TO THE Ministers Teachers AND PRIESTS So called and so Stileing your Selves IN BARBADOES BY GEORGE FOX Printed in the Year 1672. To the Ministers Teachers and Priests so called and so stiling your selves in BARBADOES COnsider seriously what a Charge you take in hand do you not pretend to watch for and over Peoples Souls and to present them to God Have you presented any to God Nay Can you present any to God unless you be in the same Power and Spirit the Apostles were in which is an Immortal Power Spirit to present the immortal Soul to the immortal God Do you pretend to watch for the spiritual and everlasting Good of the People but do not you watch more whatever your pretences are for their Goods which you call your Revenues then for that O! how is it that there is so much raging which wars against the Soul amongst you yea such abundance of Fleshly Lusts and Fleshly Talk in the Hearts and Mouthes of People Do you not pretend to cure their Souls and to be the Curates of them And if so can you make the Soul Perfect If you present them to God must they not be perfect here For will you present an unperfect Offering to a perfect God Do you not pretend that you Plough in Hope And have you the Spiritual Plough that turns up the Fallow Ground And if so how comes it to pass that there are so much Weeds upon your Ground and that your Land lies fallow in that there 's so little Fruit brought forth to God Look upon your Field every one of you or whether are you idle and do not plough but beat the Air and so do not you pretend that you thresh in Hope Now have you the Spiritual Flayl and if so How chances it that there is so much Chaff And do you not plead for Imperfection and a Body of Sin and Death that people must necessarily have while they live upon Earth Then do you not plead for Chaff and not for the Wheat And look upon your Fields and look upon your Vineyards and see what abundance of Chaff there is Have you not been the Seeds-men of the Flesh who sow to the Flesh and not the Seeds-men of the Spirit who sow to the Spirit For he that sows to the Flesh must of the Flesh reap Corruption and so look what a goodly Crop you have and he that sows to the Spirit he reaps Life Eternal But do you believe that every one hath a measure of the Spirit for you to sow to And do you believe that every one is enlightened by Christ Jesus the Light and their Saviour that you may turn them from Darkness to the Light and from the Power of the Devil to God or rather that you turn them from the Power of God to the Devil and from the Light to Darkness Examine your selves and consider for you must give an Account to God Have you heard Christ's Voice and God's Voice immediately from Heaven Hath he sent you to Preach or have you ran before you were sent And have you not spoken and yet God never spoke to you and say Thus saith the Lord as those did who were reproved in Jer. 23.21 or Have you been called of God as Aaron was or Have you taken that Honour upon your selves having a Call of Men and not as Aaron had And Christ saith to his Apostles Go and teach all Nations and else-where he saith The Gospel must be preached amongst all Nations Mark 13.10 Now did Christ set his Apostles down in Parishes for so much a Year that the People should be like a Free-hold and that the People should be Tenants for Life or until they could hear of a bigger Benefice Is this your Practice or theirs to wit the Apostles of Christ Now consider Christ I say saith Go teach all Nations Have you obeyed his Commands or have you heard his Voice as was said before or are you of those that have climed up another way and what doth Christ call such And if you be Ministers of Christ are you not Teachers of Blacks and Taunies to wit Indians as well as of the Whites For is not the Gospel to be preached to all Creatures And are not they Creatures And did not Christ taste Death for every man And are not they Men And was not he a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World as well as for the Saints And so consider if the Gospel was to be preached unto all according as Christ commanded why do you not teach the Blacks and Taunies here You may it may be say There is nothing to be gotten of them What have they not Souls for you to watch over and to cure Are they not part of your Parishioners if not the greatest part And why do you find fault with the Quakers so called for teaching of their Families and instructing them to wit the Blacks and Taunies and Whites Does not the Lord say That Abraham he knew would instruct his Family And were not all his Men-Children to be Circumcised And are not all Men and Women now to be Circumcised with the Spirit of God But it seems your Blacks c. are taught to Swear and to Curse and to say God Dam them and many of them do Swear almost at every word which they have been taught and learned here among you called Christians for they learn no such kind of Speech in their own Country And is not this sad that Christians who profess Christianity should have such things amongst them For Christ saith You must not Swear at all in Mat. 5. and in Jam. 5. who taught them true Christianity And is it not the Duty of every Master of a Family that so these may come to know their Duty to God and to Man Now first Consider your own Lives and the End of your Preaching whether you do not preach your selves and for your selves and seek theirs you preach to and not