Nations and through Covetousness with feigned Words make Merchandize of them which you now spare not Pr. Ans. And secondly thou grantst That if Men be made of God spiritual whether Shepherds or Plowmen first they may teach But thirdly thou sayst every Man that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scriptures and therefore may not as lawfuly nor as infallibly teach as they did and thou sayst Nor canst thou discern clearly that the best amongst them called Quakers have yet reached that Degree or Dispensation of the Spirit And after much dissembling Speeches thou manifests thy light and frothy Spirit still despising me because of my Youth but thy Words are not worth mentioning And thus when thou openest thy Mouth concerning the Spirit thou manifests thy Folly and Ignorance of the Spirit so that a Babe may comprehend thee and tell thee of thy Folly And when thou thinkst of thy Beard or Age as thou sayst Confusion of Face may cover thee For though every one that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scripture yet it doth not follow that none do attain to that Height Growth Degree and they that have attained to the same Spirit in a Measure and by the same Spirit are moved and called forth may as lawfully and as infallibly teach as they did in their Measures for the same Spirit is infallible in the least Measure and its call is lawful and thus thou shewest thou wast never called norâ—led by it who art so ignorant of it and as here also doth further appear in that thou confessest Thou discernest not the People called Quakers and therefore are blind and from thee the Secrets of God are hid and it doth not follow that they are ever the less spiritual but rather more because thou canst not discern them who pretend'st thy self a spiritual Man And thus they are attained to that Degree they can discern thee to be a Blind Guide and Deceiver of the World and therefore is thy spirit the more against them for all thy Flattering and Dissembling Speeches from thy hypocritical Heart who bendest thy Tongue like a Bow against them uttering forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and with thy scornful spirit Reproachest me with Lyes but it was thy Generation that Quaked for Fear of the Downfal of their Kingdom and therefore persecuted me and imprisoned me yet their Fear did not overtake me for I was made as willing to Suffer as they were to Afflict as knowing it was for his Cause who will make you all to Quake and Tremble who lift up your Heels against him And as thou comparest Cambridge to Jericho so the Curse of Jericho shall come upon it for its Whoredom and Sorceries and Stiff-neckedness against the Lord and his Anointed And though thou thus Scornest me and Despisest me because of my Youth yet it is because thou knowest not the Scripture nor the Power of God Qu. 6. Whether any are the Ministers or Messengers of Christ but those that are guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine as the Holy Men of God were in Scripture and whether the Wind doth now blow where it listeth Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer to the first Part thou grantest That none are the True Ministers and Messengers of Christ but those that are in some measure guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine But secondly thou say'st Men may think that they have that Spirit and yet be led by the Lying Spirit as Zedekiah who smote Michaiah was 1 Kings 22. 24. Rep. Herein thou markest out thy self for a Deceiver who pretendest to the Spirit it is the Lying Spirit as is before proved and so art shut on t from the Ministers and Messengers of Christ who art not guided by his Spirit and therefore abidest not in his Doctrine as is before proved by thy Ignorance of the True Spirit And therefore thou and such False Prophets as thou thus smite at and persecute us that are called Quakers because the Lord is pleased to bestow his Spirit upon us whereby we are able to declare your Deceit and manifest your Lying Spirits who have professed your selves the Ministers of Christ yet Strangers to his Spirit and Opposers of his Truth like Jannes and Jambres who are Men of corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Pr. Answ. And to the second Part of the Query thou say'st That the Wiud blows where it listeth if it be not stopped yet are there many false Winds which blow likewise from a Deceitful Spirit which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine and sayest Mind this James Rep. This I do mind and still see how thou markest out thy self with thy Deceitful Spirit for if the Wind doth blow where it listeth which thou acknowledgest then what is that in you professed Ministers which goes about to stop it with Gain-saying and Persecution and would limit the Spirit of God unto a Text or Theam from which you with your deceitful spirits do raise Uses Points Tryals and Motives c. whereby many poor Creatures are tossed to and fro and carried about with your airy spirits with the Sleight and cunning Craftiness of your Brains whereby you study to deceive as thou mayest read in the latterâ—end of the Verse which thou hast quoted Ephes. 4. 14 which here shall stand against thee And so many are the Children which are tossed to and fro by you although they have both Beards and Age as thou sayest yea some are Thirty some Forty some Fifty some Sixty yea Eighty and never yet come to the Knowledge of the Truth and thus with Feigned Words through Covetousness you make merchandize of the People beguiling Unstable Souls But think not that all you False Prophets with the Beast that upholds you can stop or quench this Spirit which now bloweth where it listeth for with all the Sleight and Craftiness that you can use you shall be made to fall before it and the Fruits of your Labours shall be given you Qu. 7. Whether thou wilt own Immediate Revelation now yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest The Apostle teacheth you to pray for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Acknowledgment of God Which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 1. 17. but sayest There are many False Lights and Delusions of Satan who too often transforms himself as an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. which thou sayest are entertained by unwary men for the Illuminations and Revelations of God's Spirit as appears in Zedekiah aforesaid which to prove thou quotest Ezek. 13. 6. 2 Thess. 2. 11. Rep. Here again thou hast marked out thy self and also belyest the Apostle for that Scripture in Ephes. 1. 17. only makes mention how the
A Collection Of the Several WRITINGS Given forth from the Spirit of the Lord through that Meek Patient and Suffering SERVANT of GOD James Parnel Who though a Young Man bore a Faithful Testimony for God and Dyed a Prisoner under the Hands of a Persecuting Generation in Colchester Castle in the Year 1656. In the sight of the Vnwise they seemed to Dye and their Departure is taken for Misery and their going from us to be utter Destruction but they are in Peace For though they be Punished in the Sight of Men yet is their Hope full of Immortality and having been a little Chastized they shall be greatly Rewarded for God proved them and found them worthy for himself Wisd. 3. 2 3 4 5. 5. 4. Being Dead yet speaketh Hebr. 11. 4. Published in the Year 1675. Stephen Crisp HIS TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel IT was the Care of the Holy Men of Old To keep in Remembrance the Words Works which sprang from the blessed Power of God and therefore did record the Words of many Prophecies and the Histories of many Battels and Wars in which the Arm of God was manifest and whenever God Crown'd any with Worthiness and Honour as his Witnesses of his Word and Power this was commonly added unto the Renown of their Noble Acts and Faithful Testimonies That their Name and Manner of Life was committed unto the Generations that followed after insomuch as one said The Righteous should be had in Everlasting Remembrance and another said The Name of the Righteous was Precious and many other suâ—h like Sayings are there in the Holy Scripture Christ said to her that anointed him with the Box of Oyntment Where-ever the Gospel should be preached this Charity and Love of hers bestowed on him should be spoaken of And if ever any Age had Cause to prize and keep in Remembrance the Words and Sayings Great Deliverances and Spiritual Battels and Mighty and Noble Acts of God wrought by the Finger of his Power sure this Age hath Câ—use to be diligent in gathering up and keeping in Remembrance the Migâ—ty Works of Wonder which our God hath wrought in our Day in which he hath brought forth Life Peace Rest and Joy to a â—emnant by a Way which the Wise and Prudent of this World were not nor are not yet aware of but Babes have been his Messengers and Children have been his Ministers who in Innocency have received the Revelation of his holy Spirit by which the Deep Things both of his Law and of his Glorious Gospel of Life and Salvation were revealed And among these Babes who thus came to receive the Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God by the Working of his divine Power was this Noble Child JAMES PARNEL who was a Vessel of Honour indeed and Mighty in the Power and Spirit of Immanuel breaking down and laying desolate many mighty and strong Holds and Towers of Defence in the which the old Deceiver had fortified himself and his Children Much might be spoaken of this Man and a large Testimony doth live in my Heart to his blessed Life and to the Power and Wisdom that abounded in him but I do not intend at this time to write much about him but to give the Reader a brief Account of my Certain Knowledge which I had of Him and his Life and Labours and End As to his Country Manner of Life and how he was about the Age of Fifteen or Sixteen Years brought to the Knowledge of God and to the Working of his Power in him and how he obeyed the same in many Travails and Tryals until he came to be about Eighteen Years of Age all this I say it being spoaken to in another place and before my particular Acquaintance with him I shall pass over and only speak of things within the Compass of my own Knowledge When he was about Eighteen Years of Age the Lord who had heard the Cry of his own Seed put it into the Heart of this Young Man to come inâ—o Essex and to preach the Word of Life and to proclaim the Acceptable Year of the Lord there where it might indeed well have been said Behold the Fields are White unto Harvest For very many were there in that County who were both weary and heavy laden with their Sins and were as weary with running to and fâ—o to seek a Way out of them and having travailed all Mountains and all Hills and High Things that could be travailed and tryed and found no Deliverance and some sate down concluding If there was a Way God would manifest it others concluded There was no Way but we must dye in this Wilderness and never see the Bread of Life some othes set their Wits on work to find out and invent New VVayes and Manners of VVorshipping but all was in vain and great was the Darkness and Sorrow of those dayes which some can yet well remember and when all Hearts were ready to faint and all Hope was almost at an end with some when others had built their Tower of Profession so high that they conceâ—ted it did touch the Heavens it self then I say then did the Lord send this his Fâ—ithful Messenger endued with Power from on High to preach the Acceptable Year of God and the Day of Vengeance to comfort them that mourned His Coming was in the fore-end of the Year 1655. VVhere He preached the Gospel in many parts of that County as Felsted Stebben Witham Coxal Halsted and many other places where many hungry Souls had gladly received the VVord of God and it being mixed with Faith in the Hearts of them who heard it it became Effectual to the saving the Souls of many And after he had passed up down many Parts of that County and planted diâ—ers good Meetings and confirmed them that had believed he at length about the middle of the Summer the same Year came to Colchester upon the seventh day of the week on the day following preached the Gospel unto many Thousands of people first in his Lodging then in a Steeple-house there after the Sermon then in a Great Meeting appointed on purpose and after that disputed with the Town-Lecturer and another Priest in the French-School all in One Day in all which the Wisdom Power and Patience of Christ appeared very Gloriously to the Convincing of my self and many more who were Witnesses of that day's Work So he spent that week in Preaching Prayâ—ng Exhorting and Admonishing turning the Minds of all sorts of Professors to the Light of Jesus which did search their Hearts and shew their Thoughts that they might believe therein and sâ— mâ—ght become Children of the Light and many did Believe and found it so and others were Hardned and Rebell'd against the Appearance of Truth and became Enemies with whom he Disputed daily in great Soundness and in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit by which also many were reached and convinced of the Truth and the Mouthes of
Gâ—insayers stopt which made many gnash their Teeth on him and some undertook to club out the Priests Professors Arguments by beating this dear Lamb with Fists and Staves who took all patiently as particularly one who struck him with a great Staff as he came out of one of the Steeple-houses called Nicholas and said There Take that for Jesus Christ's sake To which he returned this Answer Friend I do Receive it for JESUS CHRIST ' s sake And many other intolerable Affronts were offered him in all which his Spirit was not seen to be raised in Heat or Anger but was a Pattern of Patience and Meekness And having laboured in that great Town about Ten Dayes it lay upon him to go back to Cogshall to a Meeting holden as a Fast of which read more in that part of his Writings called The Fruits of a Fast from whence he was committed to Colchester Castle and from thence had up to Chelsford Assizes in Irons and again thither re-committed where he remained until he offer'd up his Life for his Testimony He lived in that Castle about Ten or Eleven Moneths in great Self-denyal and Carefulness being truly watchful over the Flock of God both in Essex and in Cambridgeshire Huntingtonshire and the Isle of Ely and elsewhere where he had travaled and turned many to God and wrote many blessed and heavenly Epistles both to particular Persons to the Churches in general which were so many that we have no certain Account of them nor cannot place them in order as we would if all could be collected together but those Books and Papers which could be found are here composed for the View of those who desire to taste the first Fruits of this Tender Plant who in the Dayes of his Youth laid down his Life for his blessed Testimony Many Things he suffered in that Prison which is other-where in this Book to be found And as he lay in Prison he laboured for the building up of them that were Convinced and he saw the Desire of his Soul concerning many in whom he saw the Seed which he had sown Multiply and Grow to his Refreshment And at last having passed through many Tryals and Exercises both Inward and Outward and fulfilled his Testimony in Patience Courage and Faithfulness and been a Comfort to us who had believed He at length laid down his Head in Rest and Peace stretching forth Himself saying Here I Dye Innocently And after his Departure he was buried in the Castle Yard where other Prisoners use to be buried because the Cruel Goaler would not deliver his Body without Fees And though he be as to the Outward taken away his Life doth remain and his Testimony doth yet live in the Hearts of many and will live through Generations to come and happy and blessed are and shall all they be who are Partakers thereof and are Faithful therein they shall be also Partakers of that Crown Immortal with which He is Crowned Thus honest Reader have I given thee a brief Account of this dear Plant of God and of his blessed Fruit some whereof thou may'st find in this following Book which if read in Sincerity and in Uprightness of Heart will tend to thy Benefit and will give thee Cause with me and many more to bless the Lord on his Behalf who is the Well-spring of Life from whom all Good Gifts come and to whom all Glory and Honour doth belong now henceforth and forever Amen Stephen Crisp. Samuel Cater's TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel COncerning our Dear Friend and Brother Iames Parnel I have this Testimony to bear for him in a true Remembrance of him as being Turned unto the Truth of God by him through Obedience unto which Heavenly Light Truth of God within which he turned me unto I have found and do enjoy Peace with God so that although the Dark World and Envious Priests and Professors Raged against him Imprisoned him and Persecuted him unto Death and made Lyes of him when he was dead speaking Evil of him accounting of him a Deceiver when he was alive I do say He was unto Me a True Minister and Messenger sent of God who brought Tidings of the Way of Life and Salvation unto me and many more in these Parts of the Nation whom I know have the same Testimony to bear for this Innocent Man For God hath made us Seals of his Ministâ—y through a blessed Experience of the Work of Regeneration brought to pass by this Heavenly Light Everlasting Truth unto the which he turned our Minds And this I can say also As the Lord was pleased to call him into his Blessed Work so he furnisht him with Virtues suitable for the same according to the Work of the Day in which he brought him forth and did mightily appear for him and with him in giving of him Courage and Wisdom and Power whereby he was Prepared and Fitted for every Service Exercise y â— the Lord called him unto which Service he faithfully perform'd of a Ready Mind with a Willing Heart not neglecting Nor did he refuse to appear in any Service in which his Testimony was concern'd which God had called him to bear although it were to the Ieopardy of his Life which many times he did both in Going to Steeple-Houses amongst the Rude Schollars in Cambridge both in Disputing with them and Declaring the Truth And after he went from Us he was moved of the Lord to go into Essex where he was gladly received by the Honest-hearted which wanted the Knowledge of the Lord and his Wayes which he declared unto them and many there were that Received him and Believed in the Truth which he declared But the Envious Professors roâ—e up against him in Cain's Murdering Spirit and cast him into Prison and there kept him in Hard Bonds until Death at whose Doors Hearts and Consciences the Guilt of this Innocent Man's Blood lies which all their Outward Washings nor Carnal Ordinances nor Outside Performances neither could nor can purge away but the Judgments of the Lord have been and yet will be executed upon all that have had a Hand or have taken a Part with them in shedding of Innocent Blood which the Lord will not acquit And now as to the Person Virtues and Parts of this our Dear Friend it is something upon me to give some Account of as having a Certain Knowledge of him not only because I was turned unto Truth by him but my Heart loved him which Love constrained me as oft as I could to be with him so that what Service he had in these Parts in Meetings of Friends or amongst Professors or with Priests I was frequently with him whereby I was both Eye and Ear Witness of the Mighty Power and Wisdom of God that attended him by the which He was prepared for every Work and Service which he was called unto and which he performed to the Honour of God and Comfort of his People and to the Confounding of those that
