EPISTOLAE HN. The Principall Epistles of HN / which he hath set-foorth through the holy Spirit of Loue· and written and sent them â most-cheefly vnto the Louers of y e Trueth and his Acquaintance And are by him newly perused and more-playnly declared Translated out of Base-almaine All Scripture geeuen by the Inspiration of God â–ª is profitable to Teache to Rebuke to Amendment and to Information in Righteousnes for that the Man of God may be perfect prepared to all good vvorkes 2. Timo. 3. No Prophecie in the Scripture / cometh-to-pas by priuate Interpritacion For ther vvas yet neuer any Prophecie brought-forth out of manly VVill but the holy Men of God haue sproken it / being mooued by the holy Goste 2. Pet. 1. Now goeth the Iudgment ouer the World â–ª Now is the Prince of this World cast-out Iohn 12. Now is the Saluation the Power and the Kingdom / becom our Gods and the Might his Christes Apoc. 2. THE PREFACE LYke as an Apotecary doth â by his apotecaries Arte prepare many-kinde of Medecineâ— / to the Health of the naturall Bodyes of sick Men and diuers delightfull Tastes and also sundery sweete Sauors of Spices / to the Delighting of the Children of Men Euen so doth likewyse a Man of God / prepare â by the Wisdom of y e godly Vnderstanding many-kinde of godly Medecines which he â in the Ministration of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue bringeth vnto the falne Man â who is captiued thorough the Sinne / with sundry Sicknesses and Infirmities in the Soule to the Health of his Soule â–ª and many sweete Tastes of the spirituall and heauenly Foode to the Refreshing and Delighting of his Mynde and to the great Ioye of his Spirit in y e secret hauenly Goodes Lyke as one may euidently perceaue in the many and sundry-sorts of distinct and groundy Instructions / touching the true Godlynes and euerlasting Ioye in Iesu Christ / which are witnessed and set-forth by HN Ø›Gods elected Minister in these his Epistles and in all the Testimonyes of his Wrytings / to a perpetuall Health and Lyfe of the Soule and to the Welfare of the Children of Men. 2. To the which true Godlynes and euerlasting Ioye / all Louers of the Trueth and all hungery and thirstye Soules after the Righteousnes as likewyse all People / be â by the godly Testimonyes of these Epistles called and bidden to th end to leade them all namely those which vnder the Obedience of the Loue / do beleeue the Godlynes into the Howse of Loue and to nourish and bring-them-vp in all Godlynes 3. For-that-cause / these Epistles are likewyse to a Teaching and Edifying of all Beleeuers of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue and of the Comunialtee or Church of Christ and are also very profitable and seruiceable vnto all Men / to giue an vpright Knowledg Wherunto the Man is created of God and called or bidden through Christ To th end that all those â which haue a Lust or Will to God and his Righteousnes mought â vnder the Obedience of the Loue giue themselues vprightly to their Calling through Christ· and so becom godly mynded / according to the Requyring of the holy Scriptures· and well exercised or prepared to all good workes Take it to heart A TABLE Contayning the Matter â and Redie finding of the begining of eueri-one of these Epistles The First Epistle A Crying-voyce of the holy Spirit of Loue where-with all People are called / to repentance for their Sinnes Fol. 1. The Second Epistle A Short and pithie Instruction contayning the Misterie of the Loue. Fol. 10. The Thirde Epistle A Groundlie Instruction Declaring the difference betwixt God the Father and his Sonne / the Lorde Iesu Christ. Fol. 19. The Fourth Epistle Of the Mediation of Iesu Christ / in the Spirit for a Reconciliation betwixt God / and the Man Fol. 39. The Fifth Epistle A Stirring-vp of the hearte to the Immitation of Christ in the tyme of suffering and affliction Fol. 65. The Sixt Epistle A Groundlie Instruction / and a Difference of the vnderstandings according to the Truith / of the holy Scriptures Fol. 79. The Seuenth Epistle A True Iudgment or Sentence / out of the Seruice of Loue agaynst the false Iudgment out of the fleshe Fol. 137. The Eight Epistle A Distinction of the Submission / and Vnsubmission in the Spirit Fol. 159. The Nineth Epistle Of the Seruices and Ceremonies / of the Christians / and of the vnchristians and of the right and false vce of them Fol. 189. The Tenth Epistle A pure Instruction / howe one shal be obedient to the woorde of Lyfe and Trueth in the Seruice of Loue. Fol. 205. The Eleuenth Epistle A Rebuke and Exhortation seruing to a Reformation / and to a Repentance for their Sinnes vnto all those that thincke them selues to bee wyse and Therfore blaspheame / and iudge falslye our Seruice / and Comunialtie in the Loue also a warning to the Simple Hearts Fol. 223. The Tvvelueth Epistle A Reproouing Instruction / and exhortation â out of hartie loue to the vnitee of harte / in the Loue. Fol. 251. The Thirteenth Epistle Loueing Informations vnto a Louer of the Trueth which before-tyme had bine a Blaspheamer of the Seruice of the Loue / and of the Ministers ther-of Fol. 265. The Fourteenth Epistle A Breefe Exhortation / vnto a Disciple in the Seruice of the Loue wher-with he is exhorted / to keepe a sharpe watch towards the Spirits / that make-vp themselues in him Fol 287. The Fifteentb Epistle An hartie Exhortation / vnto all Louers of the Trueth To awarning Touching all false Spirits / that make-vp themselues and Iudge falsly agaynst the Trueth Fol. 293. The Sixteenth Epistle An Instructionable Exhortation to the good-willingous whearin is Distinguished the vpright Obedience and the Godlie / and ongodlie beeing Fol. 314. The Seuenteenth Epistle Of the Mans Lordelines / in the beginning of his affall Death and Condamnation and of his restoring agayne vnto his former Lordelines Fol. 337. The Eighteenth Epistle A loueing Exhortation vnto an house-holde / that haue ioyned themselues to the Familie of Loue to be obedient to the Trueth Fol. 352. The Nyneteenth Epistle An hartie Exhortation / to the mooste-zealous good-willing hearts to the Righteousnes also to the Elders and Ministers of the woorde for a warning vnto them of all deceayt that maye chance vnto them / by the an-commers Fol. 365. The Tvventith Epistle Reproouinge of the VVhoordom with good Doctrine / and groundelye Instructions howe one shall turne hym self / to Iesu Christ and the woord of his holie Spirit of Loue and Trueth Fol. 386. FINIS The First Epistle A Crying-voyce of the holy Spirit of Loue / wherwith all People are â out of meere Grace called and bidden by HN / to the true Repentance for thier Sinnes· to the Entrance into the vpright christian Lyfe· and to the Howse of the Loue of Iesu Christ.
the Saluacion the Ioye and the Rest of our Soules with all Gods Saintes / in the euerlasting Lyfe The III. Chap. BEholde and consider â ye Beloued This is now Gods righteous Iudgment / in thissame Daye of his Loue which is the Newe Daye of the 24. Esd. 6. b. Worlde to-com Yea a Daye / which God himself hath ordayned or appoynted / to the SaluacioÌ„ of his Saintes and to the Condemnacion of all Vngodlyones / in the which likewyse / all Saints and Righteousones do reioyce them For vpon thesame / b Act 17. d. the Circuit of the Earth is iudged with Righteousnes according to the Promyses of our God and Father It is verytrue 2. O ye beloued Hearts â which do with vs / loue the vpright Beeing of Christ haue a good regarde heerunto exercise c 1 Timo 4. b yourselues dayly in the Woord of Trueth / vnder the Obedience of the Loue exhort d 1. Tess. 5 b Heq. 3.10 c. one-another also / to the vpright Beeing of Iesu Christ and strengthen yourselues among eachother / to continue stedfast e Act. 11. c. 13. c. 14. c. in Fayth till vnto the Ende of the Suffering and Stryueing agaynst the sinfull and corrupt Nature For f Math. 10. â— 14. b. Mark 13. b. whosoeuer continueth stedfast till vnto the Ende as is written hee shal be saued 3. With thissame â for a Recreacion vnto your Hearts coÌ„fort and cherrish yourselues among eachother I hope ouer a little whyle / to com vnto you and to talke with you by Mouth / of all what is â by Gods Grace g 1. Timo. 1. b committed vnto Mee and is profitable vnto you to Edifycacion For that is doutles the Delyte and all the Desyre of my Heart 4. Heerwith â ye Beloued with Laude and Thankes-giueing vnto God / for your Zeale and Dilligent-care that ye haue to the Righteousnes of the Loue / I do salute you all very hartely namely euen the whole Howsholde of you as my beloued Bretheren and Sisters in the Loue with a Salutacion and Kisse of Loue. 5. I do also giue Thankes vnto the Lorde / for the Benefites Gifts and Beneuolence / that ye haue sent vnto mee / to an Helpfulnes and Furtherance of the Seruice of Loue. 6. The Lorde giue Strength vnto you all h Ephe. 3. b. Coâ— 1. b. 1. Pet. 5. b. and strengthen your Spirit / in his Trueth The Loue and the Goodnes of our God and Father / establish you in his louely and true Beeing Amen 7. Salute me hartely likewyse â with a Salutacion of the Loue vnto all our Freendes and Louers of the Trueth / which are adioyned to the Famyly of Loue and with whom ye haue dayly your Fellowshipp / in the Seruice of Loue. 8. Thatt God / who is the Loue and the euerlasting Lyfe / bring his godly Beeing plentifully vnto you all namely his i Ephe. 1. b. holy Spirit which is the Pawne of our Inheritance And his Loue take the Victory in all your Heaets Amen The Ende of the Eightenth Epistle Our Heart / is the Minde of God most-hie Our Beeing amiable / as the sweete Lillie Our Faithfulnes / Loue / and Trueth vpright / Is Gods Light / Life / and Cleernes bright The Nyntenth Epistle An harty Exhortacion vnto the most-zealous good-willing Hearts to the Righteousnes and vnto the Elders and Ministers of the Woord / in the Comunialtee of the Loue For a Warning vnto them all / of all Deceit that may chaunce vnto them by the new Commers-on to the mostholy Seruice of Loue. Open not your Heart vnto euery Man lest any Falshod be don vnto you by the Strainger Eccli 8.12 If a Freende ioyne vnto thee / prooue him first and beleeue him not ouersoone For ther are many false Freendes which continue not â as Freendes in the Dayes of Tribulacion but they turne them a-bout to Enimitee for to stryue against thee And if thâ—n they knowe or remember any shamefull thing by thee / thatt do they vpbrayde thee with-al Ier. 9. Mich. 7. Eccli 6.8.12 Math. 10.24 1 Iohn 4. To the Kingly Seede of the holy Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / be Health and Saluacion The First Chapter MY BELOUed Bretheren in the Loue which are groweing-vp vnder the Obedience of the Loue â in the holy Woord of the euerlasting Trueth to the a Ephe. 4 b. Age of the manly Vnderstanding of Iesus Christ and with whom I haue had my Conuersation in speaking of the Woord b Iohn â— 6 g. 1 Iohn 1. a of Lyfe / which is com and reuealed vnto vs / by Gods Grace wherwith God hath shewed Mercy on vs / according to his Promyses 2. My Exhortacion is hartely vnto you all that ye wil also in my Absence from you / be alwayes c Iohn 15. c. myndfull of the Speeche touching the Godlynes / euen as I haue vsed thesame with you and breake d Act. 2 e. distribute and feede-vpon thesame e Iohn 6. e. Bread of Lyfe â among eachother that is geeuen vnto vs from Heauen â by God the heauenly Father and brought vnto you / for a Foode vnto all your Soules And so becom you all feedd with thesame Bread / to an vpright and louely Lyfe in the Loue. 3. Drincke all now f Math. 26. â— Luk. 22. b. 2. Cor. 11. c. out of thissame Cupp of the Loue / full of y e pure Blood of Iesus Christ out of the which / the holy Blood or Lyfe of Christ / is now â in the Passe-ouer with Christ in his Suffering and Death / till vnto the seconde g Math. 19. â— Rom. 6. a. Birth from the Death geeuen vnto vs to drincke / for a true Testament and euerlasting Forgiuenes of Sinnes and becom now all washed and cleansed â in your Inwardnes h 1. Pet. 1. a. Heb. 9.10 b c. 12. c. Apo. 7. b. with thesame pure Blood of the Loue of Iesu Christ / the true Testament which shall continue for euer Which Testament / God himself / hath â as an eternal-continuing Beeing sealed with himself / in the Seruice of his Loue. 4. O my beloued Hearts and Bretheren in the Loue of our Lorde Iesu Christ take-heede in any-wyse i Eccli 4. c. 27. b. Gal. 6. b. to this gracious Tyme and haue a good regarde vnto my Sayings of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ And in euery-poynt / according as I in tymes-past haue talked with you by mouth / of this Passe-ouer with Christ / k Rom 6. a. Phil. 3. b. Col. 2. b. in his Suffering and Death / till vnto the Kingdom of the God of Heauens and of all the Perfection l Apo. 21.2 and Garnishing of thesame Kingdoms Beawty / eueÌ„ so is likewyse his Foorme / whear it is manifest in all Loue. And according to thesame Foorme or Beeing / see that you all
Woord behynde you and so liue your owne Freedom Veryly it shall not vantage you to the Lyfe but all deadly Things and euell Inclynacions / shall ketch and captiue you The IIII. Chap. FOrthatcause my beloued Heartes receaue you my a pro. â— â— Chastisment / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes Let my Warning from the Destruction / b Pro 4 a sinck into your Hearts and c Iam. 4. b. submitt yourselues betymes vnder the gracious Woord of the godly Lyfe / Lest ye lament it afterward / that ye haue let the d Sap. 5. a. b. c â–ª Tyme pas / that serueth to your Saluacion or to the Cleansing of your Hearts and e Eccli 4 â— not taken-heede to thesame / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord and Seruice of the holy Spirit of Loue and shall then fynde no Comfort in your Heartes 2. WHerfore seperate now first or before-al / your f Pro. 3. â— Hearts Myndes and Thoughtes / from all your taken-on Knowledg / also from all g Sap. 14 d. Abuce and Disorderlynes and becom h Ier. 4. b. circumcised to the Lorde / in thissame holy Daye and Seruice of Loue. 3. Giue-ouer yourselues altogether to the holy Woord of the Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ â to shewe Obedience therunto to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes and i Psal. 32. a. Eccli 4. d. 1 Iohn 1. b. confesse your Sinnes and Faultes / before the Seate of the Maiestee of God and k Esa. 1. d. Eze 36. c. Iohn 13. b. wash and cleanse yourselues / with the holy Water of the Loue / That ye may then in that sort â with pure Hearts vnderstande the spirituall Vnderstanding of Iesu Christ· inherit the heauenly Goodes· and so com or enter holyly into the vpright Freedom and l Heb. 4. c. Rest of the Children of God 4. If now ye stand-mynded to giue yourselues to an vpright and godly Beeing of the Loue / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and if ye woulde gladly with all what is vnder your Hande and Power / be preserued m Eccli 1. a in Righteousnes and becom fruitfull in the holy Woord of the Spirit of Loue / for to minister thesame vnto others moe â to their Preseruacion in the Godlynes who do walke yet in Darknes / So consider then / what is taught and presented vnto you â for to doo euenso first-of-al by the holy and gracious Woord in the Seruice of Loue / to your Preseruacion in Righteousnes and to your Fruitfulnes in the Woord and to a Guyding into the true and vpright heauenly Beeing and indeuour you therunto / for to accomplish or obediently to performe thesame / To th end that ye may euenso then / be founde n 2. Cor. 2.3 a 2 Tim. 2. a profitable and fitt to the Seruice of the holy Woord / and may â with all what is vnder your Hande or Power be preserued in the vpright and godly Being of the Loue. 5. If-so-be now ye consider thesame rightly and indeuour you aright therunto / then shall ye likewyse well vnderstande / that the holy Woord of Grace and the godly Seruice of Loue / calleth and requyreth you all to the Famyly of Loue o 1. pet 1. a. b. 2 Pet. 1. a together with all what is vnder your Hande and Power / to this ende namely to your â— Preseruacion in Righteousnes and to an Vniformnes with the holy and gracioâ—s Woord 6. And moreouer / forasmuch doutles as it shall all now perish / whatsoeuer bydeth without the gracious Woord and Famyly of Loue / therfore doth now the gracious Woord of the holy Spirit of Loue requyre namely of all you to whom thesame holy Woord / is this-daye administred that ye shall first or before-al / p Esa. 52. c. 2. Cor. 6. â— seperate yourselues from the q Rom. 12 a. 1. Cor. 2.5 b wicked Worlde which nodout â with all what cleaueth vnto her shall remayne without the Famyly of Loue o 1. pet 1. a. b. 2 Pet. 1. a and vtterly vanish to nothing and be condemned / and depart-out-of and forsake all her Abhomynations 7. Sett yourselues r Luk. 14. d Iohn 12. Act. 4. f. â— and all whatsoeuer ye haue· and is vnder your Hande or Power / submitted â with humble and simple Heartes vnder the gracious Woord of God the Father of the Sonne Iesu Christ and of the holy Gost / in the Famyly of the Loue of Iesu Christ / to your Preseruacion in Righteousnes and for the Loue of Iesu Christ-his sake / s Math. 10 â— 16 c Luk. 14 d. forsake and leaue it all â for clayming Propertee therin / and acknowledg t Psal. 24 a that it is all the Lordes and is Proper vnto Him Besydes thatt also / forsake â–ª v Math. 1â— c Luk. â—4 â— leaue and hate / your owne Lyfe which ye liue vnto yourselues and which ye haue taken-on / according to your owne Will Lustes and Desyres 8. Humble yourselues likewyse good-willingly and obediently â with entyre good-willing Heartes before y e x Heb. 5 a Seate of y e Maiestee of God and IudgmeÌ„t of Christ inasmuch as the holy Woord of God the Father and of Christ / is ministred ther-out· and all what assembleth itselfe therunto and loueth Righteousnes / preserued ther-vnder / and submitt you to all Obedience 9. Make-manifest yourselues y Psal. 37. a. Pro. 16 a 1 Iohn 1 b nakedly â in the Confession z Eccli 4. c 17. c of your Sinnes before thesame Seate of the Maiestee of God and Iudgment a 2. Cor. 5. b. of Christ / and so then assemble you naked or vncouered / to the Comunialtee of Saintes or to the Famyly of Loue and enter into the Doctrine of the godly Lyfe 10. And from that Tyme forward / follow and obeye â with all dutifull b Phil. 2. a. 1. Tess. 5. b. Heb. 13. c. Obedience and Concord / with the Elders of the holy Vnderstanding and Ministers of the holy Woord in the Famyly of Loue the Requyring of the godly Doctrine of the holy Woord and the c Pro. 1 2 3 a. Heb. 13. c Counsayle of the Elders in thesame vntill that ye are growen-vp to the d Ephe. 4 c Agednes of the holy and godly Vnderstanding / in all Loue and vpright Righteousnes· and euenso rightly made-free by e Iohn 8. d. the Trueth / according to the Testimony and Iudgment of the Elders· and f Act 2 d knowen for right Elders in the godly Vnderstanding· or ordayned to be Ministers of the Woord 11. For thatsame / and for to giue themselues good willingly therunto with all their Heartes and so to continue g Pro. 6. â— steadfast obediently in the gracious Woord of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ and in his Seruice / till vnto the h Ephe. 4 c. Agednes of the
desyre likewyse of thee / that the Comunialte which is with thee / may also reade this Letter and salute them all in my behalf / e Rom. 16. b. 2. Cor. 13. b. with a Salutacion of the Loue. And if ther be any among you / that are acquaynted with Any-people / whom they knowe to seeke God with Heart or that are no vndiscreet Blaspheamers but stande wel-mynded to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue / let them also freely reade-ouer this Wryting and loue alwayes the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue to an Increasing of the holy Knowledg and reioyce you among each-other in the Loue / through the spirituall f Ephe. 1. a. heauenly Goodes which do com vnto vs in the Spirit / out of the godly Loue. 4. The Loue of God the Father / g Col. 3. b. gett the Victory in all your Hearts Amen 5. Pray for me / that the Lord wil strengthen me in my Spirit / with his Loue / To th end that I may be strengthened in Him / without Feare and so may stand-fast against all mynâ— Enemyes and that the Concord of Peace may be prepared vppon Earth / through the Loue and her Seruice according to the Promyses The Ende of the Fowrth Epistle Our Heart / is the Minde of God most-hie Our Beeing amiable / as the sweete Lillie Our Faithfulnes / Loue / and Trueth vpright / Is Gods Light / Life / and Cleernes bright The Fift Epistle A Stirring-vp of the Heart to the Immitation or Following of Christ / in the Suffering of his Crosse Written and sent by HN in the tyme of his Suffering and Affliction / vnto his Freende Wherwith he informeth him / with Vnderstanding and Woordes of Humilitee / because that he shoulde not growe-offended in any thing· but alwayes hope on the Goodnes of the Lorde My Freends hast thou â O Lorde put farr from me thou hast made me loathsom vnto them I lye captiued and cannot com-foorth Myne Eye is sadd with Misery Lorde / I call dayly vnto thee and I stretch-out my Hande to thee Psal. 88. Health and Saluation / be vnto thee my Freende whom I loue to the Righteousnes The First Chapter FOrasmuch â thou Beloued as I haue had certeÌ„ Woordes with thee / touching myne AfflictioÌ„ and Wofulnes of Heart in the Spirit and touching the a Psal. 18. a. 2. Tess. 2. a. Breaking-thorow the sinfull Beeing / for to com to the Kingdom of God and that thou as farr as I coulde perceaue hadst little Sight or Discerning therof and that me thought also / that thou â vp reason of myne Affliction didst more estrainge thyself from me / then gett an Hearty-affection towards me / So is therfore my Spirit becom inclyned to wryte a little vnto thee Wherwith I do shewe / that I rest still in hope that God woulde lighten thyne Heart a little / with the holy Light of his godly Beeing b Ephe. 1. c. and graunt thee to see or to discerne / the right Meaning of my Wordes that I haue spoken with thee 2. For I am very certayne and sure of this / if the Lorde open the Doore of Vnderstanding vnto thee â wherby to see-into the vpright godly Beeing / c Gal. 4. a. Ephe. 4. a. Apo. 21. a. that ought to haue a liueing Foorme in vs that thou likewyse / shalt knowe thesame wheruÌ„to I am inclyned with Desyre and with all my Heart and after the which / I â in the Hope do carry a Zeale or apply my Dilligence / for to obteyne thesame of the God of the Liueing if Hee Ø›the Almighty vouchsafe the Grace vnto Mee Vnworthyone 3. But now am I in many Mens Eyes â as also haply in thyne very ougly and loathsom and therfore d 1. Câ—â— 4. b. contemnable and reiectable with Many But all this cometh vppon mee / because that I am so exceeding weake e Psal. 6. a. 2. Cor. 12. b Apo. 3. c. and feeble and of myne-owne-part / haue no Righteousnes with me nor any Esteemation / according to the outward Man of the Flesh. 4. ALthough â my Beloued that I seeme thus loathsom as also of myne-owne-part / am so altogether weake and voyde of strength and am contemned by all Goodthinking-wyseones false Setters-forth-of-religion and Hipocrites· and defamed f 2. Cor. 6. â— by them / with many false Bruits / Yet wonder not thou neither be offended at thesame as y t thou shouldest therfore turne thy Heart from the Seruice of Loue and from Mee 5. For truly / in that all this cometh-vppon me or in that I am a little whyle g Psal. 8. â— forsaken by the Power of my God and do fynde myself â of myne-owne-part h 2. Cor. 3. â—2 so vnmighty to the Righteousnes of God and am contemned blaspheamed and falsly defamed or accused by Many / it hapneth because that I shoulde not in-any-wyse be stout in my Heart· nor boast myself vppon myne owne Knowledg and Workes nor-yet vppon any i Tess. 2. a. Gal. 1. b. Prayse or Comendation of Men· but highly esteeme of the Grace of God / to th end that the Lorde â and not I mought euen so haue k Psal. 114 b. all Laude Honour and Prayse For Hee only is the Lorde to whom only / all Honour doth likewyse appertayne 6. FOr-that-cause / be not thou offended at the Workes of God / with his Saincts nor-yet at the Contempt which I suffer and beare at the handes of many false Hearts and good-thinking Wyseones and Scriptur-learned But note that the Lorde l Psal 4 a. leadeth his Holyones wonderfully and how that God m Psal. 129. b. Apo. 15. a. is wonderfull in his Workes 7. For n 1 Reg. 2. a. Psal. 113. a. Luk. 2. f. He maketh ritch and poore agayne and then He maketh ritch agayne / because that men shoulde euenso knowe his Ritches rightly and loue them according to their Value 8. He bringeth the Man into a wyde o Psal. 18. c. 31. a. 119. c. Roome and agayne into great Straightnes and Contempt and out of the Straightnes and Contempt / into a wyde Roome agayne / because y t he shoulde rightly knowe his wyde Roome· and liue therin vprightly The II. Chap. THis wryte I vnto thee out of hearty Loue / my Beloued / for that thou shouldest not be discouraged in any thing nor offended in mee neither-yet dismayed in thy Heart in any-wyse / because of my Mysery and Contempt which I do endure or suffer in the like a Rom. 6 a. Phil. 3. b. Death of the Crosse of Christ wherin I follow-after b Math. 16. c. 1. Pet. 2. c. 4. a Christ. But trust firmly vpon him that is the only God 2. Therfore let not thy Heart be mooued for any-maner of thing that thou seest or hearest outwardly but submitt thyself â c 1. Pet. 5. b. with all Humilitee vnder the mighty Hande of God and giue-ouer
thou from all those which do seeke only the earthly Things Heer-vppon let vs alwayes think / in thissame euell and perrilous Tyme The V. Chap. THou wrytest also vnto me / that thy Sight is / that thou doest not so knowe God / as that He shoulde still deale rygorously with his People likeas He hath don in the olde Testament euen as ther standeth written 2. I haue not doutles written vnto thee / that God hath dealt rygorously with mee but that his Enemyes as is also before rehearsed haue dealt rygorously with me / with Crueltee and Accusation euen as they haue likewyse shewed in a Psal. 42.44 b. 69 b â— 102 b. 109. e. Math 26.27 Act 22 23. tymes-past / on Christ and his Saincts 3. These woulde gladly haue satisfyed their Lust on me / to my Destruction Of whom I had written vnto thee / that I hoped to see my Desyre on myne Enemyes and Accusers namely that they / all those that accused me and woulde gladly haue seene my Destruction shoulde be iudged into the Condemnation themselues 4. Looke into the matter rightly For euenso soundeth the Letter that I haue written vnto thee and not that God dealeth rygorously with his People / neither hath He also at any tyme â as neither now presently nor-yet in the olde Testament dealt rygorously· but alwayes graciously with them but I haue bin constrayned by myne Enemyes â for my Sinnes cause to suffer my Punishment for a certen-tyme / like as the Lordes People also / in the olde Testament / were constrayned by their Enemyes â of whom they were captiued to suffer-out their Punishment / for their Sinnes cause For for their Sinnes cause / the holy Citee Ierusalem b 4. Reg. 2â— 2. Par. 36. Ier. 5â— and the Temple of the Lorde were layd-waste / and they lead-away captiue and very-sore punished / vnder the Power of Babel 5. But after thatt / when they obtayned the Grace agayne before their God c Ier. 32. Zach. 8. and that their Harts were cleansed / both from the Sinne and the sinfull Desyres / they were brought agayne out of the strainge Nations / to their owne Lande and Heritage and to the holy Citee Ierusalem / the which â and also the Temple of the Lorde was buylded d 1 Esd. 3. Ezech. 40. Agg. 1.2 Zach. 2.4.6 agayne anew / in thesame Tyme for to offer holy Gifts and Offerings euen-thear vnto their God / that are delytfull vnto Him the which they coulde not doo among the strainge People nor in forrayne Landes neither coulde they likewyse sing e Psal. 137. a. their Songs of Sion / in their Captiuitee in Babilon but they must thear beare their Contempt / for their Sinnes cause 6. Consider well of the Mynde and looke into the Images of the olde Testament / according to the Spirit and according to the Trueth and how that it shall all now that is set-foorth f Ezo 25. c. Act 7. c. Heb. 8. a. image-lyke in the Olde-testament / be g Math. 5. b. accomplished in the true Beeing Besydes-this / so consider also / how that God hath neuer dealt rygorously with his People and h Psal. 13.6 how that his Goodnes endureth for euer The VI. Chap. BUt thou wrytest Hath He not taken on him the manly Nature and therin geeuen vs a Promyse in such-sort / as that his Sonne shoulde performe or satisfy all for vs And for those that rightly vnderstande it / He hath performed it all / according as thou Vnderstandest the matter 2. OH Heer-vpon mought I take occasion to wryte much / because ther is so much and many-kyndes of Misunderstanding risen-vpp out of such Sentences or Iudgments But I hope well of the best Vnderstanding / in thee Neuerthelesse / with doubt 3. It is true Hee which is all that is Ø›the God of Glory hath â in Christ taken on him the a Phil. 2. a. Heb. 2. b. manly Nature and geeuen vs a Promyse therin but thatsame is don with Difference 4. Therfore looke into the Scripture / according to the Mynde of the Wisdom and not according to the Vnderstanding of the earthly and fleshly Myndes 5. For God taketh not on him / the Seede of the Heathen nor the Nature of the Vncircumcisedones but / b Heb. 2. b. the Seede of Abraham which beareth in him / the Couenant of Gods Circumcision and in thatt Seede c Gen. 12.21 b 22. b. 26. a Act. 3. c. Gal. 3. a. b is the Promyse of Saluation or the Blessing of all Generations of the Earth / geeuen 6. And euenthus hath the Seede of Abraham the Promyse / to possesse the d Gen. 12.17 Psal. 105. b. Lande of Canaan namely the Kurnell or the Heart of the Heathen as an Heritage / for euer For inasmuch as Abraham beleeued / therfore is he likewyse chosen of God / e Gen. 17. a. Rom. 4. b. to be a Father of Fayth and called out of the Heathen or Vncircumcision / into the Couenant of Gods Circumcision and euenthus in his Fayth and in his Seede / is the Promyse made to the Blessing of all Generations of the Earth 7. Which Promyse standeth-firme for euer / in the Woord of Lyfe and in the Fathers of the Couenant Wherout also all Gods Prophets haue had their cleere Sight and Testymony of the Trueth and f Esa. 40.60.62 Ier. 13. a. 30. a. 31.33 so haue prophecied g Luk. 1.8 1. Pet 1. b. on the Establishing of the Promyses 8. Beholde this Promyse euen as God had spoken to the Fathers of the Couenant· h Act. 30. and by the Mouth of all his holy Prophets is sealed confirmed or established on the Stock of Iuda i Math. 1. Luk. .1.2 b. the Sonne of Iacob / wherout Dauid is borne From whom / k Gen. 49. b. the Rodd is not taken nor a Master from his Feete / till that the Iust com For to Him shall the People inclyne and obtayne their Saluation in Him according to the Promyses 9. This Iustone consider wel of the Vnderstanding is the l Sap. 7. c. â— Cor. 4. a. Col 1. b. very-lyke Beeing of God the almighty Father And Hee â in his Birth out of the liueing Godhead according to the Spirit m Rom 1. a. 1. Tim. 3. c â–ª and out of the Seede of Dauid according to the Flesh is verytruly the Sonne of God and Man and the true Sauiour n Luk. 2. b. Phil. 3. c. 1. Tim. 4. c. of Men / to the Blessing of all Generations of the Earth according to the Promyses 10. Therfore also hath the Power of God named o Luk. 1. â— 2. c Him Iesus and He is by his Disciples / published among all People / p Act. 2.3 4.5 c. to be a Christ which saueth 11. Beholde this vpright and true Beeing of God the Father which according to the Flesh / is q Esa. 53. a b. Sap.
