ever And also have we not good reason to turn from you when you turn from Christ the true Light that gives the true knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesns Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 For the want of obedience to the which Light you come to erre and stray from the way of God and are as you say in the lost state like lost sheep and no marvel when you will not hearken to the voice of the true shepherd and bishop of the soul and they which do you persecute and so will not receive the knowledge of the truth your selves and enter into the kingdome nor suffer those that would as much as lieth in you you shut the kingdome of heaven against men as did the chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees of old therefore woe is to you that ever you were born alas for you how will you be able to stand in the dreadful terrible day of Gods righteous judgment that is coming and speedily hastens upon you who are found opposers of the work of the spirit of truth even that spirit that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were Ministers of that is it that leads into all truth into which the good shepherd is gathering his sheep wherein is witnessed the perfect gift that leads out of sin and imperfection the gift of the spirit of faith that overcomes the spirit of the world that leads into bondage and so come to witness the glorious liberty of the sons of God 2 Cor. 4 13.3 17. which is in the spirit for where the spirit of the Lord is received there is liberty from what from the bondage of sin and corruption not in sin and the lusts of the flesh as many would have it but in the spirit that leads out of sin and mortifies the lusts of the flesh as the Scripture saith Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh Galat. 5.16 which you Priests cannot believe though the Scripture saith it you are not come to the spirit of faith that overcomes the world who say we can never be free from sin while we are upon earth hath not he dominion over sin that doth not fulfill the lusts of the flesh as it is written Galat. 5.24 they that are Christ have crncified mark the flesh with the affections and lusts these that are Christs did witness a victory over sin who lived and walked in the spirit and the law of the spirit of life in Christs Jesus made them free from the law of sin and death Mark these were such that walked in the spirit and were the sons of God who ceased from sin for it is written John 8.34 he that committeth sin is the servant of sin that is not one of the sons of God that is made free indeed for know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness for when ye were the servants of sin mark before Christs words that is committed sin ye were free from righteousness but now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6 16 20 22. then there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles dayes as they bear testimony in the spirit of God and we who believe their testimony and are come to the same spirit and cannot but bear the same testimony according to our measure receiving him in the same spirit of faith do receive the same power to become the sons of God Now seeing there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles time who witnessed his glorious appearance to put away sin and that he had done in them the work he came into the world to do that is to destroy the works of the Devil how comes it to pass now that this Doctrine of the Apostles can find no more place in this generation of priests and people it is because they love darkness more than light and their lusts and evil deeds more than the life of righteousness and so would perswade the people that there is no such life of righteousness to be brought forth here on earth as the Apostles spake of and witnessed and the Scriptures bear testimony to so it doth clearly appear what kingdome you are of and whose servants you are that cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable soules mark these the Apostle saith are the false teachers that being in damnable heresies who through Covetousness and feigned words make merchandise of you 2 Pet. 2 14.2 1.3 who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness that cannot cease from sin mark but plead for it terme of life these are they that beguile the unstable and strayed sheep whose hearts are exercised with covetous practises cursed children which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray like lost sheep following the way of Balaam the son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever because they hate the light and love darkness more than light it justly becomes their portion And who is he that will be so wicked as to say we ought not to turn from these who prove themselves to be in the way of Balaam both in life and Doctrine a company of miserable sinners that cannot cease from sin being erred and strayed from the right way that leads out of sin therefore bring another Doctrine to plead for it and turning the Doctrine of truth into another meaning to uphold your contrary practice and cover your life that the Apostle bare testimony against whose Doctrine was from the gift of the spirit of truth which saith every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights James 1.17 and as many as come to this good and perfect gift receive it and are taught by it are led into the good old way of truth and righteousness which is the perfect leadings of the perfect spirit of God into his perfect life by which the command of God comes to be kept which saith Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Matth. 5.4 8. and the Apostles said they kept his commands and did that which was right in his sight but you priests and people that are erred and strayed from the good and perfect way cannot keep his commands nor do that which is right in his sight for it is impossible you should till you come to the good perfect gift of God and because it is impossible with you you think it is so with all but that which is impossible with you is possible with God and all who do receive him the perfect gift of Gods power and walk in it are come to witness the dominion of the son of God which is over sin hell and death and so becomes the sons of God that can do nothing
