A TESTIMONY FOR THE LORD THE GOOD SHEPHERD Against All the false Shepherds and Hirelings of the World and more especially or particularly those of that Sort in the Nation of England By Thomas Taylor Wo be unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the Sheep of my Pasture saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the Pastors that feed my People Ye have scattered my Flock and driven them away and have not visited them behold I will visit upon you the Evil of your Doings saith the Lord Jer. 23. 1 2. Printed in the Year 1675. A Testimony for the Lord the good Shepherd and true Minister of the Sanctuary and true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not Man against all the false Shepherds hireling Ministers and Teachers of the World under what Name or Notion or Form soever who have run and God never sent them and therefore cannot profit the People at all HEar the Word of the Lord God that is gone forth against you like a Flame of Fire in this the mighty Day of the arising of the Almighty Power of the Lord God Almighty who is jealous of his Honour and who is tender of the poor Souls whom you have deceived and do daily make a Prey of for filthy Lucre your End is come the Day hath revealed you and in God's Ballance are you weighed and found altogether wanting and therefore is your Kingdom departed from you and now the Lord God is setting up his own most Heavenly and Everlasting Kingdom in the Hearts of his People who in the Leadings of his Light are come out from amongst you and who through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony have gotten Victory over the Beast the Whore and false Prophet who have defiled the Earth with their Abominations Lyes and Lewdness and he will yet gather more from amongst you And now the Kingdom under the whole Heavens is and shall be forever the Portion of the People of the Saints of the most high God whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him who liveth forever who is arisen in this his glorious Day not only to reveal but even to destroy to the uttermost the Man of Sin that Son of Perdition in all the Earth which hath fate in the Temple of God as God saying he was God and hath long exalted himself above all that was called God which alone ought to be worshipped but the Lord is arisen to dethrone him even that wicked One who would not suffer the true Seed the true Heir Christ Jesus the true Light to reign but hath alwayes like an enraged Beast pushed with his Horns against the Lamb in every Appearance whereby the tender Buddings of Truth in many People have been often hurt and the Growth of the good Seed often hindered and some of the feeble Ones even in their Comings out of Egypt have been cut off by this spiritual Amaleck the Dragon upon which the Whore the false Priesthood and Ministry rides whom God will have War with forever and will destroy him to the End for now is the Ancient of Dayes upon his Throne and the Thrones of the Wicked are cast down and one like unto the Son of Man to wit the Lord Christ Jesus in and with his numberless Number is come with the Clouds of Heaven for as sure as he went up so is he certain come again and brought near to the Ancient of Dayes and is in the actual Possession of that Kingdom Glory and Power given him of the Father that all People Nations and Languages should serve and obey him for his Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and now the Judgment is set and the Books are opened Glory to the Lord forever and now is the Revelation of all Things and fulfilling of all Things which have been spoken of by the true Witness since the World began And now the Tything Hireling Priests and Merchants of Babylon who by their Works deny Christ come in the Flesh run to the Powers of the Earth and cry out and say They will not pay us they will not put into our Mouthes they will buy none of our Merchandize any more Alas alas our great City But for all their crying God will not hear not help them for they have left off to do good and God hath shaken his Hand at their dishonest Gain and the Son of God that ever blessed Light is arisen and is at Work to lead out of Darkness the Souls of the simple that they may know him alone to be their Priest Minister and Teacher and may not be a Prey any longer to the Wolf in the Sheep's Clothing the Wolf who is inwardly gone from God and ravenned into the dark Wilderness and hath stollen the Saints and Christ's Words and makes a Trade on them to deceive withal for filthy Lucre Wo unto them they have gone in the Way of Cain and after the Errâ—r of Balaam for worldly Ends and shall pâ—rish in their gain saying of the Truth as Core did And the Lamb shall have the Victory and the Lord is at Work leading his Flock by the Streams of living Waters Glory to his Name forever And what shall I only complain of the Unrighteousness and declare of the Downfall of the Kingdom of falâ—e Teachers and Hirelings amongst the Turks or of the proud imperious Prelates of the dark See of Rome Or shall I not rather come nearer home to wit to the Place of my outward Nativity the Land of Old England who pretend to be nâ—â—her of the Spirit of Turks nor Papists but People of the Râ—formed Religion called Protestants as who should say Protesters