Lord worshipped him in spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter in which you are pretending to worship And friends though you have gotten good words to cover your selves with the St. words which is the sheeps cloathing the Prophets words Christs words and his Appostles words yet you are ravened from that Spirit which was their life by which they were moved and by which those words were brought forth by them and though you make never so goodly a shew outwardly yet you are but ravening Woolves within you have that nature standing which will rend and teare the Lambs when they are sent amongst you but now the Lord hath appeared and is farther appearing to strip you of your Covering and your nakedness will more and more appear and many shall see your shame and loath it for the woe doth belong to all that have gotten a Covering which is not with his Spirit And people that you may not think better of your selves then you ought through Ignorance of the falsness of your way and worship and the Idolatry in which you are wallowing I shall in tender love shew you plainly wherein your sacrifice was Lame and your devotion Blind and such as is nor of the Spiritâ— leading nor like the Saints practice and therefore the Lord will not except it from you nor you therein First of the place you meet in to Worship it is Idollatry in you or your Teacher to call it a Church and though he call it so and teacheth you so to call it that you may have the higher esteem of his Shop or Market house in which he â—rads for dishonest gain and in which he sels unto you that on his market day which he hath stollen on other dayes of the week yet it is in truth no more nor less than an old Mass-house which was by the Popes power and order built and consecrated as they call it and set a part for that use and some of your Grandfathers could remember I believe the Popes Mass sung and said therein in the Lattine tongue I have heard my Grandfather tell of it as now you have the same in whole or in part in English But friends search the Scriptures which your teacher tels you is your law and rule and see therein if you can finde any such thing called a Church which I am sure you cannot but therein â— find the Apostle Paul said the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Thes 1. 1. And the Church is not made of dead but living stones no nor dead men neither such as are dead in sins and trespasses and so he that knowes not aright what is the guide or rule of a Saints life it is no wonder that he knows not the true Church of Christ and if ignorance and gross darkness indeed were not over people they would see these things and if they did know the true Church of Christ and themselves but coming to be Members of it then they would not indure any longer to follow such blind guides as shall call a house of Lime and Stones a Church to give it that name which only is proper and belongs to the body of which Christ Jesus is the head If you were all of you believers and did know follow Christ Jesus the light and did meet in the name and power of the Lord and so did worship him in the Spirit and in the truth yet the best name you could properly give the house or place you meet in was but a meeting house and therefore now while you are in the unbelief in wickedness Idollatrous and ungodly practices how can any one call it any other then a Sinagogue of Satan and not a meeing house of believers or Saints much less a Church though you are met therein for God who is light hath no fellowship with darkness nor the workers thereof those that walk in the light as he is in the light they are in and of the Church which is in God the Piller and ground of truth and such have fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit and one with another and therein the blood of Christ is witnessed which cleanseth from all unrighteousness and such are the peculiar people of God that are zealous of Good works and such connot but bare testimony against the contrary Steven the Apostle of Christ he bore witness against the Tempel which once commanded of the Lord to be builded and worshiped in but when it was Idolised by the people as you do now your stone Church then the Lord sent the Apostle to bare witness against that Tempel as you may read Asts 17. 24. God that made the World and all things therein seeing bâ— is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands â—â—ither is he worshiped with the works of mens hands marke that and friends God never commanded that to be built and set apart for his worship which you call your Church Secondly that which you offer in your high place built by the Popes order is but the works of mens hands and that is abomination unto the Lord as you may read Acts 7. 4. And they made a Calfe in those days and offered sacrifice unto their Idol and rejoyced in the works of their own hands then God gave them up to Worship the Host of Heaven So that when a people gives themselves up to Idolatry then they may be left of the Lord to be more and more overcome therin now your prayers as you call them are they not a deviâ—â—d thing or a forme that is composed or made ready by mens hands and so is as a Calse which is made and set up which you are worshiping with your bodys and lips but in it there is no Spirit nor life but is a dead blind Lame Image and the Apostle said bodily excercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable unto all Freinds if bodily excercise profiteth little or nothing at all in the worship of God consider your practice and your several sorts of jestures which you know nothing of the leading of the Spirit of God thereunto 〈◊〉 its abominable unto the Lord and he may justly say as he will do one day who required such things at your hands and what ever you may think of it through Ignorance the Vale being over your hearts yet this I â—estifie unto you in the fear of the Lord that it is not the true Worship of the true God and it is not in the Spirit and he will not accept of it nor you therein as afore said when you read the Prophets words you keep on your hats and when you sing and say them in your common praying then you put them off waht example or command from God have you for so doing Thirdly As for your singing it is not according to the practice of the Saints and primative Christians as you may read the Apostle said I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray
always been of use in England and if the Apostle be so understood as that you are not to pray or prophecy with your head covered then were not many among you transgressors that pretended to pray and did not your Priest transgressâ—â— in both praying and preaching with his Cap on but I beleive the Apostle had a higher meaning then that well people be not deceived the Lord will not be mocked with your showes nor likeness of drawing neer him with your bodys when your hearts are far of from him after your coveteousness and the satisfing of your lust it is not Reading not hearing the Saints words read over nor the keeping part of a day once a week that will give you exceptation with the Lord while you are in the evil state and nature untranslated out of the Kingdome of darkness unchainged in your nature unconverted and unturned from your works of sin and Iniquity which seperates between the Creature and the Lord the wicked and the ungodly he beholds a far off how neere soever they pretend to draw unto him And what though the man you call your Minister do call you as he did in my hearing the children of the most High what are you the better for that so long as in works you shew your selves to be the children of another Father for mark what Christ said to the Pharisees that had as large a profession as any of you and could boast as much of their Law Ordinances and Temple outward as you can and yet he told them they were of their father the Divel whose lusts they will do see Iohn 8. 44. and the Apostle saith His Servants you are whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience 〈◊〉 righteousness but try a little this flattery of your hierling what can you be the Children of the most High and yet have cause as he said to 〈◊〉 to for being more vilde in your conversations then they which are called heathens mark freinds can a child of God which is one that is lead by his Spirit or can a Christian that is one that believeth in and is a follower of Christ or is Christ like that is a partaker of his Divine nature which is oure and cleane and yet I say can the Heathens by name and nature â—â—tstrip you in an honester conversation and better life freinds it was meer deceit in him so to flatter and delude you and it was the Enemys policy in him to make you think better of your selves then you ought to do that so he may keep you always in his snare my spirit way greived and my very heart within me was troubled to stand to hear what manner of stuff your were sed with even meer chafe such as is good for nothing but for Swine â—o muzel â—pon it will never satifie the hungry â—oul that thirsts for Gods righteousness Wo is me for you this word is true upon you The Prophets prophecyfalsly and the â—riests bare rule by their means and the people love to have it so but â—hat will you do in the end thereof if the blind lead the blind and it continue so to be will not both fall into the ditch and pit of miserry out of which there will be no recovery therefore in time repent and though he told you you might look upon the good in the heathens and the bad in you'selves and bâ—â—sh thereat yet he said you had a Law to be your guide which would shew you at all times what you ought to do saying if you are in the Church you have a Law to shew you how you ought to carry your selves there if at your â—â—â—ses at home you have a Law shews you how you ought to carry your selves there if in your Shops you have a Law shews you how you ought to carry your selves there in your trading and if alone you have a Law shews you how you ought to carry your selves before the Lord and this he aplyed to the Letter of Scripture But is that Law such a guide unto you and doth it shew you and lead you as he said let the witness of God in you judge I know it doth not neither can it so it is but a dead Letter and the Letter killeth it is the Spiâ—it giveth life there was a time when I heard men preach out of Scripture and to that time it was not a guide to me so to shew teach and direct me as he said to you but I erred very much in many things and the true guide which was able to save me out of sin I knew not till I was turned to the â—ight of Christ in me which is a measure of the Spirit and gift of God the good word of his grace which I have found alone able to convince me of â—â—liver from and save me out of sin And freinds this is your guide and this is the Law of the Spirit of life â—hich is in and comes from Christ Jesus the light of the world who is 〈◊〉 true light that hath lighted every man that is come into the world which sets free from the Law of Sin and the Law of Death and what ever hâ— be that sets up any other thing for a rule and for a guide is a deceiver 〈◊〉 Anti-christ and no Minister of the true Christ And people such a one is he that perswads you to look for that in thâ— Scriptures which only is to be found in Jesus Christ the light of the world mark Christ's words to the Pharisees he said search the Scriptures in them you think to have Eternal life they are they which testifie oâ— me you will not come to me that you may have life and doth he noâ— bid you hearken to be taught of the letter to keep you in that state to teâ—â— in the letter of Scripture without you from looking into Christ Jesus thâ— wisdome and power of God who is the life of men and is to be felt within in man let none mistake me I do not deny or slight the holy Scripture buâ— I say they are a true declaration of the rule of life but they are not thâ— rule of life Christ Jesus is the rule of life the Scripture is a declaratioâ— of the way to life and peace but Christ Jesus is the way which leads out 〈◊〉 sin into well doing and so to peace the Scripture is a declaration of thâ— truth but Christ Jesus he that is the way he is the truth and be leads hiâ— people that follow him into the truth by which they are made free thâ— Scripture is a declaration of the everlasting word but Christ Jesus is thâ— word that lives and abides for ever And thus people in the fear of God having received the knowledge anâ— understanding of that which was the Saints rule and guide of old I cannoâ— but in tender love to your souls shew you what it is and reprove that spirit that would set up any thing else in the roome of it
