feeling of his sad and miserable condition is arising in him and the witnesse of God reproving him and calling him from his abominations and whoredoms and many times brings him into some trouble yet he sleights his love and hates the reproof and goes on in his rebellious wayes and so treasures up to himself wrath against the day of wrath and revellation of the righteous judgement of God who will render a just reward unto him according to his deeds and here lies all the ungodly world driven from God out of his Covenant out of his peace out of his presence out of his pure love and spiritual worship and are loving and delighting in and worshiping the creature more then the Creator But the Saints and holy men of God who came to witnesse redemption and were in Covenant with God and faith of his Son had passed from death to life and they had put of the body of sin and the old man and his deeds and were created anew being born again of the eternall word which liveth and abideth for ever and their hearts was purified and their consciences purged from dead works and ther bodies made fit Temples holy and pure for the Lord God to dwell in and there was his worship in the spirit in his holy Temple where there is no need of Sun Moon or of Candle but the glory of the Lord fils the Temple and this they witnessed who were redeemed from the earth and were in Christ Jesus where there union joy and fellowship was where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumsition nor uncircumsition Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all and the same is the Lord our God now working and bringing to passe even by his own power and outstretched arm is he getting himself the victory what we are we are of and by him he alone it is that worketh in us both to will and to do by his own power made manifest in us and worketh mightily in us whereby wee are made willing to do his will and work and this is all by his Son who of God is made wisdom justification sanctification and redemption he is made unto us all things and through him we can do all things even through the Son of God whom we know is come and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and wee are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ who is our life our joy our stay and strength by whom we are freed from sin and from our vain conversations which formerly we lived in who hath broken the bond of iniquity and set the oppressed free to praise and glorify his name who alone do praise him the dead cannot praise him it is the living the living that praises him to whom be everlasting praises and glory world without end Amen So I say and declare that if any man say he hath no sin before he come to confesse his sin and to witnesse the power of God cleansing him from his sin he doth decâ—ive himself and the witnesse of God in his own conscience will testify against him and be his condemnation But where the living power of God is made manifest to purify and cleanse and to destroy the works of the devil to burn up and consume the old heavens and the old earth which is cursed and brings forth cursed fruits I say where the old is destroyed and the new heaven and the new earth witnessed wherein dwells righteousness Shall we deny the work of God Not far be it from us but to declare his marvailous works which he hath wrought in our dayes to ages and generations to come that they may dread and fear the name of our God and to others who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death who are wandring astray as sheep without a Shepherd and are feeding upon the husk and spending their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which doth not satisfy freely from the bowels of tender love to their soules do we declare what the Lord hath done for our soules that they might return home into the Fathers house where there is bread enough to satisfy the hungry thirsting soul that every one may eat their own bread and sit under their own vine and have union and feilowship with us in our fathers love for evermore So in the name of the Lord I do warn all people who read these lines to repent and cease from all their sins and abominations which formerly they have lived in and from all the false and Idolatrous worships of the world which a long time ye have followed and thereby have been deceived and led captive laden with sin but have not come to the true knowledg of God but are still in their old crooked and perverse nature and knows not the Crosse of Christ nor the yoke nor the bridle to the tongue but are at ease in the flesh and can speake their own words and think their own thoughts and do their own works I say return return and hearken diligently to the voyce of the Son of God which cryes for purity and holinesse without which none can see God that thereby your soules may live and may feed upon the dayly bread in the Fathers bosome which whosoever eats of this bread shal never hunger and he that drinks of this cup shall never thirst but it shall be a well of living water springing up unto eternal life so every one wayt in the measure of light which from Christ you have received for the appearance of Christ in you that his life may be made manifest in your mortal bodies for this is the command of God This is my beloved Son hear him and Christ the Son calls and says Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden take my yoke upon you and learn of me I am meek and lowly in spirit and you shall find rest to your soules So all people come freely his love is freely tendred to you sleight not