that will rest upon the persecutors though they use never so much art to make the Lambs appear guilty and themselves guiltless Their Spirit Nature manner of fighting which is with Lamb-like weapons which hurt not flesh and blood their whole course and conversation and manner of suffering c. manifests them to be Lambs this is of much more force than a bare saying they are Lambs None of this is mentioned on their behalf but only that they say they are Lambs But let us see how fairly that is overthrown Against this that place John 5.31 is alledged If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true whereupon it is said thus Had not Christ been God the reason of the Jews had been good against him Answ Doth not the Spirit of God dwell in the Sons of God and doth not the spirit of God bear witness in them that they are his Children and is not this witness true Iohn saith We know that we are of God 1 Ioh. 5.19 Was not this witness true in John because John was not God Was not the Prophets testimony true that they were his Prophets and that God had sent them and that it was his message which they brought because they were not God Shall the spirit of God work wonders in the heart and shall he not testifie concerning his own work at his pleasure Ah friends how do ye understand Scriptures and raise inferences from it thus to condemn the generation of the righteous Search the Scriptures do not the Prophets still testifie that the Lord sent them and that it was his word which they spake though they themselves were not God but persons moved by the spirit of God who stirred in his servants under the Law but dwelleth resteth and abideth in his people under the Gospel and what he testifieth is true though fleshly wise Israel who seem to themselves very skilful in the Law and letter of the Scriptures could not receive his testimony either then or now Ah friends ye had need take heed and consider lest the bastardly birth in you hath taken up an habitation in the letter without knowing the mind of the spirit whose presence killeth the carnal part and shutteth out the wisdome of the flesh from medling with the Scriptures And whereas you seem to refer all to the tryal of the Scripture both station doctrine and practise surely if ye had done so in truth ye would have more patiently heard their testimony according to the Scriptures Every man pretendeth Scripture but none truly honour it but they who are guided by that spirit which it testifieth of And they who are not guided by that spirit walk not according to the Scriptures but according to reasonings of the fleshly part which windeth it self into the letter of the Scriptures that by some kind of conformity thereto it may avoid the dint of the spirit And this is the way of Antichrists revilings by getting the form crying up that winding his own fleshly spirit into that and sheltering it self under that Thus the Jews cryed up the Temple of the Lord the Sabbath the Law of Moses and writings of the Prophets and under this cover with great zeal persecuted Christ he was looked upon as a blasphemer as one against Gods Temple his Sabbath his Ordinances c. And since the daies of Christ the Antichristian spirit speaks great words of Christ his Death Resurrection Ascention Intercession c. and of Church-order and discipline that under this cover it may fight against the comforter the spirit of truth who alone can lead into truth and which is the proper way of Gods Ministration since Christs ascention And this hath been the way of opposing truth ever since and still is and here is the Antichrist he that holds these in the wrong part and by these fights against the true spirit But if there be any truth in this that ye are willing to be tryed by the Scriptures let it yet come to a fair tryal this way and let them have free liberty to manifest among you what they have to say from the Scriptures why your Church your Ministry your order and government your whole way of teaching and worship is not of God nor according to the Scriptures but an invention and imitation set up in the way of resemblance of what once was truly so If this cannot be made good against you ye will have much advantage of shaming them and of setling your people much firmer than by prisons whips cutting off of eares banishment and death which no mans heart seriously considering it in true soberness can possibly believe to be the proper engines of setling or preserving the Gospel of peace But that the Scripture is the rule of tryal under the Gospel I read not in Scripture but that the things of the spirit are to be known in by the spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 The Apostle John speaking of Antichrists seducers and erring spirits which were to be tryed doth not bid them try them by the words which he wrote or by the other Apostles words or by the Prophets words but by the anointing which keeping close to they need fear no seducers 1 John 2.26 27. The word which was in the beginning being received abode in and kept close to tries all words and spirits That which begets to God is the spirit the great gift which is given to him which is begotten is the spirit and this being given is to become the fountaine of life to the believer John 7.38 And in this spring of life he is to live and receive milk and knowledg and here he is to walk and here he is to try all other waters even by this water And this is more to a believer and more enableth him to try than all the words of truth that ever were written though he that hath this cannot despise or undervalue any thing that the spirit ever wrote but yet the spirit it self is more to him and more certain then any words concerning the spirit Men may make false glosses and mudd and make void the Scriptures by their reasonings and interpretations and traditional apprehensions but this water ever runs fresh clear no foul spirit can defile it Moses gave the Law which directed to and ended in Christ Christ in the flesh finished the work which the Father gave him to do and directed to the comforter to be the leader into all truth yea the spring of life to the believer and here the believer is safe but the Antichristian spirit ravening from this cries up the letter in the stead of this and doth not see how the letter points to and centers in this God hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament saith the Apostle not of the letter but of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 he overlooked the letter that was not the thing he was chiefly to minister but the spirit the power to turn men from darkness to light that they might feel him that is
the laws of the one were written outwardly in tables of stone the laws of the other were to be written in the heart That is the book wherein the laws of the new covenant were promised to be written and there they are to be read So that he that will read and obey the Laws of the covenant of life must look for them in that book wherein God hath promised to write them for though in other books he may read some outward descriptions of the thing yet here alone can he read the thing it self Christ is the way the truth and the life What is a Christians rule is not the way of God his rule is not Gods truth his rule and is not the truth in Jesus where it is taught and to be heard and to be received even as it is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 Is not he the King the Priest the Prophet the Sacrifice the Altar the way to God the truth of God the life it self the living path out of Death yea all in all to the believer whose eye is opened to behold him The Scriptures testifie of Christ but they are not Christ they also testifie of truth and are a true testimony but the truth it self is in Jesus who by his living spirit writes it in the heart which he hath made living And so a Christians life is in the Spirit if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 The whole life and course of a Christian is in the volumn of that book as the Lord opens the leaves of it in him The gift of God the measure of faith given him by God that 's his rule that 's his rule of knowledge of prophesying of obedience Heb. 11. Rom. 1.4 and 12.6 if he keep there if he walk according to the proportion of it he errs not but out of the faith in the the error in all he knows in all he believes in all he does The new Creature that which God hath new created in the heart in which life breaths and nothing but life breaths which is taught by God and true to God from its very infancy that 's his rule whereby he is to walk the Apostle expresly calls it so Gal. 6.15 16. That which is begotten by God is a Son and the Son as he is begotten by the breath of the Spirit so he is preserved and led by the same breath and such as are so led are Sons and none else for it is not reading of Scriptures and gathering rules out thence that makes a Son but the receiving of the spirit and the being led by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 15. And being the whole worship of the Gospel is in the Spirit there is a necessity of receiving that in the first place and then in it the soul learns to know and wait for its breathings and movings and follows on towards the Lord in them The Spirit cannot be with-held from breathing on that which he hath begotten and that breath is a guide a rule a way to that which it breatheth upon Now this is most manifest even from the Scriptures themselves they expresly calling Christ the way the truth c. the new creature the rule the faith grace or gift given to be the rule testifying the heart to be that which God hath chosen to write his laws in but where do they call themselves a perfect rule of faith and obedience They are they saith Christ which testifie of me and ye will not come to me that ye might have life Iâ—â— 5.39 40. Life cannot be received from the Scriptures but only from Christ the fountain thereof no more can the Scriptures give the rule but point to the fountain of the same life where alone the rule of life as the life it self can be received The Scriptures cannot ingraft into Christ nor give a living rule to him that is ingrafted but he that hath heard the Testimony of the Scriptures concerning Christ and hath come to him must abide in him and wait on him for the writing of the law of the Spirit of life in his heart and this will be his rule from the law of sin and death even unto the land of life Now if men have mistaken in the night of darkness and put the Scriptures out of their place even into the place of the