Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	scripture_n	1,612	5	5.8214	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91119	A testimony of the Light within. A glorious truth, which all the holy men of God did bear testimony unto, and from which they spoke forth the Sciptures, and the end of all preachings and writings was to bring to Light within, to worship God in spirit and truth, and to Christ within, the hope of glory. The truth cleared from scandals, and some of the errors and false doctrines of two Cornish teachers laid open and testified against. With a description of the true ministers of Christ, and of the free ministery both under the law and Gospell administration; ... Also a testimony of the dawning of the glorious day of the Lord, ... Here is likewise, in short, declared the differences between the old Covenant, ... & the new covenant, ... Given forth from Christ the light within in love to the souls of all people, ... that they may have union with me in my fathers love ... whose name according to the flesh is Alexander Parker. Written chiefly to the inhabitants of the town and parish of Austell, in the county, of Cornwall, but may serve for any others who are in the same nature and condition with them.	Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.	1657 (1657)	Wing P385; Thomason E909_6; ESTC R203124	42,617	54

and many opinions and their minds are earthly and carnall so I say That which a man may have and not have the mind of God is not the mind of God but a man may have the Scriptures Luke 1.1 1 Iohn 5.10 and not have the mind of God so the Scriptures are not it but a declaration of it and so I own them and bear testimony unto the same Truth that the Scriptures bear testimony unto and have the witness within my self according to Scripture testimony He that believes hath the witness in himself And the said Halls being asked if he knew God and he made a scoff at it because such a question was propounded to him and he said he knew God and I asked him if he kept the Commandements he said No Now try him by the Scriptures and we shall find him to be a lyer read 1 Iohn 2 3 4 verses Hereby do we know that we know God if we keep his Commandements He that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar Iohn 8.44 and the Truth is not in him And here out of his own mouth he is proved by Scripture to be a lyar and so no Minister of Christ Then he propounded the same question unto me whether I knew God and kept his commandments Mat. 11.30 1 Iohn 5.3 Psal 119.143 which things I answered and witnessed to truth being made able by the power and life of Christ dwelling within me by whom all things are made easie and his commandements are not grievous but joyous they are my delight Then he said there was none perfect in this life therefore none can keep the commandements of God But his first thing I deny and it is false as I shall prove by Scripture Read Job 1.8 And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Here you may see the Lords own testimony and he that saith there is none perfect in this life is a blasphemer Psalm 37 37● 1 Cor. 2.6 Col. 4.12 Phil. 3.15 who would make God a lyar And David saith Mark the perfect and the upright man for the end of that man is peace And Paul said We preach wisdom amongst them that are perfect And again one prayeth in another place That they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God And let us as many as are perfect be thus minded Here are many Scriptures that witness the truth of Christs pure Doctrine of perfection For if any be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Phil. 5.24 old things are passed away and all things are become new and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Then wo to all them that live in sin and plead for sin while they walk on the earth they be enemies to the Crosse of Christ Isai 3.11 1 Cor. 6 9. 10 Iohn 3 8. Heb. 11.14 Eph. 5.27 Luke 1.74 75 1 Iohn 3.8 and deny the end of Christs coming who came to take away sin and to purifie the heart and purge the conscience from dead works that his people may be a holy people to serve the Lord in purity holiness of life For for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Divel and all sin is a work of the Divel and defiles the Temple Isai 51.2 Isai 48.22 Maark 7.22 Eph 2 12 Iohn 8 34 44 Isai 1 17 Mat. 11 28 29 and separates from God and breaks the peace with God and there neither is nor can be any reconciliation to God untill there be a separation from sin For all who live in sin profess what they will they are enemies to God and strangers from the covenant of promise and are of their Father the Divell who is the author of all sin and unrighteousness therefore cease from sin and learn to do well that you may live and enjoy rest and peace Now whereas it is said in one place of Scripture 1 Iohn 1 8 Heb 10 16 17 18 1 Iohn 3 9 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us This is the refuge for all the Divels Ministers and servants to flye unto who live in sin in the old nature and in the unconverted state to plead against the new Covenant and new Birth where sin and iniquity is done away And this Scripture did Priest Halls bring to maintain his argument against persecution Then I instanced another Scripture in the same Epistle of John chap. 5. v. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God And this he would give a meaning to and I told him 2 Pet 1 20 the Scriptures were of no private interpretation An he asked me how I would reconcile those two Scriptures I told him I owned them as they were set down for they were spoken to severall conditions And then he began to boast and would have turned the truth which was spoken by me into a lie and said I owned the Scriptures as they are and then takes them upon condition and thus impudently stood in a lye and after I spoke my former words and told him the Scriptures were spoken to severall conditions and instanced some Scriptures to prove it as in Acts 26.18 where the Apostle declares how he was sent forth and to what end which was to open the blind eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins c. Here you may see they were in a condition of sin unconverted Again read 1 John 2.12 where the Apostle writes to them whose sins were forgiven Col 2 13 I Write unto you little Children because your sinnes are forgiven you Here you may see another condition Again read Col. 2.13 And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickned together with him Rom 9 20 Rom 6 22 1 Cor 15 49 1 Cor 15 22 Eph 2 1 2 3 1 Pet. 1 23. 