them Examine your Hearts truly before God for to him you must give an Account Have you not laid aside this Command of Christ namely Freely you have received freely give and to invite the People To come for Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Isa 55.1 Now can you do so without Hypocrisie How can you say so and not blush when you will do nothing without Price nor give any thing without Money but will have so much a Year of every one in your Parish or else No Penny No Pater Noster The Apostle saith He coveted no mans Silver nor Gold nor Apparrel but laboured with his Hands to supply his own Necessities and the Necessities of others and that he might be an Example to all that followed him remember the words of our Lord Jesus how that it is a more Blessed Thing to Give then to Receive Acts 20.33 34 35. Now do you follow the Apostle Paul herein and is he your Example What do you think the People have no Eyes in their Heads to see
the Scriptures of Truth c. This is to inform you That all our Books and Declarations that for these many years have been published to the World do clearly testifie to the contrary but yet for your sakes this is now given forth That God who is the Only Wise Omnipotent and Everlasting God we do Own and Believe in who is the Creator of all things both in Heaven and in Earth and the Preserver of all that he hath made who is God over all blessed forever to whom be all Honour and Glory and Dominion and Praise and Thanksgiving both now and for evermore And that Jesus Christ is his Beloved and Only Begotten Son in whom he is Well-pleased who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary in whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins who is the express Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature by whom were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers And we do own and believe that he was made to be as Sin or an Offence and Curse for us who knew no Sin and was Crucified for us in the Flesh without the Gates of Jerusalem and that he was Buried and Rose again the Third Day by his own Power for our Justification and we do believe that he Ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-Hand of God And that this Jesus is the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and our Foundation so that there is no other Foundation to be laid but what is laid even Christ Jesus and that he tasted Death for every man and shed his Blood for all men that he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for our Sins only but for the Sins of the whole World For saith John the Baptist of him Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World John 1.29 And we do believe That he is our Alone Redeemer and Saviour even the Captain of our Salvation who saves us from Sin as well as from Hell and from the Wrath to come and destroyes the Devil and his Works who is the Seed of the Woman that bruises the Serpent's Head to wit Christ Jesus who is Alpha and Omega the First and Last That he is as Scriptures of Truth say our Wisdom Righteousness Justification and Redemption neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved it is he alone who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls he it is that is our Prophet whom Moses long since testified of in Acts 3.22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord our God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every one that will not hear that Prophet shall be Destroyed from among the People He it is that is now come and hath given us an Understanding that we may know him that is true and a Rule in our Hearts even his Law of Love and of Life in our Inward Parts which makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death And we have no Life but by him For he is the Quickening Spirit the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven by whose Blood we are cleansed and our Consciences sprinkled from Dead Works that we might serve the Living God by whose Blood we are purchased And so he is our Mediator that makes Peace and Reconciliation between God offended and Us offending being our Surety of the New Testament and the Oath of God the New Covenant of Light Life Grace and Peace the Author and Finisher of our Faith Now this Lord Jesus Christ the Heavenly Man Emanuel God with us we all own and believe in whom the High Priests raged against and said He had spoken Blasphemy and the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews took Counsel together and put him to Death the same whom Judas betray'd for Thirsy Pieces of Silver which he had from the Priests who gave a Large Sum of Money to the Souldiers to broach a Horrible Lye namely that they should say That his Disciples stole him away by Night whilst they Slept And after he was risen from the Dead you may see in the Acts of the Apostles how that the chief Priests and Elders Persecuted the Disciples of this Jesus for preaching Christ and his Resurrection this we say is that Lord Jesus Christ whom we own to be our Life and Salvation Now concerning the Holy Scriptures We do believe That they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God through Holy Men of God who spoke as Scriptures of Truth say As they were Moved by the Holy Ghost in 2 Pet. 1.1 and that they are to be Read and Believed and Fulfilled and he that fulfils them is Christ And are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 