Righteousness and Redemption and Justification by Christ Jesus but also though they might perswade exhort and advise People thereunto as they without Commission from Christ took upon them yet they were unlike to bring any to the enjoyment of those good things which they exhorted and advised to being out of them themselves and being in unrighteousness and disobedience themselves they could not bring others unto those good things which they wanted themselves But the true Christian Ministers who lived in and preached in obedience to the Light and Spirit of Christ and directed and turned peoples Minds to the true Light the Manifestation of the Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences by taking heed thereunto and giving up freely with their Hearts to the obedience of it thereby many came to see not only the Snares and subtil Devices of the Devil but also to know power to avoid them and also to know Redemption Holiness Righteousness Justification and Salvation by Christ whose Light and Spirit in their Hearts they obeyed and lived in and walked in according to the advice and exhortation of the true Ministers of Christ But how could the Antichristian Ministers direct or turn Peoples Minds to the Light which they doing evil hated John 3 2â— For every are that doth evil hateth the Light and bringeth not his deeds to the Light lest thereby they should be reproved And how should such bring any out of Sin and Unrighteousness by their Preaching who hate the Light which leads out of Sin and Unrighteousness them that believe in it and obey it But they that are unfaithful and disobedient to it them it reproveth and condemneth in their Hearts and such hate it and love rather to bear the words of Men though false Teachers than to hear the voice of the Light the word of God's Grace in their Hearts that reproveth them for Sin and is the true Teacher that leadeth to Salvation from Sin and from the Devil the Author of Sin the deceitful Enemy of Mankind So the deceitful Antichristian Ministers hating the Light of Christ were unlike to speak well of it and more unlike to possess others with the love of it or to turn their Minds to it for they loved Darkness rather than the Light and endeavoured to keep their Followers in Darkness lest they should turn from them But the true Christian Ministers they loved the Light believed in it walked in it and in the love and authority of it they preached it and said 1 John 1.5 6 7. That the preaching of the Light was the Message which they had heard of God and declared unto People and they turned the Minds of many to it who in the love of it received it believed in it became Children of it walked in it had Fellowship one with another in it and knew a cleansing from all Sin by the Blood of Jesus Christ the Author of their Faith in it Mark the difference between the true Ministers of Christ and the Antichristian Ministers and all that desire the Salvation of their Souls ought to beware what they hear and whom they follow And the difference between the Ministers of Christ and the Ministers of Antichrist is yet more fully declared of by the Scriptures of Truth for the true Christian Ministers preached that all should believe in the Name of Christ Jesus Rev. 19.13 Heb. 4.12 whose Name is called the Word of God which Word they said was quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Hearts And they preached that this Word ought to be believed in which was nigh even in the mouth Rom. 10.8 1 Pet. 1.23 and in the heart being the word of Faith which they preached By which Word which liveth and abideth for ever the true Christians were Born again and so were the Children of God and Heirs of Eternal Life through Christ Jesus who is called the Word John 1.1 2 4 9.12 13. which was in the beginning with God and was and is God in whom was Life and the Life was the Light of Men that was the true Light which enlighteneth every Man and Woman that cometh into the World And they preached that as many as received him and believed in his Name to them he gave power to become the Sons of God which were Born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh John 12.36 John 1.5 Rev. 21.24 nor of the will of Man but of God and so they were Children of the Light by believing in it and Children of God who is Light in which Light the Nations of them which are saved must walk And the true Christian Ministers preached that this Light 1 Cor. 12.7 Jam. 1.21 or Word or Manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every Man to profit withal was the engraffed Word which is able to save the Soul and they called it the Word of God's Grace which brings Salvation and which is able to build up Isa 20.32 and to give an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified Tit. 2.11.12 and they said that this Grace of God hath appeared to all Men teaching them who obeyed it to live godly righteously and soberly and to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and thus all the true Christians as Christ said were to be taught of God John 6.45 Rom. 5.21 Rom. 8.2 and so Sin should not have dominion over them they being not under the Law but under Grace And they said as Sin had reigned unto Death so Grace might reign through Righteousness to Eternal Life And so the true Christians could say the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made them free from the Law of Sin and Death Jer. 31.32 33 which Law according to the Promise of God in his Covenant of Light and Grace was put into their Minds and written in their Hearts so that they should not need to teach every Man his Neighbour and his Brother saying Know the Lord Heb. 8.10.11 for all should know him from the least even to the greatest And they preached that what was spoken of by the Prophet Joel Joel 2.28 Acts 2.16.17 Rom. 8.14 Rom. 8.9 Cor. 3.16.17 Gal. 5.5 25. was fulfilled which God said That he would pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh and they said As many as are led of the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God And if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.1 he is none of his and so consequently is no true Christian for the Spirit of God dwelleth in true Christians who through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith And as they lived in the Spirit so they exhorted to walk in the Spirit saying There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after
can truly call him according to the Prophecies of Old the Lord our Righteousness Rom. 8.4 9 10 14. and this is to be fulfilled in them who walk not after the Flesh Gal. 5.25 1 John 1.7 but after the Spirit and in the Light and Manifestation thereof And they that truly examine themselves and prove themselves whether they be in the Faith 2 Cor. 13.3 Gal. 2.20 Col. 1 2â— they may know how that Jesus Christ the Lord their Righteousness is in them except they be Reprobates thus the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13. who through weakness in the Faith sought a Proof of Christ speaking in him which speaking of Christ he affirmeth was to themwards not weak but was mighty in them By which it is evident that where the Man of Sin hath prevailed by his deceitful power in and upon any when such come by the Light of Christ the Word of God's Power in themselves to be convinced of their Sins and made willing to resist the wicked One in the Faith of Christ the Power of God yet it seemeth not easie at the first for such to believe in the mighty Speakings of Christ the Power of God in themselves nor to believe in Christ's Ability to save and cleanse them from all Sin and that he is able with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming to consume and destroy the Man of Sin and his Works in them For while People yield their Members Servants to Sin and profess Christianity the Man of Sin in themselves and by his Instruments outwardly is ready to perswade them either that a Priest can forgive them or pronounce Forgiveness to them for their Sins as not only the Popish Priests but others as for instance the Author of the Book called The Practice of Piety teach and that so they may be absolved from their Sins or else he would perswade them as he doth too many That they must have the Righteousness of Christ only imputed to them wholly without them to justifie them though they be not inwardly sanctified by the Word of his Power in their Hearts and though they be continually sinning in Thought Word and Deed against his Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Consciences and that they must believe that they must only be saved by the Meriâ—s of Christ's Death and Sufferings which he suffered for them now above Sixteâ—n Hundred Years since without the Gates of Jerusalem to satisfie the Justice of God for their Sins but they must not expect to be free from Sin but to be continually sinning while they live in this World So the Man of Sin the Devil will suffer his Servants to make as large a shew of Christianity as they can so that they will continue in Sin that is in Service and Slavery to him and his Power but he willeth not to have them believe that they must be saved from their Sins by the precious Blood of Christ which he hath shed for them Rev. 5.9 Tit. 2.12 13 14. Eph. â—2 5 nor that they must be saved from their Sins and redeemed from all Iniquity by the Grace of God in their own Hearts Heb. 2.9 by which all true Christians were and are saved and by which Christ tasted Death for every Man and the Man of Sin would have People to believe Rom. 8.2 Rom. 6.18 22. Heb 8.10 that while they are in this World they cannot be set free from the Law of Sin and Death by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus as true Christians witnessed that they were and that Law was in their Hearts Thus the Prince or Ruler of Darkness keeps many in subjection to his dark Power and Spirit so that they consider not that they who live in Sin Heb. 6.6 and in disobedience to the Light of Christ's Spirit in themselves crucifie Christ afresh and put him to open shame whereas the Apostle said Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Gal. 5.24 they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts And the Apostle John writes He that saith he abideth in Christ as true Christians do ought himself also to walk even as be walked 1 Joh. 2.6 1 John 4.13 And said he Ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sin and in him is no Sin whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him 1 John 3 5 6 7. little Children let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous And the Apostle Paul saith The Church is subject to Christ in every thing but they that live in Sin are not so and that he gave himself for it Eph. 5.24 25 26 27. that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word which is nigh that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish And again he writes The Weapons of our Warsare are not Carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And now let all that profess Christianity examine and prove themselves whether or no they be thus subjected to Christ for though he be the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Heb. 2.9 Job 10.14 15. Nah. 1.3 Rom. 2.6 to 10. Rev. 22.12 John 1.4 and though by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man yet he will not acquit the Wicked but as he is a righteous Judge he will render to every Man according to his Deeds and how shall those escape that neglect his great Salvation and rebel against his Light which is his Life which they crucifie and oppress in themselves by Sin in their Affections and Lusts They are not like to escape the Righteous Judgments of God who disobey the Light of his Spirit in their Hearts and obey the Man of Sin the Devil who tempts them so to do and so they yielding to his Temptations are taken captive by his power which cometh through disobedience to God to be exalted in them above all that is called God or that is worshipped and so he swayes and rules them being his Subjects by his dark power who ought as true Christians are to be subject to the Light of Christ the Word of God's Power in their Hearts And so according to the perswasion of him whose power prevails over them many believe Gen. 17.1 Mat. 5.48 1 Cor. 13.11 1 John 2.3 3 4 5 6. and plead that none though assisted by the Grace and Power of God can keep the Commandments of God nor be freed from Sin
the spirit And John the Apostle of Christ often exhorteth him that hath an Ear to hear what the Spirit saith Rev. 2.7 11 17 29. and 3.6 13 22. And by the preaching of the true Ministers of Christ many came to receive the Teachings of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost which is the same and were led by it Rom. 8.16 Isa 54.13 14. Jer. 31.32.33 John 6.45 Heb. 8.10.11 and so became Children of God And it was truly said among them the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and so they were all taught of God as it was Prophesied of them They were taught of God by his Grace Light Spirit or Word being one and the same though called by several other Names and Appellations besides what is before here written according to the most suitable Expressions whereby to shew the Operations and Effects of it to the Understandings and Capacities of all The Apostle John likewise calleth it the Unction Joh. 2.20.27 or Anointing writing thus Ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things and again the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him This and much more to the same purpose was the Doctrine of the true Christian Ministers as the Scriptures of Truth more at large declare and the true Ministers of Christ preach the same in our Age and Generation And as the true Ministers of Christ in his Authority preached his Divine Word Light Grace and Spirit so by the same they preached up the Liberty of his Gospel and true Christian Dispensation and preached down the use of the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law though formerly commanded of God and given by Moses his Servant which was then to cease being abolished by the Death of Christ they being in their time for Shadows and Types of good things to come by Christ but he the Substance being come having as they truly preached nailed them to his Cross and taken them out of the way they were not then to be used by them who had received the free and glorious liberty of his substantial Everlasting Gospel in the inward Spiritual Dispensation of his Word Light Grace and Spirit in their Hearts and Souls whereby they knew the glorious Liberty of the free-born Children of God they were not then to be subject to Ordinances neither burthened with Traditions nor to observe Days and Times as may at large be read in the holy Scriptures particularly in these places Gal. 4.9 10. Gal. 5.2 to 8. Eph. 2.13 to 17. Col. 2.14 to 23. Rom. 7.6 Heb. 7.11 12. But the deceitful Antichristian Ministers could not bring any into the True Faith which is in the Name Light Grace and Spirit of Christ for they were out of it themselves and were not faithful but disobedient to the Light and hated it and would not bring their own Deeds thereto lest they should be reproved thereby For though they might talk and preach of the Name Word Grace Light or Spirit of Christ and speak there of great swelling words to allure and draw others after them yet all that was but in disobedience to Christ and in deceit and therefore they could not by such Preaching bring any into the true Faith of Christ who is the Truth nor bring any to believe in his Light and Grace which they hated and did despite unto And the true Ministers preached that true Christians had put off the old Man with his deeds Col. 3.9 10 11 and had put on the new Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor free but Christ is all and in all and they preached up a Spiritual Circumcision saying That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2.28 29. neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God And again saying to some Ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ being buried with him in Baptism Col. 2.11 12. to â—â—c end wherein you are also risen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God And it is plain that the Apostle here meant no outward Ordinance of Circumcision nor of Baptism for he writes after in the same Chapter thus If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances or burdened with Traditions as some Translate it touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men Which things have indeed a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and Humility and neglecting of the Body not in any Honour to the satisfying of the Flesh concerning which things he warned them lest any Man should beguile them or spoil them through Philosophy or vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ Read the Second Chapter to the Colossians And the same Apostle said Phil. 3.3 We are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh which sheweth plainly that they were Jews inwardly and of the inward Circumcision as all true Christians are And this agreeth with the Doctrine of Christ himself who said to the Samaritan Ye Worship ye know not what we know what we Worship for Salvation is of the Jews John 4.22 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seekethsâ—â—â—h to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth So the Worship of the true Christians was in Spirit and in the Truth and in the obedience of the Spirit of Truth and not in outward Ordinances Observations of Times Will-worship nor in Acts of voluntary Humility and accordingly in the demonstration of the Spirit the true Christian Ministers preached and not in the words that Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the same Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost teacheth which preaching is foolishness to the natural Man 1 Cor. 2.13 14. for he receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that yields obedience to the Light or Manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every Man to profit withal he cometh to discern his own Estate and
if not for Deliverance for he saith presently after The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death So it is plain that he was delivered and set free from the Law of Sin and Death unto which he had been in Captivity while he was carnal sold under Sin and therefore the aforesaid Words of Paul with which some plead against the possibility of freedom from Sin cannot properly be rendred to describe his present condition at the writing thereof And it may at large be read in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul as also of the other Apostles that Freedom from sin Eph. 2.4 to 11. Rom. 6.22 1 Cor. 15.56 57. and the servitude thereof may be and was attained by true Christians while in this World And those that from the aforesaid Words of Paul do plead for continuance in sin during Life 1 Cor. 15.32 33 34. Isa 22.12 13 14. Isa 56.10 11 12. Wisd 2.5 6 7. they may as sensibly plead that he in a commanding manner spake to the Corinthians saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye which in Scripture is recommended as a Motto of Epicures and Libertines though he writes next after saying Be not deceived Evil Communications corrupt good Manners awake to Righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame But the Apostle Peter as it were to put the matter concerning the understanding of Paul's Words out of all question 2 Pet. 3.14 15 16. writes thus Be diligent that ye may be found of him without Spot and Blameless and account that the Long suffering of our Lord is Salvation even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction By which Words it is plain that some things written by Paul and here spoken of by Peter were things concerning Spotlesness and Blamelesness which things are not consistent with Sin and concerning which things Paul wrote in all his Epistles And it was such who obeyed not the Light and Grace of Christ which is the Word of Faith Tit. 2.11 12. Rom. 10.8 2 Cor. 10.4 5. 1 John 2.13 14. 1 John 5.4 nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart which the Apostles preached who were not diligent to be found spotless and blameless and it was such as those that wrested Paul's Words to their own destruction for such being in Sin and out of the living Faith whereby true Christians overcome they feeling themselves under the power of the Man of Sin in themselves he easily perswades them that there is no overcoming sin or attaining freedom from sin or spotlesness and blamelesness on this side the Grave and there he would have all Mankind And so such Rom. 6.18 22. quite contrary to the Doctrine of Paul and of the other Apostles wrest the Words of Paul to their own destruction Rom. 8.2 〈◊〉 Cor. 15.57 1 Tim. 6.12 14. 2 Tim. 4.7 Heb. 11.6 and plead for Sin with the Words that he wrote concerning his Warfare in the Faith against Sin though presently after he declares himself to be in another condition but they being out of that Faith without which it is impossible to please God they do not undertake the Warfare aright and therefore are not like to witness the Victory as Paul did And now let all those that plead for Sin for term of Life beware lest they be of those Unlearned and Unstable who wrest the Words of Paul to their own Destruction for though they may have learned many Languages and all the Learning that can be gotten for Money at Schools and Colleges yet if they be not learned in the Mystery of the Faith of Christ which is in his Light and Word of Faith nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart they will be found to be of the unlearned that the Apostle Peter here speaketh of Acts 1.13 for concerning humane Learring Peter himself was called unlearned and ignorant And let all consider whether are most likely to wrest the Apostles to their own destruction they who are truly diligent to be found spotless and blameless who take his Words as well as the words of the other Apostles against Sin in so strict a sence that according thereunto and for f ar of offending God they dare not allow themselves in any Sin lest it be to their destruction Job 28.28 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.2 to 7. Prov. 9.10 Prov. 8.13 Prov. 14 26 27. Prov. 13.14 Prov. 16.6 or those that take liberty in Sin and chuse not the Fear of the Lord which is Wisdom whereby they might better understand the Words of the Wise and their dark Sayings which Fear is not only to hate Evil but to depart from Evil and from Sin the snare of Death and so they make use of the Apostle's Words to plead for the continuance of Sin reckoning that the Apostle when he wrote Letters on Truth 's account and reproved Sin with severity in others was himself continually sinning And so such who reject the Fear of God and his Counsel in their Hearts they are perswaded by the spirit of the Man of Sin in themselves that though they may strive and talk against sin yet while they are in this World they must continue in sin yea even in their best Performances and then what are their worst And so they do not believe that while they live God Feb. 12.29 who is a consuming Fire is able in them with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming to consume the Man of Sin or the Body of Sin and Death whose coming is after the working of Satan Mat. 3.11 12. Luke 3.16 17. with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders and so for all their using signs of Baptism that is a sign that they are not baptized througly with the Baptism of Christ who baptizeth with the Holy Spirit and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire Mark his Floor which is the Heart of Man he will throughly purge gather his Wheat and burn up the Chaff that which proceeds from the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience And what Mat. 15.18 19 20. must Sin remain in the Heart when it is throughly purged or if Sin be not in the Heart where is 〈◊〉 And let all consider that to whom they yield themselves servants to obey Rom 6.16 17. his servants they are to whom they obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness as
Church the Whore that is adulterated from God And if any that readeth this by the Light of Christ in their Consciences see their sinful Condition and that they are in any part of Babylon or its Suburbs let them hearken to the Voice of his Light and Grace in their Hearts and Consciences which saith Come out of Babylon my People that ye be not Partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of their Plagues and as they truly and inwardly are retired to the Light they will see the Wounds and Bruises and Sores which Sin hath made in their Souls and they dare not let them be slightly healed by the Fair Speeches and Perswasions of Men neither can all that Babylon's Merchants say satisfie that any such Salve as they have to sell can make their Souls sound But as they freely give up with all their Hearts to seek him who is the desire of all Nations and the Beloved of the Souls of the Righteous who Cureth all manner of Diseases he will give Eye-salve that they may more and more see and he will wash and bind up their Wounds and pour in Oyl as he seeth meet in his own time And as the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt by his Servant Moses so will he lead them out of Spiritual Babylon by the Hand and Power of his Son Ghrist Jesus the Spiritual Prophet whom Moses Prophesied of Acts 3.22 that God would raise up in the midst of his People like unto me said he him shall ye hear in all things and every Soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed and so as the Israelites were led through the Red Sea which the Lord divided for them to pass thorow Exod. 14. so the Lord will make way through Difficulties and Exercises for all them to pass thorow who are freely willing to be led by the Light and hearken to the Voice of Christ in their Hearts and as the Enemies of the Israelites pursued them even into the divided Sea and made them afraid even so their spiritual Enemies may pursue them in their Exercises but as they abide still and quiet in their Minds and trust in the Lord they shall see the salvation of God and their Enemies that they then see they shall never see them again for as the Egyptians were overthrown in their pursuit of Israel in the Red Sea so the Lord will overwhelm and destroy the spiritual Enemies of such as truly Follow and Believe in him And so as the Israelites were Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud 1 Cor. 10.2 and in the Sea so they must be Baptized into Christ Jesus in bitter Tryals and Exercises and as Moses and the Children of Israel Exod. 15. â— sung of the salvation of God when they had passed thorow the Sea and saw their Enemies destroyed even so they will have great cause to rejoice whose spiritual Enemies God hath destroyed and they may sing of God's salvation And as Israel was led through the Wilderness Hos 2.14 so will the Lord allure his People as into the Wilderness spiritually and there he will speak to their Hearts and as they are faithful and obedient to follow him in the Wilderness without murmuring they will come to know a passing thorow the spiritual Jordan Jesh 3.17 or River of Judgment as on dry Ground into the Promised Land And so they may know an entring into the Rest of God Heb. 4.9 or the true spiritual keeping of the Christian Sabbath which remaineth to the People of God Isa 58.13 Joh. 6.28 29. Phil. 2.13 in which they â—â—e not to do their own Ways nor find theâ—â—â—â—wn pleasure nor speak their own words and so they may know a working of the Works of God and know God to work in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and know a ceasing from their own Works as God did from his And such as these it is who know aright the true inward and spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Holy Spirit and Fire who know him to be unto them inwardly like a Refiners Fire and as Fullers Soap Mal. 3.2 Zech. 13.9 Mal. 3.17 18. who refineth them as Silver is refined and tryeth them as Gold is tryed and the Lord maketh them his Jewels and these can discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not And these are such as were sometimes Darkness whilst the Power of Darkness prevailed in them over them but now they are light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 9 10.11 John 12.36 1 Thes 5.5 and they walk as Children of the light and have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them these according to Christ's Command having believed in the light are become Children of the light and they walking in the light 1 John 1. as God is in the light have Unity and Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin And so in the light Knowledge is given to them of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Col. 2.2 Mat. 13.28 they being also Children of it and though they know nothing of divers Languages yet in and by the Light and Spirit of Christ they can try the Spirits whether they are of God and hereby know they the Spirit of God 1 John 4.1 2 3. and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist Mat. 4.25 1 John 4.1 2 3. Now mark All Antichrists as Men say that Christ is Christ as Christ foretold that they should but their Spirits deny him to be come in the Flesh to wit denying the end of his coming in the Flesh And so they who being under the Dominion of the Man of Sin teach that there is no freedom from sin at tainable on this side the Grave they say that Christ is Christ and in words own that he came in the Flesh as the Holy Scriptures declare But doth not their Spirit deny the very end of his coming in the Flesh Dan. 9.24 which is to finish Transgression and to make an end of sins and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness and to sanctifie and cleanse true Believers who are his Church Eph. 5.26 27. that he may present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing And likewise many of them that Fight and Kill one another and the Servants of Christ also about Religion such say that Christ is Christ and in words own his coming in the Flesh but doth not their Spirit deny the very end of his coming which was not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them Luke 9.56 And he said My Kingdom is not of this World else would my Servants Fight and said All that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword
