the Scriptures of Truth c. This is to inform you That all our Books and Declarations that for these many years have been published to the World do clearly testifie to the contrary but yet for your sakes this is now given forth That God who is the Only Wise Omnipotent and Everlasting God we do Own and Believe in who is the Creator of all things both in Heaven and in Earth and the Preserver of all that he hath made who is God over all blessed forever to whom be all Honour and Glory and Dominion and Praise and Thanksgiving both now and for evermore And that Jesus Christ is his Beloved and Only Begotten Son in whom he is Well-pleased who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary in whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins who is the express Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature by whom were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers And we do own and believe that he was made to be as Sin or an Offence and Curse for us who knew no Sin and was Crucified for us in the Flesh without the Gates of Jerusalem and that he was Buried and Rose again the Third Day by his own Power for our Justification and we do believe that he Ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-Hand of God And that this Jesus is the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and our Foundation so that there is no other Foundation to be laid but what is laid even Christ Jesus and that he tasted Death for every man and shed his Blood for all men that he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for our Sins only but for the Sins of the whole World For saith John the Baptist of him Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World John 1.29 And we do believe That he is our Alone Redeemer and Saviour even the Captain of our Salvation who saves us from Sin as well as from Hell and from the Wrath to come and destroyes the Devil and his Works who is the Seed of the Woman that bruises the Serpent's Head to wit Christ Jesus who is Alpha and Omega the First and Last That he is as Scriptures of Truth say our Wisdom Righteousness Justification and Redemption neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved it is he alone who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls he it is that is our Prophet whom Moses long since testified of in Acts 3.22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord our God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every one that will not hear that Prophet shall be Destroyed from among the People He it is that is now come and hath given us an Understanding that we may know him that is true and a Rule in our Hearts even his Law of Love and of Life in our Inward Parts which makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death And we have no Life but by him For he is the Quickening Spirit the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven by whose Blood we are cleansed and our Consciences sprinkled from Dead Works that we might serve the Living God by whose Blood we are purchased And so he is our Mediator that makes Peace and Reconciliation between God offended and Us offending being our Surety of the New Testament and the Oath of God the New Covenant of Light Life Grace and Peace the Author and Finisher of our Faith Now this Lord Jesus Christ the Heavenly Man Emanuel God with us we all own and believe in whom the High Priests raged against and said He had spoken Blasphemy and the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews took Counsel together and put him to Death the same whom Judas betray'd for Thirsy Pieces of Silver which he had from the Priests who gave a Large Sum of Money to the Souldiers to broach a Horrible Lye namely that they should say That his Disciples stole him away by Night whilst they Slept And after he was risen from the Dead you may see in the Acts of the Apostles how that the chief Priests and Elders Persecuted the Disciples of this Jesus for preaching Christ and his Resurrection this we say is that Lord Jesus Christ whom we own to be our Life and Salvation Now concerning the Holy Scriptures We do believe That they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God through Holy Men of God who spoke as Scriptures of Truth say As they were Moved by the Holy Ghost in 2 Pet. 1.1 and that they are to be Read and Believed and Fulfilled and he that fulfils them is Christ And are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 and are able as Divinely Inspir'd to make us Wise to Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus And we do believe That the Scriptures are the Wordâ— of God for it s said in Exod. 20.1 God spake all these Words saying c. meaning the Ten Commandments given forth upon Mount Sinai and in Rev. 18. saith John I testifie unto every man that heareth the WORDS of the Prophesie of this Book if any man addeth unto These and if any man shall take away from the WORDS not Word of the Book So in Luke 1.20 Because thou believest not my WORDS and John 5.47 15.7 14.23 12.47 So that we call the Scriptures as Christ and the Apostles call'd them and as the Holy Men of God call'd them namely The WORDS of God Another Slander and Lye they have cast upon us is namely That we should teach the Negars to Rebel A Thing we do utterly abhor and detest in and from our Hearts the Lord knows it who is the Searcher of all hearts and knows all things and so can witness and testifie for us that this is a most Egregious and Abominable Untruth For that which we have spoken and declared to them is to exhort and admonish them To be Sober and to Fear God and to love their Masters and Mistresses and to be Faithful and Diligent in their Masters Service and Business and that then their Masters and Overseers will Love them and deal Kindly and Gently with them And that they should not beat their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands nor multiply Wives nor put away their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands as they use frequently to do and that they do not Steal nor be Drunk nor commit Adultery nor Fornication nor Curse nor Swear nor Lye nor give Bad Words to one another or unto any
