spirit which would exercise Lordship over another for that is not the serving Spirit that is to be submitted unto which begetteth into Love Meekness and Gentleness but that spirit will rather beget a Root of Bitterness which may defile many and therefore not to be heeded But the Love being dwelt in which vaunteth not it self nor seeketh its own but anothers good that begets its own likeness and in this you will stir up and provoke one another to Love and to good and charitable Works and then by you the Gospel of God will be adorn'd and you will have his Blessing and Peace in your hearts which is of more Value and greater Price with the Upright in Heart then all the Pleasure of sin or Gain of Oppression And so by your Stedfastness Faithfulness Sincerity and Simplicity in the Truth you will even engage and provoke the Lord to appear on your behalfs and to plead your Cause with your Adversaries and to shorten the dayes of the Wicked for your sakes And so the Almighty God of Love and Peace be with you all and multiply the Riches of his Grace Mercy and Peace unto you all that the Poor in Spirit may be enriched the Weak and Feeble strengthen'd and the Sincere in Heart established and confirmed And unto him alone I do commit and commend you all by whose Power and Love unfeigned I was at this time constrain'd to send this Epistle unto you to stir you up to Faithfulness Diligence and Zeal towards God and for his Cause in which my love towards you and my care for you is manifested in which I also kindly salute you in the Bowels of Christ Jesus whose Life is my Life and whose Love hath filled my heart in which I take my Solace and Rest From the Common Goal in Kendal the place of my Confinement for the Testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God this 18th of the 7th Moneth 1665. Your Dear Brother in the Tribulation Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Josiah Coale An EPISTLE To Friends The First general EPISTLE DEar and Everlastingly beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters whom in God s Holy Covenant and Power of an Endless Life my soul dearly loveth and to whom I am firmly joyned and united with the Spirit of the Living God which he hath sent into our hearts and by which we have been separated from the Wayes and Worships and vain Tradition of the World amongst whom in times past we had our Conversation and walked according to the Lust of Ignorance as other Gentiles did But now being separated from these things by the Power of an Endless Life and being redeem'd therefrom by the precious Blood of the Lamb without Spot And being made choice of to be a peculiar People unto God to serve him in our Generation and to be a Praise unto him therefore now my beloved Friends have Valour and Boldness and Courage every one in your Hearts and have the Loins of your minds girt about with Truth that you may be armed to fight the Lord's Battels and be able to stand in the Evil Day when you shall be tryed And be you found watching every one in the Light and Gift of the Spirit of the Lord God so will not that Day come upon any of you at unawares but you will be found fitted and prepared to with-stand or resist the Evil One in all his Wiles and Appearances so that he shall not touch or harm your precious Life for the Lord Almighty in whom you have believed and in whom our Trust and Confidence is he will renew your Strength and will be a Buckler unto you in the Day of Battel and there will be no Faintness of Heart nor Fear in your Way but the Mighty POWER of God you will feel by which you will be able to tread upon the Necks of your Enemies both within and without and tread Satan under Foot And so my Friends These things in short were in my Heart to write unto you in the full enjoyment of that Love with which you know right well we have oft been refreshed together assuring you all that the same Blessed Presence and Power and Love of God in which I have been amongst you and by which I have been called from amongst you to bear Testimony to the Blessed Name of the Lord by which we are called even to the Nations afar off is still continued with me in which Love this is farther in my Heart to say unto you although you may very well know it already yet that none may grow forgetful that God hath many Wayes to try the Faith of his People both inwardly and outwardly and oft-times suffereth the Enemy to work and exercise his power for that End and the Enemy will work very subtilly if possible to deprive you of your Peace with God But my Friends You keeping in the Power of an Endless Life with which God hath certainly visited you thereby your Understandings will be kept clear and your Hearts open towards God and there all the Wiles and Subtilties of the Enemy will be seen and discovered and he defy'd and rejected and trampled upon in the Eternal Power of God And herein you will be Victorious and Conquerers over all Temptations and over all Assaults of the Wicked one And herein you will have free Access to God and Boldness towards God and you will all meet at the Throne of Grace in the Unity of the Faith in which you will have Acceptance with the Lord. And here will be no Rent nor Division nor Striving of Spirits Nay that must not enter which would have the preheminence over others for that will cause Divisions but that must live in all and over all which will be Servant to all and therein are the Blessings of the Lord enjoyed and his Peace witnessed and he will fill your Hearts with his Love and cause his Heritage to flourish and will make you as a watered Garden whose Springs do not fail And now my Friends Consider what the Lord hath done for you Hath he done so for any other People upon the Earth or did he more for his People in any Age or Generation since the beginning then he hath done for us Or Are any able to speak more of the Wonders of the Lord and of the Greatness of his Work and of the Strangeness of his Act at this Day then we are who are accounted by the Uncircumcised but as the Off-scouring of all things Nay verily And therefore may it be said That us hath he known above all the Families of the Earth And this my Friends may engage all and constrain all to walk worthy of this matchless Love that the same with which he hath reached unto you and visited you may be continued unto you and may abound in you all one towards another that you may all know you are the Children of your Father which is in Heaven and in this you will be as Lights unto the World and as a
City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid you will appear fresh in the Beauty of Holiness as the Heritage of God in its flourishing state in which my Unfeigned Love is dear to you all who are faithful to God and in this I do salute you all without respect of Persons for dear are you to me and precious and every Member of the true Church of Christ in all Regions and Quarters of the Earth And God Almighty keep you and preserve you all unto his Heavenly Kingdom Amen London this 12th of the 3d Moneth 1663. I am your Dear Brother in the Patience and Tribulation of the Son of God in whom we rejoyce daily Josiah Coale AND Friends This know that for the sake of the residue of our Seed which is yet ungathered is my Life freely sacrificed up into the Hand of the Lord and ready and willing am I to lay it down for the Testimony of God's Blessed Truth which he hath given me to bear if thereunto I am called For Bonds and Afflictions attend me daily and I may say We are hear in Jeopardy of our Lives daily So let your Prayers to God be for me that I may be kept unto the End to finish my Testimony with Joy and in all things to bring Glory and Honour to the Name of the Lord who is over all Blessed forever J. C. An EPISTLE To Friends The Second general EPISTLE FRIENDS ALL who are convinced of the Truth of the Evelasting Gospel and have believed the Report that hath been given amongst you concerning the great Salvation of God and who have been perswaded in your Hearts and Consciences by the Light and Spirit of the Lord that it is your Duty unto God to meet together to wait upon him and to worship him in Spirit and in Truth and have been drawn by this Spirit of Truth to the performance of this Religious Duty I say my Friends You know right well that Gloriously and Plentifully the Lord did appear amongst you in your Assemblies when you first began the Exercises thereof and he made his Power known amongst you and thereby wrought in your Hearts mightily and effectually to the bringing down and subjecting of that which had darkened and vail'd Life and Immortality from your sight and view and by which you were made Strangers thereunto And this same Power of God through the effectual working and operating of it did raise Life and bring Immortality to Light in you so that you were no longer as Strangers unto it but were brought into acquaintance therewith and your hearts and souls were aboundantly Refreshed and Consolated therewith and through the arising thereof and thereby you became more fully confirmed in your first Faith which was begotten in you by the Word and then a Godly Zeal and Resolution more fervently arose in your hearts to continue this Practise and perform this Duty of Assembling your selves together which at first you believed you ought to do and then did the Lord so eminently appear amongst you that by his Spirit he sealed unto you your Acceptance with him in the performance of this Duty and then you farther saw and believ'd That whatsoever Suffering should come upon you for the continuance of this Religious Exercise yet you ought to persevere and continue therein and to hold fast the Profession of your first Faith and also the practise of the thing which you believed to be your Duty unto God And you right well know That many Tryals and Sufferings have attended you since you first began to contend for this Faith and to make a Profession thereof and to practise the thing which you believed was your Duty unto God but the Lord was alwayes with you and assisted you with his Spirit and Power in the mid'st thereof even all who were singly resign'd up unto him and did persevere and continue in their due Obedience unto him and he never left nor forsook such in any Tryal or Tribulation but alwayes ministred unto them in the mid'st thereof according to their necessities and this I know the Witness of God in all the Upright in Heart shall seal unto And now my dear Friends Brethren and Sisters the Consideration and Remembrance of these things are sufficient to encourage every one and to stir them up and provoke them to hold fast their Godly Resolution which they put on in the beginning and to persevere and continue in all Faithful Obedience in this Duty while they have Liberty and Opportunity so to do And if for your Faithfulness and Obedience therein the Devil be suffer'd to cast you into Prison and to Exile you for the Gospel's sake Yet the Lord will be with you there he hath said it and will perform his word so that you need not fear what Man can do unto you for the Lord will support and comfort you in the midst of all your Sufferings as in times past but if any draw back or fall from their first Stedfastness and forsake the assembling of themselves together for fear of Sufferings and Pesecutions and think thereby to escape the Penalty of the unrighteous Laws of men then will the Lord take no pleasure in such but will withdraw his Love and Presence and his wonted Goodness will he withhold from such and instead of Peace there will be Trouble unto them and Sorrow instead of Joy and instead of Plenty and Fulness of the Riches of God's Grace there will be Poverty and Emptiness and Want and Barrenness instead of Fruitfulness For He with whom we have to do can turn a Fruitful Land into Barrenness for the Iniquity of them that dwell therein And indeed it is better to dye for the Cause of God then to live out of his Favour Wherefore my Dear Friends All dwell and watch in the Light our first Principle that the subtilty of the Enemy may be discover'd thereby in all his Assaults and Alurement and keep in a state resign'd unto the Lord out of all Reasonings and Consultations with Flesh and Blood for they let in Temptations and thereby you may be snared but as you stand singly given up to follow the Lord through all Tryals and Sufferings that may come upon you for the Gospels sake there will be nothing wanting unto you that appertains to the Peace and Comfort and to the Joy and Salvation of your Souls And Friends This I have seen in the Light of God's Truth and Salvation and this hath been long upon my Heart to declare unto you That if any are any whit wavering in their Minds they may be fore-warned that if the Enemy should so far prevail with any as to put them upon seeking out a Way to escape the present Sufferings which attend the Flock of God as Imprisonment Exilement c. yet I say unto you and you shall find it to be true that the same Enemy will find out another Way to bring such wholy to conform to his Worship and Image set up or else will bring a
of darkness by which all who are guided by it comes to receive power over sin which made a separation between God and you And this is he which the Holy Prophets of God prophesied of in the dayes of old who is given a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And whom Moses said the People should hear and said that he that would not hear this Prophet which the Lord should raise up to wit Christ Jesus the Light of the World Even he should be Cut off from amongst the People and therefore every one you being enlightened with a measure of the Light which comes from this Prophet Christ Jesus by whom the World was made and whom the people is to hearken to it is a thing of concerment to you all to wait to hear his voice who calls your minds out of the vanities of the World and the love thereof that you may hear live and no longer to spend your labour for that which doth not satisfie the soul But to hearken diligently to the Voice of God who is Light that you may come to eat of that which is good and let your Souls delight in fatness and so every out who prizeth the Everlasting Peace and welfare of your Souls beyond the pleasures and delights of the World Return unto him who calls in your minds out of the visible and perishing things of this World and the love thereof and wait to know the Sword of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace to Cut down the Transgressor in every particular of you and to know the Righteous Law of God revealed in you to take hold on the unrighteous Nature which hath led you into Rebellion against God and against his pure witness in you which hath long called for purity and for a holy Life and a godly Conversation that so into purity and holiness you might all come without which none can see the Lord And so they who comes to the Light of Christ in them such comes to that which is pure and holy with which they may come to see God And Friends This is the Word of the Lord God to you all and his Everlasting Counsel to you all who have desires in Truth and Righteousness to walk in the way of Life that you hearken diligently to the Voice of God the Light in every one of your Consciences and to it be obedient at all times in whatsoever it makes manifest to be the mind and Will of God the Father that so his will may be done by you in Earth as it is in Heaven and that your sins and iniquities may be blotted out by him for his own Names sake Who is now arisen for his Glories sake which hath been long trampled upon and for his Seeds sake which hath long cry'd unto him from under the burden of oppression which hath ruled above the pure in every one of you And the Cries and Groanings of the Oppressed hath entered into the Ears of the Lord God of Rest and he is arisen and is zealous for his Glory And in the valley of Judgment will he plead with Egypts King and with all the Host of the Egyptians and by his out-stretched Arm will he bring deliverance unto his own Elect Seed and the Host of the Egyptians will he destroy in the Red-Sea of his Wrath and then shall the Seed rejoyce over its Oppressors And so Friends as you hearken to and obey the Voice of the Lord the Angel of his presence you will see leading you in the way in which he will have you to walk and beware of him and obey his voice for he will not at all pardon your transgressions any more Exod. 23.20 21. But will give a just reward to every one according to their deeds whether they be good or whether they be evil And so that you may come and receive the reward of Everlasting Life which is enjoyed in my Fathers Kingdom Every one be good and faithful Servants and improve your Talents which is committed to you that so when the Lord shall come you may be found doing his will and not your own So shall an enterance be Administred unto you into the Kingdom which is without end where you may feed on the Heavenly Manna and drink of the water of Life out of the Wells of Salvation even abundantly and be filled and your Souls satisfied therewith And so Friends and people arise and come out of Death you that have desires after the way of Life and Salvation Which is now Preached freely and be all obedient to the measure of the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared unto you and believe in the Light which you are enlightned withal for saith Christ I am the Light of the World he that believeth in me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the Light of Life and this is the sure word of Prophesie unto which you do well if you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts which Star being followed will lead unto the knowledge of the Saviour as it did the wise men who found him lying in a manger for there was no room for him in the Inn because it was full of other guests him that reads let him understand and so when you have found him according to the Angels Inteligence though it be but in a low place in you yet wait to know him to grow in stature and you in him to increase in Wisdom and in Favour with God for truly People no Union nor Fellowship with God can be known by you until you come to be Obedient to the Son of God and to hear him in whom the Father is well pleased and in whom alone we are accepted of God and by whom we have free access to his Throne of Grace where he sits at the Right hand of the Majesty on High Judging and Condemning all who walk contrary to his Light and that disobey the Gospel which is now Preached and justifieth and giveth life unto all that obey and follow him and stand in his Counsel which is the desire of my Soul that you all may do who have desires in the least measure after this Life of Holiness And for your sakes have I written these Lines according as the Lord gave it me by his Spirit Who am a true lover of all your Souls and a Labourer and Traveller for the Seeds sake which is Scattered throughout the Earth That those who are wandering upon the Barron Mountains and in desolate places may be gathered into the Everlasting Rest and Fold of Jesus Christ with me to lie down in peace and safety where none can make us afraid Josiah Coale A SALUTATION TO THE Suffering-Seed OF GOD Wherein the Things are Declared and Signified before-hand that must shortly come to pass DEarly beloved Friends Brethern and Sisters Babes Lambs and Children who
