call your sâ—â—â—es the Churches of Christ when ye are so far out of the Life and Practise of the Apostles and Prophets upon whose foundation the former Churches were builded Jesus Christ himself the true Light being the Head Corner-stone For Consider whence the word Church is derived even from a word that signifies to Call out so that the true Church of Christ is a people called out of the Wayes Wickednesses Formalities Customs and Fashions of the World into the pure obedience to and worshipping of God in the Spirit by his own living Word which is nigh in the heart and mouth to which Word ye should do very well to take heed as to a light shining in a dark place which is your dark hearts that it may lead you out of all the wayes of sin death and deceit into the paths of all Righteousnesse even into such a pure way wherein no Ravenous Beast that fights against the witness of God and his living truth can ever come saith the Lord Almighty and that because of his flaming Sword which turneth every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life from all such But you will object and say The Light which thou so much speakest of and callest Christ within as the Enlightner of every man that comes into the World is no more but a Natural instinct or endowment or Light of Nature whereby man is able to reflect upon himself when he hath done good or evil yea and sometimes restrain from the evil and do the good as well as commit the evil whereby his conscience accuseth or excuseth him for Paul saith in his Epistle to the Romans when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law they having not a Law are a Law unto themselves and again the uncircumcision which is by Nature keeping the Law shall judge thee who through the Letter and Circumcision art a transgressor of the law This one thing may for ever stop the mouths of all such Objectors if they would but consider that as in the truth it is Paul is not here speaking of any thing but that which justifies in the sight of God for it was not his work to declare to people being an Apostle of Jesus Christ any Faith Peace Reconciliation or Obedience but what tended to the justification of life therefore he saith before that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one Jew and Greek that believeth and therefore he saith in the thirteenth verse of the second Chapter that the Hearers of the Law are not just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified for when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not an outward written Law are a Law to themselves whereby they by the Finger of God which wrote the effâ—ct of it in their hearts which is the light of Christ that enlightneth every man are justified in the sight of the living God or condemned in his sight by the same Finger or Light so that their consciences either excused them unto the justification and salvation of their souls or accused them unto the damnation thereof so it is most plain that that Principle whereby they by Nature or Naturally did the will of the Lord was no other then the light and life of Christ without whom I believe none of you dare deny any one can be justified But moreover because of your hardnesse of belief Consider what ye say when ye speak of Nature or doing by Nature the word Nature comes from a word that signifies to be Born so that whatever a man doth by Nature he doth by that which was born with him or brought forth with him into the World as beasts also do in their kind yea and inanimate creatures in their kind so moving and rest are general works of Nature because every Creature moveth or resteth from a Principle which it had from its birth but here men are apt to commit idolatry in not minding and seeing whence this birth or nature and the works thereof proceeds and do subsist for in the Eternal Power and God-head who was in himself most glorious before any thing was born or brought forth or before nature was doth all things and nature with all its works subsist have their being so that they are nothing but what he is in them yet every thing in its degree measure and order and so man is in the highest degree of acting from that abilitie which the Creator who is the Soul of the World and Life of all things placed in him Now this being rightly considered all that which men in a sleighting manner are wont to call instincts of Nature or natural light or endowment is the very effect of the Life of God himself stirring and moving that way so then mankind having an ability in him from his birth to reflect upon himself as to Godward when he hath done good or evil which the beast is not capable of so as to be accused or tormented or excused and comforted this ability call it what ye will is from the life of all things and the Eternal Word of his Power which is the light and life of men which cannot be separated from mans understanding whereby the Spirit of a man becomes the Candle of the Lord and so the effect of the Law is written in mans heart by the Finger of God by Nature or from his birth for that word implyeth no more and in this did the Gentiles differ from the Jews in that these had a law also outwardly declared which was added because of the height of transgression against the Law in the heart till the Seed or life that there placed it should arise to fulfil it and the other onely the Principle by Nature or the forced ability from their birth without any outward engravement or writing whereupon the Jews boasted over the Gentiles because to them were outwardly committed the Oracles and Ordinances c. Wherefore Paul to stop their mouths for the seed was now raised saith for when the Gentiles which have not a law do by Nature or the Principle placed by God in them from their birth the things contained in the law these having not a Law outwardly written are a law to themselves that is have the Pure Principle of God in themselves from their birth shewing them what to do and what to abstain from and so if the uncircumcision which is by Nature keep the Law that is if they which are not from their birth circumcised outwardly as not being the Seed of Abraham according to the flesh do keep the Law by the same pure Principle of God they shall judge the Jews outward who having such a a Law and Circumcision do yet transgresse the Righteous principle of God which sheweth them that inwardly which the law outwardly declareth of and which Circumcision outward
