is within you And therefore I must tell you the Priests of this generation Read all the Books in your Universities that tells you what hath been formerly and though by your natural parts with the help of such Studies you can make speeches of a day long yet you have no peace but your hearts still are as a barren wilderness and increase in sorrow till your eyes return into your selves and the Spirit come from on high to make you read in your own Book your heart wherein you shall find the Mystery of Iniquity the Man of Sin seated which is the fruits of the first Adam and till the Mystery of Godliness the second Adam Christ Jesus be revealed in you to destroy the works of the devil and make you righteous and restore you to life there is not neither can there be peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God and if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me and he that liveth in sin the wrath of God abideth upon him So it is clear that the single-hearted ones who see the Mystery of Righteousness and are acquainted every one according to his measure with that Spirit of truth that is to be the Blessing of the whole earth and that enlightens all that come into the world although they are slightly regarded and trodden under foot of men of the world whom God filleth with his hid treasure that have every worldly thing their hearts can wish for that their eyes many times are ready to start out for fatness yet let them know for their sorrow and wo that out of this Sion which no man regards shall the Deliverer come for the light and life of Christ vvithin the heart discovers all Darkness and delivers Mankinde from Bondage and beside him there is no Saviour and what vvill become of those that are found fighters against God for they that persecute them persecute me saith Christ And therefore fear and tremble vvhoever rhou art for the wrath of the Lord smoaketh against thee and his jealousie burneth like fire if thou art found in a persecuting nature thy sin will bring destruction upon thee and there shall be no remedy Although judgement is not executed speedily against evil doers which causeth their hearts to be set in them to do evil yet the Lord will punish the hairy scalp of them that go on in their wickedness and when their sins are fully ripe then judgement shall come upon them to the utmost and there shall be no Remedy and therefore O Man who ever thou art great or small that fighteth or striveth against his little ones fear and tremble and cease from sinning any longer in that nature for fear the Lord may be a heaping up thy iniquities that he may bring wrath upon thee to the utmost and then there shall be no remedy for he repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them he will not be slack Deut. 7. 10 21. For the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and terrible who is now rising in his might and power to destroy the man of sin and is rising like a mighty man refreshed after Wine and the seed of wickedness shall be destroyed by the brightness and glory of his coming for he alone that is the King of Righteousness will be exalted amongst you And therefore let all flesh stand still waiting in silence before him that they may see the Salvation of GOD. The second Epistle To all people whose souls panteth after God as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks NOW to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Hearken to the Word of the Lord and your souls shall live mind what power rules in you whether it be a particular confining selfish power which is of the devil or whether it be an universal spreading power that doth delight in the liberty of the Son for if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed The selfish power vvhen it is crossed or shamed it grows distempered bitter spirited sometimes endeavouring to kill that bodie it dwels in and sometime some other that angers it but the power of Christ who is the giver forth of the Law of Righteousness ruling within is not moved to anger charity true love thinketh not evil but hopeth and endureth all things being meek and patient loving and acting righteously both to his own Body and to others though they be his Enemies following the Rule of Jesus Christ their King Do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you that you may be children of your Father which is in heaven Let every man and woman know that there is but two Spirits a good and a bad there is but two wayes the straight and the narrow that leadeth to life eternal and few find it and the broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in that vvay there is but God and the devil Heaven and hell the way to happiness and the way to misery the way to life and the way to death even death eternal And the way to life is believing in the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And verily it doth concern every man to know in what state he is whether the spirit or the flesh beareth sway for the two powers before spoken of are the two Adams in mankinde they are Jacob and Esau son of the free-vvoman or son of bondage the first kills and crucifieth the Son of God but the second the Lord from heaven he maketh alive for Christ the Spirit of Truth doth arise above the power of evil and he takes the body and rules in it Isa 65. 17. he makes it a new heaven and a new earth vvhere in dwells righteousness Now that vvhich seeks after the enjoyment of Creatures to have peace in them doth but seek the living among the dead for all sin makes but one perfect body of the power of darkness the devil vvhich doth raign in every man till the man of righteousness Christ the stronger then he vvho is the Anointing comes and throws down his strong holds and divides the spoil and vvhen Christ this Word of life hath the possession that soul hath true peace in the salvation that cometh out of Sion for peace is not to be found in any other for he is the Prince of peace and the Captain of our salvation vvho hath perfected for ever all those that are sanctified by him and he ever liveth to make intercession for them for by his obedience many are made righteous Every one shall be called by my name for I created him for my glory formed him and made him I will bring forth the blinde people and they shall have eyes and the deaf and they shall have ears I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour Isai 43. 7 8 11. Because thou wast precious in my sight