Spirit and so have become Ministers not of the Spirit but of the letter whereas the Apostles were made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 Let them not be offended at the Spirit of God for teaching us otherwise nor at us for learning as the Spirit of God hath taught us the Scriptures also testifying that this is the rule but no where setting up themselves for the rule And it is the same Spirit which would now fix men in the Scriptures to keep men from Christ the living rule and only way to life eternal as formerly kept men by traditions from the Scriptures though it is hard for them who are intangled in this deceit to see it Now for the proof of these things thus barely here charged the reader is referred to Mr. Norton's as they stile him Tractate against the Quakers Concerning the validity whereof I refer the Reader to Francis Howgils Answer thereto wishing him to read both in the fear and dread of the Almighty waiting for his counsel to guide him in the true discerning which of them savours of mans wisdome and which of them writes from acquaintance with the truth it self In which Answer of his he recites such errors of that Norton as would make a great sound against the Quakers if any such could justly be charged upon them I shall mention only two or three of them viz That God is a distinct Subsistence from the Son and Spirit and That the Son is a distinct Subsistence from the Father and the Spirit and because it is said the Father shall give you another Comforter this another he saith is intelligible of the Essence Are there then three distinct infinite Essences or Beings That the Spirit of God without the Letter is no Spirit He was before the Letter he was never limited to the Letter he will be after the Letter and he is what he is without the Letter That Christs words John 17.21 give an uncertain sound where have any of the Quakers cast such a blemish upon any portion of Scripture Surely this man had more need to seek to have his own vessel cleansed than to accuse others of Errors or Blasphemy And if he have no other way to overthrow them than by maintaining such kind of things as these against them he will never get victory over them any other wayes than by the outward sword but by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony and not loving their lives unto the death they will easily overcome all such kind of Champions 4. The fourth and last instance which they give of the
but of the World this seed the World hates and the vessels in whom it bubbles up and through whom it giveth forth its testimony against the World Object But in the new Testament Luke stiles Theophilus most excellent and Paul speaking to Festus said most noble Festus which are terms or expressions of honour and reverence Answ Christ did promise his Disciples and Ministers that he would be with them and give them what to say Now if nobility and true excellency did appear in any persons and he led them by his Spirit to acknowledge it this is no sufficient warrant for men to do the like in their own wills or to give such titles to persons being in authority whether they be such persons or no. Luke knew Theophilus to be excellent and he was led by the Spirit of God to stile him excellent for by the Spirit of God he wrote that Scripture Luke 1.3 wherein he so stiles him And for Festus he that shall strictly observe his carriage will find it to be very noble in that he would not be won by the importunity and informations of the high Priest and chief of the Jews and of the multitude also against Paul but applyed himself to an upright consideration of the cause Acts 25.2 24. to the end The same Spirit which shewed the unworthy carriage and ignobleness of the high Priest zealous professing Jews might move Paul to set this mark of honour upon Festus The Lord loveth truth in the heart and truth in words and the following of the guidance of his Spirit into truth but to give a man high titles meerly because he is great and high in the outward without discerning that he is such and without the leading of Gods Spirit so to do this is of the flesh according to the will of the flesh out of the faith and not according to truth and righteousness and in the fear of the Lord there is a watch set over our spirits in these things lest we should esteem and honour men according to the will of the flesh and not in the Lord. Titles of office or of relations as master father c. we find freedome to give but titles which tend towards flattery or exalting man out of his place and the lifting up of his heart above his brethren we have not freedome in the Lord to use and Eliah also found a restraint upon him in this respect Job 32.21 22. Object It is noted as a brand and reproach of false teachers that they despise dominion and speak evil of dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 and Jude 8. Now it is well known that the practise of the Quakers is but too like those false teachers c. Answ It were worth a narrow search and enquiry what the dominion and dignities or glories are which the false teachers speak evil of or blaspheme c. Search the Scriptures where do ye find the false teachers speaking evil of the earthly authorities nay they still cling close to them exalt them get them of their side and cry them up and will be sure enough never to fail in pleasing the Magistrate with cringing and bowing or any thing of that nature But there is the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ in the heart there is the rule of his spirit over the fleshly part there is the truth in the inner man there are spiritual dignities or glories these the false teachers in all ages did despise and were not afraid to speak evil of though they should have feared to speak evil of the movings and guidings and lowest appearings of the spirit of God which excel in nature and worth the greatest earthly dignities yet they have not but have blasphemed the holy life and appearances of God in his people nay they have not spared his more eminent breakings forth in his very Prophets holy Apostles or Christ himself Mark what they spake evil of they spake evil of the things they knew not vers 10. What were the things they knew not The inward movings and vertue of his spirit the inward power life glory and dominion of truth in the heart they knew not it was against Christ in his people their evil deeds and hard speeches were vers 15. But as for the high and great ones the dominions and dignities of the earth they knew them well enough and did not speak evil of them but had their persons in admiration because of the advantage they had by them vers 16. They have alwayes had a double advantage from these both of gain to themselves and of overbearing the lambs of Christ by their great swelling words The Lord hath still so ordered it in his wisdome both before the coming of Christ at his coming and since that the false Prophets and Teachers should still have the advantage of the outward authorities and his people be a poor afflicted despised persecuted remnant whose glory is inward and cannot be discerned by the outward eye no not of Gods Israel See the dignities particularly expressed Revel 13.6 The name of God his holy power in his people the Tabernacle which is sanctified and made honourable for him by his spirit them that dwell in Heaven who are redeemed out of the earth and have their conversation above these are dignities which the earthly authorities nay the false teachers themselves never knew the worth of and so they are not afraid to blaspheme them The first beast on which the false church rode with the second beast which are of the very race of these false teachers making an image to the first beast because of advantage all join together in blaspheming these dignities Rev. 13. and chap. 17. To open this a little further John said in his days that it was then the last time For there were many Antichrists then come 1 Iohn 2.18 From whence came they They went out from us saith he but they were not of us ver 19. They were sensual they had not the spirit and so could not abide the presence life judgement and power of the spirit but seperated themselves Jude 19. But whither went they when they went out from the true Church why they went out into the world 1 Ioh. 4.2 They got the form of godliness which would stand well enough with the lusts ease of the flesh and went and preached up that in the world And now speaking the things of God in the worldly spirit the world could hear them v. 5. Thus having got a great party into the form of truth now they blaspheme the power now they mock at the movings of the spirit the leadings of the spirit the living name the true tabernacle the true inhabitants of heaven who have their conversation above in the heavenly nature in the heavenly principle in the pure spirit of life for as they are begotten by the spirit so they live in the spirit and walk in the spirit This the false teachers who have got the form of doctrine and the form of discipline