Opposed the Truth He was but Young in Years and of a Little Stature for the which he was by Brutish Envious Persecuting Priests and Professors Mocked and by them in a scornful Mind called The QVAKING BOY but in him was seen the Mighty Power of God VVhen any of them that were climed up so high in their Imaginations and strengthned themselves in their Self-righteousness and came forth in the Strength of the power of Darkness to Oppose the Truth of God which he bore Testimony unto with him did then appear the Name and Power of the Living God which was with the little Stripling David in which Name and Power he many times stopped the Mouths of Gain-sayers and by the Wisdom of God that was with him he caught the Wise and Crafty in their own Snares and Confounded them in the sight of all that had an Eye to see and so brought shame upon them whereby the Saying is fulfilled That by Weak things the Lord would confound the Mighty and things that are Despised hath God chosen yea and things that are not to bring to nothing things that are He had also a good Gift to declare the Truth and was full of Zeal and Heavenly Courage in the which he performed the same for the informing of the Minds of those that wanted the Knowledge of the Lord also to Mark Out and Make Manifest the Deceivers which People were to turn from His Exhortation was unto Us that were turned unto the Truth To Walk in it and to Watch unto it and to Keep Low in God's Holy Fear to Deny our selves and Take Vp the Daily Cross to our own Wills and to be Faithful in that Little Appearance of Light Truth which we had already receiv'd alwayes declaring unto us That if we were Faithful in that the Lord would make known more unto us whose words many of us are now Living Witnesses of the fulfilling of Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever and for evermore saith my Soul Also He was a Good Example and a Pattern in his Life and Conversation unto us by the which he preached Truth unto us as well as by his VVords for He himself lived according to what he taught us for he was adorned with Gravity and walked before us in Humility yea he had a Blameless Conversation and was unspotted from the World so that his Presence as well as his Words was a Strengthning and a Comfort to the Upright and Honest-hearted but he was an Awe a Dread to the Careless and Disobedient which made a Profession of the Truth but did not walk Answerably thereunto who he alwayes told should be cloathed with Rags which could not cover them and their SHAME should appear and they left Naked for the Light and Day of the Lord was come that would make all manifest and strip off all False Coverings so that a Profession although it were of the Truth it self would no longer do nor cover without the Life and Power be known and witnessed which doth not only Discover Sin and Evil but also Overcomes it Removes it Takes it away The Truth of this Doctrine which he preached unto us there are many of us by the good Hand and Power of the Lord have do see the Fulfilling of this Honest-hearted Young Man's Testimony both on them that received the Truth which he preached into an Honest and Good Heart and also upon the Careless and Disobedient so that I shall and do conclude in this Testimony concerning Him That He was a Faithful Servant and Messenger sent by God to Declare the Way of Life unto them that wanted the Knowledge of it and to Reprove Sin and to Make Manifest Deceivers and to Testifie against them which may be seen and felt to the better Satisfaction of them that never saw his Face in reading over his own Books and Epistles which were written by his Own Hand which all that read with an Honest Heart in a Serious Mind I doubt not but will say with me Surely the Mighty Power and Wisdom of the Lord was with him of a Truth Samuel Cater Thomas Bayles HIS TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel THis Blessed Man the Writer of these following Books was made a Partaker of that Faith Patience through which the Righteous in all Ages obtained the Crown of Life and Victory over all their Enemies and had a share in his Day and Time as alwayes they had in this World of the Sufferings of Christ in him He was sent into this County with the Testimony of God in his Heart Mouth and therefore was Bold in the Name of the Lord to cry REPENTANCE in the Ears of the Sons of Men and as He said so lived he as many in this Town and Place are living Witnesses of who have true Cause to bless and praise the Name of the Lord and do for that He and other of his Brethren were sent amongâ—â— us He was of a sweet Savour of Christ to the Almighty God through his Faithfulness to him who sent him hither in them who receiv'd his Testimony though many there were that hardened their Hearts against the Lord of which Number were many of the Rulers Priests and Professors of that Time who notwitstanding they cryed Reformation the Ordinances of Christ Jesus Christian-Duties and the like yet manifested themselves of that Stock and Generation which always slew the Righteous and the Lord God soon stretcht forth his Righteous Hand of Judgment upon some as Warnings unto others whom he spared from that swift Stroak that they might Repent as some did and seek his Face who is the Light of the World God blessed for evermore He was as a Youth and mean in hâ—s Outward Presence and Appearance but God hath chosen the Foolish Things of this World to confound the Wise And so high was the spirit of the Professors and the Prophane encouraged thereby that with whom among such was his Name used but in a way of Derision and Scorn terming him The Railing Fellow in the Castle He owneth himself to be Christ Jesus A Wandering Star to whom is reserved the Blackness of Darkness forever But since it came to Light and the Wandering Stars seen and their Blackness of Darkness felt who durst not stand by their Ordinances Duties nor Christianity but in Obscure Holes Secret Places Vaults which shews them of a low dark earthly wandering spirit who know not the Spirit of Life from God nor the Stability thereof to set them above the Fear of Man where they lie in great Captivity The Lord hath put it into my Heart in the blessed Remembrance of his Innocent Life to bear my Testimony upon this Occasion and thus to appear in the Memorial of him And I am assured in my Spirit That although the Lord suffer'd him to be cruelly kept in Bonds until Death and to be hated persecuted beyond what we had known before amongst us yet it was for his Righteous Life sake as from
and bring thy deeds unto it to be tryed by it it will witness for God and his Children against thee to be a Child of the Devil and his works thou dost and thy Faith to be feigned like the Hypocrite and doth not purifie thy hearts and so is no more then the wickedest that is for all say that Christ dyed for them but all cannot witness it For he that believes is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit sin And this Light loving it will let thee see how thy Heart is turned from God and that thou hast more delight in the things that perish than in the Fear of the living God which keeps the heart clean and is the beginning of the pure Wisdom and Righteousness and if thou honestly communest with it it will let thee see thy secret Actions and all thy hidden deeds done in darkness that thou mayst come to Judgment and Condemnation for all these things and except thou be born again and become as a little Child thou art no Child of God neither canst enter the Kingdom of God but art without in the world's nature in the state of Condemnation in whom the Son of Perdition rules above all that is called God sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God and here he opposeth God in his Kingdom and saith that is lawful and for it pleadeth that which God saith is unlawful and forbids And he tells the Creature and maketh it believe it cannot keep God's Commandments and that it hath not power to do that which God commands it or to depart from Evil and that none live but they sin and Christ hath satisfied for all sin though they sin daily that man may use the Creatures as he pleaseth seeing they were made for Man's Use and the Spirit of God saith He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him And as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God And the Law of the Spirit of Life makes them free from the Law of Sin and Death He that commits Sin is of the Devil and never knew God and by this are the Children of God and the Children of the Devil made manifest And he that abideth in him sinneth not And he that lives after the Flesh cannot please God for without Holiness none shall see the Lord. And thus the Devil the old Serpent who was a Lyar from the beginning opposeth God in his Kingdom daubing the Creature up in that which is Evil making it a Habitation in his kingdom while it live upon the Earth and then must take part with him in the Lake that is prepared for the Devil and his Servants who doth not dare to call God a Hard Master as if he would lay a Tax upon the Creature which it is not able to perform and thus he deceives the Creature and draws out of the Commands of God and out of the Fear of God which preserves from Evil and so he draws into Carelesness and Slothfulness and begets a liberty therein and because of those things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience as it was in the beginning when God said That in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the Death and the Serpent said You shall not surely dye for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof you shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. And thus he deceived them and drew them out of the Commands of God and out of the Fear of God into the Disobedience and so came the Curse of God upon them by hearkening to him and entring into his Temptations and then they found God Just and True and the Devil a Lyar whom they had believed now read thy self To the Light of Christ in thy Conscience I speak which searcheth the Heart and knows the secret Thoughts and Intents of the Heart which will witness me and condemn thee who walkest contrary unto it Be not Deceived God is not Mocked such as thou sowest such must thou reap for God is a Just God and will nto acquit the Wicked For thou art found a Slothful Servant who hast hid thy Talent in the Earth and think not that thou shalt receive the Reward of the Righteous and Faithful for if the Righteous scarcely be saved what will become of the Wicked and Ungodly Therefore Repent while it s called to day harden not thy heart lest the Judgments of God come upon thee at unawares and sweep thee away and give thee thy Portion among the Slothful Hypocrites and Unbelievers For by the Light of God thou arr seen and found in the Sins of Sodom and the Plagues of Sodom are coming upon thee therefore be afflicted mourn and let thy Laughter be turned into Mourning and thy Joy into Heaviness for to Judgment thou must come and thy Liberty To the Light of Christ in thy Conscience I am made manifest which if thou lovest it will let thee see thy self and tender thy Conscience and will lead thee into the Fear of God following of it and will humble thee and bring down thy high and lofty Looks and bring thee under Judgment and Condemnation for thy Stiff neckedness Disobedience and Rebellion against the Son of Righteousness here will be thy Condemnation out of thy own mouth will the Lord judge thee in Righteousness by the Light in thy Conscience which he hath enlightened thee withal which now thou kickest against which will thy Torment be This is a Warning from the Lord unto thee and now thou art left without Excuse in the Presence of the living God by the Light of God this is the day of thy Visitation and the day of thy Judgment draws nigh now thou hast time prize it For the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night to all the Children of Darkness as it was to the Sodomites and verily I say unto thee it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment then for thee if thou dost not Repent who hast tasted of the Love and Mercy of God and hast trampled it under foot and hast rebelled against the Spirit of Grace Written from the Spirit of the Lord as a Warning to all who are in the Fleshly Liberty by a Witness of the True Liberty of the Children of God through Death which Liberty stands not in Time nor in any thing in Time for all things in Time perish with Time but this remains when Time shall be no more and his is Pure Vnspotted of the World J. P. ALL you that Scoff and Scorn and Reproach and Revile at the Children Servants and Messengers of the Most High God whom you nick-name QUAKERS and under the same Name Persecute them as a People not worthy to live and have no Ground for it neither know any Evil
for against such there is no Law But they that walk after the Flesh cannot please God neither know how to rule or govern who cannot witness their own Wills subjected by the Law of God in the Heart but are guided by their own Wills and stand in their own Wills and such wink at Deceit and rule with Partiality and Respect of Persons and so transgress the Law of God which respects no man's Person and also give forth Laws in their own Wills which take hold of the Righteous persecute the Righteous countenance encourage the Heathen who know not God so Cain slayes Abel within them and they suffer Cain to slay Abel without them the Wicked and Ungodly have more Liberty in the Nation then the Righteous and so the Land abounds with Iniquity Oppression and Treachery because such corrupt Magistrates wink at Deceits for Carnal Ends and uphold Iniquity and Oppression and tread Truth under foot and this is the Cause why the Land so abounds with all Manner of Ungodliness and Deceit Falshood Tyranny Oppression and Persecution and yet full of Magistrates and Officers And corrupt Magistrates put corrupt Magistrates in Office and so they bear with and wink at one another and feed and nourish up Deceit amongst them unless they cross one another's Will and then they are as much in Deceit on the other side seeking and perverting the Law for Revenge and such as these uphold these corrupt Ministers and false Prophets which the Nation swarms of and they can have a Law to maintain their Deceit and uphold them in Oppression and so the Beast upholds the false Prophet and they combine together against the simple and so the Law is made a stalking-horse to deceive the simple and they will pervert and wrest the Law out of its Place and act contrary to their own Law against the Righteous And such Magistrates and such Government we honour not but deny and testifie against it as the Prophets of God alwayes did for by such Magistrates and Government did the Righteous ever suffer and for the same Testimony of a pure Conscience I have and do suffer by such corrupt Magistrates and hundreds more in the Nation who are redeemed out of Transgression who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And Haman who stood in the corrupt Will would have destroyed Mordecai because he crossed his Will and could not bow to him and also Pharaoh and Nebuchadonozer and Herod who beheaded John who stood in their own Wills but the Hands of the Lord they did not escape And so corrupt Magistrates say We deny all Magistracy and Government as Haman did but Christ comes to fulfil and end all outward Laws and Government of Man and he himself will reign for as Truth and Righteousness grows the Law is fulfilled and passeth away and the Lyon and the Lamb lye down together and this is the Cause why corrupt Magistrates beat down the Truth as much as they can and so to uphold themselves but God will deliver his own and Pharaoh will he plague and confound But such Magistrates as are guided by the Light of God in the Conscience and rule and govern by it without Partiality or Respect of Persons in Singleness of Heart discharging their Consciences before the Lord and executing the Law in its Place such Magistrates and such Government we own honour in our Hearts for such are a Terror to Evil-Doers and for the Praise Encouragement of those that do well and such bear not the Sword in vain but stand in the Will of God which is a Cross to their own Wills and rule for God and not for themselves and this Government is of God and not of Man nor after the Will of Man neither takes hold of any tender Conscience nor oppresses it but stands in the Place where it is set and some such Magistrates there have been in the Northern Parts of this Nation who witness the Law of God set up in their Hearts and feared God and hated Covetousness and testified against those who did not and so corrupt Magistrates sought to put them out So let all who are single-hearted judge who are destructive to true Magistracy and Government We are accused to be destructive to all Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners because we cannot put off our Hats not follow the Fashions of the World nor respect any Persons but speak the plain Word THOU to any one Rich or Poor In the Beginning when God made Man he made him to be Lord over all Creatures but not Man to be Lord over Man yet he was to be Servant of God and when he had disobeyed the Command of God God spoak to Adam and Adam spoak to him and God Thou'd Adam and Adam Thou'd him and here was the plain Language betwixt God and Adam And when God appeared to Moses in the Bush God Thou'd Moses and Moses Thou'd him and this was the plain Language which ever passâ—d betwixt God and his People in all Ages And thou that disdainest to be Thou'd wouldst exalt thy self above God who Thou 'st God in thy formal Prayers and scorns to take it thy self therefore thou must come down as Lucifer did But it is Lucifer in thee that is exalted who must not be honoured but must be cast down into the Pit and it is he who is Head in Man who would be honoured and would be superior and would be above God and calls this Manners and Breeding to bow to him and honour him and he hath invented Wayes whereby he is honoured and exalted and worshipped and he calls this Manners and Breeding and who can honour him the most and exalt him the highest those he saith are the best bred and of the best Breeding and those he calls Noblemen and Gentlemen and the other he calls Yeomen and common People and Inferiors though they all honour him but they observe it not so much as the other but their Minds are more set upon the Earth and Earthly Things to get Wealth and Riches and those he calls Provident Careful People but he that seeks Preferment in the World and would be exalted and set up seeks to get his Breeding in as excellent Manner as he can that so he may get in Favour with Lucifer that sits in the Courts and high Palaces and so long as he pleases Lucifer he will set him up but both he and Lucifer must be cast down into the Pit together And here is the Ground of the Worlds Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners and here they Lord over one another by their corrupt Wills and here is the Ground of all Tyranny and Oppression Rackings and Taxings and Wars and Imprisonments and Envy and Murder and the Persecutions of the Righteous all arise from proud Lucifer the Lust in Man who would be honoured and all this is in the Fall and under the
