in them when he gave them this commandement nor was Christ yet appeared to those believers among whom the Apostles continued it That to eat of his body is to discern his body to be the body of all creatures and to fill all htings How is the Gospel-mystery become a doctrine of bare morality with this people to see God in all things to discern him as the body and vertue of every creature and to use all things in moderation what is this more then the purer principles and practises of Pagan divinity is this all the effect all the end of the blood of Christ He that appointed this Supper said drink ye all of it for this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Christ as he gave his flesh for the life of the world that is as he abolished death and brought forth life to light therein for us so he is the true spiritual passeover which was sacrificed for us so his death is a mystery whosoever can look therein may see the first Adam with all his deeds the world with all its works all old things done away therein traditions of men and rudiments of the world shews of wisedom wil-worship and humility were tares the Lord foresaw would spring up in the Churches from the root of reason and the Law that they might avoid the same he ordained the Supper for a rudiment to all that should have need thereof to be as a figure of his death and therein of the crucifying of flesh with all the glory and workes thereof Wherefore eating the flesh of Christ is to be esteemed neither as any naturall thing as the Jews did nor as any moral thing as this deluded people doe but a divine and heavenly mysterie that is to believe and rejoyce in Christ crucified as made the remission of sinnes the destruction of death the grace and the end of this world and all evils therein unto us likewise the discerning the Lord's body therein is not a bare speculation of Christ or the divinity as filling all things for the natural man by that of God in him may know so much to discerne together with his dead body our sins our old man the Law and all perfection whither by nature morality or the Law to be already dead buried and abolished in his grave and our selves raised up into the life liberty and righteousness of Christ in him this is the use of eating the Lord's body if any be become so vain in imagination as to think it is no more then the exercise of temperance and moderation to be performed by us let us know that it is the blood of the New Testament for remission of sins That Christ comming in the creature governing it himselfe so reconciles it to God is true indeed according to reason the Law and this people but in the person of Christ through death did God reconcile the World to himself Christ revealed in a man is not that he may reconcile but being reconciled that he may bring him to himself But canst thou poore sorry sinfull man beare in thy body the justice of the Law the punishment of thy sinnes the shedding of thy blood and raise up thy self again and through thy obedience come forth out of all thy sins before the majesty of God in that perfect and spotless righteousness that he shall see no sin in thee and if thou sayest Christ in thee can do all this I answer if thou believest not God hath already reconciled thee to himselfe by the death of his Sonne that spirit that thou thinkest doth reconcile in thee will be found most wicked and provoking delusion except Christ died in vain That Christ's Disciples were not changed nor he born in them when he appointed this Supper and that Christ had not appeared to the Believers with whom the Apostles continued it are both contrary to truth they were clean every whit through the word he had spoken or as in him and their bodies the Temple of the holy Ghost though they were as yet carnall and ignorant of the more spirituall truths so the Church of Christ is pure and beautifull as in him whilst fleshly and weake in many things as in themselves rejoyce in Christ as your liberty in whom you are made free let him dwell in you crucifying your flesh and manifesting his life wait for his great and last appearance to reign over all of which day it shall not need to be said lo here lo there but as lightning from East to West it shall beare witness of it self in and over the whole creation Concerning Redemption He saith that redemption is not of sinners that take delight in sin but of the light within that is it which wants redemption and of thâ—… it is said he took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham That this light or seed as it is raised to reign in us above all so it is redeemed and so is the creature made free from the law of sin and no redemption while this is in prison and not brought above all our lusts How hath the blackness and darknesse of mount Sinai covered the heart of this man how are the abounding riches of grace the fulnesse of the Mediator and the power of his Crosse resolved at once into the light or Law written in the heart of every man but the spirit of faith saith otherwise Man formed to be a living Image of the glory of God but fallen short of his glory separate from the life of God in spirit soul and body fallen into darknesse death and the curse this was it that wanted redemption that was redeemed in Christ scarcely for a righteous man would one die yet paradventure for a good man some would dare to die Rom. 5. to give ones life to save a righteous man the heart and love of man may be enlarged to that but herein divine love