ground of truth sets up an Idol and prefers an Idol above the life and so are in the Idolatry But let none mistake that I say water is an Idol nay it is a good creature of God or that I say Iohns baptisme with water was an idol nay he was in the power and spirit of Eliah and his baptisme a figure of a good thing which was to come which afterward was received by the diseiples and Christs words made good unto them Iohn indeed baptized you with water unto repentance but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire not many daies hence that was Christs baptisme I am not Ignorant of the many and great contests in this age that have been about these things and I know many scriptures that speaks of baptism all which I have searched narrowly with the measure of Gods spirit given unto me into the true ground of things the true state of each administration and in this thing I am satisfied fully that the baptisme with water was Iohns baptisme and not Christs and the baptisme of the spirit is Christs and not Iohns I have no desire to wrangle or Jangle about words or contest about shadowes but that all may come to know him in whom all ministrations ends in and there will be peace and satisfaction to wit in Christ But to say some thing to the main bassis and foundation which Priests and Separatists builds much of their arguments upon the last of Mat. and the last Goe teach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost as for all the Priests about their baptising of Infants here is no ground at all for here is first teach and then baptize and here 's no infants neither and so I know what consequences hath been drawn from this by the unlearned in their imaginations but them that hath the least measure of true light will not take a consequence to build a foundation on for this is contrary to their own rule they say the scripture is the Rule then their consequence is not the Rule and if the scriptures be the Rule let all people of your parishes know if you can by the Scripture shew when John or any Disciple of his or Christs baptized infants and taught them Principles of Religion â—0 years after but they are willingly ignorant that sees not you to be idolaters and as to the Baptists separates who builds upon this for their water baptisme they are as groundles as the Priests and all their Arguments are as invalled as the rest for here is baptizing the Nations in the Name of the Father in the name of the Son and of the holy Ghost and any who are judicious or wise and are in any measure of Gods pure wisdom will not say that the Name of the Father is water or the Son or holy Ghost is water the name of God is I am and a strong tower and the Name of the Son is the word and the word is the power but this is not water but further they say the Disciples had received the holy Ghost and did baptize with water after and they were Baptized with water after they had received the holy Ghost they bring divers Scriptures to prove this I shall not deny but Peter Baptized with water and Paul two or three families and thanks God he baptized no more and said he had declared the whole counsel of God and he makes not mention in all his Epistles that baptisme was any part of his command neither in all his counsel to the Churches any where doth he exhort either Timothy or Titus or Apollo or any of the brethren to Baptize with water but as for Peters Baptizing with water I know no more command he had then Paul as for the commission which Matthew writes of Mat. 28. and 19. and that Mark mentions 16. 15. there is no water and so it s the Baptisme of John I grant and Christ bearing witness to John that he was a Prophet and did baptize many and therefore he or they in honour to Johns Ministry might baptize some as well as Paul did circumcise Titus and and then in 1 Cor. 7. 19. said it was nothing and again in another place neither circumcision nor uncircumcision did avail but a new creature and because it was a figure which people did not Idolize so much then as they did circumcision for the weakness of the people for a time and the wise in heart may understand that when any representation or figure outward was set up it was not easily denyed again nor an easie thing to be laid down when the thing signified was come for many of the Jews believed in Christ and were said to be brethren and yet they came from Jerusalem and troubled the Church of Galatia and would have brought them under the figure circumcision again and the Apostle in Gal. 4. asks them now when ye know God why turn ye again to the beggarly Elements Circumcision observing dayes moneths times and years I would ask the moderate a question whether water be not an Element and pertains only to the Elementary part in man which is to passe away and be dissolved when the seed is raised up whose nature is not elementary but Celestial I shall say no more to them at this present who are contentions who are so zealous for their water upon so weak a ground but take heed that while you are striving about your outward water you neglect not the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the spirit many have been baptized but which of you hath received the holy Ghost there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible spirit but rather counts it an error that any should speak or witness or look to enjoy any such thing in these dayes well I say unto you your day is a day of darkness and gloominess you live in and thick darkness covers your tabernacle for who ever have received the holy Ghost or spirit of truth in any measure are led by that which is infallible and not fallible and if you look not for this you are no sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside for as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and this is witnessed praises to the Lord for ever the Lord is unto his people an everlasting light and this is the sum that water is owned to be a figure of the one baptism and was an Element and pertained to that which is Elementary but the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and be dissolved in the day of the Lord and then the seed comes up which is heir of the promise which is nourished with the water of life which is not an Element nor Elementary but is Celestial and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting life and comes to be born of the water and the spirit and enters into Gods Kingdom dominion power life wisdom excellency
