for you to serve the lusts of the flesh which makes you one with the World again in Words and Practises where the Enemy hath taken you captive and leads you in earthly pleasures and covetous practices in which you are wanton and light-minded in foolish jesting and vain talking turning the Grace of God into wantonness and making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience being heightned in your imaginations in what you have taken up in the observation in which Satan hath transformed himself by his deceitful working in bringing forth a form in the imitation where you are set down and have taken up your rest and here he hath deceived you with a vain hope having setled you in a form without power and doth work a perswasion in your minds that it is the right Way and so sets you in enmity against the pure motion of the light of Christ in you having got your minds out to look abroad and have your expectation from something that is without and so he hath drawn your minds from that which is within that once did truly move in you and would have brought you into the power had you been faithful to the end but you are fallen short of that which they witnessed whose practice you pretend to follow and are turned against it and become the greatest Enemies unto it for he that hath prevailed over you and betrayed the simplicity in you seeks to pervert the right Way of the Lord by you and fills you with fury to cry out against those that walk in uprightness of their hearts before the Lord and in his fear are kept that they dare not sin against him but walks in righteousness and holiness in which the light leadeth them and which by his Grace he teacheth them from which you are erred and gone astray and walks after the imaginations of your own hearts where your own Wills leads you to take up a practice in imitation of what others have done who was by the Spirit of Truth guided and by it commanded and in which they performed all their services but unto this Spirit you are found Enemies and fighting against it in the strength of your own Wisdoms and so runs into error not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God but denies that which gives the understanding to know them and so never comes to the fulfilling of them nor to have unity with them but as they are Words declared and recorded for you stand not in obedience to the same spirit that in the inner man it might teach you and lead you to the Lord God who hath life in himself and gives life unto all that come unto him and believes in him by which all the children of obedience are refreshed and satisfied who lives by faith looking for and waiting to receive those things which are not seen but that which you take up your rest in and are satisfied with is visible and temporal which is seen and beheld with natural eyes and so you miss that which is spiritual and cannot be seen which is the substance and the end of all changeable things not living by Faith but by sight and contents your selves with created refreshments but that which the soul hungereth after and panteth for is living Bread that comes down from Heaven which whoso eats shall never dye for it is the Bread of life whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed O pure refreshment from the Lords presence Blessed are all that are found worthy to sit down at this Table and to partake of this Bread and drink of this Cup which is the Communion of Christ's blood Be ye of an understanding heart O ye professors and consider if you have the substance and that you live in Christ and he in you and that you feel those things you feed upon to have life in themselves and to give life unto you if life be not in your Bread and Wine they are not the Communion of Christs body nor blood but bare Bread and Wine retaining their own quality and vertue as created refreshments and if you say this was their practice who enjoyed Christ and fed upon him and that the Bread which they brake was the Communion of Christs Body and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of Christs Blood but I say Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith least you eat and drink damnation to your selves not discerning the Lords body for that which they received and had Communion in who lived by Faith was not Bread of grain nor Wine in a silver Cup but the Bread which they brake was the Communion of Christ's body and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of Christ's Blood and you cannot prove any other thing without inventions and they being many was one Bread and one Body but the mystery is hid from your eyes who in your Earthly Wisdom would comprehend the things of God for you being run from the Guide which once did give you light and for a season you rejoiced in it you are departed from that which vvould have given you a true discerning of the Loâ—ds Body wrought Faith in you to have believed though you had not seen and if you had been obedient to have followed that of God vvhich once did truly move in you then you vvould have continued in the holy Commandments given of God and have walked in them as children of obedience and discerned the Lords Body and the Communion which they had in it who did eat and drink and fed upon it in their hearts by faith And this was the Bread which they did eat and the Cup which they drank and had their life in him who is the Bread of Life whose examples none can follow in truth but such as receive the same Spirit of Faith and walks in obedience to it which you are found fighting against with the Words which from it were declared which you