The true Church manifested to be the Body of Christ, and not the externall Temples made with hands, and Christ exalted who is Supreme head of his Church, and the Teacher of the Members of his body, and the end of the first Priesthood.

THE Eternall God, that made the world, and all things therein,Act 17. who gives life to all living creatures,Acts 7. dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, neither is he worshipped with mens hands, as people may imagine, but the Almighty dreadfull God is a Spirit, and the true worshippers worship him in the Spirit, and so he will be worshipped, and is and hath been so served and worshipped by the true Christians, the faithfull worshippers created anew in Christ, ever since Christ came in the flesh, the living substance, who prophesied of the deftruction of the Temple, which Solo­mon builded for the Service of God in the time of the Law, which Temple and Service in its time was agreeable to the will of God, being duly and truly observed, according to the requi­rings of the Law, and the first Priesthood, as they stood faith­full in the Councell of the Lord, their service and offerings was accepted, but their time was but untill Christ came in the flesh; the everlasting, unchangeable High Priest, in whom the Righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled, who is made a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedech; he puts an end to the (first Priesthood) Law, the carnall Ordinances, offerings, and outward observations, Rites, and Ceremonies contained in the Law, which were Types, figures, and shadows, all fulfilled in Christ the living Substance, the end of the Law and the Pro­phets, for the substance, the end of all things, the eternall son [Page 4]of the dreadfull God being come, the shadows and figures cease and end, the first Priesthood, which was the changeable Priestood, had its time untill the coming of Jesus Christ, the eternall, unchangeable Priest, and then changed, and the Law also:Heb. 7. And this is he (at whom the whole world is offended, who makes themselves Priests after the Law of a carnall com­mandement) who is made high Priest for ever over the hou­shold of God, not made by a carnal [...] of a commandement (as the Priests of the world are, who receive their orders & Commis­sions from man, so made by the will of man but after the power of an endlesse life, and they who have not Christ to be their chief Shepherd, and high Priest, are none of his sheep, nor of the hou­shold of God; whatsoever in words may be professed of him; for there are many that draw nigh with their mouths and lips, but their heart far from him.

The Law made nothing perfect, as the Scripture of truth, af­firms, but Christ Jesus the substance hath by one offering perfected for ever them that be sanctified; the daily sacrificers the Priests themselves,Heb. 10. who daily offered sacrifice for themselves and the people in the outward Temple, according to the Cu­stome of the Law, were not made perfect as pertaining to the conscience, for that by the works of the Law, no flesh can be justified, if there had been perfection in the works of the law under the first Priesthood; what need had there been for a change of the law and the Priesthood, but not being of force, to make the comers thereunto perfect, nor the Priests themselves: there­fore there was a necessity, for the change of the law and the Priesthood,Heb. 7.11, 12. for as saith Paul, if there had been perfection by the Leviticall Priesthood (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there, that another Priesthood should arise after the order of Melchisedech, and not be called after the order of Aaron for the Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity also a change of the law.

Wherefore I say, all such people, as now go to, and uphold the outward Temple and Synagogue, and observe the ancient customes, the Rices and Ceremonies contained in the law; fol­low the example of the Jews, and the first Priesthood and their [Page 5]practises, and so goes on in the way where perfection cannot be actained, nor the light of life received.

It was the labour and practice of the Apostles, the primitive Christians, to go into the Temple and Synagognes, and to de­clare against their carnall Ordinances, weak and beggarly Ele­ments, which had no strength nor power in them to bring peo­ple to perfection, and to call them forth of these things to fol­low Jesus Christ, the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that be sanctifi­ed, and so many as believed and received Christ, which the Saints in light preached, left the outward Temple and worship, and forsook the types, figures, and shadows, and the rudiments of the world, and followed Christ and they recived the light of life, the knowledge of God, and in Chirst was created anew, and so be­came Christians, forsaking the old way, and following the new, and living way, which all be our of,Col. 2.20, 21, 22, 23 who uphold the outward Temple and be in the Rudiments of the world, the carnall Or­dinances, and outward observations, whose performances stands in their own wills and time: take notice, they who continued in the outward Temple-worship were not called Christians, and though ye Temple worshippers call your selves Christians, and go under the name of believers in Christ, neverthelesse your practises and fruits manifests the contrary, with the eternall eye, ye are seen to be in the same nature and life of the Jews and In­fidels, who were enemies to Christ and the primitive Christians, for ye have but the talk or nimes of Christ and the Saints, our of the nature and life of the living substance.

