and verytrue Light and as the right Father of his like Beeing and e Ieam 1. â— Light for euer and his Will and Requyring â as a fatherly Loue / to the Mans Preseruation in the Godlynes is administred / in the Ministration of his gracious Woord vnder the Obedience of the Loue of whose Beeing and vpright Forme / we haue witnessed before and that then likewyse in thesame Administration / Beleefe and Obedience is shewed by the Man / in thesame Will and Requyring of God / euen-thear â in the Beleefe is thesame liueing God seene and knowe / like as Hee â according to the Spirit is an vpright Beeing f Ioh. 1. â— â— b. 1. Iohn 1. â— and verytrue Light / for a Lyfe of Men· and the right Father of his like Beeing and Light thear is also seene and knowen that thesame Gods Procreation or Seede / is likewyse his vpright Beeing and verytrue Light / and is euenso â in the Beleeueing and Obeying of thesame Administration proceeding from thesame Father / and that thesame is wholly and altogether of one-mynde and g Iohn 17. c. Col. 8. â— of one-substance with the Father / and is the true Christ himself / and geteth in-that-sort / his Foorme in the Man 4. To whomsoeuer now thesame Christ doth com thus in the Spirit / essentially / h 1. Iohn 1 â— to those is He also seene and knowen rightly in the Spirit and He is likewyse of i Iohn 17. c. one-substance with them / in all Loue and vpright Righteousnes 5. This self-same Christ / the true Sonne and like k Col. 1. b. Heb. 1. a. Beeing of God his Father although Hee â from eternitee be the l 1. Cor. 15. c. Col. 1. b. First-borne of all Creatures· and the m Math. 16. b Luk. â— c. Iohn 6. g. only-borne Sonne of God is also â according to his Birth of the Seede of Dauid after the Flesh named the Sonne n Math. 8 12. c Luk. 6. a. â— 21. of Man / because that Hee â as the true Seede of the Promyses of God the Father is sowne or planted in our Manhod / through the Ministration of the gracious Woord of the Lorde and through the Beleef and Obedience to thesame Woord also manned with our Manhod and so â after our Passing-ouer his like Death of the Crosse / vnto the o Iohn 3. a. Rom. 12. a. â— Ephe. 4. b. c. second Birth from the Death borne agayne out of our Manhod 6. And thatt is the verytrue Seede of God from Heauen / which is sowen in our p Math. 13. b Mar. 4. b. Luk. 8. b. Manhod / through the Administration of the holy and gracious Word / vnder the Obedience of the Loue· and â at the appoynted tyme borne agayne by vs and out of vs / as a q Iohn 15. a. b Fruit of the ouerflowing good Lyfe and of the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes and wherthrough wee are then likewyse â according to the Woord of our Lorde Iesu Christ the r Math. 12. .c Luk. 8. c. Moother Brothers and Sisters of Christ / which doo the Will of his heauenly Father 7. Thissame Man of God from Heauen according to the Spirit and the Sonne of Man s Math. 1. c. Rom 1. a. of the Seede of Dauid according to the Flesh / is in all poynts mynded t Math. 26. d. Iohn 4. d. 6 d. 8. c. according to the Will of God his Father and his Will is / that all what is good / shoulde bee and He beareth in vs / the u Phil. 2. a. Heb. 2. b. 5. a Image of the earthly Man and suffereth with vs for our Sinnes 8. But now when the Beleeuer of his gracious Woord / hath x 2. Pet. 1. b. regarde obediently vnto his gracious Woord / according to the Requyring of his Seruice of Loue and that euenso â in his Beleefe and Obedience thesame Woord beginneth to appeere or breake-thorow / as a verytrue y Iohn â— a. 2. Cor. 4. a. Light of the vpright Lyfe and like Beeing of the perfect Cleernes of God· and as a z 2. Cor. 5. b. Gal. 6. b. new Creature from Heauen / Then hath God the Father his Pleasure a Esa. 42. a. Math 12.17 b 2. Pet. 1. b. only in thesame Light and Lyfe of his lyke Cleernes and vpright Righteousnes For thatt is his beloued Sonne Ø›his spirituall heauenly Beeing whom He hath geeuen vnto vs for an euerlasting b Heb. 1. a. Heyre to th end that we shoulde liue through Him 9. SEing now that the Lorde Ø›the God of Heauen is spirituall· and mynded to the vpright Righteousnes / and that the Man of the Earth is fleshly c Gen. 6. a. Rom. 7. b· â— and mynded to the Sinne· and vnbeleeueing and disobedient to the Requyring of God in the Ministration of his gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue / Therfore hath God â according to such a Mynde of the Man no d Rom. â— a. pleasure in the earthly Man / nor-yet the earthly Man / in God nor in his Requyring 10. But seing now that the only-borne e Math. 16. b. Luk. 9. c. Iohn 6. g. Sonne of God the Father according to the Spirit namely Christ / the like f Sap 7. c. Col. â— b. Heb. 1. a. Beeing of God is also the only-borne Sonne / out of the g Math. 1. a. Rom. 1. a. Manhod / of the Seede of Dauid according to the Flesh and beareth in vs the Image of the earthly Manhod / as-wel as the Image of y e heauenly Godhead / Therfore it is not his Will that the Man â whom He hath created h Saâ— 1. b. 2. c. Eccli 17. a. to be an Image of his like Beeing shoulde perish in the Disobedience of the earthly Man· i Eze. 18 3â— â— 2. Pet. 3. a. nor in the Sinnes of the earthly Beeing but shoulde liue for euer and euer / with Him and with his Spirit / in the vpright Righteousnes of his heauenly Beeing / and that all Men likewyse â which loue God and his Righteousnes shoulde be assembled into thesame Beeing and be saued both in Soule and Bodye 11. Beholde thesame forementioned Christ and Sonne of God â who for our Sinnes cause / hath suffered in vs the Death k Rom. 6. a. Phil. 2. a. of the Crosse and armeth vs l 1. Pet. 4. a. with thesame Mynde of his Suffering and Death maketh knowen vnto vs as is before sayde through his Seruice of Loue / his vpright Beeing of Righteousnes And in our good Will to thesame / He bringeth his Beleef vnto vs and so in the Beleef / He himself m Esa. 53. b. 2. Pet. 2. beareth our Sinnes and iustifyeth n Rom. 3.8 â— Gal. 2. b. vs from thesame / through the Beleef And so takeing our Sinnes vppon him / in Patience He o 1 Iohn 1.4 reconcileth vs before
that the Foode or the Bread of Lyfe shal be f Math. 24. d ministred and heald-foorth open-ly in Cleernes / vnto eueryone that beleeueth the Woord of the Seruice of Loue and that sheweth faythfull Obedience therunto To the Young Children / g 1. Cor. 3. c. 1 Pet. 2 c. a according to their Youngnes / to the Weake / h Rom. 14.15 a. Gal 5. a. according to thier Weaknes / to the Strong-youngmen / i Heb. 5. b. according to their Abillitee or Strength / and to the Elders / according to their Auncientee or Oldenes 5. Euenthus shall now in thissame Daye of Loue / the right Foode Ø› k Iohn 6. f. the Woord of Lyfe be ministred l Math. 24. c. 2. Timo. 2. b. in the right tyme· also prepared for eueryone / according to his Stomack· and distributed for a Nourishment of his Soule And thissame Bread or Woord of Lyfe that is com-downe out of Heauen / vnto vs Littleones and Elected of God â for a Foode of Lyfe m Exo. 16. a. Psal. 78. b. Sap. 16. c. Iohn 6. f. shall likewyse be for a Taste of Foode vnto eueryone / according as he would willingly eate 6. Happy are those which now in thissame Daye / haue sounde and strong Stomacks â–ª and can beare the Foode howsoeuer it be prepared or in what maner it is ministred / out of the Woord of Lyfe and can receaue or eate thesame to a Nourishment of their Soules and so can indeuour them n 1. Cor. 14. a. Col. 5. b. to the Loue. 7. Yea thosame â if they growe vp o Ephe. 4 b. therin obediently / till vnto the Age of the holy and godly Vnderstanding shal be founde the auncient Elders and Fathers in the Family of Loue who also shall vnderstande p Math. 11. c. 13. b. Ephe. 3. a. Col. 1. c. the Secretnes of the Woord· and minister q Math. 24 â–ª b or bring the woord of Lyfe â out of the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue vnto the Disciples of the Woord / in the right or conuenient tyme / according to eueryones Nature or Estate namely to the Youngones or to the New-borne Babes / r 1. Cor. 3. a. the Milke of the woord / to the Sick or Weakeones / s Rom. 14. a. the Medecinable-broth of the Woord / and to the Youngmen or Strong-ones / t Heb. 5 b. the Bread and strong Foode of the Woord And that altogether / to a Growing-vp v 1. Cor. 13. b. Ephe. 4. b. into the manly Age of Christ. 8 O Ye Beloued according to this Pattern euen-as I do Heere prescribe thesame vnto you in Wryting / see that you indeuour yourselues among each-other in the Loue and haue a good regard vnto thatt which is heald-foorth before you / to a Consolation of your Soules 9. Turne your Hearing therunto and comprehend or coÌ„ceaue thesame in your Thoughts and so out of the goodwilling Obedience to the Requyring of the Woord and his Seruice of Loue / learne to knowe in the Spirit of your Inwardnes / the right Oldestone the right Father and the true Sheapherd x 1. Pet. 2. c. or Bisshopp of your Soules / which is the y Iohn 17. b. spirituall Woord of the heauenly Trueth the holy Spirit of Loue the Light or the Daye of Loue z Iohn 14. a. and the euerlasting Lyfe itself / wheron we do witnes and poynt 10. For wee are nomore but a Iohn 1. a. witnesses of the true Beeing of the Loue / which we minister vnto you / and b 1. Cor. 4. â— 2. Cor. 6. a. Ministers of the holy and gracious Woord / for to declare â vnder the Obedience of the Loue the godly Cleernes and heauenly Ritches of God the Father â which out of Grace / are appeered and brought vnto vs out of Heauen / by the Father of Light among the Children c Ephe. 3. a. of Men. 11 Which Grace Light or Cleernes â–ª and thosame heauenly Goodes / all they d Ephe. 3. a. 2. Pet. â— a. likewyse do enioye and be Co-partakers therof / which submitt them with vs vnder the Obedience of the Loue and haue their Fellowshipp with our Fellowshipp / in all Loue. The V. Chap. MY intyrely beloued Freendes and Bretheren in the Loue of Iesu Christ Vouchsafe for this tyme / to be content with this my harty Exhortation and small Seruice and ensue or performe first-of-al / thatt which is heald-foorth before you a Math â— a. Luk. 3 13. a A â–ª 2 â— c for a Begining of the christian Lyfe and so then growe-vp ther-out / b Ephe. 4. b. to the Perfection of the christian Lyfe and to the Oldnes of the holâ— and godly Vnderstanding and minister you dayly the Woord of Trueth vnto eachother euen-as thesame like-as it is also before sayd is ministred vnto you through the holy Spirit of Loue and as it is yet dayly heald-foorth vnto you 2 Add not any Prudence of Natural-reason therto Defend nor couer not likewyse c Gen. 3. â— Math. 25 â–ª c y e Craftynes of the Flesh / with the Natural-reason as that ye shoulde â with the Industry of your Good-thinking drawe-awaye d Deut 4.12 d or take-out anything or any Sentence therfrom / tending to anâ— Pleasure vnto the Desyres of your Flesh but receaue or accept it all e Ephe 6 a Col 5. c. wiâ—h simple Hearts / to your Edifying and to the f Ier 7. a. 25. a 35. b. Amendment of your Lyfe and Beeing and remember vs alwayes to the Good Wee wil not also forgett the Ministring of the Woord / vnto you all 3. But although ye coulde quyte forgett Vs / yet cannot wee forgett You. For we haue borne you in our Hearts and ye haue druncke g Cant. â— â— Esa. 66. b. of the Milke of our Breasts and eaten of one Bread with vs. 4. Therfore are wee likewyse dayly carefull ouer you like vnto a naturall Moother that alwayes beareth a Care ouer her Children / for to prouide thatt with Dilligence / which is needfull for them 5. If now the naturall Moothers haue such a Care ouer their naturall Children / shall not then the spirituall Moothers / now in these perillous Tymes / beare much-more a godly Care dayly ouer their spirituall Children of Sion / h Esa. 66. a. which they beare to the God of Lyfe / for to bring-them-up in all Health and Godlynes / to their full Age / vnhindered Yes nodout For veryly / the spirituall Procreation and the spirituall or inward Mootherly-loue / doth farr exceede the naturall It is verytrue 6. For-that-cause â ye Beloued inclyne not to the earthly and i Rom. 6.12 â— corruptible Beeing but suffer yourselues to be nourished and taught by the Seruice of Loue â–ª and through thesame / drawe-away k Rom. 13. b Gal. 5. b. 1. Pet. 2. b. your Myndes