1 Iohn 5 18 1 Iohn 3. 6 7 8 Gal 6 7 Mat 7 21 Rom. 8.13 having forgiven you all trespasses Here again as your understandings comes to be opened you may see the conditions and times they were in to whom the Scriptures were written there was a time when they were dead in trespasses and sins and there was a time when they were quickned and their sins were forgiven them And there was a time when they were the servants of Sin and free from Righteousness and there was a time when they were free from sin and become servants of Righteousnesse There is the first man and the second man The first Man is of the earth earthly and the second

A TESTIMONY OF THE LIGHT WITHIN A glorious Truth which all the Holy Men of God did bear testimony unto and from which they spoke forth the Scriptures and the end of all Preachings and Writings was to bring to Light within to worship God in Spirit and Truth and to Christ within the hope of Glory The Truth cleared from Scandals and some of the Errors and false Doctrines of two Cornish Teachers laid open and testified against WITH A Description of the true Ministers of Christ and of the free Ministery both under the Law and Gospell Administration and how those that preached for Hire and filthy Lucre were testified against both by the Prophets Christ and the Apostles Wherein the Nationall and Parish Teachers in England and else where who preach for Hire and set Maintenances and sue people at Law for Tythes and Maintenance are clearly proved by severall Scripture examples to be contrary to Law and Gospel both in Doctrine Practice and in the steps and wayes of those whom the true prophets Christ and the Apostles testified against Also a testimony of the dawning of the glorious day of the Lord and his appearing in power in the hearts of his people which makes the world to wonder and formall Professors to rage and persecute the appearance of Christ in power with severall Scripture Examples shewing how the Lord sent his Servants to testifie against such who had the Form but not the Power of Truth And how the Servants and Messengers of God in former ages and generations who were in the Life and Power of Truth were hated and persecuted by those who had the Form but were not in the Life of Truth as they are now in this Generation Here is likewise in short declared the difference between the Old Covenant where the Law Temple Sabbath Circumcision and other Services were without and yearly offering up Sacrifice for sin but did make nothing perfect the new covenant where the Law and Spirit and Circumcision and the life and and substance of the shadows are witnessed within and sin and iniquity done away and the bringing in of the better Hope known which makes perfect which is Christ within the Mystery and hope of Glory Also an Exhortation to all people to cease from Man and all their carnall and dead Observations without them which doth not satisfie and to turn their minds to the true light and wait for the appearance of Christ within who gives rest and peace and satisfies the hungry thirsting Soul With a few words to those Dear ones who are torn to see the deadness of the formall profession who are waiting upon God whose faces are turned Syon-wards Given forth from Christ the light within in love to the souls of all people who are groping in the dark without that out of death and darkness they may be brought turned to the true light that they may have union with me in my fathers love who am redeemed and brought forth of Pharoah's Court and do count it greater riches to suffer affliction with the despised people of God rather than enioy the pleasures of sin for a season Whose Name according to the Flesh is Alexander Parker Written chiefly to the Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Austell in the County of Cornwall but may serve for any others who are in the same Nature and Condition with them London printed for Giles Calvert at the Black spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1657. To all You to whose Hands this shall come OR To whom soever it shall be committed to to read AND To all in whose hearing it shall be read IT is not that I desire to be seen in Print that was the cause of my writing of that which here doth follow if otherwise I might have been cleared But thus it was upon the sixth day of the weeke being the seventh day of the ninth month 1656. there was a Lecture so called at the Town of Austel in Cornwall and as I lay upon my bed in the morning of the day aforesaid the living power of the Lord did arise in me and a great burden fell upon me and waiting in the fear of God where the secrets of the Lord are known it was laid upon me to go to the Steeple-house at the place aforesaid and I knowing the terror of the Lord durst not withstand nor consult but gave up my self in obedience to the Lord and to his protection though I knew the people to be a wicked gainsaying rebellious people yet I knew him who limits and sets bounds to the raging Sea that it cannot passe its bounds and my life being given up in the service and work of the Lord not fearing what man could do unto me in the power and dread of the Lord I went to the Town and so into the Meeting-place where were two of the professed Teachers and in meekness and patience I waited though under much burden of Spirit untill the Priest had ended his confused gathered in imagined stuffe And afterward I standing up to speak and to clear my Conscience and the Truth from his Lies and other things spoken at that time by him both the Priests began to pass away and would not stay though in the Name of the Lord I charged them to stay and answer for I had some thing to speak unto them but notwithstanding all this they would not stay but went away and left me amongst the rude and ungodly people where like ravening