imagination but observe judgement and regard the thing which is right and just 22. There is found moreover a certain kind of people which perswade themselves that they are unpartiall because they stand untied and unbound from all outward Religions or God-services and from all such as are called Sects supposing that in such a sort it is altogether well with them and that so standing they are in good case because they are so free and have such a conscience as passeth not for such things they set up their rest also that they will not trouble themselves about any thing nor respect or have any regard either of Jerusalem or of Sion or els of Gods Communion of Saints but do earnestly care how they may get their living and welfare maintain their Family and vvithall do that which is equall and right to every man having a Proverb Let Gods Water run over Gods Field and let us take our rest 23. Is not this to have utterly mistaken the life of the truth and the testimonies of the upright unpartiallnesse Shall there be no d Esa 2 40 59 Mat. 5 1 Pet 1 word of life then nor service of love ministred nor any thing thereout to be expected or e Rom. 8 longed for Are then the promises of God which concern f Esa 51.52 60 c. Jerusalem and Sion come all to an end And shall the oath of God which he hath sworn as that the world g Nu. 14 Mac. 2 shall be filled with his glory be thus utterly forgotten Will he not then gather together his holinesse again h Esa 43 Baruc. 5. Mat. 24 from all Coasts of the earth and be gracious unto them Yes assuredly he will not be slack nor forslow his time 24. But alas this is least thought upon howbeit that which concerns themselves they think much of but i Lam. 1.4 Ezek. 8.9 23 Dan. 8 whether God hath that which is his or that he remaineth as a stranger without his Sanctuary that care they not for they will be sure to take to themselves the earthly things which as true it is God hath created for the man and for the mans welfare but their hearts which God according to the inward man hath created for k Lev. 26 Ezek. 36.37 2 Cor. 6 his own dwelling and for the praise of his glory they draw to the earthly l Sap. 2. Rom. 1 and corruptible things and so steal or with hold-from God that which is his and are theeves in Gods honour and in his earthly created goods 25. Note once I pray you and consider whether the same be a right unpartiallnesse or not Notwithstanding in such a state they seem to be righteous men for all that yea such a one shall vvith many welenough passe for a brother of the Gospell but truly according to such a course if we vvill come no nearer unto God we are before God m Esa 1 John 10 all theeves and robbers Idolaters Adulterers and Adulteresses 26. This is doubtlesse a great abomination or abhorring that the man tieth himself to such things as God hath n Gen. â— created unto good for him I say nothing yet of such as use them so unseemly and inordinately and so shutteth his God out at doors and keepeth the godly being out of his heart 27. Therefore let us learn to stand upright in the unpartialnesse according to the truth and not after the manner of men and afore all things give unto God o Deut. â— Mat. 22 that which belongeth unto him namely the heart and mind and likewise p 1 Tim. â— use that well which belongeth unto us to the land and praise of his glory that he blessed may he be who is all in all may also be glorified and praised in all and that we in like manner might be made an q Tit. 2 acceptable people unto him as his own Creation r Gen. 1. Eph. 2 and work of his own hands wherein he liveth and raigneth and might moreover be made the Sheep of his Pasture a City of Peace and an house Å¿ 1 Cor. 3 or Temple for his dwelling To this end should we take heed to his holy calling that we may be made children or t Rom. 8 Eph 3 heirs of his spirituall and heavenly goods O yea even so be it 28. Again there are found certain others which perswade themselves to be unpartiall who boldly reproach or revile others and rail at those whom they hold for Factions or that are called Sects and u 2 Pet. 2 Iude. 1 so speak evill of that which themselves know not neither can they discerne the matter according to the truth but despise the thing that seemeth amisse in their eyes and yet cannot point the erring or wandring ones to any better 29. Oh when shall the perverse mouth once keep silence the x Psal 34 1 Pet. 3. reproaching lips be put far from us and that once sought from the heart and out of love which is equall 30. O raile not ye beloved and pluck no man from his zeal to any fleshly or worldly understanding as some have done whilst they have turned those from their zeale that were zealous after righteousnesse and because they could not point them to any better then that was which before they had their zeal in therefore fell they to the world and became more erring and blind then ever they were before but in this manner ought it not to go ye dearly beloved 31. But if there were any godly wisdome upright love men should use it in this sort that is to wit they should testifie that y Phil. 4 Heb. 10 which were right and reasonable according to the requiring of God and the truth they should cleave unto God with the whole heart in the spirit and so z Eph. 4 reach one another the hand to the love and not reproach nor despise any nor yet turn any aside to the earthly and mutable things or to any partiality to the intent that they vvhich had the right teaching and did minister the gracious Word of the Lord might then likewise be heard and understood aright and according to the truth and that all zealous hearts might be united a Col. 3 in one band of love and all they likewise which love the equity b Sap. 8 and righteousnesse become one heart c Act. 4. and mind d Eph. 4 as there is one God one Faith and one manner Salvation in all and with all 32. After such a manner ought men to stand unpartiall and to this effect e 2 Pet. 1 to use the common love and not to destroy that vvhich is good or to make division nor yet to strengthen the world in her wickednesse but to have a desire that the zeal to righteousnesse under the obedience of the love might be spread abroad among many with a loathing of the sin and all unrighteousnesse 33. Howbeit to
the contary life to God is the forbidding of the Lord to wit that men shall not believe serve nor be subject to the same and not alone the heathenish services and ceremonies in themselves 19. And for the bewitched lifes cause all is idol-service and against Gods will which such people as are held captive under it or in their inwardnesse are corrupted and bewitched by it do observe and use not for the services but l Esa 1.58 Amos 5 Mic. 6 for their corrupt lives sake 20. For albeit they do out of such a bewitched life of unbelief take on them or counterfeit any thing which men call Jewish or Christian ceremonies yet it is not that which availeth before God m Eph. 2.4 because they are strangers from the life which is of God 21. Therefore seeing they are become n Rom. 1 vain and dark in their understanding insomuch that they know neither the true God or his true God-service nor the Idoll or his Idol-service therefore neither are their outward Gods which men call Idols in themselves o 1 Cor. 8 the right Idols but they are that they are neither are their services or ceremonies the right Idol-services For the Idoll and the Idol-service which God accounteth for such and shutteth for ever without him and his Kingdome and will not have it to be in his Temple or Tabernacle but inwardly to be rooted out p 1 Reg. 15. 1 Cor. 6 Eph. 5 Col. 3. is the depraved or corrupt life as is aforesaid by which corrupt life the people that are holden therewith are bewitched and tied to the unprofitable and vain things which indeed are all Idol-services 22. Forasmuch then as the services and ceremonies of the vain minded people which are ministred in their estranging from Gods true righteousnesse cannot bewitch our hearts whilest that we are not nor may not be made partakers of their vain perverse and corrupt life with the heart neither do suffer our selves to take pleasure in such things q 1 Cor. 10 how should their outward services and ceremonies simply of themselves be in any wise unto us a forbidding of the Lord or any idolatrous service r Iohn 4 For God is a Spirit and in the Spirit maketh known unto us that he beyond all and above all desirefh Å¿ Deut. 6.10 Mat. 22 only out hearts and that therein as in his living Temple he will t Lev. 26 Ezek. 37 Iohn 14 2 Cor. 6 Apo. 21 live and dwell and onely in the same be served and honored in all upright righteousnesse and holinesse 23. Therefore mark this ground and consider in your understanding to what purpose God commandeth to be obedient unto his services and ceremonies which are administred out of his vvord of life and wherefore the heathenish services and ceremonies be against God and how that the right God-services and ceremonies do cleave and are knit to the good life and upright being of the living God and the right Idol-services and idolatrous ceremonies do cleave and are knit to the corrupt life and word of vain imagination 24. Now if ye mark this according to the truth then shall ye well understand how or in what sort u Mat. 15 23 Rom. that the outward services of the heathen or uncircuncised be esteemed least of before God and how also that the outward Ordinances of God are the smallest services in the service of his Saints and that God doth most of all regard that we through his Ordinances and ceremonies be joyned unto him and so then according to the requiring of his ceremonies x Deut. 6 Mat. 22 love him with all our hearts and our neighbour as our our selves and y Iohn 17 know him as a true God how that he only is the Lord and the everlasting life 25. Neverthelesse it is unto me wel known that sundry speeches go about among the children of men wherewith they despise and blaspheme our godly testimonies and according to their conceit out of the Scripture or Letter or out of the imagination of their knowledge do alledge much there-against saying this is Gods commandement hereby must we abide or this is Gods forbidding who can say against it 26. It is true concerning the outwad they can out of the Scripture speak very much do make therewith much z Rom. 16 division strife and discord among each other but they seldom think or consider that they ought to come in the spirit to a Joh. 5 that which the Scripture pointeth unto 27. Oh that they all knew the right meaning of the commandement or forbidding of God according to the truth then should the strife for outward things be soon ended and laid down 28. But look into the matter ye dearly beloved whether it goeth not now also as it did heretofore with the Galathians when many of them were bound with the outward circumcision b Gal. 3 5 6 whilest certain caused themselves to be circumcised supposing out of the testimonies of the Scripture according to the letter that the same although notwithstanding it was not administred unto them out of the Word of life under the obedience of the belief was yet a commandement of the Lord such as according to the letter men were necessarily to keep but inasmuch as they distinguished not the services and ceremonies which were administred unto them out of the Word of Life from the services which were administred unto them out of the letter without the word and light of Life neither had the sight of the living commandement of the Lord or of God nor yet discerned or knew the same from the commandement according to the letter therefore were they c Gal. 3.5 lead away with the outward from proceeding in the spirit and were very miserably bewitched with the outward because they thought that even the salvation of souls lay therein 29. On the other side there were also many among the Corinthians that d 1 Cor. 8 made conscience and counted it for an abomination to buy eat or use the offering of the Idols after the manner of the heathens ceremonies supposing that Gods forbidding and the hurt of souls lay in the outward ceremonies of the heathen and that of themselves alone they were Idol-services But what I pray you is there on the one side or on the other or in any such like that concerns us 30. Verily in case we be come to the knowledge of the truth and to the right discerning of this difference then we know that all the outward services of the heathen so that the heart stand free from them are not of force to e Mat. 15 defile the inward man f 1 Cor. 4 Gal. 4 in vvhom Christ hath his form 31. Also there consisteth in them alone neither salvation nor condemnation such as God respecteth For look what the heathen or the vain minded uncircumcised people do observe as concerning their God-services that is their ignorance g
the Sheep if any man enter in by me he shall be saved 24. Therefore have regard to the ground of the Scriptures how in all things they point us unto Christ to the intent that he should have his c Gal. 4. shape in us and that we should be in all upright righteousnesse and holinesse d Joh. 17. Heb. 3. 2 Pet. 1. partakers of his Being if it were but rightly understood For it is unpossible e Exo. 33. Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 2. to know the Spirit of Christ with an heart that is cloathed or covered with a mind of the Flesh 25. If Christ therefore hath a Shape in you f Joh. 7. How men shall rightly confesse Christ and you beleeve in him as the Scripture saith then may you confesse him rightly Howbeit not out of your imagining nor according to your knowledge out of the letter as the learned in the letter and the common people do that are without the communiality of the love of Jesus Christ but confesse him out of the shape that he hath in you through such a cleernesse as g Joh. 1. Acts 2. 2 Cor. 12 Gal. 1. 2 Pet. 1. his Apostles confessed him by even as it is written 26. That which was h 1 Joh. 1. from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of life And the life appeared and wee have seen it and do testifie and publish unto you the eternal life which was with the Father and is appeared unto us 27. Here may every one look into himself whether he also do thus know Christ before he testifie or confesse much of him otherwise he knoweth not what he confesseth 28. Therefore we must first be turned unto Christ according to the Truth that is i Rom. 5. Gal. 5. 1 Pet. 1. in Hope through Faith unto the righteousnesse and so with good will stand firm thereunto in the beleef k Mat. 10. 16. Lu. 9.14 take up daily our crosse in the obedience of the holy Word of the Spirit of the love of Christ and follow him with patience in our souls to the salvation untill he obtain a l Gal. 4. Shape in us and his death m Gal. 6. of the crosse becom a joy unto us and so in the truth know him to the intent we might confesse him rightly 29. For the heart must be turned into him and he into our hearts and then may wee rightly confesse him with the mouth Or thinkest thou O thou man that this pleaseth God to speak of God sometimes n Mat. 7. with the mouth and so to confesse his Christ not respecting among whom or to whom of whom a man knoweth nothing at all and whiles your o Isa 29. Mat. 15. heart remaineth so far estranged from Christ and from his upright Righteousnesss and Holinesse in the Spirit O no whosoever taketh it so shall be deceived therein 30. For if thine heart be not turned to Christ and his Service of love neither be inclined to the p 1 Thes 4 2 Thess 2 1 Pet. 1. sanctification in the Spirit and thou through the beleef of the truth dost not with inclination of the love q Eph. 4. grow up therein then is all thy faith and confessing unprofitable and unpleasing to God and his Christ 31. If thou therefore O man dost either despise or hast no regard unto that which is out of love held forth or witnessed unto thee thou shalt surely lament it at the last namely in those dayes when Misery shall fall upon thee and that thou shalt see the Triumph of the gloriousnesse of Christ r Jude 1. in many thousand Saints coming Å¿ Isa 43. 49. from the rising of the Sun and going down from the mid-day and from the North or mid-night and that they t Isa 51. 52.60.61.62 shall with gladnesse be assembled as a Kingdom of God their Father unto u Mat. 8. Abraham Isaac and Jacob and unto all the holy Prophets x Mat. 8. 25. Luk. 13. and thou then shalt finde thy self shut out of doors 32. And therefore now have ye all regard y Psal 51. Isa 57.66 Micah 6. to an upright heart and meek spirit according to the spirit or life of Christ and z Pro. 1. separate your selves from the wayes of all the uncircumcised and unbeleeving 33. Howbeit not outwardly with the body or with words a 1 Cor. 5. for then must ye go out of the world and abide in no place for the unbeleeving darknesses b Isa 5.9 60. 4 Esd 14. have covered the world every-where But c 2 Cor. 6. separate you from them with heart and spirit Beleeve the good in the love and become likewise a light in the Lord d Apo. 18. so shall ye not be partakers of their ungodlinesse 34. This write I unto you ye Deerly-beloved for this intent even to stir you up hereby to a pure minde and to that piety which God regardeth also for a warning of destruction to come and that ye may perceive how that men are to stand unpartiall according to the requiring of the Truth for to use well the e 2 Pet. 1. common love and to know the upright confessing of Jesus Christ whereby to understand so much as the Lord out of his grace permitteth us to see wherein the calling of our salvation consisteth to the intent that no man through misunderstanding or vain imagination deceive himself or be deceived by others 35. If now any man be drawn away f Gal. 1. or lead aside from this good understanding which we bear witnesse unto let such a one turn him again to the Good that his inclination to Gods requiring be not in vain and lament and bewaile his ignorance that the Lord may be gracious unto him and so apply himself with whole heart minde and will to the upright righteousnesse which in the Love abideth firm for ever CHAP. XIX 1. Of the common Saying They shall be all taught of God How it is mistaken and with what hurt 11. Who they are and how they order themselves that shall be taught of God THere goeth also a common Saying abroad amongst many and it is Scripture the which is recited in the first Book of the Glasse of Righteousnesse and also in many mo places of our Writings a Isa 54. Jer. 31. They shall all be taught aright of God and b Ezek. 11. 36. Joel 2. Acts 2. by his Spirit 2. Now whiles some that have heard and spoken of this Sentence understood not the Scripture nor rightly took heed to the sense of the Word therefore they have not explained the meaning of the Word aright 3. Also some that have heard it have let the counsell of the Word go and so are fallen into the forgetting of the good turned away from the desire to the
given in the last daies according to Gods Promises and not after the inventions of men BUt in the mean time whilest I considered and scanned all this inasmuch as I laboured for that which is right I found my self oftentimes through consideration of the mans weaknesse and of his ignorant zeal to the righteousness and truth in great anguish of heart and in lâ—ke manner there were others more in the same case with me 2. And I was sorry for the people because many of them had so ignorant a zeale and were bewitched with so many sorts of blindnesse and vaine imaginations and I was oft times very unquiet in my mind because I could not know any of the children of men whom I might believe or account for the people of God such as stood in the stock of the righteousnesse of Abraham or did a Phil. 1. preach Christ out of the nature of the love 3. For I grew suspicious jealous and distrustfull of all flesh yea of my selfe also for in my humane disposition after the flesh I found oft times no power at all to enter into the b Rom. 7. vertue of righteousnesse in any such sort as by Gods heavenly Revelation which came unto me from God in the Spirit I had observed the same 4. Howbeit many of the children of men looked not into the vertue of the righteousnesse according to the truth but were bewitched in their understanding and thoughts bearing a zeal unto that which was not of God and which did nothing further them to the righteousnesse and therein was my humane understanding afore-times somewhat distressed whilest I sought the righteousnesse among the children of men where it was not to be found 5. But the Lord out of his grace hath shewed much mercy on me and through his heavenly revelation and manifesting of his truth hath inlightned my understanding and pulled my spirit unto him his goodnesse leads me and his Spirit vouchsafes to strengthen me in the Service of Love that I may declare unto the man that which is most profitable for him to live in to the establishing of the Word which God afore-times hath spoken out of his truth and according as he hath promised c Luk. 1. by the mouth of his holy Prophets to the blessing and salvation of all people 6. Then forasmuch as I have seen the misery of men and do know the contrary nature to God and that moreover the good being of God and the salvation of men is out of Gods grace appeared unto me in my sight therefore have I set forth certaine writings out of the same knowledge of the good being and of the salvation of men so farre as in my understanding I could reach unto the same and as the Lord revealed unto me that the mans bewitched understanding and thoughts might be made known unto him and so he might regard d Phil. 4. what were right and reasonable and what were meet and profitable 7. And those writings according to the appointment of God and testimony of his holy Word we have now renewed afresh in the land of the living and so through the true light of the godly wisdome and of the holy Spirit of Love expressed them more plainly and written them again with the assistance of the principall Elders and Ministers of the holy Word in the Family of Love 8. Which writings that every one both small and great of understanding might be satisfied and none have any occasion to blaspheme the truth but that they might all be minded to e 2 Cor. 1. Eph. 4. the unity of heart in the love we have out of the loves inclination placed together with cleer distinction and compiled them to a Glasse of righteousnesse to the end men might the more easily in their understanding comprehend and mark the reason of our hope for to cheer up thereby the mind of man to the good and out of the inclination of love to refresh and strengthen him with good courage to draw him to a right discerning of the upright wisdome and for that he should then be zealous with good understanding and labour for that vvhich continueth for ever 9. All that same so far as we discâ—â—n it and as God hath permitted unto us we shew and declare with full instruction in this Introduction to the holy understanding of the Glasse of Righteousness and principally in the book it self setting down wherein the man ought to stand comprehended whence the happinesse of our life cometh unto us what manner of one the upright f 1 Cor. 12. Congregation of Christ is and how that the ministration and service of the holy word g 1 Cor. 13. ought to have passage out of love 10. For this is the service of the gracious word h Jer. 29. promised in the last time to wit that all those vvho have any longing after the love and concord or do hope thereon should be stirred up to the same to the intent that all they which seeke Christ might with one consent cleave to the love and her service and walk in all love for that is the peace i Eph. 2. prepared for us by Christ if so be we have any desire to the love and to the true peace 11. And thereunto even for the unities sake in the love is my service to all lovers of the truth that the destruction of heart might once cease that every one might have the love before his eyes that the service of the love and word of truth might have passage without hindrance and that so all sentences which bear witnesse to the truth might according to the truth be judged impartially 12. True it is that my spirit is well disposed hereunto even that the bewitching of many mens hearts might be done away and the calling of the Gentiles rightly be discerned and understood according to the truth to the end all matters appertaining to the righteousnesse might out of love be discerned and understood impartially with an unbewitched spirit and an unbound heart according to the truth but inasmuch as I find little upright judgement among the children of men as having much more inclination k Jer. 7.11.13.18 to their own sense and to their own l Rom. 10. righteousnesse then to the truth and righteousnesse which God accepteth also a more inclination to their ovvn self-chosen communalty then to the unity of heart in the service of love therefore is my heart many times not satisfied nor contented with the judgement of men 13. For I find apparently by experience that the man is in his judgement altogether partially minded in every respect and setteth his affection to this or to that vvhich tendeth not to concord but much rather to strife and hath very little respect to the love vvhereby he might out of the love have regard to the truth of the soveraign good impartially but commonly he will have the same bound or tyed to one thing or another vvherewith
