SOME PRINCIPLES Of the ELECT People of God In scorn called QUAKERS O send forth thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me to thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles Psal 43.3 For the Commandement is a Lamp and the Law is Light and the Reproofs of Instruction are the Way of Life Printed in the Year 1671. The CONTENTS Concerning FIrst A Breif Account of what we are and what our Work is in the World By I. Pennington Page 1 Secondly Grounds and Reasons Why we deny the Worlds Teachers Pag. 5 Some Principles of the Elect People of God Called Quakers P. 16 Worship P. 20 The Church Ibid. The Way Ibid. The Cross P. 21 True Communion P. 22 The Gospel Ibid. Faith Ibid. Baptisme P. 23 Persecution Ibid. Scriptures P. 26 Tyths P. 27 The Higher Power P. 28 The Kingdom of Christ how held up and how not P. 29 Teachers Prophets Pastors Bishops Presbiters Ibid. An Exhortation to all Christendom to mind the Grace of God to wit the Light P. 30 Perfection P. 33 Resurrection P. 34 Election and Reprobation Ibid. Fear and Trembling P. 36 The Body of Death P. 37 The Word Thou to a single Person P. 39 Putting off the Hat Bowing the Knee Cringings and Complements Ibid. Good Manniers P. 40 Objections of the World against the Preaching of Christ P. 41 Bread Water and Wine P. 42 The Sabbath Day P. 43 God-Fathers God-Mothers and sprinkling of Infants Ibid. The Word Trinity Ibid. The Ministry P. 44 Dayes Times Meats and Drinks Ibid. Marriages Ibid. False Prophets and Antichrists P. 45 A Generall Objection of People P. 48 The Jew Inward and Outward P. 49 Christ the Covenant of God Ibid. Plots and Conspiracies P. 50 Original sin P. 51 Oaths P. 52 The Word of God and Original Sin What it is P. 54 Heathen Idolaters naming Dayes and Moneth P. 63 Singing Psalms P. 65 A Warning to all to keep out of the Fashons of the World P. 66 Some Queries given forth to Priests ahd People to Answer if they can By G. F. P. 68 The Scriptures P. 72 Baptism P. 75 The Lords Supper P. 76 Prayer P. 77 Ministry P. 79 Magistracy and Government P. 80 Superiority Honour Breeding Manners and the Word Thee and Thou to a single Person P. 84 The Word Thou and Thee P. 89 Putting off the Hat P. 90 Perfection By J. Parnel P. 92 Womens speaking in the Church By W. D. P. 94 The Sum or Substance of our Religion P. 97 Christ Coming to the Father by him c. P. 103 The Gospel Ministration P. 107 Christ manifested without and within and how both are owned by them that know the Truth P. 108 The Principle of Truth what it is and how in may be discerned and how it may be purchased and possessed P. 111 An Invitation to Professors seriously to Consider c. P. 114 A Brief Testimony for Truth By T. Taylor c. P. 119 The Conclusion By I. Penington A brief account of what we are and what our work is in the world WE are a People whom God hath converted to himself a People in whom God hath raised up the Seed of his own Life and caused it to reign over the eartly part in our selves a People whom God hath divorced from the spirit of whordom and joyned to his own Spirit We many of us sought truly and onely after God from our childhood our consciences bearing us witness in the sight of God but the honesty of our hearts was still betrayed and we led aside by the Whorish spirit and knew not how to turn to that of God in us which inclined us toward God By this means we came to great distress and misery beyond all men not but that all men were in as great a want of God his Life Power and Presence as we but the sence therof was not so quickened in others as in us Now it pleased the Lord at length to pitty us and to inform our minds towards himself to shew us where Life lay and where Death lay and how to turn from the one and to the other and he gave us his helping hand to turn us And by being turned to hâ—m we have tasted of the Truth of the true Wisdom of the true Power of the true Life of the true Righteousness of the true Redemption and by receiving of this from God and tasting and handling of it we come to know that that which the world hath set up in the stead of it is not the thing it selfe Now mark we are not persons that have shot up out of the old root into another appearance as one sect hath done out of another till many are come up one after another the ground still remaining the same out of which they all grew but that ground hath been shaken shaking destroyed destroying removed and removing in us and the old root of Jesse hath been made manifest in us and we have been transplanted by the everlasting power of Life and a real change brought forth in us out of that spirit wherin the world lives and worships into another spirit into which no thing which is of the World can enter And hear we have met with the call of God the Conversion to God the Regeneration in God the Justification the Sanctification the Wisdom the Redemption the true Life and Power of God which the World cannot so much as bear the name of And what we are made of God in Christ we know to be truth and no lye and when we testifie of this to the World in the measure of the life of God in us we speak truth and no lye though the World which knoweth not the Truth cannot hear our voice Now our work in the World is to hold forth the virtues of him that hath called us to live like God not to own any thing in the World which God doth not own to forget our Country our Kindred our Fathers house and to live like persons of another Country of another kindred of another family not to do any thing of our selves and which is pleasing to the old nature but all our words all our conversation yea every thought in us to become new Whatever comes from us is to come from the new Principle of Life in us and to answer that in others but we must not please the old nature at all in our selves nor in any else And walking faithfully thus with God we have a reward at present and a crown in the end which doth and will countervaile all the reproches and hardships we do or can meet with in the World We are also to be witnesses for God and to propagate his Life in the World to be instruments in his hand to bring others out of Death and Captivity unto true Life and Liberty we are to fight against the powers of darkness every where as the Lord calleth us forth And this we are to do in his wisdom according to his will in his
every man that cometh into the World that with this Light you may see him the Way and may come to walk in the Way of Peace and Life which is the Way to God and which is the New and Living-Way in which the Apostles were out of which Christendom is gone erring from the Light in their own particulars into their own Inventions and Imaginations which is the cause that there are set up so many Wayes among them changable Wayes and changable Worships among them I say who have erred from the New and Living Way So whosoever comes to the Light in themselves they come to Christ they come to the New and Living Way out of the Old and Dead Wayes which are in the Fall from God out of his Image and Power So whosoever comes to his Image and Power they must come to the Light wherewith Christ the Way hath enlightened them all in their own particulars and hear his Voyce and Doctrine So there is not another Way to the Father but Christ the Light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World which is the Way yea the New and Living Way So who love the Light they love the Way and they love Christ but they who hate the Light they hate Christ the Way IV. Of the CROSSE The Cross of Christ is the Power of God which is contrary to the World which Cross of Christ the Power of God was among the Apostles which Crucified them from all outward Figures Types Shadows and Inventions of Men. So they who are gone from the Power of God since the dayes of the Apostles have set up many Crosses who have lost the true Cross which is the Power of God The Cross of Christ which is the Power of God Crucifies that state in which Adam and Eve and all their Posterity were in in the degeneration in which Cross is the Power of God by which Cross they come to a state in which they were in before their Fall And in this Power of God the Cross is the Fellowship which is a Mystery which brings to the Beginning in which is Endless Life and this Mystery is in it V. Of the True COMMUNION The True Communion is in the Gospel which is among us as it was among the Apostles in the Spirit and Light by which we have Fellowship with the Father and with the Son VI. Of the GOSPEL The Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation for he that believeth receiveth Power receiveth the Gospel by which Life and Immortality is brought to Light and the Power of God expels that which keeps Life and Immortality from people and captivates their soules spirits and mindes and keeps them in Bondage which Power of God expells it all and sets them Free and gives them dominion over that which burdens them and gives them to feel and to see before that was which hides Life and Immortality from them And by this Power of God Life and Immortality comes to Reign in which is the Saints Fellowship and Church-Fellowship in which they come to be Heires of the Power of God Heirs of the Gospel Heirs of the Fellowship Membrs of the Church and Membrs of one another in the Power of God the Gospel wich was before the Power of Darkness was And now the Gospel must be preached again to all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who dwell upon the Earth that by this Gospel Life and Immortallity may be brought to Light among them and expel away that which hides it from them by which Power the Gospel which is Salvation which frees the Soules Spirits and Consciences from that which burdens them and to them this is Glad Tydings VII Of FAITH The Faith is one which purifieth the heart which giveth victory and which brings to have access to God and which giveth victory over that which seperates from God in which Faith was the Unity of the Saints in the Primitive Times in which also stands our Unity which Faith is the Gift of God VIII Of BAPTISME There is one Baptism by one Spirit into one Body which plungeth under all the corruption which got up since Transgression which hath made the Separation between Man and God which Spirit leads into one Body from the many Bodies and into one Head from the many Heads of those many Bodies which are in the Fall from God So Baptized with one Spirit into one Body which plungeth under all that which makes a separation from God We are made to drink into one Spirit and this Spirit is within plunging under all the corruptions which are within And the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God is within crucifying the mind which did walk in those things which hides from God and which keeps in the World in the lust of the Eyes the pride of Life and the lust of the Flesh which are not of the Father Now they that mind Earthly things they go from the Power of God within and are Enemies to his Cross which is the Power of God as Paul saith and so many Heads many Bodies many Baptisms are among them who are out of the Power of God the Cross of Christ and out of the One Baptisme with the Spirit into one Body into one Head Christ Jesus the first and the last the beginning and the end and the Head of his Church which is his Body and he is the Saviour of it of which Church we are IX Of PERSECUTION Now concerning the divers Faiths and divers Worships which are in the World and the Persecution about them such Believers and Worshipers are out of the one Faith which giveth victory and have lost the spiritual weapons and are run into the carnal and so are out of the true Worship which is in Spirit and Truth out of which as I said before the Devil is And here are all the carnall weaponed men fighting for their Worship and for Trifles When as the Spiritual weaponed men who have the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit they strive not with flesh and blood destroy not Creatures by calling to the Powers of the Earth to help them When as carnal minded men who are out of the Church which was in the begining and its weapon and Spirit who deform kill and slay Creatures about their invented Worships Faiths Baptisms Churches Croses and such like which were not the Fruits neither the Works of the Apostles nor of the spiritual weaponed men So all ye that persecute and kill about Religion Church and Worship are not Worshipers of God in Spirit and Truth They are not in the fellowship of the Gospel the Power of God Which was before the Power of Sathan was and they are not in the true faith which giveth victory over that which seperates from God neither are they in the Cross of Christ the Power of God which was before Sathan was which crucifies the flesh and the world and their carnal weapons So all ye who Persecute and kill about Religion you
