Conscience Or in what Court can he appear without offence Are not Snares laid in lower places and on the Mountains a Net spread And do not these daily catch men Search if there be a man left that is valiant for Truth upon Earth who for fear or favour will not winke at Oppression or that dare faithfully stand bâ— him that comes in the Name of the Lord to reprove sin openly who is he that hath not laid Riches or Honour or some piece of Earth in his own way to stop his feet from the path of uprightness and so is every mans Arm become too short to relieve the Oppressed or to open the way wherein the Innocent may serve his Maker without fear Or the Just to proclaim the Holiness of God without danger in the way that God shall chuse and not man Or for Judgement to come forth into the open places where wickedness is most acted Or for the lively witness of the Lamb to arise against his Enemy in the good old Way that he hath chosen to all Generations Ah! How is the Antient paths forsaken of men How have you left the good old Way of God and chosen wayes of your own against your own souls How long will it be ere you try your wayes with the truth that you may return to him who is come to require the paths of Judgement and Righteousness and Truth that the meek may possesse his Inheritance of old and that God may walk in his own seed as he hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them who comes as the lightning Behold you who are crying against new Wayes you say it was never well since there is so many new wayes you are the men and your wayes are the thing you complain of and why there is so many of your wayes is because Babel is confounded and many Heads and Horns are lifted up to fulfill that number as is written of them to withstand the way of the Lamb and to fight against Gods appearance in his heritage who all are set against the way of God as at this day which is but one to all Generations was not this his way of Old which is now rejected and which is become so odious in your eyes Was not this of Old the pure path which you now say breaks your Peace Search the Scriptures which testifie of God and his way in his Servants of Old and how he then passed in his redeemed ones chosen vessels for himself to make his power known against opposers as you may read in Scriptures trace the steps of his Servants in whom he walked and see how far you have erred at this day Was not this his way in Jeremiah who led him into the Gates of Jerusalem and through the streets thereof through him declaring against sin there abounding and to pronounce Judgement to follow did not he lead him into their Temple and therein told them who went ehither to worship that they trusted in a Lye who cryed the Temple of the Lord but had made it a Den of Thieves by their wicked wayes Did not he lead him down to the House of the King and there told him That if he would not amend his wayes his House should become a desolation And which of the false Prophets did he not Reprove openly by him Was not this his Way then And what became of them that would have stopt him Did not he speak words in Amos against the Wickedness of their King Priests and Worships that the Land was not able to bear Did not he lead Jonah through the streets of Nineveh And in which of the Prophets did not he thus walk in and some received him in his way and turned from their own wayes and found Mercy and the rest that rejected him was destroyed in their own wayes in which they blessed themselves as at this day Now read these and read what you now oppose in your Streets and Steeple-houses and Markets and let that of God in you be judge if you be not of such as now say Depart from us we will have none of thy wayes Also search your Gospel if you can receive his way therein which changes not Did not he come in Christ and in his Apostles as a wanderer to and fro without a certain dwelling place to Preach Repentance and amendment of life and the light of the world from City to Village from place to place which way you now call Vagabonds And did not he enter their Temples and Synagogues Schools and Markets and all their Places of Worship and Concourse where Sin or false Worship was acted and there Disputed and testified against their whole way and called them to the way of God and this was his manner of walking in them even in times of their Worships and in the greatest Assembly of Meetings Markets which to you is become as Gall and Wormwood and you call it Disturbance and Peace-breaking Was not this his way in such as knew their bodies to be his Temples and in whom he walked and spoke the words of life and judgement and Truth his way by which he overturned the World leaving all without excuse against the day of wrath which was to follow where he was rejected his way by which he called many thousands out of false Worships in which they were settled as you are and their Souls deceived but this was his way to Salvation which was not their way as he hath said my wayes are not your wayes yet was there no other way for them to be saved wch is the same at this day to all that receive his coming and to all that resist the Holy Spirit in his Temples as did your fathers so do you saith Steven to such as worshipped God in outward observations but denied his way and worship in Temples made without hands these resisted the Spirit that spoke in his Saints these resisted the Holy Ghost resisted the Way of God as do you read and consider Steven was full of