the day long and in this have I believed that the Lord will hear my Cry and pity the People that are destroyed for lack of Knowledge that the Witness of God in them may arise and that the Prisoner of Hope may come to Deliverance And in this have I not been hasty as to utter their Shame for I was my self a Preacher in the Pulpits but in a Mournful state oft times many Moneths or Years have I born this Burden neither have I now uttered or written this out of Prejudice towards the Persons of any men but in the Mournful state of my long burdened and grieved Spirit from the true sence of the Sad Shameful and Miserable state that is coming upon them and the Eternal Wo and Misery that is like to follow after for evermore The which I desire they may escape by speedy returning from the Way that they are in now it is so plainly made manifest to be so exceeding Evil. H. S. IDOLATRY Declared Against THe Great and Mighty God who made the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and made all men of one Blood upon the face of the whole Earth and breathed into man that which is of his own Life that by it man might seek after him and find him who is Infinite Incomprehensible Eternal and Glorious even he dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands Acts 17. 24. neither is he worshipped in one high place or another by any of the Professing Jews who deny his Son of whom he gave Testimony That in him he is well pleased Neither is there any Worship or Service accepted with him but that which cometh from them who are led and guided by the Spirit of Truth and in it Worship the Father who is a Spirit and delighteth not in those Oblations that are Vain proceeding from the vain Minds of such who take his Name in Vain of whom he saith In vain do they Worship me And of all such I say their Faith is Vain who are yet in their Sins and found among the Gentiles who sacrifice unto Devils and not unto God being Children of Wrath and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise whose Prayers the Lord abhors whose vain Bablings cast an ill Savour in the Nostrils of the most High and their coming together is not for the better but for the worse even to feed and nourish the young Serpents and to encrease in that Knowledge which puffeth up and encreaseth sorrow the which knowledge the Hireling Priests Lips preserve which the Devil once taught saying Ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil and all they who encrease in this Knowledge encrease in that in which the Knowledge of God doth not stand neither can be received and so the Wo from the Lord God will come unto all them that continue their seeking the Living among the Dead crying for their place of holy Worship which is to be laid Desolate and living in Unrighteousness and in all Ungodly Practices without the fear of God and talking of him with that Mouth which is full of Cursing and Bitterness the Heart being not turned to God nor the Mind unto the Light of his Son who are themselves in the Jaws of Satan and are sometimes made sensible of the Power of the Devil working in them stirring them up to Wrath and moving them up to Envy Pride and Unrighteousness and the Lusts of the Creatures and the Vanity of the Mind but feel not at all the Power of God to work in them the newness of Life and his pure Image who made man Holy and Upright neither are they willing to receive that Power in them by which they might come to overcome their Sins and be led up to him who is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh whom all the World not knowing is ignorant by Worshipping and denying his Son who maketh an end of sin and Contemning the Just One who is a man of Sorrows and denying him who is led as a Lamb dumb and slighting him who is the Light and refusing him who is the living Minister not made by a carnal Commandment but by the Power of an endless Life who teacheth all to profit who learn of him and none teacheth like him who saith Learn of Me then not of another not of a Hireling not of one that pleadeth for Sin but of him that maketh an End of Sin whom God the Father hath given a Light to the Gentiles a Covenant to the People that all men through him might be saved who hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and all Authorities and now all Dominions and Authorities are to be subject to Him who said The true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And Truth is that which maketh Free but the Worshipping the Unknown God in a Synagogue Idol Temple or Steeple-house doth not make Free neither makes an end of Sin but all them that are there are in their Sins and have not received Power to Overcome their Sins but are following such Teachers which Peter said should come in the latter dayes who cannot themselves cease from Sin And these Teachers Peter said and so say I that they are cursed Children beguiling such unstable Souls who are carried about with airy windy Doctrines after the cunning Crastiness of men who still lie in wait to deceive against whom we bear Testimony from the Spirit of Truth which guideth us not to handle the Word of God deceitfully nor to make Merchandize of the People neither come we with Flattering Titles but in the Power of the Lord and in the Demonstration of his Spirit of Truth do we declare against all Unrighteousness of Men whether Priests Rulers or People without Respect of Persons and we declare his Name in the World who is the Light of the World and publish him among the Sons of men who is Gods Power that saveth his People from their Sins who is the true Prophet whom all are to hear that all might come to learn of him and be guided by him in the Way of Everlasting Peace that so such as are Strangers to the Covenant of Grace being yet in their Sins and are the Outcasts of Israel might now come to be taught of the Lord and hear the powerful Voice of his Son and not follow Strangers any longer nor the dumb Idol Shepherds who are become Bruitish Jer. 10. 21. and cannot understand Isa 56. 11. that from them all such who fear the Lord might be gathered Ezek. 34. and may come to know the one Lord whose Name is one and the one Truth and the one Way and the Worship of the one true God and not follow them any longer who are Strangers to the Life of God nor such as cannot cease from Sin who are all in the Curse being not reconciled unto him who was made a Curse and so they come not to receive that by which the Curse is taken away and such are without God in the World and of such the Lord hath
with much desire waited for that impowered them to do that which before they were commanded to do after they were endued with Power or had the Power in them And so what they were commanded to do they were to wait to receive Power in themselves from God to perform and Christ did intend to give them Power to do that which he commanded And as he commanded them to go and teach he also required them to tarry and so not to go until they had received Power so to do and so it was the Power of the holy Ghost in them which made them Ministers and these were and such are truly Ordained Ministers And after they had received Power from on high even the Spirit or Life of Truth and were filled therewith and so had it in them then they went to do that which was commanded them then they went to teach the Nations and converted Thousands and turned Sinners and brought Souls to God and then they were called Christians and then were People brought to be of the true Church which Christ buildeth upon that which flesh and blood revealeth not And this is the entrance into the Church of God 2 Thes 1. 1. the receiving of the Spirit and in this God is worshipped and not else for this hath excluded all other Worship and those only are the true Worshippers who come in thus by the Door which is Christ the Light and Spirit of Truth sent into the Heart from God And if all the prudent learned Divines so called in Europe or all or any of the wisest Orthodox men in any other Quarter of the whole World can prove by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament any other true Worship of God who is a Spirit now extant among men and to be performed especially among them called Christians with acceptance to God but only that which the Spirit of Truth leadeth such unto as receive it then let them bring it forth that we may see it and prove it by plain undeniable Truth of Scripture or otherwise I shall look upon their Proofs Words Ways Actions Practices Performances Duties and several Worships as things of no value Or if there be any other entrance into the true Worship of God than this Spirit that God sendeth or the Light which leadeth to it or if there be any other Worship which God doth or will accept to be after this spoken or prophesied of in the Scriptures of Truth whereby this shall ever be done away or ended from being the true only and alone Worship of God whilst men have a being upon Earth then let the wisest of the Sons of men bring it forth and produce there strong reasons therein that we may plead together and that the entrance into and the true Worship it self of the only true invisible God may be declared over all the World for the satisfaction of every tender Heart concerning this For this I am satisfied in that Christ Jesus who is the end of the Law and who finished his work when he was upon Earth is made a quickning Spirit and is the Way and Truth of Life which bringeth into the Worship of God and he is the begining and the end and he leadeth to the beginning of Gods Worship and he is the end and the Rest of all the faithful in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen and without him all is as nothing and all that come before him are Thieves and Robbers and he it is that abideth a Priest forever and his Spirit of Truth is it which all People and Professors whatsoever should first wait to receive thereby to be led into that true Spiritual Worship which alone God accepteth lest they and their Worship and Building fall together in a day when there is none to deliver And then thus I will Query If Christ own dear Disciples who had forsook all and followed him not Priest or Baptists did not come to receive this Spirit by hearing all the words which he he spoke unto them but by waiting after the words were ended Then whether those that have not forsaken all nor so much as the Worlds fashions do now come to receive the Spirit by Reading Hearing or Professing the same words of Christ now written or any other part of Scriptures Or whether a Proud man hath received this Spirit or a Lyar or a Prophane person or any Wise or Prudent man whatsoever by any means or way of his And whether any such ever did have can or may by any industry or other way or means attain to this Spirit which leadeth in the true Worship of God but as it is freely given forth from God And then whether all people are not to be led by that Spirit which God freely giveth into the Worship of God because Christ said The Spirit should lead which indeed doth lead into all Truth and nothing else doth so And they that have not received this from God to lead them are not yet come to be led by that which the Sons and Children of God were and are led by And the Ministration of the Spirit which all are now to be taught by is inwardly to be known in the most nearest secret invisible manner and is more out of the sight Comprehension and reach of mans Wisdom than any other Ministration and it is given forth from the clear Fountain it self unto the Souls satisfaction of man when he is come to the end of words or having heard much or all the words that can be spoken of it remaineth unsatisfied in a restless longing desire to find receive feel and enjoy the thing it self which the words declared of and that which satisfieth the true thirsting Soul comes clearly from God to the refreshing of the inward parts of man and filling of the empty barren hungry Spirit which cannot be saâ—â—sâ—ed without Gods indewllings and thus the Disciples were led along and at last in a foolish way to the great Professors they waited among them in Jerusalem and the Lord had regard unto them and sent his own Spirit unto them and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost And the secret invisible hand of God whose Power was and is felt in my heart having out of the sight of flesh and blood in the hidden counsel of his secret Will led me by the vertue of the operation and drawings thereof through those things which thereby I come to leave behind and to receive and feel that which now goeth before and is my Leader in whose Covenant of Life Eternal my Soul is now satisfied and so by good experience of the Lords leading and from an experimental knowledge and sensible feeling and present enjoyment of the incomes of the Spirit of Truth and Life which filleth the inward parts with the holiness of it self and giveth power to do the things required before of God even from the right and good understanding thereof is this written That where it meets with the like condition in a weaâ—y Traveller
natural man perceiveth not the things of God which are hid from the Wise and Prudent even from the Readers of the Scripture from Scribes Pharisees Priests yea the Princes of this World for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory who is crucified daily by the same spirit that now ruleth in the Children of Disobedience even in the Scribes Priests and People that live in the same Nature where the learned Ones of the World are and all those that walk in Darkness to wit Pride Covetousness Love of the World Hatred Varience Strife Sedition Heresie Backbiting Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God Scoffers walking after their own Ungodly Lusts Raging Waves of the Sea foaming out their own Shame who account Gain Godliness whose Eyes are full of Adultery Feet swift to shed Blood Ears open to all deceit whose Mouthes are full of Cursing and Bitterness the Poyson of Asps is under their Lips their Throats are an open Sepulcher who imagin Mischief their Hearts being altogether Deceitful and desperately Wicked Such as these are the Fruits of the Flesh in the which all the World lies therefore I witness against the World that the Works thereof are Evil. Now in the world there are Sects Schismes Judgments and Opinions there they are heaping up Teachers to themselves having itching Ears and according to the number of their Fansies so are their wayes of Worship according to the number of their Imaginations so are their gods for there are many gods and many Lords but the living God is not known by the World for it by Wisdom knows not God No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him Now he that hath the Son revealed in him is born of God and he that is born of God overcometh the World and sinneth not He that sinneth hath not seen him But this is a hard saying who can bear it the World cannot for the World hears its own they that are of God hear Gods Word ye hear them not therefore ye are not of God Now Friends all you that have looked after me and other men for teaching now I can write unto you what I know that it is the Lord alone that teacheth his people to profit none teacheth like he who is now my Teacher indeed and will be yours if you are made willing and obedient to be taught directed and guided by him who is gathering his out of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues Ezek. 31. 