leaves he will endeavour to cover his Nakedness therewith and to hide himself from the Wrath that is revealed in him and awakened against him and when he hath invented a Medicine to cure his Sickness and a Salve to heal his Wound though deceitfully and found Mortar to daub up the Breach though it be untempered his Conscience being darkened and his Heart deceived he will plead Conscience for the Use of the same and sets them up as the only Remedies to be found c. So natural is it for degenerate Man to worship the Works of his own hands and to follow the Inventions Conceiveings Thoughts Imaginations of his own corrupt Heart yet calls it the Way of the Lord and if any of his Neighbours or Brethren come to hear and obey the Voice of God and to follow the Light and Guidance of his Spirit to find Acceptance with him and refuseth in a good Conscience to God to follow his direction The Cause of Cain's Anger against his Brother or the Wicked against the Righteous in this Age. and to make Use of his invented Means and to bow down and worship the Image he hath set up then Envy and Hatred ariseth and Violence breaks forth and Blood toucheth Blood even because such will not nor cannot for Conscience sake see say and do as he doth bow to his Image and Invention and worship as he doth though he finds not Acceptance of God nor the Light of his Countenance towards him in his Worship no more then Cain that Religious Murderer did whose Offering was the Fruit of that Ground that 's cursed which never did nor never will bring forth Fruit well-pleasing to God And it is from Mankind labouring in this Ground being driven out of the Paradise and Garden of God that all the Diversity of Opinions Notions The Rise of Opinions and the Cause of Cruelty and Persecution about them Conceivings Thoughts Imaginations and Contrvances Forms and Fashions of invented Worship upon the Face of the whole Earth springeth and ariseth and all the Envy Hatred Cruelty Bloodshed Compelling Forceing and Persecution about Fashions of Worship and Religion among all the Sects in Christendom ariseth from this Ground and all that are found in the Work thereof though they may pretend Conscience and Zeal to God and the Maintenance of the Gospel and the Good of Souls are of the Spirit of Cain the first Murderer about Religion and his Reward they will find measured into their own Bosoms from the Hand of God Now the divers Sects and formal Worshippers in Christendom are ready to stand up plead and contend for their Forms and Invention and Way and Manner of Worship also cry out for Liberty of Conscience in their Way and for the Practice of their Fashion in Worship and will also in their Infancy cry out against Persecution Every Selfish private narrow Spirit Sect and Opinion though in its Rise may pretend otherwise hath Persecution at the Bottom when they want only Number Power Strength to persecute themselves which when they attain unto and their Horns grow strong and get Crowns upon them they will and have been found doing the same Work as might be demonstrated at large but being obvious to the Observation of the Judicious and intending Brevity I forbear and indeed they can do no otherwise being of a private narrow self-conceited Spirit ignorant of the true Liberty of Conscience which Liberty stands not in this or that or the other invented Form or Fashion of Worship Conceiving or Opinion but in the Light Power of God which every particular Man and Woman upon the Face of all the whole Earth ought to know and experience enlightening and ruling in his Conscience and Conscience can never enjoy its true Liberty till it come into this Estate ☞ The Consciences of Men are generally weak darkened defiled corrupted vitiated and which is worst of all some who have lost the Day of their Visitation are seared as with an hot Iron and in this State have a Bond and Tye upon their Consciences which ought to be broken and cast off till which they are liable to make Conscience of such Things they ought not as might be instanced through all Sects both among Indians Turks Jews and Titular Christians and the Evils and Mischiefs that ensue from hence are very many Conscience in the State above ☞ is the great Troubler of the World of Mankind and the Evils that are brought forth and committed under the Notion Pretence and Seal of Conscience are Evils of the greatest Magnitude Now nothing under Heaven is able to rectifie the Conscience enlighten cleanse and purifie and redeem it into true Liberty but the Light and Power of God shining and operating in the Conscience as it did before Transgression entered What alone is able to bring Liberty of Conscience before Sin was committed and before Opinion Invention dark Thoughts and Imaginations sprung up this alone is able to purge and cleanse the Conscience from Darkness and dead Works and make it an undefiled Habitation for God again as it was in the Beginning this is the State wherein Liberty of Conscience is known and enjoyed