praying in the Synagogues and lay heavy burdens upon the people which Jesus Christ cryed wo against and bid his Disciples not to be so Be ye not called of men Mastâ—rs for one is your Master even Christ and ye are all Brethren so we do witness Jeâ—us Christ our Master and see them to be in the steps of the Pharisees and therfore we deny them Mat. 3.10 Mat. 20.3 They are such teachers that with fained words and thâ—ough covetousness made merchandize of us and do upon the People who by Oppression maintain themselves and Wives in pride and idleness in hoods veils and changable suits of apparrel who go in the way of Cain to envy murder and persecute and after the eâ—ror of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness following after gifts and rewards which the Apostles cryed against and therfoâ—e we deny them 2 Pet. 2. Jude 11. They are such Teachers as have told us the Steeple-house hath been the Church when as the Scripture saith the Church is in God and theâ—fore we deny them 1 Thes 1.1 They are such Teachers that have told us the Letter was the Word when as the Letter saith God is the Word therfore we deny thâ—m Joh. 1.1 They are such Teachers as have told us the Letter was the Light when as the Letter saith Christ is the Light therfore we deny them Joh. 1.1.19 and 8 1â— They are such Teachers as spâ—inkle Infants calling it an Ordinance of Christ and baptizing into the Faith into the Church when as the Scripture saith no such thing and therfore we deny them but the Baptism by one Spirit into one Body we own 1 Cor. 12.13 They are such Teachers as tell people of a Sacrament for which there is not one Scripture and so feed the people with their own inventions and therfore we deny them but the Table and Supper of the Lord we own 1 Cor. 10. They are such Teachers as tell people that Mathew Mark Luke and John is the Gospel which are but the Letter The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the world is glad tydings to poor Captives glad tidings weâ—e promised before the Letter was written The seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpâ—nts head and Hâ— shall be a Light unto the Gentiles the Letter is a Declaration of the Gospel and many have the Letter but not Christ but we having received the Gospel know them to be no Ministers of it and therfore we deny them Gen. 3.15 Luke 1.1 They are such Ministers as go to Oxford and Cambridge and call them the well-heads of Divinity and so deny the fountain of living mercies and there they study and read books and old Authors and furnish themselves with Philosophy and fine words and other mens matter and when they come again they sell it to poor people when as the Apostle saith He was not made a Minister by the will of man and that the Gospel which he preached was not of man nor had he received it from man neither was he taught it and denyed all his learning which he had got by the will of man at the feet of Gamaliel and so finding them in the will of man preaching by the will of man we cannot but deny them Gal. 1. They are such Teachers that tell people that Hebrew and Greek is the Oâ—iginal when as the Apostle spake in the Hebrew tongue to the Hebrews who heard him in their own Language and yet persecuted him and the Greeks who had the Gospel in their own Tongues said The Cross of Christ was foolishnâ—ss these who had the Scripture in their own Language were as ignorant of the Life of them as our naturall Priests who spend so much time in learning a natural Language to find out what those meant that spake forth the Scripture who make poor people beleive that to know a natural Tongue is the means to understand the Original the VVord which is the Original was before all Languages were the VVord was in the begining which VVord was made manifest in all the Children of God who spake forth the Scriptures holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Now all ye learned ones where is your Original heâ—e you and your Original is razed out fâ—om the word which is the Original which the Apostles preached amongst the Hebrews and Greeks which was before Tongues were and your Original which will break all your Tongues and Original to peices Pilate had your Original of Hebrew Greek and Latine who crucified Christ he that draws back into many Languages as into Hebrew and Greek draws back into the naturals and so draws into confusion but the Ministers of God who preach the Everlasting Gospel which endures for ever draw up into one Language and so the Priests and all that trade in natural Languages we utterly deny Act. 22. 1 Cor. 1.13 John â—9 2â— They are such Teachers as have told us that the Steeple-house is the Temple when as the Apostle said Your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and Stephen was stoned to death for witnessing against the Temple who said God that made the World dwells not in Temples made with hands and here finding them in the Generation that hold up the Figuâ—es and deny the Substance and to be ignorant of that Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures we cannot but deny them 1 Cor. 6.19 Acts. 7. They are such Priests that take Tythes the Tenth of mens Labours and Estates and those that will not give them they sue at Law and hale before Couâ—ts and Sessions yea even those they call their own People their own Parishonâ—rs Levy according to the Law receivâ—d Tythes and he had a command to set open his gates that the Stâ—angers and the Fatherless should come within his Gatâ—s and be satisfied and filled but we find none more pittiless of the Fatherless and Widdows then they and the Strangers they complain against to Justices and persecute though they neither seek to them nor others for any outward thing as wanderers and heâ—e they walk contrary to the old Law and the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews said The Preisthood being changed there must of necessity also be a change of the Law and we witness both the Priesthood and the Law changed but they that take Tythes and they that pay Tythes according to the old Covenant deny Jesus Christ the everlasting Preist to be come in the Flesh and heâ—e these Priests shâ—w themselves to be Antichrist that are entered into the World and oppâ—ess the Creation when as Jesus Christ said Freely ye have received freely give and the Apostle said was there a wise man amongst them that went to Law one with another here they are evil examples to the people to sue wâ—angle and contâ—â—d and walk out of the steps of Christ and all the holy men of God yea they exceed all the false Prophets in wickednâ—â—s for we do not read that ever any of
every man that cometh into the World that with this Light you may see him the Way and may come to walk in the Way of Peace and Life which is the Way to God and which is the New and Living-Way in which the Apostles were out of which Christendom is gone erring from the Light in their own particulars into their own Inventions and Imaginations which is the cause that there are set up so many Wayes among them changable Wayes and changable Worships among them I say who have erred from the New and Living Way So whosoever comes to the Light in themselves they come to Christ they come to the New and Living Way out of the Old and Dead Wayes which are in the Fall from God out of his Image and Power So whosoever comes to his Image and Power they must come to the Light wherewith Christ the Way hath enlightened them all in their own particulars and hear his Voyce and Doctrine So there is not another Way to the Father but Christ the Light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World which is the Way yea the New and Living Way So who love the Light they love the Way and they love Christ but they who hate the Light they hate Christ the Way IV. Of the CROSSE The Cross of Christ is the Power of God which is contrary to the World which Cross of Christ the Power of God was among the Apostles which Crucified them from all outward Figures Types Shadows and Inventions of Men. So they who are gone from the Power of God since the dayes of the Apostles have set up many Crosses who have lost the true Cross which is the Power of God The Cross of Christ which is the Power of God Crucifies that state in which Adam and Eve and all their Posterity were in in the degeneration in which Cross is the Power of God by which Cross they come to a state in which they were in before their Fall And in this Power of God the Cross is the Fellowship which is a Mystery which brings to the Beginning in which is Endless Life and this Mystery is in it V. Of the True COMMUNION The True Communion is in the Gospel which is among us as it was among the Apostles in the Spirit and Light by which we have Fellowship with the Father and with the Son VI. Of the GOSPEL The Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation for he that believeth receiveth Power receiveth the Gospel by which Life and Immortality is brought to Light and the Power of God expels that which keeps Life and Immortality from people and captivates their soules spirits and mindes and keeps them in Bondage which Power of God expells it all and sets them Free and gives them dominion over that which burdens them and gives them to feel and to see before that was which hides Life and Immortality from them And by this Power of God Life and Immortality comes to Reign in which is the Saints Fellowship and Church-Fellowship in which they come to be Heires of the Power of God Heirs of the Gospel Heirs of the Fellowship Membrs of the Church and Membrs of one another in the Power of God the Gospel wich was before the Power of Darkness was And now the Gospel must be preached again to all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who dwell upon the Earth that by this Gospel Life and Immortallity may be brought to Light among them and expel away that which hides it from them by which Power the Gospel which is Salvation which frees the Soules Spirits and Consciences from that which burdens them and to them this is Glad Tydings VII Of FAITH The Faith is one which purifieth the heart which giveth victory and which brings to have access to God and which giveth victory over that which seperates from God in which Faith was the Unity of the Saints in the Primitive Times in which also stands our Unity which Faith is the Gift of God VIII Of BAPTISME There is one Baptism by one Spirit into one Body which plungeth under all the corruption which got up since Transgression which hath made the Separation between Man and God which Spirit leads into one Body from the many Bodies and into one Head from the many Heads of those many Bodies which are in the Fall from God So Baptized with one Spirit into one Body which plungeth under all that which makes a separation from God We are made to drink into one Spirit and this Spirit is within plunging under all the corruptions which are within And the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God is within crucifying the mind which did walk in those things which hides from God and which keeps in the World in the lust of the Eyes the pride of Life and the lust of the Flesh which are not of the Father Now they that mind Earthly things they go from the Power of God within and are Enemies to his Cross which is the Power of God as Paul saith and so many Heads many Bodies many Baptisms are among them who are out of the Power of God the Cross of Christ and out of the One Baptisme with the Spirit into one Body into one Head Christ Jesus the first and the last the beginning and the end and the Head of his Church which is his Body and he is the Saviour of it of which Church we are IX Of PERSECUTION Now concerning the divers Faiths and divers Worships which are in the World and the Persecution about them such Believers and Worshipers are out of the one Faith which giveth victory and have lost the spiritual weapons and are run into the carnal and so are out of the true Worship which is in Spirit and Truth out of which as I said before the Devil is And here are all the carnall weaponed men fighting for their Worship and for Trifles When as the Spiritual weaponed men who have the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit they strive not with flesh and blood destroy not Creatures by calling to the Powers of the Earth to help them When as carnal minded men who are out of the Church which was in the begining and its weapon and Spirit who deform kill and slay Creatures about their invented Worships Faiths Baptisms Churches Croses and such like which were not the Fruits neither the Works of the Apostles nor of the spiritual weaponed men So all ye that persecute and kill about Religion Church and Worship are not Worshipers of God in Spirit and Truth They are not in the fellowship of the Gospel the Power of God Which was before the Power of Sathan was and they are not in the true faith which giveth victory over that which seperates from God neither are they in the Cross of Christ the Power of God which was before Sathan was which crucifies the flesh and the world and their carnal weapons So all ye who Persecute and kill about Religion you
learned Christ would not that have been against Joel's Prophesie but Paul did not so for he cites the Law and saith as also saith the Law But the Priests are blind and cannot see what the Woman is that was not permitted under the Law nor under the Gospel to speak For the Law did not forbid Miriam and those Women that Prophesied and were Prophetesses Judg. 4.3 4 5 6. Luke 2.36 And was it not a Woman that was sent by Christ that first did preach his Resurrection to his Disciples they that would stop Christ from sending Women now who are witnesses of his Resurrection they be of another spirit and also they are of another spirit then Moses was of who said he would that all the Lord's People were Prophets and were all the Lords People Men and no Women amongst them it appears that Moses would not stop any either Male or Female among the Lords People but the Priests and many more are of another mind but that mind is not the mind of Christ and therefore we matter it not what it either leads to say or affirm seeing they will be wilfull And seeing it is written in the first Language of Greek out of which the English was translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifies both Man and Woman and in Latine hic haec homo which doth signifie both man and Woman and in John 1.1 9. where it is said The Word which was with God was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which word Man signifieth both Man and Woman and as it maketh no difference in the enlightening neither doth it in their speaking But that the simple may not be deceived by them many things have been and are written for their sakes more then for the sakes of such opposers who go after their own deceived heart and will not be warned and so the Lord lets many of them alone to whose righteous Judgments I leave them who will plead with them for what they have done against him who by their Sophistry and subtil Insinuations have turned aside the simple out of the way of Truth W. D. CONCERNING The SUM or SUBSTANCE OF OUR RELIGION Who are called QUAKERS And the Exercise Travels of our Spirits therein THIS is the Sum or Substance of our Religion to wit to feel and discern the two Seeds the Seed of Enmity the Seed of Love the Seed of the Flesh the Seed of the Spirit the Seed of Hagar the Seed of Sarah the Seed of the Egyptian womb the holy Seed of Israel and to feel the Judgments of God administred to the one of these till it be brought into bondage and death and the other raised up in the Love and mercy of the Lord to live in us and our Souls gathered into it to live to God in it Now when the Light of Gods holy Spirit breaketh in upon man and his quickning vertue is felt then life enters into that which was slain and there is a desire begotten in the heart to travel out of the Egyptian state into the good Land that the Soul which came from God might return back again to him out of the sinfull wandring miserable lost estate and might live and walk with him in the purity vertue and power of his own Life and Spirit But then the other birth strives for its life and Pharoaoh the King of Egypt takes part with his Egyptians against Israel and there is no help to the poor soul but as God pours out his Judgments upon that hard nature and spirit in man which is of the Birth of the Flesh and receives the influences and strength of its father which harden it against the true Seed And now what a condition is this poor Soul in the Light of Gods Spirit giveth it the sence of its state and the quicknings of Life make it sensible of its bondage there are also some desires and longings after deliverance but this doth but provoke the Enemy and the Soul being yet in his Territories and under his power he dealeth the more hardly with it increasing its burdens and oppressions daly And O the out-cries of the Soul in this state how is its spirit pained anguished and