judging according to the flesh but according to the Spirit and sees to the Root and Principle from which all things springs up and grows and they do not judge according to the outward appearance but judge Righteous Judgement for such as Discern no further then what outwardly appears and then judge according to that others from the same ground may draw as true a Judgement against them and here people are not to Judge lest they be Judged which is a place much alleadged against true Judgement but who so Judges one of another it is not in the Spirit of Truth which doth Dâ—scern through all Appearances but it is in the flesh which cannot perceive beyond what doth appear And so all the false Births give Judgement one against another and cannot bear the Judgement of one another then they are provoked and angry one with another and run into Confusion and Distraction Warring and Fighting and Destroying one another about their formed Religion none being come to the Spirit that gives a discerning through what appears and gives true Judgement in the ground but all born of the Spirit hath true union with it and the flesh and the deeds of it is subdued under it and they are no more in the flesh but in the Spirit and have received Christ Jesus the Lord and walk in him and are spiritual and the spiritual man Judgeth all things and he himself is judged of no man And whether you can receive it or no you are all truly tried and judged not in the flesh but in the Spirit and your ROOT and FOUNDATION is seen and Discerned and is not found to be that which was in the beginning but that which the Subtilty generated since the beginning and so doth he rule over you and blind your mindes that you cannot see nor discern further then what appears and the mystery of the Kingdome is hid from your eyes and you run into the Words with your carnal mindes and earthly Wisdome and from what is written draw something to your selves and form up a Likeness in your conceivings and bring that forth in the strength of your own wills and this is your Foundation and the first Principle of your Religion and so the HARLOT hath brought forth many Children which in her Womb hath all been conceived and yet are not formed one like another but all differ in their Shape and Likeness and then strive one with another and yet are all Children of one House and all of one Kingdome but no Love nor Unity found amongst them but Envy Hatred and Malice and all one against another and divided into Heads and Parties which is an evident Testimony of the Ruine and Fall of your House and Kingdome For a House divided against it self cannot stand Therefore come out of it lest it fall upon you and utterly destroy you and all come to that where peace and safety is for God hath prepared a sure Refuge and Resting place for all that will come and he hath gathered many into Unity and perfect Peace therein and they rest in his love and are preserved in his power and he alone is their Strengâ—h and sure Defence so hath the Lord made his Power known in this his day and hath gathered a Remnant to that which was in the beginning which was the Saints Life and from which the Scriptures were declared of which they all testified that is now made manifest which the false Apostles ravened from and many Sons and Daughters are come to glory in it and this is the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth that cuts down Transgression and Reigns over the head of the Transgressor and doth discover clearly all the deeds of Darkness which is come up since the dayes of the Apostles and are practised by such as are in the Apostasie and this comprehends all but cannot be comprehended of any it is Pure Everlasting Unchangeable and no Variableness there is in it all that in it do beleeve have found the Author of Eternal Salvation and are come to the Wisdome and Righteousness of God and to the enjoyment of Eternal Life which is in CHRIST JESUS the Lord whose Glory and Majesty is spreading over the Earth and who is gathering a holy people to Himself that in them his Praise may be shewed forth who alone is Worthy God of Gods and King of Saints who by all his Reâ—eemed Ones is over all Exalted Magnified and Praised for Ever and Ever THE END
his out-stretched arm he appears for his Chosen this day and of his manifold Mercies we have largely tasted And when BABYLON hath made her Cup Ready and begins to hand it forth unto the Lambs and to compel them to receive it and drink it then will the Lord Appear and strike with astonishment the hearts of the furious and make them confess to his Everlasting power and to his People for whose sake he will Arise to save Therefore unto him look from whence help comes and feel his power to compass you all about and his strength to gird you up that none of you may be surprized with fear or doubting but in the Immortal stand over all and be Bold and of a good Courage that BABYLON may know we cannot fall down and Worship their IMAGE what ever they can do unto