why then should not we all be content and willingly submit unto the hand of the Lord whose Fatherly care is over all his And truly Friends though we may say we have suffered long by the afflicting hand of our Enemies and their stroke hath fallen hard upon many of us and that great sufferings and afflictions seem still to attend us yet my Friends blessed be the Lord my heart is not at all troubled at these things neither do thoughts of fear enter because I see the end of the Lord in it And I know it is not contrary but according to the determination of the Almighty that these things are so Yet I dare not but acknowledge that they by whom these sufferings are inflicted upon us do go beyond their bounds and commission and that is the very thing with will break them when they have filled up their measure Wherefore my beloved Brethen be you all like-minded with me in this matter and settle it in your heart to bear all things with patience and contentedness that may yet come upon you for the farther tryal of your Faith and put on Valour and Courage and Boldness and be strong in the Lord in the Power of his Might and be nothing daunted before the face of your Enemies but let them see your courage in the Spirit of the Lamb and in the Wisdom of God For the Lord is assuredly with us and amongst us and will be an Enemy unto our Enemies And what is it makes a people more dreadful and terrible then to have the Presence of the Lord with them and truly Friends this I know from the Lord and this I have receive from God That he will yet make his people a terror to the Nations round about them and they shall come bowing and bending and shall desire to be at League and Covenant with all those who are and abide in Covenant with God because they shall know that God is with us Therefore all my Friends abide in that where you may have and enjoy the presence of the Lord and know it to continue always with you who will be your everlasting Comforter and your Stay and Strength in all states and conditions and you will not be left comfortless by him though you may be yet further tryed and sometimes it may be cast down yet you will not be forsaken that trust in him and repose confidence in him for he will be always with you and will give you of his Counsel and Wisdom by which you will be directed to walk in the path of peace and all occasions of stumbling will be removed out of the way and you will not at all think it strange that the Lord suffereth you so to be tryed for you will see the end and purpose of God therein and so in submission to his Heavenly Will in all things you will have satisfaction peace joy and content But if the reasoning part enter that will soon darken the understanding and vail the life and the Counsel of God will be obscure to thee thou wilt not see the end of the Lord in his thus exercising of thee and then sufferings will be grievous and hard to be born and the Murmurer will get up that will murmur against God and peace will flye from thee and the afflicting hand of God will be upon thee also because of thy unfaithfulness and such a state is worse then his that never knew the way of Truth Wherefore consult not with flesh and blood but in patience continue to the end in will-doing and none to be weary therein but be circumspect and diligent every one in your minds and spirits and watch unto prayer that you enter not into the temptation when it cometh for your Adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lyon and waits to devour and lurks to destroy the precious life and will lose no opportunity that possibly he can get to make an enterance upon you to deprive you of your treasure Wherefore I say Resist him stedfast in the Faith and be you armed with the whole Armour of God that you may be able to withstand him in all his appearances for now he will best in him with all his force might and will make many great oppositions and assaults both within and without if by any means to beguile you as he did Eve in the beginning but as you dwell in him who is the quickning Spirit in him the Devil hath no part neither can he prevail there so in him your safety is from the devourer for he that is begotten of God into this quickning Spirit and therein abides he it is that keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not And so my dear Friends I am full of unfeigned love to you all and my heart is indeed greatly enlarged towards you with the goodness and Love of God which abounds in me and not in me only but in all the Flock of my Fathers Fold who are faithful and upright-hearted to him a table richly deckt he has spread before us in the midst of our Enemies and what could we more desire then the Lord hath done for us and promised to do He hath begotten us unto himself and nourished and brought us up unto this state in which we now stand and this he hath done by his own right hand of power and hath formed us for his praise to be a peculiar people unto himself And now this he requireth of every one That you walk worthy of his Love that it rise not in judgement against any one and that every one answer his requirings and the leadings and drawings of his Spirit so shall his Love continue with you for ever and you shall be as a watered Garden whose springs do not fail So to the Lord do I resign you up and commit you all to the word of his Grace who will preserve you and keep you thereby who trust in him and the almighty Arm of God be amongst you and prosper and perserve you unto his everlasting Kingdom Amen And this was I moved by the Spirit of the Lord to write unto you as a Salutation of my endeared Love unto you and that the things that must shortly come to pass might be signified unto you before-hand and that you may be refreshed thereby And so in the Faith thereof I rest and remain Written at Kingstone upon Thames the 22d of the 7th moneth 1663. and is to go amongst Friends to be read in their Assemblies in the Lord's fear Your Brother in the Patience and Tribulation of the Lamb Josiah Coale POSTSCRIPT ANd Friends not in any wise to forsake the assembling of your selves together in as much as you know the exceeding benefit you have received thereby and you know full well that it was the usual practice of the Servants of God by whom you were begotten into the Truth and instructed therein of whom some remain amongst you unto this day and some are fallen asleep I say
are Witnesses of it and how in Love we laboured for the restoration of those who were beguiled through the craft of the Enemy and for the preservation of those who hitherto have escaped his Snare that is well known to many witnesses But if none were sensible of it the Lord he knows and is Witness that in sincerity of heart in the Name of the Lord towards God and his People we were exercised and in our Labour and Travel for them the Blessings of the Lord and his Peace and the comfort of his Spirit did possess and fill our hearts beyond the understanding of the World although many towards whom we were so in love exercised could not believe but some withstood our Testimony and kicked against it in their hearts and resisted the Counsel of God against themselves to the grief and sorrow of our hearts Therefore it pleased the Lord in Love Mercy and good Will to his Servant my dear Brother R. F. that his Travels Burdens and grievous Sufferings might be put to an end and that our testimony for the Lord might be sealed with the Life of his Servant against that Antichristian intruding Spirit of Opposition which laboured to intrude its self into the Church to sit as Ruler and Judge there I say for these causes and for none contrary hereunto it pleased God to visit my dear Brother R. F. and to take him out of the Body at which I perceive some who are ignorant of what the Lord intended thereby have rejoyced But let such know that they have made a wrong application of the dealing of the Lord therein by which they have hardned themselves instead of being humbled through that which was ordered of God for their humiliation and good and if possible that such may yet see and turn to the flock of the Companions of Christ And also that the flocks who are and have remained in the true Fold may be refreshed thereby I shall here insert the Last Testimony of the aforesaid R. F. which was given by him a very short space before his departure out of the Body in the presence of several good Friends at which time in the Name Strength and Power of God he was moved to sit up in his Bed and spake concerning the Love of God and concerning our Testimony against the aforesaid Antichristian intruding factious spirit with as much strength Power and freeness of spirit as at any time he had done in the time of his outward health Whose words were as followeth Friends God hath been mightily with me and hath stood by me at this time and his Power and presence hath accompanied me all along though some think that I am under a Cloud for something but God hath appeared for the owning of our Testimony and hath broken in upon me as a flood and I am filled with his Love more than I am able to express and God is really appeared for us If God himself had come down and spoken as a man he could not have spoke more clearer to us than he hath done by the many Testimonies from Heaven in his People concerning this thing Therefore I beseech you Friends here of this City of London whether I live or dye be you faithful to your Testimony which God hath committed to you and as it ariseth in your hearts be faithful to the Lord therein After which he was silent for a little season and then his Mouth was again opened in the Name and Power of the Lord even as before and he spake very preciously unto Friends concerning the things before mentioned testifying of the greatness of the Love and Power of God of which he was made partaker and which he then felt and of the preciousness of the Truth which he had with us born witness of and exhorted them to faithfulness and stedfastness therein and to singleness that nothing might be suffered to creep in of another nature to intermix therewith saying No Linsy-woolsy Garment must be worn c. with much more to that effect which cannot be remembred And having thus given his last Testimony as a Seal unto all the former Testimonies which he had given for the Lord and on his behalf in about two or three Hours time after being filled with the Peace and Love of God beyond declaring as himself signified he departed this Life even like a Lamb and Slept with his Fathers and Brethren and is entred into everlasting rest with the Lord. And this may serve also as a sufficient Testimony to stop the Mouths of all who vaunt themselves in his death as though he had been taken away in Judgment and Displeasure of the Lord because of his appearing on the behalf of God against that Antichristian spirit of opposition which contends against our Meetings and Preaching and the manner of our exercise in the Worship of God as Formal c. And let such know that if his being removed prove a Judgment unto any it will be to them who rejected the Mercies of God by him tendred to them and have thereby hardned themselves against the Lord and his Servants and have made a wrong application of the dealings of the Lord with his Servant even as those who know not the purpose of God therein and so have shewed themselves not to be the Friends of God as Abraham was from whom God did not hide the thing that he intended but let such yet repent if a place can be found for them And so let all my dear friends every where who believe in the Light of Jesus and who have tasted of the Love Goodness and Power of God dwell in the sence and feeling of his Love and Power and let nothing divert or turn aside the minds of any from persevering in that pure holy way of Life which they are called to walk in and in which the daily renewings of the peace and good will of God is witnessed neither let any be slack or remiss in performing that ancient godly Christian practice of Assembling your selves together in the Name and Fear of the Lord forasmuch as ye know the exceeding benefit and advantage that ye have received thereby because of the Lords Appearance amongst us who acording to his Promise hath not failed us unto this day but his Name and Power hath been great amongst us and still is opening the mysteries of his Kingdom and revealing of the vertue of his Life in our Hearts and Souls by his own Spirit to our great refreshment and comfort so that we have not at any time been sent empty away who have in sincerity thirsted after him and in faithfulness waited for his Appearance which is sufficient to encourage all to persevere in that godly practise of meeting together with all integrity without wavering And forasmuch as our assembling together at this day is the great thing that the Enemy of Truth strikes at in all his Instruments of all kinds in which he appears against us it behoves all to stand and be faithful
