compel or force them to be of our Religion fear might overcome some of them for fear of the Punishment some may yield and in case we should perswade them by promises of Cutward Preferment for the Advantage sake some might yield but saith the Turk when we have done all we cannot alter or change their Belief the which they retaining though they may yield unto us it would be but in Hypocrifie and in case we should accept of them on those terms they then would have an opportunity to do us hurt And herein they shew more Moderation then the Apostate Christians in many places of Christendom And concerning the Turks Deportment and Civil respect one unto another in meeting and greeting one another they seem to exceed the Christians in Morality it being a cause of Laughter unto them to see the Christians Beggarly Airy Behaviours one unto another in Scraping with the Leg and Doffing the Hat and foolish Gestures too too much used amongst many who are called Christians who want the more solid and more comely and truly courteous Behaviour which the Truth guides unto But lest any should mistake who do not know the difference which is amongst them called Turks wherein I speak of the Behaviour of the Turks as before I do not speak of those Nests and Dens of Theeves and Robbers who are made up of Christian Runnagadows Moors and Turks neither do I speak of the aspiring high-minded ones amongst them but I speak of a plain people called Turk-men whom I have trusted much and having found them faithful I perceived they had an Awe and Fear of God upon them they often expressing these words The Lord is just and therefore we must do justly And by occasion having proved a Turk I shall in brief give an Instance of his Faithfulness where in he declared the Fear and Awe of God that was upon him Being ordered by a Merchant that then lived in Aleppo to send him up 1500 Dollers privatelely from Scanderown where I lived according to order the Money being delivered and laid upon a Horse in a Satchel as their manner is the Horse by Chance ran away with the Money before him it being in a dark Night he could not find him and in the Morning betimes the Horse with the Money was feeding at a Turk-man's Crib the Turk taking hold of him and feeling the Money and seeing the Christians Mark there being none to accuse him but the witness in him he might clearly have kept the Money and turned the Horse going but the faithful and true Witness was so prevalent in him that he took the Money carried it unto an Agaw which in that place is somewhat like unto a Lord of a Manner and after diligent search what he had done was shewed unto me and the Money recovered But mind the Awe and Fear of God that was upon the Turk after Inquiry concerning his Doings this was his Answer said the Turk The Lord hath blessed me with Cattle of several sorts accounting his Outward Riches in case said he I should have put that Money to that which the Lord hath blessed me withall that being none of mine the Lord would have brought a Curse upon all that I have Hear this O Christians and awake to Righteousness and don 't persist in your Gainsaying the preaching the Gospel to every Creature Col. 1.23 lest you be cut off from the goodness of God through your unbelief and hard-heartedness and those whom you so despise be grafted in all things are possible to the power of the Lord for of a Truth as said Peter in another Case The Lord is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him So mind it 's not a bare talk of Righteousness that will serve and what have you more who say Visions are ceased and Revelations are ceased and the Inspiration of God's Spirit is not to be known now adayes Oh blind Apostates what Gospel have you to preach No the Gospel is hid to you in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not 2 Cor. 4.3 4. lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them The Confession out of your own Mouthes will rise up against you in the day of account which hastens The midnight of it is much over you and the day of the Visitation of God's love to many of you is far spent Do you think that your having the holy mens Testimonies of the Righteousness of God will add to your Comfort in the day of account if you be found out of the Righteousness there testified of No assuredly they will be a witness against you The learned Scribes and the Pharisees they had the Law and the Prophets which witnessed to the Righteousness of God but they resisting the Spirit of God how blind and ignorant were they of the Law and Prophets so that goodness of God they being strangers unto through their hard-heartedness in resisting the Key of knowledge they were so far from the comfort thereof that they took occasion by them to resist the righteousness of God so those blessed Testimonies which witnessed to the righteousness of God were a witness against them for refusing the same And forasmuch as the Christian-Nations have more of the holy mens Testimonies concerning the righteousness of God in the blessed operation of his holy Spirit and do grieve it and do despight unto it and are found in the day of account out of the life of the righteousness thereof the more and stronger will the Scriptures of Truth be a witness against them So then the Scriptures are profitable and comfortable through the blessed Spirit that opens them and gives power to live the life of the holy men recorded therein But if the righteousness of God's holy Spirit which is witnessed unto throughout the Scriptures of Truth be rejected then will the Scriptures be unprofitable and uncomfortable in the day of account when every one shall receive a reward according to their Deeds done in the Body Oh! that people would consider and not go on striving against the works of the Lord who is exalting the peaceable Kingdom of the Son of his Love which is in righteousness Rom. 14.17 peace and joy in his holy Spirit Oh! it s for want of knowledge that people perish and rather then they will deny themselves that they may have knowledge of the righteousness which is of God they will persist and persist and perish in their own unrighteous Works For the Wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Jam. 1.20 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his Ears are open unto their Prayers 1 Pet. 3.12 but the Face of the Lord is against them that do Evil. Oh that people had a true knowledge of the Scriptures but they do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the
with precious Stones will these no longer hide our sins and iniquities Must all our works herein wherein we thought to have established our own righteousness must they now all be put off as dung and dross Alas alas though we have lived so far from the knowledge of the operation and works of God's Spirit as utterly to deny its Revelations now adayes and so have been dark and void of the knowledge of God's righteous chastisments and rebukes therein yet we have presumed that by custom of Confessions and Professions of God's good works done in and through holy men without us would have given us a right to his holiness thou the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh the pride of life and friendship of the World had never been wholly subdued in us but in such a part as might be consistent with our gain and profit in the World But alas alas our coverings be too narrow they will no longer hide us God's righteous works are abroad in the Earth who is inspiring his people with true Light of understanding and Mordicai sits in the Gate and will not bow to wickedness Haman Alas alas we have twined and twisted about through many Crafts and Inventions some of our best Arts-men having called the Light a Devil some others a Natural Light and others a Bewildering Light and likewise many false Accusations have we raised with Evil Reports Scornings and Reproachings of the people called Quakers for Confessing to the Works of the Light of God's holy Spirit yet all our shifts do not at all help us but those works prosper and they are generally a faithful people to their Testimony Alas alas who would have thought our Mother would have been such a Harlot What delicate Inchantments and Sorceries hath she used and trained us up in that we have been thus deceived and thereby have been Instruments of deceiving the whole Nations Alas alas we can fly into no Corner nor Hole but we are found out and pursued Alas alas can't all the Wisdom of the World and Arts therein help to hide our sins and Iniquities from the Light of the Lamb Is every Creature so manifest in his sight that made all things good in the beginning And is he now at work again And must all yield to his works or be accounted his enemies and be cast out of his presence who is Lord of all whose is the Earth and fulness thereof Alas alas words of repentance of sin will not serve now there must be a true repentance and forsaking sin and evil or else we perish forever Even so must it be done to you workers of iniquity who have been and are as props and pillars strengthening the Old World of Transgression in sin and iniquity the Devil's works and therein withstood the sufficiency of God's love manifested to the World in his Son to destroy the Devil's works which works of Transgression the old subtile Serpent the deceiver of the Nations in and through his Instrument is striving and labouring to maintain under several and very large and specious pretences of crying out Lord Lord But come workers of iniquity these good words will not give you admittance into the Kingdom of God it s not they that say Lord Lord shall enter therein but they that do the Will of God And was not his Will manifested to the World in his Son that they that believed and followed him in doing his Father's Will might not perish but have everlasting Life And do not many of you confess to this in words who say in your Prayers That we may follow the example of Christ's Humiliation and Patience that we may attain to his Resurrection c. What brave words have you workers of iniquity got in your Old Bottle that can hold none of the New Wine And so in your corrupt wills what will the using good words do you good but thereby add to your Condemnation who by good words and corrupt and bad actions are withstanding and have withstood the good will pleasure and love of God in his Son to the World So your works of Darkness and falshood are clearly manifested and you can't hide them from the Light But the Light of the effectual and powers works of God's holy Spirit wherein his Will is manifest is rising more and more to a more perfect day of his will being done upon Earth to the praise and honour of his blessed and holy Name whose works are Pure Holy Just and Perfect in every degree thereof and tend to the true Reformation Peace Prosperity and Establishment of all mankind in God's love and mercy therein forever So worshipped be God that made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of Waters and all things therein who fills the hearts of the upright with joy and gladness through the shinings forth of the light of his Countenance who sits upon his Throne and saith Behold I make all things New Amen ANd now unto such who are in doubt Whether God's holy Spirit doth so effectually work now adayes as in the Primitive times Unto you I say what flesh could ever have indured such grievous and continued Punishments in Tryals of divers sorts by Imprisonments and Banishments and Hangings and Killings as in New-England and Imprisonments to Death and spoiling of Goods in Old-England and Cruel Mockings and Scoffings and bloodshed by unmerciful men Indeed some in a voluntary humility have somewhat appeared in Sufferings but being in their own willings and runnings and works therein how have they been overcome their strength being an Arm of Flesh as well as others and so fleshly works have been overcome by fleshly works But it is not so with them who are in scorn and derision called Quakers because they have bowed to God's way the which is quite different to man's wayes was that name given but in God's way hath his Arm been revealed and its strength made manifest in our weakness So that to the praise of him that lives forever the operation of his blessed Spirit is felt as in the primitive dayes and the glory and comfort of it hath ministred strength and refreshment in the time of tryals though this way of proceeding hath been hid from the vulterous evil Eye So to the praise and glory of God is Confession made through the operation of his holy Spirit through which thousands have been preserved and kept from bowing to the seed of Cain Haman and the Beast which hath made the World as a Wilderness where wild Fruits and wild Actions spring So we can truly say to the praise of God let not the wise men in the wisdom of this World glory in their wisdom nor the strong men in their strength nor the mighty men in their might but let all wait in that pure measure of the Light of God's Spirit in their Consciences that by it they may draw near unto God that they know his blessed works of mercy and love and judgment in the Earth wherein that true glory and
power and hath quickened and revived many hungry Souls and he hath made known his sufficiency and help in the needful time And all them who have in Truth laid hold of him cannot part with him for it 's by him that we can do all things well pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God and man And all that have begun in this Spirit and are faithful and obedient thereunto have Hope Faith and Confidence to grow up and be made perfect thereby and so attain to the mark and prize that is before us Though many may and do turn aside through unfaithfulness and disobedience and the many and great tryals that may be met withall through the Oppression and Cruelty of the Worlds Spirit yet over all that hath been and may be met withall we have Hope and Faith that in and through the assistance of the Spirit and Power of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus we shall persevere and go on bearing the blessed fruits of his spirit which is in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth Patience Meekness and Innocency to the finishing our Testimony and laying down our heads in Patience and Joy in Life Everlasting And further concerning the out-goings of this blessed spirit I do testifie my Faith therein that the Lord of Heaven and Earth will by the Majesty and power thereof overturn overturn overturn the power of darkness and destroy all the cursed fruits that have sprung from the corrupt root and ground thereof And by the light of the spirit of Christ Jesus a sight is given to many faithful witnesses that the Ax of the Lord is laid to the root thereof And the Lord of Heaven and Earth that hath begun the work will carry it on and perfect it to his own praise honour and glory and to the establishment of his purchased possession where he Tabernacles and Delights to dwell forever And now this root and off-spring of David this bright and moving Star hath taken deep rooting in many hearts and minds from whence fruits spring and grow to the praise and honour of the Lord of the Harvest and to the joy and comfort of all the faithful and true labourers therein whose out-goings being in the movings leadings and guidings of his holy spirit the which having taken deep root downwards now yields fruits upward in some an hundred in some sixty and in some thirty fold As you may read of the Parable of the Sower and the seed that fell into the good ground Mat. 15. And from the Lord of the Vineyard whose is the Vineyard he having planted many Heavenly Branches into the Vine his good Husbandry and Care is seen to be over them And all whom he hath or may ordain to be Instruments and Servants in this blessed work he ever did and doth maintain them never suffering them to lack Food and Rayment things necessary both for this Life and that which is to come But none that keep within the bounds of the leadings and guidings of his blessed spirit did ever covet Silver or Gold or Preach for filthy Lucre-sake And now the Lord of Heaven and Earth having prepared by his Eternal spirit and power such a Ministry again and sent forth into the Nations who have no such thing in their Eye to draw them out of filthy Lucre but purely and clearly do seek the honour and glory of God and the good and well-being of people This makes the corrupt and false Teachers of the Nation who are made so by man in the Worlds spirit and wisdom being drawn out for filthy Lucre sake and in more then ordinary manner coveting after Silver and Gold this makes these Diviners mad The day of Christ being so clearly come and the man of sin their Master so clearly revealed and a Testimony so clearly goes out against them that their Master the man of sin in all his Transformations though he appear in them and they in him as Ministers of righteousness and by all the best arts and cunning in perverting and wresting the holy mens Testimonies by private Interpretations adding to and deminishing from the Prophesies thereof And seemingly by casting mists and fogs before peoples Eyes they turn the very end and tendency of the holy mens Testimonies and Prophesies left upon record to another use then what they were intended and given forth by the moving of Gods holy Spirit for And this they do partly through Ignorance being so wilfully to hide their Corrupt Proud Arrogant Covetous and Idolatrous practices under And let all whose desires are after the knowledge of the Lord and the peace and rest of their Souls in that unspeakable comfort and joy in that life which is everlasting take but a view of the blessed motions of Gods holy Spirit through holy men in old time as is left upon record And compare the Covetous Idolatrous practices of the false Teachers of the Nation and see how unlike the good they are and how just like the wicked they are Gen. 4. Cain who was of that wicked one he offered but unto his Offering the Lord had no respect Abel offered in Faith 1 Joh. 3.12 and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his Offering And Cain was Wrath and envyed him and Murdered him because his own works wereevil and his Brothers righteous See your Father all you Persecutors about Religion and the ground of his wickedness And the Lord said my Spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh and God shortned his dayes Gen. 6. and said every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually for all flesh had corrupted his way and the Earth is filled with violence through them These were the effects of fleshly motions But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and read what blessed effects his moving therein had The false Prophets moving in a flattering lying Spirit inticed Ahab to go on to his Destruction Micah the true Prophet moving in the Spirit 2 Chron. 18. of Truth and for speaking the Truth was Imprisoned and Fed with Bread and Water The lying Prophets for lying flattering and dissembling are at Liberty Mordicai being one of the Lords people he could not be moved to bow to Haman nor do him reverence Esther 3. though he was told by the Kings Servants often that he transgressed the Kings command This filled Haman with wrath and in his wicked motion he sought the destruction of Mordicai and all his people but read what became of him and his motion Read what dreadful effects the wicked fleshly motions of the Sodomites had Gen. 19. and the blessed effects of Lot's righteous motions against their wickedness Read what the false Prophets moved for and how the true Prophet was moved to cry against them Isaiah 56.10 11. and said They are all dumb dogs yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough They all look to their own way every one for his gain from his
you can think to have and reward at the hand of the Lord. And you say these words The Communion Service the Priest standing at the Lords Table shall say Our Father c. Answer Here you manifest your selves as deep in the appostasie from the Communion and the 〈◊〉 Table as they were in who put Ligâ—◠〈◊〉 Darkness and Darkness for Light You here plainly shew from whence you had your Ordination and Learning the least in the School of Christ that hath learned of him neither Shepherds or Fishermen sees over the dark works It 's but in vain for you to think to make this service pass no that Darkness is much vanquished by the the breaking forth of the Light of Christ out of Darkness by which the Table of God and the Table of Devils is known and the Cup of God and the Cup of the Devil and at the Table of God and with the Cup of God many thirsting Souls are satisfied and do truly bless and praise the Lord knowing that we cannot partake of the Table of God and the Table of Devils or of the Cup of God and of the Cup of Devils and therefore are fully satisfied at the Table of God and with the blessing and herein do bless the Lord who hath led many from the North South East and West by his good Spirit hereunto And thus being led by his holy Spirit we can truly say our Father who doth feed us in all our tryals and afflictions with his bread of Life and nourish us with his Cup of Blessing to him be praise and honour for ever Oh Nation of England how wonderful kind hath the Lord been unto thee in sending his Servants with warning after warning even warning thee to break off thy sins by a true repentance And in that Fast that is acceptable unto him that thee mightest have been found in turning from the evil of thy doings and in answering the Lords just requirings in doing justly and walking humbly and shewing mercy in remembring the meek and them who fear the Lord in whom the Lord takes pleasure and in renting of your false coverings and have put off your loathfome clothing the which you confess you are under and to have rent your hearts in deed and in truth and to have abstained from the appearance of Evil and to have let the oppressed go free Had you chosen this Fast and truly turned to the Lord and in simplicity to have waited upon him to have known his mind and pleasure in his sore and grievous and never to be forgotten Judgments with which he did visit you by Sword by Plague and by Fire Oh how can you easily pass over the remembrance thereof If I say you had considered your ways and by abstaining from the appearances of evil you had truly turned unto the Lord you might then have expected to have found favour of him and in his counsel and wisdom you might have been directed to have been establisht in the fear of the Lord and in his righteous way to have been confirmed and under the covering of the work of his righteous Spirit you might have been preserved as you pray in these words From all evil and mischief from sin from the crafts and assaults of the Devil and from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation good Lord deliver us But turn unto your confession and take a view of it and see how short you have come of this Fast the which is well pleasing unto the Lord and how instead of waiting upon the Lord to know his way made known in the Earth you have gone on in your way of grieving and vexing his good Spirit and provoking the Lord God against you But what will be the end thereof Stephen Smith The 4th day of the 3d. Month 1678. THE END