us and GOD even the God of our fathers he will remember his holy Covenant and Israel his Chosen and though he may try us yet will he never forsake us but will stand by us to deliver us that all may know we are a people saved by the Lord Oh! feel the purpose of your hearts drawn in the Light to cleave unto the Lord and do not depart from his Counsel so will he make you able to stand unto the end and will plentifully reward you in the Riches of his Love and Life which is without End And the God of Jacob keep you all and the holy One of Israel be Strength and Wisdome to you all that he may have the glory over all who alone is Worthy Infinite Endless Powerfull Father of life Blessed for evermore Be not Fearful but Beleeving A few Words concerning true Discerning and Judgement NOw is Salvation come from the most High and the God of Israel is over all he is confounding the Wise men in their Wisdome and destroying the strong men in their strength he is breaking the Idols of silver and the Idols of gold and every carved work he is throwing down and his eye beholds the way of every man and he sees their work of what sort it is he is the searcher of the heart and he passeth by beholds the Intents thereof hidden things he brings to light and by the gift of his own Spirit he shews to every man his thoughts this is his perfect gift to every man a manifestation thereof all men have that they thereby might profit and though a measure of this Spirit have a being in all and makes it self manifest in all and is the true Light that doth enlighten all that comes into the world yet all do not receive it nor come to be guided by it so walk in the flesh and cannot please God neither can perceive the things of God and what is performed by such as a Service or VVorship to God he doth not require it at their hands and though they make many prayers he will not hear for they have no union with his Spirit and this tryes all people and their works in a true Discerning and gives true Judgement upon all according to their doings and who have not this Spirit of Christ they are none of his but all that receive it and have union with it they walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit in which they see the Shapes and Forms of every Image and Likeness and the ground from whence they do arise and no false birth can have a hiding place but from the least to the greatest they are discovered and the fairest â—overing that any have cloathed themselves withall is seen through and all the â—ormed likenesses which appears this day amongst the Sons of men in what they do profess of God they are all seen to be of the flesh and their Root and Principle is of that part and nature that is earâ—hly from which no good thing can arise and it brings forth a Birth in its own likeness and of its own nature which by the Spirit is truly discerned and every work of the flesh is manifest to the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth alâ— things and truly judges all things for the Spirit is truth And though this may seem in many of your eyes to be rash judgement and you may call it so yet it will stand a witness against all that are satifying the flesh For there is not any thing so hardly received as that Testimony that strikes at the life of another and That which deals plainly and simply with all and desires the good of all That meets with the least entertainment in the hearts of people but that which flatters and cryes peace when the bonds of iniquity stands that is a pleasing thing unto the mindes of all who walk in the flesh and that which comes to rip them up and discover their nakedness to their shame that they kick against and will not own nor receive it for truth for there is not any people would come to shame for what they do and that which opens secrets and brings any thing to light by which shame may come upon them they turn against that and reject it though the thing be really true which is witnessed against and so there is no work of the flesh that would come under the Spirit's Judgement though it be truly discerned and judged as it is and the Discerning and Judgement stand in the truth but those concerned in it will not own it but cry out Who made you a Judge and why are you so rash to judge as if all were to be condemned but your selves how do you know the hearts oâ— people and why may not others be as râ—gâ—t as you for what you know So every Form and Likeness would save its own life by putting off the Judgement as if none could Dâ—scern it and no false Birth that would have its nakedneâ—s to appear lest it should come to shame thereby And thus people harden themselves against the Spirit's Testimony which in it self is the searcher and trier of hearts and Reins and none can hide their counsel from it Mark Is not this the Judge that stands at the door and knocks Doth not he discern when evil rises in your hearts And doth he not there Reprove you What is it that you can hide that he findes not out what can you do in your secret chambers that he doth not know And what thought can you think amongst all your thoughts that he doth not discern And doth he not judge you in your own consciences if you have thought any evil or uttered vain words or done any thing wickedly Will you deny this to be a true Discerneâ— and a Righteous Judge Be sober and there is a witness which you may feel in your own selves to answer to the Truth declared and all that have received the Spirit and are born of the Spirit they have an understanding given them by which they are able to Discern the flesh and all the works of it and give true Judgement upon it without respect of persons not
