them your Original Rev. 14.6 XIX What is the false Prophet and Anti-christ inwardly ravened from and what is the Sheeps Clothing that they wore Mat. 7.15 XX. What is the Anointing in People to teach them that they need not any Man to teach them but as it teacheth them spoken of in the first Epistle of John 2.20 27. XXI What is the Light that shines in the Heart that gives People the Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 XXII Is any a true Christian but who hath the Law of God in his Mind and in his Heart and need not say to one another know the Lord was not this that that differed from the Jews who had the Law without them have any of these Talkers of Christ the Apostles Words Makers of Trades of them Life except they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood have ye eaten thâ—t and doth any Man eat that that doth deny the Light that hath enlightened every Man that comes into the World Heb. 8.10 11. John 6.53 54 55. XXIII Were not the Steeple-houses which ye call the Churches or Temples the old Mass-houses which ye creep into yea ar nay XXIV Was Ezra's Pulpit set up in the Temple and Synagogue ye or nay or set up in the Street before the Water-gate and how many might stand upon it and whether it was like yours yea or nay Nehem. 8.3 4. XXV And were not your Colledges set up by the Papists to make Ministers by and whether your Colledges and Steeple-houses have not the Papists Names to them and were not the Jesuites the Tribe of Black-coats whether ever yea or nay thou hast deserted at all the Habit wherewith thou wert dâ—stinguished XXVI Whether dost thou own and believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World yea or nay John 1.9 XXVII Whether ever any Minister of Christ did imprison any for Maintenance but on the contrary they should covet no Man's SILVER and they that were covetous crept into Houses had the FORM and denyed the POVVER whether or no they were not to be turned away from 2 Tim. 3.5 6. XXVIII And whether or no they are Ministers of Christ that swear seeing Christ saith Swear not AT ALL and James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not and whether or no they are not false Brethren that do SWEAR that fall into the Condemnation James 5.12 Matthew 5.34 XXIX Whether ever any Minister of Christ imprisoned for Tythes seeing Christ saith Freely ye have received freely give and whether ever any Minister of Christ runs to the Powers of the Earth for Maintenance seeing the Apostle saith He that feeds the Flock shall eat of the Milk whether these Things be the Fruits of the Spirit in suing men for Tythes and Maintenance they do no VVork for and if so shew the Example by Scripture if not are they not to be turned away from 1 Cor. 9.7 XXX Whether any of the Disciples of Christ carried Bag but Judas the Thief and Betrayer of the Just John 2.6 THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IN Answer to a lying Story called Hell broken loose or the History of the Quakers published by Thomas Vnderhil a Seller of the Whore's Merchandize otherwise called a Book-seller His Lyes returned upon him his Accusations answered and his Envy declared and Truth cleared from all his Reproaches By one that waits to see Death and Hell cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the false Prophet F. H. THE EPISTLE· Thomas Underhil THou Seeds-man of Lyes and Slanders and false Reports whose Hell is broken loose and is spreading where the Banks are not set nor the Bounds and thy greatest Madness and Rage is at them that tremble at the Word of God and work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling and thy Lyes and Slanders and false Reports we understand are set on Sale in such a Man's Shop to get Gain upon the Innocent and the Ground is seen and the Earth in which thou may'st sow thy evil Seed and thy Lyes Slanders and false Reports who art a Man fitted whom the Devil hath found out to go on in his Will and to do his Work for a long Time hath he been fitting of thee and for a long Time hath the Seed been sown in thee and now it is growing and buds forth and Hell is broken loose but thou art taken and the Hell who art the Seeds man of the Devil that sows Lyes the Prince of Death but all is and shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire the Hell the Devil the Author of thy Work and thou except thou speedily repent Was there ever such Thing heard or seen that Thomas Underhil should gather up Lyes Slanders and false Reports and set them to Sale at the Star in Pauls Church-yard as he calls it There is a Refuge of Lyes of his for any to shelter under that are given up to believe Lyes but that will not save you from the Storm nor the Wrath of the Almighty but the Beesome is witnessed that sweeps all the Refuge of Lyes into the Fire and brings the Lyar to Judgment and thou wilt become a Shame and a Stink to all modest and sober People the Witness in thy own Conscience shall witness it And dost thou think that the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland do not begin to see your Priests and such as thee that hold them up and such as thee callest Converts What a Stink and a nasty Smell there is in your Streets in your Towns in your Steeple-houses as though you had never heard Talk of God and Christ your Natures are so unchanged and your Priests haling up and down to Courts and Assizes and cast into Prison till Death for their Bellies and their Mouths such they do no Work for your Prisoning and Persecuting for not swearing to the Priests Bill and the Priests rude Miltitude breaking the Windows breaking up Meetings and breaking the Heads of People the Servants and Messengers of the Lord that you are almost become like a Field of Blood whipping such as warn you to repent and here Hell hath been broken looâ—e and thou art a Seeds-man of him that is out of the Truth who art an Encourager with thy Lyes and Slanders of these Persecutors but thy own Words shall be thy Burthen G. F. THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IT is written He that watcheth for Iniquity shall be cut off and the Wicked shall come to an End although the Long-suffering of the Lord be great who waiteth that Men might return and cease to work Iniquity and to strive against his Holy Spirit by which he reproveth the World of Sin and the wicked of their Transgressions and to this End hath he given a Measure of his Spirit to every Man though
turned from dead VVorks unto the Measure of the living God and they separated from the Temple and left Circumcision and all those things of the first Priest-hood which were commanded by God and out of the VVorld's VVayes Fashions Customs and VVorships and came to see the worshipping in Spirit and in Truth was that worship God required and the Ground of their Separation was not from any literal Command or Precept for all that was written there was flat against it but they which were Ministers of Christ which had believed in him preached him the Substance and the Measure of him and of his Grace which was in them unto whom they preached and this was the Apostles Witness in their Hearts unto which they did commend themselves in the Sight of God which is a great Mystery and they are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Now in these few words before written with much more I could write compare your Ministry and your Members gathered and you will see you differ in the Ground in the first for your Command you take from the Letter and so are Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit 2. Ye preach the Letter for the Word of Faith which they did not as is plain in their own Writings without adding 3. Them whom you gather it 's but into Conformity to the Letter and to that which is visible which all may be done in the Will of man which is fallen from God and see if it be not so with you both Pastors and Members not witnesses of that VVord which they preached which did beget Faith in them that received it and believed in it which Faith was in them wrought by the Power of God which gave them Assurance and their Assurance was in them and their Hope in them brought in and wrought by the Operation of the Spirit which the preaching of the Letter Sound or Declaration only of that which was in them never works Assurance nor true Faith nor Hope And now consider where had your Ground of the Knowledge of God been and your Gospel and your Faith and Hope if you had not had the Letter I speak not to upbraid you but to the Light of Christ Jesus I speak which will let you see how far short you are and that you must come back again to the first Principle and now you may see if it had been the same Word or Command it would have the same Effects as it had and Change into its own Nature all that received it now see whether a Change be wrought in you or not some of you yea many running back after the Foot-steps of the Priests preaching for Hire and upholding the Idols Temple if you can get into them and in the Customs of the World nay most of you not come to yea and nay in your Communication but one with the world in all or most of things differ only in Words and Names and your Gospel you have preached hath not begotten such a Faith as was in them that had the Gospel not to respect Persons nor none dare own cleansing from Sin in the Body but call that a Delusion but the Word and Faith which they preached and received gave them Victory over the World Sin and Death and by its Power made them more then Conquerors and their Hope purified their Hearts but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from Sin nor have not hope in that and therefore are ignorant of the Body of Christ you so much talk of which made them clean and free from Sin Secondly your Doctrine is the same with the World your Hope your Faith your justification is all at a Distance grounded upon the Report of Christ dying at Jerusalem and of their Report that knew him and believing this you call it Faith and so are one with the Faith and Hope which the World hath for the Report of Christ's Righteousness what he did suffer and wrought in the Saints if this be the Ground of Salvation then why have you separated from the World If you say Because the world hath not right to the Ordinances I say Doth not Faith in Christ give Interest to all his Ordinances And if this be onely your Faith the World hath as good an Interest as you so why do you separate from them And so you shall see the Matter is the same with the VVorld of which your Fellowships consist and the Name of Christ is a great Mystery which they were sent to baptize in who knew his Name his name is not Letters and Syllables and using these this with the lips speaking over is not to baptize into his Name And so Friends in Love I speâ—k unto you There was such as separated themselves and were sensual and had not the Spirit and so there was no Difference betwixt them and the World for they are Clouds without Rain appeared VVells but hâ—d no VVater in them seemed something but were but a Shew Friends your foot-steps I know your ground I know and your Compass and your Measure yet I shall not glory over you nor boast my self against you but rather to inform your Minds that you may not build upon a Foundation which will moulder away And now boast not your selves in your Ordinances as VVater bread and Wine which is but elementary and was never but a Sign and in the Day of Appearance of Christ the Elements shall melt with servent Heat and while you stand here and have Confidence in these things your Sun will set in Obscurity and you shall know the old Heavens and Earth will pass away with a Noise which when you come to know and hear your Hearts will fail for Fear for this I say to the highest of you If you build upon any thing or have Confidence in any thing which stands in time and is on this side Eternity and Being of Beings your Foundation will be swept away and Night will come upon you and all your gathered in things and taken on and imitated will all fail you Many more things I might write time would fail me to utter but these few among many I have written that you may compare your selves with the Ministers of Christ then and the Gospel which they preached which were separate from the World in the Ground and Nature and if you see your selves in the Light of Christ in your Consciences not to be the same neither in Matter nor Manner let not a deceived Heart lead you aside any longer Further I say they were sent out for the gathering in of the Saints some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers yet all was by the Spirit Now if you deny the Command of the Spirit or cannot witness it but from the Letter take it up and talk of it because the Scripture speaks of it then your Ministry is not that Ministry Again this End was the Ministry sent forth for for the perfecting of the Saints which it did which not
and shall go into Perdition and he hath deceived the Nations long and all have exercised their Power against him who is the Heir of the Promise the first-born of every Creature who is higher then the highest and greater then the greatest and have changed his Laws and made them void and have set up the Law of Sin and Death and have established unrighteous Laws by the Power of Darkness in which all Nations have been involved since the Dragon hath Power and whosoever would not obey those Laws and Customs and Constitutions the Dragon hath had Power and they that have joyned to him for a Time to kill to imprison to destroy and they who have been exalted have had thought to weary out the Saints of the most high and to root out the Memorial of the Just that he and all his Adherents might reign forever in the Kingdom of Unrighteousness and in the Dominion of Darkness which is the Devils dwelling Place and Residence forever who is at Enmity against God and the Children of Light which worship God in Spirit and Truth in Life and Righteousness Now is the Time drawing near and he who is the Desire of all Nations appeareth the Ancient of dayes is coming whose Throne is established in Righteousness forever who will break the Head of the Dragon and will lay hold upon him and chain him up that he deceive the Nations no more And all you Emperours Kings Dukes Earls Nobles Lords and Potentates who have joyned to him your Kingdom shall be rent from you and your Hands shall grow weak that you shall not be able to defend your selves against him who travails in the Greatness of his strength who is coming up against you as a Lyon greedy of his Prey and will devour at once all his Enemies that thought in their Hearts to reign forever and to settle themselves in iniquity forever now the Time draws near when he will put down the Authority of the Dragon and of the Beast and the Beast with many Heads and Horns and their Rule shall come to an End and he will dash you one against another as broken Pitchers till you be consumed and brought to nought and be worn out as a moth-eaten Garment and will overthrow your Laws and Customs which are made in the Night of Ignorance and Blindness and will change your Customs and the Times and will reduce the Earth again into its first Purity and you that have ruled shall serve and be tributary and as you have had a time of rejoycing over the Witnesses who have troubled your earthly and devilish Peace and slain them as Sheep for the Slaughter a time of Mourning is coming upon you when you shall say alas alas for your Glory shall pass away and your Renown shall wither and for your Dominion which shall grow so weak that you shall not be able to resist him who travels in the Greatness of his Strength and treadeth the Winepress of the Wrath of God who is mighty and strong to judge the Whore and all they that have committed Fornication with her and have drunk of her Cup and are inflamed with Adultery and cannot cease from Sin but burn in Envy against the Appearing of the Manchild who is Heir of the Promise yea of Life everlasting born here to the Inheritance which is incoruptible unto whom all Power belongeth both in Heaven and Earth who will subdue the lower Power and Powers of Darkness and tread them under Foot and all who act from that Power which is below the Life below the Truth below the Light that power will he and all whom he brings out of the Grave and raises above the Grave tread down under foot which stands but in the Earth wherein dwells Unrighteousness Although thy Teachers and Diviners in thee oh Earth who preach a Divination of their own Brain and from the Imagination of their own Hearts have made you believe oh you Powers of the earth who are in the Fall in the Transgression of the Life that you were the higher Powers every Emperour King Duke Earl Nobles Lords and that all were to stoop to your Wills how contrary soever they have been to God but you and they must know there is one higher then the highest who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who alone will judge the Hearts of his People and their Consciences for he will not give his Glory to another although you have long usurped it since the dayes of the Apostacy and would have had all to bow to that Power which hath transgressed the Life and is gone from the Power of God Oh! long hath been the Night of Ignorance and Darkness and great hath been the Apostacy in the earth since the Dayes of the Apostles and since the false Christ's and false Prophets entered into the World which Christ said should come and cry lo here and there and should deceive many yea all the world wondered after the Beast and John saw it all lay in Wickedness and the time that Christ prohesied of came to be fulfilled in the dayes of John and he saw it Mat. 24.23 24. that many false Prophets and Antichrists were gone out into the World out from the Life out from the Truth out from the Light wherein the Saints had Fellowship who wrote forth the Scriptures and he said They were gone into the World and he said the whole World lay in Wickedness and so they went from Holiness into Wickedness and from the Father's Love into the Love of the World and Peter and Jude who lived in the same Age they saw them that went in the Error of Balaam and in the Way of Cain and in gainsaying the Power being turned from it like Corah and also their Hearts were exercised with covetous Practices So John saw they were come 1 John 2.18 19 Little Children it is the last time as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know it 's the last time and Peter saw that false Apostles should come who should make Merchandise of the People and prophesied of it as you may read 2 Pet. 2.2 3. and in the 14 15. verses you may know them by their fruits having eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease from Sin beguiling unstable Souls and Hearts they have exercised with covetous Practices and they were the cursed children and these had forsaken the right Way Christ the way and his Command also Freely ye have received freely give and they laboured to keep the Gospel without Charge who were true Apostles but these false Prophets deceitful Workers Antichrists and false Apostles they were gone in Balaam's Way after the wages of Unrighteousness in Cain's Way in Corah's Way in Antichrist's Way out of Christ's Way and these false Prophets false Apostles they spoke swelling Words of Vanity and did allure through the Lusts of the Flesh and they like the rest of the false Prophets gone before them cryed Peace and promised
