A New Catechism Wherein many Truths are plainly opened by way of Question and Answer which may be a help and furtherance unto all tender hearted people who are breathing after the Lord and waits for Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ. ALSO Something concerning the Foundation and Principle of the poor afflicted people of God called Quakers and of their Faith and Love towards God and their good VVill unto Men being also plainly demonstrated by way of Question and Answer Given forth in the labour of Love and put to View for the Service of this present Generation and also Generations to come William Smith Printed in the Year 1665. There is also Re-printed a PRIMMER Wherein is demonstrated The New and Living Way Held forth by way of Question and Answer as from a Child's Enquiry after Truth to be informed by the Father Here being divers particulars Answer'd and plainly opened that may be profitable both in this present Age and Ages to come Published for the benefit of all sorts of people and-may be very serviceable for every Family and of great use for young Children to learn in so soon as they can understand their Language that they in the fear of God may be instructed and remember their Creator in the dayes of their Youth Other Foundations can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ Behold I write unto you both Old and Young that you may know the Truth and that the Truth may make you free For which I Travel enduring Affliction for the Truths sake WILLIAM SMITH The Primer or Catechism may be had either Bound together or a part An Epistle to the Reader Reader THou art to understand that the natural man can neither see nor receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are Spiritually discerned and it is the Spiritual minde that is onely in a capacity to receive and understand those things which by the Spirit is declared and made manifest for the Spirit is the key by which Divine truths are opened and by the intelligence of it they also come to be understood and the testimony which hath been published and held forth unto the precious truth of God in these latter dayes hath been abundantly spread abroad by the Spirits Power and demonstration through the faithfull and chosen witnessess of the New birth unto whom the Lord God everlasting hath revealed his secrets and open the mysteries of glorious kingdome and hath given unto them the tongue of the learned and the power and wisdome of his heavenly life whereby they are able to divide the word aright and to dispence the Gospel of everlasting peace and they have faithfully served the Lord in their generation and have not been negligent to run the way of his commandements but early and late have laboured in their holy calling whereunto the Lord hath called them in the work of the Gospel and their testimony doth stand for God this day and is become a sweet Savour in the hearts of many and that glorious truth which so plentifully hath been poured forth by the holy Spirit of God and so wonderfully is spread abroad through the testimony of his faithfull Servants it doth stand and remaine as a sure record which cannot be raced out though it might be sufficient to clear the Lords faithfull servants on their own behalf as also to leave all people without excuse who hitherto have shut their hearts against it yet such is Gods tender love that he continues his favours and goodness and in the openings of himselfe in the riches of his mercy he fills his children and servants with an overflowing cup of his precious virtue which yet doth constraine them to make known the true and perfect way of peace and to proclaime the word of eternal life unto the Sons and Daughters of men and though many have walked unworthily and have requited the Lord unkindly yet doth his compassion move to his own begotten that sits in desolate and sollitary places as a babe without comfort and in the vertue of his own life he keeps his testimony fresh upon the hearts of his messengers and they run in his power and are not weary and walkes in his love and are not faint but continues in their race of well doing though many faces have ever been set against them therefore whosoever thou art that reads in this booke consider the end of its manifestation for it is not published to be onely seen and read but to manifest the truth as it is in Jesus which thou art to weigh and ponder in the fear of God for the matter in this booke doth lye out of sight to the carnal eye and the matter cannot be understood by reading the words onely but by taking heed to the measure of Gods Spirit in thee for if thou doe not read with the Spirit of God in thee thou cannot understand the matter in the words though thou may read them over and over for whosoever would come to the true knowledge of God they must come to the measure of his Spirit themselves or otherwise they may read but reap no profit and so the Scriptures have been read and heard but the Spirit not being minded in those that read and hear there is not an understanding of the matter of which the words testifie and so the the book is sealed though the words be read and heard marke that for there is not another way to come to the true knowledge of God but through death to that part which would comprehend him and though a faithfull testimony may be published by words and writings yet cannot any thereby come to the knowledg of God for God is not so to be comprehended therefore it concernes every one that comes into the world to minde the light of Christ with which they are enlightened to wait in it for the Revelation of God for there is none knowes