Deep smiled and all things that were therein the Springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a Womb now every thing that had Breath and lived praised the Lord neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their Maker and he Lord and King over all yet in eternal Glory yet let the wise in Heart understand this was in the Beginning and though it was in the Beginning yet this was when the Heavens and the Earth were created and all Things that therein are even then the Lamb of God was alive and the Son of God glorified with the Father and Man in Happiness and in pure Perfection without Sin in Innocency for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared neither was there any such Thing in all that God had made Here the Wise may learn and they that have a good Understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and also see the dark sottish Doctrine of the blind Apostates who have lost the Power and are keeping People ignorant of the Mystery of God NOw this hath been a common Doctrine and received to be orthodox and as they call it authentick that while we are in this Life there cannot be an overcoming of all Sin nor no Expectation of it in this Life and their main Ground hath been this because we have natural Bodies Now I say had not Adam a natural Body when he was in Purity and Perfection in Innocency in Paradise in the Garden yet was this any Hinderance to him to answer the Will of his Creator No For as the Soul Spirit and Body was moved by the Power out of which Power he was not to stir then I say he had Ability to perform the will of his Maker in the Body for as he was created by the Power in the inward man that led about the natural and earthly or outward form according to its will which Will was pure and kept the Body acting in its Place in the Power for then I say all was good for the Celestial Power in which he was made moved the whole man according to its Will and while he stood in the Power he was in Innocency and Purity and without Blemish and in the Power was his Health and Peace and he knew no Evil. Obâ—ect But some may say What is this as to the Confutation of the Doctrine which hath been taught as to the Freedom from Sin in this Life Answ. This declares that there was such a thing in being to wit a natural Body and an earthen Vessel and yet without Sin as he stood in the power for the earthen Vessel was good as all the rest of God's creation was in its Place to serve the Power as the rest of God's Creatures did in the Beginning and who ever comes to know that state again may come to glorifie God in Soul Body and Spirit though in the Body in this tabernacle but take their own Phrase for the clearing of the thing not to be freed from the committing of sin in this Life I say in the corruptible Life or the Life of Unrighteousness which may be properly called Death there is no freedom from Sin neither of Soul or Body or Spirit but who comes to know Regeneration or the Life of men in which Adam was created in the Beginning in that incorruptible Life there is no Transgression and if he live in man the Body is dead because of Sin and I know none who have preached any other Life who have spoken by the Spirit of God in which freedom from all Sin is obtained but onely the Life of Christ and whosoever comes to know the Lord from heaven who ruled over all in the Beginning and was the Life of all and all moved in his Life before the fall whether they were things visible or invisible and that same Power or Life of Christ the Lamb of God who was alive then if he live in man and man come to be guided by his Power as in the beginning he living in man the Soul Body and Spirit being quickned by his Power and raised from under the Bondage of Corruption then Death hath not power over man but Life and because he lives in them they live also their Souls to praise him and their Bodies and the Members thereof to be Servants of righteousness and so that unbelieving Doctrine of the World is turned into the Pit and Truth is set above it Object But further it will be objected That our Bodies are not like Adams in innocency we are in the Fall and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all Sin and ever will while upon Earth Answ. That the naked Truth may appear to them that seek after true Knowledge I answer freely that I grant that the Soul lies in Death and the Creature is subject to Vanity and the whole Creation groans in travail and in Pain and waits for the manifestation of the Son of God and the Redemption of the body and in this State is all mankind upon the Face of the whole Earth in the first Adam but he who is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven who was in the Beginning and is now what he was and shall be forever I say as man comes to believe in the Son who hath Life in himself and he comes to be revealed in man and man subject to his leading he brings the Soul out of death to have Union and Communion with himself and restores the Creature from his Bondage and breaks the Bond and knocks that down which hath imbondaged and so changes the Body I do not mean the form of the Body but the quality and Nature thereof for the Form of Adams body was not changed but the quality it was degenerated from its pure Nature wherein it glorified God as he stood in the Power so I say Christ who is the Life of men the true Light which lighteth every man that comes into the World he changes all that follow him into his own Nature restores the Creature into his first estate again into Purity that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the Power and serves the Power so the Members of the Body are also yielded Servants unto Righteousness and they receive Vertue and Power from the Power the Life and so the whole man comes out of condemnation to glorifie his Maker and the Will of God is done in Earth as it is in Heaven and he saves to the utmost them that come unto him now if he save the Soul and not the Body then hâ— saves not to the utmost But this is a high State blessed are they who wait in the Faith to the end are happy that they may see and know the redemption of their Souls and also the redemption of their body For I deny redemption in the Grave or in Death or after this Life for the holy men of God never mention a cleansing from Sin in the
moved him to a Disposal of his outward Estate and the setting of his House in Order his Love was very dear to his Brethren and Fellow-Labourers with whom he had laboured and travailed in the Work of the Ministry in Testimony whereof he left to each of them something as a Remembrance of his Love and also was mindful of the Church and left a Legacy to be distributed amongst the poor of the Houshold of Faith in the Parts where he lived And though the time of his Departure did draw nigh and his Sickness encreased yet in all that time he was in perfect and good Remembrance and oftentimes very fervent in Prayer and uttered many comfortable Expressions to the great Refreshment of those who were with him And about two Dayes before his Departure being attended by his dear Wife and several Friends he begun to say unto them Friends as to matter of Words you must not expect much more from me neither is there any great Need of it as to speak of Matters of Faith to you who are satisfied only that you remember my dear Love to all Friends who enquire of me for I ever loved Friends well or any in whom Truth appeared and truly God will own his People as he hath everhither to done as we have daily witnessed for no sooner had they made that Act against us for Banishment to the great Suffering of many good Friends but the Lord stirred up Enemies against them even three great Nations whereby the Violence of their Hands was taken of I say again God will own his People even all those that are faithful and as for me I am well and content to dye I am not at all afraid of Death and truly one Thing was of late in my Heart and that I intended to have writ to G. F. and others even that which I have observed which Thing is that this Generation passeth fast away we see many good and precious Friends within these few Years have been taken from us and therefore Friends had need to watch and be very fâ—iâ—hful so that we may leave a good and not a bad Savour to the next succeeding Geneâ—ation for you see that it is but a little time that any of uâ— have to stay here And often in the time of his Sickness he said He was content to dye and that he was ready and praised God for those many sweet Enjoyments and Refreshments he had received on that his Prison-house-Bed whereon he lay freely forgiving all who had a Hand in his Restraint And he said This was the Place of my first Imprisonment for the Truth here at this Town and if it be the Place of my laying down the Body I am content Several Persons of note Inhabitants in Appleby as the Mayor and others went to visit him some of which praying that God might speak Peace to his Soul he sweetly replyed He hath done it and they all spoke well of him And a few Hours before his Departure some Friends who lived several Miles from that Place came to visit him he enquired of all their Welfare and prayed fervently with many heavenly Expressions That the Lord by his mighty Power might preserve them out of all such Things as would spot and defile And a little after he was saying something concerning Weeks or a time after which Persecution should be ended but his Weakness was so great and his Voice so low that it was not fully heard A little Season after he recovering a little Strength further said I have sought the Way of the Lord from a Child and lived innocently as among Men and if any enquire concerning my latter End let them know that I dye in the Faith in which I lived and suffered for And after these Words he spake some other in Prayer to God and sweetly finished his Course in much Peace with the Lord. George Fox's Testimony CONCERNING Francis Howgil NOW concerning Francis Howgil who was one of the Lord's Worthies that preach'd his everlasting Word of Life from about the Year 1652. until the Year 1668. He was convinced of God's eternal Truth and received his Gospel in the Year 1652. the same Day that he had been preaching in the Morning in Furbank Chappel in the Afternoon he was convinced by a Messenger of the Lord and several others that had been Teachers were convinced by him as John Audland and others He had a great Acquaintance with the highest Sort of Priests and after he did receive the Lord's Power and the Word of Life he was a Torment to them and he did confess to some of the Priests that the Knowledge of God and his Truth he knew no more of whilest he was amongst them as to the inward Enjoyment of it then a Child of five Years old And he and John Audland that had received some Money for preaching at a Parish called Colton in Fornace Fells in Lancashire when they had received the Gospel freely and the Word of Life from Christ they were commanded of the Lord to go and return that Money back again to the Parish and People from whom they had received it which they did and this made the Priests more to rage and the Professors So as the Son of God came to be revealed in him he began to know his Command and powerfully and freely to preach him and his Word of Life this did he and John Audland all the Dayes of their Life after their Convincement preached Christ Jesus freely as they had received him and turned many unto God And no sooner was his Mouth opened but the Priests Magistrates and Professors began to rage against him and began to be offended at the Word of God and the Gospel and sometime after cast him into Appleby Goal in a nasty stinking Prison in the County of VVestmorland and there they kept him for a time in the latter End of the Year 1652. but the Lord God delivered him out of the Mouthes of those Lyons whom God after overturned both Priests Magistrates and Professors And so after he was set at Liberty he grew valiant and bold for the Name of the Lord and travailed up and down on Foot preaching the everlasting Gospel and went to many Steeple Houses to warn both Priests and People of the Day of the Lord that was coming upon them and directing of them to Christ Jesus their Teacher and Saviour and travailed a foot through the Countries to London and was moved of the Lord he and John Cham to go and admonish O. Cromwel after he was newly made Protector and went to some of the Steeple-houses in London and other Meetings declaring to them the Day of the Lord and the Word of Life and where they might find it And after this he travailed through the Countries to Bristol preaching the Word of Life and after went into Ireland with Edward Burroughs and preached the Word of Life there to both Magistrates Priests and People under great Sufferings and many were begotten to the
delighted in Concord and Unity and greatly delighted in the Company of such whom he knew truly feared the Lord and nothing did rejoyce his Heart more then to hear the Truth prospered and that the Churches did encrease in the blessed Fellowship of the Gospel of Christ Jesus And when his Dayes were near spent that Sickness and bodily Weakness came upon him he endured it with very great Patience unto the latter End and his dear Wife and some other Friends being with him he spoke forth heavenly things as one that had obtained the full Assurance of an heavenly Crown and as one whose Heart and Soul was fully fixed upon the Lord who was mightily seen to be with him to his very last End his Soul magnifying of him for his infinite Goodness unto him all his Life long and so he laid down his Head in Peace being he had faithfully served the Lord in his Generation And this is my Testimony for that faithful Servant of God who to the Hour of his Dissolution bore Testimony unto the Truth and my Soul's Desire is his Blood in the Day of the Lord may not be laid to the Charge of some who had a great Hand both in causing him at first to be made Prisoner and also in the continuing of him so to the very last but we leave things with the Lord as knowing Vengeance belongs to him and that he will give a Reward to every one according to their Works By one that loves the Name of the Righteous which shall never rot though the Wicked go down to the Grave and are remembred no more and by one that was a Friend and Country man of the Author of the ensuing Writings R. P. A funeral Verse or Verse in Remembrance of that pious Patriot and Christian Sufferer for the Testimony of his God and his Truth Francis Howgil who faithfully willingly and readily gave up his Life to the Death for the Record which he did bear concerning the Things of Jesus and for obeying the just Commands of Christ. Christian and Moderate Reader IN Silence I had sate and stay'd my Pen Yea as one not appearing till O then Great Pressures suffered me to take no Rest Till that unfolded was which in my Breast Lay cabined then with a mournful Eye Constrain'd I was to wring mine Elegy Love mix'd with Tears made Verse of this my Theam Tears mix'd with Love made tickling Eyes a stream Bedewed Cheeks they then did represent Symptoms of Sorrow weeping Eyes have sent But yet methinks I am not as alone There 's many with me that do make a Moan Yea there are Thousands that do sympathize With me they joyn and stand