Mat. 26.52 And so it was Prophesied concerning true Christians that they should say to one another Come ye Isa 2.4 5. and let us walk in the light of the Lord and that they should beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and should not learn War any more and he that killeth with the Sword shall be killed with the Sword Here is the Patience Rev. 13.10 and the Faith of the Saints And likewise all Persecutors about Religion who profess Christ to be Christ and say he is come in the Flesh doth not their Spirit deny the end of his coming in denying his Doctrine who said Mat. 5.39 44. Love your Enemies do good to them that hare you and pray for them that despitefully use you and and persecute you and said Resist not evil 1 Thes 4.9 Isa 54.13 John 6.45 Mat. 5.12 but whosoever smiteth thee on the Right Cheek turn unto him the other also And true Christians are all taught of God to love one another and their Enemies also and great shall be their Peace and they can rejoice and be glad when they are persecuted for Righteousness sake And likewise Professors of Christianity who Challenge to take Tythes which were given too the Children of Levâ— who had no other Inheritance for their service of the Tabernacle and for Offerings under the Law c. they say That Christ is Christ and that he came in the Flesh and suffered under Pontius Pilate and by the perswasion of the Chief Priests was Crucified and that he rose from the Dead Mat. 5.17 Eph. 2.15 Heb. 7.11 to 28. and Ascended into Heaven c. as the holy Scriptures declare but for all this Confession in words doth not their Spirit deny the very end or his coming in the Flesh which was to fulfil that Law that gave Tythes and abolish it and disanul it Yea moreover doth not their Spirit perswade That People ought to pay Tythes as under the Law which made none Christians which Law could not be abolished till Christ was Crucified And then doth it not follow certainly that it perswadeth as the Jewish Chief Priests did that Christ may be Crucified again Mat. 27.20 and so both in Takers and Payers of Tythes denieth Christ Crucified And it is observable that one William Thorp whom those Reformed from Popery own to be a Martyr being brought before Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury and then Chancellor of England in the Year 1407. and examined giving a clear Testimony according to the Holy Scriptures against Tythes as being no Gospel Maintenance amongst other notable Answers said That those Priests that Challenge to take Tythes deny Christ come in the Flesh to which the Bishop replied saying Heard ye ever Lossel speak thus and this William Thorp is one whom the Tythe-takers now own for a Martyr except they have lately rejected the Books of Martyrs because they bear Witness against many of their Popish Practices read the large Testimony of William Thorp against Tythes and Swearing is the Book called Acts and Monuments in pages 536 537 And likewise they that Preach up Infants Baptism as they call it but can find no Divine Warrant not President for it and they whouse many Cer moâ—ieâ— Ordinances and Traditions besides that about Infants most of which they reckon if not all as outward visible signs of inward spiritual Graces being used after the Commandments Doctrines and Traditions of Men such say that Christ is Christ and that he was Crucified on a Cross as the Scriptures declared But doth not their Spirit deny Christ come in the Flesh Eph. 2.15.16 Col. 2.14 whose coming in the Flesh was to abolish the Law and the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances which was against true Christians and contrary to them and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Cal. 4.9 And if these things which the Apostle of Christ called weak and beggarly Elements were contrary to true Christians formerly how come they to be for them now But true Christians are Baptized into the Death of Christ Rom. 6.3 4. by his spiritual Baptism and they are also Buried with him by Baptism which Death with Christ and Burial with Christ Col. 2.6 to 23. Infant-sprinklers know little of and they are also dead with Christ from the Rudiments or Ordinances of the World if they be true Christians and are not to be subject to Ordinances nor to touch taste nor handle them which are after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men and are all to perish with the using though they have as the Apostle said a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and Humility and neglecting of the Body not in any honour to the satisfying of the Flesh Or as some more sensibly Translate the last Sentence thus * See Margined Bibles But they are of no Value save for the filling or satisfying of the Flesh And so their signs have a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and voluntary Humility and they have a shew of neglecting the Body and so hath their Fasting to be seen of Men Mat. 6.1 to 19. and their Prayers and their Alms to be seen of Men which Christ taught to beware of And Christ said to such as pleaded for the Traditions of the Elders about washing of Hands and Pots and Cups and Brazen Vessels Mark 7.9 to 10. and of Tables Well said he hath Esaias Prophesied of you Hypocrites as it is written This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me howbeit in vain do they Worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men and said he Ye reject the Commandment of God that ye may keep your own Tradition or Mat. 15.6 thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition And so where the Power of the Man of Sin prevaileth inwardly there he keepeth People by his Instruments in a Belief or Perswasion that outward Shews Signs Ordinances and Ceremonies are of necessity to be used and practised by Christians and that it is impossible to keep any Order or quiet Discipline in the Church without Ceremonies and some plead the Authority of Christ for them and of his Apostles who Preached and Taught the contrary And so their pleading is without ground or warrant from Christ or his Apostles for their Signs and Ceremonies and Traditions by which they make the Commandment of Christ of none effect And the Commandment of Christ is to believe in the Light that they may be Children of it And the Children of the Light see and know the emptiness and insufficiency of all the Shews Signs Shadows and Ceremonies of the Man of Sin which were invented by his dark Power in the Night of Apostacy from the Spirit of Christ and used after the Doctrines and Traditions of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after the Doctrine of
Christ nor his Apostles But if they that Teach such things as these for Doctrines to get Money by had not a shew of Christianity and a shew of believing in Christ and in the Scriptures of Truth they walking contrary could not prevail upon many who Believe the Truth of the Holy Scriptures and the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles Recorded therein to embrace their Doctrines and receive them for Teachers nor to pay for their Teachings who through Covetousness with feigned words 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Pet. 2.2.3 make Merchandise of such as follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the Way of Truth which the Scriptures declare of even the Light the sure Word of Prophecy in the Heart is evil spoken of For if the False Church called Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth had not been Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet Colour and decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls then probably the Kings of the Earth would not have been so apt to commit Fornication with her Rev. 17.1 2 to 6. And so if those that Preach up this or that Ordinance or Tradition to get Money withal contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles did not deck themselves and their Doctrines with the precious words of Christ and his Apostles making them to serve to their Purposes as far as they can with all the feigned words and fair speeches that they can study out or invent their Trade would soon fail and their Merchandize be rejected as it is by the Children of the Light who plainly see their deceit let their shews be as fair as they can Now if it be any thing whereby God is really honoured or the Name of Christ exalted or People bettered or edified in Christ the Truth there is no reason why any such thing should be wanting amongst Christians but such Ceremonies Types Signs and Shadows which the Holy Scriptures declare of which were in their Time and Season appointed of God to be as Figures Types or Shadows to them who were as under the Cloud to typifie or shew forth Christ to come and to be as Shadows of good things to come Col. 2. â—â— and to be as Explanations of the Great Mystery of Godliness which by the prevailing Power of Darkness was hid from Ages and Generations which is made manifest to his Saints who have believed in Col. 1.26 27. and walk in his Light which is Christ in them the hope of Glory So now Christ the Antitype the End of all Figures Types and Shadows being come and also inwardly revealed and made manifest why then should not all those outward Ceremonies Types Figures Signs and Shadows cease seeing there is no Warrant nor Command of God nor Christ nor of his Holy Apostles left upon Record in the Scriptures of Truth for the continuance of them For that which was a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts Heb. 7.18 19 Heb. 9.9 10. Eph. 2.15.16 and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which stood only in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings imposed on them to wit the Jews until the time of Reformation that Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances was disanulled or made void for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof by Christ who came to fulfil abolish disanul and make void the same And the Apostle saith If that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second for finding fault with them the Lord said Behold the Days come Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. Heb. 8.7 8 9 10 11. when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the Day that I took them by the Hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord But this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those Days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts 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 know me from the least to the greatest and I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So here is a clear Testimony to God's Law in the Mind and in the Heart Prov. 6.23 which is the Light that reproveth for sin and the Reproof of its Instruction is the Way of Life and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus setteth them who walk in the Light the Way of Life free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 But it doth not so set them free from the Law of sin and death who love not the inward Law and Light of Life but are in Bondage to outward Ordinances John 8.12 Joh. 12.35 36. Gal. 4.9 and weak and beggarly Elements which the Apostles of Christ reproved And said the Apostle Paul in that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first old now said he that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to Vanish away and so he testified in his Day that the outward Covenant or Law of Ceremonies or of Commandments contained in Ordinances was old and ready to vanish away and it was his Exercise and Travail to bring those that in any measure believed in Christ out of those Ceremonies Ordinances and weak and beggarly Elements into the Obedience of the Inward Law of God put into their Mind and written in their Hearts that therein they might walk as Children of the Light which now the Preachers up of Ordinances and Elements hate and speak evil of and cannot endure to hear of Read the Epistles of Paul to the Hebrews Galatians Colossiani and Ephesians And so there is a great difference between the Ministers of Christ whose Labour and Travail was and is to turn People from Darkness to Light that they may believe in it become Children of it and walk in it and come out of the use of outward Ordinances and Elements into the true Worship of God in his Spirit and Light And the Ministers of the Man of Sin whose labour is to keep People from believing in the Light and in the sufficiency of it and so to keep them in Darkness where sin and the Works of darkness are done which are inwardly reproved by the Light and so to keep People in the use of such outward Signs Ceremonies Ordinances and Elements in their Vain and Ignorant Worship which are Taught variously according to the Traditions and Doctrines of Men and that for their Gain of Tythes Money and outward Preferment far different from the expectation of the
for they abide not in Christ the true Vine but are cast forth as Branches and withered and it will not profit them at all to have a Name to live and be dead And this eating of spiritual Meat 1 Con. 0.1 2 3 4. and drinking of spiritual Drink was witnessed by the Fathers in Israel who were all under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea for said the Apostle they all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ and these were directed by Moses to the word very nigh in the Mouth Dent. 30.11 12 13 14. and in the Heart and he told them of the Prophet that God would raise up unto them in the midst of them that was to be heard in all things which the Martyr Steven said was Christ who was with the Church in the Wilderness whom said he our Fathers would not obey Acts 7 37 to 51. but thrust him from them and in their Hearts turned back again into Egypt And he said to the Jews The stiff necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Forefathers did so do ye And so they that believe in and faithfully obey the Light of Christ which is the Manifestation of his Holy Spirit and the Word of his Grace in their Hearts which is nigh to reprove for sin they become Children of the Light and with his inward Baptism by his own Spirit they are all Baptized into one Body whereof Christ is the Head and so they are Members of Christ whether they be Jews or Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.11 12 to 21. whether they be Bond or Free being all made to drink into his one Spirit for as the Apostle Paul saith The Body is not one Member but many for as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many Eph. 4.5 are one Body so also is Christ And saith he If they were all one Member where were the Body but now are they many Members yet but one Body And these all eat the same spiritual Meat and drink the same spiritual Drink even of the spiritual Rock Christ Jesus of which the Fathers who were under the Cloud of old drank and of which all the Servants Children and People of God and Disciples and Members of Christ in all Ages have drunk Even as all the Members of the Body receive Nourishment from or of the Body and as all the Branches or Members of the Vine receive Nourishment of the Vine in which they dwell But they that believe not in but Rebel against the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts they resist his Holy Spirit and will not by it be Baptized into his one Body and so they are not Members of Christ nor Branches of him the true Vine nor they do not receive Nourishment from him as his Members and Branches do neither do they know an eating of his Flesh or drinking of his Blood to have Eternal Life thereby though they may talk much of it for the power of Death and Darkness even the Man of Sin prevaileth over such and they are subject to his unclean dark unholy Spirit and so are Servants to him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders And so he prevailing upon them to yield to his Temptations and to obey his Power and so to disobey the Light of Christ in their Hearts which reproveth them for sin so that they can have no true spiritual satisfaction then he perswadeth them to endeavour for satisfaction in the use of outward Signs as well of Baptism before treated of as also of eating and drinking the Lord's Supper to wit cating his Flesh and drinking his Blood and so they use Bread and Wine as signs thereof but it is but after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men some after one manner and others after another manner for the Spirit of the Man of Sin doth not Baptize its Followers all into one Body as the Spirit of Christ doth his Followers to whom he giveth one Heart Jer. 31.39 and one Way but it makes them of many different Hearts and Ways and filleth all its Followers with Confusion and Disorder inwardly and outwardly For some believe that the visible Bread and Wine at or by the words of their Priest are Converted or Transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood of Christ and so they think they eat the Body of Christ with their outward Mouths though under the form of outward Bread and that they drink his Blood under the form of outward Wine See Councel of Trent Sess 13. C. 1. Others hold that the Body of Christ is in or with or about the Bread and Wine others only use it in remembrance of Christ's Death c. affirming That the Body of Christ is not there Corporally or Substantially but yet that it is Really and Sacramentally received by the Faithful in the use of outward Bread and Wine In Contention about these Opinions especially about that first mentioned much Innocent Blood hath been shed which is a plain Argument and Evidence that such Blood-shedders are not such as feed spiritually upon the Flesh and Blood of Christ Jesus Mat. 26 5â— whose coming is not to destory Mens Lives but to save them But it is also very plain that such who kill and destroy one another or the Servants of Christ about their Religions and Opinions John 16.2 are such as Rebel against the Light or Manifestation of Christ's Spirit in their Hearts being gradually drawn to that high degree of Rebellion Luke 23.34 by their being prevailed upon by the deceitful Power of the Man of Sin even the Power of Death and Darkness in themselves which maketh them so dark and sensless in spiritual things Acts 3.17 that they know not what they do no more than the Jews did when they Crucified Christ who came to save them but they think they do God good service 1 Cor. 2.7.8 9 10. as Christ foretold of them when they kill his Servants and Children in whom in and by his own meek innocent Spirit he appeareth testifying against all ungodliness and wickedness And so they become as Mystery Babylon their Mother drunken with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus whose Plagues shall come in one Day Death and Mourning and Famine instead of eating as they say the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ Jesus and having Eternal Life thereby And as concerning the said Opinions themselves it is needless to make particular Refutations of them if any think themselves to be clear from shedding Innocent Blood concerning their manner of Doctrine and using of their Bread and Wine and that they have killed none about that matter particularly though they have warred with and probably killed some
Prophets Mat. 23.29.30 but Christ pronounced Wo unto them as being guilty of the Blood of the Prophets And if the Command of Christ be taken in the strictest sense John 13.1 to 16. concerning the Bread and Cup yet in perusal of the Writings of the Beloved Disciple of Christ John the Evangelist we find that Christ washing his Disciples Feet enjoined them as strictly to that Ceremony which he performed with more observable Circumstances than that of the Bread and Cup for we read that he rose from Supper laid aside his Garments poured out Water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded and coming to Simon Peter Peter said Lord dost thou wash my Feet Jesus answered What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter and when Peter denied to let him wash them Jesus answered If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me Then after he had washed their Feet and taken his Garments and was set down again with more words he said unto them If I your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye ought also to wash one anothers Feet for I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you And so may not all that are willing see that this Ceremony last rehearsed either in respect of the time when it was appointed or the Circumstances or the Command enjoining the use of it hath as much or more in it to prove it instituted by Christ to be a perpetual standing Ordinance in his Church as either of the other two Ceremonies to wit of Baptism and of Bread and Wine And yet by those Reformed from the extream grosness of Popery this Ceremony of washing Feet is not at all used in their Assemblies though their Christianity seemeth mostly to depend upon the use of the other two Ceremonies to wit of their Baptism and of Bread and Wine amongst the generality of them that use them So they that use plead for and call Sacraments the Signs or Ceremonies of Baptism and Bread and Wine as by the Command or Institution of Christ or of his Apostles they may with as much or more reason use and plead for the Ceremonies of washing one anothers Feet and of Anointing the Sick with Oyl Jam. 5.14 and call them Sacraments also as the Papists who have more of them do for either of the last mentioned seemeth to be full as positively commanded as being of as much necessity as the other according to the Scriptures of Truth And they that use them in-imitation of the Apostles of Christ they may as well use Circumcision or the outward purifying according to the Jewish Law and abstain from Blood and things strangled and use laying on of Hands but then they should cause others to receive the Holy Spirit by their laying on of Hands as the Apostles did which thing some practice but not with the like effect nor is it so like to be whilst they themselves who lay on Hands do not so much as pretend to be guided by the Holy Spirit of God but mock at the movings of it which sheweth them to have much of the Spirit of the Man of Sin as also they have many of his Signs And as concerning the Primitive Christians using the Ceremony of Bread and Wine so they also used several others for having been accustomed to many Ceremonies and Observations they would not easily be weaned from them all at once and therefore might use some suitable Types which the Apostle for a Season suffered in condescention to their weakness thereby instructing them cocerning the Mystery of Christ and labouring to bring them on by degrees from their Carnal Conceptions and Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.14 to 17. to know him in the Spirit revealed in them unto them Baptizing them by his Spirit into his one Body of which every Member receiveth daily suitable Nourishment from Christ the Head from whom all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God And so when the Apostle of Christ had brought the Colossians to this estate and to know Christ in them the hope of Glory then he labours to bring them quite out of the use of Ordinances and Ceremonies as may be read at large in the first and second Chapters of his Epistle to them and saith he Why are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not and saith he to them also Let no Man judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Days which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ or in Christ And also when the Galatians came to be Children of God and that God had sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts Gal. 3.26 Gal. 4.6 9. Gal. 5.1 Paul saith to them Now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly Elements whereunto ye desire again to be in Bondage And saith he to them Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the Yoak of Bondage And also the Ephesians Eph. 2.13 14 15. who were sometimes far off and were as Darkness when they were made nigh by the Blood of Christ and Children of the Light and saved by Grace to whom was one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all above all through all and in them all Paul saith Eph. 4.5.6 Christ had broken down the middle Wall of Partition Eph. 5.5 having abolished in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances So the use of outward Baptism and eating and drinking in the Assemblies of those who had but newly received the Faith of Christ having their Minds lately turned from Darkness to Light it was to instruct them in condescention to their weakness in the Mystery of Christ the Substance the Spiritual Purifier and the Spiritual Rock and heavenly Bread of Life which they were to come to know an inward and spiritual partaking of and feeding upon and when they came to this state then they were tostand in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free and not to be any longer in Bondage to outward Elements Ceremonies Ordinances or Traditions as is very plain by the Apostles Doctrine for when he wrote against outward Ordinances Elements and Traditions he no where maketh any Exception at all For the Apostle Paul testified That the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink Rom. 14. but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit and that none ought to judge one another concerning Meats or Drink or observation of Days saying Every one of us shall give account of himself to God shewing to the Romans that there is
