TO all you People in the Town and Pa­rish of Austel, young and old, high and low, rich and poor, Priests, Pro­fessors, and prophane ones, of what sort or degree soever, to you all am I moved of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to write, and clear my Consci­ence, whetheron will hear or forbear, but chiefly to you who are breathing and hungring after righteousness in whom there are true desires, and thirstings after the Waters of Life, for you doth my Soul travail, and for your sakes, (and the pure Truth which is daily slander­ed by false and back-biting tongues) do I freely declare [Page 2]and write these following lines, it being so the people of their Town and Parish; many of them being so rude and bruitish, that I cannot have liberty to speak by word unto you, but they are ready to lay hands violent­ly upon me, and others of my dear friends, who in meekness and innocency have come amongst you, they have been haled forth, and abused by the rude multitude; as I my self was upon the sixth day of the week being the seventh day of the ninth moth, (called November 1656) when I was in your publick meeting-place, and heard one of your Teachers whilest he uttered forth the Divination of his own brain, that which by his study and labour he had composed and patched up, and so spoke forth his conceiving and imagination, and not the Word of God; Now I having heard, and having had some discourse with your Teacher William Ʋpcot, and another of his Coat, and being that divers reports, and many slanders are cast upon me, and my friends, both by the Priests and others, as that I deny Christ, the Scriptures, Prayer, and the like, which things are false, and their accusation I do deny; as to my own particu­lar, all their lies and slanders I do not value, they are as dust under my feet, and I stand clear and innocent in the sight of God and all just men, and their lies and slan­de [...]s doth not touch me at all, I know it is the portion of the Children of God to be reproached and reviled, scoffed, and scorned, this is but a fulfilling of Christs words, who was hated of the world, and persecuted and put to death by the professing People; and saith Christ as they have done unto me, so they will do unto you; if ye were of the world, the world would love you, but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore do they hate you, but blessed are ye when men revile you, Ioh: 15: 18, 19. Mat: 5: 11, 12. and persecute you, and shall speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake, rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you, these Scriptures are fulfilled in these daies, upon this [Page 3]Generation; and truly I can rejoyce in all this, and count it joy, that I am counted worthy to suffer for my Lord and Masters sake, knowing this, Acts 5.4 [...] 2 Tim. 3.12 Heb. 11 26. that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, so their reproaches to me are great riches, and truly for my own part I should be silent, and bear all these things pati­ently; But for the Truths sake, and for their sakes who are tender hearted I shall declare and lay open some of their Deceits and Errors, who profess themselves to be your Teachers, I shall not speak by hear-say from o­thers, but what I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears, in tenderness and love to your Souls, and not in envy to their persons, Rom 13.8. Mat. 5.44. Acts 13.14 15. Joh: 16: 2. Mat: 12:33. Jude 11. 1 John 3: 12, 15. 2 John 9. Acts 21. 27 28, 29, 30, 31. Luke 10: 3. Mat: 6: 5. for I owe to no man any thing but love, my desire is, that they might turn from their wickedness and live, and so I shall declare, and leave it to you, to consider, and with the Light of Christ in your Consciences, rightly to judge, John 7.24.

According to the will of God, as I was moved by the living power, contrary to mans will, upon the sixth day of the week, being their Lecture day so called, I came into the publick Meeting-place, (which you call a Church) in meekness and innocency, according to the practice of the Ministers of the Gospel, and I sate down, and imediately Ʋpcot your professed Teacher, seeing me, envy did arise in him, and the image of Cain did appear in his face, and he spoke to some of his hearers to put me forth; in this thing, if it were nothing else, it is e­nough to try him, for the tree is known by his fruits, en­vy is a mark of the false Prophets, and they who live in envy, are of Cains generation and nature; and he that envies his brother is a murderer, and so of the Devil, and is no true Minister; and it was not the manner nor practice of the Apostles to cause any to be hailed forth, but on the contrary, the Apostles and Ministers of Christ were haled forth and beaten, and abused, and in this age your Teachers are found contrary to the Ministers of Christ, not guided by that meek and Lamb-like Spirit, that they were guided by; but he is plainly manifest [Page 4]to have a contrary spirit of envy, and so the spirit of error, 1 John 4.6.

The same time one whose name is Halls, went up in­to the high place and stood praying there Pharisee-like, which Christ cryed woe unto such that did so, Mat. 23. and in his prayer he uttered forth his envy and blasphe­my against Christ the Light, and prayed to his God, that they might not be guided by the Light within; and af­terward prayed, that the Lord would reveal his Truth within: Now here all who are not wilfully blind may see his confusion, and out of his own mouth I leave him to be judged, for Christ Jesus is the Truth, and he is the Light, John 14.6. John 8.12. and if the Truth must be revealed within, then the Light is within, and where this Light is manifest, it leads and guids all who are in it out of death and dark­ness, and all unrighteousness, into the pure way of life; righteousness and peace; as Christ hath said, whosoever follows me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life: and all who deny the light within, denies the New-Covenant, Isa: 4 [...]: 6. Jer: 31: 31. 1 Tim: 3: 9.16. and the faith of Christ; nay further, they deny the whole Mistery of Godliness, which is God manifest in flesh; and this I shall prove by Scrip­ture, that all they who deny to be guided by the light within, denies God, Christ, and the Spirit, which are all one in substance, though differing in names, for God is light, and Christ is light, and the Spirit is light, and they are all one God, 1 John 5:7. who is light, as John the beloved Disciple declares, and this was his message, that God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all; as you may read Iohn 1.5. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ declares and testifies of God dwelling within, as you may read, 2 Cor. 6.16. What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols, for ye are the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, Rev: 21: 3.I will dwel in them, and walk in them, &c. A­gain read Ephes. 4.4, 5, 6. There is one body and one spi­rit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, [Page 5]who is above all, and through all, and in you all; Col. 3: 10, 11. (mind this well, In you all) Again read Col. 1.26, 27, 28. where Paul speaks of the Mistery which hath been h [...]d from ages and generations, but now is made manifest to his Saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mistery among the Gentiles, which is Chrict in you the hope of glory: Again read 1 Cor. 3 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you: And this is the New-Covenant of God, prophesied of by the Prophet Jeremiah, in the 31. Chap. 31, 32, 33, 34. which was not according to the old Covenant, Exod 34:1. Mal. 2:7. Heb: 10: 12 where the Law was written in Tables of Stone, and the Priests lips should preserve knowledge, and they year by year offered up Sacrifice for sin, &c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those dayes saith the Lord, I will put my Law in the inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my People; And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour, and every man his Brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them, unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more: And again, read Luke 17.20, 21. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God should come, he an­swered them (to wit Jesus) and said the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there (mark well) for behold th [...] Kingdom of God is within you: Another Scripture I shall mention in the first Epistle of John 2.20, to the 28. Ye have an Ʋction from the holy One, and ye know all things, &c. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you, but the annoynting which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him: These Scriptures I have set down to prove, that he or they, that denies to be guided by the Light within, [Page 6]denies God, Tim. 32 26. Iohn 4: 23, 4 [...]: Jer [...]: 31: 34. 1:27. Co [...]h: 16: 13 Job: 8: 1. [...] Joh: 5:29 1 Heb: 10: 16 Luke 17: 21 1 Jo: 2:27. 1 Jo [...] 1: 3, 5 Christ, Spirit, and the Scriptures, and in a word, the whole Mistery of Godliness, which is God manifest in flesh; where the true Worship in Spirit and Truth is known and witnessed, and the New-Covenant enjoyed, where sin and in [...]quity is done away, and blot­ted out of the Lords remembrance; and this is light, within, which leads and guids all the Children of God, in the waies of righteousness and peace; where the sub­stance and life of all figures and shaddows, and the life of all Scriptures is witnessed and enjoyed within, for the Law is light, and it is within, and the Kingdome of God is light, and it is within, and the Spirit is light, and the Annointing, and Christ is light, and these are all one in substance; one God, who is a Spirit of light, and he dwells within his people, and as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God, Rom: 8:14. and here you may see the error and blasphemy of Halls, who prayed that they might not be guided by the light within; Jo: 17: 21: 23. Isa 45: 13. John 6: 45. Ezek: 34:15 and in this he hath denied Father, Son, and Spirit, which are one God who is light, and is within, a guider and leader, and teacher of his People, accord­ing to Scripture Testimony, as I have mentioned be­fore.

And the said Halls in his talk was speaking of Anti-christ, and false Teachers, from that Scripture, 1 John 2.18. Little Children it is the last time, and as you have heard that Anti-christ shall come, even now are there ma­ny Anti-christs, whereby we know that it is the last time: Now I shall prove by Scripture and out of his own mouth, 1 Jo: 2:22. that he is one of the Anti-christs, that is against Christ, and denies him; read the 22. vers. Who is a ly­ar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is Anti-christ, that denies the Father and the Son: Now it is ma­nifest and proved by Scripture that he hath denied the Father and the Son, Iohn 10:30 Iohn 14:9, 10, 11 Rev: 21: 3. who prayed that they might not be guided by the light within, for the Father and the Son are one, and they are light and dwelleth within; And again read another Scripture in the first Epistle of Iohn [Page 7]Chap. 4.3. Every Spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God, and this is that spi­rit of Anti-christ whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already it is in the world: Now to confess Christ come in flesh at Ierusal [...]m sixteen hundred and od years ago, that the Pope doth confess, whom he said was the Anti-christ, and this most in this Nation of the very prophanest ones, and many others do confess: But I do further say, 1 Iohn 5: 11, 12. Col: 1: 27. 1 John 2: 22, 23. that every particular man or woman that doth not confess Christ, but deny Christ come in their mortal flesh, are Anti-christs, against Christ, and this Halls did deny, who denies to be guided by the light within, and so denies Christ within the hope of glory, and so is against Christ, Anti-christ.

