Fornication with the Creation and the Grace of God which should guide you out of the Lust and Ungodliness of the World you turn into Wantonness and your Teachers who cause you to err by their Sorcery and Enchantments and James the Son of Thunder utter'd forth his Voice against such and thus saith the Lord Because the Daughters of Sion are Haughty and walk with stretched-out Necks and wanton Eyes walking and mincing as they go making a tinkling with their Feet therefore the Lord will smite with the Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Sion In that day the Lord will take away all the Bravery of their tinkling Ornaments of their Feet and their Cauls and round Attire like the Moon and the Chains and the Bracelets and the Head-bands and Tablets and the Ear-rings and the Nose-jewels the changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples and the Crisping-pins and the Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vails and it shall come to pass that instead of sweet Smell there shall be a Stink and instead of well-set Hair Baldness and instead of a Stomacher a girding with Sack-cloth and Burning instead of Beauty Now all you high and lofty Daughters of England who are sporting your selves in the day time and Scorning and Disdaining your Fellow-Creatures read your selves and your Portions Howl and Lament for a Day of Vengeance of Rending of Burning of Famine is coming upon you for the Land mourns because of Pride James Parnell To the LIBERTINE whose Liberty stands in the Flesh. WO unto thee who art at Ease in the Flesh devouring the Creation and spending it upon thy Lusts whose heart is run from God a Whoring after other Lovers committing Fornication with the Creation nourishing thy heart as in a day of Slaughter satisfying thy Lusts in whatsoever thy heart runs after and so art at ease in the Flesh and feelest no Sorrow nor Grief but the Harlot is exalted in thy Bosom above all that is called God and thou hast cast his Law behind thy back living without the Fear of God and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace saying within thy self He that doth Evil is Good in the sight of God and where is the God of Judgment Can we do any thing without God Is it not by his Power we do all things And can we do any thing contrary to his Will Yea thou shalt find that all thou dost is contrary to his Will and thou shalt find him a God of Judgment for thy Sins have separated thy Soul from God and long in his Love and Mercy to thy Soul hath he forborn thee and hath not cut thee off from off the face of the Earth but hath still spared thee and waited to be gracious though thy heart hath been wholy gone from him and never regarded to do that which is pleasing in his sight but instead of serving him thou hast served thy own lusts with his good Creatures to which thou hast had no right and he to thee hath been a merciful God but will not the Lord visit for these things yea he will not alwayes strive with man and though thou takes thy pleasure now remember thou must come to Judgment And lo saith the Lord I come quickly and my reward is with me to give unto every one according to his deeds And they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption And then thou shalt finde that power thou hast had and instead of using it to the Honour and Glory of God thou hast hid thy Talent in the Earth and lived wantonly upon the Earth serving thy own will dishonouring the Holy Lord of Glory and Righteousness and then in the day of thy Judgment thou shalt confess that the Lord hath visited thee time after time and called thee time after time handing forth his Mercy to thee when thou hearkned the Lord was with thee when thou walked in his fear he was not far from thee but thou hast hearkned to the voice of the Serpent and false Prophet which hath drawn thy heart from God into the visible things of the Creation which pass away and hath promised thee Liberty and Peace in the same and it being pleasing to thy lustfull earthly minde thou art become one with the Harlot which lyeth in thy Bosom and thus thou hast accepted the gift with which the Old Serpent tempted Christ and so art become a Servant of the Devill of whom thou art brought in bondage of him being evermore and while thou art promising to thy self Liberty thou thy self art a Servant unto corruption and thus thy Lusts have separated betwixt God and thy Soul and art become the Image of the Devil yielding thy Members servants to uncleanness and thus thou sets up a rest in the Devils Kingdom wherein thou sports thy self and art at liberty eating and drinking in merriness so if there were sorrow only in this World thou art of all men most happy then our Fathers that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and we are of all men most miserable if there be joy only in this World but out of the Liberty of the Children of God thou art found and by them seen to be in the fall wallowing in the myre and lust and so art unredeemed living under the Curse for this is the redemption from death to life and thou livest after the flesh and are dead the carnall minde ruling which is death and is at enmity with God for it is not subject to the will of God and so long as this hath dominion over thee thou canst not obey God for he that lives in the flesh cannot please God but if through the Spirit thou mortifie the deeds of the flesh thou shalt live and here is the Liberty of the Children of God Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit but their Liberty is not in the Flesh but in the Spirit for by the Law of the Spirit of the Life they are set free from the Law of Sin and Death and from Christ their Redeemer they have received Power to become the Sons of God and in the same have dominion over the World Flesh Self and the Devil Death and Hell and this comes through the Cross by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them and here is the Liberty of the Children of God who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which Liberty no vulterous Eye can see nor venemous Beast shall know nor the rebellious disobedient One Therefore do not deceive thy self in saying thou art a Christian and believest in Christ and art a Child of God for They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh and to whom thou yieldest thy Members Servants to obey his Servant thou art To the Light of God in thy Conscience I speak which if thou love it and unto it hearken
his Enemies and testifying against tâ—e gross Hypocrisie of that Day And this I have to say concerning him and it 〈◊〉 in many and shall not dye That he was an Innocent Man and lived in the Testimony and Feaâ— of God that he sought nothing here for himself but alone laboured and traviâ—ed that People might be brought into the Knowledge and Love of God and had he bin otherwise spirited he should have had Acceptance with many of hâ—s Enemies I believe And as he was an Innocent Man so he lived Innocently towards all men and so he dyed Innocently as himself estified a small time before his departure Here I Dye Innocently And as several who were with him were Eye-Witnesses of the sâ—me and is enter'd into the Bosom of the Eternal Rest with God forever His Testimony was That God was Light and that Christ who proceeded and came from God did enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that all Men through him might believe which Testimony of Truth bearing although it was rejected by many and the heavenly Light of the Lord too mean an Appearance for the aspir'd Minds of those Dayes â—o submit unto yet accepted of was it by some who by it soon were taught to take the Yoak of Christ upon them and to receive his holy Fâ—ar into their Hearts and were blessed of the Lord prospered and encreased although therefore persecuted and reviled by the Vngodly Generation who turn away their Eyes from the Reproof of Instruction because of the Reproof thereof and preserved through many grievous Trials Tribulations through their faithful Obedience in the Light Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth so what Acceptance ever had the Righteous in this World by the men and spirit thereof is apparent by Scripture and Historical Account and our Experience doth confirm the same viz. Persecution and Cruelty Prisons and stinking Holes Banishments and Death Destroying of the Goods and Estates of the Innocent and what do I behold at this day I never saw or read of a Lamb worrying a Dog nor an Innocent Sheep to tear or devour a Wolf What Christianity or Holiness is that which hurts and destroyes and thinketh thereby of doing God good Service Surely it is not to be found in all God's Holy Mountain saith the Lord. And so The Name of the Righteous is had in Everlasting Remembrance aâ—d his Memorial shall shine forever and ever In true Faith and Assurance as a Brotherly-Testimony to my deceased Friend's Innocency is this written that it may be known from one who was acquainted with his Life and Death in this Town that the Lord was with him in his Life and Death that those who are yet in being that had a Hand in his Sâ—fferings or consented may Repent Repent unfeignedly and seek the Lord while He is to be found for if thou art found out by Him to be a Blood-guilty Man and knowest not his Hysop in thy Day of Visitation to have purged thee know thou that the Lord God will give thee Blood double to drink in his Day of Judgment with Horror and Destruction for evermore â—olchester the 7th of the 7th Month 1671. Thomas Bayles A TESTIMONY Concerning the Sufferings and Death OF James Parnel I Having a Knowledge of J. P. the Author of these Books and being an Eye-Witness of part of his great Sufferings he under-went for the Testimony of the Blessed Truth which he sealed with his Blood being persecuted by a Professing Generation who though they made great Pretence to Christianity yet they were upon Tryal found to be such who were born of the Flesh who always persecuted them that were born after the Spirit and were like the Professing Jews who reckoned they were of the Stock of Abraham and that he was their Father when they were of their Father the Devil doing his Works Persecuting the Innocent And that the Remembrance of the Great Suffering of this our Dear Friend and Brother JAMES PARNEL may not be extinguished I shall insert a full Relation of his Imprisonment and Death as followeth The said JAMES PARNEL being moved of the Lord to go to a Steeple-House at Coggshall the Priests and the People having appointed a Fast as they said against Error the 12th Day of the 5th Month in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Five after the Priest had Ended James spake a few Words to them so passing forth of the Steeple-House one called Justice WAKERING followed him and clapt him on the back and said He Arrested Him although he shewed no Writ and by the means of divers Priests he was by Dionysius Wakering Herbert Pelham Thomas Cook and William Harlakenden committed to Colchester-Castle and there kept close up and none of his Friends suffered to come near him and from thence at the Assizes was carried to Chelmsford where they kept him on the Chain Day and Night but when he appeared at the Bar the Chain was taken off only had Irons on his Hands where Judge Hill urged the Jury to find him guilty declaring what he could against the Prisoner to them and would not suffer him to speak to the Jury to clear himself so the Judge fined him Forty Pounds and to be committed Close Prisoner till Payment and gave Charge to the Goaler Not to let any Giddy-Headed People as he called them come at him so the Goaler denyed his Friends to come to him to Relieve him and would not let them in but such as came to Abuse Scorn and Beat him they let in to him and the Goaler's Wife did set her Man to Beat him who threatned to Knock him down and make him shake his Heels and she her self did Beat him several times and swore She would have his Blood And sometimes they would not let him have any Victuals brought to him other times they would set Prisoners to take away such Victuals as was brought to him and would not let him have a Trundle-Bed which his Friends would have brought him to lie on but forced him to lie on the Stones which in a wet season would run down with Water and when he was in a Room for which he paid Four Pence a Night he was threatned if he did but walk to and fro in it Then they put him in the Hole in the Wall which is very high from the Ground and where the Ladder was too short by Six Foot and when his Friends would have given him a Cord and a Basket to have taken up his Victuals in they would not let them though they much desired it but he must either come up and down by a Rope or else Famish in the Hole which he did a long time But after a long Suffering in this Hole where there was nought but Misery as to the Outward Man it being no Place either for Air or Smoak and James being much benumbed in his Naturals as he was climbing up the Ladder with his Victuals in one Hand and coming to the top of