The Temple which King Solomon builded,Mat. 24. Jesus Christ the e­verlasting unchangeable high Priest,Mar. 13. foretold the destruction of, and told his Disciples,Luk. 21. that there should not be left one stone up­on another, that should not be thrown down, and after the Prophesie of Christ was fulfilled, the Temple destroyed, the Scripture of truth doth not mention, that ever the Lord com­manded one other to be builded, but the Iews, Scribes, Pha­risees and Infidels, who murdered the just, who were in dark­nesse, upheld the ourward Temple, and Synagogues (as the truths enemies do now) and have builded many Temples and [Page 6]Synagogues, following their own imaginations and inventions, and the Superstitious traditions and Ceremonies of the enemies of Christ, (and the harmlesse Christians) not regarding Christ, nor the Doctrine of the Apostles, who declared against them, and told people in plain words, God dwelt not in them, as is in the Scripture of truth recorded,Act. 17. Act. 7. Which shall stand a witnesse for ever against all their upholders.

And as the Temple-worshippers in former ages were ready to cry up their Temple and worship, after God had removed his Candlestick from it, even so it is at this day, they in the Primi­tive times upheld and cried up the temple-worship, and servi­ces therein, when the Lord was departed out of them, and there was no life to be found in them; and they persecuted, im­prisoned, and shamefully intreated the Christians in whom was the Life, whose bodies were the Temple of the living God, and the cryers up,1 Cor. 3. and upholders of the idolized houses, the externall Temples and Synagogues (which they call common­ly Churches) and the daily services, follows the same example, though they call themselves by the name of Christians; but your fruits and practises makes you clearly manifest, ye are as the Jews and unbelievers were in former ages, without the Life and Power of truth and righteousnesse, and enemies to it:

Likewise, the heathenish Idolaters, set up Temples for to worship their idol-gods in, and they cryed up their outward Temple,Act. 19. the Temples of Diana, Great is the Temple of Diana, and the upholders of the Temple of Diana was in a great up­rore against the Apostle Paul, for declaring against their abomi­nable superstition and idolatry, and with all their force and power in a tumultuous manner, resisted the power and life of truth, and cryed up their own idol, as all the Sects and opini­ons do now, every particular Sect cryes up their own way, but all enemies to the life and power of truth, and can all agree in one to persecute the Temple of God, in whom the life of God is made manifest, ye who are gathered into various forms, though in judgment and opinion ye from one another differ, and be at enmity one against another: neverthelesse in this Nation [Page 7]of England, as well as in other Nations and Islands ye can joyn together, and make warre against the children of light, speak and write against the life of truth, and beat, imprison and per­secute the bodies of the Saints, in whom the life and power of truth is manifested, in the former ages as may be read in the Scriptures of truth, the chief Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, the Libertines, Sadduces, and Alexandrians, all were enemies to Christ and the primitive Christians, and even so are the various formalists in this age, all enemies to the chosen of the Lord, the elect seed, but it is our joy, that our God hath called us unto such an high calling, and counted us worthy to suffer in inno­cency for his pure names sake, glory, honour, praise, and eter­nall dominion, be given unto our God; all ye dear innocent Lambs who suffer for Righteousnesse sake, rejoyce and sing prai­ses unto the Lord our God for ever, the day of your eternall Redemption draweth nigh, your enemies, the enemies of truth and innocency, the Lord our God will confound and destroy, and through patient suffering we shall all be crowned with vi­ctory, and triumph and rejoyce over all Gods enemies for ever. Blessed are ye for ever who abide the fiery tryall, for yours is the dominion for ever; but who ever shrinks in the time of suf­fering, when the great day of tryall shall come, shall never reign with Christ the Captain of our salvation, who was made perfect through suffering; but ye who continue to the end, are blessed for ever, and shall reign as Kings over all the earth.

And ye Temple-worshippers in this age, manifest your selves to be as blind and ignorant concerning the mystery of life and salvation, as your forefathers were, the enemies of truth and righteousnesse in the former ages, who did not believe in Christ the substance, who put an end to all types and figures, though ye pretend ye believe in Christ, and go under the name of Chri­stians; but all are not Christians that go under that name, for all ye that be from the light with which Christ Jesus hath en­lightened you, and deny the light, and call it a naturall light, or a fancy, as many of ye have done, be out of the way of Truth, Life, Peace, and salvation; for there is no Life, Peace nor sal­vation in any other but [...] the true light, which hath enlightened [Page 8]every man that is come into the world, and I say unto you, un­till you come to own the light of Christ in you, and it receive to be your guide and leader, you cannot receive the light of life: the way of life, peace and eternall salvation, the light will lead you if you believe in it, and receive it to be acted by it, which will for ever be sealed from you, if ye continue in enmity to it, and hate, and despise it, and will be your condemnati­on for ever from the inheritance of the Righteous: none up­on the face of the whole earth can come into the persect know­ledge of the secret mystery of life and salvation, but by the Light with which Christ hath enlightened them; for it is the key of Divine knowledge, it being owned and received, it will clear and open the understanding, and give truly to know the secret mystery of eternal life and salvation, which cannot be at­tained any other way, but by the light, which is the eye with which the face of God is seen in Christ, the eternall Divine sub­stance, in whom all fulnesse dwells, which Divine secret is hid eternally from all that deny and refuse the light in them, with which the expresse image of the Fathers glorious substance, Christ hath enlightned them.

