to the whole world is come it cometh it hath sounded and is sounding The mighty day of God is at hand therefore whilest you have time repent And allthough the Gentiles resist and all the Heathen every where gain-say yet the Lord will be glorified over all the world unto whom the Light is the sure message of the Most High whether they will hear or forbear AN EPISTLE TO THE GREEKS I Have heard a rumor in mine ears of a hard cry among the people Alas alas Our glory is defaced and our ancient praise and renown is utterly defamed Our wives are made the Vassals of other women and we are become slaves to a strange Nation We are no more under the Government of the Scepter which swayed our Fathers but the wills of another people works violence over us Our houses are but as habitations lent unto us and our substance and portion at pleasure may be spoyled by the hand of the Devourer Our children unto us are not as were the children of our fore-fathers in their Generations our wives and children treasure and substance is but a burden unto us when the eyes of our Lords looks over us Alas alas our misery is great and none regardeth it the sound of our cry hath reached far yet few have pondered it And the Lord said unto me Cry also among the Professors of Christian Religion even thus it is come to passe in many Regions of the earth the bondage it great and the captivity is doubled with violence and with cruelty The chains and yoaks are twice laid on and the people are under the indignation of the Lord The judgements of their adversaries lyes heavy upon their heads and their Loins are banded with the oppressions of their Rulers as with Iron and with Brasse and they cannot break the Cords to cast off their burdens and this and much more is the misery of the Greeks which their fathers iniquities first brought upon their heads in their dayes and the children of their Generations drinking of the Cup of their abominations unto this present Seed of evill doers Wherefore the hand of vengeance still toucheth their shoulders and in this manner God hath seen it equall to lay the burden upon that man which with his transgressions hath laden and pressed down the righteous soul of the Lord as a Cart is laden and pressed down with sheaves This is the end of their labours they ploughed the fields of the pleasure of their own hearts they sowed the seed of unrighteousnesse in the depth of the ground of iniquity who notwithstanding the Lord watered them with the water of adversity yet returned they not in the day of affliction wherefore of corruption they have reaped this abundance of misery YE Greeks unto whom I write for the seeds sake as a husband unto a wife not covering the diseased parts or falsly solving up the forest and most dangerous wounds not seeking to seal up your states in hidden sentences from your understandings or your conditions in parables nor to shut the door of the Kingdom against the seed of the Kingdom It hath pleased the Lord contrary to every part of the natural and desire of the carnall to lead me through some of the Countryes wherein as Sojourners you are Inhabitants among whom I did earnestly seek but could not find and then I returned to the Lord and sought with tears yet truly could not find one in a City that was worthy Ye ought to bear with me for the Truths sake nevertheless whether you will hear or forbear for the Lords sake and his seeds sake I am obliged by that which stretcheth forth love unto souls in this manner to stretch forth mine hand to draw back the Curtain that you may look to the Light which breaks through the Lattice and to remove the skirt which it folded over your nakednesse that your eye may see your filthinesse O misery misery the seed is in bondage that 's your greatest misery within the burdens of which is the ground of your misery without Consider consider and lay it to heart use diligence in the search of your hearts for the Lord God cometh quickly to try and to search every heart and to reward and give unto all according to their deeds done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil Consider your Life which is the ground and cause of the mourning of the Land Jer. 23.10 I have passed through you and have seen the life of your people Behold abominable swearing lying cheating coveting drunkenness whoredom adultery murder Rom. 1.23.24 c. Changing the glory of the incorruptible God into Images made like unto corruptible man Wherefore God also hath given you up to uncleannesse through the lusts of your corrupt hearts Who have changed the truth of God into a lye and to worship and serve the Image of the creature more than the Creator Whos 's own Image only praiseth him who is blessed over all for ever and evermore Amen And this is truth in the presence of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth and unto the Light of Christ which shines in all your Consciences which shews you all your sins even unto that true Witnesse in your own hearts I speak I have been an eye witnesse of the bowing of the bodies of many of your people unto the works of your Fathers idolatrous hands unto which your corrupt hearts and deceitfull affections are joyned whilest not one of you in a Nation which mine eye ever beheld came to bow his heart in Righteousnesse and his life in Spirit and Truth before the Lord God who is a Spirit John 4.23 Whose day cometh and now is that the true Worshippers do worship him in Spirit and in Truth And for as much as Ye with other Idolaters do make these few following dark words the seeming ground of your standing places saying Viz. That you are the Roman Catholique Church and that you believe in Christ and do believe the Words and Doctrine of Christ the Scriptures of the Prophets and writings of the Apostles and that you hold the Precepts and do follow the instructions of the ancient Fathers c. Answ You whose Fathers made many Temples and painted Pictures therein that they might worship and bow down unto the works of their own hands Ye see the day in the midst of your calamities and time of sorrows how that many of the houses which they built are left unto you desolate And if now you the seed of the corruption of their generation were but come to the losse of your Fathers naturall Image in your carnal hearts and affections You would also as clearly discern your greatest misery which through the grosse vail of darknesse over your hearts is hid from your eyes Oh the captivity the captivity you are held in the possession of bondage and captivity under the profession of the name of Christ and Christians in the lusts of unrighteousnesse and the pleasures of