pure Spirit if thou waitest in the Manifestation of the Spirit these Things thou wilt see to be Truth though hid and vailed from the World that lyes in VVickedness as thou comest out of its Nature I have not written for to please Men of corrupt Minds who glory in VVords and outward Appearances and glory in natural Parts and in Sounds and are erred from the Life but to the simple-hearted and for the strengthening of the weak and for the understanding of the simple and that which thou seest in the following Discourse which thou canst not close with let it alone and judge nothing before the Time in thy Wisdom that is earthly or in thy Reason but in that and to that of God in thee I desire to be approved and to nothing else and shall be made manifest in the day of the Lord that is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in Power and Glory wait thou in thy own particular that thou may'st feel thy own Condition and see thy own State and that which lets thee see thy own Condition will let thee see the Lord and what I have declared of him to be true I am thy Friend in Truth and wish Good to all Men. F. H. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH THE Lord God of the whole Earth who lives forever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in Righteousness forever who rideth upon the Heavens and shines forth in his eternal Excellency from the Firmament of his Power he is manifesting himself in his Power as in the dayes of old and revealing his Righteousness as in the Years past and pouring forth his Spirit upon his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise and they that believe come to be made Partakers of the Blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his Servant in the Bush who rose up from Mount Seir and shined forth in his Brightness from Mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right Hand went a fiery Law so that the People could not behold his Glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the Day of his Power and is appearing whose Glory shall dazel the Eyes of the World whose Brightness shall make dim all the World's Glory and stain its Wisdom and shut it up in utter Darkness that it shall not appear to have any Existence or Being and the Shadow of Death shall fly away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this World shall be horribly afraid the Beasts shall go into their Dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting Fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat Valleys where the Springs of Life compass about all the Banks and rejoyce in their Shepherd and shall say The Lord is my Shepherd which many at this Time do admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his Wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble Acts which the Fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at Rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see what they witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves Honour and Praise unto him forever who is the Stay Strength of all his People forever And the day of the Lord is broken and the Light hath appeared that manifesteth all Things which are reproveable and the Day-Star is arisen in the Hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their Hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure Word of Prophecy until the day appeared and did dawn in their Hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of Truth in the Scripture of Truth and every Man's Work shall be tryed of what Sort it is and of what Nature it is and this day hath appeared to many Praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its Ground and Rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every Man's Work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the Morning of Righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the Light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the Heart The Day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOD is a Spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual Eye it 's pure Light pure Brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious Excellency the pure shining forth of Eternity Life putting forth it self in its Brightness Holiness shedding it self abroad in its Glory Purity spreading it self in its immeasurable Excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the Children of Light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual Day the natural day receives its Brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives its Brightness from the Sun of Righteousness by whom it 's brought forth without whom nothing was or is made or brought forth but by him who is the Fountain of Life and as the natural day receives its Clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural Eye of a natural Man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural Sight even so from the Sun of Righteousness the Lord of Glory Light and Purity the day of God receives its Brightness and is issued out from him by the Rayes of his Brightness and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual Eye of the spiritual Man who is the Image of the Father brought forth in Life and in his own Nature and Quality that is to say from God the Father of Life by Christ Jesus the Life of men the Light of the World and this is the Birth which is born from above which is of the Nature of the Father and the Son and of the day and he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Father's Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of Dishonesty and the Works of Darkness which are brought forth by the Prince of Darkness who is shut up in eternal utter Darkness which is his dwelling-place forever which is his Residence and shall be the Residence of all the Workers of Iniquity that bear his Image forever Object But some
true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World without Exception and why is this utterly false if he be fâ—llowed that he who is the true Light is an infallible Guide and the Rule of Life Hath he not enlightned every man that cometh into the World If thou makest Exceptions where the Spirit makes none then thou pervertest the Scripture doth not he say I am the Light of the World the World in the Scriptures Account is set in Opposition to Believers for Believers are not of this VVorld but are redeemed out of it as for Example God so loved the World that he sent hâ—s Son into the World that whosoever did believe in him might not perish but have Everlasting Life for it is manifest that the Saints and Believes had Life given 〈◊〉 that followed Christ and were his Sheep and saith Christ I put them forth and go before them and give unto them Eternal Life and he said to them who had not Eternal Life While you have the Light believe in it that you may be the Children of it And is not Christ God's Righteousness who is given for a Covenant of Light to the blind and dead and lame and to the dumb to open their Eyes to quicken them to make them leap as an Hart and their Tongue to sing and utter forth Praise we say Righteousness is not by the Law but by Christ that lighteth every man who is the End of the Law and why is not the Light which lighteth every man Gospel Light seeing it is said Go preach the Gospel in every Creature under Heaven go learn what that means And if Natural Light must be construed in Opposition to Spiritual and the Light of Nature contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit then it must needs be sinful for that which opposeth spiritual Light and is set in Opposition against its leading must needs be sinful and that which is contra or against the Light of the Spirit must needs be sinful and then if it be as thou hast said and if this must be the true Sense of that Scripture that it must be understood of natural Light and that natural Light thou construest in Opposition to spiritual and say'st It is contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit and in Opposition unto it That which is against the Spirit 's Light or the Light of the Spirit must needs be Darkness sinful and evil and yet thou hast confessed It will teach that none ought to lye or steal and to know one God and the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency and yet it must be taken in Opposition to the Spirit and contra-distinct from the Spirit that which leads to know the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency is that Spirit of God through which God and the Things of God are revealed and that that teaches that a man should not lye that is Truth and that that leads from Sin and accuses for Evil-doing and convicts that is the Spirit 's Light as it is written He shall convince the World of Sin And so thou like a man who hâ—th lost all Aim ramblest up and down in every By-Path and like a blind man gropest but canst not enter into the Treasure-house of Wisdom thou hast called the Light that every one is lighted with the Righteousness of the Law and no Gospel Light and in Opposition to spiritual and contra-distinct to the Spirit and in a Word hast made of it at the best Construction but bad and evil and then when thou hast done thou confesâ—est That it will put a Dâ—fference between Good and Evil and shew that God is to be worshipped and Eternity is known and Omnipotency and are not these the deep Things of God And so Babylon is the Land of thy Nativity and thou reelest and staggerest up not and down like a drunken Man and wouldst be a Teacher and knowest not whereof thou affirmest nor of what thou speâ—kest Further thou say'st That thâ—â— little Light there is is much miscarried and thy Reason is because it is mannaged by the reigninâ— Power of Darkness and the Judgment of Man is corrupt and then thou goest on the Light of Nature siâ—ce the Fall is not to be compared say'st thou with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and it hath no Proportion with Gospel Light but is gross Darkness nay is worse then gross Darkness Answ. And how did the Light miscarry thou blind-man and when did the reigning power of Darkness manage it seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt Light Darkness and the Light which every man is lightned with hath born witness against Darkness and the Reigning Power of it and though the Judgment of man be corrupt his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the Light and because he hath turned his Back on it and then Sin entered and then came to Reign in the Power of Darkness and corrupted the Heart and this hath made man miscarry and though thou sayst that the Light which lighteth every man is not compared with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and hath no Proportion I 'le tell thee a Riddle go learn what it means the Light of the Image of God before the fall is the same in it self after the fall and holdeth its proportion and is no whit lessened or diminished in its purity in its self although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it because Sin hath entred and Death by Sin and that is it which obscureth the Image of God from man and it 's Light yet the Light shined in Darkness but thou concludest it is Darkness yea worse then gross Darkness and thou bringst a proof to prove it ye were Darkness the Apostle doth not say that the Light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then gross Darkness as thou ignorantly saist but he said the Ephesians or the men of Ephesus were darkness and not the Light in them which shined in Darkness though the Darkness comprehended it not but how now John Norton what will the General Court of Boston say when they see thy confusion laid open and the Deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance thou confest in the 16. page That it would lead to know God and the Worship of God and Teach not to Lye and Steal and so forth and to discover some of God's Attributes as Eternity Omnipotency and the like here was some good in it in thy own account but now it s become gross Darkness in the 18. page and worse then gross Darkness and so hath made as bad if not worse then any Principle that is in a Beast and it may truly be said of thee even in thy own Phrase Qanta sub nocte Jacebat Nostra dies But now thou comes to a further Interpretation of 1 Joh. 9. and thou saist The Light which we are enlightned with it is either the Light of Nature the Light of Reason or the Light of saving
Lord Jesus their Saviour and Teacher there was Truth and Life by them And after Henry Cromwel the Deputy of Ireland banished him and Edward Burroughs out of Ireland through the Instigation of the Priests and other Magistrates but the Lord overturned them his Adversaries also And so continuing in the Labour of the Lord till the Year 1661. he was imprisoned at London when the Monarchy People rose with many others though clear and innocent from that bloody Act for his and their Weapons were spiritual and they sought another Kingdom And after he and they were set at Liberty he still continued in the Work of the Lord travailing up and down the Nations and coming into the North at Kendal the Magistrates sent for him out of the Market and tendred him the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy and because for Conscience sake he could not swear in Obedience to the Command of Christ his Saviour they committed him to Appleby Goal in the Year 1664. and there they kept him from Sessions to the Assizes in a smoaky Hole and at last they premunired him and his Body being almost spent in the Service of the Lord being a weak man there did he offer up his Life as a Sacrifice of his Faith for the Lord Jesus Christ's Truth and dyed a Prisoner for the Name of Jesus in the latter End of the Year 1668. and so laid down his Life as a Testimony against the Persecutors Breakers of the Command of Christ and his Blood doth cry for Vengeance though he could say The Lord forgive all hâ—â— Persecutorspunc who having the Mind of Christ desired the Good of all yea the worst of hâ—â— Enemies and in that Desire of the Good of all did he labour travail seeking their Good and their Eternal VVelfare in the Inheritance of Life that fades not away of which he was an Heir and is entred into Rest and the Possession of the same And now this peaceable Man the persecuting Priests and Magistrates have gotten their Desire to shut up in Prison this Servant of the Lord to Death for obeying the Command of Christ but how they will answer it before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the great Judge at his Tribunal Day which hastens apace let them consider with themselves for if they went into everlasting Punishment that did not visit Christ in Prison what wâ—ll become of such as cast him into Prison in his Members And so they made his Wife a Widdow and his Children Fatherless who have none to cry unto but the Lord who will relieve the Widdow and help the Fatherless The Place of his outward Habitation was in Greying in Westmorland a man known to be of good Report before he received the Gospel freely from Jesus which he declared freely and great Sufferings and Tryals and Reproaches and Scorns and hard Labours in the Work and Service of the Lord he went through and many vain Disputes Priests and Professors of all Sects rose up against him but the Lord in his Power gave him Dominion over them all Who ended his Dayes in Peace in the Truth of God and the Lord's Service and Testimony for his Name and for the keeping of and obeying the Command of Christ his Lord and Saviour And therefore all Friends and Brethren that are begotten by him through the Word of Life and others live in the same Word that lives abides endures forever that is a Hammer a Fire as a Sword to all that is contrary to that which is holy and pure so that in the Truth Power and Word of Life the Lord God may be glorified in you all the Dayes of your Life And blessed are all they that aye in the Lord they rest from their Labours and their Works will follow them G. F. Richard Pinders Testimony CONCERNING Francis Howgil AS concerning our dear Brother in the Lord Francis Howgil the Author of these ensuing Writings he was a Man so well known through the Churches of Christ in his Day that much need not be writ concerning him as by Way of Testimony to those that knew him and his Spirit and Manner of Life and Conversation yet I having had a full Knowledge of him especially in the time of his long and tedious Imprisonment in the Town of Appleby in Westmorland where for his Testimony sake he ended his Dayes and laid down his Life as a Testimony for that Truth that he had testified of so largely both in preaching the Gospel and in these ensuing Books which he writ at several times according as the Lord put it into his Heart and as there was Occasion to answer Truth 's Opposers and after many Years Travails and Labours in the Work of God he through the Envy of some great Persons in that Country was made Prisoner at the foresaid Town of Appleby they having nothing justly to lay to his Charge yet knowing that it was his Principle not to swear at all Christ having forbidden it they put the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance unto him and only for refusing to swear he was premunired they in the least laying nothing of Misdemeanour to his Charge and when the Judge pronounced the Sentence of Premunire against him he only replyed It is a hard Sentence being only for the Exercise of my Conscience but the Will of the Lord be done and prayed the Lord might forgive them all that had any Hand in it and so after the said Sentence being committed Prisoner he continued a Prisoner several Years in which time I was very conversant with him and I must give this Testimony for him that I never heard him in the least murmur or repine in all the time of his Imprisonment but alwayes appeared as a Man wholly given up inâ—o â—he Will of God and when at any time we had been speaking of his long Imprisonment constantly he would have said The Will of the Lord be done and such was his godly Behaviour and Conversation in the time of his Confinement that he greatly gained the Hearts and Love of the Goaler's whole Family and all others of the Town that knew him and had any Acquaintance with him and even to this Day when his Name is mentioned they are all ready to say he was a Man that truly feared God so that he left an exceeding good Savour behind him in that Place And as for the Course of his Time and Dayes in this World I have this to say he was born of honest Parents and brought up to some Learning according to the usual Custom of the Country and in his Youth and tender Years was one that sincerely thirsted after the Knowledge of God and the Lord was good unto him and gave him Discoveries of divine things unto his Soul 's great Comfort and he was an early Owner of the People of God called Quakers and walked with them and was alwayes ready to suffer with them as at any time called by the Lord thereunto he was one greatly