honourable So forsake and come out of all vain Words and all vain Customs and all unprofitable and idle Communications and Talkings for which you are judged and condemned with the Light viz. the Light in your Consciences which reproves you and come into the the new Life in which God is served that your words may be seasoned with grace that by it your hearts may be established that no corrupt communication may proceed out of your mouthes for whatsoever is corrupt is contrary to the Witness of God in your Consciences to Christ the Light which reproves you Therefore away with all the Customes and Fashions of the World which grieve and quench the Spirit of God and repent while ye have time and spend not your time like a Tale come to the Light and sleep not in sin in darkness in seperation from God but prize the time while you have it lest in the end ye come to say we have had time but now it is past but so mind the Power of God the Light of Christ Jesus by which you may redeem it XXXII Concerning False Prophets and Antichrists False Prophets and Antichrists are much condemned in this part of the World called Christendom and they bring the 7th Chapter and the 24th Chapter of Matthew and say that they are but now come To which I Answer that Christ said They should come viz. Antichrists and False Apostles he said to his Disciples that they shall come i. e. to his Disciples and he gave them markes how they should know them A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit nor a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit And if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect for they have the Sheeps-cloathing And he commanded his Disciples that they should not follow them for they were inwardly ravening Wolves having the Sheeps cloathing And those were Antichrists and False Prophets false Christs and Deceivers who were inwardly ravend from the Light and so from the Seed viz. the true Christ And Christ told his Disciples those should come and before the decease of his Disciples they came as we may read in the first Epistle of John the second Chapter and fourth Chapters he saith Little Children ye have heard that Antichrist should come and even now there are many Antichrists and false Prophets come into the World So Christ had spoken before that they should come and his Disciples said that they were already come who went out from them inwardly ravend from the Spirit and this was above sixteen hundred years since And John who saw them already come he directed the Saints to this annointing in themselves and said to them that they had not need that any one should teach them but as this annointing taught them they should abide in the Father and in the Son And so those Anti-christs false Prophets Wolves false Christs inwardly ravend they bear Pryars Thornes and Thistles which Christ said shall come and his Disciples said they were come and who went out from them into the World And in the Revelations it is said The whole World went after them So they went out from the Church Fellowship Gospel they went out from the Fellowship of the Spirit within being ravend from it they went from the annointing within which should teach them they went from the Law in the heart to wit from the New Covenant and they went from the Kingdom within and they went from the Word which is in the the heart to obey it and to do it they went out from the Light in the heart which gives the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ and so they lost the Pearl hid in the Field viz. the World in their hearts And so the false Prophets went out from the Disciples and as was said before in the Revelations it s said the whole World went after them So John wrote to the seven Churches which erred by permitting Jezabel to teach and to set up Idols and such who said they were Jews and were not but were the Synagogues of Satan So he goes on in the Revelation till he comes to the eleventh Chapter where the Witnesses are slain the two Olives which carried the oyl to the annointing of the Nations the two Candlesticks which holds the Light And in the 12th Chapter the Woman viz. the true Church fled into the Wilderness prepared for her of God that there she should be nourished for a time times and half a time And in the 13th Chapter The Dragon gives his Power to the Beast and the Beast with the Dragons power makes war against the Saints and killed them who were lâ—ft of that Seed who kept the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophesie who were in him from whom the ravening Wolves had departed Then all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped the Beast and worshipped the Dragon and both caused and compelled all both small and great to fall down and worship And from hence arose this compelling power to Worship Then the false Prophet and the Whore through the Dragons Power got upon the Beast and caused all Nations to drink of her Cup. So thus the whore arose which went from the Apostles and from their Life Power and Spirit and committed Fornication before the Nations were married to Christ they took the Cup of Fornication of this Whore And she drank the blood of the Saints and Martyrs who were not inwardly ravend and who could not drink of her Cup. Yea she drank the blood of the Saints and Prophets who kept the Testimony of Jesus who were not inwardly ravend And so such doings and works they have set up for the space of fifteen hundred years viz. Killing and murdering and they have dispersed themselves into all Nations as the Apostles they were to go into all Nations And such works the Wolves have wrought in the Sheeps cloathing yea those who are inwardly ravend from the Spirit of God whose fruits are Brambles Bryars and Thorns and such like works those Raveners have done since the dayes of the Apostles being ravend from their Life and Power having the Words of the Sheep the Scriptures but not in the Power and Life which gave them forth therefore Bryars and Thorns appear who devour and kill the Lambs and compels them to worship and use violence upon them and their outward things about Religion which was not the work of the Apostles And so John saith Again the Beast and the Dragon and the False Prophets which hath deceived the Nations which Christ said should come and John said was come who went out from them from which time the World hath gone after them for the space of fifteen hundred years is to be taken Which Beast and false Prophet shall be taken and cast into the Lake of fire and the Nations shall be deceived no more and the Whore the great Whore which hath compelled the Nations to drink the Blood of the Saints is to be taken and her flesh burnt with fire and
praying in the Synagogues and lay heavy burdens upon the people which Jesus Christ cryed wo against and bid his Disciples not to be so Be ye not called of men Mastâ—rs for one is your Master even Christ and ye are all Brethren so we do witness Jeâ—us Christ our Master and see them to be in the steps of the Pharisees and therfore we deny them Mat. 3.10 Mat. 20.3 They are such teachers that with fained words and thâ—ough covetousness made merchandize of us and do upon the People who by Oppression maintain themselves and Wives in pride and idleness in hoods veils and changable suits of apparrel who go in the way of Cain to envy murder and persecute and after the eâ—ror of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness following after gifts and rewards which the Apostles cryed against and therfoâ—e we deny them 2 Pet. 2. Jude 11. They are such Teachers as have told us the Steeple-house hath been the Church when as the Scripture saith the Church is in God and theâ—fore we deny them 1 Thes 1.1 They are such Teachers that have told us the Letter was the Word when as the Letter saith God is the Word therfore we deny thâ—m Joh. 1.1 They are such Teachers as have told us the Letter was the Light when as the Letter saith Christ is the Light therfore we deny them Joh. 1.1.19 and 8 1â— They are such Teachers as spâ—inkle Infants calling it an Ordinance of Christ and baptizing into the Faith into the Church when as the Scripture saith no such thing and therfore we deny them but the Baptism by one Spirit into one Body we own 1 Cor. 12.13 They are such Teachers as tell people of a Sacrament for which there is not one Scripture and so feed the people with their own inventions and therfore we deny them but the Table and Supper of the Lord we own 1 Cor. 10. They are such Teachers as tell people that Mathew Mark Luke and John is the Gospel which are but the Letter The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the world is glad tydings to poor Captives glad tidings weâ—e promised before the Letter was written The seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpâ—nts head and Hâ— shall be a Light unto the Gentiles the Letter is a Declaration of the Gospel and many have the Letter but not Christ but we having received the Gospel know them to be no Ministers of it and therfore we deny them Gen. 3.15 Luke 1.1 They are such Ministers as go to Oxford and Cambridge and call them the well-heads of Divinity and so deny the fountain of living mercies and there they study and read books and old Authors and furnish themselves with Philosophy and fine words and other mens matter and when they come again they sell it to poor people when as the Apostle saith He was not made a Minister by the will of man and that the Gospel which he preached was not of man nor had he received it from man neither was he taught it and denyed all his learning which he had got by the will of man at the feet of Gamaliel and so finding them in the will of man preaching by the will of man we cannot but deny them Gal. 1. They are such Teachers that tell people that Hebrew and Greek is the Oâ—iginal when as the Apostle spake in the Hebrew tongue to the Hebrews who heard him in their own Language and yet persecuted him and the Greeks who had the Gospel in their own Tongues said The Cross of Christ was foolishnâ—ss these who had the Scripture in their own Language were as ignorant of the Life of them as our naturall Priests who spend so much time in learning a natural Language to find out what those meant that spake forth the Scripture who make poor people beleive that to know a natural Tongue is the means to understand the Original the VVord which is the Original was before all Languages were the VVord was in the begining which VVord was made manifest in all the Children of God who spake forth the Scriptures holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Now all ye learned ones where is your Original heâ—e you and your Original is razed out fâ—om the word which is the Original which the Apostles preached amongst the Hebrews and Greeks which was before Tongues were and your Original which will break all your Tongues and Original to peices Pilate had your Original of Hebrew Greek and Latine who crucified Christ he that draws back into many Languages as into Hebrew and Greek draws back into the naturals and so draws into confusion but the Ministers of God who preach the Everlasting Gospel which endures for ever draw up into one Language and so the Priests and all that trade in natural Languages we utterly deny Act. 22. 