broad way to destruction whatever thou be whether a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Letter of the Scripture under what Form Name or Title soever thou be thou art a dead Man and a dead Woman and the wrath of God abides on thee though thou see it not Rom. 7. 9. there Paul witnesseth I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I dyed Friends every one in particular deal justly with your hearts see what you can witness of your death with Christ by the powerful Word of Truth which enlightens the Conscience and condemns Sin in the flesh for every one would ascend with Christ to be partakers of the Life and Glory with him but he becomes a stumbling stone to be Baptized with him unto his Sufferings and Death to descend with him into Hell this thou must witness before ever thou comest to sit with him in heavenly places for it is they and they alone that shall reign with him who suffer with him and they that are dead shall live with him It is the dead that hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Arise thou that sleepest in the dust of the Earth securely in thy serpentine wisdome thy Mind feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish Arise stand up to Judgment that Christ may give thee Life This is required of thee O man To do Justly love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God Examine thy heart and deal justly with thy own Soul There is a Light in thy Conscience which Light is of Christ minding it it will let thee see the Mystery of Iniquity that lodgeth in thy heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked and this Light in thy Conscience which discovers unto thee the evil of thine heart is of the Eternal Word of God and was from the beginning according as it is written in the outward Testimony of the Truth In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is God and the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was Life and the Lifo was the Light of men And the Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not Every one arise out of your earthly wisdom and mind the Light in thy Conscience and wait on the Power of the Lord in it and it will bring thee to Judgment before the Throne of the Lamb where the righâ—…teous Law will be opened in thy heart that will cry through thy earthly heart for Righteousness and Judgment and the Book will be opened in thee where thou shalt see all written that thou hast done in the body and shalt give an account for every idle word and receive thy reward for what thou hast done and thy reward is wrath and Condemnation which will pass upon thee from the presence of the Lamb for thy disob dience and breaking of the righteous Law that goes out of the mouth of the Lamb 't will turn every way and meet thee cut thee down and cast thee into Hell where there is weeping and wailing for want of the presence of God and thou canst do nothing to pacific the Wrath of God which is gone out against thee Now wouldâ—…t thou hide thy self as Adam did when he appears in thy heart thy fig-leav'd garment of prayers tears form outward observations according to thy comprehension of the Letter will not cover thy nakedness it served to cover thy nakedness from the sight of men but now when the Lord appears in thy heart thou canst not stand before him Now comes Cain in thee to be driven from the Face of God to be a fugitive and a Vagabond in the Earth not withstanding all his Sacrifices and Esau in thee reprobated never to have the blessing though he seek it with tears and the Bond woman and herâ—…son cast out and the first Adam now slain with the sharp Sword that goeth out of the mouth of the Lamb and art made to give up thy soul to God whose it is to do with thee what he will if he destroy thee forever he may and if he save thee from Eternal Death it is his free Love Now art thou Baptized with Christ into his Sufferings and Death where thou liest sealed down under the Eternal Judgment of God and there perishest forever for any Power or help thou hast in thy self and this is the Administration of Moses where thou liest condemned forever under the righteous Law without any help or hope until the Administration of the Prophets that prophesie of a Christ that hath satisfied the righteous Law of God for thee who art lost and condemned under the Power of the Law of Moses And now there is a secret hope raised up in thy Soul and thou lookest up from under the condemning Power of Moses for a Saviour And the prophets are until John and of all that were horn of Women there was not one greater then John for he is a burning and shining Light that lets thee fee the filthiness of thy heart and the Law shines in its purity to condemn the Earthly man in thee bu the strengthens the hope in thee that was raised up by the Prophets to see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ which ravished thy lost condemned Soul that thou art willing to sell all for him the Scripture now being fulfilled in thee who witnesseth this from the days of John even until now The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force now is every Mountain and Hill laid low in thee and crooked wayes made straight and the rough way in thee made smooth and thou waitest in the Wilderness and lost condition of thy self for the Salvation of God to be manifest to thee in Jesus Christ and in the appointed time of the Father the Son of Man comes to thy soul as a thief in the night as the lightening from the East to the West so is his appearance in thee and causeth thy â—…ead soul to hear his voice which witnesseth to it eternal life freely through his own Blood and thy soul hears his voice and by the Word of his Power is made to live and is sealed up by the Holy Spirit of promise the Spirit of God bearing witness with thy spirit that thou art his child Now comest thou to witness the second Adam to be a quickening Spirit and Isaac the promised Seed to be Heir forever And that the wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life And that by Grace thou are saved through Faith in the Lord Jesus not of works left any should boast and he that hath Hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure and the Love of Christ constrains thee now who canâ—…t witness this work of Regeneration manifest in