Israel p 1 Mac. 3. trodden down his Sanctuary with their feet contemned him and his gentlenesse and in their presumptuousnesse esteemed themselves great and wise 33. Inasmuch as this same is still unknown to the world and unto all wel-conceited wise and is of few looked into and that the man learneth not to know himselfe whereby he might judge righteously neither is with the inclination of his heart disposed to the love nor hungreth nor lusteth the convertion to his God and will q 2 Tim. 4. not abide the godly doctrine but remain selfe-wise and stout of heart therefore do I even truly perceive great infelicity sorrow r Mat. 24. and misery to be ready to come in this perillous time yea such an estate shall fall upon the children of men as shall be out of measure horrible and all this same must needs light upon them because every one is much too self-wise in his own conceit also too self-expert in the Scripture and for that every one supposeth Å¿ Jer. 8. when he hath the Scripture and readeth or heareth the same that he cannot then erre nor be deceived 34. This say they and yet do they all erre because the upright judgement out of a discerning of love is not in them and because out of the brests of the love they have not sucked and tasted the godly wisdome 35. For it is certainly meer lies what the letter-learned t Jer. 8. and what the wel-conceited wise of spirit also do without the love institute or set forth how clear soever in understanding and how expert soever of good and evill they are become thereby for they must all submit them to the love and be reformed in her service otherwise they can never although in their imagination they know perceive and com prehend all things come to the new man u Joh. 3. nor to the Kingdome of God for the love is only it wherein every thing which is the truth and wisdome of God is comprehended She x Col. 3. 2 Tim. 1. is also the band or establishing of the perfection 36. Whilest the love then hath every thing which is of God Christ or Truth contained or included in it therefore might some man demand shal we then let the Scriptures passe O no God forbid but men are not to use them for the knowledge nor to the end to teach them forth historically but to the intent they may give regard to such an upright spirit or life as is set forth therein or required thereby even as is y 3 Clas 24. partly also set forth and declared both of this and of the knowledge in the third book of the Glasse of Righteousnesse that so through comfort of the Scriptures we should to our rejoycing z Rom. 15. have our hope on the promises and on the foreshewing of God by his Prophets and by the Apostles of Christ who have prophecied of the healthful life which abideth sure in the love for ever and so passing on towards it in the belief a Rom. 4. give credit unto God that he in his promises is true 37. But it is to be lamented that the Scripture is by so few at this day discerned out of the understanding of the truth and of the love whereby to understand the same rightly according to the mind of God 38. True it is there is much written and divers have set forth many writings and have had much provoking of spirit and great inclination to teach howbeit every one severally according to the sight or knowledge that he hath had being in the state of the fall from God and in the estranging from his Salvation 39. But inasmuch as they were not come to the love and that their hearts were not inclined to the love in all things as they were to the spirit of their glistering knowledge and comprehension therefore did many of them erre and mistake for the mind of God b Deut. 6.10 Mat. 22. Rom. 13. and the fulfilling of the Scriptures is the love 40. And the same is c Col. 3. the perfection wherein eyery thing to a life and truth of peace standeth firm to our joy and d Eph. 1. to the praise of the glory of God to all and on all that hope upon it and long thereafter CHAP. X. 1. Great calamity shall come upon the children of Men because of the contentious knowledge 2. Knowledge and truth differ 5. The way of life clearly shewed 6. Yet through ignorance mistaken 16. A lamentation over mans ignorance 24. The author by his writings sheweth what is commendable and what is discommendable counselling to learn upright understanding and the speciall Vertues of the Love and to shun all disputing with the partiall FOrasmuch as the man is now perswaded that he himself with his eies of the Spirit doth so clearly and nakedly discern and understand the right as he cannot be deceived and for that every one which standeth in partiality is by his sight or spirit contentions howsoever each severall party maintaineth his own matter and defendeth the same to be of God and will in all things have the right onely and alone passe with his own matter and will not effect the love above all to the unity of heart therefore even through the same glittering in case they have not all their understanding captive under the obedience of the love there shall come horrible calamity upon the children of men in such sort that upon this earth they shall become an a 4 Esd 5. abhorring one to another for that every one standing stiffe in the knowledge and in the clearnesse thereof vvill not for the loves sake give over his own matter thinking that the truth ought not to give place 2. It is true indeed that the truth ought not to give place but betwixt the knowledge and the truth there is great difference for much knowledge which yet men call truth can easily arise out of the subtilty of wit but the truth of God proceedeth out of the love and is even of one being with the love 3. Therefore is the knowledge b 1 Cor. 13. divided and broken but the love is the truth c Ioh. 17. and the true being it self and the perfection 4. But alas this do not many of them know to wit that they should come to the love and so bear the love for a mark of the righteous Spirit and rejoyce them with the truth d Ioh. 17. 1 Ioh. 1. that same is the word of life which was spoken of according to the promises 5. Inasmuch now as I have noted and do yet at this present find so much boldnesse in men by reason of their knowledge and imagination of the truth whereon they are very stout and bold and yet for the most part it still faileth them of the truth and love and for that the right way to the true life and the loves nature is thereby missed of many
be do neither d Ioh. 8.16 of the Father nor yet of the Son knovv any thing at all 4. And surely whosoever doth not submit his understanding under the service of the love the same man sheweth thereby that he is without understanding because by his understanding he perceiveth not how that he vvhich hath not the love e 1 Ioh. 2.4 hath not also the Son nor the Father but is vvithout Christ and his Church and can please God by no other means also can neither now nor evermore without the inclination of love neither through any other services or literall wisdome come to the holy knowledge of God or attain unto the same 5. But if any now believe not this same by reason of the high regard to their knowledge or by means of any respect unto their holinesse f Col. 2. or spirituall humility such as they have chosen or taken to themselves and as is not according to the promises as God in times past hath spoken by Moses his servant and by the mouth of his holy Prophets doubtlesse they howsoever they suppose or maintain g Esa 59. that they have the light must needs abide in h 1 Ioh. 2. darknesse for their unbelievers cause whose unbelief cannot hurt the believers neither can the Work of God for all that abide back 6. O deep and unsearchable vvisdome of God! i Esa 40. Sap. 9. Rom. 11. 1 Cor. 2. which of the great and high glorious wise or of the self-chosen holy ones hath ever attained unto thee 7. Unto which of them is thine arm known that hath heard or understood thy holy word or thy mind aright 8. Therefore needs must they all in lowlinesse of heart be humbled under thee and become subject to thy true love that they may rejoice them in the truth otherwise they must remain blind in their imagination k Ioh. 3. and may not see the Kingdom of God for ever 9. For so long as they through the love or her inclination l Mat. 18. be not in their corrupt understanding turned about by the word of truth and are not well minded to the vertue of the love certainly there can appear unto them no light of the truth to Salvation for God hath foreseen the perfection m Deut. 6.10 1 Cor. 13. 1 Tim. 1. in the love according to the promises and not in the knowledge 10. Therefore let every one be lowly of spirit n 1 Ioh. 4. and humble of heart in his knowledge even as though he knew nothing and so have regard to the service of the love what it requireth and let him hope and long for it to the intent he may be comprehended therein that is to say in the doctrine thereof for therein is the godlinesse understood and known and so let him indeavour towards the best 11. And I hope that I shall alwaies towards the lovers of the truth do even so and not omit to set before them the most best for thereunto tend all my intents and desires neither know I at all any better thing then the teaching and ministring of the holy word under the obedience of the love 12. True it is I have as far as I might examined many sorts of Foundations and understandings and have likewise considered and scanned whereon they stood grounded but there is yet no better thing come to my hand 13. The Lord grant me his mercy and strengthen my mind to do and accomplish his will to the Salvation of men in the love 14. O ye lovers of the truth that have humbled your fouls under the love and her service o Deut. 6.11 â—2 Pro. 4. take I pray you the truth to heart and reproach no mans writings teaching nor exhortations that have their ministration to the righteousnesse and to the concord but draw it all under the love that every one may give up and bring all what he hath taken on or wherein he is learned according to his humane imagination to the communion of the love give ear only to the godly Word of Life under the obedience of the love according to the manifestation of the glorious and godly light set forth in the Glasse of Righteousnesse and so above all his humane knowledge love the Concord and the upright life 15. Moreover condemn none particularly by name and be not offended at any that your hearts p Gal. 5. Acb. 12. be not moved to anger stumble not at any thing and reproach nor reject none for Sects but love all them that indeavour towards righteousnesse q 2 Pet. 1. with a like love to that upright righteousnesse which God esteemeth and thus draw all wel-willing ones to the true righteousnesse under the obedience of the love 16. And if any man seek the truth of you and his heart be inclined to the love then joyn your selves with him in the love and so speak r 1 Pet. 3. of the hope which is in you 17. For who so loveth the good though yet for a while he be in errour may for all that come to amendment in the love unlesse he should give over his heart in a wilfull contentiousnesse and despise the love and her service for his self-minds sake 18. But unto every one that will follow and is well minded to the love and her service Å¿ Eph. 4. unto such reach forth the hand to the unity of the upright life and that all in the love 19. If the evill assail you then put it from you as much as is possible for you untill the same evill get a going down in you and go into silence give it no respite to follow after his desire but become according to the spirit t Col. 1. 1 Thes 3. 1 Pet. 5. strong and firm in the good life u Deut. 7. 1 Pet. 2. to a peculiar possession of God even as it is here in this Introduction and in the Glasse of Righteousnesse according to the life shewed and declared 20. If so be ye cast this same behind the back to wit that ye refuse it or have no belief nor lust thereunto nor do hope thereon and yet by your self-wisdom perswade your selves to be wise then are ye vain and utterly unmeet to the Kingdome of God and how wise soever ye be yet shall you be found vain and without understanding and void of the true light of life 21. Now if any man say that he is already in the life and needeth no more or that it is needfull no more for him to hearken after any other understanding and therefore contemneth this form of the upright life and his service to the same life whereunto we bear witnesse and neither hath it nor indeavoureth towards it in the service of the love certainly he is yet in the death x 1 Ioh. 2. and darknesse and knoweth nothing at all either of Christ or of the life which is of God even as the darknesses also have
therefore ye beloved give no regard to the unbelief that saith it is impossible but contrariwise with belief and hope enter ye in for the beliefe is strong and mighty f Mat. 17.21 Luk. 17. she removeth mountains out of their places vanquisheth the enemies g Heb. 11. and is a certain assurance of that which is hoped for 12. Look then what ye out of belief and according to the truth do desire in God to obtain that love ye with vvhole heart for the love vvhich in her service holdeth the heart fast with earnest love is yet stronger then the belief h 1 Cor. 13. and goeth far beyond it all and not regarding any difficulty she overcometh it all for the things sake which she loveth for the love maketh that light which appeareth heavy and bringeth life out of that which seemeth to be death 13. Therefore the love is not wearied with any thing for that which a man loveth is precious in his sight and he esteemeth it of great value i Rom. 8. moreover he regardeth neither losse nor trouble to get or to come by that vvhich he loveth best 14. And therefore men are to k 1 Cor. 14. Col. 3. seek for the most best that they may obtain the same and not to respect any of those things that would oppose themselves or be hindersome there-against for who so seeketh not obtaineth not vvho so tasteth not of the sowre shall not partake of the sweet 15. If any man fall let him rise again if ye be hurt or wounded believe so shall ye be made whole yea though ye were already dead or were as dead in your minds yet if ye believe the gracious word and Salvation in the obedience of his service of love and put your trust in the power of God l Joh. 5. ye shall surely live and not abide dead for the saving from death m Joh. 11. is the Resurrection and eternall life 16. Though ye find your selves even damned in the hell and taken captive of sin and devill yet fear not but believe n Psal 18.23.33.116 ye shall be delivered and saved from thence 17. For the belief and hope towards the Salvation and the love to righteousnesse in the grace of God neither can nor may abide in the sinne death devill or hell but they must prevail vanquish and bring to nought or destroy all that is not of God 18. Therefore have neither the o Mat. 16. gates of hell nor the bands of the devill nor the p Rom. 8. pangs of death nor the strength of sin nor the lusts of the world nor the mind of the flesh any power over such believers either to hold or to raign over them q 1 Cor. 15. but they bring them all under them to a victory 19. But if at any time through the slendernesse of our understanding we be plucked away from our good mind or be after the nature of the Serpent r Gen. 3. Sap. 2. 2 Cor. 11. beguiled by the wisdom of the flesh and thereby through weaknesse fall and be made so senselesse that we cannot discern the life from the death yea become so feeble and faint-hearted that we have scarcely any desire at all to the good but do daily Å¿ Rom. 7. suffer and feel the sting of death yet let us not therefore be dismayed nor despair in mind but rather so much the more cheer up our selves in the belief and through the serviceable word of truth take unto us a new stomack and fresh courage again to a stouter going forwards keep so much the sharper watch and still have diligent regard on the thing that may annoy us to the entrance of the life whereby we may through the belief and obedience of the Word t Eph. 6. 1 Pet. 5. keep of and vanquish it every whit and so with a good will have our passage towards God in the spirit untill the love abide firm in us and that we have such a free heart and mind as may be subject to nothing but to the high Majesty of the living Godhead only 20. Now to come hereunto we must renounce our selves and all created visible things not only outwardly after the flesh but quite and clean inwardly with the heart according to the spirit and so give over our selves obediently under the service of love unto the God of life and his gracious word u Rom. 6.8 to a dying in the spirit from every thing whereunto our will and mind according to the flesh or outward fashion is tyed and keep our selves diligently from all holy appearances and worldly fashions that so then x 1 Pet. 1. in the obeying of the gracious word and his service of love our inward mind for to come to a submitted being may be made tender soft and lowly and we in like manner with humble hearts find our selves y Psal 57. ready to do the Lords will a Rom. 6. the end whereof is eternall life It is true 21. Which way to the life few do b Mat. 7. find because it is unknown c Mat. 11. 1 Cor. 1.2 and hidden unto all understandings of the flesh and unto all wise ones of the world and her Scripture learned 22. Who is there now rightly inclined to the life and peace but those that indure all deadly things dissention and whatsoever cometh upon them thereby untill it d Rom. 6.8 2 Cor. 4. wholly vanish and come to nought in them and which have the life and peace alwaies before their eyes and do pray with great fervency unto God in the spirit that he will be their povver and strength 23. After this manner ought vve vvith humble hearts to be minded in every thing that cometh upon us against the good for the evill must by the good be e Rom. 12. overcomed in patience 24. Yet not out of our vvorks or ovvn povver f Rom. 3.4 Eph. 2. O no but through the belief in affiance towards God and so abiding Gods leisure in his work we are daily to pray unto God in the spirit that he will destroy and take avvay or root out the evill out of our hearts and choose and set up the good again therein 25. Hereunto are we to g 1 Pet. 5. humble our hearts before God in his service of love that we may find such healthfull grace before his eyes in the coming of Jesu Christ who now to the Salvation of all those that hope in Christ h 2 Pet. 3. and long for his coming cometh to a righteous judgement over the world with equity 26. Oh hereof there is surely much written shewed and testified were it but observed and understood aright but there is great negligence and much misunderstanding among the children of men for we find many lamentable errours not only in the erring world but also in those that perswade themselves to be wise and to love the good 27. Awake once
token of the birth out of God through the righteous spirit It is true 34. It is also there in the same book recorded b 1 Glasse that those which are taught by the righteous spirit are no longer servants of the Prophets which forsooth some have read or heard thereof and have by that meanes forsaken the requiring of the Propheticall Word of the Apostles of Christ before they were according to the mention of the Word confirmed in their cailing and through the perswasion that they had the truth or Spirit of God they are stopped out of their calling turned to the liking of their owne opinion c Rom. 1. Eph. 4. and so become vaine in their understanding 35. Some would needs account themselves free through the Spirit d 1 Glasse 3.4 before they have tasted or known the Spirit of Promise and so have run forth before the time and have not by their wisdome understood the promises of God nor the calling of the Gentiles 36. When the man now regardeth not his calling according to the requiring thereof rightly but looketh about to some other understanding and will count himself free through the spirit before the first or foregoing service which e Gal. 3. Heb. 7. directeth or leadeth thereunto be accomplished or fufilled by him then forsaketh he the service of the fore-witnessed or foregoing Word and goeth forth in a liberty which yet is false according to his own spirit before he hath fulfilled his servantship in the service of the fore-going holy Word f Luk. 21. wherein he should possesse his soul with patience g 1 Cor. 11 and so shew forth the death of Christ upon hope and confidence of his coming for an holy annointing and for an upright freedom in Jesu Christ unto him 37. Who so therefore readeth these sentences in the first book let him observe thereby what they require and how they sound namely that those which desire to come to the blessednesse and freedome of Christ must h Rom. 6 Gal. 3.4 be at the first servants or Disciples of the righteousnesse deny and forsake themselves for Christ his sake and alwaies long to come to the true obedience of the righteousnesse in all love i 1 Glas 7. not according to mens imaginations but according to Gods calling that so they might live k Iohn 8 Rom. 6 free in the righteousnesse of God and not in the sinne nor as servants of men this same is there distinctly set forth were it but rightly understood 38. But who so hath regard to his own liberty and not to the calling of his salvation nor in the obeying of the foregoing Service l Rom. 6 13. Eph. 4. Col. 2.3 1 Pet. 2.4 to the mortifying and laying away of the sinne in the flesh doth not take heed to the same that so he may be incorporated to the good spirit of Christ the same man erreth not onely from the doctrine of the Word after the manner of men but also from the wisdome of the truth of God and so getteth a delight in his own understanding in such sort that he neither hearkeneth longeth nor careth for the good any more but hath a desire to error and perversity 39. Oh! it is sure very lamentable that the man out of such a mind cleaveth to the unrighteousnesse or else chooseth another calling and practiseth a selfe-made humility m Col. 2. or spiritualnesse and careth not for Gods promises nor establishing of his VVord n Luke 1 Acts 3 in such a sort as God hath heretofore spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets from the beginning of the world CHAP. XVI 1. Of the saying that men should be impartiall how it ought to be understood 12. How the Common Love is profitable to impartiality 16. Of those that are outwardly just unto men but unjust before God 22. Of such as think themselves to be impartiall because they regard no outward Religions and in the meane space with-hold from God that which is his 28. Divers raile at all that observe any Religion 35. How we are to judge of all outward God Services and Ceremonies THere goeth also a sentence abroad among many whereof likewise much mention is made in our writings that according to the requiring of Christian Doctrine men should stand a 1 Cor. 3 impartiall 2. O ye deerly beloved erre not through any conceit of the imagination but have regard to the Word concerning the upright impartialnesse and if ye mark the same well you shall understand that men are to be impartiall in the truth and with those that witnesse the truth under the obedience of the Love to the intent that no man take part with flesh and blood but with the truth and be in the unity of the love b Rom. 12 15 1 Cor. 1 2 Cor. 13. Phil. 2 well minded to a like life of righteousnesse namely with all them that do under the obedience of the love witnesse and minister the gracious word of truth and be comprehended in the upright brotherly love 3. But men may not thus be impartiall with the world or with those that with heart and will do cleave unto the world that lie still in the vanity and sin and that are not believing nor desirous to obtaine any better thing no nor with the conceited wise nor with the maintainers of factious ceremonies c 2 Cor. 12 Gal. 3 1 Tim. 6. 2 Pet. 2. who are envyers blasphemers and evill speakers against the holy Word of Truth and of the service of his Love 4. Truly with such men are not to stand impartiall but with spirit and life to be against them utterly and yet to shew forth the upright nature of the love unto them if happily by some means they might be drawne to their preservation in the godlinesse unto the communion of the Love 5. But with the d Infra 18 lovers of righteousnesse as is aforesaid and likewise with the sinners such as cleave not by their will to the unrighteousnesse but do daily depart therefrom and have a fervent desire to the righteousnesse under the obedience of the love men are to stand impartiall and to sticke fast unto that which is godly and that tendeth to the concord and peace 6. Therefore judge of the impartialnesse with understanding and put a difference between the godly life and the life of the world and try your selves if so be you know your selves 7. Look into your hearts observing whom you cleave unto desire and love how or with what manner disposition ye stand impartiall whether ye would rather suffer e Heb. 11. or indure disgrace reproach and contmpt with the Lovers of the Righteousnesse then cleave unto the honour voluptuousnesse and riches or ease of this world Oh! I feare that many of them boast themselves to stand impartiall with the truth who notwithstanding are altogether partially minded against the truth 8. Neverthelesse let no man take anie thing unto
