houshold of Faith a Religionist a Christian an heir and child of God but he that hath not such a Faith nor suffereth the fruits of love to grow and blossome in a right godly and not seeming-holy way or nature he knoweth neither of Faith Religion nor Christianitie yea of no God in truth though he understood all the Scriptures all mysteries and Articles of beleef and could thereof talk and dispute eloquently and rationally even as an Angel of Light yet is he in Gods sight an unbeleever a miserable and contemnable man for he hath not in him the living power of the living Faith which alwayes is fruitfull in love therefore he talketh and prateth much of Faith and its righteousnesse yet he knoweth not what either Faith or Faiths works are whiles he doth not find and feel them experimentally inwardly in spirit and truth nor outwardly sheweth his talking and knowledge in deeds and works which God and good men may approve With such unprofitable Bablers is alas at this day all the world replenished namely with such as with open mouth cry Lord Lord prophesie and do signes and wonders but fulfill and accomplish not the will of God in power all these are but external plaisterers external cryers and seekers of Christ and the Faith despisers of the inward power of God or of the living Word of Faith and the whole kingdom of God in men in whom and by whom is the fulfilling of the Commandements and also the true Christian freedome in holinesse and righteousnesse Therefore thou Faith-conceited Man beseech God that he would work this living Faith in thee and free thee from this damnable and wrath producing imaginarie faith since that thou by this faith prated into thee hast imagined to thy self a freedome to sinne to transgresse Gods Commandments relying upon Absolution according to thy accustomed manner whereby alas thou art verily free but not from sinne as Christs kingdom requireth but from God and the fulfilling of his will and the observation of his Commandements in perfect obedience and so art become truly a slave of Satan 1 Joh. 3. v. 7 8 9 10. Every one therefore that will be a master of Faith let him behave himself as a pattern unblameable inwardly by the office of the holy Spirit in doctrine and outwardly in life as a follower of Jesus Christ He that boasteth of faith let him shew the new obedience of faith by a new righteous holy and to Christ-conformable life and conversation in the Love of God and his neighbour He that vaunteth of the Articles of Faith let him shew them forth in deed and truth for God is served neither with knowledge babling nor disputation nor yet the Church of the Saints which overcometh all things with Love in Patience and consequently not with words but with power Therefore O beloved Man that sayest that thou beleevest in God or but that there is a God make thy faith appear with true fruit in the strict observation of his commandements otherwise is thy saying vain and thou in truth beleevest on no God nor that there is a God for otherwise thou wouldest tremble and shake at the breach of his Commandements Thou that sayest I beleeve that Christ is dead for me shew then by thy self in deed the death of Christ namely that thine old Adam is buried with him thy lust and desire is crucified with him and thou risen again with Christ in a new nature or life of the Spirit otherwise is thy faith of Christ an historicall knowledge without all power and propertie of Faith Thou that sayest I beleeve a Church of Saints which the holy Spirit enlightneth sanctifieth and purifieth examine thy self whether the holy Spirit doth inwardly enlighten teach chastise admonish anoint guide govern lead and direct thee and thou also hast by the power of the holy Spirit the kingdom of God revealed in thee so that thou resistest all that exalteth it self against Gods will his knowledge and confession through the office or power of the holy Spirit and that the tentation from the world flesh and blood and wicked enemie is a right hellish torment to thee so then art thou a true member of the true Church of Christ Sayest thou O Man so I am for I am a baptized Christian O beloved Man shew forth the drowning of the old Adam the mortification of his lusts and desires and the renuntiation which thou hast made to the Devill the World and the Flesh in truth so that they rule no more in thee nor move thee to sin though they entice stirre and egge thee on to it Doest thou not or findest thou not this so then art thou an unbaptized and unchristened man for thou livest in the old and not in the new birth therefore art thou a violator of the Covenant of God Sayest thou yet I partake of the flesh and blood of Christ If thou partake thereof then shew the living-making power of the flesh of Christ and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed thee from all sins in words and works so hast thou truly partaken of the flesh and blood of Christ otherwise goest thou to the