the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveales him and whosoever would compass the knowledge of God in any other way or by any other thing they can never come to a true knowledge of him for where the will and desire is let at liberty to the comprehending of God and Christ there the minde overruns the true light in which the secrets of God are opened and revealed and though words and writings may in themselves be true yet none can profit by them but as they joyn to that of God in themselves for the secrets of God cannot be any otherwise known or attained but as there is a patient waiting in that which openeth by it to be gathered into the nature of that which is opened and whosoever increass knowledg by any other way it is the vaile which spreads over their hearts and blinds their mindes for beholding the appearance of God in his light and life and though such as so gather knowledge may seem wise in what they knâ—w and in their knowledge satisfie themselves and esteeme
action before life thereby to attain life and so we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them and this is ordained of God to be the fruit of our life and faith and in these good works we walk to his glory and depends upon him alone for the renewing of our strength to continue in them unto the end Q. But how do you manifest your good works which you say are ordained of God for you to walk in A. By our faith we manifest them and the manifestation doth clearly demonstrate the nature and root to be of God in which they are created and the nature and root in which they are created being of God they must needs be good and so they are good works as being of God and of God ordained that we should walk in them and that of God in every conscience bears witness to the same so that we know all our works to be wrought by him in us and for us and we do walk in them who are born of him and he alone hath the glory though the natural man perceiveth not from whence they are nor whither they goe Q. And is it your faith and love towards God that makes you such a willing people to serve God and to do his will A. Yes it is so for the day of his power hath overcome us and therein he hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and in him our faith and love is encreased and strengthened to run without weariness for in his life we have motion and action whereby we are willingly disposed to serve him and to do his will Q. But how do you know all these things you act and do are the commands of God and according to his will A. By the word of his power in us through which we are made sensible of all his commands unto us for as we are born of him so we know his voice and by his word we are instructed in his commands and thereby put upon motion to act and do them and in our duty he gives us his peace by which we know that all those things which we act and do are his commands unto us and according to his will Q. But are you so constrained through your faith and love towards God as to answer him in all things that he commands you A. Yes for if we should say we love him and do not keep his commands we should be lyars but we do so love him and our faith is so stedfast in him as that we are thereby constrained to keep his commands in all things for it is natural unto his own birth to delight to do his will and to do whatsoever he commandeth and hereby we know that his love is perfected in us and our faith and love is single unto him and as his good will is manifested unto ns even so is our hearts disposed in good will towards all men Q. What good will have you to such as you judge and condemn because they are not like-minded with you A. Much every way for that which we judge and condemn in any is only that spirit which wrongs them by which our good will is manifested unto that which suffers wrong and this is our judgment according to truth and knowing that the judgment of the Lord is according to truth and having felt it so in our selves through the condemnation of sin in the flesh we judg sin in the flesh in whomsoever it reigns that sin in the flesh may be condemned and they in the spirit may be justified and herein we manifest the universal love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts in which our good will extendeth unto all men Q. And is that the love with which you love your enemies A. Yes for as God had pity upon us in the day of our alienation from him and followed us with many tender visitations and also many righteous judgments even so we know that he would not have a sinner to perish and in this love we labour for the good of all people and it is the greatest manifestation of love to an enemy when his destruction is not sought but rather a condescending to recover him out of the state of his enmity into a state of reconciliation and peace and we know that there is none that are enemies unto us but they are enemies unto God and crucifies his life in themselves and therefore our love is in pity towards them though they be enemies unto us knowing that they cannot have peace with God whilst in that state they remain Q. And are you so disposed towards your enemies as that you cannot seek rerevenge when they do you wrong A. Yes that is the disposition of our nature not to seek revenge though we do suffer wrong for the revenging nature is in the fall in which people are enemies unto God and one to another but it is not so with us whom God hath redeemed for though we may have many enemies yet we are not enemies unto any though in the power of God by which we are redeemed we do bear testimony against the evil and the sin and that spirit in us doth not seek