c. then all men are left in the dark for no man is able to know that God will save any but by his Word which is contain'd in the Scriptures for this is the Word of Salvation or that which directeth to the Means by which we shall obtain Life 8thly Without this meaning Scripture we know not that there is any God or Christ or Salvation by God in Christ c. Lastly It leaveth men to walk by Fancy or Imagination c. Answ To all which I shall answer That for as much as we the People of God called Quakers do not assert or own a third Testament Way which J.N. seems to fight against and oppose it would be as superfluous for me to reply to his Sylogisms as it hath been in him to offer them and I should therein but answer a Fool according to his Folly and so become like unto him which I am no way enclined to do but shall proceed to examine whether or no those dreadful Consequences asserted by J. N. will follow the denying of the Scriptures to be the Word of God and a Perfect Rule for all men to walk by and none other First How doth it take away the general ground of Faith from all men to deny the Scriptures to be the Word and Rule c. seeing the Word is still owned to be in beeing and to be heard which was the Ground and Author of the Faith of Abraham and the Holy Men of God who believed before the Scriptures were written 2 Cor. 4.13 And because they believed therefore they spoke forth the Scriptures by which it appears That the Faith that was once deliver'd to the Saints which we are earnestly to contend for was received by them through hearing of the Word before the Scriptures were written and therefore the Scriptures were not the Ground of their Faith so that to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God is not to deny or take away the Ground of that Faith which by the Spirit or Word was once deliver'd to the Saints For the Apostle in 1 Cor. 12. â— declares the Ground of the Faith which the Church had receiv'd and which he labour'd in the Word which wrought mightily in him for the building of them up in to be the Spirit when he spoke of the diversity of Gifts which they had receiv'd he said To another is given Faith by the same Spirit And this doth not at all oppose or contradict that Scripture which saith Faith comes by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God because the Father Word and Spirit are one Substance and are not divided but the Scripture is not one Substance with the Father and Spirit so that he who heareth the Word heareth the Father and the Quickening Spirit also And this Author of Faith as I said before was heard and believed before the Scriptures were written and remains the same this day as yesterday and the same forever a Foundation of Faith that standeth sure and is not a far off from every one but is nigh even the Word nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth and this is the Word of Faith which the Apostle preached and which we preach by the hearing of which Faith cometh so that denying the Scriptures to be the Word is not to deny the Ground and Foundation of true Faith neither is it in the least to under-value the holy Scriptures which so frequently testifie of the Ground and Foundation and Author of the true Faith Secondly And as for his affirming That to deny the Scriptures to be the Word is to deny the Ground of Faith for the Remission of sins Answ I answer No if the Word be the Ground as most true it is the Ground is not deny'd by denying Scriptures to be the Word because the Scriptures which testifie of the Word are before proved not to be the Word And they which had the Seal of Acceptance with God had without Controversie the Seal of Remission of sins because without Remission there can be no Acceptance But the Servants of God had the Seal or Testimony of Acceptance with God even some before any part of the Scriptures were written as Abel Enoch Abraham c. therefore the Scriptures were not the Ground of Faith for the Remission of sins but the Word which was before the Scriptures were written so that to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God is not to deny the Ground of Faith for the Remission of sins And the Prophet David who sometime complained Psal 38.4 That his Iniquities were gone over his head as a Burden too heavy for him to bear afterwards declar'd Psal 103.12 That as far as the East is from the West so far had the Lord removed his Transgressions from him Now where did the Scriptures tell him that his Iniquities were put so far from him Or how were they the Ground of this Faith by which he thus spoke and by which he had this Evidence of the Remission or Removing of his sins Was not the Word which was settled in the Heavens and which was a Light to his Feet c. the Ground of this Faith Which Word healed him when he was in Distress and when his Wounds stunk because of his Folly which Word still remaineth and is owned as the Ground of Faith for the Remission of sins though the Scriptures be not acknowledged to be the Word Thirdly And for his saying It maketh void the Exercises of Faith in the precious Promises of God for what hath Faith to exercise it self but only the Promises of God in Scripture c. Answ I answer The true Faith which Christ is the Author of hath the Power of God in which it stands to exercise it self in as the Objects thereof through which Power of God which is the Gospel Life and Immortality is brought to Light 2 Tim. 1.10 as Fruit of that Faith which stands in Christ the Power so that Vertue and Knowledge is thereby added to the Faith by which the true Believer is built up in his Holy Faith so that denying the Scriptures to be the Word doth not make void the Exercises of Faith nor take away the Ground in which true Faith standeth as J. N. vainly imagineth because the Scripture is not the Power of God in which the true Faith standeth Neither doth it follow as J. N. asserteth That Faith must be exercis'd in Scripture or else upon Fancy and Imagination because it may be exercised in the Power of God as in the true Ground thereof which is neither Scripture nor Imagination nor Fancy for the Apostle said That his Speech and Preaching was not with enticing words of man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that their Faith might not stand in the Wisdom of Man but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.4 5. And in this are the Exercises of that true Faith which by the Spirit or Word was once deliver'd to the Saints and which we now
Spirit which the Apostle said was the New Testament and 5thly Whether those sad Consequences do follow by denying the Scriptures to be the Word or no as J. N. hath affirmed Concerning Christ being the Word of God AND now I shall come to the next thing which he insists upon which is Christ being the Word of God in which I observe he will own That he is call'd so but he is not really so pag. 49. and that he is call'd by many Names comparatively as a Door a Vine an Ensign a Star a Lamb c. but yet he is not really any of these pag. 50. Answ What absurdities are here might not J. N. as well have said that though Christ is called Christ yet he is not really so and although he is called a Saviour yet he is not really so hath he not the same ground for the one as the other If Christ be not really what he said he was is it not to make him a Lyar whether is it more safe to believe what Christ said himself was or to believe what John Newman saith he was For J. N. altogether contradicts Christ's sayings in Scripture concerning himself for Christ saith Joh. 15.1 I am the True Vine But J. N. saith in the 50. Pag of his Book he is not a Vine Certainly the greatest Truth that I can perceive demonstrated in this matter is That J. N. is no Branch of the True Vine nor yet grafted into it for if he had been a Branch in the Vine or a member in the Body that holds the Head he would have known that Christ is really a Vine and he would have also known that he is really all those things which he said of himself and which they that knew what he was to them said of him and that it is by the diversities of the Operations of this one Lord that he is known to be really all those things but J. N. hath sufficiently declared himself to be a stranger to the diversities of the operations of this one Lord by denying him to be really what he affirmeth himself to be and so hath given Christ the Lye of which let him repent before it be to late But what 's the cause that he thus works and shuffles and denys Christ before men to be what he said he was and what they that knew the diversities of his operations declar'd him to be is it not to take away the Key of Knowledg to hinder them from going in at this Door that are entering is it not to keep people from believing that the operation of the Word in the Heart which is a Hammer knocking for resception is the appearance of Christ lest they should be converted thereto by its own operation and thereby be healed of all their putrifying sores and is not this to do the Divel's work to shut Christ and his saving Power out of his People as though he whom the Apostle said ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things could be circumscribed onely to a Body of Flesh Mark he did not only say that he ascended into Heaven neither do I deny but acknowledge that he sits at the right Hand of God in Heaven But he also said that he ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And because he fills all things therefore None need say who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep to fetch him up c for the Word is nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart which is incomprehensible and filleth all things so that all may look unto him and be saved even to the Word which is really the Word and is able to save the Soul even to the uttermost from all iniquity whatsoever but J. N. would not have this Word to be properly Christ by any means but shifts and shuffles and wrests the Scripture and brings in his Meanings as though they were of more credit then the plain words of Scripture and would fain put out our Eyes with his Atoms But in the true Light which makes all things manifest he is seen comprehended and denyed to be any true Follower of Christ or Branch of the true Vine or spiritual Worshipper But then in the 50. Page of his Book where he affirmeth that Christ is not really the Word though so called he saith there is an objection brought against this Truth in Joh. 1.1 where the Evangelist saith In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God from whence saith he they object and say That Christ was the Word from the beginning which thing saith he I cannot grant for this place doth not prove Christ as Christ to be the Word from the beginning but it proveth the Word to be God from the beginning for Christ was not Christ in the beginning but the Word was God in the beginning but Christ was in time when the God head had taken Flesh to it self and not before c. And in pag. 51. he saith It cannot be understood that Christ as Christ should be the Word of God from or in the beginning or yet called the Word of God for he was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh in the Womb of Mary therefore Christ as Christ could not be the Word of God from the beginning Answ Mark Reader whether or no the Affirmations of J. N. do not frequenly contradict the Testimonies of Christ and his Servants for the Apostle speaking of the spiritual Rock which follow'd Israel of which they all drunk said That Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 But J. N. affirms That Christ was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh c. Therefore he contradicts the Apostle's Testimony who said That Rock was Christ and therefore is not to be received Again The Apostle said by vertue of the Revelation of the Father That Christ was the Son of God Mat. 16.16 17. Thou art the Son of God And this Christ the Son of God was glorified with the Father before the World was For that was Christ that said Glorifie thy Son with the same Glory that he had with thee c. Therefore Christ was Christ before the World was and before he took to himself Flesh And whereas J. N. saith He cannot grant that Christ was the Word from the Beginning Answ That doth not at all weaken the Testimony of John who said The Word was with God in the Beginning for his Testimony doth as much prove That Christ was the Word in the Beginning as it doth That the Word was God and J. N. in effect confesseth it but that he is blinded being a Stranger to the Spirit that giveth Understanding and being gone from the Scriptures which elsewhere he seems so much to applaud into his own Imaginations and Fancies for saith he He was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh and he that took to himself Flesh he acknowledgeth to be the Word
THE BOOKS And Divers EPISTLES Of the Faithful SERVANT of the LORD Josiah Coale Collected and Published as it was desired by him the Day of his departure out of this Life The Memorial of the Just is Blessed the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance But the Name of the Wicked shall Rot. Printed in the Year 1671 Concerning our Dear Friend AND BROTHER In the Holy-Vnion of Divine-Love JOSIAH COALE Thus it ariseth in my heart to write THE Holy wise Omnipotent God having by his Power appeared and manifested himself unto a Remnant of People in the North parts of England who were scattered up and down the Barren Mountains seeking rest but finding none the Lord in a wonderful manner did break in upon them and by his Power did rend the Vail of Darkness that was over them and did Purge and Purifie them and after he had thus fitted and prepared a People for his Praise his Power moved strongly in the Hearts of many and his Pure Love constrained them to leave dear and near Relations to declare unto others what the Lord had done for their Souls in the Year 1654. several of God's faithful Servants were moved of their Master and Lord to travel into the Southern Parts of England and some into the Western Parts The chief of which that were the first Proclaimers of this Heavenly Message in and about Bristol were these two true and faithful Servants of God John Audland and John Cam by whose powerful Ministry many were convinced and turned from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power to God amongst whom was our dear Brother Josiah Coale The Powerful Word of Life declared and preached by God's Servant John Audland did pierce and break his Heart and took deep root in him and wrought effectually to his Salvation and Redemption He was for a Time under deep Judgement and walked mournfully many a day whereby he became a Wonder and a gazeing-Stock unto those that were his former Acquaintance and he amongst the rest of the Lord's People was Reproached and Mocked Reviled and Persecuted but God's Arm that was revealed and made bear was strong and wrought powerfully in him and rent the Vail of Darkness and pluckt up the Weeds and evil Plants which the Enemy had sown in his Heart and purified and purged his Vessel making it fit for the Lord's use So the Lord opened the Spring of Life and Fountain of Love in his Soul which gave him full satisfaction and caused his Cup to overflow and being thus Translated out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God passing through the Ministration of Condemnation bearing daily the Cross of Christ he obtained Life and Salvation through the Grace of Christ that wrought in him and being made Partaker of the Divine Nature and the Love of God shed abroad in his Heart the nature of which makes the Heart tender by its Vertue and Power he was moved and constrained to leave his Fathers House and his near and dear Relations and Native Country and travelled by Sea through many Dangers and preached the Gospel in many of the Western Islands and in Maryland and Virginia from whence he passed through the Wilderness on foot many hundreds of Miles to New-England amongst those cruel and bloody Professors who drunk the Blood of four of the Lord's Servants only for their pure Testimony and Worship of God which Blood the Lord will require at their Hands he preached the Gospel freely going a warfare at his own charge and the Presence of the Lord did accompany him and by his powerful Ministry many were convinced and turned to the Lord After his long Travels in several Places and Islands beyond the Seas he came over into his own Native Country old England where he laboured much in the Work and Service of the Lord in several Countries and was dearly beloved and well accepted of by all that had a true savour of God After some time here in England spent chiefly in the Work of God he travelled again by Sea into the several Islands and Plantations to visit the tender Seed of God raised by his Power and to water the tender Plants which the Lord by his own Right Hand had planted and the good presence of God was with him and did support him in his Exercises and Tryals and brought him back safe into his own Country though his outward man was much spent and weakned by his sore Travels and Exercises as many of his dear Friends were sensible of and often told him of it but his Heart was bent to go on in the Work and Service of the Lord being willing to spend and be spent in so weighty and good a Work as the Lord had called him to it being his Meat and Drink to do the Will of his Father He suffered Imprisonment for the Testimony of Jesus which he held in several Places in England as in Launcston in Cornwel in Bristol in Kendal in West-moorland and several times in London in all which he was found faithful and did never yield to the fawning Flatteries of men but did wait in patience till the Lord did make way for his deliverance He was endued with a good Measure of the Heavenly Power and Wisdom of God which made him bold and valient for the Truth and often times full of Heavenly Majesty in his Declaration which did wound and pierce the Hearts of many and made them bow before the Lord and confess to the Truth which he preached Those that were intimately acquainted with him found him to be of a tender spirit and of a sweet loving disposition greatly delighting in the Union and Society of his Brethren having an honourable esteem of those that were in Christ before him Towards the latter end of the ninth Moneth 1668. he began to be ill in Body but being of a strong spirit he kept over it for some time till at last he was forced to keep his Chamber for some weeks in which time he was much refreshed with the Life and Power of God which did arise in him to the comfort and refreshment of those that did tend him in the midst of his bodily weakness and exercises he was raised again for a little time and walked abroad but soon after the cause of his distemper remaining he was brought down again and his strength passed away by degrees until a Period was put to his days he was full of love even to the last and his Heart was broken and melted before the Lord and many times broke forth and praised the Lord and declared much of the goodness of God unto him which did ever melt and tender the Hearts of those that heard him he passed away like a Lamb without the least Sigh or Groan even as One falling into a sweet Sleep and so is at rest with the Lord and the Lamb and all the holy Angels and Saints and shall rest in peace and joy forevermore and to convince the