THE True Light Discovered to all who desire to Walk in the Day In several little TREATISES Written by that faithful Member of the true Church of Christ Jesus lately deceased STEPHEN SMITH Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8.12 LONDON Printed in the Year 1679. To the Friends of Truth in the Counties of Surrey Sussex and Hampshire Friends HOw greatly hath the Lord appeared in this day in raising up many Instruments to sound forth his glorious Truth yet many are not sensible of it nor of the great Work he is a doing who is a setting up his Spiritual Kingdom and is establishing Righteousness in the Earth and all those that oppose this Work shall in â—im be ashamed and the Lord will go on with his Work who is come to restore Man into the primitive purity he was first created in Man that hath been drove from him into the Earth by reason of Transgressions and been a Servant to sin and under the power of Satan and been ignorant of the Life of God and of the sweet refreshments of his living presence not knowing the motions and leadings of the Father neither hath his ear been open to hear the voice of God but hath been without any sensible feeling of the Life and Power of God and had no savour of the things of God In this condition is Man that is drove from God in the Fall But now is the Lord come to restore him again by his beloved Son Christ Jesus who redeems Man again from his lost estate and brings him out of the Earth and out of all such things which had separated him from God to delight in the Lord his Maker again and from being a Servant of sin to be a Servant of God and of Righteousness and Holiness and to bring him again into Innocency in which he was first created And this hath been the Work of the second Adam the Lord from Heaven in all that did receive him and it is his Work at this day The Father of Mercy and great Compassion he hath considered Mankind who had corrupted his way and he sent his Messengers to foretell the coming of the acceptable day of the Lord and the day of Salvation of God who invited all the hungry and thirsty to come and drink at the Fountain of Life And this was the free Love of God to help Man out of the Pit wherein there was no Water and to offer him the Wells of Salvation to drink at that so he might be washed from sin and from pollution into which he was fallen and could see no deliverer till the Lord was pleased to open a door of Hope and to set him free by his Son Christ Jesus and to save that which was lost and to bring Peace and Salvation whose power is indeed as able to cleanse from sin as ever the Devils was to defile and corrupt This is true and witnessed by some though many cannot believe that ever any can be free from sin in this life Now he that is in the first birth and sees no further but is overcome with sin daily and his mind is earthly and corrupt and has never known the power of God to work in him the New birth and a change from his sinful Estate he judges he can be no otherwise while he is here and so is like a blind man who though the Sun shines because he cannot see it he will not believe that it shines or that others see it But this must not make the Faith of some void who have known the second Adam to be a quickning Spirit and have found him able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him and the bloud of Christ is to them of full effect and they witness him to be a perfect Saviour and indeed for this end was Christ given of the Father and for this end came he into the World and was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil and to save his People from their sins and until Christ hath brought Man out of the Transgression he hath fallen into he hath not finished the Work that the Father hath given him to do for as sin hath reigned unto death so must Righteousness reign unto Life Eternal and as through the power of Lust man hath been defiled throughout in Body Soul and Spirit so by the power of Christ is man to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and being once cleansed by his power to be saved from those sins which formerly have defiled him and by this Man doth witness the Restoration by Christ and the renewing by the Holy Ghost into the Image of God again which he had lost whilst in the Transgression and so Man comes again into unity with God and to know his voice his motions and the leadings of his Holy Spirit which while he was in darkness and served sin he was wholly ignorant of This makes Man fruitful again unto God who before was as a barren Wilderness and whereas he was before filled with Darkness he now comes to be filled with Light and Life and now he hath Visions and Revelations of Heavenly things before he was crying There was no Revelation nor Vision they are ceased whilst night was upon him he saw no Vision and because he saw no Vision nor had no answer from God therefore he thought it was so with all others and that Revelation and Vision was ceased and he measured all men by his dark rule darkness being over him and his eye blinded Whilst he was in the first birth he was Earthly his mind Earthly delighting in Earthly things he could not then believe there was any immediate Teachings of the Father by his Holy Spirit nor any enjoyment of Heavenly things neither was his eye inward but to an outward Teacher and outward Books and Writings but when the inward ear came to be opened and the day of the Lord appeared unto him then he heard the words of God and saw the Visions of the Almighty and then he began to praise the Lord for his goodness and for his mercies which endure for ever And now being come to taste of the loving kindness of the Lord and his heart being filled with Heavenly blessings he ministers forth the same to others and these are the true Ministers indeed who are moved by this blessed power of God to seek the Salvation of Souls And of this number was our dear Brother Stephen Smith now deceased a man who laboured in faithfulness and constancy according to the ability God had given him to beget others to the Truth and was constant in Sufferings in Travels and Labours and had a good esteem in the hearts of many for his faithfulness to the Lord as you well know and therefore I need not write much concerning him especially since some others have written so
largely of him but shall remain Your Friend and Brother in the Everlasting Truth Ellis Hookes London 28th day 3 mo 1679. A Testimony of the Work and Mercy of God particularly in relation to our dear Friend Stephen Smith lately deceased THe most holy and wise God who hath been pleased to make choice of foolish weak and contemptible things to coâ—â—â—â—nd the wise and the things that are mighty to the intent that no flesh with its wisdom and strength might glory in his presence but that his Power might appear in what way manner or Instrument soever he pleaseth how mean and despicable soever they may seem to that fleshly eye and mind that takes its measures from outward appearances and not from an inward solid principle of sound Judgment I certifie from a living experience that this most holy God hath appeared and raised up many Witnesses of his blessed Power and Work in our day even persons of various degrees qualities and capacities not only some few endowed with Learning natural acquirements and parts but more especially many of the plain simple and unlearned to the end that not only his Power might the more appear and shine in its glory over all flesh and the glory of man but also that God in his wisdom is graciously pleased to condescend to the lowest and meanest capacities in most familiar ways to direct his speech and Testimony of Life for the reaching peoples several capacities and consciences so as to turn them to that principle of Light and Truth which through Christ Jesus he has placed in them God hath in our day as in former ages raised up Plowmen Herdsmen Fishermen Husbandmen and such like to be experimental and more effectual Preachers to men of such capacities then Academical or Schoolmen with all their Learning acquired parts and School craft and with a plain Testimony in the simplicity of the Gospel condescended to accommodate and answer low and mean capacities with that truth and simplicity that is in Christ Jesus which has been to the confounding of the wisdom of the wise so that it may be truly said where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this World and not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise And although the following Writings and Discourses of this our dear and honest-hearted Friend Stephen Smith now deceased and at rest with the Lord do not bespeak him a man educated in artificial Learning Oratory and Eloquence yet he was a simple plain-hearted and sincere man to what the Lord made manifest in him and one that eyed the power and presence of God in his Life and Testimony since the God of all our mercies was graciously pleased to open his understanding with the knowledge of his Divine Light and Truth as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord he prized it as his great mercy from the most gracious God that after his long and wearisom travels in many Countries and exercises in the troublesom and tossing Sea of the World he at length arrived at his desired Haven of safety being brought to know a true stay to his mind and a quiet habitation of repose in the Sanctuary and holy Tabernacle of him who dwells in the Light and hath Immortality dwelling in the Light I knew this man from the first time of his being convinced and receiving Gods holy Truth which was in the year 1665. who in mercy to him made me instrumental therein and when his understanding and heart was opened through the plain evidence and Testimony of the Spirit of Life concurring with the witness manifestation and operation thereof in his own conscience as it always doth he received the Truth in the Love of it and gave up to obey and walk in the same and truly loved Gods faithful Messengers and People how despised and suffering soever they were and freely gave up to partake with them of their sufferings and did likewise suffer with them both in Person and Estate by Imprisonments and spoil of Goods for his tender Conscience and Testimony on the behalf of Christ Jesus who as he gave him a Testimony to bear against all Hireling oppressing Teachers and Priests who preach for hire and impose that great oppression and Antichristian yoke of Tithes according as he signifies in some of his Writings so he gave up to suffer and endure Spoil rather then in the least he could pay them or gratifie the covetous mind or greedy appetite of such Shepherds as feed themselves and not the Flock and make a prey upon people and with force and cruelty rule over them And lastly as he was a man fearing God and of good report in his Country being an exemplary Preacher of Righteousness in his Conversation and one truly kind and ready to do good in his day so God was pleased in some measure to endue him with a living Ministry and experimental and innocent Testimony to tell of his goodness and speak forth his praise to others from an inward sence thereof in himself and to the comfort and encouragement of many that heard him I speak what I know herein he having at sundry times travelled with me in the work and service of God in the Gospel of his Son Christ Jesus and we travelled together more particularly at one time to visit Friends in Surrey Sussex and Kent in which Journey we were much and often comforted together in the Lords work and in the Assemblies of Friends which was near upon a year before his decease Well I am satisfied in my very Soul that as he is taken away from the Evil to come so he is entred into his Rest and has his portion with the Blessed that dye in the Lord. From a Living Remembrance of this my dear Friend Stephen Smith and a real sence of his Innocent Life Spirit and Conversation and in honour and due respect to that Divine power and work of God in him I was really concerned in my Spirit to give this precedent Testimony truly desiring and praying to God that all Friends professing the same Truth may concur in the same Spirit and example of Faithfulness to the end even so as to obtain the same blessed end of the Righteous that will crown all our Labours Travels and Sufferings which in this World we partake of and endure for the Testimony of Jesus and of a good Conscience I am a Friend to the Truth and the Souls of all men G. Whitehead Enfield the 20th day of the 1st month 1671 9. Susanna Smiths Testimony concerning her Husband MY Testimony for my dear Husband is That he was a man of an upright heart towards God and man and hated deceit he was diligent and faithful in the service of the Lord he did spend and was spent for the Everlasting Gospel and is entred into Rest and Peace
to the fear of the Lord placed in their hearts that thereby they might be preserved out of evil and doing always that that is just and right and to be sure to be courteous and kind to all loving the good in all and bearing their Testimony against the evil in all wheresoever it doth appear And whensoever said he you go about that which is weighty take counsel of good and sound Friends so that all things may be done to the honour and glory of the Lord and his blessed Truth in which your blessings are all yea and Amen And advised them not to run into the Cumbers of the World but to wait upon the Lord and he will find out a way for them in his time For the Lord said he is a calling and taking me out and from all Troubles and Cumbers from the evil that is a coming upon this wicked World in a good time wherein I am assured of that sound and perfect peaee wherein my Soul resteth with the Lord for evermore so that I have no more to do now but desire the Lord to make my passage easie to his Heavenly Rest William Lickfold He was born the 19th of the 7th Month 1623. He departed this Life the 22d day of the 7th Month 1678. A TESTIMONY FOR THE TRUTH And against DECEIT DECEIVERS WITH A Reproof unto those who are not Faithful to the Truth which they are convinced of By Stephen Smith Isaiah 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their Envy at the People Verse 12. Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou host wrought all our works in us Printed in the Year 1679. A Testimony for the TRUTH and against Deceit and Deceivers with a Reproof unto those who are not faithful to the Truth which they are Convinced of FOr as much as it hath pleased the Lord in his great love and tender mercy to visit many who have been long covered with Darkness and drawn by the Subtilty of the Serpent working in a Mystery within and without in his Instruments from enjoying that Love and great Riches which is declared of in the Scriptures of Truth which should be revealed in the latter dayes in his Everlasting and Unchangeable Covenant which Promise of the Lord many who had true breathing after him and could not be satisfied with feeding with Swine upon Husks but truly breathed after Living Refreshment and after that Bread which nourisheth that Birth which is Eternal and have delighted in the righteous Judgments of the Lord over the Enemy and Oppressor of mans Soul through which Judgments the Love of God hath greatly been manifest having thereby brought to the knowledge of his Everlasting and Unchangable Truth to the exceeding great refreshment and satisfaction of the Souls of many thousands who have earnestly desired the same before the World and all its glory and having received the same in the Love of it and known Freedom by it in the Injoyment of the same do meet together as the manner and practice was of those who lived in the Fear and Dread of the Lord in the Primitive times so now in the pure Fear and Obedience to the just and equal requirings of this Creator whose Wayes are Equal Right and Just meets together to wait on him to the end they may be refreshed and fed with the same Bread of Life that so the Plant which the Lord hath planted may grow that so they may be changed from glory to glory till at length they may come to bear the Image of the Heavenly whereas formerly they have born the Image of the Earthly and those who so meet the Spirit of Truth can truely say they never waited on the Lord in vain but do witness true refreshment from the God of Love whether a word be spoken in their Meetings or no so that they can truly sing in their Spirits of Mercy with Judgments and hath not executed Judgment without Mercy in which hath greatly appeared his wonderful Love to lost Mankind of which great and unspeakable Love there are to this day to the Glory and Praise of his great Name even from his own Works thousands of Living Witnesses and hundreds have laid down their Lives in Nasty Holes and Stinking Prisons and many have been Banished and many have suffered cruel Mockings and many thousands the Spoiling of their Goods whose Righteous Testimony through the Eternal Spirit of Love and Truth they have gladly born in this Day of Gods Power to the exceeding Comfort and Refreshment of all that are faithful Followers of the Lamb but is and shall be to the astonishment of all who persist in their Disobedience against the Spirit of Truth and continue in their Rebellion against it and this righteous Testimony through all who are true Worshippers in the Spirit and Truth who are led and guided in all their ways by the Spirit of Truth being Sons and Daughters of the Living God so greatly beloved by him so those that touch them in a wrongful manner do touch the Apple of his Eye who created all things for his Glory and though his Mercy is great in not executing Judgment speedily but gives space and time of Repentance yet if they mind it not but let the Day of Gods Love pass over their heads that Terrible Voice they shall hear My Spirit shall strive no more let Flesh know that it 's but Grass and when the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it it shall fade as a Flower and that in a moment when his Anger is kindled which may be when the Worker of Iniquity is in the height of his vain glory and greatest boasting so as that righteous Testimony through all who are in the true Innocent Seed unto which all the Blessings and the Promises of the Lord are doth stand as a true Witness of the Lords great Love in this day wherein he is making known his great Power against all Workers of Iniquity and unrighteous Actions and deceitful Workers who can feign and flatter with all sorts of debauched Persons and all dissembling Hypocrites Persons of unstable minds joyning with the cunning twisting twining Serpent in all its appearances in their earthly sensual and devillish wisdom being in the Adultrous whorish spirit degenerated from the Spirit of Truth holding a Profession of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of Persons receiving honour and giving honour according to the Customs and vain Traditions of the World by which means they have no knowledge of that Honour which is from Above Yet notwithstanding these great Abominations which they commit in the sight of the Lord and all them which live in their faithful Testimony against them yet they lean upon the Lord and think there shall come no evil upon them but except such do speedily repent and turn from their Abominations and bow to the righteous Testimony of God in them which shews them the deceitfulness of