ye and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled 1 Pet 3.14 and the Apostle Paul bids the Philippians stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God And the same Apostle who commended the Hebrews as having done well in bearing the great sight of afflictons encourages them to go on still and not be weary or faint in their minds but resist even to blood eyeing Christ who endured the contradiction of sinners to the very last Heb. 12.3 4. And he practised as he taught for he was not terrified with bonds or afflictions nor accounted his life dear unto him but that which was dear unto him was the serving of his Lord and Master in preaching and witnessing to his truths as his spirit led him Acts 20.23 24. trusting on the Lord to uphold him in enduring of them or to deliver him out of them as he pleased 2 Tim. 3.11 but that which he and the rest of the Apostles and Saints of Christ applyed themselves to in case of persecution was to suffer 1 Cor. 4.12 And whoever they are that will be Christs faithful Disciples now must look to meet with the same cross as they did not only from the prophane World but from the worldly professors also for there were not only zealous worldly professors in that age but the same spirit hath remained in every age since which still gets into the best form it can when need requires to oppose the power thereby And they that are in the Spirit and in the power must expect to be persecuted by such and they are to bear it and not to flie from it unless by a particular call and dispensation from the Lord for a particular service which is not the rule as it is here made but rather an exception from the rule So Christ sending his Disciples in hast to preach the Gospel bids them not salute in the way Luke 10.4 nor be stopped by persecution but hasten to publish the sound of Christs coming in the Cities of Israel for the harvest was great but the laborers few Mat. 9.37 and yet notwithstanding all the hast they could make they should not have gone over the Cities of Israel before the Son of man come Mat. 10.23 There is a time to suffer persecution and a time to flee from persecution and both these are to be known in the Lord and to be obeyed in the leadings of his Spirit but to lay it down as a general rule for Christians to observe that when they are persecuted they should flee this is expresly contrary to the Scriptures afore mentioned which shew that Christians are not generally to flee but to stand in the service and work to which they are called bearing witness not only by believing and publishing but also by suffering for the testimony of the truth They are Christs Souldiers and their duty is to stand in the battel and bear all the shot and persecutions of the enemy if God call them off to any other service that is a sufficient warrant for them but flying upon other termes may prove a great dishonour to their Master and to his cause and truth and may be the occasion of a great loss to their Spirits who are so tempted to flee Neither is this bearing the brunt of persecutions and standing in Gods work and service notwithstanding them all even unto death any tempting of God but an obedient taking up of the cross according to his will and command And whereas you plead that reason requires it what kind of reason is it which bids avoid the cross of Christ and flee for safety And what kind of Spirit is that which preacheth this Doctrine laying it down as a general rule for Christians to flee when they are persecuted Is it not that Spirit which fain would be at ease in the flesh in so much as it self will rather persecute than be disturbed of its fleshly liberty though its very unwilling to bear the reproach of being accounted a persecutor Ah how did the Jews cry out against their Fathers for killing the Prophets and verily thought if they had lived in their dayes they should by no means have done it and yet the same Spirit was in them though they saw it not but thought themselves far from it That which blinded them was a wrong knowledge of the Scriptures and a great zeal and devotion about their Temple worship and Ordinances without a sensible feeling of the guidance of Gods Spirit The same Spirit that deceived them layeth the same snare in these dayes and men swallow it as greedily with as great confidence as they did the zealous professors of religion for the generality still becoming persecutors of the present appearance of truth not knowing what they do Thus in the fear of the Lord God and in love to your souls with a meek and gentle spirit not being offended at what ye have done but looking over it to the Lord who bringeth glory to his name and advantage to his truth by the sufferings and death of his Saints have I answered your grounds and considerations and in the same fear love and meekness have I some things further to propose to your considerations which are of great concernment to you and deserve to be weighed by an equal hand in the equal ballance without prejudice or partiality 1. Consider meekly and humbly whether the Scriptures be the rule of the Children of the new covenant for if the Scripture was not intended by God for the rule and ye take it to be the rule then ye may easily mistake the way to eternal life and also err in your understanding and use of the Scriptures making such an use of them as they were never intended for and so missing of the true use and intent of them Now that the Scripture was not intended nor given forth by God to be the rule of the Children of the New Covenant besides our faithful Testimony from the sight of the thing in the true eternal light weigh our arguments from the Scripture many are mentioned in our writings consider at present of these three 1. The Scripture is an outward rule or law but the Scripture saith the law of the new covenant shall be an inward law It is written in the Prophets that all the Children of the new covenant or new Jerusalem shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54.13 who teacheth them inwardly by his Spirit and writeth his law in their hearts Jer. 31.33 34. and after this manner did the Lord take his people into covenant with himself and teach them in the Apostles dayes 1 John 2.27 The covenant is inward the teacher inward the writing inward the law inward and there it is to be read learned and known where the Spirit teacheth and writeth it 2. Scripture or the writings
of Moses and the Prophets was not the law of the Children of the new covenant as such not in the time of the old covenant The law of Moses was the rule of their outward state it was the rule of the outward Israel but not the rule of the inward Israel no not then in those dayes In Deut. 29.1 Moses makes a Covenant with Israel by express command from God besides the former covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And he saith the commandment of this Covenant is not to be looked for where the other was written but in another place in a place neerer to them even in ther mouth and in their heart there they were to read hear and receive the commandment of this covenant For this commandement which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off Deut. 30.11 it not in heaven ve 12. neither is it beyond the sea ver 13. but the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it ver 14. and this was the way of life then ver 15. see saith Moses I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil Here thy eternal happiness depends obey this word and live disobey it and die And if they had kept to this word they would also have walked in obedience to the Law but neglecting this they could never keep the Law but still came under the curse of it and missed of the blessings They thought to please God with sacrifices and oyle and incense and observing new Moons and Sabbaths wherein the Lord still rejected them for want of their obedience to this word and the Prophets still guide them to this word bidding them circumcise their hearts which alone can be done by this word and wash away the evil of their doings which alone can be done by this water Yea after much contest between the Lord and them when they seemed very desirous to please the Lord with what he should require whether burnt offerings calves rams or oyl in great plenty the Prophet laies by all that and points them to the obedience of this word as the way to please God and as the only thing that he required of them He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 All this is written in thy heart man read there obey that word that is the thing that God requires So Davids Law was the word written in his heart he saw through sacrifices and burnt offerings to the inward writing and this made him wiser than all his teachers who were busied about the outward The outward Law was but a shadow of good things to come it made nothing perfect but David knew a perfect law The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 3. The Scriptures of the New-Testament never call themseves the rule but they call another thing the rule they call the writings of Gods spirit in the hearts of his people the Laws of the new Covenant Heb. 8.10 they call Christ the way the truth the life John 14.6 the way is the rule the truth is the rule the life is the rule they call the new creature the rule walking according to which the peace and mercy is received and injoyed Gal. 6.16 they refer to the comforter as the guide into all truth John 16.13 yea as the compass of all truth wherein the believer is to have his whole life and course Gal. 5.25 live in the spirit walke in the spirit follow the spirit keep within that compass and ye connot err A man may err in understanding and interpreting of Scriptures but he that hath received the spirit knoweth the spirit followeth the spirit keepeth to the spirit so far as he doth so cannot possibly err So saith Iohn writing concerning seducers warning against them 1 Iohn 2.26 Ye have received an anointing which teacheth you of all things keep to the teachings of that in every thing and ye are safe But may we not be deceived Nay the annointing keeps from all the deceit in the heart and from all the deceits of seducers it is truth and no lie ver 27. and it leads into all truth and our of every lie And this will teach you to abide in him In whom in the word which was from the beginning which is ingrafted into the heart of the believer and into which the heart of the believer is ingrafted and so he truly is in the vine and the sap of the vine runs up into him which makes him fruitful to God he abiding in the word which he hath heard from the beginning and the word which was from the beginning abiding in him ver 24. And the Apostle Paul saith expresly that the righteousness of faith cometh by the hearing of this word making the same word the rule to the children of the new covenant now as Moses said was the commandement of God to them then quoting this place of Moses for it Rom. 10 6. c. So that Paul indeed taught nothing but Moses and the Prophets pointing to the very same word and commandement of eternal life as Moses had done That is the word of faith which we preach that word which Moses taught which he said was nigh in the heart and in the mouth no man need ascend up to heaven or go down to the deep or seek any where else for it that 's the very thing we point you to that 's the word of faith that 's the commandement of life And with what zeal would Paul were he now alive in the body declare against such who should over-look or deny this word and set up his writing with the writings of the rest of the Apostles for a rule instead thereof yea I could shew yet further how the spirit of prophecy or testimony of Jesus or living appearance of God in the heart hath been a rule to the witnesses against Antichrists deceit all along the night of Apostacy Rev. 11.3 and 19.10 though they themselves being in the night distinctly knew not what was their rule but by a secret breath of life were quickned guided preserved and in it accepted but these things will open of themselves as the mist is expelled and the vail rent which hath over-spread all Nations and covered professors generally in this night of Antichristian darkness and universal apostacy from the living power 2. Consider whether the Scripture be your rule or no that is whether in singleness of heart ye wait on the Lord to open the Scriptures to you by his spirit and to keep out your carnal reason from thence which cannot understand them but will be wresting them and making them speak as it would have them or whether ye take scope to search into them with that part which ever was shut out from the right knowledge of
