Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	spirit_n	worship_v	worshipper_n	8,943	5	13.1108	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54049	The root of popery struck at, and the true ancient apostolick foundation discovered, in some propositions to the papists concerning fallibility and infallibility, which cut down the uncertain, and manifest the certain way of receiving and growing up into the truth : also, some considerations concerning the true and false church and ministry, with the state of each since the dayes of the apostles : held forth in true love and pity to the souls of the papists, that they may hear and consider, and not mistake and stumble at the rock of ages, whereupon the prophets, apostles, and whole flock of God throughout all generations have been built : there is likewise somewhat added concerning the ground of error, and the way to truth and unity, for the sake of such as are more spiritual, and have been more inwardly exercised in searching after truth / by Isaac Penington, the younger.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1660 (1660)	Wing P1185; ESTC R18235	18,931	26

reproof is condemned by it Joh. 3.20 21. and not only shut out of life but out of the very Way to it for the reproofs of the instruction of this Wisdom are the sole Way or path of life to the sinner Prov. 6 23. Now behold the true certainty of the everlasting Foundation and behold your own uncertainty See the Rock of Ages whereupon the Prophets Apostles all the Saints have been built See that which indeed is infallible and cease from man who is vain and subject to vanity error The Church of the Jews did err the Churches of the Gentiles also did err even in the Apostles dayes insomuch as their Candlestick wa threatned to be removed and was soon removed yea the Apostle particularly foretold the Saints at Rome concerning the Gentiles that their standing was by Faith and that if they continued not in Gods goodness they also should be cut off as the Jews were Rom. 11.20 22. Now there was not a standing in the faith but a general backsliding and falling away from the Faith and then the Man of sin was revealed and Christ and his Truth withdrawn strong delusion deceit and false appearances of truth starting up instead thereof 2 Thes. 2.3.11 For the Lord God upon the great defection and apostacy of the Gentiles seperates the outward Court from his Temple Altar and spiritual Worshippers which Temple was his true Church which he reserved for himself giving the outward Court to the Gentiles Rev. 11.1.2 And then the true Church fled into the Wilderness where she had a place prepared of God for her and so the Gentile-Christians could build up their false Churches in the Cities or Places where the true Church had been built by God and had appeared before And these false Churches may easily become much larger then the true Church ever was for while the Lord built the Church by his spirit he built it onely of spiritual Stones 1 Pet. 2.5 adding to it such as he first converted Act. 2 47. For such alone are fit to worship him in spirit and truth and such alone he seeks out to make up his Church of instead of the Jews whom he had cast off from being a Church and People to him John 4.23 But when man comes to build he takes in more largely then God allows he may gather in or force a whole City or Nation to become a Church by perswading or compelling them to receive the Doctrine and Traditions which he prescribes and by setting up an outward Knowledge Policy and Government according to man in the wisdom of man which the humane part will answer to be satisfied with To make this a little more manifest to such as in simplicity of heart desire to know the mind of God in this respect and the true state of the Church since the dayes of the Apostles consider these things following First God in those dayes sent his true Apostles and Ministers with the everlasting Gospel which was the Word of Faith which they preached to gather men out of Jerusalem Judea and all Nations into the obedience of the Faith Rom. 1.5 that he might have a spiritual House a spiritual People to worship him instead of those outward Worshippers whom he then cast off John 4.23 2. That this gathered people in Judea at Jerusalem at Corinth at Ephesus at Coloss at Philippi at Rome c. were his several Churches or Congregations and not the City of Jerusalem not the City of Corinth Ephesus Rome c. None of these were Churches but only a select Remnant gathered out o● these 3. That the Devil after he had stirred up the Jews every where and the Heathen as much as he could to cry out against the Truth and such as God had converted to the Faith for Heresie and a Sect and to persecute them and it yet could not prevail that way then he tryed another way sending his Messengers abroad cloathing them as Angels of Light