Truth Something concerning the Operation of the LIGHT in all that Obey THe LIGHT is given for a Leader and to be Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth in all that believe as the Light is minded and obeyed it leads out of the Evil that it testifies against when it reproves for Lying then being minded and the Reproof turned unto and obeyed it will lead out of Lying and learn every man to speak Truth to his Neighbour or what ever it is that man is driven into through the Fall and hath taken up a life in it the Light bears witness against it which being turned unto and obeyed it leads out of it and leads unto that which is good and it places Gods fear in the heart of man and brings him to depart from the Evil and then he comes to the thing that is good in the Leadings of the Light and so man comes out of Anger and Envy into Meekness and Love and is led from all the Works of the Flesh that be evil unto God who is the chiefest good and this is the work of Christ the Power of God unto Salvation he comes into the World and reproves the World he leaves the World again and saves out of it all that obey and follow him So he makes manifest all things that be evil and he leads out of them and saves from them as obedience is given to him So a Drunkard turning to the Light when it reproves him for Drunkenness and yielding obedience to it it leads him out of Drunkenness into Soberness and delivers him from under the power of Satan who hath him Captive at his will and so the Light makes all things manifest and as it is obeyed it leads out of all Evil both in thought word and deed and places true judgement upon all Evil things and brings them all to the death of the Cross and slayes the Enmity and makes all subject to its power cutting down the Man of Sin and Crucifying the Flesh with all the Affections and Lusts of it and so the old Man dies with all his corruptible deeds and in the Judgment is buried down and the new Man is raised which after God is created in Righteousness and so a holy Birth is born through the Operation of the Power of the Light in which the spirit of the mind is renewed and Soul and Body sanctified and the Conscience purged from all dead works and thus all old things is put off and all things are made new in the work of Regeneration in which a new birth is raised that abides in the Fathers House and feeds upon bread of Life And this is something of the Operation of the Light in all that do obey according to the Scriptures Something concerning our PRACTICE and our walking therein VVE meet together as we are moved of the Lord and wait upon him in his Fear and are subject to the Power of his Spirit that is manifest in us and in the measure of the Spirit which we receive of God we Worship him and in the fervency of the Spirit we serve him and as he moves upon any who in his Fear waits upon him and opens in them the Word of Eternal Life and gives a Word to minister in due season and utterance to declare it in the power of his own Spirit so we minister one to another in the gift of Gods Spirit and are thereby Edified and Comforted one in another and so our Preaching stands not in the inticing words which mans Wisdom teacheth but in the Spirits Demonstration and in Power and this is the Gospel which we freely receive from God and freely Preach in his own Power And this is something of our Practice and our walking therein according to the Scriptures And thus do we own what stands in the Truth and is brought forth in the Spirit of Truth and agrees with the Scriptures of Truth and hath its Root in the Love and Meekness Gentleness and Patience that we own and dearly love in whomsoever it doth appear VVE own MAGISTRACY that stands in the Power of God and executes true Judegment within the Gates cutting down Sin and Evil-doers and setting up Righteousness and those that walk therein We own MINISTERS who are made of God and sent forth in his Living Power and Preaches freely as they receive and labours to gather People unto the Power of God We own WORSHIP in the Spirit and in the Truth which makes all flesh subject We own the CHURCH which is in God of which Jesus Christ is HEAD and KING We own SINGING in the Spirit which gives the Psalm and an understanding to Sing at and the Melody is made in the Heart unto the Lord We own PRAYER that is made in the Spirit which teaches how to Pray and what to Pray for and makes Request unto God according to his Will We own BAPTISM in the Spirit by which all are Baptised into one Body These with many other things which is true according to the Scriptures we own and dearly love with all that walk in the practice of them being guided thereunto by the Spirit of Truth in the power of which we are constrained to testifie unto the Truth as we know it in Jesus and these things which God hath opened unto us and the practice of them and in what they are to be performed unto him we dare not deny in the practice of it neither can we be subject unto any Traditions for Conscience sake Something that we cannot own for Conscience sake being found contrary to the Scriptures VVE cannot own ENGLANDS WORSHIP nor joyn with it because it is set up by Tradition and not after Christ We cannot own ENGLANDS CHVRCH to be the Church of Christ because it hath been set up in the night of Apostacy and is but the Work of Mens hands and found amongst the many Inventions We cannot own ENGLANDS MINISTERS to be the Ministers of Christ because they walk contrary to him in all things and are not endued with his power nor made Ministers in that but are made at Schools and Colledges by natural Arts and Languages and so speak things they know not for filthy Lucres sake making their Belly their God and Sues and Imprisons and Persecutes such as cannot put into their mouths We cannot own such a MINISTRY nor for Conscience sake joyn with them or any way help to maintain them because they walk contrary to Christs Ministers who themselves were persecuted but never persecuted any or sued people at Law for Wages We cannot for Conscience sake pay unto any whether Priest or Impropriator the Tenth part of our Increase which is called Tyths because the Lord freely gives it unto us and he doth not Command us to give it to any other and knowing that Priesthood to be changed who had a Maintenance out of the Tyths We also know that of necessity the Law must be changed and of this we are convinced by the manifestation of his Light