AN EPISTLE TO THE GREEKS ESPECIALLY To those in and about Corinth and Athens WITH Certain Queries propounded to the Priests and Doctors and all the rest of the Members and Officers belonging unto the two Churches of Greeks and Romans which is of concernment for the view of them all throughout the WORLD Written in Egripo in the Island of Negroponte By a Servant of the Lord J. P. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth within Aldersgate 1661. To the Reader Friends THe Word of the Lord is the Proclamation of War onely with the wicked and the messengers thereof holds not the persons of men in contempt or scorne it casteth out the root of envy which Satan planted in the heart and fixeth the love of God for the souls inheritance which floweth in pitty and aboundeth in mercy to others He that readeth and receiveth in him also hold 〈◊〉 and he shall bear Testimony to the Truth and witnesse for God that the zeal of the Lords House is neither Envy Emulation Wrath or vain Contention Wherefore I say God who hath 〈◊〉 mercy and 〈◊〉 bountifully of the riches of his Grace unto me hath freed me from the nature of evill towards my neighbour and hath given me of his Love therewith to seek the lost from which issues the plainnesse of my Declarations and Speeches which without guile fraud or flatteries Love in simplicity holds forth the Truth in nakednesse and this will stand a Yoak to the stubborn and a Dart in the side of the rebellions The enmity is 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 He that hath an ear to heare let him heare This is verily a character of the same nature of what follows in the succedent Pages Given forth by a Friend in the Truth A lover of souls J. P. The Day will declare the Dreadfull and Mighty Work IN the Councel of the wonderfull Counceller and All mighty Father and Fountaine of Wisdom who confoundeth the Councils of the wise and the wisdome of the Fathers of this world in whose sight the prudent and learned amongst men are but as fools plotting in their works the contrivance and invention of the perpetual evil of their souls This is given forth to the only true intent that the simple hearted may be rightly informed of the way to salvation life and peace everlasting For of a truth the Lord God of Heaven and earth is arisen who for many hundreds of years hath been as a stranger upon the earth And now in this his mighty day which is broaken and breaking forth by the work of his own hand he will frustrate the tokens of lyars and make the Diviners mad and turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse who will open a door to the simple and lead the Wayfaring men and fools in the unerring path of Righteousnesse and the deceit in the earth shall no longer stand without a heavy work as it did in the dayes of the ancient Fathers Doctors and Lawyers of the world who took from the people the key of knowledge who entred not in themselves but stood in the gap and set Bryars and Thorns in the way and hindred such as was entring The flame of the fire of the Lord will finish the course of the former times for shall it not burn in a dry Countrey And if the Nations post unto Euphrates for water to quench the fire shall not that River be also dryed up before they come there And if from thence they flye unto Jordan shall not the utter Consumption be ere they can have help from thence Behold the Lord will make a quick work in the earth Let the Nations therefore repent and now not in any upbraiding or rash judging manner but in the Councel of God as a servant by Commandement in the work of the Lord in love unspeakable to all souls I shew unto the people their states and unto the sons of men how they stand in the sight of God my testimony reaching that of God in mens consciences to the measure of the Light in all desiring only to be made manifest which when the sinner is convinced of his sins and the wicked man converted in his mind and turned from the evill of his wayes then shall they confesse of a truth the blessed day of the Lord and say Surely it was well for us that the Prophet spared not to shew unto Judah her sins and unto Jerusalem her transgressions Yea well sprang forth that day and that hour was the certain timely season of the appearance of mercy and manifestation of loving kindnesse wherein Nathan was sent to shew unto David the treachery and rebellion of his heart And now what am I that God should remember me also with the mercies of David to shew me my transgression that by his word I may be converted and healed Verily of none other do I make mention but only of the name of the Holy One and that which proceedeth from his presence declaring this Dread shewing unto all people the Door of mercy the Fountain of life the Gate of knowledge everlasting treasure of undefiled pure wisdome For as much as the Lord holdeth forth a day of visitation unto all that the whole world may be left without excuse in the day of Gods dreadful judgements when the compleat fulfilling and finishing of the time cometh to passe of the full gathering of the scattered Seed in the Fields of the Earth and full calling of his Remnant from the four windes of the Heavens throughout all Nations Kindreds Countryes Tongues and Peoples and the Lord hasteth the Reaping of the Harvest A warning to the World to repent and this to the Debtors and Captives of the house of Israel is sounded and sounding The year of Jubilee beginneth in the morning season yet a little while and your slumber will be over and the clouds of the night will passe from the sphear of your low degree which ariseth and will quickly passe over the Sun of another exalted Nation Oh how doth the day change the times the Children are become Dogs and the Dogs which were are become the glory of the earth and who hath an eye to see or a heart to believe that this is come it cometh and is at hand that the Dogs shall eat the Childrens bread and no more shall their name be a reproach among the Gentiles but their day of Son-ship shall be the Dread of the Heathen Who is he now that will set Briars in the way or Thorns in the breach of the Gap which the Lord hath made and who is he that contendeth against his maker saying why cometh this thing to passe mine hand is turned against it Ye despisers and wonder and perish behold I work a work in your dayes which if a man shall tell it unto you ye shall in no wise believe it And you that resist are but for the consumption of the fire of Gods jealousie in the day of his wrath A warning a warning
