are united in one and every one in their measure grows in Grace and Godliness and in that all stands in the beginning and as they wait upon God in that which first convinced them they are preserved out of the Net of the Fowler and from the deceit of the Deceiver and this is marvellous in the eyes of many this day for by the preservation that many have witnessed by cleaving to the Power they certainly know that there is not another thing sufficient for that work and so they keep their faith in it as in the greatest and in the very time when darkness came upon some to draw them back then there was no whither else for them to go but to that which from the beginning had preserved for they were come to assurance that he was the Son of God in whom they believed and they knew that he had the word of Eternal Life and so they could not forsake him and depart from him to go to another but continued in his Love according to his Command which if all had done so there had not been a going away and departing but the Serpent beguiled as he beguiled Eve and though he aimed to deceive the very Elect yet it was not possible because their Foundation was sure and they were faithfull to it and upon the Foundation they yet stand and are not moved and the Truth is precious in their eye and the testimony of it lovely in their hearts and they are not weary of serving the Lord for his power carries them as upon Eagles Wings and such are not born of flesh and blood and of the will of man but of God and as Heirs of God they inherit Life and Immortality and so they rejoyce in their way and in their portion and in this good ground their lot is fallen and they have a goodly heritage yea a heritage above the Earth and the glory of it for in the Seed and Life they have found the heavenly Treasure and the Pearl of great price and as their affections are set upon things above so they do not mind to be in love with things below and abiding in the Light and Truth they have a sure Dwelling and a quiet Habitation and so in that which is immortal they live with the Lord and one another and are refreshed in the Lord and one in another and these are Children which of his own Will he hath begotten by the Word of his Power mark by the Word of his Power these are begotten and they love the Word of his Power which hath begotten them and it is Milk unto them as Babes and Meat as strong Men and they know the vertue and power of it and cannot depart from it and by faith in the power they obtain victory and so they keep the faith and do not make shipwrack of it and by faith they stand and from the beginning they have kept in the way that is good and have not cunningly devised Fables but by the manifestation of Truth have approved themselves unto God and these are they which of his own Will he hath begotten by the Word of his Power who love the Word of his Power that hath begotten them and by the Word of his Power he upholds them it is that they lean upon and cleave unto in all their trials distress and tribulations and it hath been and is their strength from one degree of godliness unto another and from one degree of faith to another and so from degree to degree they have followed the Lord in humbleness of mind and he hath and doth give his Grace unto them and exalts them into honour and they are honourable and beloved in his sight and though some that came out with them be gone from them yet the Truth is the same and they are the same in the Truth for as they have kept in the Truth from the beginning so they have not wavered nor changed but in all things have been found faithfull wherein Truth hath been concerned and many whose dear and precious lives have been given up as a Testimony to it and many whose sufferings and tribulations doth yet remain for the Truth sake and it is no less in such as now depart from the testimony and turns against it then a trampling upon the Blood and Sufferings of the Faithfull and so a trampling under foot the Son of God and doing dispite to the Spirit of Grace and such are gone from the Grace of God in themselves and so runs into the liberty that pleaseth the vain mind which cannot bear the yoke and in that Sea of liberty in vanity the flesh is pleased and from that Sea cometh all the great swelling words of vanity in the likeness of Truth but the Sea is bounded beyond which it cannot pass and in that which bounds the troubled Seas the faithfull are preserved from being swallowed up and they that are fallen into this Ocean they are fallen from the Rock Christ Jesus who is the beginning and ending the first and last and so they are gone from the chief corner stone the Elect and precious upon which the Building is fitly framed and groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord so mark the Building is fitly framed upon the Rock and not upon the Sea and upon the Rock the Building standeth and groweth unto an holy Temple and so the Power of the Rock raiseth the Building which is framed upon it and there is a perfect union between the Foundation and Building and a perfect union in the Building for it is framed and compacted by his hand who is Lord of all so it is united and no where out of order for that which is out of order is not framed and compacted in the Building which stands upon the Rock and though it may appear as framed compacted and builded yet it is not united to the Foundation but the Lord hath pleasure in his own Building as being his own work and it grows to be an holy Temple and he fills it with his Presence and Glory and besides this Foundation which God hath laid there is no man can lay another nor no man can build another Building to be an holy Temple for him therefore all foundations and buildings which man hath layed and builded must come to nought for it is only his own Work that must stand and remain and so he hath been building upon his own Foundation and he hath framed a Building according unto his pleasure and he causeth the Building to grow unto an holy Temple for himself to walk in and so he walks in the Temple and dwells in the Temple which is holy and this is his own Work from the beginning For when the Lord appeared to make known his Truth in this day there was no building framed but all in several Forms and Professions scattered and he beheld it and his eye pitied and then was his Love manifest to the scattered and with his Light he opened their eye