vexed within it so that it could almost many times chuse rather to lie still in Egypt then undergo the heavy burdens oppressions fears and dangers that it daily meets with in this state Yet there is a Secret hope springing up in the heart from the true Seed which often encourageth it to trust him and wait upon him who hath visited in his pure ministration of Judgment For this is felt many times as the Soul is made truly sensible by the Lord that the Judgment is not to the Seed not to Israel but to Pharaoh and his Egyptians and by every stroke of Gods wrath upon them the Seed is eased and its deliverance working out And so at last when the Judment is finished in the Land of Egypt the strength of Pharaoh and his Egyptians broken their first-born slain out comes Israel out of the Dark Land out of the House of Bondage to travel towards its resting place Then the Paschal Lamb is known and fed on yea it is because of the Blood of the Lamb sprinkled upon the Door-posts that Israel is passed over and saved in the day of Egypts visitation O who can read this truly that hath not felt and been a living witness thereof But now when the seed is come out of Egypt there is not the end but rather the beginning of its Travels Pharaoh and his Egyptians with their Horses aâ—d Chariots may pursue again and even overtake and there may seem no way of escape or help to the Soul but only to stand still hope in the â—ord and wait to see his Salvation Then shall the Sea be divided which stopped Israels course and Pharaoh with his Egyptians the Enemies of the soul in this appearance of dreadful opprssieng power be destroyed and seen no more Yet in the willdernes in the passage through the entangelements to the holy Land there are many straits trials and sore Enemies to be met with who will strive by open force and also with enchantements to betray Israel yeâ— there is a part yet unbrought down yet unwrought out at which they will be striving to enter the mind And as Israel forgets his God walking out of his Counsel hearkning to that which his ear should be shut against and so joyning to the contrary Seed the Plagues the Judgments the Indignation and wo will be felt by him and many Carkases may fall there So that there may be a great outcry in the heart Who can stand before this holy Lord God shall we be consuming with dying yes there is somewhat must be consumed with dying Yea if a man came so far as to witness dominion and victory over his Souls Enemies the evil Seed brought into death in him and a possession and inheritance in the pure rest
them sued men at the Law and therfore we cannot but utterly deny them Deut. 14.29 Heb. 7.12 They arâ— such Priests as beside their Tythe of Corn Hay Beast Sheep Hens Pigs Geese Eggs Cherries Plumbs take ten shillings for preaching a Funeral Sermon more or less as they can get it and ten shillings for the death of a man and Money out of Servants Wages and Money for Smoke passing up the Chimneys and Easter reckonings and Midsummer dues and Money for Churching of Women and thus by every device get Money and burthen poor people that labour very hard and can scarse get Food and Raiment to maintain them in idleness and pride these are they that have hearts exercised with covetousness burthening the Truth and making the free Gospel chargable if the Apostle was here he would be ashamed of them and so are we and therefore turn from them and deny them 2 Pet. 2.3 They are such Priests as not only take Tyths and Money for many other things of their own Hearers and sue them at Law for it but they take money of them they do no work for but only raile against them and say They that wayt at the Alter are pertakers with the Alter but live of them who are not of the Alter and say The Labourer is worthy of his hire but take Wages of them that have not hired them and if they will not give it them cast them into Prison or take their Goods by Justices Warrants these are they that Christ cryed wo against who lay heavy burthens upon the people who oppress tender Consciences that own the Everlasting High Priest where do they find any of the Ministers of Christ bargaining for so much a year here they abide not in the Doctrine of Christ but are Hirelings and therefore we deny them Mat. 23.2 They are such Preachers as have told us They have been gifted men and we find in the Scriptures that the gift of God is free and not to be bought and sold for money and Job said Wisdom is not to be purchased for money nor Gold but they will not sell their gift under 200 l. 100 l. 80 l. or 50 l. a year more or less as they can get it here we find they have not received the Gift of God but are like Simon Magus and therefore we deny them Acts 8.20 Job 28. They are Babylons Merchants that make a trade of Scriptures and the Saints conditions which the Prophets and Apostles spoke forth freely without money and without price and bad all come freely How many hundred thousand pounds in England is gained by the Scripture and humane Authors joyned to it Where is there a more profitable trade Here they make Scriptures their Cloak and colour to get Mnoey by and so make an Idol of it and if any come to witness it fulfiled as it was in them that gave it forth they cry out to the Magistrates against them as Blasphemers and Deceivers And if they answer He that administers spiritual things ought to reap carnal let him consider the Apostle wrote not that to the the World but to those that they had gathered out of the World to whom the ends of the World were come and let them gather people out of the World and then they shall not need to bargain with them for things of the World but their trading is with the World and therefore we deny them Isa 55.1 They are such Teachers as take a Text out of the Saints conditions and take a Weeks time to study what they can raise out of it adding to it their own wisdom Inventions Imaginations and heathenish Authors and then on the first day of the week go amongst the people having an hour glass to limit themselves by and say Hear the Word of the Lord and for Money tell people what they have scraped together These are they that speak a divination of their own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord which the Lord sent Jeremiah to cry out against Jer. 23. These are they that use their tongues and say The Lord saith when as the Scriptures say so and the Lord never spake to them Jer 23.30 These are they of whom the Lord speaks I am against all such as steal my word every one from his Neighbour and so we are against all such as Jeremiah was sent to cry wo against the Pastors that now steal the words of the Prophets of Christ and the Apostles the Lord hath shaken his hand at their dishonest gain and to them belong the Plagues that are written in the Book they make a trade on for adding to it their own inventions therefore do we come out from amongst them and deny them Jer. 23.31 These are they of whom the Apostle speaks That creep into Houses leading silly women captive which are led away with divers lusts which be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth though some have learned 50 60 or 70 years covetous proud high-minded self-willed lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God who have gotten a form of godliness but deny the power thereof from which the Apostle bad turn away and so do we 2 Tim. 3.6 They are such Teachers as gave us and give people Davids conditions in Meeter and when we had no understanding we sung after them as ignorant people do now his tremblings his quakings his weepings fastings prayers prophesies and when we sung we put of our hats and when they read them we kept them on and so they caused us to worship the works of their own hands here they shew the spirit of Error making wicked people to sing O Lord I am not puft in mind I have no scornful eye I do not exercise my self in things that are to high when they are puft in mind and have scornful eyes and do exercise themselves in things that are to high and are full of Filth Pride and Loftiness and can scarce look at one another here they make poor people to offer a Sacrifice of Lyes and make them Hypocrites deceiving themselves saying what they are not But the Singing with the Spirit and with understanding we own and therefore the Priests that Sing without understanding we deny 1 Cor. 14.15 They are such Teachers as deny the conditions that the Saints witnessed viz. trembling and quaking when as we find the Holy men of God that gave forth the Scriptures witnessed such things Moses who was Judge over all Israel feared quaked and trembled exceedingly and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking and Daniel the man of God trembled and was sore astonished and Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord reeled to and fro like a drunken man and all his bones did shake and David who was a King trembled and quaked and Ephraim when he trembled was exalted in Israel and Habakkuk who was a Prophet trembled and his belly shook his lips quivered and Isaac in whom the seed was called trembled
with the Light you will see the Kingdom of Heaven within which never gave consent to Sin and Evil like to a grain of Mustard-seed and to a Leaven which leaveneth into a New Lump And with the Light you will see the Field which is the World placed in your hearts where the Pearl is hid and with what you must dig to find the Pearl the Power of God and what you must sell for its sake to purchase the Field And waiting in this Light you will receive the Spirit of Truth the Comforter to to lead you into all Truth and to bring the Words which Christ hath spoken to your remembrance and it will shew you things to come and it shall receive of those which are Christs and give it unto you So loving the Light you love Christ and receiving it you receive Christ the first and the last For in the Light Christ is seen and handled his Voyce is heard and he is followed So in the Light you will see Christ to be your Teacher who saith Learn of me I am the Way the Truth and the Life by whom Life Eternal is given And you are brought again to Christ the Shepherd who draws you out of the Fall to God into his Image where the Green Pastures of Life are known and fed upon And no man commeth to the Father saith Christ but by me who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World that by the Light all may believe And saith Christ Believe in the Light whilst ye have the Light that you may be Children of the Light So you being enlightned with the Light which if you believe in it you come to be Children of the Light and Heirs of Promise and Mercy and of the Power of a Life that hath no End And believing in the Light you pass from Death to Life from Darkness to Light and you come to know a Translation from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God and to know the begotten of God into his own Image by his Power as you have been degenerated from God and have lost his Image by the Prince of Darkness and so translated from the Image of God into the Image of Satan from the Power of Christ into the Power of Darkness so you must come to the Light that ye may have another Conversion from Satans Power to God from Darkness to Light to be renewed into the Image of God and this is felt within and as you feel this within you will know the Word of God within in your hearts which is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached to the Romans which they were to hear obey and do And that is the Word which seperates the pretious from the vile your pretious thoughts affections motions and words from your vile So the Word is in your Hearts and Mouthes to obey it and to do it And it is quick and powerful sharper than a two-edged Sword And you shall not need to say Who shall bring it from Heaven or who shall fetch it from beneath But it is in the Heart and Mouth and this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached And the same Word is called a Hammer a Sword and a Fire to beat down to cut down and to burn up whatsoever is contrary to it So it is the same Word which sanctifieth and purifieth and reconcileth to God as beats down and cuts down that which is contrary to God and which seperates betwixt you and God So you may hear obey and do the Word for it is with you in all places and in all your occasions dividing good thoughts from bad good words and motions from bad For if all Christendom would hear and obey the Word in their Hearts which is pure and lives and remaines and endures for ever by which they would come to be born again of the Immortal Seed this Word would keep them from evil Actions and Words which are spoken and acted by them And so by the Word every one should be taught and should know the engrafted Word which is able to save the Soul which beats down and cuts down and burns up that which wars against it and keeps the Soul from the enjoyment of God And so in this Word they should know the annointing in themselves to teach them so that they should not need any man to teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them which teacheth Truth in all things And in this Light and Word which is in the heart they should know the New Covenant of God the Law written in the heart and put in their mindes by which they should not have need to say one to another Know the Lord for all should know him from the least even to the greatest And those are true Christians who come to witness this as thousands in England do witness it in this his Day among whom the pretious Pearl is found and the Field is bought among whom the Law of the Spirit of Life sets free from the Law of Sin and Death Who witness the Ages to come of which the Apostle spoke In which the kindness and exceeding riches of the Grace of God should be manifested again which the Lord in the Primitive Times made manifest amongst the Apostles who sat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus In which places thousands are now come to sit Glory be to him for ever I. Concerning WORSHIP The Promise of Redemption is from that State in which Adam and Eve their Sons and Daughters are in the Fall driven from God into a State in which they were before they were driven from God to the Church in God Now they that sit down in a State driven from God are People far off from the Church in God Our Worship is in Spirit and in Truth in which the Devil abode not but is out of it who is the Author of strife and unrighteousness amongst People which Truth maketh the Devil to bow and cringe yea and destroys him and it is the Spirit that mortifies sin which makes the Separation from God Now we say that if all Christendom had worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth they had all been in Him out of which the Devil is and had been in the holy Mountain and had felt the Spirit ruling them in their own particulars and had felt the Spirit of Truth guiding and teaching them in them in their own hearts II. Concerning the CHURCH Our Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which he Redeems with his own blood without spot or wrinkle or deformity or any such thing which blood we feel in our Hearts purging us from all sin with which blood we feel our Consciences cleansed from dead works to serve the Living God So this blood is witnessed in us and the excellency thereof by which we come to know the price of Redemption III. Concerning the WAY We say that Christ is Our Way which is Light which enlighteneth you and