wolves they haled and punched both me and other of my friends that were there that so it was I could not clear my Conscience nor ease me of that burden which was laid upon me concerning them though much was spoken at that time but little received after a little time without much harm I and my friends came away But my burden was not taken off though some of my friends seeing their rudeness perswaded me to let them alone and not to come any more amongst them But on the first day of the week af●er our meeting was ended I passed down to the Town with some friends and having written to the Priest after one Letter was burnt another was delivered to him though at that time he would not read it neither was very free to speak with me Yet notwithstanding though there was little freedom I passed to the Priests house accompanied with one of my friends where coming to the house I found them very light and scoffing and little freedom I had to clear the Truth though much was spoken it was but like water cast into the Sea And after some little time I shaked off the dust of my feet as a testimony against them and came away But I was not eased of my burden though I laboured to put it off seeing I had been amongst them but it lay still upon me and I waited on the Lord and on the second day of the week at night lying on my Bed I was commanded to write and so

in obedience to the Lord I have written what was given to me which here is committed to the view of the world Read with a single eye and examine those Scriptures that I have set down both in the Margine and other places and then try those men whom you have long looked upon to be Ministers of the Gospell and you may see them both in Doctrine and practice to be contrary to the Ministers of God mentioned in Scripture and in the steps of the false Prophets and false Apostles which the true Prophets of Christ and the Apostles testified against That which I have written it is not in envy to any of their persons God is my record it would rejoyce my heart that any one of them might turn from their wickedness and unchristian practices and cease deceiving and making Merchandize of poor Souls and lay down their Crowns at the Feet of Jesus and learn of him that their Souls might live and though I be hated of them and others for my love in dealing plainly not daring to speak peace to the wicked whom the Lord hath not spoken peace to but freely declaring the Truth as it is in Jesus owning the least appearance of Truth in any where ever I see it and cherish it but do witness against all hypocrisie and outside seeming holinesse and hyocriticall Professors it is abomination to God and the very prophane ones and the Publicans shall enter the Kingdom before such I say if I be hated for this my love in speaking and writing in plainness not respecting any mans person I have peace with God in what I have here written which I value much more than all the dearest love or greatest hatred and frowns of men So I do admonish all who read this or any other not to be hasty to judge nor to speake evill of things you know not but receive in love what you can reach unto and see to be truth and do not rashly censure that to be error which at present you do not well understand but try all things and hold fast that which is good From Tregangeeves in the Parish of Austell in the County of Cornwall the 15. day of the 9. month called November 1656. Writen by one who is a lover of the Truth and tenders all those who love the Truth in sincerity of heart who wait for the appearance of Christ in Spirit who am known to the world by the name of Alexander Parker A Testimony of the Light within a glorious Truth which all the holy Men of God did bear Testimony unto and from which they spoke forth the Scriptures and the end of all Preachings and Writings was to bring to Light within to Worship God in Spirit and Truth and to Christ within the hope of Glory TO all you People in the Town and Parish of Austel young and old high and low rich and poor Priests Professors and prophane ones of what sort or degree soever to you all am I moved of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to write and clear my Conscience whetheron will hear or forbear but chiefly to you who are breathing and hungring after righteousness in whom there are true desires and thirstings after the Waters of Life for you doth my Soul travail and for your sakes and the pure Truth which is daily slandered by false and back-biting tongues do I freely declare and write these following lines it being so the people of their Town and Parish many of them being so rude and bruitish that I cannot have liberty to speak by word unto you but they are ready to lay hands violently upon me and others of my dear friends who in meekness and innocency have come amongst you they have been haled forth and abused by the rude multitude as I my self was upon the sixth day of the week being the seventh day of the ninth moth called November 1656 when I was in your publick meeting-place and heard one of your Teachers whilest he uttered forth the Divination of his own brain that which by his study and labour he had composed and patched up and so spoke forth his conceiving and imagination and not the Word of God Now I having heard and having had some discourse with your Teacher William Vpcot and another of his Coat and being that divers reports and many slanders are cast upon me and my friends both by the Priests and others as that I deny Christ the Scriptures Prayer and the like which things are false and their accusation I do deny as to my own particular all their lies and slanders I do not value they are as dust under my feet and I stand clear and innocent in the sight of God and all just men and their lies and slande●s doth not touch me at all I know it is the portion of the Children of God to be reproached and reviled scoffed and scorned this is but a fulfilling of Christs words who was hated of the world and persecuted and put to death by the professing People and saith Christ as they have done unto me so they will do unto you if ye were of the world the world would love you but because I have chosen you out of the world therefore do they