the Scripture the Light yet in the same it doth witness against them and witness Christ to be the Light before the Scripture was written and is able to save to the utmost all that shall come unto God by him and they that climb up any other Way the same are Thieves and Robbers John 10. 1. And therefore is not a Natural Insufficient Light as they that know not him do report of him and therefore shew themselves to be as ignorant as the Pharisees who only supposed him to the Son of Joseph yet wondred at his Power and the Works that were done by him as these do now wonder at the Prosperity of this Ministration of Light and to see how it prevails upon the Hearts of the people so that they know not what to think of it they are not able to encounter with it but that they see it strikes so much at their Diana and lies so hard at their Foundation so that it makes their Building Totter therefore the Rulers Priests aud Pharisees take Counsel together saying one to another If we let this People alone all men will go after them and they will draw away whole Nations therefore they take the same course as ever the false Prophets did joyning together with the Earthly Powers to make War with the Lamb Persecuting Stocking Whipping Imprisoning and shamefully intreating his Messengers whom the Lamb sent forth to bear Testimony of this Light in peoples Consciences where we have a Witness both in them that believe and in them that perish and also striving all the wayes they can by their Evil Incensing Lying Railings and false Accusings and Reporting to defame this Light and leaven your minds against it that if it were possible to put it out that still they might uphold their Father's kingdom of darknes and bear rule by their Means over the Blind carrying captive the minds of people But who is able to make War with the Lamb or who shall withstand the Day of his Coming Saul Saul it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet in this it witnesseth against them to be in Cain's way and Balaam's way and in the GainSaying of Core and so have not God Jude 11. 2 John 9. but are found to be the Generation who are born after the Flesh persecuting them that are born after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet they receive not Power from it to enable them to walk according to it but are altogether erring from it in any thing that crosseth Self but as many as receive the Light receive Power to follow it and come out of the corrupt sinful nature which they live in who know not the Light John 1. 12. and here the Light is above the Scripture And though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet in the same it witnesseth against them to be Lyars and bears witness of Christ to be the Judge and Tryer and Searcher of the Heart and Discerner of the Thoughts Heb. 4. 12. Rom. 1. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 5. and that whatsoever makes manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. therefore that which makes manifest false spirits is the Light and not the Letter which Light manifested and discovered false spirits before the Scripture was written And also though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet by the Scripture they cannot discern or judge of Spirits else what makes all this difference in Judgment amongst them who profess to try Spirits by the Scripture and profess it to be their Rule and ground their Judgments upon it yet are so confus'd in the same and never a one knows which is the Truth when as the Way is but One So that it follows that they have nothing but the Scripture without and are still without in Darkness and Confusion as all those appear to be who call the Scripture their Rule and Guide and Judge and Tryer of Spirits aud yet know not the Truth but are jangling and rangling and arguing and disputing and contending about the Scripture every one with a several Judgment upon it surely this Distraction is not in Scripture for it was spoken from One and all agrees in one therefore you that so profess the Scripture see if you can find it out by the Scripture and see where you are but they that are in the Light have fellowship one with another 1 John 1. 7. and are of one heart and one Soul Acts 4. 32. and all agree in one and are Epistles wrote in one anothers heart 2. Cor. 3. 2. and by the Light they try and discern false spirits and in it are able to judge them and open the Scriptures without wresting adding or diminishing and by it do know they are of God because they love one another with the same love with which Christ loved them 1 John 4. it is not such love which is to day and to morrow cross the will and it is turned into wrath and anger nay that love stands in the corrupt will but this love stands in the bond of peace which doth indure and here again the light is above the Scripture and though they say the light must be received from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture doth witness against them and bears witness of Christ to be the light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World And they that could never read letter of the book have this light which is sufficient to teach them and lead them into all Truth after they come to the knowledge of it from this light the Scripture was spoken 2 Pet. 1. 21. and without this light none can read the Scripture with understanding and here the light is before the Scripture and out of it all the Children of Darkness are shut with their busie minds and vain contending spirits and though they say they must receive life and salvation from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture witnesseth against them and testifies of Christ to be the alone Fountain of Life and Salvation and that there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved Psal. 30. 9. and 144. 10. And that the Pharisees had the Scripture yet had not the Light neither could see that he was the Christ though the Scripture bare testimony of him or either would come unto him for Life and Salvation but trusted in the Scripture thinking there to find eternal Life and therein found it not John 5. 39 40. As all you are now who are seeking the living among the dead and here again the light is above the Scripture which light is within us the hope of glory Col. 1. 26 27. and those that cannot witness this are in the reprobation though they have the Scripture without 1 Cor. 13. 5. and from it we receive life and salvation and from no other and this alone
by them but all along their Lives and Conversations condemn yours and therefore you Hate them Revile them and Reproach them in whom the Power of the Living God is made manifest the same which ever was Which Shaketh the Earth and maketh the Strong Man to bow himself and the Keepers of the House to Tremble And the same Power which all the Children of God in all Ages witnessed and passed through which then by the same Generation Suffered both by Magistrates Professors Priests and People who were and are Strangers to the Life of God and his Power and therefore Reproached Scoffed and Scorned it as you now do but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon you Who are Despisers of those that do Good Isaac the Seed of the Promise Trembled Gen. 27. 33. who was Mocked by Ishmael the Son of the Bond-Woman who was cast out as the same Seed and now by you Ishmaelites who are the Children of the Bond. Woman who are cast out and are found without Mocking and Scoffing the Righteous Seed Gen. 21 9 10. Gal. 4. 30. And Moses a Servant of God Quaked and Trembled who counted it greater Riches to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season Heb. 12. 21. Heb. 11. 26. and this you now call Madness and Folly who know not that Godliness is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. And David who was a King Quaked and Trembled and Roared and Watered his Couch with Tears Psal. 69. 12. Psal. 22. 14. Psal. 38. Psalm 6. 6. And Drunkards made a Song on Him And some shut out their Tongues and wagged their Heads and gaped upon him with their Mouthes Psalm 64. and Psalm 122. 7. and this you sing in your Steeple-Houses like Hypocrites without knowledg Psalm 35. 16. and yet scoffe and scorn and reproach those in whom the same Power is made manifest and yet you will say as he said you are not puft in mind nor have no scornfull eye c. but he spoke the Truth and you lye Psalm 131. 1. and thus you deceive your souls and loves to have it so your Leaders cause you to err Isa. 9. 16. and Job a Servant of the Lord quaked who by the same Generation was laughed to scorn Job 4. 14. Job 12. 14. and Jeremiah a Prophet of the Lord quaked who was then persecuted by the same generation Jer. 23. 9. and Daniel a Prophet of the Lord trembled who was cast into the Lyons Den because he would not deny his God Dan. 10. 11. Dan. 6. 16. but by his power he was preserved as we are now from those Lyons Whelps who would us devour and Habbakkuk a Prophet of the Lord his Belly Trembled and his Lips Quivered Hab. 3. 16. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ fell down and trembled Acts 9. 4 5 6. who was reviled reproached and persecuted even to death who was one that hazarded his life for the Name of Jesus Acts 6. 26. and said all the day long were they killed and accounted as sheep to the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. now these were all Quakers who then suffered with patience by the same Generation now read what Generation you are of for they that were after the flesh always persecuted them that were after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. there was always a generation by which the righteous ever suffered since Cain the first-born upon earth in whose way you are found who envy who are in the wrath Iude 10. you kill the just and he lyes slain in the streets Jam. 5. 5 6. at whose hands his blood shall be required Mat. 23. 35. and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with trembling Ezek 12. 10. out of which life you are found who are at ease in the flesh feeding without the fear of God spending the Creatures upon your lusts 1 Cor. 10. 7. Jam. 5. scoffing and scorning them who are not one with you in the same liberty but fears before the Throne of God 1 Pet. 4. 4. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 31. and thus you erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. therefore behold ye Dispisers and Wonderers and perish I will work a work in your days which though you see it you shall not believe it Acts 13. 41. Is it not apparent before your eyes the wicked man returns from his wickedness and the ungodly from his ungodliness and the drunkard from his drunkenness and the prophane one from his prophaneness and now seeks after God and fears his powerfull name and this you see and cannot believe but despise scoff and scorn the Power by which this Work is done for it is no new thing but the same which was and is you are in the same adulterous Generation which cannot see the Signes which follow the Truth Mat. 16. 3 4. from whom the Gospel is hid whose eye is Darkned with the Godd of the world 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. and so speaks evil of the things you know not Jude 11. putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Evil for Good and Good for Evil Isa. 5. 20. you are the Scoffers that the Apostle fore-told of to be in the last times Jude 18. who are Despisers of those that are good Incontinent Fierce Traitor Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but deny the Life and Power 2 Tim. 3. 3 4 5. and here you are both Priests people and professors who are Scoffing and Scorning Slandring Reproaching Reviling and Persecuting the Righteous Innocent Servants and Messengers of the Most High God who is uttering forth his Voice through them in Power against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of men who will you call to Judgment and convince you of all your ungodly Deeds and all your hard Speeches which you have wrongfully spoken against him and his Power and will reward you accordingly Jude 14. 15. Rom. 22. 21. Therefore to that which is of God in all your Consciences I speak which is my Witness against your Ungodly Lives which turning your minds to it and unto it taking heed will let you see you speak Evil of the things you know not loving Darkness rather then Light because your deeds are Evil John 3. 19. Therefore Fear and Dread the Lord God and Repent and take heed of Mocking lest your Bonds be made strong Isa. 28. 22. for God will not be Mocked such as you Sow such must you Reap Gal. 67. Therefore fear before the Lord and try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. And despise nothing before you know it lest you speak Evil of Gods Elect for it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Hebr. 10. 31. Therefore take this for a Warning as from the Mouth of the Lord for no Ignorance is to be pleaded before the Throne of God This was given forth in
Examples and here they abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and so have not God as in 2 John 9. And this is Blasphemy to say They are the Mouth of the Lord and are the Mouth of the Devil teaching Lyes and Blasphemies telling the People that are of their Flock They are Christians and of the Flock of Christ when as they are all manuer of unrighteous Persons who live without God in the World and tell them Their Children are the Flock of Christ when they are sprinkled on the Face with a little Water when as they grow up in all manner of Ungodliness without the Fear of God or the Knowledge of God and they are Heathen that know not God and this is Blasphemy to say Christ is the Head of Heathens for he is the Head of his Flock And they tell People that a House of Lime and Stone is the Church whenas the Church is the Body of Christ and this is Blasphemy Now see whether we or your Teachers be more like Deceivers Lyars and Blasphemers and let every one's Life preach him forth and judge him and see if they be not Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God who delight in Musick in Bowling in Carding and Dicing and Hawking and Hunting and all manner of Pleasures Delights Now see whether they or we be like the Apostles who never used any such thing but all their Delight was in the Work of Christ but They that are of the Flesh mind the things of the Flesh and they that are of the Spirit the things of the Spirit Now see if they have not a Form of Godliness but deny the Power and Life which the Apostles lived in therefore from such turn away And if you find that our Lives be contrary to what we profess from us turn away also But of this sort are they who creep into Houses and lead silly People captive Now see if they do not creep into Steeple-houses and say that 's the Place and no where else and lead silly People captive laden with Sins and divers lusts ever learning and never coming to the Knowledge of the Truth Some learn thirty some fifty some sixty years and above and still full Sin and as dark and blind and ignorant of the Things of God as ever And they will teach You shall never be made free from Sin so long as you are upon the Earth and hereby they set up their Rest in the Devil's Kingdom And if you do alledge We creep into Houses I answer The Apostle witnessed the same where he said I have taught you publickly from House to House And our Meetings are publick to any who will come amongst us sometimes in no House but in the Fields or Commons as the Apostles witnessed and we find the Lord amongst us being gathered in his Name according to his Promise Now see by their Fruits if your Teachers be not the Deceivers which are foretold of in the Scriptures who as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth by all the Wayes they can as it is before proved for Jannes and Jambres were the Magicians of Egypt that imitated Moses so those University Men by their Magick Arts Inventions and Imaginations and studying old Authors have gotten the Form of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles Words to trade with but deny the Life and Power and so are Traytors to Christ who are Men of corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith but they shall proceed no further for their Folly shall be made manifest to all Men Now he that desiâ—â—s to see may see and let all who are wise hearted judge But if you do alledge They have been long and have reigned long and we are new come up and it is a New Way and we come to breed Divisions and Dissention I answer The more is their Shame and by that the more they are seen to be those that run and the Lord never sent them therefore they profit not the People at all who have reigned so long and wrought no better Reformation in the Land but it flows as much in Iniquity and all manner of Ungodliness as ever and the People that are taught by them as ignorant and as dark to the Things of God as ever and here they would keep them by an outward Power but the Day hath made them manifest and the Scripture fulfilled which the Apostle spoak of who said It was the last Times then and since they have continued you may know them by their Fruits they profess Christ in Words but in Life deny him and the Mystery of Iniquity hath reigned a long time and there hath been a time of cruel Darkness and all the World hath wondered after and worshipped the Beast and his Image and he hath reigned and by him the false Prophet hath reigned which hath deceived the Nations but now Light is risen out of Darkness and shines forth now in these latter Dayes in the Sons and Daughters of Men according to the Promise of God whereby the Wiles of Satan are made manifest to the Glory of God And now is the Separation the Sheep from the Goats the Wheat from the Tares and Christ is come to set at Variance Father against Son and Son against Father and Wife against the Man and the Man against the Wife and to turn the World upside down and this is the Cause why the World rages And this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and they love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil and so to those who are in Darkness it is new but we witness it is no new Way but the same which was is and is to be forever and the same Signs follow but the adulterous Generation cannot see it but they that believe shall see and be healed And though the Beast and false Prophet and those that bear the Mark of the Beast do now make War with the Lamb the Saints for to uphold their Kingdom yet the Lamb the King of the Saints shall overcome and to him the Nations shall bow and the Beast and false Prophet and all that bear the Mark of the Beast into the Lake for them prepared of old shall go and for this End we are come out of our Countries and outward Habitations Possessions to preach to every Conscience the Eternal Truth as it is in Jesus the Everlasting Gospel as we have received it freely freely we give and as we preach the Gospel we live of the Gospel and this is our End and no other End God is our Witness We are accused to deny the Scripture which is false for we witness the Life thereof and by the same do we witness the Scriptures to be Truth and serviceable in its Place was written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the World is
