and God is in them of a truth and they and the Father are one and they do abide in the Vine and in him they bring forth much Fruit to the glory of God the Father and these Fruits of the holy Ghost are to be found dwelling in them as Love Joy Meekness Patience Temperance Brotherly Kindness Bowels of Mercy Humbleness of Minde Holiness and Righteousness And the false Teachers appear plainly by their Fruits to be the Priests that do receive Tythes for they seek gain from their Quarters they fleece the Flock and do not feed them they speak a Divination of their own brain they are in the number of those that steal the word from their neighbour and cry The Lord saith when the Lord never spake unto them they do not at all profit the people for they that were unclean are unclean they that were filthy are filthy still and Drunkards are Drunkards still they are not sent of God for if they were they would have turned people from the evil of their doings and they should have learned to do well By their fruits Christ saith they shall be known for men do not gather figs of thorns nor grapes of thistles but every good tree bringeth forth good fruit and by their covetous filthy lives they destroy the hearty professions of their hearers who are much led by example and practice of their Teachers and herein they are partakers of other mens sins and so must partake with them of their plagues and the blind doth lead the blind and they must fall into the ditch for they that cannot witness in their own particulars that the Spirit of the Lord in them is raised and hath the whole seat of the soul in his dominion and power and the seed of God is raised in him and there is a continual watch kept to destroy sin in its first motion and so it is not yeilded to but is laid all upon the Tempter unless a man be brought to this he is not a fit person to teach others for Christ commandeth his Disciples to be perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect and to be holy in all manner of conversation for without holiness no man shall see the Lord and he that is in Christ ought so to walk as Christ hath walked who did no sin neither was there guile found in him I am sure the Priests dare not say they are in Christ or that he hath revealed himself in them or that the holy Ghost is come down upon them if these effects were wrought in them they durst not sue the just and righteous for treble Damages and make such spoil and havock of their Estates as they do throughout the Nation taking from some eight times as much as is the Due according to their own Demands O sad Generation of men that dare say the Lords Prayer as they say Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and yet it is like the next day sueth for treble Damage for a pretended Trespass done before he saith the Petition Do they think the Lord God who hath an all-seeing eye doth not know their hypocrisie and will repay their deceit upon their own heads yea be assured all of you he will Do you follow the Rule that Christ commandeth To do unto all men as you would that all men should do unto you Do you expect a day wherein God shall judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ and when every man shall give an accompt for the things done in his bodie And do ye think that these actions before-rehearsed will stand and bear weight in that day O fear and tremble for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he assuredly reap he that soweth to his flesh shall of that reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of that reap life everlasting for they that are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God and they that are led by their wills and lusts whose servants are they the Apostle tells you That of whomsoever a man is overcome his servant he is whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness And therefore awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be ye filled with the Spirit and look to see that Scripture fulfilled in you that ye are covetors of spiritual things and all other Scriptures also for they are written for our Instruction upon whom the ends of the world shall fall and leave off the woolvish nature the dogs nature the lyons nature and the destroying nature and put on the Lambs nature be tender hearted one to another and if any man have a quarrel against another forgive it even as God for Christs sake forgiveth thee if thou unfainedly repent and turn from the evil of thy doings then the Lord will blot out all thy transgressions and he will remember thy sins no more O turn ye turn ye for why will ye die ye house of Israel And therefore let all now take up the sore lamentation and teturn unto him that they may be saved for Jesus is able to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them and they that do forsake lying vanities and cleave unto him blessed yea for ever blessed are they for they that have part in this first Resurrection from the death of sin unto the life of Grace over such the second death shall have no power but they shall reign as Lords and kings for ever and ever and the high praises of God shall be found in their mouthes and they shall be all cloathed with white the white Robes of his Righteousness and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and he will lead them unto the lively Fountains and wipe away all tears from their eyes and they shall sing praises and hallelujahs unto him for ever and ever for he hath found them worthy and hath given them to be with his Father that they may behold his glory and see him as he is for none of Christs prayers shall fail He saith Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory that as thou O Father art in me and I in thee so that they may be made one in Vs Joh. 17. 23 24. And they have all this benefit here that if they abide in Christ and his Word abide in them let them ask what they will and it shall be done unto them And herein is my Father glorified saith Christ that you bear much fruit Joh. 15. 7 8. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full saith Christ Now as for all others let them be in what form of Worship soever if they be out of the Life and Power of
AN ALARM To all Priests Judges Magistrates Souldiers and all People Inviting Them to Repentance and Amendment of Life For the great Day of the LORD is neer at Hand Blow ye the Trumpet in Sion and sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew Judah her transgressions and Israel her sins The substance of most of this Discourse was by several Revelations from the Spirit of the Lord given unto the Author to be proclaimed who is known unto many by the Name of Daniel Gotherson Wherein Tho. Danson a Priest in Sandwich is proved a Deceiver of SOULS LONDON Printed by James Cottrel dwelling on Addle-hill To the honest-hearted understanding READER who readeth without Prejudice READER LEt thy Heart be fixed upon the Lord and the Arm of his almighty strength in the supporting thee and teaching thee for it is Christ that openeth the Vnderstanding to understand the Scriptures and the great Mystery of Salvation lieth treasured up in Christ And if thou without prejudice in the cool of the day dost search and commune with thy own Heart and be still thou mayst find the true Bread that came down from Heaven that whosoever eateth thereof shall never dye and thou shalt plainly see all Deceivers unmasked and their Deceipt plainly and nakedly laid open with all Antichristian Practises used to this day and their Mystery of Iniquity unfolded unto all those that are not wilfully blind and desire to stupifie their sences But if thou wilt search in thy heart in meekness for the Light Christ thou shalt finde Eye-salve the Balm of Gilead the Blood of Christ that will cleanse thee from all sin for it will by thy Obedience bring thee to Mount Sion the City of the living God the Mount that cannot be touched for it is a spiritual Life that must be witnessed And Christ plainly sheweth that the Father seeketh such to worship him as worship him in the Spirit and in Truth And therefore lend thy Heart nay give it up into God that thou in thy own Vessel mayest have the Bread of Life for it must be the Oyl in a Man 's own Lamp that must convey him into the Bridegrooms Chamber to receive that Blessing Come you blessed of my Father saith Christ inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Enter thou good Servant into the joy of thy Lord He is that great Prophet that Moses spake of that whosoever would not hear should be cut off from amongst the people who is JESUS that saveth his people from their sins Whose great day of power hath appeared unto many and is appearing unto all and doth pull down their pride for The loftiness of men must be brought low and their haughtiness must be humbled for Christ teacheth all His to be meek and lowly that they may finde Rest unto their Souls for Blessed are the meek they shall inherit the earth And by hiding the Word Christ in thy heart thou shalt be kept as David was from sinning against God for those that hear the Voyce of Christ desire to be taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus they shall be guided by him to do the will of God in every thing and be led by the Spirit of God to do as they would be done unto and to walk in all things as Christ hath walked for they shall be filled with the Spirit of Righteousness that filleth all in all and they shall not need that any man shall teach them but as the Anointing which dwelleth in them teacheth them all things for they shall know their true