if not for Deliverance for he saith presently after The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death So it is plain that he was delivered and set free from the Law of Sin and Death unto which he had been in Captivity while he was carnal sold under Sin and therefore the aforesaid Words of Paul with which some plead against the possibility of freedom from Sin cannot properly be rendred to describe his present condition at the writing thereof And it may at large be read in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul as also of the other Apostles that Freedom from sin Eph. 2.4 to 11. Rom. 6.22 1 Cor. 15.56 57. and the servitude thereof may be and was attained by true Christians while in this World And those that from the aforesaid Words of Paul do plead for continuance in sin during Life 1 Cor. 15.32 33 34. Isa 22.12 13 14. Isa 56.10 11 12. Wisd 2.5 6 7. they may as sensibly plead that he in a commanding manner spake to the Corinthians saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye which in Scripture is recommended as a Motto of Epicures and Libertines though he writes next after saying Be not deceived Evil Communications corrupt good Manners awake to Righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame But the Apostle Peter as it were to put the matter concerning the understanding of Paul's Words out of all question 2 Pet. 3.14 15 16. writes thus Be diligent that ye may be found of him without Spot and Blameless and account that the Long suffering of our Lord is Salvation even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction By which Words it is plain that some things written by Paul and here spoken of by Peter were things concerning Spotlesness and Blamelesness which things are not consistent with Sin and concerning which things Paul wrote in all his Epistles And it was such who obeyed not the Light and Grace of Christ which is the Word of Faith Tit. 2.11 12. Rom. 10.8 2 Cor. 10.4 5. 1 John 2.13 14. 1 John 5.4 nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart which the Apostles preached who were not diligent to be found spotless and blameless and it was such as those that wrested Paul's Words to their own destruction for such being in Sin and out of the living Faith whereby true Christians overcome they feeling themselves under the power of the Man of Sin in themselves he easily perswades them that there is no overcoming sin or attaining freedom from sin or spotlesness and blamelesness on this side the Grave and there he would have all Mankind And so such Rom. 6.18 22. quite contrary to the Doctrine of Paul and of the other Apostles wrest the Words of Paul to their own destruction Rom. 8.2 〈◊〉 Cor. 15.57 1 Tim. 6.12 14. 2 Tim. 4.7 Heb. 11.6 and plead for Sin with the Words that he wrote concerning his Warfare in the Faith against Sin though presently after he declares himself to be in another condition but they being out of that Faith without which it is impossible to please God they do not undertake the Warfare aright and therefore are not like to witness the Victory as Paul did And now let all those that plead for Sin for term of Life beware lest they be of those Unlearned and Unstable who wrest the Words of Paul to their own Destruction for though they may have learned many Languages and all the Learning that can be gotten for Money at Schools and Colleges yet if they be not learned in the Mystery of the Faith of Christ which is in his Light and Word of Faith nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart they will be found to be of the unlearned that the Apostle Peter here speaketh of Acts 1.13 for concerning humane Learring Peter himself was called unlearned and ignorant And let all consider whether are most likely to wrest the Apostles to their own destruction they who are truly diligent to be found spotless and blameless who take his Words as well as the words of the other Apostles against Sin in so strict a sence that according thereunto and for f ar of offending God they dare not allow themselves in any Sin lest it be to their destruction Job 28.28 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.2 to 7. Prov. 9.10 Prov. 8.13 Prov. 14 26 27. Prov. 13.14 Prov. 16.6 or those that take liberty in Sin and chuse not the Fear of the Lord which is Wisdom whereby they might better understand the Words of the Wise and their dark Sayings which Fear is not only to hate Evil but to depart from Evil and from Sin the snare of Death and so they make use of the Apostle's Words to plead for the continuance of Sin reckoning that the Apostle when he wrote Letters on Truth 's account and reproved Sin with severity in others was himself continually sinning And so such who reject the Fear of God and his Counsel in their Hearts they are perswaded by the spirit of the Man of Sin in themselves that though they may strive and talk against sin yet while they are in this World they must continue in sin yea even in their best Performances and then what are their worst And so they do not believe that while they live God Feb. 12.29 who is a consuming Fire is able in them with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming to consume the Man of Sin or the Body of Sin and Death whose coming is after the working of Satan Mat. 3.11 12. Luke 3.16 17. with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders and so for all their using signs of Baptism that is a sign that they are not baptized througly with the Baptism of Christ who baptizeth with the Holy Spirit and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire Mark his Floor which is the Heart of Man he will throughly purge gather his Wheat and burn up the Chaff that which proceeds from the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience And what Mat. 15.18 19 20. must Sin remain in the Heart when it is throughly purged or if Sin be not in the Heart where is 〈◊〉 And let all consider that to whom they yield themselves servants to obey Rom 6.16 17. his servants they are to whom they obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness as
true Christian state is atta ned unto and so true Christians are Children of God Tit. 3.5 6 7. Eph. 4.5 who is Light and Heirs of his Kingdom and these have experience of the one Baptism of Christ by his Spirit even the washing of Regeneration or of the New Birth and are sensible of the renewings of his Spirit also But it is a very poor Evidence concerning so great a matter as Eternal Happiness or true Christianity is only to be told to a Man or Woman or to see it written in a Book that when he was an Infant or a Child of a few days old he was baptized and made a Christian whenas he knoweth nothing of certainty that he is so but rather hath an Evidence in his own Heart plainly and truly witnessing that he is in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity and is not led and guided by the Spirit of Christ as true Christians are and so if he weightily examine himself he may find his estate to be otherwise then some would perswade him to believe of it and see it to be very Miserable John bare Testimony of Christ saying There cometh one after me which is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not but that he should be made manifest to Israel John 1.30 31 32 33. John 3.30 therefore am I come baptizing with Water And saith he The same is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost or Spirit and said he he must increase but I must decrease So it is plain that the reason why John Baptized with Water was that Christ and his Spiritual Baptism which only can render Men true Christians should be made manifest to Israel but there can be no such Reason given for Infants Baptism for Christ and Baptism hath been long talked of by Sprinklers of Infants and still both Hearers and Preachers strangers to Christ and his Baptism how then should they make him or his Baptism manifest or known to little Infants And Christ said Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 but they who believe in the Light the incorruptible Word of God in their Hearts Look in the Margined Bibles and so become Children of the Light and of God being Born again or from above as the Word implieth they in the Light see and discern the Kingdom of God within them Rom. 14.17 which consisteth in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit or Ghost which are inwardly to be known And this Sign of Baptism wherewith now adays they sign Infants and reckon it a Badge of Christianity they call a Sacrament and some say there are Seven Sacraments and others say but two to be used in the Church of Christ though in all the Holy Scriptures they find no mention of the Word Sacrament and they say It was commanded by Christ because he said to his Disciples Mat. 28.19 Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in or when truly translated into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit or Ghost Observe here he first bad them to teach them so they should let Teaching be before Baptizing But how can they teach Infants And he commanded this to his Disciples who were learners of him and Witnesses of his Resurrection but they are not such who act contrary to his Commands And he bad them to Baptize into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Now this Name of God is called the Word Light Love and Holy Spirit which is placed in his Spiritual Temple where God dwelleth of which Deut. 12.5 1 Kings 8.29 2 Chron. 7.12 2 Cor. 3.16 the Temple that Solomon built was a Type or Figure in which he said he would place his Name which outward Temple was destroyed but true Christians are the holy Spiritual Temple of God and it was prophesied the Glory of the second Temple should exceed that of the first Hag. 2.4 7 8. But they who pretend to baptize Infants with Water Rev 19 13. they do not believe in the Name of God which is his Word and Light in the Heart and so they are not like to baptize either Infants or others in it or into it being out of it themselves And in the Command of Christ there is no mention at all of Water for the Disciples to baptize withal they being to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.47 49. And behold said he I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on High And so they tarried at Jerusalem until they were endued with Power from on High and then they declared what the Promise of the Father was that Christ had sent upon them even that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour of my Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2.16 17 18. and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie and your Young Men shall see Visions and your Old Men shall dream Dreams and on my Servants and on my Handmaidens I will pour out in these days of my Spirit and they shall prophesie So the Disciples of Christ preached other Doctrine then the Sprinklers of Infants and the pretending Baptizers of this Age preach for they cannot endure to hear of the Spirit of God being poured out upon all Flesh but they mock at the Movings of the Spirit of God in his Servants and Handmaidens as if there were no such thing now which sheweth that they are not endued with Power from on High and so they are short of John the Baptist who was sent of God John 1.6 7. and said A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven John 3.27 And so they having no Authority from God but only from Men take upon them to sprinkle Infants after the Ordinances of Men and call it Baptism having a ridiculous Custom of using Godfathers and Godmothers as they call them and another of signing Infants in the Forehead with the Sign of the Cross some using Oyl Spittle Salt and other silly Ceremonies having nothing at all in the Holy Scriptures to warrant such things being invented in the Apostasy in the deceitful Wisdom of the Antichristian Spirit that hath prevailed and drawn from the Simplicity of true Christianity into the love of outward Signs which are Antichristian Another Argument for their Custom of Sprinkling Infants is the Words that Christ spake saying Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God Mark 10.14,15 and whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child he shall not enter therein Now they who sprinkle Infants bring them to Water which Christ commanded not but do they bring them