revealed and both the Law and Prophets bear witness unto him and the Scriptures throughout testifies of him and declare his unchangeableness who through all abides the same what he was in the beginning he was the same to Moses and to David and all the Prophets and Holy men of God who all received a measure of his unchangeable life and were thereby inspired and as that in them moved so they spake and declared and their Testimony agreeâ— in one for they were all come to that which vvas in the beginning and all declared the same thing according to its manifestation unto them that from Moses until John all the true Prophets boâ—e their Testimony unto CHRIST the Power of God whom they knew to be freely given of God to be a LIGHT and a LEADER that he might be salvation unto the ends of the Earth as they received they Ministred and truly testified of his Power and what they knew him to be made unto them so they declared of him and witnessed him to be a King a Judge a Law-giver a Rock a Fortress a Deliverer And so according to the Manifestation they Ministred and not by Tradition or Custom That the Testimony of John agreed with the Testimony of Moses and they both witnessed the same Thing and had Union with the same Life So John was come to that which was in the Beginning and in that he was the greatest of all the Prophets and was sent of God to prepare the Way and to make the Pathes streight for he was near to be revealed in glory of whom Moses and the Prophets had testified and John declared of the Word which was in the beginning by which all things were made And he testified That in the Word there was Life and the Life was the Light of men John 1. mark The Word in the beginning is the Life and Light of men by which all things were made This was his Testimony who was sent of God to bear witness unto the Light and he did not declare of another then the holy men of God had done the same that Moses and the Prophets had testified of and he was sent of God to bear witness unto this Truth which was in the beginning and he did not testifie of that to be the Light which Moses and the Prophets had written before him neither did he testifie of himself to be the Light but that is the true Light saith John that enlightens every man that comes into the world John 1.9 Here was the Light shone out of Darkness in John the Morning and the first Day was come unto him as was unto Moses and he beheld his Glory as the Glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Then God sent him to bear witness unto the Light which in him was made manifest that all in the Light might believe and he called unto others to behold him and said he was the Lamb of God and was come to take away the sins of the World John 1.29 Mark He beheld him and his Glory and felt his Power and what his Power tooke away then he declared him as he knew him and not from any Tradition or Writing before him though then there was much written which did truly testifie of him Weigh this Truth all ye Priests and Professors and ponder it in your hearts Have you beheld Christ and seen his Glory whose Name in Words you declare Have you felt his Power to take away your sin If yea then why do you teach for Doctrine mens Traditions and build upon other mens labours and stretch your selves beyond your own measures running into the Lines of what others have written And if nay then how dare any of you make mention of his Name or speak of his Glory or of his Power seeing you have not beheld him yet made manifest in your selves You are not sent of God no not one of you who cannot witness in some measure the glory of the onely begotten of the Father revealed in you Therefore let all flesh be silent and the mouth of Iniquity for ever stopped and let none speak more of Christ or his Glory and Povver then they knovv a measure of his Life made manifest in their mortal bodyes by vvhich they come to know their sin taken avvay For John testified that the giving forth of the Law vvas by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ John 1.17 Mark Grace and Truth vvas come unto John by Jesus Christ and he had beheld and had felt the Virtue of it by vvhich Moses Administration vvas fulfilled in him And this is John's Record who vvas sent of God to bear Witness unto him in whom is life the same vvhich was in the beginning of