of deliverance to the captivated Souls and to say unto Sion that her King reigns And thus the Eternal God having fitted and furnished his dear Servant he called him forth into several parts of the Nation and the Lord appeared with him in his glory and gave him Authority in his Power even to tread upon Scorpions and to put to flight the Armies of the Alians God having given him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in season to the Weary and heavy Laden and Wisdom to divide that word aright which he had put in his Mouth to publish in his Name by which he became eminent in his work and service a blessing to Thousands who can bless the Lord on his behalf How great was his Travels in Soul Body and Spirit how unwearied in his Labours and how manifold his Tryals and Sufferings in full is beyond my ability to relate notwithstanding that I knew more thereof then any other living but inasmuch as my now dear Husband hath in his foregoing Testimony in part hinted at them and happily may be added to by some other in or about Bristol where his Labours Travels and Sufferings was exceeding great I shall not much endeavour to under take that work being well satisfied that whether any thing had been related thereof or no it s known to the Lord and lives in the remembrance of Thousands who can testifie to his faithful and effectual Labours in the Word and Gospel in his day and that he counted not his life dear that he might be found in the discharge of a good Conscience in that concern in the sight of God and men who are his living witnesses this day to the praise of the eternal God to whom alone belongs all the Glory for ever He was a man of an exceeding sweet disposition unspeakably loving and tenderly affectionate always ready to lend a helping hand to the weak and needy open-hearted free and near to his Friends deep in the understanding of Heavenly Mysteries willing and able to give advice and counsel to the afflicted and bowed down with whom he alwayes did sympathize in their sufferings he was abundantly filled with Love and endeared kindness to all his Brethren and fellow Labourers in the Gospel and had an honorable esteem of the least that was faithful in that work and his life was bound up in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit with them whatever would in the least appear to break that bond amongst Friends he was sharpe in the Authority of Truth against to judge the same He was greatly beloved and highly esteemed of in the Lord for his works sake notwithstanding not lifted up thereby but preserved in great humility and lamb-like lowliness never seeking to Lord over Gods Heritage but to serve the least for the Gospels sake always detesting self exaltation in whom soever it appeared His Body and outward Strength was much spent through his great Labours for several Years before the Feaver took him of which he dyed so that he under-went many wearisome nights through the exercise of a most violent Cough though he bore it with unspeakable patience and contentedness In the time of his sickness which was sharp and strong upon him after the Feaver took him so that his Sleep was taken from him for several days and nights yet he bore it also with wonderful Patience being always of an exceeding cheerful Spirit Friends daily coming to visit him in abundance from several parts he was often drawn forth in a living sweet Testimony the Lords Power and Life living with him to the great refreshment and tendering of the Hearts of many he was also exceedingly filled with the high Praises of God being as one overcome and ravished in the sence of Gods Love Joy and Peace everlasting When he grew weak he would be helped up upon his Knees and upon his bed sweetly supplicate the Lord in the behalf of Friends present and all the Lords Flock and Heritage every where that they might be preserved in his powerful Truth and out of the evil of the World and that his Truth and Gospel might be more and more spread and published to the gathering of all that appertain to Israel He was greatly afficted in the sence of my Sorrow occasioned by his great weakness which I saw daily to encrease upon him lamenting my desolate ondition to be left so Big with Child as that I was within a few dayes after his Death delivered and therefore did very wisely and tenderly comfort me withal desiring me to give him up freely ro the disposing of the Lord whose he was and enjoyed his pure peace And although it was hard to part with so dear and beleved a Husband yet the Lord strengthened me and I seeing the extremity of his Distemper to be exceeding heavy upon him and to encrease I was made willing to go to him and freely recommend him into the Hands of the Eternal Living God to dispose of him according to his divine Pleasure and unsearchable Wisdom and Counsel whether Life or Death the which added to his ease and my peace in true submission to the Will of the Lord so his Body daily weakning and his Distemper prevailing he notwithstanding being mostly kept sensible to the last continuing in Prayer and Praising the Lord often and again recommending me and his Daughter then living whom he dearly loved into the keeping of his God with Supplication that he would be an Husband to his desolate Widow a Father to his Fatherless Children he sweetly fell on sleep and finished his Course the year time by my now Husband before set down being passed into the fulness of eternal Joy which his Eye was only to and his Soul breathed for more then length of days in the enjoyment of the World or its Riches Glory Glory and eternal Praises to the Lord for ever and for evermore Amen How hard it was and how great a loss to part with so dear and tender an Husband as he was to me it being always I can truely say his joy and delight to add to my ease good and content every way especially my estate and condition being considered is far beyond what I can express the dolour of my Heart my Tongue or Pen is not able to declare yet in this I contented my self that it was the Will of the Lord and that he was taken from the evil and freed from his manifold exercises and that my loss though great was not to be compared to his eternal gain being entered into that everlasting and blessed rest with the Lord prepared in the Heavens for all the faithful Followers of the Lamb through the many Tribulations where being freed from all Pain and Sorrow and Tears being wiped away shall for ever Praise the Lord upon mount Sion Great was his joy in the prosperity of the Work of the Lord in the Hands of his Servants called thereto and who were faithful therein his Soul honoured for their
wait upon him in singleness of Heart to be taught by him every one of you walking in the Light which leads up to him there you will see the Lord present with you but going out from the pure Light the Vail is drawn and the Enemy lodgeth upon the Vail then ariseth Doubts and Fears Questions and Troubles then you look back to that which is behind and forget the Mark which is before but dwelling in the Light and in the pure Fear of the Lord your minds will be stayed patiently to wait as the new-born Babes to be refreshed with the Milk of the Word and then you will know the gentle leadings of the Father and the green Pastures and the still Waters and the Dew from above upon the tender Plants and the watering of the Plants that you may grow as Plants of God planted into the true Vine growing in the Vine sitting under the Vine and abiding in the Vine that you may be Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that God alone may be exalted in you Oh dear ones our Bowels flows out to you and is poured out to the Lord for you we are bound to you even with the Bond of Love even the same Love as we had loved withal the same runs out freely to you and as we said to you the same we say again prize the day of your Visitation that you may know the things that belong to your eternal Peace and dwell in the Light and walk in the Light and meet together in the pure Fear of the Lord and dwell in Love and have no Fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness but reprove them and thou that reproves must be clear or else thou judgeth with that which must be judged so judge your selves first every one let self first be judged and condemned and that which judgeth and condemneth self let that speak and act and reprove unfruitful works and then your Fellowship will be in that which condemns self and then you will meet in the fear of the Lord and discern between the Righteous the Wicked and know the Voice of Christ and follow him and be subject to his Yoke and indure the Cross and rejoyce in the Cross of Christ and Minister in the Cross and have no Unity with that which is out of the Cross who mind earthly things such are Enemies to the Cross such are in the Hypocrisie and in Presumption speaking high words but run before the Light and lead up into the Air. Therefore all dear Friends we do Exhort Charge and Command you to walk in the Light and in the Cross that you may have Unity in the Life of God and that you may discern between the Holy and Prophane and receive not every spirit nor believe not every spirit In the Bowels of Love do we beseech you to walk worthy of your Calling Holy is he that hath called you Holiness becomes his House for evermore let the Holy guide your minds and it will lead you into Holiness into Pureness into Meekness into Love into Unity to watch over one another and to mind the good of one another and to be of one Heart of one Soul of one Mind all guided by one Spirit and walking in one Light all pressing on in one way which leads to Life and so all will come to witness one Life and one Teacher and you will see the Word within and the Law within and the Fear of the Lord within which will keep your Hearts clean and then Wisdom will be made manifest in you and the secrets of the Lord revealed in you which secrets are revealed to Babes not to the Wisdom of the World so dwell in Wisdom that you may know what speaks and to what you speak that none cast a Pearl to Swine but keep in the Unity and wait in Patience waiting for the Promises to be fulfilled in you when trouble comes be content wait low in Patience when Joy comes be low in the pure Fear and keep low and dwell in the pure Wisdom of God and the Lord God of Light Life and Power be with you and go along with you that you may grow up in him and have Dominion over the World that you may all dwell within and mind the Just to guide your minds continually we are with you written in your Hearts you may read us daily we even Travel with you and long after you that you may all wait to know Christ formed in you that we may rejoyce together for evermore over the Heads of our Enemies Dear Hearts in the eternal Love and Life of our God do we reach to your dwelling in the pure Life you will see and feel us present with you and we have Unity with as many of you as are faithful in your Measures so every one in your Measure wait upon the Lord that you may know Redemption from the World and so be witnesses of the Son of God by the same Witness as raised up him by which he bears witness against the World by the same Spirit you being raised will bear witness against the World so every one dwell in that which Judgeth the Earthly and works out the Earthly that you may know the Earthly wastes and the Earth grow feeble and the Gods of the Earth famished and the ground of Thoughts and Imaginations removed and the Covering taken off and the Vail rent and the Serpents head bruised and the Seed of the Woman brought forth which all the Promises are unto Yea and Amen in Christ which Seed is but one which Seed is Christ which Seed will not Bow and Worship the Devil for all the glory of the World but overcomes and gets the Victory So all be watchful when Temptions come keep low and still in patience wating upon the Lord that he may be feared and honoured who will provide a way to escape So dear and tender ones in the pure Light of God wait and there you will grow in discerning in Wisdom in pure Fear and there Love will be increased in and among you and the Unity of the Spirit will be known so all walking in the Spirit you will not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh Dear Hearts we write to you to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance Little Children keep your selves from Idols The mighty God of Life keep and preserve you in the pure Life of God Farewel your Friends in the Unchangable Everlasting Bond of Love and Peace Brethren and Companions to all who are in Tribulation in the Kingdom of Patience of Jesus Christ Read this amongst Friends at the Meeting Hereford the 25th day of the 7th Month 1654. John Audland and John Camm Edward Pyot DEar Heart we are now at Hereford but we are ready to go this day Ten Miles to a Meeting at Branyard we had two Meetings yesterday at Captain Hirings House the Governor and his Wife was there the latter part of the day and the joy of the
from the vile all the wicked cast out and the elected alone obtains the Kingdom So the mighty God of Power direct thee and open thy understanding that in his Light thou mayst come to see Light and by the powerful Word may be stripped of all and suffer the loss of all that God alone may be exalted By one who hath suffered the loss of all and through Death is passed unto Life J. A. A Letter sent unto John Audland by his Wife 1654. DEar Brother dearer to me then ever My love flows out to thee even the same love that I am loved withal of my Father in that love Salute me to all my Friends for dear you are all unto me my life is much refreshed in hearing from you I received thy Letters and all my Soul desireth is to hear from thee in the life dear Heart in Life dwell there I am with thee out of all time out of all Words in the pure Power of the Lord there is my joy and strength O! How am I refreshed to hear from thee to hear of thy faithfulness and boldness in the Work of the Lord O! Dear Heart I cannot utter the joy I have concerning thee thy presence I have continually in Spirit therewith am I filled with joy all glory and honour be to our God forever O! blessed be the Day in which thou waft born that thou art found worthy to labour in the work of the Lord surely the Lord hath found thee faithful in a little therefore he hath committed much unto thee go on in the Name and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ from whence all strength cometh to whom be all glory and honour forever O! dear Heart go on conquering and to conquer knowing this that thy Crown is sure So dear Heart now is the time of the Lords Work and few are willing to go forth into it all the whole World lieth in wickedness doing their own work but blessed be the Lord forever who hath called us from doing our own work into his great work O! Marvellous are his Works and his Wayes past finding out O! Dear Heart thou knowest my Heart thou mayst read dayly how that I rejoyce in nothing more than in thy prosperity in the Work of the Lord Oh! It is past my utterance to express the joy I have for thee I am full I am full of love towards thee never such love as this the Mighty Power of the Lord go along with thee and keep thee faithful and valient and bold in his pure Counsel to stand single out of all the World. Oh! Dear Heart all my love to thee is purer then Gold seven times purified in the Fire Oh! pure is he that hath loved us therefore let Purity and Holiness cover us for ever a joyful word it was to me to hear that thou wast moved to go for Bristol Oh! my own Heart my own life in that which now stands act and obey that thou mayst stand upon thy alone Guard so dear Heart let thy Prayers be for me that I may be kept pure out of all Temptations singly to dwell in the Life So fare well Ann Andland John Audlands Letter from Citsester to Friends at Bristol the 26th of the 10th Month 1654. Dear Friends LAmbs and Babes of the most high God who are turned from the ways and vanities of the World and who are brought to wait upon the Lord in patience and singleness being begotten to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of the Dead Grace Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied in you and among you that you may grow up in the eternal Unity and fellowship of the Spirit to walk in the Spirit and to worship God in Spirit and by it you will see and discern all the wayes and vanities of the World and all the worships of the World to be without God in the heathenish nature strangers from the life of God without the Covenant of peace and in the Covenant with Death and Hell unto which there is no peace But the Lord God of life and peace is arising and risen to hew down all deceit and false ways and to set up Righteousness and Purity and to establish his Covenant unto his People and to bring in everlasting peace by Jesus Christ who is come to Preach Peace to the Captives to open the Prison Doors to set free the oppressed and to visit the desolate and to inlarge the Borders of the Barren and his day is dawning among you and the day-Star is appearing in you which will lead to the man-Child and to the Son of righteousness which is eternal Life to know him and be in him and who are not in him death reigns and rules and the Bond of Iniquity and the Chains of Darkness stands and Binds and Prisons the Just which is for condemnation when he appears who will judge the Secrets of all mens Hearts And this is the day of the Lord God wherein he is bringing back the Captivity of his People And you whose minds are turned to him wait upon him in patience having your minds guided up unto him growing together in Love and Unity that the Head and Husband may be exalted in all and then the Bed is not defiled but the Marriage is honourable but the Adulterer God will judge and condemn and such who wander abroad changeth their way and sets up Idols and strange Gods and other Lovers and joyns to strange Flesh and feeds that which is for Judgment and to be fed with Judgment But dear and precious Ones and well-beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ dwell in Judgment the Just delights in it and the unjust comes to be cut down by it and through judgment Sion come to be redeemed and the filthy is destroyed and Purity and Holiness comes to be witnessed the Light is that which condemns the unjust and all waiting in the Light ye have fellowship one with another and your Unity stands in that which is the Worlds condemnation and so against all the World ye stand and bear witness by that which is not of the World but is from above and leads up into that which is above and condemns all that which is below and from below which is contrary to the Light of Jesus Christ which Light shews the Door and guides into the entrance of the eternal Inheritance and shews you the Inheritance which is incorruptible which nothing must inherit that is corruptible so in the Light abide which leads up to the perfect Day that you may all walk as Children of the Day growing up in the true Vine and abiding in the Vine that your Fruit may appear not as the untimely Figs which fall away but as that which is founded upon the true Foundation and will stand and abide in the Day of Tryal so dear and tender Ones grow in Love and let Love be multiplyed among you and wait upon the Lord in the daily Cross that you may be crucified to the World and the