in watry Eyes When they at first do hear this sorrowing Sound That dear F. H. his Body is laid in 'th Ground But stay what 's need of mourning he 's at 's Rest Perpetual Joyes enjoyes forever blest Redemption from all Pain and Sorrow he Is now attain'd into Eternity Heaven's Joy yea his Soul in solacing The doubled Allelujah now to sing Who was adorn'd who richly beautifi'd Who valiant was for Truth when he was tryd Who stoutly did persist unto the End A Champion like for Christ his Life to spend Like a brave Warriour fighting in a Field Like to a Martyr he his Life did yield O glorious glorious everlasting God Praises to thee Praise sounds to thee abroad Who through thy great Power and wondrous Love Who through thy great Mercy didst approve And him didst call even in his tender Years So that he sought thee daily shedding Tears O this doth speak thy Praise thou living God Who didst so early lay on him thy Rod To bring him home lest he should go astray And step aside from thee another Way Yea this I know that Record he did give That from a Child he sought in God to live Then in process of Time thou by thy Light Remov'd the Darkness of his darksome Night Terrors O Lord from thee took hold of him And Judgment just upon the Man of Sin Thou cut him down with sharpness of thy Word Which was more sharp then a two-edged Sword Thou hewedst him all in Pieces and him try'd That thou mightst cause him to be purifi'd And then O Lord the dawning of thy Day To him appeared in Beauty to array Then did thy bright and glorious Morning-star Yea in his Heart arise and shine right clear Then Lord thy Comliness to him appeared Then Lord thy Mercy to his Soul was heard Speaking great Peace his Soul did consolate Thou madest him happy in a blessed state An Instrument of Praise Thousands give thee Thanks Lord that they his Face did ever see Thou fed'st him in the Valleys where t' was green Where fresh springs run thy Love was therein seen Thou led'st him nigh the Brooks and VVaters still VVith Joy and Gladness thou his Cup didst fill His Ministery in the Truth was great His VVords were piercing powerful and sweet Yea they were soft and tender gentle calm They were as Ointment as a precious Balm To heal to consolate to cure the smart Of many a swooning sorrowed wounded Heart Great was thy Love O God who oft instill'd Thy VVisdom living Vertues of him fill'd Who through thy inspired spirit bright Who with the Glimpses of thy glorious Light Who with the joyous splendour of thy Day Who with thy comely Beauty didst aray Who many Graces didst to him impart Yea Lord great Things revealed in his Heart Let these speak forth thy everlasting Praise By all who know thee now yea and alwayes That thou O living God descended down Into his Heart and there to take up Room So that O Lord nothing to him more dear Was then thy Truth when once it did appear Yea Lord his Life his Liberty his all He gave up freely when of him they call To Prison he resign'd till 's dying Day Truth ballanc'd all and had the greatest Sway Oh shall I now omit and not rehearse His Travails Prisons Perils in my Verse His Beatings Woundings which mine Eyes have seen His Stocking Threatnings Mockings which have been All which for Truth 's sake in his Time did bear Which did confirm his Testimony clear Rest then dear Francis rest in thy glorious Rest Rest in the Lord rest now forever blest Farewel my late dear Friend farewel my Dear Thy Absence causeth me a dropping Tear Thy Countenance thy Comliness to me More joyous was then outward Harmony Thy good Advice thy sound and Serious Words Thy many Writings which to Truth records The loving Aspect which from thee I had When now I do remember O I 'm sad That sweet Salute that from thy dying Lips I did receive in my Remembrance is Thine Eyes my Hands did close thee to thy Rest Once more I bid farewel forever blest Farewel farewel forevermore farewel Thy Habitation's Heaven there to dwell A Well-willer to the Truth who seals his Testimony that he dyed in and for the Truth E. G. Thomas Langhorn's
I was moved to call thy Name Abigail which signifies the Father's Joy or Delight for in thee I was comforted that did mitigate my present Trouble and my Counsel unto thee is That thou remember thy Creator in the Dayes of thy Youth and fear the Lord in thy Youth and learn to know him and serve him all thy Dayes first seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof it 's not far from thee it 's within thee it consists in Life and Power and it stands in Righteousness Truth and Equity Justice Mercy Long-suffering Patience Love Light and Holiness this is the Being and Center thereof therefore seek not lo here or lo there without thee in this or that outward Observation for mâ—ny seek there and never find it but seek and thou shalt find wait and thou shalt receive if thou enquire in what must I seek and what must I wait in how must I seek I inform thee thou must silence all thy own Thoughts and thou must turn thy Mind to that which is pure and holy and good within thy self and seek and wait in that in the Light of Jesus Christ wherewith thou art enlightened which shews thee when thou dost Evil and checks and reproves take heed unto that and it will shew the evil Motions and Thoughts and as thou lovest it it will subdue them and preserve thee for the time to come out of Evil for though thou be born into the World a reasonable Creature yet thou must be born again and be made a new Creature or else thou canst not enter into God's Kingdom thou must know the Seed of the Kingdom in thy self of which thou must be born and formed again into God's Image I have told thee God hath sown it in thee a Grain of it a Measure of it a Portion of it a Measure of Light and Truth of Righteousness and Holiness keep in thy Mind to that and love it and thou wilt feel the heavenly Father working in thee â—nd begetting thee to Life through Jesus Christ that hath enlightned thee and thou wilt feel the Power of the Lord strengthning thee in thy little and make thee to grow in the Immortal Seed of his Kingdom and out grow and over grow all Evil so that thou wilt daily dye to that and have no Pleasure in it but in the Lord and in his Goodness and Vertue shed abroad in thy Heart which thou wilt tast and feel within and have Joy and Comfort therein love the Lord with thy Heart and Soul even him that made thee and gave thee a Being and all things in Heaven and Earth and still wait for the Knowledge of him in thy self he is not far from thee but near unto thee and unto all that call upon him in an upright Heart and do thou enquire of thy dear Mother she will inform thee she knows him and the Way to Life and Peace and hearken unto her Instruction God is a Spirit a pure Spirit of Light and Life and Power he that searcheth the Heart and shews thee when thou dost Evil or think'st Evil or speak'st Evil and shews unto Man and Woman their Thoughts that which shows the Evil is Good and that which shews a Lye is Truth this is within take heed to it this is called God's Spirit in the Scripture believe in it love it and it will quicken thy Heart to Good and it will subject the Evil here is thy Teacher near thee loving it and if thou act contrary it will condemn thee therefore take heed unto this Spirit of Truth and it will enlighten and enliven thee and it will open thy Understanding and give thee to know what God is and to do that which is good and acceptable in his Sight this Spirit never errs but leads out of all Error into all Truth O Abigail believe my Words they are the Words of God and Truth be not wanton but sober minded in thy Youth and wait on the Lord within hearken unto him God is Light immortal Life immortal Truth immortal an everlasting eternal Spirit he speaks spiritually and invisibly within the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women hear what he speaks and obey his Voice and thy Soul shall live fear to offend him or sin against him for the Wages of Sin are Death therefore prize his Love in thy young and tender Years and do thou read the Scriptures and Friends Books and take heed unto what thou readest to obey it as far as thou understandest and pray often unto the Lord that he will give thee his Knowledge and open thy Understanding in the things of his Kingdom search thy Heart often with the Light of Christ in thee manifest and bring thy Deeds to it that they may be tryed and examine thy self how the Case stands betwixt the Lord and thee and if thou seest thy self wrong humble thy self and be sorry and turn unto him and he will shew thee Mercy and take heed for the time to come that thou run not into the same Evil again keep thy Heart clean watch against the Evil in thy self in that which shews it therein there is Power and thereby thou hast Power to overcome all Evil And dear Child miâ—d not the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Moment and the End is Misery but keep under and cross thy Will and Affection so thy Mind will have no Pleasure in the Evil but in Good and thou wilt feel the immortal Seed springing up in thee which God's Peace and Love is to O Abigail these are great and weighty things not to be slighted accompany thy self alwayes with them that fear the Lord and fear and worship him in Spirit and Truth and lead a holy and a blameless Life and Conversation deny not them but love them and suffer with them take heed that thou follow not the hireling Teachers who preach for Gain and Lucre and abide not in Christ's Doctrine believe them not heed them not they do People no Good but thou wilt see them thy self they have an outside Shew of Godliness sometimes but deny the Power of God and true Holiness remember I have told thee who have had perfect Knowledge of them but be sure that thou let nothing separate thy Love from God and his People those are his People that keep his Law and obey Christ's Voice and lead a holy Life and they were ever hated and belyed and persecuted and evil-spoken on alwayes by bad and evil loose People these are God's People and his Love and Peace and Blessing is with them do thou grow as a natural Branch up among them of the living Vine and continue all thy Dayes in Obedience unto God's Will and thou wilt feel Joy and Love in thy Heart which above all things covet after and thou shalt attain and obtain everlasting Peace which the Lord grant unto thee according to the Riches of his Mercy and Love which endure forever and ever Amen And now Abigail concerning thy well
are like to be tryed Your Armour is Righteousness on the right hand and on the left your City is free The Gates stand open Day and Night a VVolf Lyon nor any Beast cannot enter no not so much as a flying-Fowl Oh how goodly are thy Tents O thou Seed of Jacob the Elect whom he hath chosen O how pleasant is your scituation The Tower of David Mount Sion stands sure and cannot be moved O! who is a People like unto you saved by our God that lives forever His Love is large he is kind he is long-suffering he is faithful and keeps Covenant and his Promises are Yea Yea He is the Amen the first and the last Come forth my dear Brethren set forth his Praise declare his Name among the Heathen publish his Name among the Congregations let the Earth be filled with his Love and power that his Judgments may be declared and his Statutes that they sound in the Ears of Generations to come O ye that are convinced of the Truth of our God wait in that which doth convince and keep your Minds to it and love it and follow it whither it leads you and it will lead you to know the Gift of God which leads to Repentance from dead VVorks to serve the living God who dwells in the Immortal Light and take heed of looking back at the Pleasures of Sin you have formerly lived in but wait upon the pure Light of Christ Jesus in Patience that so you may see the Enmity which is against God and it slain in you daily that so you may see him that is the Saviour of the Soul and take heed of rebelling against the Lord who hath given you a measure of his true Light to lead you from Sin if you love it unto Righteousness from whence it comes even from the righteous Judge of all the VVorld who judgeth every man ouâ— of the Book of his Conscience and so prize the everlasting Love of God to your Souls that you may see him who lives forever And all Babes who are born again who have suffered and Pangs of Death and know the Indignation of the Lord against Sin and the Terrour of the Lord against the man of Sin who have roared for the Disquietness of your Hearts who have born the Indignation of the Lord and are come to the giving forth of the Law where there is Thundring and Earth-quakes and Terrour and great Hail and Fire and Smoke even such as was not since the Beginning insomuch that you could not bear his Voice and live nor see his Face and live Stand still in Patience and let it have its perfect Work in you and hear the Indignation ye that are in it if you endure the Tribulation with Patience Hope you will see and a Time of Refreshment will come endure the Cross that the mortal and earthly and carnal may be judged and the bad ground shaken and taken away and that you may see the living Hope to stay your Minds upon And ye who are enlivened and do witness the Law of Righteousness set up in you which is a School-master and keeps in the Fear stand in it and keep in the Fear low in Soberness and Calmness and then you will see your Hearts purified daily and the cursed Nature judged which is out of its Course and it bridled and subjected and the Law which is pure and holy and eternal which stands forever in Power and force against the Transgressor to judge all Unrighteousness And so wait that you may see the Lyon tamed and the wild Heifer yoked and the Yoke of Christ born and the wild Colt tamed by him upon which never man sate before then and not till then is Hosanna sung And all wait in your Measures dear Babes that the Milk of the Word you may see and be nourished by it and grow up as living Branches about the Table of the Lord. And all you young men and Virgins that know Virginity keep your Virginity you in whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the righteous Law of God revealed and given forth in which you stand and walk and have Peace from him who is the Law-giver and Judge who hath saved you from your Iniquities and blotted out your Sins for his own Name 's sake you who know the living Water and Spirit of which you are born again and witness the Birth which enters into the Kingdom of God where no mortal or unclean Beast can come Keep in the Life and Power of God which limits all and chains all under that the Life of the Son of God may live and speak in you and be bold In the dread of God stand and that which leads into Slavery keep out And now being made Partakers of his everlasting Love walk worthy of his Love and of the high Calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto Holiness and Righteousness forever that to the praise of his Grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the Remission of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified So wait in the living Hope and the living Faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly Father And this Faith ye know which is a present Power and a Shield against all Temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortress by which you are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the Day of Tryal My dear Brethren of the everlasting Kindred and Heirs of the everlasting Promise wait all in Patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the End abide in the Father's Counsel and at Wisdom's Gate Ye know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the Truth but because you know and are made free in your Measures by him who is the Truth and the Way in which all our Fathers and you also have obtained a good Report even of all the Houshold of Faith and take heed of the Glory of the World and look not at Hardship for verily all the Suffering is not worthy to be Compared to that Glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in Patience and Faithfulness unto the end but be ye as good Souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the End of your Hope and the everlasting Price and the purchased Possession and the Crown of Glory which God will give unto you in his own Day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the Hope in the Faith and in the Love unfeigned which thinks no ill by which and in which Love we have Victory over the Grave Sin and Death which he hath freely shed abroad in our Hearts unto whom be everlasting Praise forever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the Mediator of the new Covenant of Life and Peace in which we have Access
