Thoughts and that such a sorry Service as you offer to him will please so great a Majesty Truly the Lord might justly give you into the hands of those he hath thus delivered you from because of your Sins and because you lay not his Goodness to Heart as a truly thankful People do So whilst you have time prize it and awake out of Sleep and come to the Light of God in you the Soul's Searcher and it will let you see the Truth and Seasonableness of my Words that you may repent of all your Sins and sinful Sacrifices and learn to offer unto God your whole Heart to be disposed of to his Will and Service that by his Power he may purge you and through his Righteous Judgments he may make you clean in Heart for his use who is over all blessed for ever And who is seeking such Holy Worshippers in this day of his Power wherein he is arisen to purge the Earth with his fiery flaming Word and to slay the wicked with the Sword of his Mouth Thomas Taylor To the Sons of Vanity YE Sons of Vanity whose Exercise and Delight is not all in God and Goodness but in Sin and Vanity to the darkning and separating of your Souls from that blessed Peace which the Saints in Light enjoy with the Lord God O the miserable Desolations that Sin in this Night of Apostacy hath made in the Earth yet Glory to God though the Egyptians sit in the grossest Darkness yet the Children of Israel who fear the Lord and work Righteousness have Light in all their Dwellings And in that Light they stand Witnesses for God continually against all vain Inventions and cruel Sports of Men of corrupt Minds whom God will Judge and severely Punish in his Judgment-Day O consider this ye Cock-Fighters Bull-Baiters and all that forget God for the Judgment hastens and who shall stand in the Gap for wilful Transgressors What did ye seem to humble your selves lately in a Publick Fast for your Sins and are you so quickly turned again to the Vomit of your old Vanities How should the Lord but smite the Land for these things From a Servant of God these Thomas Taylor Who they are that only Rejoyce in the Birth of Christ NOne can rightly Rejoyce in the Birth of Christ but the Spiritual New-Born in Christ Those that think to please Christ with Eating and Drinking and Sporting and Playing are Garnally-minded and the Carnal Mind cannot please God Rom. 8.6 7 8. so it s manifest that the Service and Kingdom of God stands not in Meats and Drinks and foolish and worldly Delights but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For Meats for the Belly and the Belly for Meats but God will destroy both it and them saith the Apostle But God will never destroy such as Serve and Worship him in Spirit and Truth all the days of their new and redeemed Life and so it is manifest the more Spiritual that any one is the more are they dead and separated from that foolish Mind and vain Customs that the evil World loves and lives in And on the contrary those that make most Provision for Flesh to satisfie it in the Lusts thereof let the time be what it may are the greâ—test Enemies to Christ and their own Souls So let things be well weighed and considered and it will appear to the open Eve that God is not more dishonoured in any Twelve Days of the Year than in these that People pretend most to Honour him in which to a Godly Heart cannot but be matter of great Sorrow as saith the Apostle Phil. 3.18.18 Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ Whose end is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose Glory is in their Shame who mind earthly things And this is the miserable and woful Condition of too great a part of the People that in these days bear the Name of Christians over whom the Spirit Mourns Thomas Taylor A Testimony against Persecution to King Charles the Second and his Magistrates THough our Sufferings be little accounted of in the Eyes of those that Afflict us yet be assured they are seen to be great and many in the Eyes of God our Heavenly Father for whose Name and Truths sake we suffer and for this are his Judgments begun to be poured out upon the Land for though the People of the Land of all sorts be guilty of many other Crying Sins yet this one Sin of Persecuting the Righteous for their pure Conscience sake is and always hath been the most Grievous in the Eyes of Jesus Christ whose Glory is mainly concerned in it as one may see by that in Acts 9. where it is said by Jesus from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me The Jews and Saul thought they had done well so to persecute those Poor Members of Christ in those days because they would not conform to the Ceremonies of their Law and Service but Jesus saw it was done against him in them what was done against them So though many may think they do well in doing thus against us in these days because we cannot conform to your Customs contrary to that of God in our Conscience Yet know assuredly we are justified in the sight of God for what we do and he will assuredly plead our Innocent Cause as he did the Sufferers for Truth in those former Days and it will not be well with the Land so long as these Yokes of Oppression are upon us who desire nothing more than the Peace Welfare and everlasting Good of the King and all People but alas it will not be so long as the Law which should be laid upon the Wicked Drunkards Swearers Unclean Persons and Wasters of God's Creatures upon their Lusts is thus laid upon the Righteous who live Peaceably Righteously and Godly in this present evil World And so you Judges be awakened to true Judgment and Justice and know aright for what both Land and Sea mourneth at this day and let the King also and all People know the same and know that it is for all your Sins and especially for the hard Usage of us the Peaceable and Innocent People of God in Scorn called Quakers for our Pure Conscience-sake and Holy worshipping of our God in Spirit and Truth as the Lord Jesus Christ hath taught us And so till this with the rest be repented of How can the Lord accept you or be for you Yea though Noah Daniel and Job stood before God to intercede for you yet his Heart cannot be for you so long as your many Sins and this grievous Sin before mentioned do remain Yea though you should meet together every day in the Week and call it a Fast and seem in the outward to humble your Souls yet till these Burdens of Sin be removed from off your Souls and the Yokes of Oppression from off
Christ's Lambs it cannot be well with you Your Teachers may tell you of Sin in the general to be the cause of these Plagues but they tell you not nakedly and truly for what the Hand of the Lord is lifted up against you neither indeed can they because of the Blindness of their Hearts and the Spirit of deep Sleep that is fallen upon them So Friend these things are on me as from the Lord to advertise thee and you all of in love to thy Soul and you all and to desire you in the Name of the Lord to lay them to Heart and ponder of them and not to pass over them slightly as too many have done because they come from such a one as I who am as a Man rejected by you Yet the Lord loves my Soul and cares for me praised be his Name and in the Patience and Joy and Strength of the Peace of God's Blessed Spirit am I kept and preserved in these continued Bonds and Sufferings for his Names sake and the Love of Christ constrains me to seek all your Good and Welfare in the Lord though the more I do this I be the more hated and persecuted of some for my Good Will but this I impute not here to thee but desires that thou maist more and more keep thy Heart and Hands clean from the great Offence to wit the Hatred of Goodness and good Men which hath sunk Nations and Kingdoms into the Pit And my desire is That the King and all in Authority may timely know and consider of these things as things of most Concernment to their Immortal Souls Rests God's Servant Thomas Taylor Wo to the World because of Iniquity WO to the World because of the great Iniquity that lyeth upon it O how are the People of this present time wholly loose in their Hearts to all manner of Vanity The Lord seeth and well pondereth of these things though you O poor deceived People will not see it For O how the Enemy of your Souls through long Custom hath blinded your Minds so that the Good which God hath commanded you you like not at all but the Evil which your own Hearts have devised you call Good and so bring your felves under the Wo Wo Wo to the cursed Customs of the World which are many Your Races both by Men and Beasts where Multitudes meet together to spend their precious Time and to satisfie their Vain Covetous and Drunken Minds the Lord is against it and Judgment from Heaven lingreth not you will not be warned until you feel it Rests God's Servant and Witness against all vain Inventions Thomas Taylor An Apology from the Harmless against the Unjust And to the King and his Magistrates against Plotting WE who are of the World called Quakers do testifie as in the sight of the Blessed Lord God of Heaven and Earth that we are clear in our Hearts from all Plottings or Contrivings of Evil or Mischief against the King or any of his Subjects and that our Meeting apart from the Steeple-house Worship is meerly in Obedience to God and at his Command who saith Come out from amongst them who live in Sin and plead for the continuance of the Body of it Yea in the Regenerate themselves during tearm of Life And so while we touched the unclean thing with you we could not be accepted of God and therefore the Lord called us out that we might meet together as we do and have done these many years in his holy Name and Fear to worship him in Spirit and Truth not in a Pretence but in the real Truth of the thing And we have found his Heavenly Presence with us and his Holy Promise fulfilled amongst us which saith Where two or three are gathered together in Christ's Name he will be in the midst of them Praises to him for ever And now as concerning those People called Monarchy-Men who are Fighters with Carnal Weapon and it seems did rise up to disturb the Peace of the Nation by outward Force we do utterly deny and not only them but all others who think the Kingdom of Christ can be set up with a Carnal Weapon or that his Church can be preserved and kept clean by worldly Force for God hath given us graciously to see beyond all such things and hath manifested in us that Blessed Heavenly Power and Spirit of Christ by which his Church which is his Body is raised up and preserved and builded up for evermore and the Sword of this Blessed Spirit of Jesus which is the Word of God we know for the cutting down not of Persons but Sins Praised be God and so to the outward Fightings and Warrings our Hearts are dead and we dare not avenge our selves as the wicked World doth but to God to we commit our Cause in Well-doing for he is the Avenger of all Wrongs and Pleader of the Innocent Cause of his People in all Generations Glory to his Name over all And therefore it cannot be but a most unjust thing that we should suffer by a Law that was made against Plotters and Seditious Conventiclers I say we who through the Grace of Christ are made to witness against all such things from our very Hearts and therefore it concerns all who are in Authority to see what they do and to distinguish rightly of Matters lest they cause the Innocent to suffer as some to their own Hurt have done and so bring God's Judgments upon them for not the greatest that ever were upon the Earth could escape God's Judgments who wronged his People witness Ahab's House and all the great Kings of the Nations in all Ages who touched God's People who were as dear to him as the apple of his Eye Do you not remember what they did to Daniel for the Worship of his God and how the Lord delivered him and the Pit devoured his Adversaries with the Informers and false Accusers Daniel could not worship but according to the Law of the God of Heaven and so we cannot worship but according to the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus Must we therefore suffer well we are helped by the Love of God to rejoyce and bear patiently the Will of the Lord until he plead our Innocent Cause and judge in Righteousness betwixt us and our Adversaries for in his Judgment is our Boldness Glory to God for ever but the Haters of the Good cannot stand before him The Jews said They had a Law and by their Law Christ ought to die Was that a good Law which condemned the Innocent So whatever Men pretend as a Cloak to cover their Doings from Men yet God sees the Hearts of all Persecutors of the Righteous and will judge them as such Rests Thomas Taylor Against May-poles O People of Penkridge and the Places thereabout who had a Heart or Hand in the setting up of these Heathenish May-poles especially this second time you have shamed your selves and your Religion thereby in the sight of all and
like Not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm when they speak of such things because to the Kingdom of Heaven within in Man they are Strangers Eyes they have but see not and Ears but hear not for the inward Eye which should see have they fast closed and the Ear which should hear have they shut lest they should see and hear and be converted and be saved But Blessed is the Eye that sees the Kingdom of God which he hath set up and is setting up in his Trembling People and the Ear that hears the unutterable Word of the Living Father which raiseth the Dead they shall ever be Prasing of him in the Congregation of the Righteous where none can come to make affraid for these Love and Fear the Lord and that frees them from the Fear of Vain Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils But all whose Religion stands upon the Sandy Foundation of Mans Wisdom and Thoughts and Doings which Perfects not to God these will be like the Chaff which the Wind scatters to and fro the Regenerating Power of Gods Eternal Spirit they being ignorant of in themselves all their shew of Religion is meer Hypocrisie and the Religion of Hypocrites shall never be established for all who gather not with Christ shall scatter and every Plant that his Heavenly Spiritual Hand hath not Planted shall be rooted up O! What Darkness have you wrapt your selves in and how is the Understanding Part clouded in you that you will neither see nor learn to know the things that pertain to Everlasting Life Can you say the Branches of the fallen Tree the first Adam are Unholy and Corrupt because of the Unholiness of the Root And will you not see that the Members of the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus who never fell are Holy because of the Holyness of the Root For if the Root be Holy so are the Branches Anoint your Eyes with Eye-Salve that if possible you may see and know a better Root in you than the fallen Mans Nature to grow on that the Kingdom of Holiness you may feel come near you For they that are in the Flesh cannot please God whatever they may profess And this adds to their Misery that when they have brought forth the Deadly Works of the Flesh they would charge them upon Gods Elect and make their Works like their own These Fleshly ones are great Enemies to Christ and his Righteousness and his Members for they that are in Christ are New Creatures and to Abel and his Offering God hath still Respect though Cain and his Offering was always Rejected because Polluted with Sin as the Prayers and Performances of all Hypocrites are at this day Therefore for this purpose was the Son of God manifested and is at this Day Received of the Faithful even to destroy Sin which is the Devils Work And in him to wit Christ Jesus the Light is there no Sin nor Sinsul Narure So they that Love Christ and Walk in his Life and Light please God for he is that Way Undefiled wherein no Unclean can Walk but the Redeemed are here And what if I should set down the words of Jesus to wit Whosoever abideth in Christ Sioneth not whosoever Sinneth hath not seen him nor known him 1 John 3.6 Can you believe it I know you cannot whilst you stand reasoning with Flesh and Blood not Believing in the Light that Lighteh every Man that cometh into the World but call the Light of Christ in Man Natural and thâ—n put the Letter which only witnesses to the Light instead of it And then the Enemy works in your Natural Earthly Wisdom causing you to wrest Scriptures to Establish your Empty Forms which maks nothing Perfect and this was the Sin of the Old Jews who though they talked of the Messiah yet when he appeared they would not come to him that they might be saved and so under the Dead Profession of the Letter they lay Slain And tho' they had a Zeal for God as you have now yet it was not according to Knowledge and so stumbled at the Stumbling-Stone and so in their dark minds would needs keep up the Forms and Shadows of things in opposition to the Substance the thing it self Christ Jesus when he appeared as you do now O! that you could be perswaded of this how well would it be for your Poor Souls in time to come Therefore now that the True Heavenly Everlasting All-sufficient Light is broken forth again from under the Clouds after the long Dark Night of Apostacy turn your Minds in to know a measure of it in you and wait therein to be led out of all the Dark Paths of Sin and Error by it For I am the Way saith Christ the Light that true Light which Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and I will send my Holy Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth He is come and his Promise fulfilled Glory to his Name forever And do you not know that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates saith the Apostle And if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we fellowship one with another and the Blood of this innocent Lamb cleanseth from all Sin and washeth from all Unrighteousness all real Comers thereunto saith the same Spirit Therefore go not forth for without are Doggs and all Liars but Truth and the Kingdom of it is to be found within nigh in the Heart O how Beautiful is the Way of the Just Holiness is the Girdle of their Reins continually their Hearts ponder deep things in Holiness they do no Iniquity who walk in this Everlasting Undefiled WAY Christ Jesus the Light for by the Light are they led out of all Defilements and to such there is no occasion of Stumbling O stoop down low with your minds to the Light of Christ in you that convinceth you of Sin and Evil that through the Light the true Door and Daily-Cross to the Carnal Mind you may come into the Sheep-fold for all who clime up another Way are but as Thieves and Robbers and must be judged as Goats and set on the left hand because they would not hear Christ's Voice the Light in the Conscience to be led by it Great Wo to the Climers over the Door such neither receive Christ nor his Servants whom he sends but choose rather to follow such as love to be called of Men Master and live in the respect of Persons and Persecuting Nature and daub over an old Heart with fair Promises of Life as it is amongst you this Day for what tho' some in the outward stand against you for your Form and Words sake as the Heathen of old did the outward Jews yet both those outward Jews then as you outward Professors do now stood and do stand against Christ and us for his Truths sake For we find it true from you all that whosoever walketh in Christ and holdeth forth his Life and so Worshippeth God in Spirit and Truth shall
Christopher Taylor 's TESTIMONY Concerning Thomas Taylor MY deceased Brother Tho. Taylor was a Man who in his tender Years had a Sence of Sin upon him and saw a Necessity of coming and attaining to a State of Righteousness and Faithfulness to God that he might please him so that for several Years he was exercised under the Spirit of Bondage and great Fears lest he should miss of Eternal Salvation and so come to be a true Seeker and Inquirer after the best Things and the Lord was Good unto him in a preparative Work as I may say before he came to know the Sabbath of Eternal Rest in Christ Jesus And as Light and Life appeared and sprung up in its Measure in the Land of his Nativity the Lord in Mercy gave him a Share in it and a Fear came upon his Heart to preserve him in a State of Integrity and Simplicity which kept him very Sober in his Conversation and Restrained him from many Evils others fell into so that he was accounted by many in those days who were Honest-minded to be a Religious Consciencious young Man And the Lord gave him Sights and Openings of good Things at hand and opened a Door of Hope unto him that he should see the Lord's Blessed Day of his Heavenly and Powerful Appearance and with Cornelius waited and longed for God's Kingdom and Powerful Appearance unto his Soul And when that blessed Instrument in God's Hand George Fox came into the North to preach and declare the Everlasting Gospel of Glad Tidings to Mankind and to such who were waiting to be delivered from the Bondage of Sin and Unrighteousness this Dear Man was glad and was convinced of the Truth which was demonstrated in the Evidence of God's Spirit and Holy Power unto him and many others So that the Light and Truth broke up in him to the breaking of his Heart before the Living God and the making of his Soul tender in Humility and the Dispensation of the Spirit of true Judgment and Burning seized on his Inward Man and pure Tremblings before the Lord seized upon him and Judgment did so effectually take place in the Operation of the Authority of the Mighty God that his Inward Man rejoyced that now he was come to know one of the Great Days of the Son of Man And the Work of the Lord was begun in his Heart so that his Soul cried mightily to God for Judgment to Judge and Condemn for ever all that was Contrary to the Word of his Pure Power And the Lord heard his true Cries which himself by his own Grace had raised up in him and extended his Mercies to him and fulfilled that Saying A bruised Reed shall be not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench until he send forth Judgment to Victory So Victory he came to know and Deliverance to his Soul through the Exercise of Faith and Patience in the way of Righteousness and the Lord raised him up to be a living Witness to his Heavenly Power and the breaking forth of its Blessed Day of Light and sent him forth to Preach the Everlasting Gospel and to turn many to Righteousness and he became a Faithful Labourer and Servant of Jesus Christ in his Harvest and Vineyard and many are his Witnesses how Faithfully he served God and how truly he cared for the Flock of Jesus Christ where-ever he came and laboured in the Faith as one wholly given up to Spend and be Spent in that Work the Lord had committed to him Many and Great were his Sufferings from Wicked Men who sometimes lay in wait for him to have taken away his Life and tedious it would be to repeat the Hardships he underwent and great Sufferings he endured by the Malicious instruments of Satan But the Lord delivered him thorow all the Scourgings Buffetings and Evil Treatments of Unreasonable Men. As to Imprisonment he suffered much in several Prisons in this Nation as at Appleby in Westmoreland at York Leicester and Coventry and last of all above ten Years Imprisonment in Stafford and was there Premunired because he could not Swear He was a Faithful Prisoner of Jesus Christ and kept his Blessed Testimony over the Heads of Wicked Brutish Savage and Unreasonable Men he met withall in his Imprisonments It is hard to utter what he passed thorow in those Evil Dens amongst such Savage Beasts but the Lord upheld him blessed him and delivered him out of all and Dear and Near he was unto his God who upheld him Everlasting Honour be unto his Name Deeply am I affected when I read him in the Sence of Life how Safe the Lord kept him so that the Course of his Life was Eminently Exemplary so Grave Tender and Humble he was and Self denying Well it is and will be for all who are so truly preserved to God as he was I am perswaded none can justly tax his Life and Conversation or present a Spot or Stain upon his Garment whilst he lived after he was called to the Lord's Work and Service Oh! have I said in my Heart What Happiness is it to those who are so kept and safely preserved to Honour God and Preach his Gospel as well in Life and Conversation as in Words and Doctrine And as to his Testimonies in Writing which are here given forth to be read they are plain and easie to be understood by every unprejudiced Person that reads them in Simplicity with the Light of Christ there are various things testified against the Sins and Evils of the Times for he laboured much for the Nations and Peoples Good that they might be kept out of Debauchery Wickednesses Games Sportings and Evils of all sorts that if possible such Evils as too much abounded in our Nation might not have that Liberty or Pestilential Disposition as to Leaven and beget People further from God and as a Leprosie to spread over the Nation Also he was tender over the Lord 's Innocent People lest they should fall on the right Hand or on the left and so lose their Habitations in the Truth He was right spirited to discern the Wiles of Satan and to instruct and give Warning to such as might be misled into any Evil Condition under the Pretence of Truth to fight against it I believe he was never known since he preached the Everlasting Gospel committed to him to turn his Back of any Enemy to give way to him of what Size or Sort soever he was or how Subtle soever the Devil could make him the Lord gave him a Sight beyond the Subtlety of Satan and when he was Spent in the Service the Lord had called him unto in a good old Age he departed this Life and finished his Course with Joy and Everlasting Rejoycing to the Praise and Glory of the Everlasting God who for ever is to be admired of all his Saints honoured and magnified for ever and for ever more World without End Amen Christopher Taylor Thomas Taylor 's TESTIMONY Concerning his FATHER A Short
Testimony lives with me to bear for my Dear Father Thomas Taylor that True and Faithful Servant of the Lord who was Born near Skipton in Yorkshire and was brought up a Scholar and sent to the University and in process of time he came to be a National Minister and so continued for some Years but in those Days he had not many Equals for he was a Man of a Tender Spirit seeking after a further Attainment of the Knowledge of God and his Holy Way whom to know is Life Eternal which the Lord in his own due time made known unto him After he had heard the Word of Life declared in the Demonstration of God's Holy Spirit through his Faithful Messenger George Fox he was then evidently Convinced of the Blessed Truth as it is in Jesus he never after turned his Back upon it many Days and Nights of great Sorrow and Anxiety of Spirit he underwent until the Old Leaven was purged out by the Spirit of Judgment and then he became a Vessel of Honour fit for the Lord's Service and left his Benefice which he then had at Richmond in Yorkshire not consulting with Flesh and Blood what he should do for a Livelihood but trusted the Lord that he would provide for him and his Family he having then a Wife and Five small Children whom he afterward through the good Providence of God lived to see brought up to be Men and Women Now this Faithful Servant of the Lord not distrusting of the Mercies of God gave up freely whatsoever was Dear and Near unto him that the Lord required of him that he might win Christ the Lord who had Visited him with his Day-spring from on high and Ruled him by his Grace and gave unto him the Word of Life to declare unto the Sons and Daughters of Men Warning and Admonishing them to turn from their evil ways and to seek the Lord whilst he might be found and great was his Labours and Travels in those Days being moved often to go into Market-places and Steeple houses to declare the Word of the Lord to the People where he often met with great Opposition and Sufferings from the Hands of Unreasonable Men but the Lord by his Mighty Power delivered him wonderfully out of their Hands and many long and tedious Imprisonments this good Man underwent in his Day but with great Patience and Contentedness of Mind knowing it was for his bearing his Testimony to the Lord's Blessed Truth and not for evil-doing And this I have further to say for this Worthy and Honourable Servant of Christ who loved not his Life unto the Death that he might serve the Lord in his Day who was a Faithful and True Minister of the Everlasting Gospel and laboured mightily in Word and Doctrine and many in this Nation were Convinced by that powerful Word of God that run through him and they have great Cause to Bless and Praise the Name of the Lord even as I may say on his behalf for he was a Zealous Man for the Truth in his Day and was one of the Worthies in Israel who went through many Combates both with Professors and Prophane and by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit oftentimes put them to silence and the Truth prevailed over all Blessed be the Name of the Lord for Ever And now not being willing to be too tedious to the Reader else I could mention many more things concerning my Dear Father who was a Faithful Follower of the Lamb wheresoever he led him through good Report and bad Report for he valued nothing so much in this World as the Propagation of the Truth for his Life was hid with Christ in God at whose Right Hand there is Joy and Rivers of Pleasure and that for Evermore And a little before my Father's Departure out of this World as he lay upon his Sick-bed several Friends that came to Visit him standing by him he being very sensible to the last spoke on this wife I am going to my Father and your Father to my God and your God and so departed like a Lamb and is gone to his Everlasting Rest to receive that weighty Crown of Glory that is laid up in store for all them that loves the Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ and keeps their Garments unspotted of this World Thomas Taylor Jun. Middlesex the 3d Day of the 3d Month called May 1697. A short TESTIMONY OF Hannah Taylor Concerning her Dear Father Thomas Taylor THis I have to say concerning this dear Servant of the Lord who followed the Lamb through many Tribulations and wash'd his Garmens white in his Blood That he served the Lord with a perfect Heart and that he was endued with the Spirit of Wisdom and of Understanding in the Truth which he did value above all the World and all the Preferments thereof For he counted all as Dross and Dung in Comparison of that Pearl of Price which he Laboured for both Night and Day Yea for Sion's Sake he could not rest and for Jerusalem's Sake he could not hold his Peace Because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and he had Anointed him to be a Preacher of Glad-Tidings to the House of God's Israel But he was a Reprover of the Vngodly yea his Testimony was against all Wickedness and Evil-doers Yea he was clad with Zeal as with a Cloak and with the Righteousness which God had put upon them as with an Helmet Yea he was a Valiant Soldier indeed he fought a good Fight he kept the Faith and from henceforth for him was laid up a Crown of Life which at the time appointed he did receive with all the Redeemed of the Lord who rest from their Labour and their Works follow them Hannah Taylor Robert Barrow's TESTIMONY Concerning Thomas Taylor HE being a Man with whom I was Acquainted and Conversant for the space of Thirty Years some part of our Acquaintance in the time of our Notion and Outward Profession of Religion in the form thereof but the most of our time was after God in Mercy had opened our Understanding and revealed his Son in us by the Word of Life and Spirit of Truth to know Christ in us the Hope of Glory He was Educated and Bred up at one of the Colledges of Oxford and became a Parish Preacher and had a Place in the County of Westmoreland yet in those Days he was a Seeking Man having Real Desires to understand the Things of God and the Mysteries of his Kingdom and was a Man of an Honest Life and Clean Behaviour and in his Preaching and Judgment was more Refined than the rest of his Neighbouring Priests and many of his Hearers were a People commended of the Common Hireling Priests of the World which Priests Nick-named his Hearers Roundheads and Puritans and many of those so called came frequently from the next Parish and Town of Kendall to hear him amongst whom I was one and he used to let John Audland and Francis Howgill sometimes Preach in his