it will teach also to take up thy daily Cross to thy own Lusts and to follow Christ in the Regeneration or New Birth Luk. 9.23 John 8.12 Rev. 14.4 and so thou mayest come inwardly to know the true Spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Spiritual Fire and Fan and Water to burn up Sin root and branch in thee and to blow away all Lightness and Vanity and to wash thee inwardly from sin which hath defiled thee and so thou mayst know a walking as a Child of the Light in newness of Life and enjoy the Salvation of God For it is plaâ—n that true Christians are truly baptized with the inward and spiritual Baptism of Christ and are Children of God who is Light through believing in the Light of Christ in their Hearts Tâ—ess 5 John 12.35 36 46. and the Spirit of God beareth witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God and Heirs of God Rom. 8.16 17. and Joint Heirs with Christ and they are led of his Spirit and walk in his Light Rom. 8.14 1 Cor. 12.13 Luk. 12.32 and they are also members of Chrst being baptized by his one Spirit into his one Body and they are also Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven by the obedience of Faith in the Word of his Kingdom in their Hearts And I know by certain experience that though I was in my Childhood and Youth told by my Parents and others that I was baptized in my Infancy and that such were my Godfathers and such a one was my Godmother of whom I was taught Idolatrously to ask Blessing and also was taught according to their Catechism that in that Baptism I was made a Member of Christ and a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven and I was so trained up in my Youth by my Parents yet in a somewhat moderate manner and being held in this implicite Faith by yielding to the power of Darkness I was prevailed upon to stand as a Godfather as they term it to three Children which were sprinkled with Water Yet ever when I took a serious view of my own condition by the Light of Christ Jesus in my own Heart though I knew not then what it was I plainly saw that I was not in such a condition as I heard the Preachers Preach of and I my self could read of that the Children of God were inâ— for the Light and Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ instead of bearing witness with my Spirit that I was a Child of God it bore witness in my Heart and Conscience against my Sins and reproved me for them and so witnessed with my Spirit and Conscience that I was not a Child of God though no Man was my Accuser And so it shewed me how unclean I was as the Preachers used to confess in their Prayers even full of Bruises and Wounds and putrifying Sores inwardly as from the Crown of the Head to the Soles of my Feet and therefore unlike a Child of God or a Member of Christ and unfit to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven which no unclean thing can enter And blessed be the Day wherein I first received the reproof of the Light in the Love of it for there had been a time wherein I had slighted its Reproofs and when it troubled me in my Heart and Conscience for my Sins then I sometimes gat amongst such as are called merry Company to put the trouble away but well was it for me that the reproof pursued me until I inwardly received it in its love and then in some little time I saw Sin to be exceeding sinful yea and loathsom too and I became weary of it and could no longer delight in folly and vanity where Sin ever dweleth no more then a man can delight to see others to laugh at him for his being outwardly full of grievous Wounds and Bruises and putrifying loathsom Sores as I was inwardly And so my greatest need and desire was to be inwardly healed for I saw I was unlike to heal others or to assist to make them Children of God being in that forlorn condition for I saw my self to be in extream need of an able Physician and therefore I consulted them that had been my Teachers who pretended to be Divines and spiritual Physicians having great need of such a one and they told me that my distemper could not be cured on this side the Grave and said it was not to be expected that any Soul of Man can be cleansed from Sin and from the contagion of it and have the grievous Wourds and Bruises and loathsome Sores that Sin hath made all over it to be cured till its Body dye And when I had considered their dismal Opinion for they could not tell me where my Soul could certainly be cleansed or cured after the death of my Body but judged it could not be before then I preceived they were all like Job's Visitants when he was afflicted outwardly as I was inwardly to whom he said Job 1â— 4 15 16 ye are all Physicians of no value and speaking of God he said though he slay me yet will I trust in him and he also shall be my Salvation for an Hypocrite shall not come before him and so Job had a confidence and faith in God that he would save him and whatever became of aim he would curst in God And I then had a little Grain of the Faith in which Job was that God would cleanse me and heal me if I continued Faithful unto him and would be my Salvation and therefore though my said Teachers and pretending Physicians offered me then not questioning their Pay if I would Buy more of their Physick and Salve yet I durst Buy no more of them but refused both their Physick and Merchandize knowing it to be certainly of a pernicious quality and that it would but cast me into a Spiritual Lethargy and so stupifie my Senses that I should not be sensible of my dangerous condition for while I bought of it before-time I knew it was apt to make me so but though I left Trading with them then which is now some Years since and had paid formerly as freely and duly as other their Customers and owed them nothing and since that time never bought nor offered to Buy any more such Physick c. yet Men have Yearly made spoil of my Goods pretending they want Pay of me for their Physick which I would not have taken upon their Gift for I have met with a far better Physician who can Cure all manner of Diseases and therefore I wtll deal with them and their Physick no more and this is a Physician of Value who can and is willing to Cure all manner of inward Diseases of the Souls of those who with all their Hearts commit themselves to him and his Heavenly Orderings and neither requireth nor plundereth for Tythes nor other Wages for his Excellent Cure when fully performed But these Men that
for they abide not in Christ the true Vine but are cast forth as Branches and withered and it will not profit them at all to have a Name to live and be dead And this eating of spiritual Meat 1 Con. 0.1 2 3 4. and drinking of spiritual Drink was witnessed by the Fathers in Israel who were all under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea for said the Apostle they all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ and these were directed by Moses to the word very nigh in the Mouth Dent. 30.11 12 13 14. and in the Heart and he told them of the Prophet that God would raise up unto them in the midst of them that was to be heard in all things which the Martyr Steven said was Christ who was with the Church in the Wilderness whom said he our Fathers would not obey Acts 7 37 to 51. but thrust him from them and in their Hearts turned back again into Egypt And he said to the Jews The stiff necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Forefathers did so do ye And so they that believe in and faithfully obey the Light of Christ which is the Manifestation of his Holy Spirit and the Word of his Grace in their Hearts which is nigh to reprove for sin they become Children of the Light and with his inward Baptism by his own Spirit they are all Baptized into one Body whereof Christ is the Head and so they are Members of Christ whether they be Jews or Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.11 12 to 21. whether they be Bond or Free being all made to drink into his one Spirit for as the Apostle Paul saith The Body is not one Member but many for as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many Eph. 4.5 are one Body so also is Christ And saith he If they were all one Member where were the Body but now are they many Members yet but one Body And these all eat the same spiritual Meat and drink the same spiritual Drink even of the spiritual Rock Christ Jesus of which the Fathers who were under the Cloud of old drank and of which all the Servants Children and People of God and Disciples and Members of Christ in all Ages have drunk Even as all the Members of the Body receive Nourishment from or of the Body and as all the Branches or Members of the Vine receive Nourishment of the Vine in which they dwell But they that believe not in but Rebel against the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts they resist his Holy Spirit and will not by it be Baptized into his one Body and so they are not Members of Christ nor Branches of him the true Vine nor they do not receive Nourishment from him as his Members and Branches do neither do they know an eating of his Flesh or drinking of his Blood to have Eternal Life thereby though they may talk much of it for the power of Death and Darkness even the Man of Sin prevaileth over such and they are subject to his unclean dark unholy Spirit and so are Servants to him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders And so he prevailing upon them to yield to his Temptations and to obey his Power and so to disobey the Light of Christ in their Hearts which reproveth them for sin so that they can have no true spiritual satisfaction then he perswadeth them to endeavour for satisfaction in the use of outward Signs as well of Baptism before treated of as also of eating and drinking the Lord's Supper to wit cating his Flesh and drinking his Blood and so they use Bread and Wine as signs thereof but it is but after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men some after one manner and others after another manner for the Spirit of the Man of Sin doth not Baptize its Followers all into one Body as the Spirit of Christ doth his Followers to whom he giveth one Heart Jer. 31.39 and one Way but it makes them of many different Hearts and Ways and filleth all its Followers with Confusion and Disorder inwardly and outwardly For some believe that the visible Bread and Wine at or by the words of their Priest are Converted or Transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood of Christ and so they think they eat the Body of Christ with their outward Mouths though under the form of outward Bread and that they drink his Blood under the form of outward Wine See Councel of Trent Sess 13. C. 1. Others hold that the Body of Christ is in or with or about the Bread and Wine others only use it in remembrance of Christ's Death c. affirming That the Body of Christ is not there Corporally or Substantially but yet that it is Really and Sacramentally received by the Faithful in the use of outward Bread and Wine In Contention about these Opinions especially about that first mentioned much Innocent Blood hath been shed which is a plain Argument and Evidence that such Blood-shedders are not such as feed spiritually upon the Flesh and Blood of Christ Jesus Mat. 26 5â— whose coming is not to destory Mens Lives but to save them But it is also very plain that such who kill and destroy one another or the Servants of Christ about their Religions and Opinions John 16.2 are such as Rebel against the Light or Manifestation of Christ's Spirit in their Hearts being gradually drawn to that high degree of Rebellion Luke 23.34 by their being prevailed upon by the deceitful Power of the Man of Sin even the Power of Death and Darkness in themselves which maketh them so dark and sensless in spiritual things Acts 3.17 that they know not what they do no more than the Jews did when they Crucified Christ who came to save them but they think they do God good service 1 Cor. 2.7.8 9 10. as Christ foretold of them when they kill his Servants and Children in whom in and by his own meek innocent Spirit he appeareth testifying against all ungodliness and wickedness And so they become as Mystery Babylon their Mother drunken with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus whose Plagues shall come in one Day Death and Mourning and Famine instead of eating as they say the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ Jesus and having Eternal Life thereby And as concerning the said Opinions themselves it is needless to make particular Refutations of them if any think themselves to be clear from shedding Innocent Blood concerning their manner of Doctrine and using of their Bread and Wine and that they have killed none about that matter particularly though they have warred with and probably killed some