〈…〉 By the FINGER of Gods Power AND His Visage Discovered by the Light of CHRIST JESUS and his Ministers Members Workes 〈◊〉 Lying Wonders Manifested by the Spirit of God a Manifestation whereof is given to every Man and Woman to profit withal With Friendly and Serious Invitations Exhortations and Warnings to all Professors of Christianity to beware that Antichristian Spirit that leadeth to Destruction and those Teachers who are Influenced by it Written in the Love of God by a Prisoner at Lancaster Castle for the Testimony of Truth and one of the People called in Scorn Quakers HENRY MOLLINEVX And Jesus answered and said unto them Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and because Iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold Mat. 24.4 5 10 11. As ye have beard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists 1 John 2.18 LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sâ—â—â—â— near the Meeting-house in White-Hart-Court in 〈◊〉 street 1695. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Friendly Reader IT hath been a weighty Concern upon me for several Years to give forth in Writing a Testimony against the Spirit of Antichrist as I have through the Love and Mercy of God been made sensible thereof by the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ Jesus the Son of the Living God and so having cleared and eased my Mind and Conscience of what hath lain upon me I commit to thee the following Treatise desiring that the fear and dread of the Lord God may constantly have a place in thy Heart in the Reading of it as it had in mine in the Writing of it and that will preserve thee Meek and Low in Heart in an aptness to Learn of Christ the Son of God's Love that many Professors of Christianity are but ignorantly talking of and so thou wilt not be apt to take offence nor stumble at the Truth as thou art made sensible of it in thy Heart but wilt be willing for thine own Eternal Good truly to examine thy self before the Lord in Secret how thou standest in thy Spiritual State and Condition before his All-seeing Eye for there was never more need for People to be truly concerned for the Salvation of their Precious Souls than there is now but they who walk not in the fear of the Lord slight it And if thou Reason saying Ah! But I am Unlearned and how should I understand or know the Truth For there are many great Scholars and Men Learned in Latin Greek and Hebrew and yet one sort of them preacheth one Doctrine and others other Doctrines and therefore how should I know which is the Truth I answer that thou mayest be as capable to know the Truth as if thou understood Latin and Greek and Hebrew for the Manifestation of the Spirit of Truth in thy own Heart that reproveth for Sin is sufficient to teach thee to know the Truth if thou believest in it and be truly willing to obey it and in disobedience to it none can know the Truth to their Comfort though they may perfectly understand Latin Greek and Hebrew the understanding whereof in its place may be good and serviceable Yet thou knowest not how soon thou must give an Account to the God of Truth how thou hast profited with the Manifestation of his Spirit of Truth which is given to thee to profit withal As for the Times and Manner of the Inventions setting up and establishing of the Popish Mass Ceremonies Tythes and other Trumpery I refer thee to a Book put forth by Francis Howgill in Two Parts the first Intituled The Glory of the True Church discovered and the latter Part The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome 's imagined Rock And also to a little Book called Popery Arraigned set forth by G. F. and E. H. it not being my present Concern so much to shew the Times and Persons and Manner how by whom and when the Popish Inventions came up in the Apostacy that being upon Record and sufficiently done before as to shew how much they are contrary to the Scriptures of Truth and to the Spirit of Truth by which those Scriptures were given forth and how many professing Christianity and Reformation from Popery are yet found in them and in an Antichristian Spirit and how they may know the evil thereof and come out of them that they may enjoy the pure Life of Christianity which is more than Profession thereof Herein several Popish Inventions and Practices are very little or none Treated of yet comprehended being contrary to the Scriptures of Truth and the Witness of God in every Heart in them who truly take heed to it will Testifie against them such as their Worshipping of Images and Pictures and Relicks and Bones of the Dead and praying to the Dead and for the Dead and counting their Prayers by Beads as if they thought like the Heathens of which Chirst spake that they should be heard for their much speaking or babling with their Mattens and Letanies and their Idle Complements and giving of Flattering Titles c. and also their being divided into many distinct and different Orders and Sorts of Monks Friars and Jesuits and yet they plead or cry up Unity and also their Orders for Barbarian Praying wilfully in an Unknown Tongue and their not permitting to the People the Scriptures of Truth in their own Language which were publick amongst the Primitive Christians who searched them daily and found great Comfort by them and the Apostles and Holy Men of God wrote in a Known Tongue or Mother Tongue to whom they wrote that all might understand them and be edified by them in the Spirit of Christ by which only the Scriptures of Truth may be truly understood And so I commit thee to the Word of God's Grace which is the Light or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in thine own Heart by which only thou mayest be made sensible to understand aright the Things that Concern thy Everlasting Peace and Happiness who am a Well-wisher to all Mankind H. M. THE CONTENTS COncerning the Prevailings of Antichrist and his being manifested in the Primitive Times of Christianity and the Prophesies of him from Page 1 to 32. Concerning the Power of Antichrist and also concerning Freedom from Sin and concerning the Popes and Babylon from Page 32 to 105. Concerning Baptism and the Lord's Supper and also concerning the Signs of Antichrist and Fighting and Persecution and Tythes and the Spirit that denieth Christ come in the Flesh from Page 105 to 233. Concerning Reformation from Popery and Constancy and Inconstancy to Professions from Page 233 to 251. Concerning the Wonders of Antichrist and concerning them that say lo here and lo there from Page 251 to 258. Concerning the Rock on which the Church of Christ is Built and the Popes pretended Headship and Infallibility and Popish Persecutions from Page 258 to 270. Concerning the Popes pretended Stewardship from Page
270 to the end Antichrist Unvailed c. THE large Love of God in his Son Christ Jesus being freely tendered unto all Mankind it hath been and is the endeavour of the Devil the great Enemy of Man's Happiness by his Subtilty and Devilish Wisdom and oft by insinuating into them hopes of better Attainments to draw out the Minds of Mankind from the pure Obedience to what God hath made known in them and unto them of his Will and Mind and their Duty towards him and so by affecting their Minds with outward things to bring them into disobedience to the Will of God thereby to make them unworthy of the Goodness of God to their Souls and of his Bounteous Love in which he gives to every Man and Woman a measure of his Divine Light in their Hearts and Souls which is the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 12 7â— which is given to every man to profit withal which Christ said should comfort and lead them that follow it into all truth or into truth in every thing but should reprove the World of sin and of righteousness and of judgment John 16.8 13. Now the God of Mercy in the tender Bowels of his Love having for the Redemption of fallen Mankind sent his Son into the World in the Body that was prepared him who came a Light into the World which is the true Light that enlightens every Man and Woman that cometh into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish John 1.9 but have everlasting life Joh. 3.15 16 Man's grand Enemy at that time endeavoured as much as in him lay to keep Peoples Minds in a Love of the Ceremonies and Ordinances given to their Forefathers and in an outward shew and form of Worship in which they that were erred from and rebelled against God's good Spirit Neh. 9.20 which he had given them to instruct them Isa 1.13 were not accepted of him thereby to keep People from coming to the light or manifestation of the Spirit whereby they might have come to have believed in him the Messiah or Christ Prophesied of by the Prophets who spake by his Spirit whose Writings they had and believed them to be true according to which they expected him about that time Yet by erring from and rebelling against his Light and Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences many of the Jews who esteemed themselves the peculiar People of God were so darkned that they did not believe in him but they that walked in Obedience to the Light of his Spirit they believed in him and they received him as the only Messiah the Christ the Son of the Living God as Simeon did who took him up in his Arms and said Lord Luke 2.2 â— to 35. now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel The great Enemy of Mankind had then so far prevailed upon the Learned Rabbies and Doctors among the Jews that though they had the Scriptures which testified of him in their own Language yet being erred from the light of his Spirit in themselves they were so far from receiving Christ and believing in him that they agreed that if any man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue John 9.22 And although he did many Miracles among them yet they believed not but contended with him maliciously and falsly accused him and said He cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of Devils and said that he brake the Sabbath with much more of the like kind of words as may be read in the Scriptures of Truth and at length were so desperately hardned in their wickedness that seeking opportunity to kill him when the Chief Priests had hired the false pretender Judas to betray him and deliver him unto them they put him to the Death of the Cross yet some of them said they found no fault in him And yet still his Love was towards them even upon the Cross and he prayed for them saying Father forgive them Luke 23.34 for they know not what they do So the Devil their great Enemy by his deceit had drawn them so far into darkness and from the light of Christ in themselves that they knew not what they did And indeed it may well be supposed that they knew not what they did when in the Service of the Enemy of their Souls they Crucified and put to Death him that came to save them from their Sins from Wrath and from the Devil their Enemy And so now all that oppose and contend against the Light which is the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in the Heart or envy them that profess it and walk according to it or any other People whosoever upon the account of Religion are certainly deceived by their great Enemy Satan whose Service they are in being erred from the Light and Spirit of Christ which teacheth them who walk in it good will towards all Men and love to their Neighbours though Enemies But when the Chief Priests and Pharisees and People of the Jews had with a general consent Crucified the Lord of Glory after they had mocked him and scourged him yet they and their Enemy whom they served missed of their expectation and desire for they were still in fear lest he should rise again as he had told before and therefore they watched him sealing the stone Mat. 27.62 to 66. Mat. 28.2 to 2. and making as they thought the Sepulchre sure but in the Lord 's appointed time there was a great Earthquake for the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it his countenance was like Lightning and his raiment white as snow and for fear of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men but the Angel said to the Women who were Friends of Jesus Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified he is not here he is risen So the Grave could not contain him Death had not dominion over him Hâ—b 2. â—â— but through death he destroyed and will destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil So the Devil and his deceived Servants had not their desire nor the power to destroy Christ but they came to destruction themselves And so now all that err from and disobey the Light and Spirit of Christ and follow the leadings and movings of their deceitful Enemy the Prince of Darkness if he shall prevail in them so far as to cause them to kill the Bodies of the People of God who walk in his Light and answer the manifestation of his Spirit of Love and in it are kept in true good will towards all Men because of their Religion on purpose thereby to root out and destroy
Coming even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of Vnrighteousness in them that perish Now in as much as he who is called the man of sin the Son of perdition and the wicked one is truly said to be in them that perish it is evident that he first by his deceit drawing them into disobedience to the Light and Spirit of God had beguiled and deceived them and so by the working of his deceitful power 1 Cor. 3.10 17. had gotten in them an usurped place of exaltation above the Light and Spirit of God which he had tempted them to disobey 1 Cor. 6.19 and oppose in themselves and so he and his dark power thereby was exalted in them above the Light Power and Spirit of God whose Temple true Christians are And so the Devil the Man of Sin sitteth in the Temple of God or that which ought to be the Temple of God being exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped in and by them that obey him And let all mark that he is to be consumed and destroyed with the Spirit of God and with the Light or brightness of Christ when he comes to rule and reign in People whose right it is and that is when his Light or Voice in their Heart is obeyed And so though those who disobey the Light of Christ in themselves may yet in words confess him Rom 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 24 and profess Christianity yet they by disobedience to his Light which is the Word of his Power who is the Wisdom and Power of God in yielding to and embracing the allurements drawings and temptations of the wicked One thereby he getteth the power over them and begetteth them into a belief of his Power perswading them that it is impossible for them while they live in this World to be set free from the ruling or prevailing of his Power over them And so he whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs Ephes 2 2. Ephes 5.2 3 4 5 6. and Lying Wonders who is the Prince of the Power of the Air he worketh in the Children of Disobedience and he ruleth and hath all the power and prevalency in and over such whom he holdeth in such a Belief or Faith that they must carry a Body of Sin and Death while they live in this World which is a dead Faith and never like to give Victory over the World nor over Death nor him that hath the power of Death which is the Devil nor over his Works And so such through disobedience to the Light of Christ which is the Word of Life Phil. 2.16 Prov. 6.23 Prov. 21.16 and the Reproofs of its Instruction the Way of Life are wandred from the Way of Life and Understanding and remain in the Congregation of the Dead Ephes 2.1 and are dead in Trespasses and Sins and are never like to be by a dead Faith recovered to Life to live to God in Christ Jesus in whom is Eternal Life and such may contend for their dead Faith But the Faith which true Christians are earnestly to contend for â—ude 3. Eph. 6.16 Phil. 1.27 Rom. 10.8 1 Tim. 6.12 1 John 5.4 Chap. 2.13 14. which was once delivered to the Saints stands in the Word of God's Power which is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached which is nïgh in the Mouth and in the Heart and this is a Living Faith and gives Victory and overcometh as the true Christians testified And so they that in their dead Faith believe no overcoming the wicked One on this side the Grave they believe quite contrary to the true Christians as the Apostle John testified of them to whom he wrote 1 John 4.4 saying Ye have overcome the wicked One and though he writes 1 John 1.8 9 10. saying If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us yet he writes in the next words after If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his Word is not in us Now if the said Words to wit If we say that we have no Sin c. which some greatly object in this case be taken as they are in the common Translations yet that will not import the Apostle himself to be included as the Scripture hath such Expressions for the Apostle James speaking of the Tongue saith Therewith curse we Men c. James 3.9 And Paul saying Let us Eat and Drink for to morrow we dye 1 Cor. 15.32 Who can conclude from hence that the Apostle James was a Curser of Men Or that Paul was one of those luxurious Ones who used that saying about Eating and Drinking which was reproved by the Prophet Isa 22.13 and 56.12 Or who can from the Apostle John's Words here conlude that he then had Sin For as the Apostle James explained his saying of the Tongue to wit Therewith Curse we Men by saving presently after thus My Brethren these things ought not to be so vers 10. And as Paul also explained himself when he said Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye by saying forthwith Be not deceived evil Communications corrupt good Manners c. vers 33 34. So also the Apostle John in this place after that which some translate thus to wit If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us which might relate to the Conditions of others though not to his own present condition saith in the very next words thus If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness Now is not all Sin Unrighteousness And therefore what can be more plain than that the Apostle here declareth that upon Confession and Repentance true Believers are not only forgiven but also come to be cleansed from Sin And doth he not also in the next Words before those that are objected as well as after fully declare the same speaking of the Light which they that love Sin do not love thus If we walk in the Light c. we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And moreover according to said the common Translation if any should think the Apostle John here to be included yet he doth not say that we sin daily in Thought Word and Deed nor that the best Performances of the Children of God are sinful or mix'd with Sin as the pleaders for Sin for term of Life say therefore what he said importeth not the matter they contend for But according to those Translators much approved by Protestants Beza and Pasor and others the aforesaid objectible Words of the Apostle John are to be rendred thus
to wit If we have said us not to have Sin the Latin words being thus si dixerimus nos peccatum non habere which are according to the signification of the Greek words in which the Apostle wrote which are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implieth the time past and that there had been a time wherein they could not have truly said that they had no Sin See Beza's Latin Testament and Pasor's Lexicon But that all are to continue in Sin while in this World the Words of the said Apostle here are very plain to the contrary to wit If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins 1 John 1.7 and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness And again If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another 1 John 2.1 to 10. and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And again My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And speaking of Christ he saith He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him And again saith he Every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And again Ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sin and in him is no Sin whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Little Children let no man deceive you it seemeth there were pleader for Sin then he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God in this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil By all which and many other Scripture sayings it is evident that the Faith of those who believe that they cannot be free from sinning but must carry a Body of Sin and a Body of Death while they are in this World is quite contrary to the Faith and Testimony of true Christians For the Faith of true Christians is in Christ the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.2 and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 2.5 2 Cor. 13.3.4 5. 1 John 4.4 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 6.18 22. Jude 24. and that he is greater that is in them than the Prince of the power of the Air he that is in the World and that he must rule in them whose right it is who worketh in them both to will and to do and their Faith is that he is more able to cleanse and keep them free from Sin as true Christians were and are than the Devil is to lead them to Sin the Wages whereof is Death which the Servants thereof must have And so though those whose Faith is dead being servants of Sin may profess Christ who is a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Ephes 2.1 2 to 7. and quickned and quickneth them that truly believe in him who were dead in Trespasse and Sins yet in that dead Faith they cannot enjoy the benefit which true Christians did Rom. 8.1 2. and do enjoy which is to be set free from the Law of Sin and Death by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus for according to their Faith so it is unto them For as the People of Christ's own Country were offended at him for his Wisdom and his mighty Works and being astonished said Mark 6.1 to 7. Mat. 13.54 to 58. Whence hath this Man this Wisdom and these mighty Works Is not this the Carpenter's Son is not kis Mother called Mary and his Brethren James and Joses and Simon and Judas and his Sisters are they not all with us whence then hath this Man all these things And he did not many mighty Works there because of their unbelief So they that are offended at the Light of Christ in his Spiritual Appearance in their Hearts that shews them their Sins and reproveth them in their Souls and Consciences for all their Offences against it insomuch that they are sometimes astonished thereby yet say they Is not this the Check of a Natural Conscience Is not this a Natural Light that we are born and bred up with are not our Vnderstandings and Knowledge in Arts and Sciences Brethren and Sisters to it whence hath it these things And there cannot in such be mighty Works done because of their Unbelief But true Christians who have believed in the Light Rom. 8.11 Ephes 2. Rom. 6.1 2 to the end Gal. 2.20 1 Pet. 4.6 Phil. 2.13 the Manifestation of the quickning Spirit of Christ in their Hearts and Souls they have as they have been faithful in the obecience of it known by the effectual working of it in themselves a being raised from the Death of Sin to the Life of Righteousness and that where Sin hath abounded Grace doth much more abound and so to the Praise and Glory of God they live by Faith in the quickning Spirit of Christ in them But they that believe that they must carry a Body of Sin and Death with them while they live in this World and that the Devil's power and spirit must prevail in them so long as they live how can the Faith of such or their Works either honour God or Christ or his Power And they that deny Freedom from Sin being attainable while in this Life 1 Joh. 3.8 Jer. 23.6 Chap. 33.16 Dan. 9.24 deny the very end and purpose of Christ's coming which is to destroy the Works of the Devil and to put an end to Sin and to finish Transgression Rom. 8.3 4. and bring in Everlasting Righteousness and therefore it was prophesied that he should be called Mat. 21.1 The Lord our Righteousness and likewise it was said Thou shalt call his Name Jesus which is Saviour for he shall save his People from their Sins But are such his People or how doth he save them from their Sins who sin while they live in this World And likewise they that deny that Perfection to true Christians who are Saints is attainable while they live Eph. 4.11 to 17. they deny the very end of the true Christian Ministry which is for the perfecting of the Saints but they that are imperfect till they dye how doth the Work of the Ministry perfect them Eccles 11.3 or doth the Death of the Body perfect them for as the Tree falleth so shall it lie And if any believe that the Power of God if faithfully obeyed is able to make them free from Sin and so perfect one minute of an hour before Death why may they not as well believe that the same Power is able to make them so Heb. 13.8 Psal 111.3 10. two Minutes or two