after revenge but in all long-suffering and patience we bear the enmity of our enemies and waits to see their conversion out of the enmity whereby our good will is manifested in love to their souls Q. But are you not the cause of the sufferings that comes upon you as being contrary minded unto all other people and so are enemies to your selves A. Nay the cause of our sufferings are not from our selves but from that spirit which cannot bear our testimony which God hath given us which testimony being contrary unto the actings and workings of the spirit of darkness it provokes the minds of such in whom it ruleth to enmity against us and that is the ground why sufferings comes upon us and we are clear for being enemies unto our selves in it as having our faith and love towards God in those things for which we suffer Q. But why can you not be conformable unto those things which other people observe and practice outwardly and yet keep your Faith and love towards God inwardly and so have your Faith to your selves A. Because we dare not deny or own that outwardly which God doth manifest to us inwardly either to be truth or out of the truth for so we should deny our Faith and love towards him every way and it is not possible that any should keep Faith and love to God inwardly and conforme to any practice outwardly which is contrary to their inward principle for as the body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also and they that have Faith to themselves in the power of God they also have Faith in him to serve him in works of truth and righteousness and so we shew
our Faith by our works for the Spirit of Faith being lived in as the inward principle the body is disposed by its motions and it doth never dispose the body to conform unto any outward thing which is contrary to its own nature so that the body is not to act the spirit but the spirit is to act and govern the body and where it is so both the inward and the outward agrees in one and there is faith inwardly and good works outwardly and we have a good evidence of the spirit in our selves that so it is with us whereby we are preserved upon our foundation inwardly and for joyning with any practice that is contrary to it outwardly and here our bodyes are alive unto God in his spirit and are acted and ordered by the power of it according to his will and vvhere it is not so there is not the sence of the spirit in the body and so a dead body vvhich others may move and order in their own vvay Q. Well but demonstrate in some particulars your Non-conformity as first why you cannot conform to the Discipline of the Church of England as it is now established outwardly A. Because vve do not find that it is established upon our foundation and principle inwardly and therefore vve cannot have faith in it nor love towards it and if vve should conform to it outvvardly contrary to the inward principle of our faith vve should commit sin for that which is not of faith is sin and if vve should do so vve should commit a great evil and our faith and love unto God vvould be lost and therefore it is vvhy vve cannot conform to the vvay and Worship now observed according to that Discipline or order because the spirit of God by which our bodyes are alive to God doth not so order and dispose us and vve dare not order our bodies in our own choice for if we could do so and not sin against God vve should rather chuse to conform then suffer but vve know that if vve should do so vve could not keep our consciences void of offence towards God though we might in so doing please many men but should come under his rebuke and correction for transgression and so in our single faith and love towards God we stand in the will of God and dare not move to observe any thing outwardly but as the motion of his power and life disposes us inwardly in which vve have true peace and satisfaction in our greatest tribulations and hereby it may be understood why vve cannot conform in this particular Q. And why is it that you cannot swear at all A. Because it is contrary to our inward principle and our principle being the truth it self we know that as we are acted and disposed by its motion that all our words promises and engagements are sure and stedfast for they are firmly established in our principle and therefore we dare not swear at all knowing our yea is yea and our nay is nay in a sure and stedfast principle that changes not and our faith and love towards God is in our principle and if we should swear at all we should deny our principle which is Christ the truth vvho commands us not swear at all and our faith standing in him and our love being towards him we are constrained to keep his command because we know that all his commands are according to truth and we believe that if we should swear at all vve should go into transgression and fall under condemnation and then we should loose the answer of a good Conscience and peace with God which is of more value unto us then the highest favours in the world Q. But doth your faith and love which you say is towards God lead you wholly into opposition to the ordinances of men who are to rule and govern Nations and Kingdoms A. Nay our faith and love towards God makes us to be subject to the Ordinances of men for the Lords sake and we do not despise Government outwardly but do believe that actual subjection ought to be given in all things that pertain to the preservation and well-being of such as are under the power of it and for this cause pay we Tribute and Custome and that not only for fear but for Conscience sake whereby our actual Subjection is manifested and our Consciences kept void