and are able as Divinely Inspir'd to make us Wise to Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus And we do believe That the Scriptures are the Wordâ— of God for it s said in Exod. 20.1 God spake all these Words saying c. meaning the Ten Commandments given forth upon Mount Sinai and in Rev. 18. saith John I testifie unto every man that heareth the WORDS of the Prophesie of this Book if any man addeth unto These and if any man shall take away from the WORDS not Word of the Book So in Luke 1.20 Because thou believest not my WORDS and John 5.47 15.7 14.23 12.47 So that we call the Scriptures as Christ and the Apostles call'd them and as the Holy Men of God call'd them namely The WORDS of God Another Slander and Lye they have cast upon us is namely That we should teach the Negars to Rebel A Thing we do utterly abhor and detest in and from our Hearts the Lord knows it who is the Searcher of all hearts and knows all things and so can witness and testifie for us that this is a most Egregious and Abominable Untruth For that which we have spoken and declared to them is to exhort and admonish them To be Sober and to Fear God and to love their Masters and Mistresses and to be Faithful and Diligent in their Masters Service and Business and that then their Masters and Overseers will Love them and deal Kindly and Gently with them And that they should not beat their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands nor multiply Wives nor put away their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands as they use frequently to do and that they do not Steal nor be Drunk nor commit Adultery nor Fornication nor Curse nor Swear nor Lye nor give Bad Words to one another or unto any
things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience Now consider all you that call your selves Ministers and others in Christendom so called Christ Jesus is the Seed's-Man and he sows the good Seed which is in Man's Heart now some Hearts be a High-Way and those Fowls in them that are bred by the foul spirit take it away and some is sown upon Stony Ground where 's not much Earth but is scorch't by the heat of Persecution and some again is sown upon the Thorny Ground Thorny Hearts where it grows a while and then the Thornes the Cares of the World choaks it but that which is sown upon Good Ground brings forth good Fruit abundantly to the Glory of God and Christ the Seed's-Man Now Christ in a Parable 〈◊〉 speaks of a Housholder that sowed good Seed in his Field and his Servants said Didst thou not sow good Seed whence then hath it Tares He answered An Enemy hath done this They replyed Wilt thou that we go and gather them up Nay saith he lest ye gather the Wheat also let both grow together till the Harvest The Field is the World the Good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom of Christ the Tares are the Children of the Wicked One the Enemy that sowed them is the Devil the Harvest is the end of the World and the Reapers are the Angels So Christ he would not suffer his Disciples to gather the Tares lest c. Now what 's the matter with you and others who will be Gatherers when Christ hath forbidden you lest you pluck up Wheat instead of Tares seeing it is the Angels Work to sever the Wheat from the Tares and the Wicked from the Just And therefore whose Servants have you been in all Christendom who will venture the gathering of the Tares and instead of them have been plucking up the Wheat as witness all the Martyrs and Bloody Persecutions since Christ's time but these Tares at the End of the World the Angels shall cast into the Fire where shall be Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth c. And Luke 9.55 When Christ sent to a Village of the Sameritans to make ready for him and they did not receive him his Disciples said Lord Wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven to consume them even as Elias did but Christ rebukâ—t them saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Now mark If the Disciples of Jesus Christ did not know themselves what spirit they were of who would have had Fire to come down from Heaven upon such as would not receive Christ how do you know what spirit you are of and all those since the Apostles dayes that do persecute people about Religion by Imprisoning them c Now had they and you known what spirit you are of you would not Persecute but seeing you do not therefore it is you will have the People of God persecuted and so are under the Rebukes of Christ who came to Save and nor destroy And therefore since you do not know what spirit you are of your selves we cannot trust our Bodies nor our Souls nor Spirits in your hands And you see you have no Command from Christ or the Apostles to persecute for Christ saith All Power is given to me both in Heaven and Earth c. What to do To destroy the Devil and his Works the Enemy the Adversary and Destroyer of Mankind Christ he is so far from that that he commands us To love one another and to love Enemies but this Command hath been little regarded in Christendom Christ spake to such as built the Sepulchres of the Prophets and garnisht them whom their Fore-Fathers had killed and yet these Builders killed the Son Have not we the same Builders now that would kill him and persecute him where he is revealed in his People Truly ye bear witness that you allow the Deeds of your Fore-fathers who did kill them