to Unity and Concord amongst Friends which while he lived he was Careful to preserve he had a great Delight in it and laboured much for it In a word he was a Man of Peace and as he Delighted in it now is a Possessor of it and of that Joy that is Immutable in which he lives with his God a Possessor of that Blessedness and Reward which through the same Faith and Patience we that are yet behind shall assuredly obtain as therein we keep in the Lord's time Many good things he wrote in his Day if thou read this Book thou wilt perceive and meet with good Exhortations in it which will I hope tend to thy Strength and Incouragement William Fallowfield A short TESTIMONY Concerning that Faithful Servant of the Lord Thomas Taylor Whose Memory is Blessed DEAR Tho Taylor he was a Man who loved the Truth with a sincere Mind and sought the Honour thereof and not himself He was ready at all times to speak a word for God as there was occasion to inform the Minds of People to that which would stand them in stead when time here shall be no more He was a very good Instrument amongst us and a blessed Example in his Conversation which did bespeak him to be the Servant of Christ Jesus He loved the Prosperity of Truth more than all other things whatsoever and for that was he given up in Soul Body and Spirit to serve the Lord and his Generation Faithfully Travelling from Place to Place for that end and as he lived in the Truth so he finished his Testimony in the same And though his Body be removed from us and gone to the Earth from whence it came yet his Spirit lives amongst us and his Life shall never die Truly I am not without a living Sence upon my Spirit what a Loss we have of him amongst us who was always ready to serve the Truth and the least in it and Sorrow is ready to seize upon me in the Consideration thereof yet when I consider that it is according to the Will of the Lord I am therein well content knowing that he hath this Advantage of us that are left behind viz. Is freed from Danger of falling into the Snares of this World which we are liable to whilst in this Body except we keep in that which is only able to keep us whilst we remain here And I do believe that the Lord will raise up the same Life in others to Testifie to the same Truth which he lived in and that the Testimony thereof shall never fall This is great Comfort to me and all who love the Lord to whom be living Praises Honour Glory and Obedience given for ever and for ever more from my living Soul which he hath quickned to himself by his Living Power and Heavenly Life to him I say be all the Glory given now and always Amen Mary Comberford The 26th of the First Month 1681. Thomas Taylor 's EPISTLES TO FRIENDS MY Dear Friends and longed after in the Lord whose Minds are turned in by the Light of Jesus Christ from the Worlds Worships and Ways in measure to wait upon God that you may learn by the Teaching of his Spirit in you how to worship him in Spirit and Truth who is the Fountain of all your Soul's Happiness prize his great Love to your Souls every one of you in particular and wait to receive the Law from his own Mouth to the quickning and reviving your Souls out of the Death and for the daily watering and refreshing that which lives of himself in you for if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he shall by that Spirit quicken your Mortal Bodies for all whose Hearts are purisied through the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ are in the Covenant of that Everlasting Love of the Father which gives to all that waith on him a full Possession of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light but Wo and Misery from the Lord to the Unclean in the Earth And therefore mind your Soul's Guide which is pure Light of Jesus Christ and be Faithful unto the Lord in whatever he makes manifest in you to be his Will and let not the Worlds Frowns or Smiles cause you to draw back from the Truth in any thing which the Saints have so great Recompence of Reward in but be simple be pure be harmless be innocent be Lambs and walk as Lights amongst a Generation of crooked and devouring Minds and think not strange concerning any Trial but imbrace the Cross which is the Saints Rejoicing and in Patience wait to see the Fleshly Mind Crucified with it which would have ease below God and do all things in the fear of God and let not the Ear be open to the Enemy but mind that which shows you the strait way continually and learn to love one another more and more for Love is of God but none can love as Brethren of Christ but those that love God and keep the Commandments and as you follow Christ in the way of his Cross and Sufferings you will Delight in one anothers Fellowship but as any depart from the Light and Iniquity abounds in any the Love in that Person waxeth cold So God Almighty Bless you with his Everlasting Mercy to set free your Minds from all your Sins to run the way of his Holy Commandments so rests Thomas Taylor TO FRIENDS AT Stickland-head DEAR and precious Friends of God who into the Fellowship of the everlasting Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God the Light of the World that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World are called and who have tasted of that Heaventy Gift and upon that true Bread do feed Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be among you and in you all every where in every place multiplied with the Increases of the eternal Power of the Holy Spirit in all your Hearts Amen Thomas Taylor your Brother and Companion in the Patience Sufferings and Kingdom of Christ unto you all sendeth Greeting and by the Spirit of the Lord God doth hereby give you all to understand That it is the true Grace of God and Power of Life into which you are called and which you have received and wherein you stand and whereby you are inlightned and have been given to see the old dead way of Sin and Formality to avoid it and the good and living way of Truth and Righteousness in Spirit to embrace and follow it to the Praise of our Holy Heavenly Father World without end And this Grace of God that hath thus brought Salvation to us and is our Teacher and Guide in the good Way is the same that would teach all and would have all Men to be Saved and to that purpose hath appeared to all Men to leave all without Excuse So Dear Hearts all in the Light and Power of this Pure Truth of our God made manifest in us
dwell and therein let every Soul bathe it self and drink thereof abundantly and therewith be covered that as an Helmet Sword and Buckler it may be unto all our Souls against all Assâ—ults of the Enemy and a sure Hiding-place from Storm and Tempest And the Lord God of Glory upon this Rock of Ages you all preserve that living Water and living Bread even the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ your Souls may here feed upon and be perfectly nourished with it up into the Fullness of Life and Perfection of Peace for ever more That so upon the Wing of this living Spirit and Power of our God in Christ we may be all continually carried and under the Shadow thereof be warmed and caused to grow triumph and rejoyce over all Weaknesses Wants and Powers of Darkness whatsoever For greater is he Dear Hearts that is in us and for us the glorious God in Light and Righteousness Ruling and Saving than he that is in the World the Power of Darkness raging and destroying And the World with its Strength Joy and Glory which deceiveth and is deceived is to be trampled upon and kept under foot as a thing that perisheth and passeth away with the Fashion Trouble and Remembrance of it But the Glory of our God and Goodness of his Love with the Power of his Truth Fatness of his House and Peace and Fullness of his Christ and Kingdom endures for ever dearly to be prized of us Praises Praises everlasting Praises to his Holy Glorious Arm of powerful Love for evermore And let every Creature in Heaven and Earth Praise him and all his wonderous Works in us and for us where these shall come and in all his redeemed Ones every where glorifie him in Pureness in the Immortal Mansions of Light and Love that cannot change nor be taken from us for ever and ever So again all Dear Hearts Brethren and Sisters in the Covenant of Life Children and Servants of the Most High God in the Life and Strength of God and his everlasting Light of Truth manifest dwell and walk in it indeed grow over all the World and Powers of Darkness and Wickedness whatsoever that the Seed of the Promise inheriting and the Seed of the Serpent and Transgression cast out you may indeed be true Witnesses of to the Glory of the Lord God and Good of your precious Souls for ever For he that Believes and in the pure Faith truly waits hath and knows the Witness in himself the Spirit which he hath of God for his everlasting Comforter but the Witness of God and his Face is against him that doth Evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But the Love of God and Glory to such as continue Faithful and Patient in the Well doing bearing the Cross and enduring it to the End And Blessed are all that keep the Commandments of Life that they may witness a daily Access and Freedom to the Tree of Life and Throne of Mercy to feed thereon and Live for ever For now is the Life arisen and the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World appeared and of his Fullness have all we received even Grace for Grace and his Commandments are not now to us Grievous Praise to his Name for ever And our Rock is not like the World's Rock even many of themselves already being Judges all Holy Praises to him that hath not cast us off for former Ignorance and Unbelief but hath in this his day of endless Mercy stretched out his Arm of Power for us and his Wing of Love over us even to everlasting Salvation So be it Thomas Taylor From the place of my outward Bonds here at Appleby in Westmoreland in the first Month 1658. Let this be Communicated amongst the Faithful of the Lord in their Meetings or otherwise as Freedom within and Movings are TO FRIENDS IN Warwick-shire and Stafford-shire c. MY Dear Friends in Christ Jesus in Warwick-shire Stafford-shire Worcester-shire and Hereford-shire with the parts thereunto adjoyning where my service in the Lord hath been my tender Love in the Bowels of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ doth dearly Salute ye all Praying in the Spirit for you all and for all Saints that as ye have received the Truth of God through the Persecutions and Reproaches of the present times so you may all with the abounding of the Grace Mercy and Peace of the Everlasting God amongst you be found therein Continuing and Walking to the Glory of his Name to the End to the receiving of a full Reward and finishing the Testimony of Christ amongst you to all Joy and holy Rejoycing in the Spirit and to the full assurance of Faith in the sight of God our Father Blessed for ever who hath chosen us and called us out of the Death in the Powerful Word of Truth to be his Children and Servants to bring forth Living Fruits of Righteousness to his Glory and to bear his Name thro' the daily Cross and Sufferings of his Son before the People of the World that he in all things may be Honoured who is the Head Christ Jesus and we his Members through the Operation of his Power in us may be given daily to feel the Glory of his Love which shed it self abroad in every part of the Body by Vertue of Union with him and Fellowship in the Eternal Spirit of Life And this is the Portion of the Living Branches who Faithful in his Work of Faith are found and abide not looking back at the Glory of Egypt nor murmur at the hardness of the way but pressing forward to the Mark set before them in Righteousness which is of God where the man of the Earth comes not but is shut out for ever So God Almighty your Hearts keep clean and your Understandings always open to discern the things that differ and to chuse the things of the Spirit of God which will be to your Everlasting Peace and Glory in the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father to whom be all Glory and Honour for ever Amen And now dear Friends as for my outward Condition you may hereby know that it was so ordered that within two or three Days after I was got to my outward Being in the edge of York shire here was an Assizes to be at this Town called Appleby in Westmoreland some Fourteen or Fifteen Miles North of it whether I had movings to come not knowing my service in particular until I came there and therefore when I was come to the Town after pretty Service in the Town amongst the Country People I was ordered to go into their Steeple-house at the time when the Sermon before the Judges as they call it was in hand and there waiting in the Will of God and hearing unsound Doctrine delivered I was moved in Spirit Publickly upon a Seat amongst them all immediately after the Man had done to declare against it for which they pu'lld me down and to fulfil the Scripture hawled me
perfect was because it could not take away Sin and so that Perfection that is not sinless is no Perfection at all therefore it 's said That Christ by One-offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And behold the Lamb of God that takes away the Sin of the World Amen TO FRIENDS That Abide in the Truth AS ALSO To such as are gone from it FRIENDS all still mind the Light of God in you even that which is not of this World but leads out of the World and the Worships Lusts Customs Fashions Traditions and Inventions thereof up to God from whom it comes which Light was preached unto you in the Beginning and as your Minds were turned to it and believed in it true Judgment was executed upon the Man of Sin in you and through the Light wherein God's Saving Power is felt you became more than Conquerours over the World and the Mind thereof and so you became Lovely in the Eye of the Lord the Father of Light and so he entred into Covenant with you and you became his and he yours in Truth Power and Righteousness and his Banner over you was Love and is Love to all who have kept their first Love and have continued Faithful to his Witness and have brought forth Fruits to God you have reaped Life because you have lived in the Spirit and walked in the Spirit and sown to the Spirit of Life which God hath freely given you to profit withall and to be a Blessing unto you in the midst of the Earth But to such amongst you who came out of Egypt with you and saw God's wonderful Working at the Red Sea and came through the Sea to the dry Land amongst the Israclites of God but are now fallen a Lusting in the Wilderness and with your Hearts turned back again into Egypt and so cannot enter Rest with God's People because of Unbelief I say your Condition is Sad and greatly to be lamented and your Bondage is great that after all your Experiences of Pharoah's Oppression and the Mourning of the Seed under his Yoke and your Knowledge of God's great Power for you at the Red Sea that you should so soon forget your own Miseries yea and the Mercies of God also in delivering of you so Miraculously from under the Enemies Power that you would be yea are in the Brick-kills again What Is it the Onyons and Garlick of Egypt and Flesh-pots that hath bewitched you that you are so weary of the Lord's Yoke that the Heavenly Manna hath no Savour to you O Foolish People How are you bewitched that you should not love nor like to follow the Truth which hath wrought such Wonders for you O the Treacherousness of your Unbelieving Hearts How have they deceived your selves and all who looked for Good from you How Foolish and Unwise are you become to sell the Hope of eternal good Things for that which you have seen to be nothing but meer Husks Shadows and Vanity But now therefore if it be possible call in your Minds consider in your Hearts what it is that the Lord requireth of you you cannot be Happy without God and his Truth but he can be eternally Happy and Glorious without you he can cloth himself and wrap up himself in eternal Light Life Power Fullness and unspeakable Glory and Satisfaction without you but you without him cannot enjoy one dram of Light Life Comfort Satisfaction or any Good for in Christ the Light God's Gift all Fullness dwells and out of him or without him nothing but Emptiness Misery Disappointment and endless Woe yea Vanity of Vanities and a sore Travel as all things under the Sun in your best Condition without Truth whilst here and endless Woe without all Comfort when gone hence Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing And so say I Without Christ ye are nothing nor have nothing but are meer Beggars Prodigals Lost Undone Blind Wretched and Naked Out casts profitable for nothing so Return Return Renent Repent saith my Soul in the Light of the Living to you all So be it TO FRIENDS MY Dear Friends in Christ Jesus who are Faithful in God's Covenant of Light and Life to dwell grow and increase yea and to bring forth Fruit of Righteousness to God's Glory abundantly my true and tender Love salutes you all and my Spirit in God rejoyceth because of you all and I cannot but evermore upon every remembrance of you Praise Laud and Magnifie the great and glorious Name of our Heavenly Father for his tender Love and tender Mercy to you all and for the Power of his Love in Christ whereby he hath reached help to your Souls in the needful time when all help of Creatures was at an end and hath raised you up from the Dead to be his living Witnesses in the Day of his Love to Israel and hath chosen you for his People and to bear the Name of Sons and Daughters Servants and Hand-maids in his House to do his Service and to bear his Name in Righteousness before the Children of Men. O my Soul is even filled with the sweet heavenly Vertue of this Love of God upon every Remembrance of you even of you all and every Member of the Holy Body of Jesus Christ in every place For who can express the Beauty of your Life and Fullness of your Treasure which you possess in his Love O Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath chosen us and set his pure Love upon us whereby it comes to pass that we are more than Conquerors over all the things of Darkness and Powers of Evil that would separate us from his pure Love O Glory Glory to his great Name who by his pure Love hath begotten us again from the Dead into the Image of his living pure and holy Nature of Love to love one another and to reach forth pure Love in Spirit and Truth unto all yea unto Enemies for at the Birth of Jesus this was sounded forth by the Heavenly even Peace on Earth Good Will to Men. So that when Men have us and speak Evil of us we know they have no Cause for it for if they know our Love and good Will to them they would love us and much more the Father of our precious Life by whom we are begotten into such a pure heavenly Love as even labours and travels night and day how we may fulfil that great Service of Love and continual Duty of good Will that we owe to the whole Creation of God For Oh how great is the Bondage of a great part of it as yet being so burdened with the weight of Corruption that lyes upon it that it ever cries unto God by reason of Oppression and waits for the Manifestation and Enjoyment of the pure and holy Liberty of the Sons of God wherein God alone may be glorified and the Creature set free to run in the ways of his Commandments with Joy and the wicked one
much longer for it is a very fearful thing for thee thus in thy Sins to fall into the Hands of the Living God So whilst thou hast time prize it and say not within thy self that thou shalt have Peace though thou continue in this thy Hard-heartedness for certainly there is no Peace from the Holy Just and Merciful God to any abiding in the Paths thou walkest in So if thou hast an Ear hear what the Spirit of Truth saith unto thee in his Servant Thomas Taylor To those that Rejoyce in Bells and Bonefires WO Wo from the Lord to this Heathenish manner of Rejoycing with Bells and Bonefires Have you not learned it from those Wicked People called Papists for Deliverance from whom you seem to Rejoyce And so instead of honouring God with your Mirth you greatly grieve and burden his good Spirit And therefore your â—ins remain and Judgment after Judgment still waits for you until you turn to God with your Hearts which yet to this day you have not done O People of Stafford and of all England who delight in such vain things yea though Mercy after Mercy you have been tried with yet still you are doing what you should not do and leaving undone what God wills you to do and so indeed have no Spiritual Health or Soundness in you but all full of Putrifying Sores you are and so unfit to enter God's Holy and Heavenly Temple And that which makes your Wound uncurable you cannot endure to have your Wounds searched to the bottom but such as can dawâ— you over with their untempered Mortar and call you good People and good Christians when your Lives loudly witness the contrary those you account your Friends And therefore will the Lord judge you according to your Deeds and according to the Fruit of your Doings will he reward you if you speedily return not to him with your whole Heart for a short Work will God make upon the Earth when neither one Name nor another nor one Profession nor another shall be able to hide the Wicked from his Stroke for it 's in the Truth it self as Truth is in Jesus that the safe Hiding-place will be and â—o where else as saith his good Spirit in his Servant Thomas Taylor To them that plays the Fool upon the Stage THOU that plays the Foolish Man upon the Stage and invents all the Lyes and vain things that ever thou canst to move Laughter in the Rude Multitude which is Madness as Solomon speaks and all this for filthy Lucre I demand of thee whether thou believest that there is a God that will call into Judgment all Mens Words and Deeds yea to the very Thoughts and Intents of the Heart and whether Christ's words are true which say that for every idle word that Men shall speak they must give account thereof in the Day of Judgment And if this be true as most true it is then how wilt thou stand in thy multitude of vain idle unclean and corrupting words before the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth whose Wrath is kindled against all such as have even thus sold themselves to do Iniquity And his Judgment is near and the Judge even at the Door therefore in love to thy Soul I write this that if possible thou mayst repent and not Perish Eternally O ye People whose Eyes are abroad and whose Minds are in the Vanities of this World wandered from the Lord How can ye behold such Men as these doing such Foolish things upon the Stage without all fear of God and care what any one that fears God can say against them and yet profess themselves to be Christians How can ye forbear to reprove them Doth not the Apostle say to Christians Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them And this is a Work of gross Darkness for People to profess Christ to do these Deeds of the Heathen who said their Tongues was their own and they may use them at their pleasure But God will call into Judgment every vile vain and unclean Word and account must Men give for them and then Wo to the Wicked and all that love Lyes and such vain Inventions as this Foolish Man upon the Stage for filthy Lucre doth practice So People fear God and repent of your Deeds for the Lord God is at the Door ready to judge the present evil World for all their Iniquities Thomas Taylor Against Mass-Times WO to this degenerate World of People called Christians What shall be said concerning you and who shall declare your Misery For as you have multiplied your Transgressions as the Sand of the Sea so will the Lord multiply his Judgments and Plagues upon you for you have violated the Laws and broken down the Bond of that everlasting Covenant that should have redeemed and kept your Souls to God and you have wholly suffered the Spirit of this wicked World to carry you away Captive by Millions and Multitudes into the Land of Darkness and Wickedness which is Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was Crucified and is at this day trodden under foot by you where the Abominations of the Heathen and Superstitions of the Jews are kept up by you and practiced in the face of the Sun and many of them held up by force of a Law and such as depart from the Iniquities thereof even become a Prey to you So that the Lord hath dashed you together for many Generations like a Pot-sheard one against another and will yet dash you together for your great Iniquities and grievous Idolatries and will raise up his Plant of Renown from amongst you and become the Teacher of his People himself and they shall no more be a Prey to the Teeth of the Dragon Wolf nor Fox but shall feed in the good Pasture as in the beginning before Antichrist was and the Temples of Antichrist with the False Worships therein shall be a Desolation for evermore Wo Wo to all ye observers of Mass times and Tides and Seasons of the Year wherein the Spirit of this wicked World which is called Satan God's Adversary and Antichrist Christ's Enemy sets you at liberty to do all those Evils and abominable Works wherewith the Spirit of the Holy Lord God that made you is so much burdened and gâ—ieved from one end of the Year unto the other so that he can smell no sweet Smell in any of your Sacrifices that you offer up unto him because of the gross Darkness of your willfully deceived Hearts and the great Filthiness of your polluted Hands O how the Lord and his good Spirit in all is pressed under the weight of your Iniquities as a Cart under her Sheaves And therefore hath the Lord rejected your Confidence and called you Loruhamah not Beloved and Loammi not his People for as the Plant of a degenerate Vine are you to him a Field over-grown with Weeds and your Spot is not the Spot of his People and therefore into the great Captivity are
form or way of Religion so called whatsoever that are disobedient to the Light But dear Heart so long as thou judgest of Spiritual things in thy Natural Reason as here thou dost how many seeming Contradictions will there be in the Writings of the Holy Prophets and Apostles which never can be reconciled to that fall'n Wisdom but are all in Unity only to those that are new Born in God from before whose Eyes the Veil is done away in Christ who is the Wisdom of God and the Power of God to all that receive him in Love but a stumbling Block and Rock of Offence to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks who stumble and are offended at the stumbling Stone the Light within through Disobedience as saith the Scripture And therefore here will be thy Wisdom even to cease from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils and all the Wisdom of his Words and Teachings which are without and which stand in the Will of Man and as was said before to hearken to the alone Teachings of the Spirit of God the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned thee within which stand in a daily cross to thy own Will and Reason and of all Men and cast off every weight and burden of Sin that hinders thy Soul from running the ways of God's Commandments as in that Light they are discovered to thee and so the Beam being removed out of thy Eye and Judgment brought forth into Victory in thee thou wilt see clearly into the Mystery of Truth as it is in Jesus which yet truly the Veil of dark Flesh being unremoved in thee hinders that thou canst not and therefore in the Fear of God sink down into the deepest Humility and willingly become a Fool that thou may'st be wise for to Repentance thou must come which yet thou hast not come unto before thou enter the Kingdom to that in thy Conscience do I speak which will show thee this to be true hearkening to it though the Enemy at present in thee it seems whispers otherwise Oh! the Serpent is more subtil than any Beast of the Field and hath deceived the whole Generation of the first Man and doth and therefore his Head being not yet bruised in thee causeth thee to cover but not with the Spirit of the Lord and so the Woe will meet thee till his Head be bruised in thee by the Seed of the Woman which way soever thou turn thy self Therefore must thou pass a strait Gate as all the Children of God have and do before thou come to Feed on the Tree of Life even the fiery flaming Sword must thou pass which is in the Hand of a Cherubin which yet thou hast not passed and therefore thy own Life and Strength yet remain which yet must go or thy Soul Perishes for ever for that Sword must cut down the Subtilty that that which hath led out from God may not lead to God for it cannot but the Simplicity through the destruction of the subtile Serpentine Wisdom must enter which breathes after God to do his Will that must enter by Jesus Christ And for that thou presses the necessity of a search by what Spirit I was acted in Writing and that because as thou say'st these are Times of strong Delusion wherein Multitudes are Captivated c. Thou may'st know that though it be true that many are Captivated by Satan now as at other times and strongly deluded yet neither in these Times nor any other were any Captivated in those Delusions but such only as received not the Truth in the Love of it but have Pleasure in Unrighteousness even such as turn the Truth of God into a Lye and holding it in Unrighteousness becoming vain in their Imaginations worshipping and serving the Creature more than the Creator And such God in Justice doth indeed give up to believe a Lye and to be strongly deluded by thinking themselves to be of God and Christians when old things are not passed away from them much less all things become new and such are they also that the God of the World hath blinded the Minds of such who are minding Earthly Things who live in the Lust of Uncleanness turning the Grace of God into Wantonness having indeed a form of Godliness but denying the Power the daily Cross loving the Friendship of this perishing Evil World and the things thereof as the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life making it hereby manifest they know not the true God in his Power and his Purity within them but Worship they know not what a God at a distance far away from them and a Christ by hear-say And now Friend consider seriously and lay these things to Heart for to thy Conscience in the sight of God I speak Dost not thou love the things of this World Art thou in Soul indeed seperate from them Dost thou not love Fineness in Apparel Fineness in Dwelling Fineness in Meat and Drink Fineness in Speech and Conformity to the World in their vain Fashions and Customs in many other things I say unto thee in tender Love God is no respecter of Persons and dost thou respect Persons Art not thou more afraid to Offend some than others and more careful to please some than others and that because of the Person Friend let me speak plainly to thee hath not thy fear of displeasing thy Carnal Relations now at Hipswell been a cause of thy strangeness to us I know it is not altogether as thou writest that because thou thinks us deluded that thou art so estranged from our Fellowship which once thou seemed to Love but some other thing the Light in thy Conscience will let thee see what it is Ah! the Cross the Cross thou must bear if thou should'st now own us will be I fear found in the Matter though I know it will be heard to confess it if thou hearken to the Serpent and not to the pure voice the Light of God in thy Conscience Dear Heart consider it is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of God as the Scripture saith and thou wilt I know acknowledge but those only that do the Will of the Heavenly Father which is Perfect and Holy and though thou look at it now as something harsh to be told of Dissembling with the Lord within yet I know through the Revelation of Jesus Christ in me if ever thou come to see in Truth the deep Deceitfulness of the Heart of Man thou wilt see a dissembling Nature lie lurking within thee under many Vails which now thou seest not and though thou say now Lord let thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven yet then when God comes to set up his Kingdom in thee and so to advance his Son Jesus Christ in thee in the destruction of the Kingdom of the Devil and of all thy own Wisdom Glory and Idols and so to do his Will in thy Earthly Heart