7 the blood of Jesus Christ and maketh us cleane from our sins and giveth us the everlasting life 21. This is verily the word of Faith f Act. 2.3 4 5 7 8. c. Rom. 10. 1 Pet. 1. which was published by the Apostles through Christ for a Righteousnes unto us g 2 Cor. 11. Gal. 1. Phil. 1. Whosoever therefore preacheth any other Christ or preacheth Christ any other way publisheth any other Gospel or publisheth the Gospel upon any other fashion or ground or believeth any otherwise or buildeth upon any other foundation h 1 Cor. 3 than God hath from the beginning through his Prophets and Apostles required and willed the same man remaineth i Gal. 1. execrable or accursed according to the mencion of the Scriptures 22. For k 1 Cor. 3 no other Foundation may there be laid than the same that is laid which is Iesus Christ who from everlasting was and is and abideth for ever Through whom God made all whatsoever is any thing and l Heb. 1. he beareth up all things by the power of his might and maketh the clensing of our sins through himself Unto him as a Father of all be Laud Honour and Praise for evermore Amen 23. These and such like things was I partly of necessity moved to rehearse unto you ye dearly beloved to the intent you might consider them aright and understand the diversity of every thing that concerneth the Salvation of men 24. Furthermore see that ye humbly with meditation to God apply your selves out of the inclination of love to read or to heare the Glasse of Righteousnes and consider or mark the life which is witnessed and set forth in the same Behold there in the spirit of your understanding the everlasting unchangeable Statutes and Ordinances of Almighty God which also shall remain unchangeable for ever For that which is there witnessed is such an upright life m Gen. 1. Eph. 2. as the man is created unto for to live therein In which Statutes and Ordinances the Lords people have lived from the beginning 25. Yea such a Life Statutes and Ordinances are a delight and joy to all upright hearts and Prophets to live therein and they have heretofore born witnes thereunto that in time to come men should live in them For through the truth they saw into the life of peace in the love and that through the life of peace in the love every thing is made perfect and therein standeth firme or abideth stedfast 26. That verily is the life which is true n Joh. 1. and that life is the light of men o Eph. 1.5 Col. 1. and the head of the holy Commonalty Who so goeth out of it cometh to the death blindnes and darknes 27. But the soules of those that live therein are blessed in the Lord. For such people doth God require as do walk in his Ordinances that is to say in the life and peace of love p Deut. 6.2 and do love the only God from the heart 28. Lo it is the true God that requireth such upright Righteousnes and he himself cleaveth to his Righteousnes his Statutes and Ordinances everlastingly q Joh. 1.2 For he is the spirit of his life the life of his word the word of his Spirit r Exod. 3 Mat. 22. the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob or Israel 29. That verily is the true life of peace and love and the Statutes and Ordinances are the same upright righteousnes which the holy Fathers have lived and walked in 30. The same Statutes and Ordinances of the holy Fathers were by Moses renewed Å¿ Exod. 20. Deut. 5. and witnessed unto a life before all people And that life was through Jesus Christ being risen from the Dead and ascended into Heaven t Mat. 28. Mar. 16. published unto all people for a Gospel because they should live therein And unto all that believed thereon was the Resurrection from the dead and the everlasting life witnessed and promised through Iesus Christ 31. In sure and firm hope whereof the upright Beleevers have rested in the Lord Iesus Christ till the appearing of his coming which is now in this day of the love revealed out of the heavenly beeing with which Jesus Christ the former Beleevers of Christ v John 5. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4. who were fallen a sleepe rested or dyed in him are now also manifested in Glory 32. For Christ in the appearing of his comming raiseth his deceased from the dead x 1 Cor. 15. to the intent that they should reign alive with him over all his enemies y Mat. 25. John 5. Rom. 2. 2 Thes 1. and condemneth all the ungodly which have not liked of him 33. This is the joyful Message published to the Gentiles whereby z Eph. 2.3 as fellow-Heires in the Testaments of promise they are bidden and called to the house of Jacob and to the Citizenship of Jerusalem To the intent they should depart from the brutishnes of their errors and from the sundry intanglements of their Idolatries and turn them to the God of Israel for to serve him only and to live in his Statutes and Ordinances through the belief 34. Which Righteousnes a Ro. 2.3 is required out of the Law and is now in this last time openly and evidently witnessed out of the inclination of love and through the insight of the same upright life to a view of the upright righteousnes which the man is created unto and to a demonstration whereunto or to what end or fulfilling God hath given his promises and made his Covenant with the Fathers 35. Behold hereunto namely to that which we bear witnes of is the Calling of the Gentiles made b Rom. 11. Eph. 2. who are out of grace called thereunto for to serve with the Stock of Abraham one God in one manner of Righteousnes 36. Lo these are the promises c Gen. 17. which were committed to the Jewes in the Circumcision And Jesus Christ the safe-making word of the Lord is amongst them Act. 13. Rom. 9. d Rom. 15. for the truth of Gods sake become a Minister of the Circumcision to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers that the name of the God of Abraham might be magnified likewise among the Gentiles And for the mercies sake towards the Gentiles is the Grace of life published also to the Gentiles to the intent e Act. 10.11.13 Rom. 11. they should praise God and know the God of Israel and his Ordinances 37. Which God and his righteousnes we do now know in the love through the spirit of truth which according to the spirit f Joh. 14. leadeth us into all truth that is into all love according to the promises g Col. 5. For the love is the band of perfection By which Band we are sealed and confirmed for ever in the same perfection to the intent that Gods
his Christ Which Christ standeth firm for us t 1 Ioh. 2 to a Reconciler before God the Father and in the service of his Love everlastingly that through the same service our inward mind should stand free and firm in God and his Christ and not be tied to any thing besides without the Communion and service of the Love whether to the sinne or else to men neither to any created or elementish things nor yet to any earthly or worldly things whereby with one accord we might live boldly in God the most highest with the Communalty of the Love 31. With these despise I none in his understanding whether he be great or small that every one as right and meet it is may give his understanding v 2 Cor. 10. captive or suffer it to be plucked under the obedience of the Love and likewise do that x Phil. 4. which is just and equall For who can refuse the Love or withhold himself from her service if so be he love the good 32. Doubtlesse whosoever refuseth the love and withholdeth himself from her service or with his understanding is against it the same man sheweth thereby that he is without understanding and not minded to concord in the love And moreover that his heart thinketh not upon the good which God esteemeth but rather upon his own good which he hath chosen to himself But who so are fully affected to the love and her service and unto all that are just and equall and do unpartially submit themselves under the obedience of the love unto them am I inclined 33. For with them doth my heart desire to live in such a life as is just and reasonable y Phil. 4. lovely and peaceable and with them in like obedience under the love to stand obedient in the same life z Eph. 4. to all unity of heart in the Love 34. Behold the true Christians of Israel the people of the Lord ard even in this sort minded with us and there are no other Christians nor Jewes nor House of Israel nor People of the Lord but those that stand subject with us to the Love with one accord and over whom the Love is likewise the head who with us also are not partiall or divided with this or that which is earthly or visible 35. Thereunto in like manner is the service of my writing namely to the right stock of life in the Love and not to contend or to strive against any And I do not know that I have written against any mans dealing so farre forth as the same is according to Truth and out of love Neither have I named any faction by name for to contemn them nor singled out any persons particularly whereby to reproach them neither reviled any mans Religion for heresie but have called and invited all men to the unity of heart in the Love The which is the blessing of all the Generations of the Earth according to the Promises made to the Fathers 36. Therefore let every one glasse himself and look how neer his cause is right and so give over his understanding to the obedience of the Love for therein consisteth the upright being to the intent that all may through the Love and her service a Eph. 1. be renewed and the Corruption reigne no more but that the upright Righteousnesse which God esteemeth b Esa 60. may come to light according to the Promises CHAP. XXV 1 The Author concludeth this Introduction with his Desire and Request to all that reade or hear his Writings that they apply themselves unto that which is set forth therein 3. It is much happier to be among the lowly and sorrowers for sine than to be with the proud and dissolute 6. A menacing of the obstinate 12. The reward of the righteous and the horrible End of the rebellious HErewith ye beloved we will cut off and end this Introduction to the holy understanding of the Glasse of Righteousnesse And we desire of all those that read or hear our writings of the godly Testimonies and likewise of all those that have any desire to the Truth and do humbly apply themselves to that which is witnessed by us and do joyn with us in all uprightnes under the obedience of the Love to the intent that the Love may bear the dominion and rule in us to a one minded Communion in one amiable and godly life that they will not take it grievously to suffer contempt heavines or anguish for a little while with those that love the Righteousnes but rather stand alwaies minded whether it be in prosperity or adversity to be joyned to the mind of God in all love even as the same under the obedience of the Love is plainly and cleerly described according to the life that abideth for ever in the Glasse of righteousnes 2. The Almighty God grant us his Grace and strengthen our minds to the same Eph. 4. in the unity of Love and Peace and in like maner all lowly hearts that hope upon the righteousnes and suffer heavines for the sins cause 3. It is surely much happier to be among the lowly hearts where b 2 Cor. 7. is heavines and sighing for the sins cause c Matt. 18. Rom. 15. 1 Thes 5. Heb. 3. where exhortation to amendment and instruction to the knowledge of God and Christ is and where men out of love d Prov. 27. reprehend the blindnes of the heart for the righteousnes sake than to be among the haughty where the flattering lips of the ungodly and the dissolute stout or uncircumcised of heart are where men embrace all gladnes commendation praise and honour of men and not the honour of God 4. Wherefore have regard hereunto and awake to the good For behold It shall in his time be found that the endurers or sufferers who now for the sinnes cause beare heavinesse sorrow and the Crosse and who out of the love of Righteousnesse endure out such things shall be turned to a e Esa 60 62.66 4 Esd 2. Ioh. 16. godly joyfulnesse where contrariwise all despisers of the Righteousnesse which now rejoyce themselves in ungodlinesse how evilly soever they do it shall be turned to f Matt. 25. grievous sorrow and paine yea g 4 Esd 5. Apo. 21. horrible it is to remember the reward of the unrighteous or wretched men which is for to come upon them 5. O how happy is that man which joyneth himself to the Word of the Lord in his service of the Love and h Esa 1. Mat 18 turneth him away from the evill which betimes i 1 Cor. 11. heareth his Judgement and so setteth himself down in the dust k which receiveth Wisdom and Instruction to Vertue that loveth the Righteousnesse and Prov. 3. Heb. 12. refuseth not the Chastening of the Lord that he may be upright of heart before God For it shall go well with him in this day of the righteous Judgement which God now bringeth over the whole Earth yet passing through great dangers of his salvation 6. How will it go with you then m Prov. 11. 1 Pet. 5. O ye sinners and sinneresses which receive n Sap. 2. 2 Pet. 2. Jude 1. this transitory life for your delight and keep God out of your hearts and have not once borne sorrow nor heavines for your sinnes 7. Where will ye then hide your selves ye haughty ye covetous and ye proud men and all ye arrogant self-wise that now will not submit nor give over your selves to obedience under the service of the Love of the gracioue Word o Sap. 5 What profit I pray you will your pride and your riches then yeeld or bring you 8. Who think ye will then have compassion on your misery ye which now withhold your selves from the obedience of the Doctrine and requiring of the gracious Word and make your selves common with the worldly minded and with those that oppresse the little ones grieve the Consciences of the simple and betray persecute and spill p Ezek. 22. the innocent Bloud 9. Oh! I am astonied whil'st I thinke upon the horrible being of the ungodly the wicked perverse nature that will not convert 10. Oh how horrible and fearfull shall it be unto him that shall behold it with his eyes Yea what misery and VVoe commeth over him that shall taste bear and be tormented with the same eternally 11. Therefore q Pro. 15 much better in this dangerous Time is a little in the fear of God with the Righteous than superfluities with the ungodly It is also much better to suffer and endure Poverty Shame Reproach Affliction Heavinesse Anguish and Contempt r Heb. 11 with the Children of Peace which have regard on Gods Righteousnesse according to his Promises than to have all the Delights or Pleasures with all the honour riches and Triumphs of this world 12. For the Reward of the Righteous redoundeth Å¿ Pro. 11. Sap. 5. to Gods Glory but the recompence of the ungodly of the wicked world with all unbeleevers or resisters of the good t Apo. 21 shall with confusion perish in horrible calamity and with misery It is true Take it to heart Love ye the Vertue fervently Give God his Honour due Delight therein continually That is his Doctrine true CHARITAS EXTORSIT PER H. N. FJNJS
h 1 Cor. 3. circumvent the world in her wisdome and to save the world if they believe God in Jesus Christ i 1 Cor. 1. by a foolish preaching to the end they may know that Gods foolishnesse in his people is wiser then all the wisdome of this world and hereby it is manifest and apparent unto us that Gods promises abide firme and unmoveable for ever and that in his holy and gracious Word they are fulfilled and established howsoever the requiring of the obedience thereof be foolishnesse to all the selfe-wise 20. Hereon that is to say on the promises of God k Luk. 2. and upon the consolation of Israel ought we to trust hope and long even as the seed of Jacob which is scattered among all Heathen doth also hope thereon and long thereafter 21. And though many unsent Preachers be before the coming of Jesus risen up l Mat. 24. Luk. 21. 2 Tim. 3.4 2 Pet. 2.3 who have falsly boasted of Christ yet let us notwithstanding remember that it was so prophecied of before and that the Scripture maketh mention of such things therefore reproach none seeing it falleth out to us all m Rom. 8. for the best 22. For if we find any to be false deceitfull unwise or lying yea resistant against our most holiest Service of the Love that same is for a stirring up of us and for a serious examining of our selves whereby to prove whether we also might find such evill or iniquity in our selves or not and whether likewise we our selves doe with humble hearts n Gal. 6. endeavour us after the good as all upright Christians ought to do therefore let us judge none but so much the more circumspectly look to our selves that no man o Rom. 2. judge another and forget to judge himselfe 23. Now when the man perceiveth his own evill falshood and lying and beareth his judgement therein then let him seek according to the doctrine and requiring of the gracious Word and his Service to find grace at Gods hand and abiding firme in the hope of salvation let him be renewed in the holy and gracious Word under the obedience of the Love and so out of love indeavour to draw another to the same grace also then shall he p Mat. 7. Luk. 6. judge nor condemn none Behold this is the q Heb. 5. true Schoole-rule of Christian Doctrine according to the nature and requiring of the Service of Love 24. If now any man be a Christian or boasteth himselfe that he is illuminated and hath his fellowship with the Lord Jesus let him then r 1. Joh. 1. have also a Christian nature and stand subject with us under the obedience of the love of Jesus Christ 25. But if he be not so to wit that he hath no Christian nature nor Å¿ Exod. 33. Deut. 4. Joh. 1.5 1 Joh. 4. hath not yet seen the Lord Jesus nor standeth subject under the love then can he not assuredly be illuminated neither be any Christian in the sight of God nor yet have any fellowship with Christ 26. Then if his fellowship be not with Christ and his love he ought not to vaunt himself as yet for a Christian but if he submit himself with us under the obedience of the love of Jesus Christ and so ground himself on the promises of t Gen. 17.22 God on the u Esa 2.44.60 Jer. 23.29.31 Ezek. 36.37 Joel 2. foreshewings of the Prophets x Act. 2.17 1 Cor. 15. Phil. 3. 1 Thes 1. Tit. 2. Apostles of Christ and believeth God that he is true in his promises he may then as a Learner and Disciple of Christ speak y 1 Pet. 3. of the hope that he hath in Jesus Christ but he may not judge another much lesse Gods Saints and Ministers 27. For God will now in the last time when the man with all his deceivings false judgings and working of lies is z Esa 10. run to an end himself appear through his love and manifest both himself and his true judgment by his Elect Saints and bring unto his chosen who are falsly censured of all the false hearts and vain-conceited wise of the letter-learned his a Exo. 20. Esa 58.66 everlasting Sabbath day that they once have b Esa 56. Apo. 14. rest that hope in him in whom shall be found no falshood strife nor guile but continual thanksgiving c Apo. 7. for the wonderfull works of the great grace of God 28. Hereon let us also hope and long and endeavour that our fellowship might be with the love that in no case we d Rom. 13 Eph. 5. rest nor sleep in the sin and so e Eph. 6. Phil. 4. in the Spirit sigh and pray night and day unto God f Abac. 2. Heb. 10. untill that come which shall come and untill the godlinesse which is grounded in the Love doe appeare unto us 29. Which godlinesse I doe perfectly witnesse and declare out of the inclination of love in the Glasse of Righteousnesse and do likewise shew with full instruction the upright stock of life whereunto tendeth the way of the upright communaltie or believers of Christ and whereunto mankind was of God g Gen. 1. Sap. 2. Eccl. 17. created and by Christ called to live therein upon which upright stock of life and lovely being in the peace they doe all hope and have a longing wich love equitie and righteousnesse to the end that all those who have a desire to God and his Righteousnesse might be comprehended h Col. 3. in the band of love wherein the upright stock of life and Gods Righteousnesse is to be obtained and inherited for to inhabit the i Psal 37. Prov. 2. Esa 60. 2 Pet. 3. world agreeably k Rom. 15. Phil. 4. peaceably and quietly with one like mind to the love in righteousnesse and in all love according to the promises and that the world in like manner might with humble heart give good ear to the upright understanding to the obeying of the truth of the spirit to the end that the service of love might every where have his course without any hindrance and that the godlinesse might be understood and l Psal 98. Lu. 1. knovvn to the land and praise m Eph. 1. of the glory of God and to an everlasting Thanksgiving for his bountifull grace shevved on us to vvit that he hath caused us to see and made known unto us what n Rom. 12. Eph. 5. 1 Thes 4. his will is and what manner righteousnesse he requireth of us 30. If God therefore hath such a favor and inclination towards us that through the administration of his gracious Word under the obedience of the love of Jesu Christ he reacheth us the hand and pulleth us to himselfe out of the desolation o Heb. 2. and captivity of the devill into his glorious freedome to the end we should be his inheritance in his
Jerusalem Å¿ Esa 33. Eph. 2. Apo. 21. or house of God t Rom. 12 Eph. 4. and body of the communalty of Christ and every understanding shall willingly yeeld it selfe captive under the obedience of the love u Act. 2.3.4.5 c. according as it came to passe in the Service of the communalty of the Apostles of Christ under the obedience of the beliefe inasmuch as the service of the communalty in the love is not lesse then it for in the communalty of the love Christ is personally with the Father at his right hand in whom is the forgivenesse of sins 10. Whosoever therfore hopeth in Christ and whosoever is infirm feeble or weak is x Mat. 5.9 11. hungry or thirsty after the righteousness he obtaineth his nouriture strengthning out of the love yea every one that is fallen or is broken y Esa 61. Ezck. 34. or is strayed and separated from the true God his Christ shall through the love her service if he convert and humble himself be wel-affected to the love be restored brought to right againe and therfore grow ye up through the love z Eph. 4. 1 Thes 3. 2 Thes 1. become manly in Jesu Christ 11. Behold unto this Service of Love have all the Prophets of God and Apostles of Christ borne witnesse in the Word of Truth and Life and therein likewise is restored all a Acts 3. what God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets from the beginning of the world 12. For all the doctrine of God the Law and the Prophets the Images Figures and Ceremonies doe witnesse of this time of grace concerning the restoring of the man in the Love which is the gracious Word promised in the last time in which Love the House of Israel and the house of Judah b Jer. 29.33 Rom. 11 which now are dissolved and scattered abroad among the Gentiles shall be established 13. They shall thenceforth be no more divided into two Kingdoms c Ezek. 37 Dan. 2. but be gathered into one and be set up in the love the multitude also of the Gentiles shall joyne themselves unto them d Esa 2. Mic. 4. Zach. 8. to serve the God of Jacob that they may learne his will walk in his streets among the Citizens of Israel and so all that love the righteousnesse be one f Joh. 17. in the one living God let them be who they are and of what generations peoples or Religions soever they may be as Christians Jewes Mahometists and Heathen or dispersed people for all those which love the righteousnesse and submit them obediently under the gracious Word of the Lord and his service of Love g Act. 10. are acceptable to God and shall all through the Word of Truth be renewed in the love to observe one manner Statutes and Ordinances of the God of Israel according to the promises 14. Now seeing my service is in all peaceablenesse under the obedience of the Love inclined to the same therefore also my writing is neither against nor with any Nations Peoples or Congregations that boast themselves to be of God or Christ so as either to reproach or to praise any of them but doe set forth through the grace of God the Father which is given unto me the plaine evidence of the upright communalty of God and Christ according to my sight of the true being 15. Moreover I do not set my self either to contend against one or against another or to revile reproach or censure any man in his error or failing because he should endeavour him to repentance O no that is not our service of the love For verily we have all grievously sinned h Esa 59. Rom. 3. yea we have all erred like the blind there hath truly none continued in his estate no not one 16. Oh man who art thou then or why takest thou so upon thee that thou i Rom. 2. judgest another and justifiest thy self for we are all void of the grace of God which vve receive and obtaine if vve be of good k Lu. 2. Phil. 2. vvill and doe turne us unto God and be vvell-minded to the love from the heart 17. And for this cause I doe not oppose my self against any sorts of people or Religions either for to judge them to destroying suppressing or rooting out or els to strive or to contend against them but do out of the mercy vvhich through the love of God the Father is shevved on me desire to dravv unto Unity all those that love the Righteousnesse under the obedience of the love and to manifest unto them the upright righteousnesse to the end they might all l Mat. 3. Acts 2.3 shew repentance for their sins and be saved and that they with us and we with them might inherit in the love the true peace of Jesu Christ and the unity of heart and that the true m Eph. 2.4 Col. 3. peace of Jesu Christ might be prepared on earth 18. For in all this our most holiest God-service of the love I have from my heart a pleasure in all them that love the love and peace and are minded to concord and righteousnesse of heart or do indeavour thereafter neither desire I to beare any thing in mind to the worst which any man through unbeliefe hath done or spoken against us 19. Furthermore seeing true beliefe n Eph. 2. is the gift of God and that we are not o Rom. 3.5 Gal. 2. Eph. 2 saved out of our selves but out of Gods grace through the faith of Jesu Christ therefore can I not in any wise oppose my selfe against any either against the Popedome or Catholike Church or against any temporal Rulers against Jews or Gentiles or against any institutions of Religion for we are are all called in Christ to salvation and peace that we should all in the last time be p John 17. Eph. 4. of one mind under the obedience of the love 20. Now because I doe not set my selfe resistingly or reproachingly against any shall I then fawne and flatter as to write any thing for any mans favour to please men that be far from me but rather I declare uprightly even as it is through Gods heavenly Revelation manifested and granted me to see the thing that right is and that availeth in the sight of God and ought to have his passage among all men 21. Lo this O ye well-willers of the righteousnesse is now out of the inclination of love as far as we may and as God permitteth unto us painted out and pourtrayed before you according to the life thereof as a president or pattern of the righteousnesse 22. Let every one therefore once glasse himself in the Glasse of Righteousnesse according to the truth and look upon the thing which is right let him put away from him all evill thoughts together with his deceitfull tongue q Psa 34. and let reproaching lips be far from
