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
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
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
when he is cast out of those more upright hearts and more thankful that he may possess those Swinish natures and so throw them headlong into a Sea of Destruction whith others of the like bad natures of whom I shall say something Those are they which have heard and seen something of Truth by reading Books or speaking with some in the Truth whose words being accompanied with power proceeding from the Spirit of Truth they not having been able to resist but standing over them questionings and reasoning have been raised in them concerning their buildings whether or no they be upon the right Foundation but that being catch'd too which shews them their conditions so plain that they have no assurance of their well-being but in doubting and reasonings and fears through which secretly torment doth arise but their minds being from him that shews them their conditions which though it be the greatest Love that God could bestow on lost Mankind yet in that it brings a Cross to flesh seeing plainly that if they hearken to it they must forsake all their vain Customs and Traditions of the World with all its Lusts and Vanities these things not agreeing with Flesh and Blood which they are consulting the mind being drawn from the Witness for God in their hearts by their wilful yielding to the Enemy of their Souls who is alwayes ready with his Baits to betray them who desire ease in the Flesh and whose minds are out in studying Arguments to keep them in the same the subtle Serpent being here at work to the end that the Creature may partake of his Table for he knows that then they cannot partake of Gods Table as the Scriptures of Truth declares so at his Table he hands out curious words in Prayers and hanging down the head like a Bullrush and with feigning and flattering words to all sorts of Deceitful Workers and doth help to turn and wind all sorts of Worship which the Beastly Nature sets up and so tells them there is Flesh as well as Spirit to be satisfied and that they must live in sin as long as they have a being here and to others whose natures be inclined to Lust he provides plentiful Dishes for them and others who are disposed to Drunkenness he directs them to Companions and opportunity and at his Table are variety of Dishes for the Covetous man or Proud High Heady Boaster Curser Ranter for all sorts that will come to his Table he hath curious Dishes in a plenteous manner and in all these he promises content and satisfaction but as he ever was so he is and ever will be a Lyar for let those speak who hath fed most plentiful at his Table if ever they were satisfied but that the more they fed the more hungry they were let all these forementioned and Gamsters speak for themselves and Thieves and Murtherers and the like But in some he works more in a Mystery and furnisheth his Table with curious words and so feeds them and decks them but alwayes at his Table he hath this Dish for all sorts of Professors and Prophane that they must live in Sin in this Life this is as it were a Chain by which he holds all that will believe so fast to his Table and then let them be as rich as they will in comprehending and getting into the Brain-knowledge the Scriptures and outward Learning so though the work grows so high in the Mystery of Iniquity that the Enemy of the Soul hath exalted himself above all that is called God and so makes a shew in fine words and in long Prayers and in curious Arts yet whilst he can keep them in his Chain to his Table if they cannot have ease in professing in one Sect he will give them leave to profess in another Sect and if that will not serve he will give them leave to go into the profession of Truth it self and further to meet together with them in the Truth any thing but hearing the Voice of the Son of God and obeying which brings to the Table of God and so overthrows his Table to any thing but this his Chain will reach Now as to what is before those that have seen something of Truth and some trouble hath by reason thereof risen in them but for love of a little ease to the flesh such their minds being out willingly goes into the Devils Chain and so feeds at his Table where they are furnished with Arguments against the Spirit of Truth manifested to lead and to guide into all truth and so out of Sin which is the Devils Chain but being thus furnished according to their hearts lust being in the Adulterous Spirit takes all occasion to speak evil of Truth and them that are in it who are true Worshippers of the Lord according to his Will in Spirit and Truth so the god of the World having blinded their minds an evil eye gets out and this watches for the halting of them who are in Truth and when the just hand of God is gone out in making manifest some who have been in the profession of Truth who have hardned their hearts against reproof till at length their hypocrisie and guile is made manifest on which they hereby take occasion to speak evil of the Way of the Lord and them that are in it the Enemy of their Souls giving them thereby some ease for the present but it lasts not long but the Fame of Truth is sounded in their ears again by the Witness of God within or else from those in whom it dwells without them then the Lamb riseth and gives torment again and their Coverings be too narrow and will not serve them neither shall they Wo to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not with my Spirit So all unrighteous Coverings which people of unstable minds are under the Wo of the Lord is against so what will become of them that are under them O that men would in coolness consider whose day of Gods Visitation in Love is not past least by their often provocations he visits in his great displeasure and says My Spirit is weary with striving it shall strive no more now for the sakes of many who have yet true Breathings after Living Refreshment and are willing to take up Christs Yoke and Burthen and to follow him that is meek and lowly in heart that so they may rest for their Souls for their sakes I shall give a brief Relation of the Ministers of Christ and of the Ministers of Antichrist First The Ministers of Christ must know Christ and see him and believe on him Joh. 6.40 But some will say Who is there that knows not Christ Doth not all that can read see what is writ of him in the Scriptures of Truth And is not the Christ which you mean who suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem and the like Yes we do own the same Christ and that which the
