to shine as his own elect and chosen people as the Stars in the Firmament and many shall desire to be joyned unto you yea the day hastneth apace That ten shall lay hold of h m which is a Jew and say we will eat our own bread and drink our own drink only let us be called by thy name yea this and much more which is hard to be uttered either by tongue or Pen shall be the portion of him who is of the true circumcision which is made without hands who worships God in the Spirit a City and habitation is prepared for them whose builder and maker is God wherein the Lamb shall be their Light and they shall walk in it for ever and ever Therefore come all away to the light which is the true door into the new and Heavenly Jerusalem wherein no unclean thing can or ever shall enter thereby by the light must ye come to be cleansed which is the blood of the Covenant which is freely shed abroad for the cleansing of all the sons of Adam therefore trample it not under your feet as the blood of a dead man and count it not an unholy thing for by it alone were all the Saints of old cleansed and it did not serve them onely to talk of but were truly purged purified and made clean by it and so witnessed Justification and Sanctification in this life without which they never could for except you come to witnesse your souls cleansed from sin and sanctified with the blood of the everlasting Covenant you cannot be justified by God for God justifieth no unclean thing and remember it is written That without holinesse no man shall see the Lord and lay it to heart and there ponder these things in the coole of the day which if you do The grace of God will not be bestowed upon you in vain but through its pure teachings and vertue you will come to witnesse salvation to your souls and death swallowed up in victory and he that hath the power of it which is the Devil then will that saying be brought to pass O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory and will thank God with your souls bodies and spirits and serve him therewith as holy vessels sanctified to his use who hath given you the victory over all and living praise will issue out of your mouths not by constraint but willingly out of a pure heart for evermore to the living praise of him who hath redeemed your souls out of the horrible pit and set your feet upon a Rock even upon Mount Sion to live and Reign for ever And this is the true Salvation of God through Christ Jesus which thousands witnesse at this day in England and praise the Lord with one heart mind and soul continually which is their only joy and delight God only being witnessed to be their Judge King and Law-giver who hath saved them with everlasting Salvation from sin and uncleanness and are translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son and there live and delight only to walk to the praise and glory of the glorious God of all grace who hath thus bestowed his rich grace and mercy upon them which also is freely and richly tendred unto you O ye inhabitants of France therefore slight it not but draw nigh unto God and he will draw unto you for he is a God at hand and not afar off even unto them who call upon him with a simple heart and is a ready help unto such in time of need and you will witnesse him so unto you if ye embrace the riches of his grace mercy and goodnesse which is freely tendred to every individual of you without respect of persons Therefore call upon the Lord while he is neere least when you call he will not answer which is counsell of life unto you all which if you reject then hear what the Spirit saith ye shall have your portions with the wicked stiff-necked unbelievers and rebellious and your children shall enjoy the blessing for God of a truth will be glorified in many of them and you also if ye count not your selves unworthy of Eternal life which is richly and plentifully tendred unto you Therefore cease from all your Idol-shepherds and hireling-Priests which feed themselves and not the flock preach up sin as long as men live which shews they are imperfect Ministers and cannot make the comers thereunto perfect therefore I say cease from them in time least while the blind lead the blind ye both fall into the ditch for they are truly the Ministers of Satan and preach up his power to be greater than the power of God even to have more force to keep people in sin then the power of God hath to redeem from sin as hath already been said and so make the coming of Christ to be of no effect which was to redeem people from the Law which was added because of transgression up to God to live in his power which was before transgression was therefore saith the Apostle in what the Law could not doe in that it was weak God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Mark this was the true end of Christs coming not to destroy the Law because the Law is righteous and layeth hold on the transgressor but he came to destroy the transgressions and so he redeems all who come unto him from the curse of the Law by destroying the works of the Devil in people that so the righteousnesse thereof might be fulfilled in them by the power of Christ Jesus and so they come to the Spirits of just men made perfect the seed of the Serpent being bruised and wholly destroyed in them by Christ the seed of God in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen and they who witnesse this witnesse the end of Christs coming and the new birth which is incorruptible of God which sinneth not and they who come to witnesse this know that the power of Satan is not greater then the power of God in Christ Jesus who saves his people from their sins and this is the only true living Ministry which is to the salvation of the soul and all who preach any other doctrine then this though we our selvs or an Angell from heaven let them be accursed therefore consider your doctrine who preach against perfection and for keeping men in sin as long as they live and then the Devil knows he hath them sure enough afterwards for the wages of sin is death out of which there is no redemption if the creature dye therein for as the tree falls so it lyeth And this is the truth of God to all the inhabitants of the Earth therefore high and low rich and poor bond and free be ye warned and while ye have time prize it and if ye call upon God who
