A standard lifted up and AN ENSIGNE held forth to all NATIONS Shewing unto the whole world and to all people to whom it shall come by open proclamation what the Testimony of God is and of his people which they hold which they have received from him through the eternal Spirit of which they are not ashamed before men but are called to witness it forth in the Nations in the same Spirit and power as they have received it from the Lord Also shewing of his great work which he is about to do in the earth and this Testimony is true and no lie for it is of God and witnessed by Thousands of his people at this day who are in scorn called QUAKERS And given forth by a Servant of the Lord Edward Burrough LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1658. A Table of the CONTENTS CHAP. 1. A Testimony concerning the true God Ch. 2. A Testimony concerning the Son of God Chap. 3. A Testimony concerning the Spirit of God Chap. 4. A Testimony concerning all mankind Chap. 5. A Testimony concerning the world in general Chap. 6. A Testimony concerning mans restauration redemption salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought Chap. 7 A Testimony concerning true Religion and the true worship of the true God Chap. 8. A Testimony concerning Iustification and Sanctification Chap. 9. A Testimony concerning the Kingdom of Christ and how it is to be set up Chap. 10. A Testimony concerning Governours and Governments and subjection to them Chap. 11. A Testimony concerning the true Ministry of Christ and the false Ministry and the difference betwixt them Ch. 12. A Testimony concerning the Gospel of Christ Chap. 13. A Testimony concerning the word of God and concerning the Scriptures Chap. 14. A Testimony concerning the Devil and damnation Chap. 15. A Testimony concerning all creatures that God made Chap. 16. A Testimony concerning the new Covenant and how man comes to the knowledge of God Chap. 17. A Testimony concerning Faith Chap. 18. A Testimony concerning what works are accepted of God and what works are not accepted brought forth by the Creature Chap. 19. A Testimony concerning mans state in the first Adam before the conversion and his state after conversion and what conversion is Also a Testimony of the seed of God Also a Testimony that the way of life the way of death is set before every man Also a Testimony to all Kings and Princes and People that we are not enemies against but friends unto all Civil Government and wholsom Laws and Customs of any Commonwealth which is according to God c Also a Testimony what Government we declare our selves to be enemies against Also a Testimony that we do not disanul and make void the Covenant or bond of relations c. Also a Testimony that we do maintain and hold the very same truth as all the Generations of the Iust did in all Ages Also a Testimony of our Government and a testimony of Quaking and Trembling Also a declaration of the full purpose of our hearts c. A Standard lifted up And an Ensign held forth to all NATIONS IN the name and power of the eternall God that made Heaven and Earth and all things therein who is the life of all things and the power by which they stand in his counsell and fear I do hereby declare my self unto the whole world and unto all people upon earth that ye may all know the very certainty of those things which is reported abroad through many Nations and that ye may be informed truly concerning us from our own mouth of many things which cometh to you by false reports and lying informations concerning a people appear'd in these late years and raised up going under the name of QVAKERS Know ye assuredly that we are of God and are raised up by him and called by his Name and his dreadful presence goes before us and his righteousness is our reward We are such as doth fear and worship the true God that made Heaven and Earth in the Spirit and in the truth he hath placed his Name amongst us and made his everlasting Covenant with us and established it that it cannot be moved he hath given us his Spirit and poured it upon us and we are taught of him according to his promise and are established in his holy Mountain where none can make us afraid for he hath armed us with his power and strength to defend us from all our enemies that we should bear witnesse of his Name in all the world and declare unto all Nations of his power and Dominion of his Salvation and Redemption that is in Him and in his Son of which we are made partakers and witnesses and by him have we received the heirship of the everlasting inheritance and we are of God and he that is of God heareth us whom the Father hath chosen and redeemed out of kindreds tongues and peoples to stand before the Throne of God and the Lamb and we have sought and do find a City whose builder and maker is God and we are known to the Lord God Almighty and approved in his sight Our light is the light of the Lamb and our government the government of Jesus and our Law the Law of the most high and our way is the way of peace and truth he that can receive it let him This is the Testimony which the Spirit of the everlasting Father witnesseth in us and witnesseth of us unto the whole world CHAP. I. Concerning the true God this testimony I give to all people upon earth THe true God he is a Spirit and is infinite eternall and everlasting the Creator of all things and the life and being of all things and the power by which all things stand all creatures have a being in him and by him and without him no creature is or doth move upon the face of the earth this is