Teacher Know you not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates And so being taught by Christ they shall taste of his fulness and the Arm of his strength they shall all witness that will make them walk from strength to strength and Grace shall make them see God in Sion for Holiness becometh the House of the Lord for ever And by leading holy Lives they find their works to be wrought in God and themselves Branches springing from that Vine Christ and they come in by that true Door and they follow Christs Voice for he is their Shepherd and he leadeth them into pleasant Pastures where their Souls are refreshed with that which is sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-Comb and is better then thousands of Gold and Silver for it is the enjoyment of the Lord which is better then Life And therefore as thou tenderest thy salvation be like the wise man that fore-saw the evil and made his hiding place in his God for assure your selvs High and Low Rich and Poor Learned and Vnlearned Priests and People the great day of the Lords Wrath is near at Hand wherein the stout Ones of the earth shall tremble for all their words and works must come to judgment and none but those that have truth in the inward parts shall stand before him it is the unspotted Life the undefiled in their way the pure in heart will see him with comfort the clean heart is a fit Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and those that have part in the first Resurrection from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace over such the second Death hath no power This Treatise is for your instruction to bring you to a sight of all that is past and present and to come And therefore seriously read without prejudice For it is the Advice of Him that thirsteth after the salvation of all men that they may come to the knowledge of the Truth that they may be saved For every one that shall finde a Benefit by Christ are such as have part in Him such as are baptized into Him and such are baptized into His Death and they are new creatures and old things are passed away all things are become new For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature And where the new Creature is there is the Vnity of the Spirit witnessed to be kept in the Bond of Peace The 22 of the 10. Month commonly called by the heathens December 1659. I am a true Lover of all whose Desires are after the living GOD who am called Daniel Gotherson A PREPARATIVE To the Ensuing Epistles 1. DEspise not Prophesie 1 Th 5 Trie all things firmly hold That that is sound and pure The rest thou may'st be bold As vanity and lewd Illusion for to hate But if thou judge too soon Thou wilt repent too late Be well assur'd 't is good Before thou do approve Be well assur'd 't is naught Before thou dare reprove Mean while I wish thee do As Abrams servant did As Paul in Macedon To preach when Christ him bid As the Beraeans whose Nobility is prais'd By Gods own holy pen These men their courage rais'd And utmost industrie To finde the certaintie When doubtful novelty They heard
Therefore let me advise such to wait and repent if possible that this the sin of the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them for they are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity For I bear my testimony from the everlasting Spirit of the Lord Jesus that this which hath been declared is the truth of God and will become his povver unto Salvation unto every one that can lay hold upon him for they shall put on the nevv man vvhich after God is created in righteousness and true holiness vvhose conversation is in heaven from vvhence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ vvho shall change their vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the vvorking vvhereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself for Christ by his appearance vvith the Spirit of his mouth vvill burn up all the cursed seed of bondage under vvhich his redeemed ones groane and vvhen that vvhich is the Serpents seed is cast forth then the heart is a fit Temple for the Father himself to dvvel in a garden vvherein he vvill take delight for the Lord vvill be alone exalted in this the great day of his povver vvherein Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dvvell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Now the Priests of this Generation delude the People just like those spoken of Jer. 23. 14. I have seen in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lies they strengthen the hands of evil doers that none doth return out of his wickedness for the Lord feedeth them with Wormwood and giveth them Gall to drink for the Lord expresly saith They shall not profit his people for they speak a Divination of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord and they tell the people if they walk after the imaginations of their own hearts no evil shall come upon them I have not sent these Prophets saith the Lord yet they run I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord how long shall this be in the hearts of the Prophets that prophesie lies yea they are Prophets of the deceipt of their own hearts which think to cause my people to forget my Name by the dreams which they tell every man to his Neighbour as their fathers have forgotten my Name for Baal Therefore am I against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my word every one from his Neighbour therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord. Now let the Priests be tried do they know the voice of the Lord do they not deny and say Revelation is ceased and teach men cannot be freed from sin while they live and teach people to die in their sin and what will become of them then for as the Tree falleth so it lyeth and there is no repentance in the grave Well look to it woes will be your portion Jer. 23. 40. The Lord will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten And therefore let me seriously desire every one to wait patiently upon the Lord and to turn in to the light of their mindes that checketh for sin and evil for this is the true Teacher for that which giveth power over one sin will give power over all sin if the watch be carefully kept and strength from on high will be manifested to give power against all sin if the minde be turned to the Lord who will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and they shall be safe And thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they are my people saith the Lord God for they know the Word of the Lord for ever settled in heaven and they make my Law their delight and will never forget my Precepts but will meditate on my Law day and night for Christ saveth his from their sins He it is that cometh out of Sion to turn ungodliness from Jacob and the time shall come that the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ and he will lead the captivity captive and let the Prisoners of hope go free now they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness shall be filled and the poor receive the Gospel dayly Christ is drawing all men after him he is calling in the Isles and Nations of the world to come to this great Battle and blessed for ever are all those that fighteth under him and are his souldiers I give thee thanks O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto Babes for such have the anointing from the Anointed as you may see in 1 Joh. 2. 27. But that anointing which you received of him dwelleth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you ye shall abide in him and now little children abide in him if ye know that he is righteous know ye that he that doth righteousness is born of him For he that findeth rest and peace in this precious wisdom and power of the Spirit findeth it not by looking upon it at a distance but by seeing and feeling that power ruling in the Body of his flesh for that which makes true love flow forth to every creature is Christ in you the hope of glory who indeed is the Blessing of all nations and the Joy of the whole earth Therefore fear not O Servant Jacob neither be affraid O Israel for I will save thee and thou shalt dwell safely and shalt not follow me in Types and Figures in a formal customary way of worship which is zeal without knowledge for he that hath the anointing within seeth the Father in every thing Now he that speaketh from imagination or tradition and not from experience of what he seeth cannot tell another of his evil but such a one is a false Prophet and runneth before he is sent put forward by some secret lust and he never can bring to that which procureth peace for he knoweth it not because that which a man seeks for whereby he might have peace is within the heart not without The Word of life Christ the restoring Spirit is to be found within you even in-your mouths and in your hearts the Kingdom of heaven