limit him to any visible Appearance shall be broken to pieces for his Glory he vvill not give to another This was I moved of the Lord to write in Answer to Tho. Ellyson 's Petition and to the Magistrates A Lover of all those that wait for the Redemption of Israel called after the Flesh Francis Hovvgil THE Fiery Darts Of The Devil QUENCHED Or something in Answer to a BOOK called A second Beacon Fired Presented to the Lord Protector and the Parliament and subscribed by Luke Fawne John Rothwel Samuel Gellibrand Thomas Underhil Joshua Kirton Nathanael Webb Wherein their Lyes and Slanders are made manifest against the Innocent and those Books which have been published by them they call Quakers owned and vindicated and all the rest which is in that Book disowned and their Deceit laid open how they have perverted the Truth our Words in those Books which they cry out of as Blasphemy that the Truth may not suffer under the Reproach of the Heathen FIrst of all you go about and flatter the Powers and the Magistrates and tell them They ought to have a Care of their peoples Souls in keeping them from Infection of Idolatry and Blasphemy and you say you are to inform them of the Dangerousness of great Meetings in London of Quakers whose Opinions are Blasphemous Paganish Anti-scriptural and Anti-Christian even as the former And further the greatest thing that troubles you is Printing and Publishing Books many thousands you say concerning Blasphemous and Heretical and Anti-magistratical Opinions tending to unchristian People and disorder the People of the Nations and to bring in Paganism and Libertinism and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeal against them Oh you blood-thirsty-minded men all the Care that you would have the Magistrates to take of the People is to destroy them and to have them shut up in Holes and Caves and Dens and Prisons and the Truth ever suffered by your Generation and your Generation hath ever pressed the Magistrates that they might abuse their Power and if they will but hearken to you instead of healing the People they will be Destroyers and instead of making up Breaches they will make desolate and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt Will and to uphold your Diana and your craft that you may make Merchandize of that vvhich hath been long enough sold and printed by you and what hath it done who is turned from Darkness to Light and you that make a trade of others Writings and Words to maintain you in your Lusts and deceive this you would have them to uphold but as for the care of Peoples Souls it 's far enough from you and all along in your filthy lying slanderous Book you are made manifest to be of those that would have Fire to come down from Heaven in your Wills to destroy all those that withstand you and your Imaginations And therefore let all Magistrates in whom the Fear of the Lord is take heed how they take things from the Hands and Mouthes of them who have alwayes persecuted the Power of Truth and called Truth Errour and Light Darkness and Darkness Light and in a blind Zeal for God destroy them whom the Power of the Lord is manifest in for so Paul persecuted Christ and the Saints and so the Jews crucified Christ and all the Saints have suffered And you are offended at our meeting in London while we have been here in the City we have not been in a corner and we challenge you and all the City in the Name of the Lord who is dreadfull to all Lyars and Slanderers to shew what are those blasphemies that you speak of you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites Opinions we deny for the Light of Jesus Christ is spiritual which appears and declares against all Sects and Opinions and Blasphemies and all you who hate it are in Contention and in Opinions and Blaspheme the Truth and here I charge it upon you in the Presence of the living God that you are Blasphemers who call the Light Natural and Paganism and the Lord will plead with you you filthy corrupt minds who calls the Light of Christ Anti-christian for here in the Presence of the Lord of Hosts I speak it no other Light do we own to walk by but that which is spiritual and eternal the Light of Christ which he hath enlightened every one that comes into the World withall and this is not Anti-scriptural as thou calls it for the Scriptures witness the same and Christ bears witness of it and no other Light do we own but the same that ever was which was in the beginning and which convinceth the World of Sin and the same that led up the Saints to knovv the Father and the Son and you that call this Paganism and Heretical and Blasphemous and Anti-christian let all vvho have any Light in them judge and let Shame cover your Faces and Fear take hold upon you for your Words stink and come out of the Mouth of the Dragon ye filthy unclean Frogs vvhich have Poison under your Tongues And as for the Bookes vvhich vve have printed vve ovvn them and are ready to lay dovvn our Lives for the Testimony of Jesus and the Truth of them and seal them vvith our Blood and vvhat are vvritten in them through the eternal Povver of God vvhich is made manifest and that vve have published any thing against any just Magistrate let all our vvritings and all vvho read them judge and if bearing vvitness to Jesus Christ unchristians People let all judge for no other do vve ovvn but the same Christ to Day and Yesterday and forever and here all your petitioning is made manifest from vvhence it did arise and proceed and your shame and Nakedness and envy appears And the Sacraments vvhich you say you use which is appointed in the Scripture and Farnsvvorth in Answer to a Petition did deny them Answer His Ansvver vve ovvn and I challenge you to be Perverters of the Scripture vvhere read you of Sacraments in the Scripture here I charge you to be Lyars and Slanderers and Denyers of the Scripture and Adders to it and the Plagues shall be added to you and as for that vvhich you use among you is traditional and imitatory Yet the Bread vvhich vve break is the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup we drink is the Communion of the Blood of Christ and this is that which Paul received from him And Baptism by one Spirit into one Body we own the Baptism is but one and this we own and here you Lyars and Slanderers are seen and denyed Another thing you call Heresie and Blasphemy is that we say that Christ hath enlightened all men but I shall lay down your own Words and prove you Lyars out of that Book called the General good to all People and you say The Light of God that is in all men that is to wit
Hardness of Heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a Stone which cannot be melted and Wo will be unto such where the Spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth to strive with them having so long rebelled against and gainsaid the pure drawing of it that so the Lord is grieved and wearied with their Impenitency that he gives them up to their vile Affection and to follow the Imaginations of their own Heart who received not the Truth in the Love of it but in the Enmity still remain obstinate doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace his long-suffering comes to an End and his fierce Wrath comes to be kindled against such and that which would have led them out of the World into true pure everlasting Peace now becomes their Tormentor and they banished from his Presence and shut up in Eternal Misery where the Fire is kindled by the Breath of the Lord that burns forever the Sentence of Condemnation being past upon them because they had Pleasure in Unrighteousness and have sold themselves to do wickedly and crucifying the Appearance of God in themselves which Appearance though it lives in the Fountain of Life yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life yet lives still forever in it self to be thy Condemnation eternally How the Spirit of the Father worketh in them who are turned to it and have taken heed unto its Manifestation and are in some Measure Partakers of its Power THere are Differences of Administration but the same Lord and there are Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all Now the Spirit of Truth which is Life in it self putteth forth its own pure Act not only to convince and detect him that transgresseth its Appearance and manifesteth Evil which hath been committed by Man but also being turned unto and waited in it shews Man when Motions and Temptations unto Sin arise and as the Creature is still and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his Mind to it it sheds abroad its Power and vanquisheth and subdueth those Lusts which do arise and condemns the Ground from whence they arise and it purely draweth the Mind after it and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure Life in him that waiteth in Patience and in Stilness not heeding the vain Thoughts and Imaginations that rise in his Heart but rather heeds the Manifestation of the Spirit at whose bright Appearance all the vain Desires come to be extinguished and there comes to be a Hunger begot within to be made Partakers of its Purity and of its Nature for God through the Operation of the eternal Spirit lets forth his Power which turneth and changeth the Heart and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those Lovers that he hath joyned unto and makes a Separation within and carries a man further from those things which the Measure of the Spirit reproves and this leads nearer unto God And so they that do believe in the Measure of God's Spirit come to feel what Repentance from dead Works is and the Works and the Worker are seen and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the Light and as there is a diligent waiting upon it there is nothing that passeth through the Mind but it discerns and gives a Discerning unto every particular Heart who singly and quietly wait upon it but yet after the Spirit of Truth in some measure be felt and its living Testimony in something yet it may be a long time before there be a clear Distinguishment in the Understanding so that one cannot clearly discern its Movings from all other false Motions and high Imaginations which are above and hence it is that the hasty and forward Minds follow their vain Motions which lead them into Deceit and then the Questioner gets up and then they question all that ever the Spirit hath made manifest unto them before a Vail then is drawn over and the Enemy lodges in the Vail and in the Darkness which is entered and then as soon as any hearken within to that which is the uppermost and doth abound the Enemy that lodges in that presents Motions as to obey this and that and all is Deceit So therefore all are to keep back that they may sensibly feel between the pure Motions and drawing of the Spirit and the vain Thoughts that arise out of the earthly Heart and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear Witness to it 's not to be followed nor heeded but a quiet still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding and for Want of this many have run out and have brought forth Satan's Work and acted things forwardly in their Will and so have clean lost the true Sence of that which should guide their Minds and have followed the Spirit of Error have caused the pure Spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of but as there is a keeping back and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste it arises purely and stilly in the Heart shines forth in Brightness in the Heart so that it giveth perfect Evidence and full Testimony of it self that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its Motion for it will apparently shew forth it self in its own transparent Brightness with full Assurance of his own Will and then after it be clearly seen and its Motion then keep under all reasoning and keep out all questioning and give not Way to Temptation and that which moves of the Lord of Life will carry thee through in its own Operation and Power to accomplish the Will of God and so thou wilt have Peace being obedient and thy Strength will be renewed for as any is brought to submit unto the Will of God when it is known and comes to obey by Virtue of its own Power that which is contrary unto God's Spirit in thee comes to loose its Strength and to decay and be weakened but as any disobey the pure Motion of God's holy Spirit after it be known the Enemy is strengthned and that which is of the Flesh nourished and the Spirit comes to be quenched that which would give thee Power if thou submittest to it but yet know this the Spirit in it self never loseth its Purity neither can be quenched in it self but will bear its pure Witness against thee and none shall be able to stop its Reproof thus the Diversity of its Operation comes to be known as it is hearkened unto obeyed loved and believed in it puts forth its pure Power and gives Strength and seals Peace to the obedient but disobeyed and resisted it condemns judgeth reproves and seals Condemnation to the disobedient and yet there is no Variation in it self for it is alwayes one and the same But as it operateth upon different Natures or Objects unto which it joyns or stands at a Distance from that is to say the good Ground it causeth to bring
Grave nor after men be Dead for they that have served Sin in their Life time served the Devil as long as they live and have yeelded their Bodies to be Temples for Uncleanness while they live upon the Earth eternal Misery will be their Portion and not redemption Think on this you who are holding this forth for an Article of your Faith in the World among poor Ignorant People that they must not expect redemption from all Sin in this Life and so leads them on to Perpetual Misery Misery will be your End and in the day of the Lord you shall Witness this to be true But to return to the Beginning again where there was no sorrow but pure Joy and Peace both in Heaven and Earth but I go hither and thither as the Spirit leads and shall speak as it gives Utterance though but here a little and there a little yet shall it be in Truth and Righteousness How Peace Joy and Delight possessed every Thing that God had made every Thing which he had formed glorified God their Maker with one Consent in the Beginning before the World was framed that lay in Wickedness NOW the Lord rejoyced in all the Works of his Hands which he had made and rested and all that he had made rested in the Power whether Caelestial or Terrestrial and rejoyced in him walked in him in the Motion of the Power of the Life they were happy and partook of the Life that endures forever and Happiness immortal and knew no Evil for there was none there was no Hell yet prepared Tophet yet was not ordained neither the Devil had yet any Being at all there was no Wrath no Sorrow no Condemnation no Death Vexation Grief or Perplexity no Pit of Darkness no Angel of the bottomless Pit no Shame no Tribulation no Anguish nor Pain no Misery and in a Word there was nothing that did destroy but all in Quietness in Peace in Life in Power in Wisdom glorifying him which sate upon the Throne the Lamb who was living and the Life of the Male and the Female and of every Thing that God had made by the Power subsisted in the Power and in the Motion thereof was good purely good and here was the Goodness of him who was eternally good manifest in all above all and over all God blessed forever even then the Heavens rejoyced and the innumerable Company of Angels were hearty glad and all the holy Host sang for Joy with a living Voice which none that stand in Time ever yet heard or can learn then the Earth and all Things therein that moved and had Life were in pure Solace and Mirth and pleasant Joy unspeakable all knit together in Unity and Harmony in one Consent as one Family and were one Body and there was Health in the Body and it was pure and comely and perfect and pleasant to behold crowned with Dignity covered with Righteousness beautified with the Comliness of the Lamb who was the Life of all and now Man had Right to the Tree of Life while he moved in the Power and went not out Oh happy State oh beautiful State oh admirable State eternal Felicity oh glorious State Life it self the Life of all and all in the Life moving in the Power and man had right to the Tree of Life while he lived in the Lamb's Power had Unity with his Maker and with all the Creatures that God had made and was in God's pure Dominion and Authority and ruled all over all things that God had mâ—de in God's Wisdom thus in short was the State of all things in the Beginning as they were created and brought forth and these be the Generation of the Heaven and of the Earth and of all Things that therein are in the Day when God created them when the Father was glorified when the Son was glorified and when Man was in Glory and Honour and in Dominion created in the Image of God and yet there was no Evil Time would fail to speak of the State of all Things in the Beginning as it was and as it is revealed by the Spirit of Truth but in that which I have declared they who have a good Understanding may take a Glimpse of the happy State of all Things as God hath revealed them by his Spirit which I never received of nor from man but by the Holy Spirit of God which was in the Beginning with God which saw all this and was an Eye-Witness of this before the World that lyes in Wickedness began and he that hath an Ear let him hear and blessed is his Ear. How Man lost his State and Dominion and Unity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the VVorld that lyes in Wickedness came to be formed and founded and how the Curse came and the Wo upon the Serpent which was blessed before and upon Man and Woman and the Ground that received the Temptation which was blessed before in the Motion of the Power came to be cursed and how endless Misery came in upon all in the Transgression declared to them who have a good Understanding NOW the Serpent was more subtil then all the Beasts of the Field for that was his Nature in which he was created and it was good in the Motion of the Power and therefore Christ said Be wise as Serpents yet as harmless as Doves and though the Serpent was wise and subtil more then all the Beasts of the Field till he acted moved without Commandment and out of the Motion of the Power he was not cursed he that can receive it let him but he moved in the Subtilty and Wisdom out of the Light out of the Power and went out of the Truth out of his Place without Commandment or Authority from the Power and acted and spâ—ke of himself out of the Power and out of the Truth as it is written Joh. 8.44 When he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it now he knew there was a Law and Command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for God had forbidden it now he went out of the Power without Commandment of his own Accord without Motion now he went and talked with the Woman and she was good before being in the Motion of the Life and Power she also looked out and not in the Power and reasoned with him out of Power contrary to Commandment beyond the Command or before the Power and said unto the Serpent We may eat of all but the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil we may not eat lest we dye this she knew and the Serpent knew now the Tree of Knowledge was good in the Powers Motion though not to live upon or for Food for it was not good for Food therefore God the Truth the Life the Power did forbid to taste of it or to eat of that Tree but the Serpent out of the Power and the Woman
Self-acting was not known now Self-will Self-worship Self-righteousness nay they moved in the Power Righteousness was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my Tongue is the Pen of a ready writer Oh that all had an Ear to hear that their Soul might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false rest false and feigned Hope and Faith and of his own ragged Garment and let go his Self-righteousness and his dead Works and come to Christ the Life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have Life and Peace Object But some would say That thou wouldest have all upside down anâ— unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our Worship and then what should we do all would be as Heathens and turn into Atheism I say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come when nothing shâ—ll stand but that hath the Image stamp and Character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the Transgression must be turned down into the Pit again and all that have got a Name of Christian and wants his Life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as Clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind and all imitated Worships and will-Worshippers and the feigneâ— Faith and the feigned Hope shall be confounded and all will-worships and Worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the Light and tryes his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbelief it is but Sin or Self-righteousness which is brought forth by him who abode not in the Truth in the Unbelief and so who be come to the Power which was in the Beginning before Sin entered and death by Sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works and man that is in the loss in the Fall and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living Fruits unto God nor living works of Righteousness being in the Unrighteousness neither the fruits of Faith being in the unbelief neither the works of the Day being in the Night neither the works of charity being in the Enmity in a word without Christ the Power the Light the Life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say the said it himself who is the Beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his Testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is well-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true State of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable Naked Hâ—peless Helpless Faithless and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of God his Maker or to the ordering of any thing in the Creation to his glory having lost his Dominion and God's Wisdom and this being câ—â—sidered seriously by all and brought to the Light in all and their Deeds tryed by it would make the losty bow and the Stout-hearted fear and the conceited sit down in Solitariness that they should so long deceivâ— their own Souls with a conceit of Righteousness and redemption whâ—â— as Death yet reigns in them and over them and not Life eterna 〈◊〉 the Devil is a distinct being from God and his Works are distinct anâ— his Deeds from the Works of God and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of God but he and they tha◠〈◊〉 him and fellow him who is our of the Truth they their work 〈◊〉 whâ—t â—ort soever they may seem unto men to be whose Eyes the 〈◊〉 hâ—â—h â—linded so I say all is to condemned and shut out from God's 〈…〉 â—â—rever and to be Destroyed by him who is a consuming Fire 〈◊〉 all the Righteousness of man burned as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 Aâ—d by what hath been said the Principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their Imaginations and foolish 〈…〉 being Darkned and are seen and their Principle overthâ—â—â—â— As that Light and Darkness is one and good and Evil one and 〈◊〉 Righteousness one and Truth and a Lye one and that God is all and doth all and whatever is done is of God and that there is no Evil but to him that thinks it so and it is only a false apprehension of things and that there is no such thing as Sin and that Sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true Ground of things laid down as the Spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this Matter Object But some may object further and say Will not reading the Scriptures and conforming to the practice of the Saints in the use of his Ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the Fall and make us good Christians Answ. No while Death hath dominion in man and over man and the vail over the Heart man doth not understand the Mystery of God's Kingdom neither understands the Scripture which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth or any thing of Truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the Spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure Spirit of God in him to direct him and inform him which Spirit was the Original of the Scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost without the holy Ghost in some measure be known and that which is infallible the sayings the writings the Scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into Heads and Sects and Opinions and large Treatises and Volumes and expositions have been written and yet differing one from another and all from the Spirit and in all these particular Sects Persecuting one another and Envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the Scripture of Truth and in latter Ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the Fall and in the Transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the Power of the Beast whom makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not Worshippers of the Lamb but of the Beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the Lake For the
