Truth Something concerning the Operation of the LIGHT in all that Obey THe LIGHT is given for a Leader and to be Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth in all that believe as the Light is minded and obeyed it leads out of the Evil that it testifies against when it reproves for Lying then being minded and the Reproof turned unto and obeyed it will lead out of Lying and learn every man to speak Truth to his Neighbour or what ever it is that man is driven into through the Fall and hath taken up a life in it the Light bears witness against it which being turned unto and obeyed it leads out of it and leads unto that which is good and it places Gods fear in the heart of man and brings him to depart from the Evil and then he comes to the thing that is good in the Leadings of the Light and so man comes out of Anger and Envy into Meekness and Love and is led from all the Works of the Flesh that be evil unto God who is the chiefest good and this is the work of Christ the Power of God unto Salvation he comes into the World and reproves the World he leaves the World again and saves out of it all that obey and follow him So he makes manifest all things that be evil and he leads out of them and saves from them as obedience is given to him So a Drunkard turning to the Light when it reproves him for Drunkenness and yielding obedience to it it leads him out of Drunkenness into Soberness and delivers him from under the power of Satan who hath him Captive at his will and so the Light makes all things manifest and as it is obeyed it leads out of all Evil both in thought word and deed and places true judgement upon all Evil things and brings them all to the death of the Cross and slayes the Enmity and makes all subject to its power cutting down the Man of Sin and Crucifying the Flesh with all the Affections and Lusts of it and so the old Man dies with all his corruptible deeds and in the Judgment is buried down and the new Man is raised which after God is created in Righteousness and so a holy Birth is born through the Operation of the Power of the Light in which the spirit of the mind is renewed and Soul and Body sanctified and the Conscience purged from all dead works and thus all old things is put off and all things are made new in the work of Regeneration in which a new birth is raised that abides in the Fathers House and feeds upon bread of Life And this is something of the Operation of the Light in all that do obey according to the Scriptures Something concerning our PRACTICE and our walking therein VVE meet together as we are moved of the Lord and wait upon him in his Fear and are subject to the Power of his Spirit that is manifest in us and in the measure of the Spirit which we receive of God we Worship him and in the fervency of the Spirit we serve him and as he moves upon any who in his Fear waits upon him and opens in them the Word of Eternal Life and gives a Word to minister in due season and utterance to declare it in the power of his own Spirit so we minister one to another in the gift of Gods Spirit and are thereby Edified and Comforted one in another and so our Preaching stands not in the inticing words which mans Wisdom teacheth but in the Spirits Demonstration and in Power and this is the Gospel which we freely receive from God and freely Preach in his own Power And this is something of our Practice and our walking therein according to the Scriptures And thus do we own what stands in the Truth and is brought forth in the Spirit of Truth and agrees with the Scriptures of Truth and hath its Root in the Love and Meekness Gentleness and Patience that we own and dearly love in whomsoever it doth appear VVE own MAGISTRACY that stands in the Power of God and executes true Judegment within the Gates cutting down Sin and Evil-doers and setting up Righteousness and those that walk therein We own MINISTERS who are made of God and sent forth in his Living Power and Preaches freely as they receive and labours to gather People unto the Power of God We own WORSHIP in the Spirit and in the Truth which makes all flesh subject We own the CHURCH which is in God of which Jesus Christ is HEAD and KING We own SINGING in the Spirit which gives the Psalm and an understanding to Sing at and the Melody is made in the Heart unto the Lord We own PRAYER that is made in the Spirit which teaches how to Pray and what to Pray for and makes Request unto God according to his Will We own BAPTISM in the Spirit by which all are Baptised into one Body These with many other things which is true according to the Scriptures we own and dearly love with all that walk in the practice of them being guided thereunto by the Spirit of Truth in the power of which we are constrained to testifie unto the Truth as we know it in Jesus and these things which God hath opened unto us and the practice of them and in what they are to be performed unto him we dare not deny in the practice of it neither can we be subject unto any Traditions for Conscience sake Something that we cannot own for Conscience sake being found contrary to the Scriptures VVE cannot own ENGLANDS WORSHIP nor joyn with it because it is set up by Tradition and not after Christ We cannot own ENGLANDS CHVRCH to be the Church of Christ because it hath been set up in the night of Apostacy and is but the Work of Mens hands and found amongst the many Inventions We cannot own ENGLANDS MINISTERS to be the Ministers of Christ because they walk contrary to him in all things and are not endued with his power nor made Ministers in that but are made at Schools and Colledges by natural Arts and Languages and so speak things they know not for filthy Lucres sake making their Belly their God and Sues and Imprisons and Persecutes such as cannot put into their mouths We cannot own such a MINISTRY nor for Conscience sake joyn with them or any way help to maintain them because they walk contrary to Christs Ministers who themselves were persecuted but never persecuted any or sued people at Law for Wages We cannot for Conscience sake pay unto any whether Priest or Impropriator the Tenth part of our Increase which is called Tyths because the Lord freely gives it unto us and he doth not Command us to give it to any other and knowing that Priesthood to be changed who had a Maintenance out of the Tyths We also know that of necessity the Law must be changed and of this we are convinced by the manifestation of his Light
