when he is cast out of those more upright hearts and more thankful that he may possess those Swinish natures and so throw them headlong into a Sea of Destruction whith others of the like bad natures of whom I shall say something Those are they which have heard and seen something of Truth by reading Books or speaking with some in the Truth whose words being accompanied with power proceeding from the Spirit of Truth they not having been able to resist but standing over them questionings and reasoning have been raised in them concerning their buildings whether or no they be upon the right Foundation but that being catch'd too which shews them their conditions so plain that they have no assurance of their well-being but in doubting and reasonings and fears through which secretly torment doth arise but their minds being from him that shews them their conditions which though it be the greatest Love that God could bestow on lost Mankind yet in that it brings a Cross to flesh seeing plainly that if they hearken to it they must forsake all their vain Customs and Traditions of the World with all its Lusts and Vanities these things not agreeing with Flesh and Blood which they are consulting the mind being drawn from the Witness for God in their hearts by their wilful yielding to the Enemy of their Souls who is alwayes ready with his Baits to betray them who desire ease in the Flesh and whose minds are out in studying Arguments to keep them in the same the subtle Serpent being here at work to the end that the Creature may partake of his Table for he knows that then they cannot partake of Gods Table as the Scriptures of Truth declares so at his Table he hands out curious words in Prayers and hanging down the head like a Bullrush and with feigning and flattering words to all sorts of Deceitful Workers and doth help to turn and wind all sorts of Worship which the Beastly Nature sets up and so tells them there is Flesh as well as Spirit to be satisfied and that they must live in sin as long as they have a being here and to others whose natures be inclined to Lust he provides plentiful Dishes for them and others who are disposed to Drunkenness he directs them to Companions and opportunity and at his Table are variety of Dishes for the Covetous man or Proud High Heady Boaster Curser Ranter for all sorts that will come to his Table he hath curious Dishes in a plenteous manner and in all these he promises content and satisfaction but as he ever was so he is and ever will be a Lyar for let those speak who hath fed most plentiful at his Table if ever they were satisfied but that the more they fed the more hungry they were let all these forementioned and Gamsters speak for themselves and Thieves and Murtherers and the like But in some he works more in a Mystery and furnisheth his Table with curious words and so feeds them and decks them but alwayes at his Table he hath this Dish for all sorts of Professors and Prophane that they must live in Sin in this Life this is as it were a Chain by which he holds all that will believe so fast to his Table and then let them be as rich as they will in comprehending and getting into the Brain-knowledge the Scriptures and outward Learning so though the work grows so high in the Mystery of Iniquity that the Enemy of the Soul hath exalted himself above all that is called God and so makes a shew in fine words and in long Prayers and in curious Arts yet whilst he can keep them in his Chain to his Table if they cannot have ease in professing in one Sect he will give them leave to profess in another Sect and if that will not serve he will give them leave to go into the profession of Truth it self and further to meet together with them in the Truth any thing but hearing the Voice of the Son of God and obeying which brings to the Table of God and so overthrows his Table to any thing but this his Chain will reach Now as to what is before those that have seen something of Truth and some trouble hath by reason thereof risen in them but for love of a little ease to the flesh such their minds being out willingly goes into the Devils Chain and so feeds at his Table where they are furnished with Arguments against the Spirit of Truth manifested to lead and to guide into all truth and so out of Sin which is the Devils Chain but being thus furnished according to their hearts lust being in the Adulterous Spirit takes all occasion to speak evil of Truth and them that are in it who are true Worshippers of the Lord according to his Will in Spirit and Truth so the god of the World having blinded their minds an evil eye gets out and this watches for the halting of them who are in Truth and when the just hand of God is gone out in making manifest some who have been in the profession of Truth who have hardned their hearts against reproof till at length their hypocrisie and guile is made manifest on which they hereby take occasion to speak evil of the Way of the Lord and them that are in it the Enemy of their Souls giving them thereby some ease for the present but it lasts not long but the Fame of Truth is sounded in their ears again by the Witness of God within or else from those in whom it dwells without them then the Lamb riseth and gives torment again and their Coverings be too narrow and will not serve them neither shall they Wo to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not with my Spirit So all unrighteous Coverings which people of unstable minds are under the Wo of the Lord is against so what will become of them that are under them O that men would in coolness consider whose day of Gods Visitation in Love is not past least by their often provocations he visits in his great displeasure and says My Spirit is weary with striving it shall strive no more now for the sakes of many who have yet true Breathings after Living Refreshment and are willing to take up Christs Yoke and Burthen and to follow him that is meek and lowly in heart that so they may rest for their Souls for their sakes I shall give a brief Relation of the Ministers of Christ and of the Ministers of Antichrist First The Ministers of Christ must know Christ and see him and believe on him Joh. 6.40 But some will say Who is there that knows not Christ Doth not all that can read see what is writ of him in the Scriptures of Truth And is not the Christ which you mean who suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem and the like Yes we do own the same Christ and that which the
called Quakers who say we expect to be Saved by a righteousness of our own and by works of our own If it were so as you falsly and vainly do say then might we not keep in the broad way with you Hypocrites who are gotten above the dayly Cross and so led about by the Thief above the door where you Foxes who are cunning in hunting about after others works have holes enough to creep and cringe into to keep you in the glory of the World of sin and iniquity where you have had a long Trade in your imaginations conceiving God's works in his blessed Instruments without you whose Lines you have long made your boast of so your Lyes are upon your own heads For this I testifie and the Testimony is the same in thousands who are witnesses of the works of God's holy Spirit in some degree or measure viz. That it is in Christ God's Covenant in which we hope for Salvation and in no Covenant or Work of man's and in this Covenant we are made a good savour unto God and one unto another And acceptance with God is obtained no other way but by the one pure offering without spot or blemish by the effectual workings of the Eternal Spirit where the Blood of Christ is witnessed to be sufficient to purge Consciences of dead works and so to serve God in the New and Living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail his flesh And therefore all who are thus partakers of God's works by the Revelation of God's Spirit being true witnesses of the Blessing of God in this one unspotted offering we cannot but confess him before men denying all imaginary offerings in mens wills where their Garments are filled with spots and blemishes and their Consciences are defiled with dead works of their own Inventions and Works the which having some outward shew of Holiness may recommend unto man who lives in the same but not unto God and therefore experience in the works of God's blessed Spirit hath taught us to deny them And by this Christ of God the Mediator of the New Covenant we have Acceptance with God from whence the knowledge of Salvation comes by the Remission of offences and sins and therefore we deny all false and vain Mediatorship of vain man in his works of Conceivings and Imaginations concerning this Mediator the which is really to be enjoyed and known by the effectual workings of God's Eternal Spirit to the Consolation and Peace of Souls who partake thereof And through the blessed Works of this blessed Spirit of God the deaf Ear comes to be opened to hear the voice of the one true powerful Shepherd who alone doth feed the Sheep of his Pasture with that convenient and wholesome Food the which causeth soundness of Heart and Mind and therein doth he take care to preserve and keep his Sheep in a living sense of his Love and Fatherly care who calls to his Sheep when the Lion the Woolf and the Bear appears and strengtheneth them who take pleasure in hearkening and obeying his voice So to the one Shepherd and one Fold Testimony is given unto whom all that are erred and strayed must return if ever they witness deliverance from evil and preservation from danger So we deny all false Shepherds whose works of darkness tend to the scattering people in their minds and understandings from the sense of God's Works in Christ in reconciling lost mankind and bringing them home unto himself the substance of all of which the Law outward was but a shadow of good things the which are enjoyed in this one Shepherd and Bishop who takes care and oversight of Souls magnified and praised be his holy and glorious works of Redemption for ever and ever And so to the Honour of this one blessed Physitian of Souls whose Works are certain and effectual the which has been tryed by many wounded Souls who could find no Cure without by the foolish and vain Physitians without who are meer Deceivers and Daubers up of people through their Inchantments and Sorceries by which they have made a long Prey of people through their fair Speeches getting their Money through meer Deceit and Flattery intruding into things they have no knowledge of in which Works they are puft up above the pure holy Works of God's blessed Spirit the Revelation of which they have denyed they in lew thereof have set up their own Imaginations and Conceivings in the Revelation of their Singular exalted Spirit the Flattery and Deceit of which having taken with people how are Nations corrupted by it and what Misery have these wicked Works brought into this Nation God having given signal Testimonies of dislike unto them by Plague Fire and Sword and by many Messengers whom he hath drawn near unto himself by his works by the hands of them Messengers hath he sent warning upon warning and exhortation upon exhortation with tenders of his blessed works of reconciliation upon just and equal terms of his enemies repenting and turning unto him by turning from their wickedness But what Entertainment these Servants of the Living God have found by these foolish Physitians who are meer Time-servers for their own ends whose refuge is an Arm of Flesh to defend their wicked corrupt works which have filled the Nations with their Defilements who by their Flatteries have drawn a Compliance from Magistrates to punish the Messengers and Servants of the most high God for telling the Truth from a certain knowledge of the works of God's Spirit of Truth and therein testifying against the works of error and darkness But the sufferings that have been for this love of God in and through them who have been Instruments in his hands may through search be known so Testimony is given against them who are in the exaltation of works without and denying the immediate blessed works of God's holy Spirit in its Operations and Revelations of the Mind and Will of God unto wounded Souls within And further concerning these blessed works of God's righteous holy Spirit the which are attended with Peace unto which way many have been turned and becanse some loiter and are sloathful and yet remain unconverted of the old man's corrupt words and deeds and therefore not fit to put on the new man Christ Jesus and some who were in the way do turn out of it again and some fall head-long down to Perdition Oh! what occasion have the watchers for evil taken at this and thereby set at nought God's works in his holy righteous Spirit and them that abide therein making conclusions in their dark imaginary conceivings of the works of God That he hath no such perfect works now adayes but that all are fallible and changeable And so measure and weigh the things of God in their corrupt false measure and ballance which things are Abomination in the sight of God So Testimony is given to God's blessed works though many are so brittle that they will not abide them yet notwithstanding God's works
in and through his holy Spirit of Truth are righteous holy perfect in every degree and measure and remains firm in goodness and unchangeable there being no spot nor blemish in them the which praises them for ever out of which none shall ever find acceptance of him Mutter peep whine and scold as long as you will your works of darkness must down which have corrupted the Nations which is cause of the great Judgments past in this Nation and the greater yet to come For the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God is gone out against wicked workers and works and thus saith the Lord No Peace to the wicked their prayers are abomination in my sight So whatsoever your professions and coverings therein be of your talkings and imaginations concerning the gift of God which is Life Eternal you being really out of it in your own imaginary parts and gifts in comprehending the works done without you and so not sensible of any real perfect pure work of God's holy Spirit in you the which is the cause you are so dark and wickedly blinded to plead for sin the which is accompanied with the wages of death the cause of death being sin the which remaining the effects cannot cease even death and corruption from that venomous sting over all flesh that is corrupted with it So for shame leave your false Accusations against an innocent people called by the Name of Quakers for testifying of the works of God's holy Spirit the which are perfect in every degree and therefore there is not the least sin nor evil in them So all you who say You are not without sin in your best duties I say they are all works of your own which blind and hide God's works from you And as you may read of the works of God's Spirit in Mordicai how they could not bow to the Pride and Arrogance of Haman and also the works of God's Spirit in Daniel how they could not bow to them that would have restrained and limited them and also the works of Gods Spirit in Shadrach Meshech and Abednego how they could not bow to the Golden Image set up by Nebuchadnezar though Laws under Penalties of Death in a Cruel manner was before them and also the works of God's holy Spirit in the Primitive Christians through the strength of which they under-went hard and grievous things under the spirit of Antichrist which got up in a form of good words in the pleasures and vanities of the works of the fleshly wisdom the which have been kept up by the same wisdom by the Arm of flesh under which the Innocent people who are true witnesses of the works of God's Spirit have suffered very deeply in this Age the which cannot be hid though the cause for which they have thus suffered is so far hid that it cannot be believed though they have been wonderfully declared of But it is Mordecai Daniel Shadrach Meshâ—ch and Abednego's God which we who are in scorn called Quakers do worship in and by the effects and blessed Operation of his own blessed Spirit wherein stands our confidence and not in Flesh and our Faith Belief and Hope is in him that he will turn the Hearts of our enemies unto us though many will