once commanded which stood in outward things and Ordinances and when they had received the substance they denyed the shadows types and figures and did not uphold them any longer And they were gathered by the preaching of the Gospel into the second and new Covenant and they met together in private Houses and upper Chambers and by the Sea-side to preach and pray and to worship the Lord and we do not read that the Iews persecuted them for so doing And will you that have the name of Christians persecute the People of God though they meet together in private houses and their own hired houses and cannot come to your Temples and Steeple-houses And will not you suffer such to meet together out of your Publick Places but you will persecute them and call them Hereticks and such like Is not this worse than ever the Iews did to the Apostles And so you are out of the Example of the true Christians who met together and preached and prayed often and not in a Synagogue or Publick Place but you cry against them that do so and threaten to persecute for it and thus you shew your selves out of the true Christan Example and in this you are worse than the Iews and more cruel if you should persecute People for meeting together to wait upon the Lord in their own houses or in what place or time as the Lord should move their hearts but if you proceed in this way and will not permit the People of God to meet together in their own houses and not in your Idol-Temples then the Power of the Lord will confound you and God will break you to pieces and you will feel his heavy Wrath upon your Consciences and God will smite you with his Judgments inwardly and outwardly Now for your restraining of people from one way of Worship and forcing them to another and compelling them about Religion by cruel Laws and Commandments of men this is of Antichrist for you to do and of the Devil for all forcing of People to this kind of Worship and from another and imposing upon their Consciences in matters of Gods Kingdom this is also of Antichrist and contrary to Christ and his VVay for he won People by sound Doctrine and by Love and by a good Conversation and so did his Disciples for they never forced any by outward violence to their Worship nor to their Church-government and Ordinances but it was the practice of the Beast and the Dragon that first forced People and compelled them to worship since the dayes of the Apostles Rev. 13. It was Antichrist that first imposed upon People in the Ignorance of their Consciences and contrary to their Consciences by the Commandments of men false Faith false Worship false Ministry false Doctrine and false Religions so that now if you should force any contrary to their Consciences to your Steeple-houses to hear and say your Form of Prayers we shall say then you are Antichrist and of the Devil if so be you should endeavour to compel any either against their Consciences or in the Ignorance of their Consciences to your way of Worship or Religion Therefore take heed how you meddle in these things lest God confound you and as for us we are the People of God we fear his Name and worship him and cannot bow to the Devil and we need not be forced to worship the Lord for his Spirit leads us into all Truth and we need none of your outward Prescriptions or Form of Prayers for the Spirit of God teacheth us in all these things when and where and how we should worship the Lord God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth which is free and not by outward force and all the Worship that is otherwise and not in the free Spirit of Christ is of Great Babylon whom the Lord will confound and destroy Another general Objection answered Object 2. Again Whereas it is said by some Now there must be no more private Preachers Unlearned men and men not Ordained must not now preach any more Lay-persons must not be Preachers that are not so qualified nor so and so ordained and this is the present talk among some people Answ. To this I also answer and say VVo to them that would stop or quench or limit the Spirit of God in Sons or Daughters for such are denyers of the Scriptures and the Power of God and such bring guilt upon their own Consciences and work fearful Abomination against God And what must not the Spirit of the Lord speak now where it is in this Age as it did in the dayes of old as you may read in the Scriptures for was not Elisha a Plow-man and was not he called from the Plough 1 King 19. and became a Prophet of the Lord unto the House of Israel and had the Spirit of Elijah poured upon him and would not you have said he was a Lay-man a Plow-man unordained not fitting to preach if you had lived in his dayes And was not Amos called from following the Flock who had been no Prophet nor no Prophets son but an Herds-man Amos 7 14 15. and it was lawful for him to preach the Word of the Lord though he was but an Herds-man and had been no Prophet nor Prophets son which if he had lived in your dayes you would have called him a Lay-man an unfit person unlearned and one not ordained for the Ministry and you like Amaziah the wicked Priest of Bethel would now quench the Spirit as he would have done in Amos who was a Trades-man and such an one as you now call Lay-men who are not as you say fitting to preach And did not Christ Jesus himself chuse Fisher-men and sent them forth to preach the Gospel and such as were men of Trades and unlearned in Books as it is written Act. 4. 13. When the Rulers saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were Unlearned they marvelled and these were Ministers of Christ and preached the Everlasting Gospel whom you would have called Lay-men and men unfit to preach had you lived in their dayes And Paul himself by occupation was a Tent-maker it is said and he laboured with his hands and yet was a Preacher of the Gospel and there are multitudes of Witnesses in the Scriptures of these things how that men of Trades and unlearned in Letters and Books and never were brought up at Schools and Colledges but followed the Plough and were keepers of Cattel and some followed fishing such as these in old time had the Spirit of God given them and they preached the Gospel And what if the Lord at this day give his Spirit to such as these and send them forth to preach the Gospel even to such as were brought up and educated it may be at Handy-craft Trades and are labouring-men and are not learned at Schools and Colledges will you limit the Lord and quench his Spirit and reproach his Wayes and Servants and