keeps the â—…ind pure and the Heart clean through the sprinkling of the Heart from an Evil Conscience by the Blood of Jesus which remits the Sin and justisies the Soul through the Virtue of this Blood received into the Heart by this living Faith which receives all its Power and Virtue from Christ in whom it abides as its Root and Object whereby Justification is witnessed from Sin not in Sin Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from Sin and become Servants unto God you have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life We believe That Justification and Sanctification are distinguished but not divided for as he that sanctifieth and justifieth is one so do these go together and when the Son hath the greaâ—…t Sence of Justification upon it through the Vertue of the Blood of Jesus by the Living Faith then is it most in Love with Holiness and at the gratest Distance from Sin and Evil and whenever there is a Failing in Sanctification there is also some â—…elipse of Justification in the Eye of the Soul until Faith hath received its Strength again which it lost by Sin 's prevailing For as the farthest clear'st Sight is in the brightest Day so is it with the Soul when it is most in the Brightness and Beauty of Holiness its Justification appears most Glorious and its Union and Communion most sweet and lasting and so like two Twins as they are much of an Age so they are like one to the other And what God hath joyn'd together let no maâ—… put asunder We also by this Light believe That Acceptance with the Father is only in Christ by his Righteousness made ours or imputed unto us not by the Creaturely Skill but by the Applicatory Act of God's Gift of Grace whereby the Soul feels the Difference between Self-applying by its own Faith and God appling by his Spirit and so making Christ unto the Soul Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption So that we bâ—…lieve and are sure that there is a great Difference between Imputaâ—…on as it is the Act of man's Spirit as it is the Act of Free Grace without man's forcing And so we distinguish between Imagination and Imputation between Reckoning or Imputing that is Real and Reckoning or Imputation that is not Real but a Fiction and Imagination in the Creaturely Will and Power And because we are against the latter we are clamoured upon as if we deny'd the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness when it is only unto those who are not made Righteous by it to walk as he also walked For as the Scripture saith it is not he that saith he is Righteous by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but he that dâ—…th Rightâ—…ousness is Righteous even as Christ is Righteous 1 Joh. 3. 7. he that believes otherwise is deceived And yet it is not Acts of Righteousness as done by us nor as inherent in us as Acts by which we are accepted of God and justified before him but by Christ the Author and Worker of those Acts in us and for us whereby we know that we are in him and he in us and we hold him as our Head unto whom all things are gathered together in one even in him We further believe That God is only to be Worshipped and not any Likeness that man makes unto himself of God from any View Sight and Knowledge that he hath had of him but in every Act and Service man is to know what substantially as well as whom speculatively or notionally he wopships as it is written John 4. 22. Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for Salvation is of the Jews And he that thus worships the Father honours the Son by the same Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son in which Spirit only God is worshipped according to the Form of its own chufing and manifesting of himself in and by according unto the Good Pleasure of the Father who is a Spirit and limits man unto the Spirit's Form but allows not man to limit the Spirit unto his Form though it be not of his inventing originally but of the Father Yet Man must no more limit God unto it then he could command God to appear in it at first For as he chose it himself so he hath reserved Liberty to leave it at his Pleasure who works all things after the Counsel of his own Will which be hath purposed in himself that the Gift of the Knowledge of the Mystery of his Will might forever be acknowledged to be of his Grace and for the Riches of the Glory thereof according to Ephes. 1. and man be bound but God free Man bound to wait in the Light for God's Movings but God free to move in whom to what and when he pleaseth Then man is to go when he saith Go and come when he saith Come and such Servants do serve him And then there is no more Curse as in the days of Will Worship and Voluntary Humility but the Throne of God and of the Lamb Col. 2. 