before they are sent Therefore all Friends I exhort you in the Light to dwell which comprehends all such Spirits and in the savour keep having Salt in your selves that you may be able to savour and try all Spirits for there are many false Spirits gone out into the World but in the Light they are all comprehended and by it judged and condemned and all dwelling in the Light the Unity will be kept and among you there will be no Division Strife nor Contention but in it is pure Union Strife and Contention is out of the Light and ye have not so learned Christ and take heed that none of you make an Image and set up a golden Calf of that which you brought out of Egypt and fall down and worship it and so bring the Wrath of God upon you I mean take heed of your Wisdom which is from below which are your Jewels while you are in Egypt but now coming out of Egypt that Language and that Wisdom is to be forgotten and left behind and by the Light of Christ it is to be condemned and stamped upon to powder The Whirle-Wind of the Lord's wrath scatters it and so you grow up into the pure Wisdom which is from above to depart from Iniquity which is Understanding and here you will come into the fear of the Lord which will keep you in awe out of the Evil and preserve you in your Innocency and keep you in Humility out of Presumption and so the eternal love of God shield you and defend you in the day of Tryal and in the hour of Temptation and preserve and keep you in his eternal Counsel to stand and abide now and evermore Amen This is to be sent from thee to Bristol to be read amongst Friends at their Meetings Sent from the Hand of your Brother John Camm Dear Friends I Can see but little freedom from my Disease I cannot say I am any better then I was when Robert Wastfield parted with me at Banbary and though I have longing Desires to see your Faces I know not whether the Lord will afford me that opportunity or no but in his Will I stand desiring that if it be his Will I may see your Faces again but in the Light dwell and grow up into the Life and then I see you am present with you and then we can never be seperated My dear love from my very Life with my Wife 's flows out to you all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and abide in his Light and grow up in his Life where our Union is kept and truly we cannot express our Love which flows out to the Seed of God amongst you the God of Power give it deliverance that it may rejoyce over the World in you all that God over all may be exalted and his Name glorified I desire to hear from you in the Lord. Your Loving Brother John Camm To all dear Friends who Love the Light in and about Bristol Dear Friends YOu whose minds are turned towards God by the pure Light of God to wait upon the Lord in his Fear Grace and Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied in you and amongst you that you may grow and abound in the pure Life of God growing up every one of you in the particular in your own Measure having your minds stayed upon the Lord to wait upon him in singleness of heart to be taught by him every one of you walking in the Light which leads up to him there you will see the Lord present with you but going out from the pure Light the Vale is drawn and the Enemy lodgeth upon the Vale Then ariseth Doubts Fears Questions and Troubles then you will look back to that which is behind and forget the Mark which is before But dwelling in the Light and in the pure Fear of the Lord your minds will be stayed patiently to wait as new born Babes to be refreshed with the Milk of the Word and there you will know the gentle leading of the Father and the green Pasture and the still Waters and the Dew from above upon the tender Plants and watering of the Plant that you may grow as Plants of God planted into the true Vine growing in the Vine sitting under the Vine and abiding in the Vine that you may be Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that God alone may be exalted in you Oh dear ones our Bowels flow out toyou and is poured out to the Lord for you we are bound unto you even with the bond of Love even the same Love as we are loved withal the same runs out freely to you and as we said to you the same we say again prize the day of your Visitation that you may know the things that belong to your eternal Peace and dwell in the Light and walk in the Light and meet together in the pure Fear of the Lord and dwell in the Love and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them and thou that reprovest must be clear or else thou judgest with that which must be judged so judge your selves first every one let self first be judged and condemned and that which judgeth and condemneth self that speak and act and reprove unfruitful works and then your fellowship will be in that which condemns self and then you will meet in the fear of the Lord and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked and know the voice of Christ and follow him and be subject to his Yoke and endure the Cross rejoyce in the Cross of Christ and minister in the Cross and have no unity with that which is out of the Cross who mind earthly things such are Enemies to the Cross such are in the Hypocrisie and in Presumption speaking high words but run before the Light and leads up into the end Therefore all dear Friends we exhort charge and command you to walk in the Light and in the Cross that you may have unity in the Life of God and that you may discern between the holy and prophane and receive not every Spirit nor believe not every Spirit In the Bowels of Love do we beseech you to walk worthy of your Calling holy is he that hath called you Holiness becomes his House for evermore let the Holy guide your mind and it will lead you into Holiness into Pureness into Meek ess into Love into Unity to watch over one another and to mind the good of one another and to be of one Heart of one Soul of one Mind all guided by one Spirit and walking in one Light all pressing on in one Way which leads to Life and so all will come to witness one Life and one Teacher and you will see the Word within and the Law within and the Fear of the Lord within which will keep your hearts clean there Wisdom will be made manifest in you and the secrets of the Lord revealed in you which secrets are revealed to Babes not
THE MEMORY OF THE Righteous Revived Being A brief Collection of the Books and written Epistles of John Camm John Audland Those two faithful and honourable Servants of the Lord who were called to the work of the Ministry in the morning of Gods blessed day dawned in this Generation and with other Brethren bore the heat and burden of the day faithfully to the end and finishing of their Course being entered into the joy of their Lord. Together with several Testimonies relating to those two Faithful Labourers Published for the Service of Truth and Friends By Thomas Camm Charles Marshal Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Rev. 14. 13. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever Dan. 12. 3. The memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10. 7. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Ps 112 9. London Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoredich and at the Three-Keys in Nage-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1689. Thomas Camm's TESTIMONY CONCERNING John Camm and John Audland DEar Friends and Brethren in the fellowship of the eternal Spirit who are born again of the Immortal Seed my Life greets you all in the Lord and in his Love communicates what follows unto you wishing that all Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ may forever be multiplyed upon the whole Israel of God. Several Years it hath lived upoâ— my Spirit to collect and gather 〈◊〉 the Books and Writings togeâ—â—â—â— with some of the Labour◠〈◊〉 Travels of John Camm and John Audland those two eminent faithful and truly honourable Servants of the Lord Jesus in the Work of the Ministry to which they were called and chosen in the morning and breaking forth of that blessed and everlasting day in this our Age and Generation I say this concern hath lived with me though hitherto hath been obstructed partly in hope that some other might have undertaken the same work whereby I might have been excused and partly through the Service and Travels the Lord hath measureably concerned me in on the behalf of his Truth and People in late years But now being it hath fallen to my lot in Truths Testimony to be called to suffer Imprisonment and thereby at present freed from some of the aforesaid Service and Travels and the said concern hitherto resting upon my Spirit I was made willing to set to the Work being partly helped by others as to gather and transcribe their Books and written Epistles so many whereof as we could meet with are inserted hereafter in their proper places so near as we could being several of them without dates As for their Labours unwearied Travels Exercises Fastings Watchings Buffettings Scornings and Perils many ways and upon several occasions in full I cannot relate but shall give the Reader a short hint of some part of them as they may be brought to my remembrance in the following Testimony which lives upon my Spirit to bear for the Lord in the behalf of them as made Instrumental in his hand through the strength of his holy and eternal Arm of Power to and in them revealed to the exalting of his own Glory and the publishing of his everlasting Gospel-glad-tidings to the Poor and Redemption to the Poor and Redemption to the Prisoner of Hope in which blessed Work his Strength girded and his Power supported them in all faithfulness to presevere to the finishing of their Course here and having fought the good Fight they are entred into his everlasting Joy and Rest where they are freed from their many Labours Tryals and Exercises and their Works follow them glory to God for ever John Camm as he was my Father according to the Flesh so was he also a spiritual Father and Instructor of me in the way of Truth and Righteousness the which through the operation of the Word of Life measureably revealed in me in my Childhood became effectually to my Confirmation in that blessed Way for his tender eare was great for the Education of me and the rest of his Children and Family in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and as he was sharp and severe in reproving every appearance of evil yet with Wisdom Gravity and great Discretion the which appeared also in his encouraging and strengthing every appearance of God in his Children Family and all People being an especial example in his life and conversation The place of his outward Birth was at Camsgil within the Barrony of Kendal in Westmoreland which place hath been possessed by his Ancestors long before him As for his Parentage and Education I shall not say much more then that it was honest and of good report as any of that degree in that par of the Country as many can testfie as also that he from his Childhood was inclined to be Religious and sought after the best things and ever since I can remember he was one that joyned in society with them that were the most strict and upright in the performance of religious Duties and ordered their lives most according to Holiness and Righteousness He having seen beyond the national Priests and their empty lifeless Forms and so separated from them still pressing forward towards a further manifestation and revelation of the Way of Salvation which his Soul hungred and thirsted after and therefore he with many others who were under the same sence of hunger often met together amongst themselves and some openings from the Lord several of them had from which they could have declared excellent things having some sight or comprehension thereof yet wanted the inward possession of the Vertue Life and Power of what they declared of and in this state continued many days But the fulness of time being come wherein the Lord in his everlasting loving-kindness did cause his day to spring from on high and his Light to break out of obscurity and his glorious eternal Gospel to be preached again upon the Earth and particularly in this our Nation having heard the cryes of the Poor and the sighings of the Prisoners in the Pit even then the Lord called and anointed several for his Work and Service to publish this blessed day to bring Glad-tidings and proclaim the Year of Jubile And first and more especially he called forth and made choice of his dear Servant and faithful Messenger to the Nations George Fox and sent him into the North Country and particularly into Westmoreland near Kendal where there was a Field white unto the Harvest a People ripe to be gathered who as abovesaid were separated in measure from the Worlds Worship and empty dry Forms of Religion in many things and met together as aforesaid having several that were become Teachers amongst them but the chiefest John Audland and Francis Howgil
amongst whom the Lord sent this his dear Servant and Messenger George Fox with the Message of Life at the publishing whereof in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power of Jesus Christ the aforesaid John Camm my dear Father with John Audland Francis Howgil Edward Borough Richard Hubberthorn and many Hundreds more were convinced and their hearts opened as was the Heart of Lydia in former days and by the Revelation of the day of God and the inshining of his Heavenly Light in their Hearts they came to see that they wanted the lively possession of what they had made a great profession of which profession several of them had esteemed of as great riches of all which they came to be spoiled their Wisdom that stood in words only being confounded they became as Fools and at the Revelation of Jesus Christ they consulted no more there with but it became as Dross and Dung in comparison of the excellent Knowledg of Jesus Christ revealed by his Spirit to regenerate them and sprinkle their Hearts and Consciences from dead words to which they were Stangers notwithstanding their great profession under the sence of which great was the Gry and the Lamentation of many unspeakable for the day of the Lord was dreadful and terrible upon every high and exalted thing and many lofty ones and tall Cedars high in profession were bowed down under the mighty hand of Gods Power and Judgment begun at the House of God the Heart his Temple and by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning the eternal God entered and begun his blessed Work in order to redeem purge and make clean Vessels for his own use and service through and by whom he might carry on his blessed design and work in the Nations to the Glory of his Eternal Name And John Camm amongst many others was bowed down under the mighty Power of the Lord and the operation of the blessed Spirit was effectually known in his Heart and Soul whereby he was made willing to take up the Cross and become a Fool for Christ's sake forsaking the World and all the Glory Delights Pleasures Wisdoms and Riches of it of which he had enjoyed a share equal if not above many of his degree for naturally he was a Wise Man in Worldly matters having at that time great concerns and dealings therein and the World seemed to smile upon him and the riches and glory of it had exceedingly encreased and was then likely to encrease more yet notwithstanding all this the Lord so prevailed by his Power and Spirit in his Heart that he was made willing to part with all and counted it a blessed exchange to be made an Heir in Christ of that durable Riches laid up in Heaven that his Soul had Travelled for so that it was no hard thing for him to forsake all for Christ's sake and become a despised Follower of him through many Tribulations And after a day of great trouble and inward exercise through the blessed operation of that Spirit of Judgment and Burning wherein he saw the old Heavens and Earth to pass away as a Scrole and all things to be made new even as a prepared Vesselâ— the Lord filled him with his Power and Spirit and put his Word in his Mouth called him from all his outward concerns and enjoyments to publish the same word in the Demonstration of his eternal Power unto which he of a ready mind was made obedient and Travelled into all the Northren Countries to the Borders of Scotland and to London to declare the Message of the Lord to Oliver Cromwel then called Protector being accompanied by dear Francis Howgil who were two of the first that published the Message of Truth in that City as in this our day gloriously revealed and made known In a little time after his return from London he with J. Audland F. Howgil Edward Borough and Richard Huberthorn who have all blessedly finished their Course and time here in that blessed Work which the Lord called them unto being entred into the Joy of the Lord the Labours together with part of the Travels of Francis Howgil Edward Borough and Richard Huberthorn are already collected by other Brethren to which the Reader is referred these five Brethren Travelled out South-ward John Camm and Edward Borough through the middle of the Nation the others through other parts as the Lord directed them and after some time they all met together with several other Brethren at London where the Lord had a great Work but after some time John Camm and John Audland were called towards Bristol after that time Travelling together where and in the Countries adjacent was a Door effectually open'd unto them and many Hundreds were by the Word and Testimony of Truth by them published convinced and turned to God many of whom have to this day kept their Integrity to God and are their living Epistles and can bless the Lord on their behalfs who made them instrumental in his Hand to beget them again into a lively hope in Christ the Lord through whom they have a strong hope to receive an Inheritance amongst the Sanctified being prepared to the Kingdom of glory everlasting How gloriously the Lord appeared in that City and the Countries adjacent and how he prospered his Work in the Hands of these his Servants how great and manifold their Labours Travels and Perils in those Parts I am not able to relate but shall leave in hope that some one or other of my Brethren in those Parts may be engaged to perform some part of that work who may have a larger knowledge thereof as being present with them in many of their exercises which were not a few to my knowledge but such was their zeal for the Lord and the prosperity of his work that their very lives was not dear unto them for the Lord the Gospel and his Peoples sake but to spend and be spent they were freely in the will of the Lord given up their care and watchings being for the prosperity of his work continually And being that my Father was but naturally of a weak constitution of Body inclining to be Consumptive by the many and daily Travels that he underwent his outward Body did waste and his strength spend exceedingly having a most violent Cough so that for several Years before his death he was never able to walk on Foot half a Mile at one time nay many times he was not able to go up one pair of Stairs into a Meeting-place without help yet nevertheless while the Meeting continued through the enlivening Power and Spirit of God would have been over the sence of his Bodily weakness but after the Meeting was over many times as one ready to be dissolved In this outward weakness he Travelled through many Countries and places of the Nation to the confirming and strengthning of the Flock of God for several Years sometimes taking me along with him to wait upon him his weakness being grown so great that he was not