Further, the said Halls said, that Anti-christ was one that did oppose Christ, and this I shall turn back up­on his own head, and prove him out of his own mouth to be against Christ: He hath de­nied the Mi­ni [...]ers work, which is for the perfect­ing of the Saints. Christ Jesus owned the Doctrine of Perfection, and said in his Doctrin, Be ye perfect e­ven as your heavenly Father is perfect, as you may read, Mat. 5.48. and Halls said that none can be perfect in th [...]s life, and so oposes Christ, manifesting the spirit of Anti-christ.

Several other things were spoken by him, in opposi­tion to Christ and the pure Doctrin of Perfection, but these few that I have mentioned, are sufficient to try & prove his Spirit, onely one Scripture I shall mention, which he himself quoted to prove me and my friends to be false Prophets, which was Phil. 3.19. but read the 18. verse and so on; where the Apostle speaks of false Teachers, for saith he, many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping that they are the ene­mies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Now whether this Scripture doth condemn them or us, I leave it to the honest hearted to judge; for as soon as he had ended his stuff, they both went away, and though I called after them, and char­ged [Page 8]them to stay in the name of the Lord, yet neverthe­less both of them with speed went to the Tavern, and there filled their bellies, Psal. 1:1, 2. Psa: 145.20 Dan: 6:22. and left me amongst a compa­ny of bruits and heathen-like raging people, haling and pulling, and punching with their feet, had not the po­wer of the Lord preserved me and my friends, we might have been torn to pieces amongst the raging and raven­ing Wolves, Mat: 10:10 and that day Christs words were fulfilled, who said, I send you forth as Lambs in the midst of Wolves: And this was plainly manifest, I came in inno­cency, and was as a Lamb amongst them, and they like ravenous Wolves went about to devour, but the Lord preserved me and my friends out of their mouths, glory to his Name for evermore. Oh! how do these your Priests walk as Examples to the People, as the Ministers of Christ did walk as Examples, and their conversation was in heaven, as you may read, Phil: 3: 17: 20. But these your Teachers their conversation is below, and if the people should have followed them, they might have gone to the Tavern, and there filled their bellies, and sit sotting and drinking, which is a shame to hear tell of, which they glory in, Tit: 1: 16. and are enemies to the Crosse of Christ, though they profess him in words, yet in works they deny him; and they do mind earthly things, (as those did which the Apostle speaks of) for if it were not more for love of your earthly things, than it is in love to your souls, you would have fewer sermons, for take away their maintenance and give them no money, and you will quickly know what they preach for; we have tryed them and found them so, and so do turn from them, Isa: 2: 22. and warn all others to cease from man, and turn to the Lord, that he alone may teach you, according as he hath promised, and according as it is written, all the Children of the Lord, they shall be taught of the Lord, Isa. 54.13.

After I came from the Meeting-place, I writ to Wil­liam Ʋpcot, and sent it down to his house by one of my friends, who coming into his house, and asked for [Page 9]him, it was said he was within: Then Vpcots wife came and asked what his message was, and said she would deli­ver it to her husband, and she being earnest to know, he told her he had a letter, and she promised to deliver it to her said husband; where, upon her word and promise, he gave her the Letter, but no sooner she had got the paper, not regarding her word and promise, did cast the letter into the fire and burnt it: and so she was proved a lyer, in saying she would give it to her husband but did not, but cast it into the fire, so she manifested herself to be of the Divel, a lyer: and the Lake of Fire is the lyers por­tion, as you may read Rev. 21.8.

Thus you may see that the Priest and his wife are both of one Spirit, for she made no conscience of her wo [...]ds and promise: but I knowing their spirit, did keep a copy of the paper, which take as followeth.

On the first day of the Week in the evening I and my friend Laurence Growden, did passe down to Ʋpcots house, and coming in amongst them, Ieer 23 31 Rom. 1 25. Iob 4:7: I found them very light and vain, making a scoffe at what was spoken, and turning truth into a lye, but the Lord will plead the cause of the innocent. Then Vpcot accused me, and said, I denied the Word, and I denied Prayer, and I denied the Sacraments: And my answer was, I own the Word, and I own Prayer, but the Sacraments I did deny there was no such Scripture that speaks of Sacraments. Then he said, I did contemn the Ordinances, and that was because I stood and sate in the Steeple house with my head co­vered, Rom. 2.3. when as both the Priest and severall of them that were there, had their heads covered, and yet would con­demn me for that which they were guilty of: but as for keeping on my Hat in contempt, it is false: but for con­science sake I could not bow to their Image, seeing their hypocrisie and dissimulation, and feigned humility, ma­king a shew of holinesse outwardly unto men, Prov. 15 8. Isai 1.1 [...]. Ier: 6, 20 when they are full of hypocrisie and sin within, the Prayers & Sacrifices of such arean abomination to the Lord. Af­ter I having some discourse with Halls, about something spoken by him, he not being able to stand before the Truth, he would have shuffled off, and said, not onely by the light within, and would have put in that word onely, which was not spoken by him in the Steeple­house; but his words were plainly proved, that they might not be guided by the light within. He affirmed likewise that the Scriptures were the rule of life, and the way to salvation, and the will and mind of God. All which things I answered to at that time, and owned the Scriptures to be a Testimony and an outward declartion of all these, the rule of life, and the way to salvation, and the will and mind of God; but the Scriptures them­selves, are not the Rule of Life, nor the way to sal­vation, nor the will and mind of God, which I shall prove by Scripture. There is but one Rule of life, and that is the Spirit of God which is life, and gives life, and [Page 12]makes free from the Law of Sin and Death; and this is the Comforter which guides and leads into all truth: Iohn 14 26, & 15, 13. Iohn 6.61. 2 Cor. 3 6. Rom. 8, 2. 1 Cor. 2.11. All who obey and give up to be guided by it, which the world cannot receive. But there is no life in the Scriptures, it is a dead Letter, and none can understand it but as they are led and guided by the quickning Spirit: For though Christ bid the Jewes search the Scripture, he doth not say there is life in them, or that they were the Rule of Life, though they thought to have eternall life in them; but they would not come to Christ that they might have life, Iohn 5 39 40 Iohn 14.6: Iohn 1.4. 2 Pet. 1.21, 22. Heb. 13 8. Acts 14.12. 1 Cor. 2.16. Acts 4.32. who was the life, and his life is the light of men, and this Life, and Light, and Rule was within the holy Men, who spoke forth the Scripture, and the rule of life is the same now, which is spirituall within, which the Scripture declares of, but is not it. Secondly, the way to salvation is but one, which is Christ Jesus, who saith, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and there is no man can come to the Father but by me; but the Scriptures are not Christ, so not the way to salvation, but a testimony of the way. Thirdly, the mind of God is pure and spiri­tuall, and was within the holy men that gave forth the Scriptures, and they were all of one minde: but there are many that have the Scriptures, but have not the mind of God, neither are they all of one mind, but many minds, and many opinions, and their minds are earthly and car­nall: so I say, That, which a man may have, and not have the mind of God, is not the mind of God: but a man may have the Scriptures, Luke 1.1. 1 Iohn 5.10. and not have the mind of God; so the Scriptures are not it; but a declaration of it, and so I own them, and bear testimony unto the same Truth, that the Scriptures bear testimony unto, and have the witness within my self according to Scripture testimony, He that believes hath the witness in himself. And the said Halls being asked if he knew God, and he made a scoff at it because such a question was propounded to him, and he said he knew God: and I asked him if he kept the Commandements, he said, No Now try him by the Scriptures and we shall find him to be a lyer; read 1 Iohn [Page 13]2, 3, 4 verses, Hereby do we know that we know God, if we keep his Commandements. He that saith, I know God and keepeth not his Commandements, is a lyar, Iohn 8.44. and the Truth is not in him. And here out of his own mouth he is proved by Scripture to be a lyar, and so no Minister of Christ. Then he propounded the same question unto me, whether I knew God and kept his commandments, Mat. 11.30. 1 Iohn 5.3. Psal. 119.143 which things I answered, and witnessed to truth, being made able by the power and life of Christ dwelling with­in me, by whom all things are made easie, and his com­mandements are not grievous but joyous, they are my de­light. Then he said, there was none perfect in this life, therefore none can keep the commandements of God. But his first thing I deny, and it is false, as I shall prove by Scripture. Read Job 1.8. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evill. Here you may see the Lords own testimony, and he that saith there is none per­fect in this life, is a blasphemer, Psalm 37.37 [...] 1 Cor. 2.6. Col. 4.12. Phil. 3.15. who would make God a lyar. And David saith, Mark the perfect and the upright man, for the end of that man is peace. And Paul said, We preach wisdom amongst them that are perfect. And again, one prayeth in another place, That they might stand per­fect and compleat in all the will of God; And let us, as many as are perfect, be thus minded. Here are many Scrip­tures that witness the truth of Christs pure Doctrine of perfection. For if any be in Christ he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5.17. Phil. 5.24.old things are passed away, and all things are become new, and they that are Christs, have crucified the flesh with the af­fections and lusts. Then wo to all them that live in sin, and plead for sin while they walk on the earth, they be enemies to the Crosse of Christ, Isai. 3.11. 1 Cor. 6 9. 10 Iohn 3, 8. Heb. 11.14. Eph. 5.27. Luke 1.74, 75 1 Iohn 3.8. and deny the end of Christs coming, who came to take away sin, and to purifie the heart, and purge the conscience from dead works, that his people may be a holy people to serve the Lord in purity & holiness of life For, for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest, that he might destroy the works of [Page 14]the Divel; and all sin is a work of the Divel, and defiles the Temple, Isai: 51.2. Isai. 48.22 Maark 7.22, Eph: 2, 12, Iohn 8, 34, 44 Isai: 1, 17, Mat. 11, 28, 29 and separates from God, and breaks the peace with God; and there neither is nor can be any reconciliation to God, untill there be a separation from sin: For all who live in sin, profess what they will, they are enemies to God, and strangers from the covenant of promise, and are of their Father the Di­vell, who is the author of all sin and unrighteousness, therefore cease from sin, and learn to do well, that you may live and enjoy rest and peace.