he whom we worship and fear and doth obey and he brings to pass by his counsel whatsoever he will and nothing can prevent the purpose of his mind but his counsell stands for ever and he is the righteous Judge of all things and before him must all mankind come to judgment and the living and the dead by him must be judged he is a rewarder of every one according to their deeds whether they be good or whether they be evill His Greatnesse Power Majesty and Dominion is over all and beyond all ruling above all in the power of his own will and who may say what doth he his eye seeth all and his presence filleth all and no creature can be hid from his sight he is near at hand and afar off he searcheth mans heart and tryeth the reins and shews unto man his own thoughts he justifieth the righteous and condemneth the wicked he is light it self and in him is no darknesse at all This is the true God whom we worship and
sake and because of being guided or not of being guided with the measure of Gods pure Spirit Therefore is man and his works good and accepted or evill and not regarded but condemned of God CHAP. XIX Concerning mans state in the first Adam before conversion and his state after conversion and what conversion is MAns state in the first Adam in transgression is a state of perfect enmity against God and death reigns in every man and he is possessed with blindnesse and ignorance and unbelief and is wholly imperfect to receive the things of Gods Kingdom or to act any thing for God acceptable to him man in that state is wholly dead to God and insensible of the presence and power and life of his Creator for he is drove from God and is not led by him he hath no power to perform any good in the sight of God but is possessed with evill and led into all evill continually hee is free from righteousnesse and free to all evill being the servant of the Devil and subject to him and overcome of him every moment and is led by him to transgresse against the Lord his heart is unclean and out of it proceeds continually uncleannesse in all manner of words thoughts and actions which floweth out of the corrupt fountain which grieveth and vexeth the Lord and his Spirit who is dishonoured daily by man through his abuse of Gods creatures who is a devourer and destroyer of them and not a preserver as he ought to be who abuseth them upon his lust and not to the glory of the Lord he loves the creature and worships the creature and is gone a whoring after the creatures and hath forgotten God that made him and all things and hath lost his own dominion wherein hee was set in his Creation and his state in his transgression is cursed of God and without the peace of God it being in the enmity against him and in all things he is wholly unprofitable to his Maker and onely profitable to himself and to the Devill and this in short is the state of every man in transgression before conversion but his state after conversion is a state more blessed for man is changed and renewed and translated by the power of the Lord through the working of the eternall Spirit through conversion his mind is changed and his heart is renewed the old is done away and a new heart is given and all things are become new even every word and work and every intent and purpose of his mind is converted into another end and guided by another spirit than before his conversion and man is again returned to God into the sense and feeling of his Maker and into covenant with him where he is blessed and all things to him for the reconciliation is made with God and the evill is judged and condemned and sin is taken away and blotted out and not remembred for man is become servant unto God and onely serves him in all things and not himself or any other creature in any thing for he hath received power to become Sonne to God and hath received power over the Devill and his temptations and death is destroyed and the effects of it are ceased and the sting of it is taken away and life and immortality is brought to light and man is made capable to act in all things for the glory of his Maker and God hath made Christ wisdome to him to rule him and guide him in all things and righteousnesse to cover him and justification to him to clear him in his sight and the new man is brought forth and the creating in Christ Jesus unto good works is known and the birth which is heir of Gods Kingdome is witnessed and unto this man is the Lord become an everlasting light and a sure hiding place for he is not the servant of sin but of righteousnesse nor an offence to God in any of his works but for his names sake is well pleased with him he is his teacher in all the waies of peace he is his helmet and his shield and his hope of salvation and his shepheard to feed him and preserve him at all times though he may be tempted yet he is not overcome for God is his strength though he may be tryed ye the is not forsaken of the Lord though he may be cast into the fire it is not to consume him for the Lord is with him all things he receives as from the hand of God all creatures he enjoyes in the Covenant with God and peace is in all his waies for it is the Lord that works in him both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and this is the state of the new man brought forth in conversion which is a turning of the creature from the power of Satan which rules in every man before conversion to the power of God which is the ruler of every man that is truly converted and this is the truth as it is in Jesus which I have received from God he that can receive