already enjoy and Possess and so the Apostles brought them to a further examination not to look at things visible but to examine themselves whether they were in the Faith for he that is in the Faith is not in that which is visible Prove your selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 Now they who came to witness Christ in them knew the Resurrection and the Life in them and Witnessed the Life of the Son of God to live in them and they in it and this was a further State then looking at visible Things which were in remembrance only of his Death and blessed are they who have an Eye to see and an Heart to believe these things And now the Apostle spake unto wise Men and bad them â—udge what he said 1 Cor. 10.15 So that Novices or they that were young or Babes had hâ—rdly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them but he spoke to wise men which could judge of what he said and ver 16. thus he said The Cup of blessing that we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we breakâ— is it not the communion of the Body of Christ ver 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one bread and that one Bread was Christ who said I am the Bread of Life and this they witnessed and these are great Mysteries and they whose Eyes are towards visible things cannot see them and what a Nâ—ise and a Stir hath been made these many hundred Years and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen And since the Mystery hath been lost and the Key which opens the mystery how People have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves and are sunk down into utter Darkness as hath been manifest about visible things which do corrupt how many have been killed about this Bread and this Cup which are visible since the Apostles Dayes and how many Institutions and Laws have been made about this and have fought like Swine about the husk and discern not the Life neither the Lords Body It is endless to declare what stir they make about this Bread and this Wine in the Church of Rome which I shall not now stand to particularize much but however after the Priest hath consecrated it they conclude it to be the very Body and Blood of Christ and yet a thing which may be seen and that is a temporal thing and so give it Names past numeration And what work have they made about times and dayes when it was fit to be received and how many Decrees have been made about these things Anacletus caused a Decree to be made that all were to come to it under pain of Excommunication and Victor denounced that those should be interdicted from all Service when they should receive the Sacrament that would not be reconciled to their Neighbours of all Grudges and Hatred again Clepharanius one hundred Years after Anaâ—letus commanded that all that professed Christ or bare the Name of Christians being of the Age of twelve or fourteen Years should at least once a year at Easter receive the blessed Sacrament Fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a Year and Innocentius the third decreed it should be kept in the church that it should be ready at all times lest they that were sick should want to spiritual comfort of it and Honorus the third confirmed the same and Austin concluded the Eucharist to be of absolute necessity for Infants And what a stir hath been in the reformed churches so called about this and what disorderly work and what high Imputations they have gained to it whenas they commanded the Parishes to buy it and then sell it them again that the Priest must have a Offering at Easter also a token of a piece of Lead a token that they are at Unity with the Priest or else they may not have their Bread and Wine again for which they paid before and this hath been called a great Mystery HAP XII Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and the Gospel BEfore the Law was given forth there were divers did offer Sacrifice and builded Altars unto the Lord as Seth Abel Melchizedeck A braham Isaac and Jacob who were Guiders and Directors of People in the Way of Righteousness who instructed their Families in the Fear of the Lord but after the Law was given forth Aaron and his Sons and they were to offer Sacrifice according to the command of the Lord and to perform the Worship that God had appointed for that Time and Age at the Tabernacle and Temple there were Levites who bore the Ark and looked to the Vessels and pitched the Camp and divers other Services as Singers and Readers of the Law and Prophets on their Sabbath Dayes and Porters and the like and all these pertained to the First Covenant and Priesthood which was to have an End both the Priesthood and the Law and the Service thereof for it was but to continue till the Substance came Now Christ being come to the End of the Law for Righteousness unto all that believe made after the Order of Melchizedeck and not by a carnal commandment he offered up himself once for all and became the Author of eternal Salvation unto them that believe put an End to the first Worship and Priesthood Before he was offered up he chose Disâ—iples unto him twelve and also seventy and endued them with Power and many did believe through their Words and they were not Men of great parts but as they were fitted by the holy Ghost that gave them Utterance and they were sent out not to preach the Law but the Word of the Kingdom and many did believe and grew and were confirmed in the Faith and after Christ s Ascension the holy Ghost was poured forth upon them in a more ample Manner and it did bring to their Remembrance as Christ had foretold and they received great Gifts for the Work of the Ministry some were Prophets some Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers and all made Ministers by the Spirit for the Work whereunto they were chosen and many were converted and did believe then they that had the Word of God to publish travailed as they were led and moved by the Spirit to publish the glad-tidings of the Gospel and when the Believers were many and many young in the Faith they ordained Overseers or Bishops or Elders who were sound in the Faith to watch over them that were begotten but mark they were approved men and faithful and of blameless lives not given to Covetousness neither did tyrannâ—ze over them in rigour but were apt to teach and instruct in Love Gentleness and they that had been ancient Labourers in God's Work did so who had received a Gift to minister unto others and as to be
this Life was Death to him and to his Nature and so all who are out of the Faith are dead while they Live Now after the Transgression in Process of time when the Seed of fallen Adam began to increase in the Earth being driven out from that Presence of the Lord they spread over the whole Earth and sought many Inventions being gone from that of God in themselves by which they were united unto him having broken his Covenant and joyned in Covenant with Death Death acts forth it self against the Seed which is not of its Nature and alwayes sought to imbondage it and to kill it as Cain did Abel and Esau Jacob and Ishmael did unto Isaac and unto his Seed Now the Seed unto which the Promise was received the Law from the Mouth of the Lord and they that persecuted the Seed invented and made Laws of their own according to that Nature in which they lived and so became Heathenish in their Fashions Laws and Customs and Cruelty grew up as it was nourished and leavened into its own Nature and Unbelief grew into a mighty Stature and Monsters were brought forth in such a strange Shape in every thing that the Enmity did appear in as had not been seen in the Earâ—h before and so man being gone astray from the Life of Righteousness every thing is abominable and of a stranger Nature that he brings forth yet take notice of this that as the Seed unto which the Promise was who were in the Faith and obeyed through Faith they had a Law so they in Unbelief had also a Law as the Seed worshipped the living God through a lively and a living Faith and so sinned not in so doing the Seed of the Serpent imitated a Worship and worshipped in Death and Unbelief and as the Laws of one were equal such as David and Solomon the other were unequal such as Jeroboam and Rehoboam and as the one set up Equity by a Law the other made a Law to set up Iniquity And the Seed sought not their own Honour but the Honour of him who was their Reward but the Seed of the Evil-doer sought himself and his own Honour and as the Spirit of the Lord breathed forth it self and spoke the Truth in the Power of God Deceit uttered forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and in the Power of Death and as the upright lived unto God in the Spirit Deceit lived unto the Flesh and unto him who hath the Power of Death which is the Devil and as they fulfilled the Law of God who were led by the holy Spirit of God into all Truth the other followed their own Imaginations and answered the Deceit and foolish Mind and they whose Understanding was darkened loved them and had Pleasure in them So it may be truly said Many Nations Rulers and ruled sit in the Region of the shadow of Death and the living God is forgotten among them and one against another they are seeking one anothers Ruine and all in the Violence and in the Cruelty Therefore all Rulers and Potentates of the Earth Magistrates and Governours under the whole Face of Heaven hearken unto the Words of my Mouth and listen unto Understanding that you may be Partakers of the Happiness and Felicity which God is shedding abroad now in the â—â—â—ter Dayes that so the Restorer you may know in your Regions and the Deliverer in your Nations and the Maker up of the Breach in your dominâ—ons that he who is the desire of all Nations may be revealed among you He which must restore is not born of man nor cometh not to a People or a Nation in the Will of man neither seeks he himself but the Glory of the Father who hath sent him to seek and to save that which is lost and to heal the Breaches and to destroy that which hath made the Breach that so all Nations who receive him and believe in him may be reconciled unto him and one to another that the Earth may enjoy Rest and the Regions Quietness therefore all be warned not to look forth in your Wills for there you will not receive him but slight him as many before you have done and so lye down in Sorrow and weary your selves in Vanity and lye down in Infamy and never come to see his dignity Now he of whom I declare unto you is the Son of God who is the Light of the World and the Life of Man and hath lightned every man that cometh into the World which Light wherewith all men are enlightened is not contrary to the Law of God which indures forever but one with it and this will let you see Violence Treachery Murder Envy Wrath Maliciousness Drunkeness Whoredom Lying Cursed speaking Stealing Defrauding Cheating Cozening Riotousness Pride Arrogancy Emulation Contention Strife Hatred Persecution Cruelty Oppression I say the Light which comes from Christ by whom the World was made will shew you that all these things is Sin and evil in the sight of God and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these and all other evils proceed which ground is in all the Sons of men in the Transgression till it be removed and these things before mentioned be the fruits that grow from it and bud forth themselves in all Nations and in every man in every Nation so the Earth is filled with Violence and the Grapes are as Sodom and the Fruit as Gomorrah whom God overthrew and till these things be done away and these fruits wither and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a Ruler he cannot be a Blessing to a Nation neither rule for God in a Nation neither will he or can he be a Terrour to all these things before mentioned While he himself is in those for he cannot destroy his own Life neither will Iniquity set up Righteousness nor the Worker of Iniquity advance Christ. Therefore listen to the words of my Mouth and despise not Counsel lest you perish among Fools and go down to the horrible Pit where there is everlasting Misery unto all Perpetuity Now God that made both Heaven and Earth and all things that therein are he is Light and with him is no Darkness at all he never changes his Purity nor alters his righteous Decrees his Eye is pure and alwayes fixed to behold all the Works of the Sons of men and he searches the Heart of man with his eye and pierceth through the secret places and is near to every man although man do not see him he is invisible and eternal and his Law indures forever and the unalterable decree by which Sin is judged and reproved in the World and in every particular man and every man who hearkens and hears the Words of the pure Law which judges all Sin in man receiveth the Sentence of Death in himself and is judged by the righteous Words of his Mouth and so Sin in the particular comes to be condemned and all these changeable things
good Behaviour and shall so continue but it seems a hard thing to me and full of Severity that seeing I am obliged to appear to answer an Indictment of so high a Nature if prosecuted against me which tends to the Loss of my Liberty for Life and my Estate forever I hope the Court will not envy my Liberty for five Moneths Judge Turner said We do not desire your Imprisonment if you will be of good Behaviour And F. H. pressing further that they would not put him upon giving Bond to be of the good Behaviour knowing himself to be bound by the Truth that he could not mis-behave himself One Daniel Flemming another persecuting Justice had framed another Indictment against him for meeting and stood up fearing the Snare of giving Bond would not hold and said as followeth D. Flemming My Lord he is a great Speaker it may be the Quakers cannot want him Judge Let him be what he will if he will enter into Bond. F. H. said he had nothing to accuse himself of for his Conscience bore him Witness that he loved Peace and sought it with all Men. Judges both spake What do you tell of Conscience we meddle not with it but you contemn the Laws and keep up great Meetings and go not to Church F. H. We are fallen in a sad Age if meeting together peaceably without Arms or Force or Intention of Hurt to any Man but only to worship God in Spirit and exhort one another to Righteousness and to pray together in the holy Ghost as the primitive Christians of old that this should be reckoned Breach of Peace and Mis-behaviour Judge Twisden Do you compare these times with them they were Heathens that persecuted but we are Christian Magistrates F. H. It is a Doctrine alwayes held by us and a received Principle as any thing we believed that Christ's Kingdom could not be set up with carnal Weapons nor the Gospel propagated by Force of Arms nor the Church of God built with Violence but the Prince of Peace was manifested amongst us and we could learn War no more but could love Enemies and forgive them that did Evil to us Philip Musgrave stood up and said My Lord we have been remiss towards thâ—â— People and have striven with them and put them in Prison again and again and fined them and as soon as they are out they meet again Then stood up John Lonther called a Justice and said My Lord they grow insolent notwithstanding all Laws and the Execution of them yet they grow upon us and their Meetings are dangerous Philip Musgrave stood up and produced a Paper and Justice Flemming so called seconded him in great Capital Letters and gave the Judge it he told the Judge That it hapned some Quakers were sent to Prison and one of them dyed at Lancaster and they carryed his Corps through the Country and set that Paper upon his Coffin This is the Body of such an one who was persecuted by Daniel Flemming till Death Judge We have spent much time with you I will discourse no more F. H. I acknowledge your Moderation towards me allowing me Liberty to speak I shall not trouble you much longer I shall be willing to appear to answer to the Indictment at the Assizes and in the mean time to live peaceably and quietly as I have done if that will satisfie Judge You must enter into Bond to come at no more Meetings F. H. I cannot do that if I should I were treacherous to God and my own Conscience and the People and you would but judge me a Hypocrite They weare loath to commit him yet at last they did F. H. turning about to the Country People said the Fear of God be amongst you all The Hearts of People were tender towards him and some were very loving and affectionate to him Being thus committed on the 23d of the 1st Moneth 1664. he was detained a Prisoner about five Moneths and a great Part of the time of his Imprisonment kept very strictly and a Charge was given from the Justices several times that none should be suffered to speak with him and the Goaler being a cruel Man was ready to execute their Orders to the utmost and kept him so close that none were suffered to come to him or speak with him but who got secretly to him without the Goalers Knowledge all which the said F H. bore patiently and never opened his Mouth to complain And when the time of the Assizes came he got Liberty to speak with the Clerk of the Assizes who told F.H. that he must prepare himself to come to a Tryal he said he was prepared but thought that all he could say would little avail he believing they purposed to prosecute him with all Severity which proved so as will appear by the Relation following for indeed the County Justices who began to prosecute him had incensed the Judges against him before hand however F. H. endeavoured all he could to convince them of his Innocency and to that End drew up the Substance of the OATH into several Heads which he could SUBSCRIBE to though he could not SWEAR and delivered it to the Court and drew up another Paper to Judge Turner shewing him and the Court the Cause of his first Commitment and the former Proceedings against him and how unequal it was that they waved the other Statutes lately made against Non-conformists and prosecuted him upon a Statute formerly made against Popish Recusants in the same Paper he also signified that he was a Man of a tender Spirit and feared the Lord from a Child and had never taken any Oath but once in his Life and that was twenty Years since and that his refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance was not in any evil Intent to the King's Person or Government neither in Thought Word or Deed but meerly upon a spiritual and conscientious Account and that he could not swear being otherwise perswaded of the Lord. 2. That he could not swear seeing it was against the Command of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine 3. He declared that he was able to make it evident to be against the Example of the primitive Christians for divers hundred Years and so no new Opinion 4. That he did neither in Wilfulness nor Obstinacy refuse it being sensible of the Dammage that would come thereby if they did prosecute him upon that Statute he having a Wife and Children and some small Estate which he knew lay at Stake in the Matter but said if it were his Life also he could not revolt from or deny that which he had most certainly believed in but if any could convince him either by Scripture or Reason in the thing he had an Ear to hear and therefore all those things considered he desired he might be dismissed from those his strait Bonds and from their Persecution of him upon that Account Both which Papers his Wife delivered to the Clerk and he to the Judges and they to the Justices before
to me I have a Wife and Children and some Estate which we might subsist upon and do Good to others and I know all this lyes at Stake but if it were my Life also I durst not do but as I do lest I should incur the Displeasure of God and do you judge I would loose my Liberty wilfully and suffer the spoiling of my Estate and the ruining of my Wife and Children in Obstinacy and Wilfulness sure nay Judge Jury you see he denyes the Oath and he will not plead to the Indictment only excepts against it because of the Form of Words but you see he will not swear and yet he saith he denies the Indictment and you see upon what Ground And then they called the Goaler to witness and swear that the last Assizes F. H. did refuse c. which he did and the Jury without going from the Bar gave in their Verdict Guilty and then the Court broke up that Night The next Day towards Evening when they had tryed all the Prisoners Francis was brought to the Bar to receive his Sentence Judge stood up and said Come the Indictment is proved against you what have you to say why Sentence shall not be given F. H. I have many things to say if you will hear them 1 st As I have said I denyed not out of Obstinacy or Wilfulness but was willing to testifie the Truth in this Matter of Obedience or any other Matter wherein I was concerned 2 dly Because Swearing was directly against the Command of Christ 3 dly Against the Doctrine of the Apostles 4 thly Even some of your principal Pillars of the Church of England as Bishop Usher sometime Primate of Ireland he said in his Works The Waldenses did deny all Swearing in their Age from that Command of Christ and the Apostle James and it was a sufficient Ground and Doctor Gauden late Bishop of Exeter in a Book of his I lately read he cited very many ancient Fathers to shew that the first three hundred Years Christians did not swear so that it is no new Doctrine To which the Court seemed to give a little Ear and said nothing but talked one to another and Francis stood silent and then the Judge said Judge Sure you mistake F. H. I have not the Books here Judge Will you say upon your honest Word they denyed all Swearing F H. What I have said is true Judge Why do you not come to Church and hear Service and be subject to the Law and to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake F.H. We are subject and for that Cause we do pay Taxes Tribute Custome and give unto Caesar the Things that are his and unto God the Things that are his to wit Worship Honour and Obedience and if thou mean the Parish Assembly I tell thee faithfully I am perswaded and upon good Ground their Teachers are not the Ministers of Christ neither their Worship the Worship of God Judge Why it may be for some small things in the Service you reject it all F. H. First it is manifest they are time-servers one while preaching up that for divine Service to People that another while they cry down as Popish superstitious and Idolatrous and that which they have preached up twenty Years together make Shipwrack of all in a Day and now again call it divine and would have all compelled to that themselves once made void Judge Why never since the King came in F. H. Yes the same Men that preached it down once now cry it up so they are so unstable and wavering that we cannot believe they are the Ministers of Christ 2 dly They teach for Hire and live by forced Maintenance and would force a Faith upon Men contrary to Christ and the Apostles Rule who would have every one perswaded in their own Minds and said Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and yet they say Faith is the Gift of God and we have no such Faith given but yet they would force theirs upon us and because we cannot receive it they cry You are not subject to Authority and the Laws and nothing but Confiscations Imprisonment and Banishment is threatned and this is their greatest Plea I could mention more Particulars then the Judge interrupted Judge Well I see you will not swear nor conform nor be subject and you think we deal severely with you but if you would be subject we should not need F. H. I do so judge indeed that you deal severely with us for Obedience to the Commands of Christ I pray thee canst thou shew me how that any of those People for whom the Act was made have been proceeded against by this Statute though I envy no Man's Liberty Judge Oh yes I can instance you many up and down the Country that are premunired I have done it my self pronounced Sentence against divers F. H. What against Papists Judge No. F. H. What against the Quakers so I have heard indeed so then that Statute which was made against Papists thou let'st them alone and executest it against the Quakers Judge Well you will meet in great Numbers and do increase but there is a new Statute which will make you fewer F. H. Well if we must suffer it is for Christ's sake and for well doing Francis then being silent the Judge pronounced the Sentence but spake so low that the Prisoner though near to him could scarce hear it The Sentence was You are put out of the Kings Protection and the Benefit of the Law your Lands are confiscate to the King during your Life and your Goods and Chattels forever and you to be Prisoner during your Life F. H. A hard Sentence for my Obedience to the Commands of Christ the Lord forgive you all So he turned from the Bar but the Judge speaking he turned again and many more Words passed to the same Purpose as before at last the Judge rose up and said Judge Well if you will yet be subject to the Laws the King will shew you Mercy F. H. The Lord hath shewed Mercy unto me and I have done nothing against the King nor Government nor any Man blessed be the Lord and therein stands my Peace for it is for Christ's sake I suffer and not for Evil doing And so the Court broke up the People were generally moderate and many were sorry to see what was done against him but Francis signified how contented and glad he was that he had any thing to loose for the Lord 's precious Truth of which he had publickly born Testimony and that he was now counted worthy to suffer for it As for the time of F. Howgil's Sickness which he endured with much Patience and Cheerfulness it begun the 11th of the 11th Moneth 1668. and continued till the 20th of the same Moneth and then he departed this Life having then for the Testimony of Jesus been Prisoner four Years and eleaven Moneths he was not unsensible of the Decay of his outward Man sometime before which
not F. H. To all you who have Eyes and yet are blind and who have Ears and yet are deaf and have Hearts and yet cannot understand To you am I moved to declare THE Lord is proclaiming himself to be King and all the Mountains and every Isle and every Oak of Bashan and all the Cedars of Lebanon and all who rule as Kings and Conquerors shall bow Hear ye deaf the Trumpet is blown the Standard is lifted up there is open War proclaimed between Michael our Prince and all the Inhabitants of the Earth Arm your selves O ye Mountains and gather your selves on Heaps O ye Isles the glittering Sword of the Lord is drawn and a Fire is before him and all ye will be found as Stubble and you are all to be slain Heaps upon Heaps and are all to go down with all the Uncircumcised Rulers and People into the Pit The Lord the mighty Jehovah is revealing himself from Heaven in Flames of Fire to render Vengeance upon all the Workers of Iniquity for you have slain the Heir of the Vineyard you are killing his Prophets and imprisoning his Saints to you all Professors Rulers and Priests who say you are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan I speak in Plainness of Speech unto you all who live in all the Abominations of the Heathen and yet say you love Christ Do not you call the Master of the House now Beelzebub do not ye mock and set your Mouthes awry ye Sons of the Adultress and of Sodom at the Light of Christ which enlightneth every one that comes into the World which Light did lead all Saints into Purity and up to God and this you call Natural and them who witness Redemption by the Son you call Blasphemers Christ which you profess and yet know not was accounted by your Generation a Blasphemer and all the Apostles and Saints were persecuted by your Generation as Evil-doers as Despisers of Government as Disturbers of the Peace as Leaders of the People into Iniquity as the Off-scouring of all Things as Sheep for the Slaughter and many of them put to Death and in Prison by that Generation which professed God and said they had his Ordinances yet slew them who professed him and kept his Statutes for if ye be not wilfully blind are ye not doing the same now mocking haling imprisoning bringing before Magistrates them that witness Jesus Christ in them and because they bear witness against all Sin Did ever any of the Saints of God persecute imprison or hale before Magistrates and falsly accuse any Did ever the Saints complain to Authority to guard them Hear ye whited Tombs ye painted Sepulchres what Gospel is this you profess What God is this ye serve that must be defended with Clubs Swords Rulers and Carnal Weapons the Saints who had the everlasting Gospel said their Weapons were not carnal but spiritual and yet they were mighty through God to beat down strong Holds even Principalities and Povvers Thrones and Dominions but your Gospel and Ministry can do nothing vvithout a Svvord All People see vvhere you are and vvhat you are doing you run headlong to run those vvho vvere despised by that Generation of Pharisees and Professors vvhich you are in vvere a burthensom Stone upon vvhich all that opposed did break themselves so this Generation vvhom ye set at nought ye shall be made to bovv and throvv dovvn your Crovvns before them and before the Lamb vvho is our Leader and Guider Glory unto him forever more its hard for you to kick against the Pricks for vve vvitness the tvvo-edged Svvord of the Lord shall bathe it self in the Blood of his Enemies and shall be made fat vvith Slaughter O ye Mountains ye shall become a plain for the ransomed to come over you all your Profession shall be as Stubble and you shall be left naked and bare and nothing shall be able to cover you because you are Crucifiers of Christ and the Saints repent that you may be hid in the Day of his fierce Anger vvhich is to come upon all the Workers of Iniquity Francis Howgil This was The Word of the Lord Which Francis Howgil Was moved to Declare and Write TO OLIVER CROMVVEL Who is named Lord Protector The Word of the Lord came to me the last of the First Moneth about the Nineth Hour as I was waiting upon the Lord and waiting in James's Park at London FRiend I was moved of the Lord to come to thee to declare the Word of the Lord as I was moved of the Lord and deal plainly with thee as I was commanded and not to petition thee for any thing but to declare what the Lord had revealed to me concerning thee and when I had delivered what I was commanded thou questionedst it whether it was the Word of the Lord or not and soughtest by thy Reason to put it off and we have waited some dayes since but cannot speak to thee therefore I was moved to write to thee and clear my Conscience and to leave thee Therefore hear the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord I chose thee out of all the Nation when thou was little in thy own Eyes and threw down the Mountains and the Powers of the Earth before thee which had established Wickednesse by a Law and I cut them down and broke the Yokes and Bonds of the Oppressor and made them stoop before thee and I made them as a Plain before thee that thou passedst over them and trode upon their Necks but thus saith the Lord now thy Heart is not upright before me but thou takest Counsel and not at me and thou art establishing Peace and not by me and thou art setting up Laws and not by me and my Name is nor feared nor I am not sought after but thy own Wisdom thou establishest what saith the Lord have I thrown down all the Oppressours and broken their Laws and art thou now going about to establish them again and art going to build again that which I have destroyed wherefore thus saith the Lord wilt thou limit me and set Bonds to me when and where and how and by whom I shall declare my self and publish my Name then will I break thy Cord and remove thy Stake and exalt my self in thy overthrow Therefore this is the VVord of the Lord to thee whether thou wilt hear or forbear if thou take not away all those Laws vvhich are made concerning Religion vvhereby the People which are dear in mine Eyes are oppressed thou shalt not be established but as thou hast trodden down my Enemies by my Povver so shalt thou be trodden dovvn by my Power and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for my Gospel shall not be established by thy Sword nor by thy Law but by my Might and by my Power and by my Spirit Unto thee this is the Word of the Lord Stint not the eternal Spirit by which I will publish my Name when and where and how I will
for if thou dost thou shalt be as Dust before the Wind the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and he will perform his Promise For this is that I look for at thy Hands saith the Lord that thou shouldst undo the heavy Burdens and let the oppressed go free are not many shut up in prison and some stocked some stoned some shamefully intreated and some are judged Blasphemers by those who know not the Lord and by those Laws which have been made by the VVill of man and stand not in the Will of God and some suffer now because they cannot hold up the types and so deny Christ come in the flesh and some have been shut up in Prison because they could not swear and because they abide in the Doctrine of Christ and some for declaring against Sin openly in Markets have suffered as evil-doers and now if thou let them suffer in this Nature by those Laws and count it just I will visit for those things saith the Lord and I vvill break the Yoke from off their necks and I vvill bring Deliverance another VVay and thou shalt knovv that I am the Lord. Moved of the Lord to declare and write this by a Servant of the Truth for Jesus's sake and a Lover of thy Soul called Francis Howgil AN ANSVVER TO A PAPER CALLED A Petition of one Thomas Ellyson late Shepherd of Easington in the County of Durham to his Highness the Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and to all Emperors Kings and Princes through the World THere are many in the County of Durham that knovv that thou hast been a Shepherd lately enough and see thee vvhat thou hast been and vvhere thou hast been and vvhere thou art novv and knovv thee to be one in Nature vvith those Shepherds vvhich the Lord sent Ezekiel Isaiah and Jeremiah to cry against vvho feed themselves vvith the Fat and clothe themselves vvith the Wooll and that thou art one of those Shepherds that cares not for the Sheep and art in the Nature of one of those Shepherds vvhich the true Prophets cryed against vvhich vvere as Evening Wolves and as Foxes in the Desart And for the simples sake I am moved to lay open thy Deceit that thou art one of those Foxes thou speakest of vvhich hath Fire in their Tails and thou art made manifest to be of old Cain's Nature that old murthering Spirit and vvith thy flattering Titles which thou givest unto Men and hast Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage and thou art born after the Flesh the Son of the bond-vvoman vvho art petitioning to me that they may abuse their Povver and exalt themselves over the Heritage of God and thou that vvouldst have Lavvs to bind the Consciences of men to walk after thy Will thou art Anti-christ vvho art petitioning the Povvers of the Earth to make Lavvs to limit the Holy One of Israel But blessed be the Lord the Day is come that thou and all Deceivers Persecutors and Flatterers are discovered and many see thee among Magistrates that thy Spirit is the same that vvould command Fire to come dovvn from Heaven to have destroyed them vvho vvould not receive them First Thou sayest That Moses who was a Commander over all Israel that he was appointed to bear the People in his Bosome as a nursing Father and thou say'st thou art a Cryer for the Remembrance of those things that all might be carryed in their Arms now and thou goest on and tellest them that God will require the Government of his Church at their Hands Rep. Moses vvho vvas faithful and true over the House of God vvho vvas a Figure of Christ he did receive the Lavv from the mouth of the Lord he acted in Righteousness and vvhen Eldad and Madad prophesied he vvas not angry as thou art but desired that all the Lord's People vvere Prophets and all vvho vvait upon the Lord to receive the Lavv of God from his mouth novv and vvalk in the same they have the same Spirit and they vvill not limit the holy One But thy Cry that thou callest for is that thou would'st have them who are in Moses 's stead as thou say'st they are for to limit the Holy One and thou art the Deceiver the Apostle speaks of vvhich art gone into the World vvho vvould'st persvvade the Magistrates that they must govern the Church and so thou vvould'st have this Generation of Rulers to be dashed in Pieces as all the Generations have been before them in exalting themselves in the Seat of Christ when as the Prophet saith The Government is upon Christ's Shoulders and the Scripture saith He alone treads the Wine-press And therefore whosoever will assume unto themselves to govern the Church by an outward visible carnal Law shall be as sure to be broken as all the rest The Church is in God and is invisible and that which is visible and natural cannot make any Law to bind that which is unlimited but they if they do go about to limit the Holy One of Israel and would set themselves in his Seat of Judgment and take away his Glory which he will not give to any and all such as have made any Laws in their own Wills to limit Sons and Daughters they have all been broken as the Scripture witnesseth every where and therefore let all Governours in England Scotland and Ireland and all the World to whom thou writest take heed how they set themselves in the room of God and lay Yoaks upon the Necks of them who are free by the Son and are brought by the Power of the Lord from under the Breach of all righteous Laws or transgressing any which are holy and just for the Law is for the lawless the Law is not for them who are in Righteousness but the Law is for the Transgressors who are in Unrighteousness and they are those that act by that Spirit which dwells in thee who would levy Troops for the Innocent and art vvroth and thy Countenance falls like Cain and hates thy Brethren and would have a Lavv made over the Conscience and vvould have the Povvers of the Earth to abuse their Povver in turning their Svvords against them vvho live in Righteousness and declare against Unrighteousness And further thou goest on and tellest them This was a Law given to Adam and so thou pervertest the Scripture by thy Imaginations Where readest thou of such a Lavv given to Adam that he compelled his Family to Religion And further thou sayest Which Care of Government is in great neglect in this Nation upon respect to tender Consciences sundry Sects and Sorts of Schismaticks are suffered unsuppressed and they sacrifice to Dan and Bethel And thou goest on and tellest the Nobles that it lies upon their score that they should suppress them Answ. That vvhich vvas given to a particular Family or People vvhich vvas for its time is not everlasting So any that take up any Rule vvithout them to act by act not by Precept but
in the room of Abraham for ordering the House of God to see that the Seed of Isaac be Inheritors which is like to be deprived by the Egyptian Brood Rep. My Desire is that they may be guided by the Spirit of Abraham who denyed his Country and if they walk in the Light they will be like him and will see that Things be ordered in the Nation in Righteousness but if they will take thy VVord who is the Isaac that thou would'st should inherit thou wilt present them Ishmael But is it not the Inheritance of Tythes and Augmentations and to have People to fall down to worship the Image that they have set up that is it thou would'st have ordered for who are of Abraham are of the Seed which the Promise is to and such you stir up the Magistrates and People by your Flatteries and Lyes to have a Law to keep them in Bondage and so them that dwell in the Light see it is the Egyptian that thou would'st have to inherit And further thou art telling of some that profess high Attainments which hath put the Kingdom in confusion and a flame and thou sayst they ought not to suffer the preaching of the Word to go down nor the Sacraments to fail There is profession enough in the Nation but little Possession and all who profess high things and do not possess them are Hypocrites And now blessed be the Lord Christ is come and made manifest which is the highest Attainment and he comes not to send Peace on the Earth but a Sword and he shall confound the mighty and lofty and they that have lived at ease shall be poured from Vessel to Vessel and now is War proclaimed betwixt Michael our Prince and all the Inhabitants of the Earth and all Inchanters and Deceivers and all such as have made Merchandize of Souls are now made manifest and now the Nations are angry and the men of the Earth are afraid and now Gog and Magog compasseth the Camp of the Saints about and the Beast upon which the Whore rides and the false Prophets and as many as have traded with the Beast and the Whore are troubled for her sorrow is coming in a day and all the Powers of the Earth cannot nor shall not uphold her for she shall be made desolate and burned with Fire and now thou and the rest of the Merchants are troubled and are petitioning to the Powers of the Earth to uphold you I say unto thee and unto all that joyn themselves against the Anointed which is now appearing who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore You shall all be broken and your eyes shall consume in their Holes Gather your selves together howl ye Caterpillars strengthen your selves build up your batteries cast up your mounts for a mighty and terrible one is coming up against you his voice is as the roaring of a Lyon he is greedy of his Prey he shall devour at once and he is bringing about his Determination to cut off every one that withstands him and no VVeapon formed shall prosper the eternal VVord is preached and the Angel is flying through the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel and by it shall Antichrist be consumed And because this Gospel is declared and preached and witnessed thou art angry But that which thou calls preaching the VVord is nothing but thy own Imaginations This they have preached long enough and what hath it done all your divining None hath been turned from his Iniquity And as for thy Sacrament thou wast complaining of the Pope's Emissaries and here thou art one Thou mayst return thy Word back from whence thou hadst it And all who come to witness the word and the preaching of it and the Body and Blood of Christ which is the Saints Communion and the Supper of the Lord will deny all your Inchantment and all your canker'd rusty worm-eaten Divination and all powers which seek to uphold this which was and is Abomination to the Lord they must partake of her Plagues let all consider God hath overturned all the Powers that have pretended to establish Religion by a Lavv whenas they have but established a Form a Husk and so Satan hath crept into that and all the Priests in this Nation have they not transformed into every Image vvhat vvay soever Authority and the Povvers of the Earth bend and so have made merchandize and sold that vvhich is not Bread and so have deceived the People And further thou sayst The Apostle requires them to mark them that cause Divisions diligently And thou goes on and reckons up many that have been polluted in Religion and thou sayes he will cast her into a Bed of Torment if they do not repent Rep. They who are turned from the Light of Christ are turned into Division and they that have not the same Spirit by which the Apostle spake that said so are divided from Christ and from the Body and from the Saints and are in Contention And here I charge thee and all the Priests in England that you are divided from Christ and turned from the Light who prophesie for Hire and divine for mony who go in long Robes who are called of men Master who have the chiefest Place in the Assembly and stand praying in the Synagogue who go to Law with your Hearers and who give Meanings upon the Scriptures who add and diminish who speak but that which you have gathered from other mens Words there doth Sects and opinions strife and division arise And here thou art marked by many in the County of Durham praised be the Lord to be one that is divided from the Light and causes Division who took away Four Oxen for five Pence Halfpenny and so they have turned away from thee and all vvho stand in that Nature wherein thou stands And therefore thou art petitioning that thou might have a Law to bind us under thy Witchcraft wherein the Nations have been deceived And it is true God hath overturned Kings and Princes and Dukes and Earls and Emperors for the sake of his chosen Ones and all they vvho have made an Image like the true God and like the Gospel and have made a Decree and whosoever now make a Decree that any shall fall down to worship any thing which is contray to the Light of Christ in the Conscience God hath hewed them down and he will hew them down who go about to limit the Holy One who is Lord over all and who will have Dominion over the Consciences of men and the time is already when Jezabel is to be cast into the Bed of Torment and all who commit Fornication with her whether they be Kings Emperors Dukes or Earls they shall all go down with the Dukes of Edom into the Pit and with the rest of the Uncircumcised and the Saints shall rejoyce in their overthrow And thou sayest There is yet little doth appear in England but the old Beast under new Habits acts his old Tragedies
