I Am moved of the Lord God to give you a Warning from him in love to all your souls, that you may not bring upon your selves the guilt of inno­cent blood, and that you may be ware and cau­tious concerning this thing, which is of great and high Concernment, lest you do intrench upon the Right and Prerogative of CHRIST JESUS, who is the Head of his Church, which is his Body, Eph. 1.21, 22. the fulness of him that filleth all in all, far above all Principalities and Powers, Might and Do­minion, & every Name that is named; not only in this World, but also in that which is to come, who hath led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evan­gelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ; that was the End and Work that they had to do, who had received gifts from God for the Work of the Ministry: Now [Page 2]if you have this Authority from CHRIST, who is the Head of the Body, his Church, & have received Commission from him, and the gifts which he gives for this Work, then you would be tender over his Saints and Lambs which he hath gathered into his Fold in this his Day, by the Ministration of his Spirit which he hath given unto every one to profit with all; and no man by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: Now prove your selvs, & let your practice prove you, whether you have your deriva­tion from this Root and Rock on which the whole Church is built, which Rock is CHRIST, who gives diversities of Gifts by the same Spirit; for to one is given by the Spirit, the Word of Wis­dom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to ano­ther Faith by the same Spirit, to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of Miracles, to another Prophesie, to another discerning of Spirit, to another divers kinds of Tongues, and to another the Interpretation of Tongues; but all these worketh that one, and the self-same spirit.

Now if you drink of this Spirit, and be baptized into this body, which you profess to succeed from, then will you be ten­der, and be careful of those that have received these gifts of his Spirit, which may be several and various, which Spirit can­not be limited, because it proceeds from the Lord of Heaven and Earth; 1 Cor. 12. and though there may be differences of Admini­strations, yet the same Lord; and though there may be diversi­ties of operations, it is the same God that worketh all in all: And this is he that cannot be limited, who hath created Heaven and Earth, and rules and orders all things by the Word of his Power, who will make all subject unto him and will make all his people willing in this day of his Power, to be obedient un­to him, who is coming to rule in the hearts and consciences of men; and there is he establishing his Throne, which is for ever and ever, and his Scepter there he will sway, which is a righteous Scepter, and the Nations will he rule with a Rod of Iron, & break to pieces all his Enemies like a Potters Vessel.

Now it is very like that you, or at least many of you cannot believe that he is thus come, and coming; and therefore you may take the more boldness and liberty to act against him & his Power, because you will not see nor believe that this is he; now that you may not be ignorant when Christ appears a­gainst those his Enemies that would not that he should reign, [Page 3]am I moved to warn you, before you proceed and go on in a­cting against the Lord God, that you may not be ignorant in this thing.

Consider, Paul (who once was called Saul) how zealous he was in persecuting of the Saints, and he had great reason, in that he was a Jew outward, and touching the Law, a Pharisee, and concerning the Law blameless; yet in the blindness of his zeal and ignorance, breathed he out threatnings against the Saints, which afterwards was his sorrow. Now sit down solemnly, and consider seriously, that God is a Spirit, and his Worship is in the Spirit, and he hath promised the pouring forth of his Spi­rit, and this cannot be limited to Time, nor Place, nor Per­son; for it is not men that ye have to deal with in this thing, but the Lord; this is the Stone that all the Builders ever set at nought, and did disallow, which now is become the Head of the Corner, which indeed is the Lord's doing, and its mar­velous in our eyes.

