of the true Christian Spirit in the Worlds earthly sensual Spirit they move and say the Scripture moveth and under this cover you can dissemble and cloak your sins cloaking your selves under the failings of the holy men of God as they are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth but are far enough off their sorrow and repentance by which they obtained favour with God again And thus you go on cloaking your sins and opposing the motions of Gods holy Spirit under a pretence of the Scripture moveth us and under this cover you can dissemble your sins in persecuting and spoiling the Goods of them who have truly testified of the motions of Gods holy Spirit in them against all the evil motions of the enemy in all his flattering deceitful works and wayes And to this motion of Gods holy Spirit you must bow if ever you come to know the way of Truth you must come to the moving of the Spirit of Truth in you even that Spirit which reproves the World of sin the which Christ Jesus set up to be a leader and a guide into all Truth In this Spirit the Lord God is to be worshipped it 's this Spirit that convinceth of sin that is the way out of sin that is it which moves in the heart against sin and so to confess and acknowledge sin and so to repent and forsake sin and this is the way to obtain mercy and forgiveness of sin And by its leading and guiding to abstain from the appearance of evil unto this Spirit of Truth you must bow and take it for your leader if ever you come truly to call God Father and he owns you to be his Sons In your Confession you say Almighty and most merciful Father we have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep we have followed too wuch the devices and desires of our own hearts we have offended against thy holy Laws we have left undone those things which we ought to have done and there is no health in us c. Answer And when do you intend to do otherwise since you have appointed this form of words to be always said Oh turn for shame unto the true Spepherd and Bishop of your Soul and don't come still with this sad unprofitable story before the Lord. Mind if a man offend against the Laws of the Nation if it be but once he is lyable to the punishment that is prescribed by that Law or if a Servant should but once do the thing he should not do and leave undone the things he should do this would incurr his Masters displeasure but if he should continue doing so he would turn him out of his service and account of him as he is an unprofitable Servant How then can you expect to be heard and received of the Lord who are alwayes doing that you should not do and leaving undone that you should do you may well say you have no health in you neither are you like to have so long as you continue in these sad practices And in that you do offend Gods righteous Law how can you expect but to be punished by the righteous Judge Indeed you have done that which you ought not to have done in that you have caused to suffer so many innocent people both by long Imprisonment and spoiling of their Goods in that you have shewn no more mercy to them how can you expect to receive mercy at the hand of God seeing those sufferers have been a people fearing God and hoping for his mercy in whom the Lord takes pleasure and in his pleasure he hath sustained them wherein many have been faithful and true witnesses whereof many have departed this World under their several confinements in peace and many remains living to this day confessing and testifying to the mercies and favour of God in the manifestation of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which sets free them who walk up to it from the Law of sin and death And that there is great peace in keeping this holy Law this hath been and is the Testimony of them who are and have been led by the Spirit of Truth witnessing unto the Way Truth and Life the way of peace and happiness And thus in the good will of God in good will to all mankind in patient suffering under your wills who have followed too much the devices and desires of your own hearts and thereby having rejected the councel of the Spirit of Truth you have provoked the Lord as you say in these words We have provoked thine anger thy wrath is waxed hot and thy heavy displeasure is sore kindled against us You have confessed to the Truth and when you come to feel the weight of your many transgressions against Gods holy Law then you will wish you had been serious in what you have said and that you had broken off your sins by a true and unfeigned repentance And for this end hath Gods holy Spirit strove with you many wayes but see by your own confession how evilly you have required this love Your words are We sinful people of this land do acknowledge before thee to thy glory and our own shame and confusion that never any Nation under Heaven had more experience of all the instances of thy goodness and the methods of our amendment nor yet did ever any more shamfully abuse them when thou gavest us great and long prosperities we sed our selves to the full waxed fat and wanton and kicked against thee when thou threwest us into horrid confusions from which we saw then little hope of arising even in the time of that distress did we trespass yet more against thee when by miracles of mercy thou hadst turned our captivities we soon returned to folly to our vomit and to our wallowing in our former or greater filthiness c. Answer This is a very sad miserable condition indeed much to be lamented you had need consider it and be in Truth humbled for it and to forsake that evil Spirit that hath been your leader in those horrid practices and to wait upon the Lord for the leading and guiding of you out of those evils that you may have a better account to give unto the Lord in the day of account as Hezekiah had when the Prophet Isaiah was sent unto him with this Message from the Lord Saying Thus saith the Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before in Truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore And the Lord heard his prayers and seeing his tears he was very gratious and merciful unto him as you may read Now compare his confession with your confession and seeing you have no better account to give you may well be ashamed and confounded at the thoughts of what acceptance
largely of him but shall remain Your Friend and Brother in the Everlasting Truth Ellis Hookes London 28th day 3 mo 1679. A Testimony of the Work and Mercy of God particularly in relation to our dear Friend Stephen Smith lately deceased THe most holy and wise God who hath been pleased to make choice of foolish weak and contemptible things to coâ—â—â—â—nd the wise and the things that are mighty to the intent that no flesh with its wisdom and strength might glory in his presence but that his Power might appear in what way manner or Instrument soever he pleaseth how mean and despicable soever they may seem to that fleshly eye and mind that takes its measures from outward appearances and not from an inward solid principle of sound Judgment I certifie from a living experience that this most holy God hath appeared and raised up many Witnesses of his blessed Power and Work in our day even persons of various degrees qualities and capacities not only some few endowed with Learning natural acquirements and parts but more especially many of the plain simple and unlearned to the end that not only his Power might the more appear and shine in its glory over all flesh and the glory of man but also that God in his wisdom is graciously pleased to condescend to the lowest and meanest capacities in most familiar ways to direct his speech and Testimony of Life for the reaching peoples several capacities and consciences so as to turn them to that principle of Light and Truth which through Christ Jesus he has placed in them God hath in our day as in former ages raised up Plowmen Herdsmen Fishermen Husbandmen and such like to be experimental and more effectual Preachers to men of such capacities then Academical or Schoolmen with all their Learning acquired parts and School craft and with a plain Testimony in the simplicity of the Gospel condescended to accommodate and answer low and mean capacities with that truth and simplicity that is in Christ Jesus which has been to the confounding of the wisdom of the wise so that it may be truly said where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this World and not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise And although the following Writings and Discourses of this our dear and honest-hearted Friend Stephen Smith now deceased and at rest with the Lord do not bespeak him a man educated in artificial Learning Oratory and Eloquence yet he was a simple plain-hearted and sincere man to what the Lord made manifest in him and one that eyed the power and presence of God in his Life and Testimony since the God of all our mercies was graciously pleased to open his understanding with the knowledge of his Divine Light and Truth as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord he prized it as his great mercy from the most gracious God that after his long and wearisom travels in many Countries and exercises in the troublesom and tossing Sea of the World he at length arrived at his desired Haven of safety being brought to know a true stay to his mind and a quiet habitation of repose in the Sanctuary and holy Tabernacle of him who dwells in the Light and hath Immortality dwelling in the Light I knew this man from the first time of his being convinced and receiving Gods holy Truth which was in the year 1665. who in mercy to him made me instrumental therein and when his understanding and heart was opened through the plain evidence and Testimony of the Spirit of Life concurring with the witness manifestation and operation thereof in his own conscience as it always doth he received the Truth in the Love of it and gave up to obey and walk in the same and truly loved Gods faithful Messengers and People how despised and suffering soever they were and freely gave up to partake with them of their sufferings and did likewise suffer with them both in Person and Estate by Imprisonments and spoil of Goods for his tender Conscience and Testimony on the behalf of Christ Jesus who as he gave him a Testimony to bear against all Hireling oppressing Teachers and Priests who preach for hire and impose that great oppression and Antichristian yoke of Tithes according as he signifies in some of his Writings so he gave up to suffer and endure Spoil rather then in the least he could pay them or gratifie the covetous mind or greedy appetite of such Shepherds as feed themselves and not the Flock and make a prey upon people and with force and cruelty rule over them And lastly as he was a man fearing God and of good report in his Country being an exemplary Preacher of Righteousness in his Conversation and one truly kind and ready to do good in his day so God was pleased in some measure to endue him with a living Ministry and experimental and innocent Testimony to tell of his goodness and speak forth his praise to others from an inward sence thereof in himself and to the comfort and encouragement of many that heard him I speak what I know herein he having at sundry times travelled with me in the work and service of God in the Gospel of his Son Christ Jesus and we travelled together more particularly at one time to visit Friends in Surrey Sussex and Kent in which Journey we were much and often comforted together in the Lords work and in the Assemblies of Friends which was near upon a year before his decease Well I am satisfied in my very Soul that as he is taken away from the Evil to come so he is entred into his Rest and has his portion with the Blessed that dye in the Lord. From a Living Remembrance of this my dear Friend Stephen Smith and a real sence of his Innocent Life Spirit and Conversation and in honour and due respect to that Divine power and work of God in him I was really concerned in my Spirit to give this precedent Testimony truly desiring and praying to God that all Friends professing the same Truth may concur in the same Spirit and example of Faithfulness to the end even so as to obtain the same blessed end of the Righteous that will crown all our Labours Travels and Sufferings which in this World we partake of and endure for the Testimony of Jesus and of a good Conscience I am a Friend to the Truth and the Souls of all men G. Whitehead Enfield the 20th day of the 1st month 1671 9. Susanna Smiths Testimony concerning her Husband MY Testimony for my dear Husband is That he was a man of an upright heart towards God and man and hated deceit he was diligent and faithful in the service of the Lord he did spend and was spent for the Everlasting Gospel and is entred into Rest and Peace
with the Lord for ever Susanna Smith The Testimony that lives in my heart concerning the Life and Death of that holy and worthy Servant of the Lord Stephen Smith O The remembrance of that holy and worthy Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ by whose Heavenly power he was made a holy Temple for the Lord to walk in whose Earthen Vessel was filled with Gods Heavenly Treasure by which the Life of Jesus was made manifest in his mortal Flesh so that the excellency was of God and not of man so that by Gods holy power he was made a perfect and upright man one that feared God and hated all manner of Evil wheresoever it did appear And indeed I can never forget him whose blameless and innocent Life and holy Conversation when he was amongst us it was a good pattern unto us for he was a man of a meek and gentle and of a tender Spirit in which he was very careful and tender to all in whom the least appearance of Truth did manifest it self for which his Travels and his Labours were very great for the Truth and Christs sake in whom he was made very instrumental as in the hand of the Lord that he thereby might beget a People unto the Lord being not satisfied to eat his Bread alone as many yet living can truly testifie to the truth hereof knowing that he was a true and faithful Labourer in the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus for whose sake he was made willing to suffer for he accounted it all joy that he was counted of the Lord worthy to suffer for his Name sake who truly trampled upon Aegypts Glory and chose rather to suffer afflictions with the People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season who often said he accounted nothing the Lord had blessed him withall too dear to part withall for Christs and his Gospels sake concluding that it was but a reasonable Sacrifice to part with Life and all that a man hath for Christs sake and he that could not part with all for Christs sake was not worthy of him And he was a man of a tender and of a broken Spirit and always constant in his Love to all his Brethren in the Truth and having a great esteem of them therein and whose care was very great over all the Flock of God who was filled with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding in which he truly laboured to prevent all manner of differences or discord that might happen among Brethren and if any did happen he was always willing to compose and reconcile all manner of differences which would have been to the great dishonour of the Lord and his Truth which was prevented by him so that he was a true Peace-maker and he was as a Father to the Fatherless and as a Husband to the Widow and as a Child I have been often a partaker of his Fatherly kindness and living still in the remembrance of the same I hope I shall never forget but to return the honour and glory to God who is the Fountain of all our blessings and mercies from whence floweth all our fresh Springs in and through Christ Jesus the Son of Gods Love in whom was the Spring of Life flowing in and through him even to the great satisfaction of my Soul as one that did but partake of the overflowings of that Life in which his Soul was deeply consolated and wrapt up in the Heavenly Joy of the Lord God so that in the greatest extremity of his weakness he would be very often declaring of the great and