it let him and if any have an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith this conversion of the creature is wrought by the Spirit of God through the Ministry sent of him and even for this cause have we received the Ministry of God through the holy Ghost that we might publish these things abroad that all people may come to the knowledge of them and may tast and handle and feel of the same word of life in themselves which will reveal the knowledge of these things to them that they may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son And now be it known to all the world and to all people in it that the Lord hath raised up a people and brought forth a seed to bear witnesse of his Name and of his dominion and power in all the earth and of these truths with many more which are but one in Christ Jesus hath God given us the perfect knowledge of even wrought them in us and revealed them to us by the eternall Spirit and as that same Spirit doth and shall move us do we and shall wee bear witnesse of these truths unto all people upon earth whatsoever both by doctrine and conversation holding forth the testimony unto others which we have received of God that Christ may be exalted and his Kingdome set up in the world and in comparison of this that we may serve God in our generation by bearing witnesse of these things which we have heard and seen nothing of this world our liberty our life nor any other thing whatsoever is not dear unto us yea even for this cause that the Name of the Lord may be testified of do we give up our selves continually to suffer all manner of evil in words or works and we love not our lives unto death that truth and righteousness may be exalted and this is the cause wherefore we passe through many
dangers on every hand and are in perills often and we are not nor cannot be afraid of the face of any man even that the Lord alone may be exalted whose Name and Honour and Truth is more dear unto us than any other thing and for it have we forsaken all and counted it as nothing in comparison of the knowledge of Christ and his truth herein declared and witnessed to the whole world to whom it shall come and the light of Christ in every one shall give testimony to it unto which I do only commend my self and these truths to be witnessed And know ye assuredly that God who is just and righteous in all his wayes it is he that setteth the way of life and the way of death before every man and he hath appeared in this generation and he hath caused his voice to be heard in the earth and he hath set the way of death and the way of life before you and all that perish it is through unbeliefe and because they do despise the way which God hath prepared who hath prepared a way for life and salvation unto all people that all may come to life and salvation and may not perish and he hath not shut out any creature before he was brought forth into the world but giveth to every one that cometh into the world a day of visitation and a time of repentance and returning that healing may be received from the Lord who is the restorer of lost man and there is not another so that if man perish it is of himself and not of God who hath so loved mankind that he hath given his Son his own wisdome and his power into the world that all that doth receive him Christ Jesus may have everlasting life and they that receive him not they perish because of unbelief whereby they are hardened for destruction and unto such our Gospell the Gospell of God is hid whose eye is blinded by the God of this world that they cannot see the things which be eternall nor believe in him from whence life comes and such are stumbling at Christ the foundation and therefore shall be broken and must not inherit the kingdome of God and unto such though they be wise in the kingdome of this world are we become fools for Christ sake and our testimony cannot be received by them nor approved of them even them that seek after a signe and them that seek after wisdome to such we are not known nor can our testimony be acceptable to them which is not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in the demonstration of God Spirit and in simplicity of truth which is of great price with the Lord even above knowledge and all wisdome which is of this world which comes to nothing but the Lord will confound that and bring it to nothing for the world by its wisdome doth not know God neither can it receive the things of God but is foolishnesse in the sight of God and the wisdome of the world must be offended in him and in the testimony which is given of him and the Princes of this world and the wise men must stumble and fall the powers of the earth must be offended at him that they may be confounded and brought to nought all the heathen shall rage and the people shall imagine a vain thing but what of all this the testimony of the Lord is true which he hath given us to bear of his Name and of it we are not ashamed before the face of the whole world and we are armed to suffer for it and not only to subscribe to the truth of it with our hand or to declare of it with our tongue and pen but also if we be called to it may seal it with our blood Wherefore this is sent among you all Rulers Teachers and people in all the world this is sent among you as to give you the certain knowledge of what we hold and bear witnesse to which is received of us from God and born witnesse of to you by his Spirit even those things with many others which we have not received from man but from God are we purposed in the Lord