the spirits of all the remnant of the People for they were in the unbelief before as ye are concerning the time saying Hag. 2. ver 2. the time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built then the Lords Word in Haggai was this to convince them of the contrary Is it time for you oh ye to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lay wast now therefore thus saith the Lord consider your wayes c. And afterwards when the second Temple was built they were apt to have low thoughts of it who is left among you saith the same Prophet that saw this house in the first glory and how do ye see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing mark as nothing yet saith he now be strong oh Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong oh Joshuah the high Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my spirit remaineth among you fear ye not for thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory saith the Lord of hosts the silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts the Glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of hosts and I will give peace in this place saith the Lord of hosts are not these plain words to him that desires to understand the people were discouraged because their second Temple was not so Stately and pompous outwardly as the first built by Solomon yet were they bid to be strong or of a good courage for the Lord of hosts strong and mighty was with them and the same spirit remained among them according to his Covenant with them when they came out of Egypt though there were not miracles and such visible signes shewed amongst them now as then for the right of building the second Temple stood in the Covenant which was still the same to the Seed of Israel outward he to be their God and they to be to him a People whereof Circumcision in the flesh was a sign as the Circumcision of the heart is a signe of the spiritual and everlasting Covenant to the spiritual Seed saying they should not fear for he would shortly shake all and all Nations by his powerful witness which should make way for Christ to come and fill his second house with his Glory for all spiritual riches and treasures are His and in Him so that the Glory of the latter house should be greater then of the former to wit in the invisible Glory yet visible by fruits of all righteousness which to bring forth was the sum and end of all figures shadowes miracles tongues and prophesies So that they should have peace in God which passeth all Humane understanding and outward rest also when their sufferings were fulfilled Now consider whether it were not just so in the first raising up of the Gospel Church in the Apostles dayes they had the gift of tongues they did many miracles c. for it was meet and needful at the first bringing in of the first born into an unbelieving and Heathenish world that it should be so as it was at the Jews coming out of Egypt to be a visible Nation and People unto God but at the coming out of mystical Babylon the Spirit of Life from God entred saith John into the witnesses and they stood upon their feet and they prophesied no miracle or in what Language it was being mentioned and the way that the Saints overcame was by the blood of the Covenant mark the same Life of Christ which is the blood of the everlasting Covenant which the Apostles and Saints formerly stood in was in them whereby they got victory every way also they overcame by the Word of their Testimony declaring what they had seen and handled of the Word of Life and by suffering for the same even unto death as the Jew outward adventured their lives in the going on with their work against Sanballat Tobiah and the other their cruel enemies neither is this second work of God to be sleighted or little esteemed for it is done by the pure power of the Almighty in the Spirit as the Prophet Zacharie testified saying not by might nor by power that is so visibly appearing in strange gifts but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts even that by whom all things were made and so is very great and shall bring forth the pâ—rest State of the Church that ever was as in the description of the new Jerusalem the Holy City doth most evidently appear wherein shall be a new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness which Peter and the Saints in his dayes waited for and desired to see where shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor pain nor night and this is the State after the captivity not wrought out by outward signes and wonders but by the Internal light leading out of all that is unclean into that wherein there is no defilement which is a glorious and all powerful work so that the Saints feeling of it shall yea and do already say now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night and this purely spiritual way of proceeding is most suitable to destroy the mystery of iniquity for hereby spiritual Wisdom is set in opposition and doth discover spiritual deceit by which the Nations have been made drunk yet we deny not or limit the Power of the Holy One in this his day to come forth in what gifts he pleaseth as sometimes he hath done by healing and extraordinary fastings amongst us but this we say it is not so much a seal to the Ministry as the Lords free working how he pleaseth and how he will please to come forth hereafter when the Truth shall actually prevail over other Nations that do not professe Christianity we are not much careful as knowing that whatsoever is needful for the managing of the Lords own Work himself will freely bestow whether it be the gift of tongues miracles or any other Neither is it necessary that the true Ministry should be the Administratours of baptism with water laying on of hands or breaking of bread at their rising so constituting a Church called visible by those outward signs and shadows nay it is not convenient that they should do so for the reasons forementioned to the Baptists also for as much as Antichrist under pretence of setting up of outward false Administrations called by him Ordinances and crying