for the Life of the World John 6.51 And as Godliness began to work and the Mystery thereof in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles wherein the Lord discovered much of his Wisdom and Power and manifested his pure Presence and poured out his Spirit plentifully upon Sons and Daughters and fulfilled that which Joel prophesied of Joel 2.28 which came to be fulfilled after Christ's ascension Acts 2.17 and They received the Holy Ghost and spoke the wonderful Things of God as they were revealed by the Spirit which shed it self abroad among them that waited for it so also the Mystery of Iniquity began to work even in that time and as the Apostles laid the Foundation of Truth and declared the Truth Christ to be the Foundation even so the Mystery of Iniquity did Work and a Beginning or a Foundation of error was laid by them who were gone out of the Truth the false Prophets Deceivers Anti-christs who were Professors and Preachers but they were such as were Covetous and Greedy of filthy Lucre and made Merchandize of Souls for dishonest gain and denyed the Power of God Christ and were Enemies to the Cross and gloried in the Flesh and spake Swelling words of Vanity and did all live in the Lust of the Flesh and were proud Boasters and denyed the Lord that bought them for denying the Power of God they did deny Christ though in Words they preached him as this Generation who are their Off-springs do out of Strife and Contention as the Apostles writes and they held the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power and they were they that once were Convinced of the Truth and came into the form of Truth but denyed the Power of Truth but were in Craft and Deceit and they subverted whole Houses from the Faith and led them back into the World into Unbelief in the Apostles dayes and yet had a worship and did Worship but not in the Power not the Life and this began to work and wrought more cunningly and Subtilly in the latter Times And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles John and Peter and Jude declare against them and Paul prophesied of them before his departure of grievous Wolves which should spring up which should not spare to make Havock of the Flock of Christ so the false Apostles Deceivers Anti-christs and deceitful Workers they went out then and did what they could to lead Disciples after them into the World inwardly they were ravened from the Spirit and were gone from it into the Earth into the world and served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and the God of the world which is the Devil and they went into the World and the World received them and then they and their Disciples turned against the Saints and they held Truth in Words and the Form for a wile but it was in Unrighteousness and here was the beginners and the beginning of the Apostates and of the Apostacy it was began in the Apostles dayes by them that went out of the Truth out of the Light and were ravened from the Spirit and erred from the Faith and were Enemies to the Power of God and these were the beginners and the Layers of the Foundation and then it grew that root of Wickedness faster then the Truth for the Jews resisted and the Heathens resisted and the Apostates and false Prophets resisted and they that were Apostatized they resisted and they caused many to Stumble to Err to make Ship-wrack of their Faith and so the World went after them the World the Nations the Kindreds the Tongues and the People went after Kings Princes and Potentates of the Earth and in process of time they had over-run all and Killed the Saints the Woman fled into the Wilderness and the man-Child was caught up unto God then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a Sea reeled to and fro Unstable Unsetled what were they like to settle in the Sea then a great beast arose with his seven Heads and ten Horns and the Whore which had Defiled the bed and She sat upon the Beast and She reached out her Cup of Fornication to the Nations and all Nations were Drunk with her Cup and then the Beast made War and the Nations were Drunk and they loved the beast and received his Mark became Cruel and pushed at the Saints and followed him and made War with them and the Whore she drank the blood of the Saints and the Dragon appeared and with his Tayl drew the third part of the Stars after him to the Earth the false Prophets they are the Tail of the Dragon who were gone from the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy and drew after it the third part of the Stars from the Firmament of his Power into the Earth Rev. 12.4 The man Child was caught up unto God which was to rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron and the Woman fled into the Wilderness where God hath prepared a place for her and then the Dragon went out and made War with the Remnant of her Seed to wit the Woman's Seed And so out of the Sea arose the Beast out of Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples which are Waters and the Dragon gave Power to the Beast and his Seat and great Authority Rev. 13.2 And all the World wondered after the beast ver 3. and ver 4. They Worshipped the Dragon which gave Power to the beast and the beast likewise and now the world cryed which wondered after the beast who is able to make War with the beast and ver 6. He opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme hâ—s Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and he made War with the Saints and did overcome them and all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped him whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life And the Beast deceived the Nations and them that dwelt on the Earth and now Kindreds Tongues People and Nations and all the World which wondered after him they who had lost the Image of God now became the Image of the Beast that blasphemed God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and now the Kings of the Earth that had drunk the Whore's Cup of Fornication and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who were become the Beast's Image now the Image of the Beast spoak and caused as many as would not worship the Beast and the Image should be killed take notice of that all who are called Christians it was not Godâ—s Images who compelled to worship or else be killed but it was the Beasts Image and wheresoever Compulsion â—nd killing is exercised and practised they worship the Beast Chap. 13. Ver. 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a Mark in their Forehead or in their right Hand and none might buy or sell but he which had the Beast's Mark or his Name or the Number of his Name
Covenant shall be broken and your Confederacy disanulled and you confounded in the midst of your Counsels what have you your Law yet to make to serve your Turns It seems you act not by the Law of God which is made already which is equal just and good and is for the Transgressor of Justice Goodness and Equity but takes not hold upon the just equal nor good but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious Minds and to accomplish your wicked Determinations and you that think to make a Law to banish and to put to Death your Thoughts are vain and wicked and God will bring them to Judgment and condemn you for them for Christ came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them but the Devil makes Laws to destroy and not to save Read your Example and let Shame cover your Faces and Astonishment fill your Hearts that you should become so brutish and vain in your Thoughts as to think to limit the Lord of Heaven and Earth Can you command the Wind that it blow not can you stop the Bottles of Heaven that they pour not forth Water If you cannot no more can you limit the Lord And if you make any such Law to banish or put to Death it will procure the Indignation and Wrath of God more speedily then if all the Popish Princes that are in the WORLD did enter into the midst of your Land But this is come to pass that your Hypocrisie and Deceit might be made manifest in the Sight of the Sun and that all men may see what Prâ—fession of Words is without the Life of Christ to rule in Men If it should have been told you when you fled from this Nation what you would do in the time to come against God and his Servants you would have said with Hazael Are we Dogs But the Heart of Man is deceitful unconverted and your deceived Hearts have led you aside Thou thinkest they are the worst Hereticks Thy Eye being blinded and thy Understanding darkened and thy Heart full of Envy how should'st thou think otherwise But thy Thoughts shall be discovered to thee and thou shalt be convinced of the Evil of them Thou say'st One whom many think is a Jesuite pressed for a Conference with one of our Teachers called Mr Norton but the Quaker was quickly weary of it You live by your Thoughts and know nothing if he had been a Jesuite it 's like he might have had more Favour from you and the Minister might be very bold knowing before-hand no Evil was like to befall him having the Rulers with their Clubs on his Side the Prison-Doors and House of Correction ready to receive the Quakers the Goalers and Task-masters with their Whips and butcherly Fellows with their Knives to cut of their Ears at the Pleasure and Wills of a Company of envious men before whose Face the Fear of the Lord is not But it is like you will make the Quaker weary soon if he would look out at your Cruelty if you did as sometime some of your Priests and Rulers caused to be done in New-England stop Napkins in their Mouthes and bound Keys over their Mouthes that they could not speak and boast and say The Quaker had nothing to answer Well all these things are recorded and are written as with a Pen of Iron and they are engraven where they shall not be blotted out and you are registred among the Uncircumcised with Mesech and Tubal the great Princes of Gog which make War against the Lamb his Followers but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory and you shall be trodden as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet for they shall melt away that hate the Lord. Reading the 16th of the 12th Moneth 1658. F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light AND REPROVED IN Answer to divers false Doctrines and Principles of John Wells of St. Ives so called in Huntingon-shire Concerning the Word and the Gospel and the Way to Christ and the Tryal of Spirits and the Light which lighteth every Man and the Ministers Maintenance His vain Arguments and Proofsmade void and Truth manifested in all these particulars Also some Queries propounded to John Wells to answer By him that loves the Truth as it is in Jesus F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light HE that hates the Light as it is written will not bring his Deeds to the Light lest they should be reproved and made manifest of which Sort John Wells a pretended Minister of the Gospel at St. Ives so called in Huntington-shire is who hath declared and published unsound Doctrines contrary to Scripture of Truth which were asserted by him and taken from his own Mouth and the Reply thereunto sent and his Doctrines reproved as to be unsound and inconsistent to a true Minister of Christ the which Paper of Information and also of Reproof John Wells in Vindication of his former Assertions hath divulged abroad in his Parish as in Answer to the said Paper delivered unto him and also in Vindication of his former Doctrines which Paper of his hath been read up and down by his Auditors as some great Oracle which could not be gainsayed and he never yet sent his Answer unto them who contradicted and reproved his aforesaid Doctrines and Principles unto which his Answer did properly belong it could never yet be purchased or obtained from him or any of his Auditors and all this he hath done lest his Works should be brought to Light and his Deceit should be discovered and his Kingdom weakened which stands in Darkness but seeing that there is no Work of Darkness must be hid but must all be brought to Light and be discovered in the Day therefore is his Paper come forth by another Hand that he and his Work might be tryed and reproved and that the ignorant might see his Confusion and also that Truth might be made manifest to the Understandings of People that they may no longer continue in Ignorance and Blindness now when the Lord is shining forth in his Brightness and revealing his Glory from the rising of the Sun His first Position is That Eternal Life is to be found by or in the Scriptures II. They are the VVay and Means which God hath discovered for the obtaining of it viz. Eternal Life In the Vindication of his foresaid Assertions he saith he will explain himself and saith That God is pleased by his Infinite Grace and VVisdom to continue this excellâ—nt Plot of Redemption by his Son and then concludeth how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard therefore was God pleased by the Scriptures to reveal Jesus Christ and none can ever come to the Knowledge of Chrâ—st but in or by the Scriptures This man talks like a Heathen Politician rather then a Minister of Christ who tells of an excellent Plot of Redemption for he who is the Redeemer was with the Father was his Delight before the World began which in
contemned and despised by the wicked that they might see themselves and be humbled for their Iniquity and repent of their Transgressions yet notwithstanding such is the Obstinacy of many as that they hate the Reproof of Instruction yea the Scorneâ— and the Fools unto whom Wisdom cryeth Return at my Reproof so that all are left without Excuse yet notwithstanding though they reject the Mercy and Love of the Lord and gainsay his Holy Spirit though they do for a while persist in their Wickedness yet this shall be the End the wicked shall not go unpunished of that certain Testimony is given that God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the Secrets of all Hearts by Jesus Christ according to the everlasting Gospel which was declared and now is published again by them that are come and coming out of the Apostacy and in that Day thou Thomas Underhil shalt be convinced of thy ungodly Deeds and of thy hard Speeches and false Accusations and reproachful Calumniations and Slanders and of many false things which thou hast charged against a People whom Christ hath redeemed by his most precious Blood which thou shalt be judged for in that Day when Terror shall fill thy Heart and Wrath come upon thee from whence thou shalt not be able to flee though thou may'st call to the hard Rocks and to the high Hills which are in the Transgression whose Hands thou would'st now strengthen against the Just and blind their Eyes that so they might receive thy false Suggestions and Instigations and so would'st perswade them to stretch out their Hands against them which are to be preserved and cherished who are dear unto the Lord as the Apple of his Eye but the Lamb of God who taketh away the Sins of the World who is arisen and arising in his Power and Might to make War in Righteousness against the Beast and his Power the Mother of Harlots and her golden Cup of Fornication against Anti-christ and his Men of War against the Dragon and his Army and he is travailing in the Greatness of his Strength who shall subdue the Nations to himself and break all the Ungodly that stand in his Way as a Potters Vessel and behold a numberless Number have taken Part with him who rides on in the Power Strength of his Might the least of which thou shalt not be able to stand before but shall vanish as Smoak and be consumed as Stubble before the Fire which shall burn up all the Ungodly and melt them all away that hate the Lord then shalt thou call to the Rocks and to the Hills from whence thou now lookest for Salvation that thou mightest be preserved in Safety still in Babylon where is thy Habitation and in the Region of the Shadow of Death which thou hast taken up for thy dwelling-Place and that they might suppress that which thou callest Heresie and Blasphemy which hath invaded thy Kingdom already and put out thy Light and is staining that which thou gloryest in and is bringing Contempt upon thy Mother's Merchandize of which thy Shop is filled with Books of curious Arts and made up in the Imaginations of Men of corrupt Minds many of which are good for nothing but for the Fire which have bewitched People from the Simplicity of the Gospel and have darkened Peoples Understandings and brought a Mist and a Cloud over Peoples Hearts so that the Sun of Righteousness could not be seen to arise in the Hearts of People and now thou with the rest of Babylon's Merchants which have long trafficked with their Sorceries art angry because thou hast had a share in her Merchandize and hast gotten Gain by selling of such Traffick which is as unsavoury Salt good for nothing but to be trodden under Foot of Men thou cryest like Demetrius for his Shrines Great is the Goddess Diana and thou with other who have got Gain and a Trade by the aforesaid Inchantments of the Harlot and her Merchants thou cryest The Church the Church the Ministry the Ministry and Religion the National Ministry which when the Matter is enquired into what the Church is it is found to be no other then the Mother of Harlots who hath sitten upon the Waters these many hundred Years and the Ministry is no other but them that are in Balaam's Way and such whose Hearts are exercised with Covetous Practices and such as the Prophets and Apostles declared against who sought for their Gain from their Quarter and who taught those Things they ought not for filthy Lucre And for Religion it is nothing but a Profession in VVords at best without the Life or else some old Traditions human Inventions and innovated Customs which have been brought in since the Apostacy but I say because of thy gainful Craft thou art now busied as thou hast been divers Years not only against the Quakers but against others who have separated from your hypocritical VVorships and deceitful Formalities and for this End thou hast bended thy Tongue to tell Lyes and thy Ear is open to mischief that thou mightest get any Thing to accuse the Truth withal and to set up and promote thy long Trading with Deceit what have not the Hills and the Mountains Parliaments Protecctors formerly gratified thee that thou art so covetous and greedy of Persecution and Blood-shed Though thy insatiable Desire hath not been satisfied neither I believe ever shall yet thou shalt not go unpunished and when Judgment comes upon thee then may'st thou call to the Rocks and to the Hills to cover thee and hide thee from the Wrath of the Lamb and from the Presence of his holy Host but they shall not be able to save thee What! hath not all the Beacons that thou hast fired given sufficient Warning to all the Dragon's Host and to all the Beast's Army and to all the Harlot's Merchants and to all Babylon's Children that they might come out all to Battel they have been Fired these five Years hast thou not gotten all thy Host up together by thy Books which formerly thou calledst so to withstand the Lamb and his Followers that thou art come on again with a fresh on-set to see if thou canst stop the way of Truth that People might not receive it for that is thy End in writing this lying History as thou thy self hast confest alas poor Man is this all thy strength that thou art able to make up and are these all the Weapons of thy war-fare a company of vain Arguments out of the Priests Books which have written as thou hast done against the Truth and old Stories which thou hast received out of our Adversaries writings which thou hast heaped up together to fill Peoples minds which Prejudice that they might not receive the Truth dost thou think this is like to prevail a company of broken bowes and shattered Spears and lame Chariots whose Wheels have been often taken off which we have over-run and Trampled down that few will have any trust to these or this