over and to exercise Lordship over others their fellow Creatures with much Pride and Austerity expecting and desiring to receive and receiving Honour from them and one from another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only and this sheweth according to the Words of Christ that they are out of the true living John 5.44 1 John 5.4 Eph. 6.16 1 John 2.13 14 15. Christian Faith and so in the false dead Antichristian Faith which giveth no Victory as the true Faith doth for such are overcome and captivated by the love of the Honours Pleasures Preferments and Vanities of the World which if any man love said the Apostle the love of the Father is not in him And so though the dark Power of the Man of Sin more and more prevail upon and captivate them yet the Light of Christ in their Hearts and Consciences often sheweth them their Sins and for Sin checks and reproves them and sheweth them the dangerous dismal consequences of Sin but they not believing in the Light of Christ the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Heb 5.13 and the Word of Righteousness do not submit themselves unto the Righteousness of God nor unto Christ who is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth no more then old Israel did Rom. 10.1 2 3 4. And so though they may be zealous for their several Professions and as the Jews were for their Traditions Ordinances and Ceremonies which they use some after one manner and some after another according to their particular Apprehensions and Imaginations seeking to find Souls-satisfaction by using outward typical shadowy things which they cannot find whilst they neglect the Light the Substance the Word of God's Grace in their Hearts the Word of Faith Act. 20.32 Act. 13.26 1 Joh. 1.11 Col. 1.5 Mat. 13.19 John 3.36 the Word of Salvation the Word of Wisdom the Word of Truth the Word of Christ the Word of Life the Word of Reconciliation the Word of the Kingdom of God which is in the Heart and so they being in unbelief the Wrath of God abideth on them in all their doings For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14.23 And so their best Performances their Prayers their Preaching and whatsoever they can do in that state is sinful as they generally confess But they who seek the Lord while he may be found with all their Hearts and Souls and cannot rest satisfied till he manifest himself in his Love but patiently in true brokenness and contrition of Heart wait under his Judgments till his Indignation for Sin be overpast as they continue faithful in true self-denyal bearing patiently the daily Cross to their own Wills the Lord will in his own time satisfie such with his Mercy and with his everlasting Kindness But if any flatter themselves that they shall have Peace although they walk in the stubbornness of their own Hearts they shut the Door of Mercy against themselves and when they have sinned out and slighted the Day of their Visitation wherein the love of God in and by his Light in their Hearts visiteth them and striveth with them then the Spirit of God ceaseth to strive any longer with them and they are wholly given up to be rul'd by the Man of Sin who is exalted in them above all that is called God or that is worshipped Psal 14.1 2 3 4. and although some of them may be wickeder then others yet none of them are righteous at all there is none of them that doth good no not one but many of them do badly with eagerness eating up the People of the Lord as they eat Bread And they do not only prey upon those who depart from Iniquity who make themselves a Prey but they often prey upon one another Isa â— 15 and sometimes war about their Ceremonies and Ordinances and many thousands have been killed upon that account and many they have put to Death for their Testimony for God who have by his Spirit been raised up even in the darkest times of Apostasy to testifie against the Abominations set up by the ruling power of the Man of Sin the Devil and his Instruments And many call the Popes or Pope of Rome the Man of Sin which the Apostle said should be revealed who may by the Light of Christ in their own Hearts be sensible of the Man of Sin and his power and works in themselves unto them revealed and therefore it were good for such first by the Power of God to be cleansed from him and his power and works inwardly in themselves lest they become more and more like unto him But indeed the Popes of Rome have been the chief visible Rulers of the false Church drunk with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Rev. 17.5 6. and the Mother of Harlots and the many Abominations of the Earth and the Inventers and setters up of the pestilent Traditions and idolatrous Ceremonies still used in the Apostasy from the Truth and many who look upon themselves as reformed from Popery are yet in a great measure found in many of their pernicious Practices and Inventions to get Money by For the Popes having been in a great degree influenced by the power and spirit of the Man of Sin the Devil and having had the highest outward Exaltation over the Nations and Kings of the Earth or at least having claimed or challenged it may fitly be said to have been or to be the highest Representatives of the Man of Sin And amongst the many Popish Cheats none seemeth greater then their Purgatory or their telling of a purging Place from Sin after this Life whereby many are cheated of Eternal Happiness by living in hopes thereof securely in Sin while they live and many cheated of their Money also for Pardon and Indulgences from the Pope to redeem the Souls of their deceased Friends out of Purgatory Which is contrary to the Truth and to the Record of the Holy Scriptures which say where the Tree falleth there shall it be and every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fire Ecc'e 11.3 Mat. 3.10 and Christ said Enter ye in at the straight Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the Way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be that go in thereat because straight is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it And beware said he of false Prophets in Sheeps cloathing which are inwardly ravening Wolves ye shall know them by their Fruits A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fire Matth. 10.7 to 20. Now if a good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit how is it then that all good men are continually sinning for Sin is Evil Fruit And if every such a one as bringeth not forth good
Waters are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues so Tongues or Languages is one part of her Seat And this Woman is the great Whore with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and this Woman is that great City that reigneth over the Kings of the Earth and she is become the Habitation of Devils and the Hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird for all Nations have drunk of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication and the Merchants of the Earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her Delicacies But how much this False Church this City Babylon hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much Torment and Sorrow must be given her for she saith in her Heart I sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no Sorrow therefore shall her Plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall utterly be burned with Fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the Smoke of her Burning standing afar off for fear of her Torment shall say Alas alas that great City Babylon that mighty City for in one Hour is thy Judgment come And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth their Merchandize any more a great number of Priests and covetous Preachers will be at a great loss then and that Day is now drawing near for fear of her Torment weeping and wailing and saying Alas alas that great City that was cloathed in fine Linnen and Purple and Scarlet and decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls for in one hour so great Riches is come to nought But Heaven and the holy Apostles and Prophets shall then rejoyce over her when God hath avenged them on her Rev. 18. for by her Sorceries were all Nations deceived and in her is and will be found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth And if this false whorish Church had not had a large and splendid Profession of Christianity and Religion she could not possibly have magnified her self so much nor by her Sorceries could she so have deceived all Nations and if it had not been a Golden Cup that she handed forth to the Nations being full of Abomination and Filthiness of her Fornication probably she cōuld not have allured the Inhabitants of the Earth so freely and generally to have drunk of it as they have done with which they have been made drunk brutish and ravenous so that as Wolves they have preyed upon the Sheep of Christ true Christians who loved their Enemies and Persecutors and in killing of them they thought they did God good Service as Christ foretold being drunk with the Wine of the Whore's Fornication Joh. 16.2 And so they were far from the Nature of Christ and from his Teachings who came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and taught and by his Spirit teacheth all his Disciples to love their Enemies but they are far from loving their Enemies who kill or persecute their Friends for witnessing to the Truth though it reprove them for Sin for Sin may cause them to be destroyed but it will never do any of them any Good thus all Persecutors are acted by the Murthering Spirit of the Man of Sin and drunk with the Wine of the Whores Cup. And so as Cain who was the first Persecutor about Religion had a Mark set upon him lest any finding him should kill him so all Persecutors about Religion have a mark set upon them for their Persecuting is an infallible Mark or Token whereby all may know that their Religion is vain and that they are no true Christians but false Pretenders to Christianity For the Apostle Paul said All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.12 shall suffe Persecution and so they are no persecutors but persecuted and can Pray for such as persecute them And when Paul was called Saul he was a Persecutor and consenting to the Death of Stephen who prayed for his Persecutors and Murtherers Rom. 8.10 but when he believed in the Light the Word of Faith in the Heart and ceased to kick against the Pricks of it and obeyed the Teachings of it then of a Persecutor he became a Preacher of the Cross of Christ which he bare through much Persecution even unto Death 2 Cor. 4.17 and could say This light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory and said he I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time Rom. 8.18 are not worthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed in us So he changed for a better condition And so all Professors of Christianity of what sort soever that are Persecutors are within the compass of the false Church Mystery Babylon in whom is found the Blood of all the Righteous that are slain upon the Earth And though such differ among themselves one Preaching this and another that different Doctrine and often go to Wars and kill one another about their pretended Religions and Doctrines and Tenets and which of them can get the upperhand prey upon vex and trouble the others yet none of them all can endure to be persecuted themselves but when they are under they creep into Corners and hide or run or seek to save themselves by joining with the Worship of their Persecutors in Hypocrisie and being at difference thus among themselves like Herod and Pilate yet they can all agree to set at naught and mock and persecute Christ in his Members But true Christians Children of the Light are Children of God and God is their Friend and therefore they fear not what Man can do unto them for they know that God their Father will preserve his faithful Children and they are Members of Christ the Truth and the Truth is precious in their Eye and their Faith in it is worth contending for and worth suffering for and for it they can suffer what God their Father seeth meet and Man can inflict no more and so true Christians are freely given up to suffer Persecution for Christ the Lord their Righteousness knowing it will be to the glory of God if he so please and also having an Eye to the Recompence of Reward And now is fulfilled that which was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah saying In the Day when the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious Isa 4.1 2. and the Fruit of the Earth excellent and comely for all them that are escaped of Israel then seven Women shall take hold of one man saying We will eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparel only let
us be called by thy Name to take away our Reproach And now is the Name of Christ who is called the Branch become of esteem with many Nations and so is beautiful and glorious and the Fruit that in many Christians in deep Sufferings and otherwise hath been and is brought forth is excellent and comely and so now there are many divided Professions among People and every Gathering of them of each sort call themselves by the honourable Name of Christians and so they seem to take hold of Christ and would be called by his Name to have their Reproach taken away for they will eat their own Bread feed upon their own Imaginations Carnal Knowledge and Sensual Wisdom and also upon their Pleasures and Vanities and likewise they will wear their own Apparel have their own Professions and cover with a Covering but not of the Spirit of God no for they mock at the Movings of the Spirit and at the cloathing of the Spirit but if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and so they know not a feeding upon the Bread of Life which Christ giveth nor a being cloathed with the fine Linnen which he giveth to be cloathed withal but are a Reproach to the Name of Christ and therefore their Reproach is not taken away they have not the end of their desire being out of the Life of true Christianity they cannot have truly the Name And such in every of their ragged Prosessions wherewith they would cover themselves like Adam and Eve with Fig-leaves in each of their Companies have Teachers which call themselves Divines and why so because they were brought up at Natural Schools and Colleges and have learned Languages as Latin Greek and Hebrew but there have been many more Languages than those since the building of Babel and it was Latin Greek and Hebrew which Pilate set over the Head of Christ when they crucified him Luke 23.38 and so such set Latin Greek and Hebrew over Christ in his Spiritual Appearance by his Light Grace and the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts where he is crucified afresh in their Affections and Lusts and so they are more sensual than divine And those their Teachers having paid much for their Learning they make as rich Merchandize of it as they can they get as large Benefices or Wages as they can and no doubt but they set forth their Merchandize as gorgeously as they can too especially till their Benefices or Wages be confirmed as they think upon them and then vendible or not vendible they will have their rate or with force and with cruelty take it And these are the Merchants of the Earth for their Merchandize is earthly and bought for Money which cannot buy Heaven who are waxen Rich through the abundance of the Delicacies of Babylon with whom they Trade and at the fall of Babylon which hasteth apace they will weep and mourn over her Rev. 18.3 11. for no Man will buy their Merchandize any more for true Christians cannot hire Teachers to deceive People nor pay to them who strengthen the Hands of Evil-doers preaching Peace where there is no Peace And thus these Merchants false Prophets Teachers and Priests being waxed rich Jer. 5.31 like the false Prophets and Priests of Old they bear Rule by their Means and in the power of Darkness the power of the Man of Sin in the woful Night of Apostacy the Heads of them the Popes of Rome haue ruled over the Kings of the Earth and have declared pronounced and defined that every Creature upon necessity of Salvation must be subject to them the Popes who say their Doctrine is infallible but now many know that much of it is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles And now the Everlasting Day of God is at hand in which the Name of the Lord shall be great among the Heathen Mal 1.11 from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same and in the Light of Christ the Son of Righteousness which is arisen and is arising with healing in his Wings unto many who have feared Mal. 4.2 and do fear the Name of the Lord many are made sensible of the same and know that the Light thereof is driving away the Spiritual Darkness of the woful Night of Apostacy which hath long covered the Earth and the Hearts of the People and many shall come to see plainly the deceit of the Merchants of Babylon which is revealed and is to be yet more and more revealed by the Light and Spirit of Christ and they who see their deceit plainly except they be very foolish will buy their Merchandize no more and then down falls their Trade And now let all who are convinced of the Popish Error in telling of a Purging from Sin after this Life and yet say that there is no freedom from Sin attainable on this side the Grave consider that no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Rev. 21.27 and then where and when must their Souls be made clean from Sin if not while their Bodies live And let all such examine themselves inwardly in the true Light of Christ Jesus whether they be not in the Suburbs of the City Babylon or in Confusion and whether or no they be fit for the Kingdom of Heaven into which nothing that defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lye can in anywise enter but they that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life in whose Light the Nations of them which are saved must walk Rev. 21.23 24 27. And all those who in any measure see themselves to be in Babylon or in Confusion inwardly as all are who disobey the Light of Christ and walk not in the Path thereof but would have Salvation in their own Ways or Religions which they reckon were the Religions of their Forefathers as the Jews did of Old who reckoned themselves Abraham's Children and yet would not believe in Christ whose Day Abraham saw and rejoiced to see whose Day the said Jews despised and slighted the Visitation thereof unto them Now it is high time for all such to take diligent heed to the Light of Christ in their own Hearts which only can truly give them a true discovery inwardly of their several Estates and Conditions in which their Souls stand in the sight of God who knoweth the Secrets of all Hearts And as they carefully mind and obey this true Light which secretly reproves for Sin in their Hearts and Consciences John 6.2 John 8.12 it will certainly shew them whether they work the Works of God which is to believe on him or on that which God hath sent which is on the Light which whosoever followeth shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Eph. 5.13 Or they work the Works of the Man of Sin the Works of Darkness which are reproved and reprovable by the Light for whatsoever is reproved or reprovable
is made manifest by the Light And so all by Examination may prove and try themselves whether they be in the true Faith of Christ which giveth the Victory and so the Apostle advised adding thereunto these Words Know ye not your own selves said he how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Oh! it is a dreadful thing to sell Eternal Happiness for Earthly Trifles and what else is all the Glory of the World as Esau being faint it seems he wanted true Faith he sold his Birthright for a Mess of Pottage and lost the Blessing being hunting abroad Heb. 12.17 and afterwards could not find a Place of Repentance tho' he sought it earnestly or carefully and that with Tears And so let all beware lest they bring themselves into Esau's condition for they cannot find a Place of Repentance when they have sinned out their Day and sold Heaven for a little Vanity And let none hunt abroad like Esau who that while lost the Blessing but every one at home may do well to take heed to the Light though it shine but as in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in their Hearts For it it a terrible thing to neglect the Day of the Visitation of the Love of God in and by the Light and Grace of Jesus Christ for he would not that any should perish as Jerusalem did whom he would often have gathered as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings but she would not wherefore Christ wept over her saying Oh! that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things which concern thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes And then he declared of the Wo Confusion and Misery that was therefore to come upon her by her Enemies prevailing over her because she knew not the time of her Visitation Luke 19.41 42 43 44. And so Wo Confusion and Misery will certainly come upon every particular Man or Woman by the prevailing Power of their Enemy the Man of Sin the Power of Darkness who reject the Light of Christ and rebel against it and neglect the Day of their Souls Visitation by it For the Light of Christ who is the Sun of Righteousness is extended to all Mankind to teach People to fear the Name of God that so the Sun of Righteousness may arise upon them and that they may be gathered under the healing Wings thereof as a Hen gathereth her Chickens and so Christ standeth at the Door of Peoples Hearts and knocketh and desireth Rev. 3.20 and entreateth that they may open unto him that he may come in unto them and Sup with them and they with him But all they who reject his Counsel and will none of his Reproof but delight in Vanity and do not chuse the Fear of the Lord who when he knocketh will not open when he calleth will not answer and when he stretcheth out his Hand Prov. 1. refuse to be gathered these may seek him but shall not find him these may call but he will not answer these may cry but he will not hear them And it is not Profession only that will stand any instead though it be of the very Truth it self without Faithfulness to God in the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord which is at hand Zeph. 1.12 wherein the will Plead with all Flesh and stain the Glory thereof wherein he will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the Men that are settled on their Lees for the Lord by his Light searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins Jer. 17.10 even to give to every Man according to his Ways and according to the Fruit of his Doings And now God requireth all People to hear his beloved Son who speaks from Heaven by his Light in their Hearts his Heavenly Voice which Voice from Heaven saith Come out of Babylon my People Rev. 18.4 that ye be not partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith And let none refuse him that speaketh from Heaven for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth Heb. 12.25 of how much sorer Punishment shall they be worthy who turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven And they who call themselves Protetestants what sort soever they be of who protest against the Abominations of the Pope and the Church of Rome if they come not to the Light nor bring their Deeds to it that their Deeds may be made manifest by it that they are wrought in God they are yet but in Babylon in Confusion and in Darkness and there they are in the inventing Nature in which Popery first arose and from which sprung their Ceremonies and Ordinances to get Money by and so they are far from the Nature of them who first began to protest against Popery who according to what was made manifest answered the Light in their Hearts and were wonderfully preserved And so they who profess Christianity and are erred from the Light of Christ in their own Hearts and live in Disobedience to it they are walking in the Way of the Man of Sin who is their Leader and Ruler And what need such to call the Church of Rome Babylon or the Pope who is called the Head of it Antichrist or the Man of Sin who are in Spiritual Babylon and subject to the Spirit of Antichrist in themselves For the Papists themselves as they do tell of an Antichrist or a Man of Sin to be revealed of which one of them called Robert Persons in his Book entituled A Christian Directory or Resolution printed Permissu superiorum that is with the Licence of Superiors in the Year 1622 in Part 1. and Chap. 7. and in Page 246. thus writeth That according to the written Prophecies of Ezekiel Daniel Saint John in the Revelation a little before the last General Day of Judgment there shall be revealed the Man of Sin called Antichrist who after the Conquest of many Kings and Kingdoms shall make himself the Monarch and absolute Owner of the World and shall exercise upon good Christians more Barbarous Cruelty and shed more Innocent Blood within the space of three Years and an half which shall be the term of his outragious Tyranny than all other Enemies of God have done from the beginning In which Words the said Robert Persons writes as if the Man of Sin or Antichrist were not yet revealed or not yet come to his Exaltation but the said Apostle John whom he quotes testified That the Spirit of Antichrist in his time 1 John 4.3 was in the World and that there were then many Antichrists whereby saith he we know that it is the last time Joh. 2.18 And if the Spirit of Antichrist and many Antichrists were then so known to true Christians that thereby they knew it was the last time it must needs follow that Antichrist was in the Apostles time revealed But if
the Papists mean a Visible Man called Antichrist and a Monarch and absolute Owner of the World who exerciseth upon others good Christians much barbarous Cruelty and sheddeth much Innocent Blood whether then may not all except themselves and have they not reason too who have but heard of their Visible Head the Popes and what Monatchs and what absolute Owners of the World they have been and what Barbarous Cruelty they have exercised upon good Christians and what an abundance of Innocent Blood they have caused to be shed during the term of their outragious Cruelty reasonably conclude that the Head of the Papists the Pope hath been or is that Antichrist that Monarch that exerciser of barbarous Cruelty upon good Christians and that shedder of much Innocent Blood mentioned in the written Prophecies of Ezekiel Daniel and the Apostle John which the said Robert Persons one of the Popish Priests writes of as aforesaid who writes or stiles himself Priest of the Society of Jesus which signifieth Saviour but seems rather of the Society of Destroyers for Blood shedders are Destroyers And this appeareth by the Decrees of their own Councils which tend to enjoin all to conform or burn an Antichristian Decree indeed and wo will be the portion of them who make such Unrighteous Decrees and prescribe such grievous things what will they do in the Day of Visitation and in the Desolation which shall come from far to whom will they flye for Help and where will they leave their Glory Isa 10.1 2 3 4. And if any be offended at what is here written let such know that he that writeth this hath no evil will or prejudice in his Heart towards any Man or any People in the World but desireth the good of all even as he desireth the same for himself and according to the Mind of Christ would not that any should perish but that all through true Repentance might find Mercy and obtain Eternal Salvation by Jesus Christ For I have by woful Experience known a time when the deceivable unrighteous power of the Devil the Man of Sin prevailed upon me so far that I could not then believe that ever I could be free from Sin while in this World because I daily felt my self overcome by and subject to Sin which daily deceived me and so I was perswaded of the common received Tenet viz. No freedom from Sin whilst in this World but that all must carry a Body of Sin and a Body of Death whilst on this side the Grave And so was I long in a miserable condition being often troubled exceedingly in my Heart and Conscience with a deep sence of my own sinful condition which in and by the true Light of Christ Jesus in my Heart and Conscience I plainly saw to be very wicked and deplorable wherewith my Soul was grievously oppressed but knew not how to be eased of my Burden which seemed to me such an intolerable heavy Burden or Load that I was very near to have fainted under it for the more I looked into my inward condition the worse it then seemed unto me being exceedingly afraid lest the Lord should have cut me off in mine Iniquity wherewith I had provoked him And the sence of this my Condition kept me in a constant Care lest I should do any thing whatsoever that might further incense or provoke the Lord God of Heaven and Earth against me and so make my Load more grievous and as I thus looked upon my Soul to be in a most wretched forlorn condition and in continual danger to be cast into everlasting Fire in which the Devil and his Angels are tormented Day and Night for ever and ever then for a long season I cryed in bitterness of Soul unto the Lord that I believed knew the very seeret Thoughts and Intents of all Hearts that he would shew Mercy unto me and teach me to know the Way wherein he would have me to walk for I was yet as a Stranger to and unacquainted with that which then and formerly reproved me for Sin in my Heart which is the Light of Christ and the true Christians Spiritual Way to God which when I did or spake any thing that added unto my Burden ever made me sensible that it was wrong before I did it and this aggravated my Sorrow And after several Months continuance in this dolorous condition by the Light of Christ in my Heart I saw the emptiness and insufficiency of all Formal and Ceremonial Worship of God that is not in his own Spirit and Truth in the inward parts which Spirit God ever heareth the cry of and which Truth he ever loveth out of which I could not but judge my self to have been with those I associated my self in that formal insufficient Worship which was no sooner ended but though Confession of Sins and Prayer for Repentance in a seeming Zeal had been made and Sin preached against yet before parting and sometimes in the Worship too the spirit and power of the Man of Sin that tempts into all Sin arose amongst us causing Laughter and â—olly and Vanty to appear amongst us which was far from a State of true Repentance And though of late before I had kept over the Witness of God the Light in my Conscience though it had often reproved me for Sin and had been like the rest of the company with whom I joined in Worship yet then the sence of my own deplorable state being upon me continually I could not appear in my former Jollity and Vanity amongst them but though mine Eye was chiefly upon mine own condition yet I could not be unsensible of their state which had so lately been mine own but in the love that thinketh no evil I mourned over them and sorrowed for them who then began to deride me And after I had thus remained for a Season till I durst no longer delay the time then I began to question them that had been my Teachers concerning the Light the Way of God and the Just Man's Path which had convinced me of all my Sins and in my Heart and Conscience reproved me for the same but alas the Teachers though professing to be Ministers of Christ the Light yet they were untaught by the Light and untaught of God by whom all true Christians are taught as Christ and his Holy Prophets and Apostles declared John 6.45 Isa 54.13 John 14.26 1 Kings 8.35 36. Heb. 8.11 1 John 5.20 And being willing to be satisfied as fully as I could amongst them as well concerning the Light as their doubtful Doctrines Ordinances and Ceremonies I passed over a considerable time in reasoning and discoursing with those of my Teacher whom I judged most able but though the most or all of them understood several Languages yet none of them owned the true Light wherewith Jesus Christ enlighteneth every Man and Woman that cometh into the World to be saving John 1.9 or of sufficiency to lead to Salvation whereby I plainly saw that they were
