth the Arm of that Power which made all things stretched forth it self to save the Creatures which were made and that same Power which is transgressed is the Redeemer of all mankind though it is offended and burdened and pressed as a Cart with Sheaves by transgression against the Creator and that is the Power which works out Salvation and Deliverance by slaying the enmity and condemning iniquity and removing the cursed ground out of mans heart that the evil fruits may cease which it brings forth and by this Power all must be saved that ever are saved and delivered from wrath And this all men have been ignorant of and not felt nor known nor tasted of the Life and Power of the Creator though it hath been near unto every one and all men and Creatures live move and have their being by it and sustenance from it and yet man transgresseth it and grieveth it and is not led by it Therefore all People upon Earth consider your condition and state and hearken to the Power that made you a measure of which moveth in the hearts of all mankind upon the face of the Earth and it moveth against the evil and against the defiled and transgressing part in every mans heart that is come into the World and this Power by which all men were made and which they have transgressed against a measure of it from the Father is made manifest to all mankind upon the face of the Earth and convinceth of the evil of Murder and Adultry and such like and condemneth the works which are evil in every particular man whether Heathens or Christians so called and unto all People here is the Way to be restored into covenant with your Maker a measure of his Power in you secretly moves upon you and calls to you to return to it to be led and guided by it in fear and obedience and subjection to it from which you have been driven and against which you have transgressed and this Power the Creator hath sent his Son into the World and given him a Gift unto all mankind and he hath given Light and Understanding to every particular man to know Good from Evil Truth from a Lye Right from Wrong Justice from Injustice and Equity from Falshood And this Power of the Son of God in you doth witness to you and accept you when with it you be guided and when according to it you speak and act and it justifies the good and the right and the equal and excuses all men in that from condemnation but against Lying and Wrong-dealing and Deceit and Injustice it testifies and when you do these things you transgress against that Power that made you which should save you and justifie you and excuse you and with it you are accused and condemned and it brings trouble upon you and the curse of misery and sorrow And this Power in you will search your hearts and try your reins and let you see your thoughts and make manifest unto you the state and condition of mankind who is become Enemy to his Maker in following that which brings death upon which the Wrath remaineth till there be a returning unto the Power by which man was made a measure of which as I have said moveth in the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Adam in all the World And now if every one of you do turn your minds from the World and from the glories and vanities thereof and from the evil which hath possessed you in thoughts and actions and if you stand still for a moment from willing and desiring to your selves and after the World this shall you find secretly moving in you which shall draw you towards the Creator to enjoy him and to see his Glory which none that are still in transgression against him can ever partake of or behold and if to that you hearken within you and heed it and follow it which witnesseth to that Power that made you to be great and mighty and wonderful this will shew that you are short of his Glory And it will condemn evil in you in all thoughts words and actions which proceed out of the cursed ground in which the Creator hath no pleasure and this will take away the vail which is spread over you all and open the blind eye and unstop the deaf ear and bring you to hear and see and understand the things which are eternal which belong unto your peace and if you all come to be guided by that which moves in you all against evil it will lead you up to its self to be renewed and changed out of the evil and from under the Devils power under which every man hath been subject which power hath been out of Truth into the Image and Likeness of the Creator and to be restored to his Inheritance to enjoy Rest and Peace forever And this is the Word of the Creator of Heaven and Earth to you all and to all mankind this is the way unto Redemption and Salvation and unto the Blessing out of all Sorrows and Troubles and Afflictions and Torments and Woes and Miseries which are the Portion forever of all that disobey this Power which moves against evil in you which is the Power of him that made all men and things which move in your hearts against all that which the Creator never placed in you but which are fruits of Darkness I say unto you all This Power in you must you own and believe in and follow and be guided by it and beaâ— its condennation and judgment upon all that which is contrary to it if ever you be restored to the blessed State and all Anger and Wrath and Murder and Lying and Dissembling and Whoredom and Drunkenness and Brutishness and Beastliness and Wontonness Backbiting and Theft and all these things whatsoever must be condemned in you for who act these things are Enemies to the Creator and are led by the Power of Darkness which is the Destroyer of you soul and body and the cause of the curse upon you and the ground of all sorrow and sufferings and afflictions and troubles which come upon that Part in you which is in transgression against the Power of God for there is a birth born of the flesh which brings forth and goes after fleshly wayes fleshly joyes and delights and pleasures and fleshly words and vanities which murder the Just and blind the Eye and grieve your Maker and this birth must not inherit eternal Life but all that ever do inherit must be born again of another Seed and into another Nature where all the former things are passed away for all glories of this World will wither and all your joyes and pleasures will come to an end and you will be left miserable and wretched Therefore Oh Earth Earth and all the Children of Adam in the whole World be Awakened be Awakened stirred up to consider of your state condition for the Creator of all things is risen to gather his People
man to teach them and that take no care what to eat nor what to drink nor what to put on and so witness the promise of God and abide in the Doctrine of Christ these you call Deceivers and idle and careless persons and thus deny the power of what they have professed and herein their minds are corrupt and reprobate concerning Faâ—…ith for Faith is the Substance and purifies the heart from these things which they are guilty of And Peter and Iude also were Witnesses of those Deceivers and false Prophets which Christ prophesied of in their time for they saw such were come and coming which should bring in damnable Heresies and through covetousness with feigned words make merchandise of the people they walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise Government and Dominion presumptuous are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities they speak evil of things that they understand not they have eyes full of adultery and they cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable Souls an heart they have exercised with covetous practises cursed Children which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam who loved the Wages of unrighteousness they themselves are the Servants of corruption ungodly men turning the Grace of God into laciviousness and defile the flesh these are Murmurers Complainers walking after their own lusts and their mouthes speak great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage these be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit And here again I charge it upon the Teachers of this Age that they are of that Generation which came into the World then for they have brought in and do uphold damnable Heresies telling people That sprinkling Infants with water is the Baptism into the Faith and that singing David's Experiences in Rime and Meeter is singing to the glory of God and that a House of Stone is the Temple and Church of God these are damnable Heresies and they do through covetousness make Merchandise of the people if they can get more money at another place thither they will go and thus people are their Merchandise they walâ— after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness they walk in pride and in lust and some of them will be drunk and lye and swear and talk uncleanly and they despise the Saints Government and Dominion for they walk in the wayes of the World in the Customs and Traditions of men and follow their own wills and whom the Spirit of God governs and hath dominion over follows Christ for their Example whose Government and Dominion they are under but they live in pride lust and vanity and according to the flesh and herein they despiâ—â— Government and Dominion and speak evil of this Dignity and of the Mysteries of God revealed in his Saints which they know not nor understand not calling it Error They are presumptuous and self-willed they have presumed to call themselves Ministers of Christ and all the Towns where they live must serve and be subject to their wills and they are adulterated from God after honour and riches and the vanities of the World and they cannot cease from sin themselves for they say None must cease from it while they are on the Earth and herein they beguile many Souls for till sin be ceased from the Soul it is beguiled they have a heart exercised with covetous practises and they follow the way of Balaam and go for gifts and rewards and love the wages of unrighteousness they take money of poor people for sprinkling Infants and for burying the Dead which are covetous practises they take money for Hens and Eggs and for Smoke passing up the Chimney which are unrighteous Wages and thus they have forsaken the right Way of God and of all the Saints which spoke forth the Scripture and in these things they are Servants of corruption and are ungodly men and turn the Grace of God which shines in their Consciences which shews them their ungodly wayes into laciviousness and through the lust they defile the flesh and many of them will murmur and complain for want of Wages even to spend upon their lusts and they speak great swelling words speaking of the fame of Christ of his Life and Death and Resurrection but cannot witness by the Spirit of Christ within them what they speak of him and they have mens persons in admiration because of advantage some of them had the Bishops in admiration and some the King in admiration and now they have others who bear rule in admiration and thus they deceitfully have twined to admire mens persons only because of advantage many of them have separated themselves none who are not of their Judgment must joyn with them in their worship but â—â—ither they nor their Separates have the Spirit of the Living God but do deny 〈◊〉 infallible Spirit and they are sensual in their wayes practises and wisdom â—â—d these have deceived many even whole Nations And here you see plainly when the Deceivers and false Prophets came in they were come and coming in in the Apostles dayes and then was the Prophesie of Christ fulfilling and fulfilled and the Apostle suffered under Tyrants and were put to cruel deaths and then they came in more fully for since the Apostles days hath been a great Apostacy and many Forms of Worship and Wayes of Religion have been imitated from the Letter through imaginations and but one Generation of Teachers though one above another in the comprehension sensual wisdom and at enmity one against another though all in one birth and nature But they are all discovered by the Light Praises from all that know God to him for ever Since the Apostles dayes hath darkness been spread over all though the Lord had some which he preserved for himself in the midst of Apostacy and darkness who the false Prophets are which Christ prophesied of to every honest heart and single eye may be known Christ said By their fruits should they be known and the Fruits of the Teachers of the World are plainly made appear to be the fruits of Deceivers and not of the Ministers of Christ none have gathered Grapes nor Figs from them And thus I have cleared my Conscience in the Presence of God concerning the false Slander and Accusation which the Teachers and People of the world do cast upon us and to that in every ones Conscience it is made appear who they are to whom this Accusation justly belongs Wo unto all you who strive against the Lord and justifie that which the holy men of God which spake forth the Scripture in the Scripture declared against and which condemn that which the holy men of God in the Scriptures justified and witnessed for You who live in Pride in Coveteousness in Double-dealing and in Hypocrisie and in the Lusts of the flesh you strive against the Lord God and against the Light of God which is in your Consciences
the end and numbred thy work into a total sum which is a secret smiting and obscure shooting against the Manifestation or Belief of Christ within which there can be no Salvation without as I have proved and in words only I find thee exalting Christ without and worshipping the name of Mary like the Pope I have good ground so to judge And whereas thou callest the Doctrine of Christ within false Opinions and takeâ—â— in hand to discover it as in Page 203. I say to all honest men who have but any knowledge of the Letter of the Scripture thou art hereby sufficiently discovered who callst the chief thing which is the chief unto Salvation and without which can be none false Opinions God shall judge thee thou wicked heart and much more I need not say but shall leave this to the view of any that are honest to judge so have gone through thy Book and passed by many things only I have spoken to that in which thou hast treated any thing upon us and the Truth I have cleared from many Lyes and Slanders and thy Vail of false Reproaches is rent and our Innocency doth partly appear and thy vail of Hypocrisie is a little removed and thy deceitfull heart weighed and seen And as for the rest of thy Book whicg I have not medled with thus much I say of it I suppose you will confess it was all given forth by one spirit and it is proved some of it is given forth by a lying spirit then let the Reader judge what the rest of it can be though the words be true yet is thy spirit false and at the best what thou hast said is but bearing false witness as to thy self of a true thing I own the words and I deny the voice and here I deal plainly with thee Thou then askst a Question Doth not the Scripture speak of Christ within unto which I further add answer it as thou canst Doth not the Scripture say Christ is within except you be Reprobates And is not this thus much all are reprobate but they in whom Christ is within Answer iâ— plainness and darken not knowledge by words without wisdom And towards the end I find thee making up the sum of thy wickedness with this numbring the Quakers with Ranters Sin Death and the Devil I will not bring a railing Accusation against thee but the Lord rebuke thee thou unclean spirit who hast falsly accused the Innocent to clear thy self from guilt but at thy door guilt lodges and I leave it with thee clear thy self if thou art able And thy wicked Reproaches we patiently bear till the Lord appear for us and we are not greater then our Lord who was said to have a Devil by thy Generation and their measure of wickedness thou fulfils and art one of the Dragons Army against the Lamb and his Followers and thy Weapons are Slanders and thy Refuge is Lyes and thy work is confused and hath hardly gained a name in Babylons Record and by us so much of it at least as is against us is cast by as our spoiled prey and trampled upon in all thy reproachfull speeches who art unclean and of more price to us is thy hatred and envy then thy love can be except the gâ—und were better in which you stand Now a few words I may write in Answer to the Queries in the end of thy Book which thou directst thus Some Questions to the Quakers or a few Queries to those possessed with a Spirit of delusion in this Generation Question 1. If sayst thou that every man hath a measure of the Spirit of Christ within him why say the Scriptures That some are sensual having not the Spirit aâ—â— Christ saith The World cannot receive it John 14. Answ. Some men are sensual and have not the Spirit because they received it not some cannot receive it because they believe not in him from whence it comes yet is the measure of the Spirit given unto every man to profit withal as the Scripture saith And it is given to within him to reprove him of sin but few do receive it and when thou canst learn to distinguish between a thing being given and a receiving of such a thing then thou mayst be answered in thy self It is one thing in God to give the Spirit and another thing in the Creature to receive it He gives it to many that receive it not to follow it and to be guided by it thus far I answer and let them that are led with a spirit of Delusion answer thee further Qu. 2. What is the Church of God redeemed by from under the Law is it by something that is done within them or by something done without them If it be redeemed by something that worketh in them then why did the man Christ Iesus hang upon the Cross in Mount Calvery without the Gates of Jerusalem for the sins of his People and why do the Scriptures say That through this man is preached unto us forgiveness of sins c. Answ. The Church of God is redeemed by Christ Jesus which is revealed within all that believe and Christ Jesus wrought in them mightily and it was he that wrought in them to will and to do this is plain according to Scripture And the man Christ Jesus was hanged upon the Cross on Mount Calvery because they wickedly judged him to be a Blasphemer and through their envy persecuted him to death because he bore witness against them and as in their account he died and hanged upon the Cross for an Evil-doer and this is one ground at least why he hanged upon the Cross and the Scriptures say That through this man is preached the forgiveness of sins because there is no other that can forgive sin nor the blood of any other thing that can take away sin but the Blood of God as it is written And thus far I answer If thou wilt have more seek it from them who are led with a spirit of Delusion Qu. 3. What Scripture have you to prove that Christ is or was crucified within you risen within you ascended within you Answ. There is no Scriptures that mention any one of our particular names and thy Query is raised from thy mis-understanding of us so I judge but Christ is within us that we dare not deny and he is the Lamb that was slain in the streets of the great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt mind spiritually and he is now risen and ascended this we know through Faith in his Name And I leave thee to receive a fuller Answer from them that are led with a spirit of Delusion if they will give it thee Qu. 4. Is that very man that was crucified on Mount Calvery between two Thieves whose Name is Iesus the Son of Mary is he the very Christ of God ye or nay Answ. Yea he is the very Christ of God which was before the World was by whom the World was made who was made
of trouble and of your need in the day of your Integrity yet trouble and destruction shall come upon you and no help from him shall you find till you return to him with all your hearts and spirits and lay down your own crowns and exalt him the Lord of Glory who is now appearing in Power And further you say In the midst of Such unequalled and signal Mercies how greâ— hath been and is your ingratitude and unfruifulness To which I answer Truely have you spoken to your own shame for your ingratitude and unfruitfulness exceed many that went before you which justly were cut off for the very sins of which you are highly guilty and more may I add unto your confession How great hath been and is your Oppressions aâ—â— Pride and Vain-glory and Self-exaltings and hypocritical Fastings and Confessions with your mouths when your hearts are far from the Lord yea 〈◊〉 your Mercies have been unequalled so your sins cannot be numbred as thouâ—… you sinned that grace might abound or did evil that good might come or toâ—… liberty to your own hearts lusts from your former Mercies and Deliverancâ— received Then further you say Should the Lord say unto you as once he did unto Ephraim Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone that same Sentence would be your â—â—sert as insensibility is your crime so it might be too justly made your punishment Answer Yea verily the Lord may say so unto you many of ye Rulers 〈◊〉 England are joyned to Idols let them alone and that same Sentence is your â—…sert but insensibility is not wholly your crime for you have had a day of viâ—tation from the Lord in warning of you by the mouth of his Servants and yâ—â— are not altogether unsensible of your crime of great Oppressions and false Worships and Idol Shepherds Oblations which you are joyned unto and your punishment will justly be the same for the time comes that it shall be Darkness aâ—â— Night upon you and you shall seek the Word of the Lord but shall not 〈◊〉 it for God will smite your Idol Shepherds and break down your Idols Altaâ— of vain Traditions and the Lord will leave you to your selves to wallow iâ— Darkness and in the way of Death and the Servants of the Lord shall leâ— you alone and shall no more weary themselves with seeking to reclaim you And further you say Who hath been melted with Mercy Who hath been broken bâ— Iudgments A sinful Nation A People laden with iniquity A seed of Evil-doâ—â—â— Children that are Corrupters They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the â—…ly One of Israel to Anger they are gone away backwards Why should ye be stricken 〈◊〉 more ye will revolt more and more And further you say As those sad words do Câ—â—racterise us as filthy as those of Judah so if that sad destruction should also be our doom 〈◊〉 could not but acknowledge the Lord is righteous in all his Wayes Answ. Verily few of you have been melted by Mercies or broken by Judgments but are a sinful Nation a People laden with iniquity a feed of Evil-doers and ye have read your own Character fully for you have forsaken the Lord and are Children that are Corrupters and are gone away backward anâ— provoke the Holy One of Israel to Anger and true it is Why should you he stricken any more or warned For you will revolt and turn aside more and more how truly have you numbred up the sum of your own state even to your shame and confusion of face and to the justifying of the Lord when he in Vengeance appears to judge you and even assuredly that sad denunciation will be your doom and the same Judgments shall overtake you when the Seed is gathered out from among you even desolation of Cities and madness of Prophets and God will smite you together with confusion and you shall not bring forth deliverance in the Land neither shall the Nations have peace in your dayes while you revolt when you are stricken and persecute the Innocent when they warn you And in the day of your recompence you shall indeed confess to your condemnation that the Lord is righteous in all his ways and further you say How deeply have you grieved your God in not mourning as you ought for that profainness and bâ—â—â—â—â—ness that is so ripe amongst you even under such means of knowledge and grace and in not being sensible under nor making a sanctified use of those rebukes you have of late received Answ. Yea you have and do daily even in your set days and times of Fasting deeply grieve the Lord God in not mourning and fasting with a heart prepared to the Lord but even in hypocrisie and even for strife and debate indeed ignorance and prophaneness and barrenness abounds among you and you are ripe therein to be cut down for the fire even the more ye are inexcusable because you have neglected the Messages of the Grace of God and means of knowledge from the Mouth of the Lords despised Servants whom you have persecuted even in cruelty some of them unto death and have imprisoned others unjustly while your false Prophets and Diviners have been set up by you who have daubed you with untempered Morter and you have made your hearts unsensible by heardening your hearts against reproof and rebukes which some of you of late have received the Messengers of which rebukes have been evil and shamefully entreated in your Towns Steeple-houses and High-wayes and elsewhere in your Dominions and how should you but be ignorant and prophane and barren while you cannot receive the Message of Light but stumbles at Christ Jesus the Light of the World and cannot believe in the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one of you which is the way to knowledge and to receive righteousness into your Souls and therein to be fruitfull to the Lord. And you say Every individual man hath helpâ—d to fill up the mâ—â—sure of their sâ—… First in not improving â—ercâ—â—s so fully as might hâ—…e been to â—is glory from 〈◊〉 they were received I answer Indeed I believe not one of you may be excused in the sight of God but are all guilty in filling up the measure of transgression and even iâ— not improving mercies to the glory of God for had you improved the great mercies of your Deliverance and Conquest over your Enemies the Nations had been in peace and rest before this day but you strove to glorifie your selves and sought a Kingdom of Riches and Honour to your selves and who might be the greatest and the highest to the pleasure of some and to the grief of others and you improved mercies to your selves and not to him that gave them and therefore is your Dominions filled with distractions and fears and troubles are on every side and your Dominions are as broken Vessels that cannot be joyned together but are full of wickedness and false Sects and Idol-worships and in your own Councels are