vnderstande namely a Rom. 1. a. 1 Cor. 1. a. 2. Cor. 1. a. Gal. 1. Ephe. 1. God our Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ. And that in certen Places / Christ â in steed of the Sonne is also vttered-forth for a Father and God 2. Forasmuch as thy Vnderstanding supposed that ther-was nomore but b Deut. 32. d. Esa. 44. a. 4â— b. 46. b. 1. Cor. 8. a. One God as it is also true therfore was thy Demaunde thus vnto mee / wherof thou requyredst an Answer in Wryting Seing now that ther-is nomore but One God / wherfore is He then pronouced-forth in two-maner of States The which seemeth â according to the sounde of the Scripture as though the Apostles published Two Gods 3. Veryly the Difference of this Matter â wherof thou desyerest the Instruction could not likewyse c Iohn 6. d. c. 7. c. 8. b. c. certen Iewes in tymes-past conceaue according to their Vnderstanding out of the Flesh / Yea thesame is yet also rightly vnderstood of Feawe Yet do many perswade them selues notwithstanding â because that they in historical-maner / are mynded after the New-testament that they haue thorowly-well conceaued the Vnderstanding of this Mattier and do for-that-cause perswade themselues / that they do farr exceede and excell the Iewes supposeing that they haue the Fayth and the Saluation and that the Iewes remayne by the Workes of the Lawe Now this passed-ouer we wil proceede to further the Intent of our Matter 4. VEryly as we haue spoken before / of God / the Father / and the Lorde / Iesu Christ these are hard things before the Man / for to search-out the Vnderstanding of them / in his Knowledg if he do not knowe God and Christ and the true Righteousnes of the godly Beeing / in Himself / but imagineth of God and Christ / without Him / and so goeth-on according to his owne Good-thinking / without the Administration of the true Light and his Loue. Yea it is d Math. 11. c. 13 b. 19. c. Iohn 14. â— vnpossible â after that maner to vnderstand the right Mynde cleerly And although likewyse / He woulde search-out all the Knowledg of the Worlde yet is it all in vayne / for to vnderstande thesame 5. Although the Man shoulde imagine of thesame Mynde / in the deepest-grounde of his Reason yet can he not doutles â with any-maner of Prudence of the Flesh conceaue that Vnderstanding For it is an Vnderstanding / e Esa. 57.66 b Sap 1 a. Math. 11. d. that ryseth not vpp in the Knowledg· but to the Lowely and Poore of Spirit â–ª namely in the Beleefe of the holy and gracious Woord / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 6. For God / the Father the Lorde / Iesus Christ nor-yet the true Light of the godly Wysdom / shall f Sap. 1. a. â— Cor. 2. b. not be knowen / out of the Blood or Will of Man nor out of any deepe Searching with the Knowledg For God is a g Iohn 4 c. Spirit a verytrue Light h Iohn 1. a. 8. b. 9. a. 11. c. 12. c. 14. a. and an euerlasting Lyfe which God also / is not knowen â–ª seene nor vnderstood / but in his owne Spirit and in his true Light and godly Beeing 7. SEing then that the only God / is 1. Iohn 1. a. a verytrue Light / that no Darknesses do knowe nor beholde and is not to be knowen nor behealde / but in his k Psal. 36. Light / therfore is not Hee knowen likewyse / but by Those that do Heare and beleeue his gracious Woord and that submitt them obediently l Iohn â— d. vnder the Requyring of thesame Woord and Will and so do carry the Image m 1. Cor. 15. c Ephe. 4. c. of his godly Beeing or do beholde thesame n 2. Pet. 1. c. in their Spirit / as a Pattern of God and hope theron / through Fayth And the Spirit of thosesame obedient Humbleones / is the Spirit that giueth respect to the seruiceable Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue / to th end to be o Ioh. 15.17 â— Ephe. 3. c. incorporated to the lyke Beeing of God namely the Brightnes of the Cleernes of the godly Beeing / the vpright Righteousnes p Ephe. 4. c. and Holynes that God esteemeth and then to knowe God the Father and his Sonne Iesu Christ / rightly and according to the Trueth / and to vnderstand the q Iohn 17. a. Math. 13. b. Secretnes of the Kingdom of God and Christ. 8. But seing now that the Man is gon-back or falne-away r Gen. 3. a. Deut. 32. c. from his God and from this pure Beawty and Cleernes of the godly Beeing· and s Rom. 1. c. Ephe 4. b. estrainged from the Vnderstanding of the Wysdom of Iesu Christ / therfore is he also becom disinherited of this Cleernes or Brightnes of the godly Light / and hath neither knowen the Father nor his Sonne Ø›the Lorde Iesus Christ By meanes of which Estrainginâ— / He hath not borne or carryed in his Spirit / t 1. Cor. 15. g. Ephe. 4. c. the Image or Like-being of his God â–ª namely / Iesus Christ / to which effect / the Gospel u Math. 28. d. Mar. 16. b or ioyfull Message / is published wherby to bring the Man agayne to Christ and to establish him in Him But x Gen. 3. â— the Man is â vp the Self-wisdom of the Flesh and by his owne Opinion quyt lead-away from the vpright Mynde or Vnderstanding of the Gospel and from the Incorporating or Establishing in Iesu Christ / and brought to the Corruption and hath â with Smart and Calamitee borne the vngodly Beeing or the Contrary-nature vnto his God / y Sap. 1. b. to the which / he is neither created nor called 9. This Contrary-nature vnto God or Darknes / hath captiued z Mar 6. f. 8. b Rom 1. c. â— Cor 4. a. his Sences and Thoughts and stolne-away his Heart and Vnderstanding / so that he can conceaue or vnderstand very-little / of the true Light or Christ of God and that only / because he is so vtterly estrainged * Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1.3 from the Beeing of God and hath grounded him on the Knowledg The III. Chap. NOw for to discouer the Mynde a-little / How or in what Beeing or Foorme / the Woord â God our Father and the Lorde Iesus Christ is witnessed by the Apostles of Christ / So must I rehearse a-little of Adam / to what ende he was created / wherby men may vnderstand the Intent / wher-to Christ is preached 2. WHen the almighty God â who is full of Wisdom and Righteousnes had finished a Gen. 1. a Heauen and Earth and all their Garnishing / then did He also create Him a Man / b Gen. 1. c. 2. a. Sap 3. a. Eccli 17. a. according to the Likenes of his Godhead / who shoulde carry or beare
Sinne and Death / through his Death of the Crosse / and hath made himself manifest vnto his Freendes / that loued Him and were his Disciples and renewing them in the Woord of his Doctrine / He q Luk. 24 c shewed them â through his Suffering and Death of the Crosse the Victory r 1 Cor. 15 g. against the Sinne Death Deuill and Hell 5. Now when-as these his Disciples were renewed and established in the Woord of his Doctrine· and armed s 1 Pet 4 a with thesame Mynde of the Suffering of Iesu Christ / t Mar 16. b Luk 24 f Act 1. a then was He taken-vp from them to the Right-hande of God his Father / in the heauenly Beeing From thence hath He comforted his Disciples and comprysed his Shape in them / out of the heauenly Beeing powring-foorth v Act. 1 â— 2 â— his holy Spirit into them as a newe and true x Apo. 21 a Ierusalem which is not prepared by Men / but by God like a garnished Bryde for her Husbande And euenthus became God the Father / thorough his only-borne Sonne Ø› Christ of one-substance agayne y Act â— with the manly Creatures And to that ende also because that all manly Creatures / shoulde â through Christ be z Iohn 17 c one-substance with God the Father / is Christ preached And in such a State doth God requyre to haue his People or the Congregation of Iesu Christ. 6. BEholde These Disciples of Iesu Christ â who through Christ / were sealed with the holy a Act. 2. a Rom 8 b 2 Cor 5 a Spirit of Christ / from the Right-hande of God· b Math. 13. f taught to the Kingdom of the God of Heauens· and established in God the Father and in the Lorde Iesu Christ were the right Christians / not out of the Letter or Flesh / c Math. 26. c. Luk. 22 c Iohn 6. f. 1 Cor. 11. c wherwith they had bin serued till vnto the Coming of thesame Clernes of Christ but out of the Power of God / d Luk 24. c Act 1. a. 2. a 1 Cor. 2 a b in the Spirit and did beare euenthus e 2. Cor. 4. a a costly Treasure / in earthen Vessels namely the very-like Beeing of God the Almighty 7. Which Beeing of God / f 2. Cor. 4. a. Phil. 2. a. Col. 1. b. Heb 1. a is the true Christ himself / according to the Spirit with whom they had their Fellowship And through Him â seing He was One with God their g 1. Iohn 1. a. Fellowship was also with God the Father Wherby they vsed that Woord God our Father and the LordeØ›his Sonne Iesu Christ. The which also Many nodout / do speake or witnes in-that-maner / out of the Letter and out of the Imagination of the good-thinking Knowledg but they are wyde of it / according to the Trueth But These â who h Act 2.3 1 Cor 2 a b 1 Iohn 1. a. witnessed that Woord / out of the Spirit and Trueth haue witnessed the Grace from God the Father and from the Lorde Iesu Christ / in the Trueth of God And yet notwithstanding / haue confessed nomore but one God but haue witnessed the Wonderful-acts of God / shewed on them through Iesus Christ. And i Ioel 2. d. Act. 2 â–ª b. it shall com-to-pas â sayeth God in the last Dayes 8. THis Grace of Saluation / that was k Luk. 1. f. g 2. a b. c Act. 2.3.4 c. apeered to the Iewes â which Many of them in that tyme refused is published to the Heathen / l Math. 3. a. Luk. 2. d Act. 13. c to a Repentance for their Sinnes / to th end that they shoulde m Iohn 1. c. beleeue on the like Beeing of God the Almighty / that was appeered vnto them· and