Reader that these things testified of him are true as many living Witnesses can seal to the same look over his own Writings and read over his several Epistles written to the Churches at several times and upon several Occasions which are gathered together and presented to thy vew and if thou hast any true spiritual sence in thee thou wilt feel and discern that such sweet and pleasant Streams must needs flow from a sweet and good Fountain knowing that one Fountain doth not send forth sweet and bitter Water therefore the Streams being sweet the Fountain or Well from whence they spring is sweet also and he having drunk deep draughts of the Water that Christ gives it became in him a Well of Living Water springing up into Eternal Life according to the saying of Christ our Saviour Whosoever shall drink of the Water that I give it shall be in him a Well of Living Water springing up into Eternal Life And that this was true in him is attested unto by one who had large experience of his Integrity and Holy Zeal for God who has been often in travels with him and still is a Labourer in the Lord's Vine-yard desiring and praying to Almighty God that the scattered Sheep may be gathered into the Fold of the good Shepherd That so there may be one Sheep-Fold and one Shepherd A. P. A TESTIMONY Concerning Josiah Coale AS concerning our dear Friend and Brother Josiah Coale I having had a certain knowledge of him and his Life from that Conversation we had many times together in the Service of the Lord and living Society of the Holy Spirit I have this Testimony to give of him That he was a Man indued with an heavenly and effectual Gift and therein was enlarged and increas'd as a Reward upon him after his sore Travels and Labour in the Gospel beyond Seas and he had a real love and estimation of his Brethren in the Service and Work of the Lord and delighted in their Fellowship and Communion being often refresht thereby His faithfulness was manifested to God and to his People amongst whom he laboured he was freely given up to improve his Gift in the Heavenly Calling wherewith he was called to spend and to be spent for the Gospel's sake wherein he had his reward counting nothing too dear of Life Relation or Estate to resign up in and for that Service wherein he manifested both his Commission and Power to be of God and not of man for the gathering out of Darkness false Wayes and Worships emty Professions and vain Traditions of men into the Light and Living way of Truth that therein they might serve and worship God in Spirit which admits of no confidence in the Flesh nor products thereof He was a Man of a tender spirit having a reverent esteem of his faithful Brethren and elders in the Truth and he had a tender care to preserve Unity and Brotherly Love as also the sence he had of his reward made him chearful in his Service and fervent in spirit and zealous in his Testimonies against all false and deceitful spirits which slight and dis-esteem Truth and lead into Apostacy from the Unity and Fellowship of the Gospel whose wayes do not tend to Peace but Strife and Self-separation He fervently preached the Cross of Christ and prest the necessity of obedience through it and unto watchfulness in the fear of God He preached Faith in the Power of God and the Righteousness thereof not to stand in the wisdom of man nor in lifeless Professions or traditional Opinions nor yet to consist in self acting and voluntary humility but in Spirit and Life from which living Obedience and Righteousness naturally spring by which Testimony and Preaching he was instrumental to affect the Hearts of many with the excellency of the Truth as it is in Jesus and turn many thereunto even from Darkness unto Light and from Satan's Power to God that they might both receive Remission of sin and Possession of Life Eternal And as he had freely received of Christ so he freely gave and as he was freely given up to spend and to be spent for the Lord so he spared not of his outward Substance in his Service his care being such to cut off occasions from such as seek them and so to keep the Gospel without charge as that he many times would not use his power and freedom which Christ allowed his Ministers in that case as mentioned in Luke Chap. 10. Verse 7. but with the Apostle Paul debased himself that he might not prove chargable to the Churches and indeed he went much a warfare at his own charges giving freely up both his Liberty and Life for the promotion of the Gospel of Truth both in this and other Nations through many Hazards and difficulties particularly of late years in this City of London wherein the blessed effects of his Labours Travels and Sufferings are felt and known by many And as he lived in and by the Faith of God's Elect so with him to live was Christ and to dye a Gain who being outwardly spent for the Gospel sake was inwardly renewed by the Vertue of the same whereby having conquered Death and the Grave he chearfully embraced his Dissolution and changed for a full and perpetual Injoyment of that Joy and Reward of Life and Glory which he had long an Earnest and Evidence of in himself and in the fulness of which his Soul now rests and lives for evermore Yea his life is felt in the heavenly Society and though he being dead yet speaketh in him in whom he died who is his Resurrection and Life for evermore G. W. A Short TETIMONY OF The Life Death and Ministry of that Faithfull Servant of the LORD Josiah Coale THough I knew him not from the beginning yet I knew him in that which hath neither beginning of Dayes nor end of Life which is the Eternal Power of God that by which he was separated from the World and made an able powerful and faithful Minister of the everlasting Gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord and which in all Travels Trials and Sufferings that did attend him made him more then Conqueror to the glorifying of the Name of the Lord in the sight of his Enemies and to the replenishing of his Soul with Divine Consolations In the Eternal Light I knew him and had often and sweet Fellowship with him therein to my great refreshment even in the gloomy and dark day of my early and deep Exercises and though he was a man free in his disposition and ready to help all through the tenderness of his spirit yet was he indued with sound Judgment to the discerning of spirits and giving no liberty to the Flesh but was dreadful in his Testimony against the Life Glory and Customes of the World being redeemed therefrom and made a Witness through Judgment of that pure Spirit of Glory which was before the World began which vails and darkens the beauty of Flesh and gathers into
will take hold on them and the Sorrows of Death shall compass them about even as before they were deliver'd from their former Troubles and so they will bring themselves under the heavy Yoak of Bondage again and the Countenance of the Lord will be hid from them and a Cloud of Darkness will come over them and Misery will be their Portion from the Lord God who is the Joy of the Righteous and the Rewarder of all who obey him and out of this Condition it will be hard to be removed and to be restor'd again into the Favour of the Lord. And so my dear Friends Prize your Peace with him above all things visible and so walk as that you may be preserved therein And wait upon him in the Gift which you have received from God and you will feel his Everlasting Blessings to flow in upon you and his Mercies and Loving-kindnesses will be renewed unto you Morning by Morning whereby you will be aboundantly refreshed and be kept living unto the Lord and a daily growth you will witness from Strength to Strength and from one Degree of Grace unto another until you appear before the Lord in Sion in compleat Beauty and perfect Holiness And so as you in Patience wait upon the Lord and walk before him in his Covenant of Grace and dwell in his Pure Holy Power and be subject thereunto in all its Leadings and Requirings then you will see the Lord pleading your Cause in the Hearts of your Enemies and working your enlargement and Liberty by his own secret Hand of Power by which he will turn back the powers of Darkness and remove the Seat of Violence and will exalt his own Kingdom and Righteousness in the Earth and Oppression shall be far away for this is his Decree and Determination and those that rise up against him in this day of his Appearance or oppose him in his Work such shall be scattered by the Breath of his Mouth even as Chaff is scattered before the Wind And then shall the Righteous rejoyce and be glad in the God of their Salvation And so you will see that all these Tryals and Sufferings which shall come upon any of you shall work for your everlasting Good and for the Glory of the Lord and shall make for the furtherance of the Glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Captain of our Salvation and was made perfect through Suffering and is now set upon his Throne at the Right-Hand of the Father to judge the World in Righteousness to whose Scepter and Dominion all Powers Thrones and Dominions must bow and bend and become subject for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And therefore let none faint in their minds because of the present Rage of the Adversary but look unto him who lifts up the Head above the Raging Waves of the Sea and you will see him to arise who will rebuke the Rage of the Devourer and will cause a great Calm And so my dearly beloved Friends Keep in the Covenant of Peace and Life and feel the pure Power of the Lord God Almighty to bound you and compass you about and feel your Unity and Fellowship in it with the Lord and one with another and watch over one another in Love and build up one another in your Most Holy Faith so will you have dominion over the World and come to know the Earth to be your Foot-stool and so in and through him who hath manifested his eternal Love in you you will be more than Conquerors even through his eternal Power who subdueth all thing unto himself that he may Raign over all whose right it is and unto whom the Kingdom doth belong and unto him be Glory and living Obedience for ever Amen And so the Lord God of Power and Love be amongst you all and fill you with his Love and Power that so you may be kept out of the Snares of the Evil One for that hath oft been the Breathing of my Soul for you in secret and that you may walk before him in the Purity of his holy Spirit and be kept unspotted from the World And so in the Bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ do I most dearly and tenderly salute you all who are of the Family of my Father and of the Houshold of Faith and the God of Love and Peace be with you all Barbadoes this third Mon. 1661. I am your Dear Brother in the Patient Long-Suffering Spirit of our Lord and Master and a Traveller for the Redemption of the Oppressed Seed Josiah Coale To the Called of God Every where who are Witnesses of the Eternal Excellency of the SON of RIGHTEOUSNESS Who is now appear'd in his Majesty and Glory in this Day of the FATHER'S LOVE to the Children of Men. The Fourth general EPISTLE MY Dear and Everlastingly well beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters with whom in the Covenant of Life and Kingdom of Peace Glory and Eternal Felicity my soul rests and is at Peace and perfect Freedom where the Glorious Presence of the God of Life who is Jacob's Shepherd is enjoyed and is known to be an open Fountain daily administring of his Heavenly Rich Vertue and Goodness to the consolating and refreshing of our Immortal Souls so that we have no need to complain of Poverty because he who is the Fountain of all Good is continually with us and never ceases to administer into his own according to their several Necessities as in his pure Fear and Power they wait upon him and walk before him And this I know many of you are not unsensible of for whom a Feast of Fat Things is prepared and a Table richly deckt is spread before you where every hungry one may feed and be refreshed and the Breast of Consolation is also known at which every Babe may suck and be satisfied and so all having access unto this you may here be delighted with the aboundance of the Treasure of my Father's Heavenly Kingdom the Windows whereof being now open'd a Blessing is poured forth without measure Oh! that all who profess the Name of the Lord were throughly sensible of this thing then would their souls with us delight in Fatness and their hearts would be enlarged thereby so that they would find Encouragement to run the Way of his Commandements even with Delight and nothing would be counted too dear to part withal for his sake who hath call'd us and is bringing many Sons and Daughters unto Glory and Vertue Wherefore my dearly beloved Friends be ye encouraged to walk on in the Way of the Lord though it be strait to the Earthly Man and be ye content to pass through Evil-Report and Good-Report and let him be your Example in all things who when he was reviled he reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him who judgeth Righteously as a Lamb before the Shearer is Dumb so he open'd not his Mouth Therefore I say Friends Let none be
discourag'd because of Tryals and Sufferings and Persecutions nor because of the Frowns of the Enemy for God's Truth neither be Dismayed because of the prosperity of the Wicked whose Day shall pass away swiftly and shall be no more but every one put on Strength and Courage and Boldness in the Name of the Lord and as valiant Souldiers endure Hardship and fight the Good Fight of FAITH and lay holy on Eternal Life for the Lord God Almighty is with us and take our part and he assuredly will fight our Battels for us before whom all the Nations of the Earth are but as the Drop of a Bucket and therefore it s in vain for them to contend with the Almighty who is on our side and is greater in us then he that is in the World whose eternal Glory and Excellency is now revealed Praises and Halelujahs to the Most High forever Wherefore Arise arise thou Seed of the Covenant arise and shine for thy Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee though the Earth be covered with Darkness and gross Darkness be over the People yet the Lord is become thy Everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Wherefore shake thy self from the Dust of Earth and put on thy beautiful Garments Oh Jerusalem the holy City for this I testifie in the Name of the Lord That henceforth there shall not come into thee the Uncircumcised nor the Unclean but thou shalt be called the City of God the Place wherein his Honour dwells Wherefore all ye Inhabitants thereof my Fellow Citizens and beloved Brethren and Sisters with whom my Life is bound up and with whom my soul rejoyceth who are surrounded with the great Salvation of God and know it to be the Wall of this Holy City the Gates whereof is Praise and stand open Night and Day though the Unclean cannot enter into it I say unto you all Let the High Praises of God be in your Mouthes and cease not to make mention of the Wonders of the Lord and of his Works which he hath wrought for you and tell of his Goodness and Loving-kindness and speak of his Praises that the Glory of his Appearance in you may be admired amongst the Heathen in this the Day of the Lords Power wherein his Excellency and Majesty is seen of which we are Eye-witnesses and therefore can we not cease to make known his Power and Coming that others also may be turned to the Light of God in them their to wait for his Appearance And though there be a Generation that would have us silenced as the Pharisees would have Christ to rebuke his Disciples when they went Triumphing to Jerusalem and the High Praises of God were in their Mouthes yet they were not to hold their peace but to go on and preach his Name amongst all Nations that People might be turned unto God And though they were again afterwards charged to speak no more in his Name yet they considered That it was better to obey God than Man For they who followed the Lamb were Called and Chosen and Faithful and they loved not their Lives unto the Death but went on boldly preaching in the Name of Jesus not regarding the Threatnings of corrupt Man but had respect unto the Lord above all who is the same at this day as ever he was and his Faithfulness is the same forever unto them that are truly Faithful unto him And his wonderous Works and Majesty and Glory is now seen by us in this our Day even as by them in the dayes of old wherefore let the same Courage Boldness and Faithfulness appear amongst you as was in them though I do not at all upbraid you neither was it in my Heart so to do but as a Brother of the same Root and Off-spring with you who are begotten by the same Word and brought forth by