1 Cor. 1.13 John â—9 2â— They are such Teachers as have told us that the Steeple-house is the Temple when as the Apostle said Your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and Stephen was stoned to death for witnessing against the Temple who said God that made the World dwells not in Temples made with hands and here finding them in the Generation that hold up the Figuâ—es and deny the Substance and to be ignorant of that Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures we cannot but deny them 1 Cor. 6.19 Acts. 7. They are such Priests that take Tythes the Tenth of mens Labours and Estates and those that will not give them they sue at Law and hale before Couâ—ts and Sessions yea even those they call their own People their own Parishonâ—rs Levy according to the Law receivâ—d Tythes and he had a command to set open his gates that the Stâ—angers and the Fatherless should come within his Gatâ—s and be satisfied and filled but we find none more pittiless of the Fatherless and Widdows then they and the Strangers they complain against to Justices and persecute though they neither seek to them nor others for any outward thing as wanderers and heâ—e they walk contrary to the old Law and the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews said The Preisthood being changed there must of necessity also be a change of the Law and we witness both the Priesthood and the Law changed but they that take Tythes and they that pay Tythes according to the old Covenant deny Jesus Christ the everlasting Preist to be come in the Flesh and heâ—e these Priests shâ—w themselves to be Antichrist that are entered into the World and oppâ—ess the Creation when as Jesus Christ said Freely ye have received freely give and the Apostle said was there a wise man amongst them that went to Law one with another here they are evil examples to the people to sue wâ—angle and contâ—â—d and walk out of the steps of Christ and all the holy men of God yea they exceed all the false Prophets in wickednâ—â—s for we do not read that ever any of
with the Light you will see the Kingdom of Heaven within which never gave consent to Sin and Evil like to a grain of Mustard-seed and to a Leaven which leaveneth into a New Lump And with the Light you will see the Field which is the World placed in your hearts where the Pearl is hid and with what you must dig to find the Pearl the Power of God and what you must sell for its sake to purchase the Field And waiting in this Light you will receive the Spirit of Truth the Comforter to to lead you into all Truth and to bring the Words which Christ hath spoken to your remembrance and it will shew you things to come and it shall receive of those which are Christs and give it unto you So loving the Light you love Christ and receiving it you receive Christ the first and the last For in the Light Christ is seen and handled his Voyce is heard and he is followed So in the Light you will see Christ to be your Teacher who saith Learn of me I am the Way the Truth and the Life by whom Life Eternal is given And you are brought again to Christ the Shepherd who draws you out of the Fall to God into his Image where the Green Pastures of Life are known and fed upon And no man commeth to the Father saith Christ but by me who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World that by the Light all may believe And saith Christ Believe in the Light whilst ye have the Light that you may be Children of the Light So you being enlightned with the Light which if you believe in it you come to be Children of the Light and Heirs of Promise and Mercy and of the Power of a Life that hath no End And believing in the Light you pass from Death to Life from Darkness to Light and you come to know a Translation from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God and to know the begotten of God into his own Image by his Power as you have been degenerated from God and have lost his Image by the Prince of Darkness and so translated from the Image of God into the Image of Satan from the Power of Christ into the Power of Darkness so you must come to the Light that ye may have another Conversion from Satans Power to God from Darkness to Light to be renewed into the Image of God and this is felt within and as you feel this within you will know the Word of God within in your hearts which is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached to the Romans which they were to hear obey and do And that is the Word which seperates the pretious from the vile your pretious thoughts affections motions and words from your vile So the Word is in your Hearts and Mouthes to obey it and to do it And it is quick and powerful sharper than a two-edged Sword And you shall not need to say Who shall bring it from Heaven or who shall fetch it from beneath But it is in the Heart and Mouth and this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached And the same Word is called a Hammer a Sword and a Fire to beat down to cut down and to burn up whatsoever is contrary to it So it is the same Word which sanctifieth and purifieth and reconcileth to God as beats down and cuts down that which is contrary to God and which seperates betwixt you and God So you may hear obey and do the Word for it is with you in all places and in all your occasions dividing good thoughts from bad good words and motions from bad For if all Christendom would hear and obey the Word in their Hearts which is pure and lives and remaines and endures for ever by which they would come to be born again of the Immortal Seed this Word would keep them from evil Actions and Words which are spoken and acted by them And so by the Word every one should be taught and should know the engrafted Word which is able to save the Soul which beats down and cuts down and burns up that which wars against it and keeps the Soul from the enjoyment of God And so in this Word they should know the annointing in themselves to teach them so that they should not need any man to teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them which teacheth Truth in all things And in this Light and Word which is in the heart they should know the New Covenant of God the Law written in the heart and put in their mindes by which they should not have need to say one to another Know the Lord for all should know him from the least even to the greatest And those are true Christians who come to witness this as thousands in England do witness it in this his Day among whom the pretious Pearl is found and the Field is bought among whom the Law of the Spirit of Life sets free from the Law of Sin and Death Who witness the Ages to come of which the Apostle spoke In which the kindness and exceeding riches of the Grace of God should be manifested again which the Lord in the Primitive Times made manifest amongst the Apostles who sat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus In which places thousands are now come to sit Glory be to him for ever I. Concerning WORSHIP The Promise of Redemption is from that State in which Adam and Eve their Sons and Daughters are in the Fall driven from God into a State in which they were before they were driven from God to the Church in God Now they that sit down in a State driven from God are People far off from the Church in God Our Worship is in Spirit and in Truth in which the Devil abode not but is out of it who is the Author of strife and unrighteousness amongst People which Truth maketh the Devil to bow and cringe yea and destroys him and it is the Spirit that mortifies sin which makes the Separation from God Now we say that if all Christendom had worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth they had all been in Him out of which the Devil is and had been in the holy Mountain and had felt the Spirit ruling them in their own particulars and had felt the Spirit of Truth guiding and teaching them in them in their own hearts II. Concerning the CHURCH Our Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which he Redeems with his own blood without spot or wrinkle or deformity or any such thing which blood we feel in our Hearts purging us from all sin with which blood we feel our Consciences cleansed from dead works to serve the Living God So this blood is witnessed in us and the excellency thereof by which we come to know the price of Redemption III. Concerning the WAY We say that Christ is Our Way which is Light which enlighteneth you and