aforesaid burying place at Birkrigge-Park And although the departure hence of these two faithful Brethren and true Labourers in the Lords Work whose presence with and Labours amongst us was comfortable and joyous may be loss to me and many others yet in this we are satisfied that its their gain being freed from their Labours and their Works follow them and that they are entered into the Kingdom of eternall Glory where thev shall live to Magnifie the Lord World without End. Amen And though their outward Bodies be gone to the dust and therefore their bodily presence we are deprived of yet their Spirits are enjoyed and their lives are amongst us and Preaches and their Names and remembrance is and shall be a sweet Memorial and good Savour to Ages and Generations to come being numbred amongst the Lord's Worthies and the Valiants of his Israel who never turned their Backs of their Enemies neither fainted in their greatest exercises but their Bows like Josephs always abode in strength being helped by the Mighty God of Jacob before whom all Nations is but as the drop of a Bucket or the small Dust of the Ballance whose Breath doth slay the wicked and his right hand doth crush his Enemies and his blessed Work begun he hath determined to Prosper since he will finish and put an utter end to transgression that he may reveal bring in and establish his everlasting Righteousness and cover the Earth with his Truth as with a Garment and the Kingdoms of this World must become the Kingdom of the Lord and his Christ whose right it is to reign and will reign when he hath overturned and overturned till his Scepter be lifted up over all and his Government be extended from Sea to Sea and from one end of the Earth to the other and his Sion be beautified with Salvation and Jerusalem become the praise of the whole Earth even thus exalt thy name O God saith my Soul from hence-forth and for ever more That the Righteous may sing of thy Praise and tell of thy Wonderous Works and extol thy Holy Name and Power over all to reign and rule World without end Amen From Apleby Goal the place of my present confinement for the Testimony of Jesus This 14th of the 12th Month 1680. Thomas Camm The Testimony of Ann Camm concerning John Audland her late Husband deceased COncerning my dear Husband John Audland deceased I am under Obligation to bear this following Testimony as one that had the advantage beyond all others to know as well his Qualifications endowments and Gifts given him of God whether Spiritual or Temporal as also his great Labours and Travels in that blessed work and service of the Lord his Truth and People that he was in the Morning of the day called unto and preserved in in all fidelity and faithfulness to the spending of his natural strength to the end of his days and finishing of his Course here in order to be swallowed up in eternal Joy for evermore The eternal God who by his Providence joyned us together in Marriage in our young days in his blessed Counsel also caused his day to spring from on high upon us in the marvelous Light and bright shining whereof he revealed his Son Christ in us and gave us Faith to believe in him the eternal Word of Life by which our Souls came to be quickned and made alive in him and also in and by the quickning Power of his holy Power we were made one in a Spiritual and Heavenly relation our hearts being knit together in the unspeakable love of Truth which was our Life Joy and Delight and made our days together exceeding comfortable as being that whereby all our temporal enjoyments were sanctified and made a blessing unto us How exceeding dear and kindly affectionate Husband he was to me I am far short in ability to declare but in a word shall say that I believe few ever enjoyed a greater blessing in a Husband then I in him and notwithstanding that I loved his company and the enjoyment of him with me above all the World yet nevertheless in submission to the Will of God whose chosen Vessel he was and also in respect to the honourable Service of Truth and the publication thereof which he was called unto I could freely give him up as to be separated from in the outward a great part of our time after we were convinced of Gods blessed Truth and made living Witnesses of the vertuous Life and powerful Operation thereof as in this our day gloriously made known to the everlasting joy of our immortal Souls But before this blessed work came to be effected great was the warfare and inward exercise that my dear Husband underwent under the chastizing Hand of the Lord and the Spirit of Judgment and of burning that was at work in his inward parts in order to sanctifie him for the Lords own use and service for when the Lords blessed and honorable day Broke upon him he was high in Notion and Profession imagining that he had been filled with durable Riches and Wisdom but in the Light of this day he saw the emptiness of it all while he wanted the Substance Life in the eternal Word and by the same to be sanctified throughout Therefore under the sence of this great want many and great were his Sighs and Groans and his Tears not a few Days and Nights of Sorrow many a one he underwent the Word and Power of the Lord being as a Fire revealed within him to burn the great building that he had been erecting and setting up of Hay Wood and Stuubble and in this exercise I also had a share with him and in great Lamentation I have heard him often Sorrowfully say Ah! what have we been doing what have we been labouring for or what availeth our great Profession all our building tumbles down our Profession is high as the Wind the Day of the Lord is upon it and his Word as a Fire consumes it as dry Stubble and put 's an end unto all empty Professions and high Notions without Life or Substance to all the Wisdom of fallen man we must forsake the World and all its glory it s all but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit 't is a Saviour that I long for 't is him that my Soul pants after Oh! that I may be comprehended into his Life and over-shadowed with his Glory sanctified throughout by his Word and raised up by his eternal Power To this effect did his Soul often Travel before the Lord and the Lord who had called him for the purpose of his own Glory was nor unmindful of him but had regard to his blessed work begun to prosper the same that so out of the Furnace of Affliction a pure and clean Vessel might be brought forth And then the Lord plentifully poured upon him of his holy Spirit filling him with all Wisdom and Power to publish and proclaim his everlasting Gospel and to bring Glad-tidings to the poor the Day
Servants of the Lord Jesus having received the everlasting Gospel from the Angel of Gods presence to Preach in the demonstration of his Mighty Power with which indeed they were filled John Camm was an Ancient man full of Zeal and Fervency in the Gospel endued with the precious Gift of discerning and sound Judgment terrible to the man of Sin and full of bowels and tenderness to the travelling Souls Sharp and terrible to the evil but sweet and Friendly to the tender and well inclined unto the way of Righteousness not sparing his weak body which he offered up even unto Death to serve the Lord God in his blessed work of gathering which he saw in a plentiful manner to his great satisfaction a farther Testimony of him as to his Country Life Travels and Death is given by his dear Wife and Thomas Camm his Son and his Wife to which I refer His memory is blessed and his place is among the living Ancients in Jerusalem John Audland was a younger man of a sweet ruddy and amiable Countenance and of a chearful Spirit one of the Wise in heart filled with the excellent bright sparking glorious Power of the Lord God everlasting in which he appeared many times so filled that immortallity shined in his Face and his Voice was as Thunder therein dreadful in the Strengh of the Lord of Hosts against the man of Sin and those in Covenant therewith terrible in the dread of God against the Workers of iniquity but livingly tender to the sensible Travellers and poor in spirit Ah! my Soul hath a sensible remembrance how the Doctrine given him of Christ Jesus dropt as dew and sweetly descended as the refreshing Rain He was a Labourer indeed Night and Day in the Labour of the Gospel in which he extreamly spent himself and his fervent and unexpressible Travells in and about the City of Bristol I am well satisfied laid a Foundation for the wasting his natural Life which was spent and offered up for the Truth and in the work of it and indeed he with dear honourable John Camm was instrumental in the Hand of the Almighty God of our Gatherings and the spending their lives and strength was most in their Labours and Travels amongst us in the City and adjacent parts of which I was an eye and ear witness being with them frequently These two faithful Ministers of Christ Jesus came to the City of Bristol in the 5th Month 1654. and first they came amongst a seeking people who kept one day in the week in fasting and praying waiting for and breathing in Spirit after the Morning and Visitation of of God and Day of Redemption and amongst us they spoke the powerful Word of Life in the dread of his Name that lives forever and we were seized on and smitten even to the Heart and that Day and the Visitation of it over took us which we had longed and waited for and from Darkness to the marvellous Light of the Lord we were turned Some Meetings we had before the more general gathering in and about that City which began on this wise On a first day in the morning I went with these two Servants of God about a mile and half from the City to a little spring of Water where I often had spent many Solitary hours in my tender years seeking the Lord where we sat some time and drank of the spring After some hours of the morning were spent I saw in them a great travel in Spirit Trembling J. A. said let us be going into the City so we came to the Street called Broadmead to a house where were several People met together enquiring after these two men of God. John Audland was under a great exercise of Spirit and said Is here any one that has any interest in any Field An ancient man said I have in a Field prety near notice being given to the People in the house they came forth and as we went along people in the Streets went also to the Field called Earls-mead so that we came a pretty number where some Seats or Stools were brought Dear John Camm began to speak renderly and in great Zeal directing to the heavenly Grace of God and â—estifying against Sin and Iniquity fervently to which some were attentive in this season I perceived a great exercise of Spirit on my dear Friend and Father in Christ Jesus J. Audland who very much trembled After dear John Camm stood down he stood up full of dread and shining brightness on his countenance lifted up his Voice as a Trumpet and said I proclaim spiritual War with the Inhabitants of the Earth who are in the Fall and Seperation from God and Prophesie to the sour winds of Heaven and these words dropt amongst the Seed and so went on in the mighty Power of God Almighty opening the way of Life But ah the seizings of Souls and prickings at heart which attended that season some fell on the Ground others crying out under the sence of opening their States which indeed gave experimental Knowledge of what is recorded acts 2. 37. Indeed it was a notable day worthy to be left on Record that our Children may read and tell to their Children and theirs to another Generation that the worthy noble Acts of the Arm of Gods Salvation may be remembred which have been the way of the Lord leading his Servants through Generations c. At this Meeting many were effectually convinced and from Darkness to Light turned after which our Meetings grew larger and larger They visited the Meetings of them called Independants and Baptists testifying amongst them in great power the things given them of God directing the poor and needy in spirit that saw their want of the Lord Jesus Christ no longer to seek the Living amongst the Dead but look from the Mountains and Hills dead Ways and Worships unto Christ Jesus the Foundation of Life and Salvation and there was added unto the gathering daily and great dread was round about and in our Meetings under the seasonings of the holy Ghost Oh! the Tears Sighs and Groans Tremblings and Mournings in the sight of the middle will of partition that we saw then in our awakened States that stood between us and the Lord and in the sight and sense of our spiritual wants and necessities Oh! the hungrings and thirstings of Soul that attended daily and great travels of Spirit to obtain through the working of the mighty Power of Gods dominion and Spiritual Victory over the Enemy of our Souls who had lead us in the Paths of Death and Darkness and indeed as the Visits of Gods holy and ever blessed Day was signal and unexpressible as aforesaid so I Testifie in the fear and dread and awe of God Almighty we received the Gospel with a ready mind and with broken Hearts and affected Spirits and gave up to follow the Lord fully casting off the weights and burdens and the Sin that easily besets and from the evil ways and vanities of this
his Power will descend wonderfully in an increasing manner and his Glory will shine his River of Life flow yea rhe Spring of the great deep will be broken up and the Windows of Heaven will be opened that you may be abundantly filled with Joy and Thanksgivings holy Renown and Songs of deliverance with spiritual high Praises ascending his Throne which will be as sweet Incense and a Sacrifice acceptable to our God. And here you shall spend the residue of your days in Dominion over both the Snares of the Enemy attending Prosperity and Liberty Adversity and Persecution seeing over all things that have their rise in Mortality and Time feeling Mortality swallowed up of Life immortal and so gathered to the general Assembly to the Church of the first born to the Spirits of just Men made perfect yea to the first and last God the Judge of all to whom be immortal high Praises and holy Renown for ever and for evermore But if the wonderful Blessings tender Mercies and following loving Kindnesses that the Lord God Almighty every way extends unto us in this Age be not duely reverently and obediently taken notice of but instead thereof any shall forsake and be unmindful of the Lords tender Mercies and thereby imbrace lying Vanities going out of the spiritual Diligence into a spiritual Idleness through which a spiritual Slumber overtakes and the Lamp thereby be inwardly neglected the spiritual Watch and Cross slighted and not duely regarded but the Earth and earthly things take up the exercise of the Mind and Affections Then I say instead of injoying what is above expressed Tribulation and Anguish will seize upon all such and the dreadful Judgement of the eternal God that lives for ever and ever will overtake all such unfaithfulness A dreadful Cup ye shall drink of from the Hand of God and distress from the rebukes of the Lord shall distress you and you shall be numbred amongst the people of his Indignation in his dreadful approaching day of signal pleadings with all Flesh that have corrupted its way before him and therefore hear fear and dread the holy Name of the Lord and whilest it s called to day bow before him and speedily return unto him least your day pass over and ye sleep the Sleep of eternal Death and Destruction and be separated for ever from his refreshing Presence in which is Life and from the glory of his divine Power Therefore all dear Friends every where retire inwardly see feel and understand the Counsel of the Lord which unto you springs all retire inward that are not there in great humility before the Lord that you may feel the blessed Work of God blessedly begun perfecting your inward man growing in the Root of Life and as you have professed the Knowledge of a spiritual Oracle before the Nations you may approve your selves in the sight of God following its Instructions in all things and go not without it lean upon the Lord and cry to him to gu de you with his Eye and lead you by his Arm and so guide you in the way everlasting and this is his promise whilest you keep with him he will be with you never leaving nor forsaking you if you do not leave and forsake him his Presence and glorious Arm of Salvation shall surround you to the renown of his Name and consolation of his People Amen Amen C. Marshall The Several BOOKS EPISTLES Written By those Two Faithful Servants of the LORD John Camm and John Audland John Camm to O. Cromwell ON the last day of the first Moneth called March about two of the Clock in the Morning I was moved of the Lord to write these ensuing Lines and to lay before thee the cause of our coming hither to London Friend we came not to thee to Petition any thing from thee in the outward but in the tender Bowels of Love to exhort thee to mind thy own condition how thou standest in relation to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is Powerful and Pure and Holy who will not acquit the Wicked but will wound the hairy scalp of him who goes on in iniquity before whose Presence all stands naked and bare who knows and sees all the secrets of thy Heart thy out-goings and in-comings to whom thou must give account of all things done in the Body whether they be good or evil Therefore in love to thy Soul were we moved to come to exhort thee to stand in the fear of the Lord and in his Counsel and to mind the Light in thy Conscience which is puâ—e and oâ— God to guide thee in the great Affairs of the Nations for to keep in his fear is safe for dreadful and terrible will the day of the Lord be to all who are found out of his fear and acting in their own wills and bounding and limiting the Spirit of the Lord and walking contrary to the pure Law of God the Light in their Consciences And we knowing the Terrors of the Lord were moved to exhort thee in love to thy Soul for the righteous Seeds sake which lies in bondage every where under the oppressing nature that thou might'st be an Instrument in the Lords Hand to take off Oppression from of the necks of the â—eople and to remove their Yoke which hath been promised long and now the power is in thy Hand and thou must give an account to the Lord how thou hast Ruled for him for the mighty day of the Lord is come and is coming wherein all Faces shall gather blackness it is a day of Darkness of bitter Lamentation and Woe at whose Presence the Mountains shall melt and the Hills shall tumble down before him and all the tall Cedars shall bow and the strong Okes shall be broken down and the Roofs rent and the Earth shall remove out of its place it s a day wherein the Lord will plead with all Flesh with his Sword and with Fire In which day the Lofty shall be brought down and the Lord alone exalted which day we witness fulfilled in us in measure Praises Praises to the Lord God for evermore And therefore Friend we having this Testimony made manifest in us by the eternal Spirit of God we declare this unto thee that thou mayest not be found acting against the Truth for they who are guided by the Spirit of God will do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth By which Spirit we are gathered out of the World up to God and have escaped the Polutions of the World and by it we are brought in obedience to the pure Law of God which is written in our Hearts and his Spirit within us is our Teacher and so we deny all the teachings of Men who have not this Law and Spirit to guide them and for so doing we suffer by them who are not guided by that Spirit For my Sheep know my Voice saith Christ and they follow me and will not follow a Stranger and we know the voice of Christ
