the Whore hath decked her self with and Life it shall be known in the Body and God enjoyed worshipped glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter but abides forever and this shall be and is the last Ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men We who are come out of the Apostacy know what was before and see what shall be after the everlasting Gospel of the Son of God shall be Preached again to them that dwell on the Earth the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Testament was written the latâ—er all Sects since the Apostacy call the Gospel and so greatly manifest their Ignorance for that were to make two Gospels to call the Scriptures the Gospel or that which is written and they who so err in their Judgments are yet among the Smoke of the Pit and are yet under Anti-christ's reign and are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations And he living Infallible true lasting and everlasting Spirit of the Father shall be poured out again and many now witness it and a numberless number shall witness it and the Time hastens And the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Sion and many who are redeemed from the Earth and from among men which shall be the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb and they shall sit with him and shall Reign with him and have Power over Sin Temptation and the Devil Hell and the Lake and this is to come to pass and is coming to pass and hastens greatly and the Voice out of Heaven shall be heard as the Voice of many Waters and the Voice of Harpers harping with their Harps and the new song shall be sung the pure Song of the Lamb shall be sung by all who are redeemed from the Earth in every Nation Kindred Tongue and People who have heard believed and received the joyful Sound of the everlasting Gospel again and now they shall fear God and Glorifie him and Honour him even they who have feared the Beast and glorified him in the Apostacy they shall deny his Power and own the Lamb's Power and Worship him that sits upon the Throne of Righteousness who lives forever and ever and is eternal Life it self the worship shall be now in Spirit and Truth where the Dragon cannot come neither the Beast Harlot false Prophet nor Anti-christ nor none of his followers can come and herein the Ministration shall be more Glorious after the Apostacy then it was before the Worship stood before in many outward Visible things and Representations and outward Performances and Ordinances and I manifestly say the Dragon Beast Whore and false Prophets and Apostates took up these things and Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and People who drunk of the Whore's cup and all that were gone from their Maker their Husband they have been and are acting and performing Imitating like Jannes and Jambres but since the dayes of the Apostles they corrupted these things and have made Idols of them and Painted themselves with them and have got the Sheeps Cloathing Therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his Power Life and Glory in a way more invisible and pure then before and more divine Caelestial and Glorious where never an Hypocrite shall tread in the Path and so the restoration is a Mystery that shall be after the Apostacy the Glory is not to appear in external things for there the Mother of Harlots hath hid her self long which hath made all Nations Drunk but the Cloathing of the Lamb's wife and of the Bride shall be another thing then the attire of the Harlot for the Spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed in the same attire that the Lamb is cloathed withall and with the same Vestment and the Tabernacle of God is to be with men and he shall dwell in them even the Lord that Spirit and shall walk in them and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and in them and Sorrow shall be done away and Tears wiped away and that done away which was the cause of Sorrow Rev. 21.3 and 4. and there shall be no more Death nor crying nor any more Pain for the former things are passed away to wit Death which entred in by Sin it shall be destroyed and the Earth out of which the second Beast arose and the Sea out of which the first Beast did arise and upon which the Whore sate and Hell and the Lake which was prepared and raised up when man was degenerated from the Lord they shall be Destroyed and he also which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil he shall be destroyed and his Works the cause of scorn and then they shall see the Lord face to face even them that have but seen him darkly as in a Glass or as in a Cloud they shall see his pure living countenance which giveth Life and Death and Hell shall be cast in the Lake of Fire and whosoever is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life must be cast into the Fire Then the new Heaven and Earth shall be seen and the heavenly City which shall come down from God out of Heaven which no mortal Eye shall behold neither shall be able to behold which hath twelve Foundations and twelve Gates and the Glory of God shall be upon her and her Light shall be as a Stone most precious and as clear as Crystal yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it for in it there need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and all who have been partakers of this Glorious Ministration shall walk in the Light of the Lamb there shall be no Night nor the least appearance of a Cloud or Darkness but transparent Brightness and Glory which shall be permanent durable and everlasting for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City in which the Saints shall Worship him that sits upon the Throne for evermore and shall give unto him Glory and Honour and Dominion and eternal Praises for evermore who alone is worthy who lives forever in eternal Glory and everlasting Light and Brightness for evermore And his Face shall be seen in whom all Figures Representations and Shadows end in and the pure River of Water of Life which is as clear as Crystal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and all who have kept the Word of his Patience shall drink thereof and be nourished up in Immortality and Life everlasting forever and the Tree of Life that stands in the Paradise of God them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live forever and the Nations Kindreds Tongues People and Regions who have heard believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his Saving Health and the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be seen and his Servants shall serve him who
under Foot the Kings of the Earth shall deny it and to give their Strength any longer to the Beast and then shall that be fulfilled Rejoyce ye Prophets and holy men of God and ye that have suffered for the Hour of his Judgement is come and as she hath served the Saints so shall she be served and rewarded double and the day hastens and the times and Seasons we see and know as God hath made them manifest The man-child is descended again who hath right to rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and break the ungodly in pieces as a Potters Vessell and stamp the residue of his Enemies under his Feet And the Church is coming out of the wilderness again who leans upon the Breast of her beloved who is cloathing her again with Beauty instead of Ashes and putting upon her again the beautiful Garments of Glory and Excellency even his own Righteousness and they that see it their Hearts shall be made glad and their Souls rejoyce in God and their Flesh rest in Hope for the time is come when she must appear again which hath been retired and hid in a Place which God had prepared for her while the false church sate a Queen and the Apostates as Princes and their Merchandise sold at dear rates but their Jâ—y shall be turned into Mourning and alas alas shall be the cry of them thâ—t have been in Glory with her for her Frankincense Odours and sweet Perfumes and Scarlet and Purple and Gold and Silver and Wood and Tin and Iron and Brass none will buy any more none of 〈◊〉 â—amb's Followers nor none of the true Church's Children who worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the Flesh neither in any outward Appearance but in the hidden Life of God but in the immortal Life which he hath brought to light through his blessed Gospel which he hath caused to be published again the â—oyful Sound whereof many captives have heard and are glad and a numberless Number shall hear the joyful Sound thereof and shall enquire after the Brightness of the rising of the Sun Therefore all Apostates Hills and Mountains make room make Way the Lord is risen in Power and in Glory which shall dazle the Eyes of all the Earthly and shall extinguish and put out the very Brightness and the Glory of all invented worships in the apostatized ages and shall bring them that believe in the everlasting Gospel to Stability to the Rock of ages to the Valley of Achor to Mount Sion to the Blessing of the everlasting Hills and blessed are they that hear and believe and waite to be made Partakers of that which the Lord is about to do in the Earth as he hath shewed and foreshewed to his Servants the Prophets CHAP. IV. Now a few Words to shew unto all how they may come out of the Apostacy to be Members of the true Church which is in God the Lamb's Wife SO far as God did appear in any Age or Generation or manifest himself unto the Sons of Men in any Shadows Figures Representations or outward Appearances the evil Spirit and Serpents Seed and Evil-doer alwayes took up the Form of the Thing when it came into Reputation as largely might be demonstrated and instanced through all Ages and Generations till the Closure of the Apostles Writings something whereof hath been briefly hinted at before so in this I shall be very brief The Jews held up the Types and Figures of the first Covenant and the Ordinances thereof and opposed Christ the Light the everlasting Covenant and also the Publishers thereof Moreover when the Name of Christ came to be spread abroad then false Apostles and deceitful Workers who were Enemies to the Cross and to the Power of God they preached Christ out of Contention and Envy and for filthy Lucre and by wicked Practices made the Name of Christians odious among the Heathen as it is this Day and caused the worthy Name by which the Saints were saved to be blasphemed by their ungodly Practices Rom. 2.24 When the Apostle gather'd together many that believ'd and setled them in the Order of the Gospel and the Order came well to be accounted of and the Conversation of the Saints of good Account amongst many divers false Prophets and deceitful Workers got up and as the Apostles met in Houses and the Saints met together in Houses the false Apostles they crept into Houses and held the Form as I said before and denyed the Power and they were to be turned away from by the Apostle's Exhortation to Timothy Now since the true Church fled into the Wilderness the false Church came into Visibility and to sit as a Queen upon the Waters the Nations and Peoples other things have been brought in other things are brought in and invented which were not constitutions of Christ or the primitive Churches and these the World hath wondered after in the dark Night of Apostacy and the Worship hath been made up and compacted partly from the Jews Worship partly from the Heathen and partly from themselves being corrupted and the Scriptures perverted every Way to prove all this Deceit Now many have judged to relinquish the former superstitious Practices and to come and to take up the Form and Practice again in the outward as it was in the Apostles Dayes is to come out of the Apostacy let all know this the outward Court of the City was given to be trodden under Foot of the Gentiles to pollute and defile it and many may wait there and look there in the polluted Court and in the outside that hath been defiled and many may visit the Sepulchre and wait for Christ when he is risen and so look for him to appear in that which he is risen out of the Jews at their Temple when it is left desolate the Crhistians so called may glory in their outward Court though it be defiled and so defiled as God will not appear there again for he hath another Way manifested himself unto the Sons of Men. And now that Worship that God requires that Service that he requires and that Glory wherein he will manifest himself is and will be in the Spirit which all People are to wait for which come to witness Restoration and to come to the End of the Night of Error to the Bride the Lamb's Wife again Now a Measure of God's Spirit being given to every one to profit withal which shews them Sin and Transgression and will lead out of it which shews formal Worship and how Deceit hath transformed into them and leads them that believed in it out of that which is polluted and out of Deceit to Christ the sure Foundation and mighty Power of God and to know God's Peace and Good-will to all Men And that which must restore all People and bring them out of the Apostacy into Purity and to have Fellowship with the Father and the Son and one with another as it was in the primitive times
Saturdayes and Sundayes by candle-light as Socrates saith Lib. 5. In this time it is said the Customs and Observations were so many that none were able to find two that did retain one Order of the Service At Caesaria in Cappadocia they receive not into Communion such as sin after Baptism and even so the Macedonians in Hellespont did the same The Phrygians allow not of two Marriages The original Authors of so great Diversity of Services Rites and Customs were Bishops which governed their Churches at several times and such as do like of such Practices have commended them to posterity for Laws and such vain and frivolous contentions did arise in this Age whereby it is manifest the Apostacy from the Life and Power of God was great and God's Wisdom and the Unity of the Spirit was wanting and Philosophy and customary Practice was their chief Foundation and one Bishop exiled another and complained to the Emperors and banished one another and so the Sheep were made havock of and starved â—nd scattered and the Name of Christ and Christians came to be evil spoken of by the many factions and contentions that were among them But to return to the Bishops of Rome after the Reign of Constantine in which Persecution ceased many superstitious Injunctions and Idolatrous Practices were set up in the first five hundred years which I shall not much trouble the Reader with further then what is already said but divers other things were brought in afterwards more gross then the former Gregory called the Great the Bishop of Rome of whom it is said of all that went before him he was the basest or worst and of all that câ—me after him he was the best It is he that brought in this Title among the Roman Bishops to be called the Servant of God's Servants but by his practice he proved a Lord over God's Servants consciences and over their Faith he made an Act that Priests should not Marry a Wife and he ordained a Book called the Service or Letany which goes under the Name of Gregory's Mass-book to be received in all Churches After the death of him Sabinus was Bishop who continued scarce two Years he was the last of the Roman Bishops who had not the Title of Universal Bishop or Head of the Church he was the last of sixty five Bishops before the first Pope he died in the year six hundred and five Palagius the first was the 69 Bishop of Rome in the year 355. he Ordained that Hereticks and Schismaticks should be punished with Temporal death there was 65 Bishops before Boniface the third who was the first Pope and since there hath been 179 Popes Boniface the third who succeeded Sabinus was the first Pope he Reigned but one Year and did more hurt in that year then Gregory could do in many before he obtained of the Emperour Phocas that he and his Successors after him in the See of Rome above all other Churches should have the Preeminence that the Bishop of Rome should be the Head of all the churches of Christ in Christendom alledging this frivolous and reasonless Reason that Saint Peter had left to Saint Peter his Successors in Rome the Keys of binding and loosing for before this Constantinople Asia and other Churches their Bishops had some stroak and divers times many of the Bishops of Rome were reprehended by the rest but now obtaining this Decree of Phocâ—s he began to take head over all other churches and this Phocâ—s to aspire to the Empire of Rome he murdered his own Master Mauritius the Emperor and his children so Phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have Boniface's Favour gratifies him and condescends to all his Petitions and grants him to be universal head-Bishop over all christian churches and there was the first Rise of the Pope but Phocâ—â— for his Murder was justly rewarded for Heraclius the Emperor cut off his Hands and Feet and cast them into the Sea but Rome would not so soon loose her Supremacy once given as the Giver lost his Life and ever since that time the Popes have holden defended and maintained the same by all Force Pollicy and Cruelty that possible can be this was in the Year six hundred and six and so the Bishop now became Pope his rise was not because of his Holiness or Righteousness or Doctrine or holy Practices suitable unto Peter whom he saith he succeeded for his Doctrine and Practice Peter had condemned the same things before Boniface was but his Rise was by a heathen Emperor who had command over a great Party at that time and so by the Force of his Edict he claims Authority Vitilianâ—s the eleventh Pope in the Year 657. he confirmed that Practice which was set up before by some other of the Bishops of Rome that Organs should be set up in Churches Paschal in the year 817. was the first that appointed Cardinals to be in Number 70. Adrian the third the 47th Pope in the year 884. ordained that the Emperor of Rome from thenceforth should have no more to do with the Election or Confirmation of the Pope but that it should be left wholly to the Roman Clergy so that which first gave the Pope Power to wit the Emperor he now throws off the yoak and if the Emperor please not him hath stirred up the People to mannage War against him and against divers Princes as may be seen in the Histories of latter Ages Sergius the third was the first who ordained bearing of Candles in the Feast of the Purificâ—tion of Mary thence called Candlemas-day Celestine the second in the year 1143. was the first Inventer of cursing or anathematizing any who received not his Ordinances with Bell Book Candle Innocent the third 1198. was the first that brought in the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and imposed auricular Confession upon the people Clement the fifth 1350. was the first that sold Indulgences and Pardons Sixtus the fourth 1471. brought in the Beads to be numbred when they prayed and authorized the Ladies Psalter Leo the tenth in the year 1553. set Indulgences and Pardons on sale in Germany and France which things caused Luther in Germany and Zuinglius among the Switzers to write against the Pope's Ministers and afterwards questioned many points of popish Doctrine upon which the Pope burned Luther's Writings and condemned him for an Heretick and Luther burned the Pope's Canon-Law at Wittenberg and declared the Pope to be a Persecutor and a very Anti-christ The Inquisition began first in Spain which was set up by the Papists there to terrifie the Moors who had inhabited Spain for 760 years and so long Spain was governed by the Emperor of the Moâ—rs in Africa until the year 1492. And after this time the Inquisition began against the Moors which was not so cruel at first as afterwards it began to be against the Protestants and is now accounted the greatest Violence and Torture and the greatest Tyranny and severest kind of Persecution upon the Earth