and that it may the more clearely appear that he is so Mark what was said by Moses the servant of the Lord conâ—erning the Law in the heart or the word of faith Deut. 30. 11 12. The Commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for us to bring it down to us that we may hear it and do it neither is it beyond the Seas that you should say who shall go over the Sea for us to bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the word is very â—igh thee in thy mouth in thy heart that thou maiâ—st hâ—ar it and do it And the Apostle Paul said to the Romans Ro. 10. is 7 8. The Righteousnâ—ss of saith soeaketh on this wise say not in your hearts who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Chirst down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and that is the werd of faith which we Preach Faith comes by hearing this word and faith is the gift of God the word is nigh which was in the begining with God by it he made all things it came forth from him and 〈◊〉 among men even Christ Jesus whose name is called the word of God and they that know not Christ or the light a measure of his spirit which comes from him in them they are in the reprobate state so saith the Apostle And so friends and people tâ—rne in your minds to the light in your Conscience and that will bring you to feel and taste the word which is as a fire hamer and sword it will deâ—ide between the pretious and the vile in you it will devide your good thoughts from 〈◊〉 bad for the Lord thereby sheweth unto man his thoughts and it will shew your 〈◊〉 words and actions from your bad judging the evil in you and giving you peace in well doing so that freinds it is very clear by the Scripture of truth the writings of the holy men of old as by experience of many in this day that the word which is to be a gâ—ide and a rule of life to men and women is neerer to them at all times then the Scriptaâ—e or letter outward can be even in the mouth and heart that it may be felt and heard â—â— all times and the voice of the Lord may be heard thereby and obeyed and his counsel received therein for the Saints of old heard handled and tastâ—d of the word of life and then thereof declared unto others as you may read John 1. 1 2 3. and the Apostles said when they were forbiden to preach in that name we cannot but 〈◊〉 of the things we have seen and heard So dear people hear beleive and receive the word of life for it is not a dead form that will serve to present you to the Lord so as to be excepted by him unlâ—ss you turn into the light in you and thereby to be lead to live in the life of righteousness and so to worship him in the spirit truth all you do will be in vaine for he is a spirit such as worship him must worship in the spirit and the truth and such he hath sought and is seekiâ—g to worship him and therefore be not any longer deceived by him that daubs you with â—â—tempered morter and flatters you with fained words and faire speeches by which the impel hearted are deceived He told you he had led you in a rough and tedious path but for the time to come he pâ—omised to lead you in a smother way and prophecy smother things by which it seems â—e will please you in putting more pillows under your arme holes as calling you Saints Christians and Children of God when indeed you cannot witness the new birth or work â—â— regeneration without which it is imposible to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and then what are you the better for the name of Christian Saint or Child of God as long as you are in the heathenish and unchristian-like nature when the witness of God in your Consciences will shew you your lives is uncleane and unsanctified and that you are not the servants of Righteousness but slaves and subjects unto sin to fulfil the lusts and motâ—â—ns thereof I cannot but pitty you oveer whome a Cloude of darkness and Vale of ignorance is spread by reason of the God of this World that blinds your eyes so that you do not see the empty chaf and vanity which you lay out your money and labour for even that which will never satisfie your souls et him prophecy never so smoothly but freinds mark â—hat the Lord by the Propet saith concerning such as desired smooth things Isa 30. 9. 10. This is a rebelliouus people lying Children that will not hear the Law of the Lord which is 〈◊〉 which say to the seers see not and to the Prophets Prophecy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophecy unto us deceit and so is it thisday among you like 〈◊〉 like people and the horrible silthy thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophecy falsly the Priests beare rule by their means and the people love to have it so 〈◊〉 see what is farther wâ—itten from the Lord by the prophet ver 12. and so on wherefore 〈◊〉 saith the Lord the holy one because you despise this word which is iâ— you trust in 〈◊〉 and perversness and stay thereon therefore this iniquity shall be unto you as a breach ready â—f all And further thus saith the Lord the holy one in turning shall you be saved in quietness 〈…〉 shall â—e your strength and you would not mark that So freinds prise this day of your visitation and slight not the Love of the Lord who is seeking to be gratious unto you in making known this his way to life which is his gift in you his word and measure of his spirit given unto you to profit withal and as you turne into it thereby to be guided in it salvation you will feel and confidence and assurance you will have therein and strength thereby to be preserved but if you will not that Christ Jesus the light of the world shall come to raigne in you nor if you wâ—ll not be subject unto his power in your hearts nor let his light nor Spirit be your rule and guide then you are the enemies that he will slay with his Iron rod and he will dash you in peices like Potters Vessels Cease therefore from man by which you are deceived and hearken to the true Prophet dilligently that your souls mâ—y come to live and may partake of the sure meâ—â—iâ—s of David then you will not any longer lay out your mony for that which is not bread noâ— your