Christ as is before shewed who are in the life which are onely such that have the seed of God raised in their own particulars and alwayes obey it in the power thereof such are not under the power of the Law but under Grace and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which dwelleth in them hath made them free from the Law of sin and of death and they and they onely are Christs because they are led by the Spirit of Christ and all others let their forms be Episcopal Presbytery Independents Anabaptists or whatever all their Worship is but will-Worship and their eatings and drinkings and washings and preachings and singings and hearings are all but the Sacrifice of Fools being all will Worship the inventions of mens hands out of the life and power of the truth as it is in Jesus and therefore is before the Lord but as the cutting off a dogs neck being a blind zeal without knowledge for I know upon what ground they all stand having run through all these Forms and could never finde rest for the sole of my feet in them neither can any find true peace until they come to lie down in the Father worshipping him in Spirit and in Truth being holy in all manner of conversation for unto such it is become natural to do the will of their Father on Earth as it is done in Heaven And therefore I do dearly exhort you all men and women to whom this shall come to keep close to the pure seed of God in you for that is your true Teacher and follow it and it will shew you the Father and the Son and if you obey this Doctrine you shall know that it is of God and lend not your ears at any time or place unto the Tempter but crush the Serpent in the first motions of sin and then they turn upon his own accompt and not upon thine for it is no sin to be tempted but the sin is to yeild for when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Therefore break the Cockatrice Egg before it be hatched that it may never come to be a Serpent and resist the devil and he will flee from you and turn in the minde to the pure light and wait in it that preserved you may all be out of that sin and evil that would defile you for this pure Principle of God in you will not consent at any time to sin but will check and reprove for it and if its motions be obeyed it will keep you all single and unspotted of the world and so you shall be found worthy to follow the Lamb in this the day of his power wherein he is risen to make War with the Beast and false Prophet And therefore it doth concern every one continually to watch and to have their loines girt about with the preparation of the Gospel of Truth that is with Jesus the Word by whom all things were made who is in all his Babes and Children that are born again and those that have his commandments and keepeth them dwelleth in him and he in them and this Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world shall have the Victory and blessed and thrice happy are all they that can come to witness sensibly in their own particular him rising in them that are truly fighting under his Bannâ—… against sin the world and the devil and feel a dayly conquering of sin that die dayly as Paul saith unto sin that they may be made alive unto God and as David saith that hateth the very appearance of evil And the onely way to this is to keep low in ones self and to wait in the cool of the day turning in to the light and in it wait and put on the whole Armour of God that you may be preserved at all times out of the snares of Satan for this will let you see sensibly the Tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit to be cut down in you and a new plant raised which will bring forth its fruit in due season to the glory of the Lord who alone is worthy of all glory and honour and everlasting praises for ever and for ever And therefore all Friends keep in the pure fear and wisdom of the Lord that at all times you may be ordered by it to do all things to his glory at all times and in all places that you may be a good savour unto all men you have to do withal and let your souls truly pant and thirst after the living God as the hart panteth after the water-brooks for your Redeemer is neer you if you refuse him not the Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth and the kingdom of heaven is within you as is plainly shewed in this Treatise and if Satan be in his first motions resisted you shall plainly see him pass away as the shadows pass away and the dew when the Sun ariseth And therefore keep in the pure fear and wisdom of God that with it you may be ordered and guided in all things to do them to his glory and so you shall sensibly witness the seed of God in you all to reign that will trample Satan under feet and then shall the saints rejoyce and they shall witness pure and holy rejoycings with songs of Triumph and Praises with Glory Glory Glory and everlasting Praises to their Father which is in heaven who is worthy We have had great stirs in the Nation of late years by Souldiers and great Words and good Language have they spoken that they would do much for Christ and the setling of his Kingdom which they do not know and the protecting of his people whose Life is in it being in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost which is a hard thing for a Souldier that kills men for mony houses lands and goods ever to witness until with Zacheus he restore to him that he hath robbed by forged cavilation and to the debtor his pledge But the whole Nation is sensible if they be not wilfully blind of the backsliding and Apostatizing of the Army and how in all changes they have sought themselves and not the things of God it is like they have forgot that Text Joh. 18. 