Now whereas it is said in one place of Scripture, 1 Iohn 1, 8 Heb: 10, 16, 17, 18, 1 Iohn 3, 9, If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us. This is the refuge for all the Divels Mini­sters and servants to flye unto, who live in sin in the old nature, and in the unconverted state, to plead against the new Covenant and new Birth, where sin and iniquity is done away. And this Scripture did Priest Halls bring to maintain his argument against persecution. Then I in­stanced another Scripture in the same Epistle of John, chap. 5. v. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. And this he would give a meaning to, and I told him, 2 Pet 1, 20, the Scriptures were of no private inter­pretation. An he asked me how I would reconcile those two Scriptures: & I told him I owned them as they were set down, for they were spoken to severall conditions. And then he began to boast, and would have turned the truth which was spoken by me into a lie, and said I ow­ned the Scriptures as they are, and then takes them upon condition; and thus impudently stood in a lye, and after I spoke my former words and told him, the Scriptures were spoken to severall conditions, and instanced some Scriptures to prove it, as in Acts 26.18. where the A­postle declares how he was sent forth, and to what end, which was to open the blind eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, &c. Here you may see they were in a condition of sin, uncon­verted. [Page 15]Again, read 1 John 2.12. where the Apostle writes to them whose sins were forgiven, Col: 2, 13, I Write unto you little Children, because your sinnes are forgiven you. Here you may see another condition. Again, read Col. 2.13. And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickned together with him, Rom: 9, 20, Rom: 6, 22, 1 Cor: 15, 49, 1 Cor: 15, 22, Eph: 2, 1, 2, 3, 1 Pet. 1, 23. 1 Iohn 5, 18, 1 Iohn 3. 6, 7, 8, Gal: 6, 7, Mat: 7, 21, Rom. 8.13,having forgiven you all trespasses. Here again, as your under­standings comes to be opened, you may see the conditi­ons and times they were in, to whom the Scriptures were written, there was a time when they were dead in tres­passes and sins; and there was a time when they were quickned, and their sins were forgiven them. And there was a time when they were the servants of Sin, and free from Righteousness; and there was a time when they were free from sin, and become servants of Righteous­nesse. There is the first man and the second man, The first Man is of the earth earthly, and the second Man is the Lord from heaven. There is the first Adam and the se­cond Adam; In the first Adam all die, and are dead in sins and trespasses, and they who be there in that state, are full of sin, and if they or any of them should say they have no sin, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them; but all who are born again of the immortall seed, are kept by the power of God, and the wicked one toucheth them not, for whosoever abides in Christ doth not commit sin, for whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him; he that doth righteousnes is of God, and he that doth commit sin is of the Div [...]ll: therefore be not deceived, for God will not be mocked with your words, it is not your saying, Lord, Lord, nor your cu­stomary worship, and outside seeming holiness, it will not cover your nakednes, nor bring peace to your souls, as long as you live in sin, for if yee live after the flesh, yee shal die, and reap corruption, but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, then shall yee live. But some whose eyes are blinded by the God of this world, stumble because it is said If (We) say, &c. the A­postle takes in himself. Now this I say, That the [Page 16]Apostles many times do come down to the capacities of others when they themselves have passed through such conditions. As for example, James the Apostle in the third chapter of his Epistle, speaking of the unruliness of the tongue, though it is but a little, yet it is an unruly member full of deadly poyson, therewith bless we God e­ven the Father, & therewith curs we men which are made after the similitude of God. Here we may see James said (We) but he himself was no curser, but redeemed from it, and this I instanced to Halls, and them present at that time, and he said though he was not one, he had been a curser, and I told him, so had Iohn been a sinner, and so have we all sinned, and if we say we have not sinned, we make him a lyar: Iohn 17.9, 10. But if we confesse our sins, he is faith­ful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Mark, he doth not say from part, but from all sins; for if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin, and they who deny the light within, and deny the freedom from sin, deny Christ and the end of his coming, and would make his blood of none effect: and freely from the Lord do I testifie against all such as Ministers of Anti-christ, and they have made a Covenant with Hell and Death, and no longer time will serve, but term of life; they tell people they must live in sin, and never be with­out sin while they live, and flatter them with a vain hope of going to heaven, when there is but this hope, which doth not purifie their hearts, is the hope of the Hypo­crite,Isai. 28.15. Iob 8 13, & 11.20 Mat. 15.30.which shall perish, and their end will be wo and utter darkness, the portion of all such who live in their sins: Therefore fear the Lord, and let every one that nameth the name of Jesus Christ, depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2, 19.

Further, the same time Will. Vpcot affirmed, that there was no Ministers of the Spirit now: which thing I did deny, Isai. 50.2. Heb. 13 8. and do affirm it to be false; for God is the same now as formerly, and Jesus Christ is the same to day as [Page 17]yesterday, and the spirit is the same; and all who are made Ministers by the will of God, 2 Cor. 3.6. 2 Cor. 2.4. 1 Cor. 5, 19. Isal. 61,2. are Ministers of the Spirit and of power, and declare the word of life and re­conciliation, and ministers peace and glad tydings to imprisoned souls; and condemnation, and the day of vengeance upon all Oppressors which keeps the Seed in bondage.

He further said, that Paul was not a Minister of the Spirit, which thing is likewise false and a lie, and blas­phemy to affirm: read 2 Cor. 3.6. and there you may read the Apostles Testimony, where he saith, Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit. Here it is evidently mani­fest, that Paul was a Minister of the Spirit; therefore all that say he was not, are lyars, Iohn 8.44. Rev, 21.18. but William Ʋpcot did say that Paul was not a Minister of the Spirit; therefore he is a lyar, and so of the Devil; let the Scripture be a te­stimony against him.

Further he the said William Ʋpcot said, that the Scrip­tures were the Gospel, and I asked him what part, and he said the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Epistles; and he said further, that all the whole Scripture was the Gospel: All which I de­ny, the Scriptures are but the report, Luke 1.1. and fame of the Gospel, but not the Gospel, for the Gospel is a Miste­ry, and cannot be bought for money; but the Scrip­tures which is a declaration, may be bought for a smal sum of money, therefore not the Gospel; for the Gos­pel is the power of God unto salvation, unto every one that doth believe. Rom. 1.16. For therein is the Righ­teousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is writ­ten, the just shall live by faith; for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrigh­teousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it unto them, verse 17, 18, 19. The Gospel is glad tydings to captive and weary souls, which those that preached the Gospel did witness the Redemp­tion, [Page 18]of, Isa: 51: 1, 2. Rom: 3.24. Ephes. 1: 7. and the bonds of iniquity was broken, and the op­pressed set free, and this Gospel, the power of God un­to salvation, was in the beginning before all time, and was manifest in the holy men of God, from which the Scriptures were declared and spoken forth; and they are a declaration of the Gospel, the power of God unto sal­vation, but they are not the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation.