hate you but blessed are ye when men revile you Ioh 15 18 19. Mat 5 11 12. and persecute you and shall speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you these Scriptures are fulfilled in these daies upon this Generation and truly I can rejoyce in all this and count it joy that I am counted worthy to suffer for my Lord and Masters sake knowing this Acts 5 4● 2 Tim. 3.12 Heb. 11 26. that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution so their reproaches to me are great riches and truly for my own part I should be silent and bear all these things patiently But for the Truths sake and for their sakes who are tender hearted I shall declare and lay open some of their Deceits and Errors who profess themselves to be your Teachers I shall not speak by hear-say from others but what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears in tenderness and love to your Souls and not in envy to their persons Rom 13.8 Mat. 5.44 Acts 13.14 15. Joh 16 2. Mat 12 33. Jude 11. 1 John 3 12 15. 2 John 9. Acts 21. 27 28 29 30 31. Luke 10 3. Mat 6 5. for I owe to no man any thing but love my desire is that they might turn from their wickedness and live and so I shall declare and leave it to you to consider and with the Light of Christ in your Consciences rightly to judge John 7.24 According to the will of God as I was moved by the living power contrary to mans will upon the sixth day of the week being their Lecture day so called I

came into the publick Meeting-place which you call a Church in meekness and innocency according to the practice of the Ministers of the Gospel and I sate down and imediately Vpcot your professed Teacher seeing me envy did arise in him and the image of Cain did appear in his face and he spoke to some of his hearers to put me forth in this thing if it were nothing else it is enough to try him for the tree is known by his fruits envy is a mark of the false Prophets and they who live in envy are of Cains generation and nature and he that envies his brother is a murderer and so of the Devil and is no true Minister and it was not the manner nor practice of the Apostles to cause any to be hailed forth but on the contrary the Apostles and Ministers of Christ were haled forth and beaten and abused and in this age your Teachers are found contrary to the Ministers of Christ not guided by that meek and Lamb-like Spirit that they were guided by but he is plainly manifest to have a contrary spirit of envy and so the spirit of error 1 John 4.6 The same time one whose name is Halls went up into the high place and stood praying there Pharisee-like which Christ cryed woe unto such that did so Mat. 23. and in his prayer he uttered forth his envy and blasphemy against Christ the Light and prayed to his God that they might not be guided by the Light within and afterward prayed that the Lord would reveal his Truth within Now here all who are not wilfully blind may see his confusion and out of his own mouth I leave him to be judged for Christ Jesus is the Truth and he is the Light John 14.6 John 8.12 and if the Truth must be revealed within then the Light is within and where this Light is manifest it leads and guids all who are in it out of death and darkness and all unrighteousness into the pure way of life righteousness and peace as Christ hath said whosoever follows me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and all who deny the light within denies the New-Covenant Isa 4● 6. Jer 31 31. 1 Tim 3 9.16 and the faith of Christ nay further they deny the whole Mistery of Godliness which is God manifest in flesh and this I shall prove by Scripture that all they who deny to be guided by the light within denies God Christ and the Spirit which are all one in substance though differing in names for God is light and Christ is light and the Spirit is light and they are all one God 1 John 5 7. who is light as John the beloved Disciple declares and this was his message that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all as you may read Iohn 1.5 And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ declares and testifies of God dwelling within as you may read 2 Cor. 6.16 What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said Rev 21 3. I will dwel in them and walk in them c. Again read Ephes 4.4 5 6. There is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Col. 3 10 11. mind this well In you all Again read Col. 1.26 27 28. where Paul speaks of the Mistery which hath been h●d from ages and generations but now is made manifest to his Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mistery among the Gentiles which is Chrict in you the hope of glory Again read 1 Cor. 3 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And this is the New-Covenant of God prophesied of by the Prophet Jeremiah in the 31. Chap. 31 32 33 34. which was not according to the old Covenant Exod 34 1. Mal. 2 7. Heb 10 12 where the Law was written in Tables of Stone and the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they year by year offered up Sacrifice for sin c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in the inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more And again read Luke 17.20 21. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God should come he answered them to wit Jesus and said the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation neither shall they say lo here or lo there mark well for behold th● Kingdom of God is within you Another Scripture I shall mention in the first Epistle of John 2.20 to the 28. Ye have an Vction from the holy One and ye know all things c. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you but the annoynting which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him These Scriptures I have set down to prove that he or they that denies to be guided by the Light within denies God Tim. 32 26. Iohn 4 23 4● Jer ● 31 34. 1 27. Co●h 16 13 Job 8 1. ● Joh 5 29 1 Heb 10 16 Luke 17 21 1 Jo 2 27. 1 Jo● 1 3 5 Christ Spirit and the Scriptures and in a word the whole Mistery of Godliness which is God manifest in flesh where the true Worship in Spirit and Truth is known and witnessed and the New-Covenant enjoyed where sin and in●quity is done away and blotted out of the Lords remembrance and this is light within which leads and guids all the Children of God in the waies of righteousness and peace where the substance and life of all figures and shaddows and the life of all Scriptures is witnessed and enjoyed within for the Law is light and it is within and the Kingdome of God is light and it is within and the Spirit is light and the Annointing and Christ is light and these are all one in substance one God who is a Spirit of light and he dwells within his people and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom 8 14. and here you may see the error and blasphemy of Halls who prayed that they might