mighty loving kindness of the Lord God by which he was lifted up above the fear of death Nor was he afraid of the terrors thereof so that a little before his departure I being present with him he being filled with Gods heavenly Spirit by which he was enabled to pray and supplicate the Lord God of his Life in which he was praising and magnifying that holy and innocent Life of Jesus saying Lord and dearest God O assist in this Heavenly passage from death to life who being subject to the will of his Heavenly Father said further to me Now I am going into my sweet sleep so that he immediately and innocently laid down his head in perfect peace with the Lord and lives for evermore O the heavenly and the blessed Testimony of the Lord God that sprung in and through him by a heavenly Exhortation to them that came to visit him saying That it was a blessed and a heavenly thing to have the mind clear and holy free from all troubles and cumbers of this evil World as he truly said his was having all given up to the will of the Lord that it might truly be done in Earth as it is in Heaven O what a blessed and a heavenly Habitation is this for the Soul of man to rest in which I have a full assurance of And a little after there came in one to see him and he exhorted him to dread and fear the Lord God and to repent of all his wickedness whatsoever that holy and pure witness in his conscience makes manifest to be evil So if happily he may find mercy with the Lord which will be better to thee said he then all the World besides And a little after came in another to see him so that the mighty power of the Lord God was seen and felt whereby he was refreshed again and desired her to fear the Lord that thereby she might be preserved out of all evil and desired her to love the Truth above all for the Truth is a very precious thing and to be sure to keep low and humble to it and not to be high-minded nor exalted above the pure of God in her conscience for that would he very hurtful to her About two or three days after the blessed heavenly power of the Lord did arise in him from which did spring a living and a heavenly Testimony in a holy remembrance of the tender dealings of the Lord with him from his Childhood to this very day who said to his Sons That his days were very near drawing to an end and declared how that his Father and Mother cast him off when he was but a little Lad But the Lord had always preserved him and his Blessings did always attend him in raising him up by multiplying his Blessings upon him having been often in many great dangers and perils by Sea and Land So said he having my mind chast and sober to God and having the fear of the Lord placed in my heart by which I was preserved out of evil and doing the thing that was right in the sight of the Lord so that I found favour of the Lord and gained the love and savour of all people in dealing justly and truly with all people not wronging any man So this in charge he gave to his Sons That they might always be kept chast and fober in their minds having always their minds
to the fear of the Lord placed in their hearts that thereby they might be preserved out of evil and doing always that that is just and right and to be sure to be courteous and kind to all loving the good in all and bearing their Testimony against the evil in all wheresoever it doth appear And whensoever said he you go about that which is weighty take counsel of good and sound Friends so that all things may be done to the honour and glory of the Lord and his blessed Truth in which your blessings are all yea and Amen And advised them not to run into the Cumbers of the World but to wait upon the Lord and he will find out a way for them in his time For the Lord said he is a calling and taking me out and from all Troubles and Cumbers from the evil that is a coming upon this wicked World in a good time wherein I am assured of that sound and perfect peaee wherein my Soul resteth with the Lord for evermore so that I have no more to do now but desire the Lord to make my passage easie to his Heavenly Rest William Lickfold He was born the 19th of the 7th Month 1623. He departed this Life the 22d day of the 7th Month 1678. A TESTIMONY FOR THE TRUTH And against DECEIT DECEIVERS WITH A Reproof unto those who are not Faithful to the Truth which they are convinced of By Stephen Smith Isaiah 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their Envy at the People Verse 12. Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou host wrought all our works in us Printed in the Year 1679. A Testimony for the TRUTH and against Deceit and Deceivers with a Reproof unto those who are not faithful to the Truth which they are Convinced of FOr as much as it hath pleased the Lord in his great love and tender mercy to visit many who have been long covered with Darkness and drawn by the Subtilty of the Serpent working in a Mystery within and without in his Instruments from enjoying that Love and great Riches which is declared of in the Scriptures of Truth which should be revealed in the latter dayes in his Everlasting and Unchangeable Covenant which Promise of the Lord many who had true breathing after him and could not be satisfied with feeding with Swine upon Husks but truly breathed after Living Refreshment and after that Bread which nourisheth that Birth which is Eternal and have delighted in the righteous Judgments of the Lord over the Enemy and Oppressor of mans Soul through which Judgments the Love of God hath greatly been manifest having thereby brought to the knowledge of his Everlasting and Unchangable Truth to the exceeding great refreshment and satisfaction of the Souls of many thousands who have earnestly desired the same before the World and all its glory and having received the same in the Love of it and known Freedom by it in the Injoyment of the same do meet together as the manner and practice was of those who lived in the Fear and Dread of the Lord in the Primitive times so now in the pure Fear and Obedience to the just and equal requirings of this Creator whose Wayes are Equal Right and Just meets together to wait on him to the end they may be refreshed and fed with the same Bread of Life that so the Plant which the Lord hath planted may grow that so they may be changed from glory to glory till at length they may come to bear the Image of the Heavenly whereas formerly they have born the Image of the Earthly and those who so meet the Spirit of Truth can truely say they never waited on the Lord in vain but do witness true refreshment from the God of Love whether a word be spoken in their Meetings or no so that they can truly sing in their Spirits of Mercy with Judgments and hath not executed Judgment without Mercy in which hath greatly appeared his wonderful Love to lost Mankind of which great and unspeakable Love there are to this day to the Glory and Praise of his great Name even from his own Works thousands of Living Witnesses and hundreds have laid down their Lives in Nasty Holes and Stinking Prisons and many have been Banished and many have suffered cruel Mockings and many thousands the Spoiling of their Goods whose Righteous Testimony through the Eternal Spirit of Love and Truth they have gladly born in this Day of Gods Power to the exceeding Comfort and Refreshment of all that are faithful Followers of the Lamb but is and shall be to the astonishment of all who persist in their Disobedience against the Spirit of Truth and continue in their Rebellion against it and this righteous Testimony through all who are true Worshippers in the Spirit and Truth who are led and guided in all their ways by the Spirit of Truth being Sons and Daughters of the Living God so greatly beloved by him so those that touch them in a wrongful manner do touch the Apple of his Eye who created all things for his Glory and though his Mercy is great in not executing Judgment speedily but gives space and time of Repentance yet if they mind it not but let the Day of Gods Love pass over their heads that Terrible Voice they shall hear My Spirit shall strive no more let Flesh know that it 's but Grass and when the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it it shall fade as a Flower and that in a moment when his Anger is kindled which may be when the Worker of Iniquity is in the height of his vain glory and greatest boasting so as that righteous Testimony through all who are in the true Innocent Seed unto which all the Blessings and the Promises of the Lord are doth stand as a true Witness of the Lords great Love in this day wherein he is making known his great Power against all Workers of Iniquity and unrighteous Actions and deceitful Workers who can feign and flatter with all sorts of debauched Persons and all dissembling Hypocrites Persons of unstable minds joyning with the cunning twisting twining Serpent in all its appearances in their earthly sensual and devillish wisdom being in the Adultrous whorish spirit degenerated from the Spirit of Truth holding a Profession of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of Persons receiving honour and giving honour according to the Customs and vain Traditions of the World by which means they have no knowledge of that Honour which is from Above Yet notwithstanding these great Abominations which they commit in the sight of the Lord and all them which live in their faithful Testimony against them yet they lean upon the Lord and think there shall come no evil upon them but except such do speedily repent and turn from their Abominations and bow to the righteous Testimony of God in them which shews them the deceitfulness of
their hearts to the end they may above and before all desire a clean heart and a right Spirit that so they may be single hearted toward their Creator and all men which except that be known the Lord will send a day upon them wherein shall be weeping and howling and bitter Lamentation and their Torment shall be so great that in the Morning they shall wish it were Night and at Night they shall wish for Morning and many shall desire Death rather then Life So I greatly desire that all People would mind in coolness how it stands between them and their Creator and deal impartially with themselves for of a certain Cod will not be mocked but such as they sow such they must reap So all mind the Fear of the Lord is to depart from Evil that so the Curse of the Lord may be done away and his Blessing known and received And those that come amongst the Possessors of the Truth who have heard the sound of it and so a belief is raised in their hearts that God is found by them that diligently seek him in the Way of Truth many there be that are thus perswaded and so frequent Meetings together with them that are in the work of Truth in a bare Profession of Truth never throughly given up to the end that Truth may be their Guide in all their wayes but come and sits down with some reserve in their Hearts which they covet to keep as Achan did the goodly Babylonish Garment which was appointed for the Fire but for so doing the Curse of the Lord followed him though his covetousness was a trouble to the Children of Israel for a time yet at length God made it manifest and so will the Lord do those who comes amongst Friends with a reserve in their hearts that which is appointed for the Fire they that covet to keep notwithstanding the many Precious Meetings they come to and hear their conditions plainly laid open to them yet still consulting with Flesh and Blood which will never yield that true obedience should be given to the Lord so cannot amend but continue in the same course of Life for not taking heed to the Councel of the Lord nor giving wholly up to be guided by the Spirit of Truth such are not in the the Way of Truth but sit down as Branches by those of the Vine but their Fruit doth manifest them for those that deals so deceitfully with their own Hearts how can it be expected they should be true to others so such becomes an ill savour to Truth as long as they continue so and a burthen and a trouble to them that are in the way of growing in the Truth but let them know who harden their hearts against Reproof and though they do come amongst them that live in the Fear and Dread of the Lord and so meet together that they may receive a continual supply of the Bread of Life and enjoy the presence of the Lord yet their so coming with a reserve in their heart they cannot profit by it So at length seeing they cannot bring the Way of the Lord to their way they begin to grow cold in meeting and so by degrees the Enemy draws out the mind and then gets room for his consultations and so perswades them to wait no longer but that all Places are alike and so at length some get into the Mass-House with other silly People laden with sins ever learning and never able to come to the Truth and begin to perswade themselves or the Enemy of their Souls perswades them that there is a little difrence in the Declaration of the Ministers of Christ and Antichrist their words say they are all good and so begin to build Babel again having rejected that Love which did appear for their Everlasting good having chosen to please themselves in some small thing which they could not part with though no better then a Mess of Pottage for which many have sold an Eternal Inheritance so with Cain they are in the Curse wandering up and down in that which is cursed of the Lord and not beloved of good men so the Lord hath dealt justly in making them manifest They went out from us because they were not of us but their reward will follow them And many others there be that come to Meetings and hear Truth declared often and confesseth its the Truth but when they see if they come to obey they must take up a Cross to Flesh either in denying to fear man or else hazard of losing Goods and some their Companions and Acquaintance though it may be in iniquity and such like Baits the Enemy of mans Soul hath ready for that mind which is willing ro catch at them to save that alive which is in the Curse so sometimes they come and sometimes they stay away and then come again and the Enemy of their Souls gets a wound now and then but for want of giving up at length the Enemy begins to be whole again and so the Spirit of the Lord is grieved and quenched by degrees and the Enemy grows stronger and stronger and at length he gets these Reasons in the Creature because the Enemy knows many will not be satisfied without some plausible Reason so he tells many why thou art but a poor Creature or you are but poor Creatures and what can you do without power so here the willing mind readily catches at this bait and then when they are asked why they give not up O say they we want power O that I had but power to do so and so how joyful should I be and such like stuff the Enemy furnisheth them withall who are willing to receive it and in the mean time slight the appearance of Christ the Light in whom Power is received by grieving and quenching his Holy Spirit of Truth in which is the greatest manifestation of Love that God could bestow on lost Mankind in making manifest his Son in their hearts for the redeeming them up unto himself out of their lost condition in the nature of Adam in the fall up into the Nature of the Second Adam which never fell but how is this Love of God slighted by those who thus wilfully yield to the Enemy of their Souls and rejecting the Lord who searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and then say they want power and its true when people have given themselves up to the power of the Enemy whose nature is to do all the hurt he can they may well say then they want power to do good that being disesteemed and accounted of as a thing of nought having cast behind them the great Love of God in his Son and embraced something which the Enemy hath set before them as some glory in the World and the like but as he was alwayes a Lyar the Devil so will he be found in this for instead of giving them the glory of the World he is fitting them for Gods Wrath and Indignation that so