him and so seek peace and zealously labour for it 23. For if any man be innocent or do indeavour so to be and if he have right on his side or do carry his matters uprightly then will such a one by his righteousnesse agree with us in one mind according to the nature of the love even as we affect the love and endeavour to the peace 24. If on the other side he be not so then may he there if he be not partially minded have knowledge of his errour whereby he may turn him to the love and live for the inclination to be upright of heart in the love or to inherit the love is r Cant. 8. Mar. 22. 1 Cor. 12.13 truly that is the most best vertue and passeth all Religions and like-resembled God-services it doth likewise farre excell all self-chosen spirituall humilitie and holinesse 25. Such kind of hearts as are inclined to love and peace and have set their minds on the most best vertue to inherite it I suppose there are some at least among all sorts of people and albeit many of them do seek God the eternall Father and his righteousnesse Å¿ Esa 58.9 ignorantly being yet ignorant of the truth and bewitched in their hearts with spirituall appearances t Col. 2. and vaine wisdomes whereunder their understandings and consciences are still held captive yet neverthelesse in their obedience to the requiring of the service of love u Esa 25. the covering wherewith many people or heathen are yet covered and bewitched shall be taken away from their hearts that those which love the good might cleave to it with free and unbound consciences and be comprehended in the band of love 26. To that end that is to say for the peace and unities cause is mine inclination to the service of the Saints that are called to the love and the service of my exhortations is to those that hope and long after it to wit that they would all have regard unto the Service of the Love to the intent that all we who have any pleasure will or desire to the good might through the same Service prepare our hearts thereunto for to be joyned in all love to the good in humblenesse of heart and so might avoid the plagues of the ungodly x Apo. 18. and not be made partakers of those plagues which as a y Luk. 21. snare shall catch the blood-guilty the wicked and all the malicious in the last time and they shall not be able to escape the vengeance of God CHAP. III. 1. An admonition to observe the time and to fly the abominations of the wicked world 14. He hopeth that many believe the promises of restoring and exhorteth all not to looke backe as the greatest part in former times did but to take their unbeliefe for instruction SEeing now dearly beloved that we see heare and marke evidently that the blind wicked world is wholly minded to errour hunteth for a Sap. 1. corruption and destruction and hasteth to fall into the plagues of the ungodly to her own perdition which all malicious ones together with such as are strayed and departed from the upright life doe take pleasure with and are blinded in and doe daily increase in blasphemie Rom. 1. Eph. 4. wicked imaginations false judgements malice and owne conceitednesse of self-chosen wisdome therefore let every one now with carnest love to the good take heed to his time that is to say that he hate die from and forsake all that which the erring world increaseth in and followeth after 2. And let us increase daily in the spirit of the upright being and c Col. 1. 1 Pet. 2. grovv up in the true life of godlinesse namely as many as out of a good purpose have turned them to the vertue of truth and in obedience given over themselves to the vvord of the Lord and his service of love for the righteousnesse sake that none through his carelessenesse or delight in vvorldly desires be d Heb. 3.4 disappointed of the rest of godlinesse vvhich rest of godlinesse and of the upright life hath ceased but hath been reserved for an everlasting inheritance for the children of God in the last daies according to the promises 3. Novv for to enter into this rest let every one have the eyes of his spirit and the eares of his heart and understanding earnestly attent to regard the time of his calling thereunto 4. Let no man look back to the vain and wicked being of the ungodlinesse which e Lu. 9.17 Phil. 3. he leaveth forsaketh and dieth from neither let any man think to turn again with his heart to the world that is to say to her abominations of iniquity or to her vain being of wantonnesse for behold the daies of her desolations be at hand and are now already come at the door 5. Oh fly f Esa 48. Jer. 51. Apo. 18. from the ungodlinesse of the vvorld vvith all your hearts and from the wickednesse of her abommations Look not back after her deadly poyson and be not therewith made unbelieving to think that the world shall not be punished for her abominations 6. O! consider I pray you how can a man that hath any understanding or knowledge of righteousnesse take pleasure in the world are not the sins of this last wicked world become out of measure abominable are they not much more abominable and horrible then the sins of the former wicked world g Gen. 6.7 in the time of Noe and of the Cities of Sodoma and Gomerra h Gen. 18.19 2 Pet. 2. in the time of Lot If God then punished them so terribly and severely how much more will he punish these who doe far passe the other in wickednesse 7. Oh children keep your hearts separated from her fear God and love his righteousnesse that ye be not taken in the snares of the wicked nor plagued with the reward of their errors 8. Take an example by i Gen. 19. Lu. 17. Lots wife and remember the saying of our Lord Jesu Christ which he spake when ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the Prophet Daniel standing in the holy place who so readeth it let him consider it Read Dan. 9. Mat. 24. Lu. 21. 9. Therefore O all ye that love equity and righteousnesse watch and pray the sight of the destruction is ascended on high the k Esa 5.60 4 Esd 14. darkness overwhelmeth the earth her l Esa 28.29.56 inhabitants are drunken sleepy the Sun of righteousnesse giveth little shine among them m Esa 13.14 Ezek. 32. Joel 2.3 Sap. 5. the Moon of Understanding which was wont to be a clearnesse to the darknesse is utterly darkned with them and for bright shining giveth them but little light for almost all of them begin to grope n Esa 59. as if they were blind by meanes of the thicknesse of the darknesses which have invironed the earth therefore is the woe
she is not of one being vvhereas the truth is free and in her upright being abideth undivided for ever m Gen. 1. Pro. 6. Sap. 9. vvhereby also every thing vvas made and vvhereby all elementish things have their right ministration and she shrinketh avvay from none 14. But if vve have regard unto her then shall the true understanding through the raising up of the image or like being of God in us be discovered unto us and the meaning of the knowledges be unlocked to wit after what sort God is the n Esa 9. Lord King Saviour and Prince of us all namely of those that are upright of heart and do joyn themselves to his love and her service 15. Therefore O ye upright hearts which have the true sight of the good being of God or Christ and do well discerne and understand the promises of God and do moreover sincerely love the upright righteousnesse from his heart judge the matter your selves o Joh. 7. with rightfull judgement and understand the meaning aright 16. Consider deeply the godly testimonies of our writings which out of the inclination of love we have set forth and pointed out for a Glasse of Righteousnesse and endeavour you thereunto even to obtain the same upright righteousnesse obediently and then to administer the same unto every one of them also that love the truth and righteousnesse to the intent the righteousnesse and life may out of love be be administaed according to the truth unto all people to their Salvation 17. Thus let every one passe on to the same upright life which is set forth therein and reach one another the hand to the p Eph. 4. unity of heart in the love and glasse your selves daily in the Glasse of Righteousnesse and be you cleansed of the spots of unrighteousnesse whereby with pure hearts you may inherit the same life in the Love 18. And whom you know to have any desire to the beautifulnesse of vertue and to the unity of heart with us under the obedience of the Love unto them deny not the same Glasse also and so in all things love ye the fairnesse of vertue and of the pure Love 19. But if any man thinketh that there is any thing set forth in the Glasse of Righteousnesse which is not sutable with the truth or whereon Moses the Prophets and the Apostles of Christ have not witnessed or that should not tend to the Love let him there stay himselfe and not blaspheme but rather aske the meaning and so tarry his time q 1 Cor. 4 till a further inlightning that he may discerne it all by the true light of the eternall truth as agreeably minded with the love whereunto we bear witnesse 20. Wherefore O ye dearly beloved looke to your selves and destroy not your selves through your own knowledge for our service of love is for a furtherance unto you all to a distinguishing between the truth and lies to the end that every vain conceit and every bewitched imagination might be taken out of the hearts of men and the good seed of life r Mat. 13. Luk 8. obtain his fruitfulnesse in us to all laud honour and praise of the Almighty and to all love and concord amongst each other and that all together to one manner congregation Å¿ Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. Eph. 2.4 house temple or tabernacle of the one unseparated Spirit of Christ and to a life of blessednesse unto all people 21. Now if any man be thus minded with us and be comprehended with us in the judgement of the truth and in the love impartially or if he have any desire to judge uprightly or would faine be knit in one consent with us in the love whereby he might judge uprightly according to the truth let him then in like manner with us have respect unto the t Esa 28. ballance of equity and set or hold himselfe with us according to the stock of the upright love and truth impartiall under the obedience of the Love and so also with us set the the truth free not as tied hereto or thereto wherewith she is not of one being forasmuch as the true God Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost is so untied also 22. For the true being of the eternall truth is a free majesty of the high Godhead an u Sap. 7. Heb. 1. everlasting stedfast power life and mightinesse likewise the same true being comprehendeth all that is in heaven in earth and under the earth and is not it selfe comprehended either of this or of that wherewith it is not co-essential neither is it tied thereunto for it is and remaineth an everlasting living and free unclosed up fountain of wisdome wherewith we all ought to be of one being and to live therein 23. Lo this is our sight concerning the life which we do freely declare even without partiality as also that God is a living everlasting and undivided God and that he is not onely a God of the Jewes but also of the Gentiles that is to say a x Act. 10. Rom. 10. Gal. 3. Eph. 4. God of all people that love his righteousnesse that joyne themselves to his love and her Service and that have a desire to do his will 24. But to be separated from the same highest God and from his love and her Service is the middle wall the sin and the darknesse y Esa 50. Eph. 2. between God and the man and it maketh manifest and knowne that the same sinne is the fall and destruction of the inward manhood from his God whereout also all wickednesse and the sundry sorts of dissention and discord are come into the world But to know the same and to be incorporated againe with God under the obedience of the love is the salvation and bringeth into us againe the unity of heart in the peace 25. Behold the same God of whom we beare witnesse and which bringeth unto us the true salvation and peace out of his love and out of the obedience to the requiring of her service is the onely God of life whose hand hath made all that is he is the true being wherein the spirit of men ought to be incorporated and grounded and we bear record that he even the same God is only the Lord who also was in times past praised of the righteous in Israel a Psal 118. Esa 28. 1 Pet. 2. as the rock of their salvation 26. Whilst then the people of Israel afore-times were grounded upon the same onely God they served no Idolls neither did they choose any thing for Gods besides their God nor yet tied themselves to any other thing but did celebrate and glorifie the same living God as the King Lord and God of all the world and declared his righteousnesse as the word of life b Deut. 30 Rom. 10. and shewed the same unto the man and called him thereunto that all knees might bow themselves before the same God c Esa 45. Phil. 2. and
give through which righteous spirit or spirit of promise f Act. 15. 1 Cor. 6. God justifieth our hearts from the sinne through the belief 2. Lo hereof have I written heretofore and do now still bear witnesse to the same but who believeth the truth or who hath any regard unto Gods promises to wait with long sufferance and with a firme confidence in God for such things to come and in the obedience to the requiring of the service of love to hope for them and my conceiving in the truth and mine understanding is even yet no otherwise neither can I otherwise discern but that God will thus in his time bring forth his work to an everlasting peaceable living in the love according to his promises 3. Notwithstanding if it be not so as I through the holy spirit of the love of Jesu Christ do according to the life describe it or that Gods working according to his promises be not in such wise promised also that such a life of peace as we bear record of should not be to come or that men should not under the obedience of the love hope for it according to the promises Let any man give judgement of it according to the truth for every one that loveth righteousnesse he intendeth doubtlesse the Salvation after his best meaning 4. But if on the other side O all ye which observe these things the Lord hath opened the door of understanding unto you or hath g Eph. 1. enlightned your understanding and that ye conceive that we have set forth and described the life of righteousnesse and the service which leadeth thereunto according to the truth then verifie the same to the unity of heart in the love and to one understanding of the true belief in Jesu Christ one with another and so h Eccl. 6. then give your selves obediently to the same service of love and to our communion of the living God in one faith and in one familiarity i 1 Pet. 1. of upright brotherly love to the end the true belief and the right obedience of the love may among us all which love the righteousnesse k 4 Esd 6. grow and blossome in all concord in a sure hope to Gods promises and that the righteous in the love may become many 5. Els if you think that we have conceived of the truth amisse or if in any point it be too slenderly set forth then give testimony thereof with a meek spirit and so help forward the unity of heart in the obedience of the love and think no evill of it neither blaspheme it for in such a sort we stand pliable to examine the truth whereby out of love we may cleave thereunto and so receive the explanation of the truth in that wherein we know it not aright for the wisdome of the truth in a gentle and meek spirit l Pro. 3.8 Sap. 7. is the most precioust treasure that a man can find 6. But one that covereth himself in his evill conceiving and thereby thinketh to be wise and one which hath a tongue that slandereth and an heart which is envious or wrath against any he is not to be commended Moreover an arrogant heart which with contempt of another hath a pleasure in his own understanding or which standeth partiall in the testimony of the truth or an heart that turneth it self away from the concord of the service of love and cleaveth to the vain conceited flesh and bloud and taketh part therewith that same can in no wise judge rightly 7. Therefore judge with faithfulnesse and truth and not with favour or disfavour nor yet with reviling or despite least any man judge out of such a disposition as they aforetimes did that were the confederates of the high-Priest and smote the mouth of the wisdome on his face m Joh. 18. saying with arrogant minds and malicious hearts wilt thou answer the High-Priest so 8. Behold howsoever it be meet and Gods Ordinance that men should learn the Law n Mal. 2. out of the mouth of the Priests and the wisdome o Eccl. 6.8 of the Elders or principallest of understanding yet is such dealing an unreasonablenesse and against the Law also against the wisdome and against the love which God requireth 9. Wheresoever therefore men deal after that manner or with such partiality though it seemeth to be some righteousnesse holinesse or wisdome there deem we not the true High-Priest nor any Elders of the holy understanding nor yet the Law of the Lord nor wisdome of God to be 10. Therefore ought men to stand impartiall with the heart in Gods upright being and so to set forth the Salvation out of the love and her service for many seek it ignorantly and through lack of wisdome they go into waies where it is not to be found 11. But if any man love the salvation and wisdome from his heart let him submit himself to the love and her service and so then in obeying of the requiring of the service of love let him be familiar p Col. 3. 1 Pet. 3. brotherly kind-hearted chast meek gentle sober patient or long suffering lowly of heart and friendly for that is a blessednesse q Jam. 3. and wisdome which is not earthly of the earth or of men but onely of God the fountain of grace full of all wisdome and he distributeth her unto every one that feareth seeketh and loveth him for there is none only wise nor onely good r Mat. 19 Luk. 18. but God who onely is the Lord and the everlasting wisdome it self 12. Therefore speaketh the mouth of the wisdome and saith Å¿ Mat. 18. where two or three of you be gathered together in my Name there am I amongst you and in the midst of you t Deut. 17.19 Mat. 18. Joh. 8. for in the mouth of two or three witnesses all matters shall be judged and be rightly known out of the true wisdome 13. But not of such as with subtilty of the knowledge do enquire daily thereafter of another or with wittinesse and reason do search or sound deeply for it whereby to discern the matters of understanding touching things divine out of the knowledge O no! but u Esa 57.66 Sap. 1.6 Mat. 11. 13. 1 Cor. 2. of those that are lowly of heart and have not studied nor searched for any knovvledge x Bccl. 6. 1 Pet. 1.5 but with a desire do humble their hearts to the obeying of the requiring of the holy vvord and his service of love for to do the will of the Lord. 14. Lo such are upright wise-ones and lovers of wisdome upon whom also the wisdome ariseth as a light whose judgements agree in one understanding and do tend or reach to one upright being 15. O God that the hearts of men were yet once rightly humbled before thee and thy service of love and were partakers of thy holy wisdome that so they might live in thee 16. O holy y
we bidden through the service of the doctrines and writings of the Apostles of Christ i 1 Pet. 1. 1 Joh. 1. vvho have published in the world such a life as is everlasting 36. If then we believe in Christ so as the Scripture saith then shall not the upright wisdome remain separated from us but have her form in us and k Joh. 4.7 flow from our body as a river of living waters 37. But now is this upright wisdome l Mat. 11. 1 Cor. 1.2 hidden or unknown before all flesh also before the devill before the world and before all her wise and letter-learned ones 38. Also she is not to be learned in any schools through any study in the knowledges not found by any manner tongues or languages but she riseth as a light upon those who in the Doctrine of Wisdom of her service of Love are low and humble of heart m Esa 57.66 poor of Spirit willing to the good n Sap. 1.7 and not subject to the lustfulnesse of the sin 39. Therefore speaketh the mouth of the Wisdome saying o Mat. 11. I thank thee O Father of heaven and earth that thou hast hidden this same from the wise and learned in the Letter and hast made it knowne to the little and lowly 40. Yea it hath alwaies so pleased the Father to make the lowly contrite hearts partakers of the gifts of his holy wisdome CHAP. VII 2. In the off-fallen estate there is none truly wise though many boast 3. The Glasse of Righteousnesse is set forth to try every ones cause by it 8. Though the Author be moved at the misunderstanding of others 9. Yet would he not have men to think that his owne humane waies had been alwaies right 11. But through the Lords mercy he hath been inlightned 12. Which illumination and gifts he respected not in regard of the Love 13. And exhorteth all others to despise their gifts likewise in respect thereof 19. He bewaileth mens uncertaine knowledge 22. Yea even of them that are fore-goers unto others 25. How to walke in the Service of the Love 29. The written word is not the word it selfe 31. Yet mens misunderstanding perceiveth it not 39. But God can reveale the difference INasmuch as I now have perceived the fall or estranging of men from this holy wisdome and what a wicked nature and crafty heart they have or in what spirituall bewitching they stand that account themselves for wise and yet are strangers to the godly wisdome which is according to the Love and the requiring of her Service therefore could I not give credit unto any of them as true wise ones or upright Christians although they boasted them of Gods wisdome or gave our themselves for a Christian Congregation 2. For through mistrustfulnesse the fear of my heart was that the Christianity was not so good or upright among the Children of men as they made boast of or that it might yet not be for all that the right Christianity or that her Ministration was not yet proceeded out of the right stock of the Love 3. Whilest then that they were yet unknowne unto me in such sort that I could credit no man for his boasting fair speaking nor profoundnesse or deep knowledge and that out of Gods grace and his heavenly revelation there was granted me to see the good being of the Christianity and that the same stood before me in the sight of my spirit whereafter my hope and longing was as also we have said before therefore out of the inclination of love am I occasioned to shew openly and to set forth a Glasse of Righteousness whereby to make knowne before all eyes of understanding that glasse themselves therein the good and upright being of the true Christianity and what our calling is through Jesus Christ by the Word of the preaching of the Apostles of Christ and whereby also to lay open the understanding a Eph. 3. whereon we are to set our hope what manner life the Prophecies doe stretch unto wherein Gods promises are to be established and what manner ones they be or ought to be that are the upright Congregation of the Christianity 4. This verily have I through Gods grace b Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 3. which is given unto me plainly expressed in Letters according to the life of the upright Christianity namely according to the upright forme even as I behold the same in the vision of the truth through Gods heavenly Revelation which is c Rom. 16. Eph. 1.3 Col. 1. 2 Tim. 1. appeared and revealed unto me d Eccl. 24.33 seeking therein the salvation of all men and not mine owne only for therefore to the end that all controversie might now be ended and that it might be knowne what the true Christianity is I have impartially noted or described in Letters the upright being of the Christianity and also in like manner the true teaching-office of the Ministration of the holy Word in the obedience of the love of Jesu Christ. 5. If now any man have right in his matter concerning the Christianity or if any man minister the office of the holy Word rightly in the obedience of the love of Jesu Christ according to the promises he will also keep it and will likewise very willingly unite himselfe with us in the obedience of the Love of Jesu Christ for I desire not with my writing to bereave any man of the true being of the Christianity nor of the upright Office of the Ministration of the holy Word but much rather to point him to it and to be serviceable unto him therewith 6. But they that are wrong and stand in a conceit or imagination shall also very easily perceive wherein they mistake or are wrong if so be they read these writings and doe glasse themselves in the Glasse of Righteousnesse and have regard unto these testimonies 7. Let every one know himselfe and turn him to the Communalty of the love that he may be inlightned in his e Eph. 1. understanding and be delivered and unburthened of the f Rom. 1. vaine bewitched being and so with thanksgiving laud God 8. Oh what shall I say of the vaine understanding of the children of men and of all their conceits and imaginations whereunto they are subject Oh how much experience have I of this their ignorance and conceitednesse I have examined it very much I have had regard unto the judgement of many men and made my selfe common with every one howbeit I have found many things vaine or senselesse 9. But although I do thus write yet let no man therefore thinke that my humane waies have been still in the true understanding O no! but concerning my humane disposition and weak nature I have found my selfe in much sin and ignorance above many others 10. I have also passed thorow many g Sap. 5. tedious waies struggled much stumbled often and fallen many times yea I have been even the chiefe among