Now if a man desires the Office of a Bishop, he desires a good Work, and not a great Name only; but he desires that the good Work of God may go on, and not to stop it: But a Bi­shop must be blameless, the Husband of one Wife, valiant, sober, and of a good behaviour, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6. not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, nor covetous, one that ruleth well his own House; for if a man know not how to rule his own House, how shall he take care of the Church of God: For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God, not self-willed, nor soon angry, but a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, and temperate. These are the Qualificati­ons and Marks of them that should be Overseers of the Church of God, And likewise Deacons must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy Lucre, holding the Mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience: Let these also, first be proved, saith the Apostle. And so those that desires or looks after, or takes upon them these Offices of being Bishops and Deacons, and to be Overseers of the Church of God, they ought to be proved and tryed before-hand, whether they are men fearing God, and hating Covetousness, bringing forth fruits of the Spirit, not men of corrupt minds, not reprobate concerning the Faith, but holding the Mystery of Faith in a pure Consci­ence, void of offence, and were to give no offence, neither to the Jew, nor Gentile, nor to the Church of God; Such were [Page 4]these, from whom the men of our Age would seem to derive their Pedigree; but if they be searched thorowly, they wil ap­pear to be of a later standing, & to be Branches which springs from another Root, which indeed is the Pope, from whence they had their Rise and Beginning, as might be clearly evi­denced and demonstrated, if it be desired: Now it will be good and safe that these men do stand upon their own Foun­dation and Ground, and not to stretch themselves beyond their measure, nor to limit the Spirit of God, which limits all things, 2 Cor. 10.12. and searches all things, even the deep things of God: The Apostle said, Them that measure themselves by themselves, and compared themselves amongst themselves, were not wise; and said, They would not boast themselves without their measure, but according to the measure of the Rule which God had given them; Not boasting themselves without their measure that is, of other mens labours, but his glorying was in the Lord, and in the Hope he had in him, who commended himself to every man's Conscience in the sight of God: And so now, if you come to be approved and tried by that of God in every mans Conscience, then ye will not limit nor offend that in the conscience, if ye be made manifest to that of God in every mans conscience, in the sight of God, then will you not lay Burdens, Yoaks, and oppressions upon them, but fulfil the Royal Law, according to the Scriptures, which saith, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self: In this you will do well; but if you respect persons, you wil commit sin: For the Apostle saith, God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him; For God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to con­found the Wise; 1 Cor. 27, 28. and God hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the World, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea and things that are not, to bring to nought the things that are, that no felsh might glory in his tresence.

So it will be for your peace and safety, not to be partial in your selves, and so become Judges with evil thoughts, and judge that to be evil which you know not to be evil; for they that did speak evil of the things that they knew not, the A­postle said, Iude 10.11 the wo was unto them, for they went in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam: And so keep you out [Page 5]of this Way, lest the hand of the Lord stop you, and you pe­rish in the gain-saying of Core, as they did. And be not Jud­ges of other mens Consciences, nor take not upon you to u­surp Authority over the Consciences of men, Jam. 4.12. for that is Christ's Prerogative, and the place of his Throne; For there is one Law-giver, who is able both to save, and to destroy: So your sa­fest way will be to leave people to this of God in their con­science, which they must stand or fall to, and none to judge another mans Servant, for to his own Master must he stand or fall: But those that will have you to rule over them, and can receive your Doctrine, and own your Church-Government, and Church-fellowship, such you may Rule over; for there is a necessity that those that are not guided by that of God in their consciences, there must be a Law for such to Rule and Govern them, who are not subjected to that of God in them, but are Lawless: But truly I say unto you, it will be dangerous for you to strive against the Power, and the Hand which is now stretched forth for the redeeming and recover­ing the Seed from under Bondage & Captivity, under which they have been long held. Oh remember what it was that dashed you to pieces before! The same Rock is present stil, and changeth not; It was the Pressures, and the Burdens, the Yoaks and Bondages that were imposed upon Peoples consciences, that was the cause that their spirits were raised and heighten­ed, and therefore were they even resolved to fight to the death, for the LIBERTY of their CONSCIENCES; this LI­BERTY of CONSCIENCE is of great weight, & gives a great stroke in the minds of People; this you will find to be true: Look back and consider what was imposed formerly in the dayes of the Bishops, what Spiritual COURTS, and spiritual LAWYERS, what Sitations and EXCOMMUNICATIONS, and limiting to Parishes, &c. Oh! such grievous Burdens, as were even heavy to be born: Ye have suffered for those things, and God did cast you out, and dispossess you of those things, e­ven by reason of those sad and heavy burdens which the peo­ple of these Nations suffered under, which formerly they could not bear: And now you will find it hard to bring them back into that Bondage again; and now you are in a hope of a possibility and likelihood of your being tried the second time, but beware that you resist not the Hand that hath smitten [Page 6]you, for it will be in vain for you to kick against the pricks; for the Work of the Lord must go on which he hath begun in this his Day, in which he is delivering & redeeming his Seed out of Bondage, and bringing back the Captivity of Israel, and the dispersed of Judah; for he hath heard the cry of the oppressed Seed, and he hath felt its groanings, and seen its sorrow, and heard its sighings, and because of the Innocent, he is engaged to plead with all flesh; for the Deliverer is come to Zion, so that Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad, and he that is the SUPREME JUDGE in the conscience is arisen, who purgeth the Conscience from dead Works, to serve the living God; and the voice is heard which saith, Arise you dead, and come to judgement; and the time is come, and now is, that the dead do hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hears, do live; and he that is the Resurrection and the Life is manifested, and he that believes on him, though he be dead, yet shall he live; and he that lives and believes, out of his belly flows Rivers of living Waters: And this Fountain and Current is set open, which all the Powers of Darkness cannot stop, which will fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord, e­ven as the waters the sea: Therefore let all Hands be staid, and all Mouths stopt that would act and speak against this; Pro. 21.30 Isa. 14. for there is no Wisdom, nor Understanding, nor Councel against the Lord: I will arise (saith the Lord) of Hosts, and cut off from Babylon the Name and Remnant, Son and Nephew, (saith the Lord) and I will make it a Possession for the Bittern, and I will sweep it with the Be­som of Destruction, saith the Lord of Hosts, who hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to passe, and as I have pur­posed, so shall it stand. And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all Nations; so let all fear and tremble before him, who is a consuming Fire to the Wicked, who is coming to render recompence to his Adversaries, and Fury to his ene­mies; for the transgressions of the people are multiplied, and their Iniquities and sins testifies to their faces; for they go on in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and they are de­parted from the Way of God, and are speaking and uttering Words of falshood, & Judgement is turned away backward, and Justice standeth afar off; For Truth is fallen in the streets, and Equity cannot enter; yea, Truth falleth, and he that de­parteth from Iniquity, maketh himself a prey, and the Lord [Page 7]hath seen it, and it hath displeased him that there is no true Judgement; therefore hath he put on Righteousness for a Brest-plate, and a Helmet of Salvation upon his Head, and he hath put on the Garments of Vengeance for Cloathing, and clad with Zeal as a Cloak; according to their deeds, accor­dingly will he repay; so shall they fear the Name of the Lord from the West, and his glory from the rising of the Sun; and the redeemed shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob: So every one that feareth the Lord, and worketh righteousness, will be accepted of him, and no evil tydings can come to such; and the Lords people shall never be ashamed, though they may suffer much, and undergo many sad afflictions, yet if their suffering be not for evil doing, but for the Lord, and for conscience-sake, it will not be worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be re­vealed; but it wil be good for you that are called Ministers and Teachers, that ye have not your hands in blood and persecuti­on; for the blood of the Innocent wil cry aloud in the ears of the Lord; and when he looks & beholds that there is no Plea­der in the Earth, then is he engaged to stand up, and to own that which no eye pitties, which breaths unto him alone, and cannot be satisfied without life and refreshment from him, who is now raising up Pastors after his own heart, which loves him, and feeds his Lambs and his Sheep, over which he is the Shepherd; and therefore they cannot want, but he feeds them with green Pastures, who is the Bishop of the soul, and those that rules over his flock, watches for the souls of peo­ple.

