Spirit of Grace they in him and he in them made perfect in one to them Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Allelujah In the Year 1656 feeling the Birth of God in me by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven Which Spirit of Light begot Christ Jesus the New Man in me by whom I obtained Reconciliation and Peace with God and good will towards all his Creation Which Spirit of Love moved in me in the Year 1666 to send Thirty pounds to be distributed amongst the Poor of the Episcopal Protestant Church as a sign of my dear love and good will to them Not as Judas that betrayed his Master into the hands of Sinners for thirty pieces of Silver but as from one that witnessed the Resurrection of Christ who had bin dead in Trespasses and Sins whose Soul was raised out of the Grave of Sin and Death wherein it had long lain Thus by the Incarnation or Indwelling of the Life of Christ Jesus in my mortal Flesh I came to inherit Life Eternal by and through him that is the Regeneration the Resurrection and the Life Allelujah By which Spirit of Grace I came to see what St. Peter saw that of all Religions Those that feared God and acted Righteously towards Man are accepted with him as it is written Acts 10.34 35. Mat. 16.17 Through which Grace I came to understand the great Love of God to the World that in all Ages and Times he hath given and sent his only begotten Son his Spirit of Light and Grace into the World his Everlasting Covenant of Light and Life wherewith he doth enlighten every one Jew and Gentile that comes into the World that so all Men might be saved by believing in him and by following of him that is the Way the Truth and the Life of God who is God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth as you may read Isa 42.6 49.6 Deut. 38.11 to 15. Jer. 31.31 to 35. with Rom. 10.6 7 8 9. Heb. 8.8 c. 2 Cor. 4.4 6. By which Spirit of Light Life and Truth in the Inward Parts the Word in the Heart moving on the face of my Deep and shining on my Tabernacle which God pitched in me I say I in the same Light found freedom to look into all manner of Opinions and Religions even in that Light which shewed me Good from Evil Right from Wrong and Truth from Error In which Spirit of Light I read many Books writ by Episcopal Protestants viz. something of Bishop Andrews Bishop Hall but most of Dr. Jeremy Taylors Dr. Hammonds Dr. Stillingfleets Dr. Tillotsons with divers others of like kind Which Books I read with delight having unity with them feeling the Spirit of Love to Truth and Righteousness to be their Dictator which Spirit of Grace taught them to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World which made them honourable in this World and glorious in the World to come Allelujah In reading of which Books I took notice of many worthy and true Sayings viz. Dr. Jeremy Taylor in his Great Exampler saith That Christ Jesus is our Example in his Birth Life and Death Also what I have read in Ancient Fathers that Disputes amongst Christians is the scab of the Church and destroys Charity which only edifies That God's Will and Commandments are made known in all Mens Spirits that they may do them The Word Incarnate is God's Preacher to all the World That Christian Religion is nothing else but a Restorer of the perfect Law of Nature for God gave Man at first a reasonable intelligible Nature both to love and serve him That Man 's Original Sin was to leave God the Good and go to the Creature the Evil. Man may keep or break the Law of Nature so sin against God his Neighbour and Himself Well-being is when right Reason and the Law of Nature is satisfied and evil Doing is to transgress the Law of Nature or right Reason this brings guilt of Conscience and torments And in this Obedience to the Law of Nature consists Heaven and in Disobedience Hell Christian Religion is to worship God in Spirit and in Truth and so to serve our Neighbour Revelation is both Natural and Reasonable so is Self-denial Death and Martyrdom to those that have an Ear to hear the Spirit 's Reason Self-denial is but confining the Appetite within the Limits of Nature The Philosophers were commended of old for preserving Reason and Religion in Practice before the School-men that fight about Opions Jesus his Life was sweet and affable and for our Example to Life Eternal Christ who dwells within the limits of Love gives us boldness with God and not fear In Christ are two Natures the Body but the upper Garment of the Soul his Soul was of the same Nature and Substance with ours in this inferior to the Angels One Grace succeeds another well prest and sometimes running over till we come to the fulness and stature of Christ Jesus even filled with the Spirit which hath no measure but is Infinite and Eternal God crowns and accepts his Grace in all Sects even the most Heathenish and accepts that when in Conscience they worship Idols Original Sin or one Sin committed makes us more apt for another so we have no cause to charge Adam but our selves only every one of us is the Adam the Man of Sin Obedience unites to God and conforms to his Will the which sanctifies Isaac offered is our Heart and Will offered up to God which he accepts Nothing