perish in their gain-saying So over all the works and powers of darkness in our Faith and Belief that the holy righteous works of God's blessed Spirit shall be exalted and the God of Truth in and through his blessed works in preparing and fitting the hearts of people the knowledge of him shall increase till it spread over all And for this purpose hath God raised many contrary to the wisdom of the World in whom he hath made known his Righteous Works who have unity and fellowship therein who are true labourers therein purely out of love to God and his blessed works in good-will and true-love to all men that all may taste of the goodness of God the experience of which will bring mankind to be of one mind and heart and therein to agree to praise and magnifie God who shows man his Thoughts to whom belongs honour and glory for ever And now all you Leaders of the People in all forms and fashions who are denying the works of the Divine Power of God in its blessed operation and powerful workings in setting free them who are heavy laden and weary through the enemies works of sin and iniquity the which you say cannot be overcome therefore you are denyers of the sufficiency of God's works and his kingdom wherein dwells righteousness peace and joy in and through effectual workings of God's holy Spirit the which though you say in words Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done c. But being sayers and not doers you are so darkened that with all your own wills and mights you are strengthening the old Kingdom of transgression where sin and iniquity aboundeth the Devil's works Was it not by reason of transgression that the first Law the first Covenant was added which was written in Tables of Stone And was not this in force till the Seed of Life and Power the coming of the Messiah to finish Transgression and to put an end to Sin and so bring in everlasting Righteousness God's Kingdom Now all you blind Leaders of the blind is not here God's second Covenant writ in the heart into which all must come that come unto God where his Light is to shine who is the True Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World And if this righteous Law be taken heed unto will it not judge Lust when it rises in the heart And will it not judge Anger when it rises in the heart And will it not judge every desire of breaking Promise when it arises in the heart And will it not judge every hasty and froward Action and Lightness when they appear in the heart And is not all that proceeds from this righteous Law and Covenant of God in the heart Pure Truth Yea and Nay And what is more then plain Truth Yea and Nay is it not judged by this pure Law in the heart And are not all fotbidden to Swear by this one Law-giver who is able to Save or to Destroy And must not his righteous Law and Decree take place though many Laws through darkness and Ignorance may be made against it And must not all that come to Sion the City of the Living God be redeemed through these righteous judgments And all that will not come under this righteous Law and Government where Mercy and Peace kisses and Truth and Righteousness is set over all is it not just that they be left to Judgment without Mercy So is not Destruction from Self-willing and running of people out of the counsel and knowledge of the will and mind of the living God And is not the Salvation of every Soul in and through the righteous Decrees and just and holy Laws of God which is Light in every Conscience And must not all come to Salvation
come first to the way and means that God hath ordained And is not the second coming of Christ in the Light of his Holy Spirit the way by which all must come unto God the which is without spot without guile And must not all that come unto God come unto him in this one blessed savoury offering And is not this Christ of God the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was before Abraham was and so the same in the beginning of all things And must not all that come to God come out of Transgression the cause why mankind was drove from the presence of God And is not this Christ of God the way out of Transgression who was obedient and subject to the will of his Father in all things And must not they all that are saved be brought into this blessed Covenant of Life the end God's great love in his Son manifested to the World that through him they might not abide and perish in Darkness but through believing and obeying that second coming and appearance of the Light of him they might have the Light and Understanding of the Life of him the one blessed Offering that perfects for ever them that are sanctified And now all you blind Leaders of the blind under all your imaginary lifeless Confessions and Professions of God and Christ what strength of Arguments do you use in your perverse Wills and Affections to strengthen the old World of Transgression in sin and iniquity whereby you go about with all your might to make void the second Covenant which is without fault and so you shut up the way to God's Kingdom and the knowledge of his Righteousness by labouring and moiling in your vain service and works to establish your own Righteousness and dark works therein And by this fruitless labour and travel what darkness and blindness have you brought over the Nations through your ignorant Concâ—â—vings of those gracious words which were spoken by the effectual working and moving of God's holy Spirit in and through holy men the which was for a blessed end spoken even to turn people from the darkness which was over them by reason of their transgression unto the true witness in them the Light makes manifest all that is reprovable and wicked in mankind the which being turned from and the Light obeyed that they may be led to the knowledge of God that they may not be without God in the World whom to know is Life Eternal And so Light is sown for the Righteous that through this blessed Seed the Serpenâ—'s head may be bruised and kept under in all and so is way made to put on the Heavenly Image again by being led and guided out of Darkness by the Light of the Emanuel in and through every blessed and glorious degree of his works to the mark of that price the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ Jesus the Heavenly Man the Heavenly Image as many as are baptized into Christ put on Christ Now I say unto you blind Leaders of the blind who have got some few of the gracious words and works of the righteous mâ—n of God therefore I say but few of them because there is but little upon record of those mighty works which did then shew forth the wonderful power of God in and by the effectual workings of his holy blessed Spirit the which if all had been written the World could not have contained the Books and of that which was written you have but a part with which you blind Leaders of the blind have made a long Trade in Wresting Perverting and Corrupting to your own destruction making them look every way but the right in your imaginary Conceivings thereof So wrong you are in your Judgments who have denyed the effectual workings of God's holy Spirit that what in you lyes by your works of darkness you are making void God's holy Law and Covenant as to any true understanding or knowledge of it in the mind and heart And so building your selves up in Imaginations and Conceivings what strangers are you to God's holy work in and by the effectual working of his holy Spirit within man How bruitish are you in your understandings to stand and wonder and some to despise till they perish at the news of these works though God hath raised many faithful Witnesses who have declared and given Testimony to them even to the laying down their Lives and many their Liberties and in great measure their Estates whereby it hath plainly shewed that this is the time and season wherein God is making known his mighty power for the subduing and bringing under the power of darkness that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of God and that the Kingdom of his Son which is in Righteousness Peace and Joy of his blessed holy Spirit may be set over all And is not this according to that Prayer Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done on Earth c. Now consider are not all those wayes destructive to mankind that are made up in the dark Conceivings of man without the Light of understanding the will of God herein And by your works of darkness in opposing the blessed effectual works of God's holy Spirit what misery and consusion have you brought your selves and the Nations into where you lye in heaps in Controversies about the works and words without till the enemy's works of darkness be overgrown in you by which you are so droven from the presence of God and the Light of his Countenance that you are greatly confounded kicking and stumbling at the precious stone the which in your fleshly worldly wisdom you think too mean to be in your Buildings by reason of which how many fashions are your Building of reeling and staggering from one fashion to another soaring alost in your airy imaginations of the things of God in using your Wits and Arts to bend the holy men's Testimonies to your corrupt Wills and Affections And so much more as you strive in these works so much more you are and must be confounded What a sad work have you herein taken in hand and what vast Sums of Money have you exacted out of Nations to maintain the Pride and Arrogancy of your hearts herein Oh! that there were such a heart in people to sit down before the Lord that they may partake so much of his works as to open the Eye of their understandings that they see over these works of darkness where nothing is good nor pleasant to the truly hungering and thirsting Souls after God's Righteousness How miserably have these Nations been cheated by these blind Guides who have exacted abundance of Wages under pretence of being Healers and Curers of the Nations but are now found by the Effectual Workings of the Light of God's holy Spirit to be the chief Instruments of the letting in of Darkness Corruption and Abominations that raign on the Earth through that adulterated Spirit the Mother of all Harlots who are departed from
the chief Corner-Stone So here was the Primitive Christians Foundation from whence proceeded and proceeds Heavenly blessed and gracious words from the true sense and feeling of the operation and powerful works of God's holy and blessed Spirit And from this holy uncorruptible pure Foundation and way of God were all true Ministers and Teachers of others raised from the blessed operation of the Spirit of Truth in themselves whereby they had and have the Will and Mind of God unto People though not all in the same measure or degree But every one being faithful to his own measure of knowledge is therein a Minister of the universal love of God in his Eternal Spirit unto the World So here lyes the difference between true Teaching and Teachers and false The true Teaching being the anointing of God's holy Spirit and Power wherewith mankind being anointed and taught of God and according to God's blessed will therein in a cross to his own Carnal Will and Affections speaking forth and delivering the Truth unto people as it is in Jesus Lord of all in whom the Peace is and from whom Peace is proclaimed under those Conditions and Qualifications as it pleases him to make and tender who is Lord of all The false Teaching is that Spirit of Iniquity the old Deceiver of the World the Serpent that worked and wrought under a Mystery subjecting mankind unto his will under a vain hope through which he beguiled him at first drawing out a Compliance of his Will unto his delusions and so to transgress the blessed commands of his Maker through which yielding of mankind unto the Serpent's Counsel they became Transgressors of God's holy Law and Covenant and for that cause was drove from God's Presence and then Fear entered and Trouble and Sorrow entered by man's yielding to the Traytor by which means he partook of the Nature of his Cursed works and being thus drove out of the Garden of Eden the Lord placed a Flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life And now the same Mystery of wickedness by which mankind was drawn into Transgression the same spiritual wickedness got in a high place above the pure Seed of God in man there keeps mankind in bondage to his will under many fair and specious hopes That though sin and transgression the cause of death be not finished in them yet deliverance shall be had by the manifestation and works of the Seed without them So here mankind being Imbondaged by these corruptible works under the dark power of the enemy from whence arises all corruptible ways man being gone from the uprightness in which he was created goes now abroad hunting about in his Inventions and Conceivings being led about by this Thievish Spirit which first drew his mind from the will of God and so in this is climing up and down every way but the right door and so being in this Earthly wisdom from below by Arts and Trades set a teaching of their Imaginations and Conceivings concerning the holy works without and so here lay down Foundations under Confessions and Professions of good works and gracious words without and thereby keep the Serpent's works of transgression and sin alive within and here the false Teachers under several covers of Confessions and Professions in the spirit of Antichrist set up And so here being tossed up and down in floods of Inventions from thence their shameful works are cast up in the old World of transgression and sin where these false Teachers are so rivited the works of the Enemy being become so natural unto them by reason of the continuance of time in transgression and sin that thereby they are now become impudent and bold even to dare to plead for the Serpent's works sin for term of life taking it for delusion and high presumption for any to speak to the contrary And so here false Teachers being raised from the works of the enemy moving in the Earthly wisdom for Earthly things being propt and bolstered up through vain glory praise of men and weighty Pounds many Nobles and special Marks with abundance of Crowns and frequent appearances of Angels in and by which they are so oyled that their Tongues run at their own Wills and Lusts by fair Speeches of other mens Lines and Works with which ignoront simple people being taken have so fed and oyled the Wheels of these Trades-men the which hath set them up so strong that they make all the defence they can to strengthen themselves and their Clients in the old World of sin and Iniquity And so these false Teachers having put darkness for light and light for darkness what strong Pillars and props they are grown under the Devil's Kingdom and power of darkness under several heads more that might be mentioned being derived from one beastly power from whence is risen several Heads and so branched out in several Horns the which are pushing every way against the Horn of God's Anointing the power and strength of the effectual and blessed Teachings of his holy and blessed Spirit the door and way by which all must enter that come to be truly satisfied with God's righteousness Christ the same Seed promised in the beginning to bruise the Serpent's Head the effectual works and power of which according to God's good pleasure was and is manifest in the World So to the praise and honour of God's holy works many can say Peace from him that is and was and is to come Jesus Lord of all who delivers his people from their sins the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World through which powerful and blessed works of mercy and Peace is extended to all mankind without respect of persons upon Earth So blessed are they that fear God and are found out of their own willings and running in their perverse and crooked nature in a true submission and obedience to the righteous works of God's righteous holy Spirit the true Christian Spirit that Christianity may flourish again and that Heathenism and Paganism under that name Christian may be subdued and vanish away and Jesus Lord of all exalted in the hearts and minds of people over all his enemies Then shall the Nations flourish and yield Fruit in Season to the praise and honour of God forever ANd now all you Merchants of Babylon Howl and Cry Alas alas What! all these precious Trades whereby we have gotten so much Gain must they all down Where be all our Mountains and Rocks that have been so long a making up by all our Fellow-Tradesmen by Arts and Inventions in Professions and Confessions of good works and words without through Ages and Generations past Will none of these Mountains and Rocks cover and hide us from the great wrath of the Lamb What must we now bow to his righteous works who takes away the sins of the World or else will ye grant us no Peace Alas alas what clothing in Scarlet and and Purple and Fine Linnen of Egypt
