Saying was true then which was spoken by Christ the Power many Generations after I in them and thou in me and all was perfect in one the Father was in the Power the Power was in the Father and all the Creatures in the Power now was the Father glorified now was the Son glorified now was man in Dominion in Power crowned with Honour Lord over all the Works that God had made in the Power and now the whole Family both of Heaven and earth bowed their Knees to the Lamb to the Power and this was then fulfilled At the Name of Jesus every Knee shall bow both of Things in heaven and Things in Earth and his Name was now the Word of God and this was in the Beginning and the Word of God is the power of God and now both the caelestial Bodies and the terrestrial Bodies were all subject to the Power and all the Works of the Lord's Hands were finished and he rested and all things both in Heaven and earth rested in the Power and all kept holy Day and rejoyced Though the Heavens and the Earth were created and all things wrought and finished yet the World was not begun that lay in Wickedness which the Devil is the God of neither was the Power which is Christ the Mystery hid neither was the Lamb slain yet Now after all was made and created and were good and blessed and endued with Power Life and Vertue according to the Purpose of his heavenly Will which is eternally pure yet was not the Lamb slain nor the Mystery hid which is the Power which is Christ for what should slay him or what should hide him he that reads let him understand this that I speak of cannot be reached to with that Wisdom that stands in time which was not in the Beginning with God that is shut out but the wise in Heart shall understand Knowledge and the prudent shall know what hath been in the Beginning and of his wonderful Works in the Dayes of old and of the Mystery which was before the World began when the Lamb was in Glory the Son in Glory Christ in Glory the first born of every Creature and was born before the World began he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear when all that God had made and brought forth by the Word by the Power was blessed and stood in the Power then did the Lamb sit in his Throne then was he the Delight of God and God in him and all that was made by him rejoyced in him here was Love here was Glory here was Purity Unity and a sweet Harmony Joy Peace Love eternal Life God's Power ran through all all was good Christ was not now hid he shed himself abroad and all things were Partakers of his Power in which they were made here was Happiness Blessedness Joy Dominion everlasting and eternal Felicity Innocency Purity and Perfection and man in it God in it the Lamb in it man in it after his own Image the Mystery of Godliness was not hid there was nothing to hide it or overshadow it no Vail no Covering but Righteousness was manifest and was the Covering of all Innocency the Cloathing of all Purity the Robe of all and Life the dwelling Place of all and all the Works of his Hands rested with the Father with the Lamb with the Word with the Power with Christ in Glory with the Father in the eternal Glory whereby all was upheld in Purity Unity Harmony answering the pure Will of God and man had Power to answer the Will of his Maker which he received from God the Father of Life by the Power in which he was made and to abide in the Will of God forever and herein he and all things in Heaven and the whole Family thereof and all the holy Host of God bowed to the Lamb's Power and he reigned and the Angels were subject to the first-born of every Creature before the Angels or before any thing was made he was his Age who can declare or his Generation his Age runs parallel with Eternity with Immortality came from the eternal Womb and from the Bosome of the Father where he is even where he was before the World began he that reads let him understand now the Power ruling in all and over all all were in Peace and was blessed Now the Angel stood in his Power moved in his Power and all the caelestial Bodies went in and out at his Command and moved not nor stirred not but when he moved and this was then fulfilled let all the Angels worship him and so they did reverenced him and were subject to him sang and rejoyced in him triumphed in his Power and all the holy Host moved at his Command and marched on in his Strength to perform his Will and to accomplish his everlasting Purpose and to fulfil his eternal Decree and gave Glory to him who sate upon the Throne of Righteousness and judged in Righteousness forever and ruled in Righteousness forever there was Joy in Heaven the Father rejoyced the Son rejoyced the Angels rejoyced the Morning Stars sang the Sons of God shouted for Joy the holy Host gave Praise and all praised in the Firmament of his Power in which they stood moved walked lived and accomplished the pure perpetual and eternal Decree of their Maker Moreover the terrestrial Bodies were all subject to him he reigned in all over all moved all gave Life to all and was the Life of Adam of the Male and the Female and then was this fulfilled even then which was spoken in time though by him who was before all time who was the Life of all things I say he lived then and because he lived Man lived also for he was his Life now Christ the Power reigned over all and all in the Lamb's Power were subject in a sweet Harmony answering the pure Will of their Lord their King that lived forever who was upon his Throne in the Heavens and now his Kindgom was over all there was Joy in Heaven there was Peace on Earth the good Will of God was done in Earth as it was in Heaven Oh beautiful oh glorious oh comely oh admirable oh incomprehensible was the Glory my Tongue cannot express and time would fail me to declare the eternal Excellency which God hath revealed by his Spirit and that which I see is not lawful now for me to utter now were no Mountains nor Hills to hide the Mystery but it shined upon all in all over all and above all was not hid as I said there was now no hiding Place that could or did overshadow the Mystery of Godliness for the Eyes of all things looked upon him whether Caelestial or Terrestrial and all and every thing according to its Kind rejoyced in the Light of his Countenance and of his Power was glad and gloried in him for then there was not another he that can hear let him Now the Earth rejoyced and the Floods clapped their Hands now the great
Deep smiled and all things that were therein the Springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a Womb now every thing that had Breath and lived praised the Lord neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their Maker and he Lord and King over all yet in eternal Glory yet let the wise in Heart understand this was in the Beginning and though it was in the Beginning yet this was when the Heavens and the Earth were created and all Things that therein are even then the Lamb of God was alive and the Son of God glorified with the Father and Man in Happiness and in pure Perfection without Sin in Innocency for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared neither was there any such Thing in all that God had made Here the Wise may learn and they that have a good Understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and also see the dark sottish Doctrine of the blind Apostates who have lost the Power and are keeping People ignorant of the Mystery of God NOw this hath been a common Doctrine and received to be orthodox and as they call it authentick that while we are in this Life there cannot be an overcoming of all Sin nor no Expectation of it in this Life and their main Ground hath been this because we have natural Bodies Now I say had not Adam a natural Body when he was in Purity and Perfection in Innocency in Paradise in the Garden yet was this any Hinderance to him to answer the Will of his Creator No For as the Soul Spirit and Body was moved by the Power out of which Power he was not to stir then I say he had Ability to perform the will of his Maker in the Body for as he was created by the Power in the inward man that led about the natural and earthly or outward form according to its will which Will was pure and kept the Body acting in its Place in the Power for then I say all was good for the Celestial Power in which he was made moved the whole man according to its Will and while he stood in the Power he was in Innocency and Purity and without Blemish and in the Power was his Health and Peace and he knew no Evil. Obâ—ect But some may say What is this as to the Confutation of the Doctrine which hath been taught as to the Freedom from Sin in this Life Answ. This declares that there was such a thing in being to wit a natural Body and an earthen Vessel and yet without Sin as he stood in the power for the earthen Vessel was good as all the rest of God's creation was in its Place to serve the Power as the rest of God's Creatures did in the Beginning and who ever comes to know that state again may come to glorifie God in Soul Body and Spirit though in the Body in this tabernacle but take their own Phrase for the clearing of the thing not to be freed from the committing of sin in this Life I say in the corruptible Life or the Life of Unrighteousness which may be properly called Death there is no freedom from Sin neither of Soul or Body or Spirit but who comes to know Regeneration or the Life of men in which Adam was created in the Beginning in that incorruptible Life there is no Transgression and if he live in man the Body is dead because of Sin and I know none who have preached any other Life who have spoken by the Spirit of God in which freedom from all Sin is obtained but onely the Life of Christ and whosoever comes to know the Lord from heaven who ruled over all in the Beginning and was the Life of all and all moved in his Life before the fall whether they were things visible or invisible and that same Power or Life of Christ the Lamb of God who was alive then if he live in man and man come to be guided by his Power as in the beginning he living in man the Soul Body and Spirit being quickned by his Power and raised from under the Bondage of Corruption then Death hath not power over man but Life and because he lives in them they live also their Souls to praise him and their Bodies and the Members thereof to be Servants of righteousness and so that unbelieving Doctrine of the World is turned into the Pit and Truth is set above it Object But further it will be objected That our Bodies are not like Adams in innocency we are in the Fall and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all Sin and ever will while upon Earth Answ. That the naked Truth may appear to them that seek after true Knowledge I answer freely that I grant that the Soul lies in Death and the Creature is subject to Vanity and the whole Creation groans in travail and in Pain and waits for the manifestation of the Son of God and the Redemption of the body and in this State is all mankind upon the Face of the whole Earth in the first Adam but he who is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven who was in the Beginning and is now what he was and shall be forever I say as man comes to believe in the Son who hath Life in himself and he comes to be revealed in man and man subject to his leading he brings the Soul out of death to have Union and Communion with himself and restores the Creature from his Bondage and breaks the Bond and knocks that down which hath imbondaged and so changes the Body I do not mean the form of the Body but the quality and Nature thereof for the Form of Adams body was not changed but the quality it was degenerated from its pure Nature wherein it glorified God as he stood in the Power so I say Christ who is the Life of men the true Light which lighteth every man that comes into the World he changes all that follow him into his own Nature restores the Creature into his first estate again into Purity that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the Power and serves the Power so the Members of the Body are also yielded Servants unto Righteousness and they receive Vertue and Power from the Power the Life and so the whole man comes out of condemnation to glorifie his Maker and the Will of God is done in Earth as it is in Heaven and he saves to the utmost them that come unto him now if he save the Soul and not the Body then hâ— saves not to the utmost But this is a high State blessed are they who wait in the Faith to the end are happy that they may see and know the redemption of their Souls and also the redemption of their body For I deny redemption in the Grave or in Death or after this Life for the holy men of God never mention a cleansing from Sin in the
Dragon had Power He that was in the Spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up so he that is in the Spirit now on the Lord's Day sees the same man-child who was brought forth by the Woman who was to rule the Natâ—ons but was caught up to the Throne of God before he came to rule and then the Dragon ruled the Beasts and false Prophet the Whore the Mother of Harlots sate as a Queen and the Woman the Mother of the Heir fled into an obscure and a retired Place and was hid times and dayes as I said before but as she appeared again in Beauty so the man child the Heir he appears also in Glory Majesty and Power and John saw him Rev. 19.11 12 13 14 15 16. And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true and he doth judge and make War in Righteousness his Eyes were as a Flame of Fire on his Head were many Crowns and he had a Name written that none knew but himself and he was clothed with a Vesture dipped in Blood and his Name is called the VVord of God And now the Woman's Seed is increased again after the Dragon and the Beast's War and now they become an Army and follow the Lamb their Leader who is anointed with Honour Glory Majesty and Renown Strength Power Wisdom Joy and Gladness above all his Fellows yet his Followers are anointed too and the Seed of the Woman the Inhabitants of the City of the great King they are clothed with the same Garment and Armour and ride on in Power Strength and Majesty after him and they are clothed and shall be with the Garment of their Mother and the Garment of their Captain their Head and as he rode on in Innocency so they ride on after him and the Woman was in Heaven that travailed and the Child was born there though he was to rule the Nations of the Earth and so whoso are of this Woman's Seed who are born in the City of the great King Jerusalem unto which the Hebrews were come Heb. 12.22 before the Apostacy before the Woman fled so now the same City comes to be seen again and the Children are born of their Mother the Lamb's Wife who is joyned to him and is to be so forever in the everlasting Covenant so they being heavenly Children redeemed from the Earth from under the Dragon's Power they follow the Lamb the Word God's Power Rev. 19.14 And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses clothed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goes a sharp Sword and with it he shall smite the Nations And now comes he to rule them with a Rod of Iron he was brought forth long before but was caught up to God again and the Dragon Beast and Whore and false Prophet ruled the Nations and killed the Saints but now he appears again after the Apostacy and a great Host with him and the Woman also and her Children are many and they all follow the first born and now comes the Wo to the Dragon and Whore Beast and false Prophets and unclean Spirits and on them that worship Devils and now shall he tread the VVine-press of the VVrath of God Almighty and he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And now appears an Anâ—el standing in the Sun which the VVoman was clothed with and he cryed with a loud Voice saying to all the Fowls that fly in the midst of Heaven come and gather to the Supper of the great Day of God and now must the Flesh of the Kings and Captains and Nobles and Flesh of mighty men who had drunk the Whores Cup now must drink of the Wine of God's Wrath And the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make VVar against him that sate on the white Horse and his Army and the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought Miracles before him and the remnant were slaâ—n that took Part with the Beast by him that sate upon the horse and his Army whose Sword proceeded out of hâ—â— Mouth and all the Fowls were filled with their Flesh the Whore is burnt before the Beast the false Prophet and his Army now slain and their Flesh eaten by the Fowls of Heaven and now the Blood comes forth to the Horse Bridles And now the Angel descends having the Key of the bottomless Pit from whence the old Dragon the Serpent the red Dragon the Devil came there is his Beginning there was he brought forth and there he grew up he that reads let him understand out of the bottomless Pit for the Nations were never deceived till he appeared and he appeared as I have said before after the Heaven and the Earth was made and all things therein I say after he was not before he deceived Eve in the Garden now he is grown old and so is truly called the old Dragon grown into a Body of Deceit well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless Pit from whence he came that he deceive the Nations no more Rev. 20.1 2. and all this War is in the bringing out of the Apostacy and in Order to the Lamb and the Saints everlasting Reign in Heaven and over the Earth forever This I have seen and my Heart rejoyceth and my Mouth shall praise the Lord and the Woman I say is appearing and she is cloathed with beautiful Garments and the holy Child the Man child hath appeared and is manifest again among the Saints and in them and the Lamb which hath been slain since the World began is alive and behold he lives for evermore and now many are his Followers and an innumerable Company shall ride on after him who is King of Kings and now is God fulfilling that which John saw in the Lord's Day which should come to pass the Work is begun he hath appeared out of whose Mouth proceeds the two-edged Sword which shall hew down all the Dragon's Army the Beast and his Followers and though the Cry be yet among many who shall make war with the Beast and who shall speak against his Prophets Yet a little while and Fear shall come and their Vaunts and Boasts shall be turned into Doubting and dreadful Fear on every Side for Jacob shall be as a Flame and Esau and all his Race shall be as Stubble he that reads let him understand the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and the whole Work of the Lord which shall shortly come to pass The Manifestation of God's Glory shall be as great after the Apostacy as ever it was in any Age before the Rise of Anti-christ and the Ministration into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought shall be as spiritual holy caelestial and divine as ever was before for the End of all your outward visible Appearances shall come which
and the Son of God according to the Spirit is glorified with the Father the man Christ Jesus he is sate down at the right Hand of God But if tho meanest by Human a carnal Body or the same Flesh that thou hast on deal plainly with us and nakedly the next time thou or any of thy Teachers write and prove us by Scripture where the Church is called his mystical Body or where hast thou got these new coyned words as Human Nature and mystical Body Correct thy Pen and let no such Popish Phrases come in Print again lest thou shamest thy self more instead of shaming of us And thou concludest If any say here he is or there he is on Earth believe them not Where learnedst thou this Article of Faith I pray thee shew me Is he not both in Heaven and Earth How should he restore the Earth and all things into their purity if he must not be manifest in the Earth What! wilt thou confine him to or in a place Doth not his Presence fill Heaven and Earth Is he divided from his Presence But may be thou wilt say as thy Generation doth that he is in the Earth by his Spirit and in Heaven in his Body or Person distinct from his Spirit If so then you divide Christ and a Person without a Spirit and not Christ. I will aske thee a Question No man hath Ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven Where was the Son of man or the Man Christ when this was spoken If thou canst see this thou mayst be ashamed to shut Christ out of the Earth or from among his Saints where his Presence his Arm his hand and his Power is which is not divided from his Body but I know thou art deaf and canst not hear what I say and thou bringst Heb. 10 12. After he had offered one Sacrifice sate down at the right hand of God that is saist thou In his human Nature The shame is come upon thy self who hast added thy own Imagination and let all see whether the Scriptures speak of Human Nature but thy folly must be manifest to all Thy third Particular that thou namest and as thou sayest shamest is If we say we are without Sin we deceive our Selves Thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull terms and thou bringst Prov. 20.9 For who can say my Heart is clean He can say so and speak Truth whose Heart God hath cleansed by the Blood of Christ from all Sin And then thou bringst Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own Mouth shall condemn me That 's true we justifie not our selves neither self but deny self and self is condemned and Christ God's Righteousness is become our Justification And then thou bringest Paul Phil. 3. Not as though I had already attained but follow after that I may apprehend What of that he was in his growth and was come to that which was perfect and did believe to attain to the Stature of a perfect man And then thou saist I tell you you are not perfect your contempt of the Ministers of Christ and perverting the Doctrine of Christ are characters of Sin That shall stand for thy self and thy Masters whom thou art joyned with who set up Popish trumpery instead of the Ordinance of Christ and set up the precepts of men introduced in the Apostacy for the Doctrine of Christ And then thou concludest the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin all in the first Adam but I hope the Scripture doth not conclude all under Sin in the second Adam neither doth conclude him under Sin that 's born of God who Sins not And if thou makest any such conclusion thou givest thy verdict for the Devil and not for God then thou sayest I am not pleading for Sin Thou art pleading for nothing else but for Sin and Imperfection in which the Devil's Kingdom stands and thou sayest thou hast cause to cry out O wretched man that I am So thou hast indeed hast thou repented of thy Drunkenness How long is it since thou fell'st off a Bridge being Drunk and broke thy Leg but it is like for thy good Service done to thy Master in writing this lying scrole he will give thee an Absolution for that Transgression The fourth Particular which thou call'st our Tenet is That we deny the Scripture to be the Word of God And thou hast brought many Scriptures to prove that they are but they are as impertinent to the thing as thy former about the Steeple-house or Mass-house Thou hast brought many Scriptures Jer. 37.8 how they are called the words of the Lord who ever denyed that but the Word spoke the words and the Word is greater 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by divine Inâ—piration I deny that some was spoken by the Devil and some by wicked Men and I hope thou wilt not call that divine Inspiration Then thou may be wilt conclude I deny the words of Paul to Timothy I deny the Word Is it is an Addition of the TRANSLATOR which Word alters and varies in the true sense of that Scripture but all Scripture given by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine c. But knowest thou no dinstinction between Inspiration and Tradition You have it by Tradition the Saints by Inspiration It 's a dead Letter in it self and as it is spoken from your Mouthes who speak of it by tradition but from them that were Inspired the living Spirit uttered forth living Words But what is all this to prove the Scripture or writings to be the Word of God And then thou cites 2 Cor. 2.4.7 Not handling the Worâ— deceitfully What doth this prove nothing at all and all the rest that thou hast ciâ—ed is nothing at all but what we have answered over and over many times wherein all that have any understanding in the Knowledge of God are satisfied That which thou shouldst have proved by the Scripture is where the Scripture or writings or Letter doth title it self the Word of God It is granted they are the words of God and the Words of Holy men Inspired So in thy own words I say take thou notice though thou art confident and presumtuous in this thou hast shamed thy self and not us the Word was before either Scripture Writings or Bible was which Word is greater and gave them a Being And thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the Father above the Father art out of the Apostles wisdom speaking a similitude He that builds a House receives more Honour then the House Now to call the Scripture the Word is to give as much honour to the House as to him that builded it but in a word this I say whatever the Scripture doth testifie of it self or call it self that I own it to be And if any man call it another thing it shall testifie against him and