teaching them also to preach Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel and so transforming themselves under this colour secretly to sow the Seeds of Division Error and Heresie in the Church 2 Cor. 11.13 4. When this would not do but these were discovered and judged by the power and presence of the Light of the Spirit in the Church for false Jews false Apostles deceitful Workers Ministers of Satan c. Rev. 3.9 chap. 2.3 then they seperate themselves from the Church Jude 19. make up a body of the●r own go out into the world preach there gather a company there get the greater number and then set upon the Church fight with her overcome her and her Ministry and then get up their own false Church and Ministry Thus the Synagogue of Satan and his Ministry get footing in the world even in the very same Cities and Places where the Church had newly had Dominion before And now whereas before there was a Church at Jerusalem a Church at Rome a Church at Ephesus c. when the Synagogue of Satan is set up and hath got the Dominion there the whole City Jerusalem or the whole City Rome c. can then become a Church To make this yet more manifest observe and weigh these things following in the Ballance of the true Sanctuary First The false Prophets the false Apostles which had crept into the Church Jude 4. which strived to seduce the Church 1 Iohn 2 26. these went out from the Church ver. 19. and went into the World 1 Ioh. 4.1 2dly When they went out into the World their intent was to leaven the World with their Doctrine and to gather a people after them They preached to gather people to them and their Doctrine and form of godliness as the Apostles preached to gather people to God and his living Truth 3dly The World heard them they hearkened to their Doctrine were willing to be gathered by them owning their false Ministry and their false Church or Synagogue even as those that were of God hearkened to the Apostles and owned the truth 1 Ioh. 4.6 So that here was now two distinct Bodies in Cities and places where the Gospel had come A Body of the true Saints and true Apostles a Body of the false Apostles and Ministers of the deceitful workers who shewed Miracles and Wonders and had all manner of deceivableness of unrighteousness on their side 2 Thes. 2.9 10. Thus there was a great division and breach in the places where the Gospel had been preached and had reigned in power for he that was of God heard the true Apostles and kept to the true Church but those that were not of God but of the Worldly Spirit heard the false Apostles and false Ministers and so joined to the Synagogue of Satan 1 Iohn 4.6 where Satan had his seat and dwelling Rev. 2.13 even as Christ dwelleth sitteth in his Temple the true Church 4thly These false Apostles and Ministers with the help of the World which they had gathered in

had built up for them the man of sin could not be revealed but the pure Power of Life would soon discover him Therefore at length when the full time and season of his discovery came God removed that into the Wildernesse which stood in the way and then he and his Spouse the false Church make a fair shew in the World 2 Thes. 2.7 5thly That the Lord might make the Name of his Son with the glory of his Truth and Power to shine by overcoming the Dragon and this false Church after so long a time of thick darkness and after such an universal prevalency of the powers and deceits thereof Was it not a great glory and honor to the Lord to overcome the Heathenish world and Jewish Church Worship by the Power of his Truth shining through a poor despicable company of Fishermen and Mechanicks And will it not be as great if not a greater glory to him to overcome the Antichristian world after it hath taken so long and so deep root and is become so strongly founded by as poor contemptible instruments as they were Quest But how was it possible that so great a deceit should get up in the world so near the Apostles dayes or rather in the very dayes of the Apostles as this seemeth to be Answ. The false Apostles and Ministers came with all deceivavableness of unrighteousness and with all power and signs and lying wonders 2 Thes. 2.9 10. And the power of Miracles in the true Apostles might well cease For the end of Miracles was but to testifie to the world to be a sign to the unbelievers 1 Cor. 14.22 But now their work towards the world was well nigh finished Judgement was to come upon them for neglecting and despising the day of their Visitation So that the power of deceit was let up in the false Apostles the power of truth did draw inwards in the true Apostles which made it very easie for deceit to prevail Besides the false Apostles appeared in an higher appearance than the true Apostles did with more glorious discoveries so that they could hold forth all that the Apostles did as to the Form outward Doctrine more