Also I say, all people upon the face of the whole earth, under what name or Title of Religion soever, that make men­tion of the name of Jesus Christ, and are from the light with which the true light Christ hath enlightened them, are out of the nature and life of Christ, and are no true Christians, but are in the flesh, and brings forth the fruits of the flesh, and such as be in the flesh be enemies in their minds to Christ, and the true innocent Christians: the fleshly man in all ages hath been, an enemie to the Spirituall man, as in particular, in the general, the flesh makes war against the Spirit, the fleshly man against the Spirituall man, and strives with all his might and force to have the rule over the spirituall man; but thou fleshly man, thy Strength is the Arm of flesh, and thy weapons of Warre are carnal, and thou canst not prevail against the man born of the Spirit, for the Lord of hosts is his strength, who is Mighty and Powerfull, who will cut downe by the World of his Power, the Sword of his Mouth, and give [Page 9]him dominion over thee, though thou use all thy craft and subtill policy, for to bring the spirituall seed under thee, yet thou shall know that God hath decreed the contrary; for this is the day of the Lords mercy, and the innocent seed, which hath long been sore oppressed by the unrighteous generation of fleshly men, shall now be freed from bondage and thral­dome; and I know the day draws nigh wherein this shall be fulfilled; though the utmost of your wrath and cruelty, you will manifest, who walk in the flesh, yet all your stri­ving, plotting, and close combining and unrighteous de­crees, shall stand you in no stead, for the elect seed, accor­ding to the determinate Counsell of the Almighty God shall now be set free, as well from out ward bondage, as in­ward, and shall reign and govern in righteousness, over all the earth for evermore, our God according to his promise, for his elect sake, will hasten his work, a short work, he will make upon the earth, now woe, woe, to the oppressors of Sion great will be your misery pain and torment, of your grief and sorrow there shall be no end; but blessed art thou who art hated, and despised, persecuted, and shamefully en­treated, mocked and scorned, and not counted worthy to live upon the earth, thy grief and sorrow, shall be turned into everlasting joy, thou shalt sing and be glad, when thy enemies mourn and lament, thy time of sorrow is come in remembrance with God, and he will plead thy cause against thy oppressions, and give thee ease and peace for ever, and o­ver the smoke of their torment shalt thou rejoyce, and the time draweth night wherein our God will bring this to pass.

Gods people, his Temple; and who they are.

THe Apostle, Paul writes unto the Corinthians in plain words, concerning the Temple of God;1 Cor. 3.16. which might stop the mouths of all the Carnall professors upon the earth, who call, a stone-house their Church or Temple; if the words were truly weighed and beleeved; know ye not [Page 10](saith he) that ye are the Temple of God; and the spirit of God dwelleth in you, if any defile the temple of God, him shal God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are, but the whole earth hath been covered with thick dark­ness, in this long time of Apostacy, that the understandings of most part of people hath been vailed and blinded, that the knowledge of the truth and life of the holy Scriptures hath been sealed from them, and are to thousands at this day; who make a profession of it; and by many thousands of peo­ple in this Nation and other Nations, the stone houses, the Idol Temples made with mens hands, are called Churches and Temples; and are esteemed to be more holy places then others; though the Scripture clearly manifests to the true understanding Reader, that the people of God are his Church or Temple;2 Cor. 6.16. ye are (saith Paul to the Church of Corinth) the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; take notice, the people in whom God dwells and walks are his Temple; but if any of Gods people, whom he hath chosen to be his rabernacle; do now bear restimony of the spirit of life dwelling in them, it is by this dark generation of people counted presumption, and by some blasphemy; because it is beyond the reach of their car­nal reason and sensuall wisdome, which never shall enter in­to the true knowledge of this my stery, god dwelling in man and man dwelling in God; and furthermore, Paul saith to to the Church at Corinth, 1 Cor. 6.19. what know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Spirit which is in you? is not this a plain thing, that the people of God are his temple, and dwelling place, if you will beleeve the Scriptures, you can­not deny the truth of this which is so clearly made manifest. And these are Gods, people, who walk in his light and Counsell, who are borne againe of the incorruptible seed, who have put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man Christ Iesus, and this is the same body as ever was; the temple God dwells in; the body purged from sin and corruption, and this is the eternall tabernacle of God, the new man, Christ Jesus the same to day yesterday and for ever, but such people as be in the corruptible nature, not [Page 11]purged nor cleansed from sin and corruption, are not the holy temple of God; such as bring forth the fruits of unrighteous­ness, and hath no experience of the in ward work of Gods li­ving power in them, but are ignorant of the work of repene­ration, they be none of the body of Christ the temple of God, but the Synagogue of Satan, the body of Anti-Christ; for it is they and onely they, who are (borne of the spirit and walk after the spirit, (to walk after the spirit is to be led and guided by it) which brings forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness which knows the operation of the divine power, and the work of Regeneration wrought in them, which are the true and onely temple of God; ye who are Regenerate, and born again of the immortall seed, ye are the true Christians body of Christ, temple of God, and Gods dwelling house and ta­bernacle, ye babes of God, who through the eternall spirit, hath mortified the Just and Concupiscence of the flesh, Cru­cified the old man with his deeds; from whom all old things are passed away; who are created a new unto good works, ye are the Church of the first borne, your body is the temple of the eternall God, and he will dwell in you, and make his a­bode with you for ever,