〈…〉 By the FINGER of Gods Power AND His Visage Discovered by the Light of CHRIST JESUS and his Ministers Members Workes 〈◊〉 Lying Wonders Manifested by the Spirit of God a Manifestation whereof is given to every Man and Woman to profit withal With Friendly and Serious Invitations Exhortations and Warnings to all Professors of Christianity to beware that Antichristian Spirit that leadeth to Destruction and those Teachers who are Influenced by it Written in the Love of God by a Prisoner at Lancaster Castle for the Testimony of Truth and one of the People called in Scorn Quakers HENRY MOLLINEVX And Jesus answered and said unto them Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and because Iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold Mat. 24.4 5 10 11. As ye have beard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists 1 John 2.18 LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sâ—â—â—â— near the Meeting-house in White-Hart-Court in 〈◊〉 street 1695. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Friendly Reader IT hath been a weighty Concern upon me for several Years to give forth in Writing a Testimony against the Spirit of Antichrist as I have through the Love and Mercy of God been made sensible thereof by the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ Jesus the Son of the Living God and so having cleared and eased my Mind and Conscience of what hath lain upon me I commit to thee the following Treatise desiring that the fear and dread of the Lord God may constantly have a place in thy Heart in the Reading of it as it had in mine in the Writing of it and that will preserve thee Meek and Low in Heart in an aptness to Learn of Christ the Son of God's Love that many Professors of Christianity are but ignorantly talking of and so thou wilt not be apt to take offence nor stumble at the Truth as thou art made sensible of it in thy Heart but wilt be willing for thine own Eternal Good truly to examine thy self before the Lord in Secret how thou standest in thy Spiritual State and Condition before his All-seeing Eye for there was never more need for People to be truly concerned for the Salvation of their Precious Souls than there is now but they who walk not in the fear of the Lord slight it And if thou Reason saying Ah! But I am Unlearned and how should I understand or know the Truth For there are many great Scholars and Men Learned in Latin Greek and Hebrew and yet one sort of them preacheth one Doctrine and others other Doctrines and therefore how should I know which is the Truth I answer that thou mayest be as capable to know the Truth as if thou understood Latin and Greek and Hebrew for the Manifestation of the Spirit of Truth in thy own Heart that reproveth for Sin is sufficient to teach thee to know the Truth if thou believest in it and be truly willing to obey it and in disobedience to it none can know the Truth to their Comfort though they may perfectly understand Latin Greek and Hebrew the understanding whereof in its place may be good and serviceable Yet thou knowest not how soon thou must give an Account to the God of Truth how thou hast profited with the Manifestation of his Spirit of Truth which is given to thee to profit withal As for the Times and Manner of the Inventions setting up and establishing of the Popish Mass Ceremonies Tythes and other Trumpery I refer thee to a Book put forth by Francis Howgill in Two Parts the first Intituled The Glory of the True Church discovered and the latter Part The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome 's imagined Rock And also to a little Book called Popery Arraigned set forth by G. F. and E. H. it not being my present Concern so much to shew the Times and Persons and Manner how by whom and when the Popish Inventions came up in the Apostacy that being upon Record and sufficiently done before as to shew how much they are contrary to the Scriptures of Truth and to the Spirit of Truth by which those Scriptures were given forth and how many professing Christianity and Reformation from Popery are yet found in them and in an Antichristian Spirit and how they may know the evil thereof and come out of them that they may enjoy the pure Life of Christianity which is more than Profession thereof Herein several Popish Inventions and Practices are very little or none Treated of yet comprehended being contrary to the Scriptures of Truth and the Witness of God in every Heart in them who truly take heed to it will Testifie against them such as their Worshipping of Images and Pictures and Relicks and Bones of the Dead and praying to the Dead and for the Dead and counting their Prayers by Beads as if they thought like the Heathens of which Chirst spake that they should be heard for their much speaking or babling with their Mattens and Letanies and their Idle Complements and giving of Flattering Titles c. and also their being divided into many distinct and different Orders and Sorts of Monks Friars and Jesuits and yet they plead or cry up Unity and also their Orders for Barbarian Praying wilfully in an Unknown Tongue and their not permitting to the People the Scriptures of Truth in their own Language which were publick amongst the Primitive Christians who searched them daily and found great Comfort by them and the Apostles and Holy Men of God wrote in a Known Tongue or Mother Tongue to whom they wrote that all might understand them and be edified by them in the Spirit of Christ by which only the Scriptures of Truth may be truly understood And so I commit thee to the Word of God's Grace which is the Light or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in thine own Heart by which only thou mayest be made sensible to understand aright the Things that Concern thy Everlasting Peace and Happiness who am a Well-wisher to all Mankind H. M. THE CONTENTS COncerning the Prevailings of Antichrist and his being manifested in the Primitive Times of Christianity and the Prophesies of him from Page 1 to 32. Concerning the Power of Antichrist and also concerning Freedom from Sin and concerning the Popes and Babylon from Page 32 to 105. Concerning Baptism and the Lord's Supper and also concerning the Signs of Antichrist and Fighting and Persecution and Tythes and the Spirit that denieth Christ come in the Flesh from Page 105 to 233. Concerning Reformation from Popery and Constancy and Inconstancy to Professions from Page 233 to 251. Concerning the Wonders of Antichrist and concerning them that say lo here and lo there from Page 251 to 258. Concerning the Rock on which the Church of Christ is Built and the Popes pretended Headship and Infallibility and Popish Persecutions from Page 258 to 270. Concerning the Popes pretended Stewardship from Page
them who are in judgment contrary to themselves yet they must never have their desire but as they destroy their Fellow-Creatures their Friends so Eternal Destruction will be to themselves and the Light and Spirit of God will be their Condemnation for ever But blessed and happy are all they and shall be for evermore who suffer for the Testimony of a good Conscience and are faithful unto Death for God will give them a Crown of Eternal Life and such in the midst of Persecution or at the laying down of their Lives for their Testimony in obedience to the Light and according to the Example of Christ the Captain of their Salvation can pray for their Persecutors who being blinded by their deceitful Leader the Devil know not what they do but think they do God service but Eternal Torment shall seize upon the Murtherers fear shall surprize them and truth will rise up in Judgment against them over all Deceit over all Error and over the Devil and all his deceived Followers and God will be magnified over all who is worthy for evermore Amen And after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ when his Apostles who according to his command waited at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high were commissionated to Preach in his Name and Power his Everlasting Gospel then the great Deceiver and Enemy of Man's Felicity was very busie in his deceived Servants and Instruments to hinder the propagation and publication of it stirring them up by his Murthering Persecuting Spirit to Murder and Persecute the Ministers and Apostles of Christ as may at large be read in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles But Christ the power of God by the living operation of his Light which he sent his Ministers to turn People unto from Darkness and by the word of his Grace which is one with the Light working effectually in the Hearts of many to the convincement of them of their evil deeds thereby-bringing them to true Repentance and to the acknowledgment of the truth and not only so but also teaching them to live godlily and righteously and soberly thereby as well in Life and Conversation as in Words to Preach and Propagate the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ in the demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God So that the number of Christians encreased much and that in several Nations to the glory of God and the great comfort and cause of rejoicing of many Souls who had received the Light of Christ and believed in it and walked in it wherein they had true Unity and Fellowship one with another and knew by the Blood of Christ Jesus 1 John 1.7 a cleansing from all sin which their Soul's Enemy had wrought in them and in the Name and Power of Christ knew and witnessed a triumphing in his Eternal Life over the power of Death which is the Devil 2 Cor. 2.14 Col. 2.13 to 17. Heb. 2.14 who had formerly captivated them and held them as in Chains of Darkness which they knew and witnessed to be broken and dissolved by the Light and Power of Christ and so could say The Darkness is past 1 John 2.8 and the true Light now shineth So the great Deceiver the Devil was frustrated of his Will for the Gospel was Preached and the Name of Christ gloriously magnified in his People over the Earth all the Endeavours of the Devil and his deceived ones not being able to suppress it But although many received the Gospel of Christ in uprightness of Heart and believed in his Light unto which his Ministers were sent to turn their Minds from darkness and in faithful obedience from their very Hearts gave up their All to the service of God in his Light the manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts and Souls and Consciences out of which Light and Spirit no service was ever acceptable to the Lord and so became Children of the Light of God who is Light and in him