unto all men without Exception Teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godlily in this present Evil World Tit. 2.11 12. And this Grace seasons our Words and establishes our Hearts So we have a Teacher which brings us Salvation Glory be to God forever and forever And this Teacher is with us where-ever we are to wit the Grace of God by which we are saved and not of our selves And we can say this Grace is Sufficient which brings Salvation though you look not upon it to be Sufficient who keep People alwayes under your Teachings that they may be alwayes Learning of you and alwayes paying of you and yet never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in themselves nor their Talent in themselves to improve For have you not been like the Pharisees who stopt their Ears and closed their Eyes and like Saul who kickt against that that pricks him and then kickt against others and persecuted others And were they not them who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who would not enter themselves nor suffer others to enter See that Blessed Doctrine of Christ in Luk. 17. who said to them The Kingdom of Heaven when they demanded when it should come Christ's Answer to them was comes not with Observation Lo Here Lo there But saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is within you And we have found his blessed Words to be true Blessed be his Name forever who hath stood at our Door and knocks as He doth at yours Yea I say at the Door of our Minds and at the Door of our Hearts and Souls and we have let Him in who now Sups with us and we with Him the Heavenly Supper with the Heavenly Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and our Alone Saviour O! Glory be to Him forever and for evermore Rev. 3. And you say There is no Overcoming of Sin and Death on this side the Grave but must have alwayes a Warfare Ans But did not Paul say that He had fought c. then surely he was not then fighting he was not then warring though 't is true Time was that He had been in the War and led Captive to do those things he would not have done But if there be no Overcoming on this side the Grave then there is no Eating of the hidden Manna on this side the Grave nor no Getting of the White Stone on this side the Grave nor of that New Name written in the Stone which no man knoweth saving He that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 The Reason there rendred because it is a Gift only to Him that Overcometh that is on this side the Grave And Rev. 3.12 13. Him that Overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and He shall go no more out and I will write upon Him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God So that mark this Promise will not be made good unless we Overcome on this side the Grave But it may be you have not the Ears to Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in the 21. Vers To Him that Overcometh will I grant to Sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am Set down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let Him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches But I fear you have none of these Ears open that the Spirit speaks to here namely The Church of the Living God whereof Christ is the Head Again Rev. 3 5. He that Overcometh the same shall be Clothed in White Rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life But I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an Ear let him hear c. But as I said before I question your Ears of hearing what the Spirit saith that there must first be an Overcoming Now this was the Spirit 's speaking to the Church that did Overcome But it may be you will say That the Spirit doth not speak to you in your Church and therefore you may question your Church and your selves too And Rev. 2.26 He that Overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the End to him will I give Power and I will give him the Morning Star He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now we can and do witness that Spiritual Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Glory to God forever and we do heartily desire that you had the same And as for the LIGHT which you call Natural and Created and a Made Light that really and truly is the Light of Christ Jesus the Heavenly and Spiritual Man and it is a Heavenly Light and a Spiritual Light wherewithal He Enlightens every one that comes into the World which he commands us to believe in through which we become Children of Light as was said before For in Him was Life to wit Christ by whom the World was made and this Life that is in Christ is the Light of Men. And so as men are turned to the Light and believe in the Light they are ingrafted into Christ who is the Root or Stock and they the Branches So that this Light is neither Natural nor Created nor Made for it is the Heavenly Light which is the Life in Christ by which we coming into Christ the Light we receive Life And as Peter speaks of the Light which was a more Sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts signifying that this Light was sufficient to bring them unto the Day-dawning and unto the Day-Star arising in their Hearts yea this Light that shines in a dark Place And what dark Place was this and where was it was it not in their Hearts which they did well to take heed unto signifying thereby that they do not well that do not take heed unto it and so they do well that do take heed unto it in the Light they see more Light and it shines more and more to the perfect Day So this Light that comes from Christ Christians waiting in it they receive Christ the Bright Morning-Star which Thousands do witness and have received Him Glory to God for evermore and with their Hearts they do believe and with their Mouthes Confession is made unto Salvation and that their Salvation is their Wall and Bulwork against all Persecutors And so we follow Him to wit Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation and the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World against whom the Dragon Beast and Whore and their Followers are Fighting but the Lamb will have the Victory For He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the First and Last