what and the Worship of God is in Fear and Trembling before him and at his Word in the Heart and such are accepted of God and shall be accepted with him and with such he will dwell as the Scriptures largely testifie read John 4.20 to 25. Mich. 6.8 Isa 66.2 5. Ezra 9.4 and 10.3 Jer. 5.21 22. and 33.9 Psal 2.11 Dan. 6.26 And so I durst not but deny all Worships prescribed by the Wisdom of Men and set-up by Men which were not in the Spirit and Truth of God neither durst I embrace the Pleasures or Preferments of the World for I was sensible both of their danger and Vanity and that the Words of Christ were true who said If any man will come after me Luke 9.23 24 25. Luke 14.27 let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple for whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it for what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole World and lose himself or be cast away And now I am not of their Perswasion who believe that there is no Salvation nor Freedom from Sin on this side the Grave and that the Souls of true Christians cannot be cleansed from Sin while their Bodies live in this World for that is contrary to the Truth and to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures and where Sin hath a place in the Heart or Soul of any there the Man of Sin hath a place whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the Brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2.8 9. And so much of the Worship of them in whom the Man of Sin ruleth by his Power consisteth in Ceremonies and Signs for he will allow them all Signs of that which is good so that they may be content without the Substance yea even the very Name at least in Profession or Pretence of Christians though he have quite bereaved them of the Nature of true Christians and allow them outward Signs of Baptism also at least whilst uncapable Infants which they may afterwards be told of and taught to believe that they were thereby made Children of God Members of Christ and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 8.10 11. although they know nothing experimentally of the one Baptism of Christ which is with the Holy Spirit or Ghost and with Fire nor believe in the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in which all true Christians believe who are really Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.19 being led and taught by his Light and Spirit and obeying the Word of the Kingdom which is one with the Light and is sown in the Hearts of all Men. And Christ said to the unbelieving Pharisees that The Kingdom of God cometh not with Observation or outward Shew neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for saith he behold Luke 17.21 the Kingdom of God is within you And why may it not as well be said now to be within those who are ignorantly seeking it without them For their Teachers teach them to believe that they were made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven when they were Infants by their outward Baptism and yet they have it to seek and know not where it is to be found but seek it as they are taught and expect it to come with their Observations outward Shews and Signs without them and Pray at least in Words to God saying Thy Kingdom come and yet believe not in the Word of his Kingdom which is sown in their Hearts which is the Light Grace and Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ which reproveth them for Sin in their Hearts and Consciences And so whilst they disobey the Word of the Kingdom the Light in themselves they are making themselves Strangers to God and his Kingdom through disobedience and so are unlike to be Inheritors of it though they make never so large a Profession of seeking it in their Observations outward Shews and Signs for there it is not to be found much less inherited And John the Baptist who baptized with Water to Repentance we read not that he baptized Infants for what should Infants repent of but he Preached saying Repene ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand So it seemeth the Kingdom of Heaven was near then and to some who came to his Baptism he said O Generation of Vipees who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come bring forth therefore Fruits meet for Repentance or as some translate answerable to amendment of Life for said he the Ax is laid to the Root of the Tree Mat. 3. therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fare But do not Infants sprinkled with Water or Baptized as they call it afterward bring forth Fruits rather to be repented of than meet for Repentance So it seemeth they that came to John's Baptism which was with Water to Repentance if they brought not forth Fruits meet for Repentance they were little or no better being to be hewn down and cast into the Fire And where can any read that John's Baptism being outward could make any true Christians Was it not before Christ that John came Baptizing with Water and before there were any called Christians for we read not of that Name given till after the Ascension of Christ and if John's Baptism could not make Christians how should Sprinkling of Infants now or the outward Baptism of any others either It is not like that they that now take upon them to baptize either Infants or others for Money for which none can buy the Gift of God should exceed John who was sent of God Acts 8.20 and did it freely without Money And John was sent to bear witness of the Light that all Men through him might believe that was the true Light John 1.8 9 10. which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World though the World knew it not But the Baptizers Dippers and Sprinklers in our days are far from bearing witness to the true Light for they cry out against it and give it many ridiculous Names John 3.20 and Titles and this is according to the Words of Christ that Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light And what a strange thing doth it seem that any should believe which some suppose that Sprinkling an Infant with a little Water some after one manner and some after another should make it a true Christian For true Christians are Members of Christ and Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven but no Man can make them so for it is only by believing in the Light of Christ and obeying it that a
true Christian state is atta ned unto and so true Christians are Children of God Tit. 3.5 6 7. Eph. 4.5 who is Light and Heirs of his Kingdom and these have experience of the one Baptism of Christ by his Spirit even the washing of Regeneration or of the New Birth and are sensible of the renewings of his Spirit also But it is a very poor Evidence concerning so great a matter as Eternal Happiness or true Christianity is only to be told to a Man or Woman or to see it written in a Book that when he was an Infant or a Child of a few days old he was baptized and made a Christian whenas he knoweth nothing of certainty that he is so but rather hath an Evidence in his own Heart plainly and truly witnessing that he is in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity and is not led and guided by the Spirit of Christ as true Christians are and so if he weightily examine himself he may find his estate to be otherwise then some would perswade him to believe of it and see it to be very Miserable John bare Testimony of Christ saying There cometh one after me which is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not but that he should be made manifest to Israel John 1.30 31 32 33. John 3.30 therefore am I come baptizing with Water And saith he The same is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost or Spirit and said he he must increase but I must decrease So it is plain that the reason why John Baptized with Water was that Christ and his Spiritual Baptism which only can render Men true Christians should be made manifest to Israel but there can be no such Reason given for Infants Baptism for Christ and Baptism hath been long talked of by Sprinklers of Infants and still both Hearers and Preachers strangers to Christ and his Baptism how then should they make him or his Baptism manifest or known to little Infants And Christ said Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 but they who believe in the Light the incorruptible Word of God in their Hearts Look in the Margined Bibles and so become Children of the Light and of God being Born again or from above as the Word implieth they in the Light see and discern the Kingdom of God within them Rom. 14.17 which consisteth in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit or Ghost which are inwardly to be known And this Sign of Baptism wherewith now adays they sign Infants and reckon it a Badge of Christianity they call a Sacrament and some say there are Seven Sacraments and others say but two to be used in the Church of Christ though in all the Holy Scriptures they find no mention of the Word Sacrament and they say It was commanded by Christ because he said to his Disciples Mat. 28.19 Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in or when truly translated into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit or Ghost Observe here he first bad them to teach them so they should let Teaching be before Baptizing But how can they teach Infants And he commanded this to his Disciples who were learners of him and Witnesses of his Resurrection but they are not such who act contrary to his Commands And he bad them to Baptize into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Now this Name of God is called the Word Light Love and Holy Spirit which is placed in his Spiritual Temple where God dwelleth of which Deut. 12.5 1 Kings 8.29 2 Chron. 7.12 2 Cor. 3.16 the Temple that Solomon built was a Type or Figure in which he said he would place his Name which outward Temple was destroyed but true Christians are the holy Spiritual Temple of God and it was prophesied the Glory of the second Temple should exceed that of the first Hag. 2.4 7 8. But they who pretend to baptize Infants with Water Rev 19 13. they do not believe in the Name of God which is his Word and Light in the Heart and so they are not like to baptize either Infants or others in it or into it being out of it themselves And in the Command of Christ there is no mention at all of Water for the Disciples to baptize withal they being to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.47 49. And behold said he I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on High And so they tarried at Jerusalem until they were endued with Power from on High and then they declared what the Promise of the Father was that Christ had sent upon them even that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour of my Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2.16 17 18. and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie and your Young Men shall see Visions and your Old Men shall dream Dreams and on my Servants and on my Handmaidens I will pour out in these days of my Spirit and they shall prophesie So the Disciples of Christ preached other Doctrine then the Sprinklers of Infants and the pretending Baptizers of this Age preach for they cannot endure to hear of the Spirit of God being poured out upon all Flesh but they mock at the Movings of the Spirit of God in his Servants and Handmaidens as if there were no such thing now which sheweth that they are not endued with Power from on High and so they are short of John the Baptist who was sent of God John 1.6 7. and said A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven John 3.27 And so they having no Authority from God but only from Men take upon them to sprinkle Infants after the Ordinances of Men and call it Baptism having a ridiculous Custom of using Godfathers and Godmothers as they call them and another of signing Infants in the Forehead with the Sign of the Cross some using Oyl Spittle Salt and other silly Ceremonies having nothing at all in the Holy Scriptures to warrant such things being invented in the Apostasy in the deceitful Wisdom of the Antichristian Spirit that hath prevailed and drawn from the Simplicity of true Christianity into the love of outward Signs which are Antichristian Another Argument for their Custom of Sprinkling Infants is the Words that Christ spake saying Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God Mark 10.14,15 and whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child he shall not enter therein Now they who sprinkle Infants bring them to Water which Christ commanded not but do they bring them
liberty did such things in compliance with them that were weak in the Faith in order to bring them out of their many Ceremonies rather than keep them in them yet he could not do so for fear of Perseeution he would not be compelled to such things neither do them for the gain of Money nor the like for writing to the Galatians he saith As many as desire to make a Fair shew in the Flesh they constrain you to be circumcised Gal. 6.12 Gal. 5.11 only lest they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ and saith he I Brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer Persecution then is the offence of the Cross ceased So it seemeth that some professing Christianity who were not obedient to the Light of Christ in their own Hearts which teacheth to bear his Cross patiently preached up Circumcision lest they should have suffered Persecution and yet such desired to make a fair shew in the Flesh but the true Ministers of Christ did not so for notwithstanding the Threats of Men and the consequence of Persecution in the Faith of the Power of God and in the love and obedience of the Light of Christ in their Hearts they preached Liberty from all such burdensome things and in his Name and Authority preached his Cross Boldly and declared that such as preached otherwise were false and anrichristian And do not many desiring to make a fair Shew of Christianity in the Flesh now preach up Water-Baptism and that of Infants with other such Ceremonies for fear of Persecution or for Money and their own carnal ends not having any authority from Christ or his Apostles for such things Therefore let all beware of such false Prophets and Deceivers as Christ himself forewarned of saying Many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and said he If any man say unto you Mat. 7 1â— to 21. Mat. 24.23 2. Luke 2 8. Lo here is Christ or there believe it not for said he there shall arise false Christs and false Propâ—eâ—s and shall shew great Signs and Wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elâ—ct And so now there are many come as in the Name of Christ and they all say that he is Christ as he foretold so they profess him in Words and so deceive many saying also Lo here is Christ in this Profession Ceremony or Sign and Lo there is Christ in that Observation Ordinance or Tradition but they that believe in his true Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts which he said should reprove the World of Sin John 15 8. c. they do not believe them and though they shew great Signs as of Baptism and the like yet the Children of Light see them and by their Signs and by their Fruits know them to be the Deceivers that Christ foretold of Mat. 7.16 and though they shew great Wonders and the World wonder after them yet true Christians cannot be deceived by them knowing them to be influenced by the Power of the Man of Sin in their Hearts whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders And now it is good for all to beware that they truly examine themselves in the Light of Christ Jesus in their Hearts whether they be really the Children of God yea or nay Rom. 8.16 1 John 5.10 and they may certainly know for he that is of God hath the Witness in himself God giveth to his Children to Know that he is their Father and that they are his Children but the Man of Sin he would not that his Children should know who is their Father for he being deceitful perswadeth them as far as he can that they are the Children of God but the Manifestation of the Spirit of God the Light during the Day of their Visitation in their Hearts reproveth them of their Sins and often sheweth and testifyeth in them unto them the Contrary to wit that they are not Children of God And so let all inwardly examine themselves truly Rom. 8.9 2 Cor. 3.6 whether or no they be Members of Christ being baptized by his One Spirit into his One Body for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and it is his quickning Spirit that giveth Life to all his Members and maketh them sensible in what state and condition they are And so let none be satisfied with being told that in their Infancy or any time else in their Baptism with outward Water they were made Members of Christ and Children of God c. For that will not stand them in any stead when they must give an account to God of their improvement of the Talent which he hath given them to profit withal and let none presâ—me to teach Children or others that they were in outward Baptism made Members of Christ or Children of God lest the Blood of such be required at their Teachers Hand and so both the Teacher and the taught perish For John the Baptist speaking of Christ John 3.30 said He must increase but I must decrease intimating that his Baptism was to give place to the Spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Spirit and Fire and John said His fan is in his Hand and he will thor wly purge his Floor and gather the Wheat into his Garner but he will burn the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and this all ought to take notice of for this Baptism of Christ is of absolute necessity to Salvation of which that all might come to be partakers the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ hath appeared in the Hearts of all and is given to every man to profit withal John 1.8 Luk. 3.6 to which John who was sent to beare witness of the true Light bare Testimony saying All flesh shall see the Salvation of God and also Simeon saying as to the Lord Mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People Luk 2.30 31 32. a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy People Israel And seeing that the Salvation of God prepared before the face of all People is Christ Oh! Let all who would enjoy the Salvation of God come to this Light which reproveth for all Sin in every Heart and Conscience that by believing therein and bringing there Deeds to it into true Examination they may through the judgment thereof know the true Spiritual Baptism of Christ in their Hearts Souls and Consciences where they may come to know him to be in them unto them as a Refiners Fire and as Fullers Soape that will purge away all the Dross and wash away every Spot and Stain as they abide faithful and continue freely given up withal their Hearts to abide the burnign of this Fire and the scowring with this Soape and so they may know the washing with pure Water and come to have
it will teach also to take up thy daily Cross to thy own Lusts and to follow Christ in the Regeneration or New Birth Luk. 9.23 John 8.12 Rev. 14.4 and so thou mayest come inwardly to know the true Spiritual Baptism of Christ with his Spiritual Fire and Fan and Water to burn up Sin root and branch in thee and to blow away all Lightness and Vanity and to wash thee inwardly from sin which hath defiled thee and so thou mayst know a walking as a Child of the Light in newness of Life and enjoy the Salvation of God For it is plaâ—n that true Christians are truly baptized with the inward and spiritual Baptism of Christ and are Children of God who is Light through believing in the Light of Christ in their Hearts Tâ—ess 5 John 12.35 36 46. and the Spirit of God beareth witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God and Heirs of God Rom. 8.16 17. and Joint Heirs with Christ and they are led of his Spirit and walk in his Light Rom. 8.14 1 Cor. 12.13 Luk. 12.32 and they are also members of Chrst being baptized by his one Spirit into his one Body and they are also Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven by the obedience of Faith in the Word of his Kingdom in their Hearts And I know by certain experience that though I was in my Childhood and Youth told by my Parents and others that I was baptized in my Infancy and that such were my Godfathers and such a one was my Godmother of whom I was taught Idolatrously to ask Blessing and also was taught according to their Catechism that in that Baptism I was made a Member of Christ and a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven and I was so trained up in my Youth by my Parents yet in a somewhat moderate manner and being held in this implicite Faith by yielding to the power of Darkness I was prevailed upon to stand as a Godfather as they term it to three Children which were sprinkled with Water Yet ever when I took a serious view of my own condition by the Light of Christ Jesus in my own Heart though I knew not then what it was I plainly saw that I was not in such a condition as I heard the Preachers Preach of and I my self could read of that the Children of God were inâ— for the Light and Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ instead of bearing witness with my Spirit that I was a Child of God it bore witness in my Heart and Conscience against my Sins and reproved me for them and so witnessed with my Spirit and Conscience that I was not a Child of God though no Man was my Accuser And so it shewed me how unclean I was as the Preachers used to confess in their Prayers even full of Bruises and Wounds and putrifying Sores inwardly as from the Crown of the Head to the Soles of my Feet and therefore unlike a Child of God or a Member of Christ and unfit to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven which no unclean thing can enter And blessed be the Day wherein I first received the reproof of the Light in the Love of it for there had been a time wherein I had slighted its Reproofs and when it troubled me in my Heart and Conscience for my Sins then I sometimes gat amongst such as are called merry Company to put the trouble away but well was it for me that the reproof pursued me until I inwardly received it in its love and then in some little time I saw Sin to be exceeding sinful yea and loathsom too and I became weary of it and could no longer delight in folly and vanity where Sin ever dweleth no more then a man can delight to see others to laugh at him for his being outwardly full of grievous Wounds and Bruises and putrifying loathsom Sores as I was inwardly And so my greatest need and desire was to be inwardly healed for I saw I was unlike to heal others or to assist to make them Children of God being in that forlorn condition for I saw my self to be in extream need of an able Physician and therefore I consulted them that had been my Teachers who pretended to be Divines and spiritual Physicians having great need of such a one and they told me that my distemper could not be cured on this side the Grave and said it was not to be expected that any Soul of Man can be cleansed from Sin and from the contagion of it and have the grievous Wourds and Bruises and loathsome Sores that Sin hath made all over it to be cured till its Body dye And when I had considered their dismal Opinion for they could not tell me where my Soul could certainly be cleansed or cured after the death of my Body but judged it could not be before then I preceived they were all like Job's Visitants when he was afflicted outwardly as I was inwardly to whom he said Job 1â— 4 15 16 ye are all Physicians of no value and speaking of God he said though he slay me yet will I trust in him and he also shall be my Salvation for an Hypocrite shall not come before him and so Job had a confidence and faith in God that he would save him and whatever became of aim he would curst in God And I then had a little Grain of the Faith in which Job was that God would cleanse me and heal me if I continued Faithful unto him and would be my Salvation and therefore though my said Teachers and pretending Physicians offered me then not questioning their Pay if I would Buy more of their Physick and Salve yet I durst Buy no more of them but refused both their Physick and Merchandize knowing it to be certainly of a pernicious quality and that it would but cast me into a Spiritual Lethargy and so stupifie my Senses that I should not be sensible of my dangerous condition for while I bought of it before-time I knew it was apt to make me so but though I left Trading with them then which is now some Years since and had paid formerly as freely and duly as other their Customers and owed them nothing and since that time never bought nor offered to Buy any more such Physick c. yet Men have Yearly made spoil of my Goods pretending they want Pay of me for their Physick which I would not have taken upon their Gift for I have met with a far better Physician who can Cure all manner of Diseases and therefore I wtll deal with them and their Physick no more and this is a Physician of Value who can and is willing to Cure all manner of inward Diseases of the Souls of those who with all their Hearts commit themselves to him and his Heavenly Orderings and neither requireth nor plundereth for Tythes nor other Wages for his Excellent Cure when fully performed But these Men that