vertuous Nature which floweth out of the Loue and her Seruice / as an vncorrupt Milke For with the Loue and her Seruice / ther-is nothing false f 1. Cor. 13. b. euell nor wicked / neither-yet anything deadly nor condemnable but the Fulnes of Lyfe and Peace And whosoeuer is in the Loue and standeth submitted to her Seruice / to shewe Obedience / in him ther-is no Euell Wickednes nor Craftynes 4. But if anyman do imagine any Wickednes or Euell therof and that the Wickednes doth euenso gett place in his Heart / against the Loue and her Seruice / Hee veryly is an Adulterer g Math. 5. â— and committeth Adultry with the Euell against the pure Wedlock of the vpright Loue. 5. Thosame Adulterers and Adultrisses / must beare h Gal. 6. â— their owne Burden or Fault / for their Adultry and Whordom and be afflicted with Greefs / in thosame Workes of their Whordom till that they do acknowledg and confesse their Fault / in the Comunialtee of Saincts / among the Children of Loue and so do submitt them vnder the Obedience of the Loue / to a i Rom. 6.12 a Ephe. 4. e. Renewing of their Hearts or Spirits / To th end that they may euenso be washed and puryfyed / through the Floodd or k Iohn 3 a Tit. 3. a. Water-fountayne of the Loue / to the Forgiuenes of their Sinnes· and turned-about in their Spirit / to be innocent Children / that imagine neither Euell nor Craftynes And whosoeuer then turneth him about in that sort l Math. 18.19 b Mark 10. b. to him cometh the Kingdom of Heauens and the euerlasting Lyfe 6. Therfore let our Conuersation m Eph 4. a. b be vpright in the Loue and let noman knowe nor imagine any Euell nor any Guyle or Wickednes but becom in that maner altogether playne or innocent n 1. Cor. 14. c in Euell / so shal-ther no Euell nor Deceit be founde among you 7. Growe-vp in o 2 Pet 3. c the Vertue and in the godly Wisdom and becom prudent and vnderstanding therin â–ª as also Men and Elders with graye Heare For among those that are growne olde or aged therin / p Eccli 8.9 is the Wisdom and the Concordablenes with the Elders in the holy Vnderstanding Therfore be ye alwayes agreably q Rom. 12. b. â—5 a 1. Cor. 1. a 2. Cor. 12. b. Phil. 2. a. mynded to all Vnitee of Heart in the Loue and take ye all therin your Delyte of Lyfe 8. Also couer not r Pro. 28. b. your Hearts before the Elders in the Famyly of Loue and let noman deale priuily in anything nor hyde anything in secret but let eueryone make-manifest himself as he is and of all what God hath foreseene s Gen. 1. c. 9. a 1. Tim. 4. a. for good and vpright / from the Begining and is edifying towards the Righteousnes / let noman be ashamed / in the Comuniattee of Saincts / whose Hearts stande submitted vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 9. But let not any Contention t Ephe. 4.5 a. 1. Pet. 2. a. â— â— Euell Subtiltee to Wickednes nor any Deceit or Craftynes / be harkened-vnto by you but let it all be layd-doune among you / vnder the Loue. And the Loue of God the Father / get the Victory in that sort in all your Hearts Amen The VII Chap. THese Testymonyes euen-as they are reuealed vnto me in Heauen / by the holy Spirit of Loue / according to the Sentence of the righteous Iudgment haue I â out of inclyned Loue written to the Seruice of you all / my beloued Hearts and to a Declaring of y e righteous Iudgment / wherby to reueale and make-knowen before you all / that no Flesh of the falne Adam / is vngilty a Iob. 4. b 9 a 2â— a Psal. 143. a. before God neither-yet hath it any right in his Iudgment / To th end that it may all becom submitted vnder the Loue and her Seruice and that it may all euenso â thorough the Loue and her Seruice be b Esa. 65 b. 2 Pet. â— b renewed according to Gods Trueth / to an vpright Knowledg and Vnderstanding and to the Amendment and Makeing-wholl of all thatt which is marred or made-euell and that likewyse through the Loue and her Seruice / all Offenciuenes or Euel-conceaueing of the Flesh / mought be c Ephe 4. c. Col. 3. b. layd-doune· and all thatt which is of God and Christ / restored or brought-to-right and that all People mought â through the Loue and her Seruice acknowledg the Goodnes of God and his Merry to an euerlasting godly Tryumph of our God and to the Blessing of all Generations of the Earth according to the Promyses made to the Fathers 2. HEer-with I do salute you eueryone / with a Salutacion of the Loue yee which haue your fellowshipp with vs / to the Obedience in the Loue and euenso with Exhortacion to the Good / salute you all one-another likewyse / with a Salutacion of the Loue. 3. Receaue one-another in-like-maner / with Lessons and Exhortacions to the Loue and her Concord and let your Hearts be set-at-quyet / through the Loue and think vpon no other Righteousnes nor Holynes / but vpon thatt which is requyred by the Seruice of Loue and which bringeth all Loue with it And all whatsoeuer ye doo and leaue all d 1. Gor. 10 d. 16. b Col 3. b. thatsame / doo and leaue / in the Name of the Loue or for the Loues sake 4. Heer-vnto / becom you all agreeably mynded as loueing Children in the Loue / then can-ther no Discord nor any Euell nor Offenciuenes / gett any place among you But your Course-of-lyfe shal be in the Loue and in Peace and God shall be with you and ye shall vnderstand e Math. 13. the Iudgments of God and their Secrets And noman shal be able to spoyle you of the right Freedom / which we haue in the Loue of Iesu Christ. With which Lyfe of the vpright Beeing of the Loue / God hath shewed Mercy on vs / to the end that we shoulde liue loueingly sweetheartedly and peaceably therin / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. To the which God of Loue only / belongeth f 1. Tim. â— b. 6. b. the Honour and all Laude and Prayse for euermore Amen The Ende of the Seuenth Epistle The Eigth Epistle A cleere Distinction of the Submission and Vnsubmission in the Spirit With certen groundly Informations and Instructions SeÌ„t vnto a Louer of the Trueth / at his hearty Request Very profitable and seruiceable / to the Knowledg of the Godlynes Beholde how that I haue not laboured for myself only but also for those that desyre Information Ecclesi 33. Heer-with be vnto the my Beloued LW / Health and Saluation The First Chapter FOrasmuch as Mercy is chaunced vnto mee / thorough the Loue of God the Father / therfore is also my Spirit inclyned
Foolishnes nor of Gods Righteousnes / which is so safe-making in vs / ouer the Sinne nor-yet of the manly Power of God / which is so like-chyldish in vs / ouer the Childishnes 2. But seing that ther are Somme now / which thinck themselues to be e Esa 5. c. Pro. 3. a. Rom. 12. b wyse and so do figure-foorth a Cleernes vnto themselues / according to the Mynde of the Flesh and Imagination of the Knowledg / Therfore haue they stumbled or taken-offence at our Chyldishnes and at the Appeerance of our Foolishnes and turning themselues awaye from vs and falsly reporting som euell matter of vs / behynde our backs they haue shot-out their false Testimonyes and Lyes / against vs and so haue made-manifest their false Hearts / against our chyldish and simple Kyndnes shewed towards them / as that ther is nothing-els in their Hearts / but Backbyting and Traytory and al-maner of Venom f Psal. 14.140 Rom. 3 b. vnder their Tongues and that they â with their subtill Knowledg are thorowly-mynded to g 1 Timo. 4. a 2 Timo. 3. a seduce those of small Vnderstanding / from our safe-makeing Ministration and to bring them into errour / wherthrough the erring Sheepe becom then scattered or skared froÌ„ each-other also rent h Esa. 53. b Eze. 34. Iohn 10. 1. Pet. 2. c. and strangled and not gathered-together â to a Concord into their right Sheep-folde nor-yet saued 3. Therfore haue not Such nor-yet their euell Nature / any Power nor Vnderstanding to informe the Ignorantones with the safe-makeing Testimonyes of Christ nor to assist the Sinners with the true Vertue and Righteousnes / to a Repentance for their Sinnes wherby to gyde them into y e perfect Righteousnes which God esteemeth / nor to informe the Vnwyseones / with the true Wisdom / nor to poynt the Erringones / i Eze. 34. a. into the right Waye / nor through Loue / to take al-things in Patience / concerning the godly Matters / not-yet to couer k 1. Pet. 4. b. Iam. 5. c. the Multitude of Sinnes that the miserable People mought be holpen-vp out of the Pitt of their Fall and becom l Psal. 34.51 b 147. a. Esa. 57.61 a saued but according to their vnreformed Nature â like-as it appeereth they are much-more inclyned to reporte euerything to the worst / that meeteth them agaynst their owne Myndes and to rayle-at and blaspheame thesame 4. For-that-cause seing that they in their Contrarynes / are growen wrathfull towards vs / therfore do they likewyse much-rather cry-out in euery Streete and Corner / that Wrong is offered them / and that wee and all simple Hearts / which â to there Cleansing from the Sinne do cleaue vnto the Doctrine and Concorde of the Seruice of Loue / are wicked / and y â— it is all Wrong Misunderstanding and Foolishnes / wherafter we labour and are zealous and so then m Psal. 10.64 Ier. 11.18 b Sap. 2. b. they knowe how to iudg ieste mock enuye and to speake much euell against vs / and to fome-out and spredd-abrode althings to the worst / that is against their owne Myndes / and with false Bruits / to make their Neighbour â towards whom they haue conceaued a Mislyking to be reprochfull euerywhere 5. SEing then that I haue respect vnto my God / and how beneficiall loueing faythfull True and n Eze. 1â— c. 1. Timo. 1.2 a 1. Pet. 3. a. safe-making / He standeth-mynded / and how He hath illuminated and endowed mee with thesame Loueing-kyndnes in-such-sort / that I for-that-cause haue no regard at-al to y e vayne and false Babling of many People but to the Ministration which is profytable and needfull for y e Man vnto Saluation / Therfore doth Hee also keepe o Psal. 17.63 â— my Soule vnder the Wings of his Loue / because that I shoulde cleaue vnto Him and his Maiestee and be seruiceable vnto all Men / to their Preseruation in the Godlynes and not regarde the Backbyters / that speake Euell of me and mock me / nor the Deryders / that walke in Lightmyndednes / p 2 Pet 2.3 a. Iude. 1. â— according to their owne Desyres and Good-thinking Who do likewyse turne-away themselues from vs and our godly Doctrine· dispise the Dominion of God· as also the q Iohn 17. b. Comminialtee in the Vnitee of Heart / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. Yet do Many of them bost that they for-al-that â in their false Deedes do stande at concord· cleaue to the Woord of the Lorde and his Loue· and desyre to holde Peace with all Men. 6. It is true they cleaue indeede to their good-thinking Woord and their owne Mynde of Loue neither do they also fall very-soone from thesame and with the Worlde / Many of them are likewyse at concorde and they seeke their Peace nodout / with the Children of the wicked Worlde and with those that are cleaueing to thesame and that giue eare and respect vnto them in them they see no Euell neither do they contende against them nor-yet blaspheame them for they are most-like vnto their owne Heartes 7. But those that haue submitted their Soules vnder the Obedience of the Loue / for Gods Righteousnes cause and which do dayly â with Christ r 1 Math. 16. d. 2. Cor 4. b. Gal. 6. a. carry the Crosse and Suffering in their Hearts / with them they stande not at concorde neither do they desyre also / to be one Heart and Mynde with them but to contende boldly against them and knowe alwayes how to rehearse much Wrong and Ignorance of them Yea / vpon them they haue dayly all their sight bent s Psal. 41. a. to see if they mought spy-out anything by them or heare anything of them / that were not right in their Eyes or Eares / to th end that they mought then spreadd thesame abroade and bring them to Shame 8. Beholde Thatt is the Nature of all Self-wyseones and Declyners from the Obeying of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and of all false concordable People and false Hearts / which take vppon them arrogantly out of their vnrenewed Hearts / s Esa. 30. b. Mich. 2.3 to witnes of the godly Matters / for Trueth and to institute or to vse any Seruices 9. Ah consider I pray you / what a false Concorde and what a false Christianitee and false Loue such do carry and what a common Peace / they do all very gladly desire to holde with the wicked Worlde and all Vngodlyones 10. OH â my beloued Hearts consider well of Such I pray you / how vtterly their Vnderstanding is t Sap. 2. c. Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b corrupted through their good-thinking Knowledg / Wher-through they do also take their occasion to blaspheame our Comunialtee of Saints in the Loue and to defame vs with al-maner of Euell and so ther-vnder â as in a v Math. â— 23 Showe of som better thing they
couer their owne wicked or euell Hearts 11. Seing then that my God â who only is the Lorde giueth nothing-els into my Heart / but Wisdom x Sap. 7. â— â— and holy Vnderstanding and sheweth and teacheth me nothing-els but all Dooing-of-good / Therfore cannot I forbeare / through the Nature y 1. Cor 3. a. of his Loue / but I must shewe vnto myne Enemyes / Freendship / for Enimitee and Loue / z Math 5. c. Rom. 12. b. for Hate declare vnto them the SaluacioÌ„ and Blessing / for Blaspheamy and Curssing / and figure-foorth before them / the Vniformnes of Heart in the Loue / for the Seperation and so to proffer the Grace of my God / vnto myne Aduersaryes / which do hate blaspheame and cursse me and to reache them the Hande / for to drawe them to the Loue of my Lorde and God and to shewe all Faythfulnes and Loue / towards those that haue smitteÌ„ me priuâ—ly or trayterously· spewed-out many Lyes and false Testimonyes / after me· and shewed all Vnfaythfulnes towards me and the Seruice of Loue / informing them a 2. Timo. 2. c 3. b. 4. a. with Rebuke Doctrine and Exhortation / for that they mought b Act. 17. d. repent be set-vpp from their Fall of the Sinne and mought liue with Mee / in the Vnitee of the Loue / wherby to serue c Luk. 1. b. 1. Tess. 1. a. the leueing God and to vse all Concorde and Peace among each-other The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then as the open Rebuke / is alwayes better a Pro. 27. a. then secret Loue the chastenable Information / muchmore blessed / theÌ„ for one to smyte anyman priuily and the Seruice of the holy Woord vnder y e Obedience of the Loue / much-more edifying and profitable / then the Backbyting / Therfore is likewyse all my Desyre in our Seruice of Loue / to further b 2. Cor. 13. b. Phil. â— â— thatt which is most-edifying and Most-godly 2. Wherfore â O ye Resisters of our mostholy Seruice of Loue as also ye ignorant People consider once rightly I pray you / of the Loue and Kyndnes shewed on you / out of our mostholy Seruice of Loue Receaue you my Rebuke and ExhortatioÌ„ and take-heede vnto my chastenable c Pro. 4. â— â— Information Com hether and harkeÌ„ after the right Knowledg and learne d Pro. 1.2 a. 3.4.5 a. Vnderstanding and holy Knowledg and e Eccli 6. c. â—ow your Backs vnder the Rodd of the Lorde For the Strypes or the sharpe Woords of Louers / are much meeter f Psal. 141. â— Pro. 27. â— then the Kisses or the Flattering-woords of Enuyers 3 For-that-cause com now all hether / into the Howse of Informacion g Eâ—cli 6.8 â— Math. 11. c and learne to humble your Hearts vnder the Obedience of the Loue and to open them nakedly before the Elders / To th end that ye may be cleansed from the Wickednes or Euel of your Heartes 4. Suffer yourselues now to be h Deut 1â— c. Ier. 4. â— circumcised on the Fore-skinne of your Heartes / in this holy Daye of Loue which is y e Eigth or Newe Daye / to the Renewâ—ng i Esa. 65.66 c. Ephe 1. b 2. Pâ—t 3. b. Apo. 21. â–ª of the Worlde with Righteousnes and so â–ª through the Light of Loue and his Seruice â put-awaye the k Ier. 4. a. Fore-skinne namely the Darknesses from your Hearts / Or-els ye shall not com to the Glory of God nor to his Sainctuary For no l Esa. 35.52 â— Eze. 44. â— Vncircumcisedone / shall enter into the Sainctuary of God 5. BVt Many of you do refuse this Grace / which is proffered vnto you and do bitter and harden your Hearts against thesame Therfore is also my Complaynt against you / vnto my God for that ye are yet so vtterly m Ier 6. b. 9. c Act. 7. f vncircumcised on your Eares Lipps and Hearts as likewyse for that ye sett yourselues so presumpteously in Iudgment and wil seeme to iudg Gods n Esa. 30. b. Mich. 2.3 b Matters / out of your vncleane Hearts / according to y e Imagination of your owne Knowledg 6. I woulde aske you / on the behalfe of my Lorde and God / who hath prouoked you therunto or what Spirit hath mooued you to iudg such Matters The Cause I haue cheefly to demaunde of those that conuersate themselues dayly with vs / in Hipocrisie and that shewe towards vs or ours â in our Beholding a laughing o Psa. 28. a. 37. b. Ier. 9. a. Mouth or fauourable Countenance and in secret / speake all Euell of vs. 7. Ah-beloued speake it out boldly I pray you / yee which are so wyse now p Pro. 3. a. Esa 5. c. Rom. 12. b. in your owne conceites With whose Spirit and with what Toungs / do ye thus smyte vs priuily and slaunder and blaspheame vs behynd our backs / where we haue None to reply against you Out of what Nature haue ye thatsame I pray you Or out of whose Brestes do ye suck such Venom of corrupt Milke And wherout do many of you frame such a false Freedom / that ye haue shewed vs a fayer Face / before our Eyes also haue flattered vs with your Toungs / whilst ye were present / and do now with such a false Heart / mock vs priuily or behynde our backs / among those that do gladly giue eare vnto you and so boldly smyte and blaspheame vs / with your false Spirit and Blaspheamous-toungs Noâ— Vs only q Luk. 10. b. â— Tess. 4. â— 2 peâ— 2. b. but also the godly Wisdom and holy Vnderstanding / wherwith God hath â through his hearty Loue r Ephe. 1 a. 2 pet 1. a endowed vs and so in blaspheaming s Heb. 10. d. the holy Spirit of the Loue of God and Christ / ye dispise the precious Treasures of the spirituall heauenly Ritches as likewyse y e highest Cleernes of God 8. Which gloryous Light or godly Cleernes â wherin t 2 Cor. 4 â— a the Mosthighest hath comprehended vs / vnder the Obedience of his Loue doth ouershadow or farr exceede all the Lightes of this Worlde Yea all Vnderstandings of this Worlde / v Psa. 37.46 b Esa â—0 b. Aba c. â— b Sâ—ph 1. a. Zach. 2. b. must be dombe before thesame and â—ow them eueryone vnder thesame gloryous Cleernes of God / which is made-manifest vnto vs. And all those that loue the vpright Righteousnes / must saye Thatt Light is verytrue The IIII. Chap. O Ye foolish People Do ye dispise the precious Pearle / because thesame is a Math. â—3 c founde in an earthen Feelde / wherin it was hidden or for that it is by God / layde in an earthen Vessell / b Rom. 9. c. 2 Tess. 2. c. that seemeth before you to be too-dishonourable and for that Hee also / declareth thesame ther-out 2. Do ye dispise the
costly Treasures / c Rom. 9. c. 2. Cor. 4. a. for that they likewyse / be carryed in earthen Vessells and declared vnto you ther-out and brought vnto you out of entyre Loue 3. Do ye dispise Gods Righteousnes / because it ryseth-vp so gloryously / ouer the sinfull Flesh and dealeth so d Rom. 8. a. 1 Timo. 1. b 2. pet 3. a. longsufferingly and graciously with the Sinners 4. Do ye dispise the Wisdom of God / because that thesame â euen with the Fulnes of the holy Vnderstanding is com so bright in gloryous Cleernes / ouer the Foolisâ—â—es of Men 5. Do ye dispise the Age of Christ / because He raigneth so e 1. Tess. 2. a b 1. Tim. 2. c. 1. pet 5 a. graciously ouer the Childhod for to nourish-vp thesame â in Meeknes to the Age of the Man Christ 6. Do ye dispise the Knowledg and holy Vnderstanding / because they haue their fellowship among the Ignorantones for to bring them into the vpright and godly Vnderstanding 7. Do ye dispise the f Mal 4. a. Sap. 5. a. Sunne Ø›the heauenly Day-light of the highest God because she shineth in the Waters / g Iohn 7. d. that flowe from our Body and for that God also suffereth thesame h Math. 5. c. to shyne as wel ouer the Euell or Sinners which submitt them with Vs / to the Concord of the Loue / as ouer the Good or Righteous â–ª 8. How is your Folly clymmed-vp so high in you / that ye lyke not that Gods Wisdom shoulde gouerne i Math. 25. b. Luk. 19. b. ouer you / with his Loue but that ye yourselues / wil gouerne yourselues / with your owne chosen and fleshly Wisdom Wher-through ye do likewyse â seing doutles that ye vnderstande k 1. Cor. 2. b. not our secret Mynde of God dispise and enuy Those / ouer whom the Wisdom of God doth gouerne and raigne / with his Loue. 9. But ye do iudg our Foolishnes or thaâ—t which seemeth to be Foolishnes / in your l Math. 6 c. 20 b. Luk â—â— â— crafty Eyes but ye are not m Math 7 a. Luk. 6. c. aware of your owne greatest Foolishnes And therfore ye knowe it not 10. But veryly if Those which submitt them with vs vnder the Doctrine of the Seruice of Loue / woulde giue eare vnto your Foolishnes / which yee through the n Rom. 1. c. Blyndnes of your Hearts / do esteeme for greate Wisdom and woulde follow you therin / Then woulde ye not likewyse see their Foolishnes nor their Ignorance / Euen like as Many of you do not see nor vnderstande the Worldes Foolishnes and Ignorance 11. But seing now that many good-willing Hearts do see into the Ignorance of the wicked Worlde and the Errour of many People and so do o Eccli 6. d. submitt them with vs / to the holy Vnderstanding / for to becom p Ephe. 4. c. taught and vnderstanding â vnder the Obedience of the Loue in the vpright Beeing of the Loue / therfore do ye mock them and vpbrayde them with their Ignorance because they do not follow the Self-mynde of your Foolishnes 12. WHerfore / O ye Self-wyse and Scriptur-learnedones and all yee which â through the Knowledg do perswade yourselues to be q Rom 1. c. 2. Cor 3 b. vnderstanding / Looke once rightly into yourselues I pray you Beare r Act. 17. d. sorrow ouer your Ignorance and suffer yourselues to be renewed in your Vnderstanding / through the Seruice of the holy and gracious Woord / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 13. Do not stomble or wax offended at our s Math. 18. d. Childishnes nor at the Seeming of our Foolishnes but remember that the Childishnes of the Holyones of God / is manlyer and procureth more Fruits of Righteousnes / among the Beleeuers / then the manly Glory of the wicked Worlde 14. Remember also / that the Foolishnes of the Elect of God / is t 1. Cor. 1. b. much wyser / then all the Wysdom of the wicked Worlde 15. For whosoeuer doth not seperate himself from the Worlde and from her Wisdom and so becometh u 1. Cor. 3 b. foolish before the Worlde / for the Wisdom of Gods sake / Hee likewyse shall not com to the Wisdom of God nor-yet vnderstande the secret Counsayle of God 16. Also whosoeuer turneth not himself about x Mâ—t 18 a. 1. Cor. 1.4 c Ephe â–ª 4. b. and becometh childish before y e Worlde / for the manly Ages cause of Christ / Hee likewyse shall not com to y e Age of the Man Christ. 17. Knowe ye not that ther is written y 1. Cor. â— Not many Wyse / after the Flesh not many Prudent nor Ingenious / but what is foolish before the Worlde / thatt hath God chosen 18. But â alas ye wil not consider heeron because ye are too-to-arrogant and prowde vppon the Knowledg of your darkened Vnderstanding 19. Ye go-on with stiff a Esa. 3. b. Necks and are much-to-wyse in your owne conceites / for to submitt you simply with Vs Littleones and elected Holyones of God / vnder the gloryous b 1. pet 5. b. Iam. 4. a. Maiestee of God and much-to-olde self-righteous and too-renowned in your owne Sight and also before the Worlde and her Wyseones / to submitt yourselues so simply in the c Math. â—8 â— â— pâ—r 2. a. childish and single-mynded Beeing / with vs vnder the Obedience of the Loue. The V. Chap. Oh â my beloued Hearts take-heede to that which I wryte vnto you / to your Reformation harden a psal 95. a. Heb 3 a not your Hearts / through the b pro â— b. Heb 12. a. fatherly Rebuke wher-with the Loue informeth you seruiceably / by her Minister HN. For hee that â out of the gracious Woord of the Lord and his Seruice of Loue setteth-forth before your Eyes / your Sinnes and Thatt which ye do yet want in the Loue and despereth to leade you ther-out / with Rebuke and Informacion also holdeth-foorth the Wayes to the godly Lyfe / before you and so is your Seruant / that you may com to God Ø›the euerlasting Lyfe and to be incorporated vnto his vpright Righteousnes and Holynes Thatsame is Hee that rightly loueth you and which is rightly seruiceable vnto you to the true Loue both of God and Man / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes 2. But your owne Wisdoms or Good-thinkings and all those / which â out of the Imaginacion of their owne Knowledg do â—â—ow youâ— in y e Foolishnes of your Hearts and speake to c Mich. 2 â— a. you according to your owne Myndes / Those do steale-away your Hearts and so do leade you the which ye consider not d pro. 7. c. into their Netts They laye Clothes vppon your Eyes soft Pillowes / e Eze. 13. b. vnder your Armes and leade you captiue in darke Wayes 3.