make many Prayers I will not hearken your Hands are full of Blood wash you make you clean put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes cease to do Evil learn to do well So it is the Heart that the Lord requireth and where your Treasure is there will your Heart be also And saith the Apostle We know not how to pray as we ought but as the Spirit maketh Intercession with Sighs Groans this is more acceptable to God from an honest single Heart then the Long Prayer of the Pharisees We are accused to be destructive to the Ministry The true Ministry of Christ we own and witness and the Ministers and Messengers of Christ we own and witness but those who have gotten the Letter and Form to trade with which was spoken forth freely and deny the Life and Power those we deny their Ministry And all those who go to get human Learning and are certain Years as it were serving Apprentiship pretending to study Divinity and when their time is expired they go amongst ignorant blind People and get a certain Place and a certain Wage and so sell that which they studyed and got into the Brain and those which receive it get it into the Brain and so they live upon Dust which is the Serpents Meat feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge both Priest and People death feeding death and with the Notion begets into the Notion and feeding the Carnal Mind with the Carnal Letter and this is the Cause why Drunkards Swearers Lyars Proud Covetous Envious Wrathful and Contentious Ones and all Unrighteous Persons have gotten the Letter to talk of or discourse of though in the Ale-house or Tipling-house but this Ministry works no Reformation only hath the Form and leads into the Form and denyes the Life and Power which is neither to be bought nor sold for Money so from such we turn away who come by the Will of Man and approved by the Will of Man and are upheld by the Will of Man and not by the Will of God and their Call and Ministry we deny which is mediate and formal Imitation and the Invention of Man and so a meer Delusion And this is the Cause why the Land so overflows with Iniquity all Manner of Ungodliness no better Reformation wrought amongst them their Ministry is so dark and dead and cold and yet the Land full of Teachers and yet the People lost for want of Teaching and so they spend their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which profiteth not But who can witness an Immediate Call by God from their outward Callings and Countries Lands Livings and Possessions into several Countries to preach the free Gospel as they have received it by the immediate Inspiration of the Spirit and speak it forth as they are moved by the Holy Ghost and as the Spirit gives them Utterance freely as they have received it freely by which Ministry many are convinced and as they abide in it are converted as many in the Nation can witness to the Honour and Glory of God who are now New Creatures and this Call we own and witness and this Ministry we own and witness which is Immediate and stands in the Will of God and such covetno Man's Silver nor Gold neither could be hired to certain Place but travail from Place to Place and have no certain dwelling Place and such are the true Ministers of Jesus Christ who make the Gospel free and without Charge And this we own and witness and for the Testimony of this true Ministry some of us are Imprisoned some Stoned some Stocked whipped and shamefully entreated as Vagabonds and Deluders and Wanderers and Raisers of Sedition and Pestilent Fellows and esteemed not worthy to live in the Nation both by Priest and People and Rulers who are out of the Commands of God and are Vagabonds and Fugitives from God who go in the Way of Cain to envy and murder the Innocent And because we declare against all who come not in by the Door but seek to climb up another Way by their Study Inventions and Serpentine Wisdom and Knowledge and so are Thieves and Robbers and those are they which are now to set up and extolled in England with great Augmentations and Benefices by the Arm and Will of Flesh now Heads of England and such Ministers and their Ministry we deny for the Hand of the Lord is against them But this which we own is no new Call nor no new Ministry but the same which was with the Prophets and Apostles and all whom God sent witnessed and here is the Difference of the Ministers of the World and the Ministers of Christ the one comes by the Will of Man the other by the Will of God the one is upheld by the Will of man the other by the Will of God contrary to the Will of Man and the one of the Letter the other of the Spirit and the one has the Form Shadow and the other the Life Substance and the Effects and Fruits of their Ministry make them manifest but from such turn away who have the Form but not the Life and Power for they are meer Deceivers and Witches bewitch People from the Truth holding forth the Shadow instead of the Substance and what is the Shadow to the Substance Or what is the Chaff to the Wheat He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear and understand We are accused to deny all Magistracy and Government I answer This is false for we own it in its Place for whilst there is Transgression there must be a Law and while the Devil hath Power over Man there will be Transgression so the Law was added because of Transgression and the Devil was the Cause of it so there must be a Law without to keep those who are without the Fear of God in Subjection else they would destroy one another and Cain would destroy Abel for this is the Devil's Work and so for this End was the Law given forth to curb Evil-Doers and to preserve and encourage them that do well And it was according to that in the Conscience Just Holy and Good according to the Will of God and serviceable in its Place And true Government according to the Law of God is serviceable in its Place And all Magistrates who fear God and hate Covetousness and are guided by the Light of God in the Conscience and execute the Law in its Place without Partiality and Respect of Persons and such are serviceable in their Place and this we own and honour and are subject to for Conscience sake but the Righteous are from under the outward Law for they are a Law unto themselves neither is there need of any Law amongst them Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit
for against such there is no Law But they that walk after the Flesh cannot please God neither know how to rule or govern who cannot witness their own Wills subjected by the Law of God in the Heart but are guided by their own Wills and stand in their own Wills and such wink at Deceit and rule with Partiality and Respect of Persons and so transgress the Law of God which respects no man's Person and also give forth Laws in their own Wills which take hold of the Righteous persecute the Righteous countenance encourage the Heathen who know not God so Cain slayes Abel within them and they suffer Cain to slay Abel without them the Wicked and Ungodly have more Liberty in the Nation then the Righteous and so the Land abounds with Iniquity Oppression and Treachery because such corrupt Magistrates wink at Deceits for Carnal Ends and uphold Iniquity and Oppression and tread Truth under foot and this is the Cause why the Land so abounds with all Manner of Ungodliness and Deceit Falshood Tyranny Oppression and Persecution and yet full of Magistrates and Officers And corrupt Magistrates put corrupt Magistrates in Office and so they bear with and wink at one another and feed and nourish up Deceit amongst them unless they cross one another's Will and then they are as much in Deceit on the other side seeking and perverting the Law for Revenge and such as these uphold these corrupt Ministers and false Prophets which the Nation swarms of and they can have a Law to maintain their Deceit and uphold them in Oppression and so the Beast upholds the false Prophet and they combine together against the simple and so the Law is made a stalking-horse to deceive the simple and they will pervert and wrest the Law out of its Place and act contrary to their own Law against the Righteous And such Magistrates and such Government we honour not but deny and testifie against it as the Prophets of God alwayes did for by such Magistrates and Government did the Righteous ever suffer and for the same Testimony of a pure Conscience I have and do suffer by such corrupt Magistrates and hundreds more in the Nation who are redeemed out of Transgression who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And Haman who stood in the corrupt Will would have destroyed Mordecai because he crossed his Will and could not bow to him and also Pharaoh and Nebuchadonozer and Herod who beheaded John who stood in their own Wills but the Hands of the Lord they did not escape And so corrupt Magistrates say We deny all Magistracy and Government as Haman did but Christ comes to fulfil and end all outward Laws and Government of Man and he himself will reign for as Truth and Righteousness grows the Law is fulfilled and passeth away and the Lyon and the Lamb lye down together and this is the Cause why corrupt Magistrates beat down the Truth as much as they can and so to uphold themselves but God will deliver his own and Pharaoh will he plague and confound But such Magistrates as are guided by the Light of God in the Conscience and rule and govern by it without Partiality or Respect of Persons in Singleness of Heart discharging their Consciences before the Lord and executing the Law in its Place such Magistrates and such Government we own honour in our Hearts for such are a Terror to Evil-Doers and for the Praise Encouragement of those that do well and such bear not the Sword in vain but stand in the Will of God which is a Cross to their own Wills and rule for God and not for themselves and this Government is of God and not of Man nor after the Will of Man neither takes hold of any tender Conscience nor oppresses it but stands in the Place where it is set and some such Magistrates there have been in the Northern Parts of this Nation who witness the Law of God set up in their Hearts and feared God and hated Covetousness and testified against those who did not and so corrupt Magistrates sought to put them out So let all who are single-hearted judge who are destructive to true Magistracy and Government We are accused to be destructive to all Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners because we cannot put off our Hats not follow the Fashions of the World nor respect any Persons but speak the plain Word THOU to any one Rich or Poor In the Beginning when God made Man he made him to be Lord over all Creatures but not Man to be Lord over Man yet he was to be Servant of God and when he had disobeyed the Command of God God spoak to Adam and Adam spoak to him and God Thou'd Adam and Adam Thou'd him and here was the plain Language betwixt God and Adam And when God appeared to Moses in the Bush God Thou'd Moses and Moses Thou'd him and this was the plain Language which ever passâ—d betwixt God and his People in all Ages And thou that disdainest to be Thou'd wouldst exalt thy self above God who Thou 'st God in thy formal Prayers and scorns to take it thy self therefore thou must come down as Lucifer did But it is Lucifer in thee that is exalted who must not be honoured but must be cast down into the Pit and it is he who is Head in Man who would be honoured and would be superior and would be above God and calls this Manners and Breeding to bow to him and honour him and he hath invented Wayes whereby he is honoured and exalted and worshipped and he calls this Manners and Breeding and who can honour him the most and exalt him the highest those he saith are the best bred and of the best Breeding and those he calls Noblemen and Gentlemen and the other he calls Yeomen and common People and Inferiors though they all honour him but they observe it not so much as the other but their Minds are more set upon the Earth and Earthly Things to get Wealth and Riches and those he calls Provident Careful People but he that seeks Preferment in the World and would be exalted and set up seeks to get his Breeding in as excellent Manner as he can that so he may get in Favour with Lucifer that sits in the Courts and high Palaces and so long as he pleases Lucifer he will set him up but both he and Lucifer must be cast down into the Pit together And here is the Ground of the Worlds Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners and here they Lord over one another by their corrupt Wills and here is the Ground of all Tyranny and Oppression Rackings and Taxings and Wars and Imprisonments and Envy and Murder and the Persecutions of the Righteous all arise from proud Lucifer the Lust in Man who would be honoured and all this is in the Fall and under the