for those that are of a contrite heart who were for Signes and Wonders to both the Houses of Israel when they shall be confounded ashamed and astonished And before you know sin rooted out and wasted out of your flesh and the Earth shaken and removed out of its place and ye brought into that state which Man was in before he Fell you must know the trembling and shaking of that which is to be shaken and the removing of that which is to be removed before Christ the Seed will appear who is the foundation of many Generations and the Rock of Ages who is the First and the Last Who cannot be shaken neither can be changed So that the whole unjust wicked World hath much to suffer before they come to this they must know the Devils to tremble the Heavens to be shaken and the Earth also before he who cannot be shaken will appear by whom the World was made XX. Concerning the BODY of DEATH It s evident that they who plead for a body of Death and Sin about which the world so earnestly jangle and which they plead for as long as they live upon the earth that they also plead for its Author viz the Divel and this is not to plead for Christ who destroyes him who is the Author of sin and the Body of it Object Now if you Object that John hath said If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Answ John saith If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar mark but if we confess and forsake our sins the blood of Jesus Christ the son of God cleanseth us from all sin Further he saith He that is born of God sinneth not neither can he because the Seed of God remains in him Because of which Seed he cannot sin for that Seed keeps the Holy so that the Evill one cannot touch him In this the children of God and the children of the Divel are manifest Whose children of both kinds contends and pleads for his own so there is a time in which men may say that they have sinned and have sin and a time to confess and to forsake sin and then a time to know the blood which cleanseth from all sin and then the Birth born which doth not commit sin and the Seed which remaines in him so that he cannot sin for as I said before it keeps the Holy that the Evil cannot touch him And though Paul cryed out of a Body of Death and of a Warfare yet afterwards he gave thanks to God that he had gotten Victory through Jesus Christ over the Body of Death and that the Law of the Spirit of Life had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death And afterwards the Apostle never complained of a Body of Death but he thanked God that he had obtained Victory through Christ who destroyes the Devil the Author of it who destroys Death and its Body and said that he was freed and that there was no condemnation to them who were in Christ Jesus and that the Life that he now lived was by the Faith of the Son of God which Faith gives Victory over Sin Death and the Devil which sin separates from God by which man hath displeased him by which Faith man is purified and hath victory and pleaseth God and hath access to him and is justified and saved Amen XXI Concerning the word THOU to a Single Person It is the manner among us to use the word Thou to a single person and You to more than one as in the Primitive times among the Saints according to Scripture and the Principle of God placed in every man which distinguisheth many from one and hath the proper word both to singular and plural to wit the singular word to a single person and the plural word to more than one according to the true understanding and Spirit of God in every man and the Testimony of all the Prophets But they are degenerated from the Spirit of God they are degenerated from the Scriptures and from their own Translations calling this manner of speaking Thou to one and You to many nonsence and improper when they themselves are gone from the true understanding which whosoever are in it comprehends them who are degenerated from it XXII Concerning putting of the HAT and Bowing the KNEE and Cringings and Complements To put off Hatts bowing Knees Cringing and Complements are from below and Customes and Manners of the World which shall pass away and never came from God neither is that honour wherewith men ought to honour one another for if all men had honoured and esteemed one another they had been of an higher Spirit than the Spirit of the World and of a more noble and generous Spirit Then neither Man nor Woman throughout all Christendom had received wrong or injury if they had esteemed and honoured one another for he that honours men will in no wise hurt them in this consists Breeding and Civillity And every Knee shall bow to me saith the Lord. For this is the cry Worship God and Fear him and Reverence him And if you Object That some in times past bowed them-themselves to an Angel but in the time of the Gospel which is the Power of God which was before the Fall in the state of Reformation and Restauration John was forbidden to bow to the Angel and the Apostels reproved them that bowed to them And although Jacob bowed for a time to his Brother Esau yet it is not said that he bowed to him all his Life time For it is written The Elder shall serve the Younger So the Elder shall bow among the Cringers and Knee-bowers one to another who will kill and envy one another and to them this is a Mystery XXIII Concerning GOOD MANNERS Evil Words and Evil Communications corrupts Good Manners And if Christendom would learn good Manners they must all come to the Light of Christ Jesus to the Spirit of God in themselves and to the Word of God in their hearts and months which will teach them to leave off Evil Words and will lead them from them and to deny them and this is the way to come to Good Manners But they who live in high Expressions and Complements and full of Evil Words and Flatteries and Dissimulations and call such Good Manners their Words and Works testify and manifest that they are Evil and Corrupt and such whose Manners are evil and corrupt they quench grieve and vex the Spirit of God in themselves and hate the Light and will not come to it because it reproves them of their evil words Such do love envy wrath vanity pride rashness hastiness and yet they are found in flattering Expressions and bowings one to another and they call it Good Manners and Honour when all such things are altogether out of that Honour that comes from above and are those things which the Witness of God in themselves testifieth against and testified in the Name of
dayes of the week That day which is the first day of the week they worshiped the Idol of the Sun which was placed in a Temple and there Sacrificed unto and to the special adoration of which Idol they gave the name of Sunday The second day of the week they dedicated to the Idol of the Moon and from whence these called Christians retain the name of Monday instead of Moonday The next was the Idol of the Planets was the Idol of Tuisco who was the first and chiefest man of Name among the Germans unto whom the name of Tuesday was especially dedicated The next was the Idol Woden whom the Saxons honoured for their God of Battel And after this Idol these called Christians do yet call the fourth day of the week Wednesday instead of Woddensday The next was the Idol Thor from whence the name Thursday is retained instead of the fifth day of the week The next Idol was the Goddess Friga to which Idol they dedicated the sixth day of the week and called it Fryday which is retained to this day The last was the Idol Seater from whence is called the seventh day Satureay And as these called Christians have followed the Heathens Examples in naming their Days so they follow them in nameing their Months for the Heathen they called Mars the God of Battel and from thence they called the first Month March. And Venus they called the Goddess of Love and Beauty and from thence they called the second Month April And Maja a Heathen Goddess called Flora and Cloris were called the Goddesses of Flowers unto Maja the Heathen Idolaters used to sacifice from thence was the third Month called May And upon the first day of the same Month they used to keep Floralia Feasts to the two Goddesses of Flowers viz. Flora and Cloris and Flora was a Strumpet in Rome that used on the first day of that Month to set up a May-pole before her door to intice her Lovers from whence came May-poles and May-Day to be since observed by these called Christians And Juno whom the Heathen called the Gooddess of Kingdoms and Wealth from this Juno the forth Month was called June And Julius Cesar a Roman Emperor in honour to him was the fifth Month called July And in honour to Augustus Cesar an Emperor was the sixth Month called August And four of the other Months are called after the Latine Names as September for the seventh Month October for the eighth November for the ninth December for the tenth And one Janus a King of Italy was for his wisdom pictured with two faces whom they honoured as God and from this name Janus was the elventh Month called January And Saturnus Pluto Februs were called the Gods of Hell who the Heathen said had the Rule of evil Spirits there and from Pluto Februs was the twelfth Month called February And by all these Idolatrous Names do these called Christians call their Days and Months to this day which is contrary to the Scriptures the Prophets and the Apostles The Saxons also had a Goddess whom they sacrificed to in the Month of April called Eoster hence they called April Eoster Month and hence in process of time came Easter Page 135. Camb. Brit. Concerning Singing of Psalmes PSalms began to be sung about three hundred eighty three years after Christ brought in by Damasins Bishop though not turned into Meeter Benedistus an Abbot of the Monastery of Peter and Paul at Wirr brought with him from Rome one John the Arch-Chanter who first taught in England how to sing in the Quire after the manner of Rome Act. Mon. vol. 1. page 164. Anno 724. Laws made by the Saxon Kings in England concerning singing Psalms In the year seven hundred forty seven at the beginning of King Edgberts Reign the Synod of Bishops disputed the profit of singing of Psalms in the Church and made a Decree that with a modest voice they should sing in the Church so called In the year nine hundred twenty four King Ethelston alias Atelston made a Law that fifty Psalms should be daily sung in the Church as he called it for the King Beza being much diverted with Poetry made his pastime to become a part of the vulgar devotion hence they have been stiled by some Geneva-Jigs These are the express words of the Injunction given to the Clergy and Laity by Queen Elizabeth Item Because in divers Collegiate and also some Parish-Churches heretofore there hath been Livings appointed for the maintenance of men and children to use singing in the Church by means whereof the Laudable Science of Musick hath been had in estimation and preserved in knowledge the Queen willeth commandeth that first no alteration be made of such assignments of Living as heretofore hath been appointed to the use of Singing or Musick in the Church but that the same so remain and that there be a modest and distinct Song so used in all parts of the Common prayer in the Church that the same may be as plainly understood as if it were read without singing And yet nevertheless for the comforting of such as delight in Musick it may be permitted that in the begining or end of Common Prayers either at Morning or Evening there may be sung an Hymn or such like Song to the praise of Almighty God in the best sort of Melody or Musick that may be conveniently devised A Warning to all to keep out of the Fashions of the World which lead them below the serious Life and not to fashion themselves according to the World FRiends keep out of the Fashions of the World let not your eyes and minds and spirits run after every fashion in Apparel of the Nations for that will lead you from the solid life into a full stomack with that Spirit that leads to follow the Fashions of the Nations every Fashions of Apparel that gets up but mind that which is sober and modest and keep your Fashions therein you may judge the World whose minds and eyes are in that what they shall put on and what they shall eat and Friends that see the World so often alter their Fashions and follow them and run into them in that they cannot judge the World but the World will rather judge them Therfore keep all in the modesty and plainness and fervency and sincerity and be circumspect for they that follow those things the Worlds spirit invents daily cannot be solid and many Fashions might be instanced both of Hats and Clothes of men and women that daily are invented which they that run into them are near unto the Worlds Spirit and their eyes are gazing after them when they should be upon the Lord from whom they should receive judgment Therefore all keep down that Spirit of the World that runs into so many Fashions to please the lust of the Eye the lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life And Fashion not your selves according to your former Lust of Ignorance and let the time