so able to do Miracles as Love nor so certainly acceptable All exteriour Acts of Religion to be guided by our Superior that is by God only for no Man in Religion is Superior No act of Corporal Austerity or External Religion acceptable to God unless commanded by him The first Baptism Appearance or Resurrection of Christ is to kill Sin or to put off Sin The second Resurrection is to put on Christ the New Man and to walk in him God requires no more of Man than to receive and entertain his Grace that appears to every Man Though the Son of Man hath no where to hide his Head yet many Houses to convey his Grace Grace works Miracles in Saints as in Christ When Faith and Charity meet then Christians indeed and in Truth all else false and Antichristians God's House is the sanctified Heart where he dwells and is a House of Prayer for all Nations Every graceless wicked Man is a Devil No Sin hath Guilt but when a Man hath Understanding and Abilities to do better By the help of the Spirit it is possible to please God in all things One may die for Christ's Name that will not love his Nature nor quit one evil Lust for him this is false Martyrdom The law of Love in our Spirits
is the Rule of a Christian not an outward literal Command as the Jews had To exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees is to be clean within as in outward Acts. Jews and Turks better than Christians who transgress Christ's Law when they will not Moses's nor Mahomets The clean Soul of a Christian is the House of God and so the House of Prayer whose Body is his Temple Disciples did greater Miracles than Jesus when Christ was risen in them Every Man living in the state of Grace is a perpetual Miracle so our Water is turned into Wine Christ's Father and Mother are not Carnal but Spiritual Adam's Sin nor our natural Infirmities not imputed to us neither are our actual and malicious Sins our Infirmities Vertue conduces infinitely to the length and content of our Lives and Vice the contrary 'T is a vast Sum that will pay the Debt of Intemperance and Lust Though most deny Scripture to be an Allegory yet all Men in most things use it so and it is then rightly used when by Inspiration we see the Heavenly through the Earthly and the Spiritual through the Carnal I also lately read a worthy Treatise writ by Mr. Edw. Fowler of North-hill in Bedfordshire printed Anno 1671 holding forth the Principles of certain Moderate Divines of the Church of England in which they declare That the design of Christianity is to work real inward Righteousness and that love to God and Goodness is the highest Principle and that true Righteousness is the New Creature in us And that John the Baptist Christ's Forerunner's Work was to preach Repentance and to cleanse and purify the Heart and Soul Mal. 3.1 3 4. Acts 10.35 Dan. 9.24 that Christ may enter in and bring forth everlasting Righteousness I have likewise read a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London by Mr. John Sharp upon 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable c. wherein he most excellently sets forth the happiness and profitableness of a vertuous Religious Life even in the straitest Paths of Repentance and putting off the Old Man with his Deeds of Darkness and afterwards to put on the New Man begot by the Word and Spirit of Grace in the Heart God's Covenant of Light to all the World read Deut. 30.6 11 to 15. with Rom. 10.6 8. Jer. 31.31 32 33. with Heb. 8.8 Isa 42.6 49.6 Luke 2.30 31 32. John 1.4 9. 3.16 Rom. 12.3 1 Cor. 12.7 Tit. 2.11 the which teacheth and enableth every one that will receive him to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly and religiously in this present World Which certainly as saith the Preacher is the most profitable happy and blessed Life both for Soul and Body imaginable Likewise I have read a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London by Mr. Joseph Glanvil upon 1 Pet. 1.2 See that ye love one another Wherein are delivered most excellent Truths both Catholick and Apostolick his desire is to unite all Perswasions into this Principle of Love in which Work my Soul hath long travelled In which Discourse he also saith Love is extensive to all Mankind and the more General the more Christian and like God To love for Opinion sake that is self-Love but to love the Principle and Image of God as Christ loves the Poor the Blind and Ignorant though his Enemies is God-like Also that Love is the Image of God pourtray'd and lively drawn on the Regenerate Soul Love is the Bond of Christian Union and when that breaks all goes into Confusion both in Church and State Christ Reigns when all unite in the Principle of Love and a holy Life which will be the fall of Antichrist Vertue and Goodness is to be owned in all Parties and Opinions and if they were practised it would reconcile all Men to each other True Religion is not to fill Heads with Notions and Opinions but to sow in the Mind the Seed of Vertue to direct to govern Passions and to destroy Self-will Christian Love is necessary but agreement in Opinions is neither necessary nor possible In eager and passionate Disputes Charity is always lost and Truth seldom or never found To give