righteously and this is our Teacher that brings Salvation So you may have all the loynes of your mind girded up to wait for the Grace which is to be brought to you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ according to Peters Exhortation Now they who turn from the Grace and walkes despightfully against the Spirit of God they set up Teachers according to their own hearts lusts and such makes Merchandize of them alwayes learning of them but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth but still remains in earthly mindedness covetousness and temptations and weaknesses where is mournings and complaints and where there are very many mourners and complainers among such as turn from the Grace of God into wantonness and set up Teachers as aforementioned according to their own hearts lusts c. Therefore come ye to the Grace of God and it will give you to see your ungodliness your unrighteousness and your worldly lusts and intemperance This Grace is your Teacher continually who brings Salvation if you take heed and have regard to it and love it but if you turn it into wantonness the sudden judgement of God will come upon you So take heed to the Grace of God your constant Teacher which brings Salvation by which Grace you will see your Salvation brought in For The mighty Day of the Lord is coming upon all unrighteousness of men The Son of the Lord God will appear against you he who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given to him who is King of kings and Lord of lords So take heed to the Light and receive it wherewith he hath enlightned so you receive the Lord himself Open ye your Gates that the King of Glory may enter in who stands at the door and knocketh turn ye to the Light and then you open the door where the coming in of the King of Glory is discerned And come from all the barren Mountains who are in the Fall alienated from the Image of God Life and Power Come from all those Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain who are as Vagabonds tossed up and down like a Tempest Come to the Light and receive the Light that in the Light ye may receive Christ and be his Children that by the same you may see the Day-Star appearing where the Sons of God sing together For Woe is to the World that lyeth in iniquity for the Lord is coming to judge it and to render to every one according to their works whether they be good or evil And with the Light every one of you knows whether your works are good or evil for what is to be known of God is manifest in you for God hath manifested it to you when you do any thing that is naught or unjust or worthy of Death by that which is of God in you you know it And when you go from this which is of God in you you do not glorify God as God but are alienated from his Life and Strangers from the Covenant of Life and Peace which is in Christ and so your foolish hearts are darkned and filled with unrighteousness and upon such comes the judgments and displeasure of God Now they who are delivered from the wrath to come they come to that which is of God in themselves viz. to the Light and so they see Christ the Covenant of God so Man is brought into peace with God and saved from the wrath to come and from all false Wayes false Doctrines false Worships and false Churches Commandments Traditions Rudimenus Will-worships Inventions and from Hand-Worship and Lip-Service So come to the Light and Spirit of God in your selves that by it you may be converted to God and may Worship him in Spirit and walk in the Spirit in Christ Jesus who was before sin was For since Man fell from God from his Power and Image all the false Wayes false Worships false Churches have been set up and by that Spirit and Power and Wisdom which is out of Truth from below which leads men to kill one another about them So the Light is the Way by which Life is to be found and this is the Light which enlighteneth you So come to the Light and you come to the Way which was before the power of Death was And Christ is called the Way and he is called the Light and who are out of the Light they are out of Him the Way in the wayes of Death and Darkness and Bondage For as the Jews outward were in Bondage and Captivity under Pharaoh in Egypt so the Jews inward in the Spirit are captivated in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt They who do not take to the directions of the Spirit and heareth what it saith for every man ought to hearken and hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches and not to mind nor hear any visible thing And in it viz. the Spirit they Edifie build and gather together and meet together in Vnity and Fellowship XVI Of PERFECTION He who leads man into Imperfection is the Devil and his work who leads from God for Man was Perfect before he fell for all his works were perfect So Christ who dâ—stroyeth the Devil and his works makes Man perfect again destroying him who made him imperfect which the Law could not do so by his blood he cleanseth from all sin and by the One Offering he perfecteth for ever them that are sanctified And they who do not believe in the Light which cometh from Christ by which they see the Offering and receive the Blood they are in unbeliefs concernig it And the Apostles who were in the Light Christ Jesus who destroyes the Devil and his works they spoke wisdom among them that were perfect although they could not do it among them that were carnal And their work was to perfect the Saints and for this end they had their Ministry given them until they all came to the knowledge of the Son of God who destroyeth the Devil and all his works and who put an end to the Prophets and to the first Covenant Types Figures and Saddows And the Apostles work was to bring people to the Vnity of the Faith which purified their hearts which gave them Victory over that which seperates them from God in which they have access to God by which Faith they please him by which they are justified and so at last they come to a PERFECT MAN to the measure of the Statrue of the fulness of CHRIST And so the Apostle saith We preach Christ in you the hope of Glory Warning every man that we may present Every Man Perfect in CHRIST JESUS XVII Of the RESURRECTION We say that Christ is the Resurrection and the Life to raise up that which Adam lost who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given to him and to destroy him who deceived him viz. Adam So Christ is the Resurrestion unto Life of Body Soul and Spirit and so renews Man into the Image of God and brings Man into an higher condition
for those that are of a contrite heart who were for Signes and Wonders to both the Houses of Israel when they shall be confounded ashamed and astonished And before you know sin rooted out and wasted out of your flesh and the Earth shaken and removed out of its place and ye brought into that state which Man was in before he Fell you must know the trembling and shaking of that which is to be shaken and the removing of that which is to be removed before Christ the Seed will appear who is the foundation of many Generations and the Rock of Ages who is the First and the Last Who cannot be shaken neither can be changed So that the whole unjust wicked World hath much to suffer before they come to this they must know the Devils to tremble the Heavens to be shaken and the Earth also before he who cannot be shaken will appear by whom the World was made XX. Concerning the BODY of DEATH It s evident that they who plead for a body of Death and Sin about which the world so earnestly jangle and which they plead for as long as they live upon the earth that they also plead for its Author viz the Divel and this is not to plead for Christ who destroyes him who is the Author of sin and the Body of it Object Now if you Object that John hath said If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Answ John saith If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar mark but if we confess and forsake our sins the blood of Jesus Christ the son of God cleanseth us from all sin Further he saith He that is born of God sinneth not neither can he because the Seed of God remains in him Because of which Seed he cannot sin for that Seed keeps the Holy so that the Evill one cannot touch him In this the children of God and the children of the Divel are manifest Whose children of both kinds contends and pleads for his own so there is a time in which men may say that they have sinned and have sin and a time to confess and to forsake sin and then a time to know the blood which cleanseth from all sin and then the Birth born which doth not commit sin and the Seed which remaines in him so that he cannot sin for as I said before it keeps the Holy that the Evil cannot touch him And though Paul cryed out of a Body of Death and of a Warfare yet afterwards he gave thanks to God that he had gotten Victory through Jesus Christ over the Body of Death and that the Law of the Spirit of Life had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death And afterwards the Apostle never complained of a Body of Death but he thanked God that he had obtained Victory through Christ who destroyes the Devil the Author of it who destroys Death and its Body and said that he was freed and that there was no condemnation to them who were in Christ Jesus and that the Life that he now lived was by the Faith of the Son of God which Faith gives Victory over Sin Death and the Devil which sin separates from God by which man hath displeased him by which Faith man is purified and hath victory and pleaseth God and hath access to him and is justified and saved Amen XXI Concerning the word THOU to a Single Person It is the manner among us to use the word Thou to a single person and You to more than one as in the Primitive times among the Saints according to Scripture and the Principle of God placed in every man which distinguisheth many from one and hath the proper word both to singular and plural to wit the singular word to a single person and the plural word to more than one according to the true understanding and Spirit of God in every man and the Testimony of all the Prophets But they are degenerated from the Spirit of God they are degenerated from the Scriptures and from their own Translations calling this manner of speaking Thou to one and You to many nonsence and improper when they themselves are gone from the true understanding which whosoever are in it comprehends them who are degenerated from it XXII Concerning putting of the HAT and Bowing the KNEE and Cringings and Complements To put off Hatts bowing Knees Cringing and Complements are from below and Customes and Manners of the World which shall pass away and never came from God neither is that honour wherewith men ought to honour one another for if all men had honoured and esteemed one another they had been of an higher Spirit than the Spirit of the World and of a more noble and generous Spirit Then neither Man nor Woman throughout all Christendom had received wrong or injury if they had esteemed and honoured one another for he that honours men will in no wise hurt them in this consists Breeding and Civillity And every Knee shall bow to me saith the Lord. For this is the cry Worship God and Fear him and Reverence him And if you Object That some in times past bowed them-themselves to an Angel but in the time of the Gospel which is the Power of God which was before the Fall in the state of Reformation and Restauration John was forbidden to bow to the Angel and the Apostels reproved them that bowed to them And although Jacob bowed for a time to his Brother Esau yet it is not said that he bowed to him all his Life time For it is written The Elder shall serve the Younger So the Elder shall bow among the Cringers and Knee-bowers one to another who will kill and envy one another and to them this is a Mystery XXIII Concerning GOOD MANNERS Evil Words and Evil Communications corrupts Good Manners And if Christendom would learn good Manners they must all come to the Light of Christ Jesus to the Spirit of God in themselves and to the Word of God in their hearts and months which will teach them to leave off Evil Words and will lead them from them and to deny them and this is the way to come to Good Manners But they who live in high Expressions and Complements and full of Evil Words and Flatteries and Dissimulations and call such Good Manners their Words and Works testify and manifest that they are Evil and Corrupt and such whose Manners are evil and corrupt they quench grieve and vex the Spirit of God in themselves and hate the Light and will not come to it because it reproves them of their evil words Such do love envy wrath vanity pride rashness hastiness and yet they are found in flattering Expressions and bowings one to another and they call it Good Manners and Honour when all such things are altogether out of that Honour that comes from above and are those things which the Witness of God in themselves testifieth against and testified in the Name of
your Colledges for our Brother Paul the Tent-maker said If you will not work you must not eat For would you own Christ if he had come in your day who was called A Carpenters Son You Popes with your Triple Crowns and you Lord Bishops with your Coaches and fat Horses and gorgeous Aparrel with your Black Coats and white Coats and Girdles Are you like to entertain him who is called A Carpenters Son or to cast him and his mother into the Manger in your Stables This was the Word by which John the Evangelist saw Christ which did enlighten every man that came into the world and saw how he became flesh and came to his own and his own did not receive him but to as many as received Christ the Light to them he gave power to become the Sons of God which all they that are Ministers of the Letter made by the seven years Colledges and not the Word hate the Light And by this Word the Minister of the Word preacheth Christs Word Life Death and Resurrection And therefore as John saith in his Epistle That which our Eyes have seen our Hands have handled and our Ears have heard of the Word of Life do we preach unto you that which was from the beginning in the beginning was the Word though since the beginning were the words and letters for the Scriptures of Truth are the words of God and the words of Christ and he that adds to these words saith John in the Revelations God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book So the Word was in the beginning and Christs Name is called The Word of God but Christ is neither called Scriptures nor Writings for Scriptures signify Writings So In the beginning was the Word since the beginning were Writings and Scriptures In the beginning was the Word since the beginning were all false Wayes false Churches false Teachers and in the Word ye comprehend them all The Priest saith That Hebrew Greek and Latine were the Original the many Languages and the many Languages began at Babel which Nimrod the Hunter before the Lord began to build after God had destroyed the Old World with water then would he go build a Tower which should reach to Heaven then God came down and confounded them into many Languages so he hunted before the Lord but the Lord followed him and confounded him in all his work as he will do all the Builders that run before him and so all the Priest that have gotten the many Languages which began at Babel they tell simple ignorant people that they have the Original and are the Orthodox men and get in a different habit from them and say the Quakers are a simple people and despise the Learned Orthodox men who have the Original Give ear O people if these Languages which came up at the confounding of Babel are the Priests Original that makes them Orthodox and Divine then Pilate that crucified Christ was as good an Orthodox Divine as they for when he crucified Christ he writ a Paper in Hebrew Greek and Latine and set a top of him he was as ignorant of Scripture and of Orthodox and Divine matters as you and you as he and the Apostle saith That Tongues must cease then that which makes Orthodox men and Divine as you say must cease according to the Apostles Doctrine and so then Tongues neither are the Original nor make Orthodox nor Divine and John that gave forth the Revelations saith That the Whore and the Beast are set upon Tongues and the Everlasting Gospel must be preached again to all Kindreds and Tongues which were before Babel was who was the first beginner of Tongues Now it is clear that the Gospel must be preached to all Nations and Tongues and that Tongues are not the Original neither do they make Divines or Orthodox men but it is clear that it is the Word which was in the beginning which makes Divines yea Tradesmen which are base and contemptible in the eyes of the proud and them that have gotten Babels Tongues who are confounded by the ministers of the Word which was in the beginning before Babel was for all the Earth was of one Language and Speech before Babel And you that call your selves Orthodox men made by Tongues and say that is your Original who are so blind and cannot see that there was an Original before Babel was for did not Enoch the Prophet the seventh from Adam who prophesied in the Old World before it was destroyed and long before Babel was concerning the coming of Christ in Ten thousand of his Saints as in Jude and Lamech prophesied in the Old World concerning Noah and Adam and others might be instanced before your Tongues which you call your Original were and so we say that the Word of God is the Original which doth fulfil the Scriptures and the Word is it which makes Divines which is called a Hammer but it is a living Hammer and a Sword and Fire but a living Sword and a Fire to hammer cut and burn up that which separated and kept man from God by which Word man is reconciled again to God which is called The word of Reconciliation by this word are men and women sanctified and made clean and this is the Word that makes both men and woman Divines and brings them into the Divine Nature which hammers and cuts down that which corrupted their nature and by this Word aâ—e they brought into a Divine Wisdom Understanding Knowledg Spirit and Power And this is the Word that lives and abides and endures for ever by which the Saints are born again of the Immortal Seed and Word of God who feed upon the Milk of the Word up into a Divine Life Wisdom and Understanding and Divine Nature and by this Word they do see all Flesh to be as Grass and as the Flower of the Field that fadeth and the Word of God that lives and abides and endures for ever which is Christ whose Name is called the Word of God And so to Keep the Word of Patience which is over all the impatient Spirits and then you will know the Word of Life the Word of Patience and Word of Wisdom is Everlasting and abides and endures for ever which all they that be in the Letter out of the Life and Word have neither Patience to themselves nor others for the Word of patience and the Word of Life which is to be kept in all Tribulations was before Death and impatient Spirits were Concerning the Heathen Idolaters naming their Dayes and Moneths THE old Pagan Saxons in their Idolatry Were the first that brought in the names of the Days which those called Christians have retained to this day for they adored Idols and unto them offered Sacrifices and Worshipped the Planets See Vestigans Antiq. and Cambdens Brit. As touching the Idols which these Saxons adored they were divers and though they had many yet seven among the rest they especially appropriated unto the seven
