for preaching what hath been studied for and not by the gift of the Holie Ghost away with this Ministrie 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 Rime and Meeter and their conditions which your selves never knew this is abomination to the Lord a practice which his soul hates away with it the Lord is risen to confound it away with al your worship which is not in the spirit nor in the truth but in vain traditions of men practised by you in a vain form and not in the power of God the Lord will bring it down to the ground and reâ—… and establish his own worship which is in spirit and in truth and he will give and hath given his Ministrie again by the gift of the Holy Ghost which hath been lost for many ages while this night of Apostacie hath overspread the world and the Lord shall no longer be worshipped in vain traditions of men but his people shall be restored and renewed to worship him in spirit and truth and the Christian life 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 Lords visitation is again revived for to gather 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 concerning you you have been fallen and degenerated from the life of righteousnesse and from the true way and worship of the true God and you have long been slumberiâ—…g and sleeping in this long night of darkness which overshadowed you and darkened that glorious appearance of the Son of God which once shined upon the Christians and in blindenesse and darknesse have you walked for many ages and your worship hath been superscribed 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 have gone from your husband and followed other lovers and you have been drenched in iniquity altogether polluted by transgression and the state in which you now stand is a state separated from God a state of great ignorance and darkness and a state of hainous rebellion against God whose soul and spirit is greatly oppressed grieved because of your degeneration who is become more ignorant of God then the Ox is of his owner or the Asse of his masters crib and even the very same vision 〈◊〉 seen concerning you as the Prophet saw concerning Israel Therefore here 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 rebelled against me and the Ox knows his owners and the Asse his masters crib but the Christians doth not know the people doth not consider Ah sinful nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evel doers children that are corrupted that have forsaken the right way and provoketh the living God to anger and ye are gone away backward the whole head is sick the whole heart is 〈◊〉 and from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse but your conditions are wounds and bruisâ—… and putrifying sores you are not closed neither bound up neither mollified with ointment and your country is desolate and your cities is burnt with fire your land strangers devoâ—… it in your presence and it is desolate and overthrown by strangers and but that the Lord of Hosts hath left us a small 〈◊〉 even a seed ye Christians would have been as Soâ—… if any man have an ear to hear let him hear this vision is as true unto you Christians throughout all the World 〈◊〉 ever it was unto the seed of the Jews 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 hee cherished them and they grew unto a goodly state and were 〈◊〉 in Christ Col. 2. 10. and they were come to the spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men made perfect and unto mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumer able 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 Heb. 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 for â—…ever and they were sanctified and purified and made clean unto this were they nourished and brought up out of darknesse and from under the shaddow of death but notwithstanding this the Christians now have rebelled against the Lord and doth rebel against him and though he hath been unto them as an owner to the Ox and as a crib to the Asse even as thus hath the Lord been unto the Christians yet they know it not neither doth the Christians consider but is indeed grown sinful and laden with iniquity and the seed of evil doers brings forth its fruit through Christians being become children that are corrupters having forsaken the Lord and his way which was made manifest 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 Tree that is of the most precious seed and the most noble Vine that is planted in a good soil that is digged and dressed and grown to a goodly stature and bringing forth some acceptable fruit unto the good husbandman for a season yet this Tree becomes blasted by an unwholesom air and becomes degenerate from its vertue and property and nature and becomes a wilde vine and a plant of great disgrace ceasing to bring forth any good fruit and becomes fruitful in all evil and the labour of the good husbandman is â—…ost for while he looks 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 not cut it down to the ground and cast 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 being even as it hath ceased in bringing forth fruit shall not the good husbandman destroy this Tree with all its corrupt fruit and shall not his own hand accomplish the purpose of his own heart this Tree shall