them The natural man understandeth not the things of the spirit of God the spirit of the Lord alone understandeth the meaning of his own words and he alone gives the understanding of them which he gives not to the wise Searcher and Disputer nor to the prudent professor Mat. 11.25 but to the babe which he begets to which he gives the kingdom and opens the words which the Scripture speaks concerning the kingdome The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God and if that search into the Scriptures it will gather only a knowledge suitable to its enmity Thus the Jews were great enemies and strong enemies by the knowledge which they had gathered out of the Scriptures written to them and the same spirit hath also wound it self into the Scriptures written since And as then that spirit fought against Christ and his Apostles with those very Scriptures which the spirit of Christ had formerly written so the same spirit fights now against the Lambs and witnesses of Christ with the Scriptures which were written since Yea the great strong hold of Antichrist at this day is Scripture interpreted by the fleshly wisdome for Antichrist comes not in a direct denial of Christ or Scriptures he is too cunning to be found there but bends them aside by the fleshly wisdom to serve the fleshly will and thus undermines the spirit and exalts the flesh by a fleshly understanding and interpretation of those very Scriptures which were written by the spirit against the flesh And through this mistake it is that some innocently cry up things practised at the first springing up of truth not seeing of what nature they were and upon what account they were done and what of them were cast off by the same spirit which before had led to the use of them though the Scripture expresly testifieth thereof For Rev. 11.1 2. there was the measuring of the building which Gods own spirit had built part whereof was reserved for God part given to the Gentiles or uncircumcised in heart who are now the Gentiles since the breaking down of the former distinction betwixt Jew and Gentile That which God reserved for himself was the Altar the Temple the worshippers therein all these are inward The outward Court was given to the Gentiles to those who would be worshippers under the Gospel and yet had not the circumcision of the Gospel to them the Court which is without the Temple is given and this they get and cry up and then tread under foot the Holy City trampling upon the inward and undervaluing it Christ within the Spirit within the Law within the power within becomes a reproach and this they have power to do even to keep down the inward and cry up the outward all the time of the forty two months and to persecute and slay the witnesses whom God raised up to testifie for the inward and against the outward as it is now in the Gentiles hands and made use of by them to keep down the inward and so the building being thus taken down the Church flies out of it into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God for her Rev. 12.6 Mark she is not where she was before that building was measured taken down and disposed of by God but she hath been and is all the time of the 42. months or 1260 daies in another place prepared by the spirit of God for her whither she fled and where she was nourished from the face of the Serpent who was seeking after her and making war with the remnant of her seed ver 14. c. And they that seek for her now in her former building will miss of her and may meet with another woman which in several appearances and disguises and practising of ordinances appertaining to the outward Court blasphemes the holy City the true Temple Altar and Worshippers Happy is he that can read this for it is the mystery of this book sealed from all the Gentiles and Worshippers in the outward Court Many sorts cry up the Scriptures for their rule but which of them is taught by the spirit to keep the carnal part out of the Scriptures Which of them keeps out their own will and understanding receiving their knowledge of Scriptures from that Spirit which wrote them Do not men rather gather a knowledge in the flesh and then grow strong and wise and able to dispute and confident in their own way and become feirce despisers of those who cannot own their interpretation of these Scriptures and thus the mind of God the true meaning of the Scriptures is not their rule but an image which they have formed out of it a meaning which their wit hath strongly imagined and fenced with arguments and the real mind and intent of the spirit is hid from them So by this means many both deceive their own souls and help to deceive the souls of others missing of the plainness and simplicity of the spirit and gathering sences in the wit and subtilty of the fleshly part where the serpentine wisdom lodgeth and twines about the tree of knowledge Now what do these men do whom do they serve and whither do they run themselves and lead many other poor souls whom they pretend to be helpful to save 3. Consider whether ye did not flee from the Cross in your transplanting into New-England and so let up that part in you there which should have been kept down by the Cross here and gave advantage to that spirit to get ground in you which ye outwardly fled from The safety is in standing in Gods counsel in bearing the Cross in suffering for the testimony of his truth but if at any time there be a fleeing of the Cross whether the inward or the outward without Gods direction the evil Spirit is thereby let in his part strengthened and the life weakned That Spirit which would save it self from the cross is the same with that which would persecute that which will not save it self Mark how sharply Christ speaks to Peter upon this account when he would have tempted him to avoid the cross get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savorest not the things of God c. Mat. 16.23 The seed offers up all to God in his service will suffer any thing for his names sake even the loss of liberty goods yea life it self for the testimony to the least truth now that which sayes to the seed when sufferings come for the testimony of truth avoid it save thy self let not this be unto thee or the like that 's Satan and if Satan be not cast behind but that counsel hearkned unto which leadeth from the cross Satan is followed And if ye fled your proper cross in your removal from hence unto New-England though ye might meet with many others there yet hereby ye lost your proper advantage of serving and honouring God in your generation yea ye lost that which would have kept your Spirits tender and
daies of the Apostles there was a King in Israel then the Church was well governed in the meekness and sweet authority and power of Christs spirit which hurts not creatures but strikes at Christs enemy in creatures Since that time the Papists have had a long day of doing what was right in their eyes the Episcoparians a day after them of doing what was right in their eyes and so the Presbyterians and Independents c. but it were better for them all to lament after the right King than to set up an usurped authority in his absence Carnal reason the wisdome of the flesh hath got his seat giving forth its meanings of Scripture and so under a colour of them ruling over his flesh with force and cruelty and not with the meek gentle righteous scepter of his spirit which alone is appointed of Christ to govern them So then the Magistrates punishing of the Quakers is not regular by any institution of Christ but only by a Law of their own making as it is further explained p. 95. of this Appendix the grounds whereof hath been already examined and found insufficient to warrant them therein which I leave to themselves and to every mans conscience to consider of in the dread of God the Judg of all Upon the result of all it may not be amiss to state the case between the Governours of New-England and the Quakers which is briefly thus If the Governours of New-England had just cause to make such a Law against the Quakers and had a true rightly derived power so to do from God who is the spring of all just power and if the Quakers had liberty from the Lord to chuse or refuse obedience to it then their suffering death is justly to be imputed to themselves But if the Governours of New-England had not a just cause of making this law nor authority and power from God so to do and that the Quakers had not liberty to chuse or refuse coming thither but had an indespensible command from Christ their Lord then their sufferings and blood will rest on the heads of the Governours of New-England and will stick closer to them than to be wiped off by such kind of arguments and reasonings All depends upon your first step of proceeding If that was without due ground not in the fear of the Lord without Christs allowance direction without having duly weighed the thing in the true unerring ballance but rather in the hastiness and stiff resolvedness of the flesh then all your proceedings since have been but aggravations of your sin and God might justly let you go on thus far to shame you evenin the sight of the very heathen among whom the sense and abhorrence of this cruel and bloody spirit cannot but make your profession of of the Gospel of peace become a reproach The Quakers came to you in the name of the Lord to discover from him to you the evil of your waies to convince you by his light of your departing from that spirit which was persecuted in you in the times of your sufferings in old England but ye would not meekly hear and consider of what they had to say to you from the Lord but presently imprisoned and sent them away and so proceeded further and further against them till at length ye came to drink their blood So that in truth their testimony is the cause of their death and judg in your own hearts whether this be not persecution of a deep dye It were better for you to charge it upon your own hearts then to have the Lord charge it upon you when ye come to stand before him to be eternally judged There remains yet an other Paper printed here in England called A true Relation of the proceedings against certain Quakers at the general Courts of the Massathusets holden at Boston in New-England October 18. 