Curse But Mordecai could not bow to him in Haman and therefore he sought to destroy him and informed the King against him and all the Jews in the Nation and said They were a scattered People and their Laws were divers from all People neither did they observe the Law of the King then he set up a pair of Gallows for Mordecai but Haman was hanged on his own Gallows and is cast down to nothing and Mordecai is exalted in his stead So there is a Time that Mordecai is despised and Haman exalted and there is a Time that Haman is cast down and Mordecai exalted And there is a Time that Esau reigns over Jacob and there is a Time that the Elder serves the Younger And there is a Time that Pharaoh rules and oppresses the Israelites but there is a Time of Israel's Deliverance and Pharaoh drowned in the Sea So there is a Time that Anti-christ sits in the Temple of God as God and saith he is God and Christ lyeth low in the Manger but there is a Time that he must be cast into the Pit and Christ alone exalted He that can receive it let him But in all Ages the Children of God could not bow to Lucifer nor his Image and this was the Cause why Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery Furnace and this was the Cause why Daniel was cast into the Lions Den but by the Hand of his God whom he alone worshipped and honoured he was delivered and exalted and his Adversaries cast down in his Place And this was the Cause why the Prophets were alwayes persecuted and imprisoned and the Apostles who came to turn the World upside down And this is the Cause why the Ministers and Messengers of Jesus Christ are imprisoned stoned stocked whipped and shamefully entreated whom the Lord is pleased immediately to call from their outward Callings and Countries and sends them abroad into several Countries to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and who knows him must know him no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and those come to turn the World upside down being crucified to the World and the World to them and these cannot honour Lucifer nor bow to Lucifer nor worship his Image though there was a Time when they did but that was done in Egypt when they knew not God but now Lucifer and his Image is cast down and Christ alone exalted and the pure and perfect Law is witnessed which respects no Mans Person but God alone honoured and exalted and this we witness for amongst us there are no Superiors after the Flesh but Christ is the Head and amongst those who were redeemed out of the World there were no Superiors but only Christ the Head and all the rest Fellow-Servants and he that would be the greatest should be the least and he that respects Persons commits Sin And the Angel would not suffer John to bow to him but said he was his Fellow-Servant and this we witness who are redeemed out of the Kingdom of the Devil from amongst the Children of this World into the Kingdom of the Son who are crucified to the World and the World to us by the spiritual Cross of Christ in which we joy and glory amongst whom there is no Partiality nor Respect of Persons but all in Union in one though Ten Thousand and here God alone is King and he alone is honoured exalted and worshipped no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit for we have no other God in whom our Hearts delight And here proud Lucifer and his Image is cast out and here all his Honour is thrown down and his Breeding and Manners and Fashions and Customs and Words and Wayes and Worships which are after the Flesh and not after the Spirit whereby he sets up himself and causeth his Image to be worshipped and this is the Cause he rages in his Kingdom wheresoever we come and saith We are destructive to all Superioriry and Magistracy and Ministry and Honour Breeding and Manners and turn the World upside down for he knows where Christ comes he comes to take his Kingdom from him and cast him down into the Pit and there he must be tormented quick and all who bear his Image or his Mark and these are some of his Marks which he calls Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding Manners and Civility But true Nobility we own the Seed of God is Noble wheresoever it is born up and who can witness to the Head of the Serpent bruised and the Seed of God born up to reign and rule there is true Nobility there is true Gentility no more after the Flesh hut after the Spirit and this is to be honoured for Honour is due to this both in Magistrate or Minister Fisherman or Ploughman Herdsman or Shepherd wheresoever it rules without Respect of Persons and here Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour and this is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit And here all the true Prophets of God were Noblemen and Gentlemen sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and great Ones of the Earth they were disdain'd reproached because according to the World they were of low Degree some of them Ploughmen some Herdsmen some Shepherds and therefore they persecuted them and destroyed them yet they were Gentile and bore all Christ was Noble sprang of the Noble Seed though of the great Ones and Nobles of the Earth he was disdained reproached and scorned to be the King of the Jews because according to the World he was of low Degree and supposed to be a Carpenter's Son so they spit upon him and disdained him and crucified him yet he was gentile and bore all The Apostles were Noble sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and great Ones of the Earth they were despised and disdained and reproached because according to the World they were of Low Degree some of them Fishermen and the like and came to turn the World upside down so they were despised persecuted and killed yet they were gentile and bore all But those were all Noble sprung of the Noble Seed and so are all now who are of the same Seed and those were all gentile sprung of the gentile Seed those have the Nature but not the Name and to those belongs the true Honour not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for they denyed the Honour of the World and therefore Christ said I receive not Honour from Men and said to his Apostles Be ye not called Masters neither call any Man Master upon the Earth and though the Princes of this World exercise Doâ—inion oâ—e over another yet it shall not be so amongst you but he that would be the greatest amongst you let him be your Servant and said he How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and
seek not the Honour that cometh from God only And here the true Honour is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit And here you who are giving and receiving out-side earthly Honour you are in the Unbelief out of the Doctrine of Christ cringing and bowing and honouring and exalting the Devil and worshipping the Beast and his Image which all the World wonders after and worships Rev. 13. And as for Manners and Breeding Courtesie and Civility Learn to do as you would have all to do unto you and speak every one Truth to his Neighbour And let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but such as is good for the Use of Edifying for evil Communication corrupts good Manners but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay for whatsoever is more is Evil And breed your Children so and here is good Manners and Breeding Courtesie and Civility and who are of the right Noble Seed have these Manners and this Breeding but the Nobles and Great Ones of the Earth want these Manners and this Breeding and both Priest and People of all Sorts according to the World And here is the Ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour Breeding Manners Courtesie and Civility no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Natural Man minds Natural Things and the Spiritual Man Spiritual Things but the Natural Man receives not the Things of God and this we own and witness And the Time is coming and now is that before this Seed every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess and the Kings and Nobles of the Earth shall be bound in Chains and Fetters of Iron And here is also the Ground of the Nobility Gentility Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners of the World which is after the Flesh but not after the Spirit sprung from proud Lucifer the Lust that reigns in man and is not Yea and Nay but calls it Manners to say Nay and take it or do it and so they have the Name but not the Nature and so are Bastards and no Sons who are not sprung from the Noble Gentile Seed and to those Honour is not due neither can we bow unto them for if we should we should set the Devil in the room of God give unto him that which is due to God which when we were in Blindness through Ignorance we did and so worshipped the Beast and his Image which all the World worships and wonders after For they that are Proud and Lofty which is the Image of the Devil for the Devil is the Father of Pride and in gay Attire those the World worships and wonders after and extols and exalts into High Places But since the Lord hath opened our Eyes this we cannot do but testifie against it wheresoever we come both in Words and Actions and so we are destructive to the World's Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners which is after the Flesh and not after the Spirit therefore the Devil hates us in the Nobles and Great Ones of the World but we give unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar's and unto God that which is Gods but we cannot give unto Caesar that which is God's but Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour is due He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear and understand For saith the Lord If I be a Master where is my Fear If I be a Father where is my Honour Mal 1. 6. â—â— And now something concerning the Partiality that is among the Children of this World in their Breeding and Manners First Concerning the Word Thou or Thee which all those which are their Priests and Teachers know that Thou is the proper Word to one particular Person and is so all along the Scriptures throughout to any one without Respect of Persons yea to God himself And the Word You is the proper Word to more then one but not to one and so it is all along the Scriptures through out As for Example at all Times when the Apostles spake to Christ they used the Word Thou or Thee unto him and when he spoak to more then one of them he used the Word You or Ye but if he spoak but to one he used the Word Thou or Thee as in Mat. 16. 14 15 16 17. verses And also Paul Thou'd King Agrippa and King Agrippa Thou'd him as in Acts 26. ver 27 28. and so all along the Scripture And so it is plain that now it is an invention of Proud Lucifer in man to exalt himself as it will plainly appear for amongst the Great and Rich Ones of the Earth they will either Thou or You one another if they be equal in Degree as they call it but if a man of low Degree in the Earth come to speak to any of them then he must You the Rich Man but the Rich Man will Thou him nay you shall find it so betwixt Priest and People If a poor labouring Man come before one that you call a Minister though he be one of his Hearers one who helps to maintain him according to his Ability yet he must You the Priest and the Priest Thou him And here the Heathen Lord over one another by their corrupt Wills but this is contrary to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who made themselves Servants to all and yet those will call themselves the Ministers of Christ And the Word Minister signifies a Servant and they are Masters and so they have gotten the Name but not the Nature and so are Bastards and no Heirs who are not sprung from the Gentile Seed and yet they are hired as Servants of Men and yet bear Rule by their Means as Masters over those that maintain them so that he that hath an Eye to see let him see the Deceits of the professed Ministers of England And now as concerning the Putting off of the Hat which is another Invention of proud Lucifer whereby he is honoured and worshipped and exalted in man but the Scripture doth not speak of any such Fashion used in any Age but man hath found out many Inventions since the Scripture was recorded and now it is so that it is a Fashion throughout the Land whereby one man is exalted above another for if a poor man come before a Rich Man it may be the Rich Man will move his Hat that is called Courtesie and Humility but the Poor Man must stand with his Hat off before him and that is called Honour and Manners and due Respect unto him but if the Rich man do bid him put it on it is counted a great Courtesie and he gets Honour to himself there to be counted a Courteous man But this Difference or Respect of Persons was never ordained by God but by the Devil whereby he exalts himself in Man but James the Apostle of Jesus Christ witnessed against it as in James 2. 1 2 3 4 5. and so on and
said He that respects Persons commits Sin for there is no Respect of Persons with God and therefore saith James Houle ye Rich men and here your professed Ministers abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and so have not God but the Devil and his Ministers they are whom they exalt And now you shall see the Partiality of the Names in this your Breeding and Manners First from a Poor man to a Rich man it is called Honour and due Respect and Manners from a Rich man to a Poor man it is called Courtesie and Humility but amongst the Rich and Nobles of the Earth it is called Court-like Breeding but of those of the lower degree it is call'd Country-Breeding and amongst the lower sort of the World it is called Neighbour-hood and civil Respect one to another and so the Devil hath covers for all his Deceit and so he is honoured and exalted both in Court and Country but the highest in the Court and therefore they have the highest Title But We unto them that hide their Sins and cover with a Covering and not of the Spirit of the Lord. But this is the Riches of the World and the Devil that makes so many Degrees as between Dives and Lazarus and Haman and Mordecai for the Lord hath made all the Nations of the Earth of one Mold and one Blood But we who are redeemed out of his Kingdom he calls us Clowns and Fools and saith our Religion is built upon such small and frivolous things and stumble at Strawes and leap over Blocks this saith his Wisdom but it is even Death to him to bear these Strawes especially where he is the highest exalted for it puls down all his Honour and therefore do Rich men and great ones of the Earth and Rulers and Priests and Pharisees persecute and oppress us and draw us before Judgment-Seats and would root us out of the Nation as Haman would have done by Mordecai and the rest of the scattered Jews because they cannot bear those Straws but I say whatsoever it is that comes to be forbidden in the Conscience it becomes a Weight and a Burden though it be never so small a thing in the eye of a Pharisee So let none despise the Day of small things But some will call it Stubbornness Obstinacy Pride and Presumption but the same Nature would have called it so in Mordecai who could not bow to Haman as the rest did that sate by and so let every one take heed of speaking Evil of that you know not least you call Good Evil and Evil Good for the Wo is pronounced against such but they that were after the Flesh alwayes in all Ages persecuted them that were after the Spirit And so it is not many Mighty nor many Noble nor many Wise after the Flesh are called but God hath chosen the Foolish things of this World to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no Flesh should glory in his Presence 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 29. VVe are accused that we say We are perfect without Sin I answer Man was perfect without Sin before the Fall or else he could not have been the Image of God for God is pure and perfect and he made Man after his own Image pure and perfect without Sin but when he sinned he defaced his Image and lost his pure Estate and was drove out