11. which is by Jesus Christ the one and only Priest who is the Light of the Gentiles and the light of the World by which he hath enlightened every one that cometh into the World John 1. 9. which light shineth into the Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not verse 5. Now the World is set in the heart of man eccles 3. 11. Of the which World Christ is the Light and he that followeth him shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. This is that Grace of God that hath appeared unto all men teaching them to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Tit. 2. 11 12. This is the Light of Christ who is the Word of God in the Heart for his Word of the living God is not far off but it is nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth that thou mayest do it Deut. 30. 14. Now therefore Friends look not forth after them that say Christ is here or there for they are all Deceivers The Word is nigh the Light is within thee even in thy Dark Heart although thy Dankness cannot comprehend it because thou lovest Darkness rather then the Light of Jesus Christ which shineth in thy Consceince and lets thee see the evil of thy Wayes and calls thee to Repentance and to forsake the Wicked and live This is the Talent that thou art hiding in the Earth for the which thou must give an Account therefore say I unto thee mind that Teacher that teacheth to deny Ungodliness and this is the Light to Jesus Christ in thy Conscience the which Light proceedeth from Christ and leadeth all that love it John 8. 12. up to Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life the only Way and no other way to the Father Now all of you owning this VVord and Teacher and Light in your own Consciences you will come to witness Jesus Christ in the Light of Life and know him to be the way unto the Father which leads out of the Darkness of all the VVorld's Ways VVorships Forms Fashions Customs VVords VVayes and Actions and come to be gathered in the Light unto Jesus Christ who is the Light and from the Light then to come to witness the Scriptures to be true yea even fulfilled in you by the same Spirit as it was in them that did write and speak forth the Scriptures and so witness with them against the same things that were witnessed against then by the Children of the Light who had fellowship with the Father by the which they saw that which in measure I witness that there is but one Way one Truth one Light one Faith one Baptism one Spirit one Head one High Priest whoever liveth to make intercession for us one Church of the first-born whose Names are written in Heaven one God over all who is Rich unto all that call upon him in Spirit and Truth the which Worshippers the Father seeketh to Worship him who is a Spirit and all his Worships are Spiritual but God hears not Sinners and he that regardeth Iniquity in his Heart the Lord will not hear him for there are none but the pure in heart that shall see God whose Presence is Terrible to all the Workers of Iniquity that continue in the unfruitful Works of Darkness Now all of you see that you keep unto the true Guide which is Jesus Christ and follow him and see that you do not turn again to the Vomit as the manner of some is who begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Oh! leave all for Christ you cannot serve two Masters you cannot be of the World and of God you must witness a Separation Therefore in Love to all your Souls that have been Professors with me in publick in these parts of the Nation and all others flatter not your selves in your Conditions promising your selves Liberty whilst you are the Servants of Corruption therefore forsake the Wicked and live Now my Friends and all Persecutors marvel not at my Change for the Wicked have no Changes therefore they fear not God Psal 55. 19. but I am made to witness the fear of the Lord to be the beginning of Wisdom the which Wisdom is pure which cometh down from above James 3. 17. which none of the Princes of this World know 1 Cor. 1. 21. therefore they call the Doctrines of Christ Madness Acts 26. 24. for the preaching of the
and here printed A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS Or Chief Heads contained in this VOLUMN THe Sufferings of the Saints at Evesham Or a short Description of the first Ground of the Persecution of the Servants of God Page A Warning to the Priests Magistrates Rulers and Inhabitants of Exon pag. 1. Some of the Effects of the Priests Ministry in Devonshire p. 6. The first and second Priesthood declared according to the Scriptures p. 10. An ALARUM sounding forth unto all the Inhabitants of the Earth as a Warning before the Vials of Everlasting Wrath be poured forth upon them p. 19. A sad and mournful Lamentation for the People of these Nations p. 28. Idolatry declared against p. 46. Man driven out of the Earth and Darkness by the Light Life and Mighty hand of God p. 52. I. Concerning my Call out of the World or my going out from my House Country and Imployment p. 55. II. Concerning my publick Preaching p. 62. The Wandering Star discovered or something in Answer to a Book called The Quakers Blazing-Star or The Worlds Wonder p. 68. A Word to all Professors p. 86. The just Complaint of the Afflicted against the Rulers who oppress the Innocent to be delivered to the Judge of the Sessions at Winchester after pag. 92. To them who have lately believed in the Light and are waiting to receive the Life p. 93. The Two striving within p. 98. The Love of God declared and Satans Wiles discovered p. 102. The Ground Foundation Beginning and Father and Children and Compass and End and the Effects of all the Harpers Musitioners Singers and Dancers p. 108. Divine Love spreading forth forth over all Nations Or the Glorious Day of Vnity Peace and Concord p. 116. To all Parents of Children upon the face of the whole Earth p. 123. The true and everlasting Rule from God discovered and that which proveth all things published from the Spirit of Truth p. 135. A Testimony of the true Prophet who was to come is come and there is not another p. 155. An Invitation from the Spirit of Christ p. 164. The sounding Voice of the dread of Gods mighty Power p. 167. To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought home To the thirsty breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Captivity among and in the midst of all Professors p. 175. I. Concerning Mofes's Ministration p. 177. II. Concerning Christ and his Ministration p. 179. III. Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit p. 185. The Vision of Humphry Smith which he saw concerning London in the year 1660. p. 195. To the great Flock of the imprisoned Servants of God Almighty p. 201. A Warning to New-England's pretended Christians p. 207. The Lamb and his day proclaimed p. 211. Six Proposals stated for the Honour of the KING I. By his Subjects Vnity one with another p. 214. II. By his Subjects submission actively or passively unto all his Laws p. 216. III. By his Subjects faithfulness unto him p. 217. IV. By his Subjects Vprightness in their Traffick with other Nations p. 218. V. By his Subjects departing from that which dishonoureth both God the King and themselves p. 218. VI. By his Subjects being the peculiar chosen People of God p. 220. To the Lambs of Christ p. 223. To such in whose hearts the spirit of the Lord is beginning to move his Truth to declare p. 226. Sound things asserted 1. In the Kings own words 2. from late Experience 3. From Scripture-Truth 4. According to Reason and Equity p. 229. Forty four Queries propounded to all the Clergy-men of the Liturgy Also eleaven Reasons why these Queries are proposed p. 236. An Epistle to all the Meetings in Dorsetshire p. 258. To the despised rejected and persecuted Lambs of Christ in the County of Dorset p. 263. One Hundred and Forty four Lines of secret inward Melody and Praise to the Lord p. 269. Hidden things made manifest by the Light in a plain distinction between Condemnation and Temptation p. 272. Concerning Temptation p. 279. A Direction in the way to that within the Vail by which Temptations are overcome p. 285. The Meditations of an humble Heart p. 290. To the espoused Virgin p. 293. Something how the Marriage of the underfiled Lamb and Virgin came at first to be P. 295. To all dear Friends who keep faithful in their measures to the end P. 297. To the meek and open hearted Lambs and Flock of Heaven P. 301. The Cause of the long Afflicted and sore Oppressed sent forth from Winchester Prison P. 309. The Answer to the Mittimus P. 310. A Copy of a Paper sent to the Sessions P. 312. To the Sons of men P. 317. To Friends at Ailsbury Prison and in them parts P. 323. To the the Young and Tender and to the late Convinced People of God amongst the rest of the Elect and already Chosen P. 328. Concerning Tythes P. 335. To my nearly related Friend Elizabeth Smith P. 363. THE Sufferings Tryals Purgings Of the SAINTS at EVESHAM Who by their Obedience to the Lord in their Measures do overcome their Enemies by their daily suffering under them Or A short Description of the first Ground of the Persecution of the Servants of God occasioned by the Priests and the continual Proceedings of the Magistrates against them called Quakers AS the Priests were always Enemies unto Christ and his Disciples so do they continue persecuting the Saints laying Snares for the Innocent and smiting with the Tongue Jer. 18. 18. and stirring up the Rulers and the rude Multitude making Uproars and Insurrections against the Saints as they did against Christ and his Ministers for the chief Priests assembled with the Scribes and Elders of the People consulted how they might take Jesus by subtilty and kill him yet they would not do it on the Feast day lest there should be an Vproar among the People Mat. 26. 3 4 5 But the chief Priest and Rulers in Evesham after their Consultations how to ensnare the Innocent did come on the first day to ensnare us but standing in the counsel of God we were preserved from their first Snare which they laid for us I having notice of it before in bringing the whole multitude to provoke or entrap us the which when they could not do though hundreds of them gathered together about the Door where I and many of the Servants of the Lord were like those that gathered together about Lot's door Gen. 19. 4 5. yet none of them could provoke us to words nor had they any way to ensnare us then as afterwards will appear And after the chief Priests had hired Judas for thirty pieces of Silver to betray Christ Mat. 26. 15. and after Judas had brought again the thirty pieces of Silver then the chief Priests took the same Money for the which Judas had sold Christ and with it they bought a field of Blood Mat. 27. 6 7 8. So the chief Priests have purchased unto themselves and all their Generation with
said You have we aried me with your Sacrifices And so say I to you now you have wearied the Lord with your Words and yet many are saying Wherein have we we aried him I say in this have you wearied the Lord in that you say such as do Evil are Good in the sight of God Mal. 2. 17. Therefore thus I declare unto you who are yet in your Sins meeting together in the Idol Temples Your Service is not the Service of the true God neither is your Worship that which the Lord accepteth for he accepteth none but the Worship in Spirit and in Truth not in one high Place or other but your Worship is in some High-Place Idol-Temple or Steeple-House where all manner of Viperous Beasts are round and unsanctified Persons meet together who commit all Abominations and live in all manner of Filthiness and yet lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us no Evil shall come unto us Whereas they are an evil and an adulterous Generation adulterated from the Spirit of Truth in which the true Worship stands and are ignorantly worshipping in a Temple made with Hands in which God dwellcth not neither is his Power there received to overcome the Sin and so the People are wearying themselves for very Vanity and travelling to bring forth Death and labouring for that which profits not neither do they come to meet the Lord in the way of his Judgments nor find the Path of Life where the Unclean can never come neither yet do they know the Bread of Life nor drink his Blood that cleanseth from all Sin nor come to be translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God but remain in that Ground which was eursed by reason of man's Rebellion Gen. 3. 17. Heb. 6. 8. which Ground being not removed with the mighty Power of God the Blessing cannot be received nor the Understanding opened to know and receive that which the Natural Man perceiveth not the Eyes of their Minds being darkened through the Ignorance that is in them the Vail being over the Heart when that is read every day of their Worship which discovers Sin but makes nothing Perfect which Worshippers did and do Crucifie him that comes to take away the Sin But now he is come who hath forever perfected those that are sanctified and he that sanctisieth and they who are sanctified are all of one But they that are not sanctified are not of the one but are in the many Opinions in the Lusts of Ignorance and Wayes of Unrighteousness being not come to the one Faith which purifieth the Heart nor to know the one Baptism one Church one Way one Truth one God the Father of him who is the one Light which lightneth every man that cometh into the Wâ—rld of the which Light which is but one there is given a measure to every one of you which Light shineth in Darkness though not by it comprehended which Light will let you see that you your selves are out of God's Covenant in the World's Worship not reconciled to God upholding Idol Temples and Heathenish Customs with Bells and such things which the People of God never used but did and do deny forever and exhort you and all others to leave worshipping the Beast or upholding that which is not the true Worship of the true God practised by men of Sin in Steeple-Houses every First-Day Wherefore all People every where leave your Idolatry which you have learned and received by Tradition from the former Papists and Heathen who worship the Work of their own Hands and bow down to their own Inventions as you long have done and for this many Hundred Years have been learning and yet are not come to the Truth neither to believe in it but remain in Unbelief and Ignorance and your long time of Ignorance God winked at Acts 17. 30. But now Light is come in which God is calling to you and all men every where to Repent and forsake your Idolatrous Worship which by you a sinful Generation is practised in a Steeple-house one day in seven and Catn's Nature remaining in the inward parts from the which Idolatry all that sear the Lord God of Abraham are now to come from the Uncleanness of that Worship which is upheld by the Heathen for verily the Hand of the Lord God Almighty is stretched sorth against it and them Wherefore all People turn your Minds to the Lord God of Life who dwelleth in his People and not in Temples made with Hands and hath given to every one of you a measure of the true Light of his Son which Light in you will let you see your secret Sins and will teach you and shew you plainly of the Father if you love it and come to be led by it to do God's will so may you come to worship the Lord God of Life in Spirit and in Truth with the Children of the Light and of the Day which hath dawned upon many who need not any man teach them but are all taught of the Lord Glory and Honour and Everlasting Praises to his blessed Name forever and ever Amen Given forth as a Testimony against all Idolatry and Heathenish-Worship from the true Love of God the Father in pity to the Souls of them who have Eyes and see not and Ears and hear not that they may come forth of Darkness to follow Christ Jesus the Light of the World who is bringing the Blind by a Way that they know not Isa 42. 16. Therefore is this to go abroad among all People and read in Steeple-Houses Streets Market-places private Meetings and Families that all may consider what they have been doing in the dark Ezek. 8. 12. By a Servant of the Living God a Sufferer for the Testimony of his Name in the Common Goal and House of Correction at Winchester Humphery Smith The 4th Moneth 1658. Man driven out of the Earth and Darkness By the Light Life and Mighty Hand of GOD Wherein plain and simple Truths are brought to light that so the cause of Stumbling may be taken from before the Eyes of both Rulers and all sorts of Professors in Herefordshire c. Also something related of the Wonderful Power of God in the Work of Redemption and Restroration With a plain Self-denyal by him that takes up the daily Cross Behold the Lord worketh wonderfully every Morning he bringeth his Judgments to light he hath brought me back from the Grave and saved my Soul from Hell and set my feet upon a Rock THE Living Truth of the Lord God which he hath revealed in me by the mighty Operation of his Word of Life which living eternal Truth being my Life and shall last for evermore and be as a Standard of the Most High lifted up to all the scattered weary Souls that they may flow unto it and have it to be unto them a place of Refuge and Defence to fly unto in the day of Distress and by it come to be made Free and in it
