dangers on every hand and are in perills often and we are not nor cannot be afraid of the face of any man even that the Lord alone may be exalted whose Name and Honour and Truth is more dear unto us than any other thing and for it have we forsaken all and counted it as nothing in comparison of the knowledge of Christ and his truth herein declared and witnessed to the whole world to whom it shall come and the light of Christ in every one shall give testimony to it unto which I do only commend my self and these truths to be witnessed And know ye assuredly that God who is just and righteous in all his wayes it is he that setteth the way of life and the way of death before every man and he hath appeared in this generation and he hath caused his voice to be heard in the earth and he hath set the way of death and the way of life before you and all that perish it is through unbeliefe and because they do despise the way which God hath prepared who hath prepared a way for life and salvation unto all people that all may come to life and salvation and may not perish and he hath not shut out any creature before he was brought forth into the world but giveth to every one that cometh into the world a day of visitation and a time of repentance and returning that healing may be received from the Lord who is the restorer of lost man and there is not another so that if man perish it is of himself and not of God who hath so loved mankind that he hath given his Son his own wisdome and his power into the world that all that doth receive him Christ Jesus may have everlasting life and they that receive him not they perish because of unbelief whereby they are hardened for destruction and unto such our Gospell the Gospell of God is hid whose eye is blinded by the God of this world that they cannot see the things which be eternall nor believe in him from whence life comes and such are stumbling at Christ the foundation and therefore shall be broken and must not inherit the kingdome of God and unto such though they be wise in the kingdome of this world are we become fools for Christ sake and our testimony cannot be received by them nor approved of them even them that seek after a signe and them that seek after wisdome to such we are not known nor can our testimony be acceptable to them which is not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in the demonstration of God Spirit and in simplicity of truth which is of great price with the Lord even above knowledge and all wisdome which is of this world which comes to nothing but the Lord will confound that and bring it to nothing for the world by its wisdome doth not know God neither can it receive the things of God but is foolishnesse in the sight of God and the wisdome of the world must be offended in him and in the testimony which is given of him and the Princes of this world and the wise men must stumble and fall the powers of the earth must be offended at him that they may be confounded and brought to nought all the heathen shall rage and the people shall imagine a vain thing but what of all this the testimony of the Lord is true which he hath given us to bear of his Name and of it we are not ashamed before the face of the whole world and we are armed to suffer for it and not only to subscribe to the truth of it with our hand or to declare of it with our tongue and pen but also if we be called to it may seal it with our blood Wherefore this is sent among you all Rulers Teachers and people in all the world this is sent among you as to give you the certain knowledge of what we hold and bear witnesse to which is received of us from God and born witnesse of to you by his Spirit even those things with many others which we have not received from man but from God are we purposed in the Lord to declare abroad and he hath put it into our hearts to fulfill his will herein for he hath spoken who can but prophesie and he hath given the word and many are they that publish it in faithfulnesse against the kingdome of the man of sin which hath long been exalted in the earth over the seed of God which the Lord is now a gathering and establishing his Covenant with an Ierusalem that hath long lain wast shall be made the praise of the whole earth and the Gentiles which hath polluted her shall be cast out and the Saints shall rejoyce over all their enemies And know you assuredly from us who know the Lord that God is doing great things in the earth he is begun to work and his arm shall bring it to passe he will overturn and overturn till he come to reign whose right it is who will change times and things even that which cannot be believed though a man declare it unto you is the Lord bringing to passe the eye shall blesse that sees it and the heart shall praise that can understand and behold the Lord comes quickly and they are blessed that waits for him whose reward is with him and his glorious work is before him to be wrought by his own hand without the help of any other who needs not the help of man and yet that man that doth oppose him shall be overthrown confounded and destroyed And again all the Kings Princes Rulers and People whatsoever know ye assuredly that we are not enemies against but friends unto all Civill Government and to all just and righteous orders and decrees and wholsome Law and Customs of any Common-wealth and no way are we destructive to or destroyers of the Peace and welfare and wholsome Laws which is according to God of any Nation whatsoever But are preservers of the peace of all people and waits in patience for the establishment of justice and true judgement and that righteousnesse may spring forth and the Government of all Nations may be according to the Law of God Neither are we such who makes void the just Government of any Nation or City neither are we such who through evill purposes plotteth or conspireth or contriveth evill in our hearts against any Governours or Government whatsoever but wisheth peace and truth and the fear of the Lord unto all men and Nations and desireth not the overthrow or evill to any people or their Government but is subject to just Government every where by obedience to it and subject to evill Government by suffering in patience under it so that righteousnesse alone we wait to see set up through the world and for that cause suffereth patiently under our enemies not seeking revenge against them nor envying the persons of any but pitties our enemies and desireth their repentance