evil Names to Dissenters is Persecution Likewise I have read a Discourse concerning the Knowledg of Jesus Christ and of our Union and Communion with him made by Mr. William Sherlock who wrote an Answer to some new opinionated Doctors as he calls them which teach That by being acquainted with the Person of Christ and rouling themselves on him and believing the History of his Life Death and Resurrection that this Faith alone is imputed for Righteousness to them without having any thing that is good wrought in them by Christ or they doing any thing that is good and righteous in themselves That we are saved by Grace though we be disobedient to the Spirit of Grace God's Talent given to every one to profit withal Also they teach That God hath elected some to Salvation and others to Reprobation without regard had to Man's Obedience or Disobedience to the Gospel of Christ Jesus which Gospel is Christ the Word in the Heart as saith Rom. 10.6 7 8. To which and much more of this nature Mr. Sherlock maketh answer That the Person of Christ will never save those whom his Gospel the Word in the Heart and their own Consciences condemn who walk contrary to his Grace the Spirit of Light That Christ's Kingdom is erected by conquering Mens Minds by his Spirit to the Obedience of God such he pardons their sins and raiseth them unto an immortal Life For this end God sent his Son the Word in the beginning into the World to destroy the Works of the Devil to regenerate and redeem Man to the Obedience of Christ the Word And that nothing avails with God but the New Creature which is Christ in the Saints that came to be our Example and Guide to Heaven as well as our Mediator and Advocate and therefore we must imitate his Life if we would enjoy the benefit of his Death and Intercession God in the first Creation designed all Men for happiness and certainly in the second Creation he would have all Men saved and come to the Knowledg of Christ the Truth the Word in the Heart by yielding Obedience to Christ his Gospel and Spirit of Grace That nothing can be the happiness of a reasonable Creature but conformity to the Divine Nature That the great Mystery of the Recovery of Mankind out of the Fall consists only in repairing the Divine Image As in the first Creation we were made after God's Image so in the second we are renewed in the Spirit of our Minds after his Image which by Disobedience we lost and is recovered no other way than by obedience True expressions of Love to Christ is Obedience to his Laws writ in the Heart And that the Soul and Mind of a good Man or regenerate Man is the Palace or Temple of God That
the Kingdom of Heaven Which Holy Spirit wrought so mightily as to beget the New Man Christ Jesus in me by whom I had peace with God and good will to all his Creation Which Spirit of Love moved me to send Thirty Pounds to be distributed amongst the Poor of the Roman-Catholick Church as a sign of my Love and good Will to them which I understood you received in the same Spirit of loving-kindness I sent it Not as Judas that betrayed his Master into the hands of Sinners for Thirty pieces of Silver but from one that witnesseth the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead whom by my sins I had formerly crucified and put to open shame but having repented and amended my former bad Life by help of his Holy Spirit of Grace Christ in me I came to see that those of all Religions that feared God and acted righteously towards Men were accepted of him and dearly beloved by me in which Spirit of Love the Ground and Pillar of Truth the End of the Law and Bond of Perfection I found freedom in my self to look into all sorts of Religions and knowing the Rock Christ Jesus on whom all the Holy Men of God are built and having a discerning by God's Grace between the Precious and the Vile between him that serveth God in the Spirit of Truth and him that only pretendeth to serve him but with a false Spirit in which Spirit of God I saw the difference between the true Church of God and that which is the false Church In this Understanding I did read many Books written and allowed by the Roman Church viz. The Bible translated out of the Vulgar Latin by St. Jerom the Old Testament Printed in two Tomes by the English-College at Doway and the New Testament printed at Rhemes and have weighed and considered the Reasons St. Jerome gives for translating it out of the Vulgar Latin rather than out of the Hebrew and Greek which were much corrupted as he saith by Jews and Hereticks c. And having purged the Latin Version from Faults committed by Writers c. laying aside all other Latin Editions which St. Jerome saith were in his time almost innumerable which Translation out of Vulgar Latin though in many things defective yet in some I find better to agree with the Truth than that translated into English out of the Hebrew and Greek As for Instance The Vulgar Latin translates Isa 12.3 You shall draw Water in joy out of the Saviour's Fountains The other You shall draw Waters out of the Wells of Salvation Psal 38.6 the Vulgar Latin saith Doubtless all things are Vanity The other Psal 39.5 saith Verily every Man at his best estate is altogether vanity which