teacher but as that annointing teacheth all things and for this spirit and annointing all that feare God may waâ—… to receive it in this present age which Spirit brings into the same unity and life into the same worship and fellowship that was amongst Christians in the beginning before the Apostacy and this state may Christians be restored to and for this state all that fear God and love him are to wait for this shall come to passe in the world And as concerning the Ministry I know and do believe it may be and is received again as the Apostles and Christian Ministers first received it to wit by the eternall spirit and gift thereof through the revelation of Christ Jesus in them and such may and doth preach the Gospel freely as they doe receive it freely and without naturall learning and languages For by that can none be made Ministers of Christ nor by any thing without the gift of the holy Spirit and Christs Ministry shall again be received thereby this I believe and all this Ministry made and sent forth by naturall learning and without the gift of the holy Spirit the Lord will confound it in this Age for this is come up since the Apostles dayes to make Ministers by naturall learning and it stands in the apostacy from the life and spirit of Christ and its call and work and maintenance savours not of the kingdome of Christ and the Lord will bring it downe and the gift of his Ministry will he restore by his Spirit and this is and shall come to passe and it may be waited for in this present age and the Lord will restore his Ministry as in the beginning and his work shall be glorious for many there are is and shall be converted to God and brought out of the degeneration and to that shall people come which all Christendom hath been apostatized from and shall receive the same spirit and the same annointing which was amongst the Christian Churches and life and immortality shall again be brought to light through the Gospel which hath been hid for ages while darkness hath been over the minds of people and I say and testifie before all the world that Christianity shall be restored to its former state Life shall spring forth and Truth shall be increased and faith shall waxe strong even the same 〈◊〉 that the Apostles had which gave them victory over all the world which shall again give people the same victory and this shall be known in the earth For the marriage of the Lamb shall come and all his people shall be joyned unto him and they shall be one way and one worship and one teacher and every man shall fit under Christs Vine and none shall make afraid Yea and more then a Vine shall he be known â—…d more then a door and more then a Shepheard shall he be known to be to his people and greater then a rock shall he be witnessed to be and more then a Teacher in the wildernesse If any man have eares to hear let him hear more and greater is he becoming to his people then is lawfull yet to utter Eye hath not seen nor it hath not entred into the heart of man but it is revealed to us by his Spirit The joyfull day is approaching the Lambs wife is making her selfe ready the wedding Garment is putting on and all that which is polluted is to be done away and blessed is he that cometh to the marriage of the Lamb that he may become one spirit with the Creator here is glory and rejoycing for ever when this is known That the wife hath not power over her owne body but the husband nor the husband hath power over his owne body but the wife Where this is known Death is swallowed up of Life and 〈◊〉 is overcome of righteousnesse and the inheritance of life eternall comes to be possessed and Death and Hell is cast into the lake and he which hath deceived can deceive no more and blessed is the eye that seeth this and the heart that understands Wherefore all ye Christians upon earth awake awake and put away your whoredoms cast off your idolatries and strip you and make you clean of all your adultries drink no longer of the cup of fornications nor eat no longer of the abominable flesh nor wear no longer your garments of unrighteousness but strip ye strip ye make ye bare all your old garments must be put off before you can appear before the Lord A great work will the Lord work amongst you he will â—…ake and overthrow all your Altars Images and Idols which you have set up and worshipped the Lord hath uttered 〈◊〉 voice the beast that hath many heads and many horns 〈◊〉 tremble 〈◊〉 one head and one horn onely shall be exalted and the Government shall be set up of whose increase there shall be no end and people shall be brought into that and they shall go forth no more for who comes to this time is no longer and the Kingdom and Government is delivered to the Father and he is become all in all And all that ever comes to know these things must first come to the light of the Lamb in them with which every man is lightned that cometh into the world and all that ever knows these things must first be brought to the principle of God in them which they have trangressed against and all that owns the light of Christ and walks in it shall come to know these things which to know and be in them is eternal life Therefore all ye Christians come to the light which Christ hath lightned you withal and that will let you see the Government of Satan and of sin and death which hath been ruling in you and the light will teach you to war against it till it be subdued the light will discover unto