2 3. Mat. 5. 48. Ephes 4. 11 12 13. Heb. 6. 1. Heb. 13. 20 2â— Rev. 14. 2 3 4 5. 1 John 2. 14. Chap 3. 4. to vers 11. And further I do affirm that all that preach and speak against Perfection from Sin and say That there is no Perfection from Sin can be attained unto in this Life all such Persons and People do encourage People for to live in Sin and they do discourage people from pressing after perfection and they are a means to beget people into Unbelief that they may not believe that such a good state and condition is to be attained unto in this Life and all such deny the sufficiency of Christ and the end of his coming in Spirit into the Hearts and Souls of all true Christians and true Believers in him which end was and is for to mortifie and to kill and crucifie Sin and to destroy the Works of the Devil which is Sin and Iniquity in people and every evil Plant which the Lord hath not planted which hath taken deep Root in people's hearts the Lord will pluck up by the working of his own Power and Spirit in the hearts of all true Christians and true Believers and Followers of Christ who truly love and obey him and this great Work of Christ must be known and witnessed for to be done and wrought by him in every true Christian before Christ can be known experimentally for to reign and rule in the hearts and souls of people And these things are a mystery unto all that live in Sin and take pleasure and delight therein and unto all the proud and covetous Clergy that are in the whole World that preach for Tythes or Money and are hired by people to preach for so much Money by the Year which the true Apostle Paul said That the love of Money was the Root of all Evil And the true Ministers of Christ hated all such covetous Practices and declared against them and Paul said I have coveted no man's Silver or Gold or Apparel ye your selves know said he that these Hands have ministred unto my Necessities and to them that were with me Who was a Tent-maker he was not brought up at any Schools of Learning for to be made a Minister of Christ nor none of the Ministers of Christ were brought up at any Schools of Learning to be made Ministers of Christ but several of them were ignorant and unlearned men as to outward Learning and Scholarship which people do so much boast of but they were brought up at Christ's School and they were taught of him by his holy Spirit and they were endued with Power from on High and they were led and guided by Christ's Spirit into all Truth and out of all the wicked ungodly Ways and Practices which many of the Clergy-Men and of their Hearers before mentioned live and walk in now And the Apostle Paul said That the Gospel which he preached be neither received of Man neither was he taught it of Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and he preached not unto any people with inticing Words of man's Wisdom nor of man's Learning but he preached and spoke unto the people in the Demonstration of the Spirit with Power that their Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God and Christ made them able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life unto the Soul And so the Ministers of Christ never preached such a Doctrine as these covetous Clergy-Men do now Read these Scriptures Galatians 1. 11 12. Acts 2â— 33 34. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. 1 Tim. 6. 6 7 8 9 10 11. And you that preach and speak against Perfectiâ—n 〈…〉 Sin and say none can be set free from Sin in this Life can you not believe that Christ Jesus is as able and sufficient and willing to save people from their Sins and to bring them to a perfect state from Sin according as God created Man and Woman in the beginning as the Devil who is the author of all Sin and Evil who makes his Children and Servants perfect in Sin and Wickedness who continue to the end of their days to obey and follow him and are led and guided by his spirit into Sin and Evil and his evil Fruits are brought forth and acted and done daily by his Children and Servants to the great dishonour of God who made Man and Woman for to love fear serve and honour and obey him in Truth and Righteousness and to live and walk before the Lord in a holy godly righteous Life in all manner of Holiness and Righteousness in our holy Lives and godly Conversations so long as the Lord is pleased that we shall live upon the Earth that so God Almighty may be honoured and glorified in us and by us that so we may answer the end for which he hath made and created us which is to fear and love him with all our Hearts which if we do so in Truth then we shall be made willing by the Lord for to obey him and keep his commands which is the duty of every one so to do And now all you that do not believe that Perfection from Sin can be attained unto and that not any can be set free from Sin in this Life doth not your Faith and Belief stand in him who is the author of all Sin and Evil which is the wicked Spirit And your faith and belief stands not in Christ who is the Author of Perfection from Sin who is the good Spirit and saves his People from their Sins but not in their Sins and Christ said Whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin And the Apostle Paul said Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye do obey whether of Sin that leads to Death and Destruction or of Obedience unto Righteousness which leads to Life and Peace with the Lord. And so long as People live in Sin and are Servants to it they are free from Righteousness and the Apostle John said He that commiteth Sin is of the Devil and he said He that is born of God sinneth not Read these Scriptures John 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16 17. to the end 1 John 3. 