Cor. 3.14 15. as is evident and clearly seen to he the very State and Condition of the Ministers and People of England to whom the Way of Life of Regeneration of Light of Righteousness of Peace of having their Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and of witnessing Redemption and Remission of sins is hid and to them the covering is not yet taken away for the Vail is over their Hearts and what they see and know of God is but by the seeing or hearing of the outward Eye or Ear as Job said chap. 42.5 knowing nothing but what they know Naturally in a literal historical notional external Sense and in these Things they foyl and corrupt themselves never owning or obeying the Light that leads out of Darkness and Discovers all the works thereof which makes all things manifest and gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which till then is Vailed through which we draw nigh unto God and makes bold to enter into the inner Sanctuary even the holy Place being purified through his Blood having our Consciences purged from dead works Hebr. 9.14 which is not yet made manifest where the Tabernacle is standing Hebr. 9.8 neither do they know the Power which through his death hath rent the Vail but we that are come to believe in the Light and to witness the New Covenant which God promised to his People Jer. 31.31.23 c. Rom. 11.27 Hebr. 8.8.10 c. Hebr. 10.16 17. they whose Hearts are turned to the Lord know the Vail taken away accord-to his promise 2 Cor 3.16 17 18. and we all with open face behold the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Now being born of the same Seed and not another and regenerated by the same Life and Power and because we have the same Spirit of Faith which the Apostles and Servants of the Lord had as it is written 2 Cor. 4.13 Psalm 116.10 I believed therefore have I spoken we also have Believed and therefore speak now we have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 and having this hope and trust we use great boldness and plainness of speech and are not ashamed of that worthy Name by which we have been called nor of the glorious Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto all those that Believe and this Mystery viz. Christ in us the hope of Glory Col. 1.26 27 hid from Ages and Generations hath he opened and revealed in us blessed honored and glorified by the sweet and precious Name and Love of our God for ever that hath opened the mysteries of his Kingdom and hath revealed them unto Babes Sucklings and to the little and lowly in Spirit and yet hath hid them from the Wise and Prudent of the Earth this is the Lords doing and is marvellous in our Eyes blessed yea everlastingly blessed be his holy Living eternal Name Love Life and Power who alone is worthy of all Glory Rule and Dominion for evermore And having this Testimony and for this Testimonies sake and for our love and faithfulness thereunto we suffer and are brought into bonds by the chief Priests and Rulers of this Generation for as it was in the Apostles dayes so it is now They that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and as Christ said In the World you shall have tribulation but in me you shall have Peace and if you love Me the world will hate you and even so persecuted they the Prophets that went before us this persecuting spirit getting a place and room in the Woman as I said before broke forth in Cain the third Person in the Earth and he slew Abel his only Brother and here the Enmity between the Seeds appeared which I mentioned in the beginning and this envious Persecuting spirit hath had a place and descent through all the Generations of Man-kind to this very Day as the Scriptures are full how they that served and feared the Lord did suffer Persecutions Afflictions Tribulations Reproaches spoiling of Goods Buffettings Imprisonments yea even to the Death and all for following the Lord in the Regeneration and for serving and obeying Him in heart and spirit and for departing and separating themselves from the Ways Worships Customs Traditions and beggerly rudiments of the World and as they persecuted the Prophets and Apostles of Christ that went before us even so do they persecute us and yet they will profess they know God but their Works deny Him for I was no sooner turned from Darkness to Light nor from Satans Power to God nor from sin to righteousness nor from the lusts and pleasures of the Flesh to serve the Living God nor no sooner come to deny my self and take up the Cross of Christ and follow him through Tribulations Reproachings Revilings Mockings Fastings Temptings or what other Sufferings soever or through Death it self unto Life yea no sooner I say was I given up to follow him but persecution arose for the Gospel sake notwithstanding my long Travel and Pilgrimage in the Wilderness neither considering the Faintings the Hungrings the Thirstings the Jeopardies Perils the many desperate Dangers the dark Disconsolate days the long and wearisom Nights my poor Soul sustained with many a sigh and heavy groan with many a dolefull lamentation with much brokenness of Heart and contrition of Spirit when Rivers as it were