and their Children built and garnisht their Sepulchres that so all the Righteous Blood from Abel to Zacharias yea to this very day will come upon this Generation of Persecutors whereof in our dayes we have seen sad Examples how the Lord hath cut several of them suddenly off who have been found persecuting his People and Beloved Ones his dear Lambs And saith Christ The Servant that says in his Heart My Lord delays his coming and begins to smite his Fellow-Servants and Eat and be Drunken the Lord will come in a day when he looks not for him when he is not aware of it and will cut him assunder and will appoint him his Portion with Unbelievers Mat. 12. And therefore take ye heed who smite the Servants of God and Hand-Maids of God lest the Lord come in a Day or in an Hour when you are not aware and cut you assunder with his sharp two-edged Sword and appoint you your Portion with Hypocrites and Unbelievers and therefore the People of God are alwayes to be in a readiness waiting for the Appearance of the Lord Mat. 24. And Blessed is that Servant that the Lord finds so doing he will make him Ruler over his House that gives them their Meat in due season Now consider you Strikers this and all you Smiters and Persecuters you do not watch for Christ's coming no no but you put the Day and Hour afar off and you do not know how soon either of them may come of cutting assunder and of your Weeping Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth and your Portion which you are like to have with Hypocrites And Christ further saith Luke 19.27 Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Raign over them bring hither and slay them before me Now consider this you that will not have Christ to Rule and Raign in his People no nor in your selves Do you think that you shall escape the Sword of his Judgments and of his Mouth and the Wrath of the Lamb And did ever Christ though he was called a Blasphemer and as Belzebub and that he had a Devil and a Deceiver yet though he had all Power in his Hands given to him in Heaven and in Earth yet he did not persecute any of them but rebuk't his Disciples Neither did he give any such Command or Advice to his Apostles but rather the contrary viz. That they should love one another and love Enemies Now then who hath given you this Power to persecute and beat another mans Children and Servants Let us know your Original and your Antiquity Now whereas you may say That Lay-men and Mechanick Men are not to meddle with the Scriptures but you onely that have got the Original of Hebrew Greek and Latine I Answer Was not the beginning of the Originals in Babel For was not all the Earth of one Language before And had not Pilate these Originals when he crucified Christ And did he not write a Title upon his Cross in Hebrew Greek and Latine
Corner-Stone the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles and us as is said in John and we are those who have obeythe Commands of Christ who enlightens every Man that cometh into the World that all through it might believe who said Believe in the Light this is his Command that they may become Children of the Light John 12.36 So we know That as many as receives him to wit Christ the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to them gives he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 And this we Witness and can say Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and Heirs of Christ who makes us sit together in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who formerly were dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. And we have received the Unction from the Holy One through which we come to know all things The Anointing which we have received of him abides in us and we need not any ones Teaching us but as the same Anointing does teach us all thengs and is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 It taught the Saints in the Apostles dayes and us in ours therefore we must abide in him as they did to wit in Jesus And the Light of Christ which shines in our Hearts which God hath commanded to shine out of Darkness doth give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is the Heavenly Treasure we have in our Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. So as we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ the Son of God which sprinkles our Hearts and Consciences cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 And whereas many Lyes and Scandals you have cast upon us to wit our Denying of God Christ and the Scriptures c. They are all False For Christ we know own and believe his Incarnation Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorification And the Scriptures we own to be the Scriptures of Truth And Scriptures signifie Writings and we own the Scriptures to contain the Words of God which we learn of God and given forth by the Holy Men of God and are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And whereas we have been accused for Denying Original Sin and Owning Perfection here in this Life To which we answer That there is an Original of Sin we deny not but your Doctrine of Original Sin we do deny as you state it For doth not Original signifie the Beginning and the beginning of Sin was it not the Devil For we do affirm it was neither God nor Christ And did not Christ come to destroy the Devil and his Works and so destroy the Original So we must tell you we