thou didst this day to some of the people out of thy envious spirit spoke unto them to take me away because I had my hat on my head when thou thy self hadst a Cap on and thy fellow-Priest and severall others that had their heads covered and yet wouldst condemn and judge me for that which thou and others were guilty of and so stirred up the people to do evill O shameless man It grieves my Spirit to see such actions amongst you Are these the fruits of thine and others Ministery when in meekness and innocency as a Lamb I came among you as that of God in thee shall one day witnesse thou thy self who should have been an example of good unto the people was the first that did appear in envie against the innocent and went about to stir them up to cruelty and rage and to hale me out of your Assembly when in innocency I stood and heard thy partner and brother in Iniquity untill he had ended his frothy and airy lying stuff as I shall prove by the severall things was uttered by him that he hath denied the new Covenant this by Scripture I shall clearly prove and do charge him to be one of the Antichrists that the Apostle speaks of which should come in the last time And when I stood up to speak and to clear the truth from his lies and slanders thou and he like two hirelings fled away and when I called after you and charged you to stand yet you both went away and left me among a company more like Dogs than Men raging and swelling haling rending punching with their feet and so the Scripture is fulfilled which Christ spoke Behold I send you forth as Lambs in the midst of Wolves This was fulfilled this day in thy Assembly who behaved themselves like savage wild and bruit Beasts And this is the nature and the image which thou hast begotten them into your fruits make you manifest to be no Christians but Brutes and Heathens In the cool of the day consider do not wilfully close thine eye nor stop thine ears nor harden thy heart against pure innocent Truth lest God give thee up to a Reprobate mind It is the same Jesus as ever was and the same Truth which thou and other do oppose And surely if thou dost not with speed repent and turn to the Lord utter darknesse will come upon thee thy Talent shall be taken from thee and into the pit of misery shalt thou be turned which is the portion of all envious bitter persecuting spirits I have something further to say unto thee and thy partner concerning his stuff delivered by him this day either come up to Laurence Growdons or else appoint some other convenient place where I and other of my friends may freely come and as you are faithfull to your God fail not Send me thy Answer by this Bearer Austel 7. day of the 9. month 1656. By a Servant of Jesus known to the world by the name of Alexander Parker On the first day of the Week in the evening I and my friend Laurence Growden did passe down to Vpcots house and coming in amongst them Ieer 23 31 Rom. 1 25. Iob 4 7 I found them very light and vain making a scoffe at what was spoken and turning truth into a lye but the Lord will plead the cause of the innocent Then Vpcot accused me and said I denied the Word and I denied Prayer and I denied the Sacraments And my answer was I own the Word and I own Prayer but the Sacraments I did deny there was no such Scripture that speaks of Sacraments Then he said I did contemn the Ordinances and that was because I stood and sate in the Steeple house with my head covered Rom. 2.3 when as both the Priest and severall of them that were there had their heads covered and yet would condemn me for that which they were guilty of but as for keeping on my Hat in contempt it is false but for conscience sake I could not bow to their Image seeing their hypocrisie and dissimulation and feigned humility making a shew of holinesse outwardly unto men Prov. 15 8. Isai 1 1● Ier 6 20 when they are full of hypocrisie and sin within the Prayers Sacrifices of such arean abomination to the Lord. After I having some discourse with Halls about something spoken by him he not being able to stand before the Truth he would have shuffled off and said not onely by the light within and would have put in that word onely which was not spoken by him in the Steeple-house but his words were plainly proved that they might not be guided by the light within He affirmed likewise that the Scriptures were the rule of life and the way to salvation and the will and mind of God All which things I answered to at that time and owned the Scriptures to be a Testimony and an outward declartion of all these the rule of life and the way to salvation and the will and mind of God but the Scriptures themselves are not the Rule of Life nor the way to salvation nor the will and mind of God which I shall prove by Scripture There is but one Rule of life and that is the Spirit of God which is life and gives life and makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and this is the Comforter which guides and leads into all truth Iohn 14 26 15 13. Iohn 6.61 2 Cor. 3 6. Rom. 8 2. 1 Cor. 2.11 All who obey and give up to be guided by it which the world cannot receive But there is no life in the Scriptures it is a dead Letter and none can understand it but as they are led and guided by the quickning Spirit For though Christ bid the Jewes search the Scripture he doth not say there is life in them or that they were the Rule of Life though they thought to have eternall life in them but they would not come to Christ that they might have life Iohn 5 39 40 Iohn 14.6 Iohn 1.4 2 Pet. 1.21 22. Heb. 13 8. Acts 14.12 1 Cor. 2.16 Acts 4.32 who was the life and his life is the light of men and this Life and Light and Rule was within the holy Men who spoke forth the Scripture and the rule of life is the same now which is spirituall within which the Scripture declares of but is not it Secondly the way to salvation is but one which is Christ Jesus who saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life and there is no man can come to the Father but by me but the Scriptures are not Christ so not the way to salvation but a testimony of the way Thirdly the mind of God is pure and spirituall and was within the holy men that gave forth the Scriptures and they were all of one minde but there are many that have the Scriptures but have not the mind of God neither are they all of one mind but many minds