so becom partakers likewyse of the Gifts of the holy Gost â through Iesus Christ out of the fatherly Grace and that their Fellowship mought be one n 1. Iohn 1. a. with God the Father and his Sonne Iesu Christ / in one-maner of Fayth 9. And to that ende was the Seruice of Christ ministred o 2 Cor. 10. a vnder y e Obedience of Fayth â by the Apostles of Christ to the vnbeleeueing Heathen namely in the Woord of the Preaching of the Disciples and Apostles of Christ / To the intent that thesame Lyfe of Righteousnes â that was refused p Act. 3. c. by the Iewes shoulde be set-vpp among y e Heathen / through Fayth and so they sought to confirme y e Lawe among y e Heathen / through Fayth and to bring forth the Righteousnes ther-by / q Rom. 3. c. Gal. 2 b. 3 b Phil. 3. b. that is requyred by y e Lawe The V. Chap. BEholde euenthus / for a a Luk. 2. â— Light and Saluation of the Heathen / is thissame â only out of Grace / vndeserued published vnto the Heathen / for a Gospel / to a Mortifying of their vayne Vnderstanding b Rom 1.6.8 1 Cor 5.6 Gal. 5 6. and of the corrupt vngodly Beeing and to an Incorporating to the newe Man whom the Apostles of Christ did publish namely ChristØ›the Like-beeing of God c Luk. 1. g. Ephe. 4. c. in vpright Righteousnes and Holynes In whom â and in none Other standeth d Act. 4.10 c the Forgiuenes of Sinnes 2. These Publishers of the holy Woord or Gospel of the Kingdom of God seing now that Iesus Christ had a Shape in them / as a verytrue Light and Lyfe of God and that Gods Shape / was in Christ wher-thorough they lykewyse were in Christ â–ª and God in them haue published that Woord Ø› Grace and Peace from â—od our Father and y e Lorde Iesu Christ in the Trueth 3. But although the Apostles did publih this after-this-maner / yet haue they notwithstanding / spoken no otherwyse then of One God / who had shewed his Procreation or Generation in them / as a e Iohn 1. c Glory of the only-borne Sonne of y e Father / full of Grace and Trueth namely that God the Father had begotten and declared in them / his like f Iohn 1. a 1. Iohn 1. a Lyfe of God / out of his Lyfe and his like Light / out of his Light 4. Seing then that they did beare this like Beeing of the Godhead / in them / therfore haue they â through thesame knowen the liueing God / who was their Saluation namely through the Lyfe of God / Iesu Christ being appeered vnto them g Ephe. 3. â— in the Spirit Wherthrough they also published the Lyfe that is euerlasting and so witnessed likewyse that Those which had h â— Iohn 5. b. not the Sonne of God / coulde not also haue the Father / and that they were without i Ephe. 2 b. God / in this Worlde For the like Lyfe of God / k Iohn 1. a 1 Iohn 1. a 5
Man â in his Ignorance is thus vtterly k Gen. 6. a. â— Rom. 1. â— Eph. 4. b. corrupted / through the Bewitching of the sinfull Flesh and hath geeuen a great Respect vnto his owne good-thinking Knowledg / so hath he likewyse turned all his Dilligence towards thesame / to l Rom. 10. a. set-vp his owne Righteousnes / according to the Goodthinking of his Knowledg and hath generally had a pleasure in his owne Workes 8. But thatt God which liueth for euer and is my God / shall now in thissame Daye m Math. 24. d 25. d. 26. g. 2. Timo. 1. b â through the Appeering of Christ in his Glory bring all Flesh of Sinne n 1. Cor 1. c. to shame / in his owne Wisdom and made Holynes In which Daye of the gloryous Cleernes of God / God wil iudg o Psal. 96. b. Act. 17. d. the Circuit of the Earth / with Righteousnes 9. Therfore shall now likewyse in thissame Daye / all Generacions of the Earth â which sett their Confidence vppon their owne Wisdom Righteousnes and Holynes of the sinfull Flesh p Esa. 13. a. Ioel. 1.2 Sap. 5. a. Luâ— 21. c Apo. 18. b. c howle and weepe For Gods Doctrine / serueing to the Entrance into the true christian Lyfe / shall appeere vnto them / to an Offenciuenes· his Righteousnes / to Sinne· his Lyfe / to a Death· and his Saluacion / to a Condemnacion 10. Although I wryte thus vnto thee / thou Beloued and do not regarde any Flesh of Sinne / in his owne Righteousnes / yet do I account this of great value / that all Flesh with all his earthly Beeing / do lay-downe itself on his right Place namely q Psal. 110. a. Heb. 1.10 b. to be a Bench for the Lordes Feete and so submitt itself to the Requyring of the Spirit of the Loue of Christ / to th end that the God of Lyfe may gett the Dominion r Esa 24. c. Sap. 3. b. ouer him / with his vpright Righteousnes 11. I do also wel vouchsafe vnto thee with all my Heart / to haue obtayned all that thou louest / out of the vertuous Nature s 1. Cor. 13. of the Loue and do likewyse hope that thy Heart standeth-mynded / euen according as thou wrytest Wherby also it shall not be greeuous vnto me / to conceaue the Best of thee and that thy Wryting proceedeth not out of thyself nor out of any prudent Counsayle of the Flesh. but out of a t Sap 1. a. Ephe. 6. a. Col 3. c. single Heart / through the Mercy of God wherwith God hath pittied thee / to the Lande of his Glory and to our Ioye in the Vnitee of Heart / for that we may lyue together in the vpright and louely Beeing of Iesu Christ. 12. But if now it be Flesh or if it proceede out of the fleshly Beeing / then shall it surely v Iob 14. a. chainge and be vnconstant and vanish-away vnder the Hande and my Spirit â which is the Lordes shall not bynde itself vnto the Fleshes Beeing 13. And if it be Spirit or if it proceede out of the Beeing of the true Spirit of Loue / then shall it likewyse continue and remayne constant with thee and all myne Inclynacion / shall stande affected to thy godly Will For thatt be farre from me / that my Heart Mynde and Soule / shoulde mynde or affect anything-els / but only the spirituall and true heauenly Good and those that with mee / do loue only the Heauenly and are godly of will 14. Therfore also perswade thyself thorowly â thou Beloued that my Mynde and all the Inclynacion of my Will although I do conuersate myself with Many outwardly is inclyned only to Those that are wel-mynded to the Spirituall and Heauenly and are godly of Will and that my Heart and Spirit desyreth to haue Fellowship with none other / but those that with all their Hearts and Soules / do giue-ouer themselues to all Obedience of the Loue and so do stande wel-mynded to all Concorde with the Spirit of Loue and our Comunialtee 15. For to that ende / hath the Lorde illuminated me with his Light and endowed me with his x Sap 7. a. Wisdom and chosen me to be a y Col 1. c. 1 Timo. 1. b. Minister of his holy Woord / wherby to assist eueryone that â for y e Vnitees sake in the Loue do forsake z Math. 16. â— themselues· follow the Loue / in her Seruice and vertuous Nature· and are mynded with all their Hearts / to learne the a Math. â—1 d. Humilitee and Meeknes / of the Loue and her Seruice and to proceed-on after thesame â without Murmuring or imagining any euell till that the Meeknes of the Loue / haue a b Iam 1. c. Shape in them 16. Consider well heeron / thou Beloued For we are all created to the Vnitee c Ephe. 4. a. in the Loue / for to liue peaceably with each-other in all Loue and â through the Seruice of Loue called and chosen therunto / by God / to th end that we shoulde laude God / in y e Loue· and â like loueing Children of Peace liue and walke together / d Eph. 4.5 a. in all Loue. The III. Chap. BVt albeit now that many Multitudes of the People of this Worlde or almost all those that wil vse God-seruices â out of their owne Enterprises do not a Math. 13. b. 1. Cor. 2. b. 2 Cor. 4. â— vnderstand nor conceaue thissame / by reason of their Vnbeleefe and Blyndnes of Heart and are altogether Straingers therfrom or b Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b. ignorant therof / Yet doth not thatt concerne vs as to trouble ourselues therwith For what doth the Blyndnes or the Ignorance of the Vnbeleeuers touch vs but this concerneth vs That we haue to laude and thanke our God â who is the eternall and liueing God for his great Grace and Mercy / which He hath shewed so aboundantly on vs Little c Esa. 66. a. Math. 11. d. and Pooreones â in these last perillous Tymes from all the Thowsandes in this Worlde namely for that He hath â through the holy Spirit of his Loue illuminated Vs in our d 1. Cor. 4. a. 2 Pet. 1. c. Hearts / as his Elect and giueth Vs dayly more-and-more / to see-into and e Math. 11. d. 13 â— 1. Cor. 2. b. Eph. 1.2.3 a vnderstande the Secretnes of his vpright and louely Lyfe so that wee / through Gods Mercy towards vs â aboue all the Wyse and Vnderstandingones in this Worlde are neerest to the heauenly Trueth and do euenso knowe in the Spirit / that we are made f Iohn 8. c. free / through thesame Trueth 2. For all wee / which â through the true Spirit are g 1. Cor. 4. b. Cal. 4. b. 1. pet 1. c. begotten to be Children of God / out of the Loue and her
the One vndeuided c Rom. 12. a. Ephe. 4. b. Body of Christ with whom we haue our fellowshipp d 1. Iohn 1. a. with God the Father / the Headd of thesame Christ. 2. To thatt God which â through the Spirit e 1. Pet. 5. b. of his Loue hath chosen vs to such a Maiestee of his Glory / be Laude Honour f Apo. 4.5 b Prayse and Thanks / for euer Amen 3. BEholde my beloued Freendes in the Loue This Loue of God the Father â wherin God hath gloryfyed Vs is the bounttyfull Mercy of the highest God with the which He hath taken-pitie on vs now in these last perillous Tymes and elected vs to Saluacion g Eâ—he 4. a. to the Lande of his Glory In which perillous Tymes / al-maner of venimous h Ephe. 4. b. Wyndes false Knowledges deceiptfull Witts contrary Sightes i Math. 24. b. 2. Timo. 4. a 2. Pet. 2. a. with many erring Spirits and all wrong Iudgers or False-sentence-giuers â to the Hurt of the Soule do flourish 4. Seing then that all false Spirits do now â in many Controuersies ryse-vp out of the wicked Worlde and out of those Wyscones that cleaue vnto her and do make-vp themselues agaynst the Trueth / for to take k 2. Timo 3. a captiue in their contencious Knowledges â with their Craftynes and deceitfull Witt those that loue the Trueth / So is-ther likewyse in this perillious Tyme / l 1. Timo. 1. b. greate Grace shewed on vs / against all false Spirits and deuided Knowledges For to that ende haue we obtayned the mostholy Office or Seruice of Loue but not from ourselues nor from Men. but from m Gal. 1. b. Ephe. 3. a â–ª the liueing God himself / by his Woord of Lyfe / because that wee â like faythfull Ministers of thesame shoulde â through the Woord of Lyfe warne all goodwilling Hearts â that loue y e Trueth of Christ of all n Math. 24. b Act. 20. c. false and contencious Spirits of the Knowledg· reache them the Hande seruiceably / with the Woord of Lyfe· and gyde them into our holy Comunialtee vnder the Obedience of the Loue / wherby to drawe them out of the Perills of Destruction which proceed out of the wicked Worlde / that is reserued o 2. Tess. 1. a. 2. Pet. 