said He that respects Persons commits Sin for there is no Respect of Persons with God and therefore saith James Houle ye Rich men and here your professed Ministers abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and so have not God but the Devil and his Ministers they are whom they exalt And now you shall see the Partiality of the Names in this your Breeding and Manners First from a Poor man to a Rich man it is called Honour and due Respect and Manners from a Rich man to a Poor man it is called Courtesie and Humility but amongst the Rich and Nobles of the Earth it is called Court-like Breeding but of those of the lower degree it is call'd Country-Breeding and amongst the lower sort of the World it is called Neighbour-hood and civil Respect one to another and so the Devil hath covers for all his Deceit and so he is honoured and exalted both in Court and Country but the highest in the Court and therefore they have the highest Title But We unto them that hide their Sins and cover with a Covering and not of the Spirit of the Lord. But this is the Riches of the World and the Devil that makes so many Degrees as between Dives and Lazarus and Haman and Mordecai for the Lord hath made all the Nations of the Earth of one Mold and one Blood But we who are redeemed out of his Kingdom he calls us Clowns and Fools and saith our Religion is built upon such small and frivolous things and stumble at Strawes and leap over Blocks this saith his Wisdom but it is even Death to him to bear these Strawes especially where he is the highest exalted for it puls down all his Honour and therefore do Rich men and great ones of the Earth and Rulers and Priests and Pharisees persecute and oppress us and draw us before Judgment-Seats and would root us out of the Nation as Haman would have done by Mordecai and the rest of the scattered Jews because they cannot bear those Straws but I say whatsoever it is that comes to be forbidden in the Conscience it becomes a Weight and a Burden though it be never so small a thing in the eye of a Pharisee So let none despise the Day of small things But some will call it Stubbornness Obstinacy Pride and Presumption but the same Nature would have called it so in Mordecai who could not bow to Haman as the rest did that sate by and so let every one take heed of speaking Evil of that you know not least you call Good Evil and Evil Good for the Wo is pronounced against such but they that were after the Flesh alwayes in all Ages persecuted them that were after the Spirit And so it is not many Mighty nor many Noble nor many Wise after the Flesh are called but God hath chosen the Foolish things of this World to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no Flesh should glory in his Presence 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 29. VVe are accused that we say We are perfect without Sin I answer Man was perfect without Sin before the Fall or else he could not have been the Image of God for God is pure and perfect and he made Man after his own Image pure and perfect without Sin but when he sinned he defaced his Image and lost his pure Estate and was drove out of Paradise and became the Image of the Devil for Sin is the Image of the Devil and here all Sin is in the Fall and who are in the Fall are in the Devil's Kingdom which is impure and imperfect and unclean but God promised the Seed of the VVoman shall bruise the Serpent's Head and Christ the Seed said he was come to preach Deliverance to the Captive and to heal the broken-hearted and to seek that which was lost and to bring again that which was driven away and this was his VVork to redeem to Man that which Man had lost Now consider what Man hath lost and I shall leave this as Querie with all both Priests and People who deny Perfection from Sin here Whether Christ is but a part of Redeemer or a perfect and full Redeemer and which is the Place betwixt Heaven and Earth where man shall be made free or cleansed from Sin if not upon the Earth Seeing that no unholy nor unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God But who can witness this have passed through Death and that have none who plead for Sin neither can they witness Christ come But for some Simple ones sake I shall speak more clearly of this for it is a great Delusion of the Devil to keep People in Sin to tell them they shall never be made free from Sin so long as they are upon the Earth and bring this Scripture to maintain it He that saith he hath no Sin deceiveth himself and is a Lyar but he tells them Christ dyed for all and if they can but lay hold on him by Faith he will not impute their Sins unto them though they sin daily for the Righteous man sins seven times a Day and all the Holy men of God sinned and so he takes Scripture to maintain his Kingdom and this he delivers by the Mouth of his Ministers which he sends abroad to deceive the Nations leading People in Blindness full of Sin and Corruption ever learning and never come to the Knowledge of the Truth nor never shall do for them and here he carries them on an easie delightsom way to the Flesh but the End is Death and so heals them up in their Sins with a feigned formed Faith which perisheth and here they settle upon the Lees and set up a Rest in the Devil's Kingdom which is Sin and here many are meerly blinded and hardned and all Tenderness of Conscience is done away But you shall find that he that sooths you up in this Faith is the gratest Enemy of your Souls and whosoever witnesseth Christ their Redeemer shall witness that he is come to destroy the works of the Devil which is Sin and to redeem out of the Fall out of Sin and out of the Devil's Kingdom which is Sin and all Sin in the Devil's Kingdom which is in the Fall but for this End Christ is manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil and to redeem out of the Fall out of the Devil's Kingdom into his own Kingdom and no unclean thing can enter therein but none can witness this Redemption but through the Death and through the Cross which Paul rejoyced in by which he was crucified to the World and the World to him and had put off the Body of Sin and was made free from the Law of Sin which once warred against his Mind which once he complained of Which Scripture the Unlearned which are Strangers from his Conditions who read them with the carnal Eye now pervert and Wrest to their
God which is a meeer Delusion We are accused to deny the Sabbath The Sabbath of the Saints we own which is not for a Day but Everlasting and who dwells in Christ witnesseth this Sabbath which is the Substance and the Shadow without is vanished for saith Paul let no man condemn you in respect of Meats and Drinks or of an Holy Day or of new Moons or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are but Shadows of things to come And so the World hath the Shadow and the Saints the Substance and you who have the Shadow persecute them who have the Substance as the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests did who had and upheld the Types and Figures of Christ and persecuted him who was the Substance so they that are alter the Flesh persecuted them that are aftor the Spirit But your Sabbath is a Shadow of Nothing for the Jews Sabbath in the time of the Law was upon the seventh Day which was the last Day of the Week but yours is the first Day of the Week for which you have no Scripture and they were not to do their own Wayes nor their own Pleasure nor speak their own Words upon the Sabbath Day and here you transgress in the Figure and walk in your own Wayes and speak your own Words and do your own Pleasures both of that Day and every Day We are accused that we justifie our selves and condemn all others I answer When we were our selves without the Spirit of God and had a Form and Profession of the Saints Condition which we did not possess we sought to justifie our selves in our Profession and earthly Wisdom and to exalt our selves and be something in the Eyes of others and here we were Pharisee and yet feigned Publicans saying we were sinfull but thought higher of our selves then others though we were in the same Nature and here our Justification was of our selves and not of Christ and here all you Pharisees and feigned Publicans both Priests and Professors who are in your earthly Wisdom feeding upon the Letter but as the Light of Christ arose in us all our earthly Wisdom wherein we were exalted became Foolishness and Self was judged and denyed and all that which was of Self both Wisdom and Righteousness wherewith we covered over our filthy lustful unclean Hearts and so were as painted Sepulchres and here are all Professors at this Day who are feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and are from under the Cross of Christ but all would not hide from the Light of God but as it arose it searched through all and lay'd open all and all our Covers became rotten and fell from us and so it will be with all Professors as the Light of Christ doth arise and the Book of Conscience is layd open for no Flesh must glory in his Presence But now we have nothing but what we have received of the Father through Death and Christ is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and though we glory we glory in the Lord for we have nothing in our selves to glory of and the Saints thought it no Presumption to call themselves the Sons of God and said they were of God and all the whole World lie in Wickedness and here the same Spirit would have accused them yet they were no Pharisees and Christ thought it no Robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees he was judged a Blasphemer and as he is so are we say the Saints yet they were no Pharisees and so who are made the Sons of God it is no Self-justification to witness it forth neither those who are made free from Sin to witness it forth as the Apostles did and to witness forth the Life and Power of Truth and deny them that have gotten the Form Notion or Profession And here Christ is the Witness and the Justification for the Way is but one and the Truth is but one and they who dwell in the Truth witness one with another for the Light of God owns its own wheresoever it is for God cannot deny himself but they that are not with us are against us and out of the Truth in the State of Condemnation for all who are out of the Truth are under the Curse in the Fall and this Truth we witness by the Spirit of the living God through Death the same Truth as ever was and there is that in every Conscience shall bear us Witness yea in the Heathen and condemn them that hate it Jer. 3. 19 20. We are accused to be one with the Ranters I answer it is false for we abhor their Principles in our Hearts and deny any Liberty to the Flesh or any light or loose or vain Conversation which they live in or any thing which is impure or unclean for our Principles are pure and clean and are at Enmity with any thing that is impure or unclean for Purity and Impurity cannot agree together and it is our desire to keep our selâ—es unspotted of the World for that which is unclean defiles and from that we are seperated who are the Sons and Daughters of the living God But some of them have tasted of the Love of God and Grace of God and have had Appearances of God but by hearkning to the Voyce of the Serpent and giving way to the Lust have turned with the Dog to the Vomit and the Grace of God into Wantenness casting his pure Law behind their Backs and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace and have crucified afresh the Lord of Life and put him to open Shame therefore hath the Lord given them up to their own Hearts-Lusts and vile Affections and their Consciences are seared as with an hot Iron for it is written It is impossible that those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance but they have deceived many with their alluring Speeches and have caused the Truth of God to be evil spoaken of by their pernicious lascivious wayes but Wo Wo be to them for double shall be their Reward But God is our Witness we deny and abhor all things which are filthy or unclean and though all the World condemn it is without For there is no Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not aefter the Flesh but after the Spirit And it is my tender desire towards all tender Consciences that they may take heed of giving any Liberty to the Flesh lest they loose the Tenderness of Conscience and harden it by Lust and Uncleanness for nothing but Purity will the Lord receive for he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity We are accused that the Ground of our Religion is Popery The
Ground of the Religion made manifest to us is God himself for God is the Fountain of all Truth and Truth is Religion and Religion is Truth and this Truth we witness made manifest by God the Life of Truth and here is the Religion which we witness forth and here is the Ground witnessed forth from the Ground and this Religion is pure unspotted and springs from the Light which is pure wherein there is no Deceit neither can be for it discovers all Deceit and leads out of it both within and without but Deceit discovers not Deceit for Satan divided against himself cannot stand bâ—t all Sects and Opinions arise out of Darkness and the End is Confusion and so as Darkness is opposite to Light and Death to Life so are all Sects and Opinions against the true Religion and all will side together against the Truth though they be opposite one to another in Judgment as Pilate and Herod did against Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and Saducees and rude Multitude So it is now both Papist and Protestant as they call them and all other Sects and Opinions which arise out of the Fall for though they differ in Judgment yet they spring from one Root and no Difference in Life but the Light strikes at the Root which is Darkness and layes open the hidden things done in Darkness so Darkness cannot endure the Light and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil And this is the Cause why our Religion is spoaken against more then any Profession besides all Drunkards Swearers Lyars Whoremongers Adulterers Thieves Murtherers Proud Covetous Lustful ones and all Unrighteous Persons will speak against it and call it Delusion and Heresie and Witchery and all manner of Evil which the Devil can invent and those stand up for the Priests and persecute the Truth as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles times and this will all Pharisees and Professors do as they ever did for they can wink at one another and bear with one another in Deceit but Truth cannot at all bear with Deceit because there is perfect Enmity as there was ever in all Ages and it is no new thing And here all your Sects and Opinions are shut out of the Light and are in Darkness and so is Confusion both Popery and all other But the Truth is but one and who dwels in the Truth dwels in the Light and are the Children of the Light and there is no Confusion but all of one Heart and one Mind Epistles written in one anothers Hearts and there is that in every Conscience which shall witness it be the everlasting Truth which ever was is and is to be for ever both in them that believe and in them that perish though to the Condemnation of them that hate it And this I witness by the infallible Spirit of the Lord which cannot lie And now I have discharged my Conscience before all People in the behalf of the Truth of God not that I would have any to speak well of it but from the Ground of it for the Love and the Hatred of the Unrighteous is all one to me but for some Simple ones sake I have laid open my self and freely discharged my Conscience and I doubt not that my Labour is in vain but whosoever owns the Truth of God must own it through good Report and evil Report and must be content to loose their good Name in the World as both Christ and his Servants did and the Servant must not be greater then his Lord. And now a few words to all you Heads and Rulers and Magistrates in what Degree soever who have the Power in your own Hands who by your Power persecute and imprison the Servants and Messengers of Jesus Christ as Deluders and Deceivers Witches and Vagabonds and have no Ground for it but only by Hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts and because they cannot please nor satisfie your corrupt proud Wills which is your Law by which you persecute them not weighing nor searching the Ground of things You are they in whom the Beast reigns and his Image you bear which upholds the false Prophet and Tyrannize over the Nations by his corupt Will and cause them to bow to and worship his Image and you oppress and persecute those who cannot You must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without mixture for in the bloody Generation you are found filling up the measure of your Fathers Wrath upon whom must come all the righteous Blood shed from righteous Abel until now and this I say in the Presence of the living God by the Spirit of the living God that all you who have had a hand in persecuting of them Guilt shall follow you in the Conscience until you come to Judgment And therefore I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion or to lay your Law upon any tender Conscience but see that your Law be according to that in the Conscience which is pure and perfect and medle with such Affairs as you are set about and rather give Liberty to Religion then take it away as you own the Grace of God you will and see that you discharge your Consciences there lest that while you are persecuting the Truth you neglect that which you are set about for you will both persecute them your selves and suffer the Bruits to stone strike buffet them which is all contrary to your own Law Neither when they are brought before you can they have the Liberty of the Law to clear such Accusations as are laid against them but you will hear the Accusers but not the Accused and this is contrary to the Heathenish Law and are more unjust then the very Heathen who said Doth our Law judge any one before it hear him And so for Shame profess no more Love to Christ in this Nature who execute your Law upon his Servants upon such a fallible Ground which no Judge ought to do by the Law of God especially about Religion but to search out the Ground of the Matter on both side before he judge but this he cannot do about Religion except he have the Spirit of the Lord therefore take heed of medling about spiritual Matters lest through Ignorance you call Christ Beelzebub and persecute him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver as many of you have done which is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it to your Sorrow And all you blind People who persecute rail and revile and reproach the Truth of God and have no Ground for it but by hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts one imagining one Thing and another another Thing as the Multitude which gathered together against Paul one crying one Thing and another