to declare abroad and he hath put it into our hearts to fulfill his will herein for he hath spoken who can but prophesie and he hath given the word and many are they that publish it in faithfulnesse against the kingdome of the man of sin which hath long been exalted in the earth over the seed of God which the Lord is now a gathering and establishing his Covenant with an Ierusalem that hath long lain wast shall be made the praise of the whole earth and the Gentiles which hath polluted her shall be cast out and the Saints shall rejoyce over all their enemies And know you assuredly from us who know the Lord that God is doing great things in the earth he is begun to work and his arm shall bring it to passe he will overturn and overturn till he come to reign whose right it is who will change times and things even that which cannot be believed though a man declare it unto you is the Lord bringing to passe the eye shall blesse that sees it and the heart shall praise that can understand and behold the Lord comes quickly and they are blessed that waits for him whose reward is with him and his glorious work is before him to be wrought by his own hand without the help of any other who needs not the help of man and yet that man that doth oppose him shall be overthrown confounded and destroyed And again all the Kings Princes Rulers and People whatsoever know ye assuredly that we are not enemies against but friends unto all Civill Government and to all just and righteous orders and decrees and wholsome Law and Customs of any Common-wealth and no way are we destructive to or destroyers of the Peace and welfare and wholsome Laws which is according to God of any Nation whatsoever But are preservers of the peace of all people and waits in patience for the establishment of justice and true judgement and that righteousnesse may spring forth and the Government of all Nations may be according to the Law of God Neither are we such who makes void the just Government of any Nation or City neither are we such who through evill purposes plotteth or conspireth or contriveth evill in our hearts against any Governours or Government whatsoever but wisheth peace and truth and the fear of the Lord unto all men and Nations and desireth not the overthrow or evill to any people or their Government but is subject to just Government every where by obedience to it and subject to evill Government by suffering in patience under it so that righteousnesse alone we wait to see set up through the world and for that cause suffereth patiently under our enemies not seeking revenge against them nor envying the persons of any but pitties our enemies and desireth their repentance
this Testimony I give of him unto all people upon the face of the whole Earth CHAP. II. Concerning the Son of God this testimony I give unto all the world THe Son of God who is called Christ the Prince of peace and righteousness he is one with the Father in power and dominion and was with him before the World was and by him the Father created all things and without him was not any thing made that was made he is Heir of all things and is the Prince of the Kingdom of Righteousness of Peace and Truth and he is the word and power by which all things doth subsist and is the Salvation of mankind and the very life of the word he inherits life and immortality and is the Redeemer Saviour Deliverer and Restorer of the Children of men he is the very Wisdom and Power of the Creator and the Father doth nothing without the Son and by him and through him the Father brings all things to pass by him the Father will judge the whole Earth and all the Children of Adam therein and this Christ Jesus the Son of God is the Life and Light of the world and hath enlightened all mankind every one that cometh into the world is lighted by him with the true light of life or condemnation and what the same doth the Father doth also and he is at his right hand exalted and is the very express Image of the Father and is the Fathers gift into the world and is given to all mankind that they may have life by him and all that receives him hath life and salvation but many receives him not and they that receive him not perisheth even because they do not receive him whom the Father hath given into the world for he is the arm alone of Gods salvation and he is the Leader of his people CHAP. III. Concerning the Spirit of God this testimony I give unto the whole world THe spirit is with the Father and with the Sonne and is present every where and filleth all places and is for ever and ever and trieth all things and revealeth the things of the Father and of the Sonne unto all that doth believe in the Sonne and makes manifest add searcheth into the deep things of God and it witnesseth the salvation of the Just and the condemnation of the unjust it is not absent from any place nor contained in any one place the Father and the Son works all things through it and brings all things in heaven and earth to pass by it and it works in the hearts of the Children of men and in every one it witnesseth of the Father and of the Sonne to the Justness Greatness Righteousness and to the power of the eternal Creator that made all things by the Sonne through his eternal Spirit which is one with the Father and with the Sonne and is the worker of their will and mind in all things it worketh in the wicked to reprove them and to witness against them and that God is angry with them it sheweth and it worketh in the Righteous and witnesseth the love and mercy and peace of the Father unto