himselfe may feed you 5. Men may also see yea it is plainly seen and observed that g Jer. 10. Ezek. 22. Joh. 10. Apo. 16. the Wolves Bears Dragons and Serpents yea all venomous carrion the Generation of Vipers do inviron and compasse the Forrest of the desart watching night and day that the sheep come not out thence neither tast of the good pasture nor yet be gathered to their good and upright Shepheard to the intent that they themselves to wit that false brood might still h Ezek. 34. keep the Soveraignty and preheminence and that the bands of their Dommion might not be broken 6. And many of the common sort of Inhabitants of these vvildernesses though they see and note that it ought not so to be do yet i Ier. 3. quietly look upon it and carelessely loiter forth the time if it touch not them they think then all is vvell and use the Proverb whilest a thing is tolerable it is commendable 7. O God they are little moved hovv it fareth vvith thine holy holy Land of inheritance vvhich lyeth still vvast or that thy sheep remain as strayed in the vvildernesse and thy Lambs be cruelly handled and torn as long as themselves may have but peace 8. They k Ier. 5.8 mourne not once neither bear they any sorrovv O God for thy holy City Jerusalem hovvsoever they see that it is trodden dovvn l Iam. 1. Luk. 2. and lieth utterly vvast 9. They ask not once for Sion thy temple and thy Sanctuary entreth not once into their hearts 10. They make themselves delights in the forraigne Lands and forget the Joy in Sion 11. Oh vvhat shall I say of these wretchlesse ones that neither seek nor desire any thing but to have their ease and repose in the flesh and moreover of those self-seekers among the dispersed Israel vvho daily rejoice them vvith the intangled Babilon and shrovvd themselves under the contentiousnesse and m Gen. 10. violence of Nimrod and do not once think on the Lavv of their God nor on the seat of his glory but take unto them the foreskin of the heathen and vvallovv in the filthinesse of the uncircumcised 12. Oh! are not all these like the svvine n Mat. 7. 2 Pet. 2. that hath his delight in the dirt and regardeth not the fairnesse of the Roses are they not also like the hedghog vvhich delighteth to be in the vvast places of uncleanlinesse contenting himself vvith mice svvines flesh seeing it is even a pleasure unto them to wallow themselves in all uncleannesse and to eat all unclean meat wherein they have a desire to live and do not once long for the pleasantnesse of the noble Garden where men do eat the pure herb and the clean beasts and where they sing and play the laud song of the Lord out of o Apo. 13.14.15 the Mercy Seat 13. But alasse the desolation as is said is yet me thinks best pleasing in this world p Jer. 5.6 7.8.9.10 c. Ezek. 16.20 for I see that the same getteth the prcheminence every where and I cannot otherwise perceive but that the desolation is now adaies most imbraced and beareth greatest sway els must mine eyes be blinded that I look asquint and see not aright 14. Therefore O ye Seers which do bear sorrow for the treading down of Jerusalem q Psa 74.79 Jer. 9. Lam. 1.2.3.4 4 Esd 2.3.4.8.10 and are grieved from the heart that the Lords Temple and his Sanctuary lieth wast judge ye the matter whether I have noted it rightly or unrightly 15. If I have noted the thing rightly suffer ye then with me I pray you grief and heavinesse in your hearts and sigh you with me to the Lord that he will have mercy on us and set up his Sanctuary for his holy names sake 16. Oh send forth a cry to the desolate peoples give them with lamentation to understand the desolation whereinto they are fallen that they may sorrow and be grieved Let them behold how poor and naked they are of the godly riches 17. Come hither I pray you to the love and her service O ye desolate peoples and consider in this light how that ye are all r Sap. 5. strayed from the way of life and understanding and weep or lament over your froward waies 18. And come all ye that are ignorant Å¿ Pro. 6. come and eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I powre forth unto you forsake the ignorant being so shall ye live and shall walk in the way of understanding 19. I wisdom do in the love cry and call unto you O ye children of men regard it O ye ignorant ones ye unwise take it to heart and hear 20. For I will speak t Pro. 8. and my lips shall utter some singular matter 21. For my mouth shall speak the truth u Pro. 8. and my lips hate that which is ungodly 22. All the words of my mouth are righteous x Pro. 8. there is no frowardnesse nor falshood in them 23. Therefore come and go with me into the house of mourning where the poor the little ones and the contrite of heart are even there will I shew you y Apo. 3. how poor and miserable ye are and which are the most precious treasures z Pro. 3.8.6 Esa 33. Col. 2. and riches that you lack 24. Come and help me to make a lamentation before the most highest and suffer sorrow for the most hurtfullest a Mat. 16. losse of the upright righteousnesse because it is not or very little found in this world for my heart is therefore oftentimes heavy Oh where is it or where may I rightly find where to ask after it 25. Where I pray you is now b Mal. 1. the fear of God such as is unmixt with the fear of men whereout the beginning c Pro. 1.9 Eccl. 1. of the holy wisdome appeareth 26. Where is the most holiest faith d Rom. 5. Eph. 6. Heb. 11. in the true hope of salvation which men e Ro. 3.5 Gal. 2. are justified by from the sin wherewith no vein or false faith is mixed 27. Where is the pure love f Mat. 22. Rom. 13. Gal. 5. which is the fulfilling of the Law and g 1 Tim. 1. the principall scope of the belief wherewith is mingled no discord nor selfe-seeking in the love 28. Where is now h Hos 4. faith and truth whereon any heart may rest 29. Where is the true ministring of the holy word i Act. 2.3.4.7.8.9.10 c. and working of the holy Ghost wherewith the invention of mans wisdom hath not mixed it self 30. Where is Gods k Esa 42.48 Apo. 4.5.7 Honour Land and Praise that belongeth unto him onely wherein mans honour and praise is not mingled 31. Where is the pure God-service which is l Jam. 1. not mixed nor spotted of this world 32. Where is the Law of the
then shall your portion be with the Kings and Priests or with the Elders of the holy Understanding and your fellowship with such Senetors as do further the Righteousnesse and your Service of the Word with the peace-makers that do earnesty seek the unity in the Love 10. And thus shall then the slandering lips k T it 2. 1 Pet. 2.3 which defame you with all evill by your good conversation with the wise in the wisdom and with the just or vertuous in all righteousnesse and integrity be put to silence 11. Therefore be now through the love and her service wholly l Rom. 12. Eph. 4. renewed and purified in the spirit of your mind passe now thorow the river of the love even to the rest of life the holy land of promise that the ungodly bear no dominion over you 12. Be altogether with one consent minded hereunto and let the love have the preheminence and dominion with you all that the little ones may be protected and the simple defended 13. Therefore O ye lovers of the truth seek unity and labour for it and make a departure out of all heathenish being which is after the course of the worlds foolishnesse 14. Do away the fore-skin m Deut. 10 Ier. 4 of your uncircumcised hearts lay away from you according to the former conversation the bewitching of the imagination which glimmereth unto you before the eyes of your spirit and glittereth before your understanding as if it were some excellent thing 15. Renew your understanding in the Service of the holy and gracious Word under the obedience of the Love and so in the spirit of your mind betake you n 1 Cor. 14 to the Love and and as deer children be subject thereunto whereby you may in the love obtain eyes of clearnesse 16. If notwithstanding ye be o Iam. 1. unwise p Apoc. 3. blind and q Mat. 5 poore of spirit yet grieve not your selves for all that for then ye draw neare to the Kingdome of God 17. If you desire godly wisdom then r Iam. 1 pray and believe she shall be given you so far forth as your prayer Å¿ Rom. 12. is stedfast and as ye pray to God in a lowly heart with such a prostrated soule as hath a desire or pleasure to do and to fulfill the Lords will 18. Men may find many which pray unto God for wisdom and for the right sight of his Kingdom but they will not acknowledge nor t Joh. 9. Apoc. 3. understand that they are unwise poor and blind therefore they obtain nothing 19. For although that the wisdom stood even at their door yet so well seen are they and so rich of spirit through their own wisdome of the knowledge that the upright wisdom of God and the being of his Kingdome must be faine to tarry without 20. Therefore right well speaketh the mouth of the Wisdom Blessed u Mat. 5. are the poor of spirit for the Kingdom of heaven belongeth unto them or the wisdome of God ariseth as light upon them and not upon the rich or upon the great knowers 21. For when we of our selves are become poor blind or unwise or do forsake that which is ours and do come to contrition and meeknesse of heart x Psal 51. Esa 57.66 then will God dwell with us and appeare in such hearts as also the Scripture maketh mention and then are we also poor but God is become rich in us by means of our vilenesse or because we are poor in the knowledge It is true 22. These and other like things have I in many places distinctly set forth in the Glass of Righteousness and do here also set forth the same in this Introduction to the holy Vnderstanding if any man regard it let him consider the inclination of mine understanding 23. But what shall I say I find the man much too self-wise y Rom. 1. 1 Cor. 1. in his owne conceit and too void of understanding in the mind of the love for commonly when the man heareth of the love and of the right understanding of wisdom he rejoyceth him in the hearing and it seemeth as if it liked him well likewise for a time he commendeth it 24. But in conclusion there is nothing among the greatest sort but self-feeking and very little doe they understand the first Schoole-rule of the Christian Doctrine of the service of love for an entrance into the upright life in Jesus Christ but do understand every thing which is held forth before them out of Gods wisdome and love according to their imagination and according to the mind of their liking They seek thereout their own commodity z 2 Phil. 2. and not the Lords they run clean back from the mind of the love and use all subtilty to manitain their own opinion 25. Whereout I observe that the man which is thus minded conceiveth of the wisdom and of the love utterly amisse For which cause I likewise fear least the Glasse of Righteousnesse how plainly and rightly evidently and clearly soever it is set forth shall not of many be discerned aright nor yet be conceived of according to the truth 26. If therefore they discern or conceive not aright of such apparent sentences as are so clearly and plainly uttered that even every one which loveth lowlinesse and righteousnesse must needs approve the same and acknowledge that the man and the world is created thereunto how should they then be able rightly to understand or judge of all the mysteries of the Kingdome of God 27. For which causes sake to the intent no man might have occasion to estrange himself from the truth unlesse it might be by his own revolting heart we have bidden or covertly set forth nothing in the Glasse of Righteousnesse 28. Notvvithstanding if any thing be covered or hidden unto any a 2 Cor. 4. it is hidden to the unbelievers who have no desire nor love to the truth nor to the life which is of God for such are darkned b Rom. 1. in their understanding through pleasure in their ovvn mind and through the ignorance which is in them c Eph. 4. and through the blindnesse of their hearts do gather unto themselves d Rom. 2. a treasure of vvickednesse to an horrible destruction and so through their own wisdome do turn away and separate themselves from the love and from her service 29. But unto all lovers of equity which have a desire and belief towards the love to the intent that by her service they might tast of e 1 Pet. 2. the uncorrupted milk the Word of God that f Esa 40. 2 Pet. 1. liveth for ever we have out of the inclination of love so openly and clearly according to the life painted out and set forth the Glasse of Righteousnesse that every one who with an humble heart hath regard thereunto and desireth the understand of Righteousnesse shall be vvell satisfied therein 30. If also any
man turn his heart unto God and desire to do his will the same shall likewise well understand that the restimonies of the upright life in the love as it is set forth in the Glasse of Righteousnesse is the upright ground of righteousnesse that God from the beginning hath required of the man which also in the restoring thereof shall continue for ever to the Salvation of the vvorld according to the promises even as God hath spoken the same aforetimes by the mouth of his holy Prophets who have all g Esa 2.60.61.62 Jer. 31. Joel 2.3 Zach. 2.8 Mich. 4. Soph. 3. Mal. 4. vvitnessed and prophecied of that same upright life for to come in the last time and in the same shall also all consciences be appeased 31. For the end or fulnesse of the same is the revealing or coming of the Kingdom of God h Esa 35.51.60.65 Apo. 21.22 and the beholding of the joyes and Salvation of the eternall perfect and uncorruptible being 32. Oh that the man had any understanding in the godlinesse and did perceive vvhereunto God calleth him and did in like manner prepare his heart after the meaning of the vvritten sentences and did let alone judging by the knowledge 33. But no the man is much too self-wise by his knowledge and therefore he is more inclined to judge of every thing after his knowledge then to prepare his heart to the good under the obedience of the love 34. Therefore it is very much to be lamented that many among the children of men do oftentimes judge the sentences and writings which have out of the service of love their ministration to the good life according to their Knowledge For as soon as they read or hear the same they suppose by and by that they have rightly apprehended and well understood them not first minding to enter in to obtain and to live in that which they bear witnesse of whereas yet the service of our writing tendeth hereunto even that mens hearts as is there set forth should be prepared to the same 35. For men strike up no alarm in the host to the intent to make the people unlusty to the battell nor yet that they should but know the exercise of the warr or judge of the Alarm-stroak but that with good courage they should prepare themselves to the battell or fight Thereby every one that hath courage to fight doth then make himself ready to incounter with his enemies and to root out his adversary or to subdue him 36. But alas I find it with many otherwise in that alarm by which the man is called to the spirituall i Eph. 6. fight to the vanquishing of his enemies which inwardly in him are killers and murderers of his soul 37. Therefore it is very true that the children of this world are much k Luk. 16. wiser in their dealing as concerning the flesh then the children of the Kingdom are in that which concerneth the spirit 38. What availeth I pray you an alarm made if men prepare them not to the battell for many are perswaded that this is no time of fighting and that there shall be no need thereof supposing because of their unbelief that nothing shall come of it and lay their hands behind on the back or put them up in the bosome Their heads are giddy as if their hearts were utterly unlusty or dismaid to the fight 39. If one should seek for men of warre where I pray you should he find them Are they not for the most part gone back l Levit. 26. Jer. 48. and become faint hearted as women 40. If they do but once suffer harm and be wounded or forced by any evill defamation or assault of the wicked to sustain any molestation or reproach then are they persvvaded that the cause is altogether nought and so running again after their case they suffer themselves to be ruled by women m Esa 3. their enemy to raign over them and in like manner make truth n Esa 28. with death and a league with hell retain peace with the sin and accuser and become of one mind with the world supposing that then all shall be well moreover they make an appointment or conclusion with themselves that they will no more trouble themselves with the doctrine of the Family of Love nor yet vvith the battell thinking Let them run that will 41. For to resist the evill to break and subdue the wicked heart and evil thoughts and to suffer much distresse contempt and reproach for the same liketh them not they will none of that Howbeit we are alwaies to fight apainst the evill and to keep good watch continually we are alwaies to think night and day upon the vertue of the godly life alwaies to long and to hunger and thirst after it alvvaies to speak and to treat thereof with such as do so labour thereafter and yet then of many sorts of people and letter-learned to be despised and reproached 42. Because of this toil and for the shame and reproaches cause which meeteth them and because they love not the righteousnesse of the godly life with the heart they let the matter passe saying out of unbelief I cannot further it I hold me still or unoccupied about it let the Lord work it I will commit it unto him Supposing when they thus passe on according to their imagination or do live after the fashion of the world and with an o Rom. 2. unrepenting heart towards God do hold peace with the blasphemers and strivers against the truth of Christ and his love that then God will make it to be well with them 43. Deceive not your selves ye dearly beloved the saying is very right p Act. 16. Eph. 3. Gol. 1. that the Lord worketh it and that he will also cause it to go well with us q Phila. 2. and prepare us after his will and pleasure howbeit not without us nor yet without the obedience of the requiring of the service of his holy and gracious word and of his love and whilest that we turne us away in such a sort from him and from the Ministers of his word and do refuse him r Luk. 17 but it is done inwardly in us under the obedience of the requiring of his gracious word and service of love so as we stand subject unto him with good will therein and be of one mind with him against the ungodly being that God may so in us magnifie his holy name Å¿ 2 Reg. 7. and be called t Ier. 10. a God of Hosts a u Esa 47. God of Israel or a God of such a one as beareth dominion with God over his enemies 44. After this manner is God a Lord of his Army He is only the Lord but we the instrument of his hands 45. Out of such an understanding under the obedience of the Law of the Lord did the Kingly Prophet David eftsoons apprehend a zealous stoutnesse even as in divers manners we
the works of unbeliefe leadeth away from the living God wherby we may be deprived of the fellowship with God in the Spirit for the unity and p Eph. 2. peace with God the Father in the Spirit for to live one with another in all Loue is the glorious liberty of the children of God whereunto we are called by Jesus Christ 51. Lo this is the stone q Psa 118 1 Pet. 2. which was not allowed of the workmen yet is there r Acts 4. salvation in none other which stone is clean against all sense of the flesh and against all them that are minded only upon the outward therefore of those builders which will themselves act or set up the salvation he is rejected Å¿ Esa 8.28 Mat. 21. and is unto them a stone of stumbling and offence t Psal 118 Mat. 21. and this is a wonderfull worke in our eyes 52. Behold herein we have likewise all sinned and trespassed 53. Therefore it stands us now upon to regard well from the heart the mind of the truth and with humble hearts to pray unto the Lord that he will not punish us for our misdeeds of ignorance u Psa 25 79. Dan. 9. but will thinke upon us according to his mercy and guide our hearts after his will that we might walke in his Ordinances and be named after his Name as our God and Saviour who through the Service of his love maketh our errors knowne unto us and releaseth or maketh us free from all perverse or covered nature of sinne from all arrogancy and haughtinesse of the revolters and from all falshood dissention and deceit which at this time do every where bear sway and among many have even hitherto had the preheminence 54. O God x Dan. 9 let us in this dangerous time find grace in thine eyes and incline thou our hearts towards thee and towards thy righteousnesse bring our spirit out of this desolation and cleanse our hearts minds and thoughts from all dissention y Psa 51 and create in us an upright mind that no evill come upon us 55. Of which upright mind and upright course of life of all upright hearts I have set forth a clear instruction in the tree of life the fourth book of the Glasse of Righteousness which Glass of Righteousness with other more like testimonies I have heretofore set forth to the intent that every one might look into himself and know whether he were of the upright communalty of the righteous and lived and walked in the upright vvaies of the just and so served the living God only or not For I wist not how to call any by name for to shew outwardly vvhat sort I might judge for the rightfullest 56. For I found the man a Jer. 9 so altogether deceivable so bewitched of understanding so given to cover or dissemble his lies so lordly minded because of his understanding so double of heart so earnestly bent to destroying and oppressing against those that were not like minded with his hearts conceiving so b Ier. 18.25.29.35 declining from him that according to the truth pointed him to the way of life so self-seeking and partiall for himself so resolute in his opinion so reproachfull and malicious with accusation at him that desired to bring him into the right way of the holy Fathers so vvel-conceited and affected towards his own phansies and errours so hipocriticall in the vertue so divided from the righteousnesse so separated from conscience so little seeking that which is the Lords only so unstable in fidelity so slothfull and slow to turn him to God c Pro. 6.24 so without regard to the upright waies so little reckning of the straying from his God so affectioned to the earthly visible things and so self-captived of heart that I was altogether suspicious jealous and doubtfull of the man 57. And not only of another but also even of mine own humane nature insomuch that I held it straight unto all vertues and righteous dealings for to do the Lords will in all my proceedings for in that sort did I passe forth under the obedience of the love with my humane nature to the intent to obtain the vertuous d 1 Cor. 13. disposition of the love and to be incorporated to the same with soul and body and with all the senses and thoughts of my humane nature and indeavouring me in this same with all diligence the Lord received me into the grace of his love and into him and his love incorporated my mind together with my senses and thoughts and so gave me inheritance with Christ and his Saints in his heavenly riches e Rom. 16. Eph. 1.2.3 Col. 1. and revealed his last will unto me 58. But not according to any conceiving of the flesh or after the outwardnesse namely in any outward appearance that liketh the man and the sight of his fleshly eyes or vvhereunto the man doth sometimes set his heart and understanding as though he could satisfie God thereby or as if a man with his outward humanity with a show after the outward appearance might be incorporated into the God of heaven and into his heavenly goods or could live in the Godhead according to the flesh 59. O no ye dearly beloved Gods working in renewing of the man through Jesus Christ is not after the pleasing of men nor according to any affection of the flesh nor yet such as any man by his fleshly conceiving or learned understanding should be able after the outward to judge of the same working of God in the spirit or of him which is renewed in God 60. For Gods working and the renewing of the man f Rom. 12. Eph. 4. is brought to passe inwardly in the spirit and in the inward senses and thoughts through the power of his holy spirit of love wherethrough men are abundantly filled with love towards the living God and with love towards all men 61. My respect also in my zeal to the vertuous nature of the love was least upon the outward show after the flesh but it was most upon an upright heart and mind such as consisteth in a good willing obedience and tieth or bindeth it self to no elementish things whether they be earthly riches or worldly possessions because I would in spirit and mind serve and please the living God only and likewise thereby love every man as my self 62. And for this upright beings sake because in all love the same should have and keep an g 1 Cor. 4. Gal. 4. essentiall form in me I did as is aforesaid examine the senses and cogitations of my human nature whether by them any other thing were loved or desired besides or whether they tied themselves unto any thing els To the intent I might for the loves sake of God and Christ h Mat. 16. Luk. 9.14 renounce hate and forsake it every whit and crucifie i Rom. 6. Gal. 5. Col. 3. and kill my humane senses and
earth nor of flesh and bloud but a son of the most high God in the heavenly powers of the invisible being and is now in the last time appeared and come unto us the chosen of God in his glory and triumph from the right hand of God his Father and so hath with us with the spirituall and heavenly goods his ministration e Heb. 7.8.9.10 in the most holy of his Tabernacle under the obedience of the love af-the manner of Melchisedech to the erecting of the perfection 69. Thus as is said Jesus Christ hath his ministration even from the beinning untill the perfection through his Saints and Elect and so is in his teaching to his f Heb. 9. people a Salvation from their sins and a blessing and reviving g 1 Cor. 15. Eph. 2. Col. 1.2 from the death and hath then in that manner with them namely with the living his Believers his ministration with the spirituall and heavenly goods And so in the same ministration he is manifested by his believers that he is he right Messias and King of the Jews and the true h Psal 110. Heb. 7. high Priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedeck who in his Priesthood is greater and more excellent then the man because he abideth for ever 70. Behold this same high Priest in the ministration of the spirituall and heavenly goods and this noble King of Israel and Juda which ruleth in righteousnesse and of God is chosen to such an excellent glory before the foundation of the world was laid is by inheritance sealed to possesse the i 2 Reg. 7. Esa 9.32 Ier. 23.33 Dan. 7. Mic. 4. Luk. 1. seat of David his Father to the intent there may be no end of the peace upon the same from this time forth for evermore and that so he may rule and raigne as an everlasting peaceable King over the house of Jacob according to the promises 71. For in this sort and to the finishing thereof is he revealed unto men and published k Ioh. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 1 Joh. 2. to the world for a Saviour because all people should believe in him by him inherit the everlasting life and so confesse him and that sameis the true righteousnesse which is availeable before God and well pleasing unto those men which are of a good will 72. Now inasmuch as the rich bountifull God hath out of his grace granted me to perceive that we are all called and loved to the same glory of God and to the upright being of the love of his Christ because we should inherit with all what is of God and Christ the everlasting life and for that the same is the l Eph. 1.5 Col. 1. principall point of our godlinesse therefore have I pointed none unto flesh and bloud nor to any elementish or visible things neither doth my teaching tend to the outward but from the outward to passe on to the same inward and heavenly and to Gods Kingdome of heaven whereof is spoken before to the intent that no man should set the consolation of his soul nor the comfort of his Salvation upon the outvvard nor earthly nor put his confidence thereon but only on the upright life of the righteous spirit and upon the coming of the godly glory in Jesu Christ of which things I have according to my sight out of the heavenly revelation of God much and abundantly spoken in the Glasse of Righteousnesse and in this Introduction mine exhortation is out of love also to the same to the intent we should have an earnest love and be provoked with desire towards it 73. Which life of Righteousnesse whereof we witnesse is inwardly godly according to the divine nature and outwardly brotherly after the upright humane nature and that same is the upright righteousnesse before God and amongst men 74. Who so now from the heart seeketh God and his righteousnesse and rightly hath regard to the upright life the same person will acknowledge that my teaching and ministration is of God and that it tendeth to the upright life and vvho so likewise to this end searcheth the Scripture for the promises shall assuredly find that it maketh mention of such things and that the Law the Prophets and the Apostles of Christ do all point and vvitnesse to the very same 75. When the man now according to the truth perceiveth this same then will he for the love of righteousnesse sake be also inclined there unto and yeeld his understanding m 2 Gor. 10. captive under the obedience of the love praise God highly for his grace and through the belief passe on towards the upright life in all love 76. Though he now and then fail stumble or fall yet if his eyes of the spirit have respect to the upright life and to the love and that he glasse himself daily in the Glasse of Righteousnesse doubtlesse the same shall cause him to see and shall rightly shew him his spots and shall be unto him n Ioh. 4.7 as an open fountain of life against the sin and way of death CHAP. XIII 1. None can know God nor Christ rightly but in the Spirit of the love 11. No better grounds then the Doctrine of the love 14. An exhortation to the obeyers of her service that they blaspheme not other mens writings nor condemn any for Sects but rather allure all to the love 19. and that they put away the evill as much as they can out of themselves 20. The despisers are vaine 23. The consenters hereunto are counselled not to think they have already obtained but to labour and to continue in the doctrine of the love till the laying away of the mortall body 32. Not to be dismaid at the enemies but like souldiers to prepare themselves to the battell 33. Though we be sometimes hurt yet to take new courage still 36. Considering whereunto we are called through Jesus Christ TAke it to heart O ye children of men and let your understanding be renewed a Rom. 12. Eph. 4. according to the spirit to such an upright knowledge as God esteemeth to wit vvith the vvord of truth in the spirit of the love to an assured living hope and good conscience in Jesu Christ 2. For vvho so after the spirit conceiveth not the same nor is renevved in his understanding to the same upright knowledge under the obedience of the love in such a one there is no knowledge of Christ neither can he be rightly turned to Christ or to the upright belief but only through the same 3. For the fall from Christ is come and it is according to the Prophecie understood known and well perceived how that the same b 2 Thes 1. through the child of perdition according to the mention of the Scriptures hath in every respect so utterly c Rom. 1. Eph. 4. blinded depraved and corrupted the understanding of men concerning God and Christ that the children of men how wise or learned soever they of themselves
