Fathers 31. The like also let every one do towards his brother and one man towards another and that all under the obedience of the Love 32. Do away from you u Esa 59. the middle walls and have love all that love righteousnesse proceed on after it with one accord have no regard to the foolishnesse of the Heathen nor to any such dealings or witnessings as cause Sects dissention or renting nor yet to their teachings and unprofitable devices nor to the witching of their God-services nor to the subtill knowledge of their wisdome For their waies x Jer. 5. are snares and their wisdome y Esa 19.42.58 nets who so hath no regard to the Law of the Lord nor to Abrahams God he shall be bewitched tied or taken and be led away from the requiring of the service of love by them 33. But all ye which turne you to the living God which made heaven and earth fear not the Gods of the Heathen neither regard the nets of the wisdome of the uncircumcised seeing they reject the Lords Word and his Ordinances 34. For the nets of the Heathen are like Spiders webs which do soon rent and fall asunder but the Law or Ordinance of the Lord is stedfast and abideth everlastingly 35. Therefore let the Law of the Lord and his Ordinances be alwayes for a teaching unto you and fear the God of Israel and let his love be still your rejoycing 36. Mark the ground of the Love ye deerly beloved and let your ears of the Spirit that you may hear your eyes of the heart that you may see and your understanding that you may understand be opened or unlocked not only to the outward earthly and corruptible but chiefly to that which is inward spirituall and eternall 37. For behold I do verily witnesse this same distinctly enough unto you to the intent we might all have regard to the upright life inwardly in our hearts a Rom. 8. become spiritually minded and through the grace of the bountifull Godhead serve in the upright life the living God only 38. Let every one b Gal. 6. take heed to his time for if we be already separated with our heart from whoring with stocks and stones as from such Idolatries doubtlesse it is then so much the more expedient inasmuch as such grace is extended on us that we observe our hearts and cogitations and cleanse them from all outward unprofitable things to be made free and unbound therefrom to the intent our hearts abide not bound unto any manner elementish created or worldly matter nor yet unto any kind of appearance of c Col. 2. spirituall or holy things whereby in case our hearts stood bound therein we may be lead a whoring and our hearts be bewitched therewith 39. Therefore let us not regard nor give respect unto or esteem any outward things higher then for elementish or so much as they are in their degree or as they are profitable in their Service neither let us go a whoring with them to the intent our eyes of the Spirit may still have respect to the only God and his upright life for to cleave with true understanding unto the same 40. For whatsoever is outward whether it be man or beast and whatsoever is to be seen heard or felt how fair good holy or wise soever it seemeth to be must certainly every whit so far forth as it standeth in his right degree d 1 Cor. 15 Eph. 1. Heb. 2. be subdued under the only God and his love 41. This same verily should the man once consider and understand to the intent he might once be delivered and rid of his foolish witchery and of dissention and of whoring with this or that 42. Therefore let no man be tied or bound to the lusts of whoredome with any outward thing but give all his respect to that God e 1 Cor. 15 which is all in all and inwardly in his mind let him take heed to the upright life which is godly holy and good that he may bear the Image or like being of his God f 1 Cor. 15 for as we have borne the image of the earthly so shall we also in like manner bear the image of the heavenly to the laud and praise of the glory of God 43. Loe thereunto is my testimony namely that the upright life is the life of the upright Fathers which served and worshipped the invisible great g Deut. 4.5.6 c. and almighty God only who still was God in Israel and in Israel also wrought wonderfully who is h Exod. 3. Mat. 22. che God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 44. Now in that these Tribes of Israel knew the God of heaven as a true God and lived and cleave unto him therefore did they stand free and untied from all the God-services of the Heathenish Sorceries and were unbound from all whorings with outward things 45. To obtain this grace in God that is the Gospell which is through Christ published to the Heathen to the intent they should be released from their foolish bewitched God-services and from all their lusts of whoredome whereby they may with Israel be incorporated into the stock of Abraham and may altogether as one manner of people serve the onely living God in one manner Lawes Statutes and Ordinances even as the second Booke of the Glasse of Righteousnesse maketh mention 46. Therefore O all ye people Nations and Tribes if ye will not consider whereto ye are called