say is more sure then it is in its movings What a Vail hath overspread you And what thick darkness hath covered you who denies the motion of the Spirit from which the Scriptures were declared Did not holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Did it not first move within them and gave them a Divine inspiration by which they came to know the things of God made manifest in them and from the motion of the Spirit declared as it gave them utterance and so the Scriptures came to be given forth and a true Record it is of what they were made Witnesses of who had communion with the Spirit and tasted of the Word of life and the Scriptures are profitable where the manifestation of the Spirit is received and believed in by which the understanding is opened to know them and the power of God but not to set them above Christ not against him as you are doing who are your selves departed from him and yet uses your tongues to speak the Words which were
loveth and will stand above thee and all thy deceit though thou hast blasphemed him 4 Partic. That they steat Scriptures to deck their false Harlots with Proof Is proved in first calling the Scriptures dead and liveless to bring their false Harlot called light within into osteem and then fills their mouths with it to seem spiritualized and to make the world believe 't is from themselves and not from Scripture and this was proved against thes in thy Title Page of thy Book to H. H. Reply The light within is already proved from plain Scripture to be Christ the light of the world and the eternal truth and power of God and the Scriptures are dead and liveless unto thee who art at enmity with the light and life from which they were declared and unto which they bear testimony and therefore we deny thee though thy mouth may be somtimes filled with Scripture expressions and of which it is now empty but the Scriptures we own and have unity with them in the same Spirit from which they were given forth and knows them to be fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit and what thou sayest was proved before to this matter against me is a proof which was of thy own inventions as these are which thou hast now offered to thy shame for ever not giving a Scripture expression nor naming a Scripture for what thou hast said but thy mouth is filled with Lyes instead of Scripture and that thou calls a proof 5. Partic. That they labour to have the Scriptures dead in mâ—ns estâ—mation Proof Is proved plainâ—y in telling men the Scriptures are a dead Letter and a liveless Book and saying it is a damnable Doctrine to say the Spirit is received by the hearing of Faith preached and beleeving according to the Scriptures and in calling the Doctrine and Ordinances of Christ in the Scriptures outward Forms and liveless Reply That which hath not life in it self is dead and thou cannot deny it and the Book hath not life in it self neither can the Letter thereof give life to any though they may read it and hear it all their life time and if ever thou come to know the Scriptures and the true use of them thou must come to the light which is the life of men without whom all things are dead and it is a damnable Doctrine to preach the Letter for Christ and set it above him which is not according to the Doctrine of those who were Ministers of the Spirit and not of the Letter and this doth the Letter declare and the Spirit is not received by hearing or reading the Letter but by the hearing of Faith preached in the heart by the Spirit that quickneth and the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles which the Scriptures do declare and beleeving according to that Doctrine we own and in it walk by the same spirit which doth not lead any contrary who by it are guided but leads into the fulfilling of all and into the life where living vertue is received which from the beginning was ordained which is not dead nor formal but life and power but thou can sit down in thy own time to eat and drink in immitation of what thy imagination comprehends by reading the Scriptures that the Saints did and so thou glories in appearance and not in heart 6. Partic. That they deny the Scriptures Proof Is proved afore in which they are manifested to be the most audacious denyers of Scripture that ever hath been of all the Antich istian party Reply That which thou hast proved afore thou hast manifested thy self in to be a servant unto him who is an enemy to truth and every appearance of Righteousness which by the light is brought forth in the Children of Obedience that strikes at every work of darkness having no Communion with it and this makes him rage in Wrath and Fury in thee to speak great swelling words of vanity and offer them for a Proof that his Lyes might have a likeness of truth put upon them by which many are at this day deceived for the scriptures are owned and beleeved in and the Doctrine of Christ is obeyed and the light is walked in which gives us fellowship with the Father and with the Son where we have Communion with the life but Antichrist denyeth the Father and the Son and is at enmity with the divine Nature and fighting against every appearance of godliness which from the living vertue thereof is brought forth which thou makes thy great business to oppose and contend against 7. Partic. â—hat they are not guided by that light and spirit that gave forth the Scriptures Proof Is proved both by their denyal of those Scriptures and Commands gâ—vâ—n forth by the light and spirit of God in the Scriptures and also in their seâ—ting up a pretended light within contrary to any