against Romish Usurpatâ—ons and Antichristian Innovations But alas to the Shame of thy Nakedness O England England there is found in thee a Conspiracy a Company of lewd and treacherous Men who stand over thee as Teachers covered with black both Inwardly and outwardly who wear a black Garment now as the false Prophets of old wore a rough Garment to deceive who cry Give give and can never have enough for they are as Graves and if one put not into their Mouthes they bite with their Teeth and prepare War against them suing People at Law for Wages for whom they do no Work most unreasonable of all Men and contrary to all other People reaping where they never sowed neither spiritual nor temporal Seed they claim the Tenth of such Men's Labours and Encrease as they themselves excommunicate out of their Synagogues and in their false Judgment judge to Hell what doth not the Destruction of their Souls seem enough but you must destroy their Estates and Families and sometimes their Bodies and Life also by long and unheard of Imprisonments and Plunderings Shall not the Nations of the World who profess not as you the
Place of Bishops and Overseers of others and have not looked into your own Hearts and Souls to see what grows there O the deep Sleeps and Slumbers that you are seen to be in this Day even all you who have run and God never sent you and therefore you have not nor never can possibly in that State profit the People at all Oh all you that love to be call'd of Men Master and Doctor and Lord Bishops and Arch-Deacons and such like worldly Titles which Christ the meek Lamb and lowly in Heart did alwayes forbid and his Spirit is against forever and ever and saith It shall not be so amongst his but he that is greatest must be least and Servant of all not in feigned Words and deceitful Shews but in Deed and in Truth Glory to the Lord who is arisen to root up the false Ministry and to bring in his own as in the Beginning That the Earth may be covered with the Knowledge of Gâ—d and Jesus Christ our Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Amen and Amen O Ye Priests and Parish Teachers when will ye consider of the Entrance of your selves into your Offices and the People into your Church you have laid another Foundation then Christ hath laid Christ said to his Messengers and Ministers As my Heavenly Father hath sent me so I send you But Christ was not made a Minister by the Law of a Carnal Commandment but by the Power of an endless Life And so you that are Ministers of the Letter and made Ministers thereof by the Law of a Carnal Commandment and your Fittedness for your Work is gathered not from the holy Spirit 's Ability but from some Worldly Endowments as natural Languages Arts and Parts which can only fit a Man for a Heathenish Oratory but could never help in this great and Heavenly Matter of Christ's Kingdom and your Bishops being made by the human Powers could never say That by the laying on of their Hands you received either the holy Ghost or any Gift of it And so you being of the World and impowered by the World how can you claim Audience or Obedience from Christ's Members who know not to follow your Voice which is the Strangers Voice and so you Men of the World are heard upheld and obeyed by the World who are ignorant of Christ's Voice from the Strangers and so being such blind Guides whether can you lead the People but into the Ditch and there you are who are alwayes doing what you ought not to do and so have no Health in you and so dangerous to joyn to and are miserable Offenders for taking the poor Peoples Money for that which is not Bread and causing them to spend their Labours for your Traditions and empty Sound of Words which are never able to satisfie their Souls and you are very miserable Offenders also in not only coming in by a wrong Door your selves but also in perswading the poor deceived Multitude that you enter them into the Pale of the Church by your baptizing or sprinkling of them when Infants for which there is no Scripture nay more as your common Custom is and as is said before that you regenerate them by it for God never regenerated any by a Means which he never ordained as this Usage of yours is manifest to be So all your Entrances being impure and your Foundations unspiritual and Unscriptural what Building must needs be builded thereupon the wise in heart do easily see So you and your Work being Mystery Babylon the Lord God of Heaven is engaged against yâ—u and his Vials of Wrath is he pouring forth upon you and he will not fail nâ—r be discouraged until his Judgments be brought forth to Victory over you And now to you the Magistrates and Powers who rule in this Nation of England Lend not your Power much less give it to this dead Image uphold not this Ministry which cannot profit you nor the People at all lest God plead with you in his Wrath for your Abuse of it for though they may perswade you that Christ is not against them yet such as God hath redeemed from amongst them know them to be no Ministers of Christ but Hirelings who have run without Christ's sending and so not going Christ's Message they cannot be content with Christ's Maintenance but cry unto you O Magistrates help help the People will not pay us their Tythes and the like lend us your Laws