will he not learn Righteousness c. O! it is not the work of Christ's Ministers to fall upon the Righteous and persecute the Innocent and let Swearers Drunkards Whore-Masters and Adulterers go free And do you not pronounce the Blessing of God to be upon them and Peace be unto them all in the State and Condition wherein they remain unconverted For are not the words general in the close of your Service And is this the best Entertainment you can afford Strangers viz. To Slander and Belye them Is this the best Provision you have for them in your Houses Surely these are very course Complements from such Persons as are lookt upon by others and by themselves too as Men of no small Breeding But this is no good Breeding nor manifests good Education but bespeaks the Educator not to be of Christ nor of God and this is the Production and Fruit of your Studdyings Is this to follow the Apostle's Advice who exhorts To Studdy to be Quiet 1 Thes 4.11 And 2 Tim. 2.15 16. Studdy to shew thy self approved of God a Workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth but shun Prophane and Vain Babblings for they will encrease to more Ungodliness c. And saith Solomon Prov. 12.22 Lying Lips are an Abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are his Delight And in chap. 10.18 He that hideth Hatred with Lying Lips and he that uttereth a Slander is a Fool. And Psal 101.5 Who so privily Slandereth his Neighbour him will I cut off Read Rom. 1.28 29 30 c. And consider you that call your selves Ministers Are the Scriptures of Truth of no value of no use with you nor with your People which saith That whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in danger of the Judgment And whosoever shall say unto his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Council But whosoever saith unto his Brother Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire Mat. 5.22 Now do you not know what this means Ought not this to be more seriously heeded by you Priests and your Hearers as you would not undergo the Penalty or how can you How dare you bring your Gift to the Altar before you be reconciled to your Brother And you that persecute or go about to persecute are you not of the number of those that mingle their Sacrifices with Blood O! what will become of you that persecute and speak all manner of Evil against God's People for Christ's sake Hesaith Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy But what then will likely be your Portions who ate Cruel and Unmerciful Further he saith Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the Earth What then will become of you who are Furious and Envious Again saith he Blessed are the Peace-Makers for they shall be called he Children of God Then what will become of you who stir up to Contention Dissention and Persecution this is no Gospel no Glad-tidings How can you say the Lord's Prayer Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us So mark you are no more forgiven then you do forgive Mat. 25. Depart you Cursed into Everlasting Fire c. Why what 's the Matter For saith he I was an Hungred and ye gave me no Meat I was Thirsty and ye gave me no Drink c. But you may answer and say Lord When saw we thee a Hungry or a Thurst or a Stranger c Then will he say Insomuch as you did it not unto the least of these you did it not unto me And these shall go into Everlasting Punishment There you see the Sentence is given already you have heard it and you may read it there about the latter end And Mark If he dealt so with those then that did no good how much more sorer Punishment shall be inflicted on those that persecute such c. And so you that do profess and make a Trade of Christ's words for Money and persecute him where and in whom he is made manifest are not you made manifest in the sight of the Son to be the very Antichrist's professing Christ and yet are found Enemies to him and acting perversly against him and to be in the number of those inwardly ravening Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Christ speaks of in Mat. 7. and those evil Trees and evil Ground that bringeth forth nothing but Thistles Bryars and Thornes wherewith to rend and tear and prick the Lambs of God And are you not of the number of those who build up and adorn and garnish the Tombs of the Righteous even Christ's Sepulchre and observe his days and their dayes and yet persecute him and the Saints Where do you read that Christ or any of the Apostles gave any Command unto you for to observe dayes unto them And where was it ever the practice of any of the People of God all along the Bible either to keep Christmas-day or Candlemas-day or Childermas-day or All Saints-day or Michaelmas or Lent c Had you not all these from the Popes And how can you cry out against Popery and yet live in the practice of those things which you have from them and that they have set up If you will have a Mass for your Candles why not as well a Mass for your Cows and your Horses your Sugar-Canes and your Potatos We do not read that Isaac observed his Father's day or Jacob observed Isaac's day or did the Jews observe Joshua's or Moses's or Aaron's day or that any of the Saints did observe the Apostles dayes and called them Holy-Dayes Yea did the Apostles observe Christ's day or Stephen's day or James's day or any of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and called them Holy-dayes Let us see the Scripture for it For you pretend the Scriptures to be the Rule for your Practices and yet how dare you say so and act quite contrary to the Scriptures of Truth For did not the Apostle leave the People of God to their Liberty in Rom. 14.4 5 6 7. concerning observing of days He that observed a day he was to observe it to the Lord and he that did not regard the day to the Lord they were not to judge one another about such things but you have thrown away this day also that do act contrary in judging and persecuting one another upon this account And doth not the Apostle judge and reprove the Galatians for observing dayes and tells them That they were Bewicht and calls them Fools Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth And chap 4.10 11. Ye observe Dayes and Times and Moneths and Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you Labour in vain How came you to be so wise as to observe them and compel others to observe them do you not make your selves wiser then Christ or any of the Apostles What Wisdom is this think you that you should by it