appeared beyond all number measure or the heart of man in that whilst yet sinners we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son and raised up together into heavenly places before we either knew desired or sought after the same but is the light or seed or Christ under the Law sin or curse or needs he to be redeemed or saved from these the children are pertakers of flesh and blood therefore Christ pertook of flesh and bringing his divine nature thereinto he crucified and abolished our sins and death out of it and so presented us to God a sanctified cleansed and perfected people in himself before we did obey or believe or were therefore let us say with joy in the Lord we have righteousness and strength in the Lord are we justified and do glory To what he saith as the light within is raised and reigns so is both it and the creature redeemed and no more the Law of commandments hath dominion over the flesh as long as it lives a greater Law came forth
and a crucified Jesus may stand for a little aside among all the doctrines either named or professed this day among men for shews of light spirituality and holiness I know none to be compared with this yet if I much mistake not the glorious and eternal efficacy victory and triumph of the Son of God upon the Cross over the whole world and all things against us is by none so much obscured and debased as by this of which I think it meet at best in this place to say onely this that if the sins transgressions and evils of mankind were so great before God that all the wood of Lebanon all the Rams of Nebaioth ten thousand rivers of oyle and the first born of our body were not sufficient to offer for the sin of our soul that the bloud of Jesus and in him the eternal wisdom and righteousness of God was found onely among all things in heaven and earth to be sufficient to take away the same then let all high thoughts come down whereby any do or shall exalt themselves into an equal capacity with Christ Jesus of drinking that cup and being baptised with that baptisme in the measure and manner as he did in hope to make that attonement for their own sins which onely could be made once by Christ never to be renewed more wherefore coming to God through the bloud of Jesus beholding the glory of God in the safe of Christ and communion with God in the Spirit of Christ this is the true inward Life but he that enters in any other way may break through unto the Lord and gaze but he shall perish A twofold departure from the faith in the last dayes what the first is NOw the things hitherto spoken off give occasion to admonish you of a twofold departure that should come to pass in the last dayes the one of men holding the form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim 3 the other of men denying the form of godliness or of the words of faith and good doctrine but pretending to the power thereof 1 Tim. 4.1 2 6. seducing spirits worldly interests mingling themselves with the Gospel and Church of Christ have in every Age since the Apostles fell asleep been as the two Armes of the God of this world with the one he has defaced and vailed the image and glory of Christ in Gospel-truths with the other he has quenched the love of Christ and the power of godliness in the hearts of men The one of these defections is to be seen at this day in this our Nation in degrees of wickedness beyond what has happened in former generations namely in the Army their Leader and Commanders their Court and Clergy with all their stupified admirers and servants who have sometimes been as the sword of the Lord as the Chariot of fire wherein our Lord Jesus has ridden forth against the interests of usurpation and tyranny and against his and his peoples enemies in this Nation this was their ministry the eyes of their understandings enlightened with beams from the face of Christ their hearts as burning coals consuming them with zeal to Christ their hands stretched up towards heaven to receive him coming their feet with wings setting them up upon the Head of all worldly and lower interests to prepare the way of the Lord this was their spirit and posture against the whole kingdom of Anti-christ both in its forms and powers either in the civil or spiritual state went forth their prayers professions and undertakings the sound whereof went abroad almost through all the earth from off them is this Spirit of glory and vertue departed and in the place thereof it entered another spirit feirce ruling the people by laws and weapons of warre instead of pure spiritual righteousness and meekness without natural affection peircing the hearts with unkindness and the sides with sufferings of them who have been as a Mother that bore and nourished them with their own bloud life and spirit all the dayes of their youth while they were little in their own and despised in the worlds eyes blasphemers thinking speaking and measuring evil to that spirit of faith light and expectation in others which they had tasted and testified of formerly in themselves traytors betraying that Right and liberty the price of much precious bloud the succouring and defence whereof was committed to their trust unto the will and pleasure of unlimited Monarchy heady proud high minded imposing laws constitutions powers forming transforming all things in the spiritual and civil interests in a way of superiority and mastership above and apart from others without taking in the hopeful assistances of more light by the