witness they had in them that they pleased God and were accepted of God and this Righteousness was wrought in them and is now the same which is wrought in the Saints by him who is their Light and Life and this was the Righteousness of Faith and that which was wrought by Christ in the Saints as they believed in him and in the Measure of Grace received from him which saâ—ed them from Sin which was not of themselves he perfected his own VVork in them through and by Faith and justified them and sanctified them and became their VVisdom by which they were led into all Truth out of Failings and Imperfections and VVeaknesses and he became their Strength and Rock and they were builded upon him and as they stood upon him the Rock they were preserved when the VVaves did beat and when Temptations came and were sure and stedfast and immoveable and so overcame the Armies of Aliens and quenched the Violence of Fire and resisted the Devil and quenched his fiery Darts and had Victory over the Heathen and reigned as Kings over the Beasts of the Field and over the Deceit and by the receiving and believing of the VVord of him who was and is called Jesus by which Faith came by the hearing of they overcame the Enemies of their Souls and him who hath the Power of Death by the Blood of him who is eternal who is Jesus the Mediator of the new and Living VVay they overcame the Dragon even by the VVord of his Testimony which was revealed in them which Word of Faith Paul who was a Minister preached unto them even to them who had the Word in them and turned them to it and as they believed in it they were sanctifâ—ed by it and cleansed by it made perfect and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better Hope which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which while they stood without looking at Elementary things and divers VVashings and those things which were Figures of the true Tabernacle made without Hands which stood until the time of Reformation and then done away to wit the Hand-writings and them that witness the new Covenant now they see them done away and the time of Reformation is come the same which they witnessed Glory for evermore And therefore all you Professors who have builded high Towers and Castles in your Imaginations and have told of Reformation these many Years but you have nothing but a Hand-writing to establish your Building upon and all your Reformation hath been but the washing of Cups and pulling down one Thing and set up another beggarly elementary Image and do not witness the better Hope brought in nor the time of Reformation nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you nor believe it nor hear it nor while your Eyes are without and not in the Head you cannot see when Good comes but are as Heathens in the Desart and although you are among the Brambles and Bryars yet you would be counted Kings and Heads over others and one making an Image in this Manner and another in that of all Sorts high and low but all stand in the Earth and all in one Ground and what do they avail you for they cannot save for your highest Enjoyment is imperfect you say what then serve these for only for you to talk on and this is all they serve for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your Wills while the Will of God in you is not hearkened unto but cast behind your Backs and so the Way of true Peace you never come to attain unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the Wind and of Husks among Swine and upon that which dyes of it self and when will you enquire after the living God who is Power how long have you talked of his Power to come many Years and you are still as far of if not further then you were before and have told of the Glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the Heart and of God teaching his People himself and of his Spirit being poured out upon his Sons and Daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amiss and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feed them with the old Dregs and Lees which you are setled upon and the old Leaven of airy Notions and Conceptions and Wine of the sour Grape which sets on Edge the Childrens Teeth and fills them too full that when the living Bread is broken they cannot eat nor relish it nor taste and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the Life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that do declare it and when the Power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your VVay that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jews did whose Eyes were without and your fallen VVisdom cannot receive him nor compass his eternal VVisdom And yet you will say The Jews did require a Sign and were in the Adultery and the Greeks sought after Wisdom and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same State Did ever God reveal himself to the fallen VVisdom which is learned from that Principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the VVill of Man which is at Enmity against God Nay nay he never did nor will reveal his Counsel but to that which is of himself which is the least of all Seeds in the VVorld and it is he that is born of God that heareth God's VVord and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spiritual God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his Testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching and live in the Oldness of the Letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal visible and elementary and VVashing is not known from Sin nor cleansing and so you may see what Operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a Change in the Ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own Nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a Shadow for the Word was in the Beginning and gave Life and is spiritual and when it 's known and witnessed within in the Heart it separates from Death and gives Life to all that hear and believe in it What Christ what Gospel is this you preach
Height and Depth your Parts Tongues Languages and Interpretations are all but natural Words are but empty Sounds although there be many Languages and each have an Interpretation and a Signification they are all short to declare the Life the immeasurable Being of eternal Life you with all these are on Heaps disjoynted one from another your Rhetorick Philosophy your framed and despised Disputations your Tongues and the Significations of all Tongues cannot know the Mind of the Spirit neither know the Original of eternal Salvation by all these and so not knowing the Signification of the living eternal Spirit in your selves you invent study devise form and frame up things in your carnal Minds by the Strength of your learned studied devised Parts and framed Speeches and have fâ—â—led the whole World with your dark muddy Conceptions and have led all out from seeking after the living Wisdom of God which is from above which was before your Tongues and Languages were and they have sucked in your Conceptions and Distinctions and your devised Fables and your imagined Worship that many have lost the Sense of any thing of God in themselves to guide them and when you have come as far as you can in those things and have devised in your Minds by the Strength of those Parts natural you are farther from the Knowledge then before and all that hear you and suck in your Conceptions and Imaginations into their Hearts they are farther off God's true Knowledge then they were in the Day in which they came out of their Mother's Womb it 's a Lamentation to see how People are gone out of the pure Simplicity which is in Christ into Subtilty and Deceit stuffed up full brim-full of that which must be all poured out as Water before they and you all come to the least Measure of God's true and saving Knowledge Oh! a dreadful Day is come upon many and it lingers not but will come swiftly as a Thief upon you who have taken away the Key of Knowledge and give People that which will not open and tell them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them Entrance you and all they will be shut out together among the Uncircumcised as Fools though you count your selves wise Men your Wisdom will perish and your Honour will be laid in the Dust the time hastens it is the Word of Truth to you all And you litteral Professors who have got the Scripture into your Head and into the carnal Mind to talk on and are run into so many Heads you are almost past numbring and have exalted so many Horns yet the Number is read the Number of the Heads of the Beast and the Number of his Name you have taken up things and are exalting a visible shadowish Practice and neglect the Life and are making Idols of those things which were but a Figure and a Representation in their purest time now you like the Pharisees are limiting the Lord that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves and fetched in from the Letter and gotten it into the fleshly Part which is heaped up as a Mountain in many of you so high above God's pure Witness in you and so high above the Appearance of God in you that you have quite lost the Sight of that in your selves which should give you the Knowledge of the living God and make you sensible of his pure Presence I say if he appear not in the Way you would limit him to in those things you would confine him in you cannot receive him the Lord open your Understanding that you may see your selves and how frothy vain light and wanton you are one with the World in all things in the very Ground pretending Liberty in Christ and Priviledge in him when you may see you are Servants to Corruptions and to many noisome Lusts that make War Again what are all outward Appearances any more but as a Curtain or as a Vail and as a Shadow in Respect of Christ God's Righteousness within But you are filled so full of your Apprehensions of his Righteousness at a Distance that you have forgotten all at home and your own Conditions for his Righteousness will not be a Cloak for your Self-Righteousness and Unrighteousness and if Christ be not formed in you God's Righteousness and live in you and act in you and work his Work in you you are in the Self-Righteousness and a Talk of Imputation will not save you while you are not in that Capacity Nature and Faith unto whom his Righteousness is imputed Are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly Hills among which you have situated your selves Do you not see your Land grows barren and your Possessions dry and your Worship dead Heaven rains not on you the Bottles are stopped the Dew falls not on you you wither daily as a Stick without Sap what have you found that which will last unto Perpetuity Oh! nay it 's rusted already it 's cankered already it 's moth-eaten already it 's fading the Glory is staining the Renown of all earthly things is fading and all terrestrial Appearances though never so glorious they are all to cease a Consumption is coming Blasting is near there will be no more Glory in these things they will fly away as a Shadow when the Sun arises your Riches are wasting when will ye seek after that which endures forever I pitty you who have had Breathings after God and have sate down at Ease in that which is not eternal be warned return home consider see what Corruption thou hast Power over now which had once Power over thee dost thou rest in that Faith that thou shalt never be cleansed here that Faith is curst it 's reprobate it 's rather properly Unbelief it 's not the Faith of God's Elect by which they were sanctified and overcame the wicked One in themselves by the Power of Christ who is able to save and manifest his Ability in all them that believe in the Light which they are enlightened withal through which he manifests himself to the Creature and makes known his Power in the Creature to redeem the Soul out of Death and to redeem the Creature from under the Bondage of Corruption to serve him in the free Spirit of God in which the Sons are made free from Sin from the Act and Guilt they become the Temples of the holy Ghost how far you are from this many of you consider who are yet Temples of Uncleanness and a Habitation for many noisome Lusts repent and mind that which empties you of your Thoughts and Conceitedness that you may know Poverty of Spirit that the Kingdom may come unto you and be yours in Possession else you are everlastingly miserable and this is the true State of many of you own it and repent that if it be possible you may find a Door of Mercy yet opened unto you and that you may enter in thereat for it is not