by whom all things were made and in which they all subsist and by which all hearts are bridled Saul was a stout and valiant Warriour and higher than the rest by the head and shoulders and went in and out a notable Chieftain before the People but when Gods witness accused him he was as weak as water yea fell down upon his face to the ground So now we keeping close to this as the Head-stone in the Corner the Weapon we War withal though it be managed with much Meekness and Patience as it ought to be is far stronger than yours that keeps a greater clattering for yours hath yet wrought no deliverance in the earth nor never will but thousands Glory be to the Lord God of Power can witness deliverance from the unjust power and from Injustice and unrighteousness in thought word and deed even by the Armour of light which is Gods faithful witness within them and the Government placed upon his shoulders who by his most powerful and good Spirit will in due time Govern the Nations Righteously upon the earth and in no other way Therefore I advise you to put up your Sword of Steel into his Sheath for ever yea to break him into a Plow-share for so he may be of some good use among mankind and wrestle not so against flesh and blood as to kill the Creature which is Gods Workmanship but come to know the Weapons of the Saints Warfare which are not carnal but spiritual yet mighty through God to the pulling down all the Strong-holds of sin and sinners both within and without for saith Paul They have in readiness to revenge every disobedience when your obedience speaking to the Saints is fulfilled So then if ye will be accounted of the number of the Saints that follow the Lamb in his Holy War wait to feel his living Power in your own Particulars which may fulfil your obedience towards him and then shall the same Power appearing in you be able to revenge all disobedience in others be they Magistrates Priests or People but if ye live in the disobedience your selves against Gods faithful witness which is his true light within you and come not to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which maketh Humble and Meek slayeth the earthly mind and brings out of self and all selfish wayes into the true self-denial which is to Love and give Glory onely to God and to love ones Neighbour as ones self which to do aright the light waited in in truth will discover your out-cries against others wickedness and injustice will be but as the espial of a Mote in anothers eye when as a Beam is still in your own But ye will say That Christ Luke 22.36 a little before his suffering bad the Disciples That he who had not a Sword should sell his Garment and buy one which could not be but for some great and necessary use that the having of it should be preferred before a necessary Garment Can ye say in truth of heart and nothing within you tell you that ye lye that what Christ in this Particular said to the eleven that he in them spake to all Saints who should come after As he did when he exhorted them to Watch saying What I say unto you I say unto all Watch Or was this Sword that he bid them to buy onely for some special use at the time of his apprehension Which was to hold forth that all such fighting with the Sword by the Saints was now to take its farewel in the world Christ was made under the Law which both tolerated and oft times commanded the Jews not onely to defend themselves but to offend their enemies so an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and he was not yet offered up which put an end to the Law also observe his reason for his so speaking for saith he I say unto you that this which is written must be accomplished in me And he was reckoned among the transgressours for the things concerning me have an end intimating hereby that the buying of the Sword was for the very forementioned purpose and when the things written concerning his sufferings were finished then the outward Sword must be put up and laid aside as he bid Peter to do when he had once smitten with it least he perished by it Likewise mark his answer to them when they said there were two Swords saith he It is enough although he seemed to say before that every one should sell his Garment that had not a Sword to buy one shewing thereby that this thing was not of Universal use as ye would understand therefore when Judas had betrayed him to the multitude and those about him said unto him Lord shall we smite with the sword And one of them had smitten and cut off the High Priests servants ear Christ answered and said Suffer ye thus far Shewing that now the Sword had done his Office And so he touched his ear healed him Thus exercising his Power of love in requiting good