hold Christ and not the Devil who was and is the Original of Sin and Imperfection I say again Christ who was before the Devil was who was glorified with the Father before the World began who bruises the Serpents Head and the Heads of all Deceivers Lyars and Slanderers and False Prophets and Anti-Christs And in him we are to wit Christ Jesus who is our Salvation Mediator and Redeemer And as for your Accusing us for holding Perfection Answ What must we not hold God who is Perfect and must we not hold Christ who is Perfect and his Work and Worship which is Perfect and his Religion which is Perfect that comes from himself and the Gifts of his Spirit and Grace and Faith which are Perfect Are not all his Gifts Perfect and must we not receive them in this Life yea must not our Bodies be the Temple of God and of Christ and of his Holy Ghost And then must we not hold them who are Perfect and own Perfection And is not the Command of Christ to us to be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect And was it ever the work of the Prophets and Apostles to preach up Imperfection for Term of Life but always both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles pressed and presseth us to Perfection and what do they press us to that which is Impossible to be attain'd unto What will you say that their Words were of no Value What will you liken Christ and his Apostles words unto For were there any that ever denied the Doctrine of Perfection saving only Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and you who have got the Forme of Godliness but deny the Power thereof which brings out of Imperfection to the perfect Head Christ Jesus who is the way to God And therefore you do not only deny the perfect Power but also are short of having the Form of Godliness And will not Christ present his Church Perfect that is without Spot or Wrinkle unto God the Father who is the pure Head of it And how will you present your Church to God What will you present it to God with a Body of Death and a Body of Sin Do not you deny Circumcision in this namely the Circumcision of the Spirit that is made without Hands by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ And do not you deny Christ's Baptism who came with his Fan in his Hand to purge his Floor thoroughly whom We see is come and doth increase and do see the decrease of John I say He is come with his Fan in his Hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and gather his Wheat into his Garner a safe place And this We witness and so must all People before they go to their Graves For this is the Baptism that the Devil would fain have People to deny and his Ministers and Messengers and then he fils them with Chaff For as the Apostle saith to the Church By one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free He doth not say that by Water we were all baptised into one Body For we see many Bodies baptised with Elementary Water and yet do destroy one another Now mark the Words We are all baptised into one Body that is the Church of the First-born and Christ is the Head of this Body 1 Cor. 12.13 So this is the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark that Through all and in you all Unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ praised be his Name forever Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ yea that Grace which brings Salvation which hath appeared
unto all men without Exception Teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godlily in this present Evil World Tit. 2.11 12. And this Grace seasons our Words and establishes our Hearts So we have a Teacher which brings us Salvation Glory be to God forever and forever And this Teacher is with us where-ever we are to wit the Grace of God by which we are saved and not of our selves And we can say this Grace is Sufficient which brings Salvation though you look not upon it to be Sufficient who keep People alwayes under your Teachings that they may be alwayes Learning of you and alwayes paying of you and yet never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in themselves nor their Talent in themselves to improve For have you not been like the Pharisees who stopt their Ears and closed their Eyes and like Saul who kickt against that that pricks him and then kickt against others and persecuted others And were they not them who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who would not enter themselves nor suffer others to enter See that Blessed Doctrine of Christ in Luk. 17. who said to them The Kingdom of Heaven when they demanded when it should come Christ's Answer to them was comes not with Observation Lo Here Lo there But saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is within you And we have found his blessed Words to be true Blessed be his Name forever who hath stood at our Door and knocks as He doth at yours Yea I say at the Door of our Minds and at the Door of our Hearts and Souls and we have let Him in who now Sups with us and we with Him the Heavenly Supper with the Heavenly Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and our Alone Saviour O! Glory be to Him forever and for evermore Rev. 3. And you say There is no Overcoming of Sin and Death on this side the Grave but must have alwayes a Warfare Ans But did not Paul say that He had fought c. then surely he was not then fighting he was not then warring though 't is true Time was that