Ishmael Judas and all the Seed of Evil-doers as well as the Image of Christ or Peter Paul or Mary for any thing that they know which they have but received by Story and is but as Old Wives Fables which Paul to Timothy reproved And hath the Church of Rome no better Thing to put them in Mind of the Saints Life then a dead Picture or Image made by the Hand of the Crafts-man upon a Wall or a Board or Parchment or Paper this is Idolatry for Christ promised to his Disciples and to the true Church That he would send his Spirit to lead them into all Truth which is an invisible Thing and to bring to Remembrance whatever Christ had spoken and whatsoever was necessary as to Salvation whether the Saints Life and holy Practices which they lived in or whatsoever else as conduced to their Peace and Justification with God and what Images did God make Use of to shew his Miracles by This is but an old Fable formed by the Apostate Christians whose Minds are turned after Shadows and vain Shews and are erred from the invisible Life and worship the Works of mens Hands 2. Though Moâ—es did put off his Shoe 's according to the command of the Lord where God appeared in Power and Glory to him What is this to your purpose as to Create and form places and Consecrate them as Holy and then command Reverence and Honour unto them this is but to Worship the work of your own Hands and though David say in the 99 Psal. 5 vers Exalt the Lord God and worship at his foot-Stool for he is Holy What of all this doth God call Reliques or Images his Foot-stool And if the Author do judge that it was spoken of Zion and Jerusalem outward where Aaron and the rest of the Priests Worshipped doth not Christ say It â—s not at Jerusalem c. But they that â—orship God Worship him in spirit and Truth What! doth not the Church of Rome profess Christianity and Apostolick Doctrine and will now turn Jews or â—mitaters of them What is Rome Jerusalem or Zion And must Pictures invented and dead Pieces of Bones and Wood be recommended unto the Nations as holy things This is contrary to the Apostolick Church and with the Life of God is judged and the Life of the Saints whom you honour in Words and make Pictures of and worship the Works of your own Hands and Crucifie the Life where-ever it appears that they lived in and teach a contrary Doctrine 3. Confession may be made in Words of the true God and talk may be of his wonderous Works and yet People Idolâ—ters the church of the Jews who acknowledge the true God and had seen and heard of his wonderous works they eat and drank and rose up to Play and these were Idolaters and such is the church of Rome who take Peoples minds up with Garments and Vestments with Altars and Canales with Crucifixes and Agnus Dei with Images formed by Painters with a piece of Bread called a Holy Host and Eucharist an Unbloody Sacrâ—fice who neglect the Life and him that is the Head of the Body and his witness in their Hearts and consciences and lead them to worship and honour visible and carnal things and to busie their minds in the exercise of outward things which profit little or nothing at all and so are Idolaters Worshipping the works of your own Hands which Christ and the Apostolick church bore Testimony against for that which the creature's mind goes out after besides or without that which may be known of God in the Heart is made an Idol of and the true God is not minded and them that Honour God's Friends and Saints walk in their Foot steps live their Life and honour their sayings but your church is contrary who would Kill and have killed about these invented Fopperies which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine God accepts not Prayers by number or tale nor for multitude of Words which are without understanding and without the Spirit this Christ counted as Evil and reprehended the Pharisees and said It was like the vain repetitions of the Heathen who thought to be heard for their much babling and the Salutation which the Angel gave to Mary is no prayer And that which is called the Apostles Creed is no prayer and them that are unconverted unto God may prattle and prate over the Words in the unbelief and never have any acceptance of God And though the Prophet did pray seven times a day it was according to the motion of God's Spirit in his own Heart which shewed him his State and necessity and what is this to imitators when they pray not with the same Spirit neither in the same words And what if Mary lived threescore and three Years who gave commandment that Hail Mary should be said threescore and three times over The rest of the Saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honour if she go with all this in a day And what five wounds is that which the Church of Rome dreams of that five Pater Nosters must be said for the honour of With Deceit and Ignorance you wound him every day and your Pater-Nosters do not honor him at all pattred 〈◊〉 over with your polluted Lips who are given to speak Lyes and yoâ—r Tongues to speak Mischief which Christ accepteth not What are you all new creatures that say Our Father which art in Heaven Are you born again Are your Natures changed Sin you not Do you hallow his Name who do not love that which shews your Evil deeds Would you see his Kingdom come which stands in Righteousness Where will you appear Or how will you stand when he appears in his Power and Glory to take Vengeance on all them that will not that he should rule in their Hearts who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Would you see his will done on Earth as it is in Heaven when you walk contrary to his Doctrine which the Apostolick Church walked in and set up a numberless number of Traditions and Inventions of Men instead thereof which the Lord accepteth not and you pray not with Understanding 5. As for your Beads which are neither Jewish nor Christian but meer Heathenish as to reckon the number or tale of that which you call your Prayers by and though Kings Popes Cardinals and Bishops do the same this is but a small proof as for Authority Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup and Popes and Cardinals have usurped Power that Christ never gave as to exercise Lord-ship and be Law-givers unto others for the Lord is the Saints Law-giver and the Saints Life and Judge and he will not give his Glory to another for Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup of Fornication and Popes have usurped Authority and Cardinals have exercised Lord-ship over mens Consciences yea and over great Kingdoms and States too And if they pray by Beads as others do set
Saints Sabbath is a stranger to the church of Rome he that hath overcome the World and the Devil only knows God's rest and the true Sabbath of which the Jews was a Figure and the Sunday thou callst it is no more a Sabbath reckoned by the Lord of Life then that which thou callst Saturday for every day is kept Holy to the Lord by him that witnesses the work of Redemtion and this is according to the Apostolick Doctrine and if because of example the Christians whom you are pleased to Stile Sectaries do observe the first day of the Week in the Power of God for his Worship then they are as much if not more to be heard then you and have as much Solid reason on their side as you and thou must not think to carry the Matter on with such frivolous Arguments as this to advance Mystery Babylon for this is a knowing Age blessed be the Lord wherein the Wisdom of God is revealed and that which comprehendeth all shadows Types Dayes Times Years Meats Drinks Washings and other Figures they are all seen over and he is come manifest which is Head of the true church and not the Pope who was is and is to come Life it self Truth it self Power Strength and everlasting satisfaction to thousands and ten thousands who have believed and to a numberless Number which are yet to be gathered into God's Sheep-fold and into the narrow way of Christ which will deny and doth deny upon good Grounds and infallible Testimony from the Eternal Spirit that the Church of Rome is either in whole or in part any part of the true Church of Christ. And seeing this valiant Champion hath made so fair a Proffer That 〈◊〉 their Priests Jesuites and Catholicks over all the World will turn to the Sectaries Way as he calls them if they can but get a clear and satisfaâ—tory Resâ—lâ—tion to the following Doubts Answ. I am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a Sectarian yet as a Sectarian is reckoned by the true Church of God in the Primitive Time in the Apostles and Christ's Dayes I do not reckon my self as such and that I am a Minister of the everlasting Gospel I dare not deny seeing a Necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same yet herein I do not glory but in him who hath call'd me for the Work sake and I know the Teaching of Christ Jesus and his Doctrine and no other Thing these many Years have I published but that which I received of the Lord and from him by his Spirit which is according to the true Faith and Godliness which was in the primitive Church before ever Rome did lay claim to be the only true catholick Church excluding all others but her self to be in the Way that leads to Salvation I which am as one amongst many Thousands which God hath manifested his Mind unto shall answer in clearness and according to Apostolick Doctrine and the Manifestation of his Spirit but when I have so done I am afraid this Champion with the rest of the Priests and Jesuits and the rest of the Catholicks over the World will hardly own his Challenge or confess that Doubts are answered yet however if it satisfie but one of a Thousand I have my Reward and shall put it to Tryal The first thing the Author who it seems knows the Mind of the Church of Rome in all things both as to Doctrine and Practice which they do allow of and the contrary they will deny he knows to the full or else he would never sure have made such a bold challenge The first thing that they would be resolved in is Whether any can clearly shew that any Teachers Doctors or Ministers are sent of Almighty God to preach and reform the Roman Catholick Church and that they are not some who say the Lord saith when the Lord hath not spoken unto them neither sent them Ezek. 13.2 Answ. What the Roman Church and their Members will take for a satisfactory Resolution as to themselves I sometimes question and do doubt the resolving of the most but however by the same Commandment that the Apostles did evidence their commission that they were sent to reform the Church of the Jews also them that had made Defection from the Faith amongst the Gentiles this may be shown 1. The Apostles of Christ Jesus did declare their Commission which they had received from Christ and for other Proof they sought none amongst them that were Auditors or Hearers but the Witness and Testimony of God unto which they desired to be approved in the Sight of God 2. They shewed the Jews that they held the Types and Figures but did not receive or believe him who was the Substance in whom they all ended they were sent to bear Testimony to the true Light that lightetâ— every one that cometh into the World and to preach down Dayes Times Moneths Years Fasts Feasts Sabbaths Circumcision Temples and Offerings the Priesthood and the Sacrifice which were but to continue until the time of Reformation and the bringing in of a better Hope by which they drew nigh unto God and had an Access unto him and they declared their commission against a voluntary Humility and worshipping of Angels all which things the Church of Rome do stick in and vindicate for Apostolick Doctrine and many more things which the Church of Rome is run into contrary to the true Church of Christ and therefore had need of Reformation So that which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and Practice of the primitive Church in the first hundred years is in the Apostacy but Rome is in many Practices and Doctrines contrary to the true Church therefore needs reforming And so God hath manifested himself in this his Day of Power and hath discovered the Church of Rome to be contrary in Doctrine and Practice to the true Spouse of Christ and hath stirred up and moved many by his Power and Spirit to preach the everlasting Gospel and to declare also against the Defection of the Church of Rome and her apostatizing from the Faith and they are not of those whom the Prophets spoke of which ran and the Lord sent them not for them were the false Prophets in Israel and they were manifest by their Fruits of which there are great Store in Rome who are manifest by their Fruits and they are such as are in Cain's Way who would kill and such as are Seekers of Gain from their Quarters and such as take the Jews Tythes and these the Lord nâ—ver sent to be Teachers or Ministers to bring to the Knowledge of Christ but we deny all these things and your Church in the very Ground and Foundation and know that it will be swept away when the Beast is taken alive upon which your Church now rides then shall you see that that which you long put off among People as Apostolick Doctrine will not be received any more
have your Minds stayed that you may adorn the Truth by a chast sober and holy Conversation and your Lives preach and answer the just in every Man that so Truth may be exalted above all Deceit And Friends keep your Meetings on the first Day at your several Places where you might hitherto have waited in Stilness and Quietness but it hath not yet been prized as it ought and you may all yet learn and see all those that run up and down being heady and self-willed that still run after Words and never come into the Obedience of the Truth and now are turned out where they were before nay worse and a Fan will yet come and all that stumble at the Cross shall all fall and they that get above it deny the Power of God But Friends since the Truth hath been declared among you you have not known a Want and that makes the careless and the full now to loath Manna the least of which if you had had in Time past would have been accepted unto you And so now all you who have kept your Garments clean whom the Lord hath preserved out of the Snare of the Enemy below and dwell in Love in Meekness and Peace one with another and grow up in the Wisdom of God and Life of God and now see that all keep in the Fear look to your own every one in Particular that you may savour and discern all Deceit and keep the Faith that so you may see Victory daily and do not talk of things above what you enjoy and let none think of himself above what is meet and he that is least shall be Minister And so the Lord God of Life preserve you all in Uprightness that you may come through all this Mud and Dirt and may find your Strength renewed and the Power of the Lord more made manifest the Desire of my Soul is to the Lord for you all fulfil my Joy in your Obedience to the Truth as it is made manifest in you and the God of Life and Power be with you all who are of an upright Heart I am yours as you continue in the Faith which hath been declared and revealed in as many as have believed F. H. THE Invisible Things OF GOD BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY THE REVELATION OF THE ETERNAL SPIRIT Who was an Eye-Witness of the Wonders of the Lord in the Beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all Things in the Beginning and the sad Estate of all Things after the Transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The Estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her State in the Apostacy and the Glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect Beauty again after the dark Night of Apostacy F. H. The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun as seven Dayes and he will destroy in this Mountain the Face of the Covering cast over all People and the Vail that is spread over all Nations Isa. 25.7 AN EPISTLE TO THE Reader or Readers TO the upright-hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the Thick Fogs and Mists which have arisen out of the bottomless Pit which have been raised up since the Transgression which have dimmed your Eyes and hurt your Sight so that you could not behold the pure caelestial Being nor him that dwells in it whose Presence gives Life nor any thing within the Vail because the Vail hath been spread over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the Night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been so long since the Woman fled into the Wilderness and since the Manchild which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for these many Ages past have come to see the End of the Night but have mourned without Hope and few or none have seen or have been able to discern the time of the Woman's Return out of the Wilderness again into which she fled and few or none have seen to the End of the times after which she should return Mens Sight in the Apostacy hath been so dim and in the Vexation that when the Man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few have had Faith to believe or Sight to behold him or an Understanding to discern of the times But Praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened and is opening the Windows of Heaven and showring down his Wisdom as a mighty Rain and his Knowledge as the Morning Dew and an Understanding is pouring forth as the Water out of the Bottles of Heaven and as the Water Spouts so that Ages Times Things Dayes and Years are measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things were made who hath been as in a far Country all this long Night of Darkness but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his Appearance is as a Morning without Clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the Clouds Fogs and Mists as with the East Wind and his pure Breath clears the Air and by his Arm which is mighty is he renting the Vail of the Covering according to his Promise and revealing himself in his naked Glory that the solitary may rejoyce and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good Understanding what I have writ thou must read me only in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my Words are a Riddle the Dreamers of this Age in the Apostacy say Immediate Revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my Testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of Man nor from Man nor Books nor other Words but by the Eternal Spirit who saw these things and was an Eye-Witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might bear my Testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made Use of the Scriptures and the Saints Words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who readest that so every Truth may be confirmed by two or three Witnesses if thou wait to know and find the Key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the State of things before the Fall and after the Fall and how all Men in the Fall have corrupted themselves in all Administrations thou wilt see the State of the Church before the Apostacy in the Apostacy and what shall be after the Apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judge them not before the Day appear in thy self for till then they will be obscure to