of the God of heaven through the seed of Abraham according to the promises neither do regard your heavenly calling aright in her degree nor give your selves over thereunto nor feare Abrahams God nor love his Lawes and Ordinances but do build upon another foundation i Eph. 2 then surely shall ye be banished from God and from the Citizenship of Israel and be constrained to serve vaine things k Deut. 4. and to keep such Ordinances as you doe not know 47. That same shall intangle your hearts bewitch your understanding and make you bond-servants which indeed we are so long as we willingly remain l Rom. 6 subject to the sin and to the Sorcery of the heathen 48. Therefore lake heed to your time and seek God m Esa 55. while he is neare and may be found and while ye have yet space to turn you unto him 49. Let the ungodly n Ezek. 18 forsake his ungodly being and so come to the life through the death of the Crosse of Jesus Christ then shall he live and die no more 50. Let us apply our minds to the same and turn our hearts away from all sensuality of the flesh not only from that which outwardly we look upon but chiefly from the self-minded thoughts which do arise o Sap. 2. Mat. 15. out of our selves and doe tempt or intice us thereunto for to hold our hearts in bondage to the vaine corruptiblenesse which through
But tie not your hearts unto any thing save onely to the good life of the Truth y Ioh. 8. For that shall make you free 14 Above all things ye beloved z 1 Cor. 14. Col. 3. follow still after the Love For there neither is nor shall be any thing that may excell her a Deut. 6. Mat. 22 1 Cor. 13 1 Tim. 1 The Love is the cheefest good the Truth a light to the life and the Righteousnes our joy Hereunto let our hearts be affected for herein standeth the praise of the Lord. 15. Thus let us forsake all bewitching of the Spirit and depart from the evill and increase or grow up in the good And that all in stillnes and in the hidden wisdom of God For the time peradventure will yet a little while remain troublous to speak freely before all people of the Truth and godlines For at this time she is b Esa 59. 3 Esd 14. yet with the World much too base but love and esteem ye her so much the more and gather ye her to your selves for a treasure in your hearts 16. All what the wicked world loveth all the enormities and abominations that the Ministers of the wicked world do gather in their hearts and all the envy contentiousnes strife of the obstinate Teachers against us and our most holiest service of the Love cast and hurle them all out of your hearts and inwardly have nothing to do with them For their inwardnes is full of vanity falshood and maliciousnes and their joy is onely in their foolish knowledge and in the earthly and transitory things 17. But let your hearts be full of the life and being of the true God-head and your joy onely in his righteousnes that therein ye may live in the Spirit and according to the Truth 18. Let it be a pleasure unto you that God becommeth Lord and King over all Have a desirous heart to the good to the same reach also c Eph. 4. one another the hand retaine no offence of mis-doing one towards another but exhort to amendment d Eccle. 28. Mat. 6. Col. 3. and forgive in the Love that so we may grow up with each other in one band of Love unto the godlines as a reconciled or e Tit. 2. acceptable people of the Lord through Iesus Christ such as have found grace and mercy at the hands of God the father for to inherit his promises to serve him with pure hearts in all love 19. Behold to be comprehended herein is the life which is everlasting and to reach one another the hand to the same godlines to exort to amendment of life and to retaine no man his sins is the f Hos 6. Matt. 9. Mercy which God requireth of us and not Sacrifices 20. He requireth Righteousnes and hates the ungodly being He sheweth his long-suffering towards them of good will g Esa 53. Heb. 2. and beareth their infirmity or weaknes as one that would not have any man to perish or to turn back 21. For a willing heart is a delight unto him and a broken or troubled Spirit h Psal 51. for his sins cause will he not despise 22. A good confidence towards his grace of a converting sinner is a joy unto him i Luk. 15. and it causeth also a joy in the heavenly Being 23. Therefore k Deut. 20. Esa 55. let no man be dismayed nor faint-hearted but let every one from the heart upon hope in the Beleef apply himselfe to the good and l Luk. 21. possesse his soule with patience unto the godly promises 24. Let no man take any yoak upon him out of his own choice least by some means of his unablenes he fall into a loathing towards the good but grow up by little and little and profit ye still from time to time 25. Keep alwaies what ye have go not m Apo. 2. back in any case that you loose not the Crown of Salvation Go still forward increasing in the good and in the knowledge of the holy understanding n Heb. 6. and so passe on towards the perfection 26. Neverthelesse desire not to have every thing at once but grow up in the good from the o Heb. 