d Act 1. b. 7. g Ephe. 1. c. Col. 3. a. Heb. 1. a. 10. â— 11. â— out of Heauen according to y e Scripture / On which Daye / the Circuit of the Earth namely eueryone in thatt which he is the Liueing and Dead the Good and Euell the Lightes and Darknesses the Trueth and Lye the vpright Vnderstanding and the Ignorances of Men shal be iudged e Act. 17. d· with Rightousnes For in thesame shall eueryone receaue his Rewarde / according to his Nature f Ier. 17 b. Math. 16 c. Rom. 2.14 b. 2 Cor. 5.6 Apo. 2. c. or fruiâ—t of his Workes 3. Happy is hee that submitteth himself humbly and obediently vnder thissame Daye of Loue also giueth g Pro 1. a. 2. a 3. a. 4. a. 5. a. Eccli 6. c. eare to y e Seruice of Loue and to thesame holy Woord that is ministred therout and setteth not himselfe to be a â–ª Iudg ouer the Workes of God nor ouer the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue neither-yet is wyse h Pro. 3. a. Esa. 5. c. Rom. 12. b. in his owne conceit but giueth God the Honour / that He himself is the very-true Lorde and Iudg / in his Daye and in the Seruice of his Loue and so taketh-heede to the Loue of God the Father / to his Preseruation Amen 4. MY Beloued as I haue vnderstoode by the Mouth of thy Freende / when I was with him in Friesland / thy Request was vnto mee / that I woulde wryte a little vnto thee But I coulde not wel comprehend nor perceaue by his Woordes / what mought be thy Seeking or Desyre therwith As whether thou didst desyre to be taught or edifyed by the holy Woord / which we minister vnder the Obedience of the Loue or-els whether thou desyeredst to iudg thesame / according to thyne owne Good-thinking 5. Seing then that many Heartes do com before vs now / with Deceipt notwithstanding / I hope otherwyse of thee and that wee by-that-occasion / do not willingly wryte vnaduisedly or vnforesightfully vnto anyman that desyereth it of vs / Therfore woulde we gladly at the first / heare to what ende Those that seeke any Seruice at our Handes / do desyre our Seruice / i 2. Cor. 5. â— 1. Tess. â— b. which proceedeth out of Gods Counsayle and Wisdom 6. And besydes thatt / because I coulde not vnderstande thy Mynde or Intent / by the Message that was don vnto me by Mouth / therfore haue I refrayned from wryting vnto thee at that tyme but did by him returne Message vnto thee / by woord-of-mouth / that I woulde com to thee about Sainte Martines-tyde / for to talke with thee myself by Mouth 7. But because ther is now somwhat-els com vnto me / which hath hindered me from coming to thee / therfore haue I heere now by this Bearer / written the Cause vnto thee / why I did omitt to wryte vnto thee at that tyme. 8. But I hope that thou wilt not be offended heerby nor-yet think / that my Will is therfore to forsake the Seruice of the holy Woord / wherunto the God of Lyfe hath k Gal. 1 b. Ephe 1. b 3. â— 1 Timo. 1. a. elected Mee / through his Loue / for to assist and to be seruiceable vnto my Neighbour / toward thesame Loue of God the Father namely to the Needy l Esa â–ª 58. a. or Poore of Spirit and to the Broken or m Psalm 34 b 51. b. 147 a Esa. 57. b. Striken of Heart Or-yet thaâ— I woulde not vouchsafe to wryte vnto thee 9. O No â thou Beloued my Heart or Mynde standeth not so bent / as to forsake the Good and his Seruice or that I shoulde not vouchsafe to serue eueryone ther-with but I stande alwayes good-willingly bent therto For I do not serue nor labour for myself only n Eccli 24. d. 33. c. but likewyse for all Those that loue and desyre Informacion The II. Chap. HOwbeit â my Beloued I woulde doutles very-gladly haue spoken with thee by Mouth myself / if the tyme woulde haue serued therto / Because that I haue heard by Somme / that thou art not well content or satisfied with the sincere Wisdom or Vnderstanding / which is com vnto vs Littleones and Lowely-hearts / a Sap. 6. b. Iam 3. b. out of Heauen / from the Right-hande of God and which we do minister vnto the Children of Men / to their Saluacion but makest many Woordes vpon it / for that thou wouldest iudg the godly Wisdom and holy Vnderstanding / according to thyne owne Imaginacion and so to withstande thesame / according to thy good-thinking Iudgment wherwith thou b Rom. 16. b. 2 Cor. 11. a. stealest-away the Simplicitee in Christ as also the true Obedience to the Loue and to the Requyring of her Seruice / from the Hearts of the Simple and â euen in Contempt towards the Trueth of God gloryest and commendest thyself therin 2. O thou Beloued if thou perseuerest heerin / then wil it fal-out greeuous vnto the / to withstande the Mouth of God and the Grace of his Loue / wherwith God presenteth thee and all Men / c Luk. 24. c. Rom. 2 a. Act. 17. d. to a Repentance for their Sinnes 3. Therfore do I exhort thee â out of the bounteous Loue of God to thy Preseruacion and Saluacion / sett not thyself against the Trueth of God nor apply not thy Natural-reason and Prudence therunto but turne thee from the euell Acts of thy Lipps and Toung and submitt thyself humbly with vs â euen d 1. Pet. 5 a. Iam. 4 a. with a simple Heart vnder the Obedience of the Loue / so shalt thou fynde Grace before God 4. But if-so-be thou desyrest larger Instruction of anything / then thâ—se Wrytings which proceede-out from vs / do witnes vnto thee or if Those that com vnto thee from Vs / do not satisfy thee / in thyne Vndeâ—standing / Yet do not therfore reiect anything but aske after the right Distinction And when thou hast inquyred after the right Grounde of the Trueth of our godly Testimonyes / then vnderstande likewyse the Mattier first rightly â according to the Trueth er-euer thou dispise or speak-against anything of the holy Testimonyes of the Trueth 5. If then ther be any Sentence to-secret before thee or if thou want anything / then wryte-ouer thesame boldly vnto mee / as one that loueth e Eccli 6. d. 8. a. the Informacion and desyereth the cleere Instruction of the f Math 13 â–ª b. Secretnes of the Trueth I hope thou shalt alwayes fynde me seruiceable / for to assist thee to the Vnitee in the Loue and to liue concordably with thee / in the vpright Vnderstanding 6. If now thou giue thyself heerunto and doest euenso / then wil I â through the Grace that is shewed on mee most-groundly instruct thee and also shewe thee with Sensible-reason / that we haue no want of anything
c. Benefite / in what Humiltee and Holynes soeuer it turneth or giueth-ouer c Esa. 58.59 â— Col 2. b. c. itself vnto and that all his Conuersion is nothing-els oftentymes / but an Inclynation to his owne Sensualitee / according to his owne Pleasure / Therfore haue I doutles to consider well theron and to vse a great Circumspection to the things that the Man giueth-foorth of himself and likewyse for to perceaue out of what Grounde of the Heart / the Mans Conuersion or his Mynde to the Good / cometh-to-pas or out of what Intent he calleth Thatt the Good / wherunto he turneth him namely whether y e thesame which he turneth him vnto / do d Rom. 6. b. â— a. 13. b. Gal. 5. b. delyte him according to the Flesh of Sinne and according to his fleshly Will or whether that he turne-away himself from all what is a Delyte vnto the Flesh and so hath a e psal 40. Desyre with all his Heart / to doo the Lordes Will. 4. For-that-cause â thou Beloued inasmuch now as all sâ—nfull Flesh is generally â in his Conuersion so f Gen 6 â— â–ª self-chooseing and is also oftentymes / founde deceitfull therin / Therfore cannot I so simply beleeue nor trust thee / at the first / because y t I may yet perhapps haue som Suspicion / whether that thy Conuersion may proceede out of a g Rom. 8. a. 13. b. Delyte of the Flesh / or no and therfore cannot continue stedfast with thee Notwithstanding / by thy Wryting / I hope the Best of thee 5. But seing that it is all h Pro. 11. b. vnstedfast / whatsoeuer is taken-on out of the Pleasure of the sinfull Flesh / therfore must I needes wryte vnto thee of thesame and of my Mistrust that I haue towards it For doutles I can trust no Flesh of Sinne nor anything that the Man inclyneth-vnto / according to the Mocions or Pleasures of the Flesh / as to thinck that his Humilitee and Lowelynes or Littlenes / is so wholly inclyned to the Loue of God the Father / with an vpright Heart / as his Woordes and Wrytings do import Also / none of those things can perswade me to trust firmly theron / that it shal be found euen so in the Deede 6. Notwithstanding although I do mistrust the Man / according to the Inclynacion of his Flesh and do not so simply beleeue him at the first / yet do I wel vouchsafe vnto him with all my Heart / all the Good wherof he bosteth him Yea I woulde also that he had obtayned such Mercy at the hands of the highest God / as his Woordes do speake-of or as his Wrytings do import 7. But veryly all whatsoeuer is testifyed enterprysed or begonne / out of the Will and Pleasure of the Flesh / without the Spirit of God or without our Mostholy Seruice of Loue. or whatsoeuer is beleeued accepted and deuised / out of anymans Doctrine and Counsayle / that standeth not wholly submitted to the holy Spirit of Loue and his Seruice let it be then in the accomplishing erecting or obeying of what Holynes or Righteousnes soeuer it be therin shall noman â whosoeuer he be be able to continue stedfast but they must all needes be varyable and com to shame therin 8. For seing it procedeth out of the Flesh of Lyes / i Rom. 7. b. c â–ª 8. a. â— Cor. 3. a. therfore also is not the Power to the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes / with thesame but it is only with the highest God Which God / bringeth or sendeth his Power / k Ephe. 3. b. Phil. 2. b. 3. c Col 1. c. vnto his Beleeuers or Holyones / that heare his Woord and giue-ouer themselues with all their Hearts / vnto Obedience vnder the Spirit of the Loue of Christ and to the mostholy Godseriuce of thesame 9. Vnder which vpright Seruice and godly Righteousnes / God doth not fauour any Flesch as to honour thesame with any fleshly Righteousnes or Holynes / l 1 Cor 1. c. for that it shoulde in nowyse bost itself of his owne Goodnes The II. Chap. SEing then that ther belongeth no Honour to the Flesh of Sinne / therfore doth God likewyse now in his gloryous Daye of y e Coming of Christ bring all sinfull a 1. Cor. 1. c. Flesh to shame â in the Purpose of his owne Holynes or Righteousnes through the Seruice of his Loue and sheweth that Hee Ø›the Lorde is the vpright Righteousnes of the true Lyfe and the Loue itself Which God / permitteth not himself to be approched vnto nor reconciled / in his Righteousnes let it be then by what meanes it wil b Psal â—5 24 a Esa 33. b. Heb. 12. c. but only by his owne vertuous Beeing and godly Nature or Spirit of Loue. 2. But this doth the Flesh dislyke-of for-that-cause also / it hath no pleasure in the God of Heauen nor in his Glory nor-yet in the Iudgment of his Righteousnes For ther-through it fyndeth itself altogether vayne and weake / before God and his Trueth also vtterly c Iob. 9. â— b. c Psal. 126. b. Rom. 3. a. vnrighteous false and lying / in his owne Iudgment 3. And the Flesh or the Wisdom proceding out of the Flesh / doth likewyse growe-offended at the true Light of God â the which notwithstanding / is Christ / d 1. Iohn 4. c the Sauiour of all the Worlde himself because that all his Fleshes owne-proper Righteousnes e Col. 2. b. c. and self-chosen Holynes and Wisdom / auayleth not with the true Light neither-yet is it esteemed as to make any account therof 4. But seing now that the Flesh of Sinne / woulde so fayne haue Prayse or Honour for his Holynes Wisdom or Righteousnes / therfore doth it seeke thesame among the Children of Men / in diuers maners By which occasion / ther is so many Diuisions of chosen Holynes / growne euerywhear f Rom. 10. a. Gal. 3 a. 4. b Col. 2. b c. in the Worlde or among the Children of Men. 5. But Gods Saints â which dwell in Heauen shall laugh the Flesh of Sinne to-scorne / with his foolish Bewitching and with all the Hipocrisy of his forged Holynes For the Man hath therthrough forsaken the louely Righteousnes of the vpright Lyfe in the Peace and â with his owne Righteousnes plucked much Stryfe and Controuersy vppon his owne Neck 6. He hath also lest to giue g Ier. 2. â— Rom. 1. â— to the God of Lyfe his Honour / h Iohn 5. â— that belongeth only vnto Him and hath sought and defended his owne Honour Therfore hath he likewyse dealt with so many Wickednesses and Killings or Murderings By which occasion / he cannot also vnderstande or conceaue any-thing-at-all i Math. 23. Rom. 10. â— of the vpright Righteousnes which auayleth before God which notwithstanding / bringeth-the Loue and the Peace vnto him 7. Seing then that the
/ To th end that thosame Disciples / mought also attayne to the Dayes of their Agednes· and so be nourished-vp â–ª in the godly Wisdom of the Loue to the full Age of the Man Christ. 11. Therfore it is sayde to the Elders / that they shall execute the Iudgment / according to the Trueth p Exo. 21. c. Leuit. 24. b. Deut. 19 c. Math. 5 b. Eye / for Eye Tooth / for Tooth But to the Disciples it is sayde q Math. 7. a. Luâ— 6. d. Iudg not and resist r Math. 5. d. Mom 12. b. 1. Tess. 5. b. not also the Wicked 12. Therfore sayth the Age of the Man Christ / to the Disciples s Math. 11. c. Learne of Mee for I am humble and meeke of Heart The V. Chap. TAke this effectually to heart all yee that perswade yourselues / that ye are com to the Age of the Man Christ / by meanes of the Knowledg and looke well into yourselues / whether that yee likewyse / haue in maner as is before sayde bin a Luk. 14. c. Iam. 1. c. Disciples of Christ and are in that sort / com to y e humble and meeke Hearts in Iesu Christ and to his holy Vnderstanding 2. But if it haue not gon so with you / then take not vpon you also / to iudg any godly Matters nor to defende Gods Honour nor-yet to teache anyman but be content to be taught and enformed first yourselues and submitt you euenso b Eccli 6. c. Math 11. c. 1. Pet 5. a. to all Humilitee / vnder the Obedience of y e Loue / for to be rightly taught and so learne of the Loue / the holy Vnderstanding of Iesu Christ. 3. And let not him likewyse that is yet young in this Doctrine of the godly Wisdom / iudg nor reprooue but let him aske and suffer himself to be taught and so c Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1. b. 1. pet 2. a. growe-vpp in the godly Age of Christ to all Strengthening and Increasing of the Peaceable-kingdom in the Loue / So shall he then becom vnderstanding in all godly Things and the Kingdom of Peace shall increase and spread-foorth itself into farr Countryes 4. If wee now do in that maner / growe-vp peaceably in all Loue and Righteousnes / then shall the contencious and deuided d Esa. 21. a. Ier 51. a â–ª Apo. 14.18 a. Kingdom of Babel / be shutt without our Hearts and without our Comunialtee of Loue and we shall beholde the Howse or the Temple of the Lorde / in Heauen / perfectly buylt in all poynts e Amos. 9 d. Mich. 7 b. Agg. 1 a. 2 b Apo. 21. a. and furnished with all his Garnishing and that the Glory or Dignitee and the Teaching-office in the Seruice of Loue / is only the Lords according to the Promyses and not the Mans. 5. HEer-with I do heartely salute you all / yee good-willing Hearts and Louers of the Trueth / with a Salutacion of the Loue and I beseech you take this to heart which I wryte vnto you and therin haue respect to the Loue. For ther-is nothing wyser nor more prudent / then the Loue. 6. Therfore is the Loue in her Follishnes / much godlyer to heare and to beleeue / then all the Wisdom of this Worlde 7. For-that-cause it hath likewyse so pleased God / to bring-foorth his Wisdom / 1. Cor. 1. b. like Foolishnes his holy Vnderstanding like Ignorance and the Foremost / as if it were the Hindmost / before the Worlde and before all her Wyse and Scriptur-learnedones / wherby to confounde the prudent Wyseones and so the out-flowing Woord of the Lorde together with his Seruice of Loue and Gods holy Vnderstanding / to be a g Esa. â— a. 1. Pet. 2. a. Stumbling-stone vnto them wherthrough all Self-wyseones like as in the h Cen. 11. a. Buylding of Babel do intangle and scatter themselues For in-that-sort wil God now in the last tyme / bring his Kingdom vnto his Saints and Electedones and they shall raigne i Apo. 21. b. vppon the Earth 8. But all Self-wyseones and all those that growe offended at the out-flowing Woord of the Lorde and at his Seruice of Loue and wil therfore out of their euell Hearts / contende or dispute against thesame· and make k Rom. 16. c. Deuision together with all those that set-vp themselues against the Loue and her vpright Seruice / God wil shutt without his Kingdom and vtterly roote them out / to th end that the Vniuersal-earth and all what is therin / may be i Esa. 66. c. 2 Pet. 3. b. inhabited vprightly for euermore 9. Farewell and be alwayes of good-cheere in the Loue. The Loue of God the Father / keepe the Victory in all your Hearts Amen Take it to heart The Ende of the Fiftenth Epistle Our Heart / is the Minde of God most-hie Our Beeing amiable / as the sweete Lillie Our Faithfulnes / Loue / and Trueth vpright / Is Gods Light / Life / and Cleernes bright The Sixtenth Epistle An instructionable Exhortacion vnto the Good-willingones / which do wholly giue-ouer themselues to the Obedience of the Loue Wherin the vpright Obedience to the Loue and the godly and vngodly Beeing / is distincted Beloued Brethâ—ren reioyce you be perfect be of good comfort be of one Mynde and Intent and be peaceable So shall the God of Loue and Peace / be with you 2. Cor. 13. Health and Saluacion be vnto the Comunialtee in the Loue to whom I wish much Happynes in the Lorde The First Chapter TO your Seruice / ye Deerly-beloued I do alwayes â euen one of harty Loue fynde my self very willingly bent / in all what I maye out of the Power of my God and to wryte often vnto you / greeueth me not / to th end if God vouchsafe thesame / y t ye mought â through my Seruice vnderstand the Ground of the Loue / to the vpright Saluacion and that God mought establish his holy Name in vs. O Yea / that com-to-pas euenso to the Laude and Prayse of the godly Glory Amen 2. O how happy is hee / that hath the Lorde a Psal. 33. b. 144. b. to be his God or which seeketh and loueth Him with b Ier. 29. b. all his Heart and which desyreth with all his Soule / to cleaue vnto the Vertue / hee shall knowe / that the Wayes of the Lorde / are pure and cleere For the Lorde is Psal. 34. a. freendly vnto all those that loue Him also faythfull and true vnto all those that haue a Delyte and Pleasure in the Wayes of his Loue. 3. But to the Dispisers of his Loue / which do arrogantly contemne blaspheame and resist his Will / He is as Indignacion d Eccli 5. a. and Wrath. For whosoeuer disdayneth the Lorde and his e 2. Cor. 6. a â–ª Grace as also shutteth God and his Woord / f Tob. 6. b. without his Heart
casteth y e Seruice of the holy Woord and the instructionable g Pro 5. c. 15. â— Chastisment / from him and so refuseth the Loue / hee veryly shall likewyse be reiected by the Lorde· and h Apo. 22. b. shute without the louely Beeing of God 4. For seing that God doth now present vs with all Loue / therfore wil Hee likewyse â in the Obedience of his Loue be loued of Vs agayne 5. Wherfore â my beloued Children giue-ouer yourselues to the Lorde / with vpright Loue euen as I haue often sayde vnto you and as our Wrytings do mencion in many Places namely i Eccli 6.7 â— 1. pet 5. a. in Humilitee and Lowlynes of Heart / So shall ye taste that the Lorde is freendly The which our Lorde Iesus hath also taught vs / wheare He sayth k Math. 21. c. Learne of Mee For I am humble and meeke of Heart and your Soules shall fynde Rest. 6. Com vnto l Math. 11. c. Mee sayth Hee witâ— your Loading or Burden / I wil ease you or take your Burden from you And take you on my Yoke or Burden For my Yoke is sweete and my Burden is lyghte for to beare / sayth the Lorde 7. This is the liueing m 1. Pet 1. c. Woord of Grace / proceeded-out from our Father / the liueing God to the Saluacion of all People namely / those that beleeue in his Name and n 2. Pet. 3. b. wayte for the Coming of his Christ / to their Saluacion 8. Out of thissame Woord of Grace / ther appeereth vnto vs now in the last tyme â thorough the Reuealing o 2 Timo 1. b of the Coming of our Lorde Iesu Christ p Rom. 8. b Ephe. 1. b. the Paune of our godly Inheritance namely / the holy Spirit of Loue / full of all Graces and Amiable-delytfulnesses which Spirit of Loue / is q Iohn 14 c. 25. c. 16. b. the right and true holy Spirit of Christ which proceedeth or cometh from the Father and the Sonne and hath his Flowing-foorth from them 9. The Children of thissame Spirit / which He r 1 Pet 1. a. b bringeth-foorth out of the Loue / are chosen for to possesse the s Esa. 33 a Ephe 1. b 2 a. 3. a. Col 1. c â— a. Treasures and the Inheritance of the Ritches of Christ of the heauenly Father / for euermore The II. Chap. FOrasmuch then â ye Deerly-beloued as that yee likewyse are now called and bidden to thissame high-worthy Maiestee of God and to be a Rom 8. b Ephe 1. a. Co-heires â with Christ and his Saints in the Treasures of the heauenly Goodes / therfore take-heede to thissame gracious b Eccli 27. b 2 Cor. 6. a Ephe. 5 b Tyme and c 4. Esd. 2. d. Rom. 12. a. 1 Iohn 2. b 〈◊〉 4. a flye the Shadowes of the wicked and blynde Worlde Loue not her Darknesse in-anywyse but loue the Light of Lyfe / which is healde-foorth vnto you through the Seruice of Loue / to your Saluacion 2. Depart out from the Vncircumcised and let your Hearts d Deut. 10 c. Ier 4. a. be circumcised in thissame New or Eigth Daye / vnder the Obedience of the Loue / that the Foreskinne of the worldly and fleshly Desyres / may be e Esa. 25. a. 2. Cor. 3. b. put-away from your Hearts 3. Therfore let all those pas now / that would drawe you to their Good-thinking or Knowledg or to their chosen f Gal. 3. a. 6. b. Col 2 b. c. Holynes· or allure you to any g Tob. 3. b. Ephe. 4. a â–ª Light-behauiour 4. Endeuour you to enter into the good and vpright Beeing of Iesu Christ euen-as thesame is ministred vnto you out of the Loue and her Seruice and make none account of it / although ye be mocked blaspheamed and contemned / for thesame cause or for your single-mynded Obedience to thesame 5. But against all your â–ª Aduersaryes / h Math 10. d. 16. c. Mar. 8. c. Luk. 9.14 c take vnto you the Crosse of Christ â the which is Patience or Forbearance / in the Obedience of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and so j 1 Pet. 2.4 a. follow-after Christ. For in that sort is He gon before vs and hath â through his Crosse ouercom k Phil 2 a. Col. 1. c. â— his Enemyes 6. To which Ouercoming / yee shall also com â through Christ if yee â in the Following of Christ do posâ—â—sse your Soules l Luk 21. b with PatieÌ„ce and had rather â—uffer CoÌ„tempt Reproche and Blaspheaming / with the Children of God / m Heb. 11. c. then to inherite all y e Treasures of this Worlde 7. Therfore â my beloued Children let it not greeue you / although the n Iohn 15. b. Worlde do hate you or though you be contemned and blaspheamed by her Wyse and Scriptur-learnedones but beholde or consider o Hâ—b 11. c. of the Rewarde of the Children of God 8. For I do acknowledg and testifye vnto you truly â according to the Grace of the Knowledg that is chaunced vnto mee that it shall now in the last tyme / go-well euerlastingly with all good-willing Hearts which haue a Lust to God and his Righteousnes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and that their Labour in the Lorde / shall p 1. Cor. 15. f. not be founde in vayne 9. But whosoeuer doth wilfully contemne the Lorde and the Righteousnes of his louely Beeing and inclyneth to the Worlde or to his owne Good-thinking / hee shall beare his Iudgment / whosoeuer he bee 10. Inasmuch then â ye Deerly-beloued as that wee haue now â vnder the Obedience of the Loue sett our Hope / towards God and our Beleefe / towards his Saluacion / Therfore let vs now likewyse â through the Seruice of the holy Spirit of Loue take a q Heb. 5. a. cheerfull Passage â in Iesu Christ to God the Father and to his gloryous and louely Maiestee and not regarde the Temptacions of the wicked Worlde and of our Resisters 11. For happy is hee r Iam â–ª 1. b. that endureth Temptacion and snareth or byndeth nor himself vnto the Euell For therin lyeth the s 4. Esd. 2. c. 2. Timo. 4. a. Iam. 1. b. Apo. 2. b. Victory and the Crowne of Lyfe of the perfect Saluacion 12. But if anyman now be yet weake as that he is yet somtymes drawen-back by the Euell and dismayed or made wauering in his Beleefe and seeth that he is falne ther-thorough / let him stande-vp agayne and suffer himself to be renewed in the Seruice of Loue and praye vnto the Lorde for Strength and Constance / so shall He be gracious vnto him and giue him Strength against his Temptacion For God is almighty 13. For-that-cause let noman iudg or condemne himself t Luk. 6. d. much-les another For although that God do otherwhyles hyde v Esa.
Act. 3. c. what He hath spoken and promysed in the former Tymes namely reward n Math. 25. c. Iohn 5. c. Rom. 2. a. y e Good / their Goodnes / with the Rewarde of all Good / in the euerlasting Lyfe and recompence the Euell / their Euelnes / with the Reward of all Euell / in the euerlasting Death and Condemnacion For the Daye â wherin eueryone shall receaue o Ier. 17 b. Math. 16. c Rom. 2. a. 14. b. 2. Cor 5. b. Apo. 2. â— his Reward / that he hath deserued doth now spread-foorth itself ouer the whole Worlde and his Cleernes ceasseth not / before all this be accomplished 6. THerfore â my beloued Hearts in the Loue take-heede to thissame Daye p 1. â—or 15. c f Ephe. 5 b. 1. Tess. 4. b. of the Makeing-alyue from the Death Yea take-heede also sayth the holy Spirit of Loue to the Gospel of the Kingdom / that is now in thissame Daye / published q Math. 24. b in all y e Worlde / for a Witnes of the Resurrection of the Deadd 7. For in this Daye of the Publishing of this Gospel / shall now all the Members of Christ â which r Eze. 37. a. as Deadones and dismembered Bones / are broken and deuided into many peeces from each-other be ioyned-together â by that only Man Iesu Christ s Rom â–ª 12. a. 1. Cor. 12 c Ephe. 4. b. 5. c. as one true Body of Christ and Man of God· couered-ouer t Iob. 19 c. Eze 37. a. with Sinowes and Flesh· made-alyue with the liueing v Gen. 2. a. Eze 37. a. Iohn 20. c. Wynde or Breath of Christ· and assembled eueryone into the holy Spirit of Loue wherthrough all wee now likewyse â x 1. Tess. 4. b. which are remayned-ouer and do beleeue the Coming of Christ and the y 1 Cor. 15. b. Resurrection of the Deadd / and hope theron do ioyne vs to thesame one Man of God / z Ephe. 4. b. in that one Body of Christ. 8. Beholde euenthus is the Man â which beleeueth in Iesu Christ set-vp Math. 24. â— Act. 1. a. agayne in his former Dignitee / now in thesame Daye of Loue and the Worke of God is declared / that it is euen-lyke as it was in the Beginning One God / and one Man and thatt altogether / in the one Body of Iesu Christ. The IIII. Chap. O Ye Beloued Looke now into this gracious Tyme and consider well theron For the Tyme is now fulfilled and the a Iohn 12. â— Apo. 14. a. Daye of the righteous Iudgment of God / declared among vs In the which / God doth now â through the Coming of the Kingdom of Christ set-vp the former Kingdom full of all pure Beawty and the falne Man â who is broken and deuided into many peeces doth He now also ioyne-together / b Ephe. 2. â— 4. b. to the Incorporating to the only Body of Christ. 2. Beholde euenthus doth God bring the Man agayne to his Dignitee namely to the gloryous Maiestee of his leueing God head / wherby to c Num 14. â— Psal. 72. b. Esa 6 a. Aba â— b. 4. a. fill the whole Earth with his Glory and Righteousnes according to the Promyses 3. YEe good-willing Heartes in the Loue / take-heede I beseech you to thatt which I wryte vnto you and exhorte you vnto Be not in-any-case d Pro. 3. a. Rom self-wyse in your owne Conceits but remember and consider / what the Seruice of Loue requyreth of vs / in thissame newe Daye of the Coming of Christ. namely that eueryone shall haue regarde / in whom Christ hath manned himself â–ª and out of whom He shyneth / as a Day-light to the Lighting of the whole Vniuersal-earth with Righteousnes For theare â in thesame godded Man or e Leuit. 26. b Eze 37. c 43. a. 1 Cor. 3.6 b 2 Cor. 6. b. Apo. 21. a. Habitacion of God is the Maiestee of God and Christ / vnto whom God willeth that eueryone â which seeketh or desyreth Gods Freendship shall submitt himself and â in Concord assemble him therunto / to be one Man of God in Iesu Christ / wherby to becom one Heart or Mynde with him / in all Loue. 4. Beholde and consider Heeron and seeke not y e Freendship of this Worlde f Iam. 4. a. wherthrough ye geet the Enimitee of God and the Enimitee of his Saintes 5. Therfore yeeld-ouer yourselues to the Maiestee of God and com all now to the Temple of the liueing God / the g Psal 122. a Esa. 2. a. Ier. 31. a. Zach. 8. c. Howse of his Dwelling / To th end that ye may be all assembled to the h Math 24. d Ephe. 2. c. 4. b one Body of Christ and may heare the Woord of the Lorde â out of the holy Temple of his Dwelling and doo therafter / for that your i Iohn 15. b. Ioye may be perfect To which Saluacion of Soule and Body / we be all now called and bidden / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 6. According to thesame maner / so consider likewyse on the loueing peaceable Heart / wherin God hath sett his Heart â full of all Grace and Christ / his holy Spirit â full of all Loue and assemble you with all your Hearts / k Act. 4. d. to thatsame one Heart and so it shal be one l Ephe. 2. b. God one Man one Heart one Fayth m 1. Cor. 12. a Ephe. 4. a. one Spirit and one true euerlasting Lyfe / to be one true and vpright Righteousnes vppon the Earth according to the Promyses O Yea / that com-to-pas euenso 7. HEer-with / my beloued Freendes â which loue the Trueth in Christ I do hartely salute you / with a Salutacion of the Loue and a Kisse of Peace n Rom. 16. b. 1. Cor. 16. c Salute you also one-another with thesame Salutacion â–ª namely all yee that are Fellow-companyons of the louely and peaceable Howse of Loue. 8. The Lorde graunte vnto you all / Grace and Mercy / to be incorporated â with Heart Spirit and Body to the only and true Body of Christ. The Loue of God the Father / take the Victory in all your Heartes Amen Take it to heart The Ende of the Seuententh Epistle The Eightenth Epistle A loueing Exhortation / written and sent vnto an Howsholde / that are ioyned to the Famyly of Loue and agreeable or concordably mynded to the Seruice of the holy Woord of the Spirit of Loue / for to be obedient to the Trueth Beholde / how sweete and louely it is / that Bretheren dwell to gether concordably Psal. 133. How deere or precious is thy Kyndnes â O God that the Children of Men seeke Protecton vnder the Shadow of thy Wings They shal be satisfyed or filled with the Fattnes or Plenty of thy Howse and thou giuest them drink with the Ryuer or Fountayne of thy Delyte