freely to the Throne of Grace and are accepted in him who is the Condemnation of all the World who hate the Light but your Life the Light of the World God blessed forever and ever And all you Fathers and Elders and honourable women who are not a few whose Bones and Sinews are filled with Marrow and Fatness who wait at the Altar of the Lord and know the Mercy-seat which hath overshadowed you and the golden Vessel in which is the hidden Manna by which all the Children of the Lord are fed round the Table of the Lord out of the Everlasting Treasure-house of my Father VVatch over the Flock of Christ Jesus in every Place and Region and Quarter where the Lord hath set you and govern them in all Wisdom and Righteousness that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ may be adorned and take Care of them willingly knowing this the Lord requires of you and hath called you unto and to nourish the Plants and the young Ones and the Babes and that every one may know their place and watch and instruct in all Wisdom and correct and reprove in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus that no rebellious nor sloathful may grow up nor be harboured among you but all in Diligence may be kept in the Fear of the Lord in their places that the Gospel of Christ Jesus be not evil spoken of nor the Heathen blaspheme And therefore my dear Brethren be diligent in the Work of the Lord so much the more as you see the Day is approached and the Harvest is great and the Vineyard of the Lord is great and large and but few Labourers yea the Lord is enlarging his Borders and spreading forth his everlasting Truth and stretching forth his eternal Arm over the Nations and opening the treasures of Heaven and bringing Rain out of his Treasury to water the Earth that hath been parched and dry and to make his Plants to grow And so all wait that you may see the power and presence of the Lord in all your Assemblies and see that there be no Strife nor Contention nor Exaltation amongst you but all in meekness and quietness and long-suffering and forbearance even as the Lord hath spared and forborn you one submitting unto another even as you have heard and received when the Word of the Lord came first unto you and he that will be the greatest shall be the least but all in meekness and lowliness of Mind serve one another in Love even as you have received and the everlasting God of Life and Power be with you all and make you grow in the living power and virtue of God to order all things in his Wisdom as good Stewards of the manifold Mercies of the Lord which you are made partakers of that he alone may be glorified throughout all the Churches of Christ Jesus every where And to you my dear Brethren Fellow-Labourers to whom the Word of Reconciliation is committed are in the Work and Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and are made partakers of the everlasting Gospel of peace which unto you is given to declare Lift up your Voices blow the Trumpet sound an Alarm out of the holy Mountain proclaim the acceptable Year and the Day of Vengeance of our God gird on your Sword upon your Loins put on the tryed Armour and follow him forever who rides upon the white Horse and is clothed with the same whâ— makes War in Righteousness Ride on ride on my beloved Brethren and Fellow-Souldiers make all plain before you thresh on with the new threshing Instrument which hath Teeth beat the Mountainâ— to Dust and let the Breath of the Lord scatter it make the Heathen tremble and the Uncircumcised fall by the Sword the Lord of Hosts is with us and goes before us Spare none neither Ox nor Ass neither old nor young Kill cut off destroy bathe your Sword in the Blood of Amaleck and all the Egyptians and Philistines and all the Uncircumcised and hew Agag to pieces break the Rocks cut down the Cedars and strong Oaks make the Devils subject cast out the unclean Spirits raise the Dead shut up in Prison bring out of Prison cast in your Nets lanch into the deep divide the Fish gather the good into Vessels cast the bad away bind the Tares in Bundles cast them into the Fire the Angel with his sharp Sickle is come the Angel of the everlasting Covenant is come thrust in your Sickles reap the Earth the Word of God is come that divides let all Flesh keep Silence divide the Word rightly feed the Lambs and Babes fill the hungry stop the Lyons Mouthes feed the fat and the strong with Plagues and Judgments declare his Name publish his eternal Truth which shall stand forever Eternal Life is come Glory to him forever silence all Disputers and Diviners forever trample upon all the Chaff Dung and Mire forever which all the Wisdom of the World feeds upon Greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World Oh my beloved Ones although I am the lowest and weakest among many of my Brethren yet the eternal Power of God is my Shield forever the Lord of Hosts is with us there is a Crown which none can take away to all who have denyed all yea it is on our Heads the Dread of God is with us And truly dear Brethren we cannot say that we fished and catched nothing for many Vessels are full nor we have not travailed and laboured and brought forth Wind as the false Prophets do for we have the Seals of our Ministry which shall be Witnesses for the Lord in Generations to come Not unto us O Lord but to thy Name be Glory forever who hath done and doth all for us and in us who is our Strength our Glory our Crown of Rejoycing all the Day long for his hidden Treasure is brought forth and made manifest in earthen Vessels unto him be eternal living Praises forever And so all dear Brethren Members of the same Body of Christ Jesus by which we are set free from Sin in the Liberty Life and Power in which you are made free stand as Witnesses for the Lamb and for the holy Nation for the royal Seed of the true Israel of God that it may be brought out of Captivity to serve the Lord in the Land of the living and the eternal God of Power and Life of endless rich Love and Mercy be with you all and prosper his own Work in your Hands that he alone may be glorified unto whom be eternal infinite Praises who is our Life our King God blessed forever and ever And to you all my dear Brethren and Sisters who suffer in Bonds and Prisons and Dens and Holes and suffer the Enemy to plow-long Furrows upon your Backs in Patience and suffer stocking whipping buffeting beating and cruel Mocking and Stripes and Chains and Fetters whom the World is not worthy of even as they did unto our Master of
false Prophet and Babylon came into Remembrance in that Day the Mother of Harlots and the Sea dryed up and all the Merchants that traded with her stood afar off for the Cup of Fury was poured forth and Cain was seen and Judas that had betrayed the Lord of Life and I would have run any Way to have hid my self but nothing but weeping and gnashing of Teeth and Sorrow and Terrour and I roared out for the Disquietness of my Heart and the Kingdom was full of Darkness I knew not the right Hand from the left I became a perfect Fool and knew nothing and as a Man distracted all was overturned and I suffered Loss of all in all that ever I did I saw it was in the accursed Nature and then something in me cryed Just and true is his Judgment my Mouth was stopped I durst not make mention of his Name I knew not God And as I bore the Indignation of the Lord something rejoyced the Serpent's Head began to be bruised and the VVitnesses which were slain were raised and stopped Heaven that it rained not in the Dayes of their Prophecy and a great Famine there was and the Sun was darkened and the Moon turned into Blood and the Stars did fall and all the Grass of the Earth withered and every green Tree and all the Springs were dryed up and a great and noysome Smell and a Plague fell upon the Earth and the VVaters became as the Blood of a dead Man and the Heavens passed away with her Noise and the Elements melted and the Earth was scorched with the Flame which proceeded from the Throne of God and the Judgment-Seat of Christ was seen and an Account was to be given and then Esau was cursed and Cain and Judas and Ishmael and all the Cananites and the Egyptians went to the left Hand and as the Judgment was pronounced something cryed Just art thou oh Lord in all thy Judgments And as I did give up all to the Judgment the Captive came forth out of Prison and rejoyced and my Heart was filled with Joy and I came to see him whom I had pierced and my Heart was broken and the Blood of the Prophets I saw slain and a great Lamentation and then I saw the Cross of Christ and stood in it and the Enmity slain upon it and the new Man was made and so Peace came to be made and so eternal Life was brought in through Death and Judgment and then the perfect Gift I received which was given from God and the holy Law of God was revealed unto me and was written in my Heart and his Fear and his Word which did kill now makes alive and so it pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me through Death and so I came to witness Cleansing by his Blood which is Eternal Glory unto him forever and am a Minister of that Word of eternal Life which endures forever Glory unto his Name forever and have Rest and Peace in doing the Will of God and am entred into the true Rest and lye down in the Fold with the Lambs of God where the Sons rejoyce together and the Saints keep Holy Dayes Glory unto him forever And these few things have I written for your sakes who walk in Darkness that you may see where you are and also ye high Cedars who trust in the Arm of Flesh that you may cease your Boasting and come down from off the Pinacle where you are exalted for the same must come upon you if ever the Lord you know in Truth and Righteousness even through the Death of things in the Curse of all Knowledge and Wisdom which is from below yea through the Death of Death that rules in you which must be slain upon the Cross of Christ Jesus if ever you come to true Peace and witness eternal Salvation And therefore cease you Diviners and Imaginers who have feigned a Faith and a Christ and a Salvation in your Imaginations and yet that you may live in the Lust and Filth of the World and the Customs and Fashions which perish I say your Expectations shall fail and you will lye down in Sorrow for where Salvation is witnessed the Life of Christ is witnessed but you would have Salvation and the Life of the Devil brought forth and lived in But unto all such I say This will be your Sentence Depart into the Lake Therefore take Warning for it is not your good Words without the Life of Godliness nor your swelling Speeches that are accepted with God for he accepts nothing but what is of himself and by him wrought in the Creature by his own Will and Power and this destroyes the carnal Will Power and Righteousness and this work which he worketh of himself and by his Power and in his Covenant is perfect and is accepted of God and so it s no more the Creature but Christ who is all in his Saints and so he brings all that follow him out of his Works of Condemnation which are acted in the disobedient Nature and are accursed whether praying or plowing or whatsoever while Cain lives which is in the Banishment out of the Acceptance of God and all who follow him who is the LIGHT and leads all that believe and follow him into the living Works of Righteousness wrought by Christ through Faith and is accepted and well pleasing unto God and here all boasting is excluded for all is of him and from him that works both the Will and the Deed and here the Lord is admired in all his Works and his VVorks praise him Wherefore all honest hearted who travell and are weary and have found no Rest for your Souls I say unto you Arise and come away lye not groveling in the Earth like Moles nor seek not to know God in your fallen Wisdom for the Well is deep and if you know nothing but the old Wisdom which is corrupt and natural you cannot come to one Drop of the living Water therefore dwell no longer among the Graves and Tombs where the unclean Spirits dwell which trouble and vex all that pass in their Way neither dwell among the Pits where there is no Water he is risen he is not there look upward mind that which draws you from the Earth the Covenant of Life is made manifest Glory unto him in the highest his Proclamation is Ho every one that thirsteth come freely and receive of him freely without Money or Price or any thing of yours or self nay self must be denied and that you must deny if you will receive of him that he may be all and you nothing for he gives freely and his Gift is perfect and pure without Spot Stain or Mixture and all that receive his Gift come by it to be presented perfect to the Father And this is making manifest to you also who wait upon him who is given for a Covenant of Light and Peace and Life and all that receive this gift shall come to hear glad-tidings Peace on Earth
faithful Witness the Beginning of the Creation of God and all that wait not in the Light wait not in the Grace of God but wait in that which turns the Grace into VVantonness there Christ suffers and is denyed and another is owned and learned of and another Teacher and where the Grace of God is not taught and learned of Ungodliness is not denyed but Ungodliness is denyed where the Grace teacheth and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of that which is not like God is learned and Deceit is brought forth and the Child of Fornication which must not inherit and all who learn of this Nature they are blind and ignorant of the Will of God and so know not the Doctrine of Christ but their Eyes are without in the VVorld where the falâ—e Prophets are gone out into the VVorld and there are the Errors and the Sects and Judgments which are many and the Opinions which are out of the Unity and there vain Imaginations and vain Thoughts lodge in the Heart and there the Light of Christ is not known but the VVoman speaks which ought to learn in Silence who was first in the Transgression And all you that put the Letter for the Light are blind and call it the Word and the Gospel you err not knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God for the Word of God is the Power of God which is Immortal Eternal and all that which is visible stands in time and cannot lead to know him which was before time in the Beginning And so all you who are in your Earthly carnal Minds imagining a Rule without you and a Word without you you have not learned of him who is entered within the Vail you are hunting upon the wild Mountains and Forrests and know not the Voice of the true Shepherd who saith Learn of me whose Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and thou that hast not hearkened unto this a Separation thou didst never see but Darkness is upon the Face of the Deep and the Word of God is not known by which the Heavens and the Earth were made and all things therein are upholden by the Word of his Power which Word of Power is seen by them whose Minds are turned within and there the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart are by it discerned and seen which Word is quick and powerful and discerns the Secrets of man's Heart and is as a Hammer to break the Rocks and the hard Hearts and this is Immediate and Eternal and all who know not this your carnal Mind stands wholly in you and your hard Hearts are unbroken and the Mountains are unleveled and you walk in the crooked Waves of the old Serpent in Subtilty and Deceit and stand covered before the Lord and the strait Pathes of Righteousness you have not known Therefore awake out of Deceit and Security all Sorts of People where you have been making your Rest in the Lap of the Adulterer and have drunken of the VVine of Fornication and of the old Dregs of Unrighteousness whereby the whole man in enflamed and the whole Course of Nature is set on the Fire of Hell and Filth and Abomination lodge in the Heart and you talk of the VVord of God and of the Law of God and of the new Covenant and yet never see any thing in you which you can own to guide you which is contrary to your VVills which is the VVill of God All Sorts of Professors whether Presbyters Independents Baptists or of what Name soever you are called by who say you are separated let me ask this what are you separated from and what separated you If you deny the Sufficiency of the Spirit 's teaching alone and it to be the Rule and alone Guide unto God who is separated from Sinners and beholds them afar off I say you who cannot own that which shews you your vain Minds and vain Thoughts and that discerns the Thoughts if you cannot own this the VVord of God you never knew nor the Law written in your Hearts nor the VVord of Separation and all are in your Imaginations and vain Conceivings in your fleshly Minds here and there setting up an Image raised from a dead Letter and founded on your Earthly Imaginations and they stand in the Vallies of vain Hopes and there is no Life in nothing you worâ—hip and set up neither Sight nor Hearing and every one of you worship a dead thing and that which makes not the Comers thereunto perfect but you are all pleading for Imperfection and Sin in the Body and all joyn together to oppose the Life and Power of God which the Saints ought to press after and they that stand in the Counsel do obtain Victory and witness of his Righteousness which is perfect Are not many of you turning into the old Bishops Road who would tye all unto their Idols Temple or Parish-Church so called and are not many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you under Pain of Excommunication Oh the gross Darkness you are led in and the wilful Blindness who have taken up your Rest in that which is carnal and without where all the Hypocrites may come verily I say unto you your Rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed Wall or as a Reed of Egypt for the Ground of Iniquity stands whole and the whole Body of Darkness is not removed the Earth is whole the Fallow Ground is not plowed up Thorns and Bryars and fruitless Trees which cumber the Ground of the Lord are not cut down and so the Works of Condemnation you are none of you brought from under but self stands and your Wills are alive which are at Enmity against God only talking of a Christ at a Distance and his Righteousness as far from you as betwixt Earth and Heaven and here is your Justification applying this unto your selves while you are disobedient to the Grace of God in you this is your Faith and your Rest and this Faith all the World hath and this Hope but this Faith cannot justifie nor not one of you hath Assurance who hath but this who doth not witness God's Righteousness brought forth in you which is wrought by the Word of Faith which is incorruptible which justifies and gives Assurance and is witnessed through the Death of the Cross. And therefore I cannot forbear but to declare your Ignorance and shew you your Deceit you lye in and your ragged Vails you hide your selves under for I know your Peace you have is that which will not last And therefore be not secure and careless nor obstinate but lay down your Crowns at his Feet and come out of your Ease and Rest and fleshly Exaltation puffed up by the Wisdom of the Flesh and that which you have gathered in and not Witnesses of the same wrought in you all for the Fire yet a little while and time shall be no longer for the End of time shall come upon