5. beginning of the Christian life That is from the repentance for sin p Matt. 3. to go on in amendment of life and to abide stedfast therein even to the q Matt. 24. end untill the true life of perfection That is r Eph. 4. untill the old age of the Man Christ The which is inwardly to obtaine the Love essentially 27. And that is the perfection of our godlines wherein we are to grow up from the begining of our turning to God and to the entrance of the first School-rule of the Christian Doctrine of the gracious Word and his Service of Love untill we be established in God and his true Love according to the Promises 28. If therefore any man love the good and his soul desire to inherit the same let him go thereunto with an humble heart and follow after it out of understanding that ignorance grieve not his soule 29. For there have been many in times past that would by force have all the righteousnes all at once and would feine according to their fancy consume and destroy the sin altogether by heaps but they have fallen into greater and grievouser sins 30. But in asmuch now as many beginnings are with lack of understanding taken in hand therefore divers men are become vnlustfull to the Å¿ Matt. 24. Righteousnes and have turned themselves back again and do cleave to the world and to her misunderstanding more than ever they did before 31. Divers others perceive no difference between the illuminated and vnilluminated Men and so whiles they are not yet illuminated themselves they give regard both to their own Imagination of the Knowledge also to the Precepts of unilluminated men because they trust upon such things suppose that in such sort all is well with them 32. They discerne not also the life from the death in their inwardnes nor yet the hearing t Pro. 4. of Councel Doctrine whereby to draw near to the living Commandement of God and to live therein 33. Many others hold v Apo. 3. at a stay and have no righteousnes neither do they aske hunger nor thirst after it and do neither go backwards nor forwards which is indeed a great shame 34. It were better for one to suffer now and then some Inconvenience for lack of experience t so that he abide in the Hope than to hold himself still or idle to the righteousnes before he be come to the salvation 35. For albeit one do sometimes by stumbling and falling suffer some inconvenience yet he riseth again for all that bewaileth his Ignorance and so then he taketh a new courage again with a more circumspect understanding in the Spirit x against the craftines of the
named themselves Christians that they lay away their vain boasting and turne to the Love and her Service THere are also divers men that draw sundry Opinions of Understandings out of the Scripture But every one particularly after his own conceiving Howbeit in asmuch as they know not the Councel of God nor comprehended his wisdom therefore do those Opinions and Understandings fall out to be of several sorts and do for the most part run all one against another and are among each other intangled 2. Some strive for the Kingdom of God or inward life of Christ which is called the new Man and suppose that it is this or that or that it is here-hence or there-hence after the outward appearance for to come or to be obtained 3. Others think that it shall be first found and obtained after the death of the Creature Yea the Principallest of the Learned in the Letter who will forsooth be the understandingest in the Scripture do maintain such a ground of Beleefe 4. O God! How long shall the Scripture through the false and unright light or sight be yet set forth and taught 5. It is doubtles plainly and clearly enough written a Luke 17. that the Kingdom of God is inwardly within us He is in the middest of you saith b Iohn 1. John whom ye know not The same is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost 6. But many as it well appeareth know him not For he who is the very c Col. 1. Image of God or the Christ and the Kingdom of the glory of God hath his going down in us inwardly and suffereth the d Rom. 6. Death of the Crosse for the Sinnes cause 7. Nevertheles if any man be baptized inwardly in the death of Christ and e Rom. 6. Col. 2. with his like Death be until his burying planted into him the same ariseth also with Christ and liveth For then inwardly is Gods Kingdom of Heaven even in him and not specially here or there as among these or among those but the Kingdom of God is here and there among these and among those namely in every one in us Howbeit unknown to many as is already said 8. Now if the Kingdom of God be within us and that we as the Scripture saith f John 7. beleeve in Christ then ought we after the Councel of the Wisdom and of the holy understanding to seeke it inwardly there for even thither shall it come and so be found inwardly within us 9. But who so seeketh it only at the hands of another and doth not attend the coming thereof inwardly according to the direction of the holy word and service of love the same shall in no wise find it 10. For this cause men are not in the seeking of the Kingdom