against the truth but for the truth But you that call your selves Ministers of Christ that have not received the perfect gift of God that cometh from above which is for the perfecting of the Saints you are not sent of God and cannot profit the people at all and are but intruders into that you understand nor and cannot do the Lords work but are making a trade of felling the Apostles words and Christs words and the Prophets words being ignorant of the word of faith in the heart and in the mouth which they preached which is the Gospel that is hid to those that are lost and gone astray by erring from the way of life which the Minister of Christ is to turn the people to that is from the darknesse to the light which you that God never sent hate and say it is natural and from the power of Sathan unto God which you that have not received the gift of God cannot believe is able to destroy the works of the Devil while you live upon the earth so you are wholly ignorant of the power of the kingdome of God that is come and will consume the Antichristian wherein the will of God is done in earth mark that as in heaven and this you pray for yet believe against or else you must believe it is the will of God that men should live in sin as long as they are on the earth but the Apostle saith the contrary in these words this is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 and they who are come to the gift of the spirit that sanctifies cannot but bear testimony to the salvation of God through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2.13 but you that have received your gift from your fountains of Oxford and Cambridge which are beneath and cometh from the corrupt nature that stands in the fall and degeneration estranged from the Covenant of life erred and strayed from the right way which is the gift of the spirit and are in the way of fallen nature and its gifts and these gifts can never lead out of the fall up to God because they are but from beneath and cannot bring to the knowledge of God nor his truth for Pilate had the natural gift of Tongues as Latin Greek and Hebrew and by it he could not know the truth but said to Christ what is truth John 18.38 so you that have received your gift from beneath knows not the mind of the spirit which is the mind of Christ which the Apostles by the spirit had but you study to make a message of your own according to your own mind and imagination and when it is made you must have money for it because you came not by this art of Sermon-making without money and although you should be but bunglets at this trade and not masters of this art yet if you can get a shop and set up the people must be compelled to pay you though they abhor your work and this makes your trade so much in request and truth so much persecuted but must we buy your imaginations because you bought your art this is not equal nor just nor ever ordained of God as his Ordinance yet we submit our selves in suffering patiently till the Lord take off this oppression and break this yoke Was it ever heard of in any age that people were compelled to buy chaff to eat when they might have wheat for nothing had not the Prodigal more liberty among the swine than we have among such as accout themselves sheep of Christ for he might eat the husks freely though it satisfied not his soul till he returned to the fathers house where he had bread enough freely and we who are come to the Fathers house and have bread sufficient cannot spend our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which perisheth but on the contrary to exhort all to seed upon the bread that is living that comes down from heaven and giveth life unto the world Joh. 6.33 and this is the gift the Father of life hath given and blessed are all they that do receive it But from your fountains of Oxford and Cambridge doth flow forth a spirit of persecution and strife against the truth as we by sad experience have felt and witnessed for these several years whereby many of us have lost our lives by long imprisonment and cruel usage which that spirit hath occasioned by stirring up the people and Magistrates to fulfill their wills and if we should say this spirit were of God we should lye against the truth but this is the wisdome that descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish this cometh not down from above and therefore it opposeth that which doth For the Doctrine of the Apostles of truth is this 1 Pet. 4.10 Let every man as he hath received the gift minister the same one to another not for money but as good disposers or stuards of the manifold grace of God Now if any who have received the good and perfect gift of God that cometh down from the Father of Lights in obedience to the spirit of truth goes to communicate of his gift to others then he is counted an offender by that spirit which came from Oxford and Cambridge and the Lords of that spirit and Priesthood have made a Law against it even against that which the Lord Jesus doth command by his eternal spirit in his Apostles which they and his Disciples did practice and must practice notwithstanding all opposition Can you be so ignorant as to think your law shall bind his spirit from ministring in whom and where he pleaseth Can you stop the Sun that it may not go its course If not consider what will become of them that strive against their maker and the work of his eternal spirit Do you think that he that hath received the gift of ministration from above will be stopped by your Law which is from beneath If you measure that spirit with the wisdome from beneath you may think so but we have received another spirit than that of Oxford and Cambridge for that spirit hath been stopped by the commands of men because its commission is but from man so man commands them to be silent and they are so because they be the Ministry of the powers of the Nation who gives them their Wages so the National Ministry are but the servants of the National power as it doth appear for vvhen the powers changed the Ministry changed except they turn vvith the time as for the most part they do and lick up their own vomit again as it is clear to most people they have done of late How did they cry out against the Common-prayer some years ago to be such an abominable thing as not fit to come into their mouths but now rather then lose a fat Benefice they can swallow it down Surplice and all Doth it not appear now who preach for money We told you