acknowledge Christ and the Scriptures in words but oppose and betray his pure Life wherefore he commandeth his wiâ—nesses now to fight with her with the sword of his mouth in the Power of Wisdom which is better then outward strength and so they act and speak as he moveth and enableth them keeping to their own gift measure and work as the Apostles and Saints formerly did to theirs and not regarding how they acted or spake so as to be moved or troubled at it as to question their call to the work of the Ministry for they know if they receive the witness of man the witness of God is greater which witness is his light within them which plainly sheweth them and sealeth in them though the whole world gain-say it that they have felt in themselves the Baptism of the spirit and fire whose effects I before declared and so the operation of his living Word which hath brought thousands of others to believe in the same light and many to feel also the same living Word and spiritual Baptism which hath shaken the Earthly part within like a cottage and also the outward body of some putting words in their mouths to declare his righteousness in the great Assembly and magnifie his Holy Name in the Congregations of his Saints this was that greater work that Christ said his Disciples should do then he had done because he went to his Father for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified this is really witnessed among us the Spirit sealing it in our hearts so that we witnesing the one Lord one Faith and one Baptism we are thereby baptized into the one body and being many are one bread and so the true Church that is come and coming out of Babylon and out of the wilderness Glory be to the Lord for ever who hath thus visited and Redeemed his People for this living Power is the gift it self tongues miracles prophesie c. are but the gifts flowing as streams from this fountain now if the Lord do keep back some streams and give us more of the fountain in this his day we are not loosers but gainers by that and so the more to be owned as the Church of Christ But ye will say when the Church was brought out of mystical Babylon John declareth there was an Angel who flow thorow the midst of heaven with an everlasting Gospel to Preach to them that dwell on the Earth and to all Nations kindreds tongues and People which since we see not how that could be without the gift of tongues sheweth us that the true Ministry must have the very same visible gifts now as the Apostles had before they undertake to go forth That People were never truely called out of Babylon before the Preaching of this everlasting Gospel is certainly true and that it is to be Preached to all sorts of People upon the Earth is as cerâ—â—in but that this Gospel must not be Preached to some till the gift of tongues be given where by it might be declared to all is false for the Wisdom of God teacheth his People in what manner and order he will proceed in the publishing his truth throughout the world it must begin first in Sodom and Egypt where our Lord Christ the light and life hath been crucified I mean the Anti-christian State which under pretence of professing Christ opposeth him this Beast indeed is many headed and consists of divers Nations but they must not all be cut off at once but by degrees we know by experience what ever ye believe that he hath begun his work in this Isle of the North wherein we live and that there have been wayes made somewhat to awaken other Nations also the pure Language being known a tongue hath not been wanting to speak to them in and in this one thing do I behold Gods great Wisdom that he hath taken the wise in their own craftiness that whereas the Antichristian Priests have as the Hebrew and Greek so especially idolized the Latine or Romane tongue all over Europe whereby it s become a general Language hereby a good occasion is given to spread the truth throughout all these Nations of Christendome so called also so much hath been the mutuall commerce betwixt these Antichristian People for many years as counting each other to be Christians that in any of these Nations it may be either spoken in their own Language or by an Interpreter which last way is not to be despised for the mighty God brings and will bring to pass great things in these last times by weak beginnings and none is to despise the Day of small things yea the voice hath been hard in Turkie already and if any of you shall say But what had they to do to go thither without the gift of the Tongue I answer you must ask him that moved them thereto even by turning in to Gods witness which is his true light within every one of you and waiting there for Counsel ye shall know the Lords secrets and feel his Power to arise which shall bring you into Unity with their Spirits who knew their Call which ye will not then dispute but in the mean time him that is ignorant let him be ignorant but however know that your unbelief cannot make the truth of God of none effect But is it not Prophesied by Isaiah concerning the Church that he will turn his hand upon her and pâ—rely purge away her dross and take away all her tin and will restore all her Judges as at the first and her Counsellors as at the beginning afterwards she shall be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City Zion shall be Redeemed with Judgement and her converts with Righteousness whereby it appeareth that at the Restauration of the Church the second time which is a very refining time and of Redemption through Judgement and Righteousness which ye talk so much of the Ministry of the Church shall be as they were at the first gathering of it by the Apostles and so gifted just as they were The endowing of the witnesses at their Resurrection shall be with the Spirit of life from God entring into them and so they shall be as at the first for that is the gift it self which brings into Unity of Spirit all the Prophets Apostles and Saints in all ages and into Unity in Ministry as declaring one Everlasting Truth for substance and from one Eternal Root but in respect of the gifts and operations of that one Spirit or Gift it may be different at sundry times and seasons according to the work that is to be done and the various workings of the Spirit it self So God who at sundry times and divers manners spake to the Jews by the Prophets spake in the last times by his Son by whom also he speaketh sundry wayes at sundry times though not a sundry truth for the Apostles bare witness to the true light that lightneth every man and to the Word nigh in the
