and the danger yet the lustful mind rusheth into the sin as the horse to the battel and many times when man is overcome with strong drink then the word that forewarned of the evil when the creature is overcome with evil then the word in the heart afflicts the heart and soul and conscience What torment is there in body and soul and spirit who through the wilful mind in vexing God How doth the Lord vex such even in the very time and after such evil actions are brought forth yet the word that warned of the evil from it remains in the heart and condemns the creature many times for the misdeeds so as it is written Tribulation and Anguish upon every one that doth evil and to be short there may be felt in the heart good and evil the gift of God is the word of God every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above and God is the Author of it and there is an evil principle in the heart and that the Devil is the Author of and both these will move upon the heart the good moveth unto that which is good and the evil moveth unto that which is evil and as their is a yielding to either of these his servant thou art whom thou dost obey whether of sin unto death or obedience to righteousness but that which moveth to good if it be not obeyed it remaineth in the heart and changeth not its property but stands a witnesse in the heart against all wickedness and uncleanness and such as regard iniquity in their hearts the Lord will not hear their Prayer but he will make such to fear his wrath because of disobedience Question I perceive that man of himself hath not power to chuse the good and shun the evil but no want of strength to run into evil Answer Nay mans heart being overcome by the Serpents subtilty to redeem the heart again to God Christ the Way is to be made known in the heart who openeth the understanding and enlighteneth the heart and causeth man and woman to see into their own hearts what the hearts delight is in and whether they do to all men as they would be done by in outward dealing or no for he that is not faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to him the trust of the true riches Question It is true to deal justly and to love mercy is required and many men I hope who are in several forms of worship are indeavouring thereafter if that sacrifice be acceptable with the Lord. Answer The acceptable sacrifice is from a Believing heart who believes that God is and that he is a rewarder which is beyond a self righteousness which doth to be seen of men or to be so and so accounted for the just Spirit of God in the heart believed in constrains the creature to deal justly in all his dealings as in the sight of God for Gods fear stands in the heart which awes the man or woman who believe in Christ to deal justly and the same spirit constraineth to love mercy and also to walk humbly with God and this humility that I write of goes before honour Question How may I know a believer and an unbelieliever assunder seeing that the believers saerifice is accepted and the unbelievers rejected Answer By their fruits for a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit for such as the tree is such is the fruit a good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good fruit and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil fruit even as Cain and Abel for Abels sacrifice was accepted and Cains sacrifice was rejected Question What is the fruit that a good man brings forth out of his heart that I may take notice of it Answer The fruits of the Spirit is Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness patience and the like according to the Scripture Question What are the fruits that an evil man bringeth forth out of his heart Answer Murders adultery fornication uncleanness idolatry witchcraft mallice hatred variance strife and the like Question Why doest thou tell me of Abel and Cain that were so many years ago what doth their sacrifice resemble unto me Answer Abel and Cain they resemble two generations the wicked and the righteous Cain in envy persecuted the just as it is written He that envies is a murtherer and no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him and such as live in envy this day perfecuting the just are of Cains spirit and of Cains generation and their sacrifice is rejected by the Lord. Question Why or to what purpose doth the wicked offer sacrifice if it be rejected by the Lord Answer Nay to no purpose the very prayers of the wicked are abomination with the Lord. Question But in case I be a sinner and in Cains nature finding in my heart much envy and wickedness wrath and malice and the like is there no way to finde mercy and forgiveness and redemption from sin Answer Yea by true repentance and godly sorrow which worketh true desires in the heart after the Lord and a true hunger and thirst after righteousness and also a hatred of evil feeling Gods fear placed in the heart for in the true fear standing that is the godly awe that keeps from sin the fear restraineth from evil and whosoever is restrained from evil it is by an invisible arme of God that rebukes the sinner by a secret reproof in the heart and conscience and this secret reproof being owned and loved and the sin forsaken the same arme that reproves the sin begets life in the soul so that the same arme that brings destruction to the sin in the heart the same arme which is the Spirit of God doth bring salvation to the soul for for this purpose is the Son of God come to destroy the works of the Devil and to work out mans salvation by placing the fear of God in the heart and so the fear of the Lord is to depart from iniquity and iniquity departing from a love and belief is raised up in the heart by the Spirit of God and this is the Faith that God is the Authour of And such as come hither findes the minde changed and turned from darkness to light from the sin and vanity to be guided by the Spirit and such come to see that to be spiritually minded is life and peace such feeleth the true Faith that removes mountains and reconcileth the heart to God and there is no other name under heaven whereby salvation cometh but by the Spirit of Jesus in the heart believed in that brings down pride that brings down envy and strife and every evil work and breaks down the partition wall and reconciles the heart to God and bringeth life to the soul who comes and his reward is with him Question It appears that true Faith God is the Author of But I would learn how this Faith