childish Simplicitee / with all their Hearts 2. But wheare we haue founde it with Many as that the on-coming Disciples / do â with all their Hearts c 1. Pet. 5. a. Iam. 4. a. submitt them obediently vnder the Loue and her Seruice· turne them wholly and altogether about / to the childish Simplicitee· willingly d Pro. 3.4.5 a. Eccl. 6. c heare and follow the Counsayle of the Elders / in the Seruice of the Woord / vnder the Obedience of the Loue· and that their Hearts becom euenso vncouered or manyfest before vs· and so do neither seeke nor desyre anything-els / but to liue with vs in the vertuous Nature of the Loue Let vs highly laude and thanke God the Lorde / for such On-commers and for such vpright Disciples of the Woord and Louers of Vertue 3. For verryly such a Man / who doth in that sort â in the gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue seeke and intende the Nature of God / with all his Heart although he were yet laden with many Sinnes is a e Iohn 1. c. right Isralite a Sonne or Daughter of Abraham f Iohn â— â— Rom. 9. a. Col. 3. c. through Fayth â–ª according to the Promyses 4. But all what refuseth the Loue or whatsoeuer turneth vnto vs with a false and vnrepenting Heart and all what is not inclyned â with an humble Heart to the Seruice of the holy Woord / vnder the Obedience of the Loue all what conuersateth with vs / in Couerednes of Heart together with all that which doth not with whole Heart / turne itself g Gal. 5. b. 6. â— Col. 3. a. quyte and cleane awaye from all h Ier. 7. b. Good-thinking Wickednes and i Tob 3. b. Ephe. 5. a. Lightmyndednes / and from all fleshly Lustes and Desyres and all those / which â in the Desyres of their Flesh in the Lust k 1. Iohn 2. b of their Eyes and in the Pryde of Lyfe do not forsake themselues· take not vp l Math. 16 c. Luk 9.14 c their Crosse against thosame· loue not the vertuous Nature of the Loue â which is pure and peaceable with all their Heartes· nor confesse m Pro 28. b. Eccli 4. c. their Sinnes / which make-vp themselues against thesame / in their Flesh / and do not sigh n Math. 5. a. 2. Cor. 7. b. lament nor moorne ther-ouer but go-on arrogantly and carelesly with ympenitent Heartes / like those that shewe no Sorrow nor Amendment touching the Sinne and so do make no Difference betwixt the Freendshipp with the Worlde / and the Freendshipp with the Famyly of Loue All thosesame / seeke nothing-els but their Selfnes and thatt which concerneth the Flesh / o Phil. 2. c. and not the Lorde nor the Righteousnes of his gracious Woord 5. And such p Deut. 9. o. Ier. 4. b. Act 7. f. Vncircumcised of Heart which also are vncircumcised of Lippes and Toung Yea such goodthinking Spirits q 2. Timo. 3. 2. Pet 2. b. Iude. 1. b. and fleshly Myndedones / which com to vs with couered and disobedient Heartes / and do seeke loue nor desyre nothing-els / but to serue their owne Sensualitee according to the Flesh / together with all those which neither will nor desyre anything-els / but to follow their Lustes and their Owne-myndes-delyte Thosame do not you in anywyse accept in that state â as in Vnrepentance for Bretheren in the Famyly of Loue but let the Elders and Ministers of the Seruice of Loue / be against them therin and r Leuiâ— 19. b. Eccli 17. exhort them to som better thing or informe them with a better Loue to the righteous Beeing hoping if the Lorde vouchsafe thesame / that they mought once be mooued vnto Repentance for their Sinnes 6. Forthatcause reiect them not s 2. Tess. 3 b. nor hate not anyone / what Sinners soeuer they bee but t 1. Tess. 5. b. Heb. 3.10 c exhort you still one-another to Amendment and carry alwayes an Heart of Loue / for to drawe the strayed Sinners out of their Sinnes and to leade them v Pro. 3.4 b. into the Path of the vpright Lyfe / to th end that they mought obtayne a godly Lyfe / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. The IIII. Chap. BEholde and consider This is the right Seruice of Loue / which we are debtors â—o shewe vnto the Sinners and vnto all strayed a Iam. 5. b. Men / to their Saluation and not to hate to reuyle nor to blaspheame anyone / nor-also to keepe-in-mynde and to vpbrayde anyman with his Sinnes or Errours / neither-yet to reiect or to seperate anyman from vs / that giueth-eare to the chastinable Informacion 2. Forasmuch then as the Loue doth make-manifest herself so vprightly and loueingly / in her Seruice and hath no pleasure in those b 1. Cor. 13 a. that deale falsly but with her Seruice / informeth eueryone with all Discreetnes and Courtesye / by the Ministers of her holy and gracious Woord / So doth she likewyse deale generally after thesame maner â in her Seruice by the Ministers of her Seruice and passing in-that-sort / thorow c Eccli 24. â— all Nations of People / she draweth all those vnto her / that are of her Nature or Beeing and all those likewyse that loue her and haue turned all their Lust towards her and her Seruice 3. Therfore â my beloued Hearts vse likewyse â with the Loue and her Seruice a Difference betwixt those that are good of will / or euell of will and accept none for Disciples of the Woord much-les account them for Brothers or Sisters in the Loue which wil liue d Deut. 12. a. Ier. 7 b. according to their owne Good-thinking or e Sap 2.14 b. Rom. 1. c. Brutishnes and are f 2 Timo. 3. a disobedient to the Woord of Lyfe in his Seruice / yet much-lesse / those which make g Rom. 16. c Deuision and do resist the Concord in the Loue and her Seruice 4. Keepe a good watch in-any-wyse towards the Seperatedones which do alwayes bring-in much Questioning and Contencion about the Knowledg / and do not first-of-all / giue themselues to the Doctrine of the Seruice of Loue nor to h Pro. 28. Math. 3. b. Luk 3 b. confesse their Sinnes / according to the Requyring of thesame Seruice and to repent ther-fore / wherby to com to a cleane Heart and to a louely Beeing or pure Spirit Which louely Beeing / is the Head-somme of all Wisdom and Knowledg Haue a sharpe regarde heer-vnto / for that the Kingdom of Loue may increase in all Concord and be spread-abroade 5. Therfore let not your Hearts stande-affected vnto Any / but those that seeke i Ephe. 4. a. Vnitee Loueingnes and Peaceablenes among vs / for to liue therin / with vpright single Heartes and so are wel-mynded with vs / to the k Eze â—8 Reformacion of Sinne as likewyse to those /
k Iohn 14 c Apo 21. â— them and so mought â through the godly Beeing be meete to vtter-foorth and to publish the Glory of God / to the l â—phe 1 a Laude of his Maiestee and also to be seruiceable vnto their Neighboure / to thatsame Beeing / that it may all go vprightly m 1 Cor 14 d in his Course 5. Beholde thus dooing / we shall be founde n Math. 24. c 1 Cor 4 a faythfull Ministers of God also faythfull Ministers of the holy Woord which do further the Saluacion or Welfare of Men. For after that maner â as is before sayde shall the Loue alwayes continue fruitfull among vs in her Seruice / out of pure Nature and God shall sainctify his great and gloryous Name in vs· seale vs therwith to be his People· and accept vs o Ier 31. a. 2 Cor 6 b for his beloued Sonnes and Daughters also p Esa 66. b playe and dandle with vs / as with his beloued Children and keepe vs / q Psal 17 a Zach 2 a as the Apple of his Eye And He shall leade and nourish vs vp in his Pasture / like r Eze 34 b Iohn 1â— a Sheepe and Lambes 6. All our Course-of-lyfe shal be in Loue and Peace Faythfulnes s Zach 8 a b and Trueth shal be seruiceable vnto vs. Righteousnes and Holynes t Esa 58 b shal be alwayes in our Beholding and God shall alwayes go-before vs / as a Light He shal be an euerlasting King and Sheapheard vnto vs and the Loueingnes in the Peace / shall alwayes be among vs and haue no Ende according to the Promyses 7. Let all our Lyfe and all our Course-of-dealing / be heerin / my beloued Hearts ye louely Comunialtee of Saints in the Loue. For you â ye louely faythfull Comunialtee of Loue hath God chosen to be a kingly Seede vppon the Earth / according to his Promyses / for to bring-foorth by you / the Light of Lyfe / out of the heauenly Trueth to the Blessing of all Generacions of the Earth according to the Promyses 8. Take-heede v 2 Cor 6 â— Gal 6 a now all to thissame Tyme of Grace Be watchfull in y e Spirit x Esa 60 a Rom 13 b Ephe 5. â— and stand-vp in the Righteousnes The Loue of God the Father and the Glory of Christ in his Coming / take the Victory in all your Hearts Amen The Ende of the Nyntenth Epistle The Twentith Epistle A Chastising and Reproofe of Whoordom / with sondry good Lessons Informacions and groundly Instructions / how the Man shall giue-ouer himself to Iesus Christ and to the Woord of his holy Spirit of Loue and Trueth· forsake and leaue himself and all what he hath / for the Loue of Iesu Christ-his sake· and follow-after and only cleaue-vnto Iesus Christ and the Woord of his holy Spirit of Loue· and shewe all Obedience Loue and Faythfulnes / to thesame Woord Thus sath the Lorde IESVS CHRIST If any man com to Mee / and hateth not his Father Mother Wyfe Children Bretheren Sisters and also his owne Lyfe That is Whosoeuer doth not â for y e Loue of Iesus Christes sake forsake and leaue all wher-vnto he is bounde or wher-vnto he hath sett his owne Affection and Will of his Heart / without the Requyring of the holy Woord of Iesu Christ and his holy Spirit of Loue and beareth or taketh not his Crosse on him / and Followeth-after Mee / cannot be my Desciple Math. 10.16 Mark 8. Luk. 9.14 The First Chapter THIS IS THE Woord of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ / which HN hath witnessed â vnder the Obedience of the Loue against the Whooring of the Generacion of Men 2. O Thou Generacion of Men / How long shall I sett a psal 108 a Cant 7. c. my Loue on thee / without being loued agayne and my b 2 Cor 11 a Faythfulnes / without being shewed Faythfulnes agayne 3. When wilt thou â I pray thee turne thyself away from thy Whoordom and turne thee â—ightly â c Ier 3 a with a faythfull Heart to thy d Oâ—e 2 a 2 Cor â—1 a right Husbande 4. I haue â sayth the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ sett all my e pro 2 c Loue towards thee / O thou Generacion of Men. But seing that I am not loued by thee agayne and do perceaue / that thou whoorest with thyne owne Imaginacion f Deut 12 a of the Knowledg and with almaner of Spirits and g Ier 2 d Eze 16 b. c. Rom 1 c elementish or naturall Things and doest not sett thy Loue and Faythfulnes / h Ier 2. d. firmly to my Loue and Faythfulnes â which I shewe towards thee to an vpright Obeying of the holy Woord / Therfore doth my Heart â for Loues-cause suffer somuch-the-greater Sorrow and I must also be captiued the-more with i 2 Cor 1â— a Mistrustfulnes towards thee 5. OH / alas Must not I alwayes â like vnto an Husband towards an k Ier 2 d 3 a 2 Cor 12. a whoorish Wyfe haue a mistrustfull Eye towards the Man which bosteth him of the Loue and of the Knowledg of the spirituall and heauenly Things and yet committeth whoordom with l Ier 2 d. Eze 16. b â— Iud. 1 b strainge Spirits / without the Famyle of Loue m 2. Cor. 11 a and not suffer thesame Mistrust to be taken-away or denyed me / before I fynde that the Man do bynde or betroth himself â with a faythfull Heart vnto the holy Woord of Grace and his Spirit of Loue and doth with an n Deut. 16. b. obedient Heart / vtterly forsake all his Whoordom whether it be with Flesh or Spirit· with any-maner of o Eze 16. b Imaginacion of the Knowledg· or with anything that is Outward or Inward· or with anything of p psal 49. c Gods Sayings and euen so goeth-thorow the Waye to the Lyfe / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord 6. Oh! How is my Heart thus greeued / by reason of greate Loue. and so perplexed / through great Mistrustfulnes 7. For like as a valyant Champyon / hath sett all his Loue and Hearts-lust towards an whoorish Wyfe and bounde it vnto her / to the intent to with-drawe her from her Whoordom and to drawe her with her Loue / into his Loue / to be an vpright Maryed-wyfe vnto him and can obtayne no Looking-on nor Harkening-vnto â or very-little at her handes and so for great Loue / suffereth such sore Greefe in his Heart and is so exceedingly combered / that he cannot at any-tyme take any rest / for shewing his Loue still towards her Euenso am I in-like-maner swallowed-vp in Loue / toward the Generacion of Men for to withdrawe thesame from his Whoordom which doth now committ-whoordom with so many-maner of Knowledges and strainge and erring q 3 Reg 22. d. Esa 18 b
holy Vnderstanding is the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine / in the Famyly of Loue / wherin / all good-willing Hearts to the Righteousnes and all vpright Beleeuers of the holy and gracious Woord / do shewe by the Deede / that they do i Math 22. c Iohn 24. loue the Lorde Iesus Christ with all their Hearts / and haue a good Will Lust or Desyre / to k Math 16. c Luâ— 9.14 â— follow-after Him with faythfull Hearts and for-that-cause / haue a Lust â with good-willing Hearts to fulfill or to accomplish y e Requyring of the Obedience of the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine in the Seruice and Famyly of Loue / wherby to l Ephe. 4. c growe-vp out of the nethermost Place â or out of the Turning-about to be like obedient m Math 18 a 19. b. Mar. 9.10 Children to becom right Elders in the godly Vnderstanding 12. BEholde â ye Deerly-beloued if now ye wil n Math 16 c follow-after the Lorde Iesu Christ duly and rightly / with perfect whole Hearts and o Col. 1 a 1 Pet 2. a. growe-vp in the godly Vnderstanding / according to the Trueth / then submitt yourselues obediently vnder the holy Woord of Grace and so then p Math. 16. â— Mat. 8. d. Luk. 9 14. c follow-after Iesus Christ / according to the Counsayle and Doctrine of his holy Spirit of Loue. 13. And if ye woulde gladly be delyuered q Math. 6. b. Luk. 12. g. from the Euell· incorporated to the Lorde Iesu Christ or one-substance r 2. Pet. 1. a. with Him· and so partakers with Christ â in the Kingdom of the God of Heauens of the spirituall Vnderstanding s Eâ—a 45. a. Matth. 11 d and heauenly Goodes â for to minister them rightly / and inherit y e euerlasting Lyfe / Then take this my good Doctrine t Pro. 1.2 3. Math. 19. â— Maâ— 10 c. Luk. 8. c. and godly Counsayle of the Wisdom / to heart and apply yourselues at the first therunto / in all Obedience and Faythfulnes The V. Chap. NOw when ye haue applyed yourselues heerunto· geeuen all a 1 Pâ—r. 29. c Psal 24.88 a thatt ouer â in the Seruice of Loue vnto the Lorde and his holy Woord Ø› Iesu Christ which belongeth vnto Him â to a Preseruacion in Righteousnes or sett it submitted ther-vnder and vowed and promysed your Fayth and Loue / vnto Iesu Christ / b 2. Cor. 11. a your right Lorde or Husbande / So think then also vpon nothing-els / but c Deut 6.10 a with all your Hearts / to loue your Lorde or Husbande to whom ye haue geuen-ouer your Fayth and whole Heart / for to loue Him only and bounde or marryed yourselues vnto Him / in all Faythfulnes and to shewe all Faythfulnes and d 1. Reg. 15. c. Obedience towards Him in such-sort / that it may be a e Psal. 40 a. Rom. 12. a. 1. Pâ—t 2. Delyte vnto you with all your Hearts / to doo all his Will and to follow-after Him in his Wayes 2. But first-of-al / in the f Ier. â—â— Circumcision of your Hearts â through the g Eccli 1. â— â— 19 â— Feare of God to the h â—eâ— â—2 â— Laying-away of the Sinne in the Flesh â–ª or of all i 1 Pet â— 2 vngodly Beeing and of the heathenâ—â— Misâ—urtour 3. Secondly â through y e Fayth of Iesu Christ â–ª in his Death of the Crosse or Suffering / to the Killing k Rom 〈…〉 b. Col 2. b. and Burying of the Sinne or of all vngodly Beeing 4. Thirdly â through the Loue of the holy Spirit of Iesu Christ in the second l Iohn â—â— Rom. â—â— b T it b Birth from the Death or the Resurrection of Iesu Christ / m Rom â—â—â— to the Righteousnes of Lyfe and n Rom â—â— 1 Ephâ— â— c. Renewing of your Spirits and Myndes 5. And so foorth-on vnto o Act â— a. â— the heauenly Beeing / at the Right-hande of God his heauenly Father from whence He doth now â in this Daye of his righteous Iudgment ouer p Math 1â—â— 2 â— g â—â— d. Act. 1â— f Iude â—â— Quick and Deadd appeere q â— Tess 4 d. and com vnto vs / in Power and Glory / with the many Thowsandes of his Saincts and with the aboundant Treasures r Col 2 a. or Ritches of his spirituall and heauenly Goodes / for to s Matth. 24 â— 25. d. assemble vs â–ª as Fellow-members of his Body vnto Him and his Saints / in the euerlasting Lyfe to the Inheriting of his holy t Heb. 4. c Rest and of all his spirituall and heauenly Goodes 6. FOr-that-cause â my beloued Heartes follow-after v Math 16. c 1. Pet. 2. c our Lorde Iesus Christ in such-a-maner euen like as I do heere figure-foorth thesame before you and apply you euenso at the first / to the first Schoole-rule or x Heb. 5. c. Begining of the christian Doctrine and of the godly Lyfe / in the Famyly of Loue. 7. Exercise yourselues first-of-al / thorowly and faythfully therin And so in the Following of Iesu Christ â in the Takeing-vp y Math. 16. c Mar 8. d. Luk 9. d. or Beareing of your Crosse / against all the Enemyes of the vpright Lyfe of Christ z 2 Pet. 2 c. Heb. 10. c. and Blaspheamers of the holy Spirit of Loue growe you vpp out of thesame / to the perfect a Ephe. 4. c. Age of the manly Beeing of Iesu Christ / and of his holy spirituall and heauenly Vnderstanding That is till that Iesus ChristØ›the true High-preeste / b psal 110. Heb 5 b. after the order of Melchisedech com vnto you from the c Heb. 1. b. Right-hande of God his Father and hath â with his holy Spirit of Loue and heauenly Goodes gotten d 2. Cor. 4. b. Gal. 2. d. 4. c. a liueing Shape in you· and herited you in his spirituall and heauenly e Col 2. a. Goodes and that likewyse thosame heauenly Goodes / do flowe agayne from your Bodyes / like f Iohn â— 7 d Floods of liueing Waters to the Refreshing of all thirsty Soules after the Righteousnes And so becom vpright Elders in the holy and godly Vnderstanding and Ministers of the holy Woord The VI. Chap. TAke it effectually to heart / which I wryte vnto you and thatt wherunto a Pro 1.2.4 â— I do exhorte you For it is the Lordes Woord and his Will / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes 2. Also refuse not to assemble you with vs to the Famyly of Loue wher-vnto ye be called / by Gods Grace / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes· and requyred on the Lordes-behalf / for to fulfill b Math. 5. c all Righteousnes 3. For I saye vnto you veryly / that all those which refuse c Math. 22. â— thesame·
be tempted / for to drawe you awaye â e Heb. 12. a. inticeingly from the Obedience of the Loue of God the Father and from the vpright and louely Beeing of Iesu Christ and that they wil in that sort / procure your consent to the Sinne or to her Ministers / then holde you fast or f Eccli 2. a Heb. 12. a constant in-any-wyse / in the Beleefe of your Saluacion and in Patience / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and shrinke not back / That yee â in the Growing-vp to the vpright Beeing of the Loue becom not lead-awaye neither to the one g Pro. 4. c. syde nor to the other but may â in the Beleefe and h 1. Tess. 5. b. Hope of your Saluacion or Delyuerance from the Euell and in the Passing-thorow the Patience / to the good Beeing of Iesu Christ growe i Ephe. 3. b. c. strong and becom still more stronger and euenthus â in the Course of your Patience / k Heb. 10.12 vnder the Obedience of the Loue walke in all Faythfulnes Loue and l Phil. 4. a. Equitee / among all Men. 3. Beware likewyse of m Exo. 23 a Eccli 7. b Ephe. 4. d. Lying one to another and of all harmfull Speeche-of-reproche and n Tit. 3. a. 1. Pet 3. c keepe your Tongues from o Eccli 23. a 27. b. Math. 5. c. Curssing For that which ye speake p Eccli 10. b priuily in eachothers Eare â in reproch and curssing maner / with Backbyting of another shall not com-to-pas so simply / without Lyes and y e q Sap. 1. b. Mouth that lyeth / killeth the Soule 4. Follow alwayes the r Iob. 12. b. Counsayle of the Elders and Wyse in the Seruice of Loue. and s Eccli 8. â— d. Heb. 13. d submitt you obedienly vnder the Woord of their Doctrine and confesse vnto them / t Eccli 4 d. what is hidden· and becometh spoken among you / in secret / Then shall ye becom v Iob. 12.32 a Eccli 6 8. b wyse and shall euenso â in your Obedience out of the Doctrine of the Elders / first learne yourselues / er-euer ye teache another first help yourselues / x Math. 7. a er-euer ye help another first rebuke y Rom. 2. a and iudg yourselues / er-euer ye rebuke and iudg another and shall fynde z 2. Cor. 11. g. Grace / in such tyme when-as others â which iudg and deale falsly / and blaspheame cursse backbyte and belye their Neighbour shal be punished 5. Therfore do nothing without a Eccli 32. d Counsayle / so shall it not repent you / after the Deede 6. Blaspheame nor resist not also b Rom. 13 a the Gouernours nor the c Eccli 8. b Preesies / in their Office but shewe them d Rom. 13 b. 1. Tim. 5. c. Honour and Obedience and for the Peaces cause / obserue all the Ordinances of the Lande 7 Indeuour not your selues likewyse / to deale with your Neighbour / in anything that is e Tob. 4. c. Math. 7. b Vniust nor hinder not also the Straingers f Exo. 23. b. in any-case 8. Offende not the Little g Math. 18. b. Rom. 14 d. 1. Cor. 8. d. or Smipleones of vnderstanding nor charge not the Weake / with any Burthens 9. Set not the Sight of your Eyes vpon any Flesh nor vpon any Outward-thing wherby to procure your lust towards anything h Exo. 20. c Pro 6 c. Eccli 18 d 25. d therof / to any Desyre for yourselues / Lest that your Hearts be kindled and defyled â with Lust of Whoordom towards thesame But set all your Sight Vnderstanding and Memory / i Pro. 3. a. Math. 22. towards the Lorde your God and towards the godly Testimonyes of his holy Spirit of Loue. 10. Let al your Lusts Desyres and Delytes be set towards their Beawty k Pro. 3. a. 4. â— b. 5. a. b and Louelynes in the Spirit / Then shall ye not be subdued vnto Whoordom 11. Haue likewyse â in all your Sight â—ealing and Walking the holy l Tob. 4. a. Pro. 1. b Feare of God before your Eyes But beware that your Feare of God / be m Sap. 1. a. no Hipocrisye and serue not God / n Eccil 2.3 d with a false Heart 12. Take-heed alwayes of the Whoordom o Tob. 4. b. 1. Cor. 6. a. 1. Tess. 4. a and remember that ye are not dettâ—â—s to serue the Whoordom nor the Vnchastitee but only the Lorde your God / in all p 1. Tess. 4. b â–ª Purenes of Heart 13 Remember also / that vnder the Obedience of the Loue / ye are called to the Godlynes in Iesu Christ / for to showe all q Phil. 4. b. 1. Tess. 4· c. Tit. 3. a. Edifying and good Order and all Righteousnes Loue and Peace / among all People and so through all Wel-dooing and good Conuersation / to stopp r 1. Pet. 2. b. the Mouth of the Gaynspeakers and Blaspheamers of the Famyly of Loue and of all those that do belye and defame vs with al-maner of Falshod and â through all Goodnes to winne the Louers of the Trueth and Righteousnes / to the Famyly of Loue / To th end that all those which loue the Trueth in Iesu Christ and which hunger and thirst after s Math. 5. a the Righteousnes / mought â through the holy and gracious Woord which God hath t Ier. 23. raysed-vp vnto vs Little and Electedones of God / according to his Promyses be delyuered from their Sinnes and becom saued 14. BEholde â ye Deerly-beloued This is our vpright Grounde of Fayth in Iesu Christ. and also our vndeceaueable Seruice of Loue / euen like as we be taught and informed / in the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue. 15 Therfore â my beloued Heartes in the Loue follow not in-any-wyse / your owne v Deut. 12 a Eccli 18. d. 25. d. Good-thinking Lustes and Desyres / nor-yet your Imaginacion of the Knowledg but haue a right regarde / what the holy and gracious x Deut. 4. a. b Iam. 1. b. Woord of the Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ â vnder the Obedience of the Loue requyreth and indeuour you therunto / So shall ye then growe-vp well and vprightly according to the Trueth / in the Sainctification of Iesu Christ and in the spirituall and y Col. 1. a. b â— heauenly Vnderstandings· walke in all godly Loue Peace and Ioye· and inherit the z Math. 19. d. 25. d. Rom. 6. d. euerlasting Lyfe It is verytrue The Ende of the twentith Epistle Take it to heart CHARITAS EXTORSIT PER HN. Our Heart / is the Minde of God most-hie Our Beeing amiable / as the sweete Lillie Our Faithfulnes / Loue / and Trueth vpright â–ª Is Gods Light / Life / and Cleernes bright â–ª
that thou only art very true God and Him whom thou hast sent / Iesus Christ. Iohn 17. Ther was demaunded by a Louer of the Trueth and an Instruction desyered / touching the Difference betwixt God / the Father and his Sonne / the Lorde Iesus Christ. And ther-vppon is answered by HN / in wryting â according to the Declaring of the spirituall and heauenly Trueth this Instruction heeraftter following The First Chapter I Haue thus-long deferred forto answer thee thy Demaunde in wryting â which thou Beloued Brother desyredst of mee / when I was last with thee because of certen Matters that were needfull for me first-of-al to further Wher-through I â by that occasion haue not â hetherto had conuenient tyme to accomplish thesame 2. But I haue not for-al-that / forgotten thy Demaunde nor through Slothfulnes / neglected to wryte vnto thee neither do I desyre in any-wyse / to deny thee thy Request but am alwayes wel-willing to witnes thesame vnto thee â according to that Vnderstanding which the Lorde giueth vnto mee so much as it is profitable for thee to Edification Notwithstanding I am burdened in my Heart / because I haue promysed â vppon thy Demaunde to wryte thee an Answere 3. But not that the Grounde of the Matter â about the which thou hast questyoned with mee· and desyred of mee / to answer thesame in wryting is so hard or profound-of-vnderstanding / to answere O No but because that the Vnderstanding of thesame Mynde / is so vtterly vnknowe a Math. 11. c 13. b Iohn 14. b. Ephe. 3. a. before all Sence of the Flesh. 4. Yea how naked and bare soeuer the Scripture sheweth it / according to the Mynde of the Spirit / yet can it not for-al-that / be vnderstood b 1. Cor. 2. b. nor conceaued by Flesh and Blood / Vnles the Man must first â according to the Counsayle of the Scripture be turned into another Mynde 5. SEing now that the Scripture of the Apostles of Christ / is spirituall c Iohn 5. â— 6. g. and witnesseth of Spirit and Lyfe and that the Man â which readeth y e Testymonyes therof / in the Letter standeth captiued with a Fleshly Mynde / vnder d Rom. 7. â— the Sinne and his owne Good-thinking and so taketh vppon Him â out of thesame Mynde of the Flesh and his owne Good-thinking to vnderstande the Mynde of God out of the Letter / e 1. Cor. 2. b. So can He not doutles bring it to-pas For his Fleshly Sences and good-thinking Thoughts / do surely stretch no farder / but likewyse to such an Intelligence or Knowledg of the Fleshly Vnderstanding 6. For-that-cause also / the Mynde of Man doth not â out of the Letter of the Scripture vnderstand nor comprehende the Mynde of God / rightly By-meanes-wherof / ther is likewyse now at this present daye like as cam-to-pas also in tymes-past / among f Ier. 26. b. 28. a. b. 29. c. d. Math. 12. c. 23. b. c. d. 26.27 the worldly Wyse and Scriptur-learnedones much Contention Variance and Controuersie / founde among the Children of Men / who do contende about Thatt which they themselues vnderstaÌ„d not and wil seeme to knowe Thatt / which according to the Mynde of their Vnderstanding â wherin they are comprehended is not to be knowen nor Vnderstood 7. THe whilst now that the ritch bountifull God â out of the Loue of his Grace / vndeserued giueth vnto Vs â in g 1. Cor. 2. b. our inward Mynde another Spirit for to discerne and to vnderstand with-al / h 1 Cor. 1.2 b which is nor of Flesh and Blood nor-yet mynded according to the earthly and fleshly Wisdom of this Worlde nor according to y e Prudence of y e Ingeniousnes of y e worldly Wyse and of the coÌ„tentions Scriptur-learned or those of famous Schooles / Therfore do we perceaue / that it is perillous to wryt-ouer vnto any man / of the Secretnes of God i Ephe. 3. a. and Christ And that therfore / we do dayly beare a Care or a Suspicion / whether Those that aske after the Vnderstanding of the godly Trueth / do not desyre to knowe thesame k Act. 17. c. out of Curyousnes or Sensualitee or l Iohn 8. b. to iudg it according to their Good-thinking 8. Therfore it is daungerous in this perillous Tyme / to discouer or to wryt-ouer the groundly Depthes m Rom. 11. d. of the godly Wisdom / vnto anyman / because that we do now fynde many Men that do aske / to th end to knowe much / Yea they seeke many Knowledges / wherby to vnderstand and to iudg the godly Things / out of their Sharpwitednes or Industry And thatt lyketh all those well / which haue no Lust to doo the Lordes Will. For therin lyeth the olde Roote n Gen. 3. b. Rom 5. b. of Adam wherout the disobedient Knowledg springeth or cometh-foorth 9. But to o Iohn 8 c. submitt themselues obediently to the Requyring of the gracious Woord of the godly Wisdom· and to the right Seruice of the Loue of Iesu Christ / also to cleaue vnto y e liueing God / in his godly Nature or Beeing / p Exo. 20. â— Deut. 5. a. and to serue to prayse and to honour Him / as He is a God / in his Christ / thatt lyketh fewe or none Yet is thesame the newe Fruit of the Planting of Iesu Christ wher-vnto the Scripture poynteth vs / which neither the q Math. 11. c. Iohn 14 c. 1. Cor 1.2 b Worlde nor her Wyse or Scriptur-learnedones do vnderstand nor-yet conceaue the Mynde For they knowe not thesame 10. ALthough I do thus rehearse these things / my Beloued and that my Carefulnes standeth to such a Suspicion towards Many / Yet do I notwithstanding hope and trust somwhat better of thee / as that thou art more inclyned to vnderstand the Will and Mynde of God / to the intent to r 1. Pet. 5. a. submitt thyself obediently ther-vnto / to thy Saluation and to the s Ephe. 1. b. Laude and Prayse of the godly Glory and so to beleeue the liueing God and his Christ· to inclyne vnto Him· and to becom t 2. Pet. 1. a. partaker of his Beeing / then for to knowe much therof / according to the Pleasure of thyne Owne-mynde 11. Therfore also I wil not think it tedious vnto me to answer thy Demaunde / with Dilligence / out of feruent Loue / If haply God would vouchsafe â through my small Seruice to open u EPhe. 1. c. thyne Vnderstanding and â through his Increase or Blessing to endow thee in thy Spirit / with his Grace and to stirr-vp thy Heart to a pure Mynde towards God and towards his Loue in Iesu Christ. The II. Chap. THus was then thy saying vnto me â as I remember that the Woord which y e Apostles of Christ do wryte / was darke or incomprehensible for thee to
that thou moughtest haue a much-more regard vnto the Power of God and vnto the vpright Righteousnes that God worketh through the Ministration of his gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue / in y e Spirit of the inward Man / to th end for to liue vprightly therin / with a meeke-mynded Spirit For a meekemynded h Psal. â— b Esa. 57. b 61. a. 66. a Spirit â which hath his Proceeding obediently / according to the Requyring of the Lords Woord is very precious and acceptable before God 6. And although that we do â in thesame Spirit go-on in Scilence / as touching the outward Maner and are poore of Spirit in Tongues or Languages / Yet is not for-al-that / the Ritchnes of the spirituall and heauenly Knowledg of God â–ª euer-the-lesse among Vs. but rather the greater And thesame and all Thatt which is of God and Christ / do we esteeme very i Iob. 28. b. Psal. 19 b. Pro. 3 b 8 b Sap. 7. b. precious / Yea much worthyer then all the Ritches or costly Treasures of this Worlde for thatsame â of worthynes-part excelleth it all For which Occasion / we let our Woordes be feawe / because that thesame which we speake / may not proceede out of the Knowledg but out of the k 1. Cor 2. a. b Power of God and out of the Trueth of Iesu Christ. 7. And in thesame Speech of y e godly Things / we do also take-heede with Foresightfulnes â so much as we may therin of the Looseones of Heart / to th end that ther be not one godly Saying of the precious secret Wisdom / spoken-out in Vayne O / how l Eccli 14.25 Ieam 5 a happy is hee / that falleth not in his Tongue and whose Woordes m Col. 4. a. are tempered with Salt 8. NOw this being omitted I reioyce me doutles / of the and of the Communialte that is with thee and I hope to reioyce me yet more with the / with greater Ioye by meanes of the Answere vnto mee / that I haue hearde from thee / As that yee altogether / are wel-mynded to Thatt which is the Beeing itself / wherof the Scripture witnesseth â as personally of God of Christ and of the holy Gost. Which Beeing â for those that be partakers therof are the secret Treasures and n Math. 13 c heauenly Ritches of God / wherof the Worlde· the ritch Scriptur-learnedones· nor the Good-thinking-wyse â with all their deep-groundly Knowledg do neither knowe nor vnderstand o Math. 11 c 1. Cor. 2. a. anything-at-al 9. It is true they haue the Scripture of the godly Witnesses wher-through they suppose to be wyse and vnderstanding But seing they giue not their Vnderstanding captiue vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Iesu Christ and com p Iohn 5. not euenso to the Beeing / wherof the Scripture speaketh nor-yet beleeue theron / q Iohn 7. d as the Scripture sayth / So is-ther likewyse no Light nor Trueth nor-yet Spirit nor Beeing of God / among them / and they also do neither knowe nor r Math. 22 c. 1. Tim 1. a vnderstande Thatt which they themselues speake therof 10. But the God of Lyfe â s Ephe. 2 a who is ritch of Mercie hath â out of his harty Loue t Ephe. 1. a 2. a 3. a. Col. 1. d. reuealed the Beeing of his Glory vnto vs· renewed our ignorant Vnderstanding â vnder the Obedience of his Loue to a spirituall Mynde of the vpright Righteousnes· and â when we were full of Infirmitees v Rom. 5. a. b. Ephe. 2. a. Col. 1. c. 2. b and deadd / for the Sinnes cause begotten vs agayne / out of his Loue / x Tit. 1. a. 5. a â–ª to a sure Hope of his Lyfe 11. Seing then that y Heb. 12. â— such a Clowde of holy Deawe / is â by Gods Grace appeered in our Sight / according to the Spirit· and com from Gods Right-hande / as an heauenly Blessing / and wherout also the right Beeing of God â wherof we speake a 2. Cor. 4. â— aryseth vnto vs / as a Light and Cleernes Therfore haue wee â although the Scripture witnesseth theron and that we do heare many speake therof more regarde vnto Thatt which is the vpright Beeing itself â wherin our Ioye standeth then vnto Thatt which witnesseth theron 12. For thesame Light that shyneth now vnto Vs / out of the heauenly Trueth / b 1. Iohâ— 1. a. is the euerlasting Lyfe which was with the Father / in the Begining and it is c Psal. 45. a Heb. 1. a. the Mercie-seate of the godly Maiestee which continueth from euerlasting to euerlasting Euen-as I likewyse haue talked with thee of thesame / when I was last with thee The II. Chap FOrasmuch then as thy Request was vnto me at that tyme / to wryte thee an Instruction of the Mediation of Iesu Christ after the Spirit and how thesame cometh-to-pas in vs / a Rom. 3. â— 2. Cor. 5. b. Ephe. 2. b. 1. Iohn 2.4 â— for a Reconciliation betwixt God and vs and how Christ is b Heb. 1. a an Heire of all Things and how c 1. Cor. 15. c God is all in all / Therfore wil I open a little of thesame vnto thee and I hope also to satisfy the well with this Instruction 2. Inasmuch then as I haue partly marked thyne Inclynation to the holy and spirituall Vnderstanding of the vpright Righteousnes / therfore can I not of Natures-part omitt / but must witnes vnto the of thatt which thou desyrest at my handes / also reueale the d Ephe 3. a Mistery of Christ / and make-knowen vnto thee / thatt which is hidden c Rom. 15. c Ephe. 1 a 3 a Col. 1. c. before the Worlde and all her Wyseones / and discribe it vnto thee in wryting / accordingly as the Lorde illuminateth myne Vnderstanding therto and as it may be profitable for thee to Edifycation 3. THer is testifyed in the Scripture â the which according to the Spirit / is also verytrue that God is f Iohn 4. c. 2 Cor. 3. b. a Spirit â–ª and a g 1 Iohn 1. a verytrue Light / with whom no Darknesses or Sinnes are mingled But seeing that the Man is falne h Gen. 3. a Esa. 59. b. into a strainge Contrary-beeing vnto God and goeth-on and liueth therin / So is he likewyse i Ephe. 4 b. Col. 1. c estrainged from God and from his Light and walketh according to the Flesh or Outward and according to the Requyring and Desyres of the Foreskinne of his vncircumcised Heart / and not according to the Spirit or according to the Requyring of the godly Beeing and so He k Psal. 82. a Ephe. 5. a walketh in the vngodly Beeing of the Darknesses and thatsame vngodly Beeing of the Darknesses l Rom. 1. c. Ephe 4. b. hath blynded his Heart And thatt veryly is the Sinne m Esa.
