I Whom the Lord hath called out amongst you, and redeem­ed me from the abominations that is committed amongst you, and hath set me as a sign and a wonder, and my name is become a reproach in the mouthes of fools and children, and am looked upon as one unto whom some strange thing had happen­ed, and am despised and rejected by those that were my compa­nions in wickedness and mischief, in the daies wherein I walked according to the course of this world: But before the strength of sin was perfected in me, the Lord in the riches of his love cal­led me, and pluckt me as a brand out of the fire, yea the good­ness of God was so, that oftentimes (though young in yeers when I was in the wayes of sin and evil) the witness of God in my own conscience accused, and let me see the evil of my wayes, and then my own heart condemned me in secret, which caused me many times to mourn and walk sadly in the sensible feeling of the Lords just judgement in my heart and conscience against the evil of my waies, though not so wicked and common in all grosse sins as manie of my familiers were, yet was I not free from fear and torment in my own heart: And in this estate I went of­ten to the place called the Church, thinking thereby to get peace [Page 2] in my own heart, and by the knowledg of God I thought there to finde; but from thence I came mourning and troubled in spi­rit, because in that which is called good duties I found no peace, nor satisfaction to the oppressed in me, and here I witnessed truly that sin was to me a burden; so that manie times I went a­part into the fields to pray and mourn in secret, desiring no­thing more then the knowledge of the onlie true God which saves from sin, for the want of which was my sorrow: so after a time in this condition, the Lord heard the true desires, and raised a swift witness in me, that the waies of man were evill continually, and that self must be denied, and a cross to it must be borne, and so the life of Christ Jesus was manifest unto me, which being known and received, redemption from sin and sal­vation from condemnation was witnessed according to the mea­sure of Faith in Christ the Light, by which sin is made manifest; so the knowledge of the pure God was revealed, (even con­trary to the imaginations of man in the sensuall wisdom) and he being known and his judgements received, the hard heart is broken and the darkness expelled, and his fear which is a shield against sin is witnessed, whereby the heart is kept pure and clean in his sight, and here to stand a witnesse for God, against all that talk of his name and fear, but know not the life and strength thereof.

And now hath the Lord opened my mouth, to declare in faith­fullness and truth the things which I have seen, and am a wit­ness against; even the great abominations that is committed a­mongst you Inhabitants of England, the sound of which rings into other Countries, and your lewdness doth exceed many other places, and your sins are more in number then the sins of Sodom, or many other places which the Lord hath overthrown for their wickedness, because they repented not, but refused to know the Lord: Therefore harken and consider, for assuredly the Lord hath a controversie against you, because there is no knowledge of God amongst you, but altogether walking in vanity and in uncleannesse, for your young men are wild and wanton, whose minds runs after women and strong drink, and the aged men and women are living and delighting themselves in vanity and lewdness, even the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye [Page 3] and the pride of life; so that the knowledge of God is even re­jected, and oppression, covetousness, and deceitfull dealing is received and exalted amongst you, and much of the Creatures of the Lord is destroyed amongst you, through the lust and ex­cess, and that abominable sin of drunkenness you are highly guilty of, and lyeing, and swearing, and pride, and greiv­ous exaction in your buying and selling is found amongst you, especially in a time of quick tradeing, and through the abun­dance of this unrighteous gain and ease in the flesh, you are grown gross and fat, that you are even as the Beasts that is fit­ted for the slaughter. And this is not the number of thy trans­gressions, but you are set against the Lord, and being heart-blind you know it not, neither desire the knowledge of his waies, but despitefully use them that are sent amongst you, for severall times hath the Lord brought me amongst you to bear witness against you sin, and idolatrous worship, and once was I hailed out of your Synagogue, and once beaten in your streets, and often stoned and mocked, with my friends and brethren with me; yea all this is done, and few there be that lay it to heart; and because judgement is not executed upon you spedilie, there­fore your hearts are bent to do wickedlie, but assuredlie the day of the Lord is at hand, wherein all these things will be brought to your remembrance, and your own hearts and con­sciences shall condemne you in that day, when he brings his judgement near unto you, for he hath long born your sinns, and given you rest and fruitfull seasons, and his goodness hath not been restrained from you, but in all this you have not known him, but his grace and mercy herein hath been turned into wantonness, and to the lust and libertie of the flesh.

Woe, Woe, to all drunkards, for the day will come, wherein the Wine and the strong drink shall be restrain­ed, then shall they weep and houle for thirst and not be satis­fied, and woe unto all you whose delight and life is in any crea­ture, for the Lord hath determined to make the earth empty and desolate, and all the glorie of man to deface; for verilie I have heard from the Lord a voice of terrible judgement, which will make all the Inhabitants of the earth to fear and tremble, for the Lord in his judgement will be known, because in his [Page 4] mercie man knows him not; therefore repent, repent whil­est his mercie is, before the day of desolation, and miserie come.