never perceived nor known him 22. If any man then despise this good mind or spirit of love and with the heart withstandeth and blasphemeth it and doth not entertain the upright vertue of the love the same man hath beguiled his own heart and after the requiring of the knowledge of the old serpent seeketh his own advantage and not to do the will of the Lord. 23. But if on the other side O ye dearly beloved any do accept this which we bear witnesse of for right and truth let him not hardly over-hastily perswade himself that he by his knowledge hath already gotten it for there must at the first belief be joyned thereto and then look whose belief through the increase of God blossometh y 4 Esd 6. and is fruitfull let the same man attempt the battell in hope against that which maketh up it self against the same Let him have regard to the Word of life and so passe on towards it a Luk. 21. with patience or in long sufferance 24. That truely is the right Crosse of Christ b Mat. 16. Luk. 14. which we are daily with good wil in the obedience of the requiring of the service of love to take up c Act. 14. in the belief untill we be well exercised in the love and in the holy understanding whereunto we bear witnesse and not only in the knowledge 25. Lo to this present I find nor know no way els to the life therefore whosoever loveth the same let him endeavour towards it d Joh. 8. and so abide stedfast in the requiring of the gracious Word and of the doctrine of the holy spirit of love untill the e Rom. 6.8 Col. 2. laying away of his mortall body then shall he with Christ and all Gods Saints inherit the Kingdome of God and the everlasting life in the heavenly being 26. Let every one take heed to his time and f Gal. 6. let no man deceive himself with any vaine Opinion that he do not erre 27. For if any man g Mat. 10. Luk. 14. loveth or esteemeth any thing better then the godly life which is the very Saviour himself such a one is not worthy of the Salvation nor yet of the life eternall 28. And who so taketh not up his Crosse and followeth after the godlinesse with his heart h Luk. 14. the same may not be his Disciple that is he cannot be taught in the godlinesse nor born a child of God in the heavenly being 29. Therefore it is all nothing that any man speaketh much of it if so be with the heart he i Esa 29. Mat. 7.15 follow not after the same yea it is before God much more an abomination k Psal 50. Ezek. 33. that any man speaketh of Gods righteousnesse with talking or reasoning and doth not with the heart follow after it then any pleasure or delight unto him and yet may one find an hundred men which reason and talk of it where there is not one of them that liveth rightly therein or loveth it from the whole heart 30. Notwithstanding though men do now and then through some imagination think they have it and have neverthelesse failed therein yet are they not therefore to step back tarry behind or to lose the courage but rather out of the inclination of love to take good courage again and to l Phil. 3. Heb. 6.10 passe on towards the same godlinesse untill that it be in us and that we according to the truth be comprehended in the same for by stumbling falling and creeping and by being sometimes lead doth a child at length learn rightly to goe 31. By going wrong and by hurting ones self by means of passing in unpathed waies with breaking thorow thistles thorns and hedges also sometimes by doubting and then by inquiring and that all in hope men come at last or in processe of time to the right way which we ought to walk to the life of truth in the love therefore let no man be without courage 32. Though we find our selves sometimes without understanding how to enter into the life or the m Eph. 6. 1 Pet. 5. enemies encounter with us and so hardly beset us that we know not how to get thither yet let us for all that though it seem not credible take a good courage or mind n Heb. 11. in the belief and not forsake the hope for the hope o Rom. 5. leaveth none ashamed and so give our attention p Pro 4. to understanding and information whereby we may attain thereunto and to the very same arm our selves even as an unexpert souldier that hath a desire to become a good man of war armeth himself to the warfare 33. Though at first he sustaineth some damage as to be sometimes wounded smitten shot hurt to death and by his enemies to be taken captive yet taketh he still a fresh courage and abideth firm in hope untill he be well exercised in the feat of war who then is known for a man of war that is one that understandeth and knoweth well where any thing is to be won or lost and wherein damage or advantage lieth 34. If therefore earthly warriours be so bold in hope for the corruptible things sake hovv much more then ought we so to be towards the everlasting uncorruptiblenesse in case we have any desire or hope to the everlasting uncorruptiblenesse at all q Osc 23. 1 Cor. 15. wherein death is swallowed up and the everlasting immortality abideth where all destruction passeth away and in it self as a smoak vanisheth in such sort that there is even nothing remaining in it but the pure and clear the fulnesse and fairnesse of all vertues according to the promises 35. But a slothfull and unbelieving man that alwaies feareth and is r Pro. 6.24 negligent and disobedient hereunto or a doubtfull and vvavering person that still doubteth of errour wounds dammage and losse such a one thinketh not upon obtaining Å¿ 4 Esd 2. Sap. 5. Apo. 2. the royall Crown of everlasting life and therefore giveth no credit thereunto for so through his unbelief and disobedience he distrusteth God in his promises and is self-wise against Gods truth and his omnipotency and lying still on his lees or dregs he prieth from far how it shall fare with the obedient believers in the service of the love truely such as remain so minded enter not into the Kingdome of God nor in the t Heb. 4. rest or inheritance of eternall life 36. Therefore let every one consider once rightly whereunto we are called through Jesus Christ Is it not u Mat. 25. Luk. 22. Joh. 5. 1 Cor. 15. to the everlasting uncorruptiblenesse and immortality or kingly x 1 Cor. 9. 2 Tim. 4. Jam. 1. 1 Pet. 5. Crown of eternall life to y Rom. 8. Gal. 5. Eph. 3. the inheriting in the spirit of the infinite treasures of the divine heavenly goods and moreover through the belief
above the wisdome of God he hath brought in other Lawes besides these which are none of Gods but are false and lies and hath made none account of the Law of the Lord. 9. Therefore are also the Prophets which are thereout risen up l Mat. 24 2 Tim. 3 4 2 Pet. 2 found false and lying and thereout likewise doth the Devill at the end of these same bring forth the Image of his likenesse namely the son or m 2 Thes 2. child of the Devill full of deceit and lies in the hearts of lying and unbelieving men to a destroying and desolation of the people and to an abhominable evill world such as is full of wickednesse and falshood even like the Devil himselfe 10. That same is the adversary of God and Christ which is now revealed unto us as a child of damnation who for as much as the fall from Christ is come hath set himselfe n 1 Thes 2. as a God in Gods Temple that is in mens hearts and boasteth himselfe as a God and so with his owne holinesse and wisdome polluteth it all presumptuously and proudly with great boldnesse o Apo. 13 blaspheming Gods holy Name which wicked nature and adversary or enemy of God and Christ the man doth in all respects cleave unto and becometh of one nature or coessence therewith 11. Howbeit that the man is joyned to the adversary of God and Christ and dealeth so ill and unkindly with God and his Christ that he will not willingly confesse with the mouth but he is not ashamed to shew it by his workes and deeds 12. Let every one glasse himselfe once aright and then acknowledge according to the truth whom he loveth serveth and cleaveth unto whether to the world or to God to Belial or to Christ to his owne mind or to the mind of God or Christ with the mouth no doubt he will say to God and to the mind or will of Christ p Tit. 1. but with the deed it will be found quite otherwise 13. In like sort fareth it also with the understanding of the testimonies or sentences of Scripture with the mouth manie happily will confesse that they have well conceived all the sense and understanding of the holy Scripture but to follow that which the sense of the holy testimonies do betoken point to and require they clean omit whereby it doth sufficiently appear that with the life and heart they are minded against the same and have not understood the holy Scripture 14. O ye deerly beloved erre not so wholly with the erring blind world nor with the conceitednesse of the letter-learned that ye should forsake the Law of the Lord be not also q Prov. 3 Rom. 12 too wise in your owne sight and judge not of all sentences according to your imagination for much ignorance hath taken the hearts of men captive whereby oft times they judge ignorantly because by their wisdome r Mat. 11. 1 Cor. 1 they understand not the wisdome of God 15. It is all reasonably well knowne unto me with what a perverse eye the man doth oft times out of the testimonie of the writings or sentences which he heareth draw a perverse sense as it goeth now every where very brief amongst men of which sentences wherein there do many erre there is both partly in these writings and likewise in the Glasse of Righteousnesse plain Declaration made and how that many men do erre therein because they understand not the Scripture 16. But to the intent that no man through any wrong conceiving of the sentences which are now much treated of by the man might receive anie hinderance to salvation and that likewise every one may be guided into the Holy Vnderstanding of the Glasse of Righteousnesse and to an upright conceiving of the same we vvill recite certain sentences here following and uncover and clear the right understanding of the same not only in this Introduction but also in many places besides of the Glasse of Righteousnesse and shew the wrong conceiving or sight of them and warn every one to beware of the judgement of his sight which he giveth by the ignorance of his imagination 17. True it is I have heretofore in the beginning of my calling by God to the ministration of his holy and gracious word under the obedience of the love set forth certain writings but inasmuch as some sentences happily in them were not uttered in the plainest manner therefore have I with the s Supra foresaid principall Elders of the Family of Love more amply and plainly expressed them 18. Also in the beginning of my vvriting I could not find that among any of the children of men there was any such communalty of God or Christ as was comprehended in the upright life of Christ as is also before mentioned but the everlasting God who is Å¿ Ioh. 4. spirit and life t 1 Ioh. 4. and the essentiall love it self hath in my office or service under the obedience of the love manifested the same unto me and so the true Communalty of God or Christ which also is spirituall lovely and upright of life hath he made known unto me in the spirit I have also seen heard and touched or felt it and being of one substance therewith have my fellowship as one body u Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. in Christ with the same 19. Oh would to God that all men had the grace to humble them under the love and her servite that so then in the obeying of the service of love the same true Communalty of God or Christ might also every where appear and come unto the children of men and that in the spirit of Jesu Christ or of the love to the intent that all errour contention and wrangling among them all might once have an end and so we all one with another might be of u Rom. 12.15 1 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 13. Phil. 1. one mind in Jesus Christ 20. But in asmuch as I could not heretofore in the beginning of my writing perceive or find among the children of men that true and lovely Communalty which is comprehended in the upright life of Christ and that all my desire and love was bent to the upright life of the same Communaltie therefore have I also from the beginning of my writing out of the Service of Love witnessed of such a life of upright righteousnesse and of such upright hearts as the communalty of God or Christ hath her life in according as the Glasse of Righteousnesse doth also mention and make relation of the same upright life of the true communalty of God or Christ neither can I yet perceive nor know any other thing then that the upright communalty of God or Christ where she in Christ appeareth or is revealed liveth therein and shall still be minded so to do 21. And whosoever also x Sap. 8. loveth the righteousnesse with whole heart and hath a desire to be joyned and incorporated
to the only God and his true Christ or to have his fellowship with them such a one will likewise according to the sight of the true life which is appeared unto me out of the living God be inclined or bent unto such an upright being of the upright communalty of Christ whereof we bear witnesse for to live or to be comprehended therein under the obedience of the love through the belief 22. Wherefore let every one note and marke our testimonies of truth according to love and not with perversenesse of heart nor in reproach or partiality that they appear not unto him in a crosse or a contrary sense 23. For sure it is very lamentable that the testimonies of truth which are brought forth to the best should be taken overthwartly and not aright because the perverse sight maketh many to judge perversely and falsly and unrightly to understand the director causeth many greatly to stray It is true 24. It is recorded in the first book of the Glasse of Righteousnesse y 1 Glas. 2 that the upright procreation of the righteous spirit cometh not of men but z Luk. 1. out of God only this same word or sentence is very right yea unchangeable for ever For otherwise God hath never wrought among his holy ones and yet hath testified of such things afterward to come by the mouth of his holy a Eze. 36. Joel 2. Act. 2. Prophets to the intent that men should think upon his wonders of old time and trust firmly upon those of the time to come according to the promises namely how that God is the Salvation and will establish his holy Covenant b Luk. 1. according as he hath made the same with Abraham and his Seed 25. Now when men have read this saying and heard such a sentence to wit that God will work things by his righteous spirit they must then have regard to the counsell that directeth the way to God and from the heart follow the same with humble souls c Rom. 12 still persevere in prayer untill the coming of the promises d Tob. 4. Rom. 13. and not consent to the sin but so take heed to such a healthfull grace as being out of Gods mercy called to the very same according to the promises 26. For aforetimes the heathen were no people of the God of Israel but were e Eph. 2. strangers in the Testaments of the holy Fathers and in the inheritance of the godly promises and f Eph. 4. 1 Pet. 4. every one walked his way in ungodlinesse and in sundry Idolatries and were ignorant of the Lord. 27. But the everlasting God of Israel forgot not his Covenant g Luk. 1. but was mindfull of the oath which he had sworn to Abraham his beloved to a blessing of the Gentiles and looked on h Act. 17. the time of their ignorance and did in like manner for a season cast off his people and shew his hearty love on all the Generations of the earth or heathen and caused a joyfull message through his Christ to be published unto them i Mat. 3. Luk. 3.13 Act. 2.3 to a repentance and amendment from their offences calling and bidding them k Eph. 2.3 to be co-heirs with the Citizenship of his people Israel l Esa 2. Amos. 9. Zach. 8. Act. 15. that unto his people Israel he might prepare him an upright people also out of the heathen according to the promises and foreshewing of his holy Prophets 28. Hereon ought all Generations of the earth to have regard and duely to consider whether they do accordingly take heed aright to their calling which is out of grace come unto them from the bountifull God of Israel and whether they do also with lowly hearts as those that are unworthy the same humble themselves for to obtain the right m Ioh 1 3â— 1 Pet. 1. birth of the righteous spirit out of God to be fellow brethren with the children of the house of Jacob for to serve the living God and in those daies when n Act. 3. the refreshing shall appear from the presence of God to celebrate and glorifie the same God of Israel with them what time as he ingrafteth his branches into their right stock again who for the Gentiles sakes have been broken off and scattered p Lu. 21. Rom. 12. untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles should be come in the treading down of Jerusalem have her end and so all Israel be saved according to the promises 29. Therefore let us have a right regard to our calling and separate our selves according to the spirit from the foolish course q Rom. 1 Eph. 4 5 1 Pet. 4 vain walking and ignorant boasting of people and humble our souls to the grace of our calling 30. For if God in times past spared not his own people but did cast out break off and scatter them abroad for their stiffeneckednesse and prides sake and r Act. 13 Rom. 11 rejected the heathen in their roome how much lesse will he then spare the proud heathen but cast out break off lay wast and scatter them and in their stead receive his own people Israel again that they may serve him all the daies of their lives Å¿ Luk. 1. Eph. 4 in such righteousnesse and holinesse as is pleasing unto him they shall be his people and he God with them shall be their God from Generation to Generation everlastingly 31. For thus saith the Lord concerning Israel t Esa 59 Rom. 11 there shall come a redeemer unto them in Sion and to them that turn them from sin in Jacob saith the Lord and I make this Covenant with him saith the Lord u Esa 59 my Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor from the mouth of thy Seed and childrens-children saith the Lord from henceforth for evermore 32. In those daies shall the treading down of Jerusalem have an end and the vvord of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning her and unto her he said x Esa 60 arise Jerusalem be bright for thy light cometh and the glory of the Lord ariseth upon thee then also will the Lord cause himself to be heard even to the worlds end y Esa 62 And they shall say to the daughter Sion Lo thy Salvation cometh behold he bringeth his Treasure with himself and his revvard is now prepared before him they shall name them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord and thee O Jerusalem they shall call the visited and not the forsaken City 33. Lo these are the promises concerning Jerusalem and concerning Israel in the last time let every one take heed to his time according to his calling through Jesus Christ and the end or principal scope of all righteousnesse z 1 Tim. 1 is the love wherein the promises of God are established and that same is the true a 1 Joh. 3.4
him out of any choosing whether it be out of loathing or of liking but let every one search his own heart how he findeth the same disposed examine once himself whether he stand impartiall rightly or not 9. And when the man hath seriously tried and proved himself herein in such sort that he knoweth assuredly how his heart standeth in case he wholly love God and his righteousnesse intend the truth in the Love with his whole soule and desire to deny and to forsake himselfe f Mat. 16. Luke 9.14 with all that is in the world for the godlinesse sake then shall he very well know and understand a difference between the cleavers to the world and those that from the bottom of their soules love the righteousnesse 10. Wheresoevea then any upright impartiall hearts are found and that they do shew forth under the obedience of the Love the praise of God the salvation of men and the truth out of the love of righteousnesse and do point none unto flesh and blood nor to any visible elements but only to the good life of the true essentiall Godhead and are thereunto serviceable to all men to all concord in the love of Jesu Christ with those are the Lovers of righteousnesse and truth to stand impartiall to the unity of heart in the love and so to have regard to the ministration of the godly testimonies of the holy spirit of the Love unto obedience for to walk in such a life of godlinesse as is pointed out and witnessed thereby and in that manner to grow up in the good g Eph. 2. Apo. 21 to an house or tabernacle of the living God or Christ and to give no further respect to the outward then as it is serviceable thereunto to the intent that no man may be bewitched in his spirit but may cleave to the vertue and nature of the love and that the h Col. 3. love may obtain a dwelling place or forme in him 11. Lo after this manner ought men to live impartially in the good i Esa 1. Psa 37. 2 Pet 3. to turn from all ungodly being and not to maintain the evill 12. There goeth also a saying about among divers that to shew the k 2 Pet. 1. common love is the most best means to keep ones self thus impartiall 13. It is true our writings do also testifie such things howbeit let every one for all that look to it and beware of his own judgement that by the l Gen. 3. Sap. 2. 2 Cor. 11. subtilty of the Serpent or of her nature or els by the mind of the flesh he be not beguiled the saying in it self is very right but many that marke not the saying according to the truth doe speak the same with a wrong sight or understanding 14. For some use such sentences for their own seekings cause and so in such a show of vertue their heart in regard of being incorporated with God in the spirit remaineth covered m Esa 29 Jer. 23 and estranged from God and many also give great respect unto such sayings insomuch that by occasion thereof they do oft-times according to mens private conceit cleave to some outward vertue which surely is the very smallest of all and do leave the principallest n Mat. 23 1 Cor. 13 1 Tim. 1 or greatest which God requireth The like did also many heretofore that were learned in the Law upon whom the Lord pronounced wo because they observed the least things of the Law whilest they tythed Mint Anise and Cummin and left the greatest matters of the Law o Mat. 23 Luk. 11 to wit judgment mercy and faithfulnesse 15. For albeit they observed all this after an outward show so as they seemed thereby to be righteous yet was it all surely of no value seeing they were not joyned with whole heart unto God p Ioh. 15 nor according to the spirit incorporated with him 16. Furthermore divers men there are found which after the outward fashion give every one his own and unto divers out of common love shew outward mercy indifferently who also carry themselves so justly that q Phil. 3 outwardly they are not to be reproved in any thing howbeit they are inwardly before God theeves and r Mat. 23 Ioh. 10 false men because they with-hold from God that which is his Å¿ Esa 29 Ezek. 33. Mat. 15 that is to say their heart which is far from him and standeth subject or tied unto visible things which heart or inward mind belongeth wholly yea only unto God 17. Therefore God is not appeased nor satisfied with the least when the heart is not turned from all visible and mutable things and doth not cleave perfectly unto him or at least endeavour towards it to wit that the man desire of God out of his grace that God will strengthen him to the obeying of his will and t Eccl. 3 prepare his heart to his will and pleasure 18. Look whose hearts are not thus minded u Deut. 6 Mat. 22 for to love and cleave unto God with all their souls their common love is false and altogether unclean x Rom. 1 for they have yet willingly a pleasure in their own concupiscence and are yet far distant from the upright love of God neverthelesse they do sometimes perswade themselves that they have the very best conceiving of the righteousnesse and so proceed on according to the common course of vvordly hearts 19. Therefore there is great diversity between the unpartiall men who addict their hearts unto God and to the good and those men whose hearts have minded worldly things and yet do boast them of the unpartiallnesse For look what unto worldly hearts namely unto such hearts as are turned from God and his service of Love is a pleasure lust and life that same is unto all the children of righteousnesse y Luk. 16 an abomination and a horrible death 20. Wherefore mark well the meaning in what state or being the right unpartiality consisteth and out of what heart it is that men are to exercise the common-love rightly verily with such an heart as out of all his mind z Eccl. 1.2 feareth God and is inclined to the upright vertue in the love or is comprehended therein and not with an unadvised heart which is without understanding in his common-love and in his unpartialnesse that distinguisheth not the godlinesse or the worldly righteousnesse one from the other or that hath a pleasure to run on crookedly and erringly a Luk. 12 to set his rest or to fix his heart in the earthly love b Rom. 1 Eph. 4 1 Pet. 4. according to the course of the blind world or mind of the flesh 21. Be not utterly I pray you c Eph. 5 without understanding but learn vvell to discern the truth and let the Lord and his righteousnesse be a pleasure unto you and erre not by any wrong sight that standeth in opinion or