He had been in the War and led Captive to do those things he would not have done But if there be no Overcoming on this side the Grave then there is no Eating of the hidden Manna on this side the Grave nor no Getting of the White Stone on this side the Grave nor of that New Name written in the Stone which no man knoweth saving He that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 The Reason there rendred because it is a Gift only to Him that Overcometh that is on this side the Grave And Rev. 3.12 13. Him that Overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and He shall go no more out and I will write upon Him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God So that mark this Promise will not be made good unless we Overcome on this side the Grave But it may be you have not the Ears to Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in the 21. Vers To Him that Overcometh will I grant to Sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am Set down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let Him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches But I fear you have none of these Ears open that the Spirit speaks to here namely The Church of the Living God whereof Christ is the Head Again Rev. 3 5. He that Overcometh the same shall be Clothed in White Rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life But I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an Ear let him hear c. But as I said before I question your Ears of hearing what the Spirit saith that there must first be an Overcoming Now this was the Spirit 's speaking to the Church that did Overcome But it may be you will say That the Spirit doth not speak to you in your Church and therefore you may question your Church and your selves too And Rev. 2.26 He that Overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the End to him will I give Power and I will give him the Morning Star He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now we can and do witness that Spiritual Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Glory to God forever and we do heartily desire that you had the same And as for the LIGHT which you call Natural and Created and a Made Light that really and truly is the Light of Christ Jesus the Heavenly and Spiritual Man and it is a Heavenly Light and a Spiritual Light wherewithal He Enlightens every one that comes into the World which he commands us to believe in through which we become Children of Light as was said before For in Him was Life to wit Christ by whom the World was made and this Life that is in Christ is the Light of Men. And so as men are turned to the Light and believe in the Light they are ingrafted into Christ who is the Root or Stock and they the Branches So that this Light is neither Natural nor Created nor Made for it is the Heavenly Light which is the Life in Christ by which we coming into Christ the Light we receive Life And as Peter speaks of the Light which was a more Sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts signifying that this Light was sufficient to bring them unto the Day-dawning and unto the Day-Star arising in their Hearts yea this Light that shines in a dark Place And what dark Place was this and where was it was it not in their Hearts which they did well to take heed unto signifying thereby that they do not well that do not take heed unto it and so they do well that do take heed unto it in the Light they see more Light and it shines more and more to the perfect Day So this Light that comes from Christ Christians waiting in it they receive Christ the Bright Morning-Star which Thousands do witness and have received Him Glory to God for evermore and with their Hearts they do believe and with their Mouthes Confession is made unto Salvation and that their Salvation is their Wall and Bulwork against all Persecutors And so we follow Him to wit Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation and the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World against whom the Dragon Beast and Whore and their Followers are Fighting but the Lamb will have the Victory For He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the First and Last
Ministers of Christ Nam est haec Tunica Filij tui you understand me though certainly Christ never sent them and so consequently will never own them to whom he doth and will say namely to these Priests that say they Prophesied in his Name and in his Name cast out Devils Depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know ye not What saith Paul Gal. 4.28 c But as then he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit what follows even so it is now Christ I say never sent such but Antichrist that is one contrary to and against Christ though they care not to mind or heed it neither will they believe it But such are of those that as Scripture saith Ran before they were sent as in Jer. 23.21 32 c. I have not sent these Prophets saith the Lord yet they Ran mark that I have not spoken to them yet they Prophesied Behold I am against them that Prophesie False Dreams and do tell them and cause my People to Err by their Lyes and by their Lightness yet I sent them not and commanded them therefore they shall not profit this People at all saith the Lord. Mind that well For whom the Lord of Hosts who is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords sends commissionates or