our Faith by our works for the Spirit of Faith being lived in as the inward principle the body is disposed by its motions and it doth never dispose the body to conform unto any outward thing which is contrary to its own nature so that the body is not to act the spirit but the spirit is to act and govern the body and where it is so both the inward and the outward agrees in one and there is faith inwardly and good works outwardly and we have a good evidence of the spirit in our selves that so it is with us whereby we are preserved upon our foundation inwardly and for joyning with any practice that is contrary to it outwardly and here our bodyes are alive unto God in his spirit and are acted and ordered by the power of it according to his will and vvhere it is not so there is not the sence of the spirit in the body and so a dead body vvhich others may move and order in their own vvay Q. Well but demonstrate in some particulars your Non-conformity as first why you cannot conform to the Discipline of the Church of England as it is now established outwardly A. Because vve do not find that it is established upon our foundation and principle inwardly and therefore vve cannot have faith in it nor love towards it and if vve should conform to it outvvardly contrary to the inward principle of our faith vve should commit sin for that which is not of faith is sin and if vve should do so vve should commit a great evil and our faith and love unto God vvould be lost and therefore it is vvhy vve cannot conform to the vvay and Worship now observed according to that Discipline or order because the spirit of God by which our bodyes are alive to God doth not so order and dispose us and vve dare not order our bodies in our own choice for if we could do so and not sin against God vve should rather chuse to conform then suffer but vve know that if vve should do so vve could not keep our consciences void of offence towards God though we might in so doing please many men but should come under his rebuke and correction for transgression and so in our single faith and love towards God we stand in the will of God and dare not move to observe any thing outwardly but as the motion of his power and life disposes us inwardly in which vve have true peace and satisfaction in our greatest tribulations and hereby it may be understood why vve cannot conform in this particular Q. And why is it that you cannot swear at all A. Because it is contrary to our inward principle and our principle being the truth it self we know that as we are acted and disposed by its motion that all our words promises and engagements are sure and stedfast for they are firmly established in our principle and therefore we dare not swear at all knowing our yea is yea and our nay is nay in a sure and stedfast principle that changes not and our faith and love towards God is in our principle and if we should swear at all we should deny our principle which is Christ the truth vvho commands us not swear at all and our faith standing in him and our love being towards him we are constrained to keep his command because we know that all his commands are according to truth and we believe that if we should swear at all vve should go into transgression and fall under condemnation and then we should loose the answer of a good Conscience and peace with God which is of more value unto us then the highest favours in the world Q. But doth your faith and love which you say is towards God lead you wholly into opposition to the ordinances of men who are to rule and govern Nations and Kingdoms A. Nay our faith and love towards God makes us to be subject to the Ordinances of men for the Lords sake and we do not despise Government outwardly but do believe that actual subjection ought to be given in all things that pertain to the preservation and well-being of such as are under the power of it and for this cause pay we Tribute and Custome and that not only for fear but for Conscience sake whereby our actual Subjection is manifested and our Consciences kept void of offence towards God and men for as we know that our inward principle is just and righteous in it self so vve believe that every power in outward Government that rules in Justice and Righteousnesse between man and man is to be owned and submitted unto and not in any wise to be resisted or denyed and this is something of our faith concerning this particular vvhereby it may appear that vve are not vvholly in opposition to the Ordinances of men as they act in Justice and Righteousness for the well-being one of another which is the main end of all outward Government Q. But do you not believe that you ought in all things to be actually subject according to the institutions of Laws which are in being A. Nay that is not our Faith for vvhere any Law concerns our Consciences and that contrary to our inward principle in that case vve dare not be actually subject for as our principle is the greatest in power and so it is most worthy of our subjection and our faith and love constrains us so to do and vvhere any outward Law lyes against our inward principle as to things pertaining to our Consciences vve in that case are passive and patiently suffers under it and so vve believe and are sure that the exercise of our Consciences in matters of Worship and Religion is to stand single unto God alone and not to be restrained or limited by any Ordinance of men Q. Why can you not give respect and honour unto persons that are in power and Government according to the Customs which are used A. Because it is against our faith to respect persons according to customes for we have not the faith our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons and yet we give honour and respect to all men unto vvhom it is due but the Hat and Knee is a beggarly honour and not worthy to be either given or received for honour being far below the honour that comes from above and we being born of the Royal seed of God we cannot give honour to any thing below it and all the customs that are in being and given and received for honour amongst men they are all below the Royall seed and the birth born of the seed can neither give nor receive such honor and this is our faith in this particular That we are to honour God and all men in the Lord but Customs and Observations with the Hat and Knee we believe and are sure that God doth not require us to give respect or honour unto any person after that manner and by our faith we live in our principle
