fountain of light and see what ye have there in possession There you will finde your house unswept and unclean and the woman that had lost the groat sought without but she found it not till she came to sweep her own house and there she found it This Parable ye must read within Jesus Christ likened the Kingdome of heaven unto a Merchant man who was seeking for goodly pearls who digged deeply in the earth and found it but when he had found it he was to sell all and buy it And again be likeneth the Kingdome of heaven to a little leaven which a woman hid in three measures of meal till it was leavened though ye have the letter without you yet these parables ye have to learn Now turn to the light and there you will come to see learning there in the light ye will come to see and know the mysteries of God which to the world is parables and to all you who denies the light shall be shut for evermore Though ye may get all the words of the whole Scripture in your brains and comprehension so long as ye deny the light and turn your minds from the light and seek to know these things without you ye shall never know them but they shall be as a book sealed unto you the depth and the mysteries of them ye shall never know eternally ye shall witness me Therefore as ever ye desire to know the mysteries of God which is hid from all the world and the worlds profession though never so high turn to the light wait in the light keep your minds within to the light and walk in the light which checks you and convinceth you of sin and evil and discernes the thoughts of your hearts and lets you see the out-goings of your minds and discerns every sinful lust even in the very appearance and rising of it this is that which the Lord God teacheth in this his day which Teacher never is removed into a corner who hearkens diligently and turns their minds to it This is the eye which is blind in all the world though they have eyes they see not and eares they hear not and hearts they do not understand the God of this world hath blinded this eye and his Ministers would keep it blinde and shut up and denies it to be a teacher sufficient And so your leaders causeth you to erre who are blinde and leads you that are blinde and so ye may follow them till ye both go into the pit But eternally if ever ye come to know the living God ye must turn your minds to the light which is in you which Christ Jesus saith take heed that the light that is in you be not darkness for then how great is that darkness And so all your blinde guides which keeps your minds from this light which is in you So your minds being from it it is to you darkness and so then how great is that darkness But turning your minds to this light and joining your mindes to it and hearkening to it then will ye come to see this blinde eye opened And the blinde man which hath been born blinde from his birth will come to see and his eyes will be anointed with eye-salve which those blinde guides which leads you from the light never knew And this ye shall eternally witness to be truth If ye turn your minds to the light then will ye come to see what I speak and witness me to be true and all your blinde guides Lyars who denies the light and would not have you to minde the light but hearken to them who hates the light and loves darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil But the light is risen glory for evermore which is their condemnation and hath found them out who are the theeves and Robbers who have gone before and climbe up another way But Christ Jesus saith I am the door of the sheep all that ever come before me are theeves and Robbers I am the door by me if any man enter he shall be saved saith Christ Jesus who is the light And these theeves and Robbers who denies the light draws from the door Christ Jesus by which all that ever are saved enters who is the good shepherd and who hath given his life for the sheep But he that is an hireâ—ing and not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth not themselves to be the wolves for they are blinde the God of this world hath blinded their eyes who denies the light and so they leave the sheep and flie And the lost sheep of the house of Israel which Christ Jesus is sent to seek and to save they know not but lets the wolf destroy the sheep in every bosom of their flock But now is the shepherd of the sheep come whose own the sheep are who is the good shepherd and knows his sheep and is known of them who hears his voice and knows his voice and he puts forth his own sheep he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger will they not follow Glory and praises be to the living God for ever who is redeeming his sheep from under the mouths of the wolves and devourers who hath scattered them upon every mountain and hill in the cloudy and dark day But now is the light of the glorious Gospel risen and beautiful upon the mountains is his feet that brings glad tydings of this Gospel that publisheth peace that saith unto Sion thy King reigneth To all who desires to know the way to Sion doth this voice cry to turne your faces thitherward To the light of Jesus Christ who comes riding upon an Asses colt to the joy and rejoycing of all Sions children Therefore turn again all you who are wandring from mountain to hill seeking rest but finding none Turn to the light in every one of your consciences this is the word of faith which we preach which Moses taught Israel and the Apostle Paul the Romans which is nigh in the mouth and in the heart here is your teacher if you hearken to the pure light which shews you the deceit of your hearts and your unclean thoughts from which proceeds uncleanness which the light makes manifest which will reap you up and reprove you in secret The Lord God of life and power is fulfilling his everlasting Covenant in this his day he is writing his law in the heart and putting it in the inward parts that none need say know the Lord but all who turn to the measure of God shall know him from the least to the greatest of them And by no other way or name under heaven shall ye know the living God but by this pure light and law written in the heart Here will ye come to witnesse the Lord to be your God and your King and your Law-giver which all the professions of the world is ignorant of therefore to this pure measure of God in your inward parts