vvhom Moses testified that so their Record agrees in one and their Testimony is unto the same Life in Unity for they vvere gathered unto Him vvho vvas in the beginning and vvas made manifest through Generations to be a Light and a Leader and all that believed and obeyed him had Life Eternal in him And this is he that vvas made under the Law to Redeem them that vvere under the Law and in fulness of time came and vvas made manifest to Israel and vvas the end of the Law for Righteousness unto all that did believe and so he fulfilled the Ministration of Condemnation which could not justifie any because of its weakness he brought in a Ministration of Righteousness which did exceed in Glory And this was the Word in the beginning which became flesh dwelt amongst them they beheld his glory and received him and as many as received him unto them he gave Power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believed in his Name And John preferred him before all saying He that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me and his shoo-latchets I am not worthy to unloose I baptize with water but he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand he must encrease but I must decrease saith John And when he came and was made manifest unto Israel of whom Moses and the true Prophets had testified and whose Glory they saw was to be revealed he Ministred forth of his own Fulness and of his Fulness they received who upon him waited and in him believed Then he confirmed the Testimony of all the Holy Men of God saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8.12 And this Testimony the Pharisees could not receive but told him he bore Record of himself and his Record was not true These were the wise Generation and the Scripture-learned ones in that day who had the Law and the Prophets read amongst them every Sabbath and yet did not behold his glory when manifest amongst them of whom Moses and the Prophets had testified nor did not believe his own
Earthly corruptibâ—e Wisdom you have formed and brought forth and as you obey and believe in it it will lead you to God where Life and Eternal Salvation is obtained and Peace and Unity is enjoyed and possessed for ever Depart from Vanity and live A few Words of tender Counsel to the PRELATES with all that wâ—lk in that way generally called PROTESTANTS BEhold your WAY ye People and consider what is brought forth by you Look into the GLASS of Righteousness and see whose Image it bears Are you come to that which was in the beginning And doth the Light shine out of Darkness in you Your VVayes and Doings must come to tryal and your VVork must be seen of what sort it is for the Light maketh all things manifest You deny the POPE and those with him in words and you have got the Name of PROTESTANTS to be your Covering but when your Works are brought to trial they savour of the Popes Root and your fruit hath both one taste and your Births are Simeâ—n and Levi you are in the Apostacy and in Darkness you abide and there you wander form the Way of Truth and then you make a Way in your Inventions and seâ— up a Worship in your Wils and drinks of the Whores Cup and the Beast's Mark is in your FOREHEAD You have an Observation which you make to your selves and you set up the Kingdom there and the Customs and Traditions you walk in which by the Popes Power was first instituted and you uphold and maintain his Birth which was nourished and brought up by him in this Nation of England when his Power extended over it and his Skirts covered it and you strive to preserve it and to give more life unto it and to set it up as a lawful Child and so in your COUNCELS makes Laws to establish it and to compel all to worship it and do not consider from what Root it springs or whether it be according to the Scriptures of Truth or the Saints life but you run in haste in your own Wills sets up what seems right in your own Eyes and then make Laws to uphold it and to compel all to be conformable to it under penalties and punishment And what have you more to say for your PRACTISE and WORSHIP then the POPE hath for his Or is your Birth more like the Truth or the Saints Practice then his whom you seem to deny What Scripture have you for your made-Church of Wood and Stone And who first ordained it to be a Church and consecrated it to be holy And what Scripture have you for your formed PRAYERS and your LETTANY and to make them up together in a Book and call them COMMON PRAYER Who first instituted COLLEDGES And who gave them their Names And who first ordained that men should be made Ministers at Colledges And who first appointed TYTHES to be paid to that Ministry And who first made a LAW to compel such a Maintenance Who first made and ordained LORD-BISHOPS and ARCH-BISHOPS Vicars and Curates And who first divided their BISHOPRICKS and Diocesses And how came they to rule over other people to make Vicars and Curates under them How came up HOODS and TIPPETS and SURPLICES And who first ordained that