other Times and gorgeous Attire and lascivious Habits and if any such Thing be the Minister may reprove them at a Fast. Answ. To fast unto the Lord is not to set a Day apart by the Will of man but by being moved thereunto by the Lord and not to hang down the Head for a Day like a Bulrush nor to smite with the Fists of Wickedness but to loose the Band of Wickedness and let the Oppressed go free And as for gorgious Attire Rich Apparel and Ornaments it 's no where found so much as amongst you Steeple-house Fasters and for Delights and Pleasures and these Things which you say is lawful at other times that which so judgeth will not forsake them in your set Times and if they be lawful at any time then the Apostles Exhortation is made void who said Not in Gold nor costly Array nor broidered Hair that which abstains from them one day and takes them up another day is Hypocrisie and Deceit And as for your Abstinence from one set Meal in a day and it may be go to a Banquet or a Riot the next day after this is Abomination to the Lord And how should the Minister reprove any for Pride when it may be hath as many Points at his Knees as a Beasom Ribbons and Cuffs and a long Robe to his Heels and a broad Hatband enough to cover one most Part down the Waste if it were spread out and who do you think will receive this man's Reproof for Pride that thus is gorgiously attired And what do you judge this man will have on the Thanksgiving day Direct The next comes on the Performance of the Worship which is reading preaching with singing of Psalms fit to quicken the Affections and especially Prayer wherein Sin is to be confest with several Aggravations and with greater Inlargement then at other Times Answ. You that have nothing to quicken your Affections but to turn David's Cryings and Tears into a Song and sing You roar for the Disquietness of your Hearts and as Men distracted when your Hearts are whole and unrent and you that think to be heard for your feigned Confessions and if you speak from your Hearts as you say the Ministers ought to do there is no such Hypocrisie and Deceit among any People as among you who do that which is forbidden and leave that undone that is commanded and presumptuously sin against the Light of your own Consciences as you confess and do not so much as endeavour to receive Christ into your Hearts nor so much as endeavour after Mortification and Newness of Life And how can you think for your multitude and Inlargement of Words and seeming Importunacy God will hear you for your much Babling many hypocritical Fasts have been made which I have observed as well as some other men what would be the End thereof the Beginning thereof was Feignedness and the Performance thereof like them that Amos speaks of that howled for their Corn Wine and Oyl and mocked God and drew near with their Lips but their Hearts were far from him Direct But to proceed Such Texts ought to be used for preaching that may best work the Hearts of the Hearers into Humiliation and Repentance and the Minister is to exhort before they depart that their Assembly may improve their whole Life to the Glory of God by re-inforcing themselves and their Families in all private Resolutions towards God which they professed in publick Answ. You that have no other things to bring people to humility and repentance but by a Text as you call it of Scripture which you may judge in your carnal minds will do it and pick and chuse too the Scripture where you like What! was not the Scripture spoken forth by the Spirit of God and cannot be broken And one Scripture is as good as another and is as effectual as another but none is effectual without the Spirit which is that which leads to Repentance and brings down the Pride of the Transgressor and except People come to receive the Spirit and believe in it which convinceth them of Sin and leads them to Repentance all your stirring up and composing and re-inforcing will do no Good at all and re-inforcing of self began your Fast and there it will end without Christ which whoso comes to follow deny themselves and otherwise taught then to take the Kingdom by Force And concerning their humiliation thou hast heard and mayest judge Reader what their Thanksgiving will be like the rest Direct The Minister is to make some pithy Narration of God's Deliverance and sing some pertinent Psalms and choose a pertinent Text to the Occasion Answ. The Thanksgiving doth not arise from any Sensibility that people feel in themselves but it arises from the pithy Story as they call it of the Minister and likewise from his devised Sermon which hath fed the carnal Minds to rejoyce in Words without the Life and then ring the consecrated Bells and get Bonfires and eat and drink and satisfie the flesh and these are the Thanksgivings and the Rejoycings that the World makes over the Witness in themselves Direct And now I come to the singing Psalms and their Mass-house the place of their Worship and so I have done with their Traffique First they say that singing of Psalms publickly in a Congregation with a tunable Voice is a Christian's Duty Answ. Where it was injoyned by Christ or any of his Ministers I am ignorant and yet the Scriptures I know but no where read in it that singing of Prophesies and Prayers and other mens Conditions turned into Ryme and Meeter by Poets and Masters of Musick in an inverted Tune in the same Mind which invents Tunes for Ballet-mongers and to sing such Conditions amongst proud wanton and disdainful People covetous envious and such as have not so much as endeavoured after Mortification or newness of Life as generally your Parochical Congregations are as you have confest in your Directory for publick Worship this is no way accounted as a Christian's Duty for whose Souls are not brought out of Death cannot praise the Lord and you confess Ministers and Congregation that you are blind in Mind hard in Heart full of Unbelief Impenitency Luke-warmness and Barrenness not endeavouring to receive Christ into your Hearts your State is Howling and Lamentation and not rejoycing yet singing with the Spirit is owned and with understanding Direct And now we come to the place of publick Worship They say It is not unlawful or unconvenient for Christians to meet together in the place which was dedicated to Idolatry or consecrated to an idolatrous Use yet we hold it requisite that the Places of publick Worship should be imployed and continued to that use Answ. And upon what Account do you count it lawful convenient and requisite to meet in an Idol's Temple or a Mass-house your Account will be but slender and poor which will be without Example from the Saints Did Josiah or Hezekiah when they had broken
Self-acting was not known now Self-will Self-worship Self-righteousness nay they moved in the Power Righteousness was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my Tongue is the Pen of a ready writer Oh that all had an Ear to hear that their Soul might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false rest false and feigned Hope and Faith and of his own ragged Garment and let go his Self-righteousness and his dead Works and come to Christ the Life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have Life and Peace Object But some would say That thou wouldest have all upside down anâ— unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our Worship and then what should we do all would be as Heathens and turn into Atheism I say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come when nothing shâ—ll stand but that hath the Image stamp and Character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the Transgression must be turned down into the Pit again and all that have got a Name of Christian and wants his Life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as Clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind and all imitated Worships and will-Worshippers and the feigneâ— Faith and the feigned Hope shall be confounded and all will-worships and Worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the Light and tryes his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbelief it is but Sin or Self-righteousness which is brought forth by him who abode not in the Truth in the Unbelief and so who be come to the Power which was in the Beginning before Sin entered and death by Sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works and man that is in the loss in the Fall and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living Fruits unto God nor living works of Righteousness being in the Unrighteousness neither the fruits of Faith being in the unbelief neither the works of the Day being in the Night neither the works of charity being in the Enmity in a word without Christ the Power the Light the Life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say the said it himself who is the Beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his Testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is well-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true State of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable Naked Hâ—peless Helpless Faithless and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of God his Maker or to the ordering of any thing in the Creation to his glory having lost his Dominion and God's Wisdom and this being câ—â—sidered seriously by all and brought to the Light in all and their Deeds tryed by it would make the losty bow and the Stout-hearted fear and the conceited sit down in Solitariness that they should so long deceivâ— their own Souls with a conceit of Righteousness and redemption whâ—â— as Death yet reigns in them and over them and not Life eterna 〈◊〉 the Devil is a distinct being from God and his Works are distinct anâ— his Deeds from the Works of God and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of God but he and they tha◠〈◊〉 him and fellow him who is our of the Truth they their work 〈◊〉 whâ—t â—ort soever they may seem unto men to be whose Eyes the 〈◊〉 hâ—â—h â—linded so I say all is to condemned and shut out from God's 〈…〉 â—â—rever and to be Destroyed by him who is a consuming Fire 〈◊〉 all the Righteousness of man burned as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 Aâ—d by what hath been said the Principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their Imaginations and foolish 〈…〉 being Darkned and are seen and their Principle overthâ—â—â—â— As that Light and Darkness is one and good and Evil one and 〈◊〉 Righteousness one and Truth and a Lye one and that God is all and doth all and whatever is done is of God and that there is no Evil but to him that thinks it so and it is only a false apprehension of things and that there is no such thing as Sin and that Sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true Ground of things laid down as the Spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this Matter Object But some may object further and say Will not reading the Scriptures and conforming to the practice of the Saints in the use of his Ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the Fall and make us good Christians Answ. No while Death hath dominion in man and over man and the vail over the Heart man doth not understand the Mystery of God's Kingdom neither understands the Scripture which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth or any thing of Truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the Spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure Spirit of God in him to direct him and inform him which Spirit was the Original of the Scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost without the holy Ghost in some measure be known and that which is infallible the sayings the writings the Scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into Heads and Sects and Opinions and large Treatises and Volumes and expositions have been written and yet differing one from another and all from the Spirit and in all these particular Sects Persecuting one another and Envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the Scripture of Truth and in latter Ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the Fall and in the Transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the Power of the Beast whom makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not Worshippers of the Lamb but of the Beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the Lake For the
is but to set Bryars and Thorns in Battel against the Lord. Thy Book thou callst Hell broke Loose or a History of the Quakers published to preserve Christians against formality of Religion and Apostacy and to the intent that thy Book might not grow old nor stick upon thy Hands as such other moudly stuff hath done thou saist London Printed in the Year 1660. and so hast Printed a lye in the Frontis-piece of thy Book thy Book by that time thou may'st hang up with old Almanacks or sell for waste Paper and if thou beginst with a lye and Scorn how dost thou think that this will be an Antidote as thou callst it against formality and Apostacy Is not a Lyar an Apostate is not he that pleads for Popish Trumpery a formalist in Religion without the Power he that reads but thy Title page may see what thy Book is within if he go no further the Covenant of Death is not yet broken in thee and the agreement with Hell is not yet disannulled and therefore all this Smoke is come out of the Pit in which thou delights to dwell And is this such a worthy Piece in thy account that thou must needs shelter it under the Wings of the Officers of the Army of England Scotland and Ireland art thou so great a Friend to them and in thy Book tell'st them they were the in-let of Heresie and Blasphemy who art but yet an Episcopal stem or at best a Presbyterial Branch I believe many amongst them will savour thy Spirit and know what Uniformity and unity thou art for which may be more properly called deformity and Enmity and so thy Flattering Epistle when they see thy Spirit will hardly merit thanks and so that wicked Spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former Parliaments and Protectors still persists in the unsatiable desire to see if the Army will gratifie thee and turn Persecutors but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend Pastors or Priests of Scotland the Army knows right well or at least might do that the Priests of Scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes Hinderers and Obstructors of the Way of God and of his Work these divers Years instance two â—o three Hundred of them before the sight at Dunbar who Prophesied all like Zedekiah for the poor Scots against the English Army to go up and Prosper and Cursed them and Excommunicated them and gave them up to Satan and for Distruction but such Prophets were made fools and their divinations were Madness and God gave a sufficient Testimony against them and their deceived Followers which I hope the English Army have not 〈◊〉 forgotten and for the Scotish Priests and their Doctrine and Practice 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably Prophane as I believe many of the Army do right well know but such as are not satisfied I refer them to a Book called The Doctrines and Principles of the Priests of Scotland wherein may be seen their deceit and how some of them have said they had Reason to curse the Magistrates from morning to Night because that Allowance was granted unto any to Worship God in Spirit and Truth who could not be subject to their Traditional uniformity and thou tellest the Army in thy Epistle That ruin is like to come upon all Religion and Piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way they may see what Religion thou art of which may be rather called Irreligious and Impious the Government of Religion and Piety lyes upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful Counsellor and mighty to save and able to defend them that are subject to him and wouldst thou have the Souldiers or any others intrude themselves into Christ's Throne unto whom all Power is committed both to make Religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him this were to derogate from the Honour and Power which belongs to Christ who is the Head of the Church who will not give his Glory to another and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take Honour from him and glory from him he hath laid their honour in the Dust and their Glory is become as the moth-eaten Garment as hitherto it hath been evident and thou tellst them They know the Scripture