16. My kingdom saith Christ is not of this world and Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink nor yet Arms and Armies but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost which Souldiers and Armies usually destroy and confound and therefore Christs Souldiers must have onely the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which leadeth them into all the truth and peace and condemneth the very practices of this Army that hath so often changed and sworn and engaged with hands lifted up to heaven and yet broke all as fast as made them to the sadding of the hearts of all their faithful friends to the strengthning of the hands of their enemies and
may have life and therefore they cannot tast of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever John 6. 50. This is the bread saith Christ that cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not dye I am saith Christ the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world And this is he that giveth povver to understand the Scriptures that are dark to the understanding until he that gave them forth open their understandings as you may see in Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures the onely vvay to obtain this favour from the Lord is to love the pure seed of God in the vvhich is Gods vvitness in thy Conscience and is his written VVord in thy heart vvhich vvas that VVord to David that he had such a love unto that by loving of it God made him vviser then his Teachers and it vvas sweeter then the honey and the honey comb and it vvas better then thousands of Gold and Silver and Solomon saith of this vvisdome The merchandise is better then the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof is better then gold And this is the Pearl of great price that the man sold all to buy it therefore my desire nay the desires of my soul thirsteth after the Salvation of all men And therefore dear Friends and People all be kept lovv in the fear of God at all times and learn of Christ to be meek and lovvly that you may find rest unto your souls and consider that the onely thing is to fear God and keep his Commandments for they that hath the Commandments and keepeth them dvvelleth in Christ and Christ in them and much reading is a vveariness to the flesh here the end of all is To fear God and keep his Commandments this is the vvhole duty of man for he that manifests his faith by being obedient he shall live for ever for the Kingdome of God consisteth not in vvords but in life and povver vvhich is righteousness and that procureth true peace such peace as men and Devils can never take from you and so vvalking in this peace the God of love and peace vvill be vvith you to the end Now unto God our Father be glory and everlasting praises ascribed both novv and for ever and for ever Amen The eighth Epistle To Richard Allen a Priest in the Parish of Crundal in Kent and also to be communicated to the rest of his Brethren the Priests to shew them the unlawfulness wicked Practice of receiving of Tythes contrary to the Practice of Christ and his Apostles and yet call themselves A Gospel-Ministry But they must know The terrible day of the Lords Wrath is at hand and this their Act of Oppression must come to Judgement WHat hast thou to do to take the Name of the Lord in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed for Let him that calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity and He that saith he is in Christ ought so to walk as Christ hath walked and He that hath Faith it purifieth the heart and he purifieth himself as Christ is pure Now he that liveth in any known sin is a transgressor of the Law and He that keepeth the vvhole Law and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all and He that breaketh one of these least Commandments and teacheth men so shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven Now I do charge thee with the desiring of thy Neighbours Goods which thou hast no just right to neither by the Law of God nor just Law of Man but the Reason is there is Laws in being for thy wicked lust because all things are out of Gods order for our Judges are not as they were at first nor our Counsellours as at the beginning if they were they might tell the people of the Law what it is for the power of the Nation of England hath had their Laws invested and enacted by Parliaments and they chosen by the people Now it vvas never conceived that a people should be so void of reason as to give a company of persons a power to destroy their Birth-Right the property of their Estates for they are called to provide for the safety and weal of a people not for their hurt or damage and all Laws are grounded upon Reason or ought to be and where Reason ceaseth there the Law ceaseth Now thou art so ingenuous to confess that Tythes came first into England by the appointment and command of the Pope and Popish Laws and is it reasonable that those Laws should binde us that vvere first made by them vvhen vve are so distinct from them that vve now in our times have had Laws made amongst us for the selling and sequestring of their Estates quatenus as Papists and that an Act of Parliament made against common Right as Tythes is common Equity and common Reason is therefore null and void in it self in Law and ought not to be executed as appears by these following Laws See the first part of Doctor Bonham's Case fol. 118. and the eighth of Edward the Third fol. 3 30 33. E. Cassanet 32. and the 27 H. Annuity 41. and the 1 of Eliz. Dyer 113. and first part of Cook 's Institutes Lib. 2. Chap. 11. Sect. 209. fol. 140. and the fourth of Edward the fourth 12. 