the Flesh in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ for in the Spirit Paul discerned it for saith he Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit I have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this Deed and so those Formalists and Imitators if any differ from them in Judgment they will also deliver him up to Satan as they imagine taking the Apostles Words though they cannot tax him for any Thing but his Judgment differing from them but they want the Power and here they are the Magicians like Jannes and Jambres opposing the Truth and those are they that are called Baptists and another Form they are more spiritual in their Judgment and they hold a spiritual Baptism and not a Water-Baptism and as many as hold with them are of their Church and Faith and thus they are divided into several Forms and Churches and so have several Names and there are several Judgments of one Thing under one Name and here is the Confusion of Babylon with their several Sects Judgments and Opinions and every one are professing the Name of the Lord and stealing the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and saying The Lord saith when he never spoak to them and here is the Difference from another only in Profession Judgment or Opinion but still in Babylon and Babylon's Fashions Customs and Traditions and Fellowship Manners and Breeding which is all Heathenish and at Enmity with God being in the Fall and thus they stand in the first Nature in Pride in Covetousness Anger Wrath Malice Fleshliness and Lustfulness and Idle Words Vain Talking Foolish Jesting and Evil Communication and to be short still alive in the World's Nature Strangers to the Holy God and so under Death's Dominion and here I comprehend all Forms Sects Judgments and Opinions by the Light which slayes Death and takes away its Dominion unto its self to whom it belongs and doth see them and judge them to be out of the Light in Darkness and so in Confusion one clashing against another with their Judgments and Opinions and here are the Disputes of this World and the one cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and another cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and none else whenas Christ is within his Saints and there is a false Christ which they have set up in their Imaginations and here are the False Prophets and False Christs that are gone out into the World who have deceived many And here is the Ground of Forms a setting up a Likeness of a Thing a Figure or Image of a Thing but not the Thing it self and here is the Beast and the Image of the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after even Satan as an Angel of Light in his several Shapes Forms and Likenesses to deceive the Simple and here is the Form without the Life and Power and here is the Building upon a sandy Foundation which all must come down who hear the Words and talk of the Word are Sayers of the Words here is him that saith he hath kept the Commandments and Ordinances and yet his Heart from God after other Lovers who is searched and found out by Christ the Light and here is the Spiritual Babel with its Foundation and Babel's Building and Babel's Builders and here is the Image whose Head is Gold whose Breast is Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay but now is he come and made manifest who strikes at Feet of Image who is called the Stone cut out of Mountain without Hands even Jesus Christ the Son of God now after all this Profession of his Name and of Faith in him but now he finds none in the Earth who hath revealed himself in the poor despised ones of the World and those who have been counted the blind and igrant and as you have read the Poor receive the Gospel the World was made by him but the World knew him not he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God to whom that Promise is fulfilled which was promised in the Dayes of old by the Father That in the last Dayes he would pour forth his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie and the Young Men see Visions and if you will receive it this is the Elias which was for to come in the Spirit as he came in the Flesh even the Life and Power of what hath been so long professed which the Lord hath now manifested in his Servants and Hand-maids whom he hath now sent forth abroad freely to call into the Supper of the Lord even the Marriage of the Lamb and to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and to preach him within the Hope of Glory the Ministry that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves and take up his Cross follow him through evil Report and good Report through Persecution and through Death and who are faithful until Death must receive a Crown of Life and reign with him for evermore in his Kingdom of which there is no End neither Beginning over which he is made Heir and King blessed be Jehovah sing Halelujah to his Name all ye that know him And now that his Name is spreading abroad and his Message declaring by the Mouth of his faithful Messengers those who have long talked of his Name and so long professed his Name know him not neither believe on him but are found Hypocrites and Dissemblers and blind Leaders of the blind whited Walls and painted Sepulchres but within full of Uncleanness Hypocrisie and Deceit even the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and those will not receive the Message but make light of it and say they believe on a Christ at Jerusalem and now in the Heavens far off they know not where and they cry he hath done all for us and hath satisfied for our Sins and they shall not be imputed to us say they and they cry out this is a new Light and a strange Light and we know not whence it is but they say they will keep to the Old Rule the Scriptures which they call the Word of God and the Old Way though they be meer Strangers to the Life of the Scriptures but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them as Christ saith For Judgment am I come into the World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind as their Fore-fathers professed Abraham and Moses and said We know that God spake unto Moses but as for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and they said God was their Father but Jesus Christ answered them and said If ye were Abraham ' s Children ye
the Light which once shined into them by catching the Thing in their Comprehension and so got it in the Notion but did not obey nor suffer the Death of the Cross. And the Breast of the Image which is of Silver and the Thighs of Brass are the rest of the Sects and Opinions and Forms and Likenesses which are more Glorious one then another for as I said before Satan can imitate every Appearance of the true Light in his Forms Shapes and Likenesses and the more Glorious the Light appears in any Creature so doth he refine himself and appear more Glorious to deceive the Simple so that many by the Light of God stâ—rring in them have come to see the Deceit and Emptiness in one Form and how they have been deceived therein then presently the Deceit appears in another more Glorious Shape or Form and calls that the Truth and the Creature still looking without from the Light within it is insnared there again still painted with the Scripture-words and then the Creature thinks its a Saint in that Form whenas it s but a Painted Sepulchre still in the Old Nature and under the Power of the same Deceit but the Cross tryes all for there all Forms and Professions miss and come short so that many a Creature hath passed through many Forms hath thought it self a Saint in every Form but coming yea but to see the Cross which they are to take up before they can be the Disciples of Christ and there have stumbled and cryed out It is Hard and Straight and go away sorrowful I know this is witnessed and answered in many Consciences for here every Man's Faith and Works come to the Tryal and so to some the Preaching of the Cross is Foolishness and to some a Stumbling-block but unto them that believe and take it up it is witnessed the Power of God unto Salvation and such rejoyce in it with Paul who are crucified to the World and the World to them upon whom the Ends of World are come But it would be an easie thing to the Flesh if that was all to turn out of one Profession into another and out of one Form and Judgment into another but the Way to Life is through Death And the Legs of the Image which are of Iron is the Beast or the Power of the Beast upon which these stand where lies their Strength And the Feet of the Image which is part of Iron and part of Clay are the Priests and Pharisees joyn'd to the Powers of the Earth which upholds them for but for that as I said before they are the weakest of all Forms and so they are the Part of Clay and the Power that upholds them is that part of Iron which is the strongest of the Metals And the Watcher or the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which striketh at the Feet of the Image is the King of Righteousness even he that rides upon the White Horse out of whose Mouth goes a sharp Sword whose Name is called the Word of God who comes to strike at the Powers of the Earth even the Kings of the Earth who have given their Power unto the Beast and joyn in War against the Lamb but the Lamb shall Overcome and he will overturn all until it come into his Hand whose own it is And the Beast and the False Prophet that hath thus deceiv'd the Nations and all that receive the Mark of the Beast and worship his Image shall be taken and cast into the Lake that burneth forever which was of Old prepared for them and he will create new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness where there shall not be War any more but he shall reign in Peace with his Saints for evermore Oh! blessed are all they that fight in this Banner and here lay down their Lives they shall take them up again with an Everlasting Crown and reign for evermore singing Hallelujah to their King to whom be all Praise Honour Power Dominion and Thanks for evermore Amen And thus shall this Great Image be broaken to pieces by the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which will become a heavy Mountain even a burden some Stone to all Nations but upon this Mountain shall the True Church stand as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid And thus I have laid down the Ground and End of all Sects Forms and Professions with a Blow to this Great Image with a Weapon which is not Carnal but Spiritual he that can receive it let him And now concerning the CHURCH which is now gathering and redeeming not by the Will of man nor by the Wisdom of many but by the Will and Power and Spirit of God which according unto his Promise he hath poured down upon his Sons and Daughters now in these latter dayes by which we are carried abroad in the Power of the Almighty now to declare abroad his Powerful Truth which the Lord has decreed shall prevail upon the hearts of the People which is Glad-tidings of great Joy unto them that receive it but unto the Stubborn and Stiff-necked and Rebellious Tidings of Wo and Misery And though the Messengers of the Gospel are by some rejected reviled reproached scoffed and scorned stocked stoned and imprisoned and despightfully used slandered and abused yet nevertheless blessed be the Name of the Lord there are some found worthy do receive with much Joy the Messengers of the Gospel so that they know how Beautiful are the Feet of those that bring Glad-tidings to the reviving the just Witness for God and raising up to Life the Dead and so the Living comes to Know and Praise the Lord and so the Just comes to reign and the Wicked comes to be judged and the Mind comes to be turned from the Darkness to the Light to which we do preach in every Creature and to the same are made manifest and known to them who do like to retain it in their Minds and from whence we come and the Testimony which we do declare but they that do not receive it to them we are not known and therefore are by them esteemed as Deceivers and Deluders Vagabonds and Wanderers and the like yet at all this we do not Wonder for we read The Servant is not greater then his Lord for if they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more those of his Houshold and if they had known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory Yet nevertheless we have a Witness in every Conscience both in them that believe and in them that perish unto which we do clear our Consciences and leave all without Excuse by the same which will answer for us in the Mighty Day though to the Condemnation of those that hate it wherein we have our great Joy above all our Sufferings but as many as receive this to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God and those
are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
hast so long professed which hath been so long preached in thee Is this thy Divinity And are these thy Preachers of Divinity Nay they are now found out by the Light of God to be the Diviners Sorcerers Witches and Magicians that are only Opposers and Gain-sayers of the Truth who must perish in the Gainsaying of Core they are known by their Fruits and the Fruits of their Ministry and thy Well-head of Divinity is now found the Well-head of Sorcery Witchcraft and Spiritual Whoredom and all Abomination and Uncleanness the Day doth declare it and one Fountain cannot bring forth both Bitter Water and Fresh Oh! Antichrist hath reigned long over poor enslaved captivated Souls but now Israel's Redeemer hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness is risen with Healing in his Wings and Antichrist's Kingdom is come and coming to an End and Christ himself will reign and rule in Truth and in Righteousness in his Ransomed Ones and this is the Mighty King and Redeemer of Israel out of Captivity into a Land of Peace and Love and Unity where the Ransomed Ones do dwell with their Captain and their King who doth deliver his own Lambs out of the Mouthes of Raging Wolves and Dogs Praises Praises Everlasting Eternal to the Everlasting God of Life forever And thus we are sent as Sheep amongst Wolves but in the Power of the Almighty we are sent forth and the Arm of the Almighty is with us and doth deliver us from being a Prey to the Lyon's Whelps which would us devour and blessed are all they that receive our Testimony it is Peace and Salvation to their Souls Now 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 hath chosen the Foolish Things to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no Flesh should Glory in his Presence Unto this Doughty I sent several of these Queries which are before mentioned but I received no Answer Another Meeting betwixt the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers UPon the fourth Day of third Moneth called May we were several of the Lord's People met together in a Friend's Oarchard at Litleport in the Isle of Ele and there came in Three of the Teachers of the Baptized People the chief of them was one John Ray of Wickombruck in Suffolk and he came as he said with a Message and that was To Excommunicate two Persons that were there namely Samuel Cater and Ezekiel Cater had formerly been Elders amongst them out of their Society whenas they were come out of their Society before and owned the Substance and denyed their Form and Shadow without their casting out but thou Ray to uphold-thy Form didst there disorderly run into Words in thy own Will and then wentst away and wouldst not stay to prove what thou hadst done but saidst Thou wast to be at the Steeple-house shortly so as I was moved I spoak unto the People there present and after a while when I had spoken what was given me of the Lord to speak I passed into the Town and there I hearing how the Baptist was railing on the Truth in the Steeple-house I passed to the Steeple-house with some Friends that had formerly been of their Society and when I came there I found thee John Ray set up in the Seat of the Pharisee the chiefest Place in the Assembly speaking a Divination of thy own Brain not from the Mouth of the Lord as thou confessedst openly amongst the People that none in these Dayes had any open Vision or heard God speak immediately and here thou wast an open Lyar amongst the People but here thou barredst thy self from the same Spirit that spoak in the Prophets and Apostles and therefore art a Deceiver for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and so thou measuredst others by thy self but I and Hundreds more of the Children of Light do witness thee to be a Lyar and Deceiver in these Dayes who comes not in the Name of the Lord but in thy own Name therefore the World receives thee but here out of thy own Mouth thou art judged and condemned out of the New Covenant for there God himself is Teacher and thou that never heardst him speak immediately and yet comest to preach his Word Thou art a Stranger unto God and a Blind Guide a Deceiver and a false Prophet who runs and the Lord never sent thee therefore thou profits not the People at all but art a Thief and steals the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostlâ—s and adds a Divination of thy own Brain and so feeds the People with Notions and airy Knowledge and casting the Childrens Bread unto Dogs but the greater is thy Condemnation who for a Pretence makes long Prayers and wrests and perverts the Scripture to thy own Destruction but think â—ot that thou shalt be heard for thy much Babling for the Hand of the Lord is against thee And there in the Seat of the Pharisee thou Ray hadst taken a Text of the Apostles Words and added thy own Meanings Uses Applications and Divinations thou Merchant of Babylon and Diviner where hast thou any such Example from the Prophets or Apostles They spoak from the Mouth of the Lord and as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and as the Spirit gave them Utterance and they spoak with Power and Authority and not as the Scribes but thou dost speak in the Wisdom of the World like as the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests amongst whom I number thee and here thou art shut from the Apostles and their Practice with thy Carnal Meanings Uses Applications and Divinations and this was thy TEXT which thou hadst stoln out of the Apostles Writings which were writ unto the Church and thou applyedst them unto the World and saidst For if after they have escaeped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter End is worse then the Beginning c. And from this thou raisedst thy Uses Applications and dark Meanings whenas neither thou nor any there which belonged to thee or owned thee that had ever escaped the Pollutions of the World or ever had come to the Knowledge of Christ but are still in Darkness and Blindness in their Sins and Corruptions in Covetousness in Pride and Wantonness in Lightness in Wrath and in Anger and Maliciousness in Back-biting in Slandering and false Accusing in Railing and Cursed Speaking in Lying and Blaspheming only it may be have passed through the Water But it is not the washing away the Filth of the Flesh But here both thou and they are still and these are the Pollutions of the World but they that know and witness Jesus Christ come in the Flesh witness the washing away those Sins and Pollutions and thus thou
in the Letter when the Apostle saith Go not forth the Word is nigh in the Heart And thus thou opposest the Apostle and drawest from his Doctrine and bringest another Doctrine and so art not to be received but held as Accursed as thou art by the Children of Light and sometimes thou calledst the Letter the Word and sometimes a Story and here was thy Confusion And then thou runndst on with thy fauning dissembling Speeches making a Shew oftentimes to the People of speaking more of a Matter but for wearying their Patience Oh blush and be ashamed of thy Doctrine now thou makest it appear what filthy Stuff it is that art afraid it should weary Peoples Patience to hear it if it was of God it would not be wearisom to any Thing of God to hear it but it was not of God therefore I am sure it was wearysom and burdensom to the Spirit of God and here thou art shut out with thy frothy Stuff and vain Complements to be a Deceiver And then thou saidst If you please I will speak more and thus thou markest out thy self for a Man-Pleaser and the Apostle said If yet I pleased Men I should not be a Servant of Christ. Now read thy self where thou art who art yet a Man-pleaser who comes with such inticing Words of Mens Wisdom so that the Preaching of the CROSS to thee is Foolishness and the Prophets who had the Spirit of the LORD and the WORD of the Lord they spoak whether they would hear or forbear and here thou art shut out both from the Spirit of God and the Word of God which is one who art a Man Pleaser and if not a Servant of Christ then a Servant of the Devil and so I mark thee out that all may know thee and no longer be deceived by thee with the Shadow instead of the Substance with thy inticing Words of Men's Wisdom And thou told'st the People Thou spoakest to the Reason of Man whenas all Men in the Fall their Reason is corrupted and the Natural Man receives not the Things of God for Man by Nature is worse then a Beast and there art thou who art preaching to the Corrupt Reason of Man in the Fall to judge of thy Corrupt stuff for I know there were none there that owned thee but such like But the Message of Paul was To Turn Peoples Minds from Darkness to Light but thou strivest to draw People's Minds from the Light Within to the Dead Letter without them telling them that was the Light and that was the Word and so thou bewitchest them with thy Lying Divinations and bad them search that and read often that and cleave unto that But I say they that read that and not by the Light within them read a Parable and it is unto them as a sealed Book though they may by their Carnal Wisdom add their own Meanings but that must be shut out of the Scripture for such are unlearned and unfruitful in the Word and so wrest the Scripture to their own Destruction But by this know That I go not about to draw men from reading the Scripture so that they read with this Single Eye the Light which gave it forth so shall they that read understand but to thee this is a Mystery and therefore thou went'st about to deny Christ in Man and God in Man by way of Derision to those that witnessed forth Christ Within God Within And thou saidst That he meant he was in them by his words and thou brought'st this Scripture If you abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you In this Place thou Serpent he meant as he spoak but Paul witnessed Christ Within and said They that could not witness Christ Within were Reprobates and so art thou who denyest Christ come In the Flesh And Paul preached Christ Within the Hope of Glory the Mystery which had been hid and so it seems is still from thee therefore to thee this preaching is Foolishness and as Fancies and Whimsies but unto us that are saved Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God by which thy Folly and thy Ignorance of Christ is here made manifest and that thou never escaped'st the Pollutions of the World by the Knowledge of Christ who denyes him as he is known to all who have escaped the Pollutions of the World by the Knowledg of him they that thus know him not are in the Reprobation And here art thou a Minister of Antichrist who denyest Christ come in the Flesh. And then thou went'st on with thy Deluding Spirit pressing the Wicked to pray yea there were many there present of the People of the World besides thy own Company whom both thou and thy Company count as Heathen yet thou didst press them much to pray and to take unto them Words and pray whenas the Scripture saith The Prayers of the Wicked are abominable and thus thou didst that which was abominable in the Sight of God in praying thy self and teaching the Wicked to pray and to steal other Men's Words and pray for neither you nor they have any Words but what you steal out of the Scripture for thou hast shut thy self from that by which the Apostles preached therefore thou thus runnest into Confusion And thou toldst the People of Deceivers and nominated them to be such as denyed Baptism and Ordinances of Christ and the Scripture and the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment So when thou hadst done thy Divination and thy formal Prayer I stood up and claimed the Order of the True Church That all might speak one by one and if any thing was revealed to him that stands by let the first hold his Peace And then like Cain thy Countenance fell thou being struck with Guilt in thy Conscience and fear surprised the Heart of the Hypocrite and thou wa st shuffling away but I bad thee stand for said I thou art a Deceiver as I shall prove thee one before all the People therefore stand to maintain what thou hast said But said I unto the People The Prophets and Apostles and the Holy Men of God who spoak forth the Scriptures they spoak from the Infallible Spirit of God as they were acted guided and moved thereby but all who come with their Words and pretending to preach and not from the same Infallible Spirit such are Deceivers of which this man is one who stands here in the Sâ—at of the Pharisee he being smitten with Guilt fetled to be gone and several would have stopped him but he said He would be gone unless they kept him in by Violence And I said unto the People Know this that these things wherewith he marks out Deceivers I own so that I am none of those for the Scripture I own and the True Baptism of Christ I own and the Resurrection from the Dead I own and Eternal Judgment upon the Wicked