Several other things was spoken at that time, but these are sufficient that I have here set down, to all who love their souls and are not wilfully blind, to try their spirits, to be contrary to the spirit of truth, and so to be turned away from, as the Ministers of Christ exhorts, 2 Tim. 3.1. &c. and to them I did speak, and warn them to give over deceiving of the people, and told them the judgements of God would come upon them, Mat: 10.14. and shaked off the dust of my feet, as a testimony against them, and came away; being several times bidden go forth, and threatned to be put forth; and some that was in the of the house of the ruder sort, 2 Thes: 1: 7, 8, 9, 10. did threaten mischief against me, but neither of the Priests, nor any other did reprove them for it, but did encourage them rather in their wickedness, but the Lord God of power is now appearing, and will render vengeance in flames of fire, upon all that know not God, Psal: 111: 2, 3 Rom: 11.33. Rom: 1: 21: to the end. and that do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, read 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9, 10. and truly his work is wonderful and marvel­lous in our eyes, his waies are past finding out by any worldy wit or wisdom, as it is written, the world by wisdom knows not God, for the preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness to worldly, wise, and Scripture-learned ones; but unto all that believe both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of. God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men; for saith [Page 19]the Apostle, Ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise, 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 that are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. Christ Jesus the beloved son of God, when he chose himself disciples and Mini­sters, he did not choose them by their greatness in the world, nor by their great learning, and Scripture know­ledge; he did not choose him disciples of the great Doctors and learned Rabbies of those times, neither of the Rulers nor chief of the people; and this made the Rulers and chief Priests to rage and despise, and called him a Carpenter, Mark 6: 3. Jo: 7: 48, 49. Mat: 26: 3, 4. Acts 4: 13. Mat: 4: 18, 21. and those that followed him a cursed people that knew not the Law, and the Rulers and chief Priests took counsel against Christ to put him to death, such as were of great esteem in the world he did not choose, but he choosed ignorant and unlearned men, and despised ones in the worlds account, many of them Fisher men, such did Christ make-choice of, 1 Cor. 2 cha. that the power might be of God, and not of man, that no flesh should glory in his presence, but he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And when Paul came to the Co­rinthians, he came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto them the testimony of God, for saith he, I determined not to know any thing amongst you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified, and I was with you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling; but now trembling is despised, and made a mock and a scoff at in your Towns, streets, and villages, and most places, the Children of God, who fear God and tremble at his word, are made a mock and a by-word, under the name of Quakers; it is become their Table talk, and at their Ale-houses and Taverns, and indeed most pla­ces where they come; the children of God are become the reproach, and as a by-word amongst them, every [Page 20]one giving their censures, Jer: 6: 10. Mat: 10: 22. Jam: 3: 15. one crying one thing, another crying another thing, and all are in confusion; but these are them whom the Lord doth love and regard, who tremble at his word, as it is written in the prophets; Heaven is my Throne, Isa: 66: 1, 2.and Earth is my footstool, what house will ye build unto me saith the Lord? or what is the place of my rest? hath not my hand made all these things? and all these things have been, saith the Lord, but to this man will I look to, and regard, he that is of a meek and a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. But such are now re­proached, and beaten, and whipped and stocked, and sent up and down the Country as Vagabonds, Prov. 19: 29. Prov: 10 6, 7. Phil: 2: 12. and abu­sed and sent to prison; but God will plead the cause of the innocent, and the scoffers and scorners he will judge, and bless and preserve them that love righteousness, that work out their salvation with fear and trembling. And further Paul declares that his speech, and his preach­ing, was not with enticing words of mans wisdome, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that their faith should not stand in the wisdome of men, but in the power of God; howbeit (saith he) we speak wisdome amongst them that are perfect, yet not the wisdome of this world, nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought, but we speak the wisdome of God in a Mi­stery, even the hidden wisdome which God ordained afore unto our glory. And this wisdome and this mi­stery the Lord hath revealed unto us, for his Names sake, that we might be to him a praise, and a glory, and an honor, in walking answerable, and worthy of his love, in all humility and godly conversation, and we cannot partake with the world in their waies of worship, Ephes: 4: 1, 2. Col: 1: 10. Ephes: 5: 11. Jam: 3: 15. Tit: 1: 16. Rom: 1: 18. which is carnal, invented intheir faln estate, by their carnal wisdome, which is earthly, sensual, devillish, the root and ground of sin, and the body, and many bran­ches of the cursed Tree is alive and not killed, and they live in sin, and pleads for a continuance in sin while they live on the earth, such are they who profess God in words, but in works deny him; and such are they who [Page 21]hold the truth in unrighteousness gathering in the Saints words, the Scriptures, which were given forth from pure life and spirit within; these they gather into their unrighteous minds, and talks of God and Christ with their vain minds, but deceit and iniquity lodgeth in their hearts; Mat: 23: 28. such a Worship and a formal profession we do deny, and against them do testifie, and cannot joyn with them, nor have fellowship with them; and there­fore are we hated and reviled, and made a prey upon, and so the Scripture is fulfilled, which saith, Isa: 59: 15. they that depart from iniquity are become a prey to this genera­tion; 1 Cor: 2: 9, 10 and this wisdome and mistery is hid from the worlds eye, and from their ear, they cannot see nor hear, nor understand the things of God, as it is writ­ten eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre­pared for them that love him; but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God; for what man knows the things of a man, but the Spirit of a man that is in him; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God: then all they that deny the Spirit and say there is no Ministers of the Spirit now, as Priest Ʋpcot did, knows not the things of God, but what they know naturally, (which Jude speaks of) as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves, woe unto them for they have run in the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, read Iude 10, 11. And wo unto all such now, that deny the Ministration of the Spirit, and saies there is no Ministers of the Spi­rit now, their knowledge is natutal and carnal, and they go in the way of Cain, which is envy, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards, as the Priests and Parish Ministers in England do, and as Ʋpcot your Teacher doth; therefore turn from him, and all such, for the Lords hand is stretched forth a­gainst them.

The Ministers of Christ were not called by Man, nor made Ministers by the will of Man, Cal. 1.1.12 2 Cor. 5.19. they were not brought up at Schools to get human learning to fit them, but they were called by God, Rom. 10.8. John 17.17. 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20.21. and made Ministers accor­ding to the will of God, and fitted and prepared by God, and had the word of Life and Reconciliation committed to them, which was within them quick and powerfull, and wrought powerfully in their hearts; by which word they were sanctified, and the holy Spirit was within them, and as the holy Spirit moved, so they spoke forth the Scripture, not by mans will, but by the will of God, as they were moved by the holy Ghost; But the Teachers of England are not so made nor called: For in the first place they are sent to School to learn humane wisdom in the will of man; after, they are sent to Oxford or Cam­bridge, and there by their cunning Craft they learn the Trade of Preaching, having men over them, and Books for that purpose: And when they have learned their Trade, served their Apprentiship, then their Ma­sters give them the Commission to preach, and commit unto them the Scriptures, (which were the Saints testi­mony within them) but these Priests have it without them, and it is neither quick nor powerful, but weak and dead, and their hearts are not sanctified, but they plead against purity and holiness of life, telling people it is impossible to live without sin in this world, and they do not preach as they are moved by the Spirit, but they study in the week daies what to speak, and many of them have an hour-glasse, and most of them limit themselves to a time, and when they have uttered forth all that they have, many times tell the people, they would have enlar­ged if the time would permit, when indeed they have no more to say, and so decieve the people, telling them they preach the word of the Lord, when it is no more but a divination of their own brain: and though they use some Texts of Scriptures, that is the greater deceit to colour their hypocrisie, and to make their ware the better to go off. But the Lord is coming to lay open their deceit, and [Page 23]to take from them their stollen garments, and the shame of their nakednesse shall appear, and none shall buy their Merchandize any longer. Rev. 18.11. Here you may see their call in­to the Ministery is contrary to the Ministers of Christ, and their preaching contrary, and so they are to be denied.

When Jesus Christ sent forth his Ministers, he did not give them power to take tythes, Mat. 10. chap. Luke 10. chap. nor any set or forced maintenance, but as they had recived freely, so they were to minister freely; And into what City, Town or Coun­trey ye come, enquire who is worthy, and if they receive you, there stay and abide, eating and drinking such things as they set before you,Mat. 10 14.for the Labourer is worthy of his Hire, and the Workman is worthy of his Meat. Here he gave them power to eat and to drink with such as were worthy to receive them; but they were not to do so a­mongst those that did not receive them, but depart and shake the dust off their feet: they were not to compell them to give them maintenance, nor meat, nor any thing else, but they were to minister freely, 1 Tim 6.8. and if any did freely set meat before them, if they would use their power they might eat freely. And I do not read in the the testimony of the Apostles, and Disciples, and Ministers of Christ, that they did ever receive any thing further than to sup­ply their wants and necessities, for having food and ray­ment, they were therewith content. I never read that ever any one was compelled to feed them, Gal. 4.14, 15. or give them maintenance, neither indeed was there any need; for the Lord whom they served, sent his power along with them, and such a love was raised up among them, that they did receive their testimony, that Paul declares of some, that if it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to him, and it is so now with those that receive the Truth in the love of it, nothing can be too dear for them, for they are as one anothers lives; and as they are hated by the world, and opposers and gainsayers of the Truth with a perfect batred, so they are loved by all those that in singleness of heart and up­rightness receive the Truth with a perfect love.