12. Edward the Fourth 18. 1 Henry the Seventh 12 13. Plowd Com. fol. 369. Yea saith that Learned Oracle of the Law of England Edward Cook in the fourth part of his Institutes fol. 330. where Reason ceaseth there the Law ceaseth for seeing Reason is the very Life and Spirit of the Lavv it self the Law is not to be esteemed to respect that vvhich hath no Reason although the generality of the words at the first Institution or after the Letter seem otherwise And saith the Learned Author in his first part of Institutes fol. 140. all Customs and Prescriptions Acts of Parliament Lavvs and Judgements that be against Reason are void and null in themselves And saith the Armies Atturny John Cooke in the late Kings Case stated page the 23. That by the Law of England any Act or Agreement against the Laws of God and Nature as I shall prove Tythes are against both is a meer nullity saith he for as a man hath no hand in making the Laws of God and Nature no more hath he power to mar or alter them and he cites the Earl of Leicesters adjudged Case for a proof and all the Judges in England cannot make one Case to be Law that is not Reason no more then they can make one Hair white that is naturally black for Law must be Reason adjudged and every Law of man must be consonant to the Law of God otherwise they are not Righteous nor Obligatory Now
sayest That Believers sold their possessions and laid them dovvn at the Apostles feet But they did distribute them as every man had need they did not purchase Lands and let the money to Usury and Extortion as the Priests of this Generation do Thou sayest that Paul informs of the qualities of a good Bishop to be a man blameless not given to filthy lucre and Christ saith Go not to Law with any man Now learn thou these Lessons and follow Righteousness Faith Love Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Thou directest me to that Text in Heb. 7. 8. And here men that die receive Tythes read the 11 verse of that Chapter If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should arise after the Order of Melchisedec for Christ came of another Tribe he sprang out of Judah who was not made after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endlesslife and vers 25. Wherefore he is able also to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And it shall come to passin the last dayes saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants and on my hand-maids I will pour out of my Spirit in those dayes and they shall prophesie And verily I do bear my Testimony that I do witness such a people now upon the earth whom the Lord hath revealed his secrets unto and doth powerfully work upon the hearts of thousands to the turning them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they do receive remission of sins and this I do witness in my own particular in great measure blessed yea for ever blessed be his holy and dreadful Name for he alone is worthy of everlasting Praises from his Own both now henceforth and for ever And woes everlasting woes will be the portion of all those that oppress his righteous Ones Now I finde that all men that will attain unto salvation must hear the Son of GOD for A Prophet saith Moses will the Lord your God raise up unto you in all things like unto me and him shall you hear and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not hear him shall be cut off from amongst the people Now neither the Son of God nor none of his Disciples nor Apostles did ever take Tythes or ever command the paying of them and they were not persons ordained by the will of man but were anointed with the holy anointing and were by that Spirit that did anoint them commanded to feed the Flock of Christ over which the holy Ghost had made them Overseers And Christ himself saith That unless a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven And this new Birth is a Death unto all sin and a Life unto all Righteousness and this every man must feel That it is as natural for him to serve the Law of God as it was formerly to serve the Law of sin And he is the true Teacher that is able by his own Experience to tell another how he hath passed from Death to Life for no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom for without are Covetous Lyers Adulterers Drunkards Extortioners and all evil Doers Now a true Teacher must hate the very appearance of evil he must hate vain thoughts and every false way We shall finde in Scripture that all the Teachers of Righteousness were such as were filled with the Spirit of the Lord and did not preach for filthy lucre or gain but of a ready minde and were not as the Priests of these times are that lie as Thieves and Robbers to murder in the way and sue for treble Damages and persecute the Son of God in all those that desire to live godly in him which they will feel one day that those that persecute them they persecute him and it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he