Then woe unto you who have been the teachers of this peo­ple, who for filthy lucre have deceived their souls, teaching for doctrine the traditions of men, daubing the people with fair words, because they put into your mouthes, but he that doth not you even prepare war against him, and peace you say to the rich, and judgement to the poor in spirit, and so the word is not divided aright, but truth is turned backward for the waies of unrighteousness, and you through your learning and arts, have been idolized manie dayes, but now your flatterie is seen, and your learning is come to naught, and your unrigh­teousness will be made manifest to the eyes of al people that have been deceived therevvith, and all your righteousness and un­righteousness is sin in the sight of God, and your revvard shall be accordinglie.

Therefore all, both priest and people, consider of your waies, and a­mend your lives, for verily the Lord will not be mocked although for a time he may be silent, for all your assemblies and pretended worship is abominable in the sight of God, whilest you continue in the abomina­tions of the heathen, and all your performances is but the tradition of men, perfomed in a customary way, in ignorance of the knowledge of the living God, whom you say you serve, but the wild scornfull nature knoweth not the Lord of glory, and how can you serve him whom you know not, yet are you nourishing your hearts in that which the blind guides teaches you to observe, thinking thereby to find ac­ceptance with the Lord, but it is all polluted.

And novv as concerning that vvhich you call the ordinances of God, and the order in your Church; novv see from vvhom you have your exampel, for it is altogether contrarie to the pra­ctise of the Servants of the Lord in all generations the Scripture of truth bearing testimonie to vvhat I say, and thereby let your doctrines be tried: and first, vvhat command or example do you think you have for sprinkling little childern, calling that baptisme, or an entrance into the christian Church &c. And if you vvould go to the vvritings of the Apostles for proof for this practise, it is not there to be found, neither vvas it ever [Page 5] their practise, but it is that which by the Pope and the Popish affected Priests was ordained, and by such it is upheld to this day, through the ignorance that is yet remaining in the earth; but this is known and confessed, that water baptisme was once the administration of Iohn, who bare witness to the true Christ, and said, that is the true Christ which enlightneth every man that com­eth into the world, who by his death and resurrection put an end to all that stood in the outward Covenant, he being the substance of all types and shadows, who said henceforth is the Father worshiped in spirit and in truth; but you are so far from the power and life of that administration, that you are not in the true form and man­ner of it, though you falsly say the Scripture is your rule, and the Apostles practise your example, but sprinking of children was never the practise of the Apostles, but the inventions of the erronious spirit.

And as concerning your practise singing in of Davids Psalms, prayers and Prophesies in rime and meeter, saying let us sing to the praise and glory of God such a Psalme, then doth all the multitude sing after the Priest, when paradventure there is many drunkards, and swearers, and adulterers, and fighters, and proud persons, singing all with a voice they are not puft in mind, but as harmless as a weaned child, and such like words is uttered in the blasphemous spirit without an understanding, in the Anti-christian ignorance; so that this is abomination to the Lord, and not to his praise; but David being as a weaned child, even harm­less and innocent, he could sing to the praise of the Lord, with an understanding according as the spirit gave him utterance, and that is owned by the children of the Lord, and approved of in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now what example is there for Priests to require, or people to give them so much a yeare, even the tenth part (or near) of the en­crease of the fields, and of the labour of themselves, and the labour of their cattel, for preaching the traditions of men, upon the first day of the week; through which unrighteous gain, they are at ease in the lust and liberty of the flesh, being thereby mantained, with their wives and children, in all superfluity and gorgeous apparell, with­out labouring in the creation, bearing rule by their m [...]ns, as it was in the dayes of Jeremah, Chap. 5. and the two last verses; so that this [Page 6] practise is also contrary to the Apostles, it being that which the Pro­phets of the Lord alwaies cryed against, as you may read Isa. the 56.11. Micah 3.11. so that for this example there is the practise of the false Prophets, and not the practice of the true Prophets and Apostle; but by them such was ever cryed out against·

And now I exhort all in the fear of the Lord God, to mind the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences, making manifect all un­righteousnesse, & condemning you in your own hearts for all the evil that you are exercis'd in, & turn aside from following of blind guides, even such as go in the error of Balam for gifts and rewards, and in the steps of the false Prophets of Israel, who studyed and divined for money, seeking their gain from their quarter, &c. And al­though they may tel you there is salvation in Christ that dyed at Jerusalem, with many other fair words, spoken from an ayry spi­rit, but this I say that their words and your belief so long as sin regius, will be little worth in the day of judgement, for he that is not led by the same spirit as he was, is none of his, and all drunk­ards and swearers, and proud and lustful ones are excluded, and for ever condemned by him, and the manifestation of his spirit in the heart and conscience will accuse eternally; therefore silence all vain talkers, and hirelings, and deceivers, who feed your selves and not the flock, against whom the Lord hath a great controversie, and he will plead with you in Judgement.