with the Negars belonging to friends and did admonish them and Christianly perswade them that they should be content with having but one wife each man of them and that the Wives should love their Husbands and the Husbands their Wives and fear God and not abuse them either with blows or in Bitter Words and that they should not Steal nor commit fornication or Adultry nor do any wicked thing but that they should Serve and Worship the Lord God in Spirit and in Truth and yield subjection to their Masters and those over them and do what they did in Singleness of Heart c. Whereupon some of you Priests have raised as we understand a Slander upon Friends viz. that we have a Design to teach the Blacks to rebel which is a most false Lye whereas indeed it should have been their work who take upon them to be Ministers of Christ to admonish the Blacks and Taunies themselves and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them themselves But was not there a great Professor that said to a Black 's Child Lord bless thee and after did she not as re-calling her words say Lord forgive me as though the Blacks had no souls to save as well as Whites It s credibly reported that once when a Black came to a Steeple-House in time of worship That the Sexton came to him with his Whip and said unto him Get thee out thou Dog what do you here are these the words of Christ for sure the Lord Would have all to be saved And have you no Gospel for Blacks is not the Gospel to be preached to all Nations and peoples and are not the Blacks of some Nations and people did not Christ dye for the Blacks and the Taunies as well as for the Whites and was not his Blood shed for all men and are they not men And must Christ be preacht to some people and not to some others And as for designs we deny disown and abhor all such things We desire that all may live Peaceable under the Governors of their respective Families and under the Government of the Island and nations wherein and amongst whom they are for we are so taught of Christ namely to seek the good of all men and peace with all men And we would have all men to be saved as well as our selves And we Covet none of the People's Money neither Gold nor Silver as you Priests do but as freely we have received so freely we give For we do not come into a Parish to make the People and their goods our Free-Hold for term of life as yours do and pretend and make the people believe that we do watch for their souls as yo◠Priests do and yet never intend it but watch when the harvest comes that you may share in their goods and estates that God hath blest them with encrease And as you know they do in other places watch when the Sows pig that they may have the Tythe Pig and the Tythe Egs c. and watch when the Turkies and Hens hatch that they may have some of the encrease of the Chickins and Goglings c. this is that they watch for And watch when the Corn is ripe and the cocks of hay are made this is that they Gape for gain from their quarter as of old for their goods and not for the good of their souls which if a man give them not nor put into their Mouths then they prepare war against them This I suppose is well known here and these are the Souls they watch for and where they find a bigger Benefice thither do they go for such things it is they watch for and so as the old Proverb is No Penny no Pater Noster For what Pater Noster have any had of you Priests without a Penny in this Island Have you not thrown away that Command of Christ who said Freely you have received freely give And have you not come short of the Example of Paul who saith Acts 20.33 I have Coveted no man's Silver or Gold or Apparel Yea your selves know That these Hands have ministred to my Necessities and to them that were with me that so he might be an Example to all that followed him So that I say Such have not follow'd the Apostle in this particular But is not Demas your Example who forsook the Truth and embraced the things of this present World And the False Prophets and Shepherds are they not your Example who seek for their Gain from their Quarter and Horsleech like think they can never have enough read Isa 56. throughout And seek for the Wool and the Fleece and to make a Prey of the Sheep read Ezek. 34. cap. And preach for filthy Lucre for Hire for the Love of Money that mind Earthly things who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ 〈◊〉 these are the things that such watch for and 〈…〉 … ple's Souls and to get and present these outward things into their Barns and Houses and not to present their Souls to God as the True Ministers did and do and if any one would not give them their Hire though they never set them a work they would Persecute them and Cry Out for the Magistrate's Power to assist them So that are not such as these next a kin to the Order of Begging Friars for do they not Beg of the Magistrate for their Tythes or Maintenance to be paid them And was not the first rise of Tythes from the Pope who raised up and instituted that Order of Fryar Mendicants since Christ's and the Apostles dayes who said Freely you have received freely give So read Jer. 5. Tim. Titus Mich. 3. and see whose Steps such Ministers walk in and Mat. 23. throughout and see if you do not walk in the Steps of them against whom Christ pronounces such Heavy Dizmal and Dreadful Woes THE END