too could shew wonders to confirm what they held forth further And now how could they chuse but prevail over all that kept not close to the Annointing which distinguisheth discerneth not by any outward manifestation or appearance but by the savour of the Ointment Yea so great was the power of Deceit in them that they drew the third part of the Stars of Heaven from their place into this earthly Building so that they fell from the true Ministry and the true Church unto this false Church and Ministry Rev. 12.4 How many then of the inferior and common sort were then drawn aside Quest Hath there then been no visible true Church-state in the world since that time Answ. It is impossible for any to build a true Church for God but his own Spirit And if God removed the Church which he built into the Wildernesse it is impossible for all the men of the Earth to build up another true one all that season that God appoints his Church to abide in the Wildernesse Several sorts of men may attempt it and each may build up their different Images of the thing but none can recover the thing it self till the Lord by his Spirit who first built and then pulled down pitty the dust of Sion and raise up the Tabernacle of David again Psal. 102.13 Isa. 2.2 Rev. 21.2 3. Qu. What is the Wilderness tell us that the simple hearted who long after the truth may know where to look for how to find the true Church Answ. It is not an outward place into which the Bodies of persons might flee but a parable to express somewhat inwardly And it is under the feet of all the false Worshippers who are worshipping in their several Buildings in the outward Court That which they trample upon keep down and despise is the Holy City Rev. 11.2 And the place where the true Church all this while hath been and yet in a great part is is there Quest But if God's Church hath not been in a built state but lain desolate in the Wilderness ever since Antichrist and the false Church got up what hath the estate of his people been ever since Answ. A state of witnesses Rev. 11.3 In every Age God hath hath had two witnesses which was a sufficient number to confirm his truth by to witness to the power of his truth against the emptiness and corruptions of the forms which Antichrist had brought in instead of the living power Which witnesses were clothed with Sack-cloth giving forth their testimony with tears while they of the Antichristian party were rejoicing in the Glory Riches and Beauty of their false Church as they could slay suppress and keep down the VVitnesses Rev. 11.10 and chap. 18.7 9. Quest What did the Dragon do after this Victory after he had got his Building up in the outward Court for after he had prevailed to corrupt it the Lord gave it to his worshippers the Gentiles Rev. 11.2 those that made a profession of his truth but were not true Jews Rev. 3.9 not of the inward circumcision Phil. 3.3 and had got the holy City under the feet of his worshippers Answ. He pursued his Victory against the Woman and the remnant of her Seed As for the woman he cast a flood of Infamy of Reproach after her that she might never be able to lift up her head again in the power of truth but what she causeth to spring up might still be reviled for falshood and Heresie that nothing might henceforth go for Truth but what this false woman should determine to be so And as touching the remnant of her Seed which stil remained true to God keeping his Commandments and having the Testimony of Jesus he applies himself now to wage the war against them Rev. 12.15.17 Quest How doth he wage the War against them Answ. He raiseth up a Beast out of this Sea of Cofnusion and VVickedness which ensued upon this great Battel and Victory on his side to whom he gave his Power his Seat and great Authority Rev. 13.2 He had hitherto kept his Seat in his Synagogue where he had been slaying the faithful Martyrs of Jesus Rev. 2.13 and had put to death such as loved not their lives unto death Rev. 12.11 Now he finds it more for his advantage to raise up this Beast and to give his Power Seat and Authority to him This was the Roman Power which till it was thus depraved and enslaved by Satan was not a Beast but more noble and just in Government than the corrupted Jews were but now it becomes a Beast And this Beast he stirs up against the very Name and Form of Godliness that he might root out the very appearance of Israel from off the Earth For he got but into the Form to eat

