to deceive that all may be warned by what I have learned in Sufferings and they that will not may be left without excuse JAMES NAYLOR Written in Bridewell about the Beginning of 1658. FINIS LONDON Printed in the Year 1659. TRUTH Cleared from Scandals Being James Naylor's Answer and Declaration Touching some things Charged upon him in the Lancashire PETITION HAVING heard of divers Untruths cast upon me by some of the Priests in their High Places though I stand only to the Lord in respect of my self yet least any that love the Truth should be led to speak Evil of the things they know not I shall lay open the Truth as it is in me Revealed touching those things Jude 10. Re. 19. 13 1 Joh. 1. 1 2 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 25. John 1. 14. Eph. 5. 30. 1. 21 22. Joh. 8. 12. 2 Thes 2. 8 2 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. whereof I have been Falsly Accused 1. Concerning Jesus Christ who is the Eternal Word of God by whom all things were made and are upholden which was before all Time but manifested in Time for the Recovery of Lost Man which Word became Flesh and dwelt amongst the Saints who is the same Yesterday and to Day and for Ever who did and doth dwell in the Saints who Suffered and Rose again and Ascended into Heaven and is set at the Right Hand of God to whom all Power is given in Heaven and in Earth who filleth all Places is the Light of the World but known to none but those who Receive and Follow him and those he leads up to God out of all the Ways Works and Worships of the World by his pure Light in them whereby he Reveals the Man of Sin and by his Power casts him out and so prepares the Bodies of the Saints a fir Temple for the pure God to dwell in with whom dwells no Unclean thing and thus he Reconciles God and Man and the Image of God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. which in Purity and Holiness is renewed and the Image of Satan which is all Sin and Uncleanness is defaced and none Col. 3. 10. can Witness Redemption further than Christ is thus Revealed in them to set them Free from Sin Which Christ I Witness John 8. 34 36. to be Revealed in me in Measure Gal. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Col. 1. 27. 2. Concerning the Scriptures That they are a true Declaration 1 John 1. 3 5. 2 Pet. 1. 21 22. Deut. 4. 2. Rev. 22. 18. Tim. 3. 16 17. of that Word which was in them that gave or spake them forth and are of no Private Interpretation but were given forth to be Read and Fulfilled in the Saints as they were given forth by the Holy Ghost without adding or diminishing and was not given forth for Men to make a Trade upon to get Mony by but as they are they are Profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be Perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work But they who tread in the Letter and are Ignorant of the Mystery deny all Perfection and none can rightly 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. Joh. 3. 11. Acts 1. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 13. 1 Pet. 3. 2. Col. 2. 12. Gal. 3. 27. Rom. 6. 3. Mat. 26. 26 28. John 6. 51 53 54 55 56. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. Col. 2. 10. Acts 4. 32. 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 Joh. 5. 20. understand the Scriptures but they who Read them with the same Spirit that gave them forth For the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Spiritually discerned 3. Concerning Baptism the true Baptism is that of the Spirit with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Baptized by one Spirit into one Body not the washing away of the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ without which no other Baptism can Save us they being but Figures or Shadows but this Baptism of Christ is the Substance whereby we are Baptized into his Death and those who are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ 4. Concerning the Lord's Supper the true Supper of the Lord is the Spiritual Eating and Drinking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ Spiritually which the Spiritual Man only Eateth and is thereby nourished up unto Eternal Life without which Eating there can be no Life in the Creature profess what you will and all who Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup have real Communion with Christ the Head and also one with another as Members and are all of one Heart and one Mind a Compleat Body in Christ Now the World who take only the Outward Signs and are not brought into a discerning of the Lords Body Eat and Drink Damnation to themselves and so become guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and calls this a Communion but Lives in Envy Strife and Debate Fighting and going to Law one with another for Earthly things 5. Concerning the Resurrection That all shall arise to give 1 Cor. 15. 