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A91119 A testimony of the Light within. A glorious truth, which all the holy men of God did bear testimony unto, and from which they spoke forth the Sciptures, and the end of all preachings and writings was to bring to Light within, to worship God in spirit and truth, and to Christ within, the hope of glory. The truth cleared from scandals, and some of the errors and false doctrines of two Cornish teachers laid open and testified against. With a description of the true ministers of Christ, and of the free ministery both under the law and Gospell administration; ... Also a testimony of the dawning of the glorious day of the Lord, ... Here is likewise, in short, declared the differences between the old Covenant, ... & the new covenant, ... Given forth from Christ the light within in love to the souls of all people, ... that they may have union with me in my fathers love ... whose name according to the flesh is Alexander Parker. Written chiefly to the inhabitants of the town and parish of Austell, in the county, of Cornwall, but may serve for any others who are in the same nature and condition with them. Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689. 1657 (1657) Wing P385; Thomason E909_6; ESTC R203124 42,617 54

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thou didst this day to some of the people out of thy envious spirit spoke unto them to take me away because I had my hat on my head when thou thy self hadst a Cap on and thy fellow-Priest and severall others that had their heads covered and yet wouldst condemn and judge me for that which thou and others were guilty of and so stirred up the people to do evill O shameless man It grieves my Spirit to see such actions amongst you Are these the fruits of thine and others Ministery when in meekness and innocency as a Lamb I came among you as that of God in thee shall one day witnesse thou thy self who should have been an example of good unto the people was the first that did appear in envie against the innocent and went about to stir them up to cruelty and rage and to hale me out of your Assembly when in innocency I stood and heard thy partner and brother in Iniquity untill he had ended his frothy and airy lying stuff as I shall prove by the severall things was uttered by him that he hath denied the new Covenant this by Scripture I shall clearly prove and do charge him to be one of the Antichrists that the Apostle speaks of which should come in the last time And when I stood up to speak and to clear the truth from his lies and slanders thou and he like two hirelings fled away and when I called after you and charged you to stand yet you both went away and left me among a company more like Dogs than Men raging and swelling haling rending punching with their feet and so the Scripture is fulfilled which Christ spoke Behold I send you forth as Lambs in the midst of Wolves This was fulfilled this day in thy Assembly who behaved themselves like savage wild and bruit Beasts And this is the nature and the image which thou hast begotten them into your fruits make you manifest to be no Christians but Brutes and Heathens In the cool of the day consider do not wilfully close thine eye nor stop thine ears nor harden thy heart against pure innocent Truth lest God give thee up to a Reprobate mind It is the same Jesus as ever was and the same Truth which thou and other do oppose And surely if thou dost not with speed repent and turn to the Lord utter darknesse will come upon thee thy Talent shall be taken from thee and into the pit of misery shalt thou be turned which is the portion of all envious bitter persecuting spirits I have something further to say unto thee and thy partner concerning his stuff delivered by him this day either come up to Laurence Growdons or else appoint some other convenient place where I and other of my friends may freely come and as you are faithfull to your God fail not Send me thy Answer by this Bearer Austel 7. day of the 9. month 1656. By a Servant of Jesus known to the world by the name of Alexander Parker On the first day of the Week in the evening I and my friend Laurence Growden did passe down to Vpcots house and coming in amongst them Ieer 23 31 Rom. 1 25. Iob 4 7 I found them very light and vain making a scoffe at what was spoken and turning truth into a lye but the Lord will plead the cause of the innocent Then Vpcot accused me and said I denied the Word and I denied Prayer and I denied the Sacraments And my answer was I own the Word and I own Prayer but the Sacraments I did deny there was no such Scripture that speaks of Sacraments Then he said I did contemn the Ordinances and that was because I stood and sate in the Steeple house with my head covered Rom. 2.3 when as both the Priest and severall of them that were there had their heads covered and yet would condemn me for that which they were guilty of but as for keeping on my Hat in contempt it is false but for conscience sake I could not bow to their Image seeing their hypocrisie and dissimulation and feigned humility making a shew of holinesse