and the voice of a Stranger And by the Spirit of the living God are we gathered up together up to God to worship him in Spirit and in Truth and are of one Heart and of one Mind and of one Soul and have all one Teachers and peak all one thing And we being all taught of the Lord are far from Oppression though we be Oppressed and for the Truths sake was I moved of the Lord to lay this before thee that our Conditions may be known that the Truth may not suffer under the reproach of the Heathen who live after the Flesh and Persecute them who live after the Spirit A word more to clear thy mistake when we spoke unto thee that the Lord would make thee an Instrument in his Hand to establish the Gospel wherein thou apprehendest us that should be established by an outward Law that was not our desire nor we spoke no such thing but we witness the coming of Christ in his Kingdom is not by Might nor Power nor Pomp nor Glory from without nor by any Law which is in the will of Man but our desires were that there should be no Law upon Religion for it needs no Law to defend it for pure Religion and undefiled is this to loose the bands of Wickedness and set the Oppressed free and take off every Yoke And where pure Religion is exercised this is the Fruits and if thou be guided by the pure Light of God shining in thy Conscience and the righteous Law set up in thy Heart and the Spirit of God thy Teacher then there need none â—â— desire thee to take away those Laws that ensnare tender Consciences and so they who pretend Conscience and are not guided by the pure Law of God will be seen by those who dwell in the Spirit to have erroneous Consciences and so this Law will take hold of them and the righteous Law is upon the Transgressor and limits the carnal Mind and fleshly Will but doth not limit the Spirit but is at Unity with it And therefore Friend to thy Conscience I speak and witness this to be true in the Presence of God that as thou art guided by this pure Light in thy Conscience and this Law of the Spirit set up in thy Heart thou canst not deny us for we are none of those which dispise Government and defile the Flesh who pull down others to set up themselves but all unfruitful works of darkness we deny and seek to advance the Government of Jesus Christ alone and love all and have unity with all who are here and honour all Men in the Lord and have fellowship with those whose Conversation is as becomes the Gospel of Christ and they who Rule and Live here cannot suffer any outward Law to take hold on us who stand in obedience to the Commands of Christ for there is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord sets free and commands obedience take heed how thou suffer any Law to limit that Spirit for they who are brought into the obedience of the Spirit are dear unto him as the Apple of his Eye and his care is over them and the Lord will free them from their Oppressors And thus were we pressed in Spirit to lay before thee our conditions and the conditions of our Brethren who are gathered into the eternal Unity where there is no Rent nor Schism that thou might not be ignorant of those things and to shew thee that our desire is not for any outward thing or self-advancing for all self we deny for we came contrary to our own will and we declare this unto thee contrary to our own will and if thou stand not in thy own will thou wilt hear us and own us in advancing the Lord Jesus Christ upon the holy-Hill of Sion that the Law might go out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this we wait to see accomplished and his promise fulfilled in those who govern the Nations that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ And thus we have laid our selves naked before thee in the Presence of God and cleared our Consciences to thee and leave it to that which is pure in thy Conscience to judge Take heed for he that is in high Places is subject to many Temptations This I was moved of the Lord to Write unto thee who is a Servant of the Lord and a lover of thy Soul called John Camm For E. V. and the rest of the Flock of God in and about Banbury DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren in the eternal everlasting Covenant of Love and Life doth my Soul dearly salute you all who in your Measures keep in the same Love and Life and grows up in your stature which is well pleasing to God Oh my dear Hearts in the Life and Power of God which casts down Sin and slayes the enmity and gives you Victory and Dominion over the World which keeps you and preserves in the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all men upon the Earth to try them but you abiding in the pure Eternal living Measure of God dwelling in his Life and Power which is your Rock and hiding place shall be kept out of the same which the Enemy hath laid to take your Souls and here is your safe dwelling place so the Lord God of Power in his Life and Power keep you all in your dwelling place which is the Lord that with the Measure of him you may be guided which leads up into the Land of Righteousness into the Holy City where the uncircumcised and the careless and disobedient cannot come so with Bowels of dear and tender love unto you all who are Children of my Father and kept in his work I bid you farewel in the Lord and in him I am your dear brother for evermore John Camm My Wife and little Thomas dearly salutes you who are faithful in your places farewel As for my outward health it is much like as it was I grow weaker in the outward man but in the Lord is my strength and my support continually Glory and pure Praises be unto him for evermore Amen J. C. John Camm's Letter the 5th day of the 11th Month 1654. to Friends DEarly beloved in our Head and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ our dear love in him Salutes you all yea truly the same love runs out unto you all who wait upon the Lord and abide in your Measures that we are loved with all of our Father and we are your Epistles written in your Hearts not with Pen and Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God and then you who are guided by the Light which comes from Christ Jesus may read us daily and truly you are dear and precious unto us as you abide and dwell in your Measures yea truly ye are our very Lines and the Seal of
you in the Blood of his Son and made you a kind of first Fruits unto God to walk up to the Praise and Glory of his Name who hath called you where your strength and rest is forever And therefore all dear Brethern and Sisters in the Eternal Covenant of Life stand fast unmoveable unshaken in the Rock of Ages which never changes but abides for evermore there is your Shield and there is your Refuge there is your Castle where the Enemy cannot storm you nor the wild Beasts devour you in the living Measure of the living God where the living is refreshed with the fresh Streams which flows out from the Eternal Fountain of Love which refresheth the City of God which City you are as you abide in your Measures for you are the Temples of the Holy Ghost but if any Man defile his Temple him will God destroy for no unclean thing can dwell with him And therefore I exhort you all that you be faithful to the Measure of Light which is pure it being the guide of your minds will lead you out of all impurity and uncleanness for he that is the Light is the Messenger of the Covenant and by his Light shining in you he is come into his Temple to sit as a Refiner and as a Fuller to purifie the Sons of Levi. Now the Light which comes from Christ Jesus being the guide of all your minds leads you up into Unity with him from whence the Light comes and there we are one for evermore and cannot be separated Now the Light shining in the Conscience it maks manifest all the dark ways and rips up Man and discovers all deceit and judges it so that which lies betwixt the Light which shines in the Conscience and the Soul comes to be judged and cast out and so the dead comes to hear the Voice and the Graves comes to be opened and the quickning Spirit to be witnessed and the Light and the Soul comes to be joyned and here the Lord comes to be praised by the living for its the living that praises him for the dead and they that go down into the Pit cannot praise him and all they who are in death who knows not Redemption by the Light to them this is a Mystery and the sealed Book that neither the Learned nor unlearned can read in the disobedient and dark nature which is shut out from God forever but to you who follow the Lamb in the Regeneration through the Tribulation this to you is unsealed and you are made witnesses of the Sufferings and Death and Resurrection of Christ in you which is the hope of your Glory and to you it is given to know the Mysteries but to others it is a Parable and must not be revealed to them for blessed be the Name of the Lord it cannot be known but in the pure Life as it s lived in and here the wisdom of the wise is confounded and the Counsel of the Prudent is brought to nought by the Eternal Counsel and Wisdom of our God Glory to his Name for evermore And now my dear Brethren and Sisters as one with you in the Eternal Covenant of Life according to the Measure of Grace received from God I write unto you as a Brother and a Servant of the living God having received the like precious faith with you I say I write unto you to stir up your pure minds or to put you in remembrance of the Grace of God to you as one who desires the good of your Souls as my own and the recovery of the Image of God and am a Sufferer with you for the Seeds sake but waits in Patience until the day of deliverance of it from the bondage of Captivity which the Lord is bringing to pass in this his day of Power and now Death and Hell must give up their Dead for Death is now come to be swallowed up of Victory and all who abide faithful to the end shall witness the Sting of Death taken away the which in measure I witness and now wait ready to be offered up being in weakness of the outward Body but in much peace and quiet in the inward praised be the Lord forever and not knowing that I shall ever see your Faces any more in the outward but steadfastly believes to meet you and to be joyned to you in the Unity of the Body whereof Christ Jesus is our Head where the Bond of peace and love is kept and where all Sorrows and Troubles is done away and for this cause was I moved to write unto you these few Lines as an Epistle to be read and witnessed in the Hearts where you may read me continually in the Measure of God which is but one in which we own know and read one another where the World knows us not And now to the Lord God and to the Word of his Grace I commit you which is able to keep you and preserve you pure and spotless and undefiled and will present you blameless unto the Lord if you abide in it and will give you an inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified and therefore be faithful unto the end for he that endures unto the end shall be saved but he that turns back my Soul taketh no pleasure in him saith the Lord and therefore bold and valient be for the Truth upon Earth following the Captain of our Salvation Christ Jesus the high Priest of our Profession who endured the Cross and despised the shame and sate down at the right Hand of God the Father forever and hath led Captivity Captive and hath given to us the Comforter the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive but leads us into all Truth who are giuded by it and is the Worlds condemnation This lay upon me to write unto you being weak upon my Bed in Compassion and love to all your Souls who desires the Growth of every Plant of my Heavenly Fathers planting that they may bring forth Fruit to the Glory of his Grace for herein is he glorified that ye bring forth much Fruit So in the Eternal unchangable ever living and never failing Love of God in that I bid you all farewel And in that am I knit and united unto you and death cannot be able to separate us for in that Love there is Union for evermore and so I subscribe yours in that and known to the World by the Name John Camm This was given forth at Bristol when he lay in great weakness upon his Bed on the Year 1665. John Audlands and John Cam's Letters To all dear Friends who love the Light in about Bristol Dear Friends YOu whose minds are turned towards God by the pure Light of God to wait upon the Lord in his Fear Grace Mercy and Peace from God be multiplyed in you and amongst you that you may grow and abound in the pure Life of God growing up every one of you in particular in your own measure having your minds stayed upon the Lord to
is shed amongst you so in the pure Light abide which is your Eye by which you will see the Lords Love to you and wait in it that you may know the washing and the cleansing by the Blood of Jesus which Purifies the Heart and Sprinkles the Conscience and so the Mistery of Faith you will know so this is the Word of the Lord to you to exhort you and charge you that you all wait upon him from whence strength comes that your strength may be renewed that you may grow dayly and increase in the Riches of the Love of God and that you meet often together and dwell in Love and in the Bond of Peace and joyn to nothing which is contrary to the Pure Life for thou that joyns to that which defiles the wo is upon thy Head from the Lord God and there is the Hypocrite and the Dissembler which hath the Form but not the Power whose mind joyned to the Harlot and wo is the end of that profession therefore all dwell in that which keeps pure in the Measure that all may be crucified and mortified which is upon the Earth and from the Earth and abide in that which mortifies daily and crosseth the Earthly part and works it out and this is the Word of God to you whose minds are turned to wait in that which turns the mind the same leads up into the endless Life so the Mighty Power of the Lord God be amongst you and keep you that all strong holds may be broken down and that the Word of Life ye may all dwell in which gives Life and cuts down all that which is against the Life so fare you well The Lord God of Power carry you along on your Journey to the Eternal Sabboth we are your Servants for the Truth sake and the Seed sake Salute us to all Friends our Love flows freely to you your growth is our joy and riches growing in the Life you will see the Crown of Life and raign over the World and there we are your dear Brethren in Joy and in Tribulation John Audland John Camm The Testimony of Mabel Benson concerning John Camm her late Husband deceased THis short Testimony I have to bear for and concerning John Camm my dear Husband deceased that he was a tender dear and loving Husband to me one that feared the Lord and was freely given up to spend and be spent in the Service of Truth as Hundreds can testifie his life and delight being therein to the end of his dayes a pattern of Holiness he was in his Life and Conversation to the Flock of God he was exceeding noble and faithful in the Testimony of Truth he never shrunk in the time of his greatest Tryals which were not a few the Lord being always with him to the astonishment of his Enemies after he had travelled several Years in the work of the Ministry though in great Bodily Weakness the Lord was pleased in his Mercy to bring him home to his outward being to finish his course in much Peace to my great satisfaction the which in Measure abated my sorrow in the loss of him as to his Bodily presence together with my being well satisfied that he is at rest with the Lord and made richly to partake of the joys of Heaven in everlasting Life therein to praise the King of everlasting Glory unto all eternity Amen Mabell Benson John Audland's Letters and Epistles To Friends soon after he was gone forth in the Ministry Dear Hearts IN the eternal Truth every one in your Measures mind your own condition and be Low Meek and Humble for such the Lord teacheth Mind the fear of the Lord always to dwell in it that his secrets may be opened for in the fear the secrets are made manifest and the Pure know the secrets but the Wisdom of God is hid from the vulterous eye but that eye which comes out of Death comprehends Death and the Grave and sees God which no Man can but the Son declares him for he sees him Now dear Hearts wait for the Son to be made manifest in you every one in particular keep your Eye single that your whole Body may be full of Light. My dear Hearts be bold in this day of the Lord and valiant for the Truth upon Earth you who are redeemed from the Earth up to God to serve him and are called let nothing stand between but keep open that Eye which comprehends all the Earth keep out the Earth lest that the Eye be vailed keep clean within that nothing grow up within but what is pure that so you may discern the impure and you who are kept pure be bold to reprove the Unfruitful works of darkness and have no Fellowship with them neither within nor without for if any thing be spared within it will spare without and to be Rebellious is as the Sin of Witchcraft Oh my dear Hearts my care is that you grow in the Truth and that you may keep single every one in your Measure take heed of coldness and dulness in any but dwell in Authority and speak in Authory that deceit may be confounded and banished from among you that so the Pure may be cherished in the Truth none be Careless but be Watchful and Watch one over another in Love that you may be established in Righteousness that the Land may rejoyce and the Peaceable flourish and all the Unrighteous be cut down by the Righteous And Friends dwell in the Power of Truth and mind the Presence of the Lord with you always which keeps bold and causeth you to tread upon all the Worlds Ways Words Worships Priests and Deceits that so you may be fed upon the Mountains in a large Pasture Dear Friends mind your daily feeding in that which is eternal and feed not the Carnal nor labour not for the Bread which perisheth but for that which endureth for ever And all Friends take heed of looking back for if any draweth back my Soul hath no pleasure in him But all dear Friends press forward in the strait way my Hearts desire and prayer to the Lord is that you may grow and increase in the Increase of God and that you may all be Faithful for there is your Crown Oh be Faithful to the end that you may inherit all things and be partakers of that which never shall have end and keep in the Cross daily which will Crucifie daily and Mortifie daily your Affections which be upon Earth for the day of the Lord is approaching the good and happy day glad-Tydings to the Prisoner but a day of Terror to the Wicked and to all that live in filthiness who profess much Love to God with their Mouthes but the Heart going after Covetousness And a word to all you who are in that condition who draw near God with your Mouthes but your Hearts far from him to you who are convinced of the Truth of God and denies the Priests in words and come to Meet amongst the Saints