Therefore remember that you are warned in your lifetime to keep your hands from limiting of peoples Consciences, whose Appeal is onely unto the Lord, the Souls Bishop, and so cannot be limited by no man: Remember also, that there were Pastors that destroyed the Vinyard, and the Heritage was unto the Lord as a speckled Bird; and when they assem­bled, they were as Beasts of the Field that came to devour, and God's Tabernacle was spoyled, and their Pastors were become brutish, they sought not the Lord, and therefore they did not prosper, but their Flocks were scattered.

Consider of this, and see what the Lord is doing, and do not wilfully shut your eyes against the Hand of the Lord, lest you fall into utter ruine and destruction; for he is the same to day, as he was yesterday and for ever; and as you tender your own souls, and your eternal peace and comfort, be ten­der of tender Consciences, which the Lord hath made ten­der, and which are tender and dear unto him; and make not ye their hearts sad, which the Lord hath not made sad, which if you do, sad and heavy will be your misery; and if you should go about to limit and bind people to your wayes and worships, even upon pain of Firing, Prisoning, Banishing, yea if it be to Massacring and Martyring, you wil find that there is a people in this Nation that will give up their lives and their Blood for their Testimony which they hold, which is the te­stimony of Jesus, the Spirit of Prophesie, and that will follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes; here is the patience of the Saints, they that keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of Jesus, who shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the Word of their Testimony, who loves not their lives unto death; And now remember that you cannot plead ignorance of this, nor that you are not forewarned that ye might avoid shedding innocent blood, which will be an ever­lasting Testimony for the Lord when he comes to make In­quisition for Blood, and when he comes to plead the cause of the Innocent, who have suffered innocently, and for CONSCIENCE SAKE, and not for any evil-doing: Then what will you answer him? Oh harden not your hearts while it is called to day, but cease to do evil, and learn to do well, that the Lord may have mercy on you, who delights in Mer­cy, and loves not the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn from their wickedness, and live.