Kingdome you who are called Jesuits also mark this your figure the Chamelian which lives by the Aire which according to the Law is an unclean Beast which can change himself into all colours perfect white onely excepted Read your similitude and see how you who live in your lusts can without a mock of the Truth be titled with the name of the Church of Christ Jesus in which is neither spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing as uncleannesse or unrighteousnesse 1 Cor. 6.11 Although such were some of them but they came to be washed and were cleansed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Which Spirit of truth the light is this day the Leader of the Saints and servants of God into all truth Now therefore doe ye Read What is the Chaffe to the Wheate And what relation hath the Spirit of truth unto your life which is squared and fashioned in the frame of Error Deceite hath been the Master-builder of the fabrick of your habitation the spirit of Iniquitie working in a mystery the foundation of your walls and the strength of lyes and lying wonders the pillars of your house which by the gilded appearance of the beauty of the wisdome of the ancient and learned in Philosophy Rhetorick and Sophistry is covered with many painted tiles of vanitie under the shaddow whereof you bow to the Images and pictures which the unrighteous hearts of your fathers Invented whose Gods are before your eyes unto which the affections of your naturall sences are joyned whereby with the carnall and naturall according to the motion of the Spirit of Error and Deceit in you you are led to worship the workes of their hands as is manifest by your bowings and bendings to the Image and likenesse of the naturall which the naturall invented and the carnall made And this also came in in the Apostasie when that was forsaken which the Eternall Spirit did command And now through the custome of your forefathers and you in the dayly practice of their invented Ceremonies being setled on the leese of their abominable Idolatries are come in your generation Matth. 15.9 to teach for doctrine the traditions of men And therefore in vaine is your worship as saith the Lord But yet ye have also to speake in the commendation of your fathers seniority and wisdome who gave commandement for such resemblances by Images and pictures not as if they were the gods of your worship but the resemblances of the Lord Christ c. whom by these resemblances you teach the ignorant for to worship Answer The greatest blindnesse is in the hearts of your learned Fathers I speak out of the spheare of their Colledges in mine Answer to their plea for their sinfull Idolatries and over all your Nations doe cry out and lift up my voyce as one in mourning lamenting for the lost seed among you which they that should rather in righteousnesse handle the plow to break up the clods to uncover the seed have used the spade and shovel and have heaped up dirt and stones thereon to the miserable burden thereof Oh horrible Ignorance a people bound with the chaines of darknesse can any thing be the resemblance of the Lord or the likenesse of his Image who is the Infinite Eterternall a pure holy glorious endlesse living Spirit but that which he maketh in his likeness and formeth in his own Image by the power of his own Almighty hand And doth he who is a pure Everlasting Spirit of life make or fashion any whom he fashioneth but in the likenesse of that which all the world by wisdome by Philosophy or by arguments can never attaine to reach unto the sight or understanding thereof Can any make the resemblance of God who is Immortall which the mortall never saw Can the corruptible and mortall which never did nor never shall see incorruption and immortalitie make with their corruptible hands and changeable unrighteous Idolatrous hearts the resemblance or likenesse of the Incorruptible Spirit From the Lord God I say and declare unto you all your bowings to your Crosses and Images and Pictures praying upon Beads to Mary and Saints is abomination to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth and in these things you are but a stinke to the rest of the Heathen who with you doe stand Enemies to the Doctrine Gospel and Crosse of our Lord Jesus for as they in words doe hold the name of our Lord in contempt you with your deceitfull shaddowes doe make a mock of truth and his sufferings in loathsomenesse you are seated as an abomination in the sight of God who created you and in the eye and sight of the servants of the Lord who by the price of blood are redeemed and with pure water are washed from the polutions of the iniquitie and the blood and envie which is among you and the rest of the Nations kinreds tongues and peoples of the Earth and now are the followers of the Lambe whethersoever he goeth Abundantly do the Scripture beare testimony against your practices mark from the precepts and commandements of God Exod 20.4 unto Moses through the house of the Prophets and the life of the Saints search and then see Isa 44.3 might not you with as much confidence make a calfe and say to the ignorant this is the resemblance of God worship ye it and draw the picture of a Monster and say this is the resemblance of the wonderfull Spirit which was in Paul or Peter bowe ye before it Read Jer the 23.11 12 13 14 15 verses Oh miserable blindnesse and the greatest darknesse is the Priests ignorance who teach the people lyes and cause them to erre in their wayes With the light search and see how far you are from being under the power of the word of the Lord who contrary to the letter of the Scriptures Do worship in the forme of the traditions of your fore-fathers Christ said to his Disciples in those dayes Joh 4.23 The houre cometh and now is that the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him mark such as are in the Spirit Math 23.29 having one father which is in Heaven but ye being yet in your sins and in the flesh are the false worshippers who have many instructions and traditions and observations given to you according to the wills as the product of the inventions and conceptions of your many fathers and now as ye shall turne your minds to the light of the Lord Jesus which will rip open your hearts you will finde that rule to be the equall measure of your wayes which will give you a true fight that you are not in the truth as it is in Jesus who is the truth in whom and by whom and through whom the Prophets writ their prophesies and the Apostles had their utterance whose words do stand to the bearing
