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
A Call out of Gross Darkness and Idolatry 〈◊〉 the light to walk which is the way of Life rest peace 〈◊〉 Salvation and a declaration of the burthen of the word 〈◊〉 Lord which came unto his servant to be declared â—he People that meet to worship in that place ignorantly 〈◊〉 St. Denis Back Church which is neer Limestreet end 〈◊〉 the 23 day of the first Month 1662. 〈◊〉 Reproof unto them for their fall Worship and 〈◊〉 and it is a warning to them to repent thereof while 〈◊〉 have time and here is shown how evilly they requited 〈◊〉 Servant of the Lord who in obedience unto him and in 〈◊〉 to their Souls came amongst them With a word of advice and information 〈◊〉 the simple hearted that desire to know the right way of 〈◊〉 â—ord and that they may see themselves to be out of it and may 〈…〉 at his reproof and come to see his way even the good way and may walk therein and finde rest for their souls by one 〈◊〉 well to the souls of all people and is known to many 〈◊〉 by the name Richard Greenway 〈◊〉 may be seasonable and serviceable to any other that are in their nature and practice 〈◊〉 way of a fool is right in his own eye but he that heareth Counsil is wise Prov. 12. 15. â—â—ghteous is more excellent then his neighbour but the way of the wicked will deceive them Prov. 12. 16. 〈◊〉 I said surely these are poor they are foolish for they know not the way of their God Jeremy 5. 4. 〈…〉 wayes and see and ask for the good old paths wherein is the good 〈…〉 and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls Jer. 6. 16. London Printed for the Author 1662. To the Reader or any that this may hear FRiends the Lord of Hosts the mighty God is risen in his mgihty power and in great Glory and he is come and coming to make known his everlasting name and truth in the Earth and to make manifest all deceivers that turn his truth into a lye as far as they can and all them that hold the truth in the unrighteousness he is revealing his wrâ—th against them all that keep the seed in bondage he is visiting in his sore displeasure sor thâ— Cry of the poor he hath heard and the growning of the opressed is come up before him and he hath taken notice of the sore bondage of his Captivated seed and he is come down to deliver his Heritage that hath long been grevously opressed and burthened by the Cruel Task-masters that bears rule in 〈◊〉 Land of Gross darkness And the Lord in his love and tender mercy hath sent his servantâ— to declare his offer of Grace in which he would deliver his seed out of bondage and to show unto them his Salvation which he hath prepared for them that wiâ—â— receive it and believe therein and he is now come to seek and to save thaâ— which hath long been lost and in his great love and tender mercy he hath sent to call back again that which hath been driven out of the way upon thâ— Hills and barren Mountains in this Cloudy and dark day whereon they have been scattered and driven to and fro not knowing whether they have been going for the right way hath been hidden from them by reason of the thick foggs and mist of Antichrist that hath darkned the Aire so that the lighâ— of the Sun could not appear which should shew the way now the Lord by his power is expelling the fog and moving the Clouds and all that hath hindered out of the way and blessed will all them be that do not resist his Love nor slight but accept of his kinde visitation and offer of Grace and so Freind what is written in these following lines is for thy sake that art out of the way read it therefore in the fear of the Lord and turne in thy minde to the witnesâ— of God in thee and consider it in the singleness of thy heart and coolnesâ— of thy minde and then I know the witness in thee will answer hereunto for it is unto that I desire to be made manifest and unto it my love and service 〈◊〉 herein to which I am a freind Richard Greenway A Call out of Gross darkness and Idolatry HEare on people and give eare unto the visitation of the Lord and slight not this the day of his kindness in which he is reaching out his hand of Love and tender mercy unto you to gather you out from the way of wickedness darkness gross blindness and Idolatry into which you are fallen that so you may come the way of life to know and in walking therein may finde peace and rest for your souls for ever Vpon the 17 day of the first month commonly called March 1661. as I was at my labour with my mind to the Law of God in me which Solomon calleth light the word of the Lord came unto me even that word which is powerful and hath been as a fire in my bones saying in me go unto that meeting house neer Limestreet end on the next first day and stand and behold their way and the blindness of their worship and then speak these my words unto them Wo wo From the Lord to him or them which hath a male in their flock that is without blemish and shall continue to offer in Sacrifice unto the God of Heaven the lame the halt the maimed and the blind he will not accept it at your hand and people such is your sacrifice it is lame and your devotion is blind and the Lord doth not regard it And people this to you was and is the word of the Lord therefore take heed it be not slighted by you and somthing more I believe the Lord had spoken by me if your hearts and ears had not been uncircumcised by which the spirit of the Lord was resisted wo unto you stâ—â—ecked as your Fathers of old resisted the Lords spirit so do you And as I was standing to behold your devotion my heart was grieved within me to see your Idolatry and my spirit was sore troubled to see and consider the darkness and blindness that was over you and I pittyed you with my very heart to see you so greedily licking up again with your tongues that which by many was spued up so long agoe and I was sorry to think your stomacks were become so dead of feeling that you swallow down and bare that which hath been and now is loathsome unto many tender people and it is loathsome in the sight of the pure Eye of the Lord who is a spirit and will be worshiped in the spirit and in the truth and such he hath sought and is seeking to worship him which is the new and living way and was the good old way in which the Saints and holy men worshipped and served the Lord in dayes that are past in all ages of the world the servants of the