I deny them and they and all vvho act in Uncleanness And thou goest on and shevvest as thou hast stollen from other mens VVords from the Prophets and Moses That the Judgment of the Lord was against all Idolaters and false Prophets and Dreamers and how they and them that served strange Gods were to be put to Death Wo unto them saith the Lord that steal my Word every Man from his Neighbour and say thus saith the Lord whenas the Lord hath never spoken unto them thou hast stoln other mens VVords and shalt be judged by thy ovvn mouth and thy ovvn Lavv that thou never hadst the VVord of the Lord made manifest nor never did the Lord speak to thee and therefore thou art that false Prophet and art that Dreamer and he that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath the Word of the Lord let him speak it novv them that speak the VVord of the Lord from the Mouth of the Lord as the true Prophets did and do then thou callest to the Magistrates to put them to Death And as for the Worshippers of strange Gods many in the County of Durham and many other Places let them declare vvhether they vvorshipped any but a strange God at a Distance and vvent after dumb Idols even as they vvere led vvhile they follovved the ministry vvhich vvas never sent but novv is the Lord made manifest and the strange Gods are put avvay and broken and the false Prophets are seen and the Prophet is raised up vvhich Moses spoak of and vvhosoever hear 's not his Words shall be slain vvith the Svvord And further thou tellest the Magistrates That if any Hypocrite shall presume to speak a Word in the Name of the Lord which he hath not commanded even he shall dye and it is an old Statute unrepeal'd Rep. If thou knevv vvhat thou spoak thou hast given Sentence against thy self I charge upon thee in the Presence of the living God that thou never heardst his Word nor spake his Word but in thy ovvn Name and I charge it again upon thee when did he ever speak to thee that Spirit by which the Prophets of the Lord spoke thou dost deride and call'st it a miraculous Infusion and so thy Spirit is another and not the same and that it is an old Statute thou shalt know that thou hast spoken in thy own Name and what thou hast learned by Tradition but in Christ all the Law and the Prophets is fulfilled and all Statutes who come to witness him he is the Law-giver Judge and King and all is fulfilled as he comes to be witnessed and all strange Gods put away even the Idols of Gold and Silver and all false Prophets by him come to be seen judged condemned and slain and thou that would'st put it upon the Magistrate without to kill Men by a Law and so to usurp the Power which is given to the Son and so make them guilty of innocent Blood thou art a Murderer And now further who must judge of the false Prophets of Heresie Schism and Blasphemy I know thou denyest Revelation and the rest of the Priests in England who trade with other mens Words and I know thou darest not say thou art infallible and thou hast not discerning of Spirits the Apostle exhorted them who dwelt in the Light to try the Spirits but he bad not them who are led by the Prince of the Air and were Children of Disobedience as thou art of a covetous earthly Mind he bad not them to try nor them who were carnal and therefore stop thy mouth thou canst not discern a Lamb from a Dog not a Kite from a Dove And let all Magistrates who fear the Lord either in this Nation or else-where take heed how they judge of Heresie and Blasphemy not that I am ignorant but that there is Heresie and Blasphemy but that none can judge who they are but who have an infallible Spirit therefore it is now as it hath been many have suffered as Hereticks as Christ for a Blasphemer and the Apostles as Setters forth of strange Gods and were persecuted to Death and many do and are like to suffer by this Spirit that dwells in Thomas Ellyson And therefore all you who are Magistrates that sit as Judges and Rulers take heed what you do and take heed of Zeal without Knovvledge for so Paul persecuted and so the Jews slevv Christ the Heir and so many vvould have their Will satisfied but thou must be judged by all vvho dvvell in the Light thou that sittest as Judge over another see that thou be judged in thy self for to take your Knovvledge and Direction from such as these men instead of planting you vvill be Destroyers And thou art offended at some that hold forth new Lights and Gifts which thou say'st the Word of God never taught us Rep. All vvho are taught by the Word vvhich is eternal are guided in one Light for the Light is but one and this is no nevv Light but the same that ever vvas but thou that callest the Letter the Light and the Word thou art blind and art a Hater of the Light from vvhich the Scripture vvas declared And in the Conclusion thou beggest That Schollars and Universities may be preserved for the breeding of able Ministers to preach the Word and hold out the Sacraments Rep. And this is the Sum of all that thou and the rest of false Shepherds may be carryed in the Bosome of the Magistrates and so to preserve you and destroy all that oppose you As for Learning it is Natural I ovvn it in its Place but that it makes and breeds able ministers I deny it and all those ministers for many filthy Frogs and unclean Spirits have come out of the Universities that have spread over the Nations as Locusts vvithout a King and all their Preaching and their Sacraments is carnal and all their Ability that is got by their Trading leads People to be seven-fold moâ—â— the Children of the Devil I speak vvhat I vvas a Witness of vvhile I follovved the chiefest of them And therefore I say unto you vvho are Governours Hold not that up which the Lord hath cursed for that which is Natural cannot lead up to God And therefore be ye all vvarned That you turn not back to build again that which God is destroying who threw out one Power after another because they would needs limit the Lord a Way to walk in And truly God vvill pour you out from Vessel to Vessel till you be emptied of all and till you give him all Power and Honour to rule over his Church and People that they may serve the Lord in Freedom of Spirit and not in the Flesh and if any vvalk disorderly and break any righteous Lavv and vvalk in the Flesh them execute your Lavv upon there is your Place but that you should prescribe a Way for God to vvalk in he cannot he vvill not be bound and you that go about to
are subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake but vve cannot flatter nor respect mens Persons and deny the Faith of Christ but are brought from under the Povver of Unrighteousness by the mighty Povver of God and are subject to all just Lavvs vvhich stand not nor vvere made in man's Will but obey them for Conscience sake and if any Lavv vvhich is not just and equal be required upon us that vve cannot do vve suffer for Conscience sake and resist not at all as many of our Enemies vvill vvitness for us and therefore you false Accusers be silent they that are subject to Israel's Common Wealth are righteous and vvalk in Righteousness in that vvhich is just good and holy and vve vvitness against all the Cananites vvho vvalk in Unrighteousness and all vvho are Enemies to the Common Wealth of Israel must be broken to Pieces and them that strive and contend against the Faith vvhich vvas once delivered to the Saints and is novv witnessed praised be the Lord all such must be disturbed and broken to Pieces by the just even all the unjust shall be broken And as for that vvhich thou say'st vve say We ought not to be subject to any Civil Government but that which is within us Oh thou Lyar vvhen vvilt thou cease thy Lying vvhere is that I charge thee to prove vvhere that is spoken yet this I say unto all Moses received the Lavv from the Mouth of the Lord and it vvas revealed to him and in him and then he vvought it vvithout and vvas subject to it And all vvho make Lavvs novv and do not receive them from God they make them in their ovvn Wills and such as do act contrary to the Lavv of God but that Lavv vvhich is righteous vvhich is according to that in the Conscience vvhich is holy good and civil vve are subject both vvithin and vvithout to it And all your Subjection which is not from a Principle vvithin is not in Truth nor Singleness of Heart but vvith Flattery and your Eye-Service and your bovving dovvn in Hypocrisie and saying you are subject vvhen there is no Truth in the Heart and so you are not subject for Conscience sake And further you say In Farnsworth's General Good to all People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers by Powers is meant God the Father of Jesus Christ and by King the Lord of Hosts and that is another Blasphemy Wo unto filthy Lyars I challenge you that you have perverted his Words and would give Meanings upon them as you do upon the Scriptures and your own dark sottish Minds cannot comprehend and therefore you give your own Imaginations and then call it Blasphemy and 〈◊〉 all that read that Book see if you have not belyed the Truth and perverted his Words Another Thing you set down for Blasphemy That none are Ministers of God and called by him who are sent forth by Authority of Man and that he that is not infallible in his Judgment is no Minister of Christ. Answ. You might have said Paul's Words were Blasphemy he was made a Minister not by mens Will and all the holy men of God and Apostles were not Ministers by the Will of man but contrary to the Will of Man and all who are made Ministers of man and by man we deny and the Scripture denies them for what they preached they neither received it of Man nor from Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and all who have and are made Ministers by Hear-say and what they have form'd up in their Imaginations from the Scripture with their Points and their Doctrines which they raise in their Carnal Minds all such we declare against and all such who abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and all who were made Ministers of Christ were Spiritual and infallible that which is not infallible is carnal and all who are guided by the Spirit of Christ are infallible and they that are not guided by it are none of his nor the Sons of God nor Ministers of Christ and therefore all that such can judge of is nothing but imaginary and all you who have subscribed this Book and all such Ministers I deny Ye shameless men would you be trying and prescribing and set down what is Heresie and Blasphemy and cry out of that for Heresie and Blasphemy which you should try withall Your Shame is laid open to all and now your Shame I hope will appear to the Parliament whom you petition what cry you out against Books and printing and Blasphemy that cannot distinguish a Lamb from a Dog would you judge Truth by Darkness And you are offended that there are so many Quakers met in the North Parts lately Two Thousand yea blessed be the Lord there are many Thousands that see you and never will bow to Baal nor worship in the House of Rimmon more and many shall not only come from the North but also from the South yea in London that now see all your Deceit and they shall enter and you shall be shut out and what Truth is this that cannot defend it self and what Religion is that vvhich cannot defend it self but you must have all bend to your Image that you vvould set up And now unto you who are petitioned unto I say unto you take heed and beware how you call or suppress any thing as Error or how you meddle in the prescribing God a Way to walk in for he cannot he will not be limited and I say unto you it were better a Milstone were hanged about your Necks then to hinder stop or make any Law to hinder the Passage of the Truth which is arising and consider the Lord hath thrown out all Powers before this because they would needs limit the Holy One of Israel and prescribe him a Way and a Goverment how he should be worshipped and many have suffered and what hath all come to all the Rules that men have laid down have they not been as the Untimely Fruit of a VVoman and as Corn upon the House top and for that all have been thrown down and broken and the Jealousie of the Lord is broken forth as Fire and wo to them that withstand them in his Way And now I say unto you if you now prescribe God a VVay and if that in the Conscience have not Liberty but you will go about to set Bounds to him and his People in the Worship of God you shall be broken as a Potter's Vessel for the Government is upon his Shoulders and he will not give his Glory to any other the Lord hath spoken it And for the rest of the Books in the Beacon fired we disown them but I believe you have belyed them as you have done ours By one who is a Witness for the Truth against Gog and Magog called after the Flesh Francis Howgil A WARNING TO All the RULERS in these English Nations OH ye Judges Rulers and Heads of the People in these Nations you may
read your Cloud of Witnesses who are your Example who persecute the Innocent and turn aside the needy for a Thing of nought you may read in the Scripture what they were and what Manner of Princes Kings and Rulers they were who were Persecutors in all Generations and say not in your Hearts you are Christians and yet walk in the same Footsteps of them who persecuted the Prophets and them that were sent early and late to forewarn them and stood in the Gate and declared in their Tovvns and Cities against the Abominations that vvere committed and Jeremy they put in the Dungeon that his Feet sticked in the Mire and put his Feet fast in the Stocks and Micha in Prison and Daniel in the Den of Lyons and Herod and Pilate were made Friends in the persecuting of Christ and they set him at nought and the Priests and the Rulers conspired against him and sought to entrap him in his Words and the Apostles they put in Prison in the Stocks and whipped them and scourged them and commanded them to depart out of their Towns Villages and Cities and called them seditious and pestilent Fellows and said they bred Tumults in the Cities whenas they were tumultuous themselves and persecuted and mocked and shamefully entreated And novv you that are found acting in those Practices are in the same Spirit you may read your Cloud of Witnesses and your Example and be ashamed O England England and Ireland is this the Fruit of the great Profession you have made so many Years and novv when you are proved the best of you is as a Bryar and the most upright sharper then a Thorn-Hedge What is become of the Promises you made in the Day of your Calamity vvhen Sorrovv Fear and Oppression compassed you about on every Side Hath the Lord broken the Yoak from off your Necks and is your Finger becoming heavier then their Loyns Was there so great Oppression and Cruelty acted among the Bishops and Prelates vvere Prisons so filled vvere there such Gins and Traps laid for the Innocent vvhen their High Commission Court vvas up O Shame Shame that ever it should come in the Ears or be reported in other Nations that ever you should requite the Lord thus for all his Love and Mercies that he should break the Yoak from off your Necks and 〈◊〉 your Enemies on every Side and cut them off in his Wrath and hath given you their Habitations to dvvell in and the Povver into your Hanâ—s shall the Ax boast it self against him that hevvs therevvith and will ye â—â—â—quite the Lord thus for his Love Surely these Things are come before the Lord and a Book of Remembrance is vvritten and all these Things shall stand as Witness against you vvhen the Book of Conscience is laid open But you may be vvill say You know no such that suffer for Conscience sake turn but your Ear and listen but to every Goal and Prison in every County and there may you see many of you poor Brethren stopped up in Holes among Murderers Thieves and Transgressors even they vvho have born a Part vvith you in the Sufferings vvith the Nations in the Heat of the Day and if you say they have transgressed any Law vvhy do you not execute it upon them but some kept in Prison tvvo or three Years and never called to knovv vvhat is the Matter But Friends knovv this many suffer novv for the Transgression of no knovvn Lavv but may be have cryed out in your Tovvns against Iniquity or have declared against the Blindness and Ignorance of some vvho go in the Way of the false Prophets and in the Error of Balaam O! the Land is full of such Deceivers as have flattered the People and her Princes till the Lord bathed his Svvord in their Blood and novv they are flattering you and sovving Pillovvs under your Arm-holes if you say as the Pharisees said We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye if you execute those Lavvs and stand to those Lavvs vvhich were made by them that oppressed you the same shall come upon you that came upon them and God vvill break the Yoak from off the Necks of the Oppressed and the Yoak shall be laid upon yours vvho make a man an Offender for a VVord and therefore consider a Warning to you all and be you warned from the Lord God to cease from oppressing the Innocent nay you are left all without Excuse for I know you are not ignorant of these Things And further I say unto you uphold not them by your Power who are flattering the Nations and crying Peace and daubing the People with untempered Morter and telling them they are Christians when they are Heathens and live in that Nature that puts Christ to open Shame for the Hand of the Lord is against them and Prophaneness hath gone from them those Teachers that use their Tongues and say he saith when the Lord hath never spoken to them and therefore the People are lost for Lack of Knowledge and there is not one among them that is able to turn any from his Iniquity And therefore I say unto you stint not nor limit not the Lord by your Wills nor your Laws made in your Wills for if you do he which rents the Heavens and makes the Earth reel as a Cottage will break you and your Laws together and there shall be none that shall be able to deliver you out of his Hand who is pure holy just and true and will not give his Glory to another for he alone works and who shall let and bring his own Work to pass and none shall hinder And therefore take heed you strive not against the Lord and so be broken upon the stumbling Stone to Pieces A Lover of Righteousness and a Friend to all just Power F. H. A VVARNING TO All the WORLD WO Wo unto all the Inhabitants for the Lord God of Power is coming in Power and great Glory with Ten Thousand of his Saints to judge the Earth and to make a Desolation and an utter Overthrow and a Consumption shall come upon all Flesh and its Glory shall be stained for all Flesh hath corrupted its Way and gone a whoring after other Gods and hath committed Fornication with Strangers and Whoredoms with the Uncircumcised and the Land is filled with Monsters and the living God is departed from the Lord is grieved the Lord is weary with forbearing and will no longer forbear now is he arising to excute his Judgment in the Earth and to sift the Nations and all shall now be put into an even Ballance and the Wicked shall be as Dust and as Chaff which the VVind blows away and shall be scattered and never more gathered For a Fire is come out of Sion it s before the Lord of Hosts and it 's tempestuous round about him Coals of Fire are kindled by the Breath of 〈◊〉 Nostrils to burn up all the Stubble and Chaff even by the Breath of his Mouth
are like to be tryed Your Armour is Righteousness on the right hand and on the left your City is free The Gates stand open Day and Night a VVolf Lyon nor any Beast cannot enter no not so much as a flying-Fowl Oh how goodly are thy Tents O thou Seed of Jacob the Elect whom he hath chosen O how pleasant is your scituation The Tower of David Mount Sion stands sure and cannot be moved O! who is a People like unto you saved by our God that lives forever His Love is large he is kind he is long-suffering he is faithful and keeps Covenant and his Promises are Yea Yea He is the Amen the first and the last Come forth my dear Brethren set forth his Praise declare his Name among the Heathen publish his Name among the Congregations let the Earth be filled with his Love and power that his Judgments may be declared and his Statutes that they sound in the Ears of Generations to come O ye that are convinced of the Truth of our God wait in that which doth convince and keep your Minds to it and love it and follow it whither it leads you and it will lead you to know the Gift of God which leads to Repentance from dead VVorks to serve the living God who dwells in the Immortal Light and take heed of looking back at the Pleasures of Sin you have formerly lived in but wait upon the pure Light of Christ Jesus in Patience that so you may see the Enmity which is against God and it slain in you daily that so you may see him that is the Saviour of the Soul and take heed of rebelling against the Lord who hath given you a measure of his true Light to lead you from Sin if you love it unto Righteousness from whence it comes even from the righteous Judge of all the VVorld who judgeth every man ouâ— of the Book of his Conscience and so prize the everlasting Love of God to your Souls that you may see him who lives forever And all Babes who are born again who have suffered and Pangs of Death and know the Indignation of the Lord against Sin and the Terrour of the Lord against the man of Sin who have roared for the Disquietness of your Hearts who have born the Indignation of the Lord and are come to the giving forth of the Law where there is Thundring and Earth-quakes and Terrour and great Hail and Fire and Smoke even such as was not since the Beginning insomuch that you could not bear his Voice and live nor see his Face and live Stand still in Patience and let it have its perfect Work in you and hear the Indignation ye that are in it if you endure the Tribulation with Patience Hope you will see and a Time of Refreshment will come endure the Cross that the mortal and earthly and carnal may be judged and the bad ground shaken and taken away and that you may see the living Hope to stay your Minds upon And ye who are enlivened and do witness the Law of Righteousness set up in you which is a School-master and keeps in the Fear stand in it and keep in the Fear low in Soberness and Calmness and then you will see your Hearts purified daily and the cursed Nature judged which is out of its Course and it bridled and subjected and the Law which is pure and holy and eternal which stands forever in Power and force against the Transgressor to judge all Unrighteousness And so wait that you may see the Lyon tamed and the wild Heifer yoked and the Yoke of Christ born and the wild Colt tamed by him upon which never man sate before then and not till then is Hosanna sung And all wait in your Measures dear Babes that the Milk of the Word you may see and be nourished by it and grow up as living Branches about the Table of the Lord. And all you young men and Virgins that know Virginity keep your Virginity you in whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the righteous Law of God revealed and given forth in which you stand and walk and have Peace from him who is the Law-giver and Judge who hath saved you from your Iniquities and blotted out your Sins for his own Name 's sake you who know the living Water and Spirit of which you are born again and witness the Birth which enters into the Kingdom of God where no mortal or unclean Beast can come Keep in the Life and Power of God which limits all and chains all under that the Life of the Son of God may live and speak in you and be bold In the dread of God stand and that which leads into Slavery keep out And now being made Partakers of his everlasting Love walk worthy of his Love and of the high Calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto Holiness and Righteousness forever that to the praise of his Grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the Remission of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified So wait in the living Hope and the living Faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly Father And this Faith ye know which is a present Power and a Shield against all Temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortress by which you are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the Day of Tryal My dear Brethren of the everlasting Kindred and Heirs of the everlasting Promise wait all in Patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the End abide in the Father's Counsel and at Wisdom's Gate Ye know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the Truth but because you know and are made free in your Measures by him who is the Truth and the Way in which all our Fathers and you also have obtained a good Report even of all the Houshold of Faith and take heed of the Glory of the World and look not at Hardship for verily all the Suffering is not worthy to be Compared to that Glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in Patience and Faithfulness unto the end but be ye as good Souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the End of your Hope and the everlasting Price and the purchased Possession and the Crown of Glory which God will give unto you in his own Day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the Hope in the Faith and in the Love unfeigned which thinks no ill by which and in which Love we have Victory over the Grave Sin and Death which he hath freely shed abroad in our Hearts unto whom be everlasting Praise forever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the Mediator of the new Covenant of Life and Peace in which we have Access
Meekness that the still Voice you may hear which till you come down within you cannot hear for the loud Voices of the Egyptians and Inchanters are so many and Pharaoh's Voice and Herod's is so loud and you whose Minds are abroad you thinks as they thought it 's the Voice of God but I say be still he shall not cry nor lift up his Voice in the Streets who you must hearken unto in you that your Souls may live and so be low and still if you will hear his Voice and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile now that which you must wait in is near you yea in you the Eye that seeth and the Ear that heareth that is of the Lord for that which is visible is natural and carnal and the natural Ear cannot hear the Word of the spiritual God for that which hearkens without that Ear must be deaf and that Eye blind Now that which reveals the pure spiritual God must be in you pure and spiritual For none knows the Things of God but by the Spirit of God and doth not his Spirit bear Witness alwayes unto their Spirits and doth it not so now to all that know him So in the Light wait which comes from God who is Light and dwells in the Immortal Light which the mortal Eye cannot behold and it will lead you to know Christ who is Immortal and not carnal but spiritual and eternal and as you love the Light and keep your Minds inward then you will hear the Motion of Christ Jesus in you and so loving it the Good you will come to see from God which will lead out of Sin and sanctifie you and the acceptable Year you will see and the Day of Vengeance and this is he whom the Father hath given for a Covenant to bring Man out of the Alienation to himself again and to reconcile man unto himself even by the Blood of the Cross and he who is the Light is the Covenant and he who is the Covenant is the Light for they are one in him and this Covenant of Peace is tendered unto you who are afar off and herein is the eternal Love of God made manifest to the Jew and the Greek and the Life of his Son to be the Light of the World and of men and so in the Covenant of Life abide and you will see he is near you the Peace-maker the Gift of God which presents you perfect in himself to the Father and this Gift is free and offered freely to all that will receive it and yet you cannot receive the Gift in your own Wills but through the DENYAL OF YOUR OWN WILLS for the Light is contrary to the Will and so you will see the Will of the earthly man and God's Will contrary and as you receive the Will of God you deny your own Wills and so do the Will of another and another guides you and leads you and this is God's alone Work not of your selves but wrought by Christ in his own Way and Truth and so the Covenant of God comes to be established to the Seed and the Foundation stands sure and his Promise is fulfilled in you as you come to witness the Seed which is one in whom the Promise is fulfilled And Friends thus must you wait to have Judgment set up within you and this is he who is the Judge and the Light of the World and so wait to see the Law set up within which is added because of Transgression to cut down and the unjust destroyed in you and the rebellious Nature yoaked which hath had its Liberty in the earthly where the Beasts of the Field dwell and so it will come to decay and the Law works Wrath upon the Deceit in you which hath had the Preheminence and so you will see the Thunder as the Seal is opened and the Earthquakes and Lightning insomuch as you cannot behold and live but the Transgressor and the Transgression which is contrary to the Law is cut down and when there is a Time of great Sorrow and great Trouble and Tryal and Temptation wait in Patience in the Judgment and let the Lord's Work have its perfect Operation in you and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you he will bind up and heal and give up all to the great Slaughter of the Lord unto the Cross all that which is discovered by the pure Law of God and as the Earth comes to be plowed up the Seed which is sown comes up and the Rocks broken the Water gusheth out and so you will see some Promises will arise in you to the Seed which is comming up out of the Grave and so the Love of God will appear in you and you will be stayed and see Hope in the midst of Calamity Then take heed that the Serpent get not that which is to the Babe and so the carnal come to be exalted but as you wait you will see the Subtilty of the Enemy and Sin and Death rules till Moses who was a faithful Servant in his House and brings to the Law of God revealed in you then Sin comes to be crucified and to loose its Dominion over you and in you and so you will see one brought forth under the Law who fulfilled the Law and now fulfils it in all those who walk after him in the Spirit and fulfil not the Desires of the Flesh and wait and you will see some Prophecies opened in you and the Day-star in your Hearts which leads to where Christ is and Openings of the Inheritance which is to be received and the Promise is to the Seed And all wait in the Light and keep in your Minds to it and you will see John's Ministry the Water which washeth and he is the Preparer of the Way and turn to God lest he smite the Earth with a Curse and his Ministry breaks down the Mountains and removes them and makes a plain Way and your Minds being turned to the Lord and as you own the Gift of Christ given you Repentance you will see unto Life and then you will see something arising and shine in you opening your Hearts and there will be a Breathing after the Lord and his Righteousness and standing in Obedience in the Cross the Vail you will see rent and you will see him that hath turned you from Sin by his free Gift made manifest in you and he who is the Gift saves you from Sin and so the Seals will be opened by the Angel of the Covenant and the Lamb So all in Patience wait and keep in the living Principle of Life and things will open in you even the dark Sayings of old and that which spake Parables to the Serpent's Seed will open the Parables to his own Seed then you will see him whom you have pierced even the Lamb who hath been slain since the Foundation of the World and your Hearts will be broken and Water will gush out of
witness they had in them that they pleased God and were accepted of God and this Righteousness was wrought in them and is now the same which is wrought in the Saints by him who is their Light and Life and this was the Righteousness of Faith and that which was wrought by Christ in the Saints as they believed in him and in the Measure of Grace received from him which saâ—ed them from Sin which was not of themselves he perfected his own VVork in them through and by Faith and justified them and sanctified them and became their VVisdom by which they were led into all Truth out of Failings and Imperfections and VVeaknesses and he became their Strength and Rock and they were builded upon him and as they stood upon him the Rock they were preserved when the VVaves did beat and when Temptations came and were sure and stedfast and immoveable and so overcame the Armies of Aliens and quenched the Violence of Fire and resisted the Devil and quenched his fiery Darts and had Victory over the Heathen and reigned as Kings over the Beasts of the Field and over the Deceit and by the receiving and believing of the VVord of him who was and is called Jesus by which Faith came by the hearing of they overcame the Enemies of their Souls and him who hath the Power of Death by the Blood of him who is eternal who is Jesus the Mediator of the new and Living VVay they overcame the Dragon even by the VVord of his Testimony which was revealed in them which Word of Faith Paul who was a Minister preached unto them even to them who had the Word in them and turned them to it and as they believed in it they were sanctifâ—ed by it and cleansed by it made perfect and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better Hope which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which while they stood without looking at Elementary things and divers VVashings and those things which were Figures of the true Tabernacle made without Hands which stood until the time of Reformation and then done away to wit the Hand-writings and them that witness the new Covenant now they see them done away and the time of Reformation is come the same which they witnessed Glory for evermore And therefore all you Professors who have builded high Towers and Castles in your Imaginations and have told of Reformation these many Years but you have nothing but a Hand-writing to establish your Building upon and all your Reformation hath been but the washing of Cups and pulling down one Thing and set up another beggarly elementary Image and do not witness the better Hope brought in nor the time of Reformation nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you nor believe it nor hear it nor while your Eyes are without and not in the Head you cannot see when Good comes but are as Heathens in the Desart and although you are among the Brambles and Bryars yet you would be counted Kings and Heads over others and one making an Image in this Manner and another in that of all Sorts high and low but all stand in the Earth and all in one Ground and what do they avail you for they cannot save for your highest Enjoyment is imperfect you say what then serve these for only for you to talk on and this is all they serve for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your Wills while the Will of God in you is not hearkened unto but cast behind your Backs and so the Way of true Peace you never come to attain unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the Wind and of Husks among Swine and upon that which dyes of it self and when will you enquire after the living God who is Power how long have you talked of his Power to come many Years and you are still as far of if not further then you were before and have told of the Glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the Heart and of God teaching his People himself and of his Spirit being poured out upon his Sons and Daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amiss and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feed them with the old Dregs and Lees which you are setled upon and the old Leaven of airy Notions and Conceptions and Wine of the sour Grape which sets on Edge the Childrens Teeth and fills them too full that when the living Bread is broken they cannot eat nor relish it nor taste and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the Life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that do declare it and when the Power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your VVay that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jews did whose Eyes were without and your fallen VVisdom cannot receive him nor compass his eternal VVisdom And yet you will say The Jews did require a Sign and were in the Adultery and the Greeks sought after Wisdom and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same State Did ever God reveal himself to the fallen VVisdom which is learned from that Principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the VVill of Man which is at Enmity against God Nay nay he never did nor will reveal his Counsel but to that which is of himself which is the least of all Seeds in the VVorld and it is he that is born of God that heareth God's VVord and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spiritual God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his Testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching and live in the Oldness of the Letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal visible and elementary and VVashing is not known from Sin nor cleansing and so you may see what Operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a Change in the Ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own Nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a Shadow for the Word was in the Beginning and gave Life and is spiritual and when it 's known and witnessed within in the Heart it separates from Death and gives Life to all that hear and believe in it What Christ what Gospel is this you preach
which saves you not from Guilt and Condemnation for the Word of the true Christ where it is owned cleanseth and takes away Sin and blots it out and destroyes the Root from whence it flows forth and works a new Creation in Righteousness and the Lamb of God takes away Sin in which the Churches of Christ believed and is Glad-tidings to all that do receive it now none can witness Gladness of Soul where there is Guilt which you all affirm is in every Christian while in this World and so you might see that it 's not the true Christ nor the everlasting Gospel you preach but this you cannot bear yet you say he hath taken away your Sin how much is Sin taken away if you say all how comes the Guilt and Trouble that is in you for if it be taken away and his Justice satisfied this was to make God unjust to charge it upon you again but I tell you when his Witness in your Conscience convinceth you and manifests unto you that you commit it and reproves for it I say you cannot witness his Justice satisfied for the Light is just which is one with God and when this condemns you there is no God that will justifie you but you use to say It 's all done in Christ I ask where if it be not taken away and unless you have the Witness of it in you your Faith is vain for he that believes hath the Witness in himself which none hath which walks contrary unto the Light the pure Witness of Christ for this convinceth you of Sin and bears Witness against you Now shew your Witness within you and your Assurance I say unto you while the Testimony of Jesus bears Testimony against you it bears not Witness unto you and so see your Confusion but after you have believed in Christ as you say and have received all his Ordinances if any thing after did judge you and bring Trouble upon you this you used to call a Temptation and so put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light I say there is no Guilt where Sin is taken away and crucified but Peace and Rest in the holy God who is unchangeable and so his Witness is unchangeable which judgeth and condemns the changeable but you use to say His Love is uncâ—angeable and whom he loves once he loves to the End yea but it is to him who is begotten by the Immortal Word which was in the Beginning which Word leâ—ds to the Beginning again before the Hatred was the Promise is to this Seed not Seeds as to many but the Seed of the Covenant there he loves from the Womb yea the Womb that bears the Seed of Jacob and the Paps that give them suck and where this is known as to Enjoyment Esau is cast out and Ishmael and the Seed of Abraham inherits the Promise and Edom and Moab is laid waste and Amaleck is slain by the Edge of the Sword and the Seed of Evil-doers cut off blessed are they that can witness this in Truth and till this be known the everlasting Love of God is not known which is stronger then Death and Sin is Death and where it is acted and conceived Love is not witnessed nor its Strength but VVrath comes upon the Children of Disobedience are you not Children of Disobedience while you break the holy Law of God in which is Power which is in the Heart and bears witness against you and in you and yet say You cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fulfil it if you fulfil it not you break it and then the Wrath of God abides upon you but then you say If we must fulfil the Law what Use is Christ of I say he who abides forever fulfilled it and fulfils it in them who know him and his Work and this the Scriptures bear witness of and herein Man comes to be justified in God's Sight by Christ who works all our VVorks in us and for us and self becomes dead and because he lives we live also Glory unto him forever and therefore we cannot but lay open the Deceit of Satan and exhort all to come up to Christ out of the VVorks of Condemnation Oh foolish People and unwise when will ye seek after Wisdom and hearken that your Souls may live How long will ye trust to the Imaginations of your own Hearts Verely verely I say unto you The Time is coming your building shall fall and there shall not one Stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down and the Shame of Ethiopia and Egypt shall come upon you and your old Garments shall be torn off you and you shall walk naked and bare and shall see your Shame and the holy Nation of the Lamb shall rejoyce and your Sorrow the Lord hastens upon you who will not own the Cross of Christ nor the Word of Life which would turn you from Unrighteousness and out of the World and its Nature but you harden your Hearts and bend your Bowes and shoot your Arrows against the Lord and his anointed Ones and take your Paâ—t with all the uncircumcised in the Nations in the Confederacy in the Nation against the Lamb yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared and many of you who have been a Reproach now reproach O! tell it not in Gath never let it come to other Nations shame shame and blush at this you who thus requite the Lord Evil for Good Hath the Lord broken the Band of the Oppressour without And have you not seen the Hand of the Lord against them that were Oppressours cut off in his Wrath and overthrown And are not many of you the highest Professors both in England and Ireland now acting in their Footsteps Even you who profess Separation from the World who have been taken from the Sheep-fold and as you were seeking the Asses and raised from a low Estate in the World now to Places of Dignity and Honour and to bear Rule and to sit as Judges among the People and now have you forgotten that you were Servants under Pharaoh but now have taken up his Power and have forgotten the Afflictions of Joseph and your Fingers are becoming heavier then your Fathers Loyns and now you are joining your Strength with the Canaanites and Egyptians against the Lord where is the Liberty of tender Consciences you have told of and what is become of your Reformation Is it ended in this like Absolon when you are come to be Judges in the Gate act in open Rebellion against the Lord and now would be Judges of him every where and would limit him and ' set a Bound unto him and would break his eternal Decree which stands forever Oh if they who had professed no Love to God had done thus it might have been born but ye treacherous Hearts your Ingratitude and Hypocrisie cannot be born but the Lord God will visit for these Things that you should now act by those Laws you cryed out
was there any of them that stood in the Gap or turned People from their Iniquity till the Lord broke out in his Wrath as Fire and laid the Land waste and the House of their God waste which you burnt up and will you now joyn with Moab and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed then you make your selves Transgressors think not thus in your Hearts that the Lord hath given you Dominion over the Nation to walk after your own Wills and joyn unto Deceit and that you may establish those things again which the Lord was wroth with and if you hold up those by your Laws and your Power and your Prisons and your Sword which is the People of the Lord's Curse I speak of the Teachers who are in Balaam's Way and greedy dumb Dogs who can never have enough and bestow the Nations Tythes and Lands and Riches which is the Lord's Treasure upon them that they may cry up Deceit and flatter you both you and they will fall together And Friends I am plain with you the Hand of the Lord is against them and all the Power of the Nations shall not save them from his Indignation And therefore be wise O ye Rulers and do not you think to take Counsel against the Lord and prosper nor prescribe not the Lord a Way for his Thoughts are not as your Thoughts nor his Wayes as your Wayes For he hath chosen the weak Things of this World to overthrow the Mighty your Eyes have seen this without and he hath revealed his Will to them and in them whom you look upon but as weak things and base things and in them he is making known his Eternal Power to overthrow the World's Wisdom and Might which is in the Fall and Curse from whence all Heresies and Blasphemies and Sects and Opinions flow and come forth and he is bringing his own Work his mighty Work to pass even to overthrow and overturn all the Power of the Beast and the false Prophet and shut them into the Pit and the Decree is gone forth and sealed and shall not be altered though all the Powers of Darkness joyn against him and although you should make a Law as the Jews did to take away the Life of Christ yet it did but little avail them for he hath carried on his Work through all Generations notwithstanding all Opposition and this is he in whom we trust and do not you think that you are able to limit the Lord by whom he must declare his Name or how or where or in what time but in his own VVay and Time and if he command and will us all mens VVills must be broken though still the holy men of God suffeâ—ed as such and so accounted as Disturbers of Peace I say the Devil's Peace must be broken and though the false Prophets of his Nation cry Peace unto you when you walk in the Imagination of your own Hearts and though you cry peace unto them yet one is come and coming to take peace from you for all your Peace and Agreement that you make against the least Appearance of God in his Servants it will be dashed to pieces And if they were to depart from the presence of God who fed nor the Saints neither clothed them nor visited them in prison but were to depart with the Devil and his Angels into everlasting Fire what will become of you who instead of clothing encourage the people to rent them off us and instead of feeding us give Command to depart because we are Stangers and instead of visiting them in prison you put them in prison and send for them one hundred Miles to be dragged to your prisons and before your Judgment-Seat in whom he is made manifest And now O ye Council at Dublin your Order hath so gratified the Devil and all the prophane in the Nation that they judge your Order was not large enough as that they had not Liberty to banish them who have been long Inhabitants in the Nation and therefore they tell you their Readiness to fulfil your Orders upon this Account and desire your Directions what to do further yea you have made all Lyars Drunkards cursed Speakers and prophane rejoyce and have strengthned the Hands of the wicked and so Judgment is turned backward and Righteousness cannot enter but all these things are recorded and you shall one Day remember what you have done And Friends it 's nothing to us we lay down our Heads in Peace notwithstanding if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of Liberty of Conscience and Tenderness it might have been born but here your double Hypocrisie is made manifest Oh that ever you should be so led but why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain Thing for he will exalt his Son upon the Hill of Sion and then wo unto them that have joyned their Power to uphold the Beast and the false Prophet for all must go into the Lake together where the Worm dyes not nor the Fire goes out to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels forever And therefore I say unto you Repent and turn to the Lord and seek Judgment and Righteousness that so you may judge for the Lord and break off all Oppression and entertain the Strangers who seek not yours but the Good of the Nation and that all people might know the Lord and worship him in Righteousness that so your dayes might be prolonged in the Land and the Lord of Heaven and Earth might rule over you in Righteousness and that he alone might be exalted in the Nations which hath not been known for many Generations but only all have lived with the Name without his Life and Power in Deceit and all Manner of Unrighteousness and the Lord is wearied and will ease himself of his Adversaries and his Glory shall no longer be given to another Cork in Ireland the 8 th of the 11 th Moneth 1655. AN EPISTLE TO THE Church of Christ BEING MY BRETHREN WHO ARE MADE PARTAKERS of the RICHES OF THE LOVE of GOD IN Christ Jesus In and About the CITY OF LONDON DEar Brethren who are called to be Saints by the Word which proceeds from the Throne of God the Lamb in which you have believed and denyed your Country and followed the Calling of the Lord and are become Children of Abraham and Children of the Promise Grace and Everlasting Peace be encreased amognst you who have believed the Testimony of his Son and are made Partakers of the common Salvation which was delivered unto the Saints and now made manifest in this his own Day according to his Everlasting Love to his Seed which Seed we are which are come up out of Egypt from whence he hath called his Son great is my Love unto you all and it 's the Love that I love withal which is stronger then Death and hath broken the Covenant of Death and now is become a broad River from
