the seed of the Serpent lodged in the Bishops and Prelates and how it was drawing out of the Form of Godliness again into the heathenish Way of Worship but see how the Lord hath then raised up a People in whom his seed was manifest who bore their Testimony against those Bishops and Prelates in whom the contrary seed lodged who came to be hated and in scorn and derision called Puritants and were rendered by them as Separates Deceivers Deluders in whom the seed of the Serpent ruled for therein lies the subtilty of the Serpent to charge the Truth with that which he himself is guilty of so that at all times the seed of God and his eternal Truth hath been persecuted by the Serpent and his seed under the Name of Error Heresie and Blasphemy So those People came to be imprisoned fined and many of them banished but yet see how the Judgments of the Lord came both upon King Bishops Prelates and Priests and how the Serpent came to have his Head bruised in them who raised up a War in the Nation whereby they came to be cut off from the Face of the Earth and all stood in a tottering Condition so that the seed of the Serpent was fain to endeavour to shelter himself under a more smoother Form of Godliness then he had done in many years before even under the Presbyterian Form but then the Lord raised up his seed in a People who could not be satisfied under that Form for the Light even Christ shined in them and let them see many gross Errors in it and caused them to with-draw from having Fellowship with them and these in scorn came to be called by the rude Multitude Independants but they also came soon after into a Form so that there was a ground in them wherein the seed of the Serpent might lodge therefore it soon entered into that Form and likewise corrupted it but then the Lord raised up his seed again in some of them and caused them to depart from them out of that Form and to give their Testimony against the Errors thereof which arose from the seed of the Serpent and these came by the rude Multitude to be called Anabaptists but these soon departed from the pure Life that arose in them from the seed of God in them and came into Imitation of what the Saints of God had done in former Ages and so came into a Form of Godliness and the Life and Simplicity which first moved in them came to be lost and there came a ground wherein the seed of the Serpent could lodge therefore he soon entred into that Form and likewise corrupted it yet the Lord still followed him with his Light which shined in these dark Forms and caused many of them to see that there is nothing but Emptiness and Barrenness in that Form and that their Souls therein could not be satisfied and then they came into a more purer Way and Likeliness of the Truth then any of the former and they bore their Testimony against all the Forms through which they had come for they saw by the Light of Christ the Deceit that lodged in them and so they came to a Way of seeking and waiting on the Lord but yet they likewise came again into a Form and there was a kind of a ground amongst them wherein the seed of the Serpent could remain for the Serpent can turn himself into the likeness of any thing even into the very likeness of the Way the Life the Truth but though he can transform himself into the Form of an Angel of Light and into the Likeness of Truth yet he cannot come into the Way nor into the Life it self nor into the Truth therefore now is the Lord raising up a People after all this who shall worship him in Spirit in Truth out of all Forms Likenesses so that in them the Lord will destroy and judge out all that ground wherein the seed of the Serpent can lodge so that the Serpent's Head is come to be bruised in many Thousands in their particulars and as it is begun in the particulars so likewise it shall at length be bruised in the general the seed that hath long groaned unto God shall be delivered from under the Burden of Oppression for now after all this long dark night of Apostacy which hath been for this 1600. odd years wherein the Lord has been as it were a stranger unto the Sons Daughters of Men and they have lived as it were without God in the World taking pleasure and delight in the vanities thereof their foolish Hearts have caused them to err but now is the Day sprung from on high even the mighty Day of the Lord therfore the night must vanish away for the Darkness cannot stand before the Brightness of his Coming nor before the Gloriousness of his Appearance therefore it is time for the Prince of Darkness to arise to gather together the uttermost of his Strength for now is his Kingdom invaded on every Side even by the Lamb and his Followers who is risen to make War in Righteousness and by patient suffering shall overcome his Kingdom and bruise the Serpent's Head Now thou that readest hast thou not heard of a People who dare not swear nor dare not tell a Lye who cannot stoop nor bow their Knees nor put off their Hats in Honour to any man's Person in the World and which cannot give any vain flattering Titles to man neither can have any Fellowship with workers of Iniquity neither can they