them he that can receive it let him this is the testimony of the Spirit of God and it leadeth into all truth and out of all evill all that are guided by it and it is given to be the guide and rule of life to the Children of God CHAP. IV. Concerning man and all mankind this testimony I give unto all Nations and Peoples MAn was created and brought forth in the Image of God and was without sin or evil brought forth to do the will of him that created him and was Lord over all creatures to use them to the glory of the Creator and all creatures was to serve him but man transgresseth against his Maker and offended him and dishonoured him and became degenerate and grieved his Maker continually and was drove out from the presence of the Lord and he is now a child of disobedience and of wrath and an enemy in his mind against the Lord that made him and he is doing and fulfilling daily the will of the Devill and grieveth the Spirit of God and vexeth his righteous soul and is subject unto the curse of woe and destruction being ignorant of the life and power and wisdome of the Creator to lead him to guide him and to preserve him but follows the counsell of his own heart which is evill altogether though he was made upright yet hath he sought out many inventions which are continually abominable unto the Lord the ground in which he stands is corrupted and all his fruit is unpleasant even bitter and evill unto the Lords tast Man is fallen into the pit of misery and sorrow compassed about with desolation and is left without a helper from himself or from any other creature and this in short is the state of all mankind upon the face of the earth who was planted a noble Vine wholly a right seed to bring forth good fruit unto his Maker but he is turned into a degenerate plant bringing forth cursed fruits which the Creator hath not pleasure in his best works are not accepted and his evill deeds are condemned because the ground in which he stands is accursed because of disobedience CHAP. V. Concerning the World in generall and the state of things as they have been and as now they are this testimony I give to the whole World DArkness hath been over the face of the earth and thick darkness hath covered the people for many ages the Beast hath reigned upon the face of the whole earth and all Nations have been subject to his power and dominion even the Kings and Princes of the earth have given their power unto him all the world hath wondred after him as t is written and the whole world hath worshipped the beast and his image he hath power to kill all that would not worship him both small and great rich and poor even all hath been subject to his government and he hath had power to warre against the Saints and to make war with them and to overcome them even all that would not worship him he hath had power to kill the Rule and Government of the Son of God hath not been witnessed among men for ages nor the true God known nor manifestly worshipped in spirit and truth but he hath been as a stranger among men and they have been ignorant of his waies and judgements and all people have been doing that which is right in the sight of their own eyes and God hath been forgotten daies without number the living Fountain hath been forsaken and many broken cisterns have been hewen out which hath not holden pure water great evills and continuall abominations have been acted in the sight of God and the measure of iniquity hath been fulfilling through many generations and it is grown nigh to the full the Law of God hath been made void and his grace hath turned into wantonnesse
and all things have been out of good order Kings Princes Rulers Governments Laws and Decrees have been corrupt and not right in the sight of the Lord oppressions tyranny and vain-glory hath abounded in the Nations and justice and true judgement have been neglected and mercy and truth have been strangers and the world hath been filled with violence and the whole earth stained and polluted with oppressions unjustice and cruelties and the cry of poor hath not been heard every one hath sought themselves and not the Lord not the good one of another the Kings and Princes of the earth have not been perfect nor upright before the Lord but vain-glory hath abounded and superstitions and idolatries have reigned over them and unrighteousnesse hath abounded and self-seeking and they have risen up one against another in quarrelling and destroying one another and to gain one anothers dominions by craft and Policy and strong hand and the poor hath been oppressed and troden down and thousands of thousands destroyed to fulfill their wills and lusts and the pride of their hearts all this hath been evill in the sight of the Lord and his soul hath been weary with it by the destruction of his creatures one by another even Rulers Teachers and people have all been out of the way and subverted from that wherein God hath pleasure and the Prince of darknesse hath ruled in his dominion swaying all under his Government and even all things both of civill and spirituall concernment hath been on t of the counsell of the Lord Oh what cruel injustice and tyranny in civill Government Oh what abominable superstitions and idolatries hath been in supposed Church-Governments it s a vexation to the Spirit of the Lord to consider it and the righteous soul hath long cried out and mourned under it and because of this is the Lord of Heaven and Earth now arisen to overturn to overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws and he will confound and