testimony against your Idolatrous wayes And verily the same words which once Paul declared upon Mars hill unto your fathers Acts. 17.22 now turneth upon the heads of you their children Ye men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious for as I passed through your City I found an Idolls Temple which was abundantly painted with pictures on every side within which was the Inscription which I John did reade TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Which with the bowings of your bodies unto those superstitions Idolatrous Images ye ignorantly worship Him declare I unto you God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands by Temples of Pictures or the customary and traditionall bowings of your bodyes unto pictures as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth unto all life and breath and all things and hath made of his blood all Nations of men for to dwell upon all the face of the earth And hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us For as much then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to thinke which if we were come to the life of the seed ye could not then in the least measure imagine or thinke that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone graven or pictures made or drawne by art or mans device and the times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to Repent because his mighty DREADFULL DAY is at hand which he hath appointed wherein he will Judge in righteousnesse the whole world of mankinde Carlo Dessio Gumene Stephaci called Greek Doctors of your people in the City of Athens among whom I was conversant in the power of the Spirit of the Lord and preached unto you the Everlasting Gospel in crosse to your wisdomes wherefore ye resisted my testimony and called me fool and said all young men are fooles Acts 13.41 In like manner as your fathers the Philosophers Epicurians Stoicks called Paul babler do not you shew your selves herein to be the despisers spoken of What would you have said to Timothy 1 Tim 4.12 if he had come unto you even as I came in doctrine and Example And what would you have said to Jeremiah Jere 1.6 17 18. would you have said otherwise unto him then you did unto me if he had come unto you as in his day he visited your nature in the Jewes that sought to slay him Jere 26.8 And will you say also that all the young Prophets in the dayes of old were fooles And when John did write unto young men 1 Joh 2.13 14. did he then write unto fooles Will you call such fooles who knew the Father who were strong and had overcome the wicked one And are you so ignorant as not to consider these to be the latter dayes in which God will fulfill the Prophesies of old Joel 2.28 Your old men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions for God hath said that he will powre out his Spirit upon them and are ye not wicked in your words to call such fools Consider this also did not you manifest your selves to be most ignorant to seek for a signe and a miracle then from me whom you called fool Did not that as much manifest your perverse ignorance as it did your unbeliefe Wherein you also shewed your selves to be in the same nature of that generation which sought for a signe in the dayes of Christ whom the Lord answered and said unto them Math 12.38 that they were an evill and an adulterous generation yea your sin is worse then theirs was who say that you see with a better eye then they did and by so much the more it remaines Are not you the hypocrites Math 16.3 that can discerne the face of the skies but cannot discerne the signes of the times Like as Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly and came forth a Preacher of Repentance Even so are the times at hand Math 24.32 Learne ye therefore the parable of the Figge tree when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves know ye that the Summer is nigh for as the dayes of Noah were so shall also the coming of the Lord be In short words your faith is fathomed and your hope is comprehended your fruits gives the testimony of you one cluster of your grapes were enough to shew the nature of your Vine planted in the Mountaines of Sodome the proverb followes your age The fathers have eaten sower grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge yet I shall also further shew you how that as the Jewes stood in the dayes of Jeremiah so you do stand in the same nature perversenesse pride and obstinacie ruling your hearts now unto whom God sent Jeremiah to cry against saying Trust ye not in lying words speaking to your selves Jer 7.4 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these and Paul said to your fathers the Athenians God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Yet you contrary to the Scriptures do assemble your selves as the Jewes did to worship the works of mens hands and of your own hands in the Temples which are made with hands and so you walk contrary to the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles and touching this matter whereof ye say that ye follow the Councell of the Ancient fathers you who are called the wisest fathers in these dayes shew by the best testimony that ye are able in what manner you esteeme the Councell of your Ancient fathers and how that it is greater and ought more to be esteemed and followed then the counsell of our only father the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who gave the utterance of his counsel thorow Jeremiah Paul Jer 26.12 and others crying against the Temples and against your customes the traditions of your fore-fathers and Christ said Behold your house is left unto you desolate and Paul cryed against the Temples made with hands Where had you or your fathers ever a command from God or from Christ to build such houses and to paint them full of pictures Consider and lay it truly to heart ye men throughout the earth is not your building of these houses one and of the very same nature and the fruits of the very same Spirit in those which made the Calfe whilst Moses was with God and not in the Camp amongst them Exod 32. In the dayes of old upon a much more seeming account of assured confidence was the opposition of the Jewes of Jeremiah's testimony then yours possibly can be in these latter dayes for as much as their fathers