in the Life thereof they are judged though the Truth in it self stands clear and so whâ—t as they were in their Principles Practiâ—e in Life or in Doctrine must they give Account for But thou like the rest of the Hireling Priests of England use alwayes to be confuting your Adversaries when they were at a great Distance when they were dead and could not reply or at such a Distance that they could not hear and you are such valiant Champions for the most Part as to Disputation except you have Club-men and Prison-doors standing open to fight or to shut them in you will hardly enter into a Dispute publickly or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their Deceit laid open put a Key in the Mouth of one as some did in the Mouth of Humphrey Norton when he was with one of thy Brethren and then cry The Opposite or Quaker hath nothing to say for himself and such dark muddy Stories you used to fill up your Hour with as to confute Arrius and Pelagius men that were Hundreds of Years dead and no such Principles holden in a Nation and such dead Stories you fill Peoples Minds with and confute the Pope when your Elbows were leaning upon the soft Cushions on the Pulpit and twenty or thirty Shillings for such a dead Story as you told People but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the Things of the Kingdom of God into their Dominions and convinced them by sound Doctrine and yet you will say Christ said Go into all Nations and preach and plead that for your Commission and it may be stay fourty Years over an hundred Families As for the Heterodoxes of the Quakers concerning the Heads of Religion as thou hast set down this I say to thee and to all the World we do not hold them because any Man before did hold them or may hold them after but because God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit which also may be confirmed by the Testimony of the Scripture of Truth As to those which thou settest down as our Tenets I shall answer on the Lord's Behalf for Truth 's sake and for the rest thou may'st take them home to thy self First Concerning the Trinity thou say'st The confess the Father Son and holy Ghost and yet they deny the Trinity and those to be three distinct Persons for Confutation of this thou bringest Heb. 1. 3. He is the express Image of his Father's Person Thy Trinity is an old Popish Term and we love to keep to sound Words but by Trinity I suppose thou meanest three and thy own Words shall confute thee thou confessest we say there is Father Son and Hâ—ly Ghost and yet but one God or one Eternal Being or Substance in which they all subsist but thy Word distinct is thy own and not the Spirit 's yet to distinguish betwixt Father Son and Spirit we deny not and as for Heb. 1. it is in another Translation rendered The express Image of his Suâ—stance for Perâ—on is too gross a Word as to express an Eternal and Divine Being in and if thou dost hâ—lâ—l three distinct Substances thou errest in they Judgment for that were to make three Gods Secondly They deny Christ to be God and Man in one Person and Christ to be a distinct Person from the Father and they acknowledge such a Christ as unchrists Christ and when they say Christ manifest in the Flesh they mean not as the Scripture but fallaciously Answ. We say according to the Scripture of Truth and not according to thy Fallacy that In the man Christ did the fulness of the God-head dwell and God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and he saith I and my Father are one and the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist in one Eternal Power Life and Glory which thou with all thy stupid Generation are Ignorant of and that Christ we acknowledge is such a Christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him and receive him and believe in him and is such a Christ as is able to raise them that have been Dead and such a Christ giveth eternal Life to them that believe And so that Christ that we own doth not un-christ Christ but by your Doctrine who plead Imperfection and the continuation thereof and a continuation in Sin for term of Life as one of thy own said Sin will dwell in the House till the House he pull'd down speaking of the natural Body which some other of thy own Generation have called the Body of Sin and so it is you that hold such a Christ as un-christ's the true Christ in thy own Words and when didst thou enter into our Thoughts and into our Heart or with what dost thou search that thou sitst as Judge over the Heart who knowest not Judgment in thy self nor what Spirit thou art of and so thy lyes and deceit are turned upon thee when we say Christ manifest in the Flesh we say that Holy thing which was brought forth and born of a Virgin and Conceived of the Holy Ghost in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells in whom the Eternal Power of the Father was manifested that he was the Christ which was manifested in the Flesh and Justified in the Spirit Preached among the Gentiles seen of Angels and received up into Glory and this is according to the Scripture of Truth and thy Judgment must be judged Thirdly Concerning the Scripture considered as the Rule of Life They deny the Scripture or written word to be the rule of Life and they make the Spirit without the Scripture to be their guide they account Church instituted Worship and waiting upon God for the Efficacious presence and Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament for Conversion and Edâ—fication to be Idolatry and the Political order of Church Officers and Members they affirm to be an Image Answ. Concerning the Scripture we say they are Scriptures of Truth and words of Truth spoken from the Spirit of Truth that which gave them a being is greater then they as he that Creates is greater then they that are Created which is perferred above and before and yet no Diminishing or Detracting from the Creature so the Spirit is greater above and before the words and yet this doth not Diminish neither Derogate from the Scripture these and the like sound Words we have spoken to thy deaf Generation yet a Spirit of slumber being upon them all they could not hear that which gives Life and bringeth to Life and preserves in the Life is a rule and a Guide to them that are enlightned the Sons of God who were quickned by the Eternal Spirit of their Father and of Christ and raised from Death to Life this was their rule as it is written as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and we say it is a sufficient rule of
and his Power amongst and their Adversaries will God rebuke for their Sake Therefore O Nation consider and take this one Warning more that thou proceed not further to thy Hurt and thou repent when it is too late ONE OF ANTICHRISTS VOLUNTIERS DEFEATED AND THE TRUE LIGHT VINDICATED In Answer to a Book called Ignis Fatuus published by one R.I. wherein he vindicates Edward Dod and Samuel Smith of the County of Salop in their Lyes Folly and Wickedness and hath added more of his own with divers of his false Doctrines Lyes and Slanders c. brought to Light and reproved As that the Law of the Spirit of Life is imperfect and not fit to be a Christian Rule and also Human Nature may be taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul c. and likewise calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtesie His Vindication made void and his Weapons broken and he taken Captive and left with E.D. and S.S. among the Slime-pits of Siddim near Sodom with his Ignis fatuus By F. H. a Witness to the perfect Law of the Spirit of Life The Wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking Lyes AMâ—ngst all the Opposers of the Truth that yet have appeared among the black Army of the the old Dragon who like the Philistians have alwayes defied Israels God and also their Camp through their ostentation and Boasting and with their Clamorous loud Cryeâ— in the Ears of the People like Rabshekah to dish earten and dismay Israel none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who Subscribes himself R. I. who in Vindication of his Brethren in Iniquity Eâ—ward Dâ—d Drunkard and Samuel Smith an uprofitable Talker otherwise called a Minister at Cressage who hath preached that which he calls the Gospel these divers Years and yet sees no Fruit at all and yet this impudent R. I. whom I believe to be another Dreamer like him for his Language doth manifest him to belong to Mystery Babylon the great City the Mother of Harlots he saith One may Minister and preach the Gospel and the People not be profited at all as Samuel Smith hath done at Cressage And he saith further that they are barren Professors yet saith R. I. that S. S. need not be abashed at it And for instance he saith Was Pauls Preaching of less credit because there were many Runnagates in the End shewed themselves Hypocrites yet this comparison will not excuse S. S. neither E. D. nor R. I. who would cover them with an old patched Cloak some Pieces he hath scraped up out of Esop's Fables a Book full of Lyes and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions and some out of Oviâ— and Seneca Heathens in their own account and the like frivolous Stories and Plato and Diogenes they must serve for a covering if it will to the two former Opposers of Truth but stay R. I. Did Paul stay seven Years in any place and saw no Fruit And though there were many Unbelievers among the Jews notwithstanding the publication of the Word and the miracles of Christ yet some believed and though the Apostles and Ministers of Christ laboured in the Work of the Lord yet some believed and clave unto them but there is no Fruit at Cressage at all but they barren Professors as R. I. saith but if thâ—s will not serve tâ—ke another of R. I. his arguments that God sends his Word sometimes for the hardening of People and upon this account S. S's teaching and Ministry must be kept in credit A sad thing for the People of Cressage that they should Hire a man for seven Years together and pay him Wages for hardening of their Hearts and for counting them barren Professors yet I judge S. S. E. D. and R. I. counted them fruitful and abounding in Zeal and fervency to God when they came into the Meeting of the Quakers some ringing Pans some Candlesticks and Frying Pans and throwing Water like People void of Understanding and saith this R.I. these yielding a better sound then the Quakers So that thou mayst see what will not this R. I. Vindicate and what Wickedness as can be acted and spoken here they may look for a shelter rather then they shall want a Guardian as Pictures Images Crosses Cuffs Ribbons Laâ—e and such other like things invented by the Devil to draw People from serving and Worshipping the living God R. I. will Patronize them all being brought forth and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his Hand to help to elevate Iniquity and to under prop the Devil's Kingdom which is exalted in the Children of Disobedience as all along may be seen in his Fabulous Scrole called Ignis Fatuus when like his two Brethren before him he goes about to Vindicate Idolatry Images Hirelings Mass-houses Cuffs and Ribbons Tythes Flattering Titles and vain Customs and Popish Practices Pride Persecution and Lying all those things he pleads for and hath used many vain Arguments and false Interpretations of Scripture so that the two former it may truly be said they have done wickedly but this R. I. Exceeds them all who is so stout-Hearted against the Truth and Power of God that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt Heart against it and gathers up the rest of the Priests lyes that they have Vomited up before and cast in the Face of Truth and â—enders them as good proof and some Scriptures perverted with Eâ—op's Fables and Ovid and Diogenes's Stories and upon such materials he hath framed his Book called Ignis Fatuus which he hath writ in Vindication of E. D. his Book called A pair of Spectacles for a Dark siâ—hted Quaker and S. S. Malice Stripped and Whipt three Pamphlets whose Title will discover what the Substance of their matter is and whose Work they drive on so that I need not say much some of them Vindicating Persecution and incouraging the Rude behaviour of the People another mocking at Innocency and scorneth them who Tremble at the Word of the Lord and last of all R. I. who hath made a Fortress for both the other and hath cast up a heap of confused Darkness to guard his Brethren he mocks at the Light within and calls it Ignis Fatuus and the Law which is Light which God hath Promised to write in his Peoples Hearts this he calls an Imperfect thing and therefore to be ruled and not fit to be a rule of the Saints as may be seen in the 55 th page of his Book and so hath spoken contrary to the Spirit and Scripture of Truth Prov. 6. and the Law of the Lord which is the Law that endureth forever this saith R. I. is imperfect and the Letter or Law without written is perfect and is a standard as R. I. saith for all Controversies then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all Controversies why doth R. I. borrow his proofs and raise his Arguments from Esop's Fables Ovid's Stories
Plato's and Diogenes's discourses and to omit Seneca because R. I. saith Ambrose hath reckoned him in the Bead-row of Saints it may be with Saint Dominick and Saint Patrick Saint Francis and some other of the Popes Canonizing but however I shall let many of his Envious and frivolous and impertinent Arguments pass as thing of no Validity or worth being they have been Answered over and over by many Hands and all the Fortresses and strong Holds thrown down so that to any Judicious man they will appear to be but Rubbish however R. I. would be gathering together the Rubbish again and would make it appear as goodly a fabrick as he can when indeed there is no thing in it all so thou may'st see Reader in R. I. his Vindication of this Mouldy cankered Ware of Babylon which he would hold up his own Folly Ignorance and Errour made manifest in the ensuing discourse of his Doctrines and most of his Principles thou may view and see which I have taken up and answer'd and his Confusion and Blindness thou mayst see and also view the Spirits that acts this Man and how this man is like to Convince any who hath not Power over his Tongue but lets it run to utter forth the deceit that proceeds out of his own corrupt Heart thinking thereby to blind Peoples Eyes that they should not see how Ignorant and Light vain and Treacherous these Priests are who would monopolize all into their own Hand nay though God commanded and move by his Spirit yet this must not speak nor declare the mind of God except these Priests will allow of it in whom the Welfare of all People lies if thou wilt believe R. I. in the 11 page of his Book yet if these count it disorderly for any to speak as h1 hath received of the Lord from his Spirit it must go for such and be accounted such as disorderly In the Epistle to the Reader R. I. saith such Schiâ—maticks as these Quakers have torn the Church in Pieces and its Authority condemned and the Ministry slighted and false Religion advanced Answ. It seems that the Church that R. I. is of is none of the true Church which is built upon the Rock Christ which the Gates of Hell prevaileth not aâ—ainst neither any weapon that is formed against it can prosper but R. I. his Church is torn in pieces and may be prevailed against sure it is but Babylon whose Stones must be scattered and whose Building must be thrown down it is but the Whâ—râ—s Aâ—â—re that is sending off that her Nakedness may appear and her Deceit made manifest and the Authority which is condemned and reproved is no Authâ—rity but the Authority of the Beast upon which the false Church hath riden and hath câ—lled it by the Name of the higher Power and the Ministry is but such as traffick with the Whore's Sorceries by which she hath deceived the Nations and this indeed and those Ministers indeed are slighted by us because we know him who is the Minister of the everlâ—sting Covenant whose Spirit is manifest according to his Promise to lead his People into all Truth and so the Religion which standeth only in the Traditions of Men and in Idolatry such things as R. I. goeth about to maintain as Images Crosses and Piâ—â—ures Mass-houses Hireling Prâ—â—sts Popish Tythes and Pâ—pish Ceremonies which R. I. so much pleads for all these are slighted as not to be consistant with the true Religion or the true Church of Christ. Yet nevertheless saith R. I. in his Epistle I have adventured voluntarily to side with those that contend for the Truth agaâ—nst the Quakers and yet in the same Epistle saith He was moved of the Lord thus to declare Answ. What Confusion and Lying and Blasphemy is here hath R. I. adventured voluntarily in his own Wilfulness and Perversness to take part with those Contenders against the Truth in which the Quakers live and worship and God must be made the Author of this and all the Heap of Lyes and Confusion which is declared and uttered forth in his Ignis fatuus which if no more were said then hath been were answer enough unto his railing Discourse and yet what Impudency this Man hath to say he was moved of the Lord when as he hath confest he hath voluntarily took part with the Contenders so that it is manifest to all reasonable men who set thee on work and whose Work thou hast been doing for which thou shalt be sure to receive a Reward in the mighty Day of the Lord. And R. I. saith Forasmuch as their counterfeit Coin hath been offered to me for good Sâ—lver I thought it fit to nail it to the Market pâ—st that it might not decieve others and instead thereof I have here made a tender of other Money viz. this ensuing Treatise which I doubt not but it may pass with Truth 's approbation Answ. That which R. I. calls counterfeit Coin was made publick by our selves and it hath been and shall be received by them that know God's Image and the inscription of the Spirit and though R. I. hath denyed it when it was proffered to him the Value and Worth of that which hath been proffered to him is no worse For though a Price be put into the Hand of a Fool he regards it not And now Reader thou shalt see what kind of Coin he hath tendered and how thou judgest it may pass with Truth 's Approbation as hereafter will be made manifest in his further Discourse Wherefore Reader saith R. I. Have not so great Regard to the Authority of the writer as the Truth of the Matter written by him who was moved of the Lord as thâ— to declare against those who are Adversaries to Truth Answ. Indeed the Authority of a writer or of that which is written is of no great moment seeing he is but one of Anti-Christ's Voluntiers who hath not only belyed them that feared the Lord but also hath uttered forth many damnable Doctrines and yet would fasten all these upon the Lord so that his Deceit might be of more Authority and none might question the matter thereof because the Lord alwayes moveth to Truth and Righteousness and so R. I. is one of them that hath taken the Name of the Lord in vain which will not be holden guiltless but will be found guilty when the Searcher of all Hearts shall make all things manifest And then R. I. further saith That sprinkling of Infants is commanded by the Scrptures and is a Seal of the Covenant and Baptism of Infâ—nts is that which answers to Circumcision for Mortification of the Flesh and Remission of Sins and Admission into the Church are sealed unto Infants by sprinkling or that which R. I. calleth baptizing I say Baptism of infants is a Popish-Tradition as hath been proved by divers so that of it I need not say much but where it is commanded in the Scripture as R. I. saith Coll. 2.11 12. is but a