for evil and even making up the breach that the Sword had made in revenge neither was any sign of a Sword seen in the hands of any of the Apostles and Saints after Christs departure but they suffered with all Patience through faith in the Power of God so must do the Lambs true followers in this his day of restoring the desolate Places as John testifies in his Book of Revelation he that killeth with the Sword must be killed by the Sword here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints And as for divers Scriptures that speak of the Lords overturning again again till he come to Reign whose Right it is and of punishing the stout heart of the Oppressour and of wasting utterly those Nations that will not serve the Church and such like they must be understood of the exercising of Christs Power in Peoples hearts and also of justly suffering the false and unrighteous powers of the earth to scourge and destroy each other for their iniquity till they come to serve and fear the Lord in Truth which brings into Peace and Unity for the Devils kingdom is divided against it self but Jerusalem is a City in Unity with it self but that the Saints shall and ought to have a hand in these outward desolations as moved thereto by the Spirit of the Lord I deny for his Kingdom in them stands in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit which they are to hold forth visibly before all men and not their hands to act contrary to their hearts Now come we to you called Seekers to try what ye seek after stick at and whether ye seek the Lord in a right way that it is a pretious thing to seek the Lord and his Way of Righteousness in truth all the Righteous and upright in heart do experimentally know for seek and ye shall find saith Christ the true light to his and blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and seek him
believed being also I deny not then baptized with water they prayed and laid their hands on them which was an outward sign of the blessing and they received the holy Spirit now if any one shall say how could the Apostles who were but men baptize with the Spirit I answer no otherwise then they could at first beget faith and repentance in those so baptized it was the Lords work but they ministerially did it that is they having felt the power in themselves the raised life in them Ministred to the life that lay low in others and so brought it up therefore that the Lord might shew he was not tied up to time or manner in the bestowing of his gift while Peter spake those words to Cornelius and the rest the holy Spirit fell on them that heard the word so that this was the Baptism here meant by Christ which was so Essential to the conversion of the world and building up of the Saints in so much that Paul joyns it with faith as a necessary companion saying there is One Lord one Faith and one Baptisme for by one Spirit are the Saints baptized into one body Christ the baptizer being the head who moreover told the Apostles that he would be with them all the dayes that is of their Ministry even to the finishing of the age mark there was an age or certain space of time wherein the truth of the Gospel should grow and the Baptism of the Spirit or the comforters presence be witnessed through Christs Power accompanying their Ministry and then should the Mystery of iniquity in false Apostles get such a head by stealing and bringing in false Doctrines Traditions and inventions that it should God so permitting it overtop the life and so the true Ministry should cease and his living presence not be felt and enjoyed as before which most certainly came to passe as we see whose eyes the Lord hath opened in the many hundred years Apostacy and reign of Antichrist now if Christ meant that He would be alway with them to the end of the world as it s falsely rendred in English Bibles how could his words be true since we see by experience that the Glory of God which shined in his Temple in the Apostles dayes departed over the threshold the Church went into the wilderness the Seed of God was captivated by the Whore of Babylon and the man-Child Christ in his strength taken up to God and his Throne wherefore in the second restauration of the spiritual Temple and re-edifying of the holy City new Jerusalem people must first come to the true faith by believing in Christ the true light and witness repentance from all false worships and and dead works of the world as those that are wearie of Babylons captivity and that set their faces towards Sion in truth and so must wait with the Lords people in silence and humility for the Fathers promise which is the Comforter even the Spirit of truth which in his due time baptizeth such with fire and so by degrees leads them into all truth and out of all sins and errour and so the Church cometh out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved that is staying her mind upon the light within and being content with her portion be it much or little be it judgement or mercy be it in a day of blackness or gloominess or in a day wherein it is neither dark nor light or in the evening time wherein it shall be light as saith the Prophet or in the sun-shine of the day it self so not despising the day of small things or overlifted up with great things neither must they all this while set upon or practice any outward thing in the worship of God in their own wils or by imitation