was a lyer from the beginning is now cast out of heaven into the earth and he hath great wrath with the woman and the remnant of her seed who keep the word of God and testimony of Jesus but the arm of the Lord is stretched out over us and in his fear are we preserved from the rage of our enemies yea a pillar of fire to give us light goeth before us which is a cloud and darkness to our Egyptian like enemies that follow after us Truly my soul pitties you and my bowels hath even yerned on you for many dayes oh that you had an ear that you could hear and an heart that you could understand you have played the harlot and are departed from God and you have joyned your selves to another besides the Lord you have run a whoreing after your own Inventions and you have worshipped the works of your hands and your Pastours hath deceived you for the Lord doth not smile upon you but his jealousy burneth against you as a fire yet return and he may have mercy and whilst the Spirit of the Lord strives answer with obedience for he hath said his spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and while you have the light believe in the light and bring all your deeds unto the light that they may be proved and tryed whether they be wrought in God And now friends in the fear of the Lord deal honestly with your own selves and let us reason together and in the light of Christ Jesus weigh and try all things and see with the light which will deal plainly with you whether you are indeed such as you profess your selves and whether the ordinances you so much talk of be indeed the ordinances of Christ or but shadowes whether water baptism or the baptism of the spirit be the baptism of Christ since there is but one baptism whether you have heard the voice of Christ or seen his shape at any time that hath commanded you in the particular to take up those ordinances or a perswasion in your own minds from the letter when as the letter killeth or whether such a thing as water be commanded in the letter or your own Imaginations from the letter Whether the bread you break be the body of Christ or the cup you drink be his blood since it doth not cleanse you from sin whether the prayers you make be in the spirit and you can say in the presence of the Lord you lift up holy hands have them that teach among you the spirit of infalibility and revelation of the mind of Christ or they speak a devination of their own brain and hath not received the word of the Lord from his mouth but boast in anothers line and what themselves have invented and whether this be the spirit of God or the spirit of errour which is not of God and whether the Covenant and ordinances which doth not make the commers thereunto perfect be not that which is to be done away as weake and unprofitable whether your faith and preaching be not also vain forasmuch as you believe you shall never overcome sin while you live and your faith doth not purifie your hearts and since that as a tree falleth so it lyeth and as death leaves you judgment finds you and that there is no repentance in the grave whether you must goe and that nothing that is unclean or that worketh abomination or that maketh a lye shall ever enter the City of our God Therefore once more in the name of the Lord I warn you come out from among them all ye that are tender-hearted and that desires salvation to your soules come out from among them and be ye seperate and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you saith the Lord for whosoever cannot witnesse Christ Jesus a Saviour from sin in the particular shall never witness him a Saviour from condemnation refuse not to walk with a pure perfect people as T.C. saith we be and follow us no farther then as we follow Christ for we have the mind of Christ therfore own the light which convinceth you of sin for as living witnesses for the name of our God do we stand that the light which convinceth of sin is the true light that leadeth out of sin all them that walks in the light as he is in the light they witness the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin which joyns us to Christ as members of his body whereby we receive the spirit of the Father to lead and guide us to do his will which is our sanctification which spirit revealeth the Son Christ Jesus the light who worketh all our works in us and for us whose work is perfect for we are no more our own but bought with a price so are we baptized by one spirit into one body and made conformable to his death who hath raised us to life glory be to his name for ever here is the Church in God the Father where the true Church Ordinances and fellowship is known and the true worship in spirit and in truth in which onely the father is worshipped lived in yea and we bear testimony according to the Scriptures that there is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved but by Christ Jesus who is revealed in us our hope of glory this is he that hath told us all that ever we have done is not this the very Christ who was in the beginning with God whose day Abraham saw whom the professing Jews when made manifest who had the Scriptures of the Prophets who prophesied of him read every Sabbath day yet their voices they knew not but crucified the Lord of Life and put him to open shame as it is at this day Him hath God raised and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow this is he whom we bear testimony to Christ Jesus the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore take heed least ye be found fighters against God and no longer believe lyes but cast out the lyar from amongst you for the lyar is of the Devil and whilst you join with him you are one with him and must partake of his plagues Therefore hear and fear before the Lord for the Lord will rain snares upon the wicked and pour out shame and contempt upon his adversaries and go on speedily with your promise which you have promised the Lord in your Epistle That you will cast out sin or sinners out of the house of God so may the Lord have a Church free from sin upon the earth for he is come whose right it is and the Kingdom and the Government shall be his who will rule the Heathen with a rod of iron and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel And now have I eased my spirit and cleared my conscience towards you whether you will hear or forbear and the Lord will be clear of you when he cometh in ten thousands of his Saints to execute the judgements written this honour hath all the saints From him who was once owned as a Brother amongst you and since owned a brother by you whilst walking in the vanity of my mind running to the same excess of riot with you but since the Lord in mercy visited me and called me out of darkness into his marvellous light I have been hated and despightfully used by some of you who am known to many of you by the name of I. C. FINIS