Spend it upon your Lusts and by your Greatness grind the Face of the Poor when you are become strong in the Earth and have spread out your Boughs so broad that nothing can grow that is near your Shaddow and yet talk of God at a distance but you know him not but live in Carelessness and Ease and Liberty of the Flesh and pleasing the carnal Mind the Mighty Day of the Lord is at hand which shall come as a Thief upon you and require all your Souls at your Hands and take them away and then whose shall all these things be And all you poor blind People of the World of all Sorts who follow the blind Guides and Teachers of the World who know not the Path of Righteousness themselves but live in Covetousness Pride Oppression seeking for their Gain from their Quarters in the steps of their Fore-fathers the false Prophets which the Lord declared against by Jeremiah Isaiah Ezekiel and Hosea and Christ cryed out against such blind Guides as led the blind and the Apostles declared against such whose Hearts were exercised with covetous Practices and them you set up for your Teachers who are not taught of the Lord and they walk in the Broad way and you follow their example and yet you have a green Tree to worship under which seems beautiful in your Eyes you talk of a God and Christ and of his Gospel and Ordinances but know him not nor his Will nor how he will be Worshipped but according to the Customs and Fashions of the Nations as the Heathen do and follow the Traditions of men and live in Pride and Fulness and at Ease Lust and Envy in Covetousness and Double-mindedness in Drunkenness and Riotousness Sports Pastimes Pleasures Gaming Playing nourishing your Hearts as in a day of Slaughter wanton wild in Swearing Lying cursed speaking in foolish jesting in filthy Communication in Laughter and Folly which is Madness the dreadful God of Heaven and Earth is arising in his Power and his Day is coming upon you that shall rip up your Hearts and you shall see that you are Heathens and know not God although your Idol-Shepherds and Hirelings have told you you were Christians because you came one day in seven and heard a few Words spoken from the Imagination of their own Brain and all the Week long and Year long live in Carelesness and in all the Abominations before mentioned and many more and yet you hate to be reproved and hate to be reformed Dreadfull is the Day that is coming upon you all sorts of carnal Professors and vain Talkers and busie Minds which talk of that you cannot witness Terror Terror Dread and Wrath Vengeance in Flames of Fire will God rain upon the ungodly and Snares and turn them into Hell with all them that forget God Think on this Oh all you careless wanton earthly-minded People whose God is your Belly who glory in your Shame who mind earthly things and turn his Grace into Wantonness and sport your selves as in the Day-time and never consider your later End and slight the day of your Visitation and so dye in your Sin and will lie down in everlasting Misery except you repent Terrible and dreadful is the day that is coming upon all the World and all you who make mention of the Name of the Lord but not in Righteousness in the many Sects and Opinions and Judgments in Babylon Confusion and Error the Lyon hath roared who will not fear the Lord hath spoken who can but Prophesie the Lord hath roared out of Sion and uttered his Voice from Jerusalem he will send a Fire in the Gardens that you have made and consume all the Thickets round about it and you shall be ashamed of the Oakes that you have chosen and of the Trees you have worshipped under and the Groves where ye have commited Fornication with other Lovers and have forsaken the Lord and joyned your selves unto Idols and now your hearts are become hart and you will have none of the Wayes of the Lord nor will that Christ should reign over you for you hate his Light which shews you Sin and Evil and would turn you from it and out of Blindness and Ignorance but your wills lead you and the crooked Wayes of the Serpent you follow but now is the time near finished all your Joy shall be at an end and all your Lovers shall forsake you and you shall mourn and howl ye careless People who live in Deceit and are wise to do Evil and mighty to work Wickedness but to do Good have no Understanding Awake awake Arise arise and stand all up to Judgment let the Heathen be awakened for the Lord shall roar out of Sion and utter his Voice as a Whirlwind and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake and the Mountains shall melt at his Presence and all the Hills shall melt before him and all the Isles shall flee away at his Presence who is risen to take Vengeance upon all the ungodly and all shall be slain before him Assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about for the Lord will plead with you as in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and there will he sit as Judge to give every one their Portion according to their Work Awake all you that are asleep and stand up to Judgment the Angel of the Covenant is come and the time of Harvest draws neer the reaper is come with his sharp Sickle and is come for the Press is full and the Fat 's overflow for their Wickedness is great Multitudes Multitudes shall be slain and bound in Bundles and cast into the Lake and into the Valley of Decision the Sun and the Moon shall withdraw their shining and the Stars shall fall and loose their Light yet a little while and time shall be no longer but you will be swept into the Pit where shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth and overturned as Sodom and Gomorrah and you shall know there is a God who is pure and holy who will judge you not according to your Words and feigned deceitfull Hearts but in Righteousness And so all dread his Name and fear him and tremble before him and bow your selves and submit unto him lest your Perish forever from his Presence and be tormented with the Devil and his Angels in the Lake of everlasting Fire And all you ungodly think on this for this shall be the Portion of your Cup forever who slight the day of Gods Love and Visitation and turn his Grace into Wantonness his long-suffering shall come to an End and his Spirit will not alwayes strive with you and then he will arise in his Wrath and take Vengeance upon his Enemies and bind the Tares and the Briars and Thorns in Bundles and cast them into everlasting Fire where is perpetual Exilement from the Presence of God and from the Lamb forever and ever and from the Light of his Countenance and this as the Lord
spoke his Knowledge of and said It s not Meat nor Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost And the Colossians who had waited for it and believed in that through which it was revealed the Apostle was in the same Faith Colos. 1.12 and 13. Who hath made us meet Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and hath transformed us into the Kingdom of his dear Son and those things were seen in the Body and witnessed in the Body And the Apostle to the Hebrews saith He that believes in entred into the Rest. And this and all these things were feeled within by the Seed immortal the Birth immortal and they that witness the Birth immortal to live in them One said Who hath made us joynt-heirs with Christ who is the Kingdom of eternal Glory and they were Joynt-heirs with him of the Kingdom that fades not away And all that ever come to see the Kingdom of God in the Spirit which is spiritual must wait in the Spirit and in its Manifestation that so God and his Kingdom and the things of God's Kingdom may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the Spirit which is Glorious Object All this which thou hast spoken may some say is the Kingdom of Grace and that we hold there is a two-fold Kingdom the one of Grace here the other of Glory hereafter which none comes to enjoy Glory nor any Part of it in this Life or in the Body Answ. People have long been blinded with confused Distinctions about Names and being full of imaginary Thoughts and Conceptions have brought forth foolish and unlearned Distinctions and that which God hath joyned together they would separate Grace is glorious and Glory is gracious he that can receive it let him the Kingdom of God which was like a Grain of Mustard seed afterwards it became a great Tree the tree in its Strength and Glory and Height is more glorious then when it 's in the Seed yet the Seed and the Tree are in Nature and Quality and Kind one if the Kingdom be in Dominion in Purity and Power and Glory is not here Unity yet a greater Measure yet still the Dominion is one the Power one the Glory one and the Thing one wherein Grace standeth and Glory standeth wherein the Kingdom standeth grace is glorious Eph. 1.6 7. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children to the Praise and Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved In the Father's house there are many Mansions Places in the Kingdom of God there are many heavenly Places and they that walked to the Praise of his Grace came to sit also in heavenly Places Eph. 2.9 through Grace Salvation through Grace Glory comes to be revealed in the Earth Isa. 6.3 The Earth is full of his Glory he that makes Heaven and Earth glorious is Glory it self from whence Grace and every Degree of Glory receives its Being the least Measure of God's Strength and Powers is glorious and to be gloried in in the Lord by all that have seen it things might be declared which God hath revealed which are not lawful for me now to utter for as one Star differs from another in Glory yet all glorious even so is it with the Children of the Resurrection who are quickened and made alive and raised from the Dead and fashioned like unto his glorious Body Partakers of the Glory of God of his Kingdom of his Power the power is his in which the Kingdom stands the kingdom his wherein Glory stands the Kingdom Power and Glory stand all in him who is the glorious God and the God of eternal Glory who is revealing his Power his Kingdom and his Grace and his Glory unto all that patiently wait upon him in that which yet is as a Grain of Mustard-seed they will come to feel his Presence his Power and Glory revealed in their Hearts through the Spirit and enjoy God in his Kingdom in his Power and in his Glory and through Faith shall see the Weight of Glory which the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his Appearance and in his Appearance Object But some will cry out Grievous Blasphemy and Error what I think you look for no other glory but in this Life nor for no other Kingdom but what you Enjoy in this Life thus I know dark Spirits Reason Answ. The Saints looked not after any other glory but that which stood in eternal Life and in the immortal Life and in the uncorruptible Life and the Country they sought after was that which God was the Maker and the Builder of and they looked and waited to receive of his Power in which the Kingdom standeth and did in this Life I do not say the full Weight of Glory and to know and injoy and to be made Partakers of his eternal Dominion and Authority is that which all his Saints in Measure witness and in due time came to enjoy through Faith for by Faith they saw him who was invisible and the things of his Kingdom which are invisible spiritual and eternal but to speak of the carnal corruptible Life in the Flesh who are dead while they live there that Life neither the Kingdom nor the Power nor the glory of God is revealed to them not till after the Death of that Life and till after the Death of him who hath the Power of Death which is the Devil which ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience whom all the Mystery of God's Kingdom is hid from their Eyes and ever shall while in that state and so let the Serpent be blind and they that have an Ear to hear blessed is that Ear for the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto many and the Salvation of God and the Power of his Christ is seen by many Honour and Praise unto him everlastingly who is the only Potentate that puts down all Authority under his Feet that God may be all in all but first every one must come to feel in himself the Kingdom which is as a little Grain in himself and in it believe before any can come to know the Kingdom or wherein it consists and after it be known in its Measure yet this is far short of glory in the Fulness so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure yet this is far short of the eternal Weight of Glory He that believes is entered into the Rest and made Partaker of the heavenly Gift and of the heavenly Power and of the heavenly Grace which is glorious and doth witness a heavenly Place in Christ Jesus and yet many Enemies to be subdued and much of the heavenly Habitation which they see not which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the Faith which stands in God's Power in which the Kingdom stands the Mysteries of God and of his Kingdom come
Grave nor after men be Dead for they that have served Sin in their Life time served the Devil as long as they live and have yeelded their Bodies to be Temples for Uncleanness while they live upon the Earth eternal Misery will be their Portion and not redemption Think on this you who are holding this forth for an Article of your Faith in the World among poor Ignorant People that they must not expect redemption from all Sin in this Life and so leads them on to Perpetual Misery Misery will be your End and in the day of the Lord you shall Witness this to be true But to return to the Beginning again where there was no sorrow but pure Joy and Peace both in Heaven and Earth but I go hither and thither as the Spirit leads and shall speak as it gives Utterance though but here a little and there a little yet shall it be in Truth and Righteousness How Peace Joy and Delight possessed every Thing that God had made every Thing which he had formed glorified God their Maker with one Consent in the Beginning before the World was framed that lay in Wickedness NOW the Lord rejoyced in all the Works of his Hands which he had made and rested and all that he had made rested in the Power whether Caelestial or Terrestrial and rejoyced in him walked in him in the Motion of the Power of the Life they were happy and partook of the Life that endures forever and Happiness immortal and knew no Evil for there was none there was no Hell yet prepared Tophet yet was not ordained neither the Devil had yet any Being at all there was no Wrath no Sorrow no Condemnation no Death Vexation Grief or Perplexity no Pit of Darkness no Angel of the bottomless Pit no Shame no Tribulation no Anguish nor Pain no Misery and in a Word there was nothing that did destroy but all in Quietness in Peace in Life in Power in Wisdom glorifying him which sate upon the Throne the Lamb who was living and the Life of the Male and the Female and of every Thing that God had made by the Power subsisted in the Power and in the Motion thereof was good purely good and here was the Goodness of him who was eternally good manifest in all above all and over all God blessed forever even then the Heavens rejoyced and the innumerable Company of Angels were hearty glad and all the holy Host sang for Joy with a living Voice which none that stand in Time ever yet heard or can learn then the Earth and all Things therein that moved and had Life were in pure Solace and Mirth and pleasant Joy unspeakable all knit together in Unity and Harmony in one Consent as one Family and were one Body and there was Health in the Body and it was pure and comely and perfect and pleasant to behold crowned with Dignity covered with Righteousness beautified with the Comliness of the Lamb who was the Life of all and now Man had Right to the Tree of Life while he moved in the Power and went not out Oh happy State oh beautiful State oh admirable State eternal Felicity oh glorious State Life it self the Life of all and all in the Life moving in the Power and man had right to the Tree of Life while he lived in the Lamb's Power had Unity with his Maker and with all the Creatures that God had made and was in God's pure Dominion and Authority and ruled all over all things that God had mâ—de in God's Wisdom thus in short was the State of all things in the Beginning as they were created and brought forth and these be the Generation of the Heaven and of the Earth and of all Things that therein are in the Day when God created them when the Father was glorified when the Son was glorified and when Man was in Glory and Honour and in Dominion created in the Image of God and yet there was no Evil Time would fail to speak of the State of all Things in the Beginning as it was and as it is revealed by the Spirit of Truth but in that which I have declared they who have a good Understanding may take a Glimpse of the happy State of all Things as God hath revealed them by his Spirit which I never received of nor from man but by the Holy Spirit of God which was in the Beginning with God which saw all this and was an Eye-Witness of this before the World that lyes in Wickedness began and he that hath an Ear let him hear and blessed is his Ear. How Man lost his State and Dominion and Unity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the VVorld that lyes in Wickedness came to be formed and founded and how the Curse came and the Wo upon the Serpent which was blessed before and upon Man and Woman and the Ground that received the Temptation which was blessed before in the Motion of the Power came to be cursed and how endless Misery came in upon all in the Transgression declared to them who have a good Understanding NOW the Serpent was more subtil then all the Beasts of the Field for that was his Nature in which he was created and it was good in the Motion of the Power and therefore Christ said Be wise as Serpents yet as harmless as Doves and though the Serpent was wise and subtil more then all the Beasts of the Field till he acted moved without Commandment and out of the Motion of the Power he was not cursed he that can receive it let him but he moved in the Subtilty and Wisdom out of the Light out of the Power and went out of the Truth out of his Place without Commandment or Authority from the Power and acted and spâ—ke of himself out of the Power and out of the Truth as it is written Joh. 8.44 When he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it now he knew there was a Law and Command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for God had forbidden it now he went out of the Power without Commandment of his own Accord without Motion now he went and talked with the Woman and she was good before being in the Motion of the Life and Power she also looked out and not in the Power and reasoned with him out of Power contrary to Commandment beyond the Command or before the Power and said unto the Serpent We may eat of all but the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil we may not eat lest we dye this she knew and the Serpent knew now the Tree of Knowledge was good in the Powers Motion though not to live upon or for Food for it was not good for Food therefore God the Truth the Life the Power did forbid to taste of it or to eat of that Tree but the Serpent out of the Power and the Woman
the Whore hath decked her self with and Life it shall be known in the Body and God enjoyed worshipped glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter but abides forever and this shall be and is the last Ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men We who are come out of the Apostacy know what was before and see what shall be after the everlasting Gospel of the Son of God shall be Preached again to them that dwell on the Earth the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Testament was written the latâ—er all Sects since the Apostacy call the Gospel and so greatly manifest their Ignorance for that were to make two Gospels to call the Scriptures the Gospel or that which is written and they who so err in their Judgments are yet among the Smoke of the Pit and are yet under Anti-christ's reign and are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations And he living Infallible true lasting and everlasting Spirit of the Father shall be poured out again and many now witness it and a numberless number shall witness it and the Time hastens And the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Sion and many who are redeemed from the Earth and from among men which shall be the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb and they shall sit with him and shall Reign with him and have Power over Sin Temptation and the Devil Hell and the Lake and this is to come to pass and is coming to pass and hastens greatly and the Voice out of Heaven shall be heard as the Voice of many Waters and the Voice of Harpers harping with their Harps and the new song shall be sung the pure Song of the Lamb shall be sung by all who are redeemed from the Earth in every Nation Kindred Tongue and People who have heard believed and received the joyful Sound of the everlasting Gospel again and now they shall fear God and Glorifie him and Honour him even they who have feared the Beast and glorified him in the Apostacy they shall deny his Power and own the Lamb's Power and Worship him that sits upon the Throne of Righteousness who lives forever and ever and is eternal Life it self the worship shall be now in Spirit and Truth where the Dragon cannot come neither the Beast Harlot false Prophet nor Anti-christ nor none of his followers can come and herein the Ministration shall be more Glorious after the Apostacy then it was before the Worship stood before in many outward Visible things and Representations and outward Performances and Ordinances and I manifestly say the Dragon Beast Whore and false Prophets and Apostates took up these things and Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and People who drunk of the Whore's cup and all that were gone from their Maker their Husband they have been and are acting and performing Imitating like Jannes and Jambres but since the dayes of the Apostles they corrupted these things and have made Idols of them and Painted themselves with them and have got the Sheeps Cloathing Therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his Power Life and Glory in a way more invisible and pure then before and more divine Caelestial and Glorious where never an Hypocrite shall tread in the Path and so the restoration is a Mystery that shall be after the Apostacy the Glory is not to appear in external things for there the Mother of Harlots hath hid her self long which hath made all Nations Drunk but the Cloathing of the Lamb's wife and of the Bride shall be another thing then the attire of the Harlot for the Spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed in the same attire that the Lamb is cloathed withall and with the same Vestment and the Tabernacle of God is to be with men and he shall dwell in them even the Lord that Spirit and shall walk in them and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and in them and Sorrow shall be done away and Tears wiped away and that done away which was the cause of Sorrow Rev. 21.3 and 4. and there shall be no more Death nor crying nor any more Pain for the former things are passed away to wit Death which entred in by Sin it shall be destroyed and the Earth out of which the second Beast arose and the Sea out of which the first Beast did arise and upon which the Whore sate and Hell and the Lake which was prepared and raised up when man was degenerated from the Lord they shall be Destroyed and he also which hath the Power of Death which is the Devil he shall be destroyed and his Works the cause of scorn and then they shall see the Lord face to face even them that have but seen him darkly as in a Glass or as in a Cloud they shall see his pure living countenance which giveth Life and Death and Hell shall be cast in the Lake of Fire and whosoever is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life must be cast into the Fire Then the new Heaven and Earth shall be seen and the heavenly City which shall come down from God out of Heaven which no mortal Eye shall behold neither shall be able to behold which hath twelve Foundations and twelve Gates and the Glory of God shall be upon her and her Light shall be as a Stone most precious and as clear as Crystal yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it for in it there need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and all who have been partakers of this Glorious Ministration shall walk in the Light of the Lamb there shall be no Night nor the least appearance of a Cloud or Darkness but transparent Brightness and Glory which shall be permanent durable and everlasting for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City in which the Saints shall Worship him that sits upon the Throne for evermore and shall give unto him Glory and Honour and Dominion and eternal Praises for evermore who alone is worthy who lives forever in eternal Glory and everlasting Light and Brightness for evermore And his Face shall be seen in whom all Figures Representations and Shadows end in and the pure River of Water of Life which is as clear as Crystal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and all who have kept the Word of his Patience shall drink thereof and be nourished up in Immortality and Life everlasting forever and the Tree of Life that stands in the Paradise of God them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live forever and the Nations Kindreds Tongues People and Regions who have heard believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his Saving Health and the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be seen and his Servants shall serve him who