with precious Stones will these no longer hide our sins and iniquities Must all our works herein wherein we thought to have established our own righteousness must they now all be put off as dung and dross Alas alas though we have lived so far from the knowledge of the operation and works of God's Spirit as utterly to deny its Revelations now adayes and so have been dark and void of the knowledge of God's righteous chastisments and rebukes therein yet we have presumed that by custom of Confessions and Professions of God's good works done in and through holy men without us would have given us a right to his holiness thou the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh the pride of life and friendship of the World had never been wholly subdued in us but in such a part as might be consistent with our gain and profit in the World But alas alas our coverings be too narrow they will no longer hide us God's righteous works are abroad in the Earth who is inspiring his people with true Light of understanding and Mordicai sits in the Gate and will not bow to wickedness Haman Alas alas we have twined and twisted about through many Crafts and Inventions some of our best Arts-men having called the Light a Devil some others a Natural Light and others a Bewildering Light and likewise many false Accusations have we raised with Evil Reports Scornings and Reproachings of the people called Quakers for Confessing to the Works of the Light of God's holy Spirit yet all our shifts do not at all help us but those works prosper and they are generally a faithful people to their Testimony Alas alas who would have thought our Mother would have been such a Harlot What delicate Inchantments and Sorceries hath she used and trained us up in that we have been thus deceived and thereby have been Instruments of deceiving the whole Nations Alas alas we can fly into no Corner nor Hole but we are found out and pursued Alas alas can't all the Wisdom of the World and Arts therein help to hide our sins and Iniquities from the Light of the Lamb Is every Creature so manifest in his sight that made all things good in the beginning And is he now at work again And must all yield to his works or be accounted his enemies and be cast out of his presence who is Lord of all whose is the Earth and fulness thereof Alas alas words of repentance of sin will not serve now there must be a true repentance and forsaking sin and evil or else we perish forever Even so must it be done to you workers of iniquity who have been and are as props and pillars strengthening the Old World of Transgression in sin and iniquity the Devil's works and therein withstood the sufficiency of God's love manifested to the World in his Son to destroy the Devil's works which works of Transgression the old subtile Serpent the deceiver of the Nations in and through his Instrument is striving and labouring to maintain under several and very large and specious pretences of crying out Lord Lord But come workers of iniquity these good words will not give you admittance into the Kingdom of God it s not they that say Lord Lord shall enter therein but they that do the Will of God And was not his Will manifested to the World in his Son that they that believed and followed him in doing his Father's Will might not perish but have everlasting Life And do not many of you confess to this in words who say in your Prayers That we may follow the example of Christ's Humiliation and Patience that we may attain to his Resurrection c. What brave words have you workers of iniquity got in your Old Bottle that can hold none of the New Wine And so in your corrupt wills what will the using good words do you good but thereby add to your Condemnation who by good words and corrupt and bad actions are withstanding and have withstood the good will pleasure and love of God in his Son to the World So your works of Darkness and falshood are clearly manifested and you can't hide them from the Light But the Light of the effectual and powers works of God's holy Spirit wherein his Will is manifest is rising more and more to a more perfect day of his will being done upon Earth to the praise and honour of his blessed and holy Name whose works are Pure Holy Just and Perfect in every degree thereof and tend to the true Reformation Peace Prosperity and Establishment of all mankind in God's love and mercy therein forever So worshipped be God that made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of Waters and all things therein who fills the hearts of the upright with joy and gladness through the shinings forth of the light of his Countenance who sits upon his Throne and saith Behold I make all things New Amen ANd now unto such who are in doubt Whether God's holy Spirit doth so effectually work now adayes as in the Primitive times Unto you I say what flesh could ever have indured such grievous and continued Punishments in Tryals of divers sorts by Imprisonments and Banishments and Hangings and Killings as in New-England and Imprisonments to Death and spoiling of Goods in Old-England and Cruel Mockings and Scoffings and bloodshed by unmerciful men Indeed some in a voluntary humility have somewhat appeared in Sufferings but being in their own willings and runnings and works therein how have they been overcome their strength being an Arm of Flesh as well as others and so fleshly works have been overcome by fleshly works But it is not so with them who are in scorn and derision called Quakers because they have bowed to God's way the which is quite different to man's wayes was that name given but in God's way hath his Arm been revealed and its strength made manifest in our weakness So that to the praise of him that lives forever the operation of his blessed Spirit is felt as in the primitive dayes and the glory and comfort of it hath ministred strength and refreshment in the time of tryals though this way of proceeding hath been hid from the vulterous evil Eye So to the praise and glory of God is Confession made through the operation of his holy Spirit through which thousands have been preserved and kept from bowing to the seed of Cain Haman and the Beast which hath made the World as a Wilderness where wild Fruits and wild Actions spring So we can truly say to the praise of God let not the wise men in the wisdom of this World glory in their wisdom nor the strong men in their strength nor the mighty men in their might but let all wait in that pure measure of the Light of God's Spirit in their Consciences that by it they may draw near unto God that they know his blessed works of mercy and love and judgment in the Earth wherein that true glory and
with Profession and Confession of Christ Jesus that he was made Righteousness Wisdom and Sanctification and Redemption to them that believed in the Primitive time by the pouring out of his blessed Spirit then the Arm of the Lord was revealed and the power of the Lord did redeem people from under the enemies power and the Faith of Gods Elect was then very precious And the power of Christ Jesus who hath power over all flesh that then was the higher power and people did then bow under it and confessed him before men then indeed Christs Doctrine and Commands taught and received and his precious blood confessed unto by them that were witnesses thereunto who through the vertue and sufficiency were redeemed from under the man of sin's power and so cleansed from the filthy Garments of sin Then indeed the Lord had a people the which were his purchased possession being sanctified throughout in Soul Body and Spirit by the pouring out and renewings of Christs holy Spirit They were not their own being purchased and bought with a price they all confessed unto the Lord that had bought them and all the true Preachers of righteousness they preacht up then the sufficiency of the Blood of the Lamb and the uncorruptable word of life and laboured and travelled for the forming of Christ in the Believers that they might present them perfect in Christ Jesus All this saith the Seed of the bond-woman where Mistery Babylon hath her brood we cannot deny but that the state and condition of the Primitive Christians were as aforesaid But they may say if they will speak the Truth our Mother Mistery Babylon hath taught us another Lesson now adays Alas for you our fore-Fathers Demas and the Antichristian Spirit that led abundance from among the true Christians many in the Antichristian Spirit went out and imbraced this World and in the Wisdom thereof the God of the World blinded our our Fore-fathers Minds and then the Gospel was hid and in the Apostacy we grew being inwardly ravened from the Spirit of Christ we lost the sense of the sufficiency of the power thereof Then the Spirit of Antichrist that led and became head and the Beast and false Prophet with many Heads and Horns some like a Lamb having received power from the Dragon became in time such a great head and mountain that they made War with the true Woman and her Seed and cast out floods of ungodliness against that Birth and Seed that was conceived by the free Woman and in such a degree the Beast prevailed that he proclaimed open War saying who is able to make War with the Beast Thus the Seed of the bond Woman who are conceived and brought forth out of the Womb of Mistery Babylon may truly say the Arm of flesh is now accounted for the higher power and we teach for Doctrine the Commands of Men our Mother hath trained us up and taught us to deny the power of the Lord to be the higher power and to deny the infallible teachings of the Grace of Gods Spirit and to deny the Operation and Revelation and Inspiration of Gods holy Spirit now a dayes and to say that is ceased now adayes And now we can live bravely in the Lusts of our own eyes and in the Lust of our own flesh and in the Pride of Life under many Fair Coverings that our Mother hath made us having cast off Christs Yoak we are now at liberty in the flesh to use our Tongues in our own wills and pleasures the Beast and false Prophet hath purchased this liberty for us and our Mother sits as Queen and saith we shall see no sorrow It is service good enough now adayes to be high talkers of the holy mens words and works and to set them up for Teachers who have an Art and subtilty to please men best with their good Words and fair Speeches As for the universal Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus and his blessed Office to fit and prepare for the blessed Ministery Our Mother Mistery Babylon hath taught us to deny the sufficiency thereof and to set up Universities and Schools to make Ministers by and let them be as graceless as they will so they be Witty and Learned and can talk Learnedly of the good words and Testimonies that proceeded from the moving of Gods Spirit through Fisher-men Shepheards and Herds-men and the like If they can by their floods of Eloquence and high flown Doctrines and Speeches under fair shews of Confession and Profession of some things that have been done and of some things that should be done and yet leave all undone and stop the very motions of the Spirit of Truth by and in which alone every thing that is good is done and without it we can do nothing that 's good and acceptable and well pleasing to God We the Children of Mistery Babylon may say if our Preachers and Teachers do so well apply themselves to Learning and get such curious Arts and Eloquence as to stop the motions of the Spirit of Truth now adays they do our Mothers work well and deserves good Incouragement some long Coats some short Coats some Shop-keepers and Trades a vast Revenew by the year some more some less according as we and our Merchants can agree And for this Trade and Merchandize we are beholding to the Beast and false Prophet who hath purchased this liberty for us to deny the Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration of the Spirit of Truth now adayes And so to give our private Interpretations of the holy Prophesies in Scripture and to make void the very end and tendency of the moving of Gods holy Spirit through holy men in giving forth the same Thus you may see the Fruit of your Doctrine you Seed of the bond Woman who are nourished and trained up by your Mother Mistery Babylon in whose Womb all the Treachery in Cruel Butchery hath been conceived and brought forth who have been so drunk with the Whores Cup of Sorceries that you have not spared to drink the Blood of the holy Prophets A postles and Saints and Martyrs of the living God and this is and hath been the fruits and effects of the motions of your own proud arrogant exalted spirits whereby you have disdained and mocked the very appearance of Gods holy Spirit of Truth and the Light thereof You have contemned and spoke slightly and evil of and all this have you done under a Mistery wherein in your drunken fits you have killed and spoiled the Servants of the living God and then wip't your Mouths like Sheep-biting Dogs and made the World believe that Worshipped the Beast that you had done some service for the Lord You are the Generation whom Christ spoke of Mat. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Fill up your measure that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth For of a Truth the good Husbandman the Lord of Heaven and Earth