enter into any excess of Riot with them neither dare they speak any other Language then that which the Saints in former Ages spoke and stand as Witnesses against all vain Talks and foolish Jesting and cannot respect the Person of any man because therein they should commit Sin who dare not to do unto any man but as they would be done unto in the like Condition who bears their Testimony against all the vain Worships of the World and all deceitful Professors who profess God in Words but deny him in their Lives and Conversations and hast thou not at sometimes heard their very Enemies say that they believed that many of them were honest People and that their dealing towards them hath been honest and just and hast thou not heard that some of them have wished that they could live as those People do and hast thou not heard the People of the World report of what undaunted Spirits those People are who fear not the Frowns nor the lofty looks of the greatest Potent upon the Face of the Earth and on the other side hast thou not heard the rude People of the World even Drunkards Swearers Lyars and Covetous Persons and such as live in all manner of Excess of Riot cry out that these are Deceivers Deluders and Blasphemers and that they are not worthy to live upon the face of the Earth and hast thou not heard what petitioning to the Powers
THE REDEMPTION OF THE Seed of God At Hand Declaring the Return of the True Church out of the Wilderness into her former State of GLORY RICHARD MOORE Thâ—â— sâ—â—â—â— the Lord Keep ye Judgment and dâ— Justâ—â—e for my Salvation is near to come and my Righteousness to be revealed Isa 56. Printed in the Year 1677. A TESTIMONY Concerning RICHARD MOOR THE Author of this Book being a faithful Servant of the Lord and zealous for the Truth who laboured and travailed in the Work of the Ministry both in England and beyond Sea and was in Barbadoes when he wrote this little Book which was some Years since and because the Press hath been fully supplyed with other Things there was not an Oportunity to print it but knowing it was his great Desire it should be published and having now a fit Oportunity I was willing to answer what his Mind then was He came to London to visit Friends in the 11th Moneth and there fell sick and on the 13th Day of the same Moneth he dyed in Peace and thus much is signified concerning him by one who truly loved him for the Truth 's sake E. H. London the 14th of the 9th Mon 1676. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that readest this ensuing Treatise if thou findest any Thing in it which doth appear strange unto thee in the reading thereof be not troubled thereat but stand still in the Coolness of thy Spirit and turn in to the Measure of the Light of God which shineth forth clearly in thy own Conscience and there thou wilt see it openly made manifest unto thee but if thou readest it in the Power of thy own Will and therein standest expecting to receive Benefit thereby thou wilt find nothing but Deadness and barrenness for the Appearance of God and his Eternal Truth hath at all Times and Seasons been contrary to Man's VVill for it is now as it wâ—s in the Days of Old it comes not by the VVill of Man but holy Men speak as they are moved by the Spirit of God and as it was in former Ages so it is now in this our Day for he that departeth from Iniquity maketh himâ—elf a Prey unto this Generation of Evil-doers who set themselves in Perverseness against the Lord and have hardened their Hearts and stiffned their Necks against the Appearance of the Lord and of his Eternal Truth and he is come to be a Cross to the VVill of all Flesh for if the Things of God came according to the will of Man then the VVorld would receive them but seeing it crosseth Man's VVill therefore the VVorld hates it and calls it Foolishness and Madness and cryes out that them that are given up to follow it are Deceivers and are deluded and bewitched R. M. THE CONTENTS I. THe Return of the True Church out of the Barren Wilderness into her former State and Glory II. The Destruction of Babylon the Mystery of Iniquity and the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the whole Earth III. A Revelation of the Man of Sin and Death wherein he is separated from the Man of Righteousness and Life which two Men are of two several Births which Births proceed from the two Seeds which two Seeds are herein manifested and declared the one to be the Seed of God and the other the Seed of the Serpent whose Head is now to be bruised IV. A Word of Love unto the Sons and Daughters of Sion and a Hand held forth unto them who are yet in Egypt's Captivity and to them who are yet in the Desert Wilderness A True Manifestation of the Church's Return out of the Barren VVilderness where She hath remained since the Dayes of the Apostles which Church is the true Spouse the Lamb 's VVise Also the Speedy Downfal of Babylon the Mother of Harlots declared c. NOW is the appointed Time come wherein the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is risen and arising to manifest himself unto his People and to make himself known to those