teachings of the spirit of God in the Scriptures Reply Thou art proved a Lyar by plain scripture in the Third Reply where it is proved that Christ is the light and it was in their hearts and this doth the teachings of Gods spirit in the scripture witness and we neither deny the teachings nor Commands given forth by the light and spirit of God in the scriptures but have unity with them and the sâ—me light and spirit teacheth us and unto the Commands thereof we wait to yield obedience but it is thy business to make Lyes thy Refuge and adds one to another without shame neither shewing what the Teachings and Commands are which thou sayest the scriptures teacheth and commandeth and what we deny nor what the light and spirit is nor where to be waited for which thou sayest we are not guided by but thou passeth all for Proof because thou sayest it 8. Par That they are evil dealers and fighters against God Proof Is proved in their evil dealing and fighting against the spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures and denying obedience thereunto and rayling against those that dâ— obey to exalt their lying spirit against it Reply What shall be done unto thee O thou false tongue who without fear uttereth such Lyes against the innocent who are guided by the spirit of truth out of all evil dealing or wrong doing but thou art in the depth of the bottomless pit and from thence foaming out thy own shame not fearing to speak any thing which the lying spirit puts into thy mouth and calls it a Proof when thou hast neither scripture ground nor reason to shew for what thou sayest but as the Devil hatcheth mischief in thy heart so with a ready mind thou serves him in what he will have thee to do and so falsely accuses the innocent who in all obedience serves the Lord and walks-after the spirit and yields all obedience to it and yet thou sayest they deny the spirit of God speaking in the scriptures but hast not shewed what those speakings are nor who they are that do obey that they rail against nor what
the lying spirit is that they exalt for what thou hast here laid down is but in substance one with thy whole matter which thou calls Proofs for what thou hast to say is chiefly against the light within and disobedience to the scripture teaching in which thou hast been proved a lyar and a false accuser manifesting nothing but envy against the Righteous generation whose foundation is sure and their footsteps so ordered upon it that all thy darts cannot make them to move neither can the strength of thy might shake their foundation 9. Part. That they have nâ—ither part in nor fellowship with the Scriptures Proof What part or fellowship can they have with the Scriptures who deny their Teachings and Commands thereof and the spirits speaking 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 〈◊〉 from their Teaching except that part and fellowship of condemnation which the Scriptures doth pass sentence of against all that disobey their Teaching Reply Wilt thou not here see thy ignorance to ask a question and offer it for a Proof was ever any that thou readest of in the scriptures who were guided by the spirit of truth thus taught for the scriptures doth not set up it self to be the teacher neither canst thou prove it or that the scripture passeth sentence upon any but the Lord gives forth his Word that gives sentance against all the disobedient the scriptures do but declare that sencence which was given forth by the Lord and it is the grace of God that teacheth and the anointing within and this the scripture bears Witness of directs the minds of all people unto where true teaching is received from the true voice this we labour to draw all men unto therefore thy condemnation will be from the light which thou art at enmity with and hates it because thy deeds are evil 10. Partic. That they are guilty of taking counsel together against Christ Proof Is Proved in their binding themselves together in many several places thereby all the violence of words and writings that they can draw men from the teaching of Christ his Apostles to follow their false devices and secret pretended light Reply Thou art in the Heathens rage there fighting against the Lord speaking evil of the things thou knowest not calling the light false and pretended which Christ his Apostles preached for the doctrine of salvation unto all that love it believe in it for condemnation unto all that hate it unto this light we exhort all people to look unto be saved which is the eternal truth which thou canst not prevail against 11. Partic. That they seek to kill Christ in his Witness Proof Is proved in their seeking to kill that Christ which is preached and taught in the scriptures to set up their own falsâ— Idol which they call Christ within never preach'd or Taught in scripture but the scriptures will be lively Witnesses to their condemnation Reply Thou art a cruel blasphemer to call Christ within a false Idol dare affirm that he never was so preacht or taught in the scriptures doest thou talk so much of the scripture and their teaching hast thou never read in the declaration thereof that Christ is in heaven did not he teach unbeleevers to look for the kingdom of heaven within them and hast thou not read Joh. 17. 23. I in them and thou in me and Gal. 1. 15 16. But when it pleased God who separated me from my Mothers womb and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles and Col. 1. 27 28. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mysterie among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach Now let the wise in heart judge thy blasphemy who hath denied Christ the plain words of scriptures saith Christ within is a false Idol that he was never so preacht in the scriptures when they preach'd that Christ that was in them not another whom we know to live in us so preaches him which thou by wicked hands crucifies slayes in thee so blasphems his holy name I am moved to warn thee to repentance that thou mayst not go on in the hardness of thy heart to treasure up Wrath against the day of Wrath revelation of the righteous judgment of God for thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity 12. Partic. That they set up a Kingdom of darkness Proof Is proved in setting up their low-bred devices of darkness against the glorious and heavenly light of Christ in the scriptures Reply Let thy mouth of iniquity be for ever stopped who hath denied Christ the scriptures stands an open enemy against the glorious light of Christ declared of in the scriptures but where is it written that the heavenly light of Christ is in the scriptures but it is written that the true light is Christ and the scriptures are not Christ but are they which testifies of him therfore thy understanding is darkned the god of this World hath thee captive at his will fills thee full of Witchcraft that by thy sorceries the simple minds are deceived unto whose view thou art now opened and thy enchantments is discovered that thou may be seen naked and bare 13. Partic. That they are against the Scriptures Proof Was there ever any more grosly wickedly against the scriptures than they who denied their life disobey their teachings boldly audaciously and sets up their own darkness which they call light against the light thereof Reply Thou hast here manifested thy folly in asking a question and offering it for a Proof speaking the same sentences over again which thou hast used before and is Replied to but thou art is a lost man who knows not which way to take so many times goeth backward when he should go forward as thou art doing who knows not what to say to make up somthing to call a Proof but the scriptures thou hast denied and it is plainly proved against thee and the light which they bear Witness of thou art an enemy unto it and fighting against it 14. Partic. That they deny the Lord that Bought them Proof Is proved in their bringing in damnable hereâ—ies 2 Pet. 2. 1. under a pretence of a light within to deny the â—ight of Christ held forth in the Scripture as in the doctrine of Redemption saying Their light within is the Redeemer and that nothing without a man can Redeemâ— him by which is denied that great Redemption and Redeemer who without â—ll men did Redeem all men Reply Thou hast here brought a scripture which is owned and seen to be fulfilled in thee that hast denied Christ within who is the Lord which is a damnable heresie contrary to the scriptures doth not that scripture say that such as bring in damnable hereâ—ies shall also
THE Faithful Witness OR A HAND OF LOVE REACHED FORTH That the blind may be guided and the scattered gathered ALSO Mans Sinne and Rebellion declared and the long-suffering of the Lord shewed â—ith a true Call unto all People to meet the Lord by speedy repentance and vvait to yeild him ready obedience for here is the right Way of the Lord open'd Also the state of Professors plainly manifested wherein they may see how they are erred and hovv the Serpent hath deceived and betrayed them 〈◊〉 a Warning unto all the tender hearted amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and receive the Hand of Love that they may no longer abide in 〈◊〉 but walk in the way of righteousness where true rest and peace 〈◊〉 â—â—joyed Truth defended and cleared from the Lyes and Slanâ—â—â—s declared by Ionathan Iohnson of Lincoln a Baptist in profession 〈◊〉 who bears no evil will to any man but wisheth well to all men and am 〈◊〉 to many by the Name of William Smith â—â—â—DON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE Faithful VVitness GIve ear all ye Inhabitants of the Earth for these sayings are true and faithful be meek and lowly in your hearts and how your ears to Wisdoms voice and turn at her reproof for in your own Ways are you wandering where peace you know not the bowels of compassion is freely opened from the Fathers love and his good will is made known amongst you in that he is striving with you to turn you into the right way that you might walk therein for he hath not left himself without a Witness in all your consciences which doth not consent to your ungodly deeds but doth convince you thereof and bears testimony against your ways of vanity which your minds are exercised in and all your wicked practices which by you are brought forth from your vain minds where you are beset with sin and servants thereunto your carnal minds being at enmity against God and not subjected to his Law you are at liberty in the flesh and satisfying the lust thereof and though you all profess to know God yet in Works you deny him and your hearts are far off from him therefore is your Worship vain for Gods fear is not before your eyes therefore you run to do evil and rebels more and more against the Lord wallowing in the mire of defilements that pollutes and stains your own consciences your minds being in the earth and your faces downward thick Clouds of darkness doth compass you about and the Prince of darkness ruleth over you and leads you all out of the way vvhere none doth good you are a Cage of unclean Birds every one follovving the lust of his own heart that you multiply your transgressions with delightings and commits sin vvith