it is but the dispensation of it as it is the Law is not for the Law makes nothing perfect and there can be no true rest and peace but in that which is perfect and makes perfect Q. What then doth the administration of the Law serve unto if it make nothing perfect A. It serves as a Schoolemaster to bring unto Christ Q. How is it as a Schoolemaster in its administration A. In correcting and judging the transgressour and instructing and teaching in righteousness for the Law was added because of transgression Q. Is not Christ manifest through the dispensations of the Law and and the Prophets A. According to that dispensation unto which they serve he is so but it is but darkly as in a glass Q. How must the Law and the Prophets be passed thorow to come unto Christ who fulfills them A. By observing the Statutes and Ordinances that is therein contained whereby there is a going forward to the more full enjoyment of the perfection of Christ who fulfills the Law and the Prophets in the more glorious appearance of his own fulness and perfect life Q. Is the administration of the Law in force in this present age A. Yes it is in force to take hold upon all transgressours and it is Ministred in justice against the transgressour which erres from the Statutes and Ordinances that is therein contained Q. But are not people in this age under a Gospel administration and are they to be brought back again under the Law A. They that have not passed thorough the administration of the Law in themselves they are not under a Gospel administration and therefore they cannot be brought back again because they never went forward but they are to be brought into that which hitherto they have not known nor understood for a Gospel administration barely professed will not doe people any good and so it is that many in this age looks over the Law as an administration below their profession and that the Law was a more proper administration in ages past and more particularly to the Jews not understanding that it hath its proper administration in man whilest sin and transgression remaines in him and so it is in as full force in this age upon all transgressours as ever it hath been in ages past for whosoever in this age that doth offend in one point of it they will be found guilty of all and the judgement will take hold to the correcting of the guilty for God will by no means clear the guilty Q. And is the throne of judgement set up under the Law to judge and condemne the transgressors of the Law A. Yes it is so that every man might fear the Lord God who gives forth his Law in man to be kept and not to be broken Q. But is it possible that man can keep the Law in all things and not offend in any thing or that he can performe the requirings of God in that dispensation as it is a Covenant of works A. If there was not a possibility on mans part to keep it then it would seem hard that the Lord should command it and require it and for not keeping it to judge and condemne for it and there was some in ages past that walked before the Lord with perfect hearts and that under the administration of the Law but the shortness of observing or mans part is the weakness and unprofit ableness of the flesh so that he many times cannot doe the things that he would and therein the first Covenant is found faulty not in it selfe but in the sinfull flesh and if it had not been so concerning the observing of the first Covenant there could not be place for the second and therefore the works of the first Covenant doth not obtaine life and salvation but the free grace in the second Covenant that all people might dye to themselves according to the flesh and live unto God according to the spirit that so life and salvation may not be of works but by Grace in the rich mercy of God through Jesus Christ who in his full and glorious appearance in man is the end of the Law for righteousness and brings life and immortality to light by the Cospel and then there is no more servitude or bondage under the Law because of the weakness of the flesh but redemption wrought by the power of Christ from under it into a more perfect state of freedome and liberty in his own life Q What is signified by the Prophesies A. The nearer approaching or drawing nigh of Christ in his own fulness and and perfect life that whereas he hath been seen but darkly as in a glass under the Law he may be seen with open face in the compleat beauty of his own glory in the Cospel Q Of what service are the Scriptures as they are given forth and recorded without A. Much every way unto those that have received the same Spirit from which they were givenforth for unto such they are profitable and makes wise unto salvation and are unto them of service for instruction edification and comfort the same Spirit in them receiving the Testimony of the Spirit as it is declared in the Scripture and there is an agreement and union in the Spirit within and also in the words without and so there is instruction edification and comfort by the Scriptures unto all that are in the same Spirit as gave them forth Q. But are they of no further service then onely a Testimony of those things which was present in that time A. So much of them as was given forth by the holy men of God through the inspiration of the Almighty they testifie of Christ who was and is and is to come and that is onely their service in their place that through the Testimony therein declared unto Christ all people might come unto him and have life Q. By what doth Christ manifest his life so as that it may be known to be his life A. By his light he manifests it and as the light is received by which it is manifest so is life received in it Q. Is the light and the life distinct Principles A. Nay the light is Christ and the life is Christ and they are not distinct Principles but he is known to be light in manifesting and life in quickening Q. What is the administration of Christ in the appearance of his own fulness and perfect life A. An administration of love grace and mercy Q. And doth he appear to salvation in that administration of his love grace and mercy A. To as many as receives him in that appearance he becomes their salvation but such as reject him he is their condemnation Q. Is not that administration universal to salvation A. The manifestation of it is universal unto all but unbelievers have no part in it as an administration to salvation Q. What is his administration in that appearance of love grace and mercy unto such as reject him A. An administration