for it is not dead but the Just Man lives by it and his Works appear in the World and is as a Light but your Faith which is dead talks of it and when you are vewed in the Light no Fruits of Righteousness grow in you your Hope and Faith is vain and it will not save you from Condemnation in the Day of the Lord and because you find written in the Scriptures That by the Deeds of the Law no Flesh can be justified therefore you would exclude the Work of Grace and the Righteousness of Faith and the Life of Christ which brings forth Fruits and all Faith is dead without VVorks for as the Body lives not but it moves and acts no more is Faith living except it move and so you whose Faith stands in VVords and in things taken up in the Fallen VVisdom which you read without you that Faith is reprobate unto every good VVork and is vain for the living is not witnessed nor the dead raised in you to Life nor the lost Sheep found nor that which hath been driven away brought back but the Earth yet closeth the Blood and the Earth in you covers the slain and the Grave you see not opened nor the dead raised incorruptible and so you are unchanged but the corruptible lives and the mortal and draws you after it and is exalted and the Head not known who is the Life of men nor exalted and so he draws you not nor leads you not but you are led by your own wills and another girds you not nor the Gird of Strength is not at all known but in words and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his Deeds but his Deeds are brought forth and so by your Fruits you are known Concerning Hope and the Difference betwixt true and false Hope AND to all Sorts of Professors I shall clear my Conscience to you all and finish my Testimony that I may dwell in Peace with the Lord who hath commanded me to bear witness to his Name and his Love also constrains me and in Love to the Seed of Israel who are Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh who are of the true Circumcision that they may come out of Captivity from among the lying Inchanters Sorcerers and Diviners where they have been long held Captive and the Heritage of the Lord laid waste and therefore you whose Hope is without you it 's vain whose Hope stands without in these Things which are week as the Apostle said of the Law which made nothing perfect because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it which stood in washings and Signs of the true Tabernacle they were yet they did not make perfect so I say unto you your Bread VVine and Water which were Figures of a more Heavenly Thing they do make nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 7.18 19. And so while you have Hope in any thing without you you stand in that which is imperfect and contend about that but look not for the Hope to be brought in by which you might draw near unto God Christ the Hope the Light and while this you own not to lead you the Light you cannot draw near unto God but he will slay you and kill you notwithstanding all your Words and all that walk in the Light come to see the Hope brought in and this Hope purifies the Heart as Christ is pure and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto God and an Access to him with Boldness for where the lively Hope is there is no Guilt then there is Boldness and so you whose Hope is in Words without and not in you you forget God all that forget the Light forget God your Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite which shall perish whose Hope shall be cut off as a Spiders Web Job 8.14 And all your Hope which doth not purifie the Heart and give you Victory over Sin daily is the Hope of the wicked Job 11.20 But the Eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their Hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost True Faith how it is wrought and what it is in its Effects and Operations Now concerning Faith it is begotten in the Heart of man by preaching of the eternal Word which Word is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart and all that come to hearken to the Word which is pure and receive it and believe in it come to see Faith revealed by which they draw near unto God and this is begotten by the Word of Faith which is the Word of Christ which Word is Spirit and Life to all that receive it and by it are the Mountains removed and Sin overcome and Victory witnessed over Sin Mat. 17.20 and this Faith is pure and leads into Purity it is the Gift of God and leads all towards God that have it and it is perfect and all that stand in it come to have the Will of God perfected in them and that which is imperfect comes to be done away and the Just live by it Heb. 2.4 and in it and by it and through it is the Righousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 and all that do witness the Birth which is from above which is born of God which sins not Faith is the Life of this Birth which is just and the Son of God lives by it who doth the Will of God as it is written The Life that I now live is by the Faith of the Son of God and all who have it and believe in this shall never dye for by it is Translation witnessed from Sin Death and Condemnation into the immortal Life and by it is God's Righteousness revealed and well-pleased is he with all who walk in it and where this is not his Wrath and Displeasure arises and all who stand in the least Measure of it are perfect and come to be free from Sin for it brings and reveals the Righteousness of God which justifies sanctifies and mortifies even the Righteousness of God which takes away Sin and purges the Heart from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and thus Remission of Sins comes to be witnessed and man justified by the Rightâ—ousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of Faith wrought in the Creature by the eternal Spirit and VVord which are one and thus Assurance comes to be made manifest for it bears witness and is the true Evidence of the everlasting Substance which is brought in and Sin and Self and all Iniquity come to be seen revealed judged condemned and cast out and God's Righteousness comes to be the Life of a Believer even the Life of Christ which is immortal by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto God and not his own but becomes Servant to him and obedient to him whose Life is given and laid down and revealed to redeem his own Seed and all that come to see this come to prize his Love
that wills in the Light and works in the Light and reveals Sin by the Light and declares Righteousness through the Light and here the coming of Christ comes to be seen and his Day comes to be known which Abraham saw but through Death this comes to be read and known And so turn all to this here the Word you will hear which is pure and powerful it separates as you hearken unto it and divides between the precious and the vile in you all who love it and it 's nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and discerns thy Thoughts and here thou wilt learn as thou waitest in Patience of the Son in whom the Father is well pleased and if thou hearkenest to any other it 's the false Prophet which leads thee to Error and so the Displeasure of God will come against thee forever until thou return Blessed is he that hears receives considers and prizes the Offers of Grace and the Day of God's everlasting Love and owns the Gift of God in him revealed which leads to Repentance and works a Change in the Heart and Mind of all that believe in it and gather up into its Nature all that wait in Diligence and believe in it and so the Day of Redemption comes to be seen and known out of Death out of the grave and Immortality comes to be brought forth and Incorruption comes to be put on and they that witness this can truly say we have found him whom our Souls love and do not look for any other Blessed is he that hears and considers and waits to be made Partaker of God's Righteousness revealed that Justifies all that receive it and believe in it they by it come to be Pillars in the House of God forever follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes where pure Peace is enjoyed forever and ever THE Measuring Rod OF THE LORD Stretched forth over all NATIONS AND THE LINE of TRVE JVDGMENT Laid to the Rulers thereof Wherein all Governours Rulers Potentates Powers are measured and all Governments and Laws weighed in the true Weight wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the Law of Righteousness and the Rules of Wisdom which was in the Beginning before Tyranny Persecution and Rebellion shewed it self Also shewing the End that will come upon all those Rulers and Governments Rules and Laws that have been made in the Apostacy which is to be all overthrown and all that which is acted out of God's Power to be thrown down by him unto whom all Power is committed Shewing also that they in whom the power of God is made manifest cannot be subject to any Usurper or to that Power which is gone from the Life of God Also an Advertisement to all the Rulers upon the Earth that they may wait for the Restorer to be revealed in the Nations to make up the Breaches and to crush that down which hath made the Breach that so Righteousness may cover the Earth and Gladness of Heart may possess the People Published for the Information of all the Rulers upon Earth By one who waits to see the Kingdoms of the World to become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ that he alone may rule forever and ever F. H. Printed in the Year 1673. THE Measuring Rod OF THE LORD Stretched forth over all NATIONS LIsten oh World hearken O Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof give Ear oh all Nations that are therein and all the Isles thereof draw near ye Potentates thereof ye Emperours Kings Earls Dukes Nobles Principalities and Dominions my Mouth shall speak the Thing that is right and my Lips shall utter forth Understanding my Tongue shall declare unto you the Counsel of the most high and what he is bringing to pass in the latter Dayes he that is higher then the highest hath said he that is greater then the greatest hath spoken the whole World lyes in Wickedness and thick Darkness is over the World his Way is perverted his Counsel is despised and all Nations are out of Order notwithstanding the Multitude of their Counsellors and notwithstanding all their Wisdom yet Folly is brought forth in the midst of the Nations Because they have asked Counsel and not at the Lord and taken Advice and not at the holy One therefore Violence is set up as an Ensign and Wickedness runneth down as a River and Cruelty and Oppression as a mighty Stream the whole Earth is full of Folly and Madness and all the People thereof are degenerate and grown out of the Image of God into a monstrous and strange Nature the Prophets are all Fools the Diviners thereof are mad and they being degenerate themselves from the Life of God have led them into further Blindness Darkness Ignorance and Deceit and have made the Word of Truth of none effect through their Traditions and have taught for Doctrine the Precepts of Men and the Traditions of them who are out of the Faith and out of the Life and out of the Power of God and the Counsellors they have established Wickedness by a Law they themselves being estranged from the Life of God therefore Violence is broken forth into the Earth as a Flood And now all Kings Rulers and Potentates of the Earth who have given their Power to the Whore who sits upon many VVaters and the VVaters are Kindreds Tongues People and Nations yea all Nations have been drunk with the Cup of her Fornication and being all gone forth from the Life which the Prophets and the holy Men of God lived in and were established in Nations and become as VVaters reeling to and fro hither and thither unsetled unstable there the VVhore hath her Seat and all having drunk of her Cup of Iniquity and Fornication even of Mystery Babylon's Cup and are inflamed therewith and so reel to and fro as the VVaters and are as the Waves of the Sea unstable by her who hath made all Nations drunk and by them who have been made drunk with her even all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People have the Prophets been slain and the VVitnesses slain and none to bury them not in Mystery Babylon who is drunk with the Blood of the Saints and they that have drunk of her Cup of Fornication even all the Kings Nobles and Potentates of the Earth they have acted the like and have slain the Appearance of God whereever it hath been brought forth and the red Dragon hath stood ready to devour the Heir which is born of Mystery Jerusalem which is the Mother of all who are born from above who are Heirs of the Promise of eternal Life and the Powers of the earth have joyned their Power to the Dragon who cast out Floods of Venome after the Child which is brought forth by the Woman which is clothed with the Sun and now the Powers of the Earth take Part with the Dragon and their Authority and Dominion that they execute is by his Power which arises out of the bottomless Pit
Truth and have kept the Testimony of Jesus and the Spirit of prophecy the false prophets in all Nations who are from the Testimony of Jesus have called to the Beast to slay and to kill and to destroy the Seed of the Woman which is clothed with the Sun and so the Beast exercising his power which is from below hath killed and destroyed them who were subject to the higher power And what torturing massacring and persecution what burning and strangling there hath been what cruel Death 's many have been put to over all Nations and in all Nations where the Beast hath had power who makes War against the Life so that the Streets have run with Blood and all being gone from the Life and Power of God they set up themselves to be Judges over Mens Consciences and they who were in the Error they cryed out of Heresie and they that are gone from the Truth into a Lye the Ground of Blasphemy they cry out of Blasphemy and under the Horns of the Beast and under the Heads and the Crowns of the Beast what Cannons Constitutions Edicts and Laws have been in all Nations what Traps Gins and Snares have been laid in every Nation yea every Horn hath pushed and every Head hath lifted up it self against Christ the Head and every mortal Crown hath advanced it self against the Crown of Glory and against the immortal Crown so that it might be said as Elijah said The Altar of the Lord hath been broken down and his Prophets and his Witnesses slain none have escaped the Rage of the Beast Yet there have been a few who have kept their Garments clean and were not defiled with Women nor with the Harlot those who feared the Lord and durst not offend the righteous Law of God in their Consciences but have denyed whole Councils who were erred from the Faith and all the powers of the Earth in which the Beast bore Rule but rather chuse to suffer cruel Deaths then to let go the profession and possession of their Faith whose Blood cryes under the Altar How long O Lord holy just and true will it be ere thou avenge our Blood which Blood and Cry is entered into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts who will speedily take Vengeance on the Nations and dash them one against another and will break down that power which hath slain the Witnesses yea and hath gainsaid the power of God and all Nations who are from the Life in which the holy Men of God lived and in that Nature still which persecuted the Life of God wherever it did appear in any Measure yea swelled up and climbed to the very Top of Iniquity which is Satan's Crown and Glory and the Priests and they that went out from the Light into the World in John's dayes and Peter's dayes who then taught for filthy lucre and did subvert whole Houses from the Faith ever since that time have spread themselves over the Nations and have begotten people into a Form and into an Image without the life and so have worshipped the Beast and his Image And the deceit being entred then and Images then being set up one on this wise another on that and some have had an image of many mixtures such an Image as the Priests of England Scotland and Ireland worship and have got a Law to guard it that whosoever will not bow to it the Furnace is heat hotter to throw them into it Object And if any say Why I say so or how do I make that appear Ans. I answer thus the Cardinals Jesuites and other Romish Priests had a Law made to protect their Idol the Mass and if any spoke to him that was sacrificing to the Image or Idol then three Months Imprisonment but now if any declares against the Image that the Priests of England Scotland and Ireland have set up every one is to pay five Pound or six Months Imprisonment in a House of Correction and there be tortured and whipt and shamefully intreated near to the Loss of Life nay it 's now so much the more hotter now then ever None must come near the House of their Idol God or Image but must be counted a Breaker of the Peace nor speak to a deceiver and say he is so nor a Hireling and say he is so nor to a covetous Priest and say he is so and can for proof bring half of his Parish to witness the Truth of this but if he speak the Truth never so clear he must to Prison or pay five Pound or the House of Correction and there be whipt and stocked and fettered and chained and tortured and so ti is manifest that those Magistrates who had a Hand in making of this Law have outstript the Magistrates in the time of Q. Mary when the Pope had Power in his height in these Nations And the Priests now in these Nations who have set up their Image of many Mixtures and one Year they make one and another Year another and what that Power likes the best that is gone out of the Life and Power of God that they present to the Authority of the Nation as an Image of a more comely Stature then the former and then Authority makâ—s a Law to guard it and so it may truly be said as it was said to Israel Hath any other Nation changed their God but Israel had changed from the Living God to them by Nature which are no Gods And so have these Nations gone from God the Fountain of Life and from the Power of God and have set up an Image in which is no Life in stead nay they are not content with their Image but it grows old and then patch up another of many Mixtures one while the Mass that was held forth as their publick Profession and then Prelacy and the Book of Common-Prayer and then Presbytery and the Directory mixt and made up of Ignorance Blindness and of the Fragments of Popery and their own invention and this now is set up for all to bow to one while one thing which they call Faith and another while another and heaps of confused Confessions but are all out of the Life and from the true Faith And now they have manifested themselves to have no Faith and to be without Faith and are unagreed upon it instance that which is called the humble Petition and Advice presented to O. P. by the late Parliament that there may be a publich Confession of Faith made and recommended as the publick Profession and also that none may speak or write against under a Penalty but this Image the Lord hath by his immediate Hand from Heaven curst and confounded them that would have founded it before it ever came to be set up Ah silly silly that ever they who should profess Godliness should so shame themselves and all their Teachers for the teachers are not agreed yet of their Faith so they have either no Faith or else many Forms which are feigned and in this they
are not yet agreed and so being out of the true Faith in which the Saints had Fellowship in the unity of the Faith they are all in Distraction and Confusion Head and Tail in the Jarr in the Strife about Words and a form of Words And how many Confessions and Forms and Images are there set forth and people still Ignorant of the Mystery of Faith which is held in a pure Conscience and want that which is the Evidence of things not seen and want that which should let People see him who is invisible And oh how are People lost in the midst of these feigned formal Divinations and how are the Rulers in most Nations lost in the midst of their Counsels being gone from that which should be a Terror to Evil-Doers and should be for the Praise of them that do well And what if all people in all Nations were constrained under a Penalty to hold such a Form of words and to consent to such a Confession Doth this any more but make Hypocrites when a man is not first perswaded of those things in his mind by the Spirit of Truth Is this any more but Feignedness How long hath the God of this World blinded the Eyes of People whole Cities Towns and Countryes because they have gotten a formall Confession made by a Priest who is out of Christ's Doctrine in the Steps of the false Prophets and in the Practice of the false Apostles and deceitfull Workers and when they have made a Confession of a Catechism as they call it and have gotten over the Words and can say them over now judge they have Faith and are sound Christians when they are Ignorant of the first Principle or of Faith towards God and so are carried on in the Mist of Darkness and Ignorance and know not yet Repentance from dead Works Object But some of the Rulers and Potentates of the Earth may say We have not persecuted them for well-doing but for Heresie and Blasphemy and Sowers of Sedition and because they have not suâ—mitted to obey our Constitutions and Laws Answ. Deceit hath never wanted a cover hitherto neither hath or can the Serpent want Subtilty for it's nature by which he liveth Nebuchadnezar made a Law that whosoever would not obey should be cast into the Furnace and might not all his Magistrates have said to Shâ—â—rach Meshach and Abednego that they were not subject to the King's Decree and therefore judge they suffered Deservedly and did not the Jews who were Uncircumcised in Heart say when they took up Stones to stone Christ We stone thee not for thy good Works but thou being a man makest thy self God and the Jews stoned Paul and Stephen and put Peter and John in Prison they said they were movers of Sedition and Ring-leaders of Sects but the Chief Priests and the false prophets had alwayes their Hands in conspiring against the Life of the Just but persecutors were ever blind and yet were so conceited that they saw that they said to Christ are we also Blind but the Seed of falshood hath sitten as Judge long and hath laid the Heritage of God waste and hath set it self in God's Temple as the true heir and Judged the heir not worthy to live and Thousands of Thousands have been put to Cruel Deaths and a numberless number hath suffered since the Apostles dayes and since the Apostacy came in yet these which have done these things would be called Christian Magistrates and Ministers of Justice and those Teachers who have called to the Rulers to punish such as Hereticks and Seducers they would be counted the Ministers of Christ and such Nations who are out of the Life they would be counted Holy Oh! nay Christ came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them and all you Rulers in all Nations who go under the Name of Christendom who are upon the Earth and all you Teachers that are therein whose Actions Lives Doctrines Principles and Practices are contrary to the Life of Righteousness and contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Practice of the holy Men of God you are all out of Christ's Nature and out of the divine Nature in the Dragon's Nature and in the corrupt Nature in the Nature in which all the disobedient and rebellious are in who are Heirs of Wrath and eternal Vengeance therefore repent ye of your Iniquity and tremble before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is roaring from his dwelling Place and uttering forth his dreadful Voice at the Sound thereof all Nations shall fear and be astonished and the fenced Cities in which you dwell shall be horribly afraid Behold the time of restoring is come and coming and the Year of God's Controversie with Sion's Enemies is approaching near you and he who sits and judges in Righteousness hath shewed himself and will rule over the Heathen as with a Rod of Iron and will pour forth his Plagues upon all the Families of the Earth that call not upon his Name but despise it and trample upon it the Earth is filled with Violence Cruelty and Oppression yea it is broken forth as a Flood and the Nations are covered with Unrighteousness as with a Garment the Beast hath exercised his Power and hath overcome and prevailed long over the Heritage of God and the Mountain of the Lord's House is made desolate all is void and without Form Deceit enthroned Truth trampled upon Judgment turned backward and the Devil reigns a King Equity hath found no Place Mercy is shut out of Doors Cruelty is entertained Temperance and Moderation have no Residence Lust Uncleanness Excess Riotousness and Wantonness are loved as though they were the Way to eternal Felicity Pride Hypocrisie and Dissimulation are taken Pleasure in Sobriety and Meekness have no dwelling Place but are thrown aside Folly and Madness are set up as the greatest Wisdom and the Wisdom which is from above counted the greatest Folly the Fear of the Lord is slighted God's pure Law thrown behind their Backs the Nations and the People therein are compassed about with Darkness as a Wall and with Ignorance as a Curtain and with Blindness as with a strong Fence they are situated in the Region of Death and at the Side of the Pit and yet say No Evil shall come near us nor Sorrow touch our Tabernacle and are in a dead Sleep of Security wrapt up in the Slumber of Iniquity involved in utter Darkness folded up in the deep Pit of Ignorance and desire not the Knowledge of Wisdom neither to walk in her Path but her Way is grievous unto them and the Eye-lid of the Morning is unto them as the shadow of Death Nevertheless he that weighs all things in an even Ballance before whom all Nations are but as the Drop of a Bucket he is appearing in his Power and thundring from his holy Place who will make the Nations shake as an Olive Leaf the Isles tremble before him who is uttering forth his Voice as the Sound of
many Waters which shall make all the Potentates and the mighty of the Earth bow the Eye-lids of the morning are opened and the Sun is rising to his Height and the dark Air is scattering by the Breath of his Mouth and so all things shall appear in the Earth as they are and every thing under the Face of the Heaven shall be brought to Light and all the Powers of Darkness discovered and the Works and Workers of Iniquity shall no longer be hid but shall be discovered by the Light of the Son of God and shall be judged and condemned by the Life of Righteousness and blessed are they who know a hiding-Place in him when his overflowing Scourge passeth over the Nations which is already made ready to execute his Judgment upon the Heathen that know him not Oh! who may abide his Presence when he appears in his Power Majesty and Glory all the ungodly of the Earth shall be as driven Stubble before his Bow and shall flee before him nevertheless the Pursuer shall overtake and the Destroyer shall lay hold upon them and all the ungodly shall hear the Sentence Go ye cursed from the presence of the Lord into the Pit of Everlasting Destruction And when this Day comes upon the Nations all your Prophets Diviners and Teachers who are out of the Life of Christ who have flattered you and told you You were the higher Power and you must sit as Judges in the Things of the Father and Lord it over the Consciences of People and prescribe the Lord a Way and a Limit in your several Nations and Dominions they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you but the Helper and the helped shall both fall together the Strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble and their Loins weak so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher Power and the greatest Dignity who will rule over all Usurpers and over all the Children of Pride the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet and Teller of Lyes shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns Then shall the ransomed of the Lord and the righteous Seed whom the Nations have slain and persecuted the Prophets and holy Men of God and all that have been slain for the Testimony of Jesus rejoyce over the Deceit and it shall be sung in that Day The Lord God omnipotent reigneth who will ascend above all Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions and tread down all under his Feet that the Earth may be filled with his Glory and behold he cometh quickly in a Moment and suddain Destruction shall be upon his Enemies and the Breath of his Mouth shall make all melt away that hate the Lord and their Remembrance shall rot forever and ever Therefore oh all ye Powers of the Earth who are the Sons of fallen Adam whose Power ariseth out of the Earth in which the Devil dwells and the Serpent feeds who bear Rule but not by the Lord who sit as Judges in the Earth and yet your Judgment is from the Earth and from below know this you shall all be judged with the Just and all your unrighteous Decrees Laws Constitutions Ordinances and Edicts which are made in the fallen Wisdom you and they both together will be cast aside as a Thing of nought and must all be judged with the Just Therefore repent and turn to the Lord of Heaven and Earth that you may know his righteous Judgment set up in your Hearts and the Spirit of Injustice and Error purged out of your Hearts or else you judge not for God for all the Laws Constitutions and Ordinances which are made in the fallen Principle and fallen Wisdom to have all these in the Head or in the Memory so that he may act in a Nation or Kingdom according to the Letter of a Law prescribed in a Nation that doth not at all make a Man an able Minister of Justice or a Magistrate for God for the Root being unholy corrupt and erroneous from whence those Laws were given forth the Branches are unholy also the Ground being corrupt the Tree bad the Fruit is bad also and so all Nations who are degenerate from the Life of God their Laws and Constitutions do alwayes imbondage the regenerate so the Heart being deceitful and unrighteous such Laws proceed forth which do oppress the upright in Heart and all or most of the LAWS in all Nations are received by Tradition from Generation to Generation since the scattering of ISRAEL who received the Law from God's own Mouth by the Hand of Moses a Magistrate of the Lord and a Judge over Israel and so Heaps of Decrees Statutes and Ordinances there are in the Nations which do not answer that of God in the Conscience of every man and so that which is pure of God in the Conscience of every one cannot be subject to those Laws and Traditions but rather suffer as many Thousands have done cruel Deaths and great Oppression all this dark time of Anti-christ's Reign and of the Beast in all nations since the Apostacy and Death reigning over all the Sons of the first Adam in the Transgression Death hath breathed forth it self upon the Face of the Earth for Sin entering and Death by Sin it rules in the Heart and exerciseth his Power which stands in Unrighteousness and so all Mankind in all their acting can do nothing for God but against him and against his People who are redeemed out of the Region of Death and so all Law-givers Law-makers and Laws which stand in the Will of man and in the unrighteous Principle will the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Restorer of Mankind utterly overthrow abolish and take away their Power for the Law-giver shall come out of Sion whoever in all Nations that ever come to see him must see him come from thence whose Appearance shall be as a Lamp that burns and he shall change the Customs the Times and the Laws and overthrow all them that stand in the Curse for he shall lead out of Death and out of its Path and from under the Law of Sin and Death that all that hear him and come to be subject to his Law shall deny all those Laws in the very Ground and bear their Testimony against them which stand in that nature that transgresseth the Life And therefore give Ear all Nations and all Emperors Kings Monarchs Lords Judges and Rulers of the Earth in all Nations he is come and coming whose Right it is to judge the Earth in Righteousness and the People with Equity even he unto whom all Judgment is committed and he hath appeared as the Son of God in the North Region of the World in Power Majesty and great Glory and hath made the Mountains melt before him and he hath dryed up all the Springs of Babylon and hath made the Cedars bow and made the Trees of the Forrest to shake and the study Oaks hath he cut up by the Roots and turned
a pleasant Land into a Wilderness and hath made the Wilderness to blossom and hath changed the Customs already and hath broken Death's Covenant and hath overthrown the mighty men yea even the Horse and his Rider and hath taken off their Chariot Wheels in the Day of Battel and it hath been a dreadful day and a sore Slaughter as in the dayes of Gibeah or as in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and a sorrowful day hath come and great mourning as Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo for one Poste hath met another and the news hath been Babylon is taken at both Ends and he hath over-run the Multitude of Egypt and trampled upon them as the prancing of Horses in Battel so that the mighty are fallen by him and the strong have not been able to help themselves against him who hath come as one that trod the Wine-press and now hath overturned the Powers of Death Hell and the Grave and hath broken Death's Covenant and will put an End to all changeable Laws and hath and will establish his Law which endures forever and ever And now hear all that are left unspoiled are angry and all that worship the Beast are left unslain blaspheme him and speak Evil of his name and of his wondrous Works which he hath done in this day as in the Land of Egypt and in the Fields of Zoan for he hath turned the Waters into Blood and hath cut all the fresh Springs and hath slain the first-born of Egypt at which Pharaoh and all his wise men and all the Egyptians are angry and still resist the Lord till they will with the rest who have resisted him be swallowed up of the deep And now O nations who are situated under the whole Face of the Heaven he is coming up against you as a Giant refreshed with Wine and shall run his Course and none shall be able to stop his Way and shall come as Israel after the Slaughter of Edom with their Garments red and he travails in the Greatness of his Strength and shall make all nations desolate who have given their Power to the Beast and will break their Covenants and throw down their Traditions which are Heathenish and is bringing a Handful out of the north Country who have been Eye-witnesses of his Power Majesty and Glory and of his noble Acts and though but a Handful yet they are blessed and his Increase shall be great for they shall subdue nations and Kings shall be tributary to them and they shall be his Witnesses to the Ends of the World and shall publish his Righteousness from Generation to Generation and bear their Testimony of him who lives forever and ever who is the Lord of Heaven and Earth our Righteousness who hath broken open the Seals of the Deep and hath made the Springs of Life to flow forth as though it issued out of a Womb by which his little Ones are refreshed and grow in Strength Honour and Glory to him in the highest whose Judgments are just holy pure and equal forever and ever Oh who can stand before him who hath uttered forth his Voice before his Camp and it 's very great devouring Fire is before him and it is tempestuous round about him and his Sword devours much Flesh and all the Ungodly shall be slain heaps upon Heaps so that there shall be none left to bury the dead a glorious high Throne hath he erected and he sits thereon and judge in Righteousness even he before whose Face the Heaven and the Earth shall fly away and the Sea be dryed up Oh! who can dwell with devouring Fire who can dwell with everlasting Burning who can stand when he appears when he draws out his Sword of Justice all Nations shall grow pale and all the Rulers feeble and the Warriour shall not find his Hands in the Day of Battel when they encounter with the Almighty for his Sword shall be fatted with Slaughter and all Nations who resist shall become soaked with Blood Oh! he is dreadful who can stand when he appears who is a consuming Fire Therefore all Rulers in Nations and Potentates of the Earth fear and dread his holy name and bow unto his righteous Scepter lest you be cut off and perish with the uncircumcised who have resisted him and go down into the nethermost Hell forever for assuredly the day of your fanning and trying is near arm your selves put on your Armour see if you be able to stand in the day of the Lord oh nay you will all be as Dust before the Whirl-wind and shall be scattered in the fierce Anger of the Lord and all your changeable Laws Constitutions Customs and Traditions which are brought forth from the changeable Principle which is gone out from the Life and all your turning of things upside down shall be as the Potter's Clay for he unto whom the eternal Being hath committed all Judgment which he hath appointed to judge in Righteousness is appearing and come and coming who sits as a Refiner's Fire and sits as Judge among the Gods who will not give his Glory and Honour to any other And so all you that bear Rule and not by him who is the true Light which enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World your Power is from another even from him who is to be condemned with the Light For by me saith the Lord Kings rule and Princes decree Justice and such as were obedient unto his righteous Law written in their Hearts as David Solomon Jehoshaphat Hezekiah and the rest of the holy Kings and Princes who were guided by that which was just and unchangeable they ruled by his Power and decreed Justice and answered that which was just in every Man's Conscience which is one with that Power in which they ruled and from whence they acted and so a Terror they became to none but Evil-doers who were out of the Power and out of the Truth and in that Nature which stood up against that Power by which the Princes decreed Justice and so with the Power of God all these Rulers Rules and Governments which are not according to the Power of the just God are to be abolished at the coming of him whose Day shall come and in his Power and Glory he shall appear which shall darken dazel extirpate and utterly destroy all Root and Branch together who is out of his Power and against it so there shall be a very great overturning such as hath not been from the Beginning neither shall be ever hereafter And then shall the Restorer be seen who shall restore the Earth into its first Purity and there shall be Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the Beginning then shall the Earth enjoy her Rest and the Nations their Sabbath for the Lord of Glory hath considered it and he hath listened and a great Cry is heard out of all Nations of the poor and of the oppressed and of his Creatures which he hath made how they have been chopped
to Pieces as Flesh for the Pot and grownd to Dust as though they had not been God's Workmanship and his Seed in all Nations hath been in great Captivity whose Sighs Groans and Tears have pierced through the Clouds and is entered to the Throne of God who is now arising to plead the Cause of the poor and the needy and now wo to the World and to all them that have born Rule but not by the Lord. An Advertisement to all the RULERS upon the Earth THere is one only God the Creator and the Bringer forth of all things whose Way is equal and whose Judgments are Just whose Law is righteous whose Statutes are pure answering his own pure Witness in every Man under the Face of Heaven in all Nations upon the Earth so as every Man in all Nations upon the Earth comes to own God's pure Witness in himself placed by the Lord he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those Rulers who rule in Righteousness by the righteous Law of God but where any Ruler is not ruled himself by that which is pure of God which condemneth Self and Self-actings in himself he bears Rule but not in God's Dominion and so layes Yoaks upon a Nation Countrey or People to make all submit to his Will Decrees and Ordinances and to deny that which is pure of God in themselves and then joyn to his Deceit and thus Iniquity gets Head and is set up as a Rule and the Law of God both in the Ruler and the ruled is thrown behind their Back and so Deceit leadeth and the changeable Mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withal and so Tyranny and Oppression spreads over a whole Nation and the Just suffer in it And hence it is that there are so many several Laws Ordinances Constitutions Traditions and Customs among Men in many Nations Countries and Regions one differing from another and Heaps of Confusion that hardly in any Nation or few in a Nation know what is Law there is so much Variableness and Changeableness amongst the Law-makers one while setting up another while pulling down and as Deceit advanceth it self in any particular Ruler then there must be a Law made and a Penalty upon the non-performance as Death Banishment Torturing Whipping Racking Imprisonment Fining to the utter Destruction of many and all the Ground of this is because the Rulers are gone from that of God in themselves and then act in their own Wills and by their Craft and Deceit which stands in the Ground which is cursed and call this Christian Policy and Wisdom and Cruelty becomes a Law and the Devil keeps his Dominion in the Earth and Deceit gets a Cover and hides it self Now it was not so from the Beginning for as God is one and his name one his Law is one which is pure equal and unalterable and endures forever and ever now Man being made in God's own Image answered the pure Law of God and being God's Image was one with the Law and the Law was not against him but was his Life and Joy and he had Power to obey it for he was of its own nature for as God is pure and holy and the Image which he brought forth Man in was pure and holy and that which was Man's Guide and Rule was pure and holy here was Unity and Purity and he that created and Man that was created were in Unity and then there was no Wo no Condemnation no Sorrow no Death no Tribulation Anguish nor Wrath revealed against Man who was the Image of God and he stood in the Dominion of God and had Dominion over that which was contrary here was no Tyranny here was no Cruelty no Prisons no Envy no Persecution no killing nor destroying no defrauding no Jar no Strife no devouring but all God's Creation at Unity and Man at Unity with God being Partakers of his Dominion whereby all the Earth was in Order and in that Wisdom which changed not and here Man had Dominion and Power and ruled in God's Authority and was guided by the higher Power and while he was subject to it Death had no Power over him now this was before Sin entered and before Death entered and before Enmity had appeared in the Earth but now was the Lord King Law-giver and Judge who ruled in Righteousness and man being subject to him there was no Law against him nor no Guilt of any Thing for Transgression was not known in the Earth and there was no Curse but all was in Unity and Peace no Changeableness but all was in the Covenant all the Workmanship of his Hand was united unto him and all that he had made was blessed and all the Creation were Partakers of his Blessedness and all stood in the Covenant by which every Creature received Power Virtue and Dominion here was one Mind and here was no double no Variation no Mutation nor Change but the Dominion of the everlasting God was felt which endures forever and ever and any other Thing was not seen in the Earth but man crowned with Honour Dominion and Dignity wherein could be nothing but rejoycing and pure Peace and Joy now no Evil was known neither was there any such thing but Goodness possessed the whole Earth and Righteousness breathed forth it self in all Things in the Circumference thereof and all the Works of his Hands pleased him and Man made Partaker of his Pleasure and was accepted and not rejected Thus in Part I have shewed unto you the State of the Earth and of Mankind and the Glory of God's Creation and the Blessedness thereof but if I could declare unto the whole World from Years End to Years End I should fall short and Words would be wanting to express the Felicity Happiness in which Man was brought forth neither shall any be able to see into those Things or to declare certainly of those things who come not beyond time to him who is eternal who gave them a Being But after man had taken of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and had eat of the Fruit thereof and consented to the Beguiler and to the Serpent Sin entered and Death by Sin man lost his Dominion and became subject to another and another had Power over him and now the Course of Nature was set on the Fire of Hell the Curse entered and man dead while he lives and in that Day he eat did dye and Death breathed forth it self in the Earth and Cain is brought forth in his own Image to wit in the Image of him who was gone out of God's Dominion and he became a Murderer and slew him that was accepted of God and here appeared now the Enmity and its Life was to destroy and to murder and to kill Abel who believed and offered up a Sacrifice and Cain offered in the Unbelief and was not accepted so Abel who was Just lived by Faith but Cain who was in the Envy and in the Wrath