of offence towards God and men for as we know that our inward principle is just and righteous in it self so vve believe that every power in outward Government that rules in Justice and Righteousnesse between man and man is to be owned and submitted unto and not in any wise to be resisted or denyed and this is something of our faith concerning this particular vvhereby it may appear that vve are not vvholly in opposition to the Ordinances of men as they act in Justice and Righteousness for the well-being one of another which is the main end of all outward Government Q. But do you not believe that you ought in all things to be actually subject according to the institutions of Laws which are in being A. Nay that is not our Faith for vvhere any Law concerns our Consciences and that contrary to our inward principle in that case vve dare not be actually subject for as our principle is the greatest in power and so it is most worthy of our subjection and our faith and love constrains us so to do and vvhere any outward Law lyes against our inward principle as to things pertaining to our Consciences vve in that case are passive and patiently suffers under it and so vve believe and are sure that the exercise of our Consciences in matters of Worship and Religion is to stand single unto God alone and not to be restrained or limited by any Ordinance of men Q. Why can you not give respect and honour unto persons that are in power and Government according to the Customs which are used A. Because it is against our faith to respect persons according to customes for we have not the faith our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons and yet we give honour and respect to all men unto vvhom it is due but the Hat and Knee is a beggarly honour and not worthy to be either given or received for honour being far below the honour that comes from above and we being born of the Royal seed of God we cannot give honour to any thing below it and all the customs that are in being and given and received for honour amongst men they are all below the Royall seed and the birth born of the seed can neither give nor receive such honor and this is our faith in this particular That we are to honour God and all men in the Lord but Customs and Observations with the Hat and Knee we believe and are sure that God doth not require us to give respect or honour unto any person after that manner and by our faith we live in our principle
from the evil seed are produced A. They are generally included in those things which are by people unregenerated observed who are called the world or worldly people and so the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world that is a manifestation of the nature of the evil seed which ruleth in the world and so it is concerning all other things which are observed by people unregenerated who are not of the Father but of the world Q. And cannot those that are born of the seed of God joyn with those things which by the world are observed A. Nay there is an impossibility lyes there also for they are born of another nature and there is no agreement in contraryes either in nature or manifestation Q. And doth not the world or the birth of the flesh despise and hate the birth born of God because it cannot answer what is observed in that nature A. Yes and also persecutes it and that is the ground of all envy strife and persecution outward because the birth born of God delights to do the will of God and the will of God being contrary to the will of man the birth born of the will of man hates the birth born of God and persecutes it Q. And doth the birth born of God endure persecution without resisting or revenging A. Yes for it suffers in the will of God and so lyes down in the patience and quietness in which it hath true contentment and peace through all things that comes to pass by outward tryals and afflictions Q. Then is it not the birth of the flesh that strives and persecutes about Religion A. Yes for the nature of it is envy and where it is not bowed unto then it persecutes and spoyles and destroys in its envious nature and so revenges it self in cruelty upon such as cannot walk in its way Q. And doth not God wonderfully appear with his own birth in a state of outward tryals and sufferings A. Yes more wonderfully then can be expressed in words Q. How doth he appear with it in such a state A. In his endless love mercy and goodness through which his bowels of compassion breaketh in tenderness unto his afflicted children whereby they receive strength in him to stand in every tryal that comes upon them for their faithfulness unto him Q. And do all born of God put their trust in him alone A. Yes for they have not another to trust in besides him therefore they wholly cast their care upon him in all conditions and he forsakes them not in their adversity but strengthens their faith and keeps them in patience to endure unto the end Q. And what doth outward afflictions work for such as are exercised in them A. They work for much good every way for thereby man comes to see his own nothingness and emptyness and is brought into humbleness of minde to wait upon God for the renewing of his strength in the present exercise that he may not be weary nor faint in it Q. Then is it not good to be exercised in outward afflictions A. Man is not to make choice of any thing but to stand in the will of God and if for the exercise of his Conscience towards God afflictions do betide him then he will feel it work for much good but the choice of it in his own will doth not bring any comfort Q. Is there any chuses outward sufferings in their own will A. There