Gods Proclamation TO THE INHABITANTS AND PEOPLE OF ENGLAND Published by one of the Lords Servants called forth out of darknesse to be a Witness unto the Everlasting Light of the Son of GOD. According to the Word of the Lord which came unto him on the fifth day of the ninth moneth 1659. Known by the name of JOHN ANDERDON The Lord hath spoken that the Rod of the wicked shall not alwayes be on the back of the Righteous LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1659. REpent Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and the patience and long suffering of God is almost at an end The Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ who must Reign until all his enemies are subdued and the greatness of the Dominions under the whole heavens shall be given into the hands of the saints of the most High God such as faithfully follow the Lamb in the Regeneration in his righteous war against the beast and false Prophet within and without which have combined together to make war against the Lamb and his followers have given their power to the Prince of this world the Dragon cast out of Heaven the Devil that old serpent that hath deceived the Nations whose followers ye are that rebel against the light and love darkenss rather than light because your deeds are evil having chosen to follow your own hearts lusts and vain and wicked imaginations which is out of the fear and councel of the Lord God of light and life How long how long will ye turn the truth of God into a lye and the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man whose breath is in his nostrils How long will men forsake the Lord the Fountain of living waters and draw waters out of broken Cisterns full of pollutions and defilements How long will ye follow after vanities and forsake your own mercies How long will ye seek the living amongst the dead How long will ye follow the builders of Babel whose Language is confounded with many Tongues and set at nought Christ Jesus the chief corner stone whose building is in spirit and truth a City whose maker and bulider is God which is at unity within it self How long will ye follow after lyes and heap up to your selves teachers after your own corrupt hearts lusts that justifie the Wicked and condemn the Just that call good evil and evil good that put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light and refuse to be taught and led by the spirit of truth which will lead you out of your own inventions out of the impure into the pure way and worship of God which is in spirit and in truth How long will ye cry up a Kingdom without in words and neglect to seek to know Gods Kingdom within in power That in the heart where the root of the Tree is that bringeth forth evil fruit the Axe may be laid That by the everlasting light of the son of God ye may come to see what is good and what is evil in your selves to a clear understanding of the difference between the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil and the Fruit of the Tree of Life unto which an enterance is no way to be had but under the flaming sword of Gods wrath and anger against that which hath joyned to the seed of the Serpent in the transgression of man from the righteous Law of God That through the Law ye may become dead to the Law that through the death of all that is contrary to God ye may come to know and witness life in your selves redemption by the blood of Jesus which saveth from all sin that ye may be no longer false witnesses to tell of things that ye have not seen but that ye may all come to know the work of God wrought in your selves that ye may no longer glory and boast in another mans line but that through the sensible operation of the word of life in your selves ye may all become Preachers of righteousness in your Generations according to your measures of what you have seen tasted and handled of Gods good word of Grace That the new birth which is after the spirit and sensibly and certainly to be known and felt in the creature through many sore pangs and hard travel may be brought forth not a thing in notion but in truth the onely way to life without which none can enter into Gods Kingdom and if ye are not witnesses of this in your selves all the experiences and records thereof by others will be little available to you but to stand as a witness against you Verily Eternal life is of highest concernment therefore search and seek diligently until ye find it And certainly ye can have no other true hopes thereof then ye witness a death unto sin in your selves and a Resurrection unto life by the spirit of Christ you must know your selves Gods workmanship in Christ Jesus and know the sore travel of soul until ye be formed again into the likeness of Gods image in him that ye may witness Christ in you the hope of glory all other hopes are but the hope of the hypocrites which shall perish As ye have all been in the degeneration from God in the actual transgression joyned to the seed of the serpent that drew man into the fall so ye must all actually and really know the work of regeneration in your selves by the eternal power of Gods spirit working out and destroying the works of the Devil in the creature by joyning him again unto the Seed of God in whom redemption and deliverance is In the manifestation of the measure of Gods good spirit given to every man to profit withal the work is to be known and waited in That so in man where Satans seat and dominion hath been which hath led the creature captive into sin and transgression that there also Gods Kingdom and Dominion in Christ Jesus the power of God may be witnessed truth in the inward parts working out and destroying all that 's contrary to the pure nature of Gods seed Christ That so by the blood of Christ the righteousness of God the creature may be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and redeemed up to God again by the word of reconciliation that so that which hath led the creature captive to sin may now be led into captivity that so as sin by mans disobedience hath reigned unto death so by the resurrection of the just Christ in us righteousness may reign unto life everlasting that as ye have yeelded your members to be the weapons of unrighteousness unto sin so now ye may yeeld your selves servants of righteousness unto holiness Truly so not in word but in life and power is Gods Kingdome to be known and manifested in you That as ye have been under Satans power in the