abused or smote with Envy which is of the Devil Either man or Beast and that whereby I was led into any manner of Hypocrisie or Double-mindedness or any manner of Evil whatsoever which was Unjust in the sight of God though not seen by Man or any secret Evil that then lodged in the dark Corners of the stoney Heart then in me whereby any thing did arise in me or proceed from me which was contrary to the Humble Meek Innocent Upright Life of the Lamb of God who is now come and hath taken away the Sin of the World and is Pure Humble Meek and Lowly whose Life and Power of Love constraineth me to declare openly against all that which was done or said by me in Envy either openly or secretly against any Creature for there is nothing done in secreet that shall not be made manifest And let all who knew me before who are saying I was an honest man be warned of the like Evil and leave it considering that if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Ungodly and Sinner appear for many did look upon me to be either a Godly or an Honest man yet am I made willing to let open Shame come upon all that which then was in me contrary to the Righteousness of God for he alone is to be exalted and the Transgressor is to be ashamed Psal 25. 3. And every mouth shall be stopt and every one stand guilty before God and the Shame and Nakedness of all both Priests and Fathers and People shall appear as much as mine when Gods Witness in them arise though they cover it for a time by deceitfull Flatteries Promising Liberty but are as deeply the Servants of Corruption as I was And I do assirm in the presence of the Lord God that there are a Generation of Professors who follow Sermons and have gathered themselves into outward Forms who are grown up into a Profession and Knowledge in the Letter who are further off the Life of God than the Publicans and Harlots and are grown into Pride Hypocrisie secret Deceit Arrogancy and Covetousness and some of them for a time denied the Priests and then for their own ends got into their places and so are more Abominable than they and the Tree of Knowledge they feed upon but the good savour of pure Obedience unto God in all Self-denial they have cast behind their backs and are become an ill Savour among all men And the Lord God will visit them for these things and in the Day of his sierce Wrath will all such want a Hiding-place and when the day of Howling and Astonishment come upon them as it hath passed upon me then shall they know that the Sinners in Sion shall be afraid and Horrible Fearfulness shall surprize the Hearts of the Hypocrites and then shall they find that God will not be mocked though they deceive themselves with vain Hopes which shall perish with all such Professors if they Repent not ard strip themselves bare from all their false Coverings which in the day of the Lord which they put afar off will certainly be all too Narrow For because of the greatness of my Profession without the Power that overcomes all Sin therefore was the Wrath of God the more upon me and I never came to receive Pardon for Sin nor Power over it nor to receive the Life of the Son of God until his Judgments had confounded all that Wisdom which I had learned from and among the Priests and Professors And this is absolutely true and may be a Warning unto all them And all that is herein declared of the Strivings in me and Judgments of God which came upon me is very short of what it was neither indeed can it be ever declared being then confounded both within and without not having any man to be a Director unto me nor then to guide me in Gods Wisdom neither did any man bring me unto that Condition nor lead me through it but even the Lord alone in whose Judgments I now rejoyce for evermore but this especially would I have all people that then knew me to consider That at that time when I was in Distress I knew not well what I should do or spâ—ke among men neither what I should be being become a Fool for Christs sake and my Wisdom being confounded and my Understanding brought to nothing Read 1 Cor. 1. 1 9 vers 27. And so that is true which I have writ in that book in Answer to Edmund Skipp wherein I said That we were but in measure leaving of the World and entering into a little of that which is Eternal at which time before-mentioned I was brought to be silent from my publick Preaching and waited on the Lord with a few foolish contemptible Ones in the Eyes of the World at which time having lost my Earthly Wisdom and not received that measure of the pure Wisdom of God which since he hath given me whereby to order all my Words and Actions in Prudency and Moderation before the Eyes of all People and others also might then with me therein fall short whereby some to this day may stumble at the whole Truth of God looking at what happened among us in that time when the Judgments of God was often on us by which Judgments his Sion is now Redeemed and so they looking at that and watch ever since for Evil may be kept thereby from receiving the precious tryed Stone which the wise Master-builders also refuse though we now know he is laid in Sion redeemed with Judgment for a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offence even to both the houses of Israel But let all take heed of stumbling at the stumbling Stone the Light of Christ for other causes of stumblings especially by me I have hereby endevoured to remove out of the way and minds of all that are willing to receive the Truth or believe in the Light John 12. 36. And as for Edmund Skipp if ever he come again to that which convinced him of Evil and made him in publick deny his peaching for Hire and Tythes though after he strated aside and stumbled in the Dark not minding the Light of Life which once he honestly desired after in him to which Light if he return and love the Witness of God in him which hath ever since stood a Witness for me and hath let him see his Barrenness and without a true Eternal Rest and if he to that be obedient which is manifest of God in him and by it be led into Meekness and Plainness without Prejudice he may come to receive the living Truth of Jesus Christ for which this day I suffer Bonds for I did never yet look upon him to be so utterly Reprobate as not possible to receive the Faith that purifies the Heart and Respects no mans Person for truly my love hath been to the Seed oppressed in him though that which hath exercised him in Rashness against the Truth of God I do deny forever
of of others as thou hast read E. S. p. 6 11 19 16. And as for the five Charges which thou mentionest p 9. and saying That if we had had more Accusations against thee its like thou shouldst have had them and in saying The first Charge was Hypocrisie in pag. 7. I answer That that which was written by me in answer to thy Deceitful Lines first sent to us I shall for the sake of the simple set down plainly in the same order as it was written by me having a just Copy of it by me and then let the tender spirited read thy Lyes in thy own Book A true Copy of the Answer sent by me and the rest to thy Letter and Accusacion 1. You said you would tell us truly c. Answer There cannot be a true discovery of Truth brought forth in these that are yet in the fallen estate as thou art 2. That there is a Mystery of Iniquity in us that we see not Answ The Mystery of Iniquity is not discovered but by the pure Light and Life of God as it is freely given forth from God the which Light all the Children of Light live in but thou livest in the dark ways of the World and livest not in this pure Light to judge by 3. That the time is come that thou shouldst dis-burden thy self of the discovery of Truth Answ Thou hast laid aside too much Truth that which convinceth of thy Evil is now a burden unto thee but we disown all that disown the Truth Mark 4. That the Devil is an Angel of Light and his Nature is to act in the Light Doth the Scripture say that the Devil's Nature is to act in the Light Answ Thou art imagining what the Devil is without thee but thou knowest but little of his actings in thee although thou art his Servant and livest in his Light as thou callest it but the Light of Life thou art a stranger unto 5. The Light as it is acted in the Soul giveth no Discovery of the Deceit but rather covers it all Answ By virtue of the pure Light that proceeds from the Father we see thee live in that thou callest Light which doth not discover unto thee the abominable Practices thou art in to wit Pride thou dost usually call thy own Child Mr. Benjamin Skipp a Proud practice seldom heard of the love of the World deceiving the People upholding the Worship of the Beast painted over with the Saints words an Enemy to the Saints Life as doth now more fully appear 6. Thou writest so largely of the Devil as if thou wert acquainted with all his secrets both what he is doing and what he will do Answ The things of God thou art a stranger to for they are hid from thine Eyes and all such wise Ones of the Devil the World and the Flesh who are in the first Nature as thou art 7. Thou writest of what the Devil will bring us to Answ 1. It is neither thee nor the Devil in thee that know what we are much less what we shall be 2. If thou and the Accuser of the Brethren in thee have ought against us at present that we walk not up to the present discovery of the pure Light as it is in measure brought forth in us then I charge thee to speak 3. Thou Hypocrite first cast out the Beam that is at present in thy own Eye before thou goest to cast the supposed Mote that thou thinkest may fall into our Eyes hereafter In the close of this Answer I writ a tender Letter in love to his Soul Now let any that live in the Light compare these several Answers with that in pag. 7 8 9. In Answer to that which thou callest Railing and Reviling Language in pag. 10. the Devil hath always brought up his Children with so much pretence of Manners that they must not tell a Lyar he Lyes nor a Thief he is a Robber or if any tell the Proud of hsi Pride or the Covetous of their Covetousness then this is called Railing read the Scriptures cited by him this is fully cited Tit. 1. 13. c. 3. 15 c. See how thou condemnest the Practice of Christ both in his Person and Members in pag. 11. To that which thou callest thy Experience in pag. 11. I tell thee thou hast had much Experience of Deceit being always in it but thou never hadst any experience of the powerful Workings of God in us only thou wast made by the Light to see thy Filthiness in some measure and then presently thou wentst from the Counsel of the Lord and acted and spoke in thy own Will the which was Deceit indeed running before the Light the which I mourned over and often complained to my Friends who can witness the same Pag. 12. The Scripture cited by thee Mal. 3. They shall discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not the Promise being in measure fulfilled in us we discern thee still to live in thy own Will and Wisdom Therefore when thou haltedst between two Opinions long at last one of our Friends was made sharply to reprove thee the which thou couldest not own and therefore left us that had undergone burdens upon our own Spirits for thee in condescending unto thee in tender love desiring thou mightst be made at last to witness the Work of the Lord in thee unto which thou art still a Stranger and now an Enemy unto In thy pag. 13. thou mentionest a Scripture as to us 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. They are there discovered by their Covetousness for they suppose that Gain is Godliness And canst thou in the least accuse â—s of Covetousness if thou canst spare not to speak the Truth but else let shame cover thy face for so many Lyes and comparing us with those in this Text. Ask the Light in thy Conscience whether thou hast not looked after Gain witness thy Tythes thy looking after another Parsonage to that thou hadst witness thy Physical Office thy questioning what to do for more Maintenance although thou hast told me that thy Lands was 10 1. per Annum 2 Tim. 3. 4. that is thy own Portion witness thy many Instruments of Musick in thy House Page 16. thou writest of Faith but thou knowest not that Faith that purifieth the Soul he that hath this Hope purifieth himself as he is pure he that believeth is entred into his Rest hath ceased from his own Works as God did from his the which Faith thou art a stranger unto for thou hast writ thy own Lyes and the Deceit of thy own Heart and thy carnal Thoughts the which thou callest the World with whom thou art to judge witness pag. 9. line 11. 7. 18. and thou thinkest in pag. 16 51 56 57. Page 17. Thou sayest that we esteem The more our Hearts are brought off the dealings of God and Prayer and Spiritual Exercises the more pure and Perfect The which thou knowest to be a