A DEFENCE OF THE True Church Called QUAKERS Come and coming out of the Wildernesse Babylon and the dark Night of the Apostacy of Antichrist into their own Land which is Sion the Mountain of Holinesse there to Worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth against the several Sects and sorts of people called Independants Separatists or Brownists Baptists Fift Monarchy-men Seekers and High Notionists of all sorts who by the True Light are found and discovered to be out of the same Written by J. C. According to the measure of Wisdom given unto him from God who is the giver of every good gift LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. WHen the Jewes outward Returned from the Captivity of Babylon which was the true figure of the Saints coming out of the long and dark night of Apostacy from the Doctrine and Life of the Apostles in the Primitive Times which was the Captivity of the spiritual Seed so great and many were their Enemies who endeavoured to cause their Work in repairing the desolate and ruined places of Jerusalem to cease that those who were imployed in that Work with one hand wrought and with the other held the Weapon even so is it and must it be now at the Return of the spiritual Seed not only within by exercising Faith and Prayer upon and to him that is able to save to the uttermost and in his strength wrestling against the Dragon and his Angels Principalities Powers and Spiritual Wickednesses in High Places and sundry temptations so quenching by the Armour of Light all the fiery Darts of the wicked one but also without both by holding forth the Word of their testimony and sealing it with their bloud and sufferings for the conviction and conversion of sinners so fitting stones for Gods spiritual building and also by stopping the mouths of gain-sayers who shall not be able to resist the Spirit by which they speak So standing in the gap and quitting themselves like Spiritual-men against the Beast and false Prophet and all the Armies of the Aliens Hear now therefore all ye that are called Independants Separatists or Brownists Baptists Fift Monarchy-men Seekers high Notionists of all sorts the Apologie or Defence that I in the wisdom and strength of my God for without him I can do nothing do make against you and for the true Church called Quakers against whom and whose standing Profession ye variously have prejudice and do contend And First for you called Independants ye assume a great Name but ye are not found in the Independant nature and so are not the true Church for although ye professe your selves as to the visible Administration of Church-power not to have dependance upon other Congregations or Churches as an inferiour on a superiour yet are there many things apparently seen amongst you which do un-Church you and remove your Candlestick far off for the true golden Candlesticks among whom Christ the Son of God walketh do hold up and hold forth the true light that it may shine before men but ye as do the common multitude reject it sleight it and Dispute against it as invalid and insufficient to lead in the way everlasting and so ye would have it kept under the bushel yea quite extinguished in the hearts of men and would have the Scriptures or Writings to be a light to it and not it an enlightener and opener of them whereby ye stumble at the Scriptures themselves and cannot discern of the times and seasons or of the Saints several states and conditions to God-ward who because they sometime witnessed a war and striving against the body of sin therefore say you they must alway while they live carry it about them as though the Saints fought as those that beat the Air or as though their labour were in vain in the Lord Oh! foolish people and unwise when will ye come to the true Teacher in your selves that ye may believe and know the Promise made unto the seed That there shall be no more a pricking Bryar unto the House of Israel nor a grieving Thorn of all that are round about them that despise them and they shall know that I am the Lord Also that their Enemies which they have seen to day they shall see them again no more for ever And that ye may see their interest in Christs Prayer whom the Father heard alwayes because he did alwayes the things that pleased him who said Neither Pray I for these alone to wit for the Apostles and Saints then in the world that they might be sanctified through the Truth but for them also who shall believe in me through their words that they all may be one c. I in them and thou in me that hey may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Mark This was a state of Saints Perfection in this world that worldly Spirits might be convinced thereby but ye being in the unbelief are even as the multitude alwayes hanging upon the lips of men whose tongues are not touched as the Prophets was with a Coal from Gods Altar who witnessed his sin purged and so are ever learning and never come to the true knowledge for the Pastors and Teachers of your Congregations have not yet witnessed the Vrim of the Sanctuary I mean the true spiritual Gift by believing and waiting on the true light which shineth in their dark hearts that should give them power from on high to minister in but are either men learned with the learning of this world or such who through strength of Brain and often reading of the Letter of the Scriptures can compose a Form of Words and deliver it unto you after a Priestly manner so that ye as still unsatisfied heap to your selves National Priests also for Teachers sometimes hearing the one and sometimes the other Yea some of your Pastors so called are National Priests also Oh! Friends it might shame you and make you blush for shame if ye could rightly consider to call your selves the Churches of Christ and Independants and be thus so dependant on mans Teachings Yea joyning with the National Priests about the way of sending out a Ministrie and bearing the Beasts very Mark in your Foreheads while ye are so called owning your Baptism in your Infancie to be true though ministred to a blank and by those who sprang from a Popish stock and sprinkling your own Infants now from a false apprehension of the Promise made to you and your seed after the flesh so calling that the seed whereas the true Churches of Christ knew no such seed nor owned any but that which sprang out of Christs womb in the Regeneration who is a quickning Spirit So Christ the Corner-stone and Head of the Church even the true and universal Light is come to fight against you with the sword of his mouth and to testifie to your faces That though ye call