dayes of the week That day which is the first day of the week they worshiped the Idol of the Sun which was placed in a Temple and there Sacrificed unto and to the special adoration of which Idol they gave the name of Sunday The second day of the week they dedicated to the Idol of the Moon and from whence these called Christians retain the name of Monday instead of Moonday The next was the Idol of the Planets was the Idol of Tuisco who was the first and chiefest man of Name among the Germans unto whom the name of Tuesday was especially dedicated The next was the Idol Woden whom the Saxons honoured for their God of Battel And after this Idol these called Christians do yet call the fourth day of the week Wednesday instead of Woddensday The next was the Idol Thor from whence the name Thursday is retained instead of the fifth day of the week The next Idol was the Goddess Friga to which Idol they dedicated the sixth day of the week and called it Fryday which is retained to this day The last was the Idol Seater from whence is called the seventh day Satureay And as these called Christians have followed the Heathens Examples in naming their Days so they follow them in nameing their Months for the Heathen they called Mars the God of Battel and from thence they called the first Month March. And Venus they called the Goddess of Love and Beauty and from thence they called the second Month April And Maja a Heathen Goddess called Flora and Cloris were called the Goddesses of Flowers unto Maja the Heathen Idolaters used to sacifice from thence was the third Month called May And upon the first day of the same Month they used to keep Floralia Feasts to the two Goddesses of Flowers viz. Flora and Cloris and Flora was a Strumpet in Rome that used on the first day of that Month to set up a May-pole before her door to intice her Lovers from whence came May-poles and May-Day to be since observed by these called Christians And Juno whom the Heathen called the Gooddess of Kingdoms and Wealth from this Juno the forth Month was called June And Julius Cesar a Roman Emperor in honour to him was the fifth Month called July And in honour to Augustus Cesar an Emperor was the sixth Month called August And four of the other Months are called after the Latine Names as September for the seventh Month October for the eighth November for the ninth December for the tenth And one Janus a King of Italy was for his wisdom pictured with two faces whom they honoured as God and from this name Janus was the elventh Month called January And Saturnus Pluto Februs were called the Gods of Hell who the Heathen said had the Rule of evil Spirits there and from Pluto Februs was the twelfth Month called February And by all these Idolatrous Names do these called Christians call their Days and Months to this day which is contrary to the Scriptures the Prophets and the Apostles The Saxons also had a Goddess whom they sacrificed to in the Month of April called Eoster hence they called April Eoster Month and hence in process of time came Easter Page 135. Camb. Brit. Concerning Singing of Psalmes PSalms began to be sung about three hundred eighty three years after Christ brought in by Damasins Bishop though not turned into Meeter Benedistus an Abbot of the Monastery of Peter and Paul at Wirr brought with him from Rome one John the Arch-Chanter who first taught in England how to sing in the Quire after the manner of Rome Act. Mon. vol. 1. page 164. Anno 724. Laws made by the Saxon Kings in England concerning singing Psalms In the year seven hundred forty seven at the beginning of King Edgberts Reign the Synod of Bishops disputed the profit of singing of Psalms in the Church and made a Decree that with a modest voice they should sing in the Church so called In the year nine hundred twenty four King Ethelston alias Atelston made a Law that fifty Psalms should be daily sung in the Church as he called it for the King Beza being much diverted with Poetry made his pastime to become a part of the vulgar devotion hence they have been stiled by some Geneva-Jigs These are the express words of the Injunction given to the Clergy and Laity by Queen Elizabeth Item Because in divers Collegiate and also some Parish-Churches heretofore there hath been Livings appointed for the maintenance of men and children to use singing in the Church by means whereof the Laudable Science of Musick hath been had in estimation and preserved in knowledge the Queen willeth commandeth that first no alteration be made of such assignments of Living as heretofore hath been appointed to the use of Singing or Musick in the Church but that the same so remain and that there be a modest and distinct Song so used in all parts of the Common prayer in the Church that the same may be as plainly understood as if it were read without singing And yet nevertheless for the comforting of such as delight in Musick it may be permitted that in the begining or end of Common Prayers either at Morning or Evening there may be sung an Hymn or such like Song to the praise of Almighty God in the best sort of Melody or Musick that may be conveniently devised A Warning to all to keep out of the Fashions of the World which lead them below the serious Life and not to fashion themselves according to the World FRiends keep out of the Fashions of the World let not your eyes and minds and spirits run after every fashion in Apparel of the Nations for that will lead you from the solid life into a full stomack with that Spirit that leads to follow the Fashions of the Nations every Fashions of Apparel that gets up but mind that which is sober and modest and keep your Fashions therein you may judge the World whose minds and eyes are in that what they shall put on and what they shall eat and Friends that see the World so often alter their Fashions and follow them and run into them in that they cannot judge the World but the World will rather judge them Therfore keep all in the modesty and plainness and fervency and sincerity and be circumspect for they that follow those things the Worlds spirit invents daily cannot be solid and many Fashions might be instanced both of Hats and Clothes of men and women that daily are invented which they that run into them are near unto the Worlds Spirit and their eyes are gazing after them when they should be upon the Lord from whom they should receive judgment Therefore all keep down that Spirit of the World that runs into so many Fashions to please the lust of the Eye the lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life And Fashion not your selves according to your former Lust of Ignorance and let the time
past be sufficient which you have lived according to the Lusts of men and the course of the World that the rest of your time you may live to the will of God taking no though what you shall eat what you shall drink or what you shall put on therein your lives may judge the Heathens and that you may be as the Lillies for nothing you brought into the World neither any thing shall you take out and therefore while the Eye is gazing after every new Fashion and the mind and desire is thirsting to get it when it has it it lifts up its mind and so brings himself under the judgment of them that be in the sober Life and of the World also and to be like one of them Therefore take heed of the Worlds Fashions lest ye be moulded up into their Spirit and that will bring you to slight Truth and lift up the wrong Eye and wrong Mind and wrong Spirit and hurt and blind the pure Eye and pure mind and quench the Holy Spirit and through such foolish Toyes and Fashions and fading things you may lose your conditions And therefore take heed of the World and trust not in uncertain Riches neither covet the Riches of this World but Seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all outward things will follow and let your minds be above the costly and vain Fashions of attire but mind the hidden man of the heart which is a meek and quiet Spirit which is of great price with the Lord and keep to Justice and Truth in all your dealings and tradings at a word and the form of sound words in the Power of the Lord and Equity in Yea and Nay in all your dealings that your Lives and Conversations may be in Heaven and above the Earth that they may preach to all that you have to deal withal so that you may be as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and as Lights of the World answering the equal Principle in all that God in all things may be glorified So that you may pass your time here with fear as Pilgrims and Strangers and Sojourners as having an eye over all things that be uncertain as Cities Houses Lands Goods so as things below they that possess as if they did not and they thaâ— marry as if they did not yet as having a City whose Maker and Builder is God and a Possession of an Inheritance that will never fade away in which you have Riches that will abide with you Eternally Some QUERIES given forth to the Priests or People to Answer if they can 1. HAve any of you the same Spirit and Power as the Prophets and Apostles had 2. Or have you the same Revelation and Inspiration and Spirit of Prophesie and pouring forth of the Holy Ghost or do you own the pouring forth of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and is not this the last time in which it should be poured out and the Sons and Daughters should Prophesie and Old men dream Dreams and Young men see Visions 3. Or have you heard Gods voice and Christs voice immediately froâ— Heaven or are you some of them the Lord never sent nor spake unto Answer me these Queries 4. Do you own that Christ that died at Jerusalem to be the Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and are not all enlightened by him either to their Salvation or Condemnation 5. What and where is that which must give the knowledge of God is it within People or without them Answer me according to plain Scripture 6. Do you teach or preach that whilst a man is upon the Earth he may be freed from sin and the body of death and imperfection and shall be perfect whilst he be upon Earth or do you keep People in the state of your Father Adam and Mother Eve in the Fall or do you bring them to the state before they fell and so to Christ that shall never fall which of these states do you bring them to and keep your flock in in Adam and Eve in the fall or Adam and Eve before they fell or in Christ that shall never fall you must keep your flock in one of these three states and which of them is it Have you brought any of your flock whom you have driven to that condition and state they need no man to teach them that is to the anointing in them the Law in their hearts whereby they need not say one to another know the Lord that is to the Light of Christ that shines in their hearts to give them the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and how many have you brought hither 7. What is the Mother of Harlots and what is the Beast she rides upon and what are the People Nations and Multitudes and Tongues the Whore sits upon and what is Mystery Babylon and what is the Woman that went into the Wilderness what was her time she was to be there and what is the Beast and Dragons Worship and what is a Will-worship and what is it to worship Angels and what is that which leads Nature into its Course and so to the glory of the first Body and what is the glory of the second Body and what is that which leads Nature out of its Course and so sets the whole Course of Nature on Fire 8. What is the ground of that which keeps in good manners and what is that which corrupts them and what is the Righteousness the World is reproved off and what are the Judgments and what is that which leads the Saints into all Truth and hath every one the Spirit of God and whether bowing bending dossing hats scraping cringing saying you to one be the honour that comes from above or what is it and whence comes it and whether this before mentioned do not stand in that Nature part and principle which is on fire if it hath not these things and therefore whether or no these things do proceed from that which leads Nature into its Course or out of its Course and what is it that defaces the glory of the first body 9. Whether or no you own Trembling and Quaking at the Word of God 10. Seeing you look upon your selves to differ from many and to be above them let us see wherein and in what it is manifest 11. What is self-Righteousness and what is Man's Righteousness and the Righteousness that is as filthy Rags distinguish these one from another or whether they be all one for our Righteousness is that which was before Adam was whom ye in scorn calls Quakers 12. Whether ever any came to see so far as Balaams Ass who saw the Angel of the Lord 13. What are the Graves and the Tombes and the Sepulchres and the Fowls of the Air and the Nests they sit in which Christ spake of Answer 14. Whether or no to pay Tythes or receive Tythes is not to deny Christ Jesus
Light is in darkness and erres not knowing the Scripture which declareth of the Light which John came to bear witness off who was not the Light but testified of the Light Which was the true Light which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World He was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not nor knows him not and he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as received him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God John 1.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And this we witness and by the same Light do we discern and testifie against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the Letter for the Light and so draws Peoples minds off from the Light within them to the Letter without them seeking the living among the dead thinking to find Life in the Letter without them as the Pharisees did and will not come unto Christ that they might have Life John 5.39 40. and so they must be shut out of the Scripture as the Pharisees were and he also that saith the Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true Light which was before the Letter was which all the Children of God were and are guided by and spoke and speakes the Letter from which was before the Letter was and with this the Letter witnesseth and who is guided by this cannot walk contrary to the Letter nor deny it but they know how to use it in its place and see in what condition it was spoken and it witnesseth with them both in words and actions and they that have this have and need the mystery within though they cannot read the Letter without nor ever learned as it was with Christ which confounded the Scribes and Pharisees and they who are never so learned without and can read and understand all Tongues and Languages without and doth not read the Scripture within only feed upon the Husk and are ignorant of the Life which is the Mystery which is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto the ignorant as it was from the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and was revealed to those whom they counted ignorant and cursed and knew not the Law John 7.48 49 And they who take the Letter to be their Rule cannot walk according to it because they are ignorant of the Light which opens and leads into the Life which they who spake them forth lived in but drunkards and swearers and proud and wantonesse and covetoues lustfull enveons ones and all manner of unrighteous persons will take the Letter to talk of and say it is their Rule and Guide but are out of the Life thereof and so by it are condemned and those are the Swine that are feeding upon the husk without Luke 15.15 16. and have gotten the form but are out of the Life and Power and put the shadow for the substance and so lives in darknesse and knowes not whether he goeth but they that read with the single-eye may understand for the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without Now silence all the Study and Wisdom of Man Concerning BAPTISM The Baptism we own which