of Paradise and became the Image of the Devil for Sin is the Image of the Devil and here all Sin is in the Fall and who are in the Fall are in the Devil's Kingdom which is impure and imperfect and unclean but God promised the Seed of the VVoman shall bruise the Serpent's Head and Christ the Seed said he was come to preach Deliverance to the Captive and to heal the broken-hearted and to seek that which was lost and to bring again that which was driven away and this was his VVork to redeem to Man that which Man had lost Now consider what Man hath lost and I shall leave this as Querie with all both Priests and People who deny Perfection from Sin here Whether Christ is but a part of Redeemer or a perfect and full Redeemer and which is the Place betwixt Heaven and Earth where man shall be made free or cleansed from Sin if not upon the Earth Seeing that no unholy nor unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God But who can witness this have passed through Death and that have none who plead for Sin neither can they witness Christ come But for some Simple ones sake I shall speak more clearly of this for it is a great Delusion of the Devil to keep People in Sin to tell them they shall never be made free from Sin so long as they are upon the Earth and bring this Scripture to maintain it He that saith he hath no Sin deceiveth himself and is a Lyar but he tells them Christ dyed for all and if they can but lay hold on him by Faith he will not impute their Sins unto them though they sin daily for the Righteous man sins seven times a Day and all the Holy men of God sinned and so he takes Scripture to maintain his Kingdom and this he delivers by the Mouth of his Ministers which he sends abroad to deceive the Nations leading People in Blindness full of Sin and Corruption ever learning and never come to the Knowledge of the Truth nor never shall do for them and here he carries them on an easie delightsom way to the Flesh but the End is Death and so heals them up in their Sins with a feigned formed Faith which perisheth and here they settle upon the Lees and set up a Rest in the Devil's Kingdom which is Sin and here many are meerly blinded and hardned and all Tenderness of Conscience is done away But you shall find that he that sooths you up in this Faith is the gratest Enemy of your Souls and whosoever witnesseth Christ their Redeemer shall witness that he is come to destroy the works of the Devil which is Sin and to redeem out of the Fall out of Sin and out of the Devil's Kingdom which is Sin and all Sin in the Devil's Kingdom which is in the Fall but for this End Christ is manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil and to redeem out of the Fall out of the Devil's Kingdom into his own Kingdom and no unclean thing can enter therein but none can witness this Redemption but through the Death and through the Cross which Paul rejoyced in by which he was crucified to the World and the World to him and had put off the Body of Sin and was made free from the Law of Sin which once warred against his Mind which once he complained of Which Scripture the Unlearned which are Strangers from his Conditions who read them with the carnal Eye now pervert and Wrest to their
condemn Sin in the Flesh which is the Word which became Flesh and dwelt amongst the Apostles This Christ we witness no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and before We knew him after the Spirit we had no Profit by him but were in the State of Reprobation and so are all now who profess him in Words and know nothing of him but by the Letter without them And such deny Christ come in the Flesh who plead for Sin who live in Sin and do not witness him come but those who are crucified with him do live with him and he in them and none are Christians of the Flock of Christ but who are baptized into his Death by one Spirit into one Body and he that can witness this is crucified to the World and the World to him But who talk of Christ to be their Saviour and are still alive in the World's Nature must first witness him a Condemner for his first Appearance is with Sword and breaks the Peace and maketh the War and ends the War and makes the Peace and this Peace endures for ever and so he is a Condemner before he is a Saviour and he is a Peace-braker before he is a Peace-maker But who are at Peace in their Sin the Serpent is Head and the strong man keeps the House and Christ they do not witness come in the Flesh but who endure the War shall enjoy this Peace and he that can witness Christ his Saviour can witness this but Silence all Flesh before the Lord and let him that nameth the Name of God depart from Iniquity for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a Lyar For saith Christ why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I say And none can call Jesus Lord but by the holy Ghost so it is plain you know not God who cannot keep his Commands then how can you believe in him whom you do not know We are accused that we judge People It is written The Saints shall judge the World and for Judgment I am come into the World saith Christ that those which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind and where Christ rules in his Saints he judges the World as Paul witnessed It is no more I but Christ in me and he is come to reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Judgment because the Prince of the Air is judged who rules in the Children of this World and they cannot bear the righteous Judgment of Christ but kick against it and call him Devil and so they kick against the Prick which will the more torment them And this is the Spirit of Truth which came into the World which the World cannot receive because he testifies of it that the Deeds thereof are evil and this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil and every one that doth Evil hateth the Light and will not come into the Light least it should reprove them yet they will say Christ is meek Love and lowly It is so but not to Ungodliness but he is meek to the meek and lowly to the lowly and Love to the Seed of God and his Saints are meek and lowly and bear all both Scandals Reproaches Persecutions and Imprisonments but to the Seed of the Serpent Christ is Judgment and Wo and a Sword to that which is for the Sword and a Condemner to the Wicked and our God is a consuming Fire and terrible to the Wicked to consume the Proud and Haughty in their Imaginations and here Christ is a Lyon and he is a Lamb he is a Condemner and he is a Saviour he that can receive him let him the Hungry Thirsty he feeds with living Food but the Fat he feeds with Judgment and that which would not bear his Judgment must never know his Peace but is for Judgment and cryes out as the Devil did who said he was come to torment them before the time but the Teachers of the World have deceived the People long crying Peace to them because they put into their Mouths and healing them up in their Sin with a feigned formed Faith which works no Reformation so sewing Pillows under their Arme-holes and here the Devil hath reigned in Peace and now Christ is come with the Sword to break his Peace with Plague and Judgment and now he rages and stands up for his Life in all both Priest and People and now the Beast makes War with the Lamb but it is hard for him to kick against the Prick for he must be bound and cast into the Pit and there be tormented quick and the false Prophet and all who bear his Image We are accused to deny the Church I answer The true Church which is in God we own and witness through Death but the Worlds Church we deny for the true Church is the Body of Christ made of tryed Stones elect and precious washed and cleansed by his Blood and Spirit that he might present it a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle but this is not a House of Lime and dead Stones nor the People that meet in it for all manner of Unrighteous Persons meet there which is the Synagogue of Satan and a Cage of unclean Birds and like People like Priest but who comes to be elected into the Church of Christ which is spiritual denies the World's Church which is carnal and the World's Teacher who is carnal selling the carnal for carnal Money and Earth for Christ himself is the Teacher of his Church who feeds it with living eternal Food freely and it needs no other Teacher and this Church we own and witness but all other Churches we deny for the Church is but one and the Temple of God we own which is at new Jerusalem the City of the living God but all other Idols Temples we deny which is the Invention and Imaginations of Man and though God commanded Solomon to build him a Temple nevertheless God that made the World dwels not in Temples made with Hands and when Christ the Substance came he prophesied against it and also Stephen was stoned to Death when he prophesied against it and this we witness whose Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who are now stoned and persecuted by such as know not the living God but worship Idols because we speak against their Idols Temple which God never commanded to be built but was set up by the imagining Idolizing Papists and upheld by the blind Protestant so called and so they cast out the Papists and uphold their Idols and so the Inchanters Diviners and Sorcerers of England lead silly People in Blindness to worship Idols telling them they are the Houses and Temples of
God which is a meeer Delusion We are accused to deny the Sabbath The Sabbath of the Saints we own which is not for a Day but Everlasting and who dwells in Christ witnesseth this Sabbath which is the Substance and the Shadow without is vanished for saith Paul let no man condemn you in respect of Meats and Drinks or of an Holy Day or of new Moons or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are but Shadows of things to come And so the World hath the Shadow and the Saints the Substance and you who have the Shadow persecute them who have the Substance as the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests did who had and upheld the Types and Figures of Christ and persecuted him who was the Substance so they that are alter the Flesh persecuted them that are aftor the Spirit But your Sabbath is a Shadow of Nothing for the Jews Sabbath in the time of the Law was upon the seventh Day which was the last Day of the Week but yours is the first Day of the Week for which you have no Scripture and they were not to do their own Wayes nor their own Pleasure nor speak their own Words upon the Sabbath Day and here you transgress in the Figure and walk in your own Wayes and speak your own Words and do your own Pleasures both of that Day and every Day We are accused that we justifie our selves and condemn all others I answer When we were our selves without the Spirit of God and had a Form and Profession of the Saints Condition which we did not possess we sought to justifie our selves in our Profession and earthly Wisdom and to exalt our selves and be something in the Eyes of others and here we were Pharisee and yet feigned Publicans saying we were sinfull but thought higher of our selves then others though we were in the same Nature and here our Justification was of our selves and not of Christ and here all you Pharisees and feigned Publicans both Priests and Professors who are in your earthly Wisdom feeding upon the Letter but as the Light of Christ arose in us all our earthly Wisdom wherein we were exalted became Foolishness and Self was judged and denyed and all that which was of Self both Wisdom and Righteousness wherewith we covered over our filthy lustful unclean Hearts and so were as painted Sepulchres and here are all Professors at this Day who are feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and are from under the Cross of Christ but all would not hide from the Light of God but as it arose it searched through all and lay'd open all and all our Covers became rotten and fell from us and so it will be with all Professors as the Light of Christ doth arise and the Book of Conscience is layd open for no Flesh must glory in his Presence But now we have nothing but what we have received of the Father through Death and Christ is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and though we glory we glory in the Lord for we have nothing in our selves to glory of and the Saints thought it no Presumption to call themselves the Sons of God and said they were of God and all the whole World lie in Wickedness and here the same Spirit would have accused them yet they were no Pharisees and Christ thought it no Robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees he was judged a Blasphemer and as he is so are we say the Saints yet they were no Pharisees and so who are made the Sons of God it is no Self-justification to witness it forth neither those who are made free from Sin to witness it forth as the Apostles did and to witness forth the Life and Power of Truth and deny them that have gotten the Form Notion or Profession And here Christ is the Witness and the Justification for the Way is but one and the Truth is but one and they who dwell in the Truth witness one with another for the Light of God owns its own wheresoever it is for God cannot deny himself but they that are not with us are against us and out of the Truth in the State of Condemnation for all who are out of the Truth are under the Curse in the Fall and this Truth we witness by the Spirit of the living God through Death the same Truth as ever was and there is that in every Conscience shall bear us Witness yea in the Heathen and condemn them that hate it Jer. 3. 19 20. We are accused to be one with the Ranters I answer it is false for we abhor their Principles in our Hearts and deny any Liberty to the Flesh or any light or loose or vain Conversation which they live in or any thing which is impure or unclean for our Principles are pure and clean and are at Enmity with any thing that is impure or unclean for Purity and Impurity cannot agree together and it is our desire to keep our selâ—es unspotted of the World for that which is unclean defiles and from that we are seperated who are the Sons and Daughters of the living God But some of them have tasted of the Love of God and Grace of God and have had Appearances of God but by hearkning to the Voyce of the Serpent and giving way to the Lust have turned with the Dog to the Vomit and the Grace of God into Wantenness casting his pure Law behind their Backs and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace and have crucified afresh the Lord of Life and put him to open Shame therefore hath the Lord given them up to their own Hearts-Lusts and vile Affections and their Consciences are seared as with an hot Iron for it is written It is impossible that those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance but they have deceived many with their alluring Speeches and have caused the Truth of God to be evil spoaken of by their pernicious lascivious wayes but Wo Wo be to them for double shall be their Reward But God is our Witness we deny and abhor all things which are filthy or unclean and though all the World condemn it is without For there is no Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not aefter the Flesh but after the Spirit And it is my tender desire towards all tender Consciences that they may take heed of giving any Liberty to the Flesh lest they loose the Tenderness of Conscience and harden it by Lust and Uncleanness for nothing but Purity will the Lord receive for he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity We are accused that the Ground of our Religion is Popery The