that have long waited for this the Day of his Appearance unto whom the Son of his Righteousness is arising with healing in his Wings and now is the great Jehovâ—h appearing in his Dread and in his Power to the establishing of his Covenant unto â—braham and to his Seed forever and he is now gathering his Elect from the four Quarters of the Earth and redeeming the Seed of Jacob out of their Captivity and the Outcast of Israel from under their Yoak of Bondage Therefore prepare thee to meet thy God O Israel for behold he is come and coming in Ten Thousand of his Saints and who may abide the Day of his Appearance for the Eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful Kingdom and he will destroy it from off the Face of the Earth saving that he will not utterly destroy the House of Jacob for behold he sitteth upon a white Throne before whose Face the Heavens and also the Earth shall fly away and their Place shall be no more found at all his Eyes are as a Flame of Fire and on his Head are many Crowns and he hath a Name written that no man knows but himself is clothed with a Vesture dipped in Blood and his Name is called The word of God and out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword wherewith he doth smite the Nations and he treadeth the Wine-press of the Fierceness and Wrath of the Almighty God and he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written KING of KINGS LORD of LORDS and in his Hands is all the Power of the Earth and also of the Heavens for behold he makes all things new old things must pass away for the Dragon having had Possession for so many Dayes even many Generations of the old Heaven and also of the old Earth which I say the subtile Dragon having gotten the Dominion thereof he by his Filthiness defiled it so that the true Virgin could no longer remain therein but was driven forth of it and was banished into the mourning and desolate Wilderness a place prepared her of God for so many Dayes and her Heir which she had brought forth which is to rule the Nations with his Iron Rod hath been caught up from her to God and so the Dragon hath had the Dominion of the true Virgin 's Territories since the Dayes of the Apostles and hath made War with the Seed of the Virgin and as it were overcome them and in her Dominion he hath placed the great Whore the Mother of Harlots and she hath corrupted the Earth and also the Heavens wherein the true Virgin was placed before she fled into the Wilderness the Whore having poluted them with the Filth of her Fornication for her Superscription is Mystery-Babylon the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the whole Earth And the Nations which the true Virgin 's Heir should have ruled they have all been the Seat of this great VVhore and she hath
it whilest they remain in this earthly Tabernacle and then if the Lord raise up any to witness that he hath redeemed them from under the Power of Sin and so by his Power in them which is a Cross to the carnal will of man freed them from the Power of sin and Death then cry out those that live in all manner of sin and polutions these are Deluders take heed of being deceived when alas there is nothing reigning in them that they can be deceived of but sin and wickedness and so they cannot bear the hearing that they should be free from sin until the Lord cut off them and their sins together but they never consider that as the Tree falleth so it lieth and as Death leaves them so assuredly shall Judgment find them for in the Grave there is no Repentance neither can any unclean thing enter into God's Kingdom which consists of Purity Holiness and Righteousness Now the scriptures they declare that God is Light and if we walk in the Light and aâ—ide in the Light as he is in the Light then we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Chrâ—st cleanseth us from all Sin Now if thou comest into this LIGHT this will let thee see that there is something in thee that doth check reprove and cross thy own natural will and this is the Power of God in thee and would be unto Salvation if thou wouldst but obey it for it will crucifie thy old Nature and stand a Cross over thy own will and so keep it down that it might not rule in thee and so thy Soul will come to stand in the Power which is above the Power of sin and so come to be saved out of sin and out of Death which is the sting thereof And so as thou comest into the Light and therein standest with an Upright Heart the Light will make sin and the Power thereof manifest unto thee in all its Motions and will crucifie all that is of the first Nature and all that which ariseth from thy self and will judge out that Power daily which hath moved in thee and hath carried thee forth at all times to act contrary to the Mind and Will of God and hath caused thee to oppress the Seed which God hath placed in thee and so SION with the pure Seed of God in thee cometh to be redeemed through Judgment and her Converts come to bring forth a righteous Life and Conversation Now thou that readest understand The Life is more then Meat and the Body is more then Rayment and the pure Life