is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with fire but we deny all other for there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all and they who would have one Baptism outward and another inward would have two Baptisms when the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and whosoever hath the Baptism outward are the same they were before but the Baptism of Christ makes a new Creature and this I witness for I received water upon my face as my Parents told me which they called Baptism but I grew up an Heathen as all other Children do and no New Creature though my Parents were counted Believers among the World and their Priests but now I wittess the Baptism of Christ by one Spirit into onâ— Body and now I witness a New Creature Old things are past away and all things become New And now I see the other to be formal imitation and the Invention of Man and so a meer delusion and all are Heathens and no Christians who cannot witness this Baptism Mat. 15.4 who can witness this denies all other for the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and who can witnesse this are Believers but who cannot witnesse this are no Believers and so it is that water or no water availeth nothing but a New Creature for all by nature are the children of wrath and except they be born again they cannot enter and as for the Baptism of water which the Apostles used it being a figure for its time the power went along with it and the Disciples received the Holy Ghost when they were Baptized but none can witness this who sets themselves of acting or imitating the Apostles and so takes it up by imitation and their ground is the Letter and are not guided to it by the same Spirit which guided the Apostles and so they are the same after water as before and so now waâ—er or no water availeth any thing but a New Cereature for Water was but for its time though many in darkness have now got the Form and are groping in it for Life but wants the Life and Power and so from such turn away Concerning the LORDS SUPPER The Supper of the Lord we own which is the Body and Blood of Christ which the Saints fed upon and this is Eternal Food and Life and here they all feed upon one and are of one heart and one mind and here is pure and Eternal Union and Communion and this is not Carnal but Spiritual for Saints are Spiritual and their Communion is Spiritual and Eternall and this we witnesse who are of one heart and one mind who are in the new Covenant and herein we discern the Lords Body and here all drunkards are shut out and all lyars adulterers proud covetous lustfull and envious ones and all back-biters revilers extortioners and all deceitfull and unrighteous persons are shut out of the New Covenant 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and are with-out feeding upon the husk and shadow which is carnall for the brâ—ad which the world breaks is carnall and naturall and only feeds the outward carnall body and goeth into the belly and so passeth out into the dunghill and so likewise the Cup which they drink and so the Communion and Fellowship of the World passeth away but this is no nourishment to the Soul but still the Soul lies in death and here is no Communion but natural outward and carnal of several minds and hearts full of filthiness and uncleanness which is the Table of Devils eating and drinking their own damnation not discerning the Lords Body which is Spiritual which the natural man discerns
not And here stands the Worlds Communion and Fellowship which is carnal and cross but their carnal wills and it is turned into envy and for earthly triflles they will go to Law and cozen and cheat and defraud one another for earthly trifles and like People like Priest but if they lye in wait for revenge of one another then they will not take their Sacrament as they call it And here the Devil hath a great hold for he that envies is a murderer and here is the difference betwixt the Worlds Communion and the Saints Communion Life and Death For to be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life And here they are without feeding upon the Husk and Shadow without and would destroy the Life and Substance where it appears both Priest People and Rulers and so have a Form of Godliness and denies the Life and Power From such turn away For it is meer delusion to take the Shadow for the Substance Concerning PRAYER The Prayers of the wicked we deny and God denies for it is abominable Prov. 15.8 for Cain the wicked one who was out of the comands of God Gen 4.3 4 5. who was the first-birth he offered up a Sacrifice of the earth but God had no respect to it but Abel the second-birth who was the Righteous his Sacrifice God had respect to so the Prayers of the Faithful and Righteous God doth accept and they avail and what comes from his own which is the second-birth his own is pure and what comes from it is pure and God who is pure doth receive that which is pure but he receives nothing which is polluted or unclean for he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity For his Sacrifice must be without spot and blemish and that which comes from an unclean heart is spotted and defiled and unclean for nothing that is pure can come forth of an unclean Vessel but who can witness the second-birth and that the Seed of the Woman hath bruised the Serpents head which is the first Promise and faith which purifieth the heart then that which comes out is pure proceeding from a pure single heart and this prayer God receives and he hath respect to it and this we owne and witnesse and this comes from the second birth which is pure for the first birth is unclean and out of the Command of God in the fall in the wrath in the peevishnesse and perversenesse Cain-like and the seed of the Serpent is first in every one and rules the head but the Promise is The seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head so you who are not come to this are still in the fall and are not come to the first Promise so all your self-acting and imitating thinking to merit with your prayers and praises singings and duties and worships and traditions which are all in vain and you are sacrificing to an unknown God a Sacrifice of the earth from the first nature which God hath no respect to and the flaming Sword is set against that to keep from the Tree of Life for both drunkards and swearers lyars proud covetous and all manner of unrighteous persons are offering up sacrifices and are in their formal Worships and Duties thinking that is sufficient to pascifie for their sins and yet doth not repent but saith the Lord Bring no more vain Oblations away with your New Moons and Sabbaths thâ—y are an abomination and my soul loathes them When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hearken your hands are full of blood Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well So it is the heart the Lord requireth Prov. 23.16 Jer. 29.12 13. And Where your treasure is there your heart will be also Mat. 6.21 And saith the Apostle We know not how to pray as we ought but as the Spirit maketh intercession with sighes and groans Rom. 8.26 And this is more acceptable to God from an honest single heart than the long Prayer of the Pharisees Concerning the MINISTRY The true Ministry of Christ we own and witness and the Ministers and Messengers of Christ we own and witness but those who have gotten the Letter and Form to Trade with which was spoken forth freely and denyes the Life and Power those we deny their Ministry and all those who go to get humane Learning and are certain years as it were serving a Prentiship pretending to study Divinity and when their time is expired they go among ignorant blind People and gets a certain place and certain wages and so sells that which they studied and got into the brain and those which receive it gets it into the brain and â—o they live upon dust which is the Serpents meat feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge both Priest and People Mic. 3.10 death feeding death and with the notion begets into the notion and feeding the carnal mind with the carnal letter and this is the cause why drunkards swearers lyars proud covetous envious wrathful and contentious ones and all unrighteous persons hath gotten the Letter to talk of or discourse of though in the Ale-house or Tipling-house but this Ministry works no Reformation only hath the Form and leads into the Form and denies the Life and Power which is neither to be bought nor sould for money so from such we turn away who come by the will of Man are approved by the will of Man and are upheld by the will of Man and not by the will of God And their Call and Ministry we deny which is mediate and formal imitation and the invention of Man and so meer delusion and this is the cause why the Land so overflowes with iniquity and all manner of ungodliness and no better Reformation wrought amongst them their Ministry is so dark and dead and cold and yet the Land full of Teachers and yet the People lost for want of Teaching Jer. 23.29 30 31 32. and so they spend their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which profiteth not Isa 35.2 But who can witness an immediate Call by God from their outward Callings and Countries Lands Livings and Possessions into several Countries to preach the free Gospel as they had received it by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit and speakes it forth as they are moved by the holy Ghost and as the Spirit gives them utterance freely as they have received it freely by which Ministry many are convinced and as they abide in it are converted as many in the Nation can witness to the honour and glory of God who are now New Creatures and this Call we own and witness and this Ministry we own and witness which is immediate and stands in the Will of God and such covets no mans silver nor gold neither could be hired to a
such are a terror to evil-doers and for the praise and encouragement of those that do well and such bear not the Sword in vain but stand in the Will of God which is cross to their own wills and they Rule for God and not for themselves and this Government is of God and not of Man nor after the will of Man neither takes hold of any tender Conscience nor oppresses it but stands in the place where it is set and some such Magistrates there hath been in the Northern parts of this Nation who witness the Law of God set up in their hearts and feared God and hated covetousness and testified against those who did not and so corrupt Magistrates sought to put them out so let all who are single-hearted judge who are destructive to true Magistracy and Government Concerning SUPERIORITY and HONOUR BREEDING and MANNERS also of the Word THOU to any single Person In the beginning when God made Man he made him to be Lord over all creatures Gen. 1.26 27 28. but not man to be Lord over man Yet he was to be servant of God and when he had disobeyed the command of God God spoke to Adam and Adam spoke to him and God thoued Adam and Adam thoued him and here was the plain language betwixt God and Adam And when God appeared to Moses in the Bush God thoued Moses and Moses thoued him and this was the plain language which ever passed betwixt God and his people in all Ages and thou that disdains to be thoued would exalt thy self above God who thous God in thy formall prayers and scornes to take it thy self therefore thou must come down as Lucifer did but it is Lucifer in thee that is exalted who must not be honoured but must be cast down into the pit and it is he who is head in man who would be honoured and would be superior and would be above God and calls this Manners and Breeding to bow to him and honour him and he hath vented wayes whereby he is honoured and exalted aâ—d worshipped and he calls this Manners and Breeding and who can honour him the most and exalt him the highest those he saith is the best bred and of the best breeding and those he calls Noblemen and Gentilmen and the other he calls Yeomen and common People and Inferioâ—rs though they all honour him but they observe it not so much as the other but their mindes is more set upon the Earth and Earâ—hly things to get wealth and riches and those he calls providenâ— carefull people but he that seeks preferment in the world and would be exalted and set up seek to get his breeding in as excellent manner as he can that so he may get in favour with Lucifer that sits in the Courts and high Places and so long as he pleases Lucifer he will set him up but both he and Lucifer must be cast down into the pit together Obad. 3 4. and here is the ground of the worlds Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners and here they Lord over one another by their corrupt wills and here is the ground of all Tyranny and Oppression Rackings and Taxings and Wars and Imprisonments and Envy and Murder and the Persecutions of the righteous all arises from proud Lucifer the Lust in man who would be honoured and all this is in the Fall and under the Curse but Mordechai could not bow to him in Haman and therefore he sought to destroy him and informed the King against him and all the Jewes in the Nation and said they were a scattered people and â—heir Lawes were diverse from all people neither did they observe the Law of the King then he set up a paire of Gallows for Mordechai Esth 6.1 2. but Haman was hanged on his own Gallows and is cast down to nothing and Mordechai is exalted in his stead so there is a time that Mordechai is despised and Haman exalted and there is a time that Haman is cast down and Mordehcai exalted and there is a time that Esau reignes over Jacob and there is a time that the Elder serves the Younger Gen 25.3 and there is a time that Pharoah rules and oppresses the Israelites but there is a time of Israels deliverance and Pharoah drowned in the Sea Exod. 11.9 So there is a time that Antichrist sits in the Temple of God as God and saith he is God 2 Thes 2.4 and Christ lyeth low in the Manger but there is a time that he must be cast into the Pit Rev. 19. and Christ alone exalted He that can receive it let him But in all Ages the children of God could not bow to Lucifer nor his Image and this was the cause why Shadrach Mesech and Abednego was cast into the fiery Furnace Dan. 6. and this was the cause why Daniel was cast into the Lyons den but by the hand of his God whom he alone worshipped and honoured he was delivered and exalted and his Adversaries cast down in his place and this was the cause why the Prophets were alwayes persecuted and imprisoned and the Apostles Acts 7. vers 6. who came to turn the World upside down And this is the cause now why the Ministers and Messengers of Jesus Christ are imprisoned stoned stocked whipped and shamefully entreated whom the Lord is pleased immediately to call from their outward Callings and Countries and sends them abroad into seveâ—al Countries to preach his Name no more after the flesh but after the Spirit and who knows him must know him no more after the flesh but after the Spirit And those come to turn the World upside down being crucified to the World and the World to them and these cannot honor Lucifer nor bow to Lucifer nor worship his Image though there was a time when they did but that was done in Egypt when they knew not God but now Lucifer and his Image is cast down and Christ alone exalted and the pure and perfect Law is witnessed which respects no mans person but God alone honoured and exalted and this we witness For amongst us there are no Superiours after the flesh but Christ is the Head and all the rest fellow-servants And he that would be the greatest should be the least and he that respects persons commits sin And the Angel would not suffer John to bow to him but said he was his fellow-servant and this we witness who are redeemed out of the Kingdom of the Devil from amongst the Children of this World into the Kingdom of the Son who are crucified to the world and the world to us by the Spiritual Cross of Christ in which we joy and glory amongst whom there is no partiallity nor respect of persons but all in union in one though ten thousand and here God alone is King and he alone is honoured exalted and worshipped no more after the flesh but after the Spirit for we have no other God in whom our hearts delight and here proud