pure Spirit if thou waitest in the Manifestation of the Spirit these Things thou wilt see to be Truth though hid and vailed from the World that lyes in VVickedness as thou comest out of its Nature I have not written for to please Men of corrupt Minds who glory in VVords and outward Appearances and glory in natural Parts and in Sounds and are erred from the Life but to the simple-hearted and for the strengthening of the weak and for the understanding of the simple and that which thou seest in the following Discourse which thou canst not close with let it alone and judge nothing before the Time in thy Wisdom that is earthly or in thy Reason but in that and to that of God in thee I desire to be approved and to nothing else and shall be made manifest in the day of the Lord that is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in Power and Glory wait thou in thy own particular that thou may'st feel thy own Condition and see thy own State and that which lets thee see thy own Condition will let thee see the Lord and what I have declared of him to be true I am thy Friend in Truth and wish Good to all Men. F. H. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH THE Lord God of the whole Earth who lives forever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in Righteousness forever who rideth upon the Heavens and shines forth in his eternal Excellency from the Firmament of his Power he is manifesting himself in his Power as in the dayes of old and revealing his Righteousness as in the Years past and pouring forth his Spirit upon his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise and they that believe come to be made Partakers of the Blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his Servant in the Bush who rose up from Mount Seir and shined forth in his Brightness from Mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right Hand went a fiery Law so that the People could not behold his Glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the Day of his Power and is appearing whose Glory shall dazel the Eyes of the World whose Brightness shall make dim all the World's Glory and stain its Wisdom and shut it up in utter Darkness that it shall not appear to have any Existence or Being and the Shadow of Death shall fly away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this World shall be horribly afraid the Beasts shall go into their Dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting Fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat Valleys where the Springs of Life compass about all the Banks and rejoyce in their Shepherd and shall say The Lord is my Shepherd which many at this Time do admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his Wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble Acts which the Fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at Rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see what they witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves Honour and Praise unto him forever who is the Stay Strength of all his People forever And the day of the Lord is broken and the Light hath appeared that manifesteth all Things which are reproveable and the Day-Star is arisen in the Hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their Hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure Word of Prophecy until the day appeared and did dawn in their Hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of Truth in the Scripture of Truth and every Man's Work shall be tryed of what Sort it is and of what Nature it is and this day hath appeared to many Praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its Ground and Rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every Man's Work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the Morning of Righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the Light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the Heart The Day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOD is a Spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual Eye it 's pure Light pure Brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious Excellency the pure shining forth of Eternity Life putting forth it self in its Brightness Holiness shedding it self abroad in its Glory Purity spreading it self in its immeasurable Excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the Children of Light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual Day the natural day receives its Brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives its Brightness from the Sun of Righteousness by whom it 's brought forth without whom nothing was or is made or brought forth but by him who is the Fountain of Life and as the natural day receives its Clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural Eye of a natural Man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural Sight even so from the Sun of Righteousness the Lord of Glory Light and Purity the day of God receives its Brightness and is issued out from him by the Rayes of his Brightness and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual Eye of the spiritual Man who is the Image of the Father brought forth in Life and in his own Nature and Quality that is to say from God the Father of Life by Christ Jesus the Life of men the Light of the World and this is the Birth which is born from above which is of the Nature of the Father and the Son and of the day and he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Father's Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of Dishonesty and the Works of Darkness which are brought forth by the Prince of Darkness who is shut up in eternal utter Darkness which is his dwelling-place forever which is his Residence and shall be the Residence of all the Workers of Iniquity that bear his Image forever Object But some
and Teacher if it be received but in Order to the thing in Hand let all take Notice of this that when I speak of the Sufficiency of Grace and that it is a sufficient Teacher I do not speak of it distinct from Christ or of a thing separated from the Power of God but one with it and him from whence it comes for as he is Salvation it self so the Grace of God is of the same Nature by which he manifests himself and his Salvation to them that believe and also reveals his Witness in them for where the Appearance and Presence of Christ is manifest there is his Power and Strength manifest either to Condemnation or Salvation and though his pure Appearance and Presence is one in it self yet them that have marred his Countenance and pierced him his Presence alwayes hath been and will be very dreadful and terrible but unto them that believe and have continued with him in his Temptation and have suffered with him and have longed for him his Appearance and Presence will be amiable beautiful and lovely sweet pleasant delightful desirable glorious and admirable so that they who have seen it have been melted into Tears and dissolved as into Water because of his Love and Beauty who is the chief of ten thousand Oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in Patience in that wherein he will appear they shall see him whose Sight will be a Recompence for all longing and thirsting and desiring and waiting the Sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away when he that makes glad the Heart appeareth who lifteth up the Light of his Countenance and maketh whole them whose Hearts have been broken for him whom their Souls loved Therefore all wait and think not the time long keep in your Minds to his Grace which is his Appearance and him you will feel and see and be satisfied and say This is he we have waited for let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad for now he is come and his Reward is with him to give every one that wait upon him in Purity full Contentment and Satisfaction where Peace comes to be felt and Joy unspeakable which is full of Glory And though God out of his everlasting Love unto the Sons of Men hath followed Man and hath called him to return yet that Nature which is above in Man which hath transgressed the Life doth alwayes resist the drawing of the Lord and is not subject to the Law of God neither to the Grace of God which teacheth to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts that have beset and compassed the Creature about as a thick Cloud and alwayes make War against the Soul that till there be a listening unto thaâ— which sheweth Ungodliness which hath Power in it self none have Power neither Dominion over that in themselves which leads into the Transgression Therefore though God who is Salvation it self hath let out himself so far and hath appeared in his pure and perfect Grace unto all men yet all have not received Grace for though the Lord proffers his Gift intentionally that the Creature might receive it and so have Benefit and partake of its living Virtue and Operation yet while that hath Preeminence in Man which is contrary to Grace that will never receive it because it is contrary to the Life of the corruptible and takes its Life away and mortifies and slayes the Enmity therefore all must be still and quiet and wait in that which is pure of the Lord that they may feel that raised up which receiveth Grace above the corruptible Thoughts and Desires of the carnal Mind but many who talk of free Grace have put no Difference betwixt the precious and the vile but have put them upon doing and working who are in the Enmity and Curse and in Death and so have brought forth dead Works notwithstanding all Performances they being dead to the Life of God another acteth in them even he which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil and so have not known that which was precious in themselves could not minister unto that which was precious in others but have been Ministers of Death and have ministred to Death and so Death nourishes it self in all them who are not yet come to the Separation to see betwixt the precious and the vile Now though all have not received Grace so as to save them from the committing of Sin the Fault is not in God Israel would have none of my Counsel they stopped their Ears Neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men Neither is it because of its Imbecillity and Weakness but because it is not hearkned unto and waited in and obeyed believed in and received For this is eternal Truth which shall forever stand the least Measure of the Grace of God hath Power in it self to save man from committing of that Evil or Sin which it shews man and as it is received the Power comes more and more to be made manifest where all that believe come to be preserved out of Evil. Object But some have said and now say There is common Grace and preventing Grace and restraining Grace and saving Grace and the former that hath appeared to all but the latter hath appeared to the Saints and to the Elect onely Answ. Grace is God's pure and perfect Gift and is but one thing I speak not of Quantity but of Quality not of so much as that the Fulness of Grace hath appeared to all but of a Measure of that Fulness which is in Christ the Head although I do not divide the least Measure from the Fulness in Quality or Nature for it 's one and the same for that which shews a man he should not lye nor swear that is as pure according to its Latitude and Proportion as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done and that same Grace which leads a man from Drunkenness and Excess is as pure and of the same Kind and Nature as that greater Proportion which leadeth a man from all Sin I speak what I have seen from the Father though the dark World cannot receive it But people have been blinded and darkned with Sounds and Distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural Reason and by their natural Parts which are out of the Life although I do not condemn natural Parts which are purely natural if they keep their Bounds and Compass that is to say to the Mannagement of natural Things of the visible Creation but the things of God's Kingdom are of another Quality and Nature and cannot be reached unto by the natural but as I said men through Distinctions and Names have wracked Peoples Minds and confounded their Understanding and have led them into a thick Wood or a Wilderness so they know not where to get forth neither what the thing is of which one speaks because not being spoken through the enticing Words of mans Wisdom which darken the counsel of God
Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome Words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the Vail was over their Hearts and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the Spirit did not understand of what the Scripture spoke nor know him nor his mind to wit Christ of whom the Scriptures spâ—ke neither were they accepted of God but reproved and Rejected by Christ himself who said they erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them but the Spirit 's mind in so speaking they knew not and Jude reproves all such and said what they knew they knew naturally as â—worâ— it Beasts and in that Knowledge they corrupted themselves and therâ—foâ—e Peter well said many things were herd to be understood which the unlearned wrested they that were ignorant of the Spirit of the Father and had not learned of God who is a Spirit they I say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom Words of the Scriptures and were no more accepted of God then if they had never heard the Words nor read them at all and as for the Jews conforming to the outward Commands when the Vail was over their Hearts and their Hearts Uncircumcised these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the Heathen so the Christians since Christ's time in the Apostles days and after the Apostles dayes who held the form of Worship and the form of Godliness and the outward part of Worship and hold and retain it in that part which is above the Seed and deny the Power this no more makes a Christian inward then outward Circumcision made a Jew inward neither any of these things do recommend any unto God but are covers made and rests formed from that part which is above the Seed and so man comes to be Counselled in those things when alas he is Miserable and Naked and hath not the righteous Garment on which should make man accepted of the Father through the beloved God's Righteousness How all men upon the Earth in the degeneration and in the Fall and in the Transgression have corrupted themselves have been Idolaters in every administration being gone from the Power in which man had the Ability Power and Wisdom to Worship God aright and honour the living God of Heaven and Earth IN the State and Condition which man was created in when he was the Image of God and lived in the Power of God in which he was created he in that Power which was his Life had Wisdom and Understanding and Power to worship the living God and to glorifie his Maker the which thing I have treated on before but being gone from the Power grew in Knowledge without the Power his Thoughts became vain his Imaginations vain and his Desires earthly and corruptible and so the Creatures were worshipped in his Heart and not the Creator the Life of the Creatures and he bowed to the Creatures and they had Dominion over him and that Nature began to grow and multiply in all the Earth and that Seed that was at Enmity with God and against the Seed which is Christ and few there were that called upon the Name of the Lord in Truth and Righteousness although some yet few one in a Nation or a few in an Age nay in many Ages and men multiplyed in the Earth and Wickedness multiplied also and Idolatry and the Seed of the Serpent grew great And God saw the Wickedness of man that it was great in the Earth and that the Thoughts and Purposes and Imaginations of his heart were only evil continually Gen. 6.5 And the Earth was filled with Violence Cruelty and Oppression and the living God forgotten and not worshipped but on the contrary they followed the Imaginations of their own Hearts and bow'd down to every corruptible thing and to every Creature and did not worship the Lord God in their Hearts till the Lord was grieved at the Heart and repented that he had made man and this was before the Flood and after the Flood when the Earth was a little multiplyed Iniquity grew in the Earth and the cursed Seed sprang from Ham's Stock of whom was Nimrod the Hunter before the Lord the Beginning of his Kingdom was Babel of the which became great Idolaters and of this Seed came the Philistians who were uncircumcised who were Heathens and the Jebusites and Gargasites and the Canaanites and Hivites and their Generations were great in the Earth and they were great Idolaters and committed Idolatry with Stocks and Stones and with Brick having forgotten the Lord they began to work exploits in the Earth and to build Cities and Babel having forgot the Name of God they would have got a Name in the Earth and builded a Tower whose top might have reached to Heaven but the Lord whom they had forgot scattered them and this was the Seed of evil doers whom God scattered and drove out of Canaan who were great Idolâ—ters and gave it to Abraham who feared the Lord and to Jacob and to his Seed to possess And when Transgression grew he added a Law the Sence of God's Power and Wisdom was so lost in man and they so gone from his Wisdom that a Law was added after Israel came out of Egypt which was outward and written in Tables of Stone wherein was the Statutes and the Commands that they should only worship him and that they should not make them Gods of Gold and Silver neither the Likeness of any thing in Heaven and Earth yet nevertheless that uncircumcised Part which kept the Seed in Bondage and that corruptible earthly Nature that ruled in them made Gods like the heathen Egyptians and they made a Calf and bowed to the molten Image and forgot God and provoaked him to Anger till many of them were consumed in his sore Displeasure and tempted him and lusted and eat and drank and rose up to Play and committed Whoredoms with the Creatures and abused them and therefore the Lord sent his Prophets and rebuked them they abused the Gold and the Silver the Stone and the Wood which were good Creatures but not to make Gods of nor Images thereof nor Idols to draw away their Minds from the Lord but they in whom the Seed was not made manifest they worshipped deâ—d things and Likenesses of things which were not Life it self and so transgressed the Law acting from that Part and living in that Nature which the Law was against which was added because of Transgression to limit the Transgressor and to slay him and to bruise that under till the Seed came up that fulfils the Law but the Seed of the Serpent had so much Rule in them whom God had often delivered out of the Hands of their Enemies so that many perished Corah and many Princes and many Thousands of Israel who followed their own Inventions and were cut
off in God's sore Displeasure being gone from that which was upright in which man was created and following their Imaginations and out of that mind formed Idols and Images and set them up and answered that Part in themselves which transgressed the Seed and not that which doth overthrow all Idols and the Ground thereof And after they were come to the Land that God had promised them they were commanded not to worship Idols as the Canaanites did that were Ham's Stock who was accursed and set up cursed Idols yet nevertheless breaking the Law which was to limit that Part which had transgressed that which was contrary to the Law was set up in themselves even the Nature of the Canaanites Gentiles and Heathen and then they worshipped the Heathens Gods nor else formed Gods and Idols and Images of their own and worshipped Baal Ashteroth and Chemâ—sh and the Sidonians Gods and every Nations Gods Images where they came and so the Lord sent his true Prophets who feared his Name and worshipped him to declare against them even the House of Israel a distinct People from the Heathen great Professors Ezek 14.4 They set up Idols in their Hearts and put a stumbling Block of Iniquity before their Face the Lord said he would answer them according to the Multitude of their Idols they being gone into Vanity they hearkened to the Idols that spaâ—e Vanity Zech. 10.2 And baked Bread and rosted Flesh with Wood and of the same made a God and they transgressed at Dan at Bethel at Gilgal yea their Idols stood in their Hearts and they formed such without as were suitable to their Hearts as you may read through many Ages and Generations before the Flood and after the Flood in the Wilderness in Canaan and in the Nations where they were scattered Hab. 2.18 19. What profiteth the graven Image and the molten Image and Teachers of Lyes wo unto him that saith to the Wood awake to the dumb Stone arise it shall teach behold it is laid over with Gold and Silver and there is no Breath at all in thâ— midst of it seek not to Bethel nor enter into Gilgal for Gilgal shall go into Captivity and Bethel shall come to nought Furthermore they corrupted themselves in those things which God had commanded which were Commands in their time and made Idols of those things which were but Figures or Shadows of good things to come which they should have waited for for as the Brazen Serpent Temple Offerings Oblations Tythes Priests Sabbaths New Moons Solemn Feasts Circumcision Passover and all these things were given to be observed till the Seed came the end of all these things and of the Law for Righteousness but Christ the Seed the Heir of all things when he came after many Prophets had declared of him from Moses to Samuel from Samuel to John they exalted those things above him and neglected him who had Life in himself and would not come unto him that they might have had Life and then their Temple Priests Sacrifice Oblations became Idols and their Practice became Idolatry and so are in Blindness to this Day and so in the Dayes of Christ they held up those things and were counselled in their Works and Observances and Dayes and Times and came not to believe in him in whom all Dayes end in and so continued in their large Observations all along in the Apostles Dayes and did as they had done in the Dayes of the Prophets slew the Prophets that were sent of the Lord and set Dreamers and such as prophesied for Hire and divined for Money and said no Evil should touch them and they said the Law should not depart from the Priests Mouth nor Vision cease from their Prophets but believed their Lyes and prophesied of Wine and strong Drink and cryed Peace to them that God's Controversie was against and so persecuted the Apostles from City to City and from Place to Place till the Wrat of God came upon them and Jerusalem compassed about with Armies and not one Stone left upon another and for their sakes Sion became a ploâ—ed Corn Field their Temple burnt their Priests slain their Sacrifices ceased their Oblations at an End and they scattered among the Heâ—then and they and all their Idols and Worship blasted and cursed from God and from being a Nation to this Day and thus hath the Lord brought Shame and Contempt upon all through all Ages who have worshipped the Works of their own Hands or that have holden up any Figure or Representation and have set it up and exalted it above the Life and with it have opposeâ— the Power the Life in which all Figures Types and Representations end in And thus far I have passed through Generations and also through Administrations that all who have a Desire of the true Knowledge of God may see that Man in the Degeneration being out of the Image of God corrupts himself in all things and maks Idols of all things being from the Life in which Man hath Power only to fulfil the Righteous Will of God But to descend and come nearer to our Age because all that which is called Christendom will say this is nothing unto them because they hold not up the Heathens Images nor the Jewish Idols nor the Jewish Types and Worship and therefore they are no Idolaters when John the Prophet came and preached repentance in the Wilderness of Judea which was a preparer of the way he Baptized in Jordan and many believed and Repented and were Baptized and Christ also was Baptized and so was he Circumcised and eat the Passover and observed what was written because he came to fulfill all Righteousness and also bad his Disciples hear them that sate in Moses Seat for he was not yet Sacrificed up nor Glorified I say John Baptized not in his own Name but bore Witness unto Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World who came after him and was preferred before him whom John said should Baptise them with the holy Ghost and with Fire and many of Johns Disciples followed Christ the true Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World and John was not Offended at them for following of Christ but rejoyced take notice of this you Baptizers who are offended with them that follow Christ the Light that lighteth every one that cometh in the World and Excommunicate them like the envyous Jews out of your Assemblies and say they are deluded and are so far from Johns Spirit that in stead of bearing your Testimony to him who is the Light that you would bind them up and Counsel your Disciples not to go after him The true Light that lighteth every man the Christ of God I say to you you are in the Idolatry who prefer your water before the Light but John bore witness to Christ the Light said he was preferred before him and some Imitaters and Idolaters say the Baptism of water is the door or Entrance into the
here was Worship but it was the Beast's Worship and idolatrous Worship and the Dragon's Worship who sought to destroy the man-child which all the Angels are to worship all this Worship is in the Apostacy So let all take notice of this compelling causing forcing killing and destroying about Worship all they that so do yet are worshipping the Beast on which the Whore rides and this is that Generation who slew the Lamb and they are of the World and this is the Dragon's Brood who sought to devour the man-child and this is the Serpent's Seed and a Seed of Falshood who made War with the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman through all Ages unto this Generation and so all that which is called Christendom is more or less under the Beasts Power and hath his Image even to this Day and yet some of them are professing the Saints Words and imitating their Actions who were Followers of the Lamb and kept the Faith now this that John saw as come in did grow Deceivers Anti-christs false Prophets who were before and troubled the Churches Galatia and Corinth and made Havock brought in Deceit and infected many as Coloss. Pergamus Sardis and Laodicea Rev. 3. But now all Nations were erred and gone from their Maker their Husband and did drink of the Cup of the Whore and were adulterated from the Life Faith and Power and now worshipped the Beast and the whole World went after him there was some of his Adultery Whoredom and Fornication in the Apostles Dayes and some had drunken then but now Nations Kindreds Tongues and People drunk the Cup of Fornication and now Jezabel who slew the Prophets and drunk the Blood of the Saints she reaches out her Cup Kings Merchants noble men great men Nations Kindreds Tongues and People were made drunk the man-child sought to be devoured Floods cast out after the Woman the Saints Blood drunk the World worships the Dragon and the Beast and his great Authority and wonders after him now Jezabel the VVhore who made the Nations drunk she prophesies all the Nations made drunk with her Cup of Fornication and drinks in all her false Doctrines and devised Fables now she is as a Queen now the Nations worship after a Beast ariseth she gets upon him and rides she and the Beast become one she drinks the Blood of the Saints the Beast makes VVar compels kills being of one mind with the VVhore none to buy or sell but they that have his Mark or his Name or at least some of the Number of his Name and who were not defiled were killed or sought to be killed this is since the Apostles Dayes So now we have found the Whore her Beginning in the Apostacy having lost the Faith and Power that the Saints were in we have found out the Rise of the Beast in the Apostacy since the Apostles that all the World wondred after and worshipped Now Rome we have found thy Foundation and the Beginning of thy Rise and see how thou art elevated we have thee and all that sprang out of thy Stock and Root betwixt this time and the Apostles and we read beyond thee though thou boast thy self of Antiquity and glory in thy Councils and Convocations for thy Proof we have sounded thy Bottom I have thee and all the Apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the Apostles the Anti-christs false Prophets Deceivers false Apostles they began they laid thy Foundation who went out from the Apostles and denyed the Cross of Christ and the Power of God and the Apostle prophesied of their Increase here thy visible Members began to gather and they went out into the World and the World received them according to Christ's Saying out of the Light out of the Power out of the Faith out of the Life that the holy men of God were in being ravened from the Spirit whored from the Life they went out in an outward Dress had a Shew a Form of Godliness the Nations received the Cup and Kings of the Earth the Nobles and the mighty men thou boasts of they drank of thy Cup and were inflamed with Adultery after thee and then the Nations over which the Whoredoms spread Kindreds Dominions Tongues Nations and Peoples became Fornicators all became as a Sea rolling tossing foming raging casting up Mire and Dirt unstable reeling then the Kings the great men thy Nobles who were Rulers over the People being drunk with the Nations Cup of Fornication they sprang up as a great Beast with so many Heads and Horns and their Teeth became as Lyons their Feet as Bears and then thou begannest to ride in the Nations and to sit as a Queen then thou associatedst they drunken Fornicators together then thou began to usurp Authority and sitedâ—t as Judge over the Heritage of God and of the Saints of the Apostles and of them that kept the Testimony of Jesus then thou beganedst to kill and destroy and suck the Blood of the Saints and to be drunk with it and then thy Kings whom thou callest Converts and Christians having drunkken thy Cup they formed Laws and made Laws to guard thy Whoredoms and Adulteries and Idolatries then thy became they Executioners and what thou saidst was good the Beast maintained and what thou condemnedst by thy Councils for Heresie they became Executioners of then came in compelling to worship by the Beast that rose out of the Sea and then thou cryedst Hereticks and condemnedst the just and then thou got'st a Cover thou wouldst not kill but the Beast must upon whom thou ridest then if there were any that kept their Virginity and the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which was in the Apostles Dayes then thou condemnedst them for Hereticks then the Beast compelled and caused to worship but if they would not bow to his Image then thy Merchants cry up they despise Governours and Rulers when thy Doctrine and thy Lawes are corrupt then the Beast must kill then he blasphemes the God of Heaven and his Tabernacle and then thou sayedst thou killest none but the Beast must upon which thou rides and shall have a whole Council to confirm it to be lawful and now thou call'st thy self the Catholick and Apostolical Church and thy Seat the Apostolical Chair and the Rulers and Leaders Defenders of the Faith Nay we find thee contrary to the primitive Church and thy Seat and Chair is raised up since and thy Bed of Whoredoms made since and the Kings and Rulers in thy Dominions are become Defenders of thy Idolatries and VVhoredoms and are indeed the Beast that makes VVar with the Saints and hath prevailed and Truth overcome but he is risen who is able to make VVar with the Beast and to take the VVhore and to burn her Flesh with fire for he is able to judge her and the Beast's VVeapons and thine are carnal but the Lamb's and the Saints are spiritual and so thy Doctrine and Practice is quite another thing patched Stuff some brought in from the
not come to Dan or Amos cry against Bethel Amaziah will cry to the King He hath uttered Sedition and Rebellion among the People and he hath conspired against the King and the Land cannot bear his Words And is not this the same Language They will not come to our Church our Assemblies but they meet of themselves and oppose us and breed Mutenies Sedition and Rebellion in the Government These Priests of New-England and Rulers would have banished all the Apostles and have killed Paul and Steven who said God dwelt not in Temples made with Hands neither was worshipped in Temples made with mens Hands and drew People out of the Temple into private Houses Fields and by the Sea side and these men would have killed Christ the same Generation did in whose Foot-steps they are he said Neither at Jerusalem nor at Samaria but they that worship the Father worship him in Spirit and Truth might the Jewâ— have replyed Was not the Temple builded by the Command of God And is it not so agreed upon by the whole Nation of the Jews And wilt thou say that God is not worshipped thou art mutenous and rebellious And the Samaritans might have said Thâ—s is the Mount we met in and it is agreed upon by our Ruâ—ers and our People and it is the laudable Custom of our Country and our Assembly and dost thou teach thy Disciples to separate from Jerusalem from this Mount then thou art seditious and a Mutiner and a Stirrer up of Rebellion an Enemy to our Nation and Country and wilt thou respect no man's Person Nay said the Pharisees tempting we know thou respects no man's Person what say'st thou of Caesar they might have said What wilt not thou respect thy Equals and Superiors then thou art not civil and art against the laudable Custom of our Country which all our approved Orthodox Men do allow of thou must be banished and if thou return Death â—or by adhering to or approving of any known Quaker and the Tenets and Practices of the Quakers that are opposite to the Orthodox received Opinions of the Godly and endeavouring to disaffect others to civil Government and Church-orders or condemning the Practice and Proceeding of this Court against the Quakers Now if any lie Nicodemus would come but by Night who are yet no Quakers if the Rulers and Priests of New-England know of you you must out of the Synagogue and be Banished and if return be put to Death for this is an Orthodox received Opinion to banish and kill them that come not to their Assembly and put not off the Hat then the Orthodox received Opinion of the Church-Members of New-England is Banishment and if return Death and he that justifies the Practice and Proceedings of that Court is not justified of God What Whippers Robbers Spoilers Killers and Destroyers Marrers of the Workmanship of God Wrestlers with Flesh and Blood Blood-suckers He that justifies you is condemned of God he that condems your Court and Proceeding and Practices will God and all the holy Angels justifie and the Church of God It may be you will call this Rebellion and so it is against the Prince of Darkness from whence you have received your Authority Manifesting thereby their complying with those whose Design is to overthrow the Order established in Church and State every such Person upon Conviction before the said Court of Assistance in Manner as aforesaid shall be committed to close Prison for one Moneth and then unless they chuse voluntarily to depart this Jurisdiction shall give Bond for their good Behaviour and appear at the next Court where continuing obstinate and refusing to retract and reform the foresaid Opinions shall be sentenced to Banishment upon Pain of Death and any one Magistrate upon Information given him of any such Person shall cause him to be apprehended and shall commit any such Person to Prison according to his Discretion until he come to Tryal as aforesaid And here is an End of their wicked Law which must come to an End You that build up a Nation with Iniquity and a Church so called with Blood who lay Traps for the Feet of the Innocent and make Laws to destroy mens Estates and to banish Men from the Earth which is the Lords and the Fulness of it and further more make Laws to destroy mens Lives and shed Blood Wo and Misery is to your Church and State and the righteous God of Heaven and Earth will plead the Cause of the Innocent and Needy and overthrow that which you have established and if they will not recant as you call it which is to deny Christ before Men then Banishment and Prisonment and their Estate wasted and they destroyed then you think you are secure your Laws are cursed your Religion cursed and your Enterprizes cursed what is not your Gospel able to defend it self but you must take up the Beast's Weapons Cain's Weapons the Murderer the Devil's Weapons to defend your Church and State carnal Weapons hellish Weapons the Dragon's Weapons Hath your deceitful Merchants the hireling Priests made you believe that this is an Orthodox received Opinion They received this out of the bottomless Pit and the Weapons with all that handle them shall go down thither again and the Lamb shall reign over the Beast and his Followers though you have established Wickedness by a Law and think your selves secure yet God will provoak you that the Rottenness of your Hearts may be brought forth and that all your Deceit may be made manifest that all that fear the Lord may come out from amongst you for Wo and Misery shall compass your Tabernacle and the Dread of God is against you AND the next thing whereby the Devil and his Ministers fortifie themselves are certain Articles exhibited by them like the Pope's Inquisition although they are full of Ignorance and Blasphemy and these they intend to impose upon any man and if they answer not according to their blind Understandings then they say They are convicted as Hereticks and must be sent to Prison and if they do not retract banished and whipped in the mean Time and his Estate made Havock on and then banished not to return upon Pain of Death and if he do return to be put to Death and this is the Fruit of their Orthodox received Principles and of the laudable Custom of New-England And now I come to the Articles 1. If any Person or Persons besides their refusing to come to the publick Assembly of divine Worship shall either deny the blessed Trinity of Persons in the divine Essence Answ. And is this one of your Orthodox received Articles Then the Pope is as Orthodox as you and what is there to be found or can be expected in your publick Assemblies amongst a Company of envious Men whose Hearts are filled with Envy whose Hands are defiled with Blood Divine Worship say you like Wolsey Bonner and that bloody Crew Divine Service said they but you might more truly have
Covenant shall be broken and your Confederacy disanulled and you confounded in the midst of your Counsels what have you your Law yet to make to serve your Turns It seems you act not by the Law of God which is made already which is equal just and good and is for the Transgressor of Justice Goodness and Equity but takes not hold upon the just equal nor good but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious Minds and to accomplish your wicked Determinations and you that think to make a Law to banish and to put to Death your Thoughts are vain and wicked and God will bring them to Judgment and condemn you for them for Christ came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them but the Devil makes Laws to destroy and not to save Read your Example and let Shame cover your Faces and Astonishment fill your Hearts that you should become so brutish and vain in your Thoughts as to think to limit the Lord of Heaven and Earth Can you command the Wind that it blow not can you stop the Bottles of Heaven that they pour not forth Water If you cannot no more can you limit the Lord And if you make any such Law to banish or put to Death it will procure the Indignation and Wrath of God more speedily then if all the Popish Princes that are in the WORLD did enter into the midst of your Land But this is come to pass that your Hypocrisie and Deceit might be made manifest in the Sight of the Sun and that all men may see what Prâ—fession of Words is without the Life of Christ to rule in Men If it should have been told you when you fled from this Nation what you would do in the time to come against God and his Servants you would have said with Hazael Are we Dogs But the Heart of Man is deceitful unconverted and your deceived Hearts have led you aside Thou thinkest they are the worst Hereticks Thy Eye being blinded and thy Understanding darkened and thy Heart full of Envy how should'st thou think otherwise But thy Thoughts shall be discovered to thee and thou shalt be convinced of the Evil of them Thou say'st One whom many think is a Jesuite pressed for a Conference with one of our Teachers called Mr Norton but the Quaker was quickly weary of it You live by your Thoughts and know nothing if he had been a Jesuite it 's like he might have had more Favour from you and the Minister might be very bold knowing before-hand no Evil was like to befall him having the Rulers with their Clubs on his Side the Prison-Doors and House of Correction ready to receive the Quakers the Goalers and Task-masters with their Whips and butcherly Fellows with their Knives to cut of their Ears at the Pleasure and Wills of a Company of envious men before whose Face the Fear of the Lord is not But it is like you will make the Quaker weary soon if he would look out at your Cruelty if you did as sometime some of your Priests and Rulers caused to be done in New-England stop Napkins in their Mouthes and bound Keys over their Mouthes that they could not speak and boast and say The Quaker had nothing to answer Well all these things are recorded and are written as with a Pen of Iron and they are engraven where they shall not be blotted out and you are registred among the Uncircumcised with Mesech and Tubal the great Princes of Gog which make War against the Lamb his Followers but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory and you shall be trodden as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet for they shall melt away that hate the Lord. Reading the 16th of the 12th Moneth 1658. F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light AND REPROVED IN Answer to divers false Doctrines and Principles of John Wells of St. Ives so called in Huntingon-shire Concerning the Word and the Gospel and the Way to Christ and the Tryal of Spirits and the Light which lighteth every Man and the Ministers Maintenance His vain Arguments and Proofsmade void and Truth manifested in all these particulars Also some Queries propounded to John Wells to answer By him that loves the Truth as it is in Jesus F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light HE that hates the Light as it is written will not bring his Deeds to the Light lest they should be reproved and made manifest of which Sort John Wells a pretended Minister of the Gospel at St. Ives so called in Huntington-shire is who hath declared and published unsound Doctrines contrary to Scripture of Truth which were asserted by him and taken from his own Mouth and the Reply thereunto sent and his Doctrines reproved as to be unsound and inconsistent to a true Minister of Christ the which Paper of Information and also of Reproof John Wells in Vindication of his former Assertions hath divulged abroad in his Parish as in Answer to the said Paper delivered unto him and also in Vindication of his former Doctrines which Paper of his hath been read up and down by his Auditors as some great Oracle which could not be gainsayed and he never yet sent his Answer unto them who contradicted and reproved his aforesaid Doctrines and Principles unto which his Answer did properly belong it could never yet be purchased or obtained from him or any of his Auditors and all this he hath done lest his Works should be brought to Light and his Deceit should be discovered and his Kingdom weakened which stands in Darkness but seeing that there is no Work of Darkness must be hid but must all be brought to Light and be discovered in the Day therefore is his Paper come forth by another Hand that he and his Work might be tryed and reproved and that the ignorant might see his Confusion and also that Truth might be made manifest to the Understandings of People that they may no longer continue in Ignorance and Blindness now when the Lord is shining forth in his Brightness and revealing his Glory from the rising of the Sun His first Position is That Eternal Life is to be found by or in the Scriptures II. They are the VVay and Means which God hath discovered for the obtaining of it viz. Eternal Life In the Vindication of his foresaid Assertions he saith he will explain himself and saith That God is pleased by his Infinite Grace and VVisdom to continue this excellâ—nt Plot of Redemption by his Son and then concludeth how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard therefore was God pleased by the Scriptures to reveal Jesus Christ and none can ever come to the Knowledge of Chrâ—st but in or by the Scriptures This man talks like a Heathen Politician rather then a Minister of Christ who tells of an excellent Plot of Redemption for he who is the Redeemer was with the Father was his Delight before the World began which in