your Prisons c. O Rulers Consider consider what Teachers these are who instead of compelling People to Love and contribute to them by the Power of the Word are glad to run to the Worldly Magistrates Sword Is not God against them that are thus against him O leave them leave them to try and prove themselves to the Peoples Conâ—cienâ—e to be true Ministers by a free and powerful Ministry of the Word not of Man but of God unto them or never own them for Christ's ancient and true Ministers had freely received and therefore could freely give and did plant befâ—re they eat and fed the Flock before they had the Milk thereof but these bay their Words and therefore sell them like Merchants of Babylon They eat the Fat and clothe with the Wool and kâ—ll them that are fed as the Prophet speaks but God's Flock they feed not but persâ—cute them calling them Hereticks and all that 's naught as the old Jews who persecuted Christ and his Followers did But after the way that they call Heresie so worship we the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing his living Word which perfects us to himself the Scriptures which testifie thereof Glory to his Name forever And all ye People who are Lovers and Followers and Upholders of this false Ministry which keeps you alwayes learning and never brings you to the Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus which alone perfects to God cease from it and the masterly Teachers in it and from them turn to God for what are their Dreams to the Living and Eternal Word of God which is as a Hammer and a Fire in the Hearts of all that receive it and what are their Inventions to the Ordinances of Christ The Lord loves your Souls he hath no Pleasure in your Death it is not his Will that your precious Souls should be lost for the pleasing of vain Men and answering their ungodly Lusts What is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Christ no Physician in England that the Breach which Sin hath made betwixt God and your Souls can never be made up but the Wound must stand open still like a bloody Issue running out the very Life of your Souls so that you have no Power no Victory over Sin but Sin stands still in its Strength and perfect Dominion over you O when O when will you come to the Light that your Eyes may be opened to
see the dangerous Pathes that you are in by following these blind Guides who having shut up the Kingdom of God against Men will neither enter into it themselves nor suffer others Oh why will ye dye ye People of England Why will ye sit in Egypt's Darkness still and the Land of God's People so full of Light The Lord God hath lifted up the Standard of his Truth in the midst of you but you chuse rather to fight under the Banner of the Power of Darkness because of your Love to the World to your Hurt and so the old Dragon who beguiled Eve leads you Captive at his Will who will not have Christ the true Light the good Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul to rule in you The Word of the Lord God unto you all both Priests Magistrates and People Awake awake the great and mighty terrible Day of the Lord God is at Hand is very nigh to come upon you like a Thief in the Night like an armed Man like a terrible Tempest to scatter you to spoil you of your Glory to leave you neither Root nor Branch For now is the Lord Jesus Christ mighty in Power arisen to plead with you in his Wrath because you have made void his Law and transgressed the Everlasting Covenant of his gracious Light and instead there of have set up a dead Image a liveless Form of Man's devising the Image of Jealousie a Religion and Worship which makes nothing perfect to God your Root is seen and judged by the true Light Christ Jesus the Root and Off-spring of David It is so And if you still continue in your vain Thoughts thinking to please God with such a Life wherein you are daily doing what you ought not to do and leaving undone what God commands you and never come out of that wretched and miserably defiled State but think a customary Confession of Sins without forsaking of them is a Worship worthy the pure God who is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity I say if these Thoughts and this Heart continue in you the Lord will cast you off and will utterly for sake you and bring his fore Plagues upon you and you shall know in that Day that God will not be mocked but will be sanctified and exalted in his Judgments over all his Enemies especially over such as you who take his Name daily in your Mouthes in vain saying Lord Lord and living in a continual Breach of his most holy Commandments and who instead of waiting for his holy Spirit to kindle a pure heavenly Zeal in you towards Gâ—d and Christ do offer the false Fire of your own blind Zeal as Nadab and Abihu did whom God in his Jealousie consumed with a grievous Destruction And now unto you the two Mothers of these Priests of this Nation of England called Oxford and Cambridge see what you have brought forth and nourished at you Breasts O a sad Generation it is O what a Generation of Evil-doers are your Children whom you have given Suck unto become How have you with your Heathenish Arts and Sciences strengthned them against the Simplicity of the Everlasting Gospel which Christ hath restored unto us in this his glorious Day after the long Night of Apostacy The Lord Jesus Christ never ordained such Wayes and Means as you use for the furnishing and enabling of his Servants for the Work of his Ministry But when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts unto Men some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of his Heavenly Body and perfâ—cting of his holy Ones Ephes. 