exhort any man that he suffer not his heart to be bound nor intangled with any thing that is outward is very meet so far forth as his heart may thereby be turned to have regard to the upright vertue of a pure heart and to the love f Gal. 3 whereby to be subject to the outward things no more but to serve the living God with a willing spirit 34. Thus or to this effect men shall loose the binding of the heart and proceed tovvards the upright righteousnesse with a free mind and humble heart to God for such things doth God require above all and not the g Rom. 3 Gal. 3.6 tying to the outward wherein neither life nor death of souls consisteth nor any life of righteousnesse required 35. For indeed it is true yea certain and sure both by the testimony of the godly truth in the spirit and also by the testimony of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ that neither in any thing whatsoever is visible or feelable nor in any factious God services or ceremonies which are observed with mens hands in contention and do not require any life of righteousnesse consisteth either any salvation nor condemnation before God h Rom. 14 1 Cor 8 neither can they bring any vantage or damage at all unto the souls of them whose hearts are not intangled therewith or have not any abhorring thereof 36. Notwithstanding if the God-services and ceremonies be Jewish or Christian i Rom. 3 then do they testifie of the life which God commandeth and k Rom. 8 Gal. 3.4 Heb. 7 requireth by them but if the ceremonies or God services be heathenish or mens invention or if they be ministred in strife and in schism or partiality then do those ceremonies and services shew that the life of those people that minister them is bewitched and that they l 1 Cor. 1.2 know not God nor m Rom. 10 his righteousnesse nor yet undeastand his Law or will and that they do walk in a n Ier. 7.11 Eph. 4 meer imagination and not after the Lords vvill and that is the thing vvhich God forbiddeth 37. For surely it is thick darknesse over the children of men o Esa 59 that they be so utterly blinded and bewitched of spirit that they cannot comprehend nor understand the upright life of righteousnesse for men are not to be subject in the spirit to the outward things wherewith they are served but should let themselves be served therewith to the upright righteousnesse and should cleave unto that which is spirit and the true life it self and which is required by those outward services 38. After this manner p Rom. 14 1 Cor. 8 if the heart be not tied with lusting and liking unto the outward things neither doth through any fear or disliking abhor them the Ceremonies do stand free for the Believers indifferently to be used CHAP. XVII In this Chapter is shewed the right difference between the true God-service and the Idol-service and also the Ceremonies of eithers Services NOw there are certain also that being intangled make conscience that men must necessarily use the Christian Ceremonies after the counterfeiting out of the Letter as a Commandement of the Lord. 2. Therefore seeing we now find many such people as in their consciences are tied or bound that they must necessarily use the services and ceremonies which after the testimonies of the Christian Services and Ceremonies are counterfeited out of the Letter as a Commandement of the Lord and because they understand nothing at all of the difference between the right Services and Ceremonies and the counterfeit I could not for the Loves sake omit to shew also a right difference of the same 3. Thus mark now ye Lovers of the truth how that between the true Services and Christian Ceremonies which are administred a Mat. 28 Mat. 16 Acts 2.3 4. c. out of the true light and word of life and the counterfeit services and ceremonies which are administred out of the knowledge of the Letter there must a right difference be noted and observed and so then must be considered to what intent or to what sense the true services and Christian ceremonies are Gods Commandement and whether the services and ceremonies be Gods everlasting Commandement or else be but annexed b Gal. 3 Heb. 7 or joyned to the everlasting Commandement of God or Christ for to serve the man withall in the obeying of them and to bring him in to the everlasting Commandement and life of God and that he should by such a means understand Gods everliving Commandement c Rom. 12 and Will and live therein For Gods true Commandement hath been from everlasting and d Esa 4 Mat. 24 1 Pet. 1. and remaineth unchangeable to everlasting 4. It is e Exod. 20 Deut. 5. commanded in the Law that men should rest upon the Sabboth day or sanctifie the same and such other like and after that the mouth of the the Wisdome and Truth saith f Mar. 2 that the man is not made for the Sabboth daies sake but the Sabboth day for the mans sake shewing a difference in Gods Commandement namely between that thing which was Gods commandement from everlasting and abideth unchangeable and that which for mens sake was annexed thereunto because they should understand Gods righteousnesse and his everlasting commandement thereby 5. And thus were the g Exod. 12.38.39.40 Luk. 1.2.3.4 5 6. c. ceremonies of the Law annexed to Gods everlasting commandement that is unto that which hath been Gods commandement from everlalasting and shall abide for ever because the people of Israel should out of the ceremonies of the Law and out of the outward Godservices of the same h Deut. 30 4 Esd 7 understand the life of godlinesse and the righteousnesse which God requireth and so live therein namely to love their God i Exod. 20 Deut. 4.6.10 Mat. 22 with all their hearts and their neighbour as themselves after all the manner of their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob to whom the ceremonies were not commanded and yet for all that being obedient to the Lords commandements they walked alwaies in his statutes and ordinances which obedience or walking in the upright life was required by the Law and by the obeying of the ceremonies or outward God-services and were published through Christ in the world 6. But whilst now that in times past there came a k Rom. 11 blindnesse upon the learned in the Law insomuch that they knew no difference between the upright life that God requireth which is his commandement from everlasting and the ceremonies of the Law which were annexed thereunto that the upright life l Mat. 3.17 2 Pet. 1. wherein God had his delight was appeared and come therefore rose there up many controversies about the services and ceremonies amongst them that m Mat. 12.15 19 21 22. knew not the upright life and there fell out many questions
Eph. 2.4 because they know not the true God neither do hunger nor thirst after his upright righteousnesse 32. In case then that we be come to the true knowledge h Iohn 17 of the living God the which is our calling and do from the heart love his life of righteousnesse in the spirit shall we then say and in such an ignorance rest perswaded that the God-service after the heathenish manner should be any thing or that it were the very Idol-service it self that be far from us 33. We confesse before God and his truth and before all that believe thereon that there is i 1 Cor. 8 no outward Idoll nor any outward Idol-service in heaven nor on earth but that there is one onely God whose God-service requireth the upright righteousnesse and likewise reacheth to the k Heb. 8.9 ministration of the spiritual and heavenly goods in the living being of God according to the spirit wherethrough all things are out of the same his spiritual heavenly ministration in the spirit preceedeth l Iohn 17 Eph. 4 the upright righteousnesse the unity of the heart in the love the true God-service on the earth whose Altar is m Heb. 9 not made with mens hands out is prepared of God from the beinning of the world for evermore on the other side we confesse that all the God-services Gods of the heathen are but vain n Ier. 10 mockeries for noughtels to be respected then for a foolish inchantment in the ignorance wherewith the vain hearts which know nothing of God nor of his Law are bewitched and tied 34. Whilest then the ceremonies which in contention men call God services and as it were Ordinances of Christianity and which in sundry manners are brought in out of the Letter do now bring much wrangling strife and dissention in therefore busie we not our selves much about them whilest that our heart is very little or nothing at all tied unto them but rather have more regard o Gal. 5. Heb. 10 to give heed after the spirit unto that which the ceremonies of the Law and the services of the holy Church of Jesu Christ do require or whereunto they are administred and used by the holy ones of God and by the ancient Fathers of the holy Church of Jesus Christ out of the true light 35. Neverthelesse though we say we have more regard to attend unto that which the ceremonies and services of the holy Church of Jesus Christ do require yet do we not therefore despise the Christian ceremonies or services as though they were of no value or were besides the mind of the Spirit of Jesu Christ O no that be far from us but we esteem them great in their right degree and use p Gen. 17 Mat. 28 Mat. 16. as that the salvavation is with the ceremonies but not through them promised unto the believers q Rom. 3.9 Gal. 2.3 yet not that it should appear or come out of them 36. For if the salvation were bound to the ceremonies then must God needs be a lyer whilst he had not ability to shew mercifulnesse unto men out of his grace nor to save them r Rom. 3.11 Eph. 2. but that they must deserve the salvation through the works of the ceremonies 37. Howbeit God abideth true and gracious Å¿ Psal 116 Rom. 3 but the man is unfaithfull and lying for the man hath forsaken the covenant of his God and hath t 4 Esd 7.8 not regarded his promises but abused his ceremonies broken and despised the right ordinances and in the ministration of them hath not attended unto the salvation of the belief nor yet trusted in God to obtain the same according to the promises but is u 1 Tim. 4 fallen away from the meaning of the belief gone forth after his own taken on faith and hath forgotten the rock x Deut. 32 Rom. 9 1 Pet. 2 of his salvation 38. Neverthelesse though through infidelity and the ignorance of men the right use of the ceremonies and the meaning of the true belief and of the godly promises be of many men forsaken y Num. 23 Deut. 4 Rom. 3 2 Tim. 2 yet is God true notwithstanding and he with-holdeth not that which he hath promised for his holy names sake hereby declaring that he is not unfaithfull or lying as the man is but an everlasting z Eccl. 2 gracious and true God towards those that love him that seek his righteousnesse from the heart and a Mat. 5 hunger and thirst after it 39. For he b Deut. 4 forgetteth not his Covenant which he hath made with the Fathers neither doth he break his promises in c Luk. 1 such manner as he hath spoken them aforetimes by the mouth of his holy Pruphets but will for his own sake establish them and cause the man d Psal 50 to see his own human unfaithfulnesse and lying against his God how that the man hath not regarded Gods Covenant nor his promises under the services and ceremonies which were ordained for him of God to this end that he e Exod. 12 13 Mat. 26 Luke 22 1 Cor. 11 should think upon the same to the intent he might be saved according to the promises 40. But not f Ro. 9.11 that Gods promises are established out of the ceremonies or through the works of the ceremonies O no but g Rom. 5 Gal. 5 in the love according to the spirit and according to the truth out of the heavenly being through the belief even as it is promised and as the Scripture maketh mention 41. Wherefore seeing that God hath now out of his grace given us h 2 Cor. 4 such clearnesse under the obedience of the requiring of his service of love in the spirit of our hearts therefore look we more upon the promises giving heed unto that namely the i 1 Tim. 1 love which the promises are established in then we do upon the like counterfeited services or ceremonies And for this cause we cannot let our hearts be bound or intangled with any thing that is ministred without the true light and service of love nor yet yeeld to take part either against or with it burdo endeavour our selves to the upright k Eph. 4 righteousnesse and holinesse in Jesus Christ and to all concord in the love and her service 42. For thereunto were we and all men called heretofore of God the Father through the spirit of Christ even that we should come through faith l Rom. 3.5 8 to the righteousnesse in Jesu Christ and to his true m Mat. 22 Iohn 17 1 Tim. 1 love and that the ceremonies out of the true light should for the same intent be serviceable unto us 43. Now might one here demand if the matter be so why then have some yet regard to taking part with flesh and bloud And wherefore do some yet make conscience to themselves to
Righteousness and from the hope of Salvation according to the Promises and have sticked unto c Rom. 1. Epes 4. covetousnesse and lusts the snares of the confused world 4. Truly those that cleave to the Word and his Service of Love in such a sort and do so take and understand it they have conceived altogether amisse of the Word and his requiring and therefore they are d Rom. 1. Ephes 4. become vain in their understanding Insomuch that they forsake the Scriptures and Exhortations to the good all alike and do let the conversion to God and to his Righteousnesse utterly dye out of their hearts speaking thus with unrepentant hearts out of the vanity of their minde not discerning the upright understanding It must all come of God There is One that giveth all For it is God onely that can teach us Of him must we receive all and no men can give it us 5. This they say well and run yet neverthelesse forth as if there were no God nor Ministring of his Word that loved or required the Righteousnesse and do not once know nor consider the estranging or e Isa 1.59 falling from their God whereby to turn them again to him and his Righteousness and to shew repentance or f Matt. 3. Luk. 3. Acts 3. amendment for their sins and so in all humility to have regard to what purpose God hath given his Promises and annexed or ordained the Ministration of his Word under the obedience of the love therunto wherby they might receive of him the vertue of salvation For out of such a heart of humility g Isa 57.66 4 Esd 8. Eccl. 3. Jam. 4. 1 Pet. 5. the humble do always in God finde their salvation and not the stout hearts that do not esteem of Gods righteousnesse 6. O God! How dangerous a time is it now h 1 Tim. 4 2 Tim. 3 2 Pet. 3. Jude 1. in these last dayes through the misunderstanding of the children of men 7. What a number of false and venemous windes do there blow among the children of men to the hurt of their souls and to a drawing of them away from the Righteousnesse 8. Oh That there were in every one an hearty desire to the good then might they be protected and defended from the bewitching of the false windes which make the heart negligent to the upright Good and bring it either to the bewitched Humility or to the Lusts of the vain world 9. Therefore it is expedient to have a regard to Understanding i Prov. 1.2.3.4.8 to take heed to the Wisdom to esteem much of Godlinesse to account the upright Righteousnesse k Sap. 7.8 for the most precious above all Riches and to make choice of the Long-sufferance with the foresightfulnesse as Superintendents 10. This did the holy Fathers in times past give heed unto l Sap. 11. Eccl. 44.45 46. and so God taught them in his wisdome and preserved them that they were not partakers of the plagues of the ungodly 11. Wherefore let every one understand the meaning of the Word aright and take a right view that he may know who he is and how he ought to apply himself to be taught of God and to be endowed with his Spirit and what manner of people God will choose for his holy people 12. Truly not such m Sap. 1. as with their hearts cleave unto the world love the Evill n Pro. 1. and in all things let go the counsell of God Neither yet such o Mat. Luk. 17.21 as hang their Hearts in buying and selling upon coveteousnesse or p Rom. 13 1 Cor. 10 in eating and drinking upon gluttony or in marrying or being married upon unchastnesse or upon any vain transitory rejoycing whether it be in building or in planting and who in all their doings doe not attend nor have regard unto the works of the Lord as it came to passe in the times q Gen. 7. of Noe and in the r Gen. 19 times of Lot 13. For all those whose hearts in the time of Noe clave not to Gods righteousnesse but had a Lust and gave over their hearts to the vain corrupt things they marked not the work of the Lord neither had any respect to the preservation of the Righteous nor yet feared the punishment which then was ready to come upon all wicked men Of all this they knew nothing till the Flood came upon them and tooke them clean away 14. Therefore understand and know the preservation of godly men in these last dayes and consider well the meaning who or which they are that shall be taught of God and in what course they walke the which we have in some measure expressed Å¿ 1 Glass 7 in the first Book of the Glasse of Righteousnesse and doe here at this present expresse it namely they are those that t Mat. 5. have hunger and thirst after the Righteousnesse u Judith 8 Eccl. 2.3 that submit their souls to the obedience of the gracious Word and his Service x Luk. 18 and continue daily in prayer not in many words y John 4. Eph. 6. Phil. 4. but in the Spirit with desire to the Lord and his Righteousnes that they may obtain grace at the hands of God to live z Lake 1 in his righteousnesse with an upright heart and pure spirit 15. These are sorrowfull for their sins and sighing over them suffer not their souls to be quiet so long as they know or feele in themselves any vain or naughty Being which their hearts are tied or bound unto or so long as any thing in them doth reigne over them which is not GOD because they may not in all things serve their God onely 16. These that love the good Being from the heart doe seek in God to obtaine the same and doe labour and zealously endeavour thereafter a Deut. 4 Jer. 29. Mat. 7. Luk. 17. For they seeke and finde they knock and it is opened unto them they ask and receive not in presumptuousnesse as though God owed it them because of their seeking knocking and asking O no they looke not upon their own doings but labour onely for this even how to please the Lord giving themselves over thereunto with humble hearts according to the Spirit and acknowledge that they are not worthy of such Grace thus to be accepted and established in Gods truth and love 17. With such humble hearts doe they through the Love and her Service seek to find grace and peace at the hands of God the Father and not the subtile knowledge b 1 Cor. 6 which maketh the heart stout and lofty c Mat. 6. but they seeke above all and afore all things the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse The which are the gifts of God that God richly bringeth in the everlasting life unto such as worship and love him 18 For those that pray unto him for an upright heart and for a new and
Whereof he willeth to beware BEhold ye beloved according to all that in my labour I have been able to do howsoever the same be plain and not to be compared to the stile of the subtile and flowred eloquence I cannot tell that I have according to the sight which is a Rom. 16 Eph. 3. Col. 1. 2 Tim. 1. revealed unto me out of Gods grace kept back any thing from the man that serveth or is needful for him to know either to his Salvation or else for a warning unto him of the present destruction and of that that is to come 2. Have regard to the time and respect an unpartial heart in the Righteousnes b Eph. 3. Be established in the love and be still mindful of the same 3. I have shewed my service out of the inclination of love howbeit I have written against none in particular but before all understandings indifferently I have weighed the equity c Esa 28 Eccli 21. in the ballance measured the Righteousnes with the Square and Line and described the Righteousnes in Letters according to the life the inward life out of God to wit his good nature I have expressed and the outward righteousnes of man have I not left out To the intent that it might all go rightly forward in the true Beeing and that no man might be bewitched or bound with any opinion or bewitching of spirit but that every one might according to the truth and in the love stand free in God 4. Lo God d Deut. 30. Act. 20. is my witnes and Heaven and Earth also that in all my writing I have neither sought nor desired any other thing but the salvation of men in the love The Lord of his mercy vouchsafe us to find grace in his sight e Psal 86 lead us in his wayes for to clense our hearts by f Psal 51. Act. 15. his righteous spirit and by faith to the end we may know him in the truth and be defended from all the errors and abominations of the wicked world 5. Behold and awake g Eph. 5. in the spirit of your minds lay hold of understanding look to your selves h 1 Joh. 2. and let not the errors of this world delight you I cleare my self this day before you all and before all those that willingly desire or be minded to error or to the wicked world that my Councel and will is not so 6. If any man therefore take pleasure or be addicted to the world or to her vanity and abominations and do desire to fix his heart thereon The same erreth through the pleasing of his own mind But as for me I cleare my self of his destruction 7. For lo I have out of the inclination of love called and bidden you all out of the abominable World unto conversion to God and unto Repentance and unto Amendment and have herein warned you all sufficiently I have distinctly shewed you as much as I might do and saw necessary both death i Deut. 11 Jer. 21. Eccl. 15. and life destruction and preservation I have witnessed and pointed forth the God of life which hath made Heaven and Earth his Statutes k Deut. 4 and Ordinances which stand fast for ever wherein all the upright Fathers have lived and which all Gods Prophets have born witnes of I have also distinctly marked out Therefore shall no man that heareth or readeth our writings be able to l John 15 excuse himself as though that we have hidden the Councel or Will of God from him in any thing 8. Nevertheles if there be any greater God then the God of Israel which hath made Heaven and Earth If there be now any better Law or Ordination then his Law m Deut. 4 Or better Statutes and Ordinances then Gods Statutes and Ordinances according to his Ordination If there be any perfecter life then the n 1 Cor. 13 Col. 3. 1 John 4. love as is witnessed by his Christ for through the very same was o John 1. the life aforetimes published which is everlasting and on that same or to that same everlasting life is even our service and pointing also Or if thre be any thing in any body or if any man hath any better thing that excelleth the everlasting life and the Love which we bear witnes unto let him manifest the same unto us or let it out of Love be known unto us to the unity of heart in the Love even as we to the self same unity do witnesse manifest and publish the everlasting life and his righteousnesse of the Love and of the upright being 9. Or if any man perswade himself that he knoweth some better thing which pointeth nearer or clearer to the Almighty than the holy Spirit of the Love and of th everlasting Truth doth testifie and point unto us by which Testimonies he p Ioh. 14. bringeth and leadeth us into all Truth Let the same man make himself apparent unto us under the obedience of the Love with an unpartiall mind and not withhold from us the most best for to serve in the unity of heart in the Love as is said in upright godlinesse the living God onely For even thus standeth our whole heart affected 10. Hereunto be ye now all armed and well disposed O ye lovers of the Truth Beware that ye sleep not q Rom. 13. Eph. â— seeing it is now a time to Watch but awake in the Spirit and abide in any wise in the Hope untill ye see the light to the life your salvation 11. Make not hardly any light account of it cast it not with the unregarding ones in the wind but have respect alwaies unto the good and this service of the Love shewed on you which is in Letters described and ministred unto you to a godly life stretching to the Love turn not aside from you but take r Deut. 6. Prov. 4. the same to heart and grow therein to an upright being of the Love And so then shew your unpartiall service towards one another according to the upright nature and being of the Love For the Love to the unity of the brotherly nature requireth such things to the intent that the everlasting true God might in such upright Å¿ Eph. 4. righteousnes and holines as pleaseth him and in the establishment of his promises onely be observed and the earth likewise t Esa 60.61 2 Pet. 3. with righteousnesse faithfulnesse and Truth be inhabited Towards this let us go forward in a meek spirit If ye hear any thing that soundeth unto you strange or v Hos 8. absurd in your eares yet be not bitterly minded but follow after long suffering and blaspheme nothing 13. Let every one which is not to be spoken to or to be councelled runne to an end with his understanding and grow ye up in stilnes and singlenes of heart x Sap 9. Jam. 1. praying God for Wisdom and for an upright sight in the Truth