1659. THe Arguments therein whereupon they would have their proceedings pass for just and not be accounted Persecution are these The authority of this Court the Laws of the Country the Law of God and their gradual proceedings Answ Persecutors are very seldom if at any time without these pleas for themselves Had not the Bishops as fair a right to this plea to cover their persecutions of the non-conformists with Could not they in their day have alledged the authority of their Courts the Laws of their Country perhaps some not made directly to intrap neither as yours were and had not they as confident a pretence to the Law of God as these and did they not also proceed gradually He that doubteth let him read Hookers Ecclesiastical Policy and other writings of the conformists and see whether their spirit was not more mild Christian like and their arguments more weighty by far then those which these have used against the Quakers Nay have the very Papists themselves been without these arguments Did they not proceed gradually in Queen Maries daies against the Martyrs yea what pains did they take to convince them of their Heresies and to bring them into the unity of the true Church as they accounted it But these arguments did not justifie the Papists or conformists in the sight of God though they might justifie their proceedings in the eyes of their own party nor will they justifie them who have gone one step beyond the conformists But as the spirit of persecution entring into the Bishops and conformists was the same spirit as well when it was in them as in the Papists so the same spirit entring into the non-conformists is the same spirit still in them as it was in the Bishops and conformists And the plea of the authority of their Court the Laws of the country with such a kind of pretence to the Law of God and their gradual proceeding is no more in truth and reality a shelter for them then it was for the other though they in their day look upon it as a good sufficient cover even as the Bishops did in their day the Papists in their day Had they wanted this cover the nakedness of their zeal profession would have appeared to every eye yea their own consciences could not but have flown in their faces had they put them to death so soon as ever they had come over without any foregoing proceedings but this is the nature of the persecuting spirit first it seeks a cover to stop the mouth of its own conscience and to hide its blood-thirsty actions from the eye of the world and then its feet are swift to shed the blood of the innocent But the same Lord God of truth and righteousness who hath unmasked the Papists and unmasked the Bishops will unmask these also and their nakedness shall more appear than the others who would hide themselves and their own cruelty with that covering which they themselves have judged in others It is not therefore any of these but the grounds of their proceedings must manifest them to be just or else notwithstanding the
authority But he was a servant he made use of the gift of the spirit of the power of life wherewith the Father filled him to minister and serve with He did never Lord it over the consciences of any of his disciples but did bear with them and pitty them in their infirmities what can ye not watch with me one hour The spirit said he is willing but the flesh is weak He did not hold forth to them what ever he knew to be truth requiring them to believe it but was content with them in their state and waited till their capacities were enlarged being still satisfied with the honesty and integrity of their hearts in their present state of weakness Nor did he strive to reign over the world or call for fire from heaven when they would not receive him or express indignation when they desired him to depart out of their coasts or pray for twelve Legions of Angels when they came to betray â—im and most unrighteously sought his life but the life he had received of his Father he gave up as a ransom for his disciples yea and for his enemies Mark he did not make use of what was given him to raise himself up above others to make his word to stand for a Law and be received but he waited till that was opened in his disciples and in people which was able to receive his testimony and he made use of his power of life and the fulness of the spirit to inable him the more abundantly to serve and to wait in patience for the fulfilling of the will of the Father And though Israel was not gathered by him yet was he meek and patient and at rest in the will of him that sent him and instead of reigning over all could serve all and give that life whose due it was to reign a ransom for many ver 28. His kingdom was not of this world nor did he seek any greatness or authority according to this world neither over the Jews nor over the Gentiles nor over his own disciples but he served all he sought the good of all the life in him which was to reign over all yet here served all suffered for all and from all and that was his way to his crown who having finished his course fulfilled his service perfected his sufferings is sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on high where now he reigns over all and is made a King by God in righteousness And this is the pattern which all his disciples are to walk by The more life they receive the more they are to minister the more they are to serve They must not lift up themselves by their gifts they must not hereupon Lord it over others or hold forth their knowledge or doctrines and think to make others bow thereto but wait in their service till the Lord make way into mens hearts and plant his truth there and upon him also must they wait for the watering and growth of it Quest But is there to be no greatness no authority among the disciples of Jesus or in the Church of Christ Is every one to do what he will to be subject to his own fancies and imaginations to the inventions of his own corrupt heart what a confused building will this be Sure this will not long remain a Zion but soon become a Babylon even an heap of disorder and confusion Answ There is to be no such kind of greatness no such kind of authority Yet there is both a greatness and authority suitable to the state of disciples suitable to that kind of kingdome whereof they are There are Laws there are Governments there are Governors there is ruling and there is subjection but all in the spirit all suitable to that which is to bo governed but no government of or according to the flesh As Christs kingdom is not of this world so the government of his Church and people is not according to this world but as that which gathers is his spirit and that which is gathered is spiritual so that which is governed is the spirits of his people and they are to be governed by his spirit and spiritually and not after a fleshly manner Thus Christ himself though he ministred to his disciples yet he also was their Lord and Master and in the spirit and life of the Father ruled over them and thus the Apostles and other ministers of Christ had likewise in the spirit the care of the Churches and authority in the Lord by his spirit to govern the spirits of his people not to govern after a fleshly manner by their own wills not to prescribe them in a Lordly way either what they should believe or practise but in the light and in the power of the spirit to make their way into every ones conscience in the sight of God ministring to every one in the spirit according to their capacity and growth and waiting patiently for God to convey the food and nourishment and to build their spirits up in the faith thereby The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets Here is the government here is the law of rule and subjection in the life Every one feeling a measure of the Spirit in himself is thereby taught to own and subject to a greater measure of the same Spirit in another He that hath no measure of the Spirit of God he is not of God he is none of Christs and he that hath received a measure of the Spirit in the same spirit feeleth anothers measure and owneth it in its place and service and knoweth its moving and cannot quench it but giveth way to it with joy and delight When the Spirit moves in any one to speak the same spirit moves in the other to be subject and give way and so every one keeping to his own measure in the spirit here can be no disorder but true subjection of every spirit and where this is wanting it cannot be supplyed by any outward rule or order set up in the Church by common consent for that is fleshly and lets in the flesh and destroyes the true order rule and subjection The Apostles and Ministers of Christ come from Christ with a message of life and salvation with a testimony concerning the good will of God and his love to mankind pointing out the way from death to life from bondage to liberty from wrath and destruction to peace and salvation What they have seen what they have felt what they have tasted what they have handled what they have found redeem and deliver them that they declare abroad to others as they are moved as they are sent as they are guided and assisted Now that which they preach to is mens consciences in the sight of God They open the truth which they know they give their testimony in the moving leading and power of the Spirit and they leave it to the same spirit to demonstrate it to mens consciences as it pleaseth They are nothing they
