that is immortal of the enjoyment of the Creator who is the desire of the Immortal Soul and so through a form and likenesse and appearance of a thing is the Soul Immortal deceived and beguiled with that which hath appearances in it but no life nor substance And though the Mystery of Iniquity be but one in it self yet it manifests it self divers wayes sometimes in open prophanesse and wickedness and sometime in seeming righteousness and holiness and in a form of Religion without power But the Lord is arisen to confound the Mystery of the Devil and Iniquity and will discover it and destroy it for it is the Mystery of Iniquity that worketh in the Children of Disobedience that are strangers to God and through the operation of this Mystery are people kept at a distance from the Lord and out of Unity and Covenant with Him and this Mystery of Iniquity worketh hiddenly not known but in the Eternal Eye which sees through the spirit of Creatures and comprehendeth and fathometh over the nature of things and can judge beyond the appearance even in the ground before action appeareth for while people are professing and acting Holiness and Righteousness visibly and yet not changed by the Power of the Lord nor renewed in nature mind and spirit from the first Adam to the second the Righteousness and Holiness brought forth in that state is but the acting of the Mystery of Iniquity and the Wolf putting on the Sheeps cloathing And this God will judge and all appearances without life and all shews without substance All this will the Lord judge and confound and bring to nought for it is but the working of the Mystery of the Devil who is out of the Truth And this Mystery hath more abounded since the dayes of the Apostles than in Ages since the beginning in as much as this Mystery hath operated and displayed it self forth in a higher appearance and fairer shew than ever it did before for this Mystery hath sat in the Temple of God and shewed it self to be God and been worshipped above all that is called God This Mystery of Iniquity the Man of Sin which hath put on the Sheeps cloathing and shews it self as the Sheep of Christ and as Christians and Churches all which hath been for many Ages the manifestation of this Mystery while that the Mystery of the Devil hath not been destroyed but now is the Lord arisen who will discover and destroy this Mystery and save the Creature and in the destruction of this Mystery is the other Mystery revealed to wit The Mystery of God and of Christ and that is the Mystery of Christ that destroyes the Mysterie of Antichrist and of the Devil And now the Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty are coming into this Mystery of God Eternal who is blessed for ever and all that is coming to be overthrown which doth oppose it and gainsay it and there is nothing that can destroy or discover this Mystery but the appearance of Christ the Son of God for it is he that doth discover and destroy the Mystery of Iniquity by the Spirit of his Mouth and by the Brightness of his Coming and this are people coming to The Man of Sin is to be thrown down and the Man of Righteousness the Man of God is revealed and Sons and Daughters shall shew him forth in the World and the Mystery of God shall shew it self forth over the World and in Nations and blessed are all they that come to the opening of this Mystery of God which is the Mystery of Life and Eternal Salvation CHAP. III. A Testimony concerning true Liberty of Conscience what it is in it self and how it is obtained and what the true Guide and Rule is of the Exercise of Conscience THis is my Testimony as I have received from the Lord True Liberty of Conscience is Liberty and Freedom of the Conscience from the bondage of Sin and all Transgression past and present and from whatsoever hath been or is a Burden or Oppression upon the Conscience whether inward or outward the Conscience I say is at liberty when it is freed from the burden of the guilt of Sin past and from the present temptation unto Sin And till this is witnessed there is no true Liberty of Conscience For every thing whatsoever which is Sin and Transgression against God in works or words brought forth by the Creature is bondage and a burden and oppresseth the pure Conscience and therefore perfect freedom from all Sin and Transgression is where the body of Sin and Death is put off and where the Evil is crucified and the guilt of it taken away and where the Conscience is truly exercised by the Spirit of Christ which leadeth into all Truth and preserveth from all Evill Then is the Conscience at liberty and this is true Liberty of Conscience when this is brought forth in the Creature For where Sin is brought forth and Transgression lived in there the Conscience is bound and the Cord of Iniquity imbondageth the Conscience and it hath not its liberty in the Service of God nor from the service of the Devil because the Spirit of God doth not exercise it but the spirit of unrighteousness leadeth the mind into the