a man that tells ye the truth he hath heard of God This did not Abraham Now Friends to be plain and short with you You are the Children of Abraham no farther and no longer than ye do the deeds of Abraham but his Children ye are whose works ye do And therefore said John to the Pharisees who came to his Baptism O Generation of Vipers who hath forewarned ye to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance and think not to say in your selves that we have Abraham to our Father for I say unto you God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham And now also the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire I indeed baptize you with water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire whose Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire So see Friends what fruit you bear and whose Works ye do Whose Tree ye are of for as is the Tree so is the fruit and as is the Fruit so is the Tree And if the Tree be evil the Fruit is so and if the Fruit be evil the Tree is so And every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And see Friends whether ye are Chaff or Wheat For to this ye must come if ever it be well with you For he will thoroughly purge his Floor whose Fan is in his hand who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose shooes John saith he was not worthy to bear and that he was mightier then he who came to baptize with water unto Repentance and he will gather his Wheat into the Garner and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire as hath been declared In Bowels of tender love I write these things as being moved of the Lord for his Seed's sake in you that ye be not deceived in a wrong apprehension of your state as in another when you are not as he is in your selves For if whilest we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves are found sinners saith Paul is therefore Christ the Minister of sin God forbid For if I build again the things that I have destroyed I make my self a Transgressor And if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new Creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become new for as he is so must be that which is in him For What fellowship hath Righteousness with Unrighteousness And what Communion hath Light with Darkness And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God said Paul to the Corinthians the Church there 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 And he that doth righteousness saith John is righteous as he is righteous And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure For as he is so are we in this World And whosoever sinneth hath neither seen him nor known him And the Temple of God is holy whose Temple ye are And if any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy And know ye not that ye are the Temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you saith Paul again to the same Church And he that is born of God doth not commit sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sâ—nneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother saith John again in his first Epistle Now Friends these things I have written unto you as I have said that ye may not be deceived for while ye think to be justified by Christ and yet keep a liberty in some things to transgress and in some things to heed the Witness of God and believe not in him in that which witnesseth that that is He ye will dye in your sins Except ye believe that I am he said he to the Pharisees ye shall die in your sins For he became the Author of eternal salvation to as many as obey him even to as many as believe in his Name And this is his Name The true and faithful Witness Unto which answers that of him in the Conscience and by which he will judge all men and they shall be left without excuse For if ye were blind said he to the Pharisees ye should have no sin but now ye say We see therefore your sin remaineth And he was manifest to take away sin And for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he may destroy the works of the Devil And sin is the work of the Devil And he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Now how can these things be and Men abide in sin and that to their Death And how are they purged and purified from sin who abide in sin And how are they justified that are condemned for sin And how are their sins taken away whose sin remain And how are they in Christ Jesus who are not new Creatures And how are they as he is in this world who sin while they are in this world And how are they righteous even as he is righteous who do unrighteousness and all unrighteousness is sin And how do they purifie themselves as he is pure who abide in sin And how is he become the Author of Eternal Salvation to them who neither obey him nor believe in his Name And how are old things passed away when they are there still And how are all things become new when there is the old And how can that be in him which hath neither seen him nor known him And how can that have Eternal life which will not come to him Friends These things are deep and weighty and it behoves ye to consider whilst ye have time for the Door is near shutting and the Lord is at hand to render unto every man according to his work and as your works are so will be your reward So 't is high time to look
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
found written in the Lambs Book of Life who exercise Dominion over the Lord's Herltage and are called of men Lords Seeing that Christ Jesus saith The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority over them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among ye let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve For whether is greater he that sitteth at Meat or he that serveth Is not he that sitteth at Meat but I am amongst ye as he that serveth Luke 22. 25 26 27. And seeing that his Apostle saith For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be Gods many and Lords many but to Us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and We in him one Lord Jesus by whom are all things and we by him 1 Cor. 8. 4 5. And seeing another of his Apostles saith The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the Glory which shall be revealed Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5. 23. And seeing the same Apostle also saith And when the chief Shepherd No Arch-Bishop no chief Shepherd of the sheep but him shall appear we shall receive who are not as Lords over Gods Heritage or who Lord it not over them as aforesaid a Crown of glory that fadeth not away ver 4. Thirdly look and see whether ever the Apostles had the disposal of Lands otherwise then what every one that had a willing mind did sell and lay the money down at the Apostles feet for the relief of the Disciples that none amongst them might want and this in time of persecution Seeing that the Scripture saith And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed were his own but they had all things common And that with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great Grace was on them all neither was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessors of Lands sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet And distribution was made unto every man according to his need And Joses who by the Apostles was called Barnabas which is by interpretation the Son of Consolation a Levite and of the Countrey of Cyprus having Land sold it and brought the Money not the Land and laid it at the Apostles feet Acts 4. 32. to the end And whether Palaces and yearlie Revenues of thousands of pounds in Land and Houses which they neither ploughed for or eared planted or sowed as proper to their Place and Function Or Earthly Dignities or Superiorities or Powers or Preheminencies or State or Grandeur was entailed by Christ to his Apostles and Disciples whom he sent forth to Minister to whom he said after he was risen from the Dead and near ascending And lo I am with you to the end of the World Matt. 28. 20. seeing that himself also saith to Pilate My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence John 18. 36. And to Peter Put up thy sword into the sheath the Cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Ver. 31 Put up thy sword Peter into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword Mat. 26. 52 And to his Disciples The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have Nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Matt. 8. 20. And When I sent you without purse and scrip and shooes lacked ye any thing And they said Nothing Luke 22. 35 And his Apostle saith For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid on me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this thing willingly I have my reward but if against my will a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed to me what is my reward then Verily that when I preach the Gospel that I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel for though I be free from all men yet have I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more 1 Cor. 9. 16 17 18 19. Fourthly look and see whether they had any Courts or Synagogues or places of Judicature or sate as Judges over Mens Persons or Estates or had their Officers to summon or bring before them to censure and to punish them And whether they had or sought for or used or taught of such a Power or any thing like it to that or succeeding ages that might then or hereafter or at any time be used by the Apostles and the Disciples of Jesus Seeing that he saith Man who made me a Judge or a Divider over you to him that said Master speak to my Brother that he divide the Inheritance with me Who was one of the company that followed him Luke 12. 13 14. And seeing that he said to his Disciples Take heed to your selves for they shall deliver ye up to Counsels and in the Synagogues ye shall be beaten and ye shall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them Mark 13. 9. And that they were so delivered and beaten and brought before the Acts of the Apostles testifie Fiftly Look and see whether the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus had fixed places or setled stations or Houses and Land appropriated to them by the Laws of Nations and such a Circuit of ground and all within it whether one or the other to be at their Order and this to be called their Diocess or Deanary or Parish or Cure of Souls Seeing that of Christ Jesus it is said That he went about all the Cities Villages teaching in their Synagogues preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom healing every sickness every disease among the people Mat. 9. 35. And he said to his Disciples Freely ye have received freely give Heal the sick cleanse the Lepers raise the dead cast out Devils Freely ye have received freely give And this was to the lost sheep of the House of Israel Matt. 10. 6 7 8. And seeing his Apostle said of himself and Brethren Even to this present time we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have No certain dwelling place and labour working with our hands being reviled we
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