Free Gift of our God and no Inchantment shall now stand against God's Spiritual Host nor Divination against the Redeemed of the Lord who have known his Wonders in the Deep and known the Out-goings of God's Power against Pharaoh and all his Host in the Red Sea of his Fiery Indignation And now will God be exalted in Judgment and avenged in Righteousness upon all Nations and People under Heaven who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness and will not that God's Holy Son Christ Jesus the Light should Reign though he be come to Reign and Judge in the Earth For to him the Light who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World is all Power in Heaven and Earth given and his Light shines freely into all your Hearts O all People of the Earth and shineth in the thickest Darkness making manifest the Creator's Will to all your Consciences through your Darkness tho' People comprehend it not but it comprehends you and all your dark Ways and destroying Thoughts and lets you see plainly that for all your great Workings and toilsom Labours in an outside Profession in your earthly Wills you have wrought no Deliverance in the Earth but your Soul's Enemies still stand in strength and it lets you see plainly that for all your striving and sighting and killing and spoiling and destroying one another about earthly things you have done no good at all but brought God's Judgments upon all your Souls and pierced your selves through with many Sorrows And therefore the Heavenly Voice sounds through the Earth and calls aloud in your Ears and knocks at the Door of your Hearts O all People of the World High and Low Professor and Prophane Jews and Gentiles Christianâ— and Turks arise arise awake awake turn in your Minds to the pure Light of Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead the Son of the Eternal God Creator of Heaven and Earth who Died for your Sins and Rose again to give you a New Holy and Everlasting Life in himself through Faith in his Name And behold he lives for Evermore and all see and search diligently in your selves what you know of his Holy Life made manifest in you to destroy the Body of Sin and Death in you which in the Days of Darkness hath filled your Vessel and brought your very Soul Mind and Heart into the Thraldom of that wicked One who is called the Devil and Satan and compassed with Terrours and Fears and Affrightments your very Life and whole Man because of the Wrath of the Almighty which you by your sinful unrighteous and unholy and cruel doings both against God and your Neighbour have stirred up against you And behold the Earth languisheth because of these things and the Children of Light who are Redeemed to God out of these sore Evils and grievous Plagues do mourn for you and bewail your Misery Night and Day as well knowing in the Light of the Lord what your woful End will be if these Briars and Thorns and noisom Weeds the proper Fruit of the Curse be still suffered to grow in you and cumber God's Ground O how nigh unto Cursing is that Field which God's Rain rains upon and yet brings forth no better Fruit than Killing and Slaying and Spoiling and Cousening and Cheating and Defiling and Oppressing one another besides Lving and Swearing and Cursing and Drunkenness and Pride and Persecution of God's Righteous Seed with all other Abominations of the World against the holy Light and Checks and Reproofs of the good Spirit of the Almighty both in their own Consciences and the Mouth of God's Servants and Holy Witness of Truth in the Scriptures which notwithstanding all these their Abominations many of them profess to be their Rule But know O Man whosoever thou art or whatsoever Profession thou art of that that 's thy God and Ruler and Father and Teacher and Way whose Commands thou lovest and whose Works thou doest and whose Will in the inward of thy Mind thou closest with as Christ said to those Liars false Accusers and Murtherers in his Day John 8.44 c. Ye are of your Father the Devil for his Works ye will do he was a Liar and a Murtherer from the beginning so thou that goes from the Light of God in thee which shews thee thy Sin and the evil Lustings and Desires of thy Flesh and Mind thou goes from God and from his Fear and from the Way of Peace and so thou going from this and joining to evil Motions of Sin in thy Flesh or Corrupted Mind thou joins to the Devil and so brings forth Sin which is the Devil's Work and the Wages of every such Work is Death and so in the very Moment of time in which thou dost the evil Work whatsoever it be contrary to God's Light in thee thou diest the Death and so remainest Dead from the Life of God and his Blessed Righteousness until the Day of true Repentance and Amendment of Life and then what will it profit thee to have gained the World or Victory over thy Neighbour or Satisfaction to thy Lusts in the Loss of thy Soul's Life therefore arise arise awake awake O all Nations and People come forth to the Judgment of this great Day of God Almighty for now is the effect of every Vision to be known and felt in the Earth and the high Towers of the City of Confusion the Mystery Babylon the Great Whore the Mother of Harlots shall fall to the Ground and the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be exalted over all yea the Lord alone and his Righteousness and Truth and Peaceable Kingdom on the top of all shall stand and no Weapon formed against him and his People shall ever prosper And how is it O all Nations Kings and People that ye are not yet willing after so many Years knocking at the Gates of your Cities and Doors of your Hearts that you will not open to the King of Glory Christ Jesus the Light that lightneth every Man that cometh into the World that he may come in and be Judge and Lawgiver and King in the midst of you that the Desire of all Nations may come and be Head in all For what is it that the Soul which God hath made in all Nations doth desire but to see it self unburthened of that grievous Corruption which hath defiled it and to be delivered from that Body of Sin and Death which hath and doth so Embondage it from the beginning until Christ's Power be known within to work the Work of God and to destroy the Work of the Devil and to save the Soul from its Sin and present it spotless to God which is the true Salvation indeed Now this is my Witness for God amongst the Servants and Redeemed of the Lord this Day whom the World in Scorn call Quakers who suffer for Righteousness sake That there is none that can thus know the Day of Christ's Power to Salvation but as they believe and receive that Light of God and
Christ which they be freely inlightned withal which shines in their very Hearts and Consciences which searches their very Hearts and Reins and makes manifest to Man his Thoughts and from which none can hide any thing but all things are naked and bare before him the Light Christ Jesus who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Jew and Gentile one and other who searcheth the most hidden things of Man and brings them forth to the Judgment of his Righteousness for though the Night may hide the Adulterer and the Thief from Man it hides them not from God there is one nigh in the Heart and Conscience that tells Man and Woman all that ever they have done and do daily do even their secret Thoughts is not this the Christ of God the true Messiah that was to come and is come and dwells amongst us and we look not for another And of his Fulness have all we received and do daily receive who believe in his Light which shines in our Hearts according to the Scriptures of Truth And this the Fulness of our Blessed God and Saviour Jesus Christ the Light is it which filleth all that come to him with all Spiritual Blessings and Heavenly Good Things and without whom all is Darkness Emptiness Death and Desolation as all the poor deceived lost Sons and Daughters of the faln Adam do sooner or later know and are made to confess But Blessed are they that consider of things in time and lay things to Heart before it be too late for there are but Twelve Hours in a Day in which Men may work saith Christ and then the Night cometh in which none can work but the Door will be shut upon all who have slighted and neglected the Day of their Visitation O England England and all Lands far and near that you had known or could yet believe the things that belong to your Everlasting Peace before they be hid from your Eyes therefore turn ye turn ye at the Reproofs of God's Wisdom and Spirit of Light and Truth which sounds through all and lets you see the Vanity and Evil of all your Works and Frailty of all your Lives how soon the Thread of your Life is cut off And then where is the great Emperors and Kings with all their Crowns And where is the great Captains and Commanders with all their Bloody Victories And where is the Wise Achitophel's and Cunning Counsellors of the Earth with all their Admirers And where is the Covetous Oppressors with all their Houses full of the Spoils of the Innocent Yea in that Day where is all the Glory and Lusts of the World with all the Lovers of it Surely in Darkness and Misery shall they lye down together and Death shall have Dominion over them even all who have not believed in the Light Christ Jesus and who have not followed him in the Regeneration that they may be saved but have spent their Days in the Pleasures and Lusts of the present evil World to Destruction Now therefore O all People hearken to the Counsel of the Lord in this your Day and learn of the Lamb the Light who calls you to Repentance from all your grievous Ways How long shall the Spirit of the Lord strive with you When will you cease learning War and Destruction and Oppression and Spoil O when will you beat your Swords into Plow-shares and your Spears into Pruning-hooks O when will you go and say one to another one Neighbour to another and one Nation to another Come let us all be humbled before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who made us all of one Blood to dwell together upon the Face of the Earth in Truth Goodness and Love to serve one another and so as Branches of one Tree to receive Life and Vertue and Power from our God into our Souls to strengthen us unto his holy Work who came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them whose Kingdom is not of this World and therefore is not set up or maintained with Carnal Weapons Violence and Spoil but by the Eternal Spirit of our God whose Fruit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth and let not the wicked Devil the Destroyer deceive us any more by his Lies and Delusions but let us all with one Heart and Soul resist his Temptations when he perswades us to seek to be great in the Earth and be avenged on them we count our Enemies let us not hearken to him but let us overcome their Evil with Goodness and not to seek the Destruction of their Persons or Spoil of their Estates as the Heathen do that know not God but let us follow the Example of Jesus Christ God manifested in Flesh who when he was reviled reviled not again but pray'd for such as despitefully used him O come let us follow this meek Lamb in Righteousness and Truth and let us learn of him in our Hearts who is meek and lowly that we may find rest for our Souls who rebuked his Disciples who would have had Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy the Samaritans who would not at that time receive Christ for what knowest thou O Man but the Samaritans may in time come to a better Mind and then thou wilt see it was thy Will and not God's that desired their Destruction in their Sins for Christ would have all to be Saved and to come to the Knowledge of his Truth but many will not come to him that they might have Life and so their Destruction is of themselves and their Condemnation just And who are now therefore those that withstand the Doctrine of the Truth which saith Love your Enemies and seek not the Destruction of their Persons and Estates but seek them by good Doctrine and good Life to bring them out of their Sins And if they will not but rather hate thee for thy Good-will be content thou hast quitted thy own Soul and art clear of their Blood and so thou becomes a Sufferer with Jesus Christ and shalt Reign with him in due time I say who are these now on the Earth that are against the good Self-denying Doctrine of Christ and continue in the hateful destroying ways of the old Jews and Gentiles but such as will not be counselled by the Lamb of God the suffering Seed who said Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of Heart but ye are Men of corrupt Minds and account Gain and worldly Honours and Promotions more than Godliness who cry Peace Peace to themselves in their Sins And that same Spirit in them which creates that false Peace in them is the same that stirs them up to kill destroy oppress and spoil one another for selfish and worldly Ends but the Lord is arisen to Judge all these Evil things and to redeem a Seed to serve him as in the beginning of the Gospel before Antichrist the Murtherer got up amongst them that professed Christ in Words but denied him in Deeds and so had a Name
and Bears led about your Streets with a Drum and a multitude of People in order to more Vanity and Wickedness and that at such a time as this wherein you pretend to be more Servants of God than ordinary by your Communicating together in your Eating and Drinking the Signs of Christ's Body and Blood But alas for you What will all this avail you so long as Bull and Bear-baitings are tolerated amongst you with such full Allowance as this to the Grief of God's Spirit which abhors all such Cruel Sports and Heathenish Customs Do you not publickly profess in your Church-Service Repentance and Amendment of Life for all that 's contrary to Christ And do you not yet see that to delight in seeing Bulls and Bears and Dogs tearing and tormenting one another without cause is a grievous Sin in the sight of God and therefore not to be tolerated by you Besides the great hurt it doth in the Minds of your young ones who are led away from remembring their Creator in the days of their Youth by these things Surely the Lord is grieved with you will you not see the Evil of such Doings for I know if you would come to the Light of Christ in your Consciences you could not but see them and stand against them with all your might and so discharge a good Conscience towards God and his Creation And how do you know but the general Liberty for these Evils to act upon the Stage of these Nations is one cause of the present Judgment of the Sword amongst them Rests God's Servant who hath been a Mourner in Spirit for ye almost this Ten Years because of the Evil of your Doings but as yet you have not laid things rightly to Heart which shows your Misery to be great Thomas Taylor A Testimony against Sporting and Playing NOne can rightly rejoice in the Birth of Christ but the Spiritual New-born in Christ Those that think to please Christ with Eating and Drinking and Sporting and Playing are Carnally-minded and the Carnal Mind is Enmity to God and those that live in the Fleshly Mind cannot please God Rom. 8.6 7 8. So its manifest that the Service and Kingdom of God stands not in Meats and Drinks and Worldly Delights but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For Meats for the Belly and the Bâ—lly for Meats but God will destroy bâ—th it and them saith the Apostle But God will never destroy such as Serve and Worship him in Spirit and Truth all the days of their new and redeemed Life And so it is manifest the more Spiritual that any one is the more are they dead and separated from that foolish Mind and vain Customs that the Evil World loves and lives in And on the contrary those that make most Provision for the Flesh to satisfie it in the Lusts thereof let the Time be what it may are the greatest Enemies to Christ and their own Souls so let things be well weighed and considered and it will appear to the open Eye that God is not more dishonoured many Twelve Days of the Year than in these that People pretend most to Honour him in which to a Godly Heart cannot but be matter of great Sorrow as saith the Apostle Phil. 3.18 19. Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even Weeping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose Glory is in their Shame who mind Earthly things And this is the miserable and woful Condition of the most part of People that in these Days bear the name of Christians over whom the Spirit mourns Thomas Taylor A Loving Exhortation TO All Kings Princes Potentates Bishops and People in the whole Christendom Wherein is a Distinction betwixt the True and False Teachers To be Read over in Meekness and the Fear of the Lord. OYE Kings Princes Potentates and Rulers of the Earth we desire not your Thrones Honours Places or Dignities neither do we envy you for them for we have enough in God our Father who hath made us Kings and Priests to himself by Jesus Christ Spiritually to reign over the Evil in the World and to offer up our selves in Righteousness to his Glory and this is our Crown and that which we strive after in a pure Conscience for we are not of those that fight with Flesh and Blood and with Carnal Weapons for an Earthly Crown but such as in the Strength of Almighty God are taught with Spiritual Weapons to War only against that Mystery of Iniquity and Power of Darkness that captivates the precious Soul of Man and keeps it short of the Glory of God desiring from the Truth of our Hearts that neither the Soul nor Body of any may perish but that this Wicked one which is the Enemy of both may be destroyed out of the Earth in this day of Christ by the Spirit of his Mouth and Brightness of his appearing that so the whole Creation of God may be delivered from Bondage to stand in its Holy Order to the Glory of the Creator as in the Beginning that so he may take delight in the Children of Men and make his Abode with them as at that time when the Morning Stars sung for Joy and all was full of Beauty and Sweetness and no Death in them And O ye Bishops and high Teachers of the World we desire not your Seats neither do we envy you for your great Promotions but do desire that you may know with us the true Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul Christ Jesus the good and true Shepherd and Bishop who gave himself for the Sheep that he might Redeem them from all Iniquity and deliver their Souls from the hands of all Oppression to serve him in his own free Spirit where none can come to make afraid And as this Saviour you come to know and receive your knowledge of Men and Things according to the Flesh will cease and the Love of the World and the Worlds things will die in you and a Love to the Seed that breaths after Righteousness will arise in you and you will know what God requires of you and how you may do that which will commend you to God in the great Day of his Judgment which is nigh at hand and apply your Hearts thereto Therefore awake awake arise arise for the great Day of the Lord is indeed nigh at hand yea the Sun is already arisen and his bright Glory shineth upon the Sons of the Morning and the true fearching Light from which nothing can be hid is felt and known in the Earth and before it the Workers of Iniquity are as Chaff and before it can no mortal Man stand in Judgment though he glister never so much in outward Glory in the Worlds eye for in the presence of this Light the Judgment proceedeth not according to Person or Worldly Appearance but according to Truth Equity and Righteousness and
one Neighbour to another and one Nation to another Come let us all be humbled before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who made us all of one Blood to dwell together upon the Face of the Earth in Truth Goodness and Love to serve one another and so as Branches of one Tree to receive Life and Vertue and Power from our God into our Souls to strengthen us unto his holy Work who came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them whose Kingdom is not of this World and therefore is not set up or maintained with Carnal Weapons Violence and Spoil but by the Eternal Spirit of our God whose Fruit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth And let not the wicked Devil the Destroyer deceive us any more by his Lies and Delusions but let us all with one Heart and Soul resist his Temptations When he perswades us to seek to be great in the Earth and be avenged on them we count our Enemies let us not hearken to him but let us over come their Evil with Goodness and not to seek the Destruction of their Persons or Spoil of their Estates as the Heathens do that know not God but let us follow the Example of Jesus Christ God manifest in Flesh who when he was reviled reviled not again but prayed for such as despitefully used him O come let us follow this meek Lamb in Righteousness and Truth and learn of him in our Heart who is Meek and Lowly that we may find Rest for our Souls who rebuked his Disciples who would have had Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy the Samaritans that would not at that time receive Christ For what knowest thou O Man but the Samaritans may in time come to a better Mind and then thou wilt see it was thy Will and not God's that desired their Destruction in their Sins For Christ would have all to be saved and come to the Knowledge of his Truth But many will not come to him that they might have Life and so their Destruction is of themselves and their Condemnation just And who are those now therefore that withstand the Doctrine of the Truth which said Love your Enemies and seek not the Destruction of their Persons and the Spoil of their Estates but seek by good Doctrine and good Life to bring them out of their Sins And if they will not but rather hate thee for thy good Will be content thou hast quitted thy own Soul and art clear of their Blood and so thou becomest a Sufferer with Jesus Christ and shalt Reign with him in due time I say who are these now on the Earth that withstand Truth and continue in the hateful destroying Ways of the Old Jews and Gentiles but such as will not be counselled by the Lamb of God the Suffering Seed who said Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart But are Men of Corrupt Minds who account Gain and Worldly Honour and Promotions more than Godliness who cries Peace to themselves in their Sins And that same Spirit in them which crieâ— that false Peace in them is the same that stirs them up to Kill Destroy Oppress and Spoil one another for Selfish and Worldly Ends. But the Lord is arisen to Judge all these Evil Things and to Redeem a Seed to serve him as in the beginning of the Gospel before Antichrist the Murderer got up amongst them that professed Christ in Words but denied him in Deeds who had a Name that they lived but were dead from that true Life which was in Christ Jesus whom in Words they professed And though the Passage we seel now to be as hard of coming from amongst the false Christians and Turks as it was for the first true Christians to come from amongst the Jews and Gentiles yet the Almighty Power of our God is able over all and through all to carry us on to the end whom he hath called and saved with a mighty Salvation ever-praised be his Name and who will yet save his Beloved Seed Israel and gather them from the East and West and from the North and South to sit down with Christ in his Kingdom And this is no ill News to any but who are glewed to Deceit and married to Iniquity but it is Glad-tidings indeed to all that love their Souls and the Honour and Glory of Truth more than the things of this perishing World And I could desire that all who are apt to reason as the Jews did when they heard the Declaration of the Gospel of Peace and Kingdom of God which stands in Righteousness and Peace saying If we let this go on then the Romans or Others will come and take our Place and Nation I say that they would consider That the very Course which they to wit the Jews in the Denial of the Truth took for saving of themselves brought utter Destruction upon them and their Nation But what shall vain Man in his foolish faln Wisdom and earthly Reasoning think to be Wiser than God and to have a greater Care and Love to the Creation than God himself who made it hath What! shall Angels at the Birth of Christâ—sing Glory to God on high and Good-will to Men and yet when the way of God in Christ is published for bringing this great Work of Salvation to pass vain Man must come in with his false Mind and say This is the way to confound all Order and destroy all Good And that this Doctrine turneth the World up-side down And that the Messengers of Christ are pestilent Fellows and Movers of Sedition O Earth Earth Tremble before the Lord for thou shalt never have Peace in thy own Ways thou shalt never be Saved by thy own Strength thou shalt never be Established by thy own Counsels thou shalt never have true Peace nor any Plenty within thy Borders until thou believest the Gospel which saith Learn of Christ whose Kingdom is not of this World and whose Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual Mighty through God not for the pulling down of Outward Walls and Bodies but for razing and pulling down and destroying the strong Holds of Sin and Satan in the Hearts and Lives of the Children of Men For after that saith the Apostle The World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to wit such Doctrine as this which is a Cross and Stumbling-block to all Corrupt Flesh to save them that believe So lay things to heart ye People of the World and Inhabitants of all the Earth for God's Purpose is not to exalt any Man or Men of this World or to glorifie any Flesh but to exalt his own Son Christ Jesus the heavenly Man the Lord from Heaven the Truth over all of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no End And all that obey his Voice and for Obedience thereunto are made willing to Suffer with him shall reign with him for evermore But all others whether they be called Christians or Turks
Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were Slain upon the Earth Rev. 18.24 For what Spiritual Man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an Affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Vnfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never Read or Heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was never taught by Man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to lead them into all Truth according to Promise John 16. without being beholding to vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this R. B. who is not content to fit among the Parish-Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these Days that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it comes in Man's Way and by humane Study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing Man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without Man's help for he is worthy who as he Created all things by his own alone Power and according to his good Will so he Restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also Speaks John 1.13 But Oh! How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostles to R. B's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God lest any should think as this R. B. doth that it was either by Man's Labour or Study or humane Endeavour or Art or Parts or any Natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. And he bids not Err as this R. B. doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God And his Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 So this Word though it works according to the Witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of Men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ that witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them Record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to Knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this R. B. and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirits Teaching by the Letter and humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual Men 1 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this R. B's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Vnderstanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much Reading and long Study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them had need of some Miracle or something like a Miracle to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and Language in this R. B. from the Language of the Holy Men of God that writ the Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things Judge for the Holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased Man and all meer humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture Witnesseth But this R. B. tyeth the weight and main Stress of all upon humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Custom and Countries much Reading long Study and the like insomuch that without them Man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unless seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery thereof of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their unsound Doctrine as I may well say And Oh! for ever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lye down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's Fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the Hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the Holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God for ever Amen Again let us review and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your Advantages for Knowledge have been less than other Men's that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entered upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger Natural Parts than other Men or that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your Knowledge of the Holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means
prove the Pope and Papists to be a Church and all them to blame who have separated from him in outward Church-Fellowship upon any Pretence whatsoever So foolish is the World's Wisdom when it is set against Truth But this R. B. having laid his wrong Ground That all that are called Christians are in the right in all Points essential to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life he may easily conclude that to be unwarrantable Separation which goeth from such But then I say How will the Protestants warrant their first Separation from Popery Or how did this R. B. with his Presbyterians in Oliver's time with their Directory excuse their separating from the Bishops and their Common-prayer And how will he salve his old Non-conforming Brethrens Flight into New-England where since they have shed the Blood of certain Martyrs of Christ from the former Bishops But now his false Ground and Foundation being overturned it is most manifest that that Separation is most lawful which is from such who call Good Evil and Evil Good put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light as the Wicked do from whom the People of God in these days separate And so in obeying the Voice of our God who saith Come out of Mystery Babylon my People lest ye partake of her Sins and so of her Plagues we are justified for the Sins of the Wicked who in words profess God and Christ but in Deeds deny all is reached Heaven at this day And doth not the Apostle say If any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolator and Covetousness by the Apostle's Doctrine is Idolatry or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such not to keep company no not as to eat with them 1 Cor. 5.11 And doth he not say in another place Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness nor with the unfruitful Workers in Darkness as before but rather reprove them Eph. 5.14 must we not yet separate from them yea yea in their very Worship-Actions as well as others and when even the greater number are so far defiled and tainted with the Leprosie of Unrighteousness and they are so far from amending that they persecute all that will not be as bad as themselves Surely when the Lord hath spued out a People as he threatned to do luke-warm Laodicea Rev. 3.16 yea and cast them off for their resisting of his good Spirit as he did the Jews 't is no time for his People to stay amongst them then and to continue with them in their Worship-Actions as he calls them but every one to deliver his own Soul by coming out of such Babylonish Worships whose Prayers are Abomination to God as all sinful Prayers are and neither this R. B. nor any one that he knoweth upon the Earth prayeth without Sin as himself before hath confessed and so all of them together do daily and continually that which they should not do and leave undone what the Lord commands them and so have no Health in them And so now that the True Light shines so clear again from under the long Cloud of Antichristian Apostacy it is the Wisdom of all that love God and their own Souls to joyn to the Lord in the Covenant of his Light and Spirit where no Committers of Sin can joyn for Darkness and the Workers thereof can never joyn with the Light and the Workers thereof So now that the Trumpet hath founded all ought to come to the Holy Worship of God amongst the Holy Worshippers that Worship in the Spirit of Holiness and Truth where no Worker of Iniquity nor Hypocrite can come out of all the Defiled Worship of the World whatsoever or under what Name soever in the Fall But this R. B. is in such love of Hypocrisie that he makes a Necessity of the Hypocrites being amongst the true Members of Christ as though they knew not how to do without them as if the good Corn could not grow so well if the Weeds were wanting saying Page 56. It is more for the sake of the truly Faithful than for themselves that the Hypocrites have their Station and Priviledges in the Church God makes use of their Gifts and Profession for his Elect to many great Services of the Church To which I answer That this Language betrays thee further to be of Babylon and not of Zion What R. B. with all his seeming Zeal for Reformation in Oliver's days become now a Pleader for Hypocrites and their great Service in the Church But this is but like his Doctrine of his Graceless Ministers which he pleads for Page 114 of his Book so R. B. and his Hypocrites and Graceless Brethren with their Gifts or rather Thefts void of Grace have been so far from being serviceable to the Elect True Church that they have done it and ever did all the Injury that ever they can by their wicked Doctrines Ungodly Lives and heaps of Lyes and false Accusations and cruel Persecutions insomuch that the Growth of the Heavenly Seed the Lillies of God the true Heirs of the Kingdom hath been and is as a Lilly among Thorns But Christ and R. B. are directly contrary in their Judgment one to the other for Christ would not suffer the Devil in the Man to preach him but commanded him to come out and hold his peace because Christ never had need of Devils or wicked Men or Hypocrites to preach him but saith to such What hast thou to do to take my Laws and Covenant in thy Mouth and hatest to be reformed Psal 50.16 c. and so far are Graceless Priests and Hypocrites from being serviceable in this matter to his Church that he saith My Sheep hear my Voice and they follow me but the Graceless Minister and Hypocrite who is a Stranger to me they will not hear for such come but to rob and destroy read John 10. and see if ever R. B. understood Scripture who talks so contrary to it As did those Pharisees of old whom Christ cried out so many times Wo against Matt. 23. Who would neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others And those in Ezekiel who sowed Pillows under Mens Elbows making glad the Hearts of the wicked Hirelings by perswading People that they must not disown them from being Ministers though they be totally void of obeying Saving Grace and that Hypocrites have a Station in the Church for great Services with their pretended Gifts to the Elect and by pleading for Games and Fashions of Apparel yea and the Opinions in Religion of bad People yea to such a measure that he is not ashamed to say That many an Error is taken up by going too far from other Mens Faults as is to be seen in Page 224 of his Book with many such like Heathenish Sayings up and down his Book a few whereof I only touch here and there that by those the Reader may see the nature of that wretched Spirit that hath long