for the Life of the World John 6.51 And as Godliness began to work and the Mystery thereof in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles wherein the Lord discovered much of his Wisdom and Power and manifested his pure Presence and poured out his Spirit plentifully upon Sons and Daughters and fulfilled that which Joel prophesied of Joel 2.28 which came to be fulfilled after Christ's ascension Acts 2.17 and They received the Holy Ghost and spoke the wonderful Things of God as they were revealed by the Spirit which shed it self abroad among them that waited for it so also the Mystery of Iniquity began to work even in that time and as the Apostles laid the Foundation of Truth and declared the Truth Christ to be the Foundation even so the Mystery of Iniquity did Work and a Beginning or a Foundation of error was laid by them who were gone out of the Truth the false Prophets Deceivers Anti-christs who were Professors and Preachers but they were such as were Covetous and Greedy of filthy Lucre and made Merchandize of Souls for dishonest gain and denyed the Power of God Christ and were Enemies to the Cross and gloried in the Flesh and spake Swelling words of Vanity and did all live in the Lust of the Flesh and were proud Boasters and denyed the Lord that bought them for denying the Power of God they did deny Christ though in Words they preached him as this Generation who are their Off-springs do out of Strife and Contention as the Apostles writes and they held the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power and they were they that once were Convinced of the Truth and came into the form of Truth but denyed the Power of Truth but were in Craft and Deceit and they subverted whole Houses from the Faith and led them back into the World into Unbelief in the Apostles dayes and yet had a worship and did Worship but not in the Power not the Life and this began to work and wrought more cunningly and Subtilly in the latter Times And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles John and Peter and Jude declare against them and Paul prophesied of them before his departure of grievous Wolves which should spring up which should not spare to make Havock of the Flock of Christ so the false Apostles Deceivers Anti-christs and deceitful Workers they went out then and did what they could to lead Disciples after them into the World inwardly they were ravened from the Spirit and were gone from it into the Earth into the world and served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and the God of the world which is the Devil and they went into the World and the World received them and then they and their Disciples turned against the Saints and they held Truth in Words and the Form for a wile but it was in Unrighteousness and here was the beginners and the beginning of the Apostates and of the Apostacy it was began in the Apostles dayes by them that went out of the Truth out of the Light and were ravened from the Spirit and erred from the Faith and were Enemies to the Power of God and these were the beginners and the Layers of the Foundation and then it grew that root of Wickedness faster then the Truth for the Jews resisted and the Heathens resisted and the Apostates and false Prophets resisted and they that were Apostatized they resisted and they caused many to Stumble to Err to make Ship-wrack of their Faith and so the World went after them the World the Nations the Kindreds the Tongues and the People went after Kings Princes and Potentates of the Earth and in process of time they had over-run all and Killed the Saints the Woman fled into the Wilderness and the man-Child was caught up unto God then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a Sea reeled to and fro Unstable Unsetled what were they like to settle in the Sea then a great beast arose with his seven Heads and ten Horns and the Whore which had Defiled the bed and She sat upon the Beast and She reached out her Cup of Fornication to the Nations and all Nations were Drunk with her Cup and then the Beast made War and the Nations were Drunk and they loved the beast and received his Mark became Cruel and pushed at the Saints and followed him and made War with them and the Whore she drank the blood of the Saints and the Dragon appeared and with his Tayl drew the third part of the Stars after him to the Earth the false Prophets they are the Tail of the Dragon who were gone from the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy and drew after it the third part of the Stars from the Firmament of his Power into the Earth Rev. 12.4 The man Child was caught up unto God which was to rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron and the Woman fled into the Wilderness where God hath prepared a place for her and then the Dragon went out and made War with the Remnant of her Seed to wit the Woman's Seed And so out of the Sea arose the Beast out of Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples which are Waters and the Dragon gave Power to the Beast and his Seat and great Authority Rev. 13.2 And all the World wondered after the beast ver 3. and ver 4. They Worshipped the Dragon which gave Power to the beast and the beast likewise and now the world cryed which wondered after the beast who is able to make War with the beast and ver 6. He opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme hâ—s Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and he made War with the Saints and did overcome them and all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped him whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life And the Beast deceived the Nations and them that dwelt on the Earth and now Kindreds Tongues People and Nations and all the World which wondered after him they who had lost the Image of God now became the Image of the Beast that blasphemed God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and now the Kings of the Earth that had drunk the Whore's Cup of Fornication and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who were become the Beast's Image now the Image of the Beast spoak and caused as many as would not worship the Beast and the Image should be killed take notice of that all who are called Christians it was not Godâ—s Images who compelled to worship or else be killed but it was the Beasts Image and wheresoever Compulsion â—nd killing is exercised and practised they worship the Beast Chap. 13. Ver. 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a Mark in their Forehead or in their right Hand and none might buy or sell but he which had the Beast's Mark or his Name or the Number of his Name
of the Gospel and the Foundation and the Tryer of Spirits and the Touch-stone and say it 's the Foundation of their Faith and Religion and so are all in the distraction one Envying another and Persecuting one another about the words of Truth spoken from the Spirit of Truth which cannot be understood again but by the same Spirit and so all them that have not the Spirit of Truth are in the Apostacy And all Sects Judgments and Opinions that have risen up since the Apostacy from the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints when the woman Travailed and brought the man-Child which after because of the Dragon's Power fled into the VVilderness and her Child caught up unto God all the Faith and worship that since is sprung up since the VVhore hath sitten as a Queen in Majesty is all denyed the Ground of their Worship Laws Traditions Inventions and all their invented Practices and Forms and Images and Likenesses are denyed and disowned as to be the Dress and Attire of the Whore which hath allured People through her enticing pretences and shews of Holiness when indeed all is but spiritual Adultery and this must be all turned under again the Whore's flesh Burned and her Attire plucked off and her Nakedness appear and her shame to them that have committed Fornication with her and they shall be ashamed of themselves and of her and abhor themselves and abhor her and Destroyed shall she be and the Lamb's Wife shall be beautified and come out of the secret Place into open View out of the Solitary Wilderness into the beautiful place that the Lord will bring her into and the time times and half time is out the thousand two hundred and threescore Dayes are at an End and he bears witness of it who saw her fly away upon Eagles Wings into the secret place which was prepared for her for these Dayes and Times appointed and I say he that knows the Counsel of the most High in this matter can account the time times and a half and the Dayes and what shall be after the dayes be expired which is at an end blessed is he that sees believes and Understands he shall see that which yet hath not appeared neither can it be believed by the most though it were declared but yet a little while and the Earth grows ripe and an Ear will be opened in many who cannot yet hear and for a little while in this I shall be silent and Treasure up that which the Spirit hath revealed till the time be fully accomplished which God hath determined and then his Glory shall be revealed and all the former things which have lived since the man of Sin hath been Exalted shall all dye and an utter Consumption shall be of all the changeable Laws made since the Apostacy and the many changeable Dresses of the Whore and Attires in which she hath appeared and Imaginary worships into which all have run since they were Apostatized from the Faith all this shall be disannulled and come to an End and be Blasted forever the Spirit of the Lord saith Amen How the Woman that was clothed with the Sun and had the Crown of twelve Stars upon her Head which did flee into the Wilderness comes out again after the great Whore is judged and her Child that was caught up unto God comes to appear again NOW after the time times and half a time after the thousand two hundred and threescore Dayes she returns after the Whore is judged and the great City Babylon is fallen which hath made the Nations drunk and brought forth Children in Fornication who had drunk the Blood of the Saints in the Apostacy after the Whore was judged and the Voice was heard in Heaven of much People that sang Halelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power who witnessed to the Righteousness of God's Judgment And a Voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all his Servants and ye that fear him both small and great Rev. 19.5 6. And I heard as it were the Voice of many Waters and as a great Multitude and as the Voice of a mighty Thunder saying Halelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth the Whore is now judged the Mother of Harlots condemned with all her Inchantments and Sorceries Now the Lamb's Wife appears who is the Mother of the man-child which was caught up unto God she that was cloathed with the Sun with the glorious everlasting caelestial Light she is both the Mother and the Wife he that hath an Ear let him hear Now Jerusalem that is from above spiritually so called who was the Mother of all the Saints before the Apostacy she appears again and comes to be the Wife of the Lamb and the City of the Saints and the Mother of them that are born from above this shall be and is made manifest to some but a numberless Number shall see it and the Day hastens greatly and she is appearing again and her solitary Garments shall be put off and as she was beautifull before the VVhore made the Nations drunk clothed with the Sun and had the Moon under her Feet and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her Head and though she became Child-less and also as a VViddow and the Remnant of her Seed slain and destroyed so shall she appear again in Glory and Beauty as before and shall be made ready yea mine Eye hath seen it she is making her self ready as a Bride for her Husband and unto her is granted that she shall be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white even arrayed in the Righteousness of the Saints which is not self-Righteousness the Garments of the Harlot and her Lovers but in the Righteousness of Christ the Lamb her Husband and Child also and she shall now bring forth many more Children though her Seed hath been slain yet a numberless Number shall appear and ten Thousand Thousand shall be brought forth by her and glory in her and reverence her and rejoyce in her forever and they shall be all clad in the same Robe which the Husband the Lamb is clothed withal and the same the Lamb's VVife this VVoman is â—lâ—thed withall and the same shall all the Children by clothed withal the fine Linnen the Righteousness of the Lamb which was dead and slain since the Foundation of the World but now alive and lives for evermore and here a heavenly Family appears now after the Apostacy and this shall be seen by all that have an Eye that can see through and beyond the Smoke of the Pit that hath darkened the Air while the Beast and Dragon have had Power but now hath her Child appeared again the man-child hath appeared again and he that was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day saw whither he was taken up to the Throne of God Rev. 12.5 and on the same Lord's Day he saw him after the Woman was fled and the Remnant of her Seed was made War with and slain in the Earth where the
Dragon had Power He that was in the Spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up so he that is in the Spirit now on the Lord's Day sees the same man-child who was brought forth by the Woman who was to rule the Natâ—ons but was caught up to the Throne of God before he came to rule and then the Dragon ruled the Beasts and false Prophet the Whore the Mother of Harlots sate as a Queen and the Woman the Mother of the Heir fled into an obscure and a retired Place and was hid times and dayes as I said before but as she appeared again in Beauty so the man child the Heir he appears also in Glory Majesty and Power and John saw him Rev. 19.11 12 13 14 15 16. And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true and he doth judge and make War in Righteousness his Eyes were as a Flame of Fire on his Head were many Crowns and he had a Name written that none knew but himself and he was clothed with a Vesture dipped in Blood and his Name is called the VVord of God And now the Woman's Seed is increased again after the Dragon and the Beast's War and now they become an Army and follow the Lamb their Leader who is anointed with Honour Glory Majesty and Renown Strength Power Wisdom Joy and Gladness above all his Fellows yet his Followers are anointed too and the Seed of the Woman the Inhabitants of the City of the great King they are clothed with the same Garment and Armour and ride on in Power Strength and Majesty after him and they are clothed and shall be with the Garment of their Mother and the Garment of their Captain their Head and as he rode on in Innocency so they ride on after him and the Woman was in Heaven that travailed and the Child was born there though he was to rule the Nations of the Earth and so whoso are of this Woman's Seed who are born in the City of the great King Jerusalem unto which the Hebrews were come Heb. 12.22 before the Apostacy before the Woman fled so now the same City comes to be seen again and the Children are born of their Mother the Lamb's Wife who is joyned to him and is to be so forever in the everlasting Covenant so they being heavenly Children redeemed from the Earth from under the Dragon's Power they follow the Lamb the Word God's Power Rev. 19.14 And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses clothed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goes a sharp Sword and with it he shall smite the Nations And now comes he to rule them with a Rod of Iron he was brought forth long before but was caught up to God again and the Dragon Beast and Whore and false Prophet ruled the Nations and killed the Saints but now he appears again after the Apostacy and a great Host with him and the Woman also and her Children are many and they all follow the first born and now comes the Wo to the Dragon and Whore Beast and false Prophets and unclean Spirits and on them that worship Devils and now shall he tread the VVine-press of the VVrath of God Almighty and he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And now appears an Anâ—el standing in the Sun which the VVoman was clothed with and he cryed with a loud Voice saying to all the Fowls that fly in the midst of Heaven come and gather to the Supper of the great Day of God and now must the Flesh of the Kings and Captains and Nobles and Flesh of mighty men who had drunk the Whores Cup now must drink of the Wine of God's Wrath And the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make VVar against him that sate on the white Horse and his Army and the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought Miracles before him and the remnant were slaâ—n that took Part with the Beast by him that sate upon the horse and his Army whose Sword proceeded out of hâ—â— Mouth and all the Fowls were filled with their Flesh the Whore is burnt before the Beast the false Prophet and his Army now slain and their Flesh eaten by the Fowls of Heaven and now the Blood comes forth to the Horse Bridles And now the Angel descends having the Key of the bottomless Pit from whence the old Dragon the Serpent the red Dragon the Devil came there is his Beginning there was he brought forth and there he grew up he that reads let him understand out of the bottomless Pit for the Nations were never deceived till he appeared and he appeared as I have said before after the Heaven and the Earth was made and all things therein I say after he was not before he deceived Eve in the Garden now he is grown old and so is truly called the old Dragon grown into a Body of Deceit well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless Pit from whence he came that he deceive the Nations no more Rev. 20.1 2. and all this War is in the bringing out of the Apostacy and in Order to the Lamb and the Saints everlasting Reign in Heaven and over the Earth forever This I have seen and my Heart rejoyceth and my Mouth shall praise the Lord and the Woman I say is appearing and she is cloathed with beautiful Garments and the holy Child the Man child hath appeared and is manifest again among the Saints and in them and the Lamb which hath been slain since the World began is alive and behold he lives for evermore and now many are his Followers and an innumerable Company shall ride on after him who is King of Kings and now is God fulfilling that which John saw in the Lord's Day which should come to pass the Work is begun he hath appeared out of whose Mouth proceeds the two-edged Sword which shall hew down all the Dragon's Army the Beast and his Followers and though the Cry be yet among many who shall make war with the Beast and who shall speak against his Prophets Yet a little while and Fear shall come and their Vaunts and Boasts shall be turned into Doubting and dreadful Fear on every Side for Jacob shall be as a Flame and Esau and all his Race shall be as Stubble he that reads let him understand the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and the whole Work of the Lord which shall shortly come to pass The Manifestation of God's Glory shall be as great after the Apostacy as ever it was in any Age before the Rise of Anti-christ and the Ministration into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought shall be as spiritual holy caelestial and divine as ever was before for the End of all your outward visible Appearances shall come which
but the Quakers see before thee and beyond thee and comprehend thee and have received Eye-salve whereby their Eyes are opened to see thy Deceit the deceit of the Treacherous Generation with whom thou art joyned and thy Rejoynder and Vindication of Samuel Smith whom thou calls Minister of the Word at Cressage in the County of Salop thy Vindication of him and thy pleading for him will not bring much Honour to neither him nor thee and though thou and he both joyn hand in hand in deceit yet you shall not go Unpunished Thou tels the Reader Of wandering Planets who have left their Station who have stepped upon the Stage in the County of Salop who are come forth in this Apostatizing time All who have a good understanding may clearly see not only in the County of Salop but also in every Corner of the Land many wandering Stars that have no habitation in the Firmament of God's Power but are Tossed up and down and are as waters Unstable Tossed to and fro with every wind and the change of one Magistrate or head Governour will make them all change their form and as thou callst it Metamorphize them into another shape witness the many publique Teachers and Parish-masters and Tything Priests in the dayes of Edward the sixth Henry the 8. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth's dayes and now of late in the Bishops dayes when the Magistrates voted down the Bishops all or most of the Priests denyed their Fathers and their Institution and though they ordained them Ministers yet they still seek after their seats and Benefices and there thy Reader may see the Metamorphosed changlings and the Apostates and I do believe the County of Salâ—p abounds with such like and they have been on the Stage long and have acted such a part in every Generation as would please the present Authority or Power whether they were Papists or Protestants Prelatical or whatsoever but E. D. the Exit will come and when the Day appears the Beasts must go into their Dens again and thou confessest you live in Apostatizing times thou that art among the Apostates and in the Apostatizing Age and time would accuse others Nay thou must hold thy Peace and leave pleading for Apostates and for the Fashions of the Heathen which have got up since the dayes of the Apostacy which the whole scope of thy Book is full of nothing else and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of Apostacy and who are one with the Apostates which have wandered after the Beast since the Dayes of the Apostles I say we cannot allow such as you to be Judges for we are come out of the Apostacy and to before the Apostates and to before the wandering Stars and thou hast mist it much that tells the Quakers are they Edward I tell thee we are come to the everlasting Gospel again and have received it and it 's the Power of God which was to be and is to be preached again to the Nations after the Apostacy And as for the Book called Malice stript and whipt I have seen it and he Spirit of thy Mr. Smith whom thou callst Reverend thou hast elevated him as high as the Pope but E. D. what is the Reason thou reverencest him so much as thou dost to thy Reader And in the tenth page thou saist many Souls depend upon his Ministry and thou blessest God for the worâ— of God you enjoy in that Congregation Thou hast extoll'd him too highly or else he hath wronged thee grievously for thou saist thou hast profited much by him Thou mayest call to mind a certain time when he preached as you call it out of the 13 of Luke and when he spoke of the Parable of the mâ—n that planted a Vineyard and 3 Years looked for Fruit and Sam. Smith whom thou so adorest said he had sought for Fruit from your Congregation this 7 Years at Cressage and had found none he shall be an evidence for me against thee that thy glorying of him is Vain and it 's manifest he is one the Lord sent his Prophet to declare against who hath run and the Lord never sent him therefore he hath not profited you at Cressage at all lean Souls are they like to be that depend on him In the first Observation as thou callst it thou hast extracted the Heads of Samuel Smiths Book into five particulars which thou sayst we are ashamed to Answer or else know not what to say for our defences I say unto thee Boast not when thou purst on thy Armour but when putst it off for the Victory may be doutful THe first particular That the Nationall Ministers do maintain the true worship of God and the Doctrine of Christ according to the revealed will of God Answ. So saying and so doing were something the true Worship of God is in Spirit and in Truth which is not Lo here and lo there nor in outward Observations but in Life in Power and in Truth But to be brief both the Doctrine and Practice of the National Ministry in general is contrary to the Scripture which thou callst the Word of God as for Instance their sprinkling of Infants their teaching Men to Swear and calling it part of the Worship of God which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said Swear not at all Their singing David's Psalms put into Meeter by Poets and Ballad-mongers singing them in their invented Tunes which pleaseth the carnal Mind their studied discourses which you call Sermons Invented from the strength of natural wit and not speaking as they are moved by the holy Ghost which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages did In these and many other things which I could instance they are out of the Doctrine of Christ And in a word your whole Worship differs both in matter and manner from the Saints Worship in the Primitive Times But seeing we have denyed the National Ministers divers Years ago and have laid down our Grounds and Reasons to the World wherein we have charged them that their practice is contrary to the Scripture unto which Grounds and Reasons not one Parish-master in England hath yet Vindicated themselves these six years And unto that Book called The Grounds and Reasons why we deny the Priests if the Reader be not satisfied concerning them there he may see how they err both in Doctrine and Practice contrary to Scriptures To the second and third Particulars That the present Government of the Nation is the Ordinance of God and that the Ministers bringing Offenders before the Magistrate is not Persecution As for the present Government of the Nation the lawfulness thereof is not to Question by us but many who are Governours and should be Executors of the Law have acted contrary to the Law being stirred 〈◊〉 by the Priests who bite with their Teeth if one put not into their Mouths and have caused the just to suffer by giving Judgment 〈◊〉 theâ— in their wills contrary to Law or
prophane in all Times since the Foundation of the world that the Lamb hath been slain and the Seat of Iniquity raised up and this Seed hath been made manifest by its Fruits throughout all Aâ—es and Times throughout all Nations Kindreds Tongues Regions Countries and Kingdoms And by the Fruit which is brought forth in New-England they themselves may read their Stock and Off-spring and Fruits and Doings which is brought to Light and evident elsewhere declared that so when they come to view over their VVork again Shame may cover their Faces and Astonishment fill their Hearts that such Fruits should be brought forth by them who are so high Professors of God in VVords and of the Scriptures to be the Rule of their Obedience and Faith now shall you be tryed by the Scripture your Rulers your Teachers and your Church-members and the Life of the Saints that gave forth the Scripture will stand a witness against your Doctrines and cursed Practices for evermore you may read your example Cain Herod Murderers and Men of Blood the persecuting Jews who were zealous for God as they thought who persecuted to Death and said They had a Law and by that Law Christ ought to dye but you are worse then they for you had no Law which would take hold upon the righteous and faithful witnesses of God till you had made one or invented one and digged down to Hell to ask Counsel of the Prince of Darkness your God And further you may read your Example Nimrod who came of the Stock of Ham who was cursed as well as the Serpent as well as Cain and your Thoughts are vain like the Thoughts of your Fore-fathers the Pharisees whom Christ prophesied of to his Disciples and said The Time would come when they should hâ—le them out of the Synagogues and persecute from City to City and speak all Manner of Evil of them and should go about to kill them and yet think they did God Service so void of Understanding hath the Seed of the Serpent alwayes been in all Generations which Words of Christ are fulfilled among you Professors of New-England who are thinking as they did that you do God Service in killing his Members and you are come to that time your Fruits have made it manifest Oh! could you have believed in times past if it should have been told you that you above all People should be the greatest Persecutors and exceeded in Wickedness and Cruelty and Hard-heartedness the Papists the Turks the Heathens who make little or no Profession in Comparison of you and yet that you should exceed them in Rage Cruelty and Madness It is an Abhorrency to all sober People you have stained the Earth and defiled your Land with Blood and have caused the Name of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to be blasphemed among the Heathen by your wicked ungodly barbarous and brutish Actions and you are in that Nature and in their Steps which killed the Prophets and mocked his Messengers and shamefully entreated his Servants upon whose Heads all the Blood-shed from Abel to this Day will be required But blessed be the Lord whose Arm hath been stretched forth and hath gathered Thousands out of that Nature which is cursed from God forever and hath revealed his Salvation unto them and the everlasting Gospel which is to be preached again after the Apostacy and hath made us Partakers of it to wit the Power of God and so we see unto whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed that all Nations since the Apostacy have drunk of the Whore's Cup and are bewitched with her Sorceries and therefore according to the Command of the Lord and the Motion of his eternal Spirit we have born our Testimony against the Apostates and Deceivers who retain the Words and have lost the Life and Power to the Intent that all that believe in the Light which Christ hath lighted every man withal that People might wait to receive Power from on high again which all the Sons of Adam have lost in the Transgression that as many as receive the Power may come out of Transgression and for this End hath God chosen and separated many contrary to their own Wills and from whatsoever was dear unto them in the outward to deny it all and to answer the pure Motion of God's Spirit whithersoever he leadeth and in so doing many have found the Power and Presence of the Lord going with them and before them and he hath prospered his own Work in their Hands and hath brought many out of Sodom and Egypt and out of Mystery-Babylon to Christ the Mystery and to the Mystery of Faith which is held in a pure Conscience And we were not ignorant of this what Opposition we should receive from Anti-christ and his Ministers Satan and his Messengers and how that the whole World lay in Wickedness and how that Nations Kindreds Tongues and People had drunk the Whore's Cup and how that all Hirelings Deceivers false Prophets and Seducers would withstand neither were we ignorant that the Beast's Power which got up in the Throne of Iniquity and Exaltation since the man-child was caught up unto God and Wâ—man fled into the Wilderness wherein he hath compelled all both small and great to worship him Neither were we ignorant of his Strength and of his great Authority that he had in the Nations and how that the VVhore the false Church rode upon him and also we knew that the Nations were as VVaters nor of the great VVaves which would lift up themselves nor of the multitude of Merchants which make Merchandize of Souls for dishonest Gain who are greedy of filthy Lucre nor of the multitude of Ships in which they carry their merchandize and deceitful ware neither were the Servants of the Lord who have thus deeply suffered â—as else-where is made mention of of the Spirit that ruled in the Professors and Teachers of New-England Notwithstanding all this which was seen before we consulted not with Flesh and Blood but were obedient to the heavenly Call and stood given up to the Lord in Life or in Death to finish the Testimony which God hath put into our Hands that so many may be brought to know the living God revealed in themselves that so they with us and we with them may rejoyce in him who is becoming the King and Law-giver and the exceeding great Reward of all his People to whom be Glory forever and ever Amen AND now the Devil being let loose for a little Season he rages and goes into utter Darkness and fetches up all the Powers of Darkness and they combine together to fortifie his Kingdom that so none but he who was a Murderer from the Beginning may have any Rule in the Town of Boston or the Jurisdiction thereunto belonging and now he thinks his Kingdom is sure The last Piece of Work which the Rulers have done for their Master is as followeth An ACT made at a GENERAL COURT held at Boston the 20th of October
of the true Church and so came the Nations to be Cheated then she reached forth her Golden Cup of Fornication her fair out-side to the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and they were made Drunk and there they Stumbled Reeled and Staggered till at last they became all like a Sea like Waters which swell and roar and Foam and stand at no stay take notice of this here was the false Church's Foundation laid in the Waters upon this was the fear of the Mother of Harlots which John saw fourteen hundred Years ago but the Foundation of the true Church which was before this was Planted in Christ in the Apostles dayes and was builded upon the True Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World upon Christ the Power of God the Corner-Stone the Rock of Ages and the Members of her Body which were Elect and Precious a few at Corinth at Jerusalem at Asia at Antioch at Colos Ephesus and other places who believed and were changed into their Hearts by the word of God which the Ministers of Christ preached which was in their Hearts and them who came to be established in the Truth in Meekness Patience Long-suffering who walked together in Love to wit in the Love of God which was shed abroad in their Hearts became a Habitation for God through the Spirit and Christ was the Head of this Body and ruled over it and in it and by him were they led and were subject to him who was their Husband and Shepherd Who preserved them and ordered and provided for them Who gave unto them the Bread and Water of Life and reached unto them the Cup of Salvation and Blessing whereby they came to be Nourished and grew in Wisdom and Knowledge Obedience and Subjection and in the Power and in the Dominion so were more then Conquerers thorow him that was their Law-giver King Judge and Saviour and these as I have said came to know the Truth Christ in their Hearts ruling and this was the seat of the true Church And herein is the true Church of God and her Seat and Members manifested and the false Church her Seat and Members manifested the one upon the Rock the other upon the Sand the one in the Life the other on the Words without Life the Seat of the one amongst those that were established in the Truth who bore the Image of Christ and did walk in Love and the Seat of the other was in the Waters and upon the Waters and upon unstable Minds and upon them that were in Cain's Way and the Seat of the one upon them and among them who had received freely of the Lord and Ministred freely out unto others of that which they had received but the Seat of the other upon them and among them that went in Balaam's Way who were greedy of filthy Lucre and followed after Gifts and Rewards the Seat of the one upon and among them who had submitted unto the teachings of God's holy Spirit in them the Seat of the other upon them and among them who had Erred from the Spirit and Quenched it and cryed Revelations were ceased who went in Corah's Way in the Gain-saying and resisting of the Holy Ghost the one upon them that were in the Power of God the other upon them who had the Form but denyed the Power the one among them who were the Servants of Righteousness the other amongst them whose Throats were as an open Sepulchre whose Feet were swift to shed Blood and Eyes full of adultery who could not cease from Sin the one among them who took up the daily Cross of Christ and denyed themselves and the other among them who followed their own Wayes and not the Cross of Christ but denyers of it the one amongst them who were Crucified to the Flesh and the deeds thereof the other among them that were alive in the Flesh and following the Affections and Lusts thereof So much more I might say according to the Wisdom given of the Lord but by what hath been said herein you may see the differences betwixt the true Church of God and the Mother of Harlots betwixt Jerusalem which is above a Mystery and the Mystery of Babylon and betwixt The Bride of the Lamb's Wife and the Harlot that hath run from her Husband and the differences of the Members of each Body and the differences between each Seat made manifest by their Effect and Fruits which is brought forth by each sort so read your selves whether you are in the Apostacy or out of the Apostacy whether of the Members of Christ and of his Body or of Anti-christ and so Members of the Harlot and of her Body to the Measure of God's Spirit in all your Consciences as you take heed to it will give you a true Understanding And so when these Waters Nations Tongues Kindreds and Peoples came to be drunken with the Cup of Fornication not only the Common sort of People but also the Kings the Captains and Nobles were polluted amongst all these professing Christians who had the Name of being Christians but are not arose the great Scarlet coloured Beast who had the Names of Blasphemy written in hâ—s forhead with seven Heads and ten Horns Perfect cruelty and great Strength who compelled all to Worship him and here was the Beginning of earthly Powers who came to meddle and compel in Spiritual Matters and the Kings of the Earth gave their Aid force and Strength to the Beast who compelled all both great smal whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life to Worship him and he Killed the Saints and Persecuted them which kept the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God and the false Church which had laid her Foundation and sate as a Queen got upon the Beast and travelled in the greatness of his Strength made War against the free-Woman the Lamb's Wife made her flee into the Wilderness for two times and a half and all this was since the Apostles dayes that so now they that boast of Visibility and Universality alwayes since the Apostles dayes by this Argument they overthrow themselves for that which hath alwayes been so Visible in Power Force and Strength and so Universality seen and spread over all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People cannot be the Church of Christ for she hath been in the Wilderness and Christ the Head of his Church the Body compelleth none by carnal Weapons to Worship the Lord but he that takes hold of the Sword shall Perish by the Sword and he said again Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that Persecute you and this is he who is the higher Power unto whom all Power is given both in Heaven and Earth and unto him the Spouse is subject and the Body is subject and they fear him and Honour his holy Name for he is worthy to be Praised and to receive all Honour Glory and Strength forever But the Beast compelleth all who
now mark this that by which the Apostle gathered them from the Jewish Temples and Priest-hood and the Gentiles from their Idols Temples was by the Preaching of the everlasting Gospel to wit not the Law nor the Ordinances of the first Covenant but the Power of God and the word of Reconciliation for the first Covenant of the Jews made not the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Neither the Gentiles Idols Temples nor Worships made them perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but rather made them worse and more corrupted Heb. 9.9 But the Preaching and publishing of the Word of Reconciliation that did it was committed to the Disciples it was received and believed in by many both Jews and Gentiles as at Ephesus and elsewhere and they were made a Habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes. 2.22 Now mark this they preached not up the Letâ—er of the Law nor that which was written in Tables of Stone for the first Priest-hood that was ended and the Ministry of that and the Vail was over their Hearts while Moses was read and their ability stood not in the Litteral knowledge or in that which was written But they were able Ministers of the New-Testament of the Spirit and so all that did believe both Jews and Gentiles who received the word of Faith which was nigh in the Mâ—uth and in the Heart Rom. 10.8 they grew up in the Knowledge of God and of his holy Spirit and great Gifts grew amongst them as of Prophecy of speaking with Tongues of Interpretation and there was diversity of gifts and diversity of Operations yet all by the same Spirit which the Apostles were made Ministers of and which they that did believe and receive and received gifts from it and knew the Operation of it which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 And the principalities and Powers of Darkness and to the Translating and changing of them from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God even into the Kinâ—dom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 And several Congregations in divers Places were all one Body whereof Christ the Life was the Head in which they had believed and of whose Power they had tasted grew up in Knowledge and Wisdom and gifts and the Day of Christ approached which Abraham saw And they exhorted one another and admonished one another and when they met together at several Places every one according to the Gift of God as he had received not from the Letterâ— but from the Spirit did and might administer to the Edification one of another and to the building up and comforting one another in the most holy Faith which gave them Victory over Sin which Faith was wrought in them by hearing of the Word that was nigh them in the Mouth and in the Heart which was the Word of Consolation which was in the Beginning Moreover when they met together they might Prophesie one by one and every one Exercise his own gift to the edification and Comfort of the Body as the Spirit did lead them in Order and if any went out from his Measure he was judged by them that were in the Spirit Furthermore they that had believed the Gospel which was published to them for remission of Sin they grew up into great Enjoyments and Attainments in the righteous Life of Christ which was manifest in them And though first they knew the Ministration of Condemnation and the sentence of Death yet afterwards came to know the Ministration of the Spirit and the sweet Assurance and Testimony of it bearing Witness to the Spirit that they were the Sons of God and they were made Heirs according to the Promise Heb. 6.17 and were made joynt-heirs and co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom which is Immortal which faâ—es not away and did dome to know Mount Sion and the City of the living God Heb. 12.22 and it were large to speak of the Glory and the Transcendent Excellency of the Church of Christ which became a purchased Possession to him in the Primitive Times or the first hundred Years after the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh. But take notice of this that they that were sent out who had received freely of the Father of Christ and of the Spirit Ministred freely as they had received freely without making any Covenants or enquiries after worldly revenews but went from City to City Preaching the Gâ—spel of Christ freely as they hâ—d received without any conditionâ— frâ—m the People And as many as believed and received the Gospel did Minister freely their Hearts being open unto them who had declared unto them spiritual Things Acts 4.34 Mat. 10.8 c. So that we read of no compulsion or forcing Maintenance from any of the Cities whether they believed or not believed the Father took care of such Harvest-men and and what they received was given freely and there was no Complaint though often they denyed that which was proferred to them and thâ—ir Câ—re was to make the Gospel of Christ not Burdensome or chargeable but rather their Hands should Minister unto their Necessities Acts 18.3 Again though divers gifts were given unto the Disciples before and after Christ's Ascension as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers and some Elders or Bishops yet they were all made Ministers by the holy Ghost yet it were large to speak of the Power and of the Wisdom and of the Enjoyments of God in that day and time and of the Gifts and of the order which was in the Church at that time But in a Word the Son of God was made manifest and gave them an Understanding and they knew him that was true Truth it self and Christ was revealed in them and manifested to them the Hope of their Glory Col. 1.27 Furthermore they come to see over the new Moons and Fâ—sts and Feasts and Dayes and Times and Meats and Drinks and none could judge of them or ought to judge of them in those Cases for they saw the Body Christ for the man-Child was brought forth and the Woman was Cloathed with the Sun who had the Crowd of twelve Stars upon her head who brought forth the holy Child Jesus who saves his People from their Sins In whom all Shadows Types Figures Representations end This in short was part of the Glory of the Primitive Church which would be large to speak of as it was in the first State of its Purity But hereafter some fuller thing the Lord may bring forth in his own time and day CHAP. II. Concerning the entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began downwards from the entring of it in until this present Age and Time CHrist the true Prophet which Moses spake of whom the Lord raised up and manifested in the Fulness of time he prohesied and declared of false Prophets that should arise Mat. 7.15 Beware of