separated John Audland DEar and well-beloved Friends in the pure Love Life and Unity of the Spirit do I Salute you and Greet you in the Unity of the Spirit am I with you present and our fellowship doth endure forever walking in the Spirit and keeping the Unity of the Spirit then are we present in the Spirit But who walk after the Flesh and live in the Flesh and to the Flesh such are not present in the Spirit who lives not in the Spirit and all such Fruits will dye and wither and fade away Now my dear Friends in love and life wait in your Measure of the Spirit that you may profit and grow up in the Spirit which is pure and purifies and leads up into Purity and Holiness and Righteousness in which stands the Kingdom of God and nothing that is unrighteous can enter into that Kingdom which stands in Righteousness where the Lamb dwells who is the Light of the Holy City which is the Habitation of the Righteous where the Throne of the Lamb is exalted all Crowns cast down and the Lamb alone Reigns and they who follow him whose Garments are washed who have come thorow Tribulation who stands before the Throne singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb who are redeemed from among men Glory Glory for evermore unto him who Reigns over all who is the faithful witness who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore out of whose Mouth proceeds the two edged Sword which cuts and divides which is as a Fire and as a Hammer by which Sword the wicked is slain and none that defiles can escape it for it turns every way to keep the tree of Life and none have right to eat of the Tree of Life but they that enter in at the strait Gate and stands pure before the Throne of the Lamb from his Throne proceeds the River of living Waters where the Hungry Thirsty are refreshed and satisfied and by it the righteous man is planted his fruit shall never wither nor his leaf shall never fade but shall be as a fruitful Branch abiding in the Vine and growing in the Vine Oh my dear Friends abide and continue in that which hath called you and prize the Love of God never let his Benefits go out of your Minds dwell low and single in the Fear of God that you may be kept open and tender in Love and Unity to grow together and there am I with you in Bowels of love and tenderness God is my witness my heart Burns within me to you and my Life reacheth to the Life in you and I have great breathings in my Spirit to the Lord for you Oh let me be refreshed in your growth my well-beloved Ones in whom my Soul delighteth that we may travel on together and feed together on that which lives for evermore and gives Life for ever more be not weary neither faint in your Journey my dear and precious Ones but wait upon the Lord God and your strength shall be renewed daily and your Life refreshed daily be faithful and abide in the daily Cross of Christ endure it and the Enemies of God will be cut down by it and the residue of the Heathen will be Crucified and Christ alone Reign and all those be cut down that would not have him to Reign such are Enemies to the Cross and their end is Destruction have no fellowship with such I exhort and charge you from the Lord who is arisen in his Power to redeem Sion and to take Vengeance upon all his Enemies I am melted to melt you in pure love and tenderness I am even broken to break you the Searcher and Revealer of all Secrets bears me witness that I lve not and I am charged to charge you to abide in the daily Cross of Christ that the Just may reign that the Living God may be exalted amongst you whose name you bear And therefore what manner of Persons ought you to be Oh I even beseech you that you walk worthy of your calling in Bowels of love My dear and well-beloved Ones you bear the Name of the Living God and his Fame thorow you is spread abroad and the Dread of the Lord God takes hold upon the Heathen and now is the Lord making known his Wonders as ever was in any day his strange Act is he bringing to pass and his Work blessed are your Eyes that see and your Ears that hear and who are not offended at his coming but deny all to follow him that you may be found worthy to believe in him and suffer with him that you may Reign with him for evermore Let it not be a light thing to any amongst you that you bear the Name of the holy One but for his glory by whom you are called and whose Name you bear stand single and abide in the Life and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth that the Heathen may be confounded and scattered who watch against you that they might say where is their God. And now are they gathering together all their Inchanters if so be they might prevail for now the day of their Torment is begun and the Voice of him that hath roared from his holy Place doth pursue them and their can be no hiding place found Terrour Wo and Misery is coming upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth let all Flesh bow and tremble before the Lord his Fire is kindled and his Sword is drawn and his Bow is bent and his Sword shall be made fat with Slain and drunk with the Blood of his Enemies the Sword is doubled that no Flesh may escape from the South to the North Because of the Tidings I am Smitten to Smite the Lion hath roared terrour terrour to all the World the day of Visitation is come the day of Redemption is come the day of Recompence is come the Jealousie of the Lord will burn like Fire and the Word of the Lord is gone forth and by his own Power shall it be fullfiled And the Vials Wrath Judgment Vengeance and the mighty Storm of Hail shall be poured upon the Heathen and who can stand when God doth this And this is his day and by his own Arm shall be performed the Righteous shall shine forever and ever and shall dwell on high their Bread shall be sure their Waters shall not fail the Just God will do Righteously and the Righteous shall not perish with the wicked the Lord hath said it The righteous ones shall be rewarded and shall Inherit the holy Mountain and lie down in the Mountain where the Lion and the Lamb lie down together and the Wrath of the Lamb is as the roaring of the Lion and all who follow the Lamb the Lion goes before them there is your strength my beloved Ones stand stedfast and be faithful and the Lord is with you and no Weapon formed against you shall prevail The mighty Power of the Lord God go along with you to keep you in his pure Power
and Life for evermore in which Power and Life I am with you bound up and sealed and continues forever to be your dear Brother in the Unity of the Spirit and in the Bond of Peace And Grace Mercy Peace Love and Unity from the Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied in you and amongst you and the God of Power Peace and Love keep you pure and single and preserve you for evermore Moved of the Lord farewell Your Dear Brother in that which never changeth John Audland John Audland's Letter c. DEarly beloved ones in the Lord Jesus Christ Grace Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied to you and in you you my dear ones whom my Life reacheth out unto with whom I am present in the eternal Spirit of the living God in the pure eternal Love and Life of God do I Salute you and greet you as with a holy Kiss the Love of God which is shed abroad in my heart runs forth freely to you Lambs of God Babes of God to you my Life doth reach Little Children who are begotten to a lively hope by the Resurrection of the Dead to you I write from the pure Life to the stiring up of your pure minds that in the pure mind you may abide in the lively hope quietly to wait for the Revelation of the Son of God in you which is ready to be revealed now in the last time that you may witness him the sâ—eond time without Sin unto Salvation who comes to condemn Sin in the Flesh who is now making himself manifest to take away Sin that you may witness him without Sin the Lamb without Spot who takes away Sin to know him and be in him without which there is no knowledg of him and to abide in him who gives an understanding to know him which is eternal Life this to witness to you this is the Word of the Lord little Children that you may wait as new born Babes to be fed with the sincere Milk of the Word that by it you may grow up into him and in him who is the Word which reconcileth to God which Hammers down all deceit which burns up all the dross which treads down all the wicked under his Feet whose Vesture is dipt in Blood who treads the Wine Press whose Arm alone brings Salvation to this People whose Name is called the Word of God which Word doth divide and separate betwixt the precious and the vile which Word is nigh you in your Hearts and in your Mouths abide in it and wait upon it and take counsel at it continually as at the Oracle of God by which hearing comes and faith comes which gives the victory over the World and leads you to deny the World little Children Heirs of another World so in that continue which hath turned your minds from the World towards God from the Darkness to the Light which leads up to Christ from the World and guides unto God and keeps in the way to eternal Inheritance which never fades that through many tribulations you may see the entrance into the Kingdom where the World is overcome and he raigns who overcomes the World so abiding in him you abide in peace out of the World where there is trouble and there is your reward verily my dear ones all the sufferings of this present World is not worthy to be named with the Glory that is revealed at the revelation of the Son of God so in the Light abide which leads up to the perfect Day and walk as Children of the Day redeeming your time and prising your time the large Love of the Lord and his benefits may never slip out of your minds so in the presence of the Lord do I exhort you my beloved ones in the Lord and charge you to abide in him that you may grow up in the Unity of the Spirit and keep the Unity that which goes out breaks the Unity and to you this is the Word of God little Children Your Brother in the unchangable Love in the eternal Vnity of the Spirit John Audland The 28th day of the 8th Month 1654. A Letter sent unto Charles Marshall by John Audland 1654. I am moved to write unto thee to stand still in the Light which shows thee thy wretched state by that Light thou comest to see thy self where thou art and how thou hast spent thy time thy knowledge of God and profession of God now comes to wither that which thou hast gathered without perisheth and stands thee in no stead Now in that that shows thee thy condition wait that the judgment of the Lord may be made manifest in thee upon the head of the wicked and through judgment Sion may be set free Abide in that which is the condemnation of all that 's wicked both within thee and without thee start not aside from the judgments of the Lord for his judgments are righteous and all his ways are equal if thou art brought as low as Hell yea if thou come to say there is no hope let Patience have her perfect work in thee and stand still and see the Salvation of God and a way will be made beyond thy understanding for the deliverance of the oppressed for the freedom of his chosen for the bringing of the Prisoner out of the Prison-House Now Friend from the Lord do I speak unto thee to wait in the Light that shews thee thy condition that thou mayst know one of the Days of the Son of Man which came not to send peace on the Earth but a Sword and to kindle a Fire and thou wilt love to know his judgments he comes to shut and to open thy right Eye must be pluckt out and that Eye opened which the Prince of the Air hath blinded in the Chrildren of disobedience Abide in that which judgeth do not labour to get peace to that that 's now wounded that the Judgments of the Lord may pass through the Earth and the Serpents head come to be bruised and the promise of God be made manifest unto the seed and through judgment the door of Mercy comes to be opened Judgment upon the unjust is mercy to the just which hath been oppressed by the unjust And to thee this is the Word of the Lord he that comes to the Worlds end comes to his Wits end before that World be known which never shall have end and that fruitful Field must become a barren Wilderness and the pure Plant of Gods own planting must spring out of a barren Ground so in the Light which is of God by which thou seest thy condition stand and wait for the Power of the living God to be made manifest in thee that that which hath been high might be brought low and that of low degree exalted and to thee this is the Word of the Lord to that in thy Conscience I speak by which Light thou now standest condemned by which Light all that walk in it are justified and led up to God and the precious seperated
is not malicious and in this thou art a false accuser and in saying I am a Seducer thou art a Slanderer I charge thee to prove it and in what which thou hast not yet done though thou rail upon me and I did not write maliciously against any much less against Godly Magistrates and faithful Ministers but Godly Magistrates I own and honour in the Lord and faithful Ministers I have unity withal and brethren in iniquity are denied therefore thee I do deny who a worker of iniquity art found and from the presence of the Lord shut among the Serpent Generation who in scorn calls us Quakers and the word is against thee who art feeding upon dust and going upon thy Belly and the Word of the Lord even the word of Truth is against thee who art an accuser of the Brethren and rewarded must thou be according to ' thy deeds and though thou hast named that Book the Innocent Delivered yet let all take notice who reads thy filthy Paper that thou hast not answered any one thing there demanded neither confuted any one answer in that Book so the snare remains broken and the Innocent is delivered and he that digged a pit into it himself falls and the Scripture is fulfilled they that help and he that is holpen both fall together And whereas thou sets down many Scriptures as of blind guides Serpents Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites whited Sepulchres and writest Ye Serpents ye Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell ye are they that justifie your selves before men but that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination to the Lord. Relpy In that which is an abomination to the Lord thou art which is esteemed amongst men and these Scriptures were spoken to thy Generation and upon thy own Head they are returned for we seek not the praise of men neither have we the praise of men and therefore it is that the Blind guides Vipers Serpents gather themselves together against the Truth which by the Power of God is now spreading a witness against all deceit and deceivers Thou sayest thou writest directly to thee John Audland and usest these words thou hypocrite why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye against the Holy Ghost why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty man thy Tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp Rasor thou lovest evil more then good thou lovest all devouring words O thou deceitful Tongue God shall destroy thee for ever And sayest Paul set his eyes on Elimas the Sorcerer and said as I may say to thee John Audland O full of subtilty and all mischief thou Child of the Devil and sayest repent of this thy wickedness for I perceive thou art in the gall and bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity and many such works thou writest Reply Take it to thy self who art of the Generation to which it was spoken for home to thee do I return it who art in the bitterness and in the gall loving all devouring words these things comes not neer me but over thy head do I rejoyce the misery will fall upon thy self and thy unclean Spirit the Lord rebuke a false accuser thou art and a Slanderer I do not love evil more than good if I had I should not have become thine Enemy neither am I in the gall of bitterness or bond of iniquity thou hast uttered that which thou knowest not for if thou hadst known what this means I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice thou wouldst not have condemned the innocent And whereas thou sayest judge not that thou be not judged and judge nothing before the time and with what measure thou meetest it shall be measured to thee again and writest against others for railing and judging Reply Thou art inexcusable who judgest another and dost the same thing thy Mouth is full of railing lying false accusing which proceeds out of the abundance of thy Heart as in thy Book appears and out of thy own Mouth thou art condemned and this I demand whether calling others Serpents Vipers full of all mischief Children of the Devil be not judging and if this be not then shew the difference between this and judging thou hast gone about to confute that the Saints are not to judge and that confutes thee who yet knows not a Saints Life and art so blind thou cannot behold that thou alloweth thy self in the thing which thou condemneth and with what measure thou measurest it shall be measured to thee again good weight shalt thou receive from the hand of the Lord who art weighed and found as Chaff which the Wind drives to and fro In thy 7th page thou beseecheth all who shall read thy Book upon consideration of the premises which is these things before mentioned to avoid and abandon the Meetings Books erroneous Doctrines and hellish Blasphemies of this new upstart impious Generation Reply All who knows the Lord and reads thy Book will avoid thee and it and have no fellowship with such unfruitful works of Darkness thou hast forgotten judge not and thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam thy envious Spirit which fomes like the Sea casting up filth swells beyond its bounds but thou art limited as all thy impious Generation have been and by the Power of the Lord are we preserved from thy errors and hellish Blasphemy and thy railing and slandering return upon thy self fruitless Tree upon which no Grapes are gathered Thou sayest what Paul said to the Galatians the same thou wilt say to the giddy-headed People of the Church of England Reply The true Church is in God builded upon the true Rock and is not giddy-headed here thou manifests the fruits of the Teachers who so long hath taught and had so much for teaching and the Church of England yet giddy-headed but the Lord is coming to gather his people into the true Fold from the mouths of all Idol Shepherds and to teach his People himself that they may be established in righteousness Thou sayest Paul taught the Romans and in them us first that it is the imputed Righteousness of Christ only that makes us just in the sight of God. Secondly that our election is of Gods free Grace Thirdly that me are justified only by faith in the Sight of God without good works Fourthly that the Scriptures are of divine authority Reply Silence flesh before the Lord upon the Children of disobeience shall the Wrath of God be revealed own thy Portion what Paul said to such as thee thou must witness a change before that which Paul wrote to the Romans be to thy condition the Lord is our Righteousness and our Justification and by his Grace we are saved who hath elected us and chosen us in Christ Jesus who hath all power and authority committed unto him and upon whose Shoulders the Government is laid but from thy earthly wisdom is the Election and the Faith hid who art without good works and belyes the Apostle and ignorant art of the Letter which kills Fifthly