cometh and how it works in its power and efficacy that I may know the difference of a Believer and an Unbeliever and also whether I be in the Faith or no Answer Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the Word and the Spirit is one but the Spirit and the Letter is two for the Letter killeth but the Spirit maketh alive the Spirit is a free gift the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal the nature of the Spirit is light and with this light are all men enlightned that all men through him might believe the manner of the Spirit working in the heart First a discovery of the sin and the want of life in the soul Secondly it begets a true desire after the Lord and a secret hunger and thirst after righteousness and draws the heart to be affected into the love of the Spirit as it is written He that loves the light brings his deeds to the light and through love the Spirit begets a belief in the heart to its self and as it is written He that believes in the light shall not abide in darkness all sin is darkness Mark the manifestation of the Spirit that searcheth the heart and maketh the sin known the same sorts the sins and evil deeds the light makes them manifest of what sort they are and as the sin is made known to be sin the manifestation of the Spirit that sheweth the sins and sorts them the same Spirit convinceth the Conscience of every sin and every evil deed and the same manifestation of the Spirit abides in the heart which is the onely means to work out mans salvation and the manner of its working in the heart as its nature is light and love even so it begets the heart into union with it self As it is written Of his own will begot he us by the word of truth and as the heart is drawn through love into union with the Spirit it is drawn from the sin and from the evil for the love of Christ constraineth and the same manifestation of the Spirit which is Gods free gift to work out mans salvation that begets the heart into unity with it self the same begets a belief in the heart to believe in Christ the Light who is the light of the world who hath enlightned every man that all men through him might believe and the honest heart receiveth the truth in the love of it the Spirit begets a belief in the heart and this is the Faith that comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and this faith is that which works by love and this is the faith that purifieth the heart the strength of this faith removes the sin removes mountains and gives victory as it is written He that believes in the light shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and this is the promise and the portion which the believer receives he shall have the light of life and the life gives assurance for every believer hath a seal in his soul of life eternal through the working of the Spirit by its power and efficacy in mortifying and destroying the works of the Devil that sinne and death may have no more dominion in the heart and so death comes to be swallowed up by victory and the promise of God accomplished in Christ who saith I am come that you might have life who is the life and brings life who cometh and his reward is with him Question Thou speakest that Christ hath enlightned every man that all men through him might believe what is the reason that all should be enlightned and yet some come short of Faith in Christ Answer The defect it not in the light but their rejecting it is the cause The mercy and justice of God through Christ by enlightning all that in the day of account all may be left without excuse mans misery will be found to be of himself here lieth the matter all are enlightned but all men have not faith many will not believe that the light is truth or that it is sufficient to save the soul and such hates the light every one that doth evil hateth the light and calleth the good evil and evil good and putteth light for darkness and darkness for light and such becomes reprobates concerning the Faith so that it is plain one sort loving the light believing and obeying it and another sort hating rejecting resisting and denying so that such as hates to be reformed and rejects the motions of the Spirit and resisteth the Holy Ghost and denyeth the Lord that bought them their destruction is of themselves and the Lord and his faithful people will be clear of their blood in the day of Judgement Question But is the light of Christ sufficient to save the Believer Answer Yea the light is the author of the faith and the faith standeth in the light and so it is saving faith and the light is the grace and it is written My grace is sufficient for thee This grace was and is the Saints teacher which taught and teacheth the believer to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Question If the light be the authour of the true saith in the believer and so the authour of mans salvation what is the portion of the unbeliever seeing thou sayest that all are enlightned Answer The unbelievers that hate the light the light is their condemnation as it is written This is the condemnation that light is come and men love darkness because their deeds are evil as also the grace that was the Saints teacher the unbelievers denied the grace and turned to wantonness and heaped up teachers to themselves having itching ears as many do at this day so the grace that taught and justified and justifieth the believers living in it the same grace condemneth the unbelievers denying to be taught and guided by it who have it in their hearts but hateth to be reformed by it Question I am much satisfied that the word of God in the heart is the Spirit of God and that it is Gods free gift and the onely means to work out mans salvation and also that by this free gift which is the manifestation of the Spirit every unbeliever in the day of Judgement shall be left without excuse Answer Thus the questioner is answered in the truth concerning the word of God in the heart and the power and efficacy of its working by deviding betwixt the joynt and marrow and by giving a discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart the discerning is the eye by which eye the power of the word in the heart is discerned A separation being made in the heart by the word whereby good and evil is divided and the word in the heart giveth a discerning of the evil in the heart and so the light of the body is the eye this is that eye that the god of this world had blinded which the power of the word hath opened and