Corner-Stone the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles and us as is said in John and we are those who have obeythe Commands of Christ who enlightens every Man that cometh into the World that all through it might believe who said Believe in the Light this is his Command that they may become Children of the Light John 12.36 So we know That as many as receives him to wit Christ the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to them gives he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 And this we Witness and can say Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and Heirs of Christ who makes us sit together in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who formerly were dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. And we have received the Unction from the Holy One through which we come to know all things The Anointing which we have received of him abides in us and we need not any ones Teaching us but as the same Anointing does teach us all thengs and is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 It taught the Saints in the Apostles dayes and us in ours therefore we must abide in him as they did to wit in Jesus And the Light of Christ which shines in our Hearts which God hath commanded to shine out of Darkness doth give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is the Heavenly Treasure we have in our Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. So as we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ the Son of God which sprinkles our Hearts and Consciences cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 And whereas many Lyes and Scandals you have cast upon us to wit our Denying of God Christ and the Scriptures c. They are all False For Christ we know own and believe his Incarnation Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorification And the Scriptures we own to be the Scriptures of Truth And Scriptures signifie Writings and we own the Scriptures to contain the Words of God which we learn of God and given forth by the Holy Men of God and are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And whereas we have been accused for Denying Original Sin and Owning Perfection here in this Life To which we answer That there is an Original of Sin we deny not but your Doctrine of Original Sin we do deny as you state it For doth not Original signifie the Beginning and the beginning of Sin was it not the Devil For we do affirm it was neither God nor Christ And did not Christ come to destroy the Devil and his Works and so destroy the Original So we must tell you we hold Christ and not the Devil who was and is the Original of Sin and Imperfection I say again Christ who was before the Devil was who was glorified with the Father before the World began who bruises the Serpents Head and the Heads of all Deceivers Lyars and Slanderers and False Prophets and Anti-Christs And in him we are to wit Christ Jesus who is our Salvation Mediator and Redeemer And as for your Accusing us for holding Perfection Answ What must we not hold God who is Perfect and must we not hold Christ who is Perfect and his Work and Worship which is Perfect and his Religion which is Perfect that comes from himself and the Gifts of his Spirit and Grace and Faith which are Perfect Are not all his Gifts Perfect and must we not receive them in this Life yea must not our Bodies be the Temple of God and of Christ and of his Holy Ghost And then must we not hold them who are Perfect and own Perfection And is not the Command of Christ to us to be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect And was it ever the work of the Prophets and Apostles to preach up Imperfection for Term of Life but always both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles pressed and presseth us to Perfection and what do they press us to that which is Impossible to be attain'd unto What will you say that their Words were of no Value What will you liken Christ and his Apostles words unto For were there any that ever denied the Doctrine of Perfection saving only Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and you who have got the Forme of Godliness but deny the Power thereof which brings out of Imperfection to the perfect Head Christ Jesus who is the way to God And therefore you do not only deny the perfect Power but also are short of having the Form of Godliness And will not Christ present his Church Perfect that is without Spot or Wrinkle unto God the Father who is the pure Head of it And how will you present your Church to God What will you present it to God with a Body of Death and a Body of Sin Do not you deny Circumcision in this namely the Circumcision of the Spirit that is made without Hands by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ And do not you deny Christ's Baptism who came with his Fan in his Hand to purge his Floor thoroughly whom We see is come and doth increase and do see the decrease of John I say He is come with his Fan in his Hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and gather his Wheat into his Garner a safe place And this We witness and so must all People before they go to their Graves For this is the Baptism that the Devil would fain have People to deny and his Ministers and Messengers and then he fils them with Chaff For as the Apostle saith to the Church By one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free He doth not say that by Water we were all baptised into one Body For we see many Bodies baptised with Elementary Water and yet do destroy one another Now mark the Words We are all baptised into one Body that is the Church of the First-born and Christ is the Head of this Body 1 Cor. 12.13 So this is the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark that Through all and in you all Unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ praised be his Name forever Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ yea that Grace which brings Salvation which hath appeared