4. But what can you edifie or perfect to God whose Wisdom is from below and whose Studies and Exercises for the most Part run in the Channel of the Heathenish Philosophy and vain Deceit of the World's Spirit which can neither receive in nor minister forth any Thing of Christ's Kingdom And so we are given by the Lord's blessed Light and Spirit in this Day of the Lord to see and declare That you are gone from Christ and the Way of the true ancient Christians into the Way of the Heathens who know not God as the Apostle said The World by Wisdom knew not God And so the People of the Country are greatly deceived by you and their Children extreamly wronged and corrupted by you for many send up their Youth to learn some Good amongst you but alas how can you that are so evil bring forth good Fruit Nay nay for if any come amongst you and conform not to the filthy and bad Customs of your Universities how are they looked upon as strange Things how are they hooted at as Owls in a Desart You are altogether corrupt from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot no Soundness in you Oh what Lewdness and Debauchery hath mine Eyes beheld in you The Lord will ease himself of you your high Looks and high Towers he will pull down Your Theater that you glory in shall be a Curse And the Lord will deliver his Lambs from your Teeth What a Face have you that you cannot blush what will you never give over provoaking God with your Acts and Degrees what Heathenish Stuff is this to find you at this Time a Day telling of and glorying in Your Bachellors of Art and Masters of the same Bachellors of Divinity and Doctors of Divinity and such like but if any come amongst you who through the Grace of God hath attained to that blessed Degree of a true living Member of Jesus Christ and Man of God to preach the Mystery of God's Kingdom to awaken you out of your deep Slumbers of Sin and Death him you persecute him you disallow as your Fore-fathers the old Scribes and Pharisees rejected Christ Jesus the true Foundation and Corner-Stone of the Heavenly Building with his blessed Followers And therefore will God's Controversie be with you forever until you repent of your Sorceries and great Abominations where with you have burdened his good Spirit Dayes without Number But the Everlasting Gospel of God's Light and Love shall spread and the Branch thereof shall over all your Walls grow up to his Praise who is come in this Day of his Power to judge the great Whores Works in England as well as in other Countries that the Earth may be swept and fillâ—d with the Knowledge of God as the Waters cover the Sea So be it so be it saith my Spirit Thomas Taylor And now the Heavenly Free Mother with her happy Children is come and coming down from God out of Heaven to possess inherit and everlastingly to enjoy the Kingdom of his endless Love Peace Righteousness and Joy where Mystery Babylon with all her false Mothers and sinful Children shall have no Name nor Place at all for at the Downfall of Mystery Babylon doth arise in the Saints the pure unspeakeable Joy which none of the Children of the dâ—rk World understand any Thing of at all It is so See Rev. 2. 17. and Rev. 7. from ver 9. to the End And Rev. 11. from ver 15 to the End And Rev. 12. 7 8 9 10 11. And Rev. 14. from ver 1. to ver 13. And Rev. 15. 1 2 3 4. And Rev. 16. 17 18 19. And Rev. 17. 18. And Rev. 18. 24. And Rev. 19. from verse 1. to verse 10. It is done HALLELUJAH 2 Pet. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 1â— Dan. 5. 26 27. Dâ— 1. 7. Dan. 7. 2 Thes. 2. Acts 9. 10 11. Dan. 7. 26 27. Rev. 16. 19. Rev. 18. 15 16. 2. Pet. 2. throughout Rev. 12. 7 8 9 10. Jer. 13. Mich. 3. Isa. 14. 5 6. Mat. 13. 31. Mat 23. 13. Mat 5. 34 37. Jam. 5. 12. Hos. 4. 2 3. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Mat. 13. 15. Ephes. 9. 11 12 13. Jude 18 19. Zach. 13. 1. Rev. 22. 1. c. 2 Pet. 3. 16. John 5. 44. 2 Thes. 2. 8. Isa. 66. 24 Gen. 4. 5. Rev. 14. 11. Rev. 16. 19. Mich. 3. 6 7. Mat. 23. 10 11. Mat. 20. 25 26. Mat. 15. 13. Isa. 11. 9. Hab. 2. 14. John 20. 21 22. Heb. 7. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 20 21. Rev. 3. 18 19 20. 1. Joh. 4 5. Mat. 15. 14. Isa. 55. 2. Isa. 56. 10. Isa. 1. 4 5 6. Joh. 10. 1. Mat. 7. 2â— Rev 17. 5 14. 11. Acts 21. 2 Mat. 10. Eâ—ek 34. Acts 24. 14. 〈◊〉 â— 5 7. Jer. 2â— 28 29 Ezâ—k 18. 23. Ezek. 32. 11 Jer. 3â— 17. Hos. 4. 2. Rev. 3. 18. Mat. 23. 13 Exod. 10. 21 22 23. Isa. 11. 10. 〈◊〉 â— 19 20 Gen. 3. 1 4. 2 Pet. 3. 16. 2 Thes. 5. 2 3. Prov. 1. 27. Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 18. Rev. 1â— 14. Hos. 1. 6 9. Lev. 10. 1 2. Isa. 1. 4 Col. 2. 8. Isa. 1. 26. Rev. 14. 6 7. Jam. 3. 15 16. 1 Cor. 2. from ver 4. to the End Isa. 1. 4 5 6. Isa. 2. 17. Isa. 31. 4 5 Jer. 6. 15. Isa. 56. 10. Mat. 27. 21 22. Rev. 14. 6. Isa. 11. 9. Rev. 21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Gal. 4. 26.