rather than their destruction Yet this we give all to know that the Lord will be avenged on all them who hates the way of righteousnesse and all that opposeth the Lord and his way and despiseth his truth which he hath revealed they shall be confounded and broken to pieces and shall confesse to the Lord and his way and his truth in the day of their destruction Again let all the earth know that against all unrighteousnesse injustice oppression whoredom murder and drunkennesse and all sin whatsoever we do declare and acknowledge our selves to be enemies against all sin and they that commit it and we cannot hide sin and iniquity in any but gives our testimony against it and against all that live in it whatsoever without respect to men or places and cannot flatter any man in his transgressions but saith that lying swearing drunkenness covetousness injustice dissimulation hypocrisie murder and envy lust of the flesh pride and wantonnesse and all the works of the flesh whatsoever are contrary to God and of the devill and they that lives in them and brings them forth are the servants of the devill and must not inherit that kingdome of God who brings forth those works which grieves the Spirit of God and vexes his righteous soul and this is that Government onely which is the Government of sin and death which we declare our selves enemies to which is of the devill and not of God and this is that Government which we testifie against and warrs against by the sword of the Spirit of God and by his power and not by the carnall weapons or subtill conspiracies or violent insurrections for this way and by this means shall not the Government of Satan be overthrown or the kingdom of Christ ever exalted Again let all the world know that we are not such as disanuls or makes voyd the Covenant and bond of Relations or teach any so to do or give any example by our practice to any subjects to be rebellious to their Governors or children to be disobedient to their Parents or that servants be undutifull to their Masters But on the contrary doth say and affirm it that it is the duty of Subjects to be obedient and subject in the Lord to their Rulers and Governours whether Kings Dukes or others who have rule over them and also that Children should be obedient to their Parents and Servants to be dutifull and subject to their Masters in the Lord in all things and that Husbands and Wives live in all unity and peace in the Lord Provided onely where Rulers Parents or Masters or Husbands requireth of their Subjects Children or Servants or any other whatsoever requiring of their relations that which is unjust and contrary to God and his righteous law in such a case we say that Subjects Children Servants and all other whatsoever are free and we say where man requires any thing contrary to God and God requires another thing contrary to man the obedience to God is rather to be chosen and the obedience to all men is to be denyed and this is our judgement which is according to truth and is the mind of God concerning subjection and obedience and the duty of Relations one to another And lastly know ye assuredly that we do not hold and maintain any thing by conversation or doctrine but the very same truth in word and practice as all our fore-Fathers did but bears witnesse of the same salvation by the same Christ as they did and are not setters forth of strange gods for no other God is worshipped by us than he which Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the rest of the servants of the Lord in every generation worshipped served and obeyed neither are we such as doth maintain Heresie Errour or Idolatry or the worship of any strange god though hereof we are accused falsely yet against us cannot it be proved truly and this we give the whole world to know that no other end or purpose or design is in our hearts but only to fulfil the will of God in all things as it is to us made manifest Even this is the resolution of our hearts and the full purpose of our minds to give testimony through the world as we are moved both by writing and declaring of these Truths which to us is known from the Lord that truth and righteousnesse may come to reign and this may we do as the Lord provideth way for us nor fearing the face of any man nor being afraid of the threatning of high looks and that we may finish the testimony given us of God our life nor any other thing is dear unto us and all ye people every where for your sake is this written to come abroad amongst you to give you warning and true information of the work of the Lord and what he is about to do that you may hear and understand and may receive the knowledge of those things which belong to your peace and may be saved with an eternall salvation or otherwise through this are you wholly left without excuse if you perish And unto this was I pressed in spirit for many daies that all the world may be satisfied what we are and what we hold and what the purpose of the Lord is and I whom God hath warned do warn all people upon the face of the earth that you prepare prepare to meet the Lord for his coming and his day is nigh at hand and his judgements shall be revealed in the Earth and all flesh shall tremble before him and all the inhabitants of