you that nature in which the kingdom of Satan bears rule it will 〈◊〉 you see the Devil who is the Prince of darkness who is the adversary of God who is out of the truth and he has draâ—… all people out of the truth but if you love the light of Christ in you it will teach you to war against him and against all that that 's out of the truth for all that is of Satans kingdom that is out of the truth and must be destroyed by the coming of the kingdom of Christ whose coming is in the light which Christ hath lightned every man withal who comes to destroy the Devil and his kingdom and all his works So to the light must all minds be turned which will reveal the kingdom of the man of sin and consume 〈◊〉 the appearance of Christ is light and Christ is the light of Israel which is as a fire to consume all fruitless trees which cumbers the ground which the Lord will consume by the brightness of his coming And now is the man of sin revealed even in the heart of Christians so called and he hath long shewed himself to be God but now the Lord will bring him down for Antichrist has ruled for many ages and the Lord of life has been crucified in spiritual Sodom but Sodom shall be consumed by fire and the Lord will avenge himself of all his enemies and all people and Nations shall know there is a God who executes justice and true judgement who is a God near at hand to reward his people with everlasting life and to give unto his enemies judgement and condemnation THE END
be fuel for this fire of his anger he will pluck it up and not plant it again because it is degenerated Gâ—…e car 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 no whit equal but aâ—… diverted in all your practices from that spirit which led the Apostles and Christian Churches and your works shew another spirit then the spirit of Jesus Wherefore great iâ—… your fall and to be lamented and though you have the name of Christians yet you want the life THE END AN OBJECTION BUt whereas it may be objected by some and said seeing the state of Christianity is thus discovered what it was iâ—… 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 restored 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 Christians Churches And whether do I judge that ever the Ministry can be again received by the gift of the holy spirit onely without natural learning and languages And whether the same spirit is to be waited for and received 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 ANSWER 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 sâ—…ggered and hath been made drunk with the â—…up of fornication that hath been iâ—… the hand of the whore who hath set 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 practised hath been but the worship of the beast while people have been erred from the spirit of Christ and not guided by it onely and people hath been compelled to worship by Laws of men they have been compelled to sprinkle their Infants 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 savoured 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 kingdome 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 all fall to the ground and be beat down by the 〈◊〉 of God which is a rising and it shall be no more found among true Christians nor the Beast shall not be worshipped 〈◊〉 his authority any more of force for the day of the Lord hath now appeared and the light is sprung forth which hath made all things manifest and now the difference is known between the worship of the beast and the worship of the true God And concerning the state of Christianity to come this I â—…new believe a glorious restauration thereof shall appear throughout the whole christendom christianity shall again be restored to its former purity and Christians shall and may receive the same spirit from which the Christians hath been degenerated and the same life the same power and the same worship and Unity shall be revived amongst Christians in the restoration even the same that was in the beginning before the Apostacy and the glory of God shall again appeare among his people and they shall again worship him in spirit and in truth onely as they did before the Apostacy and all this traditionall worship and false imitations which hath been set up since the Apostles dayes shall be overthrown and confounded the Lord is risen and will dash down and overthrow all this idolatry now practised amongst Christians And a great shaking and counfounding shall suddenly come among Christians for the Lord will break down that which hath been builded because it is polluted and he will pluck â—…p that which hath been planted because it is defiled and a mighty work will the Lord work in the Earth the kingdoms of this world will he change into the kingdoms of Christ and Christ shall reigne in and among his people and his spirit shall be the teacher and leader of his people and all false â—…chers will the Lord confound and consume all these hirelings who go for gifts and rewards and all this manner of preaching and teaching which are come up since the Apostles dayes all this preaching which they study for and by a 〈◊〉 and for so much money a year all this shall be tumbled down into the pit Gods vengeance shall come upon it all and the annoynting shall be received and it shall dwell in people as it did in the Apostles and the people shall need no other