is more then Knowledge for old Adam or the first Nature may eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and so by thâ—t may come to talk much of the Truth and what the Saints enjoyed in former Ages but cannot come into the Life thereof for he is driven out from the tree of Life into the earthly Imaginations without him and the ANGEL of the Lord with his flaming Sword even the Righteous Law is placed to keep the Way of the Tree of Life lest he put forth his Hand and take of the Fruit there of and eat and so live forever Now the first Nature is not to live forever but for an appointed time for that is the first Adam and his Life which standeth in sin and he hath transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so hath sinned and that Soul that sinneth must dye the Death and so death cometh to reign over all Mankind from Adam till Moses from the first Nature till the Seed of God in the creature moveth under the burden of Iniquity whereby it hath been pressed down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves and comes to stir up the Creature and draws him into some Consideration and brings him to understand his Condition that he is even a Captive under sin in the Land of Darkness even in spiritual Egypt and under many Lusts which are as so many hard Task-masters to him and that he is but a stranger and a sojourner there and that the Lord hath promised him a land of rest and freedom but he knows not how to find it out until the Lord God shall raise up the great Prophet like unto Moses to lead him out of this Land of Darkness through the red Sea by his LIGHT or PILLAR of Fire which Light is Darkness unto the Egyptians even in their Day which Pillar of Fire is to guide the Creature through the long desert Wilderness into the land of rest and Moses is till the Prophets and the Prophets they declare that there shall a REDEEMER come out of Zion or the Seed of God within who shall reign in Peace and Righteousness over his own House which shall be raised up for he will make them a willing People and he will turn unto them the pure Language and they shall all call upon the Name of the Lord with one Consent and he will bring back again their Captivity and settle them in perfect Peace so that they may every man sit under his own Vine and under his own Fig-Tree and none shall make them afraid And the Prophets they are till John who is as the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness now the VOICE said Cry the Prophet answered what shall I cry That all Flesh is Grass and the Clory of man as the Flowers of the Field therefore prepare the Way of the Lord and make streight the crooked Paths and let the high lofty Mountains of Man's proud Will be laid low and let every Valley and low despised Place be raised that so the ransomed of the Lord may pass and John he baptizeth to Repentance and bringeth the Creature into a Sorrow and a Trouble because it cannot bring forth Fruit worthy of Repentance and he declares that he is not the Messias that is to come after him which is to be preferred before him whose Shoe-latchet he was not worthy to unloose but that he is sent to bear his Testimony of him and John he is till Christ and when he comes which is the true Messias and the true Redeemer of the promised Seed of Israel after the Spirit who is the second Adam and the true Prophet like unto Moses whom the Lord hath promised since the Dayes of old even this is he that shall come out of Sion and shall bring Deliverance unto that Seed in all the Sons and Daughters of Men that hath long groaned and that which Sion hath long travailed with and been in Pain to be delivered from under the Burden of Oppression and he will crucifie the old Nature even the first Adam who hath been the Oppressor and nail him to the Cross and so by the Cross to him â—nd to his corrupt Will will mortifie or kill his Deeds even by the Power of the Spirit which Power standeth in that which crosses the old Nature now the first Adam's Life that standeth in Sin and in Transgression and in Deceit and Guile which are all
nâ—t but go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God your God and Mary Magdalen came and told the Disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her and now the Seed of the Woman was raised up mightily to bruise the Serpent's Head He afterwards appâ—ared unto his Disciples at sundry times and Places bidding them to go and preach the Gospel to all Nations he told them that he would be with them to the End of the World and commanded them to go to Jerusalem and there to wait till they should receive Power from on high even the Holy Ghost the Comforter which he had promised to them before and he told them that after the Holy Ghost was come upon them They should be Witnesses unto him both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost Parts of the Earth which accordingly came to pass when they were met together with one accord on the Day of Pentecost for there suddenly came a Sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the House where they were sitting and there appeared upon them cloven