is their Lord and King who lives forever and they shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads and the Lord God shall give them Light and shall be unto them an everlasting Light and they shall reign with him forever and evermore over the Whore Beast false Prophet Antichrists Deceivers Seducers the Pit Death Hell and the Grave and shall triumph in his Strength over all the Powers of Darkness and sing Praises to him that abides forever these things are true and faithful and shall be fulfilled and the time is at Hand blessed are they that wait and watch that they may discern the Signs of the times and the coming of the Bridegroom that they may enter into the Chamber of â—est and into the Palace of eternal Life into the City of the greâ—â— King to sit with him and eat with him and rejoyce with him in the Glory Eternal which was before the World began and shall be when it shall be no more the End hastens he is blessed that is come and coming to the End of It for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear the Lord hasten it saith my Spirit Amen F. H. DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED BY THE Light shining forth AND THE Appearance of the Day In Answer to a Book called INNOCENTS NO SAINTS Publish'd by one Edward Dodd wherein he hath labour'd to prove Tythes lawful and Tything Priests and Hirelings to be the true Ministers of the Word and the Mass-house the Church and calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtisie and hath perverted many Scriptures His Deceit laid open his Vindication made void and his Argument confounded and Truth laid open in all these Particulars for the sake of the upright in Heart who rejoyce in Truth 's Prosperity By one of the Lamb's Followers who makes War against the Head of the Dragon and against the Rear of the Beast F. H. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth her Merchandize any more Rev. 18.11 And cryed when they saw the Smoak of her Burning saying what City is like unto this City Rev. 18.18 DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED THE man-Child which was caught up unto the Throne of God when the red Dragon sought to devour and Destroy him hath appeared again in Power and great Glory after the long and cruel Tyranny of the Dragon wherein she hath killed the Saints and hath prevailed against them and hath made great War Spoil and Havock of the Remnant of the Womans Seed this 13. or 14. hundred Years and hath compelled all both small and great whose Names have not been written in the Lamb's book of Life to Worship him and the Beast unto whom he hath given great Authority to Kill and to Destroy whosoever worshipped the God of Heaven that so they might be worn out and all the Earth might Worship him and fear him and extol him and his Authority Now the time times and half being near an end that John saw the Woman should be retired in the Wilderness she appearing again in her beautifull Garments and her heir and her Seed appearing again in after the long Night of Darkness Now when the Lord in this the day of his Power is appearing again and the man-Child that is to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron Now the Dragon Beast VVhore and false Prophet and all the Mystery of Iniquity Gog and Magog and all the Apostates Deceivers and Merchants of Babylon that have traded upon the waters upon which the whore sits they are all up in Arms every one with his weapons which he hath formed in the bottomless Pit is now set in array against the Lamb who is risen the Priests Hirelings and Babylon's Merchants who have got so great gain by Sea they have given the first on-set in the Front of the black Army of the Dragon and this six or seven Years have made a great Noise and have raised so much Smoke out of the Pit that they have darkned the Ayr and made it cloudy and have filled the Earth with a great Noise that many have admired what the Issue would be and what the event might prove and that many who have waited in Patience have seen the Lamb appear and have seen his rising in Majesty and hath prevailed And many of them who have the first on-set grow weary seeing the Battel grows too hard against them and the Lamb and his followers prevail And now comes on the Tail of the Dragon as the reserve and the rear of the Beast among whom Edward Dod appears and he thinks to prevail and get himself a Name and to do exploits but alas all his weapons are but the old broken Bows and the Spears that are strewed up and down the Field of confusion which we have run over and over and Trample upon and esteem them no more then rotten Wood He hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over and that which the rest of the Dragon's army hath vomited up before in the Beginning he hath licked up and now Vomits it out again and casts out Floods of Poysoned Words false Accusations and arrogant Reproaches and proud Disdainful Speeches as though his Tongue were his own And like one of Ishmaels Brood Scorning and Deriding at Innocency and saith he hath laid down some of our Tenets and named them and shamed them All sober People who know any thing of God will see thou hast shamed thy self and not us in uttering forth thy Folly And thy Title of thy Book demonstrates what is within it the Beginning is Scorn and Derision the end is Folly and Madness and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt Heart and unbridled Tongue which is bent to do Mischief and to speak falshood but lest thou shouldst Glory in the old rotten broken Weapons which thou hast taken up which were formed by thy Leaders and not by thee which we have answered again and again and have over-run them as Stubble which answers have cleared the Truth to all sober People that they see all your Weapons are but Carnall and not spiritual and they have no might in them at all to stand against the Truth nor them who are made free by it whose weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down strong Holds of Darkness and the Towers of ignorance Many are beat down already and the Lamb is risen and upon the white Horse and a numberless number is following him who rides on after him who shall subdue the Nations to himself and break the Yoak of the Ungodly and deliver the Oppressed and no Weapon that is formed against him shall Prosper I say lest thou shouldst boast I shall return these Lines in answer to thy Book Thy Book thou Titlest A pair of Spectacles for a dark-sighted Quaker I say thy Spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer then through them to be made to see they are such wooden Ones
in Heresie in Schism so that there is an absolute Defection from the Life and Power of God which was manifested in the Apostles dayes and therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church What I have said as to the Doctrines and Grounds which have been laid down by the Author I shall refer it and the Answer unto God's Witness in every Man's Conscience and if I hear any more of the Author his great Boasts or ambitious Challenges which may reach to all that do dissent from the Church of Rome as to be Hereticks I shall engage in the Strength of the Lord to vindicate the Truth however opposed and shall further if God permit be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the Doctrines and Practices and Worship of the Church of Rome and prove them to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostolick Doctrine and the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints So in what I have said I hope may convince the Author of his vain Assertions and them that are enclined towards Babylon it may put a Stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the Name of Antiquity But in what I have said upon the whole Matter I hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single Eye without Prejudice and unto such I say the Lord give them an Understanding that they see and discern the Way which leadeth to Life and Felicity from that which leadeth to the Chambers of Death and the Pathes that take hold on Destruction A GENERAL EPISTLE TO THE Seed of God DEar Friends every where who have believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and called with an holy Calling to the great Salvation of God which is manifest in this the Day of his Power keep your first Love and let not the Threats of Men neither the Browns of the World affright you from that which you have prized more then all the World now the Sun is up and a time of scorching is come and that which hath not Root will wither now every Ground will be tryed and blessed is the Good that brings forth the Seed which must inherit the Promise Oh let not the Cares of this present Life choak that which God hath begotten and seeing the Lord hath so marvelously wrought for us hitherto in the midst of great Opposition let not your Faith fail nor your Confidence in God who delivered Jacob of old out of his Adversity and Israel out of all his Troubles whose Care is over his People now and having seen the Emptiness of the World and its Way and Worship let nothing blind your Eye again and let not the things present nor things to come separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus and mind not them that draw back to Perdition but let it teach you all more Diligence to be as those that press after Glory Immortality and Everlasting Life the Way of God was ever hated by the World and the Powers thereof never heed the rough Spirit nor the heavy for their Bound is set and their Limit known but mind the Seed which hath Dominion over all and forsake not the assembling of your selves together in which you have found God and his Promise and Power amongst you and Blessing your Understandings opened Oh rather suffer all things then let go that which you have believed fâ—r whoso doth will loose the Evidence of God's Spirit in them and their Peace and Joy will be lost the Lord God preserve you all unto the End faithful Your Dear Brother for the Testimony of Jesus F. H. Aâ—â—elby Goal the 10th of the 3d Moneth 1664. A Visitation of Love Peace and Good-will from the Spirit of the Lord sent unto the whole Flock of God now in this their Day of Tryal and Hour of Temptation DEar Friends and Brethren who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the Lord unto Sanctification and Holiness that ye might inherit the Promises of God and that your Souls might live in the Land of the living and partake of his Goodness that you might admire him and praise his Name forever And seeing the Lord out of his rich Love and Mercy hath visited you who sometime sate in the Region of the Shadow of Death and were cast out of his Presence in the time of Unbelief seeing he hath caused his miraculous Light to shine upon you in his gracious Visitation of you and hath given you to believe in his Name prize his Love unto you and let not his gracious Benefits slip out of your Minds lest your Hearts be filled with other things that will corrupt your Hearts and make you an unmeet Habitation for the Lord to dwell in and among Dear Friends hear my Brotherly Admonition and Exhortation for the Lord moved in my Heart to write unto you and in the Bowels of his kind and tender Love and Motion of his heavenly Spirit to stir up your pure Minds and Consciences unto Stedfastness in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and so much the more that you all be watchful seeing the times be perilous for now the Adversary goes about roaring and ravening on the right Hand and on the left to destroy and devour that which God hath brought forth in you that so he might regain you too under his Power and Government and that ye might revolt from the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that stands in Power and Righteousness which is come and hath been of a Truth manifest in great Glory and this is an Hour the Power of Darkness is let loose to try the Faith and them that dwell upon the Earth and he is let loose for a Season blessed are they that hide themselves under the Shadow of the Almighty and under the Wings of Christ Jesus who is given for a Redeemer a Saviour and a Preserver of Men that the wicked One touch them not and now the Devil rages because he knows his Kingdom is but short and but for a small time is like to stand in many because a stronger then he that rules in the World is come and hath began to dispossess the strong Man and bind him and cast him out and now he rages and stirs up all the Temptations within and without and all his Instruments to joyn with him to make War for him that he might not rule who is the Heir of all things and given for a Leader and to be the Head of the Body his Church in which alone he hath Right to rule because the Lord of the whole Earth yea of Heaven and Earth hath put all Power into his Hands to bind and to lose to bring out of Captivity and to lead Captivity Captive that Life and Immortality might again inhabit in the Sons of Men that Truth and Righteousness might sway that Mercy and Love might sit on the Throne that his Salvation might take hold on the Ends of the Earth and his Power made known
little to satisfie their vulturous Eye And if they can get a Scrowl under any Hand that hath Authority they will break open Doors pull down Hedges carry away the Corn at their Pleasure drag away Pots and Kettles and tugg away Bedding and Cloaths of all Sorts Childrens Night-beds as a Priest of this Order did in Kent lately yea Curtains and Vallans drink Bear of the Cellar and if it be but half a Cheese and this is their Plea He that preâ—cheth the Gospel shall live of the Gospel and the aforesaid Husbandman Fatherless and Widdows have not any Part or Share in the aforesaid falsly claimed Tythes but all is too little to satisfie the insatiable Covetousness of these Evangelical Priests falsly so called O how can ye know and behold these things and not blush and be ashamed and shall the Laws which have been made in the Night of Darkness and Popery of Necessity be a Rule in this Age to Magistracy and Ministry which pretend they are in a more pure Light Oh that the Lord would open all your Eyes to consider but however them unto whom his marvelous Light is shed cannot but call unto you and also bear their Testimony against the aforesaid Grievances and Disorder which are executed beyond Measure upon the poor Pâ—ople in this Nation which certainly if not amended will draw down God's heavy Judgments upon the Nation and so I cannot but as one among the rest give in my Testimony for God and his Truth against such cruel Actings and falsly pretended Maintenance of Black-Coats and Turn-Coats and my Testimony is true and to seal it I have given up my Life and Estate By a Servant of the Lord M. L. To all who say you are gathered out of the World into Church-Fellowship these Queries are for you to answer I. WHat was the Woman that was cloathed with the Sun and crowned with twelve Stars which travailed in Pain to bring forth 2. What was the Sun she was cloathed withal and twelve Stars she was crowned withal and when was she so cloathed and crowned 3. And what was the Man-child that was brought forth seeing Chrâ—st was born of the Virgin in Bethlehem long before John saw this in the Isle of Pathmos 4. And when did the Woman fly into the Wilderness and what is the Wilderness into which she fled and what is the Wings of the great Eagle which she did fly withal 5. And what is the Time Times and the half Time which she is to be in the Wilderness and when did it begin and when will it be expired and whether is the Woman ever to come out again and when shall be the Time of her Return 6. When was the Time that the Man-child was caught up unto God which the Woman brought forth seeing Christ was ascended long before this Man-child was caught up to God which was to rule the Nations and how long it is since 7. And whether is he ever to descend again and be made manifest to rule the Nations and when shall he begin to reign 8. When was the Dragon in Heaven and how came he there seeing that it 's written No unclean thing can enter there or nothing that doth defile 9. And when was he cast out of Heaven into the Earth and how long hath he to reign in the Earth 10. When began he to persecute the Remnant of the Woman's Seed and how long shall his Reign be 11. When begin the one thousand Years that he shall be bound or whether is it begun or to come 12. When shall he be taken hold of and with the Beast and false Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire 13. What is Mystery Babylon and when had she her Rise when was her City raised up over which she rules as a Queen 14. And what is the golden Cup of Fornication she hath made the Nations drunk withal 15. And what is her Merchandize which her Merchants trade withal and the Sea upon which they carry their Traffick and upon which the Ship-Masters and Ships ride and when shall it be dryed up and what shall dry it up 16. When shall the City over which she hath reigned be destroyed and when shall her Flesh be burnt with Fire and what is the Gospel that shall be preached again 17. And how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the Nations seeing it 's to be preached again to the Nations and whether is the Time begun or not when was the Gospel lost seeing all Europe is professing it or whether is it yet to come when shall it begin to be preached again to Kindreds Tongues and Nations 18. And what is the Light of the Lamb the Nations that are saved shall walk in after the seven Vials be poured upon the Seat of the Beast Declare if thou hast Understanding F. H. A General Epistle to all who have believed in the Light of the Lord Jesus and are called of God to follow the LAMB through the great Tribulation Dear Friends WHom God called out of the World and the Vanities of it to serve the living God in Newness of Life and to be Worshippers of him in Spirit and Truth and to be Followers of Christ in the Regeneration and to be baptized with him into his Suffering and Death that so you may be partakers of his Resurrection and Life and manifest unto all that you are risen with him out of the Grave of Sin Wickedness and Death by having your Hearts renewed and your Affections and Minds set to seek those things which are above which are not transitory and visible but everlasting and immortal by which the Souls of all the righteous and obedient Children are refreshed and nourished up unto eternal Life and through the eternal power of the Son of God which hath been and is manifest among them that believe in the Measure of his Spirit and keep their first Love and Integrity unto the Lord all his are preserved out of the Temptation of the Adversary within and without who seeks to root out that which God hath planted and to nip the Blossom and the Bud which God hath caused to spring forth through his tender Love in your Hearts so that you might dye to the Good and be spoiled in that wherein all your Happiness lyeth now and forever Oh therefore all watch and be circumspect so much the more against Temptations lest you be ensnared and your Faith fail and you fall short of the promise of God in not continuing Faithful to the End Friends a Care and a tender Love and a godly Jealousie is in my Heart to you and over you all that have believed that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the Desarts and Mountains and dry and parched places where you have sometimes been in the time of Unbelief where the Goats who are rough can feed that must go to the left Hand and have the Curse The Zeal of the Lord and his Truth who so gloriously hath
nor by Earth neither by Jerusalem neither by the Head had been useless as being generally included in the general prohibition but had he meant that no Oath should be used upon any occasion the subsequent Words are so far from giving Light to the preceding that they much obscure them but had he said no more thâ—n Swear not at all it might have been said he disallowed all Oaths but he descending to thâ—â— or that Creature may rationally imply that this purpose was only to forbid such Swearing and not that which was formerly enjoyned and his conclusion is only Creature Swearing or Swearing by Creatures is that he would have forbidden Answ. Christ knew better what he intended then A. S. who would make his words one thing and his intention another it is evident by the preceding Doctrine and by that which follows after the Text that Christ prohibits all Swearing which shall be further spoken on when the second part of the Discourse is spoken of some stumble ignorantly and some wilfully would pervert and turn aside from that which they have no mind to receive and would hold up that which they assert true or false and that makes all this disputing and reasoning about the plain Words of Scripture Christ's words But I say unto you Swear not at all by Heaven or Earth is a general Negative of all Oaths even of those which before were used in the time of Moses and by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem are more ample expressions of Christ to make the Scribes and Pharisees understand his mind of his dislike of these Oaths by Creatures that they frequently used though these and much more were included in the general Negative Swear not at all yet they are not to be excluded as superfluous neither do they obscure the former Swear not at all but give more Light to the former to any but them that sees with A. S. his Eyes for by Heaven by Earth by Jerusalem are more ample expressions of his mind and a further explication of the former Swear not at all and though they seem to A. S. to obscure and darken Christ's words if he did intend all Oaths yet they that see with another Eye then he doth is that they are only more large expressions thereby to make the Pharisees understand who were in the unbelief and dull of hearing that did not only forbid what the Law had forbid before but even those Oaths that they frequently used under those terms and forms which the Law had spoken of in those Words as Heaven Earth Jerusalem Head and Foot and therefore he enumerates them as an amplification of his former prohibition and so they are to be joyned and we shall not stop as A. S. sayes some do at the words Swear not at all but shall joyn that which Christ hath joyned viz. Heaven Earth and Jerusalem and to be enumerated only and joyned to the former Negative and spoken as to their Capacities in those full and large Terms that they might understand his mind that he prohibited not only by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem but even any other Oath which the Law had commanded or the Jews permitted to Swear before and though A. S. would have it limited only to Swearing by Creatures which indeed was forbiden under the Law but Christ who taught a more Evangelical and exact obedience then the Law he said It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you who saith more then the Law hath said Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of Evil. And of this mind was Bp. Usher late of Ardmagh who pleaded the Cause of the Waldenses or Leonists whose Names are famous amongst the Reformed Churches and were the most Ancient and true Protestants if any Reformation be looked at beyond Luther they professed it no way lawful for a Christian to Swear and the said Bishop Usher de Succes Chap. 6. doth esteem that place of the 5 th of Mat. Swear not at all and that of 5 th James to be a sufficient plea for them against the Papists and he pleads their cause and this made Renerius and Jansenius so much Envy the Waldenses two Romanists who said Amongst all the Sects which are or have been there is not any more pernicioâ—â— to the Church meaning the Church of Rome then the Waldenses and that for three Reasons first their Antiquity secondly because of their Universality thirdly in that they did maintain and hold it no way lawful for a Christian to Swear on any occasion But it may be that A. S. will tell us that these and other were condemned in some general or Provincial Council for Heresie and if he do it is no great matter since most of these have erred especially since all Nations have drunk of the Whores Cup of Fornication and have Erred from the Fâ—ith and have lost the Power and then contend for a form and bind all to receive it upon some commination or malediction or other or else they were Hereticks And why who said so the Church hath so decreed and if these Canons and such like must be binding A. S. will hardly escape their Censure if he continue in the profession of the Faith he is 〈…〉 and they seem to agree in this particular about Swearing But I come to his fifth Argument Fifth Argument Christ never forbad any thing but that was intrinsecally evil as may be proved by induction he forbids anger abusive Language he forbids Lust and divorce and Swearing by Creatures and therefore what ever he forbad was Evil and that in it self and not meerly as forbidden but Swearing in general is not for that hath not only been the practice of Holy Men but of Angels Dan. 12.7 Revel 10.6 Reply Was it Evil in it self under the Law if a Man smote out anothers Eye or tooth or cut off his Hand or his Foot or give one a wound in any part of the Body Deut. 21.24 Levit. 1.24.20 Deut 19.11 was it Evil in it self for the Judges in those days to give Sentence that he that had struck out his Neighbour's Eye or struck out his Tooth or cut off his Hand to pronounce give the same judgment unto the offender that he should be so done withal was this eternally evil or intrinsecally evil for the party so wronged to seek remedy or was it not an act of Justice equal and good not only because enjoyned and commanded but in it â—â—ll just and was it or is it an act in it self intrinsecally evil if a Man sued a Man wrongfully at the Law and takes a Man's Coat or Garment away to seek to defend himself and preserve his Coat or cloak if not A. S. his Argument is of no moment for even in the same Chapter where Envy and Murther and divorce saving for Fornication and abusive Language and all Swearing is forbidden so is that forbidden which is not
