taken on by tradition from men for in vaine do all worship whose feare and service towards God is taught by the precepts of men for all the Children of the Lord are taught of the Lord And they are the Sons of God who are led by the Spirit of God and such harken to the Lord and know his voyce and what they see and heare that they doe and doe not offer the sacrifice of fools But do not you ofter the sacrifice of fooles who have been worshiping all your time and yet have his worship to learne and are but still asking If this be the right worship and have it yet to dispute if not confident in a false way which is much worse and such are you who are fighting and contending for such a manner of worship as Christ never ordained nor his own ever practised as you may see if you compare your nationall worship with the Saints practice which is changed in every particular and that by men and councels under pretence of decency or conformity or somthing that stands in mens will which God never commanded But you may long worship here and call it Gods worship ere he own it by answering you yet was Nebuchad nezzer never more zealous for his Image then you are for this if you had but his power yea them who have found the everlasting way of Christ and an answer from God in it such would you force to bow to your imaginations where you know not God nor his presence with you therein nor can you euer find God in that way which is not his own nor is that his own which generations of men and councels have altered and added to and changed from time to time as may most sute their customes and Countryes so that each Nation hath its different manner of worship but all out of the counsel of God agreed on by Councels of men And all you who are gone out in any thing from Christ the true paterne and example you are gone into the imaginations of men and so are become servants of men and not of God herein For God is pure and so is his way and worship and without his command cannot be changed in the least jot but by him is denyed and is become will-worship and not Gods worship For it is not the name that makes it Gods worship for all pretend to worship God but it is the nature of it which must be in Spirit and will of God contrary to the will of all men and their wisdome wherein men in all ages have performed the idolatrous worship and set up likenesses instead of true worship though being heart-blind did not know it but ever looked upon all to be out of the way but themselves And this is your work who at this day set up an imitation from the letter of what other men have done but have not received your command and power in Spirit from the Lord and to you it will be said Who hath required these things at your hands for all the Saints have their commands in Spirit but yours is in letter and so of another Ministration for the litterall Ministration is don away in the spirituall and all that knows the command in Spirit knows it is life eternall and gives life to fulfill the command and so the worship is spiritual and the heart and the mind and soul is united in it and so being in one there is no idolatry nor likenesses but in one is the command and power life and will and way and worship but all you who have taken on the Saints practice to performe the like but not called commanded and furnished in Spirit you want power and life and so even in the time of your worship your hearts are going out after carnall things and there is the spirituall idolatry for what ever your minds are in that is your God you worship and the pure God ownes no such for its truth in the inward parts he seeks for wherein none of you can worship who knowes not the living word in your hearts to keepe them up to God in your worship and that worship which is not in the will of God is the worshipping of Devills Concerning Error Heresie c. IT is not Error to forsake the opinions of any man whatsoever nor to with draw from the Church of Rome as they call it nor from any who have reformed some things since the time of popery but yet are not come to the true foundation of the Apostles though they call themselves Nationall Churches or Gathered Churches whatsoever But the Error is to erre from the Spirit of God and its teachings and that Church which by its teaching alone is gathered into God out of all the wayes worships sects and opinions of the world Convocations and Councels that are not in God And the Church so gathered into God is the pillar and ground of truth where the Spirit alone is teacher and all that are gone out from this church and Teaching are in the Error where all the Sects and Opinions and false wayes and worships are and their teachers who have erred from the Spirit of Christ and the Saints teacher and theâ—r practice and are gone after their pride covetuouâ—ness and filthy lucre here lyes the Worlds Teachers thoâ—gh they do not know from whence thâ—y are Erred because they never yet came in the right way nay who never yet came so far as Balaam who had the word of the Lord from his ownmouth knew it yet hâ—s heart erred after gifts and honour So these preâ—ch against Balaam but cannot see themselves in the same Error ever since they were promoted to honour and gifts and Maisterships and great Livings by the pope who received his power from the Beast and gave of it to all his Adherents to cause all that dwell on the earth to worship them but such whose names are written in the book of life who have suffered to this day and do suffer because they cannot bow to that power nor worship it nor according to its likness and under pretence of Herefie and Eerror do these alwayes suffer by such who are Erred and with the Spirit of Error do Judge which Spirit hath shed all the innocent blood since Abel to this day though the Error was ever in the persecuter So that there is no Error but who goes from the spirit of Christ and his teachings and all who are gone from that are into Error what ever they pretend And that which leads from that Spirit is the mother of Confusion and vain Janglings and Contention disputeing about the things of God but are gone out into the world where all the deceived ones are AntiChrists and seducing Spirits which deceives the nations with inchantments and witcheries which none can see till to the light of Christ and his Spirit they return which only leads out of all Errors as it is beleived and followed For no Spirit can lead out of Errors but
