honourable So forsake and come out of all vain Words and all vain Customs and all unprofitable and idle Communications and Talkings for which you are judged and condemned with the Light viz. the Light in your Consciences which reproves you and come into the the new Life in which God is served that your words may be seasoned with grace that by it your hearts may be established that no corrupt communication may proceed out of your mouthes for whatsoever is corrupt is contrary to the Witness of God in your Consciences to Christ the Light which reproves you Therefore away with all the Customes and Fashions of the World which grieve and quench the Spirit of God and repent while ye have time and spend not your time like a Tale come to the Light and sleep not in sin in darkness in seperation from God but prize the time while you have it lest in the end ye come to say we have had time but now it is past but so mind the Power of God the Light of Christ Jesus by which you may redeem it XXXII Concerning False Prophets and Antichrists False Prophets and Antichrists are much condemned in this part of the World called Christendom and they bring the 7th Chapter and the 24th Chapter of Matthew and say that they are but now come To which I Answer that Christ said They should come viz. Antichrists and False Apostles he said to his Disciples that they shall come i. e. to his Disciples and he gave them markes how they should know them A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit nor a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit And if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect for they have the Sheeps-cloathing And he commanded his Disciples that they should not follow them for they were inwardly ravening Wolves having the Sheeps cloathing And those were Antichrists and False Prophets false Christs and Deceivers who were inwardly ravend from the Light and so from the Seed viz. the true Christ And Christ told his Disciples those should come and before the decease of his Disciples they came as we may read in the first Epistle of John the second Chapter and fourth Chapters he saith Little Children ye have heard that Antichrist should come and even now there are many Antichrists and false Prophets come into the World So Christ had spoken before that they should come and his Disciples said that they were already come who went out from them inwardly ravend from the Spirit and this was above sixteen hundred years since And John who saw them already come he directed the Saints to this annointing in themselves and said to them that they had not need that any one should teach them but as this annointing taught them they should abide in the Father and in the Son And so those Anti-christs false Prophets Wolves false Christs inwardly ravend they bear Pryars Thornes and Thistles which Christ said shall come and his Disciples said they were come and who went out from them into the World And in the Revelations it is said The whole World went after them So they went out from the Church Fellowship Gospel they went out from the Fellowship of the Spirit within being ravend from it they went from the annointing within which should teach them they went from the Law in the heart to wit from the New Covenant and they went from the Kingdom within and they went from the Word which is in the the heart to obey it and to do it they went out from the Light in the heart which gives the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ and so they lost the Pearl hid in the Field viz. the World in their hearts And so the false Prophets went out from the Disciples and as was said before in the Revelations it s said the whole World went after them So John wrote to the seven Churches which erred by permitting Jezabel to teach and to set up Idols and such who said they were Jews and were not but were the Synagogues of Satan So he goes on in the Revelation till he comes to the eleventh Chapter where the Witnesses are slain the two Olives which carried the oyl to the annointing of the Nations the two Candlesticks which holds the Light And in the 12th Chapter the Woman viz. the true Church fled into the Wilderness prepared for her of God that there she should be nourished for a time times and half a time And in the 13th Chapter The Dragon gives his Power to the Beast and the Beast with the Dragons power makes war against the Saints and killed them who were lâ—ft of that Seed who kept the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophesie who were in him from whom the ravening Wolves had departed Then all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped the Beast and worshipped the Dragon and both caused and compelled all both small and great to fall down and worship And from hence arose this compelling power to Worship Then the false Prophet and the Whore through the Dragons Power got upon the Beast and caused all Nations to drink of her Cup. So thus the whore arose which went from the Apostles and from their Life Power and Spirit and committed Fornication before the Nations were married to Christ they took the Cup of Fornication of this Whore And she drank the blood of the Saints and Martyrs who were not inwardly ravend and who could not drink of her Cup. Yea she drank the blood of the Saints and Prophets who kept the Testimony of Jesus who were not inwardly ravend And so such doings and works they have set up for the space of fifteen hundred years viz. Killing and murdering and they have dispersed themselves into all Nations as the Apostles they were to go into all Nations And such works the Wolves have wrought in the Sheeps cloathing yea those who are inwardly ravend from the Spirit of God whose fruits are Brambles Bryars and Thorns and such like works those Raveners have done since the dayes of the Apostles being ravend from their Life and Power having the Words of the Sheep the Scriptures but not in the Power and Life which gave them forth therefore Bryars and Thorns appear who devour and kill the Lambs and compels them to worship and use violence upon them and their outward things about Religion which was not the work of the Apostles And so John saith Again the Beast and the Dragon and the False Prophets which hath deceived the Nations which Christ said should come and John said was come who went out from them from which time the World hath gone after them for the space of fifteen hundred years is to be taken Which Beast and false Prophet shall be taken and cast into the Lake of fire and the Nations shall be deceived no more and the Whore the great Whore which hath compelled the Nations to drink the Blood of the Saints is to be taken and her flesh burnt with fire and