lusts of this world into Lying Swearing Pride Drunkenness Hypocrisie and Idolatry and the guilt of these things burdeneth and presseth down and is a bondage upon the Conscience and where the Conscience is bound by unrighteousness within and by the spirit of the world which leadeth contrary to the Lord there is no power of man without can set that Conscience free or give liberty to it because the Cord of Iniquity hath bound it within and the burden of guilt is upon it and Conscience lies under bondage unexercised with the Spirit of God which is free and setteth free the Conscience in the practice of all Good and from the power and captivity of all Evil. Therefore before true Liberty of Conscience be witnessed or any have true Liberty in Conscience Iniquity must be purged out and Sin crucified and the body of Death put off and Guilt washed away and the Anointing received that leadeth into all Truth and the Blood of Christ the Seed felt that sprinkleth the Conscience from all sin and works of the flesh and washeth away all that which stains and defileth the Conscience and then the pure Conscience hath its true liberty from the bondage of all Evil and from the guilt thereof and in the exercise of all Good and this is true Liberty of Conscience and thus it is attained and by no other way nor means than by the sword of the Spirit of God which cutteth down the contrary and where Conscience is thus freed within by the Power of the Lord and delivered from the bondage of Evil and from the burden of all guilt and exercised in all good by the Spirit of God Then nothing without nor any Power of Man which may work against such
Prince Ruler and Governour in and over all the works of the Creator And Life in its Being is God and God is Life and in its Government and Fruits and Effects is Purity Righteousness Truth Holiness Meekness and all the works that are just and equal according to God and like Him and which shewes him forth in the Creation and this was and it was thus in the begining before Death entred into the World or had a Kingdom But it is written the Devil abode not in the Truth but went out of the Truth and he is the king of Death and hath the power of it he went out of the Power of God and out of the Life by which all things was made and created and abode not in the Truth nor in the Life to live and act and speak in that but desired to be and became to be something of himself without God and he spoke of himself and acted of himself without the Power and Life and also contrary to the Power and Life of the Creator being separated from it and become a distinct being of himself and then having lost his state and first condition thus became an Enemy to Life and Truth and became the King of Death and he was the first of Death's race and he holds the Power of it upon this day he being gone out of the Truth and out of the Power and Life of God and become a distinct being of himself having a Kingdom of his own to promote in opposition to the Kingdom of God Then he drew mankind out of the Power and Truth and Life beguiled Eve and Adam as you read in the Scriptures and they lost the Life Power even all feeling of it and comfort in it by which they were created and made and they also transgressed and acted contrary to the Life and Power and acted of themselves and spake of themselves without the Power and Life of their Creator being separated from it and were and did something of themselves without God the Creator and then the Power and Life cast them out of all Peace Joy and Happiness into the Earth and into Death and Death became King and Prince over mankind And they had no more possession of Life nor blessedness by it in their separated estate neither did it any longer reign in them but they having transgressed against the Life and acted of themselves and spoken of themselves without the leadings and movings of the Life this was their transgression They went out of the Power and Life in all motions and actions and them Life drove them forth of its Good Pleasure into the Earth separate from its vertues and peace and into Death which is contrary to it self to live in anguish and sorrow and so when the Devil was gone out of the Truth and had led Mankind out of the Truth and out of Life and thereby they were all separated from Life and drove out from God out of his pleasure into his wrath Then became Death to have a being in Mankind and great authority and not before and then Death began his Kingdom in the VVorld and over it and he set up his Rule and Government in and among and over all the Children of men And so from Transgression came Death that was its beginning Man having transgressed against the Life that brought him forth and being separated from Life then Death took place and its Kingdom was established over the World and in all the Children of men in opposition to Life and its Government and Kingdom and Death reigns from Adam so saith the Scripture and the Life was transgressed against and so provoked into an absence and