believed being also I deny not then baptized with water they prayed and laid their hands on them which was an outward sign of the blessing and they received the holy Spirit now if any one shall say how could the Apostles who were but men baptize with the Spirit I answer no otherwise then they could at first beget faith and repentance in those so baptized it was the Lords work but they ministerially did it that is they having felt the power in themselves the raised life in them Ministred to the life that lay low in others and so brought it up therefore that the Lord might shew he was not tied up to time or manner in the bestowing of his gift while Peter spake those words to Cornelius and the rest the holy Spirit fell on them that heard the word so that this was the Baptism here meant by Christ which was so Essential to the conversion of the world and building up of the Saints in so much that Paul joyns it with faith as a necessary companion saying there is One Lord one Faith and one Baptisme for by one Spirit are the Saints baptized into one body Christ the baptizer being the head who moreover told the Apostles that he would be with them all the dayes that is of their Ministry even to the finishing of the age mark there was an age or certain space of time wherein the truth of the Gospel should grow and the Baptism of the Spirit or the comforters presence be witnessed through Christs Power accompanying their Ministry and then should the Mystery of iniquity in false Apostles get such a head by stealing and bringing in false Doctrines Traditions and inventions that it should God so permitting it overtop the life and so the true Ministry should cease and his living presence not be felt and enjoyed as before which most certainly came to passe as we see whose eyes the Lord hath opened in the many hundred years Apostacy and reign of Antichrist now if Christ meant that He would be alway with them to the end of the world as it s falsely rendred in English Bibles how could his words be true since we see by experience that the Glory of God which shined in his Temple in the Apostles dayes departed over the threshold the Church went into the wilderness the Seed of God was captivated by the Whore of Babylon and the man-Child Christ in his strength taken up to God and his Throne wherefore in the second restauration of the spiritual Temple and re-edifying of the holy City new Jerusalem people must first come to the true faith by believing in Christ the true light and witness repentance from all false worships and and dead works of the world as those that are wearie of Babylons captivity and that set their faces towards Sion in truth and so must wait with the Lords people in silence and humility for the Fathers promise which is the Comforter even the Spirit of truth which in his due time baptizeth such with fire and so by degrees leads them into all truth and out of all sins and errour and so the Church cometh out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved that is staying her mind upon the light within and being content with her portion be it much or little be it judgement or mercy be it in a day of blackness or gloominess or in a day wherein it is neither dark nor light or in the evening time wherein it shall be light as saith the Prophet or in the sun-shine of the day it self so not despising the day of small things or overlifted up with great things neither must they all this while set upon or practice any outward thing in the worship of God in their own wils or by imitation of others or meerly from a precept without but onely as Christ the light shall lay that precept upon them for if they do they are will-worshippers and so Idolaters for as the Son of God was once personally present in a body of flesh commanding the Apostles to teach the People at the first raising of the Gospel Church to observe all things whatsover he had before commanded them and said unto them while so present with them which the Comforter afterwards brought to their remembrance so in the reâ—toring thereof the second time none are to observe any thing or teach any thing to be observed but what Christ manifested in their bodies of flesh doth command them for saith he I go away to wit as to his Personal body and the world shall see me no more but ye shall see me that is in their own bodies manifested Now by this oh all ye Baptists may ye try your selves and present practice of water Baptism and all other Administrations and performances in your Congregations have ye witnessed this true faith or are ye yet disputing against it have ye repented of all dead works or are ye still wallowing in the pollutions of the world have ye waited or do ye wait in silence for the Fathers Promise or do ye set your selves on work in a formal Preaching and dead praying and hanging on the lips of such Preachers and Pray-ers Do ye or others keep an outward Sabbath whether on the seventh or first day from mens Precepts or a Mosaical Rule or from a Command of life within Do ye Baptize and are Baptized and break Bread from a particular Command in your selves or because the Saints formerly so practised Do ye exercise the power of the Keyes from the true spiritual discerning judgement and power or because the Churches before the Apostacy did so bind and loose Ye must know that there hath been a wide step between the Apostles and our dayes and that the gathering of the Church at first out of Egypt and the bringing it out of Babylon are two several things and are not brought to pass after one and the self-same manner as to the outward administration of things Also consider that Johns Revelation was a Prophesie of what things came and must come to pass after the Apostles and not a Relation of what was done in their dayes so that in the coming out of mystical Babylon the Lambs followers wait on him for the opening of that mystical Book as that which concerns their present condition Now when the Angel came down from Heaven and lightned the earth with his Glory whereby the everlasting Gospel came to be Preachâ—d saying Fear God and give G ory to him for the hour of his Judgement is come and come out oâ— Babylon my pâ—ople and partake not of her sins lest ye receive of her plagues Then as people came out of her by the guidance of the light the Temple of God or his holy Habitation in the Spirit was opened in Heaven they had a sight in themselves into what state they should be brought even to have a habitation in God and he in them but then was this Temple filled with smoak from the Glory of God and from