thrown into the sea then that he should offend one of those little Ones that put their trust in me saith Christ Now I finde that in the year 600. or soon after Gregory the First then Pope of Rome sent over Augustine the Monk into England by vvhom Ethelbert King of Kent was converted This Augustine vvas a Câ—…n Regular and after he had obtained his own Design he then preached up Tythes in England by the Popes appointment and at the same time taught the people that the pardon of sin might be merited by good Works In the year 786. two Legats were sent over from Pope Hadrian the First to Offa King of Mercland Alwolf King of Northumberland vvho made a Decree That the people of those two Kingdoms should pay Tythes King Athelstone about the year 930. King Edmond about the year 940. King Edgar about the year 970. King Etheldred 1010. King Knute about the year 1020. Edward the Confessor and others of the Saxon Kings by Order from the Pope made Laws for Tythes The Normans afterwards entering this Kingdome William the Conquerour Henry the First Henry the Second King Stephen and other Kings by the like Order from the Pope confirmed the said Laws for Tythes and yet notvvithstanding all these Laws yet vvas it left to the Ovvner to confer it vvhere he pleased vvhich vvas the cause of making so many rich Abbies and Monasteries in England and until the year 1200. or thereabouts every one gave their Tythes as they pleased vvhich made Pope Innocent the Third send his Decretal Epistle the Bishop of Canterbury commanding him to injoyn every man to pay his Tythes to those that ministred spiritual things to them which vvas inforced by Sentence of the Ecclesiastical Courts And this vvas the first beginning of Parochial Tythes in England and this after by the Parliament was thought reasonable and then established by a Law the King and People being all Papists Now all this will I prove and let any man that hath any fear of the Lord judge whether that the Rules and Practice of those Back-sliders who were in the dark night of Apostacy be fit to guide us who have again received the pure light as the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour and have received the Lord Jesus Christ and know how to walk in him for know ye not that Christ is in you unless you be reprobates and put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts â—…eof The ninth Epistle To all Priests that teach for Hire and divine for Money that call themselves Ministers of Christ and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan that they may repent For the day of the Lord is at hand THe Arm and strength of the
heard and the heart is able to conceive more then all yea it is able to conceive and entertain into the imagination any thing yet all this is nothing to those everlasting joyes and comforts and consolations which the Saints shall enjoy in the presence of the Lord for evermore And therefore faint not at your fiery trials which cometh or is admitted or suffered in the Wisdom that is Infinite to try you as if some strange thing were come unto you as you may see in 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. But rejoyce in as much as you are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy if you be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are you for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you on their parts he is evil spoken of but on your parts he is glorified for the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear Wherefore saith the same Apostle let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator And so dear hearts look not out at things past present or to come or at others but stand in the light and in the counsel of the Lord and freely give up to his will as Job did Although he kill me saith he yet will I trust in him And in the Lords due time there shall be deliverance out of all troubles and he will work your peace even peace that men and devils shall not take from you for he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth and although many are the troubles of the Righteous yet the Lord will deliver them out of them all And therefore cast your whole care upon the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to pass he shall bring forth your Righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noon day and so the power of the Lord will compass you about and his Angels shall have charge concerning you to keep you in all his ways for they that stay themselves upon the arm of the Lord have perfect peace and their strength shall be renewed day by day in him who is made perfect and is become the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him which is Jesus that saveth to the utmost all that come to God by him for he ever liveth to make intercession for them And so believe in him and you shall be saved For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth them shall live by them but the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart Who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall ascend into the deep that is to bring Christ back again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lust and to live godly soberly and righteously in this present evil world and to do injury to no man but to do unto all men as you would have all men do unto you even this the Lord thy God doth require of thee O man To do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And this walking with God is that way that Enoch vvalked in all the holy men of God that brought their souls to the true centre of Rest even Rest everlasting where there is the innumerable company of Angels and the