3. a. vnto Fyre and to defende them therfrom 5. Ouer which wicked Worlde and ouer all Guydes / that â—yse-vp ther-out with their false Spirits and contencious Knowledges and ouer all those that cleaue vnto thesame / the Iudgment of God goeth righteously to the Confusion of them all and p Math. 25. to their Condemnacion in the hellish Fyer For God wil now in his Daye of Loue / condemne the wicked Worlde with all her Wyseones Adherents and Louers 6. Yea assuredly now cometh the Lorde â out of his holy Heauen q Esa. 29 a. Ecâ—li 13. b. Luk. 17. Apo. 4. a. 8 a. with Lightenings and Thunders and with a forsible Noyze of Wyndes wherat the Earth shall r Psal. 77 b. Esa. 13. b. Agg. 2. a. feare and tremble and thatsame shall fall vppon all false Spirits and wicked Hearts / to their Destruction Yea now in thissame Daye of Loue / the Lorde wil mooue the s Heb. 12. d. Earth and it shall be forced to quake at his Thunders And so the Lorde wil then make an t Esa 10. c. Ende of all y e Falshod of the Earth 7. For now in thissame Daye of Loue / the v Eccli 16. b. 2. Pet. 3. b. Elements shall melt with the Heate of his Lightening and the Lordes Thunder-boltes shall fall very greeuously vppon the Pate of all arrogaÌ„t Heartes Self-wyseones and all false Witnesses Yea all those that be touched therwith / shall nodout make-manifest themselues and let it appeere / that they are touched and are not of the Loues Nature 8. But Saluation and Peace / cometh to the Lowely and Humble of Heart / x Rom. 12. b. 1. â—or 3. b. which are not wyse in themselues but do submitt them humbly vnder the Loue and her Seruice also do take-heede to the Doctrine and Informacion of thesame and indeuour them obediently therunto and do seeke no Pleasure nor Ioye without God and his Seruice of Loue nor-yet in the Worlde nor in the Flesh but only y Esa. 61. b. Luk. 2. c. in God their Saluacion For it shall go-well with them and in the Iudgment of God / they shall obtayne their Preseruacion or Saluacion 9. For in the Iudgment of God when the Thunder-clapps do fall vppon the Arrogant and Self-wyseones / to their Destruction / then shall the holy Spirit of Lyfe / fall vppon the Littleones and the Electedones of God / that haue humbly submitted them vnder the Obedience of the Loue / to their Preseruacion and shal be z Num 11. c. Esa. 44. o. Eze 36 c. Ioel 2 c. Act 2. b. poored-forth vppon them â with all Louelynes out of the euerlasting Lyfe and heauenly Beeing / a Iohn 4.7 b like floweing Waters of Lyfe and so shall then likewyse / b Ioel. 3. c. Milke and Hony and liueing Water of the holy Spirit of Loue / flowe among them 10. Haue you all a regarde heerunto / ye good-willing Hearts and Louers of the Trueth For Gods Iudgment / c Esa. 11. a. Iohn 7.8 b is not according to the Sight of Mens Eyes nor according to their Knowledg although notwithstanding they do perswade themselues somtymes / that they knowe it well and are assured of the Mattier of it but only according to the Trueth The II. Chap. FOrasmuch then as such a Day-light â the which is the true Iudgment of God is â by Gods Grace appeered vnto vs out of Heauen· and the gracious Woord of Lyfe vnder the Obedience of the Loue / geeuen vs to minister in thesame Light / to the Saluacion of the People / Therfore were it also very right and conuenient / that they shoulde giue eare vnto vs therin and that noman shoulde so peruersly looke-into or construe the Workes of the Lorde / which He bringeth to light by vs Little and Electedones of God For veryly / thatt which wee speake and wryte and bring-foorth or set-out â— vnder the Obedience of the Loue to the serueing of all Louers of the Trueth / is not our owne Worke nor-yet our Indighting nor Wryting but the a Ier. 31 d. Ezech. 36. c 1 Cor. 2. a. 2. Tess. 1.2 b. Worke of the Lorde / which He himself wryteth according to his owne Mynd Spirit and Will / and with his owne Finger 2. And whatsoeuerthen the Lorde himself bringeth-foorth / thatt do wee acknowledg to be good and vpright And although it be looked-on and iudged for Ignorance or to be foolish / before the Children of Men or before all those that account themselues wyse / Yet do wee confesse and shewe ther-against / that
EPISTOLAE HN. The Principall Epistles of HN / which he hath set-foorth through the holy Spirit of Loue· and written and sent them â most-cheefly vnto the Louers of y e Trueth and his Acquaintance And are by him newly perused and more-playnly declared Translated out of Base-almaine All Scripture geeuen by the Inspiration of God â–ª is profitable to Teache to Rebuke to Amendment and to Information in Righteousnes for that the Man of God may be perfect prepared to all good vvorkes 2. Timo. 3. No Prophecie in the Scripture / cometh-to-pas by priuate Interpritacion For ther vvas yet neuer any Prophecie brought-forth out of manly VVill but the holy Men of God haue sproken it / being mooued by the holy Goste 2. Pet. 1. Now goeth the Iudgment ouer the World â–ª Now is the Prince of this World cast-out Iohn 12. Now is the Saluation the Power and the Kingdom / becom our Gods and the Might his Christes Apoc. 2. THE PREFACE LYke as an Apotecary doth â by his apotecaries Arte prepare many-kinde of Medecineâ— / to the Health of the naturall Bodyes of sick Men and diuers delightfull Tastes and also sundery sweete Sauors of Spices / to the Delighting of the Children of Men Euen so doth likewyse a Man of God / prepare â by the Wisdom of y e godly Vnderstanding many-kinde of godly Medecines which he â in the Ministration of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue bringeth vnto the falne Man â who is captiued thorough the Sinne / with sundry Sicknesses and Infirmities in the Soule to the Health of his Soule â–ª and many sweete Tastes of the spirituall and heauenly Foode to the Refreshing and Delighting of his Mynde and to the great Ioye of his Spirit in y e secret hauenly Goodes Lyke as one may euidently perceaue in the many and sundry-sorts of distinct and groundy Instructions / touching the true Godlynes and euerlasting Ioye in Iesu Christ / which are witnessed and set-forth by HN Ø›Gods elected Minister in these his Epistles and in all the Testimonyes of his Wrytings / to a perpetuall Health and Lyfe of the Soule and to the Welfare of the Children of Men. 2. To the which true Godlynes and euerlasting Ioye / all Louers of the Trueth and all hungery and thirstye Soules after the Righteousnes as likewyse all People / be â by the godly Testimonyes of these Epistles called and bidden to th end to leade them all namely those which vnder the Obedience of the Loue / do beleeue the Godlynes into the Howse of Loue and to nourish and bring-them-vp in all Godlynes 3. For-that-cause / these Epistles are likewyse to a Teaching and Edifying of all Beleeuers of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue and of the Comunialtee or Church of Christ and are also very profitable and seruiceable vnto all Men / to giue an vpright Knowledg Wherunto the Man is created of God and called or bidden through Christ To th end that all those â which haue a Lust or Will to God and his Righteousnes mought â vnder the Obedience of the Loue giue themselues vprightly to their Calling through Christ· and so becom godly mynded / according to the Requyring of the holy Scriptures· and well exercised or prepared to all good workes Take it to heart A TABLE Contayning the Matter â and Redie finding of the begining of eueri-one of these Epistles The First Epistle A Crying-voyce of the holy Spirit of Loue where-with all People are called / to repentance for their Sinnes Fol. 1. The Second Epistle A Short and pithie Instruction contayning the Misterie of the Loue. Fol. 10. The Thirde Epistle A Groundlie Instruction Declaring the difference betwixt God the Father and his Sonne / the Lorde Iesu Christ. Fol. 19. The Fourth Epistle Of the Mediation of Iesu Christ / in the Spirit for a Reconciliation betwixt God / and the Man Fol. 39. The Fifth Epistle A Stirring-vp of the hearte to the Immitation of Christ in the tyme of suffering and affliction Fol. 65. The Sixt Epistle A Groundlie Instruction / and a Difference of the vnderstandings according to the Truith / of the holy Scriptures Fol. 79. The Seuenth Epistle A True Iudgment or Sentence / out of the Seruice of Loue agaynst the false Iudgment out of the fleshe Fol. 137. The Eight Epistle A Distinction of the Submission / and Vnsubmission in the Spirit Fol. 159. The Nineth Epistle Of the Seruices and Ceremonies / of the Christians / and of the vnchristians and of the right and false vce of them Fol. 189. The Tenth Epistle A pure Instruction / howe one shal be obedient to the woorde of Lyfe and Trueth in the Seruice of Loue. Fol. 205. The Eleuenth Epistle A Rebuke and Exhortation seruing to a Reformation / and to a Repentance for their Sinnes vnto all those that thincke them selues to bee wyse and Therfore blaspheame / and iudge falslye our Seruice / and Comunialtie in the Loue also a warning to the Simple Hearts Fol. 223. The Tvvelueth Epistle A Reproouing Instruction / and exhortation â out of hartie loue to the vnitee of harte / in the Loue. Fol. 251. The Thirteenth Epistle Loueing Informations vnto a Louer of the Trueth which before-tyme had bine a Blaspheamer of the Seruice of the Loue / and of the Ministers ther-of Fol. 265. The Fourteenth Epistle A Breefe Exhortation / vnto a Disciple in the Seruice of the Loue wher-with he is exhorted / to keepe a sharpe watch towards the Spirits / that make-vp themselues in him Fol 287. The Fifteentb Epistle An hartie Exhortation / vnto all Louers of the Trueth To awarning Touching all false Spirits / that make-vp themselues and Iudge falsly agaynst the Trueth Fol. 293. The Sixteenth Epistle An Instructionable Exhortation to the good-willingous whearin is Distinguished the vpright Obedience and the Godlie / and ongodlie beeing Fol. 314. The Seuenteenth Epistle Of the Mans Lordelines / in the beginning of his affall Death and Condamnation and of his restoring agayne vnto his former Lordelines Fol. 337. The Eighteenth Epistle A loueing Exhortation vnto an house-holde / that haue ioyned themselues to the Familie of Loue to be obedient to the Trueth Fol. 352. The Nyneteenth Epistle An hartie Exhortation / to the mooste-zealous good-willing hearts to the Righteousnes also to the Elders and Ministers of the woorde for a warning vnto them of all deceayt that maye chance vnto them / by the an-commers Fol. 365. The Tvventith Epistle Reproouinge of the VVhoordom with good Doctrine / and groundelye Instructions howe one shall turne hym self / to Iesu Christ and the woord of his holie Spirit of Loue and Trueth Fol. 386. FINIS The First Epistle A Crying-voyce of the holy Spirit of Loue / wherwith all People are â out of meere Grace called and bidden by HN / to the true Repentance for thier Sinnes· to the Entrance into the vpright christian Lyfe· and to the Howse of the Loue of Iesu Christ.