The Quakers deny Honour to Superiours and to whom it is due and so blaspheme the Name of God and his Doctrine Ninethly F. H. would never have cryed out of Deceit but a Purpose to deceive the more Tenthly That the Quakers bid open Defiance to the Worship of God Eleventhly That J. N. did say that he was as just and holy and good as God Twelfthly That F. H. said That Christ Jesus was not glorified in Heaven with a real Body Thirteenthly Human Nature is taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul Fourteenthly That the best Men though regenerate bear Nettles Brambles and Pricks Fifteenthly There is an inward Law called the Law of the Spirit of Life which is imperfect and not fit to bear rule but to be ruled Sixteenthly And the Scriptures lead us to the Spirit and encline our Hearts to the Obedience of the rule Seventeenthly And F. H. prefereth Ignis fatuus before the clear Light of God's Word Eighteenthly and lastly when he hath spoken all these Lyes and published them in Print to the World he blasphemously saith in his Epistle to the Reader Have not so much regard to the Authority of the Writer as the Truth of the Matter written by him who was moved of the Lord thus to declare So all these Lyes with many more and all these damnable Doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the Truth these things he would fasten upon the Lord's Motion and so make him the Author of Iniquity and a Cloak for his ungodly Speeches against them who love the Truth as it is in Jesus who have suffered many Reproaches for its sake and have been killed all the Day long by this Generation amongst which R. I. is who hath bent his Tongue to Mischief and his Lips to utter forth Deceit and as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so hath this R. I. resisted the Truth being a Man of a corrupt Mind and concerning the Faith reprobate but he shall not proceed much further for in what he hath written his Folly will be manifest unto all men and them that fear the Lord will depart out of his Foot-steps which lead to the Chambers of Death and from those dark Paths in which R.I. treadeth which lead into utter Destruction Westmoreland the 15 th of the 4 th Moneth 1660. F. H. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear your Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience FOrasmuch as the Lord through his infinite Love and Goodness which he hath manifested amongst the Sons of Men hath called you and fitted you for his Work and Service which he hath to do you being made Partakers through the Love of God unto you of the like precious Faith with many Brethren which giveth Victory over the World and supporteth all them that keep it in the Day of Tryal My Heart's Desire is that you may all fulfil the Will of God and answer his End in sending you thither that so you may receive your Reward my Heart is drawn out unto you in true Love being sensible of the many Oppositions that you have met with and may meet with by Reason of the Strength and Power of Darkness in those Parts where Satan's Throne is exalted keep all near the Lord and feel his Power in your selves which giveth Dominion and Victory over all the World and over all fading Things which pass away and so you will feel his Strength daily renewed in you to carry you above all Opposition and his Presence to go before you and his Righteousness to be your Reward so will you be preserved in the Peace of God and feel his Life present to refresh you in the Time of Need and as your Tryals and Travails and Sufferings for Christ do abound so your Strength and Joy and Peace and Consolation will also much more abound from his Life manifest and revealed in your Hearts keep in the Power of the Lord over all Deceit and know your own Image in every one to whom you joyn and let no Deceit come near you which may get the Words and not be subject to the Power for those will betray you and rise up in Rebellion against you and glory over you for that only which can receive you through the Cross will stand by you and the other who may receive the Truth in Words into the earthly Part will stumble at the Cross and so get a Knowledge above the Cross these will blow away as Chaff Keep in your Innocency and every one in your own and there you will come to be setled and established as Trees whose Roots are spread in the Earth which cannot easily be plucked up nor a Tempest blow down you know where the Entrance was unto your selves into the Sheepfold into the true Rest thither bring all and keep all down to that to the Measure of God's Spirit through which eternal Life is revealed and the Things of God's Kingdom made manifest and they that would climb up any other Way must come down again and them that walk in any other Way must come back again and they that would strive to enter in any other Thing are shut out forever for you know there is no Communion or Concord with the Spirit of God which is pure and that which resisteth it and gainsayeth it that Wisdom must perish it 's from below that Knowledge must fade away and come to nothing So never heed the Subtilty and cunning Craftiness of the Enemy which would twist and twine every Way to gainsay the Truth and make a Noise in an airy Sound which may satisfie corrupt Minds who vilâ—fie the Truth and set the Corner-Stone at nought look not at them nor never heed that you know in whom you have believed and no other Foundation can be laid then that which is laid already for all to build upon throuâ—h which they that do believe are made a glorious and an holy Habitation for God through the Spirit and any that declare another Way another Door another Life then he that is the Light of Men is accursed So feel hâ—s Eternal Power the Power of his Resurrection in your selves to subdue and bring under all 〈◊〉 Enemies which would hinder your Enjoyment of his Life but he is a tryed Stone and they that have tryed him have found him elect and precious and his Faithfulness Power and Might Love Life and Glory endures forever and ever throughout all the Generations of the Just who are Eye-Witnesses of his Coming Power and Glory which God out of his Everlasting Love and Kindness hath revealed unto Thousands and his Coming is known in Ten Thousands of his Saints and also with them and they with him to judge in Righteousness and to make War with the Sword that proceeds out of his Mouth which slayes the wicked and brings Death and Destruction upon Death that so Life Immortality and Eternity may be brought
insomuch that many Papists abhor the very Name and Mention of it and to the Death withstand the bringing in of this Slavery amongst them the Extremity and Rigor of this Inquisition until the year· 1609. In Philip the third King of Spain's Time notwithstanding though the Moors did make a Shew of the Papists Religion because of the Inquisition yet eleven hundred thousand of them were forced to quit the Country it was so dreadful And all these kind of Ordinances and Institutions before-mentioned compare them with the Scriptures and the Cruelty and Severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them none who have their Eyes open in any Measure but must needs conclude that all this is in the Apostacy and so all who profess Reformation flee from these things and from this Spirit and from this Church who forces and kills all them that oppose who are under his Power and why should any plead for the holding up of those Practices as good and warrantable whereas so many have been killed about them and so many have been led from the Life and Power of Godliness while they received and practised these humane Inventions and vain and customary Traditions for the Doctrine of Christ and for Apostolick Ordinances and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye People up and bind Men to observe such and such things as are mentioned before in this Book and persecute for not observing that they are they who draw back to Perdition and keep People from laying hold upon eternal Life Many more vain Practices and Doctrines which have been brought in since the Apostles Dayes might be mentioned but in that which is said already the understanding will see that there hath been a great Apostacy both in Life Doctrine and Practice from the Apostles Time downward until now and that which is called the Catholick Church in Rome is in it and likewise divers of them who are separated from her stick too much in these Things because of the Custom Tradition and Antiquity of them In part I have shewn their Antiquity and their Rise and also shewn that which is more ancient then they from which they have swerved to the Intent that all may come out of Babylon and drink no more of the Cup nor buy no more of the Merchandize nor wear no more the Harlots Cognizance nor the false Churches Attire but that all may come to see before this Heap of dark Confusion and beyond the vain Obervations which have been introduced which make no Man through the Observation thereof more acceptable unto God but rather two-fold more like Children of the wicked one who abode not in the Truth CHAP. XIV Something further of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances POpe Paul about the Year 757. condemned the Council at Constantinople for condemning worshipping of Images he wrote a Book of the worshipping and Utility of Images calling them the Lay-mens Calender Pope Adrian about the Year 770. cloathed the Image of St. Peter with Silver and covered the Altar of St. Paul with a pall of Gold and condemned them for Hereticks who kept Peter and Paul's Doctrine which declared against Idols Pope Nicholas about the Year 858. enlarged the Popes Decrees equalling them to the Writings of the Apostles he decreed that Service should be said in Latine And although by the Emperor the Pope was first elected yet now having got Head did climb up so high in Power and Pride and Arrogancy endeavoured that no Emperor should be crown'd without his Leave in Germany And Pope Clement the fifth excommunicated Andronicus Peleogus Emperor of Constantinople as an Heretick because he would not suffer the Greek Church to appeal to Rome And when any Kings or Princes had displeased him he hath excommunicated them and given away their Kingdoms to some other teaching their People to rebel and also instigating other Princes to make War against them and to kill one another for trifles and if any displeased him he caused many Kings to do Penance and to pay great Sums of Money to get an absolution from Excommunication and the Rule and Power of the Empire which gave him first his being to be Universal Bishop and to be called Pope he hath raised War often against and if he like not the Election of the Emperour he hath deposed them and one he brought into such Subjection that he caused him to hold his Sirrop a thing that the Emperour was not accustomed with he happened to hold it on the wrong side for which he received a sharp Reproof by his holiness Likewise some difference being between Pope Innocent the fourth in the Year 1250. and the Emperour Frederick the second the Pope would not be Reconciled though the King of France strongly interceeded and offered full satisfaction for all pretended Wrongs would go out of his Empire if the Pope could not endure him there never to return into Europe again so as that his Son with the Popes Approbation might but Succeed him in the Empire which the Pope would not do And how England and divers Nations have been troubled with his Oppression is well known and what exactions and great sums of Money â—here have been enhausted and squeezed out of his Dominions where he 〈◊〉 Power the Nations well remember to maintain the Pride of his Court at Rome which abounded with all manner of Vitiousness insomuch that it was grown to that height that Vincentius Clement the Popeâ— Legate said it was now too late and past reforming But to take the Legate's own words as follow against his Master the Pope and his Court W. H. in his Book called a Description of England in the 136 page saith thus that this Vincentius Clement in the year 1452. being Legate for the Pope was here in England about the Pope's business and hearing that the Clergy had given the King two tenths for the repaying â—f his losses which he had sustained in France and for the recovering of Bourdeaux this Legate Vincentius coming into the Convocation House he earnestly required the Clergy to be no less favourable to their Spiritual Father the Pope and their Mother the See of Rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour meaning the King and in his Speech in the Convocation he shewed them how that his Holiness the Pope was much disturbed and daily in danger of his Life by Cut-throats Varlots and Harlots which did much abound as he said in Rome but the Clergy in the Convocation slighted his Speech and said how should we contribute towards the Suppression of such whereas he and such as you continually uphold them I grant saith the Legate that there wanteth just Reformation of many Things in the City of Rome which should have been made sooner but now is it too late and past reforming never the less I beseech you send the Legate to write unto his holiness the Pope to request him that
and Flattery and Deceit and respecting of Persons which is a thing in high Esteem as a Piece of good Breeding and Education and good Manners accounted not only among the prophaner Sort but even among Christians so called who have conformed unto every vain Custom of the Nations yet they that know the Life of Christ cannot do so and they that abide in his Doctrine must not do so though things be never so applauded by fallen Men whose Glory is in that which is earthly yet God beholds not nor looks not as man but his thoughts are contrary to mans in that State and that which the Sons of men in the fallen Estate do highly esteem of is disesteemed by the Lord. The best manner of walking is that which the Lord directs and leads into which is pure and holy and incorrupt and the Saints practice who were taught of God is the best Example to follow and their Manners and Deportment among the Sons of men are chiefly to be followed although that which is from below doth and hath ever disesteemed their Way and the Honour that comes from above although the Heathen had many Lords and many Gods yet it was said to Israel Thy God is but one and him shalt thou bow unto alone and reverence his Name Israel was not to follow the vain Customs of the Nations neither follow their Example who served not the living God with their Hearts and Multitudes are not to be followed in doing Evil Custom without Truth is but a bad plea Antiquity with Unrighteousness is but bad Proof that which leads into Degeneration is not to be minded but that which leads into Restauration and Innocency The Redeemed of the Lord and the Israel of God now who now work after the Directions and Leadings of God's holy Spirit upon whom Peace resteth are otherwise taught then to follow vain Customs which begâ—t one another into Pride and Deceit and Unbelief Christ reproved the Pharisees fâ—r seeking Honour one of another and told them They could not believe who sought it was it reprovable then is it commendable now are there not many that seek it now yes that which is offended when it is not complemented and bowed unto seeks it and would have it and is in the Unbelief what capping and cringing what bowing and scrâ—ping in which many spend much of their time what Complements and sâ—igned Speeches are daily invented and Gestures and Ceremonies of which there is hardly any End which People run into now who call themselves Christians many Generations before cannot parallel it and yet this must be counted good Manners and be reckoned as such Oh! the Lord is grieved with these things and they are abominable in his Sight and will provoke the Lord to Anger if they be persisted in and the Honour which is from above they despised and what invented Words and Names which puff up the proud Minds are People run into and like Ephraim in the Transgression feed upon Wind that which will vanish as a â—ubble and pass away as a Morning Dew God will stain it all and the Pride and Glory of all Flesh and bring Contempt upon all the honourable of the Earth for the Saints knew who were come out of the Respect of Persons that the Fashion of the World and the Custom Manners Glory Honour and Esteem thereof should pass away and that all that come to the Beginning again to Union with God must dye to all these things which are got and entered into the Hearts of Men since the Transgression and while these things are loved they alienate the Mind from the living God and from the Honour due unto his Name And oh what Strangers are men to the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and to the primitive Saints that it is even become a descable thing in their Eyes and their Practice and Manner of walking is now become an Offence and reckoned unmannerly and not only so but it is counted such an Offence and a Crime as deserves Punishment Oh for Shame look back upon the Saints Practice for your Example unto their Manners for your Imitation and not unto the vain Custom of the Nations not unto Mountebanks Stage-players Fidlers Roysters and Ruffins who make a Mock of Sin and live by the Sins of the People Will it be a good plea do you judge before the Lord when the secrets of all Hearts shall be opened and every Action brought unto Righteous Judgment that you have followed the fashion of a Nation the custom of a Court City or Country or the most in the World doth not the Scripture say that the Saints should not fashion themselves like unto the World neither be conformable to it but rather be transformed in your minds and seek the things that are above for where the mind is transformed and changed from the earthly to the Heavenly there the Actions will be new and the Works new did the Pharisees say truly of Christ in this we know thou respects no man's Person yes they knew it though they tempted him And did not Peter say of a truth God is no respecter of Persons and did not Solomon say He that respects Persons will Transgress for a mersel of Bread And did not Elihu say I know not to give flattering Titles to men in so 〈◊〉 my Maker would soon take me away Is not this a flattering Generation and full of Hypocrisie and deceit Flattering one another when in a moment they are like to kill one another Hating one another and speaking Evil of one another when as soon as one is parted from another these things are an abhorrency in the Eyes of the Lord. Consider what James saith the Apostle of Christ Jam. 2. ver 2 3.4.5.6 7 8 9 10. My Brethren have not the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons for if there come into your assembly a man with a Gold Ring in goodly apparel and there come in also a Poor man in 〈…〉 and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay Cloathâ—ng and 〈◊〉 to the Poor stand thou there or sit under my Foot-stool are ye not theâ— partâ—â—â— in your selves and are become Judges of evil Thoughts Hearken my 〈◊〉 Brethren hath not God chosen the Poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath Promised to them that love him Do not rich Men oppress you and draw you before the judgment Seats Do not they Blaspheme that worthy Name by the which you are called If you fulfil the Royal Law of God according to the Scriptures thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well but if ye have a respect to Persons ye commit sin and are Convinced of the Law as Transgressors And the Apostle concludes Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in one point is Guilty of all and such is the respecting of persons and giving flattering titles unto Men and they that do it are Judges