even when Man comes to have his Conscience exercised in ☞ and ruled and governed by the Light Spirit and Power of God then man's Heart becomes his Throne and he sits and rules therein and that which usurped it is cast down and the Prince of the Air which got his rule and place there by Disobedience is cast out And all those that come not to know this brought to pass within themselves ☞ nor are not in the Way that leadeth thereto are but of a private selfish Opinion and Sect though as above while they are little and low and small in Number they may plead for Liberty of Conscience and cry against Persecution Force Imposition and Violence about Religion yet when their Opinion prevailes and the Horns thereof grow strong thereby they will push towards the East West North and South and will smite their fellow-Servants and as I have said before it can be no otherwise then so until man comes to know the universal Light and Spirit of God to shine rule in his Conscience ☞ establish it in perfect Liberty and Love to the whole Creation of God and to all the Works of his Hands and in Obedience to all his holy Commandments in this stands the perfect Liberty of Conscience Now for want of this the Titular Christians of all Sorts and Sects are so wedded to their private selfish Opinions Traditions Notions Conceptions Apprehensions Comprehensions Thoughts and Imaginations about Religion Church and Worship and matters relating to Conscience that they envy hate bite and devour one another about them One will persecute about his Mass Book and Sacrament of the Altar another about his Common Prayer-Book Maintenance and Church-Discipline another about his Directory another about his Church-Faith
Sword of the Spirit the Helmet of Salvation the Breast-plate of Righteousness and the very Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel or with that which prepares the Way of the Gospel I say these are Weapons of the True Church and of every Member thereof whereby those that say they are Apostles and are not are tryed and found Lyars and the Errors and Doctrines of Balaam detected Read Rev. 1 2 3. and the Lord open thy Understanding and the Teachings of the Woman Jezabel who calleth her self a Prophetess resisted yea all the Faults and Errors of the Seven Churches are reproved and judged by the Son of God who holdeth the Seven Stars in his Right Hand Note and walks in the midst of the ‖ The Son of God is in the midst of his People who are like Gold tryed in the Fire and made Vessels of Honour to hold the Heavenly Treafure and Temples of the Living God this is the true Church that what she bindeth and looseth on Earth is confirmed in Heaven against which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail out of the Pale of this Church there 's no Salvation This is the Holy Church that cannot err where the infallible Judgment is even in whom the Son of God lives and walks in the midst and hath by his bright and powerful Appearance broken down and removed all that is contrary to him and set the Mind Heart and Conscience at perfect Liberty from all Private Opinions Selfish Conceivings Dark Thoughts and Lofty Imaginations which once did defile them In this Church is the one Mind one Heart and one Judgment and she hath the one Faith one Baptism and one Lord is as a Coat woven from top to bottom without Seam And all the Members of this Church are livin Stones fitted and squared for the House and Habitation of God in the fitting and preparing of which the Sound or Noise of the Workman's Tool is not heard nor Self had in any Reputation but the Praise and Glory of all is to God the Worker of all in his People to whom all Honour is due forever and evermore Seven Golden Candlesticks and those that turn not at his Reproof Repent and are Reformed by his Judgments will assuredly in the End hear this fatal Sentence I gave her space to repent and she repented not behold I will cast her into a Bed and them that commit Adultery with her into great Tribulation I will kill her Children with Death and all the Churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the Reins and Hearts giveth to every one according to his Works He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Something after which should have been placed before REader I would have thee seriously weigh consider what thou readest in this small Treatise and with the Measure of Divine Light which shines in thy Mind Heart and Conscience whether thou be Darkness or Light a Believer or an Infidel take a perfect View of thy self and thou mayest by the Light thereof infallibly perceive and know Whether thou art a Member of the * None can be of the holy Catholick Church further then they walk in the Light learn of the Grace and profit by the Manifestation of the Spirit of God given to them and is present with them convincing reproving judging all and every Appearance of Evil and ready to teach lead into all Good and it is those only that are led and guided by the