that thou only art very true God and Him whom thou hast sent / Iesus Christ. Iohn 17. Ther was demaunded by a Louer of the Trueth and an Instruction desyered / touching the Difference betwixt God / the Father and his Sonne / the Lorde Iesus Christ. And ther-vppon is answered by HN / in wryting â according to the Declaring of the spirituall and heauenly Trueth this Instruction heeraftter following The First Chapter I Haue thus-long deferred forto answer thee thy Demaunde in wryting â which thou Beloued Brother desyredst of mee / when I was last with thee because of certen Matters that were needfull for me first-of-al to further Wher-through I â by that occasion haue not â hetherto had conuenient tyme to accomplish thesame 2. But I haue not for-al-that / forgotten thy Demaunde nor through Slothfulnes / neglected to wryte vnto thee neither do I desyre in any-wyse / to deny thee thy Request but am alwayes wel-willing to witnes thesame vnto thee â according to that Vnderstanding which the Lorde giueth vnto mee so much as it is profitable for thee to Edification Notwithstanding I am burdened in my Heart / because I haue promysed â vppon thy Demaunde to wryte thee an Answere 3. But not that the Grounde of the Matter â about the which thou hast questyoned with mee· and desyred of mee / to answer thesame in wryting is so hard or profound-of-vnderstanding / to answere O No but because that the Vnderstanding of thesame Mynde / is so vtterly vnknowe a Math. 11. c 13. b Iohn 14. b. Ephe. 3. a. before all Sence of the Flesh. 4. Yea how naked and bare soeuer the Scripture sheweth it / according to the Mynde of the Spirit / yet can it not for-al-that / be vnderstood b 1. Cor. 2. b. nor conceaued by Flesh and Blood / Vnles the Man must first â according to the Counsayle of the Scripture be turned into another Mynde 5. SEing now that the Scripture of the Apostles of Christ / is spirituall c Iohn 5. â— 6. g. and witnesseth of Spirit and Lyfe and that the Man â which readeth y e Testymonyes therof / in the Letter standeth captiued with a Fleshly Mynde / vnder d Rom. 7. â— the Sinne and his owne Good-thinking and so taketh vppon Him â out of thesame Mynde of the Flesh and his owne Good-thinking to vnderstande the Mynde of God out of the Letter / e 1. Cor. 2. b. So can He not doutles bring it to-pas For his Fleshly Sences and good-thinking Thoughts / do surely stretch no farder / but likewyse to such an Intelligence or Knowledg of the Fleshly Vnderstanding 6. For-that-cause also / the Mynde of Man doth not â out of the Letter of the Scripture vnderstand nor comprehende the Mynde of God / rightly By-meanes-wherof / ther is likewyse now at this present daye like as cam-to-pas also in tymes-past / among f Ier. 26. b. 28. a. b. 29. c. d. Math. 12. c. 23. b. c. d. 26.27 the worldly Wyse and Scriptur-learnedones much Contention Variance and Controuersie / founde among the Children of Men / who do contende about Thatt which they themselues vnderstaÌ„d not and wil seeme to knowe Thatt / which according to the Mynde of their Vnderstanding â wherin they are comprehended is not to be knowen nor Vnderstood 7. THe whilst now that the ritch bountifull God â out of the Loue of his Grace / vndeserued giueth vnto Vs â in g 1. Cor. 2. b. our inward Mynde another Spirit for to discerne and to vnderstand with-al / h 1 Cor. 1.2 b which is nor of Flesh and Blood nor-yet mynded according to the earthly and fleshly Wisdom of this Worlde nor according to y e Prudence of y e Ingeniousnes of y e worldly Wyse and of the coÌ„tentions Scriptur-learned or those of famous Schooles / Therfore do we perceaue / that it is perillous to wryt-ouer vnto any man / of the Secretnes of God i Ephe. 3. a. and Christ And that therfore / we do dayly beare a Care or a Suspicion / whether Those that aske after the Vnderstanding of the godly Trueth / do not desyre to knowe thesame k Act. 17. c. out of Curyousnes or Sensualitee or l Iohn 8. b. to iudg it according to their Good-thinking 8. Therfore it is daungerous in this perillous Tyme / to discouer or to wryt-ouer the groundly Depthes m Rom. 11. d. of the godly Wisdom / vnto anyman / because that we do now fynde many Men that do aske / to th end to knowe much / Yea they seeke many Knowledges / wherby to vnderstand and to iudg the godly Things / out of their Sharpwitednes or Industry And thatt lyketh all those well / which haue no Lust to doo the Lordes Will. For therin lyeth the olde Roote n Gen. 3. b. Rom 5. b. of Adam wherout the disobedient Knowledg springeth or cometh-foorth 9. But to o Iohn 8 c. submitt themselues obediently to the Requyring of the gracious Woord of the godly Wisdom· and to the right Seruice of the Loue of Iesu Christ / also to cleaue vnto y e liueing God / in his godly Nature or Beeing / p Exo. 20. â— Deut. 5. a. and to serue to prayse and to honour Him / as He is a God / in his Christ / thatt lyketh fewe or none Yet is thesame the newe Fruit of the Planting of Iesu Christ wher-vnto the Scripture poynteth vs / which neither the q Math. 11. c. Iohn 14 c. 1. Cor 1.2 b Worlde nor her Wyse or Scriptur-learnedones do vnderstand nor-yet conceaue the Mynde For they knowe not thesame 10. ALthough I do thus rehearse these things / my Beloued and that my Carefulnes standeth to such a Suspicion towards Many / Yet do I notwithstanding hope and trust somwhat better of thee / as that thou art more inclyned to vnderstand the Will and Mynde of God / to the intent to r 1. Pet. 5. a. submitt thyself obediently ther-vnto / to thy Saluation and to the s Ephe. 1. b. Laude and Prayse of the godly Glory and so to beleeue the liueing God and his Christ· to inclyne vnto Him· and to becom t 2. Pet. 1. a. partaker of his Beeing / then for to knowe much therof / according to the Pleasure of thyne Owne-mynde 11. Therfore also I wil not think it tedious vnto me to answer thy Demaunde / with Dilligence / out of feruent Loue / If haply God would vouchsafe â through my small Seruice to open u EPhe. 1. c. thyne Vnderstanding and â through his Increase or Blessing to endow thee in thy Spirit / with his Grace and to stirr-vp thy Heart to a pure Mynde towards God and towards his Loue in Iesu Christ. The II. Chap. THus was then thy saying vnto me â as I remember that the Woord which y e Apostles of Christ do wryte / was darke or incomprehensible for thee to
the very-like Beeing of God and the Image of his Glory / as a fellow-partaker-of or being-lyke-vnto the godly Nature and Kynde Through which like Beeing of God / God would be knowen euerlastingly in the Man / as a true God 3. Heer-through was God in the Begining â as a Light of Lyfe of one-substance with the manly Creatures And out of his like Beeing in the manly Creatures / God c Gen. 2. c. brought-forth the Memory for a good and holy Vnderstanding / Because that his lyke Beeing shoulde not be alone in the manly Creatures but that the Memory shoulde â in all good and holy Vnderstanding be an Helpe d Glas. 1â— â–ª or Ayde to the like Beeing of the Godhead in the manly Creatures / to all Peace and Concord and to all Loue and Welfare vppon Earth 4. BEholde according to all Lyke-resemblance / euen-as God is a very-true c Iohn 1. a. 1. Iohn 1. â— Light and euerlasting Lyfe / so is also his like Beeing / a true Light and euerlasting Lyfe / in the manly Creatures â that are comprehended in the vpright Estate of their manly Beeing and in Christ in such like-maner also in them / the Memory / that God hath brought-forth out of his like Beeing Which Memory / in thosame manly Creatures namely being in their right Estate is likewyse a Light / of the true Light and a Lyfe / of the true Lyfe and that altogether / to Peace and Righteousnes vppon Earth 5. This / in the foremer Kingdom / was Gods Glory in his manly Creatures / whom He had chosen to himself / to th end that they shoulde f 1. Pet. 3. b. inhabite the Earth with Righteousnes and that euenso ther-through / the Highest God â as a liueing and true God and his holy Beeing and vertuous Nature / shoulde â as-well vppon Earth / as in Heauen be knowen for euermore / in the Spirit of the manly Creatures and haue his Shape in them and so liue in them 6. BEholde Thatsame true and like Beeing of God which is flowed or borne out of the eternall and liueing Godhead / is the First-borne g 1. Cor. 15. c. Gol. 1. b. of all Creatures and is the true and liueing Christ of God which cannot be h Psal 16. b. Act 2. d. 13. d corrupted but He continueth alwayes i Psal 9. a. and euerlastingly For He is y e k Iohn 3. b. Rom. 1. a. only-borne Sonne of God and a very-true l Iohn 1.14 â— Light and eternall Lyfe for euermore / like vnto his Father 7. Heer-from hath the Man turned him and seene and tasted the Corruption But so hath not the Christ of God For Gods very-like Beeing Ø›the true Christ of God m Ephe. 4. Col. 3. is the vpright Righteousnes and Holynes / which is euerlasting and n Sap. â— b. immortall / also vndestroyable vnchaingable and vncorruptible But the Vnrighteousnes / is the Obteyning of Death and of the Corruption Which Corruption or deadly Mortalitee / o Gen 3. a. Rom. 5. b. 1 Cor. 15. c. the Man hath taken-on and ther-through / hath horne the Contrary-beeing to God Ø› p Sap. 2. c. Iohn 8. c. that Antichrist / the like Beeing of the Deuill and so is dreeuen from the Beholding of God / q Gen. 3. c. without the Ritches of the godly Goodes and hath lost the Mercy-seate of his Saluation 8. Which Saluation of the Mercy-seate / is r Gen. 12.22 â— Act. 3. c. Gal 3. a. couenanted and promysed agayne â by the God of Lyfe vnto Abraham and his Seede And through thatsame / the Blessing of all Generations of the Earth After which Saluation / many s Math. 13. b Luk. 10. c. 1. Pet. 1. b. Kings and Prophets haue sought and inquyred / which they saw-into a farr-of / as coming but they coulde not attayne vnto it â–ª but haue witnessed and prophecied therof / that thesame shoulde be inherited in all Loue â–ª Peace and vpright Righteousnes / in the last tyme. The IIII. Chap. THis Grace of Saluation and this like Beeing of God / which became vnknowen through Adam did in tymes-past appeere in Israel / out a Math. 1. c. Luk. 1. g. 2. a. of the Howse of Dauid of the Trybe of Iuda like as God had promysed b Psal. 58. g. Esa. 9. a Ier. 23.30 â— Dan. 9. c. through the Lawe and the Mouth of all his Prophets and He is published c Act. 2. d. 3. b c. 13. d. to the whole Generation of Israel / to be their King Sauiour and Messias and that God had shewed the Mercy d Luk. 1. f. g. on them for to help-vpp Isarel his Seruant And so at thesame tyme / God was merci-full vnto his chosen People and hath not for gotten his Couenant / euen-as He had promysed to Abraham and his Seede 2. Euenthus veryly was this like Beeing of God / the true Christ and only-borne Sonne of God from eternitee / borne of the e Luk. 2. a. Rom. 1. a. Seede of Dauid according to the Flesh / to be a Sauiour to the Generation of Israel / for to set-vpp Israel in his Righteousnes But certen of the Wyse and Scriptur-lernedones after y e Lawe / f Math. 12. c 15. a. 21. c. d. 27. c. Act. 2. c. 3. d. haue neither beleeued nor receaued thesame Iesus Christ according to the Flesh but haue withstood Him and refused both Him and his Requyring g Math. 23. d. and not alowed of Him but haue delyuered Him ouer vnto the Heathen / h Math. 27. to the Death of the Crosse. 3. Yea / so farr is the vnregenerated man differing from the Mynde of God â although he be wyse prudent or vnderstanding in the Knowledg and Scriptur-learnednes that he â for his owne Wisdoms cause doth vnderstand i Math. 11 c. 1. Cor. 2. c. nothing-at-al of the Mynde of God nor of the Seting-vpp of Israel â–ª neither-yet can he attayne therunto / with his owne Wisdom like as it hath also com-to-pas with the Wyse and Scriptur-learnedones of the Lawe And this Christ of God k Luk. 24. c. Act. 3. b. 17. a hath bin forced to suffer Yea / from the l Apo. 13. a. Begining of the Worlde forth for the Wisdom of the Flesh and the Sinnes cause And it went with Him / m Math. 26. c Luk. 22. as was written therof and He was killed on the Earth / with the contemnable n Sap. 2. c. Math. 27. Death of the Crosse and buryed in the Heart of the Earth 4. SEing now that it was vnpossible / that the Death coulde holde Him or that He shoulde see the o Psal 16 a Act. 2 13 d Corruption / to a Consumation â–ª therfore is He rysen agayne p Mar. 16. b. Luk. 24 c Act 2. c 10 â— 1 Cor. 15 a from the Death / for a perpetuall Conquering of the