avenged on my Oppressors And Vengeance belongâ— to him and he will repay and will destroy the Vineyard with the Plants and Frâ—… thereof and the Bryars and Thorns shall be consumed and he will lay waste anâ— devour and confound all his Enemies in a day when his Indignation goes sorth and his Sword is made bare and his Purpose cometh to pass in rooting out tâ—â— oppressive seed of Evil-doers which have filled his Habitation wherein he sholâ— dwell with cursed Children and a brood of evil Births In the dayes of Christ and his Apostles was the Hand and Power of the 〈◊〉 felt and the Lord gat himself a Name and a Glory and he caused his mâ—…lous Light to spring forth and his Day to dawn and the Day was manifest thaâ— many Prophets and Wise-men had desired to see but was not in their time feeâ— by them and his Power was made known and his Arm was made bare in the sight of many Nations and in that day his Glory was spread abroad and â—is Truth and Way was exalted and his glorious Gospel was declared through 〈◊〉 Earth and the sound of his marvellous Works went forth into all the World Judgment and Mercy was known and Righteousness and Peace was witneâ—… among men and Life and Immortallity was brought to Light through the Gospel and the Word of Life by which all things were created and by which they stand was handled seen felt and tasted and the Lord God in that Age was known to dwell with his People and to walk in them and his Covenant was established with many and his Promises were fulfilled Redemption Deliverance and Salvation was revealed even Christ Jesus the Son God the Prince of Peace And Righteousness was made manifest in the Sons of men and revealed in many who saw God's Glory and were Witnesses of his Majesty and Dominion and were gathered unto him in the Bond of Peace and were his Sons and Daughters and were led by his Spirit in all his Wayes of Truth and Righteousness And many went forth into the World and declared through Nations the things of Gods Kingdom which was come to them and was discovered within them and the Lord God spake from Heaven by his Son unto them and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with Power And the Lord was with them whom he called and made them Wise and their Word powerful and their Message effectual and their Weapons were mighty through God and strong Holds were subdued and the Powers of Death and Darkness were subjected and the Hearts of thousands were turned to God and the Gospel was preached in power through the World and many were brought to God out of Darkness into Light and from Satans Power unto God And the Earth was filled with Light and the mighty and the wise were confounded and the bonds of cruel oppressions were broken and they that set themselves against the Lord and his Way were confounded and scattered and brought to nought though they were many in that Generation How did all the chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees Elders of the People and Rulers and Governours lift up themselves in the Pride of their hearts and took counsel together and persecuted the Innocent and put to Death and Imprisoned the Children of the Most High How did they in the dayes of Christ persecute and seek for his Life till they had taken it from the Earth by their subtilty and wickedness The Apostles and Ministers of Christ were persecuted some were put to death and others suffered grievous things for the Name of Christ and were made a Prey and a Spoil unto Destroyers whose wickedness encreased against the Way of God till it was fulfilled in its measure and the Wicked with their work were dashed to peices and the Lord gave his Way and Truth and Servants dominion and power over all his enemies and whole Nations were brought to the knowledge of God and his Wayes and his Name was glorious and his Kingdom was exalted in the Earth and many were his People who were gathered by him and his powerful Word through the mouth of his Ministers whom he ordained and called who were Fisher-men and such like who were chosen to fulfil his Will and to do his Work and not many Wise-men of the World were called but God chose the foolish things to confound the wise then as he doth now and such were honoured by the Lord and Bearers of his Name and of his Message and Glad-tidings though they were contemned of men yet unto such he gave the authority to overturn the wise and to out-reach the wisdom of this World for they were learned of the Father and had the knowledge of his Wayes though they were unlearned in the Arts and Crafts of men which stand more in pollicy and subtilty then in the Fear and Wisdom of God and in that day the Lord was with his People while his People were with him and he loved them while they stood in his Counsel and he gave them dominion over all their Enemies and they were a Terror to the whole World while the Churches stood in the dread and terror of the Lord of Hosts yea all bowed under them and their feet trod upon the high places of the Earth and they were blessed of the Lord above all People even till they waxed fat and were increased in treasures and thought they had need of nothing and then they forgat God and rebelled against him and became perverse in their wayes and grew into strange Idolatries and Errors and left the Way of Truth and cast God's Law behind them and the Power of Godliness ceased and the form grew and it was exalted more then Power and love waxed cold when iniquity abounded and men became Lovers of themselves more then of the Lord and the Lord and his marvellous Works which had been brought to pass were forgotten and hardness of heart and unbelief entred and then false Prophets and Antichrist came in which Christ had prophesied of and established the form of Godliness without the Power and subverted many even whole Houses and Countries from the simplicity of Christ Jesus so that many became insensible and grew past feeling of the Power and operation of God and their minds became blinded and their ears stopped and God was grieved who had brought up Children and they forgat him and rebelled against him for the Churches became corrupted and lost the Life and Power of God and the Holy Ghost and became Idolaters and Worshippers of Idols and as you may read Paul prophesied that many should depart from the Faith and give heed to seducing spirits and the doctrine of Devils and grievous Woves should enter not sparing the Flock but seeking to devour it and would make havock and merchandise of Souls through coveteousness and filthy Lucre and perillous times would come wherein there should be a Form of Godliness and not the Power and in that Generation before and sooâ— after his decease this
was set up for a season so that Iohn farther saw and said the whole World went after the Beast and false Prophet whom he saw before was come and worshipped the Beast and his Image but a few whose names were written in the Book of Life And as I have said the whole City with the outward Court was trodden down by the Gentiles foot and darkness surprised all and wickedness abounded more and more and the night came upon all as Christ had prophesied and the Beast grew in his dominion till there was hardly any man left to bear witness in the Truth and in the Power of God unto the Name of Jesus but all was subverted into dead Forms and Shadows and Likenesses without Life and the Lord left the Earth as it were and covered himself in the Darkness and became a stranger in the World and did scarce openly speak by Vision nor Dream nor Prophet but all were in the dark and Ignorance abounded and Superstition was exalted the Saints Spirit and Life which they were in and guided by was lost and then they began to worship the Saints Names and Dayes and Words without the Life and Power and that Nature and that same Seed which had persecuted the Saints to death and gainsayed the Power and lost the holy Ghost turned it self into the profession of the Saints Words which were left upon Record and conformed it self into the Saints Practises without the Life Power and holy Ghost And having lost the Power from which the Scripture was given forth and not being guided in the Life which they were in which spoke it forth then from the Scripture in mens own conceptions and thoughts and by their reason without Gods Spirit they set up Likenesses and Images and Sects and Forms and many Heads and many Horns grew upon the Beast which all the World worshipped and went after for they had lost Christ the one Head wherein the Union stood and grew into Idolatry under the many Heads which were upon the Beast who had many Horns which pushed one against another as it is witnessed unto this day do not the Papists and Protestants so called and other Sects risen out of them push one at another to break and tear one another and these have many Heads The Pope he is a Head and the others they have a Head which every one bowes down under his own Head the Pope will not bow to the Protestants Head nor will the Protestants bow to the Papists Head the Presbyterians and Independâ—… and Anabaptists and the rest every one of them bows to their own Head and will not bow to anothers Head and all these with their Horns push one against another to rend one another and all these are from Christ and know not him the one Head of the whole Body and the one Horn of God's Salvation unto aâ— People for Christ which is but one is the Head and the Horn which all the Saints who are now gathered out of this Apostacy and dark Night unto whom the Light again is risen worship Christ the one Head and know him the one Horn which pushes aganist the Devils Kingdom which hath long been set up and rulâ—â— in the Earth among all these who have many Heads and many Horns who are aâ—… of them the very chiefest but in the night fallen in the Apostacy and Daâ—â—ness since the beginning of the reign of the Beast and the coming in of faâ—… Prophets which came in as I have said when the Churches backslided with the Whore also who hath made all Nations and People Drunk with the Wine of be Fornication and the Beast hath reigned over all Nations in his Dominion and Authority and the false Prophet hath prophesied through all Nations And all these came in since the dayes of Christ for he prophesied that iâ— should be so as it is come to pass and they were coming in in the dayes of the Apostles as you may read Paul saw them coming and largely describes their Character in several Epistles And Peter he saw them coming in and described them what such they were and should be and Iude he saw them also and Iohn more fully then any both in his Epistles and Revelations as I have â—â—â—â—ed at And when the Apostles were taken off the Earth some by cruel Deaths and others were banished then they sprung in more fully and grew through all Nations and to this day hath the Beast with his many Heads and many Horns ruled in Nations and been worshipped and his false Prophet hath ever since been defended and hath riden on the Beast through Nations and hath deceived Nations with vanity and error and at this very day the Nations and People are deceived and lie under Darkness in the slavery and bondage under the authority of the Beast and subject to the doctrine of his false Prophets And as I have said Darkness hath been over all and fancies and likenesses without Life have been bowed under and the Power being lost the Form hath been set up one after this sort and another after that according to mens vain conceits and apprehensions upon the Scriptures and not according to the manifestation of the Spirit of God which fulfilleth the Scriptures and brings to live the Life of them So in divers Colours and in divers Appearances and Robes in several forms and shapes of Garments hath the great Whore been decked who hath sat upon the Beast having the false Prophet serving as a Boy or Servant to do whatsoever the Whore listeth and the false Prophet this Servant of the Whore under the power of the Beast hath moved and turned as the Beast would and according as the Whore hath changed her self into other Garments and Colours even so hath the false Prophet changed his Doctrine and Prayers to please the Whore and to keep people under the Government of the Beast It s known in this our day that some who preached and prayed for the King and Bishops do now preach and pray for others even for them who destroyed the King and Bishops so the false Prophets with all his Children are but the Whores Servants who hath made drunk Kings and Princes and great Men and People and Nations with the Cup of Fornication and Abomination in the several Sects and Forms of Worships which have been set up without the power of Godliness for the Baptism of the Spirit being lost and not known then from the Letter by imaginations were several sorts of Baptism brought forth as sprinkling of Infants that dark folly and vain vanity which all these Nations have been deceived withal by the exercise of the false Prophet And when the Gift of the Ministry through the holy Ghost which the Ministers of Christ had was lost and not any more â—…eceived then began men to make Ministers by natural Learning and Arts and Languages and humane Pollicy and when the gift of preaching by the eternal Spirit was lost through the coming in of the
departed from the Faith after the Apostles time which they 〈◊〉 would come and these do seduce and their Doctrines are of the Devil who denies the Truth which the Scripture bears witness of and say Sprinkling Infants 〈◊〉 water when they are two or three dayes old is Baptism into the Faith of Christ this is the Doctrine of the Devil and Lyes they speak in great numbers and in hypocrisie and write them forth to the World in great hypocrisie with feignedness and pretence of holiness and its plain many of their Consciences are seared How do many of them cause the poor people to suffer grievous imprisonment and spoiling of their Goods to the ruin of Families almost for their maintenance as Tythes and such like which if their Consciences were not seared they could not do also some of them cried to the rude wicked People in their Idol-temples Fight Lads for the Gospel and many who have born witness to the Truth and against their deceits have been beat and abused and knocked down as for dead in their presence and their consciences are absolute seared else they would tremble at these things Also the Apostle Peter he saw false Prophets would come in 2 Pet. 2. And false Teachers who would bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and many should follow their pernicious wayes and through covetousness with feigned words they would make Merchandize of people and they would walk after the Flesh in the lust of Uncleanness and despise Government and be presumptuous and self-willed and not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and they would speak evil of things they understand not and their hearts are exercised with coveteous practises and were cursed Children and they sport themselves with their own deceivings and these had forsaken the right Way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ— who loved the Wages of Unrighteousness and these are Clouds that are carried with a Tempest and they speak great swelling words of vanity and while they promise to others liberty themselves are the Servants of corruption and such were Scoffers and Mockers which would come after the Apostles dayes and they would walk after their own lusts And now according to this Prophesie of Peter who saw false Teachers coming in he gave these Characters of them whereby it doth plainly appear that this Generation of Teachers are they and of that Stock which then came in for these bring forth the very same fruits which they did which he spoke of and we know them by their fruits as Christ hath said for these have filled the World with damnable Heresies as holding forth That sprinkling Infants with Water is Baptism into the Faith of Christ and that a Steeple-House is the Church and that singing Davids Experiences in the World among wicked People in Rime and Meeter is singing to the Praise of God and these are damnable Heresies even to the denying the Lord that bought them for they deny the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ given to every man to be the only Teacher and the only Guide of man and they that do deny the Light of Christ with which every man that comes into the World is lighted to be sufficient to lead to Christ and to the Kingdom of God as these Teachers in this Age do they deny the Lord that bought them and many even whole Nations all the World as Iohn saw in the Revelations have followed their pernicious wayes and run after their Idolatry and pernicious wayes of Superstitions and they do make Merchandise of souls through covetousness with their feigned words for where they can make their Bargain to have the most money there they will preach and no where else and if any will give them more the next year they will sell that People and go to another for very covetousness by feigned words and they do walk after the flesh in the lust of Pride and Covetousness which is uncleanness of the flesh and they despise the Saints Government and Order for they will not suffer the Saints to prophesie one by one in their Assemblies according to the Saints Government but do despise that and persecute it by the government of the Beast unto whose government they are subject and not to the Government of Christ and the Saints and thus they are presumptious and self-willed presuming to afflict and cause the Children of God to be cast into Prison and suffering them to be beat and abused by their Flock out of their wicked self-wills and they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and do speak evil of the Wayes of God and of his Truth which they understand not and their hearts are exercised with covetous practises and are cursed Children for they make poor People that have but ten Eggs give them One and that hardly can get any Fewel for the Fire pay them a Fenny for the smoak with many such other exceeding covetous practises as suing men two hundred miles to answer for three Shilling claimed by them for Tythes And these sport themselves in their vanity in their own deceiving and wheâ— they have oppressed People for their Wages and make People pay them for whoâ— they do no work and force Wages from them that never hired them which arâ— unheard of coveteous practises they sport themselves in their pride and lustfâ—lness and they are out of the right Way and gone astray from the Wayes of God which are holy and are in the way of Balaam who went after unrighteous Wages who sought for enchantment against Israel as these do and these loâ—â— unrighteous wages by taking maintenance from People by force unto whom is nothing owing by them and these are carried with a Tempest of every Wiâ—d according as the Powers of the Earth blow these are carried sometimes under such a Government and sometimes against it and so are Clouds carried aboâ—t and are unsettled on the foundation and they speak great words of Christ God and the Scriptures which are but words stolen by them because they are not spoken by the spirit of God but by a lying spirit and they promise to others liberty that they shall receive the Kingdom of God after death and that Christ hath taken away their sins with such like Promises of liberty but themselves are the Servants of corruption living in Pride and Hatred and Coveteousness and these serve sin and are Servants of corruption and they are Scoffers and Mockers and Walkers after their own lusts as it is evident in all mens sight so that according to the Judgmenâ— of Truth we judge these Teachers of this Generation 〈◊〉 be of the same root which then sprang forth for these bring forth the same fruiâ—s as they in that time did and in the Apostacy they have over-spread the whole World And also the Apostle Iude gave a Description of them according as Peter had done he saw certain men creeping in who turned the Grace of God in to Wantonnes and they were
the Spirit and here we witness the Lord is our God and we are his People and he seeth no sin in us who are born of him nor remembers iniquity but his Covenant is with us and the Kingdom is become the Lords and his Dominion is set up where God is all in all where the Prince of Darkness is cast out and this is the End and Substance of all Ministrations which we bear witness of and I do exhort all you that are called of God every where patiently to wait in the way of the Lord and in his Judgements to receive this and to possess it within you that you may be Worshippers of God and Doers of his Will and may have the Witness that you are accepted of him and may know your Calling and Election sure where nothing that defileth can enter but that may be taken away and removed and him you may feel and witness whom Satan hath nothing in who is the Second Adam and cannot be overcome but is greater then the first Adam who was overcome though innocent and is lost from the Presence of God but he in whom there is no sin and who cannot transgress comes to seek and to save that which was lost in sin and to bring back that which was driven away by sin and he is greater then Innocency and overcometh the Devil and is called the Son of God and to him that overcometh who is the Light of the World is all Power given of the Father And know him in you all to be greatest who is not of the World nor cannot bow to the Devil to give you dominion and authority over all the World and the Powers of Hell and Death even he who sealeth up the old Dragon in Perdition never more to deceive And who witnesseth this knoweth the Election which it is not possible to deceive or be deceived and as every one of you have received him who is the Lord from Heaven so let your Faith stand in him and walk in him and let all your Conversations be ordered by him in all pure and blameless walking iâ— the sight of your Enemies that it may be manifest that you are Branches in him and that you have received power to become the Sons of God and that you are Heirs of the Inheritance which shall not fade away And all you that witness this your eye is open to see God and you are clensed from sin by the Word of God and you have received the peace with God and glad tidings from him in your own Souls and this is Salvation by the second Adâ—… herein be established and setled and look not for another for there is not any besides this Saviour and this Salvation but if any preach another believe hiâ— not and if any cry Lo here and lo there is Christ without you go not after them nor follow them but know him within you which is greater then all yea If we our selves or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Jesus then he that lighteth every man that cometh into the World or any other Salvation theâ— God with us let us be accursed for this is the Gospel of our Salvation Christ Jesâ—â— within us the hope of Glory the Power and Wisdom of God to rule and reign iâ— us by which we are changed from death to life and translated from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son And now all Friends and Elect of God who are called and faithfull you that have received this Testimony which God hath given of the Son and which thâ— Son hath given of the Father which in faithfulness hath been testified in this Generation I exhort you all in the fear and Counsel of the Lord take heed to thâ—â— which you have believed and heard and learned of the Father which is tâ—â— Truth as it is in Jesus and shall abide for ever and be not removed from yoâ—… hope nor given to change but mind the Life of God in you all which is immortal and is but one and it answereth to the Lord in Judgments and in Mercies and one to another in that which is righteous and just and witnesseth against all the works of the World which are evil and not wrought in God Ye that know this which is of the Father in you dwell in it and walk in it and be not shaken out of it nor removed from it for it is the Way of Peace unto everlasting Rest where there is no sorrow but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and every one in particular have Salt in your selves to savour withal that you may resist the Wicked One in all his Temptations and may not joyn to any thing which is out of union and contrary to the Life of God and to the Truth which you have received that you may never be betrayed of your Hope nor of the Simplicity which is in Christ Jesus in which the Father is well pleased and let the Light of the World guide you in all things that your works may be wrought in God never to be condemned nor you to suffer loss knowing this first That none are justified by him but them that are led and guided by him and to whom he is a Saviour he is also a Teacher and he is given to Teach in all the Wayes of Truth And now let your fellowship be in the Life and Power of God and know not one another in words only and in shews and in outward appearance but witness one another in the Spirit and in the Truth and have communion there in breaking the Bread of Life that Christ Jesus may be seen to be the Head in you and you Members to serve him and one another all receiving Wisdom from the Head and Vertue from the Vine Christ Jesus that you may abound in Love Mercy and Peace and all the fruits of Righteousness unto the Father and dwell in the Fear and Counsel of God and be subject to his Will not despising the Cross which is the Power of God which slayeth the Birth that is born of the flesh which is not Heir of the Promise but walk in the Cross daily that your Understandings may be kept open to try and discern all spirits whether they be of God and believe not every spirit for lying spirits may arise among your selves and go forth from the Light who are not in the Truth but in the Feignedness and Hypocrisie with false Visions and lying Imaginations handling the Word of God deceitfully and corrupting and perverting the pure Way of God having the Form but not the Power having left the Power and gone from the Light and such utter the Words of Truth without the Life and are but as the Chaff to the Wheat and they are to be denied and resisted and not joyned to lest innocency and simplicity be betrayed and your Faith made void and so you destroyed from the Life of God and Death surprise you and Darkness enter into your
Dwellings and so Unbelief and Doubting and Murmurring and Lustings after evil arise in you and you be perverted from the Worship of the true God and grieve his Righteous Spirit by bowing to Idols and following of other Lovers and so the true God who hath brought you out of Aegypt and made manifest his Power in you be forgotten and the Faith of his Son made Ship-rack of and your latter end be worse then the beginning and the Name of the Lord be dishonoured by you and then wo unto you his Wrath shall suddenly break out against you Wherefore hear and fear and hearken unto the Word of the Lord He hath caused his Light to shine forth and his voice to be heard he hath proclaimed his Name amongst you and hath caused his marvellous Light to approach when you sate in Darkness in the Land of the shadow of death when you were lost he sought you and when you were driven away and scatterred he found you and brought you home when you were in your blood and no eye pittied you he had Mercy upon you and bound you up and healed you when you were dead he said unto you Live and it was so when you were led captive by the Devil under the power of death he broke the Chains and set you free and when there was none to help nor to save his own Arm brought deliverance and salvation and the Way of Life and Peace he set before you And now all this hath his own Arm accomplished that you should be a Praise unto him for evermore now if you walk in the Way which he hath set before you and keep his Covenant which he hath made with you and fulfil his Will and walk in Righteousness in Love and Unity in Meekness Lowliness Humbleness and in Soberness and Watchfulness and in Fear of his Name then shall his Presence never forsake you nor his outstretched Arm cease to defend and preserve you but he shall go before you and be your Reward and he shall be your God and you shall be his People and shall dwell in him and he shall be your Hiding-place and he will be to you a Father and you shall be his Children and his Blessing and Peace shall remain in your Habitations for ever and ever but if any of you turn aside for a thing of naught after vanity and deny the Way of Righteousness and forget the Lord and kick against him and follow the way and counsel of your own hearts and worship other gods and joyn your selves to Strangers and commit Adultery with other Lovers and make the Cross of Christ of none effect and turn from the Light of Christ within you and fulfil your own wills and the desire of your own minds and go out of the fear of the Lord into the liberty of the flesh which is not the Liberty in Christ Jesus and so seek your selves and strive for mastery to be one above another and so surmise evil one against another and the bond of peace be broken and vain contention and strife appear then shall the Rod of God smite you and his Wrath be suddenly kindled against you and you shall not prosper but his Countenance shall be hid and the terrors of the Lord and Lamentations shall possess you and Peace shall flee far from you and such shall be cast out of the Camp of the Lord and shall have no part in the Inheritance but the Blessing shall depart and the Curse shall enter till utter destruction yea and if any of you deny the Lord unto whom his Way is made manifest he will deny you and you shall have no part in him but Vengeance in Flames of Fire will he render upon the Disobedient manifold more then if his Love and Way of Peace had not been made manifest to you and the Light of the World is your condemnation for evermore if you turn from it And in the Presence of the living God I warn you all Believe not that spirit neither follow it which brings any other Message then what hath been declared from the beginning Believe not him which crieth Lo here or Lo there is Christ without you or that draweth from the measure of Christ within you to hearken to or to be taught by any other thing for that spâ—â—â—t is not of the Father which preacheth any other Christ then he that is the Light of the World and lighteâ—â— every man that cometh into the World or bringâ—â—â— any other Message then that God is Light in himself and hath given his Son a Light into the World and this is the true Testimony of the Father and of the Son and he that testifieth any other Message is to be judged and denied he is not a Worshipper of the true God bâ—â— out of the Truth and in the Error and a Deceiver being deceived Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which ministreth to others that which it hath not learned oâ— the Father but hath the words without the Power and liveth not in the Power of what it ministreth forth in words nor is it what it declareth but is in the outward Shews in the Hypocrisâ—â— and Feignedness and reacheth not the Life of God but vaileth and covereth it and that spirit is not of the Father but is to be denyed and judged and not received nor believed Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which is at liberty in the flesh and maketh the offence of the Cross to cease which is exalted out of the Fear of the Lord in the liberty of the earthly which crucifieth the Life and darkeneth the Eye and that spirit will boast of Joy and Peace and Experience and Knowledge and speak high words in the airy Wind and that would lead yoâ— out of your conditions to glory above the Cross till you be past feeling of the Life and that spirit begetteth into Feignedness and Hypocrisie and into the Loâ—e of the World which passeth away and beware of that spirit for it is not of the Father but to be condemned Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which is hasty and forward and rash for that goeth out of God's Counsel and betrayeth the Just and striveth to be greatest and to be above the Weak and despiseth him and would be Master and not a Servant and would rule and not be ruled in the meek and lowly Government of Christ and that spâ—â—it will judge out of thoughts rashly and unsavourly and condemn another in secret in what it self is guilty of beware of that spirit for it is not of God but to be judged with the Life of God Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which seeks it self to have praise of men and to be accounted and would beget into divisions and would have Parties to it self and respects persons and glories in gifts and knowledge and parts more then in the Giver and admires men more then he that gives the encrease and feeds of the knowledg