with the understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. Now freinds your singing is not with the spirit nor with the understanding but you boast in other mens lines made ready to your hand and though that be granted that the Apostle said if any be merry let them sing Psalmes yet what is that to you that have no other Pâ—almes but them which Iohn Hopkins and Thomas Sternhold and others have made for you who were Poets like Bâ—llad-makers who long since Iameâ— spak those words have turned Davids condition into Songs the Apostle that said he would sing with the spirit and with the understanding he also said if any one have a Psalme or a doctrine or a Revelation or an Interpretation let all be done to edefying it was not their manner to sing all together in that confused manner as you sing having the condition oâ— another given you to sing which is not your state nor condition is Davids prayers his cryings his roarings his tears and his praises and his large experience in which he glorified God all which when you sing that which is not your condition you sing lyes before the Lord which is great wickedness and Hypocricy and beside there is much adding and diminishing in these Songs from Davids words and it is written cursed be every one that addeth or diminisheth from that which is written Consider a little with your selves and let us a little look into your singing and see whether it be by the spirit and in the truth and with the understanding as when you sing O Lord I am not puft in mind I have no scornful eye I do not exercise my self in things that are too high but as the weaned child oven from his mothers brest so have I behaved my self in silence and iâ— rest Now let Gods witness search you and let the light in you witness are you not puffed up in your mindes in Pride and Ambition and vainâ— glory and that you are not weaned from it yet and are you not excercising your selves in things that be to high for you when you sing palpable untruths as the Lord is your Sheepheard nothing therefore you need when as you are not subject to nor guided by him they unto whom thâ— Lord is a Sheephard they are led by by his Spirit and so are come to know his Crook by which he gathers his Lambs that thirst after him into his pleasant pastures therein to feed and to lye down in his fold of rest where none can make them afraid and till this be known you cannot say of a truth you want no good thing and farther consider can you say in truth as it is Psa 26. Lord be thou my judge and thou shalt see my paths be â—ight and plaine O People doth it not otherways appear unto the Lord that searcheth your hearts and trys your reins and knows your goings and do not your ways appear wrong crooked and rough to the Lord and can you sing and say the truth as it is in the 26. Psal 3 4. ver For of thy truth I tread the trace and will do all my days I do not lust to haunt or use 〈◊〉 men whose deeds be vaine to come in house I do refuse with the deceitful 〈◊〉 I much abhor the wicked sort their deeds I do despise I do not once to them resort that hurtful things devise Freinds what ever you may think of your selves yet this I know you cannot come to witness these things but 〈◊〉 you come to feel the light in your selves and are guided thereby till you are taught of the grace of God that hath appeared unto every man you cannot come to say and do as David did And farther look back upon that which you sung in my hearing in the fifth part of the 119. Psal mark it well In the right paths of thy precepts guid me Lord I require â—â—ther pleasure do I wish or greater thing desire and here you excercised yourselves in things that were to high for you for your hearts desire were not according to these words and therefore Dear people consider better of these things sink down to Gods witness the light in you and it will give you a better understanding sight into your ways and practices and it will lead you to do the thing that is righteous and to speak the truth for that was not speaking the truth when you said and Sung these words Confirme thy gratious promise Lord which thou hast made to me who am thy Servant and do love and fear nothing but thee Now freinds weigh it well can you look back upon these things and not be ashamed or were you able to say as David was when he wrot the Psalmes My hearts desire 〈…〉 thy Law to keep for aye O these were very high words and things which you were excercised in and very much to high for you and here is matter for you to blush at and to be ashamed of for your lyes for the Prophet David had many a weary step and sorrowful day and before became to witness that high pitch of experience which you so easily got to boast of but this your refuge of lyes the Lord is coming to sweep away with his Besom of destruction and you will be taken there with except you repent and turn to the Lord and learn of of his holy Spirit a measure of which is given to every one of you to profit withall and what ever you to without the leadings thereof is not to the praise and glory of God but to his dishonor and though you stand up and seem with your tongues and bodys to confess and give honour and glory to God yet in your dead works you do deny and dishonour him But some of you seem to be offended with me for keeping on my hat in the time of your worship what I did therein was in obedience to the Lord who sent me to stand there as a witness against your Idollatry and not in contempt to any man or to disturb any of you as the Lord is witness for me you that were offended with me or my hat being on which was but a covering to my head if your eyes had not been blinded with envy you might have seen others whose heads were covered as well as mine when they seemed to be â—ncoverd which was but hypocâ—icy in them for is not a Cap as close a covering to the head as a hatâ— only one hath a bâ—im and the other hath none and had not your preaching Preist and Reading Priests their Capâ— on and the Clarke and many other men if you have any reference to the Apostles words who said he that prays or pâ—ophecys with his headâ— covered dishonoureth his head he did not speak those words against the hat and tollerate the Cap to be on nay in some Countrys they wâ—aâ— no hats but only caps I beleive hats have not
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