him and yet be never a jot the nearer to Peace with the living God and how many have deceived themselves this way and like children quieted themselves a while but afterwards conscience and they have more fallen at odds then before for the soul being invisible and immortal an outward Declaration or promise cannot satisfie it because that is received in by the sences of seeing or hearing the sound and sight whereof vanisheth but the voice of the Lord in the invisible and immortal and Eternal light and love makes up all breaches in the soul be they never so wide applying unto the wounded conscience the blood of sprinkling and washing and cleansing and so speaks in Truth and reality better things then that of Abel Neither after the work of regeneration begun and in measurewitnessed can any one that believes not in nor stayeth his mind on the invisible immortal light within him be preserved against the snares and subtilties that do attend him and the many Temptations and sundry tryals that do befall him whereby he should endure to the end and be saved for the Light is his Armour the Word nigh in his heart and mouth is his sword which are to be with him continually the light is the leaven of the Kingdom that works into and preserves in the savoury Life it is the immortal hand that keeps the Soul fast to it self that it maketh not ship-wrack of Faith and a good Conscience and though there may be never so many opinions in the World taken up and contended for with or about the Scriptures or never so many Atheistical opinions contradicting the Scriptures yet the immortal Eternal light residing and and shining in the heart being believed and waited in becomes the Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast reconciles the Scriptures and makes the Soul to triumph over all Ranting and Atheistical spirits to rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and to strive against every thing that may Eclips it So shut not your eye oh ye Professors neither cavil against the Universal saving necessary light of the Lamb for though Christ Jesus be light and Life in himself yet that can avail you nothing unless he be so in you till which time all the light and knowledge that is in you from without is darkness and then how great is it And now Oh ye Fift Monarchy-men as ye are called must you be searched and tryed by the Ballance of the Sanctuary to see whether your sword of steel be the right weapon which the man of God must use to prepare and make way for Christs Kingdom in the world that ye are very great opposers of the true light within I know and must needs be while ye are in this Principle that there were four eminent worldly Monarchies or Kingdoms to wit the Assyrian Persian Macellonian and Romane I grant who had their time to rise and fall so that the Tyrany of the last of these which is the worst of these is drawing nigh to its period and that in the dayes of these Kings the God of Heaven hath and will set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed as saith the Prophet Daniel I know and see but that this Kingdom shall be Ushered in by such grosse outward observation and Bussle as ye imagine or that it shall be administred when set up in such a way and manner as ye think I utterly deny for if ye will come to the Scriptures which ye seem much to adhere to though in a very literal sence let us see what they testifie both of the way of setting it up the nature of the King or Monarch that ruleth and the manner of his Government when Christ the Son of God the first born among many brethren was bringing into the World before the Tyrany of Antichrist got up this very Kingdom was approaching and there was a messenger sent to prepare his way even John the Baptist who was a plain man of plain raiment and mean fare crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his pathes straight which was to be done by repentance from sin for saith he Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Now at that very time was the Romane Empire or Monarchy at a great height and Tyranized over the subdued Jews and was grosly and heathenishly Idolatrous and the blind Jews thought Christ their King when he came would have redeemed them out of that thraldom by some external power so restoring as they imagined the Kingdom to Israel but alas they were much deceived in those their expectations for his Kingdom was of another nature so that John his fore-runner came onely Preaching Repentance and bearing witness to him as the true light that lightneth every man to be believed in which should lead thereunto neither did Christ himself while on the Earth or any of his Disciples in that time use any other means or Preach any other Doctrine in order to this Kingdom which before some of them should taste of death he testified they should see it come in power neither hath Christ two Kingdoms the one spiritual and the other Personal as ye distinguish for in his Personal appearance he suffered and was despised but in his spiritual appearance he rejoyceth and triumpheth World without end Nor was the Reign of Antichrist the ruine and destruction of that his Kingdom which was set up in the Apostles dayes for he still made good his Title in the hearts of some one way or other in the darkest times as he that had right to Reign but onely was withdrawn a while that he might the second time come upon the necks of his enemies with the greater force but it must still be in the same spiritual way for the Kingdom is but one now as before wherefore doth he now prepare his way as in times past by calling upon all men to repent forsake the evil of their ways by believing in his light within them which discovers it unto them that they may feel his living power and so saith John in his Revelation That the Lamb makes War with the Beast by the sword which proceedeth out of his mouth and with the breath of his lips must he slay the wicked so that all ye who treasure up carnal weapons which ye say are to be reserved against a day of slaughter when ye shall by the Lord as ye suppose be bid to strike are no fit instruments in Gods hand or in his work yea ye have no part nor lot in this matter but are carryed on with a Jehu's zeal breathing out threatnings which if ye stop not your furious course will end in your destruction for he that smites with the sword shall perish by it Consider also what a King or Monarch this is who is to Reign in righteousness over all that ye seem to be so zealous for I give my Testimony with Paul as I have felt him in my measure thus concerning him I charge