it to any man and herein hath his Controversie appeared with all Sorts and Sects of People whom he hath tryed in their day who would never submit to his Government nor yield unto him his Right but took it to themselves and robbed him of his Glory for which Cause the Lord hath turned their Glory into shame and their day into darkness and they are gone downwards and others are come upwards and are new placed in Power to Rule over their Heads because the Warnings of the Lord had no place in them but were rejected by them and the things that they should have done they did them not And thus are the Kingdoms of the World in the hand of the Almighty and he pulls down and he sets up and gives them unto whom he will and he disposes mans heart and brings him into a sensibleness of some things that be evil and prophane and orders him to declare his dislike against it as in this present Power hath been made manifest by a Declaration against something prophane and he also disposes mans heart into some Acts of Mercy as likewise is made manifest in this present Power by freely pardoning many things which in the time of this great Revolution hath been acted and done which might have occasioned great trouble upon the Nation if they had not been remitted and this is the Lords doings who disposes mans heart herein and it is to be prized as the Lords Mercy who hath brought it to pass though there be much Excluded which should have been compassed within it and a free Pardon Extended to it that life in all might have been spared and nothing Charged against any to have taken away life but a free Pardon should have reached unto all for their lives and that would have quenched all flames and calmed all boysterous winds that there would not have been any blast to have blown up a spark for though the Lord gave them justly up to be scourged yet not to be destroyed and Pardon should have reached the life of all and no Revenge should have been sought or Executed upon any to have taken away their lives though seemingly there might be Guilt upon them and that done by them which the Law of the Nation may seemingly Condemne yet should Mercy have opened towards such and it should have been freely forgiven which would sweetly have healed and closed the hearts of thy Inhabitants together O England and made them as one man And it is upon me from the Lord to sound forth a Warning in the power of his Eternal Spirit unto all thy Rulers O England whose day now is that they mind how the day is theirs and who it is that hath given it them and keep their hands from shedding of Blood lest they provoke him who hath shewed Mercy unto them for by Cruelty acted and then Revenge sought it opens the Fountain of Blood wider but never stops it And this is not the End O ye People who are now in POWER this day in ENGLAND for which God hath raised you up that you should destroy life but to shew Mercy as he hath shewed Mercy unto you and to try you if you will perform what they carelesly neglected whom he hath given up into your hands without the stroak of any Weapon of War and hath brought you up to Rule in Government wit hou the loss of any Blood which is such an infinite Mercy as might cause you to stop the Issue of Blood and not to open it Something you have done which in its place and in it self is good but the Work you have yet to do is weighty if you mind the Lords Counsel and give up unto him that he may dispose your hearts to Answer the End which he doth Expect from you which is to shew Mercy and to break off every yoak and undo all heavy burdens and remove all Compelling Lawes in things pertaining to the Conscience and set the Oppressed free that Righteousness may Reign and true Judgment and Equity may run down and a peaceable and quiet life may be enjoyed in all Godliness and Honesty And this is required of you all from the Lord God and it is not to be neglected by any of you in your Places whether it be the KING as Supream of the Nation or those that be set in Authority under him but is a Work to be set upon speedily for the neglect of performing of it when many Promises have been made to do it hath drawn down Judgment upon such as have Ruled before you who promised much in these things but performed little and you are come to see their day End and the Beginning of your own therefore reject not the Lords Counsel to follow your own Imaginations that when you should do the thing which God requires you do not bring forth that which his Controversie is against that when you should set free you lay not on a yoak and bring forth Oppression and continue Oppression and so encrease Burdens and make them heavier when you should remove them and take them away this is not the End for which God hath raised you that you should look back again and begin to build again those things which God hath removed and to seek your own Glory in them but to promote the everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God and freely given of God and that all may stand in the freedom they have in God to Worship him without any Law to compel them otherwise under Penalties and Punishments this is some part of your Work in this your day which God hath given you and as you obey the Lords Counsel and mind the Light of Christ in your own Consciences you will see what is your whole Duty and what the Lord doth require of you not to make LORD-BISHOPS again and DEANS and PREBENDS not to set up Common-Prayer-Book Organs and Anthems and such Abominations which the Saints never practised nor there is no Scripture for and these things with much more that might be mentioned the Lords Controversie was against and none could uphold them though there was great Hosts of Men and Horses appeared to defend them they all fell before the Power of the Lord in that day And do you believe that God will take pleasure in them now be not so much deceived for the Lord is provoked and his Spirit is vexed and his Indignation riseth against them and he will not yet spare them nor these that strive to promote and uphold them and compel a conformity unto them and this is in plainness of speech unto you all in the movings of Gods Power Oh England thy Prophets deceive thee and thy Teachers deal very treacherously with thee they cry peace to thee when sudden destruction is nigh to come upon thee they know not the things that are neither the things that are coming to passe for Night is come upon them the Vision hath failed them they have no Answer of God and thus they have