18 23. Rev. 22. 3 4. And they shall see his Face and his Name shall be on their Foreheads We believe also That this Worship is spiritual and not carnal in all its Parts and Ordinances and not to be imposed by any outward Force but performed by the inward Leading of God's Holy Spirit according as the Holy Men of God were led and guided in the days past who gave forth the Scriptures all Impsitions of Worship outward being only enjoyn'd under the first Covenant that made nothing perfect until the Time of Reformation spoken of Hebr 9 10. But Christ being come there is an End as well of such Impâ—…sitions as of the Meats and Drinks and divers Baptisms and carnal Ordinances they being all but Temporary and in Order unto an End but all to vail to Christ the sum and substance of all the first pointed at by all and the last ending of all the Amen And he that thus worships God in Christ his Ordinances are spiritual and not carnal and his Faith carries him beyond his Works with righteous Abel and preserves him that he is not drowned in the Form like Cain neither falls he short of the glory of God nor of his assurance of Acceptance with him We believe There is one Baptism necessary to Salvation Ephs. 4. 5. One Lord one Faith one Baptism And this Baptism is Spiritual of which John's Water was but a figure John 1. 31. That he should be made manifest to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with Water saith John and 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the puâ—…ting away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Râ—…surrection of Jesus Christ This one Spiritual Baptism into the Name of Jesus Christ is that which saves the Water being but a figure that Christ might be manifest to Israel who had divers Baptisms
him foolishness and madness This is the Wiâ—…dom of God and the children thereof judged and condemned by man in his day And how can it be otherwise How can the wisdom of men but judge that as foolishness whose beauty and excellency is hid from its eye But this is because the wisdom of man is out of its place not subjected to the Wisdom of God but exalted above it therefore as a Curse unto it is it suffered to lift up it self in its conceitfulness against and so to persecute the pure Wisdom of God and the birth thereof that it might fall and be broken and snared and taken and its day deservedly come to an end and be shut up in the shadows and chambers of eternal darkness But what Ear of Man can hear this Surely none that is whole in the line of Man's wisdom reason and understanding but that alone which is bruised broken and in some measure dashed to pieces by the inroads of a divine Life and Nature This iâ—… the leading of that Life which hath broken it and in the shinings of the Light eternal upon it and into it may be enabled to take up the Cross to the natural part and to die that Death with Christ which preserves from the second Death with the misery thereof Happy is he who knows and hearkens to the Perswasions of God's Spirit who is born of God and taught to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit who receives his Religion from the Ligâ—… of Faith into the renewed Nature and Mind and not from the Reason of Man into the natural understanding which is easily corrupted and cannot be kept pure but alone by the indwelling of the Principle of Eternal Life in it For though such may suffer very deeply in this World from the men of this world as the Subjects and Servants to the Principle of Life have done in all Ages and Generations yet their Principle will bear them out in which God will appear to strengthen and refresh their spirits and carry them up above all their Sufferings in the Patience Meekness and Faith of the Lamb And keeping to their Principle they cannot be overcome but must either live or die Conquerors according to the will and good pleasure of Him who ordereth and disposeth of all things well and bringeth good out of every evil in despite of all the Powers of Darkness And he that overcometh whether by life or death in the Lamb's Spirit shall wear the Lambs Crown sit down in that perfect Rest in the Kingdom of the Father which will give the hearts of all his Children full Satisfaction In which assured hope Life stirring in our bosoms and quickning our hearts with Love unto our God and Zeal for his Truth we can freely give up all that is near and dear unto us in this World and lay down our heads in inward Peace â—…n the midst of the greatest outward Persecution and Trouble Even so O Lord thy Will be done concerning this Generation of thy People whom thou hast begotten to thy Self and brought forth by thy mighty Power to testifie to thy Truth in this present day Dispose of them as it pleaseth Thee and let not their Faith in thee nor thy Faithfulness to them fail but let them be a Praise to thy Name throughout all Generations and tendered by Thee as the First fruits of thine Appearance in the Glorious Light of the Everlasting Day after this great long thick and dark Night of Apostacy from the Life and Spirit of the Apostles hath so long ecclipsed and covered the brightness of thy Beauty from the fight of the Earth Isaac Pennington A Declaration to all the World of our Faith and what we Believe who are called QUAKERS Also what Ministers and Magistrates we own and what and whom we deny Concerning God Christ and the Spirit FIrst That there