defrauding one another of the Earth which is none of your own and you are Persecutors and Stoners and Strikers of the Innocent Children and Servants and Messengers of God and what Sin is there among those whom you account Heathen that is not amongst you and doth abound yea those whom you account Heathen may condemn you in much of their Practice Oh! be ashamed blush you Priests Teachers of England to see your Ministry the Fruits of your Ministry so laid open before you and thus you are those who come near the Lord with your Lips Mouthes but your Hearts are far from him in the Earth or else you would walk more uprightly But saith the Lord In vain do you worship me teaching for Doctrine the Commmandments of Men but I know some Pharisees and Priests will be ready to say We are not Drunkards nor Swearers nor such like but I say unto you You are Hypocrites and your Hearts are full of Deceit Envy Wrath and Bitterness Covetousness Pride and Earthly-Mindedness and self-Love and self-Wisdom and Persecutors and the greatest Oppressors of the Truth and Publicans and Harlots shall enter the Kingdom before you Jesus Christ the Light marked out your Fore-Fathers and found them to be such though they were more strict and zealous then this Generation and by the same Light you are soâ—nd in their Steps and those Things both Christ and his Apostles judged to be without and condemned them out of the New Covenant for there no unrighteous Person can dwell and there all Wars are ended and the Swords beat into pruning Hâ—oks and Guns into Plow-shares and there is no Oppression nor self exalting but he that would be the greatest must be the least and in Righteousness are they established and they are far from Oppression and the Lord alone is their Teacher and there is no need of an outward Law For to them there is no Condemnation who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and there is no Respect of Persons but all Members of one Body of which Christ is Head serving one another in Love and here is the New Covenant and the Children of the New Covenant who are washed and made clean by the Blood of the New Covenant but you are Aliens and Strangers from this Covenant who are in your Notions and Professions therefore all you ignorant People who are led by these deceitful Priests and Pharisees and disdâ—in to be wiser then your Fore Fathers now see who are your Fore-Fathers and the Original of your Priests and who is your Example for you are out of the Life and Practice of the Apostles and the Children of Light and by their Life are judged and condemned for they were mortified to that Life which you live in neither did the Ministers of the Gospel Baptize Infants with Water neither did they Teach for Hire or stand up in the chiefest Place in the Assembly neither were they called of Men Master neither had they the long Gowns neither did they Respect any Place more then another to teach or preach in except for Conveniency for they taught in dwelling-Houses and by the River sides or in any open Place neither did they give to the World David's Conditions to be sung in â— Meter neither did they give to natural Men and Women Bread and Wine which you call a SACRAMENT neither did they use to Church Women as you call it and take Money for it neither did they take a Text of other Mens Words and speak from it a Divination of their own Brain neither did they study what or how to preach but spoak as they were moved by the holy Ghost neither did they teach People The Letter was the Word or That the Letter was the Light but they bore witness of God to be the Word and â—hrist to be the Light neither did they teach People That they could never be free from Siâ— while they wâ—re upon the Earth but they preached Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who came to take away the Sins of the World and to redeem his People from their Sin and to set them in the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God that he might redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrincle or any such Thing neither did they teach People That a House of Liâ—e and Stone was the Church or the House of God neither were they set up or upheld by a Law of Man or came by the Will of Man or stood in the VVill of Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and from him they received their Message and Command neither were they brought up in Human Learning at an University as it is called to learn Arts and Sciences and take Degrees from Sir to Batchellor and from Batchellor to Master of Arts from Master to Batchellor of Divinity from Batchellor of Divinity to Doctor of Divinity and had so many several Gowns but the Pharisees loved these Things but the Ministers of Christ were not such but most of them were ignorant and unlearned in that Wisdom and Learning but unto them it was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom but it was hid from the World and the wise Ones thereof and now the wise Ones of the World say That is the Means ordained of God to come to the Knowledge of the Truth and that is the Original to wit human Learning and deny all Revelation or immediate Inspiration and say it is ceased for all which they have no Scripture Proof for the Apostles never taught this Doctrine nor prescribed this Way therefore your Teachers are such as bring another Doctrine and climb up another Way who are not to be received but shut out for Thieves and Robbers who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men and will neither enter in themselves nor suffer others that would and the Ministers of the Gospel never preach'd up Hebrew and Greek to be the Original but they preached the Word to be the Original neither took Tythes nor ever had a set Maintenance or so much a Year namely forty fifty or sixty or a hundred or two hundred Pounds a Year more or less to abide in one Place neither sued any at the Law for any such Thing but all their Care was to make the Gospel free and without Charge neither did they take of those that did not own them as denyed them but shoke off the Dust of their Feet and so left them neither had they an Hour-Glass to limit themselves by or had a Clark to say Amen But your Priests will tell you Now the Gospel is published and the Churches are gathered and planted Oh! with Shame might they speak it what Churches have they gathered here I have before laid down their Church the Ground thereof the Gathering thereof and the Planting thereof and what they are and also the Gathering of the Apostles Church and the Planting thereof so that here
the Flesh in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ for in the Spirit Paul discerned it for saith he Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit I have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this Deed and so those Formalists and Imitators if any differ from them in Judgment they will also deliver him up to Satan as they imagine taking the Apostles Words though they cannot tax him for any Thing but his Judgment differing from them but they want the Power and here they are the Magicians like Jannes and Jambres opposing the Truth and those are they that are called Baptists and another Form they are more spiritual in their Judgment and they hold a spiritual Baptism and not a Water-Baptism and as many as hold with them are of their Church and Faith and thus they are divided into several Forms and Churches and so have several Names and there are several Judgments of one Thing under one Name and here is the Confusion of Babylon with their several Sects Judgments and Opinions and every one are professing the Name of the Lord and stealing the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and saying The Lord saith when he never spoak to them and here is the Difference from another only in Profession Judgment or Opinion but still in Babylon and Babylon's Fashions Customs and Traditions and Fellowship Manners and Breeding which is all Heathenish and at Enmity with God being in the Fall and thus they stand in the first Nature in Pride in Covetousness Anger Wrath Malice Fleshliness and Lustfulness and Idle Words Vain Talking Foolish Jesting and Evil Communication and to be short still alive in the World's Nature Strangers to the Holy God and so under Death's Dominion and here I comprehend all Forms Sects Judgments and Opinions by the Light which slayes Death and takes away its Dominion unto its self to whom it belongs and doth see them and judge them to be out of the Light in Darkness and so in Confusion one clashing against another with their Judgments and Opinions and here are the Disputes of this World and the one cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and another cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and none else whenas Christ is within his Saints and there is a false Christ which they have set up in their Imaginations and here are the False Prophets and False Christs that are gone out into the World who have deceived many And here is the Ground of Forms a setting up a Likeness of a Thing a Figure or Image of a Thing but not the Thing it self and here is the Beast and the Image of the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after even Satan as an Angel of Light in his several Shapes Forms and Likenesses to deceive the Simple and here is the Form without the Life and Power and here is the Building upon a sandy Foundation which all must come down who hear the Words and talk of the Word are Sayers of the Words here is him that saith he hath kept the Commandments and Ordinances and yet his Heart from God after other Lovers who is searched and found out by Christ the Light and here is the Spiritual Babel with its Foundation and Babel's Building and Babel's Builders and here is the Image whose Head is Gold whose Breast is Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay but now is he come and made manifest who strikes at Feet of Image who is called the Stone cut out of Mountain without Hands even Jesus Christ the Son of God now after all this Profession of his Name and of Faith in him but now he finds none in the Earth who hath revealed himself in the poor despised ones of the World and those who have been counted the blind and igrant and as you have read the Poor receive the Gospel the World was made by him but the World knew him not he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God to whom that Promise is fulfilled which was promised in the Dayes of old by the Father That in the last Dayes he would pour forth his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie and the Young Men see Visions and if you will receive it this is the Elias which was for to come in the Spirit as he came in the Flesh even the Life and Power of what hath been so long professed which the Lord hath now manifested in his Servants and Hand-maids whom he hath now sent forth abroad freely to call into the Supper of the Lord even the Marriage of the Lamb and to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and to preach him within the Hope of Glory the Ministry that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves and take up his Cross follow him through evil Report and good Report through Persecution and through Death and who are faithful until Death must receive a Crown of Life and reign with him for evermore in his Kingdom of which there is no End neither Beginning over which he is made Heir and King blessed be Jehovah sing Halelujah to his Name all ye that know him And now that his Name is spreading abroad and his Message declaring by the Mouth of his faithful Messengers those who have long talked of his Name and so long professed his Name know him not neither believe on him but are found Hypocrites and Dissemblers and blind Leaders of the blind whited Walls and painted Sepulchres but within full of Uncleanness Hypocrisie and Deceit even the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and those will not receive the Message but make light of it and say they believe on a Christ at Jerusalem and now in the Heavens far off they know not where and they cry he hath done all for us and hath satisfied for our Sins and they shall not be imputed to us say they and they cry out this is a new Light and a strange Light and we know not whence it is but they say they will keep to the Old Rule the Scriptures which they call the Word of God and the Old Way though they be meer Strangers to the Life of the Scriptures but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them as Christ saith For Judgment am I come into the World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind as their Fore-fathers professed Abraham and Moses and said We know that God spake unto Moses but as for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and they said God was their Father but Jesus Christ answered them and said If ye were Abraham ' s Children ye