now call them Lay-persons and say they are not fitting to preach for they are not Learned nor Ordained say you and calling them Mechannicks and private Preachers and say they must not now be admitted to preach the Gospel and in this you deny the Scriptures and the Example of the Saints in former Ages and so neither know the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave them forth though you say you own the Scriptures yet if the same things come to passe which they declare of you deny them in this Age and cry against such as Hereticks who witness the fulfilling of them which shews you are of Antichrist and that you quench the Spirit in Sons and Daughters which God hath promised in the New Covenant that he would give and pour forth upon Sons and Daughters and they shall prophesie And are not we to look for these things now VVhat must not God's Promises be fulfilled must not an Herds-man now preach if the Word of the Lord come unto him and must not Plow-men now speak of the things of God if they have experience of them and must not Fisher-men and Tent-makers bear witness to the Name of Christ if they have received of his Spirit And will you deny the Scriptures which saith As every one hath received the Spirit and the Gift so let him administer the same one to another 1 Pet. 4. or do you say None must have the Gift of the Spirit but such as are brought up at Schools and Colledges or will you limit the Holy One to such and such men and wayes Oh you are blind and ignorant who would quench the Spirit of God that it should not speak in these dayes and thus you are denyers of the Scriptures but God hath given of his Spirit and spoken in our hearts and we must prophesie and speak as the Spirit of God giveth utterance as the Saints of old did Act. 2. 4. Now for your way of making Ministers at Schools and Colledges and so quallifying them with Knowledge in the seven Sciences as it is said and ordaining them in that manner and way as among Papists and Protestants hath been practised for Ages this way of making Ministers and sending of them forth was never known among the Apostles for they were not thus made and ordained and sent to preach nor was this way of making and sending forth Ministers till the Spirit and Power of God was lost and forsaken by the Apostate Christians and the Scriptures make no mention of such wayes nor give no Example for such things and we cannot own any Religion nor any practice thereof but what we have Example for from the Saints of old before us and we believe that it is generally of Antichrist to invent and introduce such and such Practices for Religion towards God and for the worship of him for which there is no Example in all the Christian Churches in the Apostles dayes and we believe that way of making Ministers and sending of them forth which is not approvable by the Scriptures nor according to them is of Antichrist and not of God neither can we own such Ministers nor their Ministry who are not ordained of God and according to the Scriptures nor can we deny private Preachers nor their Ministry as you call them if they have received the Spirit of Christ though they be not so learned outwardly nor ordained according to what some may call the right way but who are Ministers made and sent of God and have the Authority of his Spirit such we own and cannot deny and such the Lord will bless with his Presence to the confounding of all their Enemies Concerning Settlement in a happy Government Object There hath been great Divisions and Distractions in these Nations for divers years and in the midst of them the great cry hath been by many for Settlement and Peace and for a quiet and happy Government Answ. These things hath the Lord suffered to come to pass in the world even great Contentions Divisions and Distractions and much Changes of Government in these Kingdoms And the appearing cause of these things hath been from the lust that hath warred in the Members for from thence doth Wars and Strife arise and many have been Ambitions Vain-glorious Self-seeking and Covetous of the Honours and Pleasures of this VVorld the lust and desire of these things hath possessed the minds of men and induced them to envy and wrath one against another and hath filled them with heart-burnings and cruelty of mind to the killing and destroying of one another by Wars and Bloodsheds and by Plots and Contrivances have sought how to extinguish one another from the Earth that themselves might be exalted and thus from the desires that have warred in mens minds have Wars arisen against the persons of men and among them and this is the appearing cause of the Wars and Distractions that have been in these Nations though the hidden cause which hath not so appeared hath been in God and because of the wickedness of men both high and low and because of their Oppressions and Abominations which have been many and great in the World Therefore hath the God of Heaven been provoked in just Judgement towards Rulers and People to suffer men to destroy one another and to execute Bloudsheds and Destructions one upon another and he hath brought it to pass in giving up men to the fulfilling of their cruel intents which hath been hatched in their evil minds every man against his Neighbour and even because they have been departed out of his Counsel and