avail them any thing who call upon Christ yet persecute so near Relations as his Brethren And since those that visited them not in their necessities received such condemnation what will become of you And you Generation of wicked Doers who have been the cause of the Imprisoning so many of Christs Relations where several hundreds have laid down their lives for their faithful Testimony against you because of your Adultery from the Lord and his Worship which is to be performed in Spirit and Truth and have set up worships according to your own hearts Lust and because of the Lords Patience and Long-suffering and great Mercy how do you harden your hearts against Reproofs and for good return evil and so go on scoffing and mocking well though the Lord hath exercised a great deal of patience it 's my belief it will not last long but he will execute Righteous Judgment and plead the cause of the Innocent who hath committed all to him with Praises and Glory from his own works for ever Stephen Smith The 21th day of the 11th Month 1667. A PROCLAMATION By way of EXHORTATION Unto all the Inhabitants of England Concerning Fasting and Prayer And that they may come to a certain Discerning and Knowledge of the Will of God therein who is King of the whole EARTH First by way of Preparation unto a True FAST COme all you who expect to be Heard and Accepted of the Living God Fasting and Prayer in the Spirit of Holiness is required as Necessary thereunto but the want of a certain Knowledge Discerning how and in what manner the same ought to be Performed therefore it is that people are rejected being all Vain Service and Lost Labour where no Reward is received or when they ask amiss what answer shall such have judge ye And therefore be Admonished I beseech you to mind that which gives you a Discerning and certain Knowledge in this weighty Work You may read what the Lord said by his Servant Isaiah chap. 8. concerning Fasting and what Christ Jesus said Mat. 6. but how long may people read these Sayings as well as others and yet have no certain knowledge of the Will of God therein I speak of such who are out of the way of a True Understanding which all are who are in a bare Confession with their Mouths that God ought to be feared but the Heart that not being right in his sight Infidelity that taking place there from whence a Conclusion is drawn That Sin which is Evil can't be parted with this is a great Evil indeed set up in the Heart by the spirit of Antichrist where a Form of Words and large Confessions concerning God and Christ are made but the Blessed and Effectual Workings of God's Spirit in Flesh for the Destroying of Sin that being denyed the Enemy's works which is Sin and Evil they continue in the Heart contrary to the Blessed Will of God by which means the Nobility of Man's Understanding that is Clouded and Darken'd through Error and Falshood by which means the Minds of Mankind are exercised in a Brutish Understanding concerning Spiritual Matters imagining a Performing of Service to God by confessing That he ought to be feared and yet live out of what they confess in a Talk that all good Success and Blessing comes from him c. So then let such be judged by their own words who confess he ought to be feared and yet live in Sin and Evil under a strange Delusion That those Works can never be so destroyed as to know Dominion and Freedom from them on this side the laying down the Body or at least till about that time of separation from all outward visible things So here Sin the Continuance of that hath been pleaded for by them who would be called Christians and would be accounted such who fear God and that they are in his Service though never expect to be free from sin What Service is that in Evil And what Reward shall Evil Works have Is not sin an Evil work of the Evil One And must not the Works of the Evil One if continued in have a Bad Reward Oh that people would Fear God in Deed and in Truth for they that fear him will do no Evil So the way of a Right Understanding that leads quite contrary to Sin and Evil So its strong Delusion indeed to expect a Right Understanding in an Evil Way and Presumption indeed it is to hope for Good out of Evil. Oh be Awakened to Righteousness in which there 's no sin and then will the Eye of the Understanding be opened to see the Man of sin who hath exalted himself above that of God in Man under Confessions and Professions of the Name of God and Christ whilst that signified by the Name which is Power manifested in Flesh for the revealing the Man of sin and destroying his works that hath been denyed by the Exaltation of the Man of sin in man by whom Mankind hath been exalted above the Pure Principle of God in man even above the Light of that Blessed and Unerring Spirit of Christ by which that which is reproveable is made manifest But through Unbelief of God's Love therein Mankind in a great part being held under strong Delusions of Satan their minds being exercised in a Brutish Understanding some have called that Blessed Principle of God in man a Devilish Light and others a Bewildering Light or a Natural Light so that all that is of God in man that hath been denyed whose Work do you think this is But if it were so as the Wicked One in the wicked hath concluded may it not be said now as it was in the dayes of old after God had created Mankind upon the Earth and they had corrupted their Wayes which displeased God who in his Displeasure said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive c. Then was not Destruction nigh but in that there was a time in which God's Holy Spirit did strive with flesh it plainly appears the good will of God was therein to have had it otherwise but Mankind resisting his Way of bringing it to pass the Way of Salvation that was removed and a Way of Destruction let in so the Way of Salvation then that was by the moving and working of God's Good Spirit the which had place in Noah who was a perfect man in his day who being moved in a True Fear of God had a Right Understanding in which he was a Preacher according to the Will of God So that Blessed Spirit of God by which Noah had regard and was acted by though it was rejected by Mankind in their corrupt Wayes yet it was not Devilish nor Natural as Mankind in their Brutish Understanding in great measure have concluded but the least measure of that pure Principle of God in Mankind of his Blessed Spirit is Unerring the which in measure in all Ages in God's Time and Season did strive in Mankind and for the good of Mankind that through it they might
compel or force them to be of our Religion fear might overcome some of them for fear of the Punishment some may yield and in case we should perswade them by promises of Cutward Preferment for the Advantage sake some might yield but saith the Turk when we have done all we cannot alter or change their Belief the which they retaining though they may yield unto us it would be but in Hypocrifie and in case we should accept of them on those terms they then would have an opportunity to do us hurt And herein they shew more Moderation then the Apostate Christians in many places of Christendom And concerning the Turks Deportment and Civil respect one unto another in meeting and greeting one another they seem to exceed the Christians in Morality it being a cause of Laughter unto them to see the Christians Beggarly Airy Behaviours one unto another in Scraping with the Leg and Doffing the Hat and foolish Gestures too too much used amongst many who are called Christians who want the more solid and more comely and truly courteous Behaviour which the Truth guides unto But lest any should mistake who do not know the difference which is amongst them called Turks wherein I speak of the Behaviour of the Turks as before I do not speak of those Nests and Dens of Theeves and Robbers who are made up of Christian Runnagadows Moors and Turks neither do I speak of the aspiring high-minded ones amongst them but I speak of a plain people called Turk-men whom I have trusted much and having found them faithful I perceived they had an Awe and Fear of God upon them they often expressing these words The Lord is just and therefore we must do justly And by occasion having proved a Turk I shall in brief give an Instance of his Faithfulness where in he declared the Fear and Awe of God that was upon him Being ordered by a Merchant that then lived in Aleppo to send him up 1500 Dollers privatelely from Scanderown where I lived according to order the Money being delivered and laid upon a Horse in a Satchel as their manner is the Horse by Chance ran away with the Money before him it being in a dark Night he could not find him and in the Morning betimes the Horse with the Money was feeding at a Turk-man's Crib the Turk taking hold of him and feeling the Money and seeing the Christians Mark there being none to accuse him but the witness in him he might clearly have kept the Money and turned the Horse going but the faithful and true Witness was so prevalent in him that he took the Money carried it unto an Agaw which in that place is somewhat like unto a Lord of a Manner and after diligent search what he had done was shewed unto me and the Money recovered But mind the Awe and Fear of God that was upon the Turk after Inquiry concerning his Doings this was his Answer said the Turk The Lord hath blessed me with Cattle of several sorts accounting his Outward Riches in case said he I should have put that Money to that which the Lord hath blessed me withall that being none of mine the Lord would have brought a Curse upon all that I have Hear this O Christians and awake to Righteousness and don 't persist in your Gainsaying the preaching the Gospel to every Creature Col. 1.23 lest you be cut off from the goodness of God through your unbelief and hard-heartedness and those whom you so despise be grafted in all things are possible to the power of the Lord for of a Truth as said Peter in another Case The Lord is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him So mind it 's not a bare talk of Righteousness that will serve and what have you more who say Visions are ceased and Revelations are ceased and the Inspiration of God's Spirit is not to be known now adayes Oh blind Apostates what Gospel have you to preach No the Gospel is hid to you in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not 2 Cor. 4.3 4. lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them The Confession out of your own Mouthes will rise up against you in the day of account which hastens The midnight of it is much over you and the day of the Visitation of God's love to many of you is far spent Do you think that your having the holy mens Testimonies of the Righteousness of God will add to your Comfort in the day of account if you be found out of the Righteousness there testified of No assuredly they will be a witness against you The learned Scribes and the Pharisees they had the Law and the Prophets which witnessed to the Righteousness of God but they resisting the Spirit of God how blind and ignorant were they of the Law and Prophets so that goodness of God they being strangers unto through their hard-heartedness in resisting the Key of knowledge they were so far from the comfort thereof that they took occasion by them to resist the righteousness of God so those blessed Testimonies which witnessed to the righteousness of God were a witness against them for refusing the same And forasmuch as the Christian-Nations have more of the holy mens Testimonies concerning the righteousness of God in the blessed operation of his holy Spirit and do grieve it and do despight unto it and are found in the day of account out of the life of the righteousness thereof the more and stronger will the Scriptures of Truth be a witness against them So then the Scriptures are profitable and comfortable through the blessed Spirit that opens them and gives power to live the life of the holy men recorded therein But if the righteousness of God's holy Spirit which is witnessed unto throughout the Scriptures of Truth be rejected then will the Scriptures be unprofitable and uncomfortable in the day of account when every one shall receive a reward according to their Deeds done in the Body Oh! that people would consider and not go on striving against the works of the Lord who is exalting the peaceable Kingdom of the Son of his Love which is in righteousness Rom. 14.17 peace and joy in his holy Spirit Oh! it s for want of knowledge that people perish and rather then they will deny themselves that they may have knowledge of the righteousness which is of God they will persist and persist and perish in their own unrighteous Works For the Wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Jam. 1.20 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his Ears are open unto their Prayers 1 Pet. 3.12 but the Face of the Lord is against them that do Evil. Oh that people had a true knowledge of the Scriptures but they do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the
as they did are in the same state of Hypocrisie and under the same sentence of dreadful wo and misery Therefore I beseech you to consider what state or condition you are in and don 't go about to exalt your selves in wisdom above what is written but take notice what Christ said Luke 17. For behold the Kingdom of God is within you These are plain and true words a wiser then he that spoke them never was nor ever shall be Indeed it 's very great presumption for any to exalt a wisdom above his and to set at naught his blessed counsel in so great and weighty a concern And for further proof of the necessity of bowing to that of God in you observe also further what Christ said But whosoever drinketh of the water I shall give him Joh. 4.14 shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life See how plain and evident are the Testimonies in Scripture unto that which is pure and holy of God within It must needs also be as plain and evident that those who do oppose the way to the knowledge thereof are real opposers of that love and mercy of God testified unto by the moving of Gods holy spirit as recorded in the Scriptures Indeed that is a very sad state and miserable will be the end of 〈◊〉 who live and dye in it Therefore be admonished to take heed to the Light of Christ within thee â—â—â—ch is a blessed leader proved 〈…〉 thousandâ— who are living 〈…〉 of it s blessed leading them that are led â—nd guided by it out of that which would harm them anâ— a blessed Commander he is who gives power to them that receive him tâ—â—k up his Commandments the which are no way grievous and in the doing thereof there is great peace as said David Psal 119.165 Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them The Law is pure holy and good and to be taken heed unto in the heart Jâ—r 31.33 Come come to the pure principle of God within or else you can never know the Truth and its freedom not the will of God signified through the Truth under what denomination soever the end and tondency of Gods love thereby being that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved to which end none can come but as they take heed to the blessed motions of Gods holy Spirit in them Cease therefore your vain labour and hard travail under that slavish servitude where the prince of the power of the Air ruleth them who doth despite unto the Spirit of Truth and he blinds and darkens the minds of people so that unto them he makes darkness seem as light and light seem as darkness and so he instructs his Vassells and Slaves to call light darkness Isa 5.20 and darkness light evil he calls good and good evil and thus in and through his dark works he brings people and keeps them under wo and misery Oh that people would fear the Lord and depart from evil and wait upon the Lord in the leadings and guidings of his good Spirit in them the which will draw them unto the knowledge of Christ in them the hope of Glory even unto Christ the way truth and life the same yesterday to day and for ever the resurrection and the life the first born of every creature who said Search or ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternal life John 5. and they are they that testifie of me And ye will not come to me that ye might have life of me It