conjunction of the counsels hearts and hands of their sometimes dear brethren unto themselves as if the Spirit of the Lord came forth onely from them or came onely into them incontinent not behaving themselves towards the wife of their youth the new Jerusalem to which they are joyned as one flesh and one spirit but have poured out themselves upon every one that passeth by unholy and prophane defiling their holy things the appearances and gifts of Christ the buddings beginnings and earnests of a more excellent way both in Church and State by mingling them with a strange seed the dark and fleshly principles policies and administrations of worldly Reason and Prudence despisers of those that are good casting contempt upon those Principles and Persons which were a cheering and strengthening to them in the day of their streights refusing the one as not squaring to their greatness and imprisoning or shaking hands with the other as too sullen or noble to be vassals thereto Lastly lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God careless Daughters at ease in Zion who are gone up to their fathers bed and have bestowed the ornaments the Lord put upon them for the dressing up the old Harlot again which though themselves had been teaching before yet fell in love with her after above measure to wit greatness and glory in the flesh while Christ stands without door as crucified and forgotten so that they having lost their savour from them hath proceeded sourness upon the spirits and filthiness upon the actions of many others who had a savour before their fall being not alone but thereat as it were the heavens were removed and the starrs therein darkened Righteousness and Truth being as the Heavens over our Land and many excellent spirits as lights and starrs to men are also darkened and fallen together with them this first departure is a sorrow but the other adds thereto Second departure from the Faith what it is NOt many years since Jesus Christ began to shine forth in clearer principles and doctrines of light and grace justification and faith whereby the darkness and bondage of the Law with the Teachers thereof passed away and liberty and peace in him brake forth severe descriptions preachings of Christ as a Law-giver Judge which were as the vail upon
again is to bring Christ down from above and up again from the dead to raise up Moses out of his Sepulcher which no man knows to this day with his ministration of death and to make the bloud of Christ a common thing or as the bloud of another Man consider this and fear ye people of whom I speak To conclude this first principle with one other note the Person of Christ and Redemption in him is vailed and denied by two sorts of men legal Teachers of the Gospel and mystical Teachers of the Law they differ herein the first set forth Christ in words of mans wisdom conditions of law and as onely in the flesh without not discerning him spiritually the other speak of him in more spiritual words and deep speculations but onely as redeeming within us in spirit not discerning nor beleiving the Glory of that Redemption without us in his Person they agree in this by both Christ is known onely after the flesh by the one onely as in the form of a Man or Person without by the other as a Redeemer onely within that is as not having finished already Redemption on earth nor as being Head over all things in the Father wherefore to know Christ as having aleady redeemed by his bloud without and as the incomprehensible fulness of Spirit and life above all through all and within all his people this is the true the safe the blessed knowledge of Christ and by this the first of their Principles above named is weighed and reproved of errour How Faith is the evidence of things not seen COncerning Faith it is the evidence of things not seen heavenly things were in God from everlasting by way of purpose yet unseen unsearchable by any eye in fulness of time they were manifested in the Person of Christ as by him perfected and wrought at once yet seen and discerned onely by faith according to the measures of Grace they are shed forth by the Spirit from him upon all the members and manifest to our sense all things of the first Creation were made by Christ all things pertaining to the second are ceased in him thus Redemption is first entire in him afterwards in measures revealed in his a work once perfected for ever in him not to be done by peices in us and so it is in being and finished already but hid with Christ in God Now upon these heavenly things there is a vail whereby they are hid the law in the conscience Reason and sense in the flesh and there is an evidence whereby they are seen that is Faith unto such as are under this vail nothing is seen nor heard but the Commandments to work and the sentences of death where work is not the Law in the letter and deeds in the flesh as the face of the covering spread upon the heart that Christ cannot be seen the highest divinity of men in this state is this Perfection by obedience to the letter without or at the best to the Spirit within Christ as a Law-giver in their Conscience and a worker of it in their Persons not as a Saviour having once fulfilled it for them in himself what of God is felt and wrought in themselves that they beleive and by that Rule they judge while the unspeakable righteousness operation and life hid in Christ and with him reserved in God with the faith liberty joy and peace thereof is hid from their