is no Darkness at all and in his Light and Spirit enjoyed precious Unity and Fellowship one with another and knew Satan the Devil the Old Serpent who by his subtilty had formerly deceived them to be by the power of God as bruised under their Feet no more able to prevail upon them by his subtil deceit but in the Light Spirit and Power of God they could keep their standing over him and all his deceivable Device of Unrighteousness and in Christ the Lord their Righteousness had Peace and Joy in his Holy Spirit and so rejoiced together in their Heavenly Places in Christ and glorified God over all in their day and time and though many came to these and the like Attainments as the Scriptures of Truth at large declare Yet the subtil Deceiver the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murtherer from the beginning by his deceitful Devices and dark Power prevailed upon many that were convinced of the true Light that enlightens every Man that cometh into the World and that believed concerning Christ that he laid down his Life for Mankind and rose again from the Dead and ascended up on high and so they could make a Profession of Christianity having a Notional Knowledge of Christ and of things relating to Eternity and it was by drawing their Minds from the Light of Christ in themselves that the deceitful Enemy prevailed to keep them only in a Profession of Christianity and in a Form of Godliness but out of the obedience of the Light and Spirit of Christ and so out of the Truth though professing it And so being out of the Truth and out of the Obedience of the Light which is the manifestation of the Spirit of God they were not though they might profess to be Children of the Light nor Children of God for it is they that are led by the Spirit of God that are Children of God and all the Children of God are taught of God by his Spirit and consequently they were out of the glorious Liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.14 Isa 54.13 John 6.45 Heb. 8.11 1 John 2.27 and of the Gospel of Christ the beguiling Serpent keeping their Minds fast in the love of outward things and so they would still keep up the Ordinances Col. 2.14 Gal. 4.9 10. Ceremonies and Customs of their Forefathers though contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and were in Bondage to weak and beggarly Elements and observed Days and Months and Times and Years And so they were held in Bondage to Corruption and Corruptible Things and tho' they then professed Christianity and desired no doubt to be called Christians yet their Enemy beguiling them and keeping them by his deceit in disobedience to the Light of Christ in themselves they acted and lived contrary to true Christianity And though they appeared as for Christ they were really against him and his Truth and being themselves deceived they endeavoured to deceive others being Enemies to the Cross of Christ to which he
the spirit And John the Apostle of Christ often exhorteth him that hath an Ear to hear what the Spirit saith Rev. 2.7 11 17 29. and 3.6 13 22. And by the preaching of the true Ministers of Christ many came to receive the Teachings of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost which is the same and were led by it Rom. 8.16 Isa 54.13 14. Jer. 31.32.33 John 6.45 Heb. 8.10.11 and so became Children of God And it was truly said among them the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and so they were all taught of God as it was Prophesied of them They were taught of God by his Grace Light Spirit or Word being one and the same though called by several other Names and Appellations besides what is before here written according to the most suitable Expressions whereby to shew the Operations and Effects of it to the Understandings and Capacities of all The Apostle John likewise calleth it the Unction Joh. 2.20.27 or Anointing writing thus Ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things and again the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him This and much more to the same purpose was the Doctrine of the true Christian Ministers as the Scriptures of Truth more at large declare and the true Ministers of Christ preach the same in our Age and Generation And as the true Ministers of Christ in his Authority preached his Divine Word Light Grace and Spirit so by the same they preached up the Liberty of his Gospel and true Christian Dispensation and preached down the use of the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law though formerly commanded of God and given by Moses his Servant which was then to cease being abolished by the Death of Christ they being in their time for Shadows and Types of good things to come by Christ but he the Substance being come having as they truly preached nailed them to his Cross and taken them out of the way they were not then to be used by them who had received the free and glorious liberty of his substantial Everlasting Gospel in the inward Spiritual Dispensation of his Word Light Grace and Spirit in their Hearts and Souls whereby they knew the glorious Liberty of the free-born Children of God they were not then to be subject to Ordinances neither burthened with Traditions nor to observe Days and Times as may at large be read in the holy Scriptures particularly in these places Gal. 4.9 10. Gal. 5.2 to 8. Eph. 2.13 to 17. Col. 2.14 to 23. Rom. 7.6 Heb. 7.11 12. But the deceitful Antichristian Ministers could not bring any into the True Faith which is in the Name Light Grace and Spirit of Christ for they were out of it themselves and were not faithful but disobedient to the Light and hated it and would not bring their own Deeds thereto lest they should be reproved thereby For though they might talk and preach of the Name Word Grace Light or Spirit of Christ and speak there of great swelling words to allure and draw others after them yet all that was but in disobedience to Christ and in deceit and therefore they could not by such Preaching bring any into the true Faith of Christ who is the Truth nor bring any to believe in his Light and Grace which they hated and did despite unto And the true Ministers preached that true Christians had put off the old Man with his deeds Col. 3.9 10 11 and had put on the new Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor free but Christ is all and in all and they preached up a Spiritual Circumcision saying That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2.28 29. neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God And again saying to some Ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ being buried with him in Baptism Col. 2.11 12. to â—â—c end wherein you are also risen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God And it is plain that the Apostle here meant no outward Ordinance of Circumcision nor of Baptism for he writes after in the same Chapter thus If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances or burdened with Traditions as some Translate it touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men Which things have indeed a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and Humility and neglecting of the Body not in any Honour to the satisfying of the Flesh concerning which things he warned them lest any Man should beguile them or spoil them through Philosophy or vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ Read the Second Chapter to the Colossians And the same Apostle said Phil. 3.3 We are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh which sheweth plainly that they were Jews inwardly and of the inward Circumcision as all true Christians are And this agreeth with the Doctrine of Christ himself who said to the Samaritan Ye Worship ye know not what we know what we Worship for Salvation is of the Jews John 4.22 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seekethsâ—â—â—h to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth So the Worship of the true Christians was in Spirit and in the Truth and in the obedience of the Spirit of Truth and not in outward Ordinances Observations of Times Will-worship nor in Acts of voluntary Humility and accordingly in the demonstration of the Spirit the true Christian Ministers preached and not in the words that Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the same Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost teacheth which preaching is foolishness to the natural Man 1 Cor. 2.13 14. for he receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that yields obedience to the Light or Manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every Man to profit withal he cometh to discern his own Estate and
what and the Worship of God is in Fear and Trembling before him and at his Word in the Heart and such are accepted of God and shall be accepted with him and with such he will dwell as the Scriptures largely testifie read John 4.20 to 25. Mich. 6.8 Isa 66.2 5. Ezra 9.4 and 10.3 Jer. 5.21 22. and 33.9 Psal 2.11 Dan. 6.26 And so I durst not but deny all Worships prescribed by the Wisdom of Men and set-up by Men which were not in the Spirit and Truth of God neither durst I embrace the Pleasures or Preferments of the World for I was sensible both of their danger and Vanity and that the Words of Christ were true who said If any man will come after me Luke 9.23 24 25. Luke 14.27 let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple for whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it for what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole World and lose himself or be cast away And now I am not of their Perswasion who believe that there is no Salvation nor Freedom from Sin on this side the Grave and that the Souls of true Christians cannot be cleansed from Sin while their Bodies live in this World for that is contrary to the Truth and to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures and where Sin hath a place in the Heart or Soul of any there the Man of Sin hath a place whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the Brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2.8 9. And so much of the Worship of them in whom the Man of Sin ruleth by his Power consisteth in Ceremonies and Signs for he will allow them all Signs of that which is good so that they may be content without the Substance yea even the very Name at least in Profession or Pretence of Christians though he have quite bereaved them of the Nature of true Christians and allow them outward Signs of Baptism also at least whilst uncapable Infants which they may afterwards be told of and taught to believe that they were thereby made Children of God Members of Christ and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 8.10 11. although they know nothing experimentally of the one Baptism of Christ which is with the Holy Spirit or Ghost and with Fire nor believe in the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in which all true Christians believe who are really Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.19 being led and taught by his Light and Spirit and obeying the Word of the Kingdom which is one with the Light and is sown in the Hearts of all Men. And Christ said to the unbelieving Pharisees that The Kingdom of God cometh not with Observation or outward Shew neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for saith he behold Luke 17.21 the Kingdom of God is within you And why may it not as well be said now to be within those who are ignorantly seeking it without them For their Teachers teach them to believe that they were made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven when they were Infants by their outward Baptism and yet they have it to seek and know not where it is to be found but seek it as they are taught and expect it to come with their Observations outward Shews and Signs without them and Pray at least in Words to God saying Thy Kingdom