because they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought on his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 15 16. And not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Heb 10. 25. They cannot swear because Christ saith Swear not at all neither by Heaven for its God's throne neither by the Earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head for thou canst not make one hair white or black But let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Matt. 5. 34 35 36 37. And his Apostle James saith But above all things my Brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the Eaâ—th neither by any other Oath But let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5. 12. And the swearing by any thing was that which made it an Oath and they used in their swearing to mention by something which made it an Oath and they were gone many of them from that of the Law which Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness also repeals in that he saith Ye have heard it hath been said by them of Old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oath 's but I say unto you Swear not at all c. as aforesaid which Law required them to swear and to swear by the Lord Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear By his Name Deut. 6. 13. I say they were gone from that of the law which required them when they swore to swear by the Lord Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness Jer. 4. 2. and swore by the Lord and by Malcom Zeph. 1. 5. And they taught my people to swear by Baal Jer. 12. 16. And they that swear by the sin of Samaria and say thy God O Dan liveth and the Manner of Beersheba the Calves there by which they worshipt God liveth even they shall fall and never rise up again Amos 8. 14. And by the Heaven and by the Earth and by Jerusalem c. He repeals it all But I say unto you swear not at all neither by the Lord nor any other thing Swear not at all I say unto you so though ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform to the Lord thine Oaths This was not Cursorie swearing or in ordinary Communication as people would have it aâ—â— some say so but without proof for it appears not that there was any such kind of swearing among the Jews for they were not to take his Name in vain but such Oath 's as were made to God solemn Oaths as I may so say by which they bound their souls to God to perform as it was then required and when they swore so they mentioned by something as I have said and this By made it an Oath and that which they swore by was to be that which was Paramount to all and could witness and was able to avenge which the Lord was onely therefore they were to mention his Name when they swore and it was a figure of something which was to come which was not then come Christ Jesus whom that Nation and the Body of all that worship and service typified and which had their end in him and which he when he was come put thus an end unto who is the Oath of God to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us Luke 1. 72 73 74 And who it is that binds the soul to God In whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen Even in Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 1 20. who saith But I say unto you Swear not at all And he that said so is the same that said Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgement c. And whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart in the same Ch. Mat. 5. They cannot maintain a Priesthood by tythes because that Priesthood which had the tythes is done away and ended in him to whom Abraham paid tythes in Melchizedeck who is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck Psal 110. 4. whom it figured They cannot maintain temples of stone or come to Worship in them as places consecrated by man or because they have in them more than other places or for that God is more to be found in them or wil be found in them or that he hath so signified more than in other places or that he will be present Because God dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing that he giveth unto all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. And the temple at Jerusalem was a figure of him who was to come which is ended in him who is come And now the temple of God is those in whom the Holy Ghost dwelleth Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols For ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing I wil receive you wil be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2 Cor. 6. 16 17 18. They cannot be in the Observation of Daies and times set in the will of man Because such things also had their Day and End even those which were commanded of the Lord Ye observe Daies and Months Times Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Gal. 4. 10 11. And let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of a Holy-day or of
Kindred and Tongue and People said with a loud Voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgement is come and worship him who made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters And the other Angel that followed him said Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the wrath of her Fornication Rev. 14. 6 7 8. And rejoice over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged ye on her Rev. 18. 20. And the Victory was to the Lamb and his followers who sate on the white Horse whom the Armies of Heaven followed on white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean Rev. 19. 11. 16. And the Angel which stood in the Sun cryed with a loud voice and said to all the Fowls that flie in the midst of Heaven Come and gather your selves unto the Supper of the great God that ye may eat the Flesh of Kings and the Flesh of Captains and the Flesh of mighty Men and the Flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great ver 17 18. And he that testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus Rev. 22. 20. And behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be ver 12. And I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches I am the Root and the Off-spring of David and the bright and Morning-Star And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst Come and take of the Water of Life freely ver 16. 17. And he saith unto me Seal not the sayings of the Prophesie of this Book for the time is at hand He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is Righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life aad may enter in through the gates unto the City For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Ver. 10 11 12 13 14 15. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and from the holy City and from the things that are written in this Book Ver. 18 19. And so I have said to you what at present lies upon me from the Lord whether you will hear or forbear it shall witness for God against ye all if ye hear not in the Day that he shall tender to every man according to his Deeds So farwel It 's my love unto you that hath drawn this for you from the movings of the Lord. It concerns you to mind whether your state stands not so as is here represented and to turn unto the Lord lest being so ye be plucked up For every Plant thaâ— my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up saith Christ It 's that which I said to ye in the beginning in the Word of the Lord and which I now say unto you in the same at the End And the time is near Geo Bishope To the PREYSBTERY so called in these Nations Friends YOu have been staggering as Drunkards and starting aside like a Deceitful Bow You were of the Bishops and came out from the Bishops and covenanted against the Bishops and have let in the Bishops and have many of you turned and many are returning to the Bishops and this hath been and is the Work of you and of many of you to be upwards and downwards and backwards and forwards now here and now there reeling and rouling pinching here sometimes and drawing as contrary at another You had a tender Principle once which kept ye from evil as ye kept to it whilest ye were under sufferings but no sooner were you free but ye took the places of them that made ye to suffer and sought to make all others to suffer that differed from you ye have been true to Nothing not to your own Principles Ye have built again the things that ye have destroyed and so have made your selves Transgressors None should live but you had ye power to your Wills and you would live with and above every one The Lord hath tryed you and let the World see what you would do and his servants have suffered sorely by you and now he hath tryed you before his servants and ye are fallen before them whilst they stand And yet there is not confideration with you so as to think Is not there a lie in our right hand The Lord hath born long with you and loath he is that you should perish He hath suffered ye to fall into the same condemnation in which others are whom you would not have free Ye had a Day which ye long strove for and had the Door in your hands You let it open against your selves as it hath proved as well as others and it is well if so be it were not something in that your wariness lest you being so others should be free And now see what you have done the Lord hath befooled you and suffered ye to befool your selves and to be befooled because ye departed from the Counsel of the Lord and so what wisdom is in you Whilst Age and Generation lasts this your Work will be your shame and the Lord will be against you whilst ye turn not to him For here was your miss at first Ye kept not to your principle you turned to persecute who were persecuted your selves and the farther ye went on in this the more you were mad as Paul sometimes was and so saith of himself when he was as to the Law blameless and yet without Law as to Christ and what your madness hath brought forth upon your selves judge ye This Friends is to you in love 'T is time for you to consider and to mind that ye may see your state and know what the Lord is doing to you and the end of his working He would have you to bethink your selves and see where ye are He would have you to mind that in you which shews you your state and to hearken to the Reproof of Life the Voice of Wisdom that your souls may live and that out of all heats and rashness and anger ye may be brought into that calm state which doth unto others what it
and Men at their Wits Ends expecting what the End of those things will be and an Eternal End abides it to every one either of joy or sorrow for ever and ever But if it be otherwise and that condemn you which should be your Peace and that plead against yee which you should now mind to plead for you in that Day and be a Witness to the Lord that yee have not hearkned nor heard nor obeied nor received Instruction nor drawn near to the Lord but you would do as yee listed and serve your pleasures more then God and consume his Creatures on your Lusts and swear by and blaspheme his Name and make no other use of your time then to please your selves and not the Lord nor of your Estates but in order thereunto and your time be over and the Day of your Visitation be closed up and at an End then it will be sad indeed and better it had been for you that you had never been born when with Rich Dives you who have had in your life-time your Pleasure must be tormented for ever and ever Therefore my Friends whilst yee have time mind it Let not the gracious hour of the Lord 's tender Visitation pass Over you but be yee gathred unto it Come into his Arms now they are Open approach unto him now that he calls upon you It 's your need not his that makes him call on you Come to him when he calls He knows your state He knows what it will be for you to be Undone for ever He knows the power of his wrath though man doth not He knows how it will sink how it will lay Low how it will bring to the dust how it will bow the Pride of Man and lay his Haughtiness in the Dust and how intollerable it is He calls that yee may hear whilst yee have time He calls that your souls may live Why will yee die O house of Israel Return and your souls shall live He desires not your death he hath sworn it This is a testimonie of it that he calls upon you and that he calls upon you you know because yee find that in you which shews yee Evil and judges yee for Evil and tells yee what yee should do and Answers to what I have said to you And this is the power of God to salvation to as many as believe in it and obey it It 's stronger then the Powers of Darkness It steps thorough it It comes before it it shews yee what the Enemy is doing and where he is leading you and what 's the Path and whither it tends and shines before you for you to see the Path of Life to walk in it it will lead you into the Path of Life as you believe in it heed it and obey it And this is the loving kindness of God to you and his free Grace and his Mercy his Redemption if you will receive and accept it For to as many as received