self-separate Congregations and wait upon the Lord that you may know him to be your Teacher who is the Teacher of all his People and he teacheth in the perfect Way of Peace and Truth and giveth Peace unto all that wait upon him and causeth the heart of the Upright to rejoyce he taketh away sin and removes it from his People and he forgiveth all their iniquities and healeth all their backslidings and blessed are all they that put their their trust in him for he is a God near at hand for he dwells with his People and he is worshipped only in the Spirit and in the Truth He dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped in outward Observations his Soul hath no pleasure among any self-separate People who cry I am holyer then another neither is he well pleased with the Sacrifice of the Proud all their Baptisms and Fellowships and Meetings is but a weariness to the Lords Soul and he hath no pleasure in any of their works who follow their own spirit and are not led with the pure Spirit of God alone but unto every one of sâ—ch will he look who is poor in spirit and of a contrite heart and of a single and upright mind he giveth regard unto every one that fears his Name who thirst and hunger after him in Truth and Righteousness and this is of exceeding great price in the Sight of the Lord yea more then all Offerings and Oblations whatsoever even more then thousands of Rams and ten thousand of Rivers of OYLE Therefore hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord and seek him with an upright Heart and thirst for him as for your daily Food loose not your precious time but call upon his Name while he is near for he is come neer unto many he stands at the door if any will open he will come in and will dwell with them for evermore All sorts of People be Awakened be Awakened How doth the Lord wait to be gratious unto you He even tarrieth for you till you return to him 〈◊〉 his Soul may have pleasure in you who hath long been grieved by you Therefore search your own hearts and see how you stand prepared to meet the Lord by following of his Counsel who hath so loved you and all Man-kind that he hath given his Son into the World to be a Light unto you all and every onâ— of you is lighted by him and with the Light you will know your evil deeds and are convinced of them and reproved for them and with this Light Jesâ—… Christ calleth you Sinners to Repentance to turn from your evil that you may be restored If you love this Light you love Christ who will save you from all your 〈◊〉 and from condemnation If you hate this Light you hate Christ and you â—â—main in your sins to be everlastingly condemned And thus is the Way of Life aâ—â— the way of Death set before you all if you follow the Light of Christ Jesus it will teach you to deny this World and all the vanities of it it will teach you to deny your own wills and the counsels of your own hearts and whatsoever is contrary to God in thought word or action and in all things it will teach you to follow Jesus Christ that you may be justified by him But if you follow not tâ—… Light then you choose your own wayes to follow your own wills and yoâ— own lusts and all temptations and you deny Christ and the Way of Truth and 〈◊〉 the Wrath of God abides upon you for you continue in unbelief and in hardness of heart and are the Servants of sin unto death if you follow not the Ligâ—â— which Christ hath enlightened you withal who lighteth every man that comes â—â—to the World that they may believe and be saved Therefore take heed to the Light if you be guided by it you shall not transgress against God but you wâ—… receive the Power of God to overcome all evil all sin and iniquity will be condemned in you and your hearts will be made clean for the Lord to dwell in whoâ—â— dwelling is in his People and you must all cease from professing of what you 〈◊〉 not possess and from talking of what you do not enjoy for that is Hypocrisie anâ— to be judged So all ye Professors be Awakened Christ without you will not justifie you exâ—… ye know Christ within you the Profession of him will not take away sin not â—â—stifie in the Sight of God except you come to witness the operation of his Spirit 〈◊〉 you to teach you to depart from all evil and to lead you into all good Therefore come to the feeling of the Spirit of Jesus in you and the workiâ—â— of it which changeth reneweth and sanctifieth and bringeth to witness 〈◊〉 same Truth to be manifested in the heart which the Scriptures speak of without and as you receive the same Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures so you will uâ—derstand the Scriptures and by no other means For all your preaching anâ— talking of the Scriptures without the Spirit is but vain babling and that moutâ— is to be stopt for God is not known where the Operation of his Spirit is noâ— felt in the heart nor he cannot be worshipped in Truth but where his Spirit leadâ— and guides Much vain Profession there is in thee O City in which the Lord hath no delight and this is the Testimony of the Lord which I give concerning thee and do yet once more call unto thee as often I have done and do seal the Lords Testimony against thee even against all thy righteousness and against all thy sin which are both alike unto God and both to be condemned Thou hast been warned and thy People and the day of a glorious Visitation hath passed over thee the Lord hath reached unto many and stricken many who have not grieved but carelesly walked and slighted the day of their Visitation and have not hearkened to the Lords Call Unto thousands hath the word of the Lord been declared and the Kingdom of God preached nigh at hand and the very Way of Life and Death hath been set before you for the Lord hath sent to thee to warn â—hee and to shew unto thee what the Counsel of the Lord is and thousands have been reached with the Power of God and convinced of the Way of Life â—nd Peace who yet continue in hardness of heart and disobedience following the â—ounsel of their own hearts and the desire of their own minds which are wholly evil â—ontinually and the condemnation of such will be just in the day of the Lord and greater then theirs to whom the Way of the Lord hath not been known And yet â—mongst thy Thousands who are in the way to destruction the Lord hath a Remâ—ant a Few among so many which are precious unto him and whom his soul deâ—ighteth in who are despised in thee and set at nought and cast out of the saâ—our
against the Lord that made him and he is doing and fulfilling daily the will of the Devil and grieveth the Spirit of God and vexeth his righteous Soul and is subject unto the Curse of Wo and Destruction being ignorant of the Life and Power and Wisdom of the Creator to lead him to guide him and to preserve him but follows the counsel of hisown heart which is evil altogether though he was made upright yet hath he sought out many inventions which are continually abominable unto the Lord the ground in which he stands is corrupted and all his fruit is unpleasant even bitter and evil unto the Lords Taste Man is fallen into the Pit of Misery and Sorrow compassed about with desolation and is left without a Helper from himself or from any other Creature and this in short is the state of all mankind upon the face of the Earth who was planted a noble Vine wholly aright Seed to bring forth good fruit unto his Maker but he is turned into a degenerate plant bringing forth cursed fruits which the Creator hath not pleasure in his best works are not accepted and his evil deeds are condemned because the ground in which he stands is accursed because of disobedience CHAP. V. Concerning the World in general and the state of things as they have been and as now they are this Testimony I give to the whole World DArkness hath been over the face of the Earth and thick darkness hath covered the people for many ages the Beast hath reigned upon the face of the whole Earth and all Nations have been subject to his power and dominion even the Kings and Princes of the Earth have given their power unto him all the World hath wondred after him as it is written and the whole World hath worshipped the Beast and his Image he hath power to kill all that would not worship him both small and great rich and poor even all have been subject to his Government and he hath had power to war against the Saints and to make war with them and to overcome them even all that would not worship him he hath had power to kill The Rule and Government of the SON of God hath not been witnessed among men for Ages nor the true God known nor manifestly worshipped in Spirit and Truth but he hath been as a Stranger among men and they have been ignorant of his Wayes and Judgments and all People have been doing that which is right in the sight of their own eyes and God hath been forgotten dayes without number the Living Fountain hath been forsaken and many broken Cestern have been hewen out which have not holden pure Water Great Evils and continual Abominations have been acted in the sight of God and the measure of iniquity hath been fulfilling through many Generations and it is grown nigh to the full The Law of God hâ—th been made void and his Grace hath been turned into wantonness and all things have been out of good order Kings Princes Rulers Governments Laws and Decrees have been corrupt and not right in the sight of the Lord Oppressions Tyranny and Vain-glory hath abounded in the Nations and Justice and true Judgment have been neglected and Mercy and Truth have been Strangers and the World hath been filled with violence and the whole Earth stained and polluted with Oppressions Injustice and Cruelties and the cry of the poor hath not been heard every one hath sought themselves and not the Lord nor the good one of another the Kings and Princes of the Earth have not been perfect nor upright before the Lord but Vain-glory hath abounded and superstitions and Idolatries hath reigned over them and unrighteousness hath abounded and Self-seeking and they have risen up one against another in quarrelling and destroying one another and to gain one anothers Dominions by Craft and Pollicy and strong hand and the poor have been oppressed and troden down and thousands of thousands destroyed to fulfil the wills and lusts and pride of their hearts all this hath been evil in the sight of the Lord and his soul hath been weary with it by the destruction of his Creatures one by another even Rulers Teachers and people have all been out of the Way and subverted from that wherein God hath pleasure and the Prince of Darkness hath ruled in his dominion swaying all under his Government and even all things both of civil and spiritual concernment hath been out of the Counsel of the Lord. Oh what cruel Injustice and Tyranny in civil Government Oh what abominable Superstitions and Idolatries have been in supposed Church-governments It s a vexation to the spirit of the Lord to consider it and the Righteous soul hath long cried out and mourned under it and because of this is the Lord of Heaven and Earth now risen to overturn to overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws and he will confound and break down all Tyranny and Oppression under which the poor have groaned and â—e will change Times and Laws and Governments there shall be no King ruling but Jesus nor no Government of force but the Government of the Lamb noâ— no Law of effect but the Law of God all that which is otherwise shall be ground to powder the Kingdom of the Most High shall rule amongst men and the Kingdoms of this World shall be changed and shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and the Lord shall be known in the Earth to be the God of Truth of Righteousness Justice and Mercy and Truth shall be exalted and true Judgment shall be set up in the Nations and the Worship in Spirit and in Truth shall he established for the Lord is gathering his numberless number to stand before his Throne without Guile in their Mouthes and without Fault before him CHAP. VI. Concerning mans Restauration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought this Testimony I give unto all People MAns Restauration is a repairing and giving again that which he had lost by transgression and Redemption is a recovering and a winning again and setting free from that wherein man hath been held even all the sons of Adam because of disobedience and Salvation is a saving keeping and preserving from sin and death and disobedience and all the ways thereof and also a saving from wrath and misery and condemnation which are the effects thereof and by the Son of God Christ Jesus is all this wrought manifested and witnessed and Restauration Redemption and Salvation is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam and not in any other and it is wrought by him and by no other and they are the free gift of the Father unto the sons of men no way purchased by the works of the Creature or desert of him but are freely given unto the Creature through the Power and Wisdom of the Creator and onely by Jesus Christ the Son of the eternal God and by the eternal Spirit are they witnessed in all
other things which are good and just and pure but the fruits of the seed of the Serpent are of another nature as Lying Theft Murther Dissimulation Drunkenness and Whordoms Hypocrisie and all Unrighteousness which is not according to God but contrary to him and by these several Fruits proceeding through the Creature do we know every Creature and so judge of him to be the Child of God or the Child of the Devil in the election or in the reprobation for through whom the Fruits of the Seed of God doth spring forth we know such are not of the Devil and through whom the Fruits of the seed of the Serpent do spring forth we know such are not of God And these two Seeds are now striving in the Earth the one against the other and they in whom the Seed of God rules are persecuted by them in whom the seed of the Serpent rules for they in whom the Seed of God rules are born of God and of his Spirit and they in whom the seed of the Serpent rules are born of flesh and minds the things of the flesh which shall not endure for ever and so every one that is born of the flesh is of the seed of the Serpent or the seed of the Serpent rules in him and every one that is born of the Seed of God the Seed of God rules in him such are persecuted for righteousness sake by the seed of the Serpent which is at enmity against the Seed of God which cannot fulfill the will of the Serpents seed nor be subject to his laws for the Seed of God cannot be subject to the Serpents seed in any thing but is subject to God and not to any thing that is contrary to him but rather suffers imprisonment and cruelties and bonds under the Serpents seed than in the least to bow to it So this is the ground of all persecution and enmity which is betwixt the two seeds which seeks the overthrow each of other but who are of the Seed of God knows that they are of God and that the whole World lyes in wickedness under the government of the seed of the Serpent and such where he Seed of God is brought forth hath the testimony in themselves that they are of God and have believed in the Son of God who is the Light of the World and knowes him to be the Foundation and the Rock of Ages and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against him nor the enmity of the Serpents seed overcome him nor they that are Builded on him and this is a Testimony for the Seed of God and against the seed of the Serpent in all the World that it is persecuted of the seed of the Serpent and spoken all manner of evil of by the World according to the words of Christ which are fullfilled upon us to our rejoycing who are of the Seed of God and to the trouble of all our Enemies who are of the seed of the Serpent And otherwise it cannot be but that they who are born of the flesh must persecute them who are born of the Spirit for because of the enmity that is placed between the two feeds the one cannot love the other nor have fellowship the one with the other and which of our Fore-Fathers the Prophets and Disciples of Christ which were of the Seed of God were not persecuted hated and reviled and reproached by your fore-fathers who were of the seed of the Serpent and they no more then you could receive the Knowledge of God and his wayes but ever despised the path thereof and counted the Wisdom of God foolishnesse and stood in the enmity against God and his people and all their ways and they that were of the seed of the Serpent ever called truth error and the way thereof heresie and blalphemie Ieremiah Amos and the rest were called deceivers and mad-men and seducers of the people and evil was done unto them Ieremiah was put in the stocks and in the dungeons by the Rulers of that Generation who were of the seed of the Serpent even the Prophets of God who were sent of God and were witnesses of his Name in truth and righteousness were accounted and called deceivers and were persecuted by imprisonments and some unto death as you may read in the Scripture Ieremiah 20. Amos 7. These with others who were sent of the Lord to bear testimony of God and against the Rulers who executed not true Justice and Judgment but were oppressors of the poor who judged for gifts and rewards and against the false Prophets and Priests that ran and had not been sent who used their tongue and said the Lord said and the Lord had not spoken to them who prophesied falsly and preached for hire and bare rule by their means and made a prey upon the people these were of the seed of the Serpent and did persecute them that bore witness against them that were of the Seed of God The Word of the Lord was even a reproach unto Ieremiah daily and they smote him with the tongue and the chief Governour of the Lords house smote him and put him in the Dungeon And Amos who had been no Prophet nor the son of a Prophet but a herdsman he was persecuted by the Priest of Bethel and was commanded not to Prophesie in the Kings Chappel And Amaziah the Priest complained to Ieroboam the King against Amos the Prophet And Ezekiel the Prophet could not be received of the people for saith the Lord they will not hear thee for they will not hear me and they were a rebelious house and impudent and hard-hearted and would not receive the Prophets words And thus it was in the time of the Apostles and Christ Jesus they were persecuted and some of them put to death for bearing testimony unto the Father whom they were witnesses of and against the World what Reproaches Slanders Beatings Buffetings Scornings Tumults Uproars and all manner of evil did they suffer in their Generation by the seed of the Serpent from the hands of the Rulers and Priests and People Christ was accounted a Deceiver â—nd called a Devil and a Blasphemer and the Apostles were called Hereâ—…icks Deceivers and pestilent fellows movers of sedition destroyers of â—he Law and turners of the World upside down and such like All â—hese were of the Seed of God that were persecuted and the Persecuâ—ors were of the seed of the Serpent which brought forth violence and â—ickedness and false judgement against the Innocent and some were â—ost cruely put to death upon the false account of being Deceivers and Blasâ—hemers If you search through the whole Scripture you may read how the Just â—ere persecuted even from Abel who was of the Seed of God and all â—…at ever were persecuted for righteousness sake were persecuted upon the account of being Evil-doers and the Persecutors judged themselves to be Righteous He was the chief Governor of the House of the Lord that persecuted Ieremiah and the people that smote
the Saints and Churches of Christ look upon them that acted those things to be Ministers of Christ but on the contrary declared against them to be Deceivers So that all you People and you professed Ministers that act those things that the false Prophets acted and all you People that love to have it so and give Hire to your Ministers for Preaching and consent unto it none of you are of the Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because this part of your Practice in Religion is not according but contrary to Scriptures Now substracting all these in these Nations from the whole which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for Ordinances of God and for his Worship none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because these things which you Practice for Religion is not held forth in all the Scriptures by any example or command likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these Nations and that Practice and Profession of Religion which the greatest number follow and exercise themselves in cannot be the true Christian Religion because the Scripture saith Few are in the straight way that leads to Life to wit in the pure and true Religion but many are in the Broad way that leads to destruction and such that are the greatest number who are in the broad way are not in the Religion in the purity thereof as it is held forth in the Scriptures likewise many of you who Practice those things mentioned for Religion are yet unconverted to God but live in wickedness in the Pride and Vanities and in all the evil of this World in Double-dealing in Drunkenness in Whoredom and in the Works of Darkness therefore you are not of the true Christian Religion neither do your walk with God in Purity and Holiness neither are you changed by Christ into his Image nor are guided by his Spirit neither do you live to God in any thing but to this World in all things and your Religion is manifest not to be according to the Scriptures but contrary And so let all people consider whether or no you must be maintained in your Religion Come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called Presbyterians and Independants and all others stand up and prove if you can your Practice in Religion to be according to Scriptures but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned which is practiced by you for Religion to wit Sprinkling of Infants and singing David's experiences in Rhime and Meeter and Worshipping God in set-places as Idol-Temples and preaching for and giving great sums of Money for preaching with other things practiced by you for Religion neither were these things ever commanded in Scriptures neither is there any example for the practise of these things in Scripture by any of the Lords people and therefore you cannot justly own a Title in the Protectors Oath to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of Religion for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that Religion which is according to Scriptures and not them who practiceth those things for Religion which are not according but contrary to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that are called gathered Churches who holds sorth for Doctrine that the Scriptures are the Word by which the World was made and that the Scriptures are the Foundation and that the Scriptures are the Way to Salvation and that the Letter and the Spirit are unseparable and that the Scriptures are both the Writings and the thing fignified and that except a man be Baptized with Water he cannot be saved with such like Doctrines which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the Church of Christ all you are manifest not to be of the Christian Religion because those Doctrines are not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Practice in the Exercise of Religion is but by Imitation from the Scriptures and you are not led by the Spirit of of the Father in what you speak and practice you are not of the true Christian Religion which the Scripture speaks of for the Sons of God and who are of the true Religion are led by the Spirit of God and not by their own Thoughts and Imaginations and the Traditions of men And all that are not led by the Spirit of the Father are not of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and not any that are such can justly own to be protected in their Religion because it is not according to the Scriptures Likewise All ye that do profess the things of God and Christ and that you are Members of the Church of Christ and profess Righteousness and Truth in words and yet live in Pride and the Vanities of this World and in Unrighteousness and the Customs of the Heathen which are vain and are not cleansed from Unrighteousness nor freed from the Body of sin and death neither do answer your Profession with a Conversation shewing that you are not guided with that Spirit whose words you do profess All you are Hypocrites and live in Hypocrisie none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures For the Exercise in true Religion sheweth forth in Life what is prosessed in words Come try your selves and prove your selves all sorts of people for now your Religion is to be try'd what Name soever you go under And all you that practice and profess those things for Religion for which there is neither Command nor President in Scripture your Religion is concluded not to be according to Scriptures and so no Title or Priviledge can any of you justly own of being upheld or maintain'd by the Protector 's Oath But as I have said For sprinkling of Infants and singing of David ' s Experiences in Rhyme and Meeter c. there is neither Command nor President in Scriptures and therefore you that practice those things which I have mention'd for Religion are not of the true Christian Religion which is according to the Scriptures which is to be protected Likewise all ye that persecute by Reproaches or Revilings and Cruelty or that cause the People of God to be persecuted many of you there are in these Nations which profess Religion yet are Envious Persons and Persecutors of the Innocent Hereby it is manifest that you are not of that Religion which is according to Scriptures for the Saints never persecuted any but were themselves persecuted for Righteousness sake so you are not to be protected in such Exercise because it is not according but contrary to the Scriptures for you have no Example from the Saints for professing and practizing Religion and yet persecuting such as are of the true Religion whose Consciences are truly exercised towards God and towards all men Now seeing that it is discovered in part who it is that