is God's written Word and a Holy perfect rule of Faith and Practice and that it holds out that Christ is now in his human glorified Body in Heaven If thou hadst said the Scripture are the Words of God written thou hadst said something for the Word of God is one thing and the Words are another though the words are a Testimony of the Word and the Word and the Spirit which is one which gave forth the Words are the perfect Rule and Foundation of Faith which was before the Words and is greater then the Words as we have often declared to thy dearest Generation though they would not hear and where doth the Scripture hold forth a Human glorified Body in Heaven thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a Human glorified Body we say according to the Scriptures that Christ's Body is spiritual and he is raised a spiritual Body and is Glorified in a spiritual Body and in a Heavenly Body which thou never knewest neither art like while the Nature lives in thee in which thou now stands And thou say'st in thy Epistle that one day in seven should be set apart for rational Souls to mind the things of Eternity And which is that Day that thou wilt set apart some of Babylon's Merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day and some have called the seventh day the Sabbath and some have called the first day the Sabbath and whether was Sabbaths made for Man or Man for Sabbaths and whether was dayes made for man or man made for dayes all time is in the Hand of the Lord and they that have Communion with him do mind the things of Eternity every day and so they come to know the day of the Lord in which rest is given to the Soul and the Creature hath rest though he labour in the Creation when that is done away in himself which hath Opprest thou may'st go learn what this means In thy Post-script as thou callst it thou saist If any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or Military Power to Support Religion thy defence is thy belief is That thou ought to seek to the higher Powers to support Religion and this is the Liberty of thy Conscience and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who Cross their own profest Opinion as they have done of late Years by motions Counsels Books and Papers which they have delivered for these many Years for â—he pulling down the Ministry and Steeple-houses and that their importuning the Magistrate to pull down Ministry and Worship is a yielding of the Cause I say thy belief is without the true Foundation and so
bad Proof for R. I. for the Collossians were circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands and they were buried with him in Baptsim baptized into the Death and Sufferings of Christ such a Baptism as the Priests never Administred with their Hands and the Spirit of the Lord was wont to be the Seal of the Covenant to them that do believe but now it must be turned out of doors for visible Water hath taken up its Place in R. I. his Judgement which is currupted how doth sprinkling answer to Circumcision the Males only were circumcised and not the Females and why do you sprinkle Females if Baptism must answer to Circumcision and if the Extent of the one must be as large as the other And as for Mortification of the Flesh and Remission of Sins that which mortifies the deeds of the Flesh hath Life in it and that gives a living Testimony within Remission sins of is in the Blood of Christ and the Seale thereof is by the Spirit unto them that believe but this popish tradition hath taken up all in R. I. his Account if his Argument be true nay the Papists themselves who are as zealous for sprinkling of Infants as R. I. or any of his Brethren can be yet one of their own Bishops at a Council in France of both Protestants and Papists at Pisoy 1561. Claudius Espencius saith many Things are to be believed by Tradition only as the Baptism of Infants which cannot be proved from Scripture but this R. I. would have the Scripture to be a cloak and a coveâ— not only for Popish traditions but for his own invented imaginations which he hath set forth to blind the People withal The next Thing that R. I. goes about to vindicate is Swearing which their Ministers teach Men to swear which ought to be in Rightousness and Truth and for his Proof he brings Deut. 10.20 and saith Christ only prohibits rash and vain swearing and superfluous Oaths Answ. Unto this much hath been said and answered already by many pens and so that in the Answer thereof I shall be brief in the first Covenant it was lawful to swear in Truth and Righteousness and likewise all rash and vain Oaths under the Law were forbidden but Christ who is the End of the Law for Righteousness who is greater then the Prophets and greater then Moses and Solomon and greater then the Angels unto whom they all worship he saith expresly Swear not at all now whereas R. I and ther 's have said Christ only in these Words prohibits vain Oaths or false Oathâ—s then he had reproved nothing but what the Law had reproved but he saith it hath been said of old Time thou shalt not forswear thy self but saith Christ I say swear not at all so that it is manifest that all Oaths are forbidden by him who is the Oath of God and why saith R. I. it is not contrary to the Gospel of Christ for to swear and yet doth account the writings which is called the New Testament the Goâ—pel wherein Christ hath expresly forbidden it and therefore those Ministers that teach men to swear are not the Ministers of Christ but teach those things that are repugnant to the Gospel of Christ For he that breaks one of the least of the Commands of Christ and teacheth others so to do is least in the Kingdom of God The next thing that R. I. would vindicate is their of singâ—ng David's Psalms in invented Tunes such as pleaseth the carnal Mind and for his Proof he brings Mat. 26.30 They went out and sung a Hymn and Paul and Silas sung in Prison and singing is divine Worship for the Praise of God and the Comfort of our Souls and it is a Soul-ravishing and Heart-raising Ordiâ—ance Answ. It is acknowledged and alwayes hath been by us that Praises belongs unto the Lord and that they that are made alive whose Souls are raised out of Death can and do praise the Lord and they that siâ—g with the Spirit and with Understanding are acceptable unto God and they that are in the Spirit do that which the Spirit moveth unto and so worship in the Truth and are accepted of God and Christ and Paul and Silas and many more praised the Lord and many now do praise the Lord and he that hath a Psalm may sing but what of all this what doth this prove for R. I. and the Mass-house-fingers and what doth this prove as to the singing of them that are void of Understanding who sometime sing I go mourning all the Day long and just at that moment are singing and what doth R. I. think it cannot be a Psalm except it be in Meeter or doth he think it is not accepted except it hath a Tune with so many stops and to sing David's Prayers and call it Praises is this with Understanding and even to return R. I. his Words upon himself A more ungrounded Opinion was never invented by the Devil for them to sing or to pretend to praise God whose Souls lye in death and do not know what it is to partake of God's Benefits neither the unsearchable Gift this kind of singing and Immitation doth not comfort the Soul but burden it and this doth not raise the Witness but killeth it and you make merry over it and this kind of singing must be turned into howling and lamentation And saith R. I. Our Worship doth not differ neither in whole nor in Part in matter or in manner from the Saints Worship in the Primitive Times Answ. This Man's Confidence or rather Impudence is in Opposition to Knowledge and Wisdom for it were easily proved that it neiâ—her in whole nor in Part neither in matter nor manner agreeth with the Primitive times as for Example it is no where recorded in the Scripture that any Apostle Minister or Ministers did take a little Water and did sprinkle a few Drops on a Child's Face called this an Ordinance of God and say it is a Seal of the Covenant and Mortification and Remission 〈◊〉 Sins neither any such Doctrine did they declare neither did any of thâ— Ministers and Apstoles of Christ cause People to buy them Bread anâ— Wine and then give it the People back again a Bit of Bread and a Sup 〈◊〉 Wine at the middle of the Day and call this the Lord's Supper or a greâ—â— Sacrament neither had they Bells in their Churches to call People togâ—â—ther neither had they soft Cushions and Pulpits and a Hour-glass 〈◊〉 by them neither did the Primitive Churches prohibit or limit thâ— Spirit of the Lord God amongst any but if any was moved to speak any thing or had any thing revealed from the Lord the first was to hold his Peace These and many more things you differ in both in matter and manner which largely hath been declared by other Pens and so in this I shall be brief neither had the Ministers of the Gospel their Maintenance by force neither had they Easter reckonings
I said unto E. D. that Christ was the Seed of David according 〈◊〉 the Flesh and according to the Spirit the Son of God And furthermore said and now say that Christ is glorified in a spiritual Body an incorruptible Body and so by incorruptible Bâ—dy and spiritual Body according to R. I. his dark understanding must also be understood human Nature and again human Nature may be understood of the Soul O dark and Sottish man what art thou like to confute who saith The human Nature may be taken for the Soul and also it may be taken for Flesh and also it may be taken for the Regenerate part and thus like a blind man hast lost all aim thou runnest-Rambling up and down in every by-Path but how shouldst thou do otherwise seeing thou hast denyed that Spirit that doth not Err and all wouldst have all others to deny it and saist that none may lay claim to it although God hath Promised it to give the Spirit of Truth to lead his People into all Truth and if into all Truth then out of all Error but this Doctrine of Christ comes too near Perfection for R. I. to own which is a Doctrine so offensive to him that he cannot endure to hear of it or that ought should be Perfect and therefore he hath condemned the Law of the Spirit of Life and saith it is Imperfect as may be seen in the 55th page of his Book and if Flesh and the Regenerate part of man and the Soul may all be understood by human Nature then they are all one and then the Soul is Human and earthly but the Soul is spiritual and immortal and Flesh and Blood inherits not the Kingdom of God and the Regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the Immortal word of Life and that which born of the Spirit is Spirit and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest and so R. I. may take his lye home unto himself as that F. H. deny real Body of Christ for F. H. hath said and now saith again and that according to Knowledge that Christ hath an incorruptible Body and a Glorious Body and a spiritual Body and in this Body is Christ glorified with the Father and human Nature is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible Bâ—dy in the Scripture's account as this R. I. and his blind Tribe do imagine and yet the Flesh of Christ is owned and the Word that was made Flesh the Saints know and do feed on by which they are nourished up into everlasting Life and so I say unto thee as I did to E. D. when thou writes again speak plainly if by Human Nature thou intendst a carnal Body or the same Flesh thou art on and thou wouldst divide the Flesh of Christ from the Spirit wouldst divide Christ and Christ is not divided and thus he goes Quarreling on and heaps Lye upon Lye and saith that F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body but hâ—s Mystical Body which Thing is thy own and never affirmed by me either in Word or Writing and so repent of thy Lyes and for shame call in thy Book lest the Judgments and Plagues of God be multiplyed upon thee And further saith R. I. How do the Quakers condemn themselves when they so proudly boast themselves as the Pharisees did to be clear from Sin who need not Christ's Righteousness for their Justification how then can they say that Christ's righteousness is their Justification when they are so Righteous in their own Eyes for Christ hath not Promised to Justâ—fie any but those that confess their Sins Answ. We have confest our Sins and also departed from them and not like you feigned Hypocrites who are confessing from Year to Year with your feigned Lips and your Hearts never turned to the Lord from Iniquity and takest the Name of Christ's righteousness to be a Cloak to cover your Iniquity withal and we do not say that we have no need of Christ's righteousness for our Justification for if we should say so we should be Lyars like thy self for we have need of Christ's righteousness for he is our Life who is called The Lord our Righteousness he is our Justifier and who art thou that condemns any but the false accuser of the Brethren for Christ's righteousness is our covering and we are not righteous in our own Eyes but in the Eyes of him who hath made us so and we never said that we have not Sinned and so we have not made God a Lyar as this vile Slanderer would make men believe through his false Aspersions for we say we were once Darkness but now are we Light in the Lord and he who is our Light and Life is our Justification and Righteousness and his Blood cleanseth from all sin and the Power of God keepeth us That the Evil one toucheth us not and yet all Boasting excluded And the further R. I goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomless Pit and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his Book and speaks out of thick Darkness like a Man that never saw the Sun who hath altogether taken up his dwelling Place in Death's Region and as though that were the Land of his Nativity as thou shalt see Reader by what ensues R. I. saith Though it be said he that commits Sin is of the Devil not that the Devil can claim him for his own or that he is in his Possession but he is Captivated of the Devil and over-Powered And for his proof he brings Peter was cryed up to be a Saint and at that same time when he was Cryed up to be a Saint Christ called Peter a Devil and that must be understood a Saint hath Sinned Answ. He that is Captivated by the Devil hath gone from the Power of God and he that commits Sin doth the Devil's Work and he may claim him for his Work-man and he that is over-powered is brought into Captivity and he that carryes into Captivity hath the Captive in his Possession as it is written his Servants you are to whom you obey and he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin And these black confused Distinctions R. I. maketh to make People believe that they are Saints of God when they are the Devil 's Captives and that they are in the Possession of Christ who yet do the Works of the Devil who is an Enemy to Christ thou know'st no more for Saint then thou know'st of a Devil who saith that Peter at the same time that Christ called him a Saint called him a Devil for thou must know that Matthew recorded many things it may be in one Chapter which were acted and done and spoken in many Dayes and Weeks for when Peter confessed Christ to be the Son of God he was in the Faith and Christ said Flesh and Blood had not revealed that to him but at this time had spoken little of his Sufferings and it is written Mat. 16.21