is within you And therefore I must tell you the Priests of this generation Read all the Books in your Universities that tells you what hath been formerly and though by your natural parts with the help of such Studies you can make speeches of a day long yet you have no peace but your hearts still are as a barren wilderness and increase in sorrow till your eyes return into your selves and the Spirit come from on high to make you read in your own Book your heart wherein you shall find the Mystery of Iniquity the Man of Sin seated which is the fruits of the first Adam and till the Mystery of Godliness the second Adam Christ Jesus be revealed in you to destroy the works of the devil and make you righteous and restore you to life there is not neither can there be peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God and if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me and he that liveth in sin the wrath of God abideth upon him So it is clear that the single-hearted ones who see the Mystery of Righteousness and are acquainted every one according to his measure with that Spirit of truth that is to be the Blessing of the whole earth and that enlightens all that come into the world although they are slightly regarded and trodden under foot of men of the world whom God filleth with his hid treasure that have every worldly thing their hearts can wish for that their eyes many times are ready to start out for fatness yet let them know for their sorrow and wo that out of this Sion which no man regards shall the Deliverer come for the light and life of Christ vvithin the heart discovers all Darkness and delivers Mankinde from Bondage and beside him there is no Saviour and what vvill become of those that are found fighters against God for they that persecute them persecute me saith Christ And therefore fear and tremble vvhoever rhou art for the wrath of the Lord smoaketh against thee and his jealousie burneth like fire if thou art found in a persecuting nature thy sin will bring destruction upon thee and there shall be no remedy Although judgement is not executed speedily against evil doers which causeth their hearts to be set in them to do evil yet the Lord will punish the hairy scalp of them that go on in their wickedness and when their sins are fully ripe then judgement shall come upon them to the utmost and there shall be no Remedy and therefore O Man who ever thou art great or small that fighteth or striveth against his little ones fear and tremble and cease from sinning any longer in that nature for fear the Lord may be a heaping up thy iniquities that he may bring wrath upon thee to the utmost and then there shall be no remedy for he repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them he will not be slack Deut. 7. 10 21. For the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and terrible who is now rising in his might and power to destroy the man of sin and is rising like a mighty man refreshed after Wine and the seed of wickedness shall be destroyed by the brightness and glory of his coming for he alone that is the King of Righteousness will be exalted amongst you And therefore let all flesh stand still waiting in silence before him that they may see the Salvation of GOD. The second Epistle To all people whose souls panteth after God as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks NOW to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Hearken to the Word of the Lord and your souls shall live mind what power rules in you whether it be a particular confining selfish power which is of the devil or whether it be an universal spreading power that doth delight in the liberty of the Son for if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed The selfish power vvhen it is crossed or shamed it grows distempered bitter spirited sometimes endeavouring to kill that bodie it dwels in and sometime some other that angers it but the power of Christ who is the giver forth of the Law of Righteousness ruling within is not moved to anger charity true love thinketh not evil but hopeth and endureth all things being meek and patient loving and acting righteously both to his own Body and to others though they be his Enemies following the Rule of Jesus Christ their King Do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you that you may be children of your Father which is in heaven Let every man and woman know that there is but two Spirits a good and a bad there is but two wayes the straight and the narrow that leadeth to life eternal and few find it and the broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in that vvay there is but God and the devil Heaven and hell the way to happiness and the way to misery the way to life and the way to death even death eternal And the way to life is believing in the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And verily it doth concern every man to know in what state he is whether the spirit or the flesh beareth sway for the two powers before spoken of are the two Adams in mankinde they are Jacob and Esau son of the free-vvoman or son of bondage the first kills and crucifieth the Son of God but the second the Lord from heaven he maketh alive for Christ the Spirit of Truth doth arise above the power of evil and he takes the body and rules in it Isa 65. 17. he makes it a new heaven and a new earth vvhere in dwells righteousness Now that vvhich seeks after the enjoyment of Creatures to have peace in them doth but seek the living among the dead for all sin makes but one perfect body of the power of darkness the devil vvhich doth raign in every man till the man of righteousness Christ the stronger then he vvho is the Anointing comes and throws down his strong holds and divides the spoil and vvhen Christ this Word of life hath the possession that soul hath true peace in the salvation that cometh out of Sion for peace is not to be found in any other for he is the Prince of peace and the Captain of our salvation vvho hath perfected for ever all those that are sanctified by him and he ever liveth to make intercession for them for by his obedience many are made righteous Every one shall be called by my name for I created him for my glory formed him and made him I will bring forth the blinde people and they shall have eyes and the deaf and they shall have ears I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour Isai 43. 7 8 11. Because thou wast precious in my sight
Righteousness but to know himself made subject and to rejoyce in the sweet enjoyment of that Prince of peace to make a man rejoyce and to know the ground of it that his joy is unmoveable What do you mean by Divine Power The Divine is the spreading power of righteousness which is Christ that filleth all in all with himself he is called a Tree or a Vine because he doth not lie in any single person but spreads himself in all mankind every single body in vvhom he breathes is but a bough or bud of the Vine so that look upon all together in whom Christ is spread and they make up but one Vine knit together by that one Spirit into one Body vvhether they be poor or rich learned or unlearned therefore those rich men that despise the poor and those learned that despise the unlearned as your University men and Priests of the Nation doth for there is some Priests now in the Nation that vvere not bred in the University but know all of you that are despisers of them that are good and have them in contempt for their poverty and because they are unlearned in your Logick and Tongues as men are vvhy I must tell you you are all but pricks of the Thorn-bush not Branches of the Vine and you are the curse that is now very neer unto burning And every single one alone in vvhom Christ breaths is but a parcel of the Vine in vvhom the Divine Power dwells and rests even as every Branch of an Appletree is filled vvith the sap vvhich is the life of the vvhole Tree Christ is the Divine because he grovvs and flourishes in the time of light he is the Son himself he is a Vine or Tree that grows by day in the heat of light and so brings forth abundance of fruit to the glory of the Father Trees that grow in the heat of the Sun they bring forth pleasant fruit so those that are Branches of this Vine that grows in the heat and life of the one Spirit the King of Righteousness they bring forth abundance of the fruits of Righteousness according to the nature of the Vine they grow from therefore the Saints are called Children of the day not of the night for they speak vvhat they know experimentally and vvhat they have received feelingly from the Lord As we have tasted as we have felt as we have handled so we deliver unto you and their actions and words are not spent at random for they act righteously in the creation among all they have to do vvithal and they do it from the Law of Reason and Righteousness which they feel seated vvithin them For every one that doth speak or act from the light or power of the Divine within himself can give an accompt of his Words and Actions but this is the glorying that the fleshly part hides himself from for the Law of Righteousness fleshly Israel could not behold the new Covenant which the men of the long Robe the Clergy-men so called are unacquainted with For opposite to this Divine Christ there is a night-Vine which is the power of selfishness which is a fruit of the bottomless pit and it is spread abroad in mankinde and every man and woman that is guided by this selfish power of darkness are but Branches of the night-Vine and this night-Vine which is fleshly man hath from the beginning of Adams fall filled the whole earth vvith darkness under pretence of Learning and fleshly Forms of Government and so is become a spread Tree but he is called by the Spirit of Righteousness the Thorn the Fruit he brings forth is sower and bitter and good for nothing but the dunghil for Trees that grow alwayes in the shade or place of darkness where the light and heat of the Sun doth not co-operate brings forth unpleasant fruit Now this night-Vine or rather Thorn-bush is the branchings forth of the wisdom and power of selfish flesh every bud from it is a sharp prickle Treacherous and covetous Judas was one Branch from that Root and he hath risen sin up to a mighty great Tree