the Lyfe t Iohn 1. â— which is for a verytrue Light / vnto all those that beleeue theron 8. Therfore let vs take-heede u 2. Cor. 6. a to the acceptable Tyme / wherin God doth illuminate vs. For in extending Mercy / He x Exo. â—3 b Rom. 9. b. sheweth Mercy on vs and leadeth vs from the Death / y Psa. 56. b. 116. a. to the Lyfe euen to the Sheapherd z 1. Pet. 2. c of our Soules 9. HEer-with â my Beloued I do hartely salute thee / with a Salutation of the Loue and see that thou â with an humble Heart do giue a regarde vnto thatt which I wryte vnto thee and ponder well the Sentences therof For they do poynt thee a Pro. 4. a. to the Lyfe 10 And if thou doest yet desyre larger Instruction at my hands / then wryte ouer vnto me I do alwayes â for the Loues sake proffer myself willingly to doo thee Seruice / in all what I may in the Lorde / to thy Edifying 11. Farewell and sett thy Comfort wholly and altogether / on the Loue. And salute me with a Salutation b Rom. 16. b 1. Cor. 16. c â–ª of the Loue / to the Bretheren and Sisters that are with thee which do submitt them with humble Hearts / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. And the Comunialtee in the Loue / that is heere with Vs / doth likewyse salute you all hartely with the Loue. 12. The Vnitee of Peace c 2. Cor. 13. b. Ephe 4 a. Col. 3. b. be alwayes among you all And the Loue of God the Father / take the Victory in all your Hearts Amen The Ende of the Eigth Epistle The Nynth Epistle Of the Seruices and Ceremonyes of the Christians and of the Vnchristians and of the right and false Vce of them with certen groundly Informations and edifying Instructions Written and sent vnto a Louer of the Trueth / at his Request Exercise thyself in Godlynes For bodely Exercise which stretcheth to the Outward / that concerneth the Nature profiteth little But the God-seruice which stretcheth to the Inward and Spirituall and to the true Godlynes is profitable to all things and hath the Promyse both of this Lyfe and of thatt to com 1. Timo. 4. The First Chapter THe Loue of God the Father â through the Reuealing of the Coming of our Lorde Iesu Christ be with thee / my Beloued and a Ephe. 1. b. 3 b. illuminate thy Spirit to a true Knowledg of the Lyfe / in the Spirit / wherby thou mayest â with a right Discerning see-into and knowe liueingly â according to the Spirit the secret b Sap. 9. b Rom. 11. â—2 2 Counsayle and Will of God / To th end that thou mayest iudg c Iohn 7. c according to the Trueth / with a right Iudgment Thaâ—t graunt vs the almighty Lorde / through his Loue. Amen 2. My Beloued Our Fauour out of the Seruice of Loue â to thy Saluation standeth alwayes willingly-bent towards thee for to be seruiceable vnto thee / to thy Edifying and to a good Knowledg of the true Light For that thou mayest be illuminated with the Illumination of the Cleernes of God which â out of the Grace of his Loue is reuealed d Rom. 16. c Ephe. 1.3 a Col. 1. c 2. Tim. 1. b and appeered vnto vs in the Spirit according to the Promyses of God the Father and with Wryting / to reaâ—he thee the Hande to thesame / according to thy Request to a Gyding of thee into our holy Comunialtee / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 3. In which Comunialtee / wee haue our Fellowshipp e 1. Iohn 1. a with God the Father and the Lorde Iesu Christ / in the euerlasting Immortalitee wher-through all f 1 Cor. 15. f Corruption and all g Esa. 25. a. 2 Cor. 3. b. Couerings Middle-walles h Esa 59. a Ephe. 2. b. and i Psal. 146. b Bandes / be taken-awaye wher-in all Patterns Images Shadowes and Figures / do k Col 2. b Heb. 9.10 ceasse and wher-in ther is nothing-els behealde / but the euerlasting l Heb. 12. c vndisturbable Kingdom / full of all Power of God / full of Lyfe Loue and Peace / full of Cleernesses m Math. 24. d 25. d. 2. Tess. 1. a. of all the Holyons and Children of God / and full of all heauenly Treasures n Col. 2. a. and godly Ritches / euen-as God hath in tymes-past / promysed to com in Glory for a righteous Iudgment vppon the Earth 4. O thou Beloued Forasmuch as we haue shewed our Fauour of Loue on thee â with Seruice and Assistance to these heauenly o Ephe. 1. b 2. a. 3. a Col. 1. â— 2. a. Ritches in the eternall Beeing of Immortalitee / So haue we now the second-tyme / receaued Wrytings from thee and haueing perused-ouer and considered of them â so much as we can we do vnderstand therby â according to the Mencioning of thy Wrytings that thy Opinion or Conceaueing standeth towards vs or thou shouldest seeme to haue vnderstood so by Others / that we shoulde not vse the Christian Ceremonyes or shoulde account them to be vnprofitable 5. No â my Beloued we are not so presumptuous / that we shoulde not acknowledg all Gods Ordinances â in their right Foorme or Vâ—e to be good p Eccli 39. c and profitable / being ministred in their due tyme. Yea we esteeme them very worthy and commendable in their Seruice so farr-forth or to such an ende as their Seruice reacheth the which we haue sufficiently witnessed â with sencible Distinction before all Vnderstandings / in the Glasse of Righteousnes 6. But â my Beloued if thy Heart shoulde yet stande captiued vnto anything of thatt which hath had his Fore-going the which also had the Ministration of his q 2. â—or 3 a. Cleernes to the to-coming Daye of the Reuealing of the Coming of Christ that is till that the Refreshing shoulde appeer r Act. 3. c â–ª from the vncouered Face of God / for a gloryous Kingdom of God and for a Ioye and Peace of all the Saincts of God / in the euerlasting Lyfe so consider then / by Whom and out of what Spirit / the Christian-ceremonyes are ministred / by the Illuminated or by the Vnilluminatedones out of the Letter of the Scripture or out of the Woord of Lyfe The II. Chap. SEing now then that many Instituters of Ceremonyes / do minister y e Office of Ceremonyes / out of the Prudence of their owne Vndersâ—anding or out of â—he Knowledg of the Letter / altogether to Controuersie and haue not receaued the Office of their Ministration / through the Woord of Lyfe / Veryly so is likewyse their Office of Ceremonyes / no a Ier. 23. b. 27. a. 29 a. Commaundement of God nor-yet their Seruices / any christian Ceremonyes For those Scriptur-learnedones do setfoorth the Ceremonyes â which they administer for
christian Ceremonyes out of their owne Opinion and b Ier. 23. b. Good-thinking and therfore is also their Office against Gods Commaundement For they are vnmeete to the Seruice of the Lorde / which God esteemeth-of for they knowe not his c Psal. 95. a Sap. 5 a â—eb 3. b. Wayes neither do they knowe the Waye of d Psal. 14. a Psa 59 b Rom. 3. b Peace but they are blynde dumme and deafe / thouching the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God and so in their Seruices / are e Math. 15. b â–ª 23 b Luk â— d Blyndeguydes and do likewyse leade the People into Captiuitee / with the Bandes of their Blyndnes 2. They breake not the f Iohn 6. c. Bread of Lyfe vnto the People they baptise not also in the g Math. 28. b Name of the Father â who is the liueing God nor in the Name of the Sonne of God â who is the true Light and Lyfe of his Father nor-yet in the Name of the holy Gost who is the heritable h Ephe. 1 b Paune of the Godlynes 3. Forasmuch now veryly / as these holy spirituall Ritches are not among them / therfore do they not likewyse keepe i 1. Cor. 11. c the Supper of Christ / according to the Trueth For the Bread k Iohn 6. d from Heauen / is not with them For-that-cause also / they knowe not the Woord of Lyfe nor the Spirit of Agednes l Ephe 4. c. or of the Man Christ nor they m Esa 40. b Sap. 9 b Rom. â—â— â— 1. Cor 2. b vnderstand not his Death n Rom. 6. a Phil. 3. b. nor his Resurrection nor the Counsayle of God nor-yet the Wisdom nor the Christianitee 4. Seing then that they haue not receaued the Bread of Lyfe froâ— Heauen neither are o Ier. 14.23 c sent by God nor by Christ and are Straingers from the secret Counsayle of God and vnderstande p Sap. 9. b 1. Cor â— b. nothing-at-all of the godly Things / How shoulde they then be able rightly to minister the Beginings q Heb. 6. a of the christian Doctrine or the Christian-ceremonyes / wherwith the vpright Righteousnes is requyred 5. Veryly they haue not the louely Feete of the r Esa. 25. b. Nahu 1. b. Rom 10. b Messengers / which com from the Hill of the Lorde they bring also no good Message they publish not the Peace neither do they likewyse make-manifest the Saluation that auayleth before God but they are quyte darkened in their Vnderstanding / through s Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. c. the Blyndnes of their Hearts and through the Vnbeleefe that is in them Therfore are they all likewyse / Ianglers Stryuers and Contenders against one-another / for the Ceremonyes and for the litterall Scriptures cause and do make among each other / Disturbance and captiued Consciences chooseing priuate t Rom. 10. a Col. 2. c. Righteousnesses vnto themselues / according to the Good-thinking of their owne Hearts The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then / as that the Kingdom of Peace / is â out of Grace a Math. 11. c 13. c. 1. Cor. 2. b. Ephe. 1. b. Col. 1. c. reuealed and geeuen Vs to see-into in the Woord of Lyfe / through the Loue of God the Father / Therfore is not the Counsayle of God vnto vs now / to take-in-hand nor to vse anything of thatt which is past / according to Mens Imagination 2. Yet do we well perceaue this / that the former Seruices â at that tyme when they were ministred through the Woord of Lyfe and vsed out of the Trueth were profitable nodout / vnto Saluation and serued for an Hand-reaching b Gal 3. c. Heb. 6. a. 7. b or Gyding-in of the Little or Youngones of Vnderstanding / to the Woord of Lyfe Howbeit / now it is also well knowen vnto vs / that many Scriptur-learnedones do now striue and conteÌ„de their-about / in their good-thingking Knowledg / and vse much Disputing and Arguing about them And thatt woulde not God haue c 1. Cor. 7. b. For we are called vnto Peace 3. If wee then shoulde likewyse bring-in and vse the former Seruices â which are passed-thorow according to the Order and Opinion of the contentious Setters-foorth of Ceremonyes or Scriptur-learnedones and shoulde not declare the Requyring of the right Seruices and Ceremonyes / So shoulde wee haue then to stryue to contende and to dispute with Them 4. But no thatt is not our Seruice Wee haue all our Regard / to note what a louely Beeing in the Peace / the Word of Lyfe holdeth before vs / as a Light and do follow his Commaundement d Iohn 6. d. 1. Tess 4. a and Will and do labour after the attayning to thatt which the Ceremonyes do requyre or thatt wherunto they were ministred in tymes-past / To th end that our Seruice wherunto God hath called vs in these last Dayes / through the e 2. Timo. 1. b Tit. 1. a. Reuealing of the Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ shoulde not be darkened f 2. Cor. 6. â— with any Intanglement 5. For God woulde not y t anyman shoulde stryue or contende for Seruices nor-yet for Ceremonyes but that eueryone shoulde bow g 1. Pet. 5. a. and submitt himself vnder the Obedience of the Loue / our mostholy God-seruice and shoulde receaue the Administration of the Counsayle of God / for a Lyfe of Saluation follow-after h Pro 4. b. 5 a 2 Timo. 3. b. thesame Counsayle and so shoulde â out of the Beginings of his simple Chyldhod increase in the christian Doctrine or Ministration of the Loue â–ª or grow-vp therin i Ephe. 4. c. to the Age of the Mâ—n Christ that is till that the Loue haue a liueing Foorme in him not looking-about after thatt which is past but haueing regard k Phil. 3. b. vnto thatt which is to com that is to the Inheritance of the Peace / to the Saluation of the Soule 6. But if anyman be mynded heer-against or resteth self-wyse and wil alledg much out of the Scripture / with his darke Vnderstanding / hee shall burthen his owne Conscience intangle his Senses and Thoughts and not fynde the Refreshing of his Mynde nor the l Act. 3. â— Comfort of his Soule The IIII. Chap. FArdermore thou testifyest / that thou vnderstandest not certen Sentences which are rehearsed in the Testimony of the Mediation of Christ and seemest to affirme ther-out / that thatt which the Prophet Esaias a Esa. 7â— 11 hath spoken of Christ / shoulde be only of Christ / that was to com b Math. 1. â— Rom. 1. a. 1. Tim. 2. â— in the Flesh. 2. Thatt is suerly very-right But not as thy Mynd conceaueth it Therfore consider of the Meaning and vnderstand what I wryt vnto thee For this do I testifye vnto thee as a Secret of God that the Woord of Esai / is a liueing Woord