them your Original Rev. 14.6 XIX What is the false Prophet and Anti-christ inwardly ravened from and what is the Sheeps Clothing that they wore Mat. 7.15 XX. What is the Anointing in People to teach them that they need not any Man to teach them but as it teacheth them spoken of in the first Epistle of John 2.20 27. XXI What is the Light that shines in the Heart that gives People the Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 XXII Is any a true Christian but who hath the Law of God in his Mind and in his Heart and need not say to one another know the Lord was not this that that differed from the Jews who had the Law without them have any of these Talkers of Christ the Apostles Words Makers of Trades of them Life except they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood have ye eaten thâ—t and doth any Man eat that that doth deny the Light that hath enlightened every Man that comes into the World Heb. 8.10 11. John 6.53 54 55. XXIII Were not the Steeple-houses which ye call the Churches or Temples the old Mass-houses which ye creep into yea ar nay XXIV Was Ezra's Pulpit set up in the Temple and Synagogue ye or nay or set up in the Street before the Water-gate and how many might stand upon it and whether it was like yours yea or nay Nehem. 8.3 4. XXV And were not your Colledges set up by the Papists to make Ministers by and whether your Colledges and Steeple-houses have not the Papists Names to them and were not the Jesuites the Tribe of Black-coats whether ever yea or nay thou hast deserted at all the Habit wherewith thou wert dâ—stinguished XXVI Whether dost thou own and believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World yea or nay John 1.9 XXVII Whether ever any Minister of Christ did imprison any for Maintenance but on the contrary they should covet no Man's SILVER and they that were covetous crept into Houses had the FORM and denyed the POVVER whether or no they were not to be turned away from 2 Tim. 3.5 6. XXVIII And whether or no they are Ministers of Christ that swear seeing Christ saith Swear not AT ALL and James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not and whether or no they are not false Brethren that do SWEAR that fall into the Condemnation James 5.12 Matthew 5.34 XXIX Whether ever any Minister of Christ imprisoned for Tythes seeing Christ saith Freely ye have received freely give and whether ever any Minister of Christ runs to the Powers of the Earth for Maintenance seeing the Apostle saith He that feeds the Flock shall eat of the Milk whether these Things be the Fruits of the Spirit in suing men for Tythes and Maintenance they do no VVork for and if so shew the Example by Scripture if not are they not to be turned away from 1 Cor. 9.7 XXX Whether any of the Disciples of Christ carried Bag but Judas the Thief and Betrayer of the Just John 2.6 THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IN Answer to a lying Story called Hell broken loose or the History of the Quakers published by Thomas Vnderhil a Seller of the Whore's Merchandize otherwise called a Book-seller His Lyes returned upon him his Accusations answered and his Envy declared and Truth cleared from all his Reproaches By one that waits to see Death and Hell cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the false Prophet F. H. THE EPISTLE· Thomas Underhil THou Seeds-man of Lyes and Slanders and false Reports whose Hell is broken loose and is spreading where the Banks are not set nor the Bounds and thy greatest Madness and Rage is at them that tremble at the Word of God and work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling and thy Lyes and Slanders and false Reports we understand are set on Sale in such a Man's Shop to get Gain upon the Innocent and the Ground is seen and the Earth in which thou may'st sow thy evil Seed and thy Lyes Slanders and false Reports who art a Man fitted whom the Devil hath found out to go on in his Will and to do his Work for a long Time hath he been fitting of thee and for a long Time hath the Seed been sown in thee and now it is growing and buds forth and Hell is broken loose but thou art taken and the Hell who art the Seeds man of the Devil that sows Lyes the Prince of Death but all is and shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire the Hell the Devil the Author of thy Work and thou except thou speedily repent Was there ever such Thing heard or seen that Thomas Underhil should gather up Lyes Slanders and false Reports and set them to Sale at the Star in Pauls Church-yard as he calls it There is a Refuge of Lyes of his for any to shelter under that are given up to believe Lyes but that will not save you from the Storm nor the Wrath of the Almighty but the Beesome is witnessed that sweeps all the Refuge of Lyes into the Fire and brings the Lyar to Judgment and thou wilt become a Shame and a Stink to all modest and sober People the Witness in thy own Conscience shall witness it And dost thou think that the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland do not begin to see your Priests and such as thee that hold them up and such as thee callest Converts What a Stink and a nasty Smell there is in your Streets in your Towns in your Steeple-houses as though you had never heard Talk of God and Christ your Natures are so unchanged and your Priests haling up and down to Courts and Assizes and cast into Prison till Death for their Bellies and their Mouths such they do no Work for your Prisoning and Persecuting for not swearing to the Priests Bill and the Priests rude Miltitude breaking the Windows breaking up Meetings and breaking the Heads of People the Servants and Messengers of the Lord that you are almost become like a Field of Blood whipping such as warn you to repent and here Hell hath been broken looâ—e and thou art a Seeds-man of him that is out of the Truth who art an Encourager with thy Lyes and Slanders of these Persecutors but thy own Words shall be thy Burthen G. F. THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IT is written He that watcheth for Iniquity shall be cut off and the Wicked shall come to an End although the Long-suffering of the Lord be great who waiteth that Men might return and cease to work Iniquity and to strive against his Holy Spirit by which he reproveth the World of Sin and the wicked of their Transgressions and to this End hath he given a Measure of his Spirit to every Man though
of this Nation from diverse Parts thereof not only from one Sort of People but all except one viz. the Presbyterians instead of taking off the heavy Yoak thereof the Oppression whereof hath reached Heaven even to the Throne of God and he hath considered it though you would not but instead of removing it have established it for which he was wroth with you you have lost your Crown and he hath laid you by as men who would not accomplish his End and let his People go free and let me tell you it was rashly and proudly done of you after so many valiant Officers who had waded through a Sea of Troubles though I shall not say but they sought themselves too much which I hope God will give them to see They had done great Service for the Nation and considered what might best conduce for the welfare of the Army and for the Nation 's good and Safety and to present it to you desiring your Concurrence therein and though they did send among their Quarters for subscriptions they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk or at least seemed a matter of Concernment you would take less notice of it that you should in your heat and passion being filled with Jealousies vote out these Officers at their return from performing the faithful Service to you the Nation it was an unworthy Gratification and to put in others less capable only to exalt your own Power and rather to draw back to Bondage then going forward to perfect the business aforesaid for these and many more Instances that I might lay before you it was just with the Lord to remove you and not to prosper you and to overturn you because you stood not in his Counsel neither hearkned to them who would have wished you well with whom God's Counsel is and it is just you are turned out and let me advise you and despise not my Counsel for the Counsel of the mighty hath failed take counsel at a Shepherd or a Man of low Degree be you quiet and seek not Revenge neither blow the Sparks nor kindle heat in Peoples Minds neither provoke the Army tâ— Blood-shed but rather diswade them and wait to see what the Lord will do if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for End Freedom and Liberty in the things that are just as Men and in the things of God without Imposition and if you live to have your Share among the People in this it will be well and you may have no cause to repent of your being still and quiet though you may have cause to repent of your Rashness and of the things before mentioned X. And you of the English Army who were dissatisfied with the Proceedings of the late Parliament against you I wish there be not too much Self in you in the thing rather for your own Advancement and particular Interest then that the Good Old Cause profest was not carried on by the Parliament according to your Desire and the Peoples Expectations If Self-Interest was the Cause as it is to be feared there was so much of that you will be crossed in your Expectation for that is the thing which hath obstructed the thing intended all along since the thing was asserted that will soon be made manifest and there remains a Ground in your selves which I believe will hinder the End proposed which must be done away before you can do much for God though you may profess and declare in Words much which may take with some for a while yet it will not satisfie long I wish in my Heart Good to you all but there is something stands betwixt you and good things you would like the rest please all Men but that cannot be stand to the Good and let your Actions answer the Witness of God in the worst And you say in your Declaration You have an Intention to take away Tythes and settle some Way for a godly preaching Ministry I say they will need none of the State 's or Common-wealth's Maintenance And if you shall take them away and settle any thing by way of Compulsion upon the People for any Ministry you leave us in Bondage and we must declare against that as against Tythes and we cannot pay neither the one nor the other for Conscience sake And you who are the Committee of Safety newly erected yea many of you have seen or at least might have seen what hath hindered the End proposed you have a Day of Visitation God will try all Sorts of Men if any will be faithful to the End therefore this I say to you and the rest of the Army throw down all those corrupt Laws made about Religion Mass-houses Clerks Wages forced Maintenance and meddle not with it for that thing broke all Parliaments and Councils hitherto and so will it do you if you meddle with it leave all People free without Imposition of any Maintenance to any or else you do nought let everyone be free let every Judgment maintain their own leave People free as to the VVorship of God only to Christ who is Head and Ruler of his Church and Lord over the Conscience and is his alone Right which if you shall not do he will throw you down also Therefore let him have Room and VVay or else that which resisteth will be cut off And this is God's VVord unto you all Take Heed of gratifying any to the imbondaging of others let Tythes and forced Maintenance go down and if for the Good of the Nation or Common-wealth as in Things civil all with a free Heart will most readily and willingly assist you for the Good of the Nation Stand not puzling about Business not worth mentioning nor striving who shall be greatest but remove the present Oppressions and that which is the Cause thereof satisfie the Nation with Deeds Words will not with Things not with Names that will not and it is not a King a Parliament a Protector a Council or Senate we look at will do the Thing Neither People be ye wedded and glewed to Names he that purposeth Righteousness and Equity in his Heart and walks after it is that which God will bless and prosper for when Kings Parliaments and Councils are gone from the Power of God they are for the Thraldom of a Nation and not for its Liberty but this I fore-warn you whatever you do meddle not in the Things of God or about Religion let that alone and you will more readily serve the Necessity which the present Affairs call for and the common civil and equal Liberty of all Men Oh that you had Wisdom and the Counsel of the Lord were with you how soon might Things be established Then would you do more in one Day then in ten while you consult with your Reason and the old corrupt Laws many of which are good for nought but the Fire Thus I have in all Faithfulness cleared my Conscience unto you as the Lord presented
and his Power amongst and their Adversaries will God rebuke for their Sake Therefore O Nation consider and take this one Warning more that thou proceed not further to thy Hurt and thou repent when it is too late ONE OF ANTICHRISTS VOLUNTIERS DEFEATED AND THE TRUE LIGHT VINDICATED In Answer to a Book called Ignis Fatuus published by one R.I. wherein he vindicates Edward Dod and Samuel Smith of the County of Salop in their Lyes Folly and Wickedness and hath added more of his own with divers of his false Doctrines Lyes and Slanders c. brought to Light and reproved As that the Law of the Spirit of Life is imperfect and not fit to be a Christian Rule and also Human Nature may be taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul c. and likewise calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtesie His Vindication made void and his Weapons broken and he taken Captive and left with E.D. and S.S. among the Slime-pits of Siddim near Sodom with his Ignis fatuus By F. H. a Witness to the perfect Law of the Spirit of Life The Wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking Lyes AMâ—ngst all the Opposers of the Truth that yet have appeared among the black Army of the the old Dragon who like the Philistians have alwayes defied Israels God and also their Camp through their ostentation and Boasting and with their Clamorous loud Cryeâ— in the Ears of the People like Rabshekah to dish earten and dismay Israel none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who Subscribes himself R. I. who in Vindication of his Brethren in Iniquity Eâ—ward Dâ—d Drunkard and Samuel Smith an uprofitable Talker otherwise called a Minister at Cressage who hath preached that which he calls the Gospel these divers Years and yet sees no Fruit at all and yet this impudent R. I. whom I believe to be another Dreamer like him for his Language doth manifest him to belong to Mystery Babylon the great City the Mother of Harlots he saith One may Minister and preach the Gospel and the People not be profited at all as Samuel Smith hath done at Cressage And he saith further that they are barren Professors yet saith R. I. that S. S. need not be abashed at it And for instance he saith Was Pauls Preaching of less credit because there were many Runnagates in the End shewed themselves Hypocrites yet this comparison will not excuse S. S. neither E. D. nor R. I. who would cover them with an old patched Cloak some Pieces he hath scraped up out of Esop's Fables a Book full of Lyes and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions and some out of Oviâ— and Seneca Heathens in their own account and the like frivolous Stories and Plato and Diogenes they must serve for a covering if it will to the two former Opposers of Truth but stay R. I. Did Paul stay seven Years in any place and saw no Fruit And though there were many Unbelievers among the Jews notwithstanding the publication of the Word and the miracles of Christ yet some believed and though the Apostles and Ministers of Christ laboured in the Work of the Lord yet some believed and clave unto them but there is no Fruit at Cressage at all but they barren Professors as R. I. saith but if thâ—s will not serve tâ—ke another of R. I. his arguments that God sends his Word sometimes for the hardening of People and upon this account S. S's teaching and Ministry must be kept in credit A sad thing for the People of Cressage that they should Hire a man for seven Years together and pay him Wages for hardening of their Hearts and for counting them barren Professors yet I judge S. S. E. D. and R. I. counted them fruitful and abounding in Zeal and fervency to God when they came into the Meeting of the Quakers some ringing Pans some Candlesticks and Frying Pans and throwing Water like People void of Understanding and saith this R.I. these yielding a better sound then the Quakers So that thou mayst see what will not this R. I. Vindicate and what Wickedness as can be acted and spoken here they may look for a shelter rather then they shall want a Guardian as Pictures Images Crosses Cuffs Ribbons Laâ—e and such other like things invented by the Devil to draw People from serving and Worshipping the living God R. I. will Patronize them all being brought forth and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his Hand to help to elevate Iniquity and to under prop the Devil's Kingdom which is exalted in the Children of Disobedience as all along may be seen in his Fabulous Scrole called Ignis Fatuus when like his two Brethren before him he goes about to Vindicate Idolatry Images Hirelings Mass-houses Cuffs and Ribbons Tythes Flattering Titles and vain Customs and Popish Practices Pride Persecution and Lying all those things he pleads for and hath used many vain Arguments and false Interpretations of Scripture so that the two former it may truly be said they have done wickedly but this R. I. Exceeds them all who is so stout-Hearted against the Truth and Power of God that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt Heart against it and gathers up the rest of the Priests lyes that they have Vomited up before and cast in the Face of Truth and â—enders them as good proof and some Scriptures perverted with Eâ—op's Fables and Ovid and Diogenes's Stories and upon such materials he hath framed his Book called Ignis Fatuus which he hath writ in Vindication of E. D. his Book called A pair of Spectacles for a Dark siâ—hted Quaker and S. S. Malice Stripped and Whipt three Pamphlets whose Title will discover what the Substance of their matter is and whose Work they drive on so that I need not say much some of them Vindicating Persecution and incouraging the Rude behaviour of the People another mocking at Innocency and scorneth them who Tremble at the Word of the Lord and last of all R. I. who hath made a Fortress for both the other and hath cast up a heap of confused Darkness to guard his Brethren he mocks at the Light within and calls it Ignis Fatuus and the Law which is Light which God hath Promised to write in his Peoples Hearts this he calls an Imperfect thing and therefore to be ruled and not fit to be a rule of the Saints as may be seen in the 55 th page of his Book and so hath spoken contrary to the Spirit and Scripture of Truth Prov. 6. and the Law of the Lord which is the Law that endureth forever this saith R. I. is imperfect and the Letter or Law without written is perfect and is a standard as R. I. saith for all Controversies then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all Controversies why doth R. I. borrow his proofs and raise his Arguments from Esop's Fables Ovid's Stories
Midsummer dues Mortuaries Money for Churching of Women Marriages nor for the Burials of the dead nor Money for funeral Sermons neither did they preach over the dead All these and abundance more of such like invented things was never practised nor found amongst the Churches before the Apostacy which things considered may cause R.I. to blush that ever he durst be so impudent as to say they differ not neither in the whole nor in part in matter nor in manner from the Primitive Churches and until such Time as R. I. and his Brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things let them not think any whose Eyes God hath opened can receive them for a Church of Christ nay most of the parish Ministers hold up those practices which the Papists did deny as money for Marriages and Burials Baptism the Sacrament or the Ground in which the dead were buried this was reprehended and condemned by the Council of Trent in the height of all popery 1547. Saith R. I. It seems these Tythes are a great matter to many or rather a great trouble for them to pay the Ministers though Abraham paid Tythes of all to Melchizedeck before the Law and this proves E. D. his Argument as saith R. I. That it is contrary to the Light and Law of God to with-hold them from the Ministers because they were given by Abraham before the Law Answ. Yea it is great matter with many to pay Tythes and a great trouble too because he that confesseth Christ is come in Flesh cannot uphold the shadows of the first Covenant which belonged to a changable Priesthood having no other Portion among their Brethren which was given unto them for the Service which they performed unto the Lord and likewise were a Twelfth Tribe and near a Twelfth Part of the People and now the Law being changed and the Priesthood changed and the Covenant ended and the Ordinance thereof abolished that such a Company of covetous Men as the Parochial Priests generally are that they should claim the Tythes that belonged to this Priesthood and not to do the Work that they did and yet have a Portion among their Brethren in this Land neither are they the Three Hundredth Part of the People that such a Company I say as these should claim the Tenth Part of all the Encrease in the Land this is a great matter and a thing not consistant with the Law of God neither Equity or Reason And it is but a poor and feeble Argument neither of E. D. or R. I. that because Abram gave the Tenth part of the Spoil to Melchizedeck before the Law that therefore it must be a binding thing to all Generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of Aaron neither after the Order of Melâ—hizedeck Abram gave the tenth and that but once and freely and Melchizedeck brought forth Bread and Wine to Abram's Army and we may as justly and upon as good Ground demand Bread and Wine for our whole Families of the Priests as the Priests can demand the tenth part of our Substance from Abram's gift to Melchizedeck and say It is against the Law of God Nature and reason as E. D. and R. I. doth conclude by their feeble Arguments which they make upon Abram's giving the tenth's for if the Example of the one be binding then â—he example of the other is also as binding Abram gave the Tenth part of â—he Spoil and that but once and Melchizedeck demanded none then why do â—he Priests who are Usurpers claim it every Year and where they cannot get it freely as few will give it them who Witness Christ come in the Flesh then they take it by Force and constraint or would Melchizedeck have pleaded with Abram as this ignorant R. I. doth that the Spoil was none of his own as he saith Tythes are no Man's own or as I said before to E. D. would Melchizedeck have taken away Abram's Oxen Cowes or Horâ—â— Sheep or Camels if he had not given him the tenth part Or did any of the Ministers of Christ require or demand force or constrain any Maintenance whatsoever from any which this R. I. saith They differ nothing from neither in whole nor in part in matter or manner neither in Practice but saith R.I. This is nothing to the purpose unless it could be proved that the Apostles might have had Tythes which they could not being Persecuted Yet it is something to the purpose if you take them for an Example as you say you do and though it be granted the Apostles were Persecuted from place to place and sometimes went from place to place when they were not Perâ—ecuted which R. I. would have Condemned for runnagates if he had lived in that time But without all Controversie if it be a duty now to pay Tythes unto the Ministers of the Gospel then it was a duty in the Apostles time that though the Rulers were Persecutors yet the Apostles would have minded them whom they had begotten into the Faith of their duty but we find no mention neither by Commandment Reproof or Exhortation unto any of the Churches about any such thing and so thy Argument R. I. is foolish and Frivolous for it may be easily proved that Tythes were never demanded not for 7 or 8 hundred Years after the Ascension of Christ. And R. I. saith The Apostles took whatsoever was given them and thâ—â— satisfies the Ministers Conscience to take Tythes which the Magistrates give them so they may of such Maintenance live of the Gospel Answ. If the Apostles took nothing but what was given them then this shames your forcing and also you seek it of them who receive you not which manifests you are out of the Apostles example and though it satisfies your Consciences to take Tythes which thou sai'st the Magistrates give you both of them that own you and them that own you not yet I believe it would not have satisfied the Apostles of Christ if any Magistrates would have sent them back to the Jews who Believed not or the Gentiles who received them not this they would not accounted as a free Gift though this divers hundred Years many Rulers have Drunk of the Whore's cup and have given their Authority to the Beast and have forced and compelled to a Worship and also to give to the Whore's Merchants yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so and the Apostles never counted this living of the Gospel to live of Tythes forced Maintenance which none of the Ministers did receive or ever will And so for shame call in thy Ignis Fatuus again in which thou hast published so many Lyes among which is one which will stand as a record against thee viz. That ye differ not in Doctrine and Practice matter and manner neither in whole nor in part from the Apostles and Primitive Saints And this is another Lye that Timothy and Titus was settled in a parochial-like way
the Apostle's Doctrine and so this R. I. is tryed by his own infallible standard to be a Deceiver who teaches contrary to that which he calls his Law and Testimony and the Law which is outward is the Law of the first Covenant which made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by which we draw nigh unto God Heb. 7.19 Therefore the Lord sâ—â—d by the Mouth of the Prophet Behold the Dayes come that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with them when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt when I was as a Husband and unto them which Covenant they brake but I will write my Law in their Heart and put my spirit in their inward Parts I will be to them a God and they shall be unto me a People Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.9 10. Now this blind man who gropes as at noon-day saith This is imperfect which is written in the heart and so faulty with him and therefore to be ruled over and the other which is outward is perfect and faultless and so ought to be a rule but saith the Apostle contrary to R. I. If the first covenant had been faultless there had been no place for the second which second the Apostle saith is a better Covenant and stands upon better Promises but yet saith R I. this is not the rule nor fit to be a rule And furthermore the Apostle said as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and this was their Rule and the Law of the Spirit of Life made the Apostle free from the Law of Sin and Death and the new Creatures Rule by which they were led into all Truth and as many as did walk in it out of all Sin But nay saith R. I. It is not fit to be a Rule for this is imperfect and is that thing to be ruled and for his Proof brings Psal. 17.4 By the Word of thy Lips I have kept me frâ—m the Path of the Destroyer and how doth this prove that the Law in the Heart is to be ruled thou ignorant man who utterest forth nothing but Deceit and Error and so the Scriptures declare against thee for they say The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Psal. 19.7 8. For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 and the Commands of the new Covenant are spiritual and not carnal and they are perfect and fit to be a Rule Guide to all them that believe in a perfect Way and not as this R. I. saith unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection and would in his blind Distinctions cast a mist before Peoples Eyes And all may judge not only of this R. I. his Mistake but of his wilful Impudence in preferring that which is visible and outward and may be seen which was given forth in time viz. the Commands outward and the Letter outward above the Law of the Spirit of Life which is invisible spiritual and eternal And as I said to S. S. so I may say to thee Lean Souls are they like to be who receive such damnable Doctrine as this for Atticles of Faith but however Reader thou mayest take notice of R. I. in his Epistle to the Reader he saith the Quakers Money is counterfeit Coin which he hath nailed on the market-post and instead thereof hath tendred other Money and that thou mayest see what kind of other Money the Priests is and what Image it bears by the Principles here discovered which is altogether Tin and Dross and reprobate Silver which will be received by none but them whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of that they should not see the things that belong unto their Peace And Edward Dod being sensible that he and all his Stuff or he and all his Arguments were carried captive and became a Booty and a Prey he is glad that any will step in and rescue him and flattereth R. I. and saith I am engaged to you to imbrace you as a precious Friend that of so weak Principles as mine have raised so perfect a Structure so absolute rational and demonstrative that more need not to be done Answ. R. I. his Vindication hath not redeemed E. D. his Principles at all but rather hath laboured in vain and spent his Strength for naught and hath brought forth such a Birth as sober men will blush at made up of Ignorance Blasphemy Derision and Lyes which they that have the least Moderation will abhor and detest and the Principles of E. D. and R. I. are not only weak and feeble but wicked and impious as is manifest in what hath been declared and the Structure that R. I. hath made is but builded with untempered Mortar Lyes Falshood Error false Doctrine which the stormy Wind of the Lord will rent and scatter and confound and exalt his Truth above it all But Edward Dod saith What can be said to reduce such a People I know not since so many convincing Arguments cannot prevail alas poor Men whether would you reduce us or bring us back to the slime Pits of Sodom where Edward Dod fell with his Stuff or turn us back again to Images Pictures and Crosses to Mass-houses Hirelings and Tythes to Lace Ribbons and Cuffs which both E. D. and R. I. have strongly pleaded for as faithful Servants to their Master who would not have him loose a Foot of his Territories however Edward Dod hath resolved to continue one in Life and death with R. I. who hath shaken Hands with the Prince of darkness and made a Covenant with death which must be broken and though S. S. E. D. and R. I. joyn Hand in Hand yet the wicked shall not go unpunished fore-very one shall receive a Reward according to their Works And so I have done with R. I. his Book called Ignis fatuus whose Arguments false doctrines errors and lyes are disolved into nothing his 〈◊〉 made void his Ignorance made manifest his false doctrine brought to Light and reproved by the Word of Truth only I shall return him a few of his Lyes back again for him 〈…〉 the second time and repent of them and remember the Sentence for all Lyars is The Lake that burneth Rev. 22.15 First That their Worship differs not in whole nor in Part in Matter nor in Manner from the Churches in the Primitive Times Secondly According to the Scriptures their whole Worship is framed Thirdly That Jezabel was never more madder against the Prophets then these Quakers are against Christ's Ministers Fourthly The Quakers contemn Magistracy and infect the Common-wealth with Faction Fifthly That the Quakers burnt some Houses at Oxford Sixthly That Timothy and Titus were setled in a Parochial Way in their Quarters Seventhly That F. H. complains of the Darkness of the Sun when the Fault is in his own Eyes Eighthly
more for fear of Wrath and to please Men then to serve and please the Living God whose Throne is established in the Heavens whose Kingdom is over all how be it Man whose Eyes were Blind the Sons of Adam in Transgression in the fallen State know not the Kingdom nor his Throne further then by report and hear-say and Traditions and Customs though by him Kings Rule and Princes Decree Justice yet few do know him who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the God of the whole Earth neither do they know that in themselves in which Justice is decreed who are rather continuing Ruling in an usurperd Estate then ruling in the Power of the Lord which would be a Terror to Evil-doers but fallen Man calls well-doing Evil and Evil good and so Judges and Rules according to that in his own Eyes so punishes and afflicts them who do that which is evil as it appeareth in his eyes though it be good in the eyes of the Lord. And upon this Account the Righteous have suffered and such as are dear unto the Lord have been made a prey of through many Generations from Cain downward who slew his Brother and who are in the first birth Born of the Flesh judge that Evil which is born of the Spirit and their Wayes evil who walk in the Spirit and their Worship evil who worship in the Spirit and thus many Kings of Judah and Israel made the Righteous Seed to suffer when they were revolted from the Lord then they set up their own Imaginations Decrees and Laws to be observed who laid the Commandments of the Lord waste and made Havock of them that kept them and caused such to suffer as Evil-doers and as Traytors as Factious and Rebellious in the sight of all the People as Jeroboam Ahab Ahaziah Rehoboam and divers others and the Princes and Dukes of Edom made War against Jacob and his Seed unto which the Promise was and the Blessing was and so accounted them vile that were pretious in the sight of the Lord and reckoned them Righteous that were vile in the Eyes of the Lord. And since the Kingdom of Heaven hath been Preached and Christianity the Name thereof hath been in Reputation and the Gospel hath been published abroad and the Uncircumcised have got the Sound and the unregenerate have got the Fame and the Unconverted have got the Name of Christians and yet alwayes turn against them that were in the Nature of Christ these have made the Righteous to suffer and killed the Children of the free-Woman the true Church the Lamb's Wife And know ye this that since Christ hath been Preached and since the true Church hath been brought forth there hath been a great falling away by many from the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints by which Faith they had Victory over the World and Conquered spiritual Enemies and overcame the Grave and witnessed Victory over it Now the Words of them which had this Faith are retained and the Form of the out-side Practices was held for a while but the Power was denyed And Paul saw many such getting up to a Head and growing into a Body in his time who had the Form but denyed the Power who subverted whole Houses who were covetous and Heady and high-Minded then and lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God and this kind of false Apostles and Satan's Messengers and false Prophets that Christ said should come Mat. 24. and John saw already come in that Age and Peter Jude and divers others wrote of and yet these were Preachers of the Name of Christ and got the form of Words and the Name of Gospel and yet denyed the Lord that bought them and redeemed them as in 2 Peter 2.1 to wit him in whom was Life and the Life was the Light of men Thus they denyed the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and yet would be preaching up the Name of Christ and Jesus in Words but denyed the Life which is a Mystery and many followed their Pernicious wayes by whom the Truth was Evil-spoken of these were Enemies to the Cross of Christ which mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh and so lived in the Flesh and yet had the good Words the Sheeps cloathing the out-side but were Erred and ravened from the Spirit greedy after filthy Lucre greedy after Covetousness and worldly Honours greedy after Pleasures and these false Teachers went out into the World from the Light and from the Life and fellowship of the Gospel which is a Mystery and from the Saints Communion and from the Apostles fellowship and from The true Church in God the Ground and Pillar of Truth and then withstood the Apostles and spoke all manner of Evil of them and falsely accused them to be in Bondage and these separated themselves and crept into Houses and lead many away Captive and Captivated their Understanding Captivated the minds of those that were laden with Sin and divers Lusts who were ever learning but never came to the Knowledge of the Truth in which the discerning is And these became great Teachers and the whole World went after them and proselyted many into their false Faith which was Fained and into that Hope which was but as a Spider's webb and into a Profession of Christianity without the Life of Christ and those went into the World and those that were in the Perishing state wondered after them and admired them and set them up who admired them because of Advantage and received them and so held up one another in Deceit and so grew into a Body and got the Name of a Church though they were adulterated from the true Faith and run away from Christ the true Husband after other Lovers and yet because the Name of Christ and Christianity had a good Sound therefore they retained the Name for a Cloak that they might not be discovered And so many Children and false Christians which were not begotten and Born again of the Light Immortal and of the Immortal Word of Life were brought forth and these were adulterated Children and Children of Fornication and Children of falshood who would Lye as the Prophet said as the Mother was so was the Daughter and so are the Children And here did the false Church and false Members arise and false Christians and false Children grew Numerous in so much that they spread themselves over Nations Kindreds Tongues Languages and People and so came to be a Universal Visible Church though indeed an deceitful and abominable Harlot who spread her Feet unto every one that passed by as it is easie to make appear neither did she retain long the Practice and form of the true Apostles but joyned themselves to the Heathen and took in their Practice and mixed themselves with the Jewish Worship and took in their Types Figures Shadows Dayes Fasts and Feasts and mixed all these things together and at last called those Inventions the Apostolick Institutions and Ordinances
Uncircumcised over the Nations again for the 〈…〉 re more justifiable in the sight of God then these who Profess him in Words and yet are Reprobate unto every good VVork Therefore come out of Babylon all People and Potentates of the Earth and drink no more of her Cup of Fornication and receive no more of her Traditions nor inventions for the Ordinances of Christ and partake no more of the Sins of this false Church which hath drunk the Blood of the Prophets and slew the Saints under the Name of Blasphemers and under the Name of Hereticks as the Jews of old did who had the Words of the Prophets without the Life and were in Error themselves and in the Blasphemies who killed the just One and Crucified Christ as a Blasphemer and the Members of his Body as Hereticks Plagues and Woes are prepared of the Lord God and Thunders Storms and Tempests are to be poured upon the Seat of this Whore and the Seat of the Beast for dreadful is the day of the Lord which is coming upon all Flesh which shall wither as Grass and the hâ—lls shall melt and the Rocks shall cleave the high and lofty shall bow the strong Men shall be afraid Terror shall come upon all Hypocrites and fearfulness and weakness upon all the Mighty and Valiant and upon all that have Warred and striven with carnal weapons and all Worshippers in the Flesh the Sword of the Lord shall come over all which is ready furbished and brandished which shall be soaked in the Blood of Bulls and the strong and the Fat and the Mighty and the slain of the Lord shall be many for the notable Day of the Lord God is appearing such a day as hath not appeared since the Apostacy for God's Controversie shall be with all the Inhabitants of the Earth at the Sound thereof the Nations shall be afraid and the Isles shall Shreek and the Mighty men shall fail for God hath determined to cleanse the Earth of all the fruitless Trees that cumber the Ground and to makeâ—h overflowing Scourge pass throw the Nations to sweep away the Refuge of Lyes Idolatry and Superstition Will-worship vain Human Traditions of men and to make all Flesh to bow before him Therefore all People who look to escape the Judgement of the Lord God which is coming upon the Nations flee flee for your lives out of Babylon out of Sodom and Egypt spiritually so called hasten and come out to meet the Lord God lest you be overthrown in those cursed Cities whose Sins have reached up to Heaven make haste and come out and be not upon your reserves and consult not with Flesh and Blood partake no more of her Sins lest you partake of her dreadful Plagues and of the Cup of the Lord 's fiery Indignation which is the Portion of all the Inhabitants of that City for they shall drink it And all ye Princes and People in Germany who are called reformed who have denyed the Church of Rome in some things and who judge you are come to a good Degree of Reformation I must needs say unto you that the Reformation your Departure from her is yet but weak poor and feeble and you are come but a little way I may say unto you as the Prophet said you must rise and go from that which you are now in which you judge to be the Worship of the true God for it is not your Rest indeed you have departed and cast off some things which are but circumstances you stick still in the old Ground and if you take not heed the Leaven of the Whore's Sorceries which is yet among you may quickly leaven you all again into one Lump and bring you back again within the Walls of that bloody City and you that are Princes will not want Temptations to draw you back to associate your selves again with the Church of Rome that now thereby you may be strengthned against the heathen for if you should enter into any Association with them or give any consent unto such Temptations you do but go down into Egypt for Help then will your latter End be worse then your Beginning and your Bondage and Thraldom will be greater then it was before and I must tell you plainly the Lord will pare the Heathen and exalt their Horn and they shall be as a Scourge and as the Lord's Battle-axe to bring down the Pride and Haughtiness of that blâ—ody City which hâ—th drunk the Blood of the Saints and they that have yoaked others shall now be yoaked and they that have cruelly tyrannized over others shall be tyrannized over and that which hath led others into Captivity Bondage and Thraldom shall go into captivity bondage and thraldom and the Heathen shall rule over it Therefore ye that are called Protestant Princes or Reformed and to all People within your Dominions look not back for help from spiritual Sodom Oh let it never enter into your Hearts you are yet in the Suburbs of that City therefore come further off and out from it for you still retain too much of the Government of that City and too much of their Form Ordinances Institution and Doctrine and judge them to be Apostolick and Catholick but wait you to know the Power of God in your Assemblies which changes the Mind and Heart within for bodily exercises profiteth little you have had Tryal enough of that but what Life and Power do you enjoy which was from the Beginning before the World began Is there no forcing and compelling amongst you about Religion and Hire for your Ministers And do you not limit and stop that which the generality cannot agree unto and brand it for Error and Heresie and is there no killing about Religion nor making men suffer about matters in Religion may every one speak freely of the things of God what he hath received freely of the Lord as they did in the Primitive Times when the Church was in Purity Forcing ought not to be amongst you and you put too great a Price upon outside things which at the best are but Shadows of spiritual things which are to be revealed in the Heart and know you this that they that worship the Lord aright worship him in Spirit and in Truth and they who come to witness the New Covenant come to know the Law of the Spirit of God and the Life revealed in their Hearts by which the Sons of God are led into all Truth and they need not go back to the Tables of Stone nor to literal Precepts for a Rule for their Rule is within to wit the Spirit of God which the Father hath promised to pour forth upon his Sons and Daughters by the Mouth of his Prophets and that they need not say know the Lord for all shall be taught of him from the least to the greatest who are come to the everlasting Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling which purifies the Heart and sprinkleth the Consciences which speaks better things to all
the first Covenant which pertained to the changeable Part that was above the Seed but they typed forth more heavenly Things which were to be revealed in due Time and when the Seed came to be manifested and raised up they had an End and the Cloud passed away and the Day did spring forth in Clearness and he brought forth which restored all that believe unto God viz. Christ Jesus then did God more clearly manifest himself in the Earth through his Son who had the Will of the Father and declared it who rent the Vail and put an End to the Shadows and blotted out the Hand-writing and ended the Types and Figures and all that believed in him who was the End of them and the Sum of all he overthrew the Nature in them which was changeable unto which they pertained until the Time of Reformation which was when he was sacrificed up a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World and they that did believe and received him came to be the Sons of God and declared the Mind of God as it was revealed and as the Spirit gave Utterance and many did believe and did grow up and became of one Heart Mind and Soul and worshipped God with one Accord and in the Spirit and in the Power of the Father and separated from the Jewish Worship and the Form thereof and met together in the Power of God and glorified God and spoke of the Things of his Kingdom unto all that waited for it freely and the Lord was honoured by them and glorified in them But soon after the Mystery of Godliness was brought forth the Mystery of Iniquity began to work and opposed the Work of the Lord and transformed into the Similitude and outward Appearance and Form and yet lived in the Flesh and there began to be an Apostacy and a Deviation from that Glory and Power which was once revealed and Anti-christ wrought with Signs and lying Wonders and got the Words and hated the Life and Power and them that appeared in it and then they that were under his Government and Reign hated the Reign of Christ and said in their Hearts We will not have him to rule over us though in Words they confess him and then persecuted and drove the true Church into the Wilderness and set up Imitations and Inventions and Traditions and vain Customs which they have called Apostolical and holy Institutions which are contrary unto primitive Institutions and Ordinances only brought in by them when Darkness began to spread over the Earth when the Bishops in the first three hundred Years after Christ began to contend about Dayes and Times and Meats and Drinks and Rome began to claim Superiority over all Churches call'd Christian the Pope became as a Law-giver I have led thee through divers Ages and Times as briefly as possible may be to single out the Original and Beginning of those things and who were the first Ordainers of them betwixt this and the Apostles Dayes which are now accounted as holy Institutions The State and Glory of the true Church in this Treatise thou wilt see before the Apostacy and the State in the Apostacy how she fled into the Wilderness and how Mystery-Babylon was raised and the false Church called her self visible many of her Doctrines and Practices which are contrary to the primitive Church are here discovered and the Authors and Formers made known whereby thou may'st come to see a Difference in the Ordinances of the true Church and the Traditions and Inventions of the false Church which are too much contended for in this Day by them who say They are come to the true Reformation according to the Primitive Times but thou wilt see as thou comparest their Practices with the Primitive times to be quite contrary and to be but Smoak and that which has darkened the Air clouded Peoples Understandings and hath led them into Ignorance and Darkness so that the Way of Truth hath not been discovered unto many but the Lord is arisen and that which comprehends time is made manifest and all that which hath got up in the Apostacy is viewed and seen and laid open to the View of all that they may depart out of these things which are but the Inventions and Traditions of Men in which Eternal Life is not to be had Read with Meekness and in that which is spiritual in thy self through which the things of God are made manifest for with that I have Unity and in that as thou livest and walkest I bid thee farewell F. H. The principal Heads treated upon in this following DISCOURSE 1. THE State of the Church from the Manifestation of Christ in the Flesh to the End of the Apostles briefly discovered 2. The entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from that Purity and Doctrine Worship and Practice downward unto this present Age and Time 3. The Reformed and Separated Congregations called Parochial proved in the Apostacy compared with the Primitive Times in Worship and Practice 4. A few Words unto all how they may come out of the Apostacy to the true Church which is in God the Lamb's Wife 5. Concerning Baptizing or sprinkling Infants 6. Concerning the Sign of the Cross and ordaining of Parishes and Parochial Churches 7. Concerning Swearing by the Gospel as it is called and Kissing the Book and Bishoping of Children the first Authors shewn 8. Concerning Fasts and Feasts and Holy Dayes their Institutions and Foundeâ—s in the Apostacy 9. Concerning Priests Vestures and Garments and Bells their Authors Shewen which are Practised amongst Christians as Apostolick Institutions 10. Concerning the Mattens and singing of Psalms by Course in Musical Tunes and Supplications and short Prayers called Letanies their Authors shewn 11. Concerning the Passover and the Lord's Supper and the Ceremonies about it 12. Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and under the Gospel 13. Concerning the Ten Persecutions under the Heathen Emperours and how divers Vain Traditions and Institutions got up among the Christians in those Times and Constitution among the East and Western Churches after the Apostacy was entered in the first 300 400 Years after Christ. 14. Of the Decrees of the Church of Rome and Ordinances which are held as Apostolick Institutions 15. Concerning the General Councils since the Apostles Dayes which belonged to the Church of Rome their Decrees not infallible but are contradicting one another 16. Concerning the Worship of God and whether Kings and Rulers ought to compel in Spiritual Things declared and some Scriptures cleared and divers Objections answered about this Thing 17. Concerning Oathes in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the Unlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in the Gospel-times though the Apostates mingle Ordinances of both together 18. Tythes in their first Institutions unto whom they were one according to the Command of God declared and that Tythes are no Way lawful to be received neither sought for by any who are Ministers of the