fall with it Page 4. He proceeds thus viz. You know it was said by our blessed Saviour that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it And I little doubt but that an appearance at first of a greater strictness and narrowness in your way then in theirs that differs from you was a temptation to some injudicious persons c. Answer If we were not in the same strait and narrow way that Christ did speak of where we are partakers of Gods great love in that rest and peace which he hath prepared for them that believe fear and love him it were an easie matter to go back again into the broad way there be opportunities enough given besides this great one given by this Author of that Book in his gross abominable Insinuations But such is the manner of such dark Spirits to pretend great love to the Souls of others and are not in a capacity to pity and love their own But he saith That might have been escaped had we considered that the strictness and narrowness consisting in outward austerities and incivilities c. Answer whither may a rambler go when he is turned into the way of mischief and pursues his journey without care of what will be the end of it But I perceive this is his great trouble as it was Hamans Mordicai would not bow to him we not going out of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ into the respect of persons but faithfully keeping his commands and abiding in his Doctrine the which is true whatsoever he wickedly suggests to the contrary This he accounts Incivilities and a piece of Superstition of our own devising and that several orders among the Papists have been built upon the same bottom but mind all this while his name is concealed shewing that he is not willing others should know what bottom he is built upon but who that are wise can expect any better fruit of such a corrupt tree that grows upon the root of Imaginations he hath nothing else for his bottom of all that he hath said And he goes on in page 6 7. in these words Ye have taken liberty to walk loosly and cast off this yoak and that is in not governing your spirits passions and tongues according to the Laws of his Kingdom c. And this he infers from some words he hath taken out of Edward Burroughs's Book as thou cursed thou beast to whom the Plagues of God are due a reprobate a Child of darkness thou art thou disobedient one c. Answer By this it is manifest that if that Author had been in the false Prophets dayes he would have been as much offended with the true Prophets for calling the false Prophets greedy dogs and dumb dogs and many such like words and as David said Psal 49.12 Man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish or if he had been in that day of Christ who indeed was very humble and meek but in his reproofs of Hypocrisie he was very sharp as appears in these words Wo to you Hypocrites likening them to whited Walls painted Sepulchres and he said to them who supposed themselves to be the Children of Abraham and that they had one Father even God But Christ said unto them ye are of your Father the Devil And he said unto the Scribes and Pharisees ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell And the Apostle Paul saith whatsoever he be that preacheth any other Gospel then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Here is but a hint of much that might be said what the Language of the Spirit of Truth was in those days against those dark opposite Spirits to the way of Truth and there is no question but Edward Borroughs knew what Spirit of opposition he had to encounter with that by the Light of Christ Jesus he knew what was the portion of that Spirit But let the Author of that Book or any for him prove if they can that ever Edward Borroughs did do any wrong either to Man Woman or Child And he saith speaking of Christ he hath strictly injoyned his followers to be humble and lowly in heart to esteem others better then themselves to speak evil of no man c. and not to judge c. Answer But all this while this man that doth thus prescribe from what is written what others should do he himself doth not so it appears by concealing of his name he is not willing to be known But sure when he bethinks himself he cannot suppose that the spirit of Truth doth lead its followers to esteem Hypocrites and those that oppose the way thereof above them that are led and guided by it And sure the Author by disesteeming of the Light of Christ that lighteneth every man that comes into the World rendering it a natural Light as he hath done in many places is become very blind indeed if he thinks the Spirit of Truth did forbid the judgment of Truth by these words of Christ Mat. 7. Judge not that ye be not judged this he spoke to Hypocrites that went about to pull out a mote out of others eyes and the beam remained in their own saying Thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy Brothers eye But such gross darkness hath happened to many that do not believe in the Light and not knowing the way of the Spirit of Truth yet for sinister ends in great presumption undertakes to correct them who are born of the same and are in measure acquainted with the way thereof as that dear and faithful Servant of the Lord Edward Burroughs was as may be seen by his works which stand a witness against deceitful flattering Tongues But this is the old way of the enemy and adversary of the peace and happiness of Souls to cover his hatred and malice with smooth flattery in words As saith David in another case Psal 55.21 The words of his mouth were smoother then Butter but war was in his heart his words were softer then Oyl yet were they as drawn Swords But to speak the Truth by the leading and guiding of the Spirit of Truth as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did though in very sharp reproofs to gainsayers is not against true humility nor a speaking evil of any man In Page 11. The Author saith Neither you are not guilty of rejecting Gods way and method of converting men to and keeping them in the way of saving Faith Repentance and Evangelical obedience and of inventing and chusing one of your own c. Which method he instances out of two Authors Edward Burroughs's Book and one of William Pens The which is as followeth word for word In the works of Edward Burrough who you are pleased to stile that true Prophet in the Title page which are published
to the fear of the Lord placed in their hearts that thereby they might be preserved out of evil and doing always that that is just and right and to be sure to be courteous and kind to all loving the good in all and bearing their Testimony against the evil in all wheresoever it doth appear And whensoever said he you go about that which is weighty take counsel of good and sound Friends so that all things may be done to the honour and glory of the Lord and his blessed Truth in which your blessings are all yea and Amen And advised them not to run into the Cumbers of the World but to wait upon the Lord and he will find out a way for them in his time For the Lord said he is a calling and taking me out and from all Troubles and Cumbers from the evil that is a coming upon this wicked World in a good time wherein I am assured of that sound and perfect peaee wherein my Soul resteth with the Lord for evermore so that I have no more to do now but desire the Lord to make my passage easie to his Heavenly Rest William Lickfold He was born the 19th of the 7th Month 1623. He departed this Life the 22d day of the 7th Month 1678. A TESTIMONY FOR THE TRUTH And against DECEIT DECEIVERS WITH A Reproof unto those who are not Faithful to the Truth which they are convinced of By Stephen Smith Isaiah 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their Envy at the People Verse 12. Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou host wrought all our works in us Printed in the Year 1679. A Testimony for the TRUTH and against Deceit and Deceivers with a Reproof unto those who are not faithful to the Truth which they are Convinced of FOr as much as it hath pleased the Lord in his great love and tender mercy to visit many who have been long covered with Darkness and drawn by the Subtilty of the Serpent working in a Mystery within and without in his Instruments from enjoying that Love and great Riches which is declared of in the Scriptures of Truth which should be revealed in the latter dayes in his Everlasting and Unchangeable Covenant which Promise of the Lord many who had true breathing after him and could not be satisfied with feeding with Swine upon Husks but truly breathed after Living Refreshment and after that Bread which nourisheth that Birth which is Eternal and have delighted in the righteous Judgments of the Lord over the Enemy and Oppressor of mans Soul through which Judgments the Love of God hath greatly been manifest having thereby brought to the knowledge of his Everlasting and Unchangable Truth to the exceeding great refreshment and satisfaction of the Souls of many thousands who have earnestly desired the same before the World and all its glory and having received the same in the Love of it and known Freedom by it in the Injoyment of the same do meet together as the manner and practice was of those who lived in the Fear and Dread of the Lord in the Primitive times so now in the pure Fear and Obedience to the just and equal requirings of this Creator whose Wayes are Equal Right and Just meets together to wait on him to the end they may be refreshed and fed with the same Bread of Life that so the Plant which the Lord hath planted may grow that so they may be changed from glory to glory till at length they may come to bear the Image of the Heavenly whereas formerly they have born the Image of the Earthly and those who so meet the Spirit of Truth can truely say they never waited on the Lord in vain but do witness true refreshment from the God of Love whether a word be spoken in their Meetings or no so that they can truly sing in their Spirits of Mercy with Judgments and hath not executed Judgment without Mercy in which hath greatly appeared his wonderful Love to lost Mankind of which great and unspeakable Love there are to this day to the Glory and Praise of his great Name even from his own Works thousands of Living Witnesses and hundreds have laid down their Lives in Nasty Holes and Stinking Prisons and many have been Banished and many have suffered cruel Mockings and many thousands the Spoiling of their Goods whose Righteous Testimony through the Eternal Spirit of Love and Truth they have gladly born in this Day of Gods Power to the exceeding Comfort and Refreshment of all that are faithful Followers of the Lamb but is and shall be to the astonishment of all who persist in their Disobedience against the Spirit of Truth and continue in their Rebellion against it and this righteous Testimony through all who are true Worshippers in the Spirit and Truth who are led and guided in all their ways by the Spirit of Truth being Sons and Daughters of the Living God so greatly beloved by him so those that touch them in a wrongful manner do touch the Apple of his Eye who created all things for his Glory and though his Mercy is great in not executing Judgment speedily but gives space and time of Repentance yet if they mind it not but let the Day of Gods Love pass over their heads that Terrible Voice they shall hear My Spirit shall strive no more let Flesh know that it 's but Grass and when the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it it shall fade as a Flower and that in a moment when his Anger is kindled which may be when the Worker of Iniquity is in the height of his vain glory and greatest boasting so as that righteous Testimony through all who are in the true Innocent Seed unto which all the Blessings and the Promises of the Lord are doth stand as a true Witness of the Lords great Love in this day wherein he is making known his great Power against all Workers of Iniquity and unrighteous Actions and deceitful Workers who can feign and flatter with all sorts of debauched Persons and all dissembling Hypocrites Persons of unstable minds joyning with the cunning twisting twining Serpent in all its appearances in their earthly sensual and devillish wisdom being in the Adultrous whorish spirit degenerated from the Spirit of Truth holding a Profession of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of Persons receiving honour and giving honour according to the Customs and vain Traditions of the World by which means they have no knowledge of that Honour which is from Above Yet notwithstanding these great Abominations which they commit in the sight of the Lord and all them which live in their faithful Testimony against them yet they lean upon the Lord and think there shall come no evil upon them but except such do speedily repent and turn from their Abominations and bow to the righteous Testimony of God in them which shews them the deceitfulness of
Scriptures do declare of him is true and we do expect no other but to know him no further then the report of him though that be true this is but a poor knowledge which the Workers of Iniquity have of all sorts that lives visibly in gross and manifest Sins and notwithstanding that knowledge yet live and abound in the same so that knowledge only though that as I have said be true is not sufficient to fit a man to be a Minister of Christ But saith the diligent Enquirer What knowledge then is necessary for a Minister of Christ To know him as he is the Mystery hid from Ages and Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints to know what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory Collos 1.26 27. To know him as he is a Covenant given to the People and a Light to enlighten them manifested within them to give the knowledge of God and to know that he is the Light of the World and how he hath enlightned every man that comes into the World to know him to be the Word in the Heart and Mouth to know him to be the Reconciler unto God to know him to be the Anointing which is true and teacheth all things to know him to be the Spirit of Truth which is manifest to lead and to guide into all Truth to know Christs Flesh and what it is to eat it to know Christs Blood and what it is to drink it but some will say all this may be read in the Scriptures But by the way though the words may be read in the Scriptures of Truth yet the knowledge of the Mystery which is declared of in those words is not attainable by reading them But because some are willingly ignorant and so desires to be rather then to have true wisdom in Gods way and so stumbles at all I shall say a little concerning seeing the Son which is necessary for a Minister of Christ First To see him to be the great Love of God manifested to convince of Sin to see him to be the wonderful Power of God and how that he died to the end that whether we sleep or wake we should live together with him to see him as he was manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil to see him to be the great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh and much more might be said of the knowledge and sight which a true Minister of Christ hath but what hath been said is enough to satisfie the truly hungring and thirsting Soul but the full loath the Hony-Comb But is this all the upright-hearted say Nay they that thus have obtained mercy to have the knowledge of what is above declared must receive it in the love of it and this Love of God thus manifested in them they must give up to obey being his Everlasting and Unchangeable Covenant which is the Key of knowledge manifested to rend the Vail and to break the Chain of Darkness and to open the Mysteries of the Scriptures of Truth and to give the knowledge of God whom to know is Eternal Life so Iniquity being taken away and Sin being purged through the knowledge of Christ who is the Power of God and God known to walk and to dwell in them through the Son of his Love who is Gods Righteousness as God hath said I will dwell in you and walk in you The Eye of the Understanding being thus opened and the Revelation of Christ being dayly witnessed to sit and to furnish them with Wisdom from above to speak a word in season unto all conditions being thus filled with the Love of God and his Glorious Appearance a constraint lying upon them through the Power of God that dwells in them and from the great Love of God in the same such cannot be silent nor eat their Morsel alone but the Love of God doth constrain them who have Wives and Children and Estates and several others that have no Wives and Children to leave their Callings and several Imployments and go abroad as Sheep among Wolves to declare this great and unspeakable Love to the end That People may be turned from Darkness to Light and from Satans power to the Power of God that others may partake of the same Love of God in his Son Christ Jesus with them But for this their love how Barbarously and Cruelly they have been used many having finished their Testimony in Nasty Holes and Prisons and other great Cruelties which would be too long to relate so these thus furnished with the Love and Power of God and being obedient to the same being Learned men in the Book of Life these are not to take with them Scrip nor Purse so as to be careful of Earthly things but as they have received freely do Minister freely but into what house they come where this great Love is answered in the same Love of God in measure what things such set before them for necessity they eat and drink and the like seeing it comes from their Fathers Love but when they come into a place and cannot see in the Counsel of the Lord that that Love is answered in which they come there they cannot receive though in never so much necessity True say some these are fit Qualifications for a Minister of Jesus Christ but be there any such now adays How dost thou know them Yes I do testifie as thousands beside my self are ready to give the same testimony that such Ministers qualified as before-mentioned there be many in this Day of Gods Power But how do you know may some say I answer By turning us to the great and unspeakable Love of God manifested in our hearts which shews us our conditions how it stood between us and our Creator as it had done long before but we knew not that that was the appearance of the Son of Love till those who had tasted handled seen and felt the powerful working thereof told us but told us also the first step must be through Judgment so a belief thereof being raised and a clean and a perfect obedience yielded to it we in time found its power in us opening the Eye of our Understandings and revealed the man of Sin and so came the knowledge of the Spirit of Truth to be revealed in us and by it we had a sight of the unfruitful Works of Darkness without in his Instruments and the sight of the Spirit of Truth and those that were Ministers of it But notwithstanding this Testimony if some should be hard to believe let such deal so ingeniously with their own Souls as to go and hear and try with a single heart and hold fast that which is good and this is desired to the end that others may be partakers of the same Love of God and of their assurance of their being reconciled unto him through his Son to whom be glory for ever Now there being a necessity that