is only one true God who is a Spirit and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth he is Eternal and Everlasting the Creator Preserver of all things that Heaven and Earth and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth and all things remain unto this day by his Power and whatsoeveâ—… he willeth in Heaven and Earth he brings to pass by his Word and Power And we believe That this God only is and ought to be feared loved obeyed and worshipped by all Creatures and no other thing besides him in Heaven and Earth and we believe that his Worship and Obedience and Care and Love is to be given in Spirit even iâ—… what his own Spirit moveth and leadeth his people unto And we believe his True Worship required and accepted of him is not by the tradition of men in outward observances or set days or places but he is worshipped only in Spirit and Truth without respect of times places or things and that none can worship him in righteousness but his Children who are born of his Spirit and are led and guided thereby And we believe that this God hath given his Son Christ Jesus into the World a free Gift unto the whole World and that every man that cometh into the World is lighted by him that every man may believe and be saved And we believe That he is given into the World and no Nation Country or People excepted but to all mankind he is given of God and hath enlightened them And every man through the world that believeth in and receiveth Christ who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father shall be saved with eternal Salvation And every one that believes not in him shall be damned and shall possess everlasting misery And we believe That Salvation Justification and Sanctification is only in Him wrought by him and no other for there is no other Name given under Heaven but him alone by which Salvation is and we believe all that receive him and believe in him are reconciled to God and are made alive to God to live to him in all things and do receive the forgiveness of Sins and are set free from all unrighteousness and from the body of Sin and Death and have the witness of the Spirit in them and the Spirit of the Father they have received and it witnesseth in them of the Father and of the Son and of the things that belong to their peace and it is the Earnest of the Inheritance and the Seal of the Promise of Eternal Life and by it are the deep things of God revealed to mankind and by it the Father and the Son dwell in the Saints and by it they have fellowship one with another and the Father Son and Spirit are one And this we faithfully believe Again concerning Christ we believe Thaâ—… he is one with the Father and was with the Father before the World was and what the Father worketh is by the Son for he is the Arm of Gods Salvation and the very Power and Wisdom of the Creator and was is and is to come without beginning or end And we
most is highest exalted so every one is exalted above another and there is nothing but Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression among you you sous and daughters of Babylon and in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saiuts and all that were slain upon the Earth The Merchants of Babylon are your Teachers who draw you from your Guide which is the pure Light of Christ in you to seek the Kingdom of God in observations without you contrary to the mind of Christ The Kingdom of God comes not with Observations neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you But these your Merchants have no Scripture for their Merchandize which they sell to you enslaved Captives for so many hundreds in the year and is paid in the Nation or elsewhere for these observations they tell you you must observe or else you cannot come to the Kingdom of Heaven though they are contrary to the Scriptures as are practised by them there is no Scripture that witnesseth their call to the Ministry by humane wisdom Not many great not many noble not many wise after the flesh There is no Scripture which testifies of any that Jesus Christ sent forth that made a bargain with the people for so much a year as thâ—…se do that profess themselves to be sent of Christ This is the call of the Ministers of Christ Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ neither of man nor by man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ I send you forth saith Jesus Christ as Lambs among Wolves Into what Town or City ye enter enquire who is worthy and if they receive you there abide eating such things as are set before you the Labourer is worthy of his meat freely ye have received freely minister Those whom Jesus Christ commits the Word of Eternal Life unto and calls them forth to declare it unto others the Love of Jesus Christ which is sealed up to their Souls through his own Blood constrains them to give up themselves to death in witnessing forth the eternal Life they enjoy in Christ as it was it is The Love of Christ constrainetâ—… 〈◊〉 tâ—… preach the Gospel saith Paul But these your Merchants are they which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ—… the Son of Bâ—…sor who loved the wages of unrighteousness And as there is no Scripture for their Call to the Ministry by their human learning nor making bargains with the people for so much in the year So there is no Scripture for these observations they call Ordinances of God as they are Practised by them There is no Scripture that Christ or any that he sent forth did