Lords Supper to thy double condemnation In summe all the Articles must live sensibly in thee and outwardly demonstrate the living power of love otherwise is thy Christianitie meer hypocrisie seeming holinesse self chosen godlinesse and imaginarie faith which do but further the destruction both of body and soul as alas appeareth before our eyes and yet no man taketh it to heart or will duely examine himself Two Questions verie necessarie concerning these present and continuing Warres viz. 1. From whence Warre doth spring 2. By what meanes it ends AS the inward exterpation or rooting out of Jesus Christ with his holy and threefold office in mans soul which when she is obedient unto and receives him he then as the true and onely high-Priest perfectly reconciles sanctifies cleanses and presents her as a new creature to his heavenly Father in holy attire of Love and as the onely Master and Teacher in her sent from the heavenly Father makes her remember her miserie in penitencie chastises her instructeth teacheth guideth and preserves her from the spirit of errour and thus in her powerfully exerciseth his royall office as her Head and LORD to the utter ruine and demolishing of the Devils Sin pallace bruising the head of the subtle and holy-seeming Serpent quenching and suppressing of all that shall exalt it self against his inward kingdom of grace as also to the overcoming of all outward enemies through the Spirit of Prayer and his iron Rod or Scepter and thus killeth and crucifieth sin Death the Devill Hell the Flesh and Blood and break asunder the whole kingdom of sin so that it can no more bring under subjection or into darknesse the soul which he hath redeemed is the onely cause of unbelief and from thence springing unrighteousnesse wickednesse malice hypocrisie self-chosen godlinesse outward false worship of God or Sectarie
and Schismatical religion consisting meerly and altogether in outward things as externall ceremonies Articles and Opinions without any true inward and experimentall fear of God perfect obedience or keeping of Gods Commandments and thus without any true either inward or outward conformity to and with the life and conversation of Jesus Christ which properly is called and really is true Religion according to which these divided Religionists ought to prove and examine their Name-Religions now adayes So also is the rejection or neglect of this placed by God in men Foundation stone of all happinesse life blessing peace and holinesse c. the onely cause of all inward and outward Warres jarres miseries calamities desolation destruction confusion and fundamentall alteration of all the Foundations or Kingdoms of the Earth whereby it is come to passe that men which ought to be vessels of Jesus Christ that is remain in the Love grace goodnesse and mercie of God beare one an other in the bond of Love and be united each to other in the Spirit of Peace turn and become fierce vessels of wrath through hatred envie enmitie desire of temporall honour or perishable goods raging even with swords one against another insomuch that the one falls by the others sword in wrath and self-willed revengefulnesse and thus the soul must come to her end with horrour whereof the holy Scripture thus testifieth Since ye have rejected him out of you whom I have sent unto you and in you viz. Jesus Christ the onely Prince of Peace Behold therefore I have slinged and cast you out of my grace life and blessing into wrath death and curse and given you up to do things that are nought and unseemly full of unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse yea I rejoce therein that one falls by the sword of the other so that Countreys and people are made waste and the Earth laid desolate For this is the effect and operation of the strong delusions wherewith I have threatned you when ye should forsake and suffer to be pulled out of you the King of Truth by whom I would have ruled you with the staffe of meeknesse and directed the Rod or staffe of wo against mine Enemies which staffe now for the unbeleef unrighteousnesse and hypocucies sake must begin at mine Own House and continue forwards since there is no conversion or returning to me or my living Fountain Therefore to day to day whilest ye hear my voice and find the strokes of my wrath which could not hit nor touch you if my Child Christ Jesus had ruled in you and established anew again the inward peace betwixt Me and you for we are separated one from another by the kingdom of sin go out of Babell put away the high places which in you have exalted themselves against the kingdom of my Son and erected outward Idoll-houses and committed therein the abomination of desolation according to my Sons prediction through the motion and deceit of the holy-seeming devill that yet the inward temple of your souls may be opened and a pure holy and righteous dwelling in which I the LORD your holy and righteous God may go out and in