the tender profers of his love but come forth and separate your selves and touch no unclean thing and the Lord will receive you and will be a Father unto you and you shall be his Sons and Daughters mind the pure and still voyce that thereby you may be led into the pure life and pure union and love of the children of light for if you neglect such great salvation woe will be your portion for ever There ore whiâ—e you have the light believe in the light and work while it is day before the dreadfull night of darkness come when none can work By one who hath seen the deadness and emptiness of all the formal worships and formal profession that stands in the will of man act d in mans will who is returned back into his fathers house and there dwels in rest and peace and hath ceased from his own work written forth in the bowels of love to captive and weary
hath given the light is the heart purified and the conscience purged from dead works and so the devils works comes to be destroyed for for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he might destroy the works of the devill and the works of the devil are in the heart for in the time of the night the devil the enemy of man he hath wrought his works in the heart of man and so hath wrought and begotten him into his image to do his work and so man becomes a servant to the devil bringing forth fruits of unrighteousnesse and this is all done in the heart the devil having gotten possession and sits and rules as King in the heart of man and there is the ground of all sin it a riseth out of the heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked from thence ariseth pride envy wrath malice murders drunkennesse lying swearing adultery fornication covetousness persecution tiranny and oppression and all other evills whatsoever they have their ground and rise from with in out of the heart for there is no man tempted of God but every man when he is tempted he is drawn a way of his own lust for lust is conceived in the heart and after it is conceived it brings forth sin and sin being finished brings forth death and the wayes of sin is death and while sin lodgeth and is regarded in the heart it defiles the heart and separates from God and all the prayers and sacrifices that are offered up unto God from an impure heart are abomination to him all outward shewes and outward cleansing will not avail nor bring peace as long as the ground and root of sin remains within for it is the heart which the Lord requires as it is written my Son give me thy heart so it is an inward work that every one must know and witnesse if ever you know true peace and rest for as the devils work is within in the heart and defiles the heart so must the work of Christ be within likewise for the destroying of the devils works and for the purifying of the heart for this is the mistery which hath been hid and is hid from all wisedom of the flesh and from all vultrous eyes and venomous beasts and reveiled to the Babes and Lambs of God who have laid down their Crowns at the feet of the Lamb and have denied themselves and the pomp and glory of this world and do bear the dayly Cross and despised the shame and do love and walk in the light which the world hates and thereby are led out of darknesse and the ungodly practises which the world lives in into righteousness and peace to exercise a good conscience towards God and towards man and this must every one own if ever they own the living God or a pure conscience where the Mistery of faith is held they must own this light to guide them in the exercise of their consciences for this light is the eye whereby a man comes to see himself and the root and ground of sin and untill man comes to own this light he never comes truly so see himself and so is far from denying self for first a man must see himself before he can deny himself and the light it is that let a man see his sin and that he is driven from God and out of union with God because of his sin and it is sin that separate from God and breaks the peace with God for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God all have gone astray we our selves even as others and have been wandring as Sheep without a Shepherd but the Lord of Hosts is risen and hath sent forth his Son even Jesus Christ the true Shepherd who is gathering his Sheep into the fold where they shall lye down in peace and none shall make them afraid and if the Son make you free then are you free indeed but no freedom there is but only by him whose bloud washeth and cleanseth from all sin and whereas it is saiâ— If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us This was spoken to a condition before confession as is plain to the Children of Light for saith he if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness he doth not say from part but from all and this they witnessed who were in the light and hath fellowship with the Father and the Son as is written God is light and in him is no darkness at all he that saith he hath fellowship with God and walks in darkness is a liar and doth not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin and him wee witnesse even Jesus Christ the everlasting Covenant of God who makes free to the utmost all that come unto God by him and wee testify against all those that oppose the pure doctrine of Christ Jesus and sayes none can be fully cleansed from sin while they live upon the earth and so would make the bloud of Christ of none effect which whosoever walketh and abideth in the light of Christ his bloud cleanseth from all sin for whosoever