The members of the body of Christ known by their fruits from the Synagogue of Anti-Christ.

YE who be of the body of Christ, from sin and iniquity are purged and cleansed through the Spirit, by which ye are baptised into the one body, and ye cannot bring forth evill fruits, ye are known one of another in the life of innocency, though the world know ye not, ye are meek, loving and full of tender compassion, ye cannot render evill for evill to no person, ye are patient and long suffering, willing freely to forgive them that trespass against you, your humillity and moderation is manifest to the light in all consciences, ye are not puft up with pride and conceitedness, but are low and little in your own eyes, ye cannot seek after earthly honour or riches, but are contene with what the Lord provides for [Page 12]you, and ye seek onely after honour of God, ye are no self-lovers, but self-denyers, no followers of the worlds fa­shions, Customs or traditions but of Iesus Christ, whose king­dome is not of the world who alone is your Head, King, Priest and Propher, ye who goe under the name of mem­bers of the Church of Christ, and call one another Brother, and Sister, who pretend to have Communion and fellow­ship with one another, search your hearts with the light of Christ, and it will not deceive you, but let you truly see, in what your fellowship hath stood and stands, and will clearly manifest unto you, whether ye be in the spirit of truth and righteousness yea or no; if ye be, then the fruits before men­tioned ye will bring forth abundantly, which are the fruits of the spirit, and your Communion and fellowship will stand, and as ye abide in the life of truth and righteousness, your love and unity will grow and increase, and your pure lives and holy conversations, will make you manifest to be members of the body of Christ; but if you see with the light of Christ self-love, pride, covetousness, rashness, self-wild­ness, envy and uncharitableness, then know that if these things remaine in you and things of the like nature, that your Communion and fellowship, is in the flesh and not in the spirit, formal and not eternall, and ye are none of the li­ving stones which the temple of God is built on, none of the members of the body of Christ, but of Anti-Christ, the body of Christ is washed in his blood which cleanseth from all un­righteousness, unrighteousness, uncleanness, and all sin and iniquity is out of the body of Christ, the Church in God; in the body of Anti-Christ, the enemy of the Church of God; All ye formalists who are puft up in pride and arrogancy, who have gotten the Saints words to talk on in your airy minds, and live at ease in vain pleasures and wantonness, your words and policy shall stand you in no stead, in this the day of the Lord, you shall appear in your own likeness, your close hypocrisy and your fained humility, shall not cover you, nor save you from the judgements of the dreadfull God, your hearts shall be made naked and bare; and your [Page 13]reward you shall have, with the wicked and ungodly, your shame and confusion, ye shall no longer hide, ye shall be known whose servants and Children ye are, and of what body ye are members, and that Anti-christ is your head, and not Christ, the body of Christ is purged from all secret de­ceit, treachery, and close hypocrisy, and is filled with righ­teousness, purity and innocency, every particular member of the Church in God (this pillar and ground of truth) knows the work of sanctification, by the powerfull ope­ration of the word of truth are thorowly cleansed and san­ctified, and by the divine power joyned and united unto Christ the head of his Church which is his body; he is no member of the Church of Christ what ever he profess, that lives after the flesh, and knows not the work of the Eternall Spirit of judgement and burning, which mortifies the fleshly desires and lusts, and purges and cleanses the heart thorow­ly from sin and iniquity; for it is the work of the spirit to purifie, and the body purified without spot, is the body of Christ, the Church of God, no unclean person can be uni­ted to the body of Christ, though thousands of unclean people, may come amongst the members of his body, yet no defiled thing can be joyned to it, for it is pure without spot, and members of the Church in God feels, enjoys, one ano­ther in the life of pure love, and their unity and fellowship, stands not in outward formallity; but in the pure life of truth and innocency, where they meet and imbrace one a­nother, and are refreshed one in another, in the love, and life which changeth not; which all men and women upon the face of the whole earth are out of, which be from the light, with which Christ hath enlightned them; for the light leads into the life of innocency, where the eternall u­nity stands.

The Church made of living stones.