to withdraw it self into invisibility from the enjoyment of Mankind that it should not be self nor perceived of Him to comfort him and then the whole body of Death came upon Man to lead his Conscience and vex his Soul and Death and only Death hath a Preheminence over all in Transgression and is established into a Kingdom over sinful Subjects who are under its Command and hath its Rule and Government and brings forth its Works and Fruits in Mankind contrary to Life and in opposition to it and to its Kingdom and Power and opposeth the Kingdom and Power of Life the Creator and in its Nature and all its Fruits and VVorks it is contrary and opposite to Life and its VVorks and Fruits and through Death is the whole Creation in its exercise by Man perverted from the right use and end ordained of God and out of Death proceedeth all Evil as Lying Swearing Drunkenness and Whoredom Pride Strife and every evil work and word These things are the Fruits and VVorks of Death and Death governs the Children of men in the practice of all these things and in transgression Death lives and acts and speaks through Men and VVomen and Death rules in them and hath perverted them in all their wayes for they have given their Power to it and it wholly captivates them and is established over them and hath the dominion in them and Life is swallowed up of it And this Kingdom of Death opposeth God and the Kingdom of Life and exalts it self against Life and hath its operation in the Creature in all manner of unrighteousness bringing forth daily such words works fruits and effects as doth oppress and is a burden unto the Life and unto the God of Life and Death and its Kingdom doth continually war and strive against Life and its Kingdom and the one opposeth the other through all Generations since the beginning for the Devil is the King of Death and hath the power of it and he is King in its Government and Ruler in its Dominion and this is the state of all the Children of men in Transgression Death rules and the kingdom of Death reigns in them and it brings forth cursed fruits through them and they are subjects thereof and in obedience thereunto in all things And through Death which hath power over them are they separated from Life and have no part nor portion therein because of Death that hath separated them and vailed and clouded them and loads their Consciences But now the Promise of the God of Life is to restore Mankind out of Death and Darkness and that Life shall reign again and subdue Death and destroy it and its Kingdom and swallow it up and this is the Promise of the Father For in transgression Death hath subdued Life and overcome it in Mankind But in the Restoration Life shall swallow up Death and subdue it and overcome it and this comes to passe through the rising again of Life from under Death which hath held it in bondage and Life that made the World in the beginning and gave to all things life and substance as I have said which Life in its measure in Mankind hath been overcome and swallowed up in Transgression That Life shall appear though in another manner of appearance than it did in the beginning for then
from the Spirit and so became divided from the true Faith and from the true Worship and also among themselves and you never yet received the Spirit of Christ that you might come into Unity and Fellowship with God and one with another and that is the reason of all your Divisions in Religious matters because you have not received the Spirit of Christ to teach you and to unite your hearts to God and one to another but you having the Scriptures traditionally by descent through Ages which do describe and declare of that Faith and Doctrine and of the Worship and Church-Government which were among the Saints of old which they held and practised and from the Scriptures which declare of the things from thence you take up a Conceit and false Judgment and an Imitation and a false Conformity and then each sort of you call that your Faith and Church-Government and some after one manner of form and some after another and thus you are divided because you want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit did work true Faith in the hearts of them that gave them forth in dayes of old and it taught them Worship Faith Doctrine and all things concerning Gods Kingdom for the Spirit led them into all Truth and now you wanting the same Spirit that wrought in them and taught them and you having but their words to wit the Scriptures from thence in the Wisdom which is below and in the carnal Reason and in the first mans understanding each Nation takes up a conceit that it is so and so and takes up an Imitation of Worship and Church-Government according to their own sensual wisdom and according to the bredth and depth of their Conceits and then imitates and that severally and diversly and in a divided manner and this is amongst Kingdoms and amongst Neighbours and Brethren this Division in matters of Faith Worship and Doctrine and Church-Government