abides in him sins not he that sinneth hath not seen him neither known him and this the Scripture declareth and I bear testimony and set to my seal that it is true for he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous and hee that commits sin is of the devill for the devil sinneth from the beginning but whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaines in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God and in this are the Children of God made manifest and the children of the dâ—vil 1 Joh. 3. c. He that is born of God is the Son of God and the Son of God doth not commit sin and except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God for the first man is of the earth earthly and minds earthly things his joy and treasure is there in things that are below delighting in the visible things his heart is there his care and labour is for the things of this life what to eat what to drink what to put on how to become great in the earth and by his earthly wisedom which is from below which is sensual and devilish he is plotting contriving to get great possessions and to compaste the earth to get himself a name in the earth but cannot be satisfied when he hath compassed one piece of ground which he coveted after presently the lust runs out again and covets more but is never satisfied and in this state man is an enemy to God and the thoughts of his heart are evill and that continually and notwithstanding many times a true sense and
is pure and that which reproves and makes manifest sin is light as the Apostle declares Eph. 5.13 and this light shews sin before the action of it it shews it in its rise and conception before it come to action if there be but an evil thought or an evill motion or an evil desire or any evill intent the light discovers it and waiting in the light and believing in Christ who hath given the light the victory is obtained for the true faith purifies the heart and gives victory over the world and without faith it is not possible to please God and Paul who was a true Minister of God he was sent to open the blind eyes not to bring them eyes but to open that eye which the God of the world had blinded and so to turn them from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance a mongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ and he preached Jesus Christ which was within the Saints their hope of glory teaching and exhorting every man in all wisedom that they might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1.27 28. And when Christ ascended he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 4.11 12. this is the pure doctrine of Christ Jesus and that which he himself taught Mat. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect But this doctrine Powell and all the Parish Teachers do oppose and so manifest themselves to bee Anti-Christ a gainst Christ and his true Ministers and serve another Master which is the Devil whose work they are doing pleading strongly for his Kingdom which stands in sin and imperfection and sayes none can be perfect while they live upon the earth this with them is an impossible thing but with God all things are possible and the true Ministers of God believe it and do earnestly contend for this faith and for their Master Christ and his Kingdom which stands in righteousnesse purity and perfection and no unrighteous one nor imperfect one can enter into it then woe to them that live in sin while they are upon earth their end will be in the lake of endlesse misery and this shall Powell and all the Antixtian Bablers one day witnesse And Powell in words this did preach that no unrighteous one could enter into the Kingdom of God and as long as any one sin was alive in any though never so little the devil could keep them by one as well as by many bringing this comparison that if a fisher-man had catched hold of a fish and the fish had broken two of his haires yet by one he might catch him so saith he all sin must be destroyed and the house clean swept and afterward he pleaded for sin and said none could be without sin nor perfect while he lived see his confusion by this doctrine a man must never be without the devill in him for all sin is of the devill and while sin is within the devill is with in But the true Ministers of God who came to witnesse Christ Iesus and his life and power made manifest in them did witnesse the devills work destroyed and consumed by his word which was as a fire in them and the Ministers of Christ do witnesse the same now by the same living power by which the devils works comes to be destroyed and the Son of God witnessed who makes free from sin and if the Son make you free then are you free indeed and in this Mr. Powell so called is out of the doctrine of Christ and contrary to his true Ministers Further the said Powell in the presence of many people did affirm that the Scriptures were the foundation and ground of Faith which thing I did deny and did testify a gainst him for blasphemy and do still affirm the same that whosoever doth say and teach that the Scripture is the foundation of Faith is a liar and a blasphemer and doth lay another foundation contrary to the Apostles as is testifyed of in 1 Cor. 3.11 For no other foundation can any man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ and the same do I witnesse and no other and here Powell must either confesse the Scriptures to be Christ or else he layeth another foundation contrary to that which all the holy men of God were built upon which had faith before the Scriptures were