the mover thereof and worker also and the creature only servant therein in the same power And this is not a self taken on performance from the Letter but is in the eternall counsell and strength of God commanded moved and performed in Gods will and time contrary to the will of the flesh whereby the will of all flesh is subdued even all that is come in since the beginning till all be seen in the light to be good and the work of God and so his works praise him from a good understanding of the spirit and power of the Living God And with the living word is the living soul witnessed and the life of Christ made manifest in the mortal body and the creature comes to have fellowship in the life and is transformed thereinto and united in one and this is the word of reconciliation which unites God and the Creature in Spirit which who ever knows needs not go forth for wisdom counsell or strength against all the powers of darkness nor wiles of the enemy but by diligent taking heed to the word which is nigh in the heart from thence finds the issues of life spiritual strength and power against the spiritual wickedness which all who run out for help lye under become servants of Concerning Worship THe worship of the true and living God stands out of mans will and knowledge wisdom or prudence as in the naturall for God is a Spirit and in Spirit he is worshipped not with mens hands nor with bodily exercise further then by the eternall Spirit the body is exercised nor doth it stand in meats and drinks nor divers washings nor carnall ordinances taken on by tradition nor imitation of others but as every Creature is moved by the Spirit of the living God who is that Spirit who will be served with his own alone not with any thing in man which is come in since the fall so the imaginations thinkings and conceavings are shut out all mans ways mans times and formes nationall customes mans decency and orders by men devised and added are all shut out and condemned with that Spirit in which God alone is worshipped and his people taught his worship and the manner of it and the times are in his hand whose the worship is So that before any can rightly worship God they must waite to know his Spirit that leads to know him and his worship and the matter and manner for all who do the same thing as to the outward performance do not worship God because they worship not in Spirit and power of God himselfe So that all who would so worship him as to be accepted you must know the light and in it waite to know what God calls for at your hands for it is not what men appoint you to do or not to do that will acquit you before the Lord for this know that God made man for himselfe and for his service and the living God is not as the dumbe Idolls that people should imagine a way to serve him as may best sute with the fashion and custome of a Nation or people but he that made man hath given him a life from himself to improve in his service and a light hath he given wherewith to see the moving of this Spirit of life which ever moves after the will of God because it is of him and so where it is awakned it ever draws the Creature towards God the mind and will and affections and love of God is in it and who walks in the light sees this But the Creature running before this or without this there comes all the dead works and worships And the ground of all this ariseth out of darkness and disobedience for when the Creature hath beene out in the world and unrighteous wayes thereof doing that which is evill then that in the heart condemns for the evill and neglect of good then the same mind runs to act a worship to get peace when both the evill and the worship is in one nature and so the prayer becomes abomination as the others was for he that regards the iniquity God will not heare his prayers nor accept his worships that 's Cains sacrifice and Esaus prayers but either must your worship be performed in one that never sinned or it cannot be accepted with the pure God So that the way to be well pleasing to the Father is to waite in the light till you see somthing of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus moving in you and then to that joyne in its power to worship and that being of God he cannot forget himselfe and that is done in the name of Christ which is done in his light and power and wisdom and strength and what ever is done in his name is not denyed of the Father and so far as any are in him so far sons and so far accepted in him without whom you can doe nothing nor be respected nor did ever any worship in this nature but they found acceptance and the knowledge thereof and you who know not this to lead and guide you in your worships are worshiping you know not what nor with what and though you say that God works all your works in you and that it is his work and worship you are about yet when it comes upon tryall he will not own it for his which the worker of iniquity hath wrought For the evil worker hath not onely his hand in the deceitfull works of the unrighteous Mammom but in the deceitfull works of Worship too For did he not deceive in worship to hide his wickednesse with pretence of godlinesse and long prayers he could not keepe people in any peace in his wicked wayes so they who joyne to him herein receive the greater damnation for the false worshippers were alwayes greatest enemies to Christ and so to their own souls and woe to him that hides his sin thus So all who desire to worship in truth you must know the truth even the Spirit of truth to lead into all truth which Spirit of truth takes of Christ and testifies of his life and power in the Creature worshiping who believes in the light and such know they are in him and he in them who is true in whom they worship the Father of the truth and so God is served with his own and no further then this is known can any worship God in Spirit which the light doth manifest So you having received a light from Christ in that waite till therein you find the Spirits leading acting and ordering and here the least in the light is in Gods service when on him you are waiting in Spirit and such as abide in the light waiting upon God in the light are kept from serving the Prince of darknesse and having your loynes gire and your light burning you are always ready to know the voyce and answer it with obedience and then you serve God and not men when you have a command from the living God not