of God but are found to dishonour him by departing from him and taking liberty to satisfie the flesh with the affections and lusts and that is the birth of flesh and blood and of the will of man whatsoever may be pretended of the Birth of God or of retaining a measure of Light and Truth to wait upon God in their own particulars that spirit which so draweth back and causeth any to depart from the Way of Truth and from the holy Commandment given of God it is a false spirit and so an enemy to the true Spirit and those that follow it and live in it and though some may say That to withdraw and depart from that which they have sometimes observed in outward practice is not to withdraw or depart from the Truth but rather a growth and a going forward in it but that will not hold to be true if tried by the Truth it self and for want of such a trial many have wronged themselves for if there had been a true trial before there had been such a close joyning the matter would have appeared otherwise and the deceiveableness would have been seen under the covering and all that walked in the Light did see it and were preserved for Truth is unchangeable in all its wayes though in degrees it appears more glorious and being an immutable unalterable power it alwayes justifies its own work and order from one degree to another and they that really go forward in the Truth and retain it in their particulars to wait upon God they cannot possibly disesteem or dispise any practise which in the Truth is observed and in and by which they have often been refreshed for mark Where the carkass is thither will the Eagles resort and this in the beginning did draw to meet together with a willing mind for as the Word of Life was ministred by such as God appointed so the vertue of it caused resort unto it and the same thing being yet preserved and continued and also much increased according to the power and wisdom in which it did begin how can any lay a sufficient ground for their withdrawing or departing from it or how can any truly say that they are gone forward in the Truth or that they retain a measure of it to wait upon God in their own particulars for the Everlasting power of the Lord God doth yet continue amongst those that fear him and the Word of Life floweth and is yet ministred in the Assemblies of the Righteous and all the faithfull meeteth with it in a large and plentiful measure and it yeildeth the same vertue unto refreshment nourishment as in the beginning and keepeth the same judgment upon Transgressors and hereby it is manifest that the Power changes not nor the Word of Life ceaseth not but some are rather willing to cease from obeying the Truth and to depart from the holy Commandment given of God and so it had been better they had never known it unless they repent and return but such things are permitted to happen that they which are reproved may be made manifest and that the Lord may be magnified in stretching forth his Arm for the recovery of such who in their simplicity have been turned aside and though some may think that they are gotten above the Assemblies of the Righteous and the ministration of the power which is the Gospel and that they are now more large and universal in their love yet that power which they dispise as a thing below them will bruise the head of that spirit which hath lift them up and all that abide in that power will live the longer life and the love which is in the Light where the Righteous have their fellowship it will remain when all the pretended universal love is gone for the love which is universal is in God and that love is pure and cannot joyn to any impure thing to have unity or fellowship with it for if it were so then there is no distinction between righteousness and unrighteousness but there is a distinction for as much as righteousness is always justified and unrighteousness alwayes condemned and so it is as possible to joyn the East and West together as to joyn righteousness and unrighteousness in unity and fellowship and who walks in the Light in which is the universal Love of God they cannot have fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but is made to reprove them and so the Light is the same now as in the Apostles dayes and they that live in it are of the same mind as they were and they could not have fellowship with unfruitfull works of darkness but reproved them and the Apostles were in the universal Love of God and God never loved Esau therefore all such had need consider what they are gone from and what they are joyned unto lest they so long withstand the Lord until the day of visitation pass over for it is certain that all such as have forsaken the Assemblies of the Righteous and disesteemes or rather dispises the ministration of the Gospel that they have filled themselves with high imaginations surfets with their own fulness and so they Ioath the Life and Vertue which is sweeter then the hony comb and with their own fulness they grow wanton and makes themselves merry above the Witness and so with the flesh are committing whoredom and uncleanness but that which is begotten in an unlawfull bed must not inherit the Kingdom of God that birth is not the Heir of Life nor cannot have an inheritance with the Saints in Light mark it is the Saints in Light which inherits it is their lot only which falleth into that ground and there is none can pertake of their goodly heritage but who are born of the same Life for those that are full and wonton and in their fulness and wontonness joyns to a harlot they have no part in the Kingdom of God and of Christ but as they sow to the flesh so of the flesh they must reap corruption and this is a grief unto the righteous that any who had a beginning in the Light and Spirit should go back again into the flesh and in that state to think they are perfect and that their perfection is of a higher degree then those who keeps in the Light and Spirit where they did begin for that measure of Light and Spirit which was first manifest from God to spread abroad his Truth in this day it was and is perfect it was and is his good and perfect gift it came from him as from the Father of Light with whom is no variableness or shaddow of turning then that which is variable and turning is not the gift of God and they that are varied and turned from the Assemblies of the righteous and from the Ministration of the Gospel they are gone from the gift of God that is perfect and the highest degree of their perfection is perfect surmisings and perfect prejudice and perfect enmity and