from that time forward began Jesus to shew unto his Disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many Things and be Kill'd and rise again the third Day So that it is manifest that here was distance of time and space betwixt Peter Confession of Christ and of his rebuking of him however the Unbelief was gotten up in Peter and he that had need to be taught came to be a Rebuker of him who was a Teacher this was another State then the former but of these things R. I. is ignorant and let the Serpent feed upon Dust for I desire to give him no other food And further R. I. saith Though Saints Sin not Devil-like unto Death yet if any man say he hath not sinned after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression he saith John is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him for when all is done the best men are Men still and the best Earth is Earth ever and will bear Nettles and Brambles and if these things were well considered by F. H. he would not accuse me and E. D. for pleading for Sin or Satan for we plead against those who say they have no Sin Answ. This R. I. is so in love with Sin that by his Arguments which he makes one would judge that he accounts it as necessary as his 〈◊〉 food and these are strange kind of Saints that R. I. would make at the best they are still but sinners and unsanctified but they that are called to be Saints who are begotten by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus they are sanctified and made clean through the washing of Regeneration and through the Sanctification of God's holy Spirit which dwelleth in them by which they have Power to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh and to overcome and to be made Partakers of the Promises but here lies the difference in R. I. his Account betwixt his Saints and his Sinners The Sinners sin Devil-like yet the Saints sin not Devil-like I say they that sin are in one Nature notwithstanding R. I. his blind Distinctions for they that sin are liker the Devil then God and liker his Image then God's Image for God's Image consisteth in Righteousness and true Holiness and the Devil's Image consisteth in Unrighteousness Sin and Unholiness and now Reader thou mayest judge whose Image R. I. his Saints bear and if thou be one that canst plead against them who are born of God and sin not and who are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ then R. I. will ranck thee with E. D. and himself in his Bead-row of Saints as he calls it And if any man say he hath not sinned after the Similitude of Adam 's transgression he is saith John a Lyar Nay it is R. I. that saith it and not John and so R. I. is the Lyar for the Scripture saith on this wise Rom. 5.14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam 's Transgression so that it is manifest that there were many that Death reigned over and yet they sinned not after the similitude of Adam's Transgression but this R. I. will accuse every man with whom he hath a mind to quarrel and will not only teâ—l Lyes himself but publish false Doctrine but he will bring the Saints for his Author and John saith not if any man say he hath no Sin And thou that saeyst when all is done the best men and the best Earth will bear Nettles and Brambles and Pricks as I said to E. D. so I may to thee thou hast given thy Verdict for the Devil and not for God and his Saints for They that are born of God sin not and they that are cleansed by the Blood of Christ from all Sin and are clear in his Sight and are kept by his immortal Word which dwells in them that the Evil one touch them not but have overcome the Wicked one and the best Earth is that wherein righteousness dwells which R. I. is altogether a Stranger to and that brings forth no Bryars nor Brambles Nettles nor Pricks for that Grâ—und is curst so this man by his devilish Doctrine hath made the coming of Christ of none effect and the Blood of Christ of none effect and so hath denied the Work of Redemption to the best of Men and Deliverance to the Creature who hath travailed in pain This Dreamer is far contrary to the Prophet Danâ—â— who saw by the Spirit of prophecy which this R. I so deadly hates both in men and Women that if it be not allowed of by such as he iâ— mâ—st 〈◊〉 speak nor they by it this Prophet I say testified of the coming of the just one and of his Work that he should make an End of â—in 〈…〉 Tâ—anâ—gression and bring in everlasting righteousness but saith R. I. Thâ— best Men are Men still and the best Earth Earth ever and the best Saints Sinners though they siâ— not Devil-like and Nettles and Brambles and Pricks they 〈◊〉 all bring forth Now if this Doctrine be true how is the Soul 〈…〉 of Death and where is the restauration of the Creature from under the Bondage of Corruption and where is the redemption of the Seed which is Heir of the Promise Nettles Brambles and Bryars cumber the ground and choak the Seed and these things F. H. hath well considered and I see more and more that thou art a Pleader for Sin and Satâ—n and imperfection for a Spirit of Error for Images Pictures and Crosses for Cuffs Ribbons and Lace for Nettles Brambles and Bryâ—rs and art a Man that doth lay claim to the utmost Borders of the Devils Kingdom and a greater Servant of his Master I have not met with long whose Reward will be according to his Works And the Lye being the cheif cognisance of his Master in which he greatly glories in he goes on and saith Another Error of the Quakers is they do not believe the Scriptures to be true because they deny them to be the Word of God for if they believe what the Scriptures say of themselves and they say of themselves that they are the Word of God and for his proof he cites Mark 7.13 Rom. 10.8 2. Câ—r 2.17 1 Pet. 1.25 Answ. The Scripture we own to be true and whatsoever the Scriptures say of themselves that we own them to be to wit a Declaration Scriptures of Truth holy Scriptures the Words of God of Christ and of his Apostles a Treatise and for his proofs I could whâ—lly refer them to the reader to examine them himself and to discover the ignorance of this R. I. who tenders these Scriptures aforementioned for sufficient proof as that the Scriptures call themselves the Word of God as for Mark 7.13 making the Word of God of none effect by your Tradition he doth not say of making the Word of God the Scriptures of none effect neither doth he sâ—y you make the Scriptures which is the word of
The Quakers deny Honour to Superiours and to whom it is due and so blaspheme the Name of God and his Doctrine Ninethly F. H. would never have cryed out of Deceit but a Purpose to deceive the more Tenthly That the Quakers bid open Defiance to the Worship of God Eleventhly That J. N. did say that he was as just and holy and good as God Twelfthly That F. H. said That Christ Jesus was not glorified in Heaven with a real Body Thirteenthly Human Nature is taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul Fourteenthly That the best Men though regenerate bear Nettles Brambles and Pricks Fifteenthly There is an inward Law called the Law of the Spirit of Life which is imperfect and not fit to bear rule but to be ruled Sixteenthly And the Scriptures lead us to the Spirit and encline our Hearts to the Obedience of the rule Seventeenthly And F. H. prefereth Ignis fatuus before the clear Light of God's Word Eighteenthly and lastly when he hath spoken all these Lyes and published them in Print to the World he blasphemously saith in his Epistle to the Reader Have not so much regard to the Authority of the Writer as the Truth of the Matter written by him who was moved of the Lord thus to declare So all these Lyes with many more and all these damnable Doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the Truth these things he would fasten upon the Lord's Motion and so make him the Author of Iniquity and a Cloak for his ungodly Speeches against them who love the Truth as it is in Jesus who have suffered many Reproaches for its sake and have been killed all the Day long by this Generation amongst which R. I. is who hath bent his Tongue to Mischief and his Lips to utter forth Deceit and as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so hath this R. I. resisted the Truth being a Man of a corrupt Mind and concerning the Faith reprobate but he shall not proceed much further for in what he hath written his Folly will be manifest unto all men and them that fear the Lord will depart out of his Foot-steps which lead to the Chambers of Death and from those dark Paths in which R.I. treadeth which lead into utter Destruction Westmoreland the 15 th of the 4 th Moneth 1660. F. H. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear your Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience FOrasmuch as the Lord through his infinite Love and Goodness which he hath manifested amongst the Sons of Men hath called you and fitted you for his Work and Service which he hath to do you being made Partakers through the Love of God unto you of the like precious Faith with many Brethren which giveth Victory over the World and supporteth all them that keep it in the Day of Tryal My Heart's Desire is that you may all fulfil the Will of God and answer his End in sending you thither that so you may receive your Reward my Heart is drawn out unto you in true Love being sensible of the many Oppositions that you have met with and may meet with by Reason of the Strength and Power of Darkness in those Parts where Satan's Throne is exalted keep all near the Lord and feel his Power in your selves which giveth Dominion and Victory over all the World and over all fading Things which pass away and so you will feel his Strength daily renewed in you to carry you above all Opposition and his Presence to go before you and his Righteousness to be your Reward so will you be preserved in the Peace of God and feel his Life present to refresh you in the Time of Need and as your Tryals and Travails and Sufferings for Christ do abound so your Strength and Joy and Peace and Consolation will also much more abound from his Life manifest and revealed in your Hearts keep in the Power of the Lord over all Deceit and know your own Image in every one to whom you joyn and let no Deceit come near you which may get the Words and not be subject to the Power for those will betray you and rise up in Rebellion against you and glory over you for that only which can receive you through the Cross will stand by you and the other who may receive the Truth in Words into the earthly Part will stumble at the Cross and so get a Knowledge above the Cross these will blow away as Chaff Keep in your Innocency and every one in your own and there you will come to be setled and established as Trees whose Roots are spread in the Earth which cannot easily be plucked up nor a Tempest blow down you know where the Entrance was unto your selves into the Sheepfold into the true Rest thither bring all and keep all down to that to the Measure of God's Spirit through which eternal Life is revealed and the Things of God's Kingdom made manifest and they that would climb up any other Way must come down again and them that walk in any other Way must come back again and they that would strive to enter in any other Thing are shut out forever for you know there is no Communion or Concord with the Spirit of God which is pure and that which resisteth it and gainsayeth it that Wisdom must perish it 's from below that Knowledge must fade away and come to nothing So never heed the Subtilty and cunning Craftiness of the Enemy which would twist and twine every Way to gainsay the Truth and make a Noise in an airy Sound which may satisfie corrupt Minds who vilâ—fie the Truth and set the Corner-Stone at nought look not at them nor never heed that you know in whom you have believed and no other Foundation can be laid then that which is laid already for all to build upon throuâ—h which they that do believe are made a glorious and an holy Habitation for God through the Spirit and any that declare another Way another Door another Life then he that is the Light of Men is accursed So feel hâ—s Eternal Power the Power of his Resurrection in your selves to subdue and bring under all 〈◊〉 Enemies which would hinder your Enjoyment of his Life but he is a tryed Stone and they that have tryed him have found him elect and precious and his Faithfulness Power and Might Love Life and Glory endures forever and ever throughout all the Generations of the Just who are Eye-Witnesses of his Coming Power and Glory which God out of his Everlasting Love and Kindness hath revealed unto Thousands and his Coming is known in Ten Thousands of his Saints and also with them and they with him to judge in Righteousness and to make War with the Sword that proceeds out of his Mouth which slayes the wicked and brings Death and Destruction upon Death that so Life Immortality and Eternity may be brought