Truth and for Deceit that the Simple-hearted might for ever be warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Dr. Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for Conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of Mens Breath be silenced as R. B's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confoundâ—d with the Fall that when they awaked and got a little Breath that they should for fear of Men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouths blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a Man-made Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing which passage is contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober minded People may well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsly says to please the present Evil World with all that the Holy Scriptures warrant them in a Sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for it 's absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward Sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture now here commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest Praises to God And therefore People consider what a Wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst Men. What was was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it become such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep Prejudice for not Consormity to it What will not that Spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou Blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren Can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truly concluded that the Service thou pleads for is not of God because for Conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it But Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the Consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish-Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouths wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as Prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think says this Bryan in that P. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest Request to you is to lay aside your Prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your Separation be not sinful Answ To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouths are by the sinful Priests of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any Prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most Holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our Separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the Offence which the Parish-worshippers take is Offence without all Canse on our parts given and so it is no other than the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those days because they could not worship with their Neighbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not only so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their Separation then as they do us at this day and so the Reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so Bâ—essed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through Prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their Return be as Shameful as their Separation was Sinful like this Bryan and R. B who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been only in the Self separation according to the Will and Force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such Men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times than your Hearers are as R. B. says yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end But let all know that these Self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are not real Dwellers with God though this Bryan it 's like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom it 's like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering Words and Desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these Non-conforming Ministers by R. B's report are not so much against the Parish Way of Worship as now managed
the Children of Men there will neither be Peace nor Establishment of any good thing but as a Wheel will the whole Earth be from Generation to Generation saith the Spirit who is the sweet Orderer in all things for the Holy Seed's sake Glory to his Name for ever And so in the Love and Kindness of the Lord God have I been thus enabled for the Truth and the poor Peoples sake to lay open something of the Deceits and gross Hypocrisie of these two Men called R. B. and Bryan who have long under a Cover or Vizard of Holiness deceived the unstable Souls of many But now the Covering being rent off their Wolfish Nature is fully manifest Glory to the Lord the good Work-man over all for ever So be it Thomas Taylor Some Gentle Remarks on a Book Entituled A Discourse concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome A Book coming to my Hands called A Discourse concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome Written by E. S. Stiled D. D. And finding the Man Zealous against that Romish Idolatry which is Commendable in him E. S. in his Book Orig. Sacra Page 4. hath these words God Created the Souls of Men not only Capable of finding out the Truth of things but furnished him with a Sufficient Teacher to discover Truth from Falshood by a LIGHT set up in his Vnderstanding which if he had attended to he might have secured himself from all Impostors and Deceit And also finding in his Principles towards the latter end of his Book such a saying as this to wit his fifth Priciple There can be no other means Imagined whereby we are to judge of the Truth of Divine Revelation but a faculty in us discerning Truth and Falshood in Matters Proposed to our Vnderstandings which if we do not Exercise in Judging the Truth of Divine Revelation we must be imposed upon by every thing that pretends to be so And in Article 13. The Holy Scriptures may be understood Infallibly by all Persons who sincerely endeavour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their Salvation This is the Scope of the latter part of that Article And in Article 13. And there can be no sufficient Reason given why that may not serve in matters of Faith which God himself hath made use of as the means to keep Men from Sin in their Lives unless any imagine that Errors in Opinion are far more Dangerous to Mens Souls than a vicious Life is and therefore that God is bound to take more Care to prevent the one than the other And in his Fourth and Fifth Conclusion upon his Articles saith The more absurd any Opinions are and Repugnant to the first Principles of Sense and Reason which any Church Obtrudes upon the Faith of Men The greater Reason Men still have to reject the pretence of Infallibility in that Church as a grand Imposture And so to disown what is so Taught by such a Church is not to question the Veracity of God but so firmly to adhere to it as to what he hath Revealed in Scriptures that Men dare not out of Love to their Souls reject what is so taught Yet finding this E. S. making several Reflections upon us whom the World Scorn under the Nick name of Quakers I say us whom the Lord hath drawn out of the many Waters of Mystery Babylon into the Light of his Son that most inward Principle Faculty and alone Ability in Man to try all Doctrines and Works by I could not but thus write something to him that he might see his Mistake of us and not lose his Reward of standing against Romish Delusions by withstanding or Speaking against the Truth of God made manifest to us in our Hearts and Shining forth in our Lives to the Praise of his Glory and the Good of all who do rightly understand us and receive our Testimony I say that if possible he may understand a little and feel of that inward Principle or Faculty as he calls it which he is aiming at and which he saith must be antecedently supposed viz. necessarily to all Divine Revelation are these things writ Now that part of his Book where he some-what smites at us is that where he Treats of the Fanaticism of the Roman Church As one may see Page 249. where he says Who will not take pains to see how Faithfully I have Translated these Words out of Eymericus would imagine I have borrowed some of the canting Language of the Modern Quakers Look * where he goes on Now What is this some of this canting Language That part of Petrus Johannis's Relation of St. Francis as he calls him runs thus That those who Opposed this Order to wit of that Francis were the Carnal Persecuting Clergy in whom the Seat of the Beast is much more than in the People that in the time of the Mystical Antichrist the Carnal Church shall oppose the Doctrine Life and Zeal of the Saints and burn as it were with Fire against them but it shall be dried up from all Spiritual Wisdom and Grace and the Riches of Christ and be Exposed to Errors and Delusion and as it was with the Jews and Greeks Thus far there To which I Answer What is this kind of Language Canting where it is truly applied in any Age dost not thou Edward Stillingfleet believe that there both was and is a Carnal Church that did and doth oppose the Doctrine Life and Zeal of the Saints c. as is there sâ—t down To let Francis and his Applauders alone we know both the Holy Prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ mentioned in Scripture as also Christ himself did vehemently Cry against a Carnal Church or Fleshly Company of Professors in those days for he that was born after the Flesh did always Persecute him that was born after the Spirit both before and in the Apostles Days And so it hath been since no question all along downwards and as we for certain find it so in these our days not only by the Papists but even amongst them called Protestants also And was those many Sharp Reproofs and large Discoveries of the False Teachers in the Prophets and Apostles time Canting O Man take heed thou knows not what thou dost when thou judges our Witness against the False Teachers and Carnal Professors of this Age no better than Canting But certainly though some of you may put it off at present as a light thing and look at it Scornfully as no better than Canting as they did who said He is Mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him but the time will come when it will be otherwise even then when the Books are opened and every one receives a Reward according to their Deeds It is strange this Doctor who seems to be so much Read should Read our Principles no better and pretending to so much Wisdom if he have Read our Books that he should no better understand us than to compare us
are approved may be made manifest He doth not say Heresies come for want of a Pope and General Council And I may add another Reason and that a main and universal one and that is Peoples either not living in the Spirit or not walking in the Spirit and so not keeping the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And so not keeping the Head to wit Christ in whom if the whole Body be coupled and knit together increase of the whole Body to wit the true Church is made to the Edifying of it self in Love and not otherwise Eph. 4. This is the Cause and continual Cause A Second Reason of those Differences saith that Popish Book is because the very Ground work of Protestancy is That all Men even the whole Church of God are Fallible and subject to Err so that they cannot pretend to Certainty or Infallibility saith he for any one Point of their Belief To which I say if any Protestant say the whole Church of God is Fallible and subject to Err if they understand the Church as Paul doth in Ephes 5.25 26 27. and as he doth in 1 Tim. 3.15 or as Christ doth in Mat. 16.18 where it is said The Gates of Hell shall not provail against it they do not well For though all Men as Men in Adam the Earthly are not only Fallible and subject to Err but also really in Deceit and Error yet in Christ Jesus the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven that quickning preserving Spirit of Truth there is no Fallibility nor Error as the Apostle saith 1 John 3. He that abideth in Christ sinneth not Ver. 6. And he that is Born of God sinneth not nor can sin Ver. 9. But what is all or any of this Glory to the Pope or his Synagogue which he falsly calls the Church of God For they do not attribute the Infallibility to the Eternal Spirit which is in every true Member of Christ's Church which is their Leader into and Preserver of their Souls into all Truth but to the Pope and General Councils as though Infallibility were annexed to the Dream of Peter's Chair and not to Christ's Spirit in the Faithful O the Abomination of Desolation that is in this Popish Doctrine But what is there such Unity amongst these Deluded Disciples of the Pope Surely nay for as we read there was amongst the Jews the several Sorts and Sects of Pharisees Sadducees Libertines Cirenians Alexandrians and the like yet all against Christ So in the Popish Hierarchy there are the several different and divided Sorts and Sects of Franciscans Dominicans Jesuits Cappuchins Carthusians and others all agreed this Day as of long time they have been against the Blessed Crown Kingdom Dignity and Dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ But these with all the rest of Mystery Babylon's Merchants have cause to wail because the Light and Spirit of God in Christ Jesus is broken forth in Power and great Glory this Day to judge them all that the Kingdom not Worldly but Heavenly may be given to the People of the Saints of the Most High God for an Everlasting Inheritance as in Dan. 7.27 Here also I may well take notice of some other words that this Popish Pleader hath in his Book Treating of this Matter viz. Since then saith he to be of one Religion is to be of one setled Perswasion in Points of Faith and seeling cannot be without Infallibility or Necessity it is not well possible that any two Protestants or Sectaries to be of one Religion every Man Expounding the Scripture as he lists and no one having Power to Controul the others Exposition of it I Answer and in the Power of Christ do grapple with this Beast that arose out of the Sea and with his Image also and do say That no Humane Conceit nor Natural Man's Exposition with the help of all the World's Wit and Skill whether Pope or other is infallible or binding or controuling But by the same Spirit that gave forth Scripture whether in a Fisherman Tradesman or other now as well as formerly is the Scripture rightly Understood and Expounded So the true Oneness in Religion stands in the Oneness of that Spirit that gave forth Scripture and gives a right understanding of it and of all things as the Apostle saith The Anointing which ye have of the Holy One teacheth all things and by it you know all things 1 John 2.20 And he that hath not this Spirit is none of Christ's Rom. 8.9 And he that is guided by this Spirit is a Spiritual Man and so not to be judged or controuled in his Spiritual Concernment by any Man of this World neither Pope nor other as saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.10 15. It is so But whereas he tells of every Man Expounding the Scripture as he lists I say this is the Pope and all his Priests Fault and of all the wicked World besides who are not in Heart and Life subject to that one Pure and Holy Spirit that is of Jesus that leads Spiritually into all Truth which Truth is one And so though they that are of another Spirit may agree never so much and in never so great numbers in their several Ways of Deceit yet the true Religion of God's Holy Ones in Light they still remain ignorant of And so his Blindness of imagining that Protestants and Sectaries as he calls them cannot be two of them of one Religion doth hereby fully appear For not only they but all the People of the Earth under what Name Notion or Profession soever are either the Children of Light or Children of Darkness and so not only two but all of the same sort may and do agree in the Root in their Religion if it may be called so though we know there is but one true Religion and that is truly and properly the Religion of God's People the Children of his Light even that which in Purity and Holiness binds their Hearts to God And so by this word Controuling which this Remish Agent here useth it is easily seen how the Pope hath set up and maintained his Wicked Kingdom that is to say by a Worldly Controuling Power over Mens Souls and Consciences and not by the Power of Truth For if his Earthly Power with his Worldly Assistants were taken from him his Decretals Expositions Bulls Excommunications and Curses for not obeying his Commands would be of little force this Day in the Earth because of the Light that God hath raised up in the Hearts of People this Day to discover him Glory to his Great Name for Evermore And so the true Judge and Controuler of all Judgments and Controulers is on his Throne this Day judging in Righteousness and on his White of Glorious Power going on Conquering and to Conquer the Man of Sin in all Lands and his Holy Ones in Light His Called Faithful and Chosen follow him with great Joy of Heart Rev. 19.11 12 13. He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit
plunged or overwhelmed in Outward Water If yea then tell us upon what Scripture Proof your Faith is grounded seeing there is no Water there mentioned And if some were then Baptized in Water a second time why then may there not be as much Necessity now unto such as have not received the Holy Ghost at their first plunging into Water to be Baptized again in Water a second time And why was the Name of the Lord Jesus there only used and not the Form of words which you use and plead for seeing it was after that Commission Mat. 28.19 Let us know your Faith concerning these things and whether the most Orthodox amongst you be of one and the same Judgment concerning them 6. Why do you call you Dipping or Plunging People into Outward Water Sacred Baptism What Scripture President and Rule have you for that Tearm Did John the Baptist call his Baptism Sacred Or did Paul call it so Acts 19.3 4 Or was it not the Pope of Rome in his Decretal Epistle that called his Baptizing in Water Sacred Baptism and the Water in which he Baptized Holy Water And do not you use the same Tearm for yours But tell us plainly whether it be your Act of Dipping in Water that you call Sacred or the Water in which you Dip or Plunge People Or where you had that Tearm to call your Water-baptism Sacred if not from the Pope of Rome 7. Wherefore are you offended at us for calling your Baptizing in Water Dipping or Plunging seeing that we understand to be the import or signification of the Word in plain English 8. When you Dip or Plunge People into Elementary Water whether do you Dip or Plunge them in reality of Truth in or rather into the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit yea or nay For if not do you not deceive them in making them believe that you Baptize or Plunge them according as Christ commanded his Disciples into the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit when in reality you do but only Dip or Plunge them into Outward Water 9. Do you believe that the Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit is Elementary Water seeing I find in that Scripture Mat. 28.19 so often quoted by you to prove your Mission to Baptize in Water that Christ gave his Disciples Commission to Baptize in or rather into as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit but nothing said of Baptizing in Water Or do you believe that the Father the Word and the Spirit are one Is not his Name Spiritual representing his Nature yea Spirit Power and Life If yea why then do you seek to introduce and impose your Baptizing in Water from that Scripture And why do you presume beyond what is there written especially seeing that you your selves Confess that the Scriptures are the Ground and Rule of your Faith Why do you seek to impose a Faith upon us from that Scripture beyond what is there written What Ground and Rule have you for that And what Ground and Rule have you for your Baptizing in Water from that Scripture seeing Water is not in the least mentioned in it Tell us plainly 10. Did not Jesus Christ who gave that Commission Mat. 28.19 Command his Disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they were Endued with Power from on High Luke 24.49 And whether did they go forth to Baptize all Nations before they had waited at Jerusalem and received that Power Answer plainly 11. Have all you that go forth to Baptize in Water under pretence of that Commission Mat. 28.19 obeyed Christ's Command Recorded Luke 24.49 Acts 1.4 And have you received that Promise and Power If yea what is it A Book or Books or Writings without or the Spirit Power and Life of Christ revealed within But and if you have not obeyed Christ's Command as aforesaid but run before you have received that Power are you not therein manifest Transgressors of the Doctrine and Command of Christ even in that which you pretend to be the Ground and Rule of your Faith and Mission And if so are you not thereby plainly manifested to be Intruders and false Apostles who are not to be owned nor received but to be denied and judged by all that live in the Power of God and true Gospel Fellowship 12. Was the Apostle Paul any whit inferior or behind the very Chief Apostles And was not that Commission Mat. 28.19 as much his as yours And did not he know the Mind of Christ in it as fully as any of you the Counsel of God being revealed to him Notwithstanding which did not he expresly testifie that Christ sent him not to Baptize 1 Cor. 1.17 but to Preach the Gospel Now if you have a Mission or Commission to Baptize in Water which belongs not to him as fully as to any of you tell us plainly who gave it when you received it and your Scripture for it 13. Do you believe that Paul was Called and fully Endued for the Ministry And was his Commission Acts 26.17 18. Evangelical and Full for the Gathering and Planting of Churches according to Gospel-Order seeing we find nothing in it of Christ's sending him to Baptize Or do you think his Commission insufficient for the End aforesaid because he was not sent to Baptize in Water and that yours now is more Full and Evangelical If you do tell us what Scripture have you for the Ground and Rule of your Faith in that Matter 14. Whether do you believe that the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.5 be that of John's in Water or that of Christ's in the Holy Ghost seeing both John Christ and his true Apostles did distinguish betwixt them as aforesaid Now if you say that that One Baptism there mentioned is the Baptism in Water then I Query whether you do believe that the Baptism of or in the Spirit is now ceased or not of such Absolute Necessity as that in Water seeing the Apostle speaks but of One Lord even so of One Faith and One Baptism And whether you do believe that any now are or can be really made Members of that One Body and true Church of Christ by Water-baptism or any other way than by being Baptized by that One Spirit into that One Body Answer plainly Thomas Taylor Christ Exalted above Moses and the Spirit above the Letter MANY are and have been in all Ages the Enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Truth and Life Immortal which he hath brought to Light by his Appearance in and through his Servants both in the Days of his Flesh and since his Ascention by the pourings out of his Spirit according to his Holy Promise whereby it hath come to pass that many simple Minds have been greatly hindred from receiving the Truth for a time until it pleased the Lord by the Arm of his Mighty Power to Consume the Adversaries of his Glory and so to remove the Stumbling-blocks out of the
God Christ dees not send him or bid him go to the Spirit of Truth and wait for it Had Christ done so he might then have sent or directed the Man out of the way to get Life Eternal and so further from God than before for then the Man had not come through the Father to him according to John 6.44 45. And Page 15 further erroniously thou say'st You Quakers cannot find as that Christ the Prophet did give any Command to any People as was in ignorance of the Ways to Salvation or Life Eternal that they should leave off to be taught of Moses or his Law or Precepts and go to learn of the Spirit of Truth and let that teach or lead them God forbid O miserable Blindness and Ignorance That ever any Professing God or Scripture should thus belch out their Enmity against the Spirit of Truth The glorious Promise of the Father without which all Knowledge and all Profession is a meer Nothing but a heap of Darkness and Confusion and without which there had never been any true Prophet nor Scripture of Truth for Holy Men of God spoke not in their own Wills or Times but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth without which never Man did nor never Man can come to any Saving Knowledge of God or Christ or the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and Christ and therefore saith Paul after many Years zealous Profession of Moses's killing Letter That which the Eye hath not seen nor the Ear heard nor hath entred into Man's Heart to conceive God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirit of God that Spirit of Truth searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10. And therefore saith the same Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life And therefore saith Christ John 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away that the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth may come who is the Saints Comforter And this is that means by which the Father draws to Christ even the Spirit of Truth and not as thou ignorantly Dreamest the Letter of Moses's Law John 6.44 45. And so T. Hall thou art not far from that unpardonable Sin of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost who says That if Christ had directed the Man in the Gospel to go to the Spirit of Truth and wait for it he had directed him out of the way of Life O sad that ever such a Monster of Men should appear in these days when the Lord is so graciously arising with his Healing Wing of Light Life and Spirit to save his Israel out of the Hands of their Souls Enemies And thou T. Hall say'st farther God forbid that Christ should send or direct People that were in Ignorance of the ways of Salvation to go and learn of the Holy Spirit of Truth to be taught of it and not at Moses 's Law I say again This proceeds from the same bitter Root of Error and Blasphemy in thee that the former did and so Wo Wo Wo to that Nest that hatches such Venomous Birds and Cockatrice Eggs as thou dost And if that People of whom thou professest thy self a Member should see these things and not deny thee for them they would be as much to blame as thy self who hast plunged thy self so deep into the Pit of Destruction that no less than a Miracle of Mercy can help thee to see and acknowledge the Truth of God whom thou hast Blasphemed For O thou full of all Unrighteousness What must ignorant People come to know the things of God by but only by the Spirit of Truth as Paul says No Man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 And saith Paul Gal. 3.2 to some of like mind with this T. H. concerning Moses's Law This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith And Verse 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the Flesh Thus he shews That the Spirit of God is received into the Believing Soul through the hearing of Faith preach'd and not by any fleshly conforming to Moses's Letter of that Law for saith he in Ver. 10. of that Chapter As many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them See T. Hall what thou hast done for thy self and wouldst do for others by pleading for Moses's Letter of the Law to be over Christian People thou hast brought thy self under the Curse for they that come under that Covenant of Works must not only do all things written in the Book but they must continue therein without Sinning or Offending against it otherwise they are Cursed as the Apostle James in another place saith He that keepeth the whole Law and sinneth in one Point is guilty of all And so as I instanced to thee in that of the Sabbath day for though in thy blind Mind thou wouldst be a Teacher of the Law yet thou neither knowest what thou say'st nor whereof thou affirmest for the Sabbath-day which Moses commanded to the People under that Covenant was the Seventh day of the Week which thou neither keepest thy self nor any of thy Fellows and so you are guilty of breaking the whole Law and so under the Curse And whereas you think to save your Heads by saying You keep the next day being the First day of the Week for a Sabbath that will help you nothing at all for the Law admitted of no change of the day which was the Seventh from the Creation into another day And so the Apostles meeting together on the First day of the Week was so far from establishing the legal Sabbath that it was on purpose done to shew that Christ the end of the Law and everlasting Sabbath of Rest to his People was come And so to thee T. Hall and all of like mind with thee I say as Paul to the Galatians Chap. 4.21 c. Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law Do ye not hear the Law For it is written Abraham had two Sons the one by a Bond-woman the other by a Free But he who was of the Bond-woman was born after the Flesh but he of the Free woman was by promise Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to Bondage which is Agar For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in Bondage with her Children But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that