God the Spirit spoke in him they resisted him they called him a Blasphemer they stoned him by a Law here was Gods Way and their way now try your wayes whose work is to resist the Spirit and Light within which hath filled the hearts and mouths of his servants to cry against sin mind what you resist Had not God come in this his own Way to seek and to save by his appearance in such vessels as he had prepared of old for that end whom in time he filled with himself as they stood in need in all conditions to pass with him through all hardships and crooked wayes of the wicked world from place to place seeking a Seed to himself what had become of the Saints of old which was covered with darkness till he came thus to appear to them holding forth his light and his life and glory in vessels prepared to shew forth his vertues and the riches of his grace not onely in declaring in words but
which he hath of God betrusted in him and not by his own strivings in the thoughts of himself his worth or wisdom And in diligent hearkening and obeying of the Spirit have I found the right faithfulness towards God though getting knowledge be highly esteemed with men and I have found that as I have the Spirit manifest in me to profit withal so the times of my profiting is onely in his hand and my waitings upon him when he moves not is my reasonable service and a profiting time to me as if he moved though I see it not and this I found a great cross to my hasty will which indeed is the true worship in Spirit which when I knew not this Spirit to hearken and bow to and obey and observe in all things as his will leads I worshipped I knew not what and my fear towards God then was taught by the precepts of men and I was not taught of the Lord not being born of that Spirit and so all the children of the Lord are taught of the Lord and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God these Scriptures I then could read and understand without meanings not by that which my wisdom taught me but which the Holy Ghost taught me and the Scriptures thus learned and received was no more a notion to be lost but a possession and I came to have an inheritance therein amongst them that are sanctified in all ages no subtle man could either steal them or change them or any way beguil me of the Truth of them by wresting them nor take away my comfort I had in them my comfort and fellowship therein being in the same Spirit and life that gave them forth and the Word of God thus grew and endureth for ever and the Spirit of truth that leads into all truth endures for ever and the Seed of God is one therein to all generations and that is one which perfects the Spirits of all Just men and God himself is Judge over all and leader of all by his own begettings in all that enter into this rest of the faithful which remains to all his children out of which false Faiths and disobedience shuts themselves And that which declares the righteousness of God for remission of sins past and for an inheritance against sin for time to come have I found to be Faith without falshood which Righteousness though in the Faith and Hope beyond declaring yet inherited but as the vertues that are in Christ Jesus comes to be received in the life of them And that faith which hath not that Righteousness for its ground and end and the vertues and several measures of the growth of Christ for its life and increase That I have found upon tryal to be a fained fancy after mans mind and not after Gods measures And he that saith he hath Faith in God and is without the hope of this Righteousness for his inheritance Or saith he hath Christ further then he hath his Virtues for his life and growth towards this inheritance when he comes to be weighed with Truth will be found too light to stand in Judgement or abide the fire or to dwell with everlasting burnings The tryal of that Faith will leave him without Faith then shall it be read as it is written When the Son of man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth Who they be that are under the Law and who they be that have made void the Law against themselves and who they be that are under Grace GRace reigns through Righteousness and the Law through Transgression and he that sayes he is from under the Law and the transgressor alive he makes void the Law against himself but is under it in the account of God For the Seed or Image of God being fallen the transgressor is above to whom there is no Grace nor Life promised who hath no true obedience but for self-ends upon this is the Law added till the Promised Seed arise And a School-master the Law is till it bring to Christ who of the Woman is made under the Law who takes upon him the Seed after the flesh the Soul to Redeem from under the Transgressor that the natural Plant of God may grow so who can witness the Teachings and Chastizings of the Law to bring him so low till he come under the Seed so as the seed be set above the head of the Transgressor and have bruised it and so taken away the strength of sin there the strength of the law is taken away also And as the Soul is raised up through the law the law being fulfilled by the seed through the Spirit so it arises above the law into the Kingdom of Grace which reigns through Righteousness and not by making void the law for the Grace is to the Seed and the Law to the Transgressor and as these reign in the Creature so is he under the Law or under Grace for the Law hath power over the man of sin as long