past be sufficient which you have lived according to the Lusts of men and the course of the World that the rest of your time you may live to the will of God taking no though what you shall eat what you shall drink or what you shall put on therein your lives may judge the Heathens and that you may be as the Lillies for nothing you brought into the World neither any thing shall you take out and therefore while the Eye is gazing after every new Fashion and the mind and desire is thirsting to get it when it has it it lifts up its mind and so brings himself under the judgment of them that be in the sober Life and of the World also and to be like one of them Therefore take heed of the Worlds Fashions lest ye be moulded up into their Spirit and that will bring you to slight Truth and lift up the wrong Eye and wrong Mind and wrong Spirit and hurt and blind the pure Eye and pure mind and quench the Holy Spirit and through such foolish Toyes and Fashions and fading things you may lose your conditions And therefore take heed of the World and trust not in uncertain Riches neither covet the Riches of this World but Seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all outward things will follow and let your minds be above the costly and vain Fashions of attire but mind the hidden man of the heart which is a meek and quiet Spirit which is of great price with the Lord and keep to Justice and Truth in all your dealings and tradings at a word and the form of sound words in the Power of the Lord and Equity in Yea and Nay in all your dealings that your Lives and Conversations may be in Heaven and above the Earth that they may preach to all that you have to deal withal so that you may be as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and as Lights of the World answering the equal Principle in all that God in all things may be glorified So that you may pass your time here with fear as Pilgrims and Strangers and Sojourners as having an eye over all things that be uncertain as Cities Houses Lands Goods so as things below they that possess as if they did not and they thaâ— marry as if they did not yet as having a City whose Maker and Builder is God and a Possession of an Inheritance that will never fade away in which you have Riches that will abide with you Eternally Some QUERIES given forth to the Priests or People to Answer if they can 1. HAve any of you the same Spirit and Power as the Prophets and Apostles had 2. Or have you the same Revelation and Inspiration and Spirit of Prophesie and pouring forth of the Holy Ghost or do you own the pouring forth of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and is not this the last time in which it should be poured out and the Sons and Daughters should Prophesie and Old men dream Dreams and Young men see Visions 3. Or have you heard Gods voice and Christs voice immediately froâ— Heaven or are you some of them the Lord never sent nor spake unto Answer me these Queries 4. Do you own that Christ that died at Jerusalem to be the Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and are not all enlightened by him either to their Salvation or Condemnation 5. What and where is that which must give the knowledge of God is it within People or without them Answer me according to plain Scripture 6. Do you teach or preach that whilst a man is upon the Earth he may be freed from sin and the body of death and imperfection and shall be perfect whilst he be upon Earth or do you keep People in the state of your Father Adam and Mother Eve in the Fall or do you bring them to the state before they fell and so to Christ that shall never fall which of these states do you bring them to and keep your flock in in Adam and Eve in the fall or Adam and Eve before they fell or in Christ that shall never fall you must keep your flock in one of these three states and which of them is it Have you brought any of your flock whom you have driven to that condition and state they need no man to teach them that is to the anointing in them the Law in their hearts whereby they need not say one to another know the Lord that is to the Light of Christ that shines in their hearts to give them the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and how many have you brought hither 7. What is the Mother of Harlots and what is the Beast she rides upon and what are the People Nations and Multitudes and Tongues the Whore sits upon and what is Mystery Babylon and what is the Woman that went into the Wilderness what was her time she was to be there and what is the Beast and Dragons Worship and what is a Will-worship and what is it to worship Angels and what is that which leads Nature into its Course and so to the glory of the first Body and what is the glory of the second Body and what is that which leads Nature out of its Course and so sets the whole Course of Nature on Fire 8. What is the ground of that which keeps in good manners and what is that which corrupts them and what is the Righteousness the World is reproved off and what are the Judgments and what is that which leads the Saints into all Truth and hath every one the Spirit of God and whether bowing bending dossing hats scraping cringing saying you to one be the honour that comes from above or what is it and whence comes it and whether this before mentioned do not stand in that Nature part and principle which is on fire if it hath not these things and therefore whether or no these things do proceed from that which leads Nature into its Course or out of its Course and what is it that defaces the glory of the first body 9. Whether or no you own Trembling and Quaking at the Word of God 10. Seeing you look upon your selves to differ from many and to be above them let us see wherein and in what it is manifest 11. What is self-Righteousness and what is Man's Righteousness and the Righteousness that is as filthy Rags distinguish these one from another or whether they be all one for our Righteousness is that which was before Adam was whom ye in scorn calls Quakers 12. Whether ever any came to see so far as Balaams Ass who saw the Angel of the Lord 13. What are the Graves and the Tombes and the Sepulchres and the Fowls of the Air and the Nests they sit in which Christ spake of Answer 14. Whether or no to pay Tythes or receive Tythes is not to deny Christ Jesus
Light is in darkness and erres not knowing the Scripture which declareth of the Light which John came to bear witness off who was not the Light but testified of the Light Which was the true Light which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World He was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not nor knows him not and he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as received him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God John 1.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And this we witness and by the same Light do we discern and testifie against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the Letter for the Light and so draws Peoples minds off from the Light within them to the Letter without them seeking the living among the dead thinking to find Life in the Letter without them as the Pharisees did and will not come unto Christ that they might have Life John 5.39 40. and so they must be shut out of the Scripture as the Pharisees were and he also that saith the Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true Light which was before the Letter was which all the Children of God were and are guided by and spoke and speakes the Letter from which was before the Letter was and with this the Letter witnesseth and who is guided by this cannot walk contrary to the Letter nor deny it but they know how to use it in its place and see in what condition it was spoken and it witnesseth with them both in words and actions and they that have this have and need the mystery within though they cannot read the Letter without nor ever learned as it was with Christ which confounded the Scribes and Pharisees and they who are never so learned without and can read and understand all Tongues and Languages without and doth not read the Scripture within only feed upon the Husk and are ignorant of the Life which is the Mystery which is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto the ignorant as it was from the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and was revealed to those whom they counted ignorant and cursed and knew not the Law John 7.48 49 And they who take the Letter to be their Rule cannot walk according to it because they are ignorant of the Light which opens and leads into the Life which they who spake them forth lived in but drunkards and swearers and proud and wantonesse and covetoues lustfull enveons ones and all manner of unrighteous persons will take the Letter to talk of and say it is their Rule and Guide but are out of the Life thereof and so by it are condemned and those are the Swine that are feeding upon the husk without Luke 15.15 16. and have gotten the form but are out of the Life and Power and put the shadow for the substance and so lives in darknesse and knowes not whether he goeth but they that read with the single-eye may understand for the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without Now silence all the Study and Wisdom of Man Concerning BAPTISM The Baptism we own which is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with fire but we deny all other for there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all and they who would have one Baptism outward and another inward would have two Baptisms when the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and whosoever hath the Baptism outward are the same they were before but the Baptism of Christ makes a new Creature and this I witness for I received water upon my face as my Parents told me which they called Baptism but I grew up an Heathen as all other Children do and no New Creature though my Parents were counted Believers among the World and their Priests but now I wittess the Baptism of Christ by one Spirit into onâ— Body and now I witness a New Creature Old things are past away and all things become New And now I see the other to be formal imitation and the Invention of Man and so a meer delusion and all are Heathens and no Christians who cannot witness this Baptism Mat. 15.4 who can witness this denies all other for the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and who can witnesse this are Believers but who cannot witnesse this are no Believers and so it is that water or no water availeth nothing but a New Creature for all by nature are the children of wrath and except they be born again they cannot enter and as for the Baptism of water which the Apostles used it being a figure for its time the power went along with it and the Disciples received the Holy Ghost when they were Baptized but none can witness this who sets themselves of acting or imitating the Apostles and so takes it up by imitation and their ground is the Letter and are not guided to it by the same Spirit which guided the Apostles and so they are the same after water as before and so now waâ—er or no water availeth any thing but a New Cereature for Water was but for its time though many in darkness have now got the Form and are groping in it for Life but wants the Life and Power and so from such turn away Concerning the LORDS SUPPER The Supper of the Lord we own which is the Body and Blood of Christ which the Saints fed upon and this is Eternal Food and Life and here they all feed upon one and are of one heart and one mind and here is pure and Eternal Union and Communion and this is not Carnal but Spiritual for Saints are Spiritual and their Communion is Spiritual and Eternall and this we witnesse who are of one heart and one mind who are in the new Covenant and herein we discern the Lords Body and here all drunkards are shut out and all lyars adulterers proud covetous lustfull and envious ones and all back-biters revilers extortioners and all deceitfull and unrighteous persons are shut out of the New Covenant 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and are with-out feeding upon the husk and shadow which is carnall for the brâ—ad which the world breaks is carnall and naturall and only feeds the outward carnall body and goeth into the belly and so passeth out into the dunghill and so likewise the Cup which they drink and so the Communion and Fellowship of the World passeth away but this is no nourishment to the Soul but still the Soul lies in death and here is no Communion but natural outward and carnal of several minds and hearts full of filthiness and uncleanness which is the Table of Devils eating and drinking their own damnation not discerning the Lords Body which is Spiritual which the natural man discerns