and Eternal glory happy is he that believes and abides in patience unto the end Now since the dayes of John the Kingdom of God hath been Preached and as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed and many in the day when Christ was manifest in the flesh believed unto whom he declared the mind of the Father and by him was the Father glorified he fulfilled the Law and did many works and miracles by the power of the Father and herein was the Father glorified and them that did believe in him their faith was strengthened and he opened the mystries of the Kingdom of God unto his Disciples and bore witness and prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and of all their worship and said no more at Jerusalem nor at Samaria but the time was coming when they that worshipped the Father should worship him in spirit and truth and declared against the Pharisees righteousness and said to his Disciples Except their righteousness did exceed the Pharisees they could not enter the Kingdom of God and yet the Pharisees performed all the outward things commanded but were in the idolatry and did not believe in the life Now he declared of his suffering many things also how he would go away and how he would come again and would not leave them comfortless but these things were hard to be believed then by his Disciples and further he told them he must be betrayed and suffer and rise again and when the hour was come that he was betrayed when he was with his Disciples even the same night he was betrayed he took bread and broke it and blessed it and said take and eat this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and after he took the cup and after he had Supped saying this is the cup of the New Testament in my blood as often as you drink it do it in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11. 23. 24. and Matthew Mark and Luke declares the same and this was reall bread and reall wine which was a representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the spirit and never intended for any further thing but as a figure or a representation of the bread of life and of the cup of blessing which afterward they came to be witnesses of and as oft as they eat and drank they did shew forth the Lords death till he came Now this was practiced among the Disciples after he was risen from the dead and did converse with them at many times and exhorted them and comforted them and instructed them and told them that they should be witnesses of his name unto the ends of the earth and gave them commandment to teach all Nations and Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and did promise to be with them to the end of the world and told how the Comforter would come and that the Father would send him in his Name even the spirit of truth which was with them and should be in them to be their teacher leader and guide and bring all things to their remembrance Now that which he gave them as a figure and to be a sign unto them of the clearer manifestation of himself which afterward came to be fulfilled and they witnesses of it who grew up in the pure invisible being and did see the mystery through the Revelation of the spirit which did more clearly show unto them the mysteries within the vail for as I said of water it was a sign of a good thing to come so the bread and the cup was also a sign of a good thing to come as all outward figures were but they that did believe and grew up in the faith in the seed Christ they came to see the substance in whom all figures ends in and had communion with him within the vail after he was ascended where he was before now the Apostle he spoke as to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10. 15 16. the cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and v. 17. for we being many are one bread one body for we are all partakers of that one bread mark all they that did believe though they were many yet they were one bread one body and were all partakers of that one bread which bread was the flesh of Christ John 6. 48. I am the bread of life and Joh. 6. 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Now I speak unto wise men and let the wisdom of God in them manifest judge what I say for where the body of Christ is witnessed and the flesh of Christ known they know that which all the figures ends in the Manna that God gave to Israel in the wilderness they died that did eat thereof which was as pure a type of the hidden Manna as lively a type as bread outward which was but a type of the of the flesh of Christ and both they that did eats the Manna and they that eat the bread outward and drank the cup outward are both dead but he that eat the flesh of Christ and drinks the blood lives for ever and he that eats the hidden Manna hath overcome death and lives for ever and feeds upon the bread of life feeds upon Eternal life Now this is a mystery to the Papists who are idolaters who have sprung vp in the Apostacy though they have Scriptures as it was to the Jewes John 6. 52. who strove among themselves and said how can this man give us his flesh â—o eat and so the Papists who strives about the flesh of Christ and his blood and yet have the Scriptures and they say it s in the bread and in the wine after consecration so they worship the imaginations of their own hearts not deserning the Lords body and have killed thousands and taken away the lives of thousands because they would not confesse their idol to be of God And the protestants they are setting up the bread and the wine and contenting themselves therewith and are making an idol of it and comes not to discerne the body of Christ but one saying he hath a carnall body and another a fleshly body another a mystical body another sayes his body is devided from his members and so speaks out of thick darknesse their own imaginations and hath not communion with the body of Christ neither knowes the flesh of Christ which is the bread of life which is given for the life of the World Iohn 6. 51. And as godlinesse began to work and the mystery thereof in the dayes of Christand the Apostles wherein the Lord discovered much of his wisdom and power