as he lives then is the Seed of the Promise in bondage but he being dead by which the seed is held Captive the seed rises under Grace which as it rises through the law fulfills it and being fulfilled it loses its strength as sin dies and so hath no more power the Law being the strength of sin till it be fulfilled by the seed through the Spirit so he that is dead to sin is free from sin and under Grace And he that casts off the the Law while he is alive that sins makes void the law against himself So he that 's under Grace is dead to sin and dead to the Law which is the strength of sin and sin hath no more dominion over the soul the power of it being subdued which was the Law unfulfilled but where the law is made void the strength of sin yet remains and the Law will overtake them in the end And he that learns this in the Death and Resurrection and eternal life shall in this work learn what the Transgression is and how the law is added upon him and how it is the strength of sin in him but not in the seed and what it is that makes the entrance through the law and how Grace comes to abound where sin hath abounded and to reign through Righteousnesse unto eternal life So where the Transgressor is slain there the Law is at an end and fulfilled and the natural Plant of God brings forth against which there is no law but the law is against the man of sin and the man of sin against the law as long as he lives and power it will have over him and one jot of it will not passe away till it be fulfilled And he that would cast off the Law and make it void is far from Grace but in him that fulfills the Law doth Grace and Truth abound Of the Way of Life from the Knowledge that devoures the Life Wouldest thou know the Way of Life from
the Lord of his glory deny Christ in his Kingly office and set up another in his place And herein true wisdom may see that in so doing we resist not that power which is ordained of God nor the person but that spirit we testifie against by sufferings under which God never annointed for a Saviour holding forth the annointing as we have received for a witness against him in the spirit of meekness confessing our King in whom we receive power to suffer so to us he is come and by the gift of the Holy Ghost we can say he is Lord therefore to us there is but one Lord though there be many so called whether in heaven or in earth yet have we but one in all both in heaven and earth and him we know where ever he is by the gift of the Holy Ghost and to him in spirit we confesse and bow and the fruits of his spirit are manifest with the light of the world testifying against all the works of darkness in all the children of his Kingdom And to us he is born who is from above the holy Child wonderful in Councel and strength whose heavenly power and vertue takes our affections from all earthly objects and worship whose name is Immanuel and it is written in our hearts and shed abroad into the world in our lives and Christ Jesus is the end of our conversation him alone to put on above all to Preach by walking in him as we have received of that lively image of holiness and Truth the annointed of God and so we confesse him before men who is the right Heir in what vessel soever he appears and the prayers we give to God where this treasure is found in the earthen vessel and the hope of all our glory is Christ within and the increase of his Government is Christ within of which there is no end and with that spirit is all righteousness established the Kingdom of God upon earth and Eternal life And where this is not seen chosen and followed there men rule in their own wills and where mens persons and riches is respected in chusing such there the same is respected in judgement by such and the Law of God is perverted and the sword of Justice which should defend the cause of the innocent is laid by and the fist of wickeduess lift up against that which is tender of God in every conscience and when this rules the righteous Seed mourns in secret but wickedness reigns openly And this is and ever was the state of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles the one rules in the Spirit of Holiness and the other exercise Lordship in their own wills chosen and set up not by the Holy Ghost as you may read in the Scriptures concerning Israels common wealth who when they wanted the ruling of this spirit they sold themselves under their enemies but when this was their Judge they had a Saviour chosen after the spirit not after the flesh what ever was the vessel the Spirit was their Saviour Moses was a poor wandring Shepheard yet in this Spirit a God to Pharaoh and Saviour of Israel Samuel a poor man who received no reward for judgement and when they went about to chuse another after the manner of other Nations they rejected God who then gave them a King in his wrath David a poor man not chosen by the outward appearance as man looks but by the heart by the direction of the Spirit he was the Shepherd of Israel and his seed of the same Election hath the everlasting Kingdom of promise to all generations Elisha a plowman yet by that Spirit was he the Chariots of Israel and horsmen thereof Deborah a woman yet a Judge deliverer to Israel And too long would it be to instance in all ages how he hath set up his throne and saved his people in this Election not of wisdom riches or worldly glory but the poor of this world rich in Faith heirs of the Kingdom of promise which you say you look for but cannot