the same eternal Womb which is Holy forever do I exhort you in Bowels of the same tender Love with which our Hearts are filled to continue in Stedfastness hold fast your Integrity in Faithfulness unto the End every one in your several Stations and Callings that you may adorn the Glorious Gospel of Peace and of Salvation that so you dwelling in the Pure Divine Heavenly Power thereby your Lips may be opened and your Mouthes may shew forth his Praise that his Name may be known to be great in the Assemblies of his Saints and in the Congregations of the Righteous that so Nations may be gather'd unto him and Kings unto the Brightness of his Rising that so the Name of the Lord may be spread even to the Ends of the Earth which is now to be exalted above every Name to which every Knee must bow and all Tongues confess Wherefore all you my beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters who are of the Royal Off-spring and of the Holy Seed which is the Heir of the Blessing and Promise of the Father I say unto you all dwell in the feeling of the Immortal Birth every one in your own particulars for therein the Heirship stands and to that the Blessing is sure and as you keep Faithfully joyn'd unto it therein you will know the Heavenly Dominion and Power which goes over the Powers of the Earth and Darkness with which the Earth is cover'd and will give you to see before they were And here the Son is known who was glorified with the Father before the World began and who is the express Image of his Father's Substance and in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwells and unto whom all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given And this is he who now is come in Power and great Glory of whose Power and Coming you are his Cloud of Witnesses who know the Birth of the Immortal Seed and it is because of this that the Heathen rages and the Nations are angry and therefore do they Revile and Persecute and Smite with the Fist of Wickedness according as it is written He that is born after the Flesh persecutes him that is born after the Spirit And these things they do unto you because they know not him of whose Coming you are Witnesses Nevertheless Dwell ye in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit ye that have the sense and feeling of the working and operating thereof in your inward Parts in any measure and answer the Motions thereof in all things for therein your Peace and Consolation consisteth and your Everlasting Refreshment which none can hinder you of as you obey the Truth according to the Motions of the Spirit of Truth and therein walking you will not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh but the Cross will be dwelt in and Self-denyal will be known and witnessed and the Power of the Lord will be felt which makes willing to come into the Obedience of the Cross whereby the contrary part will be crucified and mortified and the Old Man will be wholy put off with his Deeds and the New Man put on which is created
after God in Righteousness and true Holiness And so here walking every one in your own measures in Faithfulness to the Lord you will feel the Lord administring unto you of his rich Vertue to the filling of your Hearts and to the making of your Cups to overflow for this I testifie unto you and that by the Spirit of the Lord That the Lord's Love and Mercies and the Riches of his Grace did never more abound in the Hearts of his People in any Age or Generation than it doth in this our Day in the Hearts of all who obey and follow him and give up freely unto him in all his Leadings and Requirings And therefore once more I say unto you my Beloved Ones give up in singleness to follow the Lord in whatsoever he leads you unto And walk with him in the Power of his own Spirit of Life and let the Righteousness of God go before you and his Everlasting Glory shall be your Reward And so Dear Hearts Feel your selves covered with the Spirit of Life for that shall and will remain when all false Coverings shall be ript off and all empty Professions and out-side Shews will wither and have an end and come to nothing Therefore ye as Wise Virgins have Oyle in your Lamps and see that your Lamps be kept trimmed and burning that so you may be kept ready at all times to enter in with the Bridegroom into his Marriage Chamber so will you have Joy and Felicity and Gladness of Heart and no cause of Sorrow will there be while you enjoy the Bridegroom of your Souls present with you who will be an everlasting Comforter unto you with whom you will know an Everlasting REST And that Peace you will be Heirs of and possess which passeth the Understanding of the World and in this you will have strong Consolation and Comfort even that which can never be blasted but whatsoever flourisheth and may seem prosperous for a time if it be not in and by the Power of the Lord that will the Lord blast and cause to wither as the Flower of the Grass and this your Eyes shall see if you keep in the eternal Power of the Lord which keeps the invisible Eye open which alone perceives the things of God So in the pure Power of the Lord dwell and keep that you may be kept in a clear Discerning and sensible of your own particular Conditions and how it stands with you in the Presence of the Lord that you may know your Peace and Unity with him and one with another that so all being kept in the Power and Unity of the one Spirit in that you may exhort one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching that so you may be strengthened one by another and may build up one another in the Precious Living Truth and therein edifie one another in Love that so you may stand over the World and over that part in which the Enmity stands which is against God so will it appear unto all men That you are the People which God hath Blessed And now my dearly beloved Friends These few Lines have I written unto you from the aboundings of the Love of my heavenly Father which he hath shed abroad in my heart towards you all and by this Love only was I constrain'd thereunto wherein in some measure is manifested that real and unfeigned Love which dwells in me and daily extends it self unto the whole Houshold of Faith wheresoever they are with whom I am at this time even wrapt up with the Garment of Praise And in the pure Unity of the Spirit of Life and Endless Unspotted Love do I purely salute you all leaving you to the Protection of the Almighty whose tender Care is over all his and watcheth over his own Inheritance Night and Day so that the Devourer cannot prevail to lay it waste nor desolate Wherefore let your Confidence and Trust be in him alwayes and continue you in the Grace of God which hath appeared and the Sufficiency thereof you will more and more see and witness daily And Blessed in the Name of the Lord God Almighty are all they whose Trust and Confidence is in him alone for they shall never be ashamed nor confounded but shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be moved So the Lord God Almighty of Heaven and Earth keep you all and preserve you all in the enjoyment of the Fulness of the Blessing of the Gospel of Peace where you all may know the Rest to remain that neither Stormes can disturb you nor Tempests make you afraid in which I am with you all who are of the Family of God Written in the Island of Barbadoes the 27th of the 7th Moneth 1661. Your Truly Loving and Faithful Brother JOSIAH COALE A Collection OF THE Several Books Given forth from the Movings of the Spirit of the LORD in his Faithfull Servant and Minister Josiah Coale The Memorial of the Just is Blessed the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance but the Name of the Wicked shall Rot. Printed in the Year MDCLXXI AN INVITATION OF LOVE TO THE HUNGRY THIRSTY Who truly hunger after the Food of Life and a Call to such to come from off the Barren Mountains and from feeding upon vanity into the Everlasting Kingdom and House of my Father where the least of his Servants have Bread enough With some Information of the Way which leads thereunto EVery one that hungers and every one that thirsts and every one that breaths after Righteousness Come the Fountain of Life is opened and the Everlasting God of Jacob is arisen in this day of his Power to gather unto himself the dispersed of Israel into his Everlasting Fold of Rest and into his Everlasting Covenant of Light Life and Peace with him to dwell And for this very end hath he caused the Eternal Light of his Son to shine forth and hath set up his Standard and displayed his Ensign to the Nations to which the gathering is and the Call is gone forth and the Spirit bids Come and every one that hears let him Come and drink of the water of Life freely For the Fountain is now opened and the true Shepherd now Calls and his voyce is heard and all who are wandering upon the barren Mountains and in desolate places and are weary and heavy laden with sin may Come and follow him who leads to the Everlasting Fold of Rest which is Jesus Christ the true Shepherd and the Light of the World and Way to the Father who is now arisen in this his Day for his Seeds sake to gather his Sheep from off the Barren Mountains where they have been scattered and driven away in the dark and in the cloudy day And to make manifest the way of Life freely to all who hearken to his Counsel and obey his voyce who declares unto man what is his thoughts And by his Light makes manifest the Secrets of the heart and reproves the deeds
to rule and reign according to his promise made by the Mouths of his Prophets in Ages past to which Nations must bow and bend and become Subject I tell you plainly and truly that if this be your expectations which your proceedings gives me cause to believe it is you will certainly fail therein And God will assuredly frustrate these your expectations and by this very way and means that you take to suppress and root out the People of God from having a Beeing amongst you even thereby you will provoke the Lord to root out you if you persist therein Wherefore beware lest that which you think and expect to bring upon the People of God be by the hand of God brought upon your selves For be it known unto you the Lord God Almighty is with his People of a truth whom you have turned your Sword and Power against and what is done unto them he certainly taketh as done unto himself And in as much as you go about to suppress his people or to limit them in the exercise of their Consciences towards God you therein are found Fighters against God and thereby you go about to stop and hinder the Work of God which will be as hard for you to do as it was for Saul to Kick against the Pricks of the Witness of God in his own Conscience Wherefore consider these things and remember that many Warnings and tender Visitations of Love the Lord hath sent unto you in times past which you have little regarded hitherto but go on exercising Cruelty towards the people of God And now at this time also I am moved and it is upon my heart by the Spirit of the Lord to lay these things before you and to tell you in plainness what the Lord will do and bring to pass in despite of all that you can do who seek to oppose him For notwithstanding the many Laws and Decrees which you have made or shall make yet the Work of the Lord which he hath certainly begun that shall go on and increase and the Truth must flourish and prosper and spread forth it self and the Kingdoms of the World must become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ according to his Promise and they that will not bow unto his Thorne and Government who is KING of Kings whose right it is to rule in the Consciences of people and to bear the Government there and to exercise them in matters of worship towards God but will seek to stop to limit him in his Government there even such must and shall be broken by him and bruised under by his Eternal Power the Lord hath said and spoken it and it must come to pass Wherefore Friends be you once more warned That you meddle no more with the Consciences of people so as to go about to limit them in matters relating to the Service of God for it s not the place of a civil Magistrate to meddle or have to do with those things but leave them free in those things to do as they are perswaded in their own Consciences by the Light of the Spirit of the Lord for you cannot give an account unto God for them if they do amiss but they must all and so must you also give an account unto God every one for himself and this is just and equal that in things of this nature every one should be left to the exercise of the Spirit of the Lord in his own heart because that Spiritual Worship consisteth in obedience to the Spirit of God and you your selves would not be willing to be prohibited from or denyed of this liberty but I dare say you would look upon it to be a very great Oppression unto you to be restrained by any civil Power or Government from that which by the Spirit and Power of God you were perswaded in your Consciences you ought to do and you could not but judge that those who should go about to lay or impose such a restriction upon you did do unto you as they themselves would not be done by and so you might well conclude that it were unrighteousness in them so to do Wherefore if you seriously consider whether this unrighteousness and Oppression be not found in you I know you cannot but lay your hands upon your mouths and confess Guilty So let my Counsel be at this time received by you and take my Advice as from one that hath received the Counsel of the Lord and in Measure knows the Mind of the Lord by the revelation of his Spirit as touching this matter that is this Shake your selves out of these cruel practises of persecuting about Religion and Worship and lay aside these cruel Impositions which are and have been laid upon the People of God by reason whereof many who are dear unto the Lord have suffer'd very greatly some the loss of their Liberties and some the loss of their Lives occasion'd through being thrust together in noisom Holes and Prisons and others are obnoxious to exilement from their Wives and Children and from their Native Country and dearest Relations and no evil at all justly charged against any of these for which these cruel Sufferings are inflicted upon them 't is only for Worshipping God in Spirit that these Sufferings are sustain'd by them that is the greatest Charge that hath been by you at all prov'd against them And for these things sake the Lord's Controversie is certainly great with you and while you continue in these things through which you have provoked the Lord to Anger His Wrath will not be appeased towards you neither can your Government be establisht in Safety nor you cannot establish your selves in Safety and Security for Fear will surprize you while you go on in these Practises because of the Guilt that is upon your Consciences and although we cannot neither do we desire to make outward opposition against you by Plottings and Insurrections c. Out of which things God Almighty hath redeem'd us and hath brought us into his Covenant of Peace and unto his Mountain of Holiness where nothing hurts nor destroys Yet we know that the Lord is with us and is on our side and takes our part and will plead our Cause and Fight for us and He is stronger then you all and his Power is above yours and our Trust and Confidence is in him alone and not in the Arm of Flesh and it s in vain for you to strive against him or to oppose or resist him for he will in the end be too hard for you and will break you to pieces as a Potters Vessel of Clay except you Repent And now Friends there is but one only Way by which you may or can possibly escape and prevent the Dreadful Judgments of the Lord or by which his Anger may be appeas'd which is kindled against you and that is this To Humble your selves before the Lord and to Repent of the Evil of your Doings and to loose the Bands of Iniquity and