A True CATECHISME Concerning the word of God and the Power of it which is quick and lively in the heart The manner of its working by dividing and setting before the Creature good and evil And also commanding to Chuse the good and shun the evil Also several Questions answered by the experimental working of the Spirit Useful for such as truly desire to be acquainted with the way to life eternal Written by one who is brought into the true Christian faith and for the Testimony of the same Faith hath been cast into prison and continued also through the envious Priests of Ely above one whole year and remaineth at present in Wisbitch Goal and scornfully called Quaker whose name is Thomas Richardson Wisbitch Goal the 24th of the 2d Month 1664. Printed in the Year 1664. Deutromouie 30. 1â— See I have set before thee good and evil life and death Verse 19. I have set before you life and death blessing and Cursing choose life that both thou and thy soul may live Reason Questioneth I would be satisfied herein hath the Creature power to Choose the good and Shun the evil or to Chuse the evil and Shun the good yea or nay Light Answereth The Creature man hath in his own will or in his own strength he hath power to do evil but the power to do good standeth in the gift of God and not in the will or wit of man Question But the word Chuse life implyeth as if the man had power to Chuse Answer The Creature in the fall hath chosen death or the sin that bringeth death but now the gift of God is given to discover the sin and the death and the way of restoration and requires the heart and minde from the sin and fo from the death shewing the danger of the proceeding in the sin and evil And that the Lord hath no delight in the sinner and therefore it is Gods gift in man that is the power to destroy the devil and the sin Question If God do the work alone what must the Creature do or why doth he say Chuse life Answer Man in eating the forbidden fruit hath chosen the sin and so death entred And in this estate there is a free will or a willing mind in all men naturally to sin But the gift of God which is free from God is of another nature it is revealed in the heart and revealeth the sin and also the mind of God in the heart of man to draw the heart from the sin and out of it up to God and it is Gods gift in the heart that cryeth Chuse life rather then death and this gift of God doth afflict the soul and heart and Conscience if the sin be lived in and this is the word that is nigh thee in thine heart that thou mayest hear it and do it ver 14. this word is lively it is placed in the heart that thou mayst hear it and do it Question How may I know this word that is quick that is nigh in the heart and what is the thing required of me to do Answer The word is Gods gift the Son of God is the gift of God God so loved the world that he gave his Son whose name is called the word of God the life is in the Son and he that hath the Son hath life who hath given a manifestation of his spirit to every man the spirit is the word the spirit is quick this is the word that is in thine heart that thou mayst hear it and do it and this is Gods gift Question How may I know the voice of the word or Spirit Seeing that I am commanded to hear it and do it Answer The Son is life in himself and the Spirit is life the life that is in the Spirit it sheweth what leadeth in the way to life and the way to death also and the word being in the heart is a speaking voice that revealeth every sin and revealeth the righteous judgments upon the sinner for it convinceth the conscience after the manifestation and maketh the heart to understand what the Lord hath no delight in and it calleth for a return and to forsake thy evil ways as evil Worships and evil Actions Words Customes and Traditions and so the word in thy heart that thou art to hear it abideth in thy heart and standeth a witness against all manner of sin that the heart can delight in and if thou hear it and do it then thou may feel what peace of conscience it bringeth and life to thy soul but if thou hear it and do it not but live still in the disobedience then thou shalt go with a wounded conscience and shall feel the voice behind thee saying this is the way it will affiict thee and condemn thee in thine own heart for grieving of Gods holyspirit therfore to live in sin and know it such goeth with a wounded Couscience and such must needs have a heavy burden Question What is that which burtheneth and whence comes it or what is the burden thou speakest of Answer That which burdens is sin which ariseth from the lust which causeth the war and that which is burdned is the life of the soul the delighting and living in sin burdens the soul and burdens the conscience And such goeth bowed down in spirit the life of the soul cryeth under the burden being pressed as a Cart with sheaves and all that feeleth this burden goeth with a wounded Conscience and the further they go in any known sin the greater the burden and torment Question I could gladly chuse life but it seemes to be a straightway Answer The way is straight to that which must never enter but it is easie with such as are willing and obedient for life is obtained through love for God is love and hath shed his everlasting love in our hearts and by hearing and feeling the strength of his love the heart is overcome this thinketh no evil but overcometh evil all that come under the yoke of Christ and taketh up his yoke such dare not stand to look at the straitness of the way for the Lord maketh it easie for his yoke and burden to such as are of a ready mind is love and mercy but the unbeleivers standeth looking at the straitness of the way what reproaches and what persecutions saying in heart it may cost goods and lands and life also and having the heart fixed in the earthly such are not brought into the true faith for the care and confidence is more in the earthly then in the heavenly their minds and hearts are not redeemed from the earth but the believers hath a yoke that yokes the heart and mind and soul to God and yokes or binds the earthly part under and such knoweth their redeemer liveth that hath redeemed from the vain Conversation of the world And such feels the soul redeemed from death and how there is a passing from death to life Question True it is many people in these days