manifested his pure presence poured out his spirit plentifully upon sons and daughters fulfilled that which Joelâ—prophesied â—prophesied of Joel 2. 28. which came to be fulfilled after Christs ascention Acts. 2. 17. and they received the holy Ghost spoke the wonderfull things of God as they were revealed by the spirit which shed it selfe abroad among them that waited for it so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time and as the Apostles laid the foundation of truth and declared the truth Christ to be the foundation even so the Mystery of iniquity did work and a beginning or a foundation of error was laid by them who were gone out of the truth the false Prophets deceivers Anti-christs who were professors and preachers but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gaine and denyed the power of God Christ and were enemies to the Crosse and gloried in the flesh and spake swelling words of vanity and did all live in the lust of the flesh and were proud boasters and denyed the Lord that bought them for denying the power of God they did deny Christ though in words they preached him as this generation who are their off-springs doe out of strife contention as the Apostle writs they held the form of godlinesse but denyed the power and they were they that once were convinced of the truth and came into the forme of truth but denyed the power of truth but were in craft and deceit and they subverted whole houses from the faith and led them back into the world into unbeliefe in the Apostles dayes and yet had a worship and did worship but not the power not the life and this began to worke and wrought more cunningly and subtilly in the latter times And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles Iohn and Peter and Jude declares against them and Paul prophesied of them before his departure of grievous Wolves which should spring up which should not spare to make havock of the flock of Christ so the fall Apostles deceivers Antichrists and deceitful workers they went out then and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world inwardly they were ravened from the spirit and was gone from it into the earth into the world and served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and the God of the world which is the Devil and they went into the world and the world received them and then they and their disciples turned against the saints and they held truth in words and the form for a while but it was in unrighteousness and here was the beginners and the beginning of the Apostats and of the Apostacy it was began in the Apostles dayes by them that went out of the truth out of the light and were ravened from the spirit and erred from the faith and were enemies to the power of God and these were the beginners and the layers of the foundation and then it grew that root of wickedness faster then the truth for the Jewes resisted and the heathen resisted and the Apostates and false prophets resisted and they that were Apostatized they resisted and they caused many to stumble to erre to make ship-wrack of their faith and so the world went after them the World the Nations the kindreds the tongues the people went after Kings Princes and potentates of the earth in processe of time they had over run-all killed the saints the woman fled into the wildernesse the man child was caught up unto God then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a sea reeled to fro unstable unsetled what were they like to settle in the Sea then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten hornes and the whore which had defiled the bed and she sat upon the beast and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations and all nations was drunk with her cup and then the beast made war and the nations were drunk and they loved the beast and received his marke became cruel and pushed at the saints and followed him and made war with them and the whore she drank the blood of the saints and the Dragon appeared and with his tayle drew the third part of the stars after him to the Earth the false Prophets they are the tayle of the Dragon who were gone from the testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy and drew after it the third part of the stars from the firmament of his power into the earth Rev. 12. 4. The man child was caught up unto God which was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron and the woman fled into the wildernesse where God hath prepared a place for her and then the Dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed to wit the womans seed And so out of the Sea arose the beast out of Nations kindreds Tongues and peoples which are waters and the Dragon gave power to the beast and his seat and great authority Rev. 13. 2. And all the world wondred after the beast ver 3. and ver 4. They worshipped the Dragon which gave power to the beast and the beast likewise and now the worlâ— cryed which wondred after the beast who is able to make war with the beast and ver 6. he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven and he made war with the saints and did overcome them and all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped him whose names were not written in the Lambs book of life And the beastâ— deceived the Nations and them that did dwell on the earth and now kindreds Tongues and peoples and Nations and all the world which wondred after him they who had lost the image of God now became the image of the beast that blasphemed God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven and now the Kings of the earth that had drunk the Whores cup of fornication and the Nations Kindreds and Tongues and people who were become the beasts image now the image of the beast spoke and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image should be killed take notice of that all who are called Christians it was not Gods image who compelled to worship or else be killed but it was the beasts image and wheresoever compultion and killing is exercised and practised they worship the beast Chap. 13. ver 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a marke in their forehead or in their right hand and none might buy or sell but he which had the beasts marke or his name or the number of his name here was worship but it was the beasts worship and Idolatrous worship and the Dragons worship who sought to destroy the man-child which all the Angels is to worship all