avail them any thing who call upon Christ yet persecute so near Relations as his Brethren And since those that visited them not in their necessities received such condemnation what will become of you And you Generation of wicked Doers who have been the cause of the Imprisoning so many of Christs Relations where several hundreds have laid down their lives for their faithful Testimony against you because of your Adultery from the Lord and his Worship which is to be performed in Spirit and Truth and have set up worships according to your own hearts Lust and because of the Lords Patience and Long-suffering and great Mercy how do you harden your hearts against Reproofs and for good return evil and so go on scoffing and mocking well though the Lord hath exercised a great deal of patience it 's my belief it will not last long but he will execute Righteous Judgment and plead the cause of the Innocent who hath committed all to him with Praises and Glory from his own works for ever Stephen Smith The 21th day of the 11th Month 1667. A PROCLAMATION By way of EXHORTATION Unto all the Inhabitants of England Concerning Fasting and Prayer And that they may come to a certain Discerning and Knowledge of the Will of God therein who is King of the whole EARTH First by way of Preparation unto a True FAST COme all you who expect to be Heard and Accepted of the Living God Fasting and Prayer in the Spirit of Holiness is required as Necessary thereunto but the want of a certain Knowledge Discerning how and in what manner the same ought to be Performed therefore it is that people are rejected being all Vain Service and Lost Labour where no Reward is received or when they ask amiss what answer shall such have judge ye And therefore be Admonished I beseech you to mind that which gives you a Discerning and certain Knowledge in this weighty Work You may read what the Lord said by his Servant Isaiah chap. 8. concerning Fasting and what Christ Jesus said Mat. 6. but how long may people read these Sayings as well as others and yet have no certain knowledge of the Will of God therein I speak of such who are out of the way of a True Understanding which all are who are in a bare Confession with their Mouths that God ought to be feared but the Heart that not being right in his sight Infidelity that taking place there from whence a Conclusion is drawn That Sin which is Evil can't be parted with this is a great Evil indeed set up in the Heart by the spirit of Antichrist where a Form of Words and large Confessions concerning God and Christ are made but the Blessed and Effectual Workings of God's Spirit in Flesh for the Destroying of Sin that being denyed the Enemy's works which is Sin and Evil they continue in the Heart contrary to the Blessed Will of God by which means the Nobility of Man's Understanding that is Clouded and Darken'd through Error and Falshood by which means the Minds of Mankind are exercised in a Brutish Understanding concerning Spiritual Matters imagining a Performing of Service to God by confessing That he ought to be feared and yet live out of what they confess in a Talk that all good Success and Blessing comes from him c. So then let such be judged by their own words who confess he ought to be feared and yet live in Sin and Evil under a strange Delusion That those Works can never be so destroyed as to know Dominion and Freedom from them on this side the laying down the Body or at least till about that time of separation from all outward visible things So here Sin the Continuance of that hath been pleaded for by them who would be called Christians and would be accounted such who fear God and that they are in his Service though never expect to be free from sin What Service is that in Evil And what Reward shall Evil Works have Is not sin an Evil work of the Evil One And must not the Works of the Evil One if continued in have a Bad Reward Oh that people would Fear God in Deed and in Truth for they that fear him will do no Evil So the way of a Right Understanding that leads quite contrary to Sin and Evil So its strong Delusion indeed to expect a Right Understanding in an Evil Way and Presumption indeed it is to hope for Good out of Evil. Oh be Awakened to Righteousness in which there 's no sin and then will the Eye of the Understanding be opened to see the Man of sin who hath exalted himself above that of God in Man under Confessions and Professions of the Name of God and Christ whilst that signified by the Name which is Power manifested in Flesh for the revealing the Man of sin and destroying his works that hath been denyed by the Exaltation of the Man of sin in man by whom Mankind hath been exalted above the Pure Principle of God in man even above the Light of that Blessed and Unerring Spirit of Christ by which that which is reproveable is made manifest But through Unbelief of God's Love therein Mankind in a great part being held under strong Delusions of Satan their minds being exercised in a Brutish Understanding some have called that Blessed Principle of God in man a Devilish Light and others a Bewildering Light or a Natural Light so that all that is of God in man that hath been denyed whose Work do you think this is But if it were so as the Wicked One in the wicked hath concluded may it not be said now as it was in the dayes of old after God had created Mankind upon the Earth and they had corrupted their Wayes which displeased God who in his Displeasure said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive c. Then was not Destruction nigh but in that there was a time in which God's Holy Spirit did strive with flesh it plainly appears the good will of God was therein to have had it otherwise but Mankind resisting his Way of bringing it to pass the Way of Salvation that was removed and a Way of Destruction let in so the Way of Salvation then that was by the moving and working of God's Good Spirit the which had place in Noah who was a perfect man in his day who being moved in a True Fear of God had a Right Understanding in which he was a Preacher according to the Will of God So that Blessed Spirit of God by which Noah had regard and was acted by though it was rejected by Mankind in their corrupt Wayes yet it was not Devilish nor Natural as Mankind in their Brutish Understanding in great measure have concluded but the least measure of that pure Principle of God in Mankind of his Blessed Spirit is Unerring the which in measure in all Ages in God's Time and Season did strive in Mankind and for the good of Mankind that through it they might
and let that which is wrong be rejected and that which is right received and in that which is Right will be â—â—â—n what Fast is Pleasing and Acceptable in God's sight and that Prayer which will be Effectual and Prevalent for the good of the Soul in a Right Understanding will be seen So now begin a Fast come pitty the Oppressed let the Prisoner go free have Compassion on the Poor break off Imquities by a True Repentance in turning from Evil the Cause of Anguish and Trouble upon the Soul that the Soul may be set at Liberty to praise the Lord and so let hard hearts be melted and broken down and the seat of Unbelief by reason of which the Love of God in the Light of his Son 〈◊〉 rejected and by that means pâ—â—â— souls are kept in Bondage conâ—â—â—â—â—â—o the Will of God let that seat 〈◊〉 Unbelief be thrown down for God 〈◊〉 greatly displeased at the Presumption of Mankind who have exalted themselves in their own wills where Self exerciseth Will-worship in a feigned Humility whereby the Cross is counted Foolishness So Christ's Exhortation To take up the Cross daily and deny Self God's Love therein that is slighted the Cross that being without Fasting that being without Prayers that being without all being done without a Right Understanding for want of which Ptetended Fasting is vain Prayer is vain and the Conversation of Mankind is vain and unprofitable where the will of man is set in Opposition against the Will of God in his Heavenly Guift even the Light of his Unerring Spirit by which the World is reproved of Evil and this is and will be the World's Condemnation their sleighting the many Visitations of God's Love in that he doth manifest unto them what is reprovable in his sight but they being unmindful of God's Love therein by which means their Souls are in great Bondage under Sin and Corruption subjected there under a vain Hope by the Subtilty of the Serpent That though they live unseparated from Sin yet they shall obtain Justification through Christ and see a good End or good brought forth through Sin be never finished this kind of Perswasion is through strong Delusions of Satan whose workings are in a deep Mystery of Iniquity in pretended Godliness but his End therein is to make void that Blessed coming of Lord and Saviour to finish Sin and to put an End to Unrighteousness and thereby to make way for the bringing in Everlasting Righteousness that souls in that Blessed Principle of God may rest in Peace Now where this is not known be Awakened I beseech you unto Righteousness which is God's and no otherwayes man's but as he becomes stript of his own Eyes and so comes before the Lord with a Broken and Contrite Spirit and Heart humbled at his sight who seacheth it by his Light and shews to man in the Cool of the Day what beastly Imaginations are lodging therein to the end that man might lye down at the Feet of his Appearance in a True Fast in abstaining from Evil and Praying in the Spirit that by the Exercise of God's Love in his striving therewith Evil may be overcome and so the soul set at liberty from Evil the cause of Trouble and Anguish which is upon every soul that 's in Evil. So let every one that names the Name of the Lord depart from Evil. Come Curser and Swearer be perswaded to be awakened and see what a sad Condition thy soul is in but if thou wilt not but hardenest thy heart what will the taking the Name of the Lord into thy Mouth avail thee Or Unclean Person who art defiled and endeavouring to defile others remember That none in Vnclaanness can enter into Heaven so except thou leavest thy Evil therein thy Expectations of God's Kingdom will fail thee Come Idolaters who are making Gods of Gold and Silver and Wood and Stone and so are bowing down to the works of your own hands that is a great Abomination and Evil greatly to be lamented who are so far blinded from the Appearance of the Light of God's Spirit in your own Hearts which being taken heed unto and obeyed brings to the Knowledge of God but that Love of God being rejected what strangers are you to God and the Saints of Life and so are become Beastly and Bruitish in your Understandings your Bands of Corruption through sin and iniquity being made strong and so under strong delusions are bowing to Pictures to put you in mind of God and the Saints though they cannot hear nor see nor smell what savour think you to get out of them Stocks and Stones Be Awakened I beseech you to Consideration and know that it 's some measure of that Grace and Truth which Jesus of Nazareth was filled with by Vertue of that all the Saints savour to God and one unto another which Grace hath appeared unto all but the Saints or Believers were and are taught by it so that which convinces of Evil is to them that believe in it and obey it an Instructer in the way of Life So leave your Folly in Bowing and Cringing to the East and to you know not what and answer the Love of God in his Principle of Light in you which makes manifest that which is Evil and then will the Eye of your Understaning be opened to the beholding of him who fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence so that no Darkness can cover man from him who is God of the North South East and West who will spoil your glorying who are boasting your selves of the Antiquity of your Religion who first went from the Cross which is the Power of God and so got up in a form of words and then set the Cross upon the House of Stone c. Alas your Religion is seen through and all who hang upon your Skirts they must have a share of the shame which is coming upon that Adulterated whorish Spirit which hath led the minds of the people out from a sense of the Royal Law of God within man so that the stream of God's Love therein to Mankind that hath been stopt and in the Night of Apostacy the stream of Malice and Envy and Hatred that hath run in your Streets where the Innocent Bloodshed lyes at your doors So it 's time you were awakened to a true Repentance that you may come to the knowledge of Salvation through the Remission of your sins for it 's the saving of your souls I seek and not the destruction of your bodies so Truth is my weapon which I desire may reach to that of God which is Truth in you that so the pure Language which is Truth may be restored in all and the Royal Law of Love therein may shew it self which gives an Understanding To love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves and to do to all men as we would they should do unto us Come all you who conceive mischief on your Beds in your hearts and cannot rest
till you bring it forth into action now consider what manner of evil this is which though it may be covered for a time if continued in ruin and destruction is in the way thereof Come you who live in Pride and Idleness following the lust of the Eye the lust of the Flesh and Pride of Life who live in fulness of Bread and Wantonness Feasting and making Merry over the pure Principle of God in you this is a great Evil therefore be admonished to mind that God in you and Watch and Pray in the same that so by that which is good of God the Evil may be overcome and the root and ground judged from whence all evil springs Come all you Drunkards and Gluttenous Persons who waste and spoil the good Creatures which are appointed for the necessary use of Mankind read what is written in Isa 5.11 12. What a miserable life are you in who are attended with Wo and Misery who are so far separated from the love of God in his Son and the Dominion that is therein to use and order all things aright according to the will of God For want of this knowledge how are many overcome with Strong Drink the which having Dominion how are many there unmanned of that natural ability of a man and so lye lyable to other Temptations whereby the soul lyes in bondage Come now be perswaded to mind that love of God which in the Cool when the Drink is out shews you what a great evil this is which if not departed from ruin is in that way both of Soul Body and Estate Come you Gamesters of all sorts who spend your time in Gaming and Sports who are coveting an Increase by such unequal and unjust wayes and many spending their time in such Practices How many Families are ruined by such a Course of Life and what an evil example Parents thereby shew to their Children and Families This is a great evil such being an ill savour who are living therein both to God and man who fears God Therefore be admonished to break off these evils by a true Repentance and learn to redeem time that a Change may be witnessed before you go from hence by vertue of the Power of Christ which often moves against evil so let not the just alwayes be resisted by the unjust but if the just principle of God be minded and joyned unto then will the unjust be overcome and the just set up in which all that dwell will be good savour in their day and a good example to all Come all you who are exalting a false Birth where your Ears are stopt and your Eyes are closed so that you have neither heard nor seen nor handled that which was from the beginning even that word of Life which everlasting Life was with the Father and was and is manifested