Tongues as of Fire and sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them Utterance and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven and now when this was noised abroad the Multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own Language and they were all amazed and marvailed saying one to another Behold are not all these that speak Galileans and how hear we every man in our own Tongue wherein we were born we do hear them speak in our own Tongues the Wonderful Works of God and they were all amazed and in doubt saying one to another what meaneth this Now the Seed of the Woman was raised up in many of these devout men and the Serpent's Head came to be bruised but yet there were others in whom the Seed of the Serpent ruled which caused them to mock and to say These men are full of New Wine but Peter was raised up amongst them by the Power of the Almighty to declare unto them the Eternal Truth of God whereby the Serpent's Head came to be bruised in many and the Seed of God to be raised up even in three thousand whose Souls were then converted and the Seed of the Woman still prevailed more and more and the Apostles went on in the Dread and in the Authority of the Lord declaring unto the Nations what tho Lord had made manifest in them even by the Operation of his Powerful Spirit they turned People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of the Serpent even Satan to the Power of God which was Christ in them the Hope of Glory and they told People that Christ was in them except they were Reprobates yet they met with strong Oppositions even within them and without them which arose from the Seed of the Serpent but yet they witnessed the Cross of Christ to be the Power of God to Salvation Now do but behold how suddenly the Seed of the Serpent came to be destroyed in Paul even by the Seed of the Woman who bruised his Head who being a violent Persecuter came suddenly to be convinced even by the Voice of Christ Jesus the Light of the World which Light shined round about him and he became Blind to what he had formerly seen and that Eye which formerly was blinded came to be opened and that Eye which formerly had been opened came to be shut and the Scales fell from off them and that Tongue that had formerly been drunk came to sound forth the Praises of the Lord in the Declaration of his glorious Gospel and not only Paul but whole Nations came to be converted unto God to be turned from Darkness unto the Light of the glorious Gospel and the Sound of God's mighty Day went through all the Earth this was a good Day wherein Christ warn'd his Disciples that they should work but yet this Day was to be darkned for Christ told them That the Night should come wherein no man could work for he saw that the Seed of the Serpent yet lodged in many of them who then professed him therefore he gave his Disciples Warning of them and told them by what Signs they should know them which were That they should come in Sheeps Clothing a fair outward Shew but inwardly ravened from the Nature of the Sheep and the Wolfish Nature should lodge in them which would make a Prey of the Sheep and continually seek to devour them and this Nature did arise from the Seed of the Serpent which lodged in the Hearts of many and came afterwards to work in a Mystery even in the Mystery of Iniquity and this was the man of Sin which sate in the Temple of God as God and exercised himself above all that is called God which was then vailed and not known except unto a few to whom the Man of Sin came to be revealed and the Everlasting Day of the Lord came to be known and they came to give forth their Testimony from the Seed of God which was raised up in them that the Ends of the World were come upon them and that the latter times were come whereof Christ had fore-warned them wherein Antichrist should come and that he was then in their Dayes come and that there were many Antichrists then gone forth into the world which Antichrists made up the one great Antichrist in Process of time and they declared that the Mystery of Iniquity did then in their Dayes begin to work and that the Form of Godliness should come to be followed and the Power of Godliness to be denyed And the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians Not to be troubled neither by Word nor by Spirit nor by Letter as from us that the Day of Christ is at Hand So he declared that there should be a Night for else he had not spoken of a Day to be at hand which Night was then drawing on therefore he advised the afore-said Thessalonians Not to let any man deceive them by any Means as concerning the Day of the Lord for that Day should not come except there came a Night or a Falling away first that the Man of Sin might be revealed the Son of Perdition which Man was conceived from the Seed of the Serpent who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God even the God of the world who blindeth the eye of the mind of many And the Apostle declared unto the fore-mentioned People that the Mystery of Iniquity did already work only he who now letteth would let until he were taken out of the