outwardly unto men Prov. 15 8. Isai 1 1● Ier 6 20 when they are full of hypocrisie and sin within the Prayers Sacrifices of such arean abomination to the Lord. After I having some discourse with Halls about something spoken by him he not being able to stand before the Truth he would have shuffled off and said not onely by the light within and would have put in that word onely which was not spoken by him in the Steeple-house but his words were plainly proved that they might not be guided by the light within He affirmed likewise that the Scriptures were the rule of life and the way to salvation and the will and mind of God All which things I answered to at that time and owned the Scriptures to be a Testimony and an outward declartion of all these the rule of life and the way to salvation and the will and mind of God but the Scriptures themselves are not the Rule of Life nor the way to salvation nor the will and mind of God which I shall prove by Scripture There is but one Rule of life and that is the Spirit of God which is life and gives life and makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and this is the Comforter which guides and leads into all truth Iohn 14 26 15 13. Iohn 6.61 2 Cor. 3 6. Rom. 8 2. 1 Cor. 2.11 All who obey and give up to be guided by it which the world cannot receive But there is no life in the Scriptures it is a dead Letter and none can understand it but as they are led and guided by the quickning Spirit For though Christ bid the Jewes search the Scripture he doth not say there is life in them or that they were the Rule of Life though they thought to have eternall life in them but they would not come to Christ that they might have life Iohn 5 39 40 Iohn 14.6 Iohn 1.4 2 Pet. 1.21 22. Heb. 13 8. Acts 14.12 1 Cor. 2.16 Acts 4.32 who was the life and his life is the light of men and this Life and Light and Rule was within the holy Men who spoke forth the Scripture and the rule of life is the same now which is spirituall within which the Scripture declares of but is not it Secondly the way to salvation is but one which is Christ Jesus who saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life and there is no man can come to the Father but by me but the Scriptures are not Christ so not the way to salvation but a testimony of the way Thirdly the mind of God is pure and spirituall and was within the holy men that gave forth the Scriptures and they were all of one minde but there are many that have the Scriptures but have not the mind of God neither are they all of one mind but many minds
the deep things of God for what man knows the things of a man but the Spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God then all they that deny the Spirit and say there is no Ministers of the Spirit now as Priest Vpcot did knows not the things of God but what they know naturally which Jude speaks of as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves woe unto them for they have run in the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward read Iude 10 11. And wo unto all such now that deny the Ministration of the Spirit and saies there is no Ministers of the Spirit now their knowledge is natutal and carnal and they go in the way of Cain which is envy and run greedily after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards as the Priests and Parish Ministers in England do and as Vpcot your Teacher doth therefore turn from him and all such for the Lords hand is stretched forth against them The Ministers of Christ were not called by Man nor made Ministers by the will of Man Cal. 1.1.12 2 Cor. 5.19 they were not brought up at Schools to get human learning to fit them but they were called by God Rom. 10.8 John 17.17 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20.21 and made Ministers according to the will of God and fitted and prepared by God and had the word of Life and Reconciliation committed to them which was within them quick and powerfull and wrought powerfully in their hearts by which word they were sanctified and the holy Spirit was within them and as the holy Spirit moved so they spoke forth the Scripture not by mans will but by the will of God as they were moved by the holy Ghost But the Teachers of England are not so made nor called For in the first place they are sent to School to learn humane wisdom in the will of man after they are sent to Oxford or Cambridge and there by their cunning Craft they learn the Trade of Preaching having men over them and Books for that purpose And when they have learned their Trade served their Apprentiship then their Masters give them the Commission to preach and commit unto them the Scriptures which were the Saints testimony within them but these Priests have it without them and it is neither quick nor powerful but weak and dead and their hearts are not sanctified but they plead against purity and holiness of life telling people it is impossible to live without sin in this world and they do not preach as they are moved by the Spirit but they study in the week daies what to speak and many of them have an hour-glasse and most of them limit themselves