word of the spirit of truth to you all for we are a people that have done you no wrong at all and as we walk in the truth we do professe and own we cannot wrong you nor any upon the face of the whole earth but you have wronged us and do daily in afflicting punishing and persecuting us as evil doers and as a people not fit to live upon the earth but know this from the Lord that lives for ever what you have designed against us in your hearts shall be your own portion because we are of the seed of the spiritual Jews whose Kingdom shall flourish for ever But what is the evil and what is our crime that we are thus reckoned as sheep for the slaughter is it not only because we cannot break the commands of God and his son Jesus and own your worship which he never commanded nor his Apostles and Disciples ever practised but warned those that feared God to depart from them that were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God covetous proud unholy men despisers of those that are good walkers in their own ungodly lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage who run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and to cover all this hold forth a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 and because we do so therefore are we hated and persecuted but if we could put into your mouths then we might save the spoyling of our goods and be accounted good Christians though we served the devil but we are come to the knowledge of the truth everlasting praises be given to our God for ever and ever and to the power of godlinesse that cannot bow nor creep to deceit but must bear testimony with the holy Prophets and Apostles and the blessed company of Saints and martyrs of Jesus against preaching for hire and divining for mony and spoyling mens goods for trebble damages casting their bodies into prisons till death and all for mony and for gain from their quarter Oh blood thirsty bloody minded men destroyers of souls and bodies for your bellies who never have enough woe woe from the Lord is your portion that ever you were born to live to exceed the false prophets of old and yet professe Christianity For we do not read that ever they did force any by suite of Law to pay them but we read that Balaam when he did not his work that he laboured so mightily to do for the King of Moab which was to curse the people whom God had blessed mark when he could not do his work he went away without his reward and so is it not meet that those whom in this nation are sent by men pretending authority over souls and put into Parishes and places to reform and blesse the people and cannot do their work but the people grow worse and worse though they take pains yet God never sent them and is it reason that they should have such a great reward as the tenth of all our labours If they had sowen spirituals it had been a small thing for them to have partaked of our carnals or if they had planted a vineyard they ought to have eat of the fruit thereof But this Vineyard of Times the Pope hath planted for his Priests and never intended it for these who do not his work nor the Lords neither And therefore why may not they with Balaam return without a reward from the King seeing their blessing doth as little good as Balaams intended cursing did harme for he went away without the Kings great honour and promotion because the Lord would not suffer him to fulfil or satisfie the will of that spirit which would have had the Israel of God destroyed Num. 24.11 but so saith the King the Lord shall keep thee back from honour But wo be to that spirit that willeth the destruction of Gods Israel now that it may keep or get its earthly ends and selfish fleshly honours which God is risen in his mighty power to bring into contempt because it opposeth it self against the work of his spirit which is to bring down the earthly and exalt the heavenly Which work must and shall be done when men and devils have don and said what they can for he that made us for his praise hath now by his spirit quickened us up again for his glory And this is the Lord from heaven that spirit that as is the heavenly such they may be that are heavenly That the heavenly Image may be exalted above the earthly both to rule and reign over it in the Lambs patient nature to overcome the earthly which preacheth forth to the heavenly Witnesse in all consciences So the long suffering and patience leads to repentance and newness of life But that spirit which turneth people from the gift of God in them is the deceiver that strengtheneth the hands of the evil doer to make War against the appearance of God in man that brings salvation and this is the false Prophet that hath and doth deceive the Nations which second appearance of Christ the true spiritual light is to consume with the breth of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming And this appearance of truth in the inward parts the false Prophet cannot endure Mark because it is come to reveal and consume him and therefore he thinks to strengthen himself by the powers of the earth in perswading them to believe his report and Prophecy against the spirit of truth and they being not come to the word of life in themselves that was before the deceiver was do not discerne him and so come to be deceived by him and to make War against the brightnesse of the rising of the Son of righteousnesse and the leadings of his pure spirit of life in his Children by making Laws and Decrees against them for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God and man And hear is the tryal of their faith made manifest to be precious by which many comes to be added to it and the kingdom exalted by its own power through opposition and persecution so it comes to be seen and known to be the power of life in us that is greater and mightier then the power of death and darknesse that comes against us that we can of a truth say He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world who comes against us but must be overcome by him that is in us whose power shall burst the bonds of wickedness destroy the spirit of persecution that makes Laws for stumbling-blocks to the people that have a desire to seek after the Lord and come to the measure of his spirit that leads into all truth that they may witnesse dominion over sin and the works of the Devil destroyed in them and they forsake him and all his works and all the vain pomp of this wicked