But the professed Teachers of England are not so, but they have usurped a power to take Tythes, and set and forced maintenances of 100, 200, or 300 pounds, or as much as they can get by the year; for they not having re­ceived freely (as the Ministers of Christ did) but have given a great deal of monies for gaining of their Art, no more can they minister freely. And they are more like to Heathens than to Christians, they do not Christian-like. Seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of it, Mat. 6.32, 33. Mat. 10.11. in the first place, neither do they according to command, En­quire who is worthy: For their first and chief thing is, what place, or some great fat Parsonage that is vacant, is sought after, and enquire what the people will give, and so make a bargain with them for so much by the year, to be paid at such and such times, and they are very loath to preach untill they have their maintenance made sure unto them, and yet they will tell people to believe in God, and trust God for food for their souls, when they themselves dare not trust God for their Bellies; and they make little conscience who they be that they take wages of, believers or not believers, so they can but get it, they care not: and whether they be believers or unbelievers, if they do not put into their mouthes, they presently go about to compell them by force, which is a shame to hear of in a Gospel Ministery, the Ministers of the Gospel are asha­med of such practices, and what ever was received by any of the Gospel Ministers, it was freely ministred, and was to supply their present necessities, Phil. 4 10. to the 20. and not to store up and spend upon their lusts, as those Teachers do. Nay fur­ther, in the time of the Law, when Tythes was paid to the Leviticall priesthood, there was a store house, and the people were to bring it freely into the store house, and the Priests were not to eat alone, Mal. 3.19. Deut. 14.32, 20 the end. 1 John. 10, 17, 18. but the strangers, and fatherless, and widows were to come and be filled, that there might not be a Beggar in Israel, and the Priests were to minister freely, a figure of Jesus Christ laying down his body freely, and when any did preach for hire, it was an horrible and a filthy thing, and the Lord sent his true Pro­phets [Page 25]to testifie against such, as in Isaiahs time he cryed out against the Idol Shepheards, that sought gain from their Quarter, as you may read, Isai 56.10, 11. His Watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are all dumb Doggs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber; yea they are greedy Doggs, which can never have enough, and they are Shepheards that cannot understand, they all look to their own way, every one for gain from his Quarter. And Jeremiah he was against the abominations in his time, and against the false Prophets and Priests, Jeremia the fifth chapter, The Prophets shall become wind, and the Word is not in them, thus shall it be done unto them, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them; this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart, they are revolted and gone, your iniquities have turned you away, and your sins hath with h [...]lden good things from you for among my people are found wicked men, they lay wait as he that set­teth snares, they set a trap, they catch men; as a Cage is full of Birds, so are their houses full of deceit, therefore are they become great and waxen rich, they are waxen fat, they shi [...]e; yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked, they judge not the cause, the curse of the fatherless, yet they prosper, shall I not visit for these things? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this is? A wonder­full and a horrible thing is committed in the Land, the Prophets prophesie falsly, & the Priests bear rule by their means, and the people love to have it so, and what will ye do in the end therof? Again, read Ieremiah the 23 chapter, and there you may see how the Prophet was troubled because of the pro [...]hanesse of the Pri [...]sts and Prophets, My heart within me is broken because of the Prophets, all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, &c. So both Pro­phet and Priest are prophane, but read all the Chapter. And Ezekiel the Lords Prophet, he crys [...]gainst the false shepheards in his time, read Ezekiel 34. Chapter, Son of Man, prophesie against the shepheards of Israel, prophesie and say unto them, Thus saith the L [...]r [...] God unto the sh [...]p­heards [Page 26]of Israel that do feed themselvs should not the sheep­heard feed the flock? Ye eat the fat ye cloath you with the wooll, ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the flock, &c read the chapter throughout, and there you may see the deceits and works of the false shepheards in those dayes, and the Lords promise to gather his sheep from their mouthes, and feed them himself upon the tops of the mountains of Israel. And Mica the Prophet of the Lord, who dwelt in the light of the Lord he was against the hireling, Priests in his time, as you may read in Mica 3 5. to the end of the chapter, Thus saith the Lord con­cerning the Prophets that make my people erre, that bite with their teeth, and cry peace, and he that doth not put into their mouthes, they even prepare warre against him, therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision, and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not di­vine, and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets, and the day shall be dark over them, then shall the Seers be a­shamed, & the Diviners confounded, yea they shal all cover their lips, for there shall be no answer of God, the heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for money, yet will they lean upon the Lord and say, Is not the Lord amongst us? no evill can come upon us. Therefore shall Sion for your sakes be plowed as a Field, and Ierusalem shall be­come heaps, and the Mountains of the House as the High places of the Forrest. And as Troops of Robbers wait for a man, so the company of Priests murder by the way by consent, for they commit lewdness, Hosea 69. Read Mal. 2.1, 2, 3, 4, Here you may see the testimony of the Pro­phets of God against the hirelings and false shepheards, and greedy Teachers, and those that did not minister free­ly were cryed against, and those that did not bring their Tythes into the store-house, they robbed God, as you may read Mal. 3 8.10 Will a man rob God, yet ye have robbed me; but ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee; in Tythes and Off [...]rings: Bring ye all the Tythes into the storehouse, t [...]a [...] there may be me [...]t in mine house, and [Page 27]prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and poure you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Now here you may see that in the time of the Law, they had a store house, and those that did not bring their Tythes thither, it is not said they robbed the Priests, but they robbed God. But the Priests of England that take Tythes of the peoples, have no storehouse to put the Tythes in, neither are the Strangers Widows and Fa­therless fed, but may sterve for them, or go a begging, so they are not according to the law. And I do not read in all the Scriptures of the Gospel-ministers testimony, that e­ver any of the believers in Christ, did either take Tythes or pay Tythes, much less to go to law, and sue people for any outward maintenance; so it is manifest, that the Nationall and Parish Teachers who take tythes, and sue those at law which do not (or for conscience sake cannot) put into their mouthes, are neither according to law nor Gospel. And the Ministers of the Gospel did testifie a­gainst such as went in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balam, for gifts and rewards, Iude 11 And such false Tea hers, who privily shall bring in dam­nable heresies denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction, & through cove­tousness shal they with feigned word make merchandize of the people, whose judgment now of a long time lingreth not, and their damnation sl [...]mbreth not, 2 Pet. 2.1, 23. and a Bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, Tit. 1.7. And Paul speakes against all covetous practices, and all self-seeking, and against the love of money, And (saith he) having food and ray­ment, let us be therewith content; but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition, for the love of mony is the root of all evill, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. [Page 28]1 Tim. 6.8, 9, 10. All these Scripture examples that I have here set down, doth condemn the self seeking Tea­chers in England and elswhere, who so much mind earthly things, and the love of money, that if they do but hear of the death of any of their fellow priests, if their Benefits be larger than theirs, they long to be there, and strive for the place, but if the Benefice be less, there is no such striving, and this is manifest amongst most of the Priests, if they can but get forty pound or threescore pound a year more in another place, they will leave their own hearers and go thither, and so love money which is the root of all evill, which the man of God was to flye these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, 1 Tim. 6.11.

Christ said unto his Ministers, Be not ye called of Men Master, Matth. 23.8.for ye have but one Master even Christ, and ye are Brethren, and they did not transgress, but did obey his commandements, for they were not called by the name of Master Peter, nor Master Paul, and the like, but Peter a Servant of Iesus Christ, and Paul a Servant of God, an Apostle of Iesus Christ, 2 Pet 1.1. Titus 1 1.

But those who are professed Teachers in England, are called of Men Master, contrary to Christs command and example of his Ministers, and in this they are contrary to the Ministers of Christ.

The Ministers of Christ did teach the Doctrine of Per­fection, and it was the chief thing and the very end for which they were given forth, as you may read Ephes. 4.10, 11, 12, 13. He that descended is the same also that as­cended up farre above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery, for the edifying of the body of Crist, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

And again, read Col. 1.28. where Paul witnesseth to [Page 29]this, and for which he laboured, and others, warning e­very man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

But the Nationall and Parish Masters do deny this do­ctrine of perfection, and cryes against those that preach it as blasphemers, & they tell the people that none can be perfect in this world, and so they have denied the Mini­sters work, and their preaching is in vain; for if they do not perfect them here, as the true Ministers office was, as is plain in Eph. 4. then where will they perfect them, will there be any need of their Ministery in Heaven? Surely no, for there shall be no need of mens teaching there, but the Lord alone will give them light, Rev. 21.10. to the end. and all shal know him from the least to the greatest, and shall walk in his presence, and rejoyce in his love, and praise his holy Name, and worship him in the beauty of holiness for e­ver and ever.

And many other things there is which they practice, which is contrary to the practice of the holy men of God declared of in Scripture, as their singing of Davids conditions in Rime and Meeter, his weeping, Psal. 6. Psal. 119, 120. Psal. 51 1. Psal. 45.1. Psal. 66.1. Psal. 131.1. his wail­ings, his roarings and cryings, his tremblings and qua­kings, his prayers, pr [...]ises and prophesies, these they give to simple, ignorant, proud, covetous, and prophane peo­ple, and s [...]y they sing to the praise and glory of God, as, O Lord I am not puft in mind, I have no scornfull eye, I do not exercise my self in things that be too high, and such like, when both Priest and people are puft in mind, and have scornfull eyes, they can scarce look one upon another they are so scornfull, and they do exercise them­selves in things that be 100 high, in medling with the Saints conditions, giving their constructions and mea­nings, and privat interpretations to the Scriptures: and thus they cause people to lye in the presence of the Lord, and so they dishonor God, and when they read the Psalms, they keep on their hats, and when they sing them they put off their has, and so worship the works of their own hands, when the Friest hath a Cap [Page 30]or two on his head, and so makes a seeming shew of holi­ness and humiliation, when their hearts are full of grosse hypocrisie and dissimulation, Ia.m 5.13. Isal. 35.10. Hosea 8, 10, Now whereas it is writ­ten in the Scripture, If any be afflicted let him pray, if any be merry let him sing Psalms: this is owned and witnes­sed; but who are those that are merry? truly none but the ransomed ones of the Lord, who are redeemed from the earth, and from the bondage of corruption, these can truly sing the songs of deliverance, and they shall return to Sion with joy and singing, and everlasting joy sh [...]ll be upon their heads. But the Songs of the wicked shal be turned into howling and weeping, therefore take heed how yee take the name of the Lord in vain, and sing with your vain minds without understanding, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, Exod. 20.7. Levit. 19.12.

Likewise their sprinkling Infants, and ca [...]ling it an Ordinance of Christ, whereas neither Christ nor any of his Ministers did practise any such thing, therefore I do it deny. Now whereas Christ saith, Suffer little chil­dren to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God; verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little Child, he shall not enter therein, and he took them up in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them, Mark 10.14, 15, 16, but he did not sprinkle water on their faces, and said, he baptized them into his Church, but he sets the child as an example for its innocency, and shewes that all must be­come as innocent as little children, for whosoever doth not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. But what example is this for any one to sprinkle wa [...]er on the innocent childs face, or what ad­vantage is it for a proud, covetous, heady, high minded sinfull carnall man, to take the innocent little child which is not capable of believing, what can his prayers, or any thing he doth, John 9.31. profit or advantage the innocent child. Read without prejudice, and let that of God in your consciences judge.

There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and that [Page 31]one Baptism I own, which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ, Eph. 4.5. 1 Pet. 3.21. Gal. 6.15. 1 Cor. 12, 13. Heb. 10 22. 1 Pet. 3. 21 For it is neither dipping or sprinkling, or not dipping or sprinkling that avails any thing at all, but a new crea­ture: for that is not the baptism which is outward with the water, but baptism is that of the Spirit, having the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, & the body washed with pure water, and as many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and in Christ all are one, Gal. 3.27.28.