break down all tyranny and oppression under which the poor hath groaned and he will change times and laws and governments there shall be no King ruling but Jesus nor no government of force but the government of the Lamb nor no law of effect but the law of God all that which is otherwise shall be ground to powder the Kingdom of the most high shall rule amongst men and the Kingdoms of this world shall be changed and shal become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and the Lord shall be known in the earth to be the God of truth of righteousness justice and mercy and truth shall be exalted and true judgement shall be set up in the Nations and the worship in spirit and in truth shall be established for the Lord is gathering his numberlesse number to stand before his throne without guile in their mouth and without fault before him CHAP. VI Concerning mans Restauration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought this testimony I give unto all people MAns Restauration is a repairing and giving again that which he hath lost by transgression and Redemption is a recovering and a winning again and setting free from that wherein man hath been held even all the Sonnes of Adam because of disobedience and Salvation is a saving keeping and preserving from sin and death and disobedience and all the waies thereof and also a saving from wrath and misery and condemnation which are the effects thereof and by the Son of God Christ Jesus is all this wrought manifested and witnessed and Restauration Redemption and Salvation is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam and not in any other and it is wrought by him and by no other and they are the free gift of the Father unto the sons of men no way purchased by the works of the creature or desert of him but are freely given unto the creature through the power and wisdom of the Creator and only by Jesus Christ the Son of the eternal God and by the eternal Spirit are they witnessed in all that believe and through the word of life are they handled tasted seen and felt near at hand in power and not in words onely Many professes them in words and what others enjoyed of these things but hath not felt in themselves the working of the eternall Spirit neither hath the witnesse in themselves of being restored to God again and of being redeemed by him from under the devils power neither are saved by Christ from sin and transgression and so are not nor cannot be saved from condemnation and wrath for who abide in their sins and in the state unreconciled to God hath not any part or portion in these things which belongs to their peace and without the knowledge of which by the working of the eternall Spirit all mankind is everlastingly miserable CHAP. VII Concerning true Religion and the true worship of the true God this testimony I give unto the whole world THis is true Religion to be kept pure and clean from all evil and from all that which would defile in the sight of the Lord and to walk in his fear in all things this is Religion to do good and to do no evill and to speak the truth and to do the truth in all things and to do unto all men as a man would be done unto and to love God withal the heart and the neighbour as self and not to love the world and waies and pleasures of it nor to use deceit in words or actions this is true Religion and the true worship of God to be led with his Spirit in all things and to be guided in the truth at all times on all occasions this is acceptable and well pleasing unto God above all words and outward conformity and set times and daies and observances for the worship of God is not in these things but is without respect of daies places or things this Religion and worship stands in Christ Jesus the second Adam who hath lighted every man that comes into the world that all men through him might believe and by him have their consciences purely exercised towards God and towards man in all things whatsoever and this is our Religion and worship of the true God he that can receive it let him CHAP. VIII Concerning Iustification and Sanctification this testimony I give unto all people JUstification is freely by Jesus Christ in the sight of the Father and not by the works of mans own righteousness and such as are taught by Christ and guided by him in all the waies of truth and righteousness are justified by him and none else not in any word or work whatsoever but in what they are led to fulfill by him and it is the new man that is justified and not the old he that is born of God and none that are born of the flesh such cannot please God neither can such be justified by him for they are not taught of him nor saved nor restored nor
all them to envy wrath pride whoredom drunkenness theft and murther and all the works of darkness sin and death he is the fountain and root of all these and the leader and ruler in the exercise of them and of every evill word and work whatsoever which are contrary to God he abode not in the truth and he hath led all mankind out of truth into all deceit and unrighteousnesse and into every evill way and he dwells in darkness and inhabits in thick darkness and is out of the light and is separate from the presence of God for ever bound in chains of darkness and ignorance and unbelief and he hath power in the earthly part of man and a law in the members and he possesses him that is born of the flesh his covenant is with him who is not born of the seed of God who cannot sin such are in covenant with God and renewed into his image but such as are