Gods mercies and so come to receive an answer of their Prayers For when the heart of man doth not encline to the Spirit of God it is in rebellion against him and God doth not shew mercy to the rebellious and so people pass over their time in words but want the life which should do them good and when they come to finish their dayes their hearts are as far off from Gods Law as the first day when they began to pray That he would encline their hearts to keep it and they have no assurance that God will shew them mercy though they have been praying in words all their life-time And likewise in answer to the Lettany where they pray after this manner Good Lord deliver us And We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. And this is the same in their latter dayes as in the beginning and it is manifest that they are not delivered from those things as in words they pray to be delivered from nor are not heard in those things which they beseech the Lord to hear them in and so they spend their dayes in observing a customary formality and never come to any assurance that they are delivered or that their requests are heard and answered And again in that which they call the Creed they confess they believe in God now they that believe in God their hearts are enclined to keep his Law and he shews them mercy and hears them and delivers them for they that believe in God they do his will and if any man do his will him he heareth And then again they confess That they are miserable sinners and do those things they ought not to do And if so then not Believers for they that believe in Christ are not miserable sinners neither do those things they ought not to do but by believing in Christ they are saved and he takes away their sin that makes them miserable and sets them free from their misery and they do those things that are well-pleasing in his sight for they that truly believe in Christ they do not only confess their sins but also forsake them and so find mercy with the Lord and they are not alwayes complaining that they do those things they ought not to do but know his Will and do it and are blessed in their deed And again in that which they call the Lords Prayer they generally say Our Father Now the Children of God are not miserable sinners nor do not those things they ought not to do for whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin And Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him And there are not any that believe in God or can call God Father in truth but those that are born of him for those that are born of flesh and of blood and of the will of man they do not believe in God neither can truly call God Father for that is the nature in vvhich sin is committed vvhich makes people miserable and that is the nature in which they do those things they ought not to do and that is the nature in which there is no saving health and there is not any prayer accepted of God which in that nature is performed for none in the flesh can please God and whatsoever is offered unto him in that nature he doth not regard it for it is the nature from which all wickedness proceedeth and the prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto God And though there may be many which may deny the common vvay of Prayer as it is used in the common Worship and set up some other way of Prayer as more excellent yet whilst the Flesh and Blood and Will of man conceives it and performs it there is no difference in the ground between that vvhich they deny and that which they set up and practise neither doth God regard it any more than that which they deny And though such Prayers may not appear so formal as those that are commonly used in the common Worship yet they are conceived in the very same womb and do not at all differ in the ground for as the Wisdom of the flesh hath composed so many set-prayers in words and hath prescribed a way to observe and practise the same and that none is either to add or diminish as to vvhat is so composed even so the same Wisdom may deny that prescribed way as being formal and may invent something instead of it in a higher mistery of iniquity and though they may not speak in such formal composed words yet in the same Wisdome their words are formal not at all differing in the ground or conception but only in the expression and observation and in their practise it is as formal as that which they deny for they have a constant observation by way of Prayer in what they practise which in it self is as formal as the set-prayers commonly used in the common Worship for they can set their own time both to begin and to make an end and when they will they can utter vvords and vvhen they will they can be silent and they have their own conceptions at command and can either perform or not perform in their own time and this is the uncleane part vvhich offers unto God which he doth not accept neither is any Prayer regarded or accepted of God but the Prayer which is offered to him by his own birth So that these few things being seriously considered it is manifest that the way of Prayer as it is now commonly used observed and practised in the common Worship is not true prayr but a bare formality and not onely so but also contradictory so is not performed with a right understanding and it is as manifest that all other wayes of praying which are conceived and performed in the wisdom of the flesh is not true Prayer neither doth God regard it more then the other because it is performed in the same nature and differs in nothing but in the manner and however they may differ in the practice yet they meet in the ground and are offered up in the unclean part and so are not performed with an understanding as Prayer in the Spirit of God is Now the Spirit of Life which is manifest from God in every mans conscience doth so enlighten him as to make him sensible that he is a sinner and in himself is miserable and eternally liable to the Wrath of God without the Lord appear for him and work his deliverance and as man takes heed to that Spirit which doth so enlighten him and makes manifest his condition to him then the Spirit begins to quicken and stir up something in him that desires after God and breathes after God and the sighs and groans begin to arise in a true sence of misery and the breathings go forth in the earnest of the Spirit unto God and the cry arises for help and deliverance and though that which is quickened by the Spirit to breath in the Spirit be but