you can witness of the Work of God in your Hearts for all this your long and great Profession and esteeming your selves of the Church and Faith of Christ and Saints in Christ So if you can witness yet the Earth-Quakes and that the Earth is yet removed out of its Place and Mountains removed by the Eye of Faith and if the Vail of Darkness be yet rent Is not the first Man yet standing and the first Image and the Serpent's Head For while you are Strangers to the Light and your Minds are from the Light you are wandred and strayed in the Pathes of Darkness and so are the Children of Darkness in whom the Prince of Darkness ruleth even the Serpent who is Head in Man but the Promise is The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head But you are acting in your own Wills and Wisdom the Serpent is your Head and you are not yet come to witness the first Promise fulfilled but are still in the Fall under the Power of Darkness in the Disobedience and Strangers unto the Cross and so have no Part in Christ in that Nature For none come to have a Right in Christ but through the Cross for As many as are baptized into Christ are baptized into his Death and they that are Dead with him do Live with him and they that are Dead are freeed from Sin and they that are in Christ are New Creatures old things are passed away and all things become new But they that are not in Christ are still in old Adam and so in the Fall under the Curse and under Death's Dominion drove out from the Presence of God into the Earth and Death reigns over all from Adam until Moses of what Profession soever Therefore now read your selves by the Light which comes from Jesus Christ and shineth into your dark Hearts and searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and maketh manifest the Secrets to which Light I am made manifest and by it witnessed in you all and unto it I do direct your Minds for the turning of your Minds from the Darkness to the Light all you that have a Desire to find the Way of Truth in what Form soever that thereby you may come to see how you have been wandred and scattered in the many ways of Darkness in the Land of Darkness in this cloudy dark day as Sheep without a Shepheard being carryed about after the Voice of Strangers from the Shepheard of your Souls Therefore hearken no more without to those that cry Lo here or Lo there is Christ and so draws your Minds without to seek for a Christ without and a Redemption and a Sanctification without a Righteousness without and a God without but turn your Minds within for it is to be found within if ever you find it For there is no Way to come unto the true Knowledge of the Truth or of God or of Christ but by that of God within For what is to be known of God is manifest within and the same which descended the same doth ascend And so the Way to God is to be found within by the Light which maâ—nifests Death and slayes Death Do not you read the Parable of the Woman that had lâ—st the Piece of Silver and could not find it until she had turned into the House and lighted the Candle and swept the House and then she found that which she had lost and rejoyced with her Neighbours Now the Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord and his Life was the Light of Men so turn in your Minds to the Light of the Lord Jesus which if you love it to bring your Deeds to it it will let you see the Deeds of Darkness and the Paths of Death and it will also search your Hearts and make manifest your inward Parts and let you see what you have lost and as you love this Light and like to retain it in your Minds and by it to be guided it will lead you out of all the crooked and froward Wayes of Darkness into the Light of Life and so to come to find and know the Voice of the true Shepherd who is come to seek out and gather all his scattered Sheep out from amongst the Mountains and Valleys and the many Wayes and crooked Pathes wherein they have been scattered and strayed in the Land of Darkness and to gather them together into one Flock into one Way into one Sheepfold and he alone will be their Shepherd and this you shall come to witness as you love this Light and follow it it will lead you out of your many Forms and many Wayes into one Way out of your own Wisdom and Imaginations wherein you have been building Babel and this will strip you of all your own Righteousness wherewith you have covered over your deceitful Hearts and it will lay your Deceits before you and bring you to Judgment and if you love this Light and follow iâ— and be willing to wait upon it out of your own Wills and Wisdom and Imaginations and Carnal Thoughts Reasonings and Consutations and self-Acting and Imitating it will lead you to know the Voice of the true Shepherd within you from the Voice of the Stranger and so to know the precious from the vile he who saith I am the Light he saith I am the good Shepherd who will bring you to know the Way and the Door into the Sheepfold if you do not run out in your own Wills and seek to climb up another Way for the Way is but one and he that saith I am the Light saith I am the Way and I am the Door into the Sheepfold so if you turn from the Light and stumble at the Light you stumble at all and so fall but if you love the Light and be willing to follow the Light it will lead you through all and to deny your selves and to take up his Cross unto your selves and to pass through good Report and evil Report through Persecution and through Death and the VVay will not be grievous but joyous and so you will come into the VVay and in at the Door unto the Sheepfold and so into the Fellowship and into the Life and into the Power and into the Faith of the Saints where all live in Union in one united by one into one Body the End of all Jarring Jangling Divisions and Disputes therefore said the Apostle Where is the Wise where is the Disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World Therefore I do call you to come out from amongst them and be ye separate and touch no unclean Thing and I will receive you saith the Lord and I will be unto you a Father and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters Now you are called and this is the Day of your Visitation for now Light is come into the VVorld and if you like to retain it in your Minds happy are you but if
as one not worthy to live amongst them yea and they said He that killed me would do God Service But he that had called me out from amongst them unto himself that I might no longer follow the Vain Courses of the World nor set my Delight on things below but that I might serve him in Newness of â—ife that in me his Workmanship might appear to the Confounding â—â—f the Heathen who know him not He by his â—â—â—wer kept me and gave me Strength to bear his Cross and despise the Shame so that neither Foul Words nor Fair Words could cause me to Deny what God by his Grace had wrought in my Heart but by his Power he carried me above the Raging Waves of the tempestuous Sea so that I knew that he that was in me was greater then he that is in the World yea and out of my Kindred and Acquaintance I came and became a Stranger to them that lov'd not the Truth Yea and presently I came to see the Priests of the World by their Fruits and the Fruits of their Ministry which was cursed from God and therefore profited not the People at all But when the Lord by his Power had changed and converted my Heart unto himself the Priests became mine Enemies and said I was deluded whenas before when I lived in the vain Conversation of the World they took no Notice of me either to Reprove me or Instruct me but as they went on in a customary way for Gain and Lucre speaking against Sin in the general but not reproving it in particular but were as deep in it in their Lives as others and so what they preacht down with their Tongues they upheld in their Lives and countenanced in their Conversations and so from them I turned whom I saw had gotten a Form but deny'd the Life and Power and I sought for a People with whom I might have Union and there was a People with whom I found Union a few Miles from the Town where I lived whom the Lord was a gathering out of the dark VVorld to sit down together wait upon his Name but we were the Objects and Reproach of the Country and were accounted as the Off-scourings of the VVorld but in all this we saw the Scriptures fulfilled and that we might thus suffer if we would live Godly in Christ Jesus and here was our Confidence and Strength which carryed us above our Sufferings as knowing it was for the Name of Jesus And thus I continued a certain time counting it greater Riches to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season and about this time I was about Fifteen Years of Age. And afterwards I was called forth to visit some Friends in the North Part of England with whom I had Union in Spirit before I saw their Faces And afterwards I returned back to my outward Dwelling-Place and remained in my outward Calling And the Lord all this time still more more perfecting encreasing his Work in my Heart which by his Power he had begun in me and by his pure Power bringing forth his Truth in me and making known his Will unto me until by his Power He opened my Mouth to declare his Truth in the VVorld and still I continued in my outward Calling and also in the VVork of the Lord as not being called far from my Dwelling-Place And when I was betwixt Seventeen and Eighteen Years of Age I was moved in my Spirit to go to a Place about Fifteen Miles from my outward Dwelling-Place southward amongst a People to whom the Lord was making known his Truth not knowing when I went out of going farther then that Place but when I was there I was moved of the Lord to come on the Cambridge and in Obedience unto the Lord I came to see what he had to do for me not knowing one Foot of the Way but as I was directed neither knowing when I came there where to be receiv'd but had heard before of Two of my Friends that were there Whipped caused by the Mayor that then was only for declaring the Truth as they past through the Town against the Deceit thereof neither did I know but it might be my Portion also when I came there but without conferring with Flesh and Blood I passed on my Journey and he that called me forth went along with me and did direct me And when I came there I found those that were worthy that received me and also I found a Friend whom the Corrupt Rulers had put in Prison for the same Testimony which I also was sent to declare before I had continu'd there the space of Fourteen Nights William Pickering the Mayor of Cambridge committed me to Prison for publishing two Papers the one against the Corruption of the Magistrates and the other against the Corruption of the Priests at the time of their Commencement as they call it and there they kept me in Prison the space of two Sessions and tossed me from Prison to Dungeon and had nothing to lay against me whereby to prove the Breach of any Law but when I came to the last Sessions they called a Jury to prove the Papers to be Scandalous and Seditious Papers and they were nigh Two Hours about them but could not prove it but came and said That they found nothing but that the Papers were mine which I had before own'd in the open Court and there was my Name to them to testifie the same And so they were crossed in their Intentions and their Plots came to nought Then they committed me back to Prison again and after the space of Three Days they sent me away with a Pass under the Name of a Rogue yet durst not give me the Law which belongs to Rogues but had me away with Clubs and Staves and I could not see the Pass until I was Three Miles out of the Town where I lodged that Night and the next day there came a Justice of Peace from Cambridge who knowing me to be Innocent of what was laid to my Charge so he witnessed the Pass to be false and took it back to Cambridge and so I was set free And not long after I went of Cambridge again and went abroad preaching and declaring the Truth freely in the Countries about and many I found that received the Truth gladly but more Enemies yet nevertheless Truth spread conquer'd over its Enemies and there I continued labouring in the VVork of the Lord about the Space of half a Year in the Countries about Cambridge and from thence I was moved of the Lord to come into Essex where I heard of a People that was seâ—king the Lord and when I came there I found those that were worthy who received the Truth gladly and there I continued freely declaring and preaching the Truth from Place to Place sometimes in the Synagogues and was haled out by the Priests Party that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon that
Day and Night and thus I was led 18 Miles through the Country for a gazing-Stock unto the World but Truth was preached in all this and prevailed on the Hearts of the People so that I could rejoyce in all and triumph over mine Enemies So when we were at the Assize-Town which is called Chansford the Judge came in upon the seventh Day of the Week and upon the second Day of the next Week I was brought into the Court before Judge Hills who sate upon Life and Death and there I stood for a gazing-Stock while and then the Judge commaâ—ded them to take me away and did not say any thing to me for then I was singled from the rest only had Irons upon one of my Hands then upon the next Day Morning the Goaler sent his Man to take off my other Irons and so in the afternoon I was had before the Judge without any Irons and the Goaler took off my Hat and cast it upon the Floor and then the Clerk read a long Indictment full of Falshoods and asked me if I was guilty and I told him I denyed all Guilt and called for my Accusers and the Judge said I might see my Accusers and told me I might say Guilty or not Guilty and I told him I was not Guilty so called twelve Men to try me and the Fore-man was a Drunkard and they bid me object against any of them and I told them I owned none out of the Doctrine of Christ and all that swore were out of the Doctrine of Christ and they had all sworn before my Face and therefore I openly denyed by them to be tryed yet nevertheless they went on with their Work and Priest Willis was called and he swore against me and swore falsly too and the two Men called Justices swore against me and swore falsly too and one of the Justices Men so called and another Man swore against me and swore falsly too yet all these false Witnesses were heard to the full what they would say aginst me and thus the Leader of the People caused them to err for if the Teacher be a Swearer and a false Swearer what may the People be for Christ saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay for whatsoever is more is Evil and the Apostle saith In all Things my Brethren swear not at all c. and he that abides not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God and thus like People like Priest all live without God in the World And when their false Witnesses had spoaken what they could against me they brought in the Letter which I had sent to the Men called Justices in Reply to their Mittimus and it was openly read in the COURT and I owned it for my Name was to it and the reading of it was much Satisfaction to many that understood it and they also brought another Paper that I writ against the Idol's Temple and the Deceiver therein both which shall follow in Order afterwards and then when they were both read Judge â—ills took them both and repeated over unto the Jury all that he could gather by wrong Interpretation and Construction against me whereby to incense the Jury against me and told them If they did not find me Guilty the Sin would lye upon their Heads and he as it were passed the Sentence upon me before the Jury went forth yea and told them what they should do whenas they had sworn before to speak the Truth and nothing but the Truth and I had charged them to take heed what they did for I told them None could judge betwixt Truth and Heresie but by the Spirit of the Lord but when I would have spoken something to the Jury before they went forth the Judge interrupted me and would not suffer me though one of the Jury desired it neither would he suffer that the Jury should have the Papers that were brought in against me though I required it but sought all that he could against me true or false although I had sent him a true Declaration of the Grounds of my Imprisonment with Hands of four Witnesses to it neither would he suffer that to be read And that which I would have spoaken unto the Jury was to clear it unto them that it was no scandalous nor reproachful Words to call a corrupt Magistrate a corrupt Magistrate and to call an Unjust Judge and Lawyer an Unjust Judge and Lawyer or a Persecutor a Persecutor or a Deceiver a Deceiver all which was brought against me and call'd Railing and Scandalous for by that Account they might have taxed all the Prophets for Railing and Scandaling for they open and often declared against the Corruption of the Priests and Rulers as you may read in many Places in the Prophets Records Isaâ—ah called the Priests Greedy Dumb Dogs and the Prophets called them Idol-Shepherds and the like and Christ call'd them Hirelings and the Rulers Hypocrites and Herod a Fox read Maâ—thew 23. and see if you may not as well call that Railing and yet in all this they did not rail nor scandalize any but gave to every Nature its Name and due Reproof whether they would hear or forbear But this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil. So when the Jury came in to bring in their Evidence they could charge me with nothing but the Paper I had writ in Reply to my Mittimus after I was imprisoned which Paper I had before owned in the open Court with my Name to it But the Indictment they could not charge me with for it tended to a Riot which I was far from or any that owned me But the Judge and the Clark both dishonestly strove to draw Words out of the Fore man of the Jury which the rest did not consent to neither could he speak their Minds but others of the Jury were fain to speak themselves but nothing was cleared against me Then the Goaler was commanded to take me away and when I was gone forth of the Court they sent for me again and the Judge imposed two Fines upon me to the Value of about Forty Pounds the one he said was for the Contempt of the Magistracy the other for the Contempt of the Ministry for he said The Lord PROTECTOR had charged him to see to punish such Persons as should Contemn either Magistracy or Ministry But what a Ministry is this that stands in need of an outward Magistracy to uphold it against a People that come with nothing but Spiritual Weapons to defend themselves against Spiritual Wickedness which now sits in high Places But this Ministry is contrary to the Ministry of Christ whose Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual And also several of mine Accusers stood upon the Bench hard by the Judge several time Whispering him in the Ear and leavening and incensing his Mind against me and I reproved