may that come to passe through the will as may cause outward sufferings but it cannot be truly said that the will chuses the sufferings but may act or practice such things as may cause outward sufferings to be inflicted Q. How may it be known when a man suffers in the will of God and when he suffers for any thing done in his owne will A. It may be known by the motion of Gods power in him for by the power the understanding is informed into the truth as also what is not of the truth and so the power constraines a man that is joyned unto it to bear witness unto the truth and against that which is out of the truth and whoever comes into outward sufferings for rhe exercise of their Conscience in this testimony they suffer in the will of God but such as barely from the Scriptures concludes something to themselves either to be truth or not the truth and so puts their own conclusions into practice and then for their own conclusions comes to suffer it cannot be truly said of such That they suffer in the will of God or that they chuse sufferings in their own wills but in their wills have concluded something to themselves and have chosen their own conclusions which in practice differs from the practice established by Nations Laws for which cause there are some that comes into outward sufferings but more in that place which chuses liberty rather Q. But may not a man in wisdome so order himself as to escape all outward sufferings concerning the exercise of his Conscience by conforming to the requirings of the present times and yet keep a good conscience towards God A. Man in his own wisdom may so order himself as to escape all outward sufferings in that place by conforming but this is to be understood that such a man doth not stand in the will of God neither in so doing can he stand with a good Conscience towards God for he that conforms to any practice which man observeth being convinced that such a practice is not according to the mind and will of God and so would escape outward sufferings by conforming and doth not stand in the power of God to bear a testimony for God that man is not born of the seed of God Q. In what doth the testimony of God stand A. It stands in the seed which hath the mind of God and delights to do the will of God Q. And do all born of the seed bear forth a testimony for God A. Yes they have a testimony in the seed and such stands in the power and bears witness unto the truth and are not ashamed of their testimony Q. What do such bear testimony unto A. To the truth as it is in Jesus holding forth his life power wisdom righteousness holiness meekness and patience with all the graces and virtues of his pure life Q. And what do they testifie against A. They testifie against all deceit and wickedness vain customs fashions and traditions of the world against all hypocrisie and double-mindedness will-worships and self-righteousness with all things generally that is manifested by the birth of the flesh Q. And is that the ground why outward afflictions betide those that are born of the seed of God and bears forth a testimony for God A. Yes for the seed of the evil doer being at enmity against the seed of God it labours every way to suppress the testimony of it and so the birth of the flâ—sh hath alwayes persecuted the birth of the spirit and
and vve know that there is no honour due unto any man but as he hath some union with the light and power of God in himself which is the principle unto vvhich all honour belongs and unto such we can give honour with our hearts though our Hats remain in their place of service and our bodies stand without moving and this is the honour which we do give unto vvhom it belongs and it is the honour from above and not from below Q. And why is it that you are so contrary minded unto all other people both in your behaviour and language seeing there is none besides you that behaves themselves after such a manner and you being so contrary unto all people in your behaviour and language it makes you rediculous in their eye and to become a reproach in your generation A. The reason why we are contrary minded unto all other people in such things is this we being come unto Christ the light life and truth we are come to a principle which differs from other people and as we are regenerated and born again of incorruptible seed we are not of the same minde as other people are nor as we our selves sometimes have been when we lived in the vanities of our mindes and as our change is wrought by the power of God so is the Spirit of our mindes renewed unto God and our behaviour and language is from that which is pure in it self and as is the root so are the branches and in this lyes the difference between us and other people which is the cause that makes us rediculous in their eye no that our behaviour and language are so in themselves but proceeding from a plain simple honest minde in us according to truth and righteousness the heady and high minded looks upon them as rediculous because contemptible in their eye and so speaks reproachfully and scornfully of us for our behaviour and language is from another principle then other peoples are and if it was not so we should be as much esteemed and respected amongst them as when we were one with them in behaviour and language which now being made to differ in our principle and to appear contrary unto them their reproach and scorn fals upon us as a rediculous people but we know it is better with us now that we endure such reproaches because of our difference then in the time when we lived in the pleasure of sin and had respect and esteem and not reproach and scorn Q. But is