greediness and strengthens your hands in vvickedness a sinful Nation you are and a seed of evil doers filling up the measure of iniquity and nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet there is no whole part in you O! how long will you suffer the Lord to wait that he may shew mercy to you How often have you rejected his loving kindness and grieved his holy Spirit What a day of a patience and forbearance hath he exercised towards you that you might have turned unto him and received his mercy You are a stiff-necked people who sets your selves against the Lord and every visitation of his love refusing to return and hating to be reformed for when you have been called by that of God in your own conscience you have not hearkened and when it hath smiten you have refus'd correction have you not felt a Witness in your own conscience against you when you have been acting iniquity that it hath judged condemned you for your secret faults that fearfulness hath surprised you paleness of face hath come upon you when no man hath been near you nor no tongue accused you yet that hath been within that hath numbred up your transgressions set your sins in order before you and brought them all to light in your own conscience which the eye of man hath not seen nor for which the tongue of man could accuse you yet they have appeared fresh in your minds though many years before they had been committed by you O consider what it is all you that have so long outstood it and yeild obedience to the reproof of it that you may be acquainted with it and thereby know it to be Gods faithful Witness in your own conscience placed against sin and the hand of Love reached forth to lead you out of sin and so come to have communion with it and walk in the light of it that you may not fall under the eternal condemnation thereof for though it be as a sign every where spoken against by those who are at enmity with it and that they call iâ—â—atural and a delusion yet if you turn at the reproof the of and yeild obedience to it you wil know it to be God â—ighty Power unto salvation and this vvill give you the eâ—â—â—ence in your selves that it is a manifestation of God which doth discover all that in you which is contrary to its own property which it hath no fellowship nor communion with and this can neither be natural nor a delusion which doth reprove the natural man in his natural state where he is an Enemy to God a fervant to sin and under the Devils power by whom he is tempted and deluded to consent to the motion of sin and to bring forth the Works of Iniquity vvhich the Faithful Witness doth not consent to but testifies against and shews it to be evil in the conscience of every man and reproveth thereof and calls every man to seperate from it as an unclean thing this you may all read in your selves in the light which you are enlightened withall Yea drunkards swearers lyars and all prophane persons you all have a manifestation of God in you which doth discover your sins unto you and brings them unto your remembrance and many times strikes you with fear and terror for the evil of your doings and brings you into sadness and mourning for your sins past which in the light is made manifest unto you in your own conscience and this is not a natural thing nor a delusion but it is Christ the light of the World who was before the World was and is the power of God made manifest to destroy sin and the Devils Works and this is he unto whom you are all to look and stand obedient unto whatsoever he doth command you that you may know salvation in him and redemption by him whose Hand of Love is reached forth in this his day of power that a willingness he might beget in you to follow him be guided by the Hand of Love out of darkness where the god of this World ruleth who is a deceiver unto whose
you your portion with hypocrites Consider all you vain people of the World who live in rioting and drunkenness chambering and wantonness strife and envying what will you do And what account will you make unto the righteous God who is Judge of all the Earth and will reâ—ard every man according to his deeds Run not so headily in the exercise of Wickedness but stand still and hearken to the still Voice in your conscience which tells you that is not the Way for death and destruction is before you and the pit is near unto you and many of you are come to the brink thereof be stayed in time before you fall therein from whence there will be no recovery and let the time past of your lives suffice that you have spent and lived so many years together in the lusts of the flesh against the light and love of God Therefore all in Gods fear stand and feel it placed in your hearts that from iniquity you may depart and â—in no more but all come into obedience to that of God in you which makes â—in manifest and there Gods power know to sanctifie and cleanse you by the washing of Water through the Word that a new life you may come into and walk in the regeneration He that hath an ear to hear let him hear For the love of Christ constraineth me to bear testimony of what is made manifest unto me in the light that you may all come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved and likewise knowing the terror of the Lord I cannot but perswade men to depart from the evil of their Ways which the Wrath of the Lord is revealed against and that you may all come to know that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation and that his saving-strength is near at hand to help in the needful time and here you will find power to preserve you from the temptations