can do nothing they cannot convert any man to God but the power that speaketh by them the same power worketh in other mens consciences at its pleasure And here is the beginning of the government of Christ in the heart when his truth carries conviction with it to the conscience and the conscience is drawn to yeild it self up to him then he layes his yoak upon it and takes upon him the guiding of it he cherisheth it he cleanseth it he comforteth it he ordereth it at his pleasure and he alone preserveth it pure chast gentle meek and plyable to the impressions of his Spirit And as the conscience is kept single and tender to Christ so his government increases therein but as it becomes hard or subject to mens wills so another spirit gets dominion over it Therefore the great work of the Minister of Christ is to keep the conscience open to Christ and to preserve men from receiving any truths of Christ as from them further than the spirit opens or to imitate any of their practises further than the spirit leads guides and perswades them For persons are exceeding prone to receive things as truths from those whom they have an high opinion of and to imitate their practises and so hurt their own growth and indanger their souls For if I receive a truth before the Lord by his spirit make it manifest to me I loose my guide and follow but the counsel of the flesh which is exceeding greedy of receiving truths and running into Religious practises without the spirit Therefore the main thing in religion is to keep the conscience pure to the Lord to know the guide to follow the guide to receive from him that light whereby I am to walk and not to take things for truths because others see them to be truths but to wait till the spirit make them manifest to me nor to run into worships duties performances or practises because others are led thither but to wait till the spirit lead me thither He that makes hast to be rich even in religion running into knowledge and into worships and performances before he feel a true and clear guidance shall not be innocent nor the Lord will not hold him guiltless when he comes to visit for spiritual adultery and idolatry The Apostles were exceeding tender in this point for though they certainly and infallibly knew what was to be believed yet they were not Lords over mens faith but waited till he who is Lord of the faith would open the way into mens consciences They did not take upon them to be able to turn the key to let in truth and conviction into mens spirits as men in these dayes have been too apt to undertake but directed them to him who had the key there to wait for the conviction and illumination of their minds and so to receive in as they found him give forth to them Let every man saith the Apostle be fully perswaded in his own mind take heed of receiving things tâ—â— soon take heed of running into practises too soon take heed of doing what ye see others do but wait for your own particular guidance and for a full perswasion from God what is his will concerning you Though I know this to be a truth yet do not ye receive it till God make it manifest to you receive truth from his hand stay till he give it you Indeed the main matter in religion is to keep out the wrong part the forward part the bastardly birth from running into duties catching of openings and laying hold of promises and to feel the heir born of the immortal seed to whom all belongs and that the other birth never afterwards get up above him but be subdued and brought into subjection Again saith the Apostle take heed of doing any thing doubtingly be not forward be not hasty wait for the leading wait for the manifestation of the Spirit Be sure thou receive what thou receives in the faith and practise what thou practises in the faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin being an error from the principle of life which is to guide and thereby thou loosest ground and dishonourest Christ and comest under condemnation And so the Apostle warns believers to take heed of drawing one another on too fast or of judging one another in such things as some of them might have light in others not He that eateth not to judge him that did not eat and he that did not eat not to judge him that did eat Yea in matters of worship he that observed a day and kept a Sabbath not to judge him that observed not a day or kept not a Sabbath for the Jews which were truly converted yet were hard to be drawn off from the observation of their Sabbath and could hardly bear with the believing Gentiles who were never taught to keep their Sabbath with them but were taught to esteem every day and sanctifie it to the Lord Rom. 14.5 And these who esteemed every day and dedicated it to the Lord ceasing from sin and resting to him for under the Gospel we are not to set up a new type but to enter by faith into the true rest which is the substance of what the other signified could hardly bear with them who observed a day Even in the Apostles dayes Christians were too apt to strive after a wrong unity and uniformity in outward practises and observations and to judge one another unrighteously in these things And mark it is not the different practise from one another that breaks the peace and the unity but the judging of one another because of different practises He that keeps not a day may unite in the same spirit in the same life in the same love with him that keeps a day and he who keeps a day may unite in heart and soul with the same spirit and life in him who keeps not a day but he that judgeth the other because of either of these errs from the spirit from the love from the life and so breaks the bond of unity And he that draws another to any practise before the life in his own particular lead him doth as much as in him lies to destroy the soul of that person vers 15. This was the Apostles rule for every one to perform singly to the Lord what he did and not for one to meddle with the light or conscience of another undervaluing his brother or judging him because his light and practises differed from his vers 10. of that 14. chap. but every one to keep close to their own measure of light even to that proportion of faith and knowledge which God of his mercy hath bestowed on them And here is the true unity in the Spirit in the inward life and not in an outward uniformity That was not necessary in the Apostles dayes nor is it necessary now and that eye which so dotes upon it overlooks the one thing which is necessary Men keeping close to God the Lord will
unto any thing which the Lord leads him not into but rejoyce if thou find him in simplicity of heart startling at any thing for if he abide here faithful his guide will in due season appear to him and clear up his way before him but if he be too hasty he may follow a wrong guid and that guid will never lead him aright towards the Kingdom but intangle him further and further from it O how many have run a whoring from the Lord how many have first lost the guidance of his Spirit and then drowned their life in religious performances how many have drunk of the cup of fornication from the life at the hands of the fleshly wisdome how many have filled their spirits with New-Testament Idols and Images how many have even hardened their hearts and consciences by following the doctrines of men their imaginary meanings of Scriptures and the imaginations and dreams of their own hearts Is it not time for men at length to turn back towards the Lord to wait for the visitation and light of his spirit from whom they have gone a whoring and whom in all these things they have grieved And if ever any feel and enjoy the guidance of Gods spirit their conscience must be kept tender to it and ready to hear and follow his voyce who speaks in spirit to that which is born of him which insallibly knows his voyce and being kept clear cannot doubt concerning it My Sheep hear my voyce saith Christ they know it and the voyce of the strange spirit they know not so as to follow it but turn from it both in themselves and others But that which is not the Sheep but hath only got the Sheeps cloathing cries out how shall we know the voyce of the spirit We may be deceived Nay that which is born of God that which is the elect of God cannot be deceived Wait therefore for the birth of the Spirit to which the Spirit is given for a guide who infallibly guides it out of deceit All deceivers are out of this birth out of this spirit perhaps in some birth or other framed from the Letter and living in the imitation of some practises and Ordinances from the Letter under which cover they lie in wait to deceive but strangers to the life and power and to that wisdome which begets and bears to God Thus the Jews erred and deceived their proselytes before the coming of Christ Thus the Christians in name have generally erred all along the Apostasie and indeed for the generallity have not been true Christians but only a persecuted remnant amongst them whose life hath been nourished and preserved not by doctrines and observations which they have been taught by the precepts of men nor by the knowledge which they themselves have gathered but by a little bread dayly handed to them from the Father of mercies out of the Wilderness that was the thing which nourished their souls up to God though many of them knew not distinctly what it was that nourished them nor how they came by it Obj. But is not uniformity lovely and doth not the Apostle exhort Christians to be of one mind and were it not a sweet thing if we were all of one heart and one way Answ Yea uniformity is very lovely and to be desired and waited for as the spirit of the Lord which is one leads and drawes into one But for the fleshly part the wise reasoning part of man by fleshly waies and means to strive to bring about a fleshly uniformity which insnares and overbears the tender conscience this is not lovely nor spiritual nor Christian And the Apostle who exhorts Christians to one mind yet doth not bid them force one another into one mind but walke together sweetly so far as they had attained and wherein they were otherwise minded God in his due time would reveal more to them Philip. 3.15 16. He that hath to him shall be given And the intent and work of the Ministry with the several ministrations of it is to bring into the unity Ephes 4.13 as persons are able to follow and not to force all men into one practise or way that 's the way to destroy the faith and the true unity and at best can introduce but a fleshly appearance of unity in such a form of worship and godliness as eats out the power And for being of one heart and one way blessed be the Lord this is in measure known and witnessed The way is one Christ the truth of God and he that is in the faith and in the obedience to that light which shines from his spirit into the heart of every believer hath a tast of the one heart and of the one way and knoweth that no variety of practises which is of God can make a breach in the true unity This is the one way for every one to be subject to that light of Christs spirit which he hath received from Christ and every one keeping here there is also one heart kept in the midst of all the variety and diversity of practises And the unity being thus kept all will come into one outwardly also at length as the light growes in every one and as every own growes into the light but this must be patiently waited for from the hand of God who hath the right way of effecting it and who alone can do it and not harshly and cruelly attempted by the rough hand of man Some Considerations concerning the State of Things relating to what hath been now is and shortly is to come to pass warning all People to look about them and to wait on the Lord for the unerring light of his Spirit that they may know the times and seasons and the work which God is now about in the world which is great and wonderful and so may not be found fighters against God his Truths and the Witnesses of this Age and Generation more particularly lamenting over and exhorting England With a faithful Testimony concerning the Quakers 1. THat the Spouse of Christ the true Church which God built in the Apostles daies by his Spirit the Church against which the gates of hell could not prevail the Church which was the Temple of the living God the pillar and ground of truth the Woman which was cloathed with the Sun who had the Moon under her feet and was crowned with a crown of twelve Stars c. This Church at the close of the fight between Michael with his Angels and the Dragon with his Angels fled into the Wilderness into the place prepared of God for her Revel 12.6 having two wings of a great Eagle given her that she might fly thither to her place where she was to abide and be hid from the face of the Serpent and to be fed with the living nourishment from the hand of the Father all the time of Antichrists reign which is said to be a time times and half a time vers 14. or one thousand two hundred and