A TESTIMONIE OF THE TOUCH-STONE FOR ALL Professions and all Forms and Gathered Churches as they call them of what sort soever to try their ground and foundation by AND A TRYAL by the Scriptures who the False Prophets are which are in the world which John said should be in the last times by Margret Fell ALSO SOME OF THE RANTERS PRINCIPLES Answered Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation Isai. 28.16 The stone which the Builders refuseth is become the head of the corner Psa. 119.22 Now therefore are we no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and Houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Eph. 2.20 Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which bee disobedient tâ—â— stone which the Builders disallowed the same is the head of the Corner 1 Pet. 2.9 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the sign of the Bull Mouth neer Aldersgate 1656. TO all the Professions of the World And to all the forms which all the professors lives in To the light in all your consciences which comes from Jesus who is the fathers Covenant of light and life The Lamb who is the light of all the Nations that are saved which now shines in all your consciences to this in you all do I speak that with it you may search and try your standing and ground and foundation The Church is in God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ Christ Jesus the corner stone who hath said upon this Rock I build my Church Paul writ to Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of Truth For saith he without controversie great is the mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up to glory Now Professors look about you and see where your footing and where your foundation is who do profess a God and a Christ afar off and denies the light of Jesus Christ which manifests him in the flesh How can you know him or confess him in the flesh who denies him to be manifested in you What ground have ye to build upon when you know nothing of him but what ye have from a profession without you Oh consider seriously and turn your minds to the light which will let you see your foundation to be rotten and sandy which ye floolish builders are building in your imaginations Babel in the Air professing the Scriptures without which were declared and spoken from a living and eternall principle within And this ye take and build upon But where is your foundation where is your ground where is your root who denies the corner stone the light Jesus Christ the light and Rock of ages which all the Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God is founded and built upon A profession of this will stand you in no stead for the holy seed is risen the substance of all and the life of the Scriptures which spoke them forth is manifested The word which was in the begining which was with God which word was God he who was dead is alive whose name is called the Word of God who lives for evermore This word which we have seen which we have heard which our hands have handled this we declare unto you by which Word the World was made and without which nothing was made which was made This is manifested and witnessed praises living praises be to the living God And this is he that will break to pieces all your rotten profession you cannot stand before him his rod of Iron where he rules will dash you all to pieces ye potsheards of the earth who have set up the Image whose head is of gold whose breast is of silver whose feet is part Iron and part Clay The little stone cut out of the Mountain without hands sticks at his feet and overturns his foundation you and your Diana shall fall and stone shall become a great Mountain the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it and you who take the words spoken from the life of God and professeth them and God and Christ without you and ye prosecute the same life which gave them forth which now is made manifest in his people Ye make up the measure of your fore-fathers which shew the Prophets and ye garnish their Sepulchres ye are in their steps that killed the prophets that beat the servants and would also kill the heir your fruits makes ye manifest Ye are the graves which men go over painted Sepulchres with words and professions of their outside but within are full of rotteness and dead mens bones The Candle of the Lord God is lighted by which he searcheth Jerusalem and hath found you out the day of the Lord which is coming upon you which makes all things manifest This will lay you open To the light in all your consciences do I speak that to it you may learn to see what ye know of the living God there there he is unknown to you yet as he was to the Athenians whom ye ignorantly worship though he be not far from every one of you Therefore put him not far off you but call upon him while he is near and seek him while he may be found If ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts while it is called to day Now you have time prize it this is the day of your visitation your profession without you will not serve you it strikes in the Lords nostrils and all your righteousness shall be spread as dung upon your faces it is as filthy rags and as the early dew it shall pass away and never be mentioned He is come who convinceth the world of sin of righteousness and of Judgement therefore your righteousness which is not the righteousness of Jesus Christ is condemned by him who is the righteousness of the father and the expresse Image of his glory The glorious brightness of his coming makes manifest the man of sin which hath so long sitten in the Temple of God exalted above all that is called God in you it is time to come wherein he is revealed Therefore cease from your abominations and outward professions of forms and colours without the life and power and purity of truth it self For the glorious light makes you manifest and all your covers is too narrow the roe from the living God is to them and all coverings which is not his pure spirit it is to be rent And though ye may seem fair on the outside this will not hide you he who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins is come before whom all secrets is bare and naked Therefore turn into the measure of the light which ye have received from the
he which is the bringing in of a better hope by which ye draw nigh unto God And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 And the Apostle Peter saith Blessed be God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead 1 Pet. 1.3 And â—â—is is none of the hypocrites hope for the hope of the hypocrite doth perish and the hypocrite hath no right nor interest in the â—oe and living hope which is the promise of the Lord to the heirs of his promise The Immutability of his councel confirmed by in oath that by two immutable things by which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast But this is nothing to the dissembling hypocrites and professors of the world who deny the light Christ Jesus the second Priest and hath set up a Priest without them and hath a Church without them and I hope without them and a rule without them and a guide without them These are none of the heirs of the promise for the Promise and Covenant of God is within and the second Priest the unchangeable Priest which is surely of a better Testament and bringeth in a better hope who is the Covenant made with an oath who is the refuge for the righteous to flie to which is the hope set before them But this is a mysterie to all ye carnal professors who are yet in your sins and your uncleannesse and yet will tell of faith and hope and God and Christ But your root is rottennesse your ground is curst and corrupt and your chaffe is to be burnt The fire is kindled which cannot be quenched and the day of the Lord is come which burns as an oven and all your filthy profession and deceitful rotten hypocrisie shall be as stubble And though ye give your goods to the poor and your bodies to be burnt and do not believe in the light and turn to the light and walk in it it is nothing for so long as you do not walk in the light ye know nothing at all of Charity which suffereth long which envieth not which vaunteth not it self