take a Child and sprinkle water on its Face and said in so doing They Baptized it into the Church of Christ Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall not enter therein He sets the Child as a Type and a Figure to shew forth to every one that they must become as a little Child depending upon the will of God before they enter into the Kingdom of God He took them up into his Arms and put his Hands on them and blessed them but that he sprinkled water on their Faces and said He Baptized them into his Church there is no such Scripture Another observation your Teachers tell you you must observe is hearing these studied Sermons in taking a part of Scripture and adding to it their wisdom call it The Word of God which is contrary to the Scriptures but they say They have Christ for an Example There was delivered to him the Book of the Prophet I saiah when he had opened the Book â—…oe found where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospâ—…l unto the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to Preach Deliverance to the Captives And recovering of the Sight of the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised to Preach the acceptable year of the Lord And he closed the Book and sate down And he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth He was the substance of the prophecy which was then fulfill'd in him This is no ground for any to take the Saints words and to add to them their wisdom and call that the Word of God The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord is not my Word like a fire and like a hammer saith the Lord that breaks the Rocks in pieces all to whom the Word of the Lord is committed can witness it to be as a fire within them and as an hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces subjecting all in the heart under the Power of it self so it alone rules and guides him that he is what he speaks that if he had never seen any thing that the Saints have declared without him he had known what is manifest in him and he to whom the Word is thus made manifest is a true Minister of Christ who is called to speak the Word faithfully But these that call themselves your Teachers and make bargains with you for so much by the year they never witnessed the word of the Lord in them as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces so they never had any thing to have spoken of the Lord but as they have stoln it from the Testimony of the Saints so they speak a divination of their own Brain a Riddle to their own Hearts and whilst they speak to others themselves are Cast-aways And the Lord testifies against them Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Word every one from his Neighbour Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongue and say He saith Behold I am against them that Prophesie false Droams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my People to err by their Lyes and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit the People as all saith the Lord And this fruit is made manifest of the Ministry that hath been in England Another Observation your Teachers bid you observe which is contrary to Scripture as it is practised by them in singing of David's Psalms in meeter taking David's words who was a man after God's own heart and putting words into the mouthes of poor ignorant People to sing that which they never knew and so cause them to blaspheme the name of God saying Let us sing to the Praise and Glory of God as O Lord I am not puft
preach without a price who are not sanctified by the Word of God but plead for a continuance in sin while people walk upon the Earth Such as Minister from the Letter and not from the Spirit who cannot Preach except they have time to study and so by their industry povide themselves and are not provided of the Lord such a Mninistry is of works and not the Free Gift from God such cannot profit people but lead them captive in an empty and dead Form always hearing but never able to come to the true knowledge of God such called Ministers we do deny turn from them and testifie against them as the holy men of God fromerly did read Isa. 56. 10 11. Jer. 5. 31. Mic. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 1. 19 20 26 27 28 29. chap. 21. 11. Jer. 23. 15 61 17 22 30 31 32. Isa. 50. 10 11. Phil. 3. 18 19. Jude 11. John 8. 24. 1 Joh. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Ezek. 34 Hos. 6. 9. Mat. 23. 1 Tim. 5. 6 10 11. 2 Tim. 3. 2 Pâ—…t 2. 2. Such Magistrates who rule for God who be men of Truth fearing God and bating covetoâ—…sness who execute true Justice and Judgment in the Earth without partiality not respecting the persons of the Rich nor despising the persons of the poor but in Tuth and Equity giving to every one his due and portion according to the Law of Equity who neither seek nor receive honour from men but seek the honour that comes from God only who are a terror to evil dâ—…ers but a praise to them that do well such Magistrates we own and in the Lord honour Exod. 18. 21. Deâ—…t 16. 18 19 20. Joh 5. 41 44. Rom. 13. 3 4. But such Magistrates who be proud and lofty who rule not for God but for themselves who love the praise of men and judge for Gifts and rewards and love money which is the root of all evil who respect the rich in their gay cloathing above the poor in vile raiment who seek and receive honour of men and if they be not honor'd with that which they seek for turn judgment backwards that Equity cannot enter such as be wrathful and malicious cannot rule for God such are encouragers of vice wickedness and turn their sword backward againsâ—… the Upright and Innocent who reprove sin in the gate such magistrates we do deny and testifie against for when the wicked bear rule the Righteous mourn and the Evil-doers rejoyce over them and mock and reproach them Isa. 1. 