4. to vers 11. And all that believe that they cannot be set free from Sin so long as they live in this World they know nothing of the New Birth experimentally no more than Nicodemus did which was a Ruler of the Jews nor no such persons nor people that plead for living in Sin term of Life they know nothing by expeâ—â—ence what it is for to be Regenerated and Born again of Water and the Spirit without which inward spiritual knowledge they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and they that are born of God by the Water and Spirit of Life they are not Servants to Sin
neither will any such plead for Sin nor for a continuance in it as long as they live but all such Persons and People that are born of God as aforesaid they hate Sin and every appearance of it in Thoughts Words and Actions both in themselves and in all other people where they see Sin committed acted or done and those that are born of God by his Spirit they are in Christ and he is in them spiritually and they are made new Creatures by the working of Christ's spirit in their hearts and souls and all old things that are evil which is Sin and Iniquity comes to be taken away and destroyed and all things are made new by the workings of the Power and Spirit of Christ in the hearts of all the Children of Light who are true Believers and Followers of Christ through the Spiritual Warfare and through great Tribulations and Tryals and Exercises which the People of the Lord come to know and to pass through before they attain to Perfection from all their Sins and it is said That many are the Troubles of the Righteous and through many Tribulations must they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but the Lord is all-sufficient for to help his People out of all their Troubles and Tryals both inward and outward those that puts their whole trust and confidence in him And he hath done great things for many of his people now in our Age and Generation which have been under great Troubles Sufferings and Tryals both inward and outward for which we have just cause and we are bound in duty to bless and praise the Name of the Lord and to return unto him all Honour Glory Praise Thanks Fear Reverence and true Obedience for unto the Lord alone it doth belong both from me and from all that knows him who have tasted of his Love and Mercies blessed and praised be his great and glorious and heavenly Name both now henceforth for ever and for evermore Read these Scriptures John 3. 1. to vers 11. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Acts 14. 22. 2 Cor. 1. 3. 44. Chap. 10. 3. 4. 1. 45. And so the true Way that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven is a strait and narrow way for it is a way of Holiness Righteousness and Purity and a way wherein all people must deny themselves of doing any evil thing that will offend the Lord or displease him and therefore there are but a few that find it and walk in it and Christ's Flock is but a little Flock in comparison of the multitude of people that are in the World but the way that leads to Hell and Destruction and so into everlasting Torment and Misery which shall never come to an end this is a broad and wide way and it is easie and delightful and pleasant to all fleshly carnal minded people for to walk in And all those people that live and act in Sin and Evil and take pleasure and delight therein and deny Perfection from Sin in this Life all such persons and people are going on in the broad and wide way that will lead them into everlasting Wo and Misery unless they repent And therefore it is my Advice and Counsel unto all people that now live and delight in Sin and Evil as you tender the glory of God and the good and well-being of your Immortal Souls come out of all your ungodly ways and doings and Repent and forsake the Evil of your ways and doings and desire the Lord to pardon you for all your Sins and Transgressions which yon have acted and done against him and turn unto the Lord and fear and love him with all your hearts and hate Sin and Evil and every appearance of it both in your selves and in all others that thereby you may come to know a Change and a Reformation to be wrought in your hearts by the Power and Spirit of Christ in you and this is the only way and means for you to find Forgiveness and Mercy and Acceptance with the Lord for your poor Souls which if you so do and find it will be of more worth and value to you that find it then all the outward injoyments of Honour or Riches or Pleasures that are in the World And now I shall mention and lay before you some of the Cruelties and bloody Persecutions of these Clergy-men before mentioned and some of their Hearers and Members of their Churches which have joyned with them in their Cruelties and bloody Persecutions and shall begin with the Popish Clergy and some of the Members of their Church first It is well known to many People what their