and let that which is wrong be rejected and that which is right received and in that which is Right will be â—â—â—n what Fast is Pleasing and Acceptable in God's sight and that Prayer which will be Effectual and Prevalent for the good of the Soul in a Right Understanding will be seen So now begin a Fast come pitty the Oppressed let the Prisoner go free have Compassion on the Poor break off Imquities by a True Repentance in turning from Evil the Cause of Anguish and Trouble upon the Soul that the Soul may be set at Liberty to praise the Lord and so let hard hearts be melted and broken down and the seat of Unbelief by reason of which the Love of God in the Light of his Son 〈◊〉 rejected and by that means pâ—â—â— souls are kept in Bondage conâ—â—â—â—â—â—o the Will of God let that seat 〈◊〉 Unbelief be thrown down for God 〈◊〉 greatly displeased at the Presumption of Mankind who have exalted themselves in their own wills where Self exerciseth Will-worship in a feigned Humility whereby the Cross is counted Foolishness So Christ's Exhortation To take up the Cross daily and deny Self God's Love therein that is slighted the Cross that being without Fasting that being without Prayers that being without all being done without a Right Understanding for want of which Ptetended Fasting is vain Prayer is vain and the Conversation of Mankind is vain and unprofitable where the will of man is set in Opposition against the Will of God in his Heavenly Guift even the Light of his Unerring Spirit by which the World is reproved of Evil and this is and will be the World's Condemnation their sleighting the many Visitations of God's Love in that he doth manifest unto them what is reprovable in his sight but they being unmindful of God's Love therein by which means their Souls are in great Bondage under Sin and Corruption subjected there under a vain Hope by the Subtilty of the Serpent That though they live unseparated from Sin yet they shall obtain Justification through Christ and see a good End or good brought forth through Sin be never finished this kind of Perswasion is through strong Delusions of Satan whose workings are in a deep Mystery of Iniquity in pretended Godliness but his End therein is to make void that Blessed coming of Lord and Saviour to finish Sin and to put an End to Unrighteousness and thereby to make way for the bringing in Everlasting Righteousness that souls in that Blessed Principle of God may rest in Peace Now where this is not known be Awakened I beseech you unto Righteousness which is God's and no otherwayes man's but as he becomes stript of his own Eyes and so comes before the Lord with a Broken and Contrite Spirit and Heart humbled at his sight who seacheth it by his Light and shews to man in the Cool of the Day what beastly Imaginations are lodging therein to the end that man might lye down at the Feet of his Appearance in a True Fast in abstaining from Evil and Praying in the Spirit that by the Exercise of God's Love in his striving therewith Evil may be overcome and so the soul set at liberty from Evil the cause of Trouble and Anguish which is upon every soul that 's in Evil. So let every one that names the Name of the Lord depart from Evil. Come Curser and Swearer be perswaded to be awakened and see what a sad Condition thy soul is in but if thou wilt not but hardenest thy heart what will the taking the Name of the Lord into thy Mouth avail thee Or Unclean Person who art defiled and endeavouring to defile others remember That none in Vnclaanness can enter into Heaven so except thou leavest thy Evil therein thy Expectations of God's Kingdom will fail thee Come Idolaters who are making Gods of Gold and Silver and Wood and Stone and so are bowing down to the works of your own hands that is a great Abomination and Evil greatly to be lamented who are so far blinded from the Appearance of the Light of God's Spirit in your own Hearts which being taken heed unto and obeyed brings to the Knowledge of God but that Love of God being rejected what strangers are you to God and the Saints of Life and so are become Beastly and Bruitish in your Understandings your Bands of Corruption through sin and iniquity being made strong and so under strong delusions are bowing to Pictures to put you in mind of God and the Saints though they cannot hear nor see nor smell what savour think you to get out of them Stocks and Stones Be Awakened I beseech you to Consideration and know that it 's some measure of that Grace and Truth which Jesus of Nazareth was filled with by Vertue of that all the Saints savour to God and one unto another which Grace hath appeared unto all but the Saints or Believers were and are taught by it so that which convinces of Evil is to them that believe in it and obey it an Instructer in the way of Life So leave your Folly in Bowing and Cringing to the East and to you know not what and answer the Love of God in his Principle of Light in you which makes manifest that which is Evil and then will the Eye of your Understaning be opened to the beholding of him who fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence so that no Darkness can cover man from him who is God of the North South East and West who will spoil your glorying who are boasting your selves of the Antiquity of your Religion who first went from the Cross which is the Power of God and so got up in a form of words and then set the Cross upon the House of Stone c. Alas your Religion is seen through and all who hang upon your Skirts they must have a share of the shame which is coming upon that Adulterated whorish Spirit which hath led the minds of the people out from a sense of the Royal Law of God within man so that the stream of God's Love therein to Mankind that hath been stopt and in the Night of Apostacy the stream of Malice and Envy and Hatred that hath run in your Streets where the Innocent Bloodshed lyes at your doors So it 's time you were awakened to a true Repentance that you may come to the knowledge of Salvation through the Remission of your sins for it 's the saving of your souls I seek and not the destruction of your bodies so Truth is my weapon which I desire may reach to that of God which is Truth in you that so the pure Language which is Truth may be restored in all and the Royal Law of Love therein may shew it self which gives an Understanding To love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves and to do to all men as we would they should do unto us Come all you who conceive mischief on your Beds in your hearts and cannot rest