with the whole heart and saith David in another place Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee and it is Prophesied by the Prophet Jeremy that when the Jews had been in the captivity of Babylon they should go and seek the Lord their God asking their way to Sion from which they had been captivated with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Mark when they were weary of their captivity they should go and seek not stand still and enquire onely but aske with their faces thitherward saying Come let us joyn to the Lord c. actually to set about the work Therefore saith the Lord by the Prophet in the 8th vers of the 50th Chapter Remove out of the midst of Babylon and go forth out of the Land of the Chaldeans c. which the Prophet Zachary also secondeth saying Deliver thy self oh Sion that dwelleth with the Daughter of Babylon So here is a lively representation of the Lords bringing his spiritual Seed out of spiritual captivity after the long night of Apostacy Babylon or Confusion was the state they were to depart from Sion or the Mountain of Holiness was the State they were to come to and in order hereunto they were to move and set forward neither was there any station by the way where they were to set down or continue This I speak for your sakes who for divers years have seemed to turn your backs upon the Whore of Babylon as seeing and disliking the false doctrines wayes and worships of Antichrist whereby you have been deceived and captivated but as though the Passage to Sion or Jerusalem was stopped up ye have sit down by the way saying The Church is yet in the Wilderness where she must abide till God makes way for her coming forth which is by raising up his witnesses who must appear with Miracles and such signs as the Apostles did to confirm their Ministry by till which time there is no true Gospel Ministry nor Administration of Baptism or any Ordinances of a visible Church This seems indeed to carry a face of truth with it and hath stumbled many but consider first whether ye are not some of those false prophets which Christ said should come and say Lo here and lo there whether ye are not those that say Christ is in the Desart as yet retired as to his visible appearance in the world whom to go forth after the Saints must not but must keep their own Habitations in the light to which they have been turned for saith he As the lightning riseth in the East and shineth even unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of man be and Luke addeth in his day So then here is a plain token of the Day of the Son of man or the sign of the Son of man in Heaven to wit in the true Church visible at his coming when he cometh as a Universal light that hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world by whose guidance and direction they believing in it all may come out of the false wayes and worships and deceits of the Whore of Babylon or of the whole world and out of all sin into the way of Truth Purity Peace and true Worship to serve the Lord in Spirit and Truth with one consent and those who have believed in this true light themselves which makes manifest all sin and deceit and having waited therein have felt it to be the light of life unto them quickning their Souls up to God and Baptizing them with its Holy Fire so making his living Word to be as fire in their bones and putting words into their mouths to testifie and declare against the Beast and false prophet and against the world that their deeds are evil and to call them to Repentance by believing in the same light in themselves which is Christ the true Prophet Gods faithful witness and are true and living witnesses for his Name and such as preach the Everlasting Gospel or glad Tidings although they speak in no Language but their Mother Tongue do no outward Miracles as to heal the sick cleanse the Lepers or the like nor do at all practise Baptizing with water laying on of hands or breaking of bread And thus I plainly demonstrate it to any that are not wilfully blind The Jewish state of old was the true figure of the Gospel Church after the Son of God his being manifested in the flesh who was the end of all figures and shadows look then in what manner the Lord brought forth and led the Jew outward then so doth he bring forth and lead the Jew inward afterwards Now when the Children of Israel came first out of Aegypt they were brought out of that house of bondage with a high hand and stretched-out arm as to the outward Moses was loath to go as thinking they would not believe him therefore the Lord gave him a signe of turning the Rod into a Serpent which he did also before hard-hearted Pharaoh upon whom were ten visible Plagues also sent the Sea was divided the Aegyptians drowned the Rock gushed out water Jericho fell by the blowing of Rams Horns and the like in this high manner came they to Canaan but when they for their iniquity were led into captivity by the King of Babylon at their coming out the second time there was no such outward sign shewen or any such visible work wrought in order to their deliverance but as those who had a right to a restauration of that which once they gained by such hardships and mighty works this was Gods way of proceeding towards them he raised up Cyrus to make a Proclamation of liberty and to restore the treasure and vessels of the Temple which was a lively figure of Christ the spiritual King Proclaming in the hearts of his People by the true light which is his word that they should now leave all false and wicked and deceitful wayes of the Whore of Babylon and bring back the vessels of the spiritual Temple to serve and worship God in his holy mountain Jerusalem that they be no longer defiled and profaned by Idol wayes and worships then upon this Proclamation of Cyrus those whose hearts were touched and whose spirits were stirred up as Zerubbabel Joshuah and others stood not still but set about the work leading many Jewes to Jerusalem without any more ado as Nehemiah did also afterwards by the permission of Artaxerxes and when they came thither they went to build the Temple although the enemies made them cease a while by force then the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied but did no miracle unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the Name of the Lord God of Israel Ezra 5. vers 1. whereupon Zerubbabel and Joshua arose up and began to build the house of God for it is said Hag. 1. the Lord stirred up their spirits so to do and