me to be in Darkness then much more thou judgest and condemnest thy self for for my Thirty Six Queries thou hast propounded me an Hundred And here also thou accountest me a Fool as by the Scripture thou quotest in Prov. 26. 4. and therein manifests thy self so much the greater Fool in propounding so many Queries to me whom thou account'st a Fool And thus the Pride of thy Heart hath deceived thee Pr. Answ. And whereas thou sayest Thou wast Inwardly called to the Ministry by the Motion and Gifts of God's Spirit long before I was born which thou sayest hath been God's Ordinary Way which to prove thou quotest Job 32. 8. 2 Chron. 20. 14. Amos 5. 7. 15. Mich. 3. 8. Rep. Though it hath been and is God's Ordinary Way by his own Power and Spirit to call and fit his own Ministers for his own Work as those Scriptures afore-mentioned do prove which we also do witness and do come no other Way yet these Scriptures do not at all prove where and how and by what thou wast called and Jahaziel and Amos and Micha which those Scriptures aforesaid bear Testimony of to be thus called were men that spoak the Word of the Lord freely against Sin and Transgression and False Prophets and Hirelings and their Lives sealed their Testimony And these Scriptures also bear Testimony how and where they were called from their Outward Callings to speak the Word of the Lord and so from those Scriptures thou art shut and hast nought to do to take them into thy Mouth for they do not prove that thou wast thus called from thy Labour for thou wast brought up all thy Dayes in Idleness and at a University as you call it to learn Arts and Sciences without which Those were Called and Fitted And for any other Call then as the Common National Ministers are called who deny both Immediate Revelation and Inspiration thou hast brought no Proof that will stand for thee but only thy own bare Words wherein thy Life and Practice will condemn thee for it is one with the National Priests and thou art maintained and upheld by the same Power as the National Teachers are neither dost go from Place to Place reproving Sin in the Gate as Amos and Micha did who were thus called neither dost speak freely as they did therefore are a False Prophet who sayst The Lord saith when he never spoak to thee but runnest and the Lord never sent thee and therefore thou profittest not the People at all as is manifest by the Fruits of thy Ministry and thus thou wast a Deceiver before I was born and the Lord hath Raised me up to Tell thee of it Qu. 2. Whether is thy Call and Means which thou professest Mediate or Immediate Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st It was both For say'st thou Besides the Immediate aforesaid thou wast ordained a Minister by the Superiours and Governours of the Church as the Elders and Pastors of the Churches were formerly by Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. 23. But thou say'st Thou doubtest whether James Parnel well was called either way to be Teacher if so let him prove it by an Infallible Testimony Rep. Those that have an Inward Call to the Ministry do not stay for an Outward Call by Man but go forth in Obedience to the Word of the Lord Whosoever was called to the Ministry of the Gospel it was Immediately and not Mediately but thine Mediately by the Will of Man and not Immediately as before is proved and also out of thy own Mouth art made manifest For thou say'st Thou doubtest whether I was called either way But if thou wast Called and Guided by the Spirit of the Lord thou wouldst know without Doubts whether I was so called yea or nay for the True Ministers were Epistles writ in one anothers Hearts And they also know the False Prophets and the False Apostles and the False Ministers and declared against them as I do against thee and without doubt I do know thee to be a Deceiver by an Infallible Testimony and those that thou speakest of in Acts 14. 23. whom Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders they did not ordain them Ministers of the Gospel neither sent them abroad to preach the Gospel neither allowed them an Hundred or Two Hundred Pounds by the Year as thou hast but they chose out those that were strong in the Faith and set them to watch over the Weak But those Churches were gathered by the Power and Spirit of God and were turned from Darkness to Light and were washed clensed and sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God But out of your Church cast Drunkards and Swearers and Lyars and Proud and Covetous Ones and Adulterous and Idolaters and Quarrellers and Fighters and Scoffers and Scorners and Backbiters and Envious Ones and Prophane and Wanton Ones and the like who are neither Washed nor Sanctified and then see where will be the Church of England and the Pastors Teachers and Elders and all Then you that profess your selves to be the Church of Christ will be found the Synagogue of Statan whose Minister thou art And also Paul and Barnabas who ordained them Elders were Men endued with the holy Spirit of the Lord and were immediately called and chosen to the Ministry and had a Spirit of Discerning to know who were fitted for the Eldership and all this was done without an University or serving Seven years to learn Arts and Sciences or taking Degrees without which you can do nothing And also those Superiours and Governours have nothing but what they have gotten by Art and Study and reading of others Experiences but are ignorant of the Power of God neither know whether there be any Holy Ghost yea or nay but by the hearing of the Ear but scoff and scorn and persecute those that now do witness these things and they themselves were also first ordain'd by the Will of Man And thus thou hast but so much the more manifested thy self of the World in going about to prove thy self a called Minister by the Scripture which doth altogether witness against thee And whereas thou wouldst have me to prove my Call by an Infallible Testimony I tell thee Without an Infallable Testimony I do not go neither without an Infallible Testimony do I desire to be received or owned and to this the Infallible Spirit of Truth bears Testimony in all the Children of Truth And thou that hast not an Infallible Testimony either with me or against me are still in Darkness and knowest not the Truth then far unfit to be a Teacher to others Qu. 3. Whether thou art guided by the Same Infallible Spirit that gave forth the Scripture Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st That we our selves teach That all Men are taught and guided by that Spirit at times And secondly thou say'st Thou praisest God for it thou art guided and assisted by that Spirit which is alwayes Infallible
And thirdly thou say'st Thou doubtest whether any of those that are called Quakers are alwayes guided by that Spirit Rep. Here all that are guided by any Measure of that Spirit may easily see the Lyes and Confusion for thy first is a Lye That any of us do teach that all Men are taught and guided by that Spirit at Times for I deny that thou art who art now taken with a Lye in thy Mouth which all that understand our Doctrine will witness against And 2dly That thou art guided hy an Infallible Spirit is a Lye against the Holy Ghost for no Lye comes from that Spirit And again thou belyest the Spirit of Truth to say Thou art guided by it and yet canst not give an Infallible Testimony whether those thou call'st Quakers are guided by an Infallible Spirit Yea or Nay but art in thy Doubts but that Spirit is without Doubts which now judgeth thee to be a Lyar and thy God thou praisest to be the Devil the Father of Lyes who must both be tormented together Qu. 4. Whether they that are guided by that Spirit need study how or what to say Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou sayst Timothy had that Spirit in a greater Measure then James Parnel yet Paul saith thus unto him as in 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 15 16. And thou saist If the Apostles had been put to preach upon a short Text or Theam methodically as by long Practice in the Church is expected from you they must oft times have studyed for it as thou conceivest though if you were left at large to speak as the Spirit of God moves you and gives Matter in thou hopest some of you by God's Assistance should speak as to good or better Purpose then any who now pretend to the Spirit 's Actings Rep. Here thou hast sufficiently manifested thy Spirit and thy Ignorance of the Spirit of God to any who understand the Things of the Spirit of God and all these Scriptures which thou hast brought concerning Timothy doth not at all prove that he that is guided by the Spirit of God need study how or what to preach But Paul exhorted Timothy to the Gift that was in him which was given him by or for Prophesie for in so doing he should save himself and those that heard him which you never do by the Fruit of your Study but rather destroy them witness the Fruits of your Ministry these many Years in this Nation who have wrought no better Reformation among your Hearers and also this Scripture doth not at all prove that Paul bad Timothy study old Authors and Heathenish Commentators as you do neither to Study Arts and Sciences as you do who with your Philosophy and vain Deceit do spoil the People for thou hast manifested thy self to be altogether ignorant of the Spirit of God who by thy own Conceivings judgest the Spirit of God to be insufficient to instruct and teach the Apostles what to speak at all Times without Study when as Christ himself exhorteth them to take no Thought what to speak for it should be given them in the very same Hour for saith he It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you which Spirit speaketh not without Method which Spirit you Teachers of the Church of England are great Strangers to who think that the Spirit of God can be limited to a Text or a Theam as thou confessest you are but thou Lyar where is now thy infallible Spirit who thus speakest thy own Conceivings And therefore be ashamed hence-forward to pretend to an Infallible Spirit who hast here so openly manifested thy Ignorance of it and its Movings so that if thou wast left at large to speak from that Spirit in thee and wast shut out of thy Library and from any Text or Writing thou wouldst plainly manifest thy self to be one of the dumb Dogs that could not bark which Isaiah from the Spirit of the Lord declared against without Study For I do believe that if thou and the rest of the National Teachers whom thou confessest are tyed to a Text or Theam could tell how to please the People and get Gain without studying or speaking from a Text you would for the Credit of your Cause as thou saist for I know nothing that tyes you to it but your own Covetous Ends to make a Gain of these Scriptures and to deceive the Ignorant with feigned Words whom Peter without Study foretold of and therefore thou Hypocrite pretend no more to an infallible Spirit but with the rest of thy Brethren confess thou art void of it as many of them have done for in such Pretences thou art but the greater Deceiver and thy Folly doth the more appear Qu. 5. Whether is it as lawful now for Tradesmen Shepherds or Plowmen to preach if they be led by the Spirit of God as those that spake forth the Scripture Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou saist If this was wholly granted James Parnel cannot claim any Interest therein as thou conceivest for thou saist he is neither Tradesman Plowman nor Shepherd nor will take any Course to maintain himself by this Labour for he hath been tryed But herein James Parnel can plainly tell thee thou art a Lyer for he followed a Trade with his Father until the Lord by his Spirit called him from it into his own Word and so I obeyed the Word of the Lord and left my Father with his Trade as James and John did their Father in the Ship For he that will not forsake Father and Mother Lands and Livings Wife and Children and all for Christ's sake is not worthy of him in which Work neither thou nor any other can tax me for Idleness but I believe my Labour and Diligence in the same is more offensive to you Deceivers then if I had been Idle But he that would call me from this Work that I am set about into the Work of Man I should answer him God must be served before Man for if it had not been the Will of God to call me forth into his Work I should still have served my Earthly Father sooner then any other Man notwithstanding the Evil Thoughts and Conceivings of such like as thee who art given up to believe Lyes and tell Lyes but where is now thy infallible Spirit who speakest by thy own Conceivings and thus the Thoughts of thy Heart deceive thee And as for my Maintenance I need not a Law to compel it as thou dost neither am chargeable to the World as thou art who by a Law of Man takest nigh three hundred Pound by the Year of them therefore in this thou mightst have laid thy Hand upon the Mouth for thou and hundreds more of thy Brethren never followed any honest Calling whereby to get an honest Livelyhood without being chargeable to the World but were from your Youths brought up at Babylon's Schools learning her Witchcraft and Sorcery thereby to deceive the
Apostle prayed for the Ephesiâ—ns that believed but it doth not at all prove that the Apostle taught you that are of the World to pray For the Prayers of the Wicked are Abominable and the Apostle would not teach such to pray And though in thy Answer the substance of my Query is confessed yet it doth not serve to prove that thou dost witness it in thy self or own it where it is possessed who wouldst bar it from Youth and limit it to Time and Age and so shewest thy Ignorance of it and that by the False Lights and Delusions of Satan thou art deceived who in thee ruleth as an Angel of Light And so thou art one of those unwary men who takest a Lying Spirit for an Infallible Spirit as is both here and often before proved who art found in Zedekiah's steps and so art one of those False Prophets which the Prophet speaks of who sayest The Lord saith when he never spoak to thee as is before proved And how long have you professed Ministers of this Nation fed the People with Expectations and Hopes That you would confirm what you have spoaken unto them which is not yet come to pass neither likely and thus you have deceived them by your Lying Divinations for your dishonest Gain and therefore for this Cause God hath given you up to strong Delusions that you should believe a Lye that you all might be damned who believe not the Truth now it is come unto you but still take Pleasure in Unrighteousness as in those Scriptures aforesaid which thou hast quoted against thy self and so they shall stand Qu. 8. What is the Gospel which thou art a Minister of and whether thy Gospel be free and without Charge Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest to the first Part That the Gospel which thou preachest is the same which Christ and his Apostles taught which thou sayest is summarily contained in these four Verses Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. wherein the Apostle speaks of the Grace of God to be their Teacher to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Justly and Godly in this present World c. And to the second Part thou sayest The Apostles Gospel was not every way without Charge which to prove thou quotest 2 Cor. 11. 8. And again thou say'st Nor hath Christ or any of his Apostles imposed it upon you that the Gospel should be altogether without Charge unto them which have it taught which to prove thou quotest Rom. 15. 27. And again thou sayest Nor is James Parnel's Gospel be it Right or Wrong without Charge If he doth not take more then it is worth if duly examined it is well Rep. Thy Spirit is much against James Parnel as Zedekiah's was against Michaiah yet here he can prove thee to be a Lyar and not only against him but of his Lord also and therefore if thou belyest the Lord how much more the Servant For Christ Jesus the Lamb of God was the Gospel which the Apostles preached which was free and not chargeable to any thâ—ugh he was and is a Burdensom Stone to them that believe not in him yet not Chargeable And therefore thou Blasphemer how darest thou to open thy Mouth thus against the Lord and his Anointed who are still in thy Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts who art pleading for the Earth and art a Stranger to the Free Grace of God and therefore these Verses which thou hast set down shall stand to witness against thee which thou sayest containeth the Gospel which thou preachest But the Apostles Gospel could not be contained in Paper and Ink for the Heavens could not contain him for He ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And also of thy Gospel thou makest a Trade and a Gain being many Years at an University as thou callest it to learn to preach it all which the Apostles did not and so thou bringest another Gospel and so art not to be Received but held as Accursed as thou art who art not ashamed to presume to say Thy Gospel is the same with the Apostles and thou dost here yield thy Gospel to be chargeable but this Scripture in 2 Cor 11. 8. doth not at all prove the Apostles to be chargeable who saith He took Wages of other Churches to do them Service for it was but for his Necessities and it was freely communicated to him and therefore no Charge But now you professed Ministers instead of robbing other Churches you rob and oppress the World Ruling over them by a Law with Force and Cruelty for the which you have no Scripture-Rule but amongst the False Shepherds But whom do you spare whether you do them Service or nay if you can but get it either by Fair Means or Foul And therefore in this thou before many others mightst well have laid thy Hand upon thy Mouth For whereas the Apostle there took some Necessaries which were freely communicated to him by the Churches thou takest nigh Three Hundred Pounds by the Year of the World by a Law of Man and none wilt spare who come within thy Bounds whether thou dost them Service or nay And that Christ or any of his Apostles have not imposed it upon you that the Gospel should be altogether without Charge it is true for they never intrusted you with it though for Lucre sake you have run though he never sent you and speak a Divination of your Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so profit not the People at all but like Ravening Wolves make a Prey upon them but your End shall be according to your Works But they that are intrusted with the Ministry of the Gospel have this Charge imposed upon them As they have received Freely Freely to give The Apostle Paul also sheweth the same Example whose Care was to make the Gospel Free and without Charge and said Wo unto him if he preached not the Gospel and therefore because he would not make the Gospel Chargeable he took Necessaries of some and spared others and this was Wisdom which you Earth-Worms are void of and thus he that is taught in the Word may communicate to him that teaches in all Good Things and yet without Charge he that can receive it let him The Workman is worthy of his Meat And in that thou taxest James Parnel he hath not been chargeable to thee nor to thy Generation neither doth any of him complain though thou judgest him according to thy own corrupt Heart yet the Answer of the Just Witness in my Conscience shall be for me before the Righteous Judge of all Hearts when you Hirelings and False Prophets shall with the Mountains to cover you and the Rocks to fall upon you and hide you from his Presence who will give you your Reward in the Lake that burneth with the Beast that now upholds you in this your Wickedness Qu. 9. Whether thou dost hold up the First Priesthood that took Tythes or
Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy Mouth and here thy Heart hath deceived thee neither doth this prove that the World may sing David's Conditions in a Meeter because it is possible to come into his Conditions but then they must come out of the World but I do not perceive that you have a Desire to come into his Conditions who deny Quaking and Trembling which was Part of his Conditions But those that do come into his Conditions need not take his Words to sing in a Meeter but the same Spirit that taught him to praise the Lord will also teach them which it seems you are Strangers to and therefore sing Lyes in Hypocrisie And as he said He was not puffed in Mind nor had no scornful Eye you also say you are not and as he said He roared all the Day long and watered his Couch with his Tears you also sing you do so And thus the Ignorant People are led by you to exercise themselves in Things that for them be too high and you that lead them cause them to err And therefore Wo unto you blind Guides and Deceivers of the People Neither are David's Psalms nor the rest of the Holy Scriptures for Drunkards Swearers Lyars and such like Persons to make a Song on for to such they are sealed and the same that gave them forth the same will open them and they that can so read them may and so they are profitable And how the Jews did read the Old Testament in publick as thou sayst doth not at all prove that you should sing David's Conditions in a Meeter who are far Strangers to them so here thou might'st have been silent from such Carnal Reasoning but that thou art glad of any Thing to cover thy Deceit because the Scriptures will not And that Song that was given by the Lord to Moses for Israel to sing it was not in Meeter neither other Mens Conditions but it was a Song the Lord had appointed them to sing suitable to their Conditions but still this doth not prove that the Lord gave you David's Conditions to sing in a Meeter from your light Minds as you do therefore silence Deceiver and let the Scripture alone in its Place and strive not to make the Lord the Author of your Deceit And thou say'st His Prayers may teach them to pray but he saith The Prayers of the Wicked are Sin And thus thou wouldst teach them to pray by Tradition and not by the Spirit for they that pray by the Spirit need not others Prayers to teach them though ye that are ignorant of the Spirit have nothing else And thou say'st His Hymns may teach them to land the Lord but the Prophet saith The Dead cannot praise the Lord but the Living and none can praise the Lord but those that know him but the Wicked know him not and therefore their Prayers and Praises is Deceit though for a Cloak they steal their Words that knew him and thus thou wise Man thy Wisdom perisheth And thou say'st His Afflictions may order support and comfort them when they are in the like Conditions I say till then let them alone and then you will know how to use them but while ye are blind ye do abuse them and are Ignorant of the only Comforter and Supporter which David witnessed in Affliction And thou say'st His Prophesies and Promises may be the strengthning of their Faith Thou blind Hypocrite what Faith have the VVicked who know not God while thou thy self that art a Teacher hast not Faith to trust him for an Earthly Maintenance what then hath his Promises strengthned thy Faith who hast sung them and read them these many Years Neither are his Promises to the VVicked but upon Reformation For No Peace to the Wicked saith my God Neither doth his Zeal to God nor Love to Righteousness at all provoak them as you teach them to use them in a Customary VVay to make a Song of them and therefore are not profitable to them because they do abuse them where thou hast sufficiently discover'd thy Weakness and Ignorance in thy Opinion with which thou slanderest us but it is thy own Qu. 28. What is the Word And whether is it Visible to the Carnal Eye or Invisible And where the Scripture speaks of any other Word of God then one Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou goest about to prove the Word to be four-fold and condemnest me of Ignorance in it and say'st There is first an Essential Eternal Powerful and Living Word by which all Things were made Joh. 1. 1 2 3. And to prove another Word which thou callest the Ingiven and Inspoken Word thou quotest Jer. 2. 1. and 4. 11 13. And to prove another Word of the Lord thou quotest 2 Tim. 3. 16. Rep. Here thy Ignorance of God is not hid who by thy Wit and deceitful Wisdom wouldst make four of one but all these Scriptures which thou hast quoted do not prove any other then one which Word was in the Beginning by which all Things were made which thou confessest to be Eternal Powerful and Living and that Word which came unto the Prophets was as a Fire and a Hammer to beat the Rocks in Peices then was it not Powerful and Living and one and the same with that the Apostle speaks of which is Qâ—iâ—k and Powerful and Sharper then a two-edged Sword and this is the same Word of Life which the Apostle spoak from and published which was from the Beginning and this was the same Word which was published which David there speaks of and by this Word were the Prophets all begotten and born again and this Word is Invisible hid from the Carnal Eye as thou thy self confessest though in Confusion But that Scripture which thou quotest in 2 Tim. 3. 16. to prove a written Word doth not mention any such Thing but if thou meanest that the Scriptures are that written Word I answer There are many Words in the Scripture but the Word is but one of which the Scriptures bear Testimony And thus thy Ignorance is manifestâ—d and returned into thy own Bosom Qu. 29. What is the End of Christ's Coming and what is the Redemption Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou goest about to prove that manifold which is but one and so runnest into thy sundry Divisions in thy Imaginations and though thou accusest James Parnel that he knows it not yet he is able to discern thy Confusion for in one Place thou say'st There is a Redemption from all Sin and another Redemption from all Evil and this thou callest two-fold and thou say'st There is a Redemption from the Curse of the Law and another Redemption from the Guilt of Sin which also thou callest two-fold Rep. How many Redemptions wouldest thou here make of one thou blind Guide Can any be redeemed from all Sin and not from all Evil and from the Curse of the Law and not from the Guilt of Sin And is not all
Protestant-Ministers then you do and are you not Jesuited by some of her Emissaries that you would have them all one with another rooted out at once yea can the Devil himself desire more in this kind Answ. I see no Difference in the Ground betwixt the Church of Rome and You for they are Bloody Persecutors and upheld by a Persecuting Law and so are you who call your selves Protestants and therefore no Reproaches to call you Persecutors Hirelings False Teachers and Greedy Dogs as the Prophets of old called your Fore-Fathers in whose Steps you are found as is before proved But howsoever thou with thy Lying Spirit termest us of the Jesuits both thou and thy Brethren have bin in this sufficiently prov'd Lyars Therefore by the Sword of the Lord you must all be rooted out yea you must all fall together he will make a Grievous Slaughter from the Least to the Greatest for his Hand is stretched out against you and therefore your Father the Devil bestirs himself amongst you to stand up for his Kingdom And where did ever the Church of Rome persecute any sparing the Life more then you do Therefore let Guilt strike you and put not the Devil so far from you whenas he fights for you But Carnal Weapons we shall not use against your to root you out but our Weapons are Spiritual and Mighty through God to the pulling down of Strong Holds Therefore Tremble all ye Enemies of God Thy next is concerning the Inward Light Qu 75. Is there not a False Light as well as a True Light And thou quotest 2 Corinth 11. 13 14. Answ. Thou hast answered thy self with this Scripture and I have already proved that this False Light rules in thee as an Angel of Light who art a Minister of Antichrist transforming thy self as a Minister of Christ but out of their Life and Practice art found and therefore guided by a False Light which is an Evil Eye and Dangerous Darkness so that thou canst accuse others but canst not see the Falsness Deceit of thy own heart but thinkest that thou speakest by the Motion of the Holy Ghost whenas therein thou hast sufficiently been proved a Lyar and thus Satan rules in thee and makes thee believe he is God 2 Thes. 2. 4. And here is thy Seventy Sixth Query answered also And that Scripture which thou quotest in Mat. 6. 23. shall stand and witness against thee Qu. 77. Are we not therefore to try mens pretended Light by the Law and Word of God And thou quotest Isa. 8. 20. Answ. You neither know the Law nor Word of God and therefore relie upon the Law and Word of Man contrary to the Law and Word of God and yet pretendest to the Light and the Law and the Word of God and so by it art tryed and found to be a Deceiver who puttest the Letter for the Word and the Letter for the Law both which are within but according to thy own Meaning thou art out of the Light who attestest many things contrary to the Law and Testimony as before is proved Qu. 78. What may men think of your pretended Light who hate so many of your Brethren in the Ministry of England And thou quotest 1 John 2. 9. Answ. The Thoughts of Man are Vain and wouldest thou have the Light tryed by that here thou errest from the Law and from the Testimony and so confirmest my former Answer Therefore cease thy False Accusing from the Evil Thoughts of thy Heart for none of my Brethren in the Ministry of God do I hate But I deny that thy Brethren are mine for you are sprung of another Seed and so are become another Generation in which the Righteous Blood hath been shed and therefore Murderers unto whom belongs this in 1 John 2. 9. and Chap. 3. 15. where you may read your selves Qu. 79. Is there not another Light to go before the Light of Christ seeing the Wise Men that came from the East were guided unto Christ by a Star Matth. Chap. 2. Answ. Thy Ignorance of Christ and his Light thou hast here manifested and so confirmest my Reply to thy Answer to my Thirtieth Query that wouldst not have confessed that Christ doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World had not John so plainly affirmed it in Joh. 1. and that thou never yet sawest his Star who thinkest that it is not his Light Therefore thou that wouldst set up another â—ight before the Light of Christ art a Deceiver and a bringer in of False Lights Qu. 86. Is not the sure Prophetical Word a Light that shines in a dark Corner till the true Day-Light arises in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 10. Ans. But it is the Light of Christ that leads unto Christ the Perfect Day which Light shineth in Darkness and Darkness comprehends it not and therefore thou lookest without for another Light before the Light of Christ John 1. 5. Qu. 81. Whether the Life of Christ be not the True Light that men are to wait for and wherein the true Children of Light are to walk And thou quotest John 1. 4. and Ephes. 5. 9. Answ. Thou hast here answered thy self for his Life is the Light of Men which they must wait to know within them to guide them and thou that wouldest set up another Light before this Light art a Deceiver And this is the Light which now is come into the World testifying against the World and manifesting you to be the Deceivers of the World who have long set up False Lights to draw from this True Light the Minds of People Therefore now you can no longer hide your selves from this True Light you stand up to Oppose it where it is set up and some call it a Natural Light and an Insufficient Light but it is your Condemnation Thy next is concerning Prophets and Prophetesses Qu. 82. Whether some men may not be acted with a Spirit of Falsâ—oâ—d and Delusion even then when they think they prophesie by the Spirit of God as Zezekiah was 1 King 22. Answ. This is already aâ—swered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Sixth Query and thou in divers places to be thus acted Qu. 83. Whether the Lord did ever send forth Boyes or Striplings to be his Prophets and publick Teachers seeing John the Baptist who was born to be a Prophet of the Most High and was filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb was not sent forth to preach and prophesie till he was 30. Years old Luke 1. 15. Answ. How often have I made thy Folly and Ignorance in this to appear and that thou mightst be ashamed to Boast of thy Age who so often hast erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God who wouldest limit it to Time and Age in which I have before sufficiently answer'd thee And now I say The Lord sent forth Jeremiah when he was but a Child and Out of the Mouthes of Babes and Sucklings the Lord hath perfected
his Praise Therefore henceforward stop thy Mouth from despising any because of their Youth but know this That whomsoever God calls to his Ministry he by his Power and Wisdom doth fit them for the same and contrary to the Reason of Man doth the Lord work Therefore it thou wast not blind thou wouldest not so much look at the Creature but at the Power of God in the Creature But as it is written He hath hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and revealed them unto Babes And here thy Eighty Fourth Query is also answered Qu. 85. Whether Lord will break his own Orders and Commands expresly set down in his Word where he saith as you already heard by Paul 1 Tim. 3. 6. Answ. And unto this I have already answer'd as to thy Thirty Seventh Query Therefore thou Blasphemer stop thy Mouth and be ashamed thus to accuse the Lord because he is pleased to make his Power known in Babes and Youth for Timothy To whom Paul writes this Epistle was himself but a Youth as Paul wrâ—tes 1 Tim. 4. 11 12. and there read thy Rebâ—ke Qu. 6. Where did Christ or his Apostles send forth Women to be publick Prophetesses as you have done many and some of them not long since Inâ—amous for Lewdness of Life Answ. Oh thou Impudent One How dost thou provoak the Lord to Indignation against thee that darest lay any such thing to the Charge of God's Elect Oh thou Lyar Whom dost thou accuse of Lewdness We abhor thy words for all Lewdness Prophaness we testifie against wheresoever it doth appear or any thing contrary to the Pure Divine Light which now is thy Conscience and many other Consciences doth bear witness for us against thee who arâ— given up to believe Lyes and report them Therefore read thy Portion in Rev. 21. 8. and read an Answer to thy Query in Joel 2. 28. where the Lord saith the Sons and Daughters shall prophesie And none other do we own but who immediately are carryed forth by the Spirit of the Lord without the Commission of Man therefore thou falsly accusest us who saist we send â—orth any Qu. 87. If you be extraordinary Prophets Immediately Inspired as many of you pretend to be where are the Miracles which such inspired Men wrought in Times past Answ. But that we are so inspired thou dost not believe as may easily be discerned by thy querying and therefore unto thee no Sign shall be given who art in the Adulterous Generation who cannot see the Signs that follow the Truth Mat. 16. 4. Qu. 88. What have you foreâ—told by way of Prediction which hath accordingly come to pass as the Prophets Apostles aud Inspired Men were wont to do Answ. If thou canst tax us to the contrary thou may'st we bear not witness of our selves but he that believeth hath the witness within himself And as for thy Eighty Nineth Ninetieth Ninety One and Ninety Two Queries they are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Sixtee Qnth uery And thy Ninety Third Query is answered in my Answer to thy Query concerning Salutations Qu. 94. Whether is a Multitude of Disciples and Followers a sure Sign that his Doctrine is from Heaven who is followed seeing the Way is broad that leads to Destruction and many there be that find it And thou quotest Mat. 7. 13. and 2 Pet. 2. 22. Answ. Many are called but few chosen and many for a time followed Christ so that a Ruler said If we let this Fellow alone all men will go after him which is the Cry of you and your Rulers now against the Messengers of Truth And hast thou never read of the Multitudes that followed Christ but few there be that enter because strait is the Gate But divide England into Parts and see if the greatest Number belong not unto you who are in the broad Way your lives preach you forth Therefore now thou shouldst have first asked thy self this Query and said Is it I and so have laid thy Hand upon thy Mouth Qu. 95. Seeing this Age is Earthly minded and willing to serve God with that which costs them nothing contrary to the Pious Nobâ—e Spirit of David 2 Sam. 24. 24. is it any great Wonder that your Doctrine against Tythes should find so many willing yea greedy Entertainers of it as it hath done since it was first broached Answ. The more is your Shame who are Teachers in this Age that are so Earthly-minded who have so long taken their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which profitteth not Do You not herein manifest your selves to be such as run and the Lord never sent You and therefore You profit not the People at all but they are still Earthly-minded How have You then sown Spiritual Things But I shall prove that the Earthly minded Ones still stick unto you for you have a Law made by the Will of Man so that if they refuse to pay You and forsake You then by it You cast them into Prison and by Your Law take Tribble Dammage and this they know and therefore consult with their Earthly Minds that it is better to pay the Lesser then the Greater though the Lesser is a greater Oppression thus many deny the Truth though they are convinced in their Consciences thereof Therefore that which leads any from You to take up this Cross to own the Truth and deny You of Tythes the same crucifies the Earthly Mind and leads to suffer for Conscience And the Noble Spirit of David condemns You for whereas he refused upon Gift You take upon Gift and if They will not give it You You will take it by Force therefore this Scripture affords Witnesses against You But hereby thou confessest our Doctrine costs them nothing then how saidst thou before That James Parnel 's Gospel was not without Charge and thus out of thy own Mouth thou art proved a Lyar. Qu. 96. Did ever Christ or the Apostles disturb the Priests and Ministers of those Times while they were teaching the People as many of you and yours have done Answ. Both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles declared against the Deceivers False Prophets False Priests and Hirelings and the Apostles were haled out of the Synagogues and out of the Temple as Christ told them John 16. 2. as we by the same Spirit do now against You whom we find in the same Steps and here thou art answered if this be it thou callest Disturbance But it is because You would bear rule by Your Means and suffer nothing to be published that is against You or strikes at Your Diana Qu. 97. Doth the Gospel ordinarily call any man from his outward Calling whereby he should maintain himself and his Family And thou quotest 1 Cor. 7. 20. Ephes. 4. 28. Answ. Yea it doth and the Scripture holds forth the same that they were ordinarily called from their Outward Callings to preach the Gospel