it to any man and herein hath his Controversie appeared with all Sorts and Sects of People whom he hath tryed in their day who would never submit to his Government nor yield unto him his Right but took it to themselves and robbed him of his Glory for which Cause the Lord hath turned their Glory into shame and their day into darkness and they are gone downwards and others are come upwards and are new placed in Power to Rule over their Heads because the Warnings of the Lord had no place in them but were rejected by them and the things that they should have done they did them not And thus are the Kingdoms of the World in the hand of the Almighty and he pulls down and he sets up and gives them unto whom he will and he disposes mans heart and brings him into a sensibleness of some things that be evil and prophane and orders him to declare his dislike against it as in this present Power hath been made manifest by a Declaration against something prophane and he also disposes mans heart into some Acts of Mercy as likewise is made manifest in this present Power by freely pardoning many things which in the time of this great Revolution hath been acted and done which might have occasioned great trouble upon the Nation if they had not been remitted and this is the Lords doings who disposes mans heart herein and it is to be prized as the Lords Mercy who hath brought it to pass though there be much Excluded which should have been compassed within it and a free Pardon Extended to it that life in all might have been spared and nothing Charged against any to have taken away life but a free Pardon should have reached unto all for their lives and that would have quenched all flames and calmed all boysterous winds that there would not have been any blast to have blown up a spark for though the Lord gave them justly up to be scourged yet not to be destroyed and Pardon should have reached the life of all and no Revenge should have been sought or Executed upon any to have taken away their lives though seemingly there might be Guilt upon them and that done by them which the Law of the Nation may seemingly Condemne yet should Mercy have opened towards such and it should have been freely forgiven which would sweetly have healed and closed the hearts of thy Inhabitants together O England and made them as one man And it is upon me from the Lord to sound forth a Warning in the power of his Eternal Spirit unto all thy Rulers O England whose day now is that they mind how the day is theirs and who it is that hath given it them and keep their hands from shedding of Blood lest they provoke him who hath shewed Mercy unto them for by Cruelty acted and then Revenge sought it opens the Fountain of Blood wider but never stops it And this is not the End O ye People who are now in POWER this day in ENGLAND for which God hath raised you up that you should destroy life but to shew Mercy as he hath shewed Mercy unto you and to try you if you will perform what they carelesly neglected whom he hath given up into your hands without the stroak of any Weapon of War and hath brought you up to Rule in Government wit hou the loss of any Blood which is such an infinite Mercy as might cause you to stop the Issue of Blood and not to open it Something you have done which in its place and in it self is good but the Work you have yet to do is weighty if you mind the Lords Counsel and give up unto him that he may dispose your hearts to Answer the End which he doth Expect from you which is to shew Mercy and to break off every yoak and undo all heavy burdens and remove all Compelling Lawes in things pertaining to the Conscience and set the Oppressed free that Righteousness may Reign and true Judgment and Equity may run down and a peaceable and quiet life may be enjoyed in all Godliness and Honesty And this is required of you all from the Lord God and it is not to be neglected by any of you in your Places whether it be the KING as Supream of the Nation or those that be set in Authority under him but is a Work to be set upon speedily for the neglect of performing of it when many Promises have been made to do it hath drawn down Judgment upon such as have Ruled before you who promised much in these things but performed little and you are come to see their day End and the Beginning of your own therefore reject not the Lords Counsel to follow your own Imaginations that when you should do the thing which God requires you do not bring forth that which his Controversie is against that when you should set free you lay not on a yoak and bring forth Oppression and continue Oppression and so encrease Burdens and make them heavier when you should remove them and take them away this is not the End for which God hath raised you that you should look back again and begin to build again those things which God hath removed and to seek your own Glory in them but to promote the everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God and freely given of God and that all may stand in the freedom they have in God to Worship him without any Law to compel them otherwise under Penalties and Punishments this is some part of your Work in this your day which God hath given you and as you obey the Lords Counsel and mind the Light of Christ in your own Consciences you will see what is your whole Duty and what the Lord doth require of you not to make LORD-BISHOPS again and DEANS and PREBENDS not to set up Common-Prayer-Book Organs and Anthems and such Abominations which the Saints never practised nor there is no Scripture for and these things with much more that might be mentioned the Lords Controversie was against and none could uphold them though there was great Hosts of Men and Horses appeared to defend them they all fell before the Power of the Lord in that day And do you believe that God will take pleasure in them now be not so much deceived for the Lord is provoked and his Spirit is vexed and his Indignation riseth against them and he will not yet spare them nor these that strive to promote and uphold them and compel a conformity unto them and this is in plainness of speech unto you all in the movings of Gods Power Oh England thy Prophets deceive thee and thy Teachers deal very treacherously with thee they cry peace to thee when sudden destruction is nigh to come upon thee they know not the things that are neither the things that are coming to passe for Night is come upon them the Vision hath failed them they have no Answer of God and thus they have