And for their Sacrament which they tell people of, I deny the Scripture knows no such word as Sacrament, but the Supper of the Lord I own and witness, which is a spirituall eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ; whereby we, being many, are one bread and one body; For the cup of Blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? John 6.56.63 John 8.12.the bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? for we being many, are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread; 1 Cor. 10.16. This bread is Iesus Christ the light of the world, as you may read Iohn 6.35 I am the bread of life, I am the living bread that came down from above, he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever, and he shall not hunger; and they that drink of this cup shall never thirst, but it shall be a Well of living water springing up unto eternall life, John 4.14. But I say, That the things which the Gentiles sa­crifice, they sacrifice to Divels, and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Divels, ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Divels, ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Di­vels. 1 Cor. 10.21.

Now for a company of profane sinfull people, as drun­kards, swearers, lyars, scoffers, scorners, proud, lofty, John 8.44, 1 John 3 8. John 6.70. high­minded ones, Whoremongers, Adultere [...]s, Covetous cru­ell oppressors, and the like, for these to meet, and eat bread & wine, and call it a communion, I do it deny, to be the Communion or Table of the Lord, but the Table of [Page 32]Divels. Likewise their standing praying before and after their Sermons, as they call them, and their pulpit, and their taking a Text, as they call it, and add to it the divination of their own brain, and speak forth their con­ceivings and not the word of God: these and all or most things that are used and practiced by them in the steeple­house or Idol-Temple, are contrary to the practice of the Ministers of Christ, and they are to be turned away from, for they do not, neither shall they profit the people at all, for if they had stood in the councell of God, they should have turned the people from the evill of their wayes, but they run and the Lord never sent them, therefore they shal not profit the people at all. Jer. 23.32. Thus I have declared and laid open their deceits and contrary walkings to the ho­ly men of God, and cleared the truth from their lies and slanders, and do deny them and all their way of wor­ship, John 4.24. Col. 3.16. John 1.3. 1 Cor. 3.3. Phil. 3.3. and do own the worship of God in Spirit and Truth, and the Ordinances of God in Spirit, preaching, praying, and singing with the Spirit, and with understan­ding, singing with grace, and making melody in our hearts to the Lord, and Baptism and the Lords Supper, and the Scripture in the life and spirituality of them; and the Gos­pel of peace and glad tidings, and the word of life and reconciliation, I own and witness, which separates from sin and joyns to the Lord, to be one with him in Sp [...]rit, where a I the children of God have union, even in the pure Spirit and love of God, and are written in one anothers hearts, not with paper and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, and are taught of God, and worship him in Spirit, and rejoyceth in his love and patience for ever­more.

Awake, awake, all people, awake to righteousness and sin not, 1 Cor. 15.34 Eph 5.14. R [...]m. 13.12. Luke 21, 27, 28. Isai. 4. chap. 2 Cor 4.6. arise from your dead sleep of carnall security, put off the works of darkness, and put on the armer of light, stand up from the d [...]ad, that Christ may give you light. For now is the Lord appearing, and arising in his mighty power for the redemption of Sion, and to put an end to sin and finish transgression, his day is dawned, and [Page 33]the glorious light of the everlasting Gospel is broken forth, and shines in the hearts of the Lords people: the Lord is gathering his scattered-flock together in this his day, where they have ma­ny years been feeding upon the dry husks, and running from mountain to hill, and from hill to mountain all this cloudy dark day. Now is the Lord coming to bring back again that which was driven away, and to seek and to save that which was lost, and bring his sheep into the fold of the the true shepheard, where the sheep shall lie down in peace, and feed together in one fold, and the Lord alone will be the Teacher and Feeder of his Flock, and no ravenous beast shall pluck them out of his hand: for he is the good shepheard that will lay down his life for his sheep, John 10 1 [...] and will not flye when the Wolfe comes to devour the Lambs, but he doth preserve them all, and carries his lambs in his arms, and gently leads out all that are with young, all his tender babes he seeds with milk, and nourishes the ten­der plants with the water of life, and this is the Lord bringing to passe in these our days, glory be to his name for evermore, he is fulfilling his promises made of old, gathering his people into union and fellowship with himself, Jer. 23: 5 6, 7.8. Isai, 55, 3.4. Psal. 2.1, 2. Acts 13.40, 41 John 15.18, 19. where they shall all re­joyce together, and be one in the everlasting covenant of love and life in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this makes the heathen to rage, and the world to wonder at the mighty works of the Lord our God▪ But it is no new thing to be reproached by the world, who knowes not God: For saith Christ, If ye were of the world, the world would love you, but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore doth it hate you. While we were of the world we were loved of the world, 1 Pet. 1.14. when we were alive in the old nature, and did partake with them in their wayes of worship, and in their vain conversati­on, being one with them in vanity, and run with them to plea­sures and vain delights, in vain and foolish jesting, and idle and vain talking, our tongues being our own, and our wild natu [...]e not being tamed, but we could do as they did, and speak our own words, and think our own thoughts, and do our own works, no knowing the Crosse of Christ, nor bearing his yoak, but were at ease in the flesh, and in the carnall liberty, feeding upon perishing things, and created objects, loving the world [Page 34]and the things of it, and delighting in and loving the Crea­ture more than the Creator. I say, when we were in that condi­tion one with the world in most things, then were we estee­med and loved of the world, and they spake well of us (if we did not crosse their wills) but even then (though we could talk of God and Christ, and Scriptures) we were strangers from God and Christ, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. Gal. 1.15, 16. and from that pure life that the holy men of God lived in, that spake forth Scriptures, but then it pleased the Lord to manifest himself unto us, and revealed his truth within us, our understanding was opened by his pure light shining within, whereby we saw the deceits of the world, and their worship, and the hypocrifie and dissimulation of pro­fessors, Priests and people, and that their religion was but a shew and shadow, and meer outside seeming colour, and talk of words and names, Isai. 29.13. drawing neer to God with their lips, and mouthes, when their hearts were after the things of the world, and there was no life appearing, nor fruits of righteousness from a true ground brought forth, but pride and self-love, and covetousness, every one seeking themselves, and to advance themselves by fraud and deceit, guile and hypocrisie, yea and all manner of wickedness we saw acted amongst them, which did grieve our spirits, and w [...]s a burden to our tender consci­ences, and we separated from them, and could not partake with them, neither in their wayes of worship (as it is established) nor in their conversations; but we seeing, in the light of the Lord, 2 Cor. 6.1. that they are out of the way, and their worship, do­ctrine and practices are contrary to the pure worship of God, and the doctrine and practices of the holy men of God decla­red of in Scripture, Tir. 1.16. as I have shewed before: We seeing these things, for Sions sake we cannot hold our peace, but in love to the souls of all people, do declare and testifie against the world and the unrighteousness of it, and against the deceits and hy­pocrisie of the Parish Teachers and Hirelings of these times, and against all the formall and carnall professors, who in words profess God, but in works deny him; and for this cause are we hated, reviled, reproached, beaten, whipped, stocked, stoned, and sent up and down the Countrey as Vagabonds, and abused and sent to prison, and this is manifest at this day in England, the [Page 35]war is begun already betwixt the Beast and the Lamb, but the Lamb shal get the victory; though all joyn hand in hand against the innocent, it shall all be in vain, they shall not prevail, Rev. 17.14. Mica 4.1, 2. Mat. 5.10, 11, 12. John 16.20, 21. Psal. 30.35. 2 Pet. 1.19. Rev. 21.23 24 Heb. 11.26. but the Lord over all shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be e­stablished in righteousness, and the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be ex [...]lted above the Hills, and people shall flow unto it, and though we now be persecuted and hated, and troubled on every side, yet it shall not be long, for the Lord will plead the cause of the innocent, and though sorrow and trouble may endure for a night, yet joy will come in the morning, when the glorious day of the Lord doth dawn within, and the day-star doth arise in the heart, then shall darkness be expelled, and all the children of the Lord shall walk in the light of the Lord, and rejoyce in his presence, and reproaches to us are great riches, for we know it is our portion from the worldly and car­nall professors, those who have the name and form of godliness, but are not in the life, they are and were ever found persecu­ters of the life where ever it did appear. As in the time of Mo­ses administration, when the Lord did appear darkly as it were, under types and shadowes, Mar. 23.31. John 5.35. John 1.14. and the people for a time were held under that administration. And in the times of the Prophets more light was discovered, and they saw through the shadows, and declared against them, and those who were in the types and shadows persecuted the Prophets. The Law and the Pro­phets were untill Iohn, and amongst all that were born of wo­men, there was not a greater than Iohn, for he was a burning and a shining light, and this was a greater light than the pro­phets, yet the least in the kingdom is greater than Iohn. And in the admistration of the Gospel, when the fulness of time was come, when Christ was manifest in the flesh, who was the end of the Law and the Prophets. Those who had the form of the Law, and the Prophets words, Mat. 26 3.4, Mark 15 15. Col. 1.20.21, 22, 23. they persecuted Christ the life of the Law and the Prophets, as many do now in these our days, who have got the words of Christ and the Apostles, and cryes up names and words, as the Ordinances of Christ, and the Church of Christ, and the Ministers of the Gospel, and notwith­standing all this, are persecuting the appearance of Christ and [Page 36]his life that is now manifest in his people as it was in former times under the Law, those that multiplied their Sacrifices and burnt offerings, but their hearts were far off, and the bond of iniquity was not broken, nor the oppressed set free, but they lived in their sins, and so were testified against by the Pro­phet, as thou mayst read, Isaia chapter 1. The Ox knoweth his Owner, and the Asse his masters Crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider, a sinfull Nation, a peo­ple laden with iniquity, a seed of evill doers, children that are corrupters, they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger, they have gone away backward: The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds & bruises, and putrifying soars, they have not bin closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oyntment. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord, I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs, or of he Goats, when you come before me, who hath required this at your hands? Bring no more vain Oblations, Incense is an abomination unto me, the New Moon; and Sabbaths, the calling of Assemblies, I cannot away with, it is iniquity even the solemn meeting: your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth, they are a trouble to me, I am weary to hear them, and when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, when yee make many prayers I will not hear, your hands are full of blood, wash ye make you clean, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evill, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the Fatherless, and plead for the Wi­dow, &c.