pretend to be Spiritual Physicians though they confess themselves to be all overspread with the Contagion and Leprosie of Sin and believe that they and all People must be so whilst their Bodies live for their Preaching and Confessing is to that effect and so they are not like to Cure others of it though they hold their Trade of advising People against Sin that brings this Contagion and Leprosie upon them and others might as needfully advise the Pretended Physicians for they themselves know not how to be rid of their Leprosie yet these Pretenders claim and rob and make havock of Peoples Goods and cast them into Prison for Tythes and Wages for their Advice and pay for their unprofitable Physick though People have not had it nor would have neither Buy any of their deadly Physick And so they are worse than Gehazi who when his Master Elisha would receive nothing though freely offered for the Cure of the Leprosie of Naaman the Syrian being thro' Elisha's Advice 2 Kings 5. by dipping himself Seven times in Jordan fully performed yet this Gehazi being Covetous ran after Naaman and took somewhat of that he offered to Elisha which was given to Gehazi very freely and yet Elisha by the Manifestation of the Spirit of God knowing what he had done said to his Servant Gehazi The Leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy Seed for ever and he went out from his presence a Leper as white as Snow And now these Pretenders to be Spiritual Physicians though the Cure never be performed nor can be by their Directions and though People have nothing of Advice or Physick from them they are like Gehazi and so of his Seed spiritually for Gifts and Rewards yea and more for Tythes and Wages for their Advice or Physick and take it by force and so worse than their Father Gehazi and so the Leprosie of Naaman which clave unto Gehazi and unto his Seed cleaveth unto these Pretenders being spiritually of Gehazi his Seed and so they are all spiritually Lepers as indeed they know it and confess themselves to be spiritually Leprous being sensible of it by the Light in their own Hearts which they hate because it reproveth for their unrighteous Doings and the Children of the Light see their Leprosie which cleaveth to them spiritually to be even as white as Snow so plain to be seen But the Light of Christ Jesus which reproveth for Sin in the Hearts and in the Consciences of People though it may be despised and rejected 2 Kings 5.11 12. as Naaman despised Jordan before he tryed it as in the Love of it any receiveth it and with a true Heart obeyeth it it will direct such a one to the spiritual Jordan which is by Interpretation the River of Judgment which is inwardly to be known where Christ Baptizeth with his Holy Spirit and washeth away the Contagious Leprosie of Sin and healeth the Bruises and Wounds and loathsom putâ—ifying Sores which Sin had made in the Soul as the dipping and washing in it is time after time abode in and that in true faithfulness and therefore they who have tryed the Vertue of it do freely recommend the tryal of its Vertue to all who are ignorant of it and are willing to be recovered from the spiritual Leprosie of Sin And now I heartily acknowledge my great Errour who being in a wretched sinful state my self did undertake and promise for Infants that which I then believed impossible for me ever to perform my self to wit That they should forsake the Devil and all his Works and keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of their lives Oh what an abominable thing is it thus to Promise and Vow unto God who knoweth the Secrets of all Hearts that Children shall do that which a Man who promiseth it believeth that he shall never be able to do himself God accepteth of no such Sureties For it is a Ridiculous thing amongst Man for a Man to become Surety for the Debt of others that is never like to be able to pay the one half of his own Debt And then certainly God will not so be mocked and therefore let this serve for a warning to all that hear or read this that they undertake no such thing for the Lord will plead with all who are found in such things by his Light in their Consciences and he will fight against them with the Sword of his Mouth Rev. 2.16 Acts 3.22 23. Joh. 13.7 8 9. and every Soul that will not hear his Voice the Word of his Grace and Light in their Hearts and Consciences and suffer him thereby to wash them in his spiritual Baptism they have no part in him but shall be cut off And though some pretend that the Children sprinkled may receive Benefit by the Faith of their Sureties 1 King 17.17 to 24. 2 King 4.18 to 37. Luke 8.49 Luke 7.10 called Godfathers and Godmothers and alledge Examples to prove it as the Widows Son being raised to Life and Jairus Daughter also by the Faith of their Parents and the Centurions Servant restored to Health by the Faith of his Master and such others but this proveth nothing at all to their purpose for there is no mention made of Godfathers nor Godmothers nor of them promising any thing for the Parties restored nor yet of Water Baptism nor of paying the Priest for it and the Lord is often pleased and hath been formerly to answer the Desires and Cries that he hath begotten in the Hearts of his Faithful Ones upon the behalf of others in making them Instrumental in his Hand for the Benefit of whom it pleaseth him but it doth not follow that God requireth one Man to be Surety for another and especially to perform that which he believeth he cannot not perform himself Rom. 14.12 Mat. 12.36 but every one must give account of himself to God and that of every idle word And what a Ridiculous Prophane and Foolish thing doth it appear to be and without the least Ground of Scripture to Teach Children to say Such a one is my Godfather 2 Cor. 1.11 12. or Godmother Is it not far more absurd than that which Paul reproved the Corinthians for because they said I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cophas and I of Christ Nevertheless it is of absolute Necessity to Salvation that every one be truly careful to perform that which they say was promised in their Baptism to wit That they should forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flish but do not their Teachers teach them when they have their Money and this Promise of them to believe that they cannot perform this Promise whilst they live in this World And is not that confused Baptizing and Teaching And how should it be otherwise being composed in Babylon that is in Confusion in the False
Ministers of Christ whose Travail and Preaching often is and hath been in the hazard of their Lives and outward Estates And they that receive believe in walk in and continue in the New Covenant of the Everlasting Gospel of God which is the Light Grace Law and Spirit of God in their Hearts there is no need for them to be subject to Ordinances of Men nor to be burdened writh ther Traditions 2 Cor. 3. nor to be in Bondage to weak and beggarly Elements in their true Worship of God John 4.24 Col. 2.20 Rom. 8.21 Gal. 5.1 Gal. 4.9 which is in his Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and such are all led and taught by the Spirit of God and stand fast in the glorious Liberty of the Children of God wherewith Christ hath made them free from the Yoak of Bondage to outward Elements Ordinances and Traditions of Men. And the Children of God who stand in their Liberty are the Babes unto whom the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God are revealed which are hid from the Wise and Prudent of the World Mac. 11.25 and these Babes have believed the Record of the Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these Three are One and this is the Record that God hath given unto them Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son and these Babes believe on the Son of God 1 John 5.1 2 to 12. and have in themselves the Record or Witness being One in signification and this is the Witness of God which is greater than the Witness of Men which Witness the Spirit beareth because the Spirit is Truth and so there are Three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these Three agree in One witnessing with the Spirits of these Babes who are true Christians that they are the Children of God And these are not dead Witnesses as outward Water is dead but are living Witnesses John 6.63 1 Cor. 15.45 for the living Spirit beareth Witness 2 Cor. 3.6 Tit. 3.5 Jer. 4.14 John 4.10 Isa 4.4 1 John 1.7 which Spirit quickeneth and giveth Life and the living Water beareth Witness which Water washeth the Heart from filth and wickedness which Water Christ giveth to them that are athirst and ask and the Blood which is not dead for the Blood is the Life Dent. 12.23 beareth Witness which Blood cleanseth them that walk in the Light as God is in the Light from all sin And so these Three the Spirit and the Water and the Blood agree in One witnessing or bearing Witness in the Earth to wit the Hearts of true Christians of and unto the inward Baptism of Christ And these Babes being Born not of Corruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. Heb. 4.12 Eph. 6.17 Eph. 6.25 but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword 1 Pet. 2.2 which is the Sword of the Spirit of God by which the true inward Circumcision is made and the true inward Baptism of Christ in the Heart wrought These as now Born Babes desiring the sincere Milk of this Living Word how should their tender Heavenly Father who knoweth all their Needs and Necessities but afford them Nourishment by the same that they may grow thereby And though these Babes at the first be but as unskilful in the Word of Righteousness Heb. 5.12 13.14 Col. 2.19 and use as it were Milk and not strong Meat yet as they truly hunger after the Divine Milk of this Word they come to be satisfied therewith and nourished thereby and so they grow and increase with the increase of God till they come to have their senses truly exercised by reason of use to discern both good and evil and then the Apostle calleth them perfect or of full Age as some Translate to whom strong Meat belongeth and so then they know an eating of the Bread of God which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World And Christ said If any Man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and saith he The Bread that I will give is my Flesh John 6.32 33 to 63. which I will give for the Life of the World and he said to the Jews Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last Day for my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him as the Living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me shall live by me This is the Bread that came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead he that eateth this Bread shall live for ever and to them that murmured at these sayings Christ said Doth this offend you What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life And so it is plain Mat. 4.4 that true Christians live by the words that Christ speaketh in their Hearts and Souls and Consciences by his Light and Grace the answering of which in faithful Obedience is as Meat and Drink to their Souls and they know the Law of the Mouth of God to be better unto them John 14.10 Psal 119.72 Mal. 2.7 than Thousands of Gold and Silver And as in Times past under the Law the Priests Lips were to keep Knowledge Col. 2.3 and the People were to seek the Law at his Mouth so the Lips of Christ who is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck they keep Knowledge and in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and all true Christians inwardly seek the Law at his Mouth and their Souls live by the words that proceed out of it Psal 26.8.9 1 Tim. 6.16 Isa 60.19 and these are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of God's House who dwelleth in the Light and these drink of the River of his Pleasures for with him is the Fountain of Life and in his Light they see Light and the Lord will be unto them an Everlasting Light and their God their Glory But they that believe not in the Light of Christ in their Hearts but rebel against it and kick against the Pricks and Reproofs of it how should such be satisfied with the fatness of God's House Or how should such know an eating of the Bread that Christ giveth which is his Flesh and Blood and a dwelling in Christ and Christ in them Or how should such know the words that Christ speaketh unto them by his Light Grace and
Spirit in their Hearts to be Spirit and Life unto their Souls And if they know not neither witness these things in some measure in themselves how then can they know themselves to be true Christians For true Christians know that they are of God and the whole World lyeth in wickedness and can truly say 1 John 5.18 19 20. We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an Understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and Eternal Life Also to them who believed in the Light John 8.12 and learned to deny themselves and follow him that they might enjoy the Light of Life Christ said I am the true Vine my Father is the Husbandman ye are the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit John 15. for without me ye can do nothing if ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples as the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love this is my Commandment that ye love one another even as I have loved you If the World hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you if ye were of the World the World would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you And as Christ said I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman he also said Every Branch IN ME that beareth not Fruit he taketh away and every Branch that beareth Fruit John 15. he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit Now said he to his are ye clean through the Word that I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you as the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me for without me ye can do nothing If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered And so they that are true Christians and Children of God and Members of Christ being Taught by his Light and Grace in their Hearts in which they have believed they are Branches of Christ the true Vine and they partake of the Nourishment that through the true Vine is extended unto them the Branches as they abide in the Vine but they that abide not in him the Vine are cast forth as Branches and are withered which answereth to the other saying of Christ to wit Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood John 6.53 ye have no Life in you For this answereth to the eating of the Flesh and drinking of the Blood of Christ And as the Branches in the Vine live by Nourishment of the Life of the Vine in whom they abide so they that eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ saith he they dwell in me and I in them 1 Cor. 12.27 Eph. 4.16 Eph. 5.29 30. and he that eate home shall live by me saith Christ And so the Branches of the Vine feed upon and drink or suck in of the Sap or Life of the Vine and live by it as also the Members of the Body do by the Nourishment of the Body And also Christ said I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep And said he I know my Sheep and am known of mine for saith he they know my Voice and they sollow me John 10. and I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck them out of my Hand but he said to the Jews who believed not in the Light as he commanded but were Taught by the Doctrines and Traditions of Men ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you my Sheep hear my Voice So Christ is the good Shepherd who feedeth his Sheep with his own Life as well as the true Vine whereof his Sheep are the Branches John 6.48 to 58. and partake of the very Life and Nature of him the Vine who is the Bread of Life of which if any Man eat he shall live for ever and dwell in Christ and Christ in him and so they are as the Vine and the Branches dwelling in each other and such Branches bear Fruit to the Glory of the Vine in which they dwell which Fruit and Branches are precious in the Eye of God the Husbandman to whom Glory belongs and is ascribed for ever And these Branches are the Sheep of Christ their good Shepherd and they hear and diligently hearken unto the Voice or Light or Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts and the words thereof unto them spoken they are SPIRIT and they are LIFE and so they know his quickening Spirit to minister Life to their Souls in which they live and grow and bring forth excellent Isa 4.2 3 4. and comely Fruit whereby God their Heavenly Father is glorified And because many believe not the words of Christ concerning the eating of the Bread of Life and the eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood but murmured and went back and walked no more with him therefore he said to the Twelve Disciples Will ye also go away John 6.66 to 70. And one answered saying Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of Eternal Life and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the Living God So they were satisfied and knew him by the words of Eternal Life which he spake unto them And so he will satisfie all who truly hunger and thirst after him by the words of his Spirit if they believe in the Light and obey it But those that are in Unbelief and Disobedience to the Light in their own Hearts they have no such satisfaction for the Light which inwardly reproveth them for sin and disobedience is the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ by which he speaketh unto his Sheep who know his Voice and satisfieth them with the words of Eternal Life and with the Bread of Life and Water of Life unto which Isa 55.1 â—er 22.17 by his Light or spiritual Voice he inviteth all that thirst to come and take and drink freely without Money and without Price But they that Rebel against the Light Prov. 6.23 and will not hearken to its Reprof they err from the Way of Life and Understanding Prov. 21.16 though never so worldly-wise and they remain among the Congregation of the Dead and cannot in that state know a feeding upon the Bread of Life nor a drinking of the Water of Life which Christ giveth to the Faithful
14. and take which Water whosoever drinketh shall never thirst their Souls will not want Refreshment from any outward Bread John 7.37 38. Wine or Water but saith Christ the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up into Eternal Life Now observe it was Christ's Disciples who had learned of him to deny themselves and to take up their Cross to their own wills daily and who had left all to follow him with whom he desired to eat and did eat the Passeover and whom he so instructed by the Bread and Wine which shewed forth his Death But there was a great difference between these his Disciples and the Priests of those Times 1 Cor. 5.7 who were very strict in keeping the Passeover which Typified Christ the true Passeover and caused him to be Crucified and so all that will not be instructed by the Light of Christ in their own Hearts nor learn of him that they may truly be his Disciples nor will not deny themselves nor take up their Cross nor follow Christ spiritually such may be strict in their outward Performances wherein they know not what they do Crucifying Christ afresh in their Affections and in their Lusts but God is displeased with all such their Performances And they who disobey the Light of Christ in their own Hearts and Consciences are all ignorant of the true spiritual Food which Christ daily ministreth to the Souls of the Children of the Light and such depend upon the Shadow or Ceremony not enjoying the Substance and as such as they did by Christ formerly so now they number among Transgressors the Children of God who feed upon the Bread of Life the Flesh and Blood of Christ and know the end of the things concerning him Now People may eat Bread and drink Wine in remembrance of Christ and of his Death also and yet not spiritually eat the Flesh nor drink the Blood of Christ for they are two different things and the Apostle Paul reproving the Corinthians for some abuses about their eating and drinking in their Assemblies and of themselves mentioneth the words of Christ to wit this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.20 to 28. and concerning the Cup he renders the Command thus to wit this do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me and saith Paul As often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Where it is to be observed that the Corinthians being newly Convinced and in a weak estate of Faith of which mention is often made in this first Epistle of Paul to them and being in the use of this Ceremony of eating and drinking in their Assemblies they performed it as a Religious Act and so it is to all those that use it as a Religious Act for as much as therein their end is to remember the Lord's Body that was Crucified for them and his Blood that was shed for them and to shew the Lord's Death But to remember the Lord and his Body and Blood and to shew forth his Death is not the same as to partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ for the Lord and his Death may be remembred by those who do not truly partake of his Flesh and Blood And the words of the Command mentioned by Paul are also to be considered to wit This do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me which Command doth not imply that they were always to continue in that Ceremony of outward eating and drinking in their Assemblies in remembrance of Christ the continuance of it was not so positively commanded Gen. 17.9 to 14. as the continuance of Circumcision was and also of keeping the Passeover for Circumcision was commanded of God Exod. 12.14 to be in their Flesh for an Everlasting Covenant and the Passeover was commanded of God Phil. 3.2 3. Rom. 2.28 1 Cor. 5.7 Gal. 4.10.11 to be kept a Feast by an Ordinance for ever and yet the true Apostle of Christ under the Gospel Dispensation laboured to bring People out of the outward use of them to witness them inwardly in themselves but that saying in the said Command about the Cup to wit As oft as ye do it implieth that they were not enjoined how oft they should do it nor how long they should continue in that practice and so though the Corinthians Rom. 14. or others were then in such a practice it is not binding upon others to use it no more than was observations of Days or making a difference between Meats And those that do truly partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ as he himself saith they dwell in him as the Branches do in the Vine and he dwelleth in them John 6.56 John 15.5 as the Life of the Vine extendeth thorow all its living Branches and therefore such cannot but remember him as naturally as a Man remembereth his natural Food when hungry or thirsty and so they need no Ceremonies to put them in remembrance of him or of his Death who always bear about in the Body the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 that the Life also of Jesus may be made manifest in their Body And so such truly know Christ to be come the Abolisher of Ceremonies and outward Typical Ordinances And so it is good for every one to be a Disciple of Christ which none can be but who learneth of him by his Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts which reproveth for sin before they presume to eat Bread and drink Wine thereby to shew forth his Death lest they eat and drink their own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body And if any believe it is their Duty so to take or use Bread and Wine and make it a matter of Conscience to forbear yet if they do not so prepare and examine themselves as is required of all that appear before the All-seeing Eye of God to perform every Religious Act whatsoever then surely they do it unworthily and instead of feeding upon the precious Flesh and Blood of Christ or of truly remembring him or shewing forth his Death they make themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so they unworthily eating and drinking the Cup of the Lord as it is to them they eat and drink Damnation to themselves And though such pretend to be sorry for their sins whereby Christ is as in them Crucified and seem to be thankful for what Christ hath done for them who laid down his Life for them yet they are in the same Spirit in which formerly were the Jews Scribes and Pharisees who garnished the Sepulchres of the Prophets and said If we had lived in the Days of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the Blood of the