sixty dayes as vers 6. or forty two months as Chap. 11.2 And she was accordingly gone out of sight insomuch as the Serpent could find her no more but went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Revel 11.17 2. That the true Church cannot come out of the Wilderness till the time of her abobe there the set time appointed by God be ended nor then neither but by the outstretched arm of the Lord Psa 102.13 She may mourn over her desolate Wilderness state but she cannot fly out of it without the help of the wings of the same Eagle which were given her to fly into it The Lord must pitty the dust of Sion and by his everlasting strength and compassion raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen down or it can be restored no more vers 16. Revel 21.3 3. That the state of the people of God all this time of the true Churches absence hath been a state of captivity The seed hath been in bondage in Egypt the dark Land in Babylon the Land of confusion for such all the Church buildings order and government have been in compare with the true order and government of the Church by the Spirit which was known and enjoyed by the people of God before this her flight where they have been mourning under their chains of darkness and lamenting over their mother for Zion hath been laid wast and Jerusalem the holy City hath been troden under foot by the Gentiles to whom the outward Court was given when God took down his building and secured his Temple Altar and the worshippers therein Rev. 11.2 And in this state God finds his people when he comes to overthrow her to bring death and mourning and famine and fire upon her Rev. 18.8 and to redeem them for then the voice goes forth from the spirit of the Lord to the spirits of his people Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins c. ver 4. Why were the people of God in her till now yea till the very hour of her judgment and are many of them in great danger of staying there even till they feel her plagues They that sit down in any Church-building taking it for Sion before Gods season of building his Sion sit down but in Babylon it is no other though they who have drunk of the false womans cup new mixed for them and so are inchanted a fresh into some new fine-painted bed of her fornication cannot believe it to be so 4. That when God redeems his people out of Babylon he brings them not immediately unto Sion not immediately into a built City but into the wilderness where the Church lies unbuilt where they are prepared and fitted for the holy Land and circumcised in spirit before their entrance There is a long travel from Babylon to Zion wherein the hasty spirit the rough spirit the exalted spirit the murmuring spirit the self-will self-worship self-wisdom knowledge and righteousness all which are of great price in Babylon is cut down and the spirit broken emptyed made poor deeply humbled and so prepared for Gods holy Hill When a Babylonish building or way of worship is discovered man would fain have another ready to put in the place of it so soon as it is pulled down Thus mans wisdome would order it but the Lord will not have it so but there must be a season of desolation of stripping of nakedness of being uncloathed of all the purple and scarlet dye of Babylon Rev. 17.4 a pulling off the ornaments of all the knowledge worship ordinances duties experiences c. which are held and practised out of the pure life And in this state of misery and fore distress the Lord laies the foundation of the new heavens and of the new earth in the spirits of his people which when it is finished then at length he saith to Zion Thou my people Isa 51.16 Observe therefore the error of the reformations since the Apostacy They have been still building too fast and not waiting on God to be hewn and squared and fitted for his building The reformed Churches have still been built of stones before they were made ready for the building They have not waited their time of preparation in the wilderness nor have they waited for Gods building them up into a Temple nor for the time and season wherein it is Gods pleasure to build So that though they did well in seperating from that which was corrupt and manifestly evil yet they did not well in making hast into another way of their own forming but should have waited for Gods manifestation of the good and for his leading of them by his spirit into it And by this means it hath come to passe that though there hath been a pure thing often stirring towards reformation yet by an over forward hastening to build the good hath been quenched and the evil hath again under a new cover or form of worship overgrown it and then hath been ready to revile and persecute the good in others but this the eye which is overtaken with the appearing beauty of its building having concluded it to be according to the will of God revealed in the Scriptures cannot discern 5. That when Zion is rebuilt when the Church its heaven is again stretched forth wherein she was seated before she fled into the Wilderness Rev. 12.1 those that are Gods faithful witnesses into whom his spirit of life hath entred and whom he hath caused to stand upon their feet shall ascend up to heaven in a cloud which their very enemies shall behold Rev. 11.12 And this was done in the time of a great Earth-quake wherein the tenth part of the City fell ver 13. The shaking at this time is very great in this Nation let men mark what will be the issue and observe whether notwithstanding all the seeming contrarieties the Lord God do not so order it as to bring a considerable part of Babylon down and of the powers that uphold her The people of God all this time of Antichrists reign have been a suffering people The tender-hearted every where whose souls could only bow to the Lord who could not receive doctrines from men or fall into worships and practises at the will of man have lain open to Church-censures as they call them and to the Magistrates indignation under the names of Hereticks Blasphemers Seducers and disturbers of the peace both of Church and state and indeed so far as any have tasted of the true light and power of Christ and have been called forth by him to be his witnesses they could not but be disturbers of the carnal peace and security of the Antichristian congregations against whom they witnessed When the true Church fled into the Wilderness the Serpent cast a flood after her she was reproached and blasphemed for an Harlot a Strumpet one that was not the Lambs wife as she
imagining mind which first builds up with apprehensions about Church Religion and worship without the spirit and then is offended with that which cannot bow to those images But be it known unto you O Nations and Powers of the Earth that the Lord hath raised up a people whose knees can alone bow at the name of Jesus and whose tongues can alone confess to him And if Nebuchadnezzars spirit should heat a furnace of affliction seven times hotter then it hath yet been heated all this dâ—y of the cruel sufferings of Gods dear people and threaten all with it that will not bow to the image or form of worship which he sets up yet this we know assuredly that the Lord hath begotten a seed which he can deliver and which we do not doubt but he will deliver let Antichrists Sea Waves roare never so loud against them But however bow to any image they cannot for they have tasted of the living truth it self which hath made them free from such images and idols wherein they were before intangled and the spirit of the Lord calleth aloud to them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set them free and not to receive any more the yoke of bondage upon their necks but to draw under the sweet gentle yoak of his Spirit O England England how sad is thy state how great mighty things hath the Lord done in thee but thou still overlookest his hand and art offended with the work of his Spirit because it sutes not with thy fleshly desires and interests O England England what will become of thee the Lord hath kindled his sire and thou addest fewel daily The Lord is arisen to make inquisition for the sufferings and blood of his people and thou instead of repenting of what thou hast done art greedy of more Thou hast deeply drunk of the whores cup of fornication and that makes thee thus thirsty after the Saints blood Thou cryest out against those that put the Martyrs to death as the professing Jews did against those that put the Prophets to death and yet persecutest their Spirit wherever it appears in further prosecution of the work of reformation at this day even as the Jews did persecute the Spirit of the Prophets in Christ and his Apostles O mourn to the Lord to open thine eyes that thou maist not thus stand any longer in his way Let him bring forth his Church let him set up his truth let him advance his people and do not thou go about to limit the spirit of the holy one in them There 's none of these will harm thee but bring blessings upon thee Let