harder then a flint I believe shame would strike him in the face at the reading again in the cool of the day what hee hath forged against us in the heat and bitterness of his Spirit for all that have heard us will be ready with one consent to say that we press most after obedience of any other profession or people whatsoever and we have sure ground for so doing knowing that the promise of the Lord and his blessing is to the obedient and that the terrors of the Lord and his wrath is against the e Col. 3.6 children of disobedience and our testimony stands upon record against all such as f Job 24.13 rebells against the light and against all who are proud heady and high minded Disobedient to parents without naturall affection such as are g Gal. 3.1 bewitched and doth not obey the truth as it is in Jesus And to say that wee walk in a way of disobedience is utterly false for our way is the good old way of holiness Jesus Christ who saith I am the light of the world and h John 8.12 he that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and his record is true and we have believed it and again he saith i John 14.6 I am the way and no man cometh to the father but by me and of this way we bear testimony and in this way we walk and whosoever saith they believe in Christ and followes Christ and doth not believe in the light and walk in obedience to the light are deceived and led aside with the errour of the wicked and are in the rebellion and disobedience and such with the light are judged and k John 3.19 condemned and by us declared against in that estate of disobedience yet we cannot cease to call them to repentance that if peradventure they may come to the knowledge of the truth but he saith pag. 11. that they endeavour to turn souls from Christ to the light within them teaching absolute disobedience and rebellion against Christ in his word the Scriptures and obedience to their own fancies and lying imaginations within them To which I say this is but his own false construction and vain imaginations mixt with Ignorance and enmity for the Scripture is a witness with us of what we teach and of what we believe and endeavour to turn people unto and he might as well have accused the Ministers of Christ as us in this particular for they were sent l Acts. 26.18 to turn people from the darkness to the light and in so doing neither they nor we did nor doth endeavour to turn them to fancies nor teach them rebellion against Christ in his word this is but the poyson of Asps that cometh from under his tongue and we can bear it being exercised with the reproaches of Moab and the revileings of the Children of Ammon with whom this man hath joyned himself to fight against the truth yet notwithstanding for the truths defence and vindication this may inform the simple hearted that are not come to a right understanding of what we hold and teach that we do not endeavour to turn souls to a light within them distinct from Christ but we labour to turn people to the true light of Christ in them m 2 Cor. 4.6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and this is the true light which we have seen and which we declare and endeavour to turn people to and this is the light which John was sent to bear witness of that all men through him might believe n John 1. the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and this is not a fancy nor an imagination as is falsly affirmed by T. C. who farther proceeds to call it a natural light and the ruins or remainders of that which was in the first Adam and saith it is the great design of these men to set it up in opposition to the true light and life of Christ c. but this also is his own blindness and ignorance of what wee labour to set up that causeth the mistake and false judgement for we labour to turn people to the true spiritual light of the second Adam who is the Lord from heaven heavenly that as they have sinned through one mans disobedience they may by the obedience of one be made free from sin and death and to this end are we called and sent forth in the name of the Lord to call sinners to repentance that are in the lost estate in the first Adam and to turn people from the darkness to the true light that they may come to worship the onely true God whom we worship in the spirit and in the truth and this is the work of our Ministery having turned people from the darkness to the light to stir up the pure mind in them by daily exhortations and provocations to love and obedience to him who hath required truth in the inward parts that holiness may be o 2 COr 7.1 perfected in the fear of God that their light which doth shine may shine clearer and clearer before men that thereby the Lord may be glorified and the mouths of gain-sayers stopped and herein have we union with the elders of whom the world was not worthy who sustained the same sufferings reproaches and tryals of cruel mockings bonds and imprisonments as wee do for the testimony which they held and by the same power are we kept through faith unto salvation so that we can rejoyce when men reviles and persecutes us for Christs sake and the Gospel knowing that if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost p 2 Cor. 4.3 whose minds the God of this world hath blinded and whose ears with the deaf Adder are stopped that although we speak plainly according to the Scripture and declare what we have heard and seen yet it cannot be received by such as are given up to believe lies and truly this man hath manifested as much enmity and ignorance herein against us as if he had sold himself to work wickedness and bent his tongue for lies he calls them horrid abuses against Christ Scripture and Saints that I would have the light within to be believed in and loved and because I call Christ the true seed the true light the Lord the Law giver the more sure word of Prophesy c. he makes it as some hainous offence and labours to make a separation between Christ and his light in the consciences of men and women which upon good grounds we exhort people to turn unto believe in love and obey for God hath given him for q Luk. 2.37 a light unto the Gentiles a leader of his people and for salvation to all the ends of the earth to open the eyes of the blind and to bring forth the prisoners out of the prison houses end