puffeth not up rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth This ye are far from who are in your envy wrath malice persecution pleading for sin against perfection and against the light which discovereth and makes manifest all sin and uncleannesse your profession of God and Christ in word when in works ye deny him will not serve you the Lord abhors all your profession and hypocrisie Therefore give over your deceitful dissembling and turn to that which rips you up and layes you naked and bare before the Lord God from whom you cannot hide your selves And to the light of Christ come to be tryed and searched the tryed stone which layeth judgement to the line and righteousness to the plummet for Sion is redeemed through Judgement and her converts with righteousness Therefore give over deceiving of your souls for he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous And all sin and uncleannesse the light condemns And if your hearts condemn you God is greater Therefore do not deceive your souls but search and try your own selves for if ye know not that Christ is in you ye are Reprobates And so all forms and all professions try your own selves and to the light come to be tryed and there you will see your rotten profession will be too light and do not deceive your souls but now ye have time prize it while it is called to day consider and do not forget God lest he tear you to pieces while there be none to deliver you And this is in love to all your souls which ye shall eternally witnesse to be truth If ye turn to the light which is my witnesse and if ye hate the light and turn from the light the light is your condemnation And when the books of conscience is opened and all Judged out of them then shall that witnesse of God in you witness me that this is love to your souls And so whether ye hear or forbear I have cleared my conscience and the Lord is clear of your blood And your foundation and bottom I know and comprehend but the Rock which ye know not shall break you to pieces though ye have the outward writings and declaration which was spoken from another state and condition then ye are in And these words ye take and make your own when as ye are in another condition and of another seed then that which the promise is to For it is not to seeds as to many but to one seed which is Christ the light and corner-stone which ye builders refuseth yet ye account it railing to be called Theeves and Robbers though ye have nothing but what ye steal from others Ye take Moses words who was a servant of the Lord sent to bring Israel the seed of God out of bondage and ye who are the Egyptian task-masters with his words keeps the seed in bondage To Moses state ye never came which brings out of the house of darkness you who denies the light and yet you will profess Moses word Now let that of God in all your consciences which is just and equall judge whether ye be not theeves and robbers in this yea or nay And ye take the Prophets words which received the word from the Lord which the Lord spoke to them and ye professe these words and ye slay the Prophet which the Lord promised to raise 〈◊〉 unto Moses which he hath said every one shall hear who bringeth the seed out of Egypt and with these words ye crucifie the just and garnishes his Sepulcher and so ye are found the painted Sepulchers which hath slain the righteous which Christ speaks of Now see if ye be not the blinde guides and hopocrites in this which Christ Jesus cryed woe against to them whom he found in the same steps as ye are in who had Moses and the Prophets words which writ of him and prophesied of him but he told them they knew them not For if they had known Moses and the Prophets they would have known him And so ye go beyond those in Christs time and exceed them in hypocrisie and deceit for ye take Christ Jesus his words which he spoke before he was offered up and since he is risen again and ye professe them and with these words ye deny the light which he hath said he is the light and which John who was the faithfull witness and more then a Prophet witnessed of him which he witnessed to be the greatest that was born of women and Christs testimony and Johns testimony ye deny who denies
the light And yet ye take these words and profess them and persecute the light and life that spoke these words Now to that of God in your Consciences which cannot bear false witnesse nor lye do I speak let all that try you and examine you whether you do not exceed the Scribes and Pharisees who crucified Christ Jesus who had writings of him that he should come yet when he came they did not know that it was he and so they crucified him under the name of a Blasphemer and Prince of Devils But ye say and professe that he is come and professe that that was he which they crucified and ye professe that he is risen again and yet ye persecute and deny his light and testimony where it is risen and made manifest Now see whether ye be not blinde indeed when as ye go about to oppose deny and persecute that which ye your selves professe Now see what a God this is ye serve who keeps ye so blinde in your profession that ye persecute those who possesseth that which ye your selves professe Ye exceed all that ever went before you that ever was read of and yet ye are so blind as ye do not see your selves For those whom ye persecute and oppose ye have nothing against them but that they witnesse and professe that which ye blinde hypocrites possesse but knows nothing of So ye make clean the outside with an outward profession and a form and an Image and a likenesse but your inside is sin uncleannesse filthinesse envy wrath malice strife and persecution this is of the Devils Kingdome of sin and this is the inheritance and possession which ye possesse Though ye professe a God and a Christ from Records without you yet your possession and inheritance is the Devils Kingdome of sin Let that of God in your consciences which is pure now examine and try you and search you and see if ye be not found in sin and uncleannesse and denies being free from sin and perfection and purity and plead for sin and the Devils Kingdome and yet professe God and Christ Oh that ever ye should be so abominably blinde and fottish Do ye look upon the pure and holy God who cannot behold iniquity with whom dwells no unclean thing to be like your selves And so likewise ye take the Epistles and writings of the Apostles to the Church of Christ which is in God and which is the house of God the ground and pillar of all truth which is built upon the rock Christ Jesus And ye take the words which were written to these who were born of the immortal seed to which the promise of God is and ye who live in your sin and filthinesse and uncleannesse takes these words and professeth them and makes them your own as though they were spoken to you when as ye never knew their condition nor the Apostles which was their Minister and begot them into the everlasting truth by the immortal ingratted word of God And this ye who denies the light which the Apostles preached who was a Minister of the Spirit and not of the Letter And this ye profess to be yours and here you build your nest in your forms and here ye sit decked with the words of the Saints with your unclean 〈…〉 and persecuting