of others or meerly from a precept without but onely as Christ the light shall lay that precept upon them for if they do they are will-worshippers and so Idolaters for as the Son of God was once personally present in a body of flesh commanding the Apostles to teach the People at the first raising of the Gospel Church to observe all things whatsover he had before commanded them and said unto them while so present with them which the Comforter afterwards brought to their remembrance so in the reâ—toring thereof the second time none are to observe any thing or teach any thing to be observed but what Christ manifested in their bodies of flesh doth command them for saith he I go away to wit as to his Personal body and the world shall see me no more but ye shall see me that is in their own bodies manifested Now by this oh all ye Baptists may ye try your selves and present practice of water Baptism and all other Administrations and performances in your Congregations have ye witnessed this true faith or are ye yet disputing against it have ye repented of all dead works or are ye still wallowing in the pollutions of the world have ye waited or do ye wait in silence for the Fathers Promise or do ye set your selves on work in a formal Preaching and dead praying and hanging on the lips of such Preachers and Pray-ers Do ye or others keep an outward Sabbath whether on the seventh or first day from mens Precepts or a Mosaical Rule or from a Command of life within Do ye Baptize and are Baptized and break Bread from a particular Command in your selves or because the Saints formerly so practised Do ye exercise the power of the Keyes from the true spiritual discerning judgement and power or because the Churches before the Apostacy did so bind and loose Ye must know that there hath been a wide step between the Apostles and our dayes and that the gathering of the Church at first out of Egypt and the bringing it out of Babylon are two several things and are not brought to pass after one and the self-same manner as to the outward administration of things Also consider that Johns Revelation was a Prophesie of what things came and must come to pass after the Apostles and not a Relation of what was done in their dayes so that in the coming out of mystical Babylon the Lambs followers wait on him for the opening of that mystical Book as that which concerns their present condition Now when the Angel came down from Heaven and lightned the earth with his Glory whereby the everlasting Gospel came to be Preachâ—d saying Fear God and give G ory to him for the hour of his Judgement is come and come out oâ— Babylon my pâ—ople and partake not of her sins lest ye receive of her plagues Then as people came out of her by the guidance of the light the Temple of God or his holy Habitation in the Spirit was opened in Heaven they had a sight in themselves into what state they should be brought even to have a habitation in God and he in them but then was this Temple filled with smoak from the Glory of God and from
thee saith he to Timothy in the sight of God who quickeneth all things and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment which was to fight the good fight of Faith and follow after righteousness godliness patience meekness love c. without spot unrebukeable till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which in his times he shall shew who is the blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who onely hath immortalitie dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto to wit in his own wisdom or with his bodily eye whom no man hath seen nor can see to wit with those to whom be honour and Power everlasting Amen Oh that ye sword-men had your eyes opened to behold this King as he is here witnessed how would you then be ashamed and amazed at your own folly in gazing upwards as expecting to see him in a bodily shape and with a corporal eye to Reign on Earth Here you see Paul witnesseth he shall be shewn in his times and that as the onely Potentate or Monarch and yet he saith no man can see him what a contradiction may this seem to be to your grosse understandings but it is really so I averre for his appearance in the world in his times must be agreeable to his nature he onely hath immortality therefore must be seen onely by that which is immortal he dwelleth in the light and therefore must be beheld onely in the light and by an eye internally enlightned So that now stop your mouths for ever and cease from your carnal interpretations of those Scriptures which speaks of Christs coming to reign on earth but turn to within even to his light wherewith every one of you are enlightned that in that light ye may see him who is invisible dwelling in the light whom no man hath nor can see nor approach unto for assure your selves that the world shall see his bodily Shape and Person no more but the Saints do and shall see him for because he liveth they shall live also And as for the manner of this spiritual Kings Government it must be spiritually not by an outward visible shining body quelling and over-awing the enemies of his Kindomg but by his inward and invisible Power in the hearts of his People making the people to fall under him or chaining them up yea making all his enemies within and without to go backward and flee before him and although ye may look upon this as a weak inconsiderable thing because it