this is our message to the world to declare r 1 John 1.5 that God is light and in him is no darkness at all and to turn people from the darkness to this light that they may be brought out of the estate of degeneration and imperfection where they have lain covered with gross darkness feeding themselves with the hypocrites hope and empty shadowes as of a light without a word without Christ without A Church without baptism without bread and wine without ordinances and administrations all without which makes not the commers thereunto perfect being carnally observed according to traditions received from men and that which most agravates their misery they are self conceited and will not hearken to the reproofs of instruction nor receive the things of the Spirit of God when freely tendered and offered without money and without price Oh that you did but know the desires and breathings that proceeds from the spirit that ever lives to make intercession unto God for you why will you spend your money for that which is no bread and your labour for that which doth not satisfy how long will you make lies your refuge and feed upon ashes and cover your selves with unrighteous coverings the flying Angel is gone forth with the everlasting Gospel to preach to all nations kinreds tongues and languages and the call hath reached unto you that have been asleep s Dan 12.2 in the dust of the earth Therefore harden not your hearts but incline your eares and hearken diligently what the spirits saith and take heed of t Heb. 2. neglecting this great salvation for this is the day of your visitation and once more a word of exhortation to you as from the Lord to return to u Joh. 12.3 the light and believe in the light and love the light c. w Rev. 21.2 walke in it that you may have fellowship with us and that you may be received into the generall assembly where the only true God is worshipped in the spirit and truth x Psa 29.2 in the beauty of holiness but he saith pag. 13. we know it is an easy thing to be received by them without any letters of recommendation for if a man will but turn away from Christ and faith and scriptures and obedience and turne to the light within and say he is perfect and can say thee and thou he may quickly be one of their Church c. But truely he is deceived herein for it s not so easy to be a member of our Church which is the true Church as he ignorantly pretends though the gates be not at all shut by day yet there can in no wise enter any thing that defileth and is polluted nor no prophane person neither whatsoever worketh abomination y Rev. 22.15 for without are dogs and drunkards and sorcerers and whoremongers and swearers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye and its death to any beast that comes near the mountain of the Lords house which is established in the top of all mountains z Isay 2. and exalted above the hills where we worship God in the spirit in the true order and fellowship where all may speak a 1 Cor. 14. one by one as the spirit moves and gives utterance and if any of the adulterated generation should come among us from a far country and bring a letter of recommendation from some great man of the world or from an assembly of professing people his spirit would soon be tryed whether he were of God or not for we cannot b Joh. 4.1 believe nor receive every spirit that may come with excellency of speech and the inticing words of mens wisdom and be commended by men and pass for a good Christian in the worlds account for we know the voice of Christ c â—â—h 10.5 and strangers we cannot hearken to And as for such as turnes away from Christ faith and obedience they are more like to be received by and to find acceptance among the Anabaptists then among us if they will but take up their great ordinance as they call it to wit water Baptism the second or third time and make Confession of their sins that light spirit that wretched worldly spirit c. They must be owned as brethren and sisters Christs excellent ones although they be cruell to children and servants mockers of God c. See a large description of the Estate of their Church in their Epistle from Tiverton and look abroad among all professions in the nation if worse fruits can be found then is brought forth among them but how can we expect better till the vineyard be dressed by husbandmen of the Lords calling and sending its manifest they ran and was not sent and therefore the people are not profited by them and truly its far easier to be a member of such an imperfect Church as theirs the way being so wide then it is to be of ours for the way is straight that leads to it d Cor. 12.13 the Baptisme being spirituall by which they are received in and the naturall man cannot receive the things of the spirit of God and the words thee and thou doth not make a member of the true Church neither are they the principle of our Religion for they may be used in the deceipt as well as the truth may be holden in unrighteousness though they be proper and pure language and by us used and owned yet let none think that our Religion depends only upon words but that we are builded upon the sure foundation of many generations for an habitation of God through the spirit e â—ph 2.20.22 Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone and many that pretends to Religion in these dayes and professes the scripture for a rule are so far from coming to be of our Church that a word of exhortation can hardly have entrance among them neither can the scripture language be born by T.C. and his adherents for because I said the Law is f Heb. 7. changed and the Priesthood is changed and the Covenant which made not the commers thereunto perfect for the weaknesse and unprofitableness of it is done away c. he saith take these words as they are stated and they speak forth most horrible iniquity though they be stated expresly as they 〈◊〉 in Scripture and saith he the ordinances that we walke in are the new testament ordinances grounded upon the new restament Covenant but truly it s very unlike seeing their Covenant and ordinances doth not make the comers thereunto perfect which thing he denyes both in Epistle and practice as is plainly manifest to the childrne of light And should I but trace him through his Epistle from Tiverton and this imperfect piece written as a vindication of it and their Churches imperfect Estate a Large volume would but contain the particular circumstances but I shall refer the reader to that Epistle and mine in persuance of