the rockes will not rend to cover you nor the mountaines move to hide you so terrible is the day of the dreadfull Lord God of Hosts and none like it that even his breath shall shake terribly the foundations of the earth and the Isles of the Sea shall role as ships in a tempest the Jealousie of the heavens shall send forth their winds which shall stirre up the depth of the Sea and she shall spue out of her wombe the dead bodyes which her rage devoured upon the earth also the grave shall give up her dead that all both great and small may arise and stand before the great Judgement of the Lord The trumpet of the Lord hath sounded and is sounding Blessed is he that heareth the proclamation of the voyce of the Angel unto the witnesse and have a right and a part in the first Resurrection Rev 20.6 on him the second death shall have no power but such shall reigne with Christ a thousand yeares whose day is begun in the earth he that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith and when the thousand yeares are finished Rev 20.9 the whole number of the deceivers of the earth shall be utterly devoured with the fire of God out of Heaven A dreadfull found to the wicked I have heard the proclamation of the voyce of the Archangel of God and the noyse of a Joyfull shout from Heaven of which I John beare witnesse and do hold the testimony as unto the witnesse of the Eternall Decree of God concerning that which was and is and of the Judgement which shall come overtake the wicked throughout the mountaines and the hills and the caves and the dens of the earth woe shall compasse their dwellings and Indignation and Wrath shall be placed as the bounds of their habitations who can count the sands which are set for the bounds of the Seas he also can comprehend the misery of the workers of iniquitie prepare prepare therefore to meet the Lord by true and unfained repentance for of a truth the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is arisen and rising in dread to touch the whole earth 2 Pet 3.4 5 6 7. say not therefore in your hearts Where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation as a people willing to yeeld unto ignorance and voyd of the knowledge How that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men To your own therefore returne departing from your fore-fathers traditions examine your selves try your selves prove your hearts and see what you have which will be able to stand in the day of tryall and not consume in the burning fire of the Lord God whereby the Heavens shall be set as in flames 2 Pet 3.10 and the Earth and Elements shall melt with the fervent heare thereof and all the workes that are in the earth shall be burnt up and seeing then that all these things shall be quickly dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Feare feare dread and tremble tremble before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth all ye hard and cruell high and lofty bow down ye Cedars of the hills and come down ye strong Oakes of the mountaines unto the lowlinesse of the valeys the Lord God will stop the wayes of the Savages of the Forests and place Strength in the path of the Lyons of the Wildernesse and their fiercenesse shall no longer devoure the prey the strong shall starve with hunger woe to the Deserts the Lyon for her whelps and the Beare for her young as being robbed as being spoyled and destroyed they shall roare together they shall run and not have remedy they shall seek and not have rest for behold the word of the Lord shall be accomplished in the Earth upon the Herds and concerning the flocks upon the Shepherds and upon the Pastors and the end shall be the consumption of all flesh which hath corrupted its way upon the face of the earth before the Lord and with this cometh the determination of time which shall never bring end to the torment of the wicked and whosoever worketh and loveth a lye O Earth Earth heare therefore thy warning and all the Inhabitants thereof give eare to the sound of the voyce in the day of your visitation the commandement standeth not far from you neither is the Word separate in another Nation so as that you should say Our arme reacheth not over the Sea to bring it from thence and who can touch Heaven to bring it down from thence but the Word is very nigh unto you Deut 30.14 in your mouth and in your heart that ye may also heare it and do it 2 Pet 1.19 Therefore unto the more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well if ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts The Light which through Judgement and condemnation in the secret parts of your minds and hearts preacheth and prophesieth wrath woe and the just indignation of God against all unrighteousnesse this sure word is nigh you and with you in your beds in the fields and streets and market places the Light which convinceth you of lying and swearing and double-dealing and all manner of wickednesse if you love it and lissen unto the checks of it in your hearts and minds and so come to follow the Light which convinceth you in secret of lying and swearing and vaine jesting and foolish and wanton gestures and communication the Light in all your consciences wherewith you are lightened which convinceth you of your sins will lead you out of your sins and so will come to witnesse sanctified hearts unto God and you will come to feele your hearts given up unto sanctification and your minds unto the things of Gods kingdome and by the Light also you will come to discerne the two seeds and the two natures and you will grow unto the witnesse of the Judgement of the one from the promise of Sion unto the habitation of the heritage of Esau whose mountaines are places for Dragons And the other unto the Justification of life to be made partaker of the treasure of life and filled with the vertue of the Lord in wisdome and a good understanding which the world cannot receive unto the true knowledge of the Scriptures unto the witnesse of them fulfilled in you which through faith in Christ Jesus the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Eph 5.13 are able to make one wise unto salvation