followed their own wicked wayes and Justice and Mercy and Truth have been wanting amongst men in these Nations so that this is the principal cause wherefore the Lord God hath brought about and suffered these Wars Distractions Confusions and Discords in these latter dayes and out of the justness of Gods Judgments because of the wickedness of men have these things been And now these Distractions and Confusions and Discords amongst men can never wholly and truly cease to be till Iniquity and Transgression be repented of and turned from which is the very cause wherefore God hath done and suffered these things as I have said and so men must cease from Oppression from Cruelty and from all Unrighteousness and must turn to the Lord and become cleansed from their sins ere ever the Judgements of the Lord be removed and these Distractions Wars and Confusions cease to be in these Lands and till men become meek and humble and till they cease to seek Revenge one of another and till they cease all Oppression and Covetousness Injustice and Unmercifulness and till they forsake their worldly Honour and high Titles which puffs them up in Arrogancy and Ambition and even till every man forsake his particular Iniquity till all these things be Distractions will not cease nor shall Settlement and Peace and happy Government ever be This is certainly so for except the Cause be removed the Effect can never
cease and there appears to be at this day as great if not far more Dissatisfactions in the minds of some People than hath been heretofore and it appears to be as far from Settlement and true Peace in an happy Union in Government as for many years though it hath been expected by many that we should have Peace and Settlement in Government yet behold it cannot be for there are Discontents and Murmurings in the minds of men and Unsettlement in their spirits and the Foundation of a happy Government is not yet discovered unto many nor do the people walk in the way of Peace but Iniquity is abounding Oppression and Cruelty yet lives Hard-heartedness and Envy Pride and Ambition are not yet cut down neither in all the Governours nor in the Governed and this is not the way of Peace and true Settlement but it is the way of Troubles and Distractions and the very Foundation of greater Distractions and Wars rather than of Settlement and happy Government These things are so and therefore true Peace and Settlement in good Agreement who can expect because the ground of Distractions and Unsettlement is continued and increased rather than abated and removed amongst many and the true Foundation of Peace and Settlement in happy Government is not yet raised up amongst men but because Injustice and Oppression are continued therefore will God be provoked to bring Distractions Wars and Tribulations upon the Kingdoms of all the World and God will confound and dash in pieces Powers Authorities Rulers Nations and Peoples and He will break one Potsherd against another and overthrow one Mountain against another and the hands of cruel men will God suffer to devour one another and ambitious and malicious hearts shall be suffered to finish one anothers end because of their own wickedness and therefore be not deceived Blessedness in the Kingdoms of this World can never be except Iniquity and Transgression be departed from except Oppression and Hard-heartedness dye and except the Foundation of War and Strife be removed and the Foundation of Peace and happy Government be raised up amongst men Again True Peace and Settlement in good Government can never be except the Lord alone be owned as Judge and Law-giver and his righteous Laws to be executed in the Earth that Justice and true Judgment may flow down and all the contrary may be stopped and limitted by the just Laws of God and all unjust and unequal Laws made and established in the Ignorance of men which have not been justly according to the Law of God nor depended thereupon such Laws must also be made void judged and cast out and the Law of God must enter This must be accomplished if ever true Settlement in a happy Peace be amongst us the Laws must be changed the unjust and unequal cast out and just and equal Laws brought in for because hereof while unjust and unequal Laws have been executed in Judgment therefore have we wanted Settlement and Peace in a happy Government and the contrary hath been and will continue till all unjust unequal and oppressive Love be discontinued Again If ever true Peace and Settlement in a happy Government be amongst men Governours Rulers and Executors of the Law must be Iust persons and Righteous men Men that fear God and hate Covetousness and that depart from every evil way and all ambitious self-seeking and unjust men must be cast out even all they that have sought themselves and not the Lord in their places of Trust such as have perverted Justice and true Judgment for their own corrupted ends and such as have been cruel and hard-hearted Oppressors all such as these must be cast out and the Law must not be committed to such to execute neither must such sit in Judgement over the People for because hereof and while such men have ruled and governed and executed the Laws no true Settlement in a Just Government but the contrary hath been even Distractions and Tribulations and while such men do continue to rule and judge and execute the Laws in any part of the world we shall never have a happy Government nor Settlement in it in this world nor till Just men that have the Spirit of God and sound Judgment that are humble and meek patient and merciful and such as fear the Lord and walk in his wayes be called to rule and judge and execute the Laws and the Laws must be just and holy and the Executors of them equal and upright men Till these things be accomplished a happy Settlement in this Worlds Kingdoms can never be but God will dash one Mountain against another and throw one Hill upon another and