of God to despise the Councel and Service of the holy word which under the obedience of the Love teacheth and directeth rightly to the same but with lowly hearts to give good eare thereunto 11. Therefore believe the truth and follow the Councel of the Scriptures g Mat. 7 seeke and ye shall find c. h Mat. 18 Turn you about and become as little Children and not subtile cunning i Prov. 3. Rom. 12. or wise in your own selves For who so receiveth not the Kingdom of God k Mar. 10 Luke 18 as a Child he shall not enter therein 12. Wherefore it is all to no purpose to set ones mind upon any thing that is above in the Heaven or that is beneath under the earth either what people this or that is or where hence Christ shall come or not or with what outward appearance the Kingdom of God cometh 13. For behold if ye find not the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes l Lu. 17. inwardly in your soules and the forme of Christ in his glory appeared not in your m 2 Cor. 4. Gal. 4. inwardnes then shall ye be constrained to misse or be without the Kingdom of God and Christ n John 6. and shall likewise not eat the bread from Heaven with Christ o Lu. 14. in the Kingdom of God his Almighty Father 14. Therefore seek it where it is to be found and take right regard whether it cometh hunger and thirst ye after it Nevertheles hast you not after it out of your own chusing through mis-understanding but go ye p Psal 84. from one vertue to another 15. Posses ye your q Lu. 21. soules with patience have regard on the coming of Christ contend not any more r 1 Tim. 6 2 Tim. 2. Tit. 3. and strive no longer with flesh and blood 16. Let it once suffice that ye have contended and wrangled for the Scriptures cause rather now endeavour you in obeying of the requiring of the service of love Å¿ Jam. 1. to receive or put on the gracious word of the Lord in your hearts and labor ye t Eph. 4. for the unity of the love For in such a sort shall the Kingdom of God come 17. Now when you have thus received or put on the serviceable gracious word of the Lord the true Christ after the flesh in your hearts or inwardnes then apply your selves therewithal in your inwardnes to the good being which the gracious word of the Lord requireth in â—is service for to overcome in like manner with Christ every thing that is against him to the intent his enemies v Psal 110. for a foot-stoole may be laid under his feet 18. And when you exercise your selves herein be ye likewise baptized in the death of Christ that is in his patience x Rom. 6. Col. 2. and with his like death or patience be ye planted into him and so y Eph. 6. overcome ye through the belief with the like crosse or patience of Christ the sin death flesh and the world Devill and Hell and all sensuality which ariseth out of your own wisdom of the flesh and be ye likewise in your inward man z Rom. 12 Eph. 4. renewed unto righteousnes a 2 Cor. 4 Phil. 3. in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Lo. thus doth the Scripture teach us if it were but rightly understood 19. When we are now passed through this b Col. 1. and have through the death of Christ even until his Resurrection overcomed all those deadly things then have we peace c Rom. 5. Eph. 2. with God the Father and stand firm in the love which is the end or fulfilling of all the spiritual Testimonies And therein is comprehended the perfection 20. Not that we come hereunto out of our own strength But when with lowly hearts we d Esa 55. Ezek. 18 Joel 2. Eccli 2.17 turn us obediently to God and the service of his gracious word then doth God also offer himself unto us and out of his Calling in the spirit allureth or draweth he us unto himself justifying us through the belief in e Col. 1. Heb. 9. Apo.
7 the blood of Jesus Christ and maketh us cleane from our sins and giveth us the everlasting life 21. This is verily the word of Faith f Act. 2.3 4 5 7 8. c. Rom. 10. 1 Pet. 1. which was published by the Apostles through Christ for a Righteousnes unto us g 2 Cor. 11. Gal. 1. Phil. 1. Whosoever therefore preacheth any other Christ or preacheth Christ any other way publisheth any other Gospel or publisheth the Gospel upon any other fashion or ground or believeth any otherwise or buildeth upon any other foundation h 1 Cor. 3 than God hath from the beginning through his Prophets and Apostles required and willed the same man remaineth i Gal. 1. execrable or accursed according to the mencion of the Scriptures 22. For k 1 Cor. 3 no other Foundation may there be laid than the same that is laid which is Iesus Christ who from everlasting was and is and abideth for ever Through whom God made all whatsoever is any thing and l Heb. 1. he beareth up all things by the power of his might and maketh the clensing of our sins through himself Unto him as a Father of all be Laud Honour and Praise for evermore Amen 23. These and such like things was I partly of necessity moved to rehearse unto you ye dearly beloved to the intent you might consider them aright and understand the diversity of every thing that concerneth the Salvation of men 