deserued on mee 14. THou Beloued Vnderstande now heer-out / which it is that I haue accounted for Dirt and what hath bin my Seeking and Desyre For which such afflicted Seruants of the Lorde â which do loue the vpright Beeing / with all their Hearts I do alwayes make Supplication and Prayer vnto the Lorde and do saye out of all my Soule 15. O Lorde breake-asunder the Bandes of the Vngodly I beseeche thee and vouchsafe to giue Strength vnto thyne inclyned Seruants / to raigne with thee ouer all their Enemyes 16. O God let thy Seruants go ouer them and tread vppon them with i Esa. 41. c. Mich. 7. b. their Feete / like Lome / To th end that they may euenso â with thy Wisdom and Foresightfulnes enter boldly into thy Loue Ø›thy Paradise of Lyfe for to possesse y e worthy and restfull Lande of Peace and the holy Citee Ierusalem / k Ier. 30. b. c. Zach. 1. b buylded anew vppon her olde Foundation wheron thou â O God hast in tymes-past foreseene to buylde thesame / for that thy l Psal. 51. b Esa. 56. a. Mal. 3. a. Offering may be made thear and thy Laude-song of Sion be soung thear for euermore and not in Babylon nor in the North Landes / euen-as thou â O God hast m Ier 3.16 b 23. a. Mich. 4.5 b forespoken thesame by thy Prophets The IIII. Chap. FArdermore thou writest vnto me / that thy Longing was for to talke with Mee thy self / because that thesame which I had written vnto thee / made thee so exceedingly to wonder and was beyonde thyne Vnderstanding and for that I complayned me of the Accusers / because they complayned on Me and accused me so falsly before the Iudgment / for to be condemned and rooted-out 2. Thissame seemeth that it hath bin a Wonder vnto thee / because as thou wrytest such a Light and Knowledg was risen-vp vnto Me before And fardermore When thou then rememberest the Songs that I haue made thou sayest vnto Me / demaunding Had the Spirit quyt forsaken thee / in thy Forsaken-estate Oh what shall I saye I must keepe-sâ—ilence heerof inasmuch as I haue neuer founde myself in such great Forsakennes 3. O Thou Beloued / If thou hadst considered well on the a Psal. 22. a. Math. 27. c. Forsakennes of Christ and on the Forsakennes of all his Saincts / who do follow-after Him in the Forsakennes of his Crosse / Then wouldest thou not haue wondered For euenso sayth the holy Scripture vnto vs likewyse / b Act. 14. that we must enter into the Kingdom of God / thorow much Tribulation and Affliction 4. For such-a-matter if we suffer-out thesame with Patience is the Death c Rom. 6 c. Phil. 2. a. of the Crosse of Christ wherby we be planted into Christ as the Scripture sayth with the lyke Death Wher-through we do also inherit with Christ namely in the secoÌ„de Birth from the Death the godly Ritches of God the Father / in the euerlasting Lyfe and be worthy to raigne vppon the Earth / d Apo. 5. b. with Christ and all his Saincts 5. But touching y e Complayning ouer myne Accusers / I haue sufficiently distincted vnto thee before But let not my Tribulation and Calamytee cause thee to wonder For inasmuch as it neuer happened vnto thee / therfore is it all doutles whatsoeuer thou hearest therof / the strainger before thyne Eares 6. But like as thy Longing hath bin towards Mee / so haue I in-like-maner / longed after thee / for to talke with thee of this Matter but it is not so com-to-pas Notwithstanding / I hope the Lorde shall once bring vs together / so wil I then vtter-foorth my Heart alittle with thee / of all that is chaunced vnto mee For I fynde very-feawe of those / with whom I dare be bolde or openhearted 7. But thou knowest from the begining / the Course of my Zeale to the Righteousnes euen-as I do thyne also and I haue neuer kept my Mynde secret from thee nor-yet thou thyne / from Mee Seing then y â— thou hast alwayes bin openhearted with mee / therfore am I likewyse / the-bolder to talke with thee of althings 8. Howbeit / if the Mynde of certen Vnderstandings or of somme Sentences had remayned hidden from many Ignorantones / it had bin good for them / because that the Ignorantones do seeke nothing-els but their Selfnes But doutles whatsoeuer doth not in al-poynts / giue-ouer itself obediently vnder the gracious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / thatsame doth alwayes turne itself out either to the one syde or to the other / for to follow-after the e Rom. â— c. Lusts of his Errour 9. For-that-cause seing it is now knowen vnto vs / that the Disobedientones to the holy Woord and the Ignorant and Lyghtmyndedones / are alwayes mynded to Errour / Therfore let vs vse Foresightfulnes in all our Woords and so before all Things / couet after the f 1. Cor. 14. c. Loue. and drawe the Deuoutones / vnder the Loues Obedience 10. Whosoeuer then do submitt them vnder the Obedience of the Loue· cleaue vnto the Loue in her Seruice / with all their Hearts· and â with naked Hearts wholly giue-ouer themselues â in the Comunialtee of Saincts to the Howse of Loue / to all Concord and to the g 1. Pet. 1. b. c. Obeying of the gracious Woord / To Those shall men â in all Loue disclose the h Math. 13. b. Secretnes of the holy Vnderstandings and of the Kingdom of the God of Heauens / To th end that Gods secret Ritches and the Vnderstandings of his holy Wisdom / may be knowen to the Obeyers of his Woord / in the Nature or Beeing of his Loue. For veryly the Disobeyers of the Woord as also the self-seeking Ignorantones and those that think themselues to be wyse or skilfull / They i Iohn â— â— iudg the secret Mynde of the Loue and of the Kingdom of God / cleane-contrary in euery-behalf 11. And if-so-be then that they stande not submitted obediently â with all their Hearts vnder the Woord of Information / according to the k Pro. 1.2.3.4 Eccli 4.8 b Counsayle of the Wisdom / so do they then â with Misunderstanding take euery thing quyt contrary / according to their owne good-thinking Mynde of the earthly Wisdom and do therin corrupt themselues and likewyse all their Vnderstanding / through their Self-seeking and fleshly Lusts and Desyres 12. Therfore let the Wisdom be esteemed more-precious / then anything that may be imagined in the Worlde For ther is nothing in the Worlde / to be compared l Pro. 3 b. 8. b Sap. 8. a. to the Wisdom and to her secret Treasures 13. Inasmuch now â thou Beloued as that thou knowest thissame / therfore be thou in-any-wyse farr from the Mockers / which walke according to their m Rom. 1. c owne Desyres and be a Strainger to the Lyghtemyndedones and auoyde
Cleansing of the Worlde and the Reioyceing of the Righteous / in the last tyme. But howsoeuer the Lorde appoynteth it / let it so content vs in any-wyse The XV. Chap. ACcording to thy Request â thou Beloued I haue heere â as in breef-maner written a little vnto thee / how my Mynde standeth or how I am mynded 2. I knowe not also any Light a Iohn 1. â— of Lyfe / but the b 2. Cor. 4. â— Col. 1. b. Heb. 1. â— inuisible true Beeing / the gloryous and louely Lyfe of the liueing Godhead wher-vppon likewyse my Hope standeth euen-as wee haue also talked therof in tymes-past 3. I seeke not likewyse neither haue sought since that tyme forth / that we spake last together any Saluation of the Soule / in any Outward-thing but â through the Beleefe in Iesu Christ and through the Loue and her Seruice I withdrawe my Mynde from all what is outward and which is drawing me to Corruption 4. Heer-vnto doth my Soule bende itself / so much as I may in the Lorde and I do loue the inuisible Beeing of God / to th end that my inward Mynde should in nowyse stand bounde to the vayne Creatednes but that my Spirit mought euenso / liue in the Spirit of the true and liueing Beeing namely / according to the Nature of Christ c Iohn 13. d. 15. b 1. Iohn 3. c. who directeth or poynteth vs vnto the Loue Ø›the vnchaingable Godhead 5. But thatt Seruice which hath his Miniâ—tration to thesame Loue / for the Saluations sake of Men and requyreth all Orderlynes and Reasonablenes / wil I not dispise nor-yet in any-case forsake but wil â so much as the Lorde enableth me therto further mayntayne and minister thesame to the Saluation of Men / inasmuch as the Lorde hath chosen Mee ther-vnto 6. Oh / that God woulde graunt / that the Seruice of Loue mought flourish without Hinderance and that euenso the right Vnderstanding of the Wisdom mought com-to-light / vnder the Obedience of the Loue For to the louely Lyfe in the Loue / d Gen 1.2 Sap. 1. b. 2. c is the Man created like as is witnessed and administred out of the Seruice of Loue and therfore is also my Soule inclyned to thesame Seruice / to th end that e Ephe. 4. â— the Vnite of Heart mought be in y e Loue / among all Louers of the Trueth 7. Beholde yet at this present / thus standeth my Mynde and I likewyse knowe not yet any better neither haue I also mett with any better 8. BVt it seemeth now â by thy Wryting as though thou hast heard by Somme / that I shoulde be outwardly mynded as are Somme whom thou namest vnto mee O No / thou Beloued My Heart Mynde and Being standeth not grounded vppon any outward Thing / neither do I also desyre to cleaue-vnto and to vse anything that is Outward / which leadeth-away f Rom. 1. â— Heb. 3. b. from the liueing God and his Righteousnes 9. But though I now â for the Vnitees sake in the Loue shoulde conuersate myself with Somme that were yet outwardly mynded or did yet sett their Confidence vppon any Flesh / yet doth not their weake Grounde concerne mee But I haue for-that-cause / a lyke-loue towards them / when they cannot attayne vnto the inuisible Trueth any farder and desyre to haue Conuersation peaceably with Mee / and yet for-al-that I do not contemne the Outward 10. I woulde also willingly leaue them free in their weake Grounde / if I mought by-that-meanes / conuersate myself in the Vnitee of the Loue / with those that are zealous to the good Beeing or that are Louers of Vertue of Wisdom and of Vnderstanding let them be then / whosoeuer or of what Grounde of Fayth and Opinion soeuer they bee if the Loue g Col 3. b. were our Bande and Concord· and that we conuersated ourselues with each-other therin as also woulde willingly heare one-another / through Loue and that-ther were in-that-sort a good Inclynation to the Trueth / among vs all / Then shoulde the right Vnderstanding com-to-light nodout and the vayne Vnderstanding together with all euell Imaginations and Blaspheamings vanish-away of themselues or consume to nothing 11. For to deale in the Loue / with such as are adioyned to the Loue / were more acceptable vnto mee also much-more delytfull and ioyfull / then with those that haue no Lust â–ª Will nor Desyre to the good Beeing of the Loue and wil in-that-maner conuersate themselues with mee 12. For though anyone of the goodwilling Hearts / shoulde â by reason of his small Vnderstanding trust yet vpon som Outward-thing yet if he haue a Lust to God and his Righteousnes and is no Blaspheamer nor Contemner towards another / then cometh thatt Vanitee to an Ende doutles / in the Vnderstanding Therfore men ought not to contemne anyone for the outward Seruices or Ordinances cause 13. For it is much better and much-more acceptable before God / to loue the good Beeing / through som Outward-thing / then to cleaue vnto the Worlde or to the vayne and vnprofitable Things / through the Affection to the Worldly outward Things the h Eccli 15. b. Rom. 1. c Ephe. 4. c. which nodout is altogether strainge from God and his Trueth and therfore likewyse ther-are Many now / which dispyse the outward Seruices or Ordinances· speaking much Reproche of euery-one· also blaspheaming and with Falshod defameing the Ministers therof but in that they bynde their Hearts vnto their owne Creatures or vnto som other outward Things / thatt wil they not once consider 14. And thesame Estrainging from God and his Trueth â through the Affection to the worldly and outward Things do we now â alas fynde among many Men / who do also very franckly bost themselues / that they are not snared by any Man nor with outward Seruices or Ceremonyes and so do perswade themselues / that therfore they are not outwardly mynded i Gal. 4. a. Col 2. c. like those that seeke Righteousnes in outward Things 15. Yeas assuredly and yet much-more and worse For they suffer themselues to be captiued k Rom 1. c. Ephe. 2. a 4. c. with the earthly Things of this Worlde and â their Hearts growing vayne therthrough and turning-away themselues from the Lust to the Guyding into the Righteousnes they hang their Vnderstanding and Mynde on thosesame and on their owne Good-thinking so that they for-that-cause / do vtterly lose all Lust or Zeale to the vpright Beeing of God and becom cleaueing to the earthly corruptible Things and euenso do quyt corrupt their Vnderstanding 16. Seing then that they are corrupted in their Vnderstanding / therfore seeke they likewyse â according to their owne Pleasures to liue to the corruptible Things / for a Recreation of their Hearts and in no-wyse desyre to be leadd into the true Lyfe / through Gods Ordinance For the godly Things are as deadd vnto them
and the Seruices of the holy Woord and to shewe Obedience therin â wherwith the Man is assisted to the godly Knowledg are as though they had no Signifycation which thing I commend not 17. For my Heart hath much-more Affection to those that with Ignorance / do seeke God and his Righteousnes and that shewe Obedience therin / then to those that with Vnderstanding / do estrainge them from God and his Seruice and are strainge and disobedient vnto all Righteousnes / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord of the holy Spirit and Seruice of Loue and so do liue after ther owne Mynde l Ier 7. c. 23. b. 18. b and Good-thinking The XVI Chap. FOr this cause / my Beloued â as is before sayde and for that I do now fynde Many / which â according to their owne Good-thinking do liue in all Disobedience / against the Requyring of the holy Woord and which bost them falsly of the Vnderstanding of the spirituall and heauenly Things and so â â—leaueing-vnto or loueing the Worlde and the corruptible Things· or the Following of the false Libertynes desyre to conuersate or to haue fellowshipp with mee and for more such-like things cause and for that I do neither seeke nor desyre any such matter / I haue indeuoured myself to be conuersant with certen zealous Hearts To th end that I in my Zeale / mought not haue my Course with the Vnwillingones â which take-on a false Freedom / to seperate themselues from the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and cleaue to the earthly corruptible Things but with the Good-willingones to the Righteousnes and that the Vnderstanding of the godly Trueth and of the peaceable Loue / mought â by that Meanes beare-swaye among the Louers of the vpright Vnderstanding / which do loue the Treasures of Wisdom and the Obedience to the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue / aboue Golde and Siluer a Pâ—o. 8. â— Sap. 7 a. and aboue all what is in the Worlde 2. For whosoeuer loueth the Wisdom or the holy Vnderstanding and the Obedience to the Requyring of her Seruice of Loue / aboue all earthly Things / and doth not contemne enuye nor blaspheame anyone / that also laboureth ther-after with Ignorance / To him b Pro. 8 â— Sap. 6 b. 7. â— Math. 7. â— wil likewyse the Wisdom or holy Vnderstanding / appeere But whosâ— loueth anything aboue the Wisdom / or whoso contemneth and blaspheameth anyman / in his Zeale to the Righteousnes and seperateth himself from him / is not wyse neither shall hee also fynde vnderstande nor inherite the Wisdom For the Wisdom is much-to-noble to-honorable of Lynage c Pro. 8. a. b. Sap 7 a. b. Ecclâ— 24. b. and to-precious / for to ioyne or shewe herself vnto those / y t do not loue her with all their Hearts / aboue all Things 3. Oh â alas I fynde too-feawe of those which loue the Wisdom aboue all things But let it go how it will / with the Wysdom and the vpright Righteousnes the Man doth in-any-case take good heede to the earthly Things / which doutles are nomore to be esteemed then as d Phil. 3. b. Dirt / in comparyson to the Preciousnes or Worthynes of the Wisdom and Righteousnes of God 4. Vnderstande now â thou Beloued wherfore I haue indeuoured myself to haue my Conuersation in Freedom / with those whom thou wel knowest and also with others more namely for the Wisdom and the Righteousnes sake as is before rehearsed and as I wil yet partly rehearse vnto thee / because that thy Heart shoulde in-nowyse doubt that I haue sought or liked anything-els / but the Vertues of the vpright and true inuisible Beeing 5. For in all Things and Dealings that I haue has with them / this hath bin all my Grounde and Intent / for to heare-ouer their Vnderstanding and Wisdom / vnder the Obedience of the Loue· to question with them· and to answere agayne / To th end that we mought therby becom agreeable or concordable e 1 â—or 1. a Phil. 2. a. mynded / in the Loue and in the Vnderstanding and to the vpright Righteousnes / and that we shoulde not take or construe anything of each-other / to the worst but I haue not yet vsed thesame Course among them nor-yet the Speeche that tendeth therunto 6. I haue not yet lykewyse bin in any Communialtee among them / wherby to deale boldly with them But the Lorde do with vs according to his Will and thatt which serueth most vnto Peace and to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 7. O Thou Beloued / Although I haue â out of Loue submitted myself heerunto among Somme wherby to informe the Louers of the Trueth / to all Vnitee in the Loue and so haue not contemned nor blaspheamed the Outward / Yet am I not therfore outwardly mynded but this do I veryly acknowledg that it is much-more Pleasure vnto mee / to deale with the Loue of the Wisdom and to talke therof / among those that loue the Loue and the Wisdom / because that the Righteousnes appeereth vnto Such then to inherit all the Ritches and Pleasures of this Worlde or to deale among those which loue the earthly Things or their owne Good-thinking / aboue the Wisdom and aboue the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue / and so to dissemble with Men / as though all were inward and heauenly Things that they loue / wher-with they deceaue both themselues and other moe / which heare them and do seduce them from the true Seruices that leade to the Lyfe 8. And like-as thou wrytest / that it is vnpossible for thee to cause thyne Eyes and thy Heart to hope / as to waight for Deliuerance through any outward Things euenso is thesame likewyse vnpossible for mee Yea although it were so that I woulde do it / yet coulde I not For the Light of the heauenly Trueth â wherwith God hath illuminated f 1. Cor. 4 a. my Heart / out of his holy Heauen is an Against-shyning vnto mee / against thesame But the Ministration of the Good / by the godded Men or Olde-fathers in the Famyly of Loue / is awayes very profitable and a good Preparation to the Deliuering of the Man from his g Rom. 7. c Bandes of the Sinne. and that men haue familyer brotherly Conuersation together to that ende / is also very louely and likewyse greatly edyfying to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 9. Beholde â thou Beloued like-as I haue heere written vnto thee in naked and bare maner / Euenso standeth my Mynde and I hope not to forsake thesame / till I haue founde or gotten all what I seek-for and desyre among the Louers of the Trueth The Lorde graunt me Mercy and doowith mee / according to his Will Amen Fare-well and behaue thyself vprightly Heere-with I do thee heartly greete In the Lyfe of the Loue most-sweete The Ende of the Sixt Epistle Our Heart / is the
to thesame Loue of God the Father and likewyse to the seruice of my Neighbour and that altogether to thesame Loue. 2. But seing the Tymes are now perillous â my Beloued and that ther are also many Harmes to be feared to ensue / if one shoulde minister the Woord of Lyfe vnto anyman vnforesightfully / Therfore doth it oftentymes seeme perillous vnto vs / to handle to speake or to wryte of the Woord of Lyfe and of his seâ—ret Clernes / before eueryone that woulde desyre it For it is not euerymans Matter / to comprehend thesame in his Cleernes or Secretnes but a Math. 12.13 c. 1 Cor. 1.2 a Theirs / whose Hearts be b Iohn 6. â— stirred-vp â by God to a Deuont-meditation of the Woord and his Righteousnes and haue intended Loue and Peace 3. For which Causes / we deale with godly Care / in the Seruice of our Neighbour and are likewyse to consider / what is most-profitable or necessary to be adminisâ—red vnto eueryone / out of the Seruice of the gracious Woord / to th end that he mought by that meanes â without doing him any Harme be furthered to the good and vpright Knowledg of the true godly Things / through som Seruice shewed towards him by vs according to that Estrainging wherin he standeth comprehended but cheefly towards those that with feruencie of Heart / desyre or seeke any Information at our Handes 4. And seing that we â through the Light do beholde the many-maner of Perils in this Matter as that it is hurtfull vnto Many / to reueale the Secretnes of God vnto them / therfore do not we open the Iewels of the Secretnes of God or the Secretnes of all godly Things / vnaduisedly or vnforesightfully / before eueryone 5. And although likewyse / that many are our Freendes / who also nodout woulde gladly knowe the Fulnes of the Instruction of all Things / yet do not wee oftentymes follow their Will for-al-that / in our Seruice which we shewe on them out of Loue but do deale with them / in Longsufferance and with great Carefulnes / c 1. Tess. 2. â— like-vnto a Moother / with her Children for to be seruiceable vnto them in thatt which is most profitable or needfull for them For thatt which the one can abyde / the other cannot and thatt wherby one farethwell and wherthrouh he is amended / therby mought another fare euell and be made worse therthrough 6. NOw mought som man saye One shoulde not of right hyde anything from the Freendes For ther-is sayde for a Prouerbe One ought not to lock-vpp any Bread from the Freendes 7. It is true It shoulde be so indeede / if the Stomacks were eueryone so sounde that they coulde endure the Bread in them or were accustomed to the Taste of Bread 8. But seing now that we do perceaue by Experience / that many Stomacks are not accustomed vnto Bread and for-that-cause growe soone d Iohn 6. offended / through the e 1. Cor 3. a. Heb. 5. b strong Foode of Bread and that Many of them likewyse / haue receaued or taken no Bread into them for a certen-tyme / to a Foode of Lyfe but haue swallowed-in somwhat heere-and-thear / out of the Wildernes / in the Darknes / Therfore are also the Stomacks generally defyled / by the Multytude of strainge Meates and Mens Complexion growen very weake and tender and cannot therfore f Iohn 16. b. 1. Cor. 3. a Heb. 5. b. endure the Bread of the liueing Woord cheefly / because they are nourished-vp with so many-maner of strainge Meates â in the Darke in the Wildernes By meanes wherof / their Stomacks haue corrupted their right State serueing to the Taste of Bread so that they haue no Hunger nor Lust at-all / to g Num. 21. b the Bread of the liueing Woord· neither-yet any sweete Taste in thesame For their Lust standeth alwayes bent towards thatt wherunto their Tastes are accustomed 9. And thatsame is likewyse the Cause / why the secret Bread of the holy Woord / doth not oftentymes serue for eueryones Stomack 10. For one may fynde many Men / for whom it is much more profitable and better at-the-first / to receaue good Medecine out of the holy Woord / for their vnsounde Stomacks cause then any strong Meate / to th end that their Stomacks mought be cleansed therby· and accustomed vnto Bread agayne 11. Whosoeuer then is com alittle vnto Health and is yet but weake and tender / to him ther serueth nothing-els at the first / but to receaue Hony h 1. Cor. 3. a Heb. â— b. 1. Pet. 1. a and Milke / out of the holy Woord to a Sustayning of him in his Weaknes For he cannot as-yet endure strong Meate 12. But when Strength cometh vnto him and that he can beare the Weaknes of his Neighbour / so doth it then serue him very-well / to receaue of the â—ecâ—et Bread of the holy Woord / for a Foode of the strong Lyfe / that he may yet growe stronger· and haue the i Iohn 10. a. Lyfe in Fulnes and that nothing may hurt k Mâ—r. 16. b Luk. 10. â— nor lett him for to liue The II. Chap. THis wryte I vnto thee â my Beloued because thou shouldest not stumble or growe-offended at our Littlenes or Childishnes nor at the Seeming of our Foolishnes / in the Ministration of the holy Woord nor-yet at our mostholy Seruice of Loue / because it is a 1. Cor. 1. b. â— playne· and not according to the Course of the Wisdom of this Worlde· nor of the Scripture-learned 2. Notwithstanding although our Seruice of Loue be playne / yet is it vnto vs / a godly Seruice in the Woord of Lyfe Which Seruice / wee â out of Courtesie b 2. Cor. 4. a. Tit. 3. a and a good Conscience do minister in the Woord of Lyfe â–ª vnder the Obedience of the Loue to eueryones Welfare and Health of his Soule namely c 1. Cor â–ª 1. b. c vnto all and ouer all those that beleeue theron 3. For truly in all this our mostholy Seruice of Loue / we do not follow-after the Wyâ—e of the Worlde / in their Wisdom nor-yet the high-bosting Scripture-learned / in their Knowledg nor any Chosen-spiritualtee / in their Holynes nor any taken-on God-seruices / in their Controuersie but we witnes the Wisdom that auayleth before God which seemeth to be a d 1. Cor. â— b Foolishnes before their Eyes / and do make-manifest the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes which God esteemeth which seemeth before the Eyes of the Worlde and before all her Hipocrits fayned Holyons and Scripture-learned / to be e Esa. 15. â— Sâ—p 2. b. 5. â— nothing but Sinne Vnrighteousnes or Seduceing 4. For in all thissame / all Hipocrites fayned Holyons and Wyse or Scripture-learned ones of the Worlde / haue â through the Bewitching of their Hearts accounted the Darknes / f Esa 5 c. 5â— â— 59. b
Death / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 9. And wee which be in-that-sort planted into Christ / with the like Death / do wayte for Him to com p Rom. 8. b Tit. 2. a with a Gloryousnes of Lyfe / ouer the Death / wherby to make vs â which suffer with Him alyue q Rom. 6.8 2. Tim. 2. b. with Him likewyse namely in the Appeering of his Coming / to the Renewing of our Lyfe / For to inherite euenso in the Resurrection r Iohn 3. a. Rom. 6. a 1. Cor. 15. e. f Phil 3. b Col. 2. b. out of the seconde Birth from the Death / a sure Confession of the Resurrection of Christ / to our Iustifycation and to raigne with Him for euer in the heauenly Beeing namely / ouer Sinne Death and Hell / and ouer all the Enemyes of the Lyfe And thatt is the Gospel of the Kingdom s Math. 28. c Mar. 16. b Rom. 10. b. Apo. 14. which is published in all the Worlde / now in the last tyme according to the Promyses The V. Chap. FArdermore â my Beloued thou wrytest vnto me / that the Hell in processe of tyme / vanisheth-away in thee but the Hauen cometh not agayne in the Plâ—ace of the Hell In which state as thou wrytest thou canst not well somtymes stand submitted and yet of-right-it ought to be so like-as thou perswadest thyself or rememberest / that thou shouldest haue learned and vnderstood it so of mee 2. For which Cause sake / thou makest an hearty Request vnto me â by Wryting to informe thee therof and demaundest of me therwith and deâ—yerest an Answer ther-vpon / how I haue behaued myself in the Passing-ouer or Wading-thorow thesame for that thou moughtest likewyse follow-after mee 3. Veryly I cannot answere thee according to thy Request / how I haue alwayes behaued myself / in the Making-vp of the euell Conscience and erring Ignorance in the Darknesses But to shew-forth a Heb. 10. c Iam. 5. Patience / in our Affliction thatt is profitable and good for vs all and to haue a firme Hope vpon God / in our Tryall or Temptation 4. For veryly / the Tyme cometh and is com / that the Iudgments of the euell Conscience / shall all be seene and knowen / for Darknesses and not for Light· for Lyes / and not for Trueth In like-maner / it shall also be seene and knowen / that the Hell b Sap. 1 b. and Condemnation â which ryseth out of the vnmeasurable lying Beeing or maketh-vp itself ther-out are all Lyes and corruptible For none of all these euell Things / wherwith the Man is c Sap. 11. b punished in Darknes â for his Sinnes cause hath God d Sap. 1 b. made Therfore it is all / Death and Lyes / whatsoeuer is not Hee himself neither-yet that Hee hath made For all what God hath made / e Gen. 1 a. Sap. 1 b Eccli 40. a is good and is euerywhitt / Lyfe and Trueth to the Blessing and Ioye of the Man 5. But if-â—o-be now that thou doest not knowe or see all these euell Things â which do tempt or besett the Man to be Lyes and Darknesses / then art thou yet much-to-weake / for one to talke anything with thee of the Trueth and as-yet to-ignorant of the Trueth / for to vnderstand anything therof or to comprehende anything of the Light of Lyfe 6. But seing that these euell Things â which are all Lyes and Darknes do captiue vs and bewitch our Hearts and that we haue accounted of them to be somwhat / therfore haue they brought vs to Suffering and Greefe and do likewyse seeme vnto vs to be somwhat / so long as we do beleeue the Lyes and Darknesses But in this Tribulation and Heauynes â in the tyme of our Temptation let vs shewforth f Eccli 2. â— Iam. 5. a Patience / in the Hope of Deliuerance And thatt is it wherof I haue comoned with thee But not so playnly as I do now wryte thesame vnto thee 7. Now for to be altogether deliuered g Iohn â— Rom. 7.8 b or made-free from these euell Thinges / which are risen-vp in thee and haue captiued thee / for that thy Soule may escape the Perills / into the which she is brought / through thy defyled Conscience / So is-ther nothing more profitable or furdersom for thee to the Lyfe / then that thou shouldest forsake the dark Obiect / vnder whom thyne Vnderstanding hath stoode captiue the which thou hast beleeued / to the Wounding of thy Soule and so â giueing thyne Vnderstanding wholly and altogether h 2. Cor. 10. â— captiue vnder the Obedience of the Loue shouldest only heare beleeue and be obedient to the true vndeceaueable Light and i Pro. 4. a. 5 â–ª aâ— to the Counsaile and Seruice of the holy Spirit of Loue and so shouldest in thy Spirit / k 2. Pet. 1. c. take-heede to the Light of Grace euenas thesame is now in the last tyme / reuealed vnto vs / in the Woord of Lyfe â vnder the Obedience of the Loue out of the heauenly Trueth / To th end that thou mayest be renewed in thyne Vnderstanding / to a good Knowledg and so mayest with a good Conscience / cleaâ—e only to the Seruice of Loue hearing nomore nor beleeueing anything / wher-with thou wart before-tyme bewitched in the Knowledg 8. When thou hast forsaken l Math 10.16 c Luk. 9.14 c all thissame / according to this maner wherby to giue eare and credite â wich an humble Heart to the vncorrupt Loue in her Seruice and to be obedient therunto / so haue then a good regarde vnto the m Math. 24. c 1. Cor. 15. f. 1. Tess. 4. c Noyse or Sounde of thesame Trump namely vnto the Seruice of Loue and vnto the first Entraunce into his Doctrine and Requyring To th end that thou mayest euenso vnderstande in thissame Daye of Loue / the Distinction of this last Trump and what is requyred therby 9 For this Daye or Light of Loue / is the Daye which God hath appoynted or ordayned on the n Act. 17. d. which He wil iudg the Circuite of the Earth / with Righteousnes / because that in thesame mostholy Daye of Loue / it may o Act. 3. c. all be restored agayne / what God hath spoken by the Mouth of all his Prophets / from the Begining of the Worlde 10. In which mostholy Daye of Loue / all Soules â which in the Obedience of the Seruice of Loue / do p Math. 5 a hunger and thirst after the vpright and pure Beeing of the Loue shall obtayne their Saluation and Health and all Vnderstandings â which giue themselues captiue â–ª q 2. Cor. 10. â— ther-vnder and which do not harken nor aske after anything-els shal be healed and made-sounde / touching the r Gen. 3 Sap. 16 b But of the destroying Knowledg of Adam and be brought to the Vnderstanding of