the world shall be confounded at his presence The proud shall be abased and the poor shall be exalted the high and lofty shall be brought down and the meek and upright shall be set up Truth shall reign as King and deceit shall utterly be confounded they that now suffer all manner of evill for the Name of Jesus shall possesse everlasting freedome and the dominion shall be in their hands and they that now cause the just to suffer shall go into endless captivity the seed of God shall spring forth and flourish but the seed of evill-doers shall never be renowned And betwixt these two seeds is an enmity put and they can never be reconciled each seed hath his fruit the one is cursed and the other is blessed and each seed is known by its fruit and must receive from the Lord accordingly And this is the testimony of the servants of the Lord and the witnesse which they give unto all the world of those things which we have handled tasted heard seen and felt blessed are all they thar can receive it We are known to God in the Spirit and one to another in his life and are known in the world by the name of Quakers cast upon us through the derision of the heathen But Quaking and trembling at the World of the Lord by the servants of the Lord we do own when the power of God reacheth to the witnesse of God in the creature which brings condemnation upon all high looks and upon the lofty nature which causeth the earthly part to tremble we do own and many of us do witness the Quaking and Trembling which is by the operation of the Spirit of God and the severall operations by the one Spirit we own which brings down proud flesh whose honour God will lay in the dust and bring it to everlasting contempt and when this comes to pass quaking shall not be a strange thing nor the Name reproached as it is at this day by the proud spirits of men who knows not the work of the Lord nor the operation of his Spirit Moreover and besides all this let all the world know that our conversation life and practice is one and the same with what we hold forth in words and that we give as large a testimony of God amongst us by pure conversation as doctrine and doth deny them who gives testimony in words onely and answers not in their conversation for that is hypocrisie and our souls loath it and it is abomination in the fight of the Lord where he is profest in words and not walked to in purity and righteousnesse of life for righteousnesse being brought forth in the heart works of righteousnesse will spring forth in the world and where righteousnesse springs not forth in the world and the fruits of the knowledge of God it shews that righteousnesse is not in the heart and that God is not known Also concerning our Government it is according to Christ whom we own to be head amongst us and no other head we have or do bow unto and we are but members of his body joyned to him through the Spirit as head over us all and the greatest of us is but a member of Christ who is the head alone and we have not another neither can we be subject to any other Government but his or to obey any Government but what is justly according to his whose Government must be set up in the earth and for it we wait and labours and travels and counts nothing hard but all things are easie to us for this prise which is before us even the Government of Christ to be set up and all Governments of men establisht according to it and this is our testimony which we give forth in words and practice and if it be required can seal it with our blood And this is written for no other end but that you may be certainly informed what we are and what we hold and what the Lord hath done and what he is about to do in all the earth who is arisen and hath said Ah! I will ease me of my Adversaries FINIS ERRATA Pag. 3. l. 21. for word r. world p. 3. l. 33. for same r. son p. 25. l. 10. for world r. word p. 25. l. 18. r. and in the heart
A standard lifted up and AN ENSIGNE held forth to all NATIONS Shewing unto the whole world and to all people to whom it shall come by open proclamation what the Testimony of God is and of his people which they hold which they have received from him through the eternal Spirit of which they are not ashamed before men but are called to witness it forth in the Nations in the same Spirit and power as they have received it from the Lord Also shewing of his great work which he is about to do in the earth and this Testimony is true and no lie for it is of God and witnessed by Thousands of his people at this day who are in scorn called QUAKERS And given forth by a Servant of the Lord Edward Burrough LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1658. A Table of the CONTENTS CHAP. 1. A Testimony concerning the true God Ch. 2. A Testimony concerning the Son of God Chap. 3. A Testimony concerning the Spirit of God Chap. 4. A Testimony concerning all mankind Chap. 5. A Testimony concerning the world in general Chap. 6. A Testimony concerning mans restauration redemption salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought Chap. 7 A Testimony concerning true Religion and the true worship of the true God Chap. 8. A Testimony concerning Iustification and Sanctification Chap. 9. A Testimony concerning the Kingdom of Christ and how it is to be set up Chap. 10. A Testimony concerning Governours and Governments and subjection to them Chap. 11. A Testimony concerning the true Ministry of Christ and the false Ministry and the difference betwixt them Ch. 12. A Testimony concerning the Gospel of Christ Chap. 13. A Testimony concerning the word of God and concerning the Scriptures Chap. 14. A Testimony concerning the Devil and damnation Chap. 15. A Testimony concerning all creatures that God made Chap. 16. A Testimony concerning the new Covenant and how man comes to the knowledge of God Chap. 17. A Testimony concerning Faith