thereof and in this same Spirit is the Father alone worshipped and by it God is known and his Promise is fulfilled it witnessing in all things unto the Father and is the Earnest of the Inheritance which fadeth not away and by it know we the deep things of God which the World by wisdom knoweth not and thereby are we seal'd and bound up in Covenant with the Father This is known to you that are Children of the Light and hereof you have the Witness in your selves and of God you are approved and not of men And all ye my Brethren who are call'd into the Work and Ministry of the Gospel unto whom the Word of the Lord is come and the Gospel of Christ to you committed Dwell in the Life of God and feel his Power and Authority and live in the same Life of which you minister to others that you may bring People to God and may effectually turn them from the dominion of sin unto the Dominion of Christ Jesus People may be guided out of Darkness in the marvellous Light Cry aloud spare not proclaim the Mighty Day of the Lord in all the Earth and fear ye not neither be ye dismay'd at the Face of any man but be bold and valiant for the Truth upon Earth and give your Testimony as you have receiv'd from God and preach Christ Jesus the Light of the World unto all People that they may receive him and be converted and live For Blindness and Darkness hath cover'd the whole Earth and all have gone astray from the Lord as Sheep without a Shepherd Therefore awake ye them that sleep and cause the Deaf to hear and the Dead to rise that such as have been stray'd may be gather'd for this is the fulness of time he is now seeking his Sheep that have been lost and bringing them Home that have been stray'd and you as Instruments in the Lord's Hand hath he chosen into this Work Therefore get on the Strength of the Lord and preach the Gospel of Peace even the Power of God that Sinners may be converted and the Wounded healed and the Weak may be strengthned and they that are ready to dye may be restored to Life and Salvation This is the Work of the Lord whereunto you are called therefore all who unto it are called be faithful unto the end and not only by word but by Life and Conversation also hold forth the Way of Life For you must feel that in your selves of which you minister to others and you must hold forth the Life the same which you minister in words and thereby shall you be made manifest to that of God in all People and God's Testimony shall answer for you And see that in all things you divide God's Word aright not crying Peace to the Wicked nor healing up the Wound falsly but that true Judgment in all things may be brought forth by you to all people Judgment to the Fat and Bread to the Hungry they that are Naked must be clothed and they that are falsly covered must be made bare Improve the Gift which God hath given you to him only and not unto your selves Be not hasty to utter words before the Lord but wait for Power from on High that the Way of God unto Salvation may be faithfully and truly held forth by you unto all people And faint not though your Burdens and Tryals be many but bare all things patiently love not your lives unto death that the good Work of the Lord may be accomplished which he hath begun by us and made prosperous and powerful in our hands unto this very day you have the Witness of this Our Cause is good we seek Truth and Righteousness that it may be established in the Earth and people may be brought unto God unto this God hath called us and hath owned us in it and will never forsake us for the Work is his and the Power is his and whatsoever he will he bringeth to pass and therefore why should we doubt or be weary For we shall see the Travel of our Souls the Scattered shall be gathered and a Remnant of the Seed shall be brought in which is scatter'd in every Nation as dry Bones unable to live How shall we hide that Treasure which God hath given us from them that perish for want thereof Or How shall we rest satisfied till the scatter'd Sheep be brought Home to the Fold Our Hearts are troubled to see so many Thousands walking in thick Darkness and to see the Seed of Israel devoured by the Destroyer Therefore my Brethren let us put on strength the Lord is with us let us make War in Righteousness for the Lord against all the Powers of Darkness let us continually be armed to do and to suffer all things for the Name of the Lord that People may be instructed in the right Way we know no man can have power over us but what is given them from above and all that which comes to pass against us is not worthy to be compared with the Crown of Glory and that Inheritance of which we have already received the earnest and sealed with the spirit of Promise and the Fathers Name is written upon us therefore in all things unto which he hath called you be faithful and obedient that his Work may be accomplished And all ye Children and Babes in Christ that are begotten of God and are thirsting and seeking after him in Truth and Righteousness he whom ye seek is coming to raign amongst you and his Dominion shall be set up and enlarged and the desire of your Hearts shall be fulfilled Righteousness and Truth shall meet in one and Judgment and Mercy shall be exalted Wait upon the Lord and feel his Power and his Presence continually that you may grow as Plants of Righteousness and may partake of the Heir-ship with Christ being crucified to the World and become dead to all its Wayes and no more you to live but Christ to live in you through the Light which he hath lightned you withall hath he given you an entrance into the Inheritance of the Father And as you walk in the Light you grow into Fellowship with the Father and with the Son Abiding in the Son you cannot sin for he keeps you from the wicked One and he hath no power over you that abide in Christ who is the Power of God which is the Salvation of all that believe and a Condemnation of all that believe not therefore all you that are convinced everywhere hearken to the Voice of the Lord that your Souls may live and mind the Power of God and the workings thereof in your Hearts which conquereth Hell and Death and subdueth all the Powers and Wayes thereof and every one be obedient to the Lord as Children of one Father that of his fulness you may receive and be filled therewith and meet together in every Place and as the Day approacheth exhort one another that you may grow up in Unity as
leading into all Truth and preserving out of all Transgression Wherefore I beseech you all let this be your whole desire and the full practice in your life and then shall the Countenance of the Lord shine upon you and his Face shall make you glad if in all things you look unto him for Counsel and wait upon the teaching of his Spirit which dwelleth in you which the Father hath given unto you because you are his Children and this he requireth from you that his own Spirit in you which hath begotten you may be the root and moving cause of all your works and words and herein will you receive acceptance with him and Peace from him and righteousness in him and everlasting joy by him continually and and this is the Inheritance unto which you were begotten Heirs to possess for ever wherefore let your love unity and felloship be in the Spirit and let your Knowledge Judgment Meeting and Waiting be in the Spirit and let your ministring and receiving be in the Power of God and in the Spirit and so shall you never suffer loss nor condemnation but all your works shall abide the Fire and shall not be consumed when the tryal of all things come and the Foundation of every work is discovered And I say again if the Spirit of Life even the Spirit which quickens to God the second Adam who is the quicking Spirit be your Guide your Leader and Teacher in all things then you shall have perfect Peace with God and your Fellowship will be encreased and his Presence shall go before you and his Righteousness shall be your Justification and Desence and his Covenant of Life and Peace shall be confirm'd unto you and there shall be no more going forth but the Tabernacle of God shall remain with you alwayes and his Habitation shall be in you forever and the Promise of the Father shall be sealed unto you and his Mark and express Image written in your Fore-heads and that quickning shall live in you and not you unto your selves and hereby shall all know that he is your God who liveth in you in Power and Dominion and that you are his People who liveth unto him in Truth and Righteousness and this is the Covenant and the Promise to be waited for by you all that you may be married to the Lord in Righteousness and Loving-kindness and your Maker may be your Husband and you subjected under his Power to rule over you and to govern you in the Way of Peace And now dearly Beloved mind that Word of God which hath begotten you from Death to Life and to be Heirs of his Inheritance of Life and feel the Word which is quick and powerfull dwell in your hearts alwayes dividing in you betwixt the precious and the vile and as a Hammer and a Fire alwayes beating down and burning up that ground and fruit which is in the disobedience from which the cause of Condemnation doth spring and so shall you be saved from every appearance of evil shall not be overcome thereby nor led captive at the will of the Enemy but shall be saved from Sin and the Wages thereof and no condemnation shall be unto you if your hearts be kept clean and undefiled by the Word of God which is pure and sanctifieth and is but one in all his Children and it begetteth unto one Life and to be of one Mind and Soul and by it only dwelling in the Heart is the encrease of God received though by the ministring of it one may Plant and another may Water yet it is my Father that gives the encrease who is greater then all unto whom the Ends of the Earth must look for Salvation and unto him must you all look for to pertake of encrease of his hidden Treasure daily that you may be refreshed as the Heritage which he hath chosen and may grow therein as Plants planted by his own right Hand growing from strength to strength in him and renewing your strength in him and may not fain nor be weary And forasmuch as mighty hath been the Power and Presence of the Lord amongst you and his Love great unto you and caused his voice to be heard when you were Dead to raise you unto Life and many of you have had the taste and feeling thereof who have seen the Way of Life before your face that you should walk therein and live I do warn you all in the Name and by the Spirit of the Lord therein to continue unto the end having your Faith established in the Power of God and your building standing on that true Foundation which can never be moved nor shaken but that perfect victory over Death and the Grave and the powers of Darkness may be trodden down through the obedience of the Cross whereby victory is obtained over all the World and the Affections and Lusts thereof condemned but such as goeth from the Cross perceiveth not the Power of God neither can overcome but are overcome of the Enemy and shipwrack is made of Faith Truth and a good Conscience and the latter end of such is worse then their beginning for the Lord is dishonoured and their condemnation will be great Wherefore my Friends be watchfull and be armed with the strength of Christ Jesus and feel his strength in you to resist the wicked One that he may not touch you to betray you of your Life and Peace and bring you into condemnation for I am not ignorant of the many temptations which are near unto you in that place Wherefore I say again feel the Strength and Arm of God reaching to you by which you may do all things and dwell in his Life and Power and that ye may overcome by the Word of God and by the Testimony of Jesus and then will your Peace be encreased and your Fellowship with God and Angels shall minister unto you as you overcome the Enemy which would subvert your minds from the obedience to the Truth and then your rest in God will be sweet unto you as you dwell where nothing can make afraid Sin and Transgression being removed far from you not having a place in you but the Life reigning which Satan hath nothing in and this is the freedom of the Sons of God who are redeemed unto him to live in him who being dead to sin cannot live any longer therein but are washed and separated from all the works of Death Death having lost his sting it cannot hurt nor wound you and the Grave having lost its victory it cannot overcome you who do witness this for Transgression is hid and Iniquity is put under and Life it self reigns through Righteousness over all and here the Seed is brought forth in which there is no Iniquity seen nor Transgression charged against it for it sins not but rules over the Sinner and fulfils the righteous Law of God and doth his Will in all things and for this you must all wait to feel God's Promise perfectly fulfill'd in
you and sealed unto you by the Eternal Spirit And again Friends feel the Life of God in your own particulars even the Bread of Life which comes down from Heaven which nourisheth the Birth which is immortal unto eternal Life never to taste of death and therein have Fellowship in the Covenant of Life and be at peace with God and one with another for that is blessed of the Lord where Brethren dwell in unity shewing love kindness and subjection one to another being of one spirit and like-minded serving one another in love not exalting your selves nor accounting your selves above another for that must come down with shame but every one approve your selves to God in all things and be known to him and not unto the World but let his Spirit witness for you and approve you and not man and the work of the Spirit springing through you let be the Evidence unto all people that you are by Grace what you are and this is well-pleasing unto God that his Spirit witnesseth for you and that Love Unity and Humility be amongst you and none think of themselves above what the Spirit of the Lord witnesseth and worketh in them and this a sweet savour will be amongst you to the Lord you being kept in his Wisdom and Counsel in good order and subject unto him walking as Examples of Righteousness to edifie one another and to be a strength one to another and in all your Conversations to be manifest to God's Witness in all people and thus shall you have praise of God and be approved of him and he will justifie you in the sight of all your Enemies I write this unto the Faithfull who do not minister Self but Self your Servant for Jesus sake And as concerning disorderly spirits who are not subject to the Wisdom of God nor to the Law or Christ such have no part with us but are judged with the Life of God and cast out and such as are not faithfull in the Lord's Treasure and hear the Word but do it not having the words without power and hold the Truth in unrighteous such have no reward in God but their iniquity stands uncovered and their transgression is manifest and not hid for Death reigns through disobedience and they are not circumcised in heart but live in the flesh and their portion is of this World and the Inheritance of Life is not their Heirship for the birth which should inherit is not brought forth but an untimely birth which receiveth not the Possession of Life But Friends dwell in the dominion over such and in peace abovâ— them and be not troubled but believe in the Truth and bear all things patiently and be not offended in Christ though hitherto you have seen occasion of stumbling yet the Lord will remove them and the Path of Life hath been plain before you for to such as walk in the Light there is no occasion of stumbling but Offences are seen through and beyond and the ground thereof judged and therefore be diligent in the Work of God that is his Work which his Spirit calleth you unto and that is his Worship which his Spirit leads you in which exerciseth your hearts always to God and keep your Meetings in the dread of the Lord over all your Enemies that the Weak may be strengthned and the Lambs sed and watch over one another as the Family of God among whom his dwelling is who is the good Shepherd that keeps his Flook and feedeth them into eternal Life whose Presence and Arm be amongst you for evermore Feel Christ the Power and Wisdom of God to reign in you and govern you all Farewel E. B. This is to be read in the Fear and Wisdom of God in all the Meetings â—f Friends in and about London TO â—harles Fleetwood Steward Robert Hatton Recorder Sackford Gunstone Henry VVilcock Bailiffs Being Judges in the Court of Kingstone upon Thames â—he state of the Controversie laid before you depending in your Court between Richard Mayo Plantiff and Edward Burrough Defendant FRIENDS THE Innocency and Truth of my Cause doth lift up its Head unto all People and stands justified in the sight of God and all just Men and in Justice and Righteousness it cannot be conâ—emned or judged guilty by any man And it is upon me yet once â—ore to state it before you that you and all men may see the counteâ—ance and favour thereof for it dares shew its Face unto you and all â—eople though much already hath been written and spoken about it which you have not taken notice of as you ought to have done but â—et many are informed in the truth of the matter and what hath been â—poken is not in vain though my just Cause lies always at the Stake and hardly thought upon by you and vilified and evil spoken of before you â—y my Adversary who alwayes seeks false Judgment against me to â—stifie himself in his iniquity and to condemn the Guiltless But the Lord knows and just Men know and the Witness of God in your Consciences may shew you That I have not wronged Richard Mayo â—or spoken of him any thing saving the truth and because thereof â—nd without any other Cause am I thus prosecuted by him in his â—leading before you and begging of you for false Judgment which if â—e should obtain it and you should give it yet should I be clear in the â—ight of the Lord though by you I may deeply suffer And your own â—nrighteous Judgment if it proceed from you will return one day upon your own heads and the weight of your own Iniquity shall the Lord â—ay upon your own Consciences in the Day when he judges the secrets of all Hearts And to God I have appealed in this thing who justifieth me because of Truth and then who shall condemn me while Truth is on my side and I not convinced to the contrary Therefore in the Fear of the Lord God I say unto you Take heed what you do in this Matter but deal impartially in the sight of the Lord in the Examination thereof and try whether I have spoken the Truth or whether I have spoken Falsly and hearken to my PLEA which I have often asserted before you and do yet once more lay before your view and I do appeal to the Light of your Consciences and let that justifie me or condemn me And this I testifie as my sufficient Plea unto you which no man hath truly answered before you That I have spoken nothing but the Truth of Richard Mayo my Adversary to this I stand to be justified and if I be condemned it is for this this resteth with me forever and if I fall I fâ—… for it viz. For speaking the Truth and if I stand I stand by it and no man whatsoever can convince me to the contrary and hereof am I invincible and if you condemn me for this to wit For speaking the Truth it will be upon you and I am clear And
the contrary that I have no malice in me against any man and I love your Souls better then that you should endanger them to destruction and to everlasting burning by giving Iudgment upon your Oaths against me upon this Verdict in this Cause which is thus unjust and unequal in it self and in its Proceeding also for if the Jury had tryed whether I had spoken the truth or whether I belyed Richard Mayo then it would easily have been known whether I spoke maliciously for if I belyed him and if his Doctrine be true and sound and not Error then may it be easily judged that I spoke maliciously because I spoke not the truth but if his Doctrines alleadged by me be not true and sound Doctrine but damnable Doctrine and Error then I have not belyed him but spoken the truth in love and not maliciously for Truth and Malice goes not together and till this be tryed to wit whether I have spoken truly or falsly who shall be able upon their Oathes without forswearing themselves to give it upon their Oathes that I spoke maliciously nay how shall any men lawfully swear that one speaks malitiously it is a hard cause to swear that any man speaks in malice for who enters into the heart of another man to know the thoughts save God and his Spirit And this I say at least and safely too that that Jury which gave into the Court upon their Oaths that I spoke my words maliciously against Richard Mayo have greatly endangered the forswearing themselves and the breach of their own Oaths and some of them know before this day that they did transgress therein against God whom God suddenly after cut off with Judgment and took off the Earth by death and though they that are yet living may be insensible of their own wickedness yet let all good men fear to dye out of this Body with that burden upon their Consciences as some have and others of them may have in this particular for breach of Oaths and though they have given it to you upon their Oaths that I spoke maliciously yet â—wo will be unto you if you shall upon your Oaths justifie they have done well and condemn me falsly upon their false Verdict and if you do condemn me it is upon their false Verdict because I spoke maâ—iciously against Richard Mayo and you cannot do that but you forâ—wear your selves and act contrary to your trust who are set in place to â—udge justly by what doth appear to your view and cannot nor dare not I know upon your Oaths say that I have spoken falsly and maliciously against Richard Mayo but and if you do one day you will feel that you have spoken against your own Oaths and Consciences and against God and against your own Souls And this is all that I can lay before you as to this Particular to warn you that you do judge justly and that you condemn not the innocent and just Cause of the Upright but that you may save your selves from the anger of the Lord who will be avenged upon all false Swearers and Unrighteous Judges that judges not in righteousness the Cause of the Poor and of the Stranger and the Cause yet remains before you to shew your selves just or Unjust Righteous or Unrighteous Judges in this Matter And whereas Richard Mayo and some of your selves spake to me to confess I have wronged him and would have me to acknowledge that I am in a fault and that I have spoken wrong of him yea it was said to me if I had not wronged him could I not confess that I had to preserve my self c To this I must answer Nay I cannot confess contrary to a good Conscience and contrary to Truth that I have wronged him if my life stood upon it as it is but my liberty at most for God hath given me to make Conscience of my words and to keep it void of offence towards him and all men and to confess that which is false to be true would stain a good Conscience in the sight of God and his People and that I may not do no not for my own preservation and the Lord deliver me from the Judgment of such who would have me confess that which I am not guilty of for that is all one to say I am clear when I am guilty as to say I am guilty when I am clear and I rather chuse to suffer what may be imposed upon me then to transgress the Truth in my own Heart and if I should say his Doctrine were sound and true Doâ—â—rine and not Damnable and Error I do believe the Witness in your own Consciences would rise against me and many more would say I then spoke falsly then doth now for I hardly ever heard any no not your own selves say that his Doctrines alledged by me against him are sound and true Doctrine neither can you in good Conscience say it So I say I cannot lye against my Conscience what ever comeâ— of it for to walk with the Lord and to have his Peace and not to lose his Presence is of more worth to my Soul that is immortal theâ— all the Sufferings that you can lay upon me can be dammage to my mortal Body for my life and soul you cannot touch but therein am I free though outwardly entangled amongst Bryars and Thorns which woâ—… pierce me and seek to catch me and if there be no other way for me to be preserved but by confessing contrary to my Conscience that I have wronged Richard Mayo I freely give up my self to suffer rather then to be preserved by such means and you do evil in putting such a thing upon me and expecting it from me which I cannot give bâ—… transgress the Law of God and offend him and my own Conscience and if you defer the determination of the Matter upon such hopes that I may confess that I have wronged Richard Mayo I desire you would not defer it one moment longer but let me be quitted of your Temptation for it is your Temptation and not true love for I cannot confess any such thing though I do acknowledge it hath now depended in your Court and at your door near two years and I should be glad that it were ended justly because I am not a man given to Suits of Law neither do I love it though it be so that I am fallen into it to offend any man or be offended in that way by any yet may I not use any unlawful means or any indirect way to obtain an end of this business but the rather I am content with what the Lord suffereth to come to pass though it be the very greatest Malice of my very devouring Enemies and because I would have Peace with all men and have all men reconciled to God and one to another to live in love and unity one with another upon that account I would this business were ended and though I do not doubt my Cause nor am
the Lord God may dwell amongst you and may never have cause to with-hold his presence from you which is Life and Peace and Rest for ever And believe not every spirit but dwell in that which discerns spirits and if any say Lo here or lo there is Christ go not after them without you for you have not been so taught but know the Christ of God the Lamb of God within you and follow him and obey his voice and be established all of you on this sure Foundation whom God hath laid and no man can lay any other and if you build thereupon and thereby you sâ—…ll never suffer loss but your Work shall abide the Fire and in the Fathers House your Bread you shall receive and never shall hunger noâ— Thirst but the Life will be refreshed and increased daily and you Lamps will alwayes shine and you shall never be darkned not stâ—…ble for that which stumbles is out of the Truth and the ground stands to receive the seed of Satan who is a Devourer of the Simplicity and the Betrayer from the Truth Therefore I charge you all in the Presence of the Living God that you hold fast the Faith and Hope which you have received through the Gospel that you may never be moved 〈◊〉 the Grace of God and from the Love that hath abounded in you â—…t may be found watching in the Door with your Light shining when the Bridegroom cometh and behold he cometh quickly and his Rewâ—…d is with him blessed are they that tarry for him This is the Testimony of my Love unto all the Seed of God who am as a Deceiver and yet true and as not known yet well known unto the â—…d E. 〈◊〉 To such as have Backslided from the Truth WHEN the Life in you all doth arise it shall witness me and answer the Word of the Lord unto Life or unto Death Friends all you to whom the Word of the Lord came and â—…n whom the Way of Truth was made manifest hear and consider How â—…t hath the Love of the Father been unto you How many and infinite have been his Mercies from day to day often visiting you with his Power and with his Presence yea when you sate in Darkness and in the shadow of Death his marvellous Light appear'd unto you and when you were held captive in the covenant of Sin and Death he stretched forth his Hand to redeem â—… he loved you while you knew him not and he brought Deliverance out of a â—…nge Land where you were strayed among Devourers and scatter'd and gâ—â—e aâ—â—ray as Sheep without a Shepherd yea when you were dead in Transgression he said unto you Live and he also bound you up when no eye pitty'd you even then when you were Enemies to him walking in the Vaâ—â—tâ—en of your own hearts and knew not him who lives forever who had been sougâ—â— by you but not found in that very day he sent to visit you with his Eâ—… Gospel of Peace and Truth to gather you unto himself I am a 〈◊〉 and he caus'd his powerful Voice to be heard and his Name to be 〈◊〉 among you and his Truth was declared in the Demonstration of the â—…rit and the Power of the Lord was made manifest in you to the bringing of you from Darkness to Light and from Death which had reign'd over you 〈◊〉 know a Measure of the Life of God Yea the Way of Life Eternal was set 〈◊〉 you that you might not perish but live and his Witness in you all 〈◊〉 iâ— but one the Word of the Lord reacheth unto you by the Mouthes of 〈◊〉 â—…ts to the revealing of Sin and judging it by his Righteous Law 〈◊〉 in your hearts causing his Terror to be known among you and his â—udgments reached your hearts and in that day beautiful was his Presence 〈◊〉 you and precious was his Truth among you in your first Love and his Liâ—â—t and Power and the Knowledge of his Ways were pleasant to you and the Sâ—…l of the Kingdom of God which you receiv'd with Joy grew up in you and â—…per'd at that day and the Lord loved you his Presence was with you â—…g his own Children whom he begat by his Everlasting Word that you 〈◊〉 be a Praise unto him forever And when the fear of the Lord and his Jâ—â—gâ—â—nts were placed among you and your Hearts were broken and while you were of a hungering Soul and thirsty after the Lord then was it well with you and the Day of Peace dawn'd unto you and the Word of the Lord was â—weâ—t unto you and he was gladly receiv'd that came in the Name of the Lord. Bâ—t O how have some of you lost your first Love and are again darkened and ready to faint and to turn aside for a thing of nought And how do such grieve the Spirit of the Lord and vex his Righteous Soul and are become a Sâ—â—deâ— to him in dishonouring his Name the envious man having entered â—nd sown his Seed in some of you and brought forth Strife and Divisions and Disorders among you which are not of the Father nor of the Truth and Prejudice and Evil-Surmisings and secret Jealousies one against another is risen in you all which is to be condemned with the Light for the Fire I judge it all under my Feet in the Power of the Lord God and am in that which reigns over it all and through these things Unity is decay'd and Love is waxed cold and there is fainting in the way and the Zeal for the Name of the Lord perisheth which ought to be among you and Rendings and Tearings Biting and Devouring one another and striving for Mastery there is which ought not to be which the Wrath of God is against all this is out of the Light out of the Wisdom and Counsel of God My Spirit is vexed and my Heart is troubled within me because of these things not for my self but for you and for the Glory of the Lord over whom I am jealous with a Godly Jealousie that you may not perish nor his Glory be dispised among the Heathen What mean you thus to deal against the Lord in dishonouring his Name in the sight of the Enemy even to the wounding of your own souls and to the piercing of the hearts of the Faithful who have watched over you and been Messengers of Glad-tidings unto you from the Lord Every one of you in particular be awakened and stirr'd up and fear before the Lord and come to the Light which the Son of God has lighted you withal and search your own hearts and try your selves that the ground of these things may be seen and condemn'd and remov'd and Love may yet spring amongst you to the Lord and one to another O Friends Consider It was one Father that begat you into the Truth which is but one by one Word of Life which is not divided and you were begotten unto him and not unto your selves And Christ Jesus which is