THe living stones of which the Church of God is made, are the people who have passed from death to life, who [Page 14]are dead to sin, and alive unto righteousness, such as have passed thorow much sorrow and many tribulations, and hath seen the travail of their souls, and are satisfied with the birth of the immortall seed, which is borne and brought forth in them; they in whom the righteous seed is raised, and the unrighteous nature destroyed, which was dead in sin and transgression, and made alive unto God; and now lives in the light, the life of righteousness, are the Church of God, the House of God, the tabernacle of the most high, and in them the Lord of Hosts is sanctified, who will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him; and in ye who are raised up in the life and power of truth and righteousness is the living praises; for the living praises God, the dead cannot praise him, the life, which through the operation of the E­ternal spirit is raised, which purgeth from sin and iniquity glorifies God and praises God, and these are the living stones on which the Church of God is builded, who are borne of the immortall seed; whose delight is to walk in the Counsell of the Lord, and to serve and obey him, which cannot delight in themselves nor in their own works, and truly it is not grievous to the living stones, the Babes born of God to follow the Counsell of their Father, for it is the nature of the seed of God to doe the will of him, who hath through the power of his free love and tender mercy be­gotten it unto himself; ye in whom the babe immortal is born and brought forth, can seal to the truth of this, though to many it may seem to be a strange doctrine, who be ignorant of the work of God, and knows not the birth of the seed immortall; but truly I know that as Iohn saith, that the Commandements of the Lord out God are not grievous unto us his Children,Ioh. 5.3. who are begotten and borne of him, but rather joy us, yea it is our joy to serve the Lord our God, and to keep his pure Commandements, as it was the delight of his faithfull servant David to walk in his Com­mandements which he loved;Ps. 119.47. but who be in the transgres­sion, in the disobedience loves not God,Ver. 143 neither delighteth in his commands, but loves themselves, their own ways, [Page 15]and rejoyceth in their iniquities, and delighteth in the things which are perishing, which profiteth not but such are dead in sin, though alive in the fleshly body, and are none of the living stones which the Church of God is made on.

Iesus Christ head of his Church, and the onely Pastour.

MAny people there are that in words make a profession of Christ and the Scriptures, and will say they beleeve in Christ, yet will not own him to be their Pastour and chief Shepheard, as the Church in God owned him, and confes­sed him, as the Scripture of truth makes manifest, yet ac­count themselves to be his Church and people; but such as cannot own him to be their teacher and leader clearly mani­fests themselves to be none of his flock; for the Sheep of Christ, know his voice and follow him, and regards not the voice of the stranger, and they who know his voice, observe his counsell, and follow his leadings and dire­ctions, for how doth any man follow Christ, if he doe not hearken to his pure Counsell, and obey what he re­quires, Christ saith himself, I am the good Shepheard and know my sheep, and am known of mine, and such as know Christ and are known of him, need no other Pastour or Shepheard, he is sufficient to guide his own flock, and such as make a profession of him in words and shew outwardly, (as the va­rious formalists doe) and will not own him to be suflicient, without other helps, to teach them the way of life and sal­vation, shews that they know him not, for if they knew him, they would know that there is no salvation in any o­ther, all power and authority is committed unto the true light Christ Iesus, the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, who is over the houshold of God, their head and Pastour, and who are not under his Scepter and Government, what ever they profess in words of him; they are none of his subjects, none of his body, none of his Church, but the sub­jects of Antichrist; for whose Scepter and Government ye [Page 16]are under, his servants, and subjects ye are; if Christ govern then are ye guided in the way of truth & righteousnes, which is the strait path which leads to life eternall; and ye cannot follow the broad path of wickedness and unrighteousness, which leads to perdition and eternall destruction; for the Church of Christ who are subject to him, are restrained by his saving power from the evill way, and kept in the pure way, the way of holiness, for he goeth before, and his flock follow him, and they that follow his leadings cannot erre from the way of truth and holiness, who goe on in the ways of wickedness follows not Christ, he doth not goe before them but Anti-christ, the enemy of Christ he is the King of unrighteousness, and the wicked his subjects follow him, so that ye who be in the sin and unrighteousness, and plead for sin remaining in you, so long as ye live upon the earth, ye are none of the subjects of Christ; for he saves his people from their sins, Christ is none of your King, Priest nor Pro­phet, who are not governed by him and saved from your sins; ye are none of the members of his body; who be in your sins, the members of his body are purified and cleansed, without spot or blemish; Take dilligent notice, the Church in God which is the body of Christ,Eph. 5. is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish; and of this sanctified body, Christ is the Head and Saviour, who saveth to the utmost all them that come unto God by him, and such a glorious high Priest becometh the Church of God, who is able to save and defend them from the power of sin and Satan, and to present it without spot or fault un­to God the Father of Spirits; who hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, and hath put all things under his feet,Eph. 1. and hath given him to be the Head of his Church which is his body; such people as choose a man (or men) and set him (or them) up to be their teacher (or tea­chers) Christ is not their pastour nor teacher, such as set up man, and dishonours Christ, ye that choose a man and set him up to be your Head, and receives Orders and Com­missions from him, you goe about to take the authority from [Page 17]Christ, and to rob him of his glory, who in all things ought to have the preheminence, who is the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning, he alone is the Supreme of his Church, and the members of his body receive orders and directions from him, they know his voice, and follow his Counsell, and need not seek unto man, so sets not up man, but Christ to be Supream Ruler, head and Governour, who is most worthy to have the Government of his own body, who is over all, God blessed for ever, he is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever, and his Church is the same, the chast, pure, holy Virgin, which he hath chosen to be his espouse for ever, he is not espoused, nor will not espouse himself to an harlot, an adulterer, that follow­eth after other lovers, such as follow their imaginations and in­ventions, and loves themselves the world and its glory, such are none of Christs espouse, for the Bride, the Lambs wife follows the Lamb, denies the world, its pomp and glory, and tramples upon all vain traditions, foolish inventions, and earthly imaginations, and over all the earth reigns, and gives glory to him who redeems them from the earth.