THE ROOT OF POPERY Struck at And the True Ancient Apostolick Foundation DISCOVERED IN SOME Propositions to the PAPISTS Concerning FALLIBILITY and INFALLIBILITY which cut down the uncertain and manifest the certain way of receiving and growing up into the Truth Also Some CONSIDERATIONS concerning the true and false Church and Ministry with the state of each since the dayes of the Apostles Held forth in true love and pity to the Souls of the PAPISTS that they may hear and consider and not mistake and stumble at the ROCK of AGES whereupon the Prophets Apostles and whole Flock of God throughout all Generations have been built There is likewise somewhat added concerning the Ground of Error and the way to Truth and Unity for the sake of such as are more spiritual and have been more inwardly exercised in searching after Truth By ISAAC PENINGTON the younger In vain do they wo●ship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men Matt. 15 9. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-Mill in Martins L'Grand 1660. PREFACE THE Mystery of Iniquity which overspread the Earth under a shape and appearance of holy Church and holy Worship did begin to work in the Apostles dayes 2 Thes. 2.7 And this was the way whereby the god of this world did deceive he Endeavoured to blind mens minds to put out their right Eye 2 Cor. 4.4 to draw from the Spirit from the Annointing 1 Joh. 2.26 to rob of the Eye-Salve wherewith the Eye must be annointed to see the things of God Rev. 3.18 And now when he hath done this how easily may his false Ware pass for true his Synagogue built in the likeness of the true Church Rev. 3.9 for the true Church Antichrist his Son sitting in the Temple like Christ 2 Thes. 2 4. for the true Christ his Doctrines for the true Teaching Matth. 15.9 his feigned formal dead earthly Traditions for the true Everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 his Gentiles or Heathens who are so in nature and Christians onely in Name for the true Christians Rev. 11.2 The Light of the Body is the Eye saith Christ by way of Parable Mat. 6.22 23. Now if the Eye be dark if the Light which is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness How shalt thou see the Gospel the Church the Spirit the things of God But if that Eye be clear who shall be able to blind thee The Devil may come with his Deceits his false Church his false Gospel his false Power c. Yea though his Spirit creep into the very true form of godliness thou wilt be able to discern him there But if thou see with anothers Eye thou mayest easily see amiss mistake Christ mistake the Church and so believe as the false Church believes and fare as the false Church fares Oh who shall redeem the deceived Nations back to the Spirit Who shall preach to all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People the everlasting Gospel Who shall open the Eye in them which hath been so long blinded Who shall take the Golden Cup of Fornication from their lips and loosen their hearts from the Sorceries Flatteries and Enchantments of the false Woman The everlasting Bowels of the Lord rowl toward his poor captivated Seed and towards the poor deceived Nations and he is now preparing to build the Ruins of many Generations he is bringing forth that Power of Truth that Demonstration of his Spirit in the spirits of his People as no Paint shall be able to stand before He will rend the Vail of the Covering from off all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall be seen by the eye which he opens and annoints that which hath deceived and destroyed and led from the Truth building up a Mystery of Unrighteousness in the stead of it even the Beast and false Prophet which wrought Miracles with which he deceived them that had the mark of the Beast them that worshipped his Image shall be taken cast alive into the Lake Rev. 19.20 Then Captivity shall be led Captive and those which have been led captive shall creep out of their dens and out of their holes into the Light of the Living and worship the true and everlasting King when this King Abaddon is destroyed Rev. 15.2 3 4. O who shall be accounted worthy to be taught by the Lord where to wait for this To whom will the Lord discover the place of Wisdom the place where Wisdom is learned her Voice heard and her Instructions to life received which is hid from the eyes of all living Job 28.21 Whom shall he teach knowledge And whom shall he make to understand Doctrine They are them that are weaned from the Milk and drawn from the Breasts of the false Woman Isa. 28.9 chap. 52.15 They that are turned from man from the fleshly wisdom in themselves towards the spring of Life they may hear the Voice of this Wisdom which begins in the living Fear and Power which effectually turns the heart from death and darkness towards the living God to worship him in spirit and truth according to the pure living teachings thereof and not after the Inventions Imaginations and Traditions of men And he that is once come hither as he is true and faithful to the Light of Life doing the will as it is made manifest to him shall know more and more of the Doctrine Joh. 7.17 and have his feet infallibly guided into and preserved in the way of Peace The Root of Popery struck at And the true Ancient Apostolick Foundation discovered in some PROPOSITIONS to the PAPISTS concerning Fallibility and Infallibility c. Propos. 