to a time and when they have uttered forth all that they have many times tell the people they would have enlarged if the time would permit when indeed they have no more to say and so decieve the people telling them they preach the word of the Lord when it is no more but a divination of their own brain and though they use some Texts of Scriptures that is the greater deceit to colour their hypocrisie and to make their ware the better to go off But the Lord is coming to lay open their deceit and to take from them their stollen garments and the shame of their nakednesse shall appear and none shall buy their Merchandize any longer Rev. 18.11 Here you may see their call into the Ministery is contrary to the Ministers of Christ and their preaching contrary and so they are to be denied When Jesus Christ sent forth his Ministers he did not give them power to take tythes Mat. 10. chap. Luke 10. chap. nor any set or forced maintenance but as they had recived freely so they were to minister freely And into what City Town or Countrey ye come enquire who is worthy and if they receive you there stay and abide eating and drinking such things as they set before you Mat. 10 14. for the Labourer is worthy of his Hire and the Workman is worthy of his Meat Here he gave them power to eat and to drink with such as were worthy to receive them but they were not to do so amongst those that did not receive them but depart and shake the dust off their feet they were not to compell them to give them maintenance nor meat nor any thing else but they were to minister freely 1 Tim 6.8 and if any did freely set meat before them if they would use their power they might eat freely And I do not read in the the testimony of the Apostles and Disciples and Ministers of Christ that they did ever receive any thing further than to supply their wants and necessities for having food and rayment they were therewith content I never read that ever any one was compelled to feed them Gal. 4.14 15. or give them maintenance neither indeed was there any need for the Lord whom they served sent his power along with them and such a love was raised up among them that they did receive their testimony that Paul declares of some that if it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to him and it is so now with those that receive the Truth in the love of it nothing can be too dear for them for they are as one anothers lives and as they are hated by the world and opposers and gainsayers of the Truth with a perfect batred so they are loved by all those that in singleness of heart and uprightness receive the Truth with a perfect love But the professed Teachers of England are not so but they have usurped a power to take Tythes and set and forced maintenances of 100 200 or 300 pounds or as much as they can get by the year for they not having received freely as the Ministers of Christ did but have given a great deal of monies for gaining of their Art no more can they minister freely And they are more like to Heathens than to Christians they do not Christian-like Seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of it Mat. 6.32 33. Mat. 10.11 in the first place neither do they according to command Enquire who is worthy For their first and chief thing is what place or some great fat Parsonage that is vacant is sought after and enquire what the people will give and so make a bargain with them for so much by the year to be paid at such and such times and they are very loath to preach untill they have their maintenance made sure unto them and yet they will tell people to believe in God and trust God for food for their souls when they themselves dare not trust God for their Bellies and they make little conscience who they be that they take wages of believers or not believers so they can but get it
the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will wri●e my Law in their hearts and put my Spirit in their inward parts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people and they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall knew me from the least to the greatest for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness their sins and iniquities I will remember no more This is the new Covenant prophesied of the dayes of Jeremiah Luke 4.21 A s 2.16 17 Exod. 34.1 Exod. 31 14 15 16 Exod 40 12 13. 1 Chron 17.12 Gen. 17.10 Exod. 37.29 2 Cor. 3.3 1 Cor. 3.16 17 Rom. 2 28 29. Matth. 