spirit of God that are his Sons Daughters and Members of the holy church which is in God he that can receive it let him Holy Catholick Church or whether thou art of some private Opinion or Sect which only calls it self so and whether thy Mind Heart and Conscience-are clensed and set at Liberty from all that did defile and imbondage them or whether thou art corrupted defiled captivated and bound under with the Chains of Darkness Superstitious Education Corrupt Tradition and Selfish Opinions kindling thy Sacrifices with Coals from thy own Altar and walking in the Light of thy own Sparks by the Eye or Light of God which runs to and fro through the Earth and searcheth thy Heart tryeth thy Reins and sheweth unto thee thy Thoughts thou mayest see thy own state and condition how thou standest in the Sight of the Lord if thy Mind be spiritual thou hast Life Peace if thy Heart be pure thou seest the Lord if thy Conscience be purged from dead Works thou art a Servant of the living God and findest Acceptance with him being alive to Righteousness and dead to Sin but if thou dost Evil Sin lies at thy Door and he that saves his People from their Sins thou art ignorant of and Death the Wages thereof attends thee profess what thou wilt and let thy notion opinion be what it will let thy form and fashion of Worship and Religion be what it will whether thou art a Jew Mahumetan Papist or Protestant this is the Word of Truth to thee whether thou wilt hear or forbear thou shalt find it sealed upon thee in the Day of the Lord. W. S. THE END
able to deliver himself nor to purifie his own Conscience nor enlighten his own Understanding nor can any man deliver the Soul of his Brother nothing less then the Knowledge and Experience of the Light Spirit and Mighty Power of God's appearing and shining in the Conscience and enlightening the Mind and Understanding breaking the Prison-Doors of Opinion and pulling down the Strong Hold of Imagination is able to effect those things therefore all such as have their Consciences purified their Minds and Understandings thereby enlightened are delivered and redeemed from the Spirit of Envy and Cruelty and from all private Opinions and Bondage of Darkness and lives and walks in the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus which brings Peace on Earth and Good-will to Men and such never Envyed any nor Hurt any about Religion though Jews Turks and Infidels Oh! the Weight and Burden of this envivous Bloody Spirit of Persecution in Christendom which is sate down in the Throne of Conscience and wrapt about with the Mantle of Zeal for Religion is very great and ponderous it is the greatest Burden the Earth bears and the greatest Troubler of the World of Mankind 't is the great Whore that John saw ride upon the Scarlet coloured Beast and sate upon the Waters and it is the Beast he saw rise out of the Earth with two Horns like a Lamb yet speaks like a Dragon and makes Fire come down from Heaven in the Sight of Men and causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a Mark in their right Hand or in their Fore-Heads that no Man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name this Spirit is the Womb out of which springeth all the Force and Violence and cruel Inventions of Torture and spoil of Bodies Goods and Liberties about Difference in Opinion Faith and Worship which as is said before is cruel unreasonable and unnatural because by the Laws of God all good Men ☞ no Man ought to suffer but according to the Nature of his Offence if his Offence be visible natural and corporal belonging to things of this world then his Punishment ought to be natural and corporal and visibly executed upon him if his Offence be spiritual and relating to the invisible Things of the Mind Heart and Conscience in Matters of Faith and Worship towards God the Life World to come then their Punishment is to be spiritual and executed spiritually and the Weapons to be used against such are not to be carnal The Bodies of Men ought not to be inquisition'd and tortur'd What Persecution is nor their Goods spoyled for the errors of their Minds or the Difference of their religious Perswasions where-ever this is sound and practised it may be justly called cruel and unreasonable and bloody Persecution though under the Pretence of Conscience and Zeal for Religion And the true Christian and Church of Christ never had nor ever will have a Hand in such Work it is the Whore the false Church and her Children The Beast the Whore the false Prophet the three unclean Spirits Mystery-Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots c. rules and reigns not only at Rome in Italy Spain and other popish Countryes where the Romish Sect prevails as some private Opinionists have imagined but is universally to be found reigning throughout all the Sects in Christendom and in the whole World the great red Dragon that gets into Heaven and the Beast that ariseth out of the Sea or Waters on which the Whore sisteth and