avail them any thing who call upon Christ yet persecute so near Relations as his Brethren And since those that visited them not in their necessities received such condemnation what will become of you And you Generation of wicked Doers who have been the cause of the Imprisoning so many of Christs Relations where several hundreds have laid down their lives for their faithful Testimony against you because of your Adultery from the Lord and his Worship which is to be performed in Spirit and Truth and have set up worships according to your own hearts Lust and because of the Lords Patience and Long-suffering and great Mercy how do you harden your hearts against Reproofs and for good return evil and so go on scoffing and mocking well though the Lord hath exercised a great deal of patience it 's my belief it will not last long but he will execute Righteous Judgment and plead the cause of the Innocent who hath committed all to him with Praises and Glory from his own works for ever Stephen Smith The 21th day of the 11th Month 1667. A PROCLAMATION By way of EXHORTATION Unto all the Inhabitants of England Concerning Fasting and Prayer And that they may come to a certain Discerning and Knowledge of the Will of God therein who is King of the whole EARTH First by way of Preparation unto a True FAST COme all you who expect to be Heard and Accepted of the Living God Fasting and Prayer in the Spirit of Holiness is required as Necessary thereunto but the want of a certain Knowledge Discerning how and in what manner the same ought to be Performed therefore it is that people are rejected being all Vain Service and Lost Labour where no Reward is received or when they ask amiss what answer shall such have judge ye And therefore be Admonished I beseech you to mind that which gives you a Discerning and certain Knowledge in this weighty Work You may read what the Lord said by his Servant Isaiah chap. 8. concerning Fasting and what Christ Jesus said Mat. 6. but how long may people read these Sayings as well as others and yet have no certain knowledge of the Will of God therein I speak of such who are out of the way of a True Understanding which all are who are in a bare Confession with their Mouths that God ought to be feared but the Heart that not being right in his sight Infidelity that taking place there from whence a Conclusion is drawn That Sin which is Evil can't be parted with this is a great Evil indeed set up in the Heart by the spirit of Antichrist where a Form of Words and large Confessions concerning God and Christ are made but the Blessed and Effectual Workings of God's Spirit in Flesh for the Destroying of Sin that being denyed the Enemy's works which is Sin and Evil they continue in the Heart contrary to the Blessed Will of God by which means the Nobility of Man's Understanding that is Clouded and Darken'd through Error and Falshood by which means the Minds of Mankind are exercised in a Brutish Understanding concerning Spiritual Matters imagining a Performing of Service to God by confessing That he ought to be feared and yet live out of what they confess in a Talk that all good Success and Blessing comes from him c. So then let such be judged by their own words who confess he ought to be feared and yet live in Sin and Evil under a strange Delusion That those Works can never be so destroyed as to know Dominion and Freedom from them on this side the laying down the Body or at least till about that time of separation from all outward visible things So here Sin the Continuance of that hath been pleaded for by them who would be called Christians and would be accounted such who fear God and that they are in his Service though never expect to be free from sin What Service is that in Evil And what Reward shall Evil Works have Is not sin an Evil work of the Evil One And must not the Works of the Evil One if continued in have a Bad Reward Oh that people would Fear God in Deed and in Truth for they that fear him will do no Evil So the way of a Right Understanding that leads quite contrary to Sin and Evil So its strong Delusion indeed to expect a Right Understanding in an Evil Way and Presumption indeed it is to hope for Good out of Evil. Oh be Awakened to Righteousness in which there 's no sin and then will the Eye of the Understanding be opened to see the Man of sin who hath exalted himself above that of God in Man under Confessions and Professions of the Name of God and Christ whilst that signified by the Name which is Power manifested in Flesh for the revealing the Man of sin and destroying his works that hath been denyed by the Exaltation of the Man of sin in man by whom Mankind hath been exalted above the Pure Principle of God in man even above the Light of that Blessed and Unerring Spirit of Christ by which that which is reproveable is made manifest But through Unbelief of God's Love therein Mankind in a great part being held under strong Delusions of Satan their minds being exercised in a Brutish Understanding some have called that Blessed Principle of God in man a Devilish Light and others a Bewildering Light or a Natural Light so that all that is of God in man that hath been denyed whose Work do you think this is But if it were so as the Wicked One in the wicked hath concluded may it not be said now as it was in the dayes of old after God had created Mankind upon the Earth and they had corrupted their Wayes which displeased God who in his Displeasure said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive c. Then was not Destruction nigh but in that there was a time in which God's Holy Spirit did strive with flesh it plainly appears the good will of God was therein to have had it otherwise but Mankind resisting his Way of bringing it to pass the Way of Salvation that was removed and a Way of Destruction let in so the Way of Salvation then that was by the moving and working of God's Good Spirit the which had place in Noah who was a perfect man in his day who being moved in a True Fear of God had a Right Understanding in which he was a Preacher according to the Will of God So that Blessed Spirit of God by which Noah had regard and was acted by though it was rejected by Mankind in their corrupt Wayes yet it was not Devilish nor Natural as Mankind in their Brutish Understanding in great measure have concluded but the least measure of that pure Principle of God in Mankind of his Blessed Spirit is Unerring the which in measure in all Ages in God's Time and Season did strive in Mankind and for the good of Mankind that through it they might
Old-England whose spirit is felt but that their Wings are cut so cannot fly at that rate which otherwise they would be at for now their Hands are tyed how wonderfully do their Tongues go by which its plain they have no Bridle but are set on Fire of Hell wondering despising and fretting against the work of the Lord in this the day of his power though thousands are raised by it to declare and publish the same words in life and conversation c. And now you vain and empty Professors and Notion its who are saying in your dark and imaginary conceivings of things that if you had been in the Scribes and Pharisees dayes you would not have done as they did But come be patient a little the works of Truth have a good tendency though they be bitter to the guilty for the present come I say look where you are by the Light you may see you must see by it at last it were better for you if you would let your Eye be opened now and see that offensive Eye pulled out which hath been offended at God's works all this while So do not harden your hearts in this day of God's power being manifest least you be cut off from his rest for ever Come therefore you that are judging others that did wickedly in their Generation by resisting God's holy Spirit so had none of the works of Revelation come see now what Latitude your works are under If you be in the same liberty in the flesh as you were in it s no matter what you say Come now to the Tryal what experience have you of the operation of God's Spirit How much of the mind and will of God hath it revealed to you Can you say Thus saith the Lord by the certain knowledge of the Revelation of God's holy Spirit Or have you only talkt of it as the Jews did who said we have God for our Father when they were doing the Devil's works Come do not stop your Ears Have you heard the voice of God or seen his shape or are you ignorant of it as they were who accused Christ as if he was bearing false witness Nay come further Have you not said That Revelations are ceased and thereby shut up the way of the Kingdom of God and from the knowledge of his Righteousness by your wicked works in going about to establish your own Righteousness and works therein for term of life Come you that have set up the Law and Covenant without above the Law and Covenant within are not these your own works and have not they made you as blind as your Fathers the Scribes and Pharisees that you can neither see nor hear but in your blind zeal are persecuting Christ's near Relations who follow him in their Generation even by the drawings of his Father's Spirit unto Humility and Patience who is the way in whom God's Will was done And did not Christ give Testimony of Relations his Mother his Brothers and Sisters who did his Father's Will And is not this to be done on Earth And is it not the will of God that we should speak the Truth at all times and that we should be led and guided by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth is there any sin in the guide And is not this Christ of God the same Anointing or Teacher as he was in the beginning of the World Was not he before Abraham was And is not he the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was in the beginning who was David's Lord and the Holy mens Lord in all Ages And is not he the Covenant by which all must come unto God Was he not given for a Covenant and a Light to enlighten people and to be their Salvation to lead and command his people And must not his sheep hear his voice And is not he the same that he was in the beginning And is not this the Precious tryed Stone which the Wise Builders building without are confounded and stumble at even the highest Notionists in the fleshly Wisdom in their highest conceivings about the holy mens words Come examine your selves and see whether Christ be not in you except you be Reprobates You unbelievers how hath the God of the World led you about and blinded you that you cannot see the Light of his Glorious Gospel Come see the cause have you not been making Provision for the flesh in the first place and answering the Lusts thereof after the glory of the old World of sin and iniquity Hath not respect of persons been in your Eye and filthy lucre and praise of men and greeting in Market-places Have you not preacht and prayed in your own wills and run for gifts and rewards in your own wills and is not all this Honour to be had below And have you not sought it before the Honour of God's work in your hearts And is not this the cause of your Ignorance of God's Kingdom and his Righteousness Christ and his Relations his Mother Sisters and Brethren who are sanctified and blest through the will of God where it is done in Truth and Righteousness and where that it is done do not such confirm in truth and reality all God's Blessed and holy works without in all generations So do not envy and hate the people called Quakers for maintaing the works of God's holy Spirit within them for there are many of them have been as high Talkers of the works of God in holy men without as you are but found not such Salvation as to venture souls and bodies and estates till we came to cease from our own labours in our own willings and runnings and so our hearts were bowed unto God's holy will in the deep silence of all fleshly reasonings and consultations So by the works of God's holy and blessed Spirit the way of God came to be made manifest in us the which is a pure Holy undefiled way Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was in the beginning without guile without sin no iniquity is in him he that is the hope of Glory the great Mystery made manifest in us Gentiles who in former times when without knowledge of him in the World had Lords many and Masters many and feigned Faiths and Beliefs concerning him many and divers But when we were given up clearly to seek the Kingdom of God without any reserve of making provision for the flesh then the New Jerusalem God's building came down from above the Mother of all the Faithful where no evil can be conceived whose Children in her are made free from the Law of sin and death and this blessed City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof This blessed habitation is prepared for God's people who love the Light of his appearance and delight to do his will So away with all false Accusations from all you false Accusers of the people
in and through his holy Spirit of Truth are righteous holy perfect in every degree and measure and remains firm in goodness and unchangeable there being no spot nor blemish in them the which praises them for ever out of which none shall ever find acceptance of him Mutter peep whine and scold as long as you will your works of darkness must down which have corrupted the Nations which is cause of the great Judgments past in this Nation and the greater yet to come For the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God is gone out against wicked workers and works and thus saith the Lord No Peace to the wicked their prayers are abomination in my sight So whatsoever your professions and coverings therein be of your talkings and imaginations concerning the gift of God which is Life Eternal you being really out of it in your own imaginary parts and gifts in comprehending the works done without you and so not sensible of any real perfect pure work of God's holy Spirit in you the which is the cause you are so dark and wickedly blinded to plead for sin the which is accompanied with the wages of death the cause of death being sin the which remaining the effects cannot cease even death and corruption from that venomous sting over all flesh that is corrupted with it So for shame leave your false Accusations against an innocent people called by the Name of Quakers for testifying of the works of God's holy Spirit the which are perfect in every degree and therefore there is not the least sin nor evil in them So all you who say You are not without sin in your best duties I say they are all works of your own which blind and hide God's works from you And as you may read of the works of God's Spirit in Mordicai how they could not bow to the Pride and Arrogance of Haman and also the works of God's Spirit in Daniel how they could not bow to them that would have restrained and limited them and also the works of Gods Spirit in Shadrach Meshech and Abednego how they could not bow to the Golden Image set up by Nebuchadnezar though Laws under Penalties of Death in a Cruel manner was before them and also the works of God's holy Spirit in the Primitive Christians through the strength of which they under-went hard and grievous things under the spirit of Antichrist which got up in a form of good words in the pleasures and vanities of the works of the fleshly wisdom the which have been kept up by the same wisdom by the Arm of flesh under which the Innocent people who are true witnesses of the works of God's Spirit have suffered very deeply in this Age the which cannot be hid though the cause for which they have thus suffered is so far hid that it cannot be believed though they have been wonderfully declared of But it is Mordecai Daniel Shadrach Meshâ—ch and Abednego's God which we who are in scorn called Quakers do worship in and by the effects and blessed Operation of his own blessed Spirit wherein stands our confidence and not in Flesh and our Faith Belief and Hope is in him that he will turn the Hearts of our enemies unto us though many will perish in their gain-saying So over all the works and powers of darkness in our Faith and Belief that the holy righteous works of God's blessed Spirit shall be exalted and the God of Truth in and through his blessed works in preparing and fitting the hearts of people the knowledge of him shall increase till it spread over all And for this purpose hath God raised many contrary to the wisdom of the World in whom he hath made known his Righteous Works who have unity and fellowship therein who are true labourers therein purely out of love to God and his blessed works in good-will and true-love to all men that all may taste of the goodness of God the experience of which will bring mankind to be of one mind and heart and therein to agree to praise and magnifie God who shows man his Thoughts to whom belongs honour and glory for ever And now all you Leaders of the People in all forms and fashions who are denying the works of the Divine Power of God in its blessed operation and powerful workings in setting free them who are heavy laden and weary through the enemies works of sin and iniquity the which you say cannot be overcome therefore you are denyers of the sufficiency of God's works and his kingdom wherein dwells righteousness peace and joy in and through effectual workings of God's holy Spirit the which though you say in words Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done c. But being sayers and not doers you are so darkened that with all your own wills and mights you are strengthening the old Kingdom of transgression where sin and iniquity aboundeth the Devil's works Was it not by reason of transgression that the first Law the first Covenant was added which was written in Tables of Stone And was not this in force till the Seed of Life and Power the coming of the Messiah to finish Transgression and to put an end to Sin and so bring in everlasting Righteousness God's Kingdom Now all you blind Leaders of the blind is not here God's second Covenant writ in the heart into which all must come that come unto God where his Light is to shine who is the True Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World And if this righteous Law be taken heed unto will it not judge Lust when it rises in the heart And will it not judge Anger when it rises in the heart And will it not judge every desire of breaking Promise when it arises in the heart And will it not judge every hasty and froward Action and Lightness when they appear in the heart And is not all that proceeds from this righteous Law and Covenant of God in the heart Pure Truth Yea and Nay And what is more then plain Truth Yea and Nay is it not judged by this pure Law in the heart And are not all fotbidden to Swear by this one Law-giver who is able to Save or to Destroy And must not his righteous Law and Decree take place though many Laws through darkness and Ignorance may be made against it And must not all that come to Sion the City of the Living God be redeemed through these righteous judgments And all that will not come under this righteous Law and Government where Mercy and Peace kisses and Truth and Righteousness is set over all is it not just that they be left to Judgment without Mercy So is not Destruction from Self-willing and running of people out of the counsel and knowledge of the will and mind of the living God And is not the Salvation of every Soul in and through the righteous Decrees and just and holy Laws of God which is Light in every Conscience And must not all come to Salvation