from the heathen and the rest invented in the night of darkness and all that you have is invented trumpery as bad as the heathen all your Crosses Altars Crucifixes your Cells your Lent your Fasts your Feasts your Hair-cloth your Images Pictures your Relickes of dead mens bones your Tythes your offerings oblations obventions your Tapers Beads your holy water your Baptizing of Infants your Purgatory your Praying for the dead your visiting of old Wals and old Tombs and rotten Sepulchres your Pilgrimages your Inquisition all this is come up since the Apostles dayes and thy consecrated bread and wine which thou calls the body and blood of Christ about which idol thou and all that have drunken the cup of fornication and the Beast hath slain thousands of men in your blood thirsty cruelty and all your works you call meritorious they are all dead will be sentenced by the Lamb who is risen to be self-righteousness and so we have found out your visible Church had no being but since the Apostacy since the Apostles dayes and you are erred both in Doctrine and practice and all your Ordination of your Ministers your Schools and Colledges is all in the will of man all this is in the fall in the transgression and under the curse Object Some of the Protestants or reformed Churches so called may say we like this well that you declare against poâ—â—â—y we agree with you in that but we have renounced the Whores cup and have denyed all the powers of the Beast long since Answ. Although many of you Priests have denyed your mother because some Kings and Rulers or Dukes or Magistrates have cast off the yoke and they protect you and give you maintenance yet we cannot but remember you of your genealogy and decent and your doctrine and practice shall prove it and make it manifest and that you take part with the Beast and worships his image and shall be evidenced more and more even before this generation passe away are not you a stem sprung from the same root doth not the fruits you bring forth evidence it and practice demonstrate it if you grant that Rome is Apostized from the faith which the Apostles were in and their practice you must not deny your fathers who made the Bishops and ordained them did not the Pope who ordained you Ministers or priests did not the Bishops who set up your Mass-house with all the Pictures and Crosses in and upon them which you call your Church who established Tythes offerings oblations Easter reckonings Midsumer dues did not the Pope first and them that were subject to his power who invented Schools and Colledges to fit you for the Ministry and qualifie you for the Ministry as you say is not this set up in and since the Apostacy began your set wages your baptizing of Infants your consecrated Bels which the Pope hollowed or his emissaries do not you preach up the letter for the word the letter for the Gospel are not you calling your bread wine a Sacrament which word you have received from Rome your Pulpets your hour-glasses your cushons your black robes long robes fals-Prophet-like your funeral for the dead like the Popes exequies for the dead your devouring widdowes houses and sueing men at the Lavv your haling them to Courts prisons your taking avvay mens goods by force three-fold ten-fold yea is that which you claim and from them that you work not for neither dare you say this was the Apostles practice or any of the primative churches If you say yea all that knowes the scripture or the least of God in them to guid them or to open their understandings they will see you nearly related to Rome and to the Apostates and deceivers and fals Prophets of old and that you are greatly inflamed with the Whores cup and did not the holy men of God speak as they were moved by the holy Ghost and divine inspiration as the spirit of truth revealed it selfe in them and do not you all head and taile deny any such thing to be now and further concludes that its a great errour to look for any such thing then be convinced in your selves you are Apostates and Apostatized from that faith and hope spirit that was in the primative times and now reads old authors it may be 20. or 30. books before you can get an hours discourse patched up to hold you dreaming till the glasse be run dare you be so impudent confident as to say that you â—are not Apostates and are you not followers of the beast and have you not his mark and bear you not his Image do not you count that disorder which the Apostles and the Churches counted order if any thing was revealed to him that stands by let the first hold his peace are not you apostatized from this order cries take him away and yet you would be called Apostolicall well these things being true and obvious enough to behold to any who knows any thing of God I need not say much more in this thing but all wise men will come out from among you and out of Babylon the Mother of Harlots which hath made you and your root and genealogy drunk with her fornication and this is my call to seperate from her and you that are in the apostacy and waite to know the word which was in the beginning and the Gospel which was Preached to Abraham which endures for ever whose joyful sound is come forth in power and great glory which will shake the foundation of your great City even mystery Babylon and not leave one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down and then the holy men of God shall rejoyce and the Saints of the most high shall sing they that have been as sheep for the slaughter shall reign over the earth and shall say The Lord God omnipotent Reigns and let us rejoyce and be glad and he hath taken to himself great power and is coming to gather his Lambs out of your mouths and to feed in a pasture you never saw which was manifest to the Saints in light before you apostates sprang and shall be again when you and all your dark muddy traditions and inventions are gone down into the pit where there is no remembrance Object But it may be the pure reformed Church of Scotland as it hath been called and the old Episcopal and Prelatical Priests of England who hath borrowed their images to set up here will be ready to say we have denyed the whore and the beast and the apostacy and we have pure reformation we have denyed Bishops which was made by the apostate the Pope and now we have settled all things according to the Primitive Church Answ. There never did spring up any deceit since the Apostles or before but it called it self by the best name as for the Priests of Scotland their doctrine and practice is made manifest and their Reformation by their principles which