he do any thing but what he see the Father do in that worke he was found doing the same as he was taught of the Father in his obedience to him not what the Scribes and Pharisees did though they sat in Moses seat nor what the world approved but what was contrary to all the world and contrary to his own will onely submitting to the moving of the Spirit of the Father that dwelt in him by which alone he was to be guided and furnished to every good work And all that believe in him and follow his light he leads into the same knowledge and obedience out of all carnall knowledge power and obedience and by faith the creature is made partaker of this obedience and the power thereof from faith to faith And all that have learned him as he is so are they in this present world both in law and life and power and Spirit and in all this in the measure as he is learned and as any comes to the unity of the faith in him to his measure stature and fulnesse so the obedience is but one the power one the way one and the Son one and the Father one And this is not any thing from without but in Spirit it is learned and obtained and the mystery of it is hid from all who are without and the ministration of it is spirituall within whereby that obedience is known which is to the truth through the Spirit which is in life and not in imitation in the will of God and not in self will which obedience stands not in any thing seen from man or by man done thereby to imitate or doe the like for that is two obediences but it stands in Christ Jesus and in his one obedience to the Father seene in the light and in the faith received whereby the believer is made one in it and it in him that as the same Father calls for the same obedience in Spirit so in the same Spirit doth the believer offer up himself and all he hath in the same power and obedience in Christ Jesus And so as the creature by faith partakes of that one obedience in the second Adam he is made righteous and no further even as all are made sinners as they partake of the disobedience of the first Adam and no further And who knows to partake of this obedience knows the eternal Spirit in which all the Children of God have been taught and enabled to this one obedience in their several measures ever since the world was which is not works by them done but the everlasting righteousnesse of God obeyed in that Spirit according to the motions thereof seene in the light of Christ which none knows who are heart-blind and who minds the motions of the flesh and obeys them their minds being gone out to carnall pleasures the Call to this obedience is not by them heard neverthelesse the same carnall Spirit that leads out into the world teaches to make an imitation of this obedience and so deceives the simplicity by setting up a likenesse without life and so glories in appearance but not in heart And the witnesse of God in the heart or Conscience of such testifying to the face of truth that their obedience is not perfect nor accepted they conclude that there can be no perfect obedience attained in this world they not knowing the mighty powerful working of God in Spirit which worketh in them perfectly who believe and walk in the light whereby such become his workmanship in Christ Jesus wrought into his obedience and his obedience into them in their measure till they become of one heart one mind one soul one spirit one flesh and bone and blood and one obedience and one life that it is no more we that lives but Christ that lives in us and the life that we now live is by Faith in the Son of God and though the fulnesse of this obedience is not attained at once yet the least measure of it is perfect and accepted and so accepted in him in whom it is wrought as the obedience of a Child is as pure clear and willing as the strong mans even so is the new Birth in Christ Jesus according to what God requires thereof who never requires but what he gives and never gives but what is perfect and what he perfectly accepts which gifts are all in his Son and in him the least is accepted and every one that therein exercise themselves without mixture Concerning good Works AS there is but one good so there is but one Worker of good in Heaven and in Earth who by the Word of his Power made all good in the beginning and in this good Work and Will was Man wrought in the Will of God in his Image and goodnesse he stood but falling from this stedfastnesse that was in God and be taking him unto self thereby to become wise he became subtill and proud in himself seeking to be as God was cast out from God his Power Love and goodnesse and being fallen into the dark Imaginary of his own heart and finding himself under the Curse whereof the Light of Christ in the Conscience is a Witnesse he hath set himself to make a likenesse of God Christ and Gods Worship and good Works Faith Hope Patience Love c. but being under the powers of darknesse neither knows God nor his Work but is deceived by the Prince of Darknesse and so doth please himself with an Imitation of God and his Work but without power and so as he imagines is doing good but the testimony of God in his heart bears witnesse against him that his Work is not perfect nor accepted He also imagines that he is redeemed but is still under the commanding power of Satan led Captive at his will who that he may the more strongly blind him he leads him sometimes into a seeming worship that so he may not so much suspect his way nor be too much troubled at his other unrighteous practices so that the worst of men in this state have a worship and each sort thinks they are right though there be but one way and they all without it and each in their thoughts are not so bad as others but have their severall good works though there be but one good work and they all out of it in their own works And it is no small work to undeceive the least of these who are thus conceited though men of greater wits and parts as they call them which is but a higher deceipt may lead them from one deceipt to another yet all the worlds wisdome cannot bring them into the good work nor the way wherein it is wrought Onely such who mind the light of Christ in their dark hearts which manifests to them their Evill deeds and reproves them for them and can believe it to be the light of Christ and thereto take heed to follow it out of the world and carnall mindednesse and in that light wait till the Living-Word