the righteous seed which these were spoken to opposing and denying the light which they were gathered into But your day of lamentation and howling is coming upon you ye cannot escape the righteous God hath found you out the acceptable year of the Lord is proclaimed and the day of vengence of our God is come and the Prince of the world is come to be judged and the day of the Son of man is come in which he is lifted up and where he is lifted up he draws all men after him Praises be to the living God for ever And your Covenant with hell and death is disanulled and your refuge of lyes and dissimulation will be swept away the overflowing scourge is coming upon you Therefore as ye love your souls give over your dissembling and vain imaginations and hypocrisie and vain deceit and see what ye have and what ye know ye do enjoy in the light and in the life and in the power of the living God for our Gospel stands not in word but in life and power And he is manifest who is the power of God unto salvation unto all that believe And this Gospel is not hid but to those that are lost Now if ye turn your minds to the light of Jesus Christ which is the light of the glorious Gospel ye will see that this Gospel hath been hid from you and from your profession But if ye wait in the light then will ye come to know the power and the power will raise the life And he that walketh in the light shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life And so give over professing words which was spoken from the light and life and power and ye your selves without light without life without power in a 〈◊〉 Nay this will not serve this is an abomination unto the living pure God and all this wil he burn and consume with the spirit of his 〈◊〉 and with the brightnesse of his coming Now see what ye have that will answer to the fire for nothing will stand in his presence who is a consuming fire but that which will abide the fire And this ye shall eternally witnesse to be truth And so in this I have cleared my conscience and laid before you your house and building which is without foundation And if ye turn your minds to the light it will let you see you have no bottom nor foundation that can stand Oh that ever ye should be so ignorant sottish and blinde in this the day 〈…〉 grace of the everlasting God which hath appeared unto all men which is so sounded forth in your ears and yet ye will not come to search and examine where your foundation and root and bottom is If ye will but turn your minds to the light ye will see that you have nothing at all but that which is none of your own which will stand ye in no stead which was written and spoke to others Oh that ever ye should be so blinde as to look upon this to be yours in this glorious day of light when it is so clearly manifested and the Gospel freely preached to every Creature and that ye should be so carelesse of your own souls as not to come to a search Oh what will ye do in the end when the just and righteous God calls ye to an account who hath sent forth his Ministers and messengers to preach the glad tydings of the Gospel to the poor liberty to the captives and yet ye as deaf adders will not hear yea the Lord God seeth you and knoweth your Rebellious stiff-necked and uncircumcised heart and ears and he will reward you according to your works And then your
profession in words where you have neither bottom nor foundation will not serve for the sword of the Lord is drawn which cuts down all fruitlesse trees and groundlesse professions and your forms and covers is to be ripped off and ye will be found naked miserable and blinde Therefore now ye have time prize it and harden not your hearts while it is called to day but repent and turn to the Lord who waits to be gracious who will not give his honour to another but will be inquired of Turn to the light which cometh from the father of light which draws your minds towards God and let this be your teacher and leader and guider And here ye will come to see your blinde guides which Christ Jesus cries woe against who hath so long devoured the flock and scattered them who draws them from that by which the Lord teacheth his people which is the light The witnesse of God which witnesseth for God against all sin and uncleannesse And this they draw people from to look out at them who are the deceivers and betrayers of your souls Therefore as you love your souls turn from them and lay your foundation in the light for this is the door which every one who enters goes in at and whosoever climbs up another way is a thief and a robber and this ye shall eternally witnesse And so to the light turn and there wait and there will ye see the betrayers of your souls And if ye do not turn to this light this light shall be your condemnation for ever and shall finde you out one day and this ye shall eternally witnesse whether ye will hear or forbear None ownes the truth as it is in Jesus but who owns the light which he hath lighted them withall who lighteth every man that cometh into the world Nor none owns the truth but who owns the light that they are lighted withal which comes from Christ Jesus the light and life who is the way to the father of life Nor none ownes the way to the father who lighteth every man that cometh into the world but such as ownes the light which comes from him And none cometh to the Father but by the Son and none cometh to the Son but who owneth the light which from the Son doth come who lighteth every man that cometh into the world None heareth the Prophet Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made who lighteth every man that cometh into the world none heareth him but who heareth that and owneth that which the Prophet hath enlightened withal who saith learn of me None learneth but such as are turned to the light which from him doth come None receiveth the word in the heart but such as receiveth the light which they be lighted withal who cometh from him who lighteth every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus who is called the word of God He that receiveth the light shall receive the word and he that heareth not this Prophet he heareth not the light he is lighted withal that cometh from the Prophet whose name is called the Word He that heareth not this Prophet shall be cut off from among the people be heareth not the light he is enlightned withal If he make a profession of all the Saints words declared from the light yet he is cut off from among the people and with the light condemned A tryal of the false Prophets I Am the light of the world and doth lighten every man that cometh into the world saith Christ Jesus John 1.9 And the Prophet Isaiah who prophesied of Christ Jesus saith I the Lord who hath called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isaiah 42.6 Now all people see where you are and try your teachers what they lead you into which draws you from the light which Christ Jesus hath enlighted you withall who saith he that walks in the light shall have the light of life And John saith That in him was life and the life was the light of men John 1.4 Now try your teachers which draws you from the light by the Scriptures which they take to speak unto you and as they say is their rule Let it likewise be your rule to try them by