Lucifer and his Image is cast out and here all his honour is thrown down and his breeding and manners and fashions and customs and words and wayes and worships which are after the flesh and not after the Spirit whereby he sets up himself and causeth his Image to be worshipped and this is the cause he rages in his Kingdom wheresoever we come and saith we are destructive to all Superiority and Magistracy and Ministry and Honour and Breeding and Manners and turn the world upside down for he knowes where Christ comes he comes to take his Kingdom from him and cast him down into the pit and there he must be tormented quick and all who bears his Image or his Mark and these are some of his marks which he calls Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding Manners and Civility But true Nobility we own the Seed of God is noble wheresoever it is born up and who can witness to the head of the Serpent bruised and the Seed of God born up to reign and rule there is true Nobility there is true Gentillity no more after the flesh but after the Spirit and this is to be honoured for honour is due to this both in Magistrate or Minister Fisherman or Plow-man Heards-man or Shepherd wheresoever it rules without respect of persons and hear fear to whom fear and honour to whom honour and this is no more after the flesh but after the Spirit And here all the true Prophets of God were Noblemen and Gentlemen sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and Great ones of the Earth they were disdaind and reproached because according to the world they were of lower degree some of them Plow-men some Heards-men some Shepherds and therefore they persecuted them and destroyed them yet they were gentile and bore all Christ was Noble sprang of the Noble Seed though of the Great ones and Nobles of the Earth he was disdained reproached and scorned to be the King of the Jewes because according to the World he was of low degree and supposed to be a Carpenters Son so they spit upon him and disdained him and crucified him yet he was gentile and bore all The Apostles were Noble sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and Great ones of the Earth they were despised and disdained and reproached because according to the World they were of low degree some of them Fisher-men and the like and came to turn the World upside down so they were despised pâ—asecuted and killed yet they were gentile and bore all But those were all noble sprung of the noble seed and so is all now who are of the same seed and those were all gentile sprung of the gentile seed and those have the nature but not the name and to those belong the true honour not after the flesh but after the Spirit Acts 7 for they denyed the honour of the World and therefore Christ said I receive not honour from men and said to his Apostles Be yee not called Masters neither call any Master upon the earth and though the Princes of this world exercise dominion one over another yet it shall not be so amongst you but he that would be the greatest amongst you let him be your servant Mat. 23.8 9 10 11. and said he How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely John 5.44 and here the true honour is no more after the flesh but after the Spirit and here you who are giving and receiving outside earthly honour you are in the unbelief out of the doctrine of Christ cringing and bowing and honouring and exalting the Devil and worshipping the Beast and his Image which all the world wonders after and worships Rev. 13. And as for Manners and Breeding Courtesie and Civility Learn to do us you would have all to do to you and speak every one truth to his neighbour And let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but such us is good for the use of edifying for evil communication corrupts good manners but let your yea be yea and nay be nay for whatsoever is more is evil Mat. 7.12 Ezek. 8.16 and breed your Children so and here is good Manners and Breeding Curtesie and Civility and who are of the right noble Seed hath this Manners and this Breeding but the Nobles and Great ones of the Earth want this Manners and this Breeding and both Priest and People of all sorts according to the World And here is the ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour Breeding Manners Courtesie and Civility no more after the flesh but after the Spirit for the natural man mindes natural things and the spiritual man spiritual things but the natural man receives not the things of God and this we own and witness and the time is coming and now is that before this Seed every knee shall bow and every tongue confess and the Kings and Nobles of the Earth shall be bound in chaines and fetters of Iron and here is also the ground of the Nobility Gentility Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners of the world which is after the flesh but not after the Spirit sprung from proud Lucifer the lust that reigns in man and are not yea and nay but calls it manners to say nay and take it or do it and so they have the name but not the nature and so are Bastards and no Sons who are not sprung from the noble gentile seed and to those Honour is not due neither can we bow unto them for if we should we should set the Devil in the room of God and give unto him that which is due to God which when we were in blindnesse through ignorance we did and so worship the Beast and his Image which all the world worships and wonders after for they that are proud and lofty which is the Image of the Devil for the Devil is the Father of Pride and in gay attire those the world worships and wonders after and extols and exalts into high places but since the Lord hath opened our eyes this we cannot do but testifies against it wheresoever we come both in words and actions and so we are destructive to the worlds Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners which is after the flesh and not after the Spirit therefore the Devil hates us in the Nobles and great ones of the world but we give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar and unto God that which is Gods Mat. 22.21 but we cannot give unto Caesar that which is Gods but fear to whom fear honour to whom honour is due He that hath an eare to hear let him hear and understand For saith the Lord if I be a Master where is my fear If I be a Father where is my honor Mal. 1.6 Concerning the Word THOU or THEE First concerning the word thou or thee which all those which are their Priests and Teachers knows
clash against the Truth as it is made manifest in others And indeed the Lord hath shewen me in Spirit several times that they themselves are guilty of that very charge and that he will so implead them at his Judgment Seat which they cast upon us even of denying that Christ which died at Jerusalem to be the Christ For he that owneth the words of Scripture as he apprehends or conceives them in the reasonings of his mind and doth not wait to have them revealed in the Spirit keeping out of his own reasonings and conceivings and waiting patiently till the Lord open the thing in the Spirit he setteth up his own conceivings or an Image in his mind of the mind of the Spirit but misseth of the thing it self which alone is known in the Spirit by them who wait upon the Spirit there to receive it and are not hasty to set up their own reasonings and imaginations concerning the thing in the mean time No man can in Truth call Jesus the Lord but by the Spirit But any man that is any thing serious and weighs the Scriptures in the natural part may so learn to acknowledge his coming into the World and that he is Lord and King c. and may thus call him Lord yea and kindle a great heat in his affections towards him but all this out of the Life out of the Spirit is but mans Image which he forms in his mind in his reading the Scriptures and observing things therefrom But the true calling Jesus Lord is from the feeling of his eternal Virtue in the Spirit and finding the Scriptures opened to him by the Spirit in a Principle which is above the Reason comprehends the Reason and confounds and brings it to nothing Again There is no true Knowledge of Christ no living Knowledge no saving Knowledge which hath the eternal Virtue in it but that which is received and retained in a measure of Light given by God to the Creature in the Faith which is the Gift in the Grace which is supernatural and spiritual whereas the resoning part is but Natural And such as have received the Spiritual understanding know it to be distinct from the Natural and we experimentally find a very clear distincttion between Scriptures searched out by the reasonings of the mind and so practises drawn therefrom and Scriptures opened by the Spirit and felt in the Life Now that Professors generally have not received their knowledge of Christ from the Spirit or from Scriptures opened it the Spirit and so know not the thing but only such a relation of the thing as mans reasoning part may drink in from the Letter of the Scriptures is manifest by this In that they are not able in Spirit and Understandind to distinguish the thing it self from the Garment wherewith it was cloathed though the Scriptures be very express therein Speak of Christ according to a Relation of the Letter there they can say somewhat but come to the Substance come to the Spirit of the thing come to the thing it self there they stutter and stammer and shew plainly that they know not what it is Now the Scriptures do expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore between him that came and the Body in which he came between the Substance which was vailed and the Vail which vailed it Lo I come a body hast thou prepared me There is plainly He and the Body in which he came There was the outward Vessel and the inward Life This we certainly know and can never call the bodily Garment Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in the Body Now if ye indeed know the Christ of God tell us plainly what that is which appeared in