the Law was in its Childhood but when the Fulness of God's time came for the Manifestation of his Christ and the Pourings forth of his Glorious Spirit according to Prophesie and Promise then came the Church to be like the Heir at full Age entering into the Blessed Possession of the Father's Kingdom the Inheritance of Saints in Light And therefore saith Christ the Law and the Prophets were unto John since which time the Kingdom of God is preached and People press into it And amongst them that are Born of Women there hath not a isen a greater Prophet than John Bâ—pâ—â—st but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greate than he Therefore Wo is unto thee Tho. Hall and all such Jewish Spirits that would shut up this Blessed Kingdom of God from Men and you will neither enter into the Kingdom of God your selves nor suffer others Obj. But what then was the Law for Answ Paul answers The Law was added because of Transgression till the Seed which is Christ came to which the Promise was And so saith he before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith afterwards to be revealed Gal. 3.23 Then saith he Verse 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law was our School-master unto Christ but never a word of bringing us to Christ by Moses's Law but a shuting up We were shut up schooled saith he or hard kept to our Task and Whipped But he that reveals Christ to the Soul and draws the Soul to Christ is the Father by the Living Power of his own Eternal Spirit whom the Fleshly World knows not Obj. But must not the Soul be humbled in the sight and sence of its Sin before it can receive Christ for Salvation Answ I say yea but this is the Work of Christ also who by his own Eternal Spirit which ministers his Fiery Law doth Convince the World of all their Sins of Unbelief and mighty Transgressions whereby they have dishonoured him and slighted all his Love and so that which now makes all the Sins of People so Damnable is their Sin of not believing in and receiving Christ the Light of the World into their Heares to dwell guide and rule there and so he that believeth not is Damned already saith Christ and this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men believed it not And ye search the Scriptures saith Christ to those Jews that boasted of being Moses's Disciples for in them ye think to have Eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me but ye will noâ— come to me that ye may have Life Also consider that Paul for all his Zealous Profession of Moses's Law and Letter-knowledge was never truly sensible of nor truly humbled for his Sins until Christ appeared from Heaven and struck him down See Tho. Hall how Christ here sets forth the Nature of Carnal Professors of the Letter of Scripture and Boasters of Moses's Law they are dead from God because they will not come to Christ in whom only is Life They thought to have had Eternal Life in the Scriptures which test fi d of Christ but they sticking in the Form and dead Profession of the Letter without Christ the Living Power of God to Salvation they could not have Life Eternal Foâ— he only that hath the Son of God hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life but the Wrath of God abides upon him For you being under the Law as is said before are under the Curse and the Law worketh Wrath saith Paul and that is the reason that the Carnal Professors of the Letter are Persec tors of the Life of Christ where-ever it is made manifest in Son or Daughter in all Ages as Paul saith in that forementioned place Gal. 4. He that was Born after the Flesh Persecuted him that was Born after the Spirit even so it is now But the Lamb shall have the Victory and the mouth of all Iniquity shall be stopped Glory to the Lord our God over all for Evermore Another Piece of thy Enmity Tho. Hall against Christ and his Spirit is manifest in thy Paper where thou sayest That there is no Scripture that warrants Peoples going from the Law as Moses taught though it 's a Law written in the Letter to hear and learn at any other either a Christ Called a Law-giver or the Spirit of Truth as you call it Answ So here all may see that thou art so full of Enmity against Christ that thou canst not endure to have him honoured with the Title of Law-giver and thou art so full of Darkness that thou knows not nor wilt believe that God's People have any such thing indeed as the Holy Spirit to guide and teach them but comes forth with thy scornful Words like the Jews that Crowned him with Thorns and Spit in his Face saying A Christ called a Law-giver or the Spirit of Truth as you call it So it 's high time for all People to take heed of falling into the Error of these Men to wit Tho. Hall and his Fellows who have chosen the Killing Letter of Moses's Law and denied the Son of God and his Blessed Spirit and so have Builded the Babel of their Rotten Profession upon a Foundation of Sand to wit their own Righteousness which in the Day of God will utterly fail them for every Man's Works must be tried by Fire And so all such as have not Christ for their Foundation must Perish For other Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid even Christ who is our ALL and will Reign over all his Enemies for Evermore And so let no Man trouble us any more for we bear in our Bodies the Marks of the Lord Jesus And Ever-praised be his Name who hath given us an Understanding to know him the Salvation of God to be in us and we in him and so to be Witnesses for him before Men that the time of the fulfilling of his Scriptures is come which saith Jer. 31.31 c. Heb. 8. Behold the Days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Judah and with the House of Israel after those Days not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the Day when I took them by the Hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they broke although I was an Husband to them saith the Lord but this is the Covenant that I will make with them after those Days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbours and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest For I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more Now in
dwels keeps People always learning and never brings any to the Knowledge of perfecting Truth of the Lord Jesus for how should it For they have Run and I never sent them saith God therefore they shall not profit the People at all Jer. 23. And under this woful Condition lieth all the World of unbelieving People who believe not in the Truth Christ Jesus but follow their own dark Spirits which see nothing of the Kingdom of God nor the Holy Worshippers therein A long and dark Night of Apostacy hath passed over the World since the Apostles time wherein the Spirit of Antichrist and Devils hath wrought effectually in the Children of Disobedience as was foretold to the blinding of their Minds and hardning their Hearts against the Everlasting Gospel of Truth the Heavenly Light and Power of God unto Salvation and hath so deluded them that they have thought they were doing God service when they were Persecuting his Truth and Members of his Body as many in the same dark deluded state do at this day but now the Lord is lifting up his Standard against that great Whore Dragon false Prophet and their Armies who Gog and Magog like would devour the Lambs of Christ And now no Weapon formed against Christ his Truth and People shall ever prosper any more at all but the Lamb shall have the Victory and the Kingdom Dominion and Greatness of it shall be given to the Saints of the Most High God whose Kingdom is Everlasting and that Nation Kingdom and People that will not bow to Truth will moulder away and come to nothing as the Lord hath said For now is the effect of every Vision fully to come and no more at all to be prolonged And therefore Wo Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea who are putting the Day of the Lord a far off crying Peace Peace when there is no Peace for there is no Peace to any who will not have Jesus Christ the true Light that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World to rule in them and over them for his is the Kingdom Glory and Power and he will Reign for Evermore in the midst of his Enemies Glory to his Name without ceasing Amen and Amen saith my Soul whom thou hast Redeemed O Holy One of Israel to set forth thy Praise amongst the Living in Jerusalem thy Holy Hill so be it So now O all ye that love Righteousness and daily wait to see the Heavenly Kingdom thereof set up in you and in all People I T. T. your Brother in the Joys and Sufferings of the Gospel having had through the Mercifulness of our God and Father perfect knowledge of his Good Way from the beginning of this Day of his Love which hath dawned upon his Beloved Seed in these Islands and in all the World do declare and bear my Testimony for God amongst many Brethren that there is no way to God the Father of Light but by the Light Christ Jesus that true Light that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World with a Light that is Pure Free Spiritual and Sufficient that all Men through it may believe and so be led out of Darkness Sin and Death the ways of Sin into the Marvellous Light and Life of Righteousness and true Holiness and so into Fellowship with the Holy God without which Holiness none can see him nor enjoy him for ever For this Gift of God the Light is Holy and in all that believe and receive it it brings forth it s own Blessed Image which is Holiness And it is Free and works according to its own Blessed Nature in all that joyn to it setting them free from all their Spiritual Enemies whatsoever and so making them Free-born Children of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is free for evermore from all the false and imbondaging Impositions of the Man of Sin whatsoever And so also because this Heavenly Gift of God Christ Jesus the Light who Lighteth every Man John 1.9 is perfect and shines in the Heaâ—t therefore it doth of its own Nature make perfect every Man that wiâ—h their Hearts receive it and so come to God by it It makes perfect to God as pertaining â—o the very Heart and Conscience of all its Lovers for if you Love the Light you Love God from whence it comes for he that Loves him that is sent â—oveth also him that sent him And therefore I say unto all People upon the face of the Earth that all that Faith Hope Worship Religion or whatever it may be called That stands not in and is not carried on in this Power of God the Light which Lighteth every Man is nothing worth Every good and perfect Gift saith James cometh down from the Father of Light who is Unchangeable and it shines in the Heart of every Man though the Darkness which through the Full hath gotten place there comprehends it not yet the Light is there a sure Foundation a tried Corner-Stone Elect and Precious Blessed are all that fall upon it so as to be broken into Godly Sorrow and Tenderness of Heart and Blessed are all that Build upon it they shall be called the Elect of God Precious Sons and Daughters of Zion and their Building shall never fail them nay the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against their FAITH because it standeth in the Power of God Christ Jesus the Light that ever Liveth to keep them in a good and safe Condition that thus come to God by him The Day is dawned which makes all things manifâ—ll Praised be God forever even the Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth is come and the Holy Anâ—iâ—ting is witnessed in all that believe in the Name of the Living Unchangeable God which Teacheth all things and it abideth in the Faithful Hearts and is sufficient And he called the Light Day and so the joyful Day which the Lord hath made being come we will Rejoyce and be Glad in it though the Children of Darkness be never so Angry For the Lord our Strength will maintain our Cause against all his Foes for evermore so be it And now though the Children of the Night be many and Professors of the Letter of Scripture that want the Life of it come forth as so many Armies to plead for and contend for their several formed Ways and invented Worships against the Children of God this day who Worship God in Spirit and in Truth yet Greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and so though we are forced to Build in this our Holy City New Jerusalem with our Spiritual Sword in our Hand yet we are all well content finding the Lord still with us in this Day of the Restoration of all things And so though Tobiah and Sanballat with all the Heathen Mock and carry false Reports concerning us to the Rulers of the Earth yet through the Help of our God we are enabled to go on in our Holy Spiritual Work in the Lord 's Holy City
be hated of all men whether Professors or Prophane who are out of that Life and Holy Worship even for Christs very Name and Life's sake because it is a Cross and Offence to all the World who are in their own Wills under what Form or Profession soever who are gotten into a Profession of Christ without Christ and the daily Cross which his Followers bear Therefore all who are climed up into the Tree of an outward Profession without the true real seeling and Spiritual acquaintance with the daily Cross and fiery Law of the Lord and flaming Sword which Guards the Tree of Life which is in the Hand of the Angel of the Covenant for the cutting down of the Man of Sin that the Birth Immortal which is Holy may onter in and possess the Inheritance must come down again I say they must come to the beginning from which in their fallen Wisdom they are wandred to learn of him in Silence who speaks from Heaven whose Word is nigh in the Heart before ever they be established for except you become as little Children not in Talk but in Truth ye cannot enter God's Kingdom O ye People hearken awhile whether Teachers or Hearers You who have been feeding upon the Tree of Knowledg and never came through Gods Judgments the Flaming Sword to the Tree of Life Your Food is Death your-Works will Burn and your Fig leaf-Covers will fall off you and you be left Naked and Bare to the shame of your Nakedness as in the day that you were Born For what is any Covering unless it be that of the Spirit of Christ The Lord God who is of Purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity will bring your Deeds to the Light of his Judgments from which you cannot flee and before him will nothing stand but that which is Pure Your defiled Preachings Prayings Singings Hearings Readings will be rejected and cast out as Dung from the Presence of the Pure Holy God that is a consuming Fire You have multiplied words without Knowledge Ye have not been neither yet are ye Doers of Gods Will to the Witness of God in your Consciences I speak therefore in vain do you say Lord Lord and he will not hold them Guiltless that take his name in Vain Your Garment is not of the Pure White Linnen which is the Saints Righteousness but Linnen and Woollen is your Covering a thing forbidden by Gods Law Your Field is not sowen with the one Heavenly kind of Grain the Good Wheat but another Seed have you mingled with it and the mixture is so great that the Bad hath almost choaked and covered the Good in you If you will work you must into Gods Vineyard and be exceeding Diligent and Laborious in Spirit in plucking up the Weeds by the Roots in you the Light of Christ in your Conscience waiting in it will give thee Understanding But Wo will be to them who call the Light Darkness and put Darkness for Light and so suffer the Good in them to wither and nourish the Bad Part in them which is like the Grave that never hath enough but is always learning at Man without and not at Christ within and Ministring from the outward Dead Spirit of the World and not from the measure of the Living Spirit of Christ and so not taking heed to the Word of Faith which is nigh in the Heart the Word of Christ which is Spirit and Life they never get Victory over their Sin as is manifest but go laden Teacher and Hearer all their Life long with divers Sins and Lusts as was said before So Wo to the selfish Workers who speak their own words and think their own thoughts on this the Holy Sabbath Day of the Lord God wherein he hath given his People rest from all their weary Labour and Burdens The outward Day the first Day of the Week shall not Cover you nor be a Sabbath to you but in the breach of Gods Holy and Everlasting Spiritual Sabbath of Rest you being found you must bear his Judgment Behold all ye that kindle a Fire this Day and that compass about your selves with Sparks walk in the Light of your Fire and in the Sparks that ye have kindled yet know that your reward from the Lords Hand is to lie down in Sorrow I say all you who feed upon and whose Faith stands in the wisdom of Vain Mans words raised up in the subtility to please the itching Ear and not in the Power of God which washeth the inside a Day of Scattering cometh upon you it cometh and a grievious Whirl-wind from the Lord and the Pleasant Breasts of Mystery Babylon which you so much delight in shall be dried up for the Lord hath rejected your Confidence because you have rejected his Good Word and Counsel and chosen your own Delusion and evil entreated his Servants whom he sent rising up early and sending them time after time to warn you to come out of all your Dead Forms and Dead Faith into the Living Virtue and Power of his eternal Spirit of Truth to Worship him there and to know it in you but you would not therefore the Lord will yet do that Great Work and Wonder amongst you he will confound the Wisdom of your Wise and bring to nought the understanding of your Prudent Men and they shall be as Women weak and feeble the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and the Songs of your Temple shall be Howlings in that Day because of the Vine of Sodom that will bear no more Grapes but so many as have drunk of the Wine of her Fornication must Drink of the Cup of Gods Wrath. And all you who talk of your Faith and suffering Condition and yet Live in your Sin you know not what Spirit you are of for the same mind that you think to suffer in is it which by Transgression grieves the Spirit of God and stands against the setting up of his Kingdom in your selves and the Testimony thereof in his redeemed Ones this Day And so if you could give your Bodies to be burnt in this your Unsaved and Unsanctified Condition it would prosit you nothing at all Wherefore come out from amongst them all you that would be happy and touch no unclean thing but give your Hearts to the Lord to know his Light in you to teach you and he will receive you and hide you from the Wrath that is to come upon all that are not in him as saith his Spirit in his Servant This is a Message of Truth to all you in and about Stafford and those of like Spirit with you elswhere who go under the Name of Presbyterians Teachers and Hearers to Read and Ponder in the cool mind that you may know what the Lords Mind is concerning you in this his day wherein he is manifest with his Fan in his Hand to purge the Floor that he may gather to himself the good Wheat and burn up the Chaff For we knowing the Terrors of the Lord
perswade you and all People in Love to your Souls to take heed of dallying with God who is a consuming Fire for his Judgments are manifest and who can stand before his Wrath O be not Proud lest your bands be made strong but be Meek and Lowly and Gentle in Heart to Learn of him that is so that you may find rest for your Souls for there is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God the true God that made Heaven and Earth whose Wrath from Heaven is perfect revealed against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men without respect of Persons or Professions who hold the Truth in any manner of Vnrighteousness So be it In the 2d Month 1670. Thomas Taylor WEEP thou England Houl Houl ye People for the Dreadful Day of the Lord God is at Hand it is at the Door as an Armed Man coming swiftly upon you to break down and tread under feet thy Pomp Glory and Strength Thou hast exceeded in thy Sins and art grown Monstrous in thine Iniquities so the Lord will be exceeding Terrible unto thee Thou hast suffered the Wicked in thee to have Liberty and to take their fill of Sin when the Voice of the Righteous cannot be endured in thee but he that departs from Iniquity and would perswade others so to do is even made a Prey of by Ungodly and Unreasonable Men their Bodies Imprisoned and Banished and Estates spoiled and many Injuries done them for God's Name and Truth 's Sake And therefore will the Lord God arise to take Vengeance for these things Yea his Soul will certainly be avenged on such a Nation as this saith his Spirit in his Servant if they do not repent and amend AND moreover because you have said in your Hearts We have compassed them about with an Act and none shall Worship God but as we please Therefore will the Lord the mighty God compass you about with his Terrors and you shall find no place to hide your selves in from his Wrath because of the Pride of your Hearts and Evil of your Doings O all ye People of the Land saith the Lord God who are guilty of these things Thomas Taylor THE Lord even the Lord God of infinite endless Glorious Power and Truth plead our Cause our Innocent Cause against you the Rulers of this Nation and of all the World who hate us and Persecute us without a cause The Lord hath raised us up in Righteousness ever Praised be his Name to bear our Testimony for God and his Christ against all the Ways and False Worships of Fallen Man and therefore it is that such as are in the fall through the Ignorance and Evil that is in them number us with the Transgressors and account all manner of Punishments and Grievances too little for us Yea Banishment Imprisonment Spoiling of our Goods and Death it self is Judged not less than we deserve So the Scripture is fulfilled see John 16.2 3. And all this for no manner of Evil at all but meerly because we cannot cease to Worship and Serve the Living and True God our Father as he hath taught us and doth teach all that come to him For our Worship to God is pure in Spirit and Truth And this is the True Standing and established Worship for evermore and God is now Mightily seeking such to Worship him And so the Lord the Ever-blessed and True God Plead our Holy Cause against you who hate us without a Cause We have laid before you the Truth and Righteousness of our Cause and our Good-will to all men and how it is not in our Hearts and Hands in the least to injure you or any but to this Day you will not hear but stop your Ears to our Innocent Cries and therefore to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth do we call and before him who is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords and RULER of Rulers and JUDGE of Judges do we lay our Innocent Cause O that you had known at least in this your Day the things of your Peace but you will not and therefore how can ye expect less than a Forsaking and Casting off by the Lord as the People of Old called Israel found who would not hear the Voice of the Lord and his Servants Crying and Calling unto them in those Days Read the Prophesie of Hosea Hos 1.6 8 9. and see what Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi signifie and humble your selves greatly before the Lord for assuredly great Wrath is gone out from the presence of the Eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth against you and nothing can stay it but your ceasing from Persecuting the Blessed Truth of God which we the People of God in Scorn called Quakers do Love and Live in It is so Thomas Taylor
People of England to Weep Page 64 To the Comers and Goers by the Prison-Window of both Sâ—â—â—s Page 65 To King Charles the Second concerning Persecution c. Page 67 To Informers Page 69 Some Serious Considerations concerning the Priests of the High Places called Churches their Sprinkling Infants Marrying People and Bâ—rying their Dead c. Page 70 To the â—ury-men of Appleby Page 73 To 〈◊〉 and Rulers Page 74 A Testimony of Truth Page 75 To all that are Worshipping in the Outward Court without God in the World in diverse Forms Page 78 To William Thornton called Justice at Hipswell in York-shire Divulged for the Information of other Moderate Enquirers after the Lord Page 81 To the Presbyterians so called Page 88 To the Presbyterians Page 90 To the Blind Teachers Page 91 For the Great People of the Earth who love the Pleasures of Sin these ib. Concerning Bread and Wine Page 93 The Indignation of the Lord upon all Nations Page 94 To Loose and Wicked Professors Page 108 To Protestants Page 109 To the Sons of Vanity Page 110 Who they are that only Rejoice in the Birth of Christ Page 111 A Testimony against Persecution to King Charles the Second and his Magistrates Page 112 Wo to the World because of Iniquity Page 114 An Apology from the Harmless against the Vnjust And to the King and his Magistrates against Plotting ibid. Against May-poles Page 116 To a Dancing-Master Page 117 To the Fruitless Vineyard of England Page 118 To the People of England Page 119 God's Controversie with England declared Or a Warning-word by way of Reproof to the Inhabitants thereof even to such as forget God and are adding one Sin unto another Page 121 A Faithful Warning to Outside Professors and Loose Pretenders to Christianity of all Sorts Page 123 Something as it came to mind of what passed at the Assizes in Stafford betwixt the Judge and the People of God called by the World Quakers But the Reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Scorners God will judge Page 131 To the Jury-men of Stafford that brought him in Guilty Page 138 To King Charles the Second Page 139 Against Lotteries Page 142 To Stafford Page 143 To the Mayor of Stafford Page 144 For them that Rule in Stafford ibid. To the Kings and Rulers Page 145 Concerning his being taken Prisoner of Seven Years Continuance Page 147 To the Mayor and Priest of Stafford Page 148 Concerning the Fallâ—n Christians Page 149 To the Vain People of the World Page 150 An Exhortation to all People Page 150 To the Teachers and Magistrates of Tamworth Page 151 To sinful People Page 152 To the Children of Men Page 154 To the Fencers ibid. Concerning Sprinkling Page 156 Concerning Burying and Churching of Women c. Page 157 A Testimony against Bull and Bear-baiting Page 159 A Testimony against Sporting and Playing Page 160 A Loving Exhortation to all Kings Pri ces Potentates Bishops and People in the whole Christendom Wherein is a distinction betwixt the True and False Teachers Page 162 A few Necessary Questions and Conclusions for the Present Parish-Teachers of England c. Deeply to Ponder and Answer in God's Fear for the Good of their own and the Peoples Souls that are under them for the Lord is arisen to call all things into Judgment Page 171 A Strong and Terrible Alarm Sounded out of the Holy Mountain against all the Wicked Inhabitants of the Earth Page 179 Watching for Sin Page 181 A Warning to the Nations to lay aside all Prejudice and Enmity the Ground of Strife and Wars and to come and Embrace the Light of Christ Jesus that they may see themselves and come to be Saved and Healed and Vnited in the Love of God Page 182 To People whose Hearts are turned from the Lord Page 189 To the Magistrates Page 190 To the Generation of Fleshly Fallen Christians not worthy the Name of Christians Page 192 To the King Page 193 An Exhortation to remember the Judgments of God Page 195 To the Vnclean Communicants Page 196 God's Virtue and Goodness Extolled ibid. Richard Baxter 's Book Entituled The Cure of Church-Divisions Answer'd and Confuted Page 201 Some more of these strange Sayings of this Richard Baxter in his Book Page 232 Some Gentle Remarks on a Book Entituled A Discourse concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome Page 249 The Day is Dawned that makes all Wickedness manifest Page 255 To some of T. Hicks 's Friends Page 257 Something concerning that called the Common-Prayer Page 258 A Testimony for the Lord the good Shepherd and true Minister of the Sanctuary and true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not Man against all the False Shepherds and Hireling Ministers and Teachers of the World under what Name or Notion or Form soever who have run and God never sent them and therefore cannot profit the People at all Page 273 The true Fast from the False Page 283 Something in Answer to some Passages in that naughty Book called A Looking-glass for Ladies Page 284 Thomas Taylor who was ten Years and an half in Prison at Stafford writes a Letter to a particular Adversary Page 293 To the People at and about Stafford a Testimony for God and his Truth and against Deceit and Deceivers especially the Hireling Priests as a Warning Information and Instruction in Righteousness to them and all People elsewhere concerned by the Spirit of the Lord in his Suffering Servant Thomas Taylor Page 294 Something in Answer to some Passages in that Wicked Antichristian Book written Catechism-wise by some Popish Stickler for his Master the Pope the Romish Antichrist and his Followers Printed at Douay and subscribed H. T. Page 299 A Warning to the Papists at Stafford Page 314 Something in Answer to a Paper from a Nameless Author directed to be left at Joseph Holt 's in Okeham Page 317 A Copy of Verses writ upon occasion of a Visitation so called Page 326 Certain Queries Propounded to the People called Anabaptists especially to such as believe and hold forth that Water-Baptism is an Ordinance and Command of Christ Jesus the Door of Entrance into the true Church and so of such Absolute Necessity as that there can be no True Gospel Church-Fellowship without it Page 333 Christ Exalted above Moses and the Spirit above the Letter Page 337 A TESTIMONY Concerning our Dear Friend and Brother Thomas Taylor Who was Convinced of the Lord's Everlasting Truth and Received it in the Year 1652. HE had been an Eminent Parish Priest and of Note among the Professors and other Priests and also a Lecturer in several Countries Preaching Sermons on the Week-Days And he coming to Swarthmor in Lancashire with some other Priests I ask'd him and them before Judge Fell Whether he or any of them could say that they ever heard a Voice of God or Christ from Heaven that bid them go to Speak to any People as God and Christ did to the Prophets and Apostles And Thomas
precious Faith Grace Mercy and Power from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be abundantly multiplied in you and the Blessed Arm of his Power support you and carry you through all the present and future Tryals for the Gospels sake on Earth for us hath the Lord drawn out of the many Waters and set our Feet upon the sure Rock of Ages the tryed Foundation and brought our Souls into the unmoveable Rest Glory to his Name for ever that we might be to his Praise and Glory and Honour for ever that he might dwell in us and we in him for ever and so be safe for ever under his Wing where the Wicked cannot come because of Unbelief and that great Violence whereby they have stopt the way of all good from their Souls But now Dear Hearts and Beloved in the Lord you who have loved the Light and received the Power which makes all manifest and cleanseth from all Sin you are Blessed even the Blessed of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who loves your Souls with a perfect Love and fills your Hearts day by day with his Infinite Goodness Therefore as a Recompence for all his Mercies give up your selves to his Holy Will in all things and love the Lord the same our everlasting God and Father with all your Hearts Souls Mind and Strength and he will do abundantly for you and us all even his whole Israel in every place beyond all that we can ask or think Look not out at the World nor their Love nor Hatred for they are Men and not Gods but keep in the Sanctuary of God the Spirit of Christ and there is Safety with him is the Well of Life which refreshes our Souls continually and makes all things easie and possible to us through Faith in his Name and Patience So let Patience have its perfect Work for we have daily need of it that we may continually see and feel the Love of the Lord in the Land of the Living and not be clouded with the Spirit of this World which gendreth to Bondage in any thing For if Lot's Wife look back she is presently turned into a Pillar of Salt and if the Israelite turn back but in his Heart into Egypt he is snared in Unbelief So my Dear Friends look up to the Lord in Spirit and Truth and wait continually to feel his living Presence in you to keep you open and single to him that of the powerful Spirit of his Holiness which slays the Sin and quickens the Soul to God you may be Witnesses and so come to possess the Immortal Kingdom where Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost only reigneth So with the Dear Salvation of my Love unto you all I commend you to the Lord to bless keep and water with his Goodness continually to his Glory who only is Holy and gives us freely every good thing to enjoy both for Soul and Body who is near to the Righteous in every Necessity to Help and Save to the uttermost To whom be Glory and Immortal Praise Even so rests with you in the full Assurance of his Tender Mercies in Christ Jesus your Dear Brother Thomas Taylor TO FRIENDS TO the Called and Chosen of God the Dear Vessels of Life and Glory in all the Earth doth the Tender Salutation of me your Dear Brother reach who as a feeling Member in the Holy Body of the Lord Jesus do daily partake with you of the Blessed Joys of Life Eternal and of the present Sufferings for the same who therefore cannot but continually through the pure Love and Lifes Motion breathe out amongst you the Happy state of our Innocent Souls because of Truth upon every Occasion to the stirring up and refreshing of the tender good thing the Heavenly Mind in all to the joint Praising Blessing and Magnifying of the Lord 's great Name for his abundant kindness towards every Particular Faithful Ones for Ever and Ever for he is good to Israel unspeakably unalterably true to them for Ever And now Dear Friends seeing God hath been so gracious to us above all the People of the Earth as to set his Name upon us in Righteousness to the Amazement and Astonishment of many and hath caused our Rod that was dry even as others to flourish and bear Fruits in the midst of the Earth to the Praise of his Living Power as a Token of his Acceptance and Choice And seeing God hath so graciously performed his Promises to us his Seed made to his Israel of Old in bringing up our Souls from Death and our Life from the devouring Sword and hath unloosed our Tongues to speak of his Wonders in the great Congregation why shall we not then speak good of this the Name of our God the true Everliving God in Comparison of whom the whole World with their many Idols Gods and Lords are nothing We may not be hindred by the Adversary from breathing forth our pure Life given us of God for his Glory in a continual mention of his Holiness for if we should be silent the very Stones would do it for now is the Lord Jesus arisen indeed and ascended far above all Heavens Principalities Powers Names and Greatnesses whatsoever and come again to our Spirits according to his Blessed Promise that of his unspeakable Fulness we might all partake in abundance to the causing of our Cup to overflow with all Holy and Heavenly Consolations and Praises for the perfect Salvation of our God to the watering of every tender holy Plant in Israel that waits for the same For as the Dew to the tender Herbs so is thy Blessing O Immanuel to the Garden of thy own planting thy Beloved Plants that waits for thee amongst whom the pourings forth of thy Name is as sweet Ointment And Blessed are all that wait for thee who hast inclosed thy Beloved People in the Arms of thy own Almightiness and filled them with thy own Blessed Kingdom and Righteousness who hungred after thee even so Father of Life be it for Evermore to thy own unspeakable Glory who alone art worthy So now Dear Friends into the Unity of the Holy Life Power and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ let every Soul of us gather and retire it self to be nourished up thereby and preserved to a daily and perfect Victory over all Temptations and Provocations whatsoever that upon the very Head of the Serpent we may tread and let us not look at the seen things for therein lyes the Wiles and Temptations but let us eye and feel the Blessed Invisible Life and Powerful Heavenly Spirit of our God to carry us through and over all to his Glory who hath said That he will never leave nor forsake his tender breathing Seed that waits on him so Blessed are all that are found in this his Covenant and follow him as Dear Children and Obedient Servants in the sure and safe way of the daily Cross and Self-denial to a perfect mortifying and subduing of the fleshly