purity in him reproveth so he comes nearer and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines or the holy spirit and to receive it and to feel the power of God in some small measure though but weakly working in him to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil which hath been reproved in him and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon and where to wait and in what even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within and opens their understandings How the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet hath not obeyed it shewed THough God who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all yet all have not received it he that hates the light hath not received it The eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil the evil doer likes it not heeds it not receives it not but still is without God in the world that lies in wickedness and without the spirit in death and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain in this state God is not remembred there is no remembrance in the grave nor no thanks in the pit yet night shines in darkness and a man unconverted yet convinced in that darkness and that which convinceth him is the light so light shines in darkness in man in the greatest darkness and this may convince all vain disputers who say every one is not inlightened neither that the spirit of God hath appeared to all good men have it bad men it s near them they that bring forth the fruits of darkness and bring forth the deeds of darkness they are lighted yea they that are in darkness and are darkness the light shines in them the Spirit of God shines there in darkness manifesteth their darkness here man is darkness the Ephesians were darkness in the unconverted estate yet had light shining in them Eph. 5. 8. the spirits manifestation they had but were not led by it once they were without God in the world but after were turned unto it â—it shewed them their darkness and it leading their minds they came to be made light in the Lord who is that spirit whose manifestation hath appeared to all so all are without excuse for he hath not left himself without witness and they that have not Gods witness to be theirs that is to say to possess it they have no faith nor assurance in God at all but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them it assures their condemnation and also reveals sorrow Now as every one is turned to the measure of Gods holy spirit and keeps his mind into it he comes to feel and to see its reproof and so as the mind is kept still into it it arises in its purity and shines forth in the heart in more brightness still checking man for disobedience still judging and as it is listened unto it appears in strength and layes every mans heart open and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is how full of imaginations he is how his heart is full of vain idle thoughts and how lust aboundeth in the heart this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply and this is alwayes present none can run from it but it follows him and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not and kindle his torment and whatsoever the mind may run into to take pleasure for a moment and the heart be exercised in yet this measure of Gods Spirit is alwayes present to condemn it and judge a man for it so the strokes of the Almighty is still heavy upon his back being still in the disobedience of the spirit it never bears witness unto any man in that state but God through it still sounds the alarum of War and terror in his heart so that fear compasseth him about on every side and though for moment the cry may not be heard and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him yet if ever the mind be but still and a man sober and calm and ever mind what he is doing it appears again and though a man may take up something and perform something which is called religious and pray in words and read and talk of the Scriptures and may take up some carnal outward Ordinance and there content himself for a time yet still the witness of Gods holy Spirit for that shews him his hypocrisie and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under that he may live in disobedience be at ease in the flesh but all in vain for there is no peace within but the measure of Gods Spirit still shewes him that he serves sin and follows his own will and in this will brings forth a worship and this is will-worship nay if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed and were accepted yet this will not satisfie God hath no pleasure in this no more then if one slew a man or blessed an Idol or kissed Baal all is abomination to the Lord and though a man may sin so far against the light of Christ in his own conscience that the light be to him as though there were no such thing yet all this well not do for the Lord will thunder from his holy plaâ—â—â—â—ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him and closed thy eyes yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see hear though the spirit strives long yet being still disobeyed the long-suffering of God comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful and then his wrath is kindled as fire which shall burn to the lowest Hâ—ll into which all the rebellious and stif-necked shall be cast and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse therefore all who have been convinced long still are by Gods holy spirit of the way of truth and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit think on this for its the Lords truth which I declare to you or else eternal mysery will be your end And if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart and in thy rebellious will thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof though it be life in it self yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gainsaying resisting that through which Gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe thou wilt grow insensible past feeling and become as seared flesh and be senslesse as to the things of God and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth
I refer the Reader to intituled the principles of the Priests of Scotland their Reformation and discipline is nearly related to the Spanish Inqnisition for their Doctrine they say grace is not free and faith is not without sin and the Letter is the word of God and that they are cursed that say there is a light within which will lead up to God and as one said although it meant Christ and if any will not submit to their words and conform to their practice and traditions then they call a counsel together as their forefathers at Trent and pronounces him a heretick and within this few years banished them or else took their whole substance outward from them and if any out of conscience could not submit unto their invented tradition then if he ever came to have any converse with them again be must have a penance before he could get an indulgence from them like the Pope and furthermore if any deny them because they are out of the doctrine of Christ and are contrary to the Scripture then as I said they excommunicate them and charges all people neither to buy nor sell nor eat nor drink with them nor work for them and so the beasts power is exercised compelling to come to their Mass-houses and as for the denying the Bishops then you have denyed your fathers that begat you and ordained you then you have no Ordination but may be you have cryâ—d so for setling your Gospel you have got a Commitee to ordain you or one company to lay hands on another but when receive ye the holy Ghost Oh that is an error in your Church but are you not got into the old Cathedrals so called and into the Steeple-houses and the old Masse-houses and where you had may be 20 pounds or fourty in the year now you have gotten a hundred it may be two here 's reformation indeed well we must needs remember you of your race and stock the apostates since the Apostle dayes and the former practices which is found among the old Protestants and Papists is among you and you are still drunk with the whores cup and are crying for Cains weapons to guard you well I say you art part of the dragons tail that draws to the earth and to the pit which will be the end of all idolaters and Apostates except they come to repent And as for the Independants Churches so called you are a branch of the same root you have declared against the Bishops and court Prelates and said they were in error and many of you declared against them for pluralists because they had too great benefits and declared against Tythes as to be Antichristian and whoso received Tithes denyed Christ come in the flesh who are wheeled about and now takes them your selves and creeps into the old Mass-houses and hath taken that up which you condemned in others and so have made your former testimony void and all sober people sees your hypocrisie and deceit who have gathered a company together which you call select people or members of your Church and you exclude the rest who have as good right to your Ordinance as you for they professe Christ in words as you do And yet you will receive their means whom you judge not capable of your Ordinance and your Church will no more maintain you then it would maintain them that you have denied in words if you had not the beasts power to compel your vineyard would starve you your Gospel and your Preaching is one with the former and the people is the same in nature they were before you have got Bishops Lands agmentations and Stypends more large then your forefathers had for the most part and sue men at the Law and hales them before Judgement seats and takes away their goods whom you look upon to be in error yet this stands as good with you as any Article of your faith to force to compell to sue to hale into prison to take away their goods and get a Scripture for your cover and say he that Preacheth the Gospel must live of the Gospel and them that neither hear you nor receives you neither believes your Gospel yet you conclude its lawful to take their goods and if you cannot get them hale the party into prison are not you drinking still the whores cup and do not you follow the Beast and do not you own that Law to be just that compels people to pay mony to you who denyes your Ministry and are none of your sheep and are not your Ordinances and worship imitated things from the Scripture the Saints words and yet out of their life and practice are not you in the Apostacy have you not your profession and confession of faith to make year after year as the Magistrate changes doth not this evidence that you are unstable and are yet in the waters upon which the whore sits and scituated in Babylon the Mother of Harlots who yet makes you drunk and that makes all the filth and vomit appear in the earth that stains the earth and your idols corrupts the earth and all seperates under what name soever who have not denyed the ground of apostacy but are in the apostacy for all sects since the apostles days have taken up some part and left another since the life hath been lost and the power lost all hath been in idolatry and the Protestants who have denied the Papists yet they have not denyed them in the ground of their worship but hath retained some part and hath kept some part of their worship and all Sects sprung out of the Protestants in them all there is some part remaining for they have not denyed the ground of the worship set up in the apostacy the whores cup iâ— drunk of and the Dragon hath power which sought to destroy the man-childe and made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman who was clothed with the Sun you all stick yet in Babylon and the best of you all are but yet in the suburbs thereof For since the Apostles dayes their foundation hath been either traditions Imitations inventions of their own or borrowed things from the Jewes in the first covenant or at the best the letter hath been the ground of their faith and their foundation which they have twined and translated this way and that according to the wit and reason of every particular sect and opinion and according to the understanding of their private spirits now all these buildings and towers that men have builded up in the Apostacy they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of God and so hath raised an imagination of their own and so would have the scripture prove what they say and the writings of the Apostles they all cal the Gospel the word of faith the light of the Gospel the foundation the tryer of spirits the touchstone and say its the foundation of their faith and Religion and so are all in the