to worship his golden Image but after he came to know them be loved them and honoured them in the sight of his Nobles Princes Dukes and Counsellors confessing them to be the servants of the high God commending their faithfulnesse in yielding their bodies to the flames rather then they would serve or worship any God save their own God Then he saw his vain labour in forcing the servants of the most high God contrary to the commands of their God And will you shew your selves more unreasonable then a Heathen more blinder then those that knew not God and yet call your selves Christians and the Scriptures your Rule When Nebuchadnezzar had once tryed the three children of God to the laying down of their lives and found them faithful he was satisfied How many times have you tryed us by Imprisonment till death and spoyling of our goods by breaking up our Meetings beating innocent harmlesse people to death How many Cruel Barbarous Unhumane dealings have been used against us both before your Government and also since by you which we have walked through and in the furnace of affliction with the patience of the Son of God who hath kept our precious lives unhurt and brings us forth to his praise and yet cannot you see the Son of God with us whom you fight against Can you not see neither how little you do prevail against him and his spiritual work in us Though some of you can say We are a very confident people but if you could but see him that leads us who is the Captain of our salvation you would say We had good cause to be bold and valiant knowing our leader is not to be overcome nor those that follow him who are called and chosen and faithful which faithfulnesse Nebuchadnezzar did commend and honour And did he not do well in 〈◊〉 Yes you cannot deny Then as you have followed his example by indeavouring to compel us to fall down to your imaginary worship which I believe you will not justifie in him follow his example also in justifying the faithful children of God that would not obey his Commands to the dishonouring of the most high God who having tryed them blessed God for their faithfulnesse In this will Nebuchadnezzar stand in Judgment against all those who make unrighteous Decrees to compel men to disobey the commands of Christ except they follow his example in this that is to say the change of their minds and altering of their Decrees in Justifying the faithful servants of God in their pure obedience to him Objection But if it be said If we knew you to be the servants of the high God as well as Nebuchadnezzar knew the three children we would not make Laws nor Decrees to compel you to our worship being sure it would be but lost labour Answer Then all our sufferings and persecutions and hard usages from you is because you do not know us and whose fault is that ours or yours that you do not know us to be the children of God Whose fault was it that Saul the persecutor knew not the Church of God but made havock of the true worshippers were they to be blamed or he If he then you when he hearkened to the High Priests he persecuted the Disciples of Jesus but when he obeyed the voice of Christ he saw their deceit and believed the truth then he preached him and suffered with those he persecuted Now if you that persecute knew the truth you would know us that walk in it And have not we laboured even to the laying down of our lives that you might know it and be saved by it What could we have done more for you then we have to bring you to the knowledg of it Have we not suffered to the death in obedience to it that it might preach to you that we have found the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof which is better then our lives for which righteousness sake we suffer and are blessed if we continue faithful to the end And this is the only true way that can be used as to you to convince your understandings that we are in the truth when we lay down our lives for it If we were unfaithful to our God and disobedient to his Spirit in obeying your commands that are contrary to the truth you had no reason to judge or think we were in the truth for had the three children been deceitful and obeyed the Kings command he had never knew them to be the servants of the high God that was able to deliver out of his hand And the deliverance that he saw was of their bodies from the flames that made him blesse the God of their lives but the deliverance that we witnesse is of our souls from etenel death which is far greater and more glorious yet you cannot see it but if your spiritual eyes were open as his fleshly eyes was then you might see a greater deliverance in the spirit then he saw in the flesh and would have as great or greater cause to blesse the God of those you in scorn call Quakers as the King Nebuchadnezzar had to blesse the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego though he be the same God over all blessed for ever Yet his appearance in this the great and notable day of the Spirit is that in which the riches of his love is and shall be made manifest which was promised to the ages to come which now is come of which the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were the first-fruits but now is the day of the whole Harvest of the earth begun in which the Lord is gathering in unto himself his Elect seed in all Nations Lands and Countries even from the one end of the earth unto the other that they may worship in spirit and in truth and be established in righteousnesse and the Mountain of the house of the Lord be prepared in the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills where all Nations shall flow unto it out of which shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from this Jerusalem and they shall break their Swords into Plough-shares Mark the day of the breaking of Swords is begun and their Spears into Pruning-books and Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither learn to fight any more And this is the day that is dawned and blessed are they that walk in it but wretched and miserable are all those that despise it and persecute those that walk in the light of it casting them into Prisons Holes and Dungeons because they cannot submit to their corrupt wils nor worship the Imaginations of their Wise men which they teach for Doctrine and give forth for a Prescription of a Religious Worship contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles whose Worship stood in the Spirit But I believe if all you that resist us knew in what our Worship did stand you durst not oppose that power that hath gathered us and made our