which the enemy casts in and then labours to draw your minds to join unto for as obedience is given unto the light power is received that destroys the Devils Work and weakens his kingdom and then the Hand of Love is reached forth to take hold of you and to lead you out of darkness and from under his Government into the new and living Way and there gently guides you and orderâ— you and keepes you from all the assaults which the Enemy doth pursue withall and he who hath life in himself will give life unto you and make you able to stand and â—ight the good fight of Faith and here the Divine nature is felt and the glory of the onely begotten of the Father is beheld And this is the testimony of the Faithful Witness which from the Fathers Love is made manifest in the conscience of every man that you might believe in it and know the saving-strength of it working redemption for you and putting an end to sin and overturning the powers of darkness and bringing in everlasting righteousness and this is the Hand of Love reached forth unto you all to lead you out of the House of Bondagâ— into the glorious liberty of the â—ons of God where your understandings will be opened to know the Scriptures and the power of God for as you give obedience to the reachings of the Spirit so will the things of God be made known unto you and no man can know the things of God by any eâ—her way either by Art Study Learning or any industry of the natural part but as the spirit of God makes them known in the children of obedience who give up themselves to the teachings of it and by it are guided to know the Scriptures fulfilled in themselves this vvil bring you to a right understanding of the Scriptures as you receive the same spirit of Faith and walks in it as they received and walked in by whom the Scriptures were declared for he that was then light life and power unto all that did believe in him and gave them an understanding to know the things that were true he is the same now and changeth not but wicked men have changed his glory into shame and mindes earthly things yet is his light life and power the same unto all that believe and comes to have the spirit of their minds renewed by him and so the Scripture is truly owned and witnessed being fulfilled in all that walk after the Spirit and have the spirit of their mindes renewed by it as they had who hath declared it in Words which are written and so the same Spirit guiding brings into unity with the same Words which was given forth from its own movings in the hearts of those who by it was constrained to declare them and thus the children of obedience owns the Scriptures and hath unity with them in the same Spirit that gave them forth knows them fulfilled in themselves walking after the same Spirit Let this be wel weighed by you who are wise in your own eyes prudent in your own sight and in that Wisdom talks so much of what is written and gets the Words thereof and with them contend in your Wills and fights against the Lord and every appearance of righteousness brought forth in the motion of the Spirit which is the mysterie hid from your eyes and revealed unto the Babes who walk in the light which reveals secrets and makes them to be of understanding hearts to know the true God and eternal life and here is the door of hope for all you tender ones who are breathing after God come walk in the light that an entrance you may feel ministred unto you and â—n enjoyment of the possession of that which in the door of hope is opened for you where the Rivers of Gods good pleasure runneth freely with which he doth satisfie the poor of the flock who vvaits to be refreshed thereby vvhich he doth renevv their strength in to follovv him in the narrovv vvay in vvhich flesh and blood cannot walk nor no unclean thing must enter Therefore do not you hew broken Cisterns nor feed upon husks any longer but to the streams of life all come and feel how good the Lord is so all wait to know the hand of Love to lead you and the Spirit of truth to teach you which will not deceive you bnt teach you right things though such vvho are at enmity with it speak unadvisedly of it yet it is truth in it self and abides the same for ever and will overturn all who in the height of envy and fury do pursue it with swelling Words of vanity Therefore let all things be tryed and proved in the light and in it search your selves that you may come to the bottom and have all the dross purged out and the tinn taken away that your hearts may be purified in the light that so you may stand approved in the sight of the pure God And here is the right Way of the Lord opened and a Hand of Love reached forth to guide you out
of all crooked pathes and to bring you into the Way of Righteousness Truth and Holiness and bring you to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled where joy unspeakable is possessed And this honor hath all the Saints who are found faithful before the Lord to follow the Lamb whither soever he goes Therefore let this testimony come unto you who have had some openings of Gods Love and have felt the gift of Grace made manifest in your conscience that hath convinced you of many things and brought you to forsake much of the Worlds Fashions and Customs and Worship and have brought you to a seperation from it that you are not so openly prophane as many of them are but are turned from many appearances of evil which the light did truly make manifest in you and convince you of in your own conscience and a simplicity there was begotten in you that Truth was precious unto you and a love you had unto it and