there not some which hold an inward principle as you doe and yet doe not behave themselves after your manner but can observe the things that are in custome both in behaviour and language A. There may be some such but they are not upon our foundation and though they may hold an inward principle yet they are not of us for we know that the birth of the flesh hath an inward principle and that will allow the liberty in behaviour and language according to the customes used but we say that such an inward principle that doth allow such an outward practice is not of God but of the flesh which answers the nature and will of the flesh in behaviour and language and we cannot follow such as our examples though they may hold an inward principle but are made to differ from them both in root and branch for we believe and are sure that the Son of God is come unto us and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and we are in him that is true and being in him that is true we know our behaviour and language is according to truth and so we know that all our works are wrought in God and by Faith in him we stand and unto him alone gives glory for ever Q. But how may people come to be satisfied that it is so with you as you say more then with others who may say as much for themselves in their way as you doe in yours A. There is no other way for any people to be satisfied in this matter but by taking heed to the principle of God in themselves for as we are born of God there is none can know us as to be satisfied concerning us either in principle or practice but as they come to the same principle in which we are for if people will onely reason about things that differ they may weary themselves and yet never be satisfied for we doe not onely say that so it is with us and so press it upon others to believe it barely from our sayings but we press all people to a joyning with the light and power of Christ within them and if they come unto that then we know that we shall be manifest in their consciences and be known where we are and so it is not what we or any others may say in our own case that can give true satisfaction to any enquirer but what the witness of God in the conscience saith for if that doe not seale to what is said there is not any thing that is said which can clearly evidence the matter in question and if vve be not found by the vvitness of God to be as vve say then let us not be believed but if vve be so then people may be satisfied that vve are not only sayers but also doers and if vve cannot be believed by our sayings being others may say as much as vve in their ovvn case yet let us be believed for our vvorks sake vvhich from our principle is manifest to be of God vvhereby vve are distinquished from all faire sayers vvho may have many good words but not in the life and so are fruitless in good works and the witness of God will never answer with a seale unto their sayings though they may speak never so faire but we know that whosoever doth the Fathers will shall perfectly understand our principle doctrin and works by which they may come to be satisfied that we doe not speak of our selves nor act of our selves but in the eternal motion of the power and life of Christ who is our foundation and principle and they that would be satisfied concerning us any way they must finde us and know us in the principle of life where we are and not in their own reason where we are not for it is not possible to finde a man where he is not or to know him untill he be found and beheld in the place where he moveth and so let none reason about us for there they can never know us or come unto us but let all feele to that of God in them and be faithfull to it and then they will not say the Quakers Religion is but young in years or lately come up and we know them not nor what their new doctrin meanes by which people comes to be so altered and changed but they will know and understand that our life is hid with Christ in God and that his life appears in us and
we in it and so be put out of all doubts and questions in the reasonings concerning us and receive satisfaction in all things that pertaine unto us in life and godliness in which our Religion is pure holy and undefiled and was before unholiness or unrighteousness was and will remaine in iâ—s purity vvhen years shall pass avvay and be no more and this is the meaning of our doctrin to bring people to the everlasting word of God in themselves that they may come into rest and peace in the pure Religion where God is known in his loves grace and riches of mercy Q. If your Faith give you such assurance of your principle and Religion to be true and right then why cannot you defend it by force and so free your selves from that outward bondage which you suffer for your Religion A. Our Faith doth give us such an assurance but yet we cannot strive with our opposers and oppressours nor any way by force of carnal weapons seek to defend it for we know that it is sufficient to defend it self also to defend us that live in it and our weapons are Spiritual and not carnal we fight the good fight of Faith in the power of the Prince of peace and so we war against sin but followes peace with all men and can be ready in every office of love to doe good to our greatest enemies and herein we have been sufficiently proved to be a peacable people under every power by which we have or doe suffer and we have never resisted nor sought revenge upon any but in all things commits our cause unto God in whose sight we stand approved and he knows that as we are in words or appearance even so we are the same in heart and unto his judgement and