come first to the way and means that God hath ordained And is not the second coming of Christ in the Light of his Holy Spirit the way by which all must come unto God the which is without spot without guile And must not all that come unto God come unto him in this one blessed savoury offering And is not this Christ of God the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was before Abraham was and so the same in the beginning of all things And must not all that come to God come out of Transgression the cause why mankind was drove from the presence of God And is not this Christ of God the way out of Transgression who was obedient and subject to the will of his Father in all things And must not they all that are saved be brought into this blessed Covenant of Life the end God's great love in his Son manifested to the World that through him they might not abide and perish in Darkness but through believing and obeying that second coming and appearance of the Light of him they might have the Light and Understanding of the Life of him the one blessed Offering that perfects for ever them that are sanctified And now all you blind Leaders of the blind under all your imaginary lifeless Confessions and Professions of God and Christ what strength of Arguments do you use in your perverse Wills and Affections to strengthen the old World of Transgression in sin and iniquity whereby you go about with all your might to make void the second Covenant which is without fault and so you shut up the way to God's Kingdom and the knowledge of his Righteousness by labouring and moiling in your vain service and works to establish your own Righteousness and dark works therein And by this fruitless labour and travel what darkness and blindness have you brought over the Nations through your ignorant Concâ—â—vings of those gracious words which were spoken by the effectual working and moving of God's holy Spirit in and through holy men the which was for a blessed end spoken even to turn people from the darkness which was over them by reason of their transgression unto the true witness in them the Light makes manifest all that is reprovable and wicked in mankind the which being turned from and the Light obeyed that they may be led to the knowledge of God that they may not be without God in the World whom to know is Life Eternal And so Light is sown for the Righteous that through this blessed Seed the Serpenâ—'s head may be bruised and kept under in all and so is way made to put on the Heavenly Image again by being led and guided out of Darkness by the Light of the Emanuel in and through every blessed and glorious degree of his works to the mark of that price the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ Jesus the Heavenly Man the Heavenly Image as many as are baptized into Christ put on Christ Now I say unto you blind Leaders of the blind who have got some few of the gracious words and works of the righteous mâ—n of God therefore I say but few of them because there is but little upon record of those mighty works which did then shew forth the wonderful power of God in and by the effectual workings of his holy blessed Spirit the which if all had been written the World could not have contained the Books and of that which was written you have but a part with which you blind Leaders of the blind have made a long Trade in Wresting Perverting and Corrupting to your own destruction making them look every way but the right in your imaginary Conceivings thereof So wrong you are in your Judgments who have denyed the effectual workings of God's holy Spirit that what in you lyes by your works of darkness you are making void God's holy Law and Covenant as to any true understanding or knowledge of it in the mind and heart And so building your selves up in Imaginations and Conceivings what strangers are you to God's holy work in and by the effectual working of his holy Spirit within man How bruitish are you in your understandings to stand and wonder and some to despise till they perish at the news of these works though God hath raised many faithful Witnesses who have declared and given Testimony to them even to the laying down their Lives and many their Liberties and in great measure their Estates whereby it hath plainly shewed that this is the time and season wherein God is making known his mighty power for the subduing and bringing under the power of darkness that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of God and that the Kingdom of his Son which is in Righteousness Peace and Joy of his blessed holy Spirit may be set over all And is not this according to that Prayer Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done on Earth c. Now consider are not all those wayes destructive to mankind that are made up in the dark Conceivings of man without the Light of understanding the will of God herein And by your works of darkness in opposing the blessed effectual works of God's holy Spirit what misery and consusion have you brought your selves and the Nations into where you lye in heaps in Controversies about the works and words without till the enemy's works of darkness be overgrown in you by which you are so droven from the presence of God and the Light of his Countenance that you are greatly confounded kicking and stumbling at the precious stone the which in your fleshly worldly wisdom you think too mean to be in your Buildings by reason of which how many fashions are your Building of reeling and staggering from one fashion to another soaring alost in your airy imaginations of the things of God in using your Wits and Arts to bend the holy men's Testimonies to your corrupt Wills and Affections And so much more as you strive in these works so much more you are and must be confounded What a sad work have you herein taken in hand and what vast Sums of Money have you exacted out of Nations to maintain the Pride and Arrogancy of your hearts herein Oh! that there were such a heart in people to sit down before the Lord that they may partake so much of his works as to open the Eye of their understandings that they see over these works of darkness where nothing is good nor pleasant to the truly hungering and thirsting Souls after God's Righteousness How miserably have these Nations been cheated by these blind Guides who have exacted abundance of Wages under pretence of being Healers and Curers of the Nations but are now found by the Effectual Workings of the Light of God's holy Spirit to be the chief Instruments of the letting in of Darkness Corruption and Abominations that raign on the Earth through that adulterated Spirit the Mother of all Harlots who are departed from
the true Spouse and so running and hunting after others blessed works and experiences have set up Trades in their Arts of telling and boasting of others Lives and Works where that adulterated Spirit hath covered them who are corrupted with her Sorceries and Witchcraft under various fashions of Confessions and Professions of God and his Christ But underneath these coverings are the same wicked hands by which the Just hath suffered and been rejected and set at nought in all Ages And through the blessed works of the Light of God's holy Spirit these corrupt workers and works of darkness being discovered and a Righteous Testimony in Thousands that stand against them what a sad work do these blind Leaders make to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb that is coming upon them looking back to the several Traditions Customs and Commands of men from whence they drive several establishments upon fleshly rotten Foundations as Covenant and Directory of man's none of God's Foundation Christ God's Foundation is a pure holy unspotted Foundation where God's Wisdom and Counsel directs in and through the works of his holy Spirit the which are perfect and good in every degree thereof by which people are built up a Spiritual house to the honour and praise in and through God's blessed works forever So to God's Covenant and Works must all mankind be brought under that are redeemed and made alive to God therefore we deny the Presbyterians Covenant and Directory as being but a meer Parcel of Conceivings and Imaginations which tends to hide the holy Covenant and Foundation of the Righteous people in Generations past and now present in being who were and are built upon the sure Foundation which God hath laid and thereon in Covenant with his righteous holy works And concerning your Foundation who are built upon a Church-Faith made up by an Assembly of Diviners out of their own Brain in the fleshly Comprehensions its man's work full of blemishes and spots and not God's God's Foundations and Works thereon are pure and holy without spot wrinkles or blemish And forasmuch as your made up Faith and Works tend to the making void the pretious Faith of God's Elect which is the gift of God the which purifies the heart and works by love and giveth victory over the old World of Transgression and sin without which there is no pleasing God And so to this one Faith one Baptism and one Lord Testimony is given and against all feigned Faiths the works of men's hands the which are in wickedness by which the Just was slain And concerning that head of the Beast which is branched out into several Horns in feigned Humility and Will-worship intruding into things which they are not led into by the Light of God's holy Spirit and therefore their Foundation being not from a certain knowledge of the immediate works of God's holy and blessed Spirit in them But are in their own willings and running into Imaginations and Conceivings about the Practices of the holy men of God but being out of their Spirit and Works therein what dark works of plungings and dippings in outward Water and imaginary fellowships in outward Elements but being out of a true sense of the works of God's Spirit and its inspiration to enlighten them and give them an understanding of the Times and Seasons of the Dispensations and Works of the mighty God what strangers are they to the New Birth and the one Baptism of Christ with Fire and the holy Spirit to burn and consume Lusts and so to bring down every high Thought and vain Imagination under his Feet who is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World And so by that one pure holy Spirit of God are many baptized into one Body where God's will is done on Earth by him that abides forever So not by the works of man is any saved but by the merciful works of God in his Son by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Spirit So into this pure holy Name must all be baptized dipped plunged the which tends to the bringing out of all false Fellowships into that one and only Pure Fellowship to walk in the Light of the Lord where the Blood of Christ cleanses from all sin A pure Baptism indeed a pure Washing in a pure Fountain where filthiness that is within man comes to be washed away and thereby way is made for the comfortable fresh springs that rise from the Fountain of Love and Mercies the Substance of which many outward things are shadows but the good thing it self is come glory to God on high Heb. 9.9 10. So to this blessed work who must increase his Testimony is given and against all the works of men's hands the which tend to the making void thereof So the Fountain of God stands sure and must do forever and all false foundations whereon people have built must be swept away for evermore THe blessed and unspotted Foundation the mighty God of Heaven and Earth hath laid which is Christ or Vnction from the holy God by the Light and Teaching of which mankind comes to be inspired with an understanding concerning things that disser even that which is precious and wholsome so good for Food for every Soul and that which is vile and filthy which tends to the defiling and bringing Souls into bondage And so John in his 1 Epist 2.20 saith unto the then Believers who had received this Heavenly Gift But ye have an Vnction from the holy One and ye know all things Herein was and is God's Love in his Son manifested to the World to destroy his works who hath led mankind into Darkness and so through man's obedience in following and believing in these blessed and unspotted works of God in his Son the enmity comes to be slain that separates mankind from God and so the blessed works of God in his Son reconciling and bringing back them who have been lost by wandering and roving in their own willings and runnings in this cloudy and dark night they come to be seen felt and enjoyed by them who were and are partakers thereof even of God's works in his Son by which the eye of the understanding comes to be opened and so the offensive eye that is offended at God's works comes to be put out And thus the Light and Understanding of that pure Life comes to be known the which hath been as a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the world of wickedness by the subtilty of the Serpent in mans heart And now to the praise and honour of God Almighty who hath drawn thousands by the strivings of the grace of his holy Spirit to the knowledge of his way Christ the Truth Way and Life the which is without spot and blemish the same pure holy and unchangeable Way and Foundation on which the holy men of God were built in Ages and Generations past Ephes 2.20 and are built upon the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being
the chief Corner-Stone So here was the Primitive Christians Foundation from whence proceeded and proceeds Heavenly blessed and gracious words from the true sense and feeling of the operation and powerful works of God's holy and blessed Spirit And from this holy uncorruptible pure Foundation and way of God were all true Ministers and Teachers of others raised from the blessed operation of the Spirit of Truth in themselves whereby they had and have the Will and Mind of God unto People though not all in the same measure or degree But every one being faithful to his own measure of knowledge is therein a Minister of the universal love of God in his Eternal Spirit unto the World So here lyes the difference between true Teaching and Teachers and false The true Teaching being the anointing of God's holy Spirit and Power wherewith mankind being anointed and taught of God and according to God's blessed will therein in a cross to his own Carnal Will and Affections speaking forth and delivering the Truth unto people as it is in Jesus Lord of all in whom the Peace is and from whom Peace is proclaimed under those Conditions and Qualifications as it pleases him to make and tender who is Lord of all The false Teaching is that Spirit of Iniquity the old Deceiver of the World the Serpent that worked and wrought under a Mystery subjecting mankind unto his will under a vain hope through which he beguiled him at first drawing out a Compliance of his Will unto his delusions and so to transgress the blessed commands of his Maker through which yielding of mankind unto the Serpent's Counsel they became Transgressors of God's holy Law and Covenant and for that cause was drove from God's Presence and then Fear entered and Trouble and Sorrow entered by man's yielding to the Traytor by which means he partook of the Nature of his Cursed works and being thus drove out of the Garden of Eden the Lord placed a Flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life And now the same Mystery of wickedness by which mankind was drawn into Transgression the same spiritual wickedness got in a high place above the pure Seed of God in man there keeps mankind in bondage to his will under many fair and specious hopes That though sin and transgression the cause of death be not finished in them yet deliverance shall be had by the manifestation and works of the Seed without them So here mankind being Imbondaged by these corruptible works under the dark power of the enemy from whence arises all corruptible ways man being gone from the uprightness in which he was created goes now abroad hunting about in his Inventions and Conceivings being led about by this Thievish Spirit which first drew his mind from the will of God and so in this is climing up and down every way but the right door and so being in this Earthly wisdom from below by Arts and Trades set a teaching of their Imaginations and Conceivings concerning the holy works without and so here lay down Foundations under Confessions and Professions of good works and gracious words without and thereby keep the Serpent's works of transgression and sin alive within and here the false Teachers under several covers of Confessions and Professions in the spirit of Antichrist set up And so here being tossed up and down in floods of Inventions from thence their shameful works are cast up in the old World of transgression and sin where these false Teachers are so rivited the works of the Enemy being become so natural unto them by reason of the continuance of time in transgression and sin that thereby they are now become impudent and bold even to dare to plead for the Serpent's works sin for term of life taking it for delusion and high presumption for any to speak to the contrary And so here false Teachers being raised from the works of the enemy moving in the Earthly wisdom for Earthly things being propt and bolstered up through vain glory praise of men and weighty Pounds many Nobles and special Marks with abundance of Crowns and frequent appearances of Angels in and by which they are so oyled that their Tongues run at their own Wills and Lusts by fair Speeches of other mens Lines and Works with which ignoront simple people being taken have so fed and oyled the Wheels of these Trades-men the which hath set them up so strong that they make all the defence they can to strengthen themselves and their Clients in the old World of sin and Iniquity And so these false Teachers having put darkness for light and light for darkness what strong Pillars and props they are grown under the Devil's Kingdom and power of darkness under several heads more that might be mentioned being derived from one beastly power from whence is risen several Heads and so branched out in several Horns the which are pushing every way against the Horn of God's Anointing the power and strength of the effectual and blessed Teachings of his holy and blessed Spirit the door and way by which all must enter that come to be truly satisfied with God's righteousness Christ the same Seed promised in the beginning to bruise the Serpent's Head the effectual works and power of which according to God's good pleasure was and is manifest in the World So to the praise and honour of God's holy works many can say Peace from him that is and was and is to come Jesus Lord of all who delivers his people from their sins the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World through which powerful and blessed works of mercy and Peace is extended to all mankind without respect of persons upon Earth So blessed are they that fear God and are found out of their own willings and running in their perverse and crooked nature in a true submission and obedience to the righteous works of God's righteous holy Spirit the true Christian Spirit that Christianity may flourish again and that Heathenism and Paganism under that name Christian may be subdued and vanish away and Jesus Lord of all exalted in the hearts and minds of people over all his enemies Then shall the Nations flourish and yield Fruit in Season to the praise and honour of God forever ANd now all you Merchants of Babylon Howl and Cry Alas alas What! all these precious Trades whereby we have gotten so much Gain must they all down Where be all our Mountains and Rocks that have been so long a making up by all our Fellow-Tradesmen by Arts and Inventions in Professions and Confessions of good works and words without through Ages and Generations past Will none of these Mountains and Rocks cover and hide us from the great wrath of the Lamb What must we now bow to his righteous works who takes away the sins of the World or else will ye grant us no Peace Alas alas what clothing in Scarlet and and Purple and Fine Linnen of Egypt
God And now after all the spoil that hath been made on the Goods and Persons of an innocent people many of whose bloods have been shed in your Streets witness Horsly-down meeting After all this the matter of Fact which the Innocent people called Quakers have been accused of it hath not at all been prov'd against them neither hath there been any cause of a ground given to suspect their Meetings to be any wayes tending to Sedition c. They have been alwayes peaceable on their parts and therein the peace and well-being of all hath been sought When you are awakered and the Book opened wherein your wickedness is recorded then will the Meetings of the People called Quakers appear unto you as aforesaid And so all you who are wondering at a peoples standing still in Silence to wait upon the Living God to receive Counsel of him that by the same they may be guided in the way and path of Life would it not be good if all would do the same And not run forward in Satans Counsels in envy hatred and malice till you come to be bitten and devoured one of and by another What is it the near to have the names of Christians when there is none of Christs Spirit or Nature in you Be not deceived the Living God will not be mocked though in his tender mercy he hath yet spared many Vials of wrath and hath not poured them forth but instead thereof he hath caused many to go out in dread and fear to testifie of his good will upon repentance and amendment of life but that love having been slighted the contrary will come heavy at last and then your courage and valour which you have exercised against an innocent people that will fail you and fear and trembling and amzement that will seize upon you Brambles and Thornes whose nature is to Tear and Rend cannot stand against a consuming Fire Come hearken all that have a Finger in this Dish have you not betrayed your Master are you not called Christians and should not Christians have all one Master Did not the name of Christian come by him who is Master of all and hath all power in Heaven and Earth and was it not given to them who came out of the Heathenish nature who came under the power which was manifest to destroy the works of the Devil and the nature of the Devil's power which is to Rend Tear and Devour coming in Troops as he did upon Jobs Goods in Troops of Caldeans and Bands and Troops of Sabeans So have not you who are in the same works now as the Sabeans and Caldeans were then in spoiling the Goods of Innocent men who love that which is Evil have you not betrayed your Lord and Master having given your selves up to serve a wicked Ruler he that is Prince of the power of darkness who hath his rule in his Servants who are departed from their obedience to him who is Lord and Master of all and ought to be served and feared by all since there is no blessing nor any thing that is good but what is of him and from him who created all and upholds all who is Lord of all blessed for ever Come be awakened and hearken where do you find by the example or Doctrine of Christ Jesus who is Lord of all and hath all power in Heaven and Earth or do you read of any such works afore-mentioned done by him or his Followers No no you have betrayed him who call him Lord and yet live in such works of malice and revenge he taught and teaches quite contrary even to learn of him who is meek and lowly in heart admonishing all to love one another and to do good for evil and to love enemies who dwell with them that are of a contrite and humble spirit who teaches the humble and meek and who washeth and cleanseth his Followers from their filth as in dayes past so to day and for ever Oh you betrayers of him who have rendred him a hard Master in that you deny him for he is righteous just and true and gives power to them that receive him and obey him patiently to bear the reproaches of the wicked and to undergo their cruel mockings and scoffings and spoilings till his pleasure is to plead the cause of the Innocent who have no Arm of Flesh nor Carnal weapon but their trust is in him who is Lord of all unto whom all Tongues must confess and every Knee must bow though for a while the wicked with their Ruler the Devil may be loose he must be chained at last and cast into the Lake of Fire where their part and portion will be who continue serving him a sad Bargain So all you betrayers of the just holy principle of Light and Life in your hearts be awakened come see what a Dream you have been in and what Dreamers you have followed who are out of the way of the Lord and yet for lucre sake by art and policy keep people confessing they are out of the way of the Lord perswading it s not to be found or as if there were no such thing Oh be awakened and see what a Dream you are in and what silly Dreamers these are who have put from them Christ the way of Truth and the Life by which all that ever come to God it must be by him whom many have found so cannot but confess him before men there being no other way out of Evil and which brings and leads to peace this is a perfect way and tryed way into which no unclean person nor envious person can come into he must forsake his Envy and uncleanness and all the Devils works if ever he comes there Come don't stop your Ears and shut your Eyes it will be all in vain for he that is Lord Master and Creator of all sees and beholds all you can hide nothing from him and he will call you to an account then what can the betrayers say Oh you whose dayes are not quite over consider what you are a doing and what you are a treasuring up malice envy and hatred are from a rupt root and ground which is cursing Come be awakened cease to do evil then learn to do well if happily you may obtain mercy restore the pledge and repent Keep nothing back that hath been taken by violence Be awakened and see how filthy your hands are through Malice and Cruelty which hath brought a filthy smell and curse upon your Estates a sad portion for your Children for their Fathers to die with their Estates entailed in the Curse the which can never be removed from Father or Child till the cause of the Curse be repented of and done away and so the hands wasted in innocency until which time every one shall bear his own iniquity because of the accursed thing that is in their hands So out of love to Truth and good will to all is this written whatever construction you may make thereof into whose hands