him it was that to them he gave power to be called the Sons of God even to as many as believe in his Name which were born not of Blood nor of the will of man nor of the Flesh but of God Who was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not who came unto his Own and his Own received him not Live not then in Pleasures for he that liveth in pleasure is dead whilst he liveth But draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts yee double-minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Come to that which judgeth you and love that which shews you and follow that which draws you Least the hour of your Visitation pass Over you and you be swept away by the over-flowing scourge which is near to come on the head of the wicked So will ye feel my Love and the Arms of the Lord which seeks to draw you with the Cords of a Man with the bands of love of which I am Witness vvho so moves in me to you-wards whose love is to you and who am willing in any thing in the Will of God to be serviceable unto your Eternal Welfare and that which is here which is desired by him who is Your Friend GEO. BISHOPE To the Arch-Bishops so called and Bishops Deans and Prebends Chancellors and Chorâ—sters and the rest of the Priesthood and its Officers under Episcopacy in these Nations Friends EVery Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up saith Christ And you being not Plants of his planting ye will be rooted up Therefore look to your selves and see in this your hour whether ye be Plants which he hath set which shall not be rooted up Look thorough the New Testament so called the Scriptures of the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus and see whether ye have any footing there or in the Garden of God where they planted who were sent of him who were able Ministers of the New-Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3 6. See whether ever Jesus Christ planted such a thing in his Church as to be called Fathers or Reverend Fathers or Right Reverend Fathers seeing that he said unto his Disciples Call no man Father on the eartâ— for one is your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 23. 9. And seeing of the Lord it is said Holy Reverend is his Name Psal 111. 9. And whether this be Right or in God seeing it is Out of the Scriptures and from the Church of Christ which is in God 1 Thes 1. 1. And none of the Gifts which when he ascended up on high and led Captivity captive he gave unto men which were some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. 8 to the 14. And seeing that Christ Jesus himself calls not himself Father but the Son though he be the Head of the Church Col. 1. 18 And whether These be not Names of Blasphemy And whether the Woman which John saw being carried away by the Angel which had the seven Vials in the Spirit into the Wilderness was not sitting on a scarlet coloured Beast full of Names of Blasphemy Rev. 17. 1 3. And whether she was not drunken with the Blood of the Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Ver. 6. And whether these be not some of the Names Again look and see whether Lords Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops or any such thing be
have done the thing which ye have been convinc't is evil although ye have been judged in your selves that that was evil and knew that that was the Judgement of God and that his Judgment is Just And you know that the things which ye have been convinced of to be evil many years ago and have been judged for it do yet remain with you and that the Lord hath been rejected and his drawings slighted and his Enemy and yours heeded that ye have refused to come to him that ye might have life to the light which makes manifest for whatsoever is made manifest is made manifest by the Light and I am the Light of the world saith he he that believeth in me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are Evil. And in him was life saith John and the Life was the Light of men that is the true Light that lighteâ—h every man that cometh into the world And this you know as I have said viz. That there is such a thing in you and the thing in you witnesses that it is so and ye cannot blot it out and that ye have disobeyed it and do disobey it and that it suffers in you and yet you are vain and proud and wanton and lustful and do conform to this world and do lye and deceive and cheat and cozen and swear and are drunk and do spend the creatures upon your Lusts and do hate and do kill and do steal and do commit Adultery and do covet your Neighbours Goods and do grind the Faces of the Poor and oppress and smite with the Fist of Wickedness and take the Name of the Lord in vain and do go beyond one another in dealing where you would not be done so to your selves These things I say ye know are so and yet ye contlnue as ye were before and these things continue in you and ye think the Lord is such a one as your selves because he holds his peace and hath a long time been silent and hath not brought his Judgement upon you nor caused ye to feel the Power of his Wrath and ye think to morrow shall be as to day and much more abundant because the Lord hath been long-suffering slow to anger abundant in goodness and truth not willing that any of you should die but rather that ye should return and live And this is the Use ye have made many of you of his loving kindness and mercy his long-suffering and forbearance to add Drunkenness to Thirst Iniquity unto iniquity and to draw iniquity with Cart-ropes of Vanity And you cannot think many of you how to be Vain enough nor Drunken enough nor Proud enough nor Voluptuous enough nor Consumptive of his Creatures enough and ye declare your sin as Sodom the shew of your countenance witnesses it against ye and ye think that ye are delivered to commit all these Abominations as if the Lord took Pleasure in these things or delighted in them and as if this was a Retribution Equivalent to him for all your deliverances and as if it were the summe and the end of all his working and as if the more vain and wicked ye are the more ye give him thanks and the more ye answer the end of his working and so ye lavish out your selves in all riot and excess as he hath been liberal to you in his Mercies as if this were the thing the Lord aimed at in all and expected as the Return of his Goodness and ye have been very bold many of you thus to do notwithstanding that that of him in you tells you and ye know it that ye should do otherwise and judgeth