for every treacherous and covetous heart is but the buddings forth of Judas so the envious Scribes and Pharisees are other Branches from the same Root and these have risen up into mighty spreading Trees for every one that is zealous without knowledge making a profession of the spirit of Righteousness and yet grudging and hating the vvay of the spirit are but the buddings forth of the Scribes and Pharisees that killed the just One the Lord of life and glory and wrote Hebrew Greek and Latin over his head to blind the world that their learning taught them to do that act of murder and although they have now killed Christ after the flesh and by that have spread in every Land and Family to hinder Christ from rising or else to suppress and kill him again after he is risen if they could in Sons and Daughters whom he hath by the manifestation of his light made himself known unto them So covetous Demas proud Simon Magus froward and churlish Nabal unrighteous Elymas and such like are all the budoings forth of the Thorn-bush and have covered the earth with their Branches to keep it in darkness and to hide the Son of Righteousness from it and all these are centred in the Clergy of this nation or the Priests which is most suitable to their taking of Tythes which is the great sin of Oppression that many people for conscience sake and nothing else are undone in their outward Estates and some through hard imprisonment have lost their bodily lives and this great and sad grievance is upheld by these mens pride covetousness idleness bitterness of spirit despising and treading all under foot in whom the spirit of the Lamb appears which all those that are born again do see and know this to be true and that these are the standing Enemies against Christ their Churches as they call them are the Successors of the Jews Synagogues and are houses of bon-dage And though they have prevailed with the Magistrates for their Tythes to settle them yet they shall finde the last end of them will be sad for they are but hear-say Preachers of the Gospel they cannot say any thing from any Testimony of light they have within themselves but from the Writings they have from the Apostles which they profess great love to keep charily for their Tythes sake and by the one they deceive the people of their Souls for they preach the letter for the spirit and by the other they pick their Purses And this is very manifest by their carriage for though those Writings which they live by were not Writings that proceeded from any Scholars according unto humane Art but from Fisher-men Shepherds Husbandmen who spake and writ as the Spirit gave them utterance from an inward Testimony of life Yet now these learned Scholars having got the Writings of these inferiour men of the
the Lord doth not send hear-say men to be labourers in his Vineyard but such as he first fills with his Divine power and then sends them to work in his Vineyard so that still it is but Christ in them that is the One that is sent of the Father for the Father sends none but his only beloved Son in whom he is well pleased who is the Law of Righteousness and Peace the spreading power that fills all in all And you shall finde you Priests that are so puft up and filled with pride and are cloathed with covetousness that ere it be long these poor despised ones of the world that have this Law written in their hearts are the true Labourers that are sent forth into the Vineyard and you that call your selves Divines and Labourers you are but Traitors to Christ and Enemies to his Spirit you have had warnings from time to time Many Prophets hath the Lord sent unto you and righteous men but you have stopped your ears and hardned your hearts at the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely but the greater will be your woes and sorrow for you are left without excuse you are the men that must have your mouths stopped not by a humane tyrannical hand of power as you have stopped the mouths of Gods holy and just Ones for that they abhor for the Lord himself whom you dishonour by your hypocrisie will stop your mouths with shame and sorrow when he makes you to see your selves in the state of Devils Deceivers Scribes and Pharisees Simon Magus Demas and Judas that are Traitors to the spirit and power of Righteousness which is in the Saints But if you say you do not assume the names of Divines as you write your selves under which description you are as bad as Diviners Sorcerers or Deceivers as Balaam was and as the maid that got her Master gain by Divination in Act. 16. 16. you hold forth letter for spirit make people believe your words of hear-say that it is the Testimony and experience of the spirit within you and you pick their Purses extreamly by this Sorcery and Divination So it appears plain that the word you call Divinity darkens knowledge you talk much of the Body of Divinity and of Anatomizing Divinity O fine Language but when it comes to trial it is but a husk All is not Gold that glisters there is no Kernel the words ye say are without life the spirit that gave forth the Scripture ye are strangers unto the natural man understands not the things of God they are spiritually discern'd the Spirit hath filled the hearts of those you despise You go on selling words for mony to the blinde people whom you have deceived and the Spirit is not at all in your service and your service stinks before the Lord your preachings prayings and all your Will-worships with all the people joyning with you is but an abomination in the sight of the Lord for you are the people that draw nigh to God with your lips but your hearts are far from him and are removed afar off Love Justice righteous actings doing injury to no man is not to be found among you neither clean hands and a pure heart for the alone peace of the heart lieth in seeing and feeling Christ the Divine power to rise up and rule within and every soul is in confusion bon-dage and sorrrow until he have true light and feeling thereof in himself as I have shewed and found by experience And surely this may command all mouths to be silent that speak from hear-say and yet saith Thus saith the Lord he lies he dishonoureth the Lord whoever he is that speaketh before the Lord hath revealed himself in him spoke to him and put words into his mouth he doth exceedingly wrong the souls of his hearers by deceiving them and so their lives their whole actions and their conversations are unprofitable to all men because they make them believe a Divination are Words of Knowledge spoke from a pure Testimony Surely if the Lord had not become the Teacher of his despised Ones they had been over-spread with Egyptian bon-dage and darkness as the Priests are by whom the earth is corrupted and over spread with thick darkness Well you have Prophecies and Promises in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles wait upon the Lord till you see the fulfilling of them within your selves and leave off your much talk about words and syllables for by this multitude of waste discourse people are blinded that they neither minde the Ptophecies of Scriptures nor wait for the fulfilling of them in themselves for whatsoever is written is written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world shall fall And verily I can truly say That so long as I was a blinde Professor a strict goer to Church as they call it and a hearer of Sermons and never questioned what the Priest said but believed as the learned Clergy the Church so called believed and still forgot all I heard though I must say The words they said were like a pleasant song in my ears whilst I heard them And this I know is the best condition of all your zealous Professors this is all they can get from you for you are in bondage and confusion and Ignorance is the Mother of your Devotion for your lives are in the flesh you do not savour the things that are of the Spirit and so you are not of God Whilst I was such a Professor I was counted by some Priests and others a good Christian and a godly Man though all that was in me was but zealous Ignorance and led me on in the heighth of the deceitful Nature But since it hath pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me and hath caused me to speak what I know from an inward principle of light and power of life within Now the same Priests and Professors whom they have deceived my former Acquaintance begin to be affraid of me and call me an erronious Man a dangerous man and look upon me as upon a man of another world and in that they are not mistaken for our Conversation is in heaven and our delight on earth is in the Saints and in those excellent Ones that excels in vertue For my part I can truly say from the goodness of the Lord who is worthy of everlasting praises to be acknowledged from me that am as a brand snatch'd out of the fire and kept from burning by the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord That my portion is fallen to me in a goodly heritage the Lord is my portion I have the Lord I have enough I look upon them with the eye of pity and love seeing them as yet to live under the spirit of Delusion and power of Darkness the god of this world having blinded their eyes that they cannot see the way to the Kingdom and therefore I think it my Duty to wait upon the great Restorer of all things