shall justifie us and condemn our Enemies Again he queries whether I make the Holy Ghost and the Eternal Spirit two I answer no they are one neither do I seem to make them two it is want of knowledge in him who cannot understand but raiseth Objections where there is no cause Again from my words this is acceptable and well pleasing to God above all words and outward conformity c. from this he questions whether the doing the greater things of the Law is acceptable where the less are neglected I answer no for every tittle of the Law less and greater must be fulfilled by Christ in us in whom we are accepted and thus I have returned a few words to the consideration of people and particularly to the people of Draton and the Country there about to whom I direct my speech thus All ye people who are scattered as Sheep without a Shepherd and know not Christ the Everlasting Shepherd to lead you and to rule you Cease oh cease from all your Teachers without you who are dumb Shepherds which do not gather you to God such are they that preach for Hire and divine for Money and that take Gifts and Rewards for preaching who through Covetousness by feigned words do make Merchandize of Souls Such do keep you alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth under their Teachings your Souls are starved under them and you perish for want of true Knowledge and Death raigns amongst you and many are in the broad way that leadeth to Destruction but few in the strait Way that leads to Life and Iniquity and Wickedness abounds amongst you and like Teachers like People for from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness Jer. 6. 13. Great Ignorance hath blinded your Minds and great Darkness is over your Hearts and your Teachers do deceive you and they cause you to err and you give your Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which doth not profit even as the people of Israel did so do you and in their Transgressions do you walk and your Teachers are in the steps of the Pharisees they are called of men Master as the Pharisees were they stand praying in the Synagogues and Temples as the Pharisees did and they have the chief Seats in the Assemblies as the Pharisees had and they even shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men as the Pharisees did and will not enter in themselves nor suffer them that would Cease from all your outward Priests and hearken to the Voice of the Lord which breaks down that nature which is contrary to God and raiseth up the Seed which is Heir of God's Kingdom and turn your minds to the Light in you which Christ hath lightened you withal which Light shines in your Consciences and convinces you of your evil Deeds it reproves you for Vain words and Ungodly speeches it will let you see what your hearts go after and what your love goes out unto and if you love that it will lead you to Christ and he will be revealed in you to teach you and to give you the Witness of Peace and Reconciliation with God The Light is your Eye by which you may see God it will lead you out of all idolatrous worships and works and from your false worships which are an Abomination to the Lord and you must be converted and changed into a new Nature and you must put off the Old man and his Works before you can worship God aright for he is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth only and such the Lord is now seeking to worship him Therefore cease from your Steeple-house-worship which is in the Traditions of men and not in the Spirit of the Lord and that worship must be confounded for its Root is corrupted and its Branches will wither and the Breath of the Lord is kindled against it If you love the Light of Christ and walk in it there is your Teacher and if you hate it there is your Condemnation The next day after the Dispute this was written and sent in a little time after to Draton and up and down that ways Richard Goodgrom FRiend hath not thy Ignorance Folly and Wickedness towards me now appeared And is it not manifest in the sight of many people And now thou mayest cease to boast and also to backbite for the time to come and no more secretly to surmise behind my back to the raising of unruly spirits against me so much as in thee was possible and hadst thou been more crafty and more subtile more Mischief thou mightest have done but the Innocent is delivered and thou art taken in the Snare thou laidst for another and false doctrine is prov'd to proceed forth of thy mouth And thou and thy Company may be ashamed when you consider the managing of your Work against me who many times appeared immoderate in speaking many at once confusedly and also were unreasonable in not being satisfied with just Answers but it shews your Blindness and Unbelief who cannot understand the Truths of the Gospel of Christ but contend against them though in the end you are forced to confess to them as was sufficiently witnessed that day of the Dispute and thou in particular who reproachedst me behind my back in divers places where I have heard of it by my Friends whom thou judg'dst had not been so yet they have discover'd the naughtiness of thy heart both in the Country and in the City Thou hast given forth that I had preached false doctrine and such like wicked reproachful back-biting language behind my back not like a man faithful to God and thy Neighbour but one that hath surmised Evil against the Harmless And thou mayest remember all these things thou objectest against who wouldst have made a great matter of them against me yet are they sufficiently prov'd to the Understanding of many honest People And if thou and thy Company will be blind it is because you harden your hearts against the Truth and I am clear in the sight of the Lord and all shall know that have an Ear to hear That what I profess preach and practice are the saving Truths of Iesus Christ though they may be branded to be Heresie by such as thee who may call Light Darkness and Darkness Light and put Good for Evil and Evil for Good And at a convenient Opportunity I may take in hand to prove That thou thy self hast held forth that which cannot be justified by the Scripture but are condemned thereby Many things fell from thee in my hearing which I may object against and prove the contrary and I shall not go behind thy back as thou hast done to slander thee but I shall rest contented and wait the opportunity to lay open thy Nakedness and Weakness in the sight of all people And whatsoever thou judgest The Scriptures the Writings and the things written of are two things
bare confession and profession of the Name of Christ in words and professing of a bare belief in the Scriptures by this way and means were you made and received you the name of Christians without any real change from darkness to Light and from Satan to God as I have said Now here appears to be a woful degeneration in the very entrance of the thing and this is not agreeable but rather contrary unto that way of Christianity wherein the Christians in their beginning were so made and called for then none were Christians or so called but who through the preaching of the Gospel were first converted changed and renewed as I have said but now in these Nations all are called Christians that are spinkled upon their faces with Water by a Teacher when they are Infants or that do but profess Christ in words though they are not guided particularly by his Spirit neither have received Christ to dwell in them and to be King over them and here again appears a wofull Apostacy for none in the beginning of Christianity in the World were made Christians or so called but who received Christ and in whom he dwelt and was in them as you may read 2 Corinth 13. 5. and who were Followers of him and had his Spirit in them the Comforter to teach them and to lead them into all Truth but now thousands upon thousands who have the name of Christians have not received Christ to dwell in them nor to rule them neither is he manifest in them by his Spirit to teach them and they are not led into all truth but live in deceit and unrighteousness and are not Followers of Christ but follows their own hearts desirâ— and their own hearts Lusts and are condemned in their own Consciences and have not received the Comforter the Holy Spirit to be their Guide and Leader out of all Unrighteousness and here appears a woful Degeneration And that you Christians through all the World are revolted and gone backward from Christianity as it was in its Original a Lamentation may be taken up because of this woful Fall into which you Christians are fallen Consider of your own state and return and repent Again The Christians were begotten of God and born of him 1 Joh. 5. 18. And they were born of the Word of God and of the incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. And they were created in Christ Iesus unto good Works Eph. 2. 10. And they were New Creatures and old things were done away 2 Cor. 5. 17. They had put off the Body of Sin and Death Col. 1. 18. And were the Servants of Righteousness and free from Sin Rom. 6. 22. as you may read But now also Woful are you Christians degenerated from this for Thousands upon Thousands of you are not born nor begotten of God though you have the Name of Christians neither are you born of the Word of God which lives forever nor of the incorruptible Seed neither are created again nor become new Creatures nor have put off the Body of Sin and Death neither are the Servants of Righteousness nor free from sin But on the contrary Are the Servants of Sin and free from Righteousness and are in the corruptible state and are old Creatures and are not washed nor purified as the Saints were as you may read 1 Cor. 6. 11. and here is a woful Degeneration of the Christians now from what the Christians were in the beginning The Christians then were New Creature and put off the Body of sin and were washed and sanctified But the Christians now are not so but the contrary to wit Unwashed and Unsanctified remaining in the Pollutions of the World and are of the birth which is born of the Flesh and are in the old nature serving sin and the lusts of their own Hearts and thus are you fallen from that which the true Christians possessed for being compar'd to them you are not agreeable but rather contrary to them in all these things and the Lord is now come to search you and to try you and to all People shall you be discover'd for the Lord is now risen to bring all to Tryal and to Judgment And again Herein will the Apostacy of the Christians appear in respect of Unity and Fellowship for the Christians in their Beginning while yet the Life of God was not darkened amongst them They were of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul as you may read Acts 4. 32. And the Lord promised That he would give unto his People one Heart and one Way And Ezek. 11. 19. the Lord promised To give his People one Heart and a new Spirit Which Promise the Christians received and they that believed were of one Heart and there was no lack amongst them but some sold their Possessions and distributed to them that had need and they were Members of Christ and he was Head amongst them and over them And they were Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bones Eph. 5. 23 30. And all the Christians were of one Faith Eph. 4. 5. and had Unity and Fellowship in the Life which was made manifest in them for they had tasted and handled and seen and heard the Word of Life and they had Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ. But all ye Chirstians upon Earth how are you degenerated and how great is your Fall in this For you are not of one Heart and Mind nor in Unity and Fellowship one with another but are of divers Sorts and Sects and are run into many Opinions and Divisions and are of many Wayes and Minds and Hearts Divers sorts there are of Papists and divers sorts of Protestants so called which are all divided in Opinions and striving and contending about Faith and Religion and the Worship of God and are opposing one another and putting one another to Death because of a difference in those things How great is the difference through many Nations amongst Christians about those things which sheweth that the Christians are wofully fallen in respect of Unity and it is manifest such Christians have not received the Promise of God as the Apostles had for now the Christians can suffer one another to lack and to perish and die and starve for hunger and want Behold in all this all ye Christians generally how you are fallen then in the beginning of Christianity no lack nor want was amongst them they that had much sold it and gave to them that had none but now thousands are oppressed through Want while others have too much some are feeding and clothing excessively with their multitude of Dishes and changes of Raiment while others have scarce whereon to seed or to cover their Nakedness and this manifesteth that you are not Members of the Body of Christ neither is he Head in you nor amongst you but you are Members of an Harlot and joyn'd to a Harlot and one with a Harlot for you profess many Faiths some say They believe Christ is
again to judge the whole World wiâ—â— Righteousness and all people with Equity and shall give to every man according to his deeds at the Day of Judgment when all shall arise to Condemnation 〈◊〉 Iustification he that hath done good shall receive Life and he that hath done evil everlasting Condemnation And we believe He is to be waited for in Spirit to be known after the Spirit as he was before the World was and that is the Knowledge unto eternal Life which all that believe in him do receive and he subdues Death and destroyes him that hath the power of it and restoreth from Death to Life and quickeneth by his spirit all that the Father hath given him and we believe such he justifieth and sanctifieth and such are taught of him but he condemns all that believe not but continue in unbelief and are not taught or him And this we faithfully believe And we believe That unto all people upon the face of the whole Earth is a Time and Day of Visitation given that they may return and be saved by Christ Jesus who is givn of the Father to call the worst of men to Repentance and the most ungodly of Sinners are convinced by him of their ungodly deeds that they might believe and be converted and saved And we believe Herein is the Love of God manifested to all Mankind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are shut out by him before they were born into the World but unto all men is a Vâ—…ation given and they that do perish it is because they do not believe in Christ and destruction is of a mans self but Salvation is of God through believing in his Son who takes away sin and reneweth into his own Image that they may become Heirs with him And we believe that there is a Crown of Eternal Glory and an Inheritance of Eternal Life to be injoyed for evermore by all that believe and are chosen of God and that there is an everlasting Misery and Destruction to be possessed by all that believe not but continue in the state of Reprobation and are not changed from the wayes of Sin and Death but walk after the wayes of their own Hearts Lusts fulfilling the will of the Flesh in the Evil of this World and follow not Christ the Light of the World that they may be saved And we believe upon all such the Wrath of God abideth and that they have no part in the Inheritance of God And we believe That it is only he that is born again of the Spirit and that walks after the Spirit who is changed from Death to Life and who is redeemed out of the World and all its wayes such only must inherit the Kingdom of God and they only have right thereunto and none besides even they that are washed and cleansed from all Unrighteousness by the Blood of Jesus by which their sins are remitted For his Blood cleanseth from all Unrighteousness and Sin yea all such that walk and abide in the Light which Christ Jesus hath lightened the World withal And we believe That the Saints upon Earth may receive forgiveness of sins and may be perfectly freed from the Body of sin and death and in Christ may be perfect and without sin and may have Victory over all Temptations by Faith in Christ Jesus And we believe Every Saint that is called of God ought to press after Perfection and to overcome the Devil and all his Temptations upon Earth and we believe they that faithfully wait for it shall obtain it and shall be presented without sin in the Image of the Father and such walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and are in Covenant with God and their Sins are blotted out and remembred no more for they cease to commit Sin being born of the Seed of God And we believe The Gospel of Christ is the Power of God unto Salvation and that it ought to be preached freely unto all people and Christ to be held forth unto all Mankind by the Ministry sent of him And we believe this Ministry is received by the Gift of the Holy Ghost and all they that receive it are lawfully call'd to the Ministry and they may preach the Gospel of Christ freely as they have receiv'd it freely And this Ministry is not of Man but of God and is made powerful to the converting of Sinners and to the bringing of people to God and to the Knowledge of his Wayes And we do not believe That any man is a Minister of Christ without the Gift of the Holy Ghost or that the Gospel can be receiv'd by natural Learning or Education And we believe Such as preach for Hire and have Hire for preaching are not the lawful called Ministers of the Gospel of Christ such as are Proud and High-minded and Covetous Men who do not profit the people at all such as have run and never were sent of Christ who calleth by his Spirit into the Work of the Ministry and as every one hath received the Gift of that his Spirit so he may administer to others Concerning Rulers and Governour we believe That there ought to be Rulers and Governours in every Nation City Country and Town and they ought to be such men as fear God and hate every evil way who will judge for God and not for man and will judge righteously equally and justly and will give true and sound Judgment unto all men without Bribery or Respect of Persons not regarding the Rich above the Poor but being a Praise unto all that do well and a Terror to all Evil-doers whatsoever having knowledge in the pure Law of God and themselves continnally exercised therein And we believe That every Law of man ought to be grounded upon the Law of God pure Reason and Equity being the Foundation thereof that God's Witness in every man may answer to it and the Law ought to be known unto all people before Trangression be charged or punished in any man And we believe that every Transgression ought to be punished according to its nature and that the Punishment exceed not the greatness of the Transgression neither ought any Transgressor to â—…ape unpunished neither ought any upon false Suspition or Iealousies to be caused to suffer without the Testimony of true men or the Confession of the Party And we believe that the Executors of the Law ought to be Just Men and not given to Pride Drunkenness or any other Evil whatsoever and ought to be chosen every year or otherwise by the Consent of the people and that no man be stopped of his free choyce except justly taxed And we believe that all Governours and Rulers ought to be accountable to the people and to the next proceeding Rulers for all their Actions which may be enquir'd into upon occasion and that the chiefest of the Rulers be subject under the Law and punishable by it if they be Transgressors as well as the poorest of the People And thâ—â— true Judgment and Justice will be
brought forth in the Earth and all that do well will have Praise and live in Rest and Peace and all Evil-doers whatsoever may stand in awe and be afraid of God and just Men and the Execution of Iust Laws Concerning Religion we believe That it is only the Spirit of the Lord that makes men truly Religious and that no man ought to be compell'd to or from any Exercise or Practice in Religion by any outward Law or Power but every man ought to be left free as the Lord shall perswade his own mind in doing or leaving undone this or the other Practice in Religion and every man of what Profession in Religion soever ought to be protected in Peace provided himself be a man of Peace not seeking the wrong of any mans Person or Estate And we believe That to oppose false Opinions and unsound Doctrines and Principles seeking to convince them that oppose themselves by Exhortation or sharp Reproof by word or writing ought nor to be counted a Breach of the Peace or to strive about the things of the Kingdom of God by men of contrary Minds or Judgments this ought not to be punishable by the Magistrates and their Laws for we believe the outward Laws and Powers of the Earth are only to preserve mens Persons and Estates and not to preserve men in Opinions neither ought the Law of the Nation to be laid upon mens Consciences to bind them to or from such a Judgment or Practice in Religion And we believe that Christ is and ought only to be Lord and Exerciser of mens Consciences and his Spirit only must lead into all Truth And we believe That Obedience and Subjection in the Lord belongs to Superiors and that Subjects ought to obey in the Lord those that have Rule over them and that Children ought to obey their Parents and Wives their Husbands and Servants their Masters in all things which are according to God which stands in the exercise of a pure Conscience towards God But where Rulers Parents or Masters or any other command or require subjection in any thing which is contrary to God or not according to him to such causes all people are free and ought to obey God rather then man and we believe That herein God will justifie them being guided and led by his Spirit in all that which is Good and out of all that which is Evil. Again We believe concerning Election and Reprobation That there is a state of Election and a state of Reprobation a state chosen of God and a state rejected of God and that all Man-kind are in one of these states all that are elected are elected in Christ and all that are out of him are in the state Reprobate bringing forth fruits of Death and Darkness being Children of Wrath and Disobedience in the alienation and separation from God in the Transgression unreconcil'd to God the Enmity ruling in the Heart being in the Fall and not restor'd to God again but ignorant of his Power and of his Wisdom having the Understanding darkened that they cannot see nor perceive the things that are Eternal and in this condition his best Works are Sin and whatsoever he doth he cannot be accepted of God for he is dead to God and alive to all evil bâ—inging forth all his works out of that Ground which is cursed This is the condition of all Mankind upon the face of the Earth in the first Adâ—… and this is the state of Reprobation and all that abide herein are rejected of God and â—…ll never inherit eternal Life but go inâ—â— Perdition yet have all such a Day of Visitation that they may return out of the state of Reprâ—…tion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ledge and desâ—…sing the Love of God â—â—ey conâ—… iâ—â—he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wrath of Gâ—…d abides upon them â—…t they tâ—…t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wrath for they believe in the Light and becâ—…â—…ldren of the Light and are renewed in Mind and Hâ—… and receiâ—… the Love of the Father and become planted into Christ the second Adâ—… 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to bring forth Fruit â—nto the Father and â—ll their Fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—om 〈◊〉 grâ—…d which is â—…ssed for they are led by the Spirit of thâ— Faâ—…r and â—…ch are in the state of Election who are â—ade Heâ—rs with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eveâ—… Inheritance that never fades away And this we faithfully believe That â—…cy is not shewed to the Reprobate nor Judgment to them that are chosen of God And this is to go abroad in the World that all pâ—…ple mâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whâ—◠〈◊〉 have receiv'd of God and they that believe this and walkâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father shall be saved but they that belieâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be condemned because they do not believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be â—…tten 〈◊〉 in â—…rt this is given forth by one that hath believed and received the Knowledge of thâ—se things from God A Friend unto all People E. B. Some of the PRINCIPLES OF THE QUAKERS Scornfully so called by men VINDICATED And proved Sound and True and according to the SCRIPTURES In Opposition to the False Charges and Lying Reports given forth against the Truth in two Printed Books put forth by one Philip Taverner a supposed Minister of the Gospel in Middlesex near Uxbridge And hereby Truth is Manifested and Discovered and the Controversie determined by the Judgment of Truth between Philip Taverner aforesaid the Accuser and Edward Burroughs Defendant of the Truth who contends for the Faith of the Gospel and for the Word of God in the Heart against all such Gainsayers as have the Form of Godliness but deny the Power and many such are in this Age. WHereas P. Taverner one of Truth 's Opposers whether throâ—… Ignorance or Subtilty I now determine not hath again appear'd against me and the Truth in Print as in Vindication of himself and his former Work who about four Moneths ago gave a false Relation of a Dispute but instead of mending the matter he hath made his own cause the more vile as may appear to such who take a perfect view of the Proceedings from the beginning to the end thereof Now the intent of this my Reply is to clear the Truth further and to take off his false Aspersions which he hath cast upon my innocent words in my former Book in answer to his first And as for the rest of his Book which hath no relation to mine nor to the Dispute I shall pass it by The Title of my first Book was Something of Truth Made Manifest c. To which sayst thou A plausible Title to cover a Railing and Bitter spirit under that it may walk in the World less suspected c. Reply My words are truth for in 〈◊〉 â—â—ok Truth was made â—â—â—ifest to â—…y in relation to the former Dispute to the Satisfaction of many and as 〈◊〉 â—…ing anâ—â—â—â—â—erness of spirit I do deny only I am zealoâ—â— for the
God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of him who is now appeared in Power and great Glory to gather his People to Himself This is to go abâ—… among all people wâ—o arâ— worshipping in Tempâ—… made with hands â—nd who are under this Ministry and are of 〈◊〉 Church aforementioned that they may come to consider and see the Erâ—… of their Way of thâ—… Worship and of their Miâ—… And this is a Visitation from the Lord unto them all by a Friend 〈◊〉 all your Souls E. B. Some False Principles And ERRORS DISCOVERED And REFUTED 〈…〉 Answer to a Catechism-Book which is said to contain The Principles of Religion put forth by a nameless Author But is supposed to be the work of one Samuel Eaton a professed Minister of the Gospel among the Sect of the Independants in Châ—shire But upon true Examination he is found to be teaching the Traditions of Men for the Commandments of Christ and his Principles are proved to be not according but contrary to the SPIRIT of GOD and the Scriptures To the READER THE Reason and Cause of this being sent abroad is for the better Information of all but more particularly for the good of that Assembly to whom Samuel Eaton is Minister and Pastor that they may know the Truth from Error and the Way of Righteousness from all false Wayes and may turn frâ—â— Idol-Shepherds that destroy the Vine-yard and tread it down and may 〈◊〉 to Christ and receive him who is the chief Shepherd to feed his Flock with the Bread of Eternal Life And the Reason why these False Principles are charged upon Samuel Eaton is this It being doubtful to some who was the Author of that Catechism wherein these Principles and Doctrines were held forth John Gredley and Anne Sheeld by name were with the said Samuel Eaton and asked him If he owned that Book the Catechism and he said He would maintain all in it That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer THE Wayes of the Lord are Equal and Just but the wayes of the Sons of Adam are altogether corrupted and different and contrary to the Wayes of Salvation And the Wisdom that is of this World is Foolishness with God and its End is Destruction to its self and to all that walk therein And what is Man that he shall prescribe a Way to his Makerâ— and who is it that will be more wise then God to â—et him a Way how he must â—…ch his People Therefore in-vain have men laboured and have reaped to â—…selves nothing but Wind and Confusion And in vaâ—â— have they sown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reap after them whose Fruit hath been Emptiness and not filled the Hand of the Gatherer And in particular this Book with which I am now â—…ing is the Fruit of an empty Tree which cannot satisfie the hungry 〈◊〉 nor comfort the weary Seeker for the Satisfaction and Comfort of the â—…ing hungry Soul dependeth only upon the Lord and upon the Bread of â—â—fe that commeth down from God and the soul that eaâ—â— thereof is â—…ed and comforted forever and hungereth no more nor thirsteth any slâ—… but the Fountain is in him and the Well springeth up unto Eternal Life 〈◊〉 goes no more forth And if so be that all herein were true and souâ—… Doâ—… and were learned so as to express it over again in words this might be 〈…〉 the soul still remaining in Anguish and under Sin and Death though 〈◊〉 in the Knowledge that is from below and yet in a farther Ignorance of God for the wisdom of this World knows not God neither can it teach not receive the knowledge of the things that pertain unto Life Eternal but to the Sâ—…e and to Fools doth the Lord teach and reveal the Knowledge of his Kingdom and it is not received from Books nor the Teachings and Tradition of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 by the Manifestation of the eternal Spirit which doth lead into all Truth â—…eveals the Mysteries of Salvation The first thing that I take notice of is this thou sayst God is a Spirit 〈◊〉 he is one in Beeing and is to be distinguished into three Persons and the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost are Personal Relations and if one be a Person such are the other c. Answ. The Father Son and Spirit is one this we believe and know according to the Scriptures but as for thy word Person that is carâ—… 〈◊〉 â—oo low a word to denominate God by who is Infinite for God and the Spirit hath no Person nor cannot truly be distinguished into Persons for a person has relation to Place Time and Change and is not in all places at all tiâ—es at â—…e and the Scriptures know no such distinction for God is a Spirit and hath no relation to one Time Place or Alteration more then another but filleth Heaven and Earth and his Presence is in all and over all who is bleâ—… forever and is infinite and without Person or confined Beeing and the Sâ—…pture no where in true Translation doth denominate God Christ and the Spirit by Persons and Personal Beeings nor doth distinguish them into â—…ee Persons for Persons are related to carnal as I have said and Persons is â—oo low to denominate God and Christ and the Spirit by So thy Principles are unsound and not agreeing to the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and therefore not to be believed nor received Whereas thou sayst That the one standing Rule according to which God is to bâ—â—…ht worshipped and served is the holy Scriptures in which God hath revealed himself in all things which he would have believed and doâ—e c. Answ. It is the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit was and is within the Saints that leadeth into all Truth and teacheth to kâ—… all things and that Spirit of God only is the standing Rule to walk in and to walk by it was the Rule to Abel Enoch Abraham and the rest of the â—…ly Fathers that lived before any Scripture was written and it was the Ruâ—… to the Prophets to Christ and to the holy Apostles they all followed the Spirit and walked in it and spake and wrought and acted as the Spirit of God within them moved them and led them it was not the Scriptures but the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures that was the standing unchangâ—…le un-erring Rule of worshipping serving and obeying the Lord God and that same Spirit is the standing Rule to us also For the Apostle commandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Spirit and that which we are to walk in is our Rule And as many 〈◊〉 the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and then the Spirit is their 〈◊〉 and that guides the Feet in the Way of Peace And in the Spirit is God â—…pped For they that worship him must worship him in the Spirit and in the â—… and such he seeketh to worship him For it is in the Hearts of his People 〈◊〉 within them that God revealeth himself by his Spirit For it is the Spirit 〈…〉 the thing â—f