came to have a sight of many things afar off and a desire in you to press after the enjoyment of them and by the light you were guided out of many things which it did convince you of to be evil and you could not any longer continue therein because they were made manifest unto you to be Works of darkness Deal truly with your own hearts all of you for there is nothing secret which shall not come to light and you cannot deny but that it was something of God in your own conscience that made sin manifest and convinced you thereof and moved in your hearts to draw you from it and made discoveries of secret things which in your hearts were lodged and shewed you the Worlds Wayes and Worship to be against the truth and did convince you thereof and brought you to seperate from it in appearance And â—ere was pure breathings in you which longed for God that you might come into his Court and enjoy his presence O this was a simple and innocent state in which you were precious in Gods sight and whilst you did abide faithful waiting in patience for Gods loving kindness therein to grow up into the measure of Christs fulness the Lord was not wanting to you but was large in his love and free in his mercy as in obedience you walked to the measure of the gift of Grace and your Prayers and Tears came up before him and was had in remembrance by him O what breathings pantings and hungerings hath there been in many of you after the Lord with strong cryes and tears for a Visitation of his Love and that you might walk in the light of his countenance How zealous fervent have you been after righteousness to follow the motion of the Spirit of life wth chearfulness Have you not cried down forms and set up the Spirits Worship and its teachings And hath not the spirit judged you in your own conscience when you have not obeyed it And have you not been brought to stoop down lye low under the sence of Judgement that you could not find a resting place but stil that of God in your own conscience pursued you whithersoever you went you could not leave it in any place but near you it did appear witnessing against you and judging you for your disobedience Can you not vvitness these things to be true many of you and that this hath been your condition going heavily and mournfully under Gods displeasure made manifest against you And hath not your anguish and trouble been within you which hath brought you into meekness and lowliness and beaten you down in your selves that you have confest your own nothingnesâ— and insufficiency and here hath been brought to wait on the Lord alone in simplicity that his saving-strength you might feele to help you And did not you find him to be a God near at hand when your eye was towards him and your expectations from him Did he not open his love freely and gave you savoury refreshment and comfort and made bare his own Arm to help you wrought all your Works in you and for you that you have even admiredd his goodness and acknowledged his power in his free Gift and Grace unto you and whilst the simpliâ—ity did abide in you and you was faithful to what was made manifest unto you What pure breathings had many of you after a greater measure of the gift of Grace and that the Lord would pour forth more of his Spirit upon you that you might be made fruitful and grow up to the Lord in it And here you had precious discoveries as you stood in obedience to the measure of Gods Spirit thereby to be guided and so seperated from the Worlds form in obedience to the light of Christ in your own conscience and that it did constrain you to depart having made known unto you something more excellent which was above the Worlds Worship and which you found to be your duty to walk np unto that you might come into liberty and to serve God in the Spirit and here you stood in Gods fear and assembled together to wait for the Spirits moving that it might teach you to speak and teach you to pray and that all your duties might be offered up and performed in the Spirit Hath not this been declared by many of you from what you have truly felt of Gods loving kindness made manifest in you which brought you to deny testifie against many things which you were convinced of to be evil but you have forsaken your first Love and have not been faithful to the end therefore the Lord hath somewhat against you because you uphold that Woman Jezzabel and suffers her to teach and seduce by whom many are overcome to commit fornication with her for the true Guide you have lost which once did lead you in the way and would have brought you to the true rest had you kept your minds stayed in it and vvalked in obedience to it but the Enemy hath deceived you and prevailed over you and drawn you into crooked pathes where you are got into the Earth again for the simplicity is betrayed and your desires are cooled and your breathings and pantings after God are stayed and you are set down in a form which once you were convinced of to be dead and barren Let not this offend you for it is the truth concerning many of you and the Witness of God in your conscience doth answer to it Therefore remember from whence you are fallen and repent for the â—ord would not have you perish but still reacheth forth a hand of Love unto you having more pleasure to save then to destroy therefore is he still striving with you and gives you no rest nor peace in the way which the god of this World hath led you into and blinds your minds in for your actions witness against you daily that you are servants to sin and that Liberty you speak of and saith you are redeemed unto is but an occasion