written Abel had faith before the Scripture was written and Abraham Isaac and Jacob and many others mentioned and spoken of in the Scripture they had faith and were built upon the rock even Iesus Christ who was before Abraham was and before the letter or writing was who was before the world was who is the same yesterday to day and for ever who is the ground and foundation of faith And Powell and all the Parish Teachers in England and else where that says the Scriptures are the foundation are in the blasphemy and error and his and their fouudation will not stand in the day of the Lord which shall burn up their works as hay and stuble and this shall Powell one day witnesse to be truth to him and all others who lay another foundation which is but sandy and cannot stand but great shall be the fall of it when the storm and tempest doth arise and in this the said called Mr. Powel is contrary to the true Ministers of Christ and the Scriptures shall be a testimony against him and his blasphemy who sets the Scriptures in the place of Christ which onely testify of Christ but are not Christ and the Scriptures declare of the foundation of faith Iesus Christ but the Scriptures are not the foundation Christ Jesus neither did any of the Ministers of Christ ever call the Scriptures the foundation and ground of faith but witnessed and declared Christ to be the Author and the finisher of their faith and the rock and foundation which they were built upon and the same do I testify of even Jesus Christ who was from the beginning and the same to day and for ever who was the rock in former ages and the ground of their faith and the rock of this age and so the rock of ages and the ground and foundation and the Author and finisher of our faith to whom be all honour and glory of and from all that know him for evermore And further as I was speaking of the word of the Lord and its power and effect and that the Holy men of God who came to witnesse the word of the Lord then knew it not by hearsay from others but by its
powerfull operation in them by which word their hearts was purifyed and cleansed which word was within them as a fire to burn up and consume the works of the devill and as a hammar to break the hard heart and this word was not far of as the Apostle testifieth say not in thy heart who shall ascend up into Heaven to fetch Christ from above or go down into the deep to fetch him from below but the word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the word of faith that we preach Rom. 10.8 and this word was within them and wrought powerfully in them which they witnessed to be quick and powerfull sharper then a two edged sword and those who know not this living and powerfull word within them puts the letter for the word and calls that the word and when I spoke these words the said Powell said unto me Is not the Scriptures called the word of God And then I said unto him is it the word of God for it hath long been called so by ignorants that knows not God and his word and he affirmed and said it was and was put to prove it and he brought two places of Scriptures but neither place did say that the Scriptures was the word of God but declared of the word and then Powell said to his hearers we will leave them heare they deny the Scriptures to be the word of God and some of his hearers were very ready to receive it and cryed out they deny the Scripture whereupon I spoke to them and wished to be moderate and hear with patience and do not accuse falsly That because we cannot call the Scriptures by the name of Christ do we therefore deny the Scripture No far be it from us to deny it for if I should deny its testimony I should deny my own life and I said I own it to be a true declaration of that word that was in them that spoke it forth and it was the word of the Lord to them and in them that spoke it forth but for ungodly and unholy men to talk of their words and not live in their life are theeves that steales the word from their neighbour and some of the people said was it the word of the Lord to them and not to us And this they would not hear and then I instanced some Scriptures to them how that the word of the Lord came to the true Prophets and they spoke the word of the Lord as they had received it from the mouth of the Lord and after it was spoken forth the false Prophets stole the true Prophets words and they said thus saith the Lord when the Lord never spoke to them and so run when the Lord never sent them and therefore they did not profit the people at all And this further I say that as it was then even so it is now in these our dayes prond men and covetous men heady and high minded men and men that followes pleasures and are lovers thereof more then lovers of God and envyous men and men of strife and railers back-biters slanderers and false accusers and such like ungodly and unholy men have gotten the Scriptures the good words which the holy men of God spoke forth from the holy and pure word of God which was within them which was and is spiritual and invisible and endures for ever such ungodly men aforementioned have gotten the declaration and are talking of the fame of God but are strangers to the living life and power of God and they fay this saith the Lord or hearken to the word of the Lord as you shall find it written in such a chapter and such a verse and so use their tongues and say the Lord saith as the false Prophets did when the Lord never spake to them and so have gotten a form of godliness but want the life and power and leads silly men and women captive laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning but never able to come to the true knowledge of God so I say that many may have the Scriptures which were given forth from them who knew the voyce and word of God and know not neither have heard the voyce of God nor his word but onely the sound or frame of it for the Iews who had the Scriptures Moses writings and the Prophets and could speake much of them and often heard them read and yet Christ tells them plainly they had neither heard his voyce at any time nor seen his shape for they had not the word of God abiding in them for whom the Father had sent they did not believe and there Christ himself calls them Scriptures which testify of him but he doth not call them the Word of God for if they had been the Word of God then the Iews had heard the word of God but Christ tells them they had not at any time heard the voyce of God neither was the word of God abiding in them as it is written Ioh. 5.37 38 39. c. And now a few words concerning the word of God from Scripture testimony which the Holy men of God spoke forth and so witnesses to the same eternall word which I bear testimony of which was in the beginning before all time by which the Heavens and the earth were made and are upheld by the word of his power as it is written Ioh. 1.1 2 3. Psal 33.6 Heb. 1.3 And the word of the Lord is spiritual and endures for ever it is as a fire and as a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces The word of God is quick and powerful sharper then any two edged sword and pearces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart 1 Pet. 1.23.25 Ier. 23.29 Hebr. 4.12 But the Scriptures or writings were nor in the beginning before all time but were since the beginning in time neither were the Heavens made by the Scriptures not are all things upheld by the Scripture neither do they endure for ever but they are visible and in times passed away but the word of the Lord which the Scriptures declare of is spirituall and shall endure for ever The Scriptures or writings are not as a fire but with fire may be burnt as Ieremiah his roll was burnt but the word of the Lord cannot be burnt for by the living word another Roll was written The Scriptures or writings are not as a hammar but with a hammar may be beaten to pieces neither is the Scriptures quick nor sharper then a two edged sword but they are dead and with a two edged sword may be cut to pieces behold your ignorance you carnall Professors whose understandings are so dark and your eyes so blind that you stumble at noon day and so cannot put a difference between the precious and the vile nor between the living word and the dead letter but sets the letter
in the place of Christ as Vavasar Powel doth who calls the Scriptures the Foundation of Faith and the Word of God when plain Scripture doth testify against him and witnesseth Christ to be the Foundation and the Authour and finisher of Faith whose name is called the Word of God Heb. 12.2 Rev. 19 13. Many other Scriptures I might bring that witnesses of the Word of God for all the whole Scriptures being given forth from the word declare of the word and so they are called by the Ministers of the word Luke the first But it hath been a common thing amongst the Professours of our time because wee do not nay dare not set the Scriptures in the place of Christ nor call them by his name to accuse us for denying of the Scriptures but their accusation wee do deny and let our lives and conversations which wee live in Christ Jesus be witnesses for the Lord and for us herein and I appeal to the conscience of all the honest hearted in the nation to judge whether those who talk so much of Scripture and calls it the Word of God and their Rule to walk by and they themselves live in pride and covetousnesse strife and envy wrath malice stubbornesse and crosnesse backbiting and speaking evill one of another behind their backs foolish jesting idle communication vain sports and pleasures and in the customes and fashions of the world little or nor at all differing from them in any thing but in words which things the Scripture testifies against or those who live in the fear of God in meeknesse and humility and cannot fashion themselves according to the world nor use the vain customes and traditions of men who cannot bow to the rich nor respect the persons of those who were the gay cloathing and the gold Ring no more then the poor man in the vile Rayment which of these doth deny the Scriptures those who talke of them and live not in the life of them or those whose lives and conversations are according to them let the wise in heart Judge A. P. An answer to some Queries given to my hands which were propounded by one who goes under the name of an Anabaptist living in Shrewsbury SOme Queries I have received from one who subscribes his name Richard Stephens wherein he saith the intent of his writing is to be better informed in things wherein he is not satisfied But in the Light of Jesus he is comprehended and seen to be of that Generation who cryed up the Commands and the Ordinances of God as Temple Sabbath Circumcision Priests Sacrifices Scriptures and the like and said they were of Abraham and God was their Father and they builded the Tombs of the Prophets and garnished the sepulchre of the righteous and condemned their fore-fathers saving if we had lived in their dayes we would not have killed the Prophets and yet these crucified the Son of God and they did not believe in him who was the light the Covenant of the Father the sum and substance of