and so worship in vain and by their Traditions and vain Customs they have excluded that Worship in Spirit and Truth the which Christ Jesus set up therefore we do deny them XI Whereas the man-made Ministers now adayes do make that their Plea for their Persecution and wickedness they have a Law so said their fore-Fathers the Scribes Pharisees and Chief Priests who Crucified Christ they said they had a Law and what Persecutors about Religion since Cain had not some seeming pretence and covering though indeed these in this generation do excel in rare Arts and Coverings to hide their wicked bloody Spirit of Persecution under but he is risen and come that sees through them and teaches his Followers of them and therefore we do deny them XII And we do commend the Reader for his full and compleat satisfaction about the ground and setting â—p of Tythes since the Gospel-dayes unto a Book Entituled The Great Case of Tythes Revived by Francis Howgil who dyed a Prisoner for the Testimony of Jesus in that Book are all Reasonable Objections clearly answered and there is clearly shewen what a dark night of Apostacy was over people when Tythes were set up by a Law and how many hundred years it was after Christ before that gross Ignorance was ushered in in making Laws to Prosecute and compel about Tythes And unto all we do signifie That we have hopes in our Lord and Master Christ Jesus our Saviour that he will maintain us by his Grace and supply us out of his fulness of Wisdom and Power to live godly soberly and righteously in this present life giving no just Gause of Offence to any but in all things to live an innocent harmless life keeping our Conscience void of Offence both before God and all men And if any that may be among us and profess to own our Principle should do otherwise then right and just let none be so rish as to condemn our just Principle or those that live in it because of the unfaithfulness of some that may make some Profession of it and not live up to it And we do pray for all in Authority that the Lord of Heaven and Earth man pour out his Spirit of Judgment and Wisdom upon them that they may be opened and that the Nobility of their Vnderstandings may be cleared from Darkness and Error that they may discern between the Precious and the Vile and that they may be for the Punishment of them that do Evil and for the Praise of them that do well The 6th of the 1st Month 1676 Wholsome Advice AND INFORMATION In TRUE LOVE to all called CHRISTIANS To provoke them to the Royal Law of Love as it is in Jesus and to the Blessed and Effectual WORKS therein THe Lord of Heaven and Earth who by his great power and wisdom did Create all things good who in the beginning gave unto mankind Dominion over the Earth and God blessed them and said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth and subdue it and have Dominion over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowl of the Air and every Living thing that moveth upon the Earth And the works of the Lord were all good and are all good savoury pleasant being ordered by his universal power and wisdom by which they were created But mankind being fallen from the sense thereof they have formed and fashioned many Inventions in their minds being captivated under the enemy's power of Darkness wherein they are become corrupt and unsavoury having lost their Dominion instead of subduing the Earth they have let the Earth over them and being become Earthly-minded the things that move upon the Earth have Dominion over them and thus being captivated under the enemy's dark power set the enemy's dark power above the power and wisdom of God Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever by whom all things were created who is Heir of all by whose Power Life and Immortality is brought to Light glory be to him for ever But people being imbondaged and corrupted they are become such slaves thereunto and in such a ground of Infidelity that they cannot so much as believe in God's power and wisdom which is manifested to create again into its own primitive savoury holy Life in Dominion over the Earth but in the State of Infidelity mankind being plunged with their narrow spirits they go about to measure the things of God and in their fallen Earthly wisdom to weigh things of Eternity and being confounded in their works what variety of coverings do people get to cover their shame in all parts of the World as well as in Christendom so call'd where indeed they do greatly excel other Nations in curious Arts to make coverings to hide their great shame a miserable Trade but very costly in in this Nation And forasmuch as the love of God hath been and is largely manifested through which many have been and are redeemed from that great folly and madness in that vain travail and labour in joyning with those Arts-men of the Times who spend their dayes and consume abundance of Treasure in making false coverings to cover their shame out of which confusion many being redeemed who are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ's beautiful Garment and are comely in his sight who is Lord of Heaven and Earth before whom every Creature is manifest and because such cannot run with them in the same Excess of Riot and pay towards the Maintenance of those Sottish Arts-men what a wonder they make of it and cry to the Magistrates for help to punish the Innocent people for keeping their Consciences void of offence both towards God and man What Imprisoning even many to Death and Spoiling Tearing and Rending of Goods seeking thereby the destruction and ruin of many thousands of industrious laborious Families A practice not so common amongst the very Turks among whom I having lived I did observe something of their Behaviours to the Christians and Jews that live amongst them and one unto another and in many common Civilities which are called moral in which they seemed to exceed many who are called Christians in Christendom the Christians that live amongst them of several Opinions agreeing together in outward concerns do enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences in their several ways of Worship and the Jews have the same freedom the Jews observing the Seventh day and are quiet and the Christians the First day and are not disturbed and the Turks observe the Sixth day and I did not perceive any Penalties inflicted either on Christians or Jews for worshipping of God as they suppose they should but they do live quietly and peaceably one with another in these Concerns And concerning the Turks Moderation in permitting the Christians so quietly to enjoy their several perswasion in Religious matters I made some Inquiry What reason they could give for the same and thus answer was returned me thus saith Turk In case we should go about to
as they did are in the same state of Hypocrisie and under the same sentence of dreadful wo and misery Therefore I beseech you to consider what state or condition you are in and don 't go about to exalt your selves in wisdom above what is written but take notice what Christ said Luke 17. For behold the Kingdom of God is within you These are plain and true words a wiser then he that spoke them never was nor ever shall be Indeed it 's very great presumption for any to exalt a wisdom above his and to set at naught his blessed counsel in so great and weighty a concern And for further proof of the necessity of bowing to that of God in you observe also further what Christ said But whosoever drinketh of the water I shall give him Joh. 4.14 shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life See how plain and evident are the Testimonies in Scripture unto that which is pure and holy of God within It must needs also be as plain and evident that those who do oppose the way to the knowledge thereof are real opposers of that love and mercy of God testified unto by the moving of Gods holy spirit as recorded in the Scriptures Indeed that is a very sad state and miserable will be the end of 〈◊〉 who live and dye in it Therefore be admonished to take heed to the Light of Christ within thee â—â—â—ch is a blessed leader proved 〈…〉 thousandâ— who are living 〈…〉 of it s blessed leading them that are led â—nd guided by it out of that which would harm them anâ— a blessed Commander he is who gives power to them that receive him tâ—â—k up his Commandments the which are no way grievous and in the doing thereof there is great peace as said David Psal 119.165 Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them The Law is pure holy and good and to be taken heed unto in the heart Jâ—r 31.33 Come come to the pure principle of God within or else you can never know the Truth and its freedom not the will of God signified through the Truth under what denomination soever the end and tondency of Gods love thereby being that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved to which end none can come but as they take heed to the blessed motions of Gods holy Spirit in them Cease therefore your vain labour and hard travail under that slavish servitude where the prince of the power of the Air ruleth them who doth despite unto the Spirit of Truth and he blinds and darkens the minds of people so that unto them he makes darkness seem as light and light seem as darkness and so he instructs his Vassells and Slaves to call light darkness Isa 5.20 and darkness light evil he calls good and good evil and thus in and through his dark works he brings people and keeps them under wo and misery Oh that people would fear the Lord and depart from evil and wait upon the Lord in the leadings and guidings of his good Spirit in them the which will draw them unto the knowledge of Christ in them the hope of Glory even unto Christ the way truth and life the same yesterday to day and for ever the resurrection and the life the first born of every creature who said Search or ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternal life John 5. and they are they that testifie of me And ye will not come to me that ye might have life of me It is very plain and evident by what hath been said and may be said That except people come unto Christ the power and wisdom of God to all that believe they cannot see life but the wrath of God abide on them and being dead in trespasses and sins under condemnation and the wages of sin which is death In this state what ever high talk and profession may be made from what may be read in the Scriptures of Truth of the Heavenly gift which is Life Eternal this will but add to their condemnation who do put Christ at a distance far from them and will not receive him in his spiritual appearance but do despite to his Spirit of Grace in quenching and grieving the motions thereof Such prophane unprofitable talkers are real opposers of the Spirits Testimony the which testifies of Christ Vnto whom all must come that do receive Eternal Life even unto his quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven And wait to feel his power to raise out of the ways of death and destruction and to translate them by the blessed work of regeneration and conversion into the way of life and peace This is the work of the Spirit and not of the Letter For the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Mind It is not the Letter and Testimony of the Law written which effects this blessed work in giving life â—â—â—ut that holy and blessed Spirit of â—â—â—e in Christ Jesus which sets free from sin and death The which Law of the Spirit is testified of and born witness unto by the Letter and Testimony of the Law and Prophets and the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Jesus Therefore I do in the moving of the Spirit of Truth according to my measure therein exhort and perswade all to take heed unto the manifestation of Gods holy Spirit in them for the opening the eye of your understanding in those weighty coâ—â—â—â—ns of everlasting life as testified of through the Scriptures of Truth And that the Scriptures may Be set in their right places and the honour which is due unto the Lord of Heavâ—n 〈◊〉 earth may be given unto him who hath powerover all flesh and gives Eternal Life to all that are freely given up to him and with whom he is well pleased and doth accept As it is written My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me John 10.27 28. and I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Oh be admonished to leave oâ—â— giving private Interpretations of the Prophesies the Seriptures and bow to the universal love and mercy of God in the moving of his Spirit of Truto that thereby you may be led and guided into all Truth And for your sakes who desire that Truth and Righteousness may 〈◊〉 place in the Earth again for your clearer Information take notice it is written He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Joh. 3.8 for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Now observe what a sad condition they are in who through unbelief and hard heartedness in resisting the spiritual appearance of the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven in which works of darkness do draw such
a vail of gross darkness over them that they cannot so much as see to the beginning of that blessed work and redemption from under the enemies power of darkness in sin and corruption The which blessed works of redemption was is and is to be wrought by the manifestation of Gods great love to World in his Son but people being darkened and their minds and understandings blinded through the God of this World they do in this dark and sad condition plead and contend for sin the which is the Devils work the which through darkness they conclude must continue for term of Life Now mind he that committeth sin is of the Devil and therefore this Doctrine of pleading for sin must also be of the Devil sin being the Devils work those works of pleading for sin must also be the Devils And thus through gross darkness and great and horrid Ignorance are the works of the Devil the grand adversary and enemy of Souls exalted above the blessed works of Christ Jesus who was and is manifest to destroy the Devils works Even the Son of Gods love Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever And these works of God in and through the manifestation of the Son his love unto all mankind are in every degree righteous perfect holy and pure forever and herein is his power dominion and glory seen felt and clearly understood by them who are his workmanship created again unto good works the which he hath ordained and appointed for mankind to live and walk in And by and through them is his power dominion and glory confessed unto and set above all and over all the enemies works and power of darkness as it was in the Primitive time by them in whom the Spirit of the Lord had place to live and move in and in the blessed motions thereof were those blessed Testimonies in Scripture given forth wherein is shewed his great love to the World in the manifestation of his power and wisdom in flesh to destroy the Devils works And by the same blessed Gospel through which the righteousness of God was then revealed by the preaching of the same Gospel is now the righteousness of God revealed and confessed too by them who are raised by the same power to be the living witnesses thereof And to that same power and wisdom by which the Devils works are destroyed and destroying in these last dayes is Confession made by them who are raised in some measure unto the knowledge thereof and by the same power and wisdom is Testimony given against the Spirit of Antichrist the which came in in the Apostles dayes Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 as said the Apostle from such such turn away Now take notice that it was by this Spirit of Antichrist That the false Teachers were set up and maintained by whom the damnable Heresies came in 2 Pet. 2. in denying the Lord that bought them by whose pernicious wayes the way of Truth hath been and is evil spoken of In all the Congregations and Assembles of unbelievers where the beast with his many Heads and Horns doth exercise his power and Antichrists Spirit is head Leader and Commander There this damnable Heresie is maintained that no more of the Revelation of Gods holy Spitit is to be known now adayes say they Revelations are ceased and they look upon it to be presumption and of a dangerous consequence for any to speak or testifie of what the Spirit of the Lord reveals and makes known now adayes or for any to expect new Revelations now adayes Oh damnable Heresie what people that have but the least glimmering of the things of God would give away their reason and understanding therein and maintain such false Preachers by whom these damnable Heresies is maintained this is the work of a subtil enemy unto whom people being joyned do betray the light and understanding the which in some degree or measure at some time or season through the striving of Gods holy Spirit they have or may be inlightned withall in the things that concern their everlasting peace and well-being in that world which is without end For as much as the good Spirit reaches to all that they may profit in their perverting their understanding therein and not profiting thereby will be no good answer in the day of account when the faithful and true witness will rise up against them testifying unto what they have had and how they have betrayed it if a Talent or Talents are hid in the Earth the Earth then shall not be able to conceal it but the hidden things must be brought to light and every one will be rewarded according to the Deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil It will be a shame to say then my sins and iniquities were not manifest unto me by the Spirit of Truth and so think to hide them and cover them with lying excuses saying it was a natural Light or as some have called it a Devil Thus mankind being darkened by the enemy the man of sin He now exalts himself above all that is called Gods 2 Thes 2.3 4. and sits and judges the motions of Gods holy Spirit to be delusions or insufficient to lead and guide out of evil accounting that Religion good enough that can talk of what is recorded in Scripture how the Primitive Christians were moved and acted by Gods holy Spirit But saith this man of sin to expect new Revelations now adayes this is dangerous Revelations are ceased the operation of Gods Spirit is not to be known now adayes and thus the man of sin brings a fear upon all his vassals and subjects that they dare not own the Spirit of Truth as manisested in them to lead and guide them into all Truth though Christ Jesus did bear witness to it and did commend it unto the world Even that Spirit of Truth which reproves the World of sin c. But the man of sin teaches his Subjects to deny the sufficiency thereof and fears them and keeps them in such subjection that they must not so much as confess to the sufficiency thereof Now believe in it saith the man of sin the Scripture is the only rule of life and in this belief he keeps them who are only professors thereof under his strong delusions in many Sects and Opinions wrangling and scolding about their coverings one Sect of Professors of what holy Lives and blessed Conversations the Saints and Servants of the Lord of Heaven and Earth lived by the guidance of his holy Spirit in the Primitive time This Sect cryes my dress my covering is the fairest and best another Sect cryes down that dress and covering and sets up another dress and covering and what abundance of these Sects there be let the wise Judge who live under the wo and misery as is written Wo to the rebellious Children Isa 30.1 saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me and that
cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin And as Peter said of the salse Teachers Having eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 beguiling unstable Souls an heart they have exercised with covetous Practices cursed Children And as Jude in his Epistle said of them who was then departed from the Faith and blessed works of the holy Spirit so it may be as truly said of these These be they who seperate themselves sensual having not the Spirit But these speak evil of those things which they know not but what they know naturally as bruit beasts And being thus corrupted and exalted live above the pure fear of the Lord they in this exaltedness pervert and wrest the Scriptures to bend them to their corrupt wills and imaginations They do in the dark works of the man of sin give their private Interpretations of the Prophesies in Scripture and in a mystery of iniquity they speak evil of the motions of Gods holy spirit in which blessed motions those blessed Prophesies were given forth and cannot be understood but by the blessed operation and moving of the same blessed spirit but the moving of this blessed spirit being mocked at by Hagar's brood that Birth after the flesh which gendereth to bondage this brood in their several Sects do exalt the mystery of iniquity and spiritual wickedness in high places and under this mystery conclusions are made that Christ who suffered by wicked hands hath done all for them and that their sins are forgiven in what he did and suffered without them and their Confessions and Professions to this purpose they look upon to be sound and good Religion though sin and iniquity they live in and plead for it for term of Life But let all the wise in heart who have not so far betrayed their reason and understanding in the things of God but that some little glimmering and descerning they have thereof Consider and judge whether the man of sin be not the Author of that Religion and whether such dark works have not a tendancy of overthrowing the true purpose and intent of all the holy mens Testimonies given forth by the moving of Gods holy spirit as recorded in the Scriptures Much might be written concerning these workers in the works of darkness but I give but some brief hints thereof and leave the wise in heart to Judge And I do ask this question whether in case the Motions Operations Revelations and Inspirations of Gods holy spirit of Truth have not the leading and guiding of peoples hearts and minds in their conversations and all their ways and works where this is denyed Whether then doth not a spirit of error and falshood deceit and hypocrisie lead instead thereof Indeed misery and miserable will be the end of all those who do persist and go on under the cover of the Antichristian spirit to oppose the great love of God in the manifestation of the Son of his love who both was and is manifest to destroy the Devils works And in this glorious manifestation of Gods spirit of grace light power and wisdom is the Lord of Heaven and Earth at work this time and season to create again and redeem mankind out of the fall death and curse and is pouring out of his blessed spirit upon all flesh as was Prophesied of through the moving of Gods holy spirit in old time by the Prophet Joel 2.28 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see Visions and also upon the Servants and upon the Handmaids in those dayes will I pour out my Spirit Now Hagars brood do object and say that this was fulfilled in the primitive Christians days but now it is ceased c. Answer That the spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the primitive Christians who believed and waited in the manifestation thereof that is evident to all who read what blessed Lives they lived and boly examples they were in their day and generation And they were built upon the foundation of the holy Prophets and Apostles and this was the spirit of Christ as you may read 1 Pet. 1.10 11. The Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow It was by the moving of the spirit of Christ in the Prophets who prophesied of the grace that should come This spirit of Christ in them was their foundation on which they built and from whence they had those blessed Revelations and Visions of that great salvation the which through the pouring out of the same blessed spirit of Christ upon all flesh should come And those who denyed themselves and took up the Cross and followed Christs blessed example even in his great humiliation and patience they were witnesses of the fulfilling of those blessed Prophesies And the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans saith plainly Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. Let all take notice that it is alone by the spirit of Christ that any can be truly said to be followers of Christ and so true Christians as being baptized by this one spirit into one body out of the many Sects And all them who were possessers and injoyers of Christs Spirit In them was fulfilled the Prophesy so far as they were partakers of the spirit thereof But unto what a degree of gross darkness are people plunged into through a great night of Apostasie where conclusions are made that the Operation Revelation and Inspiration of this Spirit of Christ is ceased now adays They may as well say Christ hath now adays no followers therefore none are true Christians the many Sects and Opinions have gotten varieties of Baptisms but all out of the Spirit of Christ That is ceast they say now adays the operation and work thereof was fulfill'd in the primitive dayes Now every one to his private Interpretations and build some Babel the Nations are now become as waters and the Whore with her Golden Cup of Sorceries rids over all and the Nations have drunk of her Cup of Fornications and are made so drunk therewith that they see no need of the Revelation of Christ's Spirit now adays Their Mother Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots she instructs her brood of Children to kindle fires of Confession and Profession without true Faith and Obedience of what blessed Testimonies are left upon record and to warm themselves by the sparks of their fire and to cover themselves with the Harlots Attire even their own self-righteousness in seigned Faiths and feigned Humilities in feigned Worships and feigned Beliefs having denyed the sufficiency of the Arm and Power of God now adays and the Sanctification Wisdom Righteousness and Redemption of Christ Jesus now adays contenting themselves
with Profession and Confession of Christ Jesus that he was made Righteousness Wisdom and Sanctification and Redemption to them that believed in the Primitive time by the pouring out of his blessed Spirit then the Arm of the Lord was revealed and the power of the Lord did redeem people from under the enemies power and the Faith of Gods Elect was then very precious And the power of Christ Jesus who hath power over all flesh that then was the higher power and people did then bow under it and confessed him before men then indeed Christs Doctrine and Commands taught and received and his precious blood confessed unto by them that were witnesses thereunto who through the vertue and sufficiency were redeemed from under the man of sin's power and so cleansed from the filthy Garments of sin Then indeed the Lord had a people the which were his purchased possession being sanctified throughout in Soul Body and Spirit by the pouring out and renewings of Christs holy Spirit They were not their own being purchased and bought with a price they all confessed unto the Lord that had bought them and all the true Preachers of righteousness they preacht up then the sufficiency of the Blood of the Lamb and the uncorruptable word of life and laboured and travelled for the forming of Christ in the Believers that they might present them perfect in Christ Jesus All this saith the Seed of the bond-woman where Mistery Babylon hath her brood we cannot deny but that the state and condition of the Primitive Christians were as aforesaid But they may say if they will speak the Truth our Mother Mistery Babylon hath taught us another Lesson now adays Alas for you our fore-Fathers Demas and the Antichristian Spirit that led abundance from among the true Christians many in the Antichristian Spirit went out and imbraced this World and in the Wisdom thereof the God of the World blinded our our Fore-fathers Minds and then the Gospel was hid and in the Apostacy we grew being inwardly ravened from the Spirit of Christ we lost the sense of the sufficiency of the power thereof Then the Spirit of Antichrist that led and became head and the Beast and false Prophet with many Heads and Horns some like a Lamb having received power from the Dragon became in time such a great head and mountain that they made War with the true Woman and her Seed and cast out floods of ungodliness against that Birth and Seed that was conceived by the free Woman and in such a degree the Beast prevailed that he proclaimed open War saying who is able to make War with the Beast Thus the Seed of the bond Woman who are conceived and brought forth out of the Womb of Mistery Babylon may truly say the Arm of flesh is now accounted for the higher power and we teach for Doctrine the Commands of Men our Mother hath trained us up and taught us to deny the power of the Lord to be the higher power and to deny the infallible teachings of the Grace of Gods Spirit and to deny the Operation and Revelation and Inspiration of Gods holy Spirit now a dayes and to say that is ceased now adayes And now we can live bravely in the Lusts of our own eyes and in the Lust of our own flesh and in the Pride of Life under many Fair Coverings that our Mother hath made us having cast off Christs Yoak we are now at liberty in the flesh to use our Tongues in our own wills and pleasures the Beast and false Prophet hath purchased this liberty for us and our Mother sits as Queen and saith we shall see no sorrow It is service good enough now adayes to be high talkers of the holy mens words and works and to set them up for Teachers who have an Art and subtilty to please men best with their good Words and fair Speeches As for the universal Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus and his blessed Office to fit and prepare for the blessed Ministery Our Mother Mistery Babylon hath taught us to deny the sufficiency thereof and to set up Universities and Schools to make Ministers by and let them be as graceless as they will so they be Witty and Learned and can talk Learnedly of the good words and Testimonies that proceeded from the moving of Gods Spirit through Fisher-men Shepheards and Herds-men and the like If they can by their floods of Eloquence and high flown Doctrines and Speeches under fair shews of Confession and Profession of some things that have been done and of some things that should be done and yet leave all undone and stop the very motions of the Spirit of Truth by and in which alone every thing that is good is done and without it we can do nothing that 's good and acceptable and well pleasing to God We the Children of Mistery Babylon may say if our Preachers and Teachers do so well apply themselves to Learning and get such curious Arts and Eloquence as to stop the motions of the Spirit of Truth now adays they do our Mothers work well and deserves good Incouragement some long Coats some short Coats some Shop-keepers and Trades a vast Revenew by the year some more some less according as we and our Merchants can agree And for this Trade and Merchandize we are beholding to the Beast and false Prophet who hath purchased this liberty for us to deny the Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration of the Spirit of Truth now adayes And so to give our private Interpretations of the holy Prophesies in Scripture and to make void the very end and tendency of the moving of Gods holy Spirit through holy men in giving forth the same Thus you may see the Fruit of your Doctrine you Seed of the bond Woman who are nourished and trained up by your Mother Mistery Babylon in whose Womb all the Treachery in Cruel Butchery hath been conceived and brought forth who have been so drunk with the Whores Cup of Sorceries that you have not spared to drink the Blood of the holy Prophets A postles and Saints and Martyrs of the living God and this is and hath been the fruits and effects of the motions of your own proud arrogant exalted spirits whereby you have disdained and mocked the very appearance of Gods holy Spirit of Truth and the Light thereof You have contemned and spoke slightly and evil of and all this have you done under a Mistery wherein in your drunken fits you have killed and spoiled the Servants of the living God and then wip't your Mouths like Sheep-biting Dogs and made the World believe that Worshipped the Beast that you had done some service for the Lord You are the Generation whom Christ spoke of Mat. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Fill up your measure that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth For of a Truth the good Husbandman the Lord of Heaven and Earth
is born of flesh is flesh so that which is born of the spirit is spirit and these two births are contrary for the birth of the flesh though it may speak great swelling words and tell of the victory of Christ and triumph in swelling words of his fame as in that Paper yet it being a worker of iniquity it must have that Sentence depart from me it can in no wise inherit the Kingdom of God though it may glory and say I have preached and done many things yet its product is but spiritual wickedness got in a high place which the indignation of the Lord is against so it must be cast out he that can receive it let him And thus much might be said as to the words in that Paper but to all Impartial readers this is sufficient to convince them that that Paper is none of the Gospels glory nor none of the Covenant of grace neither is the Covenant of grace at all there unfolded But it is a meer parcel of conceivings from the same imaginary spirit that uses to be Imployed about making of Ballads And so in true love to all unto whom this may come I counsel you to mind the fear of offending God that you may be made sensible of the blessed appearance of the grace of Gods holy Spirit that you may be received into the blessed Covenant thereof and therein be witness of its sufficiency in teaching what to deny and what to do this being the means ordained of God for the good of all and all that becomes sensible of the infallible teachings of the grace of God such will not wonder at Silent Meetings as many do who are out of the sense of Gods love therein many such grow despisers and wonder and cannot believe the effectual works of the grace of Gods holy Spirit though in the demonstration and power thereof they be declared and published from time to time And I wish all to take heed of being exalted through vain glory in fleshly works the which are attended with sorrow and misery and will bring all them that rest there to the end but in the Lord is everlasting glory And mind the saying of the Apostle to the Ephesians But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath he quickned us together with Christ by grace yea are saved So mind the blessed teachings of the grace of God which is pure holy and perfect in every degree and this the mark which all should set before them as they expect to run well in their Heavenly race and obtain the blessed peace of God to their Souls which is the will of God and in the knowledge thereof I give this Testimony who am what I am by Cods Grace and therein a well wisher to all who are truly seeking after the knowledge of Cod in which love I rest Stephen Smith The 11th day of the 11th Month 1674. A Testimony to the way of Truth and Life with seasonable Exhortations thereunto THat which hath been of low degree and little esteem with mankind now is the Lord God exalting and will exalt and set over all the blessed Way Truth and Life Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever the blessed way of the Lord opened unto the wise in heat but ever was and is a mistery shut and hid from the wicked the Vultures eye hath not seen it nor the unclean cannot enter into it but a Fountain is opened praise to the Lord for ever to wash and to cleanse from sin and iniquity and so to sift and prepare for the way of Truth and Life Blessed are they who trust in the Lord and keep their minds stayed upon the blessed manifestation of his light and love and mercy unto them therein with their eye single unto the Lord whose blessed springs of life and true refreshment will in the Lords time and season rise in the hearts of such to the great consolation and peace and rest of their Souls whom the Spirit of the Lord will guide unto the knowledge and understanding the pure and unchangable Religion which comes from above where the true Worship which Christ did and doth set up in the Spirit and Truth will be witnessed And this being possessed and enjoyed all the false Religions and Worships which are out of the way of Truth and Life will be discovered and keeping low in the silence of the earthly and sensual wisdom wisdom which is pure from above will be manifest and herein the works of the blessed day of the Lord will be seen who is working a reformation in the Earth in restoring the blessed language of Truth and setting up Truth and Righteousness and Mercy and Peace and bringing a people to a pure language to speak the Truth from the guidings and leadings of the Spirit of Truth which was Prophesied of That the Lord would power out of his Spirit upon all flesh Sons and Daughters And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Blessed are they who believe and trust in the Lord and patiently wait for the fulfilling of his promise for the Lord will assuredly stain the glorying of all the fleshly births and create and bring forth a spiritual birth unto which all his blessed promises are And the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Lords and his Christs and he shall reign for ever and he will exalt his everlasting Kingdom and of the increase of his Government there shall be no end This peaceable Kingdom of the Son of his love is in righteousness peace and joy in his holy Spirit whose Tabernacle is with men and the Ark and the Testimony and the Mercy Seat over all his works where he doth commune with them he takes pleasure in and makes known his good will and pleasure unto mankind who receiving freely communicates freely the good will and pleasure of the Lord here is the Wine and Milk without Money or Price And the Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come and he that heareth saith come and he that will come let him come and take of the water of life freely for a fountain is open where life manifests it self freely and the streams of Babylon are drying up where the Whore with her guilded Cup of Sorceries and Witchcraft hath sat a Cup of Wormwood and Gaul is filling to her and a Bed of Torment will be the portion of her Merchants and all that receive her mark and wear it on their forehead or in the hand So blessed are they who do escape out of Babylon and set their faces towards Zion the holy City where the substance is injoyed and that which was figured and typified in the Law and Covenant given forth in Mount Sinai in the Gospel in Mount Sion is possessed the blessed Law and Covenant in the Mind and in the Heart Christ in us the hope of Glory the Substance and herein that which