in his Mercy that the more that Affliction hath been laid upon his Innocent People the more have they multiplied and this is the Lords doings who pleads with all flesh Oh England much Enmity remains within thee against an Innocent people that seeks thy good who travels to turn thee unto the Light that shineth in thee that thou mightest not abide in darkness and perish but mightest come to the Light of life And this is the Lords good-will unto thee who hath raised an Innocent people whose love is to thee when thou art most filled with enmity against them How long hast thou had it in thy heart to execute Cruelty and yet thou hast not had power to do it unto the full but by an Invisible hand hast been restrained from swallowing up when thy mouth hath been opened wide and thy heart thirsty to devour There was a time when thou wast let loose and wast as a Bear bereaved of her whelps and as a Lion sit for his prey yet in the height of thy fury thou wast chained and thy bounds was set and the chain was too strong for thee and the bounds thou couldest not drive away before thy fury thou stretchedst thy self to the length of thy chain and came up in thy strength to the utmost bounds and there roared and swelled and foamed out thy shame and cast up much of thy mire and dirt but thou wast there stopped and thy proud and turbulent waves were limited and the innocent Lambs were preserved out of thy devouring mouth and thou couldest not destroy them though thou soughtest it with all thy strength and when thou couldest not execute the mischief of thy heart unto the full there was a hope in thee that power should be given thee in time to come but the Lord forsakes not his Chosen neither gives he them wholly up for a prey into thy teeth though some do suffer by thee which at that time were given into thy hands to try thee and thou cast them into prisons in thy rage and fury when they were in the Lords service and labouring to do thee good and had done nothing worthy of bonds neither hast thou any such charge against them but in thy wrath and madness thou ran rashly upon them when they neither disturbed thy Peace nor transgressed thy Law and this was to try thee that thou mightest make thy self manifest and the witness against thee is the Prisons within thee into which thou hast cast the Lords faithfull Servants for whose sakes he will plead with thee and though thou hast shut them up and shews no pity towards them but lets them lye though they have done nothing worthy of it and keeps them in thy malice and envy some in one place and some in another as Lawcaster Lambeth-house Nantwich and divers other places within thee where the Lords faithful Servants suffer under thy Cruelty and are afflicted by thee whose innocent cause the Lord will certainly avenge upon thee except thou speedily repent for there are many strong cries unto the Lord this day and prayer and supplication is made unto him in the strength of his own Spirit which his ear is open to hear and he will not forget the Righteous neither will he forsake them but will plead with all that seek to spoil them and will recompence unto them according to the fruit of their doings Oh England thou art traced thorow and thy doings are all found out with the Light of Christ that shines in thee which thy darkness cannot comprehend and all thy wayes are manifest therein and thou art found to be exceeding wicked in thy heart and exceeding vain in thy imaginations Thou settest not the Lord before thee therfore his displeasure is against thee except thou speedily repent and obey his Counsel thou canst not escape the severity of his judgment for a fire is kindled in his breast which shall burn to the nethermost hell and it will reach thee when thou goest down thither for counsel and will be as hot burning coals in the midst of thy bowels and there will be none to quench it for God will not spare thee in thy wickedness and abominations which yet remain in thee but will cut down and consume untill he hath cleansed the Land of Cruelty and Oppression And now the Revolution is gone about and that which was out of sight is come up and that which was above is gone down and over-shadowed so vain a thing is man before his Maker and this is not come to passe for the righteousness of any man or that any man should exalt himself in it but for his own Names sake who Reigns over all Oh England let all such as are now risen in thee to Rule be carefull and mind well their doings for the same God Ruleth still and his Power changeth not but brings to passe all changeable things in their time and place and if man now strive again to set up the same things which once provoked the Lord to anger and which his Controversie was against and still continue the Burdens by strengthning the Oppressors which hath from time to time drawn down Judgment upon the heads of those that had Power to remove it but did not and brought the Lords stroak upon them and none could be found that were able to uphold them though many sought it with all their strength Let not vain man imagine that the Righteous God will either favour or allow these things to be set up or continued in this day against which he hath appeared and by his Eternal Power overwhelmed but certainly his Controversie is still against the same things and all that strengthens them or endeavours to promote them and though neither Sword nor Spear may be used yet will the Lord carry it on by his own power that works according to his own pleasure for his way is not as the way of man who sometimes destroyes and builds the same things again with his changeable mind But the way of the Most High is more equal and he will not allow the setting up of those things again which once grieved his Holy Spirit and provoked him to Anger which drew forth his Arm against them by which they were cut down neither is this come to passe in ENGLAND that it should be so done but that all should FEAR before the God of Jacob and BOW before the Holy One of Israel and mind his Goodness and come to Repentance and be humbled in the dust for Iniquities committed that he may spread forth his Power and Reign in his Right and Order all things that concerns his Service and Worship and that none go about to keep him out of that and take it upon themselves but let him be HEAD and KING JUDGE and LAWGIVER and Supream Governour over his Church for that is his Right and his Glory who is the Prince of Peace and who seeks to take it from him must fall before him for he will not give