thou never hadst thou saidst but now That thou wast but in part convinced of the way And hadst thou the Comforter long ago and lost him now the Way and the Comforter is but one the which is Jesus Christ John 14. 6. 17. 26. chap. 17. 23. I know that if Jesus Christ had been brought forth in thee without which there is no true comfort who is the substance of all Tythes Types Forms and Shadows that thou couldst not unto this day have remained a Parish Priest and so upheld an Antichristian Priesthood halting between many Opinions neither according to Aaron Levi nor Christ but living in thy own will and so living above Christ who lived not in his own Will for saith he Not my Will but thine be done John 6. 38. And now who will regard thy writings when thou acknowledgest That the Comforter which is the Spirit of Truth is departed from thee Now it appears thou art a Lyar indeed now thou hast no Truth born up in thy Understanding thy former Enjoyments as thou callest it which were indeed nothing but Comprehensions got up in the Wisdom of the Serpent Oh! art thou not ashamed that the World should now read thy Confusion which thou didst soon make up in thy Writings Art thou not ashamed in such a condition as this when thou confessest thy former Enjoyments and Comforts are departed from thee even now to writ against those that thou acknowledgest to have large Experiences and much of the Power of Truth through Christ page 50 Oh! take heed lest it had been better for thee that a Millstone had been hanged about thy neck and thou cast into the Sea Oh! canst thou not look back on him whom thou hast thus pierced to wit the Life of Christ in others Now thou mayst read with Shame and Tears that which thy own hand hath written from own sinful Heart look in page 5 8 and 18. which was then in the apostatized condition without the former Comforts as thou calledst it page 53. Now thou art found to be a false Apostle indeed Oh! remember from whence thou art fallen and do thy first Works yea Repente'er it be too late Rev. 2. 5. Oh though thou canst strive with man there is no striving with thy Maker who will come a swift Witness against all deceitful Workers who livewithin the power of what they speak or write much more against those that write filthy Abominable Lyes Oh! if thou lovest either Christ or thy own Soul return return unto the Light of Christ in thy own Conscience which will let thee see the Deceit of thy own sinful Heart out of the abundant Deceit thereof thy Pen hath run so largely in Confusion Now I charge thee in the presence of the living God in as much love to thy Soul as ever that thou return to the Light of Christ in thy own Conscience and mind that which cheks thee in secret I tell thee man in love there is something yet in thee which will witness me to be true See one more page 64. where for thy own defence not for the defence of the Truth thou sayst Thou wast necessitated to fly unto the Practices and Truths of other men to wit Baptists where it is plain thou hadst not the spirit of Christ to fly unto and speak from as the true Apostles had witness one Acts 6. 10. Therefore thou art both seen in the Light proved by Scripture and thy own Writings to be a false Apostle and a false Minister 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Much more might be said and proved both from thy Writings and Actings but I desire the good of thy soul by this which is sufficient at present to prove thee to be one of the Wandering Star Jude 13. A Word to all Professors in the World BEing it was ordered of my Lord God and Father of Lights that something must go forth in Print as from me who am the least of all Saints I was even as freely engaged in my Spirit out of tender Love to your Souls to present a few Lines from that measure of the Spirit which is brought forth in me Oh! My Friends my Friends the hour is not only coming but now is witnessed in me that the dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live John 5. 25. and the Voice of the true Dove is heard in our Land to wit this Earthly Tabernacle that is made the Temple of the living God who is now fulfilling his Promises in us that walk not after Flesh but after the Spirit even in us is the Lord establishing his New and Everlasting Covenant even the sure and certain Mercies of David which is by the Life of Jesus Christ in us fulfilled and witnessed whereby we have fellowship with the Father and are in measure brought to live in him and he in us where we have Joy Rest and eternal Peace which passeth all Understanding and all the Worlds Comprehension where all the Children of the Light meet and see face to face for the Lord hath brought again Sion who is become the Perfection of Beauty out of which God now shineth Psal 50. 2. and is become our Glory and we his Isa 46. 13. O Praises Praises be unto him who hath redeemed us out of the Nations Kindreds and Tongues to serve the living God in Newness of Life and not in Oldness of Letter that so now we may offer up eternally living and eternal Sacrifice and Praise for evermore who hath in measure redeemed us from the World and out of all Darkness that is therein and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son and made us Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light which is the Eternal Light of Life for God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all and all those that live in him are the Children of the Day who walk in the Day even the pure Light in the which there is no occasion of stumbling our Feet being guided in the Path of Peace which is the true and living way in which the way faring man though a Fool shall not Err Isa 35. 8. which is the pure way of Holiness leading up into the full Enjoyment of the Father who hath long waited to be gracious unto us and now in the Day of his Love and Power hath gathered us in his Arms of Love and brought us home unto himself who were before the Out-casts of Israel wandering with you from Mountain to Hill but did not find Rest unto our Souls but now the great and mighty Power of the Lord hath raised up his own Seed in us to cry Halelujah unto him to whom alone be all Honour Glory and Obedience and Eternal Praises forever even forever and ever for he that was lost is found he that was dead is alive and behold he liveth for evermore Now my Friends the whole World lieth in Wickedness and all the World by Wisdom knows not God the
walk in the Light and continue in faithfulness in your Measures enduring the Cross unto your Wills that by it the Carnal may be crucified and that which is Earthly mortified and all the fleshly Lusts subdued and the ground of Unbelief removed that you as Obedient Children to the Light may walk not as do others in the Lusts of Ignorance and Wayes of Unrighteousness where all the Ungodly lie and are without his Fear not knowing that in which the Power of God doth stand and many of them are Murmurers and Complainers who dwell in all Unrighteousness from among whom Redemption you are to find that a true Separation you may come to know that the Unclean you may touch no more and that which defiles to be no more entangled with For the Lord our God is pure his living Truth is to be known in the inward parts and that which makes Free received in the Heart and pure is the Lord in his Ministration of Life and free in the Discoveries of his Love his unsearchable Riches are made known unto his Jewels and his Secrets revealed unto them that abide in his Fear whose Fear is a Fountain of Life whose Love is streaming forth as a River of Oyl unto the broken hearted and in him the Fatherless find Mercy and he giveth strength unto the Faint he cherished the Babes as a Nurse and feedeth the Young with Milk he gathereth the Lambs with his Arms and nourisheth the tender Plant he confoundeth the Proud in his Judgments and removeth the Ground of the Wicked Kings before him are as the Drop of a Bucket and Ungodly Rulers as the Smoke before a mighty Wind His Wonders are seen among the Living and his Judgments made known upon the Wicked they that come to him find Mercy but his Enemies he turns into the Land of Darkness the Ungodly are not able to come near his Presence when he is Angry the Wicked stand afar off but there 's no Darkness in which they may be hid nor shadow of Death in which they can be covered for his Hand will find out all the Rebellious and he will reward them all according to the Pride of their Heart then shall they be banished from the Lord as the Chaff before the Wind and none of their strength shall save them But all you that wait for Sion's Redemption and call that love his Appearance who are willing to take up the Yoke deny themselves and follow the Light thus I say unto all such The Lord God of Life is at hand he is hastning his Mercies to the simple and reaching forth his hand to the Helpless your Redeemer is near your Deliverer is at hand for the Lord God hath not cast off his People neither will he leave or forsake his Chosen Ones With the Brightness of his Power is he appearing to judge down that which kept his own in Bondage and lay low that which did the Just oppress that from under the Oppression it may now arise that the Hungry may be fed and the Naked come to be clothed with the Everlasting Righteousness of God who brings his Righteousness near unto the Humble and clothes them with the Armour of Light that so they may be able to stand where the Wicked cannot endure Wherefore all you my dear Lambs in whom there is honest Desires begotten after the living Truth of my Father who are in measure made willing to walk as Children of the Day and to undergo the Reproaches and Revilings of Wicked and Ungodly men and desire the Kingdom that is not of this World from the honest Simplicity of your Hearts that you may come to rest in the Kingdom of the Father forever Unto you I say my Heart's Desire and Prayer to God for you is That you may be enabled through the Power of him who is the Light to undergo all your Tryals within and without and that none of you may faint in your Way nor be weary of well doing but that you may come to shew forth the Works of Righteousness by a chaste Conversation in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation by whose Filthiness the Just is grieved And my dear Lambs grieve ye not the Spirit of the Lord neither be you Envious against the Evil-Doers let not Wrath arise in any one of you but be Examples of Love and Meekness one unto another and all come to know what a true waiting upon the Lord is in the Sincerity of the Heart to receive that which the World never knew even the Spirit of Truth which comes from the God of Peace in which the Blessing is received and leads in the way of Righteousness and will joyn your Hearts together in the Everlasting Covenant of the Father which he is establishing with all his faithful Ones among whom you may now come to be gathered and find an eternal Inheritance with them that are sanctified who come to be made one with him that sanctifieth who now cometh to purge away the filth and cleanse that which hath not been cleansed that Sinners may be converted unto him and the Filthy redeemed from their filthiness before the day come wherein it shall be said He that is Filthy let him be Filthy still Wherefore let the Day of your Visitation be dearly prized knowing that God who is Light will not alwayes strive with man and it s his Everlasting Love in that he hath visited you and passed by the Wise and the Mighty and made your Hearts sometimes soft and tender by the powerful Drawings of his Everlasting Love which by your Obedience and Belief in the Truth comes to be more and more shed abroad in your Hearts which Love will constrain Obedience to the Light in which Light Gods Power is received which Power maketh Sons who cry Father unto him that begeteth after his own Image whose Image comes to be renewed in the Children of the Light which Light is now come and we are Witnesses of it and testisie what we have seen and declare unto you the Message that was from the beginning and so preach not another Gospel unto you but the same which is the Power of God which I neither receive of men nor learn of men but by Revelation in which the Father is known which to the World is a Mystery and sealed from all them who believe not in the Light whose Deeds are Evil but manifest through the Operation of the mighty Power of God which worketh mightily in me that I might reach forth unto you also and that you might feel the Operation of the Fathers Love that is manifest in my Bonds to you who through many Tribulations with the rest of the Lambs of Christ are to wait for Deliverance from the Bondage of Corruption in the which you have long continued but now Christ Jesus the Light of the World is come to redeem them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage and the Bonds of Iniquity are now to be
laid upon me to say every night but I found that was just as dry Heath instead of a Honey-comb before And so being led on in a Form and to look after Things and Teachers without the Light within became darkned and my understanding of the Son of God's Love shed abroad in my Heart which sometimes being sensible of I began very Young to look after Priests and Sermons and thought to have sound the true Thing again there but as true as the Lord God of Heaven and Earth liveth They did me more harm than all the rest and led me farther from my Teacher and from the sence of the feeling after God Acts 17. 27. to sind him near me then ever and withal begot in me abundance of the Serpents subtilty and the more because I being sensible of a want in me received their fair Speeches with much eagerness and earnest Desires believing them that that was the Way to Peace so that I grew much into that knowledge which puffâ—th up and did indeed encrease my Sorrow and so by them was I deceived the Lord God knoweth I Lye not but speak the Truth in Flainness having not Envy towards any of their Persons and this is the very Truth of my Heart in the Presence of the living God That it was more harder for me to leave and deny and know Redemption out of that which I learned from and among the Priests then to leave the Fruits of all the Sin that ever I by Temptations did run into and my Witness herein will abide in me forever Therefore let the Lord God be the Teacher of your Children who hath given them Life and Beeing and a better Teacher you cannot provide for them nor direct them unto and that which may be known of God is manifest in them and let that lead them and guide them in his fear and you are to let them understand that they should do and speak justly according to that Witness of God in them which will let them see when-ever they are tempted to speak a Lye or say they have done such a things as you commanded them and have not and will let them see they should be faithful and diligent unto you in all things that are just in the sight of God and other things you should not require of them left you grieve them but examples of Righteousness should you be in all your Words and Actions unto them and if you are not able to set them to School to learn to read yet they have the Light from christ in them already and that will shâ—w them plainly of the Father and he that is the Light is the good Old Way in which the way faring men though Fool cannot Err. And if you set them to school never so long to read and write and with their learning to search the Scriptures which is good yet they are to come to Christ the Light that they may have Life and they are to learn of him and follow him and so to learn of Christ as to know him to be in them the Hope of Glory and the Way out of Sin and unto the Father his will in all things made manifest to obey rather then man that so it may go well with them and that they may come to receive a Blessing from God and be a Comfort to their Parents who fear him and at last in Gods Everlasting