unto all men without Exception Teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godlily in this present Evil World Tit. 2.11 12. And this Grace seasons our Words and establishes our Hearts So we have a Teacher which brings us Salvation Glory be to God forever and forever And this Teacher is with us where-ever we are to wit the Grace of God by which we are saved and not of our selves And we can say this Grace is Sufficient which brings Salvation though you look not upon it to be Sufficient who keep People alwayes under your Teachings that they may be alwayes Learning of you and alwayes paying of you and yet never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in themselves nor their Talent in themselves to improve For have you not been like the Pharisees who stopt their Ears and closed their Eyes and like Saul who kickt against that that pricks him and then kickt against others and persecuted others And were they not them who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who would not enter themselves nor suffer others to enter See that Blessed Doctrine of Christ in Luk. 17. who said to them The Kingdom of Heaven when they demanded when it should come Christ's Answer to them was comes not with Observation Lo Here Lo there But saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is within you And we have found his blessed Words to be true Blessed be his Name forever who hath stood at our Door and knocks as He doth at yours Yea I say at the Door of our Minds and at the Door of our Hearts and Souls and we have let Him in who now Sups with us and we with Him the Heavenly Supper with the Heavenly Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and our Alone Saviour O! Glory be to Him forever and for evermore Rev. 3. And you say There is no Overcoming of Sin and Death on this side the Grave but must have alwayes a Warfare Ans But did not Paul say that He had fought c. then surely he was not then fighting he was not then warring though 't is true Time was that He had been in the War and led Captive to do those things he would not have done But if there be no Overcoming on this side the Grave then there is no Eating of the hidden Manna on this side the Grave nor no Getting of the White Stone on this side the Grave nor of that New Name written in the Stone which no man knoweth saving He that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 The Reason there rendred because it is a Gift only to Him that Overcometh that is on this side the Grave And Rev. 3.12 13. Him that Overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and He shall go no more out and I will write upon Him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God So that mark this Promise will not be made good unless we Overcome on this side the Grave But it may be you have not the Ears to Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in the 21. Vers To Him that Overcometh will I grant to Sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am Set down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let Him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches But I fear you have none of these Ears open that the Spirit speaks to here namely The Church of the Living God whereof Christ is the Head Again Rev. 3 5. He that Overcometh the same shall be Clothed in White Rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life But I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an Ear let him hear c. But as I said before I question your Ears of hearing what the Spirit saith that there must first be an Overcoming Now this was the Spirit 's speaking to the Church that did Overcome But it may be you will say That the Spirit doth not speak to you in your Church and therefore you may question your Church and your selves too And Rev. 2.26 He that Overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the End to him will I give Power and I will give him the Morning Star He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now we can and do witness that Spiritual Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Glory to God forever and we do heartily desire that you had the same And as for the LIGHT which you call Natural and Created and a Made Light that really and truly is the Light of Christ Jesus the Heavenly and Spiritual Man and it is a Heavenly Light and a Spiritual Light wherewithal He Enlightens every one that comes into the World which he commands us to believe in through which we become Children of Light as was said before For in Him was Life to wit Christ by whom the World was made and this Life that is in Christ is the Light of Men. And so as men are turned to the Light and believe in the Light they are ingrafted into Christ who is the Root or Stock and they the Branches So that this Light is neither Natural nor Created nor Made for it is the Heavenly Light which is the Life in Christ by which we coming into Christ the Light we receive Life And as Peter speaks of the Light which was a more Sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts signifying that this Light was sufficient to bring them unto the Day-dawning and unto the Day-Star arising in their Hearts yea this Light that shines in a dark Place And what dark Place was this and where was it was it not in their Hearts which they did well to take heed unto signifying thereby that they do not well that do not take heed unto it and so they do well that do take heed unto it in the Light they see more Light and it shines more and more to the perfect Day So this Light that comes from Christ Christians waiting in it they receive Christ the Bright Morning-Star which Thousands do witness and have received Him Glory to God for evermore and with their Hearts they do believe and with their Mouthes Confession is made unto Salvation and that their Salvation is their Wall and Bulwork against all Persecutors And so we follow Him to wit Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation and the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World against whom the Dragon Beast and Whore and their Followers are Fighting but the Lamb will have the Victory For He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the First and Last