those things which they upheld which were but figures tipes and shadows yet in their time Commands of God and were to bee observed and kept yet those who had these outward Commands did not believe in the Light but were by Christ the Light cryed woe against and those who believed in the Light and followed Christ denyed those outward Commands and had no Scripture for it but the testimony of the light within them which was a hard thing in those times to deny the Commands in the letters for the Jews and Chief Priests had Scripture to uphold them and counted the Apostles deceivers and a cursed people that knew not the Law But by the mighty power of God they were carried on and witnessed against the outward Commands and cryed against them that upheld them and witnessed the Commands of God and the worship of God in the spirit and their bodies waâ— Temples of the Holy Ghost and God dwelt in them so the new Covenant they witnessed the Law of God written in their hearts and the spirit put in the inward parts which was their guide in the spiritual worship and these denyed those things which once were Commands of God which were outward and typical and it was no breach of the Commands of God to them but obedience to the commands of the Spirit of God in them by which they witnessed against the shadows and witnessed the substance And a generation there is now of which this man that gave forth these Queries is one who hath gotten the good words the Scriptures and painted themselves over with a covering like the spirit but is not the spirit and these cry up the Church of Christ and the ordinances of Christ and condemnes the Jewes their fore-fathers for crucifying of Christ and yet they are found in the same nature who deny the light and counts them deceivers and a cursed generation who are in the light who with the light deny their imitated Churches and taken on commands which it no more but a will worship and a self righteousnesse which stands in the will of man which is as filthy rags and as menstruous cloathes seen they are and comprehended in the light of Christ to be under the woe out of the Covenant of our God and here is the ground of all the sects and opinions and the many Religions Man living in his will and professing the Scriptures which came not by the will of man but contrary to mans will here man in his will is giving his prâ—vate meanings and interpretations and one he gives one meaning to the Scriptures and sets up a Religion and a worship of God according to his meaning and conceiving from the letter of the Scripture in his will Another he gives another meaning and sets up another worship and a Religion according to his meaning and conceiving from the Scriptures and so a third gives his meaning and so are divided into many sects and opinions and these are the Babel builders one building up a wall and another daubing with untempered morter and these are out of the faith and union of the Saints who walk in the light and have union and fellowship in the spirit of love written in one anothers heart and so are all of one heart But the other who stands in their wills and imitates and takes on commands in their own wills as their imaginations thoughts and conceivings leads them are not all of one heart but are divided and some sprinkle water on the face of a child and calls that Baptizme and others deny that and are dipped over head and ears in water and calls that Baptizme and then they call themselves Beleevers and Saints and so run to the letter of the Scripture and reading with a wrong eye are still in confusion and more and more divisions there is a mongst them some are called free-willers or that hold generall redemption that Christ died for all and some are called particulars that
hold that some are ordained to salvation and some to condemnation before they have done good or evill and these deny one another and hold one another accursed yet all are dipped in the water some are divided about that which they call the Lords supper and about breaking of the bread some will break it themselves and some will eat it as a supper some will sup before they eat it some will have it in an upper chamber some are for laying on of hands and some will not and many other things there are which breakes their union and thus they are divided in Babylons Kingdom tearing and rending one another like dogs and swine falling out about the husks But the Saints who are led by the light of the Son of God out of Babylon into the fold do feed upon the bread of life in the Fathers house where there is no want but fulnesse where the presence of the Lord is enjoyed and the holy and innocent ones who are washed and cleansed in the bloud of the Lamb rejoyce in his presence who are Baptized into Christ and have put on Christ whose hearts are purified and conscience purged from dead works these are Christians But to sprinkle water on the face of a child doth not make it a Christian or to be dipped over head and eares in water doth not wash and cleanse from sin for hee is not a Christian which is one outward which hath the name only neither is that the Baptizme which is outward with the water But he is a Christian which is in Christ a new Creature and Baptizme is that of the spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evill conscience and the body washed with pure water and this Baptizme I own and witnesse unto and deny all imitatour who have not a command from God as they had that gave forth the Scriptures Yet this I say if any one now have a command from Christ to go and Baptize