no necessity for Christians to observe them and also writing to the Colossians concerning the same matter he plainly giveth the Reason further Why no Man ought so to judge which is Christ's blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances Col. 2.14 to 17. that was against us and contrary to us and taking it out of the way nailing it to his Cross And as there was no necessity for them in the Apostles time so now surely there is no occasion for them for their outward Water and outward Bread and Wine have been long used and preached of amongst People and yet People that use them and pay for them are as ignorant of Christ the Spiritual Baptizer and Spiritual Bread of Life as ever they were Isa 55.2 so they spend their Money for that which is not Bread for their Souls as it is pretended and their labour for that which satisfieth not Certainly they that buy of such Merchandize make as bad a Bargain as possibly can be for neither doth it profit them neither have they any occasion to buy it when as Christ saith Rev. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the Water of Life freely And saith by the Prophet Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness But they that sell their Baptism and their Bread and Wine and their Preaching and the like and they that buy of them also are not inclined thereby but in dependance thereof are hindred to come to and believe in the Light the Voice of Christ in their own Hearts whereby Christ inviteth all to come and take of the Water of Life that thirst after it and so such are far from the enjoyment of the Rich Satisfaction which Christ giveth to the Souls of the Children of the Light though they may talk largely of these things Prov. 3.18 Job 28.12 to 28. for Death and Hell have heard of the Fame of Wisdom who is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and though such may read and use and profess all the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ yet not being led by the same Spirit that they were and the Children of the Light who are Members of Christ are and have been led in all Ages though they may profess the same yet they are prevailed upon by the contrary Spirit and are as lulled asleep in security by the power of their deceitful Enemy the Man of Sin who with his Signs without the living substance satisfieth them as with a Dream for an hungry Man may Dream that he is eating but when he is awakened out of his sleep Joel 1.5 Eph. 5.14 Rom. 13.11 12 behold nothing but Hunger and Famine and when any such whereof I have been one come to be truly awakened then they may plainly see what substance or service their Signs and Shadows are of and how insignificant they are to the satisfying of their Souls And so the use of those things which formerly might be of benefit for the Instruction of some is now to many a means to keep them in Ignorance for it was ever the endeavour of the Devil the Man of Sin to draw the Minds of People from obedience to the Light Neh. 9.20 Job 24.13 and Spirit of God which God giveth to instruct them though many rebel against it into a satisfaction in outward Performances without the Spirit which were never acceptable unto God for the Lord in all Ages required People to obey his Voice which is the Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts as plainly appeareth by these places of holy Scripture Jer. 7.21 to 25. 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Isa 1.11 to 20. and Chap. 66.1 to 4. Jer. 14.12 Hos 5.6 Hos 8.13 Amos 5.21 22. Micah 6.6 to 9. Mat. 15.1 to 9. Mark 7.1 to 23. And so Christ standeth at the Door of Peoples Hearts and by his Voice or Light knocketh and reproveth for sin Rev. 3.20 Luke 22.29.30 Luke 17.21 Rev. 2.17 Rev. 22.14 17 And if any Man hear his Voice and open the Door Christ will come in to him and sup with him and he with him at his heavenly Table in his Kingdom which is within and this is a blessed Supper to eat of the hidden Manna and of the Tree of Life and to drink of the Water of Life freely But this sweet Satisfaction all they are ignorant of who depend upon Signs and Shadows and Mens Traditional Ordinances and neglect the Light the Voice of Christ in their Hearts And they that have builded as it were strong Cities in their own Conceivings as upon Christ the true Foundation 1 Cor. 3.13 13 14. Isa 10.17 18. Isa 17.9.10 11 Isa 51.4 to 9. Isa 30.26 27 28. whether it be as Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay or Stubble the Spiritual Day of God the Light whereof to the Children of God revealeth the Man of Sin and his Works shall declare every Man's Work of what sort it is and every Man's Work that will not abide the fiery Tryal thereof shall be burnt and all their strong Cities shall be as a forsaken Bough who forget the God of their Salvation and are not mindful of the Voice and Light of Christ the Rock of their Strength And the Harvest of all their Planting and Sowing and Building shall be a heap in the Day of Grief and of desperate Sorrow But the Times of Ignorance God hath winked at Acts 17.30 and in the woful Night of the Apostacy of the Nations who have generally fallen away from the Spirit and Doctrine of Christ and his Holy Apostles though they had the Holy Scriptures to peruse certainly the God of Mercy hath appeared by the Light of his Son in the Hearts of many in that dark time whose Minds being inclined truly after him he hath comforted them according to the innocency of their Hearts and in some measure satisfied them with his Mercy they answering him according to what was revealed unto them in them though through Education and the Traditions of Men they were kept in the use of outward Ceremonies And many in those dark Times who faithfully minded the Appearance of Christ by his Light in their Hearts they grew strong in the Faith and saw the emptiness of Signs and Ceremonies and Shadows and were enabled by the Light the Word of God's Power in their Hearts to stand in the Controversie of God witnessing for him according to what they knew against all the Gross and Idolatrous Practices and against the Errour and Deceit of the Man-made Priests and Teachers of the Times wherein they lived Mic. 7.1 Isa 17.6 7 8 Although those in Comparison of the multitudes resisting were but as the Grape-gleanings of the Vintage or
Satisfaction Psal 29.11 the Lord will give strength unto them and plentifully bless them with his Peace which passeth all the Understending of Men and it will rule in their Hearts and keep their Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus in a continual watchfulness against the Adversary of their Souls Peace and also in a continual earnest breathing or praying to the Lord for a daily and constant supply of the Heavenly Bread and Water of Life without which they know their Souls cannot live unto God but the Power of Death and Darkness will again prevail in them and over them And all those that in and by the Light the Word of God's Grace have Authority from Christ in the Movings of his Spirit and in the Constrainings of his Love in their Hearts to preach his Everlasting Gospel such preach not for Gifts visible Rewards Tythes nor outward Benefices neither Covet they any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparels but their labour of Love in the Service of Christ is to bring People from the Teachings of Men which are fallible to the Teachings of their Teacher which is the true Light even the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared to all Men which was the Teacher of the Apostles of Christ which Teacher is Infallible that all by receiving his Teachings and believing in the sufficiency of this Grace Light or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts which is given to every Man to profit withal might so far profit therewith as to become Children of the Light and so Children of God Isa 48.17 18. who are all led of the Spirit of God who reacheth his People to profit And also that being delivered from the Bondage of Corruption and the Corruptible Traditions and Ordinances of Men all such may know and enjoy the glorious Liberty of the Children of God who are not to be subject to such Traditions or Ordinances and this is the Doctrine of the true Ministers of Christ as appeareth by these and many other places of Holy Scripture Rom. 8. Chap. 2 Cor. 3.2 to 18. Gal. 4.1 to 15. Gal. 5.1 to 26. Eph. 2.1 to 22. Col. 1 and 2. Chapters Heb. 8 9 and 10. Chapters Mat. 10.7 8 9 10. 1 Tim. 6.3 to 12. Acts 20.24 to 36. 2 Cor. 12.8 to 20. 1 Cor. 9.16 to 23. 2 Pet. 1.18 19. Heb. 12.22 to 26. Rev. 2.7 17 29. Rev. 3. But they who in their Humane Wisdom or Learning or both for the love of Money Gifts Rewards Tythes Benefices outward Interest or Promotion undertake to Preach and style themselves Ministers of the Gospel of Christ and claim the precious Name of Christianity such mock at the mentioning of the Movings and Leadings and Gindings of the Spirit of Christ whereby it appeareth that they are not moved nor led nor guided by it in their preaching and so it is another Spirit even the Spirit of the Man of Sin by which they are moved to Preach for it must be the one of the two Spirits that moveth them but he that hath not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.8 to 17. 3 Cor. 12.3 is none of his and so is no true Christian and no Man can truly say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit so it is plain that he that is not moved led and guided by the Holy Spirit of Christ is none of the Ministers of Christ And such Preachers have only their Authority from Men by which they Preach and not at all from God as all true Ministers of the Gospel have and so their Labour is quite contrary to the Labour of the Ministers of Christ for they preach up Signs Ceremonies Ordinances and Traditions of Men and labour to keep People in dependance upon them which are all to perish with the using that thereby they may keep them in Ignorance to receive admire and depend upon their Teachings that for their Preaching they may pay them Wages Tythes Easter Reckonings Midsummer Dues c. as they call them or give them Gifts Rewards Honours or Esteem and so with their Signs and all their other Endeavours they labour to keep People from believing in the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ Acts 20.32 Tit. 2.11 12. the Word of God's Grace in their own Hearts which is the Teacher of all true Christians and which bringeth Salvation Isa 5.13 John 6.45 Heb. 8.10 11. Jor. 31.34 that so they may keep them in dependance upon Man's Teachings and from the Teachings of God who teacheth all his Children and all true Christians who must all know him from the least even to the greatest of them And if any Pleaders for Signs or Ceremonies think themselves obliged to the use of them by reason of any Command from Christ or his Apostles yet they may certainly know and that is more than think that they make not near so great a matter of the other plain and positive Commands of Christ and his Apostles but generally act quite contrary to many of them as plainly appeareth for Christ commanded his Ministers Mat. 10.8 Mat. 19.27 to 30 Mark 10.28 to 31. Tuke 14.33 saying Freely ye have received freely give but because many such Preachers have paid dear for their Learning therefore perhaps they may not think that Command obliging upon them but they may read that they to whom this Command was given had left all to follow Christ and Christ saith He that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple And whether such Preachers have freely received or not all may see that they are far from freely giving their Preaching or Ministry who Persecute cast into Prison or make Spoil or Havock of the Goods of Innocent People only because they cannot receive their Teaching nor pay them for it nor for their Ceremonies such as Bread and Wine and outward Baptism or others which they make a Trade of to get Money by which is quite contrary to the Command of Christ and of his Apostles and so such are also far from for saking all for the sake of Christ and far from being his Disciples or keeping his Commands And Christ said to his Ministers Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves Mat. 20.1 to 42. be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves but they that Persecute or cast into Prison others for not paying them for their Preaching or their Ceremonies they obey not this Command being far from the harmlesness of Doves and indeed they are not so wise as the Serpent who hath deceived them and blinded their Minds with the love of outward things with which they know not how soon they must part so that they cannot see the things which concern Everlasting Peace yet the Serpent hath endued them with much of his Wisdom whereby both they themselves and many others throgh them are deceived but the Children of the Light in the Wisdom that cometh from above see beyond all his and
their deceit and they often with much exercise experience that such as claim Tythes c. for their Preaching and Ceremonies though in the Serpents Wisdom they may cover as with Sheeps cloathing they are inwardly and often manifest it outwardly as ravening Wolves amongst Sheep and not as Sheep amongst Wolves and so they observe not Christ's Command of being harmless as Doves And likewise Christ and his Apostle commanded saying Mat. 5.33 to 38. Jam. 5.12 Swear not at all neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest ye fall into Condemnation and this the Apostle commanded above all things And Christ said Whatsoever is more than yea yea and nay nay cometh of evil but the Pleaders for Ceremonies Signs and Shadows they make light of this great Command and plead generally for Swearing and at their very entrance into their Office or Calling to get their Tythes or Wages c. they must Swear and so break the Commandment of Christ at the beginning of their pretended Ministry of his Gospel in which they Preach up Signs and Ceremonies for which they can find no such plain nor positive Command from Christ or from his Apostles as they may find against any Swearing at all And of what success to the good of any can their Ministry be the beginning of which is indisobedience to the strict and positive Command of Christ And it is evident by many undoubted Histories and Records of the Transactions of former Times that true Christians as well under Apostatized Titular Christians as under Heathens have deeply suffered for their Obedience to Christ's Command in denying to Swear upon any account and it is also evident that the Preachers up of Signs and Ceremonies who plead for Swearing get more Tythes and Money for their Preaching than they could get by denying of Swearing but if according to the Apostles intimation by Swearing they are fallen into Condemnation who can get them out again though they should give him all their Tythes and Money to get them out So it is very plain that they who pretend by Command from Christ to preach up Ceremonies Signs or what they call Sacraments do practice disobedience to several of the plain and positive Commands of Christ but above all that weighty and positive Command of Christ concerning Faith Heb. 11.6 without which it is impossible to please God which Command is this John 12.36 While ye have light believe in the light that ye may be children of light this they cannot endure to hear of they are far surely from keeping it and what a Faith have they who believe not as Christ commandeth to believe Now every one that doth evil hateth the light John 3.16 to 21. neither cometh to the light lest his Deeds should be reproved and so such are far from believing in the light neither would they have others to believe in it who hate and speak evil of the light as the Ceremony-Preachers generally appear to do but they who have come to the light and brought their Deeds to the light Mat. 24.24 Mat. 7.15 to 20. and thro' Faith in it are become Children of light these know False Prophets by their Fruits and their Signs as Christ foretold and many of their own Followers also are convinced by the light of Christ in their own Hearts though but as strangers to it of much Deceit and Hypocrifie amongst them and they that take heed to this light that inwardly reproveth for sin and give up their Hearts in the love of it to answer the requirings of it to them it will discover daily more and more but they that resist it and go from it the God of this World even the Spirit of the Man of Sin who prevaileth upon such with his Power and Signs blindeth their Minds and so the Blind leading Mat. 15.14 and following the Blind both fall into the Ditch And if any reckon their Ceremonies as necessary to distinguish them from others as Turks Mahometans and Jews c. who do not at all believe that Christ the Messiah is come in the Flesh yet there is no ground for such an Assertion for they are more distinct from them who use no such Ceremonies Ordinances nor Traditional Observations at all for the Turks Mahometans Jews and Heathens all of them have many such things though not the same yet as ridiculous as any of theirs that profess Christianity and they are not like to change their own Ceremonies and Observations for others with them or by the Perswasions of them who can shew no better ground for their own than can be shown for sprinkling of Infants and having to them Godfathers and God mothers so called c. And so that which maketh the People of God to be best distinguished from Turks Mahometans outward Jews and Heathens is to take heed unto believe in and obey the true light of Christ in their Hearts and Consciences wherewith he lighteth all without exception which is the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation â—â—t 2.11 12. and hath appeared to all Men teaching those that are willing to be taught of it to deny all ungodliness and worldly Lusts to wit Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Gal. 5.14.20 21. Wrath Strife Covetousness Emulations Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revelling and such like things in which Turks Mahometans outward Jews and Heathens are generally too apt to be sound and all that are in these or any of these things though they profess Christianity are yet but as in the same ground with them and so little distinction but in Name can be made betwixt them But they that are faithfully given up in their Hearts and Minds to obey the light the saving Grace of God it teacheth them to live soberly Gal. 5.22 23 24. righteously and godly in this present World and so to live in peace love long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness and temperance and so here is a clear distinction between these who are true Christians and these called turks Mahometans outward Jews and Heathens who generally live in ungodliness and worldly Lusts though some of them for Temperance and Moderation have far exceeded many Professors of Christianity who unworthily claimed the Name of Christians But they seem to imitate the Jews who have and plead for Typical Ceremonies Heb. 9.9 10.11 12. and Ordinances for Meats and Drinks and divers Washings and Observations of certain Days Gal. 2. and Times wherein they command to abstain from some sorts of Meats or from labour but they seem to exceed the Jews concerning Times of Marriage Col. 2. who forbid Marriage at some particular Days Rom. 14.6 or Months or Times or to their Priests some forbid Marriage at any time But such were Prophesied of by the Apostle of Christ who accounted forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats 1 Tim. 4.1 2
Ceremonies and Traditions look upon these Two Ceremonies which they call Sacraments to wit outward Baptism and eating Bread and drinking Wine which they call the Lord's Supper to be now practiced and of necessity to be used because of a Command of Christ or his Apostles therefore what is here before-written though much might be added is that all concerned may see and examine and know that without the substance in some measure enjoyed the Types and Ceremonies never profited at all and that by believing in and obeying and walking according to the Teachings of the Grace or Light of Christ in their own Hearts and Consciences they may in the Fellowship and Unity of all the Children of God John 6.51 to 58. Luke 22.15 to 31. Luke 17.20 21. enjoy true satisfaction by the Bread of Life which Christ freely giveth to all true Christians which Bread is his Flesh and likewise may drink freely of the Wine of the Kingdom of God which Christ termed as the Blood of the Grape which is his Blood which he giveth to true Christians to drink at his Table in his Kingdom which is within And so in and by the Light and Spirit of Christ they may know and enjoy the liberty of true Christianity from the Bondage of and unto any sort of weak and beggarly Ements Types Signs Ceremonies Ordinances and Traditions of Men which after Mens Doctrines and Commandments are all to perish with the using and into the use of which the Man of Sin is apt to lead People and the Devil himself may creep into the use of them And the Man of Sin likewise alloweth or rather teacheth to his Followers in whom he ruleth by his Power in a Profession of Christianity to use more Signs than those of Baptism and of Bread and Wine for which there is no ground at all from Christ or his Apostles nor is there any mention of any Command for such things in the Scriptures of Truth all which are too many to be mentioned here but some of them may be noted As the white Linnen or Surplice which their Priest or Minister must wear when he readeth Prayers c. which is reckoned to be a Sign of or else taken for the true fine Linnen Rev. 19.7 8. clean and white which is the Righteousness of the Saints which is given to the Lamb's Wife the Church and Spouse of Christ to be arrayed with Jer. 23.6 Jer. 33.15 16 Mâ—â— 4.2 3. Now the Righteousness of the Saints is Christ of whom it was Prophesied that he should be called The Lord our Righteousness and he is called the Branch of Righteousness and the Sun of Righteousness and in him is the true light that enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and unto them that fear the Name of the Lord Luke 1.78 79. Zech. 3.8 will he arise with healing in his Wings and they shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall and shall tread down the wicked that shall be as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet And this Sun of Righteousnes which is Christ arrayeth those that believe in 2 Cor. 4.6 and love and obey and walk in his light which shineth in their Hearts with his glorious Beams and puts on them the white Robe of Righteousness for these walk in the light of the Lamb that takes away the Unrighteousness Rev. 7.13 14. Rev. 12.11 Rev. 14.4 5. and they follow him though it be thorow great Tribulation whithersoever he goeth or leadeth and these are they that overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony who love not their Lives unto Death and coming out of great Tribulation wash their Robes and make them white in the Blood of the Lamb. But the Priest's Surplice is not washed after that manner but rather in the spoil of other Peoples Goods gotten by Deceit or Violence and when it is washed and made as white as he can get it made yet the Leprofie of Gehazi 2 King â— 27 which cleaveth to his Seed for ever which was and is as white as Snow is as plain to be seen upon the Priest's Mind by the single Eye as his white Surplice is to be seen upon his Back by the natural Eye for all that covet Gifts or Rewards for Preaching or the like are of the Seed of Gehazi and much more Persecutors for Wages for their Preaching are plain to be seen so to be being worse than Gehazi And another Sign which the Man of Sin teacheth and alloweth to his Followers is the Sign of the Cross of Christ as they call it which they make of Gold Silver Wood or Stone c. which in the Wisdom of the Man of Sin is highly exalted in the Popes Territories but the Exalters of this Sign of the Cross refuse to take up the daily Cross of Christ who is the Power and Wisdom of God and the preaching of the Cross of Christ is to them that perish foolishness but to them that are saved it is the Power of God whereby the World is Crucified to them and they unto the World and the Apostles preaching of the Cross of Christ 1 Cor. 1.17 to 30. was a stumbling-block to them that required a Sign and so it is now and it was foolishness to them that sought after Wisdom and so it is now Luke 9.23 and Christ saith If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me Now this true self-denial and taking up daily of the Cross of Christ that Crucifieth to the World and Crucifieth the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof it is not so light a matter as is the taking up of a little Golden or Silver or Wooden Cross and the carrying of it which pleaseth the Carnal Mind that is Enmity against God and would have the Mind satisfied with the Sign Eph. 2.16 though it be far from the Substance Rom. 8.6 7. for the Cross of Christ Crucifyeth the Carnal Mind and Slayeth the Enmity in those that daily bear it and all that know the state of true Christianity they inwardly know a daily taking up and bearing of the Spiritual Cross of Christ Gal. 5.24 which in them Crucifieth the Carnal Mind and the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts and thereby their Souls come to witness liberty in the Service of Christ and to answer his Requirings by his light in their Hearts and such need not to make or carry outward Crosses to put them in mind of the Crucifixion of Christ For the Admirers and Carriers of outward Crosses pretend that they are helpful to put them in Mind that Christ was Crucified for them when as they may carry as many of them as they can bear on their Backs and yet be Crucifying Christ inwardly and so there is a great difference between the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God without the taking up and bearing of
used and for meeting together to Worship God in his Fear Spirit and Truth and they were Imprisoned and extream hardly used in so much that in their Petition to the Parliament they reckoned the Cruelty of their Persecutors to exceed the Cruelty of the Heathenish and Popish professed Tyrants and Persecutors and said The Records of the Heathen Persecutions under Nero Trajan Decius Galienus Maximinian c. could scarcely afford any Examples of the like Cruelty that was used to them they craved but the liberty either to die openly or live openly in the Land of their Nativity and many of them ended their Days in loathsom Prisons And Six of them were put to Death Sealing their Testimonies with their Blood whose Names follow viz. Henry Barrow and John Greenwood who were Executed at Tyburn John Penry at Thomas a Waterings near London William Denis at Thetford in Norfolk and one Coppin and one Elias at Edmundsbury in Suffolk And it appeareth by Records that the Chief Instruments of their Death was the Clergy and not the Queen for one Doctor Rainolds being by Queen Elizabeth much pressed to tell her what he thought concerning the said Barrow and Greenwood at last told her That he was perswaded if they had lived they would have been Two as worthy Instruments for the Church of God as hath said he been raised up in this Age then the Queen sighed and said no more But afterwards being near the place of their Suffering and calling it to mind she demanded of the Earl of Cumberland who was present at their Execution what an End they made he answered A very godly end and prayed for your Majesty and the State And there was a Famous Preacher one Phillips having seen and heard Barrow's Speeches and Preparation for Death who said Barrow Barrow my Soul be with thine And after Queen Elizabeth's Decease in the Reigns of King James and King Charles the First many called Puritans c. suffered greatly and some for no other Cause but for refusing to join with the publick Worship Established by the Bishops and for separating themselves from the Church of England were Banished the Land of England And this is observable that the Long Parliament in the Year 1644. denying the Common prayer Book and by an Assembly of Priests setting out a Directory for Publick Worship the generality of the Priests then Conformed to that calling the Common-prayer Book Popish Rags of Rome Dregs of the Whores Cup and the English Mass c. And when Oliver Cromwell was made Protector he took Course in the Year 1653. for the Glergies Recovering their Tythes and other Dues as they pretended and many of the People of God who were led by his Light and Spirit to testifie against Tythes and to deny to pay them because they could not uphold what Christ came to pull down and were also made willing with the hazarding of their Lives and Estates to preach the Everlasting Gospel of Christ freely in Sincerity and Truth denying to join with their Man-made Hypocritical Worship and telling them plainly that if they repented not God would overturn them as it came to pass many such then suffered deeply by and under their Cruelty who through Killing and taking Possession were come from a suffering state themselves into high Places of Earthly Authority where being setled they soon forgot their own Sufferings and their Covenants and Vows made to the Lord therein and trod in the Antichristian and Popish steps of Persecution themselves of whose Cruelty both Old England and New England are Witnesses but the Lord preserved his People in Constancy and Faithfulness to him in their great and many Sufferings But notwithstanding all the aforesaid Reflections against Popery and the Common-prayer Book when King Charles the Second was Restored in the Year 1660. and the Common-prayer Book enjoined again how generally it was received and entertained of the Clergy is yet fresh in the Memories of many and how the strictest sort of them in Times of Persecution joined with it again or crept into Corners and ran from their Assemblies upon the sight of Informers or the like it is very well known whereby it appeareth they themselves who contended against the true Light and the Faith that is in it thought their own Faith not worth suffering for as really it is not and so they could not abide Persecution But in Times of Toleration for Liberty of Conscience those would numerously appear in publick again though when a Storm of Persecution arose as in the latter end of the Reign of King Charles the Second then few of them durst appear But when King James the Second began his Reign and proclaimed Liberty of Conscience which is desirable to all People which hitherto continueth and is now by Act of Parliament confirmed then and since then the Corner-creepers have bodly appeared in publick again By what is premised it is plain and evident that they who were prevailed upon by the power of the Man of Sin the power of the Devil and of Darkness to disobey the Light the Word of God's Grace and Power in their own Hearts whatever they might profess of Christianity yet they went in the Way of the Man of Sin and as they persevered therein he came to be exalted in them over all that is called God and so he made them Liars Persecutors and Murderers like himself who was a Liar and a Murderer from the beginning and such could turn as the Times turned from one Religion or Profession to the contrary to and fro any whither to save themselves and their worldly things with which the God of the World hath blinded their Minds lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God 2 Cor. 4.3 4 5 6 7. who is Light should shine in them And also it is plain and evident that they that faithfully obeyed the Light and Spirit of Christ in their own Hearts they resisted the power of the Man of Sin in themselves and through Faith in the Word of God's Power in their Hearts were in good measure made Conquerors over the power of the Adversary in their Hearts and to the Honour of God through the same Faith and Obedience of his Light they were enabled patiently to undergo what their Antichristian Persecutors the Members of the Man of Sin were suffered to inflict upon them which was not only Imprisonment and loss of outward Enjoyments and Possessions but also to many Death it self they would rather part with Goods and Life and all than lose their Heavenly Treasure which God had given into their Earthen Vessels the Excellency of which Treasure and Power is of God and out of the sight of all those who disobey the Light of Christ in their Hearts And so they in whose Hearts God who commandeth the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ who not