Now you people of all sorts, who makes a profession of God, and call together Assemblies, examine your selves truly, and see if you be not in the condition of those whom the prophet cryes against: Mat 7.22, 23. Are you not revolted from the Lord? Are you not a sinfull people, laden with iniquity, a seed of ev [...]ll doers? Have not you provoked the Lord to anger by your unrighteous walking? Are not you corrupted with sin from the sole of the foot even to the head? Can you deny these things? Nay, I [Page 37]have heard some of you confesse this in words. Then to what purpose is your Sabbaths and your solemn meetings, as your calling of Assemblies, your dayes of humiliation, as you call them, and your Lecture dayes, and your long prayers, who hath required these things at your hands? It is all bur­densom to the Lord, and he cannot away with it; it is in qui­ty, even your solemn meetings, and your prayers are abomina­tion, and the Lord will not hear them, for your hands are full of blood, you are full of envy. Mat. 23 14. Deut. 32.29. Isal. 47.7, 8, 9 Luke 11.49. Oh when will yee lay these things to heart, and consider and depart from iniquity, and re­lieve the oppressed, and undo the heavy burdens, and plead the cause of the innocent, and not send to prison nor persecute the his innocent servants: It is not your saying Lord, Lord, nor your hypocriticall prayers, nor outside holinesse that will avail you, nor cover your nakedness in the day of the Lord; there­fore cease from your sin and your ungodliness, and learn the wayes of righteousness, that your souls may live, Isaiah 55.1, 2, 3.

Again, read Isaiah 66.1, 2, 3. There you may see how the Prophet declared against the Temple, and the Sacrifices, which were outward, Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my Throne, and the Earth is my Footstool, where is the House that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? &c. He that kit­leth an Ox is as if he slew a Man, he that sacrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut off a Dogs neck, he that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines blood, he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idoll; yea, they have chosen their own wayes, and their soul de­lighteth in their abominations. Consider and let this judge you, who have forsaken the wayes of the Lord, and have chosen your own wayes, and delights in your abominations, Mat. 15.8, 9, the Lord wall plead with you. And Jeremiah cryed against those that trusted in lying words, that lived in oppression and sin. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel, Amend your lives and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this, Trust yee not in lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these: For if ye through­ly amend your wayes and your doings, if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his Neighbour, if ye oppress not [Page 38]the stranger, the Fatherless and the widow, and shed not innocent blood, then will I cause you to dwell in this place, Jer. 7.3, 4, 5, 6, 1 Cor. 1.14. 1 Cor, 1.30. Mat. 7.12. 7. Let this judge you all that trust in lying words, crying the Church of Christ, and the Ordinance of Christ, and the Ministery of the Gospel, and so makes a great noise and talk of words, for these things are not known to you while you live in the old nature; but if yee throughly amend your wayes, and put off the Old man with his deeds, and put on the New man Christ-Jesus, then shall the Church of Christ be known, and all the ordinances of Christ lived in, in the life and power of them, but not while you live in sin.

And again, Mica. 66.7, 8. the Prophet Mica he saw through the Figures, and saw the upright and just life which the Lord required, as you may read in Mica 6.6, 7, 8. Wherewith shall I come be­fore the Lord, and bow my self before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand of Rivers of Oyl? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord re­quire of thee but to do justly, and love mercy, and towalk hum­bly with thy God. These examples. I bring, that you may see how the Lord did send his Servants and Prophets to cry against deceit and hypocrisie, and against those that made a profession, but were out of the life and possession. And those whom the Lord thus sent, they were hated by those whom they decla­red against in the time of their testimony: And afterward ano­ther generation comes, and cryes up their words, as the Pro­phets in the time of their prophesie, they were hated, but af­ter their death another generation gets their words, but still persecuteth alike. And this was manifest in the dayes of Christ, Heb. 8.1. when he was manifest in the Flesh, who was the substance of Moses Types, and the end and life of the Pro­phets; he was hated by the Jewes, Chief Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, who had gotten the words, and painted themselves with Moses and the Prophets words, and cryed up the Pro­phets, building their Tombs, and garnishing the Sepulchers of the Righteous, and condemned their forefathers for kil­ling [Page 39]of the prophets; and yet these were them that crucified the Son of God, Matth. 12.2. who was the life and substance of those things which they upheld, which were outward and typicall, but though they made a fair shew and large profession, and were zealous for their Sabbath, and strict in their observati­ons, yet they lived in their sins, and Christ saw their hypocri­sie, and cryes wo unto them, as you may read Matth. 23. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and of the Platter, but within they are full of extorsion and excesse. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is wihin the Cup and Platter, that the outside may be clean also.

Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, for ye are like unto whited Sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, Mat. 26.3, 4. & 27, 26 Acts 2.41. Acts 7.48, 49. to the end.but are within full of dead mens bones and all uncleaness: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity.

Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, because ye build the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets; wherefore ye be witnesses unto your selves that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets: Fill ye up then the measure of your Fathers. Ye Serpents, ye generation of vipers, how have ye escaped the damnation of Hel [...]?

Here you may see that Christ deals plainly with them, and doth not wink at sin, but reproves them sharply: And it was no railing, as some call it now: for he saw their deceit, and they were in rage and envy against him, and the Chiefe Priests and Rulers took counsell against him, and crucified him; but notwithstanding all this, did not put a stop to the work of the Lord, but he appeared again unto his Disciples, and filled them with his Spirit of power, and they went and preached the Gospel, and cryed down the Temple-worship, and the Ceremonies of the Law; and for this they were hated, Acts 8.2, 3. and persecuted, and some were stoned to death by such as up­held the Temple and the outward commands, and Saul a­mongst the rest made havock of the Church, and persecuted [Page 40]them from Citie to Citie. And thus in the Apostles time they were persecuted by such as had the form of godliness, but were strangers to the power and life of godliness. But I do not read in all the Scriptures that ever the Christians did persecute any who were Christians indeed; so that persecution is a mark of the Beast, and of Antichrist, and it was ever blind. After the Apostles time many there was that got the form of truth, 2 Tim. 3.1, 2 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8, 1 John 2, 18. and in the Apostles times the Doctrine of Antichrist crept in, which now hath over-spread a great part of the world, and darkness hath long been over all Nations; and though some have born the name of Christians, yet far they are from the Christians life, and these now in our age have gotten the Scrip­tures: and as those in the days of Christ had gotten the form of Moses and the Prophets words, so these have gotten the form of Christ & the Apostles words, but are far from Christ and the Apostles life: and as they then in that generation did did condemn their fore fathers for killing the Prophets, Luke 11.47, 48. and yet did persecute Christ the Life, so these now in this gene­ration do condemn their fore fathers the Jewes for crucifying of Christ, and yet are found in rage and malice, and persecution against the appearance of Christ in Spirit in his Saints now: yea those who have been looked upon as godly men, and prea­ched and prayed for the pouring forth of the Spirit upon sons and upon daughters, and that the Lord would teach his people himself by his Spirit those things have been spoken of and tal­ked in this generation by Priests and People. And now when the day is come, and the Lord hath poured forth his Spirit upon Sons and Daughters, yet because it is not in their way, and in their time, and according to their expectation, therefore they cry out, and persecute, and revile and speak against the Lords light and appearance within, as it was formerly by the enemies and opposers of Truth, and these cry out against freedom from sin, and against perfection, as a blasphemous Doctrine; but it is that which the Lord is bringing to pass, Heb. 10.16, 17, 18. Rev. 21.27. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. gathering his people into his everlasting Covenant, where sin and iniquity enters not, but is for ever shut out of the Kingdome and Covenant of God. For these Teachers and People in these our dayes, [Page 41]who cry up and professe Christ without, and a Church and a worship without, and a Law and Light, and Word without, and their Rule and Ordinances without, and their Teachers and all other things without, are but in in the state and condition, (nay they are short) of those who upheld the Temple-worship and Ceremonies of the Law, which made nothing perfect, though there was in the first covenant Ordinances of Divine Service, and a worldly Sanctuary: For there was a Tabernacle made, the first wherein was the Candlestick, and the Table, and the Shew-Bread, which is called the Sanctuary; and after the second veil the Tabernacle, which is called the Holiest of all: And other things as you may read, Heb. 9. the holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all, was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both Gifts & Sacrifices, that could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood onely in meats and drinks, and divers washings and carnall or­dinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation; and in that covenant and admin stration there was an outward Temple, and a Law, and Sabbath, and Cir­cumcision without, and Priests that did offer up Sacrifi­ces and Burnt Offerings, whose lips were to preserve knowledge; but nevertheless there was a disanulling of all these things for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof, Heb: 7: 18, 19. Heb: 10.1. Heb. 8.7, 8. to the end. for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope, by the which we draw nigh unto God, and all these things were but as Types and Sha­dowes of better things to come, and of a new Covenant, in which sin and iniquity shall be done away: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sound for the second, for finding fault with them he saith, Behold the dayes come saith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenent with the House of Israel and with the House of Judab not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in th [...] d [...]y when I took them by [Page 42]the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt, for they continued not in my Covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord, for this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord I will wri [...]e my Law in their hearts, and put my Spirit in their inward parts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people, and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall knew me from the least to the greatest, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, & their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