and are in Christ for who do commit Sin are Unholy and so reputed of God and Sin is neckoned to them and this all will find in the Day of the Lord when 〈◊〉 cometh to judge righteously and to give every man according to his Works and nor according to what he may make a shew of and profess in words thouâ—â— all you false Daubers with Untempored Morter heal up the Hurt of the Daughter of Siâ—n deceitfully and cry Peace Peace by a false applying the Proâ—…ses and Words of Christ when God speaks no Peace and even you and you false daubeâ— Wall will the Whirlewind of the Lord beat down and destroy utterly And this I assert contrary to thy false Doctrine and Principles Tâ—… none are justified but who have Christ in them and really partake of Holiness and â—…sness and are really cleansed from all Sin and are born of the Spirit of God 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of the Prâ—… of Eternal Life 〈…〉 thou sayst Iustiâ—… 〈◊〉 not of any Dâ—gree 〈◊〉 if a Person 〈…〉 from any onâ— Sin he is justifieth from all Sin 〈◊〉 well from Siâ—â— to be committed 〈…〉 are already coâ—…ed and who is 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 Person is not unjustified upon 〈…〉 c. Answ. Grace and Faith and Truth and Christ himself admitteth of Deâ—… which are one and there are several Measures of Life of 〈…〉 and Faith of Sanctification and of Justification also for 〈◊〉 as every man hath received Christ so hath he received Sanctification â—… and no otherwise for Christ is made Wisdom and Sanctiâ—â—cation and Salvation and every one feels his Sanctification and his Justificaâ—… 〈◊〉 to the Measure of the Gift of Christ so that there are seveâ—… of Justification And also a man may be justified from one sin â—… and not from all sin for according to every man's Sanctificatiâ—… Witness of his Justification to him and no more and if thou 〈…〉 â—â—ing by Experience thou knowest this And no man is justified 〈…〉 which he is to commit for that saith gives Licence to sin if any 〈…〉 sin shall believe that that sin is long since forgiven and he is justiâ—… 〈◊〉 and if he shall believe that he is justified though he commits sin 〈◊〉 â—…fore he commits his sin this will be a cause to run into sin and is a 〈…〉 by thee unto all Unrighteousness Why if people can believe they 〈…〉 from the Sins which they have yet to commit what should restrain 〈…〉 running with pleasure into all Unrighteousness And if new Sins 〈…〉 committed do not make Persons unjustified then may the Sinners reâ—… their Sins and take their pleasure in Ungodliness This Doctrine of 〈◊〉 is pleasant to the Wicked and it is the Way and Principle of Liberty in â—… rather then the Principles to lead from sin and so thou hast shewed 〈◊〉 Work thou arâ— doing by strengthning the Wicked in his Way so that he cannot turn from sin rather then drawing him from sin and this is the 〈…〉 work And thou sayst Such as are justified are regenerated and sanctified and a little 〈◊〉 thou sayst To be justified is not to be cleansed nor is it to partake of real Rightâ—… and Persons are justified from Sins which they have to commit Answ. These are Contradictions and proceed out of Darkness and not 〈…〉 Light and thy Folly and Ignorance may be read by all men For who are Regenerated and Sanctified are also cleansed and partake of real â—…ness And thou further sayst That Sanctification is a real Change from sin to the parity of 〈◊〉 â—…ge of God Answ. And I say None are Sanctified but they are Justified so none are 〈◊〉 but who are changed into the Image of God this the Truth saith and wherein thou hast said contrary thou hast spoken contrary to the Truth and the Truth will judge thee 〈◊〉 Thou sayst Sanctification is not perfect in this life and the New Man â—… or Law of the Mind is that Grace or imperfect Sanctification c. Answ. Then Christ is not perfect in this life for he is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. â—0 But we say Christ is perfect and therefore Sanctification is perfect and the New Man is the Image of God and is created in Râ—…sness and in true Holiness But thou sayst The New Man 〈◊〉 imperfect 〈…〉 of thy Principles when they are compared with the Scriptures and see the 〈◊〉 and Wickedness of them And the Spirit and Law in the mind â—s the Spirit of God and the Law of God in which the Apostles served God and 〈◊〉 all the Saints but thou sayst The Spirit and Law in the Mind is imperfect 〈◊〉 this is Error in the highest degree to say â—…gniâ—… That the New Man 〈◊〉 Image of God thaâ— is in Righteousness and true Holiness and the Spirit of God and the Law of God is imperfect Sanctification and Grace is the Salvation and is God's Sufficiency and that thou sayst is imperfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus thy Principles of thy Religion which thou walkest in thy self 〈…〉 wouldst teach to others are Abominable corrupted Principles of Eâ—… contrary to the Spirit of Truth and to the Scriptures also And 〈…〉 that thy Name is concealed for thy work deserves noâ— a good Mans 〈…〉 it Much more might be said to lay open further thy â—olly but this is suâ—… men of Understanding and contrary to thee I do aâ—â—ert That the New 〈…〉 Image of God the Spirit and Lâ—…f God in the Mind is perfâ—… Peace 〈…〉 Sanctification and thou hast said the contrary and now whether thy 〈…〉 ples of Religion or mine be the most true and whether false let all 〈…〉 judge with the Light in their Consciences And thou sayst The old Man the Flesh the Body of Sin the Body of 〈…〉 the Sin that remains in sanctified Persons Answ. Who are sanctified are freed from thâ— Body of Sin and Dâ—… have put it off and the Law of the Spirit of Life hath fâ—eed 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 and from the old Man for if the old Man the Flesh the Body of 〈…〉 Death be in the sanctified Persons then there are none sâ—â—ctiâ—â—ed at 〈…〉 what are they sanctified freed and cleansed from if the old Man 〈…〉 the Body of Sin and Death be yet remaining in them Thou spâ—… unlearned man and one that knows not the sanctified state but art 〈…〉 thy mind and Judgment and in thy words also for we have put 〈…〉 Man and are crucified to the Flesh and made free from the Body of 〈…〉 Death and this is our Sanctification and who are remaining 〈…〉 things are not sanctified but are in the Degeneration and hav◠〈…〉 yet in the Kingdom of God nor in Christ Jesus but are withâ—… the World And thousayst The Sanctification of the First Day hath put an end to 〈…〉 fication of the Seventh c. Answ. Here again thou hast uttered that which thou knowest not 〈…〉 dayes are alike unto God and one sanctified as much as another and 〈…〉 of dayes with
nought and let it be left off to cry out Deceivers and Heresie c. and causing any to suffer upon suspition thereupon but bring all things to light and true Judgment that what is proved to be the Truth may be owned and not persecuted any more for we are willing to be made manifest to all men and if any thing be objected against us which may not be sufficiently answered and resolved to sober men then our Enemies are more free and hath whereof to glory in against us but and if all occasion of stumbling be removed by Answers according to the Scriptures and our Principles Practices and Doctrines thereby vindicated then let all the Teachers and all our Adversaries shut their Mouthes from biting at us and railing against us and accusing of us to thee and let thy Ear be shut from believing Lyes against the Innocent and let none suffer in thy Dominion under the cruelty of men upon such a ground And hereof I shall be glad to receive an answer and to joyn issue in this Cause and in the mean time and alwayes am a Lover of thy Soul but a witness against all Oppression E. B. This was delivered to his hands at Hampton Court in the 4th Moneth 1658. For the Protector Friends Know that there is a God that doth whatsoever he will all power is in his hand and he bringeth to pass the Counsel of his own heart and he rules in the kingdoms of men and bringeth down and setteth up he killeth and maketh alive and he changeth times and seasons and Governments and bringeth to nought the counsels of men for all power in Earth and in Heaven is in him and all his doings are right and his wayes are equal and thou and all Mankind are as Clay in the hand of the Potter he can honour and exalt as he pleaseth and he can mar and break to pieces and dishonour whensoever he will wherefore be humble and low in heart before him for he is the highest power that subdueth all things under his feet if he wound who can heal and if he kill there is none can make alive and know thou it is the Lord God Almighty that doth this in whose hands are the Issues of life and death and he it is who can break thee down and build thee up who can wound thee and restore thee and bring thee to destruction and say unto thee return and to know him that doth this belongs to thy eternal peace Wherefore hearken thou to the Word of the Lord that thy soul may come out of death and live and fear the Lord God before whom thy heart is naked and bare who can mould thee and change thee and fulfill his pleasure upon thee even according to his own will and who shall say what doth he and now come to consideration and let thy heart be more upright before him and chuse his way and counsel that he may bless thee and seek his face to behold his countenance that thy soul may be satisfied by his Word and the Milk of the Word may nourish thee unto life Immortal and mind his pure presence which is life even God with thee Christ the Emmanuel to dwell with and walk in thee which is the promise of the Father and first come to the Principle of God and feel the Word of God in thy heart that will beat down the nature into which Temptations enter and the Word will bring thee to war against and overcome all thy Enemies which would defile thee or betray thee and it will bring thee to know a Birth Immortal born in thee and a Crown Immortal received from God that dies not nor fades not away and then he that rules over Heaven and Earth will be thy Shepherd to feed thee and thy Teacher to guide thee and thy Counsellor to direct thee in all things and thy immortal Soul will be satisfied with the Bread that cometh down from Heaven which the Father giveth and the Covenant of God and the Mercies of David that are sure will be revealed and his Promise fulfilled in thee and Life and Immortality brought to Light through the Gospel which is the Power of God which destroyes and puts off and confounds the first man and his knowledge and wisdom and his sin and righteousness all which is in Transgression against the Life of God and the Gospel the Power of God being received it will raise up the Seed of God in thee and bring thee to know the second Adam the Image of the Father which the Devil hath nothing in but he overcomes the Devil who hath been the Lamb Slain by Transgression since the Foundation of the World and he it is that comes out of death that must take away thy sin and destroy it and cover thy nakedness and create thee anew and give thee acceptance in the Father whereby thy soul in him may be refreshed and a habitation in him thou mayst have when this World is no more and for this thou oughtest to wait above all things And Friend thou hast need of the Wisdom of God which is from Heaven to guide thee in all thy affairs that by it thou may be preserved from the will of thine Enemies and from all that hate thee that their Eye may be blinded that watch for Evil and their Wisdom and Policy confounded and brought to nought that hatch Mischief against thee So feel a Measure of the Wisdom of God in thee to guide thee in Dread and Authority and thy Enemies will be afraid for to walk in the Fear of the Lord and in his Wisdom and Authority in Justice Truth and Righteousness that will make thee a greater Terror unto thy Enemies then all Worldly Policy and Craft the Nations will over-reach thee if thy strength be there and if Judgment Justice and Righteousness be neglected by thee how should the Lord Honour thee and Defend thee Nay he will bring Dishonour and give thee into the Will of thy Enemies For want of Truth and just Judgment causeth the Land to Mourn and her People to sit as a Widdow comfortless wherefore love Judgment Truth and Righteousness and walk therein and thou wilt leave a Praise behind thee and a Witness to other Ages that thou hast served the Lord in thy Generation and then thy Memorial shall never dye nor thy Name come into Reproach among the Heathen Wherefore let all Oppression be removed and let the Just go free and let Judgment and Righteousness run down and be thou a Praise and a Blessing to all that do Well and a Terror and a Dread to all the contrary Arise and stand up for the Lord and he will give thee Strength and Victory and will make thy Horn as Iron and thy Hoof as Brass to push down and tread under the high places of Idolatry in all the apostatized Churches both Papist and others out of the Life of the Apostles and as thou comest into the Life the Apostles were in
for the Protector 's Kindred his VVife and Children to be read soberly by them in the Fear of the Lord. FRIENDS â—Emember that by the Lord you were raised from a low state and when he will he can abase you and bring you down he gave you the Palace of â—…ces and threw out them before you 〈◊〉 Remember this every one of you and come to the Witness of God in 〈◊〉 and be humble and meek and lowly and let the Lord's Fear be in your 〈◊〉 and be of a tender Spirit having your minds exercised in Purity in Holiâ—â—â—â— and in Righteousness and exalt not your selves nor be lifted up in â—our 〈◊〉 in the Pride and Vain-glories and Honours of this World lest the Lord 〈◊〉 you down and make your Name and Posterity a Reproach as he hath done â—any before you and if you walk in the same steps and do the same things and 〈◊〉 guilty of the same Abominations and suffer the Children and Servants of the Lord to be persecuted as â—â—ny are at this day some until Death shall the Lord spare you nay he will cause you to feel his Hand of Judgment and bring you down with Sorrow and he will vex you in his Wrath and smiâ—e you with his Rod more and more till you learn his Fear and depart from all your 〈◊〉 and the Lord will deface your Glory and pull down your Crown and 〈◊〉 will make you know that he iâ— Lord that doth whatsoever he will Whereforâ— humble your selves under the Hand of God and search your own hearts and cast out the Abominationâ— that vex the Spirit of the Lord and sufâ—â—â— not the People of the Lord 's precious Flock to be devoured and made a Prey 〈◊〉 the Wicked for because of this the Rod of Affliction cometh upon you and â—â—y suddenly break you to pieces but mind the Seed of God in you which is oppressed and wait to know the. Power of the Lord which will redeem you out of Sin and Death and reconcile you to God and bring you into Fellowship wiâ—â— himself to enjoy Peace and Rest for your Souls that you may be made Heirs of the â—â—heritance of an Endless Life and this would make you truly Honourable 〈◊〉 â—â—ll be more Satisfaction to you and Joy and Content and true Rejoycing 〈◊〉 all Worldly Crowns and Worldly Glories which will waste and consume away and leave you miserable And remember that you are now warned from the 〈◊〉 God by whoâ— I am â—â—ved to write this unto you in deaâ— and tender Love to you all and one day you shall witness it And as concerning the Quakers so called who are accounted as vile in the Sight of men and are â—ast out of all Power and Place in the Nation being despised of all and also are reproached persecuted and imprisoned and all manner of Evil and Injustice unrighteously done and spoken against them by wickâ—â— and corrupt men in Authority yet are they the Children and Servants of the Living God and greatly beloved of him and are as dear to him as the Apple of his Eye and his Power and Presence is with them and the time is at hand that the Lord will make their Persecutors fall and their Enemies bow and tremble though now they suffer unjustly and are trodden down as not deserving a Place on the Earth yet it is for Righteousness sake and because they shew forth the Image of the Father and not for Evil-doing and will not their Sufferings lie upon you for many Hundred have suffered cruel and great things and some the loss of Life though not by yet in the name of the Protector and about a Hundred at this present day lie in Holes and Dungeons and Prisons up and down the Nation and some at this time are Sick nigh unto Death whose Sufferings â—â—y for Vengeance and the Lord heareth the Cry Wherefore save your selves and let the Innocent be delivered and the cruel Bonds of Oppression broken and the Exercise of a pure Conscience go free without Persecution and then the Lord will 〈◊〉 away his Anger and cease to smite you with his Rod which bath been upon you and he will give you Peace and make you blessed if you come to be leá by his Spirit into all Truth And though these Innocent Lambs of Christ suffer thus under this present Power yet are they not Enemies to you but are Friends to your Persons and Families 〈◊〉 pitty you and love you and desire well for you in the Lord that you may â—â—pent and be healed and even that your Hearts may be opened to receive Refreshments to your Souls and that you may be established in Righteousuess and Trâ—… over all your Enemies and may not be confounded nor your Posterity brought 〈◊〉 reproach which is hastening upon you and though our Love be despised and 〈◊〉 accounted hateful in your sight and looked upon with Derision yet we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things in Patience truly desiring your Returning and Repentance and 〈◊〉 yoâ—â— Destruction But if these doleful Suffering of the Lord 's poor Lambs be continued by this present Power it will destroy you and undo you and break you and confound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will not cease to smite you with his Rod of sharp Rebukes and he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know his People's Cause shall not be unpunished Oh Did you â—ut know hoâ— Hâ—â—dreds have and do suffer how the Bodies of some have been tortured by Stocks and cruel Whippings and how some lie Sick in stinking Holes and 〈◊〉 on the Ground or a little Straw at best Ten or often more in a Prisoâ— together and sometimes their own Friends nâ— suffered to come to visit thâ—◠〈◊〉 Necessaries Oh Did but your Eyes behold or your Hearts perceive the greatness of the Cruelty which some of the Lord 's dear Servants and your faithful Friends undergo it would make your hearts ake and your spirits to tremble and all this is done in the Name and under the Authority of Protector therefore how should the Lord but lay it to your charge and afflict him and hâ—â— Family He will make you know there tâ—â—t a God tâ—â—t can do whatsoever he will and that Life and Death are in his Hands and all Creatures are as Clay in the Hand of the Pâ—tter and be rules in the Kingdoms of Men and pulleth down one and setteth up another according to his Pleasure but if the Love of God be with-holden from you it is because of Disobedience to him and your Transgression Wherefore be obedient to him and love his Wayes and Judgments that he may make you more happy with a Crown Immortal that never fades away And remember once more the Lord hath warned you by a Friend unto you in the Lord Written the 1st day of the 7th Moneth called September 1658. Edward Burroughs Copies of this were delivered to divers of his Children and Kindred the day before he Dyed To thee Richard Cromwel called Protector of these Nations is this
Well we have not dealt so with you neither do we desire to uncover your Nakedness to the Nation you had not had thus much if you had not been the occasion of it your selves and surely what you have done in this particular some of your own Members will not accept it from you with thanks to you but I shall say more to you when I have under all your hands the particular Practices which you charge to be irregular And though there hath been and is Contradictions between us and you in matters of Religion and difference in particular Practices about Church and Ministers Orders c. Yet what is this this was amongst our selves though hereof you have no reason to boast as of any Victory that you have obtained over us in any such Controversie neither hath the Spirit of God so appeared in that Authority among you as that you have gained any from us to you but rather the contrary but what of these Contentions we have never so contended with you as that we have hated your Persons or sought to betray you into the hands of devouring Mouthes the Lord is our Witness in this though you have done contrary even sought to betray our Persons in this your work and I must tell you Dishonestly and Undiscreetly have you done in this matter who never could unto this day in any Contest between us about Religious Matters convince us of Error or irregular Practices though now you have accused us to the whole Nation and not as in a way of Debate about Religion but as in matter of State Irregularity whereby plainly appears that you seek to betray us even our Persons into the hands of our Merciless Enemies and you would make Peace with them and deliver us into their Merciless hands and thereby shew hatred not unto us as upon the account of Religion only but even Hatred to our Persons and have accused us as of Personal Irregularity and so have not shewed Love to our Persons but rather sought our Destruction Oh ye Wicked Men to whose charge God shall lay this Iniquity of Treachery and Unfaithful Dealing to us even as with Brethren which is the most deceitful Iniquity And alas for you What are your Desires of depriving us of our just Liberty God shall give us Liberty and from him we shall enjoy it whether you will or no and for our just Liberty we shall not be beholding to you though I must tell you if our Liberty were in your power it is greatly to be doubted and even your own dealing in this your Declaration gives occasion for it that our Liberty would be enslaved if it were in your hands but we bless the Lord it is in his Hand and not in yours for so much of Treachery towards us has here appeared even in giving us up so much as in you is to the will of our Enemies and the spirit is in you which would betray Brethren that for the time to come we can never trust you but we do not give our Power to you to enjoy our Liberty from you nor ever shall And if we walk Morrally Honest and Peaceable in the Nation it is more then you do in this matter for this your practice is not morrally honest in accusing of us behind our backs to the Nation and City and Authorities thereof of Irregularity c. though as I have said never any of us had so great a hand by open opposition tending to make War in the Nation as some of you in some things I might instance even for their sakes to whom you yove accused us and that we are more peaceable then some of your selves the Nation and City knows Have we thrust our selves into Arms and sought Offices and Places and Commands as some of you have Have ever any of us appear'd in Arms against Parliament and Nation as some of you Have we given the City or the Nation by any visible Appearance to fear a War from us as you have done Let the Nation and City and the Witness in all mens Consciences judge so that we are known to be peaceable as much or more then your selves for we have never sought to you to take up Arms with us as some among you have sought to others which may demonstrate that we are as peaceable in the Nation if not more then you and so you needed not to have premised such a thing on our behalf And thus I have in short returned your secret Treachery upon your own heads and answered that same part of your Declaration wherein I and the Truth and the whole Flock of God was any way concerned and as for the rest of your Declaration I will not seek occasion against it though in some other things also therein exprest I might search out your hearts and discover the rottenness of them And where you say You declare Magistracy to be an Ordinance c. might not I tell the Nation and City That you are not content with Magistracy except of your own Sect and might not I say Why were not you contented with that Assembly of men that last sate and wherefore was it that you even some of you Anabaptists were the chief Instruments with Swords in your hands to dissolve them and so were Instruments in bringing the Nation into present Confusion And whereas you speak of the publick Ministers of the Nation You are far from endeavouring to destroy them say you and it is your Duty to stand by them and preserve them from all Violence and Injury c. To which I answer What are you about to make a League and a Covenant with Antichrist Have you for these many years been opposing them in words and are you now recanting of what you have done when you are sensible of a Danger upon you and will you now bind your selves to stand by them and preserve them from all Injury and even as they are Ministers too But let me ask you Do you look upon them to be Ministers of Christ or of Antichrist If true Ministers of Christ wherefore do you oppose them cry against them in your Pulpits have formerly your selves and some of your Brethren yet do publickly oppose them both by word writing Oh ye Hypocrites But if they are Ministers of Antichrist then how is it that you will stand by them and preserve them as such and would bind it upon them as their Duty to stand by and preserve you Is not this a League with Hell and Death Are you turned backwards into Love and Affection towards them again and so lost your former Principles And is your Zeal quite grown cold or are you now only Flattering and Daubing with the Ministers because you see Danger from them while you seek but greater Advantage against them They may indeed tell you They look upon you as not Destroyers of their Wayes and Practices neither to ease the Nation from any Burden which they have laid upon it For it is