24. Furthermore see that ye humbly with meditation to God apply your selves out of the inclination of love to read or to heare the Glasse of Righteousnes and consider or mark the life which is witnessed and set forth in the same Behold there in the spirit of your understanding the everlasting unchangeable Statutes and Ordinances of Almighty God which also shall remain unchangeable for ever For that which is there witnessed is such an upright life m Gen. 1. Eph. 2. as the man is created unto for to live therein In which Statutes and Ordinances the Lords people have lived from the beginning 25. Yea such a Life Statutes and Ordinances are a delight and joy to all upright hearts and Prophets to live therein and they have heretofore born witnes thereunto that in time to come men should live in them For through the truth they saw into the life of peace in the love and that through the life of peace in the love every thing is made perfect and therein standeth firme or abideth stedfast 26. That verily is the life which is true n Joh. 1. and that life is the light of men o Eph. 1.5 Col. 1. and the head of the holy Commonalty Who so goeth out of it cometh to the death blindnes and darknes 27. But the soules of those that live therein are blessed in the Lord. For such people doth God require as do walk in his Ordinances that is to say in the life and peace of love p Deut. 6.2 and do love the only God from the heart 28. Lo it is the true God that requireth such upright Righteousnes and he himself cleaveth to his Righteousnes his Statutes and Ordinances everlastingly q Joh. 1.2 For he is the spirit of his life the life of his word the word of his Spirit r Exod. 3 Mat. 22. the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob or Israel 29. That verily is the true life of peace and love and the Statutes and Ordinances are the same upright righteousnes which the holy Fathers have lived and walked in 30. The same Statutes and Ordinances of the holy Fathers were by Moses renewed Å¿ Exod. 20. Deut. 5. and witnessed unto a life before all people And that life was through Jesus Christ being risen from the Dead and ascended into Heaven t Mat. 28. Mar. 16. published unto all people for a Gospel because they should live therein And unto all that believed thereon was the Resurrection from the dead and the everlasting life witnessed and promised through Iesus Christ 31. In sure and firm hope whereof the upright Beleevers have rested in the Lord Iesus Christ till the appearing of his coming which is now in this day of the love revealed out of the heavenly beeing with which Jesus Christ the former Beleevers of Christ v John 5. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4. who were fallen a sleepe rested or dyed in him are now also manifested in Glory 32. For Christ in the appearing of his comming raiseth his deceased from the dead x 1 Cor. 15. to the intent that they should reign alive with him over all his enemies y Mat. 25. John 5. Rom. 2. 2 Thes 1. and condemneth all the ungodly which have not liked of him 33. This is the joyful Message published to the Gentiles whereby z Eph. 2.3 as fellow-Heires in the Testaments of promise they are bidden and called to the house of Jacob and to the Citizenship of Jerusalem To the intent they should depart from the brutishnes of their errors and from the sundry intanglements of their Idolatries and turn them to the God of Israel for to serve him only and to live in his Statutes and Ordinances through the belief 34. Which Righteousnes a Ro. 2.3 is required out of the Law and is now in this last time openly and evidently witnessed out of the inclination of love and through the insight of the same upright life to a view of the upright righteousnes which the man is created unto and to a demonstration whereunto or to what end or fulfilling God hath given his promises and made his Covenant with the Fathers 35. Behold hereunto namely to that which we bear witnes of is the Calling of the Gentiles made b Rom. 11. Eph. 2. who are out of grace called thereunto for to serve with the Stock of Abraham one God in one manner of Righteousnes 36. Lo these are the promises c Gen. 17. which were committed to the Jewes in the Circumcision And Jesus Christ the safe-making word of the Lord is amongst them Act. 13. Rom. 9. d Rom. 15. for the truth of Gods sake become a Minister of the Circumcision to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers that the name of the God of Abraham might be magnified likewise among the Gentiles And for the mercies sake towards the Gentiles is the Grace of life published also to the Gentiles to the intent e Act. 10.11.13 Rom. 11. they should praise God and know the God of Israel and his Ordinances 37. Which God and his righteousnes we do now know in the love through the spirit of truth which according to the spirit f Joh. 14. leadeth us into all truth that is into all love according to the promises g Col. 5. For the love is the band of perfection By which Band we are sealed and confirmed for ever in the same perfection to the intent that Gods