And search the Scriptures and examine them honestly and see whether ye be not deceived by them which draws you from the light which is and ever was the Saints teacher and ever shall be And John saith that he was not light but he was sent to bear witnesse of the light which is the true light which lightens every man that cometh into the world Now all people try and see your teachers whether all your Priests of England be not witnesses contrary to John He bears witnesse to the light that lightens every man that cometh into the world and they bear witnesse against the light and say he doth not inlighten every one that cometh into the world And tells people they must look after them for means and ordinances and so blinds poor people and keeps them in ignorance and darknesse But all people as ye love your own souls search into the Scriptures and try them by the Scriptures which ye call the Word and your rule to walk by and you shall finde them the deceivers and the Antichrists and false Prophets which they tell you so much of that should come in the latter dayes John saith Many false Prophets are gone into the world Now try your teachers by this and see whether they be not in the world not separated from the world but draws from the light which separates from the world and leads out of the world but they witnesse against the light and pleads for sin and for the Kingdome of Antichrist which is of the world And John saith this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil for every one that doth evil hateth the light neither bringeth he his deeds to the light lest they should be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest whether they be wrought in God Now all poor people see whether these be not the false Prophets which are entred into the world which draws from the light which is the worlds condemnation And whether these be not the deceivers and Antichrists which John speaks of which are entred into the world which doth not confesse Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh but doth deny the light and doth persecute and call them deceivers and false Prophets which do witnesse him come in the flesh and walks in the light which he hath enlightened them withall These they stock and prison and cause to be beat in their Synagogues as all did that went before them which ever persecuted the righteous seed who denies the light The same John which saith
all the false Prophets and deceivers and Antichrists which are in the world And who is faithful and obedient to the light witnesseth Christ made manifest and come in the flesh and these are no Antichrists And these are they that goes forth to bear witnesse against the false Prophets and Antichrists which are in the world And these are they that are stockt and beat and imprisoned and persecuted by those which is of the first nature which is Cains who slew his brother and this is of the world And by this generation all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and it is our joy and rejoycing not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake All poor people who are in the dark world blinde led with the blinde guides beware and look where you are lest both you and they fall into the ditch And try your leaders by the Scripture who are pleading for sin and transgression and telling you that you shall not be free from sin nor perfect while ye are upon earth Now is that fulfilling which the Apostle Paul spoke of 2 Tim. 3. And the perillous times are come and woe unto you if ye do not hearken unto the warning of the Lord God who calls unto you for repentance And to return to the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences And to turn from that sort which the Apostle speaks of having a form of godlinesse but denying the power of this sort is your teachers which are to be turned away from which creeps into houses and leads silly women captive and so keeps you ever learning and tells you none can be perfect while they are here upon earth And so they plead for sin and against Christ Jesus and the Apostles and Prophets and all the holy men of God For Christ saith be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect Mat. 5.28 And again Christ saith unto the young man which asked him what he lacked yet if thou wilt be perfect sell all that thou hast and give to the poor And again the Apostle said he preached wisdome among them that are perfect And when he parted with the Brethren he bid them be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde 1 Cor. 2.6 2 Cor. 10.11 And your teachers tells you that you must never be perfect but that you â—ust sin so long as you are upon the earth and so they are Ministers of Antichrist and upholders of sin and the Devils Kingdom Try them by the Scripture and you shall finde them contrary to the doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles and not to have received the gifts which he gave to the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists for the perfecting of the Saints as ye may read Eph. 4.11 12 13. And the same Apostle went about warning every man in all wisdome that he might present every man perfect in Christ Iesus Now see your leaders and teachers if they have not another spirit then Christ and the Apostles had who makes it their trade to plead for sin and against perfection which all that ever were sent of God preached and prayed for as the Apostle did night and day praying exceedingly that he might see their face and might perfect that which was wanting in their faith 1 Thess. 3.10 And the Apostle Peter prayed that they might be perfect when they had suffered a while And the Apostle said who was a minister of Christ that the Scripture was given forth by inspiration of God that the man of God might be perfect and here your teachers are found to be denyers of the Scriptures and not so much as Ministers of the Letter who pleads against it the end it was given forth for and so are found to be Ministers of Antichrist and out of the practice of all that ever taught for God Noah was a Preacher of righteousnesse and he was a perfect man Abraham was a friend of God and God said unto him walk before me and be thou perfect and Lot was a just man and the Lord delivered him And Iob was a perfect and just man And David saith mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 And Solomon saith that the upright shall dwell in the Land and the perfect shall remain in it Prov. 2.21 And again he saith That the righteousnesse of the perfect shall direct his way Prov. 11.5 Now all people search the Scripture and try these deceivers and betrayers of your souls and let them be witnesses against themselves that they teach nor you receive nothing of God from them for whatsoever is of God in the least measure is perfect The first principle that comes from God is perfect every perfect gift is from above Jam. 1.17 And the Apostle said as many as be perfect be thus minded and the Apostle saith again we are glad when we are weak and ye are strong and this also we wish even your perfection Phil. 3.15 And again he saith Let us go on unto perfection Now see your blinde guides whether they be not the Ministers of the mysterie of iniquity and under the dark power who pleads for sin and against perfection