only by his Light in his Faithful People revealeth the Man of Sin but also with the Spirit of his Mouth will consume and with the Brightness of his Coming will destroy the Man of Sin and his Works these having tasted and experienced something of the Goodness of God to their Souls not only of the Revelation but also of the Destruction of the Man of Sin and his Works in themselves and also having sweet and satisfactory Comfort and Consolation in their Hearts in the Love of God given unto them these cannot with the Times turn as Hypocrites do from one Profession of Religion to another for these are fully satisfied concerning the Way of God which is straight and narrow and not like the Ways of the Man of Sin the Devil the Serpent which are crooked like himself and broad and wide and can hold of all sorts of Professors and too many go in thereat But these being Children of the God of Truth who is Light they love to walk in their Fathers way which is the true Light and so they cannot neither dare they go out of it into the Ways of the Man of Sin and so serve him again in the least for they have had too much of his Tyrannical Servitude before and though his Children love his Ways wherein they have their pain bringing Pleasures yet the Children of God love them not but in the fear of God hate them all and love the Light of Christ Jesus in their Hearts the Way of God their Father And so it is in vain for Men to offer to force them out of God's Way into their ways for they dare not for fear of offending their Heavenly Father comply in the least to Worship God after any other Way or Manner but as he manifesteth himself in the Light of his Spirit of Truth in their Hearts and Consciences in which only with acceptance he is to be worshipped Neither can they again embrace or come into the Bondage of Corruptible Elements Ceremonies or Traditions of Men Gal. 4.9 Rom. 8.14 to 22. for which there is no warrant from God their Father lest they forfeit their glorious liberty of the Children of God Gal. 5.1 Tim. 2.12 Phil. 1.29 1 Pet. 4.12 to 19. Col. 1.23 to 28. whose Spirit beareth witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ And they know that if they suffer with him they shall also be glorified together and they account that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in them And such can truly rejoice that unto them it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake and this was the state of the Primitive Christians And as there is a great difference between the outward husk sign or shew of Religion of the Followers of the Man of Sin who are his Children and the pure spiritual undefiled Worship and Religion of the Followers of Christ who are Children of God so there is as great a difference between the Nature of the true Christians and false and between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil and also between the Persecutor for Religion and the Persecuted for true Religion and so doubtless as great a difference will and must be between their Rewards And so every one Male or Female Rich or Poor High or Low as they tender the Eternal Salvation of their precious Souls are to examine themselves in and by the true Light of Christ Jesus which is the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts whether they Worship God in his Light John 4.20 to 25. Mat. 15.7 8 9. Isa 29.13 14. Acts 17 22 to 31. Col. 2.6 to 23. Mat. 15.2 to 15. and Spirit and Truth in which only his pure spiritual undefiled Worship is acceptably performed Or whether their Worship â—e formal and taught and prescribed by the Traditions Precepts and Commandments of Men and so but a sign or shew of Religion being Will-worship and Voluntary Humility which Christ and his Apostles warned People to beware of For all such Worshippers worship God in vain or worship they know not what and the Reward of Hypocrisie shall be their Portion for they be Blind leading of the Blind and if the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the Ditch And likewise it concerneth all truly to examine themselves inwardly in the Light of Christ whether they be Baptized truly with the one Baptism of Christ by his spiritual Water and the Fire and Fan of his Spirit with which he will and is able thorowly to purge his Floor Mat. 3.11.12 Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.22 23. even the Hearts Souls and Consciences of true Believers and that only maketh fit to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven And so whether they be Children of the Light and of God who is Light and Born again of the Water and of the Spirit whose witness agreeth in one witnessing with their Spirits that they are the Children of God Born of his Incorruptible Word which liveth and abideth for ever Or whether they have only been Baptized or Sprinkled with Water by a Man and because thereof are taught to believe that then they were made Children of God and Members of Christ and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And if they have no better Assurance than such Baptizing or Sprinkling with outward Water then the Light and Spirit of Christ will bear witness in their Hearts that they are not Children of Light nor of God and then whose Children are they And likewise all may examine themselves in and by the true Light in their Hearts whether they be in the true Religion or not That is Whether or no they be true Christians John 6.45 who are all taught of God by the Light Grace and Spirit of his Son Christ Jesus in their Hearts Or they be but Pretenders to Christianity having a Profession or Form of Godliness but denying the Life and Power thereof resisting and rebelling against the strivings and movings and teachings of the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ and embracing and complying with the temptations motions and teachings of the Spirit of Antichrist and the Power of Darkness which is the Devil And such can profess that they know God Tit. 1.15 16. but in Works they deny him which is abominable And every one that doth Truth John 3.18.19 20 21. cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God but every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or discovered and so loving Darkness rather than the Light that is the Condemnation And it is certain that all who love not the Light of Christ Jesus in themselves and believe not in the sufficiency of it are deceived by the deceivableness of
the Man of Sin the Power of Darkness whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders And as he first by his deceit prevailed upon Mankind so thereby he still endeavoureth to keep all in subjection to him who is the Father of Lies through his Allurements and Bewitching Perswasions that all is well and that though they do yet more and more continue to practice such and such things which he tempteth to but the Light reproveth for yet he perswadeth that it may be well with them and they may repent afterwards time enough And thus he draweth People on in his Service from time to time till the Day of their Visitation be over and the things that concern Everlasting Peace be hid from their Eyes and then there remaineth no place of Repentance to be found though they seek it carefully with Tears as Esau did but was rejected Heb. 12. â—7 And so though People do not answer nor obey the Light that in their Hearts convinceth them of their evil Deeds yet the Man of Sin perswadeth as far as he can that it is impossible so to do whilst on this side the Grave and so he laboureth continually to keep People satisfied in the woful Condition into which he hath drawn them And to this end he hath his Ministers preaching his Doctrine that none ought to believe that it is possible that they can be freed from sin by the Power of God whilst they live upon the Earth and some of them Preach of a Purgatory to cleanse from sin after Death though the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles before-treated of largely testifieth the contrary as it is declared in the Holy Scriptures which the said Preachers profess b t for all their Learning cannot understand whilst they resist the Light and Spirit of God by which the Scriptures were given forth And therefore every one upon necessity of Salvation is to take heed to the Advice and Warning of Christ Mat. 24. 1 John 3.7 2 Thes 2.3 Col. 2.18 Phil. 3.2 Gal. 3.1 2. and his Apostles that no Man deceive them for according to Christ's forewarning many have come and are come in his Name saying That he is Christ so they profess Christianity and by their shewing of great Signs and Wonders have deceived and do deceive many who look upon them to be what they are not but they who believing in the Light are become Children of the Light they see them plainly and know them by their Fruits to be what they are and therefore they can neither receive them nor pay them Wages for their preaching that they may any longer deceive others in drawing the Minds of People from the true Light in their Hearts after their deceitful Signs and Wonders and so to Eternal Destruction Though it is not like that any should be deceived by such false Prophets or Instruments of the Man of Sin but such as disobey the Light of Christ and are also prevailed upon by the power of Darkness in themselves which alienateth them from the Light and Life of God the quickening Spirit of Christ the Second Adam the Manifestation or Light whereof reproveth and convinceth inwardly all who have not quite out-lived the Day of their Visitation that are in the fallen Estate of the First Adam of their Sins and Transgressions even in their best Performances which John 3.16 to 22. Prov. 6.22 23. 8 〈◊〉 Prov. 10.17 according to the Knowledge by the Light inwardly given to them they generally confess to be sinful or mixt with sin not knowing nor believing that it is what it is that reproveth them nor that the Reproofs of its Instruction are the Way of Life as the Scriptures of Truth witness And so such who Rebel against the true Light in their Hearts are in great danger of being Eternally deceived by the Power of Darkness in the false Christs and false Prophets which Christ Jesus the Truth foretold of that they should shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect but said he to his Disciples Mat. 24. I have told you before wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not for as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be And said he If any man shall say unto you lo here is Christ or there believe it not And said he Verily I say unto you this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled And accordingly his Beloved Disciple John witnessed that in his time there were many Antichrists 1 John 2.18 19 20. or false Christs and Prophets but to them who believed in and walked in the true Light he said Ye have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things so they knew better things than to be deceived by the false Christs and false Prophets By which it is plain that Christ who said of himself John 8.12 to 25. I am the light of the world and to the Pharisees who accused him of bearing false Record in so saying of himself he said John 12.35 36. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins and whither I go ye cannot come And also commanded saying While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be children of light He commanded his Disciples not to go forth after nor to believe those that say Christ is here or there or in the Desart or in the secret Chambers nor those that shew great Signs and Wonders though such come in his Name and say that he is Christ and so make a Profession of him And so they who in the Obedience of Christ believe in his Light and thereby become Children of the Light which the true Primitive Christians witnessed of and left upon Record that it shined in their Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ they dare not go forth nor can they believe them that say that a piece of Bread or a Wafer after Consecration as they call it is the very Christ or the very Body of Christ neither can they any whit the more believe them that say Lo here is Christ in this Ceremony or in this Ordinance or in this Profession or the other Fellowship or Form of Faith or Directory or Communion whatsoever of them who shew never so great Signs Ceremonies and Wonders or make never so great a Professoâ—â— of Christianity either in praying or preaching or the like John 1.1 to 10. 1 Cor. 12.7 who deny the true Light of Christ or walk not in it which is the Manifestation of his Spirit and enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and is given to every Man to profit withal For the Children of the Light
are taught of it to watch in it continually against every Appearance of Evil and of the Author thereof the Devil their Adversary 1 Pet. 5.8 who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour and so they are to be continually careful according to the Command of Christ and his Apostles that no Man deceive them and to prove all things and hold fast that which is good for it is not a trivial thing but a weighty concern to them and of absolute necessity to the Salvation of their Souls to be always watching against and waiting to be preserved from the beguiling deceit of the Devil and his Instruments who with all his Power and Signs and lying Wonders are continually endeavouring to deceive which deceivableness of unrighteousness is-so apt to prevail upon Mankind that Christ said If it were possible they should deceive the very elect and then surely the careless and rebellious are like to be deceived by them and led to Eternal Misery And although Christ and his Apostles advised and commanded to beware of them which should shew great Signs and Wonders yet some have been and are so far erred from the true Light and Doctrine of Christ that they not only tell and make Books of the great Wonders which they say have been done by and amongst them but also reckon them as certain Marks of the Church of Christ though Christ and his Apostles told of them being the Mark of Antichrist and the false Prophets And so with their Wonders and Powers and Signs they have deceived and do deceive many as Christ and his Apostles foretold And as the Apostle John prophesied concerning the Beast that he beheld coming up out of the Earth that doth great Wonders Rev. 13.11 to 15. so that he maketh Fire to come down from Heaven upon the Earth in the sight of Men and deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had power to do so it is that which comes up out of the Earth not that which cometh down from Heaven that doth their great Wonders and it is that which is learned at their Schools Colledges and Academies of Earthly and Spoiling Philosophy and Vain Deceit Col. 2. â— which the Apostle charged to beware of and not that which is received of Christ Jesus that capacitates the Members of Antichrist and of the Beast to be so prevalent with their Power Signs Wonders and Alluring Enchantments and Poysonous Societies upon People to deceive them Rev. 18.23 Eph. 5.6 Rom. 16.18 by their Enticing Words and Fair Speeches and their making a pretence of Christianity by coming in Christ's Name though he never sent them and their saying that he is Christ covering themselves with a Profession of him But wo saith the Lord to the Rebellious Children that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with in covering but not of my Spirit Isa 30.1 And so the Members of Antichrist the Man of Sin who are learned in the Mysteries of their Craft and are influenced with the beguiling subtilty of their Master the Serpent they imploy all their Wits Arts and Parts in their earthly and sensual Wisdom and for their earthly and quickly perishing Gain to draw Peoples Minds from the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts which is given to them to profit withal that so they may keep them under the power of Darkness and in Admiration of their Teachings Signs Ceremonies Splendor and Wonders with which they infatuate the Ears Eyes and Minds of People that so they may depend upon them and rest under their covering of Profession And those that such Deceivers could not prevail upon to follow them in their Superstitious Practices them they oftentimes Burned or Sentenced to be Burned to Death when they had power in their Hands as woful Experience hath largely declared and for their so doing pretended Authority from Heaven and doth not this their wondrous murdering practice and pretence of having Authority from Heaven to Burn People seem somewhat like the Beast's making Fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of Men And those that are prevailed upon by them and do admire their Signs and Wonders might possibly have as much or more admired the Wonders done by the Magicians of Egypt Exod. 7.11 to 23. in causing their Rods to become Serpents and the Waters to become Blood and in bringing up Frogs upon the Land of Egypt and those that cover with a covering and not of the Spirit of the Lord and ask not at his Mouth but walk to go down as into Egypt a Land of Darkness to strengthen themselves as in the strength of Pharaoh and trust as in the shadow of Egypt Isa 30.1 2 3 the strength of Pharaoh shall be their shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt their Confusion It may be objected that Christ and his Apostles confirmed his Doctrine by Miracles but then that was at the first when they preached down the outward Law and the Ceremonies thereof which God had commanded them by Moses that they should observe And when they first published the Glad-tydings of the Gospel of the Grace and Peace of Christ Heb. 8.9 10 11. the New Covenant before promised the Law written in the Heart But they who neglect this inward Law who now reckon of their Wonders have and retain many Ceremonies and Superstitious Practices for which they have no Ground nor Warrant from God nor Christ nor his Apostles as the Jews had for theirs and so there is no need of outward Miracles to confirm the preaching down of their modern Superstitious Ceremonies they being plainly repugnant to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth which contain also Prophesies of their Signs and Wonders too to come in the Apostacy which things are exactly come to pass And it is more than they can do by all their Miracles if they can do any to confirm any Honest hearted true seeker after God in their Belief of many of the Wonder pleaders Doctrines as that of Transubstantiation and of Purgatory Prayers to and for the Dead Indulgences for Money Worship of Images c. Stories of Wonders will convince few that their Faith and Practice concerning these things is acceptable with God Now we read of as many or more that vilified the outward Miracles that Christ did as were Converted to him by them And they to whom Christ himself preached Mat. 9.34 Mat. 12.24 Mark 3.22 Luke 11.15 Jo. 12.36.37 Jo. 10.19.21 22. saying While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be the children of light Though he had done many Miracles before them yet they believed not on him And the whole multitude of the Country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them for they were taken with a great fear because of a notable Miracle that he had wrought amongst them and so
of People The Number of the Slain in the other Three Provinces not being upon Record with the Burning of Hundreds in England in the Reign of the Popish Queen Mary with the dreadful Cruel Spanish Inquisition and several others of Popish Massacres too large here to be inserted And so though the Popes of Rome have pretended to Christianity and have called themselves Vicars of Christ yet they and their Adherents have been as Cruel and as Bloody Persecutors of Christians as the Roman Emperors who hated Christianity were before them and have equalled if not exceeded the said Emperors in their Cruel and Barbarous Murders acted with all manner of Cruelty that possibly could be Invented which stands upon Record that all may see it read Clark's Martyrology and Fox's Acts and Monuments and a Book called Ireland's Tears and the History of the Churches of Piedmont Collected and Compiled by Samuel Morland in the Year 1658. And not only have the Popes been Persecutors where they could prevail by means of the Kings or Governours of the Nations but also they have Lorded it over Emperors and Kings Deposing and setting Up at their Pleasure whom they thought meet for their Purposes as the Apostle Peter never did And thus Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth hath Reigned over the Kings of the Earth who have given their Strength and Power unto the Scarlet-coloured Beast that hath carried her which ascendeth out of the Bottomless Pit and goeth into Perdition and this false Church this Woman this Whore this great City that hath made all Nations to drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Forâ—ication which she hath handed forth to them in a Golden Cup she hath been and is drunk with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and her Sins have reached unto Heaven therefore shall her Plagues come in one day and she shall be utterly Burnt with Fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Rev. 17 and 18 Chapters And all that err from rebel against and believe not in the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts they will be found in Babylon the City of Confusion and how great or large soever their Professoâ—â— of Christianity may be yet in that great Day of the Lord which hasteth apace such will be found in an Antichristian Estate and Partakers of the Sins of Babylon and consequently must receive of her Plagues Rev. 18.4 And now the Light the Voice of God's mighty Power calleth unto all for Faithfulness and Obedience thereunto and that all that are in Babylon who have not yet quite out lived the Day of their Visitation may come out of her and may be no longer Partakers of her Sins lest they Eternally partake and receive of her Plagues And all that hearken to the Grace of God the Light and Voice of Christ Jesus in their own Hearts and Consciences and believing therein Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. continue in Faithfulness and Obedience thereunto such shall more and more come to know the Effectual Working thereof even to the redeeming of their Souls from all iniquity and the purifying of their Hearts and purging of their Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God and they shall know the Ancient Prophecy fulfilled in them That the Lord will pour Ezek. 36.25 to 31. Heb. 8 9 10 Chapters or sprinkle clean Water upon them that they may be clean from all their Filthiness and Idolatry which is false Worship that is out of his Spirit and that he will give them a new Heart and put a new Spirit within them And such shall see the Sun Rev. 9.2 and the Air clear again which have been darkned by reason of the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit and shall know the Sun of Righteousness to arise upon them with healing in his Wings Mal. 4.2 Rev. 21.24 Rev. 22.14.17 2 Thes 2.3 to 10. and a walking with them that are saved in the Light of the Lamb and shall know to do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and take of the Water of Life freely and such will witness a growing up into him in all things who is the Head of his Church Christ Jesus from whom the whole Body fitly joined together Eph. 4.15 16. and compacted by that which every Joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh Increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love And the Members of that Body are faithful Stewards of the Grace of God Tit. 2.11 12. Mat. 13.10 11 Mar. 4.10 11 Luk. 8.9 10. John 14.17 to 27. Joh. 7.16 17 Joh. 8.31 32 1 Joh. 2.27 which bringeth Salvation and teacheth them that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And it is only they who are truly taught of the Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men that are true Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God for they are the Disciples of Christ unto whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but unto others it is not given but they are as Parables to them Now the Grace of God teacheth none to Persecute about Religion nor to make Merchandize of People through Covetousness with feigned words as the Popes and other sorts of Priests have done and so though the Popes have professed to be Peter's Successors and to sit in Peter's Chair and to have the Stewardship of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven yet they have been and are found not only out of the Faith wherein the Apostle Peter served God but to be such false Prophets as Peter Prophesied of 2 Pet. 2.1 to â—0 and so not faithful Stewards of the Grace of God being not willing to be taught by it in their own Hearts and so for all their Learning and for all their Talk and for all their Splendor of Profession they are ignorant of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven wherein they pretend to be Stewards For the Apostle Peter said to Simon the Sorcerer who offered Money saying Acts 8.18 19 20. Give me also this power c. Thy Money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with Money thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter so Peter was far from selling the Gift of God and Pardon of Sin is the Gift of God though the Popes and Priests for Money have pretended that they could Sell Pardons c. And so all the Offerers or Pretenders to Sell the Spiritual Gifts of God for Money as well as they who desire for any outward thing to Buy the same of any Man they have neither Part nor Lot in the true Stewardship of the Grace of God nor of the Mysteries thereof but all their Worship their Sacrifices Offerings and Prayers in that state are