the Body whether that was not the Christ before it took up the Body after it took up the Body and for ever And then their confining of Christ to that Body plainly manifesteth that they want the knowledge of him in Spirit For Christ is the Son of the Father he is the infinite eternal Being one with the Father and with the Spirit and cannot be divided from either cannot be any where where they are not nor can be excluded from any place where they are He may take up a Body and appear in it but cannot be confined to be no where else but there no not at the very time while he is there Christ while he was here on Earth yet was not excluded from being in Heaven with the Father at the very same time as he himself said concerning himself The Son of Man which is in Heaven John 3.13 Nor was the Father excluded from being with him in the Body but the Father was in him and he in the Father whereupon he said to Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father What did every one that saw that Body see the Father also Nay not so but he that saw Christ the Son of the living God whom flesh and blood revealed not but the Father only Mat 16.16 17. he saw the Father also O Frinds look to your knowledge of Christ and to your Faith and Knowledge of the Scriptures and to your Prayers also for it is easie missing of the living substance in all these and meeting with a shaddow which may please and make a great shew in the earthly part in the natural understanding and affections but satisfieth not the Soul or that which is born after the Spirit but still the cry there goes out where the Soul is awakned after Truth Substance Life Virtue from Gods Spirit in the Spirit which it alone can feed upon These four things following I am certain of which he that cometh into the true Light shall infallibly experience them there First That nothing can save but the knowledge of Christ even of that very Christ and no other who took upon him the prepared Body and offered it up at Jerusalem Secondly That no Knowledge of Christ can save but the living Knowledge Not a knowledge of him after the Letter which the carnal part may get much of and value it self much by but a knowledge of him in the Spirit which is only given to that which is begotten and born of the Spirit and only retained by that which abides and remains in the Spirit and runs not out into the fleshly reasonings imaginings and concevings about the things mentioned in the Scriptures Thirdly That that man who knoweth not Christ in Spirit nor keepeth close to him in Spirit but through darkness and misguidance of the spirit of deceit called the shinings of his Light his reproofs his checks for that which is evil and his secret motions to that which is good natural This man though he seem to own Christ never so much according to the Letter yet in Truth denies him Fourthly He that denies Christ in his knocking 's and visitations of him in his own heart and before men in the Truths which he holds forth by his Servants and Ministers of his Spirit him will he
deny before his Father in Heaven O I beseech you do not trifle about these things for they are exceeding weighty lest ye perish from the way for missing of the Saviour ye must needs also miss of the Salvation O that ye knew your state as God knows it to be and as it is certainly known and felt in the measure of his Life and holy Spirit by those whom God hath gathered together and whose eyes he hath opened and preserveth open there Glory be to his Name therefore Yea Glory Glory Glory and everlasting Praises be sung to him throughout all the holy Land ye in the very heights of Sion by the Souls of the Redeemed from henceforth and for evermore Amen whose Mercy Love Grace Wisdom Power and rich Goodness remaineth and endureth for ever by and in which the Redeemed live to his Praise who have overcome by the Blood of the Lamb whose Blood they know what it is and none else knoweth it but they who feel the sprinkling and virtue of it Lo this is our God we have waited for him and how can we but be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation O let all that live by the breath of thy Power and drink of thy Streams sing praise unto Thee and exalt thy great and wonderful Name for ever and ever A brief Testimony for Truth by Tho. Tayler I Shall add somewhat of the Testimony which is written in my heart by the finger of Gods Spirit concerning the People called Quakers Indeed they have met with many reproaches and sore oppositions many wayes since they were a People but notwithstanding all their Bow abides in strength and the hands of their arms have been made strong against the wicked one with all his devices in his several kinds of instruments and their Light is still the same and their God the same who blesseth them from day to day even in the midst of all the revilings slanders persecutions and curses which they have met with from men without and in the midst of all the temptations inward trials and afflictions also which are often met with inwardly Yea we know him to be our God and cannot but trust him having found him to be faithfull to us hitherto and knowing his nature to be such that he cannot but continue his loving-kindness and faithfulness to all who are gathered by him in to his holy inward spiritual Covenant of Life and Peace and who dwells with him therein And truly we are fully satisfied and at rest in him and cannot desire another then he who hath redeemed our Souls from death given us Life brought us out of the Pit wherein was no water into a large place set our feet upon a rock a rock indeed and establisheth our goings in the path of holyness working all our works in us and for us by his Spirit and Power Yea we have the Witness in our hearts even the Witness which never erred nor can deceive which testifieth to and with our spirits our Sonship so that we do not imagine our selves sons from apprehensions upon Scriptures but we feel our selves sons in the true sensibleness and know who David is and reap and inherit the sure mercies of David daily O blessed be our Father O blessed for ever be the Father of Life who feeds who nourishes who waters Who refreshes with the Bread of Life and with the pure living water his Lambs his Babes his plants his tender ones of whom he is daily tender and who are daily tender of his Name and Honour And if any man preach another God then he who creates anew in the true Light and therein puts forth his arm of Salvation Death and Destruction and the Curse are his portion from the hand of the Lord. THE Conclusion GLorious was the Estate of the Church before the Apostacy for Purity of Doctrine for holy Order and Discipline for Love to God one to another and to all men even of Enemies for Faith in God for the Presence and Power of his Spirit among them insomuch as the unbeliever coming among them might find his heart and state reached to and be forced to confess and report that God was in them of a truth for singleness and uprightnesse of Heart meekness and innocency of Spirit and Conversation for zeal for God and his Truth suffering the spoiling of their Goods Imprisonments Stripes and many other wayes both from the Heathen and also from the professing Jews who had been the Church once O what shall I say concerning the beauty and loveliness of that State Ye that would know it O wait to feel it in that which giveth the true sence of it But over this glorious State came a dark thick corrupt night wherein the Kernel was lost and the Shell defaced wherein the House which had been swept and garnished became again recovered and possessed by the wicked spirit And how great hath this darkness been O what a kind of Church hath appeared in the World wherein the spirit of Enmity hath dwelt and acted in men under the Name of Christianity So that instead of loving and seeking the good of Enemies they are ready to rend and tear one another for every little difference and will be Lords over mens Faith requiring men to Practice things in Religeon before the Spirit of the Lord teacheth them so to do which the Apostles did not For though they had from God the express knowledge of what was Truth and could certainly instruct and build men up therein yet they were not Lords over mens Faith but if men were otherwise minded then according to what they knew and taught they could wait and bear with them bidding them walk so far as they had attained and God in his due time would reveal the rest also O that men were come to this Spirit again Then they would be Christians indeed and then they might be known to be Christs Disciples by their loving the Brethren and fellow-Disciples But without this love mens Religion is but as a tinkling Cimbal making a noise and sound of somewhat but not having the true Nature or Virtue of Religion in it Now will it not be a glorious Day when the Spirit of the Lord cleanseth away this thick darkness and causeth the Light of his pure Truth to arise and appear again Why there is such a Day to be wherein the true Church which was reproached and driven into the Wilderness is to come out of the Wilderness again and her Witnesses stand on their feet again and her Seed to spring up in the Power of Life following the Lamb who marcheth on fighting with the Sword of the Spirit the words of his mouth conquering and to conqeur thereby the corrupted Antichristian World even as he did at first the corrupt Heathenish World The Lord will purifie his Temple and cleanse the World by the Plagues of his Angels which he hath prepared making way for the beauty of his Truth and the Church of his gathering wherein he
Babylon shall be confounded and all Merchants which have Merchandized with her shall howle and lament and cry Alas alas How is this great City fallen For there hath been a merchandizing in this great City which must be thrown down and all the Merchants of this great City have been those that inwardly ravend from the Spirit of God who have built up and plucked down So unto this from which they have Apostatized you must all come before the Sheeps Life be known and so the Witnesses are raised and shall be raised who hold the Light and carries the Oyl to enlighten the Nations and to annoint them yea the Spirit and Power and Fellowship and Worship in which the Apostles were formerly in And the Cry is begun Fear God and give glory to him Come out of her my People lest you be pertaker of her Plagues And the Mourners shall go forth and the Prophets prophesie Who witness the Spirit of God fallen upon them as formerly among the Apostles And the Everlasting Gospel shall be preached to all Nations Kindreds and People XXXIII Concerning an OBJECTION of PEOPLE Objection But many people speak after this manner Have not we had the Gospel all this time till now Answer We say No You have had the Sheeps-cloathing while you are alienated from the Spirit and so not living in the Power which is the Gospel And the Bride the Lambs Wife is coming out of the Wilderness which hath been nourished of God for a time and times and dividing of times preparing for her Husband and the Man-Child is risen to rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron And the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory Glory to the Highest and people shall come into Gospel-Fellowship and to the Church of God and Church-Fellowship in the Gospel the Power of God which was before the Power of Satan was which