the Hollow of a Hand and we have thee in the Apostacy clear thy self when thou canst if the Beast compelled all both small and great to worship him and made War with all that bore not his Image then we have thee between us and the Apostles time as in a press for no such compelling was in the true Church by any Ecclesiastical or Secular Power instance if thou canst from the Apostles writings any such thing or where Cain's weapons were lifted up or Creatures Men and VVomen killed by the Sword or destroyed with lingring Torments in the time of the Apostles Now in that it hath been said the Church hath been universal to that more might be said Europe or some Parts adjacent is not all the Earth and it is no where found since the Apostles that killing and compelling and forcing hath been but by thee and them that are at the best but in the Suburbs of thy City which afterwards I shall in brief descend to And so it is evidently known that thy church so called hath been upheld more by cruelty and force then any sound Doctrine or Practice agreeable to the Apostles Dayes though thou mayst wipe thy Mouth and say I am clear we persecute none to Death we have a Beast to ride upon and will make war for our City and will compel to our VVorship and Institutions we will cry him up for the higher Power and we will frighten People that who resists this resists the ordinance of God and he will kill and destroy and compel and force and we shall be clear and he will call us the holy church and we will call him the higher Power and so it is clear and evident by what hath been said that thou art in the Apostacy as hereafter shall be manifested by Name and Practice First Thy Ministers are not according to the Ministers of Christ in the primitive times their call not such their practice not such They were made Ministers in the primitive times by the holy Ghost and by the Spirit but yours by natural Parts Tongues Arts Philosophy and Study and packing up old Authors together to make a little discourse of and this must be called the Gospel Secondly the Ministers of Christ they preach freely not for Gifts and Rewards and Tythes but you have brought in Judaism Tythes which belonged to the first Priesthood your Oblations Obventions your Mortuaries and these Invented and introduced things to maintain your Ministers by Thirdly The Ministers of Christ did not compel any at Corinth Thessalonica Macedonia or any other Church to give them such and such maintenance by Force who received not their Doctrine but you compel and force and have made that which you call the Gospel chargeable to the Earth where you have Power 1 Cor. 9.18 Fourthly Your Doctrine is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the primitive times as that the real and substantial Presence of Christ's Body Blood after the Consecration of Priests is in the Bread and Wine which may corrupt so doth not the Body of Christ you do contrary to Christ's Doctrine who saith he that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood shall live forever John 6.56 but you that eat that which you call his suâ—stantial and real Body and Blood both it and you shall corrupt Fifthly Of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass this Sacrifice doth no good at all for where there is no Blood there is no Life and where there is no Blood there is no Remission saith Paul Heb. 9.14 and so your Sacrifice is abominable and an Idol and such an one as there is no mention made of in the Scriptures Sixthly Of your Litturgy and publick Prayers in an unknown tongue this is an unprofitable and a vain Worship and this is like your unbloody Sacrifice herein you are like Barbarians one to another and how should they that worship with you say Amen when they know not what you say your praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine who said 1 Cor. 14.18 I thank my God I speak with Tongues more then you all ver 19. yet in the Church I had rather speak five Words with my Understanding that I might teach others also then ten thousand in an unknown Tongue Seventhly Your Doctrine of Purgatory an invented and an imagined thing as to cleanse from Sin this is contrary to the primitive Doctrine The Blood of Christ cleanseth from all Sin John 1.7 and your distinctions of mortal and venial Sin is to blind People withal For the Wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6.23 Eighthly Of worshipping and invocation of Angels and Saints as Mediators between us and God this is contrary to the Primitive Doctrine there is one Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 and he alone makes Intercession for all them that believe Heb. 7 25 and the Angel reproved John Rev. 22.8 9. when he would have Worshipped him and said unto them See thou do it not for I am thy fellow Servant c. and the Prophet said thou art our Father though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us Isa. 63.16 Ninethly Of Reliques and sacred Images this is contrary to â—hat the Lord spake by the Prophets Lev. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor graven Imaâ—e neither rear you up a standing Image neither shall you set up any Image of Stone in your Land to bow down unto it Deut. 6.22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any Image which the Lord thy God hateth Ezek. 6.4 and your Images shall be broken and Rom. 1.23 there they were Condemned that changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man c. Thus you may plainly see your Idolatrous Image Worship is forbidden and condemned in the Law Prophets and New-Testament and as for your Relique worship you have neither command â—or Example for it from Christ nor his Apostles Many more things might be enumerated which are found among you in the Apostacy as your Voluntary poverty and feigned Humility and your wilful Vows and many more things which are â—ound to be coâ—trâ—ry to the Church of Christ which must be turned from and denyed if ever you come to know the everlasting Gospel which is to be preached again to the Nations by which they must be brought out of all this Apostacy Furthermore as to the practice and Discipline of the Catholick Church as it is called which pleads for Authority we find it not consonant and agreeing to the Church in the Primitive times the first hundred Years after Christ. As for the vestiments your Priests wear at certain times one on this manner another on that your Ecclesiastical men or Church Officers of several Ranks and orders such we find not in the Primitive times in that which may be truly called Primitive And for the invented Holy-dayes and their Eves for Fasting and Feasting we find no such in the Primitive Times and such
not been spoken and preached bought and sold as a Gospel not only in the church of Rome but also among them that are separated from her even until now this hath been preacht to Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and if the writings be the everlasting Gospel then how doth John say or why did he so say that the everlasting Gospel should go forth again and be preacht again after the Apostacy or to bring out of the Apostacy But it clearly implies the Word had been preached and published and the temporary Writings which were given forth at divers times had been preached up for Gospel these many Hundred Years which many have received by tradition but the Power of God and the Gift of God by which and from which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages ministred hath been wanting if not altogether lost for the most part among them that are called Christians then what is the Quarrel betwixt you and the Romanists it is but in translation at the most and while words translations and Versions have been contented about the everlasting Gospel hath been hid therefore all People are upon heaps and the Nations like waters rowling up and down in Instability now the reformed Ministry so called are in many things in the same practice with the former You deny an immediate Call and set up an outward Ordinatiâ—n and a Form of laying on of Hands without the holy Ghost ordaining such and such who have some Skill in natural Tongues or some Words of Oratory to be a subject matter to make Ministers upon and that which they preach in Words which hath been long held in the Form without the Life you call the Gospel and these are confined to a Parish as the former to such a Cloyster and such a Monastery and these preach for hire and Gifts and Rewards and for Maintenance and kept up all the aforesaid Wayes and maintenance as lawful and will make People believe it is according to Gospel-Institution when alas it is but the Pope's Tythes Oblations Obventions Mortuaries and Prayers for the dead keeping up the Wages but deny the Work And Tythe of all things as Pigs and Geese Hens and Egs Apples and Cherries and Turnips and all nothing excepted this is a feeble thing as to hold out to People for Gospel-maâ—ntenance and the Preachers of the Gospel are ashamed of it Furthermore they that will not give it sue them at Law throw them into holes till they dye take away ten-fold that which is claimed say the man is not subject to Gospel order denieth Ministers Maintenance this hath been Crime enough to take away the Estates and Lives of Men all this is in the Apostacy And seeing it is said we are under a Gospel Administration and Ordinances what do you wiâ—h Organs Whistlers and Pipes in any part of your Services this pertained to the Jews and not to the primitive Church and what do you do with Surplices Tippets and Hoods and other strange kind of Garments it may be the high-Priest's Garments or the Priest's Linnen Ephod or linnen Breeches must be brought in for a Gospel-proof and for an Apostolick Ordinance and what do you with the Pope's Lent and why should the Pope's Lent be among the reformed Protestants churches forbidding Meats and Drinks and why forbidding Marriage in Lent and who ordained these Dayes what have they been borrowed from the Heathen or are they looked upon to be such Dayes as used to be cited in the Calender for the Dog-dayes which have been brought from the Heathen stand to this Day in too much credit among Believer so called And why is one Day preferred before and above another and some counted holy-Dayes as though some others were unholy-dayes and why such a Collect and such a Gospel and such a Chapter and such a Psalm mincing and cutting and severing the Scripture in Pieces and Shreds Is this like Apostolick Doctrine truly Friends many things we have to say if you had an Ear to hear and that upon good Ground we can speak that we look upon all these things to be feeble and poor and beggerly things and have no agreement or congruity with the primitive times And should People be limited or stinted to such a certain Form of words called Service or Prayer and divine Worship was that ever reckoned divine Worship that was not from the divine Spirit But it may be you will say the Words are good or some of them I am not speaking about Words but the Spirit from which every Service ought to be performed to the Lord God and the primitive Christians prayed in the Spirit and with Understanding and sung with the Spirit and with Understanding 1 Câ—r 14.15 And there were some that knew not what to pray for as they ought but the Spirit helped their Infirmities Rom. 8.26 But you know what to pray for and how much must be said on such a Day or such a time and if there be a Homily or a Sermon Letany must be missed Now I say if it be divine Worship or any thing wherein God is honoured and the People bettered nothing of it ought to be wanting But these things the primitive times do not countenance but when the power was lost and the Life gone from and the Spirit erred from these things have come into the latter dayes which have been very perillous times as to them who have kept the Apostolick Faith and in the Order of the Primitive Church Many more things we could instance which are practised as for Discipline and Order and some for Necessity which have no Affinity or union at all with the primitive Churches but rather are things which are too near of kin unto her that sits as a Queen upon the Waters whose Flesh must be burnt with Fire who hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and how many of the Lord's servants have suffered in and about these things not only in the Church of Rome but also by them which have been called reformed many have known and are living Witnesses thereof And all these Temples Bells Hour-glasses Pulpits and Cushions Altars Tables and Fonts which are things that pertain not to them that look they are come out of the Apostacy but the spiritual minded see over them and beyond them and before these things and also see through the Spirit of prophecy the time when they shall be no more adored worshipped and honoured but God shall be feared in the hearts of the Sons of men and Glory shall be given to him and he shall be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth as he was in the Primitive Times when the Beast and the false Prophet and they that wrought Miracles before him and all they that have cryed who is able to make War with the Beast and have cryed worship him all must be taken alive remember that alive in their Strength and cast into the Lake and the Mother of Harlots shall be made desolate her Cup of Fornication thrown
and because all these things did not make perfect aâ— pertaining to the Conscience and was to continue but for a time until the time of Reformation and then an End of the Temple Priests and Worship of the Singers and Porters and Organs and stringed Instruments as in matter of Worship an End was put to all these when he was offered up that perfecteth forever them that are sanctâ—fiâ—d And the Christians and true Believers in the Primitive times who had received the Spirit in which they did rejoyce in and with what Words the Spirit was pleâ—sed to utter and they thâ—t had received the holy Ghâ—st did joy in the holy Ghost and they that did sing sang in the Spiriâ— and with the Spirit and with Understanding from the feeling of the living which they had in their hearts of God's Preâ—ence and his Assurance and he that had a Psalm might sing but all thâ— Church did not sing together a Psalm was a Gift of the Spirit every one had it not there was diversity of Gifts and diversity of Operations Prophecy Interpretation and a Psalm were Gifts which were received from the Spirit and not by tradition 1 Cor. 14.15 Ephes. 5.19 James 5.13 And they that overcame and were redeemed from the Earth who had followed the Lamb who had given the Victory over Sin Death and they Grave the sang a new Song which none could learn but those whose Names were written in the Lamb's book of Life Rev. 1.2 3. 19.1 6. and these were the Songs of the Redeeâ—â—d which God had delivered out of their Enemies Hâ—nds and they were witnesâ—es of his wondrous Works and praised the Lord in the Spirit and with understâ—nâ—ing and did not get a Form of Words of Daviâ—'s Words which he spake after his Victories and Triumphs over his Enemies and also they prayed in the Spirit and with Understaning and spoke as it gave utterancâ— and as they were moved by the holy Ghost were not limited as how short or how long but aâ— the Spirit gave Utterrance and not limited to hours and set times but when the Spirit of God which they had received moved thereunto and then their Prayers were accepted and were as sweet Incense Rev. 5.8 8.3 4. and were not stinted to set hours but as they saw in the Wisdom of God and were moved by his Spirit But since the Apostacy that the Spirit hath been lost by many and the Power some of the Form retained and then they began to imitate three times a day and seven times a day but Mâ—ttens at set times and hours was appointed by Hierome as Polidore and others say Also the Heathen they had Mattens as Apuleus saith which they sung at divers times of the day and so sorted the Hours of the day for Sacrifices which they did offer unto their Idols Pelagius the second was the first that command-Priests to say them daily and said as the just man falleth seven times so by instant Prayers and Mattens he might as often rise and amend Urbanus the second ordained the Mattens called the Ladies Mattens to be said daily and confirmed them in a Council which he had at Mount Clear in France and Damasus Bishop of Rome gave Commandment that Mattens should be said or Sung in all Churches and added Gloria Patrito the end of every Psalm Damasus also instituted that Psalms should be said or sung by Course Damâ—sus also commanded that the Creed should be said every hour And Vitilianus invented the decent times wherewith the Hymns be Sung and joyned the Organs but there were divers and sundry manners of Prayers and Forms and Mattens and singing devised by many as Bennets Monks had one use and Bernard another and Dominicks Brethren had one order by themselves and every Provincial Bishop made a several use in his Diocess and all was confirmed by the Bishop of Rome Telesphorus appointed that Lent should be kept before Easter and added another Week to it which we call Quinquagâ—sima and this Week he commanded Priests to Fast more then the Laity and thus one runs into one Invention after another and hath brought in all this mountain of Darkness so that the Practice of these things since the Apostles dayes hath been much what corrupted and Imitation at the best without Life and are either from the Jews and their Worship or from the Heathen or from their own Inventions and Imaginations which are many in their Mattens and their Prayers that at last Beads were glad to be got to tell them and so all who view these things and see them to be in the Apostacy come out from among them and them that are joyned to Idols let them alone and keep your selves from them and compare but the Worship and Practice of the Primitive times in the Apostles dayes with all this which hath been brought in since part of which is here Demonstrated much more might be said but you will see that these Practices are not Apostolical neither agreeable with the purest times but People have been corrupted with them and made two-fold worse then before And as concerning the Mass and Letany which are used in many Congregations there hath been so many Authors about patching them up that they are almost past numeration but take a short hint of the forming of them up near unto the Apostles time although they did celebrate the Sacrament as it was called it was done with little mixture or Ceremony but only repeating the Words of Christ and after the Consecration they joyned to it the Pater-noster Celestinus ordained some Prayers that the Priest should say when he revesteth himself to Mass or putting on his Cloaths and began Juâ—ica me Domine c. And in the Church of Greece they sang when the People Assembled together Damasius instituted the confession at the Beginging of the Mass and Gorgius caused confession to be said nine times over in the Latine-Church Gregory in excelsis is ascribed unto Telesphorus and Hilarius and also Telesphorus ordained Epistles and Gospels and Damasiâ—s divided them as they are read at this Day in the reformed Churches and Anastâ—sius ordained that People should stand at the Gospel Marcus ordained the first Part of the Creed to be read after it was made by the Council of Nice and the second Part and Spiritum Sanctum that the Council at Constantinople composed Eutichianus instituted the Oâ—â—ertory to be sung while the People offerâ—d something to the poor Galesius mâ—de the Prefaces in the Beginning they used but one Ansekius added the Sanâ—â—us out of the Prophet Isaiah burning of Incense that which was occupied in the old Testament by Aaron and the Panims in their superstitious Rites Leo the third ordained it to be had in the Latine-church and privity of Mass called the common was made by divers Persons as Galatius made Te igitur Satitious added Communicantes and Alexander made Qui pridie Hanc igitur Leo joyned to
