it may come in his sight who sees all things I am cleared that herein I wish the good of all Stephen Smith The 10th of the 8th Month 1670 SOME REASONS AGAINST Paying Tythes AND Upholding that Ministry that doth Receive the same Written in Love to the Truth and for the sake thereof and in Love to my Neighbours Stephen Smith I. CHrist Jesus he is Lord of Heaven and Earth and hath power over all flesh by whom the World was made who is Heir of all things and hath right of government in the Hearts and Consciences of all people and over all the Kingdoms of men the right of ordaining and appointing Ministers being in him and also in giving forth his Righteous Law and Commands in their Hearts where he ought to reign where his Ministers so ordained of him are to wait with their Minds staid in his Light to receive of him freely a supply of wisdom and power and to communicate from the same freely and to be contented with what provision the Lord is pleased to make for them and by him there being a change of the Priesthood under that Covenant given unto Moses and the people of Israel there is made of necessity a change also of the Law and forasmuch as the Priests in this Age who are not ordained of Christ do uphold that which the Lord hath changed therefore we do deny them and that which they claim for their Maintenance II. These Priests being not ordained of Christ nor appointed to that Office by him they therefore do usurp that Authority the which doth of Right belong to Christ Jesus the which are presumptious sins and therefore we do deny them III. These Priests having denyed the Revelation of Christ's Spirit now adayes and set up the Letter and Law without above the Spirit and Law within by which its plain and evident that they are Strangers to the great Love of God in his New Covenant and being void of the knowledge of the gift of God to the World they have nothing but Imaginations and Inventions of their own Brain-study and out of others Works and Labours therefore we do deny them IV. They not being ordained of Christ they bring forth no pleasant Fruit as is evident but being ordained of man being man-made Ministers they are men-pleasers so no Servants of Christ Jesus but of their own Bellies and for the sake thereof they are abominable greedy of filthy Lucre and therefore we do deny them V. They being out of the way of the Lord and strangers thereunto therefore they can be no guides therein having set up Imaginations and Devices in their own Hearts they follow them in defrauding people therefore we deny them VI. Forasmuch as Christ hath said John 10. All that ever came before me are Thieves and Robbers or as it may be rendred All that go before him Now mind before Abraham was he was and before the Prophets were he was so the true Prophets they did not go before him they waited for the Signification of Christ's Spirit which was in them the which was their Foundation and this was the Apostles Foundation and the Believers in the Primitive time were built upon the same but the Thieves and Robbers were the false Prophets and Priests that came before him who steal the true Prophets words and use them in their Divination for Money and Rewards and Preaching for Hire the which were wicked practices testified against and cryed out against by the true Prophets among which wicked practices we finding the man-made Ministers in this Age and Generation who go before Christ and being of that number Christ Jesus spoke against therefore we deny them VII All take notice that the Testimony against Priests that preach for Hire is no new thing of twenty or thirty years standing as some do vainly imagine those abominable practices were testified against by the true Prophets read Micah 3. Isaiah 66. Jer. 5. Ezek. 13. Hosea 6. and read Christ's Testimony against Hirelings John 10. and mind all the holy men of God were and are of the same mind And for Priests and People now adayes to pretend to Cospel-order and Gospel-dayes and to live in the same and if not worse practices then the false Prophets Priests Teachers and People who were before the more powerful manifestation of Christ to flesh the everlasting Gospel who is the end of the Law for Righteousness to all that believe this is a very great shame even to the name of Christianity and the false Teachers the Priests being the Leaders into these Abominations therefore we do deny them VIII Paul an Apostle of Jesus he did exhort the then Believers to follow him as he was a follower of Christ who ever was and is a blessed Leader out of Transgression out of sin and therefore out of Strife and Contention he taught and teaches to love enemies for this Cause was and is the love of God in his Son manifest in flesh even to condemn sin in the flesh and to destroy the Devil's works of Malice Envy Lust Pride Excess Covetousness Lying Guile Hypocrisie Deceit Fraud Vain Worships Vain Services Persecution and all other Abominations that may be mentioned the true and faithful witness even the Light of his holy Spirit in mankind never did nor will assent unto to any thing that is evil And forasmuch as the Priests are led by another Spirit and acted by another Spirit as by their Fruits and Practices they are manifested even to be led by the spirit of Cain he being the first Persecutor about Religion and the Priests being in the same steps of Persecution they may say if they speak truly Beloved be you followers of us as we are followers of our fore-Fathers Cain the false Prophets and Teachers in Ages past they bringing forth the same Fruits therefore of necessity they must spring from the same corrupt ground and root and therefore let all the wise in heart judge whether we have not good cause to deny them IX It hath been so from the beginning that he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now and when we turned our backs upon ungodliness and waited in the grace of God that we might live godly and righteously in this present evil World we did believe we might suffer by unreasonable reasonable ungodly men who live exalted above the Grace of God of which number the Priests are chief and therefore we deny them X. And whereas Christ Jesus who is Lord of the Sabbath did above sixteen hundred years ago set up the everlasting Worship in the Spirit and Truth and directed all to take that for their Leader into all Truth and the Truth and blessed effects whereof being witnessed to the praise of God this day as it was in the Primitive time And whereas the man-made Ministers of this Age and Generation who are not ordained nor sent of Christ Jesus do teach for Doctrine the Commands of men