Then shall all the earth know that the Lord sends not his message by the learned, wise and prudent men of this generation, who would [...]clude all others from the ministery; and these be they that follow the error of Balaam, who erred in going after gifts and rewards; and this is the error of the Priests and false Prophets in these dayes, who for love of the reward speaks peace, where the judgement of the Lord is to rest; so that this is not the Gospel of Christ which they declare, for that is the same now as ever it was, not of man, nor by the will of man, but by the will of God; even so are the minist­ers thereof called and chosen according to his will, and not the will of man, and we do know that the Lord hath chosen the weake and dispised of this world to confound the strong and mighty in their own wisdom; and herein is the power of the Lord manifested, praises be to his name for ever: And in all their learning they are corrup­ted, and the knowledge of the languages, of Hebrevv Gerek and [Page 7] Latine, (which they call the originall) is nothing worth as par­ [...]ing to the knowledge of God; but the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is now made manifest, which is the originall of all truth and righteousnesse, and by it the misteries of the kingdome of heaven is revealed, and all unrighteous prctises of men are by it discovered, and it searcheth and knoweth all things, and without it none knowes the Lord as he is.

Therefore all people come down to the manifestation of that spirit in your own hearts and consciences, which will give you the knowledge of sin, and every evil way, and it will discover the very thoughts and intents of the heart, yea all the evil lustful desires in the heart of man, are by it made manifest and condemned; and as faithful obedience unto it is yeilded, and that de­nyed which by it is manifest to be evil, sin comes to be destroyed, and the knowledge of God comes to be revealed in and by Christ Jesus, who hath en­lightned every man that cometh into the world, giving unto all men a mani­festation of his spirit, that in the day of judgement all might be left without excuse; so that all they that believe in the light and follow it, shall not abide in darkness nor come under condemnation, but all that turn from that light of Christ in the conscience abides in darknesse, and in sin, and under condemnation, whatever their profession is, and none shall ever be justi­fied before God, who are condemned in their own hearts and consciences by the light of Christ Jesus; who is one with the Father, and answers to him in judgement, and in mercy as he is followed; and whosoever will fellow the light of Christ in the conscience, must deny themselves, and bear a cross to their own wills, and all mens will in whatsoever is thereby made manifest to be contrary to God; for man being in the transgression, this hath the Lord appointed and ordained to guide and direct man out of sin and transgression, if ever he be restored into the Image of God again; so that man in denying the light of Christ, remains in sin, and by the light is eternally condemned in sin, being under the chaine of darknesse, with the damned spirits that rules the children of disobedience; he that reads let him understand.

Now in the fear of the Lord, I warn you all that keep Beer, or Ale, or VVine to, sell that you let no man have drink till he be drunk (as hitherto you have done) for in so doing the Lord will not hold you guiltlesse, and all your gain and profit thereby is even curst of the Lord; and beside this I know, and you are also sensible of it, that when the creature is overcome with drink, then he is fit and ready with a little temptation to act uncleannesse with women, and to sweare and lye, and quarrel, and fight to the abuse of himselfe, and the bodies of others, and more such like evil practises is thereby committed a­mongst you; therefore fear, fear the dreadful God, who takes an accont of all these abominations.

And all you that are called Ranters, assuredly the Lord will enter into judgement with you, for all your whoredom, pride, and drunkennesse, and all uncleannesse, though in the presumption of your spirits, you say you know no evil that you do in these or the like practises, yet the living God will [Page 8] make you know by his judgements that you are the most filthyest that lives a­mongst men, and the manifestation of Gods spirit in your own consciences will for ever condemn you, and will be unto you as an everlasting burning, except you repent.

And all you young men, amonst whom I had my conversation in the dayes past, consider for what end the Lord created you, and how you live in wan­tonnesse, and in pleasure, and lust, and drunkennesse, and all the fruits of the flesh, for which you were not created, but he that created you and gave you life, it was to serve him, the Lord of glory, and not your own lusts and plea­sures; and all know assuredly that you are under the power of the Lord, who will cast forth his fury as a flood, which will make all ungodly ones to lan­guish and be afraid, when he thunders forth his judgements upon all the world of ungodly.