transgression and alienation from God so now by Gods eternal spirit ye may be brought to be subjects of Gods power in Christ Jesus the seed of God whose right it is to reign in the heart and in the World in truth and righteousness Yea and his Kingdom is to be set up on top of all deceit and deceiveableness of unrighteousness which long hath fate in the seat of God and lifted it self above all that is called God the Devil having bewitched the Nations to believe a lye to lead them forth from that which is pure of God within which would shew men the way of life to look abroad to powers and dominions and inventions without conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity where the Prince of this World rules and so keeps men to be bond-slaves to himself following their lustfull imaginations and he in subtilty keeps possession of the house within as a strong man armed against the appearance of the seed of God in the heart where Satans Kingdom must be destroyed And so long as he can keep men from turning to the work of God within he in peace keeps his hold and shews the creature with his guile and deceit as at the beginning that the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil the inventions and wisdom of man in the fall is pleasant and good for food But indeed and truth in the cool of the day when Gods voice comes to be heard it 's found to be but the increase of sorrow and bitterness to the soul when by the everlasting Light of the Son of God all false coverings and pretences are made manifest and in Gods wisdom Christ in us all this wisdom of the World found to be foolishness and not able to fathom or comprehend or give the knowledg of the things of God which are spiritual which seeth over and above all deceit and deceiveableness of unrighteousness set up in the Worldly principle in the carnal mind which canot please God being at enmity against the Seed of God in which he is well pleased out of which all your services and worships are but abomination in the sight of the Lord which maketh desolate being but false coverings of Antichrist while he rules in the heart and ye never come to know a separation made in the earth between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman working in the heart of man by one of which two powers all creatures are guided and led forth to act and until ye come to true judgement in the light to discern ye know not by which power ye are acted and so bring forth nothing but confusion and are servants of sin and Satan under a pretence of righteousness and zeal for God yet all out of the life and power of truth whose voice must be heard and is known by the sheep of Christ from all false teachers and deceivers who have put on sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves that rob God and Christ of his right within and raven from the spirit of life which ought to be the onely guide to the creature in the performance of duties towards God and man all other performances are but images and likenesses of things begotten and brought forth from a false power crying up self-righteousness without and let sin and iniquity reign within from which corrupt root all that proceeds is but bitter fruit It is the great design of Antichrist to keep people from the power of God within Christ in us and to perswade them to high performances in the imaginations and imitation without which pleaseth the carnal mind and makes pahaps a fair shew in the flesh But this child though as goodly as Ishmael that came from Abrahams loynes after the flesh yet it is not the heir of the promise according to the Covenant of life Assuredly that which is begotten of God and brought forth of a Virgin is the heir of Gods Kingdome all other are but false births from the seed of the bond-woman which with her son though never so stately is to be cast out and not to be heir with the son of the free-woman Let him that hath an Ear hear what the spirit saith Judas the Traytor hath gotten himself into an high form of words Hail Master and kissed him much for deceitful greetings as most false teachers are and the Pharisees that crucifie the Lord of life can make clean the out-side of the cup and platter Vnless your righteousness exceed theirs ye shall not enter into Gods Kingdom Pilate being warned of the woman that was in the transsion may wash his hands and yet give unjust judgement to crucifie the innocent Lamb of God The highest and greatest Professors of the letter and words without can joyn unanimously together to cry out against the life within the City of Gods habitation crucifie him crucifie him and so carrie him without the Gates where are Dogs Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye there the Lord of life is put to death Wolves in sheeps cloathing counterfeits that deceive the World having killed Gods witness within they hate persecute and devour Gods witnesses without whose testimony is from the life of truth which discovers all their false coverings they having lost the sheeps nature within they make it their work to prey upon and destroy Gods Lambes without whose blood cryes loud from the earth for vengeance upon those ungodly and wicked men those idol shepheards that sell souls for morsels of bread and handfulls of Barley those Ministers of unrighteousness who by their lyes and lightness have caused thousands to err from the truth of God running greedily after the errour of Balaam for the wages of unrighteousness that are called of men Master who loves the uppermost seats in the Synagogues receive honour one of another as unbelievers do and many follow their pernicious ways whereby the way of truth is evil spoken of blind guides haters of the light deceitful heady high-minded proud covetous whose spots of uncleanness are seen in their flesh without proceeding from the power of darkness within which rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience workers of inqiuity they are the seed of evil doers that say and do not that under pretence make long prayers to deceive fast and pray to smite with the fist of wickedness and to murther the just who is more righteous then themselves Cursed children they are such as the Lord hates and never sent them in his service neither do they his work but the works of their father the Devil they do who was a lyar from the beginning and aboad not in the truth And will this people alwayes follow the errour of the wicked and believe in lyes and never come to the Light to try the spirits that are gone forth into the world Know you not that the Scriptures of truth testifie That that spirit is true that confesseth that Christ is come in the flesh for the
grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to walk righteously soberly and godly in this present world And do not these deceivers live in the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life and are they not of Antichrist Try them by their fruits they are made manifest Do men gather Grapes of Thorns and Figgs of Thistles Believe them not for there is a lying spirit in the mouth of these Priests and false Prophets and be ye separate and come out from amongst them and partake not any longer with them in their sins least ye also partake with them in their Plagues which assuredly shall fall upon this wicked Generation of men that will not have the Lord to be the Teacher of his people How long will ye give your selves up to sottishness blindeness and ignorance as not to come to the Light that you may see where you and they are in the Dark under false coverings What cry them up for Ministers of Christ which should be cloathed upon with the robes of his righteousness made white in the blood of the Lamb Try them are they such Nay verily they are such as have dyed their garments red with the blood of Christs Saints and servants read the truth hereof in their barbarous and bloody cruelty acted upon the bodies and goods of the people called Quakers throughout England the Saints of the most high God they are so and the Lord will own them to be so to the shame and confusion of all their enemies though now they gnash their teeth at them and grin like Dogs crying out help help O Magistrates or else we are undone or the like of that A confederacy a confederacy report and we will report it and make lyes their refuge which from the beginning to the end hath been the practice of their Father the Devil Balak and Balaam together consult against this people that are come up over against them whose God is the Lord great and mighty The Priests and People Jews and Gentiles combine together to betray the Son of man into the hands of sinners The beast and false Prophet the Whore arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour that sits upon many waters peoples Tongues and Languages the Priests original Mystery Babylon the mother of Harlots false Churches and false worshippers have made themselvs drunk with the blood of the Saints that have suffered for the Testimony of Jesus Yet would have People believe that Christ is their Saviour So drunk are people with the Whores cup of Fornications that they are blinde and given up to believe lyes they can sit at ease in the flesh and talk of God and Christ afar off but cannot indure that the truth should come nigh them What is the Kingdom of God within is the light within Christ to be known within the word nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth Truly this may seem strange that that God whom ye have ignorantly worshipped so long afar off should be so nigh in the heart and doth God require truth in the inward parts where Satans reign and Kingdom hath so long been and must that old housholder of iniquity be turned out withal his deceitful Merchandize and profitable crafts This sets all the world in an uproar that lyeth in wickedness and the witness of God begins to make the wicked cry out let us alone Why art thou come to torment us before the time Must it be so indeed that Christ alone must have the Kingdom and may not Pride Covetousness and other lusts of the flesh and works of darkness stand with this Kingdom of God in the heart of man and in the world to be set up Nay out must all sin and iniquity all thy old lovers pleasures profit honour credit all must be forsaken for Christs sake or else thou shalt never be found worthy of him and as thou hast in thy unregenerate estate been wholly a servant of sin so now in the regeneration thou must wholly and faithfully follow Christ the Saviour to redeem thee from all sin and give thy self up body soul and spirit a living sacrifice unto God that so being in Christ Jesus thou mayest with him in Gods dominion which man lost in the fall reign with him in righteousness over all deceit and uncleanness within and without and in God thy maker live move and have thy being Is it so some may say this seems to be hard sayings and who then shall be saved what must we leave all in truth without deceit yea and deny your selves as the Scriptures testifie and take up the dayly cross to the carnal mind that hath gone a whoring after false worships and strange Gods that the enmity may be destroyed that 's in you or else ye cannot be Christs Disciples nor witnesses of the word of Reconciliation without which ye cannot be saved whatever other hopes ye have they are but dead hopes and such as ye shall be ashamed of It 's an easie matter to read and talk of the way to life to be a strait and narrow way and that few there be that find it and to talk of Christs sufferings at Jerusalem Death and destruction hath heard the fame of wisdom and can preach thereof but to witness the straightness of the way to the Kingdom and the measure of Christs sufferings to be fulfilled in your selves without which ye shall not reign with him in glory This you will finde not to be a work of flesh and blood nor accordding to the will of man but a work wrought by the arm of Gods salvation that can give life to the dust of the earth That all Pharaohs Magicians shall be made to know and confess to the truth of God that this is the Finger of God Know ye not or hath the God of this World wholly blinded your eyes that the Devils rage appeareth and the mystery of iniquity then works strongly when the life and power comes nigh him that destroyes his work and kingdom Pharoah and his mighty Host rageth mightily when Israel should be gone out of his bondage to serve the living God The Scribes and Pharisees Priests and Elders Rulers and People can delight themselves to talk of the Law and the Prophets which fore-tell of Christs coming and can make an outward profession accordingly and can build again the Tombes of the Prophets and adorn the Sepulchers of the Just Yet when the Just and Holy one comes they are all of an uproar and the Devil is so high in them that they charge him that he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils what strange deceit and wickedness is this think ye in professors of the letter that accounted Christs life madness and those that followed him fools and mad men and though the Scriptures which they had testified of him yet they would not come to him that they might have life but despised rejected and scorned both him and his Doctrine and never