to Believers from whence Testimony is given of Gods love therein where the true fellowship is witnessed in the Blessed Light of God which all you who are exalting a false Birth do despise and speak very evilly of or at least very slightly So the true Heir hath been rejected and not thought fit to raign having been called by you who are exalting the false and untimely Birth either a Devil which some have called him and others Natural or a Fool by which it may be seen how the Serpent's Wisdom hath been set by by the Adulteress who would fain have her Bastard to be Heir for which end how seemingly fair hath the Harlot Trimmed and Decked her self being arrayed in Purple and Scarlet and decked with Gold and Pretious Stones and Pearls her Religion being in her head from whence Abominations are let into the Heart where if the Light appear to search it it is mocked and sleighted by Ishmael So that false Prophet he is set up who cryes out No Revelation now so the deceitful heart being after the false Prophet gross darkness that covers so the love of God in the Blessed appearance of the Light of his unerring Spirit that is not comprehended so the Eye hath not seen nor the Ear heard neither hath it entred into their hearts the Mercies and Goodness of God which is to them that fear him and love his appearance in the Heart where the Light of his Blessed Spirit doth shew forth his goodness from whence is Ministred forth life and strength to the poor soul strengthning it against the appearance of evil so the soul being made sensible of the Peace of God and rest through the Revelation of his Holy Spirit which causes joy and gladness to the Soul having found a friend in its adversity it sets a high value and esteem of him and is willing to be guided and directed by him So the Harlot is seen and the false Birth is seen and the false Prophet which steals the true Prophets words is seen so the Adulteress may Cry long enough and Scold long enough and Peep and Mutter all her Whineings in seeming Prayers and Teaching Doctrines all end in filthiness and sin in her best duties and yet this Impudent Harlot concludes There is none like her and her Birth is the true Birth and all the rest are false But her deceit is manifest and her Sorceries and Witchcraft is seen and a Bed of Torment is prepared for her so they are Blessed that fear the Living God and sanctifie him in their Hearts who do not commit Leudness with the Harlot nor add any thing to the maintaining of her Gallantry Come all you Ranters who have gotten some words of Truth but do use them in an exalted spirit in which you are swimming up and down above the pure stream which flows from the pure meek principle of God the nature of the Water of Life which comes from the Fountain of all good that being to drive away all filthiness of Flesh where that hath passage it refreshes and keeps green and fresh in a good savour to God and man But you Ranters having lost its savour are exalted above that which is lowly and good being under a great Imagination of a knowledge of good and evil on which through the subtilty of the Serpent feeding you are become dead to any true sense of the Vertue that flows from the living Power from whence through disobedience you being shut out What a do you are making some crying out against Meeting as formal and that you feel not the Power that was amongst them which indeed is no wonder when you are past feeling and so being tossed up and down in your minds in an exalted state some appearing in a singular pretended Zeal under a voluntary humility as if you were Wiser and Holier then others the Serpent here having puft up sets a judging the Body and feeds his members who waits for hurt as by the slipping of some through weakness or the like and so gets all occasions of making Parties and Rents still the Serpent being covered under a pretence of a higher Attainment but at length after
What will it avail you to have read what blessed and holy Lives the Saints and Servants of the most High God led and possessed if you be found in an unsavoury Life and in an unholy Conversation in an unclean Possession If so will you not be found denyers of the scope and tendency of Scriptures where it is written to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace and all that possess this are in a clean and holy possession The Scriptures saith to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace So to the blessed motions of Gods holy Spirit you must turn your minds and eye its leadings and guidings this is the way the Saints and Servants of the most high God were directed to and guided in by the true Preachers of the everlasting Gospel And therefore unto that of God which he manifests and shews you must bring your hearts and minds before you can know the law of the Spirit of Life to set you free from the law of sin and death Oh consider will a talk of freedom avail one in Captivity whilst he sees no way but that he must remain so all his Life time Awake awake out of your Dream unto righteouâ—ness and sin not that you may â—now â—he Lord and his way the which is above mans ways as the Heaven is above the Earth The Lord of Heaven and Earth hath ordained a means and way to everlasting Peace and Happinâ—ss and the Scriptures testifie the same Even of Christs spiritual appearance who is the Way Truth and Life so to that of God which is holy must every one come that is made holy unto that which is righteous must every one come that is truly made righteous and meet for the Kingdom of God the which the unrighteous cannot inherit Oh hat people would consider their wayes wherein they walk and not go on in evil wayes and satisfie themselves with a â—alk what they have heard of the righteous way and live out of it for the great love of God in his Heavenly gift to the World was and is that people should be led by it to that repentance never to be repented of even to forsake that which is manifest to be wrong false and evil by the faithful and true witness the Spirit of Truth in every one As it is written Behold I have given him for a witness to the people Isaiah 55.4 a Leader and Commander to the people And it is also written 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself Blessed are they who are in the way of the knowledge of reconciliation unto this faithful and true witness and live up unto it This will be to their joy and comfort in that life and peace which is everlasting And to them that do not believe he is a witness of their unbelief and hard heartedness to their shame and confusion as you may read And I will come near to you to Judgment Malachi 3.5 and I will be a swift witness against Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false Swearers and against those that oppress the Hireling in his Wages the Widow and the Fatherless and that turn away the stranger from his right and fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts read Rom 8.16 Joh. 1.5 By this you may see how plentifully the Scriptures testifie of the Spirit of Truth witness And now try in your selves come to the examination if any be unclean in Thought or Action is there not that within that shews it and witnesseth against it If any be unmerciful this witness will witness against it if any back-bite or defraud or murmur or lye or steal or bear false witness or contemn the counsel of the Lord and proud and high minded in contemning his holy Law and Commandment this faithful and true witness will ever be a witness against all such and against all that is bad and hath a tendency of defiling and corrupting any And therefore all they that deny this are real denyers of the love and mercy of God testified unto through the Scriptures And further concerning this faithful and true wirness Christ the word of God observe what the Scripture saith Bom. 10.6 7. Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Feaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Now mind are not you opposers of the love and mercy of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in those holy men which gave forth the Scripture whilst you remain gain-sayers of that more sure word so nigh the heart and mouth and in your exaltedness of Spirit in a fleshly worldly wisdom being puft up above what is written what a vain travail and labour they live in In imagining and creating to your selves a contrary way to what the Lord hath ordained to salvation Come to the witness in you and by that if you conrinue your subjection thereunto you will be sensible that it is the love of God unto you and in this love be admonisht to give private Interpretations of the Prophesies in the Scripture least thereby you provoke the Lord till swift destruction comes upon you And for your further Information observe what the Sripture saith 1 Joh. That was the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the World as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God The Scripture doth not say as many as profess him he gives power but it saith as many as receive him who lighteth every man that comes into the World to them he gives power c. Indeed he is to be received in his spiritual appearance and for that end he stâ—nds at the door and knocks in gentle reproofs and convincement whereby the hard heart must be broken and set open unto him and receive him before the remission from evil be witnessed and the great horrible clouds of darkness be expelled and the vail over the heart rent and power received to overcome the wicked one as it is written Behold I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my voice Revel 3.20 and open the door I will come into him and will Sup with him and he with me This is a great tender of love and mercy be they not very hard hearted that saith unto him depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways these are they that oppose the Scriptures Testimony and shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men Mat. 23.13 for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in This was the sad and deplorable condition of those high professors of the Law and the Prophets whom Christ pronounced dreadful wo against And all that are refisting the Spirits Testimony in themselves
quarter And he did not rail in saying so he spoke the Truth Read what wicked motions there was in the flesh and the motion of the true Prophet against them said he They were as fed Horses every one neighed after his neighbours Wife Jer. 5. The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof Read the true Prophets motion in the word of Truth against the false fleshly Prophets motion Who moved for handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread Ezek. 13. Read how wicked they were The wicked false Teachers in this Age have a larger and richer Trade they move for Thousands of Pounds The true Prophet moving in the Truth cryed out against the horrible wicked fleshly motions of the Priests and said As troops of Robbers wait for a man Hosea 6. so the company of Priests murder in the way by consent for they commit lewdness Observe they were agreed in their motion Read the wicked motions of a wicked spirit in the Presidents Princes Governours Counsellers who moved the King to make an unalteralterable Decree to insnare Daniel Dan. 7. because he was Honest and Just And though Daniel was acquainted therewith and knew the penalty yet he was moved in a good Spirit to open his Windows and pray as before And read what became of the motions of the wicked and also of the blessed motions The good Spirit in the Prophet moved him to testify against the false Spirits motions both in head and tail Said he The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire Mic. 3.1 and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Oh the presumption and confidence of wicked motions and observe how hireling Priests were cryed out against in former dayes as well as in these last dayes Christ in his Doctrine gave people warning To beware of the Scribes which love to go in long Clothing and love Salutations in the Market places Mark 12. and the chief Seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost Rooms at Feasts Which devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long Prayers But they are worse that make Widows and devour Estates examine the Jailers Calenders for near 30 years last past Acts the 20. The Apostle was moved by a good Spirit to declare what should come after him saying For I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock And what a wonderful motion this wicked generation have had for near this 30 years let all them that have heard and seen and are more moderate and wise in heart judge 1 Joh. 2. There you may read that there was then many Antichrists and the evil motions of that wicked Spirit the which was then in the World Chap. 4.3 was to deny Christ's coming in flesh And John being in the Spirit on the Lords day had wonderful things revealed unto him both of the Beasts rising out of the Sea and out of the Earth Revelation and with what swelling Pride he exalted himself over the Saints and Servants of the Lord God And how that Kings agreed to give their strength and power unto the Beast with one mind to make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are blessed and chosen and faithful And he saw the downfall of Babylon and the End of the Beast and false Prophet Read chap. 19. And this is coming to pass and must be fulfilled glory praises and honour be given to the Lord God forever And thus unprejudiced Reader who hath some Breathings after the knowledge of the Lord and canst not take up a rest in a sinful state but desires that true Judgment may go forth Here is plain Truth and also some brief instances therein which is but few to what might be given from Genesis to the Revelations of the wicked Spirits motions and their Effects and of the blessed motions of Gods good Spirit and their Effects by which thou mayest see by the fruits and practices who are of that brood and generation of Cain and his followers and who are of the generation of Abel and his followers And what a wicked proud arrogant Spirit that is which dares presume to limit the moving of Gods holy Spirit in its Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration And by which wicked and presumptuous works that proud ambitious and aspiring Spirit hath turned the very end and tendency of the love and mercy of God in the moving of this holy Spirit through holy Men in giving forth those blessed Testimonies and Prophesies in Scriptures even quite to another use then intended And how the Antichristian Spirit which was in the World in the Apostles dayes wrought in a Mistery of Iniquity and in Confessions and Professions from the true witnesses Testimony that Christ was come into the World and how he was Born and how he Suffered and was Ascended and will come again which is all true But under this fair covering the Merchants of Babylon set up their Trades and fraighted their Vessels with the Whores Trumpery and with fair Speeches and good Words out of the Life out of the Power they have deluded poor Souls making Merchandize of them setting up that which is profitable in the way of righteousness for the way of righteousness and so excluded the second coming of Christ in Spirit to them that look and wait for him without sin unto Salvation This great mistery the which is Christ in us the hope of Glory the way of Truth and Life the way of Righteousness unto the Father out of which none can come unto him this by their Arts they have wholly excluded And thus having set the Scripture for a chief rule and only rule of Life they have excluded the Spirit of Truths guide and leadings the which the Scripture directs unto and so set the Scriptures above the Spirit by the moving of which they were given forth And the Words and Writings of the Scripture they have set up for the word it self And this Spirit having put the Declaration and Writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel here the Gospel the power of God that is excluded and Christ the word of God in the heart and mouth that is excluded And thus having turned the Scripture upside down The man of sin the Son of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now saying in effect that the day of Christ is past as touching his appearance and coming in the flesh he is at a remoteness or distance from his people Now Revelations are ceased say they and the best