tryall we appeale in our innocency and the principle of his life in every one doth bear witness for us and all that hearken unto it will receive a true evidence in themselves concerning our innocent and peaceable life Q. And doe you refer your tryal in all things to your own principle in others which you say is Christ the light and life and witness of God A. Yes We doe so for as we know that all judgement in heaven and earth is committed unto Christ so we know that there is not another that can truly try or judge of us besides him and therefore we have boldness to refer our tryal in all things unto him alone as knowing that his tryal and judgement is according to truth in every man and as our Faith is in him and our love unto him so we know that he will not condemne the works of his own hands but justifie the fruit of his own life power and virtue and his tryal and judgement will clearly evidence for us that we are his and not our own Confession It may now be perceived that you do not hold or maintain the things that you do to be from your selves or in your own wills but from Christ the foundation and principle A. Yes it is plainly so for of our selves we can do nothing but through Christ in whom vve have our strength vve are able to do all things so that our sufficiency is in him alone and by his power in us all our good works are wrought for us and unto him they all return that he in all things may have the preheminence and the glory for ever Resolved It being so there is no good ground why you should be called in question or any way suffer for your Faith and Religion seeing that what you do is from the power of Christ and his works are not to be denyed by any nor you to suffer in any case for the faith you have in him and the love you have to him and seeing that you deny your selves in what you do which many hitherto have thought you did not and that you are willing to be tryed and Judged according to the Judgment of truth in Christ you ought not in any wise to suffer by any other Tryal or Judgment whatsoever and all sober moderate people may be well satisfied with this Demonstration that your principle is of God and that your faith and love is unto God and your good will unto all men and none need not any farther stand in doubt of the truth of it but may be fully perswaded that you have Salvation and Eternal life by Jesus Christ which may overcome all that are yet contrary minded unto you to joyne with your principle that they may be of your Faith and Religion who are a people that loves God so singly and lives amongst men so peaceably which indeed doth clearly manifest your principle and Religion to be of God W. S. THE END A manifestation of Prayer in Formality and Prayer in the Spirit of God IT hath been a common Observation through Ages and Generations to perform something as a duty unto God by way of Prayer this common observation hath descended from one generation to another ever since the Apostacy entred in a customary and formal way still observing the practice in words and continuing the same as a duty unto God in the same manner and form not at all regarding or considering the present want or necessity of the present Age or Generation nor the present states and conditions of particular people but praying in the same Words and in the same Form from time to time and from generation to generation and so it flows as a natural stream in a common and customary practice from one generation to another and hence it is that people continue asking but do not receive because they ask amiss not feeling the Spirit that makes intercession And so the Pharisees made long prayers but received the greater damnation because they prayed not in the Spirit but in the customary formality which by the Spirit was condemned And it is very sad that people should all their life-time be complaining and asking and never come to receive satisfaction And this is the common way of Prayer in this present generation who have many prayers in formed words and with their mouths do often repeat them and in the formality make a practice of them and so at set-times and in set-prayers spend away their dayes but feel not the Lord nor his goodness And this common way of Prayer now used in the common Worship never brings people to obtain but keeps them alwayes asking where in answer to the Commandments they pray no this wise Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law and write all these thy Laws in our hearts we beseech thee Now if they would encline their hearts to the Spirit of God in themselves and obey it then the Spirit would encline their hearts to keep God's Law and the Spirit would write his Law in their hearts and put it into their inward parts and it would keep them that they should not depart from it and there they would feel