Patience your Good-will towards all men your Good Exhortations in the Way of Peace with all Long-Suffering and Forbearance But instead thereof do you not bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh viz. Envying Strife Malice Contention Drunkenness Covetousness Whoredoms Uncleanness Persecution rendring Evil for Good instead of rendring Good for Evil and Cursings for Blessings instead of Blessings for Cursings Of such Christ bids us beware of in Matth. 7.15 20 c. Who come in Sheep's Cloathing but inwardly are Ravening Wolves for by their Fruits ye shall know them O! that you would in time think upon the Great Account I speak to you as one who wishes well if not better then your selves to your Immortal Souls that you shall without all controversie render to the Lord at the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. For if the Death of the Body be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King of Terrors as it is in Job to the Reprobate O! what will in that day that Death be when Christ shall say unto the Left-Hand Goats Depart ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil c. Why What 's the Matter Because they visited not his Imprison'd Ones how much more then in regard they were the Means and Occasion of their Imprisonments weigh well his words in Mat. 25. In that I say he came and found you beating that is Persecuting your Fellow-Servants O! how then will you be able to appear and shew your Faces before the Lord who have made it your great Concern as much as in you lies to provoke and stir up those in Power in this Island as witness your several Petitions to them to War Imprison and Trouble the Innocent Whereas you should endeavour to perswade people To beat their Swords into Plough-Shares and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks so that Nation might not lift up Sword against Nation neither learn War any more Isa 2.4 A Mercy which the Lord long since promised should come to pass and is now beginning to be fulfilled but endeavoured to be obstructed by the Contradictions of such as you but all in Vain But take heed of limitting the Holy One of Israel of with-standing his Accomplishments lest you be found Fighters against God and if so expect that justly with that Apostate Julian that may make you cry out with him in the Anguish of your spirits Vicisti me Galilee For know this That no man ever stood it out against the Lord and Prospered man has stood it out against another and Nation against a Nation and Kingdom against a Kingdom and have Prospered but none ever stood it out against God and Prosper'd O! Where is your Love your Charity so rendred that suffers long and is Kind that Envyeth not that vaunteth not it self that is not Puffed up that behaveth it self not Unseemingly seeketh not her own is not easily Provoked thinketh no Evil Rejoyceth not in Iniquity but Rejoyceth in the Truth Beareth all things Believes all things Hopeth all things Endureth all things Of which I may say with your allowed Poet Terras Astrae reliquit as Justice so Mercy and Compassion are departed from you For where are your Bowels of Compassion Have you not rather stir'd up others to Fight and set at Variance c. that instead of a Concord have set at Discord O! what Rents and Divisions what Animosities and Enmities you and your Fellows have made over all Christendom so called Have you not been only Partners but the chief Fomenters Complotters and Broachers of all the Mischief done Therefore your Coat above all other Coats are like to give an Heavy Account namely You of the Black Robe here in this Island like the Chimrims i. e. Eorum qui nigras induunt vestes as it is rendred in the Margent by Arius Montanus in Zeph. 1.4 and as Junius has it Nomen atratorum who have set all the World at odds and on Fire whereas you should have perswaded them to love one another and to bear one with another you have been I say the Sad Instrumens to learn them Strife and Contention to teach their Hands to War and their Fingers to Fight against the Lamb and his Followers who are clothed in White Linnen which is the Righteousness of the Saints and of Christ so that one Neighbour by your means hath hated another and sought the Destruction one of another and Persecuted and Imprisoned one another for your Lusts sake your Covetousness sake your Prides sake your Envy your Malice sake your Fables sake your Corrupt Doctrines and Divinations sake which are the Fancies and Product of your airy Imaginations and Accurst Birth of your own fiery Brain that have been hatcht there and conceived in the Chamber of your Imagenary Ezek. 8.12 these being part of the Inventions that men have sought out as the Wise Man saith Eccl. 7.29 and as he who was greater then Solomon saith Teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of Men and so make void the Law of God to whom you are like in all things the very Picture of your own Father in John 8.44 O! where will you abide when the Books shall be opened and all these things shall in order be set before you O! that you would be Wise to consider your Latter-Ends ere the Evil Day come if I say you Repent not of the Evil of your Doings when the Lord shall hurl you down and tumble you head-long into the Bottomless-Pit of Perdition there forever seal you up from the Presence of the Lord into the Abiss Isay of Destruction and Eternal Misery such as will never have an End because Time then shall be no more but after Thousands of Millions and Miriads of Years are as far from the End of their Misery as at the first Moment of it from whence I say there shall be no Redemption No no as you have been the Cause of all the Righteous's Sufferings Imprisonments and Persecutions and Deaths you shall be Imprisoned there and bound Hand and Foot and cast in there forever Luke 11.48 49 50. as saith the Lord in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant just such Servants many of you are Who Treated his Fellow-Servant Cruclly and dealt Hardly with him whereas his Lord had great Compassion on him in forgiving him all that he owed him whereupon his Lord was Wrath and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him And look as certainly as you have or shall fill'd any of us with Sorrows and Grief so shall you drink the Dregs of our Cup as the Apostle saith to this purpose it is a Righteous Thing with God to Recompense Tribulation to them that Trouble you 2 Thes 1.4 5 6. You shall I say drink even of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without Mixture of the least Pitty or Mercy into the Cup of his Indignation and shall be Tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the Presence of his holy Angels and in the Presence of the