Chap. 18. A Testimony concerning what works are accepted of God and what works are not accepted brought forth by the Creature Chap. 19. A Testimony concerning mans state in the first Adam before the conversion and his state after conversion and what conversion is Also a Testimony of the seed of God Also a Testimony that the way of life the way of death is set before every man Also a Testimony to all Kings and Princes and People that we are not enemies against but friends unto all Civil Government and wholsom Laws and Customs of any Commonwealth which is according to God c Also a Testimony what Government we declare our selves to be enemies against Also a Testimony that we do not disanul and make void the Covenant or bond of relations c. Also a Testimony that we do maintain and hold the very same truth as all the Generations of the Iust did in all Ages Also a Testimony of our Government and a testimony of Quaking and Trembling Also a declaration of the full purpose of our hearts c. A Standard lifted up And an Ensign held forth to all NATIONS IN the name and power of the eternall God that made Heaven and Earth and all things therein who is the life of all things and the power by which they stand in his counsell and fear I do hereby declare my self unto the whole world and unto all people upon earth that ye may all know the very certainty of those things which is reported abroad through many Nations and that ye may be informed truly concerning us from our own mouth of many things which cometh to you by false reports and lying informations concerning a people appear'd in these late years and raised up going under the name of QVAKERS Know ye assuredly that we are of God and are raised up by him and called by his Name and his dreadful presence goes before us and his righteousness is our reward We are such as doth fear and worship the true God that made Heaven and Earth in the Spirit and in the truth he hath placed his Name amongst us and made his everlasting Covenant with us and established it that it cannot be moved he hath given us his Spirit and poured it upon us and we are taught of him according to his promise and are established in his holy Mountain where none can make us afraid for he hath armed us with his power and strength to defend us from all our enemies that we should bear witnesse of his Name in all the world and declare unto all Nations of his power and Dominion of his Salvation and Redemption that is in Him and in his Son of which we are made partakers and witnesses and by him have we received the heirship of the everlasting inheritance and we are of God and he that is of God heareth us whom the Father hath chosen and redeemed out of kindreds tongues and peoples to stand before the Throne of God and the Lamb and we have sought and do find a City whose builder and maker is God and we are known to the Lord God Almighty and approved in his sight Our light is the light of the Lamb and our government the government of Jesus and our Law the Law of the most high and our way is the way of peace and truth he that can receive it let him This is the Testimony which the Spirit of the everlasting Father witnesseth in us and witnesseth of us unto the whole world CHAP. I. Concerning the true God this testimony I give to all people upon earth THe true God he is a Spirit and is infinite eternall and everlasting the Creator of all things and the life and being of all things and the power by which all things stand all creatures have a being in him and by him and without him no creature is or doth move upon the face of the earth this is he whom we worship and fear and doth obey and he brings to pass by his counsel whatsoever he will and nothing can prevent the purpose of his mind but his counsell stands for ever and he is the righteous Judge of all things and before him must all mankind come to judgment and the living and the dead by him must be judged he is a rewarder of every one according to their deeds whether they be good or whether they be evill His Greatnesse Power Majesty and Dominion is over all and beyond all ruling above all in the power of his own will and who may say what doth he his eye seeth all and his presence filleth all and no creature can be hid from his sight he is near at hand and afar off he searcheth mans heart and tryeth the reins and shews unto man his own thoughts he justifieth the righteous and condemneth the wicked he is light it self and in him is no darknesse at all This is the true God whom we worship and
and all things have been out of good order Kings Princes Rulers Governments Laws and Decrees have been corrupt and not right in the sight of the Lord oppressions tyranny and vain-glory hath abounded in the Nations and justice and true judgement have been neglected and mercy and truth have been strangers and the world hath been filled with violence and the whole earth stained and polluted with oppressions unjustice and cruelties and the cry of poor hath not been heard every one hath sought themselves and not the Lord not the good one of another the Kings and Princes of the earth have not been perfect nor upright before the Lord but vain-glory hath abounded and superstitions and idolatries have reigned over them and unrighteousnesse hath abounded and self-seeking and they have risen up one against another in quarrelling and destroying one another and to gain one anothers dominions by craft and Policy and strong hand and the poor hath been oppressed and troden down and thousands of thousands destroyed to fulfill their wills and lusts and the pride of their hearts all this hath been evill in the sight of the Lord and his soul hath been weary with it by the destruction of his creatures one by another even Rulers Teachers and people have all been out of the way and subverted from that wherein God hath pleasure and the Prince of