to magnifie the glorious commendation of Martyrs made a Statute that a yearly Oblation should be had in memorial of them and Gregory would that Mass should be said over their Tombs or Graves now Priests read the original of your service over the Graves of the dead and see if this be Apostolical The Fast of Wednesday and Fryday was appointed the one day Christ was crucified and on Wednesday Judas purposed in his Mind to betray him Gregory was he that ordained that neither Flesh Gregory appointed nor any thing that had affinity with it as Cheese Milk Butter Eggs should not be eaten on such days as were Fasts and here came in this Doctrine of Devils Soul-mass-day this was begun by Odilo that was Provost or Provincial of Cluniacensis Order upon the Occasion he heard about Etna the burning Mountain of Sicily oftentimes great Lamentations and Cryings and Weepings were heard which he supposed to be the Weepings of evil Spirits that bewailed because the Souls of dead men were taken from them by the Petitions and Sacrifices of well-disposed Christians therefore he appointed his Covent to make a general Oblation for All-Souls the next Day after the Feast of All-Saints and this great Institution was ordained about the Year 1002. and so all whose Eyes God hath opened will see all this Heap of Invention hath been practisee since the Beast rose out of the Sea and the Whore hath sate upon the Waters which is since the Apostles Dayes CHAP. X. Concerning Priests Vestures and Belâ—s which are practised among Christians as Apostolick Institutions THE Jews high Priests had Vestments and the rest of the Priests who offered Sacrifices and Oblations at the Temple and Tabernacle Lev. â— 6 7 8 9. 13. And Aaron the Priest had a Coat girded with a Girdle and clothed him with a Robe and put a linnen Ephod upon him and put a Breast-plate upon him and a Mitre upon his Head and Aaron's Sons had Coats with Girdles and Bonnets as was commanded by the Lord and in chap. 16.4 and he put on a linnen Coat and linnen Breeches with a Coat and Mitre and girded it with a Linnen Girdle and these were the holy Garments and these Garments were to be put off in the Holy Place and divers other Garments and Vestments which were worn by the Priest about the Temple-Worship and Sacrifice which were Shadows of better things and of more holy Garments but this was in the first Covenant that made nothing perfect which was faulty and was to continue until the time of Reformation But Christ being come and offered up all Shadows had an End and they preached up the everlasting Offering and him who offered up himself once for all Now Christ sent out his Disciples without great Provision as to Attire for they were to take neither Staff nor Sâ—rip nor Shoes nor Money nor Brass in their Purses and yet they were to go among them that were like Wolves renting and tearing devouring and destroying and there was no great Likelihood of obtaining any earthly thing from such while in that Nature but the Apostles liâ—ed by Faith Mat. 10.9 10. and Luke 10.3 4. and they were not to take two Coats and the Apostle in his Travails was often in Necessities in Hunger and Cold and Nakedness and did not go in costly Array nor in disguised Habits but in his old Age wore sometimes a Cloak among the Churches which he sent for to Troas an ordinary Garment 2 Cor. 4 8 9 10. 6.4 to ver 11. 2 Tim. 4.13 and John the Baptist who was a great Prophet had a Coat made of Hair and a leathern Girdle about his Lyons Mat. 2.3 and the primitive Christians wandered up and down in Sheep-Skins and Goat-skins being destitute of whom the World was not worthy Heb. 11.37 38. But after the Apostles Decease deceitful Workers and evil Beasts and they that abode not in the Doctrine and Ordinances of Christ went out into the World and the World went after them and so lost both Power and Form of Godliness and invented things some from the Heathen and much from the Priests under the Law Sextus the first commanded that the Corporis should be of linnen Cloath only and that of the finest and purest and forbad that Lay-men should handle the hallowed Vessels and namely Women were prohibited hallowing the Priests Vestures and Altars and Cloathes Diversity of Vestures of sundry Orders were much what taken from the Example of the Hebrew Priesthood was practised and ordained by Stephen Bishop of Rome and Sabinianus decreed first that the People should be assembled together to hear Service at certain hours by ringing of Bells and John the 22d Bishop of Rome ordained that Bells should be tolled every day three times and that then every man should say three times Ave-Mary as Polidore saith Lib. 6. The Invention of Bells was from Imitation of the Hebrews because the high Priest had in the Skirts of his uppermost Garments little Bells to ring when he was in the holy Place within the Vail And the Banners and Trophies which are hung up in Churches were taken from the Heathen which did bear them to signifie the conquest of their Enemies these have been set up in the Churches so called by some of the Bishops of Rome to declare as they said the Triumph of Christ over Death and Hell Now all Nations who are called Christians look to your original and from whence these Practices have risen and those things are continued even amongst the Protestant Churches are either from the Jews or from the Heathen or from the apostatized Bishop of Rome long after the days of the Apostles and so these Hoods and Surplices and Caps and Bonnets and Cowls and Tippets and Miters and Canonnical-Coats and Girdles and divers strange attires it is like to prove these things we must have Aaron's Breeches brought in and the linnen Ephod and his Son's Girdles and Coats and Bonnets and the high Priest's Mitre and all these Candlesticks for a Gospel-proof CHAP. X. Concerning Mattens and â—inging of Pâ—alms by course in musical Tunes and Supplications and short Prayers called Letany THE Jews under the Law had many Officers which belonged to the Temple-Worship among which were Singers as the Sons of Corah and the Sons of Asâ—ph and Eâ—rahites and the chief Musicians c. and divers Psalms were given forth by the Spirit of God by David and others upon several occasions sometimes after Victories and sometimes when he felt the Presence of God and the working of his Power and who were Eye-witnesses of his wondrous Works as the rest of Israel were many times as at the Dedication of the Temple and also when they came out of captivity Neh. 7.44 12.27.42 43. Psal. 149.3 150.3 4. and all these singers of Songs pertain to the Temple and the first Covenant and to that Priesthood which could not continue by reason of the Faultiness thereof Heb. 8.7
people into Distraction and Madness and this Canon and the other Institution one while it's Idolatrous another while Sacred and Holy And thus people have been led up and down many Generations to and fro up and down and Persecution about changeable mutable and alterable things and the Life which redeems out of the World up unto God hath been sought after and so all that look to have Peace and to enjoy the Testimony of God's blessed Spirit come out of this Babylon this City of Confusion whose Seat is erected upon the Sand whose Foundation is laid in the Waters and Faith upon the human Institutions of men which are variable and subject to Mutation and come to know the Rock of Ages and the unalterable Council of the Lord and the Wisdom of the most high to rule in your Hearts and wait in the immortal Light of God which is within that you may see overall these Mountains of Darkness which are risen up in the Apostacy and over all the Institutions Decrees Statutes Ordinances and Inventions of men to be before all these things were and come 〈◊〉 him who is the Beginning of the Creation of God who is that quickning Spirit by which all that believe are raised out of Death to be Partakâ—â—s of the Life which is immortal which fades not away and the Lord 〈◊〉 be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth away with all Types and Figures Shadows and Vails human Institutions and Ordinances of men Câ—â—â—mâ—nies and vain superstitious Traditions which God hath no Pleasure 〈◊〉 which God hath no Pleasure in which do not profit at all and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things from the invisible God is to be thrown aside as a mestruous Cloath and as the Breath of abominable things which God will confound because he hath no Pleasure in them for the Life is risen and the Vail of the Covering is rent which hath been spread over all Nations the Night is gone the Day is come and appeared in Brightness the Shadows are past away and the Morning of Righteousness is appeared the Son of God is come who hath given his Flock an Understanding in whom Life and Blessedness and Peace and everlasting Consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for evermore CHAP. XVI Something concerning the Worship of God whether that Kings and Rulers now in Goâ—pel-times have any Power from God to compel or force about spâ—ritâ—al things declared and some Scriptures answered which have been perverted by them who are in the Apostacy to maintain the Beâ—sts Power and the false Church's Worship under the reign of Antichrist WHen the Lord brought Israel out of the Land of Egypt by a strong Hand and an outstretched Arm he made a Covenant with them gave forâ—h a Law at Mount Sinai by the Hand of Mose the Judge of Israel and Statutes and Ordinanâ—es which Israel should walk in who were as a Family who came of one Stock and the Laws and Statutes which were then given forth were concerning civil things as concerning man and man and betwixt a man and his Neighbour and for the Government of whole Families and the Camp of Israel and likewise Laws and Statutes which concern'd the Worship of the true God which may be read at large in Exodus Numbers and Deuteronomy and they that worshipped not the true God according to the command given in the first Covenant which was outward were to have Judgment executed upon them according to the Law and Moses and the rest of the Judges over Iâ—rael were to see the Laws and Statutes executed upon the Transgressors and if any were an Idolater and worshipped a false God or a Blasphemer were to be stoned to death or Sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death and this was according to the Law of God and their Blood was upon their own heads and when Israel-lusted after a King he gave them a King and they had many Kings who were anointed of God by his appointment who were to rule in the same Manner as Moses Joshua and the rest of the Judges had done and whosoever was disobedient unto the aforesaid Command of God whether in things civil or things concerning the Worship of God several Punishments were to be inflicted by them for several Transgressors as Blasphemers Sabbath-breakers false Prophets and Wizzards and Witches were not suffered to live this was before Christ the Seed was manifested in the Flesh this was the Old Way the old paths that Israel were to walk in but this Covenant was faulty as the Apostle saith and the Ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death the Law was changed and the Priesthood was changed and the Ordinances and Worship was changed when Christ came to be manifest the end of the Law for Righteousness now as Aaron and the rest of the high-Priests were but Types and Figures of the everlasting high Priest so the Judges and Kings of Israel were Types and Figures of Christ the King of Kings and King of Saints and Law-giver and Judge and their outward Power which continued but for a time in compelling to the true Worship under that Covenant or restraining from Idolatry did but continue until the time of Reformation was but a Type and a Figure of Christ and his spiritual Power and Weapons and spiritual execution upon his Enemies who are not subject to his Government or Power seeing the Father hath committed all Power unto him in Heaven and in Earth and Moses the Mediator of the first Covenant which stood in outward Ordinances both the Mediator the Covenant the Ordinances had an end when the better Covenant was given the Covenant of Light and Christ the Mediator thereof was manifest this Covenant Ordinances pertained unto the Jews and the compelling unto the Worship and punishing for Idolatry pertained unto the Jews only who were under that Covenant and not to the Gentiles as it was written To Jacob he gave his Law and to Israel his Statutes to every Nation he did not so So they which would bring People now under this Covenant and the Power thereof deny the second the everlasting Covenant and his Power and they that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship and bring those Scriptures of the first Covenant to be their Ground are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken and upon this false Foundation hath the false Church persecuted about Worship this many hundred years and this Doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes who say they are under the Gospel and this hath made People to hate and persecute one another And the Ministers of Antichrist have pressed it upon Kings and Rulers that God hath required it of them to enforce and enjoyn all People unto a Worship although they themselves are divided among themselves one while for this thing and another while for that and because the Kings of Israel did so and had Power to do therefore they have concluded that Princes
if the Proconsul would appoint a Day to hear it so at that time it seems Christians did not swear as afterwards they did in the Apostacy And Basilides a Souldier and afterwards a Martyr being required to swear affirmed plainly that it was not lawful for him to swear for that he was a Christian so it seems that it was the mark of a Christian not to swear And the Waldenses or Leonists whose Names are so famous amongst the reformed churches and who are said immediately to succeed the Apostles and were the most ancient and true Protestants professed it to be nâ— way lawful for a Christian to swear In defence of whom in this very thing Bishop Usher late Bishop of Argmagh Primate of Ireland pleaded their cause against the Papists and Jesuits who are the Swearers and Breakers of Oaths and yet plead for Swearing And the Plowâ—man in his Prayer which is so much esteemed of and commended in the Book of Martyrs saith Lord thâ—â— givest us a Commandment of Truth in bidding us say yea yea and nay nay and swear for nothing thou givest us also a Commandment of Meekness and another of Poorness but Lord he that calls hâ—mself thy Vicar on Earth hath broken both these Commandments for he maketh a Law to compel men to swear Fol. 585. And it is one of John Wickliff's Articles whose Works were as much esteemed of by the Protestants in England and Bohemâ—a as despised by the Papists and their Clergy having his Bones taken up and burned forty one years after his Decease and his Books and these Articles condemned by the Council of Constance who also burned John Hus and Jerome of Prague for holding John Wickliff's Opinions That Oaths which be made for any Contract or civil Bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful And Walter Brute a Teacher among the People of God in that Age by Scorners called the Devil's Servants called Lollards against whom the Pope and the King Richard the second and then the ungodly Bishops make so much ado to have the Name of Truth extinguished and the Professors thereof cut off This is Walter 's Testimony As concerning Oaths I believe and obey the Doctrine of Almighty God and my Master Christ Jesus which teacheth that Christian-men in affirmation of a truth should pass the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees of the old Testament or else he excludeth them from the Kingdom of Heaven for he saith except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and as concerning Oaths he saith It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform those things unto the Lord thou knowest but I say unto you thou shalt not swear at all neithâ—r by Heaven nor by Earth c. but let your Communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then this cometh of Evil therefore as the perfeâ—tion of Ancient men of the old Testament was not to forswear themselves so the perfecâ—iâ—n of Christian-men is not to swear at all because they are so commanded of Christ who 〈◊〉 Commandment in no Case must be broken although the City of Rome is câ—ntrary to this Doctrine of Christ c. A good Testimony of a blessed Martyr Here it appeareth that the Swearing which Christ forbids is not only prophane swearing in the communication for that was forbidden in the Law where it is said Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c. but solemn Swearing which was to be performed and that was the Perfection of the Law and Kings and Princes may take warning by this King Richard not to fulfill the cruel and bloody Desires of their Prelates And Chrysostom who was Bishop of Constaninople in câ—mmendation of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical Histories he blameth them greatly that brâ—ng fâ—rth a Book to swear upon charging Clerks that in no wise they constrain any Body to swear whether they think a man swear true or false saying that it is a Sin to swear well now I mentioned before that it was an Emperor commanded first that men should swear by a Book and this Chrysostome reproves so hereby it may be seen by these Examples it is no new Doctrine to deny all swearing and there hath been a People very many years in the low Countries that have denyed swearing in any matter therefore their yea and nay stands in Courts of Judicature equal with an Oath they being men generally of known Integrity whose yea is yea and nay nay in all Places and Matters If they that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of who tread under Foot the Son of God c. and disobey his Commands and teach others so to do they shall be shut out of the Kingdom of God and have no part with the obedient who keep Christ's commands through Temptations and Sufferings and are not offended at them neither count them grievous they only are happy and shall inherit everlasting Life Likewise Jerome who was an ancient Father and Teacher in the Church which the Protestants own upon that place Mat. 5.37 and James 5.12 these are his Words It was permitted under the Law to the Jews as being tender and as it were Infants that as they were to offer Sacrifices to God lest they should sacrifice to Idols so they might swear by God not that iâ— was rightful so to do but because it was better to swear by the Lord then by false Gods and Devils but thâ— great Evangelical sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath since every true Saying is equivalent thereunto In like maner doth Theophilact an ancient Father of the Church whom the Protestants own and have often cited his Doctrine for proof upon the place in controversie saith Learn hence that then under the Law it was not evil for one to swear but since the coming of Christ it is evil as is Circumcision and in sum whatsoever is Judaical for it may become Child to suck but not a Man So that Oaths pertained to the Jews who were under the changeable Covenant and the mutable Covenant which continued but for a time till the Seed Christ the Oath of God was revealed here he is revealed and witnessed all the Judaical Types and Figures and changeable Ordinances have an End Likewise Ambrose upon Psal. 118. he saith None doth swear aright but he that knows what he swears and the Lord hath sworn and will not repent Psalm 110. Ambrose saith Let him then swear that cannot repent of his Oath and a little after the said Ambrose saith Do not imitate him in swearing whom we cannot imitate in fulfilling And indeed the principal Solution given by him is Swear not at all And the aforesaid Waldenses who condemned all manner of swearing as unlawful they made it their care to avoid swearing and
lying and hereby they did give sufficient caution against all inconveniences which may come thereby as to Government in general for where a Testification or Assertion is made without an Oath is as sure as if it had been sworn to And Bishop Usher doth esteem that place of Matthew the fifth Swear not all to be a sufficient plea for the Waldenses against Swearing and therefore they who have any Esteem of the aforesaid Authors and of their Doctrine must not condemn the Quakers as for Novelties or for Broachers of new Doctrine for Reynerius one of the popish Inquisition saith amongst all the Sects which are or have been there is not any more pernicious to the Church meaning the Church of Rome then the Waldenses and that for three Reasons 1. Because of their Antiquity 2. Because of their Universality 3. In that they did profess iâ— no Way lawful for a Christian to swear on any Occasion which Doctrine was contrary to the Church of Rome which made Rinerius and Jâ—nsenius two Papists so much envy the Waldenses in this thing about keeping the Commands of Christ and yet notwithstanding all this Cloud of Witnesses both in primitive times and after Ages divers who suffered as Martyrs did hold the same and also the many Testimonies of them who have dyed in the Faith yet many are so wilful and so peevish and so envious against every thing which they cannot joyn unto as that they will brand this Doctrine for Novelty and Heresie let such consider how they will condemn this Doctrine and yet justifie Christ's Words and them that have been reckoned as Fathers and Martyrs and as Orthodox and found in the Faith by all except the Church of Rome who too much imitate the Jews and yet are no Jews and they have been the chief Cryers up of Oathes and Swearing and afterwards give Dispensations to them that break them And therefore all who reckon your selves as Christians keep to the Docrtine of Christ and the Doctrine of the Apostles who were Followers of him and run not back to the Jews Ordinances which continued but till the time of Reformation and you that reckon your selves as Protestants for Shame leave off that Doctrine which hath been brought in by the Apostates who have mingled things together without having Respect either to Time or Age or People and so have run back to the Jews and bring those Commands and Injunctions which pertained to the Jews and lay them as Yoaks upon the Necks of Christians remember what the Apostle said to the Galatians concerning the Works of the Law and concerning Types and Figures Gal. 1.2 If you be circumcised Christ profits yâ—u nâ—thiâ—g and an Oath was a Type as well as Circumcision to the Jews and what if I say of all Swearers who have no better Ground for so doing then the Jewish Oathes which were Types and testifie unto every one that he that takes an Oath and swears at all is bound to keep the whole Law Christ profits him nothing And so let all People who fear the Lord and do believe that they have received Christ in their Hearts the End of the Law for Righteousness not turn back to the changeable Covenant again lest he who is the everlasting Covenant say unto them who hath required these things at your Hand and also raise up his swift Witness to condemn them who transgress his pure and holy righteous Commands and would compel others so to do CHAP. XVIII Tythes in their first Institution unto whom they were due according to the Command of God declared and that Tythes are no Way lawful to be received neâ—ther sought for by any who are Ministers of the New-Covenant and the everlasting Gospel proved out of the Scripture and Antiquity TO omit Abraham's giving Tythes or the tenth Part to Melchizedeck after the Overthrow of his Enemies and Jacob's vowing to give the tenth when he should inherit the Land of Canaan because a voluntary Promise only bindeth him that promiseth and a free Gift from one to another is no Command neither binding to all Generations because Abraham gave the tenth Part to Melchizedeck freely of the Spoil he had taken and that but once not of his Family's Labours or Industries but of the Spoil this was a voluntary and a free thing both in Jacob and Abraham if Jacob had not vowed he had not sinned and if Abraham had not given the tenth Part of the Spoil he had not sinned so this is no Command or binding Example unto future Generations especially of them that pretend they are Ministers of the second Covenant and the Gospel but a very feeble and a poor thing for them to alledge Tythes were never commanded to be paid by the Lord to any but Israel whose Law was given forth 400 Years after the Promise as saith the Apostle neither were ever payable but by the Jews in the Land of Canaan and to Levi's Tribe only and to the Jewish Priests that had no Inheritance allotted them by the Lord of all the Land of Canaan or beyond Jordan but only Tythes or tenth Part among the Brethren and that only according to the Command of the Lord Deut. 18.4 Ezek. 25.13 for the Office of the Priesthood and for the Service of the Tabernacle At the giving forth of the Law after Israel came out of Egypt God chose Aaron and his Sons for the Office of the Priesthood and the rest of the Tribe of Levi for the Service of the Tabernacle God gave unto the Levites by Commandment all the Tenth in Israel for an Inheritance for their Service and the Levites out of their Tythes were to offer up to the Lord a tenth Part of the Tythes and give it unto Aaron the Priest for himself and his Sons and no other portion had the Levitical Priests out of the Tythes but the Tenth of the Tenth as for the rest of the Tythes they were for the Levites that did serve at the Tabernacles and for Strangers for Fatherless and Widdows Moreover the tenth of the Tythes the Priest had the first ripe Fruits of the Ground of Wheat of Barly of Figs Grapes and Olives of Pomegranatâ—s and Dates at what Quantity the Owner pleased a Heave-offering also of Corn Wine and Oyl Fleece were given to the Priests at the 60th part sometime the 50th at the Devotion of the Owner But how comes it to pass that they that pretend another Priesthood then this should receive the tenth of all of unclean Beasts as Pigs and Foâ—ls aâ—d of such things as we never read of tythable under the Law of Eggs Geese and Turnips and the tenth of the Wood for Faggots for the Fire and yet are not of this Priesthood but pretend to be Bishops and Elders in the Christian Church so they cannot distinguish of the Time neither of the Ministration neither of Service and Worship that belongs to each Covenant else they would be ashamed to claim Title to Aaron's Tythes and the Levites
Volunâ—â—ry thing and freely given and there is a good shew of reason in it that it was by Way of gratitude unto Melchizedeck to requite his kindness who brought forth Bread and Wine unto his Souldiers after a great Pursuit which refreshed both him and his Souldiers which was a great sign and a courtesie if Abraham had not given the tenth of the Spoil he had not sinned so an Example of this naâ—ure â—â—nnot be a binding Law to future Generations for if the Ministry 〈◊〉 is last Age will make this a binding rule we may as well requiâ—e of them 〈…〉 Wine of every Priest for our selves and whole Families and every Officer may require Bread and Wine of every Parish-Priest for himself and all his Souldiers for the one example is as binding as the other both of them being Voluntary The next passage that seems to have any weight in it about Tythes is Jacob's Vow This Stone saith he which I will set up as a Pillar shall be God's House and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee This was an extraordinary occasion and more then an ordinary appearance from God unto Jacob before when he went from his Father to Haran to take a Wife of his own Kindred And the Lord appeared unto him as he laid his Head upon a Stone the Night being come and said unto him I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the Land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy Seed and it shall be as the Dust of the Earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the East West North and South and in thee and thy Seed shall all the Families of the Earth be Blessed He called the name of the place Bethel viz. the House of God because of the Glorious appearance of God and of his great Promise made unto him which he did believe as may be seen more at large in the whâ—le Chapter So Jacob's Heart being opened and filled fall of Joy and Faith he promised again unto the Lord and vowed a Vow saying If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go so that I câ—me again to my Father's House in Peace then shall the Lord be my God and of all that he giveth me I will surely give the tenth unto thee which he performed after twenty Years as Josephus saith in these Words by Oâ—â—ering unto the Lord the â—â—â—th of all his substance which he had got 〈◊〉 â—â—rar after that he returned unto that place where God did appear unto him and made his Promise unto hiâ— then Jacob performed his Promise unto the Lord. But unto whose Hand he gave this tenth appears not for 〈…〉 the Priest hood was solely annâ—â—â—d to the first-bâ—rn â—f Families 〈…〉 well with the Sanctifying of the first-born commanded in Egypt hence it comes that Melchisedeck is commonly reputed to be Shem the eldest Son Noah but that is Câ—ntrovetâ—l and so I shall let it pass But it is thought by some that Jacob payed his vow unto the Hands of Isaac his Father and gave unto him the tenth of what he had gotten as being the chief of the Family then living and a Priest also but as is said before these two instances of Abraham and Jacob are only Voluntary and free Gifts as a return of thankfulness unto the Lord the 〈◊〉 having got a great Victory over his Enemies and â—he other having received a great assurance of the Lord of his Promise and Blessing with him did bind them to it But we do not read that they were at all oblieged by any special Commandment as to give so much though 't is granted that after Jacob had vowed he was oblieged but these are no binding Examples unto future Generations especially them that pretend they are Ministers of the second Covenant the Gospel there is no other mention made of Tythes before Moses his time unless some will dream as they will needs do that the Levitical Law was written before the Creation Yet some of the Ancients seem to have observed a respect had to the quantity of what was as a part of the yearly encrease Consecrated in those times of the Lord that even in the first memory to Sacrifice Cain's Offering was not regarded they say because he did not well or aright divide what he offered as if some quota pars were at that time required But this reason was from no other cause then the mis-translation of the Text in the story of Cain where the Jews read it If thou offer well but not divide aright hast thou not Sinned be quiet unto which agrees the Text of the Septuagint when as the true Translation out of the Original is thus Why is thy Countenance cast down if thou do well art thou not accepted if thou do Evil Sin lyeth at the Door But most agreeable to the Text is that he gave with a grudging mind and not of the best and first of his Fruit for it is expresly said that Abel brought of his first Fruits but Cain only of his Fruit of the Ground Abel giving then unto the Lord a portion of the best the other not regarding of what worth his Offering were So here is not any certain quantity noted but the mind of the Spirit of him that offered and the quality of the Oblation or gift So the chief thing to be noted from this is That Cain was an Hypocrite and offered with that mind and Spirit with which he slew his Brother and so his Sacrifice was not accepted But this is no Plea or Ground at all for the Payment of Tenths as due Tythes were never commanded to be payed by the Lord to any but Israel whose Law was given forth four hundred thirty Years after the Promise as saith the Apostle Neither were they ever payable but by the Jews after they came to the Land of Canaan and to Levi's Tribe only and to the Jewish Priests that had no Inheritance allotted them by the Lord of all the Land of Canaan or beyond Jordan but only the tenths according to the command of the Lord for the Offâ—â—â— of the Priesthood and for the service of the Tabernacle How among the Jews Tythes were payed or judg'd to be due the yearly encrease being either Fruit of Ground or Cattel in the Law of Fruits of the Ground first the first of the first ripe were offered to the Priest in ears of Wheat Figs Barley Grapâ—s Olives Pomegranates and Dates of these seven only the first Fruits were payed in what quantity the owner would Next the Theruma or heave-offering or first Fruits of Corn Wine Oyl and Fleece and the like were given to the Priests but it being not determined by Moses of what quaâ—â—â—iâ—y this Offering should be the Jews anciently judg'd it to be enough at the fiftieth part but so that no necessity was that every one
his commentary upon Gen. 28. and 2. and 22. saith That Tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily a man might give them a man might vow them or he might not even as he pleased before the Lord but under the Law they were commanded to be given to the Priests and Levites hence saith he our Clergy men infer that if it were so of old then they are so now but this doth not follow saith he they had a divine Ceremonial right but that 's not ceased they had Tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in Land Ours not Ours have Towns Villages Manners yea Countries and Provinces nor is there any End of their insatiable Covetousness And he concludes that when the Levitical Priesthood did cease then did the right of that Priesthood cease and the right of tythes did revert to God as Governour and Soveraign of the World Great and large are the Testimonies that might be given both out of Ancient and Modern writers who were the clearest in their Judgments against tythes how that they were no Gospel-maintenance neither of Divine right doth belong to any Minister under the Gospel who professeth Christ come in the Flesh. But what I have already said in this particular might be sufficient seeing so large things to this have been declared by others Hands But I am the more willing to instance divers Authors who by our Protestants are owned as Orthodox that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new Doctrine for which we suffer the Spoiling of our Goods and our persons Imprisoned but that the Covetousness of the Clergy and Tythes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in Ages past who died in the Faith who though they be dead yet their Testimony still lives and will stand for Ages But you shall hear what State the Clergy and Ministry was in about the time of the Council of Basil in the Year 1431. by Lodovicus the Cardinal ARLATENSIS a Man very much praised for his Constancy and Wisdom in that Council of Basil LODOVICUS seeing the Cowardliness of the Bishops and others of the Clergy that they were more afraid to grieve temporal Princes then afraid to offend God and afraid to be Spoiled of their temporalities rather then afraid that their Flock should be devoured Albeit saith he If you were true Bishops and true Pastors of Souls you would not doubt to put your Lives in hazard for your Sheep neither be afraid to shed your Blood for the Church in the cause of Christ but at this present saith he the more is the Pity it is too rare to find a Prelate in this world and in this Age which doth not prefer his Temporalities before his Spiritualities with the love whereof they are so withdrawn that they do study rather to please Princes then God and confess God in Corners but Princes they will confess openly of whom the Lord speaks in his Gospel every one that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven c. And contrariwise the Lord will not confess him before his Father which is aâ—raid to confess the Lord before men for fear of loss of their worldly Glories and temporal Riches and displeasing of Princes of which it may be more largely seen in the History of the Council of Basil published by Aeneas Sylvius So you that doth profess Reformation and the Scripture to be your Rule and your Ancient Fathers to be your Examples whom the Ministry of this last Age hath talked of and see now if you will own them in Practice do not reckon your selves any more as Ministers of Christ who cannot be content with his allowances and let forcing for Maintenance by Tythes alone to the Priests of the first Covenant and let bargaining alone for Wages and seek not Hire of them you work not for and if your Gospel will not maintain you then have you great Reason to question it whether it be the very same that Christ and his Apostles Preached in the Primitive times and it is manifest as aforesaid that they required no Tythes Stipends Augmentations or Sâ—llaries neither was ever any such Word heard amongst them as What will you give me anâ— I 'll be your Minister And yet there was no complâ—int of any want for Christ asked his Disciples when they had been travelling abroad preaching the Gospel though they had neither Staff nor Scrip nor Money If they wanted any thing and they said Nay But this Generation must know before-hand what is to be had at such and such a place and what is it worth per Annum or else no Goâ—pel is like to be Preached there But if any should ask the Ministry of this Aâ—e by what Right they claim tythes they cannot say by a better right then the Apâ—stles had nor I hope will not for they pretend to be but Sucâ—essâ—rs of them And if the extent of their Commission be enquired into they will give it you in these Words or the like presently viz. As my Father sent me so senâ—â— you But if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects I have little hope that they will comply in point of Maintenance I have good Ground so to judge even many at this day have boasted of their Câ—ll â—nd Ministry and have thrown many into Prison for those Popish tythes For if a Law or Statute were made for the taking of them away they would give over the Publication of their Gospel which demonstrates their Commission is not of God or else why should taking away of tythes invalidate them I desire they were â—ryed who boasted of Calls and Commissions I am afraid we should scarcely find one in 500 that would open his Mouth for if the cause were taken away the effect would also follow iâ— Maintenance were taken away their Preaching would cease But I shall return to speak something further concerning our own Nation It is needful to inform the Reader a little that when the Popes Doctrine was received in any Nation that Nation was dâ—vided into so â—â—ny â—ishoprâ—câ—s as was judged needful and every Bishoprick into 〈◊〉 many Parishes as were thought convenient for Parishes are but of a late Erection as to which something may be hereafter said for till then most Preaâ—hers were sent out of Monasteries and Religious Houses so called and the People at their own free will did give their Tythes and Offerings where they pleased till about the Year 1200. for till that time every Owner of the nine parts did give the Tenth to the Priest or to the Poor as he would But after that Parishes being set up and Priests appointed and Tythes paid to them after 40 Years possession what before was owned for free gift is now claimed as a debt prescription was pleaded by the Priests as their Just title but people seeing themselves run into a Snare began to contend but all too late for
c. And the first Scripture they bring in is Luke 11.41 You pay Tythe of Mint and Rue and all Manner of Herbs As also Mat. 23.23 You pay Tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin Also Luke 28.12 I am not as this Publican I pay Tythes of aâ—l that I possess c. It is answered that Christ spake this to the Jews and Pharisees in the time when the Levitical Priesthood was not ended and they were bound by the Law whilest it was of Force to observe this Ordinance amongst the rest which were in the first Covenant which was faulty which continued until the time of Reformation viz. till Christ was offered up and said It is finished and was the End of the Law for Righteousness unto all that believe but it is manifest that the Jews then unto whom Christ spoke were not Believers but were such as withstood the Son of God and did not receive him who was the Sum and Substance of all the Types and Shadows of that Covenant and so this is great Ignorance to conclude that because these Scriptures are written in the New Testament so called that therefore Tything is a Gospel-Ordinance for it is manifest that these Scriptures had Relation to the Jews who were under the Law and not under the Gospel and so their Plea as to this is made void But though Divine Right hath been long pleaded and is yet by some but few are now left that will only stand to it for if Tythes be absolutely due as by the Law of God no Custom Prescription Priviledge Exemption Dispensation Law or Constitutions of man or men can acquit any from the utmost Penny of the tenth Part but scarce the tenth Person in England payes Tythes in kind and many plead that they are Tythe-free and pay none at all but if any will stand to this and plead Divine Right then they are to be payed and received for the End and Use for the which they were commanded for the Levites Strangers Poor the Fatherless and Widdow and then where is the Impropriator's Share And some Lawyers of late of very good Fâ—me in England have given their Judgment that Tythes are not due by the Law of God Other Scriptures they seem to plead for the receiving of their Tythes as Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due And Mat. 22.21 Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesar 's and unto God the things which are God's Answ. Herein is a clear Distinction betwixt the things which are Câ—sar's and the things which are God's this speaks only of Tribute and Custom or Taxes or Assesments which the Civil Magistrate doth claim by Law and by Custom for the Preservation of a Nation or Conservation of every man in his proper and particular Right and herein every one ougâ—t to render Subjection and Obedience not only for Fear of Wrath but for Conscience sake but these Scriptures have no Relation to Tythes at all nor forced Maintenance for Priests Object But it may be objected Hath not the Magistrate Power to command or make Laws for the Payment of Tenths or what other Part he will to the Ministry Answ. This was answered before if God disanulled his own Command Heb. 7. for the Payment of Tythes who or what is Man that he should make a Law as well to contradict that his Command as also on the contrary to establish them And seeing the Work of the Ministry is the Work of the Lord for Conversion of Souls and that he is the Lord of the Harvest he provideth for his Labourers and Harvest-men whom he sends 〈◊〉 so that there need not any outward Law be made in this Particular the Ministers of old needed not though Believers were but few and the Ministry of this Age reckons whole Nations to be Believers and yet they dare not relye upon them for their Subsistance but run to the temporal Powers to make them a forcing Law to establish their Maintenance which demonstrates they are not true Believers whom they reckon to be so or else that the Lord of the Harvest never sent them forth or else that they do distrust the Lord of the Harvest who they say sent them out to preach Other Scriptures are brought to plead for Tythes or at least some Part of them and forced Maintenance as 1 Cor. 9.9 Thou shalt not muzzel the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn c. Ver. 7. Who plants a Vineyard and eats not of the Fruit thereof and who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the Milk of the Flock Ver. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Answ. Unto all which I answer that they which do believe and have received spiritual things indeed that they are enjoyned by the Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles and not only so but even from natural things all that believe are largely taught their Duty therein to distribute and communicate freely unto them who labour in Word and Doctrine and are sent out in the Work of the Lord that they be comfortably provided for by them that are Partakers of heavenly and spiritual things from the Lord as to go in the Warfare of the Lord and to plant in the Vineyard of the Lord yea and it is agreed that the Ministers of Christ did not do these things at their own Charge but if they might not be muzled that tread out the Corn yet they may be muzled that tread out no Corn but run ramping through the Lord's Fields and spoil the Corn these ought to be muzled Again they that watch over a Flock though they may eat of the Milk of the Flock yet they that kill them that are fed and feed themselves with the Fat and cloath themselves with the Wool and worry the Lambs they ought not to eat of the Milk of the Lord's Flock and of such as they reckon Unbelievers and Hereticks and they look upon belong to another Master and not to the Fold of Christ they ought nâ—t to cliâ— and shear other mens Sheep But in short all the aforesaid Scriptures make nothing at all for Tythes or any Part thereof either from Believers or not Believers and these Scriptures also grant that every man is the sole Owner of his own Labour and Possession yet ought every one freely to glorifie God with his Substance and to communicate to him that teacheth in all good things needful and such Sacrifice God doth well accept Again other Scriptures they bring in which there is as little Ground or Footing as in the former but that they are necessitated to get a Shelter and a seeming Cover for their Practice to blind People withal that they may get their Money and so they bring 1 Cor. 9.10 13 14. For it 's written or saith he It 's altogether for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in Hope and he that