eyes such is the vail and the people thereof But where Faith is come the vail is done away the earthly man with his deeds and death his hopes and fears and all things belonging to him are seen to be abolished and overcome by the everlasting righteousness and Spirit of Life that is in Christ even as the night is overcome by the day and this is to be understood to be true in him a Covenant in him ordered in all things and sure to us not alwayes perceived in feeling to our earthly members yet seen and fulfilled in the inward man through faith It is said 2 Corinth 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Faith and sight are to be understood either as they are perfecting each other or as by men divided and made contrary one to the other sight of God has a glory and sweetness faith in him though not so seen has a certainty and evidence faith beholds things as true in Christ though hid to sense and feeling sight knows them onely as shining or flaming forth upon the heart visions and revelations bring joy and comfort but they are things that go and come and the breathings of the Spirit may blow when they list but when these streams are withheld and as passed away yet he ever lives and we also in him God spake in times past with the Fathers and Prophets by visions to sense he speaks in these last times in his Son to faith visions by figure as those were they were but given at times and passed away the face of Jesus Christ beheld by faith is the constant and standing vision now under the Gospel spiritual influences and actings do yeild some reflection and vision of God but as a Man sees his face in a troubled water broken and changeable but the face of Christ as the Christal and still waters presents God alwayes in his clear and blessed Image as full of Grace and Truth they who put spiritual workings for the Grace that is in Christ and a sense of the spirit for faith in him they do under a pretence of Spirit destroy Christ Jesus they take away that Gospel which presents us in him before any work done our perfection our Sabbath our Rest and leads us to work again for perfection by obedience to the Light within that is by the Law Concerning Faith and Sight FAith and sight the Gospel-Christian is for both in their season and place all other Religions have divided them and erred as it is very observable that sight being alone that is sight of the Godhead without faith in Christ has been is the foundation of all false fancied and Idolatrous worships that are named fight of the deity by the things that are made is the highest Religion of Philosophers and Pagans sight of God by the Golden Calfe by the Idols of gld and silver was the idolatry of Israel in the wilderness and Canaan Conceiving the things of the Spirit of God by the sight and judgement of natural Reason is the foundation of Arminians a Sect of Morality and of Socinians a Sect of subtilty a Kingdom with observation and fair shews in the flesh to the sight without was the Religion of Pharisees and legal Gospellers some are of a weaker spirit their Religion is about things of sight touch not taste not some are of stronger heads such are for divinations of the brain things seen to Reason babes in Christ are for enlightnings and tasts and gifts things of sight to the inward sense and they that would seem to be the highest are
he had power to be the Sonne of God and Ruler over all the creatures this was the state of the first man that mans departing out of Gods own wisdom and power or spirit put into him and joyning to another the disobedience entred in Gods own wisdom and spirit remaining yet in him but as a Captive this was his fall that by looking and turning not to any thing without but to that of God lying under and covered within him the same makes attonement in him and reconciles unto God through his yielding up himselfe thereunto which is the blood of the Crosse this is his Redemption The account of truth is that the first man Adam was made a living soul 1 Cor. 15. had a beam of light power glory of God as to that appearance of him to the first creation yet still but a living soul not a quickning spirit as to his outward part earthly not heavenly created of earth and feeding upon things created as to his inward naturall not spirituall that is having in him the perfection and beauty of a created wisdom and power not the eternall wisdom and power a candle of light not the Sunne or fountain of light it self by that in him he saw the Godhead as Light righteousness and power but as giving a law and a sentence of death thus God appeared and appeares to the first creation he saw him not as his light righteousness and power by himself fulfilling the law and abolishing death this appearance as then lay hid in God reserved to be brought forth in the second creation thus was man in his first estate That by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Adam was so one that he was many in one as the root before the branches is one yet many as a root departing from the commandement and therein from God he disobeyed and died yet not as alone but we all in his loynes the root being unholy so were the branches all flesh was defiled in him that was the father of all flesh his sinne and death like a flood having overflown himself and all the earth with a curse This was his fall and all ours in him That by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ was One as to person yet many in One in a mysterie so his obedience