Old-England whose spirit is felt but that their Wings are cut so cannot fly at that rate which otherwise they would be at for now their Hands are tyed how wonderfully do their Tongues go by which its plain they have no Bridle but are set on Fire of Hell wondering despising and fretting against the work of the Lord in this the day of his power though thousands are raised by it to declare and publish the same words in life and conversation c. And now you vain and empty Professors and Notion its who are saying in your dark and imaginary conceivings of things that if you had been in the Scribes and Pharisees dayes you would not have done as they did But come be patient a little the works of Truth have a good tendency though they be bitter to the guilty for the present come I say look where you are by the Light you may see you must see by it at last it were better for you if you would let your Eye be opened now and see that offensive Eye pulled out which hath been offended at God's works all this while So do not harden your hearts in this day of God's power being manifest least you be cut off from his rest for ever Come therefore you that are judging others that did wickedly in their Generation by resisting God's holy Spirit so had none of the works of Revelation come see now what Latitude your works are under If you be in the same liberty in the flesh as you were in it s no matter what you say Come now to the Tryal what experience have you of the operation of God's Spirit How much of the mind and will of God hath it revealed to you Can you say Thus saith the Lord by the certain knowledge of the Revelation of God's holy Spirit Or have you only talkt of it as the Jews did who said we have God for our Father when they were doing the Devil's works Come do not stop your Ears Have you heard the voice of God or seen his shape or are you ignorant of it as they were who accused Christ as if he was bearing false witness Nay come further Have you not said That Revelations are ceased and thereby shut up the way of the Kingdom of God and from the knowledge of his Righteousness by your wicked works in going about to establish your own Righteousness and works therein for term of life Come you that have set up the Law and Covenant without above the Law and Covenant within are not these your own works and have not they made you as blind as your Fathers the Scribes and Pharisees that you can neither see nor hear but in your blind zeal are persecuting Christ's near Relations who follow him in their Generation even by the drawings of his Father's Spirit unto Humility and Patience who is the way in whom God's Will was done And did not Christ give Testimony of Relations his Mother his Brothers and Sisters who did his Father's Will And is not this to be done on Earth And is it not the will of God that we should speak the Truth at all times and that we should be led and guided by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth is there any sin in the guide And is not this Christ of God the same Anointing or Teacher as he was in the beginning of the World Was not he before Abraham was And is not he the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was in the beginning who was David's Lord and the Holy mens Lord in all Ages And is not he the Covenant by which all must come unto God Was he not given for a Covenant and a Light to enlighten people and to be their Salvation to lead and command his people And must not his sheep hear his voice And is not he the same that he was in the beginning And is not this the Precious tryed Stone which the Wise Builders building without are confounded and stumble at even the highest Notionists in the fleshly Wisdom in their highest conceivings about the holy mens words Come examine your selves and see whether Christ be not in you except you be Reprobates You unbelievers how hath the God of the World led you about and blinded you that you cannot see the Light of his Glorious Gospel Come see the cause have you not been making Provision for the flesh in the first place and answering the Lusts thereof after the glory of the old World of sin and iniquity Hath not respect of persons been in your Eye and filthy lucre and praise of men and greeting in Market-places Have you not preacht and prayed in your own wills and run for gifts and rewards in your own wills and is not all this Honour to be had below And have you not sought it before the Honour of God's work in your hearts And is not this the cause of your Ignorance of God's Kingdom and his Righteousness Christ and his Relations his Mother Sisters and Brethren who are sanctified and blest through the will of God where it is done in Truth and Righteousness and where that it is done do not such confirm in truth and reality all God's Blessed and holy works without in all generations So do not envy and hate the people called Quakers for maintaing the works of God's holy Spirit within them for there are many of them have been as high Talkers of the works of God in holy men without as you are but found not such Salvation as to venture souls and bodies and estates till we came to cease from our own labours in our own willings and runnings and so our hearts were bowed unto God's holy will in the deep silence of all fleshly reasonings and consultations So by the works of God's holy and blessed Spirit the way of God came to be made manifest in us the which is a pure Holy undefiled way Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever as he was in the beginning without guile without sin no iniquity is in him he that is the hope of Glory the great Mystery made manifest in us Gentiles who in former times when without knowledge of him in the World had Lords many and Masters many and feigned Faiths and Beliefs concerning him many and divers But when we were given up clearly to seek the Kingdom of God without any reserve of making provision for the flesh then the New Jerusalem God's building came down from above the Mother of all the Faithful where no evil can be conceived whose Children in her are made free from the Law of sin and death and this blessed City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof This blessed habitation is prepared for God's people who love the Light of his appearance and delight to do his will So away with all false Accusations from all you false Accusers of the people
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
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