say That Christ did often Swear because he said Verily we judge you have concluded upon too slender a Ground And as for Psal. 110. The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent It is not denyed though the Lord Swore once yea more then once by himself this was in condescension to the State of Man in weakness and unbelief and as to the State of the Jews Gal. 3.19 before the Seed was revealed which was the Substance of all Figures and Gods Example of Swearing is no example for us now to imitate and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal Ceremony of Oaths as a practice legimate to his Saints forever as A. S. would make us believe it was for his Oath viz. God's ended in Christ in whom all the Promises confirmed by Oath were yea and in him Amen was also to end all Strife between him and Men and to put an end to all Strife and Oaths also that are among Men to end Strife Ambrose saith upon that 110. Psal. Let him then swear who cannot Repent of his Oaths a little aftter the same Ambrose saith Do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing and indeed the principal solution he gives is not to Swear at all And Theophilus upon the place in Controversie whom A. S. says was not cautelous enough and it seems among the rest of the Fathers that A. S. sets as judge of he saith Learn hence that under the Law it was not Evil for one to swear but since the coming of Christ it is Evil as is Circumcision and in sum what ever is Judaical for it becomes a Child to suck but not a man So that it appears he amongst the rest of the Fathers did not only declare against Oaths in general or private Communication but also distinguishes betwixt the first Covenant and the second and the Ordinances thereof and though the holy Ghost bear witness that both Angels and Men yea and good Men and the Creator himself in that first Covenant did Swear so that A. S. concludes That is not morally Evil of its own Nature In the first we shall not much quarrel nor dispute as under the Law but that which was obliging then as by command it is not always obliging but Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness said Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more under the Gospel then amounts to this comes of Evil therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of Christ's Words then this Universal prohibition of all Swearing as under the Gospel seeing that speaking the Truth confessing the Truth declaring the Truth and nothing but the Truth in any matter wherein any Christian is concerned either in respect of God or a man's Neighbour this Answers the very Substance of the Law and the very end purpose thereof as ever an Oath did among the Jews in the first Institution forasmuch as speaking the Truth acknowledgeth God's Omnisciency and presence and Power and Wisdom secondly it doth any Office to any Neighbour as in bearing witness to any Truth and again to find out any Transgressour or Transgression and this is done may be done and ought to be done by all true Christians and therefore no necessity of that formal Ceremonious way of Swearing as under the Law neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of Christ's Words and the Apostles Words Swear not at all by Heaven or Earth or any other seeing all the main ends and good ends good purposes are Answered in the full which the Law in the full Latitude and morality thereof did require or for which it was given His sixth Argument is That either these Words Swear not at all must be interpreted as not to forbid any Oath though taken upon just accasion or else Paul never knew the meaning of this Text or else contrary to his knowledge and that upon good deliberation he acted against it and that in theâ—e very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost for his Oaths saith A. S. are upon record 1. Thes. 2.5 God is Witness see Rom. 1.9 Now to call God to Witness is the very substance of an Oath saith A. S. and as Austin tells him and he sayes He hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some Phanaticks which if they would yield to 〈◊〉 much as Paul saith God is Witness of the Truth of their assertions it might be wished out of condescension to their weakness that they might be dispensed withal if the Law would give leave as to the external formality of an Oath Answ. What A. S. will call a just occasion I know not it appears to me he would have a large compass and a larger then the most contenders against Christ's Doctrine that we have met with or what he will account a just occasion I know not though otherwise he seems to condemn sometime needless and vain Oaths in ordinary Communication though I know some without reflection upon A. S. who use them too to frequently and are not only Members but Pastours so called of the Church of England and though he seems in his Discourse here there to be against customary and vain Oaths yet for all that what he calls a â—ust occasion upon some Ground some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a Magistrate and some when any business is in Controversie betwixt man and Man câ—lls it a just occasion where sometimes I have seen a Curate administer that which he called an Oath upon a Book what Ground hâ— had I suspect either from Commandment or example of Primitive Ministers is certain he had none but it may be A. S. will conclude it was upon just occasion but what COMPASS he will have for his jâ—st Occasion is doubtful seeing he hath put no Termination or end to it but for ought I can perceive would leave liberty for every Man to exact an Oath upon another when he would and call it a just occasion and account it a point of duty in the other to obey even in ordinary Communication And as for St. Paul we deny thy Argument as that he never knew the meaning of this Text of Christ's prohibition secondly that in his Writings he acted contrary to his knowledge and upon set deliberation for though God was his Witness whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my Prayers Also that which A. S. calls an Oath 1 Thes. 2.5 For neither at any time used we flattering Words as ye know for a Cloak of Coâ—etouâ—ness God is witness Though we know and infallibly believe with A. S. that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost when he published the Gospel of Christ among the Gentiles and wrote both unto the Jews and to the Gentiles who believed that his calling God to witness was not any Oath
delighted in Concord and Unity and greatly delighted in the Company of such whom he knew truly feared the Lord and nothing did rejoyce his Heart more then to hear the Truth prospered and that the Churches did encrease in the blessed Fellowship of the Gospel of Christ Jesus And when his Dayes were near spent that Sickness and bodily Weakness came upon him he endured it with very great Patience unto the latter End and his dear Wife and some other Friends being with him he spoke forth heavenly things as one that had obtained the full Assurance of an heavenly Crown and as one whose Heart and Soul was fully fixed upon the Lord who was mightily seen to be with him to his very last End his Soul magnifying of him for his infinite Goodness unto him all his Life long and so he laid down his Head in Peace being he had faithfully served the Lord in his Generation And this is my Testimony for that faithful Servant of God who to the Hour of his Dissolution bore Testimony unto the Truth and my Soul's Desire is his Blood in the Day of the Lord may not be laid to the Charge of some who had a great Hand both in causing him at first to be made Prisoner and also in the continuing of him so to the very last but we leave things with the Lord as knowing Vengeance belongs to him and that he will give a Reward to every one according to their Works By one that loves the Name of the Righteous which shall never rot though the Wicked go down to the Grave and are remembred no more and by one that was a Friend and Country man of the Author of the ensuing Writings R. P. A funeral Verse or Verse in Remembrance of that pious Patriot and Christian Sufferer for the Testimony of his God and his Truth Francis Howgil who faithfully willingly and readily gave up his Life to the Death for the Record which he did bear concerning the Things of Jesus and for obeying the just Commands of Christ. Christian and Moderate Reader IN Silence I had sate and stay'd my Pen Yea as one not appearing till O then Great Pressures suffered me to take no Rest Till that unfolded was which in my Breast Lay cabined then with a mournful Eye Constrain'd I was to wring mine Elegy Love mix'd with Tears made Verse of this my Theam Tears mix'd with Love made tickling Eyes a stream Bedewed Cheeks they then did represent Symptoms of Sorrow weeping Eyes have sent But yet methinks I am not as alone There 's many with me that do make a Moan Yea there are Thousands that do sympathize With me they joyn and stand in watry Eyes When they at first do hear this sorrowing Sound That dear F. H. his Body is laid in 'th Ground But stay what 's need of mourning he 's at 's Rest Perpetual Joyes enjoyes forever blest Redemption from all Pain and Sorrow he Is now attain'd into Eternity Heaven's Joy yea his Soul in solacing The doubled Allelujah now to sing Who was adorn'd who richly beautifi'd Who valiant was for Truth when he was tryd Who stoutly did persist unto the End A Champion like for Christ his Life to spend Like a brave Warriour fighting in a Field Like to a Martyr he his Life did yield O glorious glorious everlasting God Praises to thee Praise sounds to thee abroad Who through thy great Power and wondrous Love Who through thy great Mercy didst approve And him didst call even in his tender Years So that he sought thee daily shedding Tears O this doth speak thy Praise thou living God Who didst so early lay on him thy Rod To bring him home lest he should go astray And step aside from thee another Way Yea this I know that Record he did give That from a Child he sought in God to live Then in process of Time thou by thy Light Remov'd the Darkness of his darksome Night Terrors O Lord from thee took hold of him And Judgment just upon the Man of Sin Thou cut him down with sharpness of thy Word Which was more sharp then a two-edged Sword Thou hewedst him all in Pieces and him try'd That thou mightst cause him to be purifi'd And then O Lord the dawning of thy Day To him appeared in Beauty to array Then did thy bright and glorious Morning-star Yea in his Heart arise and shine right clear Then Lord thy Comliness to him appeared Then Lord thy Mercy to his Soul was heard Speaking great Peace his Soul did consolate Thou madest him happy in a blessed state An Instrument of Praise Thousands give thee Thanks Lord that they his Face did ever see Thou fed'st him in the Valleys where t' was green Where fresh springs run thy Love was therein seen Thou led'st him nigh the Brooks and VVaters still VVith Joy and Gladness thou his Cup didst fill His Ministery in the Truth was great His VVords were piercing powerful and sweet Yea they were soft and tender gentle calm They were as Ointment as a precious Balm To heal to consolate to cure the smart Of many a swooning sorrowed wounded Heart Great was thy Love O God who oft instill'd Thy VVisdom living Vertues of him fill'd Who through thy inspired spirit bright Who with the Glimpses of thy glorious Light Who with the joyous splendour of thy Day Who with thy comely Beauty didst aray Who many Graces didst to him impart Yea Lord great Things revealed in his Heart Let these speak forth thy everlasting Praise By all who know thee now yea and alwayes That thou O living God descended down Into his Heart and there to take up Room So that O Lord nothing to him more dear Was then thy Truth when once it did appear Yea Lord his Life his Liberty his all He gave up freely when of him they call To Prison he resign'd till 's dying Day Truth ballanc'd all and had the greatest Sway Oh shall I now omit and not rehearse His Travails Prisons Perils in my Verse His Beatings Woundings which mine Eyes have seen His Stocking Threatnings Mockings which have been All which for Truth 's sake in his Time did bear Which did confirm his Testimony clear Rest then dear Francis rest in thy glorious Rest Rest in the Lord rest now forever blest Farewel my late dear Friend farewel my Dear Thy Absence causeth me a dropping Tear Thy Countenance thy Comliness to me More joyous was then outward Harmony Thy good Advice thy sound and Serious Words Thy many Writings which to Truth records The loving Aspect which from thee I had When now I do remember O I 'm sad That sweet Salute that from thy dying Lips I did receive in my Remembrance is Thine Eyes my Hands did close thee to thy Rest Once more I bid farewel forever blest Farewel farewel forevermore farewel Thy Habitation's Heaven there to dwell A Well-willer to the Truth who seals his Testimony that he dyed in and for the Truth E. G. Thomas Langhorn's
many Waters which shall make all the Potentates and the mighty of the Earth bow the Eye-lids of the morning are opened and the Sun is rising to his Height and the dark Air is scattering by the Breath of his Mouth and so all things shall appear in the Earth as they are and every thing under the Face of the Heaven shall be brought to Light and all the Powers of Darkness discovered and the Works and Workers of Iniquity shall no longer be hid but shall be discovered by the Light of the Son of God and shall be judged and condemned by the Life of Righteousness and blessed are they who know a hiding-Place in him when his overflowing Scourge passeth over the Nations which is already made ready to execute his Judgment upon the Heathen that know him not Oh! who may abide his Presence when he appears in his Power Majesty and Glory all the ungodly of the Earth shall be as driven Stubble before his Bow and shall flee before him nevertheless the Pursuer shall overtake and the Destroyer shall lay hold upon them and all the ungodly shall hear the Sentence Go ye cursed from the presence of the Lord into the Pit of Everlasting Destruction And when this Day comes upon the Nations all your Prophets Diviners and Teachers who are out of the Life of Christ who have flattered you and told you You were the higher Power and you must sit as Judges in the Things of the Father and Lord it over the Consciences of People and prescribe the Lord a Way and a Limit in your several Nations and Dominions they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you but the Helper and the helped shall both fall together the Strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble and their Loins weak so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher Power and the greatest Dignity who will rule over all Usurpers and over all the Children of Pride the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet and Teller of Lyes shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns Then shall the ransomed of the Lord and the righteous Seed whom the Nations have slain and persecuted the Prophets and holy Men of God and all that have been slain for the Testimony of Jesus rejoyce over the Deceit and it shall be sung in that Day The Lord God omnipotent reigneth who will ascend above all Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions and tread down all under his Feet that the Earth may be filled with his Glory and behold he cometh quickly in a Moment and suddain Destruction shall be upon his Enemies and the Breath of his Mouth shall make all melt away that hate the Lord and their Remembrance shall rot forever and ever Therefore oh all ye Powers of the Earth who are the Sons of fallen Adam whose Power ariseth out of the Earth in which the Devil dwells and the Serpent feeds who bear Rule but not by the Lord who sit as Judges in the Earth and yet your Judgment is from the Earth and from below know this you shall all be judged with the Just and all your unrighteous Decrees Laws Constitutions Ordinances and Edicts which are made in the fallen Wisdom you and they both together will be cast aside as a Thing of nought and must all be judged with the Just Therefore repent and turn to the Lord of Heaven and Earth that you may know his righteous Judgment set up in your Hearts and the Spirit of Injustice and Error purged out of your Hearts or else you judge not for God for all the Laws Constitutions and Ordinances which are made in the fallen Principle and fallen Wisdom to have all these in the Head or in the Memory so that he may act in a Nation or Kingdom according to the Letter of a Law prescribed in a Nation that doth not at all make a Man an able Minister of Justice or a Magistrate for God for the Root being unholy corrupt and erroneous from whence those Laws were given forth the Branches are unholy also the Ground being corrupt the Tree bad the Fruit is bad also and so all Nations who are degenerate from the Life of God their Laws and Constitutions do alwayes imbondage the regenerate so the Heart being deceitful and unrighteous such Laws proceed forth which do oppress the upright in Heart and all or most of the LAWS in all Nations are received by Tradition from Generation to Generation since the scattering of ISRAEL who received the Law from God's own Mouth by the Hand of Moses a Magistrate of the Lord and a Judge over Israel and so Heaps of Decrees Statutes and Ordinances there are in the Nations which do not answer that of God in the Conscience of every man and so that which is pure of God in the Conscience of every one cannot be subject to those Laws and Traditions but rather suffer as many Thousands have done cruel Deaths and great Oppression all this dark time of Anti-christ's Reign and of the Beast in all nations since the Apostacy and Death reigning over all the Sons of the first Adam in the Transgression Death hath breathed forth it self upon the Face of the Earth for Sin entering and Death by Sin it rules in the Heart and exerciseth his Power which stands in Unrighteousness and so all Mankind in all their acting can do nothing for God but against him and against his People who are redeemed out of the Region of Death and so all Law-givers Law-makers and Laws which stand in the Will of man and in the unrighteous Principle will the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Restorer of Mankind utterly overthrow abolish and take away their Power for the Law-giver shall come out of Sion whoever in all Nations that ever come to see him must see him come from thence whose Appearance shall be as a Lamp that burns and he shall change the Customs the Times and the Laws and overthrow all them that stand in the Curse for he shall lead out of Death and out of its Path and from under the Law of Sin and Death that all that hear him and come to be subject to his Law shall deny all those Laws in the very Ground and bear their Testimony against them which stand in that nature that transgresseth the Life And therefore give Ear all Nations and all Emperors Kings Monarchs Lords Judges and Rulers of the Earth in all Nations he is come and coming whose Right it is to judge the Earth in Righteousness and the People with Equity even he unto whom all Judgment is committed and he hath appeared as the Son of God in the North Region of the World in Power Majesty and great Glory and hath made the Mountains melt before him and he hath dryed up all the Springs of Babylon and hath made the Cedars bow and made the Trees of the Forrest to shake and the study Oaks hath he cut up by the Roots and turned