Covenant lie down with Peace and Rest ANd all you young Children who are growing up into years of discretion this you are to understand that you have not made your selves but were created by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who ruleth over all Mankind whose Presence is every where and filleth Heaven and Earch and Knoweth the secrets of all the Hearts of the Children of men and sheweth unto man both Old and Young what is his Thoughts from whom the least Evil cannot be hid who is dreadful in Holyness and just in his Judgments and Righteous in all his Wayes and his Presence is near unto every one and from his All-seeing-Eye can no one hide his deeds and before him should you fear forever and learn in his fear to walk which will keep you out of Evil and grieve ye not his Spirit left he refuse to help you in your great Distress neither provoke the Lord against you by learning Wickedness among the Sons of men who are all astray from the lowly Guidance of his Spirit and so their works are Evil and their words Unfavoury and Evil Words they use which doth corrupt the good Manners the which of them you should not learn but let your Yea ne Yea and your Nay be Nay and so learn of Christ that his Power he may minister unto you and you by him come to be saved that you may be Children of God and taught of God and drawn by his Spirit unto Christ his Son who said I am the Light of whom the Scriptures bear Testimony And in him the Scripture saith is Life and he is come who is the Light that you might have Life in your selves and come to be Heirs of the Promise of God by Regeneration through the working of the Power of God which worketh in the Hearts of the Children of men to sit them for himself a Habitation of Holiness that he may be glorified in his People And certainly you ought in the tenderness of your Years to have a true fear before that God of Life which made you who is an invisible Spirit as may be read in the Holy Scriptures of Truth And as you learn the fear of the Lord who cometh to dwell in his people he will by the Direction and Guidance of the Light of his Son in your Hearts who is the Mediator by whom the Law is handed forth will he teach you your Duty towards your Neighbour which is near unto you and to Honour your Father and Mother and what Honour is as also your Duty and Obedience in the first place towards God that his Love might be towards you and that your dayes might be prolonged as also saith the Law for whoso groweth Wicked and Rebellious against the Light the Lord suffereth not to live out half their dayes Job 24. vers 13. For Life comes from God and he withdraws it at his pleasure from them that obey him not and when he taketh way their Breath they dye and the Breath of God was the Life of the Soul of man and Christ said He was the Life who is meek and lowly in Heart who said Suffer little Children to come unto me and said he I am the Way and he cometh to condemn Sin and calleth to Repentance his Name is caled The Word of God Rev. 19. 13. and the Word is very nigh thee even in thy Heart Rom. 10. 8. And so that is the Way that you all which are Young should go and be trained up in that when you are old you might not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. so may you have
Peace with God and his Blessing to be with you alwayes and be a Comfort to your Parents and all that truly fear the Lord. Written by a Member of Christ whose love was to little Children and so is mine who am called Humphery Smith THE True and Everlasting Rule From God discover'd AND That which proveth all things Published from the Spirit of Truth To the which Rule the Scriptures also bear Testimony that the Simple and Honest-hearted may see what Rule they are to walk by to come to perfect Peace and Rest with God for evermore Also A Testimony of the true Prophet who was to come and is come and there is not another his Work witnessed and Truth declared from a feeling-sence and experience according to Scripture Wherein also is shewed That the Prophets of God and Ministers of Christ did preach the Light and so those who preach the Light now do therein preach the same Doctrine as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did With an Invitation from the Spirit of Christ By a Servant of the Lord and a Sufferer for his Truth in the House of Correction at Winchester in Hampshire called Humphry Smith The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken Deut. 18. 15. To the Flock of GOD whom he hath gathered in Glocestershire Herefordshire Worcestershire Wiltshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Hampshire Dorcetshire and Devonshire TO you my dearly beloved Lambs and Babes in Christ Jesus chosen of God the Father before the Foundation of the Word called to be Saints sanctified with the living Truth in the inward parts justified by him that is near redeemed with the Blood of the new Covenant glorified as a royal Diadem in the hand of the Father preserved through believing and obedience by the mighty Arm of unlimited Power compassed about with Salvation anointed with Oyl of Joy and Gladness of Heart who are beloved of my Soul and the Joy of the whole Earth who are chosen and faithful and true who through great Tribubation the Kingdom do come to receive who have not loved your Lives unto the Death who did once walk in the Shadow of Death whose feet now come to be guided in the Way of Everlasting Peace to whom the hand of the Father's infinite Love hath been reached forth as unto tender Babes who come to be born and nursed up by the Womb and the Paps that are free which is the Mother of us all who know the first-born which is blessed for evermore who are become the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb who have received the Testimony of Jesus who have washed your Robes in the Blood of the Lamb and have received the fine Linnen which is the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness of the Saints whose Sins are done away forever whose Nakedness is covered who have put on the pure Robes and are adorned as a Bride for her Husband who are clothed with Righteousness as with a Garment and are all Glorious within and are able to stand upon the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and before the Throne out of which proceeds Lightnings and Thunders and Voices who have cast down all your Crowns at the fect of the Lamb and come to wait on him forever and ever who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is worthy of all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thanks and Obedience and Dominion from all his for evermore The Salutation of me the Prisoner of Jesus Christ with my own hand unto you my dear Ones unto whom at present my Bowels of Love from God the Father are poured forth with whom I am in the Spirit of Love and Meekness among whom I have passed through good Report and evil Report yea that which is not to be named who am as one of the least yet not the least in Love unto you who are unto me as the Children of my own Bowels bound up with me in the unspeakable Life of the Father which from all the World is hid for evermore where Life and Immortality dwelleth forever and is daily felt by all you that abide faithful in the Obedience and keep your Garments unspotted of the Flesh abiding in the pure Fear and godly Humility your Bread is continued and your Waters are sure and your Souls are made as a watered Gardâ—n and Peace and Life springs up in you and you may delight your selves in Fatness and find the replenishings from the Fountain of God's living Mercies and grow up in the holy Life as Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified The Church of the first born are you come to be the Pillar and Ground of Truth made lively Stones elect and precious growing up a holy Building unto God the Father who will dwell in you his holy Temple forever and ever who are founded upon the elect precious and Corner-stone the sure Foundation the Rock of Ages the Light of the World whose light is your life which is shining forth unto the Sons of men that they may see your good Works which are wrought in and by you and hear your seasoned words which ministers Grace unto the Hearers and answers Gods Witness in all and makes for your Advantage who are as Plants of Renown a Habitation of Holiness Vessels of Honour Clusters of Grapes who receive nourishment from the Vine whose Fruit never fadeth whose Rivers are never dry whose Rayment never waxeth old whose Glory never fadeth whose strength is renewed as the Morning your Dread is upon the People and your Terror upon the Heathen your Enemies are all as stubble before you and your God in the midst of you is a consuming Fire Dreadful is his Presence in you unto all his and your Enemies the Workers of Iniquity who shall fall before you as the Grass that is cut down and wither as the Blossom that is cut off Paleness shall cover the faces of all your Enemies before you shall all People be much pained Sorrow shall take hold upon them in the Night-season then shall the Arrows of the Lord reach into their Bowels Astonishment of Heart shall be upon them and they shall fly when none pursues and be in Distress and none shall deliver Arise against them O ye my Lambs in the strength of the Lord who teacheth your hands to war and your fingers to fight let the Beast be overturned forever let the Whore have blood to drink let her Merchant be spoiled forever and all her Children dashed against the Stone and broken to pieces as a Potters Vessel with the Power of the Light let the Darts of your hands who handle the Word of Life strike through all the false Prophets and reach unto the secrets of all their Hearts to the renting open of their Chambers of Darkness and the cutting down of the Enemies of the Most High and fear not let not your hands be slack the Lord
the Scriptures testifie of and was given forth from John 5. 39. that by it in them they might be enabled to do God's Will and witness the Scriptures fulfilled as it is written I will walk in them and dwell in them 2 Cor. 6. 16. and he is the God of them in whom he dwells and they are his People in whom he walks from whose Inspiration the Scripture came in which it is written Prove all things 1 Thes 5. 21. and try the Spirits and that which proveth all things and tryes the Spirits comes from the God of the Spirits of all flesh and from the Word of his Power by which all things were made which Word in the Heart is as Fire which proves tryes and refineth things and is 1 John 4. 1. Numb 16 22. John 1 3. Col. 3. 16. Psal 3â— 3 Jer. 5. 14. Mal. 3 3. Heb. 4. 12. Psal 139. 1 23 24 John 4. 1. Luke 10. 42. 1 Cor. 2. 12. ch 1. 21. Rom 8. 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 3. 16. ch 2. 10 John 15. 4 5. Jude 6. 2 Thes 1. 5 6 7 8 9 10. John 17. 17. Psal 51. 6. John 1 14. ch 8. 44. 2 Cor. 44. Ephes 2 2. John 8. 24. ch 17. 7. 1 Tim 4. 5. Job 8. 32 ch 15. 5. 1 Joh. 3. 5. Dan 9. 24. 2 Cor 3. 5. ch 4. 10. Rom. 4. 8 10 Eph. 3 17. Col. 1. 27. Joh 16 25. ch 15 5 quick and powerful dividing asunder Soul and Spirit and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart man feeling that and coming to be guided by that which searches the heart and tryes the reins with that may he try all things from the which one thing within the false Spirits are gone forth into the World and those Spirits of the world and all the world by its wisdom and that Spirit which is without knows not God nor the measure of his spirit within And so those are the false spirits that are gone forth which are to be tryed by that which is not gone forth but abides within and discerns the Heart and those that are gone forth from being guided by that within as the holy men were they are like unto the Angels who kept no their first eslate for man at first was and holy men were guided by that within which is the Word which Word is Truth and he that abode not in Truth which is in the inward parts was a Devil and a Murderer who is called the God of the World that blindeth the Minds and worketh in all the Children of Disobedience and so the Devils Works are in his Children and they are talking of the Works of God without them but they that are led by the Word of Truth that sanctifieth cleanseth and maketh free by it they come to know the Works of the Devil destroyed which was in them 1 John 3. 8. And so he that destroyeth the Works of the Devil and maketh an end of Sin and bringeth in Everlasting Righteousness is known in all them that are not Reprobates And so when sin is made an end of Everlasting Righteousness is brought in and so it s within and not without And so he being received within who brings that in which is Everlasting to that man he is within the hope of Glory and shews plainly of the Father and saith Without M E yo can do nothing It s not said Without Scripture ye can do nothing and they that are without him who teacheth all things are without God in the World but he that hath the Son hath the Father also he that hath the Father and the Son abiding in him need not to go out from that to be taught or led by any other thing or Rule without him as it is written of him that overcometh That he shall no more go out and upon him that goeth not out the New Name comes to be written and he comes to be a Pillar in the Temple of God who goeth not out Rev. 3. 12. And the Name which is better than of Sons and Daughters even the Everlasting Name that shall never be cut off is given to them within the House and within the Walls even to such who take hold of the Covenant Isa 56. 4 5. And the Sanctuary is set in the midst of them for evermore Ezek. 37. 26 27 28. And in the midst of them will the Lord spread forth his hands as one that swimmeth Isa 25. 11. And though Ephriam compassed the Lord about with Lyes and the House of Israel with Deceit yet saith the Lord unto Ephriam I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee Hos 11. 9 12. And so Ephriam compassed him about with Lyes who was in the midst and he that was in the midst was holy though compassed about with Lyes and the Just Lord was in the midst of the filthy poluted and oppressed City Zeph. 3. 1 to 5. Consider this all you poluted Ones who oppress the Just in the midst of you for the Just Lord in the mâ—â—st will arise as a Lyon out of a Thicket and a young Lyon out of the Forrest he shall roar like a Lyon and utter his Voice like a man of War Isa 42. 13 14 15. And then shall his Enemies be scattered Psal 68. 1. And he will sweep away the Refuge of Lyes therefore the Daughter of Zion and the Daughter of Jerusalem and Israel shall be glad for unto them it is said The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see Evil any more In that day shall it be said to Jerusalem Fear thou not and to Zion Let not thy hands be slack the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save Zeph. 3. 14 15 16 17. And he that is mighty to save is known in the midst and so he that justifieth is near Isa 50. 8. even he who hath said I will dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel forever and my holy Name shall the House of Israel no more defile Ezek. 34. 7. For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his Habitation this is my Rest forever here will I dwell for I have desired it I will abundantly bles her Provision I will satisfie her Poor with Bread I will also clothe her Priests not the Priests of England with Salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy there will I make the Horn of David to bud I have ordained a Lamp for mine anointed his Enemies will I clothe with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish Psalm 132. 13 to 18. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. The true Prophet who was to come is come and there is not another his Work witnessed and Truth declared from a feeling sence and experience according to Scripture THe true Prophet is come of whom Moses the Servant of the Lord did write who is raised up in the