with water or if any out of tendernesse of Conscience do such a thing I do not deny it nor judge them for it But I was not sent to Baptize but to preach the Gospel and it is no breach of Christs command nor denying his ordinances in not Baptizing not being commissioned by him to Baptize for it is neither dipping nor sprinkling or not dipping that availes any thing but a new Creature so to deny that which was a command of Christ to some being but outward it not being a command by Christ unto us is no breach of Christs command no more then it was in the Apostles in denying the outward commands as Temple Sabbath Circumsition and the like which were commands in their time and place and wee own them and all the commands of God mentioned in the Scriptures by the same spirit which gave them forth which spirit was the Saints Rule before the Scriptures were written and their Rule who gave forth the Scripture and the Saints Rule now according to the Scripture owning all things in their time and place as the Scripture declares of and though we be counted as deceivers yet true it is no more but what the Ministers of Christ undergone from that generation who were high in knowledge as doctours chief Priests and learned Rabbies yet by all their learning and Scripture knowledge they knew not the mistery but counted the Crosse of Christ foolishnesse as it is now by this generation of Scripture learned ones and university men by all their learning and study the mistery of Godlinesse they know not but counts them an ignorant people to whom the Lord hath made known himself in measure and reveiled his secrets unto and counts them as a people not worthy to live I say amongst that generation that cryes up the commands of Christ in words I find this man querying without But for the simple ones sake who desire to be satisfied I have written this in answer to his queries that their minds may be informed and from the darknesse they may be turned to the true light of lesus which opens the dark understanding and leads out of darknesse to follow Christ in the pure path of life which whosoever follows shall not abide in darknesse but shall have the light of life Query the I. Whether you do own the New Testament with the Epistles of the Apostles unto the Churches to be a true testimony of the spirit of the Lord yea or nay And if they be whether were they not given forth as a Rule unto the Churches to walk by and if they were not given forth as a Rule then wherefore were they given forth and what use were they of unto the Churches Answ The New Testament we do own and witnesse which is the Law of God written in our hearts and the spirit put in the inward parts whereby we are gathered together into the fold and are fed with living refreshments in the bosome of our Fathers love which spirit was and is a Rule and guide unto the Saints and thereby are taught of God in spirit and do worship him in spirit according to his promise which promise is now fulfilled and fulfilling to his praise and glory to whom all glory belongs for evermore And the Epistles of the Apostles to the Churches we own to be a true testimony given forth from the spirit of the Lord and was the word of the Lord in them and to them to whom they were written for the edifying and building them up in their most holy faith which faith was within them a mistery held in a pure conscience and their Rule and guid was within them and all that was written or declared by the holy men of God it was to bring them to the pure worship of God within in the spirit Qu. II. Whether the Scriptures be of any use unto any people now in this generation and if they are then whether the Ordinances therein conteyned be to be practised by such a people as beleeve in the Lord Iesus with all their hearts yea or nay And if they are not to be practised then when and where were they abolished Ans The Scriptures are not of any private interpretation neither came by mans will but holy men of God spoke them forth as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they are of use for they were given forth to be read to be believed on to bee practised and fulfilled but not to make a trade on nor for ungodly men with their vain and proud minds to talk on but let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity and as iniquity is departed from and the fear of God placed in the heart it keepes the heart cleare and so the pure wisdom from above is received into the pure heart and the pure in heart are blessed and shall see God who is light and the Ordinances of God are seen in the light and led into by the light but the darknesse cannot comprehend the light nor all the wisedom
A Testimony of God And his way and worship against all the false wayes and worships of the VVorld Also an answer to some of the false Doctrines held forth by a professed Minister in VVales shewing the unsoundness of his former actions and is found to be one in the nature of the VVorld which sometime he hath spoken against WITH An answer to some Queries propounded by one who is called an Anabaptist Given forth for no other end but in love to the truth as it is in Iesus BY ALEX PARKER LONDEN Printed for Giles Calvert at the West end of Pauls 1656. A Testimony of God and his way and worship against all the false wayes and worship of the world GOD is pure and holy and loves righteousness and his worship is a pure and a spiritual worship not known to the world that lives in wickedness the world by all their wisdom and study cannot find out the mind of God neither do they worship him in spirit