that Spirit which never erred and who ever is lead out by any other is Erred already though unknown to them who are so deceived For Error could never Judge of Error nor darkness of light though it will be doing to shew enmity So Error Cryes Take heed of being deceived which is deceived already but the Spirit of light searcheth out that deceipt but who walks not in the spirit and light of Christ is blind and knows not by what he is lead nor whither and stumbles at the light which should Judge his blindness and become his Leader and such a one though he be in Error yet knows not whence he is fallen who never knew the right way as many at this day who are talking of blindnes but themselves in the pitt and must be till they own the light to lead them out of it which never Erred which is of God even as they who received it are of God and they that were of God knew that all that would not heare them had the Spirit of Error and thereby they knew it and the Spirit of truth And what ever that be which leads out into the Worlds Conformity and pleads for it or any thing that is come in by the Fall that is the Spirit of Error But that Spirit which testifies against all that is in the fall and convinceth of it and leads out of it that 's the Spirit of truth comes to testifie of the redeemer Christ Jesus who is to set free out of it which all that lives in lives in Error So all who desire to know the Spirit of Error you must turn to the Spirit of light from whence you have Erred for no other thing shews the Error but that which reproves the fruit of Error that which reproves for sin is that from which man hath Erred the faithfull and true witness which is in the beginning of the Creation of God to which all must give an account and which alone is appointed for a light and leader of the people that sit in darkness to shew the darkness and the way out of it So to that which was in the beginning all must come that with the light from which man hath Erred you may know the wayes of Error and the way of truth Concerning Faith HE that hath living faith which is in Christ lives by it and the life that he lives is above all the world and the powers of darknesse and the least measure of that Faith â—s perfect and is present power against all the assaults of â—acan if in it the Creature abide faithfull and run not to other helps and so lay himself open to distrust for it is the gift of God whereof whosoever receives a measure he hath a measure of the Son above which he Father will not suffer any temptation for the true faith laies hold upon Gods righteousnesse against which no unrighteousnesse can prevaile which righteousnesse is received by faith in Christ Jesus wherein the Creature so believing stands armed against all the fierie darts and temptations of the Devill with Gods righteousnesse seene in the light and wrought in the Spirit whereby the Creature becomes Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works by which he becomes free from the evill dead to sin but alive to Gods righteousnesse waiting in faith to see it revealed through obedience thereto from faith to faith and it is written The just shall live by faith and this is the living faith which purifies the heart unto the life of godlinesse and so reveales the righteousnesse of faith for an inheritance everlasting righteousnesse ever growing and springing whereby the Creature grows into the knowledge of God with him to walke by faith out of the knowledge of all the world translated out of the pleasures and kingdoms of it into the kingdom of the Son of God where the reproach of Christ is esteemed great riches laying hold upon the invisible which the worlds faith cannot reach which caryes them no higher then visible reasonings and consulting with sensuall wisdom and carnall helps and so brings nothing to perfection because it sees nothing that is perfect but the liying faith sees him that is invisible and layes hold on the measure of God made manifest in Spirit which measure of the Spirit is that which in the faith worketh out the old and worketh the new both will and deed whose worke is perfect to kill and make alive But the worlds faith is not of this nature and power who heare a thing with the outward care and so set themselves to believe or not believe it in their wills or outward perswasion from others or in their own imagination and as their imaginations thoughts and conceivings changes so their faith changes also and so it cannot be steadfast because it stands not in the measure of God known in the heart which changes not and this faith serves not God nor can it please him nor doth it see him that is invisible And so not standing in that which is contrary to the will of man and power of sin it lies under the wills of men and power of the Prince of this world and as the world and times changes so doth that faith but can never lead out of the world and all time up to the redeemer of the soul And to all who are in that nature the living faith that stands in that which is of God in a pure conscience is a mystery not known nor received and so cannot be improved which is the true faith which is the gift of God which none Tim. 3. 9. can receive but in the Spirit So the faith of Christ and the faith of the world are two and have their severall effects and fruits the one professeth freedome and redemption in the imaginations and comprehensions but is a servant of sin the other hath the living faith which gives the life of freedom and so as is their ground and roote so is their fruits and effects and the one of these is against the other For that Act. 13. 27. faith which stands in Christ believes in purity and perfection and holynesse and slays sin and by that faith alone the just lives and justice and righteousnesse is brought forth to light in the godly conversation but that faith which stands in the imaginations and wisdom of man which believes salvation without holynesse of life that slaies the just and keeps alive the unjust and this faith they had which believed the Scriptures and the words of the Prophets and that God was their Father but not having the word of Faith in their hearts these slew the Son of God and set the murtherer free and as that faith which is dead works death so that faith which is living worketh life And a profession of faith without righteousnesse is like a body without life and like as a living man is known by his actions so is the living faith by its fruits And as the man cannot live