so Repugnant unto the Scripture and to the Truth contained in it this we cannot receive neither believe and this will never be attributed by the Lord unto any for Unbelief although you say it 6. Proposition The Author saith He would fain have Luther and Calvin and the other Sectaries to shew where Matthew 's Writing is called holy Scripture more then Nicodemus his Gospel and seeing they cannot prove the one no more then the other they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy Scripture Answ. I shall let Luther and Calvin alone they were Men that God did honour and I do honour and many more as in their Day they are at rest in the Sepulchres of their Fathers where your reviling cannot touch them they prevailed in their Doctrine and Faith so much against you as you have not recovered in an hundred and thirty Years neither I believe ever will so long as the Church of Rome will have any Cause to call her self Christ's only visible Church upon Earth And I do not believe Matthew's Writing only because it is reckoned by you and us for holy Scripture but becaâ—â—â— we feel by the Spirit of God that gave forth all Words that it is a Declâ—ration of those things which were brought to pass in his Day and likewise Mark John and Luke testifie unto the same Matter but for Nicodemus his Gospel as you are pleased to call it the Spirit of God doth not testifie in us unto the same but that it is repugnant unto the Mind of the Spirit and is a meer patcht up thing in the Corruption of time wherein many things are contained that are in Opposition and contrary to Matthew Mark Luke and John their Declaration And so thy feâ—â—le Argument is answered which thou concludest hath not been alâ—erable these fifteen hundred Years and let not him that puts on his Armour beast but him that hath overcome and puts it off 7 Proposition is That it cannot be shewn for these fifteen hundred 〈◊〉 that there hath been any Catholick that held that the Pope of 〈…〉 or that did rail at the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass or Inâ—ocation of Saints and Angels and usual praying for the dead and such like Worâ—â— of Piâ—ty â—elongâ—â—g to our Faith and Religion which the whole World hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred Years It is a Wonder that this Author belonging to the Church of Rome is not ashamed of his Arguments and the silly Propositions that he hath propounded from another Hand It seems neither this Author nor Francis â—esterâ—â— whose Propositions the Author hath vaunted in and boasted of know the Apostles Doctrine who said The whole World lay in Wickedness and if any Man love the World the Love of the Father dwells not in him and Christ said to his true Church Ye are not of the World therefore the World hates you and again I have chosen you out of the World and John in his Day saw through the Spirit all the World wondering after the Beast and worshipping his Image and not the Image of God and saw all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be Waters and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to drink the Whore's Cup and these the two Aâ—thors bring in for a great Proof and for an unanswerable Proposition as that the whole World lyes in Wickedness in whom the Love of God dwells not and thâ—y that have drunk of the Whore's Cup of Fornication and they that have wondered after the Beast to wit the whole World these are his dark Cloud of Witnesses to prove that the Pope was never called Anti-christ will they that have received the Roman Faith and accounted the Pope Christ's Vicar and the visible Head call him Anti-christ which hath exalted himself and the Church of Rome's Faith over the whole World as the Author boasts That the whole World hath laudably practised and reverenced Invocation of Saints and prayâ—ng for the dead for the Piety Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome for these 1500 Years This proves the Church of Rome to lye in Wickednesâ— aâ—d to be contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostleâ— and this doth not clear the Pope at all but rather mâ—kes him to be an Anti-christ and your Church to be the ill-favoured Harlot and not the true Church of Christ Hast thou forgotten how John Bishop of Constaâ—â—â—nople would needs be chief Bishop over all the rest of the Chuâ—ches about the Year two hundred fifty and upwards and how the other Bâ—â—hops cryâ—d out against him for to be Anti-christ but your Bishop he got to be called chief Bishop over all Christian Churches not by Consent of the Elders nor Churches but by the Means of Phocas an Heathen Emperor as before I have said and is not he much more an Anti-christ And as for the Sacrifice in the Mass Invocation of Saints and praying for the Dâ—â—d which thou say'st is a laudable Practice I say none have or do reckon it worthy â—f Praise but they that worship the Beast and his Image and have drunk of the VVhore's Cup and are erred from the Faith and Religion that the Apostles and true Church of Christ were in which all the World did that wondered after the Beast Lastly This I say he that teaches a Faith a Religion a Doctrine contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles is an Anti christ but the Pope these fifteen hundred Years hath taught a contrary Doctrine therefore he is an Anti-christ The 1st Proposition is evident from divers Testimonies of Scripture who teach only to pray unto the Lord in the Name of Christ and for them that are alive in the Body and not for them thâ—t are dead The second is proved by the Author 's own Testimony that the Pope and Church of Rome have prayed unto the Saints and prayed for the dead these 1500 Years to his Shame be it spoken therefore the Consequence must necessarily follow The Pope 〈◊〉 an Antâ—-chrâ—st 8. and last Proposiâ—ion is this That the first Authors of the Christian Faith in Germany Italy Spain France England and Low Countries have acknowledged no other Faith nor brouâ—ht any other to them then the Catholick Roman Faith which the whole Universe hath acknowledged which we have learned of our Fore-fathers therefore they that have brought in another are accursed That which the whole Universe hath acknowledged in the Apostacy which lyeth in Wickedness seeing all have wondered after the Beast and drunk of the Whore's Cup since the Apostles Dayes is but a lame and pitiful Argument as to prove the Church of Rome the true Church and as for the Faith delivering such as it was to the Nations before-mentioned only excepting Spain because it 's probable that the Apostle Paul spread the Faith there seeing that he said he had a Purpose to come there into Spain which if he did thy Boast may cease as for the planting of Religion
of Faith for that had been contrary to the Apostles Commission and their Doctrine for saith the Apostle We have not preached our selves but Christ the Lord and our selves your Servants for his sake And I may say to thee R. E. as Paul said to the Corinthians when they were striving about Men Cor. 3.21 Therefore let no Man glory in Men for all Things are yours or as he saith in Chap. 1. Ver. 13. was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the Name of Paul were they not carnal that so glorified was Peter crucified for us or were we baptized in the Name of Peter is not your visible Church carnal who thus judgeth that Christ intended Peter to be the Foundation of his Chruch for what was he or the rest of the Apostles but Ministers by which many believed 〈◊〉 and if thou hadst been present it is very like would have instructed Christ what to have said and bidden him have spoken after the Grammer Rule and Construction upon that Rock I will build my Church for Peter 's Faith in Christ is too mediate it seems and his Confession too remote and antecedent to be the Rock meant in Mat. 16.18 and therefore Peter must be immediate and the Rock upon which Christ hath doth and will build his Church but as immediate as he was and as sure a Rock as he was when he began to rebuke Christ he turned him about and said unto Peter Ver. 23. Get thee behind me Satan thou art an Offence unto me for thou savours not the Things of God and so say I to R. E. and his Catholicks they savour not the things of God but it is thy private Spirit and your own Interpretations and not the Mind of Christ and how far antecedent is Peter's Confession of Christ the Son of the living God is it not in Vers. 16. and wherein was Peter blessed but in this that it was revealed to him that Christ was the Son of the living God the Rock of Ages and the Foundation of his Church and as for thy visible Church with its two Heads independent Head and dependent Head which sure must have two Bodies where they can be found but that I shall leave to R. E. and I hope from the Grounds that thou hast here laid which did appear so clear to thee that none will be afraid nor judge that such a visible Church with two Heads is to be Rule and Guide to all to whom all are to submit under Pain of Damnation which is to have Peter for its Rock which if he had been living he would have denyed you all as Setters up of Men and Slighters of Jesus Christ the Rock of Ages the Foundation of the Church the Head of the Body the Rule of Life the Judge of Quick and the Dead the Law-giver Director Instructer and Preserver of his Church forever but R. E. goes on and saith It only remains that we consider which among all these Congregations now on Earth which pretend themselves to be this Church of Christ for having once found her and knowing that she is so assisted with the holy Ghost that she cannot teach us an Error we shall no more dispute the Verity of her Doctrine then we would have questioned the Articles of Faith taught by the holy Apostles or the Words of Christ himself wherefore if this Church this infallible Guide shall teach us that Infants ought to be baptized and that it is as lawful to desire the Saints departed to pray for us as to desire the Prayers of them that are alive and that the Body of Christ our Saviour is really and truly present in the Sacrament of the Altar or any other Article of Faith we shall no more doubt it then the first Christians did the Verity of what the Apostles taught them Among all those Congregations on Earth that look upon themselves to be the Church and Spouse of Christ there is one if thy Eye could behold or if thou could'st discern it but before thou canst there is an Eye in thee must be put out and there is a Wisdom in thee that must be confounded and turned into Foolishness before thou canst discern it in its Glory as it is but however that is it undoubtedly which is begotten into the Faith through the Publication of the immortal Word of Life and who are translated from Death unto Life and who have received the Power and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ and meet in his Name and Power and do witness his Presence among them and have received a Measure of that infallible Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth and out of the Pollutions of the World and are dead unto the World and baptized into the Sufferings of Christ and are crucified with him who keep unviolated his Statutes and Commands without adding to or diminishing from who walk in the Order of the Gospel and are not conformable to the World nor to that which fallen Men set up but to the Power of God that worketh in the Hearts of all that believe to the framing of them a meet Habitation for God to dwell in and abide in the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and are Sayers and Doers speak the Truth and do the Truth and hold the Truth in Righteousness and the Faith once delivered to the Saints in a pure Heart and a pure Conscience who pray in the Spirit and with Understanding who publish the Truth and declare it in the Spirit reaching to the Consciences and to the Witness of God in all that hear who rejoyce only in Christ Jesus the great Power of God and the Wisdom of God and have no Confidence in the Flesh nor fleshly Performances whose Faith stands not in Words but in the mighty Power of God which she hath received according unto the Promise of God this Congregation or Congregations which is one and doth hold the one Head by which all the Members of Christ are knit together in the one Faith by which they overcame the World this undoubtedly is the Church of Christ and the Spouse of Christ But whether R. E. will not dispute against the Verity of her Doctrine I question notwithstanding all his Submission in Words and if this Church should teach that Infants are to be baptized with Cream and Spittle and signed with the Cross as absolutely necessary to Salvation or that it is the Duty of the Saints alive to pray to the Saints departed this World or to teach that Christ's Body which was broken for us and hanged upon the Tree at Mount Calvary that this should now be in a Morsel of Bread and a Sup of Wine and conveyed thither by the Priest and this to be really the Body of Christ if this Church should teach any such Doctrine there were good and weighty Reason to Question seeing that R. E. before hath said that they cannot be infallible who contradict one another and teach two contrary Doctrines and yet say they are both
according to the Innocency of our Hearts do thou judge us and plead our Cause And further we have laboured that Sin might be beat down and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living God and that Righteousness might have been advanced and Truth have taken Place in all Mens Hearts both in word and deed that Christ who is professed in Words might have ruled in the Hearts of all Men that make mention of him that so God's Blessing might have been felt and known by all and the Souls of all saved from the Snares of Satan and out of that which the Wrâ—th of God and his Judgments come upon And Lord God of Heaven and Earth thou knowest how our Adversaries have sought Occasion against us for no other Cause but for the Matter of the Worship of the living God and unto God's righteous Judgment Seat we dare appeal do thou judge us and reward us according to our deserts if ever we have contrived the Hurt of any Man or Men or have sought to violate any righteous Law of Man which stands to the well-governing of a Nation or Country in the things that pertain to the World yet how have we been falsly represented slander'd belyed mis-reported hated back-bited persecuted and killed as all the Day long and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native Land neither to enjoy our own Wives and Children a thing common to all men Christian and Heathen neither to breath in the common Air And how many grievous things have been heaped and are daily upon our Backs that we are factious seditious Enemies to Magistrates to the Ministers of Christ Plotters Conspirators against humane Government Enemies to the King disobedient to the Laws Broachers of Heresie Authors of Sedition Enemies to the Church and State And this the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer and a Slanderer from the Beginning he hath put a lying Spirit in the Mouthes of some and it 's entered into the Hearts of others and thus by them are the Powers of the Earth stirred up and the Rulers to persecute us without any just Cause but this must not be counted Persecution for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of and therefore all that comes upon us it must be reckoned as just and is an equal Reward for our Offences and as just punishment for our Transgression and Disobedience and so is no Persecution at all and he hath Witnesses enough to testifie against us as he had against Christ all the Scribes and Pharisees and the Leaders and Rulers of the People with the high Priests Judas and all to testifie against him That he was not fit to live but all cry Away with him even so now he hath all the Rabbies and Elders and all the Time-serving Hirelings who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and all formal Professors who profess him in Words but deny him in Works and deâ—pise his Cross with all Drunkards Lyars and Swearers all proud and covetous all wanton and riotous and all that love the Pleasure of Sin for a Season all these will give their Verdict against us There was and is a Generation that called Darkness Light and Light Darkness and Good Evil and Evil Good the Judgment of all such is false and must be Judged and God who hath Immortality and dwells in the Light with whom is no Darkness at all judgeth not as these men and therefore let us never heed the Censures and Judgments of fallen men who err in their Judgment who cannot judge for God or his People but against them let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man seeing the Lord justifies us in his VVork and Service whereunto we are called and all the aforesaid Crimes falsly laid to our Charge he clears us of and we can with a good Conscience and pure Heart bid defiance to all the Powers of darkness and all the Enemies of God and the Lord will clear us more and more as his Power Glory and Light appears in the Earth and brings forth our Righteousness as the Noon-day before our Enemies notwithstanding all the false Aspersions and Reproaches cast upon us in the mean time if we be crowned with Reproaches as Christ was with Thorns and evilly entreated for his Names sake let us bear all things and endure all things with Patience and Hope to the End And though they cover us with Bear Skins and Draff as the Heathens did the primitive Christians and so let all the wild Beasts upon us let us give up our Bodies as a Sacrifice unto the Lord and for a Witness unto his Name and Truth that so we all may witness eternal Rest unto our Souls and everlasting Joy in his heavenly Habitation where all Persecutors and Evil-doers are shut out Dearly beloved of the Lord I write not these things unto you because you many of you do not know them but because you know them to put you all in Mind and to stir up your Hearts to the holy Consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times and in very Truth whatsoever doth lye within my View that might conduce to any or all your Good I cannot withhold it from you because I know it is not only my Duty but I can truly say the Love of Christ constrains me for my Soul Heart and Life is knit unto you in the everlasting Covenant of Life above all the Families of the Earth and the more you are hated the more I love you and the more you are despised and set at nought the more I prize you and the more you are compassed about on every Side with Tryals and Afflictions the more my Soul is poured forth unto the Lord for you that you may be kept stedfast in the Faith and Hope in the Lord unto the End that you may receive his Reward the Crown of Glory which is laid up for all them that love the Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Faith do overcome And blessed and happy are all they that keep their Garments clean in this polluted time wherein Wickedness walks with open Face and Ungodliness with an out-stretched Neck and is exalted in great Height and doth corrupt many and the Earth is growing ripe with Wickedness for Destruction for the proud are counted happy and they that work Wickedness are admired and gloryed in as the only brave Men of these times which they make evil through yielding themselves Servants unto Sin and their Lusts. Ease and worldly Enjoyments and immediately drop down into eternal Perdition and it 's time for the Lord to arise and plead with all Flesh for men make void his Law and go about to establish their own in Opposition thereunto for Violence Cruelty and Hardness of Heart and Persecution are the Forerunners of Desolation and Destruction these things do generally abound all is secure and at