helpers in the Work of the Gospel and all that were ordained were ordained by the holy Ghost although it is true they had the consent of the Brethren and the church in that thing and there were also Deacons ordained which served to look to the Widows and for the Ministration of the poor and these were faithful men and had also a Gift Stephen was one full of the holy Ghost and these were helps unto the Apostles also there were some faithful Widows who were Examples to the younger Women and to instruct them and to be Patterns unto them and were as a Body knit together in Love and served the Lord and strengthned one another in the Faith and served one another in Love and all these forementioned served the Lord freely and willingly and not for Rewards and Gifts and Benefices and earthly things â—n short this was the State and Glory of the church in that time and these are the Minâ—sters we read of in the primitive times But since the Apostacy hath entred in and the power of Godlinesâ— hath been denyed there is such a numberless number of Names crept in we never heard of them and so many Offices and yet none of that Work done which the ministers of Christ did but certain new invented things â—rought in for Worship and Service and the Power despised and men seeking Offices and great Titles and great Benefits and great Revenues and the Heritage of God is laid waste and the Earth become like a Wilderness unplanted with good and the Sheep and scattered And so all may compare these ensuing Names and Offices with the Apostles dayes and the primitive Church and see if they be alike First of all the Pope his Holiness Christ's Vicar Universal Bishop Metropolitane Bishop Lord Cardinals which were but Priests at the first ordained to baptize the Heathen who came to Rome when the Seat thereof began to be had in Honour but now they are swelled big and become Princes and the only Men to govern States also Monks of divers Orders and Fryars of divers Orders Hierom's order of Austin's Order Gregory's order Carmalite Fryars Cross or Crouchet Fryars of Dominiâ—â—s order of St. Francis's order Bennet's order and all of these orders sprâ—â—g up and were ordained in the midnight of darkness within this four hundred Years at the most as were easily proved and Trinity order and Brigandine order of Jesuites and Hermits and Anthony's order and Clunisencies order and Nuns sprung up first of one St. Clara one order then Brigidia a widow to the time of Urban the fifth in the Year 1370. And all these kind of orders were destitute of the true order of the primitive Church and their Service was appointed by them that ordained them and these practised the patched Inventions that were given them for Worship which have not concord with the primitive Doctrine but borrowed from the Jews or Heathen all these kind of Offices and Officers have been acting their parts this many years and have led People into superstitious Blindness and further from the Lord then ever But to come to the reformed Churches so called and there is so many Officers and Names but few that do accord with the Apostles times either in Name or Nature as Metropolitan-Bishops Arch-Bishops Lord-Bishops we heard not of Lord Timothy or Lord Titus Bishops before mentioned but to come on to other orders Arch-Deacons Deans and Chapters Preâ—enâ—â— and these must attend on some old superstitious Buildings call'd Cathedrals or Minsters and there perform a Service somewhat like the former and these are enjoyned their Service like the Levites and Priests of old by turns and course as once in a moneth or two it may be and have a hundred or two hundred pounds in the year for the same and hardly stir from thence till they dye except some greater advance offer it self also Commâ—ssaries Procters and Apparetors and these are subsâ—rvient to the former then Chancellors Vice-chancellors Doctors of Divinity Batâ—hellâ—rs of Divintty Doctors of Art Masters of Art Batchellors of Art Graduates Under-Graduates and these belong to the former then Prelates Parsins Vicars Priests Curates and Church-Wardens all which Titles and Names and Officers if they be but compared with the Scripture there will be hardly any parallel either concerning Office Work or Doctrine And notwithstanding all these Orders and Sorts who are fitted by humane Learning or natural Study though divers years exercised therein are not skilled in the Word of Righteousness neither have the Tongue of the learned to administer a Word in Season to the weary nor to turn the Sinner from his Sins and thus the Form of things Titles and Names are holden up but who seek after the Power of God or to be made able Ministers of the Spirit Litteral Ministers enough while maintenance lasts but the Ministâ—â—tion of the Spirit few are acquainted with and if there be any such it is well if he be not persecuted so in that which I have said the understanding will see that there hath been a great Apostacy since the Apostles dâ—yes in the Ministry in Doctrine in Worship and Practice divers of which I have touched upon to the Intent that they that enquire after the Lord may depart out of the midst of Ignorance and come to worship Gâ—d in Spirit and Truth and in the Temple made without hands and be joyned to the Church which is in God which the Gates of Hell prevail not against though many will claim Authority from the Apostles few will own their Life neither walk after their Example so take but a few more Institutions which are called Apostolick to this Day among them called Christian Churches Cletus the third Bishop of Rome was the first that wrote this Title that is Greeting and Apostolick blessing he ordained the order of Priesthood Everastus the fifth Bishop of Rome ordained that Priests should be honoured and that they should be shaven Alexander the sixth Bishop of Rome ordained that Matrimony should be only solemnized and that the married should be blessed with the Priest there was the beginning of being married by Priests Sixtus about the year 114. after Christ the seventh Bishop of Rome ordained holy water and ordered that it should be strowed abroad in christian Houses and when the People met to worship Telesphorus the eight Bishop of Rome ordained that the communion should be laid upon an Altar and that lay-People should not touch the holy Vessels nor the holy Garments of the Priests he ordained Lent which was to be kept by the Clergy in the year one hundred forty two Higinus the nineth Bishop ordained the Communion to be celebrated three times at Christmas and that Lent should be fasted Pius about the year 147. after Christ the tenth Bishop ordained that chrisme should be ministred as baptism and that children should have God-fathers and God-mothers here was the beginning of this great Ordinance and he ordained that Easter-day should be kept on
insomuch that many Papists abhor the very Name and Mention of it and to the Death withstand the bringing in of this Slavery amongst them the Extremity and Rigor of this Inquisition until the year· 1609. In Philip the third King of Spain's Time notwithstanding though the Moors did make a Shew of the Papists Religion because of the Inquisition yet eleven hundred thousand of them were forced to quit the Country it was so dreadful And all these kind of Ordinances and Institutions before-mentioned compare them with the Scriptures and the Cruelty and Severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them none who have their Eyes open in any Measure but must needs conclude that all this is in the Apostacy and so all who profess Reformation flee from these things and from this Spirit and from this Church who forces and kills all them that oppose who are under his Power and why should any plead for the holding up of those Practices as good and warrantable whereas so many have been killed about them and so many have been led from the Life and Power of Godliness while they received and practised these humane Inventions and vain and customary Traditions for the Doctrine of Christ and for Apostolick Ordinances and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye People up and bind Men to observe such and such things as are mentioned before in this Book and persecute for not observing that they are they who draw back to Perdition and keep People from laying hold upon eternal Life Many more vain Practices and Doctrines which have been brought in since the Apostles Dayes might be mentioned but in that which is said already the understanding will see that there hath been a great Apostacy both in Life Doctrine and Practice from the Apostles Time downward until now and that which is called the Catholick Church in Rome is in it and likewise divers of them who are separated from her stick too much in these Things because of the Custom Tradition and Antiquity of them In part I have shewn their Antiquity and their Rise and also shewn that which is more ancient then they from which they have swerved to the Intent that all may come out of Babylon and drink no more of the Cup nor buy no more of the Merchandize nor wear no more the Harlots Cognizance nor the false Churches Attire but that all may come to see before this Heap of dark Confusion and beyond the vain Obervations which have been introduced which make no Man through the Observation thereof more acceptable unto God but rather two-fold more like Children of the wicked one who abode not in the Truth CHAP. XIV Something further of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances POpe Paul about the Year 757. condemned the Council at Constantinople for condemning worshipping of Images he wrote a Book of the worshipping and Utility of Images calling them the Lay-mens Calender Pope Adrian about the Year 770. cloathed the Image of St. Peter with Silver and covered the Altar of St. Paul with a pall of Gold and condemned them for Hereticks who kept Peter and Paul's Doctrine which declared against Idols Pope Nicholas about the Year 858. enlarged the Popes Decrees equalling them to the Writings of the Apostles he decreed that Service should be said in Latine And although by the Emperor the Pope was first elected yet now having got Head did climb up so high in Power and Pride and Arrogancy endeavoured that no Emperor should be crown'd without his Leave in Germany And Pope Clement the fifth excommunicated Andronicus Peleogus Emperor of Constantinople as an Heretick because he would not suffer the Greek Church to appeal to Rome And when any Kings or Princes had displeased him he hath excommunicated them and given away their Kingdoms to some other teaching their People to rebel and also instigating other Princes to make War against them and to kill one another for trifles and if any displeased him he caused many Kings to do Penance and to pay great Sums of Money to get an absolution from Excommunication and the Rule and Power of the Empire which gave him first his being to be Universal Bishop and to be called Pope he hath raised War often against and if he like not the Election of the Emperour he hath deposed them and one he brought into such Subjection that he caused him to hold his Sirrop a thing that the Emperour was not accustomed with he happened to hold it on the wrong side for which he received a sharp Reproof by his holiness Likewise some difference being between Pope Innocent the fourth in the Year 1250. and the Emperour Frederick the second the Pope would not be Reconciled though the King of France strongly interceeded and offered full satisfaction for all pretended Wrongs would go out of his Empire if the Pope could not endure him there never to return into Europe again so as that his Son with the Popes Approbation might but Succeed him in the Empire which the Pope would not do And how England and divers Nations have been troubled with his Oppression is well known and what exactions and great sums of Money â—here have been enhausted and squeezed out of his Dominions where he 〈◊〉 Power the Nations well remember to maintain the Pride of his Court at Rome which abounded with all manner of Vitiousness insomuch that it was grown to that height that Vincentius Clement the Popeâ— Legate said it was now too late and past reforming But to take the Legate's own words as follow against his Master the Pope and his Court W. H. in his Book called a Description of England in the 136 page saith thus that this Vincentius Clement in the year 1452. being Legate for the Pope was here in England about the Pope's business and hearing that the Clergy had given the King two tenths for the repaying â—f his losses which he had sustained in France and for the recovering of Bourdeaux this Legate Vincentius coming into the Convocation House he earnestly required the Clergy to be no less favourable to their Spiritual Father the Pope and their Mother the See of Rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour meaning the King and in his Speech in the Convocation he shewed them how that his Holiness the Pope was much disturbed and daily in danger of his Life by Cut-throats Varlots and Harlots which did much abound as he said in Rome but the Clergy in the Convocation slighted his Speech and said how should we contribute towards the Suppression of such whereas he and such as you continually uphold them I grant saith the Legate that there wanteth just Reformation of many Things in the City of Rome which should have been made sooner but now is it too late and past reforming never the less I beseech you send the Legate to write unto his holiness the Pope to request him that
people into Distraction and Madness and this Canon and the other Institution one while it's Idolatrous another while Sacred and Holy And thus people have been led up and down many Generations to and fro up and down and Persecution about changeable mutable and alterable things and the Life which redeems out of the World up unto God hath been sought after and so all that look to have Peace and to enjoy the Testimony of God's blessed Spirit come out of this Babylon this City of Confusion whose Seat is erected upon the Sand whose Foundation is laid in the Waters and Faith upon the human Institutions of men which are variable and subject to Mutation and come to know the Rock of Ages and the unalterable Council of the Lord and the Wisdom of the most high to rule in your Hearts and wait in the immortal Light of God which is within that you may see overall these Mountains of Darkness which are risen up in the Apostacy and over all the Institutions Decrees Statutes Ordinances and Inventions of men to be before all these things were and come 〈◊〉 him who is the Beginning of the Creation of God who is that quickning Spirit by which all that believe are raised out of Death to be Partakâ—â—s of the Life which is immortal which fades not away and the Lord 〈◊〉 be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth away with all Types and Figures Shadows and Vails human Institutions and Ordinances of men Câ—â—â—mâ—nies and vain superstitious Traditions which God hath no Pleasure 〈◊〉 which God hath no Pleasure in which do not profit at all and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things from the invisible God is to be thrown aside as a mestruous Cloath and as the Breath of abominable things which God will confound because he hath no Pleasure in them for the Life is risen and the Vail of the Covering is rent which hath been spread over all Nations the Night is gone the Day is come and appeared in Brightness the Shadows are past away and the Morning of Righteousness is appeared the Son of God is come who hath given his Flock an Understanding in whom Life and Blessedness and Peace and everlasting Consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for evermore CHAP. XVI Something concerning the Worship of God whether that Kings and Rulers now in Goâ—pel-times have any Power from God to compel or force about spâ—ritâ—al things declared and some Scriptures answered which have been perverted by them who are in the Apostacy to maintain the Beâ—sts Power and the false Church's Worship under the reign of Antichrist WHen the Lord brought Israel out of the Land of Egypt by a strong Hand and an outstretched Arm he made a Covenant with them gave forâ—h a Law at Mount Sinai by the Hand of Mose the Judge of Israel and Statutes and Ordinanâ—es which Israel should walk in who were as a Family who came of one Stock and the Laws and Statutes which were then given forth were concerning civil things as concerning man and man and betwixt a man and his Neighbour and for the Government of whole Families and the Camp of Israel and likewise Laws and Statutes which concern'd the Worship of the true God which may be read at large in Exodus Numbers and Deuteronomy and they that worshipped not the true God according to the command given in the first Covenant which was outward were to have Judgment executed upon them according to the Law and Moses and the rest of the Judges over Iâ—rael were to see the Laws and Statutes executed upon the Transgressors and if any were an Idolater and worshipped a false God or a Blasphemer were to be stoned to death or Sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death and this was according to the Law of God and their Blood was upon their own heads and when Israel-lusted after a King he gave them a King and they had many Kings who were anointed of God by his appointment who were to rule in the same Manner as Moses Joshua and the rest of the Judges had done and whosoever was disobedient unto the aforesaid Command of God whether in things civil or things concerning the Worship of God several Punishments were to be inflicted by them for several Transgressors as Blasphemers Sabbath-breakers false Prophets and Wizzards and Witches were not suffered to live this was before Christ the Seed was manifested in the Flesh this was the Old Way the old paths that Israel were to walk in but this Covenant was faulty as the Apostle saith and the Ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death the Law was changed and the Priesthood was changed and the Ordinances and Worship was changed when Christ came to be manifest the end of the Law for Righteousness now as Aaron and the rest of the high-Priests were but Types and Figures of the everlasting high Priest so the Judges and Kings of Israel were Types and Figures of Christ the King of Kings and King of Saints and Law-giver and Judge and their outward Power which continued but for a time in compelling to the true Worship under that Covenant or restraining from Idolatry did but continue until the time of Reformation was but a Type and a Figure of Christ and his spiritual Power and Weapons and spiritual execution upon his Enemies who are not subject to his Government or Power seeing the Father hath committed all Power unto him in Heaven and in Earth and Moses the Mediator of the first Covenant which stood in outward Ordinances both the Mediator the Covenant the Ordinances had an end when the better Covenant was given the Covenant of Light and Christ the Mediator thereof was manifest this Covenant Ordinances pertained unto the Jews and the compelling unto the Worship and punishing for Idolatry pertained unto the Jews only who were under that Covenant and not to the Gentiles as it was written To Jacob he gave his Law and to Israel his Statutes to every Nation he did not so So they which would bring People now under this Covenant and the Power thereof deny the second the everlasting Covenant and his Power and they that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship and bring those Scriptures of the first Covenant to be their Ground are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken and upon this false Foundation hath the false Church persecuted about Worship this many hundred years and this Doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes who say they are under the Gospel and this hath made People to hate and persecute one another And the Ministers of Antichrist have pressed it upon Kings and Rulers that God hath required it of them to enforce and enjoyn all People unto a Worship although they themselves are divided among themselves one while for this thing and another while for that and because the Kings of Israel did so and had Power to do therefore they have concluded that Princes