by you there are these sayings In page 252 thus His pure Spirit is put into the inward parts to be the rule and guide of life in all things And again Only by the teaching of the eternal Spirit is the living God known in the Creature Again page 408. It is promised saith he that the Spirit shall lead into all Truth and such do own the Scriptures but not as their Teacher for the anointing dwells in them and they need no man to teach them but as that anointing teacheth all things for all the Children of God are taught of God and need not any other Teacher nor need to say one to another know the Lord and all such own the Scriptures to be the Testimony of that which they believe and have received And again in page 834. The only perfect rule of Conscience in the exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And because something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that there are so many wayes and Sects of Religion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and among Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the rule of Judgment and exercise of Conscience to God and man Again page 861. The judgment in that matter Heresie must be just equal holy and only by the Spirit of Christ which is infallible and gives infallibility of Judgement and discerning into all cases and things Mr. Pen spends the fourth Chapter of his late Book Intituled Reason against Railing to prove that the Light within and not the Scriptures is the rule of Faith and practice In page 47. he saith We dare boldly affirm in the name of the Lord that the great reason of our belief concerning them the Scriptures is not any outward thing but inward Testimony recorded and Heavenly Amen that we have received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and faithfulness of those sayings Again p. 48. Wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great rule of faith and practice that the Light of Christ within us is both our warrant and rule for faith and obedience to them Again page 114. Let it be remembred saith he that Christ promised to send the spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their practice is a lye or they are led into a lye who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the ways of Truth where by Truth is not meant the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is true But the living powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a record or declaration And page 115. Many may run into the practice of several outward things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the practice of Saints in former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-worship imitation and unwarrantable Now let all the wise in heart who do retain so much of sense of the Spirit of Truths leading and operation thereof in them as that thereby they are in some degree in a capacity to judge of spiritual matters and that have a desire that God may not take away his holy Spirit from them I say let all such in the coole of the day when all self Interest is laid aside judge whether these men Edward Burroughs and William Pen and all them who are of the same Faith and Judgment with them do deserve such strange contradicton as the Author of that Book hath raised and made against them To be sure their method as he calls it is clearly agreeing with Christ and his Apostles Christ Jesus the Light of the World the Way Truth and Life did direct his followers to take heed to the Spirit of Truth that reproveth the World of sin c. and he counselled them to take that for their guide into all Truth And ought not all Christians to be followers of Christ their Lord and Master and how is it possible that any should follow Christ except they be led by the Spirit of Truth in themselves And he that steals away their minds from that guide he is a Thief and as Christ said The Thief comes to steal to Murder and to destroy but I am come that you may have Life and that you may have it more abundantly And the Apostle Paul is very open and plain in his Testimony concerning this matter in these words The things of God knows no man but the Spirit of God by this the deep things of God are searched out And are there not many deep things of God contained in Scriptures The which is not possible to be understood and searcht out by any other Spirit but only and alone by the Spirit of Truth therefore this must needs be a sufficient teacher of mankind without the Scripture as it was to Abel Enoch and to Abraham and the holy men of God long before there was any of the old or new Testament written And it was the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in those faithful Servants by whom those weighty things as are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth were given forth And it is the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in its leadings and teaching of his people through which the many Types Figures Prophesies and many hard sayings comes to be understood and a clear distinguishing comes to be known between the Jew outward and the Jew inward between the Law outward and the Law of the Spirit of Truth inward and between the shadow of good things and the good things themselves and also between the Spirit and the Letter the Power and the Form c. And for want of fearing God and taking heed to the motions of his blessed Spirit of Truth that is the cause there are so many heaps of Opinions about the Scripture therefore it is that all learned men in the Spirit of Truth do so highly esteem the teachings thereof as absolutely necessary to life and peace And all whose minds are converted by the Spirit of Truth and are spiritually exercised therein and feeling the life and peace that flows from it unto their Souls this confirms them settles them and makes them unmoveable and unchangeable in their Faith in the power of the Lord who hath been thus merciful in opening this fountain of life and love where a washing and cleansing comes to be witnessed and entrance ministered into the kingdom of God and of this day that is breaking forth and shining clearer and clearer Edward Burroughs that man of God was a faithful Instrument in the hand of the Lord and his works do demonstrate the same to thrash and cut down hypocrisie and gainsayers of the Truth and faithfulness of God unto mankind And in the succession of this blessed work and service in
outward written Law since they must be judged without any such Law for transgressing of what Law must they be judged it cannot be denyed but that God hath given them a Law to walk by and that it is for the transgression thereof that they come under condemnation and must be judged Before this question be answered in Truth that Gospel must be known that is preached in every creature which is under Heaven Page 37. The Author saith we that have the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles brought down to us in the Scriptures may according to Scripture Dialect be said to have Christ and his Apostles as truly as it was said of the Jews in our Saviours days on Earth that they had Moses and the Prophets for it was by having in the Scriptures what they said and did that they were said to have them and by hearing and believing the Scriptures of the New Testament we may as well be said to hear and believe Christ and his Apostles c. Answer That ever such a stranger to Christianity should be so impudent as to say I will shew you the method and way of God that doth not know himself one step therein as appears by his dark arguing The Jews had the writing of Moses and the Prophets and no question but they did believe them to be so but what did they profit by them when out of that Faith and Spirit through which they are profitable they did testifie of Christ and were a witness to the righteousness of God as saith the Apostle when by them they judged Christ ought to die Christ did send the hard-hearted Jews who went about to kill him to Moses and the Prophets saying Joh. 5.39 40. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me and ye will not come to me that ye may have life And mind what the Apostle saith Rom. 3.12 But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets which righteousness the said Jews did not know though they had heard what Moses and the Prophets said of it But mind the cause of their not hearing so as to understand Neh. 9.20 Thougavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them but the cause of their blindness was even their rebellion against Gods Spirit And Stephen said to the Jews Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye So it 's very clear though the Jews had Moses and the Prophets writings yet by not taking heed to the Instruction of Gods Spirit in them they were without the knowledge of them and thus it is with the generality of those called Christians they have some of the writhings which gives a relation of Gods great love to the World in his heavenly and powerful gift of his holy Spirit manifest in the flesh to bruise the Serpents head and to destroy the Devils works But by disesteeming the blessed appearance of the Light of the Spirit of Christ in man as the Author of that Book doth in calling it a natural Light being thus in unblief their foolish hearts are darkned So though they have the New Testament as it is called by many that do not know the Law and the Testimony though they have some part of what was writ concerning Christ the Way Truth and Life of Christianity Yet by their quenching and grieving the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit in them they are as clearly void of the knowledge of the end and tendency of Gods great love in and by the motion of his holy Spirit that gave forth those writings with the several blessed Testimonies therein even as the hard-hearted Jews were of the Law and the Prophets when they were in the gainsaying and rebellion against Gods holy Spirit But such kind of smooth teaching as the Author of that Book who is unlearned in the blessed Teaching of the Spirit of Truth is very pleasant to unlearned people in the things of God but the Scripture is fulfilled in many of them Acts 13.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your days a work which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you So it 's very clear and that in a true sense that people may have the writings and not have Christ nor his Apostles neither be in their Doctrine but in lieu thereof they may have the Spirit of Antichrist and Doctrine of Antichrist and the ravening Woolves nature though they may have the Sheeps clothing First The Scriptures we must needs highly own in that they refer us to and exalt Christ and his immediate teaching of his Divine Light and Spirit within as being subservient thereto where they are received therein But since a great part of the work of the Author of that Book is to maintain the Scriptures being a rule of Faith and Practice and to gainsay the sufficiency of the Spirits teaching without the Scriptures or its immediate teaching now adays without some outward teaching I do ask whether the Authority be in the Spirit that spoke the words or in the words when spoken or written if none can deny but the Authority both was and is in the Spirit And Isaiah by the same Authority of Gods blessed Spirit he can work a saving change in people either with or without what is written therefore it is a high degree of presumption in going about to limit the blessed holy Spirit of God as the Author of that Book doth But what Authority or effect had the true Prophets words in the false Prophets mouths this sad effect they stole away the hearts of people from the living fountain and put them upon a vain labour in making broken Cisterns that could hold no water And what Authority profit or advantage have the true Ministers and Apostles of Christs words now in the false Teachers mouths with their meaning upon them Even this sad and lamentable effect they thereby steal away the hearts of people from the sense of the immediate motion of Gods holy Spirit in them and to gainsay its powerful teachings and the universal love of God in the moving of his universal holy Spirit through all the World in its convincing and reproving the World of sin c. And then to set them upon vain and unprofitable service First having turned their hearts and minds out of the way that the holy Spirit of Truth leads in and then set them upon a vain labour and travail in seeking but never finding till at length they conclude with the Devils Doctrine that there is no way out of a body of sin and death on this side the grave And such flattering and deceitful Teachers are in a high esteem and account among a flattering deceitful people So all may mind that we do not oppose the in ward Teaching of the Spirit of Truth
to what outwardly hath been taught or written from the blessed motions thereof or that may be taught or written by the motion of the same But we do oppose the true Teachings thereof to the false Teaching of all immaginary deceitful Spirits who under a pretence of love to Souls do make Merchandize of them And that being the great hinge on which his work depends in concluding the Scriptures to be the rule of Faith and Practice excluding the immediate Teaching of the Spirit and the all-sufficiency thereof I do ask whether Faith be a fruit of the Spirit or of the Scripture or whether a true Christians practice in living peaceably lovingly justly and holy and mercifully and in a clean life and conversation in long sufference patience goodness brotherly kindness c. be a fruit of the blessed Spirit of God or of the Scripture And since it cannot be denyed but that Faith and practice in a true Christian holy Conversation is a fruit of the blessed Spirit and that the Scriptures say the same Then are not all the gain-sayers of the immediate Teaching Opperation Revelation and Divine Inspiration of Gods holy Spirit of Truth a grand cause that there is so little fruit of the Spirit brought forth in Christendom And whether that be not the cause of so many heaps of Sects Notionists and Opinions among them and of so much Pride Lust Hypocrisie Fraud Deceit Wrath Malice Murders Witchcrafts Sorceries and all other abominations that might be mentioned committed in all the World the Lord gives the humble in heart true Judgment but the proud he doth resist But in Page 42. the Author saith Christ indeed or God Creator as he is described in the beginning of that Chap. Joh. 1.9 Doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World with the faculty of reason and understanding by which he may know that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped and that he is peaceable and the difference between moral good and evil in many things But however this may possibly be a light sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them if they live up to it to whom he affords no other Light yet this Natural Light is not sufficient to direct those that live under the Gospel to believe and do what they are bound to believe and do upon pain of Damnation c. Answer He hath clearly manifested his ignorance of the Gospel and what men are to be brought under that are made true Christians as if the Light of Christ within had not Gospel in it or could not minister Gospel But by hating of the Light how blind are they who have such low thoughts of thy way thereof accounting the Light of Christ natural yet sufficient to direct the Heathen as much as God expects of them Such is the esteem of them whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds taking the Jew outward for the Jew inward and the Christian in shew for the Christian in Truth And the wild Heathenish life and conversation of the Christian in shew for Christianity if they do but only in words own the Scriptures to be their rule of faith and practice And the true Christian that brings forth the fruits of Gods holy Spirit in life and conversation and is not ashamed to confess to the immediate motions of it in its blessed leadings and teaching to love of God above all and their neighbours as themselves and lives in true fear and watchfulness that