Thou sayest no man since the fall of Adam can perfectly fulfil the Law of God in this Life and therefore cannot merit except it be wrath Reply For meriting the wrath it s thy own but Christ Jesus since the fall of Adam hath perfectly fulfilled the Law of God and there is Salvation in no other and the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit but by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified for the Commandment which was ordained unto Life wrought Death if thou can here thou may In thy sixth and seventh thou sayst that he that hath received a Ministry should wait on his Ministry and take heed to fulfil it and that every Soul must be subject to the higher Power and yeild obedience to every Ordinance of theirs if not contrary to Gods Word Reply Thou slanders us and rails upon us who hath received a Ministry from God and waits to fulfil it and thou receives such as come in their own Name who are made by the will of man and against such do we bear witness by the Power of God unto which our Souls is subject for Conscience sake and to every ordinance for the Lords sake which is not contrary to Gods Word Thou sayest thou art afraid that the Lord hath a controversie with the Church of England Reply Fearfulness surprizeth the heart of the Hypocrite and a controversie hath the Lord with you because of your iniquities misery is coming upon you fearful ones and unbelievers who are no Church of Christ but a Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not but are a giddy-headed Church as thou confessest Thou sayest Make not the Light within a rule to walk by and yet saith follow the Light within and Teacher within what else Reply The Light discovers thee to be in confusion they that walk in the Light stumbles not and they who love the Light bring their deeds to it and believes in the Light but their deeds are evil who hate it and walk not in it and there is thy condemnation Thou sayest He that entreth not in by the door to wit a true and lawful call but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber and such are the Quakers but he that entreth in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep and such are your ancient Divines Reply Here thou as in other places art a false accuser and a perverter of the Scriptures your Divines are not the Shepherd there thou are a Blasphemer who would set up false Christs the true Shepherd laid down his Life for the Sheep and he is the Door and them whom thou slanderest enters in at the Door where no Thief nor no Diviner can enter nor no Hireling which the true Shepherd cryed against And as thou sayest Thou will speak something to our Principles first for judging Reply Thou hast judged us to be Deceivers and Seducers and false Accusations against the Truth thou hast brought and against some in particular naming that John Audland was a Child of the Devil and yet thou hast confessed thou never saw me nor heard me but thou hast not proved wherein which I charge thee to do publikely or own thy condemnation for thy slandring lying and backbiting thy saying that it is so doth not make it to be so and that which thou calls confutation confutes thy self but proves nothing against the Saints judging them whom they saw and discerned to be unlearned for when an Unbeliever came in or one that was unlearned he was judged of all and the thoughts of his heart made manifest and this honour have all the Saints to execute upon the Heathen all the judgments written and the Scripture we own and the Saints Life by which thou art judged and with the Light condemned who judgest and acts against the Saints with that mind that is for judgment The Second is that they are not true Ministers which are called by mans Ministers or by a mediate call from man and this thou goest about to confute by saying that Christ ordained Apostles and Disciples And the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work of the Ministry and that there was Elders ordained in the Church and the like Reply These things proves nothing to thy mediate call or mans Ministry Christ is not born by the will of man and holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and no Prophesie came by the will of man Paul a Minister and Apostle not by the will of man and that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God and there is thy mediate call and mans Ministery which the Scriptures speaks not of what Christ did and the Saints did was by the Power of God and the Holy Ghost spoke to them no Voice of that is heard in thy mediate call or mans Ministry therefore denied by them who are guided by the Spirit of the Lord who receives not the Ministry of man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and that 's not mans Ministry The Third is that we are to salute no man. Reply this is thy own and in thy confutatiou thou answerst thy self for the Saints Salutation we own and honour all men in the Lord which is more than the Heathen do but we have learned not to fashion our selves according to the World and to deny the customs of the Heathen and their flattering Titles and vain fashions which is without the fear of God who have mens persons in admiration because of advantage and respects mens persons and commits sin and a difference do we put betwixt the Saints Salutation and the vain fashions and customs of the Heathen which Israel was not to observe The Fourth is that the Scripture oughe not to be expounded and that expounding of Scripture is an adding to Scripture and if we add then God will add to as all the Plagues that are written therein and in thy confutation saith Christ expounded Scripture Reply He that adds the Plagues is to be added to him as it is written but thy other words is false and thy own it is your own Imagination of the Scripture which we deny wresting it as thou hast done and adding with thy Envious Spirit against the Truth but that Christ expounded the Scriptures was never denied by us and that he opened their understandings to understand the Scriptures we own and witness and the Spirit of Christ is one in all his Saints and for the lye let it return upon thy own Head. Thy Fift is That it is not lawful to use the title of Master to any and in thy confutation thou saith Christ was called Master and where it is said Be ye not called Masters for one is your Master even Christ thou sayest the meaning is not that it is unlawful to be called Master Reply thou shews thy self to be none of Christs Servant who
of the great Travel that was upon them because of the mighty Power of the Lord which was made manifest in them for the bringing down of that which had been exalted against him and for the restoration of the oppressed Captive that deliverance might be known from the power of Satan and from the bondage of Corruption that we being set free wherein we were held might serve the Lord in Truth and Singleness of Heart and wait upon him and follow the leadings of his Spirit in the exercise of our Hearts and minds in Serving and Worshiping the Lord our God And so the God of Heaven hath revealed and made manifest the Way of Life and Peace the Way wherein Comfort and Satisfaction to the Soul is found the Gate of Mercy even the entrance to the everlasting Kingdom of Rest and Joy for evermore which although it be strait and narrow and a cross to the fleshly part and earthly ground and wisdom yet it is easie pleasent and delightful living in the Spirit and becoming little even as a Child for so must he become that enters in at the strait Gate to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God So we have found the way of everlasting Peace through the rich Mercy and tender Visitation of the Lord walking in the Spirit and living in that which mortifies the deeds of the Flesh being subject to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Here is rest to the Soul here is the sweet Visitations of the Lord known which are as the former and latter Rain to refresh the lowly in Heart and Poor in Spirit Here waiting upon the Lord the strength is renewed and here the Lord speaks Peace to People even as they are in Christ the Power of God growing up in him who is the Truth and the Life they are possessors of lasting Peace which God speaks not to the wicked which is the Portion of the upright in Heart and as the Lord hath made manifest the way of Peace Life and everlasting Happiness he hath also discovered the contrary even the way of misery darkness and destruction the way which is broad and many in the lusts of the Flesh take pleasure in it following the motions of the Flesh and the desires of the carnal mind resisting the motions of Gods good Spirit and hating the blessed Light of the Lord Jesus Christ and so spend away their precious time and in this state that is to say in the Flesh resisting the Spirit of the Lord they cannot serve God nor please him nor worship him in Truth though they may profess him in words and draw near him with their Mouth yet being in the Flesh contrary to the Spirit of Truth the Ear turned away from hearing of God's Law their Prayers are Abomination their plowing is Sin their sacrifice is as Cain's not accepted by the Lord no Peace from God no ture Rest no Satisfaction no beholding the Countenance of the Lord nor no assurance of the Eternal Inheritance which never fades away but an earnest of wrath pain misery anguish and trouble which will come upon all who live and dye in Disobedience of the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ And so we see the Way of Life to all that believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus and the way of death to all who live in unrighteousness and are not changed by the power of God and translated from Death to Life and from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God. And these things are of great concernment unto us and we see it is very needful to wait upon the Lord and to follow the motions of his Spirit that we may feel his Power to preserve us in his Will out of the evil of the World that so in the Power of the Lord our God we may war a good Warfare and finish our Course with joy And verily this a matter of great weight unto us even to have our hearts exercised towards the Lord in obedience to his Will in what he requireth of us that we may have a Conscience void of offence towards him And so the Day of the Lord God being come and his Eternal Power made known in many hearts by which many are raised to serve him and obey him yea to worship him according to his own Will and the leadings of his good Spirit We are even constrained by the Power of the Lord to meet together in his Name and Fear to wait upon him and to worship him and also to exhort one another in his holy Power as the Spirit of the Lord directs yea and so much the more as the day appeareth And this we find also to be according to the Scriptures of Truth and practice of the Servants of the Lord in former dayes who did not forsake the assembling of themselves together but met often and sometime in one place and sometime in another as they were directed in the fear of the Lord And they that feared the Lord spake often one unto another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him And this was in a time when the proud were called happy and they that wrought wickedness were set up and they that tempted God were delivered yet even in such a time did they that feared the Lord speak often together and also in the time when the Gospel of Christ was published by the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus many were brought into the obedience of the Truth and were gathered from the Jews Worship and way of service and they to wit the Jews could plead more justly for the Antiquity of their way of Worship and their order in their Worship then many who this day profess themselves to be Christians and a reformed Church and in that time did they meet together sometime in a Chamber sometime in an House and sometime in an upper Room as the Lord directed them and as they had opportunities and gathered Churches which met at Houses and waited upon the Lord and exhorted one another and might all speak one by one as the Spirit of the Lord led them that all might hear and all be comfored And we do not read that the Jews made a Law or the Romans either who at that time had the Principality that they should not meet above four together or if they meet five or above they should be fined Indeed the Jews who believed not were bad enough and persecuted the Saints from City and haled out of Houses they that professed the Name of Jesus and sometimes scourged them but they are evil examples to be followed and its pitty that any who profess themselves Christians should do the like to any that meet
together in the Fear of the Lord to serve him and walk peaceably in Godliness Fear And why may not more than four meet together lawfully to Worship God in the account of God and all just men why may not Ten Yea and Why may not a hundred and more Provided still it be to Worship God and serve him And why may not also some come in amongst them who are Unbelievers that are ignorant of the way of Truth that they may come to hear and learn and be convinced of all and go away and confess that God is there of a Truth and if there be more that come upon the same account it is also approved Sure that was a great Concourse of People when the Disciples were met in one place where three Thousand were pricked to the Heart at one time Had it been justifiable in the Jews at that time to hinder such gatherings of People together or such Speakers as were who spake as the Spirit of the Lord gave them utterance The Jews were very angry with them and commanded them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus but they obeyed God rather than man and spoke boldly the Word of the Lord and the Lord was with them yea and filled their Hearts with joy and comfort though sometime they were put in the Stocks and sometime in Prison So we do verily find both by the the Testimony of the Spirit of God in our Hearts and also by the Testimony of the Scriptures That our meeting together to Worship the Lord and to wait upon him is according to the mind of God and also to the practice of the Saints in former days and although we be of the suffering-side as the Saints were in times past yet we are content in the Will of the Lord to give up unto him in all these things And surely if they that cause us to suffer did but diligently mind and consider their way and Weapons which they go on in and war with they may find themselves to be on the persecuting-side and see the Saints did not so neither War with such Weapons for the Saints Weapons were not Carnal but Spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds for 't is the spiritual Weapons that can and doth conquer the man of sin within and can subdue every high thought and imagination and bring under whatsoever is contrary to the Will of God 'T is the Eternal Word of the everlasting God that is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged Sword which divides within where no carnal Weapon can divide And if any think we be not in the Way of the Lord let them come forth with spiritual Weapons or with the best they have laying aside all carnal Weapons Club and Staff Force and Compulsion for that will never overcome a spiritual Enemy it may kill outwardly but cannot kill spiritual wickedness and coming forth with these Weapons this is like men that profess Christianity and would be far more comely amongst the sober and honest-hearted People and far more like to the Saints then haling out of Houses by force with earnal Weapons and casting into Prison for no other thing but owning the Doctrine of Christ and meeting together to Worship God. And then this is offered as the prevailing Argument There is a Law made lately that will not allow you and if you do we must fine you or we must take your Goods or commit you to Prison or cause you to forfeit your Estates Therefore we charge you give over if not we must proceed against you and break your Meetings with carnal Weapons Oh! where is the Spiritual Weapons the Power to convince gain-Sayers Gospel-Ministers that went forth without Club or Staff for say we convince our Consciences or else we dare not do it for we may not disobey the Lord because of these things Obj. Well then say they you will be ruinated have you no Wisdom will you spoile your selves with these things Ans More is the pity say we that we may not serve the Lord and Worship him but such sufferings will he exercised upon us by a people that profess themselves Christians and reformed ones too Well we say we must commit our cause to the Lord and even give up all to him who knows how to deliver the righteous out of all their trouble Obj. Ay but say they cannot you meet four and no more Ans We say We may not limit the Lord neither in the things of God must we order our selves And again if some could stoop to that it would not serve neither Obj. Then say they you must be forced and then you or some of you will yeild and then we will boast ever you with those Ans But we say that force with carnal Weapons by pains and penalties as it was not the way of the Lord nor the practice of the true Christians so neither doth it effect the end for it will never make men truly religious neither will it be for the better in the end to them that go about so to compel no nor yet any comfort in the mean time for there is a Prick that meets with the Presecutors now and then which stops their furious driving and gives them no ease in their Way as it was with Saul while he Persecuted the Saints and brought them bound both Men and Women that believed in the Lord Jesus and he is not a good example in that to be followed for he made havock of the Church entering into every House and haling men and women committing them to Prison having Authority from the Chief-Priests and being exceedingly mad against them Acts 8. 3. and Chap. 26. 10 11 as he after wards confessed and as he went to Damascus with Authority and Commission he was struck down for all his Authority and heard a voice saying to him Why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kiâ—k against the pricks And it will be very hard for all such who persecute the Children of the Lord the Lord will smite them one way or another if they be not smitten to their Conversion But if the Lord smite them often and they still go on to sin more and more he will ease him of his Adversaries and avenge him of his Enemies and smite with an irrecoverable stroke Obj. And if it be objected That these were Jews that aid not profess Christ that thus persecuted the Christians and it was evil done of them but we are a Reformed Church and we do it in zeal to Christ that people might be all of one way and the Law doth allow us to it Ans 'T is answered thus The Jews had a zeal for God which was not according to knowledge and they had a Law also by which they judged the Holy One that he ought to dye but although they supposed they did God service and for the defending of the Law yet indeed they fought against God and they had as much to say