would do the Works of Abraham and he also said If God were your Father then would you love me for I proceeded forth and came from him but saith he ye are of your Father the Devil and his Works you do and will do And thus are the Pharisaical Professors of these Times marked out to be in the Steps of their Fore-fathers for this is the same Christ that suffered at Jerusalem but they are blind and cannot see neither indeed do believe the Scripture nor walk according to it but are in the old and broad Way of the World wherein their Fore-fathers walked and led many to Destruction but if these did believe the Scripture they would believe on this Light which is come into the World which the Scripture bears Testimony of even the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive and some of them scoff and scorn and revile reproach and slander and rail at the Messengers of Truth and some strike them and stone them and buffet them and stock them and whip them and imprison them and despightfully use them yet they are made able through the Power of him that hath sent them for to go on in Boldness but those Persecutors are not found worthy Therefore the Lord will send forth his Armies and destroy these Murderers and burn up their City and these are they that have professed to be his near Kindred Friends and Acquaintance but now are found Strangers who prophesied in his Name and in his Name done many woundrous Works and yet they must depart for Workers of Iniquity he knows them not Now read your selves you Wicked Ones you Murderers you Rude Multitude you Priests you Pharisees and Professors you Formalists Self-Actors and Imitators for now all joyn Hand in Hand and Gog and Magog joyn in Battel against the Lamb and Pilate and Herod are made Friends and you chief Priests and Pharisees who are the Professors of these Times and you Rulers and you rude and brutish ones and you Formalists and Sectaries now at the coming of Christ in the Spirit even the Substance of what you have long talked of all joyned together in one who formerly have been at great Division Wars among your selves but now you are made Friends and muster up all your Strength against the Substance even Jesus Christ whom you as your Fore-fathers did call a Blasphemer a Seducer a Deceiver and a Devil and now the rude Multitude they stand up for their Priests and they fall upon the Messengers of Christ when they come into their Synagogues and they hale them out of their Synagogues and strike them and buffeâ— them and despightfully use them and stone them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Priests they seek to Rulers and Magistrates and hale them before them and they persecute them and imprison them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Pharisees and ancient hypocritical rotten Professors they side with the Priests and go about railing and evil speaking of the Truth learning and incensing Peoples Minds against it with their Lyes and Slanders and Reproaches to present it odious to all People and also fawning and crouching and seeking to Magistrates to act in their Wills and persecute as their Fore-Fathers alwayes did against the same Seed and likewise the Formalists and Sectaries do the same and thus they that were after the Flesh alwayes persecuted them that were after the Spirit and yet these are ready to cry out What Hard-hearted Jews wâ—re those that crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles and if they had been in those dayes they would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of Christ and his Apostles Whenas they are now found the same Generation of Persecutors persecuting the Righteous Seed and so they fill up the Measure of their Fathers Wrath that upon them might come all the Righteous Blood-shed from Righteous Abel until now And now the Priests and the Baptists can agree and they joyn together and the Priests call them Honest Men and the Baptists call them Gentlemen of Divinity And the Baptists and Independents they joyn together and the Independents and the Presbyterians they joyn together all against the Life and Power which the Lord hath now manifested in his Sons and Daughters and hath sent them to declare and lay open their Hypocrisie and Deceit which they have long covered with a Gospel-like Profession but now all their Coverings are found too Narrow before the Light which is come now into the World to convince and reprove them of their Sin of their Righteousness and of their Judgment and therefore now they have enough to do to joyn together with all their Strength and Wisdom to put out this Light and so they endeavour to sow their Tares in Peoples Hearts and all the Wayes they can invent to destroy the Work which now is begun and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth according to the Prophesie of the Apostle Being men of Corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith which I have much experienced in several Meetings which I have had with the Teachers of the Baptized People which shall follow in order afterward But the more they strive in their Wills and Wisdoms the more doth the Work of the Lord Prosper and go on and flourish by his Mighty Power and Out-stretched Arm and their Shame and Folly and Down-fal the more appears and when they have done all they can they shall be glad to lay down their Cronws and bow unto this Truth which they now so oppose and every Tongue shall confess it though to their Condemnation who do now oppose and gain-say it Wo unto such they shall perish in the Gain-saying of Core And the Time shall come that when the Master of the House shall have shut the Door they shall knock and shall strive to enter and shall not be able all who now oppose and reject the Counsel of the Lord and will not hearken now they are called And thus the LORD will exalt his SON in his Saints when his ENEMIES shall be his Foot-stool and be made to bow before him And thus do all Sects Judgments and Opinions joyn in one against the Life and Substance they being all sprung from one Root so make up all one Image whose Head is Gold Breast of Silver whose Thighs are Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet Part of Iron and Part of Clay and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which strikes at the Feet of the Image Now the Head of the Image which is of Gold and those that have had a Light shining into them and have had a Sight of many things and have seen the Emptiness of many Forms and have gotten the Thing in their Comprehension and have a Notion above others of much of that which is now witnessed and possest in Life by the Faithful and there have been exalted and gotten up a Life therein and a False Rest but have lost
are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
Twenty Eighth Query answered also Qu. 29. Whether the Apostle's Interdiction be absolutely against all Ornaments or Comparatively only And thou hast quoted a Scripture in 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. which answereth thee where thou may'st read what Ornaments he approves of and here thy Thirty Thirty One and Thirty Two Query is answered Answ. But Moderation in every thing Iown but what is waste is for the Lust both in Kings Princes and Great Personages as thou callest them but with us there is no Respect of Persons neither taking thought what to eat what to drink or wherewithal to be cloathed as the Children of this World do amongst whom thou art found but our Kingdom is not of this World And Israel after the Flesh was a Figure of Israel after the Spirit therefore now read their Adorning if thou canst and remember No Creature was made for the Lust though Lustful Men Abuse them Thy next is concerning Pride And thy first Question of this is Whether Pride doth lye in Apparel though there may be much Wastefulness Vanity and Ostentation committed therein or inwardly in the Heart and Mind of the Poor as well as of the Rich and thou quotest Mark 7. 21 22 23. Answ. The Scripture which thou hast quoted doth answer thy Question where Pride lyeth but Apparel is a dead Thing and no Pride in it but the Vanity and Wastefulness which thou confessest is committed therein figures forth the Pride of the Heart and where Riches are this is shown therefore you Priests look at home and judge your selves though Poor and Rich be both in one Nature before the Regeneration Ephes. 2. 3. Qu. 34. Whether one of the greatest Things that puffs up the Hearts of Men be not knowledge whether it be true or false and imagined only and thou quotest 1 Cor. 8. 1 2. Answ. You that are Carnal and Fleshly are puffed up with your Fleshly Notional Knowledge and in that you steal from others Experiences but the true Knowledge of the Spirit puffs not up but judges down that which would be exalted but this unto thee is a Mystery because thy Knowledge hath blinded thy Eye who art confused in thy Imaginations so read thy self in the Scripture aforesaid which thou hast quoted Qu. 35. Whether another Thing that exalts a Man in Pride and makes him despise his Brethren and perhaps those that are better then himself be not a Conceited and Self-chosen Holiness seeing such a Proud Saint is brought in Isa. 65. 5. which Thing also thou sayst is verefied in the Pharisee and the Publican Luke 18. 15. Answ. Thou hast here answered thy self with these Scriptures wherein thou may'st read thy self who thinkest thy self more holy then thy Brethren and wouldst only answer for thy self and not for thy Brethren though thou art found in the same Practices but thou blind Pharisee he was not a Saint which was spoken of in Isa. 65. 5. but he was a Saint which said We are of God and the whole World lyeth in Wickedness 1 John 5. 19. And here also thy 36 Question is answered with the Scripture which thou hast quoted 1 Tim. 3. 6. who art a false Teacher doting about Questions Qu. 37. And here thou askest whether a Young Man be not the proâ—est of all other to be thus seduced and puffed up and thou quotest 1 Tim. 3. 6. Answ. Thy Spite is much against Youth but him thou shootest at thou canst not hit because thou art blind and canst not divide the Word aright but thou may'st plainly have read thy self in that Chapter aforesaid and find that thou art the Novice who knowest not the Truth but despisest the Young Man because of his Youth which is contrary to Paul 1 Tim. 4. 12. And thy next is to maintain Swearing Qu. 38. And thy first Query of this is Whethâ—r it be lawful now in the New Testament to take an Oath before lawful Authority to put an End to Controversies and thou quotest Heb. 6. 16. Answ. This which thou goest about now to uphold manifests thee an Enemy to Christ and his Doctrine who saith Swear not at all for saith he it hath been said in the Old Time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oath but I say unto you Swear not all but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay for what is more is Evil Now here he doth not only forbid false Swearing but also all Swearing Mat. 5. 33 34 c. and also the Apostle James doth the same in Jam. 5. 12. both which Scriptures thou hast quoted in the 39th Query and so here out of the Doctrine of Christ again thou art found in the Evil and all you that cannot believe one another without Swearing and so are more then Yea Nay and what is more is Evil saith Christ now read your Condemnation And as for that in Heb. 6. there the Apostle was speaking by Way of Comparison how the Lord made a Covenant and confirmed it with an Oath which is Christ Jesus the Everlasting Oath who saith Swear not at all and the Apostle brought a Comparison from Men in Strife and Controversie but this doth not at all maintain Swearing now for Strife and Controversie is out of the Doctrine of Christ and such run into the Swearing and into the Evil amongst whom thou art found upholding the Evil and opposing Christ's Doctrine and so art found in the Condemnation of the Devil Jam. 5. 12. This was not the Saints Practice for in the New Covenant neither Strife nor Swearer is and thus you Leaders cause Men to err by upholding that which Christ is against and here thy 39th Qâ—ry is answered Qu. 40. Here thou askest Whether Paul himself did not swear in these Words 2 Cor. 11. 10. as the Truth of Christ is in me c. Answ. Oh thou Enemy of Truth that would'st here scandal and accuse Paul for Swearing that so thou might'st uphold Swearing but by what doth he here swear this is plain Language And thy next is concerning Outward Material Churches and the publick Exercises therein Most of these Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my 17th Query wherein I have declared why I object against your Steeple-houses which thou callest Churches Qu. 44. Here thou askest if such Meetings may not be mixt Assemblies of Learned and Unlearned of Believers and Unbeliers and thou quotest 1 Cor. 14. 23. Answ. But the Unbelievers are not owned by the Believers though they come amongst the Believers as in 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16 17 18. then the Ministers are far off being maintained by Unbelievers as thou art for though thou confessest the greatest Part are Earthly-minded and Worldly-minded thou yet art maintained by them and I am sure they that come into the true Faith which purifieth the Heart come out from amongst you so that you are not much mixed for you are all one Nature like Priest like People And in thy 47 th and
Hardships and Impossibilities do appear before you and Doubts and Fears and Questionings and Murmurings Repinings and Unbelief rise in you and many Temptations bâ—take you soâ—etimes to return back and dye in Aegypt sometimes after the Delights and Flesh-pots of Aegypt sometimes that God hath utterly forsaken you sometimes to question the very Truth of God and ready to call it a Lye and here is the wavering and unstable Mind all which ariseth ouâ— of Darkness where self stands all which comes by hearkning unto self Therefore unto the Light the Messenger of God keep your Minds whâ—ch brings the Message of Peace and glad-Tidings of Salvation unto which keep close own it lone to be your Teacher Guide and Counsellor in all the Way you are to pass and in all Things that you are to do standing in the Denyal of self with all its Ends and own the Light which leads intâ— Singleness to God out of Ends and all stumbling-Blocks it will remove and through the Bryars and Thorns it will you lead and in the Mire you shall not stick but the crooked Way shall be made streight and the rough and hard Way plain and easie for in the Light is none Occasion of stumbling but keeps your Feet from erring and straying your Tongues from Evil speaking as you hearken unto this which when you are going to the right Hand or to the left cryes This is the Way walk in it This is the Word in you from whence comes Faith which makes all Things easie and possible but without Faith it is impossible to please God and Faith is the Gift of God and so is this Word of Truth from whence Faith springs which judgeth down all Murmurings Doubtings and Repinings and all Carelesness Lightness Lustings and Earthliness and condemns the Ground from whence all these Things do spring And here the Ministration of Condemnation is witnessed which in its Time is glorious through which comes the Ministration of Peace which doth the other exceed but take Heed of getting these Things in the Comprehension to talk of but let the Time of Silence and Patience have its Work in which wait for the fulfilling of these Things that within you may read them and the Life it self may shew forth it self which dothadorn and honour the Truth and so you become the Vessels of Honour but out of Faithfulness this is not witnessed For it is the Willing and Obedient that shall eat the Good of the Land Therefore Friends see how you stand in Faithfulness to what in your Measures is made known unto you for Faithfulness is of great value and Faithfulness is as well in secret as in publick knowing that all Things are publick unto God who will jâ—dge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ therefore he that is faithful over a little is approved of God and shall be made Ruler over much but he that is â—sloathful is cast out and from him taken that which he hath These Things you have read without but now learn within and read your selves and you need not be Deceived for by the Light your Hearts are searched by it all Things are made manifest by which you are either approved or disapproved unto God in all your Words and Actions therefore by this set a Watch over all your Thoughts Words and Actions that the Righteous judge may be set up in your Hearts which judgeth down Deceit and iniquity and establisheth Righteousness in the Earth and Truth and Equity in the inward Parts and cleanseth the Heart from Evil that this alone may guide you and act you forth in all yourâ— Wayes and Doings and then self hath no Part but all Things are done in the Cross unto selâ— in Singleness unto God and he alone is glorified and the Fear and Awe is placed and the Tongue is bridâ—â—d and the Will curbed and the Heart cleansed and kept clean for it is that which goeth out that dâ—fileth Therefore I say unto you all Watch that the Pure may exercise your Minds which is the Cross to the Carnal which crucifies the Carnal and mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh and establisheth