do not walk up to what they are perswaded in their heart is truth they being full of fears but if many do so for fear of the Law may not the Lord ardon such and shew mercy afterward Answer It is in God to pardon and to shew mercy upon repentance and forsaking sin and transgression but it is a dangerous thing to tempt and provoke the Lord by disobeying his voice slighting his visitation for it is with him to harden to give the creature to unbeliefe as he sees Cause so to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts for they that neglect the day of their visitation wherein God calls them to repentance which is the day of mercy and healing his justice will find them out and how can it stand with the justice of God to own such as deny him hath not the Lord called many this day that will not hear may not the day come that such may call and cry and he will not hear are not such as know the truth and not obey it the fearful and unbelieving whom God will judge how dare thou who art afraid to confesse him before men count thy self a beleever or how dare thou build upon a hope in thy heart that he should hear thee when thou callest and thou deny him now he calls not this the hippocrites hope that must perish Question Thou speakest of a call that the Lord calls unto his people by how may I know when God calleth me or what is Gods call that I may know it Answer Gods call is by his word which is nigh in the heart that thou may hear it and do it it is so nigh thee that thou canst neither swear nor lie but the word is so nigh it will reprove thee and condemn thee Question Is that Gods call I have known that many times but whether doth it call me Answer The word in the heart calleth from the sin it is nigh to discover every sin it is a living word it is quick in making the sin known and calleth to abstain there are many are called but few are chosen Question What is the reason that many should be called and few chosen Answer The want of love to Gods word how should God Chuse such as hates to be reformed for God hath placed his word in the heart to reform the heart and many will talk of the word with their mouth but hates to be reformed by it in their hearts so as it is written every one that doth evil hateth the light but he that heareth the word and doth it such maketh their calling and election sure such yeildeth to the word that is so nigh to discover every oath and every lie though it might bring much gain the word is so nigh that calleth to forsake and rebukes also with such strokes of Judgement in the Conscience the righteous smiteth the Lord hath smitten and in smiting the fear of the Lord is learned the word is nigh in the heart that thou should hear it and do it the hearers and doers are such as yeilds and is willing to be taught by it but such as heareth the word and doth it not the word is as an hammer and smiteth them in their conscience that they go with a wounded Conscience and falleth under the wrath of God through disobedience Question Is there ability to be obtained as in matter of salvation as by hearing and doing or is it a matter of condemnation to hear it and not to do it Answer Yea there is matter of salvation in hearing and doing for it is written he that hear eth my word and doth it is compared to a wise man that built upon a rock but such as hear and do it not are compared to build upon the sand Question Hath man power to do the one and leave the other undone or may it not be imputed that it is a matter of works seeing that man may do it or leave it undone because thou saist hear and do or hear and not do Answer Yea there is power in man given him of God and he that is of God heareth Gods word the word is quick it is a speaking word is revealed in the heart speaketh against all manner of sin that ariseth in the heart so he that hath an ear to hear what the Lord saith such dare not lend an ear to the sin or to the wicked so the word is a law to the lawless the power stands in the word which is Gods stroke to the sinful part the love of this being felt in the heart Constraineth unto obedience and so begetteth a willingness in the mind for the word being powerful over-pours the heart which hath had its life in evil and overcomes the heart by love so that what by its love and what by its judgements the honest heart is made subject and this is none of mans works nor mans righteousness but the power of the word that the upright in heart heareth and doth by yielding obedience in heart unto it But he that heareth the word and doth it not are such as â—ive in Pride and Pleasures as Swearing Lying and even all manner of evil and hath many secret reproofs in their Consciences but will none of its reproofs and hates to be reformed by it for every one that doth evil hates the light so that their is a willingness in man naturally as being faln to do evil and being wholly inclined in heart thereunto there is power enough to do evil but hath no power of himself to do good but to leave all without excuse the Lord who hath no delight in the death of a sinner hath caused his light to appear in the sinful heart who by the word maketh the sin manifest so that many can acknowledge they do live in gross sins and that they are condemned in their own Consciences many times that the custom or habit of sin carrieth their hearts away to delight in iniquity so that the love of the evil carrieth or draws the heart after it and into it and that the creature hath power naturally to chuse the evil the heart being wholly bent thereunto yet this man or these sort of evil men are ready to confess upon examination that they many times do hear the word in their hearts that afflicts them and condemns them in their Consciences for not doing of it thus with many their is a Confessing but not a forsaking And therefore it is that they do not find mercy Question I astance some particulars that I may understand more plainly Answer For instance some men are given to Drunkenness and have an habit in that sin doth the Spirit of God lead into that sin nay then it must needs be an evil Spirit that leads into evil ways Now the word of God is nigh such a one even in his heart at the very time when the mind is running after strong drink or bad Company and the word sheweth the man the sin