past be sufficient which you have lived according to the Lusts of men and the course of the World that the rest of your time you may live to the will of God taking no though what you shall eat what you shall drink or what you shall put on therein your lives may judge the Heathens and that you may be as the Lillies for nothing you brought into the World neither any thing shall you take out and therefore while the Eye is gazing after every new Fashion and the mind and desire is thirsting to get it when it has it it lifts up its mind and so brings himself under the judgment of them that be in the sober Life and of the World also and to be like one of them Therefore take heed of the Worlds Fashions lest ye be moulded up into their Spirit and that will bring you to slight Truth and lift up the wrong Eye and wrong Mind and wrong Spirit and hurt and blind the pure Eye and pure mind and quench the Holy Spirit and through such foolish Toyes and Fashions and fading things you may lose your conditions And therefore take heed of the World and trust not in uncertain Riches neither covet the Riches of this World but Seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all outward things will follow and let your minds be above the costly and vain Fashions of attire but mind the hidden man of the heart which is a meek and quiet Spirit which is of great price with the Lord and keep to Justice and Truth in all your dealings and tradings at a word and the form of sound words in the Power of the Lord and Equity in Yea and Nay in all your dealings that your Lives and Conversations may be in Heaven and above the Earth that they may preach to all that you have to deal withal so that you may be as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and as Lights of the World answering the equal Principle in all that God in all things may be glorified So that you may pass your time here with fear as Pilgrims and Strangers and Sojourners as having an eye over all things that be uncertain as Cities Houses Lands Goods so as things below they that possess as if they did not and they thaâ— marry as if they did not yet as having a City whose Maker and Builder is God and a Possession of an Inheritance that will never fade away in which you have Riches that will abide with you Eternally Some QUERIES given forth to the Priests or People to Answer if they can 1. HAve any of you the same Spirit and Power as the Prophets and Apostles had 2. Or have you the same Revelation and Inspiration and Spirit of Prophesie and pouring forth of the Holy Ghost or do you own the pouring forth of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and is not this the last time in which it should be poured out and the Sons and Daughters should Prophesie and Old men dream Dreams and Young men see Visions 3. Or have you heard Gods voice and Christs voice immediately froâ— Heaven or are you some of them the Lord never sent nor spake unto Answer me these Queries 4. Do you own that Christ that died at Jerusalem to be the Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and are not all enlightened by him either to their Salvation or Condemnation 5. What and where is that which must give the knowledge of God is it within People or without them Answer me according to plain Scripture 6. Do you teach or preach that whilst a man is upon the Earth he may be freed from sin and the body of death and imperfection and shall be perfect whilst he be upon Earth or do you keep People in the state of your Father Adam and Mother Eve in the Fall or do you bring them to the state before they fell and so to Christ that shall never fall which of these states do you bring them to and keep your flock in in Adam and Eve in the fall or Adam and Eve before they fell or in Christ that shall never fall you must keep your flock in one of these three states and which of them is it Have you brought any of your flock whom you have driven to that condition and state they need no man to teach them that is to the anointing in them the Law in their hearts whereby they need not say one to another know the Lord that is to the Light of Christ that shines in their hearts to give them the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and how many have you brought hither 7. What is the Mother of Harlots and what is the Beast she rides upon and what are the People Nations and Multitudes and Tongues the Whore sits upon and what is Mystery Babylon and what is the Woman that went into the Wilderness what was her time she was to be there and what is the Beast and Dragons Worship and what is a Will-worship and what is it to worship Angels and what is that which leads Nature into its Course and so to the glory of the first Body and what is the glory of the second Body and what is that which leads Nature out of its Course and so sets the whole Course of Nature on Fire 8. What is the ground of that which keeps in good manners and what is that which corrupts them and what is the Righteousness the World is reproved off and what are the Judgments and what is that which leads the Saints into all Truth and hath every one the Spirit of God and whether bowing bending dossing hats scraping cringing saying you to one be the honour that comes from above or what is it and whence comes it and whether this before mentioned do not stand in that Nature part and principle which is on fire if it hath not these things and therefore whether or no these things do proceed from that which leads Nature into its Course or out of its Course and what is it that defaces the glory of the first body 9. Whether or no you own Trembling and Quaking at the Word of God 10. Seeing you look upon your selves to differ from many and to be above them let us see wherein and in what it is manifest 11. What is self-Righteousness and what is Man's Righteousness and the Righteousness that is as filthy Rags distinguish these one from another or whether they be all one for our Righteousness is that which was before Adam was whom ye in scorn calls Quakers 12. Whether ever any came to see so far as Balaams Ass who saw the Angel of the Lord 13. What are the Graves and the Tombes and the Sepulchres and the Fowls of the Air and the Nests they sit in which Christ spake of Answer 14. Whether or no to pay Tythes or receive Tythes is not to deny Christ Jesus