may be prepared therein for Me through Christ Jesus and so the inward peace be established and then I will according to my righteous judgement give unto you all the Heathen and mine Enemies which would not kisse Christ for a prey and spoyl that you may according to my righteousnesse reward them double as they have deserved it of me and my Son Jesus He that hath eares to hear let him hear he that will not hear he shall feel it temporally and eternally saith the LORD God For I am strong enough to judge and avenge my self The principall causes why the Devill doth make all Visions and Divine Revelations contemptible and suspected are these 1. THat the extirpation of Jesus Christ and his holy Office in the Devils own members might not be revealed and discovered to the world which needs must come to passe if the Devils disciples or apostles should allow or approve the works of the holy Spirits Office of which the holy Scripture witnesseth 1 Joh. 16. v. 13 14. Amos 3. v. 7. Apoc. 1. v. 1. Joel 2. v. 28 29. Phil. 3. v. 15. 1 Cor. 2. v. 10. Which works of the holy Spirits office are no where abrogated and therefore a man hath the more cause to observe and beware of the Devils craftie subtiltie for he is a seeming holy Angel as his Ministers now adayes in doctrine and life do sufficiently shew and therefore he cavilleth and slandereth the Ministerie of the true Angels and Gods works 2 Secondly that the Devils kingdom of darknesse which he hath gotten in men may not be discovered the which yet every man discerns and perceives by the works of darknesse which bear sway everie where and confesses that all things are naught with the children of Men yet notwithstanding none will go out of this darkned Babel lest he should loose the worlds friendship its honour profit and love c. for it is a hard and troublesome thing for the old Adam and goes to his very heart when he shall be counted a Fool and a Beast which he notwithstanding is by his highest wisdom And to this scope all exhortations do aime viz. that men should turn again to God and his Son Jesus Christ by true Repentance Now to hinder this true Repentance and to keep men in securitie by their own hypocriticall repentance the Devill thirdly doth cavill and blaspheme whatever God causeth to be told denounced and declared For the same course and processe is at this day in hand with the worse as was taken with the first world Sodome Gomorrha Jerusalem and other Cities and Countreys which perished in the wrath of God which also by the devils motion and instigation despised all things and relied upon their outward religion and their usuall insolent and domineering government and so by that means had no regard at all to the Day of the Lord which the servants of God were fain to denounce unto them O ye spirituall and corporall buyers and sellers O ye voluptuous eaters and drinkers O ye worldly and covetous planters and builders O ye fleshly and wanton woers men and women O ye stubborn and revolting children altogether will ye not at all have regard to the fearfull Day of the LORDs wrath unlesse it overwhelme you as a Lightning and destroy you from the earth will ye not learn to mark and observe by other mens harm and ruine the craftie subtiltie of the devil and the deceit of his apostles as from whom all calamitie and confusion hath taken its originall for they are those that have caused the poore people to sin and established hypocrisie by their witchcraft and idolatrie by which means the wrath of God hath begun to burn and shall not be quenched untill Babel be brought down and destroyed Now he therefore that will not fall with her from temporall unto eternall death let him erect and lift up his head in Faith observing and marking by all the works and signes of God that the Day of Redemption draws nigh and is even before the doore A Prayer for the Body of Jesus Christ in this troublesome and distressed time O Thou true and onely Head of thy in all the world dispersed Church Let to day the noble Balsam of thy holy Spirit flow down in full power into thy members that through the pure and sincere Milk the children may become young men young men through solid meat perfect men that we all may attain to the measure of thy perfect Age Be it O Lord Christ Jesus O let every member to day be right fruitfull in all works of Love which by thee are wrought in him to the honour of thy Fathers Name Let thy holy countenance shine in us that everie member may in all necessities of soul and bodie be powerfully healed Arme everie one with a new power of Grace that he may be strong against all high things which exalt themselves against thy holy and inward Knowledge and outwardly resist it Let the Light of the living Faith shine out of every one that people may see the works of thy inward Righteousnesse enter into themselves and receive thee into themselves the onely Worker of all Good that to the dispersed Church some may be daily added