seems not to be true for the Regenerate Man which is born of the Spirit and hath Christ the New Man in him is not altogether Vanity for Christ is the Eternal and only begotten Son of God full of Grace and full of Truth Allelujah John 1.14 the Vulgar Latin saith The Word was made Flesh and dwelt IN us The other The Word was made Flesh and dwelt AMONGST us Which Translation I apprehend was to gratify those that deny Christ come in the Flesh of the Sanctified and so exalt the Flesh of Jesus equal to or above the Spirit which dwelleth in all true Believers Allelujah 1 Pet. 1.13 the Vulgar saith Trust perfectly in the Grace which is offered you in the Revelation of Jesus Christ The other Hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ This I also apprehend was to gratify those that say Revelation is ceased and also deny Revelation to continue in the Church of Christ to the end of the World which is contrary to Scripture and the Saints experience Read Mat. 11.27 Gal. 1.16 1 Cor. 2.10 Mat. 28.10 Romans 16.26 the Vulgar Latin saith To the obedience of Faith in all Gentiles The other saith Made known to all Nations This I suppose is also to gratify those that deny Christ the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World whom to obey is Eternal Life and Salvation both to Jew and Gentile Allelujah Heb. 1.1 The Latin saith God spake to the Fathers in the Prophets and last of all spake to us IN his Son The other saith God spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets and hath in the last days spoken to us BY his Son Which Translation is to set up Man the Letter to be our Teacher and to lay aside Christ the Word in the Heart the Saints only Teacher Heb. 12.15 The Latin saith Lest any Man be wanting to the Grace of God The other Lest any Man fail of the Grace of God Which seems to deny that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation and hath appeared to and in every Man to be sufficient to Salvation And in the Margent the Latin saith on that Text If we be not good there is no lack on God's part who offereth his Grace freely to all the defect is in our selves that answer not God's calling by his Grace Which I take to be sound Orthodox Doctrine Jude 14. The Vulgar Latin hath it Our Lord is come in his holy Thousands that numberless number which no Man can number The other saith The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints Which doubtless is to countenance a carnal personal appearance of Christ at his second coming who as he went a Cloud received him out of their sight even so in the like manner shall he return in a Cloud of Witnesses in his holy Thousands Allelujah Zach. 5.10 The Vulgar Latin hath it And I said to the Angel that spake in me The other I spake to the Angel that talked with me Which later Translation most assuredly was to gratify them that deny Christ God's Angel to come in the Flesh of the Sanctified Allelujah 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The Latin hath it Who according to his great Mercy hath regenerated us into an Inheritance that cannot fade conserved in the Heavens in you The other saith Reserved in the Heavens for you This likewise I apprehend is to gratify that Spirit which denies Christ to be in the Saints and Heaven to be there where Christ is which Spirit I take to be the Spirit of Antichrist I have likewise read and considered the Arguments Annotations Tables and other helps for the better understanding of the Text which I find in Divine things both useful and profitable As for Example Annotation before the Psalms saith That the whole Sacred Bible is a sealed Book and not rightly understood till the Seals be opened by the Key of God's Spirit And you say on Gal. 4.24 The Scriptures besides the literal Sense have a more deep spiritual and allegorical Sense not to be understood but by the same Spirit that writ them And you also say That there is no way to know Canonical Scriptures but by the Church Which is a Truth if you mean the Spirit
meerly Worldly and Carnal hath caused betwixt Prince and Prince And doth not this plainly shew that such a State or Church as hath brought so great a Curse over God's Creation where-ever it hath bin received is not Christ's Church whose Church and Kingdom is not of this World who loved his Enemies and came to save Mens Lives and not to destroy them So by their Fruits all Men may know the True Church from the False the Church of Christ from Antichrist's Church As I am a Priest of God after the Order of Melchisedeck who was of the Order of the Holy Ghost and born of the Spirit without Carnal Father or Carnal Mother I say as I am a Priest of God ordained by having Christ Jesus in me my Priest my Prophet my King I have something from God my Father to the high and mighty Men of the Earth in whose hands the Almighty God hath placed the Rule and Government of things Terrestrial as his Vicegerents in all the Earth to them I humbly make this Request First That they would look up unto him who bestowed on them this great Honour and Glory and acknowledg him God of Gods King of Kings and Lord over all Lords Allelujah Next that they would seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof which having found I most humbly intreat them to adore worship and serve the Lord our God therein and therewith which Worship only stands in the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of Grace given to every one to profit withal which Worship the Omnipotent Lord God will accept and no other Service nor Worship but what proceeds from a pure sincere Heart to the Commands of Christ in Spirit the Word in the Heart And that none may be ignorant what this Kingdom of God is and wherein it doth consist and where it is to be found I most humbly offer and say The Kingdom of God stands not in any outward Observation of Man's prescription but is placed within every Man a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth which Light is called the Word in the Heart Christ the Vnction the Messiah the Anointed of the Lord which God in his great Love to the World hath given to and in every Man a Talent to profit withal that so every Man in it might work out his own Salvation the which as it is received and obeyed giveth power to repent and forsake Sin and leadeth into Truth and Righteousness and thereby we become the Sons of God being led by his Spirit This Talent in Scripture is also called by divers Names viz. The Grace of God which appeareth to and in every one teaching those that love his appearance to deny Vngodliness and worldly Lusts c. It is also called A Measure of the Spirit given to every Man to profit with also Truth in the inward Parts the Word in the Heart Christ the New Birth and New Creature God's Covenant of Light and Life to all the World who is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World and so is God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth the way to God and Godliness that whosoever believeth in him and followeth him faithfully shall have Life Everlasting Allelujah Read Deut. 30.11 c. with Rom. 10.6 c. Isa 42.6 49.6 57.10 54.13 60.3 Jer. 31.3 c. with Heb. 8.8 c. John 1.9 1 Cor. 12.7 Tit. 2.11 And this Light of Life the Kingdom of God within every Man is compared to many things in Scripture He is the Lamb of God not the Pope's Agnus Dei that taketh away the Sins of the World the Lord our Righteousness the Spirit of Truth that leads into all Truth and the one thing only needful is that we hear and obey the Spirit of Truth and our Souls shall live Allelujah This Kingdom of God is likewise compared to a grain of Mustard-Seed sown in the Heart of every Man by God the Seed of Abraham which Seed is Christ the Light of the World also the Kingdom of God is compared to Leaven placed in a Man's Heart sufficient to leaven the whole Lump from the leaven of Malice and Uncharitableness into a lump of Truth and Love to Righteousness which Leaven is the Bread from Heaven which nourisheth the Souls of true Believers into Eternal Life Allelujah Thus you see what the Kingdom of God is where it is to be found and the blessed Effects it produceth in all that receive God's Heavenly Gift and are found walking therein and when ye know and feel this Kingdom of God in the movings thereof to be within you in the next place my most humble request and advice is That you would thenceforth seek the Righteousness thereof and walk in the same all the days of your Life in which you will find Peace with God Joy in your own Spirits and good Will from and to all Men but as you do undervalue this Small Seed the true Light and Spirit of Grace the Gift of God and prefer this present evil World Man's Prescriptions Traditions and Impositions above it then a Woe and a Curse from God to your Souls and Bodies in your Basket and in your Store but walking in the Righteousness of God's Kingdom you will know how to give God his due and to please him in things Spiritual and Temporal If you leave the Conscience of your Subjects to God alone for him to rule and guide which is God's due then will God give to Caesar his due viz. the Hearts of his Subjects to obey their Soveraigns in all things Temporal Natural and Civil then will Unity and Concord spring up Righteousness Peace and Love will kiss each other And then God will give his Blessing bless us in our Bodies and in our Souls in our Basket and in our Store in our Wives and in our Children in what we eat and what we drink and in whatsoever we set our hands unto both Prince and People Rulers and Ruled all blessed and happy and so will all the ends of the Earth fear the Lord our God bless and magnify him for ever Allelujah The Contents hereof I most humbly and heartily recommend to your most holy Father the Pope of Rome and his Clergy as they will answer it at the Day of God's Tribunal that they communicate these Matters to the Emperor and to all other Kings Rulers and Princes over whose Souls God I hope by his blessed Spirit of Grace hath made them Overseers who being born of the Spirit and having Christ Jesus the new Man in you the only begotten Son of God the Father in you go and preach Him to and in all the World a Saviour to all that believe in him and that follow him who is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that comes into the World Yet know that no Man can preach truly to the converting of Souls neither can turn any from