an ear to hear let him hear and he that understandeth not nor knoweth this is yet under his own hour and power of darknesse Understand therefore that the manifestation of the will of God is in and through the Light wherewith you are lightned which cometh from Christ the true light of the world which lightneth every man that cometh into the world unto which Light in all your consciences your minds must be subject you must wait upon God with your minds in the Light your hearts turned to it that you may witnesse the power of it ruling and reigning in you and working through every Member of your mortal bodies bringing your wils under it and subduing and subjecting your affections to it this is the true Crosse of Christ Jesus to take up the Crosse and to walk in Crosse unto your wills and affections which take up Images and take delight and pleasure in Pictures and imaginary likenesses of the Crosse of Christ Jesus and to walk as quickned Members in crosse to your whole life as it now stands in the nature and lust of uncleanness sin and death in the enmity to the Life and power of God and mystery of Godlinesse in crosse to your foolish airy childish vanities of Beads Bracelets and other Traditional Superstitions and Idolatries which things are but the signification of folly and childishnesse in the first nature which receiveth not the knowledge nor things of God the Light also wherewith you are lightned Eph 5.4 must guide your minds and stay your hearts and thoughts upon God and lead you also in crosse unto the Lightness and wickedness of your lives which stand in the pleasure of vain jesting and idle foolish talking Rom. 13 13. in surfeiting and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnesse strife and envying in the ground of all manner of sin iniquity and mischief which produces and yields the fruits of lying swearing pride covetousness cheating and defrauding adulteries and whoredomes dissimulation robberies and desperate murders even in that evill and cursed ground where man is droven from the presence of God under the power of the agreement of Hell and death alienated and estranged from the Covenant of Life yoaked under blindness and chayned with the blackness of darkness shut out of the Garden of pleasure and Paradice of God where nothing can restore the losse which came by transgression but the power of the Cross of Christ Jesus which worketh death to the disobedient and carnall There is none other entrance now unto the tree of Life which he that eateth not thereof dyeth in and perisheth unto everlasting death but through the flaming sword which is set at Edens gates Gen 3.24 to keep the way of the Tree life Can your eye read or your ear hear for your hearts to receive this ye vain scoffers at the Saints entrance into the holy City and Paradise of God You are witnesses to your selves that your Inheritance is not in the Kingdome of Heaven which is like unto a grain of Mustard-seed Math 13.31 which also is likened unto an Onion seed whose perfect fruit being taken out of the natural earth yet quickly perisheth not but prospereth yielding growth from the body of the root more than all roots of the earth This is the work of Life the Cross which neither is likeness imitation nor Image of the things or nature of death but the mighty power of God which bringeth death unto death which hath passed over all men Rom 5.10 12. and reigneth over all men from Adam unto Moses even over all that have sinned who have not known Moses although their sin hath not been after the similitude of Adams transgression from lost Adam therefore unto Moses you must come to witness an entrance into Moses his house in whom was revealed the hope of the promise that should come to passe which also is come in power Rom 8.4 in the substance to them In whom the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit who have seen the Prophets day and are come through the work of Johns cry in the wilderness Math 3.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. who are no more of the flesh as in the flesh working the works of the flesh but through the death of the Crosse are buried in the separation from the worships words and works of the first nature risen and born unto Life unto the inheritance of Redemption and Justification into the unchangeable Kingdome of the word of the Covenant where he that is least is greater then John the Baptist Math 11.11 who was the greatest Prophet borne of women and thus being passed and translated from death to life not as any longer under the power of sin are partakers of the Elements or subject unto the carnall Ordinances are altogether under and one with the power of the ministration of life in the communion of the Eternall body of the Lord and from your superstitions and Images and nature of iniquitie and transgression by the power of the Crosse of Christ Jesus ye must be changed through obedience to the motions of the Light in all your consciences into the Image of the glory of the second Adam who is the Lord from Heaven if ever ye shall come to witnesse a hope which will not wither to be Joyned unto the heireship of the promise of the Inheritance of the kingdome which Covenant was made only with Abraham and with the seed of Abraham born of the free-Woman Gen 22.16 which by the one Everlasting Oath of God is confirmed unto all that by the blood of sprinkling are entered into the City Heb 12.22 Rev 22.15 where not any thing that is defiled can come for without is the curse even over as many as stand in the ground without the compasse of the fence of the Paradice of God where are dogs and sorcerers and whore-mongers and murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Repent Repent therefore the mighty day of the Lord God is at hand wherein he will sift the Nations as with the five of equitie and fanne the Inhabitants of the earth with the winde of his wrath and through all Nations will make an equall separation in Righteousnesse the Chaffe from the Wheate the Drosse and Reprobate from the refined Silver the just from the vile him that feareth God from him that feareth him not A day of woe to the wicked and of vengeance to the workers of iniquitie in which cometh to passe the Revelation of the Wrath and Indignation of God which is even ready to be revealed in flames of burning fire against all the ungodly A day of howling to the sonnes of Sodome and of everlasting lamentation to the daughters of Gomorrha Strength shall not defend you nor Art deliver you where then will you run for a refuge ye want the wings of the Sunne of the Morning to fly unto the ends of the earth