This is the new Covenant prophesied of the dayes of Jeremiah, Luke 4.21 A &s 2.16, 17 Exod. 34.1. Exod. 31: 14, 15, 16, Exod: 40: 12, 13. 1 Chron: 17.12. Gen. 17.10, Exod. 37.29. 2 Cor. 3.3, 1 Cor. 3.16, 17, Rom. 2: 28, 29. Matth. 12.8, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, 3, 4. Mat. 10.28, 29, 1 Iohn 2, 27. Heb: 4, 12, Rom: 10.8. 1 Cor: 6.11, Heb. 9: 13, 14 and was sulfilled in the days of Christ & the Apostles, and is now fulfilled, and fulfilling, in these our dayes; and as in the old covenant the Law without, writ­ten in Tables of Stone, and the Sabbath was without, and the Priests were without, whose lipps were to preserve knowledg; and the Temple was withont, circumcision and many other things were without, and the anointing Oyl, these things were outward, but did not make the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Consci­ence, they did but cleanse the outside. But in the new Covenant the life and substance is within: the Law is written in the Tables of the Heart, and the Spirit is with­in to teach them; and their Bodies are the Temple of God, and Circumcision of the Heart with the Spirit, and the Sabbath (or rest) is witnessed, which is Jesus Christ, who is the Rest and the Rock and Refuge to flye unto, and whosoever doth come unto him, and take his yoak upon them, and learn of him, they shall find rest to their souls: And the Anointing is within, and the Word of Life and Reconciliation, which is as a sharp Sword to cut down all sin and all the lusts of the flesh. This word is within, nigh in the heart, and in the mouth, and by this Word of Life and power within, were the Saints and holy men of God purified and cleansed, and their con­sciences purged from dead workes, and were created a­new, to serve God in the new life of Righteousness, and [Page 43]it is the work of God within that doth make perfect from sin, Eph: 2.10: Rom: 8.2: 2 Pet. 1.19, 21; even the law of the Spirit of Life that Paul speaks of, that made him free from the law of Sin and Death: And from this Word and Spirit of Light with­in, was all the Scriptures given forth, and all words or wri­tings that are spoken or written, are to bring to the Word and Spirit within: For whatsoever was written or spoken by Moses or by the Prophets, Christ or the Apo­stles, John 4.24 1 John 1, 7, being spoken and written from the Spirit and Light within, they are all to bring out of all Shadowes and Fi­gures, Luke 17.20, Col: 2, 20, 21, 22. Heb: 9.9, 10 Heb. 10.1 Luke 15.16, Isaiah 55.2, Luke 24.5, Jer. 2.13. Ezek: 3 4, 5, 6, Mica 6 6.14 Mat 7, 22, 23. Mal: 3, 5, John 3.17, 20 and carnall Observations to the worship of God within in the Spirit, where the Saints union and fellow­ship is in the Spirit and Light within. So all you, both Priests and People, in this generation, who are seeking the kingdom in your Observations, whose worship and Or­dinances, and Light, and Word, and Rule, and other things, are without. I say unto you, your worship is but carnall, and all that which you practise it doth not cleanse you, nor make you perfect; you are but feeding upon the husks, you are spending your labour for that which doth not satisfie, and spending your money for the which is not bread, you are seeking the living amongst the dead, you are seeking water among the broken Cisterns that will hold no water, you are as the woman that sought the lost Groat without, you are as sheep without a Shepheard, scattered upon the mountains, but find no rest, you are hungry but are not satisfied: Nay, I know there is a cry within you for purity and holiness of life, and notwith­standing all your talking, and your observations, your preaching and your praying, you are condemned in your selves for your unrighteous walking: and this is the con­demnation of the world, because light is come into the world, and yet men love darkness better than light, be­cause their deeds be evill.

Therefore take heed of despising the light within, 2 Pet. 1, 19, John 1.5. John 8, 12, 1 John 3, 5, but take heed to, and mind the light that shines in your dark hearts, and reproves you for your sin, that out of trans­gression ye may come and follow Christ in the light, [Page 44]which whosoever follows, shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life; John 14.6. Acts 4.12. John 1.9. for God is light, and he out of his love hath given his Son for a covenant of light unto the people to lead them out of darkness, and to se­parate them from sin, and to joyn them to the Lord, and there is no way to life but by the Son of God, there is no other name under heaven given by which any man can be saved, than by the name of Jesus, who is the light of the world, and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world, and this light is true and pure, and testifies a­gainst sin and evill, though you act sin never so closely, that none in the world can accuse you, yet this light with­in you doth stand a witnesse against you, & condemn you, and though you may alter and change your wayes, and be tossed to and fro by mens changeable Doctrines, yet this light of Christ within you doth never change, but doth reprove you for sin and evill, & make manifest darkness & the deeds of darkness, Eph, 5.13. that is the light; or all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; whatsoever makes manifest is light, that which tels you that lying is a sin, and swearing is a sin, and whoredom & drunkenness, and pride and covetousness, that which doth reprove you when you act any evill, that is the light that I speak of, and do direct your minds unto, to wait upon God in the light for teaching, and power over sin, and as you have many years been seeking without, and talking of Christ and Saviour without, but have not found peace nor free­dom, but are alive in your sins, and laden with iniquity; so now turn in your minds to the light of Christ, and there wait for the appearance of Christ in you, 2 Tim. 3.6, 7, Col: 1.27, 2 Cor: 4.10, 11. 1 John 3.8, 1 John 5.12, 29. 1 Cor. 3.17. Eph. 3.17. Rom. 8.10, and for his life and power to be made manifest in your mortall bodies to kill and slay sin, and to purifie your bearts, that your in­side may be clean by the pure power and life of Christ within, that so your bodies may be Temples of God holy and pure, that God, who is Light may dwell within you; and Christ Jesus, who is light, may appeare within you: For he is not known in power to kill and destroy the workes of the Divell but as he is known within, and [Page 45]where he is witnessed come in the flesh, there is peace a­biding in him; but while you live in your sins there is no peace; and as you love that little light within you, 2 Cor. 13, 5, Iohn 14, 27. Isal. 48.22. Mat. 13.31, 32 1 Iohn 2.27, Iohn 3.19, 20, 21. 1 Tim: 3.9. Ezra 3.19. Psalm 1.6 which at first is but small like a grain of Mustard-seed, but wai­ting in patience, and bringing your deeds to it to be tried by it, it will grow and spring in you, and fill your hearts with joy, and teach you continually; but if you hate this light, and run to men for teaching, and live in your old nature, where the curse and wrath is, this light will be your condemnation, and truly this I say unto you, That if ever you own God, or his truth as it is in Christ Jesus; or if ever you own a good conscience, where the mystery of faith is held, you must own this light to be your guide and teacher; so take warning in your life time, and let not the love of God be tendered to you in vain, lest you perish in your sins.

DEarly beloved friends, you whose hearts are touched, and understandings opened with the light of Jesus, whereby you are come to see the deadness and emptiness of all the Formall and Carnall Worships, and profession, that stands in mans will, gathered in by the strength of the wis­dom of the subtile Serpent, whose head is not bruised, but doth rule as King in faln Man, and leads him captive at his will to do his lusts: Such are those who professe God in words, but in works deny him, drawing nigh unto him with their lips and mouthes, crying Lord, Lord, but their hearts are far off, the Divell he keeps possession there, and sits as King, and they are his slaves who live in envy, wrath and malice, pride, lust, covetousnesse, lying, swea­ring, railing and reviling, and the like. Such beares the mark of their father the Divel, who hath begotten them in­to his image and likenesse, and their prayers and and sacri­sices are abomination, and stinks in the nostrils of the pure God, and they do not, neither shall they profit the people at all, but leads them captive laden with sin, and led away with divers lusts, ever learning, but never come to the true knowledge of God, as it is plainly manifest to the children of light. And these things (friends) the Lord hath let you see, and turned you from them and their carnall worships. Now wait in patience upon the Lord in his light, that you may receive his power and word of life and reconciliation in your hearts, to separate you from all sin and unclean­nesse. That as the separation is made without in a mea­sure, so the separation may be made within by the pure po­wer, that your hearts may be purified, and your consciences purged from all sin, and your Bodies made Temples holy and pure for the Lord God to dwell in, that you may worship God in Spirit in his holy Temple, and be taught of [Page 47]him in Spirit according as he hath promised, and according as you have been directed by his servants and faithfull wit­nesses, so wait and walk with the loyns of your minds girt up, and stayed upon the Lord, that his living Word may a­bide in you, and quicken your mort all bodies, and raise you up from death and dead works, to serve and worship God in the new life, that you may truly witnesse Jesus to be your Teacher and Feeder. If you should never behold the Face of man more, this is that which I and and all my friends do wait for, that all of you may eat your own bread, & have oyl in your own vessels, for the time draweth nigh that all who have not oyl in their vessels will be shut out of the King­dom: It will then be in vain to beg or buy from others. Therefore beloved, as you and many others have long been looking without, and seeking the kingdom of God in Obser­vations without, and talking of a Christ and a Saviour without, but no peace nor salvation was found there. Now return home, and seek the lost groat in your own house, and wait in the light for the glorious appearance of Christ in you, that his life and power may be manifest in you to save you from your sins. So as branches abide in the vine Christ Jesus, that you may be fruitfull and abound in love, and all the gifts of God. This I write unto you by way of remembrance, to stir up your pure minds, that you may be kept watchfull and diligent, waiting in patience untill the work of the Lord be perfected in you. So the Lord God of power breath forth his Spirit upon you, and enrich you with his spirituall blessings, that you may abound in all good things, and be kept blamelesse and harmlesse amongst this wicked and untoward generation of men, standing faithfull to the Lord in all things, that you may finish your course with joy, and be crowned with glory, and reign with the Lord God and the Lamb, and praise his holy Name, and worship him in the beauty of his Holinesse for every and ever.