Ministers should be clothed with them in the time of their Worship And who first set up ALTARS and ORGANS and made Singing-men and Singing-boyes Have you not found out many Inventions and observe the Customs and Traditions which hath been brought in when Darkness over-spread And so you are found to be out of the Saints life and errs from the Scripture of Truth and your Root is the corrupted heart of the old man and your Likeness bears his IMAGE Behold your Birth Is it not after the Flesh and a Child of Whoredom It is not like the Form of that which was brought forth by the Saints that lived in the Truth and worshipped God in Spirit and Truth Oh! Arise ye people here is not your REST it is polluted and God will destroy it with a sore destruction Therefore come out of BABYLON partake no longer of her sins lest ye be destroyed with her Plagues And be not violent towards others that God hath separated from amongst you neither force or compel any people by a Law to conform to such a VVorship or bow to such a Likeness or uphold such a Church or maintain such a Ministery least you draw Judgement speedily upon your selves For BABYLON must be destroyed and the Inhabitants thereof scattered therefore doth the Lord visit in his Love that his Seed might be gathered before his Wrath take hold in Judgement For God hath a Seed amongst you which groans and is pressed under your Corruptions and Abominations and his Bowels yearns towards it And in tender Love is this declared concerning you that you may turn to the Lord in this day of his Visitation wherein his Arm is gathering from off the Mountains and Hills and bringing into the Fold of his Reâ—â— for he is making haste and cutting the Work short in Righteousness Therefore all fear before him who is mighty to save and mighty to cut down and destroy and all encline to his Counsel whose VVord is near you and secretly reproves you in your own Conscience for the evil of your doings turn unto it for that was in the beginning and made and created all things and saw that they were good Hearken when the Word near you reproves you and obey believe and follow it for it teaches right things and your understandings it will open and bring you to consider the fruit of your doings and let you see your practise and Worship to be vain and it will lead you out of Confusion Warring and Fighting and destroying one another about your Religion and it wil bring you to know the pure Religion and undefiled before God which no carnal Weapon can either set up or pull down And so will you come into unity with God and one another and know the Rest and everlasting Peace that endures for ever Be not high-minded but fear A few Words of tender Counsel unto those called PRESBYTERIANS with all that are walking in that WAY HEar ye zealous PROFESSORS who are mounted up on high and in your Imaginations stand exalted What taste have your Fruit And what is the form of your Birth For you must come to the proof and the Tryal must pass upon you the Light hath found you out and makes you manifest and you are seen to be of the old Root though your Branch put out something higher the savour of your Fruit is bitter and the Form of your Birth is uncomely your Work doth not answer what you seem to profess you are run into observations and are setting up the Kingdom in words and make to your selves a Likeness and would compel subjection to it You have forgot the day of your Distresse when many of you suffered under Compelling Laws because you could not bow nor
in the heart and reveals Truth in the inward parts and so becomes the Author of Faith and of eâ—ernal Salvation and the Mysterie of this Faith is held in a pure Conscience where his Arm hath been working and purging and purâ—fying And as you give up to that Measure of LIGHT in your own Conscienceâ— and wait to be guided and led by it and exercised in it you will know CHRIST revealed within you whom you are looking for without you and puts his Day far off from you And so you live in want of him and know not how to come to him nor the place where to find him but live in the Dreamings and the Nâ—ght-Visions and have a talke of him and what he hath done for you and so spend your precious time in slumbering and dreaming but do not behold the Light of his Countenance noâ— feel not the Joy of his Salvation nor drink not at the Wells thereof Now wait to feel him in the Light which makes all things manifest within you and when he draws near unto you reâ—ect hâ—m not if you feel an evil thought discovered that is his appearance that makes the â—â—iscovery then do thou sink down to that which makes manifest and be still and quiet in thy mâ—â—d and in the stayedness wait to receive him and though it 〈◊〉 but a little thing in its first appearance do not thou despise the Day of small things nor cast behind thee the Grain of Mustard-Seed because it is a little one but wait to know the glory of the Day and the branching forth of the Graâ—n of Mustard-Seed until it be grown