seems not pompous to your carnal eye yet know that it is of the greatest force that can be imagined For is not Conscience more to a man than a thousand witnesses Which if it once condemn God is greater and knoweth all things and so the comment of the wicked increaseth Now that of Christ in the Saints arising in Power and transforming them into its own Image of Righteousness and true Holiness his Name is seen in their foreheads by living fruits which reaching to the witness of God in wicked men they cannot stand before it for the wicked cannot stand in Judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous because by the Righteous Principle of God in themselves they are Judged which worketh in their guilty Consciences the fear and flashes of Eternal vengeance which fierce indignation of the Almighty that they may avoid they also are oft times brought to lay hold of eternal Life bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance and so the work of the Lord prospereth in this his King immortal his hand in his Majesty riding prosperously because of Truth and Meekness and Righteousness and his right hand teaching him terrible things and brings to pass greater things hereby than all outward force fear and violence were able to do Now the reason why ye savour not such things as these is because ye with many other Professours are out from that which should give you salt in your selves to savour withal and so being buried in the Letter of the Scriptures do interpret them according to a mind that is under the ministration of the Letter and not of the Spirit So look what truths of God are to be spiritually understood and discerned ye being out of the light do literally understand and so are for an external or personal appearance of Christ in his Kingdom even as a fifth visible Monarch in the world and for a Holy City outward just so long and broad and every way composed as that description of it in the Revelation seemeth outwardly to describe So ye will talk and be even very zealous for a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness but what fruit doth the expectation of such things in your way expected bring forth in you Doth it make you diligent to be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless as Peter exhorted the Saints to be who looked for such things Or are you in the vanities and folly of the multitude who are without Hope or God in the world How proud rough rugged earthly-minded bitter dead dry and unsavoury do many of you appear Oh People it is not a discourse of or expectation of great and outward changes or happiness though for ever to endure that will bring to the Cross of Christ and slay the enmity of your minds by wicked works but it is the knowing the Cross of Christ in your selves which is his living and quickning Power felt by waiting in his light that must bring you to take up your own cross and follow him else while you think to be the men that shall Reign with Christ and Judge the world ye your selves will be Judged by Christ in this his day which cometh and is come as a snare upon all the earth Your good intentions towards the executing of Justice and Righteousness in the earth in opposition to Tyranny and Oppression I confess is to be owned but ye take not the right course how to bring it forth for it is not the shaking a Weapon or sore threatning or the like at the Beast that will change his nature but it is the Life that is the light of men which will do it for that which alone searcheth the heart can and doth alone turn the same so that if as the Lambs true followers ye knew how to make War in Righteousness with the Whore Beast false Prophet through Faith Patience ye might should do good but if out of a rash and blind zeal ye will steer an indirect course no wonder if you arrive not at your desired Harbour for if ye will needs give blows ye must expect blows again because this exasperates the proud and wilful nature whose Element it is even to live in the fire also an outward force to an outward is like to like but a spiritual Power against a carnal is altogether different and what shall alway stand against Gods living Power in Spirit
acknowledge Christ and the Scriptures in words but oppose and betray his pure Life wherefore he commandeth his wiâ—nesses now to fight with her with the sword of his mouth in the Power of Wisdom which is better then outward strength and so they act and speak as he moveth and enableth them keeping to their own gift measure and work as the Apostles and Saints formerly did to theirs and not regarding how they acted or spake so as to be moved or troubled at it as to question their call to the work of the Ministry for they know if they receive the witness of man the witness of God is greater which witness is his light within them which plainly sheweth them and sealeth in them though the whole world gain-say it that they have felt in themselves the Baptism of the spirit and fire whose effects I before declared and so the operation of his living Word which hath brought thousands of others to believe in the same light and many to feel also the same living Word and spiritual Baptism which hath shaken the Earthly part within like a cottage and also the outward body of some putting words in their mouths to declare his righteousness in the great Assembly and magnifie his Holy Name in the Congregations of his Saints this