see nor receive while you chuse after the flesh as the world hath ever done who still have bent all their wisdom and Religion to keep the Heir out of his Kingdom whom they have been looking for after the flesh but not believing in the light to give them a fight through the vail to him that is born of the Spirit have resisted the Holy One and chosen the murtherer as did your fathers so do you alwayes resist the Holy Ghost and as it was so it is that which is born of the flesh is flesh and chuses after the flesh and worships after the flesh for it can see no further it cannot see the Kingdom of God and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and chuses after the spirit and worships in spirit and these are contrary Kingdoms and he that 's born after the flesh persecutes him that 's born after the spirit ever did and ever will do for the Scripture cannot be broken which hath so said and is now fulfilled And now you that are called Christians you read and Preach of this King Christ Jesus and his Kingdom what a One he ever hath been in his appearance upon Earth by whom he hath been received and by whom rejected and after what manner he hath ever suffered and by what power he hath reigned in all ages and this you will confesse in words but will you now receive him to reign in you Or can you own his appearance where it is set up in others and not be offended therewith is that eye open that knows him or can you delight in him who was never like the world in his walkings was not he ever poor as to this world and therefore rejected of the rich and learned lowly and rejected of Princes and them that was high was not his work ever to change shadows and forms and Religious traditions set up in mens minds above the life of Truth and leadings of the spirit and to set up spiritual worship and obedience in its place And therefore by the builders ever rejected and condemned and his new work was ever foolishness to the wise wherefore he bare the reproach thereof with patience was he not ever meek and innocent and harmless in his conversation towards all men as a Lamb indeed seperate from sinners in life yet seeking them to save out of sin with the dayly giving up his life c So he was and so he hath ever appeared on earth now can you receive you King as he was you that wait for him Or do you think he is changed Is he now become proud and lofty in flesh after the world cruel and covetous and hard-hearted subtle and crafty to deceive the simpie strong and violent to trample on the helpless doth the glory of his Scepter now stand in meats and drinks and fine apparel or great earthly possessions doth he now come to take up his abode and
delight in these things who ever hath come to take the minds of his people out of these things up into the heavenly treasure doth he now delight in earthly glory strife and exaltation Is the weapons of his Warfare now become carnal wherewith he overcomes his enemies doth he now come with haling and beating whips and prisons and cruel tortures to take the Kingdom of peace who hath suffered such things formerly from the world himself will he now turn oppressor of that which is tender in Conscience and grind the face of the poor or pervert the Judgement of the needy Should he now be seen in works of this nature were this to appear the second time without sin unto Salvation as he is promised Sure the vail is thick over that heart who sees not that this is not his Kingdom Power nor Glory nor his Image who is the same yesterday to day and for ever Yet is this nature above in many and chosen to Rule over many who say they wait for his Kingdom that eye being darkned with the love of the world which should give the true fight of his coming the carnal mind thinks God to be like himself But did you but honestly look into your own hearts with that eye which puts a difference between things that differ in your selves to know each motion of each Spirit and each power and the end and nature of its working the earthly and the heavenly you would soon be able to Judge of these two which so far differ in their fruits and are so contrary in all things and to own the right heir in his Kingdom But while you suffer the god of this world to keep his throne in your hearts by letting him captivate your minds and affections into earthly delights it is not like he will suffer you to chuse aright nor receive another to reign in you or over you the eye of the minde being blinded therewith the light of the Gospel cannot shine into the heart by which you should chuse and which gives the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus nor that treasure be seen or received in the earthen vessel as King either in your selves or others but the wise in heart knows what they wait for and when they see him they rejoyce with the joy of his Kingdom which consists not in carnal things nor comes with outward observations but whose coming is within and whose Kingdom consists in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost blessed be our King for ever and blessed are they who put not his Kingdom afar off And therefore you Rulers and People of all sorts high and low this word is to you and this day is to you the day of the Lord arise and receive your King into his Kingdom that he may receive you and establish you therein the Lord is at hand he is near to all that call upon him in truth righteousness To you Princes Judges Justices Mayors and Constables all sorts of Rulers