he will give no Peace among the Kings of the Earth but stain the Glory of all the Worlds Governments till Truth and Righteousness come to reign and till Just Laws be executed by Just men and till Mercy and Justice Truth and Equity flow forth abundantly Therefore all Nations you have been deceived while you have turned up and down from one way and manner and kind of Government to another and from one sort of Governours to others sometimes you have been for a Parliament sometime for a Protector and sometime for neither from each of these to others you have changed thinking to have Peace and Settlement in a happy Government but it could not be for there are continual Distractions until this day in the minds of men and they are yet unsetled in their spirits and there are Heart-burnings and Envyings and seeking of Revenge and while these things are nothing but Distractions and Tribulations not Peace but Troubles even till these things be removed And till we have just and equal Laws according to the Law of God established over us and Just and Holy and Righteous men to execute them in Judgement upon us and till we have Truth and Righteousness sit on the Throne until this be no true Settlement in a happy Government but Distractions and Contentions and woful Tribulations in the Kingdoms of the World and amongst men and this is certain and according unto the Will of the Lord and in the justness of his Judgements these things come to passe for it is Injustice and Oppressions and want of Mercy and Truth which is the Foundation of Contentions and Distractions and it is Justice and Equity Truth and Righteousness that is the only Foundation of Peace and Settlement and a happy Government for a perpetual continuance To all False Christiaâ—â— THere are many false wayes in the world and many false kinds of Religions and people are in much disagreement about their Church Worship and Ministry Papists are opposing the Protestents and the Protestants the Papists and there is a great contention in the World But the Papists are in a wrong way and so are the Protestants too and their Religions are both false in many things for whilst they profess Christ and Christianity and make a shew of Righteousness in outward appearance yet many of them live in sinful wayes and bring forth the fruits of Iniquity against the living God and Pride Cheating and Double-dealing Covetousness and Envy Drunkenness and Whoredom and all Wickedness is abounding and brought forth both by the Apostate Christians though they cry up the Name of Christ and the Profession of Godliness yet are they wicked in the sight of God and they are not changed in heart and mind nor do they know the New Birth and all such are out of the right way in the way of Errour if they have the Form of Godliness but want the Power though they may have Masse or say Common-prayer once a week or oftner yet all this is but Abomination and Deceit whilst they practise Iniquity Hatred Back biting Lying Drunkenness and the like they that act these things the Plagues of God will be their portion and Misery their end and their Profession in Religion will not save them The Day of the Lord is at hand ye Hypocrites ye false Christians ye that profess God with your lips and your hearts are far away Therefore repent ye and tremble before the Lord lest he smite you with Vengeance and forsake your false Religions both your Masse and your Forms of Prayer and be not Idolaters in professing love in your mouthes and honour with your lips whilst your hearts are departed from the living God and now come to learn the true Religion Depart from all Iniquity and do not lye nor swear nor be drunk nor steal nor murder nor envy but love the Lord with all your hearts and your Neighbour as your selves And this is the true Religion in which man may be saved and live in Soberness Meekness and Honesty and speak every man Truth to his Neighbour and live in love one with another and be kind and gentle and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit of God Cease to do evil and learn to do well and depart from all Iniquity and follow after Righteousness This is true Religion and in it you may be saved this is the right way all that walk in it shall have Peace and Blessing from God and all that walk contrary Damnation is their portion Therefore you Papists and Protestants so called turn from your Hypocrisie and learn this way and cease from your false worships that are after the Forms and Traditions of men and not after the Spirit of God and learn to worship God in the Spirit that you may be saved You have a Light from Christ in your consciences which lets you see what sins ye are guilty of and it reproves you for your sin If you belieâ—e in the Light and walk in it that is the right way then you will deny what is evil and follow what is good in your Coversations but if you follow what is evil and act contrary to the Light in your Consciences and repent nor Vengeance in flames of fire will be your portion This is the day of your Visitation the Army of the Lamb is gone forth and the Sword of the Spirit is drawn amongst them that will wound your Consciences and God will smite you with the words of his mouth ye Rocks and Hils and Bryars and Thorns and fruitless Trees the God of Heaven will hew you to pieces and pluck you up and oast you into the fire to be consumed Repons for the Day of the Lord is at hand THE END