spoken unto you being yet present with you but the Comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things John 14. 25 26. And then what if I did write after the manner of men and say If Moses were now upon the Earth and Christ in his own Body upon the Earth and Moses with all his Priests Tythes and Offerings and Religion which discovers sin but makes nothing perfect which Paul profited much in if he I say should command and exhort all People under his Ministry to go to Christ and hear him And if Christ were now upon Earth and notwithstanding his outward Miracles Circumcision Baptism Supper and Death yet he should command and exhort all that come through the Law or Ministration of Moses unto him to look and tarry and wait for another Comforter that they might receive the Spirit in them and say unto them that that should teach them all things and lead them into all Truth Then whether or no People were to continue following Moses Priests with their Tythes and long Prayers and still be seeking the Law at their Mouth or to come to Christ to seek the Gospel for Moses himself did not say that they should seek the Gospel at the Priests Mouth And then when did the Priests ever preach the Gospel And then whether those obey not Moses who leave the Priests and come to Christ the Light And whether such when they are come to Christ should alwayes be looking and following after Water Baptism and outward Supper or tarry and wait to receive the Spirit within them And then which of these now should all People that profess Christ be led by in these dayes either Moses or the Person of Christ or the Spirit of Truth And whether such as have received and are truly indeed led by his Spirit of Truth and know that to be their Teacher and follow it and are ruled governed and guided by it according to the command of Moses and Christ do not hereby obey the command of Moses and of Christ and fulfill their Doctrine And whether any other People or Professors whatsoever do obey the command of Moses and Christ but only such And whether this be not a thing of great Concernment to be known and learned by all that profess Christianity But why then do People follow these Priests of England any longer which are contrary to Moses and also to Christ who have no Store-houses but suffer the Poor to want within and without and the Widdow and Stranger ready to perish and moreover devour and can never have enough of the Spoil of other mens Goods And why do others dispute about and talk of the Body so much which they know not And is it not better to be silent and know the true God and Jesus Christ who dwells in his People and the Spirit of Truth which he requires in the inward parts and to feel after God even the Life in themselves because the Apostle said They were saved by his Life being before reconciled by his Death Rom. 5. 10. And until the Life came there were many things which they were not saved from and the Death which reconcileth was passed through and the Life was received again to save and justifie And why then are People so much busied about that which was before the Reconciliation and so therein much short of the Life and for outward Bread Wine and Water Are not these things which are seen And are not the things that are seen Temporal But Christ the true Prophet being come of whom Moses did write who is the end of the Law and so the end of that Ministry whereby that is done away for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof and Christ coming after John of whom John bare witness that he was before and greater and came after him and Christ having finished that which he himself came to do and likewise so largely and often exhorted to wait for another Comforter even the Spirit Then what Ministration is it that now standeth and remainâ—eth which is according both to Moses Christ and the holy Scriptures And what Ministration is to be expected or waited for but the Ministration of the Spirit And whether all they be not compassed about with a Cloud of Error who are upholding that Ministry of the Law or a worse which Christ is the end of and the Apostles said was done away and likewise such as are upholding and keeping up that which Christ said he had finished And whether the upholding of such things now be not quite opposite both to Moses Christ and Scriptures And being that Moses nor indeed his true Ministers of the Law are not upon Earth neither that Body of Christ which by the Professors was murthered at Jerusalem visibly to be seen upon Earth Then what was it that those have to follow who have not received the Spirit to be led by and if they will say They have the Writings of Moses and the Words of Christ I say if that be all then they that forsook and denyed Christ had more then them for they had the Words from his own Mouth which was Spirit and Life and yet they understood not and then what do those understand who have not so much as they had therefore after he had suffered and rose again he opened their Understandings And so what is all their Religion worth who are not come to the Spirit And whether Moses Ministration being ended by Christ and Christ also having finished his Work are not all People in the first place now to wait for the Spirit and to receive the Spirit by it then to be led into all Truth and so being first led into the Truth then in the same Truth to worship God in the Spirit who is a Spirit And whether there be now any true Worship standing which God accepteth but only this And whether this alone be not agreeable to Moses Christ and Scriptures And then whether all other Worship now upheld be not contrary to this true Worship of God and contrary to Moses Christ and Scriptures and indeed chiefly opposite to the Spirit of God whereby he is grieved And if so whether all such Worship Way Practice Performances Duties and Ordinances so called be not better left undone than performed until God's Spirit be received to guide therein Thirdly Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit which abideth forever Moses and his Ministry were visible and Christ in the form of a Servant and so like unto Moses was visible and so was his Miracles and that which is visible to the Natural Eye the Carnal Mind can come to profess and contend about but the blessed Eye which God openeth with the Light cometh to see the one done away and the other finished by Christ the Light and Life And this Spirit is that which first moved and yet moveth and moved unto and led through the visible Ministration and this Spirit is invisible as it
King and to know and receive and abide in and be led by the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive John 14. 17. And to know that Truth which God desireth in the inward parts where Wisdom is to be known Psal 51. 6. And is not the Word the Truth John 17. 17. And is not Christs Name called the Word of God Rev. 19. 13. And did not Moses say The Word was in the Heart And is not the Word there as a Hammer and like Fire Jer. 23. 29. And doth not that Word sometimes pierce and divide in the Heart and is it not there quick and powerful Heb. 4. 12. And is not Christ the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. And did not he say I am the Light John 8. 12. and I am come a Light into the World John 12. 46. And did not he that was sent of God bear witness of the Light and say That it was the true Light or indeed the Light and Truth which lighteth every man that cometh into the World that all men through him might believe who was in the World John 1. 6 7 8 9 10. And did not he himself say Believe in the Light John 12. 35. And is not this he which is the Truth whom God hath given for a Light unto the Gentiles Isa 49. 6. And is not this he whom the Princes of this World hath not known 1 Cor. 2. 8. who was from everlasting when there was no Deeps nor Fountains of Water neither yet Mountains nor Hills Prov. 8. 24. And is not this he that is given for a Leader and Commander to the People Isa 45. 4. who will break the Yoke of the Oppressor Isa 9. 4. even him that is the Light whom they that walked in Darkness have not seen Isa 9. 2. who endeth the Strife with burning being born unto such as know and preach the Light Shall not his Name be called the wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the increase of whose Government and Peace shall have no end who shall sit upon the Throne and establish Judgment and Justice henceforth even forever Isa 9. 6 7. Is not this he at whose Name every Knee shall bow unto whom the gathering of the People shall be And are not the Kings to be brought unto his dwelling Isa 60. 11. And shall not the Kings of the Earth bring their Glory and Honour unto his beautiful Habitation Rev. 21. 24. and shall he not have a habitation in the Hearts of the Children of men in whom God doth come to dwell And may not this Truth and Power of God preserve the King Qu. 2. Again if the Kings Throne be upheld by Mercy and not by Cruelty nor Persecution whether then it be not good for the King to shew Mercy And how sadly even as it were without Mercy or Pity to Old or Young Widdows or Fatherless did several Thousands lately suffer by Imprisonment and divers wayes only concerning things which to them were matters of Conscience And should the King be perswaded moreover to break his Promise and restrain Liberty of Conscience and so thereby ruinate many Families impoverish many that now live well honest and comfortable and cause Children to starve in the Streets and Old People to perish with Hardships and Abuses and many more to lose their Lives in Prisons as some have done already who can lay down their Lives for Christs sake and that not for any Evil in the least done or intended by the said Sufferers but only truly and purely in matters of Conscience to God and whether this would not be unmerciful The third Query upon the same ANd is it not said in some of that part of the Book of Common-Prayer which is in it appointed to be read once a Year or upon that day called Ashwednesday Cursed are the unmerciful and should any man be first perswaded to be unmerciful and so brought liable to the Curse and then they themselves to curse him once a Year who cause him to be unmerciful and it may be much endeavour to make he himself say Amen to the Curse against himself and so curse one another And is it not dangerous for any man to come under the Curse and to be unmerciful lest God shut up his Mercy from him Therefore whether Mercy and Pity doth not become the King that therewith his Throne might be upheld And whether all the wise men he hath with all his Bishops and his armed men with all strength and Wisdom else whatsoever be able to uphold his Throne without Gods Mercy and if he would alwayes receive Mercy from God to have his Throne alwayes upheld thereby Whether it be not meet if not needful for him alwayes to shew mercy and to let all people but especially Gods Servants have Mercy from him or at least so much right as the Lord himself hath given them which is to Worship him in Spirit and serve him in that which purgeth the Conscience from dead works that they may serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. And seeing the King hath promised as aforesaid that such shall not be disquieted therein and whether these lines are not written for his good and in love unto the King 3. And seeing the same that said I am the Truth who was in the beginning with God Prov. 8. 30. said likewise By me Princes decree Justice Prov. 8. 15. Qu. 3. Then whether he be not the Power of God who said so And if so that he be the Power of God and that thereby Princes decree Justice or that which is just then what Power is that by which Princes decree Injustice And whether it be not Injustice for the King to be perswaded to break his Word and Promise and which Power are those men in that would have him do so seeing Christ is the Power of God by whom Justice is decreed And is it not just for the King to be as good as his word and may not all such as would have him break his promise remember That Lying Lips become not a Prince Prov. 17. 7. Moreover according to reason Whether many of them that do so much endeavour to have the King act contrary to his word or make void his promise by restraining sober honest Persons from the Liberty of their Consciences in spiritual matters and duties of prayer to the God of Heaven and waiting upon the Lord in his true service and fear of his holy Name whether such as these would be contented themselves to be restrained from the Wicked Liberty of their fleshly Lusts though that was never so openly promised them and so to be kept from all Whoredom Drunkenness and Swearing and such other works of Darkness wherewith they serve the Devil And can such be willing that all Boyes and all sorts of People as often as they see a Whoremonger or a Drunkard then all cry out presently A Whoremonger A Whoremonger or A Drunkard A Drunkard as they are that such