run down from mine Eyes when my Heart failed me for fear in the day of my spiritual progress from Egyt to Canaan I say never considering the afflictions I bad gone through the enmity in Gods enemies without arose against me to repoach revile and persecute me and as I said before having withdrawn and separated my self from them with their Way and Worship I was hated envied and threatned by them but especially by one of Englands chief Priests named Lewis West a Man whose Life and Gonversation doth more fully declare him to all that knows him part whereof I may set down in this following Treatise and shall leave it to the view judgment and consideration of all sober juditious Men that knows any thing of the Way and Worship of God but especially to those my Neighbours and Country-men that hath known both him and me according to the flesh though he be a Man in esteem honour and repute amongst Men and the Children of this World and hath attained to his several Titles and degrees of Honour and Preferment being reckoned one of their chief and learnedst orthodox Divines being as his Wife once said to me contemning me as â—udatious and for my puerility and illiteratness far inferior to argue or dispute matters of Conscience with him brought up at his Book and School from his Child-hood and I being but a Child
according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt for because they abode not in my Covenant I regarded them not saith the Lord But this is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days I will put my Law in their Hearts and write it in their inward parts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Jer. 31.33 Ezâ—k 37.26 c. Hebr. 8.8 9 10. and 10.16 They shall not need to Teach every Man his Neighbour or every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me even from the least to the greatest of them and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more mark Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more here suffer me to enlarge a little by the way Now where Remission of sin is there needs no more Offering for sin and for this end was Christ made manifest to take away all sin and in him was no sin howbeit the Children of Darkness who are strangers to the Covenant of Promise being never yet come to the Light nor to the Second Covenant the New and Living Way they I say that have not received this they say there is no Redemption from under sin there is none say they can be set free from iniquity while on this side the grave there is not an upright Man upon the Earth say they that doth good and sinneth not there is none Righteous no not one a strange Doctrine in a Gospel Day this Generation used to bless the Name of the Lord for this glorious Day and Golden Age and time said some wherein his Gospel was so purely Taught and Preached mark this confusion is the Gospel purely Taught them when they are yet in their sins but it may be they have not received the Gospel in Power and Purity but in name and word only for the Gospel is the Power of God Rom. 1.16 or Christ Jesus the Light of the World the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 who was manifested to take away sin but these will pretend to be Gospel Men and Christians who say none can be purified from sin and thereby frustrate the end of the Lord and make void his coming who came to save his People from their sins and he is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him but may it not be said they come not unto God by him and they enter not in at the Door but climbs up some other way that holds sin for Tearm of Life which the Devil is Author and Lord of then whose Servants are they let wise Men judge a smookey Tenent a Principle of Darkness assended out of the Bottomless Pit sure no Christians what ere they may profess What hath Christ suffered in vain What hath the shedding of his Blood no more effect What is he not able perfectly to save those to come unto God by him Is he not able to save his People from their sins Is he not able to redeem from death Is his Hand shortned Or his Power weakned Is he not the same he was in the Apostles dayes Is not his power the same yesterday to day and for ever mark Was he not given for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Was he not sent to redeem those that were under the Law Was he not sent to save his People from their sins Was he not ordained a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of the People of Israel Yea a Light to lighten those that sit in Darkness and the Regions of the shadow of Death and to guide their feet in the Way of Peace Was he not manifested to take away our sins and was not his Blood shed for the Remission of sins the Apostle said yes and if it be not so that our sins be done away nor we not sanctified purified and cleansed through his Blood nor do not witness Remission nor forgiveness through his Sufferings and Death and our Consciences purged from dead works and our sins done away in him I say if none have this benefit by him then is our Faith vain and we are still in our sins and both the Apostles and we are found false Witnesses of him but