provoked to visit thee with these his just and sore Judgments Oh England England what Lamentation shall I take up for thee for whom the Lord hath done so great things not only in giving of thee such fulness of temporal blessings and benefits for the end before expressed which thou hast abused as herein is signified But over and above all this he manifested his Eternal Power in the midst of thee and thereby wrought Miraculously in the hearts of a Remnant of thy Inhabitants to whom he made known the Mysterious Way which the Vulterous eye never saw which leads to Life and Salvation and whom he made choice of to be a kind of first fruits unto himself in these latter dayes and whom he separated from the aforesaid abominations in which thou art yet involv'd and raised them up to be examples of Holiness and Righteousness and Godliness of Conversation and to bear Testimony and cry against thy unrighteous and ungodly Wayes and also put into their hearts by his Spirit to tell of his Power which he had Revealed in them and to proclaim his mighty Day at hand in which he would Judge the Inhabitants of the Land in Righteousness and also he warned us to warn thy Inhabitants to Repent and we cryed aloud in thy Streets in thy Steeple houses and in thy Markets as thy Inhabitants well know and we told them of the dreadfull Day of Gods Judgments at hand to come upon all who lived and continued in the aforesaid abominations that so they might have returned to the Lord and have come to walk in the light of his Son wherewith they were enlightned that so thereby they might have been led out of the aforesaid abominations and Works of Darkness and so have escaped the Judgments threatned But instead of harkning to the voice of Wisdom which cry'd in the Streets thy Inhabitants rejected her counsel and despised all her reproofs and despitefully used the Messengers of the Lord whom he sent unto thee and cast them into Holes and Prisons in which they have outwardly perished whose righteous blood yet lies at thy Doors which God will certainly take vengeance for And so far hast thou been O England from taking Warning or Example by those whom God thus raised up within thy Borders and sent to Warn thee that even thy Rulers with the advice and counsel of thy Chief Priests and Prophets have made divers Laws and Decrees by which they have endeavour'd to stop and limit this Work of the Almighty which by his mighty Power he has begun in the hearts of his Remnant which he hath raised up to be a peculier People unto himself within thy Borders And as though all thy afore-said Abominations were too little and that thou mightst yet add thereunto how have thy Rulers abused the Power which God committed to them and intrusted them withall in tolerating all those Licencious Practises which daily have abounded in thy Streets and in suffering the Wicked and Evil-doers to go unpunished and in turning their Sword against the Innocent and to Persecute the harmless People of the Lord for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards him in matters relating to his Worship and in taking upon them to Lord over the Consciences of men the Seat of God have they not herein greatly abused the Power committed to them and intruded into the Prerogative of God Oh great Presumption and Usurpation indeed a Sin which shall not go unpunished by the Judge But Oh that they had hearkned and taken Warning in time that so they might have been Healed but now it will go hard with many of them for God will certainly be Avenged for this thing For is it not Justice in him to Dis-throne such who would thrust themselves into his Throne and so Presumptiously to entrench upon his Prerogative Again consider How many and great have the Sufferings been that have been sustained by us whom God raised up in the midst of thee Oh England to bear Testimony unto his Name and against thy Traditional Worships and dead Forms and out-side Professions with the rest of thy Abominations even by reason of the Laws and Decrees which thy Rulers have made against us and sometimes without them also and how oft have we been thrust together into noisome Prisons and have suffered all kind of abuses as Socking Stoning Whiping knocking down some Killed in the Streets and Steeple-houses and in our Peaceable Meetings where we were gathered only to Worship God in Spirit and thus evilly hast thou requited the Lord and his People for his and their love and good will unto thee that thou hast accounted them not worthy to have a being within thy Borders but in thy Decrees made against them thou hast designed their Exilement and Extirpation from amongst thine Inhabitants although according to the Law of God and Nature we and those whom thy Rulers have already Banished and exposed to the hardships and difficulties which the Seas and forraign Countrys affords have as just a right as themselves here to have continued in the Land of our Nativity and to have enjoyed the Liberty of their Consciences in the Service and Worship of God together with all other Temporal benefits and comforts which God had afforded unto them as Wives Children and Estates c. And thy Rulers shall one Day know that it s as great unrighteousness in them to Prison Persecute and Banish us for the Exercises of our Consciences towards God as they can conceive it would be for others to Prison Banish and Persecute them for the exercise of their Consciences if the Lord should bring them under wherefore let them consider whether or no they do by us as themselves would be done by and whether they are not found Transgressors of the Law of Christ Well but all this is but as a hint of what might be mentioned of the Abominations that is found in thee Oh England yet hereby thou mayest perceive whether or no thy Sins doth not exceed the Sins of Sodom whom God Destroyed in his displeasure and whether thy Iniquities doth not surmount the Iniquities of Gomorrah Certainly if Gods Witness may arise and Answer me in the Consciences of thy Inhabitants it will make them confess they do and what then canst thou expect from the hand of the Lord as a just reward of all these thy Abominations surely thou canst not miss of all the Judgments that have been pronounced by the Spirit of the Lord through his Servants in thy Streets Steeple-houses and Markets and to thy Rulers both by Word and Writing for they must and will unavoidably come upon thee and then thou shalt know that the Lord spoke by his Servants whom thou slightedst and that the most high Rules in the Kingdoms of men and will execute Justice and Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth and then also thou shalt know and confess that God gave thee time to Repent and to put away the evil of thy doings from before him
the Knowledge of God the purpose of God was to bring them into a better state which the true Church in the Apostles dayes were Witnesses of for the Apostles said Heb. 11.46 God having provided some better thing for us that they without us could not be made perfect and although some of them had been Idolators and had lived in the pollutions of the World yet they were washed and clensed yea and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.10 11. and so though they were sometimes ignorant of God yet God caused the Light to shine out of darkness in their hearts to give them the Light of the Knowledge of Gods Glory in the face of Christ who dwelt in them 2 Cor. 4.6 Gal. 2.20 so that both sin and ignorance was done away in them though the power and coming of the Lord Jesus and so they did not always remain in their sin but were freed from them as the Apostle testified Rom. 18. 1.2 Secondly But then Antichrist's Mimisters saith That if they were free from sin why did the Apostle say That if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 I Answer he did not say so because people could not be made free from sin but he said so that they might not sin 1 John 2.1 and consider who they were that he then wrote to for he sometimes wrote to Children and somtimes to Young-men and sometimes to Fathers in the truth 1 Joh. 2.13 But when be spake those words viz If we say we have no sin c. he then spake to Children for said he my little Children these things I write unto you that you sin not 1 John 2.1 Now if they had been already perfect or fully fully freed from sin then had they attained to the mans state which the Apostle laboured to bring them to Col. 1.28 But they having not attained to that state he would not have them to deceive themselves nor to think more highly of themselves then they ought to think Rom. 12.3 which Children in understanding are subject to do but with these little Children the Apostle Travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in them Gal. 4.19 who is the one offering that perfects for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 and he laboured to build them up in the holy Faith which gives Victory through Christ that so they might be borne up to a mans state for said He he that is born of God doth not sin John 3.9 Thirdly But then it may be some will object that the Apostle spake not only of Children but of himself also saying If we say c. To which I Answer that although the Apostle numbred himself with them yet that doth not argue that he was in their state or that he was not set free from sin no more then James his numbring himself amongst the scattered Jews saying with the same mouth curse we men c. Jam. 1.9 doth argue that he was one of them that did curse men for its evident that the Apostle became as weak to them that were weak and to the strong as strong and to them that were under the Law as under the Law and to them that were without the Law as without the Law though not without Law to God and became all things unto all that he thereby might gain some 1 Cor. 9.20 21 22. so although he did condescend to them that were weak as Children or Babes in Christ as to number himself amongst them for the gaining of them to a farther state yet that doth not at all argue that he was as they were for the Apostle Paul himself said that he was set free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 all which being rightly weighed it manifestly appears that perfection or freedom from sin is attainable according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles which by the people called Quakers is preached and continued in as before asserted therefore they are the true Church 4. Again The Order and Discipline of the true Church in the Apostles time was That the Prophets might speak two or three and the rest might judge and if any thing was revealed to another that sate by he might speak and the first was to hold his peace 1 Cor. 14.29 30. and the same order the people called Quakers have in their Assemblies as is known to thousands by which it appears that they are the true Church 5. Again The Ministers of Christ in the true Church in the primitive times who turned people from darkness to light and from Satans power to the Power of God Gal. 1.1 were Ordained and made Ministers not of man nor by man nor of the letter but of the Spirit by the revelation of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 3.6 and so are the Ministers amongst the people called Quakers made Ministers of the Spirit by the revelation of Jesus Christ as the effects of their ministry doth testifie for many are turned from darkness to light and from iniquity to righteousness and the spirits in Prison is by them ministred unto and the dead are raised unto life and the Captives are set at Liberty as thousands can and must bear witness Therefore the people called Quakers are the true Church Sixthly The true Church in the primitive times was taught by the Grace of God that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they should live soberly and righteously and goodly in this present World Tit. 2.11 12. and the people called Quakers being taught by the same spirit of Grace do deny ungodliness and wordly lusts as many in this Nation well knows and doth live soberly righteously and godly in this present world as thousands can testifie Therefore the people called Quakers are the true Church Thus I might produce many more Arguments to prove the aforesaid people to be the Church of true Christians but much of this kind hath been by several of them already written wherefore I shall not inlarge at present but for any that shall desire any farther satisfaction let them come to the Assemblies of the aforesaid people and hear their Doctrines and behold their Discipline c. and as the Apostle said Try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5.21 These following Lines are sent to all Sectaries in Christendom who have been killing and destroying one another about Faith and Worship but especially to the Church of ROME O Babylon the Great who long hast reign'd a Painted Whore And hast Bewitch't the Nations with thy Inchanting Power Into Remembrance thou art come of God the Mighty Lord who 'll do to thee as thou hast done the Saints with one accord Have bent their Bowes against thee strong and mighty men they are They will not spare nor pitty thee in this day o' th Lambs War For it 's the day of veng'ance great of our Almighty God He 'll do to thee as thou
shall they believe in him whom not of whom as their Bible saith of purpose to excuse themselves See above they have not heard or how shall they hear without a Preacher or how shall they Preach unless they are sent 4. Note this well gentle Reader and consider seriously with your self how deplorable a thing it is to see such Hypocritical Intruders to stand in a Pulpit or Tub with such a brazenfac'd Book as is their unjust corrupt and perverse Bible in their hand lulling the Poor Ignorant people to the sleep of death with these words Thus saith the Lord when the Lord saith no such thing Are not these they of whom the Lord himself saith Jer. 14.14 They prophesie falsly in my Name I sent them not and I did not bid them neither did I speak unto them a lying vision and divination and fraudulence and sedition of their own hearts they prophesie unto you See more Dent. 13.5 Item 18.20 c. And when they have done with their Thus saith the Lord and can say no more then they rowse up their slumbering spirits by singing unto them one of Tho. Sternholds Jack Hopkins or Rob. Wisdoms Psalms suppose From Turk and Pope c. which Sacrilegious Psalm or Diabolical Song passeth with these Deluders and their deluded Auditors and Chorists for holy Scripture and the Word of God as well as Dixit Dominus Domino meo c. Oh times Oh manner Oh God amend them Amen See Erastus senior and jun. who copiously prove this Subject The Last Testimony OF That Faithful Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ RICHARD FARNSWORTH Whereunto is prefixed a brief Testimony concerning his Life Death and Travels c. To which is added a few words of Exhortation unto those that believe in the Light of the Lamb. Published for the Consolation of the Houshold of Faith and for the stopping of that Mouth which is open'd in Blasphemy against God his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven FOrasmuch as it hath pleased God Almighty after the long Night of woful gross Darkness Apostacy and Ignorance which hath been over the Nations amongst those who have had a Profession of Christianity again to make known and manifest the true new and living way which leads unto Life Eternal even by and through the Revelation and Operation of his Eternal Power and Word of Life in the hearts of a Remnant whom in this our day he first reached unto and visited and raised up to be Witnesses thereof that by them it might be born Testimony unto amongst those who were strangers to it and that thirsted after it that so thereby they also might receive the manifestation and knowledge thereof for want of which many perish and are strangers to the way of Life having only at best a Form of godlyness without the Power In which dead Forms or outside empty Professions some are at ease and rest as though they were in the true Heaven that should never pass away and some are at rest and at ease without any profession living in all uncleanness unrighteousness and abomination and some cannot find rest in either The faithful and true Witness of God being awakened in their Hearts and Consciences which takes the false peace from them and lets them see the emptiness of all outside professions which are without Life and Power and also the Abominations and vanities of the World and makes sin exceeding sinful to them And by this true and faithful Witness are desires and breathings and pantings begotten in their hearts after the Knowledge of God and Christ after fellowship and acquaintance with the Father and the Son which desire cannot be satisfied without the Knowledge and enjoyment of the Presence of the Lord and of the Light of his Countenance And for this cause many run to and fro and wander like Sheep gone astray from the true Shepherds Fold and are wearying themselves upon the barren Mountains in vain looking thereunto for Salvation and seeking the Living amongst the Dead and so spend their labour for that which doth not satisfie And in these several states and conditions aforesaid the whole Christian World lieth who are not turned to the Light and Spirit of Jesus in themselves and true rest and salvation cannot be found by them until they return to the Light and Power of the Spirit of God in their own hearts which is that whereby a dislike of sin is begotten in them and also desires after Life and Salvation and Freedom from sin is thereby begotten and that is it alone which can answer every desire which is begotten by its self Well But when it pleased the Lord to reveal the Son of his Love and to make known his eternal Power in these latter dayes for the rending of the Vail of Darkness that had long been over the heart by which he caused the Light to shine out of Darkness which gives the Knowledge of his own Glory he did not then give the knowledge and manifestation thereof unto all People but he chose certain Witnesses whom he raised up to declare of the manifestation of this Power and to preach the Word of Life nigh in the Heart and in Mouth and he furnished them with Armour of Righteousness and with all spiritual Weapons which were mighty through him to break down the strong holds of Iniquity and the spiritual wickednesses that were in the high places and impowred them as Instruments in his hand to turn many from Darkness to the Light that the Salvation of God they might come to see and the Work of God greatly prospered in their hands and multitudes were brought to the acknowledgment of the Truth to the saving of their Souls and though they met with great opposition and persecutions by the Emissaries of Sathan even in all Quarters where they came yet that was not prevalent to hinder the prosperity of that Work whereunto they were called of God but it still prospered and doth still prosper to the spreading of the unchangeable Truth abroad even as is seen at this day And of this number whom God Almighty at the first raised up by his Power for this Work aforesaid the late deceased Richard Farnsworth was one concerning whom the chief occasion of this my present writing is that so a Testimony concerning him and of what the Lord did by and through him may remain upon Record for Generations to come and that this present Generation of the Just may see and hear his last Testimony which proceeded from his own mouth a little before his departure out of the body and I doubt not but thereby the Consolation and spiritual Comfort of the Houshold of Faith will be added unto And for these Causes I could not well rest satisfied in my spirit without taking in hand to publish these things though I well know that there are many living Witnesses that knew the Life Labours and Travels of the said R. F. who are the Seal of his Ministry And also