checks him for his evil deeds and that lets him see what sin he is guilty of you must believe in this Light and follow it and depart from that and forsake that Iniquity which it convinces you of and do that Good which it moves your hearts unto or else you can never be saved for if your continue in evil-doing contrary to the Light of Christ in your own Consciences you are in a condemned condition and you cannot be justified of the Lord while you are accused by the Light within you of such and such sins and that you are guilty of them and forsakes them not for the God of Heaven condemneth and justifieth men according to the Witness of the Light in their own Consciences for it is Gods Evidence to bear witness for God and to accuse or excuse every man in his sight and according to its evidence God justifieth or condemneth all the children of men III. Again Whosoever will be saved must be born again of the Seed of God and must be changed and renewed in mind and heart and spirit and old things must pass away and all things must be made new and a new nature must live in you and the Image of God must be brought forth which is in Righteousness and true Holiness which is like unto God and this is the new Creation which every one must witness to be wrought in them that ever enters into Gods Kingdom For saith Christ Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God for it is not a profession of Religion made with the lips nor the practises of Duties and Ordinances taken on the performed in the old nature and a holding of truth in unrighteousness this is not the way of Salvation but it is the regenerating and making like unto God being his Image of Justice Truth and Righteousness it is this in which men may be saved everlastingly IV. Again Whosoever will be saved must receive the Spirit of God and it must dwell in them even the Spirit of the Father and they must be taught by it and led into all Truth to do the Truth and speak the Truth in all things even the Spirit of Truth must be received to teach and to lead in all the wayes of God it alone must teach and all the Hireling-Teachers of the world must be turned away from by whom peoples souls have been deceived all such as have run and God never sent them that have cryed up Teaching and Ministry and through whom people have not received the Spirit of the Father all such Teachers must he denyed their Church and Ministry and the Spirit of the Father must only teach and lead and you must walk in the Spirit and not after the Flesh for if you walk after the Flesh in the wayes and works of it you are in the state of Condemnation and not of Salvation and the Spirit of God doth not teach you but you are out of the New Covenant of God in which Covenant all are taught of the Lord and in Righteousness are they established the Spirit of God is put within them and the Law of God is written in their hearts and they need no man to teach them but as the Spirit teacheth and this is the New Covenant of Peace with God into which all must come to witness this or else they cannot be saved V. Again All that will be saved must be sanctified cleansed and purified from all unrighteousness by the Spirit and Word of God whereby every heart must be made clean and every conscience sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb and the body of Sin and Death must be put off and the bondage of Corruption must be broken and Iniquity must be forsaken and turned from and Sin must be judged in the flesh and Purity Holiness and Righteousness must live and reign in all that will be saved and Sin and Transgression and the guilt of it must be removed and you must shew forth the Image of God in Holiness and Righteousness and must be pure as he is pure in kind and quality and you must walk in Holiness and Righteousness being freed from Corruption and from the wayes of Sin and Death being sanctified in Body Mind and Spirit by the Word of the Lord and Sin must be blotted out and Transgression must be covered and Iniquity must be remembred no more and in all things you must cease to do evil and learn to do well if ever you will be saved VI Again Whosoever will be saved must witness Christ revealed in you and He must live in you and you must be followers of him whithersoever he goes and your Bodies must be the Temples of the living God and God must walk in you and dwell in you according to his promise and he must be your King your Judge and Law-giver and Teacher Father and Master and he must be all in all unto you even God the Father who is blessed for ever you must know him near you and feel his presence in you to be your joy life and peace and you must have fellowship with him in Spirit and must worship him in Spirit and by the Spirit without respect of Dayes Times or Places Every one that will be saved must come into this and witness it for this is the way of the Salvation of God VII Again Whosoever will be saved must live in the power of Godliness and must deny all Forms of Religion without the Power all Profession of Scriptures Ordinances Church-member-ship Praying and Preaching which is not in the Power of God and by his Spirit must be denyed and that part that holds it that holds the Form of Godliness without the Power must be crucified and every one must come into the Power of the Spirit of God and must witness that to work in them to will and to do and no more professing of the things of God but as they are witnessed by the work of his Spirit in their hearts you must not hold Truth any longer in unrighteousness nor make a profession of it in your unrighteous minds no more talking of Justification and Redemption nor of any of the matters of Gods Kingdom but according as they are witnessed by the working of the Spirit of God in the heart and every one must feel in himself the evidence and testimony of the Spirit of God to witness the Truth in his heart or conscience of what he professeth with his mouth VIII Again Whosoever will be saved must witness the Scriptures of Truth fulfilled in themselves the things that they have read of without them must be wrought within them wrought in their hearts by the same Spirit as gave forth the Scriptures they must passe through the same conditions as the holy men of God did and the same truth that the Scriptures declare of must be revealed in the heart by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and none must profess more than they do enjoy from God