was not the righteousnesse of one but of all in him not by looking back and returning to the first Adam made a living soule or the glory of the Godhead shining forth upon him but by looking out of every thing in man to the second Adam made a quickning spirit and the grace of God shining forth in him through the blood of his crosse we are redeemed and that not unto the righteousness of the first but of the second Adam thus Christ crucified was that wisdom hid in God before the world unto our glory not known by the naturall or first man neither before nor after his fall if there be that in the naturall man which being turned into and followed can redeem and make atonement for him as this man sayes then the blood of Christ is of no more effect but do this and live Concerning Light and Life He saith that the light shining in every man is Christ the true light and life of men That the going out of this Light is the cause of all false Religions Sects and errors that redemption out of all these out of sinne and death is by the Light within all men as minded and obeyed that a righteousnesse done as far as India and preached as far as Corinth where the same is not done in us is the profession of Pharisees hypocrites Faith saies that God manifest in the flesh and his glory shining forth in the man Jesus vanquishing and doing away the ministration of the law sin and death for us by his own righteousness and life as excelling in glory this is the Christ and light of men the word made flesh as the Mediatour having purged away our sins by himself so he is light unto us the same word as the spirit of revelation in us so he is light within us so he is not light in every man That where faith in the blood of the Mediator is not there is darkness the mother of Errors and all false Religions every of which are more or less bottomed upon the Law in the Conscience that is the light within righteousness by obedience or work being the Root of all they only differ in the Rule some are for Moses others for the Alchoran others for Holy Church these for the Light within That the righteousness done in India and Preached at Corinth is the light that scatters the Redemption that leads out of all erring Religions from sin and death and that the Righteousness as far as India a term of dishonour by them put upon it is to the true spiritual believer not confined in the Land of India but according to the Divine Person in whom it is is extended unto and upon all that believe as a garment spread upon them for the covering of sins a fountain of life within them for the washing away sin Concerning Righteousness The sum of their faith is that the imputed righteousness that justifies is the Light within or that of God in every man which is the free gift that Saints are justified with this righteousness by obedience to it so much we work or obey so much justified and no further That the righteousness that is made a covering for sin is an invention of men and will not stand in the last day Nothing said of Christ manifest in flesh or his crucified body and righteousness that way The Gospel-faith said that the Righteousness that justifies is Christ not as God alone nor as Man alone but as God-man in one who being made sin for us did most graciously and gloriously upon the Cross abolish and overwhelm sin condemnation and the Curse laid upon his flesh by that Omnipotent righteousness life and blessing that was in his God head That not by the works of God in us but by the work of God in Christ with the brightness of his glory purging away our sin in himself are we justified without works only through faith Redemption is a work wholly and entirely in the Person of Christ as Head revealed and given unto us through faith and confessed and manifested by works by once offering of his body he hath perfected for ever all that are his he that truly believes this is perfectly purged and there is no more Conscience of sin though yet the feeling of sin by this faith is the creature made perfect in righteousness at once as in Christ by the Light within he is not made perfect till obedience be perfected judge whither Doctrine leads to perfection That the righteousness of Christ as a covering upon sin presenting the believer in him as righteous to God while ungodly and in sins as to his own sense is a mystery of God that
labours stripes prisons in weariness painfulness watchings often in hunger thirst cold and nakedness and yet hath not that which is above all these the heavenly and glorious righteousness in Christ by faith let such know their glorying is but in the flesh and shall not profit before the Lord. Concerning ministrations and following God out of one into another it may be said that the Law Prophets and John were ministrations typing and testifying of things in the heavens to come and so were done away Christ was the substance of heavenly things themselves and so his ministration remains to this day as that of the letter was perfected and given at once by one man at mount Sinai yet to be continued till he came who was the end thereof so this ministration of righteousness and spirit was perfected and given at once by one man Christ on the Cross yet to stand in force by divers measures and manifestations of spirit and truth to be revealed and brought to light till he comes again and takes his people unto himself now of the diverse manifestations of spirit some are true some deceiveable for discerning of which we have a