darknesse hath ruled in his dominion swaying all under his Government and even all things both of civill and spirituall concernment hath been on t of the counsell of the Lord Oh what cruel injustice and tyranny in civill Government Oh what abominable superstitions and idolatries hath been in supposed Church-Governments it s a vexation to the Spirit of the Lord to consider it and the righteous soul hath long cried out and mourned under it and because of this is the Lord of Heaven and Earth now arisen to overturn to overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws and he will confound and break down all tyranny and oppression under which the poor hath groaned and he will change times and laws and governments there shall be no King ruling but Jesus nor no government of force but the government of the Lamb nor no law of effect but the law of God all that which is otherwise shall be ground to powder the Kingdom of the most high shall rule amongst men and the Kingdoms of this world shall be changed and shal become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and the Lord shall be known in the earth to be the God of truth of righteousness justice and mercy and truth shall be exalted and true judgement shall be set up in the Nations and the worship in spirit and in truth shall be established for the Lord is gathering his numberlesse number to stand before his throne without guile in their mouth and without fault before him CHAP. VI Concerning mans Restauration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought this testimony I give unto all people MAns Restauration is a repairing and giving again that which he hath lost by transgression and Redemption is a recovering and a winning again and setting free from that wherein man hath been held even all the Sonnes of Adam because of disobedience and Salvation is a saving keeping and preserving from sin and death and disobedience and all the waies thereof and also a saving from wrath and misery and condemnation which are the effects thereof and by the Son of God Christ Jesus is all this wrought manifested and witnessed and Restauration Redemption and Salvation is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam and not in any other and it is wrought by him and by no other and they are the free gift of the Father unto the sons of men no way purchased by the works of the creature or desert of him but are freely given unto the creature through the power and wisdom of the Creator and only by Jesus Christ the Son of the eternal God and by the eternal Spirit are they witnessed in all that believe and through the word of life are they handled tasted seen and felt near at hand in power and not in words onely Many professes them in words and what others enjoyed of these things but hath not felt in themselves the working of the eternall Spirit neither hath the witnesse in themselves of being restored to God again and of being redeemed by him from under the devils power neither are saved by Christ from sin and transgression and so are not nor cannot be saved from condemnation and wrath for who abide in their sins and in the state unreconciled to God hath not any part or portion in these things which belongs to their peace and without the knowledge of which by the working of the eternall Spirit all mankind is everlastingly miserable CHAP. VII Concerning true Religion and the true worship of the true God this testimony I give unto the whole world THis is true Religion to be kept pure and clean from all evil and from all that which would defile in the sight of the Lord and to walk in his fear in all things this is Religion to do good and to do no evill and to speak the truth and to do the truth in all things and to do unto all men as a man would be done unto and to love God withal the heart and the neighbour as self and not to love the world and waies and pleasures of it nor to use deceit in words or actions this is true Religion and the true worship of God to be led with his Spirit in all things and to be guided in the truth at all times on all occasions this is acceptable and well pleasing unto God above all words and outward conformity and set times and daies and observances for the worship of God is not in these things but is without respect of daies places or things this Religion and worship stands in Christ Jesus the second Adam who hath lighted every man that comes into the world that all men through him might believe and by him have their consciences purely exercised towards God and towards man in all things whatsoever and this is our Religion and worship of the true God he that can receive it let him CHAP. VIII Concerning Iustification and Sanctification this testimony I give unto all people JUstification is freely by Jesus Christ in the sight of the Father and not by the works of mans own righteousness and such as are taught by Christ and guided by him in all the waies of truth and righteousness are justified by him and none else not in any word or work whatsoever but in what they are led to fulfill by him and it is the new man that is justified and not the old he that is born of God and none that are born of the flesh such cannot please God neither can such be justified by him for they are not taught of him nor saved nor restored nor