evil part and a full Resurrection of the spiritual over it so rests your Dear Brother in the Unity of the same Blessed Living Victorious Faith Thomas Taylor From the Place of my Confinement for the Everliving Testimony of Jesus in the Fifth Month 1664. TO Friends in LONDON OYE my Dear Friends and Beloved of the Lord in the City of London my Love in the Lord Our Life is drawn out at this time to salute you with an Epistle of pure and unfeigned Love because you are Dear and near unto my very Heart in the feeling Life which hath given us the Blessed Victory over all Sin and Works and Words of Death to serve the Will of our Heavenly Father with all Fervency and Perseverance in our Day Age and Generation to the Praise and Glory of his Grace in Jesus Christ our Lord whom our Souls can never cease to love because the Savour of his good Oyntment is ever fresh upon our Souls and his Law of Life it is that we daily seel to have set us free and to keep us free from the Law of Sin and Death Praised be the God of our Salvation for his unspeakable Gift though the Enemy of one hand say we are no Christians and on the other hand call us a Form and bark at our Holy Unity and Blessed Agreement in the ever-living Truth and exercise of it for the good one of another and Service of all Yet over all these unclean and unrighteous Spirits and all others of like nature we are more than Conquerors and like a Rock unmoveable which the Enemy may split himself with dashing against Yet Praised be the Lord our Rock stands sure for it is Holy Pure and Everlasting and the Gates of Hell shall never be able in the least to prevail against it nor us as we upon it continue rooted and grounded in the Love of God and one of another in his Seed where all the Promises of Life and Salvation are Yea and Amen for ever And so you my Dear Friends and much longed after in the Lord when I consider the many Tryals and great Contradiction of Sinners of all sorts which for the Love and Zeal of our Holy Lord God and his unchangeable Truth you have endured from the beginning my Heart is greatly affected with the Glory and cannot but Praise the Lord for you that you are even become as a Bullwark of his Truth in the midst of a crooked degenerate and Back-sliding Nation who though like Sampson's Foxes they look with Faces several ways yet in Heart are one every one with Firebrands and Stings in their Tails like Scorpions to do Mischief by stirring up the bad part in People against the Simplicity of the Gospel of Love and Life of our Lord Jesus Christ which would gather unite and heal all of all their Soul-Maladies for ever if they did not make themselves unworthy of But O how the Truth to you doth still abide in its Lustre and Glory without Alteration knowing that you as we your Brethren in the same every where are set for the Defence of the Gospel The Lord hath set his Love upon us and it is from Everlasting to Everlasting and therefore in his Name and perfect Goodness may we safely trust and Storms will be over and his unspeakable Peace and Joy which is with us and hath so unspeakably refreshed us shall be with us for ever We need not go to the Egyptians for help as the Wicked do for in the God of Israel is our Hope and Help who keeps Mercy and Covenant with his Dear People for ever and ever And when I also consider how the Samballat and Tobias of this Age say on one hand What will these silly returning Captives do And on the other when I see the little Horn with a Countenance more stout than his Fellows in his very Words of Reproach and Work of Scattering tell of your Scattering whom God hath gathered I cannot but say O Lord Bless thy People whom thou hast so powerfully delivered and govern and keep their Hearts in perfect Peace with thee through all and over all even as thou dost this day for ever and ever that many may come to the Brightness of our day and Glory of our Kingdom which is not of this World but of God eternal our Father who is over all Blessed for ever So under the Shadow of his ever-blessed Wing my Dear Brethren and Sisters dwell and here is the true Munition of Rocks where the Living Bread is sure and the Living Waters never fail rests your Dear Brother in the Patience and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ at present in outward Bonds for the Testimony of his Truth in this place Thomas Taylor Stafford 21st of the 12th Month 1667. And I desire that this may be communicated as the Nature of it requires to the whole Flock of God in and about the City in the precious Wisdom of God with Bowels of Love unto you all So be it TO Friends of SUDBURY Side DEar Friends and Well-beloved in the Lord Brethren and Sisters in the Holy Covenant of his Everlasting Love my very Heart and Soul doth dearly salute you all and often do I remember you in the Dearest Affections of unfeigned Love as is meet knowing your Love and Tenderness to God's Truth and me your Dear Friend and Brother for the Truth 's sake from the beginning and how the Lord of his Infinite Love in Christ Jesus hath separated us from the present evil World for himself to hold forth his Vertues before the Children of Men in a pure Life and so to feed at his Table as the Faithful do in the unspeakable Fellowship of his Eternal Spirit of Life and Peace whereby O how often yea how continually he hath and daily doth refresh feed and strengthen our pure Minds as in the simplicity of our Hearts together or asunder as to the outward we have and do daily wait upon him and in his Light are staid upon his Power in our inward Man to the Praise of his Glory which makes us that we cannot but love him and one another in and for him and so we cannot but remember him and one another and so pray for and rejoice in one another's welfare as living Members of his Heavenly Body who is over all God Blessed for Ever who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls and therefore we shall not want nor miscarry as we abide in his Love and this we know Dear Hearts that as we keep his Commandments we do abide in his Love and are at Rest in his Power Many from the Letter may say God is their Shepherd or so and therefore they shall not want but truly Friends there is none can say this in Truth but who are led by him and subject to him in Heart and Life they are the Sheep of Christ who hear his Voice and follow him in the Regeneration not losing their first Love but growing and continuing in it
to the end perfecting Holiness in the fear of God and so working out their Salvation with fear and trembling knowing it is God of his own good pleasure that worketh in us to will and to do O Friends how true we find it in God's Light that it is not of him that willeth nor runneth but of the Mercifulness of our God in Christ Jesus to them that believe and in pure Holiness and Simplicity of Heart wait upon him at all times and this puts to silence all Flesh and keeps down all Boasting and fleshly Confidence and Conceitedness to the unspeakable Glory of the Pure Eternal Holy Name of the Living God our Father who siâ—s upon the Throne and is worthy of all Honour Submission and Obedience for Evermore For now is the Lord God suckling the Babes of his Love with the pure Milk of his Living Word and feeding the Men of his House with the strong Meat of his overcoming Truth and giving them the well-refined Wine of his Kingdom to make glad their Hearts over all the Trials and Tribulations of this present Life so that through the Overcoming Love of our God we are more than Conquerors and shall never be ashamed abiding in his Love for the Righteous are bold as a Lion and through the help of our God we shall for ever leap over all the Walls of Opposition that the Enemy makes to hinder us in our way for it 's the Fearful Unbelieving and Disobedient in Heart that cannot enter that cannot come into and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God this Day But Praises to the Lord in the height of Heaven for all his unspeakable Goodness who over all gives us the Victory by Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be Glory Everlasting and Kingdom for Evermore And so Dear Friends into the Arms of the Lord 's unspeakable Love committing you all rests your Dearly Loving in the Truth of God a Friend and Brother Thomas Taylor Also Friends you may know that my Wife hath her very Dear and Tender Love remembred unto you all and is dearly affected upon every remembrance of you considering what sweet Refreshment she hath sound amongst you in your Holy Assemblies where the Presence of the Lord hath been abundantly witnessed by many and I hope Ever will be meeting together in his Fear to wait upon him as you do And as for our Condition here praised be the Lord it is well for though my Bonds for the Gospel in this Place be yet continued yet some little Liberty of being with my Wife and Family sometimes at her Hired House in this Town through the Tender Mercy of our God is granted me and so we are made content and all is good in the Good-will of God and so our Souls are at rest in his Love where we pray that yours and all the Holy Ones of God in every place may rest for Ever and be abundantly satisfied Amen and Amen And so we shall be glad to hear of all your Welfare in the Lord as he makes way TO FRIENDS Richard Boothman and Robert Clough DEARLY Beloved in the Lord and his Everlasting Truth which hath redeemed our Souls and doth daily Comfort our Hearts as we abide in it my very Dear Love and tender Affections Salutes you and all the Dear Flock of God about you giving you all to know of my Health in the Fountain of Health where in the midst of all these Bonds Tryals and Afflictions which in Common with all Saints for the Gospels sake on Earth is ordered for us my Soul is more than a Conqueror Praises to our God for ever And we may not let fall our Holy Hope and trust in the least for any thing that Flesh can do against us but by all means let us keep fast in our Hearts the living Faith of the Lord Jesus which in God's blessed Sight is of greatest Esteem for thereby we may effectually in all things overcome yea and be well able also to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil For upon our Watch must we needs stand in all things clothed with the whole Armour of Light that no Enemy at all may come between us and our God to deprive us of his precious Life or hinder our Fellowship with his Holy Spirit in the least The living powerful Presence of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ be with all your Spirits to Sanctifie Bless Keep and Preserve you all my Dear Friends in Body Soul and Spirit Pure Spotless and altogether Blameless before him in Love Rests yours in the Dear Fellowship of God's ever blessed Truth Thomas Taylor Stafford the 20th of the Eighth Month 1668. And thus Dear Friends I could not but thus in a few words breath out of my true and tender Love amongst you desiring also as opportunity is to hear of your State THE Day of the Lord Is DAWNED THE Ever-blessed Day of the Lord God is dawned let all the Children of the Night fear for they are now fully to be made manifest and brought to Judgment and now where will the Workers of Iniquity hide themselves from the Lord's Justice Rocks nor Mountains will not cover them they must come forth this Day to the Righteous Judgment of the Great God the Just Judge of Heaven and Earth of Quick and Dead Rotten Raggs and Fig-leaves of empty and filthy Profession must now be stripped off and the shameful Nakedness of all Hypocrites and unclean outside Professors and Professions must now be laid open to the Glory of that Powerful God who hath long waited upon People to teach them and to do them good but they would not and therefore Desolation upon Desolation Overturning upon Overturning will come upon Thee O thou Corrupted Earth with thy Inhabâ—â—ants who are crying Lord Lord but never come to do the Will of the Holy Lord God in Earth as it is done in Heaven nay nor have so much as a Mind thereunto but are angry with such as do it And therefore because these Inhabitants of the Corrupt Earth rebel against the Light some under the Name of Papists and some under the Name of Protestants and yet say in their Hearts We shall have Peace and be Established in our way the Lord hath said They shall have no Peace nor be Established in their defiled Ways for God's Establishing of People is now manifested to be in Righteousness and in nothing else The Lord Jesus Christ is now to Reign and the Scepter of his Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness and the Kingdoms of this World must be the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ and he must Reign whose Right it is for Ever and Ever according to Prophesie And now it is of the greatest Concernment for Kings and Princes Priests and Prelates High and Low Rich and Poor to Kiss the Son lest his Anger which they have kindled against themselves by their sinning against his Light and grieving of his good Spirit by their manifest
and the Destruction of Antichrist and the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ not by might nor by Power but by the Spirit of the living Lord God believed and witnessed by and amongst us who are reproached by many for the Truth 's sake under the name of Quakers but the Reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Scorners God will judge And again all People when you see the Company of Priests the Parish Teachers gather together on heaps upon every occasion at the Foot of the Great Men of the Earth to get their Conclusions and Doctrines Established by a Law for binding under Darkness the dark People who are Ignorant of their Wiles and unacquainted with their Ends and for the Ensnaring of Tender Consciences who are come to the Teachings of Christ and his Spirit and so have found the true Shepherd and Bishop of their Souls and so through Grace have escaped the layers in wait I say when you now see them gathering together by Troops for these evil Purposes and the like Self-ends marvel not at the matter for it is no new thing but one of the old things under the Sun as you see here for the World's Teachers set up in the Will of Man have always been many and evil kept up by the evil Power but the true Prophets not so but rather few and faithful and those preserved by the Power of God yea often found that the Prophets of Baal are Four Hundred and Fifty and the Prophets of the Groves Four Hundred which eat Meat at Jezebel's Table for one Elijah the Prophet of the true God who feeds upon the true Bread and ministers it forth as he hath received it freely to others without Self ends See 1 King 18 Chap. Ezek. 34. Jer. 23. 2 Tim. 4.3 1 John 4.1 And so the false Teachers under Antichrist are set forth bâ— an Army of Locusts the sound of whose Wings was as the sound of Chariots and of many Horses running to Battel Rev. 9. from 1 to 12. Ver. when the true Witnesses are set forth under a small number even two Rev. 11. And so those many Locusts and Frogs the false Teachers are the unclean Spirits of Devils working in his Servants his Ministers going forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World to gather them to the Battel of that Great Day of God Almighty being thereunto fitted in a Miraculous manner being trained up in the Wisdom of the Serpent and Sorceries of Egypt for that purpose so that none can avoid following them but such as are in the holy Anointing whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life see Rev. 16.13 14 2 Tim. 8.9 1 John 2.20 27. Rev. 20. last And of the truth of this to wit of the great number and swarms of Locusts false Teachers of all Coats Black c. and of all Names and Orders Popes Cardinals Bishops Deans Deans and Chapters Prebendaries Priests Parsons Vicars Curates Rectors Ministers c. let thy many Thousands of Soldiers of this kind fighting daily against the Lamb and his Army under Satan's Banner and in constant known Pay as Hirelings in thee O England Scotland France Ireland Spain Germany Italy and other Lands be witness And therefore O whole Earth and World How art thou Corrupted How great is thy Misery What Lamentation shall be taken up for thee A wonderful and horrible thing is committed all abroad in thee Thy Prophets Prophesie falsly and thy Teachers are Lewd and Treacherous Men bearing Rule by their means over thee fleecing thee in that greedy Mind that seeks the Gain from the Quarter and can never have enough crying Peace Peace to thee when the Lord hath not spoken it and preaching unto thee a Vision of their own Head and Heart and not from the Mouth of the Lord and so strengthning thy Hands in thy Wickedness and stirring thee up to Wrath and Persecutions against the Innocent and thou lovest to have it so and what will ye all do in the end of these things Will not the Lord invade you with his Troop Will he not come upon ye O Princes as Clay And tread you down under his Glorious Power Oh People as Mire is trodden down under Foot in the Streets And who of all the false Spirits and Teachers that you in your Rebellions against God have followed shall deliver you out of his Hand So all be warned and repent and return to Jesus Christ the one Head Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul and as was said before know him in you to be your Teacher that out of the Hands of all Devils you may be delivered And now having time prize it for this is assuredly the Day of your Visitation and after that the Judgment upon you all for Wo Wo Wo both is and will be more upon you all who puts the Day of the Lord afar off and who love Darkness rather than Light because your Deeds are evil and your Head and Leader is not Christ but he that came up out of the Bottomless Pit and shall go into Perdition with all his confounded Followers the Children of Darkness And therefore on the other hand all ye Servants of the Lord my Brethren and Sisters in the Truth of Jesus Christ every where who are Sufferers for his Names sake be encouraged for stronger is he that is in us than he that is in the World and there are more with us than them though we be not known to the World nor our aid 1 John 3.1 2 Kings 6.16 c. for little Children we are of God and the whole World lyes in Wickedness and so one single Elijah and two Witnesses being God's Troop are well able to encounter with all the Troops of the Wicked for Truth shall prevail for ever and ever and all Iniquity shall stop her Mouth and so shall the due Praises be sung from off Mount Zion our Holy Hill unto our God the Holy One of Israel World without end for his Goodness to us even for evermore Amen and Amen For now is the Day of the Lord appearing and Fire goeth out of his Witnesses wouths and who of all the Adversaries can stand before him who is a consuming Fire and to the Wicked everlasting Burning Isa 33.13 14. Given forth for the Good of all People by the Spirit of Truth in a Servant of the Lord who for witnessing forth Truth as he was moved of God in the publick Assembly of all sorts of People at Appleby Steeple-house in Westmoreland in the Assize Week there in the sixth Month 1675 against the Deceit there uttered though not until the Priest had done his Oration or Sermon as they call it yet was hawled out of that Synagogue and so being hurried along into the Streets and declaring the Day of the Lord and warning them all and calling them all to Repentance was sent from thence by command from some it's aike by an Officer to the Common Goal for my good Will and
Prophet disturb the People of Israel when he spoke unto them and cried against them terribly in the Word of the Lord ordinarily in their Assemblies and Gates of their Cities Yea or Nay Or did not they disturb him in putting him in Stocks and Prison for so doing Consider well of it and give Judgment accordingly Jer. 20. and Chap. 26. and Chap. 37 and 38. 4 Query And whether was it wicked 〈◊〉 King of Israel and his House that had sinned against God or Elijah the Prophet of God who cried against their Sins that disturbed Israel's Peace Yea or Nay And whether the wicked King's Judgment or the Holy Prophet's Judgment will you be of in this matter See 1 Kings 18.17 c. 5 Query And whether Amos who prophesied even in the King's Court and Chappel the Sword upon the King's House and Desolations upon all their Sanctuaries was a Disturber in so doing or so accounted then that we read of save only by one wicked Priest as you may read Amos 7.7 c. And whether Jonah preaching Repentance in the open Streets of Nineveh for a whole day together was a Disturber or a Friend to their City Yea or Nay See Jonah 3.4 c. 6 Query And whether the King and People of Nineveh who instead of persecuting him the Lord's Prophet did repent at his Preaching shall not rise up in Judgment with this present Generation and condemn it Yea or Nay 7 Query Whether did Paul the Apostle disturb the Jews and Gentiles in their Synagogues and Markets when he reasoned of the things of God's Kingdom and disputed as it were daily with them there as you may read in the Acts of the Apostles And whether you who account your selves disturbed with the like things doing in these days do not allow of the Jews persecuting of him for his Works sake then Yea or Nay 8 Query And whether the same Paul in the Corinthians when he said In the True Church all that have any thing revealed unto them from God may speak one by one And when he that is speaking hears such an inspired one begin to speak he to wit the first is to hold his Peace that all things may be heard and all edified I say whether Paul in preaching such Doctrine preached disturbing Doctrine Yea or Nay And lastly It is required of those that judge others for Disturbers in such cases as these That they do set down what is the true and infallible Rule of trying Doctrines and Spirits by in these days or for ever hereafter that they let the thing alone These from the Lord's Prisoner Thomas Taylor To those of MANCHESTER THAT ARE Zealous for their Sabbath 1. TO all you in Manchâ—ster who are Zealous for Morning Exercises or Sermons as you call them on the First day of the Week and so seem to over-run others in the way to the Kingdom give me leave in love to your poor Souls to propose a few things to you Do you know really and in Truth by the Teachings of God upon your Spirits what the Evening is and what the patting out of all your own Lights is seeing the Evening must be witnessed before the Morning for the Evening and the Morning make the First day And whether you have known the Voice of the Light shining in the dark place and have taken heed to it as the Scripture speaks and have obeyed the Voice of it which calls you to return and come to the Lord from all your own ways and there in Repentance do now wait in the Inner Man for the Dawning of the Day and the arising of the Day-Star in your Hearts Or are you not yet in the deceivable Doctrines of them that are without who cry Lo here and Lo there as all such do 2. And whether you do believe and expect any such Promise to be fulfilled in you here so that being in the Day and borne up into the eternal unchangeable Light and so coming to know the Teachings of the Father and the Anointing of the Holy One ye shall not need that any Man teach you but as that Anointing teacheth Or do you imagine that you shall always be beholden to borrowed Lights and Man's Teachings as you are now and so be the silly Women that are always learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth 3. And whether that Ministry you are under and please your selves so much in can truly be said to be the Ministry of Christ seeing it leads not to an end Nor can you or they witness any one hitherto presented thereby perfect to God in Christ without Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing or ever like to be seeing you generally hold That no Man can be free from Sin and so perfect while you are here And whether you are ever likely to come to the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God to the Measure and Stature of Christ by that Ministry that stands in the Will of Man and which denies the Light which hath inlightned every one that comes into the World to be the True Spiritual and Saving Light of Christ and so build upon another Foundation and reject the Light of the World Christ as he is in Man the Foundation already laid by God himself and so denies at once the New Covenant Gospel Christ and Scriptures as your Ministers do who deny the Light which is in Man which shews him Sin and Evil to be Spiritual and of Christ and calls it a Natural Light and so putting the Letter which is without you for the Light draw your Minds out to build upon their Meanings Conceivings and Imaginings of it and so to forsake the true Light the Word it self the Teaching of the Holy Anointing within you and to neglect the Promise of the Father which would lead you into all Truth if you did wait upon it and did honestly through Faith givâ— up your selves to be guided by it and whether you have not just cause to forsake these Builders who have rejected Christ the Corner-stone and caused you to build upon the Sandy Foundation which in the arising of the Storm of the Lord's Tryal and Indignation will not bear you up but Iniquity being still found in you you are condemned within your selves and with the Sinners and Hypocrites in Sion you will all e'er long be forced to cry out Holy Priest and People Who among us can abide with devouring Fire or dwell with the everlasting Burning Thomas Taylor TO A Wandering Apostate O The Desolation that giving way to the Enemy thou hast brought upon thy Soul What must not God be Infinite because thou canst not comprehend Infiniteness Thou art that Finite One that stands against His Infiniteness and glories in thy old uncircumcised Heart but His Infinite Light has comprehended thee and doth and will Judge thee for thy Evil Work and Blasphemous Thoughts of Him whom the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain but thou would'st limit
we cannot give over to worship God as he hath taught us seeing to God the Judge of Quick and Dead we must give account and if we could give over our Meetings and Holy Exercises and please God we should certainly do it for God's Fear and Love is in our Hearts but seeing it is God's Good Will and Holy Command that we should assemble our selves together as we do to edifie one another in our most Holy Faith and so to hold forth God's Truth as we have received it before all Why should the King or the Parliament or any of his Counsellors think much that we should obey God rather than Man in this matter Wherein we can with Safety of our Conscience to Christ we do obey you but wherein we cannot is it not your Wisdom to bear with us as your selves in the like case would be done by And so fulfil the Royal Law indeed which saith As you would that Men should do unto you even so do unto them And this is a Law worthy a King to meditate in night and day and not to follow the Counsel that is contrary And this is a Foundation which all Parliaments and Councils ought to build upon or otherwise how is it possible their House should continue for from the height of Heaven hath the Lord beheld the Afflictions and Oppressions and heard the Groans and Cries of the Innocent Sufferers in England this day and will certainly deliver those that wait for him But I would not have the King to be an Object of God's Wrath in that day if possible And therefore in the Name of the Lord God am I thus moved to write unto thee and lay these things before thee desiring that thou maist read them and well weigh them for they are of greatest Concernment And that which rightly made use of tends not only to thy Well-being in this World but also to the Eternal Good of thy Soul Rests God's Servant and thy Soul and the Nations Friend Thomas Taylor To Informers LEt all such in these days as are Informers against the People of God for their Holy Worship and Service to God consider if they have not lost all savour of Good and care of their Souls What became of all such Informers in days past whom the Scriptures make mention of And first let Haman one of the great Informers come into your Mind and consider his Work and End a woful Work did he work against his own Soul in his Informing and Incensing the King Ahasuerus against the Jews because honest hearted Mordecai could not bow to his Pride as the Heathen did and see his End and tremble ye when ye read the History of the Matter as at large you may in the Book of Esther And consider ye in the cool of the Day what became of the Princes mentioned in Daniel who not only in their Wickedness got a Law from the King without cause but also Informed against the Holy Man Daniel for breaking the King's Law which the King never intended against Daniel because he pray'd to God as at other times And read in the History of Daniel where at large you may read it and tremble what a miserable End came upon them Informers who themselves were destroyed in that very Den of Lyons in which they had thought to have seen the end and destruction of honest-hearted Daniel but the Lord did deliver him as he will ever do all them that fear him from the Mouths of all the Lyons And let the dreadful End of those miserable Jews in Jeremiah's Time that Informed against him for speaking the Word of the Lord And in after time of those Jews that Informed against Jesus Christ and his Apostles come into your Minds and affright you at Midnight and terrifie you at Noon-Day for assuredly if you go on with them and be still found with them in their Work of Informing against and Persecuting of the Righteous you must partake of their Plagues as saith God's Truth which never failed in his Servant Thomas Taylor Some Serious Considerations concerning the Priests of the High Places called Churches their Sprinkling Infants Marrying People and Burying their Dead c. 1. IN their Sprinkling they abuse and miserably wrest Scripture to prove their Practice For that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me c. speaks not a word of Sprinkling them much less of their Doings and Doctrines about it And for that Scripture Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit c. it is nothing at all for them neither For it is certain the Spirit of God both can and hath and daily doth Regenerate People without outward Water but the Water without the Spirit never did nor never can Regenerate any and how the Spirit cometh to the Insensible Infants that by their own Confession cannot act Faith or whether it come to them at all in or by this doing of theirs I am sure they cannot tell neither have they any reasonable Ground to say or think it doth seeing there is no Command nor Promise at all in all the Scripture for it upon such their Doings upon such Subjects unless they will say with the gross Papists that Grace is conferred upon People ex opere operato viz. by the Priests meer doing about them 2. They commit another great Evil in this Matter in bringing in People to promise that for the little Children which they neither do nor of themselves never can do nay which they have not Faith so much as to believe that ever any can do by any means whilst they are upon the Earth to wit to forsake the Devil and all his Works c. which is manifest by their denial of sinless Perfection since all Sin is the Devil's Work And after the old Popish manner calling them Godfathers and Godmothers so taking God's Name in vain and otherwhile calling them Sureties so taking Christ's Office from him who is the alone Surety Mediator and Advocate between God and Man 3. And Thirdly In their great Blindness and Presumption calling upon the People to give God Thanks with them for that he hath Regenerated as they say the Infant or Infants then under their hands by such doings though as I said they have neither Precept nor Promise for it nor Manifestation from God then upon the Child for their so believing and concluding And so for their manifold taking God's Name thus in vain and causing you their Followers to do so also how shall they be held Guiltless For saith God I will not hold them Guiltless that take my Name in vain And how can these Priests blame the blind Papists for their foolish Doctrine of washing away Original Sin by their Baby Baptism when they by the like doing proclaim Regeneration and Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven to such as can neither Exercise Faith nor Repentance in it Tell me whether is greater washing away Original Sin or Regenerating and giving Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven O what