christian Ceremonyes out of their owne Opinion and b Ier. 23. b. Good-thinking and therfore is also their Office against Gods Commaundement For they are vnmeete to the Seruice of the Lorde / which God esteemeth-of for they knowe not his c Psal. 95. a Sap. 5 a â—eb 3. b. Wayes neither do they knowe the Waye of d Psal. 14. a Psa 59 b Rom. 3. b Peace but they are blynde dumme and deafe / thouching the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God and so in their Seruices / are e Math. 15. b â–ª 23 b Luk â— d Blyndeguydes and do likewyse leade the People into Captiuitee / with the Bandes of their Blyndnes 2. They breake not the f Iohn 6. c. Bread of Lyfe vnto the People they baptise not also in the g Math. 28. b Name of the Father â who is the liueing God nor in the Name of the Sonne of God â who is the true Light and Lyfe of his Father nor-yet in the Name of the holy Gost who is the heritable h Ephe. 1 b Paune of the Godlynes 3. Forasmuch now veryly / as these holy spirituall Ritches are not among them / therfore do they not likewyse keepe i 1. Cor. 11. c the Supper of Christ / according to the Trueth For the Bread k Iohn 6. d from Heauen / is not with them For-that-cause also / they knowe not the Woord of Lyfe nor the Spirit of Agednes l Ephe 4. c. or of the Man Christ nor they m Esa 40. b Sap. 9 b Rom. â—â— â— 1. Cor 2. b vnderstand not his Death n Rom. 6. a Phil. 3. b. nor his Resurrection nor the Counsayle of God nor-yet the Wisdom nor the Christianitee 4. Seing then that they haue not receaued the Bread of Lyfe froâ— Heauen neither are o Ier. 14.23 c sent by God nor by Christ and are Straingers from the secret Counsayle of God and vnderstande p Sap. 9. b 1. Cor â— b. nothing-at-all of the godly Things / How shoulde they then be able rightly to minister the Beginings q Heb. 6. a of the christian Doctrine or the Christian-ceremonyes / wherwith the vpright Righteousnes is requyred 5. Veryly they haue not the louely Feete of the r Esa. 25. b. Nahu 1. b. Rom 10. b Messengers / which com from the Hill of the Lorde they bring also no good Message they publish not the Peace neither do they likewyse make-manifest the Saluation that auayleth before God but they are quyte darkened in their Vnderstanding / through s Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. c. the Blyndnes of their Hearts and through the Vnbeleefe that is in them Therfore are they all likewyse / Ianglers Stryuers and Contenders against one-another / for the Ceremonyes and for the litterall Scriptures cause and do make among each other / Disturbance and captiued Consciences chooseing priuate t Rom. 10. a Col. 2. c. Righteousnesses vnto themselues / according to the Good-thinking of their owne Hearts The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then / as that the Kingdom of Peace / is â out of Grace a Math. 11. c 13. c. 1. Cor. 2. b. Ephe. 1. b. Col. 1. c. reuealed and geeuen Vs to see-into in the Woord of Lyfe / through the Loue of God the Father / Therfore is not the Counsayle of God vnto vs now / to take-in-hand nor to vse anything of thatt which is past / according to Mens Imagination 2. Yet do we well perceaue this / that the former Seruices â at that tyme when they were ministred through the Woord of Lyfe and vsed out of the Trueth were profitable nodout / vnto Saluation and serued for an Hand-reaching b Gal 3. c. Heb. 6. a. 7. b or Gyding-in of the Little or Youngones of Vnderstanding / to the Woord of Lyfe Howbeit / now it is also well knowen vnto vs / that many Scriptur-learnedones do now striue and conteÌ„de their-about / in their good-thingking Knowledg / and vse much Disputing and Arguing about them And thatt woulde not God haue c 1. Cor. 7. b. For we are called vnto Peace 3. If wee then shoulde likewyse bring-in and vse the former Seruices â which are passed-thorow according to the Order and Opinion of the contentious Setters-foorth of Ceremonyes or Scriptur-learnedones and shoulde not declare the Requyring of the right Seruices and Ceremonyes / So shoulde wee haue then to stryue to contende and to dispute with Them 4. But no thatt is not our Seruice Wee haue all our Regard / to note what a louely Beeing in the Peace / the Word of Lyfe holdeth before vs / as a Light and do follow his Commaundement d Iohn 6. d. 1. Tess 4. a and Will and do labour after the attayning to thatt which the Ceremonyes do requyre or thatt wherunto they were ministred in tymes-past / To th end that our Seruice wherunto God hath called vs in these last Dayes / through the e 2. Timo. 1. b Tit. 1. a. Reuealing of the Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ shoulde not be darkened f 2. Cor. 6. â— with any Intanglement 5. For God woulde not y t anyman shoulde stryue or contende for Seruices nor-yet for Ceremonyes but that eueryone shoulde bow g 1. Pet. 5. a. and submitt himself vnder the Obedience of the Loue / our mostholy God-seruice and shoulde receaue the Administration of the Counsayle of God / for a Lyfe of Saluation follow-after h Pro 4. b. 5 a 2 Timo. 3. b. thesame Counsayle and so shoulde â out of the Beginings of his simple Chyldhod increase in the christian Doctrine or Ministration of the Loue â–ª or grow-vp therin i Ephe. 4. c. to the Age of the Mâ—n Christ that is till that the Loue haue a liueing Foorme in him not looking-about after thatt which is past but haueing regard k Phil. 3. b. vnto thatt which is to com that is to the Inheritance of the Peace / to the Saluation of the Soule 6. But if anyman be mynded heer-against or resteth self-wyse and wil alledg much out of the Scripture / with his darke Vnderstanding / hee shall burthen his owne Conscience intangle his Senses and Thoughts and not fynde the Refreshing of his Mynde nor the l Act. 3. â— Comfort of his Soule The IIII. Chap. FArdermore thou testifyest / that thou vnderstandest not certen Sentences which are rehearsed in the Testimony of the Mediation of Christ and seemest to affirme ther-out / that thatt which the Prophet Esaias a Esa. 7â— 11 hath spoken of Christ / shoulde be only of Christ / that was to com b Math. 1. â— Rom. 1. a. 1. Tim. 2. â— in the Flesh. 2. Thatt is suerly very-right But not as thy Mynd conceaueth it Therfore consider of the Meaning and vnderstand what I wryt vnto thee For this do I testifye vnto thee as a Secret of God that the Woord of Esai / is a liueing Woord
Trueth with Heart· take-heede â with Lust and Dilligence to the godly Seruice of Loue and the Requyring therof / wheron we witnes· and shewe good-willing Obedience to the Loue and that they wil not slenderley nor lightmyndedly esteeme of y e proffered Grace / r 2. Cor. 6. a. in thissame precious Tyme / which is full of Perills The III. Chap. MOreouer Ye do all of you with one-accorde / seeme â by your wryting to request at our Brothers hande / that he wil procure mee to wryte a small Exhortation vnto you / according to the Requyring of your Letter the which is so performed by our Brother and to doo thesame / hath also bin my Good-will euen from my Heart 2. But when I looke-into your Wryting or do consider therof / ye Beloued / so is the Cheefest-thing that ye wryt of and wherin you do likewyse complayne / that ther are no auncient Elders nor Fathers among you / that mought exercise the Woord of Exhortation / to the Edifying a Ephe. 2.4 b Tinno 3. b of the Howse of God 3. Oh! to heare this Complaynt made by you â ye Beloued goeth somwhat neere my Heart And most-of-al / for that the Vnderstanding and the Experience in the Woord which is b 1 Tess 1. a. 2 Pet. â— b. administred vnto you by the holy Spirit of Loue· and heald-foorth before you / vnder the Obedience of thesame Loue is yet so little fruitfull among you or for that ye are yet so c 1. Cor. 3. a â–ª Heb. 5. c young and chyldish therin 4. Ah-beloued How remayne ye â I pray you thus young or of smal-vnderstanding in this our Ministration of the holy Woord / y t ye take not thesame to heart â with Dilligence and Feruencie to a d Ephe. 4. b Col. 1. b. Growing-vp in the holy Vnderstanding / wherby to becom auncient Elders and vnderstanding Fathers yourselues / in thesame holy Vnderstanding and Woord of Grace / which is ministred vnto you out of the liueing Godhead and out of the Seruice of his Loue and heauenly Trueth 5. Beloued looke â of-fellowship rightly into to the Woord that is ministred vnto you and consider / Whether is-ther anything wanting or withhealde from you / of any of that which is needfull for you / for to be nourished-vp therin to becom Elders and Fathers 6. Is not the Woord ministred vnto you / with full Instruction Is-it not all groundly and cleerly discouered vnto you in Wryting / whatsoeuer is profitable for you to knowe to your Saluation Or is-ther noman among the Congregation / growen so bolde in the Woord / to exhort the others for to be e Math. 7 c. Luâ— 6. c. Iam. â— c. obedient to thesame Woord / in thatt which it requyreth wher through he mought edify f i. Timo. 4 b and teach both the Congregation and also himself / to the Obeying of the Woord to th end to obtayne in that maner / g Rom. 12. b. 15 a. 2 Cor 13. b. an vpright Mynde and a louely Beeing with eachother The which is the Principallest-thing wherunto the holy and gracious Woord of the Lorde is administred / out of the Loue and through thesame Spirit Or woulde ye much-rather haue the Elders in the Woord / alwayes among you / outwardly according to the Flesh for to haue Instruction of all Things / according to the Desyres of your Knowledg 7. O no â ye Beloued Sett not the Desyres of your Hearts / only to the Knowledg but much-more to h IaÌ„hn 13. b 1. Pet 1. b c. the Obeying of the Requyring of the Woord For the Instruction tending to the Knowledg although the vayne-mynded People haue almost eueryone a Lust ther-vnto / at the hands of their Wyseones is not the Cheefest-poynt of our Seruice But the Cheefest-thing that the Woord and our Seruice requyreth / is i 1 Reg. 15. b. Oze 6. b. Obedience / to th end to enter euenso â in Obedience into the vpright Lyfe through the Death k Rom. 6. and Suffering of Christ / like-as we haue rehearsed before in many Places and also in the Glasse of Righteousnes 8. Heer-unto exhort l Rom. 15. b. 1 â–ª Tess. 5 b. Heb. 10. c. you one-another and let the Eldest or he that is Most-obedient in the Woord or y e Boldest / haue the Preheminence for to speake of the Woord / with all Humilite â like-as thesame is m 2. Pet. 1. c. ministred vnto you through the holy Spirit of Loue and of thatt which the Woord requyreth and so to exhort the Congregation / to the Obeying of the Requyring of thesame Woord 9. Whatsoeuer now the woord requyreth â–ª therin shewe you then Obedience / good-willingly and concordably to gether / like obedient 1 Pet. 1. b. Children and like right Disciples of the Woord and so indeuour you toward the Age of the holy Vnderstanding and to grow-up c Ephe. 4. b. therin / simplely / To th end that yee when ye do attayne to the Dayes of Agednes may with like Ioye / reioyce you with Vs / and wee with you / in the louely Beeing of God and vertuous Nature of the Loue / which is heald-foorth before you / out of Fauour / vndeserued The IIII. Chap. Euen-thus veryly â ye Beloued like-as I do heere rehearse vnto you / out of Loue and exhort you therunto / a Ephe. 4.6 Col. 1. b 1. Pet. 2. a. so growe-up in the Woord of Trueth of the holy Spirit of Loue. namely / out of the Youngnes or Weaknes of your Beeing / into the Age b Ephe. 4. b of the manly Beeing of Christ that is to be incorporated to God / according to the inward Man· and herited with Christ / in the Kingdom of the God of Heauens To th end that yee / as Fathers in the Famyly of Loue â who are taught to the Kingdom of God c Math. 13. â— .. may bring-foorth out of the Treasure of your Hearts / the Newe and the Olde namely the True and the Figuratiue But thatt altogether to the Seruice of the Congregation of the Howse of God 2. Beholde if ye growe-up thus Heerin / then shall ye alwayes haue auncient Elders and Fathers among you / which shall minister the Woord of Exhortation vnto you / with holy Vnderstanding and you shall not also fayle nor want anything d Math. 6. c. of all what is needfull for you 3. Therfore â ye Beloued be you one-with-another wel satisfyed Heerin and proceed-on e Phil 4. a. concordably in the Woord of the Doctrine of the holy Spirit of Loue. 4. Exhort likewyse one-another dayly to Quyetnes and Vnitee of Heart For any of all thatt what is profitable for you to knowe / we desyre not to withholde from you but to bring vnto you / all that is needfull for you and that your Vnderstanding can reache For the Tyme cometh and is now alredye com /
towards vs But wee for our parts / haue neither don Harme nor l 2. Cor. 7. a. Wrong vnto you nor-yet vnto anyman-els Also / God hath not iniured you But yee for your parts / wil seeme to raigne aboue God and his Requyring· and aboue the Testimonyes of his holy Spirit of Loue / with your m Maâ—h 15. b 23. c. vncleane Hearts and earthly Spirit· and with your Imagination of y e Knowledg and so wil iudg Gods Trueth and his Holyones / with your owne corrupt Wisdoms and taken-on Knowledges Yea / ye wil also in your disobedient Knowledg â which is the euell n Gen. 3 b. 4 Esd. 4. c. d Math. 13. c Seede and false Light of the olde Serpent seeme to vnderstande Gods Workes and his Perfection But ye wil not enter into the Begining o Math. 3· â— Heb 6. a. of the good Lyfe / that reacheth to the Perfection nor accomplish his Requyring 6. O Thou olde corrupt Adam â which art almost consumed to Dust and Earth wilt thou yet â in thissame Daye of the Loue p Dan. 8. c. Math. 25. a Iude 1. b. and of the righteous Iudgment of God and Christ make-vp thyself against God and his Saincts Thatt shall not prosper with thee Thou art of Dust and Earth / and thou shalt now in thissame Daye of the Glory of God / becom Dust and q Gen 3. b. Eccli 12. a Earth agayne according to the Woord of our Lorde and God 7. Therfore â O all ye People which haue your Course-of-lyfe / in the olde corrupt Beeing of Adam turne-awaye your Hearts Myndes and Thoughts betymes / from all what is vayne and destroying and repent and r Eccli 7. b. 1 Pet. 5. a. Iam. 4. a. submitt you vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Iesu Christ and vnder the Aucthoritee or Seruice of his Holyones and so lay-downe yourselues as a s Psal. 110. a. Esa 66. a. Math. 5. c. Bench for the Lordes Feete / er-euer ye be vtterly swallowed-vpp by the Euell· and by your owne Self-seeking For doutles ye shall not benefite yourselues anything nor-yet keepe any Victory / against God and his Holyones nor against our mostholy Seruice of the Loue of Iesu Christ. For the highest God is our t Deut. 10. b. Psal. 7. g. 75. a. Iudg Hee is our v Psal. 47.96 King our Arme or x Psal. 28.31.46.62 a Strength 8. Why wil ye then murmur backbyte mock deryde and enuy so much I pray you / and â for to excuse yourselues and your owne Opinions to be good and vpright / before Men to report and wryte so many Lyes of vs / O ye Dust and Earth and ye y Math. 23. c. paynted Walles Ye can surely do nothing against our God For Hee is the Lorde and the Mighty-one ouer all Flesh and without Him ther-is no God more 9. Ther is also none other God / neither in Heauen nor vppon Earth / but the God of the Family of Loue / the true God of Israel which is our God / who hath a 2. Cor. 4. a. declared himself vnto vs / as an euerlasting light and hath likewyse â in the true Light of his heauenly Cleernes gloryfyed vs in b 2. Cor. 3. b. Him / to be his Saincts and hath moreouer chosen vs / for to c Psal. 9 96. b Act. 17. d. iudg with vs and all his Saincts / in this mostholy Daye of Loue as a righteous Iudgment vppon the Earth the vniuersall Earth / with Righteousnes 10. Ther is also none other Christ nor any Christ more / that is true / but the only-borne d Iohn 1. b. Sonne of God the Father / our Lorde and Sauiour who â as a Sauiour of People is com vnto vs from the e Act. 1. b. Right-hande of God his Father / in the Obeying of the Seruice of his Loue / and so hath declared f Iohn 12.13 b 17. a. himself vnto vs / out-of and with g Iohn 17 c. thesame Cleernes of his Father / the God of Israel / for to make his Saluation h Ephe. 3. a. manifest through Vs / vnto all Generations of the Earth / in these last and perillous Tymes according to the Promyses and so â in this his Coming to possesse the Kingdoms of this Worlde / as the right Heyre and to performe his Worke agaynst all his Enemyes / which haue not i Math. 25 b. Luk 19 b â–ª lyked of Him nor of the Seruice of his Loue / that they mought be saued 11. In which Preuayling agaynst all his Enemyes / in the Coming of his Glory / Hee shall giue-ouer k 1 Cor. 15. c. the Kingdom as likewyse all Aucthoritee and Lordshipp / vnto his Father that God may be all in all according to the Promyses 21. Ther is also non other holy Gost nor any holy Gost more / but y e l Iohn 14.15.16 b. Only holy Gost of the Loue of God and Christ who hath declared himself vnto vs / out of the Cleernes of the Father / the God of Israel and out of the Cleernes of y e Sonne of God / our Lorde and Sauiour Which holy Gost / is the euerlasting Lyfe also the Loue and the true Beeing of God and Christ itself and is lykewyse the assured m 2. Cor. 2. c. 5. a. Ephe 1.4 d Pawne of our godly Inheritance With whom / wee haue our fellowshipp in the spirituall and heauenly Beeing in-suchsort / that wee do also with him / inherite the n Math 13. b. Apo. 21. a. Treasures or Ritches of all spiriuall and heaueÌ„ly Goods and ther-too / the euerlasting Lyfe The II. Chap. FOrasmuch now as this gloryous Maiestee of God / is reuealed vnto vs / in the heauenly Beeing / as an euerlasting Light a Esa 60. c. Apo. 21. a. or vnchaingable Daye of Cleernes / Therfore cannot I also endure to hyde the Goodnes and louely Glory of our God but must / out of the good Nature of God â which is manned with mee witnes his Righteousnes euerywhear alow of his Wisdom and declare his b Dan 3. c. Wayes â as the Wayes of the Righteous or Godly against all Self-wyseones according to the Flesh and agaynst all good-thinking and ignorant People / which turne them awaye from vs and dispise or contemne this gloryous Daye of y e Cleernes of the liueing God / which is reuealed vnto vs out of Grace according to the Promyses of God the Father also take no heede to the true Light c Psal. 35 41. a mock at Vs shoote-out their Derydeing towards vs with a priuye Hatrid and so do smyte vs d Deut. 27. c. priuyly / cleane against the Lawe and the gracious Woord of y e Lorde not considering of Gods Light / that giueth his Cleernes in vs / ouer the Darknesses nor of Gods Wisdom / which floweth-foorth so aboundantly in vs / ouer the
altogether aboute thee / wher-after men do hunt course or runne For now is the tyme com / that thou shalt be n Mat 24. a. Mar. 15. a. Luk 19.11 b besett assaulted and persecuted â–ª namely / by the Worlde by the Flesh and by all perditionable Lusts and Desyres as likewyse by all deuided Sects and good-thinking Men and by all false Holynesses All these shall spread their Netts before thee / for to drawe thee into thesame 6. All Lightmynded Spirits / also all Scorners and o 1 Timo. 4 a 2 Timo. 3. a. 2. Pet. 2.3 a. Iude. â— b. Mockers / all Fallers-away from the Seruice of Loue / likewyse all those that do make manifest their Craftynes Villany and false vnfaythfull Nature / against the Loue and her Comunialtee / together with all Backbyters and Blaspheamers / that defame vs with much Falshod / shall also runne-after thee for to drawe thee vnder their false Nature 7. Lykewyse all Flatterers Whoores and Knaues Lyers Adulterers and Adulteriees Betrayers Vsurers and Couetousones / also the Idolaters and all those that vse false God-seruices / together with the Killers Theeues and Murderers Yea / all whatsoeuer is false vnfaythfull or deceitfull / shall make-vp himself / for to drawe thee vnto him But make none accounte of any of them all / p Math â–ª 1â— b. 2. Timo. 3. a in the tyme of thyne Assaulting Tryall and Tribulacion but praye vnto God q Maâ— 6 b. Lukâ— 11. a. that He wil keepe thee from their perditionable Wayes / wherinto they woulde leade thee 8. THerfore â O thou precious Man remember now in thy Temptacion / the Suffering and Death of our Lorde Iesu Christ how that Hee hath suffered the Temptacion of the Wicked· and the r Phil. 2. a. Heb. 12. a. contemnable Death of the Crosse / at the Sinners Handes / when the Glory was heald-foorth or proffered vnto Him and so â after his Ryseing from the Death is com agayne s Luk. 24. c. Act. 1 d 1. Cor 15 c. to his Glory and Dignitee and so hath â through t Rom. 6. a. Phil. 2. a. his Death of the Crosse conquered the v Oze 13 b. 1. Cor. 15. f. Death and broken their Bandes / x 1 Timo. 1 b Heb. 2. b. that had the Authoritee of Death 9. Thus byde now constantly in the Loue of Iesu Christ and let it not greeue thee â O thou precious Man to suffer with Christ / wherby to be in like maner in his Suffering or y Rom. 6 a. Phil. 3. b. Death of the Crosse / baptised or z Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. Tit. 3. b. washed with the pure a Iohn 3.7 d. Waters of the Seruice of Loue· and euenso cleansed from the Sinne. For ther is no other Waye / for to bring thee agayne to thy Dignitee 10. Therfore / ponder well now thissame Waye and looke-into the Death of the Crosse of our Lorde Iesu Christ wher-thorow b Iohn 10.14 thou must go and offer-vp vnto the Lorde / thy Gift or Offering / in the Gift c Heb. 9. b. c. or Offering of Iesu Christ if thou wilt com to the Lyfe 11. Be not seduced with any other vayne Babling nor deceaued by the subtill and crafty Tongues nor-yet by Flesh and Blood Inasmuch doutles as Those and all Such / do d Phil. 5. b. mock at the right and true Death of the Crosse of Christ. and do also saye very boldly vnto thee Cast the Crosse â or the Passe-ouer to the Entrance into the Lyfe / that is taught thee out of the Seruice of Loue from thee and fauour thyself and liue free 12. With these or such-like seduceing Woordes / they steale thy Heart from the Lyfe that procâ—edeth out of God and so thou remaynest bounde with the Bandes of Death and e Rom. 1. e. Ephe. 4 6. estrainged from the true Lyfe of the newe Birth in Iesu Christ. From which Death â that doth alwayes gnawe accuse â–ª and captiue thee thou canst not be released / without the Death or Passe-ouer of the Suffering of Christ. 13. Therfore let noman seduce thee but be thou obedient to the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and so take-vpp thy Crosse â–ª f Math. 16. d Luk. 9.14 c. 1. Pet. 2. c. 4 a. and follow-after Christ / in his Death and com euenso thorow his Death g Rom. 6. a. to the Renewing of the Lyfe namely / to the newe Birth or Resurrection of Christ from the Death y e which is the true h Rom. 6.8 c Freedom of all the Children of God and Gods vpright Glory in Iesu Christ and in all his Holyones 14 O Ye beloued Hearts / com now all in-that-maner / to the Glory of God the Father and be not afrayde to i Rom. â— b. 2 Timo. 2. b suffer with Christ / in the Holy For by his Suffering in the Holy / He wil make you k 1 Pet. 2. a. Apo. 1. a. 5. b Kings and Priestes vnto his God and Gouernoures vppon Earth / for to beare the Dominion vppon Earth / with y e liueing God and his Righteousnes / to the Treading-downe of the Sinne Death Deuill and Hell / which haue corrupted the Earth / with their Iniquitie and Vngodlynes· and raigned ouer thesame with Vnrighteousnes / To th end that they may l Rom. 6. b. nomore raigne ouer thesame but that God with his Saintes / may raigne vppon the Earth for euermore and that the m Mat. 6. b. Will of God the Father may be don vppon Earth / as in Heauen The Ende of the Eleuenth Epistle The Twelueth Epistle An Information and Loueing Exhortation of Reproofe / written and sent vnto One / out of harty Loue Wher-with he is loued to the Concorde of the Loue and to the Vnitee of Heart in the Obedience of the Loue. O Lorde how kynde and sweete is thy Spirit / in all things Therfore doest thou chasten those measurably / that do erre and exhortest those with Correction / that sinne / because they shoulde hate their Wickednes and beleeue â O Lorde in thee Sap 12. The First Chapter WIth this my Wryting â as a Salutacion of the Loue I do hartely â—aâ—ute thee to the Loue / my beloued Freende and do wish thee to haue obtayned in one Spirit with vs a Math. 11. d. Little and Electedones of God / thesame Cleernes of the true Light / wherwith God y e Father hath shewed Mercie on vs / through his harty Loue. For this Cleernes of the true Light â b Iohn 17. c. 1. Iohn 1. â— which God hath with Vs / and wee with Him is the Daye of Loue / of his righteous Iudgmet 2. Which Daye is com and declared vnto vs / by the c 2 Timo 1. b. Tit. 2. b. Appeering of the gloryous Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ who cometh now from the Right-hande of God his Father /
/ in our Seruice of Loue but do / out of the Cleernes of God â g 2. Cor. 4. a. which hath shyned about vs shewe vnto eueryone sufficiently / in Plentiful-store of Instructions were it rightly vnderstoode the h 4 Esa. â— a. Mat 7. b Luk. 13. c. Waye or Course that leadeth to the Lâ—fe wherof thou wilâ— seeme to saye much with Misunderstanding / as being vnexpert in the Matter 7. But if now it be vnknowen or to-darke before anyman as that our Gospel â which we publish vnder the Obedience of the Loue / out of the highest Cleernes of God / i 2. Cor. 3. b. from the vncouered Face of Christ be to-couered or to-secret for him / k 2 Cor. 4. a Then veryly is it hidden to those / which with the vnbeleeueing Mynde of this Worlde / do not beleeue nor vnderstande the Trueth of God also before all those / which perswade l Pro. 3 b. Esa. â— c. themselues that they 〈◊〉 wyse and for-that-cause / are not subiect to the sincere Doctrine of the Loue. The III. Chap. FOrasmuch now then / as that the Seruice of Gods Loue / is â by Gods Grace com vnto Mee and comitted a Gal. 1. d. 1. Timo 1. b vnto me to minister / wherby to declare vnto the Man / with good Instruction â through thesame Seruice the true Tabernacle or Temple of the Lorde â b Leuit 26 b Eze 37.43 a. Apo. 21 a wherin God wil dwell liue and walke and the true God-seruice in thesame namely for to distinct the Forefrunt of the true Tabernacle of God â wherin the vpright Circumcision cometh-to-pas / which is c Ier. 4. a. Rom 2. c. Phil. 3. a. Col. 2. b. according to the Requyring of the Obedience of the Lawe of the Lorde from the Heaâ—thenshipp or Vncircumcision the Holy â wherein the vpright Baptisme cometh-to-pas / which is d Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. according to the Requyring of the Obedience of the Fayth of Iesu Christ from the Forefrunt and the Mostholy â wherin the vpright Fulfilling e Heb. 9.10 b. and Establishing of the Promyses cometh-to-pas / which is according to the Requyring of the Obedience of the Loue of the holy Gost from the Holy as also eachones Seruice Office and Order / So am I likewyse obediently inclyned therto / to th end to shewe euenso vnto the Man / the true God-seruice in the Spirit / which he oweth vnto God and which is profitable to his Saluation 2. But first-of-al / the Man ought to take-heede what the gracious Seruice of Loue and of the holy and gracious Woord requyreth of him / in his Heathenshipp or Vncircumcision / to his Saluacion For by thesame Seruice of the gracious Woord in the Vncircumcision / God calleth or requyreth the Man â with his true Promyses of Saluacion and assured Graunt of eternall Lyfe out of the f Gen. 22. a. Heathenshipp or Vncircumcision / to the Good-willingnes to the Entrance into his Sainctuary and so then the Man if he becom good-willing to the Obeying of the Calling of y e Lorde and hath a regarde vnto y e gracious g 2 Pet. 1. c. Woord is drawen or leadd out of the Heathenshipp / into the Forefrunt of the true Sainctuary or Tabernacle of God and to the Departure out of the Sinne and to the Entrance into the godly Lyfe And thesame Departure out of the Heathenshipp and Entrance into the Sainctuary / is the Seruice or the Requyring of the holy Woorde / in the Heathenshipp or Vncircumcision 3. But the Seruice or the Requyring of the holy Woord / in the Forefrunt or Entrance into the godly Lyfe is the h Rom. 2. c. Phil. 3. a. Col. 2. b. Circumcision of the Heart / in the Feare of God namely i Col. 2. b. the Laying-away of the Sinne in the Flesh. Which Forefrunts Entrance â and to shewe Obedience therin / according to the Lawe of the Lorde is the right k Math. 7. b. Luk. 13. c. Waye and the first Stepp / that leadeth the Man â out of the Heathenshipp to the Entrance into the Sainctuary of God and into the godly Lyfe of Christ. And so out of the Forefrunt of the Tabernacle of God and the Seruice of thesame / the Man is leadd into the true Holy of the Tabernacle of God or vpright Beleefe of Iesu Christ. 4. The Seruice or the Requyring of the holy Woord in the Holy or Beleefe of Iesu Christ / is the Putting-on or l Iohn 6. f. Receaueing of the Body of Iesu Chrst and so to dye vnto the Sinne / m 1 Pet. 2. c. 4. a. in the Following of Christ in his Death of the Crosse and n Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. euenso to be baptised in thesame Death of Christ and to drinke his Blood / out of thesame o Luk. 22. Cupp / to the Forgiueing and Burying of the Sinne and to shewe Obedience and to continue p Math. 10. c. 24. b. stedfast therin â according to the Woord of Iesu Christ till vnto the q Iohn 3. a. Rom. 6. a. seconde Birth from the Death And thatt is the right r Math. 19. d. 26 c Passe-ouer with Christ / vnto his Resurrection and it is the right Fulfilling of the dayly Offering and God-seruice in the Holy / to an euerlasting s Heb. 10. b. Forgiuenes and Burying of the Sinne and to an euerlasting t Rom. 5. a. Heb. 9. b. Reconcilment with God the Father 5. Which vpright Offering and his Fulfilling in the Following of Christ in the holy and so to lay-away and to buâ—y the Sinne / through the Death of the Crosse of Christ as to be planted into Christ / with the like Death in the Holy or to be baptised v Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. in-that-maner / in his Death the Man oweth vnto God the Father For thatt is the right x Rom. 3. c. Ephe 1. â— Heb. 9.6 Forgiuenes of Sinnes the true Conquering of the Death the godly Iustifycation y Rom. 8. a Heb. 9.10 b. and the Satisfaction of Christ with the Manhod / through his Suffering and Death of the Crosse wherthrough the Vayle z Math. 27. betwixt the Holy and y e Mostholy / is put-away from the Man And so he is leadd out of the Holy of the Tabernacle of God and his Seruice of the true Offering / into the Mostholy of the Tabernacle of God or into y e vpright a 1. Cor. 13. b Col. 3. b. Loue of God the Father namely into the Perfection or Accomplishment of all the Workes of God and into the Fulnes of all y e spirituall and heauenly Goodes 6. But the Seruice or the Requyring of the holy Woord in the Mostholy namely in the Loue of God the Father or Perfection of all the Workes of God is / to declare the true Resurrection with Christ and to
publish thesame for a Gospel or ioyfull Message of the Kingdom of God and Christ and that the euerlasting Lyfe / is to be inherited b Eph. 1.2 â— Col. 1.2.3 a therin as also y e spirituall and heauenly Goodes of Christ and of his Father / in the heauenly Beeing And thatt is the true Seting-vp of the Perfection and the Declaring of the Kingdom of the God of Heauens / in his Glory for a righteous Iudgment of God vppon the Earth 7. In thesame Mostholy and to shewe Obedience therin / according to the true Beeing of the holy Spirit of Loue or to liue c Iohn 17. d. vniforme with God and Christ obediently / is the Declaring of the d Math 24. a. 25. d 2. Tess. 2. Tit. 2. b. gloryous and true Coming of our Lorde Iesu Christ / from the Right-hande of God the Father / in the Resurrection of the Righteous and the great e Esa. 2. c. 13. â— Ier 46. Mal. 4. 2. Pet. 3. b. and tirrible Daye of the Lorde / of the righteous Iudgment 8. Seing now that thesame Howse of the Lorde or this true Tabernacle of God â wherin God together with all his Saincts / wil dwell for euermore is declared vnto mee â in his Glory and with the Fulnes of the Ritches of his Garnishing in the Seruice of Loue· and thesame Seruice committed f Eph. 3. a. vnto me to minister / out of the heauenly Trueth / So do not I also desyre anything-els God is my Witnes but to assist thee â if thou bist good-willing to the Loue and likewyse eueryone / to thesame Seruice / To th end that the Seruice of Loue mought be furthered and spread-abroade among all People / to their Saluacion and to the Peace and Vnitee of Heart· the g Ephe. 2. b. 2. Pet. 2. a. Apo. â—1 â— Howse of Loue or the Tabernacle of the Lorde and his vpright Seruice / declared euerywheare· and so all Fayle and Discord / layd-downe or taken-away / among the Louers of the Trueth and that we mought concordably together â vnder the Obedience of the Loue take-heede-vnto and declare the foremencioned h â— â—oâ— 1. â— Phil 3. c. Tiâ— â— b. Daye of the Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ and the Resurrection of the righteous Dead-ones to an euerlasting Tryumph of the Glory of God ouer vs according to the Promyses The IIII. Chap. BEholde â my Beloued to this Vnitee of Heart in the Loue and to assemble thee with Vs / to thesame gloryous Maiestee of God Ø›the Mostholy of his true Tabernacle art thou likewyse loued / out of Grace vndeserued And this write I also vnto thee / out of harty Loue for to assist thee to this Louelynes of God and to the Comunialtee of his Saintes / for that our Fellowshipp mought be one with each-other / in the Concord a Iohn 17. b. 1. Iohn 1. a. of the Loue. 2. O thou Beloued b 2. Cor. 6 a. disdayne not this proffered Grace / which is presented vnto thee / to an Vnitee of Heart For veryly / if thou doest â vnder the Obedience of the Loue c Pro. 1.2 â–ª 3. a. 4. a. 5. a. Eccli 6. c. giue-eare with vs Littleones and Elected of God / to the Woord of Trueth and submittest thyself therunder / Then shalt thou also with vs Little and Simpleones / vnderstande d Mat. 11. d. 13. b. and inherite the secret Treasures and heauenly Ritches But in-nowyse without our Comunialtee of Loue. 3. For in our Comunialtee of Loue / ther is vncouered e 1. Cor. 2. c. 2. Cor 4 a. opened and aboundantly brought vnto vs / out of Gods Grace â for an euerlasting Heritage of God the Fulnes of the Wisdom of God f Ephe. 1. b. Col. 1 c. 2. a and the perfect Vnderstanding of the holy Spirit of Christ. and not vnto any that are without thesame 4. Which Secrets of God â with ther full Cleernes God hath geeuen vnto Vs before any other / as his elected Saints g Rom. 16 c. Eph â— a. 3. â— Col. 1. c. 2. Timo. 1. b and beloued Children / To th end that thesame heauenly Trueth and thesame Saluacion in Christ / shoulde â now in the last tyme be declared by vs / h Esa. 49. a. 60. a 66. b. Act. 9. b. 13. a. Rom. 1. a. among all People to the Laude and Prayse of the Glory of God and of his holy Name 5. To thesame God of Glory / who hath prepared such a great Name vnto himself / in the last tyme· and â through his Loue chosen vs to the holy Vnderstanding / for to lighten many Mens Vnderstanding / be Laude Honour and Thanks / for euermore Amen 6. Heerwithall / thou Beloued â wherwith thou art bidden and assisted to our holy Comunialtee of Loue I commit thee to the Lorde and his Grace and salute me â with a Salutation of Loue vnto all thyne Acquayntance / that are wel-mynded to the Loue and to the Obeying of her Seruice The Goodnes of the supreame God / be with you all Amen The Ende of the Twelueth Epistle Our Heart / is the Minde of God most-hie Our Beeing amiable / as the sweete Lillie Our Faithfulnes / Loue / and Trueth vpright / Is Gods Light / Life / and Cleernes bright The Thirtenth Epistle Loueing Informacions vnto a Louer of the Trueth / which before-tyme was a Blaspheamer of the Seruice of Loue and the Ministers therof and afterward â with great Sorrow for his Sinne turned him to thesame Seruice / for to shewe Obedience therin Ther shal be a Ioye in Heauen and before the Angels of God / ouer one Sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. To him whose Soule loueth my Soule / in all Loue / be Health and Saluation The First Chapter FOrasmuch â thou Beloued as I haue receaued thy Salutacion and Wryting / written vnto mee wherin thou doest expresse / y t thou hast wholly turned thy self to y e Good / with all thy Sences and Thoughts and art wel-mynded with Mee / to the a Ephe. 4. a. Vnitee of Heart in the Loue to the Peace and to the Righteousnes So haue I indeuoured me with Dilligence of my Heart / for to perceaue to what ende thy Mynde and Intent mought stretch in thissame or which is the Cheefest-thing that thou seekest or intendest therwith 2. If-so-be now that I do fynde in the Deede and Trueth / that thy whole Heart Intent and Mynde / doth as thou wrytest stande-mynded with Mee / to the Loue / that euerlasting and inuisible heauenly Good Then wil I not also be mistrustfull towards thee nor-yet conceaue otherwyse of thee / then thou wrytest but wil hope all good of thee 3. But forasmuch now as that almost all Flesh of the earthly Manhod is captiued with secret Craftynes / which itself oftentymes seeth not also / that it seeketh in althings / himself or his owne b Phil. 2.