any were otherwise minded they were to be let alone till God revealed it to them And whatsoever People or Church though they claim infallibility that teach a contrary Dâ—ctrine unto this we have good Reason to suâ—peâ—â— it to be that hasty dâ—â—ving and overdriving Spirit that would force a Faith 〈◊〉 God hâ—th not given it not to be the infallible Spirit of 〈…〉 the Church of Rome hath given a vehement 〈…〉 and Tortures they have exercised towards them who 〈…〉 their Principles and own their Judgment in all things Bâ—t 〈…〉 Gentleman blinded thy Eye 〈◊〉 he made thee 〈…〉 question 〈◊〉 truth of Scripture and â—hat it proceeâ—ed from the iâ—fall his Testimony of God's Spâ—râ—t and if thou hadst a certain feeling of the same in thy 〈…〉 Conscience to let this go and mâ—ke this void as an iâ—â—uffâ—cient Ground to receive Christianity upon and to lean to a Prop without thee and to â—e judged by men who have been as fallible and changeable in their Judgments as the Moon which have assumed the Name of Catholick Church whose Testimony thy Instrucâ—er I perceivâ— told thee ought to be received concerning what was pretended to be revealed or not revealed by God yet all must be obliged to stand to their Judgment though never so repugnant to the Doctrine of Christ and Practice of the Church of Christ in the first Primitive times truly so called yet it is granted that the Church of Christ are the dispersed Members through the World though not of it agreeing in one Faith being in the Power of God and being led and guided by the Holy Ghost their Judgments ought to be received which cannot as lead by the Spirit fail in giving true Judgment in matters of Faith which pertains to Salvation but as men they may fail and as erring from the Spirit they may fail and infallibility is not intailed to the Persons of any men but as they continue in the Grace of God and walk in the Spirit and bring forth the Fruits thereof nor to any place or City but as they continue in Covenant with God for the Promise of God was to Jerusalem and Mount Zion and to many other places and People in divers Cities where the Glory of God once appeared but now through their Apostacy and unbelief and disobâ—dience they are desâ—late as to the presence and Power of God and their Sun is set and they are covered as with the Shadow of a Cloud but this true Church whereof I have spoken was seen to Fly into the Wilderness for time times and half and that since the Apostles dayes and then was she not so Visible and Universal as she had been before the Man-child was caught up unto God now if thou reckonst the Roman Church to be this true Church shew the time times and half a time wherein she fled into the Wilderness and how long she hath been there and when was the time of her return and if ever she was there how that will hang together with yâ—ur assertion that she hath been visiâ—le and so Universal these fifteen hundred Years and if this could be proved that Rome hath been so whether doth it not rather demostrate her to be the Whore that sate upon the many Waters which Waters are Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and what Church instance if thou can doth lay claim to the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be your and to Rule over so many Kings of the Earth as you lay claim to be Universally of your Faith and of your Church which gives us a shrewd Character to believe that indeed you are Mystery Babylon besides the Blood of the Saints hath been shed under the Name of Hereticks by thâ—â— vâ—sible Catholick Church among the Nations this twelve hundred Years doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you But I would not Grate too hard upon thee being but a new Convert but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy won state and questioned the Foundation whereupon thou hadst received Christianity the next thing he labours to make void is the Spirit of God its Testimony which thou didst lay claim to but I feel had little Portion in what thou saidst at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this Spirit which thou hadst spoken on might for ought thou knew be the Spirit of Error and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the Spirit of God in thy self which is infallible and the Spirit of error nor to distinguish betwixt their Operations he perswaded thee that all was uncertain and therefore no confidence to be given to any Spirit of Faith in ones own particular which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the World so to judge For if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man or means to every man wherein he may be assured of the certainty of God's will then whither should any go or upon whom should any lean seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes and this were but tossing up and down Men from Mountain to Hill that they might never have Rest for their Souls And as for Jer. 17. and Eccles. 9. Rev. 3. The Heart of man is deceitful c. No man knows love or hatred And because thou sayest I am Richand increased with Goods and have need of nothing c. These Scriptures were brought unto thee to make thee more Blind the first is spoken of the Degenerate estate where deceit bears Rule and not Truth the second is spoken of visible enjoyments which are common to all and the third was spoken to one who had erred from the Spirit and was exalted in Pride because of external performances but having lost the Power was miserable c. But what of all this doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty assurance of the Spirit of God in them that have it what shall we Reason thus because some have been led aside and are deceived by their own Hearts Lusts that therefore all may be deceived even them that have the Spirit of God God forbid and we have some-what more to Answer an Arian a Jew or a Turk if they should urge the like knowledge and feeling with the like confidence to prove they were in the Truth and Christianity a delusion and thy intructer said what would you reply to them We have more to reply in such Cases then time will permit now or the state of the Case require seeing it is but a supposition and we take no thought what to answer the Gain-sayers of Truth withall but rely upon the Promise of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ who said to his Disciples take no thought for it shall be given you what to answer in that day which Promise all that are true Disciples shall find true to the end of the World but some-what more we have to say it may be then thou said when thou
suffered thy self to be made blind and carried Captive with another Man's Judgment neglected the measure of God's Spirit in thy self at home through which alone the secret things of God are Revealed in which true certainty and infallibility is Witnessed and not in Men who are fallible and changeable If an Arian Jew or Turk should urge their own interpertation of Scriptures which is of no private interpretation contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth I would say he perverted the Words of the Scripture which 〈◊〉 in Harmony Unity one with another as to the states and conditions they were spâ—ken to and are plain and are only read by that Spirit that gave them forth except it be in some Historical or Chronology or Genealogy of Names and Generâ—tions which might be some gathered from anothers Hands and different hands taking notice of them as to Record them there might be some variation yet the substance of the report is true but what is Calculation of Years or Dayes or reckoning up of Genealogies as to the matter of Salvation and what if we had never had them no more then we have other Histories and things that fell out among the Jews but if there be any contradiction for ought I know we may blame the Church of Rome the most of any who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the Apostles and if the Translations differ or be some-what uncertain what have they been doing this fifteen hundred Years with their infallible Spirit that they could not have rectified them according to their first Original and if any the foresaid Sects should pretend the certainty of the Spirit and yet not have it I should answer the Spirit is known by its Fruits and the Fruits of the Spirit are manifest and they that pretend to it and bring forth contrary Fruits are manifest to be Deceivers and deceived but their States are different and therefore require different Answers which time will not now permit to insist upon but over and beside all other Arguments perswade any man to or from any thing the witness of God in the party unto whom he speaketh is to be reached and that is beyond the understanding of Man and greater then it and more convincing then any Arguments that can be used without and he that cannot speak to this is not skilful in the Word of Righteousness That Christ was an infallible Guide who is the way the Truth and the Life is granted by all Christians and that the Apostles received the Promise of the Father and the infallible Spirit of God which led them into all Truth and this infallible assurance the Christians had that lived in the Apostles time thuâ— iâ— granted and the Apostles were infallible Guides not as Men meerly but as Men full of the Holy Ghost as Men who were filled with the Spirit of God and therefore the Apostle said be Followers of us as we are Fâ—llowers of Christ and if any controversie did arise as some there did and doubts among the then Christians the Apostles and Elders meeting together in the Power of the Holy Ghost did write their minds and Letters to the Christians to pacifie all and good Reason that they that had believed through their Word should Suâ—miâ— unto the Holy Ghost and unto them by whom they were begotten unto God by the word of Life for the ending of strife about Words and Shadows and outward things and they whose minds were outward then in Ages since and now ran into contention about outward things and such for the most part do Err from the Spirit of God in themselves But I would have thee to take notice of this and all you Catholick Members so called The Apostles of Christ only did exhort and did not force their Decrees by Penal Statutes and to be observed under the penalty of loosing Life and Limbs as since their pretended Successors have done who have Erred from the Spirit and have goâ— the Saints Words and turned against the Life and Power but the Decrees as you call them are not many nor burdensome which the Apostles wrote at Jerusalem as the many Counsels since have made they are so endless and numberless and burdensome and so contradictory one to another in divers things who will but look into the Decrees of the Counsels since the Apostles dayes that we can find little certainty in any of their Decrees but rather as thy Instructer saith the Sword of the Flesh and not the Spirit hath been the Rule and Law to Christianity but the Masters of great wit and Power and Interest have framed and made parties unto themselves and have Wars been raised among your selves about deciding your Controversies hath not the Pope Warred against the Emperour and the Emperour against the Pope were noâ— Wars raised about the Decrees when Pope Eugenius was deposed as a Heretick by the Council of Bazell and one while the Pope must be infallible as Peter's Successor and above all Councils and Churches another while the Council is above the Pope Excommunicates him as a Heretick and excludes his Infallibility and now where is the certainty and whether should one go or appeal for true Judgment so though the Church of Rome boast of Unity yet how hath one Nation made War against another and yet Professing the same Faith at divers times and in sundry Ages And to tell thee plainly and to speak the naked Truth according to the Apostles Prophecy after their Departure there was a great Apostacy and a great Falling away from the Faith and a giving heed to Lying Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and many were suhverted from the Faith by them that spake Lyes in Hypocrisie and took up the Priests Office for filthy Lucre and they went out into the World and the World wondred after them and they had the Form and the Sheeps Cloathing and the Saints Words but were Enemies to the Cross of Christ and to the Power of Godliness and the Kings of the Earth were bewitched with her Sorceries and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such Decrees and such Articles as were then set forth by a Pack of those Hirelings who minded their own Profit and their own Bellies who mingled their own Inventions and Traditions with the Doctrine of Christ and brought the Scripture for a Cloak and the Apostles Practice for a President and could â—ay falsly as the Apostles said in Truth It seems good to us and the holy Ghost that these our Decrees be observed for God hath placed us as Judges and directors as them that are appointed of God himself to which all Christians are to submit and none to question and if any do question and will not obey it is the Kings and Princes Duty in all Countries to cause all to submit to these our Decrees and Orders or else to be punished as Hereticks with Death for we are the Apostles Successors and
them that bring them forth like them in Bedlam and what though Turks Jews Pagans Mahomet and the false Christians do pretend to the Spirit and guidance by it and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh doth this make the Spirit of God void or the certainty of it to them that believe or do make their Fruits of none effect God forbid thy Ignorance is manifest but here thou ceasest not thy Tongue being thy own and thou being at liberty and speakest thy own words which in the end shall become thy Burden Thou vapours and vants over them to wit all the Nonconformists and saist What can you say for your selves any of you which these Enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their Errours but the Rule and judge and then thou concludes That which God hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the World and capable of being known and heard by all and cannot contradict it self nor must be contradicted by any under pain of Damnation if you cannot shew it to have been your Rule you ought to lay aside your Folly as destructive to human Society and them that have pretended the Spirit the strongest party and Sword upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing Spirit and force the weaker Spirits to submit or cry for thou concludes the Nonconformists have no other Testimony to try your contradicting Spirits in matters of greatest moment but force and success if you have I pray you inform me what it is Answ. If the Wind had not turned into another door divers Non-conformists believe we should have had another Song from thee if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee priviledge of thy Troop to be Captain which Name thou holds up yet in the pride of thy Heart though thou hast lost thy force success and Pay which was the greatest plea when time was with thee and not long since too which makest thee measure every Man's Foot by thy Last and thou might receive information before thou hadst made a Conclusion had been the part of a Wise man before thou hadst set thy self as Judge over all thy former Fellowships which thou fianedly pretends so great love to and before thou hadst discovered their nakedness if it be nakedness to all the World in such a publick insulting bravado as this like Goliah of Gath and as for whatsome Non-conformists both of the Church of Rome and to the Church of England to which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters and saist it 's established and therefore thou will not meddle thou might have said dare not for thy Spirit is well enough seen by them only to have the Spirit of a Slave and not a free Member of the true Church of God and it 's no part of a Vertue nor Honour for thee to insult and glory over them who are in suffering and Adversity whenas thou darest not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former this is but the Spirit of a Coward and is ignoble and base and ever so to be accounted by all the Children of Light who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of Immortality and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their Testimony and the Truth which they believe and for bearing witness against that which is contrary unto their Faith as did the valiant Primitive Christians of old and that which some Non-conformists can say is more then thou canst believe although demonstrated in the evidence of the Spirit of God with sound reason and evident Example from the Scriptures of Truth and though thou and thy former fellowships then and thy new fellowships now have made this vapour which for ought I know might lay your Hands upon your Mouths all considering what contradictory Doctrines and Fruits have been brought forth since the Night of Apostacy entred in and all the World wondered after the Beast some have this to say He that pretends to the Spirit and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or Prophesie let him be accounted a false Prophet again they that pretend guidance of the Spirit as some formerly have done and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh as variance Hatred Emulation Strife Contention Heresie false Doctrine Persecution force and violence let them be counted as truly they are Deceivers and Delâ—ders which have gone out into the World and deceived a great part of Mankind of which Rome hath not had the least share clear it when thou canst Morever he that pretends to have the Spirit of God and layes down another Foundation to build upon in matter of Faith in matter of Rule in matter of Judgment in matter of Doctrine then that which the Lord of Life and Glory hath laid down he is a Deceiver and an Anti-christ but R. E. hath laid down another Rule another way another Judge another Foundation for Faith and let himself make the Conclusion if he once dare joyn to true Judgment other Foundation can none lay then that which is â—lready laid to wiâ— Christ Jesus the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Church of God by which they were all builded up as a holy Habitation for God to dwell in through the Spirit Again the Apostle saith All Judgment is committed to the Son both in Heaven and Earth and again he saith himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life and none can come to the Father but by me and again the Spirit of Truth shall lead and direct hâ—â— Disciples into all Truth and sealeth unto them their Justification Redemption and Salvation And this R. E. would lay all waste and void and why because many have pretended to it and have fallen short therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain and not to be trusted unto and a certain sort of Men called the Apostles Successors who have sought their gain and worldly Interest and to enlarge their Dominions and to make themselves Lords over mens Faith and over mens Consciences whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the Primitive Doctrine delivered in Christ and the Apostles dayes yet all must be received upon pain of Damnation as R. E. saith and this he calls the Visible Church and the infallible Judge and Rule and Director and hath laid waste the Office of Christ and turned the Spirit out of doors and made it ineffectual and would perswade all others to look to this from the Foundation and so is a deceiver and an Anti-christ Again we have this to say he that teacheth a contrary Doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the Saints is a Deceiver and deceived and this was Christ's Doctrine once delivered unto the Saints Swear not at all and love your Enemies pray for them that Persecute you do good to them that hate you And many more precepts which this visible Guide to wit the Roman Church holds not but hath made void