38. an Account and receive at the Last Day according to their Works done in the Flesh whether Good or Evil these Bodies that are Dust shall turn to Dust but God shall give a Body as pleaseth him that which is sown in Corruption shall be raised 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44 46 50 51. in Incorruption it is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body and as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we shall bear the Image of the Heavenly But Flesh and Blood Rev. 20. 6. Phil. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 20. cannot Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven neither doth Corruption Inherit Incorruption for we shall all be changed But they who cannot witness the first Resurrection within themselves know nothing of the second but by hear-say And therefore say 1 Cor. 15. 47. Col. 1. 15. some of your Teachers that Christ is in Heaven with a Carnal Body now that Christ who is the first Fruits should be there with a Carnal Body and the Saints with a Spiritual Body is not proportionable 6. Concerning Magistracy That it is an Ordinance of God Ordained for the Punishment of Evil doers and an Encouragement Rom. 13. 3. to them that do Well Where Justice and Righteousness is the Head and Ruleth without Partiality that Land is kept in Peace and those who Judge for the Lord I Honour as my Jude 16. own Life not with a Flattering Honour of putting off the Hat and bowing of the Knee which is the Honour of the World having Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage for Self-ends but from my Heart for Conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. as to the Power which is of God and not to Mens Persons For the Scripture saith He that Respects Persons commits Sin and is Convinced of the Law as are Transgressors And
Practises and so still serve that Evil Spirit that hath all along betrayed you of your Obedience to God but wait to feel that Spirit which calls you to mourn a part every one for the Evils of his own Heart against his God and let that be minded which leads to Repentance towards God first that if by any means you may find a place for Repentance which will be hard for many of you to do you have so long Dissembled with God and betrayed his Witness in you through Deceit for this is the Truth to you all If you find that from the Lord in Spirit that will let you see the Evils of Provocation and give you Power to put it off whatever it be you will find favour with God therein for your Souls but if you find not that Spirit you will find small Peace with God and then that which Men can do for you will be little available for it is for want of Hearing and Obedience towards God that all this Evil is come upon you which must be turned to e'er it can be taken Everlastingly off for if you had harkned to his Light in your Consciences and his Word had had a Place in your Hearts to Obedience when you was yet tender then would it have kept you in his Fear so that you durst not have coveted that Cursed thing with which you hid and covered that Just Principle in you and blinded your Eyes with the Riches and Spoil of your Enemies nor durst you have set up what you had cast down and got into their Estates and so into their Pride by unrighteous Gain whom God had cast out Then had you not provoked God by these things to your utter Ruining Or if after this was entred upon you you had hearkned to his Reproof and put this off your selves with his Spirit then had he not brought this Terrible Besom to sweep it away from off you and from within you who hath left you no Place to hide your Glory or your Riches where his Hand shall not reach and his Eye find them out And there is now no hope for Agreement with God in yâ—â—r selves nor that he will cease his Anger against you till you return to that from which you departed that the same Spirit may be confessed and Glory given thereto by putting off in his Counsel and Motion that which was put on in your Counsels against that Spirit and his Light in your own Consciences and also in many others whose Souls were troubled and grieved for you in that Day and this the Lord God looks for that Glory be given to the just in his sight and in the sight of all before whom his name hath been Blasphemed And this is now the Work of this your Day while you have a little time and for this he waits and forbears that he may be Gracious to your Souls for his Names's sake And it is not a time for you to sleep and sit at ease nor spend your time in Vanity nor seek to hide that which God is resolved to declare openly nor with fleshly Counsel seek to save that which God will destroy It 's time now at last to see what that selfish Spirit and its Counsel hath done for you and Repent of it by following whereof all this Evil is come upon you for your Authority hath vomited you out your Glory hath left you