voice of a strange women therefore hearken diligently and be not as the untamed Heifer stuffing up and feeding upon the wind come off the barren mountains where you have been wandering in the cloudy and dark day and turn to the light of Christ Jesus in all your consciences who hath sent forth Pastors according to his own heart to administer freely as they have freely received and to turn people from the darkness to the light Let not a deceived heart lead you aside to heap up to your selves Teachers that cannot profit and so neglect this great salvation to that of God in all your consciences I commend these things to be answered with obedience to him that you may also come to have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and the Son in the light of life which the Scripture is a witness of and the true Christ q Col. 1.27 the hope of glory in us we witness and of him we bear testimony and for that faith r Jude 3. which was once delivered to the Saints which purifies the heart do we earnestly contend and in humility we can say that we have denyed self in obedience to Christ who is the resurrection and the life and he that is wise let him turn in hither for he that is of God heareth us but they that are of the world heareth us not because they have not heard nor known the Father and the Son of whom we bear testimony by whose grace we are saved And now if any among the Anabaptists or any other form whatsoever have but moderation to read this with the spirit and understanding they may have true information without an interpreter wherefore they are called to arise and come out of the state of imperfection and unto whom they must come that they may find rest for their souls and refreshment from Gods presence and let none be so foolish as to think that this doctrine will seduce or deceive them for we have the mind of Christ and Å¿ 1 Cor. 2.6 we preach wisdom among them that are perfect and we press after perfection wherefore I say of truth that you may prove all things and hold fast that which is good T. S. Ivelchecter the 12 day of the 1 Moneth 1658. A Lamentation taken up for the Churchs of the Anabaptists by John Collens with a call and warning for them to come out of the self separation into the foot-steps of the flock and to turn from the darkness to the true light FRiends you who call your selves Churches of Christ Jesus who have separated your selves not having the spirit to lead and separate you from your uncleannes and so are in the self separation out of the power of God which power maketh man willing to deny himself and take up the daily cross which crucifieth him to the world and the world to him where sin is nailed and the power of God received to resist the Devil which leads them captive at his will who live in sin and transgression which is the work of the Devil and all them that are led by him have not received the faith which giveth victory over him nor have not believed the Gospel which is the power of God to salvation nor received Christ Jesus to save them from their sins which all they that do believe do receive even power to become the sons of God and joynt heirs with Christ Friends in the Name and fear of the Lord God Almighty do I warn you and in bowels of love and tenderness do in Christs stead beseech you that in the light of Christ Jesus made manifest which never changeth but bears true testimony for God try and consider whether whilst you live in sin you are not servants to sin and doth the work of the Devil and the wages of sin is death and he that soweth to the flesh must of the flesh reap corruption and he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting you cannot serve two masters neither can you serve God and Mammon verily verily except you be born again you cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and he that is born of God cannot sin for his seed remaineth in him he that sinneth is of the Devil now friends in the cooleness and moderation consider whether you know this birth brought forth in you which cannot commit sin the seed immortal begotten of God which enters the Kingdom of God and try your selves how you stand in the presence of the Lord in singleness of heart and deceive not your selves with words for the gospel is not in word but in power a profession of God and Christ will not save you whilst you deny the power of God by which sin is crucified for whosoever committeth sin is under the Law and he was made manifest to take away our fins truly a lamentation is taken up for you how are you fallen how are your garments defiled how are you degenerated and fallen back to the love of the world with its customes fashioned and traditions with the lusts and vanities thereof renewing again those idolatries which formerly you have destroyed how is your leader and great Apostle amongst you Thomas Collier become an enemy of righteousness resisting the holy Ghost and perverting the right way of God preaching up sin and imperfection for term of life going about with all the strength he can muster up to establish the kingdom of the Devil in the Church of Christ raking up the failings of the Saints recorded to confirm the reign of the man of sin for ever condemning the generation of the just bringing in new destinctions to make the body of Christ an imperfect sinful body how doth be blasphem God his tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect how doth he slander reproach and falsly accuse the innocent and harmless Lambs of Christ Jesus yea the Lord is witness between him us and we call Heaven and earth to witness against him this day that these things * In his book called a dialogue between a minister and a Christian asserted by him as our principles never entered into our hearts our consciences bearing us witness in the sight of God though he like a whore hath wiped his mouth at a looking glass in which the children of light see much more of his deformity and wickedness having perverted the words in several books as he doth the Scriptures to his own destruction and out of his mischievous heart hath wrested their honest intents and taken pieces of sentences and raised it up a lie out of his own wicked heart upon them and then overturned his own work but that which is written in those books remaineth untouched by him his own lies being but wiped from them as any who are without prejudice may easily see reading over the things contained in those books who will sufficiently clear themselves but the Devil who