neither they nor we are false Witnesses for we know and they knew before us That Life and Salvation is manifested and we have seen it and that which we have seen and heard we do declare that ye might have Fellowship with us mark that ye might also obtain Remission and Redemption with us And this indeed is the Message that we have heard of him and received from him and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all and if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye But if we walke in the Light as he is in the Light then have we fellowship with him and one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin c. mark ye Sons and Daughters of Darkness that say none can be cleansed from all Sin but no marvel if Infidels say so that never owns the Light that never came to the Blood of Sprinkling that never came to the Blood the Life of the Covenant that cleanseth and purifieth from all sin but are stumbling and groping in darkness immagining in their dark minds that all is like themselves and these will profess they know God but they are Lyars 1 John 2.4 for they neither keep nor believe that any can keep his Commandments but they seeing but in part believes that a Man can but be in part purified and in part sanctified but not throughout Now I would ask them one Question wherefore none can be sanctified throughout Is not that which sanctifies in part able to sanctifie throughout Is not the Blood of Christ able and sufficient to cleanse and purifie from all sin Was he not able perfectly to save those that come unto God by him Yes surely he was else he had been an imperfect Sacrifice but the cause is either they will not come to him for Life and Salvation or else when they do come they abide not with him nor continue not in obedience to press forward to the high Calling that is in Christ Jesus they sit down short of the prize they go not on unto perfection they faint and are weary before the work be compleated and finished like foolish Builders and then content themselves in their own vain immaginations and pleads inability weakness and failing which say they is insident to all Men thinking all like themselves but they measuring all by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves viz. with their own immaginations are not wise as said the Apostle but John said As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name John 1.12 and
the Sign must I not be cast out of your Church and into Prison 21. What is his Body of Christ and what is the Blood whether is his Body Spiritual or Carnal or how is the Lords Body to be discerned 22. Whether is the Body one or how many Bodies hath He or how do they Eat and Drink his Blood that Eternal Life abideth in 23. How did they eat the same Spiritual Meat and Drink the same Spiritual Drink which were Baptized under Moses for they drank of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ 24. What is the difference between the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils and the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils 25. Whether are they worthy Receivers purified from their Sins and sanctified through His Blood seeing His Body was broken and His Blood shed for the remission of sins 26. Whether they that are yet in their Sins do not eat and drink their own condemdemnation not discerning the Lords Body 27. Who is the Head of your Church and Body or who is King Priest and Prophet whether Christ King Pope or Bishop or how many Heads is there 12 Month 1667. Send thy Answer to me at my Prison-house in Carlile T. C. Another sent after about the 4th Month 1667. L. W. I Having all along a desire to be edified in the True Way and Worship of the Living God and an inclination from my childhood to follow after that which is good righteous and unreprovable in the sight of the Lord and to keep my Conscience undefiled and my judgment clear and uncorrupted as the Lord God of Heaven knows from whom nothing can be hid and seeing the ground of the Controversie between thee and me is matters of Faith or Worship and so matters of Conscience to me and such as I cannot easily renounce nor dare not turn from unless my judgment were otherwise perswaded I therefore sent some Propositions to thee to that effect an answer whereof I expected from thee before this time which thing I thought but requisite and very consistant with thy Office and Profession being that which the Ministers of Christ was always ready to do being willing to render a reason of their Faith and Hope to any that should demand it and also to exhort inform and instruct in the Doctrine and Principles of Truth with all meekness gentleness and long-suffering which thing if thou refuse to do let me know upon what grounds for I have not straitned thee for time but thou mightest have done it with deliberation so I desire a sober answer of thee of all and every particular propounded or else a reason why thou wilt not and it may suffice for the present T. C. Now having as briefly as possible given a True and Impartial Relation of all the differences states and proceedings on both sides that is of most importance and concernment and the