12.8 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Mat. 10.28 29 1 Iohn 2 27. Heb 4 12 Rom 10.8 1 Cor 6.11 Heb. 9 13 14 and was sulfilled in the days of Christ the Apostles and is now fulfilled and fulfilling in these our dayes and as in the old covenant the Law without written in Tables of Stone and the Sabbath was without and the Priests were without whose lipps were to preserve knowledg and the Temple was withont circumcision and many other things were without and the anointing Oyl these things were outward but did not make the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience they did but cleanse the outside But in the new Covenant the life and substance is within the Law is written in the Tables of the Heart and the Spirit is within to teach them and their Bodies are the Temple of God and Circumcision of the Heart with the Spirit and the Sabbath or rest is witnessed which is Jesus Christ who is the Rest and the Rock and Refuge to flye unto and whosoever doth come unto him and take his yoak upon them and learn of him they shall find rest to their souls And the Anointing is within and the Word of Life and Reconciliation which is as a sharp Sword to cut down all sin and all the lusts of the flesh This word is within nigh in the heart and in the mouth and by this Word of Life and power within were the Saints and holy men of God purified and cleansed and their consciences purged from dead workes and were created anew to serve God in the new life of Righteousness and it is the work of God within that doth make perfect from sin Eph 2.10 Rom 8.2 2 Pet. 1.19 21 even the law of the Spirit of Life that Paul speaks of that made him free from the law of Sin and Death And from this Word and Spirit of Light within was all the Scriptures given forth and all words or writings that are spoken or written are to bring to the Word and Spirit within For whatsoever was written or spoken by Moses or by the Prophets Christ or the Apostles John 4.24 1 John 1 7 being spoken and written from the Spirit and Light within they are all to bring out of all Shadowes and Figures Luke 17.20 Col 2 20 21 22. Heb 9.9 10 Heb. 10.1 Luke 15.16 Isaiah 55.2 Luke 24.5 Jer. 2.13 Ezek 3 4 5 6 Mica 6 6.14 Mat 7 22 23. Mal 3 5 John 3.17 20 and carnall Observations to the worship of God within in the Spirit where the Saints union and fellowship is in the Spirit and Light within So all you both Priests and People in this generation who are seeking the kingdom in your Observations whose worship and Ordinances and Light and Word and Rule and other things are without I say unto you your worship is but carnall and all that which you practise it doth not cleanse you nor make you perfect you are but feeding upon the husks you are spending your labour for that which doth not satisfie and spending your money for the which is not bread you are seeking the living amongst the dead you are seeking water among the broken Cisterns that will hold no water you are as the woman that sought the lost Groat without you are as sheep without a Shepheard scattered upon the mountains but find no rest you are hungry but are not satisfied Nay I know there is a cry within you for purity and holiness of life and notwithstanding all your talking and your observations your preaching and your praying you are condemned in your selves for your unrighteous walking and this is the condemnation of the world because light is come into the world and yet men love darkness better than light because their deeds be evill Therefore take heed of despising the light within 2 Pet. 1 19 John 1.5 John 8 12 1 John 3 5 but take heed to and mind the light that shines in your dark hearts and reproves you for your sin that out of transgression ye may come and follow Christ in the light which whosoever follows shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life John 14.6 Acts 4.12 John 1.9 for God is light and he out of his love hath given his Son for a covenant of light unto the people to lead them out of darkness and to separate them from sin and to joyn them to the Lord and there is no way to life but by the Son of God there is no other name under heaven given by which any man can be saved than by the name of Jesus who is the light of the world and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world and this light is true and pure and testifies against sin and evill though you act sin never so closely that none in the world can accuse you yet this light within you doth stand a witnesse against you condemn you and though you may alter and change your wayes and be tossed to and fro by mens changeable Doctrines yet this light of Christ within you doth never change but doth reprove you for sin and evill make manifest darkness the deeds of darkness Eph 5.13 that is the light or all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light whatsoever makes manifest is light that which tels you that lying is a sin and swearing is a sin and whoredom drunkenness and pride and covetousness that which doth reprove you when you act any evill that is the light that I speak of and do direct your minds unto to wait upon God in the light for teaching and power over sin and as you have many years been seeking without and talking of Christ and Saviour without but have not found peace nor freedom but are alive in your sins and laden with iniquity so now turn in your minds to the light of Christ and there wait for the appearance of Christ in you 2 Tim. 3.6 7 Col 1.27 2 Cor 4.10 11. 1 John 3.8 1 John 5.12 29. 1 Cor. 3.17 Eph. 3.17 Rom. 8.10 and for his life and power to be made manifest in your mortall bodies to kill and