first-born whose names are written in heaven in the book of Life And so dear hearts indure as Moses did all things patiently as seeing him that is invisible for the patient abiding of the Meek shall not be forgotten and the Lord bottles up all the tears of his redeemed ones and so every one come with patience to do the will of God that when you have done it you may receive the Reward and so every one come to feel Christ Jesus in you that believe the hope of glory and feed upon the living Gospel which is the bread of life that whosoever eateth hungreth no more for every one must come to possess Christ in their own hearts for it is the Oyl in a mans own Lamp that must convey him into the Bridegrooms Chamber where the fulness of life and joy is to be found possessed and enjoyed for unto such who ordereth their conversations aright will Christ say at last Come you blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world for those that be guided by Christ are such as hear his voice and do desire to be taught by him as the truth is in Jesus and they shall be guided by him to do the will of God in every thing and so they shall come to be filled with his Righteousness and so his Righteousness filleth them with everlasting glory and the pure broken heart that is contrite the Lord doth accept And so let all Rulers and Magistrates cease the naming of God until they part from evil and let them cease their medling with setling the things of Gods Kingdom for I have seen they have all been broken to pieces as soon as they go about that work for the Lord will do his work himself by his Spirit and by his power it shall be accomplished and it shall not be in the power of man to hinder but he will break the great Potsherds of the earth to pieces if they meddle with those things that concern the setling of his Kingdom And therefore in render love to their souls I dearly exhort them to settle their own Governments and their own Kingdoms which are of this world and let Christ alone with the setling of his Kingdom which is not of this world for a Spirit of Righteousness shall rule and reign in the earth as the spirit of wickedness hath done and although the devil doth roar yet the time is at hamd when this shall be and it shall not be in the power of man to hinder it And therefore give over striving against the stream you mighty Potentates of the world for it is hard for you to kick against the pricks For the great day of the Lord is at hand and all mens works shall be tryed with fire and in that day the great and mighty men shall cry to the mountains and the hills to fall upon them and hide them from his presence And therefore all lend their ear to this call to Repentance while the day of their salvation lasteth and whilst the Lord standeth
at the door of your hearts knocking let him in remember what Christ said to Jerusalem Jerusalem O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not But her calamity came of a sudden and so let her be an Example for you speedily to repent and put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil and learn to do well for fear the wrath of the Lord destroy you for the time was when all the Kings of the earth would not have believed that the Adversary should have entered the gates of Jerusalem and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the Enemy should have entered the gates of Jerusalem for the sins of her Prophets and of her Priests which were full of iniquity as the Priests of England are who have shed the blood of the Just in the midst of her And therefore wo wo to thee O England if thou dost not speedily repent and put away the evil of thy doings for the Lord desireth not the death of a sinner but that he may live Therefore turn ye turn ye for why will you die O house of Israel And come to be within the promise of the Elect of God for the Lord loveth his saints and he preserveth the faithful and mercy shall embrace them on every side For he is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and he saveth them that are of a contrite spirit therefore blessed are the people whose God is the Lord the people who he hath chosen for his own inheritance for the eye of the Lord is over them to preserve them and to keep them in all their wayes and to preserve them in famine and thousands shall fall before them and the plague shall not come neer them for the destroying Angels shall pass over their heads Therefore all dear hearts fear the living GOD who is a God of power and he is dreadful to all the workers of iniquity but a God of love and joy and consolation to all those that fear him and that delight in his Commandments to do them Therefore fear the living God and wait upon him that you may finde pure wisdom flow in upon you from on high For every good and perfect gift cometh down from above from the Father of lights who doth powerfully manifest himself unto his Babes and Children and doth flow from heaven with fresh discoveries of his love unto his belved Ones that they can say feelingly Their beloved is their and they are his and he draws them by the cords of everlasting love that they are refreshed at the well-spring of life And therefore return return forsake your idol-shepherds and embrace Christ which is the Light for he is the true Shepherd and Bishop of your souls in whom the sure mercies of David are enjoyed and the glory of Israel is witnessed even the free Covenant of light in which the true Prophets did stand who is the Rock of Ages and is the Light of the World and is perfect Righteousness and they that are in him are righte us by his Righteousness for he hath for ever perfected all those that are sanctified and he commandeth