to every Creature Neither doth either of these Scriptures which thou hast quoted prove to the contrary And how many Scriptures didst thou quote in thy Answer to my Fifteenth Query to prove that the Ministers of the Gospel might forbear Woâ—king and not to entangle themselves with the Affairs of this Life yet in all could not prove thy self a Minister of the Gospel and now thou questionest the Truth of the Scripture because neither thou nor thy Brethren were called according to Scripture But whomsoever the Lord calls unto his Work he doth take Care both for him and his Family but You that are not called by him dare not trust him without a Law of Man And in thy Ninety Eighth and Ninety Nineth Query thou seemest to accuse us with some that turned from the Truth and yielded to the Deceit of their Hearts and so gave Occasion to such as thee who wait for Occasion to Blaspheme the Truth but is is no new thing but the same which the Scripture declares of in divers places therefore saith Christ Offences must come but Wo unto them by whom they do come For there were then many such as thee in that Age who as thou dost waited for Occasion to blaspheme the Truth But if thou hadst been then how would'st thou have accused Christ who had but Twelve Apostles and one of them betrayed him and then hanged himself and another denyed him Therefore let this stop thy Mouth for speaking Evil of the things thou knowest not And as for Spencer and Gilpin whom thou here nominatest the Truth is sufficiently cleaâ—ed of them in other Books and the Priests have owned them as they did Judas which is the Name of all that turn from the TRUTH after they have received it Qu. 100. Have so many fallen into Distraction or Madness in any Sect or under any Doctrine as there hath done amongst your Hearers especially where the Number of Disciples was no more Answ. Look at Home and answer thy self witness your UNIVERSITIES as you call them for it is the Fruit of Your Studies who would find out that by Your Wit and Wisdom which the Lord hath hid from You And all that You cannot settle in Security and Blindness You lead them into Madness Confusion and Distraction if they do not in time forsake you as many will witness at this day That they are led by You into such a Wilderness that they know not which way to get out neither do You know how to direct them for You are in Confusion your selves and so the Blind leadeth the Blind into the Ditch Therefore this might have stopped thy Mouth from Falsly Accusing us But I remember TRUTH was ever accounted MADNESS and FOLLY by the Blind World who know not that Godliness is Great Gain And in thy Ninety Fourth Query thou wast Questioning the Truth of our Doctrine because of the Multitude of Disciples and now by the Fewness and thus thou Contradictest thy self And then after much of thy Filthy Stuff which all along thou hast vented forth of thy old Bottle against us which upon thee I have returned again from whence it came thou seemest to accuse our Book but dost not shew wherein and therefore I pass it by as knowing thy Lying Spirit And then thou stealest the Apostle's Words for a Cloak for the Deceit of thy Heart 2 Corinth 13. 7 8 9. which the Apostle spoak from a True and Upright Heart but thou from a False Deceitful Heart as all along hath been sufficiently proved and thy Prayers to be Abomination and that thou hast nothing to do to name the Name of God in thy Mouth who art a Worker of Iniquity and a Stranger unto God who art found out of his Doctrine and therefore with this Scripture I shall mark thee 2 John 9. 10. that all may know thee and turn away theit Ears from thee who art not to be received but denyed and therefore whosoever receiveth thee or thy Doctrine the same departeth from the Doctrine of Christ And therefore let this be a Caveat to all People to whom it shall come and look upon thee to be as Anathema Maranatha 〈◊〉 Cor. 16. 22. Given forth from the Spirit of the Lord through a Friend to all Souls witnessed in all Consciences by the Eternal Light of God by which I am known and received in the Behalf of Israel against the Armies of the Aliens who muster up themselves against the Lord and his Authority by a Friend to the Common-Wealth of Israel who is known to the World by the Name JAMES PARNEL Who is a Sufferer in Outward Bonds for the Testimony of the Everlasting Truth in Colchester-Castle 1655. A WARNING FOR All People ALL People Repent and turn to the Lord from the Evil of your Doings for the Day of the Lord is at Hand wherein the Lord will judge the World and give to every one according to their Deeds whether they be Good or Evil yea He is coming with Ten thousand of his Angels to be avenged of the Heathen and them that know him not Now all that live in Sin and Filthiness it appears you know him not for if you did you durst not live in your Lusts heaping up Wrath against the Day of Wrath wherein the Lord will appear as a Consuming Fire against all Ungodliness Rom. 1. 18. God is against you dissembling Professors who adorn the Outside serve God in Notions Words oâ—tside Forms but the Heart is not upright with God you are in the Earth in your Covetousness which is Idolatry and the Lord abhors the outside Worship when the Heartis not answerable and calls such Whited Walls and Painted Sepulchres Hypocrites Serpents Generation of Vipers and the Wo is to such how can you escape the Damnation of Hell Mat. 23. God is against you Proud Lustful Ones who make it your greatest Care to deck your selves in proud Attire inventing new Wayes Fashions to make your selves glorious in the Sight of Men that they may worship you and honour you but consider not that you are but Dust and God will lay your Honour in the â—ust for he is risen to whom all Worship and Honour is due and he will bring down yâ—ur Haughtiness and your Pride and will exalt the Humble and Meek and will seek that which was lost but will destroy the Fat with Judgment Repent ye Lofty Ones and turn to the Lord and humble your selves before him that you may be hid in the Day of his fierce Wrath lest he take you away and there be none to deliver for the Day of the Lord will burn as an Oven and they that are proud and they that do wickedly will be as Stubble and it will leave them neither Root nor Branch Mal. 4. 1. God is against you Drunkards who make it your Trade to pour in strong Drink abusing the Creature which God hath given to be used moderately for the Health and not for the Lust therein you shew your selves
Hardships and Impossibilities do appear before you and Doubts and Fears and Questionings and Murmurings Repinings and Unbelief rise in you and many Temptations bâ—take you soâ—etimes to return back and dye in Aegypt sometimes after the Delights and Flesh-pots of Aegypt sometimes that God hath utterly forsaken you sometimes to question the very Truth of God and ready to call it a Lye and here is the wavering and unstable Mind all which ariseth ouâ— of Darkness where self stands all which comes by hearkning unto self Therefore unto the Light the Messenger of God keep your Minds whâ—ch brings the Message of Peace and glad-Tidings of Salvation unto which keep close own it lone to be your Teacher Guide and Counsellor in all the Way you are to pass and in all Things that you are to do standing in the Denyal of self with all its Ends and own the Light which leads intâ— Singleness to God out of Ends and all stumbling-Blocks it will remove and through the Bryars and Thorns it will you lead and in the Mire you shall not stick but the crooked Way shall be made streight and the rough and hard Way plain and easie for in the Light is none Occasion of stumbling but keeps your Feet from erring and straying your Tongues from Evil speaking as you hearken unto this which when you are going to the right Hand or to the left cryes This is the Way walk in it This is the Word in you from whence comes Faith which makes all Things easie and possible but without Faith it is impossible to please God and Faith is the Gift of God and so is this Word of Truth from whence Faith springs which judgeth down all Murmurings Doubtings and Repinings and all Carelesness Lightness Lustings and Earthliness and condemns the Ground from whence all these Things do spring And here the Ministration of Condemnation is witnessed which in its Time is glorious through which comes the Ministration of Peace which doth the other exceed but take Heed of getting these Things in the Comprehension to talk of but let the Time of Silence and Patience have its Work in which wait for the fulfilling of these Things that within you may read them and the Life it self may shew forth it self which dothadorn and honour the Truth and so you become the Vessels of Honour but out of Faithfulness this is not witnessed For it is the Willing and Obedient that shall eat the Good of the Land Therefore Friends see how you stand in Faithfulness to what in your Measures is made known unto you for Faithfulness is of great value and Faithfulness is as well in secret as in publick knowing that all Things are publick unto God who will jâ—dge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ therefore he that is faithful over a little is approved of God and shall be made Ruler over much but he that is â—sloathful is cast out and from him taken that which he hath These Things you have read without but now learn within and read your selves and you need not be Deceived for by the Light your Hearts are searched by it all Things are made manifest by which you are either approved or disapproved unto God in all your Words and Actions therefore by this set a Watch over all your Thoughts Words and Actions that the Righteous judge may be set up in your Hearts which judgeth down Deceit and iniquity and establisheth Righteousness in the Earth and Truth and Equity in the inward Parts and cleanseth the Heart from Evil that this alone may guide you and act you forth in all yourâ— Wayes and Doings and then self hath no Part but all Things are done in the Cross unto selâ— in Singleness unto God and he alone is glorified and the Fear and Awe is placed and the Tongue is bridâ—â—d and the Will curbed and the Heart cleansed and kept clean for it is that which goeth out that dâ—fileth Therefore I say unto you all Watch that the Pure may exercise your Minds which is the Cross to the Carnal which crucifies the Carnal and mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh and establisheth Purity in the Heart and brings forth the Fruits of the Spirit which is Love in a pure Life that here you may come to live and walk and grow together in Unity in your Measures for that which separates from the Unity is self which causeth Love to wax cold but in the Love of God abiding self is denyed for where self is owned the Love of God is denyed So here is the Enemy of your own House that you are to war against and in the Light which discovers self is your Power and Strength and as you receive the Light you receive Power to deny self in its Appearances which Power reconciles your Hearts together and works you into perfect Friendship Unity which stands not in the Will but in the pure Nature which is the Cross to Will which Nature the World cannot bear which Nature breaks the World's Fellowship Love and Friendship all which stands in their corrupt Wills wherein stands all their Customs Fashions and Traditions and all their Worship and Profession out of which also ariseth Persecution against you who dwell in the pure Nature and the single pure Language which their corrupt Wills cannot bear nor savour but look not out at what they can do unto you knowing that the uttermost is but to take the Life of the Body but eye the Lord your God in it and count it your Riches that you are found worthy to suffer for Righteousness sake for through many Tryals and Tribulations you come forth pure unto the Lord and strong in the Faith So the Lord God of Power be with you and by his mighty Power keep you low and watchful in your Conditions that your Eternal Good you may mind above all Things under the Sun that every one in the Truth received you may walk and grow daily dying unto the Things that perish that in the Life of God you may come to dwell out of the Creatures and then the true Use of them will be given you and the pure Wisdom as it was in the Beginning when Man was in the Right to the Creatures and here Paradice will be found but he that believeth maketh not hast but by patient continuing in well-doing you will reap if you faint not wherein I bid you you Farewel Dear Friends It was the Love of God in me which run forth to the Seed in you which constrained me to write unto you and visit you with this Epistle now my bodily Presence is by the corrupt Will of Man barred from you yet my Spirit doth not cease in your Behalf that the Lord by his Power by which he hath awakened you out of Sleep and caused his Witness to answer to his Truth would bless and prosper this his happy Work in your Hearts to the bringing forth his precious Seed to rule and have Dominion that so his glorious
Light may shine forth in your Conversations and his Beauty appear in your Image that the Heathen may be ashamed and â—ear before the Lord your God And here my Friends is my Comfort in the midst of Bonds yea if this Body was to be sacrificed up it would not abate my Joy that I have in you in whom the Work of God prospers Therefore I do charge you all in the Presence of the living God whom ye do profess in his Fear to abide diligent and circumspect that you grieve not the Spirit of God nor cause his Holy Name to be blasphemed lest you add Affliction to the Bonds of the Gospel From Colchester Castle in the 9th Month 1655. This from a Friend who is known in Spirit who for the Innocent Seeds sake suffers the Bonds of the Gospel JAMES PARNEL Another Epistle to Friends FRIENDS TO the â—ight of Christ Jesus in You all bring Your Deeds by it to be tryed and proved which Light in You all is the Heartâ—Seacher and Tryer which as you take heed unto it will not let you be idle or sloathful or careless nor let You set lâ— in a Formal Way or Carnal Security but will let you see the Ground and End of all Your Actions and Actings and will prove and try Your Hearts and let You see how Your Hearts stand towards God and what therein is Head and Ruler so that none of You may be acted by a False Spirit which begets into a False Liberty out of the Cross but that your own Wisdom and Reason which argues against the Light for a Liberty out of the Cross may all come unto the Death of the Cross to be mortified for all that in You which would not be tryed by the Light springs from the Enmity against the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light to which Light in You all I speak which is the Cross to Your Wills that by it You may try all Your Wayes and Actions For all You that are Bowing and Crouching and Uncovering to the Creature You are still in the Old Nature where old things are not past away but are still following the Customs of the dark World worshipping the Beast which all the World wonders after and worships for that iâ— the Beast even proud Lucifer the Lust in Man which would be honoured and bowed to and exalted which so swells in Wrath and Rage and Persecution against those that cannot worship bow to nor honour it to which No Worship nor Honour is due for Dust is the Serpentâ—s Meat And from this Beast in Man did this Persecution ever arise against this Righteous Seed which could not honour nor worship him as you may read Rev 1â— All the World wonders after the Beast but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life and those were and are persecuted by the Beast and coâ—ld not nor cannot scarce buy or sell. And that in You which honours and worships the Beast or proud Nature in Man is that which would not bear or suffer the Rage or Persecution of the Beast but would serve two Masters and so while you are seeking to please the one you displease the other and so beguile your own Souls and are a Sâ—are to others and this Heart is not right unto God bring your Ends in so doing to the Light and you shall see it so which â—ight will not deceive you but undeceive you as you take heed unto it and are willing to be led by it which will lead you into the True Worship of the Only True God whose Worship is in Spirit and in Truth And by this Light you will see that to Him alone All Honour Glory Worship Dominion and Thanks belongs And Him that Honours God him will God Honour But this Honour is not of Man for saith he I receive not Honour of Man And here all Men are honoured in the Lord but out of the Lord none are honoured And they that are Proud and High and Lofty are out of the Lord for that is one of the seven Abominations And here by the Light all Respect of Persons is condemned and the Lord honoured in all and all in him which Light condemns the Language of Babylon and begets into the plain single Language which the Beast-like Nature cannot â—ear nor savour But if you seek to please Men you are not the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And all you that still follow the Fashions of the World wherein is Excess either in Meat Drink or Apparel you are still alive in the World's Nature being conformed like unto the World and are not obedient unto the Light which convinceth you of the Vanities of the World and the Fashions thereof therefore by the Light in your selves which condemns all that in you which would be exalted and esteemed in the World which would be like the World and have the Praise of the World which is to be condemned with the World by the Light which is not of the World And so Pride comes to be rooted out of the Heart and You crucified to the World by the Light which let you see the Vanity of the World and the Fashions thereof which â—ass away which are not to be Touched Tasted nor Haâ—dâ—ed And all the Customary Words of the World which are by the Light condemned which by the Light are seen to be invented from that Nature which knows not God whereby God is dishonoured who calls to all who will follow him To come out from amongst them and be you separate and touch no Unclean thing and I will receive you saith the Lord. Therefore touch not their Customs but keep out of their Fashions and Traditions for they are all Unclean and own thâ— Crâ—ss and despise the Shame and follow the Light out or Babylon and it will lead you into the pure Religion which is unspotted of the World and so will crucifie you to the World and the World to you But that in you that pleadeth that Scripture Custom to whom Custom that is it which is willing to remain blind in Custom to save its Life which by the Light is declared and condemned with the World which would keep in Friendship with the World and in the Love of the World all which is at Enmity with the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light Therefore to the Light turn your Minds that by it you may judge all such Carnal Ends and Reasonings which would uphold these Carnal Customs contrary to the Light which gave forth the Scripture by which you may see what Custom the Apostle there spake of in Rom. 13. 7. as you may read in Matth. 9. 9. how he sate at the Recâ—it of â—ustom but this doth not at all uphold the Customs of the Heathen that are Vain Therefore to the Light take heed that it may be your Teacher and Counsellor that from it alone you may Act and Speak and so will you find the Witness within your selves for what you Act and Do.