in the of the house of the ruder sort 2 Thes 1 7 8 9 10. did threaten mischief against me but neither of the Priests nor any other did reprove them for it but did encourage them rather in their wickedness but the Lord God of power is now appearing and will render vengeance in flames of fire upon all that know not God Psal 111 2 3 Rom 11.33 Rom 1 21 to the end and that do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe read 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. and truly his work is wonderful and marvellous in our eyes his waies are past finding out by any worldy wit or wisdom as it is written the world by wisdom knows not God for the preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness to worldly wise and Scripture-learned ones but unto all that believe both Jews and Gentiles Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men for saith the Apostle Ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are Christ Jesus the beloved son of God when he chose himself disciples and Ministers he did not choose them by their greatness in the world nor by their great learning and Scripture knowledge he did not choose him disciples of the great Doctors and learned Rabbies of those times neither of the Rulers nor chief of the people and this made the Rulers and chief Priests to rage and despise and called him a Carpenter Mark 6 3. Jo 7 48 49. Mat 26 3 4. Acts 4 13. Mat 4 18 21. and those that followed him a cursed people that knew not the Law and the Rulers and chief Priests took counsel against Christ to put him to death such as were of great esteem in the world he did not choose but he choosed ignorant and unlearned men and despised ones in the worlds account many of them Fisher men such did Christ make-choice of 1 Cor. 2 cha that the power might be of God and not of man that no flesh should glory in his presence but he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. And when Paul came to the Corinthians he came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto them the testimony of God for saith he I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling but now trembling is despised and made a mock and a scoff at in your Towns streets and villages and most places the Children of God who fear God and tremble at his word are made a mock and a by-word under the name of Quakers it is become their Table talk and at their Ale-houses and Taverns and indeed most places where they come the children of God are become the reproach and as a by-word amongst them every one giving their censures Jer 6 10. Mat 10 22. Jam 3 15. one crying one thing another crying another thing and all are in confusion but these are them whom the Lord doth love and regard who tremble at his word as it is written in the prophets Heaven is my Throne Isa 66 1 2. and Earth is my footstool what house will ye build unto me saith the Lord or what is the place of my rest hath not my hand made all these things and all these things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look to and regard he that is of a meek and a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word But such are now reproached and beaten and whipped and stocked and sent up and down the Country as Vagabonds Prov. 19 29. Prov 10 6 7. Phil 2 12. and abused and sent to prison but God will plead the cause of the innocent and the scoffers and scorners he will judge and bless and preserve them that love righteousness that work out their salvation with fear and trembling And further Paul declares that his speech and his preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that their faith should not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power of God howbeit saith he we speak wisdome amongst them that are perfect yet not the wisdome of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought but we speak the wisdome of God in a Mistery even the hidden wisdome which God ordained afore unto our glory And this wisdome and this mistery the Lord hath revealed unto us for his Names sake that we might be to him a praise and a glory and an honor in walking answerable and worthy of his love in all humility and godly conversation and we cannot partake with the world in their waies of worship Ephes 4 1 2. Col 1 10. Ephes 5 11. Jam 3 15. Tit 1 16. Rom 1 18. which is carnal invented intheir faln estate by their carnal wisdome which is earthly sensual devillish the root and ground of sin and the body and many branches of the cursed Tree is alive and not killed and they live in sin and pleads for a continuance in sin while they live on the earth such are they who profess God in words but in works deny him and such are they who hold the truth in unrighteousness gathering in the Saints words the Scriptures which were given forth from pure life and spirit within these they gather into their unrighteous minds and talks of God and Christ with their vain minds but deceit and iniquity lodgeth in their hearts Mat 23 28. such a Worship and a formal profession we do deny and against them do testifie and cannot joyn with them nor have fellowship with them and therefore are we hated and reviled and made a prey upon and so the Scripture is fulfilled which saith Isa 59 15. they that depart from iniquity are become a prey to this generation 1 Cor 2 9 10 and this wisdome and mistery is hid from the worlds eye and from their ear they cannot see nor hear nor understand the things of God as it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea

example for its innocency and shewes that all must become as innocent as little children for whosoever doth not receive the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein But what example is this for any one to sprinkle wa●er on the innocent childs face or what advantage is it for a proud covetous heady high minded sinfull carnall man to take the innocent little child which is not capable of believing what can his prayers or any thing he doth John 9.31 profit or advantage the innocent child Read without prejudice and let that of God in your consciences judge There is one Lord one Faith one Baptism and that one Baptism I own which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Eph. 4.5 1 Pet. 3.21 Gal. 6.15 1 Cor. 12 13. Heb. 10 22. 1 Pet. 3. 21 For it is neither dipping or sprinkling or not dipping or sprinkling that avails any thing at all but a new creature for that is not the baptism which is outward with the water but baptism is that of the Spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience the body washed with pure water and as many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ and in Christ all are one Gal. 3.27.28 And for their Sacrament which they tell people of I deny the Scripture knows no such word as Sacrament but the Supper of the Lord I own and witness which is a spirituall eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ whereby we being many are one bread and one body For the cup of Blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ John 6.56.63 John 8.12 the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.16 This bread is Iesus Christ the light of the world as you may read Iohn 6.35 I am the bread of life I am the living bread that came down from above he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever and he shall not hunger and they that drink of this cup shall never thirst but it shall be a Well of living water springing up unto eternall life John 4.14 But I say That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Divels and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Divels ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Divels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Divels 1 Cor. 10.21 Now for a company of profane sinfull people as drunkards swearers lyars scoffers scorners proud lofty John 8.44 1 John 3 8. John 6.70 high-minded ones Whoremongers Adultere●s Covetous cruell oppressors and the like for these to meet and eat bread wine and call it a communion I do it deny to be the Communion or Table of the Lord but the Table of Divels Likewise their standing praying before and after their Sermons as they call them and their pulpit and their taking a Text as they call it and add to it the divination of their own brain and speak forth their conceivings and not the word of God these and all or most things that are used and practiced by them in the steeple-house or Idol-Temple are contrary to the practice of the Ministers of Christ and they are to be turned away from for they do not neither shall they profit the people at all for if they had stood in the councell of God they should have turned the people from the evill of their wayes but they run and the Lord never sent them therefore they shal not profit the people at all Jer. 23.32 Thus I have declared and laid open their deceits and contrary walkings to the holy men of God and cleared the truth from their lies and slanders and do deny them and all their way of worship John 4.24 Col. 3.16 John 1.3 1 Cor. 3.3 Phil. 3.3 and do own the worship of God in Spirit and Truth and the Ordinances of God in Spirit preaching praying and singing with the Spirit and with understanding singing with grace and making melody in our hearts to the Lord and Baptism and the Lords Supper and the Scripture in the life and spirituality of them and the Gospel of peace and glad tidings and the word of life and reconciliation I own and witness which separates from sin and joyns to the Lord to be one with him in Sp●rit where a I the children of God have union even in the pure Spirit and love of God and are written in one anothers hearts not with paper and ink but with the Spirit of the living God and are taught of God and worship him in Spirit and rejoyceth in his love and patience for evermore Awake awake all people awake to righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 Eph 5.14 R●m 13.12 Luke 21 27 28. Isai 4. chap. 2 Cor 4.6 arise from your dead sleep of carnall security put off the works of darkness and put on the armer of light stand up from the d●ad that Christ may give you light For now is the Lord appearing and arising in his mighty power for the redemption of Sion and to put an end to sin and finish transgression his day is dawned and the glorious light of the everlasting Gospel is broken forth and shines in the hearts of the Lords people the Lord is gathering his scattered-flock together in this his day where they have many years been feeding upon the dry husks and running from mountain to hill and from hill to mountain all this cloudy dark day Now is the Lord coming to bring back again that which was driven away and to seek and to save that which was lost and bring his sheep into the fold of the the true shepheard where the sheep shall lie down in peace and feed together in one fold and the Lord alone will be the Teacher and Feeder of his Flock and no ravenous beast shall pluck them out of his hand for he is the good shepheard that will lay down his life for his sheep John 10 1● and will not flye when the Wolfe comes to devour the Lambs but he doth preserve them all and carries his lambs in his arms and gently leads out all that are with young all his tender babes he seeds with milk and nourishes the tender plants with the water of life and this is the Lord bringing to passe in these our days glory be to his name for evermore he is fulfilling his promises made of old gathering his people into union and fellowship with himself Jer. 23 5 6 7.8 Isai 55 3.4 Psal 2.1 2. Acts 13.40 41 John 15.18 19. where they shall all rejoyce together and be one in the everlasting covenant of love and life