the enemy adversary of all mankind and to this did the true Christians attain in this life even a perfect Redemption from sin and did witness the Blood of Christ sufficient to purge them from all unrighteousness and saith the Apostle he which hath Suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin Marke such ceased from sin and witnessed the body of sin put off and again the Apostle Paul saith unto the Romans when they were Servants unto sin they were free from righteousness being then made free from sin they Became the servants of righteousness So these things did the true Christians come to witness though you are not ashamed to take their words to plead for the Devils Kingdome as long as you live though the Apostle saith His servants ye are to whom ye obey So he which obeys sin is a servant of sin and the Apostle James saith let no man say When he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God tempteth not to evil but when a man is tempted unto lust he is tempted of the Devil and lust when it is conceived brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death so be not deceived with vain words For such as you sow such shall you reape if you sow to the Spirit ye shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting but if to the flesh ye shall of the flesh reape corruption for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life So come all to the gift of God which is the Light of Christ Jesus which he hath enlightened you withall and you will come to know the free grace of God unto Salvation which will teach you to deny all ungodly lusts and not to plead for them and to live Soberly and righteously in this present evil world Marke this is the fruit and effect of the Grace of God and is not onely given to talke of and say you are saved by grace while you turn from it in wantonness which the Saints and Christians did not but came through the Cross to be saved even from sin and being redeemed from their vain conversation which they lived in in times past so witnessed a new birth which was of God which sinned not being washed with water by the word which word is Christ the Saviour of the soul and all who comes to know the word abiding in them they do know and witness this state even a perfect state from sin and that was their boldness in the day of Judgement that as Christ was so were they in this present world perfect even as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect So here is a true measuring line for you to measure your selves by what stock and lineage ye are of and who is your Father and whom ye obey for the true Christians Christ was their Example in all things and left them a perfect Example that they should follow his steps who said Learn of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and the true Christians followed him and were like minded in all things Friends my hearts desire is to the Lord for you that you may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth which truth will make you free from sin and pollution though this thing stumbled the Jews when Christ spake it unto them for they looked out at some worldly thing not considering they were servants to sin which was the cause of all their misery Therefore be ye warned and fear pleading for that which will be your utter destruction if ye live and die in it read through the whole Book of Scripture and see if ever any Covenant of God stood with any Nation or people but as they did forsake their sins or were there ever any people to whom God did so largely manifest himself as unto the Jews and yet when they forsooke the holy Commandement which was delivered unto them did not the Lord forsake them yea verily and will all who do the like But if any of you shall say they were under a Covenant of workes and we under grace were they not under the Covenant of grace as well as any yea verily in all their travels did not the spiritual Rocke follow them which was Christ And after the Law was administred unto them by Moses did not he preach the true and living faith unto them saying they were not to say Who shall ascend or go beyond the Seas that they may hear and do it but what said he The word is nigh you even in your mouth and in your heart that ye may do it and was not this the same word of faith the Apostle Preached yea even the living faith which gives dominion over sin Hell Death and the Grave by which all the Saints of old had their glorious dominion and by which the Just liveth and they who come to witness this true and living faith they know a Shield against all the fiery darts of the Devil which faith Worketh by love and love fulfilleth the whole law of God which is to love God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy self So here is the true faith and the man which is in it does unto all men as he would all should do unto him which is the true Christians life and there is not another Oh! how doth my soul pitty you to see the blindness and ignorance you are fallen into though ye pretend the Scripture to be your rule which condemns you in all your practises as will plainly appear when you come to be tried by them doth any thing availe but a new Creature doth not the Scripture say and also doth not Christ say Except ye be converted and become as a little child ye cannot inherit the Kingdome of Heaven And againe Except ye be born againe ye cannot see the Kingdome of God Is there any true Christians but who witness this state and birth nay verily there is not any but those who followeth Christ through the Regeneration who cometh to sit with him in his Fathers Kingdome Is there any who do not suffer with him that shall Reigne with him Consider these things in the coole of the day and do not any longer take up a rest and a security in a beare name but come to the nature and then you will witness a true redemption out of all earthly affections and not plead for them but loath them for the Saints conversation was in Heaven which are above you which plead for beggarly lust which shuts out of the Kingdome For no uncleane thing can enter there These things I speake unto you in great plainness and singleness of heart as I am moved of the Lord that ye may come to the true Salvation from sin for who knoweth Christ and his power knoweth him to be in vertue as he is in name even A Saviour of his people from their sins therefore is his name called Jesus God hath sworne that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner
in these did the true Ministers of Christ glory and did not get into a place there settle themselvs at their own wil to preach to this or that people but as the Lord did send and direct them they were to go whether in life or in death bond or prison yea wo were to them if they did not doe it and again they preached to the people nothing but what they had seen tasted and had handled of the word of life and that only did they minister unto others but if you should preach nothing but what you did witnesse in this nature which every true Minister of Christ ought to doe and no more then you might stop your mouths and indeed untill then it would be a thousand fold better for you so to doe for your condemnation would not be so great if you did not presume thus to teach the people the knowledge of God and his holy wayes but did sit down and labour with your own hands for your livings for of a truth you doe but adde to your condemnation in this state you are in as your fruits manifest to your faces Can you look upon your assemblies not blush and be ashamed to see the fruits of your ministry in pride lust and ambition dressed more like antiques than sober moral men ful of vain talk and foolish jesting swearing lying and all manner of vice is to be found amongst them even amongst your constant hearers whom you call Reformers of Religion but what they are reformed from in nature let the pure light of Christ Jesus judge in all their consciences as it doth for God against them and you and I am sure it sheweth that they differ nothing in nature from the common practise of the Nation but rather through them and their ungodly practises cause the good way of God to be evil spoken of And this O ye Priests is the manifest and evident fruits of your work and labour but the free and true ministry of Christ Jesus was for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body untill they all come to a perfect man into the measure and stature of the fulnesse of Christ who was and is head of their body unto which no corrupt nor prophane member can be joyned and thus your ministry differeth from the true yea even as much as light from darknesse the one teacheth and leadeth out of all sin and the other teacheth that there can never be a freedome from sin in this li e though the Apostle said ye being made free from sin became the servants of righteousness for while ye were servants unto sin ye were free from righteousness so there was the fruits and effects of the true ministry and the fruits and effects of the ministry of Satan is so far from this that they preach up sin for term of life as hath been spoken of already Therefore O ye Priests be ye warned of the Lord God of life and cease thus from deluding the people and let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he might have to give to him that needeth And this is counsel of life unto you all O ye Protestant Priests in France I say cease from stealing other mens words and making merchandise of them to others but come to the light your selves that ye may hear and learn of Christ your selves and then if he pleaseth to send any of you forth to open the blind eyes and turn the people from darknesse to light and from Satans power to God then obey his voyce and go forth freely and preach as he hath given you freely so will ye profit the people though this manner of call will be contrary to your own wills and against mens wills ye come to preach to and till you come to witnesse this only holy and true call I say again and again as from the Lord God of life cease and be still and let the people alone until the Lord send labourers amongst them for the Vineyard is only his to send into it to labour who he only will appoint thereto and he which goeth and is not sent is but a thief and a robber which is the word of the Lord God unto all Priests of this Nation Therefore cease cease and repent that ye may find mercy for the blood of one man if it be laid to your charg will be too heavy for you to beare which assuredly ye must for many if ye refuse to hearken unto the counsell of God which he in the infinitenesse of his love tendereth unto you for know the end of the true Ministry is to bring people unto God and on him alone to wait for teaching which is his Covenant and promise to bring people to be sensible of the gift of the holy Spirit of God in themselves and the Apostle said every man hath a manifestation of the Spirit given to him to profit withall which being turned unto to profit is a sufficient teacher of it self such need not mans teaching any more and so people come to know their bodies to be the Temples of God through the Spirit which dwelleth in them and so they come to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit which are love meekness long-suffering patience and the true reconciliation by Christ Jesus between God and man the enmity being slaine upon the Crosse and of twaine one new man is witnessed and so peace comes to be witnessed with God and not before and untill the new creature be witnessed all availeth nothing but the true and everlasting Ministry of Christ Jesus bringeth the creature unto this and none else by which and in which the creature comes to bring forth naturally the fruits of the Spirit as he did the fruits of the flesh before which was nothing else but lust and uncleannesse and filthinesse of life So give up to be taught by him in this the day of his Almighty power Therefore let this be a warning unto all Priests Let God alone with his own work for he needeth no mans wisdome to help him for the best of your stuff you have is but compacted with your own natural wisdome which you must all loose before you can come to know God For man by wisdome knows not God neither can the natural man discerne the things of the Spirit for they are spiritually discerned therefore ye must all come to the teachings of the Spirit of God your selves before you can come to teach others These things are plaine and manifest unto every one who is not wilfully blind and drunk with prejudice therefore consider Paul had more to lose of this kind then most of you have yet he said he counted it gaine to lose it all to gaine Christ and let him be your example who reasoned not with flesh and blood but immediately obeyed the Heavenly voice I speak this unto you in love and some of you the Lord may