21 23. chap. 2. 11 12. John 6. 43. Mic. 3. 11. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Isa. 59. 13 14 15. Isa. 29. 21. Prov. 29. 2. Such as live in pride and pleasures and follow ungodly Lust and wicked practices deny God though in words they may profess him even so all such as do evil who follow Drunkenness Oathes Games vain Sports and Pleasures and such like ungodly actions do deny disgrace and greatly dishonour both Ministers and Magistrates though in words they may own them and bow the Hat and Knee and give flattering Titles unto them Tit. 1. 16. Psalm 15. Hosea 4. James 1. 25. Job 32. 21 22. To walk Soberly Righteously and doing Justly according as the Grace of God which brings Salvation doth teach and direct is a sweet savour to the Lord and a true owning and in thâ—… Lord honoring true Ministers and Magistates Micha 6. 8. Tit. 2. 11 12. Psal. 15. 17. Isa. 〈◊〉 15. Rom. 13. 3. But to walk loosly and prophanely doing wieked and unjust actions turning the Grace of God into Wantonness such are an ill savour to God and deny and dishonour true Ministers and Magistrates James 3. 14 15 16. Jude 4. Isa. 59. 2 3 c. True Honour doth not consist in bowing the Hat and Knee and such like things for that is the honour below which men seek and receive one of another which is in the unbelief but in the obedience of the Magistrates just Commands who are a Terror to wickedness but a praise to them that do well For the Law was not made for the Righteous who fear God and live uprightly but for the Lawless who are out of Gods Fear who live wickedly casting the Law of God behind their backs John 5. 44. Romans 13. 3 4. 1 Tiâ—… 1. 8 9 10. Psalm 50. 16 17. So this may certifie all whom this may come unto that we do not deny Ministers nor Magistrates who are made and ordained by God but honour them in the Lord let our Lives and Coversations and that of God in all your Consciences judge for if all were brought into our life the Magistrate should live at peace and so as the eyes of your understandings come to be opned with true Light you will see that those who live soberly and righteously do own and honour Ministers and Magistrates though they cannot for Conscince sake respect their persons nor give them flattering Titles as your Highness your Lordship your Worship and such like for such belong to God For Christ Jesus said I receive not honour from man and saith he How can you believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God onlyâ—… Gal. 1. 11 12. Rom. 13. 1. Dut. 16. 18 19. John 1. 9. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Read with understanding prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. A. Parker To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought home To the thirsty breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Caâ—…tivity among and in the midst of all Professorsâ—… Greetings of Love Mercy and Peace from God the Father of the Living WHere the Bowels are not shut up nor the Heart darkened and where that doth not bear rule which stoppeth the ear end closeth the eye and where Prejudice and Rebellion against the Light with the wisdom of the flesh through that knowledge which pusseth up hath not wholly caten up devoured got over and wholly overcome that tender Principle which once moved in the heart towards that Being of the living Substance there may my words take enterance and unto such who feel that which breathes to God and who are willing to be satisfied concerning the Living Truth of his Son and who would receive the Truth if they knew it and do yet more desire after the Power of God then all the temporal things that are seen and who are yet come no further than the reading of the Law the Priests Tythe's and that Religion that makes nothing perfect and who are come no further then the outward Baptisâ—… or Shadow or Figure or such things which are to be left behind Heâ—… 6. or who are come no further then the Supper or the Death and so not yet saved by his Life nor drunk of that which saveth is to cleanse from all that which separateth from God after whom and the incomes
of his Love immortal whosoever truely desireth and is willing to receive the Power of his Life and come into Covenant with the Lord Such may lend me an ear a little and you are them who may receive some benefit hereby for behold I write in plainness of the things of God my heart being enlarged with abundance of his Peace in which ther 's good-will towards men that you might come to draw near to the Witness the Testimony whereof is within the Vail which Vail is over the heart 2 Cor. 3. 15. and is not done away but as you come to be in him who is given for a Witness Isaiah 55. 4. by believing in the Light John 12. 36. and so to have the Witness in you 1 John 5. 