without action no more Jeames 2. 18. can faith in Christ without righteousnesse these are inseparable Rom. 10 6. 10. therefore it s called the righteousnesse of faith where the heart believes unto righteousnesse there the mouth confesseth to salvation without hypocrisie of selfe righteousnesse And so Gods righteousnesse is received in the heart by faith and by obedience thereto brought forth into the world a witnesse against all the unrighteousnesse of the world and so the righteousnesse of God is preached through faith in all whose faith stands in Christ Jesus but that is a dead faith which brings not forth the life of Christ into the 1 Tim. 6. 10. 21. world and that 's the reprobate faith which is to the good worke reprobate and he that errs from the righteousnesse errs from the faith also which is held in a pure conscience and he that makes shipwrack of a good conscience and puts that away makes shipwrack of faith also And in the eternall light is all your faith seene and judged to be without Christ and without foundation who are out of the light and out of the life And your Faith is seen to be the same with the Scribes and Pharisees who believed the Scriptures and thought to find life therein but did not believe in the Light and so would not come to Christ that they might have life So all your Faith which is out of the Light which from the Letter you have formed is a Faith set up in your own Wills and not that which is given of God For that Faith that is the gift of God believes in the Light and follows it and so leads to the Life and this Faith that stands in the Light and Life is the living Faith and never without Works which Works are Love Meeknesse Patience Mortification Sanctification Justification c. the Works of God in Christ Jesus in which Gods Workmanship is seen in the new Creation received in the Faith and in the obedience to which the Soul is purified and Victory witnessed over the World Sinne and Death But you who believe not in the Light are Enemies to this Faith and yet you get the Words of the Scripture given forth from the Light and so your Faith stands in the Wisdome of words into which you have been searching with your wisdome but not in the power of God and his Work so you are they who say and do not whose practice could never suit your Profession Concerning Hope HOpe is a gift of God and is pure and stands in that which is pure shewing that purity of God and his righteousness Rom. 4. 8. in Christ Jesus the beholding whereof stayes the soul Rom. 5. 4 5 from Joyning to the wicked one when he tempteth because 2 Joh. 3. 2 3 he sees in the light a better worke to serve so that untill the time of that work being manifest the hope is as an Anchor to stay from following the unclean one and so keeps out of the sin and so makes not ashamed even in the time of want it hopes against 2 Tim. 1. 1â— hope When that life of Christ is not yet seen in its full power yet it is evidenced in the hope which is wrought in the patience experience 1 Pet. 1. 1â— 12 1â— whereby the love appeares and the faith workes whereby Gods righteousnes is revealed and the Son is seen who is the redeemer and he that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure And this is that hope that enters within the vail into the holy place where the life and immortality is brought to light which the mortall eye nor carnall senses cannot approach to and this is the living hope which hopes to the end That Christ and his righteousness may be revealed to take away sin and save from it and out of it and in hope of this the Children and babes of Christ wait in the obedience of the Spirit not fashioning themselves after the lusts of ignorance but as he who hath called to that hope is holy so in his holiness is their conversation who are in his hope But the Devill hath begotten an other hope as like this as may be in his servants who beleive him and are acted by his Spirit which stands in an other ground and brings forth an other fruit And that is That though they be servants to sin for that must be Concluded in all his Covenants and graces yet there is hopes of salvation and such hopes as may not be Judged false nor questioned although the witness of God in the conscience doth testifie to the contrary yet it must not be heeded lest they be deluded So that where he is become teacher â— Cor. 1. 12 a tender conscience to is be resisted as the greatest Error and foolery in the world and that To wait for the testimony or witness within is to deny Christ at Jerusalem and the greatest blasphemy that can be spoken of and to wait for that mystery that hath been hid from ages to wit Christ Col. 2. 17. within the hope of glory is to deny the person of Christ and his blood and sufferings And many such imaginations hath he begott in peoples brains to scare them from â—â—inding the light of Christ within that so he may Ephe. 4. 18. 19. keep the heart in darkness and his seat there undiscovered So he sets them to look for the kingdom of Christ without them and a spirit without and a light without and a word without and righteousness without and in that to hope while he dwells in the heart and there in darkness Luke 17. 21. upholds his kingdom of sin and seat of unrighteousness all their life and feeds them with a hope after they be dead by a profession without power Gal. 4. 6. and life and spirit and truth in them to order them and their Conversation 2 Cor. 4. 6 a right towards God and man in their generation Psal 119. 11. and this is the hope of the hypocrite that must perish in the end and come short of salvation whose hope is not in God nor gives being Rom. 10. 8 in his righteousness but he hath a hope and lives in the world without 2 Cor. 5. 21. God and his hope And this is not the hope of Christ which lives in sin and hopes for salvation but this is his hope that hopes to freedom Rom. 1. 17. and perfection which never comes short of its end in all that Iob 17. 8. wait in it and this hope only is it that maketh not ashamed But you Ephe. 7. 17. may be ashamed of your hope who are found in your sins and Hab. 7. 19. encouraging your selves therein that you shall not dye That 's the Devils hope which hopes not freedome from sinne as much as freedome from Hell And with this hope would he make God a Lyar and partial like himself that