neither have you any part of it by command or example in the Scripture of truth therefore it lyeth upon you to shew who were your first authors and examples for all the customes and traditions you have amongst you singing one part of Davids Psalms with your hats off and reading another part with your hats on and putting them in Meeter like Ballads by which meanes people come to sing that which they never came to witnesse as hath been before spoken of and your Sacraments and such like which ye have not one word in the Scripture for Therefore come forth and shew openly who were the first inventers of these things reading over a company of Chapters when you come together and the like all these things when they and you come to be weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary will be found too light and far short of the true worship of God who is not to be worshipped any other way then in Spirit and in Truth and in that one Spirit if any had a Psalm or Hymn or Prayer or Praises he did it and sung it to the praise and true glory of God and this was the true order of the Saints and not to take another mans words for Psalm or Praise or Prayer and say it over nay these things are an abominable abomination unto the Lord for it is the Spirit onely which maketh intercession for the true children and servants of God for it alone knoweth our wants and is many times poured forth unto the Lord with sighes and groanes which cannot be uttered and this only and such like Sacrifices doth God accept not for Drunkards Swearers Lyars and all manner of unclean persons to take the Saints words in their mouths and come before him with them Gods soul abhorreth it So all that ever is practised amongst you will be found to be but in sin your Apostatizing and falling away from the true faith which was prophesied both by Christ and his Apostles should come for saith Christ The night cometh wherein no man can work in which time because of iniquity the love of many shall wax cold And this is the fruits and marks of that day and Paul saw them coming in his time even those who should teach things they ought not for filthy lucres sake yea and before his decease so grievous was the falling away that he said all Asia was turned from him and also to Timothy he prophesied of these things plainly that men should heap up to themselves teachers having itching eares and should not endure sound Doctrine and the like which ye may see in the many teachers come up and made by and in the will of men according to their own lust which answereth unto Christs word who said many should come and say Lo here is Christ or Lo he is there believe them not saith Christ for the Kingdome of Heaven is within you Mark and such shall deceive the very Elect if it were possible but it is impossible to deceive them for such are Christs sheep who know his voice and a stranger they will not follow But saith Christ Ye shall know them by their fruits so by their fruits must we try them now for such teachers as men doe heap up to themselves are seen in the light which tryeth your Priests who preach up sin and lust as long as men live so here you are tryed and found to be such who are chose in mens will but Christs sheep hear his voyce and obey it and follow him who leadeth into all purity and holinesse And thus are all distinguished and known by their fruits as Christ hath said we should therefore consider these things and lay them to heart and repent before it be too late This word doth the Lord often put in my heart towards you for dreadful and terrible is the day which is already dawned over your heads The voyce of the true Shepherd saith Come Come freely without money and without price and let him that heareth come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely and let him that will buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Why will ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Incline your eares and your Souls shall live and your Souls shall delight themselves in fatnesse This is the voyce of the true Shepherd to all the inhabitants of the Earth therefore whilst it is said to day harden not your hearts as in the provocation but away all to the fountain which is freely set open to wash away sin and transgression for you have all forsaken the fountain of living waters and have hewen out Cisterns broken Cisterns that hold no water saith the Lord every one is gone astray after the imagination of his own heart and the Lord hath looked down from his holy habitation and beheld there is none that seeketh after him amongst the sons of men who are thus degenerated from him for though he hath created man upright yet he hath found out many inventions one thing being neglected by which meanes he is become more strang to his Creator than the Ox to his owner or the Asse to his masters crib Sad and deplorable estate miserable man is fallen into running on greedily in the way of destruction and drinking in iniquity as the Ox drinketh water and yet will seeme to lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord amongst us though they forsake him and refuse his tender reproofs and cast his holy Law behind their backs and will none of his reproof and make unto themselves Laws Statutes and ordinances which will sute most unto their lusts and heap up to themselves teachers having itching eares even such as they make in their own will who preach for hire and divine for money which was alwaies an abominable thing unto the Lord who sent his holy servants and Prophets to cry against such things yet do the sons of men delight to have it so And such teachers as these cry peace peace to the wicked and say no evil shall come upon them so long as they put into their mouths but otherwise suddenly prepare warre against you as the tryal will manifest the same and they with great swelling words of vanity promise to others liberty while they themselves are servants unto corruption and such like do people choose unto themselves because they prophesie smooth things unto them and under their teachings they can live as they list in pride covetousnesse wantonnesse and all manner of evil all the dayes of their lives as their fruits manifest telling people they cannot but sin as long as they live by which means instead of turning people from their wickedness they strengthen their hands in it which sheweth plainly they are such who ran when the Lord never sent them therefore they do not profit the people at all who are ever learning of them but