rose up out of the Waters and became great and cruel which had a Mouth speaking great Things and Blasphemy and he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and them that dwell in Heaven and he made War with the Saints and overcame them read the Book of the Revelations and this Beast had Power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and Kingdoms which are the Seat of the false Church which devoured and killed the Saints who have been cryed up for the higher and highest Power and all who dwelt upon the Earth whose Names were not written in the Book of Life cryed out who is able to make war with the Beast and whosoever did not receive the mark of the Beast rich or poor high or low bond or free might not buy or sell but were killed and warred against and herein is the Power of God made manifest and the Power of Antichrist the Followers of the Lamb and the Followers of the Beast the Worship of the Lamb and the Worship of the Beast the War with the Lamb and his Followers and the War with the Beast and his Followers and the Lamb maketh war with the Sword of his Mouth which is the Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God and so do all his Followers who overcome spiritual Wickedness in high Places and conquer the unclean Spirit and subdue the Kingdom of the Devil and the Powers of Darkness and yet hurt not the Creature For Christ came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and herein again is the Beast and Dragon and their Worship and Followers made manifest to be quite different unto the former for he compelleth to his Worship by his cruel Laws Imprisonment and lingring Torments and by his carnal Swords and weapons which never can subdue spiritual Enemies and he kills men and stricks at the Creature and so destroyeth the Saints Bodies which are God's Tabernacles and Temple and Temples of the holy Ghost this never reaches to the pulling down of Deceit in any wherein lieth the true Power but the Lamb doth not so but slayes the Enmity and saveth the Creature And we never read that Christ ever gave Command to his Disciples neither did his Disciples give any such Command to the Churches which were planted that they should force any to their Worship either Believers or Unbelievers but alwayes taught the contrary that as every one had received the Gift of God Christ so let him walk and as every one believed in his own Heart and was perswaded in his own Mind by the Spirit of the Lord was to walk accordingly did obey and observe or else he sinned for the true Church of God and Ministers of Christ took no pleasure to make men Sinners For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But Oh how many have the false Church and Beast and the Kings and Princes of the Earth forced to receive these things as Institutions and Ordinances of God and to observe many things which have been put upon People as divine Worship or as some heavenly Observations when alas many did not believe with their Hearts neither were perswaded thereto by the Spirit of God in their own Minds and Consciences and yet through Force and compelling prisoning and cruel torturing many have yielded and condescended to their Worship and so have been made to sin against the Lord and their own Souls and thus instead of making Christians indeed thousands of Hypocrites have been proselyted this way and many others through Weakness rather then to suffer have sinned against their weak Consciences by this forcing way or compelling way the City of Babylon hath been reared up by this means and the false Church hath gotten a great corrupt Body and glories in her Seat and sitteth as a Queen over Nations Kindreds Tongues and People having perswaded the Kings and Nobles of the Earth that they ought to defend this Holy Church and to keep her Ordinances unviolated or else they should be in Danger of her Curse and of her Excommunication and thus the Devil himself hath armed himself every way Antichrist hath fenced about his Throne as to the gaining of the Powers of the Earth on his side and for Fear of being discovered he hath taken up the outside-profession of Christianity yet the VVolf's Nature is brought forth and is tryed which worries and kills the Sheep and to speak plainly and truly since the Power of God hath been lost and disregarded which mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh in Men and the Form of Words retained and the outside Observances taken up by the false Church she hath gotten more Members by the Kings of the Earth who have drunk of her Cup and are baptized into her Spirit by their cruel forcing and owning all to a Conformity to their holy Church as she hath called herself then by any sound Doctrine or holy example or good Practices that she hath shewed forth to the Nations And Oh how have the Kings of the Earth and the Princes thereof been made slaves and Drudges to this Harlot to make Lawes for her and to re-inforce them upon the People to the destroying of many Bodies and Souls to patronize and hold up their Sorceries and to keep up her Inchantments in Reputation among the People and in so doing the false Church hath so flattered and called thâ—ir Princes who had drunk of her Cup Defenders of the Faith and Propagators of the Gospel but if any did fail of observing her invented Institutions then what dreadful Excommunications and Woes and Curses have been threatned against them and how many Princes have been deposed of their Crowns as Hereticks and Rebellions have been raised against such to overthrow them and their People and therein you have had sufficient proof many of you Princes of Germany These things I write unto you desiring your good in that which pertains to this Life and of that which is to come and that you might truly see your selves whether you are not drinking of this Cup of Fornication yea or my Or whether you are not yet giving your Power to the Beast yea or nay is there not a form of Worship without the Life and Power then that is but the VVhore's Cup is there a seeming Shew of holiness among you and do you not enjoy the Life and sum and substance of all Shadows then that is but the VVhore's Cup the outside fairly garnished but Rottenness is at the Heart do you compel to worship then that is the Beast's power that is not Christ's Power nor of the higher Power you must deny that the true State and Power that any Prince hath allowed him from God in which he may expect a Blessing upon himself and People is in that he ruleth well in things appertaining to men and things civil which pertain unto this Life and unto the Kingdoms of Men upon Earth and to be for the punishing of evil-doers as of these murderous man-slayers man-stealers Drunkards
in Heresie in Schism so that there is an absolute Defection from the Life and Power of God which was manifested in the Apostles dayes and therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church What I have said as to the Doctrines and Grounds which have been laid down by the Author I shall refer it and the Answer unto God's Witness in every Man's Conscience and if I hear any more of the Author his great Boasts or ambitious Challenges which may reach to all that do dissent from the Church of Rome as to be Hereticks I shall engage in the Strength of the Lord to vindicate the Truth however opposed and shall further if God permit be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the Doctrines and Practices and Worship of the Church of Rome and prove them to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostolick Doctrine and the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints So in what I have said I hope may convince the Author of his vain Assertions and them that are enclined towards Babylon it may put a Stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the Name of Antiquity But in what I have said upon the whole Matter I hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single Eye without Prejudice and unto such I say the Lord give them an Understanding that they see and discern the Way which leadeth to Life and Felicity from that which leadeth to the Chambers of Death and the Pathes that take hold on Destruction A GENERAL EPISTLE TO THE Seed of God DEar Friends every where who have believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and called with an holy Calling to the great Salvation of God which is manifest in this the Day of his Power keep your first Love and let not the Threats of Men neither the Browns of the World affright you from that which you have prized more then all the World now the Sun is up and a time of scorching is come and that which hath not Root will wither now every Ground will be tryed and blessed is the Good that brings forth the Seed which must inherit the Promise Oh let not the Cares of this present Life choak that which God hath begotten and seeing the Lord hath so marvelously wrought for us hitherto in the midst of great Opposition let not your Faith fail nor your Confidence in God who delivered Jacob of old out of his Adversity and Israel out of all his Troubles whose Care is over his People now and having seen the Emptiness of the World and its Way and Worship let nothing blind your Eye again and let not the things present nor things to come separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus and mind not them that draw back to Perdition but let it teach you all more Diligence to be as those that press after Glory Immortality and Everlasting Life the Way of God was ever hated by the World and the Powers thereof never heed the rough Spirit nor the heavy for their Bound is set and their Limit known but mind the Seed which hath Dominion over all and forsake not the assembling of your selves together in which you have found God and his Promise and Power amongst you and Blessing your Understandings opened Oh rather suffer all things then let go that which you have believed fâ—r whoso doth will loose the Evidence of God's Spirit in them and their Peace and Joy will be lost the Lord God preserve you all unto the End faithful Your Dear Brother for the Testimony of Jesus F. H. Aâ—â—elby Goal the 10th of the 3d Moneth 1664. A Visitation of Love Peace and Good-will from the Spirit of the Lord sent unto the whole Flock of God now in this their Day of Tryal and Hour of Temptation DEar Friends and Brethren who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the Lord unto Sanctification and Holiness that ye might inherit the Promises of God and that your Souls might live in the Land of the living and partake of his Goodness that you might admire him and praise his Name forever And seeing the Lord out of his rich Love and Mercy hath visited you who sometime sate in the Region of the Shadow of Death and were cast out of his Presence in the time of Unbelief seeing he hath caused his miraculous Light to shine upon you in his gracious Visitation of you and hath given you to believe in his Name prize his Love unto you and let not his gracious Benefits slip out of your Minds lest your Hearts be filled with other things that will corrupt your Hearts and make you an unmeet Habitation for the Lord to dwell in and among Dear Friends hear my Brotherly Admonition and Exhortation for the Lord moved in my Heart to write unto you and in the Bowels of his kind and tender Love and Motion of his heavenly Spirit to stir up your pure Minds and Consciences unto Stedfastness in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and so much the more that you all be watchful seeing the times be perilous for now the Adversary goes about roaring and ravening on the right Hand and on the left to destroy and devour that which God hath brought forth in you that so he might regain you too under his Power and Government and that ye might revolt from the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that stands in Power and Righteousness which is come and hath been of a Truth manifest in great Glory and this is an Hour the Power of Darkness is let loose to try the Faith and them that dwell upon the Earth and he is let loose for a Season blessed are they that hide themselves under the Shadow of the Almighty and under the Wings of Christ Jesus who is given for a Redeemer a Saviour and a Preserver of Men that the wicked One touch them not and now the Devil rages because he knows his Kingdom is but short and but for a small time is like to stand in many because a stronger then he that rules in the World is come and hath began to dispossess the strong Man and bind him and cast him out and now he rages and stirs up all the Temptations within and without and all his Instruments to joyn with him to make War for him that he might not rule who is the Heir of all things and given for a Leader and to be the Head of the Body his Church in which alone he hath Right to rule because the Lord of the whole Earth yea of Heaven and Earth hath put all Power into his Hands to bind and to lose to bring out of Captivity and to lead Captivity Captive that Life and Immortality might again inhabit in the Sons of Men that Truth and Righteousness might sway that Mercy and Love might sit on the Throne that his Salvation might take hold on the Ends of the Earth and his Power made known
according to the Innocency of our Hearts do thou judge us and plead our Cause And further we have laboured that Sin might be beat down and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living God and that Righteousness might have been advanced and Truth have taken Place in all Mens Hearts both in word and deed that Christ who is professed in Words might have ruled in the Hearts of all Men that make mention of him that so God's Blessing might have been felt and known by all and the Souls of all saved from the Snares of Satan and out of that which the Wrâ—th of God and his Judgments come upon And Lord God of Heaven and Earth thou knowest how our Adversaries have sought Occasion against us for no other Cause but for the Matter of the Worship of the living God and unto God's righteous Judgment Seat we dare appeal do thou judge us and reward us according to our deserts if ever we have contrived the Hurt of any Man or Men or have sought to violate any righteous Law of Man which stands to the well-governing of a Nation or Country in the things that pertain to the World yet how have we been falsly represented slander'd belyed mis-reported hated back-bited persecuted and killed as all the Day long and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native Land neither to enjoy our own Wives and Children a thing common to all men Christian and Heathen neither to breath in the common Air And how many grievous things have been heaped and are daily upon our Backs that we are factious seditious Enemies to Magistrates to the Ministers of Christ Plotters Conspirators against humane Government Enemies to the King disobedient to the Laws Broachers of Heresie Authors of Sedition Enemies to the Church and State And this the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer and a Slanderer from the Beginning he hath put a lying Spirit in the Mouthes of some and it 's entered into the Hearts of others and thus by them are the Powers of the Earth stirred up and the Rulers to persecute us without any just Cause but this must not be counted Persecution for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of and therefore all that comes upon us it must be reckoned as just and is an equal Reward for our Offences and as just punishment for our Transgression and Disobedience and so is no Persecution at all and he hath Witnesses enough to testifie against us as he had against Christ all the Scribes and Pharisees and the Leaders and Rulers of the People with the high Priests Judas and all to testifie against him That he was not fit to live but all cry Away with him even so now he hath all the Rabbies and Elders and all the Time-serving Hirelings who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and all formal Professors who profess him in Words but deny him in Works and deâ—pise his Cross with all Drunkards Lyars and Swearers all proud and covetous all wanton and riotous and all that love the Pleasure of Sin for a Season all these will give their Verdict against us There was and is a Generation that called Darkness Light and Light Darkness and Good Evil and Evil Good the Judgment of all such is false and must be Judged and God who hath Immortality and dwells in the Light with whom is no Darkness at all judgeth not as these men and therefore let us never heed the Censures and Judgments of fallen men who err in their Judgment who cannot judge for God or his People but against them let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man seeing the Lord justifies us in his VVork and Service whereunto we are called and all the aforesaid Crimes falsly laid to our Charge he clears us of and we can with a good Conscience and pure Heart bid defiance to all the Powers of darkness and all the Enemies of God and the Lord will clear us more and more as his Power Glory and Light appears in the Earth and brings forth our Righteousness as the Noon-day before our Enemies notwithstanding all the false Aspersions and Reproaches cast upon us in the mean time if we be crowned with Reproaches as Christ was with Thorns and evilly entreated for his Names sake let us bear all things and endure all things with Patience and Hope to the End And though they cover us with Bear Skins and Draff as the Heathens did the primitive Christians and so let all the wild Beasts upon us let us give up our Bodies as a Sacrifice unto the Lord and for a Witness unto his Name and Truth that so we all may witness eternal Rest unto our Souls and everlasting Joy in his heavenly Habitation where all Persecutors and Evil-doers are shut out Dearly beloved of the Lord I write not these things unto you because you many of you do not know them but because you know them to put you all in Mind and to stir up your Hearts to the holy Consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times and in very Truth whatsoever doth lye within my View that might conduce to any or all your Good I cannot withhold it from you because I know it is not only my Duty but I can truly say the Love of Christ constrains me for my Soul Heart and Life is knit unto you in the everlasting Covenant of Life above all the Families of the Earth and the more you are hated the more I love you and the more you are despised and set at nought the more I prize you and the more you are compassed about on every Side with Tryals and Afflictions the more my Soul is poured forth unto the Lord for you that you may be kept stedfast in the Faith and Hope in the Lord unto the End that you may receive his Reward the Crown of Glory which is laid up for all them that love the Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Faith do overcome And blessed and happy are all they that keep their Garments clean in this polluted time wherein Wickedness walks with open Face and Ungodliness with an out-stretched Neck and is exalted in great Height and doth corrupt many and the Earth is growing ripe with Wickedness for Destruction for the proud are counted happy and they that work Wickedness are admired and gloryed in as the only brave Men of these times which they make evil through yielding themselves Servants unto Sin and their Lusts. Ease and worldly Enjoyments and immediately drop down into eternal Perdition and it 's time for the Lord to arise and plead with all Flesh for men make void his Law and go about to establish their own in Opposition thereunto for Violence Cruelty and Hardness of Heart and Persecution are the Forerunners of Desolation and Destruction these things do generally abound all is secure and at