the false Prophet and the three unclean Spirits like Frogs that come out of their Mouths that corrupteth the Earth and fills it with Violence it is this Woman this Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth that is drunk with the Blood of the Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and by her Sorceries are all Nations deceived and in her was and is found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were and are slain upon the Earth Now the Voice from Heaven is heard which saith Come out of her my People that ye partake not of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues And all that hear obey and follow this heavenly Voice come to be led out of Mystery Babylon into the heavenly City Jerusalem which comes down from God out of Heaven and to be made Citizens thereof who are at Unity within themselves and though the Gates stand open there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lye but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life Here all is shut out that entered in through Sin and Transgression and through the Subtilty and Lyes of the Serpent and a Redemption and Restoration into the glorious primitive Estate that God made Mankind in in the Beginning where his Mind Heart and Conscience is set at Liberty cleansed and purified from all that did defile them and here he is delivered from following all his carnal Inventions ☞ private Opinions and Notions where the Envy Anger and Wrath is exercised into the peaceable universal Light and Love to the whole Creation of God But while People are carnaly-minded and their Consciences darkened defiled they are captivated by a private selfish Spirit and are bound under some dark affected Opinion or other about Religion in this State some will be for Paul some for Apello some for Cophas but none for Christ some of one Sect or Opinion and of one Sort Form of Worship and some of another but all bound under one Link or other of the Chain of Darkness and are Slaves to the Prince thereof who hath got the Rule in their Minds Hearts and Consciences and such of his Vassals as are inclined to seem religious he will furnish them with a Form Likeness and Patern if need be even of Heavenly Things themselves according to the State Place and Country they inhabit and the Region of Darkness and Shadow of Death they dwell under whether in Christendom or in any other Part of the World hence many are bound in their Consciences to worship according to the Precepts and Commands of Mahomet or the Turkish Alcoron others according to the Traditions of the scattered Jews and Indians others according to the Pope and his Mass Book and other Invented Trumpery others according to the divers Sorts of invented Liturgies and Forms of Worship Likenesses and Images which they have set up in their carnal Minds and darkened Understandings wherein their corrupt Faiths and defiled Consciences are imployed as Champions to contend for and vindicate every one his own private carnal Opinion Tradition and Form of Worship And the same Spirit of Darkness that leads into these Diversities of Opinions humane carnal Inventions about the Worship of God The
Fruit of Mankind hating the Light and running and walking and working in Darkness leads Men to hate * envy and persecute one another about them And all these Things come to pass amongst Mankind for want of believing in the Light Grace Spirit and Power of God that shines appears and operates in the Mind Heart and Conscience of Mankind according to the State it finds him in either to reprove or commend justifie or condemn which Light Grace and Spirit is one and leads all that obey it and follow it into Oneness of Mind Oneness of Heart and into the One standing and everlasting Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth where Acceptance is felt and the Light of God's Countenance enjoyed the Partition-Wall broken down and the Enmity slain and the Serpent's Head bruised within by the springing up of the promised Seed and powerful Appearance of Christ within who leadeth into that blessed Love and Charity which never faileth which thinketh no Evil where the rejoycing is not in Iniquity but in the Truth And whoever thou art that readest these Things and art not come to witness within thy self the virtuous Efficacy of the Power Life and Blood of Jesus to cleanse purge and purifie thy Mind Heart and Conscience from all that doth defile and set them at perfect Liberty to serve the Lord and to lead thee into the heavenly City where the Book of Life is kept and to see thy Name written therein and also his Name imprinted in thy Forehead bearing his heavenly Image as thou hast born the earthly I say except thou knowest these Things wrought by the Spirit and Power of God in thee and for thee thy Mind Heart and Conscience remains defil'd and under Bondage to thine own Inventions private Opinions and Notions and he that is called the Prince of the Air rules in thy heart and thou art captivated