to the Greekes Patriarke and Pope of Rome and to their Doctors Priests Pastors Universities Schooles and Colledges throughout the compasse of the Regions of the rule of their two Catholique Churches in all the earth by them or any of them to be answered for the sake of truth and of soules in how much they are willing to appeare lovers of truth or of soules and are ready to render a reason of the hope that is in them according to the Scriptures Concerning the Word of Faith Query 1 WHat is the faith of Jesus And what is that which begets any into the true faith of Jesus Whether is it mens Imaginary conceptions of Jesus and the training up of a people in the blinde traditions of men or only the word of faith which cometh from Jesus yea or nay Query 2 What is the sure word of faith which gives the true and sound witnesse of the life of Jesus only unto worme Jacob and which word is nigh unto all men upon the face of the earth and yet is that which the sinner cannot receive unto life but resists unto death Query 3 Can any person minister the Word to beget others into the faith of the word of faith who have not themselves received the word and have any received the life of the word who knowes not the word yea or nay And who amongst you is cleansed with the word that is not in the state of sinne under deaths bonds of transgression in enmity to the word Query 4 Whether can any truly know Christ to believe in Christ who never have heard the word of Christ And when and where did any of you ever heare the voyce of the Son of God And is not that the Pharisees and hypocrites state to boast and say that you believe in Christ and have the word of God and yet never heard immediately the voyce of Christ yea or nay Query 5 What is that eare in man which being open cannot heare the voyce of Christ who came to make deafe those that heare and to give hearing to the deafe And what is that eare also which ought to heare and is stopt And that eye which seeth and is to be blinded and that eye which is blinded which Christ cometh to open Shew plainly the five senses of man which are senslesse of the word of God and see if you can answer how that man in sense beyond sense hath the true sense of seeing hearing feeling savouring by smelling and tasting of the good word of God Query 6 By what was it that the word of life was ministred and preached unto the Spirits in prison and what is the Spirit which is the prisoner and what and where is the prison and when did ye ever visit the prisoner in the time of his bondage in prison Concerning the Patriarke and Popes Power Query 7 WHat is the key which openeth the prison doore and who hath that key hath either your Patriarke or Pope that key to open the prison doore and to loose on earth And what is the matter and subject to be loosed on earth And in what manner will that also be loosed in heaven which is loosed on earth Query 8 What is the key of David and who hath the keeping thereof and is there any other key which openeth Heaven or shutteth the door of death or gates of Hell besides the key of David Whether either your Patriarch or Pope whom ye call Peters Successor hath the keeping of that key seeing that the Scriptures say That the first and the last he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth hath the key of David Rev. 3.7 Rev. 1.17 18. Query 9 What is the key of knowledge which the Lawyers took away whereby they entered not themselves and hindered others from entering even such as was entering Did the Lawyers know what that key was then And do your Patriarch or Pope Doctors Priests or Lawyers know what it is now Are you in any other knowledge or wisdome then those Lawyers were who entred not and hindred others yea or nay And wherein you may say that you differ do you shew it forth how you differ in the ground and nature Luke 11.52 Query 10 What is that Book and the Seales and Sealing of that Book which no man in Heaven nor in Earth was found worthy to open And where was Peter then whether was he in Heaven or in Earth or was he neither in Heaven nor on Earth and the Scriptures not saying that Peter was found worthy at that time how then can any of your Catholique Churches with confidence now say that those whom you call Peters Successors the Foundations and Pillars of your Churches are at this time worthy to do that or whether can your Pope or Patriarch do that in these dayes which John saw in his day no man in Heaven nor in Earth could do Rev. 5.1 2 3. Query 11 Your Members have said that Peter is the Rock and Foundation of your Catholique Churches I Query whether that was not the Peter who is the foundation of your Churches unto whom Christ the Rock and Foundation of our Church which is in God said Get thee behind me Satan and whether is the Patriarch at Constantinople or Pope at Rome his successor in his place yea or nay Math. 16.23 Query 12 Doth not the virtue of the key of knowledge open all mysteries and if ye have the key of knowledge of the things of God cannot ye thereby answer all these Queryes or any others concerning the things of God in the clear understanding of the mystery of Truth in the wisdom of God yea or my Query 13 Whosoever committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 What then is the ground of the election of your Patriarch and Pope by sinners and impowred to forgive sins And in what standeth their power to forgive sins who are themselves wicked sinners Whether is the manner of this practice any other in the substance then Satan seating Lucifer in the Kingdom of sin falsly to salve up the wound of sin yea or nay Concerning Ordinances and divers corrupt Traditions and Idolatries Query 14 WHat is the one everlasting Ordinance of God which is the seal of the Covenant and assurance of salvation unto every living soul which hath partaked thereof which no Element could give the testimony of which is the sum and substance really come unto every true born Member of Christs Church of all Types Signes and Shadows which figured out the substance before it came Query 15 Whether are your two Catholique Churches or any of the Members thereof partakers of the one everlasting Ordinance of God which is the end of all washing carnall Bread Wine and Water-Baptismes and of all shaddows Types and Figures spoken of in the Scriptures seeing you in contrary manner to all the prophesies doctrines and examples written in the Scriptures do stand in divers invented shaddows vanities and Idolatries in the practice of the
mouth of the deceiver and gaine-sayer but the worker of iniquitie seeketh to hide his head with a cover For the truth sake simply this is given forth by one who hath counted all things losse that he might gaine the truth Your answers will savour of the best Zeale which ye may send directed to be delivered unto Gerrard Roberts dwelling at the signe of the Flowerdeluce in Thomas Apostles in London in England for him whom men call John Perrott THough they say the Lord liveth surely they sweare falsly Jere 5.2 saith Jeremiah All Doctors Priests and Pastors that do preach and declare with their tongues Christ to be the way the truth and the life and yet walk contrary to the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world such are lyers and false swearers for Christ unto them is not the way neither in them is he the truth or the life who walk contrary to the light wherewith they are lightened Joh 8.12 Joh 1.4 I am the light of the world saith Christ which lighteth every man that cometh into the world saith John who was a witnesse of the way and of the truth and of the life who himselfe not his words was neither the way the truth nor the life for his testimony was true concerning Christ who is the way the truth Joh 14.6 and the life Paul Peter Mark Luke Mathew John and Jude they also were witnesses of the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world whose testimony was of Jesus the Christ they were not that Christ neither were their words or writings or Epistles that Christ which they by their words and writings before all men bare witnesse of who is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the way the truth and the life which is the word of God Joh 1.1 Isa 42.6 of whom and by whom the worlds were made and the Prophets prophesied of things to come to passe which are come to passe and coming to passe which testified of the light which is come into the world and lighteth every one that cometh into the world Isa 49.6 according to the word of prophesie The Scriptures do not say that they are the word but they say that by the word which was in the beginning which was with God and was God the heavens and the earth was made which was before the Scriptures was by which word the Scriptures came to be written which saith that the name of Christ Rev 19.13 who is the light of the world is called the word of God Now all that say that the words of the Prophets and Apostles is the way to life they are out of the way speaking in the darknesse of this world their testimony is false and they are Antichrist for the way is but one and Christ is that way to the father who is the light of the world which lighteth every man that cometh into the world for the Scriptures and writings of the Apostles they were not before the world was neither do they say they were written 〈◊〉 Moses was but the way and the word was unto Abel and Seth and Enoch and Noah Joh. 14.6 and Abraham Isaac and Jacob which was before the Scriptures was and the Scriptures testifies these things saying Christ is the way in witness against those which say the Scriptures is the way and the Scriptures 〈◊〉 Christ is the word in witness against those that say the Scriptures is the word and the Scriptures say that Christ is the life in witness against those that say the Scriptures is the Rule of life and truth and the Scriptures say Christ is the light in witness against those that say the Scriptures is the light and the Scriptures say Joh. 12.46 that Christ is the truth in testimony and witness against all those that say the Scriptures of truth which witnesses against all their deceits lyes which is the sure declaration of truth is the truth These things are written in the Scriptures which declare the way to be one the truth one the life one the word one all one Christ who is the one true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world A measure of which testifieth in every mans conscience against lying and swearing flattering and cheating double-dealing adultery and drunkenness pride covetousness stealing oppression and envie and murder and all sin the light hath shined in every mans conscience and this is the Law of God which was nigh unto Moses which is among the Heathen which have not the Scriptures the Scriptures is not written in their consciences but the light hath shined in all their consciences the same which judgeth the hearts which hath not the Scriptures also judgeth those who professe the Scriptures yet in their lives walk contrary to the Scriptures The light which lighteneth Jew and Gentile is the condemnation both of Jew and Gentile of as many as walk contrary to the light wherewith they are lighteneth and this is the condemnation Joh. 3.19 light is come into the world but men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill Joh. 1.4 But now the light is life to all that love it follow it such as obey the light the light maketh alive the Scripture is not the Spirit which quickeneth you that can but reade the letter do you read the letter and the letter will tell you That the letter killeth but the spirit maketh alive if you believe that the letter is the life then that which you believe is the life tels you that the letter kills 2 Cor. 3.6 which is destruction of the life what profit have you 〈◊〉 by the letter Therefore to the light keep your minds waiting in it that you may be governed by the Light which cometh from Christ by it to be led unto Christ that you may come to know him to be the Captain leader of Israel unto salvation Heb. 2.10 let the light rule your hearts and the affections of your hearts and minds that you may have feeling of the rule of God the light is the measure rule of truth in all your hearts which will lead you into all truth unto life Joh. 16.13 if you love it and follow it but will stand your condemnation even unto the end unto death if you hate it and walk contrary to it Look to Abels rock to Enoch his path to Moses his way to David throne of Judgement to the Prophets hope to the Saints salvation waite to receive this as the foundation of your age 1 Cor. 3.11 12 13. for other foundation can no more lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ the true light of the world which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world and the day shall declare every mans work whether it be gold silver or pretious stone wood hay drosse chaffe or stubble it shall all be revealed by the fire of the Lord God which is already kindled in the earth Therefore whilst you have time Repent