Therefore all people upon the face of the whole earth who make a profession of believing in the name of Christ, turn in your minds to his light in you, with which he hath enlightened you, and in it wait patiently, that you may come to know his saving power, which is nigh you, if ye were but acquainted with it, which if you cease from man, and your own works and imaginations, and take heed to the light of Christ in you which shew you your thoughts, desires, and evil deeds, the saving power of his love, you would shortly come to know and feel, which would rend the vails which hath darkned your understan­dings, and give ye to see into the secrets of God, the Church in God you would come to know, and Christ to be the chief Shepherd, the everlasting, unchangeable priest, the light is the eternall eye which sees and searches into the deep secrets of God, and ye cannot come to know the true Church, nor the order and Government thereof, untill you come to the light in you and receive it to be your guide, which light leads to [Page 18]Christ from whence in comes, who reveals and makes known the deep secret mysteries of life, peace, and eternall salvation, which you can never attain unto by any other means, for man by rea­ding, studying, praying in his own will, and observing duties and outward Ordinances, can never find out the knowledge of God and his secrets; for whatsoever man doth in his own will, and time, is but his own work, and not the work of God, and all men and women upon the face of the whole earth must cease from their own works, before they enter into the true rest, the rest prepared for the children of God, which is in Christ the true light, which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world in him the fulnesse of the Godhead dwells bodily, and all that dwell in the truth, in the light, in Christ, dwell in peace; for in me saith Christ, Ye have peace; dwell in the light, in Christ, free from the condemning power of the Law, but out of the light in draknesse, under the condemning power of the Law, under the curse and wrath of God; this is the way of true knowledge, the light loving it, and the way of life and peace to all that receive it, to be their leader, and for ever bles­sed are they that submit to the Scepter of Jesus Christ, and con­tinue under his Government unto the end; for they shall have an inheritance with the righteous generation, in the world which hath no end.

The Worship of God.