1. THat Councils may erre if I should add And have erred it might not be impossible to prove First In that they are men not perfected in the knowledge faith and obedience of the truth it necessarily implies a capacity of error both in relation to the knowledge to the faith and to the obedience 2dly Their doubtful disputation of things and long canvasing implies an uncertainty and possibility or erring 3dly Their way of determining things at last which is by a Vote of the major part is an uncertain way of determination for it is not impossible but the major part may be overswayed by by-ends relation to their own advantage interests against the righteousness and equity of the reason of the lesser part so that the way of determining things by a Council is not a certain way in it self but because men know not well how to find out a better and more probable way of deciding Controversies they judge it necessary to acquiesce therein But the Votes and Determinations of men concerning a thing do not conclude a thing to be true or false in it self they onely signifie their Opinion Judgement and Testimony concerning the thing the validity whereof depends upon their knowledge of the thing which if it be not clear full and certain their

unto them joined together against the true Church and her Seed as where-ever the two contrary Spirits and Principles appear they cannot but contend and fight against each other the one for the Faith and Truth of the Gospel the other against that which is true and for a counterfeit of it so Rev. 12. there is Michael and his Angels fighting on the side of the true Church there 's the Dragon and his Angels fighting for the false Church Now mark who prevails The true Church Michael and his Angels prevail one way the the false Church the Synagogue of Satan the Dragon and his Angels prevail another way Quest How doth the true Church prevail Answ. Thus Shee keeps all the spiritual the invisible the holy things of God from the paw of the Dragon and of all those false Worshippers The invisible Jew the invisible Life and Power that whereof God had built up his Church is preserved by him and against his Life and Spirit and his Church which he builds by his Spirit and preserves in it all the powers of darknesse cannot prevail but do they all what they can the Man-child is caught up to God and the Church by God's help flies from the face of the Dragon into the Wildernesse where she is fed 42. Months or 1260. dayes which is the time of the Dragons prevailing outwardly by his false Church and Ministry Rev. 12. Quest How doth the Dragon and false Church prevail Answ. By putting the Man-Child and true Church to flight by gaining the Churches ground setting up his Synagogue or false representation of the true Church where the true Church had stood before For the Church being fled into the Wildernesse the Field was left to him and there he sets up his false Synagogue in the sight of the World calling her the true Church and her Seed the true Catholicks but casting a Flood of reproach after the Woman reviling her who indeed was the true Church for a Strumpet and all her Seed for Seducers Schismaticks Hereticks Deceivers c. even such as were not fit to be suffered in the Earth but to be made war with both by the the Spiritual and Civil Sword Rev. 12 15 17. Thus then was the victory on each hand The true Church and Temple with the inward power and virtue of life was preserved by God who caused it by the wings of his Spirit to flie out of the sight of all false Worshippers and Imitators as far as that is from the sight of men in a City which flieth out of the City into a Wildernesse And to the other is left the outward Court to worship in the Profession the Attire the Garments the visible Observations and Practises wherein the Church before had appeared and in which she did once truly and spiritually worship For the Church did acceptably worship in the outward Court before it was measured and divided from the inward Temple and given to the Gentiles Rev. 11 2. Quest Now how long was this false Church to stand Answ. Till the Church its coming out of the Wilderness in the same Spirit and Power wherewith she fled into the Wildernesse When Christ comes with the fiery breath of his mouth and with the brightness of his eternal Light then this false Image of the Church melts and dissolves away 2 Thes 2.8 But till then she keeps her seat on the Beast on whom she rides and by vertue of whom she sits upon the Waters even upon Peoples Multitudes Nations and Tongues Rev. 17.15 Obj. But did not Christ say the Gates of Hell should not prevail against his Church Answ. No more they did not For she had wings of an Eagle given her to fly into the Wildernesse into the place