come and yet believe not in the Word of his Kingdom which is sown in their Hearts which is the Light Grace and Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ which reproveth them for Sin in their Hearts and Consciences And so whilst they disobey the Word of the Kingdom the Light in themselves they are making themselves Strangers to God and his Kingdom through disobedience and so are unlike to be Inheritors of it though they make never so large a Profession of seeking it in their Observations outward Shews and Signs for there it is not to be found much less inherited And John the Baptist who baptized with Water to Repentance we read not that he baptized Infants for what should Infants repent of but he Preached saying Repene ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand So it seemeth the Kingdom of Heaven was near then and to some who came to his Baptism he said O Generation of Vipees who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come bring forth therefore Fruits meet for Repentance or as some translate answerable to amendment of Life for said he the Ax is laid to the Root of the Tree Mat. 3. therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fare But do not Infants sprinkled with Water or Baptized as they call it afterward bring forth Fruits rather to be repented of than meet for Repentance So it seemeth they that came to John's Baptism which was with Water to Repentance if they brought not forth Fruits meet for Repentance they were little or no better being to be hewn down and cast into the Fire And where can any read that John's Baptism being outward could make any true Christians Was it not before Christ that John came Baptizing with Water and before there were any called Christians for we read not of that Name given till after the Ascension of Christ and if John's Baptism could not make Christians how should Sprinkling of Infants now or the outward Baptism of any others either It is not like that they that now take upon them to baptize either Infants or others for Money for which none can buy the Gift of God should exceed John who was sent of God Acts 8.20 and did it freely without Money And John was sent to bear witness of the Light that all Men through him might believe that was the true Light John 1.8 9 10. which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World though the World knew it not But the Baptizers Dippers and Sprinklers in our days are far from bearing witness to the true Light for they cry out against it and give it many ridiculous Names John 3.20 and Titles and this is according to the Words of Christ that Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light And what a strange thing doth it seem that any should believe which some suppose that Sprinkling an Infant with a little Water some after one manner and some after another should make it a true Christian For true Christians are Members of Christ and Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven but no Man can make them so for it is only by believing in the Light of Christ and obeying it that a
it can do them no hurt It is granted that whilst they are not capable of understanding it can neither do them hurt nor good but when they come to be taught a Lye that is to believe that by Baptism in their Infancy they were made Christians and Members of Christ that doth them much hurt as I have in my own particular experienced for because of such teachings when I was young I was ready to conclude my self to be a Christian and a Child of God whenas the Grace of God in my own Heart which they told me my Baptism was a sign of testified plainly to me that it was not so with me and that my condition was very dangerous and yet I then should have thought my self highly affronted if any Man had told me so And so I know by experience that my being taught to believe and depend upon the outward visible Sign made me to neglect the Teachings of the inward spiritual Grace of God in my own Heart and Conscience and made me more secure and careless of my Duty towards God in not answering the requirings and teachings of his Grace in order that I might be prepared to render an account to God of his Talent which he had given me and so I saw perfectly before I left them that my Teachers had deceived me as it was formerly the Leaders of the People caused them to err Isa 5.16 and they that were led of them were destroyed 〈◊〉 is recorded that Claudius Espontius a Popish Bishop at a Council at Pysoy in France in the Year 1500 ordained that Infants Baptism should be received by Tradition because it could not be proved as a Command from the Scriptures and yet many that profess Reformation from Popery and profess the Scriptures to be their Rule are contending for it and practising it to get Money by having no warrant from God nor the Scriptures of Truth for it nor any Example but Popish Tradition and such are certainly Deceivers and deceived But some may think that outward Water Baptism is a Seal of Christianity and therefore to be used because in some Cases and to some People it was used by the Apostles among the Primitive Chrisitans as they can read As to its being a Seal of Christianity if it were a Seal to one it is likewise so to others that have it and so a Seal to them all but no outward Sign is needful to be a Seal to true Christianity for it is Inward and Spiritual and therefore cannot be known by any outward Seal neither doth it admit of the impression of any such outward Seal for true Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 and so they need no outward Seal for if an outward seal would do many would get that upon their own terms and so many get outward Baptism for Money which pleaseth the Priests well though it profiteth nothing to the buyer of it But it is the true inward Spiritual Baptism of Christ that is the true Seal wherewith all true Christians are sealed to the Day of Redemption by the Spirit of God And although it is said that Abraham received the Sign of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 to 17. a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised yet it was that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised whereby it is plain that true Christians who are of the Faith of Abraham who saw the Day of Christ may truly be called Children of Abraham though they have not the Sign nor Seal of Circumcision outwardly but they who were naturally the Children of Abraham and were not in the Faith of Abraham Mat. 3.9 that would not avail them And although Circumcision of Infants was commanded by the Law of Moses which Law of Ceremonies and Types was abolished by the offering up of Christ the Substance the Antitype who is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 read the 8th 9th and 10th Chapters of the Hebrews yet concerning Circumcision which was a cutting off the Foreskin of the Flesh and typified the Substantial Spiritual Circumcision by Christ Rom. 2.29 and the cutting off the foreskin of the Heart which thing true Christians witness Paul the Apostle of Christ said 1 Cor. 7.1 Circumcision is nothing nor Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God and also in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision Gal. 5.6 Gal. 6.15 but Faith which worketh by Love or a New Creature And so though some alledge that outward Water Baptism was instituted in the stead of outward Circumcision yet there is no proof for it neither doth the Apostle mention any such thing but saith that Faith that worketh by Love and the keeping of the Commandments of God and being a New Creature availeth but not Circumsion Also to the Collosians he writeth thus to wit In whom also ye are circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead And he saith to them of Christ's Blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross and saith he to them Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments * See Margined Bibles or Elements of the world why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances or as some translate burdened with Traditions touch not taste not handle not which are all to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men Col. 2.11 12 14 20 21 22. Thus it is very plain that the Apostle here writeth of the Spiritual Circumsion of Christ and of his Spiritual Baptism through the Faith of the operation or working of God and was far from preaching up such outward Ordinances declaring that they were against them and contrary to them who were true Christians and he bad them not to touch taste nor handle such things saying they were all to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men And so now the Commanders and Teachers of their Ordinance of Water-Baptism as also of their other Ordinances and Traditions some of them command and teach it after one way and others after other ways and yet all profess the Scriptures to be their Rule and therefore some of them are erred from the direction of their Rule yea are they not all erred from their professed Rule for the Scriptures plainly testifie against such Ordinances and Traditions as being contrary to true Christians But these Baptizers for Money are so far erred from the Light and Grace of Christ in themselves which the Scriptures
liberty did such things in compliance with them that were weak in the Faith in order to bring them out of their many Ceremonies rather than keep them in them yet he could not do so for fear of Perseeution he would not be compelled to such things neither do them for the gain of Money nor the like for writing to the Galatians he saith As many as desire to make a Fair shew in the Flesh they constrain you to be circumcised Gal. 6.12 Gal. 5.11 only lest they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ and saith he I Brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer Persecution then is the offence of the Cross ceased So it seemeth that some professing Christianity who were not obedient to the Light of Christ in their own Hearts which teacheth to bear his Cross patiently preached up Circumcision lest they should have suffered Persecution and yet such desired to make a fair shew in the Flesh but the true Ministers of Christ did not so for notwithstanding the Threats of Men and the consequence of Persecution in the Faith of the Power of God and in the love and obedience of the Light of Christ in their Hearts they preached Liberty from all such burdensome things and in his Name and Authority preached his Cross Boldly and declared that such as preached otherwise were false and anrichristian And do not many desiring to make a fair Shew of Christianity in the Flesh now preach up Water-Baptism and that of Infants with other such Ceremonies for fear of Persecution or for Money and their own carnal ends not having any authority from Christ or his Apostles for such things Therefore let all beware of such false Prophets and Deceivers as Christ himself forewarned of saying Many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and said he If any man say unto you Mat. 7 1â— to 21. Mat. 24.23 2. Luke 2 8. Lo here is Christ or there believe it not for said he there shall arise false Christs and false Propâ—eâ—s and shall shew great Signs and Wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elâ—ct And so now there are many come as in the Name of Christ and they all say that he is Christ as he foretold so they profess him in Words and so deceive many saying also Lo here is Christ in this Profession Ceremony or Sign and Lo there is Christ in that Observation Ordinance or Tradition but they that believe in his true Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts which he said should reprove the World of Sin John 15 8. c. they do not believe them and though they shew great Signs as of Baptism and the like yet the Children of Light see them and by their Signs and by their Fruits know them to be the Deceivers