and gathered O thou true and onely Living Power of God drive away and repell all spirituall and corporall VVolves that they may not devoure not snatch away any of thy Members make void all wicked counsell which is consulted against thy Bodie that the raging and furious ones may perceive that all their consultations against thee are in vain O thou Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ work in everie man out of thy Grace the true knowledge of his sins the totall dying and the spirituall resurrection to a new holy and righteous life O LORD Jesus thou that therefore hast appeared in all men that thou mightest destroy and raze the kingdome of darknesse and manifest thy kingdome of Light and Grace in men apprehend we beseech thee vanquish the old craftie and deceitfull Serpent bruise its head to the purpose bind it with the promised chains of Darknesse that it may cease to seduce people in its seeming light of holinesse O God thou blessed holy Spirit since that thine is the Office of Judgement and Vengeance over all them that do evill rise up in thy Power arme thy self with might and utterly cast down them that revile and blaspheme thy holy Office Turn away ungodlinesse with the Scepter of Iron since that few or none from his heart will kisse the Child Jesus O let thy help break forth out of Zion Ah redeem thy poore distressed people Unite Heathen and Jews make one Sheepfold and let the Everlasting Gospel shine therein to the glory of thy holy Name Amen BE IT SO. FINIS
and distressed worme therefore I have no reason at all to exalt my self for what my Head and Husband CHRIST bestoweth on me are of meere Grace which ought to work in me Humility and acknowledgement of mine unworthinesse that I am not worthie of them and in no wise work in me Pride nor any Proprietie or puffing-up Therefore avaunt Satan with thy subtiltie and deceit for thou art a Theef and a Robber of the due honour of my LORD JESUS CHRIST to whom onely is due all honour and not to me and for that reason whosoever will honour me is and shall be mine enemie O beloved Man in this manner thy repentant enlightned soul considered thou art as yet in an evill Inne or Lodging where no good dayes do shine but strife upon strife battell upon battell storme upon storme of which state the Scripture cleerly testifies that no man should be secure but continually examining and proving of himself and encountring with and couragiously resisting his enemies lest he be sifted deceived foyled and overthrown by the Devill stirred up to unprofitable words and works by his flesh and blood and ensnared by the Love of the World for if any of these Images possesse thy soul then Christ is expelled and hath in thee no form Perform O Man what actions soever thou wilt outwardly yet it is but as the Scripture termeth it untempered morter Let every man after this manner trie and search himself now whether his hitherto practised Repentance hath been divine and true namely so that the old Adam is thereby truly disturbed crucified mortified and Christ really conceived formed born grown and become perfect in his soul all which O Man thou must in power feel and find in thee and not know it according to thy Reason out of the holy Scriptures or mouth preaching for that is but a knowledge without feeling a Historie without experience and a word without power 3. Therefore in the third place I earnestly exhort every man in particular in the name of God to examine duely and to look narrowly to himself in these times of the righteous and burning wrath of God whether he be a sincere Christian such a one as in the Love of God is powerfull and active or else a meere verball or mouth-Christian a knower talker and no doer as alas alas the generall custome of most men is For O babling Babel thou art according to thy imaginarie Faith not spiritually rich though thou knowest the holy Scriptures and its naturall or rationall exposition and art able to speak thereof eloquently and after a Philosophicall manner wittily to argue and dispute Thou art not thereby spiritually fed nor refreshed although thou usest the outward Sacraments after thy accustomed manner Truly thou perswadest thy self in vain as if nothing else were requisite to accomplish thy Christianitie then an imputation of the merits of Jesus Christ and that in thine open transgressions sinfull courses Adulterie Sorcerie and Idolatrie For it is evident that thou in this thy worship or Religion art very wretched blinde poore and wholly bare or naked of the Righteousnesse which God approveth yea it is evident to thee by the Plagues of Gods righteous wrath and the consuming punishments which never have missed but alwayes have followed upon a false and before God frivelous Religion which punishments also even for that cause now adayes bear full sway For the true Religion hath never from the beginning of the world stirred up Rods of wrath but worketh Patience in the