Man â in his Ignorance is thus vtterly k Gen. 6. a. â— Rom. 1. â— Eph. 4. b. corrupted / through the Bewitching of the sinfull Flesh and hath geeuen a great Respect vnto his owne good-thinking Knowledg / so hath he likewyse turned all his Dilligence towards thesame / to l Rom. 10. a. set-vp his owne Righteousnes / according to the Goodthinking of his Knowledg and hath generally had a pleasure in his owne Workes 8. But thatt God which liueth for euer and is my God / shall now in thissame Daye m Math. 24. d 25. d. 26. g. 2. Timo. 1. b â through the Appeering of Christ in his Glory bring all Flesh of Sinne n 1. Cor 1. c. to shame / in his owne Wisdom and made Holynes In which Daye of the gloryous Cleernes of God / God wil iudg o Psal. 96. b. Act. 17. d. the Circuit of the Earth / with Righteousnes 9. Therfore shall now likewyse in thissame Daye / all Generacions of the Earth â which sett their Confidence vppon their owne Wisdom Righteousnes and Holynes of the sinfull Flesh p Esa. 13. a. Ioel. 1.2 Sap. 5. a. Luâ— 21. c Apo. 18. b. c howle and weepe For Gods Doctrine / serueing to the Entrance into the true christian Lyfe / shall appeere vnto them / to an Offenciuenes· his Righteousnes / to Sinne· his Lyfe / to a Death· and his Saluacion / to a Condemnacion 10. Although I wryte thus vnto thee / thou Beloued and do not regarde any Flesh of Sinne / in his owne Righteousnes / yet do I account this of great value / that all Flesh with all his earthly Beeing / do lay-downe itself on his right Place namely q Psal. 110. a. Heb. 1.10 b. to be a Bench for the Lordes Feete and so submitt itself to the Requyring of the Spirit of the Loue of Christ / to th end that the God of Lyfe may gett the Dominion r Esa 24. c. Sap. 3. b. ouer him / with his vpright Righteousnes 11. I do also wel vouchsafe vnto thee with all my Heart / to haue obtayned all that thou louest / out of the vertuous Nature s 1. Cor. 13. of the Loue and do likewyse hope that thy Heart standeth-mynded / euen according as thou wrytest Wherby also it shall not be greeuous vnto me / to conceaue the Best of thee and that thy Wryting proceedeth not out of thyself nor out of any prudent Counsayle of the Flesh. but out of a t Sap 1. a. Ephe. 6. a. Col 3. c. single Heart / through the Mercy of God wherwith God hath pittied thee / to the Lande of his Glory and to our Ioye in the Vnitee of Heart / for that we may lyue together in the vpright and louely Beeing of Iesu Christ. 12. But if now it be Flesh or if it proceede out of the fleshly Beeing / then shall it surely v Iob 14. a. chainge and be vnconstant and vanish-away vnder the Hande and my Spirit â which is the Lordes shall not bynde itself vnto the Fleshes Beeing 13. And if it be Spirit or if it proceede out of the Beeing of the true Spirit of Loue / then shall it likewyse continue and remayne constant with thee and all myne Inclynacion / shall stande affected to thy godly Will For thatt be farre from me / that my Heart Mynde and Soule / shoulde mynde or affect anything-els / but only the spirituall and true heauenly Good and those that with mee / do loue only the Heauenly and are godly of will 14. Therfore also perswade thyself thorowly â thou Beloued that my Mynde and all the Inclynacion of my Will although I do conuersate myself with Many outwardly is inclyned only to Those that are wel-mynded to the Spirituall and Heauenly and are godly of Will and that my Heart and Spirit desyreth to haue Fellowship with none other / but those that with all their Hearts and Soules / do giue-ouer themselues to all Obedience of the Loue and so do stande wel-mynded to all Concorde with the Spirit of Loue and our Comunialtee 15. For to that ende / hath the Lorde illuminated me with his Light and endowed me with his x Sap 7. a. Wisdom and chosen me to be a y Col 1. c. 1 Timo. 1. b. Minister of his holy Woord / wherby to assist eueryone that â for y e Vnitees sake in the Loue do forsake z Math. 16. â— themselues· follow the Loue / in her Seruice and vertuous Nature· and are mynded with all their Hearts / to learne the a Math. â—1 d. Humilitee and Meeknes / of the Loue and her Seruice and to proceed-on after thesame â without Murmuring or imagining any euell till that the Meeknes of the Loue / haue a b Iam 1. c. Shape in them 16. Consider well heeron / thou Beloued For we are all created to the Vnitee c Ephe. 4. a. in the Loue / for to liue peaceably with each-other in all Loue and â through the Seruice of Loue called and chosen therunto / by God / to th end that we shoulde laude God / in y e Loue· and â like loueing Children of Peace liue and walke together / d Eph. 4.5 a. in all Loue. The III. Chap. BVt albeit now that many Multitudes of the People of this Worlde or almost all those that wil vse God-seruices â out of their owne Enterprises do not a Math. 13. b. 1. Cor. 2. b. 2 Cor. 4. â— vnderstand nor conceaue thissame / by reason of their Vnbeleefe and Blyndnes of Heart and are altogether Straingers therfrom or b Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b. ignorant therof / Yet doth not thatt concerne vs as to trouble ourselues therwith For what doth the Blyndnes or the Ignorance of the Vnbeleeuers touch vs but this concerneth vs That we haue to laude and thanke our God â who is the eternall and liueing God for his great Grace and Mercy / which He hath shewed so aboundantly on vs Little c Esa. 66. a. Math. 11. d. and Pooreones â in these last perillous Tymes from all the Thowsandes in this Worlde namely for that He hath â through the holy Spirit of his Loue illuminated Vs in our d 1. Cor. 4. a. 2 Pet. 1. c. Hearts / as his Elect and giueth Vs dayly more-and-more / to see-into and e Math. 11. d. 13 â— 1. Cor. 2. b. Eph. 1.2.3 a vnderstande the Secretnes of his vpright and louely Lyfe so that wee / through Gods Mercy towards vs â aboue all the Wyse and Vnderstandingones in this Worlde are neerest to the heauenly Trueth and do euenso knowe in the Spirit / that we are made f Iohn 8. c. free / through thesame Trueth 2. For all wee / which â through the true Spirit are g 1. Cor. 4. b. Cal. 4. b. 1. pet 1. c. begotten to be Children of God / out of the Loue and her
b. vnto himself into his Loue â–ª that euerlasting vnchaingable Lightâ— 7. Beholde euenthus in his Loue / doth the Lorde accepe vs q 2 Cor. 6. b. for his Sonnes and Daughters for his Seruants and Hand-maydens and leadeth vs with his Right-hande / into the Daye of the true Light of his heauenly Cleernes / for to power-out his holy Spirit r Esa. 44 a. Eze. 36. c. Ioel. 2. c. Act. 2. b. vppon vs / in thesame Daye according to the Promyses / To th end that it may all be Luk. 24. c. accomplished / whatsoeuer is written of the Righteousnes of our God / in the Lawe of Moses in the Prophets and in the Gospel of Christ. The V. Chap. O Thou Beloued Consider well of this holy Vnderstanding / which is witnessed and held-forth vnto thee / out of the Seruice of Loue and then if Mercy be shewed on thee by God as that He openeth the Doore of Vnderstanding vnto thee and that thou â vnder the Obedience of the Loue doest see-into the true Beeing / wheron we witnes / then shal-ther also an vpright Sorrow a 2. Cor. 7. b. 1. peâ— 2. b. for thy Sinnes cause / be founde in thee namely most-cheefly for the Resistance and Blaspheamy / wherwith thou hast â with many euell Imaginacions spoken against the Loue and her vpright Seruice· and b Rom 16. b. Cal. 1. a. 3. a 6 b. quayled other moe single Hearts· and made them wauering in the Beleefe towards the Loue so that they likewyse â through thy Blaspheaming are becom captiued with euell Imaginacions towards our godly Seruice of Loue and the Ministers of thesame and so haue likewyse â by reason of thy Resistance and Blaspheamy dispised y e Seruice of the holy Woord vnder the Obedience of the Loue. and euenso haue much-more commended the false Testimonyes of the good-thinking Wyseones and the Institucions of the wicked Worlde because they mought hyde themselues and walke couered ther-vnder / with their euell Consciences then the true Light and the vpright Doctrine of the Seruice of Loue before the which / the Heartes of Men must appeere c Iohn â— c. Ephe. 5. b. and becom manifest vncouered or naked / if they wil be saued 2. But seing now that ther-is an vpright Doctrine and Order among vs which is not according to the Order of the wicked Worlde and that wee â by Gods Grace haue obtayned a greater and more-godly Light / then is among the worldly Wyse and her Scripture-learnedones / Therfore also be all those which are mynded against thesame / manifest vnto vs / in their crafâ—y Hearts and that they are wicked or euell of Nature or Disposition / and not good and how that they do in all respects / seeke and loue their Selfnes or thatt which concerneth the Flesh. and d Phil. 2. c. not the Lorde nor his vpright Beeing of Loue. 3. Because of which Craftynes and Dissimulation of the People wherwith they think to couer their Wickednes we must oftentymes be blaspheamed· and iudged for Euel-dooers and e 2. Cor. 6. â— Seducers of Men. But veryly / they cannot couer their Wickednes and Craftynes therwith / before vs but they becom so-much-the-more manifest / what they are and by what Spirit they are directed 4. But although now it be manifest / that all lying Flesh / vnder a Cullour of Vertue and of Seemly-maner â wherwith it couereth his wicked Nature hath alwayes sought his owne f Iohn 5. c. Honour And although that it be brought-to-shame therin / with his Wickednes â which ryseth-vp in itself / against our vndeceaueable Seruice of Loue and must acknowledg in his Heart / that the vpright Beeing of the Loue / is the g Math. 22. d Mark 12. d. Rom. 13. b. 1. Gor 13 Gal. 5. b. 1. Timo. 1. a Verytrue / Yet is notwithstanding / the lying Flesh of Sinne â or the good-thinking Man with his wicked and peruerse Nature / still so desperous of Honour in himself / that he woulde much-rather blaspheame the good Beeing of the Loue and reiect or condemne it for euell / then to iudg or to confesse his owne Wickednes / for euell 5. And with such an euell Conscience doth the Man oftentymes / blaspheame or iudg h Pro 17.24 c Esa. 5. c. the Light / for Darknes y e Right / for Wrong and the Good / for Euell and the vpright Ministers of the holy Woord of Iesu Christ / i 2. Cor. 6. a. for Seducers / wherby to defende his owne Euell therwith / as Good and to excuse himself k Math 6. a. 23. a. before Men / as to haue Right on his syde 6. But all this do Wee endure with Long-sufferance and do not desyre to reuendge ourselues on anyman but do giue-ouer the Reuendgment l Deut 32. d. Rom. 12 b Heb. 1â— d. to the Lorde who m Ier. 17. d. Math. 16. c Rom. 2.14 b. rewardeth eueryone according to his Workes 7. For thatt God before whom we stande / doth recompence eueryone his Euel-deedes / n Sap. 11.12 c with his owne Wickednes / that doth arrogantly set-vp himself against vs. And euenso is now in this Daye of Loue / eueryone that imagineth and practiseth Euell or Mischeef towards vs / rewarded agayne with his owne Euell and Mischeef And beareing his o Gal. 6. â— owne Burden therin / from the Hande of the Lorde he must be vexed and punished by his owne Wickednes / till that he acknowledg himself giltye and turneth him to the Obedience of the Loue. In whose Seruice / the Forgiuenes of Sinnes and a good and quyet Conscience is obtayned / through the Loue. The VI. Chap. ALthough I wryte vnto thee of these things / thou Beloued / yet do I not wryte thesame to any such ende / as to retayne anything of all â—hat which was don or sayde by thee or through thee in tymes-past / against vs and our mostholy Seruice of Loue / to vpbrayde thee therwith but for that thou shouldest knowe wherin the Health a Math. 11. e of thy Soule shal be founde and with what-maner of Assistance or Helpfulnes / I desyre to help thee in thy Extrâ—mitee and Misery wherof thou bewaylest thyself vnto me / to th end I shoulde shewe thee som Helpfulnes Out of which Extremitee and Misery â wher-into thou hast brought thyself thou art not to be ridd / except thou hast first knowen and perceaued all thy Sinnes b Math. 3. a. Luk. 3. b. and borne Sorrow· and performed a right Confession and Repentance for thesame 2. But that which I do heere rehearse vnto thee / I rehearse it not to any euell intent but to thy Amendment For I desyre not to retayne any euell Opinion towards thee nor anyman-els / for all what is c Math. 16. b. don or spoken against vs. But this is all my Desyre / that-ther may a true d 2. Cor.
7. b. Sorrow and Amendment be shewed and that men may be of one-mynde with each-other / e Rom. 12. b. 15. a. 1. Cor. 1. a. 2 Cor. 13. b. Phil. 2 a. in the Loue / wherby to liue peaceably in all Loue / to laude and thanke the God of Lyfe / for all his Goodnes / and to giue the Honour only vnto Him 3. Beholde heerunto do all wee â which stande submitted vnder the Obedience of the Loue / the mostholy God-seruice stand concordably inclyned and in-that-sort â to the f Iohn 17 d. Ephe. 4 a. Vnitee in the Loue loueingly to receaue into our Armes of the Spirit of Loue / our Enemyes which turne them to the Loue and her Seruice / to a Reconciliation with each-other / To th end that they mought escape g Math. 3. a. Luk. 3. b. the Vengance of God· and be kept from the h Luk. 21. b. Apo. 18. a. Plagues which shall now in thissame Daye / fall vppon all Vngodlyones Ø›our Enemyes 4. Thissame is all our Lust and Desyre / for to shewe Mercy likewyse vnto eueryone / out of Loue inasmuch as Mercy is shewed on Vs and not to remember anymaÌ„s former Sinnes but cheefly towards those / that giue themselues penetently to our Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / for to bring-foorth good i Mat 13. a. Luk. â— a. Iohn 15. b Fruits of Lyfe 5. Oh That it mought once com-to-light· and gett the k 1. Cor 3. b. Prehemynence in the Heart of Man / that hath so long-tyme remayned in secret namely the vpright Beeing of the Loue / 6. To thatt God now / l Ephe. 3. b. who hath thesame in his Hande and bringeth it bountifully vnto eueryone that turneth vnto Him / be Laude Honour and Thankes / for euermore Amen 7. This Letter â thou Beloued with more other Wrytings which thou desyerest / do I sende vnto thee to thy Edifying and my Desyre is / that thou â through the Goodnes of the Loue of God wilt m 1. Tim. â— b. exercise thyself therin / with an humble Heart and haue a regarde vnto the Trueth for to vnderstande this our holy Mynde rightly Thatt graunte vnto thee / the God of Lyfe and thesame God establish thee in his Loue. Amen The Ende of the Thirtenth Epistle The Fourtenth Epistle A breefe Exhortacion vnto a Disciple in the Seruice of Loue Wherwith he is exhorted â in the Lande where he dwelt to keepe a sharpe watch towards the Spirits that make-vp themselues in him or that be borne in him And also that he shoulde learne to descerne with good Vnderstanding / the euell Hearbe â which is destroying and deadly from the good Hearbe of Lyfe and the false Spirits â which aryse out of the Flesh from the good Spirits / that are of God / to th end that he mought therby growe-vp in the good Beeing of the Loue / without any Harme Ye Beloued Beleeue not euery Spirit but proue the Spirits / Whether they be of God or no 1. Iohn 4. Health and Saluacion be vnto Him / who â in his Spirit hath intended Loue and Peace / with our Spirit The First Chapter THE God of Heauen who out of his bountefull Mercy / hath herited mee in the a Ephe 4. b Olde-age of the holy Vnderstanding of Christ and in the spirituall b Ephe. 1. b. 2. a. 3. a Col. 1. c 2. a Ritches of his heauenly Goodes / for a good Confession c Math. 10. d. Luk. 12. a. before all Men / that in the Loue / is an vpright Beeing be vnto thee â my Beloued a Light vnto thy Waye a Lyfe vnto thy Spirit and Mynde and a Cleernes vnto thy Vnderstanding / That thou mayest â in thissame Daye of his Loue vnderstande â according to his heauenly Trueth and not according to the Mynde of the Flesh the ouerflowing Vertues and godly Wisdoms / which He hath declared d 2. Cor. 4. a. Ephe 1. b. 3 a. Col. 1. c. and brought vnto vs· also giue-ouer thyself with all thy Heart / to thosame and their Requyring / for to liue therin· and laude and thanke thesame God / in an vpright Beeing Amen 2. O my Beloued I haue a long tyme â out of a fatherly Heart that I beare towards thee had a greate longing to knowe how it may go with thee / in the Lande where thou dwellest and that for because thou hast neuer written vnto me / how it standeth with thee or wherin thou hast thy Mayntenance or wherby thou liuest 3. For if thou hadst written anything heerof vnto mee / then mought I haue vnderstoode or perceaued therby / Whether that thy young e 1. Cor. 3. a. Heb. 5. d. Manhod / did yet liue or no Whether it were succoured or nourished-vp with the vpright f Math 24. c. Iohn 6. f. Foode of Lyfe and whether that thou also didst in-like-maner growe-vp to the manly Age g Ephe 4. b. in the godly Vnderstanding or-els / whether thou hadst bin choked with any Poyson or deadly Hearbes / that do growe out of thesame Earth where thou dwellest or bin weakened or vtterly dead / in the Lyfe which proceedeth out of God For it is certaynly well knowen vnto mee / that the Earth and all Countryes of the Kingdom-of-the-earth / are h Gen. 3. b. Heb. 6. a. of themselues â for the Vnrighteousnes cause full of Poyson deadly Hearbes and naughty Fruites 4. SEing then that all Disciples of the Loue that be nourished-vp in the holy Vnderstanding of the Spirit of Loue must passe-thorow many Perills vppon the Earth / which is i Gen. 3. b. 5. c curssed for the Wickednes cause of her Inhabitours / So do I therfore beare so-much-the-more a greate Care for thosame Disciples / thewhyles they are yet young and cannot discerne the deadly Hearbes / k 4 Reg. 4. Math 13 d from the right Foode of Lyfe 5. Wherby nodout â if they shoulde be suffered to go-on in their Youngnes / according to their owne Goodthinking they woulde rashly or vnforesightfully â out of their owne Affection or Lust of their Hearts receaue the one or the other of the deadly Hearbes· and swallow them in / in steade of the Foode of Lyfe wherthrough then likewyse / the precious Manhod mought be strangled and such Disciples of the Woord / which â following their owne Counsayle are vnexpert heerin / mought most lamentably betraye spoyle or kill themselues / and disenherit themselues of the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God 6. Wherfore â my Beloued inasmuch as it is now a perillous Tyme / to nourish-vp the Youngnes of Vnderstanding / to the vpright Ephe 4. b. Agednes of the holy Vnderstanding / so is this my Exhortation and Counsayle out of the liueing God / vnto thee to thy Preseruacion that thou wilt dayly vse Foresightfulnes m Ephe. 5. b. or dilligent Heede and haue a sharp regarde
vnto the Spirit or inwarde Manhod of thy Mynde Consider or search out what is ingendered or borne thear within thee / as Spirit and spirituall / n Rom 8. a. Gal. 5. b. or as Knowledg and o 1. Iohn 4. a prooue or trye whether y e Spirits and Birthes of the Knowledges â which be borne in thee be of God or no and do bring the heauenly Powers of the holy Gost and godly Vnderstanding / with them p Rom 8. a. Gal. 5. b. Ephe 5. b. or-els / whether they be false Spirits and deceitfull Knowledges which proceede out of the Flesh / and so do kindle prouoke or mooue thee / with earthly and fleshly Desyres The II. Chap. O Thou Beloued Consider effectually of this Mattier and beleeue not euery Spirit or Imagination of the Knowledg / that presenteth itself vnto thee For many false Spirits and deceitfull Knowledges / a Math 24 a. 1. Iohn 4. a 2. Iohn 1. a. 2. Pet. 2. a. do now go-foorth / for to deceaue all Hearts of Men / that stande mynded on the earthly and fleshly Things 2. For-that-cause haue a Discerning heerin For if the Spirit or the Imaginacion of the Knowledg which is borne or brought-foorth in thee / be spirituall and that thesame do proceede out of the godly Wisdom of the true Light / b Rom. 8. a Gal 5. b. Then wil it veryly be altogether against the Flesh and the Workes of the Flesh. and wil chasten crucify and kill the Flesh c Rom. 13. b. Gal. 5. c. Col. 3. a. 2 Pet. 2. b. with his Lusts and Desyres 3. But if the Spirit and Fruit or the Imaginacion of the Knowledg / be fleshly and that it proceede out of the Wisdom of the Flesh / then wil thesame likewyse make-manifest itself with the Workes of the Flesh / to the Lusts of Errour / d Gal. 6. b. that stretch to Destruction also be vtterly e 2. Timo. 3. a against the Spirit of Godlynes and the Counsayle of the Wisdom and wil likewyse desyre to suppresse and to kill or destroye / all what cometh before her in her Heart and Thoughts / touching the godly Wisdom of the Seruice of Loue. 4. For whearsoeuer the Flesh with his Wisdom or Imaginacion of the Knowledg Ø›that false Light hath the Superyoryte / theare is the false Freedom / f Sap. 2.14 b. Cal. 5. b. according to the Lusts and Desyres of the Fleshly Men for to cause the Man to liue euenso in his perdicionable Lusts and Desyres 5. But whearsoeuer the Spirit of the Wisdom of God Ø›that true Light getteth the Superyorytee / theare is the vpright Freedom of the spirituall Men vnder g Rom 8. b. whose Power / the Flesh or the naturall Man is subiect and is sustayned therin / to all Seemlynes and Resonablnes 6. BEholde â my Beloued because I knowe not now how it may go with thee / whear thou dwellest / therfore haue I â out of harty Loue written this little porcion vnto thee / to th end that thou shouldest alwayes be myndfull of the vpright Beeing of the Loue· and not â through any deceitfull Meanes / which may com before thee out of the Flesh and his Wisdom neglect the godly Grace / which is com vnto vs in thissame h 1 Timo 4. b 2. Timo 3. a. 2 per. 2. a. perillous Tyme nor estrainge thy self ther-from but to haue the more-dilligent regard â with all Subiection to the Loue vnto the Seruice of the holy Woord / for to consider with Vnderstanding what an vpright Beeing thesame Seruice requyreth and in what maner or to what an vpright â–ª Effect of the godly Lyfe / all former Seruices â which are gon-out from God euen hetherto do leade i Math. 22. d. Mark 12. d Rom 13 b. Gal. 5. b 1 Timo. 1. a. to thissame Seruice of Loue. namely for that we shoulde now in this Daye of Loue â with Fulnes of the holy Gost and with pure Hearts liue vprightly in k Ephe. 1. a. all Loue / according to the Trueth of Christ. 7. If wee now therfore do looke into thissame rightly / theÌ„ shall wee likewyse exercise ourselues therin / to all Sainctifycation l 2. Tess â–ª 2. b. 1. Pet. 3. b. in the Spirit according to the Promyses of God the Father and not m 2. Cor. 6. b touch or receaue anything / that mought make our Hearts vncleane· or drawe vs to any false n Sâ—p 14. b. Rom. 1. c. 2. Pet. 2. b. or disordered Freedom 8. Therfore is also myne Exhortacion vnto thee / out of harty Loue / that thou wilt dayly exercise thyself in our mostholy Seruice of Loue â with all Humilitee o 〈◊〉 1. b. and Obedience in the Feare of the Lorde 9. And if now thou indeuourest thyself heerunto / then shalt thou nodout p Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1. b. 1 Pet 2. a. grow-vp likewyse in all holy Vnderstanding and be well preserued from the false Desyres of the Flesh and from all inconstant Spirits and false Freedoms / which bring the Man to the Disobeying of the Loue and to all Confusion 10. The Lorde vouchsafe to strengthen q Col. 1. b. 2. Tess. 2 b. 1. Pet 5. b. thee in his Righteousnes and to leade thee â with his Wisdom into all Trueth and vpright Righteousnes Amen 11. Heerwith â my Beloued I do hartely salute thee in the Loue / wherthrough God hath shewed Mercy on vs and salute me also in thesame Loue / vnto our good Freendes namely all the Acquayntance / that loue the vpright Beeing in Iesu Christ. The Loue of the supreame God / gett the Victory in all your Hearts Amen The Ende of the Fourtenth Epistle The Fiftenth Epistle An harty ExhortacioÌ„ vnto all Louers of the Trueth and vnto all those that submitt them vnder the Obedience of the Loue To a Warning of them touching all contrary Sights and false Spirits / which make-vp them selues out of the wicked Worlde / in these last perillous Tymes also iudg falsly / against the Trueth and against the Seruice of Loue and so do bring-in or cause Discord and Offence / contrary to the peaceable Famyly of Loue. I admonish you â beloued Bretheren that ye wil marke those that cause Discorde and Offence / contrary to the Doctrine which ye haue learned and auoyde from them Rom. 16. The First Chapter THrough the Loue of God the Father / which â out of Grace is a Rom. 16. â— Eph. 1. a 3. a Col. 1. c. declared vnto vs / by the Reuealing b 2. Timo 1. b of the gloryous Coming of our Lorde Iesu Christ / we wish a good Peace and Concorde vnto all Louers of the Trueth / which â out of an Inclynacion of Loue and of a pure Heart haue their fellowshipp with our Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue. For They â yea thosame shal be founde happy For our Comunialtee is
the One vndeuided c Rom. 12. a. Ephe. 4. b. Body of Christ with whom we haue our fellowshipp d 1. Iohn 1. a. with God the Father / the Headd of thesame Christ. 2. To thatt God which â through the Spirit e 1. Pet. 5. b. of his Loue hath chosen vs to such a Maiestee of his Glory / be Laude Honour f Apo. 4.5 b Prayse and Thanks / for euer Amen 3. BEholde my beloued Freendes in the Loue This Loue of God the Father â wherin God hath gloryfyed Vs is the bounttyfull Mercy of the highest God with the which He hath taken-pitie on vs now in these last perillous Tymes and elected vs to Saluacion g Eâ—he 4. a. to the Lande of his Glory In which perillous Tymes / al-maner of venimous h Ephe. 4. b. Wyndes false Knowledges deceiptfull Witts contrary Sightes i Math. 24. b. 2. Timo. 4. a 2. Pet. 2. a. with many erring Spirits and all wrong Iudgers or False-sentence-giuers â to the Hurt of the Soule do flourish 4. Seing then that all false Spirits do now â in many Controuersies ryse-vp out of the wicked Worlde and out of those Wyscones that cleaue vnto her and do make-vp themselues agaynst the Trueth / for to take k 2. Timo 3. a captiue in their contencious Knowledges â with their Craftynes and deceitfull Witt those that loue the Trueth / So is-ther likewyse in this perillious Tyme / l 1. Timo. 1. b. greate Grace shewed on vs / against all false Spirits and deuided Knowledges For to that ende haue we obtayned the mostholy Office or Seruice of Loue but not from ourselues nor from Men. but from m Gal. 1. b. Ephe. 3. a â–ª the liueing God himself / by his Woord of Lyfe / because that wee â like faythfull Ministers of thesame shoulde â through the Woord of Lyfe warne all goodwilling Hearts â that loue y e Trueth of Christ of all n Math. 24. b Act. 20. c. false and contencious Spirits of the Knowledg· reache them the Hande seruiceably / with the Woord of Lyfe· and gyde them into our holy Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / wherby to drawe them out of the Perills of Destruction which proceed out of the wicked Worlde / that is reserued o 2. Tess. 1. a. 2. Pet. 3. a. vnto Fyre and to defende them therfrom 5. Ouer which wicked Worlde and ouer all Guydes / that â—yse-vp ther-out with their false Spirits and contencious Knowledges and ouer all those that cleaue vnto thesame / the Iudgment of God goeth righteously to the Confusion of them all and p Math. 25. to their Condemnacion in the hellish Fyer For God wil now in his Daye of Loue / condemne the wicked Worlde with all her Wyseones Adherents and Louers 6. Yea assuredly now cometh the Lorde â out of his holy Heauen q Esa. 29 a. Ecâ—li 13. b. Luk. 17. Apo. 4. a. 8 a. with Lightenings and Thunders and with a forsible Noyze of Wyndes wherat the Earth shall r Psal. 77 b. Esa. 13. b. Agg. 2. a. feare and tremble and thatsame shall fall vppon all false Spirits and wicked Hearts / to their Destruction Yea now in thissame Daye of Loue / the Lorde wil mooue the s Heb. 12. d. Earth and it shall be forced to quake at his Thunders And so the Lorde wil then make an t Esa 10. c. Ende of all y e Falshod of the Earth 7. For now in thissame Daye of Loue / the v Eccli 16. b. 2. Pet. 3. b. Elements shall melt with the Heate of his Lightening and the Lordes Thunder-boltes shall fall very greeuously vppon the Pate of all arrogaÌ„t Heartes Self-wyseones and all false Witnesses Yea all those that be touched therwith / shall nodout make-manifest themselues and let it appeere / that they are touched and are not of the Loues Nature 8. But Saluation and Peace / cometh to the Lowely and Humble of Heart / x Rom. 12. b. 1. â—or 3. b. which are not wyse in themselues but do submitt them humbly vnder the Loue and her Seruice also do take-heede to the Doctrine and Informacion of thesame and indeuour them obediently therunto and do seeke no Pleasure nor Ioye without God and his Seruice of Loue nor-yet in the Worlde nor in the Flesh but only y Esa. 61. b. Luk. 2. c. in God their Saluacion For it shall go-well with them and in the Iudgment of God / they shall obtayne their Preseruacion or Saluacion 9. For in the Iudgment of God when the Thunder-clapps do fall vppon the Arrogant and Self-wyseones / to their Destruction / then shall the holy Spirit of Lyfe / fall vppon the Littleones and the Electedones of God / that haue humbly submitted them vnder the Obedience of the Loue / to their Preseruacion and shal be z Num 11. c. Esa. 44. o. Eze 36 c. Ioel 2 c. Act 2. b. poored-forth vppon them â with all Louelynes out of the euerlasting Lyfe and heauenly Beeing / a Iohn 4.7 b like floweing Waters of Lyfe and so shall then likewyse / b Ioel. 3. c. Milke and Hony and liueing Water of the holy Spirit of Loue / flowe among them 10. Haue you all a regarde heerunto / ye good-willing Hearts and Louers of the Trueth For Gods Iudgment / c Esa. 11. a. Iohn 7.8 b is not according to the Sight of Mens Eyes nor according to their Knowledg although notwithstanding they do perswade themselues somtymes / that they knowe it well and are assured of the Mattier of it but only according to the Trueth The II. Chap. FOrasmuch then as such a Day-light â the which is the true Iudgment of God is â by Gods Grace appeered vnto vs out of Heauen· and the gracious Woord of Lyfe vnder the Obedience of the Loue / geeuen vs to minister in thesame Light / to the Saluacion of the People / Therfore were it also very right and conuenient / that they shoulde giue eare vnto vs therin and that noman shoulde so peruersly looke-into or construe the Workes of the Lorde / which He bringeth to light by vs Little and Electedones of God For veryly / thatt which wee speake and wryte and bring-foorth or set-out â— vnder the Obedience of the Loue to the serueing of all Louers of the Trueth / is not our owne Worke nor-yet our Indighting nor Wryting but the a Ier. 31 d. Ezech. 36. c 1 Cor. 2. a. 2. Tess. 1.2 b. Worke of the Lorde / which He himself wryteth according to his owne Mynd Spirit and Will / and with his owne Finger 2. And whatsoeuerthen the Lorde himself bringeth-foorth / thatt do wee acknowledg to be good and vpright And although it be looked-on and iudged for Ignorance or to be foolish / before the Children of Men or before all those that account themselues wyse / Yet do wee confesse and shewe ther-against / that