Now that which shews a man Evil after it be committed is the pure Appearance of God And that which shews a man the Temptations when they arise that is the same now this they call Common and that which preventeth a man and keeps him back that he lend not his Heart nor put forth his Hand to commit Evil but restrains a man from it is not that saving out of evil and that which stops the Adversary in his Way that he enter not but preserveth the Creature out of Defilement and saves him from it is not this saving is not this the same thing that the Apostle who was well acquainted with the Grace of God and of its Operation wrote of to Titus That Grace of God which brought Salvation which had appeared and doth now appear to all men which taught them self-denyal to deny worldly Lusts and also to live godly or like unto God in this present World and now doth the same is not this sufficient to believe in and sufficient to save Now I do not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto God then is to them that are convinced of their Evil by the same Grace yet still it is one and the self-same thing one Gift yet a greater Measure of one and the same pure Vertue and Power which is given to them that obey the Life which is already made manifest by its Appearance unto all Object But some will be ready to say that this is Errour and that which is contrary to the Scripture and to orthodox Teachers that the Grace which is saving is near all men and hath appeared to all men To that I answer Though grace be saving in it self even the grace that hath appeared to all men and may be truly called saving grace yet to them that believe not in it neither are taught by it it convinceth and shews Evil and checks and judges for it yet there is no Variation nor Change in the Gift of God but as it worketh upon different Objects for Faith and Unbelief are two different things as Light and Darkness are different and so the Word of his Grace is the Savour of Life unto Life that is to say unto them that believe and is the Savour of Death unto Death unto them who are in the Unbelief who indeed are dead while they live yet here is the same Grace and the same Word of Grace yet here are different Operations so the Lord killeth and maketh alive yet the same Lord the Spirit convinceth of Sin and reproveth for Sin and also consolates and comforts here is Diversity of Operations yet the same Spirit which never alters Object But further some may say If that it be saving Grace or at least a degree and a Measure of saving Grace that hath appeared to all men then how is it that all are not saved by it Answ. Because I would all stumbling blocks were removed away that the Path might be made plain that all might come to believe in that which is God's Gift in which there is Power and Sufficiency therefore I am constrained by the Grace of God to declare of it and to bear witness to it thus largly which I know will be to the Edification of all that hunger after Righteousness All are not saved by it because they believe not in it neither are taught by it yet its Validity Power and Vertue is nevertheless in it self and though them that are careless and heedless say We feel no Power nor Sufficiency in it to save us from Sin yet this makes not void their Confidence who have receiâ—ed it and know its Power which hath given them Power and also Sufficiency to do the Will of God what though Unbelievers who are in the Alienation say there is no Beauty in Christ neither Fâ—rmnor Comliness this makes not his Glory void who is the express Image of the Father full of Grace and Truth the Disciples saw it and bore Record of him who were in the Faith and the Pharisees said he had a Devil who were in the Unbelief but in brief this is my Testimony that the Grace of God the perfect gift of God which shews Ungodliness and leads from Ungodliness all that are taught by it is a sufficient Teacher of it self I mean as the Power of Christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it Paul a Minister of the word of Reconciliation who was rapt up into the third Heaven where he saw things unutterable came to be tempted and buffetted with the Messenger of Satan and Fear and Doubting rose up in him and he prayed unto God thrice and this answer was given unto him my grace is sufficient for thee so this is evident to all Understandings who are opened by the Lord that which shewed him the Temptations and Satan's Messengers and Satan's Buffetings was sufficient to preserve him and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it sufficient to shew Ungodliness because of its Purity and to lead from worldly Lusts by its Power and to teach the Will of God and to live like unto God in this present World and this Testimony I bear of it and to it even what I have felt and tasted and handled of its Sufficiency and Vertue and Power of its Operation for the Confirmation of the same Truth which is believed by many Brethren and also for the Information of them who thirst after the Lord and for the Opposition of all the Gain-sayers and Opposers of it which Testimony I commend to that of God in every man which will witness me herein in the Day of God when all Hearts are opened and all Falshoods and Truth is made manifest in the mean time shall rest in that which I have declared of in which there is pure and perfect Peace A Word to you wise Men of this World who are glorying in the Sound of Words and worshipping outward Appearances to all wise and literal Professors who think you are worshipping God aright who think to search into the deep Things of God by your natural Wisdom Learning Parts and Study GOD hath broken open the Seals of the great Deep where the wonderful unalterable things of God are revealed from whence eternal Wisdom is flowing forth to his little Ones whom he hath sanctified from the Womb and his Power and Glory he is shedding abroad and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a Womb by which Power and Wisdom you are all weighed even by one who is swadled about with Righteousness and girded up with the Girdle of Truth you are all measured as with a Span and are all weighed as with a Scale all your Parts Tongues Languages Interpretations Significations Wisdom that are come to be enjoy'd by them who have believed in the true Light that lighteth every Man which rounds you all as an Heap and measures you all as with a Line your Breadth Length
have your Minds stayed that you may adorn the Truth by a chast sober and holy Conversation and your Lives preach and answer the just in every Man that so Truth may be exalted above all Deceit And Friends keep your Meetings on the first Day at your several Places where you might hitherto have waited in Stilness and Quietness but it hath not yet been prized as it ought and you may all yet learn and see all those that run up and down being heady and self-willed that still run after Words and never come into the Obedience of the Truth and now are turned out where they were before nay worse and a Fan will yet come and all that stumble at the Cross shall all fall and they that get above it deny the Power of God But Friends since the Truth hath been declared among you you have not known a Want and that makes the careless and the full now to loath Manna the least of which if you had had in Time past would have been accepted unto you And so now all you who have kept your Garments clean whom the Lord hath preserved out of the Snare of the Enemy below and dwell in Love in Meekness and Peace one with another and grow up in the Wisdom of God and Life of God and now see that all keep in the Fear look to your own every one in Particular that you may savour and discern all Deceit and keep the Faith that so you may see Victory daily and do not talk of things above what you enjoy and let none think of himself above what is meet and he that is least shall be Minister And so the Lord God of Life preserve you all in Uprightness that you may come through all this Mud and Dirt and may find your Strength renewed and the Power of the Lord more made manifest the Desire of my Soul is to the Lord for you all fulfil my Joy in your Obedience to the Truth as it is made manifest in you and the God of Life and Power be with you all who are of an upright Heart I am yours as you continue in the Faith which hath been declared and revealed in as many as have believed F. H. THE Invisible Things OF GOD BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY THE REVELATION OF THE ETERNAL SPIRIT Who was an Eye-Witness of the Wonders of the Lord in the Beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all Things in the Beginning and the sad Estate of all Things after the Transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The Estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her State in the Apostacy and the Glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect Beauty again after the dark Night of Apostacy F. H. The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun as seven Dayes and he will destroy in this Mountain the Face of the Covering cast over all People and the Vail that is spread over all Nations Isa. 25.7 AN EPISTLE TO THE Reader or Readers TO the upright-hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the Thick Fogs and Mists which have arisen out of the bottomless Pit which have been raised up since the Transgression which have dimmed your Eyes and hurt your Sight so that you could not behold the pure caelestial Being nor him that dwells in it whose Presence gives Life nor any thing within the Vail because the Vail hath been spread over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the Night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been so long since the Woman fled into the Wilderness and since the Manchild which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for these many Ages past have come to see the End of the Night but have mourned without Hope and few or none have seen or have been able to discern the time of the Woman's Return out of the Wilderness again into which she fled and few or none have seen to the End of the times after which she should return Mens Sight in the Apostacy hath been so dim and in the Vexation that when the Man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few have had Faith to believe or Sight to behold him or an Understanding to discern of the times But Praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened and is opening the Windows of Heaven and showring down his Wisdom as a mighty Rain and his Knowledge as the Morning Dew and an Understanding is pouring forth as the Water out of the Bottles of Heaven and as the Water Spouts so that Ages Times Things Dayes and Years are measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things were made who hath been as in a far Country all this long Night of Darkness but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his Appearance is as a Morning without Clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the Clouds Fogs and Mists as with the East Wind and his pure Breath clears the Air and by his Arm which is mighty is he renting the Vail of the Covering according to his Promise and revealing himself in his naked Glory that the solitary may rejoyce and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good Understanding what I have writ thou must read me only in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my Words are a Riddle the Dreamers of this Age in the Apostacy say Immediate Revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my Testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of Man nor from Man nor Books nor other Words but by the Eternal Spirit who saw these things and was an Eye-Witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might bear my Testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made Use of the Scriptures and the Saints Words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who readest that so every Truth may be confirmed by two or three Witnesses if thou wait to know and find the Key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the State of things before the Fall and after the Fall and how all Men in the Fall have corrupted themselves in all Administrations thou wilt see the State of the Church before the Apostacy in the Apostacy and what shall be after the Apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judge them not before the Day appear in thy self for till then they will be obscure to
nourished with the VVater of Life which is not an Element nor elementary but is caelestial and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting Life and come to be born of the Water and the Spirit and enter into God's Kingdom Dominion Power Life Wisdom Excellency and eternal Glory happy is he that believes and abides in Patience unto the End Now since the Dayes of John the Kingdom of God hath been preached and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed and many in the Day when Christ was manifest in the Flesh believed unto whom he declared the Mind of the Father and by him was the Father glorified he fulfilled the Law and did many Works and Miracles by the Power of the Father and herein was the Father glorified and them that did believe in him their Faith was strengthned and he opened the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to his Disciples and bore witness and prophesied the Destruction of Jerusalem and of all their Worship and said No more at Jerusalem nor at Samaria but the Time was coming when they that worshipped the Father should worship him in Spirit and Truth and declared against the Pharisees Righteousness and said to his Disciples Except their Righteousness did exceed the Pharisees they could not enter the Kingdom of God and yet the Pharisees performed all the outward things commanded but were in the Idolatry and did not believe in the Life Now he declared of his Suffering many things and also how he would go away and how he would come again and would not leave them comfâ—rtless but these things were hart to be believed then by his Disciples and further he told them he must be betrayed and suffer and rise again and when the Hour was come that he was betrayed when he was with his Disciples even the same Night he was betrayed he took Bread and broke it and blessed it and said take and eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in Remembrance of me and after he took the Cup and after he had supped saying this is the Cup of the New Testament in my Blood as often as you drink it do it in Remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.23 24. And Matthew Mark and Luke delare the same and this was real Bread and real Wine which was a Representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the Spirit and never intended for any further thing but as a Figure or a Representation of the Bread of Life and of the Cup of Blessing which afterward they came to be Witnesses of and as oft as they eat and drank they did shew forth the Lordâ—s Death till he came Now this was practised among the Disciples after he was risen from the dead and did converse with them at many times and exhorted them and comforted them and instructed them and told them that they should be Witnesses of his Name unto the Ends of the Earth and gave them Commandment to teach all Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost and did promise to be with them to the End of the World and told how the Comforter would come and that the Father would send him in his Name even the Spirit of Truth which was with them and should be in them to be their Teacher Leader and Guide and bring all things to their Remembrance Now that which he gave them as a Figure and to be a Sign unto them of the clearer Manifestation of himself which afterward came to be fulfilled and they Witnesses of it who grew up in the pure invisible Being and did see the Mystery through the Revelation of the Spirit which did more clearly shew unto them the Mysteries within the Vail for as I said of Water it was a Sign of a good thing to come so the Bread and the Cup was also a Sign of a good thing to come as all outward Figures were but they that did believe and grew up in the Faith in the Seed Christ they came to see the Substance in whom all Figures end and had Communion with him within the Vail after he was ascended where he was before now the Apostle he spoke as to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 16. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ And Ver. 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread mark all they that did believe though they were many yet they were one Bread and one Body and were all Partakers of that one Bread which Bread was the Flesh of Christ. Joh. 6 48. I am the Bread of Life And Joh. 6.51 I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven if any Man eat of this Bread he shall live forever and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World Now I speak unto wise men and let the Wisdom of God in them manifest judge what I say for where the Body of Christ is witnessed and the Flesh of Christ known they know that which all the Figures end in the Manna that God gave no Israel in the Wilderness they dyed that did eat thereof which was as pure a Type of the hidden Manna as lively a Type as Bread outward which was but a Type of the Flesh of Christ and both they that did eat the Manna and they that eat the Bread outward and drank the Cup outward are both dead but he that eats the Flesh of Christ and drinks the Blood lives forever and he that eats the hidden Manna hath overcome Death and lives forever and feeds upon the Bread of Life feeds upon eternal Life Now this is a Mystery to the Papists who are Idolaters who have sprung up in the Apostacy though they have Scriptures as it was to the Jews John 6.52 who strove among themselves and said how can this man give his Flesh to eat And so the Papists who strive about the Flesh of Christ and his Blood and yet have the Scriptures and they say it 's in the Bread and in the Wine after Consecration and so they worship the Imaginations of their own Hearts not discerning the Lords Body and have Killed thousands and taken away the Lives of thousands because they would not confess their Idol to be of God And the Protestants they are setting up the Bread and the Wine and contenting themselves therewith and are making an Idol of it and come not to discern the Body of Christ but one saying he hath a carnal Body and another a Fleshly Body another a Mystical Body and another sayes his Body is divided from his Members and so speak out of thick Darkness their own Imaginations and have no communion with the Body of Christ neither know the Flesh of Christ which is the Bread of Life which is given
is but to set Bryars and Thorns in Battel against the Lord. Thy Book thou callst Hell broke Loose or a History of the Quakers published to preserve Christians against formality of Religion and Apostacy and to the intent that thy Book might not grow old nor stick upon thy Hands as such other moudly stuff hath done thou saist London Printed in the Year 1660. and so hast Printed a lye in the Frontis-piece of thy Book thy Book by that time thou may'st hang up with old Almanacks or sell for waste Paper and if thou beginst with a lye and Scorn how dost thou think that this will be an Antidote as thou callst it against formality and Apostacy Is not a Lyar an Apostate is not he that pleads for Popish Trumpery a formalist in Religion without the Power he that reads but thy Title page may see what thy Book is within if he go no further the Covenant of Death is not yet broken in thee and the agreement with Hell is not yet disannulled and therefore all this Smoke is come out of the Pit in which thou delights to dwell And is this such a worthy Piece in thy account that thou must needs shelter it under the Wings of the Officers of the Army of England Scotland and Ireland art thou so great a Friend to them and in thy Book tell'st them they were the in-let of Heresie and Blasphemy who art but yet an Episcopal stem or at best a Presbyterial Branch I believe many amongst them will savour thy Spirit and know what Uniformity and unity thou art for which may be more properly called deformity and Enmity and so thy Flattering Epistle when they see thy Spirit will hardly merit thanks and so that wicked Spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former Parliaments and Protectors still persists in the unsatiable desire to see if the Army will gratifie thee and turn Persecutors but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend Pastors or Priests of Scotland the Army knows right well or at least might do that the Priests of Scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes Hinderers and Obstructors of the Way of God and of his Work these divers Years instance two â—o three Hundred of them before the sight at Dunbar who Prophesied all like Zedekiah for the poor Scots against the English Army to go up and Prosper and Cursed them and Excommunicated them and gave them up to Satan and for Distruction but such Prophets were made fools and their divinations were Madness and God gave a sufficient Testimony against them and their deceived Followers which I hope the English Army have not 〈◊〉 forgotten and for the Scotish Priests and their Doctrine and Practice 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably Prophane as I believe many of the Army do right well know but such as are not satisfied I refer them to a Book called The Doctrines and Principles of the Priests of Scotland wherein may be seen their deceit and how some of them have said they had Reason to curse the Magistrates from morning to Night because that Allowance was granted unto any to Worship God in Spirit and Truth who could not be subject to their Traditional uniformity and thou tellest the Army in thy Epistle That ruin is like to come upon all Religion and Piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way they may see what Religion thou art of which may be rather called Irreligious and Impious the Government of Religion and Piety lyes upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful Counsellor and mighty to save and able to defend them that are subject to him and wouldst thou have the Souldiers or any others intrude themselves into Christ's Throne unto whom all Power is committed both to make Religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him this were to derogate from the Honour and Power which belongs to Christ who is the Head of the Church who will not give his Glory to another and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take Honour from him and glory from him he hath laid their honour in the Dust and their Glory is become as the moth-eaten Garment as hitherto it hath been evident and thou tellst them They know the Scripture is God's written Word and a Holy perfect rule of Faith and Practice and that it holds out that Christ is now in his human glorified Body in Heaven If thou hadst said the Scripture are the Words of God written thou hadst said something for the Word of God is one thing and the Words are another though the words are a Testimony of the Word and the Word and the Spirit which is one which gave forth the Words are the perfect Rule and Foundation of Faith which was before the Words and is greater then the Words as we have often declared to thy dearest Generation though they would not hear and where doth the Scripture hold forth a Human glorified Body in Heaven thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a Human glorified Body we say according to the Scriptures that Christ's Body is spiritual and he is raised a spiritual Body and is Glorified in a spiritual Body and in a Heavenly Body which thou never knewest neither art like while the Nature lives in thee in which thou now stands And thou say'st in thy Epistle that one day in seven should be set apart for rational Souls to mind the things of Eternity And which is that Day that thou wilt set apart some of Babylon's Merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day and some have called the seventh day the Sabbath and some have called the first day the Sabbath and whether was Sabbaths made for Man or Man for Sabbaths and whether was dayes made for man or man made for dayes all time is in the Hand of the Lord and they that have Communion with him do mind the things of Eternity every day and so they come to know the day of the Lord in which rest is given to the Soul and the Creature hath rest though he labour in the Creation when that is done away in himself which hath Opprest thou may'st go learn what this means In thy Post-script as thou callst it thou saist If any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or Military Power to Support Religion thy defence is thy belief is That thou ought to seek to the higher Powers to support Religion and this is the Liberty of thy Conscience and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who Cross their own profest Opinion as they have done of late Years by motions Counsels Books and Papers which they have delivered for these many Years for â—he pulling down the Ministry and Steeple-houses and that their importuning the Magistrate to pull down Ministry and Worship is a yielding of the Cause I say thy belief is without the true Foundation and so