thy Governors keep within their bounds and be a defence upon all people in their just rights and liberties and see if from that day he do not bless thee But if there be one thing in the Lords heart concerning his people and another thing in thine if he resolve to bring them forth to his praise and to give them their liberty in their obedience to his Spirit thou resolve they shall come under thy yoaks and bonds how can ye agree your wrath by this means must needs be kindled against each other and he that hath most strength will carry it For as the day of your wrath is come to see the people of God so increase and grow bold in his truth and power so the day of his wrath is come to see his people so reproached hated hunted and persecuted for his names sake Revel 11.18 And take heed lest upon that spirit which in this generation still continues persecuting the sufferings persecutions and blood of all the Saints and Martyrs shed all the time of Antichrists raign be not required The blood of all the Prophets from Abel to Zacharias was required of that great professing generation of the Jews who spake such great words of Moses and the Prophets but persecuted Christ and his Apostles Mat. 23.35 And the blood of all the souls that lie under the Altar crying how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth They were bid to rest a little season and then the blood of all that ever was slain since the Apostles dayes is to be required on that generation of professors who are found even to the very last in the persecuting spirit Revel 6.10 11. I do not write this to reproach any sort of professors but in true love and bowels of compassion that such among them as ever had any tast of God and of his sweet meek spirit but are now grown hard and found smiting their fellow servants may if it be possible hear the Lords voyce which yet tenderly calls after them that they may not be cut in pieces and receive their portion of wrath with Babylon Mat. 24.49 50 51. Revel 18.4 As for me I am poor and weak a worm and no man one who hath been a mourner and wanderer in a strange land all my dayes yea I have been that fool who though I have often been very neer yet still knew not the way to the city of my God Eccles 10.15 and at present I am very unworthy and unfit to be an instrument in the Lords hand for the reclaiming of any man from his wanderings Yet this I can in truth and uprightness say concerning the Lords gracious dealings with me that in the bowels of his mercy he hath visited me and turned my face towards his Zion and in his life and Spirit as he pleaseth to keep me fresh and open I know both my way and my leader and also that which is mine enemy which continually endeavoureth to betray and devour me And I speak the truth in Christ I lie not I know also what I have felt wrath and misery upon and that what the Lord hath so long and so severely smitten in me he will not spare in others O that men could hear and avoid my bed of torment where I suffered a most dreadful and terrible hell for many years bear with me for I cannot call it less though without either guilt upon my Spirit or fear of wrath being justified before God in my own conscience till afterwards under long continuance of misery and thick darkness some guilt was contracted and having a secret root of hope concerning good from God if once I might appear in his presence to plead my cause there Who can possibly believe the misery I endured if it were related and yet it had not the least mixture of either of these in it for a long time But after this through the ignorance and thick darkness wherewith I had been long overwhelmed not knowing what had been and still was present with me the tempter by his subtilty got in and led out my mind from what had visited and sought after me all my dayes to wait and hope for some great appearance to set me to rights and here my loss was very great my soul being hereby
not the way to preserve the hearts and consciences of the flock it may perhaps strike terror into the fleshly nature but their consciences are so much the more apt to be wrought upon by the doctrines patience and sufferings of those who are thus dealt with The Magistrates sword being thus used doth not at all preserve that which is tender but hurts it dis-ingages it stirs up a Witness in it against those that thus go about to defend that which they call truth that build up their Jerusalem with blood and govern their flock with force affrighting them from that which they call errors and affrighting them into that which they call truth with an outward sword whereas the true Temple is built in peace governed in peace maintained in peace defended by peace and Errors and Hereticks dispelled by the power of the spirit manifesting the deceit to the conscience and not by the sword of the Magistrate dealing with them as with worldly Malefactors Now this I say as before the Lord The true Shepherd who hath received the sword of the Spirit and hath tried the vertue of it cannot distrust it cannot desire the Magistrates help by outward force against errors or heresies he that looketh upon it as insufficient and calleth to the Magistrate for his sword plainly discovers that he hath not received or knoweth not the vertue of the true one and dishonoureth both his Masters work and weapon For that place of 2 John 10. It is one thing for a man not to receive a man into his house and another thing for him to kill that person who offers to come against his will Do ye believe in your hearts that the Apostles intent was to direct the Christians to whom he wrote to keep them out by violence and to kill them if they could not otherwise keep them out Though the parrallel is not proper for God hath often sent his Servants into countries cities places of resort against the will of the rulers Priests and false Prophets but never to break violently into any mans house The Magistrate keeping in his place cannot but be a nursing Father to the Church for let him draw out his sword against that wickedness which is proper for him to cut down it will exceedingly help to nurse up the Church but where hath the Magistrate commission to meddle with any of the spiritual shepherds work Nay his sword was never appointed to cut down errors or heresies or hereticks but the sword of the Spirit in the hand of the spiritual Shepherd God hath set up an hedge between these two powers which he that breaketh down layeth both waste as to their true use vertue and order and this Antichrist hath long done in many appearances The bringing of these two to rights setting each in their proper place will give such a wound to his kingdome as he will not be able to recover And mark this by the way Antichrist hath all along made use of the Magistrates sword to slay the Lambs under the name of Hereticks Sectaries Wolves Blasphemers but Christ comes with the spirit of his mouth to slay Antichrist 2 Thes 2.8 That 's the sword all the Hereticks Seducers and false Prophets were slain with in the Apostles dayes before the Apostacy and that 's the sword that Antichrist who hath made use of the other sword against Christ all along the Apostacy shall be slain with after the Apostacy When Christ comes to fight against Antichrist who hath cruelly torn rent and butchered his people under the name of wolves he will take his own sword which is the words of his mouth That did the work at first that must do the work again But in the middest between these two seasons there hath been bad work made with the Magistrates swords the witnesses upon every appearance and breaking forth of Gods truth in them having been liable to feel the smart of it 6. Their sixt and last ground and consideration whereby they justifie their law of banishment and death against the Quakers is this It was the commandment of the Lord Jesus unto his Disciples that when they were persecuted in one City They should flee unto another and according it was his own practise and the practise of the Saints who when they have been persecuted have fled away for their own fasety This they say reason requires that when men have liberty unto it they should not refuse so to do because otherwise they will be guilty of tempting God and of incurring their own hurt as having a fair way open for the avoyding thereof but they needlesly expose themselves thereto Whereupon they argue thus If therefore that which is done against the Quakers were indeed persecution what spirit may they be thought to be acted and led by who are in their actings so contrary to the commandment and example of Christ and of his Saints in the case of persecution which these men suppose to be their case Plain enough it is that if their case were the same their actings are not the same but quite contrary So that Christ and his Saints were led by one Spirit and these people by another for rather than they would not shew their contempt of authority and make disturbance amongst his people they chuse to go contrary to the express direction of Jesus Christ and the approved example of his Saints to the hazard and peril of their own lives Answ Afflictions tribulations tryals persecutions are not to be fled from but to be born and passed through to the Kingdome into which the entrance is through many of these Acts 14.22 and Christ saith he that will be his Disciple must take up his cross daily and follow him Luke 9.23 Now persecution for Christ is part of the cross which the Disciple must not run away from but take up and follow Christ with Yea the Apostle is very express 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution It is the portion of all and all must bear it The World hateth and persecuteth in some degree or other all that are not of the World and all must be content with their daily portion thereof waiting on God for strength to bear the cross not flying it and the Apostle commends the Hebrews for enduring the great fight of afflictions Heb. 10.32 33 34. The Jews were zealous for the Law and Ordinances of Moses and grievous persecutors of the Christians especially of such as had been of them before now the Christians are commended for standing the shock for bearing the brunt for not fearing the loss of name goods life or any thing but eyeing the heavenly treasure So Christ warning of persecution bids the Church to fear none of those things which she should suffer but be faithful unto the death and he that thus overcometh should not be hurt of the second death Revel 2.10 11. and the Apostle Peter sayes if ye suffer for righteousnest sake happy are