And in the time of such governors hath the Lambe borne testimony in much patience meekenesse and long suffering bearing all the venom and envie that the Serpent could cast out upon him where he was manifest in the creature for a witnesse against all such rulers that his long suffering might lead them to repentance and leave them without excuse in the day of his wrath and against such is he finishing his testimony at this day And a blinder generation never was in any age who have run from all tendernesse so far into that wisdom that many are grown wholly past feeling imprisoning whipping and torturing their brethren for such things as never any age of persecution can paralell And it must needs be so for as every generation of that seed growes more subtill so to the things of Christ more blind and deafe So that its rare to find one who hath an eare to heare oppression but not one whose heart is perfect to deny the worlds favour to beare witnesse against the ground of oppression so the just man perisheth and none layes it to heart nor can any lay it to heart whose hearts are filled with selfish passion and selfe will for none can rule for God whose heart is not ruled by God but when the Lord rules in the heart then the just raignes and the cause of the just is heard and he that rules for the just rules for God and with God over the unjust first in himself then in all the world otherwise though an unjust Judge may heare the cause of the poore in some case or time yet it is not for God nor from obedience to the Spirit of Judgment which is of God the heart being filled with self ends So that he that is a selfe lover or proud or covetous or respects gifts or rewards cannot rule for God nor he that respects persons cannot rule for God nor with God who is no respecter of persons but only hath respect to such as walk in obedience to that just principle of himself nor such as seeke for honour from men cannot rule for God for such are out of the faith of Christ and in the unreasonable nature seeking the praise of men and so cannot have the praise of God for the friendship of the world is enmity with God and he that seeks the one loses the other And such as are out of the feare of God cannot rule for God for such are subject to be drawne with feare or favour of men from the just principle of God out of which none can rule for God And herein is the cleare difference betwixt Heathens and Christians The one exercise Justice and Judgment and righteousnesse which is of God and in his will whereby they rule over all unrighteousnesse of men of corrupt minds and principles whatsoever and stand in the authority of God a terror to the evill doer The other execise Lordship over mens persons in their own wills which they set up in their selfish principle in carnall pollicy who lay the sword upon the just as on the unjust if he bow not to their wills which who stands in the will of God may not do and so they that abide in the feare of God do ever suffer by such as are out of his feare And though these be set in their places by the permission or appointment of God yet not knowing him who ordereth all things to order them though they are restrained from evill or made to do his will yet have they no reward nor share in it not doing it in obedience to God nor from a principle of equity not knowing Christ guiding and leading them therein they are no Christians what-ever they may call themselves And to such as these who mind not that of God to governe withall hath God sent his servants to testifie to their faces of their departure from the just principle and so cannot please God with his government yet did they never plot against them nor murmur which if they did heare they rejoyced to see them established as a blessing to the place and people which the people of God ever seeke to God for but if they heare not then they are made to mourne that God should be grieved and his Creature lost especially in such a place by which God may be so dishonoured and a Nation or Towne plagued from the Lord for his sake who hath the sword of God in his hand and suffers sin but punishes the innocent both which the Lord will revenge and seldom but the place where it is done tastes thereof which such as rule with God and for him prevent yea by such the peace hath beene lengthned after the Judgment hath beene pronounced So when the righteous raignes God is honoured and good men rejoyce but when wickednesse gets up in the King then the Lord is dishonoured and the glory departs Concerning Obedience SPiritual and living obedience is not that of mans way and will wherein men and women in the firstbirth and wisdom therein read the Scriptures and there find what the Saints performed in the Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus and from that set themselves on work to do the like and so make an imitation instead of obedience and set up selfe works instead of Christs works and obey selfe righteousnesse instead of Gods righteousnesse and so cover themselves with filthy Raggs instead of ever lasting righteousnesse But all who will know true obedience must first know a measure of Gods Spirit in the light of Jesus and therein moveing and drawing towards Christ Jesus wherein the faith is which laies hold on Gods righteousnesse which is in Christ Jesus and by the moving of this Spirit in the light the truth is seene and the obedience that is one in Christ Jesus the second Adam And as the Creature is joyned in the light to that Spirit of Christ and in believing there is the life of Jesus made manifest quickning the body unto that one obedience which is contrary to the will of man and the mind being kept spirituall in the measure the seed is raised and the new is borne of that Spirit to which seed the promise and power is wherein the creature is joyned heire with Christ Jesus who is Gods righteousnesse and so in the faith is the glad tydings of good things preached to the soule and by the power of the Gospel preached to the creature the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith and the just lives in that faith and Christ is manifest for obedience to the faith and all that are in this faith are in the one obedience which is in Christ Jesus which he learned of the Father for us that in that obedience many may be made righteous and all that learnes Christ learnes his obedience which was not what he see or heard from men but what he saw and heard of the Father not in his own time or will but in the Fathers nor in his own strength could