which sets the Soul free from all Sin for how should People ever come to the Knowledge of the Truth by following such Teachers as are out of the Truth For if the Blind lead the Blind must they not both fall into the Ditch Also seeing you profess the Scripture and not unwritten Traditions to be your Rule and would have People to believe that what you do is according to Scripture therefore it 's demanded in a few words further 1. What Scripture have you for your Sprinkling of Infants and Signing them with the Sign of the Cross and telling People That thereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheriters of the Kingdom of Heaven when in your own Catechism in Contradiction to your Practice you teach That Children by reason of their Infancy or tender Years then cannot perform the Requests of Baptism to uit Faith and Repentance 2. And what Scripture have you for your Sureties so called which you most unscripturally call the Childrens God fathers and God-mothers which you pretend to make up the Defect in the Infants by and for putting these Pretended Sureties upon such bold Undertakings and unadvised Promisings of that for the Child which they never yet did for themselves nor indeed have Faith to believe that so great Works can be done in any upon Earth to wit To forsake the Devil and all his Works c. seeing that such generally held That none can live without Sin Is not Sin the Devil's Work Yea yea And is there any Undertaker for Man to God-ward but Christ And was there any Surety betwixt God and Man but Christ only who saith Without me ye can do nothing So then this evil Custom of your undertaking being derogatory to the Honour of Christ Who can say that God hath required it at your Hands But if you will yet plead for it shew us your Scripture for it if you would be esteemed to act as Protestants and not as Papists and to own Scripture above Mens Inventions and Traditions 3. Also what Scripture have you for your Surplice Canonical Coats Typpets c. and for wearing Black rather than other Colours seeing the Apostle blamed such as placed Religion in Days Meats and the like surely he would not agree with such as place their Religion in Garments and Colours Blessed be the Lord whose Day is dawned which makes all things manifest and none will hate the Light of it but Evil-doers 4. And what Scripture have you for your Tithes Easter-Reckonings Mortuaries and the like now under the Gospel and for your Laws which you call Spiritual to compel the People to pay you them seeing Christ is come the End of that Levitical Priesthood under whiâ—h Tithes were payable by Law 5. What Scripture have you who profess your selves to be Christians for your Swearing Swearing in your Courts so called Swearing in your Spiritual Courts 〈◊〉 The poor People called Câ—uâ—eâ—-Wardâ—ns grâ—â—an under the Burden of this evil Custom O this is far from following Christ who said and saith unto his Swear not at all but you are grown to that pass that you cannot trust one another without Swearing no not in your Church-matters Is not this a Fruit of Apostacy and departing from that ancient Faith which was once delivered to the Saints 6. And what Scripture have you for giving David's Prayers Prophecyings Roarings Quakings Tremblings and Confessions in Rhyme and Meeter to the World to sing who are of another Spirit than David was and so utterly unacquainted with David's Conditions and so instead of singing with the Spirit and Understanding as the ancient Christians did you sing in a Form without the Power thereby not honouring but rather dishonouring the Lord who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth 7. And what Scripture have you for teaching People to worship one another and for your Ring in Marriage where you teach them to say With this Ring I thee Wed and with my Body I thee worship Is not God alone to be worshipped How then are such to be accounted Christian Ministers who abide not in Doctrine 2 John 9. And lastly seeing you pretend to be Christ's Ministers and so God's Free-men I ask you these few plain Questions further Gal. 1.10 viz. 1. Why do you limit your selves or suffer others to limit you to such and such Forms of Words and Gestures and Apparel as is in Use amongst you in all your Services Is it from any Excellency you see in those Words or Forms more than in any other Or is it because you are so weak of Judgment or brittle of Memory as that you can do little without Book Or is it not rather for filthy Lucre sake you are willing to be soâ—ty'd because you know that without Conformity to the Wills of the great Ones in this Matter you can get no Power to compel Peoples earthly things from them O what will not the Love of Money compel covetous-minded People unto 2 Tim. 6.10 11. 2. What is that makes you go to the Bishop rather than any other Man or Men for Ordination as you you call it Is it because you know or believe that he is more Holy than any other Or hath more Power to confer any Spiritual Gift upon you by Imposition of his Hands more than any other If you say he hath where had he it And wherein doth it appear Or is it not rather that you go now to the Bishop for Ordination as you or your Brethren went formerly to the Classical Presbytery so called in Oliver's time because this is the Way now as the other was formerly to impower you to come into Parishes and be their Teachers and command their earthly things from them by Force whether you do any Spiritual Work for them or no Yea from such as in the Lord's Light see you to be no Ministers of the Spirit and therefore not able to minister Spiritual things and therefore deny you Oh that ever such a thing should be among such as profess to be Gospel Ministers 3. Whether do you believe that all things in the Church ought to be done and spoken in the alone Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus And if so then how can you expect but that God will overturn overturn all Things until he to wit the Lord Jesus Christ to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is given comes to rule in all and over all to whom of Right it belongs So be it And what is the Cause that you are so dark in your Minds as concerning the Mystery of Christ's Kingdom and the Spiritual Saving Power thereof if it be not that mentioned in the third Chapter of Micah's Prophecy verse 5 6 7. where it is written Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him therefore Night shall be unto you that you shall not have
is above all and over all who was before the World was and hath brought us to reign with him eternally above the World Now here is the Joy and cause of our Rejoycing who have followed the Lamb through great Tribulation and are brought above the Tribulations to dwell in the Presence of the Living God This is Joy unspeakable and full of Glory which shall never have an end Hallelujah to our King for evermore By a Friend Thomas Taylor Watching for Sin WO to you that wake to Sin and watch for Iniquity that spend their Days in Vanity and so bring themselves with Sorrow to the Graves and their Souls to the Pit of Destruction The Trumpet of the Lord is sounding to awaken you to the Judgment of his great Day which burns as an Oven against all the Workers of Iniquity upon the Face of the whole Earth The Apostle saith Awake to Righteousness and Sin not But you that observe these Popish Wakes and Antichristian Revels you awake to Sin and Unrighteousness with the Strength and Delight of your uncircumcised Hearts like the Heathen that know not God The Papists appointed a Feast at the Dedication of their old dead Mass-houses and you their Children who uphold these Wakes bear witness against your selves that you were never yet in heart truly separated from their Idolatries O the Blindness and Deadness of your Teachers that cannot bark against this dead Idol And therefore doth the Lord warn you all to stand up from the Dead that Christ may be your Light to see such wretched and Soul destroying Vanities as these Wakes are that so through Repentance for them you may find Mercy and not perish with them that perish from the right way Rests God's Servant Thomas Taylor A Warning to the NATIONS To Layaside all Prejudice and Enmity The Ground of Strife and Wars And to come and Embrace the Light of Christ Jesus that they may see themselves and come to be Saved and Healed and United in the Love of God THE Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his Fury upon all their Armies he will greatly distress the Inhabitants of the World he will now plead the Cause of his Covenant of Light against all those that withstand his Glorious Appearance and Work of Restoration in this the day of his Mighty Power wherein he is giving the Kingdom of his Everlasting Peace to Israel's Seed under the whole Heavens who fear his Great Name and tremble at his Almighty Word of Life which shakes not only Earth but Heaven also And now is the Lord God Almighty bringing forth his Glory to light and creating the new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness according to his Promise Isa 65.17 c. wherein the People beat their Swords into Plow-shears and their Spears into Pruning-hooks never to learn War any more but every one now that believes in the Truth Christ Jesus the Light and true King of Righteousness and Peace shall sit under him the true Vine and none to make them afraid Isa 2.2 c. And now even now is the Lord God Almighty arisen and got up into his high Throne of Majesty and everlasting Glory to Reign and of this his Peaceable Kingdom which he hath begun to set up in his Trembling People there never shall be End The true Israel of God is now coming up out of the Spiritual Egypt indeed to possess the true Land of Promise the Inheritance and Free Gift of our God and no Inchantment shall now stand against God's Spiritual Host nor Divination against the Redeemed of the Lord who have known his Wonders in the Deep and known the Out-goings of God's Power against Pharaoh and all his Host in the Red Sea of his Fiery Indignation And now will God be exalted in Judgment and avenged in Righteousness upon all Nations and People under Heaven who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness and will not that God's Holy Son Christ Jesus the Light should reign though he be come to Reign and Judge in the Earth For to him the Light who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World is all Power in Heaven and Earth given And his Light shines freely into all your Hearts O all People of the Earth and shineth in the thickest Darkness to make manifest the Creator's Will to all your Consciences though your Darkness O People comprehends it not but it comprehends you and all your dark Ways and destroying Phoughts and lets you see plainly That for all your great Workings and toilsom Labour in an Out-side Profession in your Earthly Wills you have wrought no Deliverance in the Earth but your Souls Enemies still stand in strength And it lets you see that for all your Striving and Fighting and Killing and Spoiling and Destroying one another about Earthly Things you have done no good at all but brought God's Judgments upon all your Souls and pierced your selves through with many Sorrows And therefore the Heavenly Voice sounds through the Earth and calls aloud in your Ears and knocks at the Door of your Hearts O all People of the World High and Low Professor and Prophane Jews and Gentiles Christians so called and Turks Arise Arise Awake Awake turn in your Minds to the pure Light of Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead the Son of the eternal God Creator of Heaven and Earth who died for your Sins and rose again to give you a New Holy and Everlasting Life in himself through Faith in his Name And behold he lives for evermore And all see and search diligently in your selves what you know of his Holy Life made manifest in you to destroy the Body of Sin and Death in you which in the days of Darkness hath filled your Vessel and brought your very Soul Mind and Heart into the Thraldom of that Wicked One who is called the Devil and Satan and compassed with Terrors and Fears and Affrightments your very Life and whole Man because of the Wrath of the Almighty which you by your Sinful and Unrighteous and Unholy and Cruel Doings both against God and your Neighbour have stirred up against you And behold the Earth languisheth because of these things and the Children of Light who are redeemed to God out of these sore Evils and grievous Plagues do mourn for you and bewail your Misery Night and Day as well knowing in the Light of the Lord what your woful End will be if these Bryars and Thorns and noisom Weeds the proper Fruits of the Curse be still suffered to grow in you and cumber God's Ground Oh! how nigh unto Cursing is that Field which God's Rain rains upon and yet brings forth no better Fruit than Killing and Slaying and Spoiling and Cousening and Cheating and Defiling and Oppressing one another besides Lying and Swearing and Cursing and Drunkenness and Pride and Persecution of God's Righteous Seed with all other Abominations of the World against the Holy Light c. Checks and Reproofs of the good Spirit of the
Almighty both in their own Consciences and the Mouth of God's Servants and Holy Witness of Truth in the Scriptures which notwithstanding all these their Abominations many of them profess to be their Rule But know O Man whoever thou art or whatsoever Profession thou art of that that 's thy God and Ruler and Father and Teacher and Way whose Commands thou lovest and whose Works thou dost and whose Will in the inward of thy Mind thou clofest with As Christ said to those Lyars false Accusers and Murderers in his Day John 8.44 c. Ye are of your Father the Devil for his Works ye will do he was a Lyar and Murderer from the beginning So thou that goest from the Light of God in thee which shews thee thy Sin and the evil Lustings and Desires of thy Flesh and Mind thou goest from God and from his Fear and from the Way of Peace And so thou going from this and joyning to evil Motions of Sin in thy Flesh and corrupted Mind thou joynest to the Devil and so bringest forth Sin which is the Devil's Work and the Wages of every such Work is Death And so in the very moment of time in which thou dost the evil Work whatsoever it be contrary to God's Light in thee thou dyest the Death and so remainest dead from the Life of God and his blessed Righteousness until the Day of true Repentance and Amendment of Life And then what will it profit thee to have gained the World or Victory over thy Neighbour or Satisfaction to thy Lusts to the Loss of thy Soul's Life Therefore Arise Arise Awake Awake O all Nations and People Come forth to the Judgment of this great Day of God Almighty For now is the effect of every Vision to be known and felt in the Earth and the High Towers of the City of Confusion the Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots shall fall to the Ground and the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be exalted over all yea the Lord alone and his Righteousness and Truth and Peaceable Kingdom on the Top of all shall stand and no Weapon formed against him and his People shall ever prosper any more And how is it O all Nations Kings and People that ye are not yet willing after so long a time knocking at the Gates of your Cities and Doors of your Hearts that ye will not open to the King of Glory Christ Jesus the Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World that he may come in and be Judge Lawgiver and King in the midst of you that the Desire of all Nations may come and be Head in all For what is it that the Soul that God hath made in all Nations doth desire but to see it self unburthened of that grievous Corruption which hath defiled it and to be delivered from that Body of Sin and Death which hath and doth so imbondage it from the beginning until the Day of Christ's Power be known within to work the Work of God and to destroy the Work of the Devil and to save the Soul from its Sin and to present it spotless to God which is the true Salvation indeed Now this is my Witness for God amongst the Servants and Redeemed of the Lord this Day whom the World in Scorn calls Quakers who am a Sufferer with them for the Kingdom of God's sake That there is none can thus know the Day of Christ's Power to Salvation but as they believe and receive that Light of God and Christ which they be freely enlightened withal which shines in their very Hearts and Consciences which searcheth their very Hearts and Reins and maketh manifest to Man his Thoughts and from which none can hide any thing but all things are naked and bare before him the Light Christ Jesus who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Jew and Gentile one and other who searcheth the most hidden things of Man and brings them forth to the Judgment of his Righteousness For though the Night may hide the Adulterer and the Thief from Man it hides them not from God there is one nigh in the Heart and Conscience that tells Man and Woman all that ever they have done and do daily do even their secret Thorghts Is not this the Christ of God the true Messiah that was to come and is come and dwells amongst us And we look not for another and of his Fulness have all we received and do daily receive who believe in his Light which shines in our Hearts according to the Scriptures of Truth And this the Fulness of our Blessed God and Saviour Jesus Christ the Light is it which filleth all that come to him with all Spiritual Blessings and Heavenly good Things and without whom all is Darkness Emptiness Death and Desolation as all the poor deceived lost Sons and Daughters of the faln Adam do sooner or later know and are made to confess But blessed are they that consider of things in time and lay things to Heart before it be too late For there are but Twelve Hours in a Day in which Men may work saith Chriff and then the Night cometh in which no Man can work But the Door will be shut upon all who have slighted and neglected the Day of their Visitation Oh England England and all Lands far and near that you had known or could yet believe the things that belong to your Everlasting Peace before they be hid from your Eyes Therefore turn ye turn ye at the Reproofs of God's Wisdom and Spirit of Light and Truth which sounds through all and lets you see the Vanity and Evil of all your Works and Frailty of all your Lives how soon the Thread of your Life is out off and then where are the great Emperors and Kings with all their Crowns And where are the great Captains and Commanders with all their Bloody Victories And where are the Wise Achitophel's and Cunning Counsellors of the Earth with all their Admirers And where are the Covetous Oppressors with all their Houses full of the Spoils of the Innocent Yea in that Day where is all the Glory and Lusts of the World with all the Lovers of it Surely in Darkness and Misery shall they lye down together and Death shall have Dominion over them even all who have not believed in the Light Christ Jesus and who have not followed him in the Regeneration that they might be saved but have spent their Days in the Pleasures and Lusts of the present Evil World to Destruction Now therefore O all People Hearken to the Counsel of the Lord in this your Day and learn of the Lamb the Light who calls you to Repentance from all your grievous Ways How long shall the Spirit of the Lord strive with you When will you cease learning War and Destruction and Oppression and Spoil O when will you beat your Swords into Plow-shares and your Spears into Pruning-hooks O when will you go and say one to another
Provision for the Flesh to satisfie it in the Lusts thereof with Meats Drinks Pleasures Pastimes and all manner of foolish Inventions but that People should abstain from Fleshly Lusts because they War against the Soul And did not the Apostle weep for such as made a God of their Belly and Gloried in their Shame and minded Earthly Things and plainly tells them That they were â—nemies to the Cross of Christ and their End was Destruction Phil. 3. And so thou whoever thou art that pretends to Honour Christ by making Provision for thy Fleshly Part to satisfie it in the Lusts thereof thou art no Servant of God and Christ in this but a denyer of his Truth and so instead of following Christ in the Regeneration and daily Cross and Self denlal thou follows Christ's Enemy the great Antichrist and Satan who hath seduced the Minds of People from Christ's Doctrine and Life into the Doctrine and Life of all Unrighteousness and so they that Eat and Drink and Game and Sport after the Custome of the Heathenish World their Professing of Christ in Words will do them no good in the Day of the Lord when God will Reward every Man according to their Deeds for now instead of a Holy Pure Righteous Self-denying Life which God requires thou offers him an unclean Sacrifice of an unholy and corrupt Life which he will not accept And so many shall come in that Day and say Lord Lord Open unto us to whom he will Answer I know ye not depart ye Workers of Iniquity O dreadful Sentence to such as it hits who like Esau sell their Birth-right for a mess of Pottage and chuse rather to follow the Fleshly Sinful World in the broad way to Destruction than the Lambs of Christ in the streight way that leads to Life Eternal So all Awake and Arise from your dead defiled Customs and Practices of Sin to the pure clean Fear and Worship of God for God is a Spirit and Christ is a Spiritual Lord and will be Worshipped and Served in Spirit and Truth and who is this Day seeking such to Worship him who shall bring forth Fruits to him worthy amendment of Life And one thing is needful saith Christ and Mary that sate at his Feet hearing his Word chused that good Part which shall never be taken from her but Martha was cumbred about much in the outward as too many are now and that in a Heart far from that of Mary's Heart to their Souls great disadvantage So he that hath an Ear let him hear for these Words are Faithful and True Thomas Taylor To the King O That the King and all his Councils the Parliament and the Rest would hear and believe these Words for in the Truth of God's Spirit and Uprightness of my Heart are they thus written and sent to them for that purpose Consider of your ways for thus saith the Lord the Holy One Creator of Heaven and Earth Mine Anger is kindled against you because you have not made a Separation betwixt the Precious and the Vile but have numbred my People who tremble at my Word with the Transgressors and will not hear the Voice of my Mouth to let my Israel have their Liberty to meet together in my own free Spirit as I have Taught them to wait upon me and to Edify one another in their most Holy Faith but you will Punish them and Afflict them and evil Intreat them for this and surely if you go on in this Work and think to destroy this my Heritage from being a People upon the Earth and to Root them up from bearing a Testimony to my Name in their Holy Assemblies before the Children of Men I will Work Wonders yea I will Work Wonders and make all the Earth to know that these your Thoughts and your Doings are against the Lord and his People as truly as ever Pharoah and Egypt and the Nations there abouts in that Day of Israel 's Oppressions and Deliverances did know have you no Vnderstanding that you would eat up my People as Bread saith the Lord in whose hand is your Breath Oh! that you could once lay things to Heart what you have done and what you should do and not still take Counsel at a wrong Spirit which hurries you thus on in a way that is not good to the grief of God's Spirit and in the end if continued in your own Destruction have you not Heard and do not you Read what God hath done in former times to great Kings and strong Nations for their Doings against his People and do you not know that the same Evil Spirit which causes you in other things to do what you ought not to do and to leave undone what you ought to do is the putter of you forward in this grievous Work of Persecuting the Seed of God who Fear and Tremble at his Word and work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling as the Lord Commands and who in their Meetings never had nor at this Day have any other end but to Glorifie their God the true God over all in obeying his Voice with a true good Will in our Hearts towards all Men without the least thought of Evil to any as God's true God over all Men without the least thought of Evil to any as God's true Witness in all Consciences where it is harkened unto doth plainly Testifie at this Day as it hath done ever since we were to God a People For from War Bloodshed Wrong and Spoil hath the Lord called and delivered our Souls into his Holy Habitation of Truth Peace and Love that as Lambs we might in the midst of the Earth stand in Christ's Innocency to hold forth the Virtues of God who hath Blessed us in Christ Jesus with the Knowledge of himself whom to know is Life Eternal And so if you hate us because God loves us what will be the end O Consider consider this matter is of the weightiest Nature And so though at present by reason of the Darkness that is upon your Minds you do not see us as we are but present us to your selves as Evil-doers or so yet seeing you know in your own Consciences as in Words also you often Confess that in other things you are miserable Offenders you ought to be more Moderate Sparing and Careful what you do in this present matter concerning us because where Sin is and remains there must of necessity be a want of Ability as to the right judging and discerning of Men and Matters Spiritual as Christ foretold of some that through the Error of their Minds should think they did God Service when they were Killing his Children This was a sad Mistake Therefore let this be upon your Hearts when you lye down and when you rise up and when you sit in Counsel and walk by the Way to keep you from Sinning this great Sin against God for never did any strive against God and Prosper and thus in God's Spirit having given you in a few Words
the one to smite their Brethren and the other to Excommunicate them ☜ the one to cast them into Prison as Schismaticks and the other to cast them out of the Church as Prophane c. And so for this thy summing up and concluding God hath concluded thee with the wicked Persecutors whom the Judgment of his great Day will meet But hold O! R. B. thou that art thus hot and without all fear in pleading for the Devil's Kingdom I say when the Lord bids us and we obey him in separating from the Wicked is this all one with the Sin of Persecution Oh thou Unjust Man the Lord will be terrible to thee in the Day of his Wrath which is nigh at hand to come upon thee if thou repent not for all thy Villany against him and for all thy daubing deceitful words in the beginning and end of this Direction the Lord sees thee to be a Fighter against him and thy Reward will be according to thy Works as he hath said and all the Rocks and Mountains of the Wicked World for whom thou pleadest shall not hide thee from his stroke As testifies the good Spirit of the Lord Jesus in his Servant Thomas Taylor Some more of the strange Sayings of this Richard Baxter in his Book Page 219. GODLY Men are much liker to be in the right than Vngodly Men. Answ This shews what a Stranger he is to the certainty of Godliness Page 220. Sometimes the worser sort of Men may hold fast the Truth Answ This is a gross Lie for the bad cannot hold fast the good unless in Prison If any better Persons deny Infant-Baptism the worser Sort of People would be all against them and yet be in the right Answ Thus Sprinkling of Infants for which there is no Scripture must needs be wrong whosoever hold it and the Corruption of it appears so much the more because the worser Sort are so much for it Many do take a Form of Prayer or Liturgy to be unlawful meerly because the most of the worser Sort are for it Answ If thy Hearers be so bâ—dly-taught yet those that are taught of God forbâ—ar such things as they know he requires not of them but what Form or Liturgy is that which the most of the worser Sort of the People are for is it not that which speaks Peace to the Wicked by telling them they were Regenerated by sprinkling a little Water on their Faces or the like when Infants And that they shall be saved though they continue in Sin all their Lives long But the Hour cometh and now is that neither in the invented Forms of the Hypocrite's long Prayers nor in the short invented Forms and Liturgies of the Prophâ—ne but in Spirit and Truth as the Lord Jesus enables them will God be worshipped and served by his People for the Day is dawned and the Shadows fly away and as the Day doth more and more arise in its Glory will all the things of vain Men pass away Page 221. The sum of his 44th Directions by his own setting down runs thus Ye take the Examples of Religious Men to be one of your most Perilous Temptations and therefore labour to discover especially what are the Sins of Professors in the Age that you live in that you may especially watch and fortifie your Souls against them And adds That sometimes the strictest Sort run in a Gang after one Opinion and sometimes after another Answ Here I Appeal to that of God in all that fear his Name and are alive to Truth whether this do not wholly tend to the hardening of Pharaoh's Heart against the People of God in these Days who are in the Truth it self and not in Opinions as the Hypocrites are For though such as are begotten into Forms of Religion without the Truth by the Hirelings do never cease from erring yet the truly Religious who are begotten to God by Christ walk in the Way undefiled which the Fools who are upright in Heart cannot err in But this his telling of running in a Gang is a filthy and reproachful Speech wholly of Ashdod and the Lord will judge thee O Enemy for thy work R. B. and therefore let all that fear God take heed of this Man 's Soul-defiling and Heart-hardning Doctrine for out of the dark and wicked Kingdom wherein he and all such live is the Lord calling his People And to conclude If any would see this Harlot in its fine Dress and the Crooked Serpent in its glittering Colour on the Head which must be bruised and yet with his Sting in his Tail which is full of Venom let them consider that 44th Direction which runs thus Desire the highest Degree of Holiness and to be free from the Corruptions of the Times but â—ffect not to be old and singular from ordinary Christians in lawful things for instance If it were to go in a meaner Garb than others and as the Quakers not to put off the Hat or with the Friars to go barefoot or in a distinguishing Habit that all Men may see and say This is a singular Person in Religion it is easie to see how this gratifieth Pride Answ But now that the Lord is arisen according to his Promise Isa 27.1 which saith In that Day the Lord with his sore and great and strong Sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan that crocked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea Therefore I say it is that the Dragon is so wrathful to pour forth his Floods of Persecution after the Heavenly Woman and her Man child And there fore it is that the Crooked Serpent in such Men as this is is so at work every way seeking with their Cunning and Crafty Deceitful Doctrines to pierce the Heart the Life of Truth by their Darts and so with their fair colourable words as the Apostle speaks to deceive the Hearts of the Simple and Ignorant People but the Lord taketh the Wilely in their own Craftiness and the Pit they dig for others themselves fall into and the Lord 's Spiritual Sword of Truth pierces through all their Lives and Dead in the great Sea and Puddle of their own Iniquities before the Lord and his Saints this Day they lye Glory to his Name the Mighty God over all who is worthy For what more glistering and fair-seeming words can the Serpent give than to say Desire the highest Degree of Holiness and to be free from the Corruptions of the Time But that this R. B. intends no such thing no nor believes that any shall ever attain to any such thing whilst on the Earth is most manifest by the whole current of his Doctrine for not only in his former Books where he hath publickly declared That sinless Perfection is the Doctrine of the Devil hatch'd in Hell c. But even in this very Book it fully appears what an Enemy he is not only to the highest degree but even to Holiness it self where amongst his