deceived thee in those late years who then had their day in thee and were set up by thee and thy Faith stood in their Wisdom they have all deceived thee by their lies and flatteries crying peace unto thee through all changes that have come to passe in this great Revolution and whatever came up to rule that favoured their time and day they cryed peace unto thee in it though the Lord had determined to overthrow it speedily and when it was overthrown and destroyed they covered thee over with new lies and flatteries and still cryed peace within thy borders under the next appearance that came forth to rule within thee So they cryed peace unto thee in O LIVER' 's Day and when he was cut down and fell and RICHARD his son seemed to arise in his place then their sound went forth with a noise of a Star that was risen and a Son that was born in Bethlehem to establish Peace and thus they cryed aloud in their deceitful sound which was nothing but lies and flatteries for theis Star soon fell and their Sun soon set and was overshadowed and Bethlehems Peace was broken Canst thou not see O England how deceit hath abounded within thee and how thy Prophets and Teachers have dealt with thee Was ever such a professing People so blinded as thou hast been and so overcome to believe lies and flatteries as thou hast done and these are they which thou hast laboured to uphold who have brought that which thou mad'st thy day into darkness and obscurity Oh England the Lords love hath been exceedingly towards thee though thou hast been a Rebellious Nation and it is yet with the Lord to do thee good if thou wilt but hearken and obey Therefore turn unto the Lord God and wait his Counsel to receive that Cruelty and Oppression Vanities and Abominations which do still abound in thee may all be done away and removed out of thy bowels that a godly sorrow may come upon thee and true Repentance may be wrought in thee never to be repented of that a Life in the pure God thou mayest come to know and Uprightness of heart thou mayest learn by the teachings of his own Spirit and deny all thy Ungodliness Prophaness and Licentiousness vain Customs Worships Fashions and Traditions and learn to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that God may divert his Judgment from thee which certainly thou art drawing down upon thy own head by those unclean abominations which still live and abide within thee and though the Revolution be come about yet thou dost not learn Righteousness neither makest thy wayes and doings good before the Lord thou reapest little profit by all that hath come upon thee and passed through thee in these late years of thy Calamity thou hast had sufficient tryal of man and his way and if thou dost but mind in soberness thou mayest see what the end of it is and whither and into what it all turns This may be a Warning unto thee O England for ever placing thy Faith in man's Wisdom any more for thou hast been long a deceived Nation and the Lord hath largely opened his love to thee that thou mightst have been undeceived and not to have placed thy confidence so much in man but that thou mightest have turned unto the power of God and placed thy confidence in it but thou hast kickt as a wild Heifer that would not come to the yoke and didst not regard the faithful MESSAGES that in thee hath been sounded forth Therefore O ENGLAND Turn Fear and Obey in this thy day whilst the visitation reaches thee and mind the Teachings of God and hearken to his Reproof that thy Faith may stand in his Power and no more in the Wisdom of men that thy confidence may be placed in God and not in the arm of flesh Oh ENGLAND down into the dust with speed and be humbled for the day hastens over and night comes on a pace in which darkness will be thy covering and WO and MISERY thy portion except thou speedily repent then shalt thou know that God hath raised up true Prophets in Israel this day who run in obedience to his movings to do thee good and labour in thee to bring thee to repentance that thou mayest escape the judgment from which no man can hide thee or prevent it from coming upon thee if thou go on in Rebellion against the Almighty God Therefore all RULERS TEACHERS and PEOPLE dread the Mighty God and bow before the Most High and unto Him turn with speed and joyn to his Spirit that is manifest in you own Conscience and make your wayes and doings good therein love mercy do justly and walk humbly before the Lord who respects no persons in judgment And this is a faithfull warning unto thee O England with all thy Rulers and Teachers and all sorts and sects of people whatsoever that inhabite within thy borders and now have their day in thee that all may turn to the Light of Christ in their own conscience and that none may neglect it any longer but turn to it speedily that in it they may obtain mercy before he strike in judgment whose everlasting Power ruleth over all the Kingdoms of the world Something concerning our PRINCIPLE and what it is OUr PRINCIPLE is JESUS CHRIST the LIGHT of the World that doth enlighten every man that comes into the VVorld it is the free gift of God unto every man placed in his Conscience to be a witness for God it shews unto man all his thoughts words and deeds and makes them manifest whether they be good or evil when man joyneth unto evil in thought word or deed the Light reproves him in his own Conscience and finites him in judgment for Transgression the Light speaks near unto every man and calls the workers of Iniquity to Repentance and to abstain from evil it doth not consent to any evil thing which in mans heart arises but secretly reproves it if any intent arise that is not brought forth it searcheth it out and makes it manifest and brings it to a discovery that it may be seen of what sort it is it brings man into a sensibleness of his present state the Light shews him whether he be a Drunkard a Swearer a Lyer an Envious man or what ever it be that arises from the Darkness it is made manifest by the Light if any thing lodge never so secretly it finds it out if there be an intent to Steal or to Defraud or to Lie or Anger or Envy or Pride or Evil-will lodge in the heart of man and none can accuse him for any of them yet the Light finds out such things and judges man and reproves him in his own Conscience for them the Light hath no Communion with Darkness nor fellowship with Unrighteousness but stands in man a witness against man that unto any evil thing is joyned And this is something of our PRINCIPLE according to the Scriptures of