naked and your Riches cannot profit you in this Day of Wrath from the Almighty This was I moved of the Lord to write to you J. N. Oh! KING GOD hath in these Nations a People gathered by himself into his Light who are known to himself better than to Men and therefore have we suffered by Men under all the Powers that have risen in this Nation ever since God called us towards himself by his Eternal Light and Spirit and though we receive not our Laws from Man yet are we not without Law as to our God but have one Law-giver even Christ Jesus our Lord our Life and our Head blessed over all And from his Laws we may not depart and by his Law in our Conscience and the Power of his Spirit in our Hearts are we ordered and guided to walk Holily towards our God and Harmlessly towards Men as the Saints of Old witnessed in Scripture however they be minded towards us and by the Virtue of the Lamb and not of Flesh and Blood are we made to give our Goods to the Spoil and our Bodies to the Tortures of Cruel Men rather than defile our Consciences or Sin against any one of the least of the Commands of our Lord and Law-giver Christ Jesus who by the Light of his Eternal Spirit doth dayly lead us out of the Evils and Vanity of this present World and having begotten us into his own Guiding he doth not suffer us to subject our selves to any thing whatsoever is not set up by himself nor to Worship the god of this World nor obey him in Commands or Customs but the Exercise of our Consciences he hath redeemed wholly to himself and by his Precious Blood hath sprinkled them and made them tender and pure so that we may not Worship false gods nor the true God in a false manner nor may we Worship Men nor the true God in a false manner nor may we Worship Men nor follow the Customs of Nations Kindreds or People or Languages but the Spirit of Truth it self we must follow Nor may we break Christ's Commands in Swearing when Men Command us but must obey him who faith Swear not at all Nor may we join to or uphold any Worship whatsoever but what the Spirit of Truth it self leads us into though many have sought to force us thereto Nor may we leave the Ministry of Christ and that Maintenance which the Gospel allows of to Maintain a Priesthood with Tithes and so go back from Christ to the Law that the Apostle saith is disannulled Heb. 7. And for such things as these concerning a tender Conscience and the Law of our God have we suffered Grievous Persecution and not for any Unrighteousness done by us against any Man's Person or Estate nor have we suffered by any just Law of the Nation but by the Wills of Cruel Men and as a Prey to every Man's Lust hath been our Liberties Lives and Estates and the Rulers that have been to this Day have not sought our Deliverance but have dealt Treacherously with us and the Lord whom we serve hath seen it and reproved it and yet we are not set free but at this Day we live in the Account of the rude and envious People as a People appointed to Death and Desolation and the whole Body of Ungodliness and Rage of Wickedness is upon us daily and with Cruelty falls upon us in our Persons and Estates and our Peaceable Meetings to Worship the living God And as to all these things we are laid as the Mire in the Street for every rude Boy to run
the Apostle James James 2. 5. Verse 1 2 3 4. Commands the Saints not to have the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with Respect of Persons And saith such are Partial in themselves and become Judges of Evil Thoughts And Rom. 13. 1 5. saith Paul Let every Soul be Subject to the Higher Powers For saith he there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God not of Man and that whosoever Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God And saith We must needs be Subject for Conscience sake And therefore though the Prophets and Saints were often sent by the Lord to Pronounce Judgment against Unjust Men who had the Power committed to them and did not Judge for God but for Self-ends yet they never attempted to raise any Violence against them but used all means to Persuade them to do Justly Love Mercy and Mic. 6. 8 walk humbly with God that they might be Established and the Wrath of God turned away from them For those that be of God cannot Rejoyce in the Destruction of any but would 1 Pet. 1. 12. Eph. 4. 11. 12. have all to turn to God and find Mercy 7. Concerning the Ministry The true Ministers of Jesus Christ have always been and are still such as came not by the Will of Man but by the Will of God neither are they fitted for that Work by any thing of Man but by God alone for the true Ministry is the Gift of Jesus Christ given for the Perfecting of the Saints and needs no addition of Humane Helps and 1 Cor. 12. 7. Learning but as the work is Spiritual and of the Lord so they are Spiritually fitted only by the Lord. And therefore he chose Pet. 4. 