been manifest among you above all the people and Families of the Earth in our Generation constrains me thus to write unto you and to stir you unto Faithfulness in this Day of Trial for now Satan desires to win now you within and to sift you without therefore all watch and pray that your Faith fail not which now will be tryed and your Hope and your Love and your Zeal to the Lord and his Truth and whether you will confess him before Men his Way Worship Laws and Statutes which he hath revealed in your Hearts which fallen men oppose and contradict and Sayers gainsay and would not have him to rule nor his Servants to obey so let it be manifest to all you fear God rather then men and love him and obey him above the Precepts of men which are against him and whether you love the things that are above beyond the things that are earthly and whether you will own him his Cross Reproach and Suffering or deny it and have the Liberty of the World which is Bondage and free from Righteousness it 's no time of Reserves concealing hovering or halting for there is an utter Discord betwixt Christ and Belial and so much the more of Christ his Power and Kingdom is brought forth so much the more is the Hatred Envy and Wrath of the Devil kindled who hath deceived the Nations and blinded their Eyes and in his Subjects who oppose the Lamb of God and tread under Foot the Blood of the Covenant so that to one or other each one belongs and which is for each part will be seen for there can be no Concord or Reconciliation Therefore all Children of the Day put on the Armour of Light and have your Feet shod now when we walk through thorny places and be not fearful or doubtful but of believing Hearts stand not aloof off and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual War pull not your Necks out of the Yoak when others draw shelter not your selves when you see others in Jeopardy love not the World when you see others have thrown it off be not entangled in cumbersome Things when you see others throw off all Weights turn not your Backs in the Day of the Lord's Controversie but follow the Lamb This is the Day of Tribulation we have to follow him in our Age like as all the Martyrs and Prophets had in their Age whose Garments were made white in the Blood of the Lamb So all that continue and are not faint-hearted shall receive the Crown the Honour the Reward and shall reign with Christ who now suffer with him Therefore all dear Children of God and Followers of Christ Jesus let the Loins of your Minds be girded up be now ready when the Lord calls who is on my Side who will take Part with me who will own my Reproach who will engage with me who will gather to my Standard of Salvation lifted up and to my Ensign of Righteousness held forth in the World to redeem it anâ— who is ready and not abroad in the Field neither hath to go to the House top but that all may say in their Hearts here am I ready to do thy Will ready to obey thee and follow thee and to suffer for thee for whoso draws back the Lord hath no Pleasure in such he that will save his Life shall lose it and he that will save his Liberty shall lose it in the Spirit and he that will save his earthly Possessions and for the doing thereof will deny that which God hath perswaded him of that he ought to be faithful in he will lose his Inheritance in the heavenly in a Word whoso fails in holding forth that Testimony that they know God requires and is their Duty to render unto him will lose the Testimony of his Spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves and will decay and their Love will wear out therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the Lord will be approved and manifest to be on the Lord's part by Obedience to these things mentioned Friends do you not believe it a Duty that every Christian ought to be exercised in to meet together to wait upon him to worship him and to admonish exhort and strengthen one another to pray together in the Holy Ghost and one for another and to edifie and comfort one another and do you not believe God dwells not in Temples made with Hands neither hath any Fellowship with Idols but is worshipped any where and in every Place where the Saints meet in his Name Again have you not been comforted edified and strengthned in meeting and have you not found the Presence of the Lord and his Face and have you not felt his great Power working in your Hearts when you were assembled together in his Name working in you to the opening of your Hearts and quickning and enlivening your Souls unto God and judging down the Evil and have you not felt his living Mercies shed abroad in you and the Springs of Life opened and the holy Seed refreshed and God's Witness reached in all and many convinced and converted unto God in your Assemblies so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed and resolved to continue in the Grace of God the Consideration of these Things dwelling in your Hearts and the Sence of your own present Condition should stir you up and provoak you unto Stedfastness in the Faith and Practice you have received and walked in from the Beginning of the Manifestation of God's Love unto you so that there should methinks need little Exhortation God's Enemies are resolved to do wickedly be you also so to do your Duty they seek by any means to make any fall from their Principles and Stedfastness do you seek to escape their Snares and to be kept clear in your Consciences before God be valiant for the Truth sell it not but all for it that it may be your all and then you shall see your Lot is fallen in a good Place and your Possession is pleasant the Lord calls now to Suffering put now your Necks in the Yoak bear one anothers Burthen and so fulfil the Law of Christ and take heed you give not Ear to that Voice that speaks Save thy Liberty save thy Estate possess thy own and provide for thy self and spare thy self that is the Voice of the Enemy of your Souls So keep over the World and its Spirit let no Slackness appear for that makes Sufferings long and that gives Ground to your Adversaries that they shall prevail and that weakens the Hands of others and strengthens not this confirms our Enemies in their Deceit that we are but as other men and people that have professed God in Summer and fair Weather but will make Ship-wrack of all in a Storm and in Suffering and any turning aside from the holy Commandment of God openeth the Mouth of God's Enemies do not seek every one your own Profit Ease Life and Liberty only but every one another's
had not that Sufficiency which many look upon now they have to wit natural Tongues and Languages yet it was sufficient in them to give them Wisdom to declare the things of the Kingdom of God to the Salvation of many that did believe through their Words it was sufficient to comfort Paul and Silas when they were shut in the inner Room and their Feet fast in the Stocks when there was no outward Cause of Joy but rather of Sorrow yet they were made to sing and rejoyce because of the great Comfort and Joy that the Spirit of God filled their Hearts with again it was sufficient in the midst of great Conflicts and Tribulations which Paul and the rest suffered for the Gospel's sake and for Christ's sake and yet as Suffering did abound it was sufficient to make Consolation to super-abound to ballance the Suffering and to make it easie Fifthly It is that everlasting Covenant which the Lord promised by the Mouth of his Prophets in â—ormer Dayes that he would fulfil in the latter Dayes or after times That he would write his Law in their Hearts and put his Spirit in their inward Parts and that they should not teach every Man his Neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest and again in another Place I will pour upon them the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and they shall see him whom they have pierced and again I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and my Sons and my Daughters shall prophecy c. And this was fulfilled at Pentecost in Jerusalem when the Disciples met together and the Promise of the Father came to be fulfilled and the Unbelievers said They were filled with new VVine and the Lord hath a Care of his People through Ages and hath not left them comfortless not without a Guide and a certain and sure one too which Spirit is manifest among some Non-conformists whom thou takest Liberty to call Sects and the Sufficiency of it is witnessed praised be the Lord in our Assemblies both as to convince to convert to save to judge to guide to instruct to comfort and is that alone in which all true Christian Men can worship God in the Silence of all Flesh fleshly Motions Thoughts it 's that that giveth Assurance also of Acceptation with God and is that which makes the Prayers of the Saints as sweet Incense in the Nostrils of the Lord it is that which makes the Words of him like Butter as pleasant as Hony or sweet Oyl who speaks by it through it and from it whereby the Hearts of many have been pricked and the Thoughts of many have been revealed and many have been comforted with Joy unspeakable and filled with pure Love from the sensible Feeling of the Sufficiency of its Power operating in the inward Man even as when the Harvest had been gathered in and the Press been full of Grapes and the Fat 's had overflown with Abundance so that they could have rejoyced and sung and danced for Joy as sometimes David did when the Ark of God was brought from the House of Obed-Edom and placed in Jerusalem when David danced for Joy and all Israel was filled with Gladness what might I say for the Certainty Sufficiency and All-sufficiency of this holy Spirit of God I might fill my Mouth with Arguments and time might fail me in Speech to speak of the Excellency Certainty and Infallibility thereof against all Opposers and Quarellers In a Word it is that alone means through which God conveys Eternal Life to all Man-kind and it is that Rule by which all the Sons of God were led Rom. 8.14 It is that only sure Guide Judge Way Rule in which there is Certainty and Assurance of the Love of God to Man-kind it is that by which the Deeds of the Flesh are mortified and men quickened and enlivened unto God in their Hearts in which the Saints are accepted by which they are regenerated and through which they become Heirs of the Promise what shall I say but this let all Flesh be confounded before it and all Deceit stop its Mouth and all the Sons of Men bow before it all Councils and Churches all Rulers and Elders all Reason and Comprehension all Words and Writings of Men and holy Men yea of the Scriptures of Truth it gave them all a Being it was and is and is to come and will remain when all visible things are past away it is that by which God will plead with all Flesh and bring a Consumption upon all the honourable of the Earth and burn up the Mountains and make the Hills to melt and make all a Plain before him therefore make room make room make way ye Potsherds and cease all your contending and babling and bow to it and learn of it in your Hearts which R. E. like an ignorant Man calls a private Spirit that your Souls may be saved in the Day of the Lord and you may escape his Wrath which is to come against all Resisters of it Sixthly Your Catholick Church falsely so called who hath Erred from the Spirit the infallible Guide though you much boast of it both in Doctrine and Practise abundantly insomuch that your Faces seem altogether to look another way and your course to arrive at another Haven then the Apostles and all the Primitive Christians attained unto to wit everlasting Happiness and Rest of their Souls and acceptation with God in their performances and Sacrifices which they offered unto him in the Spirit of which they and all that believe in it and have received it received perfect assurance in their Hearts by the immediate Spirit of God and likewise the Protestants in general whether Lutherans or Calvinists or other Sects known by denomination are of so narrow and a pinching Spirit as that you would Pinch and shut up the Universal love of God unto all Mankind in a narrow Corner and monopolize the free Grace of God that hath appeared unto all Men that teaches all Men that receive it to deny all Heresie Falshood Opinions and Humours private Spirits and Spirits of Error which leadeth from all these and is sufficient to lead out of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of God and this all Sects since the Woman cloathed with the Sun fled into the Wilderness viz. the true Church and all parties have laid claim to and excluded all other that were not of the Opinion as from having any share in it as though it were given only to such a company of Men that succeeded the Apostles and by Arts and parts and Natural Language in the Course and Term or Years and at such such places as the Apostles were sometime conversant at and other Sects besides you who have kept more nearer in Conformity in Doctrine and Worship and unto the Apostles then you have done they have laid claim to the Spirit of God and to
according to the Innocency of our Hearts do thou judge us and plead our Cause And further we have laboured that Sin might be beat down and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living God and that Righteousness might have been advanced and Truth have taken Place in all Mens Hearts both in word and deed that Christ who is professed in Words might have ruled in the Hearts of all Men that make mention of him that so God's Blessing might have been felt and known by all and the Souls of all saved from the Snares of Satan and out of that which the Wrâ—th of God and his Judgments come upon And Lord God of Heaven and Earth thou knowest how our Adversaries have sought Occasion against us for no other Cause but for the Matter of the Worship of the living God and unto God's righteous Judgment Seat we dare appeal do thou judge us and reward us according to our deserts if ever we have contrived the Hurt of any Man or Men or have sought to violate any righteous Law of Man which stands to the well-governing of a Nation or Country in the things that pertain to the World yet how have we been falsly represented slander'd belyed mis-reported hated back-bited persecuted and killed as all the Day long and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native Land neither to enjoy our own Wives and Children a thing common to all men Christian and Heathen neither to breath in the common Air And how many grievous things have been heaped and are daily upon our Backs that we are factious seditious Enemies to Magistrates to the Ministers of Christ Plotters Conspirators against humane Government Enemies to the King disobedient to the Laws Broachers of Heresie Authors of Sedition Enemies to the Church and State And this the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer and a Slanderer from the Beginning he hath put a lying Spirit in the Mouthes of some and it 's entered into the Hearts of others and thus by them are the Powers of the Earth stirred up and the Rulers to persecute us without any just Cause but this must not be counted Persecution for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of and therefore all that comes upon us it must be reckoned as just and is an equal Reward for our Offences and as just punishment for our Transgression and Disobedience and so is no Persecution at all and he hath Witnesses enough to testifie against us as he had against Christ all the Scribes and Pharisees and the Leaders and Rulers of the People with the high Priests Judas and all to testifie against him That he was not fit to live but all cry Away with him even so now he hath all the Rabbies and Elders and all the Time-serving Hirelings who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and all formal Professors who profess him in Words but deny him in Works and deâ—pise his Cross with all Drunkards Lyars and Swearers all proud and covetous all wanton and riotous and all that love the Pleasure of Sin for a Season all these will give their Verdict against us There was and is a Generation that called Darkness Light and Light Darkness and Good Evil and Evil Good the Judgment of all such is false and must be Judged and God who hath Immortality and dwells in the Light with whom is no Darkness at all judgeth not as these men and therefore let us never heed the Censures and Judgments of fallen men who err in their Judgment who cannot judge for God or his People but against them let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man seeing the Lord justifies us in his VVork and Service whereunto we are called and all the aforesaid Crimes falsly laid to our Charge he clears us of and we can with a good Conscience and pure Heart bid defiance to all the Powers of darkness and all the Enemies of God and the Lord will clear us more and more as his Power Glory and Light appears in the Earth and brings forth our Righteousness as the Noon-day before our Enemies notwithstanding all the false Aspersions and Reproaches cast upon us in the mean time if we be crowned with Reproaches as Christ was with Thorns and evilly entreated for his Names sake let us bear all things and endure all things with Patience and Hope to the End And though they cover us with Bear Skins and Draff as the Heathens did the primitive Christians and so let all the wild Beasts upon us let us give up our Bodies as a Sacrifice unto the Lord and for a Witness unto his Name and Truth that so we all may witness eternal Rest unto our Souls and everlasting Joy in his heavenly Habitation where all Persecutors and Evil-doers are shut out Dearly beloved of the Lord I write not these things unto you because you many of you do not know them but because you know them to put you all in Mind and to stir up your Hearts to the holy Consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times and in very Truth whatsoever doth lye within my View that might conduce to any or all your Good I cannot withhold it from you because I know it is not only my Duty but I can truly say the Love of Christ constrains me for my Soul Heart and Life is knit unto you in the everlasting Covenant of Life above all the Families of the Earth and the more you are hated the more I love you and the more you are despised and set at nought the more I prize you and the more you are compassed about on every Side with Tryals and Afflictions the more my Soul is poured forth unto the Lord for you that you may be kept stedfast in the Faith and Hope in the Lord unto the End that you may receive his Reward the Crown of Glory which is laid up for all them that love the Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Faith do overcome And blessed and happy are all they that keep their Garments clean in this polluted time wherein Wickedness walks with open Face and Ungodliness with an out-stretched Neck and is exalted in great Height and doth corrupt many and the Earth is growing ripe with Wickedness for Destruction for the proud are counted happy and they that work Wickedness are admired and gloryed in as the only brave Men of these times which they make evil through yielding themselves Servants unto Sin and their Lusts. Ease and worldly Enjoyments and immediately drop down into eternal Perdition and it 's time for the Lord to arise and plead with all Flesh for men make void his Law and go about to establish their own in Opposition thereunto for Violence Cruelty and Hardness of Heart and Persecution are the Forerunners of Desolation and Destruction these things do generally abound all is secure and at
sometime that and changeable whenas every true confession and Testimony is equivalent thereunto in the presence of the God of all Truth and who ever denyed this And there is no necessity so to Judge that he that fears to Swear and take an Oath yet refuseth not to give Testimony about any matter whether it doth concern the Lord or his Neighbour that therefore he denyes the Magistrates Authority or yet disobeys their legal commands so that though all Swearing should be denyed yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed true Testimony and therefore the Magistrates Authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed and right done unto every Man and Christ's command stand also these are but the Secret smitings and suggestions of A. Smalwood to render them Odious to the Magistrates and all People who dissent from him in Judgment And indeed such like Discourses and Instigations from such like Mouths and Pens as his is who is accounted Learned and Eminent hath not a little added afflictions unto our Bonds and they have made wide the Wound and have made the Breach seem greater then it is and the matter more grievous then there hath been any Cause for I desire they may consider of it and Repent And in page 13. from this Text Mat. 5.34 But I say unto you swear not at all he layes down this Proposition or Doctrine viz. Our Saviour did not intend by these Words Swear not at all an absolute universal and limited Prohibition of all manner of Swearing and goes on to prove it by divers Reasons The first he gives is That the Father and the Son are one in Nature Power Wisdom Immutability and Eternity and one in Will and Wisdom therefore they cannot give forth contrary Commands but God the Father hath commanded Swearing in these Words Thou shalt fear the Lord and swear by his Name and serve him Deut. 6.13 And therefore it is not possible that God the Son should forbid it Answ. Though the Father and the Son be one in Nature Power and Wisdom and Immutability and Will as in themselves and alter not but keep Covenant from Age to Age and from Generation to Generation there is no Contrariety in them yet there are Diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Differences of Administrations but the same Lord It is granted that after Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and Diffidence and Unbelief Variance and Strife and many Transgressions for which the Law was added and because of which the Law was added and the Command given forth unto the Jews to swear by the Name of God as Jerome saith upon Mat. 5.3 37. It was permitted the Jews under the Law is being tender and Infants and to keep them from Idolatry which the rest of the Nations did run into they might swear by the Name of God not that it was rightful so to do but that it was better to swear by the Lord then by false Gods or Devils but the great Evangelical Sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath Secondly For the ending of Strife and Variance being in the Unbelief which was the Occasion of the adding of the Law and the Cause of the Command given forth Deut. 6.13 with divers more Words specified by Moses and the Prophets And though Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and to destroy that which the Law was against and which it took hold upon and to finish Sin and Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness and to restore to the Beginning and we say according as we have believed and received of the Lord and have a Cloud of Witnesses both them that are gone before and of them that yet remain alive As Christ said of Divorcement It was not so from the Beginning so we say Oathes were not from the Beginning but were added after Hardness of Heart and Sin and Unbelief entered into the World but Christ who was made under the Law and fulfilled the Law put an End to the Transgression Sin Unbelief Variance and Strife in whom all the Promises of God are fulfilled he is the Righteousness of God and who are true Christians indeed are come out of Unbelief Variance and Transgression and do see and know Christ to be the End of the Law for Righteousness unto them that believe who exhorted to do the Truth confess the Truth and speak the Truth who said Swear not at all by Heaven and which after more shall be said God willing to the Text it self And so A. Smalwood his Reason is made void and his Impossibility made possible that God gave forth a Command and permitted the Jews to swear in that Covenant and Ministration and yet Christ in the New Covenant countermands it as in the Text being the Minister of a better Covenant which stood upon better Promises who leads to the Beginning and is the Restorer of all Mankind that do believe and yet the Father and the Son are one in Will Wisdom Power And though A. S. and others cannot understand or else have no Mind in that Latitude as generally prohibitive of all Swearing because he sayes God did require it no less then he did his own Worship and Service in the moral Law these nice Distinctions of Moral Judicial and Ceremonial have confounded Peoples Understandings though it is still acknowledged they did vow and did swear in the first Covenant under the Law but whether he or any other making Swearing moral judicial or ceremonial is not much matter seeing that Christ the Righteousness is the Sum and Substance of all and the End of the Law for Righteousness to them that do believe and in him is Life and Righteousness enjoyed for the Law was given by Moses but the Grace and the Truth cometh by Jesus Christ who in the Sum of all Types and Shadows and therefore the Apostle said We are circumcised in him and baptized in him and we do look upon an Oath under the Law to have some Type and Figure in it notwithstanding A.S. sayes It was none and that Christ is improperly called the Oath of God no more improper then he is a Vine a Door a Way a Shepherd for all the Promises are fulfilled in him and are yea and amen And as for the Morality of it so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the Gospel is in Confession of Truth and bearing Witness thereunto as before the Lord or in his Presence and speaking the Truth when there is Necessity as when any man's Person or Estate or any Part thereof is in Danger and this we have ever owned and do own and have and are ready to testifie the Truth before the Lord or in his Presence as concerning any Matter which concerns the Glory of God or the Good of our Neighbour without being pinched or bound up to a certain Form of Words imposed upon us but according as Necessity requires so amply and largely
that he so vehemently contends for that ought to be observed as well as God's Fear Service it 's but their own Traditions Inventions for that under the Law will not serve As the Lord lives or that he calls Swearing under the Gospel will not serve The Lord is Witness or I speak the Truth in Christ or thâ—s is Truth in the Presence of God or the like none of these will serve but though he the Rulers do say they are Oaths yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the Truth in this or that particular Causes or to make as ample Confession in Demonstration for clearing any Cause in Debate that hath either conduced to the Glory of God or the Good and Profit of any particular Man in the Nation among whom we converse and not without some Attestation of God or of his Wisdom Power and Presence yet it would never yet be received but reckoned as Insufficient though both the Rulers of this Age and A. S. have said it It might be that in private it might but in Judicature never as received though I do believe the most do believe we dare not lye in ordinary Communication much less in Judicature yet we have been set aside as Objects of Wrath as deluded erronious factious seditious Contemners of Law Obstructors of legal Procedings except we would lay our Hand upon a Bible and kiss it and say I swear and by the Contents of the Book and so help me God or else fined imprisoned for Term of Life our Lands and Goods confiscated and we sentenced to be banished our Wives and Children ruinated Husband and Wife parted Children and Parents separated and such Monsters of Christians have we to deal withal in this Age and how many brought into this sad Condition in England as little A. S. knows as cares But for ought I know that he and such as he in such publick Discourses as this of his have blown the Sparks and have kindled a Flame in the Rulers and incensed them and stirred them up to Severity and Harshness against them who fear the Lord and do maintain Peace with all men as much as in them lyeth and keep their Consciences void of Offence towards God which makes us to chuse rather all this Hardship then to offend the Lord who serve and fear his Name and reverence it more then they who seem to honor it and pretend God's Honour through their Swearing But to make amends for this A. S. saith The Magistrates must act by the Law and that enjoyns such a Form of Swearing and they cannot allow it Unto that I answer it had been a more necessary Discourse for A. S. to have exhorted the Magistrates if the Law had been answered in the Substance not to be so severe in the Form and also to have told them where any Law was made contrary to the Law of God either in Matter or Form the Consciences of Believers could not yeild Obedience thereunto when it was repugnant unto the Law of God and not according to the Form thereof and in such Cases to be wary and he and the rest of the Clergy to have advised with the Rulers and Law-makers and to have informed them from whom they receive such great In-comes and Revenues for the Preservation and Peace of all Men tnat they need not stand so much upon the Form seeing that so many conscientious People questioned it so that there needed not such tying up to Form under such great and heavy Penalties as Banishment Confiscation and perpetual Imprisonment but have informed them so that the Truth might have been found out and no judicial Proceedings hindered which I am sure may be without any Swearing true Testimony never being denyed when required by any Magistrate and let but a Penalty be upon him that gives false Evidence or speaks an Untruth about any Proceedings in Judicature or otherwise called to bear Evidence in any Controversie if found let them suffer as them that swear falsly and as perjured and the Case is one and here all Scruples and Contentions about Swearing would end and there would not be the least Obstruction in legal Proceedings or in Administration of Justice and let me tell Doctor Smallwood and the rest of his Brothren that if they would move such a thing in Parliament peradventure it would be readily received from them and in so doing they would do as acceptable a Piece of Service and as well-pleasing to God and would conduce as much to the Peace and Tranquillity of the Nation as any thing that ever they will do in their Age or hath been effected many Ages and so all these Heart-burnings Contentions and evil Surmisings and evil representing one another would cease and end and which if not effected nothing can be looked for but sad Suffering and great Oppression and Persecution which will provoke the Lord to Anger and ever did against all them that were the Cause of it in Ages past But I come to his second Argument Second Argument Some without any Colour Reason or Possibility of Proof will needs have Swearing a ceremonial Rite but God ranks it with his Fear and Service therefore it must needs be moral and therefore what at all Times as well under the Gospel as under the Law as well among the Gentiles as the Jews tends to the Glory of God that is not a ceremonial Ordinance nor forbidden by Christ but such is Swearing and therefore it cannot be thought to be prohibited Reply It hath been said and often asserted that all the ten Words and ten Commandments were moral and perpetual as well under the Gospel as under the Law then I wonder what A. S. and divers others intend to do with the fourth Commandment if it be moral and perpetual and to be observed in the same Manner and with the same Service as then commanded and the same day and time then he and most of them who contend most for the Morality of these ten Commandments are great Transgressors and if he grant there was something ceremonial in it and typical or figurative which then was the seventh Day which was given for a Sign of the World's Rest from its Labour and of keeping after it an everlasting Sabbath to the Lord by Man's Cessation from his own Works as God did from his Isa. 58. and the last of Hebrews ver 4. which Jewish Observation of the seventh Day as a Sabbath now though never so solemnly as then commanded will have no Acceptation at all no more then he and he as much that is none at all that never so solemnly swears by the Name of God in such ceremonious Way as the Jews did of old or goes beyond the bare Asseveration or Testimony of Truth with some Attestation of God's Power and Veracity which hath never been denyed which to do we do not only think but know it to be a superfluous Ceremony to Judaism not to say Brat of Jewish Extraction
as A. S. doth now circumcised and cut off from Christians by Christ And what though God did Deut. 10.20 rank it with his Fear and Service was there any Service or Worship in that Covenant that had not some Sign and Shadow in it and was ceremonial and was to end in the Substance was there not Prayer and Praising and were not these Service and Worship and had these not the Ceremony of Incense and Sacrifice which then attended these Services but the Substance was lifting up of the Heart unto the Lord and making a Melody in the Heart and Circumcision is now that of the Heart Rom. 2. which was outward before the killing of a Lamb at the Passeover was an Ordinance in that Covenant the Substance thereof is Christ the Passeover the other now under the Gospel would be no more then cutting off a Dog's Neck these were all Ordinances of God to be observed and in their day and time they that did according to the Command of God tended to the Glory of God in that first Covenant but in the second under the Gospel whosoever should observe them in the Figure Ceremony and Shadow should much dishonour God and his Christ the Substance and Christ would profit him nothing see that Ceremony of Swearing the Morality that only abides under the Gospel is testifying the known Truth from the Heart with some Attestation of God to witness who is Witness of all we do or say and that no more then Confession or Denial by Yea or Nay which is no Oath is that standing Substance and the moral if A. S. will have it called so that remains under the Gospel which answers that ceremonious Way of Swearing under the Law which is most evidence by the Apostle Paul's rendering of that Term Swearing as it was spoken by Way of Prophesie concerning its Continuance Isa. 45.23 To me every Tongue shall swear under that Term Confessing only under the Gospel Rom. 14.11 Every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall confess to God Confession under the Gospel is made equivalent with an Oath under the Law but this rendering of it A. S. doth not like but would pervert Paul's Words to have it Confession but put to his own Addition by Oath so that his Argument is void Swearing was binding in that ceremonious Way which it was commanded under the Law but not under the Gospel nor among the Christians who are come to the Substance and to confess and speak the Truth in Christ to the Glory of God acknowledging his Power and Omnisciency and his Justice in discerning whether Truth be spoken and in punishing them that speak falsly his Wisdom in discerning the Secrets of all Hearts and A. S. might as well have said That Offerings and Oblations Sacrifice tend much to the Glory of God under the Gospel as under the Law as Swearing but saith he Swearing is a Part of God's peculiar Service that is incommunicable to any Creature the like I say of the former Offering and Sacrifice and Incense were incommunicable to any Creature but was due unto God alone yet it doth not follow as well under the Gospel as under the Law for that were to set up the Figure and deny the Substance so this second Argument is insufficient and the third is somewhat related to it which I now come unto Thirdly The third Argument is That if Christ's Purpose be utterly to abolish all Swearing as an illegitimate Brat of Jewish Extraction not to be admitted into the Christian Church then it must be either as it is repugnant to our Duty to God or else to our Neighbour for into that summary he hath contracted the whole Law Reply We must still distinguish that which was once a duty to be performed under the Law because commanded is not required as a duty under the Gospel and the strength of most of A. S. his Arguments and the rest who contend for Swearing under the Gospel are grounded upon the Mosaical Law though this of Oaths he will needs have to be moral it may be he would contend as much for the Morality of Tythes and Oblations if it had been the subject of his Discourse as for Oaths and them to be jure divino under the Gospel for many such we have met with and he might bring the same Arguments for Tythes and Oblations they are not repugnant unto God but bring Glory to his Name because hereby his Ministers under the Gospel are maintained and are enabled thereby to Preach the Gospel for the Conversion of Souls which addes much to the Glory of God and therefore cannot or are not to be prohibited but these only belonged to the Levitical Priesthood and continued only to the time of reformation viz. to the bringing in of a better Hope and a better Covenant which stood upon better Promises for the Priesthood being changed there is also of necessity a change of the Law Hebr. 6.12 by which Tythes was a duty and they robbed God that detained them Mal. 3.8 But this being ended and fulfilled in Christ the everlasting high Priest who by one Offering perfected forever them that are Sanctified he bid not his Disciples require Tythes as a due or duty belonging to God under the Gospel But freely you have received freely give and what House soever ye enter into that is worthy there abide and eat such things as are set before you for the Workman is worthy of his Meat and this was far more Evangelical conduced more to the Honour of God then Tythes and the Apostles lived more by Faith upon God who provided for them who were employed in his Service so that I argue what was once a duty under the Law that was to be performed unto God is not alwayes a duty among Christians for though Oaths were commanded unto the Jews in that time of Infancy and as being weak and it was permitted them as Jerome saith upon the 5 th Mat. vers 37. to Swear by the Name of God to keep them from Idolatry seeing all other Nations were given to Idolatry and Swear by false God's as Chemosh Ashtereth and Baal he knew their aptness to be led aside with the Customs of other Nations and therefore they were to acknowledge him alone who was the living God and no other and to testifie Truth by his Name as a thing certain and sure and therefore one of their Oathes was as the Lord lives and this among the rest was one of the Precepts of the Law which was added because of Transgression to Swear by his Name which needed not have been added if Sin and Transgression and unbelief had not entered in mark this and this Law of Oathes pertained to that part which was in the Transgression and Variance and Strife and that led to Worship Idols and this continued while that Nature was standing but Christ was revealed and given to finish Sin and Transgression and unbelief and to do away that part that lusted after Idols and
were good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded instance the Worship at Jerusalem and the Service there and the place where God had promis'd to place his Name yet Christ said as foreknowing the End of all the aforesaid Worship which appertained to that Covenant and therefore he said to the Woman Joh. 4.23 but the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshipers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeks such to Worship him and 24. vers God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth 2. Cor. 3.17 From hence it is clearly evident for this was before he was offered up that then was the time that neither at Jerusalem nor in the Mountain of Samaria it shall be only said they worship the Father though at Jerusalem was the place Deut. 1.1 2 5. of Worship formerly and the Jews held it then and the Worship was that which was commanded to wit Sacrifices and Offerings and many other legal Services which belonged to them to perform according to the command of God and if Swearing or Oaths was any part of the Service of God as in that Covenant as we with A. S. do grant Deut. 10.20 You shall fear the Lord and serve him and Swear by his Name then I say that Swearing amongst the rest of the Worship is included but saith Christ neither at Jerusalem nor this Mountain but they that worship shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth so that the time was then but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled that both the place and the worship and Service that belonged to the place they should no more Worship the Father with and in but in the Spirit and in the Truth and this may be in Answer to that which A. S. makes a great adoe with in his Book how that Christ said Swear not at all it was before his Death and therefore they that Argue saith he That swearing was prohibited only and ended in Christ's death cannot plead that all Oaths were prohibited but that command of Christ Mat. 5. because he spake this in his Life time I say â—o did he this Jo. 20.21 22 23. And he may as well Argue that Christ destroyed the place of Worship at Jerusalem and the Worship also and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did and why but because he spoke this before he was Crucified and so did he Swear not at all and why may not A.S. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain Christ's meaning in those words in the 5 th Mat. 23 and 24. and so the Words may truly be understood thus ye have heard that it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy sâ—lf but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Exod 20.7 and Deut. 5.11 but the Hour cometh and now is when I say unto you that say more then the Law hath said Swear not at all neither â—y Heaven nor by the Earth but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of Evil and yet whatever may or can be said A. S. will needs conclude That all Swearing is not forbidden and why because it hath been the praâ—â—ice of holy Men and also an Angel this Argument is of little force so was it the practice of holy Men to offer Sacrifice and burn Incense and as for the Swearing of the Angel Dan. 12. and Revel 10.6 to prove the lawfulness of some Swearing these have been answered over and over and over again though A. S. will take no notice of it though I perceive he hath read the Arguments that have been used as Answers to these things though he will not seem to take notice nor to reply to confute the Arguments but rather minds his own and to assert what may seem to mâ—ke for his purpose as to the matter he hath taken in Hand but as for good Men's Swearing and the Angel's Swearing if their Example would â—uâ—tifie the lawfulness of Swearing yet they could not be any president to us who are under the Gospel of the Son that is greater then the Angels by the dispensation of whom the Law for Oaths Tythes offerings oblations and other legal Rights and Rudiments were given which Son also all the Angels of God are bid to Worship for the Apostle saith Hebr. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the World to come but that is committed unto the Son under whose Ministration and subjection we are who said Let your Yea be yea and you nay nay and speak the Truth and do the Truth and bear witness to the Truth who said Learn of me and these things we have learned of him unto whom all Power is committed for he is counted Hebr. 3.3 more worthy of Glory then Moses though Moses was faithful in his House as a Servant but Christ as a Son which is that great Prophet that Moses Prophesied of which all are to hearken unto with whom the Father is well pleased being made so much better then the Angels Hebr. 1.4 as he hath â—y Inheritance obtained a more Excellent Name then they vers 5. for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee vers 6. Again when he bringeth the first â—egotten into the World he saith let all the Angels of God Worship him of the Angels he saith he makes them minâ—strâ—ng Spirits and a Flame of Fire but unto the Son he saith thy Throne oh God is forever and ever the Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for if the Words spoken by Angels wer stedfast and every Transgression received a just recompence of reward how shall they escape Hebr. 2.3 who do not only neglect the command of Christ but labour to pervert through their Strengâ—h of their own reason the ministration of the Son who is the sum and substance of all Shadowy and Typical Ministrations and therefore A. S. and all concerned look â—o it who would introduce Judaism and the Mosaical Observations upon the Neck of Christs Disciples and as Laws in his Kingdom and whether would not this prefer the Servant before the Son yea or nay and his Ministration before the Ministration of the Son though the one is not against the other but the one pointing at the other and in the latter the first is fulfilled the Truth declared the Truth spoken the Truth lived in and the Truth confessed in every matter wherein any Christian is concerned which is the sum and the matter which all Oaths in their highest and greatest Ordination could or can effect In the 40 th page of his Book he saith our Saviour saith Amen Amen 24. times in John's Gospel which he saith St. Ambrose will needs have to amount unto an Oath and he cites Apoc. 3. These things saith the Amen compares it with Isa.