fatherly chastisements and outward persecutions for Christs holy Names sake and hearty Thanksgiving for the Conformity with Christs Crosse therefore if the world suffered in a good conscience for the confession of Jesus then were her case and condition good Therefore O thou Babell rise up from thy false foundation leave thy spirituall Pride wherein thou imaginest as if thou wert a true pure and sin free unspotted Spouse of Christ and stoodst in the power of the New birth and Regeneration of the holy Spirit in holinesse and righteousnesse in an obedient faithfull service with due fear and trembling as unalterablie or of necessitie becometh the Spouse of Christ before God the heavenly Fathers presence Ah thou sinfull stinking and loathsome Whore lay down and submit thy self with Nineveh before God in humilitie of Heart with acknowledgement of all thy committed whoredomes and pollutions with the Creatures and thy strange Lovers lye down in the sackcloth and ashes of deepest and lowest unworthy that God may no further uncover thy shame and ignominie in the Judgement of his wrath but out of his grace may work in thee true Repentance And then thereupon shall follow a right and true worship of God proceeding from the living Faith divine Love and Righteousnesse a holy Christian-like and blamelesse Life for these two are so linked together that that cannot severally consist and confequently the inward Peace and outward quietnesse even grace goodnesse mercie happinesse life and blessing as upon unbelief unrighteousnesse voidnesse of Love feigned Repentance and outward false worship of God whilest the true internall foundation whereout the externall worship ought and must issue is rejected and forsaken as John Arnt in his third Book of true Christianitie plainly layes open and thereby are practised the Heathenish yea worse then Devillish life and conversation c. Warre Plague Famine and other punishments and afflictions threatned by God are sprung up in all places among that people which call themselves the people of GOD and carrie themselves also outwardly as if they were such indeed boasting themselves highly to be Christians by their imaginarie Faith which they themselves have learned by their own power and also by the outward Religion which flows from the former and all this in a fiery Zeal or Heat yet altogether without the moving or driving Power of GOD to it in their Churches Prayers Singings Sermons Communions or Almes-givings c. and yet are altogether estranged from the Life of Christ according to the Power and Truth of it both inwardly and outwardly as by comparison will evidently appear to every one when he will make it without the flatterie and adulation of the old man in a right due and Christian-like triall and examination of himself Therefore this conceited world might well begin betimes duely and otherwise then hitherto hath been done to examine its customarie Religion it s pretended Christian faith communion in the Spirit especially by this burning wrath of GOD and yeerly encreasing terrible Destruction from their heart even from their very heart stirring up themselves to turn to God in the right way and manner of Nineveh not imaginary as if those Villages Cities and Countreys in Germany and elsewhere that have perished alreadie in Gods wrath were more wicked then those which are yet in a tolerable state and condition in respect of their outward prosperitie No verily no For if the remaining Towns Cities Countreys and Dominions do not soon even very soon
unto them double what they have done to the poore and innocent so will we for it praise Thee with united hearts everlastingly that thou in the midst of thy wrath hast yet remembred thy infinite goodnesse and mercy and turned thy self from thy wrath and our well deserved punishments and hast again mercy upon poore mankind and raised up a Saviour unto them O heavenly God and Father grant this our Prayer unto us for Christ his bitter death and suffering to a true Ninivitish Repentance and conversion that the day of thy promised Redemption may break in as a Lightning and that the Jews and Heathen may be gathered together in and to the Truth Amen Allelu-jah Amen The Barres which the Devill and the darkned Reason do set before the Souls that Christ cannot begin to work therein Ob. 1 1. That it is impossible that a Man through Repentance wrought by God can wholly die from sin that it henceforth should have no ruling power Ans Hereby is Gods omnipotencie Christs merit and the Holy Spirits inhabitation wholly made void and greater power ascribed to the Devill in our destruction then to Christ in our Renovation contrary to the tenor of the holy Scripture Rom. 5. 6 7 8. 14. 1. Cor. 2. v. 16. Cap. 3. v. 17. 2. Cor. 3. v. 17. 18. Gal. 2. v. 20. Ephes 2. v. 5. 