Christ as is before shewed who are in the life which are onely such that have the seed of God raised in their own particulars and alwayes obey it in the power thereof such are not under the power of the Law but under Grace and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which dwelleth in them hath made them free from the Law of sin and of death and they and they onely are Christs because they are led by the Spirit of Christ and all others let their forms be Episcopal Presbytery Independents Anabaptists or whatever all their Worship is but will-Worship and their eatings and drinkings and washings and preachings and singings and hearings are all but the Sacrifice of Fools being all will Worship the inventions of mens hands out of the life and power of the truth as it is in Jesus and therefore is before the Lord but as the cutting off a dogs neck being a blind zeal without knowledge for I know upon what ground they all stand having run through all these Forms and could never finde rest for the sole of my feet in them neither can any find true peace until they come to lie down in the Father worshipping him in Spirit and in Truth being holy in all manner of conversation for unto such it is become natural to do the will of their Father on Earth as it is done in Heaven And therefore I do dearly exhort you all men and women to whom this shall come to keep close to the pure seed of God in you for that is your true Teacher and follow it and it will shew you the Father and the Son and if you obey this Doctrine you shall know that it is of God and lend not your ears at any time or place unto the Tempter but crush the Serpent in the first motions of sin and then they turn upon his own accompt and not upon thine for it is no sin to be tempted but the sin is to yeild for when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Therefore break the Cockatrice Egg before it be hatched that it may never come to be a Serpent and resist the devil and he will flee from you and turn in the minde to the pure light and wait in it that preserved you may all be out of that sin and evil that would defile you for this pure Principle of God in you will not consent at any time to sin but will check and reprove for it and if its motions be obeyed it will keep you all single and unspotted of the world and so you shall be found worthy to follow the Lamb in this the day of his power wherein he is risen to make War with the Beast and false Prophet And therefore it doth concern every one continually to watch and to have their loines girt about with the preparation of the Gospel of Truth that is with Jesus the Word by whom all things were made who is in all his Babes and Children that are born again and those that have his commandments and keepeth them dwelleth in him and he in them and this Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world shall have the Victory and blessed and thrice happy are all they that can come to witness sensibly in their own particular him rising in them that are truly fighting under his Bannâ—… against sin the world and the devil and feel a dayly conquering of sin that die dayly as Paul saith unto sin that they may be made alive unto God and as David saith that hateth the very appearance of evil And the onely way to this is to keep low in ones self and to wait in the cool of the day turning in to the light and in it wait and put on the whole Armour of God that you may be preserved at all times out of the snares of Satan for this will let you see sensibly the Tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit to be cut down in you and a new plant raised which will bring forth its fruit in due season to the glory of the Lord who alone is worthy of all glory and honour and everlasting praises for ever and for ever And therefore all Friends keep in the pure fear and wisdom of the Lord that at all times you may be ordered by it to do all things to his glory at all times and in all places that you may be a good savour unto all men you have to do withal and let your souls truly pant and thirst after the living God as the hart panteth after the water-brooks for your Redeemer is neer you if you refuse him not the Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth and the kingdom of heaven is within you as is plainly shewed in this Treatise and if Satan be in his first motions resisted you shall plainly see him pass away as the shadows pass away and the dew when the Sun ariseth And therefore keep in the pure fear and wisdom of God that with it you may be ordered and guided in all things to do them to his glory and so you shall sensibly witness the seed of God in you all to reign that will trample Satan under feet and then shall the saints rejoyce and they shall witness pure and holy rejoycings with songs of Triumph and Praises with Glory Glory Glory and everlasting Praises to their Father which is in heaven who is worthy We have had great stirs in the Nation of late years by Souldiers and great Words and good Language have they spoken that they would do much for Christ and the setling of his Kingdom which they do not know and the protecting of his people whose Life is in it being in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost which is a hard thing for a Souldier that kills men for mony houses lands and goods ever to witness until with Zacheus he restore to him that he hath robbed by forged cavilation and to the debtor his pledge But the whole Nation is sensible if they be not wilfully blind of the backsliding and Apostatizing of the Army and how in all changes they have sought themselves and not the things of God it is like they have forgot that Text Joh. 18. 16. My kingdom saith Christ is not of this world and Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink nor yet Arms and Armies but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost which Souldiers and Armies usually destroy and confound and therefore Christs Souldiers must have onely the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which leadeth them into all the truth and peace and condemneth the very practices of this Army that hath so often changed and sworn and engaged with hands lifted up to heaven and yet broke all as fast as made them to the sadding of the hearts of all their faithful friends to the strengthning of the hands of their enemies and
desire is to do the vvill of his Father vvhich his soul continually breathes after vvhich is the living God that made heaven and earth and it is his meat and drink to do his vvill on earth and I am sure this is the desire of his soul and that he is a true Minister of Jesus Christ I do bear Testimony unto it the witness of God in me being raised by his Ministry and for those false aspersions cast upon him of his receiving a Pension from the Pope I know his soul abhorreth any such thing and that he is as great a hater of the Pope and his vvayes as any man in England is and I knovv he hath no such need nor ever vvill have For they that seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof all other things shall he administred unto them and I do verily think that there is not a man in England more able to confute Errour and Heresie then Samuel Fisher is And verily Tho. Danson did exceedingly vvrest the Scriptures giving his dark and blinde meanings of them at that Meeting in Sandwich for he said We were not justified by that Christ that was in us he said No no twice to it for he owned two Christs one vvithout the Saints and another within them But this he became ashamed of and disowned in the Meeting and then he owned but one Christ in the Saints and in Heaven as there is but one God though he be in heaven yet is he with him that is poor and of a contrite heart and trembleth at his word Yet still he could not clear himself from his former assertion in his denying Justification by the Righteousness of Christ within for he might as well have said That Christ and his Righteousness was divided inasmuch as he owned Christ in the Saints but not his Righteousness which justified and all his Discourse and Drift was to have men justified in their sins and to be sinners all their lives as one that justifieth the wicked Prov. 7. 15. Isa 26. 12. God hath wrought all our works in us saith the Prophet Rom. 4. 5 9. saith the Apostle Abrahams faith was counted to him for Righteousness and this Priest is a bolsterer of men up in their sins and sows pillows under their arms as I may so say in comparison for he calleth them worthy that are his hearers that loveth flattering and fained Titles and the fawnings of men which is deceipt when none ought to have the Title of Worthy but those that truly set their faces toward Sion and seek it with their whole hearts and desire to have the King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace to guide them and rule them in all their actions and works that they may witness them to be all wrought in GOD. Now this person Tho. Danson all his teachings tendeth to a Justification of Christ without us and not to a Justification wrought by Christ within us and so his hearers can never attain to that perfect peace that the Scripture speaks of which is thus written That he that stayes himself upon the Lord he keepeth such in perfect peace and there is no peace to be found out of a man the peace is within the Heart the Gospel Christ Jesus the enlivening Word is within the soul and he is the pure Word Power and Wisdom of the Father who is the onely Reconciler unto God who is made manifest for the same purpose to break down the partition-vvall which separates the soul from God to bring the soul into its proper place centre into Unity Fellowship withGod who is Light in whom there is no Darkness and so by abiding in this living Word Christ and he abiding in you the