that thou is the proper word to one particular person and is so all along the Scripture throughout to any one without respect of persons yea to God himself and the word you is the proper word to more then one but not to one and it so is all along the Scriptures throughout As for example at all times when the Apostles spake to Christ they used the word thou or thee unto him and when he spoke to more then one of them he used the word you or ye but if he spoke but to one he used the word thou or thee as in Mat. 16.14 15 16 17. verses And also Paul thoued King Agrippa and King Agrippa thoued him as in Acts 26.27 28. verses and so all along the Scripture And so it is plain that now it is an invention of proud Lucifer in man to exalt himself as it will plainly appear for amongst the great and rich ones of the Earth they will either thou or you one another if they be eqall in degree as they call it but if a man of low degree in the Earth come to speak to any of them then he must you the rich man but the rich man will thou him Nay you shall find it so betwixt Priest and People If a poor labouring man come before one that you call a Minister though he be one of his hearers and one who helps to maintaine him according to his ability yet he must you the Priest and the Priest thou him And here the Heathen Lord over one another by their corrupt wills but this is contrary to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who made themselves servants to all and yet those will call themselves the Ministers of Christ And the word Minister signifies a servant and they are Masters and so they have gotten the Name but not the Nature and so are bastards and no heires who are not sprung from the gentle seed and yet they are hired as servants of men and yet bears rule by their means as Masters over those that maintaines them so that he that hath an eye to see let him see the deceits of the professed Ministers of England Jer. 5.30 31. Concerning putting off the HAT. This is another invention of proud Lucifer whereby he is honoured and worshipped and exalted in man but the Scripture doth not speak of any such fashon used in any age but man hath found out many inventions since the Scripture was recorded and now it is so that it is a fashon throughout the Land whereby one man is exalted above another for if a poor man come before a rich man it may be the rich man will move his hat that is called courtesie and humility but the poor man must stand with his hat off before him and that is called honour and manners and due respect unto him but if the rich man doe bid him put it on it is counted a great courtesie and he gets honour to himself there to be counted a courteous man But this difference or respect of persons was never ordained by God but by the Devil whereby he exalts himself in man but James the Apostle of Jesus Christ witnessed against it as in James 2.1 2 3 4 5. and so on and said He that respects persons committs sin for there is no respest of persons with God Acts. 10.3 4 and therefore saith James Howl ye rich men and here your professed Ministers abide not in the doctrine of Christ and so hath not God but the Devil and his Ministers they are whom they exalt 2 John 5. And now you shall see the partiality of the names in this your breeding and manners First from a poor man to a rich man it is called honour and due respect and manners from a rich man to a poor man it is called courtesie and humility but amongst the rich and nobles of the Earth it is called Court-like breeding but of those of the lower degree it is called Country breeding and amongst the lower sort of the world it is called neighbourhood and civil respect one to another and so the Devil hath covers for all his deceit and so he is honoured and exalted both in Court and Country but the highest in the Court and therefore they have the highest title But wo unto them that hides their sin and covers with a covering and not of the spirit of the Lord Isa 30.1 But this is the riches of the world and the Devil that makes so many degrees as between Dives and Lazarus and Haman and Mordecai for the Lord hath made all the Nations of the Earth of one mold and one blood but we who are redeemed out of his Kingdome he calls us clowns and fools and saith our Religon is built upon such small and frivilous things and stumble at strawes and leaps over blockes this saith his wisdome but it is even death to him to bâ—ar these strawes especially where he is the highest exalted for it puls down all his honour and therefore do rich men and great ones of the Earth and Rulers and Priests and Pharisees persecute and oppresse us and draw us before Judgement Seats and would root us out of the Nation as Haman would have done by Mordecai and the rest of the scattered Jews because they cannot bear those strawes but I say whatsoever it is that comes to be forbiddâ—n in the conscience it becomes a weight and a burden though it be never so small a thing in the eye of a Pharisee so let none despise the day of small things Ezek. 4.10 but some will call it stubbornness obstinacy pride and presumption but the same nature would have called it so in Mordechai who could not bow to Haman as the rest did that sate by and so let every one take heed of speaking evill of that you know not least you call good evill and evill good for the woe is pronounced against such but they that were after the Flesh alwayes in all Ages persecuted them that were after the Spirit And so it is not many mighty nor many noble nor many wise after the flesh are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weak to confound those that are mighty that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26 27 29. Concerning Perfection Man was perfect without sin before the Fall or else he could not have been the Image of God for God is pure and perfect and he made man after his own Image pure and perfect without sin but when he sinned he defaced his Image and lost his pure estate and was drove out of Paradice and became the Image of the Devil for sin is the Image of the Devil and here all sin is in the Fall and who are in the Fall are in the Devils kingdome which is impure and impefect and unclean but God promised the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 and Christ the
and how then should they be able to sow their Seed and bring forth sin Out of the evil heart proceeds all evil but out of that heart which is throughly Circumcised to love the Lord God wholly evil cannot proceed If Lust be not conceived it cannot bring forth Sin and where the Womb which conceived it is kept dry and barren it cannot conceive again And is not this the Promise of the Gospel That the Womb which was once barren shall be very fruitful and bear abundantly but the other grow feeble and be able to bear no more Oh that People had experience of Gods Power and did believe therein what should stand in the way of it It was Israels sin of old when they looked at their Enemies and saw their footing and strength in the Land which God had promised to Abrahams Seed for an Inheritance they could not believe that they should be overcome O take heed of the same unbelief now Concerning CHRIST Coming to the FATHER by him Receiving him walking in him not in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit and concerning reading the Scriptures aright I am the Way the Truth and the Life No man cometh unto the Father but by me saith Christ John 14.6 MAN in the corrupt degenerate estate is fallen from God hath lost his Image the holy heavenly Image of the Father of Spirits is driven out from his presence dwels in the Land of darkness and confusion under the Government of the Prince of the Power of the Air who rules in and hath power over all the Children of Disobedience Now this should be mans work even to return to the Father to come back out of the prodigal lost state to the Fathers house where there is sufficiency and fulness of true Bread and Water of Life to satisfie every hungry and thirsty Soul The Way whereby a man must come the Truth wherein he must be renewed and the Life wherewith a man must be quickned is Christ the Son of the Living God and he must know him as the Son of the Living God and feel him revealed in him and received by him and so walk in him the Way in him the Truth in him the Life if ever he come to the Father He must not rest in the description of things but feel and know receive and walk in the Thing which by the Spirit of the Lord hath been often formerly and is still described in what words and by what means the Spirit pleaseth But to receive all the descriptions of him that were formerly given forth or all the descriptions that are now given forth that will not do but the Soul that will live by him must receive him and feel the ingrafting into him the holy Root the living Word of Gods eternal Power and must feel this Word ingrafted into his heart so that there be a real becoming one in nature and Spirit with him And then he is truly in the Vine in the Olive-tree and partakes of the vertue and sap thereof he abiding therein and walking in the Spirit Life and power thereof Now hear a man walks not nor cannot walk in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit only Paul notwithstanding all his knowledge of the Scriptures walked but in the oldness of the Letter before Christ was revealed in him And those in the Apostles dayes who had got the form of godliness but turned from and denied the power they walked but in the oldness of the Letter Yea the Church of Sardis for the most part and the Church of Laodicea who had received the right order and ordinances and the true descriptions of things and though they were full and rich and wanted nothing they walked but according to the oldness of the Letter and not in the newness and power of the Spirit of Life But alas how far are many who pretend to Christ in this day from this state who never came so far as to walk in the oldness of the Letter from a true understanding thereof but have only learned and continued to walk in the oldness of their own apprehensions and conceivings upon the Letter Can these in this state possibly understand Truth or know the inward spiritual precious appearances thereof either in their own hearts or others Surely no. Why so Why this is the reason because the measure the appearances of Truth either in themselves or others by their own old apprehension and conceivings upon Scriptures concerning Truth which is not the proper measure of it Now all such are yet in darkness let them pretend what they will and grow never so high in knowlerg exercises and experiences after this manner and so the best zealousest and most knowing of them in this state are but blind leaders of the blind and thus going on shall most certainly fall into the Ditch of perdition O that men could feel that which makes rightly sensible and might lay it to heart For no man can confess Christ how then can he receive him and walk in him but by the holy Spirit And he that knoweth not the Spirit rightly knoweth not Christ rightly and he that doth not know him rightly doth not confess him rightly and none can know him rightly but by the revelation of the Father inwardly The mistery must be opened within or there is no true knowing The mistery of deceit is discovered within and the mistery of Life is discovered within also And though the heart of man in the unregenerate estate is deceitfull above all things and despeartely wicked and no man of himself can search or know it yet that is not the state of the true Jsraelites whom God hath cleansed and taught to deny themselves daily but they have boldness before that God who hath searched them and removed from them the iniquities which he found therein Yea whoever witnesseth Christ revealed within shall find him revealed within for this very end to destroy the works of the Devil there and he is a powerfull Saviour of the Soul from sin and a powerfull Destroyer of the works of the Devil within Now concerning reading the Scriptures mind this It is said of the Jews that when they read Moses or in reading the Old Testament the vail was upon their heart which vail is done away in Christ 2 Cor. 3.14 15. O consider seriously is the vail done away from thee Dost thou read the Scriptures with the unvailed eye dost thou read in the Anointing in Christs Spirit in the pure heavenly Wisdom of the divine Birth It was promised of old that God would take away the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail spread over all Nations Dost thou witness this Promise fulfilled to thee dost thou know the difference between reading the Scriptures with the vail on thee and with the vail off Are the Scriptures opened and unlocked to thee by the key of David so that thou readest and understandest them in the Light
and Demonstration of Gods holy Spirit or is thy own understanding and will at work of it self in searching into the Scriptures If the wrong birth the wrong wisdom the wrong understanding be at work it can gather but that which will feed and strengthen it self and if thou beest not in Christ and dost not read in Christ the vail is not taken away from thee for the vail is only done away in him but thou readest and walkest in the oldness of thy apprehensions upon the Letter and not in the newness of the Spirit and so knowest neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God what ever thou professest to men or dreamest concernning thy self For it is no other indeed Thy knowledge thy apprehensions thy faith thy hope thy peace thy joy being out of the compass of the pure living Truth in which the Substance the vertue the kernel of all is comprised and comprehended for ever are but as so many dreams O that men that are any whit tender and have any sincere desires in them towards the Lord could read that one Scripture Psal 43.3 4. sensible and experimentally O send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles what did not David know how to go to the Hiâ—l and Tabernacles of God without a particular sending forth of Light and Truth from God to lead him thither Then may men go unto the Altar of God unto God their exceeding joy and witness his Hill and House their dwelling-place when God by his Light and Truth sent forth from him into them leads them thither The Scriptures are words whose chief end drift and service is to bring men to the Word from which the Scriptures came And when men are there then they are in the Life of the Scriptures and witness the fulfilling of the Scriptures even the executing of the righteous judgments of God upon that spirit mind and nature in them which is contrary to his image and the fulfilling of the Promises and sure Mercies which belong to Christ the Seed and to them who are gathered into and abide in Christ the Seed Here 's the Covenant the new Covenant That which is said or those things which are said concerning the Covenant in the Scriptures are but descriptions of the new Covenant but Christ within the Hope of glory the Spirit within the Fear within the Power of Life within breaking down and reigning over the power of sin and death so that the Lord is served in the dominion and power of his own Life in righteousness and holiness before him out of the fear of sin and death all the dayes of our lives so that captivity can lead captive nor break the Souls peace no more nay not so much as make afraid those that keep their Habitation on Gods holy Mountain here is the Covenant indeed the strength and vertue whereof is witnessed in the Soul as the Soul feels the power of Life revealed in it and is made subject by the power to Christ who reigns in righteousness love mercy and Peace in the hearts of those whom he redeems out of the earthly nature and spirit up to the Mind and Spirit of his Father And here the Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs the pure Songs the Song of Moses the Song of the Lamb are sung to the Father of Spirits to the Redeemer of Israel which never were sung nor can be sung in any part of Babylon but all those Songs are but Dreames of the night which will be turned into howling and bitter lamentation when the whore that which hath whored from God and is not in the wisdom of his Spirit what ever she may pretend is stripped and the nakedness of her Profession and Religion with all her Duties and Ordinances as she calls them made manifest Concerning the GOSPEL MINISTRATION IF the Gospel be not a Ministration of Words or Letters but of the Spirit Life and Power and if it was the intent of God that men should not stick in Word or Testimonies concerning the things but come to the thing it self and live in the Sons Life and Power and feel the Son living in them Then they are greatly mistaken who think to gather a Rule to themselves out of the Testimonies and Declarations of things in the Scriptures and do not wait upon the Lord to receive the Spirit it self to become their Rule Guide and Way For these are all one The Truth is the Way The Truth which lives and abides in the heart where it is received and entertained is the Way the Rule is the Guide For God is one There are many names but the thing is one The Life the Power the Wisdom in the Father Son and Spirit is all one yea they themselves are one Perfectly one not at all devided or separated but where the Father is the Son is and where the Son is the Spirit is and where the Spirit is there is both the Father and the Son who tabernacle in man in the day of the Gospel And where these are there that is which is to be preferred before all words which was afore them and is in Nature Spirit and Glory above them He that hath the Son hath Life even the Life Eternal which the words testifie of He that hath the Son hath him which is true and he that is in the Son is in him that is true and abiding there cannot be deceived but he that is not there is deceived let him apprehend and gather out of the Scriptures what he can O how is God glorified and how is Redemption and real Salvation of the Soul witnessed in this dispised Dispensation of Truth which God hath held forth in these latter dayes Blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath hid this pure dispensation of Life from the eye of the prudent worldly wise part in every man revealing it only to the babish simplicity which is of his Son and which lives in him and by him Concerning Christs being manifested without and His being also manifested within and how both are owned by them that know the Truth IT is objected against us who are called Quakers That we deny Christ and look not to be saved by him as he was manifested without us but look only to be saved by Christ in us To which this is in my heart to answer to such as singly desire satisfaction therein We do indeed expect to be saved yea and not only so but do already in our several measures witness Salvation by the revelation and operation of the Life of Christ within us yet not without relation to what he did without us For all that he did in that Body of Flesh was of the Father and had its place and service in the Will and according to the Counsel of the Father But the knowledg and beliefe of that since the dayes of the Apostles hath been very much held in the unrighteousness and in the separation