that Christ foretold of Mat. 7.16 and though they shew great Wonders and the World wonder after them yet true Christians cannot be deceived by them knowing them to be influenced by the Power of the Man of Sin in their Hearts whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders And now it is good for all to beware that they truly examine themselves in the Light of Christ Jesus in their Hearts whether they be really the Children of God yea or nay Rom. 8.16 1 John 5.10 and they may certainly know for he that is of God hath the Witness in himself God giveth to his Children to Know that he is their Father and that they are his Children but the Man of Sin he would not that his Children should know who is their Father for he being deceitful perswadeth them as far as he can that they are the Children of God but the Manifestation of the Spirit of God the Light during the Day of their Visitation in their Hearts reproveth them of their Sins and often sheweth and testifyeth in them unto them the Contrary to wit that they are not Children of God And so let all inwardly examine themselves truly Rom. 8.9 2 Cor. 3.6 whether or no they be Members of Christ being baptized by his One Spirit into his One Body for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and it is his quickning Spirit that giveth Life to all his Members and maketh them sensible in what state and condition they are And so let none be satisfied with being told that in their Infancy or any time else in their Baptism with outward Water they were made Members of Christ and Children of God c. For that will not stand them in any stead when they must give an account to God of their improvement of the Talent which he hath given them to profit withal and let none presâ—me to teach Children or others that they were in outward Baptism made Members of Christ or Children of God lest the Blood of such be required at their Teachers Hand and so both the Teacher and the taught perish For John the Baptist speaking of Christ John 3.30 said He must increase but I must decrease intimating that his Baptism was to give place to the Spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Spirit and Fire and John said His fan is in his Hand and he will thor wly purge his Floor and gather the Wheat into his Garner but he will burn the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and this all ought to take notice of for this Baptism of Christ is of absolute necessity to Salvation of which that all might come to be partakers the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ hath appeared in the Hearts of all and is given to every man to profit withal John 1.8 Luk. 3.6 to which John who was sent to beare witness of the true Light bare Testimony saying All flesh shall see the Salvation of God and also Simeon saying as to the Lord Mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People Luk 2.30 31 32. a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy People Israel And seeing that the Salvation of God prepared before the face of all People is Christ Oh! Let all who would enjoy the Salvation of God come to this Light which reproveth for all Sin in every Heart and Conscience that by believing therein and bringing there Deeds to it into true Examination they may through the judgment thereof know the true Spiritual Baptism of Christ in their Hearts Souls and Consciences where they may come to know him to be in them unto them as a Refiners Fire and as Fullers Soape that will purge away all the Dross and wash away every Spot and Stain as they abide faithful and continue freely given up withal their Hearts to abide the burnign of this Fire and the scowring with this Soape and so they may know the washing with pure Water and come to have
Church the Whore that is adulterated from God And if any that readeth this by the Light of Christ in their Consciences see their sinful Condition and that they are in any part of Babylon or its Suburbs let them hearken to the Voice of his Light and Grace in their Hearts and Consciences which saith Come out of Babylon my People that ye be not Partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of their Plagues and as they truly and inwardly are retired to the Light they will see the Wounds and Bruises and Sores which Sin hath made in their Souls and they dare not let them be slightly healed by the Fair Speeches and Perswasions of Men neither can all that Babylon's Merchants say satisfie that any such Salve as they have to sell can make their Souls sound But as they freely give up with all their Hearts to seek him who is the desire of all Nations and the Beloved of the Souls of the Righteous who Cureth all manner of Diseases he will give Eye-salve that they may more and more see and he will wash and bind up their Wounds and pour in Oyl as he seeth meet in his own time And as the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt by his Servant Moses so will he lead them out of Spiritual Babylon by the Hand and Power of his Son Ghrist Jesus the Spiritual Prophet whom Moses Prophesied of Acts 3.22 that God would raise up in the midst of his People like unto me said he him shall ye hear in all things and every Soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed and so as the Israelites were led through the Red Sea which the Lord divided for them to pass thorow Exod. 14. so the Lord will make way through Difficulties and Exercises for all them to pass thorow who are freely willing to be led by the Light and hearken to the Voice of Christ in their Hearts and as the Enemies of the Israelites pursued them even into the divided Sea and made them afraid even so their spiritual Enemies may pursue them in their Exercises but as they abide still and quiet in their Minds and trust in the Lord they shall see the salvation of God and their Enemies that they then see they shall never see them again for as the Egyptians were overthrown in their pursuit of Israel in the Red Sea so the Lord will overwhelm and destroy the spiritual Enemies of such as truly Follow and Believe in him And so as the Israelites were Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud 1 Cor. 10.2 and in the Sea so they must be Baptized into Christ Jesus in bitter Tryals and Exercises and as Moses and the Children of Israel Exod. 15. â— sung of the salvation of God when they had passed thorow the Sea and saw their Enemies destroyed even so they will have great cause to rejoice whose spiritual Enemies God hath destroyed and they may sing of God's salvation And as Israel was led through the Wilderness Hos 2.14 so will the Lord allure his People as into the Wilderness spiritually and there he will speak to their Hearts and as they are faithful and obedient to follow him in the Wilderness without murmuring they will come to know a passing thorow the spiritual Jordan Jesh 3.17 or River of Judgment as on dry Ground into the Promised Land And so they may know an entring into the Rest of God Heb. 4.9 or the true spiritual keeping of the Christian Sabbath which remaineth to the People of God Isa 58.13 Joh. 6.28 29. Phil. 2.13 in which they â—â—e not to do their own Ways nor find theâ—â—â—â—wn pleasure nor speak their own words and so they may know a working of the Works of God and know God to work in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and know a ceasing from their own Works as God did from his And such as these it is who know aright the true inward and spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Holy Spirit and Fire who know him to be unto them inwardly like a Refiners Fire and as Fullers Soap Mal. 3.2 Zech. 13.9 Mal. 3.17 18. who refineth them as Silver is refined and tryeth them as Gold is tryed and the Lord maketh them his Jewels and these can discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not And these are such as were sometimes Darkness whilst the Power of Darkness prevailed in them over them but now they are light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 9 10.11 John 12.36 1 Thes 5.5 and they walk as Children of the light and have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them these according to Christ's Command having believed in the light are become Children of the light and they walking in the light 1 John 1. as God is in the light have Unity and Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin And so in the light Knowledge is given to them of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Col. 2.2 Mat. 13.28 they being also Children of it and though they know nothing of divers Languages yet in and by the Light and Spirit of Christ they can try the Spirits whether they are of God and hereby know they the Spirit of God 1 John 4.1 2 3. and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist Mat. 4.25 1 John 4.1 2 3. Now mark All Antichrists as Men say that Christ is Christ as Christ foretold that they should but their Spirits deny him to be come in the Flesh to wit denying the end of his coming in the Flesh And so they who being under the Dominion of the Man of Sin teach that there is no freedom from sin at tainable on this side the Grave they say that Christ is Christ and in words own that he came in the Flesh as the Holy Scriptures declare But doth not their Spirit deny the very end of his coming in the Flesh Dan. 9.24 which is to finish Transgression and to make an end of sins and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness and to sanctifie and cleanse true Believers who are his Church Eph. 5.26 27. that he may present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing And likewise many of them that Fight and Kill one another and the Servants of Christ also about Religion such say that Christ is Christ and in words own his coming in the Flesh but doth not their Spirit deny the very end of his coming which was not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them Luke 9.56 And he said My Kingdom is not of this World else would my Servants Fight and said All that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword
Prophets Mat. 23.29.30 but Christ pronounced Wo unto them as being guilty of the Blood of the Prophets And if the Command of Christ be taken in the strictest sense John 13.1 to 16. concerning the Bread and Cup yet in perusal of the Writings of the Beloved Disciple of Christ John the Evangelist we find that Christ washing his Disciples Feet enjoined them as strictly to that Ceremony which he performed with more observable Circumstances than that of the Bread and Cup for we read that he rose from Supper laid aside his Garments poured out Water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded and coming to Simon Peter Peter said Lord dost thou wash my Feet Jesus answered What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter and when Peter denied to let him wash them Jesus answered If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me Then after he had washed their Feet and taken his Garments and was set down again with more words he said unto them If I your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye ought also to wash one anothers Feet for I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you And so may not all that are willing see that this Ceremony last rehearsed either in respect of the time when it was appointed or the Circumstances or the Command enjoining the use of it hath as much or more in it to prove it instituted by Christ to be a perpetual standing Ordinance in his Church as either of the other two Ceremonies to wit of Baptism and of Bread and Wine And yet by those Reformed from the extream grosness of Popery this Ceremony of washing Feet is not at all used in their Assemblies though their Christianity seemeth mostly to depend upon the use of the other two Ceremonies to wit of their Baptism and of Bread and Wine amongst the generality of them that use them So they that