was that greater work that Christ said his Disciples should do then he had done because he went to his Father for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified this is really witnessed among us the Spirit sealing it in our hearts so that we witnesing the one Lord one Faith and one Baptism we are thereby baptized into the one body and being many are one bread and so the true Church that is come and coming out of Babylon and out of the wilderness Glory be to the Lord for ever who hath thus visited and Redeemed his People for this living Power is the gift it self tongues miracles prophesie c. are but the gifts flowing as streams from this fountain now if the Lord do keep back some streams and give us more of the fountain in this his day we are not loosers but gainers by that and so the more to be owned as the Church of Christ But ye will say when the Church was brought out of mystical Babylon John declareth there was an Angel who flow thorow the midst of heaven with an everlasting Gospel to Preach to them that dwell on the Earth and to all Nations kindreds tongues and People which since we see not how that could be without the gift of tongues sheweth us that the true Ministry must have the very same visible gifts now as the Apostles had before they undertake to go forth That People were never truely called out of Babylon before the Preaching of this everlasting Gospel is certainly true and that it is to be Preached to all sorts of People upon the Earth is as cerâ—â—in but that this Gospel must not be Preached to some till the gift of tongues be given where by it might be declared to all is false for the Wisdom of God teacheth his People in what manner and order he will proceed in the publishing his truth throughout the world it must begin first in Sodom and Egypt where our Lord Christ the light and life hath been crucified I mean the Anti-christian State which under pretence of professing Christ opposeth him this Beast indeed is many headed and consists of divers Nations but they must not all be cut off at once but by degrees we know by experience what ever ye believe that he hath begun his work in this Isle of the North wherein we live and that there have been wayes made somewhat to awaken other Nations also the pure Language being known a tongue hath not been wanting to speak to them in and in this one thing do I behold Gods great Wisdom that he hath taken the wise in their own craftiness that whereas the Antichristian Priests have as the Hebrew and Greek so especially idolized the Latine or Romane tongue all over Europe whereby it s become a general Language hereby a good occasion is given to spread the truth throughout all these Nations of Christendome so called also so much hath been the mutuall commerce betwixt these Antichristian People for many years as counting each other to be Christians that in any of these Nations it may be either spoken in their own Language or by an Interpreter which last way is not to be despised for the mighty God brings and will bring to pass great things in these last times by weak beginnings and none is to despise the Day of small things yea the voice hath been hard in Turkie already and if any of you shall say But what had they to do to go thither without the gift of the Tongue I answer you must ask him that moved them thereto even by turning in to Gods witness which is his true light within every one of you and waiting there for Counsel ye shall know the Lords secrets and feel his Power to arise which shall bring you into Unity with their Spirits who knew their Call which ye will not then dispute but in the mean time him that is ignorant let him be ignorant but however know that your unbelief cannot make the truth of God of none effect But is it not Prophesied by Isaiah concerning the Church that he will turn his hand upon her and pâ—rely purge away her dross and take away all her tin and will restore all her Judges as at the first and her Counsellors as at the beginning afterwards she shall be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City Zion shall be Redeemed with Judgement and her converts with Righteousness whereby it appeareth that at the Restauration of the Church the second time which is a very refining time and of Redemption through Judgement and Righteousness which ye talk so much of the Ministry of the Church shall be as they were at the first gathering of it by the Apostles and so gifted just as they were The endowing of the witnesses at their Resurrection shall be with the Spirit of life from God entring into them and so they shall be as at the first for that is the gift it self which brings into Unity of Spirit all the Prophets Apostles and Saints in all ages and into Unity in Ministry as declaring one Everlasting Truth for substance and from one Eternal Root but in respect of the gifts and operations of that one Spirit or Gift it may be different at sundry times and seasons according to the work that is to be done and the various workings of the Spirit it self So God who at sundry times and divers manners spake to the Jews by the Prophets spake in the last times by his Son by whom also he speaketh sundry wayes at sundry times though not a sundry truth for the Apostles bare witness to the true light that lightneth every man and to the Word nigh in the