distraction one envying another and persecuting one another about the words of truth spoken from the spirit of truth which cannot be understood again but by the same spirit and so all them that have not the spirit of truth are in the Apostacy And all Sects Judgements and opinions that hath risen up since the Apostacy from the faith that was once delivered to the saints when the woman traveled and brought the man-child which after because of the Dragons power fled into the wildernesse and her child caught up unto God all the faith and worship that since is sprung up since the Whore hath sitten as a Queen in majesty is all denyed the ground of their worship Lawes Traditions Inventions and all their invented practises and formes and Images and likenesses are denyed and disowned as to be the dresse and attire of the Whore which hath allured people through her inticing pretences and shewes of holinesse when indeed all is but spiritual adultery and this must be all turned under again the Whores flesh burned and her attire plucked off and her nakednesse appear and her shame to them that have committed fornication with her and they shall be ashamed of themselves and of her and abhor themselves and abhor her and destroyed shall she be and the Lambs wife shall be beautified and come out of the secret places into open view out of the solitary wildernesse into the beautifull place that the Lord will bring her into the time times and halfe time is out the thousand two-hundred and threscore dayes is at an end and he bears witnesse of it who saw her â—fly away upon Eagles wings into the secret place which was prepared for her for these dayes and times appointed and I say he that knowes the counsell of the most High in this matter can account the time times and a halfe and the dayes and what shall be after the days be expired which is at an end blessed is he that sees believes and understands he shall see that which yet hath not appeared neither can it be believed by the most though it were declared but yet a little while and the Earth growes ripe and an eare will be opened in many who cannot yet hear and for a little while in this I shall be silent and treasure up that which the spirit hath revealed till the time be fully accomplished which God hath determined and then his glory shall be revealed and all the former things which have lived since the man of sin hath been exalted shall all dye an utter consumption shall be of all the changeable Lawes made since the Apostacy and the many changeable dresses of the whore and attires in which she hath appeared Imaginary worships into which all have run since they were Apostatiâ—ed from the faith all this shall be disanulled and come to an end and be blasted for ever the spirit of the Lord saith Amen How the woman that was cloathed with the Sun and had the Crowne of twelve Stars upon her head which did flie into the wildernesse comes out againe after the great whore is judged and her child that was caught up unto God comes to appeare again NOw after the time times and halfe a time and after the thousand two hundred and threescore days she returns after the whore is judged and the great City Babylon is fallen which hath made the Nations drunk and brought forth children in fornication who had drunk the blood of the Saints in the Apostacy after the Whore was judged and the voice was heard in heaven of much people that sang Halelujah salvation and glory and honour power Who witnessed to the righteousness of Gods judgement And a voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all his servants and ye that fear him both small and great Rev. 19. 5. and verse the 6. And I heard as it were the voice of many waters and as a great multitude and as the voice of a mighty thunder saying Halelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth the Whore is now judged the mother of harlots condemned with all her inchantments and sorceries Now the Lambs wife appears who is the mother of the man-child which was caught up unto God she that was cloathed with the Sun with the glorious everlasting Celestial light she is both the mother and the wife he that hath an eare let him hear now Jerusalem that is from above spiritually so called who was the mother of all the Saints before the apostacy she appears again and comes to be the wife of the Lamb and the city of the Saints the mother of them that are born from above this shall be and is made manifest to some but a numberlesse number shall see it and the day hastens greatly and she is appearing again and her solitary garments shall be put off and as she was beautifull before the whore made the nations drunk cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head and though she became child-lesse and also as a widow and the remnant of her seed slain and destroyed so shall she appear again in glory and beauty as before and shall be made ready yea my eye hath seen it she is making her selfe ready as a bride for her husband and unto her is granted that she shall be arrayed in fine linen clean and white even arayed in the righteousnesse of the saints which is not self-righteousnesse the garments of the harlot and her lovers but in the righteousnesse of Christ the Lamb her husband and child also and she shall now bring forth many more children though her seed have been slain yet a numberlesse number shall appear and ten thousand thousand shall be brought forth by her and glory in her and reverence her and rejoyce in her for ever and they shall be all clad in the same robe which the husband the Lamb is cloathed withall and the same the Lambs wife this woman is cloathed with all and the same shall all the children be cloathed with all the fine linen the righteousnesse of the Lamb which was dead and slaine since the foundation of the world but now alive and lives for evermore and here a heavenly family appears now after the Apostacy and this shall be seen by all that have an eye that can see through beyond the smoke of the pit that have darkned the ayre while the beast and Dragon hath had power but now hath her child appeared again the man-child hath appeared again and he that was in the spirit on the Lords day saw whether he was taken up to the Throne of God Revel 12. ver 5. and on the same Lords day he saw him after the woman was fled and the remnant of her seed was made War with and flain in the earth where the Dragon had power He that was in the spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up So he that is in