shewed us a more excellent way The Light is come and therein have we found Christ Jesus the Guide of his people and the Leader of Ages even the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth even into all that God requires the obedience to which is better then Sacrifice And to direct people to this Spirit are we sent that Christ may be all in all who gives power in the Creature to perform in what he leads into that thereby all that believe in the light may learn him who begets the Will and the deed also who is the Author and Finisher of their Faith who look to him alone and to his light that all may see their righteousnesse to be of him alone And by this which we have received of him in Spirit do we all see you who read what the Saints have done by Call from God and from that sets your selves to do the like to be in the Imitation and self-righteousnesse and Will-worship both in this and all other things into which you are not led by the Lord and by a Call from him For this I say that the Father hath given his Son for a Leader and Guide to all Ages and into and out of all Forms at his Will and in his way and time in every Generation And therefore it is that all who know his Will herein cannot endure that any visible thing should be set up to limit his leading in Spirit or his people from following in Spirit So no form we deny into which Christ leads in Spirit but all forms we deny that are used by Men to keep people from following the Spirit for those onely are the Children of God Rom. 8. 14. who are led by the Spirit of God to whom they who are led by the 2 Cor. 4. 6. Letter were ever enemies for it is the Spiritual Ministration that gives the knowledge of God and his Glory and Power and not the literall for he that is born after the flesh hath his way in the visibles but he that is born after the Spirit hath his food the world knows not of and therefore becomes his enemy And in that state you are who takes the shadow to oppose the body which should lead to the body which is the end of the shadow And takes the Letter to oppose the Spirit which Coâ— 2. 16 17 20. is given to declare the sufficiency of the Spirits teaching alone and so pervert the Scriptures out of their place and end which are set to testifie of Christ the Life and End to set them in the place of Christ and Joh. 5. 38 39 40. think to have life in them And this is the errour of the Wicked who are gone into the world sensual not having the Spirit And in this state wherein the Spirit leads not both Scriptures and Ordinances and all other the gifts of God are abused wrested out of their places and made unprofitable And therefore you that take up from the Letter cannot bring forth their fruits who were spiritually called into their several Ministrations therefore your Ordinances are left to you desolate you and they in the world together out of which God is leading his people in Spirit to get himself a Name in such a way as is foolishnesse to your wisdome yet the hidden wisdome of God to the Children of Light who have believed therein And you that use great swelling words crying We deny an Ordinance of God To you I say To neglect that which is altered from what God ordained both in Call Manner and End is no neglecting an Ordinance of God 1. God never called any to baptize but first he called them out of the world and their habitations there to follow Christ as into the Wildernesse which were Prophets and Apostles called immediatly 2. They did not baptize Believers over again with water who had had it because they had it not before in their fashion but they went to disciple Unbelievers Neither did they lay it upon all as of absolute necessity but as they saw it useful and could for bear in case it was idolized 3. Their End was to gather all into One out of all the Shaddows and Ceremonies and Fashions of the World to follow Christ alone as he walked bearing his Crosse daily suffering the spoyling of their goods joyfully and their lives unto death rather than to conform to any but him alone for whose sake they were hated of all men which end how your Baptisms answers let your Pride and Pleasures and Conformity to the world in their Fashions Manners and Worships and upholding thereof your Suits and Contentions about carnal things your Rents and Divisions about outward Forms of Baptisms and Worships and upholding that in others which you know is false by Tythes and Offerings whereby Christ is denyed and the Popish Inventions holden up with much such like I say That these things judge you before all men and the light in your Conscience answers thereto untill the Lord appear to judge your unfaithfulnesse herein Concerning the Lords Supper THis is the thing that all the Worlds Professors are contending about and indeed is of great use and profit to the weak Believers who have not yet seen the Lord for bringing them all into one body and bloud mind and heart and soul and spirit But since the Mystery of Iniquity began to work the Worlds Teachers and Professors having lost their in-dwelling in the body of Christ are run out into the Imaginations and are so far from the life of this as that they have lost the Form and the first Institution as as it was by Christ first performed and appointed and therefore are so far from being thereby made one in the blood of Christ that they are shedding one anothers blood about the Form which they are all out of and have lost and the power also For this was done and instituted by Matth. 26. 26. Christ as they sate at meat and did eat and so often as they did eat and drink thereof they were to do it in remembrance of him shewing his Mar. 14. 22 death till he came 1 Cor. 11. 26. And this was that the Apostles received of the Lord and was so practised in the purity of the Church before they ran into confusion which did continue stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship breaking bread and prayer daily breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse and singleness of heart in the fear and favour of God And this was to be done at all Seasons when they eat and Act. 2. 41. to the end drank in their eating and drinking they were to do it to the Lord and therein to have Communion with his Body and his Blood and for that 1 Cor. 10. end were to keep themselves pure from all pollution yea when they 15. to the end were to eat with Gentiles they were to partake of the Table of the Lord as