6. Epqes 5. v. 27. c. Now as long as this Barre of doubt remaineth in thee so long is Christs kingdom shut up in thee and the kingdom of sin manifest varnish it over outwardly how thou wilt it will nothing at all avail 2 Barre Ob. 2 That God is mercifull and winketh at the sins of Men for Christs merits sake Answ Verily hereby is Christ made a Minister of sin contrary to the testimonies of the holy Scripture Gal. 2. v. 17 18. 1 Cor. 1. v. 30 31. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Colos 4. v. 12. Ca. 1. v. 28 Cap. 2. v. 10. and the Righteousnesse of God slandered and blasphemed Deut. 27. v. 26. Psal 5. v. 6. 1 Joh. 3. v. 10. and his Grace wrested or drawn by licentiousnesse into a most damnable abuse Epist Jud. v. 4. 14. seq 2 Pet. 2. v. 14. 1. Joh. 5. v. 2 3. 1 Joh. 2. v. 6. 3 Barre Ob. 3 Although man live not so blamelesse and fear not God with all his heart yet he may and can convert himself and obtain of God forgivenesse of his sin Ans Hereby is Repentance which is meerly Gods work and is not within the comqasse of mans abilitie Jer. 31. v. 18. 19. 2 Tim. 2. v. 25 26. ascribed to our naturall powers and by that meanes idolatry committed And in the like manner it is also with Prayer for it is the onely work of the holy Spirit Zach. 12. v. 10. Rom. 8. v. 15. 26. 27. Joh. 14. 15. Now God heareth not sinners for they pray without the Spirit which dwelleth in no soul that is subject to sin Wisd 1. ver 3 4 5. 4. Barre Ob. 4 Hereby men may be brought to desperation when all grace is denied to sinful evil doers and a man would have altogether a pure Church Ans O happy desperation which worketh a spirituall sorrow 1 Cor. 7. v. 9 10 11. killeth the old Adam wholly Rom. 6. v. 6. siq Rom. 8. v. 4. 19. Gal. 5. v. 24. maketh the world with all its doings to a bitter Crosse Gal. 6. v. 14. Phil. 3. v. 8. 1 Joh. 2. v. 15 16. Matth. 10. Luk. 14. taketh captive the Reason 2 Cor. 10. v. 5. maketh a man become a child Joh. 3. v. 3. a beast and a fool Psal 73. v. 22. yea a meer nothing Gal. 6. v. 3. for a reasonlesse naturelesse creaturelesse worldlesse man and freed from all vanity is fit for the kingdom of God and that is then the pure soul wherein God dwelleth 2. Cor. 6. v. 14. seq Psal 18. v. 27. Psal 24. verse 4. 5 Barre Ob. Such men as these it is impossible to find in the world therfore is it foolishnesse yea madnesse to require this of any man Ans He that is fleshly minded must judge fleshly and calumniate Gods work and truth for he is an enemie of the true Regeneration out of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. v. 10 11. seq Rom. 8. v. 5 6 7 8 9. Psal 73. v. 89. Gal. 4. v. 29. There is but a narrow way to Lise wherein for even very few and not many walk Matth. 7. v. 13. 14. Luk. 13. v. 23. The summe of Christianitie is this That the old Man with his lusts and desires must perish 2 Cor. 4. v. 16. be killed destroyed and drowned by Regeneration 1 Tit. 3. v. 5 6. Rom. 6. v. 6. and all become new 2. Cor. 5. v. 17. that Christ may be all in all Colos 3. v. 11. fill all in all Ephe. 1. v. 23. and present every one perfect to the Father Colos 1. v. 28. Cap. 2. v. 6. 10. Colos 3. v. 34. Colos 4. v. 12. 2 Tim. 3. v. 17. THE SUMME OF THE TRVE AND LIVING FAITH and of all the Articles of the Belief The true and living Faith O beloved Man consisteth not in the knowledge of the holy Scripture which Moses the Prophets and Apostles have left behind them nor in such Articles which men have according to their reason collected out of the holy Scripture which a man can learn by heart and fasten in his memory and then out of his naturall power say and confesse this I beleeve for this truly is but the meet imaginarie faith wherewith all the world is at this day bewitched deceived and befooled yea so farre that men go on to defend this their saith wrought by their own power by wrangling contentions and disputes yea even by the sword with the shedding of the blood of the poore and murthering of many innocent souls which imaginary faith is the very true inward abomination of desolation from whence is also sprung the outward desolation of Countreys and people in the righteous wrath of God which shall continue break forth and make desolate so long as this unbeleef with its manifest power of unrighteousnesse and cold LOVE beareth sway The true Faith O dear Man is a divine work or power of God in man which changeth and regenerateth him out of God truly killeth the old Adam and maketh a whole new man from the heart minde and all his powers and bringeth with it the holy Spirit wherethrough man becometh without sin and keepeth and fulfilleth Gods Commandements which to the beleevers are not heavie For the righteousnesse of Faith maketh a man without sin fully righteous before God so that he feareth God honoureth him as a Father and loveth him as a Lord from his heart whole soul and all his powers and his neighbour as himself as Luther described the true but at this day very much unknown Faith Now he that findeth such power in truth in himself and thereby doth the will of God he is a true member of the