for their way of Worship it being ancient and they which differed from them their way was but new in appearnce I say the Jews might plead for their Way far more groundedly than many now especially people who neither Live in their Way of Worship according to the Jews under the Law no not yet according to the Saints in the Primitive times And those that profess themselves Christians and yet persecute the Innocent they are far more guilty than the Jews were inasmuch as they both profess more Light and also walk so quite contrary to their own Profession yea and to the example of Christ whom they profess and the true Christians who said Love your Enemies pray for them that persecute you not persecute them that pray for you Neither had the Saints such Weapons to bring people into their Church as is now used but spiritual Ones mighty through God and went forth in his Power this brought People to be of one Heart and one way and to serve the Lord with one mind which force with carnal Weapons will never accomplish to bring people to be of one way Obj. And as it s said But some will yeild and then we will rejoyce in that Ans 'T is answered That 's a bad Work to force People and compel them to deny that which God hath made manifest to them to be Truth and the greater is their Sin that so do 'T is said that Saul compelled some to blaspheme against the Name of Jesus when he raged so against them but he afterwards confessed it as a great Sin And though some did so or do so yet that is no confirmation to the Persecutors that they are in the Way of God no nor yet a true Testimony against the persecuted that they are not in the Way of God neither doth it truly convert men at all Indeed force and compulsion may make some men conform to that outwardly which otherwise they would not do but that is nothing of weight their Hearts are never the better but are rather worse and more Hypocrites than before for force doth but make Hypocrites at the most for it is God alone by his Powerful Word of Life operating in the Hearts of People that changeth them and reneweth them in the Spirit of their minds and brings them into the true Service and Worship even to draw near him with their Hearts and to Worship him in Spirit and Truth and it 's out of man's power and that which God doth not require of men at this day to force by penalties and carnal Weapons to this or that Worship and is absolutely against the Practice of the Saints and the Spirit of Jesus as also against Christ's Royal Law which is Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them Now let every man make it his own case He saith his way is the way of God and anothers is not Well then would he be forced to leave his own way and to go to the other which he is not satisfied of to be occording to the mind of God especially when nothing is offered to convince his Conscience or perswade his mind and understanding but Force and Compulsion Surely no man would be so dealt with in his own case Obj. But if it be said We have Power and a Law and we are wise and learned men and we would not be forceed from our Religion but we would force people to ours Ans This hath no weight in it at all for you ought to put your selves in the same capacities as them you deal with are and to consider your selves in their condition they are as strongly it may be more perswaded in their Consciences by the Spirit of God that their Way is right than you are of yours Well then weighing these things would you be forced Would you have others to deal so with you if you were in their condition and they in yours Let God's Witness answer in all Consciences and see if these ways of forcing in matters of Conscience to God wards be not quite contrary to the practice of the Saints and to the Royal Law of Christ Obj. Besides though it be said But we judge we are in the right and our way is the true way Ans It 's answered You may be mistaken many hath that have had thoughts their way was right and while you have not the infallible Witness of God's Spirit with you to testifie to your way peradventure you may err as the former Forcers have done and then you cause people to Sin if you could force them to Blaspheme and to deny as Saul did for if he that turneth a Sinner from the error of his way who hath erred from the Truth doth save a Soul and hide a multitude of Sins then they that force people from the Way of God and cause them to err doth bring Souls into death and so bring Innocent Blood upon themselves yea the Blood of Souls which will be a great weight in the Day of God's account Obj. But if it be further said How then How must we do there is so many ways that People might be brought to one way to serve God Ans Do what God requireth of you and no more and then we shall never suffer by you nor under you Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with your God this is better than the fâ—t of Rams 't is better than all the outward Sounds and Ceremonies and bodily exercise while the heart is far from the Lord And if you judge you are in the right and your way is right come forth then with spiritual Weapons mighty ones in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let us see you shine forth in his Image let this be your covering your white Robes even the Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of the Saints and let us see your meekness patience gentleness and good example your readiness by word and deed to convince Gain-sayers in the Power and Gospel of Christ your love to Enemies your selfdenial your subjection to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Oh this would reach our hearts then God's Witness would answer to you and this would answer the good part in all and this is the way to bring people to be of one mind in the Truth this is God's way this is the way the Saints walked in this is the way we love and desire and this also would be of good report amongst all good people but the contrary force and compulsion with a hasty froward proud envious Spirit with Staff and Club and carnal Weapons and Stocks and Prisoning of People against whom there is no occasion but concerning the Law of their God and matters which are really of Conscience to God-wards We say this will never be justified by the Lord nor effect the end neither nor be of good report amongst sober People nor answer the good part in people And moreover the Lord God of Life will turn
Years We say Men are not true Christians by Generation neither by an outward Profession but by an inward Change in the Heart wrought by the Power of God in the Regeneration And so if it be but a few Years in comparison since we or any of us were changed and turned to the Lord yet it was in the time when the Lord was pleased and saw good to visit us and we can truly say it was an acceptable day and time when we were turned from Darkness to the true Light and from the power of Satan to God And we are glad of it and can say Blessed be the Lord for it if it had been but yesterday that any of us were renewed in the Spirit of our minds to God for it is matter of Joy to us that the Lord hath gathered us in our day and time from off the barren Mountains into his Fold to wait upon him and to receive teaching and satisfaction from him This is far more to us to know the Lord changing us in our day and bringing us to know the things that pertain to our everlasting Peace than to have a large Profession of the Saints Words and yet to be out of the Saints Life and out of the way where true Peace and Rest is found to the Soul and so the Lord having manifested his Truth to us and brought us into the Religion in which he manifests his Presence to us we are content to wait in the Will of the Lord and may not forsake our Religion nor the Assembling of our selves together because Man saith to the contrary but walk according to the Gift of God by which only it is that true and faithful Service is performed unto him 4. Again we meet together to wait upon the Lord that our Consciences may be kept clear towards him that we may have the answer of a good Conscience towards God which if we should walk contrary to that which the Lord hath made manifest here would be shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for so it was formerly if any forsook the Lord and his Truth after they had tasted of his good Word if they fell away from that which they had once known and professed of the Truth and Gospel of Jesus they made shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and then they could not have the answer of a good Conscience neither had they Peace with God and what remained if they continued so but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which will devour And therefore we knowing the preciousness of the answer of a good Conscience towards God do prize it and esteem it as a Jewel of great worth and we may not forsake the Way of the Lord wherein we have the answer of a good Conscience because of outward Force and go into that in which we should suffer Anguish and have a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and a sting in our own Consciences therefore we can put it to all who fear the Lord to judge of if it be not safe for us to abide in the Way of the Lord and to be faithful to him though we may meet with Sufferings in this World. 5. Again we meet together in the Fear of the Lord and own the doctrine of Christ to live in it because we are perswaded in the Fear and Power of the Lord God of Life who is our strength that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord the Love of God is so Comfortable and his Favours is so refreshing to us and the Testimony of his Spirit is so satisfactory in our Hearts that we are perswaded nothing will be able to separate us our Strength is in the Lord and he is all-sufficient to keep us through all by his mighty Power unto the end waiting upon him and abiding in his Power he is able to save to the uttermost and this were the Saints formerly perswaded off that nothing should be able to separate them from the Love of God and they met with many hardships and were oftentimse cruelly intreated and shamefully handled as the Scriptures declare yet through all the Lord was with his people and comforted their hearts in their following of him and the Love of God abounded to them and in them and they were Conquerors through him that loved them Now if any at that time denyed the Truth for fear of man or any other thing they came to suffer in their hearts and to feel sorrow in their inward man for when iniquity enters into the heart it darkens the understanding and also the creature loseth the sence of the Love of God and if there be not Repentance and a returning unto the Lord Iniquity grows more strong and love grows cold in such and the heart grows worse and worse and is hardned by degrees against the Lord and his people and then there is a separation from the Love of God and the feeling and earnest of sorrow and tribulation upon every one that doth evil therefore we are perswaded that it is safe for us to wait upon the Lord in the way which he hath made manifest unto us that so we may receive the Power to renew our strength that we may walk on in the Path of Life and nothing separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus Shall tribulation or affliction or Principalities or Powers separate us from the Love of God Shall force by carnal weapons or Prisons cause us to deny that which God hath made manifest unto us Is there Powers against us Thrones against us well this is safe for us to abide in the counsel of God that we may always feel his Love in our hearts and if we suffer let us suffer here because of our faithfulness to the Lord If we must go to Prison let us stand in the Power of God that his Love and Life blessing and heavenly Presence may be with us Better to suffer outwardly in Prisons and Holes and have the Love and presence of the Lord with us then to disobey the Lord and walk contrary to his gift and so suffer inward anguish and sorrow of heart and some thing separate us from the Love of God and then who can speak peace to us if the Lord speak trouble but if the Lord speak peace it 's no matter though man may speak trouble though the wrath of man may rise high yet he that doth whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth he can make it to turn to his Praise and the rest of it he will restrain and blessed are they that have the Lord with them on their side he speaks peace to them in the midst of all his love refresheth our Hearts and so to put all out of doubt we are perswaded in the Power of the Lord that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love which we have in our Saviour and here it
is good to abide and not to give one Foot back to give any ground unto the Enemy but to continue where the Love of God is with us and his blessed Presence with us comforting our Hearts which people do not find with them in disobedience walking and acting contrary to what the Lord hath made manifest to them and so we can put it to the Consciences of all People who have any sence of the Love of God in their Hearts Whether it can be safe for us to forsake the Way of peace and rest which God hath made manifest unto us and in which we have the Love of God with us and to go into a Way by force into which the Spirit of the Lord doth not lead us where we shall find anguish and sorrow and something separating us from the Love of God and where God would not speak peace to us but trouble surely we are perswaded to abide in that which the Lord hath made manifest to us and our faith is in the Power of God that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God. 6. Again we are perswaded to continue in the Way of Truth meeting together in the Fear of the Lord to serve him because we find the Lord requireth of us to bear a faithful Testimony and witness to his Name and Truth which he hath made known to us at this day and though man require the contrary and would force us to yeild yet we may not deny the Lord and his Truth but must bear witness to his Name in obedience to his Will for we are not our own but the Lords neither must we serve our selves nor do our own will nor the wills of others whose will is not according to the Will of God but we must serve the Lord and be faithful to him and we see we cannot serve two Masters nor cannot be partakers of the Love of God if we be in the love of the World and fâ—llow after the lusts of it and if we love any thing more than Christ we should not be true Disciples and Followers of him And if it be objected Why cannot you do as men would have you What God knows your Hearts and you may keep yuor Hearts to your selves and conform outwardly for all that It 's answered Nay we cannot because God requireth it of us to bear witness to his Name and Truth and we may not deal doubly or deceitfully in shewing that before men which we are not in our Hearts to God for the People that God hath formed to himself must shew forth his praise And though it be true that God knows the Heart of every one yet lie looks for Fruit also to be brought forth that we may be glorified It is recorded in the Scriptures that there were many occasions sought against Daniel but they could find none against him except it were concerning the Law of his God and they that hated him consulted to get a Decree that none should ask any Petition of God or man for thirty dayes save of the King if he did he was to be cast into the Den of Lyons and the Decree was sealed according to the Law of the Meades and Persians Now it cannot be denied but Daniel might have prayed to God in his heart and his evil-wishers have known little of it but he was taught by the Lord to pray openly and to confess unto him that he was great mighty and powerful And so though the Decree was sealed he as if he regarded it to not went and prayed to his God three times a day upon his knees with his Window open and his face towards Jerusalem and so held forth his Testimony and bore witness to the Lord that he was worthy to be sought unto and that he was not to be limited by an outward Decree though a strong one from praying and calling upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord vvas vvith him and though he suffered the adventure of being cast into the Lyons Den yet the God of Heaven was his Preserver and he held forth a precious Testimony and God was much glorified for it was said yea and proclaimed through many Nations that all should fear and worship the God of Daniel for there was no other God that could save in such sort And also the three Children that would not bow though the King had commanded it that when the Voice of the Musick was heard all should bow to the Image which he had set up yet they would not obey for it was contrary to the Law of their God and great Wrath was against them and the Furnace was very Hot yet the Lord saved them and they bore a precious Testimony to the Lord in Obedience to his Law and the Lord was much Glorified and was proclaimed through many Nations to be the onely and true God and the King himself did praise and honour and extol the God of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Wayes Judgement and those who walk in Pride he is able to abase But now if any should say These were Heathen Kings and so not to be obeyed It 's answered They are more excusable therefore than those that in words prosess themselves Christians and own Scriptures and the Saints practice and yet are found persecutthose who live in the Power of the Lord and forcing by pains and penalties not according to but quite contrary to the Practice of the Saints whose Words they profess and are found in the very steps of them who persecuted the Saints and Servants of God as the Scriptures testifie and are so far from the Doctrine of Christ as to forgive Trespasses and to do as they would be done unto and to love Enemies and to pray for them that Persecute them that they do absolutely Trespass against them who give them no just occasion and do to others as they would not be done unto were it their case and let God's Witness judge and doth even hate and cruelly handle their Friends who wish them well from their Hearts and presecute them who pray for them And surely for these things will the Lord Visit and in the mean time we find that the Lord requireth it of us to be faithful to him in what he hath made manifest unto us that we may bear a true Testimony and faithful Witness to the Truth and for the Lord that he may glorifie himself by us for we are not our own but his who hath formed us and called us to follow him And therefore let the wise in Heart judge Can it be safe for us to lose our Testimony and to cease following the Lord and living in that which he hath made known unto us to his mind and will concerning us in which we have the Arm and Power of the Lord with us and him to take our parts and to go to that which he hath not called us unto where we could bear no Testimony for him for he that goes from the Truth