which all that were sent of God preached for and prayed for and laboured for the perfecting of the Saints and the perfecting holinesse in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 Eph. 12. An Answer to the Ranters Principles THe Word of the Lord to you Ranters every where where this may come who are of the Generation whose hearts are turned away from the Lord God and serves the gods of the Nations your root beareth gall and wormwood and ye are under the curse and your blessings are curst though you may blesse your selves in your hearts saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imaginations of my heart and adde drunkennesse to thirst But the Lord will not spare you when his anger kindles and his jealousie shall smoak then all the curses that are written in the book shall lye upon you and your name shall be blotted out from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20. RANTERS And whereas you say God is darkness as well as light and that there is but one power c. Answ That is Blasphemy and thy message is for the Prince of darknesse and thou art in the Land of darkness and the shaddow of death where thy light is darknesse where thou art driven from the light into darknesse under the curse separted from God under the power of the Prince of the Air which rules in the children of disobedience and there thou shalt have thy portion And he who is the messenger of the living God who declares that which was from the beginning which he had heard which he had seen and handled the word of life which bears witnesse unto the living God this is the message that he declares that God is light and in him is no darknesse at all 1 John 1. And thou that
not so much as observing a day or not a day unto the Lord But art the servant of sin and uncleannesse speaking great swelling words of vanity and allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnesse those who were clean escaped from you who lives in error and so while ye are promising your selves liberty you your selves are the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2.18 19. For of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought into bondage And the liberty of the Sons of God thou nor none of thy spirit shall never know And thou who hast liberties to all things art shut out from the liberty of the Sons of God which is purchased by the Son of God who bindes and chains thee and thy liberty RANT And whereas thou sayest Man in his Carnall apprehensions of the one power which is God calls one thing clean and another thing unclean but in the sight of God all things are good and clean But to man that esteem and apprehends a thing to be evil to him it is evil but in the sight of God all things and all wayes are clean and good Answ Thou who art carnal and in thy apprehensions knows not the power which is of God nor favours the things which be of God and that which puts the difference betwixt the clean and unclean and makes the separation betwixt the precious and the vile to this thou art an enemy but this hath found thee out and hath separated thee and all of thy spirit from God and all who are of him on the left hand amongst the Goats thou art and all of thy nature and of thy spirit is for the fire and destruction and the sword of the Lord shall cut thee down root and branch who art the cursed tree that cannot bring forth good fruit and in the sight of God thou art filthy polluted and unclean who to thee is a consuming fire and thou art before him as stubble Thou brings a Scripture in the 14. Rom. 14. where the Apostle saith There is nothing unclean of it self but to thee who art art unclean filthy and polluted there is nothing clean but all is defiled by thee who lives in the lust of uncleannesse RANT And whereas thou sayest Whatsoever hath been done in darknesse may be done in the light as swearing lying drunkennesse cheating which being done in the light are done in faith and what is of faith is not sin Answ Here thou hast made it manifest that thy light is darknesse that thy faith is vain who art yet in thy sins and that thy God is the god of the world and that the Devil who is the father of lyes and of oaths and drunkennesse and of all sin is thy God And so as I said to thee before thou and thy god is to be bound and chained by the Angel who hath the key of the bottomlesse pit and art to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20.10 R. And whereas thou sayest One power act all things which appear sometime in darknesse and sometimes in light sometimes in glory sometimes in shame as to the Creature yet in God light and darknesse glory and shame is one I the Lord do all these things so one power Answ That power that acts thee is limitted and bound and chained and comprehended and thy compasse is known and seen with that which was before thee and thy power was which seals thee up in thy torment for evermore And thy glory is thy shame and thy God is thy belly who mindes earthly things And thy power acts in the darknesse and with the light which never changeth which comes from Jesus who is the light of the world thou art condemned into the pit of darkness and from God who is the father of light thou art shut for ever eternally who doth all things by his power R. And whereas thou sayest All things that be are brought out by one wisdome which inventions all that are found out by one wisedome are found out And no invention opposeth this wisdom every invention being found out by this wisdom Answ Here thou serpent is spewing forth thy poyson and blasphemy indeed which would lay the deceit and subtilty of the serpent which lodgeth in thy bosom upon God But the Lord God lifteth up his hand against thee to overthrow thy seed who hath joyned thy self to Baal-Peor and provoked the Lord to anger with thy inventions and the plagues shall break in upon thee for the Lord will take vengence upon thy inventions who art defiled with thy own works and goes a whoring after thy own invention Psal. 99.8 106. Psal. 28.39 And the righteous God will be avenged on thee for thy blasphemy and thou brings a Scripture in Prov. 8.12 where Solomon saith I Wisdom dwells with prudence and finds out knowledge of witty Inventions Oh thou blasphemous Beast this is a mysterie to thee which lives in thy lusts and uncleannesse He saith in the next verse the fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Dost thou so who art pleading for all manner of vilenesse and filthinesse Oh thou abominable wretch who lives in that which Solomon hated R. And thou sayest Men in their dark knowledge of the one power in his several workings say one number worships one God the god of the world another company a God which is not of the world when as God is but one working according to the good pleasure of his will Answ Thou who art in thy dark knowledge under the Prince of the power of darknesse doth not know nor never shall know the eternall power of the living God but to thy destruction for he is come and made manifest which reproves the world of sin and of righteousnesse and of Judgment John 16.8 and now is the time that thou and thy God is judged and thy number as thou calls them who art of the number of the Beast Rev. 13.18 And the one God which was before thee and thy god was thou knows not which shall be God when thou art in the lake R. And whereas thou sayest God loves and takes pleasure in all things in darknesse as well as in the light for darknesse and light is both alike to him Answ That is false and Blasphemy for in thee who art darknesse God doth not take pleasure neither love for God hath no pleasure in wickednesse neither shall evil dwell with him The foolish shall not stand in his sight he hates all the workers of iniquity and will destroy all them that speaks lyes The Lord doth abhor the bloody and deceitfull man God hath no pleasure in fools Psal. 5.4 5 6. Who is there among you that would shut the doors for nought neither do ye kindle fire on mine Altar for nought I have no pleasure in you saith