Principle yet that the tree is known by its fruit I grant and affirm and have affirmed against all loose and ranting spirits in the world who would have no outward action to be a mark or token of the good or evil tree but the light Life or Principle must not be seperated from the action nor the action from it for if so all a mans righteousness becomes unrighteousness as acted from self in the wrong ground and his knowledge like a cloud without water But as for your objecting against our conversation in the world I say we judge our selves first and espie the beam in our own eye for being turned to the light which makes manifest the least thing that appeareth in us contrary thereto is as a beam which while standing clouds and overspreads the pure presence of God wherefore we are not at rest day or night till the beam be be plucked out and so do we espie and reprove the faults of others who either plead for sin as long as they live or excuse their own iniquity by others failings and yet think themselves safe And this I would have none of you be ignorant of that although we believe perfection to be attainable in this world yet we are very sensible that it is not the work of a day moneth or year but that there must be much waiting many a sigh and groan a great spiritual combate with the Dragon and his Angels within a diligent and expert exercising of the whole Armour of light ere such a State be witnessed but this is our comfort that we are truely turned to that which gives the victory in the end and so are not faithless but believe as also that the Lambs War is truely begun in us who fights our battels for us while we stand still and behold his Salvation with which Salvation some are already saved and others saving so every one in his own measure and order so that in few words if any or all of those things by you objected should sometime appear in or among some of us yet know they are not ours but the evil ones to whom they belong for when we speak of our selves as Saints we mind that which is born of God which cannot sin for that is the Elect Seed which is for ever joyned to the Lord and takes his part against the transgressour and this I will say not onely for my self but in the behalf of other brethren and friends in whose defence I have been moved to make this Apologie that there is never a one amongst us who are truely and sincerely come to the light but do love judgement yea wait for his judgements to be brought to light and forth to victory even as the watchman watcheth for the morning and so far are any such from pleading for any one sin in thought word or deed that it is their meat and drink to do the will of the Father and like gall and wormwood to the pure thing of God in them when it is not fulfilled neither can they be in the least content to shrowd themselves under a Profession of truth so as the more freely to act deceit thereby but both desire and witness a growth in truth and righteousness as knowing that not to go forward is to go backward And as for any that come amongst us and seem to walk with us that are otherwise minded and conditioned then I have declared by the light they are judged and by the truth denied and by the fan winnowed and in themselves condemned wherefore stumble not at the light and truth because of offences for that causeth not the offence but by degrees gathereth all things that do offend out of the Fathers Kingdom and maketh fearfulness in due time to surprise the Hypocrite so God is glorified and his truth vindicated thereby Thus the foundation of God standeth sure to the Seed notwithstanding all such objections and the true Church which is the pillar and ground of truth is appeared in this our day so that none hath any more just cause to disown it for some faults and failings that may yet be found among us then the heathen had just cause to deny the Jews outward to be the Lords people when they came out of Babylon to build the Temple because of some things that were not right and comely amongst them against which Nehemiah contested and which were also rectified which was a figure of Christ Jesus the spiritual King the Rectifier reformer and perfecter of his People And as for some outward gestures and behaviour among men which ye account as trivial and indifferent things know that though they are little in themselves yet as they flow from a pure Principle of God in us which makes us outwardly to testifie against the pride and loftiness of man which is to be brought down in this the day of the Lords exaltation they are of great and necessary use and as for taking by the hand it is a manifestation of equality and unity among friends in the life and to be done from a pure moving and not from a tie or custome but as for yea and nay whatever is more either in word or work cometh of evil And so I shall conclude with prayer to the God of all Grace that as he which hath called us by his Son is holy so we may be holy in all manner of conversation more and more till every thing that offendeth within or without be taken away that so the new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth all righteousness may be enjoyed wherein love which the fulfilling thereof doth plentifully flow and not wax cold that the Lord God may be glorified in us and we in him and his Name be written in our fore-heads to the stopping of the mouths of all that oppose the truth to him be praise and glory and everlasting Dominion now and for evermore THE END