is very plain and evident by what hath been said and may be said That except people come unto Christ the power and wisdom of God to all that believe they cannot see life but the wrath of God abide on them and being dead in trespasses and sins under condemnation and the wages of sin which is death In this state what ever high talk and profession may be made from what may be read in the Scriptures of Truth of the Heavenly gift which is Life Eternal this will but add to their condemnation who do put Christ at a distance far from them and will not receive him in his spiritual appearance but do despite to his Spirit of Grace in quenching and grieving the motions thereof Such prophane unprofitable talkers are real opposers of the Spirits Testimony the which testifies of Christ Vnto whom all must come that do receive Eternal Life even unto his quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven And wait to feel his power to raise out of the ways of death and destruction and to translate them by the blessed work of regeneration and conversion into the way of life and peace This is the work of the Spirit and not of the Letter For the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Mind It is not the Letter and Testimony of the Law written which effects this blessed work in giving life â—â—â—ut that holy and blessed Spirit of â—â—â—e in Christ Jesus which sets free from sin and death The which Law of the Spirit is testified of and born witness unto by the Letter and Testimony of the Law and Prophets and the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Jesus Therefore I do in the moving of the Spirit of Truth according to my measure therein exhort and perswade all to take heed unto the manifestation of Gods holy Spirit in them for the opening the eye of your understanding in those weighty coâ—â—â—â—ns of everlasting life as testified of through the Scriptures of Truth And that the Scriptures may Be set in their right places and the honour which is due unto the Lord of Heavâ—n 〈◊〉 earth may be given unto him who hath powerover all flesh and gives Eternal Life to all that are freely given up to him and with whom he is well pleased and doth accept As it is written My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me John 10.27 28. and I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Oh be admonished to leave oâ—â— giving private Interpretations of the Prophesies the Seriptures and bow to the universal love and mercy of God in the moving of his Spirit of Truto that thereby you may be led and guided into all Truth And for your sakes who desire that Truth and Righteousness may 〈◊〉 place in the Earth again for your clearer Information take notice it is written He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Joh. 3.8 for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Now observe what a sad condition they are in who through unbelief and hard heartedness in resisting the spiritual appearance of the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven in which works of darkness do draw such
hath all this while reserved a Seed as it is written And as Esaias said before Rom. 9.29 except the Lord of Sabbath had left us a Seed we had been as Sodoma and been made like unto Gomorrha And in this is the Lord replenishing the Earth and making of it fruitful in vertue in life in praises to his holy name even by the same spirit of Truth that moved in the holy men of God that gave forth those holy Prophesies and blessed Testimonies in the Scriptures of Truth And this is the time and season wherein the Lord is pouring out his spirit even the same spirit as he did pour out upon his Sons and Daughters in the Primitive time And it s by the Operation Revelation and Divine Inspiration of the same spirit of Christ Jesus in and by which the Holy Prophesies and Testimonies in the Scripture comes to be understood And in this spirit the Lord hath and is ordaining Ministers that they may go and bring forth fruit and that their fruit may remain And by the power and efficasie thereof are thousands of living witnesses raised now in these dayes unto whom the goodness mercy and loving kindness of the Lord is revealed even by the Operation Divine Inspiration and blessed effects of the same spirit of Christ Jesus which the holy men of God were witnesses of in the Primitive dayes And in and by this spirit of power and wisdom is the Lord made Righteousness Wisdom Sanctification and Redemption unto his people who are believers this day as he was in the Primitive days unto his people who did believe in him And by the power and effectual works of this spirit of Christ Jesus in these days time and season The Blind receive their Sight Mat. 11.5 6. and the Lame Walk the Lepers are Cleansed and the Deaf Hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel Preached to them And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me This spirit of Christ Jesus was the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which the true Believers which were the Church of Christ was built and it s on this Foundation that the true Believers which is the Body of Christ which is his Church is built this day time and season where Christ is Head Leader Law-giver and Commander and by his spirit is the blessed Worship set up now in the Church of Christ the which Christ set up in opposition to all false Worships in the Primitive time as you may read But the hour cometh when the true Worshipers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 24. for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth Therefore yours is the false Worship now where the Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration of this blessed spirit of Truth is denyed now adays Your Worship is false imaginary and conceited for none can truly call Jesus Lord but by the leading and guiding of the same holy spirit of Truth and all that makes mention of his holy Name let them depart from Iniquity And all you who do not but do continue in the Mistery thereof in subjection to the man of sin your Prayers are the Prayers of the wicked the which is abomination to the Lord And your patcht up Sermons the which you Study and Frame up in your Brain from the works of others They are all alike abomination and how costly these works of abomination are let the Wise in Heart judge And in all where this blessed spirit of Truth is rejected and stoped in its motions and so grieved and quenched and another spirit leads all their labour and travel is vain and your Consultations are vain and whatsoever you form up be it an Instrument never so cunningly and wisely wrought in the deepest of your Skill and Councel in the highest degree of the Worlds Wisdom to oppose the out-goings of this blessed Spirit of Christ Jesus it shall never prosper neither shall the Contrivers ever prosper in their works Look back 20 or 30 years past where great undertakings have been even if it had been possible to have ruined and spoiled all those who gave Testimony to this Spirit of Truth And see what sad effects those works of Opposition have produced what hath your turning of things upside down availed you Alas for you your worth is the product of ruine and misery that which you intend to your peaceable Neighbours will come upon your selves your own works in your singular exalted spirits is the purchaser thereof Oh you Ignorant Fools who are blinded by the God of this Wold and are so high flown that you go about to limit the holy God in the goings out of his holy Spirit you may as well undertake to alter the course of the Sun and stop up the course of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea Your sins of Presumption would be much alike and your Folly will end in as great shame Indeed your presumption arises from an Arm of Flesh and long continuance in vain Customs Traditions and Inventions And because you can clap up in Prisons and make Havock and Ruine and Spoile of People and their Goods your spirit that leads you in these works being an envious Malicious Cruel Abominable Wicked spirit therefore proceeds this wrong Judgment from you even that Gods holy Spirit in Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration as moving through holy Men in the Primitive time is now ceased But if it were so as you vainly Imagine then shew where the difference lyes between you who call your selves Christians and the Heathens if the Spirit of Christ Jesus the Spirit which people were brought under in the Primitive time and thereby to be Baptized into one Body the which was to be ruled and governed by that Spirit of Christ Now if the Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration thereof be ceased then tell me by what spirit Christians so called are Baptized into so many Bodyes and Fellowships and what Spirit rules and governs And what difference there is between them called Heathen in their Fellowships and them called Christians in their Fellowships where the Authority Rule and Government of Christs Spirit is denyed Come to plain dealing and don't Shuffl you have been long enough in that work already and the more you persist therein the more you will be confounded and the deeper plunged into the horrible pit and your Feet will be faster stuck in the Mire Therefore be admonished to deal plainly least you be your own Executioners through your high presumptuous mindedness in bringing swift destruction upon you for of a Truth thousands have been bowed before the Lord under a sense of their own insufficiency to perform that which is good and acceptable of themselves and have truly waited upon the Lord in a deep silence of the flesh And indeed Christ hath appeared the second time in his blessed Spirit and
quarter And he did not rail in saying so he spoke the Truth Read what wicked motions there was in the flesh and the motion of the true Prophet against them said he They were as fed Horses every one neighed after his neighbours Wife Jer. 5. The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof Read the true Prophets motion in the word of Truth against the false fleshly Prophets motion Who moved for handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread Ezek. 13. Read how wicked they were The wicked false Teachers in this Age have a larger and richer Trade they move for Thousands of Pounds The true Prophet moving in the Truth cryed out against the horrible wicked fleshly motions of the Priests and said As troops of Robbers wait for a man Hosea 6. so the company of Priests murder in the way by consent for they commit lewdness Observe they were agreed in their motion Read the wicked motions of a wicked spirit in the Presidents Princes Governours Counsellers who moved the King to make an unalteralterable Decree to insnare Daniel Dan. 7. because he was Honest and Just And though Daniel was acquainted therewith and knew the penalty yet he was moved in a good Spirit to open his Windows and pray as before And read what became of the motions of the wicked and also of the blessed motions The good Spirit in the Prophet moved him to testify against the false Spirits motions both in head and tail Said he The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire Mic. 3.1 and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Oh the presumption and confidence of wicked motions and observe how hireling Priests were cryed out against in former dayes as well as in these last dayes Christ in his Doctrine gave people warning To beware of the Scribes which love to go in long Clothing and love Salutations in the Market places Mark 12. and the chief Seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost Rooms at Feasts Which devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long Prayers But they are worse that make Widows and devour Estates examine the Jailers Calenders for near 30 years last past Acts the 20. The Apostle was moved by a good Spirit to declare what should come after him saying For I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock And what a wonderful motion this wicked generation have had for near this 30 years let all them that have heard and seen and are more moderate and wise in heart judge 1 Joh. 2. There you may read that there was then many Antichrists and the evil motions of that wicked Spirit the which was then in the World Chap. 4.3 was to deny Christ's coming in flesh And John being in the Spirit on the Lords day had wonderful things revealed unto him both of the Beasts rising out of the Sea and out of the Earth Revelation and with what swelling Pride he exalted himself over the Saints and Servants of the Lord God And how that Kings agreed to give their strength and power unto the Beast with one mind to make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are blessed and chosen and faithful And he saw the downfall of Babylon and the End of the Beast and false Prophet Read chap. 19. And this is coming to pass and must be fulfilled glory praises and honour be given to the Lord God forever And thus unprejudiced Reader who hath some Breathings after the knowledge of the Lord and canst not take up a rest in a sinful state but desires that true Judgment may go forth Here is plain Truth and also some brief instances therein which is but few to what might be given from Genesis to the Revelations of the wicked Spirits motions and their Effects and of the blessed motions of Gods good Spirit and their Effects by which thou mayest see by the fruits and practices who are of that brood and generation of Cain and his followers and who are of the generation of Abel and his followers And what a wicked proud arrogant Spirit that is which dares presume to limit the moving of Gods holy Spirit in its Revelation Operation and Divine Inspiration And by which wicked and presumptuous works that proud ambitious and aspiring Spirit hath turned the very end and tendency of the love and mercy of God in the moving of this holy Spirit through holy Men in giving forth those blessed Testimonies and Prophesies in Scriptures even quite to another use then intended And how the Antichristian Spirit which was in the World in the Apostles dayes wrought in a Mistery of Iniquity and in Confessions and Professions from the true witnesses Testimony that Christ was come into the World and how he was Born and how he Suffered and was Ascended and will come again which is all true But under this fair covering the Merchants of Babylon set up their Trades and fraighted their Vessels with the Whores Trumpery and with fair Speeches and good Words out of the Life out of the Power they have deluded poor Souls making Merchandize of them setting up that which is profitable in the way of righteousness for the way of righteousness and so excluded the second coming of Christ in Spirit to them that look and wait for him without sin unto Salvation This great mistery the which is Christ in us the hope of Glory the way of Truth and Life the way of Righteousness unto the Father out of which none can come unto him this by their Arts they have wholly excluded And thus having set the Scripture for a chief rule and only rule of Life they have excluded the Spirit of Truths guide and leadings the which the Scripture directs unto and so set the Scriptures above the Spirit by the moving of which they were given forth And the Words and Writings of the Scripture they have set up for the word it self And this Spirit having put the Declaration and Writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel here the Gospel the power of God that is excluded and Christ the word of God in the heart and mouth that is excluded And thus having turned the Scripture upside down The man of sin the Son of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now saying in effect that the day of Christ is past as touching his appearance and coming in the flesh he is at a remoteness or distance from his people Now Revelations are ceased say they and the best