seed said he was come to preach deliverance to the captive and to heal the broken hearted and to seek that which was lost and to bring again that which was driven away and this was his work to redeem to man that which man had lost Now consider what man hath lost and I shall leave this as Querie with all both Priests and People who deny perfection from sin here whether Christ is but a part of Redeemer or a perfect and full Redeemer and which is the place betwixt Heaven and Earth where man shall be made free or cleansed from sin if not upon the Earth seeing that no unholy nor unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God But who can witness this hath passed through death and that hath none who plead for sin neither can they witnesse Christ come but for some simple ones sake I shall speak more clearly of this for it is a great delusion of the Devil to keep people in sin to tell them they shall never be made free from sin so long as they are upon the Earth and brings this Scripture to maintaine it He that saith he hath no sin deceiveth himselfe and is a lyar but he tells them Christ dyed for all and if they can but lay hold on him by Faith he will not impute their sins unto them though they sin dayly for the righteous man sins seven times a day and all the holy men of God sinned and so he takes Scripture to maintain his kingdome and this he delivers by the mouth of his Ministers which he sends abroad to deceive the Nations leading people in blindnesse full of sin and corruption ever learning and never comes to the knowledge of the Truth nor never shall doe for them and here he carries them on an easie delight some way to the flesh but the end is death and so heals them up in their sin with a feigned formed faith which perisheth and here they settle upon the Lees and set up a rest in the Devils kingdom which is sin and here many are meerly blinded and hardened and all tendernesse of conscience is done away But you shall finde that he that sooths you up in this Faith is the greatest enemy of your souls and whosoever witnesseth Christ their Redeemer shall witnesse that he is come to destroy the works of the Devil which is sin and to redeem out of the fall out of sin and out of the Devils kingdome which is sin and all sins in the Devils Kingdome which is in the fall but for this end Christ is manifested to destroy the works of the Devil and to redeem out of the fall out of the Devils Kingdome into his own Kingdome and no unclean thing can enter therein Rev. 21.27 but none can witness this Redemption but through the death and through the Cross which Paul rejoyced in by which he was crucified to the World and the World to him Rom. 6.6 and had put off the body of sin and was madâ— free from the Law of sin which once warred against his mind which once he complained of which Scripture the unlearned which are strangers from his conditions who reads them with the carnal eye now wrest them to their own destruction J. Parnel Concerning Womens Speaking in the Church WHat Woman is it that is not permitted to Speak in in the Church Is it she that is come to have Christ Head in her or is it she that is not come that length but is learning and so is to learn in silence Or may not Christ speak through the Woman when he is Head over all if not then why did Paul that said I suffer not a Woman to speak in the Church allow of Women as his Fellow-Labourers and Helpers in the Gospel it appears that she was on her travel and he commended her to the Church What did they travel about or help him in what was that labour and help Rom. 16.1 2.3 Why did Paul suffer Phillips Daughters to Prophesie were not they Prophetesses and had not they the Spirit of Prophesie And wherefore is the Spirit of Prophesie given but to edefie the Church It is commended by Paul above many other gifts see 1 Cor. 14.1 Follow after Charity and desire after Spiritual gifts but rather that ye may Prophesie And see the 3d. verse But he that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to Edification to Exhortation and Comfort Now seeing he that Prophesieth hath the Spirit of Prophesie and seeing it is through the Spirit of Prophesie that he speaketh to Man to Edification Exhortation and Comfort Why may not the same Spirit of Prophesie being head in the Woman as in Philips Daughters seeing Women are made Prophetesses thereby I say why may not the same Spirit of Prophesie put forth the Female to speak to Men to Edification Exhortation and Comfort Or else were not the gift received in vain if it were not to be used and if it be to be used Then must it not be for the service of the Church for Edification Exhortation and Comfort Is not the Widdow without an Husband was not Israel that went from her Spiritual Husband called an Harlot or a Whorish Woman And were not there many Males and Females to make up this Woman that had forsaken her Husband Is not Christ the Husband Is not his Church the Spouse of Christ Is not he as well the Husband of the Males as of the Females and of the Females as of the Males And are not the Priests and Bishops of that Whorish Woman that is gonâ— from the Husband Christ who are to be silent And also the Woman that is in the Church which may be said to be in the Church and yet but in learning and is not learned she is not fit to teach but is to be silent and learn in silence until she be learned and then Christ the Husband in the Male and Female the Head in the Male and Female is one and it is he the One in all both in the Male and Female that speakes and the Male as well as the Female is that Woman that is not to speak who hath not learned Christ and is not made subject to him but such who have learned him whether Male or Female he may speak in them and then it is not the Woman but CHRIST the Man that speaketh in the Male and in the Female And whoso denies this disprove it if he can And what will ye do with that in Joel 2.28 If you will not suffer Christ to speak in the Females then you will contradict Joel's Prophesie and so will judge him a lying Prophet who spake in the Name of the Lord saying I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh yea it is said that Daughters shall Prophesie as well as Sons no distinction made Vpon the Hand-maids in those dayes will I pour out my Spirit and when was this fulfilled if it was not among the Apostles If Paul had stopt Women and Maids that had