plain Words of the Scripture and Interpretation to prove his false Assertion that he laid down at the first that Christ did not forbid all Swearing I say I could willingly have been silent rather then to be found over and over again contending with every new Opposer of those old Truths that have been believed and received long before the Apostacy entered in which hath been answered by that People I own in Judgment and Conversation long ago to let pass those Disadvantages we have adventured upon our low persecuted imprisoned and in a Manner condemned Condition so that we may expect our Words how true soever yet they are not like to gain much Credit against such an eminent Man as Doctour Smalwood Again considering how we expose our selves to the Lash and Severity of a sharp Law which some Men in their blind Zeal are far more rigid and severe in their Prosecution of it then I am apt to believe the Supream Enactors of it were in their Intentions when they did enact it all which notwithstanding are no Discouragement unto me forasmuch as the internal and eternal Truth of our God which we have known received and believed is very precious in our Eyes yea far more then either Life or Liberty and Estate which some have forfeited and lost upon Truth 's Account or any external Treasure or outward Enjoyment whatsoever so that considering how the Truth lyes at Stake we cannot be silent lest thereby we should appear to some Mens Apprehensions as to be satisfied with what the Doctour hath said and own his Arguments and Reasons that he hath laid down for positive Truth I could do no less then to show our Dislike of his Doctrine and to manifest the Weakness of his Arguments about this Particular of Swearing at all under the Gospel though he hath strained very hard to prove his Assertion That Oaths may lawfully be taken by Christians in some Cases notwithstanding Christ's â—rohibition and Command to the contrary but of how little Effect or Force hiâ— Reasons are thou wilt see in the ensuing Discourse although his Book be looked upon by some to be sufficient Force to convince all Gain-sayers and although he say he hath had divers Papers and Books of Dissenters who are of a contrary Judgment where he found any Reason offered against what he has laid down for Doctrine he hath answered though indeed he hath over-riden the most weighty Matters in them and hath said little but that hath been said before by other Opposers of Christ's Doctrine though it 's very like the Doctour will count this but a loose Discourse as he hath done others of very great Weight yea indeed of more Weight and Reason in them then any thing he hath exhibited to the contrary and so count it not worth taking Notice of but though he do not it 's not of much Moment for that End only have I writ to bear my Testimony for Christ's Doctrine against all the false and feigned Interpretations of Men being that which I have stedfastly believed and is of that Force and VVeight upon many Consciences so evident by the Spirit of Christ that they can receive nothing of Mans fallen Reasons and Conceptions which are variable and changeable to answer or weigh down the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and primitive Christians who walked in the Order of the Gospel and obeyed the Commands of Christ before the Apostacy entered in and the Power was lost and the Life and Spirit of Christ erred from and mingled the Ordinances of the first and second Covenant together the Injunctions of Men among them for Doctrine and then compelled all to receive it all this long Time of Antâ—christ's Reign and the false Church's Visibility wherein she hath sitten as a Queen upon the Waters which are the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People which A. S. brings as a great Argument to prove Swearing in Use among Christians since Christ gave out that Command Swear not at all the Reasons the very strength of them I have laid down as A.S. hath published them without varying from his own Words the Answer thou may'st peruse and read without Prejudice and weigh with the Measure of God's Spirit in thy self for unto that I appeal which is a more certain Thing then Councils or Nations or Consent of Multitudes who have the Name of Christian and walk not in his Doctrine neither live his Life nor do the Things he saith I am shut up in a Corner and have not that Advantage that some Opposers have of others Labours as to bring Authors of divers Ages that denyed to swear though not only some there were but many but alas they are condemned by A. S. and others for Phanaticks and Heterodox and so their sayings will seem of less Force but however I have not much striven neither shall to fetch Things from far in the Apostacy but rest in that which makes all Things evident even the Spirit of God in thy own Heart and the Scriptures of Truth which were spoken by the Spirit which are so clear unto many that there needs not Multitude of Words to demonstrate this Truth of the Prohibition of all Oaths among true Christians but I shall not detain thee from the Matter it self and the Lord give thee an Understanding OATHS NO Gospel-Ordinance But prohibited by CHRIST THere being a Book lately published by A. Smalwood D. D. as I understand Doctor of Divinity first preached in a Sermon at Carlile I suppose before the Judges at the Assizes then holden the 17 th day of August 1664. since which I perceive many Additions by Reasons and Paraphrases are added thereunto and Printed at York In which Discourse he hath Vindicated the lawfulness of Swearing under the Gospel and hath gone about to prove it by many Reasons and Authors how that Christ upon that subject Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all did not intend an absolute Universal prohibition of all manner of Swearing under the Gospel which Book of his I have perused with an upright Heart and an impartial Eye seriously to the End I might own that which is good in it not as one being glued to an Opinion or Judgment but what as carries demonstration of Truth with it upon my Conscience and in my Heart it being a Principle well known and believed amongst us to have our Consciences void of offence towards God and towards Man and seeing my self and many more are great Sufferers at this day upon this very account which I look upon being truly and Conscientiously grounded upon the Doctrine of Christ and consonant to the Primitive Christians and seeing so large things have been written by other Hands in asserting the Truth of what we have believed which yet stands as a Witness unto the Doctrine of Christ notwithstanding all opposition and gain-saying that it hath had by many Hands I could have been wholly silent and have referred all that hath been said to the Judgment of the Lord and to
Peace unto others while they run with them into Riotousness and while they put into their Mouthes and these promised Liberty to themselves and others while they themselves were Servants of Corruption and Jude bore witness that they were turned from the Grace of God into Lasciviousness and Wantonness even from the Grace that taught them to deny Ungodliness and was sufficient to preserve them from these Errors before mentioned but they went from it and the Light and Life of men and denyed him and owned another even him who abode not in the Truth the Foundation of God but went out of the Truth and so are bottomless or without Foundation and there is the very Center Ground and Residence of all the false Prophets Antichrists Deceivers all comes from or out of the bottomless Pit and leads to perdition And Paul if not in that age yet in the next age after lived and he saw the Mystery of iniquity already begin to work 2 Thes. 2.6 and Paul an Apostle of Christ wrote to Timothy his Son that the Spirit spoke expresly some should depart from the Faith and they should speak Lyes in Hypocrisie 1 Timothy 4.1 2. and in the 2 Tim. he gave him notice what Fruits they should bring forth they that departed from the Faith Chap. 4. ver 2 3 4 5 6. yea a great Apostacy from the Faith there was while Paul was yet living for he writes to Timothy 2. Tim. 1. This thou knowest that all they which were in Asia be turned away from me and there were a great People in Asia for great persecution he suffered in Asia and stayed two Years in Asia Acts. 19.10 In somuch that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord yea and divers great men and of the chief of Asia were his Friends Acts 19.21 so it 's manifest there were a great people for Acts 19.26 not only at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath perswaded and turned away much people said Demetrius and Paul writing to the Corinthians saith 1 Cor. 19.19 The Churches in Asia salute you and Jâ—hn writes to seven Rev. 1 4. Rev. 11. and as was said before all were deceivers from the Faith even all they that are in Asia are turned away from me and the Apostle wrote to Titus Titus 1.10 11. That there were many unruly and vain Talkers and deceivers who subverted whole Houses teaching the things they ought not for filthy Lucre. And John who wrote the last in the Revelations he writes that the whole World wondered after the Beast and his Power was so great that it was said Who is able to make War with the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying VVho is able to make War with the Beast Rev. 13.3 4. and the Beast that arose out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns and upon his Head the Name of Blasphemy and the Dragon gave him his Power his Seat and great Authority and he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and it was given him to make VVar with the Saints Ver. 6.7 and to overcome them and Power was given him over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and all that dwell upon the Earth Ver. 9. shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Lambs Book of Life slain from the Foundation of the world This Beast receiving his Power and Authority from the Dragon hath prevailed he rose out of the Sea the Waters upon which the Whore sits and the Waters are Kindreds Tongues and People and the Beast arose out of the Seas also that the whole World wondered after and worshipped and John saw this coming fourteen or fifteen hundred Years ago so that in a few Ages after the Apostles all was worn out the Life lost the Dragon had Power the Beast had Power and all wondred after him and the Whore had made all Nations drunk with her Fornication and then she came to sit upon many Waters Kindreds Tongues and People here are the Waters here is the Sea out of which the Beast rose who received his Power from the Dragon and this is he who upon his Head had the Names of Blasphemy and all Kindreds Tongues and Nations whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book they who honoured the Beast and worshipped the Beast and said who is able to make war with him admired his Power and submitted unto him and he hath had power and hath prevailed against the Saints did overcome them and the Dragon hath made War with the Seed which keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus all this was seen many Ages ago and what Work the Dragon hath made in the Nations and in the Earth where he hath had Dominion and prevailed and what a raging the roaring Lyon hath kept in the Earth is evident seeking to destroy them in whom the Seed remained and to destroy them in whom the power of God was or the least Measure and so the false Prophets Deceivers Antichrists which went out then which the Apostle saw they cryed up that power which was from the Life of God and have cryed it up for the higher power and said all ought to be subject to it and said who is able to make war with the Beast for the false Apostles Deceivers and Anti-christs went from the Grace of God and from the Light and from the power of God into the World and into that Nature which all Kindreds Tongues and People walked in and into the Power that acts the Children of Disobedience and joyned with that Power upon which the Whore sits and they taught Nations and People to admire this Power and to admire the Beast because of his Heads Horns Crowns and Names and hath wrought Miracles before the Beast and this power which the Beast had received from the Dragon this power admires the false Prophet and the false Prophet the Beast so that none could buy nor sell nay nor live but that had his Mark or the Number of his Name and so all have been in utter Darkness and the deeds of darkness have spread themselves over the Earth for the Whore who is adulterated from God and the Dragon and the Beast and the false prophet all have acted from that power which is below the Truth and below the Life which power is at Enmity against the Truth and the Life and against the Light and this power overspread all nations the Sun being set night came over all and the shadow of death over all Nations and a Vail and a Covering hath been spread over all and so out of the midst of thick Darkness all have acted this long and dark Night of Ignorance in the Apostacy wherein the Dragon hath had power and the Beast and that power hath been admired and set up which hath transgressed the Life so that any who have been zealous for the
Truth and have kept the Testimony of Jesus and the Spirit of prophecy the false prophets in all Nations who are from the Testimony of Jesus have called to the Beast to slay and to kill and to destroy the Seed of the Woman which is clothed with the Sun and so the Beast exercising his power which is from below hath killed and destroyed them who were subject to the higher power And what torturing massacring and persecution what burning and strangling there hath been what cruel Death 's many have been put to over all Nations and in all Nations where the Beast hath had power who makes War against the Life so that the Streets have run with Blood and all being gone from the Life and Power of God they set up themselves to be Judges over Mens Consciences and they who were in the Error they cryed out of Heresie and they that are gone from the Truth into a Lye the Ground of Blasphemy they cry out of Blasphemy and under the Horns of the Beast and under the Heads and the Crowns of the Beast what Cannons Constitutions Edicts and Laws have been in all Nations what Traps Gins and Snares have been laid in every Nation yea every Horn hath pushed and every Head hath lifted up it self against Christ the Head and every mortal Crown hath advanced it self against the Crown of Glory and against the immortal Crown so that it might be said as Elijah said The Altar of the Lord hath been broken down and his Prophets and his Witnesses slain none have escaped the Rage of the Beast Yet there have been a few who have kept their Garments clean and were not defiled with Women nor with the Harlot those who feared the Lord and durst not offend the righteous Law of God in their Consciences but have denyed whole Councils who were erred from the Faith and all the powers of the Earth in which the Beast bore Rule but rather chuse to suffer cruel Deaths then to let go the profession and possession of their Faith whose Blood cryes under the Altar How long O Lord holy just and true will it be ere thou avenge our Blood which Blood and Cry is entered into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts who will speedily take Vengeance on the Nations and dash them one against another and will break down that power which hath slain the Witnesses yea and hath gainsaid the power of God and all Nations who are from the Life in which the holy Men of God lived and in that Nature still which persecuted the Life of God wherever it did appear in any Measure yea swelled up and climbed to the very Top of Iniquity which is Satan's Crown and Glory and the Priests and they that went out from the Light into the World in John's dayes and Peter's dayes who then taught for filthy lucre and did subvert whole Houses from the Faith ever since that time have spread themselves over the Nations and have begotten people into a Form and into an Image without the life and so have worshipped the Beast and his Image And the deceit being entred then and Images then being set up one on this wise another on that and some have had an image of many mixtures such an Image as the Priests of England Scotland and Ireland worship and have got a Law to guard it that whosoever will not bow to it the Furnace is heat hotter to throw them into it Object And if any say Why I say so or how do I make that appear Ans. I answer thus the Cardinals Jesuites and other Romish Priests had a Law made to protect their Idol the Mass and if any spoke to him that was sacrificing to the Image or Idol then three Months Imprisonment but now if any declares against the Image that the Priests of England Scotland and Ireland have set up every one is to pay five Pound or six Months Imprisonment in a House of Correction and there be tortured and whipt and shamefully intreated near to the Loss of Life nay it 's now so much the more hotter now then ever None must come near the House of their Idol God or Image but must be counted a Breaker of the Peace nor speak to a deceiver and say he is so nor a Hireling and say he is so nor to a covetous Priest and say he is so and can for proof bring half of his Parish to witness the Truth of this but if he speak the Truth never so clear he must to Prison or pay five Pound or the House of Correction and there be whipt and stocked and fettered and chained and tortured and so ti is manifest that those Magistrates who had a Hand in making of this Law have outstript the Magistrates in the time of Q. Mary when the Pope had Power in his height in these Nations And the Priests now in these Nations who have set up their Image of many Mixtures and one Year they make one and another Year another and what that Power likes the best that is gone out of the Life and Power of God that they present to the Authority of the Nation as an Image of a more comely Stature then the former and then Authority makâ—s a Law to guard it and so it may truly be said as it was said to Israel Hath any other Nation changed their God but Israel had changed from the Living God to them by Nature which are no Gods And so have these Nations gone from God the Fountain of Life and from the Power of God and have set up an Image in which is no Life in stead nay they are not content with their Image but it grows old and then patch up another of many Mixtures one while the Mass that was held forth as their publick Profession and then Prelacy and the Book of Common-Prayer and then Presbytery and the Directory mixt and made up of Ignorance Blindness and of the Fragments of Popery and their own invention and this now is set up for all to bow to one while one thing which they call Faith and another while another and heaps of confused Confessions but are all out of the Life and from the true Faith And now they have manifested themselves to have no Faith and to be without Faith and are unagreed upon it instance that which is called the humble Petition and Advice presented to O. P. by the late Parliament that there may be a publich Confession of Faith made and recommended as the publick Profession and also that none may speak or write against under a Penalty but this Image the Lord hath by his immediate Hand from Heaven curst and confounded them that would have founded it before it ever came to be set up Ah silly silly that ever they who should profess Godliness should so shame themselves and all their Teachers for the teachers are not agreed yet of their Faith so they have either no Faith or else many Forms which are feigned and in this they