Light and therfore testifyeth / that no vncleere Eyes e Math. 6. c. nor darke Bodyes / haue f Iohn 5. d. euer seene or knowen such a gloryous Light / in his Cleernes and that then thosame Testimonyes do com before the Eyes and Eares of the earthly Man g Pro. 3. a. Esa. 5 c. Rom. 1.12 b. 1. Cor. 3. b. who thinketh himself to be wyse or to be illuminated / through his Knowledg / So doth then thatt earthly or self-wyse Man suppose â according to the Imaginacion of the Knowledg or false Light that the illuminated Man / doth not testify rightly of the Cleernes of the true Light of God 6. Therfore because that the vnilluminated Man / seeth so poreblyndly and cannot see nor endure Gods Light / in his Eyes he iudgeth â out of the false Light / that hath captiued his Heart the illuminated Vnderstanding / to be wrong 7. Then when an illuminated Man / testifyeth of the Loue of God and of the Spirit of thesame â–ª and that eueryone ought to submitt them obediently ther-vnder and then when thosame Testimonies do com before the Eares of those â–ª that looke vppon the Flesh and not vppon the Spirit / Then do they iudg the Loue â–ª and the Loues Spirit and Requyring / vppon an outward Man euen as though the outward Man himself / requyred the Obedience and Loue and â according to the Flesh â–ª named himself / the Spirit of Loue or tooke Gods Dignitee vpon him 8. Therfore veryly a fleshly or earthly Man â that liueth without the Seruice of Loue / according to his owne Goodthinking is altogether false h Psal. 116. b. Rom. 3. a. lying and ignorant namely / in godly Things in all his Sightes Knowledges and Iudgments The IIII. Chap. BEholde my beloued Hearts in the Loue This coulde I not hyde from you / To th end that ye may beware of the false Iudgments of the deuided Men. and for that ye shoulde not ouer-reache yourselues / in iudging anything rashly For-that-cause let eueryone let the Iudgment alone and gett first a a Apo 3. c. cleere Sight and a pure Soule / in the Loue / That he be not iudged before the Iudgment-seate of Christ before the which we stande for a false Iudg. 2. Oh! How well is he mynded / that iudgeth not and that construeth and accepteth all in good part / that is witnessed or spoken to him / vnto good and so walketh in stillnes and keepeth his Mouth / b Psal. 3◠〈…〉 as if ther hung a Lock before it that he lye not and which falleth not c through his Tongue 3. Therfore canst thou not excuse thyself / â— Man d Ro◠〈…〉 whosoeuer thou bist that iudgest For wherin thou iudgest another / therin condemnest thou thy self inasmuch as thou thyself act gilty in thatt / wherin thou iudgest another 4. By diuers of these false Iudgers / am I greatly impugned so that I haue had great cause geeuen me by Many / to wryte against them but thatt haue I not vsed hetherto â as against any Person or Company perticulerly nor named them by Name but haue witnessed generally / the Ignorance of the Blaspheamers and Resisters of the Loue â–ª and made it knowen to the Vnderstandingones 5. Forasmuch then as our Seruice hath his Ministracion vnpartially / through the Loue / therfore is it not also our Vce / to wryte against anyman perticulerly â as by any name of Person and Company nor-yet to disprayse or to prayse them / by their Names but to shewe generally â according as the vnpartiall Seruice of Loue requyreth it what is Good or Euell for eueryone and wherin the Man hath Right or Wrong and that altogether out of God e 2. Cor. 3. a. and not out of ourselues 6. For the Lorde himself â as a righteous and vnpartiall God hath â according to his Promyses made his Iudgment / f Esa 28. b. a Measure-lyne and his Righteousnes / a Ballance / among vs. Therfore wee do neither receaue nor-yet giue-foorth anything / vnles we do measure it all vnpartially / with the Measure-lyne of the Iudgment of God and weigh it all likewyse according to his Value / g Eccl. 21. c. 28. d. in the Ballance of the Righteousnes of God 7. Oh! That yee all did so likewyse and according to thesame maner / stoode concordably and vnpartially mynded with vs / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and that euen so eueryone did first learne â vnder the Obedience of the Loue to keepe-scilence and then to speake rightly also learned first to suffer Wrong and so to knowe therby / thatt which is Right / er-euer he gaue any Sentence of the Right / to th end that he mought speake according to the Trueth and iudg h Iohn 7. c. rightly As likewyse learned first / to endure i 2. Cor. 6. a. Shame Dishonour and Dispising / with Christ and therby to knowe Gods Honour / er-euer he tooke-vpon-him to defende Gods honour and to alow himseâ—f to be right in his Iudgment Consider effectually heeron 8. SEing then that the many-maner of Perills â growing by the Iudgments of Men are knowne vnto vs / therfore do wee â with this small Instruction exhort all Louers of the Trueth / that noman vndertake or set-forward himself to iudg / k 1. Coâ— 4. â— â–ª before the tyme nor-yet speake to-soone but that eueryone do first â vnder the Obedience of the Loue becom l Luk. 14. c. a Distiple of Christ and so m Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1. b. 1. Pet. 2. a. growe-vp in the holy Woord of the Spirit of y e Loue of Christ / to the Age of the holy Vnderstanding of Christ. 9. Then when he is becom a Christian or an Elder of Christ / in y e holy Vnderstanding / so can he then likewyse â through his new Birth iudg rightly / n Sap. 3. a. Math. 19. â— 1. Cor. 6. a. with Christ and with all the Saintes of God / but otherwyse / all his Iudgments are false 10. If anyman be now as is before sayde becom a Disciple in the holy Vnderstanding of Christ / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and so â euen vnto the Regeneracion be growen an Elder therin / Hee shall then well vnderstande the Elders in the holy Vnderstanding or the Ministers of the holy Woord in the Famyly of Loue / in their secret Wisdom and in no-wyse stryue nor contende â with his Vnderstanding against the Elders in the Loue of Iesu Christ / which do minister the Woord of Lyfe vnder the Obedience of the Loue but shall likewyse himself â as an vnderstanding Elder with the auncient Elders informe the Disciples of the holy and gracious Woord or Christ â in the christian Schoole of Loue o 1. Tim. 4. b. 2. Tim. 1.2.3 with holy Vnderstanding and with Lessons of Wisdom / to all Concorde in the Famyly of Loue
seruiceable to the Peace and Vnitee of Heart in the Loue For by her almighty and vertuous Nature / she begetteth o Rom. 13. a. Gal. 5. b. 1. Timo. 1. a. or bringeth-foorth the perfect Righteousnes of the Beleefe of Christ. 12. The p Iohn 4.7 d Water of Lyfe that floweth from her Body / is the vpright Doctrine in the Wisdom wherwith she q Gen. 2. b. watereth the whole Paradise of the Lorde and refresheth his Planting 13. Her Fruit which the Righteous do bring-foorth out of her Doctrine / r Gen 2. a. Pro. 3. b. 4. Esd 8. f. Apo 2. a. is a Tree of Lyfe whose Leaues do s Psal. 1. a. Ier 17. a. Ezâ— 47. b. Apo. 22 a. not wither neither is her Rooting-out founde Of which Loue and the Seruice of her Doctrine / we haue rehearsed more-at-large in the t 3. Glas 31. c d. Glasse of Righteousnes 14. The Lorde bring vs all to thesame vpright Beeing of the Loue / To th end that we may enioye the Fruiâ—s of the heauenly Kyndnes / in all Loue. Amen The V. Chap. MOreouer â my beloued Freendes in the Loue of Iesu Christ I must yet wryte a little-more vnto you and disclose or declare vnto you / the two-maner of Kingdoms namely of God and of the Deuill which do make-manifest themselues in our Inwardnes as spirituall or inuisible / Because that yee may also learne to knowe them with Distinction / according to the Spirit / wherby you may with an vpright Discerning when they make-manifest themselues against eachother / in you cleaue vnto thatt â with your Spirit which is godly heauenly and true / and which saueth you and may forsake and leaue thatt / which is deuilish deceitfull and false / and which bringeth to the Condemnacion 2. For-that-cause inasmuch as it is Spirit / a Iohn 3. â— that condemneth and saueth vs / therfore haue now a regarde with good Discerning / vnto Spirit and Spirits and learne to knowe those well / b Iohn 4. a. that are of God and true and those that are deuillish and false or lying 3. But if ye wil descerne them rightly according to the Trueth / then becom first-of-all circumcised to the Lorde / c Deut. 10. â— Ier. 4. a. Col. 2 b. on the Fore-skinne of your Hearts the which is the Laying-away of the Flesh of Sinne and so then becom d Rom. 8. a. spiritually mynded / in all your Vnderstanding of the godly Knowledges and continue stedfast in the Obedience to the Woord / till vnto y e seconde Birth like-as ye be taught by the Seruice of Loue / according to the Trueth of Christ. 4. If-so-be now that ye continue in the Woord of the Loue of Iesu Christ and do not turne-away neither to the left nor to the right syde / e Iohan. â— d. then shall ye knowe the Trueth and the Trueth shall make you free 5. Therfore giue-eare now and vnderstande / what the Spirit of Loue and Trueth sayth 6. Knowe in your Spirit â O ye goodwilling Hearts to the Righteousnes how that God Ø›the true Father is f Iam 1. c. an euerlasting vnchaingable Spirit a stedfast Power a g Gen. 1. a. Creator of Heauen and Earth and of euerything that shall continue for euer h Heb. 1. a. also an Vpholder of his Workes / with the i Sap. 7 c. Woord of his Beeing a cleere Light and liueing Fountayne wherout all Vertues and Righteousnesses do flowe 7. Euenthus according to thesame like Beeing of God the Father / so knowe likewyse â according to the Spirit his Sonne / our Lorde Iesus Christ k Gen. 1. a. Psal 33. a. Pro 8 c. through whom / God hath made all his Workes and He is out of God the Father published vnto vs â by the l Rom 10. a. 1 Pet. 1. c. Woord of Preaching of the holy Gospel m Iohn 1. a. to be a true Light / that lighteth all Men through the Coming of his Appeering and is set-before vs / for an euerlasting Sauiour n Math. 1. c. Rom 3. c. 2. Cor. 5. b. Col. 1. c. â— Iohn 2.4 b and a Reconciler for our Sinnes namely for all those Sinnes o Math. 12. d. Luk. 12. b. that are committed against the Father and the Sonne 8. Knowe also the holy Gost p Iohn 14. c. 15. c. â—6 b. which cometh vnto vs / out of the Father and the Sonne â as a Spirit of Trueth and Loue in the Obeying of the Woord of God and Christ which establisheth vs therin and declareth the Kingdom of the God of Heauens vnto vs and in what Foorme and Beeing / that the Father and the Sonne and the holy Gost / is one true God 9. Beholde thatt is veryly the true Kingdom of God / q Luk â–ª 17. c. inwardly with in vs and his Righteousnes is / that the Man shoulde â with his Spirit be incorporated to thesame Godhead and liue therin for euer The VI. Chap. VNderstand now according to the Trueth â ye Deerly-beloued which is the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / a Math. 6. d that we ought first or before-al / to seeke 2. But seing that the Man doth now generally / seeke the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / contraryly and not rightly b Ier. 19 d. Iohn 7 d. and for-that-cause cannot fynde thesame / through his owne Vnderstanding / Therfore hath the Goodnes of God / looked vpon our Ignorance and declared his Kingdom and the Righteousnes therof / vnto Vs / through his Loue. 3. To which Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / and godly Maiestee of the euerlasting spirituall and heauenly Beeing / and to all his Holynes Beawty Ritches and to his euer-liueing Ioyfulnes / Wee be all now called and bidden / by the holy Spirit of the Loue of God the Father / to the Preseruacion of vs all / in thissame last and perillous Tyme For Hee / thesame God Ø›y e Father the Sonne the holy Gost presenteth vs now with his Loue and wil c Leui. 26. b. Eze. 37. c. 2. Gor. 6. b. Apo. 21. a. â— dwell liue and worke in vs. Let eueryone take-heede to thissame gracious Tyme 4. The Father draweth d Iohn 6. â— â–ª g or allureth vs to him / by his gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue and whosoeuer yeeldeth himself to be drawen by the Father / cometh to the Sonne / the out-flowen gracious Woord of the Father 5. And whosoeuer cometh to the Sonne and e Iohn 3.6 c. beleeueing Him / remayneth f Iohn 8 1â— a in Him / He saueth 6. And Whom the Sonne saueth / g Iohn 3.6 f. hee hath the euerlasting Lyfe and is h Act. 1. a. 2. b. annoynted with the holy Gost. 7. And whosoeuer is annoynted with the holy Gost / hee is established i Rom. 8. b. Ephe. 1. b. c. â—ol 1. b. â— or altogether
godded in the euerlasting liueing Godhead and is vniforme with all what concerneth the Godhead or is of God and inheriteth the Kingdom of the God of Heauens and all the Ritches of Christ of the heauenly Goodes 8. Beholde euenthus doth the holy Gost â which is the Spirit of Loue confirme the Kingdom of the God of Heauens and the Promyses of God the Father and of Christ and k Iohn 16. b leadeth the godly Man into all Trueth and declareth euery-thing vnto him that is in Heauen and vppon the Earth 9. But whosoeuer hath bin negligent in the l Iohn 6. c. â— Drawing of the Father· and â through his Ignorance contemned or bin disobedient vnto Him and his Lawe or seruiceable Woord and whoso likewyse hath not taken-heede to the Saluation in Iesu Christ / through the Beleeâ—eâ— but â through the Blyndnes m Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b. of the Vnbeleefe resisted or blaspheamed thesame / Hee doth yet in thissame Daye / through the Ministracion of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue â the which is the Office of the holy Gost fynde Grace and Forgiuenes of Sinnes / if he submitt n 1. Pet. 5. b. Iam. 4. â— himself o Math 3. a. Luk. 3. b. penitently vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 10. But whoso neglecteth him in the holy Spirit of Loue and resisteth and blaspheameth thesame or his mostholy Seruice of the spirituall and heauenly Goodes / p Math. 12. d. Heb. 6.10 c Hee continueth in Indignation and shall neuer q Iohn â— a. see the Kingdom of God â–ª For the Spirit of the Loue of God and Christ or holy Gost â who is the Perfection of all the Workes of God hath and vseeth his Seruice â the which is the last Seruice of Grace now in thissame last gracious Tyme or Daye of Loue. After which gracious Daye of Loue / ther-is r Apo. 10. a. no Daye of Grace more for to com but s Heb. 10. c. the righteous Iudgment of God to the Condemnacion t Math. 25. d. of all Vngodlyones / that haue refused the Godlynes through the holy Spirit of Loue and the Ministracion of his godly Testimonyes· and euenso contemned and blaspheamed his most holy Seruice 11. THerfore â all ye good-willing Hearts take-heede now â according to the Counsayle of the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue to the Kingdom of God v Luk. 17. c. inwardly within you / To th end that ye may be incorporated to thesame / with your Spirit For thatt is the Righteousnes which auayleth before God 12. But take you good heede of the Kingdom of the Deuill which also sheweth itself inwardly â before the Eyes and Thoughts / that are earthly x Rom. â— a. and fleshly mynded as a Kingdom of God and deceaueth the Fleshly-myndedones / with his false y Esa. 59. a. Light and â— Good-thinking and with his false z Ier 7. b. Sap. 2. 2. Pet 2. b. Iâ—de 1. b. Freedom / which it bringeth to the Flesh / according to his Fleshly Lusts and Disyres and seduceth the Hearts of Men. The VII Chap. KNowe likewyse thatsame Kingdom of the Deuill / inwardly / according to the Spirit For his Generacion is also inwarde / but not out of any Beeing or Lyfe that is spirituall and heauenly but out of thatt which is nothing and earthly or corruptible and therfore is likewyse the Generacion of thesame / earthly and not heauenly / fleshly / and not spiritually mynded / according to Gods Spirit / therfore doth it also growe offended alwayes / at those things that are against their Myndes or Thoughtes and maketh-vp itself a 2. Tess. 2. against thatt which is of God and of his Seruice of Loue. 2. Thesame Generacion of the Deuill / wil not also stande submitted vnder the Obedience of the Loue nor of the holy Woord but refuseth the Requyring therof / and so wil liue according b Ier. 7 â—â— a. 13. b. 18 b to their owne Will and Good-thinking and wrest c 2. Pet. 3. b. and construe the Scripture / according to their false and Fleshly Mynde / and so wil liue vnto themselues and loue themselues / according as the Knowledg imagineth in them 3. Therfore is the Deuill / in his Kingdom although he appeere before all fleshly Myndes / as if he were a d 2 Tess. 2 a. God of Light not els-what but a Nothingnes of the Lye and is likewyse for-that-cause / a e Iohn 8. a. Father of all secreet or inward Wickednes and a Render or Parter-asunder of all Concorde / whearas he is harkened-vnto and beleeued and accepted as good and true 4. Beholde thesame Father of Wickednes Ø›the God of the f 2. Cor. 4.2 wicked Worlde and of all Vngodly or impenitent Men is / in all his Beeing / a g 2. Tess. 2. b. Contrary-beeing vnto God â–ª and his Sonne / a Contrary-beeing vnto Christ a Destroyer h Iohn 17. b. 2. Tess. 2. a. a Childe of Wickednes which maketh the Hearts of Men / stout vppon their Knowledg and bringeth also a false Freedom vnto Many / for to sinne boldly and to continue in the worldly Abhomynacions and Foolishnes / with vnaccused Consciences and to make-vp themselues i Dan. 22. a. resistant against the Trueth and the godly Loue of God the holy Father 5. And their Spirit namely of the Father of Wickednes and of his Sonne or Childe of Wickednes is a wicked Spirit k 2. Tess. 2. a. of Lyes which confirmeth the Man â being in his Vnrepentance and in his Disobedience to the Requyring of the gracious Woord of the Lorde and his Seruice of Loue in the Beeing of Lyes and leadeth him into all Lye and Errour â–ª 6. Thesame false God and Father of Wickednes / doth also â with his wicked Self-willednes allure l 2. Tess. 2. a. b or drawe vs vnto him / through the priuate Loue of ourselues and whosoeuer doth yeelde himself to be so drawen by him / cometh to his Sonne Ø›his Childe or Being of Wickednes the false Christ or m 1 Iohn 2. c 4. a. Antichrist the Destroyer which is the Christ of the wicked Worlde and of all Vngodlyones and worketh in his People an inwarde or n â— Tess. 2. b. secret Wickednes / which they themselues cannot wel perceaue 7. And whoÌ„soeuer then cometh so to the Sonne of the Deuill as also becometh incorporated to thesame Beeing of Wickednes and bydeth therin / hee is quyte and cleane corrupted / in all his Mynde / by the Wickednes and by the priuate Loue of himself and by the Disobedience and Resistance to the Loue and her right Seruice Yea so quyte corrupted / that he is inclyned to nothing-els / in all his Mynde / but to his Self-wilednes and to all Destructionablenes and to destroye the Family of Loue / wherin the liueing God of Heauen
â with their false Testimonyes against vs persecute Vs very vehemeÌ„tly / which do minister the holy Woord or innocent Beeing of God / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 7. Wo be vnto them / that runnfoorth with their foolish Desyres and false Heartes / s 2. Pet 2. b. Iâ—de 2. b after the Workes of the Flesh which are defyled with Darknesses / to th end to liue euenso in all Vncleannes Voluptuous-pleasures WantoÌ„nes and Wickednes and vnto all those that giue Prayse and Honour to the vngodly Beeing and accounte thesame to be a Freendshipp for them â–ª not once careing for this / that they are the Enemyes of God / ther-through 8. Wo be vnto them / that for t Iam. 〈…〉 the Worldes Freendshipp or for the Pleasures cause of the Flesh / becom Gods Enemyes Wher-with they shewe sufficiently / that they are Witnesses of the Craftyones as also Witnesses / that they neither will nor desyre God nor his holy Beeing 9. Beholde the Curssing v Math 25. d. Heb 9.10 c 2 pet 3. a. and the tirrible Iudgment of the Fyres Crueltee / hangeth ouer theÌ„ / as a Snare / for their Sinnes cause And thatsame wil fall x Luk. 21. d. heauely vppon the Pate of all Euel-willing and arrogant Highmyndedones 10. Therfore looke into it betymes â O ye Children of Men what a louely and godly Beeing ye haue forsaken and how ye haue liued in all Vngodlynes and Vnmanlynes and repent / er-euer the seuere Iustice or the Iudgment of God fall vppon you For when thesame ketcheth-holde of you and letteth you see your wicked Deedes / y Sap 5. a b. then shall ye knowe / that the euell Things haue incompassed and caught-holde of you By the which ye shal be z Sap. 12 c Apo. 18. a punished â–ª and not be able to escape the Hande of Dengaunce The VI. Chap. O ye beloued Hearts / which are yet healde or captiued with any vngodly thing / put-away now a Iosu. 1. the Wickednes from you and b Iam. 4. cleanse your Hearts therof Seperate your Myndes and Thoughts / from all what is vayne and corruptible in the Worlde For-sake all thatt / whatsoeuer ioyneth not itself to a godly Lyfe Circumcise yourselues c Deut. 10. b Ier. 4. a. on the Foreskinne of your Hearts and put-away froÌ„ your Hearts / all what is vnpure and hath defyled your Hearts Turne you and com â with naked Hearts d Ier 18. b. 25 a 35. b. Eze 18. d. Ioel. 2. b. to the Lorde your God / vnder the Obedience of his Loue and in thesame Seruice / learne the Sweetnes of Lyfe the Humilitee and Meeknes of Heart and the vpright Vertues 2. For thatt is the cleane or pure Lyfe of Iesu Christ / which cometh vnto vs out of the Loue / through her Seruice / to th end that we shoulde liue vnto God in thesame and laude and prayse Him therin 3. Beholde â ye Deerly-beloued ther-vnto strecheth our Seruice of Loue which vndeceaueable Seruice / is the mostlouely and holyest Seruice of God / the which / God willeth that it shoulde haue his Minisâ—raâ—ion ouer all the Worlde and that all People shoulde be obedient or subiect to the Loue / in her Seruice For in the Loue is the e Gen. 13. â—â— Blessing of all Generacions of the Earth / according to the Promyses 4. Therfore is my Eâ—hortacion and harty Request vnto you all / which are the Auncientest and Most-zealousones in our holy Comunialtee / that ye wil all likewyse haue regarde in that-maner / vnto the Seruice of Loue and euen so accomplish his Requyring 5. And although it be knowen vnto me / that ye do also partly with mee / see into the Difference of thatt wherof I wryte vnto you / yet am I notwithstanding constrayned / to wryte and to present thissame vnto you / To th end that ye shoulde alwayes be myndfull / not to put to-much trust at the first / in the on-coming Disciples / which inclyne vnto vs in the Seruice of Loue as to declare all the Misteryes of God / among them f 1 Cor 2. â— but well among those that are growing-vp with vs obediently / in the holy and godly Testimonyes of the Spirit of Loue / to the g Ephe 4 b Agednes of the holy Vnderstanding and those which we fynde faythfull therin / Because that we may therby â so much-the-more-certenly and foresightfully minister the mostholy Seruice of Loue â wherunto God hath stirred-vp and chosen vs to h 1 Cor 14. d. all good Order and Decentnes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. The VII Chap. SEing then that ther are feawe now / that wil a 2. Timo. 4. a endure the godly Doctrine of the Loue / therfore is likewyse all my harâ—y Exhortacion vnto You / ye Elders and Wyseones â to whom the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue are committed / for to minister in the Seruice of Loue that yee â in thesame Seruice wil alwayes keepe a circumspect Watch towardes the vpright and louely Beeing cheefly because of those that com-in besydes the Loue and her Seruice b Rom. 16. 2 Timo 3. a and bring-in Contencion and Breache of the Concorde / with their Knowledg 2. But contende not you with them / aboute any Knowledg but requyre alwayes the Loue and the Obedience vnto her Seruice / to all c Ephe. 4. a. Vnitee of Peace For if anyman knowe the Loue / hee knoweth all what he shoulde knowe and whosoeuer knoweth not the Loue nor is mynded to the Requyring of her Seruice / hee doutles d 1 Cor. â— a. knoweth nothing No nothing-at-al of the godly Wisdom nor can in-any-wyse e Math 11 d 1 Cor 2. b vnderstande the Trueth It is very-true 3. Heerwith â ye beloued Elders in the holy Vnderstanding my Request and Exhortacion is vnto you all / that ye wil alwayes be myndfull of the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and not leaue-of to f 2 Timo 4. a. rebuke and to exhort still / with Woordes of holy Vnderstanding and with Informacions of Discreation namely those which holde with vs / in the Comunialtee of Loue and are yet loofe or lightmynded of Heart and cheefly g 2 Tâ—â—s 3 a those / which walke disorderly / as also y t Vnchastones which wil serue the Flesh / with vncleane Hearts For they marre their Vnderstanding and corrupt their Sences and Memory / with their Fleshly and vnchast Thoughtes 4. Before these holde-foorth the conuenient Orderlynes and exhort them to a h psal â—1 b Math â— a cleane or pure Heart / To th end that they may becom i 2 Cor. 7. a cleansed from all Pollution and Filthynes of the Flesh and so â growing-vp in the holy Vnderstanding may be founde worthy / that the God of Lyfe may â in Cleannes and Cleernes or Purenes dwell and walke in