so many years ago what you should find them but now you see it your selves who they be that make no conscience what they swallow they swallowed so much trebble damage in Oliver's days that their throat is become as an open sepulchre and are in that spirit of covetousnesse that the Prophet said never hath enough which is so greedy that having one or two Parishes yet labours to have more and some are so unreasonable to require Wages for some years before they came to the place which it may be stood vacant so long yet they can swallow that Hire though they never did the Work So the light hath made manifest their deeds of darknesse the hidden things that vvere in the heart being now come to be tryed and brought forth so the evil covetous man out of the evil treasure of his heart hath brought forth the evil things and the tree comes to be known by its fruit Now I say these things only to those that be guilty of them but to you that say our prinI say Did you not change your practice and conceal your principle and practice is the same that it vvas before the former chang ciple Did you nos Conform to the Commands of those you counted not of God Did you Preach and hold forth your gift of Ministration notwithstanding the Law and Commands of men till you vvere Imprison'd If you had received your gift from above and your Commission from Christ you would have chose rather to have obeyed God then man as the Apostles did and Ministers of Christ do for had the Prophets and Apostles and servants of God in former ages obeyed the powers of the earth Actually their Laws vvould have protected them that they could not have suffered Persecution and Imprisonment and Death as they did But the National Law did ever protect the National Prophets vvhich for the most part vvere ever false as the Scriptures do bear testimony But it is the Lambs Nature that doth overcome which you persecute which preacheth and shews forth its perfect love through sufferings and if you were in this nature and we in error as you say then you would shew forth a life beyond ours which is the life of truth that keeps the commands of God which life dwelleth in love and if we were in hatred it might overcome us but on the contrary we being in the suffering life of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples who never persecuted nor ever will and you in the life that persecutes it is given to the suffering life to overcome you and that spirit by which you are acted and this is the word of the Spirit of Truth that shall stand over your heads for ever But by that spirit and those weapons it is impossible to overcome us who stand in the obedience of the spirit of truth mark that because our strength is the power of God and while we believe in it it can never fail us nor forsake us We know him to be the Corner stone who is tried Elect and precious and the highest of you all shall know that he in whom we have believed in is higher then you all to fave and deliver us when he hath sufficiently proved and tryed us and therefore you may be convinced of the foolishnesse of those Instruments and Weapons you use which the former Power of Professing Hypocrites used against us before you And what did it profit them who persecuted that life they did professe in words and would not be warned till the Lord heard the cry of the Innocent and arose and took their power from them who had abused it and gave it unto you and must you needs follow their steps whom you condemn and so much despise and abuse the power you are intrusted with which is to incourage him that obeys the truth and to punish him that obeys unrighteousnesse And do not you Magistrates the contrary those that meet together in the fear of the Lord and worship in the measure of his holy spirit do not you hale forth break up their Meetings and carry them to Prisons and by your Law condemn to be banished But those that meet together in Taverns and Ale-houses who swear drink till they be drunk and whore to the great dishonour of God and the Government of the Nation yet these can be let alone in their wicked meetings and go unpunished when Honest Innocent Harmless people are fined and sent to prison What can you say to this Is not this an abusing the power put into your hands to do good withal or do you think the end and intent of Gods Ordinance is to punish his people for obeying his command If not why is it done For as sure as Magistracy is Gods Ordinance so sure are we his people and suffer for well doing Then If this be so you must confesse we are abused and suffer innocently though many of you will not believe it for if you did then we should not suffer For ever yet in all Ages Persecutors were blind therefore as in a figure the scales sell from Sauls eyes Act. 9.18 For had the Princes of this world known it that is the mistery of godlinesse they would not have crucyfied the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But though you cannot see the mistery of our life yet you may see the open prophanenesse that is daily suffered to be acted in this Nation and that can go unpunished Why because some that should punish it may be guilty of the same things themselves this mistery of iniquity is not hid from your eyes yet your sword is not a terror to this is it not then born in vain Me thinks you might see to bit some of the wickednesse at a venture it is plentiful enough sprung up and easie to be found far eafier than a meeting of harmlesse innocent people that fear the Lord and desire to live peaceably in the Nation but such many of you will take great pains to search you and go beyond the Letter of the Law to punish And if we were forward to take the advantage of the Law upon some of you all you had would hardly satisfie what the Law gives for satisfaction But we have committed our innocent cause to the Just God of heaven and earth and we do assuredly know that except you repent and that speedily he will give you weight for weight and measure for measure because he is Just and will not alwayes suffer the rod of the wicked to remain upon the back of the righteous And how comes it to passe that your sword falls upon our backs so much I am sure it s not for dishonouring God by prophanenesse for if we did so then we might be safe enough from the danger of it and we should have friends in every place but in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus whereas we now have enemies in most places And why so because Magistrates Priests and people do the things they ought not to do and