know the liberty of the Sons of God which Law cuts down all thy carnall apprehensions of God Oh thou blasphemer dost thou say that there is no such thing as lawfull and unlawfull godlinesse and ungodlinesse would thou lay wast the Scriptures and make void the righteous Law of God which takes hold of the transgressor and would thou trample upon the blood of the New-Covenant and count it an unholy thing Oh the day of vengence is coming upon thee and the Lord God is cloathed with vengence against thee and all such as thou art And thou who sits at the Table of devils art shut out from the liberty of the Sons of God and knows not the condition that Paul had passed through For when thou knows that it will be death and destruction to thee And this thou shalt eternally witnesse before ever thou come to know the living God R. And whereas thy sayest This is the liberty that the Sons of God are to stand fast in and to thrust out that which would shew any evil in any thing whatsoever seeing in God all things are lawfull and for every thing under the Sun there is a time and a season Answ Thou blasphemous beast that thrusts out all that would shew any evil in any thing who art in thy fleshly liberty and lust of uncleanness and all manner of filthiness thou art shut out from the presence of God and all that are of him with that which shews sin and evil and that shews and knows thee to be for destruction and condemnation in the lake that burns And this limits thy liberty and cuts it short And the liberty of the Sons of God thou nor none of thy spirit shall ever know which is purchased by Jesus Christ which thou art a crucifier of and an enemy to and this was the liberty the Apostle exhorts to stand fast in which bindes and chains thee and condemns thee and who is in this liberty sees thee the devils bond-slave And what is in God thou knows not neither knows thou what God is And thou art under the Sun the Moon and the Stars lying wallowing in thy earthly lust and unncleanness and the earth is cursed for thy sake and the living God hath curst thee above all the beasts in the field R. And whereas thou sayes One councell orders all and one wisdome effects and determines all and of one all learn knowledge and wisdome and this councell nothing resists This councel were they ordered by who crucified the Son of God Answ Thou art the Rebellious stiff-necked and uncircumcised who art not ordered by the Councel of the Lord And in that thou saith one Councel orders all thou art a Lyar and the Lord witnesses against thee wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah and he sent unto him a Prophet and it came to pass as he talked with him the King said unto him art thou of the Kings Counsel forbear Then the Prophet forbore and said I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened to my Counsel 2 Chron. 25.15 16. Here is the Kings Councel and Gods Counsel And Solomon saith But ye have set at nought all my Councel and would have none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Prov. 1.25 to 30. And thou art one of the wicked Councellors that doth imagine evil against the Lord and he will make an utter end of thee and all of thy spirit For though ye be folded together as thorns are drunken as drunkards ye shal be devoured as stubble fully dry there is one that come out of thee that imagines evil against the Lord a wicked Councellor Nahum 1.11 And thou hast made it manifest that thou art one of them that took Councel together to put him to death And thou who crucifies him rejects his Councel Luke 7.30 And thy wisdom is carnal sensual and divellish James 3.15 1 Cor. 1.19 and by the wisdome of God thou and thy wisdom shall be destroyed R. And thou sayest He that hath faith and liberty to do all things to him nothing is unclean nor unlawfull to him every thing is pure Answ Thou who hast liberty to do all things art unclean filthy and polluted and art without faith and thy liberty is bondage and from the living God thou art driven to under the curse and bondage of Corruption and thou that art servant to sin art free from Righteousness Ro. 6.20 And to thee who art in the lust of uncleanness acted by the dark power and to thee who art unclean and impure nothing is pure whose conscience is defiled and thou brings a Scripture in 1 Tit. 15. where it is said To the pure all things are pure Oh thou Blasphemer what is this to thee who art defiled and filthy Doth not the Apostles words follow But unto the unbelieving is nothing pure but even their minds and conciences are defiled They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work being reprobate and there thou art R. And whereas thou saith The seed of the serpent is cursed and no blessing belongs to it and the seed of God God will save God will save his own what doth mans doing advantage him or not doing disadvantage him Answ Here thou serpent hast made thy self manifest to be the cursed seed indeed who hath twined and twisted about tempting into sin and transgression all thy paper through and pleaded for lust filthinesse and uncleanness and liberty of the flesh which lusteth against the spirit and now at last thou hast uttered forth thy blasphemy and confusion and laid thy self open to all If thou wilt have two seeds the seed of the serpent and the seed of God In this thou hast overturned and confounded all that ever thou hast spoken in thy paper before So thou art judged out of thy own mouth and all that thou hast pleaded for before thou hast overturned by this Before thou said God was darkness as well as light and both being alike to him and all acted by one power and good and evil one and sin and holinesse one and all things that be are wrought by one wisdome And said invention is found out by that wisdome And whatsoever hath been done in darkness may be done in the light and that God loves and takes pleasure in all things And now thou sayest the seed of the serpent is curst these are thy own words And here thou art found with lyes and confusion in thy mouth and so thou serpent art curst And all lying is of the devil he is the father of all these Blasphemies that thou hast uttered And thy actings doth not advantage for thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and the wrath of the Lord God will finde thee out and the plagues of God thou shalt witnesse for they are thy portion R. And whereas thou or some of thy spirit hath said that there was nothing betwixt you Ranters and the quakers only they did not see all things to be theirs so were in bondage but they would grow up to you Answ Them whom thou calls quakers doth utterly deny thee and all of thy Principles and all the Ranters is by us denyed and your Practises we abhor And in the eternall light which never changes do we see you and know you And with that which was before the world was do we try your spirits and comprehend your bottom and foundation and Race you out from the presence of the Lord and all who are of him And in the dread and power of the living God do we Judge and try you and your God which is the God of the world and the Prince of the Air which now is come to be judged and do judge and condemn both him and you into the Lake which burns And this is from the quakers which you say is not yet come to you but is from you separated eternally M.F. Errata Page the 2. l. the 22. for shew r. slew l. the 32. for learn r. turn p. 3. l the 10. for it is time to come r. his time is come p. 11. l. 30. for let al that try you r. let that try you p. 12. l. 8. for profess r. possess l. 9. r. profess FINIS