imployes as Ambassadors upon his Errand he sends them Dove-like with an Olive Branch of Peace and Love in their Hearts and with Words of Reconciliation in their Mouthes out of his Ark which the Apostle terms The Ministry of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 to wit to Reconcile God and Man Offended God and Rebellious Offending Man to publish the Gospel of Peace and proclaim Glad-tidings of Good Things whose Feet are Beautiful Rom. 10.15 and Good-will towards poor and undone Man Now consider if so how far short do you come who falsly pretend and profess your selves to be the Ministers of Christ in these our dayes of the true Apostles and Ambassadors of the Lord Jesus the only Ruler of Princes and Prince of Peace in that their day Who notwithstanding pretend your selves to be Ministers of Reconciliation and yet are found and experimented to be Ministers of Separation Divisions and Persecutions even to Nasty Prisons Bonds and Blood who instead of putting on the Spiritual Armour to fight the Lord's Battels do Harness your selves and prepare War to fight the Old Dragon's and the Devil 's and Antichrist's Quarrels Who instead of handling the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and Power of God to Salvation use a Sword of Steel so that I may say to you as the Apostle said to him whom he calls an Instructer of Fools and a Teacher of Babes Rom. 2.20 c. Thou that sayst or preachest a man should not Steal dost thou Steal Thou that sayst a man should not commit Adultery c. Mark well that So say I. Thou that sayst a man should not be Drunk art thou Drunk Read Isa 28.7 8. But they also have Erred through Wine and through Strong Drink are out of the Way The Priest and Prophet have Erred through Strong Drink they are swallowed up of Wine they are out of the Way through Strong Drink they Err in Vision they Stumble in Judgment for all Tables are full of Vomit and Filthiness so that there is no place clean Again Thou that sayst a man should not commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery Read Jer. 29.21 23. Which Prophesie a Lye unto you in my Name because they have committed Villany in Israel and have committed Adultery with their Neighbours Wives and have spoken Lying words in my Name c. And mind you not that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Heb. 13.4 And such shall not enter the Holy City New Jerusalem Rev. 21.8 The Lord I say sent his Ambassadors to proclaim Peace whereas you sound forth a Trumpet to Alarum Battels and to Provoke Instigate and Stir up to Wars to Fightings and Imprisonings to Destroy Kill and Murder Nations and Families and Persons in the particular even such whose Desires and utmost Endeavours are to live Peaceably Harmlesly and In-offensively towards God and towards Men as they persecuted Paul And yet I say such is the Cain-like spirit of too too many amongst you who seek the utter Ruin and Destruction and thirst after the Blood which is the Life of the Poor Despised People of God Whereas Christ acertains us whose Steps you should follow to do Well That he came not to Destroy Men's Lives but to save them But you on the contrary walking in Antichrist's Bloody Steps and so contrary to his Noble Precept and Practice are come it seems here to this Island not to save men's Lives but to destroy them not to seek after their Good but their Goods insomuch that the Inhabitants Eyes begin to be open which you had shut so as that they in measure see your Deceits and Juggles whereby now you do clearly manifest whose you are so that he that runs may read who as Scripture of Truth saith Fight with the Fist of Wickedness Whereas an Evangelical Bishop that is a True Minister of Christ should be Blameless Sober and of Good Behavior not given to Wine no Striker nor Greedy of Filthy Lucre nor Covetous Now Mark Are not you on the contrary guilty of all these Things if not of much more But Friends let me tell you in Seriousness That unless you Repent if it be not too late already if Time be not past and your Day over if I say you be not sealed up to Destruction as many of God's People witness their sealing up unto Salvation Repent I say betimes ere the Dismal and Dreadful Decree be gone forth from the Presence of the Lord against you who are found beating your Fellow-Servants or rather the Lord's Servants who are not your Fellows it had been better you never had been born as he said of his Betrayer mind that well and that a Mill-Stone were hanged about your Neck c. you know what follows For alas what will become of you when the Righteous Judge shall come to Judgment who will then after a strict Inspection Reward every man according to his Works O! Whither then will you or can you betake your selves to hide you from the Wrath of the Lamb when he shall say Bring hither those mine Enemies that would not have me to Rule over them and Slay them before me this is the Portion of such You may indeed cry to the Mountains and to the Hills to the Greater and to the Lesser to hide you from Him but alack all in Vain for that will not avail that will not prove a Sufficient Cover no it will be to your great Grief Horror and Amazement found too Short a Covering If you be as you pretend your selves to be the true Orthodox and not Hetrodox that is the True Evangelical Ministers of Christ Where are your Evangelical Fruits Where is your Love your Righteousness your Meekness your