and strict in their observations yet they lived in their sins and Christ saw their hypocrisie and cryes wo unto them as you may read Matth. 23. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and of the Platter but within they are full of extorsion and excesse Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is wihin the Cup and Platter that the outside may be clean also Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are like unto whited Sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward Mat. 26.3 4. 27 26 Acts 2.41 Acts 7.48 49. to the end but are within full of dead mens bones and all uncleaness Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because ye build the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous and say If we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets wherefore ye be witnesses unto your selves that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets Fill ye up then the measure of your Fathers Ye Serpents ye generation of vipers how have ye escaped the damnation of Hel● Here you may see that Christ deals plainly with them and doth not wink at sin but reproves them sharply And it was no railing as some call it now for he saw their deceit and they were in rage and envy against him and the Chiefe Priests and Rulers took counsell against him and crucified him but notwithstanding all this did not put a stop to the work of the Lord but he appeared again unto his Disciples and filled them with his Spirit of power and they went and preached the Gospel and cryed down the Temple-worship and the Ceremonies of the Law and for this they were hated Acts 8.2 3. and persecuted and some were stoned to death by such as upheld the Temple and the outward commands and Saul amongst the rest made havock of the Church and persecuted them from Citie to Citie And thus in the Apostles time they were persecuted by such as had the form of godliness but were strangers to the power and life of godliness But I do not read in all the Scriptures that ever the Christians did persecute any who were Christians indeed so that persecution is a mark of the Beast and of Antichrist and it was ever blind After the Apostles time many there was that got the form of truth 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 John 2 18. and in the Apostles times the Doctrine of Antichrist crept in which now hath over-spread a great part of the world and darkness hath long been over all Nations and though some have born the name of Christians yet far they are from the Christians life and these now in our age have gotten the Scriptures and as those in the days of Christ had gotten the form of Moses and the Prophets words so these have gotten the form of Christ the Apostles words but are far from Christ and the Apostles life and as they then in that generation did did condemn their fore fathers for killing the Prophets Luke 11.47 48. and yet did persecute Christ the Life so these now in this generation do condemn their fore fathers the Jewes for crucifying of Christ and yet are found in rage and malice and persecution against the appearance of Christ in Spirit in his Saints now yea those who have been looked upon as godly men and preached and prayed for the pouring forth of the Spirit upon sons and upon daughters and that the Lord would teach his people himself by his Spirit those things have been spoken of and talked in this generation by Priests and People And now when the day is come and the Lord hath poured forth his Spirit upon Sons and Daughters yet because it is not in their way and in their time and according to their expectation therefore they cry out and persecute and revile and speak against the Lords light and appearance within as it was formerly by the enemies and opposers of Truth and these cry out against freedom from sin and against perfection as a blasphemous Doctrine but it is that which the Lord is bringing to pass Heb. 10.16 17 18. Rev. 21.27 1 Cor. 6.9 10. gathering his people into his everlasting Covenant where sin and iniquity enters not but is for ever shut out of the Kingdome and Covenant of God For these Teachers and People in these our dayes who cry up and professe Christ without and a Church and a worship without and a Law and Light and Word without and their Rule and Ordinances without and their Teachers and all other things without are but in in the state and condition nay they are short of those who upheld the Temple-worship and Ceremonies of the Law which made nothing perfect though there was in the first covenant Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the Candlestick and the Table and the Shew-Bread which is called the Sanctuary and after the second veil the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all And other things as you may read Heb. 9. the holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts Sacrifices that could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the conscience which stood onely in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation and in that covenant and admin stration there was an outward Temple and a Law and Sabbath and Circumcision without and Priests that did offer up Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings whose lips were to preserve knowledge but nevertheless there was a disanulling of all these things for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof Heb 7 18 19. Heb 10.1 Heb. 8.7 8. to the end for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh unto God and all these things were but as Types and Shadowes of better things to come and of a new Covenant in which sin and iniquity shall be done away For if that first covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sound for the second for finding fault with them he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenent with the House of Israel and with the House of Judab not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in th● d●y when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt for they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord for this is