the many Writings of his own which remain upon Record will speak forth to those who are of a true spiritual understanding what he was yet notwithstanding all these things were in my mind and divers other Considerations which occasioned me to defer the publication hereof so long as till now yet being I could not be so clear in my duty towards God and my Brother in neglecting to give forth this my Testimony concerning him and in suffering so precious a Testimony as his last was wholly to be put in oblivion I have with freeness and cheerfulness of heart undertaken it And when it pleased God to manifest his Eternal Power in the heart of the aforesaid R. F. it is well known unto many how effectually it wrought in him insomuch that although he was before a man of great abilities and parts and knowledge accounted of among men even excelling many of his equals yet he was content and willing in obedience to the Power of God to become a Fool to the World and to be stript and emptied of his own wisdom and knowledge which stood in the state faln from God and his Power and to suffer the loss of all worldly reputation and favour and the pleasures and delights thereof that he might win Christ Jesus and be found his Servant clothed with the Righteousness of Faith preferring the simplicity that is in Christ beyond all worldly wisdom and honour whatsoever and his Sufferings for the sake of Christ beyond all worldly reputation and so great was the change that was wrought it him that he became a wonder amongst many and the Word of God and his Power was great and mighty in him and through him in which he was sent forth by the Lord who had manifested himself unto him to preach the Everlasting Gospel to the Poor and to declare of that great Power of God of which he was made a Witness and of the Effects of its operation and so powerfull was his Message and Testimony that many were begotten into a firm belief thereof and believing the Report were turned from Darkness to the Light of Jesus with which they were enlightned and from Sathans power unto the Power of God which wrought mightily in their hearts to the changing of their minds and affections from things that are below towards things that are above all that is fading and corruptible and to the bringing of Life and Immortality to light in them And although they were atttended with many foul temptations because of their obedience to the Truth and Light of the Spirit of Grace and brought in many distresses in their passage from Death unto Life yet was he so experienced in the Depths and Subtilties of Sathan and also in the Dealings and Goodness of God in such conditions and estates that he had obtained the tongue of the Learned and could as oft times he did speak words in Season to the strengthning of the weak and refreshing of the weary and to the reviving of that which was near ready to faint So that he was in the Lords Hand even as a Father to the fatherless and as eyes to the Blind and feet to the lame and the eye that truly saw him blessed hm and the ear that heard him gave witness unto him for through the Power of God which enabled him he delivered the Poor and the needy and built up many that believed in their most precious Faith and confirmed them therein And went about from place to place through the Land of his Nativity turning many from Darkness to Light and confirming the Churches and doing good And his Service was very great for the Lord in his day for he was so furnished with Heavenly Wisdom and Understanding through the Grace of God and also so seasoned thereby that his Patience Meekness and Humility exceeded many And although God had so endued him with Heavenly Vertues and Abilities exceeding many yet was he not pufft up therewith neither sought to exercise Lordship over those that were weaker and younger then himself but gave place unto any that had the least Gift of God to exercise so that through the Spirit of Meekness and Humility with which he was adorned he was exceeding lovely and beautiful and the hearts and souls of many were affected therewith who in simplicity thirsted after Righteousness and such waited for him as for the Rain upon whom his Doctrine so dropped Yet nevertheless he was terrible to the Worker of Iniquity and the Sword of his Mouth was very sharp for the Word of God was therein and when he had to do with any who opposed the Truth and Way of Life and Salvation which we profess and walk in as oft-times he had his Weapon was very sharp to them and they were not able to resist the Wisdom of the Spirit by which he spoke for thereby he confounded their wisdom and broke their Weapons in pieces so that they were oft ready to Blaspheme God because of the plague that it was to them and a Conqueror he was over the Beast and false Prophet against whom he made War in Righteousness in and though the Power of the Lamb in whose Spirit he finished his Testimony and Course in the Faith And as the Enemies of the Truth of God were many and in divers shapes that this valiant Souldiers of the Lamb had to encounter withal so he was alwayes furnished with Armor and Weapons fit for the Work and Service in which he was exercised by which he was enabled to encounter with and Conquer all But at last that his Armor and Weapons might be proved to be sufficient to encounter with the Enemy of Truth in all kind of Appearances and Transformations it was his lot with me and divers others of the Servants of the Lord to be engaged against the Enemy of Truth who had transformed himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and under a seeming pretence of appearing on the behalf of God and his Cause c. and against Formality and Traditions begun strongly to oppose the Truth of God and the Ministry thereof in and through his Servants and Messengers who have approved themselves as the Ministers of God and as his Embassadors and to cry against our Assemblies and manner of Worship and our Exercise therein as only Formal in which we have always found the glorious Presence Power and Majesty of the Lord amongst us refreshing comforting and strengthening of us even according as our Hearts Souls can or could desire so that we were engaged to justifie the Lord in opposition to that gainsaying spirit of delusion by which many were beguiled led away after Satan to their hurt And in our Testimony for the Lord and against that self-separating gainsaying Spirit the Power of the Lord did greatly accompany and assist us and was as greatly with us as in any service that he had called us unto The sincere and upright in heart who have kept their first Love and their first Faith
and no thing is hard unto me though bonds and travels attend me yet the comfort of his Spirit is with me and all places are alike unto me both the roaring Sea and the dry Land because of his Omnipresence who created them all And this is the Mighty God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who is with me who fills my heart daily with his Love and causeth his Blessing and Living Vertue to abound so that my Cup doth overflow for which I Bless and Magnifie his Name and Sound forth his Praises through the Horn of his own Anointed And this is the God whom David served who is now with me even he that made him wiser then his Teachers and gave him more understanding then the Ancients and delivered him out of the Mouth of the Lion and from the paw of the dovouring Bear and gave the Life of the uncircumcised Philistine into his hand even he it is that doth accompany me and carry me through all my travels who spake to Moses out of the Bush when it was on Fire and was not consumed at whose voice Moses feared and trembled exceedingly and this is he of whom I make my Boast who leads me whethersoever he pleaseth And who shall withstand him in his way and not fall before him for the lofty City he bringeth it down he layeth it low even with the dust Wherefore howl ye Inhabitants thereof For behold your desolation cometh swiftly and none shall be able to hinder it for the Destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way and who is he that can withstand him or be able to deliver you out of the just hand of the Almighty for he is greater and stronger then all whose Controversie is certainly great with you and will assuredly plead with you in his jealousie and in his fierce indignation and you shall not escape his hand for he will find you out whatsoever covering you hide your selves under and he will recompence every one according to their doings for all things are naked and bare before him with whom we have to do And his Kingdom of Righteousness shall be exalted over all the Kingdoms of the Earth and the Lord God Omnipotent shall raign and the Powers of Darkness must bow before him that sits upon the Throne and rides upon the white Horse whose name is called Faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make War wherefore let the Armies that are in Heaven rejoyce that follow him upon white Horses for your Enemies shall be given into your hands for a prey and by their spoil shall you be enriched He that hath an Ear to Hear let him Hear what the Spirit saith which now speaketh expresly and signifieth the things that must shortly come to pass Wherefore put on valour and courage you heads of the Army of the Lords Heavenly Host who are in the front of the Battel and art oft-times deeply engaged in War with the Beast and false Prophet who must be taken alive and cast into the Lake I say unto you my beloved Brethren and Fellow-Souldiers whose Weapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God I am not insensible of your travels combats and oppositions and hardships which daily you meet withal but in my measure partake with you and do truly travel in your strength I speak to the wise in heart and I also partake with you of the everlasting Consolation which daily abounds so that we need not faint in our minds nor in our hearts though our Enemies seem many in number and great in strength for the Lord the mighty God of Jacob is with us even the Mighty Jehovah is on our side and this you fully know and it is not because you know not these things that I write thus unto you but because you know it and can seal this Testimony and that you may be refreshed hereby and he it is that fights all our Battels for us and all Nations are but as a drop of a Bucket before him and the hearts of Kings are in his hand and he can turn them as the Rivers of Waters who turns a Fruitfull Land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Oh my beloved Brethren how doth my Soul love you and cleave unto you how oft are you in my Remembrance and sweet pleasant and delightful is the Remembrance of you unto me your Beauty ofttimes even ravisheth my Heart and at this time even overcomes me your Crown is glorious which I behold and the might of the Power with which you are endued and by which you are armed who can declare Oh go on therefore you mighty men of War you valiant Champions of the Lord's Host lay waste the heritage of the wicked that the heritage of the godly may flourish Let the Nations feel the stroke of the Hand of the God of David who is with you who smote the Philistine that defied the Armies of the living God that he dyed Let the Enemies of Gods Truth be smitten in the hinder parts that they may fall and never rise again For Gog and Magog have set themselves in Battel against the Lord and the Bryers and Thorns shall set themselves in array but Oh how will he dash them to pieces like a Potters Vessel of Clay and how will he burn them up and consume them with the Fire of his Jealousie and fierce Indignation and Wrath how will he consume it and lay waste until the Spoyler be utterly spoiled and the Devourer laid waste for the Cryes of the Oppressed and Distressed Suffering Seed is entered into the Ears of the Lord God of Sabboth and he hath assuredly regard thereunto and he hath awakened and made bare his Arm that cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon in the dayes of old and he hath rouzed up himself as a man out of Sleep and hath put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and is clad with Zeal as with a Cloak and fury to his Adversaries he will repay and he will certainly plead the cause of his own Elest who have no other helper in the Earth Wherefore all you suffering Lambs of the True Shepherds Fold be of good chear and of good comfort and suffer patiently whatsoever the Enemy shall be suffered or permitted to inflict upon you for the tryal of your faith and eternally I say unto you it will be your Crown for ever and everlasting reward shall you receive from the hand of the Almighty when you have been tried throughly then shall you appear in the Beauty of holiness and your sorrow shall be turned into rejoycing and for your affliction you shall have the everlasting comfort of Gods good Spirit which shall abide with you forever and the wicked and those that hate you shall be clothed with shame and everlasting contempt and confusion shall cover them for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Wherefore put on courage and strength in the Name of the Lord and lift up your heads above