which is laid up for all those that continue faithful to the end Woe woe from the Lord is the portion of all that oppresse Jacob and that spoil Israel who exercise rule and authority over the blessed seed in the cursed nature and so being Gentiles by nature are ignorant of the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of Sions King and of his spiritual Israel who are of the heavenly birth that is blessed and cannot bow to Esau's Lordship who is of the first birth that is hated which cannot please God being in the unbelief and under the curse and yet doth exercise authority and oppresse the birth that doth Mark He that is in the flesh cannot please God thus saith the Scripture Gal. 4.29 And he that persecutes is of that birth as it is written He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit Even so it is now then mark how can that birth that pleaseth God submit to that birth which pleaseth him not It could not do so of old both in the Prophets and Apostles it cannot do so now in Disciples and Believers and because it cannot do so now the birth of the flesh would force them by inflicting punishment upon their bodies and spoiling of their goods but he that gave them bodies is a Spirit and gives them spiritual power to overcome that spirit of darknesse in giving up their bodies that they may not bring guilt upon their souls And from this birth that cannot please God doth the enmity arise in all ages from the first that was Cain to the last that is Antichrist For the seed that bruiseth the heele rules in that birth that persecutes in all ages and is but one though it change its name yet its nature is to devour and destroy the life in which the seed rules that is blessed which is the Heir that the sons of Belial in all ages have combined to kill under the name of a deceiver or a blasphemer for old Cains Nature having put on Christe Name professeth him in Words but denyeth him in Works as saith the Scriptures by its testimony under the several appearances and dispensations of God it alwayes and in all ages testified against that nature For as in the time of the Law old Cain covered himself with a profession of it and with the strictest would Tithe Mint and Cummin but neglected the weightier Judgment and Mercy And when the Heir appeared in a body of flesh to do his Fathers will mark he could not own Cains Religion although he profest his fathers Law Then the old enmity said Come let us kill him this is the Heir but what saith the old enmity now in our age Come let us make a Law to Banish them to spoil their goods and hang them as Fellons and what not is the old enmity grown worse that it rages so much it knows who is appeared in his mighty power and that its time is but short for the Heir is again appeared and appearing in the bodies of his people to do his Fathers will and these cannot own Cains Religion now no more then their Lord Christ owned it then for the Heir of life know Cains nature then and so he doth now notwithstanding his taking the Law of God into his mouth yet he was from it in his heart for there was the murtherer in the heart where the Law should have been so the Heir of life the light of the world that manifests the deeds of darkness now said then to those Rabbies that went in long robes and for a pretence made long prayers yet devoured the poor Woe be to you hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdome of Heaven against men for you neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in Mat h. 23.13 Mark how the old enmity wrought then he that came to do the will of God they killed for having told them before that their Religion was vain and that they were of their father the Devil and his works they did yet they believed not but persecuted to the death so despised the day of their visitation and him that told them the truth both hated and slew Therefore was their house left unto them desolate and the things that belonged to their everlasting peace was hid from their eyes So it being sea for an example in the following ages that persecution is punished with desolation and that spirit that seeks not after truth and peace with all men the peace of God is hid from its eyes and that is the fugative and vagabond spirit that slew his brother because he pleased God and this is that spirit that reigns and rules in great Babylon that drinks the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and this is the spirit that is Head in the false Church or Scarlet coloured Whore that calls her selfe the Spouse of Christ and covers her self with his Name being erred from his spirit dwels in enmity to his nature this is that spirit of Antichrist that is come into the world with which the great men of the earth have been led to commit fornication with and drawn their hearts from the measure of his good spirit in them which would have guided their feet into the way of peace but that spirit of enmity being received guids their feet into the way of Cain to kill and slay their brother that cannot sacrifice with them nor own their Worship in that nature which cannot please God and for this cause have the holy men of God suffered in all ages as at this present day And because of this our Lord Christ suffered who could not own that nature in the zealous professing Jews notwithstanding they seemed to justifie themselves in words to his face as if they were the children of God saying We have one father even God Joh. 8.41 Mark his answer and Character of the children of God If God were your father ye would love me Love to the truth Christ the light is the work of a child of God hatred to the truth Christ the light and those that be in it is the work of a child of the Devil thus their works makes them manifest in all ages hatred against the appearance of God comes from the cursed nature that slew the Lamb. And to the Professors of the Law of God that were in that nature his Son said and doth say Ye seek to kill me and what it the reason because my word hath no place in you This is the cause of persecution and enmity against the truth from the first to the last the word of truth not being hearkened to in the heart in the mouth truth comes not to be beloved in the inward parts and by such it comes to be hated in others without If ye continue in my word then art ye my Disciples indeed So mark this if the word of truth that which speaks the truth in you hearts and shews your evil deeds in secret and telleth you