saith this knows not him who is the Covenant of light who is given a light to enlighten the Gentiles but art one that doth evil and hates the light neither cometh to the light lest thy deeds should be reproved and therefore thou art for condemnation with the light And the Apostle saith what Communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6.14 and thou saith God is darknesse as well as light and thou saith there is but one power but thou shalt find another power then that which thou acts under and for and in which shall overturn and confound thee and thy power and turn thee into the bottomlesse pit which art the beast which hath seven heads and ten horns and upon thy head is the names of Blasphemy and thou worshippest the Dragon and gives thy power unto the Beast and thou speakest great things and blasphemies but thy power is limitted Rev. 13. from the 1. verse to the 7. and thou brings two Scriptures Col. 3.11 and Eph. 1.11 which neither of them belongs to thee nor none of thy generation who art an enemy of God and all righteousnesse RAN And whereas thou sayest nothing is contrary to the one power which is God nothing works against him nothing opposes him nothing is contrary to his will whatever is done it is his will Answ That is likewise false and blasphemy thou and thy power is contrary and acts contrary to the power of God and therefore doth thou and thy power give life unto the Image of the beast that the Image of the beast should speak that the Image of the Beast should speak and doth speak in thee And thou worships the Dragon which gives power unto the beast Rev. 13.15 and thou exerciseth the power of the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and this thy power is contrary to the power of God and the power of the living God shall binde and chain thee and the Dragon whom thou worships and shall cast thee into the pit And thou nor none in thy nature nor of thy spirit nor power doth the will of God for he that doth the will of God enters into the Kingdome which thou nor none of thy generation ever shall For he that doth the will of God is he whom God hath sent of whom it is written in the volume of the book loe I come to do thy will oh God and it is his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him Which thou knows nothing of but art an enemy to him and all who are of him and acts in thy filthy will which is of the flesh lust and uncleannesse wallowing in thy filthinesse But thou art shut out from God and all who are of him for by the will of God we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all which thou art an enemy to and art shut from for ever And whereas thou sayest Man in his Carnall apprehensions of God calls one thing good and another thing evil But in him all things are good for all things are of him Answ Thou dark blinde sot Thou art in thy carnal apprehensions and so neither knows the good nor the evil but art under the woe and art him which calls evil good and good evil and put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa. 5 20. And thou enemy of the living God knows not what is in him neither art thou of him but art in thy sins and filthinesse separated from him and all who are of him And thou brings a Scripture in the 2 Cor. 5.18 which is nothing to thee who art in thy filthinesse and uncleannesse for who the Apostle spoke to there it was the New-creature where the old things were past away and all things were become new And thou art in thy old sins and old filthinesse yet and Christ Jesus who is the reconciliation of all things that are of God is thy condemnation and shall be thy destruction for ever RANT And whereas thou sayest While man calls one thing good and another thing evil he sees not with the eye of God who saw all things very good Answ Thou art blinde from thy birth and doth not see with the eye of God and therefore doth not know the good nor the evil And who sees with the eye of God sees thee to be evil and that seed which causeth the evil and brought the curse upon the earth for thy sake and the creature under the bondage of corruption who goes upon thy belly and dust dost thou eat and the eye of God turns thee the wicked into hell all that forget God which is thy place of torment which thou shalt find and to thee nothing is good And whereas thou sayest all things are reconciled to the one power which is God earth and heaven light and darknesse good and evil Answ Thou who art for torments and flames would be reconciled to God but thou shalt finde the wrath of the Lamb who is come to Torment thee before thy time Mat. 8.29 weeping and wailing thou shall finde Mark 5.7 Lu. 8.28 And no reconciliation to God there is for thee who art drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication and worshippeth the beast and his Image and receiveth his mark in thy fore-head Therfore shall thou drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of his holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14.8 9 10. And this thou shalt eternally witnesse who would have light and darkness reconciled together And thou brings a Scripture in the 2 Cor. 5.19 To wit that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself But to Christ Jesus by which all things are reconciled thou art an enemy of him and of his truth and of all righteousnesse For if light and darkness had been one as thou saith Christ needed not have come to reconcile the world to himself so thou hast brought this Scripture to thy own destruction to make thy blasphemy more manifest RANT And whereas thou sayest that which is evil to one is good to another one mans light is anothers darknesse one man accounts it sin to observe a day and another accounts it sin not to observe a day and the third is free to both either to observe or not to observe for he is brought into the Liberty of the Sons of God and is free to all things Answ That which is good to thee is evill to all who are of God and abominable art thou and that which thou lives in to God and all who are obedient to his will And the light that is in thee is darknesse and so how great is that darknesse and thou art in bondage and slavery of sin and thy filthy lusts and uncleanness servant to them and so thou art