slay sin and to purifie your bearts that your inside may be clean by the pure power and life of Christ within that so your bodies may be Temples of God holy and pure that God who is Light may dwell within you and Christ Jesus who is light may appeare within you For he is not known in power to kill and destroy the workes of the Divell but as he is known within and where he is witnessed come in the flesh there is peace abiding in him but while you live in your sins there is no peace and as you love that little light within you 2 Cor. 13 5 Iohn 14 27. Isal 48.22 Mat. 13.31 32 1 Iohn 2.27 Iohn 3.19 20 21. 1 Tim 3.9 Ezra 3.19 Psalm 1.6 which at first is but small like a grain of Mustard-seed but waiting in patience and bringing your deeds to it to be tried by it it will grow and spring in you and fill your hearts with joy and teach you continually but if you hate this light and run to men for teaching and live in your old nature where the curse and wrath is this light will be your condemnation and truly this I say unto you That if ever you own God or his truth as it is in Christ Jesus or if ever you own a good conscience where the mystery of faith is held you must own this light to be your guide and teacher so take warning in your life time and let not the love of God be tendered to you in vain lest you perish in your sins Written in love to your Souls by a Labourer in the Lords Vineyard known to the world by the name of Alexander Parker To all those who are separated from the Worlds publick Worship as it is called and for conscience sake cannot joyn with them DEarly beloved friends you whose hearts are touched and understandings opened with the light of Jesus whereby you are come to see the deadness and emptiness of all the Formall and Carnall Worships and profession that stands in mans will gathered in by the strength of the wisdom of the subtile Serpent whose head is not bruised but doth rule as King in faln Man and leads him captive at his will to do his lusts Such are those who professe God in words but in works deny him drawing nigh unto him with their lips and mouthes crying Lord Lord but their hearts are far off the Divell he keeps possession there and sits as King and they are his slaves who live in envy wrath and malice pride lust covetousnesse lying swearing railing and reviling and the like Such beares the mark of their father the Divel who hath begotten them into his image and likenesse and their prayers and and sacrisices are abomination and stinks in the nostrils of the pure God and they do not neither shall they profit the people at all but leads them captive laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning but never come to the true knowledge of God as it is plainly manifest to the children of light And these things friends the Lord hath let you see and turned you from them and their carnall worships Now wait in patience upon the Lord in his light that you may receive his power and word of life and reconciliation in your hearts to separate you from all sin and uncleannesse That as the separation is made without in a measure so the separation may be made within by the pure power that your hearts may be purified and your consciences purged from all sin and your Bodies made Temples holy and pure for the Lord God to dwell in that you may worship God in Spirit in his holy Temple and be taught of him in Spirit according as he hath promised and according as you have been directed by his servants and faithfull witnesses so wait and walk with the loyns of your minds girt up and stayed upon the Lord that his living Word may abide in you and quicken your mort all bodies and raise you up from death and dead works to serve and worship God in the new life that you may truly witnesse Jesus to be your Teacher and Feeder If you should never behold the Face of man more this is that which I and and all my friends do wait for that all of you may eat your own bread have oyl in your own vessels for the time draweth nigh that all who have not oyl in their vessels will be shut out of the Kingdom It will then be in vain to beg or buy from others Therefore beloved as you and many others have long been looking without and seeking the kingdom of God in Observations without and talking of a Christ and a Saviour without but no peace nor salvation was found there Now return home and seek the lost groat in your own house and wait in the light for the glorious appearance of Christ in you that his life and power may be manifest in you to save you from your sins So as branches abide in the vine Christ Jesus that you may be fruitfull and abound in love and all the gifts of God This I write unto you by way of remembrance to stir up your pure minds that you may be kept watchfull and diligent waiting in patience untill the work of the Lord be perfected in you So the Lord God of power breath forth his Spirit upon you and enrich you with his spirituall blessings that you may abound in all good things and be kept blamelesse and harmlesse amongst this wicked and untoward generation of men standing faithfull to the Lord in all things that you may finish your course with joy and be crowned with glory and reign with the Lord God and the Lamb and praise his holy Name and worship him in the beauty of his Holinesse for every and ever A. P.