10 and you to be in it and that you may come to participate of God's indwellings and feel the Oyl which will last forever threrefore I proceed thus How can I but look back a little with an eye of pitty over those who yet are where once I was when the Darkness was over the Earth and the cloud of Errorscompassed me as well as others surely I cannot now be unmindful of them that are yet lost as not to have compassion upon the Out-Casts of Israel or to conceal from them these things of so great concernment but rather as the Lord of my Life hath opened to me I will reach forth my hand towards the weak and utter my voice to the Prisoner of hope and shew unto the Meek in the Earth how the invisible God hath led his Seed and is leading his Remnant through and out of the variety of things unto the One thing it self from whence the various Things Gifts and Ministrations do come Now that which is chiefly in my heart to writ for the Seeds sake is First Something Concerning the Ministration of Moses when he was upon the Earth Secondly Concerning the Ministration of Christ whilst he was upon Earth Thirdly and chiefly Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit First Concerning Moses's Ministration when he was upon Earth which was to last till Shilo same or until the time of Reformation As concerning Moses's Ministration to wit the Law Condemnation or Death with the Priests Offering and worldly Sanctuary and an outward Tabernacle and daily Offerings for Sin and Store-houses for the Levites Strangers Fatherless Widdows having the Ark of the Testimony within the Vail and the Mercy Seat cóvered and the Golden Pot and the People to seek the Law at the Priests mouth whereby their knowledge is preserved and many profit much thereby and come day by day and year by year unto that which they esteem a place of Holy Worship and Ordinances of God And notwithstanding the Priests of Moses'â—… Law were made by the Law of God yet that Pâ—…iesthood changeth and the Law changeth and the very glory of all this passeth away for this did once seem glorious unto me and many more which only disâ—…overed sin though it made nothing perfect and with much delight was the reading of the Law and the Prophets hearkened unto and the daily Confession of Sin but the Vail is over the heart whilst Moses is Preached and Sacrifices Morning and Evening with the long Prayers which the Comers thereunto were not at all thereby made perfect as pertaining to the Conscience though it had a Shadow of good things to come yet the glory thereof comes to be done away Then how much more will the very glory of the most glorious appearance of that Ministry perish and be done away which cometh short of this and hath not so much as the image of this which was a Shadow O weak beggarly things that are found among those Priest now and their Followers who come short of Moses's Ministry for he directed them to Christ the Substance so his Ministration come to be done away as Christ comes to be received for Moses did not seek to uphold his Priests or Law or Tythes or any thing else when Christ should come who is the end of the Law but did write of him and notwithstanding his Ministry Priests he said He that would not hearken unto him should be cut off and said The Lord will raise up mark the Words raise up The Lord shall raise up a Prophet and when the Prophet was come he said I am the Light and I am meek and low in heart and this is to be raised up which is meek for to them that sate in Darkness Light hath sprung up And the Soul that hearkneth not to the Prophet which springs up shall be cut off for Truth springeth up out of the Earth and Christ is the Truth and he said I am the Light which is the Horn of Salvation that God raised up to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and is the Salvation of Israel and so the soul is to hearken to that which God raised up and that it is which condemns Sin under it who is like unto Moses whose Ministry discovers Sin and so Moses directed unto Christ who puts away the Sin Paul said of the glory of Moses's Ministration that it was no glory in respect of the glory of the Ministration of the Spirit and the gloriouâ—… Ministry of the Spirit was received after he who had a body prepared had suffered the crucifying of his body and the Prophets searched diligently to see the glory that was to be after the Sufferings of Christ 1 Pâ—…t 1. 10 11. But the thing intended that Moses when he was upon the Earth directed unto Christ and gave commandment that they should hearken unto him who said I am the Light and this is one Tittle of the Law that the Light be hearkened unto who is the end of the Law and the Substance and he that offendeth herein is guilty of all and this is that in which all the large Ministrations of Moses are included that Christ the Light the true Prophet be hearkened unto and obeyed that by hearing and obeying his voice or the word in the heart they might come from under the Law and the Priests and that which waxeth old unto the Life and Obedience of him who abideth a Priest forever even the Lord of that glory which lasteth for evermore Secondly Concerning CHRIST and his Ministration when he was upon Earth and his Work which he finished And when he cometh which Moses commandeth to hearken unto even Christ the true Prophet the Light of the World the Living Minister the end of the Law who had a body prepared to do the Will of the Father which was in him the Man CHRIST JESUS he saith Follow me and he took up his Cross and passed through the Death and the Vail and so being made perfect through Sufferings attained that glory which he had with the Father before he had a body which body was prepared to do the Father's Will whose Will was that all men should be saved therefore Christ tasted death for every man and