But tie not your hearts unto any thing save onely to the good life of the Truth y Ioh. 8. For that shall make you free 14 Above all things ye beloved z 1 Cor. 14. Col. 3. follow still after the Love For there neither is nor shall be any thing that may excell her a Deut. 6. Mat. 22 1 Cor. 13 1 Tim. 1 The Love is the cheefest good the Truth a light to the life and the Righteousnes our joy Hereunto let our hearts be affected for herein standeth the praise of the Lord. 15. Thus let us forsake all bewitching of the Spirit and depart from the evill and increase or grow up in the good And that all in stillnes and in the hidden wisdom of God For the time peradventure will yet a little while remain troublous to speak freely before all people of the Truth and godlines For at this time she is b Esa 59. 3 Esd 14. yet with the World much too base but love and esteem ye her so much the more and gather ye her to your selves for a treasure in your hearts 16. All what the wicked world loveth all the enormities and abominations that the Ministers of the wicked world do gather in their hearts and all the envy contentiousnes strife of the obstinate Teachers against us and our most holiest service of the Love cast and hurle them all out of your hearts and inwardly have nothing to do with them For their inwardnes is full of vanity falshood and maliciousnes and their joy is onely in their foolish knowledge and in the earthly and transitory things 17. But let your hearts be full of the life and being of the true God-head and your joy onely in his righteousnes that therein ye may live in the Spirit and according to the Truth 18. Let it be a pleasure unto you that God becommeth Lord and King over all Have a desirous heart to the good to the same reach also c Eph. 4. one another the hand retaine no offence of mis-doing one towards another but exhort to amendment d Eccle. 28. Mat. 6. Col. 3. and forgive in the Love that so we may grow up with each other in one band of Love unto the godlines as a reconciled or e Tit. 2. acceptable people of the Lord through Iesus Christ such as have found grace and mercy at the hands of God the father for to inherit his promises to serve him with pure hearts in all love 19. Behold to be comprehended herein is the life which is everlasting and to reach one another the hand to the same godlines to exort to amendment of life and to retaine no man his sins is the f Hos 6. Matt. 9. Mercy which God requireth of us and not Sacrifices 20. He requireth Righteousnes and hates the ungodly being He sheweth his long-suffering towards them of good will g Esa 53. Heb. 2. and beareth their infirmity or weaknes as one that would not have any man to perish or to turn back 21. For a willing heart is a delight unto him and a broken or troubled Spirit h Psal 51. for his sins cause will he not despise 22. A good confidence towards his grace of a converting sinner is a joy unto him i Luk. 15. and it causeth also a joy in the heavenly Being 23. Therefore k Deut. 20. Esa 55. let no man be dismayed nor faint-hearted but let every one from the heart upon hope in the Beleef apply himselfe to the good and l Luk. 21. possesse his soule with patience unto the godly promises 24. Let no man take any yoak upon him out of his own choice least by some means of his unablenes he fall into a loathing towards the good but grow up by little and little and profit ye still from time to time 25. Keep alwaies what ye have go not m Apo. 2. back in any case that you loose not the Crown of Salvation Go still forward increasing in the good and in the knowledge of the holy understanding n Heb. 6. and so passe on towards the perfection 26. Neverthelesse desire not to have every thing at once but grow up in the good from the o Heb. 5. beginning of the Christian life That is from the repentance for sin p Matt. 3. to go on in amendment of life and to abide stedfast therein even to the q Matt. 24. end untill the true life of perfection That is r Eph. 4. untill the old age of the Man Christ The which is inwardly to obtaine the Love essentially 27. And that is the perfection of our godlines wherein we are to grow up from the begining of our turning to God and to the entrance of the first School-rule of the Christian Doctrine of the gracious Word and his Service of Love untill we be established in God and his true Love according to the Promises 28. If therefore any man love the good and his soul desire to inherit the same let him go thereunto with an humble heart and follow after it out of understanding that ignorance grieve not his soule 29. For there have been many in times past that would by force have all the righteousnes all at once and would feine according to their fancy consume and destroy the sin altogether by heaps but they have fallen into greater and grievouser sins 30. But in asmuch now as many beginnings are with lack of understanding taken in hand therefore divers men are become vnlustfull to the Å¿ Matt. 24. Righteousnes and have turned themselves back again and do cleave to the world and to her misunderstanding more than ever they did before 31. Divers others perceive no difference between the illuminated and vnilluminated Men and so whiles they are not yet illuminated themselves they give regard both to their own Imagination of the Knowledge also to the Precepts of unilluminated men because they trust upon such things suppose that in such sort all is well with them 32. They discerne not also the life from the death in their inwardnes nor yet the hearing t Pro. 4. of Councel Doctrine whereby to draw near to the living Commandement of God and to live therein 33. Many others hold v Apo. 3. at a stay and have no righteousnes neither do they aske hunger nor thirst after it and do neither go backwards nor forwards which is indeed a great shame 34. It were better for one to suffer now and then some Inconvenience for lack of experience t so that he abide in the Hope than to hold himself still or idle to the righteousnes before he be come to the salvation 35. For albeit one do sometimes by stumbling and falling suffer some inconvenience yet he riseth again for all that bewaileth his Ignorance and so then he taketh a new courage again with a more circumspect understanding in the Spirit x against the craftines of the
sin Eph. 6. and thereby profiteth and increaseth in the righteousnesse 36. Now when a man perceiveth or is aware of the gaine to wit that he increaseth in the good then is he of good cheere and much stronger in the beleef and firmer in the hope Thus in processe of time he groweth up in the Spirit of the good life untill he come to the perfection that is to the Love 37. Wherefore the losse teacheth Prudence and Wit for to attend unto the word with understanding but the gaine bringeth weetnes it maketh firme in the hope and begetteth a gladnes in our hearts When as to abide in undesire to the righteousnesse and to be y Apo. 3. neither bot nor cold but luke-warme is by all meanes to be utterly discommended 38. I esteem in this behalf much better of that man z Lu. 15. who like the lost Sonne hath spent and consumed all his Treasure and Riches and out of great poverty turneth him again and seeketh at his Fathers hands the roome of a servant out of which humbling a man commeth again to his riches and through such losse getteth understanding how to govern to a multiplying the riches of God then of such a lazy slothfull and ane loitering man as for fear of losse a Matt. 25. Luk. 19. burieth his Talent and will neither make gaine nor losse therewith 39. Hereof beware ye dearly beloved that ye bury not that little which you have received of God nor yet with-hold or withdraw your selves for any manner of cause from this our undeceivable and most holiest service of the Love 40. For though that many people have partly through the sundry partiall instigations of men risen up before our said service been intangled and darkned in that understanding and that therefore they could not rightly know the truth in her degree but did oftentimes stumble fall and and suffer harme yet all ye that love the Truth with us and have likewise fallen in the same learne Prudence now thereby and turn again b Esa 55 Jer. 3. Ezek. 18. into the way of righteousness Refresh your selves in the beleef with a new cheere and so through the service of the holy Word be ye renewed in your vnderstanding under the obedience of the Love 41. Under the same service give eare to the Elders of the holy understanding c Deut. 11. and follow not the Will or Councell of your own mind but d Eccl. 6. with the Elders under the service of the Love follow the minde and e Pro. 1. Eccl. 16. Councell of the Wisdom and alwaies keep your selves with the Elders in the family of Love f 1 Thes 5. Heb. 13. to the concord and to the multiplying in the good and of the peaceable Kingdom in all Love 42. Become not wavering in any wise But in case ye stumble or fall yet rise again and think that it is sometimes better that a child do in his good willingnes commit an error or that a thing be done of him yet unperfectly than that he should remaine brutish or untaught Be not afraid g Matt. 25. Luk. 19. like the unfaithfull Servant that buried his Masters Talent which was not very well taken at his hands 43. Men may finde divers that will take very great heed to themselves least they should be deceived or beguiled and so will stay onely upon themselves But because they so staying upon themselves give no heed to the grace under the obedience of the Love therefore remain they such as they are and come not at any time to the light of life or day of Love but abide still in the Captivity of the blindnesse because they know not her blindnesse or bands of her darknesses wherewith they are bound 44. Some others will in their unregenerate estate and deprivation account themselves free and will not be subject unto any thing neither to the Scripture nor to any Teaching nor yet to the Service of Love and therefore in that sort do never come to the h Ioh. 8. Rom. 6. Freedom of the children of God 45. For in asmuch as they have not perceived nor observed in the sight of their understanding the bondage of i Ioh. 8. Rom. 6. 2 Pet. 2. sin nor her dominion thereforr remain they unproved and unexperienced neither do they sigh nor k Jer. 8. complaine for the yoak of sin which hath taken them Captive and do know nothing at all either of the Bondage or of the Freedom nor yet that they are so utterly deprived or estranged from God and his Christ as they are 46. Now men may also finde divers that are altogether light-hearted and clearlyminded and so in the range of their misunderstanding have taken unto them l Esa 59. a false light or conceited knowledge These according to their naturall understanding are well at quiet their hearts are not once grieved for their mis-doings any more They have also no regard either of sin or of Grace they fear no Condemnation nor hope for Salvation or for any Redemption 47. When it goeth well with them but in their creature and in their Occupation of Trade then are they content and say God be praised we are in very good case we are rid of all intanglement of heart we now get our living godly and credibly and toyle not our selves with any thing 48. But alas howsoever the godly nature or the Image of God m Heb. 6. be troden down in them and constrained dayly to suffer the death of the Crosse for their sins that passe they not once for 49. Because they will not suffer with the godly nature n 1 Pet. 4. or Christ against the sinne they desire even nothing else but according to the o Phil. 3. flesh to sit still in ease and look what in this behalfe crosseth them that reckon they to be utterly evill and unright and and so wax wanton or lustfull in the flesh and licencious or light-minded in their Spirit following still p Sap. 2. Rom. 1. Eph. 4. that which liketh them after the property of ignorant fooles and despise the godly Councell of the Elders as also the wisdom and unity under the obedience of the Love 50. These are surely in very bad case although they think not so For q Esa 5. they have no consideration on the work of the Lord nor on the work of the Devill nor any regard unto that that shall perish nor desire to that which shall continue This verily is a lamentable misery the Lord keep us from such a Plague 51. Again some may be found which do endure much straightnes in dying from sin for to receive the Promises which are made thereunto according to the Scriptures and that they might so become honourable Saints and be also respected therefore Yea they regard no affliction so as they may receive or get that and thus they fall into a choosing applying to themselves the honour of the
1 Cor. 13 2 Cor. 3. For thus with the same Services and Ceremonies are the promises of Salvation to come committed to the Christians Rom. 9.11.15 Eph. 2. or to the Christian communalty They are also the children of the Testament of the holy Fathers Acts 3. through the Belief and that in all respects after the same manner as the Iewes are the children of the Testament in the promises of their Fathers out of whom are born the Iewes as heires and not as thereunto called Gen. 17. Which promises were committed unto them in or with the Circumcision which the God of Heaven ordained for an everlasting covenant between Himselfe and Abraham and his Seed Namely that the God of their Fathers according to the promises and according to the same covenant is even their God and remaineth a God of their seed for ever 4. Which Iewes howsoever they are as Branches broken off from their right Stock are also grafted upon no strange Stock Rom. 11. nor yet set or built upon any strange foundation but upon the foundation of the Promises and Stock of their Fathers to which salvation the Gentiles are through the Beliefe called out of Grace as fellow-heires of the same promises in Israel for to serve the living God Eph. 2.3 5. Lo these promises made to the Fathers to the salvation of the Gentiles are committed to the Christians in Beliefe and the Christian ceremonies are witnesses of the truth of the same 6. Howbeit forasmuch as such a holy Beliefe and service of Ceremonies to such a salvation as was evangelized in the preaching of the Apostles of Christ hath ceased and by the Christians been forsaken therefore have they been covered under the sin blinded from the knowledge of their calling and estranged from the understanding of Gods promises even as the Jewes also in the time when they knew not the godlinesse of life were blinded and estranged from the understanding of the promises Yet were they Jewes notwithstanding outwardly Rom. 2. but no Jewes according to the inward hidden man such as God esteemeth John 8. according to the life of their Father Abraham Rom. 3. And therefore there was no difference between them and the Grecians but they stood alike under the sin 7. Inasmuch as it goeth now also thus with the Christians or which men so call therefore is there between them and other people no difference but they are all alike under the sin And in regard of the righteousnesse which availeth before God they are no otherwise to be distinguished save onely by the ceremonies 8. And every one because of his misunderstanding maketh a righteousnesse or an Ordinance unto himself which through the glistering of his knowledge he chuseth or respecteth for a very Righteousnesse and maketh to himself in like manner with the same a Congregation not attending upon the promises of God nor upon the upright righteousnesse which through Iesus Christ he is called of God unto 9. Now whiles all this cometh to passe out of misunderstanding and bare imagination Jer. 7. and out of the ignorance of the upright Righteousnesse therefore is there dissention likewise For every congregation in particular Mat. 24. perswade themselves that they are the Christians or the people of Israel and do diligently use all dexterity sharpnesse of wit in their cause for to maintaine the same in his proceeding and think by their wit to obtain the salvation and so walk their own way Rom. 3. whereby also they are all void of the grace of God to the knowing of their error and blindnesse 10. But inasmuch as this godly Knowledge is now out of grace revealed unto us as that we through the clearnesse which God hath powred into our hearts 2 Cor. 4.2 do understand to what salvation or to what maner of health of the earth God hath given his promises to which purposefor to establish the salvation the Beliefe is preached Therefore for the loves sake can we not omit it but must needs witnesse the same and reveale the Peace and the true Love whereunto we are called if happily there might or may be found any which had a desire or inclination thereunto and then likewise we with them and they with us whether they were far or neere might be gathered together in the Love according to the promises 11. Seeing then that God neglecteth not his mercy towards is but hath made known unto us his will to the intent his Word may stand firm according as he in times past hath spoken by his Prophets that unto his people Israel he will gather him a people out of the Heathen which shall serve him in righteousnesse 2 Mac. 2 Amos 9 2 Mac. 2 Act. 15. at which time God will gather his people together again and be gracious unto them and build again the Tabernacle of David and again set up his people Israel according to the promises therefore ought we in like manner from the whole heart and with good will to give heed unto that which is now by Gods grace according to the truth made known and tendered under the obedience of the Love unto us in the same appeared grace to beleeve the salvation whereunto we are called and to prepare our hearts in lowly mindes thereunto that we might inherit our calling according to the promises 12. But if any people refuse it and for all that should perswade themselves in their hearts to be still Christians or that their Congregation is the very people of Israel not thinking of the restoring of Israel which in times past was fallen and thus suppose that they have attained to the best and in their blindnesse set their confidence upon their own wisdome righteousnesse and ceremonies and upon their faith then shal it likewise goe with them in these dayes as it did heretofore with the Jewes that beleeved not on the grace which was appeared unto them 13. 4 Esd 6. For in his time shall their full store-houses be found empty and the empty be filled with goods For their Christianity according to the inward man shall be judged and known for an unchristianity and their beliefe for an unbeliefe 14. Therfore let no man boast himself of his Christiany because of his outward baptism nor because of his outward righteousnesse or narrow wayes of his walking according to his chusing or bare imagination but let him give heed to the promises and unto what the Gentiles are called and whom the Christianity consisteth the which is a Christendom according to the inward man in the Spirit as also Paul in the preaching of his Gospel testifieth 15. 2 Cor. 4. Phil. 2. Col. 1. Heb. 1. 1 Cor. 15 Eph. 4. 1 Cor. 3. Eph. 1. For the true inward man is the thing that availeth before God namely the very like Being of God which the love is form ed in and the man created unto to the intent he should beare it to the laud and
praise of the glory of his God 16 And through the revealing of such a heavenly clearnesse as that we discern that many yea almost all which doe boast themselves to be Christians are yet meer strangers therefrom we doe well know the fall from the right ground of the Christianity and the bands of darknesse wherewith we were all held captive And therefore we are all void of the grace of God Rom. 3. that he may have mercy upon us all to the intent he alone may have the glory 17. Now whoso perceiveth this same let such a one turn him to the Spirit to the God of life and to his righteousnesse according to the requiring of the Love and her service that his understanding may Eph. 1. through the Love and her service be enlightned according to the Truth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that likewise he might love God the Father Dent. 5. and live in his statutes with an upright heart 18. For out of the God that hath made Heaven and Earth goeth the right judgement Heb. 4. his Word is living and powerfull and sharper than a two-edged sword and his burning is as a flame of fire to a consuming or devouring of all ungodly Being Deut. 4. Heb. 12. 19. Whosoever feareth not him as a true God nor loveth his Righteousnesse over such a one standeth his severity for ever Rom. 2. Exod. 20 But many thousands finde grace in his sight that doe but turne them unto him love him and keep his Commandements 20. But who hath any regard hereunto Whose attention is towards the Lord Who is there that is spiritually minded Who giveth eare Whose heart and eyes turn them to the inwardnesse of the Being of God Truly very few But they turn them almost all unto themselves to the earthly things or unto Flesh and Blood and doe very gladly heare that which soundeth pleasant unto them 2 Tim. 4. according to the delight of their fleshly eares and so shut the eares of their heart against the God of Life and all the World alienate their spirit from his holy wisdome and will not heare him nor accept him for their King that they might live in his Law and Ordinances 21. Therefore will not he also count them for his people neither regard them Psal 1. Esa 29. But they shall be compelled in their estranging to become like the tossing of chaffe wherein the whirle-wind to a scattering mingleth it selfe 22. Behold ye dearly beloved of these and other like things I have opened much unto you in the Glasse of Righteousnesse to a distinction of the knowledge of righteousnesse look unto which ye are minded Deut. 30. Eccles 15 into that may ye go whether into the sin to the death or into the righteousnesse to the life I leave every one free unbound uncompelled 23. But as for Me my whole heart and mind standeth altogether inclined to the good life of upright righteousnesse Rom. 12. 2 Cor. 3. and all my confidence is in the God of Life that I shall not forsake the wayes of his Rightenesse which are by the grace of God brought and given unto me in the sight and being of my Spirit but shall still observe the same and under the obedience of the Love administer them unto the children of men according to all the manner as I have set forth and described them according to the life out of the inclination of Love in all my service of writing for a serviceablenes to many 24. Whosoevr therefore with me hath any desire to God and his righteousnesse let such a one then from his whole heart apply himself also with me unto the same He also that strayeth and hath no regard unto God nor his righteousnesse neither is minded to the Love and her concord but will rather mix his heart with the World and her abominations and go on after his own imagination I must needs look upon it howbeit it maketh me sorry and I suffer grief for it because he doth willingly thus hunt after his own destruction 25. For behold it shall come to passe that the k Esa 60 61.62 Abac. 2. godlinesse uncompelled through the beleef out of the Love of righteousness shall come to light according to the Promises 26. But who they are that shall be made partakers of it and finde such Grace in the sight of God or from whence they shall come to joyn with us for the concord of the Love and her service that is only known to the Almighty and his Spirit But the unity of us all shall be l Ioh. 17. Act. 4. Eph. 4. one heart and mind in the Love To the which one-minded Communalty mine heart standeth alwaies inclined The Lord give us all Grace to be joyned to his People in righteousnesse of heart Amen 27. Let every one also from his whole heart be minded thereunto and apply himself for the same unities cause to the Love and her service and to the righteousnesse of heart before God and so stand for the good with al diligence Let him likewise daily apply himself m Eph. 6 Col. 4. 2 Thes 3. in prayer unto the God of life that he will vouchsafe to enlighten him and all lovers of the Truth together with all People with the knowledge of his wisdome and understanding to the intent they might all incline their hearts to the Love and her service and so Gods matters be well understood and interpreted according to the Truth to the health of the earth and renewing of the World with righteousnesse 28. Wherefore n Rom. 14. Gal. 6. bear one with another out of Love receive also unto you all wel-willing hearts to the concord in the Love understand their testimony to the good and repaire one anothers understanding to the unity of heart in the Love and let no man raile nor make Sedition or Division but let every one oyn himself unto us in Jesus Christ under the obedience of the Love and let him likewise in Jesus Christ seek the good to his preservation that the service of the Love be not hindred 29. If now by any it should be found that some man should bring forth any chaff amongst us with the Corn yet shall not men despise him for it but repaire him in his understanding with good o Gal. 6. 2 Tim. 2. instruction to the meeknesse and to the obedience of the Love in the Spirit that so through the service of the Love men may gather the good Corn the treasure of righteousnesse p Matt. 13. into the Barn the mans heart and that in like manner the vaine being together with that which is deadly and pernicious may utterly perish 30. Whosoever now can rightly judge let not him raile but let him try the matter q 1 The. 5. and take or conceive the best out of it and thus meet the little ones and draw all to the Love that no man may