ground and cause of all as things hath passed and been carried on between us plainly and honestly so far as I know and do remember I shall leave all both his and mine causes and proceedings with all that hath been done to the witness of God in all Hearts and Consciences that gives a true sense and understanding of the nature and property of every word and work and accordingly let the sober moderate and unbyassed Reader or Hearer judge of us and between us and especially such as have known us both after the flesh and the Lives and Conversations of us both among them ziz the Parishioners of Addingam and others in the Towns and Parishes adjacent amongst whom we have lived and with whom we have had to do many of them being privy to the most part of those things and so may the better bear witness to the Truth or Falshood of them being as I have said elsewhere willing to recommend my self to every Mans Conscience in the sight of God and as I own and acknowledge the Light for my Leader Guide and Salvation so I am willing that all my deeds should be brought to the Light and that which I do or have done that is not justifiable in the Light let it be condemned by Light and I ashamed and this is to do as I would be done unto also these my Papers that I have sent to him they are now made publick and so are no longer his and mine only but other Mens to judge and consider of In my first I desire as I would often have willingly embraced that he or any other of his Function and Profession would give me or us a sober moderate visit or meeting at their own time and place allowing us person for person that there we might dispute the differences in Religion between them and us in a sober moderate spirit which to us is of great price and if in the Spirit of meekness he or they could convince us that we are schismatical and erroneous c. as they have frequently affirmed and preached behind our backs whether in denying of Tythes or in any other thing whatsoever I can say it for my self and believe it for many others that if in our Consciences we were convinced thereof we would reform our Judgments and pay Tythes and submit in any other thing whatsoever as really and conscientiously as any People in the Nation without either suing at Courts spoyling of goods excommunications cominations imprisonments or the execution of any Law whatsoever and if this be not very equal and reasonable let all sober People judge and whether it be not the part and place of Men professing that Function and to be Ministers of Christ and Overseers in the Church that Spiritual Men might War and overcome with Spiritual Weapons and by the Armor of Light and the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit of Christ Jesus that as the said L. W. hath oft Preached it may be known to whom the Lord hath given the Urim and the Thummim but these they use but in words only but instead of dealing so with us they 'l turn us over to a Consistory Spirituâ—l or Ecclesiastical Court so called which as I may truly say is as Carnal and Earthly a corrupt Court at this day as any in the World I know of and to the Secular Powers and Civil Magistrate c. and when we are brought before them and answers to what is Charged against us pleading matters of Conscience the Doctrine of Christ or His Apostles or the priviledge of the Church in a Gospel Dispensation then they cry hold your peace we have no thing to do with that Dispute it with your Ministers you shall not Preach here c. And all we can get of their Ministers is Rogue and Rascal Erroneous and Schismatical Fellow or Audacious Saucy youth I 'll humble you we 'll take a Course with such Refractary Fanatick as you are ere long c. So having the Sword by their thigh and the Law by their side thus are we preyed upon by
World and all that nature that in it we may live and by it all may be preserved unto the end That so the Lord God Almighty his Living Holy Name and Eternal Truth may be Feared Served Honoured and Obeyed over all by and through all for He alone is worthy yea Everlasting worthy God blessed for ever and evermore Saith the Soul and Spirit of him who is the Lords and yours in the Unity of the Gospel of Christ Jesus T. C. A General EPISTLE CONTAINING Wholsom Admonition and Advice to Friends in IRELAND and else-where By Thomas Carleton DEar and well beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters who are in some Measure gathered by the Arm of God's Power and have known the blessed Appearance of Life and Salvation to you is the Salutation of my unfeigned Love and in the Fellowship of God's Everlasting Light do I tenderly greet you all and for the clearing of my Spirit of that which for some time hath been upon me do I communicate these Lines in the true Simplicity of my Heart dearly desiring all that love the Lord Jesus Christ To keep low and near the Lord and wait to feel God's living Power in your Hearts unto which we were turned or exhorted from the Beginning for in the Light of the Lord I see there is a Necessity for it For unless the Sense of God's living Power be felt Profession is vain and Meetings are not made profitable for the Mysteries of