pure Spirit d Luk. 11 he doth not endow with an evill heart or a wicked spirit though sometimes the evill heart or unrighteous spirit make up it selfe there-against yet is the same taken away e Eph. 6. through the Beliefe in the Crosse or patience of Christ upon hope of the good that is for to come but they obtain faithfulnesse and truth f Luk. 11 and the righteous Spirit with an heart of meeknesse and love And that is Christ or the Anointed which is holy and teacheth right It is true 19. After this maner do they apply themselves that will bee taught of God and his Christ out of whom God will prepare him an g Tit. 1. acceptable people to be a remnant for himselfe in the destruction of the wicked world Yea it shall be a h Esa 41 Soph. 3. Luk. 12. poor plain people not after the outward sight of the eye but according to the hidden inward man such as hope on the Lord and in the Spirit relye and trust upon his Name And these same yea such doth God choose unto him for his people for to magnifie his holy Name in them for evermore 20. For consider ye beloved how should any man be taught of God or Christ that will not give eare to his teaching or counsell but doth as Gods enemy cleave unto and love the i Joh. 8. 1 John 2. Devill and the World which do openly resist God 21. Therefore ought the lovers of the Truth which hope for the salvation of the perfect Being utterly to put out of their hearts k Prov. 1 whatsoever concerneth the vanity or misbehaviour and every thing which the heart contrary to God his Righteousnes is bound or tied with so much as in the Lord they are able and so to give over themselves to God that Gods goodnesse may have his place in them and not any ungodly Being 22. Also all lovers of the Righteousnes ought to l Eph. 4. reach the hand and to m Rom. 15. 2 Thes 5 Heb. 3.10 exhort one another to the same and so in one manner of Belief to strengthen each other towards salvation with a good courage n 2 Pet. 1 and to have regard to the sure propheticall Word to wit to the Service of the Love administred in his time to treat thereof o Act. 2.20 to break that same bread among each other in stilnesse and to persevere or abide stedfest in prayer till p Esa 25 2 Cor. 3. all coverings wherewith their hearts after the flesh or according to the visible are covered bee done away and that the pure or cleare that is to say the spirituall heavenly and uncovered Being of Christ q 2 Cor. 3. appeare and come in their spirit to the intent that so they might r 1 Joh. 4. 2 Cor. 5. know and cleave fast unto the living God and his Christ in the spirit even as he blessed may he be is a Spirit in all Love wherein the Law and the Gospel of the Kingdom and the doctrine thereof is Å¿ Rom. 15 Gal. 5. 1 Tim. 1. fulfilled might with all their understanding will and desire live the upright righteousnesse of God t Deut. 4 Mat. 22. and that God likewise may be the most best beloved and his Righteousnesse u Mat. 13. 2 Cor. 4. their most pretious Treasure worthy to be esteemed high above all 23. Whosoever now doe thus with an inclination to the same stand in a good will to them belongeth the blessing and happinesse promised of God to whom it is also promised x Psal 82. John 1. that they shall bee made the children of God and be blessed with the dew of his increse and be anointed for y Psa 45 Christians with the oyle of Love and of his Spirit or Christian nature yet not out of flesh and blood but out of the holy Divine Being 24. When the man therefore is thus joyned unto God then may he with God rightly possesse all things and understand and know whereout the horrible destruction cometh upon the Children of men 25. Wherefore the man should feare his God that he might come to the godly wisdom and might cleave unto that which is right and reasonable to the intent that he might not perish with the wicked 26. For wisdom z Pro. 8. Sap. 7. is much better then Gold and Silver Righteousnes much worthier and preciouser than all Pearles and precious stones and prudence much more honourable puissant and strong than all Castles Cities and Fonresses also mightier than the multitudes of the Armed The feare of God doth more quiet the heart in a little than do abundant Riches in all the pleasures and delights of the world It shall in his time be found and known to be even so 27. Unto this holy and divine wisdom apply ye your hearts ye dearly beloved and be ye warned in this dangerous time in which all foolishnes and ungodlines beareth sway whose end reacheth a Heb. 10 to the most horriblest destruction 28. For so it cometh which is for to come and all ungodly being shall make up it self and be astonied after that it shall b Esa 13. feare tremble and quake and be compelled in the beholding of his own destruction to suffer the vengeance of the fire but the godly shall obtain peace 29. Therefore take heed feare God stick fast to vertue humility and meeknes least ye remain in the ungodlines c Apo. 18 and be made partakers of her plagues 30. Watch d Mat. 24. Luk. 21. 1 Pet. 5. and pray and be reformed or justified and stand fast upon Gods promises 31. Observe your time e Gal. 6. unto sanctification f Jam. 1. and behold in you daily the spots of your spirit in the Glasse of Righteousnes and wash you g Esa 1. Jer. 4. Ezek. 36 John 3. with the cleane waters in the laver of the Love be purged in your spirit h Eccl. 2. in the Fornace of the lowlines of haert and so love that thing which is right and reasonable CHAP. XX. 1. The Author bath kept back nothing that is necessary to Salvation 5. And therefore cleareth himself of the Mans destruction 8. Yet if any de know any better thing he desireth that they will shew it out of love as he hath done 10. A Councel to all lovers of the truth how to behave themselves 19. Shewing them what God requireth 26. He willeth that men desire not to have all at once 30. Many ignorant beginnings have brought men into divers misunderstandings especially into security 39. From which be exhorteth to return with a new courage unto the seruice of the love 43. Of divers that are diversly disposed to errour Some to rest upon themselves some upon their Liberty some regard neither sin nor Grace some straiten themselves to get the promises and afterward grow insolent upon their own worthines 57.