the Lord hath ordained for peace is witnessed and in and by this great Ordinance are all Ordinances necessary to Salvation clearly understood So blessed are they who cease from their own vain labour and works and believe and wait upon the Lord to partake of his glorious works to expel the clouds of darkness and to command his Light to shine out of it in the heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ here 's the pure powerful foundation which God hath laid for all mankind to believe in and build upon and all that labour in darkness to comprehend what the Light is it s all vain labour though Light doth shine in darkness yet darkness cannot comprehend it and Christ knew what he said when he said I am the Light of the World though the World through malice envy and prejudice are so corrupted and darkened that he is become unto them a stumbling stone and a rock of offence yet he is the Light of the World and doth light the Candle of the wicked but when the wicked are lighted and their wickedness manifest they often hate Light that makes manifest their wickedness and puts out the Candle and so adds sin to sin in getting covers to hide their transgression And to such the hands of the Lord is stretched out in the love and mercy to them but all gain-sayers of it do turn into vanity calling good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness they call light and herein they reject love and mercy and imbrace hatred and lay other foundations which the Lord hath not laid and so labour in vain and build in vain which are all for the fire and must be destroyed the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Oh that people would consider and be wise and not go on to provoke the Lord to shut them out into utter darkness for out of darkness people are invited to turn to the Light and from Satans power unto God that they may have a sense and knowledge of his love and mercy who gives remission of sins to them who truly and unfeignedly repent of them and forsake them approving themselves before him in so doing and imbraceth that love and mercy and good will therein and so watching and walking in his light there will be more light and understanding given of his way truth and life the which he is making known in the Earth and his Salvation among his people Therefore be admonished not to provoke him and harden your hearts against his reproofs for in so doing you will be more and more confounded and your bonds of corruption in darkness will be made stronger and when his good Spirit hath done striving and the light and councel thereof be taken from you then will you be left in utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth For of a Truth the Lord is risen in great power to break down all the pleasant pictures and likenesses which mankind in their corrupt wills and affection have made of Religions and Worships and through their dark immaginary works therein they have opposed the Lords making known the true Religion and the true Worship which Christ did and doth set up in his Spirit of Truth and is standing and remains firm and unchangeable And therefore in the bowels of love I admonish all you who are not come to a true sense and experience of the Lords good will and pleasure in making known his way Truth and Life but are in some tenderness in panting after the Lord for the knowledge of his good will and pleasure therein I desire you to be perswaded to consider whether you have believed in the Light that comes from him and leads to him and if you were true believers in God and in his Christ then you cannot deny the manifestation of love and light that comes from him for what is known of God is manifest in us he shews it unto Oh it s a good thing to wait upon the Lord in Truth with a single eye unto him who sits with light and understanding of his blessed way Truth and Life Christ that was before Abraham and was in the body which was prepared for him to do the will of his Father in which he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem by wicked hands and rose again and shewed himself unto many hundreds of witnesses and hath many thousand witnesses this day of his sufferings and resurrection who is the same yesterday to day and forever a mistery which is hid from the worldly wise and prudent who live in an exaltation above the pure holy manifestation of the Light of Gods holy Spirit and so neglecting the one thing necessary do live in the many things where offence to the just is given dayly and the movings of Gods good Spirit is grieved and quenched and then comparing themselves with themselves and measuring themselves by themselves they are not wise in heart and therefore are they shut out from the knowledge of the way of Truth and Life Therefore I do perswade all to wait low at wisdoms gate for the opening thereof that your hearts may be seasoned with grace and then that which hath been of low degree as to the esteem mankind hath had of it by the savour of Gods grace it will be beloved and esteemed and exalted and those dark immaginary works which hath been lets and hindrances of the knowledge of the Truth Way and Life they will be hated and disesteemed And things will be put in order by the true wisdom to the praise and honour of God and to the great peace and comfort of all the truly humble in heart And thus in a few plain words is this Testimony of Truth given forth for the Information of the truly breathing and thirsting Souls after the Way Truth and Life and the righteousness therein The which the Lord God Almighty exalt more and more unto the breaking forth of the day of his perfect love unto all them that seek him in Truth and with an upright heart Stephen Smith The 27th day of the 9th Month 1675. The LIFE OF CHRIST Which is the LIGHT of MEN Exalted above the WORKS of DARKNESS Being an Answer to a BOOK Intituled The Fundamental Error of the Quakers Detected By an Author who hath concealed his Name Herein is proved That men may not become Christians by following the Light within Rom. 1.18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them Printed in the Year 1678. An Answer to a Book Intituled The Foundamental Error of the Quakers detected Or That men do not become Christians by following the Light within without Outward Teaching c. THese are the works of the power of Darkness to render the Light of Christ Jesus of it self insufficient
to lead into Christianity wherein the Author of the Book hath sufficiently manifested his folly in undertaking to detect that for Error which is a fundamental Truth Indeed he hath made a bold attempt in his dark comprehension in going about to limit the leading of the Light of Christ Jesus which shews plainly that he is not acquainted with the way thereof and in adventuring to speak and to affirm things so confidently that he hath no knowledge of this bespeaks him to be a rash inconsiderate man But least we should know him like a Coward he hath concealed his Name And in our reasonable and faithful confidence in Christ the Way Truth and Life we cannot give such dark ignorant works better entertainment then they deserve and by giving of them their due entertainment according to Truth we have cause to believe the endeavors of such dark immaginary Spirits will grow weaker and weaker and the turning of things upside down as the Author of that Book and his Generation hath done will prove a miserable hard travel and labour that will end in great sorrow and trouble But to come to the business in as brief manner as may be that I may not be tedious to the unprejudiced Reader This short answer is recommended shewing the drift of that dark Spirit by answering only some particulars Such manner of work as this having been often answered by many worthy Servants of the Lord the which are faithful witnesses against all such dark works By the way let it be remembred 1. That we truly own the holy Scriptures and all true and effectual outward Teaching in their place as proceeding from the holy Spirit 2. That by the assistance of the same Spirit only the Scriptures c. are truly to be understood and be made profitable 3. This Spirit works immediatly in the understanding where ever outward means becomes effectul 4. Divine Light and Inspiration being all sufficient to teach immediatly it is not to be limited to outward means First to prove the sufficiency of the Light of Christ Jesus to lead into true Christianity either without outward teaching or by it The Lord God of Heaven and Earth be his glorious and powerful outgoings in the Light being not to be limited take two or three instances out of the Prophets concerning this blessed leader the Light of Christ within Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart and said David rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness The which many thousands do this day by the springing up of this ever blessed Light within even where outward Teaching is not and by the effectual working in its powerful operation in springing up out of darkness many who had the name of that they were not were both convinced and converted and led into true Christianity And Isaiah prophesying the coming of Christs kingdom saith Isa 2.5 O house of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord and in the 55 chap. 4 v. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people a leader and commander to the people And of this Covenant this light promised to inlighten the Gentiles John the greatest Prophet that was born of a woman God sent to be a witness that all through him might believe and this Testimony of the true light that lighteneth every man that comes into the World he had from God who sent him and not man's Teaching And Paul saith Gal. 1.12 speaking of the Gospel For I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ So here men were made Christians by Christ the Light of the World without outward Teaching and this overthrows the affirmation of the Author of that Book who saith That men do not become Christians by following the Light within without outward Teaching But the Author may know that these men true Christians and men But I do affirm that there was never a true Christian made by mens Teaching without the leading and guiding of the Light of Christs Spirit within and that is by the leading of Christ within that people are made true Christians and the gainsaying of the Truth is the cause there are so many false Christians now adays by reason of such natural men as the Author of that Book manifests himself to be being ignorant of the Light not knowing the way thereof neither doth he know the fundamental principle of the people called Quakers the which is a manifest token of the gross darkness that he is under in that he presumes to call that error which he is a stranger to But neither he nor any else hath yet proved our opposing the leading and guiding of the Light of Christ within to its leadings and guidings in Teaching without But we do oppose its blessed Leading within and Teaching without to such dark unchristian-like Spirits that doth not know the way thereof who in such like dark works in a high degree of pride and arrogancy are going about to limit and set bounds to the works of the Lord God Almighty So that which he calls a fundamental Error is a fundamental Truth that it is possible with God this day and time as well as in days past to lead by the Son of his love into true Christianity with or without outward Teaching of which Truth the Lord God hath raised abundance of living witnesses this day and by his arm and power he is raising up more dayly who are built upon the same foundation that the Prophets Apostles and the Primitive Christians were built upon against which work and foundation the gates of Hell cannot prevail This Covenant this Light this Witness this blessed Leader Gods love Gods gift to the people all mind that it did not only inspire immediatly the Apostles but also the people by which Inspiration people come to understand when they have done evil even when none without can accuse them by this love wicked people are made sensible of their wickedness though indeed as it is written the Candle of the wicked is often put out yet many times they are overcome with the Light and Love of God therein that thereby they forsake their evil and turn from their wickedness and by yielding their members servants unto this righteous appearance of the grace of God and by obeying the infallible teaching thereof many have been converted into the true Christians faith and by the Truth sanctified and then justified through their obedience to the Heavenly gift of God are made true and living Christians abiding the Baptism of Christ who Baptizeth with Fire and the Holy Ghost and therein are confirmed and settled under the shadow of his wing whose fruit is very precious and pleasant And it is by this Light that the voice of the true Shepherd comes to be known from the false Shepherd thus by grubbing up the root of the tree the branches must needs
persevere and go on in the Spirit and not to quench and grieve the Spirit and abundance more to this purpose in Exhortations to the Churches to follow the spirit and mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit Had not Christians need to have the immediate motions and help of Gods blessed spirit in this work and to be their rule of life and guide in judgment that all wicked malitious spirits under the cover of the Prophets Christs and the Apostles words may be judged down let all the wise in heart consider this and lay it to heart What a sad tendency such unprofitable talkers and teaching hath in opposing the immediate motion and teaching and guiding of Gods holy spirit and whether such Agents and props in the Divels kingdom and power of darkness be not a lett to the blessed works of the Lord who sits upon his Throne and saith behold I make all things new And whether such dark works as are manifest in that Book be not the cause that there are so many mockers now adays at the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit in and through his servants according to their several measures and services therein But such is the work of all dark spirits to pretend love to peoples souls But in the dark to work against the great love and mercy of God in the immediate motions of his holy and blessed spirit for the bringing of souls to peace and happiness and everlasting rest in his heavenly gift the which is life Eternal But by what hath been written as before the whole drift scope and tendency of the Authors spirit in that Book may be seen where several particulars might be answered with the same sharp reproof as that which is answered hath Such works have been answered over and over again as may be seen at large in abundance of Books but one more especially I refer the Reader to And that is a Book Intitled The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony vindicated c. By George Whitehead and William Pen And though the Author of that Book hath concealed his Name and covered his spirit of Error with smooth words stolen out of the Scriptures yet by the light of Christ Jesus he is seen clearly though he calls that Light Natural and like a foolish builder hath built without the Corner-stone By the Light of Christ his building is seen to be raised from no other foundation and ground but meer imaginations And that it must be cast down into the pit of darkness out of which it was raised So though he may complain as he doth in the beginning of his Book of the entertainment others have had in the like endeavours Yet unto the Truth and wisdom of God in all who have not lost the sense of his holy spirit from them I do appeal whether this be not an entertainment according to Truth And though he hath pretended his work to be in love to souls yet it is manifest in the Light of Christ to have this tendency even to deprive souls of the infinite benefit of the sense and injoyment of the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit and to make void their Testimonies who are planted into the same But to prevent the Enemies works is this written in love to Truth and Righteousness and all people who desire after the same Stephen Smith Worplesdon in Surrey the latter end of the 5th Month 1677. A Testimony against the Worlds vain Mirth and Pastimes c. BLessed are they who feel the Inspiration of the Almighty giving them understanding that in reading the Scriptures of Truth the Holy-mens Testimonies they may be understood and deliverance witnessed from them who wrest them to their own destruction There is indeed a time for all things as said Solomon who in that wisdom given him knew that God created man upright but man found out many Inventions And all that Mirth whereby Gods righteous spirit is grieved they who live in it they increase their own sorrow The Rejoycing and Melody which David had in his heart to the Lord who gave him power over his foes Psal 30. And girded him with gladness But what is this to them who are overcome with their foes the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life All such have not a true knowledge of that joy and melody which David witnessed as being girded with gladness by the Lord who said My soul and all that is in me praise the Lord and let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord And figuratively he makes mention of outward Instruments all which are but Types in comparison of that heart that is prepared and put into a right frame even as a well Tuned Instrument to make Melody to the praise and honour of God this is the substance shewed forth by holy peoples praises to the Lord for his work of deliverance as is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth When the Children of Israel were delivered and their foes destroyed Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel and this was the substance the Lord shall reign for ever and ever And Miriam with the women went out with Timbrels and Dances in a Heavenly Melody unto the Lord who had delivered them But the wicked and proud who hate to be reformed they have nothing to do to take the name of the Lord in their mouths And none but wicked Instruments dare bring those Scriptures to stir youth up to be Prodigals and to spend their Portion of precious time in riotous living in keeping company with some who wallow in pride and idleness Sodoms sins and except such Prodigals do turn whilst the door of mercy doth open and they find a reception into the Fathers house by a true unfeigned repentance they shall never witness that Melody or Musick whereby the Soul is made to leap for joy which the Prodigal obtained through a true repentance and returned to his Fathers house he had not that Musick and Melody among the Harlots nor when he kept Swine mind that see the generation of the wicked Job 21.11 They send forth their little ones like a flock and their Children Dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce in the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Therefore they say unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him c. See here you wicked generation of proud prophane persons who stir up the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life one in another by your light frothy behaviours in your wicked Inventions Oh for shame do not go about to cover your evil works by the instigation of wicked Instruments who wrest the holy mens words which if persisted in will be to their destructions and of all them that follow them therein See what the Prophet Amos pronounced to them that chant to the
Viol c. And are at ease wo to them Amos 6. And concerning comparisons in the sound of Instruments being certain or uncertain this makes not at all for your purpose who extol that Musick by which the Lord is dishonoured and the seed of life grieved and burdened so for shame leave off your lightness and vanity least you be left as them who are filthy to be filthy still and you seek repentance as Esau did with tears and cannot find acceptance And see the effects of wicked Dancing Mat. 14.6 7. But when Herod 's birth-day was kept the Daughter of Herodias danced before them Now read and see what effects her brave Dancing procured weigh these things you that have Children that are Light and Airy and restrain them from that wicked practice least they add sin unto sin and bring woe upon them as you may see Herodias Daughter who added one wickedness unto another Stephen Smith To all Bishops and Priests and all concerned with them in a Book Intituled A form of Common Prayer for Gods blessing upon His Majesty and His Dominions and for the averting Gods Judgments Printed this year 1678. ANswer The Lord God hath signally shewen his great displeasure by Sword by Plague and by Fire against that opposite spirit that hath led into all rebellion against the motions of his holy spirit wherein he is making known his way of blessing and his saving health among the people Yet for his great name sake and in his love mercy and pity he did put a stop to those Judgements and hath given space and time of repentance and through many faithful Servants hath the Lord manifested his good pleasure that all who are erred from the way of blessing in life and peace that they might return unto him and wait upon him who is Lord of Heaven and Earth for his teachings and instructions in his holy Covenant of Life and Peace But how regardless have you been of the many and frequent Testimonies that have been faithfully in the moving of Gods holy spirit of Truth given forth against the swelling and groaning abominations of the times So that instead of hearkning and obeying the motions of Gods holy spirit you have proceeded in vexing and grieving the same in a most high degree you have abused the Servants of the Lord God And through your pride and presumption you have drawn the heavy displeasure of the Lord upon you whose dreadful judgments do hang over you and will not be averted or turned from you by any feigned shew of fasting made up in the will of man contrary to the good will mind and pleasure of God In that which is called the order for Morning Prayer are these words Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful c. Answer To them that do in Truth and in unfeigned repentance open their hearts unto him with a faithful resignation of heart soul and body unto the pure manifestation of his holy Law of his pure spirit of life unto such he hath shewn himself very gracious and merciful in setting them free from the Law of sin and death But how often do you repeat those words and yet keep your hearts whole in the friendship of the World in the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life you have been so far from renting your hearts that you have not so much as rent your garments are not the garments of your own righteousness which is no better then filthy rags whole upon you and in that loathsom garment you appearing before the Lord who seeing your loathsomness and hypocrisie in imputing the righteousness of Christ unto you whilst you are really and truly whole in your loathsome garments of your own righteousness where the righteous judge both of the quick and the dead beholding you as you are in your loathsome garments he will never agree with you in your accounts whilst you account so falsly of your Interest in the righteousness of Christ and yet whole in the garments of sin and iniquity doing the things you should not do and leaving undone the things you should do would you when you reckon with your Servants agree with them in such account and allow of their doing so all their life and leave them to account of your riches and that you are bound to give it them sure its time to be awakened from this misery of ignorance And take notice of your following words Though we have rebelled against him neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws which he set before us Now mind was ever your hearts rent from this condition do not you persist in your rebellion and so grieve Gods holy spirit in keeping your heart whole in persecuting them who are led by it Are not the Priests whole in their sin of preaching for Hire and for filthy lucre sake they tell lyes in Hypocrisie promising that to people which neither they nor the people have right unto whilst they are Servants to sin Come down from these barren mountains of imaginations and rent off these filthy garments and rent your hearts from these evils and follow the example of them who are really in this work and from the Lords acceptance have found him gracious and merciful and in the righteous government of his holy spirit of Truth the knowledge of his way of Truth is known in this World and in walking therein there is that hope manifest by Christs righteousness in us of having Eternal life with him in that World which is without end And you say Dearly beloved Brethren the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness and that we should not dissemble and cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart c. Answer Here you acknowledge yourselves to be fallen from the Primitive Christians guide and moreover in the service and work of the Lord they did speak as they were moved by Gods holy spirit and did declare the pleasure and will of God as that gave utterance and by his holy spirit they were made Ministers not coveting any mans Silver or Gold or Apparel nor they did not move for any filthy lucre sake but how have you erred and strayed from this way being lost as to a true and saving knowledge of the motions of Gods holy spirit And in this lost Estate every private spirit is set a work and imaginations dreams do tell their several conceivings of what was given forth by the moving of Gods holy spirit but having erred from the way of the spirit of God and being strangers thereunto they are also strangers to what was given forth by the Spirit of God thus being in error they don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God And thus being become strangers to the motion