and carried away with the windy Doctrines Rudimens and carnal Ordinances and Traditions of men and art tasting touching and handling those Things which perish with the using and art prone liable to bite tear murder and devour thy Brother and Neighbour about them so art as a whited Wall and painted Sepulchre and professing Hypocrite and Titular Christian a direct Phanatick and Sectarian and art like Cain a Fugitive in the Earth which God hath cursed that brings forth Bryars and Thorns which tear the Sheep and hurt the Lilly this is thy State and Condition let thy Talk Profession Notion Opinion Form and Fashion of Religion be what it will and whether thou art a Jew Mahometan Papist or Protestant while thy Mind Heart and Conscience is defiled darkened captivated and bound under with the Chains of Opinion Tradition and Precepts of men thou canst not enjoy Liberty of Conscience thy self nor suffer others and if thou compassest Sea and Land to make Proselytes to thy Opinion and Tradition and hast Power to force and compel an Outward Conformity to the same thou makest them two fold more the Children of Hell then before Force Cruelty and Violence may make Hypocrites and Formalists but No True Worshippers of God in the Spirit nor Christians indeed Finally to Force and Compel by Corporal Punishments in Matters of Conscience and Religion is infallibly contrary to and inconsistent with the very Nature of true Religion and Being of Christianity And among whomsoever it s found and practised 't is an evident Demonstration that the Pure Religion they are ignorant of and Strangers to and such are only Christians in Name and Opinion and of a dark narrow private self-conceited spirit priding it self with it own Notions and lofty Imaginations grounded upon the Education and Tradition received from his Fore-Fathers and the carnal Comprehensions and Conceivings of his own corrupt Heart from the ancient Writings of Holy Men hence it is that every Sect and Opinionist like so many Beasts with Horns push one against another hate bite tear and devour one another each endeavouring to sit down as a Queen in the Seat of the Scornful exercising themselves in things that are too high Imperiously measuring trying and judging his Brother and Neighbour who differs from him by his selfish carnal dark exalted spirit who passeth under and assumes the Name of a Sheep though in Nature and Work he be a Wolf and if this Beast of Prey hath Horns and Claws strong enough to make Spoil according to its Nature it would hardly leave the Bones till the morrow This is the Generation whose Teeth are as Swords Proverbs 30 14. and their Jaw-Teeth as Knives to devour the Poor from off the Earth and the Needy from among men this is the Generation also who are pure in their own Eyes yet are not washed from their Filthiness but is as a polluted Leper full of Sores from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot From this Generation ariseth the Cry and Violence against the Innocent as Hereticks and Blasphemers haling them before Magistrates and hurrying them to Goals Inquisitions Gallowses and Fire tearing the Flesh from the Bones and the Lise from the Body about Matters of Religion Church Faith Worship and Conscience all which is infallibly the Fruit and Effect of that Spirit of Cain that Envious Sacrifices that can Worship with one Hand and Murder with the other call God Father and with the same Tongue call Christ Jesus a Blasphemer Deceiver and Child of the Devil and lay their Wicked Hands upon him as an Evil-doer not fit to live this is and hath been the Work of all the Private Carnal Dark Self-conceited Opinionsts in Christendom who are all Members of the False Church and of the Great City Mystery Babylon whose Citizens are all of defiled Minds corrupt Heares and darkened misguided if not seared Consciences And none of this Work hath been nor never will be found in the true Church nor among the Citizens of the heavenly Ferusalem whose Defence and Weapons never was nor will be Carnal but Spiritual and Mighty through God to the breaking and casting down every thing that exalteth it self against the Prosperity thereof whose Warfare was never against mens Bodies Lives nor Estates to destroy the One and possess the Other neither do the Thoughts thereof enter into the Heart of a True Christian to Hurt his Brother or Neighbour because of Difference in Religion and Understanding of things relating thereto Yet the True Church hath its Way and Means of Defence and every living Member thereof is in its Place and Capacity engaged and bound by the Law of the Spirit of Life and in the Universal Love of God ☞ to be watchful and diligent against the creeping in of Selfish Private Opinions and the broaching of Damnable Doctrines or the growing up of any hurtful Weeds in the Garden of God but as I have said this Defence is spiritual viz. the Light Power and Spirit of God revealed in the Inward Parts this Church puts on the whole Armour of Light the