God is a Spirit,John 4.and seeketh such to worship him who will worship him in the Spirit, and in the truth, saith Christ the Son of God; and the eternall Father commands people to hear him, This is my beloved Son saith the Father of Spirits, hear ye him, but all ye that be from the Spirit, and out of the light in your imaginati­ons, following after carnal Ordinances, the doctrine and tra­ditions of man, hearkens not to the voice of the Son of God, who saith, God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit, and in the truth, but rejects the Councell of the Son, and disobeyes the [Page 21]pure command of God the Father, who saith, This is my belo­ved Son, hear ye him; And all ye Professours upon the face of the whole earth, be without God,2 John 9. who erre from and abide not in the Doctrine of Christ the onely Son of the Fathers love: How do ye love the Son of God, that keeps not his saying, but erres from his councels and Commands, who saith God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spririt, and in the truth, is not this the true way of worship, which Jesus Christ hath prescribed? is there any other way agreeable to the will of the Father, than the way which his onely Son hath manifested? who came not to do his own will, but the will of his Father that sent him, and this is the will of the Father, to have his people to worship him, in the Spirit, and in the truth; for so will God be served and worshipped. Therefore all people take notice, the true service and worship of God is in the Spirit, and in the truth, and stands not in carnall ordinances, nor extenall shews, neither consists in out­ward bowing, Ceremonies, and traditions of men, which is but the exercise of the body, and the exercise of the body profit­eth nothing, the living, eternall God, who is pure, just and holy, seeketh such worshippers to worship him, who will wor­ship him in the Spirit, and in the truth, and all people who be turned to the light of Christ in them, with it are guided, and in it walk, be in the truth, (the light in truth) and in the Spi­rit, and in the truth worshipped the antient Christians in for­mer ages, received the light, and were called the children of light, and as they were moved of the Lord, they exhorted one another to walk in the light, as children of the light, and of the day, and as they walked in the light, they had fellowship one with another, and with the Father and the Son, who is light, and in whom is no darknesse; take notice, the fellowship of the Saints is in the light, which is but one, and all in the light are but one, united by the Father of light, and spirits, and all people, that receive and abide in the light, walk in the Spirit, and in the truth, and in the spirit and truth worship God the Father of spirits, but all that be from the light be out of the truth, out of the spirit, in which God is worshipped, and worship they know [Page 22]not what, as Jesus Christ told the woman of Samaria, and said, that neither at Jerusalem, nor at the Mountain of Samaria, God the Father would be worshipped,John 4. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him; God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Take notice, Jerusalem was the City, where Solo­mon built a Temple for the Service and worship of God, accor­ding to his Command, and the Mountain of Samaria was also a place where people worshipped; Neverthelesse the Son of God said, his Father would not be worshipped there, but the true worshippers must worship the Father in Spirit and in truth; Wherefore I say, all such Teachers as lead people to the exter­nall Temples (which they call Churches) and to the observation of carnall ordinances, and to follow after the Ordinances vain traditions, and doctrines of men from the spirituall Worship, are deceivers and Antichrists, for this same reason, because they teach people to uphold, follow and observe that which Jesus Christ and his Apostles declared against, and was never observed nor practised by the antient Christians, recorded in the Scripture of truth for the Primitive Christians, that believed in, and fol­lowed Christ, denied and bare testimony against the outward Temple and Synagogues, and the customary places upheld by the Jews, and Infidels, and their traditions, and superstitious ceremonies;Co. 2. Act. 1.13. Act. 20.8 Gal. 5.5 Mat. 18.20 and met together at one anothers houses, in an up­per chamber, or in an inner room, and waited upon the Lord in his light and counsell, for the manifestation of his Divine pow­er, and according to his promise they enjoyed the powerfull pre­sence of the Lord, who saith, where two or three meet toge­ther in my name, there am I in the midst of them, and when the Saints in light were assembled together, waiting in the pure fear of the Lord, as any of them were moved of the Lord, they preached and prayed, and exhorted one another in the fear and power of the Lord, and none were restrained from speaking, but all had liberty to speak that had a motion from the Lord, as the Scripture of truth makes manifest, if any thing were revealed [Page 23]to any one in the Saints Assembly that sate by,1 Cor. 11. the first was to hold his peace, that all might speak one by one, that all might be edified, this was the order and practice of the Saints in light, the Church in God, the body of Christ in former ages, and the same order and practice is in the true Church now at this day in the Assemblies of the children of light, who are hated and de­spised of this unrighteous generation, and in contempt and scorn called Quakers, but reproaches and unrighteous slanders cast up-upon us by Ishmaels line, we esteen as great riches, and are not ashamed to suffer for righteousnesse sake, but all ye various Forms, who push one at another, and all against the life of truth, ye shall wither as grasse in the heat of of Summer, and fade as a flower, for the vertue and power of the Almighty ye want amongst you, for to support and uphold you, and the earth is your Centre, and a habitation in God, the life or righteousnesse ye have not, but in the earth, and the woe is coming upon the inhabitants of the earth, therefore, cease, cease from your inven­tions and airy imaginations, and fear and dread the pure name of the living God, and worship him, serve him, and give glory to him, that ye perish not in your iniquities with the ungodly, for truly the houre of his judgement is come, ye shall all be try­ed and winnowed, and the wheat (the good seed) that is a­mongst you, shall be gathered into the Lords Garner, and the chaste shall be burned with unquenchable fire, judgement is alrea­ready begun at the house of God, where will the ungodly and sinners appear? now will the terrible Judge of heaven and earth give Sentence against you hypocrites and dissemblers, De­part from me ye workers of iniquity, I know ye not; except ye repent truly, and cease from your sins and iniquities, and with all your hearts turn unto the Lord God, and dread and fear his holy name, and walk in his light and counsell, and serve and worship him, as he will be worshipped, in the spirit, and in the truth, your time prize whilst the doore of mercy is open, lest it be shut against you, and ye in your gainsayings and Rebellion eternally perish.

To the Romane Catholicks.

ANd ye who are called Romane Catholicks, are the most dark and ignorant people, upon the face of the whole earth, that go under the names of Christians, your whole worship is made up in the imagination and invention of the wisdome of the flesh, none so foolish but the naturall heathen, to bow to the works of mens hands, in which there is no life, as ye do, and for many of your Ceremonies, and Traditions, ye have no other foundation, but the naturall Heathen, as one of your own professors doth confesse, as ye may read in the 587. Page of the Book called the Treasury of the Romane Antiquities, where the Authour expresses many of your Customes and pra­ctises in your Religion, and is not ashamed to say, ye borrowed them of the heathen; as that they hung their streets with Ta­pestry, and had resting places in divers parts of the Towns, when they went in Procession, as ye have at this day, &c.