term they can give the Light in man is to call it a Natural Light So Natural and Brutish is mankind become through the works of the enemy and in this Natural State reading the Scriptures having put the moving of Gods Spirit a far off from them by which alone the things of Cod therein are understood They in that Natural Estate doth not understand what they read neither can they receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto them Oh people be admonished to come down to the Light of Christ in you that makes manifest the deeds of Darkness and as the man of sin comes to be revealed in you by the Light of Christs Spirit you thereby will come to the knowledge of Christs day and coming in righteousness to make War against all unrighteousness and to put an end to transgression and finish sin and bring in everlasting righteousness So away with all private Interpretations and vain Imaginations and come to the universal love of God that Spirit or Light the which makes manifest that which is reproveable and turn at his reproof and he will pour out his Spirit upon you And thus by the coming of the day of Christ the day of the wicked will be seen and the Bed of Torment they must lye down in who go on in wickedness opposing the Spiritual appearance of Christ Jesus Oh sad will their day be who persist in their presumption of mocking and scoffing at the moving of Gods holy Spirit now adayes that is a proud arrogant Spirit which will lead all that follow it to the end to misery contempt and shame and at length to everlasting destruction Blessed are they that are not defiled with it And therefore be admonished to put your whole trust in God and wait for the appearance of his grace that you may have Salt and Savour in your selves or else notwithstanding you may talk high things of what you read in Scriptures yet if you be not regenerated and born of the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And thus in the Leading Guiding Operation Revelation and Divine Inspiration of the Blessed Spirit of Truth am I moved to give Testimony to the Truth and way of Life and Peace in true love to all the Creation of God for the undeceiving of deceived and deluded Souls that their understandings may be cleared of Darkness and Error and that they may know the Truth as it is in Jesus and be saved Stephen Smith The 11th Month 1676. A Tender Greeting to the Flock of Christ in Bedfordshire and Huntingtonshire Dear Friends IN the everlasting Seed Power and Life keep the substance of all signified in Ages past under many Types Figures and Shadows now known and dwelt in by them who have believed the good report of the holy men of God which is left upon record who was redeemed from the Earthly part even that they might be Gods witnesses of his Heavenly gift wherein is all the Treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid which Treasure hath been freely opened unto us who through faithfulness and diligent waiting have expected the same as a sure reward of the bounty and goodness of our Creator for ever So that all the obedient and upright hearted can truly say for ever be the day had in remembrance when we were awakned out of Carnal Security we had in vain Customs and Traditions of men in the Fall who have sought out many Inventions through which comes blindness hardness of heart and unbelief from whence proceeds envying hatred malice uncleanness and all other evils whatsoever He who is Prince of Darkness having his Power and Authority there in blindness and darkness carries the Creature into bondage at his will he being ruler in the Children of disobedience But glory and praises be to the Lord our God who is the great God and besides him there is none It 's he alone that opens the understandings of them that fear him who hath discovered unto us the Mistery of the workings of Satan and the bredth and length of his rule and dominion and the end thereof for ever is he who thus opens unto them that fear him greatly to be admired by all his Sons and Daughters who are redeemed by his great power out of Adam in the Fall up into him that never fell through whom we have access into his presence the which sweetens all to us and carries all that truly trust in him through all Tempests and Storms whatsoever Even by his Arm and Power who will and can appease and lay all Tempests and Storms when they have accomplished that for which they were suffered to be raised he being seen and known who walkes upon a troubled Sea as in dayes past so yesterday and to day and for ever So Dear Friends keep out his appearance who would work questionings and reasonings concerning the Rod of the wicked with which the Righteous are threatned It 's for the Fire It 's for the Fire that 's Gods Word So all to abide faithful in his power by whom all appearances of the wicked one may be resisted in his many wills who is a Murderer and a Thief who walkes about in the Earthly mind compassing there and betraying there and draws back into the Earth there And then when tryals come the Earth is in the way and then the false ballance is set up in the heart and the precious Jewel being weighed therein the Earth that appears heaviest and so carries the sway in the mind and so comes to be set up in the heart So thereby many come to lose the everlasting reward of peace and joy and comfort which is in that Life which lives and abides for ever So Dear Friends have an Eye to the reward of well doing even that Pearl of great Price and let it have dominion in the heart and the Earth set under all that so we may continue to the end in all well-doing and patient and meek running in that race which is set before us unto whom belongs the Crown of Immortal Life When the Lord pleases to shew me a clear way unto you I shall be willing to see your Faces to the end that we may be refresht together even from that everlasting Fountain from whence comes all our fresh springs which glads the Souls of the upright for ever But at present I find my Testimony required where I have had the greatest time of my Conversation in the everlasting Covenant of Truth Light and Life That wicked ruler who rules in the Children of disobedience hath many Agents here abouts as well as in other places who have been at work amongst us They took from me six Cows for a Fine of 20 l. for speaking the things of God according to his will but they had great trouble with them From my Brother John nine Cowes for a Silent Meeting at his house and from another all his Beds Cloaths two Geldings Pewter Brass Leather and abundance of other
is born of flesh is flesh so that which is born of the spirit is spirit and these two births are contrary for the birth of the flesh though it may speak great swelling words and tell of the victory of Christ and triumph in swelling words of his fame as in that Paper yet it being a worker of iniquity it must have that Sentence depart from me it can in no wise inherit the Kingdom of God though it may glory and say I have preached and done many things yet its product is but spiritual wickedness got in a high place which the indignation of the Lord is against so it must be cast out he that can receive it let him And thus much might be said as to the words in that Paper but to all Impartial readers this is sufficient to convince them that that Paper is none of the Gospels glory nor none of the Covenant of grace neither is the Covenant of grace at all there unfolded But it is a meer parcel of conceivings from the same imaginary spirit that uses to be Imployed about making of Ballads And so in true love to all unto whom this may come I counsel you to mind the fear of offending God that you may be made sensible of the blessed appearance of the grace of Gods holy Spirit that you may be received into the blessed Covenant thereof and therein be witness of its sufficiency in teaching what to deny and what to do this being the means ordained of God for the good of all and all that becomes sensible of the infallible teachings of the grace of God such will not wonder at Silent Meetings as many do who are out of the sense of Gods love therein many such grow despisers and wonder and cannot believe the effectual works of the grace of Gods holy Spirit though in the demonstration and power thereof they be declared and published from time to time And I wish all to take heed of being exalted through vain glory in fleshly works the which are attended with sorrow and misery and will bring all them that rest there to the end but in the Lord is everlasting glory And mind the saying of the Apostle to the Ephesians But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath he quickned us together with Christ by grace yea are saved So mind the blessed teachings of the grace of God which is pure holy and perfect in every degree and this the mark which all should set before them as they expect to run well in their Heavenly race and obtain the blessed peace of God to their Souls which is the will of God and in the knowledge thereof I give this Testimony who am what I am by Cods Grace and therein a well wisher to all who are truly seeking after the knowledge of Cod in which love I rest Stephen Smith The 11th day of the 11th Month 1674. A Testimony to the way of Truth and Life with seasonable Exhortations thereunto THat which hath been of low degree and little esteem with mankind now is the Lord God exalting and will exalt and set over all the blessed Way Truth and Life Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever the blessed way of the Lord opened unto the wise in heat but ever was and is a mistery shut and hid from the wicked the Vultures eye hath not seen it nor the unclean cannot enter into it but a Fountain is opened praise to the Lord for ever to wash and to cleanse from sin and iniquity and so to sift and prepare for the way of Truth and Life Blessed are they who trust in the Lord and keep their minds stayed upon the blessed manifestation of his light and love and mercy unto them therein with their eye single unto the Lord whose blessed springs of life and true refreshment will in the Lords time and season rise in the hearts of such to the great consolation and peace and rest of their Souls whom the Spirit of the Lord will guide unto the knowledge and understanding the pure and unchangable Religion which comes from above where the true Worship which Christ did and doth set up in the Spirit and Truth will be witnessed And this being possessed and enjoyed all the false Religions and Worships which are out of the way of Truth and Life will be discovered and keeping low in the silence of the earthly and sensual wisdom wisdom which is pure from above will be manifest and herein the works of the blessed day of the Lord will be seen who is working a reformation in the Earth in restoring the blessed language of Truth and setting up Truth and Righteousness and Mercy and Peace and bringing a people to a pure language to speak the Truth from the guidings and leadings of the Spirit of Truth which was Prophesied of That the Lord would power out of his Spirit upon all flesh Sons and Daughters And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Blessed are they who believe and trust in the Lord and patiently wait for the fulfilling of his promise for the Lord will assuredly stain the glorying of all the fleshly births and create and bring forth a spiritual birth unto which all his blessed promises are And the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Lords and his Christs and he shall reign for ever and he will exalt his everlasting Kingdom and of the increase of his Government there shall be no end This peaceable Kingdom of the Son of his love is in righteousness peace and joy in his holy Spirit whose Tabernacle is with men and the Ark and the Testimony and the Mercy Seat over all his works where he doth commune with them he takes pleasure in and makes known his good will and pleasure unto mankind who receiving freely communicates freely the good will and pleasure of the Lord here is the Wine and Milk without Money or Price And the Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come and he that heareth saith come and he that will come let him come and take of the water of life freely for a fountain is open where life manifests it self freely and the streams of Babylon are drying up where the Whore with her guilded Cup of Sorceries and Witchcraft hath sat a Cup of Wormwood and Gaul is filling to her and a Bed of Torment will be the portion of her Merchants and all that receive her mark and wear it on their forehead or in the hand So blessed are they who do escape out of Babylon and set their faces towards Zion the holy City where the substance is injoyed and that which was figured and typified in the Law and Covenant given forth in Mount Sinai in the Gospel in Mount Sion is possessed the blessed Law and Covenant in the Mind and in the Heart Christ in us the hope of Glory the Substance and herein that which
by you there are these sayings In page 252 thus His pure Spirit is put into the inward parts to be the rule and guide of life in all things And again Only by the teaching of the eternal Spirit is the living God known in the Creature Again page 408. It is promised saith he that the Spirit shall lead into all Truth and such do own the Scriptures but not as their Teacher for the anointing dwells in them and they need no man to teach them but as that anointing teacheth all things for all the Children of God are taught of God and need not any other Teacher nor need to say one to another know the Lord and all such own the Scriptures to be the Testimony of that which they believe and have received And again in page 834. The only perfect rule of Conscience in the exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And because something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that there are so many wayes and Sects of Religion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and among Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the rule of Judgment and exercise of Conscience to God and man Again page 861. The judgment in that matter Heresie must be just equal holy and only by the Spirit of Christ which is infallible and gives infallibility of Judgement and discerning into all cases and things Mr. Pen spends the fourth Chapter of his late Book Intituled Reason against Railing to prove that the Light within and not the Scriptures is the rule of Faith and practice In page 47. he saith We dare boldly affirm in the name of the Lord that the great reason of our belief concerning them the Scriptures is not any outward thing but inward Testimony recorded and Heavenly Amen that we have received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and faithfulness of those sayings Again p. 48. Wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great rule of faith and practice that the Light of Christ within us is both our warrant and rule for faith and obedience to them Again page 114. Let it be remembred saith he that Christ promised to send the spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their practice is a lye or they are led into a lye who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the ways of Truth where by Truth is not meant the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is true But the living powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a record or declaration And page 115. Many may run into the practice of several outward things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the practice of Saints in former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-worship imitation and unwarrantable Now let all the wise in heart who do retain so much of sense of the Spirit of Truths leading and operation thereof in them as that thereby they are in some degree in a capacity to judge of spiritual matters and that have a desire that God may not take away his holy Spirit from them I say let all such in the coole of the day when all self Interest is laid aside judge whether these men Edward Burroughs and William Pen and all them who are of the same Faith and Judgment with them do deserve such strange contradicton as the Author of that Book hath raised and made against them To be sure their method as he calls it is clearly agreeing with Christ and his Apostles Christ Jesus the Light of the World the Way Truth and