Gods mercies and so come to receive an answer of their Prayers For when the heart of man doth not encline to the Spirit of God it is in rebellion against him and God doth not shew mercy to the rebellious and so people pass over their time in words but want the life which should do them good and when they come to finish their dayes their hearts are as far off from Gods Law as the first day when they began to pray That he would encline their hearts to keep it and they have no assurance that God will shew them mercy though they have been praying in words all their life-time And likewise in answer to the Lettany where they pray after this manner Good Lord deliver us And We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. And this is the same in their latter dayes as in the beginning and it is manifest that they are not delivered from those things as in words they pray to be delivered from nor are not heard in those things which they beseech the Lord to hear them in and so they spend their dayes in observing a customary formality and never come to any assurance that they are delivered or that their requests are heard and answered And again in that which they call the Creed they confess they believe in God now they that believe in God their hearts are enclined to keep his Law and he shews them mercy and hears them and delivers them for they that believe in God they do his will and if any man do his will him he heareth And then again they confess That they are miserable sinners and do those things they ought not to do And if so then not Believers for they that believe in Christ are not miserable sinners neither do those things they ought not to do but by believing in Christ they are saved and he takes away their sin that makes them miserable and sets them free from their misery and they do those things that are well-pleasing in his sight for they that truly believe in Christ they do not only confess their sins but also forsake them and so find mercy with the Lord and they are not alwayes complaining that they do those things they ought not to do but know his Will and do it and are blessed in their deed And again in that which they call the Lords Prayer they generally say Our Father Now the Children of God are not miserable sinners nor do not those things they ought not to do for whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin And Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him And there are not any that believe in God or can call God Father in truth but those that are born of him for those that are born of flesh and of blood and of the will of man they do not believe in God neither can truly call God Father for that is the nature in vvhich sin is committed vvhich makes people miserable and that is the nature in which they do those things they ought not to do and that is the nature in which there is no saving health and there is not any prayer accepted of God which in that nature is performed for none in the flesh can please God and whatsoever is offered unto him in that nature he doth not regard it for it is the nature from which all wickedness proceedeth and the prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto God And though there may be many which may deny the common vvay of Prayer as it is used in the common Worship and set up some other way of Prayer as more excellent yet whilst the Flesh and Blood and Will of man conceives it and performs it there is no difference in the ground between that vvhich they deny and that which they set up and practise neither doth God regard it any more than that which they deny And though such Prayers may not appear so formal as those that are commonly used in the common Worship yet they are conceived in the very same womb and do not at all differ in the ground for as the Wisdom of the flesh hath composed so many set-prayers in words and hath prescribed a way to observe and practise the same and that none is either to add or diminish as to vvhat is so composed even so the same Wisdom may deny that prescribed way as being formal and may invent something instead of it in a higher mistery of iniquity and though they may not speak in such formal composed words yet in the same Wisdome their words are formal not at all differing in the ground or conception but only in the expression and observation and in their practise it is as formal as that which they deny for they have a constant observation by way of Prayer in what they practise which in it self is as formal as the set-prayers commonly used in the common Worship for they can set their own time both to begin and to make an end and when they will they can utter vvords and vvhen they will they can be silent and they have their own conceptions at command and can either perform or not perform in their own time and this is the uncleane part vvhich offers unto God which he doth not accept neither is any Prayer regarded or accepted of God but the Prayer which is offered to him by his own birth So that these few things being seriously considered it is manifest that the way of Prayer as it is now commonly used observed and practised in the common Worship is not true prayr but a bare formality and not onely so but also contradictory so is not performed with a right understanding and it is as manifest that all other wayes of praying which are conceived and performed in the wisdom of the flesh is not true Prayer neither doth God regard it more then the other because it is performed in the same nature and differs in nothing but in the manner and however they may differ in the practice yet they meet in the ground and are offered up in the unclean part and so are not performed with an understanding as Prayer in the Spirit of God is Now the Spirit of Life which is manifest from God in every mans conscience doth so enlighten him as to make him sensible that he is a sinner and in himself is miserable and eternally liable to the Wrath of God without the Lord appear for him and work his deliverance and as man takes heed to that Spirit which doth so enlighten him and makes manifest his condition to him then the Spirit begins to quicken and stir up something in him that desires after God and breathes after God and the sighs and groans begin to arise in a true sence of misery and the breathings go forth in the earnest of the Spirit unto God and the cry arises for help and deliverance and though that which is quickened by the Spirit to breath in the Spirit be but