may stand and never be moved from the hope of Eternal Life and feel the renewing of your inward man even the increase and growth of the Immortal Life in you that you may live in that unto the Lord God and Covenant with him may be preserved whereby you may be a praise and a glory to him in your Generation in the sight of the whole World even all you who have tasted of the Presence and Power of the Lord and who have known his Mercies and Judgements and been acquainted with him that you may be kept faithful unto the end and not be subverted by the wicked one nor drawn from the Obedience to the Truth nor loose your Crown of Immortality neither by the flattery nor terrour of the ungodly but that you live in the Dominion of Immortal Life which keeps above all Mortal Temptations and Mortal Terrour and gives Authority over all And this Life is blessed where the Glory and Peace of this World and the Troubles and Sorrows of it also are seen over and felt beyond and nothing of it can move the Heart nor disquiet the Spirit nor work any Separation from the Fathers Love and in the Seed of God where it lives above mortal is this enioyed by us and all the Faithful But if the mans part live above the Seed of God that will be drawn aside by the love or by the terrour of this World for that is changable and the evil one hath a part in it so that part is to be kept in subjection in you under the Seed of God it must bear the Crosâ— of Christ always else you will be overcome of the wicked for in that part the mâ—… part which is of this World the Devil hath somthing a place to receive â—im pâ—â—t to obey him but in the Seed of God he hath nothing neither place nor part And so Friends live in the Seed of God for in that is your Victory and heavenly Dominion and also your Election and Assurance for ever even in the second Birth begotten of the Father for that is the Heir of God and thereiâ— doth man inherit Eternal Life and Rest and Peace to his Soul and therein is Bleâ—â—â—â—gs and Peace and Life inwardly and outwardly and all fulness is enjoyed where the Lord is the Teacher the Father the Shepherd the Master the King and Judge and is become to us the all in all and the Kingdom deliveâ—â—◠〈◊〉 him and all subjected under him even God with us the Substance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—d of all and all the contrary put under even the Lion and the Lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together and man lives in Peace according to the Promise and the Mountain of the Lords House is established on the top of all in which nothing can destroy or hurt the pure Life but Life is in Dominion over all and 〈◊〉 is swallowed up of it Oh Friends this is the mark that is before you press on towards it that you may obtain the final end of all your Travel and Waiting of your Obediâ—â—ce and Suffering and the end of your Hope and Patience and the very end of the Messâ—ge sent of God and delivered to you by us The end of all is this Thâ—â— you may dwell in God and he in you and be gathered up to him to be ever with 〈◊〉 and that he may be your all in all and you may be to him an honour and praise â—â—â—â—ghout the World in your Generation even he your onely God and you his onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friends certain it is that the Way of Life and Peace and of Salvation is mâ—de manifest unto you and you know wherein everlasting Peace and Reconciliation with God standeth and you also know what the cause is of all troâ—â—le and sorrow and condemnation the Lord hath opened many Hearts and given unto many a good Understanding And seeing you know this live in the Way of Peace and escape the other that you may not come into condemnation for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the Condemnation and Wrath of the Almighty And for this cause That men should be saved from Wrath and have Peacâ— with God the Message of Life and Salvation hath the Lord sent abroad plentifully in this Nation and you have received it and believed the Report though many have rejected it to their Destruction whose Judgment will be upon them but you have tasted handled and fâ—lt of the Word of eternal Life by which the Lord hath wounded you and healed you again and many hath he slain and made them alive even through his Word and Power which hath entred into many hearts which killeth the Enmity and quickenâ—th the Seed and which breaketh off from all the World's followship both in Transgressions and Righteousness and makes all void all Covenants with Death and Hell and marrieth unto the Lamb and the Marriage of the Lamb is câ—me unto many even unto all in whom his innocent and heavenly Naâ—â—re is begotten and brought forth for this is of his Flesh and of his Bone 〈◊〉 here is his Wife that hath made her self ready and is prepared for the Bridegroom and blessed are ye if ye know thesâ— things and are Witnesses of thâ—â— even the Marriage of the Lamb and the making ready of his Elected in you 〈◊〉 the receiving and quickening of his Flesh and of his Bone for this is the 〈◊〉 unto whom he is joyned that hath put away all other Lovers and loveth the Lord with all the Heart and with all the Soul who is clothed with perfect Beaâ—ty and Innocency and covered with divine Righteousness in which there is no Spot being delivered out of the Wilderness and freed from her mournâ—â—g state and is no more separated from her Husband but she again quickâ—â—t into Life and adorned with Beauty and married to the Lamb to live with him â—or evermore Oh Friends wait upon the Lord that ye may possess these things for to kâ—ow thâ—â— and be in them is everlasting Treasure and Riches the Possession of them are Riches to the Poor Bread to the Hungry and Clothing to the Naked and Life to the Dead And if ye know these things lay them up in your hearts as your most precious Treasure and let none spoil you of it And if ye are married unto the Lamb then are you the True and onely Church even his Body and living Members of it for such onely are the True Church that are married to Christ and United to him in his own nature and all such are false Churches and are even of the great Whore that hath taken upon them the name of Churches of Christ but were never lawfully married unto him and such are deceived and Deceivers of others with the very Name of Christ calling themselves by the Name of his Church while they are in the nature contrary to him nor they ever lawfully married unto him and this is the great Whore who commits lewdness though Nations in all false
perverted into evel in its practise of degenerate man and if you forget the Word then Iniquity prevails again and the love of this World and its vanities and the Riches and Pleasures of the mortal man steals away the Heart and they possess the Habitation of God unrighteously and all things are become sinful and the Body of Death comes over the pure Life and Peace with God in the Conscience is lost and that because the Word of God is forgotten which once begat unto God and where the unclean spirit enters again the latter end of such is worse then the beginning more finful against God and more hated of him and therefore let none follow the way of such for it leads to Death and Darkness and Misery will be the end of it But Friends mind him and feel his Power who is the Preserver of Men in Peace and Righteousness and let not up that part in you into liberty into which Satan enters and sows his seed of degeneration but live in the Cross of Christ and in the meek and lowly Spirit tha◠you may not do your own wills but the Will of the Father and may fear him and his Goodness and that subjecteth the ground of Temptations that Sin cannot prevail so shall your Peace be everlasting and your Life as a River of pleasure and Joy and Gladness shall be your daily Portion and the Lord shall never forsake you but be unto you a Tower of Strength and Habitation of Peace and a Crown of Victory and Reward in this present time and for ever And if ye abide in Christ the Vine into which you are planted by Regeneration then will your Fruit be of the Vine and acceptable unto the Father who is the good Husbandman and through his Vertue you will grow into Perfection as partaining to the Conscience where all guilt of sin is taken away and the burden of Iniquity and body of Death clean removed away from you for that is Perfection as partaining to the Conscience where Sin and Transgression is done away and Power received over it both in Motion and Action and the Guilt of it and the Conscience sprinkled with the Immortal Blood of the Lamb and no stain nor guilt remaining but Peace altogether by the holy Spirit in the Conscience and this is perfection which was not attained to by outward things in the first Covenant but is witnessed in the second which the Lord hath made with us and confirmed unto us where Sin and Iniquity is blotted out and Innocency and Immortallity lives and raigns and such stand before the Throne of God without fault before him and no guile in their Mouthes and these sing the Song of the Lamb and of the Redeemed where all sorrow is fled away if so be that the burden and guilt of all Transgresion be removed then there is no cause of sorrow and blessed are they that dwell here and that are entred into the everlasting Rest even into God for he is the Rest of the Immortal Soul and the Life of it and if ye know these things ye have satisfaction and comfort which none know but they that have it it s the portion of the Redeemed whose Father Master Ruler Judge and King is the Lord God and the Lamb and we are Subjects of that Kingdom and free born of that City the heavenly Ierusalem and we are made free through the price of Immortal Blood and then how can any of you that are such serve this World and the Vanities of it by any immoderate care or desire or exercise in earthly things for this is the bondage of Egypt but the Children are free from it and are not entangled concerning the things of this World but they are subjected under and the Inheritance of a better Portion is their Crown and Substance and Esau's portion is the Earth he that hath no assurance in God wherefore live above this World in the Seed of God and be without immoderate care in every thing as to earthly matters not taking thought what shall come or be to morrow neither cumbring your selves about uncertain riches but leave the issue of all things to the Lord in whose hands are Blessings and the Curse to give or take away according to his pleasure and be not Servants unto but Rulers over all affections in earthly things for spiritual Blessings are the Crown and the Earth is the foot-stool of the Lord's Redeemed And as for the dayes and seasons in which we now are let none be troubled as though it were not well or could be better for all things are well that are come to pass because the Will of the Lord hath effected them either as the Cause or as the Means and it is good for us that these things are so for the prosperity of our Kingdom is going on through all the Hammer is beating upon the Rocks that will beat them to pieces and the Axe is hewing down the Cedars and the little Stone prevails against the many-headed Beast and the Image of Idolatry is weakening and the holy Seed grows in strength and vertue and the Purpose of the Lord can none prevent But the light of the Son must be as the light of seven days amangst us and the Day-Spring from on high hath already visited us and we have seen of his Glory wherefore let all the Upright have Patience and Long-suffering till the Measure of Iniquity in our Adversaries be filled which is hastening to be accomplished and Transgression grows full and Sinners grow ripe for Vengeance and we must pass over their Mountain of Darkness and in the mean time the Lord hides us under his shadow even 〈◊〉 Transgression be finished and covers us from the storm and blinds the enemy and turns his rage backward and we are not destroyed but our life is renewed and righteousness mercy and love are a defence about us and how great is the kindness of the Lord herein mine eye hath seen it and my heart meditateth thereon the power and wisdom and love of the Lord herein are very great and who can find out the depth thereof or declare his immeasurable power and wisdom And thus the salutation of my life unto all the faithful is expressed and I am well in him who is my fulness and desire no more concerning you then your faithfulness in the cause of God for without controversie the cause of God is with us and on our part and as you are faithful therein that is my reward concerning you and the addition to my joy and in the Heavenly Spirit of the Lord God Almighty are you committed unto him who is able to keep you even to the end and in the end to glorifie you in eternal life in rest and peace for ever and this is the portion of the faithful and my desires on your behalf and my salutation of you hoping that you have not so learned Christ as to deny him because of the love or terror of this World
Heaven is weary of you and the time is at hand he will pluck you up by the Roots and visit you with great Destruction and your name shall be a Reproach amongst men for ye have not sought the Lord's Honour but your own and ye have been changable in your Ways for your own advantages ye have preached for filthy Lucre and through Covetousness made Merchandize of People and ye have traded with the Scriptures and made a Trade of the preaching the Gospel and ye have made Traffick of the Souls of Men and these things have you done and the Lord hath kept silence and he hath forborn to smite you and therefore have you been hardened the more in your Transgressions as though the Lord took no notice and you have filled your Hands with dishonest Gain in your unrighteous Wayes and your sins are increased every day against the God of Heaven you repent not when you are warned but reject reproof and go on without fear ye are a company of proud men heady and high-minded Men ambitious and self-seeking Persons even such as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles marked forth for Deceivers and your Fruits and Works do preach it ye have been covered with Sheep's cloathing in your unrighteous natures and your Iniquities are almost full and the Lord wiâ—â— bring unresistable Destruction upon you in a Day when you cry Peace Peace then sudden Destruction will come Wo unto you because of your Iniquities the Earth is weary of you which ye have corrupted through your false wayes and the Kingdoms groan under your Oppressions and the Earth will spue you out and the People whom you have deceived shall rise up in judgment against you the dreadful Day of the Lord is at hand upon you the Apostates from the Life and Faith of Jesus Christ foâ— of that Race you are even of them Apostates that went out in the Apostles dayes that went in Balaam's way and Cain's way for ye are of the spirit that kills and persecutes People about Worship and Sacrifices and Religion as Cain did and you go for Gifts and Rewards even as Balaam did these things are so the Witness of God in your Consciences shall answer and all People shall acknowledge the truth hereof in the day when God pleads with all the Wicked All People return and repent of your Iniquities the dreadful day of the Lord is at hand ye Sinners and Transgressors ye hypocritical Professors and profain Persons the day of Vengeance is at hand whither will you fly and where will you leave your glory where will you seek a defence or where can you be hid the Mountains will not cover you nor the Rocks will not fall upon you the Wrath of the Lamb you cannot escape even the long-suffering of God will be turned into a flame of Anger and Patience will be turned into sharp Rebuke the Wrath of the Lamb will utterly smite you and the Cup of God's Indignation you must drink all the Earth must taste of it and the Wicked shall drink the dreggs wherefore all ye Inhabitants of the Earth forsake your Transgressions that the Lord may not cut you off for ever but let God arise to deâ—â—â—oy your Iniquities and to save your Souls let him take Vengeance upon your Inventions that he may forgive you Oh! why will you dye why will you perish the Lord would have you to return that he might save you And this is the day of your Visitation the door of Mercy is yet open for a little season and the Lord yet calls unto you for a moment but the time is at hand that he who is filthy shall be filthy still and that determination shall be passed Come ye Blessed and Go ye Cursed the doleful sentence shall be pronounced to all workers of Iniquity Into everlasting Burning must they depart prepared for the Devil and his Angels and shall not see the Countenance of the Lord to refresh their soul but in the presence of the Lord and of the Lamb shall the Wicked be tormented Wherefore hear and tremble all ye Transgressors that live and act contrary to your knowledge and against the Witness of God in your own Consciences and this is your great sin for which the wrath of God cometh not because you have acted in Ignorance and without knowledge but because you have acted against the Light in your Consciences and sinned against your knowledge and done the things which you know were evil before you did them and because hereof you are not to be excused but the burden of your own sins and the guilt of them will fall heavy upon you in the Day of the Lord For this is the Condemnation of the World that Light is come into it but you have loved Darkness rather than Light and followed evil deeds and loved them and this is contrary to the Light that is come into the World and which hath enlightned your own Consciences Certain Propositions of Faith laid down which every one must believe or else they cannot be saved I. NOw none can be saved from the Wrath of the Lord but they who are saved from their Sins for Sin bring the Wrath of God upon the Conssciences of men and Anguish upon Soul and Body and who are not saved from Sin canot be saved from Wrath for Wrath pursues the Guilty and he that doth evil sin lies at his door and continual anguish upon his spirit because of sin and the load and burden of the Body of Death oppresseth his soul and anger from God kindleth in his Breast because he hath sinned and he knows he is guilty of Transgression and the Lord wounds him in his Conscience and no man in that state can speak peace unto him nor can any save him from the Wrath of God because he is not saved from his Sin nor from the guilt of it but his grief and burden is because he hath sinned against the Light in his own Conscience And therefore whosoever will be saved from Wrath must be saved from Sin and Christ must purifie his heart and the Blood of the Lamb must sanctifie him and his Conscience must be cleansed from the guilt of Transgression and Christ must live in him and he must live the Life of Faith which gives victory over all Sin or else he cannot be saved with the Salvation of God eternally II. Again whosoever will be saved with the salvation of God must own the Light of Christ Jesus in his own Conscience and he must believe in this Light and walk in it even the Light in his Conscience that convinces him and checks him for his evil deâ—ds and that lets him see what sin he is guilty of you must believe in this Light and follow it and depart from that and forsake that Iniquity which it convinces you of and do that Good which it moves your hearts unto or else you can never be saved for if you continue in evil-doing contrary to the Light of Christ
in your own Consciences you are in a condemned condition and you cannot be justified of the Lord while you are accused by the Light within you of such and such sins and that you are guilty of them and sorsake them not for the God of Heaven condemneth and justifieth men according to the Witness of the Light in their own Consciences for it is Gods Evidence to bear witness for God and to accuse or excuse every man in his sight and according to its evidence God justifieth or condemneth all the Children of men III. Again Whosoever will be saved must be born again of the seed of God and must be changed and renewed in Mind and Heart and Spirit and old things must pass away and all things must be made new and a new Nature must live in you and the Image of God must be brought forth which is in Righteousness and true Holiness which is like unto God and this is the new Creation which every one must witness to be wrought in them that ever â—â—â—â—ers into Gods Kingdom For saith Christ Except a man be born again he canâ—â—â— enter into the Kingdom of God for it is not a profession of Religion made with the Lips nor the practises of Duties and Ordinances taken on and performed in the old nature and a holding of truth in unrighteousness this is not the way of Salvation but it is the regenerating and making like unto God being his Image of Justice Truth and Righteousness it is this in which men may be saved everlastingly IV. Again Whosoever will be saved must receive the Spirit of God and it must dwell in them even the Spirit of the Father and they must be taught by it and led into all Truth to do the Truth and speak the Truth in all things even the spirit of Truth must be received to teach and to lead in all the wayes of God it alone must teach and all the Hireling-Teachers of the World must be turned away from by whom peoples souls have been deceived all such as have run and God never sent them that have cryed up Tâ—â—ching and Ministry and through whom people have not received the Spirit of thâ— Father all such Teachers must be denyed their Church and Ministry and the Spirit of the Father must only teach and lead and you must walk in the Spirit and not after the Flesh for if you walk after the Flesh in the wayes and works of it you are in the state of Condemnation and not of Salvation and the Spirit of God doth not teach you but you are out of the New Covenant of God in which Covenant all are taught of the Lord and in Righteousness are they established the Spirit of God is put within them and the Law of God is written in their hearts and they need no man to teach them but as the Spirit teacheth and this is the New Covenant of Peace with God into which all must come to witness this or else they cannot be saved V. Again all that will be saved must be sanctified cleansed and purified from all Unrighteousness by the Spirit and Word of God whereby every Heart must be made clean and every Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb and the body of sin and death must be put off and the bondage of Corruption must be broken and Iniquity must be forsaken and turned from and siâ— must be judged in the Flesh and Purity Holiness and Righteousness must live and reign in all that will be saved and Sin and Transgression and the guilt of it must be removed and you must shew forth the Image of God in Holiness and Righteousness and must be pure as he is pure in kind and quality and you must walk in Holiness and Righteousness being freed from Corruption and from the Wayes of Sin and Death being sanctified in Body Mind and Spirit by the Word of the Lord and Sin must be blotted out and Transgression must be covered and Iniquity must be remembred no more and in all things you must cease to do evil and learn to do well if ever you will be saved VI. Again whosoever will be saved must witness Christ revealed in yoâ— â—â—d â—e must live in you and you must be Followers of him wheresoever he goâ—s â—â—d your Bodies must be the Temples of the Living God and God must walk 〈◊〉 you and dwell in you according to his Promise and he must be your King your Judge and Law-giver your Teacher Father and Master and he must be 〈◊〉 in all unto you even God the Father who is blessed for ever you must â—â—ow him near you and feel his Presence in you to be your Joy Life and â—eace and you must have fellowship with him in spirit and must worship him 〈◊〉 Spirit and by the Spirit without respect of Dayes Times or Places every one that will be saved must come into this and witness it for this is the way of the Salvation of God VII Again whosoever will be saved must live in the Power of Godlinâ—ss and must deny all Forms of Religion without the Power all Profession of Scriptures Ordinances Church-member-ship Praying and Preaching which is not in the Power of God and by his Spirit must be denyed and that part that holds it that holds the Form of Godliness without the Power must be crucified and every one must come into the Power of the Spirit of God and must witness that to work in them to will and to do and no more professing the Things of God but as they are witnessed by the work of his Spirit in their hearts you must not hold Truth any longer in unrighteousness nor make a profession of it in your your unrighteous minds no more talking of Justification and Redemption nor of any of the matters of Gods Kingdom but according as they are witnessed by the working of the Spirit of God in the heart and every one must feel in himself the evidence and Testimony of the Spirit of God to witness the Truth in his heart or Conscience of what he professeth with his mouth VIII Again Whosoever will be saved must witness the Scriptures of Truth fulfilled in themselves the things that they have read of without them must be wrought within them wrought in their hearts by the same Spirit as gâ—ve forth the Scriptures they must pass through the same conditions as the holy men of God did and the same truth that the Scriptures declare of must be revealed in the heart by the same Spiâ—it that gave forth the Scriptures and none must profess more than they do enjoy from God and all flesh must be silent from speaking of the things of Gods Kingdom which they have not seen handled rasted and felt by the working of the Spirit of God in their Consciences and this is to witness the Scriptures fulfilled when you have experience of the same conditions and of the same operations and manifestations which the Servants of the Lord passed through
extream Reproaches as I have said in Contempt and Derision of that People and all this as if those People were guilty of heinous Crimes that it might appear to thee as if these Petitioners had done nothing but Iustice in what they have done and they seek to cover themselves and to hide their Wickedness before thee in what they have unjustly acted and this seems to be the Current of some part of the same Petition already presented unto thee like as if they had done no Evil though they have Unjustly Banished 〈◊〉 off Ears Whipped inhumanly and taken away lives as aforesaid And they would have thee believe they are Innocent towards thee and towards us whenas it is evident as the Sun at Noon-day that they are our Persecuters and that they have â—â—justly persecuted us unto Death for the Name of Christ and that also they are not unto thee as they Hypocritically feign themselves And therefore O King for the clearing of our selves and the Name of the Lord which we profess and for reproving of their bold impudent Insolencies both in what they have already done to us and now in seeking to cover themselves unto thee And also if there be any doubtfulness in thy Heart of these Matters for these Ends and Causes with Respect to the Fear of God and Honour 〈◊〉 the King I hereby presume to pursue their said Petition even unto thy Court and to wipe away the Slanders and Reproaches of Ungodly Men as much as possible hoping thereby thou wilt receive due and just Information in this matter of proceeding between us and them that thy just Judgment may be given accordingly And I shall transcribe some few of their own words presented to thee and thereupon spread some few Considerations before thee also and I pray God give thee an Understanding to judge justly in this and all other cases The first thing that I note is whereas they say That they have chosen rather the pure Scripture-Worship with a good Conscience in this poor remote Wilderness to â—it New-England among the Heathens than the Pleasures of England with subjection to the Imposition of the then so disposed and so far prevailing Hierarchy which we could not do without an evil Conscience c. say they The Considerations presented unto the King upon these words are divers 1. The Worship Doctrine Discpiline and Constitution of the Church of New-England is different and contrary and not purely according unto the Scriptures in the Administration of the Gospel nor in a pure Conscience purely guided by the Spirit of God though they seem to justifie their own Way and Case before the King and this may justly be made appear in his Presence upon good Occasion only at this time I assert the Case and if ever God gives oportunity I may prosecute it with Proofs and Evidences and that to the great Reproof of the Church so called of New-England who are not only in Doctrine Worship and Conversation contrary to the Scriptures but impudent and too presumptious to affirm their own Self-justification and Innocencâ— before the King when as it is manifest as the Day is from the Night that the Pastors and Members of the Church of New-England want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures and follow the spirit of Persecution Violence and Cruelty and are void of a Good Conscience both towards God and Men. To prove this there needs no greater Evidence than their own Deportâ—…nt towards the Harmless Quakers for these five years time who as I have said have spoiled their Goods and imprisoned their Persons cut off their Ears Banished them and inhumanely put them to Death and all this because of difference in Iudgment and Practice in Religious Matters when as no manner of Evil could be charged upon them in the things between man and man And if these be not works contrary to the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and contrary to a Good Conscience I am yet ignorant and must leave it to the Judgment of the King before whom this Matter is brought to receive his Judgment 2. Let the King consider how they have ignorantly condemned themselves in the same things for whith they have judged others for while they seem to complain of the Impositions of the Bishops which they stile prevailing Hierarchy if it was Transgression in the Bishops in dayes past to impose upon these Petitioners and to Persecute them for Non-conformists how much more are these men guilty of Imposition and Persecution of tender Consciences Nay they have exceeded in the same Transgression and become seven-fold guilty of the sins themselves which they complain against in others for they have gone further in Cruelty and Persecution towards the Innocent Quakers than ever the Bishops proceeded against them even so far further as the murdering of a man is more than cutting off his Ear And the Cause of the Quakers towards these Petitioners hath been as Innocent as ever theirs was towards the Bishops Oh hypocritical Generation who are condemning of others for that whereof themselves are guilty and imposing upon others in a far higher degree than ever the Bishops imposed on them witness their Law in New-England which judgeth every man to pay 5s per day who come not to their Assembly and imposing Fines of 40s and 50s apiece on such as meet together to worship the Lord which are evident signs of an evil Conscience as themselves speak The next thing that I note upon which the King ought to consider the Petitioners say concerning the Quakers Open Capital Blasphemers open Seducers from the Glorious Trinity the Lord 's Christ the Blessed Gospel and from the holy Scriptures as the Rule of Life open Enemies to the Government it self as established in the hand of any but men of their own Principles malignant Promoters of Doctrines directly tending to subvert both our Church and State By way of Answer to this let the King consider 1. The envious and detestable spirit of maliciousness of these Accusers and how vehement and fervent their persecuting spirit is drawn forth with reproachful Tearms in the highest degree like as if they could not utter sufficiently the Envy of their Hearts or as if they wanted words to demonstrate their Malignity and devouring Malice against that People whom they in scorn call Quakers and all this to present us Odious and Abominable before thee O King I say but this of them unto thee The Lord forgive them if they have not sinned unto Death and Unpardonably I have no desire of Revenge towards them but I leave Vengeance to the Lord who will recompence in his season neither do I desire to provoke or incense the King against them only Duty to God and the King teacheth me and Love Constraineth me and an absolute Necessity presseth much upon me to spread our Denyal of their Bitter and Malicious Accusations against us before the King unto whom we are thus foully accused And I say I