Life did direct his followers to take heed to the Spirit of Truth that reproveth the World of sin c. and he counselled them to take that for their guide into all Truth And ought not all Christians to be followers of Christ their Lord and Master and how is it possible that any should follow Christ except they be led by the Spirit of Truth in themselves And he that steals away their minds from that guide he is a Thief and as Christ said The Thief comes to steal to Murder and to destroy but I am come that you may have Life and that you may have it more abundantly And the Apostle Paul is very open and plain in his Testimony concerning this matter in these words The things of God knows no man but the Spirit of God by this the deep things of God are searched out And are there not many deep things of God contained in Scriptures The which is not possible to be understood and searcht out by any other Spirit but only and alone by the Spirit of Truth therefore this must needs be a sufficient teacher of mankind without the Scripture as it was to Abel Enoch and to Abraham and the holy men of God long before there was any of the old or new Testament written And it was the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in those faithful Servants by whom those weighty things as are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth were given forth And it is the great love of God in the moving of his holy Spirit in its leadings and teaching of his people through which the many Types Figures Prophesies and many hard sayings comes to be understood and a clear distinguishing comes to be known between the Jew outward and the Jew inward between the Law outward and the Law of the Spirit of Truth inward and between the shadow of good things and the good things themselves and also between the Spirit and the Letter the Power and the Form c. And for want of fearing God and taking heed to the motions of his blessed Spirit of Truth that is the cause there are so many heaps of Opinions about the Scripture therefore it is that all learned men in the Spirit of Truth do so highly esteem the teachings thereof as absolutely necessary to life and peace And all whose minds are converted by the Spirit of Truth and are spiritually exercised therein and feeling the life and peace that flows from it unto their Souls this confirms them settles them and makes them unmoveable and unchangeable in their Faith in the power of the Lord who hath been thus merciful in opening this fountain of life and love where a washing and cleansing comes to be witnessed and entrance ministered into the kingdom of God and of this day that is breaking forth and shining clearer and clearer Edward Burroughs that man of God was a faithful Instrument in the hand of the Lord and his works do demonstrate the same to thrash and cut down hypocrisie and gainsayers of the Truth and faithfulness of God unto mankind And in the succession of this blessed work and service in
the everlasting and unchangeable Truth the Lord hath raised up William Pen with a Testimony And in his continuance therein unto the end of his days he will receive the same Crown of Immortal Life and their Testimonies which the Author calls their method taken out of their Books is faithful and true and doth and will appear so to all that are in the least learned by the Spirit of Truth But in contradiction of those faithful and true Testimonies of Edward Burrough's and William Pen's the Author of that Book undertakes to prescribe a method and way the which he calls Gods method and way this being a long ramble too tedious to transcribe I shall draw up the scope and tendency thereof That Page 15. after Christs ascension into Heaven he sent the holy Spirit upon his Apostles and immediatly inspired them with a clear knowledge and understanding of it And again page 24. Although the first promulgator of the Gospel were enabled by immediate Revelation from Christ to teach it unto others yet afterward Gods ordinary way and method of transmitting the knowledge and faith of the Gospel downwards to others successively was by such mens teaching it to others as had themselves learned it of the Apostles or others that taught the same Doctrine as they did Again page 28. And there is great reason why the same regard should be given to what the Apostles and Evangelists wrote as to what they spoke as long as they either wrote the same Doctrine or History upon the same evidence for the Doctrine is the same after it is written as it was before for its being written doth not alter the nature of it And therefore men must needs be as much concerned in their belief or disbelief obedience or disobedience to it when it is communicated to them by writing as when it is so by preaching yea I had almost said or by immediate Revelation And again page 33. I shall conclude what I have said in this proposition to shew that the same regard is due to the Doctrine of the Apostles when written as now it is as when it was preached by them by remembring you of this great Truth that every man shall be tryed or judged at the last day by the Law he hath been under The Gentiles that are or have been without a written Law shall be judged without any such Law and the Jews which are under a written Law they shall be judged by it Rom. 2.12 Even so those that are under the Gospel written will be judged by that c. Thus then I take the substance of his method to be that the Apostles were immediatly Inspired and from immediate Revelation the New Testament was written and since that immemediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit hath ceased and those writings now are become the rule of faith and practice And that this Gospel written as he calls it hath been successively transmitted to others as they have learnt it and that this written Gospel as he calls it must be the rule and judge in all matters of faith and practice without immediate Teaching or Inspiration This then being the method of the Author of that Book to exclude immediate Revelation and set up Tradition in the room But this he hath manifested by his writing that he is not in the line of succession in the holy Spirit of Truth and righteousness if he had been there he would never have opposed the Truth of what was spoken by William Pen and Edward Burroughs But who can expect any better fruit from a Plant that hath so little sap and life from the root and spring of Light Truth and Holiness to nourish it Page 41. he saith That Christ doth inlighten all whom he doth inlighten in one or more of these three wayes 1. Either by Natural Light Or 2. by Supernatural Revelation Or 3. by outward speech or writing or example c. Would not all that are in their wits judge that this Author of the Book had better to have been quiet then so presumptuously in his high flown proud arrogant Spirit So positively to condemn the sufficiency of the Lights leading within into Christianity without outward Teaching Since he is at such a loss not knowing what Light it is that Christ doth inlighten people with But in page 43. there he saith That though Christ do inlighten all men with natural light a little before it is them whom he doth inlighten it is some way even what he imagines wherein he contradicts himself but what way he knows not The Vulture's eye hath not seen the way thereof neither can the natural man receive the things of the Spirit of God To be sure the Author of that Book hath not attained to A.B.C. in the way of Christianity as is manifest by his dark conclusion that Christ the Light within men is a natural Light Let all the wise in heart judge how unlikely the Author of that Book is to shew the way of God who is so far out of it not knowing the out-goings of the Lord God who is Light whose outgoings were from everlasting to everlasting nor so much as the first principle of the Oracle of God which is Light and therefore he hath not spoken as the Oracle of God And therefore in saying he would shew the method and way of God he hath manifestly declared his Ignorance and presumption But such unlearned men as he is undertake to judge the Quakers foundation for error and after they have done they are to seek what it is But let him or any who are of his mind prove if they can that ever any Quakers in their Writings have said That it was by the leading of a natural Light without or with outward Teaching by which ever any one true Christian was made No no we do know that Christ the true Light that Lighteneth man that comes into the World doth it with a supernatural and Divine Light wherein they that believe and wait upon God receive Spirit Life and Power to become Sons of God And that he both hath and can by the powerful drawings thereof bring them who wait in the manifestation thereof in themselves into the true Christianity And that the outward Testimony or declaration that was or is given forth unto the Sons and Daughters of men from the immediate motion and flowings forth of the Spirit of Truth had and hath this effect even to bring into this name the Light of Christ within and from Satans power unto God that the teaching of God within as well as without by them who speak as his Oracle might be effectual to guide into Christianity And that the powerful drawings of the blessed Light of Christ within hath been the only motive to move many to consider their ways and to turn at the reproofs thereof into the straight and narrow way that leads into the life of Christianity But I do ask a question concerning the Gentiles that both were and are without an
to what outwardly hath been taught or written from the blessed motions thereof or that may be taught or written by the motion of the same But we do oppose the true Teachings thereof to the false Teaching of all immaginary deceitful Spirits who under a pretence of love to Souls do make Merchandize of them And that being the great hinge on which his work depends in concluding the Scriptures to be the rule of Faith and Practice excluding the immediate Teaching of the Spirit and the all-sufficiency thereof I do ask whether Faith be a fruit of the Spirit or of the Scripture or whether a true Christians practice in living peaceably lovingly justly and holy and mercifully and in a clean life and conversation in long sufference patience goodness brotherly kindness c. be a fruit of the blessed Spirit of God or of the Scripture And since it cannot be denyed but that Faith and practice in a true Christian holy Conversation is a fruit of the blessed Spirit and that the Scriptures say the same Then are not all the gain-sayers of the immediate Teaching Opperation Revelation and Divine Inspiration of Gods holy Spirit of Truth a grand cause that there is so little fruit of the Spirit brought forth in Christendom And whether that be not the cause of so many heaps of Sects Notionists and Opinions among them and of so much Pride Lust Hypocrisie Fraud Deceit Wrath Malice Murders Witchcrafts Sorceries and all other abominations that might be mentioned committed in all the World the Lord gives the humble in heart true Judgment but the proud he doth resist But in Page 42. the Author saith Christ indeed or God Creator as he is described in the beginning of that Chap. Joh. 1.9 Doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World with the faculty of reason and understanding by which he may know that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped and that he is peaceable and the difference between moral good and evil in many things But however this may possibly be a light sufficient to direct the Heathen to as much as God expects from them if they live up to it to whom he affords no other Light yet this Natural Light is not sufficient to direct those that live under the Gospel to believe and do what they are bound to believe and do upon pain of Damnation c. Answer He hath clearly manifested his ignorance of the Gospel and what men are to be brought under that are made true Christians as if the Light of Christ within had not Gospel in it or could not minister Gospel But by hating of the Light how blind are they who have such low thoughts of thy way thereof accounting the Light of Christ natural yet sufficient to direct the Heathen as much as God expects of them Such is the esteem of them whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds taking the Jew outward for the Jew inward and the Christian in shew for the Christian in Truth And the wild Heathenish life and conversation of the Christian in shew for Christianity if they do but only in words own the Scriptures to be their rule of faith and practice And the true Christian that brings forth the fruits of Gods holy Spirit in life and conversation and is not ashamed to confess to the immediate motions of it in its blessed leadings and teaching to love of God above all and their neighbours as themselves and lives in true fear and watchfulness that they may not grieve nor quench the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit in them but are careful to live up to the reason and understanding that Christ hath illuminated or inspired them with and to eshew the evil and to love the good being shewed it by the Light of Christ and that God ought to be worshiped in Spirit and Truth and is in the performance thereof according to Gods will confessing to the blessed holy Spirit of God to be the rule of Life Faith practice Such a faithful and true Christian as this having such an account to give as is given by Edward Burrough and William Pen of the sufficiency of the pure Spirit of God to be the Judge of all matters of life and conversation Such true Christians are very slightly esteemed by such private immaginary Spirits as the Author of that Book is manifest to be of in all his works of darkness in that Book But I had rather be a Christian and though I am called Heathen then to be a Heathen and yet to be called and accounted a Christian In Page 61. the Author saith Another place misunderstood and misapplyed by you is Joh. 16.13 When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth which is not a promise of sending the Spirit to guide all Christians by its immediate motions But a promise to his Apostles for they only were then present with Christ at his passover c. Ans Indeed the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit is the great trouble of them who follow the motions of their own Spirit and lives out of the way of the knowledge of the holy Spirit of God which is Light and Life But I ask in case people are not to follow Christ and his Apostles into the true Faith and practice of Christianity by the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit of Truth by the motions of what Spirit are they to be led and guided since there is such variety of Sects and Opinions in the motions of their private Spirits which of them is to be followed But since the Author hath limited the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit only unto the Apostles I do ask into what Spirits motions were people Baptized and led into the body of Christianity or are they now to be led into the same and how can Christians have the Crown of Immortal Life as Paul had in finishing his course of life well and he said that was not laid up for him alone but also for all them that love the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ And who can be a follower of him in the way if they do not take heed to the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit as he did according to the measure and manifestation thereof in every one And again What can set people free from the spirit of bondage or from the spirit of error or corruption and deceit and hypocrisie but the immediate motions of Gods pure holy spirit in them But such is the dark work of the Author of that Book even to gainsay and limit the immediate motions of Gods holy Spirit and to set up the private selfish imaginary Spirit which is not in unity with the Light and Spirit of Truth But if the promise of Christ was only to give that gift of the immediate motion of Gods holy Spirit unto the Apostles then to what end did he counsel the Churches to Pray in the Spirit to Sing in the Spirit and to