power and hath quickened and revived many hungry Souls and he hath made known his sufficiency and help in the needful time And all them who have in Truth laid hold of him cannot part with him for it 's by him that we can do all things well pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God and man And all that have begun in this Spirit and are faithful and obedient thereunto have Hope Faith and Confidence to grow up and be made perfect thereby and so attain to the mark and prize that is before us Though many may and do turn aside through unfaithfulness and disobedience and the many and great tryals that may be met withall through the Oppression and Cruelty of the Worlds Spirit yet over all that hath been and may be met withall we have Hope and Faith that in and through the assistance of the Spirit and Power of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus we shall persevere and go on bearing the blessed fruits of his spirit which is in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth Patience Meekness and Innocency to the finishing our Testimony and laying down our heads in Patience and Joy in Life Everlasting And further concerning the out-goings of this blessed spirit I do testifie my Faith therein that the Lord of Heaven and Earth will by the Majesty and power thereof overturn overturn overturn the power of darkness and destroy all the cursed fruits that have sprung from the corrupt root and ground thereof And by the light of the spirit of Christ Jesus a sight is given to many faithful witnesses that the Ax of the Lord is laid to the root thereof And the Lord of Heaven and Earth that hath begun the work will carry it on and perfect it to his own praise honour and glory and to the establishment of his purchased possession where he Tabernacles and Delights to dwell forever And now this root and off-spring of David this bright and moving Star hath taken deep rooting in many hearts and minds from whence fruits spring and grow to the praise and honour of the Lord of the Harvest and to the joy and comfort of all the faithful and true labourers therein whose out-goings being in the movings leadings and guidings of his holy spirit the which having taken deep root downwards now yields fruits upward in some an hundred in some sixty and in some thirty fold As you may read of the Parable of the Sower and the seed that fell into the good ground Mat. 15. And from the Lord of the Vineyard whose is the Vineyard he having planted many Heavenly Branches into the Vine his good Husbandry and Care is seen to be over them And all whom he hath or may ordain to be Instruments and Servants in this blessed work he ever did and doth maintain them never suffering them to lack Food and Rayment things necessary both for this Life and that which is to come But none that keep within the bounds of the leadings and guidings of his blessed spirit did ever covet Silver or Gold or Preach for filthy Lucre-sake And now the Lord of Heaven and Earth having prepared by his Eternal spirit and power such a Ministry again and sent forth into the Nations who have no such thing in their Eye to draw them out of filthy Lucre but purely and clearly do seek the honour and glory of God and the good and well-being of people This makes the corrupt and false Teachers of the Nation who are made so by man in the Worlds spirit and wisdom being drawn out for filthy Lucre sake and in more then ordinary manner coveting after Silver and Gold this makes these Diviners mad The day of Christ being so clearly come and the man of sin their Master so clearly revealed and a Testimony so clearly goes out against them that their Master the man of sin in all his Transformations though he appear in them and they in him as Ministers of righteousness and by all the best arts and cunning in perverting and wresting the holy mens Testimonies by private Interpretations adding to and deminishing from the Prophesies thereof And seemingly by casting mists and fogs before peoples Eyes they turn the very end and tendency of the holy mens Testimonies and Prophesies left upon record to another use then what they were intended and given forth by the moving of Gods holy Spirit for And this they do partly through Ignorance being so wilfully to hide their Corrupt Proud Arrogant Covetous and Idolatrous practices under And let all whose desires are after the knowledge of the Lord and the peace and rest of their Souls in that unspeakable comfort and joy in that life which is everlasting take but a view of the blessed motions of Gods holy Spirit through holy men in old time as is left upon record And compare the Covetous Idolatrous practices of the false Teachers of the Nation and see how unlike the good they are and how just like the wicked they are Gen. 4. Cain who was of that wicked one he offered but unto his Offering the Lord had no respect Abel offered in Faith 1 Joh. 3.12 and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his Offering And Cain was Wrath and envyed him and Murdered him because his own works wereevil and his Brothers righteous See your Father all you Persecutors about Religion and the ground of his wickedness And the Lord said my Spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh and God shortned his dayes Gen. 6. and said every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually for all flesh had corrupted his way and the Earth is filled with violence through them These were the effects of fleshly motions But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and read what blessed effects his moving therein had The false Prophets moving in a flattering lying Spirit inticed Ahab to go on to his Destruction Micah the true Prophet moving in the Spirit 2 Chron. 18. of Truth and for speaking the Truth was Imprisoned and Fed with Bread and Water The lying Prophets for lying flattering and dissembling are at Liberty Mordicai being one of the Lords people he could not be moved to bow to Haman nor do him reverence Esther 3. though he was told by the Kings Servants often that he transgressed the Kings command This filled Haman with wrath and in his wicked motion he sought the destruction of Mordicai and all his people but read what became of him and his motion Read what dreadful effects the wicked fleshly motions of the Sodomites had Gen. 19. and the blessed effects of Lot's righteous motions against their wickedness Read what the false Prophets moved for and how the true Prophet was moved to cry against them Isaiah 56.10 11. and said They are all dumb dogs yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough They all look to their own way every one for his gain from his