use plead for and call Sacraments the Signs or Ceremonies of Baptism and Bread and Wine as by the Command or Institution of Christ or of his Apostles they may with as much or more reason use and plead for the Ceremonies of washing one anothers Feet and of Anointing the Sick with Oyl Jam. 5.14 and call them Sacraments also as the Papists who have more of them do for either of the last mentioned seemeth to be full as positively commanded as being of as much necessity as the other according to the Scriptures of Truth And they that use them in-imitation of the Apostles of Christ they may as well use Circumcision or the outward purifying according to the Jewish Law and abstain from Blood and things strangled and use laying on of Hands but then they should cause others to receive the Holy Spirit by their laying on of Hands as the Apostles did which thing some practice but not with the like effect nor is it so like to be whilst they themselves who lay on Hands do not so much as pretend to be guided by the Holy Spirit of God but mock at the movings of it which sheweth them to have much of the Spirit of the Man of Sin as also they have many of his Signs And as concerning the Primitive Christians using the Ceremony of Bread and Wine so they also used several others for having been accustomed to many Ceremonies and Observations they would not easily be weaned from them all at once and therefore might use some suitable Types which the Apostle for a Season suffered in condescention to their weakness thereby instructing them cocerning the Mystery of Christ and labouring to bring them on by degrees from their Carnal Conceptions and Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.14 to 17. to know him in the Spirit revealed in them unto them Baptizing them by his Spirit into his one Body of which every Member receiveth daily suitable Nourishment from Christ the Head from whom all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God And so when the Apostle of Christ had brought the Colossians to this estate and to know Christ in them the hope of Glory then he labours to bring them quite out of the use of Ordinances and Ceremonies as may be read at large in the first and second Chapters of his Epistle to them and saith he Why are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not and saith he to them also Let no Man judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Days which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ or in Christ And also when the Galatians came to be Children of God and that God had sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts Gal. 3.26 Gal. 4.6 9. Gal. 5.1 Paul saith to them Now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly Elements whereunto ye desire again to be in Bondage And saith he to them Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the Yoak of Bondage And also the Ephesians Eph. 2.13 14 15. who were sometimes far off and were as Darkness when they were made nigh by the Blood of Christ and Children of the Light and saved by Grace to whom was one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all above all through all and in them all Paul saith Eph. 4.5.6 Christ had broken down the middle Wall of Partition Eph. 5.5 having abolished in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances So the use of outward Baptism and eating and drinking in the Assemblies of those who had but newly received the Faith of Christ having their Minds lately turned from Darkness to Light it was to instruct them in condescention to their weakness in the Mystery of Christ the Substance the Spiritual Purifier and the Spiritual Rock and heavenly Bread of Life which they were to come to know an inward and spiritual partaking of and feeding upon and when they came to this state then they were tostand in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free and not to be any longer in Bondage to outward Elements Ceremonies Ordinances or Traditions as is very plain by the Apostles Doctrine for when he wrote against outward Ordinances Elements and Traditions he no where maketh any Exception at all For the Apostle Paul testified That the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink Rom. 14. but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit and that none ought to judge one another concerning Meats or Drink or observation of Days saying Every one of us shall give account of himself to God shewing to the Romans that there is
no necessity for Christians to observe them and also writing to the Colossians concerning the same matter he plainly giveth the Reason further Why no Man ought so to judge which is Christ's blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances Col. 2.14 to 17. that was against us and contrary to us and taking it out of the way nailing it to his Cross And as there was no necessity for them in the Apostles time so now surely there is no occasion for them for their outward Water and outward Bread and Wine have been long used and preached of amongst People and yet People that use them and pay for them are as ignorant of Christ the Spiritual Baptizer and Spiritual Bread of Life as ever they were Isa 55.2 so they spend their Money for that which is not Bread for their Souls as it is pretended and their labour for that which satisfieth not Certainly they that buy of such Merchandize make as bad a Bargain as possibly can be for neither doth it profit them neither have they any occasion to buy it when as Christ saith Rev. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the Water of Life freely And saith by the Prophet Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness But they that sell their Baptism and their Bread and Wine and their Preaching and the like and they that buy of them also are not inclined thereby but in dependance thereof are hindred to come to and believe in the Light the Voice of Christ in their own Hearts whereby Christ inviteth all to come and take of the Water of Life that thirst after it and so such are far from the enjoyment of the Rich Satisfaction which Christ giveth to the Souls of the Children of the Light though they may talk largely of these things Prov. 3.18 Job 28.12 to 28. for Death and Hell have heard of the Fame of Wisdom who is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and though such may read and use and profess all the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ yet not being led by the same Spirit that they were and the Children of the Light who are Members of Christ are and have been led in all Ages though they may profess the same yet they are prevailed upon by the contrary Spirit and are as lulled asleep in security by the power of their deceitful Enemy the Man of Sin who with his Signs without the living substance satisfieth them as with a Dream for an hungry Man may Dream that he is eating but when he is awakened out of his sleep Joel 1.5 Eph. 5.14 Rom. 13.11 12 behold nothing but Hunger and Famine and when any such whereof I have been one come to be truly awakened then they may plainly see what substance or service their Signs and Shadows are of and how insignificant they are to the satisfying of their Souls And so the use of those things which formerly might be of benefit for the Instruction of some is now to many a means to keep them in Ignorance for it was ever the endeavour of the Devil the Man of Sin to draw the Minds of People from obedience to the Light Neh. 9.20 Job 24.13 and Spirit of God which God giveth to instruct them though many rebel against it into a satisfaction in outward Performances without the Spirit which were never acceptable unto God for the Lord in all Ages required People to obey his Voice which is the Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts as plainly appeareth by these places of holy Scripture Jer. 7.21 to 25. 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Isa 1.11 to 20. and Chap. 66.1 to 4. Jer. 14.12 Hos 5.6 Hos 8.13 Amos 5.21 22. Micah 6.6 to 9. Mat. 15.1 to 9. Mark 7.1 to 23. And so Christ standeth at the Door of Peoples Hearts and by his Voice or Light knocketh and reproveth for sin Rev. 3.20 Luke 22.29.30 Luke 17.21 Rev. 2.17 Rev. 22.14 17 And if any Man hear his Voice and open the Door Christ will come in to him and sup with him and he with him at his heavenly Table in his Kingdom which is within and this is a blessed Supper to eat of the hidden Manna and of the Tree of Life and to drink of the Water of Life freely But this sweet Satisfaction all they are ignorant of who depend upon Signs and Shadows and Mens Traditional Ordinances and neglect the Light the Voice of Christ in their Hearts And they that have builded as it were strong Cities in their own Conceivings as upon Christ the true Foundation 1 Cor. 3.13 13 14. Isa 10.17 18. Isa 17.9.10 11 Isa 51.4 to 9. Isa 30.26 27 28. whether it be as Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay or Stubble the Spiritual Day of God the Light whereof to the Children of God revealeth the Man of Sin and his Works shall declare every Man's Work of what sort it is and every Man's Work that will not abide the fiery Tryal thereof shall be burnt and all their strong Cities shall be as a forsaken Bough who forget the God of their Salvation and are not mindful of the Voice and Light of Christ the Rock of their Strength And the Harvest of all their Planting and Sowing and Building shall be a heap in the Day of Grief and of desperate Sorrow But the Times of Ignorance God hath winked at Acts 17.30 and in the woful Night of the Apostacy of the Nations who have generally fallen away from the Spirit and Doctrine of Christ and his Holy Apostles though they had the Holy Scriptures to peruse certainly the God of Mercy hath appeared by the Light of his Son in the Hearts of many in that dark time whose Minds being inclined truly after him he hath comforted them according to the innocency of their Hearts and in some measure satisfied them with his Mercy they answering him according to what was revealed unto them in them though through Education and the Traditions of Men they were kept in the use of outward Ceremonies And many in those dark Times who faithfully minded the Appearance of Christ by his Light in their Hearts they grew strong in the Faith and saw the emptiness of Signs and Ceremonies and Shadows and were enabled by the Light the Word of God's Power in their Hearts to stand in the Controversie of God witnessing for him according to what they knew against all the Gross and Idolatrous Practices and against the Errour and Deceit of the Man-made Priests and Teachers of the Times wherein they lived Mic. 7.1 Isa 17.6 7 8 Although those in Comparison of the multitudes resisting were but as the Grape-gleanings of the Vintage or