up and spread it self over all The Lords Love freely opens unto all you that in tenderness and simplicity thirsts for his lâ—ving presence and for your sakes plainness of speech is used and God's pure Truth opened in the Life of his own Spirit that you may come and partake of the Riches of that GRACE and MERCY which from the FATHER is revealed and appears in you all that you may truly know the benefit that is in the Lord of Life and Power and feel his Eternal operation your Consciences to purge and your Hearts to purâ—fie that you may have fellowship with him in the everlasting Covenant of Peace and know the Blood of the Covenant to take away your sin and to pardon your Iniquity and so the Redemption through his blood you wil feel and the forgiveness of your sins according to the Riches of his Grace And this is unto you from the Lord God Eternally moved who breaths after Life that you may Arise and follow the Leadings of God into his own House and from his Hand receive your Daily-bread and drink of the Water of Life freely and this will satisfie and refresh you and daily renew strength unto you to follow the Lord God in the Light in all obedience and faithfulness without any weariness or faintness so will the Lord God receive you and be a Father unto you and make you Sons and Daughters and give you an Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light who are justified by Faith in Christ Jesus Be swift to hear and slow to speak A few Words of tender Counsel unto the BAPTISTS with all that walk in that WAY HEar you seperated ones who have set your selves in the Highest Seat and whose Branch puts out over all the Branches of the Tree you are beheld though you be climbed high and your Work is seen of what sort it is you must come to Tryal for your Work is not right before the Lord Once did the Morning open unto you and a Measure of Light out of Darkness shined and a sight you had of something which was out of the Truth and beheld Babylon without you in Practice and Worship and saw her Merchants that traded in her and could not for Conscience-sake Trade with them any longer nor buy their Merchandize any more but you separated from them in Practise and Worship And that which made these things manifest to your Understandings was Light and it was near unto you though you were but little acquainted with it you had Clearness in sight through Forms and Traditions then in practice amongst men and something opened before you that appeared more excellent and you did not onely depart out of that which was manifest to be out of the Truth but there was also a true waiting amongst you that you might come to enjoy living Bread that something in you hungred for and in that day a tender people you were whilest the true fear was in your hearts placed and in the fear you diligently waited and were kept low and little in your own eyes and you had fresh Visitations of God's Love and felt that which truly judged the Abomination and Vanity which you beheld in the World and you were convinced of the evil thereof and could have no fellowship with them and you cannot say in truth but in that Day the Lord was near you to have wrought his Work in you had you enclined to his Counsel and as you were kept in lowliness to wait and met and assembled in God's fear he was not straitned towards you but did relieve you and succour you in your wants and had compassion upon you in all your needs What Hungerings and Thirstings Breathings and Pantings were raised in the earnest for Life and Salvation And what a tender love was raised in many of you after the best things And how did you delight to walk in that Way which then was made manifest to you Was it noâ— better with many of you in that Day then it is now Consider soberly in the fear of God and judge down the rash wrathful Spirit which hath a Seat in many of you Are you not gone from that in which the Lord did first visit you and in which his tender Love was made manifest in you Was it any thing without you that first let you see your Way to be corrupted and that brought you into a sensibleness of your want and of your miserable and undone state without the Salvation of Christ Was this made manifest unto you by Reading or Hearing or by the Gift of God's Spirit manifest in your own hearts How hath the old Enemy deceived you and drawn your minds into the Visibles to look after and behold the things that are seen and there tenders you Satisfaction and so draws your minds from the weightier matter and that which is of absolute necessity for all to know a part in And so you are cumbred about many things and are got into the many Words and there you are sucking your nourishment and labouring to receive strength and there have taken up your rest What have you to live upon besides the Letter And what do you know of GOD and CHRIST more then what they declared who enjoyed his Life And if you say that it is sufficient for you to mind the Declaration and to know GOD and CHRIST as the Saints