from the inward work of the Power and Life of Christ in the heart which as so held cannot save any But whoever feels the Light and Life of Christ revealed in him and comes into union with God there-through he feels the work of Regeneration of Sanctification of Justification of Life and Redemption and so comes to reap benefit inwardly and to partake of the blessed fruits of all that Christ did outwardly Yea he that is thus one with Christ in the Spirit cannot exclude himself nor is excluded by God from the advantage of any thing nor every thing Christ did in that body of Flesh This indeed is the main thing to witness Salvation wrought out in the heart to witness the eternal Power and Arm of the Lord laying hold on the Soul to save it and not only laying hold on it to save it but to witness the working out and the effecting of the Salvation as really in the Substance as Israel of old did in the shadow For as they witnessed Moses and Joshua outwardly so the true Israelite the inward Israelite the spiritual Israelite is to witness that which is the Substance of these even the Son of God revealed inwardly Now they were not saved outwardly by a baâ—e outward believing that Moses and Joshua were sent of God to save them but by following them in faith and obedience to what from God they required So to the inward Israel Christ is given for a Leader and Commander who appears to the distressed embondaged Soul in Egypt brings out of Egypt and so leads on towards the good Land and into it Now as the Soul followes as the Soul believes in his Appearances and obeys his voice in the holy pure Covenant of Life so he works out the Redemption thereof But as unbelief and disobedience gets up and the heart is heardened at any time against his Voice and Counsel and the ear open to the temtaptions of the Enemy the Redemption thereby goes backward and the distress and captivity returns again This is witnessed known and experienced by ever true Traveller towards Sion Therefore the main thing requisite is to abide in the sence of the Redeemers Power as also in waiting for his motions and apperances and in the Faith and Obedince thereof For sin gathers strength and is brought forth by letting in and giving way to the motions thereof and so also Holiness and Righteousness is brought forth and getteth ground in the mind by harkening and giving up to the stirrings and movings of Gods holy Spirit Therefore it is of great necessity to every true Traveller to come to a right understanding and distinguishing of these and then that the heart be kept with all diligence because out of it are the issues both of life and and death And most happy is he who knows the issues of death stopped and the issues of Life opened and whose spirit is naked and open before the Lord for Life to spring up in him and issue forth through him at its pleasure O it is a precious state to witness Captivity led Captive by Life and the power of Life reigning over it And truly there is as real deliverance witnessed inwardly by those that wait upon the Lord and are faithfull to the leadings of his holy Spirit as ever there was by the Jews outwardly in their faithfull following Moses and Joshua and Christ is as truly an Healer of his People in this ministration of Life to them by his holy Spirit as ever he was an Healer of Persons out wardly in the dayes of his Fesh That with the other Miracles which he wrought then was but a shadow of what he would work and perform inwardly in the day of his Spirit and holy Power and shall he or can he to those that faithfully wait upon him fall short in the one of what he shadowed out in the other Nay surely it was the intent of his heart and he will not fail to perform it to save to the very utmost all that come to God by him and abide in his holy pure righteous living Covenant Here is the skill of Christianity to abide in him and here the living Virtue and pure Power is felt which overcometh all but nothing can overcome it but Victory Dominion Glory Majesty and Power is sung unto him who is King of Saints who reigns in righteousness and who establisheth Peace and Truth within his Borders A few words concerning the the Principle of Truth What it is How it may be discerned and how it may be purchased and possessed QUest 1. What is the Principle of Truth Answ It is the Light which reproves and makes sin manifest Whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead c. Eph. 5.13.14 There is no other way of awaking out of sleep and arising from the the dead but by the Light which makes sin manifest And O how pretious is that Light Quest 2. How may the Principle of Truth be discerned Answ By its piercing quickning nature which discovereth it self in its appearances and operations For it appears and works not like mans reason or like motions of his mind which he takes into his understanding part but it appears and works livingly powerfully and effectually in the heart Mans reason is corrupt dark impure since the fall and in the hand and under the power of the wicked one It s nature is to hide and cover sin not to discover it Now the Light of the Law which discovers sin ariseth not hence Who can bring the clean pure light of the Law out of the unclean impure Reason of man The Light indeed may shine in the Darkness but it is no part of it but of another nature and descent It is from Gods Spirit and given to man in his love unto him to lead him out of his dark wayes and spirit into the pure Spirit and way of Holiness For the Light which discovers sin is all holy and pure like the Fountain from whence it comes Now a man that is acquainted both with Reason and with this Light he can distenguish the Nature and operations of both For there is a great difference between TRUTH held in the Reasoning part and TRUTH held in its own Principle It is very powerful in the one it effecteth little in the other In the pure quickenings of Life this distinction is perceived and also held Therefore our advice is to all men to retire from all mortality that they may come to feel the Spring of Life in themselves and something springing therefrom into them to quicken them and to wait to have their understandings opened and kept open by that that so they may receive retain and not again lose the capacity of understanding the things of Gods Kingdom Quest 3 How may this Principle Seed or Pearl be purchased and possessed Answ By dying to a mans own wisdom and will There is not another way For the Light is wholly contrary
clash against the Truth as it is made manifest in others And indeed the Lord hath shewen me in Spirit several times that they themselves are guilty of that very charge and that he will so implead them at his Judgment Seat which they cast upon us even of denying that Christ which died at Jerusalem to be the Christ For he that owneth the words of Scripture as he apprehends or conceives them in the reasonings of his mind and doth not wait to have them revealed in the Spirit keeping out of his own reasonings and conceivings and waiting patiently till the Lord open the thing in the Spirit he setteth up his own conceivings or an Image in his mind of the mind of the Spirit but misseth of the thing it self which alone is known in the Spirit by them who wait upon the Spirit there to receive it and are not hasty to set up their own reasonings and imaginations concerning the thing in the mean time No man can in Truth call Jesus the Lord but by the Spirit But any man that is any thing serious and weighs the Scriptures in the natural part may so learn to acknowledge his coming into the World and that he is Lord and King c. and may thus call him Lord yea and kindle a great heat in his affections towards him but all this out of the Life out of the Spirit is but mans Image which he forms in his mind in his reading the Scriptures and observing things therefrom But the true calling Jesus Lord is from the feeling of his eternal Virtue in the Spirit and finding the Scriptures opened to him by the Spirit in a Principle which is above the Reason comprehends the Reason and confounds and brings it to nothing Again There is no true Knowledge of Christ no living Knowledge no saving Knowledge which hath the eternal Virtue in it but that which is received and retained in a measure of Light given by God to the Creature in the Faith which is the Gift in the Grace which is supernatural and spiritual whereas the resoning part is but Natural And such as have received the Spiritual understanding know it to be distinct from the Natural and we experimentally find a very clear distincttion between Scriptures searched out by the reasonings of the mind and so practises drawn therefrom and Scriptures opened by the Spirit and felt in the Life Now that Professors generally have not received their knowledge of Christ from the Spirit or from Scriptures opened it the Spirit and so know not the thing but only such a relation of the thing as mans reasoning part may drink in from the Letter of the Scriptures is manifest by this In that they are not able in Spirit and Understandind to distinguish the thing it self from the Garment wherewith it was cloathed though the Scriptures be very express therein Speak of Christ according to a Relation of the Letter there they can say somewhat but come to the Substance come to the Spirit of the thing come to the thing it self there they stutter and stammer and shew plainly that they know not what it is Now the Scriptures do expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore between him that came and the Body in which he came between the Substance which was vailed and the Vail which vailed it Lo I come a body hast thou prepared me There is plainly He and the Body in which he came There was the outward Vessel and the inward Life This we certainly know and can never call the bodily Garment Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in the Body Now if ye indeed know the Christ of God tell us plainly what that is which appeared in the Body whether that was not the Christ before it took up the Body after it took up the Body and for ever And then their confining of Christ to that Body plainly manifesteth that they want the knowledge of him in Spirit For Christ is the Son of the Father he is the infinite eternal Being one with the Father and with the Spirit and cannot be divided from either cannot be any where where they are not nor can be excluded from any place where they are He may take up a Body and appear in it but cannot be confined to be no where else but there no not at the very time while he is there Christ while he was here on Earth yet was not excluded from being in Heaven with the Father at the very same time as he himself said concerning himself The Son of Man which is in Heaven John 3.13 Nor was the Father excluded from being with him in the Body but the Father was in him and he in the Father whereupon he said to Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father What did every one that saw that Body see the Father also Nay not so but he that saw Christ the Son of the living God whom flesh and blood revealed not but the Father only Mat 16.16 17. he saw the Father also O Frinds look to your knowledge of Christ and to your Faith and Knowledge of the Scriptures and to your Prayers also for it is easie missing of the living substance in all these and meeting with a shaddow which may please and make a great shew in the earthly part in the natural understanding and affections but satisfieth not the Soul or that which is born after the Spirit but still the cry there goes out where the Soul is awakned after Truth Substance Life Virtue from Gods Spirit in the Spirit which it alone can feed upon These four things following I am certain of which he that cometh into the true Light shall infallibly experience them there First That nothing can save but the knowledge of Christ even of that very Christ and no other who took upon him the prepared Body and offered it up at Jerusalem Secondly That no Knowledge of Christ can save but the living Knowledge Not a knowledge of him after the Letter which the carnal part may get much of and value it self much by but a knowledge of him in the Spirit which is only given to that which is begotten and born of the Spirit and only retained by that which abides and remains in the Spirit and runs not out into the fleshly reasonings imaginings and concevings about the things mentioned in the Scriptures Thirdly That that man who knoweth not Christ in Spirit nor keepeth close to him in Spirit but through darkness and misguidance of the spirit of deceit called the shinings of his Light his reproofs his checks for that which is evil and his secret motions to that which is good natural This man though he seem to own Christ never so much according to the Letter yet in Truth denies him Fourthly He that denies Christ in his knocking 's and visitations of him in his own heart and before men in the Truths which he holds forth by his Servants and Ministers of his Spirit him will he