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
thoughts with their lusts and desires so far forth as they were not incorporated or subject to the good being of God or to his vertuous nature of the love whereby I might live through the power of God and by the gifts of his grace and through the co-incorporating of the upright being of Jesu Christ k Luk. 1. Eph. 4. in all upright righteousnesse and holinesse that is in the upright life and mind of the living Godhead 63. Now although I have here shewed that my respect was lesse upon the outward obedience then upon the inward godly obedience and that I thus laboured for such an upright heart and mind as was required by the outward obedience because I would l Deut. 6.10 serve the living God in his upright righteousnesse yet did I not therefore despise the outward obedience nor the good Ordinances in their right use neither is it my mind or will that men should not observe nor obey the right use of the Churches services or the Priests or Elders Ordinances which are exercised for a good outward discipline and decency and to a bringing in of the said upright righteousnesse O yes my meaning and desire is that men should observe m Rom. 14. and obey them as is said in their right use and likewise that the Elders and Ministers of the word in the family of love should by them require the true righteousnesse of the upright inward being and mind which God esteemeth 64. For so in that behalf men are greatly to esteem the outward Ordinances and the obedience to the same yet with difference in the understanding as according to their worth and in respect of them for whom they are necessary namely in such consideration as the Ordinances and Ceremonies of the Law of the Lord n Rom. 10. Gal. 3.4 Heb. 7. and of the belief of Jesu Christ have their ministration for that is by them to train the man up and so to support him in the youngnesse of his understanding untill he be released from all self-mindednesse ignorance and own wisdome or vain imagination and the sight of the upright life o 2 Pet. 1. come unto him in the spirit and so of himself he love all that with whole heart and mind which is right and just and have a desire both before God p Rom. 14. and amongst men to live and to walk in all upright righteousnesse and and to fulfill the requiring of the gracious word of the Lord and his service of love Lo to shew such obedience is the best obedience inasmuch as the obeyers thereof do inwardly before God and outwardly amongst men live by the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ q Luk. 1. in the upright righteousnesse and holinesse and so not of compulsion but of faith are obedient unto all inward righteousnesse and outward Ordinances of the holy word and service of love r Mat. 22.23 1 Tim 1. and that is the principall obedience whereto men are to give the greatest respect for it is the principallest which the outward services or ceremonies have their ministration unto It is true 65. Wherefore men ought even before all things to give the worthiest praise and greatest honour to the greatest or best and not to respect or esteem the smallest for the principallest Likewise to observe a difference between the prudent good-willing and stable ones and those that are without understanding evill willers and revolters that they minister not the services and Ordinances confusedly or mixtly out of the knowledge nor disorderly require the obeying of the same as if any man should urge them without difference and should not distinguish between the state of the age of such Disciples as had obediently accomplished the requiring of the services and attained unto the appointed Å¿ Gal. 4. time of the father and of the age of Christ or were obediently grown up unto the same and the state of those Disciples that had not yet accomplished the requiring of the services nor attained unto the appointed time of the age of Christ but should give like honour unto and esteem of equall value eithers age and obedience 66. When a man then ministreth an office of teaching and yet is not entred into the Disciples beginning of the Christian life among the Elders in the family of the Love neither hath obediently accomplished the righteousnesse which is wont to be required of the Disciples from their first entrance into the Christian life untill the age of the elder Christ and even for that cause cannot distinguish the same passage in his right Ordination surely the same man and likewise the Congregation that heareth him doth stray very far from the truth and also from the right use of the Doctrine and Ordinances of the antient Fathers tending to the Christian life and from the upright being of the love of Jesu Christ and of his holy spirit and do become both together one with another namely the teacher and the Congregation which he teacheth alike ignorant and unexpert in that which is of value before God and likewise in that which is most needfullest to be used amongst men to their preserving in the godlinesse 67. For mark the Å¿ Exo. 28.29 Levit. 1.2.3.4.5.6 c. Priesthood out of Levi which is ministred after the manner of Aaron is upright and good in his right use and is also in his service vvith the Law and Ordinances of the Lord and with the letter and through the Letter in the Family of the Lord very profitable and necessary while the t Gal. 4. heire is yet a child and hath not attained or reached unto the appointed time of his Father or Elder 68. But the Priesthood out of Messias called Jesus who is unto his Believers u Psal 110. Heb. 3.9.10 an High-Priest at the right hand of the Almighty in the heavenly being and a x Ioh. 1.14 true light in the light of the ministration of his truth is much more worthily to be esteemed then the Priesthood out of Levi for the same High-Priest doth in his office bring unto the y Rom. 3. Gal. 2.3.4 believers in his name namely those that are obediently grown up under their tutors and Governours untill the appointed time of their age the upright righteousnesse and the upright being of his love and accomplisheth with them in their spirit and mind all that which vvith the Letter and vvith the Lavv or Ordinance in the foregoing Priesthood is taught and required in the ministration of the Elders whereby the Lord Jesus Christ called Messias is unto his believers and good willing obeyers in their spirit and mind an everlasting a Joh. 14. life and a b Heb. 8.9 minister of the spirituall and heavenly goods whose service also with them is done in the c 2 Cor. 3. spirit and by the spirit and so is he unto them an heavenly d Heb. 5.6.7 Eph. 1.2 High-Priest for evermore not of the
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