it is but A. S. his Groundless supposition that it seems it was used in the Apostles time the Apostle speaking of an Oath only as among Men and not of Saints who as concerning Strife the occasion of Swearing and consequently concerning Swearing should not walk as Men 1 Cor. 2.1 2 3. but A. S. should consider this as every one ought that when men that have been once in Strife and Contention and Variance come once into Christ and to be in him New Creatures Christians to walk no more as Carnal not as Men but as men of God and as spiritual and as true Saints and Christians they come both out of Strife and Swearing which was added to end Strife and whatever A. S. may conclude we say these and divers more are great and weighty Reasons wherefore Christ did prohibit all Swearing and puts it out of use and date and no necessity of it as among true Christians seeing that every true saying or Testimony is equivalent with an Oath His ninth Argument is That either these Words Swear not at all must not be extended to a total prohibition of Swearing or else Christ thereby gave a new moral command but Christ gave no new moral command for that had been contrary to God's express will thou shalt not add unto the word which I command and besides he ordained no new Law in the matter of the 6 th and 7 th Commandments and shall we think that he who vindicated the other Commandments from the leud depravations of Men hath abrogated this only as though it had not been framed by the same Wisdom and acted by the same God and further Christ's opposition is only against the Pharisaical Mis-interpretations of the Law and if only so then Christ did not forbid such Oaths as were lawfully before enjoyned Reply What ever A. S. calls a new moral command sure I am he commanded that which was more exact then the Law so that Doctor Gauden himself sayes That Christ gave many singular precepts of more eminent diligence Patience Charity Mortification Self-denyal Sincerity and the perfection of obedience required now under the Gospel is above whatever the Letter of the Mosaical Law seemed to exact or by the Pharisaical interpretation were taught by the Jews c. in which he speaks the Truth it was said in the 21. of Exod. and 42 of Levit. an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth but in Mat. 5.39 Christ commanded that which the Law had not spoken of and not only a further thing but another thing But I say unto you that ye resist not ill but whoever shall smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also ver 40 41. And if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also where said the Law this And whosoever shall compel thee to go a Mile go with him twain where did ever the Law of Moses command this and though the Law said Levit. 19. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy which he saith was but a Pharisaical innovation which if it be I query of A. S. where in the Law it is written Love thine Enemy and as was said before whether did not Israel fight with their Enemies and kill them and destroy them and whether they had not a command so to do yea or nay as in Deut. 2.24 chap. 3.3 Numb 21.23 24.25 Josh. 10.19 23. And whether this be not another thing that Christ saith ver 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you c. But it is manifest that in the second Covenant under the Gospel that a more Evangelical and exact obedience then was exprest in the Letter of the Law which so far as it was Typical was only a Temporary dispensation for as I said before the Letter of the Law of Moses permitted to be avenged on Enemies Egyptians Amalekites c. And I hope that A. S. will not conclude that they killed them in love to them and they might be avenged and take an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth whose Gospel in other points which the Law had not said forbids and condemns rash anger Lust after Women Polygamie divorce except for Fornication and yet it was indulged and connived at as under the Law yet the Lord saith by the Prophet Malachy Mal. 2.16 He hateth putting away while the Letter condemned no more but actual murder and Adultery indulging and conniving Polygamie and divorce And though under the Law Stripe for Stripe Wound for Wound was permitted but under the Gospel resist not Evil avenge not forbear forgive for the whole Law of Moses was given by the dispensation of Angels in the Hand of that Mediator for a time and so some Swearing and such Swearing as even by God was used in order to end Strife where it was yet standing yet Christ the Mediator of a better Covenant in whose Hand the Law is now unto all Christians he forbad not only that which the Law allowed and indulged connived at and commanded in divers things as is manifest in this fifth of Matthew where he prohibits all Swearing so that it is evident that Christ doth not only reprove the false glosâ—es and the abusive loose interpretations of the Law which they allowed but even divine indulgence dispensed with and connived at in the things before-mentioned because of the hardness of their Hearts And let A. S. or any Man living shew us wherein Christ requires a Righteousness or Perfection that exceeds that of the Law for the Law said Swear not by any Creature but only by God and for swear not and if Christ said no more but Swear not by any Creature as Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem where is that high State of Perfection and that Righteousness which exceeds that of the Law and of the Scribes and Pharisees And though A. S. will not grant that he ordained a new Law in matter of the 6 th 7 th Commandments no more will he grant of the fourth which I suppose A.S. doth not keep as it was commanded under the Law where ever he will have his dispensation I know not so to conclude in answer to this he did more then reprove the erroneous tenets and vicious manners of the Jews and their false interpretations and glosses which they had given upon the Law but he doth disallow also something which the Law had allowed before as is proved before and that he disallowed something yea divers things which the Law had allowed and connived and indulged as divers Polygamie killing Enemies or in seeking revenge upon them that had done Ill unto us which the Law allowed as an act of Justice Deut. 19.21 Eye for eye Tooth for tooth but this Christ exhorted unto Overcome Evil with good avenge not resist not do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that despightfully use you and Persecute you
might as reasonably have concluded that the high Priest rent his Cloaths and cryed Blasphemy not so much at thou hast said or I am as of this the next words nevertheless I say unto you ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven for then the next words are then the high Priest rent his Cloaths and cryed Blasphemy and then A. S. goes on It was enough that Christ denyed not to Swear and the sum of all or the most that he can make when he hath twined about with many Circumstances to prove that he did Swear or consented to Caiaph is adjuring and answered his adjuring this is all I am and thou hast said and therefore what either may or can be said A. S. hath concluded Christ did Swear yet Sect. 27. he tell us that the essence of Swearing is in calling God to Witness and how or where did Christ call God to witness then this overturns his own Argument seeing we do not read that Christ saied any more in his answer then as is aforesaid I am and thou hast said and he sayes To alledge that Christ Swear not because he laid not his Hand upon a Book or kissed or lifted up his Hand is but to trifle yet he says that Ceremony is Ancient as Chrysostome tells him that it 's above 1250. years since if it be but to trifle why are so many Conscientious People in bonds this day in England under a Premunire for these trifles a very shame to Christianity for where any or all of these have been denyed though they have answered the Truth and the whole Truth and as much as A. S. calls an Oath yet this hath been counted insufficient and we know Justinian the Emperour ordain'd the Ceremony that Men should Swearly the Gospel or Book and lay their hands thereon and kiss or the like and though it be so many Years since it was ordained as A. S. sayes this adds nothing to the warrantableness thereof but Custome is proof enough to such a Ceremonious Age as this when Formalities Ceremonies Gestures and Postures are more regarded then the power of God and Godliness and we say such a Ceremony about Swearing is not without the Appearance of evil for the Bible is a Creature made up of many Creatures and laying the Hand and kissing and ordering it in such manner is I know looked upon by many to be Swearing by it and so the most takes it and this were unlawful and therefore better to be wholely avoided then so many suffer because thy cannot do it besides as I said the evil appearance of it for it is not any Gospel Institution but an innovation since the Apostacy entred in and if God had ever judged any necessity thereof or that it had rendred an Oath more solemn the Law would have said something of it and it was never a practice among the Primitive Christians and therefore a vain Humane tradition crept in since which ought to be avoided and and though A.S. says to reply that Christ Swore not though Caiaphas adjured him is vain for an examinate is to answer both in matter and Form according to what is proposed I say it 's A. S. his vain supposition and presumption without Ground so to judge that Christ Swore I say sometime he held his Peace that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet of him before that he should be as a Lamb dumb before the Shearer as sometime he was both to the chief Priests and Elders to Pilate and to Herod which were all in some Authority and sometime he answered them in the Wisdom of God and sometime he spoke and bore witness to that and Prophesied unto them which was not at all either as to the matter or form of the high Priests adjuring for the very next Words but thou hast said nevertheless I say unto you hereafter shall you see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Mat. 26.64 and therefore these show A. S. his Argument to be frivolous and vain and Mark saith the chief Priests accused him of many things Mark 15.3 but he answered nothing either to their accusations or took notice of the high Priests adjuring to answer him in matter and form as A. S. would have it neither did he look upon himself so oblig'd but answered sometime and spoke the Truth alwayes when he spoke and that which alwayes displeased and dissatisfied the Jews when he answered and for ought can be perceived by his arguing that every Examinate is to answer directly to every matter and form to any that pretends Power to administer an Oath or to adjure he goes about to establish the Popes Inquisition and create matter as sometime they did here in England in the height of the Popes domination forged matter out of their own wicked Hearts to ensnare the Lambs of Christ and then to require them to Swear that they might destroy them and accuse them out of their own Mouths even as the high Priest sought to destroy Christ and to ensnare him which methinks A. S. hath said too much in Vindication of his adjuring and will needs have Christ to be of his mind and at last concludes that Christ Swore but it s but upon his own presumption and supposition and is more then ever he is able to make evident from what is written And A. S. tells us over and over again Swearing was a part of God's Worship wherein God's wisdom Power and justice is acknowledged and then incommunicable to any Creature or false God as is answered before so was Circumcision then and the Oblations and Burnt Sacrifice and Offerings and new Moons to be performed only to the Lord and were peculiarly to be performed unto God and not communicable to any Creature and we say and prove Deut. 6.13.10.20 that these were a part of the service and Worship of God and which as we shall grant that an Oath under the Law was commanded as well as these Services or in his own terms an Oath was equally commanded with his Service as is proved above In this he hath no Adversary but what doth this prove in respect of his Argument which makes it more then equally commanded for he will yield that these services were but temporary but Swearing is perpetual and so he hath given it a priority above the rest his Argument all along hath been chiefly drawn from the Mosaick Law that it was joyned equally with Fear and Service under the Law and so hath striven without an Adversary but now it must needs be above the service of God then and yet from the same command he would only prove it for he hath no better strength nor Ground and we may as well alledge as he doth and say consequently to this sort of Service that was commanded by the Lord as well as Swearing for God hath joyned
denyes the veracity of his word or the immutability of the most high yet notwithstanding I cannot set up the changeable Priesthood and Covenant and the Ordinances belonging thereunto against the unchangeable and everlasting Priesthood and Covenant and as hath been said before as though that all the precepts therein were so unalterable as that of necessity they must needs continue as obligatory to Generations I might truss up together many Scriptures and thwack them one on the Back of another which belong to the Jews and the first Covenant most properly till the Seed Christ was revealed and offered up and I might bring in Scripture to prove that many things were commanded by the immutable God and by him who is uncapable of alteration and multiply many words as A. S. doth to little purpose and say what was written in the old Testament was by the Inspiration of God and that his precepts are no more alterable then the Laws of the Medes and Persians and therefore they must needs still be observed by all Christians to the World's end or else conclude they that do not are atheistical and deny God's veracity and make the Law of God void and what would all this in arguing prove nothing at all the Jews will confess as much and plead as hard as A. S. can who yet have not believed in him of whom the Prophets prophesied neither have received him who is the Substance of what Moses and the Prophets bore witness and in whom the Law is fulfilled and the Promises made good and confirmed with and in whom all the Shadows end and the vail done away and all the Worship precepts belonging thereunto who hath manifested and revealed the Father in all that believe who is the new and living way whose Worship is not now in the Letter nor in the Shadows nor Types nor in any outward Observations but in Spirit truth is he worshipped for he seeketh such to Worship him for the great Promise of reward was to as ever was to Swearing yet when they resisted him whom the Father had sent all their observances though never so strict did not avail but their Circumcision became Uncircumcision and their Worship and service became Prophaneness when they despised the substance by whom Grace and Truth came to all the Children of promise and we grant with A. S. that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and to end both Sin and Transgression and the Law which was added because of it and to bring in everlasting Righteousness and it to rule in the Hearts of all that believe and against such there is no Law and though Christ enjoyned the Disciples Mat 23. to observe what the Scribes and Pharisees bad them who sate in Moses's Chair and read the Law and performed those services in part commanded that was the time before he was offered up and the Ministration of that Covenant was not fully ended yet I hope A. S. with us will grant that they were not to heed them or to obey them in their vain traditions and false glosses and Interpretations and Evil manners which he cryed wo against Mat. 23.13 14. neither after his Resurrection did he enjoyn them to hear the Pharisees neither to observe the Legal Ordinances of the first Priesthood but they declared against them and their practice which continued in the Observation of those things which did not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 8.9 Heb. 9.9 and for all these Texts he alledges out of the Old Testament Mat. 6.13 Psal. 63.11 Jer. 12.16 unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that Christians under the second Covenant should Swear as they did in the first for these Precepts were only to keep them from Idolatry for Jer. 12.16 If you will diligently learn the wayes of my People to Swear by my Name the Lord liveth as they taught my People to Swear by Baal then shall they be Builded in the midst of the People And the 6th of Deut. 13.14 is to the same Effect You shall fear the Lord and serve him and Swear by my Name And Verse the 14. Ye shall not go after other Gods All these only prove that the Nations went after other Gods and Sware by them and served them and Israel too prone to follow their manners did so also and therefore he gave them these Precepts to serve him and fear him and acknowledge him to keep them from Idolatry as hath been said in the state of their Minority and weakness and that before the Seed was revealed and that which A. S. calls a Prophecy by Isa. 19.18 of Christians Swearing under the Gospel it 's no such thing but a Prophesie of Egypt his joyning to the Jews and owning their Worship and their God and acknowledge him and do Sacrifice and Oblation yea and vow a vow unto the Lord and perform it ver 21. Which clearly hath relation to the Law and the Worship of the Jews and not to the Gospel so that A. S. might have as well said it was a promise how Christians under the Gospel should offer Sacrifice and Oblations as under the Law as well as Swear But the Doctor hath traversed many Paths which are crooked winding and turning to gather something together and hath fetched it far to prove Swearing under the Gospel but all his proof falls short of his matter by much And that of Isaiah 5.23 is a Prophecy of Israel's return out of the Captivity of Babylon in the days of Cyrus whom the Lord called his Anointed and shepherd Isa. 44.28.45 who made a Decree for all Israel to go out of Assyria to Jerusalem and build their City and their Temple and Worship their God according as he had commanded as may be seen at large in the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah and this was fulfilled then when they builded the City and the Temple in those days long before Christ was manifest in the Flesh and then did Israel return and every Knee did bow and every Tongue did Swear by the Lord which before the Captivity had not bowed nor served nor acknowledged his Name but Idols which provoked the Lord and therefore gave he them into the hand of the Babylonians for seventy Years till they were humbled and then brought them back according to Jeremiah Isaiah Haggai and Zachariah's Prophesies for this was fulfilled then is spoken by Isaiah in this Prophesie Isaiah 5. ver 23 24 25. without contradiction to Christ's command and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie neither doth this make the Gospel thwart the Law beyond all terms of Reconciliation as A. S. vainly suggests in his margent for this Prophesie was fulfilled long before Christ gave forth this command Swear not at all Moreover if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the Christian Church as A. S. supposes upon what Ground I know not saving his own affirmation then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the
Persecute you Mat. 5.44 and the Apostle exhorted give no offence to Jew or Greek so that his Doctrine went beyond the Law put up pass by forgive forbear again you have heard it hath been said of old time where Exod. 20.7 Deut. 5.11 Numb 30.2 Mat. 5.33 Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oathes but I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou Sweare by thy Head because thou cannot make one hair white or black but let your Communication by Yea yea and Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of Evil It 's most evident that Christ prohibits somewhat more here then was forbidden under the Law yea what ever Oaths were lawful under the Law therefore it must be all Swearing at all or else none at all either all such Swearing as was used lawfully and allowed as a Type for a time in the Law Oaths made lawfully and acceptably to God or else nothing more at all then what was forbidden in the Law for all false Swearing and forswearing and all Swearing by Creatures or breaking of solemn Oaths made as unto God were forbidden in and by the Law therefore Swearing it self is forbidden or nothing but saith A. S. The grand objection falls of it self which is either all kind of Swearing is forbidden or else Christ forbids nothing which was not forbidden before which is utterly improbable saith he and he grants that God had formerly prohibited all false and vain Oaths and all Swearing by Creatures saith he which I grant to be true then how is the grand Objection fallen for is not Heaven Earth Jerusalem the Head Creatures and this is the most that A. S. and divers others affirm that it is only Oaths by Creatures such as before mentioned that Christ only prohibits and vain Oaths and Swearing by Creatures A. S. sayes Christ reckons among sinful Oaths then if so as they are indeed had not the Law forbidden this before in general terms wherein all Creatures are included therefore the reason stands still in force and the Objection that either Christ forbad all Swearing or else he forbids nothing but what the Law had forbidden before It 's manifest it stands still in force for Christ forbad even those Oathes the Law required and all vain Swearing and Swearing by Creatures and all Swearing whatsoever Mat. 5. Ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time not of late by the Scribes and Pharisees only putting their false Glosses on the Law as A. S. intimates Pareus and others in his Annotations and hence conjectures that by them of old time is only meant the Scribes and Pharisees and not Moses and the Law and of old time must be meant a good while ago or not very long as Commentators understand it less then twenty Years and thus he twists and twines to make the true sense of Christ's words void it 's evident of them of old time is Moses time the place before cited Numb 30.2 is the place Christ alludes to you have heard it said thou shalt not forswear thy self so saith the Law in forty places but perform unto the Lord thine Oaths But I say unto you Swear not all no not by any Oath at all note the opposition in the particle but which is between the old lawful legal Swearing and no Swearing at all not between no Swearing and such prophane Swearing as was unlawful under the Law the whole sum is this the Law said break no Oaths but I say take none for if Christ intended no more in these phrases Swear not at all not by any Oath then thus Swear not vainly prophanely ordinary or by Creatures in your Communication forswear not your selves what forbids he more then the Law forbad for Heaven and Earth Jerusalem A. S. says Christ reckons among sinful Oaths and these are Creatures and Swearing by Creatures was forbidden by the Law I grant quoth A. S. Then this reason stands still good he either forbad all Oaths or he forbad no more then the Law forbad and though it be granted that the Jews Swore by the Creatures as the Temple Altar Jerusalem and therefore Christ prohibits them and reproves them for these things and likewise all Swearing whatsover what doth A. S. gain by this for it 's evident in divers passages of his Sermon in the 5 th Chap. of Mat. that he teaches a Righteousness which exceeds that of the Law as I have shewed before which he came to fulfill and not to destroy by taking away the Ceremony of Swearing and establishing the substance in its stead which is speaking the Truth as in the sight of God in uprightness of Heart yea we say a-again what saith he more to his Disciples else then the Scribes and Pharisees to theirs they said Swear not falsly prophanely but by God only Swear not falsly For Bishop Gauden cites for his Author Drusius among the Jews all thing sin Judicials were confirmed by the Religion of an Oath wherein the name of God was interposed therefore Christ says more unto his Disciples in express terms Swear no Oath at all otherwise how would their Righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees which except it did they could in no case enter into the Kingdom of God the Perfection and Righteousness of the Law therefore in this point of Swearing was not forswearing the Perfection and Righteousness of the Gospel in the same is not Swearing at all so though the Gospel be not against the Law yet the Gospel exceeds the Law in every point the Law said kill not the Gospel be not angry the Law commit not Adultery the Gospel look not on a Woman lust not so in all the prohibitions of Christ the Commandments of Christ went beyond the Law also in this of Swearing yet it did not if now there be any Swearing at all among Christians and Disciples of Christ yet we shall also with A. S. agree that Christ not only forbad all Swearing even that commanded by the Law sometime lawful but he also forbids and reproves and condemns Swearing by Creatures and vain Swearing in all Communication and their perverting of the Law and too much loosing it by Traditions and making it void by their false Glosses and counts them blind Guides which said To swear by the Temple by the Altar by Heaven was nothing he pronounced a Wo against them and concluded they were bound to keep those Oaths though they ought not to have Sworn them for as much as he that swears by the lesser swears also by the greater as he that Swears by Heaven swears by the Throne of God and him that sits thereon Mat. 23.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. We confess with A. S. this was but a sinful prophane Creature Swearing an irregular form of Swearing by the Name of
rather wonder that such a Vail of Darkness should be so long over the minds and Hearts of them that believe not notwithstanding so clear evidence from Christ and his Apostles or the Example of the Primitive Christians or holy Martyrs who spoke the Truth but denyed to Swear at all but that Custome and Tradition is often more minded then the very Truth it self Oh! that the Rulers of this Nation would once consider weigh what they are doing and how many and great the suffering of a Conscientious People that fear the Lord in theirs Hearts are who dare not disobey the commands of Christ lest they fall into Condemnation and come under the rebuke of the Lord in their Hearts who hath Power alone to kill and to make alive but rather chuse to suffer the loss of all and undergo the manifold Sufferings that some malicious Spirits cause to be inflicted upon them when indeed there is no cause at all while prophane Persons Swear and forswear and take God's holy Name in vain and make little Conscience of any thing but sometime for and sometime against whatsoever seems countenanced and discountenanced by the Magistrates so that neither the King nor Kingdom is in any more security notwithstanding all such Swearing how solemn soever they seem in Swearing neither any more credit be given in Judicature then there is to be given to him that is a common Swearer in his private occasions or common Communication and Oh! how doth the Land abound in this insomuch that he that is not a Curser or Swearer is looked upon as a Phanatick or some disobedient Person or unconformable Man which ought especially to be eyed for a dangerous Person Oh! that the Heads and Rulers of the People would but consider how near the Judgment of God is and how ready to break forth upon the Nation and not without cause even great Evils are begun Pestilence and Sword already threatned and God's Arrows flying abroad to wound and to destroy them that continue in hardness of Heart rebellion against God and will not suffer him to rule and reign in the Consciences and Kingdoms of Men but vain Men would set up their Thresh-hold with his and not only so but against his and great is the wickedness and the Sins of this Nation upon many accounts which the Lord will bring a Scourge upon especially that grievous Sin of Persecution that Cain-like way which the Generations have chosen to add as they ignorantly suppose unto their Church and so build up their Zion with Cruelty and their Church by Iniquity Oh! this is loathsome in the sight of God had Zimri peace who slew his Master had Israel Peace when she slew the Prophets had the Jews Peace when they had Crucified Christ had the Romans Peace when they Persecuted the first Christians had Cain Peace when he had slain his Brother If nay let not England expect Peace when they are Persecuting them that are Members of Christ's Church so that this grievous Sin if England had no more were enough to bring the dreadful Judgment of God upon the whole Land and undoubtfully will if not repented of but now it must not be counted so and why because there are some Statuets and Laws which they obey not and so it 's for disobedience consider did not all the former pretend one Law or other did not all that ever suffer'd even the best of Men Christians suffer as disobedient as Offenders against some Law or other as Evil-doers in the Account of them that inflicted Punishments upon them if so as it is certain they did may not England be deceived while that they are thinking they do God and the King Service to root out and destroy some under the Notion of Heresie and some under the Notion of Disobedience and Factious may they not be persecuting Christ in his Members or destroying the peaceable Members of their Native Country the Lord open all their Eyes and do away the Darkness and the Vail of Ignorance that is over many Hearts that they may turn to the Lord and submit unto his eternal and unchangeable Power that so they may escape the Day of the Lord which is at Hand and the Judgment of God that is ready to break forth as an an over-flowing Scourge to cut off and sweep away in his Displeasure even all them that would not have Christ to rule in their Hearts neither have his Laws fulfilled nor obeyed which he writeth in the Hearts of all true Believers unto whom all must bow and be subject because the Father hath committed all Power into his Hand and his Glory he will not give to another no to none but him whom he hath given for a Covenant of Light and Life to be King Law-giver Saviour and Judge of his People and to be the Head of the Body his Church whom he redeems out of the World to himself to glorifie him who is the only Potentate and King of Immortal Glory God blessed forever and ever Amen To all the Well-beloved Flock of Christ whom he hath gathered into his Fold to feed in his Heavenly pasture in and about London Hartford and Kingston PEace from God the Father be multiplyed in all your Hearts through Jesus Christ the Prince thereof whom the Father hath sent as his Free Gift and given for the Covenant thereof unto all that believe and receive him to reconcile all even all that believe even them that have been and yet are afar off and are in Enmity in their Hearts yet by wicked Works and have no Title or Right unto Peace yet they that have received have and them that shall receive him shall have and shall be brought nigh unto God and out of the Wrath and Enmity and so come to be capable thereof through receiving and believing in his Name and Power by whom alone Remission of Sins is obtain'd and Peace and Reconciliation with God witnessed to whom be Glory and Honour forever and ever Amen Dearly Beloved with Thoughts of pure and unspotted Love I often remember you all who have been and are Followers of Christ and Sufferers for him in this present World and also have been and may expect to be while in the World Companions with them that suffer for that blessed Hope and Testimony which you have received from God in your Hearts by which the Saints in Light were purified and sanctified and did overcome the World and the Prince thereof who now ruleth in the Children of Disobedience who are subject to his Power and Government which stands in Wrath Envy Oppression Persecution and in that which leads unto every evil Deed and Work and because the Lord hath chosen you out of the World and from under the Power of the Prince of Darkness therefore he and all his Subjects hate you and as it was from the Beginning of his Kingdom since Sin entered into the World so it is now though it was not so from the Beginning of
Estate and Dominion and Vnity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be sâ—ain and the World that lay in Wickedness came to be framed in Man after the Tempter entred how endless Misery came in upon all after the Transgression p. 185. VI. How Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin and how Man is dead while he lives and all are dead Works that he acteth and the States of all the Sons of Men and their Works may be seen in the Fall p. 177. VII Three Objections answered about this Particular p. 189. VIII Self Righteousness Deeds of Darkness also and dead Works are to be condemned also and Man who acteth them in the Fall p. 191. IX An Objection answered as to the present State of the Ministry of the Nations their Practice and their Worship p. 192. X. How all Men in the Degeneration and in the Fall have corrupted themselves and been Idolaters in every Administration being gone from the Life and Power of God in themselves and having lost the Power of God Man can neither Worship Honour nor Obey God aright p. 196. XI How the Woman that travailed in Birth who was clâ—athed with the Sun and brought forth the Man-Child fled into the Wilderness when the Dragon had Power and the Man-Child was caught up to God p. 211. Darkness and Ignorance expelled by the Light shining forth and the Appearance of the Day p. 217. The Popish Inquisition newly erected in New England wherein their Church is manifested to be a Daughter of Mystery-Babylon p. 237. The Works of Darkness brought to Light and reproved In Answer to John Wells concerning the Word the Gospel and the Way to Christ p. 262. The Mouth of the Pit stopped In Answer to a lying Story called Hell broke loose p. 275. The Heart of New-England hardened through Wickedness In Answer to a Book entituled The Heart of New-England rent p. 299. An Information and Advice to the Army and Committee of Safety p. 324. One Warning more unto England before she give up the Ghost and be buried in the Pit of Darkness p. 333. One of Anti-christ's Volunteers defeated and the true Light vindicated In Answer to a Book called Ignis satuus p. 344. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear their Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience p. 369. The Deceiver of the Nations discovered and his Cruelty made manifest p. 372. Some Openings of the Womb of the Morning to all the Princes of Germany and People who profess the Name of Jesus Christ in those Dominions p. 383. The Glory of the true Church discovered as it was in its Purity in the primitive Times also a Manifestation how and when the Apostacy came in p. 401. I. The State of the true Church from the Manifestation of Christ in the Flesh to the End of the Apostles Dayes p. 407. II. The entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began p. 411. III. The Reformed and Separated Congregations called Parochial proved to be in the Apostacy compared with the Primitive Times in Worship and Practice p. 417. IV A few Words shewing unto all how they may come out of the Apostacy to the true Church which is in God the Lamb's Wife p. 422. V. Concerning baptizing or sprinckling Infants p. 424. VI. Concerning the Sign of the Cross and ordaining of Parish-Churches p. 426. VII Concerning Swearing by the Gospel as it is called and kissing the Book and Bishopping of Children p. 427. VIII Concerning Fasts Feasts and Holy Dayes their Institutors and Founders in the Apostacy p. 430. IX Concerning Priests Vestures and Bells which are practised amongst Christians as Apostolick Institutions p. 431. X. Concerning the Mattens and singing of Psalms by Course in Musical Tunes and Supplications and short Prayers called Letanies â—hâ—ir Authors shewn p. 433. XI Concerning the Passeover and Lord's Supper and the Ceremonies about it p. 436. XII Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and under the Gospel p. 438. XIII Concerning the Ten Persecutions under the Heathen Emperors how divers vain Traditions and Institutions got up among the Christians in those Times and Constitutions among the Eastern and Western Churches after the Apostacy was entered in the first Three and Four Hundred Years after Christ p. 443. XIV Of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances and Institutions p. 457. XV. Concerning the General Councils since the Apostles Dayes which belonged to the Church of Rome their Decrees not infallible but contradicting one another p. 460. XVI Concerning the Worship of God and whether Kings and Rulers ought to compel in spiritual Things declared and some Scriptures cleared and several Objections answered about this Thing p. 463. XVII Concerning Oaths in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the Vnlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in the Gospel-Times though the Apostates mingle Ordinances of both together p. 469. XVIII Tythes in their first Institution unto whom they were due according to the Command of God declared and that Tythes are no Way Lawful to be received neither sought for by any who are Ministers of the New-Covenant and the Everlasting Gospel proved out of Scriptures and Antiquity p. 476. XIX Respecting of Persons and complemental Bowings and worshipping one another and flattering Titles are no good Manners but are in the Transgression and have been anciently reproved and condemned p. 487. XX. Vniversities and Schools of Natural Learning were of no Vse as to the making of Ministers of Christ in the Primitive Times but a Thing introduced and brought in in latter Ages by the Apostates who had erred from the Spirit and then admired and set up Natural Languages and Philosophy that thereby they might be furnished to make Discourses Speeches and Sermons to get Money by and as they are holden up at this Day are made an absolute IDOL p. 490. The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome 's Imagined Rock on which her Church is builded p. 497. I. What the true Religion is and where it is demonstrated p. 501. II. The Church of Rome proved to be the false Church p. 502. III. The Pope proved not to be the Head of the true Church and Christ proved to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and the Rock upon which his Church is built p. 505. IV. Purgatory proved to be an erroneous Doctrine which is held forth by the Papists and their Praying for the Dead proved to be another false Doctrine not commended nor practised by Christ or his Apostles p. 507. V. The Papists Doctrine which saith Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist to be Blasphemous and great Idolatry p. 508. VI. The Papists Mass and their Ceremonies proved not to be Apostolical p. 511. VII
them together in the Text above said and obligeth equality at all times as well under the Gospel as under the Law yet then A. S. would call this absurd if it be so as it is indeed then we may as well conclude the other absurd because one is standing as well as the other and binding as well as the other by the vertue of this command although he tells us that an Oath in its Substance hath not any Type at all so we say for the substance is Christ the Oath of God in whom all the Promises and Oaths are fulfilled and this is its substance but as under the Law it was a Type of the Substance and not the substance it self and that Circumcision the Passover and the legal Offerings under the Law had as much goodness in them as Oaths had what-ever A. S. sayes and served to as good ends and purposes in that Ministration as they were ordained and conduced as much to the Glory of God and were subservient to but not against the morality of the Gospel for the shadows were not against the substance nor the Ceremonials against the Morals though the Apostle says the Law is not of Faith yet not against it for as ministerial as the Ordinances of the Law were to the Gospel then yet the Gospel may be and now is without it But to conclude this Argument A. S. Were it so indeed that Oaths were Ceremonial then it follows that Christ in this Text did not forbid them for he did not forbid the Ceremonial Law but observed it all his Life eating the Passeover with his Disciples the Night before his Death unless some would Interpret his Words I command you that you do not Swear yet I am content for a Year or two you may Swear by Heaven or Earth as you have been accustomed but after my Crucifixion and Resurrection Swear no more and there let these that disallow Swearing as a part of the Ceremonial Law Argue no more the unlawfulness of Swearing from these Words Swear not at all Reply Though Christ did observe the Ordinances of the Law as being that Ministration appointed by God until the time of Reformation and the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 9. It became him to fulfill all Righteousness so was he Circumcised and eat the Passover and was Baptized washed the Disciples Feet which were not enjoyned by the Law though not against it and that Ministration not fully ended though he see it must end and spoke of a further thing and of the time then and also it should be ministred more afterward after his Resurrection Joh. 4.20 21 22 23. The time cometh and now is neither at Jerusalem nor this Mountain but they that Worship the Father shall worship him in Spirit and Truth so that he Prophesied of the end of all those things and of the cessation of them which were sometime commanded respecting both the place and the Worship and to them that did believe the Disciples unto whom it'was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God then was the time to them it was come even then before Christ suffered and therefore A. S. his Consequence is not true that Christ did not forbid all Swearing from this Text and though he had both Prophesied of a clearer Ministration and laid down in Doctrine a more Evangelical precept then the Law yea and more strict obedience yet notwithstanding many did still hold up these things which the Law commanded though they believed well of Christ yea after his Suffering and Resurrection and that a long time though that the Apostles told them the Substance was come and that there was no more Offering for Sin nor Oblations neither legal Observations to be minded any more yet still many observed them and doubtless as to that formal Swearing that was among the Jews and that vain Swearing too many did continue in it afterward notwithstanding Christ's command but then not submitting made not his command void in it self and there is no necessity to make such an absurd Interpretation as that he permitted them to Swear for a Year or two by Heaven and Earth and then at his passion to Swear no more for after he gave forth the command there was no Permission and yet afterward as I said the Apostles declared against the Shadows and preached up the Substance and as A. S. confesseth the types ceased of themselves but let him know there was a time of Dying to them and they ceased not all at once to them that had observed the Law neither were the Mysteries revealed all at once but as they grew in Faith and Knowledge for the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith and though the legal Observations were observed in Christ's time so were they after by many but by right ended in the substance and when he was come though many did not see it till afterward But I come to his 11th Argument Eleventh Argument No exposition of the Text oâ— any other is to be admitted that puts inconsistency betwixt the Old Testament and the New seeing both are Inspired by the same God who is incapable of falshood or alteration whereupon if we be not so atheistical as to deny the veracity or immutability of the most high Tit. 1.2 it must be granted that his word is of eternal Truth Jam. 1.17 his Promises yea and Amen his precepts more unalterable then the Laws of the Medes and Persians nor did our Saviour come to destroy but to fulfill the Law thereupon he enjoyns obedience to the commands of the Pharisees as sitting in Moses 's Chair Mat. 23.2 3. from all which it is apparent that the Old Testament is so far from being contradicted that it is fully confirmed in the New therefore I may well draw this conclusion that these words Swear not at all ought not to be interpreted as to render all Swearing unlawful Deut. 6.13 Psal. 63.11 not without Promise of reward Jer. 12.16 and it was Prophesied before by Isaiah that Christians under the Gospel should Swear Isaiah 19.18 and 4. and 23. and I look upon it as a piece of Manichisme and extremely derogatory both to the Scripture and God himself therefore what moral duty one Man was commanded in the Law another should be condemned in the new Reply 'T is true no exposition of this Text or any other is to be admitted that puts such a difference betwixt the old and new Testaments in matter of Substance but shall agree with Austin The Law is the Gospel vailed and the Gospel is the Law revealed and what was Prophesied and typified in the first is fulfilled in the latter but what shall be thought of them that hold up the Types and Figures of the first as though they were not fulfilled or as though the Promise was not come and he made manifest in whom all Shadows end and though God be unchangeable in himself and incapable of falshood or alteration and I know none who