his to be holy as he is holy and pure as he is pure and Be ye perfect saith Christ as your Father which is in heaven is perfect and the Cross of Christ is the mighty power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth And by this saith Christ shall you appear to be my Disciples by taking up the cross dayly and following me and Gods witness in every man will shew him the Cross of Christ what it is for that will shew all those that are faithful to it what is the will of God in every thing for it is that pure Thing of God in man that never did consent to sin nor never will but shews man all that ever he did and so we may say with the woman Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done Is not this the Christ said she And so dear Hearts this is your true Teacher Emmanuel God with us and the Lord is a strong Towet the Righteous fly unto it and are safe and they are hid in that invisible life which is in God and they know the life of God and they walk in his dayly presence and the arm of his strength is revealed dayly unto them which bringeth salvation And therefore come off from all your Idol shepherds and from all your false Forms of worship unto the Lord who is bringing his people off from the barren Mountains where they have fed upon husks and chaff and he is become their â—…cher himself and he will feed them with the finest of the Wheat and they shall drink of the well-spring of Life and never thirst again and they shall finde that one day in his Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Now the Priests must know That an old Mass-house is not the Courts of God for the Church of Christ is the Pillar and Ground of Truth and as many as were baptized were baptized into Christ and They that are in Christ are new creatures old things are passed away all things are become new and Your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and him that defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy And so dear Friends and Brethren and Sisters and Fathers and all You that do fear the Lord Take heed how you hear and take heed whom you hear for I do see dangerous seducers and deceivers abroad in the world besides the Priests even such as the Apostle Peter speaketh of that even would beguile the saints out of their simplicity if they could even as the serpent beguiled Eve such as have eyes full of adultery beguiling unstable souls hearts exercised with covetous practises having forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor which loved the wages of unrighteousness these are wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever For when they speak great swelling words in the Name of the Lord they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those who were clean escaped from them who live in Errour while they promise them Liberty 〈…〉 themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom 〈…〉 overcome of the same is he brought in bondage for 〈…〉 they have escaped the pollutions of the world through 〈…〉 knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are 〈…〉 intangled therein and over-come the latter end is 〈…〉 with them then the beginning For it had been better 〈…〉 yhem not to have known the way of righteousness then after 〈…〉 have know it to turn from the holy commandment deli 〈…〉 ed unto them but it is happened unto them according to 〈…〉 true Proverb 〈…〉 dog is turned to his own vomit againâ—◠〈…〉 sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And amongst the 〈…〉 other so called that saith he was born in Holland â—…t he is the dangerousest person that ever I read of or heard of next unto that grand Apostate Spira and I fear he had more Brethren I shall do my endeavour to finde them out and then publish them to the world that all men may take notice of them And my Advice now unto you from the Loâ—… is That you all dear Hearts wait low in the counsel of the LORD GOD and when you have got into the simplicity of Christ stay in it and abide in it and wait in the power and strength of GOD that you may be kept out of the wiles and suggestions of the roaring Enemy who stirreth up Enemies without and Enemies within and all to keep your Crown from you Put on therefore dearly beloved in the Lord the whole armour of God that you may be more then Conquerours through Christ that loveth you even as Paul was and learn the wisdom which is from above which is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits be humble meek lowly be broken-hearred be contrite-spirited let patience possess your souls For ye were as sheep going astray but ye are now returned to the Saviour and Bishop of your souls Christ Jesus Unto his keeping I commit you To whom be given everlasting Praises Honour and all holy Hallelujahs to Him that liveth for ever and for evermore world without end The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all Those that set Their Faces toward Sion and seek it with their Soâ—… sire To which my Soul saith AMEN FINIS Deut. 13. Chap. 18. 2 Pet. 2. Baal