Viol c. And are at ease wo to them Amos 6. And concerning comparisons in the sound of Instruments being certain or uncertain this makes not at all for your purpose who extol that Musick by which the Lord is dishonoured and the seed of life grieved and burdened so for shame leave off your lightness and vanity least you be left as them who are filthy to be filthy still and you seek repentance as Esau did with tears and cannot find acceptance And see the effects of wicked Dancing Mat. 14.6 7. But when Herod 's birth-day was kept the Daughter of Herodias danced before them Now read and see what effects her brave Dancing procured weigh these things you that have Children that are Light and Airy and restrain them from that wicked practice least they add sin unto sin and bring woe upon them as you may see Herodias Daughter who added one wickedness unto another Stephen Smith To all Bishops and Priests and all concerned with them in a Book Intituled A form of Common Prayer for Gods blessing upon His Majesty and His Dominions and for the averting Gods Judgments Printed this year 1678. ANswer The Lord God hath signally shewen his great displeasure by Sword by Plague and by Fire against that opposite spirit that hath led into all rebellion against the motions of his holy spirit wherein he is making known his way of blessing and his saving health among the people Yet for his great name sake and in his love mercy and pity he did put a stop to those Judgements and hath given space and time of repentance and through many faithful Servants hath the Lord manifested his good pleasure that all who are erred from the way of blessing in life and peace that they might return unto him and wait upon him who is Lord of Heaven and Earth for his teachings and instructions in his holy Covenant of Life and Peace But how regardless have you been of the many and frequent Testimonies that have been faithfully in the moving of Gods holy spirit of Truth given forth against the swelling and groaning abominations of the times So that instead of hearkning and obeying the motions of Gods holy spirit you have proceeded in vexing and grieving the same in a most high degree you have abused the Servants of the Lord God And through your pride and presumption you have drawn the heavy displeasure of the Lord upon you whose dreadful judgments do hang over you and will not be averted or turned from you by any feigned shew of fasting made up in the will of man contrary to the good will mind and pleasure of God In that which is called the order for Morning Prayer are these words Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful c. Answer To them that do in Truth and in unfeigned repentance open their hearts unto him with a faithful resignation of heart soul and body unto the pure manifestation of his holy Law of his pure spirit of life unto such he hath shewn himself very gracious and merciful in setting them free from the Law of sin and death But how often do you repeat those words and yet keep your hearts whole in the friendship of the World in the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life you have been so far from renting your hearts that you have not so much as rent your garments are not the garments of your own righteousness which is no better then filthy rags whole upon you and in that loathsom garment you appearing before the Lord who seeing your loathsomness and hypocrisie in imputing the righteousness of Christ unto you whilst you are really and truly whole in your loathsome garments of your own righteousness where the righteous judge both of the quick and the dead beholding you as you are in your loathsome garments he will never agree with you in your accounts whilst you account so falsly of your Interest in the righteousness of Christ and yet whole in the garments of sin and iniquity doing the things you should not do and leaving undone the things you should do would you when you reckon with your Servants agree with them in such account and allow of their doing so all their life and leave them to account of your riches and that you are bound to give it them sure its time to be awakened from this misery of ignorance And take notice of your following words Though we have rebelled against him neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws which he set before us Now mind was ever your hearts rent from this condition do not you persist in your rebellion and so grieve Gods holy spirit in keeping your heart whole in persecuting them who are led by it Are not the Priests whole in their sin of preaching for Hire and for filthy lucre sake they tell lyes in Hypocrisie promising that to people which neither they nor the people have right unto whilst they are Servants to sin Come down from these barren mountains of imaginations and rent off these filthy garments and rent your hearts from these evils and follow the example of them who are really in this work and from the Lords acceptance have found him gracious and merciful and in the righteous government of his holy spirit of Truth the knowledge of his way of Truth is known in this World and in walking therein there is that hope manifest by Christs righteousness in us of having Eternal life with him in that World which is without end And you say Dearly beloved Brethren the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness and that we should not dissemble and cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart c. Answer Here you acknowledge yourselves to be fallen from the Primitive Christians guide and moreover in the service and work of the Lord they did speak as they were moved by Gods holy spirit and did declare the pleasure and will of God as that gave utterance and by his holy spirit they were made Ministers not coveting any mans Silver or Gold or Apparel nor they did not move for any filthy lucre sake but how have you erred and strayed from this way being lost as to a true and saving knowledge of the motions of Gods holy spirit And in this lost Estate every private spirit is set a work and imaginations dreams do tell their several conceivings of what was given forth by the moving of Gods holy spirit but having erred from the way of the spirit of God and being strangers thereunto they are also strangers to what was given forth by the Spirit of God thus being in error they don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God And thus being become strangers to the motion
THE True Light Discovered to all who desire to Walk in the Day In several little TREATISES Written by that faithful Member of the true Church of Christ Jesus lately deceased STEPHEN SMITH Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8.12 LONDON Printed in the Year 1679. To the Friends of Truth in the Counties of Surrey Sussex and Hampshire Friends HOw greatly hath the Lord appeared in this day in raising up many Instruments to sound forth his glorious Truth yet many are not sensible of it nor of the great Work he is a doing who is a setting up his Spiritual Kingdom and is establishing Righteousness in the Earth and all those that oppose this Work shall in â—im be ashamed and the Lord will go on with his Work who is come to restore Man into the primitive purity he was first created in Man that hath been drove from him into the Earth by reason of Transgressions and been a Servant to sin and under the power of Satan and been ignorant of the Life of God and of the sweet refreshments of his living presence not knowing the motions and leadings of the Father neither hath his ear been open to hear the voice of God but hath been without any sensible feeling of the Life and Power of God and had no savour of the things of God In this condition is Man that is drove from God in the Fall But now is the Lord come to restore him again by his beloved Son Christ Jesus who redeems Man again from his lost estate and brings him out of the Earth and out of all such things which had separated him from God to delight in the Lord his Maker again and from being a Servant of sin to be a Servant of God and of Righteousness and Holiness and to bring him again into Innocency in which he was first created And this hath been the Work of the second Adam the Lord from Heaven in all that did receive him and it is his Work at this day The Father of Mercy and great Compassion he hath considered Mankind who had corrupted his way and he sent his Messengers to foretell the coming of the acceptable day of the Lord and the day of Salvation of God who invited all the hungry and thirsty to come and drink at the Fountain of Life And this was the free Love of God to help Man out of the Pit wherein there was no Water and to offer him the Wells of Salvation to drink at that so he might be washed from sin and from pollution into which he was fallen and could see no deliverer till the Lord was pleased to open a door of Hope and to set him free by his Son Christ Jesus and to save that which was lost and to bring Peace and Salvation whose power is indeed as able to cleanse from sin as ever the Devils was to defile and corrupt This is true and witnessed by some though many cannot believe that ever any can be free from sin in this life Now he that is in the first birth and sees no further but is overcome with sin daily and his mind is earthly and corrupt and has never known the power of God to work in him the New birth and a change from his sinful Estate he judges he can be no otherwise while he is here and so is like a blind man who though the Sun shines because he cannot see it he will not believe that it shines or that others see it But this must not make the Faith of some void who have known the second Adam to be a quickning Spirit and have found him able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him and the bloud of Christ is to them of full effect and they witness him to be a perfect Saviour and indeed for this end was Christ given of the Father and for this end came he into the World and was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil and to save his People from their sins and until Christ hath brought Man out of the Transgression he hath fallen into he hath not finished the Work that the Father hath given him to do for as sin hath reigned unto death so must Righteousness reign unto Life Eternal and as through the power of Lust man hath been defiled throughout in Body Soul and Spirit so by the power of Christ is man to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and being once cleansed by his power to be saved from those sins which formerly have defiled him and by this Man doth witness the Restoration by Christ and the renewing by the Holy Ghost into the Image of God again which he had lost whilst in the Transgression and so Man comes again into unity with God and to know his voice his motions and the leadings of his Holy Spirit which while he was in darkness and served sin he was wholly ignorant of This makes Man fruitful again unto God who before was as a barren Wilderness and whereas he was before filled with Darkness he now comes to be filled with Light and Life and now he hath Visions and Revelations of Heavenly things before he was crying There was no Revelation nor Vision they are ceased whilst night was upon him he saw no Vision and because he saw no Vision nor had no answer from God therefore he thought it was so with all others and that Revelation and Vision was ceased and he measured all men by his dark rule darkness being over him and his eye blinded Whilst he was in the first birth he was Earthly his mind Earthly delighting in Earthly things he could not then believe there was any immediate Teachings of the Father by his Holy Spirit nor any enjoyment of Heavenly things neither was his eye inward but to an outward Teacher and outward Books and Writings but when the inward ear came to be opened and the day of the Lord appeared unto him then he heard the words of God and saw the Visions of the Almighty and then he began to praise the Lord for his goodness and for his mercies which endure for ever And now being come to taste of the loving kindness of the Lord and his heart being filled with Heavenly blessings he ministers forth the same to others and these are the true Ministers indeed who are moved by this blessed power of God to seek the Salvation of Souls And of this number was our dear Brother Stephen Smith now deceased a man who laboured in faithfulness and constancy according to the ability God had given him to beget others to the Truth and was constant in Sufferings in Travels and Labours and had a good esteem in the hearts of many for his faithfulness to the Lord as you well know and therefore I need not write much concerning him especially since some others have written so
power of God The goodness and mercies of God both in the holy Testimonies as recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and otherwayes manifested should lead unto true repentance of every evil way and work whereby God's righteous Spirit is grieved and quenched Assuredly the more God's holy and righteous Spirit doth strive many wayes with a people or Nation and they go on not regarding the operation of the hand of the Lord therein but do continue to grieve and quench the blessed motions thereof it will be more tolerable in the day of Judgment unto that People or Nation which profess less but do more So it 's not a bare Profession and Confession what people do that is acceptable but it 's in doing the Will of God through the movings of his holy Spirit in every Nation they that fear God and work righteousness are accepted and for that end that people might fear God and work righteousness his universal Love in his universal Spirit and power doth inlighten all mankind whereby they may see the evil and the good and to them that receive him in his tenders of love he gives them power to eschew the evil and to love the good of what Nation Language or Country they be of In the time I lived among the Turks it appeared to me that they had more Charity and true Love one unto another then may be found amongst many who are called Christians who live in Error out of God's way Surely such Christians are driven farther from true Love one to another and Mercy and Patience and Self-denyal then the very Turks They may be ashamed when they look back into those malicious works manifested upon an Innocent People in this Nation I suppose they are not to be parallel'd amongst the very Turks And for Christendom so called in general who are apostatized from the Truth how many Religions and high Professions there are made of God and Christ but how little of the blessed example and humiliation of Christ is followed Let the wise in heart take but a view of the greatest part of Christendom so called this day and see what works of Envy Malice and Hatred Evil Fruit is shewn forth where they seek the ruin and destruction one of another such wilde Fruit doth not proceed from Christ the Vine no no such Fruit proceeds from a corrupt root which Ax of the Lord must be laid to and it must be cut down the word of the Lord must come over it which must be felt a Hammer to beat down corruption and a Fire to consume it this Cross that Christians must take up if they arrive at that blessed Haven of rest which the Lord of Heaven and Earth has appointed for them that love him thus Christians bowing under the Cross the power of God and Crucifying their corrupt Wills and Affections and Lusts with that exalted proud arrogant spirit that carryes people above the Fear of God and the blessed example and humiliation of Christ Christians so called coming under this Cross then will you be a good example to all Turks and Infidels in the World and your good Conversations and true Love one unto another will convince the Turk that the Lord is with you of a Truth there being no other way to true happiness and peace with the Living God but by Christ the Way the Truth the Life which people being converted to and living in therein shewing forth the great Love of God to the World in his Son this will preach forth the righteousness of God unto them who are strangers thereunto and the people thus gathered to the Lord