of his People he is at a distance from the Lord God and the Spirit which should comfort him doth daily vex and judge him and the people among whom he should be saved he is separated from and cast out to Satan is now among the Sons of Belial the Children of Wickedness and Ignorance that must be condemned And this man is now rejected of the Saints that once was embraced of them and thus he is punished for it is the greatest Punishment and Vexation for a man that hath once tasted of God's Love Mercy Peace and Blessings amongst God's People and to be forsaken of God and without his Love in his Anger in his Judgment and in the Curse amongst the Wicked without Peace and Blessings amongst the Saints this is Punishment indeed from which the Lord deliver all his People that fear him Yet notwithstanding this kind and manner of Punishment pertains to Hereticks as such most properly and not to be destroyed in Person or Estate by outward Penalties this I onely mean and intend where the Error of a man and his Heresie in his Mind and Judgment doth only extend to the hurt of his own Soul and against God and not to the harm of his Neigbours Person or Estate in that Case he ought only to suffer as before-mentioned To be delivered up to Satan and to be rejected c. But if his Error and Heresie do extend further then onely against God and his own Soul even to the wronging injuring and defrauding of his neighbours person and estate and outward wrongs or evils or violence or visible mischiefs be committed as Murders or other the like visible crimes against men to the injuring of others then I forbid not outward external punishments to be corporally inflicted upon the person and estate of such a man but it ought to be done and that by Laws of men provided for the same end even such a mans Error in such his wrong dealing may justly and lawfully be punished with death banishment or penalties according to the desert of the crime if his sin and error be against men let men deal with him and punish him accordingly If his offence and error be onely against God and his own soul let God deal with him and punish him by his wrath in his Conscience which one day will be executed upon all that err from the Truth and tribulation and anguish shall be upon his soul that doth evil as it is written But it is utterly unlawful and sin against God for men to kill burn or banish men for the error of their minds and judgments in Spiritual matters while they do walk justly and truly as men in the things pertaining to men and are not injurious to the Persons or Estates of any by reason of such their Error but they only sin and err against God and their own Souls to the hurt thereof and not man by any outward Punishments or Violence executed upon their Persons but God and his People in the way and manner of the Spirit of Christ as afore declared ought for such their Errors and Heresies to deal with them and proceed towards them in respect of Punishment for the same Lastly These things are but said in general concerning Error and Heresie how they are to be judged and Punished and by whom and to manifest that there is Error and Heresie Hereticks and Erroneous Persons in the World for as I have said before it was not now my work to ennumerate the particular parts of Errors and Heresies that are held in Principle Doctrine and Practice in the World at this day they are so many and large but yet more particularly thus I would in brief define Hereticks and Heresie That man whatsoever he be is in Error in all parts of his Principles and practises held and maintained by him in point of Religion and Worship of God especially that is not Perswaded of the Truth and verity of his Way by the holy Spirit of God and led guided and taught in the performance and practice thereof by the same Spirit of Jesus if the holy Spirit of God dwell not in him and doth not preswade the heart in the belief of the Truth and teach and lead the man in the practice of it such a man even that man Errs and is in Error in all what he is and what he doth in point of Religion and Duty to God-wards and that because the Spirit of Truth and Righteousness is not the only Leader and Teacher in the things professed and practised but either Traditions Example of others or Custom of Places and Times or something else besides the Spirit of God which only perswades into the belief of Truth and teaches into the performance of the same and thus is distinguished and known A man that is Erroneous in his Faith and Practice not taught and perswaded by the Spirit of Christ in what he is and in what he doth he is in Error and in a degree of Heresie erring in Mind and Judgment and Conscience in Principle and practice and subject to err in all things Now as for the Case of Error and Heresie as the matter hath stood in distinguishing of Hereticks and Heresies in judging of the same and in proceeding with Hereticks in the manner aforesaid for many Generations in the Apostacy since the Apostles dayes all this hath been wrong and not in the Spirit and Power of Christ Jesus but Men Cases and Proceedings all have been perverted from Truth in that matter because the spirit of darkness and ignorance hath ruled and not the Spirit of God in the Hearts of men and the spirit that is not of the Father which Spirit of the Father is only pure perfect and infallible because it is of God and can truly judge and determine in these Cases has been Lord and Judge in this matter and men out of their Envy and Hatred one towards another have judg'd one another to be erronious and Hereticks and proceeded against them thereupon and such as have differ'd in Iudgment or Opinion one Sect and Sort from another and would not conform to one another in their Wayes Practices and Religion it hath been common for all different sorts of men to cry out one upon another and against each other Heresie Heresie Hereticks Erronious Persons and the like and proceeded against one another men against men differing from them and sect against sect contrary to it self and especially that sect or sort of People that hath had the Government of Nations and Countries in their Power could and hath easily proceeded against all others dissenting upon the account of Error to the destroying of many absolutely through envy hatred and prejudice and not upon the Truth Soundness and Verity of Judgment in that matter and this hath been common for many Ages Sometimes according to the occasion offered Papists have destroyed Protestants and sometimes Protestants have destroyed the Papists on this account of Heresie and Error All which
Worldly Government for so much as hath been brought forth in any Government in any Nation at any time of Unrighteousness Injustice Oppression Idolatry false Worship and Persecutions and of any othor Evils even so much of Antichrist's kingdom government and power hath been in that Kingdom and Government and that Kingdom and Government wheresoever in what Nation and Country soever hath been Antichristian even in so much and by so much as Injustice Wickedness Cruelty Persecution or any Acts of Sin and Wickedness have been or are brought forth into action in that Government And thus it is manifest what and where Antichrist's Government is Now I shall briefly shew Who the Subjects of his kingdom are 1. All the ungodly unrighteous and unconverted Persons in general throughout the World are the Subjects of Antichrist's kingdom all the Sons of fallen Adam in Transgression all that are in the first Birth in degeneration in the alienation and separation from God even all that are wicked and do wickedly that are in the Enmity against Christ and unholy unsanctified and unregenerate these are aâ—â— of Antichrist's kingdom Subjects of it and Servants to it and it rules in them and over them and Antichrist is their Ruler in all these their wicked wayes and in this their present state and condition 2. All Hypocrites that profess God in words and in Works deny him that make a shew of Religion and Worship when their Hearts are far from the Lord that with their Mouthes profess much Love to God and with their Lips honour him but are departed from his Fear and stand not in his Counsel all such are Subjects of the Goverments of Antichrist even all false-hearted and dissembling Hypocrites that profess more of God then they know of him by the operation of his Spirit that have an outward conformity in appearance of Worship and duty to God-wards and their hearts are not conformed to the Power of God by his Spirit all such are of the government of Antichrist and his kingdom and power dwells in them and they are under the dominion thereof 3. All Idolaters false Worshippers Hereticks and erronious Persons such as cry up Church and Ministry and profess Faith and Godliness and yet are not guided by the Spirit of Christ nor led of it into all Truth these are Subjects of the aforesaid Government of Antichrist even all they that are sensually-minded and have not the Spirit of Christ guiding them in the Way of Righteousness and Truth who are not converted and born again and renewed into the Image and Likeness of Christ Iesus and yet practice Holiness and Duty to God-wards in outward appearance and are in the profession of the words of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles but have not the same Spirit and Power of the Lord Iesus Christ as the Prophes and Apostles had these are covered with Sheep's-Clothing and profess Christ and his words but are against Christ and contrary to him in kind and nature and all such are of the government of Antichrist and he governs them and rules over them 4. All Backsliders and them that have forsaken the right Way of the Lord all that are turned against the Truth of God which once they knew and believed and were convinced of and sometimes professed these are all Subjects of Antichrist's raign and authority even all the Unfaithful and False-hearted who are treacherous to God and men and unconstant unchangeable Time-servers Hypocrites who have denyed Christ before men and turned against him and his Saints such are under Satans power and he works in their hearts and Antichrist deceives them and they are under his power and dominion and are Subjects of his government 5. All Persecutors of the Saints all violent and cruel Men all that persecute such as are contrary-minded to themselves are of Antichrist and Subjects of his kingdom even all that kill and burn and destroy for difference of Faith and Religion who themselves profess Love to God and his Way and yet will persecute others and destroy them by cruel dealing and that would not suffer any to live but themselves and will not do to others as they would be done unto but hate the Neighbour and persecute Brother and impose upon his Conscience in things against good Conscience and are violent Doers all such men are Subjects to Antichrist's kingdom in all Nations throughout the World Therefore let all consider This is the Day of the Lord God will discover and destroy Antichrist and his kingdom let the Wicked and Ungodly turn from his evil way lest God destroy him with perpetual Destruction Lastly 'T is the Property of such who are Subjects of Antichrist's kingdom to profess and cry up much of Christ in words of what he said and did of his Life of his Death of what he hath been and what he shall be and do deny the present enjoyment of Christ to that Antichrist is an Enemy he can well away with it to speak of Christ at a distance but he cannot bear it if any hold forth a present enjoyment of Christ That Christ takes away sin and forgives it and that his Blood cleanseth from it and that he is the Iustifier and Redeemer and Saviour the Profession of all this in words from the Letter without and that they are things true in themselves Antichrist can bear and make a shew of in Profession but if any of the Saints of God do witness these things and shall testifie in the Power of the Lord the enjoyment of these things and that they are at present in this Life possessed to wit Christ now lives in us and is come and his Blood hath clensed from sin and he hath forgiven it and he hath justified redeemed and saved I say if any do witness these things in present enjoyment and that they are now in this present time witnessed in the Spirit of Christ and not onely professed from the Letter without but experienced by the Work of God within Antichrist opposeth this and gainsayes present enjoyment And such indeed are Subjects of Antichrist's kingdom who have the profession of Christ in words but no present enjoyment of him but want his Nature and are in the Nature contrary to him and feed upon Reports of things done by him without and upon the expectations of what he shall do hereafter and in this present state are without Christ and are Sinners and Transgressors against the Life of Righteousness unconverted and unregenerated by Christ all such as these are the Subjects of Antichrist's kingdom And as concerning the Rise and Fall of Antichrist the Beginning and Ending of his Kingdom these things in season may be declared if God permit E. B. A Hue-and-Cry AFTER THE FALSE PROPHETS AND DECEIVERS Of Our AGE And a DISCOVERY of them by their WORKS and FRUITS And who they are in this Age that follow the same spirit and act the same things as did the false Prophet in former Generations FOrasmuch as in
Singings their Baptisms and Breaking of Bread and even all that which you perform as unto God as the Worship of him is not accepted but Abomination unto him and his Soul is burdened with all these things you not being led with the Spirit of Christ And even your practizing of these things which the Saints and Christians once practiced and were accepted of the Lord in so doing while they were led by the Spirit of Christ I say The very practice of those things now by the Christians being degenerated is become Idolatry and Abomination to the Lord. And this I declare in the Fear and Presence of the Lord Even all your Praying and Preachings and Profession all your Sabboth-keeping and Set-dayes of Humiliation and even all your Practices of Religion which you do and perform are Idolatry and a Burden to the Lord's Soul in the state that now you stand not being led by the Spirit of Christ but being from it departed and your works not brought forth by it but by another spirit And now saith the Lord unto you Christians who are degenerated from the Spirit of Christ To what purpose is your Preaching Praying and Singing They are a Vexation and Burden to the Righteous Soul and the Lord hath no delight therein away with it away with it Your Profession and Practices stincks in the Nostrils of the Lord All your Baptisms and your Sacraments which ye perform in a vain Tradition and not by the Spirit of the Lord they are hateful in his sight away with them away with them they shall crumble to the dust and immediate Desolation in one day the Lord will break them down and never build them up again Your Preaching by a Glass for so much a Sermon or so much a Year what you have gathered out of Books and studied for from other mens words town with it down with it it is 〈◊〉 Abomination to the Lord. And your Ministry which is made and sent forth at Schools and 〈◊〉 natural Learning through the attainment of such Arts and Sciences and being approved of such and such men and sent forth to such and such a Parâ—… 〈◊〉 have so much Money by the Year for preaching what hath been studied foâ—… and not by the Gift of the Holy Ghost away with this Ministry away with it it s a mocking of God and a deceiving of Souls the Lord will confound it and bring it to Destruction And your singing of the Saints words in Rhyme and Meeter and their Conditions which your selves never knew this is Abomination to the Lord and a Practice which his Soul hater away with it the Lord is risen to confound it Away with all your Worship which is not in the Spirit nor in the Truth but in vain Traditions of 〈◊〉 practiced by you in a vain Form and not the Power of God The Lord will being it down to the ground restore and establish his own Worship which 〈◊〉 in Spirit and in Truth and he will give and hath given his Ministry again by the Gift of the Holy Ghost which hath been lost for many Ages while this Night of Apostacy hath over-spread the World and the Lord shall 〈◊〉 longer be worshipped in vain Traditions of men but his people shall be reâ—â—red and renewed to worship him in Spirit and Truth and the Christianâ—ife â—ife shall again be brought forth and the Spirit of Christ shall be the Leader and Teacher of his People And now the Day of the Lord's Visitation is again revived for togather his People and to restore them again to his perfect Way and Worship Therefore hearken and behold ye Christians this is the Testimony of the Lord â—…erning you You have been fallen and degenerated from the Life of Righteousness and from the true Way and Worship of the true God and you have long been slumbring and sleeping in this long Night of Darkness which overshadow'd you and darkned that glorious Appearance of the 〈◊〉 of God which once shined upon the Christians and in Blindness and Dâ—… have 〈◊〉 walked for many Ages and your Worship hath been subscribed To the Unknown God and wofully have you been wallowing in unclean Paths and you have erred you have erred from the Life of Christ and from his Spirit and you are gone from your Husband and follow'd other Lovers and you have been â—…ed in Iniquity and altogether poluted by Transgtession and the state in which you now stand is a state seperated from God a state of great Ignoraâ—… and Darkness and a state of hainous Rebellion against God whose Soul and Spirit is greatly oppressed and grieved because of your Degeneration who 〈◊〉 become more ignorant of God then the Ox is of his Owner oâ— the Ass of his Master's Crib and even the very same Vision is seen concerning you as the Prophet saw concerning Israel Therefore hear oh Heavens and give ear oh Earth for the Lord doth speak unto you Christians I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebell'd against me and the Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib but the Christians do not know the People do not consider Ah! sinful Nation a people laden with Iniquity a seed of Evil-doers Children that are corrupted that have forsaken the right Way and provoke the Living God to Anger and ye are gone away backward the whole Head is sick the whole Heart is faint and from the sole of the Foot even unto the Head there is no Soundness but your Conditions are Wounds and Bruises and â—…fying Sores you are not closed neither bound up neither mollified with Oyâ—…ent and your Country is desolate and your Cities are burnt as with Fire your Land Strangers devour it in your presence and it is desolate and overthrown by Strangers and but that the Lord of Hosts has left us a soul Remnant even a Seed ye Christians would have been as Sodom if any man hath an Ear to hear let him hear This Vision is as true unto you Christians throughout all the World as ever it was unto the seed of the Iews This is your state and this is your condition and thus ye stand in the sight of the Lord though in your beginning in the beginning of Christianity I mean the Lord brought up the Christians and nourished them by his Living Word and with his Word he cherished them and they grew unto a goodly state and were â—…pleat in Christ Col. 2. 10. And they were come to the 〈◊〉 of â—…st Men made perfect and unto Mount Sion the 〈◊〉 of the Living God the Hâ—…ly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the First-Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all Hebrews 12 22 23 24. TO this state were the Christians nourished and brought up in the dayes when they were first brought forth when they were begotten and born again of the immortal Word that abides forever and they were sanctified and purified and
made clean unto this were they nourished and brought up out of Darkness and from under the shaddow of Death But notwithstanding this the Christians now have rebell'd against the Lord and do rebel against him And though the Lord hath been unto them as an Owner to the Ox and as a Crib to the Ass even as thus hath the Lord been unto the Christians yet they know it not neither do the Christians consider but are indeed grown sinful and laden with Iniquity and the feed of Evil-doers brings sorth its fruit through Christians being become children that are Corrupters having forsaken the Lord and his Way which was made mantfest in the dayes of the Apostles and the Lord is greatly provoked for the Christians are gone backward from what they were in their beginning as I have fully made manifest And this Vision of the Lord is unto you all ye Christians even as a 〈◊〉 that is of the most precious Seed and the most noble Vine that is planted in a good Sâ—…â—…at is digged and dressed and grown to a goodly stature and bringing â—…th some acceptable Fruit unto the good Husbandman for a season yet this Tree becomes blasted by an unwholesome Air and becomes degenerate from its vertue and property and nature and becomes a wild Vine and a Plaâ—… of great Disgrace ceasing to bring forth any good Fruit and becomes fruitful iâ— all evil and the Labour of the good Husbandman is lost for while he looâ— for good Fruit nothing appears but Fruit of an evil Taste which is altogether loathsome unto the good Husbandman This Parable is unto you Christians and this is your state and your condition Therefore behold What shall the Lord do unto this Tree Shall he nor cut it down to the ground and call it into the purging Fire Shall he not lay his Ax to the Root and cause all its Branches utterly to wither and cause it to cease in beeing even as it hath ceased in bringing forth Fruit Shall not the goâ—… Husbandman destroy this 〈◊〉 with all its corrupt fruit And shall not his own Hand accomplish the Purpose of his own Heart This Tree shall be Fuel for this Fire of his Anger he will pluck it up and not plant it again because it is degenerated Give ear all ye Christians to the Testimony which is concerning you You are fallen you are fallen and being compared to what the Christians were you are in 〈◊〉 equal but are diverted in all your Practices from that Spirit which led the Apostles 〈◊〉 Christian Churches and your works shew another Spirit then the Spirit of Iesus Wherefore great is your Fall and to be lamented and though you have the name of Christians yet you want the Life An Objection But whereas it may be objected by some and said Seeing the State of Christianity is thus descovered what it was in its beginning and purity and what it now is in its degeneration and seeing the present State of Christians is thus condemned what do I believe concerning the state of Christianity to come What shall succeed this present Degeneration And may it be expected that ever Christianity shall be restor'd to that state of Purity as it was in its beginning And whether may people expect to come into the same Life again and to know the same power and Worship and Unity which was amongst the Apostles and first Christian Churches And whether do I judge that ever the Ministry can again be receiv'd by the Gift of the holy Spirit only without natural Learning and Languages And whether the same Spirit is to be waited for and receiv'd And whether the same Anointing can be known in this Age or any Age to come as it was in and among the Apostles and Christians before the Apostacy and Degeneration Answ. To all this I answer and do say That the present state of Christianity is woful and to be condemned of the Lord as being degenerated from his Life Power and Spirit whereby all hearts are darkened and all minds estranged from the Covenant of Life and Peace and from the sence and feeling of the Life of God and now in all the Wayes and Worships and Practices of Christians they are fallen and degenerated from that Life in which the Christians once were and the Beast hath raigned over all for many Ages and because of his Power and Greatness and Dominion who hath been able to make war with him he hath killed the Saints and hath subjected all Nations under his power and every Nation hath received the Mark of the Beast and born his Image for Generations and all Flesh hath stagger'd and hath been made drunk with the cup of Fornication that hath been in the hand of the Whore who hath sate upon this Beast who hath caused both small and great to worship him and all that would not he hath had power to kill them And this Government hath ruled over the whole Christendom and the Worship practiced hath been but the Worship of the Beast while people have been err'd from the Spirit of Christ and not guided by it only And people have been compelled to Worship by Laws of Men they have been compelled to sprinkle their Infant and they have been compelled to go to Steeple-houses and compelled to keep a Sabboth and compelled to hire Priests and to pay them Wages against their wills And all this compelling by an outward Power hath not been the Worship of God but savour'd altogether of the Worship of the Beast for you may read Rev. 13. 12 15 16 17. how the Beast caused all both Small and Great to worship him and all that would not worship him by his power he hath had power to kill them And all compelling and causing to worship by an outward Power is the worship of the Beast for Christ nor his Apostles never caused any to worship God by an outward power For while Christianity kept its Purity and Authority they begot People to God and to worship him by the Word of God and by the power of the Spirit and they did not bring any into their Sect nor to worship with them by an outward Law and Authority for that is in the Government of the Beast it was he that first caused both small and great to conform to his worship and it is his power that upholds it and maintains it unto this day But now the Seed of God is arising which is able to make war with the Beast and his Kingdom and his Worship shall be thrown down to the ground and all this causing and compelling to Worship causing to keep a Day and causing to hire Teachers to maintain them and this causing to go to Steeple-houses and to maintain them and all this causing to pay Tythes it shall fall to the ground and be beat down by the Seed of God which is arising and they shall be no more found among true Christians nor the Beast shall not be worshipped nor his Authority any more of