the spirits of all the remnant of the People for they were in the unbelief before as ye are concerning the time saying Hag. 2. ver 2. the time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built then the Lords Word in Haggai was this to convince them of the contrary Is it time for you oh ye to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lay wast now therefore thus saith the Lord consider your wayes c. And afterwards when the second Temple was built they were apt to have low thoughts of it who is left among you saith the same Prophet that saw this house in the first glory and how do ye see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing mark as nothing yet saith he now be strong oh Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong oh Joshuah the high Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my spirit remaineth among you fear ye not for thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory saith the Lord of hosts the silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts the Glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of hosts and I will give peace in this place saith the Lord of hosts are not these plain words to him that desires to understand the people were discouraged because their second Temple was not so Stately and pompous outwardly as the first built by Solomon yet were they bid to be strong or of a good courage for the Lord of hosts strong and mighty was with them and the same spirit remained among them according to his Covenant with them when they came out of Egypt though there were not miracles and such visible signes shewed amongst them now as then for the right of building the second Temple stood in the Covenant which was still the same to the Seed of Israel outward he to be their God and they to be to him a People whereof Circumcision in the flesh was a sign as the Circumcision of the heart is a signe of the spiritual and everlasting Covenant to the spiritual Seed saying they should not fear for he would shortly shake all and all Nations by his powerful witness which should make way for Christ to come and fill his second house with his Glory for all spiritual riches and treasures are His and in Him so that the Glory of the latter house should be greater then of the former to wit in the invisible Glory yet visible by fruits of all righteousness which to bring forth was the sum and end of all figures shadowes miracles tongues and prophesies So that they should have peace in God which passeth all Humane understanding and outward rest also when their sufferings were fulfilled Now consider whether it were not just so in the first raising up of the Gospel Church in the Apostles dayes they had the gift of tongues they did many miracles c. for it was meet and needful at the first bringing in of the first born into an unbelieving and Heathenish world that it should be so as it was at the Jews coming out of Egypt to be a visible Nation and People unto God but at the coming out of mystical Babylon the Spirit of Life from God entred saith John into the witnesses and they stood upon their feet and they prophesied no miracle or in what Language it was being mentioned and the way that the Saints overcame was by the blood of the Covenant mark the same Life of Christ which is the blood of the everlasting Covenant which the Apostles and Saints formerly stood in was in them whereby they got victory every way also they overcame by the Word of their Testimony declaring what they had seen and handled of the Word of Life and by suffering for the same even unto death as the Jew outward adventured their lives in the going on with their work against Sanballat Tobiah and the other their cruel enemies neither is this second work of God to be sleighted or little esteemed for it is done by the pure power of the Almighty in the Spirit as the Prophet Zacharie testified saying not by might nor by power that is so visibly appearing in strange gifts but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts even that by whom all things were made and so is very great and shall bring forth the pâ—rest State of the Church that ever was as in the description of the new Jerusalem the Holy City doth most evidently appear wherein shall be a new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness which Peter and the Saints in his dayes waited for and desired to see where shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor pain nor night and this is the State after the captivity not wrought out by outward signes and wonders but by the Internal light leading out of all that is unclean into that wherein there is no defilement which is a glorious and all powerful work so that the Saints feeling of it shall yea and do already say now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night and this purely spiritual way of proceeding is most suitable to destroy the mystery of iniquity for hereby spiritual Wisdom is set in opposition and doth discover spiritual deceit by which the Nations have been made drunk yet we deny not or limit the Power of the Holy One in this his day to come forth in what gifts he pleaseth as sometimes he hath done by healing and extraordinary fastings amongst us but this we say it is not so much a seal to the Ministry as the Lords free working how he pleaseth and how he will please to come forth hereafter when the Truth shall actually prevail over other Nations that do not professe Christianity we are not much careful as knowing that whatsoever is needful for the managing of the Lords own Work himself will freely bestow whether it be the gift of tongues miracles or any other Neither is it necessary that the true Ministry should be the Administratours of baptism with water laying on of hands or breaking of bread at their rising so constituting a Church called visible by those outward signs and shadows nay it is not convenient that they should do so for the reasons forementioned to the Baptists also for as much as Antichrist under pretence of setting up of outward false Administrations called by him Ordinances and crying