Satisfaction Psal 29.11 the Lord will give strength unto them and plentifully bless them with his Peace which passeth all the Understending of Men and it will rule in their Hearts and keep their Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus in a continual watchfulness against the Adversary of their Souls Peace and also in a continual earnest breathing or praying to the Lord for a daily and constant supply of the Heavenly Bread and Water of Life without which they know their Souls cannot live unto God but the Power of Death and Darkness will again prevail in them and over them And all those that in and by the Light the Word of God's Grace have Authority from Christ in the Movings of his Spirit and in the Constrainings of his Love in their Hearts to preach his Everlasting Gospel such preach not for Gifts visible Rewards Tythes nor outward Benefices neither Covet they any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparels but their labour of Love in the Service of Christ is to bring People from the Teachings of Men which are fallible to the Teachings of their Teacher which is the true Light even the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared to all Men which was the Teacher of the Apostles of Christ which Teacher is Infallible that all by receiving his Teachings and believing in the sufficiency of this Grace Light or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts which is given to every Man to profit withal might so far profit therewith as to become Children of the Light and so Children of God Isa 48.17 18. who are all led of the Spirit of God who reacheth his People to profit And also that being delivered from the Bondage of Corruption and the Corruptible Traditions and Ordinances of Men all such may know and enjoy the glorious Liberty of the Children of God who are not to be subject to such Traditions or Ordinances and this is the Doctrine of the true Ministers of Christ as appeareth by these and many other places of Holy Scripture Rom. 8. Chap. 2 Cor. 3.2 to 18. Gal. 4.1 to 15. Gal. 5.1 to 26. Eph. 2.1 to 22. Col. 1 and 2. Chapters Heb. 8 9 and 10. Chapters Mat. 10.7 8 9 10. 1 Tim. 6.3 to 12. Acts 20.24 to 36. 2 Cor. 12.8 to 20. 1 Cor. 9.16 to 23. 2 Pet. 1.18 19. Heb. 12.22 to 26. Rev. 2.7 17 29. Rev. 3. But they who in their Humane Wisdom or Learning or both for the love of Money Gifts Rewards Tythes Benefices outward Interest or Promotion undertake to Preach and style themselves Ministers of the Gospel of Christ and claim the precious Name of Christianity such mock at the mentioning of the Movings and Leadings and Gindings of the Spirit of Christ whereby it appeareth that they are not moved nor led nor guided by it in their preaching and so it is another Spirit even the Spirit of the Man of Sin by which they are moved to Preach for it must be the one of the two Spirits that moveth them but he that hath not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.8 to 17. 3 Cor. 12.3 is none of his and so is no true Christian and no Man can truly say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit so it is plain that he that is not moved led and guided by the Holy Spirit of Christ is none of the Ministers of Christ And such Preachers have only their Authority from Men by which they Preach and not at all from God as all true Ministers of the Gospel have and so their Labour is quite contrary to the Labour of the Ministers of Christ for they preach up Signs Ceremonies Ordinances and Traditions of Men and labour to keep People in dependance upon them which are all to perish with the using that thereby they may keep them in Ignorance to receive admire and depend upon their Teachings that for their Preaching they may pay them Wages Tythes Easter Reckonings Midsummer Dues c. as they call them or give them Gifts Rewards Honours or Esteem and so with their Signs and all their other Endeavours they labour to keep People from believing in the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ Acts 20.32 Tit. 2.11 12. the Word of God's Grace in their own Hearts which is the Teacher of all true Christians and which bringeth Salvation Isa 5.13 John 6.45 Heb. 8.10 11. Jor. 31.34 that so they may keep them in dependance upon Man's Teachings and from the Teachings of God who teacheth all his Children and all true Christians who must all know him from the least even to the greatest of them And if any Pleaders for Signs or Ceremonies think themselves obliged to the use of them by reason of any Command from Christ or his Apostles yet they may certainly know and that is more than think that they make not near so great a matter of the other plain and positive Commands of Christ and his Apostles but generally act quite contrary to many of them as plainly appeareth for Christ commanded his Ministers Mat. 10.8 Mat. 19.27 to 30 Mark 10.28 to 31. Tuke 14.33 saying Freely ye have received freely give but because many such Preachers have paid dear for their Learning therefore perhaps they may not think that Command obliging upon them but they may read that they to whom this Command was given had left all to follow Christ and Christ saith He that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple And whether such Preachers have freely received or not all may see that they are far from freely giving their Preaching or Ministry who Persecute cast into Prison or make Spoil or Havock of the Goods of Innocent People only because they cannot receive their Teaching nor pay them for it nor for their Ceremonies such as Bread and Wine and outward Baptism or others which they make a Trade of to get Money by which is quite contrary to the Command of Christ and of his Apostles and so such are also far from for saking all for the sake of Christ and far from being his Disciples or keeping his Commands And Christ said to his Ministers Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves Mat. 20.1 to 42. be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves but they that Persecute or cast into Prison others for not paying them for their Preaching or their Ceremonies they obey not this Command being far from the harmlesness of Doves and indeed they are not so wise as the Serpent who hath deceived them and blinded their Minds with the love of outward things with which they know not how soon they must part so that they cannot see the things which concern Everlasting Peace yet the Serpent hath endued them with much of his Wisdom whereby both they themselves and many others throgh them are deceived but the Children of the Light in the Wisdom that cometh from above see beyond all his and
only by his Light in his Faithful People revealeth the Man of Sin but also with the Spirit of his Mouth will consume and with the Brightness of his Coming will destroy the Man of Sin and his Works these having tasted and experienced something of the Goodness of God to their Souls not only of the Revelation but also of the Destruction of the Man of Sin and his Works in themselves and also having sweet and satisfactory Comfort and Consolation in their Hearts in the Love of God given unto them these cannot with the Times turn as Hypocrites do from one Profession of Religion to another for these are fully satisfied concerning the Way of God which is straight and narrow and not like the Ways of the Man of Sin the Devil the Serpent which are crooked like himself and broad and wide and can hold of all sorts of Professors and too many go in thereat But these being Children of the God of Truth who is Light they love to walk in their Fathers way which is the true Light and so they cannot neither dare they go out of it into the Ways of the Man of Sin and so serve him again in the least for they have had too much of his Tyrannical Servitude before and though his Children love his Ways wherein they have their pain bringing Pleasures yet the Children of God love them not but in the fear of God hate them all and love the Light of Christ Jesus in their Hearts the Way of God their Father And so it is in vain for Men to offer to force them out of God's Way into their ways for they dare not for fear of offending their Heavenly Father comply in the least to Worship God after any other Way or Manner but as he manifesteth himself in the Light of his Spirit of Truth in their Hearts and Consciences in which only with acceptance he is to be worshipped Neither can they again embrace or come into the Bondage of Corruptible Elements Ceremonies or Traditions of Men Gal. 4.9 Rom. 8.14 to 22. for which there is no warrant from God their Father lest they forfeit their glorious liberty of the Children of God Gal. 5.1 Tim. 2.12 Phil. 1.29 1 Pet. 4.12 to 19. Col. 1.23 to 28. whose Spirit beareth witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ And they know that if they suffer with him they shall also be glorified together and they account that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in them And such can truly rejoice that unto them it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake and this was the state of the Primitive Christians And as there is a great difference between the outward husk sign or shew of Religion of the Followers of the Man of Sin who are his Children and the pure spiritual undefiled Worship and Religion of the Followers of Christ who are Children of God so there is as great a difference between the Nature of the true Christians and false and between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil and also between the Persecutor for Religion and the Persecuted for true Religion and so doubtless as great a difference will and must be between their Rewards And so every one Male or Female Rich or Poor High or Low as they tender the Eternal Salvation of their precious Souls are to examine themselves in and by the true Light of Christ Jesus which is the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts whether they Worship God in his Light John 4.20 to 25. Mat. 15.7 8 9. Isa 29.13 14. Acts 17 22 to 31. Col. 2.6 to 23. Mat. 15.2 to 15. and Spirit and Truth in which only his pure spiritual undefiled Worship is acceptably performed Or whether their Worship â—e formal and taught and prescribed by the Traditions Precepts and Commandments of Men and so but a sign or shew of Religion being Will-worship and Voluntary Humility which Christ and his Apostles warned People to beware of For all such Worshippers worship God in vain or worship they know not what and the Reward of Hypocrisie shall be their Portion for they be Blind leading of the Blind and if the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the Ditch And likewise it concerneth all truly to examine themselves inwardly in the Light of Christ whether they be Baptized truly with the one Baptism of Christ by his spiritual Water and the Fire and Fan of his Spirit with which he will and is able thorowly to purge his Floor Mat. 3.11.12 Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.22 23. even the Hearts Souls and Consciences of true Believers and that only maketh fit to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven And so whether they be Children of the Light and of God who is Light and Born again of the Water and of the Spirit whose witness agreeth in one witnessing with their Spirits that they are the Children of God Born of his Incorruptible Word which liveth and abideth for ever Or whether they have only been Baptized or Sprinkled with Water by a Man and because thereof are taught to believe that then they were made Children of God and Members of Christ and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And if they have no better Assurance than such Baptizing or Sprinkling with outward Water then the Light and Spirit of Christ will bear witness in their Hearts that they are not Children of Light nor of God and then whose Children are they And likewise all may examine themselves in and by the true Light in their Hearts whether they be in the true Religion or not That is Whether or no they be true Christians John 6.45 who are all taught of God by the Light Grace and Spirit of his Son Christ Jesus in their Hearts Or they be but Pretenders to Christianity having a Profession or Form of Godliness but denying the Life and Power thereof resisting and rebelling against the strivings and movings and teachings of the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ and embracing and complying with the temptations motions and teachings of the Spirit of Antichrist and the Power of Darkness which is the Devil And such can profess that they know God Tit. 1.15 16. but in Works they deny him which is abominable And every one that doth Truth John 3.18.19 20 21. cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God but every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or discovered and so loving Darkness rather than the Light that is the Condemnation And it is certain that all who love not the Light of Christ Jesus in themselves and believe not in the sufficiency of it are deceived by the deceivableness of