no circumcision but the circumcision of the heart which is the putting away of all the uncleanness of the flesh nor in it there is no means of salvation but Christ the onely way the truth and the life and none comes to the Father but by him he declares of the Father and there is no light but the light of the Lamb all that are saved shall walk in the light of the Lamb and there shall be no need of any other light no need of the light of the Sun nor of the Moon nor of a candle but the Lord is unto them an everlasting light and God alone is their glory and this Covenant is for ever and cannot alter nor change but is sure unto the seed of his own inheritance but he that is born of the flesh hath no part in it who is shut out from the knowledge of God who is not known to the wisdom of this World which is foolishnesse with God and the knowledge of God is received no other way but only by the revelation of Jesus Christ and by the working of the Spirit of the Father in the heart he opens the blind eye and unstops the deaf ear and changeth the heart and causeth it to understand and he removes that which hath stood in the way betwixt God and the creature which hath caused ignorance in the creature that the Lord could not be seen nor perceived Christ Jesus the second Adam lighteth every man and all mankind that cometh into the world with the true light but some hates the light and they will not come to the light least their deeds should be reproved and their deeds are evill and they are in a condemned estate and such cannot receive Christ nor the knowledge of God but such who love the light with which Christ hath enlightened them they bring all their deeds to the light and walks in the light and their deeds are wrought in God never to be condemned and such as loves the light receives Christ and the knowledge of God which is eternall life and none comes to the knowledge of God and of Christ any other way but through the light of Christ and by the operation of the Spirit of God and evill is condemned out of the heart and the heart is made clean by the word of God and the knowledge of God is received into the clean heart and nor into the impure for without holinesse none shall see God nor ever come to the knowledge of him neither can the knowledge of God be received by the traditions of men or any outward observance in the will of man but only by the teachings of the eternal Spirit is the living God known in the creature CHAP. XVII Concerning Faith this testimony I give unto the World FAith is the gift of God and by it Christ is received and enjoyed it is the substance of things hoped for and the very evidence of things not seen gives the creature to believe God in all what he hath promised all that which is acted and spoken in it is well pleasing unto God and that which is done without sinne it is the strength of the creature to act for God in all things it is that whereby the world is overcome and all the powers of hell and death it is the armour against the Devill and the defence of all the children of God by it they overcome all their enemies and through it they reign over all the world it carries through all sufferings and tribulations with joy and patience Faith is an act of God in the creature through it peace and righteousnesse and the crown of life is received from God by Faith all things are received that are received of God by any of his children He that hath Faith sees and feels the Lords presence at all times and through Faith we do and suffer gladly for the name of Christ in all things and this is thus far our testimony given by the Spirit of the Father of these things of which we have received the knowledge from God who hath given us his treasure and we have this treasure in earthen vessells even the knowledge of these things which are eternall which is not our own but the Lords to give forth according to his movings and of those rhings have we handled tasted and felt CHAP. XVIII Concerning what works are accepted of God and what works are not accepted brought forth by the Creature WHatsoever work man is moved and led unto by the Spirit of God and guided and ruled in the practice of to speak or act whatsoever by the same Spirit which moveth and leadeth into all the works of righteousnesse and not into any evill this is acceptable in the sight of the Lord and these works are well pleasing to him where the Lord goes before and is the leader in all things and this man and his works who is led with the Spirit of the Father is justified and accepted of God and not for the creatures sake who respects not the person of any but for his own Name sake because they are wrought in him through faith and is moved unto and guided in by his own Spirit and they arise from Gods righteousness revealed in the creature and not from the righteousness of the creature for man being changed and replanted into the living Vine and the root being good every work which springeth forth from it is good also and accepted of God because the root is so But whatsoever works are brought forth by any creature though the same in appearance which are accepted of God from another yet not being moved unto nor guided in by the Spirit of the Father but brought forth in the will and wisdom of the creature which is from below and acted in imitation from the Saints words these works are not accepted and well pleasing unto God but is offence unto him and sin against him even the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto him and if a man come before the Lord with thousands of Rams and ten thousand of Rivers of Oyl and if he give the fruit of his body for the sin of the soul and cover the Altar with tears and is not led with a measure of Gods Spirit none of all these works are accepted nor his preaching praying baptism nor breaking of bread nor any other observances towards God whatsoever are not good in his sight but evill and to be contemnted and the root from whence they spring because man is in the enmity against him and not changed out of the old root nor in that state is not led with the holy Spirit of the Father and the root being bad the branches are evill and none are accepted of God in any thing which they perform towards him but such as are in Christ Jesus the second Adam and such are new creatures so that it is not for the creatures sake that any work is accepted of or offence against God but onely for his Name