faithful though ye never speak with any other Tongue than your Mother Tongue or do any outward Miracle yet speaking and declaring of all his wonderful works Now come I to stand up in defence of the Truth and true Church of the first born against all you of what sort soever you be or under what name soever ye go who being out of all those aforenamed Sects lift your heads on high snuffing up the wind and think it too low a condition for you to believe in the true light within you which secretly reproveth for all sin and evil and so to wait humbly and silently therein with the People of God called Quakers in derision because they tremble at the Word of the Lord and are afraid to offend in the least thing that of God in them for so must you much deny your selves both in wisdom talking and behaviour amongst men with whom ye converse which Cross would to them seem a ridiculous and foolish thing in you Ye will say perhaps ye are above Ordinances or shadows and can live satisfied of your selves by that which ye know and are taught of God without joyning to or walking with any But consider Friends there is one great Ordinance which ye must never get above but be in subjection to if ever ye will have true Peace with the living God and that is Christ the true light who shines in every ones heart either as a Justifier or Condemner who is the great gift of the Father to the Sons of men and him whom he hath ordained to save or destroy for ever Now whatever men may talk or tattle or boast of themselves this is a more certain truth sealed in me by the Spirit of the Lord God that whosoever he be that truly believeth in Christ the light doth whatsoever the light leadeth unto and that one special thing which it leads unto is to bring the Creature Soul Body and Spirit into a right frame and order out of its own will into the Will of its guide which is the light so as that man shall not walk at random speak or do as it pleaseth him but shall freely and naturally love the Society and joyn visibly in the bond of Amity with those that believe and walk in the light knowing a time of silence as they do and a bridle for the tongue so as to keep his mouth as with a bit and this is to walk in the foot-stâ—ps of the Flock for in this manner doth the good shepherd put his sheep forth go before them in this his day the states and conditions of all those who have been in spiritual captivity so requiring it nor is it enough for any of you to say is God tied up to a Form For we know this is no form or frame of mans devising but what the light naturally and mans condition necessarily calls him into for if his delight be with the Saints and those that excel in vertue as Davids was who had a sincere heart he cannot but come amongst them in love and if they there wait on the Lord he to wait with them if they seek the Lord he to seek him with them if they love the Lords Judgements and Reproofs he to love them also and if they rejoyce in the Lord he to rejoyce also this is to be like minded and affectionate one to another hereby doth the pure and unfeigned love appear the Unity or the Onety in the Spirit is witnessed here is a Church visible in a sweet and spiritual order and yet out of any invented or humane form for although we know and say that mans order is confusion yet we also know and say that God is a God of order not of confusion Now what is more comely than for Friends and Brethren in the truth to live together in Unity and in what way can this Unity be more shewen than by meeting and assembling together to wait upon the Lord to know his Counsel to feel his Teachings to speak when he speaketh to move when he moveth and to rest when he resteth Is not this Gods way of leading his People to Canaan yea and in Canaan is not this one part of walking in the light of the Lamb is not this a part of that one heart and one way that the Lord hath promised to lead his People in is not here a spiritual Harmony and hereby doth not the Saints in a great measure appear to be a City set on 〈◊〉 Hill that cannot be hid Let that of God answer in every one of you and not your own high conceivings But ye will be ready to say What difference is there betwixt you and other Sects in this they meet together as you do in an appointed place and at a set hour they pray sit and hear one speak to them c. and you do the like Doth not right reason unless any be past reason tell you that if Persons meet they must have a Place to meet at or in and that they must also know the time of their so assembling why then do you argue against necessity it self But if the end of your so objecting be to destroy all general Assemblings of the Saints together then I say you speak not in Gods Wisdom nor know not the thoughts of his heart for the Apostle who was in the Wisdom of God and had received the Spirit of Truth to guide him saith Exhort ye one another daily least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin and whereas perhaps ye may think such Meetings are needless because of this day of the Lord that is risen and arising the same Apostle argues quite contrary saying Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Oh! People consider that the perfect day of the Lord is most exceeding desirable of all the Children of light therefore the more they espy it the more they seek after it Now Exhortations or other Declarations that come from the light of life raiseth the light of life in others and so brings on the day for it is like fire begetting fire or like face answering to face in a glass not like the dead and dry words of other Assemblies where there is no waiting in the light first to feel the life but a continual trading and going on in self-strength but ye cannot nor dare not deny but that we do so wait and all words spoken out of that are judged by the same and if any one among us look out after words and is not as well satisfied without them as with them if the Lord will have all flesh keep silence before him that dissatisfaction is Judged also Besides if ye were in that which giveth a right discerning ye would see that words spoken from the life are altogether â—eedful for the conjviction and conversion of the world 〈◊〉 directing their minds to the true light