for halting If God be God follow him if Baal be he go after him And therefore let none draw you aside from that you are perswaded of in your Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord neither to joyn with that you know he disallows and in the Obedience you will have Peace and Joy look not at them that draw back for they go to Perdition but rather after them that continue faithful that shall receive Honour Glory Immortality and Everlasting Life In the fresh Heavenly Power of God meet together and worship him as at other Times though the Decree be gone forth and the more because you have been therein refreshed comforted and edified and let none pâ—rswade you from that innocent Duty in worshipping God in his Spirit and assembling your selves together for the strengthning of one another for this is the Will of God and acceptable in his Sight as many of you well know watch and pray lest you fall into Temptation and into the Snare of the Wicked One The God of Heaven and Earth establish all your Hearts that you may glorifie God in your Generation and be a sweet and an odorious Smell unto him in Bonds or Liberty in Life or Death is the Prayer of him who hath besought the Lord and is determined so to do on all your Behalf till the Lord by his Power tread Satan under your Feet that you may triumph and rejoyce and sing over all in Heavenly Rejoycing and Praises unto God and the Lamb that lives forever and for evermore Amen Your Dear Brother in the Patience and Suffering of Christ who abounds in perfect Love to all the faithful Flock of Christ every where F. H. From Appleby Goal the Place of my Rest where my Dayes and Hours are pleasant unto me the 4th of the 5th Moneth 1664. To Friends at the City of LONDON and about it and HARTFORD and READING DEar Friends and Brethren who are called to be Partakers of the Heavenly and Everlasting Inheritance where Thieves cannot break in and steal neither take away your Portion because nothing that defileth or maketh a Lye can enter therein but is prepared through Christ Jesus for all that believe in him and hear his Voice who is given to reveal eternal Life and the Crown of the immortal Glory to all the Heirs of the Promise who are born of the Word which liveth and endureth forever by which all things were made and by which â—ll that receive it are renewed in their Hearts and Minds unto God and are preserved in Purity and Holiness unto eternal Life and upholden in the midst of all Temptations in Uprightness that the Enemy prevail not Grace Mercy Salvation Peace Power Love Joy Life and Immortality be revealed multiplyed and encreased amongst you all saith the God of Life in my Heart unto you all who are Followers of the Lamb in the Day of Tribulation when the Lyon roareth out for his Prey and the Powers of Darkness combine together to make Opposition and War and to fill the Earth with Cruelty and Violence who seek to destroy and make Havock of that which God hath brought forth and hath determined shall live to bear Witness to him and make War and overcome and reign with him in Glory everlasting notwithstanding the Rage of Satan and the Cruelty of his Followers and the Madness of the People whom the God of this World hath blinded yet he hath decreed to exalt his Son upon the holy Hill of Sion and to make all that take Part with him in this Day of Tryal Reproach and Blasphemy victorious and Conquerors of him that hath the Power of Death the Devil and Hell and the Grave and their Triumph shall no more be for Mortality shall be swallowed of Life and he that hath deceived the Nations and sown Discord in the Earth and hath set the Nations at Variance shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire and all his Subjects shall partake of the Wine of the Wrath of God and be trodden in the Wine-press of the Wrath without the holy City when they that have been faithful unto the End shall stand upon Mount Sion with their Harps in their Hands and sing a Song of Triumph Glory and Redemption greater then that of Moses in the Day of Israel's Deliverance at the red Sea when God overthrew both Horse and Rider Oh dearly beloved reâ—oyce be glad triumph and glory in that God who out of his Everlasting love hath chosen us a peculiar People to be a Cloud of Witnesses for him in this last Age of the VVorld and that we are counted worthy to suffer with him and to fall into many Snares and Sufferings for him Oh sing rejoyce and be glad let not a faint Heart be amongst you for the Lord is on our Side the God of Jacob takes our Part and will plead our Cause and uphold us that our Enemies shall not glory nor have Cause to boast for greater is he that is with us and in us then he that is in the World and therefore we cannot bow nor stoop to Deceit neither to any false Worship hypocritical Form or false God let us believe in him forever and taste him forever and give up our Lives and all we have into his Hands who hath given us all that he alone may be over all and exalted over all our everlasting living God God blessed forever Oh most dearly beloved Friends you live in my Heart and to hear of your Valour and Obedience to the Truth makes glad my Soul and comforts us all on every Side wherein we rejoyce and give Glory to God and though they proceed severely and strictly with you and make the Battel hot it 's but for a Moment we have a Share with you and many are in Bonds here Men Women and Children Babes old Men and VVomen blind and lame Men and of all Conditions as to Age but all well content and joyful in the Lord blessed be his Name forever and indeed your Faith and Obedience Sufferings and Tryals are come abroad in the Nations and many thereby are strengthned we hear also of the Death of many who are shut up in those nasty Holes who are taken away from the Evil to come whose Blood God will require at this Generations Hands whose Sufferings and Death is precious in the Eyes of the Lord and the Spirit of Life which was in them shall enter into others and fill them that God shall not want VVitnesses The Power of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Your Dear Brother F. H. Appleby Gool the 4th of this 8th Moneth 1664. To all the Beloved Prisoners and Fellow-Sufferers who have lost your Liberty for Christ's sake in Newgate and else-where in Bonds about the City of London and to Friends of Bristol and Hartford whom the World is not worthy of MOST greatly beloved in the Lord God everlasting into whose Bosomes and Hearts my Soul Life and Spirit is poured forth and joyned
unto forever in the perpetual Covenant of Life which can never be broken which will ouâ—â—â—â—â— Death and Hell and all the Lord's Adversaries who would not acknowledge the most â—igh to rule in the Kingdoms of Men and to have the Power and only Authority in the Hearts and Consciences of Men which is his only Right and he never yet did give nor will give this Honour and Glory to any other though the Devil and Satan who hath made blind the Nations hath usurped and laid Claim to that which only belongs to the living God of Heaven and Earth and he hath long reigned in the Earth and now his Subjects plead for his usurped Power and Dominion and are loath to let any Part of it go or fall but we certainly know the Victory is the Lamb's and his Followers and though you be in the War and in the Hardship and Suffering and as killed all the Day long yet your Bow abides in Strength and the Lord will cover your Heads that your Enemies shall not touch your Life as you keep near the Lord and glorious will be the Triumph and great the Glory and Victory unto all that continue unto the End in the Hope and Faith which is manifest from our Lord Jesus Christ in your Hearts by which you have been purified and sanctified and made meet and worthy to be an Habitation for the living God the Crown of Glory the Riches of the Kingdom which is without End shall be yours and your Souls shall forever be bound up in the Bundle of Life and ye shall shine as Stars of God in the Brightness of his immortal Power forever and ever and have ye not received an Earnest of the same already and hath not God doubled and redoubled his Grace upon you and in you from Time to Time have not you eaten of the Grapes of the Land already which those which were brought from Esâ—col by the good Spies in the Land of Israel were not to be compared unto let your Hearts be comforted and do rejoyce in Hope for the Inheritance which God hath promised you who will perform his Promise and make good that which he hath said notwithstanding all the Opposition of all the Sons of Amaleck and you shall see it feel it and be made Partakers of it taste it handle it enjoy it possess it even that which shall satisfie your Hearts to the full only be of a believing Heart look not out neither think the Time long nor the Lord slack for you hitherto have been provided for in your Way since you set your Faces towards Sion and the Lord hath been your Leader and in the Front and his Righteousness hath been your Reward and so will continue with you unto the End forever true and most faithful we have found him in the Time of need Most tenderly beloved the Lord God our Almighty Rock and Everlasting Refuge moved in my Heart to greet you with these Lines for in his Name Power and holy living Life which is fresh and powerful in my Heart do I say Peace Good-will Mercy Love Life Joy and the Encrease of all heavenly and spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus be multiplyed among you to the confirming of you and establishing of you in the most holy Faith which is begun and to the finishing of the blessed Race which you are begun in and to the strengthning of you by his Almighty Power in all your inward Man to make War and to overcome to fight the good Fight of Faith to the laying hold of eternal Life and to the obtaining of the Crown of Glory and Diadem of Righteousness which shall be set upon the Heads of all the Lamb's Followers through Tribulation which Rubies are not to be compared unto neither the fine Gold of Ophir but the hidden Treasure the durable Riches the everlasting Peace the white Rayment the glorious Clothing of the Lord the Righteousness of the Saints you shall possess Oh dearest Hearts most dearly and entirely beloved of the Lord and me what might I say to make all your Hearts glad even as mine is at this Time though melted into Tears of Joy for your sake because the Lord hath made you so freely and willingly to take his Yoak upon you and to bear his Cross and to despise the Shame and to endure the Reproach so willingly Oh blessed blessed blessed from the Lord God forever I pronounce you in his Name and Power that ever lives only Potentate to whom belongs Glory and Honour forever and ever Amen Dearly beloved true it is as it hath been foretold by his Servants that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus much suffer Persecution because of the Enmity that is in the World in whom the Love and Peace of God dwells not although they will make mention thereof in Words but in Works deny him as is very evident this Day by them who would not be counted Heathens but Christians and yet hate his Life and Appearance and they are grown so blind and impudent through the Unbelief that is in them that they cannot discern the Fruits of the Spirit where they are brought forth neither can believe though it be declared unto them and as is manifest would not let God have any Honour or Worship if it suit not their Blindness or their corrupt Laws which they make not only to stand by God's Law but even to cross it and gainsay iâ— and are so impudent as to say That to worship God is Crime enough if they think meet to call it so whether to Banishment Death or Confiscation and yet will say Cursed is he that parts Man and Wife and again Whom God hath joyned together let no Man separate and Cursed is he that spoils the Fatherless and doth oppress the Widdow and the like and yet cannot see themselves in the very Act. Well Dear Hearts although it be your Share to partake of the Heat of the Dragon's Fury yet you are not alone and though you be counted unworthy by these corrupt Judges to live in your City Family and your native Land because you will not deny that which God hath wrought in you and manifest to you by his Spirit and conform to them in their Blood-thirstiness and Cruelty therefore they by their unjust Seâ—tence have pronounced you to be banished out of your native Country and from your dear Relations and yet say it 's just and think that their Statute which is like a Spiders Web will be their Shelter which they have made even as the Jews did against Christ his Apostles the Romans against the primitive Christians even the same they would do for Mahomet Baal and Milcham if there were a seeming Law to be their Shelter Well what shall we say but that they are in Cain's Way and themselves banished from the Presence of the Lord and would have all wander as they after the Paths of the Heathen and after the Customs of the Nations and the corrupt Traditions