who are in the place to Govern the Lord is at hand he is near you all the Kingdom of God is within you the Principle of God is within you with which if you mind it he will break the yoak of the oppressor within you and without you by the sword of Justice that 's his Kingdom upon earth put it not afar off let it arise in your hearts set it up above the will of man let it shine in your hearts let it speak in your Courts that which is of God in you all which Judges justly and with equity lay by your will your pride your covetousness and all that 's above that Spirit of meekness in your minds and make room in your hearts for the Holy Ghost that thereby Jesus may be Lord in you and over others that you may know him to whom Judgement belongs to be in you you need not say who shall ascend into Heaven to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep to bring up Christ again from the dead for he is nigh you and you may feel his witness in Spirit and his Word is in your hearts the Word of Faith the Word of Righteousness that therewith you may all know him who standeth in the Congregation of the mighty to Judge among the Gods who Judges not unjustly nor accepteth the person of the wicked but that with him you may deliver the Poor and Fatherless and Judge the cause of the Stranger wherein they are oppressed that 's his Kingdom and that 's the Word of Faith and the Word of Righteousness that leads to it And if this be set up in your own hearts to love it more then gifts and rewards persons or earthly glory then is the Lord near you and his Kingdom is above the earth in you and your work will be to set it above the earth in others and so the Kingdom of your Father who begets this in your hearts his Kingdom comes as his Will is done upon earth as it is in Heaven where all obey him there is the Kingdom his the Power is his by which you Judge and the glory is his of your Righteous Judgement now and for ever if you therein abide And thus shall you be of the obedient Children to that of your Father in you begotten who say and do who pray and practise and not like the Scribes and Pharisees and Lawyers who said and did not who made long prayers but devoured the poor and needy and Judged not the cause of the stranger but laid heavy burthens upon others and bowed not thereto themselves who could not believe in the light nor receive Christ within them though he told them the Kingdom of God was within them and his Word had no place in them who was filled with pride and wilfulness so they had lost the Key of knowledge the Key of David to open to them the way into annointing whereby to know Davids Lord to reign in Spirit which hath the Promise of Davids Throne for ever So when they lost this the Kingdom departed from Israel and the Priesthood also and he set up his sign to the Gentiles preaching the Kingdom of God to them that were afar off and they that were not a people came to the Kingdom of his annointing and that great Mystery that had been hid from ages was opened thereby to the Gentiles which was Christ in them the Hope of Glory and Kingdom of the Father And now you that are called Christians and are making great Declarations what a glorious Kingdom the Kingdom of Christ will be at his coming and what holiness and righteous Government and many high things and great glory you look for c. But above all the rest how are you estranged who are gone out again from the annointing to look for this without you while you reject it within you Was Christ within them that great Mystery that had been hid from ages which by the hearing of Faith was
strengthening one another against the faithful witness of Truth when you have been wounded therewith and have belied the Lord and said it is not he and if it be he let him make me better and I cannot make my self and if the Devil be in me let him cast him out and that sin and Righteousnesse is all one to God and many of you openly denying God and much more such blasphemies out of you hath proceeded all which the Innocent Lamb hath born since the day he first invited you and the Just Lord who is in the midest of you hath seen it and of you he will take revenge for the Innocent Ones sake whom he will ease of his enemy Oh the terrible day that I have seen approaching towards you and the mistery that is coming nigh when you shall be dealt withal as you have done against the Meek and the Holy Seed which hath stirred in you unto life which you have betrayed and murthered for your lusts treacherously have dealt and treacherously will you be dealt withal then shall you know that there is a God of Power and Judgement when you shall be as a mad Bull in a Net and the Fier of God underneath you then shall you chuse death and it shall flie from you who have refused the way of Life and puft at it and you who have scorned the Light shall know Chains of Darknesse Ah how have you mocked at reproof the Lord hath heard your light answers and hath borne your mockings and you have made him to serve under your lusts he is oppressed and grived and broken with your whorish hearts and you have made heavy the burthen of the meek and lowly against whom you have sported and have not considered that all this is against your own Souls and to make strong Bonds for your own Necks which you must know and feel when the just arises to plead against you for all that is written against you Verily dread is upon me when I behold your end and the way you have to goe and how few there are