wicked one who keeps his house in peace till a stronger then he comes And this you shall find recorded through all the Scriptures And all histories of persecution in all ages and at this day and you shall never find that ever any of these could joyn in with the worlds worships but cryed them down their priests their prophets their dayes their times their places their whole worship who was gone out into the world from the Word and spirit for which they was ever envied of them who was therein and such as they had deceived thereby for the world ever loves its own but he that is of God testifies against the world and the deeds thereof that they are evil therefore hated thereby for the truths sake And as the ministers of Christ are ever Called out of the world and the things thereof so they are not carfull for the things of the world but he who is their master is their maintainer whom they preach and so they that preach the Gospel live of the Gospel so never any of his sought to the people for meanes nor bear rule by it nor sought for their gain from their quarter nor taught for the fleece preached for hire nor prophesied for money for peices of bread nor handfulls of Corn none of Christ ministers ever lived in parson ages nor lived upon tythes nor ever went to law with their flock for carnall things they were never called masters of their hearers but servants they were never approved by men to whom they was to preach but was sent of God to preach to such as sought him not nor them neither and amongst such they in all things approving themselves to be ministers of God that the ministry be not blamed In much patience in affliction in necessities in distresses in Stripes in prisonments in tumults in labors in watchings in fastings by purenesse by knowledge by longsuffering by kindnesse by the holy Ghost by love unfained by the word of truth by the power of God by the armor of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown yet well known as dying yet live chastned sorrowfull poor having nothing wandering up and down having no certain dwelling place and in this state their reward was that they might keep the Gospel without Charge and yet they was ever hated by such as was approved of men who stirred up such as they preached to for their hire to persecute them that preached freely yet must they not cease but preach freely even against their own wills to such as are so far from hiring them as they would rather devour them then heare them yet will hire and heare them of their own choosings And this must be that the grace of God may apeare to be free and He be found of them that sought him not And this was ever his way who will be taught by none nor shall any chuse for him by whom he shall send nor shall any whom he sends ever want nor take care for ought afore-hand that they may follow their maister and be as their Lord who shall feed many but seek to none for food but what God gives for it is not like that they should feed others with everlasting food who dare not trust God for carnall food for God will not have such as are of his family to take care for food or Raiment nor wherewith to feed others for who hath the word in them in which all fullnesse is need not study what to say nor have a divination to make what to preach like them who have not the word in them but what they steal from another or fetch out of the bottomlesse pit by divination and witchcraft who can have their word in their own times and wills against whom they will and to flatter whom they will who cry peace to such as put into their mouthes else they prepare warr against them who minde earthly things whose God is their belly who talke against pride and live in it against covetousnesse and live in it who preach against sin but cannot cease from sin and such as they are such is their hearers who in words confesse Christ but in works deny him And these are they who for their pride pleasures and carnall ends have changed all the Lords worship from what it was both in matter manner meanes and maintenance and so have scattered the Lords people into sects and opinions Forms Customes and Traditions in every Nation as may best sute their wicked wills for which they pretend decency order and necessity so that not one is found in the way of God nor forme of true worship such as the Scriptures will own without wresting And now the Lord is appeared in the true way as Christ left it with his disciples to gather his own from off all these mountaines where they are scattered all the Idol shepards are gathering against him to battel of all sorts not willing to heare of the living way which is but one in which there is no Rent Sect Error and opinion but Christ in all nay one can scarcely grieve a Town-Teacher worse then to tell him of the Apostles way of preaching their call their spirit their wandrings their wages their word and way of walking in this world and amongst their hearers as is declared in Scripture without a meaning or liberty to change it according to the times Nay though all their parish be beleivers as they call them yet can they not beleive they shall get their wages from them without a law to compell them so that though they have begott a larger faith in their hearers then the Apostles ever taught to wit that though they commit sin while they live yet they may be saved and set free when they dye yet have not they so much faith themselves as to beleive they will pay them their wages without it be forced from them that which none of Christs Ministers ever did either in Law or Gospel so we may not say that these are Ministers of Christ or like them if we will speak truth and take Christs Rule to judge by who saith By their fruits you shall know them Nor should I have spoken thus much of them in this place did they but call themselves the ministers of men made so by them and so upholden and maintained but such as call themselves ministers of Christ and walk so far unlike him and his in all things I say to such as are found in these things Your wayes testifie to your face and before all men that you are no more like the ministers of Christ then they that walked in your steps before you so Search the scriptures and search your hearts with the light of Christ and know your portion and count me not your enemy for telling you the truth how ever I have cleared my conscience in love to your soules though such as are deceived through