and yet all these have had the name of Christians and Church-Members and Worshippers of God but yet are of many wayes of Worship holding different and contrary Principles of Faith and Doctrine and also of Worship and Church-Government and thus have Nations Cities and Countries been for many Ages and thus hath it been and is at this day amongst the Apostate Christians that want the Spirit of Christ to be their Rule of Knowledge of Iudgment and Worship and of their Faith and Practices in Religion And this is a shame to whole Christendom amongst whom the spirit of Antichrist hath entered which hath thus divided Nations Cities Neighbours and Brothers for all these Divisions about Religion amongst the Apostate Christians are of Antichrist and not of God it is that spirit of Antichrist that hath wrought all these Divisions and planted them in the minds of People Secondly Concerning the bad Effects of these Divisions in matters of Faith and Worship as I have said This Division in Religion hath begotten and brought forth very much Evil throughout the World much heart-burning envy hard-heartedness strife and contention between Kings and Rulers and between Nations between Cities between Neighbours and between Brothers this Division hath wrought bad Effects amongst all these so that it hath brought forth much War and Bloodshed between Kings and great Persecutions between Rulers and their People and great Debate and Strife amongst Neighbours and Friends so that great Murders and losse of many Lives have been produced and brought forth upon this Quarrel about Difference in matters of Faith and Religion and Antichrist hath not only divided people in Iudgement but hath also provoked people into rage and envy to the killing and destroying of one another and even that Division about Spiritual things begotten by Antichrist amongst false Christians hath been turned into personal enmity and brought forth in the end murdering and killing the bodies of Thousands when the original debate hath arisen about Church-Government or Points of Religion and this is the woful Effect that Division of Religion hath brought forth in all Christendom And all this Fruit and Effects as well as the Cause of it hath been of Antichrist and of the Dragon and the Devil throughout the World all this Persecution and spoyling of Goods Imprisoning of Persons taking away of Lives and Banishment and whatsoever Persecution otherwise that hath risen and been inflicted upon any for and because of Differences in Religion and about Faith and Worship all this hath been of Antichrist and even all Laws made for that end and all Executors of such Laws and all Penalties of such Laws and all Wars and Bloodshed whatsoever that have ensued only and upon the account of Differences in Religion that being the first and the only ground of the Quarrel All this hath been of Antichrist and it came out of the bottomless Pit and never rose from the Spirit of God but from the Antichristian spirit of Envy and Wickedness that hath first divided people about matters of Faith and Religion and then provoked them to envy and malice stirring up Kings to fight one against another that was not of their Religion but different and contrary to it And so the hearts of Rulers have been stirred up to persecute all under them that were different and contrary in matters of Faith Worship and Religion and this the spirit of Antichrist hath effected throughout Christendom and so each King that hath been strongest would maintain the Principles of his Faith and the Practice of Religion according to his own Conceit in his Dominions And thus hath Religion Worships and Church-Government been set up and stood amongst Apostate Christians throughout the World by Force and Power and by violent Laws and through Persecutions and Murders and all this hath been by the spirit of Antichrist and the Spirit of God hath had no hand in those matters for the setting up and contriving of false Faith false Worship and false Church-Government all this hath depended upon the Powers and Authorities of the Earth through many Ages and what Religion and Church-Government or Way of Worship that Kings or Queens have set up that only hath been promoted but all the rest persecuted and restrained by force and violence and all this hath been of Antichrist And now to all ye that are of divers Judgments in matters of Faith and Worship in Religion this is a Caution to you all and I do warn you all in the presence of the living God that though ye be divided in the belief and practice of Spiritual things yet live in peace and unity with all men in all outward relations and do not envy nor hurt one anothers Persons though you are in difference about Religion yet suffer not that Difference to grow into persecuting or envying one anothers persons but seek to inform one another and instruct one another in the Spirit of Meekness and perswade one another out of that which is evil to that which is good by patience gentleness and long-suffering and do