to be saved Alas for you how have you heaped deceit and filled your Vessels with that which the Pure God abhors You have eaten and drunken your own damnation while you have served your lusts you have chosen deceit rather then Truth and therewith shall you be deceived when you look for rest you have got words and sought out cunning waies to stop the way of judgement in you therefore is your cup become full for condemnation from the Lord God of power you are filled with the names of blasphemie against the most High yea it is written He hath marked you out he hath set himself against you and while you are building a Wall of falshood is he preparing destruction and is watching over you for evil and not for good and your wall you have made of cunning deceits will stand betwixt you and Salvation and keep you from finding the place of Repentance And you high-minded Professors also who have gotten the wisdom of words and have preached high things of God and Christ which in you is not wrought nor fulfilled but is a lie this will be required at your hands with Truth and your own words shall arise against you in judgement and when you should come to him that should answer in your behalf your Wisdom and Knowledge which you have got in that Nature which hath oppressed him will stand in your way as thick Darknesse which you cannot remove nor pass then shall you curse your God who hath set you on Preaching Words above Life and lies by which the Spirit of Truth in you and others have suffered and been denied and Gods Witnesse lie waste and been resisted in its gentle Calls Motions and Reproofs All which a just hand and unresistable will bring upon you in that Day when Chains of Darknesse hath compassed you in the Horrible Pit Deceipt Discovered by its Fruits YOu that call the Children of Light Blasphemers and Seducers and many evil Names you give out to People against them because they Preach Christ the light of the world and Christ for Righteousnesse and Perfection c. Hear what Blasphemy and Seducing and Deceiving is and who are the Deceivers They were Blasphemers who said they were Jewes and were not and this was Blasphemy in Gods account To profess in words what they were not in works Rev. 2. 9. And they were Blasphemers who said He that wrought the works of Righteousness was of the Devil Mark 3. 22 28 29 30. And James said They Blasphemed that Holy Name by which the Saints were called who drew them before Judgement Seats and Oppressed them Jam. 2. 6 7. And Saul Blasphemed in persecuting for Conscience towards Christ Now this God calls Blasphemy Falsly to take upon them the Name of a Jew seeing the Jewes were to be a Holy People to the Lord and to bear his Holy Name before all the World in Righteousness and Truth and the fruits of his Spirit which Name they who had not the Life did Blaspheme by taking the Name of a Jew And Christ calls it Blasphemy to condemne the fruits of that Spirit to be of the Devil And the Apostles calls it Blasphemy to hale before the Judgement Seates and persecute the Poor that God had chosen out of the World These were the old Blasphemers in Gods account and their Children be in the same steps till this day and therein the Truth finds them and uncovers them So come to your Rule and be tryed as you are in Deed and not in Words in Gods account and not in your Own This is the Blasphemy to say You are Christians and are not to say You are in Christ and are not to say You are of God and do the Works of the Devil that old Murtherer and Persecuter to say Such as do the Works of God are Blasphemers and to Oppress your Brethren for Conscience sake And this Blasphemy exceeds your Fathers by how much the Name of Christ excels the Name of a Jew Will you bring forth the abominable Fruits that God hates and cover them with the Name of Christ and father them upon the Spirit of Christ and say you are in Christ and Redeemed and Baptized into him and have Communion in him and get up Likenesses and Imitations from the Letter to cover you with in a nature contrary to Christ And is not this the Height of Deceipt and Blasphemy What is the Name of Christ and the Redemption of Christ the Death of Christ the Baptism of Christ the Resurrection of Christ the Communion of Christ and the Words of Christ become a Cloak for the Works of Wickedness And doth not this Blaspheme his Name his Words his Spirit his Ordinances and his People and all his Holy Things and cause them to be Blasphemed amongst the Heathen and throughout the World But to Preach Christ the Light of the World and to Confess him in us so far as we feel the
power of his Spirit taking us out of the power of Sin and Conforming us to himself and to bring forth the Fruits of his Spirit in Truth and Righteousness this doth not Blaspheme but in such he is Honoured who shew forth his vertues and walk in his Spirit such exalt his Name This was Pauls work when he had left off to Blaspheme Now come to your Rule and be tryed it tells you who are Christs and who are Antichrists Deceivers and Blasphemers and they are known by their Works and not by their Words It saith They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin And as many as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ And as you have received Christ Jesus so walk in him And he that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked and ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature and all things are of God And he that saith he knows Christ and keeps not his Commandements is a Liar And this is the Blasphemer who covers himself with the words of Truth but is an enemy to the Life Now here is the testimony of Truth lay it to the testimony of your lives and measure your selves therewith and we will measure our selves therewith also And let Truth judge the Deceiver and Liar and Blasphemer by his fruits and where he hath his Seat What will Truth say where Covetousness is found Have such Crucified the Affections Have Proud men Crucified their Lusts Have Wantons Crucified the Flesh Have Swearers Liars and cursed Speakers put off the body of Sin Or is it dead where these works are alive Where there is Envie Strife Suites and Contentions Is this to put on Christ or to be all one in him Where Flattering Scorning Back-biting and Slandering is and the Vessels filled with such Wickedness are all things of God And are such Baptized into his Death or planted into his Resurrection And are not they Blasphemers who Persecute others for Conscience towards God But to Preach Christ to be the Light of the World and the Hope of Glory in the Saints our Life our Righteousness and Perfection and to Suffer for it is not Blasphemy Now here is your Measure and with Truth are you measured weighed and tryed Your Baptismes your Communion your Redemption your Death and Resurrection and your life Eternal And in the light you and we are seen and with the life thereof you are found who bring forth these fruits to be under the power of sin unredeemed and out of Christ the life deceiving your own Souls and others of the righteous Inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified and blaspheming the holy Name of Christ and grieving his holy Spirit by professing that in his Name which you have not and by your evil deeds acted under his Name whereby it is polluted which was not given for a Cover to such Works In this Holy Name of Christ hath God placed his Covenant and Life and in these Holy things did Holy men and women meet with God worship him and dwell with him in Spirit as his house in which he was seen and walked And are these now become a cover for a Den of thieves a habitation and hiding for all the abominations now acted in the world Is not this the height of Blasphemy and Deceit thus to prophane his Holy Name and turn it into a lye as though all these abominable things were therein or that he owned such as live in them Now lay your words and your works in the true Ballance and weigh them with the Words of Life and Power of his Name and measure of Truth and Honesty and lye not against the Truth But you that are under the power of these wickednesses and in bondage thereto who see and are not ashamed to say you cannot but commit these abominations while you live do not lye against the work of Christ in saying he hath Redeemed you when you are yet in this bondage neither count his blood an unholy thing in saying you are washed nor his Work imperfect nor mix it with the work of the Devil but give to each his own that thereby they may be known and in what Name every thing is wrought For now is Truth come to try you and he is appearing who will have his own and nothing but his own under what pretence soever Now is the Heir of Righteousness come to seek the fruit of his own stand still you that use those high words against others and see how the Lord is dealt with amongst you at this day Did not he plant a Holy Vine to bring forth to himself of his own Nature and Image And have you let this be over-run with weeds while you have been asleep in your sloth and idleness cares pleasures of the world till all be filled with bryars and thorns and corrupt plants that now are spread and bring forth And now the Lord is come who is the light of the world to seek fruits of his own and will you hold him forth these cursed fruits and cover them with his Name as though they were his and seek to force them upon him whether he will or no and fall violently upon him if he deny them Now if this be not so what means this That when any one in his Name is sent to reprove sin in the Streets or Markets where it abounds and in the Name of Christ to Declare against false worships never set up by him which hath been his manner in all his appearances and to call for what is his own and to deny the works of the Devil that presently all is in an uproar and a tumult raised pulling and beating and haling to Prison beaten in Markets beaten in your Synagogues shamefully intreated in your Streets and all for no other offence but because he calls for his own and denies what is not of him Doth not this Blaspheme that Holy Name by which they are called and which your selves profess Teacher cryes away with him and tumult cryes away with him it s not fit he should live And what usage he receives from you in his members is openly seen and God is daily bringing your works to light Now let the wise in heart who can discern the signs of the times read if the Parable be not fulfilled upon you Husbandmen And will you guild this Cup over with fine words forms and professions and call them Deceivers and Blasphemers who in love to your Souls and obedience to Christ tells you of it and testifies against it in all long-suffering and patience Who will be found the deceivers and the deceived when your guilded covers comes to be pulled off and you must drink of the Cup your selves as you have filled and this is certainly near at hand to come upon you and you are hasting towards it