Corruptions of the Flesh And walk in the Life of Righteousness to preach forth the Innocency of the Lamb in uprightness through a suffering state and therein to glorifie him whom in Spirit and Truth you are to serve forever more so your Life may be renowned with him forever and your Souls replenished in the bountifulness of his Love whereby Fruits in you may abound to the glory of his Grace and you become rich in every good Word and Work And all you that are weak who meet with many Hardships and Tryals and Temptations within and without be ye not therefore discouraged nor moved but still mind that the Lord is able to deliver and still on him in much Patience wait that in the due time you may come to reap And truly Friends in faithfulness you will come to know the Lord to minister strength to the weak and give power to the faint that the small thing in you may become great and the barren become fruitful for in him who is the Light the plentious Redemption is and he it is that succours and saves in the time of need and helps and delivers in the time of distress and he will not leave the Humble Comfortless nor forsake the Meek of the Earth neither can the Lord forget his Covenant of Peace with the Seed of Jacob though it be but as a Worm in the Earth And you who suffer Bonds Imprisonments or loss of Goods for his sake who hath called you out of the World dear is my love unto you and precious is the faithful suffering Seed in you to me who also with you suffer both within and in outward Bonds seeing the Crown of rejoycing that through a suffering state is manifest to the Seed which through suffering comes to live forever and the Life is that which will uphold in the measure whereof manifest in you The power of the Lord preserve you that you may feel Truth kept clear in you and preserved blameless by you that the Prisoner of hope in you may Reign over its Adversaries and you feel the Power of the Lord strengthning the spoiled against the strong that under it the other may bow that to the humble Life of the Lamb slain all Nations may become subject And all consider that he that is the Wonderful Counsellor who saith I am the Light In it therefore wait the counsel of the Lord to receive And all take heed of going out from that to set up a form of barren Words without neither build ye the things which began to be destroyed but all take heed of vain Talkers high Boasters and such who by a multitude of Words darken that in you which is to give the knowledge of him whose Kingdom consisteth not of Words for many see things afar off and speak too soon and too much and out of the true fear whose Words feed that above the Seed in many who live thereby and it burthens the Seed in some tender Lambs so that it which should live in them is kept in Death And so such Talkers with their many Words do scatter the Flock and cause Strife being separated from the suffering Seed within and so cannot suffer one with another and things are out of God's Wisdom and out of Unity and true Brotherly Love and then the Mouthes of the Heathen are opened against you all and the precious Truth of God suffers Therefore it s better all such were silent and that in the true fear you come to wait on the Lord that the power of his Life might be opened in every particular and then if that speak a Word or two it will hurt none but be received by all that fear the Lord and that my Soul loveth but this I know and feel that many Words are spoken which murder the Life in the Meek Therefore where these things are let it be searched into with the Light in every particular that the true thing in all may arise and act and lead and guide in Meekness and true Fear that the Power of God in you all you may come unto And let all your Meetings be kept as in the dreadful Awe and Presence of God and meet together often that the Seed through Death may come to which my Love is dear in which Love which comes from God his Arm of Power preserve you all which is both my Desire and Prayers to God whom in the measure of his living Truth I serve in my Spirit and for which now I suffer Bonds who to some of you may be felt in that which is more near unto many of you than the Name Humphry Smith To the despised rejected and persecuted Lambs of Christ in the County of Dorset YOu whom the Lord God of Life hath visited with his Everlasting Loving-kindness in a day of Salvation and in an acceptable year hath the Lord â—ought after you who from him were going astray in the frowardness of your Wills and haughtiness of your vain Minds whereby your Souls were kept in Death out of which the Lord is now come to redeem and gather you his long lost sheep in his everlasting Arms of unlimited Love home unto the rest eternal where Peace and Plenty is within the Walls that are Salvation and the Gate of everlasting Peace within which the redeemed of the Lord do dwell and their rest is gloriously glorified with the presence of the most High who comes to rule in the Kingdoms of men and set his Righteousness and Judgment in the Earth whereby the meek of the Earth shall rejoyce and the Mourning seed shall be comforted because of him that executeth true Judgment upon the head of the Wicked which ruled over the growing seed which cryeth unto the Lord in the hour of distress and mourned for him who is the bright Morning Star whose lightnings begin now to enlighten the Earth and shine out of Darkness to give the knowledge of God in the sensible feeling part of the heart which comes to be made soft and tender thereby so that its wrought into Gods love which melts the Hills and shakes the Mountains and divides asunder that an open way fair clear may be made for the longing breathing seed to spring out of Bondage and feel Gods Mercy showered down as the latter Rain upon a dry and thirsty Land whereâ—y the Lillies grow and the Vine yields her Increase and the Olive flowrishes and Clothing from the God of Righteousness comes to cover the mourning naked Birth who hath no strength nor help but from the Lord God of Mercy who is the Father of the Fatherless and the Helper of the Helpless who also hears the Cry of the Needy and knows the mind of the Spirit and hath pity on all Sion's Mourners and Compassion of all the faint and he is helping the Prisoner out of the Pit whereby the Captive comes to be set at liberty and the opening of the Prison Door is felt by the Lambs and Children of the Day who unto the day
out of the Covenant And this know assuredly That many may see that which is afar off and not feel the Life of what they see and so are many high Professors in the World who change from one Opinion to another and are all yet but fruitless Trees which are to be cut down and rooted up And many there are who call him that is the Light Lord and Master but to the Light are not obedient in Self-denial nor taking up the daily Cross which is the Power of God and crucifies unto the World and so the first Man of the World being not crucified nor put off the new Man is not received and so little more is witnessed by many who profess Truth without the Life than was in the time of other Forms for if the Death be not known the Resurrection of the Just received and the Dead raised then is all in vain And this is not known by any but such who know the Judgments of the Lord set up in the Heart and the Cup of Astonishment to the Adulterous Seed which comes of the will of the Flesh and cannot lay down the Life for the Friend Wherefore I say wait to know the Birth that is Immortal and feel that born up which never yet was raised in them over whom the Vail yet is that the free Birth may be known and the Seed whom God hath appointed the blessing unto from under death redeemed that by the powerful risings thereof the understanding may be opened with that which was before Forms were that to it you may come which giveth Life unto the Soul and know a Saviour born of the barren Womb and a Deliverer brought forth in the place where he hath not been known and the Plant to spring out of that ground which is yet dry that it may be overshadowed with the loveliness of its spreading forth that a way may be opened in the Wilderness and the humble exalted in the Valley and so come to learn of that which is yet little and low and take heed of taking counsel of the Serpent whose subtilty will soon lead forth from the Simplicity neither cover your selves with any thing before the Righteousness of God which is perfect be received but love that which comes from the man of Sorrows who comes to break the peace of all them who walk not in the Everlasting Way of Life Let all them who are out of it search their Hearts with the Light And take heed of that which is high froward or strong in the Will for we are weak which is not brought to the Cross for there is the first Birth from the wrong grounds which will speak and act that which it lives not in neither is able to confirm it in Faithfulness to the Death and Loss of all for things may be true in themselves and that which is out of the Truth may speak of it yet such vain Talkers cannot suffer to Death for what they speak For that which cometh forth first is strong in the Earthly and would live forever and have the Blessing and would rule over the meek thing in the particular and in others having a secret desire to be admired being far unwilling to take a Servants place but certainly it is the meek humble suffering Seed which in many is yet oppress'd that is to last forever who through Death comes into the Dominion Therefore sink down out of the airy Comprehension and Subtilty above the Life and first come to suffer with that which is meek and low if ever you intend with it to reign in that Peace and Life which from all that without the Vail is hid and in silence watch and be sober to see him come which saves the Soul and clothes it with his own Righteousness that you be not found without a Covering of the Spirit Power and Life among the foolish Virgins for few there be that find the Way of Life and abide therein And I knowing the Terror of the Lord that will certainly come upon all them who dye out of his Covenant therefore I Warn all People every where as the Lord enlargeth me to wait to feel the powerful Word of Repentance and with the Light to make diligent search into the ground and foundation of all Professions Words and Actions For the Lord will make inquisition for the Blood of the Just and reward the Double-minded according to the intents of their hearts the Gaul whereof will be rent with the Power of his Might which will sweep away the refuge of Lyes and confound your Divinations in the head of that knowledge above the seed and a day of Desolation must come Sword and Famine must you know and the Earth to be removed and your Heavens shaken that the poor may come to receive the glad Tidings of the Gospel which is the Power of God for the fat and the strong are for judgment both within and without and they are still sent away empty but the poor are they which are to be satisfied not the rich high wise strong mighty prudent Diviners and Orthodox men and zealous Professors and liscentious Libertines as they are called who profess a Saviour to come and some would have a King to reign hereafter but they are not agreed how nor when nor where their King shall reign whom they imagine shall come but are found Despisers not Lovers nor Faithful Followers of him that is come the Glory of whose KINGDOM is already shining over the World and is established in Righteousness who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is our Head our Law-giver and our King and we do not look for another as the Drunkards of Ephriam do who are drunk but not with Wine and stagger at Noon-day and must be dashed one against another and broken to pieces as the Potsherds of the Earth who are looking for a King to come and know not the King who is already come who is the Light to which they will not bow though it in secret doth them reprove and shew us plainly of the Father and lets them see their Disobedience To it now therefore bow and bend for plainly the Lord God who is Light will not alwayes strive by the Light of his Son in your hearts And this know That as I tender the least honest desires that are begotten in any after the living Truth of God yet I am to deal plainly with all and clear my Conscience of all who are covered with their own Conceivings and in Words and Writing to warn all in the Spirit of Truth and Meekness as the Lord moveth me in faithfulness to declare against that which yet in any bears rule over the Seed which by Judgment must be overturned and all the Judgments of the Lord are true Wherefore ye that are willing to come out of Temptations into that where the foolish Virgins cannot enter wait in the fear of the Lord to feel his Work within whilst the day of Salvation lasteth lest thick
his Goodness the praises of the Lord ascend up to Heaven whose Mercies refresh the Earth Oh that you might partake with me of the unspeakable Blessings of God and feel and receive in your selves the true Tenders and Offers of the tenderness of my Love hereby presented unto you that you might feel your Hearts begin to open therewith to receive the same that in the Life of the Spirit of Truth you may truly perceive me to be present praising the Lord with you and likewise pertaking with you of your sufferings having also Acquaintance of your Grief and being truly sensible of your manifold Tryals and Tribulations The Lord preserve you to the end thereof And Friends let not your hearts be sad neither be ye overmuch cast down with any thing whatsoever of which I forbare to mention neither be ye discouraged by reason of any thing that the Lord bringeth or suffereth to come to pass either amongst us or concerning us neither let the multitude of Tryals nor the length of dayes therein cause you in the least to distrust the Lord who in his secret Wisdom in the end of all things bringeth forth good unto such who in all conditions and under all Tryals do truly love and cleave unto the Lord their strength But why should I multiply words The intent of my heart is that you might have benefit by the increase of the same love of God and the Springings forth thereof of the which we have all received For you know the Truth which teacheth all things and a measure of that Life from whence all these words do come which do service for the Lord and are helpful to his Servants and comfortable to his Chosen people and for the refreshing of the tender Lambs and the building up of the members in the holy Unity to grow up in the holy Life for the honour of his Glorious Name forever in whose blessed Name Life Strength and Virtue is found the which indeed is become a true Refuge unto the Chosen Israel of God where they are succoured when none can help and where they are preserved when none other can uphold unto whom they can pour forth their Complaints in secret and Address themselves at every needful time whose complaints are never by him rejected nor turned back upon the Upright hearted as sometimes it hath been when help or comfort hath been expected from some of the Children of men who may also be tempted and in danger of being overcome but the Lord can never be overcome neither can he ever Err in his Understanding or mistake in his Judgments nor reject that which is truly simple and tender neither yet receive that which is deceitful though appearing or seeming never so Glorious Let all Friends whose hearts are tender in the tenderness thereof still return unto him from that which causeth a hardness and out of that which bringeth distrust to leave that which bringeth darkness into the mind and so to get from the barren places into the fruitful Habitation of the living Then shall Peace flow as a River and Unity shall flourish as the varieties of the various Flowers in the Field and Righteousness shall spread over all as the Morning dew and then the Beauty of the Righteous shall shine and the Glory of the Lord shall yet more abundantly appear and fruit shall encrease as in the Summer season and the Vineyard of the Lord shall yet again flourish in Righteousness and the Lord shall be glorified in his Saints who is greatly admired by all them that truely believe Oh! that the seed might lift up the head Oh! that the Plants of Righteousness might spring that the true Mourner might be comforted That fruit might abound in abundance That the weak might receive strength That the Seed of the Lamb may know the Boldness of the Lyon That all might be refreshed together and that you all might live and grow and encrease with the Encreases of God The Lord God of Heaven and Earth grant these things unto you and fulfill them in you that you may be filled with Virtue and wax bold and Valiant to the end in the noble Life of the honourable Power of God whose Name is blessed for evermore Amen From Winchester Prison is this sent forth towards you and the true Love and Simplicity of Heart by your Brother in the fellowship and Testimony of Jesus and the Bonds of the Gospel Humphry Smith To the Young and Tender and to the late Convinced People of God amongst the rest of the Elect and already Chosen whose