ye and so ye overturn your own Mercies and provoke the Lord to be jealous of his Name and Glory which he hath said he will not give unto another and to make ye examples to the ages to come of his judgments as he hath made ye patterns of his mercies and to let the world know by what he shal do unto you that he is a God that delighteth not in iniquity nor shall sin come near his Dwelling but that he is holy and will be sanctified in all that draw near him be had in Reverence by all that are about him And this I am moved of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to warn ye of and to let ye know that he will appear against you and that he will vindicate his Name and his Glory in what he shall do unto you and that he is drawing near to plead with you and to render unto you according to your works Therefore in the Bowels of Love I exhort and warn you to break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor if so be there may be yet a lengthening of your tranquility For this I have received from the Lord God whose Word and Warning it is that he will make a short work with you and after ye have filled up the measure of your Iniquity which he will suffer ye to fulfil if so be yet ye shall not hearken nor yield obedience to his voice nor depart from iniquity nor choose to do the thing that is good which that of him shews ye in your hearts He will cut ye Down and his judgments shall come upon you and ye shall know that this is the Word of the Lord and his Warning unto you through his servant GEO. BISHOPE Bristoll 25 8 Month 1661. THE END
bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we entreat We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day 1 Cor. 4. 11 12 13. And they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy They wandered in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Heb. 11. 37 38 And how the Apostles went about from Nation to Nation from City to City preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom their Epistles and Acts manifest unto which I refer And Paul saith A Bishop then must be blameless the Husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no striker nor given to filthy Lucre but patient not a Brawler not Covetous One that ruleth well his Own house having his Children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his Own house how shall he take Care of the Church of God Not a Novice least being lifted up with Pride hee fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good Report of them that are without least he fall into Reproach and the snare of the Devil These things write I unto Thee saith he to Timothy hoping to come unto thee shortly but if I tarry long that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar Ground of Truth which no Temples made with hands are but the Church which is in God 1 Thes 1. 1. Lively stones built upon that spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 2. to the 8. 14 15. And the same Apostle saith to Titus For this Cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee If any be blameless the husband of one wife having faithful Children not accused of Riot or unruly For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angrie not given to wine no striker not given to filthy lucre but a lover of hospitality a lover of good men Sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to Exhort and to Convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1. 5. to the 10. And this Paul was an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the Dead So he saith himself Gal. 1. 1. And Timothy had the Gift by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. 14. And the Apostles laid their hands on them that believed and they received the Holy Ghost Act. 8. 17. which Simon the Sorcerer would have bought with mony For when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given he offered them mony saying Give me also this Power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost But Peter said unto him Thy Money perish with thee because thou hast thought the Gift of God can be purchased with Money Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter For thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughs of thine heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity ver 18. to the 24 And Paul said to Timothy Lay hands suddenly on no maâ— neither be partakers of other mens sins Keep thy self pure 1 Tim. 5. 22. And that Ministration had an End with them and Antichrist was then entring and the Apostles prophesied of the Apostasie and Jude speaking of what was already entred which the Prophets and the Apostles of the Lord Jesus had foretold should come which was then already come But Beloved saith he ver 17. Remember ye the words that were spoken by the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time which should walk after their ungodly lusts These be they who seperate themselves sensual having not the Spirit ver 18 19. And John saith expresly That it was then the last time Little Children saith he it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even Now there are many Antichrists whereby we know it is the last time 1 John 2 18 And in the Revelations he saw the Court which was without the Temple to be given to the Gentiles and that they should tread the holy City under foot fourty and two Months Rev. 2. 21. And in the Overthrow of Babylon and the Return from the Apostasie and after it he speaks not of the Return again of that Ministration but of a More glorious a City wherein the Lamb was the light thereof And I saw saith he No Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honor unto it Rev. 21. 22 23 24. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the Nations unto it And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh an abomination or maketh a lye but they that are written ia the Lambs book of life ver 25 26 27. And all sorrows here are wiped away and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away And he that sate on the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these things are true and faithful Rev. 21. 4 5. And to the Lambs Wife was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousness of Saints Rev. 19. 8. And behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21. 3. And he saw the holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband ver 2. And the Angel that flew through the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and