not hath the Devill power in to captivate and lead their minds into vanity and their affections and desires into all that which is evill by which the Spirit of God the Creator of all things is grieved and his soul vexed and all murther and deceitfull works of the world and all whatsoever is contrary to God in words thoughts or actions is of the Devill that wicked one and from him and all that follow his movings and worketh evill thereby they serve him and obey him he is their God and their King and they are his people and his subjects he is their Father and they are his children he is their root and they are his off-sprign and brings forth fruit unto him and serves and worships him and not the true God that made all things and all such must be cast into utter darknesse with him and shall have their portion with him in the bottemlesse pit of darknesse for ever and ever where there is no end of woe and sorrow and misery for in the anger of God there the worm dies nor nor the fire is not quenched and out of that there is no redemption for the unclean and all such who are led of him who is out of the truth and in evill are judged and condemned and damned by him who is the truth who judgeth righteously and as he hath not ceased to work evill and to draw the children of men into evill for he continually tempteth to lead from God into rebellion against him And they that are led by him are destroyed and he shall not cease to sorrow woe and misery for ever as he hath not ceased to work evill he liveth and moveth in the anger of God his beginning was in it and all his works are in it and it shall be the reward of him and all that obey him in the separation from Gods everlasting presence for ever and ever CHAP. XV Concerning all creatures that God made this testimony I give unto all the World ALL creatures that God made in their creation and beginning was very good in his sight that made them and unto man that was to use them and no creature was evill or defiled in its creation but mankind transgressing against his Maker he became evill and did evill in the sight of the Lord and he being possessed with evill and corrupted he makes all creatures evill in his exercise of them and he corrupts them and perverts them to another end than wherefore they were created and by the creatures dishonours the Creator who should have honoured him by them and they are become a curse unto man and not a blessing though in themselves are neither cursed nor evill nor defiled but is become so unto man because of his transgression and disobedience for he being in the curse and defiled all things are so unto him and in his exercise of them he is wicked abusing them upon the lust to satisfie his devillish mind and ruling over them in oppression and cruelty and hard heartedness and not in the wisdom of God as he ought and he subverts them out from their pure vertue feeding his lust in pride and voluptuousness with that which should keep him from hunger and nakednesse and so pleasing the lust in all things more than satisfying pure nature and this ought not to be for it is out of the covenant of God in which all creatures was made and in which they stand except the creature man who is degenerated out of Gods covenant and subverts all things to his own end and not unto the glory of God while he continues in that state unreconciled to God but man being restored and redeemed and renewed again into covenant with God through the condemning of the evill then all creatures to him are restored and made blessed the curse being removed out of his own heart the creatures are no longer cursed to him but good and decent and enjoyed and received in the covenant of God in the life and vertue by which they were created and by the wisdom which they were made man comes to order them and exercise himself in them and no more are they spent upon the lust nor on the vain mind nor ruled over in oppression but all that is condemned and all creatures are seen to be the Lords and the whole earth is his and the fulnesse thereof and the abuse of all creatures is ceased and they are enjoyed in their pure vertue to feed and to cloth the creature and not to be destroyed upon the lust but for the healths-sake are they used to the glory of the Creator and unto the end wherefore he created them and are pure as they were in the beginning and the blessing is felt which is more than all creatures CHAP. XVI Concerning the new Covenant and how man comes to the knowledge of God this testimony I give THe Covenant of God is unity betwixt God and man and a binding each to other to serve each other the one is bound to obey and submit and worship and the other to blesse and keep and lead and preserve this Covenant is established with his own seed for ever and there is no teacher but God all is taught of him from the least to the greatest who are in this Covenant his just Law is written in their heart to condemn all transgression and his pure Spirit is put into the inward parts to be the rule and guide of life in all things and none need to say know the Lord but all knows him in the Spirit and worships him and obeys him and follows him in spirit and in truth and such are come into peace and reconciliation and God and the Covenant with Hell and death is broken and in this Covenant there is no Priest nor offering but Christ Jesus the high Priest of God the one offering for sinne he takes away sin and makes intercession and in it is no temple but our bodies are the temple of God and he dwells in us and walks in us and there is