outward Habitations are in and near the County of Essex To be read amongst them in much Wisdom Meekness Deliberation and most chiefly in the true fear of the Lord God THe sound of the everlasting Truth of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath passed through and amongst you and the Word of his Power in the dread of his holy Name hath been published within your borders and the way of everlasting Life and Righteousness hath plainly been declared to the understanding and the Covenant of everlasting Peace and Truth hath been tendred unto your Hearts and the Day of Visitation from God hath been freely offered unto your Souls and the things which belong to your everlasting happiness hath been set before your Eyes and those things of the Kingdom of God which pertain to the Sons of men to know in the power of his Wisdom and in the strength of his Might hath been demonstrated among you and the tender Call of God in the day of his love hath been unto you Oh that your Hearts might retain it forever and that your Eyes might be abundantly opened to see into the unsearchable things of God! Oh that your understandings might yet be more opened to receive the Riches of the invisible Truth of God! Oh that your Hearts might come to be more enlarged therewith and that you who have known the Call of God and felt the working of his Grace in your hearts unto a true Convincement might all come to live the Life of Righteousness end forever hereafter to walk from that more and more which you are truly convinced of to be evil either in Word or Deed or any manner of Practice whatsoever and to walk with more Circumspection and Integrity and Faithfulness to the Lord in obedience unto all things truly made known unto you to be right and justifiable in the sight of the God of Heaven This certainly is the breathings of my Soul unto the God of Heaven for your everlasting Well-fare And the true desire of my present enlarged Heart for your Eternal Happiness is That as the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath counted you worthy of his Call in the power of his Grace which bringeth Salvation unto all you may not judge your selves unworthy of the Kingdom of God but may cleave unto his Truth in the inward parts leaving all that which hath kept you from it whatsoever it be and all that which hath
this in you you may overcome the World which is let in the heart And was not he that is the Light and the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World And hath not the World such a Foundation in you and such a growth and stature over you that you cannot see to the end of it nor believe to the overcoming of it And is it not therefore that you are joyned to that by which the Lamb is slain so that his Grave is with the Rich and his Burial with the Wicked read and understand And doth not the Blood of the slain Cry from the ground against you Did you never hear the the oppressed Cry Did you never feel a seed in you cry aloud for Life though it lies in the Death Did you never know the house of Mourning nor feel him near who is a man of Sorrows Are you quite dead and past feeling Nay nay there is many of you are not so far hardened nor yet so much given up however the time hath been that you all might have known this thing I declare of which belongs to your peace you that have the Scriptures and are talking of the place of holy Worship take heed hearken and hear a little He that makes an end of sin is come near unto you he who remains a Priest forever Mourneth over you and your day of visitation is come yea behold the Lamb the meek harmless unspotted beloved of God comes meekly though esteemed not able to save himself yet behold it s the King of Glory crowned with Immortality forever who rides meekly in Righteousness and gentle in the Father's Wisdom yea the Heir is come resist him not lest the thing which belongs to your Everlasting peace be hid from your Eyes for evermore and you left desolate only having the Scriptures of Truth but not the Truth in the inward parts where the knowledge of it makes free For behold the Prince of Everlasting Peace I proclaim unto you even the Word by which the World was made by which Word all things are upheld and the Word of Reconciliation reconcileth the heart Mark it s the Heart of the parents to the Children and the Children to the parents that the Earth may not be smitten with a Curse and who so have received that Word so as it comes to be ingrafted into them thereby their hearts come to be reconciled one to another and have Love Unity and Peace with all those Things Persons and Creatures which were at first made and are upheld by the Power of that Word to which he that is come of him it s written In Famine he shall redeem thee from Death and in War from the Power of the Sword and thou shalt be hid from the Scourge of the Tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of Destruction when it cometh at destruction and famine thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the beast of the Earth for thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be in league with thee and thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace and thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sin And you that are far off from coming to read this within may search the Scriptures and read it there of a seed that shall be great as the off-spring that shall be as the Grass of the Earth for Number so shall they be multiplied in whose Mouthes there is found no guile are Children that will not Lye that are come to him who is the Prince of Peace that makes an end of sin and is the Word before the sin and the Covenant of God the Everlasting Father who proclaims Liberty to the captive and is the one thing needful in the which all things are reconciled to God and in him to one another whether things in Heaven or in Earth or under the Earth whereby comes Peace in the receiving and submission unto that Word of Power by which all things were made and are upheld and the Light of that word is that which is become unto us both Rest and Joy and Life and Peace And this is that which is ministred into every Creature and this we have heard in secret and proclaim on the House tops and this is to be preached unto all Nations that by it he that is above all through all and in all may come to be known which is the Gospel of the Kingdom and this I proclaim unto you and publish within your borders and make mention of his Name within your Gates that the Life of Immortal Peace there you might feel and this is it which you have long resisted as your Fathers did and when you have rebelled against this like them before that also rebelled against the Light Job 24. 13. And having resisted it in your selves then you rise up against us who believe in the Light John 12. 39. and when you have even murthered the witness in your selves then you seek to destroy us who bear witness that he is come who reproves the World of sin and the World is set in the Heart and the Light is come into the World and that which reproveth for sin is in you though by reason of sin it is wounded and often overcome and with that which is wounded in you we mourn and with that which sometimes troubles you we have Peace and that in you is our Friend and pleads for us against you whom you refuse to hear and that which you are most afraid of we love and embrace and that which would break your hearts hath broke ours and that in you which is to kill the Life you live is that which hath brought us from Death to Life by which we now live for that which was alive is dead and that which was dead is alive and the first born is slain and the seed is come forth from under Deaths Bond but you that are Rich and think you need nothing in whom Wickedness is found are the grave Isaiah in which that is buried as a dead thing which should save from Death and give power over the Grave and bring peace for evermore And if that in you arise not to give you Life and Peace and so fellowship with us whose Life is in it yet do we with it rejoyce in its Righteous Judgments and have fellowship with it as it ariseth to judge and condemn you for your disobeying and contemning of it for absolutely if you will not let it now arise to mortifie the Lust and bring down the Life which is in the strength of your wills and so to give you peace then will it arise hereafter to judge and condemn you when you shall not be able any longer to resist nor overcome the strength of its dreadful power in executing Judgment upon the Transgressor To Friends at Ailsbury Prison and in them parts DEar and well-beloved Friends who continue true Followers of the Lamb of God in faithful Sufferings for
the Testimony of his Name and remain Prisoners for the same Truth and Testimony of Jesus for which also this Body of mine doth and hath long suffered Restraint and Bonds and my Soul grieved with the Sodomitish Wickedness and Heathenish Prophainness of Hard-hearted Rebellious to God and disobedient Ungodly People whose Judgment slumbereth not and whose Damnation will certainly come and be just from God upon them who have made a Covenant with Death and shew forth themselves as a people at an Agreement with all the Powers of Hell in which is the Reward of all the Wicked that have forgotten God and wholely rejected the manifold Manifestation of his Mercies which unto you O ye dear and tender-hearted is as precious Oyl and as desirable Treasure Who can but prize the Mercies of the God of Heaven How refreshingly hath it often flowed in upon the thirsty Habitations of many to the abundant refreshing and comforting of the weary Land Oh! how sweetly and with what pleasantness hath mine Eyes beheld the springing up and the growth and spreadings of the tender Plants after the distiling streams of the Heavenly Dews upon them and every one standing in his place flourishing with their Branches over the Earth not one offending the other and all casting forth a sweet favour being daily replenished with the springings up of the Sap of Life and comforted with the Sun Beams of Righteousness How harmoniously then doth the Garden flourish And how beautiful is every Plant whom God hath planted And is it possible for any other plants to bring forth Fruits unto holiness but only such whom the God of Heaven causeth to grow And how sad is it for any one Plant to hurt kill or destroy another And who can without some Remorse or pity behold the withering and fading of any such Plants whose flourishing was once so delightsom that all who passed by and took notice thereof commended them for their virtue or at least took some special notice of their prudence and the wisdom of him by whom they flourished in that they grew multiplied and prospered though they could not perceive nor understand by what invisible virtue they thus were nourished nor whence it came I say again when I have beheld the Trees of the Lord the Plants of the Garden of God in their fresh green growing flourishing united State in the Life of Liberty my heart hath often been refreshed my Soul quickned my Spirit revived and my mind and desires abundantly satisfied Then hath my life founded forth the precious praises of the Almighty in the Assemblies of the upright and my Heart broken therewith in the delightsom Love hath poured forth Thanksgiving with tenderness and tears in secret O! how then hath the overflowing of Mercy reached over the uttermost borders of my dwelling and how sweetly have we then been comforted and revived one in another How lovely then hath the face of the Righteous been when Righteousness it self in the Meekness of Love looked forth at the Windows How were the Bowels of each other then enflamed within them How sweet was the Beauty of Meekness to the Beholders Who then could but receive the love of the loveliness it self Dear Lambs of the fold of Heaven whose hearts are still opened by the feeling of the virtue of life who only know me and can hear the words of my Life and understand the Voice of my Love My Heart and Soul salutes you my Love is dear unto you my Life hath long reached forth it self towards you in my Remembrance your Life is written I am your Servant in the Love of God a Member of the Body with you a Brother in Tribulations a Companion with you in your Warfare a Feeder with you at your Table and one that rejoyceth with you in the Joy unspeakable being made with you a partaker of that precious Inheritance that fadeth not away where Life and Love and fellowship with Praises and Thanksgiving aboundeth forever Wherewith should I greet you in the Greetings of that Love which cannot be uttered And how should I Salute you in that which cannot be declared What words might I use to speak forth the Life of Wisdom or reach forth the true love of a broken Heart Behold I may become as a Babe herein and be silent as a Child yet learning utterance lest in reaching forth of my strength I should signifie my weakness to unfold the undeclareable Infinitness of the fulness of Virtue Wisdom Meekness Life and Love from the measure whereof my simple words most certainly do at present proceed as some few amongst many will surely perceive hereby who remain in the single-heartedness of undefiled Unity whose desires are still afresh enflamed and whose Bowels yet daily yearn after a more fuller enjoyment of God and the encrease and preservation of his Precious Truth and who for the same can still deny themselves to serve others in the true sense and feeling of the undefiled brotherly Love and who can lay down their Crowns that the Lamb may be honoured and suffer in the inward man that the Brother may be preserved for whom Christ dyed and towards whom Gods Love was even when he was an Enemy the which love of God being continued towards thee in the same Love shouldest thou continue towards thy Brother and there-with mayst thou do him good and perform some service towards the Lord whose love was towards you both and then from him shalt thou receive a Reward into thy own Bosom and in the needful time God will deliver thee and at the hour of Tryal he will Succour thee and thou the dear Plant of the Lord thereby mayst stand though some that were stronger then thee be overcome and fall into the Snare of the Enemy in that hour of Tryal and be then entangled with many Incumbrances and that of divers kinds The Lord God of Heaven and Earth preserve my dear tender hearted Lambs and Brethren out of such things that a Vail may not come over you and so the Life be stopt from springing up in you for then may such again go Mourning all the day long when none doth pity Friends the often Incomes of Gods Love and the forth flowings of the same towards you and the precious seed of God in them parts hath constrained me at present to visit you in the true love of my Soul with these Lines that so you might not only hear from me but also in some measure be comforted in me and likewise some of you a little refreshed hereby For Behold the God of Heaven is my Refuge and strength and the Lord of Host is my Upholder and the holy One of Israel is my Everlasting Support and the daily Incomes of that which doth truly comfort is as Marrow to my Bones yea the Lord hath prolonged my dayes inlarged my Borders and beautifyed the Place of my Dwelling My heart is overcome with his Love my Soul is filled with his Virtue and my Tongue doth declare of