deny before his Father in Heaven O I beseech you do not trifle about these things for they are exceeding weighty lest ye perish from the way for missing of the Saviour ye must needs also miss of the Salvation O that ye knew your state as God knows it to be and as it is certainly known and felt in the measure of his Life and holy Spirit by those whom God hath gathered together and whose eyes he hath opened and preserveth open there Glory be to his Name therefore Yea Glory Glory Glory and everlasting Praises be sung to him throughout all the holy Land ye in the very heights of Sion by the Souls of the Redeemed from henceforth and for evermore Amen whose Mercy Love Grace Wisdom Power and rich Goodness remaineth and endureth for ever by and in which the Redeemed live to his Praise who have overcome by the Blood of the Lamb whose Blood they know what it is and none else knoweth it but they who feel the sprinkling and virtue of it Lo this is our God we have waited for him and how can we but be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation O let all that live by the breath of thy Power and drink of thy Streams sing praise unto Thee and exalt thy great and wonderful Name for ever and ever A brief Testimony for Truth by Tho. Tayler I Shall add somewhat of the Testimony which is written in my heart by the finger of Gods Spirit concerning the People called Quakers Indeed they have met with many reproaches and sore oppositions many wayes since they were a People but notwithstanding all their Bow abides in strength and the hands of their arms have been made strong against the wicked one with all his devices in his several kinds of instruments and their Light is still the same and their God the same who blesseth them from day to day even in the midst of all the revilings slanders persecutions and curses which they have met with from men without and in the midst of all the temptations inward trials and afflictions also which are often met with inwardly Yea we know him to be our God and cannot but trust him having found him to be faithfull to us hitherto and knowing his nature to be such that he cannot but continue his loving-kindness and faithfulness to all who are gathered by him in to his holy inward spiritual Covenant of Life and Peace and who dwells with him therein And truly we are fully satisfied and at rest in him and cannot desire another then he who hath redeemed our Souls from death given us Life brought us out of the Pit wherein was no water into a large place set our feet upon a rock a rock indeed and establisheth our goings in the path of holyness working all our works in us and for us by his Spirit and Power Yea we have the Witness in our hearts even the Witness which never erred nor can deceive which testifieth to and with our spirits our Sonship so that we do not imagine our selves sons from apprehensions upon Scriptures but we feel our selves sons in the true sensibleness and know who David is and reap and inherit the sure mercies of David daily O blessed be our Father O blessed for ever be the Father of Life who feeds who nourishes who waters Who refreshes with the Bread of Life and with the pure living water his Lambs his Babes his plants his tender ones of whom he is daily tender and who are daily tender of his Name and Honour And if any man preach another God then he who creates anew in the true Light and therein puts forth his arm of Salvation Death and Destruction and the Curse are his portion from the hand of the Lord. THE Conclusion GLorious was the Estate of the Church before the Apostacy for Purity of Doctrine for holy Order and Discipline for Love to God one to another and to all men even of Enemies for Faith in God for the Presence and Power of his Spirit among them insomuch as the unbeliever coming among them might find his heart and state reached to and be forced to confess and report that God was in them of a truth for singleness and uprightnesse of Heart meekness and innocency of Spirit and Conversation for zeal for God and his Truth suffering the spoiling of their Goods Imprisonments Stripes and many other wayes both from the Heathen and also from the professing Jews who had been the Church once O what shall I say concerning the beauty and loveliness of that State Ye that would know it O wait to feel it in that which giveth the true sence of it But over this glorious State came a dark thick corrupt night wherein the Kernel was lost and the Shell defaced wherein the House which had been swept and garnished became again recovered and possessed by the wicked spirit And how great hath this darkness been O what a kind of Church hath appeared in the World wherein the spirit of Enmity hath dwelt and acted in men under the Name of Christianity So that instead of loving and seeking the good of Enemies they are ready to rend and tear one another for every little difference and will be Lords over mens Faith requiring men to Practice things in Religeon before the Spirit of the Lord teacheth them so to do which the Apostles did not For though they had from God the express knowledge of what was Truth and could certainly instruct and build men up therein yet they were not Lords over mens Faith but if men were otherwise minded then according to what they knew and taught they could wait and bear with them bidding them walk so far as they had attained and God in his due time would reveal the rest also O that men were come to this Spirit again Then they would be Christians indeed and then they might be known to be Christs Disciples by their loving the Brethren and fellow-Disciples But without this love mens Religion is but as a tinkling Cimbal making a noise and sound of somewhat but not having the true Nature or Virtue of Religion in it Now will it not be a glorious Day when the Spirit of the Lord cleanseth away this thick darkness and causeth the Light of his pure Truth to arise and appear again Why there is such a Day to be wherein the true Church which was reproached and driven into the Wilderness is to come out of the Wilderness again and her Witnesses stand on their feet again and her Seed to spring up in the Power of Life following the Lamb who marcheth on fighting with the Sword of the Spirit the words of his mouth conquering and to conqeur thereby the corrupted Antichristian World even as he did at first the corrupt Heathenish World The Lord will purifie his Temple and cleanse the World by the Plagues of his Angels which he hath prepared making way for the beauty of his Truth and the Church of his gathering wherein he
exceedingly and Paul a Minister of Christ trembled but they make a scorn of trembling and quaking and shew themselves ignorant and strangers to the Life and Power of God as their Generation ever was who still made a scorn and reproach of the holy men of God that trembled and quaked but the Seed of God and the Prophets and the Servants of the Lord we own and their conditions we witness and therefore all the Priests and them that deny the holy men of God we utterly deny Heb. 12.21 Ezek. 12.18 Dan. 10.10 Jer. 23.9 Psalm 119.120 Hos 13. â— Habbak 3.16 Acts 9.6 Gen. 27.23 They are such Teachers as tell the people that Christ hath not enlightened every one that comes into the world when as Christ saith He doth enlighten every one that comes into the World and hear they go about to make Christ a lyer and John Baptist a false Prophet and deny the Scriptures and they say God hath not given every one a measure according to his ability when at Christ saith He hath done it Christ is the light of the World and by him the World was made and he came into the World and the World received him not it is so now Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not and this is the condemnation That Light is come into the world the one he loves the Light and brings his deeds to it that they may be made manifest and walk in it there is no occasion of stumbling in him the other he hates the Light because his deeds are evil and this is his condemnation and we witness the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every one that comes into the world and by obedience to the Light he is become our Master our Teacher and all who stumble at the Light and deny it are ignorant of the Foundation Stone and know not the first Principle but are shut out from knowing any thing of God and therefore the Priests and all their followers we deny Joh. 1.9 and 3.19 20. Mat. 25.15 They are such Teachers as walk out of the Doctrine of the Apostles and practise of all the Churches Paul saith If any thing be revealed to him that sits by let the first hold his peace for all may prophesie one by one that God in all things may be glorified and you edified and the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets and God is the Author of Peace and not of confusion and this was in all the Churches of the Saints But now if any man come among them while they are speaking or when they haue done and be moved to speak any thing them of their Church the rude multitude fall upon him with Staves Fists and Punches and Knocks him down with Stones shewing themselves to be of that generation that stoned Stephen to death and the Priests call to the Officers to take him to the Stocks and to carry him before the Magistrate and from thence he is sent to Prison and called a disturber of the Peace here they shew themselves to be no Ministers of Christ and their Assembly to be no Church but in confusion for that which was order among the Saints is disorder amongst them the Church of Christ was never Fighters nor Quarrellers nor Scorners such Churches are the fruits of the Ministry of ENGLAND who were made by the will of man and never sent of Christ and therefore they do not profit the people at all but are Persecutors of the Messengers of Christ and therefore we deny them 1 Cor. 14 32.33 Acts 7. Ver. 23.32 They are such Teachers as have told us we should never be made free from Sin while we are upon earth when as the Apostle saith They were made free from Sin he thanks God and had put of thâ— body of Sin so we find they had told us lyes contrary to the Scripture and the Apostle saith While we were servants of sin we were free from righteousness so in that state we find them and therefore we deny them And they have told us none shall ever be Sanctified nor the body of Sin destroyed nor cleansed from Sin while they are upon earth when as the Apostle said They were sanctified and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin and the Ministers of God said they reigned as Kings and here they deny the Scriptures and therefore we deny them And they deny the begotten Son of God which Sinneth not and calleth it blasphemy for any to witness that born which Sins not when the Scripture saith He that is born of God Sinneth not neither can he Sin because he is born of God and the seed of God remaines in him and he that commits Sin is of the Devil and hereby are the Children of God made manifest and the Children of the Devil and as he is so are we in this present world and a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit if the root be holy so are the branches and one Fountain cannot send forth sweet water and bitter he that can receive it let him but the cheif Priests and Elders and Pharisees and Sadduces and Rulers at this stumbled then and so they stumble now at the Light from whence these words were given forth which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world and therefore we deny them Rom. 6.18 and 6.6 Rom. 8.10 1 Cor. 6.11 1 Joh. 1.7 1 Joh. 3.6 9 10. 1 Joh. 4.17 And they aâ—e such Teachers that have told us none shall ever be perfect while they are upon the earth when as Christ saith be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect and the Apostle saith By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And the Ministry of Christ is for the perfecting of the Saints till they all come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ to a perfect man Here we find them to deny the Scriptures and the everlasting offering and all such we cannot but deny and we witness the everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified Praises to the Lord for ever who hath sent forth his Son in the likeness of Sinful flesh to condemn Sin in the flesh that in him we might be made the righteousness of God and all that deny perfection and sanctification deny this offering and the gift of God which is perfect and the Ministry of God which is for perfecting the Body and such Ministers are not Members of the Body nor can present any man perfect in Christ Jesus and therefore we deny them Mar. 5.10 Heb. 10.14 Eph. 4.12 13. 2 Cor. 5.21 James 1.17 They are such Teachers as deny the everlasting Covenant and the anointing for if any come to witness that they are taught of God and that he hath written his Law in their hearts and put his Spirit within them and that none need say to them know the Lord then they cry out to the Magistrates and ignorant people
these are the Deceivers and false Prophets that shall come in the last times they deny the means and when any witness they have received an unction from the holy one and need not that any man teach them but as the anoynting teacheth them of all things then they cry out these are Seducers and Seduced and so here they deny the Covenant of God and the Promise of God and shew themselves to be the great Seducers that draw from the Anointing and finding their spirits contrary to the Scriptures we cannot but deny them Jer. 31.33 Heb 11.8 1 Joh. 2 20 27. They are such Teachers that say Revelations are ceased and deny Revelations and so deny the Son for no man knows the Father but he to whom the Son reveals him and no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit reveals them and the Apostle said It pleased the Father to reveale his Son in him and so he that denies Revelations denies both the Father and the Son and the Spirit these are the Priests who talk of Religion and have gotten a form to trade with and have received things by traditon but are ignorant of God and of the Spirit by which all Saints were ever guided and therefore we deny them Mat. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.11 Gal. 1.16 Phil. 3.15 Therefore all people consider what you do and hold up and worship for the Worship is but one and the Word is but one and the Baptism is but one and the Church is but one and the Way is but one and the Light is but one and the Power is but one but they that are without have many Teachers many Ways many Opinions and Judgments and many Sects but we have but one Priest which is over the houshold of God and therefore are all of one heart and soul Moved of the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord for the cleansing of the Land of all false Teachers Seducers and Deceivers and Witches who beguile the people and Inchanters and Diviners and Sorcerers and Hirelings and which is for the good of all people that fear the Lord and own Jesus Christ to be their Teacher From them whom the world scornfully calls Quakers but quaking and trembling we own else we should deny the Scriptures and the holy men of God but the Scriptures we own and the holy men of God Therefore we deny all them who deny quaking If you say these things are frivolous things which you have taught us then we have been taught frivolous things all this while but we find all these things frivolous things wind and air and therefore we deny them All people that read these things never come ye more at the Steeple-house nor pay your Priests more Tythes till they have answered them for if ye do ye uphold them in their Sins and must partake of their plagues Some PRINCIPLES of the Elect People of God scornfully called QUAKERS By G. F. A Salutation of Salvation to all People throughout the Christian World that they may Enter in by the Door which is Christ the Light by which Every man is enlightened that cometh into the World by Christ the Light which is the Way to God and the Door by which they must enter into the Father from the World from Darkness and Death and its Power into Covenant with God by Christ the Door And this is the Light by which ye see all the evil Actions which ye have evilly acted and all the ungodly works which ye have ungodlyly commited and all the ungodly thoughts which ye ungodlyly have thought and all the hard speaches and ungodly words which ye have spoken The Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened you is that which maketh manifest all that is contrary to it The same Light maketh manifest the Saviour from whence it comes and it maketh manifest that Christ is the Covenant of Light and Life by which you come to have peace with God The same Light maketh manifest to you if you love it that Christ is the Mediator between you and God The same Light maketh manifest that Christ is the Offering for your Sins and the Sins of the whole World The same Light doth manifest that Christ is the way the truth and the Life and the word of God by which all things were made and Created And the same Light manifests that Christ is the Wisdom of God and Power of God and Sanctification and Justification and Redemption To Sanctifie Justifie and Redeem from that which the Light manifests to be Evil and that which lets and keeps in the seperation from God And this Light is within by which all these things are seen and you that love this Light you will se all these things Love mentioned Christ the Mediator Christ the Way the Life the Wisdom the Sanctifier the Redeemer the Offering for your Sins and the Sins of the whole World In this Light ye will have his Testimony and so he that believes shall have the Testimony and Witness in himself and so ye all being enlightened with this Light receiving it you receive Christ then you do not receive Darkness nor the Prince of Darkness And as many of you as receive Christ he will give you power to become Sons of God mark ye shall have power by which you shall know Son-ship to stand against sin and evil and become the Sons of God Now if you hate this Light and go on in sin and in evil thoughts and evil words works and actions and do not come to the Light which reproves you but love Darkness rather then Light it will be Your condemnation And this is the Light which maketh manifest to every one of you what you have done spoke thought and acted amiss and reproves you for it and if you love the Light you love Christ and you love your Saviour Redeemer Sanctifier and Offering for Sin And you see him who puts an end to sin and destroyes the Devil who brought it in and his Works he that destroyeth and brings in everlasting Righteousness in you But as above mentioned if you hate this Light and go on in sin and evil it will be your condemnation This Light is with you in your Labours and in your Beds and when you are about your Business Trades and Occupations shewing to you all your words and all your thoughts works and actions Which Light if you love it will lead you from the Old into the New Life and from the Alienation and Degeneration from God his Life and Image And with this Light you will see Christ a King to Govern you who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given to him And with the Light you will see him a Prophet to open to you and a Priest to offer for you to the Father and in this Light you will see more Light the same shining in your hearts it will give you The knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus your Saviour And