some time of exercise in this work and through the everlasting love of God in the Body in preserving it sound and intire where his will is done and a fight given of the Enemy's working therein and so not able to prevail At length many go out in Distraction to Meetings and there make sad noises to prevent if possible the going forth of the Declaration of Truth as much as in them lyes keeping people from a Reception thereof by their Babbling and Squalling to Disturb Meetings it having plainly appeared But their Nourishment being from the Vine of Sodom disobedience to that which they might be convinced of being the cause from whence the first going out was so the Root being corrupt the Fruit is corrupt so all in time grow dry and withered being an ill savour therein and a stink whilst they live herein upon Earth so that both the way and end in that way is destructive The which may serve for a warning to all who are convinced of the Truth to take heed how they slight Gods love therein in disobeying that Principle of God in them which is meek and lowly and all that live in true Obedience to it they live in safety where evil in uncleanness cannot enter nor haughtiness hath no place there but they that answer that Blessed Principle they rise in its nature to hate uncleanness and haughtiness so in its nature of meekness and lowliness all who grow here bring forth good Fruit which is a Blessed savour in his sight who is Creator of all and all who are grafted into this root and abiding therein do feel sap and nourishment from the same whereby they spring grow and flourish in a green lively sensible life of the exercise of God's love to mankind and so dare not appear otherwise in the sight of men then they stand approved in his sight who sees all things and so meeting together to wait upon him who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth all gathering together in his Blessed Name feeling true Refreshment in his Presence strength there by is renewed to love God above all and to love one another and to watch for the good in one another and to testifie against the evil which may be an occasion of defiling or hurting any still waiting in meekness and love to the end the good may be preserved and that which is evil resisted And though this love by many may be rejected yet it is that which will carry them who are exercised therein above the head of all opposition and preserve them who keep their Habitation therein out of all extreams even to finish their course with Joy and Peace in that Crown of Life which is everlasting Come all you who live in Envy Hatred Malice Strife and Contention Masters and Dames of Familes who are in Branglings and evil and rash Speakings and Discontents these Fruits proceed from a corrupt and cursed ground and so is an ill savour and bad example to your Families This is a great evil And all Children who are Stubborn and Heady who do not obey your Parents as it is meet in the Lord This is a great evil And all Servants who are not Subject and Obedient in your several places but are high-minded and cannot bear Reproofs but are ready to Answer again and to be Disquiet and Murmur and Whisper and to tell Tales to stir up Anger and Strife This is a great evil NOw to the good in every particular is this writ even that good Principle of God by which if taken heed to its nature is to make manifest that which is evil and it will not in the least agree with any thing that is evil That is a Pearl indeed which the Earthly mind and wisdom hath kept people from the knowledge of but the way of the upright which was and is out of evil And so the fear of offending God by obeying his good gift that is good and out of evil which is a true and right way to a clear understanding what to abstain and Fast from and what to Pray in and for according to the will of God So a Testimony of the everlasting love of God in his way which is perfect many have received where the Eye of Understanding hath been opened from which that is seen which was from the beginning even the word of life in which there 's no Evil so its good and just that this be confessed to before men and great evil to deny it so it s the good which is of God by which all evil is overcome so Blessed are they who overcome the evil by the good and so are built and established through the good word of God by which the soul being freed from bondage and corruption in sin and evil from which the soul being set at liberty on the unspeakable love of God herein in his Son manifested to destroy the Devil's works which is sin and evil here is freedom through the the Son of God's love in Deed and Truth so that Scripture is fulfilled If the Son sets you free then are you free indeed whose Blessed freedom is out of sin and evil So the Blessed end of the everlasting love of God in his coming in the Light of his unerring Spirit of life and power to finish sin and put an end to transgression this is seen and known to be the richest and choicest of his many mercies to mankind the which mercy of God being rejected or obstructed through the vain imaginations and evil ways set up by man's wisdom in the fallen estate from a right understanding where conclusions are made That sin cannot be overcome I say to all such who are at ease under that conclusion they are fled to lying vanities where being from a sense of God's mercies in his Son and there dwelling and abiding their habitation is in Darkness their Fasting is in Darkness their Prayers are in Darkness their Fellowship is in Darkness and their Professions and Confessions of God and Christ are in Darkness where they know not what they say or what they do being in Darkness and there reading the Testimony of the holy men of God they are quite blind to what the Will of God is therein so through Darkness the way of God that being hid how many ways have been set up in the dark the Eye that should see that being shut and the Ear that should hear that being stopt the Vultures eye that being open which could never see the way of God so people under gross darkness being led about there by the Vulterous eye an evil eye how are they on heaps about the words being on heaps in Parties so heaps in Parties being up one Party cryes out Lo here another Lo there and so many Parties with their Lo here and Lo there are set up one Party crying out Stand further off my way of building and fashioning in Professions and Confessions of God and Christ is better and more righteous then thine Another Party