that which shews a man the temptations when they arise that is the same now this they call common and that which preventeth a man and keeps him back that he lend not his heart nor puts forth his hand to commit evil but restrains a man from it is not that saving out of evil which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not but preserveth the creature out of defilement and saves him from it is not this saving is not this the same thing that the Apostle who was well acquainted with the grace of God and of it's operation wrote of to Titus That grace of God which brought salvation which had appeared and doth now appear to all men which taught self-denyal them to deny wordly lusts and also to live godlily or like unto God in this present world and now doth the same is not this sufficient to believe in and sufficient to save Now I doe not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto God then is to them that are convinced of their evil by the same grace yet still it is one and the self-same thing one gift yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all Ob. But some will be ready to say that this is error and that which is contrary to scripture and to Orthodox teachers that the grace which is saving is near all men and hath appeared to all men To that I answer Though grace be saving in it selfe even the grace that hath appeared to all men and may truly be called saving grace yet to them that believe not in it neither are taught by it it convinceth and shews evil and checks and judges for it yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of God but as it worketh upon different objects for faith and unbelief are two different things as light and darkness are different and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life that is to say unto them that believe and is the savour of death unto death unto them who are in the unbelief who indeed are dead while they live yet there is the same grace and the same word of grace yet here is different operations so the Lord killeth and maketh alive yet the same Lord The spirit convinceth of sin and reproveth for sin and also consolates and comforts Here is diversity of operations yet the same spirit which never alters Object But further some may say If that it be saving grace or at the least a degree and a measure of saving grace that hath appeared to all men then how is it that all are not saved by it Answ. Because I would all stumbling blocks were removed away that the path might be made plain that all might come to believe in that which is Gods gift in which there is power and sufficiency Therefore I am constrained by the grace of God to declare of it and to bear witness to it thus largely which I know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness All are not saved by it because they believe not in it neither are taught by it yet its validity power and vertue is nevertheless in it self and though them that are careless and heedless say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it knows its power which hath given them power and also sufficiency to do the will of God what though unbelievers who are in the alienation say there is no beauty in Christ neither form nor comliness this makes not his glory void who is the express Image of the Father full of grace and truth the Disciples saw it and bore record of him who were in the faith and the Pharisees said he had a Devil who were in the unbelief but in brief this is my testimony that the grace of God the perfect gift of God which shewes ungodlinesse and leads from ungodlynesse all that are taught by it is a sufficient teacher of it selfe I mean as the power of Christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it Paul â— Minister of the word of reconciliation who was wrapt up into the third heaven where he saw things unutterable came to be temptâ—â—d and buffeâ—ted with the messenger of Sâ—tan and feare and doubting rose up in him he prayed unto God thrice and this answer was given unto him my grace is sufficient for thee so this is evident to all understandings who are opened by the Lord that which shewed him the temptations and Satans messengers and Satans buffetings was sufficient to preserve him and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it sufficient to shew ungodlinesse because of its purity and to lead from worldly lusts by its power and to teach the will of God and to live like unto God in this present world and this testimony I beare of it and to it even what I have felt and tasted and handled of its sufficiency and vertue and power of its operation for the confirmation of the same truth which is believed by many brethren and also for the information of them that thirst after the Lord for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it which testimony I commend to that of God in every man which will witnesse me herein in the day of God when all hearts are opened and all falshoods truth is made manifest in the mean time shall rest in that which I have declared of in which there is pure and perfect peace A word to you wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words and worshipping outward appearances to all wise and litter all professors who think you are worshipping God aright who think to search in to the deep things of God by your natural wisdom learning and parts and study GOd hath broken open the seals of the great deep where the wonderful unutterable things of God is revealed from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones whom he hath sanctified from the womb and his power and glory is he shedding abroad and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb by which power and wisdom you are all weighed even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness and girded up with the girdle of truth you are all measured as with a span and are all weighed as with a scale all your parts tongues languaguages interpretations significations wisdom that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true Light that lighteth every man which rounds you all as a heap and measures you all as with a line your breadth length height and depth your parts Tongues Languages interpretations is but all natural words are but empty