they may not grieve nor quench the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit in them but are careful to live up to the reason and understanding that Christ hath illuminated or inspired them with and to eshew the evil and to love the good being shewed it by the Light of Christ and that God ought to be worshiped in Spirit and Truth and is in the performance thereof according to Gods will confessing to the blessed holy Spirit of God to be the rule of Life Faith practice Such a faithful and true Christian as this having such an account to give as is given by Edward Burrough and William Pen of the sufficiency of the pure Spirit of God to be the Judge of all matters of life and conversation Such true Christians are very slightly esteemed by such private immaginary Spirits as the Author of that Book is manifest to be of in all his works of darkness in that Book But I had rather be a Christian and though I am called Heathen then to be a Heathen and yet to be called and accounted a Christian In Page 61. the Author saith Another place misunderstood and misapplyed by you is Joh. 16.13 When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth which is not a promise of sending the Spirit to guide all Christians by its immediate motions But a promise to his Apostles for they only were then present with Christ at his passover c. Ans Indeed the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit is the great trouble of them who follow the motions of their own Spirit and lives out of the way of the knowledge of the holy Spirit of God which is Light and Life But I ask in case people are not to follow Christ and his Apostles into the true Faith and practice of Christianity by the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit of Truth by the motions of what Spirit are they to be led and guided since there is such variety of Sects and Opinions in the motions of their private Spirits which of them is to be followed But since the Author hath limited the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit only unto the Apostles I do ask into what Spirits motions were people Baptized and led into the body of Christianity or are they now to be led into the same and how can Christians have the Crown of Immortal Life as Paul had in finishing his course of life well and he said that was not laid up for him alone but also for all them that love the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ And who can be a follower of him in the way if they do not take heed to the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit as he did according to the measure and manifestation thereof in every one And again What can set people free from the spirit of bondage or from the spirit of error or corruption and deceit and hypocrisie but the immediate motions of Gods pure holy spirit in them But such is the dark work of the Author of that Book even to gainsay and limit the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit and to set up the private selfish imaginary Spirit which is not in unity with the Light and Spirit of Truth But if the promise of Christ was only to give that gift of the immediate motion of Gods holy Spirit unto the Apostles then to what end did he counsel the Churches to Pray in the Spirit to Sing in the Spirit and to
persevere and go on in the Spirit and not to quench and grieve the Spirit and abundance more to this purpose in Exhortations to the Churches to follow the spirit and mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit Had not Christians need to have the immediate motions and help of Gods blessed spirit in this work and to be their rule of life and guide in judgment that all wicked malitious spirits under the cover of the Prophets Christs and the Apostles words may be judged down let all the wise in heart consider this and lay it to heart What a sad tendency such unprofitable talkers and teaching hath in opposing the immediate motion and teaching and guiding of Gods holy spirit and whether such Agents and props in the Divels kingdom and power of darkness be not a lett to the blessed works of the Lord who sits upon his Throne and saith behold I make all things new And whether such dark works as are manifest in that Book be not the cause that there are so many mockers now adays at the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit in and through his servants according to their several measures and services therein But such is the work of all dark spirits to pretend love to peoples souls But in the dark to work against the great love and mercy of God in the immediate motions of his holy and blessed spirit for the bringing of souls to peace and happiness and everlasting rest in his heavenly gift the which is life Eternal But by what hath been written as before the whole drift scope and tendency of the Authors spirit in that Book may be seen where several particulars might be answered with the same sharp reproof as that which is answered hath Such works have been answered over and over again as may be seen at large in abundance of Books but one more especially I refer the Reader to And that is a Book Intitled The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony vindicated c. By George Whitehead and William Pen And though the Author of that Book hath concealed his Name and covered his spirit of Error with smooth words stolen out of the Scriptures yet by the light of Christ Jesus he is seen clearly though he calls that Light Natural and like a foolish builder hath built without the Corner-stone By the Light of Christ his building is seen to be raised from no other foundation and ground but meer imaginations And that it must be cast down into the pit of darkness out of which it was raised So though he may complain as he doth in the beginning of his Book of the entertainment others have had in the like endeavours Yet unto the Truth and wisdom of God in all who have not lost the sense of his holy spirit from them I do appeal whether this be not an entertainment according to Truth And though he hath pretended his work to be in love to souls yet it is manifest in the Light of Christ to have this tendency even to deprive souls of the infinite benefit of the sense and injoyment of the immediate motions of Gods holy spirit and to make void their Testimonies who are planted into the same But to prevent the Enemies works is this written in love to Truth and Righteousness and all people who desire after the same Stephen Smith Worplesdon in Surrey the latter end of the 5th Month 1677. A Testimony against the Worlds vain Mirth and Pastimes c. BLessed are they who feel the Inspiration of the Almighty giving them understanding that in reading the Scriptures of Truth the Holy-mens Testimonies they may be understood and deliverance witnessed from them who wrest them to their own destruction There is indeed a time for all things as said Solomon who in that wisdom given him knew that God created man upright but man found out many Inventions And all that Mirth whereby Gods righteous spirit is grieved they who live in it they increase their own sorrow The Rejoycing and Melody which David had in his heart to the Lord who gave him power over his foes Psal 30. And girded him with gladness But what is this to them who are overcome with their foes the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life All such have not a true knowledge of that joy and melody which David witnessed as being girded with gladness by the Lord who said My soul and all that is in me praise the Lord and let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord And figuratively he makes mention of outward Instruments all which are but Types in comparison of that heart that is prepared and put into a right frame even as a well Tuned Instrument to make Melody to the praise and honour of God this is the substance shewed forth by holy peoples praises to the Lord for his work of deliverance as is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth When the Children of Israel were delivered and their foes destroyed Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel and this was the substance the Lord shall reign for ever and ever And Miriam with the women went out with Timbrels and Dances in a Heavenly Melody unto the Lord who had delivered them But the wicked and proud who hate to be reformed they have nothing to do to take the name of the Lord in their mouths And none but wicked Instruments dare bring those Scriptures to stir youth up to be Prodigals and to spend their Portion of precious time in riotous living in keeping company with some who wallow in pride and idleness Sodoms sins and except such Prodigals do turn whilst the door of mercy doth open and they find a reception into the Fathers house by a true unfeigned repentance they shall never witness that Melody or Musick whereby the Soul is made to leap for joy which the Prodigal obtained through a true repentance and returned to his Fathers house he had not that Musick and Melody among the Harlots nor when he kept Swine mind that see the generation of the wicked Job 21.11 They send forth their little ones like a flock and their Children Dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce in the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Therefore they say unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him c. See here you wicked generation of proud prophane persons who stir up the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life one in another by your light frothy behaviours in your wicked Inventions Oh for shame do not go about to cover your evil works by the instigation of wicked Instruments who wrest the holy mens words which if persisted in will be to their destructions and of all them that follow them therein See what the Prophet Amos pronounced to them that chant to the
Viol c. And are at ease wo to them Amos 6. And concerning comparisons in the sound of Instruments being certain or uncertain this makes not at all for your purpose who extol that Musick by which the Lord is dishonoured and the seed of life grieved and burdened so for shame leave off your lightness and vanity least you be left as them who are filthy to be filthy still and you seek repentance as Esau did with tears and cannot find acceptance And see the effects of wicked Dancing Mat. 14.6 7. But when Herod 's birth-day was kept the Daughter of Herodias danced before them Now read and see what effects her brave Dancing procured weigh these things you that have Children that are Light and Airy and restrain them from that wicked practice least they add sin unto sin and bring woe upon them as you may see Herodias Daughter who added one wickedness unto another Stephen Smith To all Bishops and Priests and all concerned with them in a Book Intituled A form of Common Prayer for Gods blessing upon His Majesty and His Dominions and for the averting Gods Judgments Printed this year 1678. ANswer The Lord God hath signally shewen his great displeasure by Sword by Plague and by Fire against that opposite spirit that hath led into all rebellion against the motions of his holy spirit wherein he is making known his way of blessing and his saving health among the people Yet for his great name sake and in his love mercy and pity he did put a stop to those Judgements and hath given space and time of repentance and through many faithful Servants hath the Lord manifested his good pleasure that all who are erred from the way of blessing in life and peace that they might return unto him and wait upon him who is Lord of Heaven and Earth for his teachings and instructions in his holy Covenant of Life and Peace But how regardless have you been of the many and frequent Testimonies that have been faithfully in the moving of Gods holy spirit of Truth given forth against the swelling and groaning abominations of the times So that instead of hearkning and obeying the motions of Gods holy spirit you have proceeded in vexing and grieving the same in a most high degree you have abused the Servants of the Lord God And through your pride and presumption you have drawn the heavy displeasure of the Lord upon you whose dreadful judgments do hang over you and will not be averted or turned from you by any feigned shew of fasting made up in the will of man contrary to the good will mind and pleasure of God In that which is called the order for Morning Prayer are these words Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful c. Answer To them that do in Truth and in unfeigned repentance open their hearts unto him with a faithful resignation of heart soul and body unto the pure manifestation of his holy Law of his pure spirit of life unto such he hath shewn himself very gracious and merciful in setting them free from the Law of sin and death But how often do you repeat those words and yet keep your hearts whole in the friendship of the World in the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life you have been so far from renting your hearts that you have not so much as rent your garments are not the garments of your own righteousness which is no better then filthy rags whole upon you and in that loathsom garment you appearing before the Lord who seeing your loathsomness and hypocrisie in imputing the righteousness of Christ unto you whilst you are really and truly whole in your loathsome garments of your own righteousness where the righteous judge both of the quick and the dead beholding you as you are in your loathsome garments he will never agree with you in your accounts whilst you account so falsly of your Interest in the righteousness of Christ and yet whole in the garments of sin and iniquity doing the things you should not do and leaving undone the things you should do would you when you reckon with your Servants agree with them in such account and allow of their doing so all their life and leave them to account of your riches and that you are bound to give it them sure its time to be awakened from this misery of ignorance And take notice of your following words Though we have rebelled against him neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws which he set before us Now mind was ever your hearts rent from this condition do not you persist in your rebellion and so grieve Gods holy spirit in keeping your heart whole in persecuting them who are led by it Are not the Priests whole in their sin of preaching for Hire and for filthy lucre sake they tell lyes in Hypocrisie promising that to people which neither they nor the people have right unto whilst they are Servants to sin Come down from these barren mountains of imaginations and rent off these filthy garments and rent your hearts from these evils and follow the example of them who are really in this work and from the Lords acceptance have found him gracious and merciful and in the righteous government of his holy spirit of Truth the knowledge of his way of Truth is known in this World and in walking therein there is that hope manifest by Christs righteousness in us of having Eternal life with him in that World which is without end And you say Dearly beloved Brethren the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness and that we should not dissemble and cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart c. Answer Here you acknowledge yourselves to be fallen from the Primitive Christians guide and moreover in the service and work of the Lord they did speak as they were moved by Gods holy spirit and did declare the pleasure and will of God as that gave utterance and by his holy spirit they were made Ministers not coveting any mans Silver or Gold or Apparel nor they did not move for any filthy lucre sake but how have you erred and strayed from this way being lost as to a true and saving knowledge of the motions of Gods holy spirit And in this lost Estate every private spirit is set a work and imaginations dreams do tell their several conceivings of what was given forth by the moving of Gods holy spirit but having erred from the way of the spirit of God and being strangers thereunto they are also strangers to what was given forth by the Spirit of God thus being in error they don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God And thus being become strangers to the motion