prepared of God for her into which she did flye and was there fed and preserved do all the Powers of darknesse what they could So that the Dragon and his Angels prevailed not against the Woman but she was hid from the face of the Serpent and from all his Spite and Power who could not come within the bounds of her Heaven in the Wilderness but was cast out into the earth and his Angels with him Rev. 12.8 9. But Christ did not say that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against her outward Estate but the contrary in this very Prophesie of John is here declared to wit that she was so far prevailed against The true Woman who was clothed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet and was crowned with a Crown of twelve Stars was to flie away and give place and a false Woman to start up in her stead who with her Golden Cup of her Fornications was to deceive and bewitch all Nations Kindreds Tongues and Languages 42. Months or 1260. days which was the full time the Church was to remain in the Wildernesse But after that time the false Church with Antichrist her Husband who all this while sate in the Temple were to be revealed judged and destroyed and the true Church return again out of the Wildernesse into her own place Quest Why would God suffer his Church thus to be prevailed against thus to be banished and driven out of the Building which his Spirit had reared for her into a Wilderness and a Mystery of Deceit and Falshood to be set up in her name and stead Answ. First As a just judgement upon the World who slighted the day of their Visitation and would not come into the Vinyard to work God brings the Night upon them wherein they could not enter into the Vinyard nor work if they would never so fain John 9 4. 2dly As a just judgement upon such who though they could not but own and acknowledge the truth yet did not love it in their hearts but loved their unrighteousnesse their darknesse still therefore God removes the power of his Truth from their eyes into the Wildernesse and lets out a power of darknesse and deceit upon them wherewith they were deluded instead of the Truth it self 2 Thes. 2.10 11. 3dly That such as were approved might be made manifest in the Spirit to be pure Gold indeed They that held the living Truth and could not be drawn aside with all the pleasures of this World on the one hand nor with all the dangers from it on the other hand no nor yet with all the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse these did shine indeed in the Light and Power of the Spirit and were a great Honor and Crown upon the Head of their Master 4thly That darkness might have its day or hour or season of manifestation to the full There hath been no Day of any dispensation hitherto but it hath had a Night coming after it There was an Antichrist to be revealed in the power of darkness as well as Christ the eternal Light of Life in the living Power Now as long as the true Church stood and as long as the the Man-child was found dwelling here with her in the habitation which God

them what they should believe which the Apostles never did but said expresly they had not dominion over the Faith of others but were helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1.24 They could not command any to believe their Doctrine but spake in the demonstration of the Spirit waiting till God opened the heart 2 Cor 4.2 and would not have men profess believe or practice from their Words but by a feeling of the Power 1 Cor. 2.5 And when men did believe some things and came into the unity fellowship of the Faith they did not require them to believe all the that Church taught or held forth as true but waited till God pleased to reveal further Phil. 3.15 Indeed they could command obedience to the Faith What Truths the Spirit of the Lord revealed and taught any man they could charge him in the Name of the Lord to be faithful to Rom. 1.5 but they knew it was God alone who could ingraft the Truth into the heart and conscience and also give the encrease of it And so from him alone they expected it waiting in patience on the stubborn and perverse till God should please to work upon them 2 Tim. 2.24 25. and likewise on those that were convinced and had subjected themselves to the Faith for his encrease of it 1 Cor. 3.6 7. 2dly Their abridging mens liberty in things wherein God hath left them free and pressing an uniformity in things which they themselves confess to be indifferent Now the Apostle who had the care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11 28 though he knew certainly how to determine about meats and dayes as himself confesseth Rom. 14.14 yet he telleth the Church at Rome expresly that Christ was the Lord and Master of every Disciple to whom he must stand or fall herein ver. 4. and that every man ought to do is he is fully perswaded in his own mind ver. 5. Nay he is so far from pressing a necessity of uniformity in such Cases that he presseth a necessity of bearing on each hand ver. 3. So that in the Apostles judgement the Church hath not Power to lay commands on the Conscience but must receive the weakest in the Faith ver. 1. leaving him to the liberty of his Conscience and to his subjection to his own Lord and Master to whom every Believer must give an account of what he receives and of what he obeys and performs ver. 10. and 12. 