good rule 1 Cor. 12.4.5 now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and differences of administration but the same Lord administrations of light truth though diverse as to the measure and manner of the gifts yet if agreeing in one Christ are all good and useful in their seasons to follow God into the purest and best is a glory upon them that do it to be left behind may be weakness in them that are Christ's but is wickedness in the world On the other hand those pretended Ministries or Angels of light whatsoever that do teach another Jesus another spirit another faith that is redemption by obedience to the light in every man such are not of God and to call that a ministration of spirit and life is no more true then to call the Law so the light in every man and the Law in the letter being the same if any shall leave Christ crucified as but a figure of redemption and shall follow the light in the conscience as the substance thereof let him know out of Christ crucified is no more sacrifice for sin nor will God be found but as consuming fire If any shall think that redemption without by the blood of Christ is done away when that by the light within is perfected to such I say till mortality be swallowed up of life and the body now dead because of sin be thereby freed from all corruption until then I judge both Christ crucified for us and the faith therein will be of necessary and blessed use To what he saith of persecution this may be said they that followed after the spirit and teachings thereof were indeed alwaies persecuted by the children of the flesh and letter but they that sought righteousness by the Law and the principles thereof in the conscience were those children of the flesh by whom the blood of them that were after the spirit hath been shed in every Age was not the blood of Saints formerly in England France and Germany shed for bearing testimony to the righteousness of faith alone without works Concerning the Baptism of Christ from that the world so calls His profession herein is that the Baptism of Christ is I understand the light within all men by which a man being baptised into his death buried with him unto the world its waies and worships loves and friendships so he is baptised with the Batism of Christ That Baptisms of water as now are carnal in the world about which all are divided and contending that are in them being gone out into the world The Baptism of Christ is that in Christ wherewith he was baptised in his own person not for himself but for us and we in him as in our head that is when together with his own body through death he put off our old man and all the sins of our flesh at once in himself by whose baptism our sins death our flesh and all this world were really yet in a mystery dead and buried with him and as by an overflowing River washed clean away by himself before either the faith or power thereof was known or wrought in us this baptism is a mystery unknown to all Law-workers whatsoever whither the more mystical or literal sort of them who know no higher baptism then by deeds of holiness in obedience to a light within or letter without also to the masters of reason who know no other baptism then by refined principles and exercises of morality this is the baptism of justification and sanctification in the head wherewith we were washed sanctified and justified in him even before we were the same being revealed in us by faith sprinkles from our hearts an evil conscience and then the spirit of him dwelling in our mortall flesh washeth our bodies with pure water thus the baptism of Christ is one first in him perfected for us afterwards in measures revealed in us Whereas he concludes only baptisms of water to be carnal washings I say both baptisms of water in what form soever without the spirit are carnal and also all baptisms by what name soever particularly that of retirement out of all things into the light in every man where that Baptism in the head by the offering up of his body once for all is denied will be found to be but carnal that is serving to the washing off the filth of the flesh only take away that baptism in the head wherein the first Adam with his disobedience and death was crucified and purged away and all other baptisms whither by reformations within or fair shews without whither by the Law letter water or whatsoever will be found equally carnal equally insufficient to present the sinner holy and without spot to God His judgement against all indifferent baptisms that they are gone out into the world savours of a spirit as divided and carnal as they can be whom he judgeth so are they carnal that judge and contend for one form against another and are not they as carnal that judge and contend against all forms because not in their form of doctrine and posture and way when Christ shall sit as Judge as there shall be no advantage to them that are in one form more then another so neither to them that are gone out of all professed forms but to be found in him who is the head is more then all Concerning the Lords Supper These things are said the true end of the Supper is moderation to keep men from excess and lust in eating aad drinking that to do it in remembrance of his death till he comes is to eat in fear without lust till he comes to govern in the the creature himself to keep out of lust in all and this is the restoring and reconciling to God the creation by Christ That Christ's Disciples were not changed nor he born