witness the breaking of the Bread which is the Body and in this answer there is not one word of Church Fiftly E. B. In answer to Firmin his words thou hast perverted and would bring this as a contradiction of R. H. thou saist He allows only the Wicked and Ungodly to read the Scripture such as the Scribes and Pharisees and not the godly And not the godly is thy own Addition he spoke concerning the Scribes and Pharisees who thought to have Eternal Life in the Scripture he saith this was spoken to the Pharisees and not to believers yet Believers are not excluded from reading the Scripture for them it pertains to and they understand it but thou art like the Spider where the Bee gathers Honey gathers that which is corrupt and in thy conclusion of thy Story thou takest in Hand to supplicate God and thou saist it is for the help of them that need it this thou might have spared till the old Prelates had come up again it may be some Synod of them will add to the Book of Common-Prayer thy late Service and Worship dost thou think the Lord will hear thy Hypocrisie and Lyes without returning his Judgment on thy Head Thou tellest of some that set light of Christ and his Blood and Word thou art one of them that set light of Christ and count his Blood as a vain thing as thy own Words in thy Book shall testifie where the Reader may observe when we have testified of the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World who is the Way to the Father thou hast set down out Words for Blasphemy and Error when divers of them are the Words of Scripture and none of them but the Scripture will testifie unto against thee and as for the Blood of Christ and the Blood of the everlasting Covenant thou countest a vain thing and an unholy thing even which cleanseth from Sin and bears witness against it and subdues it and makes them that receive it Conquerers over Sin but thou that cryest out against Perfection or Freedom from Sin and countest this Error and Blasphemy thou denyest that which sanctifieth and cleanseth from Sin and counteiâ— it unholy and vain and so if the Lord should hear thee and grant that thou prayest for Destruction would come upon thee and thou art one of the formal Professors that had Need to repent of thy Deceit before thou canst pray unto God either for thy self or others but Enmity and Wickedness lodges in thy Heart against the Lord and the VVay of Truth and thou hast resisted the Counsel of the Lord against thy self and therefore VVoes Plagues Thunders and Storms are truly thy Portion and nothing else must thou expect which undoubtedly will come upon thee except thou repent and it will be hard for thee to find a Place of Repentance for it is yet hid from thine Eyes So I have answered thy lying History by which thou would'st inchant Peoples Minds and have discovered thy Deceit and thy Poison which thou hast put in that thou callest an Antidote that so the Simple may not be deceived with thy Lyes and Cheats neither the innocent betrayed only I shall return a few of thy Lyes upon thy own Head which thou hast forged up against the Quakers out of thy corrupt Heart and out of the lying Stories of the Priests with whom thou art in League but he that sits in Heaven laughs you to Scorn and all whose Eyes the Lord hath opened will have thy lying Story in Derision and loath thy Enmity and testifie against thy Spirit as not to be of God And because thou hast said in thy Advertisement to the Reader That thou hast not knowingly wronged the Quakers in the least I say thou hast either knowingly or ignorantly wronged them and of both thou must repent before thou findest Mercy and because thou tell'st the Reader thou wilt make good every Thing thou hast charged against them to any who require it I do require thee to make these ensuing Things good 1. That the Quakers deny the Death and Ascension of Christ. 2. That we deny the Divinity of Christ. 3. That the Priests under the Law that took Tythes did Evil and for it were counted false Prophets and Deceivers 4. That a man is just fled by the merits of his own good Works 5. That the ignorant may not read the Scriptures 6. The Quakers are a carnal and bloody People 7. That the Quakers are bewitched and possessed by the Devil 8. That Christians are worse then Beasts 9. That the Body of Christ is not in Heaven 10. That Christ as man had his Failings 11. That man is not reconciled to God until he can stand by his own Power 〈…〉 12. That Christ was a single man true man and dyed for us 13. That without the Grace of God a man may keep the Commands of God 14. That they deny the Relation of a Father a Brother or a Wife 15. That all that the Quakers have suffered is for evil-doing being Malefactors These among many others thou art required to prove and to make good as thou hast promised or else forever stop thy lying Lips own thy Condemnation for thy Envy and false Aspersions and these things I lay at thy Door as Lyes see how thou wilt clear thy self in the Sight of them unto whom thou hast written thy Story many filthy and ungodly Stories are besides in thy Book which I shall not trouble the Reader or cumber his Mind with thy filthy Stuff but in what already declared thy Deceit will be made manifest and laid open and Truth cleared from thy Lyes and that will be Satisfaction to him who desires that all who love the Lord may be kept out of the Snares and Temptations of the Devil who goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour and thou may'st see whose Foot-steps Thomas Underhil hath trode who hath ranged up and down from Age to Age from Nation to Nation from one Region to another to fetch up Lyes and fabulous Stories to resist the Truth withal whose Reward will be according to his Works FRiend consider what thou hast done Oh how hast thou brought a Vail of bad Report upon thy Name amongst all that fear God and how hast thou hurt and wounded thy self by thy own Wickedness and the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee The Wickedness of the wicked shall slay him what hast thou no better Use to make of thy time then to spend it with inventing Mischief against a despised People that seek not the Hurt of my one but thirst and wait for the glorious Appearance of the Son of God And what thou hast sought to do against them shall be the Weight upon thy own Conscience in the dreadful Day of God whose 〈◊〉 Judgments thou canst not escape Alas for thee poor man thou secuâ—e Child of Babylon whose Strength is Weakness and whose Wisdom is meer 〈◊〉 in the Sight of the Lord the
practices in the first hundred Years after Christ and if these things be found invented and without footing or Ground then let them that are informed depart from them CHAP III. But now to descend a little further nearer unto our own Age to speak something to them which I believe look upon themselves to be Catholick and Apostolick in Doctrine and Practice according to the Primitive Time and Order and that they are totally come out of the Apostacy THis I have to say to you which is my Judgment and Belief and that upon good Ground that you are in many things in the Apostacy as hereafter I shall demonstrate and to tell you nakedly and plainly we look upon the Reformation which was made in denying the Church of Rome to be but very weak and poor and feeble and imperfect comparatively with the Doctrine and Practice and Order in the primitive times insomuch that we judge upon good Grounds that it cannot be parallel'd with the Church in the primitive Times which I have spoken of before in that you have denyed the Pope to be the Head of the Church and so are called Protestants so am I knowing that Christ is the Head of the Church and ought to rule by his spiritual Scepter and his eternal Power in the Hearts and Consciences of People and in and over the true Church which is his Body whereof he is the Head and let all take heed who do intrude and take upon them that which belongeth to the King of Kings and King of Saints as to matter of Headship Regulation or Government for all power is committed unto him in Heaven and Earth and the Father hath given it to him and will not have any other have that Glory but whosoever seeks it must be condemned and his Glory he will not give to another for the Lamb is worthy of Glory and Strength And though the Church of Rome be generally acknowledged to be in the Apostacy by them that are separated from them and that upon good Ground yet I say the Separation is in some little or small part more in Name then Nature more in Form then in power more in some circumstantial things then in the very Ground it self and very many of these Doctrines practices Diâ—cipline and Order as they call it I find to be upholden practised and contended for which are found in the former I have mentioned First of all to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed Protestants is that the Writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John and several Epistles is the Gospel which the primitive Disciples and Ministers preached and published and which people did receive and by believing the Sound thereof were accounted Christians and Believers We would have all to know the Gospel was preached to Abraham before Matthew or Mark or any of the Apostles writ a Word Moreover we would have all to know that Christ had preached glad tidings to the captives and some of the Disciples had preached the Word of the Kingdom before Matthew or Mark or Luke or John had wrote a Word my Reasons are divers Matthew Mark Luke and John must needs hear and see that done which they testified of before they writ and if Matthew Mark Luke and John be the Gospel the Writings of them I intend then the Disciples could not preach it before it was given forth and if the Epistles be a part of the Gospel this the Disciples could not preach before it was written for Paul succeeded and was converted after divers of the Apostles had preached the Gospel so then doubtless the Disciples and Apostles had something to say and declare and publish before any of the New-Testament was written and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the Law nor the Ordinances of the first Covenant after Christ was offered up the End of the first So then there was something and is something which was preached by them and is to be published now to all that are made Ministers by the holy Ghost and that is in few Words the Power of God which was before the New Testament so called though the Words declare of it but is not it Now they went and discipled in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost which is a Ministry far beyond the written or declarative Sound or indeed is a spiritual and invisible Thing which the Apostle Acts 26.18 declaring his Message which he had received by the holy Ghost saith I was sent to turn them viz. the Gentiles and Jews and them of Arabia and else where he soiourned from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God's Power that they that believed in the Light and received the Power of God which he preached to them might receive Remission of Sins for Remission of Sin was only preached in his Name and there is no Name under Heaven by which Men can be saved but by the Name of Jesus though the Apostles spoke according to the Motion of the Spirit in divers Words calling him the Gift of God the free Gift of Righteousness the unspeakable Gift the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World the Power of God and the Wisdom of God which Wisdom and Power they had received and because the Son of God was revealed in them the Apostle said I am a Debtor to the Jews and the Greeks Rom. 1.14 And he having received 〈◊〉 freely of the Father he went to the Jews and went to the Greeks to the Gentiles and Heathen where the Name of this Gift and Power and Jesus had not been named and published freely without Gifts and Rewards and the Necessity did lye upon him 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Love of Chrâ—st which was shed abroad in his Heart constrained him and made him reckon himself as a Debtor unto all because of the abundant Loving Kindness and Riches of God's Love and Grace and spiritual Gifts which he had received he longed and thirsted and travailed to communicate it unto others Largely I might speak of this hidden Mystery as to demonstrate what the Gospel of Christ was and is but in what I have already said they that are any thing spiritual minded will judge that the Law and the Prophets Matthew Mark Luke and John and the Epistles were not the everlasting Gospel but it was a thing beyond and above and before any of these writings were although they all in their several Ages bore Testimony of it viz. the Power of God which condemns Sin in the Flesh and mortifies the Deeds thereof and gives Victory over it and taketh up all that believe in it into one Life Power and Virtue into pure Peace and heavenly Contentment and perfect Satisfaction So you who are calling the Letter the Gospel or the New Testament writings the Gospel I would ask you a Question also When was there a time since the first hundred Years after Christ or in that time till now that these Words and Writings have
but in Holes hundreds of Houses burnt Men Women and Children Children taken from their Mothers Breasts and knockt against the Walls toss'd upon Pikes Spears wounded with Swords thrown into Lakes and Rivers stript Naked starv'd in cold Seasons through such like in human and Savage cruelty Commissions given from your Nuntio's and Agents to Rob to Steal even Servants from their Masters even upon this account only to weaken and enfeeble the Sectaries and Hereticks as you stile them to advance your Holiness's Chair and to propagate your holy or rather Unholy Church and Religion which things remain fresh in the memory of many Nations to this Day besides doth not your Church tolerate Stews and Adulterous Houses in the Cities where you have Dominion Besides Pride abounds amongst you more then the Nation beside And so your Church hath neither this Mark nor Sign of Holiness Fourthly As for your Church being Cathâ—lick and Universal you want this Sign also If it be One Universal comprehends all Nations like aâ— all the World in comparison were your Church What is Germany France England Scotland and Ireland nothing What is all the Turks Dominions of your Faith And thou saist In Asia Affrica and America all is coming to an End There is that risen and arising in America which must spread over the Nations the Breath of the Lord bloweth which will daily dry up the Waters which is the Seat of your Church which you so much Boast of And what have you converted all the Indians nay have you not hardned their Hearts against the Name of Christ because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them So that the Name of Christ and christian is become as Odious unto them as Mahomet is unto you And so you are without this Sign as that you are the true church Lastly That your church is Apostolick if this be the Mark of the true church then you are without this also for you are neither Apostolick in Doctrine nor Practice your Weapons are carnal theirs spiritual their Head was Christ the Light of the World your Head is visible and carnal which darkens the World they turned People from Darkness to Light and to the Word of Faith in their Hearts and to know Christ in them to justifie them But one of your Rabbies told us lately you had no such Doctrine in the church of Rome as Christ in you The Apostles turn'd them to the Anointing and to the Spirit to be taught by it and to be led by it into to all Truth and to worship in it and you turn them to Images Pictures Crucifixes Beads and Altars and so keep People in outward things which feed the Sensual and corrupt part Lastly they said Bodily exercise profiteth little and most of your Worship stands in observing of Days Meats Drinks Washings Sprinklings Altars Tapers lighting and bearing Candles Bowing creeping to the Cross turning wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your Worship so that there is no time left for the Heart to be exercised towards God And so you are not Apostolical and so are without this true sign of being the true Church of God But I shall descend to particular things which are asserted and seem to be proved but very weakly But we can expect no Wine but such as is in the Bottle It is asserted by this Author That the Pope is the Head of the true Church in which Salvation is only to be expected And his proof he brings is this Christ hath so ordained it in saying to Peter Matth. 16.18.19 Upon this Rock will I build my Church and Christ hath given Power to him and his Successors to be a Head to rule and govern the Church and as there is an Emperour to be the Head of the Empire and a King of the Kingdom so Peter and hâ—s Successors are the Head of the Church and have the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven to bind and to loose and to remit and to retain Sins The Apostolick Church hath this Doctrine That Christ was given to be the Head of the Body which is the Church which is spiritual though in the World yet not of the World and the Father hath committed all Power in Heaven and Earth to the Son and hath ordained him to be a Leader a Teacher and Feeder of his Flock and to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and his Glory he will not give unto another But it seemes the Church of Rome hath soared so high in their Conceiâ—s and Imaginations that they judge all this Power to be given unto the Pope Peter's Successor as thâ—y say Now we do not read of two Heads to the one Body which is the true Church Ephes. 4.4.15 And so this is a contrary Doctrine then that of the Primitive Church and Christ who is the Head of the Body he said Lo I am with you to the End of the World And so it is the meer Arrogancy and Pride of the Pope to be called the head of the Church and an intrenching Christ's Power and Prerogative and that ever Peter was called the Head of the Church we do not read and that of the 16 th of Matthew is but a poor Proof to prove Peter to be the Head of the Church for Christ spoke unto his Disciples ver 15. and asked them Whom say ye that I am Peter as one amongst the rest said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and Christ said Upon this Rock will I build my Church viz. Upon him which was reveal'd unto Peter by the Father the Son of God which was the Rock which the Fathers eat of and drank of Christ the Rock of Ages and another Foundation can no man lay said the Apostle then that which is laid already Christ the Rock and Corner-Stone and not Peter for Christ is unchangeable and abideth for ever and so was not Peter though Peter and the rest of the Apostles received Power from Christ yet in the 22 d. and 23 d. verses of the same chapter he was gone out of the savour and discerning and Christ said unto him Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God and what though it could be proved that Peter was at Rome a Pastor an Elder or a Bishop who fed the Flock and did feed the Flock and so might be reckoned as an Elder and worthy of Honour in respect of his Labour and Diligence in the Work of Christ is the Promise so entailed to Rome or to any Place that the next that succeeds in that Place must needs receive the same Honour when he doth not the same Work which is worthy of Honour neither is in the same Power but this I am sure of though the Church of Rome lay claim unto Peter's Bishoprick as they say yet they have not done his Work And secondly If Peter was at Rome and a Pastor yet he was not a Lord for Christ reproved that when they strove which