them already they are compleat in Christ and renewed into his image they are in Covenant with him they are his Children they are born of him and he that is born of him sinneth not neither can he sin because he is born of God The Reason because he is born of him that is the pure seed of God in him being always obeyed and waited in the watch being continually kept by this he overcometh the world and this is our victory even our Faith that hath given us victory over the world and this Faith standeth in Christ who removeth those Mountains of Sin and Uncleanness that hath possest them in the time of their ignorance even like so many Devils for every sin is a Devil as you may read that Mary Magdalen had seven Devils cast out of her that is seven reigning unclean spirits being devils and the devils besought Christ when they saw they must go forth of the man possest that they might enter into the herd of Swine So by this Faith in Christ the corrupt fruitless tree that cumbreth the ground is removed and a Plant of Righteousness of the Lords own planting is placed in the room of it that is planted by the Rivers of waters that flourisheth and bringeth Fruit in season and whatsoever it doth doth prosper and his leaf shall never wither but it shall bring forth his Fruit in due season to the glory of the Father and so by abiding in Christ the Vine the creature doth bring forth much Fruit to the glory of the Father the pure is known from that which is impure the holy from that which is unholy that of God from that which is not of God for that which is holy is to abide in the house of God who dwelleth not in unclean Temples made with hands but his Temples are his Saints and their Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and this is the living sacrifice that God accepteth for it is the living that praise the Lord the dead cannot they that are dead in trespasses and sins they praise not God their sacrifice is as the cutting off a dogs neck it is the redeemed of the Lord that sings the songs of Sion the songs of Holiness they are they that follow the Lamb in the Regeneration and they are regenerated and these follow the Lamb Jesus through great Tribulations and they have washed their garments in his blood and they shall sit on his right hand for evermore for he hath found them worthy for he hath redeemed them from all iniquity that they may serve him in Righteousness and true Holiness all the dayes of their lives and so they are come to the perfect liberty of the sons of God they are led by his Spirit which leads them into all truth out of all sin and all unrighteousness and so they are kept without spot or wrinkle in the midst of a perverse and crooked Generation and the Comforter which is the Spirit of Truth leads them into all Truth and sets up true Judgement and Justice and Equity that that rules the whole man and governs the souls of his that all unjust Rulers and Governours that hath had possession formerly is destroyed and the LORD GOD alone doth reign in this the day of his power and he alone doth plead the cause of his redeemed Ones by that of his pure Self which he hath placed in every one of them and hath made it to get the victory And therefore wo wo unto them that lay heavy burdens upon his despised Ones for a Day of terrible Wrath and Vengeance is coming upon you all and the sword of the Lord is drawn and will be avenged on all his Enemies in this the great day of his terrible appearance and the Enemies of his power shall know that he alone will reign and be exalted in this great day of his appearance for the Lord alone will reign and be King over all the Kingdoms of the world and all the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and unto him shall all bend and bow and all the powers of the earth be made subject for he is the Light and in him is the Light of the world and he is the beloved of God Therefore every one lend their ear unto him and hear him for in him is to be found the white stone with the new name written in it that no man knoweth but he that hath it for all that are led by the Spirit of God are led into Holiness for Holiness becometh the House of God for ever it is none but the pure in heart shall see God for God is Righteousness and he leadeth his people into righteousness they that are led by his Grace are led out of Ungodliness and out of the pathes of the wicked for the wicked walk in darkness they stumble at noon-day the fool saith in his heart There is no God and his actions plainly declare it for he liveth as though there were no God to punish him nor Devil to torment him nor Hell-fire to burn him which is the portion of the wicked storm and tempest fire and brimstone is their portion for ever from the presence of the Lord Rev. 19. 3. And her smoak rose up for evermore And therefore you stout-hearted of the world that bend your brows against the Just fear and tremble for the righteous God is coming in Judgement to avenge the blood of his servants at your hands and which of you will be able to dwell in everlasting burnings for Judgement is already begun at the house of God And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear And therefore repent repent go away and sin no more before repentance be hid from your eyes and you be cut off from the Land of the Living and meet the Lord speedily in the wayes of his Judgements O it is good to live in judgement at all times that is to judge sin down in the first motion as hath been already shewn And therefore all you that would be counted Christians and be Co-heirs with Christ Jesus the Son of the living God who is the onely Saviour of Man-kind depart from iniquity sin and all ungodliness and return to him who is come to judge all flesh raising up his true and faithful VVitness in all Concernments which sheweth to all men upon the face of the earth what sin iniquity and all ungodliness is to the end they may unto their Father return and repent of their former evil ways that their sins may be taken away and their iniquities may be blotted out and his perfect life brought forth which doth his will on earth as it is in heaven and such who do obey this holy Voyce of Christ in them do witness his Kingdome come in great power and glory which is not of this vvorld therefore the vvorld knovveth it not for they vvill not come unto Christ that they