creatures are brought to serve the ever living God in newness of life and in the Spirit and so Christ will and doth work their work in them and for them to their everlasting salvation and so the first fruits of the Spirit maketh them alive unto God and according to Christs words He that believeth in him hath everlasting life and he shall never come into condemnation but shall pass from death unto life for Christ alone is the onely Saviour and there is no name under heaven given unto men whereby they can be saved but by the Name of Jesus And this Gospel Christ is a free gift of God it is not to be bought for mony as Tho. Danson falsly surmiseth for he must know that there is a necessity laid upon those that are the true Teachers of the Gospel and woes is to be upon them if they do not teach freely and be instant in season and out of season for Christ saith to them As ye have freely received so freely give and so having received from the Lord that which they do deliver unto the Saints they speak from a pure Principle of Life and Power that reacheth the witness of God in their Hearers and they live themselves in the Life and Power of what they speak and so by their good examples are a good savour unto all men that they have to do withal and so they bring people into the pure and perfect image of Christ and the unity of Faith which brings them to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure and the stature and the fulness of Christ and they say We that are dead unto sin how can we live any longer therein and such are in the number of such as the Apostle said We preach wisdom amongst those that be perfect not the wisdom of the world but the wisdom and power of God which is pure and peaceable Therefore it is good and righteous to let the people know the false Teachers and those that call themselves Ministers of Christ and are not but are of the Synagogues of Satan And the true Prophets of the Lord alwayes did stir the peoples memory up with these Deceivers Isaiah cried against such Hirelings as seeked gain from their Quarters Isa 56. Jeremiah cried against such as taught for hire and divined for mony Jer. 5. Christ himself cried against such as were called of men Master stood praying in the Synagogues and had the chiefest places in the Assemblies Mat. 23. the Apostle Jude declared against such as went in the way of Cain in envie and such as went after the ways of Balaam for gifts and rewards Jud. 11. Peter declared against such as through fained words and covetousness made Merchandize of the people 2 Pet. 1. 5. these and such-like practices manifests the false Teachers for they that have not the Spirit of the Lord Jesus dwelling bodily in them leading them into all the fruits of Holiness and Righteousness making them perfect in Christ unless they be such they are no Ministers of Christ let their pretences be what they will For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof and they that live in the Spirit shall not fulfill the lusts
them already they are compleat in Christ and renewed into his image they are in Covenant with him they are his Children they are born of him and he that is born of him sinneth not neither can he sin because he is born of God The Reason because he is born of him that is the pure seed of God in him being always obeyed and waited in the watch being continually kept by this he overcometh the world and this is our victory even our Faith that hath given us victory over the world and this Faith standeth in Christ who removeth those Mountains of Sin and Uncleanness that hath possest them in the time of their ignorance even like so many Devils for every sin is a Devil as you may read that Mary Magdalen had seven Devils cast out of her that is seven reigning unclean spirits being devils and the devils besought Christ when they saw they must go forth of the man possest that they might enter into the herd of Swine So by this Faith in Christ the corrupt fruitless tree that cumbreth the ground is removed and a Plant of Righteousness of the Lords own planting is placed in the room of it that is planted by the Rivers of waters that flourisheth and bringeth Fruit in season and whatsoever it doth doth prosper and his leaf shall never wither but it shall bring forth his Fruit in due season to the glory of the Father and so by abiding in Christ the Vine the creature doth bring forth much Fruit to the glory of the Father the pure is known from that which is impure the holy from that which is unholy that of God from that which is not of God for that which is holy is to abide in the house of God who dwelleth not in unclean Temples made with hands but his Temples are his Saints and their Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and this is the living sacrifice that God accepteth for it is the living that praise the Lord the dead cannot they that are dead in trespasses and sins they praise not God their sacrifice is as the cutting off a dogs neck it is the redeemed of the Lord that sings the songs of Sion the songs of Holiness they are they that follow the Lamb in the Regeneration and they are regenerated and these follow the Lamb Jesus through great Tribulations and they have washed their garments in his blood and they shall sit on his right hand for evermore for he hath found them worthy for he hath redeemed them from all iniquity that they may serve him in Righteousness and true Holiness all the dayes of their lives and so they are come to the perfect liberty of the sons of God they are led by his Spirit which leads them into all truth out of all sin and all unrighteousness and so they are kept without spot or wrinkle in the midst of a perverse and crooked Generation and the Comforter which is the Spirit of Truth leads them into all Truth and sets up true Judgement and Justice and Equity that that rules the whole man and governs the souls of his that all unjust Rulers and Governours that hath had possession formerly is destroyed and the LORD GOD alone doth reign in this the day of his power and he alone doth plead the cause of his redeemed Ones by that of his pure Self which he hath placed in every one of them and hath made it to get the victory And therefore wo wo unto them that lay heavy burdens upon his despised Ones for a Day of terrible Wrath and Vengeance is coming upon you all and the sword of the Lord is drawn and will be avenged on all his Enemies in this the great day of his terrible appearance and the Enemies of his power shall know that he alone will reign and be exalted in this great day of his appearance for the Lord alone will reign and be King over all the Kingdoms of the world and all the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and unto him shall all bend and bow and all the powers of the earth be made subject for he is the Light and in him is the Light of the world and he is the beloved of God Therefore every one lend their ear unto him and hear him for in him is to be found the white stone with the new name written in it that no man knoweth but he that hath it for all that are led by the Spirit of God are led into Holiness for Holiness becometh the House of God for ever it is none but the pure in heart shall see God for God is Righteousness and he leadeth his people into righteousness they that are led by his Grace are led out of Ungodliness and out of the pathes of the wicked for the wicked walk in darkness they stumble at noon-day the fool saith in his heart There is no God and his actions plainly declare it for he liveth as though there were no God to punish him nor Devil to torment him nor Hell-fire to burn him which is the portion of the wicked storm and tempest fire and brimstone is their portion for ever from the presence of the Lord Rev. 19. 3. And her smoak rose up for evermore And therefore you stout-hearted of the world that bend your brows against the Just fear and tremble for the righteous God is coming in Judgement to avenge the blood of his servants at your hands and which of you will be able to dwell in everlasting burnings for Judgement is already begun at the house of God And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear And therefore repent repent go away and sin no more before repentance be hid from your eyes and you be cut off from the Land of the Living and meet the Lord speedily in the wayes of his Judgements O it is good to live in judgement at all times that is to judge sin down in the first motion as hath been already shewn And therefore all you that would be counted Christians and be Co-heirs with Christ Jesus the Son of the living God who is the onely Saviour of Man-kind depart from iniquity sin and all ungodliness and return to him who is come to judge all flesh raising up his true and faithful VVitness in all Concernments which sheweth to all men upon the face of the earth what sin iniquity and all ungodliness is to the end they may unto their Father return and repent of their former evil ways that their sins may be taken away and their iniquities may be blotted out and his perfect life brought forth which doth his will on earth as it is in heaven and such who do obey this holy Voyce of Christ in them do witness his Kingdome come in great power and glory which is not of this vvorld therefore the vvorld knovveth it not for they vvill not come unto Christ that they