as well as that which is unconsecrated then we will deny our Faith and confess that you are the true Church Lastly If you be not Idolaters there were never any in the World who say that to adore or worship the Bread and Wine after Consecration is no more Bread but whole Christ your God and Redeemer who placeth himself there upon the Altar by Miracle it 's a miraculous Thing indeed that that which is given unto you by the Priest which enters in at the natural Mouth and goes into the Belly should be the Body of Christ and whole Christ and very God and Redeemer as thou say'st that one Person should contain whole God seeing the Scripture saith that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him for he is the very Fulness that filleth all Things Oh gross Darkness and palpable Ignorance which you have led People to believe and call this Idol that Rats and Mice may eat whole Christ God and Redeemer and you have destroyed and burnt to Ashes many for Hereticks who could not believe this Doctrine Therefore all People it 's Time to look about you and see where you stand and what you joyn unto if you cannot receive this Doctrine for Holy and Apostolick by the Church of Rome not worthy to live and without Doubt might not if this Church had but that Authority which sometimes it hath had in England but I hope the Eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable Doctrine The Author sayes That Ceremonies were used by Christ at his last Supper and they excite People to their Devotion during the Sacrifice but for Proof you must expect none from this Author and the Scripture is silent in the Thing and Ceremonies and Formalities are so far from stirring up the Mind to God that they â—ndeed draw the Mind to be busied in the Exercise of them from waiting upon God and from worshipping him in the Spirit and such Worshippers are only accepted of him The Mass is said in Latine and the rest of Divine Service for if it were not ignorant People might easily be mistaken if these Mysteries were done in the vulgar Language and because the Scripture hath been written in Latine Greek and Hebrew and these three Languages were written upon Christ's Cross and therefore these three Nations ought to use them at their Mass and Divine Service but the Priestly Garments and Ceremonies gâ—ve enough to understand what is done at the Mass and Divine Service Answ. This looks with a black Visage to be Apostolick Doctrine but however I shall search into it and examine it by the Apostle's Doctrine before it be condemned it 's a good Shift indeed to keep People from Mistakes not to let them know what they say or do but this is contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine 1 Cor. 14.7.8 9 10 11 14 15. If a Trumphet give an uncertain Sound who can prepare to Battel and except Words uttered be understood how shall it be known what is spoken If the Meaning of the Voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken the Speaker and the Hearer are Barbarians one to the other And when one understands not what is spoken how can he be edified And all Services ought to be done to Edâ—fication So your Church is erred from the Apostolick Doctrine and your Mass and your Service doth not edifie at all but you are as Barbarians one to another for your Worship goes on in such a back Road that the vulgar People would soon learn it and know it and it may be slight it if they should know the Worthlesness of it and therefore the only Way you â—udge is to keep them in Ignorance And what Mystery is there in the Mass and your Service seeing that it stands in Crossings Cringings and Abundance of endless Ceremonies and Reiteration of Words which are patcht up by many Authors contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine But it seems the Priests Garments and Ceremonies give Understanding enough to the Auditors a dumb shew is enough for them like a Poppet-play to make them understand the Mysteries of your Mass an unbloody Sacrifice indeed in which there is no Remission nor Acceptation And here thou hast acquainted us with a Mystery indeed Because Latine Greek and Hebrew were written by Pilate upon the Cross of Christ therefore they are called sacred Languages sure the Church of Rome hath lost both Faith and Reason will any that hath a Friend that should be crucified upon a Cross and an Enemy who condemned him should set over him Words in Latin Greek and Hebrew in contempt that therefore a man should count the Cross holy and the Language sacred as the Church of Rome doth is great Ignorance and Idolatry of which she is full and therefore is not Apostolick nor the one true Church in which Salvation is to be looked for as the Author would make People believe The next false and superstitious Doctrine which this Merchant of the Church of Rome holds for Apostolical is the Reliques and Images of Saints and also Prayer by the Beads by Number and Tale as Brick-makers sell their Bricks and this the Church of Rome would put off unto us as Apostolical Doctrine The Reliques and Images of Saints are honourable in Regard of the Saâ—nts which they have Relation unto and God himself makes Use of them for his Mâ—racles Moses was enforced to honour the holy Ground where the Angel appeared Exodus 3. And David commanded the Ark to be adored because it was God's Foot-stool Psal. 99.5 And to honour the Reliques and Images of Saints is no Idolatry for that is Idolatry to worship false Gods and Châ—ist doth not take it ill that we honour his Saints and Friends And to number our Prayers if Hail Mary be said upon Beads threescore and three Times it 's because Mary lived so many Years and the Prophet prayed seven Times a Day and Christ three Times in the Garden and it 's not evil to say our Prayers by Number and if five Pater-nosters be said it 's in Honour of the five Wounds and what would there be amiss in this And it 's not Idiots that pray â—y Beads but Catholick Kings the Pope Cardinals and Bishops make Use of them an Variety delighteth the Mind and there are no better Prayers then the Pater-noster Ave and the Creed Answ. The Reliques or that which remains for all the Saints and Members of the true Church of Christ to follow and to honour is to live in the same Life that they lived in and to honour him who was their Life by whose Power they fulfilled the Will of God and to walk in the same Foot-steps is to honour him that was their Life and them also who walked as Examples of Righteousness and that Power by which they became Examples of Holiness and Righteousness but for the Church of Rome to worship Pieces of cloth dead Bones painted Images which may as well be called the Images of Cain
Ishmael Judas and all the Seed of Evil-doers as well as the Image of Christ or Peter Paul or Mary for any thing that they know which they have but received by Story and is but as Old Wives Fables which Paul to Timothy reproved And hath the Church of Rome no better Thing to put them in Mind of the Saints Life then a dead Picture or Image made by the Hand of the Crafts-man upon a Wall or a Board or Parchment or Paper this is Idolatry for Christ promised to his Disciples and to the true Church That he would send his Spirit to lead them into all Truth which is an invisible Thing and to bring to Remembrance whatever Christ had spoken and whatsoever was necessary as to Salvation whether the Saints Life and holy Practices which they lived in or whatsoever else as conduced to their Peace and Justification with God and what Images did God make Use of to shew his Miracles by This is but an old Fable formed by the Apostate Christians whose Minds are turned after Shadows and vain Shews and are erred from the invisible Life and worship the Works of mens Hands 2. Though Moâ—es did put off his Shoe 's according to the command of the Lord where God appeared in Power and Glory to him What is this to your purpose as to Create and form places and Consecrate them as Holy and then command Reverence and Honour unto them this is but to Worship the work of your own Hands and though David say in the 99 Psal. 5 vers Exalt the Lord God and worship at his foot-Stool for he is Holy What of all this doth God call Reliques or Images his Foot-stool And if the Author do judge that it was spoken of Zion and Jerusalem outward where Aaron and the rest of the Priests Worshipped doth not Christ say It â—s not at Jerusalem c. But they that â—orship God Worship him in spirit and Truth What! doth not the Church of Rome profess Christianity and Apostolick Doctrine and will now turn Jews or â—mitaters of them What is Rome Jerusalem or Zion And must Pictures invented and dead Pieces of Bones and Wood be recommended unto the Nations as holy things This is contrary to the Apostolick Church and with the Life of God is judged and the Life of the Saints whom you honour in Words and make Pictures of and worship the Works of your own Hands and Crucifie the Life where-ever it appears that they lived in and teach a contrary Doctrine 3. Confession may be made in Words of the true God and talk may be of his wonderous Works and yet People Idolâ—ters the church of the Jews who acknowledge the true God and had seen and heard of his wonderous works they eat and drank and rose up to Play and these were Idolaters and such is the church of Rome who take Peoples minds up with Garments and Vestments with Altars and Canales with Crucifixes and Agnus Dei with Images formed by Painters with a piece of Bread called a Holy Host and Eucharist an Unbloody Sacrâ—fice who neglect the Life and him that is the Head of the Body and his witness in their Hearts and consciences and lead them to worship and honour visible and carnal things and to busie their minds in the exercise of outward things which profit little or nothing at all and so are Idolaters Worshipping the works of your own Hands which Christ and the Apostolick church bore Testimony against for that which the creature's mind goes out after besides or without that which may be known of God in the Heart is made an Idol of and the true God is not minded and them that Honour God's Friends and Saints walk in their Foot steps live their Life and honour their sayings but your church is contrary who would Kill and have killed about these invented Fopperies which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine God accepts not Prayers by number or tale nor for multitude of Words which are without understanding and without the Spirit this Christ counted as Evil and reprehended the Pharisees and said It was like the vain repetitions of the Heathen who thought to be heard for their much babling and the Salutation which the Angel gave to Mary is no prayer And that which is called the Apostles Creed is no prayer and them that are unconverted unto God may prattle and prate over the Words in the unbelief and never have any acceptance of God And though the Prophet did pray seven times a day it was according to the motion of God's Spirit in his own Heart which shewed him his State and necessity and what is this to imitators when they pray not with the same Spirit neither in the same words And what if Mary lived threescore and three Years who gave commandment that Hail Mary should be said threescore and three times over The rest of the Saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honour if she go with all this in a day And what five wounds is that which the Church of Rome dreams of that five Pater Nosters must be said for the honour of With Deceit and Ignorance you wound him every day and your Pater-Nosters do not honor him at all pattred 〈◊〉 over with your polluted Lips who are given to speak Lyes and yoâ—r Tongues to speak Mischief which Christ accepteth not What are you all new creatures that say Our Father which art in Heaven Are you born again Are your Natures changed Sin you not Do you hallow his Name who do not love that which shews your Evil deeds Would you see his Kingdom come which stands in Righteousness Where will you appear Or how will you stand when he appears in his Power and Glory to take Vengeance on all them that will not that he should rule in their Hearts who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Would you see his will done on Earth as it is in Heaven when you walk contrary to his Doctrine which the Apostolick Church walked in and set up a numberless number of Traditions and Inventions of Men instead thereof which the Lord accepteth not and you pray not with Understanding 5. As for your Beads which are neither Jewish nor Christian but meer Heathenish as to reckon the number or tale of that which you call your Prayers by and though Kings Popes Cardinals and Bishops do the same this is but a small proof as for Authority Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup and Popes and Cardinals have usurped Power that Christ never gave as to exercise Lord-ship and be Law-givers unto others for the Lord is the Saints Law-giver and the Saints Life and Judge and he will not give his Glory to another for Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup of Fornication and Popes have usurped Authority and Cardinals have exercised Lord-ship over mens Consciences yea and over great Kingdoms and States too And if they pray by Beads as others do set
his commentary upon Gen. 28. and 2. and 22. saith That Tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily a man might give them a man might vow them or he might not even as he pleased before the Lord but under the Law they were commanded to be given to the Priests and Levites hence saith he our Clergy men infer that if it were so of old then they are so now but this doth not follow saith he they had a divine Ceremonial right but that 's not ceased they had Tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in Land Ours not Ours have Towns Villages Manners yea Countries and Provinces nor is there any End of their insatiable Covetousness And he concludes that when the Levitical Priesthood did cease then did the right of that Priesthood cease and the right of tythes did revert to God as Governour and Soveraign of the World Great and large are the Testimonies that might be given both out of Ancient and Modern writers who were the clearest in their Judgments against tythes how that they were no Gospel-maintenance neither of Divine right doth belong to any Minister under the Gospel who professeth Christ come in the Flesh. But what I have already said in this particular might be sufficient seeing so large things to this have been declared by others Hands But I am the more willing to instance divers Authors who by our Protestants are owned as Orthodox that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new Doctrine for which we suffer the Spoiling of our Goods and our persons Imprisoned but that the Covetousness of the Clergy and Tythes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in Ages past who died in the Faith who though they be dead yet their Testimony still lives and will stand for Ages But you shall hear what State the Clergy and Ministry was in about the time of the Council of Basil in the Year 1431. by Lodovicus the Cardinal ARLATENSIS a Man very much praised for his Constancy and Wisdom in that Council of Basil LODOVICUS seeing the Cowardliness of the Bishops and others of the Clergy that they were more afraid to grieve temporal Princes then afraid to offend God and afraid to be Spoiled of their temporalities rather then afraid that their Flock should be devoured Albeit saith he If you were true Bishops and true Pastors of Souls you would not doubt to put your Lives in hazard for your Sheep neither be afraid to shed your Blood for the Church in the cause of Christ but at this present saith he the more is the Pity it is too rare to find a Prelate in this world and in this Age which doth not prefer his Temporalities before his Spiritualities with the love whereof they are so withdrawn that they do study rather to please Princes then God and confess God in Corners but Princes they will confess openly of whom the Lord speaks in his Gospel every one that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven c. And contrariwise the Lord will not confess him before his Father which is aâ—raid to confess the Lord before men for fear of loss of their worldly Glories and temporal Riches and displeasing of Princes of which it may be more largely seen in the History of the Council of Basil published by Aeneas Sylvius So you that doth profess Reformation and the Scripture to be your Rule and your Ancient Fathers to be your Examples whom the Ministry of this last Age hath talked of and see now if you will own them in Practice do not reckon your selves any more as Ministers of Christ who cannot be content with his allowances and let forcing for Maintenance by Tythes alone to the Priests of the first Covenant and let bargaining alone for Wages and seek not Hire of them you work not for and if your Gospel will not maintain you then have you great Reason to question it whether it be the very same that Christ and his Apostles Preached in the Primitive times and it is manifest as aforesaid that they required no Tythes Stipends Augmentations or Sâ—llaries neither was ever any such Word heard amongst them as What will you give me anâ— I 'll be your Minister And yet there was no complâ—int of any want for Christ asked his Disciples when they had been travelling abroad preaching the Gospel though they had neither Staff nor Scrip nor Money If they wanted any thing and they said Nay But this Generation must know before-hand what is to be had at such and such a place and what is it worth per Annum or else no Goâ—pel is like to be Preached there But if any should ask the Ministry of this Aâ—e by what Right they claim tythes they cannot say by a better right then the Apâ—stles had nor I hope will not for they pretend to be but Sucâ—essâ—rs of them And if the extent of their Commission be enquired into they will give it you in these Words or the like presently viz. As my Father sent me so senâ—â— you But if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects I have little hope that they will comply in point of Maintenance I have good Ground so to judge even many at this day have boasted of their Câ—ll â—nd Ministry and have thrown many into Prison for those Popish tythes For if a Law or Statute were made for the taking of them away they would give over the Publication of their Gospel which demonstrates their Commission is not of God or else why should taking away of tythes invalidate them I desire they were â—ryed who boasted of Calls and Commissions I am afraid we should scarcely find one in 500 that would open his Mouth for if the cause were taken away the effect would also follow iâ— Maintenance were taken away their Preaching would cease But I shall return to speak something further concerning our own Nation It is needful to inform the Reader a little that when the Popes Doctrine was received in any Nation that Nation was dâ—vided into so â—â—ny â—ishoprâ—câ—s as was judged needful and every Bishoprick into 〈◊〉 many Parishes as were thought convenient for Parishes are but of a late Erection as to which something may be hereafter said for till then most Preaâ—hers were sent out of Monasteries and Religious Houses so called and the People at their own free will did give their Tythes and Offerings where they pleased till about the Year 1200. for till that time every Owner of the nine parts did give the Tenth to the Priest or to the Poor as he would But after that Parishes being set up and Priests appointed and Tythes paid to them after 40 Years possession what before was owned for free gift is now claimed as a debt prescription was pleaded by the Priests as their Just title but people seeing themselves run into a Snare began to contend but all too late for
infallibly directed so to teach I hope R. E. will grant that the Church in Christ's time and the Apostles was infallible it taught no such Doctrine but to the contrary therefore that Church which pretends infallibility and yet teacheth such Doctrines as before mentioned contrary unto Christ and the Apostles cannot be infallible neither led by the infallible Spirit all have good reason to Question the Verity of these things more then what the Apostles taught seeing they are contradictory to Christ and the Apostles teaching and contrary to Scripture and contrary to the witness of God in all Consciences and as I said before this Church of God whereof I have spoken now though not denominated by any other name then the Church of God is and hath been assisted so by the Holy Ghost as she hath not erred when she only hearkened to its instruction and direction but when the Wisdom of the Flesh and the Worldly part and States and Governments and Policies and Princes have been minded more then the Spirit of God then Error hath been taught and the greater Part in a Council have overswayed the rest established Error by Decree and have enjoyned it under Penalties to be received as Sacred and Holy and Infallible of which we find the Church of Rome exceedingly guilty and therefore do conclude notwithstanding the promise of God to his Church that kept in Covenant with him that this Church of Rome hath erred and doth err both in Faith Doctrine and Practice of the infallible Church in the Apostles dayes and therefore their Doctrine is more to be questioned then the Apostles and they not fit to be this Rule and Guide and director unto which R. E. saith All are to submit under pain of Damnation Scar-Crows will hardly affright Men of understanding but unreasonable Creatures they may And last of all R.E. saith He will conclude his whole Proof with an Argument from Heaven of the highest Nature make it evident That the Roman Church must be this Guide and Judge which God hath appointed because of the Gift of Miracles cites John 15.24 If I had not done among them the work that no other Man did they had not had Sin And now I say that the Roman Church hath done Works and Miracles such as no other Church hath done therefore if we refuse to believe her we shall have Sin and shew our selves haters of God And he instances St. Ber. St. Mal. St. Dom. St. Fra. which wrought Miracles and of Austin the Monk which taught Christian Faith first in England and his fellow Monks which was then confirmed by wonderful Miracles from Heaven not in confirmation of those Points and Articles of Faith which you had with us but of those which you call Popish and Superstitious as the Sacrifice of the Mass and about Respect and Veneration which is given to Saints Reliques and Images and about the Doctrine of Purgatory and Payment of Tythes and R. E. concludes if we will not believe what you have not seen you destroy Faith which is an evidence of things not seen Although R. E. makes a great boast of the Miracles of the Church of Rome which no other Church hath wrought the like therefore concludes that she is this Rule and Guide which all are to give Ear unto under pain of Damnation and these Miracles he saith are an Argument from Heaven and proof of the highest Nature believe him who can If time would but permit and the Reader have patience to read most or many if not all the Miracles he so much cries up might be declared to his and their shame the very report and relation thereof cannot but be reckoned as fabulous and fained Stories and proceed from that lying Spirit which was in the faâ—se Prophet which wrought Miracles before the Beast and deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them which Worshipped his Image which must be taken alive and cast into the lake of Fire Rev. 19.20 It is an adulteroâ—s Generation that seeks a sign and yet did not believe when they had Miracles wrought by the Finger of God amongst them yet they said it was by Beelzebub The Scribes and Pharisees said If he be the King of Israel let him come down from the Cross and we will believe but the Power of Christ was not to be shewed at the Blind will of the Phariâ—ees neither would they have believed if he had come down Though Miracles have been wrought by the Power of God and are according to his Heavenly will and are not limited either to Men time or place yet it is not so sufficient an Argument from Heaven as R. E. saith to prove the Church of Rome this true Church seeing that the Devil and Satan and Anti-christ shall come with Signs and lying Wonders and if it were possible deceive the Elect And Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses in working Lying Miracles before Pharaoh to the hardning of his Heart And Chrysostome in his Hom. upon Mat. 19. saith In the end of time Power shall be given to the Devil to work Signs and Miracles So that the Ministers of Christ cannot be known by working of Miracles but by working none at all And Augustine saith though some said Prayers at the Tombs of the dead and obtained their desires as they said Away with these things they be either juglings and mockeries of deceitful Men or else delusions of lying Spirits Chrysost. in his Hom. upon Mat. 49. In old time it was known by Miracles who were the true Christians and who the false but now Miracles are rather among them that are false Christians And as for your great Miracles which thou sayest the Chronologies and Histories speak of J. L. as Bed and Holingshed Stow and others we look upon them not at all as material in this thing seeing they have had the Reports from other Hands and Pens of certain Mâ—nkiâ—h Stories which they have found scattered here and there published themselves and left their Fables upon Record to deceive poor People withal for their own advantage and most of the Miracles that we hear of are either wrought about your Tombs and Sepulchers and your holy Mass and your Reliques and Images I have heard indeed how that from the skirt of an Image of yours which one in a Bloody Flux did but touch and immediatly vertue came from it and Water and Blood issued forth whereby the party was made whole by washing therein Also I have heard of the Image of the Virgin Mary first honoured by Christians in Nazareth afterwards Translated into Sclavonia and when Images began to be vilified there and dis-esteemed it removed it self from place to place as discontent did arise in it it seems at the place and People where it was situated sometimes and at lâ—st it removed a whole Island with it nearer Rome now call'd Loretta and commonly known by the Name of Our Lady of Loretta to which all the Pilgrims