upon your beds your secret faults and wickednesse and makes you confesse in your hearts it is so and brings you to a sense of sorrow and misery that will be your portion if you repent not and turn to the Lord that spirit that searched thy heart and tried thy reins that pure word of truth that cannot deceive thee the annointing that speaks the truth in thee and this I say from the spirit of truth except thou believe in that word of truth and obey it thou shalt never witnesse salvation This is the infallible truth to all upon the face of the whole earth and there is no other salvation under heaven nor no other Name given to be saved by then this which is the Gentiles light and Israels glory that which make manifest the deeds of darknesse and reproves them this is that spirit that reproves the world of sin that leads out of sin all that do believe and follow it and this is he that spirit that is given for a leader to his people to be his salvation to the ends of the earth This is the Word of God the Son of God the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin and saves the souls of all that believe in him the Son the truth that maketh free the quickening spirit that quickens to life again the soul that was dead in Adam and so brings Immortality to light through his power which is the Gospel and he that believes not in his power knows not the Gospel that power which sets free from sin for that is the glad tidings to the soul to hear of a deliverance from the bondage of corruption that it may no longer serve sin the wages whereof is condemnation and death to it but that it might come to Sow in the eternal spirit and Reap the Wages of life everlasting for such as it sows such must it reap because God is Just And therefore they that do believe in the eternal power have denyed themselves and given up their souls into the hands of a faithful Creator that he may save them from the sin and take it away and bring in his own perfect righteousnesse according to his promise in his New Covenant of free mercy and grace and it is unpossible for God in Christ to faile or forsake them but keeps Covenant and mercy for ever and saves the soul from the sin and power of hell and death which is the Work his father hath sent him into the world to do and perform and he that doth believe in him he hath promised to raise him up out of the Fall Death and the Curse and restore him into the life of God from which he fell and was dead to and brings forth a new birth by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in him and this is his promise to do and work to perform and such who are not of this Faith can never have this Work wrought in them but do through their unbelief as it were make him a lyar that is as if he would not or could not performe his promise and such are dead while they live in the Sinne Fall and the Curse Reprobate to every good worke dishonouring the Lord of life through their unbelief of the truth But on the contrary believing the lying spirit that leads into the sin who saith that sin must be lived in while we are on the earth this is the Doctrine of the Devil and the Devils Doctrine which he hath taught his servants and Ministers to preach who are the false Prophets that daube with untempered morter that deceive the Nations so upholding the kingdome of the Devil sin and darknesse that he may keep his Kingdome and power in their hearts and rule there in the disobedient and bring forth his will that is sin and iniquity and ungodlinesse so beget his owne Image in them and do his owne Work through them and Preach his own Doctrine in them in which they believing can never witnesse salvation But are a company of miserable sinners laden with sin and iniquity ever learning of the deceitful lying spirit and so can never come to the knowledg of the truth that sets free from sin but are ever pleading for it being in the error strayed from the way of Gods salvation doing the things they ought not to do persecuting hating and killing the Innocent spoyling and robbing them of their goods acting in madnesse and folly beyond the very letter of the law and sometimes against it as for example some are excommunicated out of the assembly of miserable sinners their Church so called and after excommunication have had their goods strained on and taken away for not coming to their worship in the time of excommunication this is unreasonable cruel envious wicked dealings and this is done against many casting others into Dungeons and nasty holes and Prisons that hath destroyed their lives and all because we speak the truth and do the things that we ought to do and cannot hearken to the lying spirit that leads into errour and astray from the way of God But do hear the voice of Christ the good shepherd and Bishop of our souls and keep his sayings who saith swear not at all and do not after their works who are blind guides that say and do not the thing they say they ought to do but believe in the light that ye may be the children of light John 12.36 for said he I am the light of the world he that followeth me not blind guides shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life chap. 8.12 13. then said the Pharisees thy record is not true mark what the blind guides said then and are they not blind guides that say so now who say it is but a natural light that is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that it is not able to save a man from sin though it do condemn him and reprove him for sin and the deeds of darkness when as Christ himself the truth that cannot lye said he that followeth him the light shall not walk in darknesse and we who are come to the light in our selves and follow it do bear testimony against all the blind guides and hireling priests and false prophets upon the face of the whole earth that his record is true but this the unbelieving Jews could not believe then no more than the unbelieving Gentiles can believe now therefore they walk in darknesse and hate the light but this is the word of the Lord God of truth to all the Gentiles upon the whole earth they must believe in their light that is to say the Gentiles light before ever they can witnesse Gods salvation for that is his Covenant to the people and his salvation to the ends of the earth What if the blind should say what to do answer to save them from walking in darkness and then the fruits and works of darknesse cannot be brought forth