the Kingdom of his own Son over all to whom every Knee shall how and every Tongue confess for he is worthy The Springs of Life gush out apace from the Presence of the Lord into the Hearts of the Righteous and Righteousness runs down like a Stream through the Valleys of Israel to bring forth the Heavenly Fruits of Righteousness to the Glory and Praise of the Great and Good Husbandman who is over all God Blessed for Ever of whose Holy Reign Kingdom and Government there never shall be end But of the Kingdom of the Man of Sin and all Antichrists there shall be an utter end and Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and the Judgment of the Living and Everlasting Truth of our Heavenly Father shall go forth more and more for the discovering and consuming the false Hope and lying Refuges of all Hypocrites who have covered themselves and not with the Spirit of the Lord the Zeal of the Lord of Life will perform this that his Name over all may be exalted who is worthy whose Appearance in Glory this Day the Children of the Night have greatly withstood and the Dragon hath made great War against the Lamb but praised be the Lord the Lamb hath got the Victory and the Lamb's Followers are this Day with their Feet upon the Holy Mountain where none can make them afraid rejoicing in this that they have found the Lord whom their Souls loved and do love for Evermore So be it Thomas Taylor To some of T. Hicks's Friends YE Hicks's Hearers of Tixall-hall and elsewhere who Read his Defiled and Defiling Book called A Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker Fear the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for I do affirm in the Truth of Christ that it is a meer Work and Invention of the Wicked One in that Servant of his called T. Hicks who goes under the Name and Profession of an Anabaptist as they are termed I say this Man was put on by the Wicked One who is called the Devil and Satan who was a Lier and False Accuser of the Brethren of Christ from the beginning to Render us the Servants of the Lord called Quakers Odious to the World For the very first Words and Title of his Book is an absolute Lie for never was there such a Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker but it is a meer Fiction of his own naughty Heart and Head for Rendring us and the Truth we hold Odious and it is a False and Wicked Representation of us and our Religion to the World for the which God will severely Judge him And indeed by this manner of way that he takes who or what kind of Profession is there that he can miss grosly to abuse Seeing he takes upon him like a Prevaricator or Stage-player both to ask the Question and give the Answer so as may serve most for his own wicked End and Purpose and make his Opposite infamous O the Wickedness of such Actors and their Work but Praised be the Lord we are out of the reach of his Malice for under the Holy Wing of God's Power and Protection are our Souls gathered by the Eternal Power of his Living Word in Christ Jesus our Lord And you that Read this Book whether called Papists or Protestants if this Hicks had a Mind to Render you Odious could he not this way he takes do it as Plausibly as against us and so I would not have you hurt your selves so as to strengthen your selves against us and the Truth which we Live in by such bad Books and Endeavours as this Hicks hath come forth in for if that your Minds stand open to receive them you will never want them for the Enemy of your Souls and ours yea of all Mankind will never be wanting to furnish you with Lies for Strengthening his Kingdom in you and hindering you from entring into the Kingdom of God And if you would know the Reason of his thus rising up against us I say it is because through the Grace of God given us we Preach the Mystery of the Kingdom of God even the Wisdom of God in a Mystery as Scripture speaks And that Striking at his carnal Conceptions of things and his Idolatrous Thoughts of outward Water-Baptism hath stirred up the Venom in him which by this his Book he hath Vented but the Lord is the Pleader of his People's Cause which is our Joy and our Armour against all the fiery Darts of all wicked Ones for the Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascention Glorification of Christ and his Coming again to us according to the Scriptures of Truth and Heavenly Promises through the Power of God to our Souls Eternal Salvation and Comfort we Witness Glory to the Lord for ever whatsoever this Book or any thing of like nature can or may say to the contrary so as Christ said to one of our Brethren in times past The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against us And so in the Peaceable Habitation of the Love of God in Christ Jesus do we lye down together with all Holy Souls and Spirits of Just Men made Perfect Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth in Mount Zion and before his Ancients Gloriously And so let the Mouth of all Iniquity be stopped for ever saith my Soul Thomas Taylor Something concerning that called the Common-Prayer AND Now all People that you may see we do not without cause Cry against the Priests and deny to joyn with them in the present Common Service now in use amongst the Parish Teachers of England which you are enjoyned upon several Penalties to submit unto I shall in the strength of Truth unbowel it a little unto you that you may at least in part see the true inside of it and not be deceived with the outward Appearance any longer for the Lord is arisen in his mighty Glorious Power to scatter all those Clouds of Ignorance and Error that have long vailed and covered the Minds of People and to be himself the Teacher of his People how to Worship him For his Spirit is greatly burdened with the Manners of the People who take his Name so continually in vain as such do as are only Confessors of their Sins but never forsake them but all their Lives long doing what they should not do and so instead of lessening their Sins are daily adding Sin to Sin covering with a vain verbal unfeeling Confession of Sin but not with the Spirit of the Lord. And so in the very entrance into their Work their Foundation is seen for they manifest themselves not to be in the New Covenant of the Spirit of the God of Life but in the Old Covenant of the Letter saying The Scripture moves them to confess their manifold Sins and Trespasses But when will it be seen that the Scripture moves them to forsake them for a Confession of Sin in Words we hear amongst them but the time of forsaking them never as yet come to be seen
his Vials Seven times Seven Upon the Seat of that proud Beast and Whore Who hate his Truth and would his Lambs devour And would set up that Worship which he hates And all that Bow unto it Desolates And will not suffer Light and Life to Reign But Preach and Pray and all for filthy Gain God shakes his Hands against you for such things And He 's the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Who will not be o'er-top'd by Mortal Birth Whose Origin and Root is from the Earth But will be Honour'd as a Heavenly King Or else his Judgments through the Earth shall Ring With Terrors great he will his Foes Confound Who have wrought all their Works as under Ground And in their Hearts have said Tush none doth see But we shall Rule and Reign and only we O turn your Ears and listen then a while Let not the Serpent always you Beguile He that deceiv'd the simple one at first Doth after all your Souls and Spirits thirst He leads you out to love the Perishing things Which swiftly fly away with Eagles Wings Which answer not the Heavenly Minds desire But leaves your Spirits scorch'd as with a Fire You seem to Eat and sumptuously to Fare But when awake you Lean and Hungry are You spend your Money for poor empty Shells And go to Drink at Springless empty Wells And when your Minds with Wind and Air are fill'd And you a little in School-Learning Skill'd Then do you Jude your selves fit Guides to be Unto the poor Unskilful Commonalty Who do not know the difference 'twixt the Wheat And Chaff which to the Soul was never Meat But hark what is it now my Mind doth see Sad Oaths impos'd on Men that should be free That should their Office do as Christians did In former times as great Jehovah bid And not as Worldly Men whose Will 's their Law Who with their Fines and Threats still kept in A we The silly Multitude which knows not God But are more Fearful of the Tyrants Rod And are in Earthly-mindedness so deep That they will lose the Soul before their Sheep And are so Ignorant of things Divine That they will part with Truth before their Swine And what Religion is it that such Men For Worldly Ends will not Profess but when The Tide of Times doth turn and changes Face Then they will leave you all unto Disgrace And that which now seems as an Iron Post Will then forsake you and be gone and lost For it 's their Bodies that by force is gain'd When as their Souls i' th' change of Sin 's detain'd So that a perfect Man you cannot bring Of all your Number unto God to Sing And Sound forth Holy Praises ' mongst the Choire Of Holy Ones who burn in pure Desire Of setting up the Lamb upon his Throne Of Highest Glory and all Sorrows gone Then what 's your Work and where will you appear When you have Slept and Slumb'red Year by Year And in mean while have suffer'd Souls to Pine For want of Heavenly Bread and Spiritual Wine And would them neither Feed nor suffer such As God hath sent to Feed them but do grutch That any but your selves should have a share I' th' Work of Feeding such as to God precious are But this be known unto you all this Day That Israel's Holy One none limit may If Christ an Amos or a Peter will Have in his Vineyard Work his Word 's their skill By which without Book-Learning they do know ' Gainst Satan's Kingdom how to bend their Bow And if proud Scribes and Pharisees Disdain Their mean Appearance and their Language plain Then doth their Master plead their Innocent Cause And soon delivers them from Tyrants Jaws And makes the Earth to know that maugre spight He 's able to secure the Harmless Wight Who trusts unto his Strength and walks the Ways Of Truth and Holiness unto his Praise And that the Earthly Man with all his Power Shall not secure himself from Heaven's sharp Shower Of Hail-stones which upon the Wicked must Be Rained down as thick as any Dust But stay a little to the present Work A Word or two in Love that does no hurt A Visitation's talk'd of in these Towns Wherein the Priests must come with Long Black Gowns To make Appearance but whose Will to do They best can tell who perfectly do know Then I demand in plainness that you may Prove by the Scripture what you do this day Why doth your Bishop Ride in so great State As if to Kings and Princes he were Mate And yet will say to others they must Dye To Worldly Pomp and Earthly Vanity Why are you Teachers now call'd Masters when Christ saith Be ye not Masters call'd of Men And why your Courts which Spiritual are by Name Do Trouble Men for carnal Things O shame That you should Read so long the Scripture Letter And yet your selves and Business do no better Why is your Maint'nance forc'd when th' Gospel's free And God's pure Day is dawn'd that all may see That those that dare not trust the Lord for that Are such as Minister they know not what For such in the Beginning that did Preach The Everlasting Gospel and did Teach Men to observe Christ's Doctrine knew not how At all by outward force to make Men Bow But said Our Weapons are not of the Earth But Spiritual Powerful from that Heavenly Breath That Fans and Winnows and doth not beguile But separates the Precious from the Vile And so into Subjection they did bring By force of Truth unto their Holy King They sought not Earthly Honours nor did crave The Earthly Riches but the Soul to save You have received freely freely give Saith Christ who took the Care how they should Live And be maintain'd and did not bid them take Wages of Heathens who the Truth do hate But now you have a Custom sad to see To force your Wages both from Bond and Free You force your own Disciples yea and those That are as Heathens Judged by your Laws Which if your Spirit were not over-base You would soon reckon it a foul Disgrace Can any Man that 's Noble in his Heart Take Hire of such as from the Lord depart And not Require it only but compel Them to Maintain you Judge is this done well May not such truly say You Love your Pride More than the Gospel and all things beside For sure a little will serve Natures turn But what can satisfie where Lust doth Burn For when in Pride and Fulness Men will Live Then comes the Horse-leach Daughters crying Give Give give yea which is ill yea worst of all We 'll have it or we 'll bring you into Thrall We 'll have your Tythes we 'll have your Easter's Dues We 'll have them all you's neither Will nor Chuse And thus old Eli's Sons are still alive Which in this World nor that to come will thrive What! Preach the Gospel and yet Sue to such For Maintenance as
that but thou addest a great and wicked Lie and Slander in saying we condemn the most Eminent Saints and Martyrs for thou say'st they were not of our Minds and thou seemest much Troubled that thy self also whom thou hast so high an esteem of could not pass the Censure of those thou scornfully calls Quakers have any of them called thee Deceiver and the like I say see if it be not true that might be thus spoken unto thee for it is no Derogation to the Honour of Truth to say the Truth it self may call a Deceiver false Accuser and Reproacher by their proper names For in Matt. 23. and John 8. see Christs Language to the Hypocrites of those Days so the Error was not in Christ his calling them so that were so but in those Pharisees there calling Christ a Deceiver and Devil when he was not so nor could be and for the most Holy and Zealous Christians amongst you that thou say'st had the like Names from us I answer if any under the Name Quaker called thee or any of thy Company otherwise than they in the Light saw true or could make good they were to blame but if any in Truth have declared your Inward Condition to you though under such Tearms you ought rather to repent than to kick and spurn at it in your hard Hearts for it will be hard for you to kick against the Pricks and for Spewing you may take that to your selves whose Throat is an open Sepulchre wide opened against all that are Holy and Zealous in Christ to separate from you and witness against your Deceit And so if those thou callest Holy and Zealous Christians amongst you together with thy self be weighed in the Ballance of Truth it will appear you are as far from that State as the East is from the West But I demand how thou knowest the Saints and Martyrs were not of our Perswasion and Practice for thou dost not judge with the Light that is Pure and Spiritual as is manifest nor see with a single Eye but only judgeth with thy Evil Thoughts and False Imaginations for we say in a few words that our Mind and Practice is to believe on the Name of the Son of God that true Light that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and to love one another and to labour to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and all Men And I Read that the Saints and Martyrs were of this Perswasion and Practice with us and so we have a Cloud of Witnesses both Ancient and Modern of the Truth of this our way and so if thou hast Books that tell of other manner of Saints or Martyrs I deny both them and thee in calling them Saints who are not for the Saints of God and Martyrs of Jesus are one Body in all Ages not loving their Lives to death that so they might always keep to God's manifest Truth in them without denying it before Men and this is that which the Lord God hath wrought in us poor Despised People to the Glory of his Grace in this his day that no Flesh might Glory but as it is written Let him that Glorieth Glory in the Lord who alone is worthy Qu. 7. But in thy seventh and next Query thou thinkest thou hast gotten something against us because say'st thou we use to cry against you as Hirelings and that you would Preach no longer than People put into your Mouths but now say'st thou it 's manifest that many of these are ready to lose all for the Testimony of Jesus and to Preach the Gospel freely though it be in danger of Imprisonment Answ To which I answer and say That the Testimony of those thou scornfully callest Quakers against you stands firm and true for all these thy high swelling Words of Vanity for we know none of you Preaching freely as yet and the reason why you talk in the form you do it because you cannot keep your fat Benefices O Hypocrites What Whining and Complaining is there by you in these days for your Belly But for Preaching the Gospel you have manifested your selves to be Ignorant both of Christ and of the Gospel by denying the sufficiency of the Light which Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World John 1.9 and then put the Letter for the Light and so fight and strive with your Brethren about your form and several Imaginations of the Letter one cries up a Bishop another a Presbyter and both of you Ignorant of the true Bishop and Elder But John Reynolds would'st not thou and thy Brethren be at the Gain from your Quarter again if Common-Prayer could be dispensed withal Oh if you be brought into such a suffering Frame How is it that we have no more of your Company in Prison Nay nay your old Heart is in you yet and ye would be sucking Lambs Blood still if you had Power and that the God of Heaven sees and will take Vengeance on you for it and that which you cannot do with your Hands you are doing with your Tongues and Pens as is manifest But I have often said if you could Preach freely that is without a set or forced maintenance in the state where you are that would not at all commend you to God or his People For you have run and God never sent you and therefore you remain so ignorant of him and profit not them that follow you for when did Christ bid you go to the Universities of the World to learn him there And when did he bid you go to such a place and such a place and there sit down and Eat the Fat and Cloath with the Wooll and Preach the Thoughts of your vain Hearts as you have done and would do and be guarded by the Magistrates Power that none should speak to you in your high Places nor going nor coming from thence O call to mind the day of your fulness and of your Pride the same measure you mete to others is God measuring to you you must be broken to pieces because you turn not to the Lord for all this And to the despised thing the Light in your Conscience you must come and bow before it as others have done before you be healed and if it give you a word to speak you may speak it otherwise you must be silent or you perish The Lord is arisen and so if indeed you can kiss his Rod you may find Mercy but if you still go on justifying your selves in his sight you shall certainly moulder to nothing the Lord hath said it who is daily gathering his Lambs out of the Mouths of all Devourers Glory to his Name for ever But what Testimony of Jesus can you either give or suffer for who have so Vilified and Reproached the Spirit of Prophesie in Sons and Daughters in Servants and Handmaids in these Days For the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie And now all People I shall lay before you a little more the Condition
the Powers of the World as we are at this day But whereas thou speakest of every Man that is not so ordained thy self and your selves who never were ordained by the Holy Ghost as they were for when did the Holy Ghost in your Assemblies say as in Acts 13.2 Separate such and such for the work I have appointed them unto Nay nay you have run and God never sent you for you never heard his Holy Voice at any time and therefore you profit not the People at all but make them more Cunning to Dispute against the Truth than they were before they followed you But what Ordination of Man had Paul at his first going out to Preach See Gal. 1. he received not the Gospel by Man and went not to Man no not to the Apostles themselves for Ordination and Commission to Preach but immediately Preached Christ as many have done and do at this Day who go under the Reproach of the name Quaker And so God is Restoring his Church to its Primitive Purity and Power to the stopping of the Mouth and confounding the Wisdom of all Flesh whether called Pope Cardinals Bishops or Presbyters that the true Eldership and Body of Christ to God's Glory may again appear And what Rules and Orders are and shall be in this true Church is known to God and by him Manifested and to be Manifested to the Body it self and not to the World for the World must neither have the right Understanding nor Management of those things no more than they had in those Days when it was said I stand not to Mans Judgment for the Holy Anointing must be all in the Church of God for ever Qu. 10. Thy Tenth and next Query is a plain discovery of thy Folly and of thy manifest Enmity against the simple Appearance of Truth in any discovery and though thou say the Scripture is thy Rule yet by it thou canst not endure to be Ruled but plain Language it self is thy Burthen and therefore thou askest how it can be said that ever Christ or his Apostles or Patriarchs or Prophets used the words Thou and Thee when they never spake English And how can it be unlawful for us to use the word You to each other since the same words in Hebrew Greek and Latin that signifie Thou signifie You in the Singular Number also and may be Translated You as well as Thou and so it seems thou say'st 2 Sam. 15.27 Answ John Reynolds Didst thou Read this Query twice over Or didst thou at all Consider what thou said'st in it Was either the Fear of God or Care of thy own Credit before thy Eyes when thou writest it Surely neither But thou hast judged in thy self with thy vain Thought that because thou hast used to blind thy poor Hearers and make them believe any thing for Truth thou speakest or writest therefore it will be so with others Nay nay the Day is dawned the Lord hath given his People an Eye whereby all Covers are seen through and to this Light thou hast manifested as much Nakedness and Blindness to be in thee as in the grossest of them that say Mass at Rome or read Common-Prayer in English Nay I do believe many of them would be ashamed to argue thus as thou dost to wit because Christ his Apostles Patriarchs and Prophets did not speak in the English Tongue that therefore they used not the words Thou and Thee How came the Translators to Translate their Words when they speak to a particular Person Thou and Thee and never You as may all over Scripture be easily found thou may'st as well say Christ his Apostles Patriarchs and Prophets said nothing at all that is Recorded in Scripture in the English Tongue because they spoke not English so the Lord hath catched the Wise in his own Craftiness but thou goest on and say'st the same words in Hebrew Greek and Latin that signifie Thou signifie You in the Singular Number also and may be Translated You as well as Thou which I say is altogether false for You is not at all Singular but Plural altogether and so the Translators of the Bible knew and therefore never Translated their Singular Term in the forraign Language to you in English but Thou and Thee as is before mentioned and for that place in 2 Sam. 15.27 thou set'st down and says it seems that You is used to a singular there it shames thee for if envy to the Truth had not Blinded thee thou mightest 〈◊〉 fee that the King speaking to Zadock and saying Your Sons and you speaks not of Zadock and his Son but of Zadock and Abiathar and their Sons as the very words next after and in Verse 29. plainly shew and so here thou hast committed that great Error thy self that thy Generation use to Charge falsly upon us to wit in taking a piece of a Verse that seems to make for thy purpose and leaves out the rest that shews fully the Sense Qu. 11. Thy Eleventh and next Query is for the World where thou undertakest the part of an Advocate for Flesh not only pleading for the Honour that is below but also for the Manner of it Thy Doctrine is very pleasant to the fall'n Man and the World cannot hate such Preachers as thee for ye are not only of the World but chief Master-Builders of the old House of the fall'n Adam who loves the Earthly Honour But now that Christ the second Adam is come the Lord from Heaven above the Earthly Man let all Flesh bow before him and give up his Honour to him otherwise this shall be fitly applied unto you that Christ said unto the Jews How can you believe that not only receive but also seek and plead for Honour one of and from another John 5.44 For Christ received not Honour from Men Verse 41. So that tho' there was a time that Angels were bowed unto which were greater than Flesh Gen. 19.1 yet a time came that Angels denied that Honour Rev. 22.9 For now the Son himself was Glorified of whom it was said And let all the Angels of God Worship him Heb. 16. And at his Name shall every Knee bow Phil. 2.10 And Christ said to the Devil who was like his Children that would now be Worshipped Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve The Devil and Haman would be bowed unto but the true Jew will bow only to God But thou queriest and say'st Qu. Whether did the Saints in Scripture-times Sin in giving Honour that is say'st thou A Civil or Inferiour Honour unto Men and upon occasion Testifying the same by Honorary Words or Deeds Answ To which I answer and say All that the Saints before the coming of Christ did is not to be an Example to us now but we must all now that would be approved to Christ take him for our Example and to follow no Man for our Example further than they followed or do follow him and when the Apostles speak of
of the Faithful who naturally only proceed from such as do but in general only profess the Christian Religion though their Lives even in your Judgment are judged to be no better some if not many of them to be I say no better than Heathens is such a piece of Darkness and Wretchedness that the Earth groans under it and the Spirit of the Lord is burdened with your Doings as a Cart under Sheaves And whereas thou brings that Scripture Mat. 18.10 to prove that by little Children he intends the Natural Infants is so gross that it shews thou wilt not see for those little ones whose Angels Christ said did always behold the Face of his Father are plainly said to be such as believed in him Ver. 6. and humbled themselves like a little Child and so he still brought little Children as Figures and Examples to Men that they might come to the Birth of God in them which Heirs his Kingdom according to what is said before Rom. 9.8 and John 3. That which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit Also as to that which thou brings against our Objection from Mat. 28.18 concerning Infant Baptism it is nothing but thy groundless Argument drawn from a falfe Supposition of our understanding of the place as though we understood the reason wherefore Teaching is to go before Baptizing because of the meer standing of the words in the Sentence and so troubles thy self to prove by other Scripture That Precedency of Action is not always deducible from the Precedency of Words For thou maist know that we do not say that Teaching goes before Baptism meerly because it is placed so in words though in that place that is true but especially because of the Nature of the Thing as is manifest amongst many other Reasons 1. By your own Confession that the Sacraments do not beget Faith but only confirm and that Faith cometh by hearing the Word Preached 2. From the Practice of those that Baptized with Water in the first Times as is to be seen in Scripture where none were Baptized with Water but upon Teaching first going to the Understanding of such whatsoever you imagine to the contrary from the Goaler's or Stephana's Families 3. From the Judgment of those that Compiled that Catechism which saith What is required of Persons to be Baptized The Answer is Faith and Repentance And so because they in their dark Minds and Self-will would needs have Children into that Ceremony right or wrong they devised that strange and unheard of and unreasonable Custom of Sureties or Godfathers and Godmothers to Promise that for the Children which the Lord never required of them and indeed is most unreasonable to think possible for can any Promise for another that they shall do such things as forsake the Devil and all his Works c. especially for Infants whose Minds and Hearts are wholly hid from such Presumptuous Promisers But what if the Lord should require the Performance of this Promise in the Day of Judgment on behalf of such Infants that when they come to Years are found following the Devil and all his Works Would'st thou be content to suffer the Punishment of such Disobedient Ones for their Sin Were it not just thou should'st seeing thou wast the Surety or Undertaker for them and they have failed Must it not therefore fall on thee except thou Repent And so if thou be Damned do not say that we Damn thee for it 's thy self that art the Cause and God and his Servants are clear of all your Blood And do not trifle and say as one of you said See these Men can bring a Proof out of our Catechism and therefore it is so and so and drew this wretched word forth from it The Spider draws Poyson out of the same Flower the Bee draws Honey The Heathens might have said so to Paul who brought their own Authors against them And did his bringing some true words out of their heaps of false prove all to be good and he a Spider for so doing any more than our present Work make us Spiders or allow of all that 's written in that Catechism Nay nay the Lord is Judge between us and he sees who are in Heart true Lovers of him and his Truth and who are not and will give every one according to their Works and that is our Joy Glory to his Name for Ever and so at this time rests the Lord's Servant Thomas Taylor This Writ upon Occasion of a Visitation so called UNto you who are called Divines In Love are sent these following Lines And so if you are Wise you 'll not Disdain A few plain Verses from a Heart that 's plain They 'll serve as Monitors unto that part In you which is grown dull with weight of Art And evil Customs in these lazy Times Wherein the Truth 's Extirpate Prose and Rhimes Wherein Ambition Pride and Cruelty Is like a Fiery Flame advanc'd so High That if with Moistning showers it go not out It will consume the Tree both Branch and Root Wo to the Shepherds that lead the Flock amiss And follow Cursed Covetousness what 's this Save gross Idolatry to give to th' Earth Your Hearts which is the due of him that gives you Breath And Wo to People when even for a Word A Man's Offender made then comes the Sword Then comes the Plagues of God upon that Land To cut off Sinners who against him stand And Wo to People when their Bishop's Blind That neither sees nor knows their Sores to Bind Who feeds himself with Thoughts of Worldly Glory And knows not that his Life 's an empty Story And knows not that the Holy One Beholds How such the Sheep impound in dirty Folds How they the Fleece and not the Flock do seek Howl howl ye Shepherds Roar Lament and Weep The Day of your Dispersions is at Hand You shall no more the Lambs Tear Kill and Rend But Heaven and Earth shall Joy the Day to see Wherein the Sheep from Bondage shall go free Weep Weep and Wall all strong and stout of Heart Who with Proud Babel's Whore have taken part Upon a Bed of Sorrow you must lye Because the Cursing thing you come so nigh What Madness is in Men in these bad Days That will not heed what Christ and Scripture says That will not once believe that God will come And give upon your Deeds a Righteous Doom What are your Ears and Eyes so clos'd that ye God's Truth will neither Practice Hear nor see Hath Midnight Darkness all your Senses drown'd That of God's Truth you 'll not endure the Sound Must every vain Invention Suffered be And with a Brasen Face i' th' Land go free And only such as do Proclaim God's Day Be stopt and from your presence sent away Into some nasty Prison or such Place To spend their Days in Sorrow with Disgrace As though the Great and Holy One of Heaven Would not pour out