all sufferings for these things last but for a moment and will pass away and be forgotten as they had not been and are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in them who abide faithful for their reward will be everlasting and will endure for ever wherefore above all have an eye unto the Lord and have respect unto the recompence of reward and this will carry you through with chearfulness so that nothing will be dear unto you for his sake who hath shed abroad his rich Love in your hearts and the aboundings thereof I question not but the upright in heart feel daily For the Lord is not slack towards any of his faithful ones but is free and large in his Love and rich in his Mercies and freely extends it even as a River into the hearts of his chosen wherefore be replenished therewith you suffering Plants for this I testifie unto you in the Name of the Lord that the vertue of the Life of Holiness I thus hold forth freely towards you so that none needs faint under the Oppressor but may receive renewedness of strengh to bear yet a season And behold he in whom you have believed will be avenged on your Adversaries and will smite your Enemies in the hinder parts and they shall fall and none shall help them neither shall they rise again If you walk humbly with the Lord and reverence him above all who is the God of Life then shall you have rest from all your Enemies and your Portion shall be the Lord and your Kingdom shall be that which is not of this World which is an everlasting Kingdom and shall never have end So the Lord God of my Life keep you all in Lowliness and Faithfulness and true Humility before him for he who is the Holy One of Israel dwells with such and unto them his goodness extends but especially to them of a clean heart Farewel Written at the movings of the Spirit of the Lord the Eighth day of the Third Moneth 1662 as I was travelling in the Wilderness as without on Long-Island in America and pondering in my heart the things of God and his dealings in times past and also present then the Spirit of the Lord and the Power of the Lord overshadowed me and his glory filled the Temple and be shewed me things not now lawful to be declared J. C. To all who desire to know the Way to the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness this to you is the Visitation of God THat which was in the beginning before the World was and is now made manifest which we have seen and which we have tasted of and which our hands have handled of the Word of Life and that which is revealed to us in secret of the Spirit of the Lord that do we declare openly even that which we are eye Witnesses of For the Word hath took flesh and dwelt amongst us and we have beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth And this is he who is appeared in Spirit and made manifest for this end that the works of the Devil might be destroyed and that by and through him the God of the spirits of all flesh might be revealed for want of whose knowledge the people perish and many in divers parts of the World as I have observed are in great perplexity and some even at their wits end because of the distractions and many cries that are in the World some crying this is the way and other some that is the way and all of them from the Light of the Son of God in their own hearts and Consciences which leads in the way of Life and Peace all who are guided by it and out of all confusion and destruction about Religion and Church-Ordinance and worship and such things about which the World is in heaps and confusion and are prescribing wayes and worships in their own fallen wisdom and would compel all to conform thereunto and so 〈◊〉 bind the Conscience of people to their wills which ought to be left unto the Lord to be exercised by his Power in matters of Worship and Obedience towards him and his Prerogative is to Rule there So that people must either disobey God or the Laws of corrupt fallen Man and whether is better judge ye And this is sad to see and consider because there hath been for so many Years by past so much preaching and so much profession of Liberty of Conscience and the like and that by men of all Professions as they have come into Authority one after another and many and seeming fair Promises have been made by them all that free Liberty of Conscience in things relating to God should be granted and allowed to people of all sorts for the breach of which Engagements with many other divers have already been rooted out and overturned and yet thereby men have not taken warning though besides warnings have oft been given them in render love to perform their Promises and Engagements in these things and all other though much consisteth therein as to their Establishment and on the contrary to their Ruination Neither have they Learned to give the same Liberty to others in things relating to the Conscience as themselves would desire to have and this is not to do as they would be done unto And therein they are short of fulfilling the Royal Law of God Wherefore let all people who are making Laws to compel mens Conscience consider how they are degenerated from God and how darkness hath covered them and hardness of heart hath seized on them so that they cannot have regard unto tender Consciences but in the pride of their hearts would be Lords over the Consciences of others Surely they are not guided by the same Spirit that the Apostle was in the primitive times who said Let every man be fully preswaded in his own Conscience and this was true Liberty of Conscience And notwithstanding all the Profession that there hath been and yet are in the World and the Talk of God and Christ and Redemption and Salvation by him yet now when the Son of God is come is there faith to be found on Earth or are people Redeemed from the Earth or saved from the pollutions of the World I tell you nay for all who err from the Light of the Son of God in them they are in the Alination and Degeneration and are strangers unto God and his Covenant of Peace and Reprobate concerning that Faith which gives the Saints victory over the World and so are drove out into the Earth not redeemed from it but are Bond-slaves to corruption and live in the pollutions of the World And in this state the whole World lyeth notwithstanding all their Profession and talk of Religion which is amongst them and so their fruits plainly manifest it and thereby it is clearly seen that their Teachers were not sent of the Lord neither have they had his Word
Jesus yet it doth not follow according to the sequel of the major that the Scriptures the Faith in Christ Jesus being left out as J. N. hath done are a Perfect Rule for all men to walk by and none other because it s through that Faith which is in Christ Jesus that they are able to make wise c. which Faith he makes no mention of in his Assumption and Conclusion that they are a Perfect Rule c. by which the Falaciousness of his Argument appears And indeed its necessary that all should understand how the Scriptures are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith c. for the Scriptures here spoken of and which Christ spoke of when he said Ye search the Scriptures c. cannot be otherwise understood then the Scriptures of the old Testament because the other was not then written And those Scriptures of the Prophets were they that testified of Christ who is the great Salvation of God And God said by the Prophet He had given him a Covenant of Light to lighten the Gentiles to be for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And the Prophets likewise shewed the time when and the place where this Messiah should be born and brought forth in that Body which was prepar'd for him in which old Simeon beheld the Salvation to wit The Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel so that the Scriptures of the Prophets containing in them so many clear and infallible Testimonies of the great Salvation of God and of the time and place of the Appearance thereof they were able through Faith in Christ to make him wise or to give an Understanding that he was the great Salvation of God that was then appear'd according to the Testimonies of the Prophets which from a Child he had known And so on this wise coming to the Knowledge of the great Salvation of God by Faith in him he in the same Faith did doubtless follow him as a Sheep that knew his Voice that so he might receive Life Eternal which he gives to his Followers and become an Heir of that Salvation which through Faith in Christ he was made wise unto and so coming as a Sheep to be a Follower of the true Shepherd he own'd him for his only Guide and his Spirit as the only Zule to walk by and to speak by whose Preaching was thereby even with words that it self taught 1 Cor. 2.13 And this is that Perfect Rule which cannot be corrupted as the Scriptures may as J.N. confesseth and so cannot be said to be a Perfect Rule if corrupted And indeed J.N. is one that greatly corrupts them as he states them thinking thereby to prove them a Perfect Rule even as before shewed The next Argument to prove Scriptures a perfect Rule is That if the Scriptures be given by Inspiration and are profitable for Doctrine for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works then the Scriptures are an Absolute and a Perfect Rule for all men to walk by and none other but the Scriptures are c. therefore c Answ That the Scriptures though not all Scriptures were given by Inspiration of God I shall grant and that they are profitable as aforesaid I shall acknowledge but that they are therefore an absolute and a perfect Rule for all men to walk by and none other as J.N. affirmeth that I do not acknowledge but deny because that may be profitable to man in order to the persecting of him to all Good Works which may not be an absolute and perfect Rule for him to walk by and none other as for instance One man may be profitable to another in teaching and instructing of him by the Spirit of the Lord to walk in the Light and Spirit of the Son of God which the Father hath sent into the Heart that so by that Spirit and the Power of it he may be able to deny all Unrighteousness and be furnished thereby perfectly to perform all Good Wooks herein I say one man may be profitable to another and yet it cannot therefore be said That that man who is so profitable c. is an absolute and perfect Rule for all men to walk by and no other for it were ridiculous so that although the Scriptures be profitable as aforesaid it doth not at all follow as J. N. concludeth that they are therefore a Perfect Rule and no other But that Word Light or Spirit of Truth in the inward parts from whence the Scriptures proceeded and which by the Scriptures we are instructed to walk in to hear and obey which cannot be corrupted as the Scriptures may that is the alone absolute and perfect Rule all men ought to walk by and none other as saith the Scripture Nehemiah 9.20 I gave them my Good Spirit to instruct them And this is that Rule or Leader which Christ directeth to Even the Spirit of Truth which will lead into all Truth Joh. 16.13 the same the Apostle directeth to saying Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh Mark What more Perfect Rule can be then that which keeps from the fulfilling the Lusts which bring forth sin for if the Lusts be not obey'd and fulfilled the sin is not acted therefore said the Apostle He that abideth in him sinneth not by all which it appears that J.N. hath not proved that the Scriptures are a Perfect Rule and none other Neither do the Scriptures any where testifie of themselves as a Perfect Rule excluding all other But frequently bear Testimony unto that one antient standing RULE which was from rhe beginning from which the Scriptures were given forth and which they direct unto Again saith J. N. pag. 26. For further Confirmation of this Truth I shall add some few Arguments more that the New Testament Way is a Perfect Rule for all men to walk by and none other Answ This wholly alters the Case for it is not the New Testament Way being a Perfect Rule c. that we are contending against neither will his proving the new Testament Way to be a perfect Rule at all prove the Scriptures to be a perfect Rule except he could first prove the Scriptures to be the New Testament Way which he is never able to do for it s declared in the Scriptures called the New Testament That Christ who is God's Covenant of Light said I am the Way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 Abide in me c. cap. 15.4 And my Sheep bear my Voyce and they follow me and I give to them Eternal Life Joh. 10.27 28. Another New Testament Way or Perfect Rule then this for men to walk in and by I no where read of in the Scripture of Truth but this Way as the New and Living Way which leads to the Holiest of all is frequently borne witness of in the Scriptures which as before I have said contain many Testimonies concerning this Just
Delight is with the Sons of men Again If the Spirit in the Saints be as J. N. to the wounding of his own Cause saith of the same nature tendency and power with the Father and Son then there is a sufficient Saviour in man for the Tendency of the Son is to save as J.N. himself I dare say will acknowledge and his Nature is to save which was the end of his coming and he is of power to save For all Power in Heaven and Earth is given to the Son and the Nature of the Father is to save as I have befor shewed out of the Prophets therefore the Spirit that is given into the hearts of People which reproves them for sin being of the same nature power and tendence with the Father and Son is sufficient to save else it cannot be said to be of the same nature tendency and power so that none need go far or look to the Hills and Mountains for a Saviour but look unto him that is nigh who is of power to save even to the Light or Grace that hath appear'd as a Reprover of the deeds of Darkness and this will lead into all Truth and save out of all Unrighteousness and unto them that walk here in Christ the Light not after the Motions of the Flesh but after the Leadings of the Spirit there will be no Condemnation And although this God who is Light and is a Spirit be a God afar off also as being that Infinite Incomprehensible Fulness that fills all things yet all that can be known of him by any man is manifested within man Rom. 1.19 And thus the Confusions and Contractions of J. N. appears who thereby declares that he hath not the knowledg of Christ nor of God to exercise his Faith in nor yet doth he keep to Scripture neither to exercise his Faith therein but is seen and discovered to have his mind and his Faith exercised in Fancies and Imaginations which is the cause of his thus contradicting himself of his affirming so many Absurdities and Blasphemies without sound reason or Scripture Arguments sometimes dividing Christ and his Spirit and sometimes acknowledging them to be of one and the same beeing and sometimes joyn the Spirit and Scriptures and arguing that they cannot be separated and the reasons he gives is because the Scriptures are the givings forth of the Spirit and yet notwithstanding will say Christ hath a distinct beeing from his Spirit which is of his givings forth and thus as fancy leads him he affirms things as in Page 43. he saith If Scripture be denyed to be the Word of God it maketh void the exercise of Faith for Faith must be exercised in the Scriptures or else upon fancy and imagination and in Page 73. he saith if there be no personal beeing of Christ then there is no Christ to exercise Faith in so by this kind of Arguments of J. N. if Faith be exercised in a personal being of Christ it s exercised upon fancy and imagination which is very true for a personal beeing of Christ is not Scripture and he saith Faith must be exercised in Scripture or else upon fancy and imagination But the truth is he cannot tell what the true Faith is nor what it is exercised in sometimes Scripture is the only thing and another while a personal beeing of Christ and what will it be next but even what his Fancy and Imaginations bring forth which he appears full of like one that knows not Christ the Power of God manifested in him who is the Author of true Faith or the begetter thereof and is also the object thereof in which it is exercised and in whom it stands whom all must hear that receive the true Faith which is the victory that overcometh the World and which giveth access unto God in which Faith there is Peace and Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Again in Page 87. mentioning that Scripture which seems as a Block in his way which I perceive he would fain remove Gal. 4.19 till Christ be formed in you and therefore gives this meaning viz. This forming of Christ in the Saints was but to bring them forth into a Gospel-Purity c. this is his Interpretation of that Scripture and a very favorable one too but whereby should they be brought forth into a Gospel Purity Was it not by the Spirit 's operation that was in them which they received by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 which J. N. acknowledged to be of the same beeing of the Father and the Son If so then was not Christ according to Measure who fills all things really in them who hath diversity of operations who came for judgment and to send Fire on the Earth and were they not to be brought forth into that Gospel Purity that J. N. speaks of by his Spirit of judgment and of burning which they had received who came for judgment and to send Fire seeing God signified by his Prophet that the Filth of the Daughter of Sion should be purged away with the Spirit of judgment and of burning Isa 4.4 and this was that Spirit by which the Saints were washed cleansed sanctified and justified when the Apostle told them they were so in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 and they that were thus washed and brought forth into this Gospel Purity they were made a Habitation for God who as J. N. Confesseth is that Spirit even through the Spirit 's operations which is of the same Being or Substance with Christ so that the filth being purged away there was room for him to dwell there and so was really in them formed and they brought forth in his own Image by his own operation with whom the Apostles were Co-workers and therefore travelled for this forming of Christ in them or for the subjecting them in the Faith wholly unto Christ's Goverment that he might raign in them over all who is God Blessed forever One thing more which I find in the close of his Book which he entitules A Caution to all I cannot well pass by with silence where he saith Seeing God has cast us into a day wherein there is such a spirit running too and fro in this Nation that will seemingly own Truth and yet will draw all into a Mystery within man denying Truth according to Truth 's Intent let us therefore labour with our God for his blessed Spirit to guide us into all Truth Answ Mark Reader Is it contrary to Truth 's intent to own the Truth to be a Mystery within man Doth not God love to have Truth manifested in the inward parts Is not Christ the Truth which the Apostle declared to be the Mystery within saying Christ in you the Hope of Glory How then can it be said That that Spirit that owns Truth to be a Mystery within does not own it according to Truth 's intent Surely J. N. hath besotted his Understanding else he would not thus speak