which they ought to have done so are breakers of their Covenants and Vowes made in their Baptism which promised that they would forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh c. And that they would keep Gods holy Will and Commandments c. But now they offend grievously Gods holy Laws and leaves that undone which they should do c. And their Teachers tell them they connot forsake the Devil and all his works but their best Actions and their Prayers are Sin while they live and all Sin is of the evil One Therefore we dare not joyn with them to commit Sin But if it be said these are but humble Confession to God laying our selves low and confessing our Sins which we ought to do when we pray to him Answer either your Confessions are true or a lye If true then you are breakers of your Vows and in the Unconverted state yet therefore not the true Church Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 4 10 11. Be not deceived neither Idolators nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilars nor Extortioners can Inherit it in that state And said the Apostle to the Saints Such were some of you but you are Washed but you are Sanctified but you are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And if your Confession be a lye then you are also manifest to be a Company of Dissembling Hypocrites and to be of him who was a Lyar from the Beginning and not Members of the Church of Christ Thirdly because the People there met together have no health in them therefore we are not perswaded in our Minds that we ought to joyn with them no health in them Christ is the saving Health of all Nations who believe in him therefore Christ is not in them so Reprobates concerning the Faith and not the Church of Christ nor Congregation of the faithful People but are disorderly out of the order of the Gospel and we are commanded to withdraw from all such as walk disorderly So we meet together in the Fear of God according to the Practice of the Saints and come not to these places which were the old Mass-Houses to Worship amongst those People which have no health in them and these are three Principal things upon which many more things will follow wherefore we do not go to these Places aforenamed J. A. The Coppy of a Letter sent unto two or three Persons in a Family Dear Hearts IN the Light of the Lord wait upon the Lord in his Fear to have your Minds stayed in his Will that you may walk in Obedience Uprightness in the Presence of the Lord to see him amongst you and in his Counsel abide every one faithful in the Calling and Measure which you have received and are called unto that orderly and in order you may wait and walk every one in particular and one towards another in Soberness and Wisdom that in Love you may be preserved and Truth adorned which you profess that God alone may be exalted I warn you and charge you that in Faithfuluess every one of you walk and in Diligence and Love that there be no Disorder Sloathfulness nor Carelessness but every one mind the Presence of him whose Eye is over you before whom all is naked and bare that you may walk in the Light and the pure Fear of God which will keep you Watchful and Sober in all diligence as unto the Lord knowing you must give an account to him And none be high minded but fear and be Low and Humble and take up the Yoke of Christ and learn there And take heed of your own wills which would lead you into the by-Parths But stand single in the Will of God waiting upon him continually that you may receive the living Mercies from him that your Souls may be nourished with the Food that is Immortal and this I lay upon you all that you be faithful and Diligent that all may be kept in Order and Love that the Family may be guided in Wisdom So my Dear Hearts in Love do I Salute you all and I remain your Dear Friend in that which endureth forever John Audland These following Epistles were found in Manuscript after the foregoing Books and Epistles were Printed To which is added George Fox's Testimony concerning John Camm and John Audland Dear Friends BRethren and Sisters Babes and Lambs Plants of my heavenly Fathers Planting my dear Love in that infinite unchangable Love of God doth my Soul Salute you all yea truly my Bowels of tender Love and Compassion unto the Seed of God in you all that you may be kept pure and blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and travel in pain until Christ be formed in you until the Babe be born in you which is Heir of the immortal Inheritance which never fades away Dear Hearts in the pure Light of Christ all dwell and abide which leads up into the pure Life where there is no Death where we shall all meet together and feed together at one Table and all Eat of one Bread of Life and Drink of one Fountain of living Water which nourisheth all up to the Everlasting Life where we shall meet together and sit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus where all Sorrow and Sighing shall fly away and there no Thief can come to rob us of our Crown Therefore in the Bowels of tender Love as a Brother I beseech you all to walk worthy of your Calling for holy is he that hath called you and holy is your Calling unto an holy Life and godly Conversation are you called and to a Separation from the World and to a daily dying to it and to a forgetting of all things which are behind and to walk up to those things which are made manifest in you by the Light which comes from Christ which being obedient unto it it leadeth up to Christ your Head and Example in all things and he was obedient unto the Death of the Cross and being faithful to the Light which comes from him it will lead you to the Death upon the Cross and Crucifie you unto the World and wordly things and raise you up into the pure Life to follow the Lamb whether soever he goeth and if you suffer with him you shall reign with him for he was perfect through Sufferings and through Sufferings and many Tribulations must you enter And therefore all come to the Cross and love it and rejoyce in it that you are counted worthy for his Name sake and take heed that none suffer as Evil-doers for there is no Joy for that nor no Crown nor Reward for these suffers not on the Cross and these Sufferings do not Crucifie but the Condemnation upon all such is Just by the Light which never changeth which comprehends all such hasty Spirits which run
Heir of another World and Heir of the certain Riches which is manifest to that of God in all Consciences so to you all to use plain words and plainness of Speech so to you all this is a Warning from the Lord who are in the Light and love the Light which Christ hath enlightned you withall which is contrary to your wills and to all mens wills that with it you may use plainness of Speech to all to be made manifest to that which they hate which is their condemnation and shall condemn the World from God from Christ and all who are of God To you all this the Word of God which is against all mens wills that in that which is contrary to your wills you may all wait and walk for that will lead you from all your thoughts and desires And you all in the Light which Christ hath enlightned you withal abide so in him you will abide in Christ who is the Vine and every one will come to witness the Branch abiding in the Vine and sitting under the Vine So to you all this is the Word of the Lord which is not no go among the World which hate the Light but to Friends that you may come to use plainness of Speech this was I moved of the Lord to send out amongst you as a Message to all Plants of the Lord if you spake any thing contrary to the Light which Christ hath enlightned you withal with the Light you are to be condemned and if you do not speak when you are moved and live in the Light and walk in the Light with the Light you are to be condemned and if you do speak Experiences and not dwell in the Light but in Hypocrisie and Presumption and Envy without the Fear of God thou art to be thrown down and with the Light condemned from God and woe upon thy Head from God and Christ proceedeth thou Hypocrite art to be thrust out with the Light and judged with the Light and all who are in the Life and with the Life Therefore in the Light dwell and walk every one in particular then you will all have Unity one with another and grow up to be Trees of Righteousness the Planting of the Lord. We are not of many Religions which is no true Religion but of one Religion which is the true Religion which hath not been by us taken on by Imitation but gathered into it by the Eternal Spirit and it planted in us by the same Spirit And we are not known nor can be by any thing but by that which we live in which was in the beginning which is not subject unto time but which comprehends all time and that which hath its rize in Time. So if any would us know and our Principles they must come to live in the same for none knows us but who are with us in the Unity in that which was before Time which neither had Beginning nor shall have End in that we comprehend all Sects and Opinions and see their Rice and Foundation And from the Life which was before they were we declare against them all for by it out of them all we are come into that which was before their Foundation and by it we judge their Foundation and their Actions acted by the Principles which with God hath not unity which the Principle of God hath victory dominion over So he that would us know and our Religion must come out of many things into one to abide in it and walk in it only and as he knows God he will know us who are of him and as the man of Sin is cast out in him which makes a separation so will he have Unity and Fellowship with God and with us in that unto which the will of man is contrary and doth oppose which Will must be cast out for it cannot inherit or enter but keeps in the Enmity against the Seed of God which is opposed where the Head of the Serpent is not bruised but where the Serpents Head is bruised by the Seed of the Woman the Enmity is slain and the Seed raised and the Seed is the Head and the Head is exalted and he that witnesseth this hath Unity with us and in it we rejoyce together and our Joy no man can take from us for he reigns which hath overcome the world and gives the Victory over the World by which Spirit we bear witness against the World that the Deeds thereof are Evil Therefore are we hated and reproached by the World but this is our Riches John Audland John Camm Some Particulars concerning the Law sent to Oliver Cromwell Who is Chief Ruler in these Nations according to man And to the Counsellors who sit in Counsel with him wherein is plainly laid down the difference betwixt the righteous Law of God and those Laws which are made and acted in the will of man and how they who make act those Laws which are according to the will of man and contrary to the Law of God are found opposing the righteous Law of God and so are Transgressors of that Law which is according to that in the Conscience With a Word of Discovery of the cruel Oppression of the Priests who call themselves Ministers of Christ and the Gospel which gives freedom but they are found to be Opposers out of the Life that gave forth the Scriptures so with it judged which is according to the Law of God which gives freedom to the Righteous Seed but have cleared themselves from Christ who disobey his Doctrine and sue men at the Law and take treble damages contrary to the Scriptures With a Word of Exhortation to the Rulers and Magistrates to own the Righteous Law of God which will cut down Sin and cleanse the Land of Evil-doers and discover the Deceivers of the People FRiend thou sayest That in thy Conscience tells thee that there is no Law that is extant bywhich the People of God are kept in bondage To thee I did alledge the Act of Mary which I say is contrary to that in the Conscience which is of God for her Law did cause the Righteous to suffer which guarded the Jesuits which guard the Priests now which thou with it wouldst limit the holy One and cast the Saints into Holes and Prisons and Dungeons and countest it just and some are beat and stockt and cruelly persecuted and then after sent to Prison see if thy Law here do keep peace or break it give liberty to all the Peace-breakers and Fighters and Strikers for them to beat to stock and after send them to prison and there the Wicked the Fighters and Strikers rejoyce over them and they can scarce walk in the Streets and this Law thou countest just which prisons the Righteous and encourages the Evil-doers which is contrary to the Law of God which is according to that in the Conscience and which is contrary to Paul the Minister of Christ who said If any thing be revealed to
towards God and let you see that God is near and present who is terrible and dreadful to the wicked in him the Righteous rejoyce and are glad so wait all for Counsel from God and God Almighty direct your minds for all your Laws which have been made and acted in that nature from the Light and contrary to it and the Law of God which is according to the Light of Christ in your Consciences all those Laws that have been acted from it and contrary to the Light of Christ have been made with the murderous nature with the Light which Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World withal with this Light they are all to be condemned and with the perfect Law of God to be judged which is according to the Light of Christ in the Conscience which Light of Christ owns the Law of God and which Law of God owns the Light of Christ in every mans Conscience and the Light of Christ in every mans Conscience which is perfect witnesseth the Law of God to be perfect and witnesseth against all Laws which is contrary to the Light of Christ in every mans Conscience and which is contrary to the Law of God which is according to that in the Conscience So to the Light of Christ in all your Consciences I do speak that you with it may wait upon God to receive your Law from God which is perfect and endures for ever else your Laws which you make in your own wills which is not perfect and doth not endure for ever which the Law of God doth and that in the Conscience So with the Light of Christ all such Laws Law-givers and Law-makers are to be condemned with the Light of Christ which doth endure for ever and the Law of God which is perfect and doth endure for ever all such are judged with it which are contrary to it So this is the Word of God to you and Warning to you all They that be in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ do not respect Persons they that be out of the Faith of our Lord Jesus do respect Persons though they may profess him and then the Life makes the difference as it is manifest now in England who be in the Faith who be out of the Faith and they that be in the perfect Law of God according to the Light of Christ in the Conscience do not respect Persons for he that doth respect Persons is convinced by the Light of Christ in the Conscience to be a Trasgressor of the Law of God so that they that do respect Persons do walk contrary to that in the Conscience and the Law of God and are convinced by the Light of Christ in the Conscience and to be Transgressors and this is for all the Powers on Earth take Warning that with the Light of Christ you may see what you act and what you acted from contrary to this Light you are to be condemned by it all ye that â—espect Persons walk contrary to the Law of God and to the Faith There is the difference the one lives in the Light of Christ which witnesseth the Law of God which is perfect and the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which none of these that do live here do respect Persons now all those that do profess the Law of God and Faith and respect Persons are out of it and here it is the Life that makes the difference and in it is the Unity J. C. TO the Heads and General of this Land to stand in the Counsel of God that you may be directed by his Wisdom which orders all things for by it all things were made and if you make a Law with your own wills over that in the Consciences of men that God will throw down you and your Laws For that which exerciseth the Conscience is the pure Light of God which leads up to God out of all Filthiness and Uncleanness and Corruption which the Law of God takes hold upon he or them that act contrary to a pure Conscience let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God for Conscience sake now if a Law be made over the Conscience that is pure that Law is against God and many for keeping their Conscience clean did suffer death as God hath given to every one a Light and a measure to profit withall mind every one that which is of God in you to teach you to walk to God before him and as it teacheth you and enlightens your understandings it will teach how to direct others and so to judge of things eternal so far as that is born up in your understandings which is eternal and as every one hath a measure so every one to improve his Talent and not limit God to learned men as hath long been which have learned but their naturall Languages so their original grounds are external their Word and Light is external and their Preaching and Gift is external and they go to you Magistrates who have an external Law to uphold them in their external Ministry for your Law doth alter and change which is external now that which is external with it to judge things eternal that cannot be but to limit God for he that hath the first gift of God hath that which is perfect and that which is perfect is eternal and such have a descerning to know the gift of God from the gift of man and who are sent to Preach the Everlasting Gospel hath that which is eternal that which is everlasting hath no end and he that judgeth of these things is eternal that can discern the everlasting Gospel from words and the promise was that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head now thou that canst witness the head of the Serpent bruised in thee and the Seed of the Woman Head in thee which is Christ witnesseth the Promises of God fulfilled in thee which is the glad Tidings to the Soul and the Soul come out of death and here is Christ Jesus revealed within and this Ministry is not of man nor by man but by the Will of God which the Will of man knows not For the natural man knows not the things of God Now every man in his first birth and state may see himself but natural and not able to judge of the things of God which are eternal but the Spiritual man judgeth all things yea the deep things of God but this is the Second birth the new man therefore all Friends take heed of judging with evil thoughts that mind that respects Persons judgeth with evil thoughts and it is the carnal part within who is not of the Faith but who is of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is without respect of Persons and therefore as God hath given you a measure of a Light within let that guide your minds and keep you in the Fear of the Lord and if you