of the true Christian Spirit in the Worlds earthly sensual Spirit they move and say the Scripture moveth and under this cover you can dissemble and cloak your sins cloaking your selves under the failings of the holy men of God as they are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth but are far enough off their sorrow and repentance by which they obtained favour with God again And thus you go on cloaking your sins and opposing the motions of Gods holy Spirit under a pretence of the Scripture moveth us and under this cover you can dissemble your sins in persecuting and spoiling the Goods of them who have truly testified of the motions of Gods holy Spirit in them against all the evil motions of the enemy in all his flattering deceitful works and wayes And to this motion of Gods holy Spirit you must bow if ever you come to know the way of Truth you must come to the moving of the Spirit of Truth in you even that Spirit which reproves the World of sin the which Christ Jesus set up to be a leader and a guide into all Truth In this Spirit the Lord God is to be worshipped it 's this Spirit that convinceth of sin that is the way out of sin that is it which moves in the heart against sin and so to confess and acknowledge sin and so to repent and forsake sin and this is the way to obtain mercy and forgiveness of sin And by its leading and guiding to abstain from the appearance of evil unto this Spirit of Truth you must bow and take it for your leader if ever you come truly to call God Father and he owns you to be his Sons In your Confession you say Almighty and most merciful Father we have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep we have followed too wuch the devices and desires of our own hearts we have offended against thy holy Laws we have left undone those things which we ought to have done and there is no health in us c. Answer And when do you intend to do otherwise since you have appointed this form of words to be always said Oh turn for shame unto the true Spepherd and Bishop of your Soul and don't come still with this sad unprofitable story before the Lord. Mind if a man offend against the Laws of the Nation if it be but once he is lyable to the punishment that is prescribed by that Law or if a Servant should but once do the thing he should not do and leave undone the things he should do this would incurr his Masters displeasure but if he should continue doing so he would turn him out of his service and account of him as he is an unprofitable Servant How then can you expect to be heard and received of the Lord who are alwayes doing that you should not do and leaving undone that you should do you may well say you have no health in you neither are you like to have so long as you continue in these sad practices And in that you do offend Gods righteous Law how can you expect but to be punished by the righteous Judge Indeed you have done that which you ought not to have done in that you have caused to suffer so many innocent people both by long Imprisonment and spoiling of their Goods in that you have shewn no more mercy to them how can you expect to receive mercy at the hand of God seeing those sufferers have been a people fearing God and hoping for his mercy in whom the Lord takes pleasure and in his pleasure he hath sustained them wherein many have been faithful and true witnesses whereof many have departed this World under their several confinements in peace and many remains living to this day confessing and testifying to the mercies and favour of God in the manifestation of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which sets free them who walk up to it from the Law of sin and death And that there is great peace in keeping this holy Law this hath been and is the Testimony of them who are and have been led by the Spirit of Truth witnessing unto the Way Truth and Life the way of peace and happiness And thus in the good will of God in good will to all mankind in patient suffering under your wills who have followed too much the devices and desires of your own hearts and thereby having rejected the councel of the Spirit of Truth you have provoked the Lord as you say in these words We have provoked thine anger thy wrath is waxed hot and thy heavy displeasure is sore kindled against us You have confessed to the Truth and when you come to feel the weight of your many transgressions against Gods holy Law then you will wish you had been serious in what you have said and that you had broken off your sins by a true and unfeigned repentance And for this end hath Gods holy Spirit strove with you many wayes but see by your own confession how evilly you have required this love Your words are We sinful people of this land do acknowledge before thee to thy glory and our own shame and confusion that never any Nation under Heaven had more experience of all the instances of thy goodness and the methods of our amendment nor yet did ever any more shamfully abuse them when thou gavest us great and long prosperities we sed our selves to the full waxed fat and wanton and kicked against thee when thou threwest us into horrid confusions from which we saw then little hope of arising even in the time of that distress did we trespass yet more against thee when by miracles of mercy thou hadst turned our captivities we soon returned to folly to our vomit and to our wallowing in our former or greater filthiness c. Answer This is a very sad miserable condition indeed much to be lamented you had need consider it and be in Truth humbled for it and to forsake that evil Spirit that hath been your leader in those horrid practices and to wait upon the Lord for the leading and guiding of you out of those evils that you may have a better account to give unto the Lord in the day of account as Hezekiah had when the Prophet Isaiah was sent unto him with this Message from the Lord Saying Thus saith the Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before in Truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore And the Lord heard his prayers and seeing his tears he was very gratious and merciful unto him as you may read Now compare his confession with your confession and seeing you have no better account to give you may well be ashamed and confounded at the thoughts of what acceptance
by you there are these sayings In page 252 thus His pure Spirit is put into the inward parts to be the rule and guide of life in all things And again Only by the teaching of the eternal Spirit is the living God known in the Creature Again page 408. It is promised saith he that the Spirit shall lead into all Truth and such do own the Scriptures but not as their Teacher for the anointing dwells in them and they need no man to teach them but as that anointing teacheth all things for all the Children of God are taught of God and need not any other Teacher nor need to say one to another know the Lord and all such own the Scriptures to be the Testimony of that which they believe and have received And again in page 834. The only perfect rule of Conscience in the exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And because something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that there are so many wayes and Sects of Religion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and among Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the rule of Judgment and exercise of Conscience to God and man Again page 861. The judgment in that matter Heresie must be just equal holy and only by the Spirit of Christ which is infallible and gives infallibility of Judgement and discerning into all cases and things Mr. Pen spends the fourth Chapter of his late Book Intituled Reason against Railing to prove that the Light within and not the Scriptures is the rule of Faith and practice In page 47. he saith We dare boldly affirm in the name of the Lord that the great reason of our belief concerning them the Scriptures is not any outward thing but inward Testimony recorded and Heavenly Amen that we have received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and faithfulness of those sayings Again p. 48. Wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great rule of faith and practice that the Light of Christ within us is both our warrant and rule for faith and obedience to them Again page 114. Let it be remembred saith he that Christ promised to send the spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their practice is a lye or they are led into a lye who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the ways of Truth where by Truth is not meant the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is true But the living powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a record or declaration And page 115. Many may run into the practice of several outward things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the practice of Saints in former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-worship imitation and unwarrantable Now let all the wise in heart who do retain so much of sense of the Spirit of Truths leading and operation thereof in them as that thereby they are in some degree in a capacity to judge of spiritual matters and that have a desire that God may not take away his holy Spirit from them I say let all such in the coole of the day when all self Interest is laid aside judge whether these men Edward Burroughs and William Pen and all them who are of the same Faith and Judgment with them do deserve such strange contradicton as the Author of that Book hath raised and made against them To be sure their method as he calls it is clearly agreeing with Christ and his Apostles Christ Jesus the Light of the World the Way Truth and Life did direct his followers to take heed to the Spirit of Truth that reproveth the World of sin c. and he counselled them to take that for their guide into all Truth And ought not all Christians to be followers of Christ their Lord and Master and how is it possible that any should follow Christ except they be led by the Spirit of Truth in themselves And he that steals away their minds from that guide he is a Thief and as Christ said The Thief comes to steal to Murder and to destroy but I am come that you may have Life and that you may have it more abundantly And the Apostle Paul is very open and plain in his Testimony concerning this matter in these words The things of God knows no man but the Spirit of God by this the deep things of God are searched out And are there not many deep things of God contained in Scriptures The which is not possible to be understood and searcht out by any other Spirit but only and alone by the Spirit of Truth therefore this must needs be a sufficient teacher of mankind without the Scripture as it was to Abel Enoch and to Abraham and the holy men of God long before there was any of the old or new Testament written And it was the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in those faithful Servants by whom those weighty things as are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth were given forth And it is the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in its leadings and teaching of his people through which the many Types Figures Prophesies and many hard sayings comes to be understood and a clear distinguishing comes to be known between the Jew outward and the Jew inward between the Law outward and the Law of the Spirit of Truth inward and between the shadow of good things and the good things themselves and also between the Spirit and the Letter the Power and the Form c. And for want of fearing God and taking heed to the motions of his blessed Spirit of Truth that is the cause there are so many heaps of Opinions about the Scripture therefore it is that all learned men in the Spirit of Truth do so highly esteem the teachings thereof as absolutely necessary to life and peace And all whose minds are converted by the Spirit of Truth and are spiritually exercised therein and feeling the life and peace that flows from it unto their Souls this confirms them settles them and makes them unmoveable and unchangeable in their Faith in the power of the Lord who hath been thus merciful in opening this fountain of life and love where a washing and cleansing comes to be witnessed and entrance ministered into the kingdom of God and of this day that is breaking forth and shining clearer and clearer Edward Burroughs that man of God was a faithful Instrument in the hand of the Lord and his works do demonstrate the same to thrash and cut down hypocrisie and gainsayers of the Truth and faithfulness of God unto mankind And in the succession of this blessed work and service in
the everlasting and unchangeable Truth the Lord hath raised up William Pen with a Testimony And in his continuance therein unto the end of his days he will receive the same Crown of Immortal Life and their Testimonies which the Author calls their method taken out of their Books is faithful and true and doth and will appear so to all that are in the least learned by the Spirit of Truth But in contradiction of those faithful and true Testimonies of Edward Burrough's and William Pen's the Author of that Book undertakes to prescribe a method and way the which he calls Gods method and way this being a long ramble too tedious to transcribe I shall draw up the scope and tendency thereof That Page 15. after Christs ascension into Heaven he sent the holy Spirit upon his Apostles and immediatly inspired them with a clear knowledge and understanding of it And again page 24. Although the first promulgator of the Gospel were enabled by immediate Revelation from Christ to teach it unto others yet afterward Gods ordinary way and method of transmitting the knowledge and faith of the Gospel downwards to others successively was by such mens teaching it to others as had themselves learned it of the Apostles or others that taught the same Doctrine as they did Again page 28. And there is great reason why the same regard should be given to what the Apostles and Evangelists wrote as to what they spoke as long as they either wrote the same Doctrine or History upon the same evidence for the Doctrine is the same after it is written as it was before for its being written doth not alter the nature of it And therefore men must needs be as much concerned in their belief or disbelief obedience or disobedience to it when it is communicated to them by writing as when it is so by preaching yea I had almost said or by immediate Revelation And again page 33. I shall conclude what I have said in this proposition to shew that the same regard is due to the Doctrine of the Apostles when written as now it is as when it was preached by them by remembring you of this great Truth that every man shall be tryed or judged at the last day by the Law he hath been under The Gentiles that are or have been without a written Law shall be judged without any such Law and the Jews which are under a written Law they shall be judged by it Rom. 2.12 Even so those that are under the Gospel written will be judged by that c. Thus then I take the substance of his method to be that the Apostles were immediatly Inspired and from immediate Revelation the New Testament was written and since that immemediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit hath ceased and those writings now are become the rule of faith and practice And that this Gospel written as he calls it hath been successively transmitted to others as they have learnt it and that this written Gospel as he calls it must be the rule and judge in all matters of faith and practice without immediate Teaching or Inspiration This then being the method of the Author of that Book to exclude immediate Revelation and set up Tradition in the room But this he hath manifested by his writing that he is not in the line of succession in the holy Spirit of Truth and righteousness if he had been there he would never have opposed the Truth of what was spoken by William Pen and Edward Burroughs But who can expect any better fruit from a Plant that hath so little sap and life from the root and spring of Light Truth and Holiness to nourish it Page 41. he saith That Christ doth inlighten all whom he doth inlighten in one or more of these three wayes 1. Either by Natural Light Or 2. by Supernatural Revelation Or 3. by outward speech or writing or example c. Would not all that are in their wits judge that this Author of the Book had better to have been quiet then so presumptuously in his high flown proud arrogant Spirit So positively to condemn the sufficiency of the Lights leading within into Christianity without outward Teaching Since he is at such a loss not knowing what Light it is that Christ doth inlighten people with But in page 43. there he saith That though Christ do inlighten all men with natural light a little before it is them whom he doth inlighten it is some way even what he imagines wherein he contradicts himself but what way he knows not The Vulture's eye hath not seen the way thereof neither can the natural man receive the things of the Spirit of God To be sure the Author of that Book hath not attained to A.B.C. in the way of Christianity as is manifest by his dark conclusion that Christ the Light within men is a natural Light Let all the wise in heart judge how unlikely the Author of that Book is to shew the way of God who is so far out of it not knowing the out-goings of the Lord God who is Light whose outgoings were from everlasting to everlasting nor so much as the first principle of the Oracle of God which is Light and therefore he hath not spoken as the Oracle of God And therefore in saying he would shew the method and way of God he hath manifestly declared his Ignorance and presumption But such unlearned men as he is undertake to judge the Quakers foundation for error and after they have done they are to seek what it is But let him or any who are of his mind prove if they can that ever any Quakers in their Writings have said That it was by the leading of a natural Light without or with outward Teaching by which ever any one true Christian was made No no we do know that Christ the true Light that Lighteneth man that comes into the World doth it with a supernatural and Divine Light wherein they that believe and wait upon God receive Spirit Life and Power to become Sons of God And that he both hath and can by the powerful drawings thereof bring them who wait in the manifestation thereof in themselves into the true Christianity And that the outward Testimony or declaration that was or is given forth unto the Sons and Daughters of men from the immediate motion and flowings forth of the Spirit of Truth had and hath this effect even to bring into this name the Light of Christ within and from Satans power unto God that the teaching of God within as well as without by them who speak as his Oracle might be effectual to guide into Christianity And that the powerful drawings of the blessed Light of Christ within hath been the only motive to move many to consider their ways and to turn at the reproofs thereof into the straight and narrow way that leads into the life of Christianity But I do ask a question concerning the Gentiles that both were and are without an