3dly Their setting up a Church-building Government and Discipline by the Magistrates Power This the Apostles no where taught nor practiced They converted men by the Power of the Spirit they cut down Errors Heresies Seducers and Hereticks by the same Word and they found the Weapons of their Warfare sufficient 2 Cor. 10.4 they had no need of running to the Magistrate But that Church those Doctrines that Government and Discipline which is set up by the Magistrates Sword without and against the Spirit that hath need of a carnal Sword to defend it against the Spirit and to cut down God's Witnesses whom he raiseth up to testifie against it for Schismaticks and Hereticks or its nakedness wil soon be made manifest it's ruin approach Now when the Lord hath judged all the Daughters of Babylon for these things then will he at length begin to plead with their Mother Babylon the great who hath gone a whoring from the Spirit and built up a gawdy Church without the Spirit which she hath defended by violence and blood drinking the Blood of the Saints who have been inspired by the Spirit to testifie against her Rev. 11.7 8. and hath taught all her Daughters to do the same to wit to drink the blood of the Witnesses against them even as she hath drunk the blood of the Witnesses that have testified against her And though because she hath had an half day more given her after her time seemed to be even expiring and after Judgement and Desolation was beginning to enter upon her though because of this she thinks the bitterness of death is past and she shall now sit as a Queen a Lady a glorious Church for ever Rev. 18.7 yet for all this is she come again into God's remembrance Rev. 16.19 and she shall see Widowhood and be cast into a Bed of Torment and all her Children into great Tribulation with her and she shall be desolate and naked and drink of the Cup and not repent that she might escape it Rev. 16.11 and 9.20 21. This is her portion from the hand of the Lord Oh happy is he whose eyes the Lord shall open to flee out of her for his life For the Lamb is arisen to make War and his Spouse is making her self ready for his pure Bed of Life his anger is kindled against all the Kings Powers of the Earth that stand in his way and though they fight never so resolutely against him and his meek ones they shall not prevail but the Lamb will overcome all for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and they that are with him in this Battle of his Spirit are called and chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 And though this Woman the false Church in her various dresses is so strong every where getting the Earthly Powers and Authorities on her side that now it may be said concerning this Beast in the several appearances of it as was concerning the former Who is able to make war with her Yet there is an invisible Power stronger than she who will call her to judgement Rev. 18.8 and make her give an account of all the Saints blood which she hath drunk her self and which she hath taught her Daughters to drink And Salvation Glory Honor and Power shall be ascribed to the Lord for his righteous and powerful judging of her Rev. 19.1 2. And he that hath any glimmering of this in the eternal Light of the Lords pure ever-living Spirit let him even now say Alleluja to him who is arisen out of his holy habitation and hath already begun this Work who will not fail to perfect it Amen Somewhat concerning the GROUND of ERROR and the way to Truth and Unity for the sake of such as are more spiritual c. THere is no way to become an Heir of the Kingdom of God but by being begotten and born of his Spirit which blows upon the spirit of a man breaths life into him and forms him in the Eternal Image John 3.8 Gal. 4.19 There is no way of having this Work of God preserved but by turning to the Spirit which begets standing and keeping upright in that which is begotten and taking heed of the fleshly wisdom which stands near to corrupt and destroy the work of God tempting and leading aside from the Truth it self into some Image and Resemblance of it And if this prevail there is suddenly a departing from the living God and a running a whoring after the inventions of the fleshly Wisdom which appears in the likeness of the true Wisdom that it might the