I cannot believe this record saith the blind guide and his followers then saith Christ for if ye believe not that I am be what he the true light ye shall dye in your sins then saith Jesus again unto them I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall dye in your sins whither I go ye cannot come Mark that ye despisers and haters of the light ye despise and hate Christ and ye that will not follow him the light here in this world shall not follow him hereafter into the glory of the world to come but shall dye in your sin and perish eternally Consider this ye despisers of truth there is but a breath betwixt you and eternal destruction ye haters of the light the eternal word by which you breath move and have a being who plead for sin and the deeds of darkness to live in them for tearm of life read your portion that live and die in sin and consider what he hath said that cannot lye if you will not live the life of the righteous being manifested unto you in the day of visitation you cannot dye the death of the righteous nor shall your last end be like unto his because he hath called and you refused he hath stretched out his hand of mercy and you will not regard ye have set at naught all his counsel by his messengers he hath sent unto you and would none of his reproof by his light in your consciences the spirit of truth that he hath sent to reprove the world of sin therefore saith he that cannot lye I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh and when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall you call but I will not answer you shall seek him early but shall not find him Pro. 1.24 25 26 27. therefore because the spirit of truth hath said it you that are in that capacity cannot dye the death of the righteous who shall in Gods peace that he hath laboured after with all men lye down and in his everlasting habitation dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil for the upright shall dwell in the land that the envy of Cains spirit shall not nor cannot banish them out of and the perfect shall remain in it These be a people whose life the blind guides could never yet see in all ages because they dwelt not in their land which is the land of darkness where Cain said he should be hid from the face of God therefore all his generation loves this land of darkness naturally to this day it being the land of their nativity where their fathers City is built out from the presence of the Lord and the blessing of the light of his countenance in that land of the valley of the shadow of death where the sitting down is in darknesse and the Prince of the power of darknesse bears rule there teaching his children and subjects to plead for his kingdome of liberty in the flesh which natural desires and lusts of the flesh being brought forth is the life after the flesh that cannot please God the old mans life in the curse in whom the seed of the serpent the subtilest beast is head and makes war in the old enmity against the seed of the woman of which is the spiritual or the birth after the spirit that the birth after the flesh persecutes and hates as Cain did who was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3.12 therefore it is no marvel that the children of light are hated of the world that lyeth in wickednesse and pleads for it and hates the light and pleads against it for he that hateth the light abides in darknesse and loveth not his brother and it s written whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him and where eternal life is not abiding there is Cains nature dwelling and from that nature ariseth the persecutor that doth not well in doing the things he ought not to do and so fin lyeth at his door And woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him saith the spirit of the Lord for the reward of his hands shall he given him Isaiah 3.11 For the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it Proverbs 2.22 Therefore let all that have yet a day prize it and make your calling and election sure in this the day of Gods love and tender visitation to your souls and think not to say in your hearts did not the thief upon the Crosse dye the death of the righteous yes and did he not live the life of the righteous yes he lived by faith though it might be but the last hour he being then called at the last hour to believe in Christ the light of the world he followed him by faith in him and bore a glorious testimony for him when most of his Disciples had forsook him and the blind guides laugh'd him to scorn and wagged their heads at him then he who was faithful reproved his fellow that was as blind as his guides and chief priests so the priests and the thief and the elders were all in one spirit of envy mocking and despising the truth and chose the murtherer and the thief of which spirit they were of before the truth the son of God which spirit he that believed did rebuke and that was a good work in that hour when few durst own him but yet more then all this he confessed him to be a king and that a heavenly one too before the face of his enemies and before the whole world justified the righteous son of God and said he had done nothing amisse which proved his enemies the chief priests murtherers and in such a time when he was in his lowest estate when he said My God my God why hast thou for saken me then did he honour him by his faith which preached God had not forsaken him but had given him an everlasting kingdome and did not doubt but he was able to bring his soul that believed into his kingdome therefore said Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome and so received him before the face of the world as a faithful witnesse to the death who entred into the glorious paradice of God that his precious faith had fitted him for in that short time And if in so short a time faith in the power of God can bring forth such a glorious work what wretched wicked miserable unbelieving sinners are they who say they be in Christ the son of God yet do not expect to be saved from their sin and set free from their iniquity all the dayes of their life these make but a bad confession of the work of faith which is not to the glory of God the Father that hath sent his son to take away the