may have life and therefore they cannot tast of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever John 6. 50. This is the bread saith Christ that cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not dye I am saith Christ the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world And this is he that giveth povver to understand the Scriptures that are dark to the understanding until he that gave them forth open their understandings as you may see in Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures the onely vvay to obtain this favour from the Lord is to love the pure seed of God in the vvhich is Gods vvitness in thy Conscience and is his written VVord in thy heart vvhich vvas that VVord to David that he had such a love unto that by loving of it God made him vviser then his Teachers and it vvas sweeter then the honey and the honey comb and it vvas better then thousands of Gold and Silver and Solomon saith of this vvisdome The merchandise is better then the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof is better then gold And this is the Pearl of great price that the man sold all to buy it therefore my desire nay the desires of my soul thirsteth after the Salvation of all men And therefore dear Friends and People all be kept lovv in the fear of God at all times and learn of Christ to be meek and lovvly that you may find rest unto your souls and consider that the onely thing is to fear God and keep his Commandments for they that hath the Commandments and keepeth them dvvelleth in Christ and Christ in them and much reading is a vveariness to the flesh here the end of all is To fear God and keep his Commandments this is the vvhole duty of man for he that manifests his faith by being obedient he shall live for ever for the Kingdome of God consisteth not in vvords but in life and povver vvhich is righteousness and that procureth true peace such peace as men and Devils can never take from you and so vvalking in this peace the God of love and peace vvill be vvith you to the end Now unto God our Father be glory and everlasting praises ascribed both novv and for ever and for ever Amen The eighth Epistle To Richard Allen a Priest in the Parish of Crundal in Kent and also to be communicated to the rest of his Brethren the Priests to shew them the unlawfulness wicked Practice of receiving of Tythes contrary to the Practice of Christ and his Apostles and yet call themselves A Gospel-Ministry But they must know The terrible day of the Lords Wrath is at hand and this their Act of Oppression must come to Judgement WHat hast thou to do to take the Name of the Lord in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed for Let him that calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity and He that saith he is in Christ ought so to walk as Christ hath walked and He that hath Faith it purifieth the heart and he purifieth himself as Christ is pure Now he that liveth in any known sin is a transgressor of the Law and He that keepeth the vvhole Law and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all and He that breaketh one of these least Commandments and teacheth men so shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven Now I do charge thee with the desiring of thy Neighbours Goods which thou hast no just right to neither by the Law of God nor just Law of Man but the Reason is there is Laws in being for thy wicked lust because all things are out of Gods order for our Judges are not as they were at first nor our Counsellours as at the beginning if they were they might tell the people of the Law what it is for the power of the Nation of England hath had their Laws invested and enacted by Parliaments and they chosen by the people Now it vvas never conceived that a people should be so void of reason as to give a company of persons a power to destroy their Birth-Right the property of their Estates for they are called to provide for the safety and weal of a people not for their hurt or damage and all Laws are grounded upon Reason or ought to be and where Reason ceaseth there the Law ceaseth Now thou art so ingenuous to confess that Tythes came first into England by the appointment and command of the Pope and Popish Laws and is it reasonable that those Laws should binde us that vvere first made by them vvhen vve are so distinct from them that vve now in our times have had Laws made amongst us for the selling and sequestring of their Estates quatenus as Papists and that an Act of Parliament made against common Right as Tythes is common Equity and common Reason is therefore null and void in it self in Law and ought not to be executed as appears by these following Laws See the first part of Doctor Bonham's Case fol. 118. and the eighth of Edward the Third fol. 3 30 33. E. Cassanet 32. and the 27 H. Annuity 41. and the 1 of Eliz. Dyer 113. and first part of Cook 's Institutes Lib. 2. Chap. 11. Sect. 209. fol. 140. and the fourth of Edward the fourth 12. 12. Edward the Fourth 18. 1 Henry the Seventh 12 13. Plowd Com. fol. 369. Yea saith that Learned Oracle of the Law of England Edward Cook in the fourth part of his Institutes fol. 330. where Reason ceaseth there the Law ceaseth for seeing Reason is the very Life and Spirit of the Lavv it self the Law is not to be esteemed to respect that vvhich hath no Reason although the generality of the words at the first Institution or after the Letter seem otherwise And saith the Learned Author in his first part of Institutes fol. 140. all Customs and Prescriptions Acts of Parliament Lavvs and Judgements that be against Reason are void and null in themselves And saith the Armies Atturny John Cooke in the late Kings Case stated page the 23. That by the Law of England any Act or Agreement against the Laws of God and Nature as I shall prove Tythes are against both is a meer nullity saith he for as a man hath no hand in making the Laws of God and Nature no more hath he power to mar or alter them and he cites the Earl of Leicesters adjudged Case for a proof and all the Judges in England cannot make one Case to be Law that is not Reason no more then they can make one Hair white that is naturally black for Law must be Reason adjudged and every Law of man must be consonant to the Law of God otherwise they are not Righteous nor Obligatory Now
Lord God is found and felt in the hearts of all his chosen ones and they feel themselves branches springing forth of the Tree of Life and in him that is in Christ by abiding in him and his living Word abiding in them they bring forth much fruit and they walk from strength to strength and from faith to faith until they appear before God in Sion and they do turn people from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they do receive remission of sins and an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified and as they have felt and handled and tasted of the good Word of Eternal Life so they do deliver it unto others freely they have received and freely do they give according to the command of Christ their Law-giver and they have received the Unction the anoynting from the Holy One which doth abide in them and teacheth them all things and they have the first fruits of the Spirit which doth make them alive unto God And they do go into the dark corners of the world as they are moved by the Holy Ghost to preach freely the everlasting Gospel of Salvation glad tydings to all people whose feet are beautiful and they do it upon this account that a necessity doth lie upon them and woes will be upon them if they do it not if they do the work of the Lord negligently and they are ready to sacrifice their lives and to seal the truth of their Ministry with their blood that they may finish their work with Joy and inward Consolation which is full of power and great glory and their Conversations are without Covetousness they seek not their ovvn but the things of Jesus the salvation of all men that they may live the life of holiness as they have been servants unto sin so that they may novv come to be made free from sin and have their lives in holiness and righteousness the end whereof is everlasting life for the gift of grace is free and so many as receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God even to all those that do believe in his name and their conversations are in heaven and they do not minde earthly things and they do the works of the Spirit vvhich doth make them alive unto God for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and they are as Lights in the midst of a perverse and crooked Generation and they are holy harmless vvithout spot and blemish vvaiting vvith Oyl in their own Lamps for the coming of the Lord that they may enter into his Joy and receive the end of their faith which is the salvation of their souls The true Ministers of Christ they were filled with the Holy Ghost before they went forth as Paul saith when Christ had revealed himself in him then he spake the word with boldness and many of the Priests say That Judas had a Commission as well as the rest of the Apostles because Christ sent them forth and said As you go preach and say The Kingdom of God is at hand vvhich Kingdom was the pouring down of the Spirit of Righteousness vvhich he promised that the holy Ghost should come down and abide with them for ever and lead them into all truth But there is not one Text that ever I could find that they did go forth until the lot fell upon Matthias in the room of Judas and he was numbered amongst the twelve It is said That the seventy returned and said Behold Lord the devils are subject unto us So at the best those Priests that pleads for Judas doth but derive their Office from him for he was a Deceiver at the best and so are all they that have not received the holy Ghost for the