Doctrine and Principles and Practices are and what it leads and guides them for to do and act in those Places and Countries where they have the Rule and Power in outward things as for instance They do believet at all people which are not of their Faith and Religion are Sectaries and Hereticks though they be called Christians as I can make appear by their own Books which they have set forth and then this hath followed by their practices that the more Hereticks they kill and destroy many of them think they do God more service and count it a Meritorious Work although the people which they have killed and murthered were no Hereticks but good Christians many of them and were faithful to God in what he manifested and made known unto them in their Age and Time As for instance How many of these good people aforesaid have these Popish bloody Clergy-Men and the Members of their Church caused for to be but and destroyed in Queen Mary's Reign because they could not for good Conscience-sake submit and conform to their Idolatrous Ways and Worships which were never ordained by the Lord nor never such a Doctrine nor Practice was ever preached nor practised by any of the Ministers of Christ And so this Doctrine and Practice which was and is preached and practised by the Popish Clergy and the Members of their Church was ordained and set up by the Devil and his Ministers and not by Christ nor his Ministers as appears plainly by their Wicked Actions and Practices aforesaid And I shall mention more of their Cruelties and Murders as for instance How many Thousands of Protestants did they kill and murder in Ireland even at such a time when the Protestants were peaceable and quiet and did not lift up a hand against them and the Devil in those Murderers did invent such Cruel Tortures and Punishments to put them to Death as scarce hath been heard of amongst the Heathens which are no Christians and yet notwithstanding they have the boldness and confidence for to call themselves Christians and say Christ is their Saviour but Christ hates and abhors all such Murders and Cruelties as are found acted and done amongst them And Christ came not to destroy men's Lives but to save them And here people may see that these aforesaid are not acted nor guided by the Spirit of Christ but by the spirit
in this present world and it will teach them for to do unto all People as they would be done unto themselves and it will teach them for to deal and to do justly to all men and to love and shew mercy unto all People and to walk in Lowliness and in true Humility before the Lord and these things the Lord requires of every one and it is the duty of every one so to do And now if this good Spirit of Christ did bear rule in every ones Heart it would lead and guide them in all Truth and Righteousness and it would lead and bring them out of all the wicked and ungodly Ways and Worships and evil Practices which are acted and done amongst all the Sons and Daughters of men which are now in the fall and live in Sin and Transgression against God and so are found to be in the unregenerate state and such are dead in their Sins and Trespasses tho' their Bodies be alive in this World and if this good Spirit aforesaid did bear rule in every Heart there would not be that Killing nor Destroying one another neither about Religion nor no earthly thing whatsoever and therefore I would have all People to take notice that there are two Spirits a good Spirit and an evil Spirit and the good Spirit comes from God and the evil Spirit comes from the Devil and the good Spirit leads People up to God to have fellowship communion with him in spirit in their hearts souls and this is the only Communion which is spiritual that is alone necessary and needful for every one to know in truth as to their Everlasting Happiness with the Lord when time here in this World shall be no more to them And the evil Spirit draws and leads people from God into all manner of Sin and Wickedness some into one kind of Sin and some into other kind of Sin so that all People upon the Earth are Sinners and live in Sin so long as this evil Spirit guides and bears rule in their hearts and every one is a Servant to whether of these two Spirits he doth obey and to whether of these two Spirits be yields his Members servants unto his Servants they are to whom they do obey whether it be unto that spirit which leads them into Sin and Evil which is the wicked Spirit or it be that they do obey the good Spirit which leads and guides all them that are led and guided by it into all Truth and Righteousness and out of all Sin and Iniquiry And whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his let them profess what they will or be of what Judgment or Religion soever if they have not the Spirit of Christ in them for to teach and instruct and counsel them they are none of Christ's Servants nor Ministers read these Scriptures Rom. 8. 6. to vers 15. Rom. 6. 12. to the end 1 John 3. 4. to vers 11. Tit. 2. 11. to the end John 1. 1. to vers 13. 1 Cor. 12. 