Gospel was among the Apostles in which their Fellowship was and this is Gospel-Fellowship and in the Power of God they are over all false Prophets false Worshippers over the Dragon over the false Church and his Worship which are begotten betwixt us and the Apostles and are gotten beyond them and see their rise who are inwardly ravend from the Spirit and are gone from the Truth as the Devil and the Whore heretofore who set themselves against them who are in the Truth But here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints who seeth the destruction of the Whore the Beast the Dragon and the false Prophet by the hand and power of God who know the Seed of God to raign over all viz. he who is the First and the Last XXXIV Of the JEW Inward and Outward and of a CHRISTIAN in the Power and out of the Power The Uncircumcised Gentiles which have not the Law and yet do those things contained in the Law are better than the Circumcised Jews which have the Law and are more Sober and Moderate and so the Jew within in the Spirit is more Excellent than the Jew without in the Flesh And so a Christan in the Light and Power and Seed of God is more excellent than a Christan in the Form of Godliness and yet out of the Power and more Moderate and Patient XXXV Concerning CHRIST the COVENANT of GOD. Christ the Covenant of God was foretold by the Prophet who said I will give him for a Light and for a Covenant to the Gentiles and he shall be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth yea the New Covenant to the House of Israel and to the house of Judah So this Covenant is made to all People to them who were called the People of God and to the Gentiles also And this is that Covenant of Light unto which John came to bear Witnesse which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World which giveth Power to all who receive it to become the Sons of God from him who hath all power in Heaven and Earth given to him And this is the Light in which people must believe by which they become Children of God and this is the Light which shineth in Darkness and out of the Darkness which is in the heart which giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus from whence it comes and this is that Light which they who love darkness hate and will not come to it because it reproves them And by this Covenant of Light to the Gentiles which is Salvation to the ends of the Earth Now we who are Gentiles are become Christians and we obtain Salvation and by Faith in this Covenant we become Children of the Light and by receiving it we receive Power to become the Sons of God But they who hate this Light and love Darkness rather than the Light and do not come to it because it condemns them even this Light is their Condemnation XXXVI Concerning Plots and Conspiracies Plots Conspiracies Insurrections Tumultuous Meetings we utterly abhorre who live peaceably and seek the peace and good of all People upon earth There were about thirty of the fifth Monarchy men who made an Insurrection in England which Insurrection was wickedly laid to the charge of the People of God called Quakers from which Insurrection the Monarchy men themselves declared when they were to dye That we were Innocent yet nevertheless the Diurnals and News-Books have joyned us together with the Monarchy men in that Plot and Insurrection and have published us to the Nations as Plotters though we are Innocent And we say The Lord forgive them for wronging of us The lying Priests and Professors say That we deny the Scriptures and that we deny the Resurrestion and Christ and his Body and that we foame at the mouth and that we bewitch men and bind Ribband about their Armos which are altogether false and lies and from their Father the Devil the Author of them who is out of the Truth in which Truth we are however scandalized by them who are of the Father of Lyes And what evil soever they may bring against us yet we are in the Truth and can rejoyce Praised be the Lord who lives for ever XXXVII Concerning Original Sin The Devil is the Original of Sin which Christ destroyes God is the Original of Righteousness and Christ is Gods Righteousness which endures for ever but the Worlds Original is the many Languages whose Original is Babel which makes Divines as they call them with many Languages set a top of Christ And the Whore sits upon the Waters as it s spoken in the Revelation And John saith The Waters are Nations Multitudes People and Tongues which Tongues they call their Original To which Waters the Gospel must be preached before they can be established And ye are to be redeemed from Tongues and Tongues shall cease saith the Apostle and so from this Worlds Original the beginning of which is Babel and which keeps in Babylon the Saints are redeemed And this hath been set up as an Original among them who are
alienated from the Spirit of God in Babel where the Original of Tongues was in the dayes of Nimrod that Heretick who began to build Babel So Tongues do not make any man a Divine neither a Minister of Christ for that which makes a man Divine as they say is the Word which redeems out of Tongues which was before Babel was and in the beginning before the Fall which knocks down all that which corrupts mans Nature and renews again into the Divine Nature And whosoever are Ministers of the Word and Preachers of the Gospel they are in the Power and in the Word which was before Tongues were This Word brings into the Church-Felowship which is in God into which they are not brought by the Worlds Original which they call the Tongues which shall cease and out of whom we are redeemed neither do they bring into Fellowship with God neither into his Worship nor further than Babel where the Tongues stop But who comes to the Word of God and the Gospel they come to that which was before many Tongues were and shall remain when they shall all pass away XXXVIII Concerning OATHES The Spirit of Christ the Spirit of the Apostles of the Martyrs is risen again which gives Testimony against Swearing and Oathes There were no Oaths at all imposed upon Man before the Fall but only since the Fall for under the Law after the Fall and among the Jews Oaths and Commandments were given To which Christ by whom the World was made which was before the Fall which is the Oath of God which Oathes in the Fall were Types who put an end to strife and brings into quietness and peace and bindes to God without Oathes which Christ put an end to And Christ himself the Oath of God puts an end to all Oaths and brings into the Land of quietness and rest the Spiritaul Canaan and puts and end to strife and destroyes the Devil the Author of strife he who is the Rest the Way Truth and the Life who brings again to God and is the Covenant of God in man hath peace with God which destroyes that which led from God and from Christ and he himself said Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor by the Earth nor by any other Oath He who restores man into that state in which he was in the beginning before the Fall who restores into the Image of God And so in the Restauration there are no Oathes to be used nor Swearing according to his own Doctrine But Yea yea nay nay was to be used among men in all their Communications and what is more then this is evil So that Swearing now is evil And this is the Doctrine of him who restores People into that state in which man was in in the beginning who is the Substance who put an end to Figures And his Disciple Jeams in the 5th Chapter of his Epistle who followed his Counsel who is an Everlasting Counsellor saith Above all things my brethren Swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath lest you fall into Condemnation but let your yea be yea and your nay be nay And this was the manner among them who followed the Doctrine and Command of Christ in the Restauration who were built upon the true Foundation which was first laid in the Primitive times among the true Brethren and was publickly held forth which Manner and Custome Doctrine and Command of Christ Jesus and the Apostles in the Primitive times many of the Martyrs followed held forth and practised among those who were Degenerated and Apostatized from the Life and Power of Christ and the Apostles although they profess the Words And now the Spirit of Christ is risen again and of the Apostles and Saints as in the Primitive times and the Spirit of the Martyrs who bear witness against all Oathes and all sort of Swearing whatsoevever that were used among the Heathens Jews and Apostatized Christians both privately and publickly and bindes to yea and nay in all manner of Communication as Christ and the Apostles taught and and the Saints and Martyrs practised knowing that whatsoever is more than yea and nay is evil and such who Swear are condemned according to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine So we say again That the Spirit of Christ the Apostles and Martyrs is risen again who hath been dead and is dead in and among the Apostates who have the Form but deny the Power from whom we have turned away But now its riâ—en again and lives amongst us Glory and Honour be given to God through Jesus Christ who hath restored to the beginning into the Image of God in which Man was in before he fell before Oathes were For Example Read the Book of Genesis and there you may see that there was no Command given to Adam and Eve before the Fall concerning Swearing neither from Christ who Restores Man again and who puts an END to OATHES before the Law and under the Law and Prophets both whom the Angels which sware worship for Christ saith Swear not at all who is Lord and Master so it is better to obey him than man and in all your Communication let your yea be yea and your nay be nay for whatsoever is more than this cometh of Evil saith he who restores even Christ And in the second Example consider the Apostles who did according to the Command and Doctrine of Christ who said Above all things my Brethren Swear not at all lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5. But let your yea be yea and your nay nay in all your Communication And although there was Swearing among the Jews and other Nations and Heathens before the Apostatized Christians used to Swear nevertheless the Apostles and the Brethren obeyed and they must obey the Doctrine and the Command of Christ for if Christ command one thing and Man another It is better to obey the Lord Jesus Christ the Life who is the Restorer Saviour and Redeemer than men This is the WORD of the LORD GOD to you all Concerning the WORD of GOD and the Original what it is BLessed are all those whose mindes are staid upon the Lord for they shall be kept in perfect peace so where the mind is staid upon the Lord there is a perfect peace for it is a whole peace which cannot be broken So here is not only a perfect peace but a blessing a perfect peace which comes from the God of all peace that bruiseth the Serpents head under your feet the troubler and the blessings which comes from the blessed God So all imperfect peace may be broken that is when the mind is staid upon any Creature or in any Creature and not upon the Creator or in any outward things Goods Houses Lands or Inventions of the Vanities in the foolish vain Fashions which the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life go into which will defile it and corrupt it when any of these things fail and are not according to