Life and Salvation and of true Christianity consist not only in any Profession Name or Notion of this or that Principle Article or Creed formed or received in the Minds of Men or Women but in a living Enjoyment and Possession of the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of the living saving Faith So my dear Friends all wait to feel the Operation of that Power in every Heart and Soul to subdue all to God and to work all into submission and real obedience to the heavenly Will and Mind of Christ Jesus who is come a Light into the World that all men through him might believe hear is the unchangeable standing Rule which every one is to measure themselves by and he or she that is measured or squared by this are as polished Stones for God's spiritual House and he or she that is not squared by this are not fit to be Members of God's Building so all having the Measuring line in your hearts let Judgment be laid to it and so try all things words works behaviours and the Intent of all and from what ground and spirit it doth proceed and this unchangeable everlasting Rule all keep to it and Build by it so shall you be justified with it in the Day of Tryal so all things done by this unchangeable unerring Rule the Law of the Spirit of Life this keeps clean and pure and sets free of all Mud and Confusion Sin and Iniquity and things that bring death and darkness over the Soul and understanding and so cloud the Testimony So let every man and woman by this standing Rule examine themselves and so let them eat speak or act as the Lord shall perswade them and wherein any one doubteth and is not clear in what he or she undertaketh let such forbare and wait in quietness till the Lord clear their way So all take heed and keep to the Rule for in the Lord's Light we see Light and have Clearness and Freedom and Peace but going from the Light without Rule without Guide the Vail comes over Darkness gathers in Confusion and Trouble then Peace comes to be lost So you that have known in any measure the work of Regeneration and of the New Birth through the working of God's Spirit and power in your Hearts by which some unclean spirits have been cast out keep to the Power still and beware of letting in the unclean spirit again for if you do the latter-end will be worse then the beginning And lean not to the World's Wisdom beware of that spirit I advise all for by that wisdom God is not known and if once the Sense and enjoyment of God be lost then man and woman is in a woful state without God in the World so keep out of the world's spirit I intreat you all and live as Fools to it and all its wayes fashions customs for in the light of the Lord I see a great Snare there at this day and too many that make Profession of Truth are like to be split upon that Rock So dear Friends live loose to the world and all the glories of it and seek to be wise in that which is not of this world that you may be loved of God and so dwell in that which can bear the revilings and reproaches of this world and the contradiction of sinners as our Lord Jesus Christ hath left us an Example So beware of looking back to Egypt's Glory again to see any heauty or comliness in that dark Land for from the Lord I see a Temptation attending God's spiritual Israel in this day as surely as ever it attended Israel after the Flesh and many are too prone to desire the pleasures of Egypt again though the best of them be bondage as many to their Sorrow have found yea too many there be that cannot bear tryals and reproaches and the way of the Cross and self-denyal but think it long and wearisom and hard as they did in the dayes of old and so are too ready to murmur and repine and lust in their hearts after this World 's glory again and joyn to its fashions and customs again and so set up Idols again as they did whose Carcases fell in tho wilderness with whom the Lord was displeased So beware of letting in that spirit of destrust unbelief and rebellion against God and his pure Witness in your Consciences and beware of building that which was once destroyed or licking up that which was once vomited or entertaining of that which was once cast out or owning that which was once denyed either in words in works in behaviour in apparel in doctrine or faith hath Truth in you condemned for all idle vain prophane wicked unfound and unfavoury words and brought you into a Form of needful true and sound words keep to it still hath Truth condemned all idle proud prophane wicked and ungodly Actions and all empty airy foolish wanton lustful proud self-willed and Men-pleasing behaviours and brought you into moderation gravity plainness reallity and Truth in Life and Conversation keep to it still hath Truth condemned for decking and adorning the Body with vain superfluous proud needless worldly eye-taking Toyes in Apparel and led you into plain profitable decent needful things keep to it still and fashion not your selves like unto the World nor learn any of their manners nor of the breeding of that Egyptian-Spirit which keeps the Seed in bondage and oppressed the just in the particular and in the general so from the Lord I advise you all and