7. And all them that do love and believe in the Light and Spirit of Christ in them which shews them Sin and reproves them in their own Hearts and Consciences many times when they do sin insomuch that I have heard several people say when they have sinned I pray God forgive me when as at that time no Person outwardly did speak to them but it was the Light and Spirit of Christ in them that shewed them that they had sinned against the Lord at that time and whosoever minds and takes heed to that Light and Spirit of Christ in them and believes in it so as to obey and follow it it will not only shew them their Sins and evil Deeds which they have done and committed against the Lord but it will beget a perfect hatred against all Sin in them that do truly love and believe in this Light and good Spirit aforesaid and it will beget secret crys and breathings unto the Lord in their hearts and souls that he would be pleased to pardon them and to give them power for the time to come to forsake the evil of their Ways and Doings that they might never sin against the Lord any more and this hath been my state and conâ—â—â—ion and many more of the People of God and now we can say in truth to the praise and glory of the Lord it is spoken that we that were Sinners and Unbelievers and were dead in Sins Trespasses in days years that are past and gone as well as others and then at that time when we were in that sad and miserable state and condition as aforesaid the Lord was pleased out of his infinite love mercy goodness for to reveal and make known himself unto us even at that time when we were Enemies Aliens and Strangers unto him by wicked Works which we had done against the Lord notwithstanding all our Profession of Religion and fair pretences which we made that we did love the Lord and believe in him and did worship and serve him as we thought then but it pleased the Lord of his great love and kindness to us to appear in our hearts by his Light and good Spirit which he manifested and revealed in us at that time and the Lord was pleased by his Light and Spirit for to search our hearts and to let us see the deceit and the evil that was in our hearts by reason of Sin and Iniquity which the Enemy of our Souls which is the wicked spirit had wrought in our hearts and we knew it not when we lived in our sins and took pleasure and delight therein and so instead of denying our selves from doing those things which did offend and displease the Lord we did those things which did offend him and grieve his holy Spirit as too many do now and when we did those things which grieved the Lord we did not then walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to Life and Peace with the Lord but we were then walking in the broad and wide way that leads to Hell and Destruction which many Thousands are now walking in that live in their sins and take pleasure and delight therein but now the Lord out of his free love and grace and mercy hath called us out of the evil of the World and the vain Conversation that people live and walk in both Professors and Prophane and he hath revealed and made known his Mind and Will unto us what he would have us for to do and what he requires of us which is to live the Lord with all our Hearts above all visible things that are in the World and also to fear serve honour and obey him in Truth and Righteousness and to do justly with all men and to love Mercy and walk Humbly with God and now we find that the Lord hath made a Remnant of us freely willing for to serve and obey him and to do his Will in what he makes known
they would deceive the very Elect c. To which I Answer That there is not any Person or People that live and walk in Sin and take pleasure and delight therein and plead for a continuance in it 〈◊〉 term of Life and say That there is none can be set free from Sin in this Life that can witness any thing of their Election by the working of Christ's Spirit in them and all such are deceived already by the deceitfulness of Sin which bears rule in the Hearts of all the Children of Disobedience who are disobedient to the Light and Spirit of Christ in them and suell are in the broad way that leads to Destruction and are in the state of Reprobation and Condemnation But the true Prophets which the Lord sent prophesied freely without either taking Tythes or Money and they prophesied truly that which came to pass and they bore witness against the false Prophets and false Shepherds that prophesied for Money and Hire as for instance read Isa 55. 1. 2 3. Chap. 56. 10 11. And Isaiah was a true Prophet and sent of God and he did as I may say comparatively make as it were a Proclamation and saith Ho every â—re 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 And he saith unto the People Wherefore do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me saith the Lord by that true Prophet and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Here People may see how the Lord by his true Prophet invites every one for to come to the Waters and buy and eat freely that which is good for their Souls without Money and without Price and he exhorts them that they should not spend their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which would not satisfie their thirsty Souls And now the generality of people are spending and giving their Money for that which is not the Bread of Life neither will it satisfie any hungry thirsty Soul that truly hungers and thirsts after the Lord and his Righteousness And this true Prophet called the false Prophets and false Shepherds which spoke and prophesied for Money dumb Dogs greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they all look to their own way every one for his Gain from his Quarter And he told them that they were blind and ignorant and so they did not understand the things of God And now if people be not wilfully blind and ignorant you may see that there is as much difference between the true Prophets of God and the true Ministers of Christ and the false Prophets and false Minstors that either preach or prophesie for Tythes or Money or both as there is betwixt Light and Darkness And now I have something to propound unto all you Clergy-Men before mentioned which do profess and say that you are true Believers and Ministers of Christ and that you follow Christ and his Ministers for your Example and that the Scriptures are your Rule and Guide for to walk by first Where do ye find or read in all the holy Scriptures of Truth that any of the Ministers of Christ ever went to any Schools of outward Learning and staid several Years there and did commence from one degree of Learning unto another for to be made Ministers of Christ as you Clergy-Men did and do now And when you have been several Years at such Schools or Colledges until you think that you are Artists and are sufficient for to preach to People then you get an Order to Preach And so you come from those Schools into the Country and inquire where there is a vacant place where there is no Ministers and then you endeavour to get that place for to Preach at if you like their Wages but if not then you inquire for to get a better place where there is most Tythes or Money which is worth so much by the Year and this is your Call to your Ministry But the true Ministers of Christ were never called nor made Ministers after such a way and manner as yours is And is not this way of yours in being made Ministers like unto a man that binds his Son to be an Apprentice with a Trades-man for several Years to learn him his Trade and gives him so much Money for so doing when his time is expiered his Master gives him his Indentures and then he becomes a free man to set up his Trade and to trade for himself without any opposition But these Clergy-Men before mentioned exceed all the Trades-men in the World that have any Principle of Honesty ruling in them for when an honest Trades-man sells his Commodity he delivers it to them or some for them that buys it and pays for it But these Covetous Clergy-Men aforesaid sell their Sermons for Tythes or Money or both and keeps them still and do not deliver them to those that pay for them And when they have a mind to go to another Town to Preach they may have some of their old Sermons still for to preach to that people and if that people do not give them any Money for that Sermon yet notwithstanding they are paid for it by their own Hearers which pay them so much every Year for their Preaching which may amount to ten Shillings or more for every Sermon they preach throughout the whole year Did ever the Ministers of Christ do any such things as these And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ took either Tythes or Money for their Preaching or went to Law with any sort of People and took away their Goods and Chattels and cast them into Prisons for not paying of them Tythes or Money for their Preaching as these ungodly covetous Clergy-Men have done unto as these many Years and still continues and goes on in these wicked ungodly Practices against us as is before mentioned And further where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ when they went to preach took a Text of other Mens Words and from those words raised Doctrines Reasons Motives Uses and Applications as you Clergy-Men do now And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ baptized Infants and had Sureties to stand up for them and to promise that they shall forsake the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomp and Glory of the World with all Covetous Desires of the same the Carnal Desires of the Flesh so that they will not follow nor be led by them And all this the Witnesses promise in the behalf of that Child or Children that they stand up for and when the Priest asketh those Witnesses whether they do forsake the Devil and all
his Works and all things above expressed they say that They do forsake them all which is a Lye in the sight of God and his People And these Persons and People which do so promise and say as aforesaid they are such as live and act in sin and evil which is of the Devil who is the author of all sin and evil that is committed against God by all the Sons and Daughters of men in the fall who are unregenerated and not born again of the Water and Spirit of Life and these people which do thus say and promise as aforesaid they are such as do not believe that Perfection from Sin can be attained unto in this Life and that none shall be set free from Sin so long as they live in this World such as these take upon them to be called Godfathers and Godmothers and the Children which these people stand up for and promise so on their behalf are taught to ask them Blessing and to call them Godfathers and Godmothers which thing is unwarrantable in the fight of God the Maker and Creator of all mankind and of all other Creatures whatsoever And how dare any People be so bold and wicked as to take upon them for