vnderstande / that we do not account the Seruices of the christian Ceremonyes / vnprofitable nor-yet in vayne but do esteeme them of great Value / in their right Vee 3. But veryly the Seruices and Ceremonyes of y e Vnchristians and of y e Straingers / which are a Rom. 1. c Ephe. 4. â— darkened in their Vnderstanding and estrainged from y e Light of Lyfe let them then take-on thosame out of their owne ImaginatioÌ„ or out of their Knowledg which they frame out of the Letter all those do we account vnprofitable and in vayne / Yea for an harmfull Institution and for an arrogant b Ier. 5. b â— a. 14 b. 23 c Presumption against Gods Commaundement The which is an Abhomynation c â—sa 1. b. Luk. 16. b. Tit. 1. b before the Epes of our Lorde and God 4. But the Seruices and Ceremonyes which God esteemeth which be ministred out of his Light and Lyfe / in the Seruice of Loue / according to his owne Commaundement / those are acceptable vnto God and are d Rom. 1. b to the Saluation and Peace of the Beleeuers of y e Woord For the vpright Godlynes and the true Light of Lyfe of the godly Cleernes / is made-manifest in thosame Seruices 5. And although that they â according to the outward Action are not like vnto the Ceremonyes of the contencious and vnilluminated Scriptur-learnedones â wherwith they stryue and contende or be not vsed after that maner / yet are they notwithstanding â before God agreeable to the Seruices and Ceremonyes which God hath willed and commaunded and which auayle before Him 6. Thewhiles then that the Childhod â or the Youngnes of Vnderstanding in the Inheritance of the Lorde / doth e Gal 4. a. yet remayne / so are the Seruices and Ceremonyes which be ministred by the Elders in the holy Vnderstanding â through the Light of Lyfe vnder the Obedience of the Lawe or vnder the Obedience of the Beleefe or vnder the Obedience of the Loue as f Gal 4. a. Tutors and Keepers vnto all Littleones of Vnderstanding wher-through they receaue Assistance till that the Daye com-on vnto them g 2. Pet. 1 c. and that the Light of Lyfe ryse-vp in their Hearts / who as-then haue â thorough the Light of Lyfe and his Seruice of Loue exercised Myndes / for to h Heb. 5. b. discerne â thorough thesame Light the Good and Euell the Lyfe and Death the Preseruation and Destruction and so to be meete to all good Exercises 7. When they now are com to this State / so are they as-then nomore ChildreÌ„ or Littleones-of-vnderstanding / in the holy Vnderstanding to whom the Hande must be reached with Seruices and Ceremonyes and that must be informed or taught to the Enterance into the holy Vnderstanding or to the Beginings i Heb. 5. b. of the christian Lyfe but they are with the Agedones / growen likewyse to be aged Men Elders k 1. Cor. 4. â— Heb 13. b. and Fathers of the Howsholde or Comunialtee in the Loue / who do knowe how to be seruiceable vnto the Little and Weakones l 2. Cor 6. a 1. Pet. 4 b â–ª Heb. 13. b and to go before them with the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue / to all Concord vnder the Obedience of the Loue and to informe the Congregation to the Lyfe and Peace / with thatt which is fordersom vnto them to m 2. Pet. 1. a. the Lyfe and Peace 8. Beholde and consider These are the Seruices and Ceremonyes which God regardeth in his Congregation the which shall continue foreuer in our mostholy Seruice of Loue / to a n Heb 7. b Gyding-in of People to the vpright Righteousnes and Godlynes For o Luk. 1. b the Saluation â–ª and the Peace of the People / in all Loue and Gods p Rom. 1â— c. Will and Counsayle / is made manyfest and knowen therby It is verytrue 9. Heer-with I do hartely salute thee / with a Salutacion of Loue and with thesame Salutacion / salute me also to the Comunialtee that is with thee as likewyse to all those that submitt their Soules vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 10. MOrouer â my Beloued I shoulde haue rehearsed a larger Answere vnto thee / touching certen Things wherof thou wrytest vnto me but I haue had no tyme to accomplish it No I haue scarsly had so much speare tyme / as to wryte this little vnto thee The Cause / our Brother whom we haue sent vnto thee / shall also tell thee by Mouth But if thou bist yet vnsatisfyed in anything then giue him to vnderstand of the Matter and aske his resolusion therof And if thou bist not satisfyed so in thyn Vnderstanding theÌ„ wryte-ouer the Matter vnto mee I proffer myself alwayes â out of an Inclynation of Loue to doo thee Seruice The Loue of God the Father / get the Victory in all your Hearts Amen The Ende of the Nynth Epistle The Tenth Epistle A precious Iuell of pure Instructions and loueing Exhortations / how one shal be obedient to the Woord of Lyfe and Trueth / in the Seruice of Loue· and grow-vp therin / to the Perfection or Age of the manly Beeing of Christ. Let vs now leaue the Doctrine of the Begining of the christian Lyfe and go to Perfection Heb. 6. Harken vnto mee / O ye holy and vertuous Children and bring-foorth Fruit like a Rose planted by the Ryuers-syde and giue a sweete Sauour from you / lyke vnto Libanus Growe and blowe lyke a Rose-garden and giue a Sauour / lyke a Lilly Sing a Song-of-prayse and laude God in all his Workes Eccli 40. To my courteous Freendes / which are comprehended with Vs / in one Light of the Loue / be Health and Saluation The First Chapter ALL my Hearts Wishing is / that it mought in all respects / go well with you eueryone and that ye mought â vnhindered increase in the Godlynes and in the Light of the heauenly Trueth and of the holy Vnderstanding / which is appeered and declared vnto vs out of Grace / through the Loue of God the Father 2 Out of which Light of the godly Cleernes / wee haue now in this last Tyme / receaued a Gal. 1 b. 1. Timo. 1. b such a godly Office / from the eternall and liueing God / through the holy Spirit of his Loue. namely the Seruice of Loue / wherby to minister in thesame Seruice â with the true Light and heauenly Vnderstanding the Mostholy of the true Tabernacle of God / vnto all Louers of the Trueth / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and so to make-manifest vnto them â out of thesame Mostholy b Exo. 25. c. Rom. 3. c. Heb. 5. a. the Mercy-seat with the sundry costly Garnishings of the spirituall and heauenly Ritches 3. Into which Mostholy / the High-preest is gon for to sprinckle euenso out of the Mostholy / the Holy of thesame
seruiceable to the Peace and Vnitee of Heart in the Loue For by her almighty and vertuous Nature / she begetteth o Rom. 13. a. Gal. 5. b. 1. Timo. 1. a. or bringeth-foorth the perfect Righteousnes of the Beleefe of Christ. 12. The p Iohn 4.7 d Water of Lyfe that floweth from her Body / is the vpright Doctrine in the Wisdom wherwith she q Gen. 2. b. watereth the whole Paradise of the Lorde and refresheth his Planting 13. Her Fruit which the Righteous do bring-foorth out of her Doctrine / r Gen 2. a. Pro. 3. b. 4. Esd 8. f. Apo 2. a. is a Tree of Lyfe whose Leaues do s Psal. 1. a. Ier 17. a. Ezâ— 47. b. Apo. 22 a. not wither neither is her Rooting-out founde Of which Loue and the Seruice of her Doctrine / we haue rehearsed more-at-large in the t 3. Glas 31. c d. Glasse of Righteousnes 14. The Lorde bring vs all to thesame vpright Beeing of the Loue / To th end that we may enioye the Fruiâ—s of the heauenly Kyndnes / in all Loue. Amen The V. Chap. MOreouer â my beloued Freendes in the Loue of Iesu Christ I must yet wryte a little-more vnto you and disclose or declare vnto you / the two-maner of Kingdoms namely of God and of the Deuill which do make-manifest themselues in our Inwardnes as spirituall or inuisible / Because that yee may also learne to knowe them with Distinction / according to the Spirit / wherby you may with an vpright Discerning when they make-manifest themselues against eachother / in you cleaue vnto thatt â with your Spirit which is godly heauenly and true / and which saueth you and may forsake and leaue thatt / which is deuilish deceitfull and false / and which bringeth to the Condemnacion 2. For-that-cause inasmuch as it is Spirit / a Iohn 3. â— that condemneth and saueth vs / therfore haue now a regarde with good Discerning / vnto Spirit and Spirits and learne to knowe those well / b Iohn 4. a. that are of God and true and those that are deuillish and false or lying 3. But if ye wil descerne them rightly according to the Trueth / then becom first-of-all circumcised to the Lorde / c Deut. 10. â— Ier. 4. a. Col. 2 b. on the Fore-skinne of your Hearts the which is the Laying-away of the Flesh of Sinne and so then becom d Rom. 8. a. spiritually mynded / in all your Vnderstanding of the godly Knowledges and continue stedfast in the Obedience to the Woord / till vnto y e seconde Birth like-as ye be taught by the Seruice of Loue / according to the Trueth of Christ. 4. If-so-be now that ye continue in the Woord of the Loue of Iesu Christ and do not turne-away neither to the left nor to the right syde / e Iohan. â— d. then shall ye knowe the Trueth and the Trueth shall make you free 5. Therfore giue-eare now and vnderstande / what the Spirit of Loue and Trueth sayth 6. Knowe in your Spirit â O ye goodwilling Hearts to the Righteousnes how that God Ø›the true Father is f Iam 1. c. an euerlasting vnchaingable Spirit a stedfast Power a g Gen. 1. a. Creator of Heauen and Earth and of euerything that shall continue for euer h Heb. 1. a. also an Vpholder of his Workes / with the i Sap. 7 c. Woord of his Beeing a cleere Light and liueing Fountayne wherout all Vertues and Righteousnesses do flowe 7. Euenthus according to thesame like Beeing of God the Father / so knowe likewyse â according to the Spirit his Sonne / our Lorde Iesus Christ k Gen. 1. a. Psal 33. a. Pro 8 c. through whom / God hath made all his Workes and He is out of God the Father published vnto vs â by the l Rom 10. a. 1 Pet. 1. c. Woord of Preaching of the holy Gospel m Iohn 1. a. to be a true Light / that lighteth all Men through the Coming of his Appeering and is set-before vs / for an euerlasting Sauiour n Math. 1. c. Rom 3. c. 2. Cor. 5. b. Col. 1. c. â— Iohn 2.4 b and a Reconciler for our Sinnes namely for all those Sinnes o Math. 12. d. Luk. 12. b. that are committed against the Father and the Sonne 8. Knowe also the holy Gost p Iohn 14. c. 15. c. â—6 b. which cometh vnto vs / out of the Father and the Sonne â as a Spirit of Trueth and Loue in the Obeying of the Woord of God and Christ which establisheth vs therin and declareth the Kingdom of the God of Heauens vnto vs and in what Foorme and Beeing / that the Father and the Sonne and the holy Gost / is one true God 9. Beholde thatt is veryly the true Kingdom of God / q Luk â–ª 17. c. inwardly with in vs and his Righteousnes is / that the Man shoulde â with his Spirit be incorporated to thesame Godhead and liue therin for euer The VI. Chap. VNderstand now according to the Trueth â ye Deerly-beloued which is the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / a Math. 6. d that we ought first or before-al / to seeke 2. But seing that the Man doth now generally / seeke the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / contraryly and not rightly b Ier. 19 d. Iohn 7 d. and for-that-cause cannot fynde thesame / through his owne Vnderstanding / Therfore hath the Goodnes of God / looked vpon our Ignorance and declared his Kingdom and the Righteousnes therof / vnto Vs / through his Loue. 3. To which Kingdom of God and his Righteousnes / and godly Maiestee of the euerlasting spirituall and heauenly Beeing / and to all his Holynes Beawty Ritches and to his euer-liueing Ioyfulnes / Wee be all now called and bidden / by the holy Spirit of the Loue of God the Father / to the Preseruacion of vs all / in thissame last and perillous Tyme For Hee / thesame God Ø›y e Father the Sonne the holy Gost presenteth vs now with his Loue and wil c Leui. 26. b. Eze. 37. c. 2. Gor. 6. b. Apo. 21. a. â— dwell liue and worke in vs. Let eueryone take-heede to thissame gracious Tyme 4. The Father draweth d Iohn 6. â— â–ª g or allureth vs to him / by his gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue and whosoeuer yeeldeth himself to be drawen by the Father / cometh to the Sonne / the out-flowen gracious Woord of the Father 5. And whosoeuer cometh to the Sonne and e Iohn 3.6 c. beleeueing Him / remayneth f Iohn 8 1â— a in Him / He saueth 6. And Whom the Sonne saueth / g Iohn 3.6 f. hee hath the euerlasting Lyfe and is h Act. 1. a. 2. b. annoynted with the holy Gost. 7. And whosoeuer is annoynted with the holy Gost / hee is established i Rom. 8. b. Ephe. 1. b. c. â—ol 1. b. â— or altogether