at Jerusalem and meet together and wait for the Power to endue them and being met together with one accord in one place mark again being met together there was a Gospel meeting according to the Commandement of the Lord And in that meeting the holy Ghost fell upon them and they spake as the spirit gave them utterance mark again they did not go forth before they had received the Power nor they did not speak before the Spirit gave them utterance but having received the Spirit and Power they then speak in the Spirit and went forth to declare the things of God in his Power and in the Spirit and Power which they had received they gathered Meetings distinctly both from Jews and Gentiles and they continue their Meetings and did not cease to meet after they had received the Spirit and Power and they were not only separated from the Jews and Gentiles as to their worship but they also received power to testifie against the worships which Jews Gentiles observed for Stephen testified against the Temple-worship and Paul against the Athenians Worship and this was their love to God his Truth and Worship and also love to the Souls of such as were ignorantly worshipping and herein they discharged a good Conscience towards God forasmuch as they labored to open the understandings of ignorant Worshippers by testifying against their Worships and as they met together and worshipped God in his Spirit and Truth so they kept their Meetings in his fear and did not forsake the assembling of themselves but with all diligence observed the Way and Order of the Spirit which they had received of God to meet together and to worship God in and their Meetings were formed and ordered of the Lord and by his appointment they were not formed ordered or appointed of man or by man but the Hand of the Lord was in the forming ordering and appointing of them and they that somtimes observed them and then departed from them they departed from the holy Commandment given of God and so it doth clearly appear that the Meetings of the holy People called Quakers are constituted ordained and commanded of God forasmuch as they answer to the Saints Meetings in primitive times being formed and appointed of God as their Meetings were and being also observed in the same Light Spirit Life and Power and so their Meetings are no new thing if truly examined and compared with the purity of Gospel times but their Meetings are of the first constitution and appointment of God amongst Christians and so hath the first place in Christian Practice Service and Worship for as they stand by the Appointment Commandment of God so they are more worthy to be observed then any Meetings that stand by the appointment and commandment of men and all that truly love God they do observe them as his Command and by keeping his Command they manifest that they love him and many that doth manifest their love unto God in assembling and meeting together according to his Appointment and Command and his Command is not grievous but joyous unto them for by observing and keeping his Command they have found him in his own Way and so keepe their Meetings unto God and not unto men and this is the glorious Light that is broken forth again through the Night of Apostacy and in which Gospel-meetings are ordered again as was before the Apostacy and the Everlasting Gospel is preached again as in the Apostles dayes and Christianity is known again as was amongst them and the worship of God is observed again in their Light Life and Spirit and the Way of Life and Peace is walked in as was by them and so all things are made new by the appearance of Christ in his Light and Power and yet nothing new in it self as to the ground but only made new by a separation and distinction from the old for all that man hath constituted ordained and set up as to Worship and Religion it is of the old nature and so old things but Christ makes all things new and yet in himself before all things and he hath brought forth that again which Darkness hath overspread since the primitive times which being so large a time kept under darkness it now appeareth new distinctly from the old and though this be new as to the appearance of it out of the old yet Christ who brings it forth in himself he is the beginning of all and so he is the first and good Old Way as in relation to foregoing Ages and also the last and new and Living Way in relation to succeeding Ages and he hath gathered a people to himself who walks with him as in the new and living Way and in him they meet and worship God and enjoys his Presence and having found the Lord in his own Way walking with the Lord in his own Leadingâ— they cannot walk in any other way nor meet to worship God in any other manner for there is but one way that leadeth unto God and in which he is worshipped and that is Christ the Light Truth and Life and that way being found all other ways are to be denied as leading from God that is the ground why such as have found the new and Living Way and walk in it cannot walk in the old and dead wayes which by the old nature of men are set up and prescribed but cleaveth to the Way which God hath prepared and appointed that they should walk in and therefore the holy People called Quakers who walk in the Light and Spirit cannot walk in the wayes or observe the worships in any Form or Profession which is made and set up by men as knowing that Christ Jesus is not their way nor that their worship is constituted and ordained of God and therefore they cannot meet with them nor walk with them nor worship with them but meets in the Spirit and walks in the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit who is a Spirit and this is a Gospel-Meeting and Way and Worship as in the Primitive times and all other meetings wayes and worships are constituted and set up since the primitive times and they are all to be denied and forsaken as having no life in them for though the Lord might once appear in Meetings Wayes and Worships which were of a lower degree then that which now he hath revealed and that the sender in heart did meet with something of God in such Meetings Wayes and Worships yet that doth not bind the Lord to a continuance in such meetings wayes and worships neither is it a sufficient ground for any to continue in them now the Lord hath appeared in a higher and greater Manifestation of Light for what any have met withal as from the Lord in lower Dispensations it was fourth drawing and bringing them higher not that God would fix himself in that dispensation or fix any unto it but only condescended unto low things to bring forward into higher and