to be so called as aforesaid And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ did Marry any People or did say Prayers over the Dead or Churched any Women as it is called and all these things the Clergy-Men aforesaid do and practice for Money besides their Tithes and Money for Preaching And further where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the true Bishops and Ministers of Christ that were ordained and appointed by him did assume to themselves and did take upon them such high Names and Titles as to be called Lord and Masters as these Bishops and Clergy-Men do â—ow And where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures â—â—at Timothy and Titus were called Lord Bishops which were true Bishops and ordained of God And where had they any Bishopricks and many hundreds of Pounds by the Year as these Bishops have now And are not these great Names and Titles and these rich Bishopricks which they own and have gotten to themselves contrary to the mind and will of God and contrary to the practice of the true Bishops which were ordained of the Lord and contrary to the Scriptures be not a means to beget them into Pride and Highmindedness and Self-exaltation and not into Humility and Lowliness of Heart so as to be gifted and qualified as the true Bishops were that were ordain'd of God And where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that ever any of the true Prophets or Ministers of Christ were called Master as a Name or Title to set up Self above the common sort of People And did not Christ cry Wo against all such that went in long Robes and had the uppermost Room at Feasts and love Greetings in the Markets and the Chief Seats in the Synagogues and are called of men Rabbi which is Master And Christ said unto his Ministers Be not ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ and ye are Brethren and be that is the greatest among you shall be your Servant And the Apostle Paul who was a true Minister of Christ said That though I be free from all Men yet I have made my self Servant unto all that I might gain the more And so he was not called Lord nor Master as a flattering Title amongst men which upholds Pride and Highmindedness as these Bishops and Clergy-Men are now And did ever the Ministers of Christ demand ten Shillings for a Mortuary and take it as these Clergy-Men do now And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ set People to sing David's Psalms which are put into Rhime and Meter by Hopkins and Sâ—erhould and others And whether they that sing David's Psalms now and are not in his state and condition that he was in when he spoke those Words which are recorded in the Book of Psalms do not such sing Lyes in Hypocrisie yea or nay For though those Sayings were true in David because he was in that condition which he spoke of at that time when he spoke those Words but those Sayings are not true in them that know nothing of his condition for he was in several conditions as may be seen in the Book of Psalms And how can people sing so long as their Souls are in Captivity and they themselves in bondage to Sin and so people must come to know Salvation and Redemption wrought by Christ in them from their Sins and Iniquities before they can sing in Truth And further where do you find or read that the Ministers of Christ had a Book of Common-Prayer or a Mass-Book provided for them for to read to people for Money as these Clergy-Men do now Or where do ye find in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ or any other People that were true Believers and Followers of Christ did ever read and say their Prayers in a Book when the Lord moved them by his holy Spirit to pray unto him but they waited upon the Lord until they were endued with Power from on High and then they preached and prayed according as the Lord by his Spirit in them did help and assist them and gave them utterance for to do and perform what the Lord did require of them as appertaining to the Worship and Service of God And now I shall propound one thing more which is of great Concernment Where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures that ever any of the Ministers of Christ or any true Christians or Saints who were true Believers and Followers of Christ that any of them did compel or demand any Money of any sort of People for mending and repairing those Houses and Places where the true Ministers and People of God meet for to worship him in And now I have something more to declare unto all that profess Christianity and Salvation by Christ which do say and believe that they are already Saved and Redeemed and Justified by Christ and his Righteousness without them although they be of that Faith and Perswasion that They must live in Sin as long as they live upon the Earth and that none can be set free from Sin in this Life c. To which I Answer That all that are of that Faith and Perswasion are deceived by the Deceiver and that Faith and Perswasion was never begotten by the Lord but by the evil one who is the author of all Sin and Evil For I do affirm that all People that know Christ spiritually and experimentally to be their Saviour and Redeemer and that he hath already saved and redeemed and justified them then no such persons nor 〈◊〉 will any more plead for Sin nor a continuance in 〈◊〉 term