Apostles were to feed the Flock of Christ over which the holy Ghost hath made them Overseers and the Priests of this Generation are they not proud covetous arrogant ambitious self-lovers lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof Where is the man or the woman that hath been at any time snatcht out of the paws of Satan and out of the snares of hell by their Ministry as it is called Where is the fruits of the holy Ghost to be found amongst their hearers which is Love Joy Meekness Temperance Brothetly kindeness Bowels of Compassion enduring all things Temperance Righteousness and holy in all manner of conversation Is not the fruits of their hearers clean contrary are they not wrath anger malice murder robbery plunder a neater word for Thieves Swearing Adultery Fornication and all uncharitableness scoffing despising those that are good heady high-minded disobedient to parents unnatural truce-breakers Covenant-breakers And by this it appears that they neither have the call of Christs Ministers for if the Lord had sent them they should have turned people from the evil of their doings and they should have learned to do well neither have they the maintenance of Christs Ministers nor the fruits of Christs Ministers for Christs Ministers they were commanded to take nothing with them neither money nor staff nor scrip and they were to enquire who was worthy and there enter and there eat such things as was set before them and that was their maintenance not to force people and take away their Goods three times as much as was or could be demanded And the fruits of Christs Ministers Peter converted three thousand at once and many thousands now blessed be the holy Name of the ever-living GOD are escaped out of the snare of the hunter by the sounding forth of the everlasting Gospel of salvation from his true Ministers who are despised and scornfully called by the seed of evil doers Quakers whose Doctrine is To turn people to the light within them which doth bring them out of Rebellion and the disobedient nature which the light doth reprove and condemn and they that do draw from the teachings of Christ within such the Light Christ doth shew to be seducers 1 Joh. 2. 26 27. and this light doth bring into the holy life and into the pure worship of God in the Spirit And therefore I do dearly exhort you from the Lord to come out of all your false Churches your false ways and from your proud deceitful Priests and come to Christ the true Pastor and Bishop of your souls and so you shall come to the Church that is in God 1 Thes 1. 1. Heb. 12. 22 23. whose Overseers are made by the holy Ghost And so dear Friends I do dearly exhort you to take heed to that which is pure of God in your consciences and obey it and make that your Teacher for that calls for a pure conversation 1 Pet. 1. 13 14 15 16. and let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and so you shall all come to be baptized into Christ and so put him on by one Spirit and come
world so called by some they now slight and despise and trample under their feet men guided by the Spirit of the Lord pressing upon the powers of the earth to make Laws to hold them under bondage and that Lay-people Tradesmen and such as are not bred in Schools may have no liberty to speak or write of the Spirit And why so Because out of these despised ones of the world doth the Spirit rise up more and more to clearer light making them to speak from experience and every fresh discovery of the Father shines more glorious then the old till at last the creature is made to see the Father face to face in his own light But now the Scholars that come to speak from the strength of what they have stole from others being not filled with the Holy Ghost which maketh Ministers they have no inward Testimony of their own to uphold their Trade but by a customary practise they uphold their Trade thus by holding fast the old letter getting their livings by telling the people the meanings of those Tradesmens Words and Writings But alas they mightily deceive them and corrupt their Meanings by their multitudes of false Expositions and Interpretations for no man knows the meaning of the Spirit of GOD but he that hath the Spirit and if the Father sends forth any of these Tradesmen to declare their Testimony which is in them as in these dayes he sends forth many and these true labourers shall increase maugre the Malice of Men Devils and all those false aspersions cast upon them calling them new Lights Factious erronious Blasphemers and the like shall not hurt them for it is but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled they shall say or speak all manner of evil falsly against them for my sake and they that kill them shall think they do God good service in it even as those that killed the Just One crying Crucifie him crucifie Him but all will be to no purpose for the work is of the Lord and it shall stand The counsels of the Lord taketh place in every age and his word is stablished in Heaven and when all things else shall come to nothing then not one jot or tittle of this shall fail Wicked men and Deceivers had best give over for it is hard for them to kick against the pricks or strive against the stream For the Lord Jehovah at whose voice the mountains quake the hills tremble that telleth all the Stars and calleth them all by their names and saith to the proud waves of the Seas Thus far shall ye go and no farther that keepeth the devils in chains against that great and terrible day when all men shall be judged for the things done in their flesh that divided the seas for his children to pass over and drowned his enemies in the same waters I say this God is too great for Man to contest with But what is the reason that the Preachers of this world so called by many are so bitter against truth in the inward parts in words they speak much for it Because the light of truth that springs up out of this earth which the Scholars tread under feet will shine so clear as it will put out the candle of these wicked learned Deceivers Now the people are not to look for any teaching but from the great Prophet Jesus Christ and are not to acknowledge any other Ruler but such as are guided by him this King of peace who plants the Law of Righteousness in the hearts The hear-say Teachers would have the people look up to them for teaching and verily I must bear my Testimony that the more I look'd upon any man for teaching the more I was wrapt into bondage and confusion and therefore all the upshot and end of the Priests is onely to hinder Christ from rising and to keep Jacob under that he may be a servant unto the man of flesh So it is plain that all that is done in the world about hear-say Priests and their settled Forms of Worship is no other but the spreadings forth of the Thorn-bush the fleshly man to hinder the worship of the Father in spirit and in truth and all these strict and zealous Preachers so called and Professors of other mens Words and writings and Upholders of Forms and Customs are no other but the Scribes Pharisees and Judas that still pursues Christ in enmity And this is the reason why many are so ignorant and cold spirited in the acknowledgement of the Father because the night-Vine or Branches of the Thorn-bush are so mighty great and thick that they hide the light and heat of the Sun of Righteousness from it this is the man of sin the Mystery of Iniquity that lets and must let till he be taken out of the Way Indeed this Thorn-bush doth so prick that none dare meddle with it but those that are well clothed with Christ such as have put on the whole Armour of God This Thorn-bush or night-Vine grows in the cold time of the night while the Sun of Righteousness is under the clouds and the fruit it brings forth is unpleasant as pride covetousness envy self-love hypocrisie confusion bondage and all misery under the power of darkness and all that oppress the holy just Ones they act from this night-Vine and are children of the night and of darkness Now from hence it doth appear what proud men the Clergy are that call themselves Divines when their light is but a candle stolen from the Apostles and Prophets writings it is not their own Light it is but hear-say in them who cannot in their own particulars witness the things they do declare or hold forth unto others and therefore their pride and covetousness doth plainly declare them to be false Christs and false Prophets and that they are but Branches of the Thorn-bush that are full of sharp pricks in regard they endeavour to uphold a forced maintenance from the people whether they will or no and force the people to be silent to hear them preach hear-say what Austin Gregory and the Fathers have said and none must gainsay what they affirm although never so false upon pain of 5 l. or lye in the common Goal and be bound to their good Behaviour and are like to be crushed in their Estates by the power of many wicked Magistrates if they oppose these hear-say Priests that say and unsay for they know not what they say but say to darken peoples knowledge more and more O sad Anti-christian Laws against the plain Scripture which alloweth prophesying or speaking one by one as the Spirit giveth or maketh manifest and the first shall hold his peace doth not the shame of those Laws and their Makers almost appear unto all men If it do not it will do very suddenly assure your selves you Priests you must fall and be turned out as Judas Simon Magus and the Scribes and Pharisees that are the greatest Enemies to Christ the spreading power of Righteousness for