but are wondering and worshipping the Beast who have not found their names written in the book of life and though they make a profession of the name of God yet are aliens and strangers from the pure life and power of God and so are climbing up another way and building up Babel a Tower to reach up to Heaven in their Heathenish and Babilonish wisdom where there is nothing but confusion and strife one crying lo here is Christ another crying lo there one crying up his way to be the onely way and counts all accursed that are not in his way and so the second cries up his way and so all the world lies in confusion and wickednesse strife and debate and though many have long been seeking after God yet have not found him because they sought him not in his own way Which is pure for ever but by their own wit and wisdom have gone about to know and find out the mistery of the Kingdom of God so have walked gone on in the crooked wayes and by paths of the world and have despised that little thing within which is the light of Jesus that shines in the midst of all this darkness and reproves them in secret for their evil deeds and shews them their confusion and oftentimes bring them to a stand and some sense or feeling of the deadness and emptiness of all their profession and of their tottering building which is builded upon the sand and cannot stand in the fiery day of the fierce wrath and indignation of God and when they daub up themselves with smooth words crying the ordinances of Christ and the Church of Christ and the righteousness of Christ and faith in Christ and though they be wicked and sinfull and must be so while they live yet Christ doth not impute their sin unto them they are justified in Christ though they sometime run into sin and thus would make Christ a cloak for their sin yet still the light of Christ testifies against them and all their coloured and painted outside and talking of justification without holiness of life will not bring them peace but still there is a cry after God for purity and reproves them for their sin and iniquity and no peace there is to the wicked as long as they act contrary to the measure of God all their profession and high notions and glorious comprehensions and guilded outsides is but like unto Adams fig-leafe garment and will not cover their nakednesse in the dreadfull and powerfull day of the Lord the wicked shall be as the stuble and shall be consumed root and branch all their crying Lord Lord will not avail them in that day all their sermons reading praying and the like being found workers of iniquity will do them no good but this dreadfull sentence from the Lord will be pronounced against them Go cursed workers of iniquity I know you not depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Consider of this all you carnall and formall Professors Priests and People who talke so much of the name of God drawing neer unto him with your lips and with your mouths but your hearts goes after your covetousnesse and things of this world which comes to an end and withers and fades away and pleads against the power and purity of Godlyness saying none can ever be made free from sin nor perfect in this world but must continue in sin or sin in him while he lives and so have made a Covenant with hell and with death and no longer time will serve the devill your master whole servants you are as long as you live in sin but terme of life What will ye answer the Lord in that day will then a distinction serve you that you have not sinned unto death or that your sin shall not be imputed to you Shall not then the witnesse of God in your own conscience which all along hath testified against you for your ungodly practises and reproved you for your secret evils Shall it not stop your mouths and you shall stand speechlesse and shall be made to confesse that God is just and your condemnation just who in your life time have rejected his counsell and cast his Law behind your backs and have turned his grace into lasciviousness know this assuredly this will be your portion at the latter day for God is just and will render a just reward unto every one according to their deeds done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evill They that have improved their talents and done well shall enter into the Lords joy But those who have sleighted the Lords free love which is freely tendred and have been carelesse and negligent and have not improved their tallents shall be cast out from his presence and shall have their portion in the lake of utter darknesse where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth and this shall be the condemnation of all the world who hate the light that Jesus Christ hath enlightened them withall and love their evill deeds better then the light For this is the condemnation of the world not because light is not come but that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil and so all the world lies under condemnation who are in the sin and evill and deny the light which gives the entrance into the Kingdoms of Christ which stands in righteousness and no unrighteous one can enter for no entrance is made but through the death of sin and there is no death nor freedom from sin but only by the Son of God there is no way but by him no salvation but in him no separation from sin nor reconciliation to God but only by the Son oâ— God who is given of the Father a Covenant of light into the World who doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world and by this light is the Devils work seen and by faith in him who