10. 11. Gal. 11. 11 12 16. Herds-Men Fisher-men and Plough-Men and such-like and as he gave them an Immediate Call without the Leave of Man so he fitted them Immediately without the Help of Man And as they received the Gift Freely so they were to give Freely And when ever they found any of the false Ministers who Taught for Hire they Cryed out against them and Pronounced Woes against them and shewed them that they lay in Iniquity because they thought that the Gift of God could be Bought and Sold for Money And Christ calls them Hirelings Mat. 10. 8. Acts 8. 20. John 10. 13. Micah 3. 10. Jer. 5. 30. and 6. 13. Isai 56. 10 11. 2 Pet. 2. 14 15. 2 Cor. 11. 15. Jude 11. and saith they care not for the Sheep And Micah cryes out against the Priests that Taught for Hire and saith They Build up Sion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity And Jeremiah cried out against the Priests in his Days that bare Rule by their means and calls it an Horrible thing and saith That from the least of them to the greatest they are all given to Covetousness And Isaiah cryed out of such in his Days and calls them Greedy Dogs that can never have enough and saith he they all look for their Gain from their Quarter And Peter saith of such in his Days as should come that they through Covetousness should make Merchandize of the People and saith They have Hearts exercised with Covetous Practises who have forsaken the right Way and have followed the Way of Balaam who loved the Wages of Unrighteousness And Jude cryes Woe unto them for they go on in the Way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Rewards But those that were sent out by Christ counted it their Reward to make the Gospel without Charge neither ever had they any set 1 Cor. 9. 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 4. 11. Gal. 4. 19. means but went about having no certain Dwelling Place neither were Masters but Servants to all for Christs sake Nor ever went to Law for Tythes or any other Earthly thing but Suffered Persecution and as always he that was after the Flesh Persecuted him that was after the Spirit even so it is now Now all People Try your Priests by the Scriptures whether they are of God or of the World and never think to hear the Word of the Lord from their Mouths who walk contrary to the Scriptures for such were never sent of God for had they been sent of God they would abide in his Doctrine And John 1 John 2. 3 4 5 6. Joh. 9. 10. 2 John 9. 10 11. saith such hath not God but he that abides in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son And if there come any to you and bring not this Doctrine you are forbidden to receive them into your Houses or bid them God Speed for if you do you are partakers of their Evil Deeds And unto the Wicked saith God What hast thou to do to Declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest Psal 50. 16 17. take my Covenant into thy Mouth seeing thou hatest Instruction and castest my Words behind thy Back and art a partaker with the Thief the Adulterer Evil-Speaking Slandering and Deceit and such as Psal 50. 21. do these things think God to be like themselves But I will Reprove thee and set them in order before thine Eyes J. N. 1653. The Condition and Portion of the People of England who have long Flattered themselves with the Church-Ministry and Ordinances but upon Tryal are found to be the Synagogues of Satan Persecutors of the Truth and Enemies of the Gospel of Christ The Lyon hath Roared Tremble all you Beasts of the Field The Trumpet hath sounded let the Beast prepare himself to Battle for the great Day of Sions Recompence is at hand and Woe to all her Enemies I Have heard a Voice of Woe and Terror to come upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Repent all you Inhabitants of the Earth the Sword of the Lord is Furbished against you to make a grievous Slaughter Howl Woe and Misery all sorts of People who have preferred your own Wills Lust and Pleasures before the pure Law of God Howl you Sodomites and Belly-Gods of the Earth who have given up your selves to Fulness of Gluttony and all Excess of Riot Feeding without the Fear of God Sporting in the Day Time Living like fed Horses spending the Creatures upon your Lusts which were never made for that end Woe unto you you Fat Swine the Sins of Sodom are found among you and the Plagues of Sodom are nigh at hand Woe unto you for now is the Lord come to Require his Corn and his Wine which he gave to Feed the Poor and Hungry which your Lusts have Devoured the Wants of all Poor in the Nation cry out against you you have exceeded all that ever went before you and you shall exceed in Misery Woe unto you Proud Lustful and Lofty ones that are lifted up in your own Eyes and have set your selves above the Fear of God which Teacheth Humility you plainly appear to be Children of the Devil who is the