better deceive Now when man is first breathed upon and begotten towards God there 's but a little life a little simplicity a little Light a little Power a little of the Wisdom of the true Babe but a great Body of Death Deceit Darkness Power and Wisdom of the Flesh standing And all these apply themselves to overturn destroy the truework of God by raising up a false Image of it which is easily done but abiding and preservation in the Truth is difficult and alone maintained by that Power which at first begat Now the Power preserves through keeping out of the sensual and reasoning part where the corrupt one hath his lodging in that poor low little childish sensibility of the life which the Father hath begotten Here is the entrance unto the Truth here is the growth here is the preservation and safety Which makes it so hard for those that are wise and strong in the reasoning and comprehending part either to enter in or to abide and grow in the nakedness simplicity and seeming folly of the truth of the Gospel Oh what a deal is to be brought down before they can be truly reached and convinced by the foolish weak things which God chuseth to effect his great Works by 1 Cor. 1.27 28 What a Work hath God with them to batter their Wisdom and bring down their Understanding which the larger it is the more it stands in the way of his Light 1 Cor. 1.19 And if they be convinced at any time what an easie and natural return unto them doth their own Wisdom find by some subtil device or other to draw them back from the plainness and singleness of the Truth into an holding it in the wisdom and subtilty of the understanding part where the simplicity is soon lost 2 Cor. 11.3 In the Spirit which begets and in the Truth which is begotten by it is the true Unity Feeling that in one another is that which unites us to one another Every one keeping to that in his own particular is kept to that which unites and that is kept alive in him which is to be united But departing from that there is a departing from the true Unity into the Error and ground of division And then that which hath erred and departed from the true unity strives to set up a false Image of unity and blames that which abides in the Truth because it cannot thus unite For that which abides in the Spirit and in that which the Spirit hath begotten and formed cannot unite according to the flesh as that which is run a whoring from the Spirit into an Image of the fleshly Wisdom's forming cannot unite according to the Spirit Consider this O ye Professors of this Age ye blame us for departing from you for withdrawing from unity with you we blame you for departing from the living Principle wherein our unity with you formerly stood and wherein alone we can again unite with you and not in such things as uphold a fleshly and false Image of the true Unity Oh that ye could hear the Lord's voice who cryeth aloud to the Professors of this Age to cease from man Cease from man in thy self O thou who hast ever had any taste of the pure Grace and Power of God Cease from thine own understanding thine own affections thine own zeale thine own gathered knowledge and wisdome from the Scriptures with all the sparks of thine own kindling that God may be all in thee and his eternal habitation be raised up in thee and perfected thou swallowed up and comprehended in it for ever Oh what a Work hath God to do to drive man's Reason and VVisdom out of his Temple out of his Scriptures out of all his holy things He that hath an ear let him hear for the sake of his souls eternal peace Alas Alas how many stumble at and blaspheme that which alone can save the soul There have been many dispensations of but there is but one living Truth but one Substance but one Arm of Salvation And he that stumbles at the thing it self how can he be saved by it It is easie mis-understanding a former dispensation reading it in the Letter and so to miss of the Salvation hoped for by it The Jews owned the Messiah according to the Scriptures as they thought but rejected him in the way he came to save them in Now if Christians have gathered such a kind of knowledge from the Letter of the Scriptures as they did how can they avoid the same error namely of owning Christ according to the Scriptures as they think but rejecting him as he comes to save them rebelling against his living Ministry and the pure povver and demonstration of his Spirit because it appears vveak lovv because it doth not appear the same thing to them vvhich they expect to be saved by according to their apprehensions of the Scriptures Thus reading the Scriptures in another Spirit Wisdom then that which vvrote them they must needs conclude and gather another thing from them then what is vvritten in them and so make that a means to them of erring from the life which was written to testifie of and point to the living Principle from whence life and salvation springs and vvhere alone it is to be had THE END