godded in the euerlasting liueing Godhead and is vniforme with all what concerneth the Godhead or is of God and inheriteth the Kingdom of the God of Heauens and all the Ritches of Christ of the heauenly Goodes 8. Beholde euenthus doth the holy Gost â which is the Spirit of Loue confirme the Kingdom of the God of Heauens and the Promyses of God the Father and of Christ and k Iohn 16. b leadeth the godly Man into all Trueth and declareth euery-thing vnto him that is in Heauen and vppon the Earth 9. But whosoeuer hath bin negligent in the l Iohn 6. c. â— Drawing of the Father· and â through his Ignorance contemned or bin disobedient vnto Him and his Lawe or seruiceable Woord and whoso likewyse hath not taken-heede to the Saluation in Iesu Christ / through the Beleeâ—eâ— but â through the Blyndnes m Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. b. of the Vnbeleefe resisted or blaspheamed thesame / Hee doth yet in thissame Daye / through the Ministracion of the godly Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue â the which is the Office of the holy Gost fynde Grace and Forgiuenes of Sinnes / if he submitt n 1. Pet. 5. b. Iam. 4. â— himself o Math 3. a. Luk. 3. b. penitently vnder the Obedience of the Loue. 10. But whoso neglecteth him in the holy Spirit of Loue and resisteth and blaspheameth thesame or his mostholy Seruice of the spirituall and heauenly Goodes / p Math. 12. d. Heb. 6.10 c Hee continueth in Indignation and shall neuer q Iohn â— a. see the Kingdom of God â–ª For the Spirit of the Loue of God and Christ or holy Gost â who is the Perfection of all the Workes of God hath and vseeth his Seruice â the which is the last Seruice of Grace now in thissame last gracious Tyme or Daye of Loue. After which gracious Daye of Loue / ther-is r Apo. 10. a. no Daye of Grace more for to com but s Heb. 10. c. the righteous Iudgment of God to the Condemnacion t Math. 25. d. of all Vngodlyones / that haue refused the Godlynes through the holy Spirit of Loue and the Ministracion of his godly Testimonyes· and euenso contemned and blaspheamed his most holy Seruice 11. THerfore â all ye good-willing Hearts take-heede now â according to the Counsayle of the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue to the Kingdom of God v Luk. 17. c. inwardly within you / To th end that ye may be incorporated to thesame / with your Spirit For thatt is the Righteousnes which auayleth before God 12. But take you good heede of the Kingdom of the Deuill which also sheweth itself inwardly â before the Eyes and Thoughts / that are earthly x Rom. â— a. and fleshly mynded as a Kingdom of God and deceaueth the Fleshly-myndedones / with his false y Esa. 59. a. Light and â— Good-thinking and with his false z Ier 7. b. Sap. 2. 2. Pet 2. b. Iâ—de 1. b. Freedom / which it bringeth to the Flesh / according to his Fleshly Lusts and Disyres and seduceth the Hearts of Men. The VII Chap. KNowe likewyse thatsame Kingdom of the Deuill / inwardly / according to the Spirit For his Generacion is also inwarde / but not out of any Beeing or Lyfe that is spirituall and heauenly but out of thatt which is nothing and earthly or corruptible and therfore is likewyse the Generacion of thesame / earthly and not heauenly / fleshly / and not spiritually mynded / according to Gods Spirit / therfore doth it also growe offended alwayes / at those things that are against their Myndes or Thoughtes and maketh-vp itself a 2. Tess. 2. against thatt which is of God and of his Seruice of Loue. 2. Thesame Generacion of the Deuill / wil not also stande submitted vnder the Obedience of the Loue nor of the holy Woord but refuseth the Requyring therof / and so wil liue according b Ier. 7 â—â— a. 13. b. 18 b to their owne Will and Good-thinking and wrest c 2. Pet. 3. b. and construe the Scripture / according to their false and Fleshly Mynde / and so wil liue vnto themselues and loue themselues / according as the Knowledg imagineth in them 3. Therfore is the Deuill / in his Kingdom although he appeere before all fleshly Myndes / as if he were a d 2 Tess. 2 a. God of Light not els-what but a Nothingnes of the Lye and is likewyse for-that-cause / a e Iohn 8. a. Father of all secreet or inward Wickednes and a Render or Parter-asunder of all Concorde / whearas he is harkened-vnto and beleeued and accepted as good and true 4. Beholde thesame Father of Wickednes Ø›the God of the f 2. Cor. 4.2 wicked Worlde and of all Vngodly or impenitent Men is / in all his Beeing / a g 2. Tess. 2. b. Contrary-beeing vnto God â–ª and his Sonne / a Contrary-beeing vnto Christ a Destroyer h Iohn 17. b. 2. Tess. 2. a. a Childe of Wickednes which maketh the Hearts of Men / stout vppon their Knowledg and bringeth also a false Freedom vnto Many / for to sinne boldly and to continue in the worldly Abhomynacions and Foolishnes / with vnaccused Consciences and to make-vp themselues i Dan. 22. a. resistant against the Trueth and the godly Loue of God the holy Father 5. And their Spirit namely of the Father of Wickednes and of his Sonne or Childe of Wickednes is a wicked Spirit k 2. Tess. 2. a. of Lyes which confirmeth the Man â being in his Vnrepentance and in his Disobedience to the Requyring of the gracious Woord of the Lorde and his Seruice of Loue in the Beeing of Lyes and leadeth him into all Lye and Errour â–ª 6. Thesame false God and Father of Wickednes / doth also â with his wicked Self-willednes allure l 2. Tess. 2. a. b or drawe vs vnto him / through the priuate Loue of ourselues and whosoeuer doth yeelde himself to be so drawen by him / cometh to his Sonne Ø›his Childe or Being of Wickednes the false Christ or m 1 Iohn 2. c 4. a. Antichrist the Destroyer which is the Christ of the wicked Worlde and of all Vngodlyones and worketh in his People an inwarde or n â— Tess. 2. b. secret Wickednes / which they themselues cannot wel perceaue 7. And whoÌ„soeuer then cometh so to the Sonne of the Deuill as also becometh incorporated to thesame Beeing of Wickednes and bydeth therin / hee is quyte and cleane corrupted / in all his Mynde / by the Wickednes and by the priuate Loue of himself and by the Disobedience and Resistance to the Loue and her right Seruice Yea so quyte corrupted / that he is inclyned to nothing-els / in all his Mynde / but to his Self-wilednes and to all Destructionablenes and to destroye the Family of Loue / wherin the liueing God of Heauen
dwelleth liueth and gouerneth / and the Good-willingones to the Obedience of the Requyring of thesame God or to stande against them in euery-behalfe and to drawe them awaye from the single Obedience which they shewe in the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and to corrupt their Vnderstanding / with the good-thinking Knowledg 8. And whosoeuer then is thus corrupted by the Sonne Ø›the Childe o Iohn 17. b. 2 Tess 2 a. of the Deuill and of Wickednes or by his Ministers / vnder the Power and Will of the Deuill and is growen of one-mynde with the wicked and vngodly Nature / for to be plyable to thesame and so is becom enuyous towards the Famyly of Loue / hee is borne a Childe of the Sinne and of the Deuill and an Heyre of the hellish Beeing and of the perpetuall p Math 〈…〉 Condemnacion and annoynted with the wicked Spirit of q 3. Reg. 22. Esa 18 b. 2 Tess 2. Lyes Which Annoynting / is a false Freedom or a false free Mynde and Beeing of the Deuill And thatsame is the false Freedom which the Disobeyers and Resisters of the Loue / do willingly accept-of in their Vnregeneracion and do much sooner and rather inclyne-vnto / then to shewe Repentance for their Sinnes and to submitt them to the Doctrine of the Loue of Iesu Christ. 9. And whosoeuer then taketh vppon him to liue free / being vnregenerat and so in his Vnregeneracion / is annoynted or quyeted with the false Spirit of Lyes or of Good-thinking· taught to the Kingdom of Hell· and made free in vseing all Wickednes and Resistance against the Loue / Hee is likewyse a Fellow-member of the Deuill and of the Wicked Nature or Antichrist wherthrough he is then in that fort / wholly and altogether deuiled with the r Sap. 2. d. Iohn 8. c. Deuill· natured with the wicked Nature of Antichrist· and leadd by the false Spirit of 2. Tess. 2. b. Lyes / into all Falshod and Lyes into all Disobedience to the gracious Woord and into all worldly and vngodly Abhomynations and so inheriteth the Desolation of al horrible Abhomynation And thatsame is the Kingdom of Hell Sap. 1. c. Math. 2â— d. 2. Pet. â— â— and of the heâ—â—ish Fyre / wherin all wicked and seduceing Spirits haue their Dwelling and do com-foorth their-out for to seduce 10. BEholde such a wicked Ende and horrible Beeing of the Hell and of the Darknesses â wher through one inheriteth nothing-els but all Lyes and Wickednes and vseth all Wickednes / in Freedom is looked-into and knowen by all the Children of the holy Spirit of Loue / that thesame is the whole Kingdom of the Deuill himself But by all good-thinking Wyseones and Children of the Flesh and of the wicked Worlde â who haue a Lust and Desyre to the Iniquitee and Works of the sinfull Flesh it is v Sap. 2 a. Apo. 13. looked-into / as a Light and Kingdom of Pleasure and as a good Freedom for all Disobedient and Vnregeneratedones 11. Take you heede of this wicked Nature / ye Deerly-beloued and keepe your Hearts pure from thesame / through the Woord of Trueth / that is ministred vnto you in the Obedience of the Loue. And although it do make-vp itself in you somtymes / against thesame Woord of Trueth / yet becom not of one-mynde with thesame in-any-wyse but hang your Hearts on the vpright godly Beeing of the Loue and to be obedient to his Requyring and so â in the Obedience of the Loue ouercom the Euell / x Rom. 12. c. with the good Being of God 12. If now ye do y Eccli 6. c. 1. Pet. 5. a. Iam. 4. a. submitt your Hearts vnder the Obedience of the Loue / with all Humilitee / then shall ye also in thissame perillous Tyme / not be seduced nor deceaued by the wicked Beeing but byde preserued with the Good 13. To your Preseruacion / ye Deerly-beloued â to th end that ye mought loue the good Beeing and be warned of the Euell so coulde I not omitt to wryte a little vnto you of this Matter also and to set it forth before your Eyes and Eares / Because that ye shoulde â with a good Vnderstanding vnderstande a right Difference betwixt the godly and vngodly Beeing The Lorde vouchsafe to preserue you all from the Euell and to leade you into all Trueth Amen 14. THis haue I written with Dilligence and feruent Loue and thought good to declare it befor you all / my beloued Freendes in the Loue Especially before all you which haue geeuen-ouer your Hearts and Myndes / with Vs / to all Obedience and Concord in the Loue and her Seruice Whose Soules likewyse I do loue / to the perfect Righteousnes for to liue with you all in the Kingdom of God the Father / in all Loue and Vnitee of Heart euen-as God and his Woord and Seruice of Loue / requyreth thesame of vs To his renowmed Prayse Honour and Glory / and to all our Ioye and Saluacion / in the euerlasting Lyfe 15 Heerwith â ye good-willing Hearts to the Loue ye be altogether hartely saluted 16. Take-heede I pray you / to thissame freendly a 1. Cor 16 c. 2 Cor. 13. b Kisse wherwith I do imbrace you in the Spirit / to the Vnitee of the Loue and b Ephe. 4. a. walke like loueing Children / in all Loue. 17. Be myndfull lykewyse of these my Woordes and Wrytings and c 1. Timo 4. â— exercise yourselues obediently therin / to all Godlynes / To thendethat I may fynde you alwayes according to the Sence and Mynde of my Souls· and reioyce me euenso with you all â in the godly Ioye in the euerlasting Lyfe That graunt vs the Lorde / the almighty God Amen The Ende of the Sixtenth Epistle The Seuententh Epistle A groundly InstructioÌ„ of the Mans Glory / in the Begining of his Fall Death and Condemnation and of his Restoring into his former Glory agayne Written and sent vnto the Louers of the Trueth / which submitt them with vs / vnder the Obedience of the Loue. Vnder which Obedience of the Loue / all Men are â now in the last tyme called and bidden to assemble them to one Man of God / in the only and true Body of Iesu Christ to a perfect Glory / both of God and the Man Let vs be vpright in the Loue and growe in all parts / in him which is the Headd / euen CHRIST by whom the whole Body is ioyned together Ephe. 4. b. To those / whose Spirit is one Spirit with Vs in the Loue / be Health and Saluacion The First Chapter THE Cleernes of y e true Light â which is appeered a Act. 2. a. 2. Cor. 4. a. Col. 1. b. 2 Timo 1. a and com vnto vs from the Right-hande of God the Father / out of the heauenly Trueth â–ª growe and increase more-and-more among you all / my beloued Hearts in the Loue euen till vnto the