the Lord will be with them and plead their Cause whilst you observe that great and chief Commandment in loving God above all and your Neighbours as your selves in doing this you will please God and reach to the witness in them that do not know God But if you continue meer Talkers and high Professors of what you should do and leave that undone which should be done therein you will be a bad example and an ill savour to other Nations and a stink which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will never be pleased with though you may cry Lord Lord in your deep Distress he will not hear if you regard Iniquity the Prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord I speak the Truth in the love of God unto you in dealing plainly according to his blessed Will You that say you are Christians examine your selves will the name Christian avail you if you be out of the christian-Christian-Life and Nature What will it avail you to retain a Name of being Christ's Followers and if you be found in the way of the Scribes and Pharisees by whom he was Crucified What will it avail you to talk of the Truth in the inward parts that which is lovely in the sight of the Lord if you be found in a Spirit of Deceit and Falshood in the Friendship of the World resisting the Just and he doth you no harm What will it avail you to cry Lord Lord and not wait to know his Will and do it What is it the near for you to talk of God's great Love to the World in the Son of his Love who invited all to him who was and is meek and lowly where the Rest and Peace is in the joy of the Lord to Immortal Souls if you be found in froward peevish exalted imaginary proud ambitious spirits What will it avail you to read and talk of the holy mens Lives and blessed Practices if you be found in the Life and Practice of Cain Nabal and Hamman The Followers of Christ Jesus the Heavenly man they were and are to deny themselves and take up a dayly Cross to Cain 's Nature to Nabal 's Nature to Haman 's Nature The blessed and effectual Cross that slayes the Enmity and makes a reconciliation by the blessed Cross the Power of the Lord and Saviour Christians being plung'd dipped baptized and brought under Christ the power and wisdom of God And in the blessed Gospel-order established and therein shining forth to the Praise and Honour of God this will preach and reach to the Turks and Infidels in the World and overcome them and make them confess That Christ Jesus is a blessed Leader and all that follow him are blessed and happy forever and that there is no other way to true Peace and Happiness but by following Christ's blessed example and great humiliation by all that ever come to attain to his Resurrection he must lead them in the way So away with all your Wooden Brazen Iron Golden Crosses with all your Trumpery thereunto belonging The very Turk sees over it with all Images and Religions which are turned into Trades and Merchandize whereby spiritual wickedness and the Mystery of Iniquity is upholden away with it all it stinks Now the great Mystery Christ in us the Hope of Glory is opened a blessed Fountain to wash in which makes clean the inside and fits and
the Lord hath ordained for peace is witnessed and in and by this great Ordinance are all Ordinances necessary to Salvation clearly understood So blessed are they who cease from their own vain labour and works and believe and wait upon the Lord to partake of his glorious works to expel the clouds of darkness and to command his Light to shine out of it in the heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ here 's the pure powerful foundation which God hath laid for all mankind to believe in and build upon and all that labour in darkness to comprehend what the Light is it s all vain labour though Light doth shine in darkness yet darkness cannot comprehend it and Christ knew what he said when he said I am the Light of the World though the World through malice envy and prejudice are so corrupted and darkened that he is become unto them a stumbling stone and a rock of offence yet he is the Light of the World and doth light the Candle of the wicked but when the wicked are lighted and their wickedness manifest they often hate Light that makes manifest their wickedness and puts out the Candle and so adds sin to sin in getting covers to hide their transgression And to such the hands of the Lord is stretched out in the love and mercy to them but all gain-sayers of it do turn into vanity calling good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness they call light and herein they reject love and mercy and imbrace hatred and lay other foundations which the Lord hath not laid and so labour in vain and build in vain which are all for the fire and must be destroyed the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Oh that people would consider and be wise and not go on to provoke the Lord to shut them out into utter darkness for out of darkness people are invited to turn to the Light and from Satans power unto God that they may have a sense and knowledge of his love and mercy who gives remission of sins to them who truly and unfeignedly repent of them and forsake them approving themselves before him in so doing and imbraceth that love and mercy and good will therein and so watching and walking in his light there will be more light and understanding given of his way truth and life the which he is making known in the Earth and his Salvation among his people Therefore be admonished not to provoke him and harden your hearts against his reproofs for in so doing you will be more and more confounded and your bonds of corruption in darkness will be made stronger and when his good Spirit hath done striving and the light and councel thereof be taken from you then will you be left in utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth For of a Truth the Lord is risen in great power to break down all the pleasant pictures and likenesses which mankind in their corrupt wills and affection have made of Religions and Worships and through their dark immaginary works therein they have opposed the Lords making known the true Religion and the true Worship which Christ did and doth set up in his Spirit of Truth and is standing and remains firm and unchangeable And therefore in the bowels of love I admonish all you who are not come to a true sense and experience of the Lords good will and pleasure in making known his way Truth and Life but are in some tenderness in panting after the Lord for the knowledge of his good will and pleasure therein I desire you to be perswaded to consider whether you have believed in the Light that comes from him and leads to him and if you were true believers in God and in his Christ then you cannot deny the manifestation of love and light that comes from him for what is known of God is manifest in us he shews it unto Oh it s a good thing to wait upon the Lord in Truth with a single eye unto him who sits with light and understanding of his blessed way Truth and Life Christ that was before Abraham and was in the body which was prepared for him to do the will of his Father in which he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem by wicked hands and rose again and shewed himself unto many hundreds of witnesses and hath many thousand witnesses this day of his sufferings and resurrection who is the same yesterday to day and forever a mistery which is hid from the worldly wise and prudent who live in an exaltation above the pure holy manifestation of the Light of Gods holy Spirit and so neglecting the one thing necessary do live in the many things where offence to the just is given dayly and the movings of Gods good Spirit is grieved and quenched and then comparing themselves with themselves and measuring themselves by themselves they are not wise in heart and therefore are they shut out from the knowledge of the way of Truth and Life Therefore I do perswade all to wait low at wisdoms gate for the opening thereof that your hearts may be seasoned with grace and then that which hath been of low degree as to the esteem mankind hath had of it by the savour of Gods grace it will be beloved and esteemed and exalted and those dark immaginary works which hath been lets and hindrances of the knowledge of the Truth Way and Life they will be hated and disesteemed And things will be put in order by the true wisdom to the praise and honour of God and to the great peace and comfort of all the truly humble in heart And thus in a few plain words is this Testimony of Truth given forth for the Information of the truly breathing and thirsting Souls after the Way Truth and Life and the righteousness therein The which the Lord God Almighty exalt more and more unto the breaking forth of the day of his perfect love unto all them that seek him in Truth and with an upright heart Stephen Smith The 27th day of the 9th Month 1675. The LIFE OF CHRIST Which is the LIGHT of MEN Exalted above the WORKS of DARKNESS Being an Answer to a BOOK Intituled The Fundamental Error of the Quakers Detected By an Author who hath concealed his Name Herein is proved That men may not become Christians by following the Light within Rom. 1.18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them Printed in the Year 1678. An Answer to a Book Intituled The Foundamental Error of the Quakers detected Or That men do not become Christians by following the Light within without Outward Teaching c. THese are the works of the power of Darkness to render the Light of Christ Jesus of it self insufficient
to lead into Christianity wherein the Author of the Book hath sufficiently manifested his folly in undertaking to detect that for Error which is a fundamental Truth Indeed he hath made a bold attempt in his dark comprehension in going about to limit the leading of the Light of Christ Jesus which shews plainly that he is not acquainted with the way thereof and in adventuring to speak and to affirm things so confidently that he hath no knowledge of this bespeaks him to be a rash inconsiderate man But least we should know him like a Coward he hath concealed his Name And in our reasonable and faithful confidence in Christ the Way Truth and Life we cannot give such dark ignorant works better entertainment then they deserve and by giving of them their due entertainment according to Truth we have cause to believe the endeavors of such dark immaginary Spirits will grow weaker and weaker and the turning of things upside down as the Author of that Book and his Generation hath done will prove a miserable hard travel and labour that will end in great sorrow and trouble But to come to the business in as brief manner as may be that I may not be tedious to the unprejudiced Reader This short answer is recommended shewing the drift of that dark Spirit by answering only some particulars Such manner of work as this having been often answered by many worthy Servants of the Lord the which are faithful witnesses against all such dark works By the way let it be remembred 1. That we truly own the holy Scriptures and all true and effectual outward Teaching in their place as proceeding from the holy Spirit 2. That by the assistance of the same Spirit only the Scriptures c. are truly to be understood and be made profitable 3. This Spirit works immediatly in the understanding where ever outward means becomes effectul 4. Divine Light and Inspiration being all sufficient to teach immediatly it is not to be limited to outward means First to prove the sufficiency of the Light of Christ Jesus to lead into true Christianity either without outward teaching or by it The Lord God of Heaven and Earth be his glorious and powerful outgoings in the Light being not to be limited take two or three instances out of the Prophets concerning this blessed leader the Light of Christ within Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart and said David rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness The which many thousands do this day by the springing up of this ever blessed Light within even where outward Teaching is not and by the effectual working in its powerful operation in springing up out of darkness many who had the name of that they were not were both convinced and converted and led into true Christianity And Isaiah prophesying the coming of Christs kingdom saith Isa 2.5 O house of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord and in the 55 chap. 4 v. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people a leader and commander to the people And of this Covenant this light promised to inlighten the Gentiles John the greatest Prophet that was born of a woman God sent to be a witness that all through him might believe and this Testimony of the true light that lighteneth every man that comes into the World he had from God who sent him and not man's Teaching And Paul saith Gal. 1.12 speaking of the Gospel For I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ So here men were made Christians by Christ the Light of the World without outward Teaching and this overthrows the affirmation of the Author of that Book who saith That men do not become Christians by following the Light within without outward Teaching But the Author may know that these men true Christians and men But I do affirm that there was never a true Christian made by mens Teaching without the leading and guiding of the Light of Christs Spirit within and that is by the leading of Christ within that people are made true Christians and the gainsaying of the Truth is the cause there are so many false Christians now adays by reason of such natural men as the Author of that Book manifests himself to be being ignorant of the Light not knowing the way thereof neither doth he know the fundamental principle of the people called Quakers the which is a manifest token of the gross darkness that he is under in that he presumes to call that error which he is a stranger to But neither he nor any else hath yet proved our opposing the leading and guiding of the Light of Christ within to its leadings and guidings in Teaching without But we do oppose its blessed Leading within and Teaching without to such dark unchristian-like Spirits that doth not know the way thereof who in such like dark works in a high degree of pride and arrogancy are going about to limit and set bounds to the works of the Lord God Almighty So that which he calls a fundamental Error is a fundamental Truth that it is possible with God this day and time as well as in days past to lead by the Son of his love into true Christianity with or without outward Teaching of which Truth the Lord God hath raised abundance of living witnesses this day and by his arm and power he is raising up more dayly who are built upon the same foundation that the Prophets Apostles and the Primitive Christians were built upon against which work and foundation the gates of Hell cannot prevail This Covenant this Light this Witness this blessed Leader Gods love Gods gift to the people all mind that it did not only inspire immediatly the Apostles but also the people by which Inspiration people come to understand when they have done evil even when none without can accuse them by this love wicked people are made sensible of their wickedness though indeed as it is written the Candle of the wicked is often put out yet many times they are overcome with the Light and Love of God therein that thereby they forsake their evil and turn from their wickedness and by yielding their members servants unto this righteous appearance of the grace of God and by obeying the infallible teaching thereof many have been converted into the true Christians faith and by the Truth sanctified and then justified through their obedience to the Heavenly gift of God are made true and living Christians abiding the Baptism of Christ who Baptizeth with Fire and the Holy Ghost and therein are confirmed and settled under the shadow of his wing whose fruit is very precious and pleasant And it is by this Light that the voice of the true Shepherd comes to be known from the false Shepherd thus by grubbing up the root of the tree the branches must needs