Purity in the Heart and brings forth the Fruits of the Spirit which is Love in a pure Life that here you may come to live and walk and grow together in Unity in your Measures for that which separates from the Unity is self which causeth Love to wax cold but in the Love of God abiding self is denyed for where self is owned the Love of God is denyed So here is the Enemy of your own House that you are to war against and in the Light which discovers self is your Power and Strength and as you receive the Light you receive Power to deny self in its Appearances which Power reconciles your Hearts together and works you into perfect Friendship Unity which stands not in the Will but in the pure Nature which is the Cross to Will which Nature the World cannot bear which Nature breaks the World's Fellowship Love and Friendship all which stands in their corrupt Wills wherein stands all their Customs Fashions and Traditions and all their Worship and Profession out of which also ariseth Persecution against you who dwell in the pure Nature and the single pure Language which their corrupt Wills cannot bear nor savour but look not out at what they can do unto you knowing that the uttermost is but to take the Life of the Body but eye the Lord your God in it and count it your Riches that you are found worthy to suffer for Righteousness sake for through many Tryals and Tribulations you come forth pure unto the Lord and strong in the Faith So the Lord God of Power be with you and by his mighty Power keep you low and watchful in your Conditions that your Eternal Good you may mind above all Things under the Sun that every one in the Truth received you may walk and grow daily dying unto the Things that perish that in the Life of God you may come to dwell out of the Creatures and then the true Use of them will be given you and the pure Wisdom as it was in the Beginning when Man was in the Right to the Creatures and here Paradice will be found but he that believeth maketh not hast but by patient continuing in well-doing you will reap if you faint not wherein I bid you you Farewel Dear Friends It was the Love of God in me which run forth to the Seed in you which constrained me to write unto you and visit you with this Epistle now my bodily Presence is by the corrupt Will of Man barred from you yet my Spirit doth not cease in your Behalf that the Lord by his Power by which he hath awakened you out of Sleep and caused his Witness to answer to his Truth would bless and prosper this his happy Work in your Hearts to the bringing forth his precious Seed to rule and have Dominion that so his glorious
Light may shine forth in your Conversations and his Beauty appear in your Image that the Heathen may be ashamed and â—ear before the Lord your God And here my Friends is my Comfort in the midst of Bonds yea if this Body was to be sacrificed up it would not abate my Joy that I have in you in whom the Work of God prospers Therefore I do charge you all in the Presence of the living God whom ye do profess in his Fear to abide diligent and circumspect that you grieve not the Spirit of God nor cause his Holy Name to be blasphemed lest you add Affliction to the Bonds of the Gospel From Colchester Castle in the 9th Month 1655. This from a Friend who is known in Spirit who for the Innocent Seeds sake suffers the Bonds of the Gospel JAMES PARNEL Another Epistle to Friends FRIENDS TO the â—ight of Christ Jesus in You all bring Your Deeds by it to be tryed and proved which Light in You all is the Heartâ—Seacher and Tryer which as you take heed unto it will not let you be idle or sloathful or careless nor let You set lâ— in a Formal Way or Carnal Security but will let you see the Ground and End of all Your Actions and Actings and will prove and try Your Hearts and let You see how Your Hearts stand towards God and what therein is Head and Ruler so that none of You may be acted by a False Spirit which begets into a False Liberty out of the Cross but that your own Wisdom and Reason which argues against the Light for a Liberty out of the Cross may all come unto the Death of the Cross to be mortified for all that in You which would not be tryed by the Light springs from the Enmity against the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light to which Light in You all I speak which is the Cross to Your Wills that by it You may try all Your Wayes and Actions For all You that are Bowing and Crouching and Uncovering to the Creature You are still in the Old Nature where old things are not past away but are still following the Customs of the dark World worshipping the Beast which all the World wonders after and worships for that iâ— the Beast even proud Lucifer the Lust in Man which would be honoured and bowed to and exalted which so swells in Wrath and Rage and Persecution against those that cannot worship bow to nor honour it to which No Worship nor Honour is due for Dust is the Serpentâ—s Meat And from this Beast in Man did this Persecution ever arise against this Righteous Seed which could not honour nor worship him as you may read Rev 1â— All the World wonders after the Beast but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life and those were and are persecuted by the Beast and coâ—ld not nor cannot scarce buy or sell. And that in You which honours and worships the Beast or proud Nature in Man is that which would not bear or suffer the Rage or Persecution of the Beast but would serve two Masters and so while you are seeking to please the one you displease the other and so beguile your own Souls and are a Sâ—are to others and this Heart is not right unto God bring your Ends in so doing to the Light and you shall see it so which â—ight will not deceive you but undeceive you as you take heed unto it and are willing to be led by it which will lead you into the True Worship of the Only True God whose Worship is in Spirit and in Truth And by this Light you will see that to Him alone All Honour Glory Worship Dominion and Thanks belongs And Him that Honours God him will God Honour But this Honour is not of Man for saith he I receive not Honour of Man And here all Men are honoured in the Lord but out of the Lord none are honoured And they that are Proud and High and Lofty are out of the Lord for that is one of the seven Abominations And here by the Light all Respect of Persons is condemned and the Lord honoured in all and all in him which Light condemns the Language of Babylon and begets into the plain single Language which the Beast-like Nature cannot â—ear nor savour But if you seek to please Men you are not the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And all you that still follow the Fashions of the World wherein is Excess either in Meat Drink or Apparel you are still alive in the World's Nature being conformed like unto the World and are not obedient unto the Light which convinceth you of the Vanities of the World and the Fashions thereof therefore by the Light in your selves which condemns all that in you which would be exalted and esteemed in the World which would be like the World and have the Praise of the World which is to be condemned with the World by the Light which is not of the World And so Pride comes to be rooted out of the Heart and You crucified to the World by the Light which let you see the Vanity of the World and the Fashions thereof which â—ass away which are not to be Touched Tasted nor Haâ—dâ—ed And all the Customary Words of the World which are by the Light condemned which by the Light are seen to be invented from that Nature which knows not God whereby God is dishonoured who calls to all who will follow him To come out from amongst them and be you separate and touch no Unclean thing and I will receive you saith the Lord. Therefore touch not their Customs but keep out of their Fashions and Traditions for they are all Unclean and own thâ— Crâ—ss and despise the Shame and follow the Light out or Babylon and it will lead you into the pure Religion which is unspotted of the World and so will crucifie you to the World and the World to you But that in you that pleadeth that Scripture Custom to whom Custom that is it which is willing to remain blind in Custom to save its Life which by the Light is declared and condemned with the World which would keep in Friendship with the World and in the Love of the World all which is at Enmity with the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light Therefore to the Light turn your Minds that by it you may judge all such Carnal Ends and Reasonings which would uphold these Carnal Customs contrary to the Light which gave forth the Scripture by which you may see what Custom the Apostle there spake of in Rom. 13. 7. as you may read in Matth. 9. 9. how he sate at the Recâ—it of â—ustom but this doth not at all uphold the Customs of the Heathen that are Vain Therefore to the Light take heed that it may be your Teacher and Counsellor that from it alone you may Act and Speak and so will you find the Witness within your selves for what you Act and Do.
own Destruction and this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reign above the World Death Hell and the Devil but none can witness this whose Eye is outward looking at a Redeemer afar off and still live in Sin but who cannot witness this Redemption here must never witness it for as the Tree falls so it lyes and Sin is the Mark of the Beast and who lives in Sin hath the Mark of the Beast and bears his Image and it is written that the Beast and false Prophets and all that have his Mark and Image must be cast into the Lake that burneth and must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without Mixture But as for that Scripture that saith If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us All have sinned and fallen from the Lord and he that hath Sin and saith he hath no Sin deceiveth himself and is a Lyar but if he confess and forsake his Sin God is faithful and just to forgive him his sin and to cleanse him from all Unrighteousness and this John witnessed and he that can witness this is no Lyar if he say he is cleansed from all Unrighteousness but witnesseth forth the Truth a perfect Redemption and the same John said He that is born of God sins not neither can he sin because his Seed remaineth in him and he that sins is of the Devil and never knew God By this are the Children of God and the Children of the Devil made manifest This John witnessed he was no Lyar neither did deceive himself but spoak the Truth And the same John said God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all If we say we have Fellowship with God and walk in Darkness we Lye and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all Sin This John witnessed he was no Lyar neither did deceive himself And this John said He that hath Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure and Faith in God purifieth the Heart Now try your Faith and Hope who plead for Sin for Sin lodgeth in the Heart and while there is Sin the Heart is unclean now here you may see all your Faith is vain and your Hope which doth not purifie the Heart and so it is feigned Hypocrites Faith and not Faith in God and so perisheth And who can witness Christ dyed for them have passed through Death for none can live with him but those that dye with him and this is the true Baptism to be baptized into his Death by one Spirit into one Body and how can they that are dead to Sin live any longer therein and who can witness this hath Faith in him which purifieth the Heart and removes Mountains and the pure in Heart sees God And this the Apostle witnessed and that he was made free from Sin and more then Conqueror through Faith in Christ Jesus he was no Lyar and said that Christ was come to redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle and though once they were Sinners like the World but they were washed and cleansed by the Blood of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God and had put off the Old man and put on the New which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness but this you are Strangers from who plead for Sin and are such as call your selves a Church and are not but the Synagogue of Sathan in whom the Prince of Darkness reigns which ruleth in the Children of Disobedience And as for that which blind People call Scripture who sayes The Righteous Man that is sins seven times a Day There is no such Scripture for it is false But though the Righteous fall he riseth again by Repentance and this the holy men of God wituessed and though David through Lust disobeyed the Lord and forgot his God yet he rose again by Repentance and after witnessed that he walked in the midst of his House in the Pureness of his Spirit and though Peter sinned through Weakness yet he rose again by Repentance and afterward exhorted the Church to be holy as God is holy but this you cannot witness who plead for Sin and are not yet come to Repentance but deny Christ daily and are convinced but do not repent but they who dwell in the Righteousness of Christ sin not for they that are alive in Righteousness are dead to Sin and they that live in Sin are dead to Righteousness but how can they that are dead to Sin live any longer therein And this is the Devil which pleads for Sin the Enemy of the Soul for by Sin did he obtain his Kingdom and so his Kingdom stands in Sin and your Teachers which tell you you can never get out of Sin nor be cleansed from Sin here ERR not knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God but deny the End of Christ's coming and bring another Doctrine which they have from their Father the Devil and so are the Deceivers which Paul speaks of who creep into Steeple-Houses and lead silly People captive full of Sin and Corruption ever learning and never come to the Knowledg of the Truth and so are not to be received but held as accursed for they daub you up with untempered Mortar seeing Vanity and divining Lyes who say the Lord saith when he never spoak to them they have healed the Hurt of the People slightly and have sewed Pillows under their Armeholes crying Peace when there is no Peace because they put into their Mouths and they are not ashamed neither do they blush therefore they shall fall amongst them that fall in the Day that I visit them saith the Lord And these are your Teachers that make your Habitation in your Sin while you are upon the Earth and so your Leaders cause you to err but when the Day of Account comes wherein the Books must be opened and every one judged out of the Books according to their Works by him who sits upon the white Throne and all must be cast into the Lake that burneth but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life then you will find those the utter Enemies of your Souls who perswade your Hearts in Sins and he that hath no Sin will be in the best Condition and here all your feigned formed Faith is unbottomed and all your Priests found Lyars Deceivers and Antichrists in whom the false Prophet ruleth which deceives the Nations who must be cast also into the Lake that burneth and there tormented for ever and all that uphold him We are accused to deny Christ come in the Flesh. We witness the same Christ which ever was now manifested in the Flesh and is appear'd in the Likeness of sinful Flesh to