neither was there any necessiâ—y or just occasion whatever A. S. mâ—y call just occasion we cannot for he hath left such a great compass for himself to turn in though here and thâ—re he seem to disallow of customary Oaths and frequent Oaths yet notwithstanding his Discourse rather tends to an allowance of Swearing frequently and unnecessarily for we reckon it to be a piece of ordinary Communication for a Christian Minister to write a Letter of admonition or Exhortation or an Epistle unto the believing Hearers and that there is no necessity of Oaths in such a Discourse for what-ever A. S. sayes this would make the Apostle guilty of frequent and unnecessary and common Swearing which we are far from believing forasmuch as they did believe through the word of Life declared by the Spirit of God in him neither through his Epistles written being assisted by the Holy Ghost they were not like to believe him for Swearing if he had Sworn but saith A. S. If his words had really been believed which he spoke and wrote what occasion would there have been for him to have written so to the Roman 's Rom. 9.1 I say the Truth in Christ I Lye not The Apostle knew what occasion he had to speak these Words and the occasion was this that the Jews sought to be justified by the Righteousness of the Law and by the Works thereof and would needs look upon themselves as the Children of God because they were of the stock of Abraham according to the Flesh but the Apostle knew and also gave them to understand that the Children of the Promise were counted for the Seed and again for they are not all Israel which are of Israel Rom. 9.6 7 8. And thus he spake Truth unto them as it was revealed by Christ whom the Father had revealed in him and why might he not say I speak the Truth in Christ seeing that Christ was in him and he in him I Lye not my Conscience also bears me Witness in the Holy Ghost he might also as well say that Paul Swore by his Conscience seeing that he took it for a witness away away with such perverting and straining of the Scripture beyond and beside the mind of the Holy Ghost for God is witness and I speak the Truth in Christ they are no more then arden and Zeâ—lous or fervent expressions as the Spirit of God at several times did stir up in his Heart both to speak and write for the end that they unto whom he spoke or wrote might believe and therefore we conclude not as A. S. would needs have it that the Apostle spoke these fervent words unnecessarily for we know and see his end and purpose was good and therefore he spoke with fervency and with boldness the Spirit of the Lord beâ—ring witness in his Conscience that he spoke the Truth which we are fâ—r from believing is either juration or abjuration and for ought can be perceived by A. S 's disdainful Spirit all that do dissent from him in his Opinion he calls Phanaticks and Paul shall hardly go free nor divers of the ancient Fathers as Origen Chrysostome Jerome Theophilaâ—â— and others who denyed not only Swearing in private Conversation but to Swear at all but now these must be called Phanaticks who dissent from all men but themselves by A. S. and such as he who Sail with Wind and â—ide and exalt and applaud that which hath praise among men and hath not the praise of God and so the last of all he makes this Conclusion that so help me God is the most certain expression of an Oath which form of Words that though he count them certain we find not either under the Law or under the Gospel and I look upon it mâ—re as a piece of flattery in A.S. because this is the Form and the Câ—stom which 〈…〉 câ—lled Swearing which is in use in this Nation and it's stranger to us that they will reckon this so great a piece of peculiâ—â— Service which is incommunicable to any Creature but only to God whenas indeed we never find it written or commanded either among the Jews or commended or used amongst all the writings of Christ and the Apostles that hath relation to Christianity Indeed I remember that I have read that in the days when the Pope's Authority was in full Power here in England how that the Chancellour then of England said to one of John Wickliff's followers being brought before him in Examination he said unto him Lay thy Hand upon the Book thou Heretick and Swear so help me God and holy doom An old Superstitious Popish Form I look upon it to be and hath no consistance with an Oath in its true matter and Form under the Law when iâ— was commanded and for ought I see A. S. will rather take part with the Church of Rome and her Members who Persecuted rather then Wickliff that famous Reformer who had his Bones taken up and burned 41. Years after his Decease and his Books and these Articles condemned by the Council of Coâ—stance who also burned John Hus and Jerome of Prague for holding John Wickliff's Opinions which was That all Oaths under the Gospel be unlawful I say A. S. might have been more modest then with the Council of Constance condemn them for Error seeing they were the only People in their Age and time that opposed and suffered for opposing the Church of Rome in the Apostacy seeing that they are fain to own them if they look for any Reformation before Luther to be their Witnesses against the Church of Rome which I have heard many Protestants say that they were on their part against the Church of Rome and though A. S. tells us of a Generation of People quos non persuadebis etiam si persuaseris who as they will not be perswaded so they will not be counselled who will have nothing else to be the formality of an Oath but by God but this he sayes only of his own Head except he knew some People that we know not of for we say to Swear the Lord liveth as an Oath and again as the Lord lives is an Oath or by the Lord that lives forever and ever is an Oath and yet we must needs deny that Paul Swore in the 1 Cor. 15.1 when he said by your rejoycing I die daily And we never said A. S. mistook himself in saying that by as the only mark and Character of an Oath and if Austin said upon these words of Paul as A. S. tells us per vestram gloriam juratio est upon Paul's words I suspect his judgment and therefore shall not so much regard it But A. S. seems not to be at Unity in his Book with himself notwithstanding all his raveling out where he seems in his 41. page to dislike of Nicholas Fuller's Judgment viz. that there is no Oath where God is not interposed and yet in the 56. page he saith That the Substance of an Oath consists in the
little to satisfie their vulturous Eye And if they can get a Scrowl under any Hand that hath Authority they will break open Doors pull down Hedges carry away the Corn at their Pleasure drag away Pots and Kettles and tugg away Bedding and Cloaths of all Sorts Childrens Night-beds as a Priest of this Order did in Kent lately yea Curtains and Vallans drink Bear of the Cellar and if it be but half a Cheese and this is their Plea He that preâ—cheth the Gospel shall live of the Gospel and the aforesaid Husbandman Fatherless and Widdows have not any Part or Share in the aforesaid falsly claimed Tythes but all is too little to satisfie the insatiable Covetousness of these Evangelical Priests falsly so called O how can ye know and behold these things and not blush and be ashamed and shall the Laws which have been made in the Night of Darkness and Popery of Necessity be a Rule in this Age to Magistracy and Ministry which pretend they are in a more pure Light Oh that the Lord would open all your Eyes to consider but however them unto whom his marvelous Light is shed cannot but call unto you and also bear their Testimony against the aforesaid Grievances and Disorder which are executed beyond Measure upon the poor Pâ—ople in this Nation which certainly if not amended will draw down God's heavy Judgments upon the Nation and so I cannot but as one among the rest give in my Testimony for God and his Truth against such cruel Actings and falsly pretended Maintenance of Black-Coats and Turn-Coats and my Testimony is true and to seal it I have given up my Life and Estate By a Servant of the Lord M. L. To all who say you are gathered out of the World into Church-Fellowship these Queries are for you to answer I. WHat was the Woman that was cloathed with the Sun and crowned with twelve Stars which travailed in Pain to bring forth 2. What was the Sun she was cloathed withal and twelve Stars she was crowned withal and when was she so cloathed and crowned 3. And what was the Man-child that was brought forth seeing Chrâ—st was born of the Virgin in Bethlehem long before John saw this in the Isle of Pathmos 4. And when did the Woman fly into the Wilderness and what is the Wilderness into which she fled and what is the Wings of the great Eagle which she did fly withal 5. And what is the Time Times and the half Time which she is to be in the Wilderness and when did it begin and when will it be expired and whether is the Woman ever to come out again and when shall be the Time of her Return 6. When was the Time that the Man-child was caught up unto God which the Woman brought forth seeing Christ was ascended long before this Man-child was caught up to God which was to rule the Nations and how long it is since 7. And whether is he ever to descend again and be made manifest to rule the Nations and when shall he begin to reign 8. When was the Dragon in Heaven and how came he there seeing that it 's written No unclean thing can enter there or nothing that doth defile 9. And when was he cast out of Heaven into the Earth and how long hath he to reign in the Earth 10. When began he to persecute the Remnant of the Woman's Seed and how long shall his Reign be 11. When begin the one thousand Years that he shall be bound or whether is it begun or to come 12. When shall he be taken hold of and with the Beast and false Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire 13. What is Mystery Babylon and when had she her Rise when was her City raised up over which she rules as a Queen 14. And what is the golden Cup of Fornication she hath made the Nations drunk withal 15. And what is her Merchandize which her Merchants trade withal and the Sea upon which they carry their Traffick and upon which the Ship-Masters and Ships ride and when shall it be dryed up and what shall dry it up 16. When shall the City over which she hath reigned be destroyed and when shall her Flesh be burnt with Fire and what is the Gospel that shall be preached again 17. And how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the Nations seeing it 's to be preached again to the Nations and whether is the Time begun or not when was the Gospel lost seeing all Europe is professing it or whether is it yet to come when shall it begin to be preached again to Kindreds Tongues and Nations 18. And what is the Light of the Lamb the Nations that are saved shall walk in after the seven Vials be poured upon the Seat of the Beast Declare if thou hast Understanding F. H. A General Epistle to all who have believed in the Light of the Lord Jesus and are called of God to follow the LAMB through the great Tribulation Dear Friends WHom God called out of the World and the Vanities of it to serve the living God in Newness of Life and to be Worshippers of him in Spirit and Truth and to be Followers of Christ in the Regeneration and to be baptized with him into his Suffering and Death that so you may be partakers of his Resurrection and Life and manifest unto all that you are risen with him out of the Grave of Sin Wickedness and Death by having your Hearts renewed and your Affections and Minds set to seek those things which are above which are not transitory and visible but everlasting and immortal by which the Souls of all the righteous and obedient Children are refreshed and nourished up unto eternal Life and through the eternal power of the Son of God which hath been and is manifest among them that believe in the Measure of his Spirit and keep their first Love and Integrity unto the Lord all his are preserved out of the Temptation of the Adversary within and without who seeks to root out that which God hath planted and to nip the Blossom and the Bud which God hath caused to spring forth through his tender Love in your Hearts so that you might dye to the Good and be spoiled in that wherein all your Happiness lyeth now and forever Oh therefore all watch and be circumspect so much the more against Temptations lest you be ensnared and your Faith fail and you fall short of the promise of God in not continuing Faithful to the End Friends a Care and a tender Love and a godly Jealousie is in my Heart to you and over you all that have believed that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the Desarts and Mountains and dry and parched places where you have sometimes been in the time of Unbelief where the Goats who are rough can feed that must go to the left Hand and have the Curse The Zeal of the Lord and his Truth who so gloriously hath
been manifest among you above all the people and Families of the Earth in our Generation constrains me thus to write unto you and to stir you unto Faithfulness in this Day of Trial for now Satan desires to win now you within and to sift you without therefore all watch and pray that your Faith fail not which now will be tryed and your Hope and your Love and your Zeal to the Lord and his Truth and whether you will confess him before Men his Way Worship Laws and Statutes which he hath revealed in your Hearts which fallen men oppose and contradict and Sayers gainsay and would not have him to rule nor his Servants to obey so let it be manifest to all you fear God rather then men and love him and obey him above the Precepts of men which are against him and whether you love the things that are above beyond the things that are earthly and whether you will own him his Cross Reproach and Suffering or deny it and have the Liberty of the World which is Bondage and free from Righteousness it 's no time of Reserves concealing hovering or halting for there is an utter Discord betwixt Christ and Belial and so much the more of Christ his Power and Kingdom is brought forth so much the more is the Hatred Envy and Wrath of the Devil kindled who hath deceived the Nations and blinded their Eyes and in his Subjects who oppose the Lamb of God and tread under Foot the Blood of the Covenant so that to one or other each one belongs and which is for each part will be seen for there can be no Concord or Reconciliation Therefore all Children of the Day put on the Armour of Light and have your Feet shod now when we walk through thorny places and be not fearful or doubtful but of believing Hearts stand not aloof off and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual War pull not your Necks out of the Yoak when others draw shelter not your selves when you see others in Jeopardy love not the World when you see others have thrown it off be not entangled in cumbersome Things when you see others throw off all Weights turn not your Backs in the Day of the Lord's Controversie but follow the Lamb This is the Day of Tribulation we have to follow him in our Age like as all the Martyrs and Prophets had in their Age whose Garments were made white in the Blood of the Lamb So all that continue and are not faint-hearted shall receive the Crown the Honour the Reward and shall reign with Christ who now suffer with him Therefore all dear Children of God and Followers of Christ Jesus let the Loins of your Minds be girded up be now ready when the Lord calls who is on my Side who will take Part with me who will own my Reproach who will engage with me who will gather to my Standard of Salvation lifted up and to my Ensign of Righteousness held forth in the World to redeem it anâ— who is ready and not abroad in the Field neither hath to go to the House top but that all may say in their Hearts here am I ready to do thy Will ready to obey thee and follow thee and to suffer for thee for whoso draws back the Lord hath no Pleasure in such he that will save his Life shall lose it and he that will save his Liberty shall lose it in the Spirit and he that will save his earthly Possessions and for the doing thereof will deny that which God hath perswaded him of that he ought to be faithful in he will lose his Inheritance in the heavenly in a Word whoso fails in holding forth that Testimony that they know God requires and is their Duty to render unto him will lose the Testimony of his Spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves and will decay and their Love will wear out therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the Lord will be approved and manifest to be on the Lord's part by Obedience to these things mentioned Friends do you not believe it a Duty that every Christian ought to be exercised in to meet together to wait upon him to worship him and to admonish exhort and strengthen one another to pray together in the Holy Ghost and one for another and to edifie and comfort one another and do you not believe God dwells not in Temples made with Hands neither hath any Fellowship with Idols but is worshipped any where and in every Place where the Saints meet in his Name Again have you not been comforted edified and strengthned in meeting and have you not found the Presence of the Lord and his Face and have you not felt his great Power working in your Hearts when you were assembled together in his Name working in you to the opening of your Hearts and quickning and enlivening your Souls unto God and judging down the Evil and have you not felt his living Mercies shed abroad in you and the Springs of Life opened and the holy Seed refreshed and God's Witness reached in all and many convinced and converted unto God in your Assemblies so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed and resolved to continue in the Grace of God the Consideration of these Things dwelling in your Hearts and the Sence of your own present Condition should stir you up and provoak you unto Stedfastness in the Faith and Practice you have received and walked in from the Beginning of the Manifestation of God's Love unto you so that there should methinks need little Exhortation God's Enemies are resolved to do wickedly be you also so to do your Duty they seek by any means to make any fall from their Principles and Stedfastness do you seek to escape their Snares and to be kept clear in your Consciences before God be valiant for the Truth sell it not but all for it that it may be your all and then you shall see your Lot is fallen in a good Place and your Possession is pleasant the Lord calls now to Suffering put now your Necks in the Yoak bear one anothers Burthen and so fulfil the Law of Christ and take heed you give not Ear to that Voice that speaks Save thy Liberty save thy Estate possess thy own and provide for thy self and spare thy self that is the Voice of the Enemy of your Souls So keep over the World and its Spirit let no Slackness appear for that makes Sufferings long and that gives Ground to your Adversaries that they shall prevail and that weakens the Hands of others and strengthens not this confirms our Enemies in their Deceit that we are but as other men and people that have professed God in Summer and fair Weather but will make Ship-wrack of all in a Storm and in Suffering and any turning aside from the holy Commandment of God openeth the Mouth of God's Enemies do not seek every one your own Profit Ease Life and Liberty only but every one another's