And that they carryed their images and reliques of their gods about, as ye do, and that they marched two and two together, carrying wax candles or Torches in their hands, and the same is observed in your Religion, and hath been ever since the Proces­sion was instituted.

And that they went afoot as ye do and when they were en­compassed with misery, they went bare-foot, crying & mourning striving to appease the wrath of their gods, and ye in the time of your great calamities do practise the same Ceremonies; they or­dained supplications and Lectures, that is, publick prayers and ser­vice, for more or less of dayes, and their Temples were full of calves, and their altars filled with offerings and all the holy places (as the Author terms them) were filled with people, kneeling and praying (to their Idols) to their gods, and ye have your Orizons of forty hours, your pardons and Jubilees, and observe the same Ceremonies, & several other of the Customs and practises of the [Page 25]Heathen, this Authour declares of, and confesses they fol­low the same example; and practises the same in their Religion; which truly are such foolish things, that they are not worth the mentioning; but of this I would have ye Roman Catholicks to take notice; the sure foundation Christ Iesus, is none of your example, in any of these things, nor your foundation, nor the Apostles, the Pri­mitive Christians; for Iesus Christ never practised, nor commanded, any such things to be observed; therefore if it had not been confessed by one of your own profes­sors, I had known the rice and foundation of these things; wherefore I say unto you view your foundation and be ashamed, to take the name of Christians, and build upon the Heathen, and have no other example for your Ce­remonies and traditions, but the Heathenish Idolaters, own your name according to your nature and disposition; for the true and Innocent Christian followeth the exam­ple of Christ, and hath no other foundation, but the chief corner stone, the true light Christ which hath enlight­ned every man that is come into the world, and who are built on this sure foundation the rock of ages, denyes and witnesses against all the Customs, Ceremonies, and foo­lish traditions of the Heathenish Idolaters, and cannot follow their example in any thing, but follow the true light Iesus Christ, who gives his followers the light of life; so that in love to your souls, I desire you to cease from the customs of the Heathen, from your vain tradi­tions and foolish Ceremonies in which there is no life, and follow Iesus Christ the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, for in him is the life, he is the substance, the way, truth, and life, and in him is the salvation; but no salvation in your ceremonies and vain traditions; truly my soul pitties you, to see, how you are blinded and kept in ignorance from the knowledge of the truth, by the spirit of error, which hath long deceived the Nati­ons; and yet are highly conceited of your selves, and [Page 26]of your Religion; which is made up of foolish and vain imaginations and inventions of the old crooked Ser­pent, who through his subtilty hath deteined and delu­ded your Fore-fathers in the time of Apostacy, and still makes a prey upon you their successours, who cryes up the antiquity of your Religion, as if the long continuance of it were sufficient to prove it to be the true Religon, but then the lews, who pretend to be Moses Disciples may plead the antiquity of their Religion, who are of a longer standing then ye, if antiquity were a sufficient proof, and they have Scripture for their Temple-offerings and services in the old Testament; but ye who pretend to be the Disciples of Christ, have no Scripture in the new Testament for the upholding of your temple, daily services, ceremonies and traditions; but all such things testified against by the holy men, which gave the Scri­pture forth; so that the rise and foundation of your Reli­gion is the imagination and invention of the sensuall wisdome, from which wisdome the secrets of God and the true Christian Religion is hid; the Eternall God of power and infinit wisdome, if it be his glorious will o­pen your eyes, that ye may see the vanity of externall things, which ye feed upon; and bring you to serve him in the spirit, and to worship him in the truth, that you may no longer feed upon carnall imaginations and inventions, but upon the bread of life, the substance which is the immortall food, which refreshes and nourisheth the soul up to life eternall.

And all ye forms of Religion under what name or title soever, who set up teachers amongst you, and will not permit any to speak in your Assemblies, but such as ye in your own wills set up and appoint, ye are the people who heap to your selves teachers having Itching ears, ye are out of the order of the Church in God, where all the members have liberty to speak one by one; in the disorder and cofusion, which makes you manifest to [Page 27]be of the body of Anti-christ, and not of the body of Christ the true Church; the members of the body of Christ abide in his doctrine, and follow the example of the true Christians, every particular member having a word of exhortation, as they are moved of the Lord, may have free liberty to speak in the Saints Assembly, accor­ding to the order of the Primitive Church, the Church in God; but ye who deny the order of the true Church, and follow your own ways and imaginations, manifest your disorder, and shews that ye are our of the true way of God, the true worship of God, in the false way, and worship ye know not what; my wayes saith the Lord is not as the way of man, my thoughts as the thoughts of man; such as follow their own thoughts, and their own imagined wayes goes out of the way of God; the true light, is the way of God, and in it the will and minde of God is revealed, and the power manifested which brings the creature into subjection, makes sub­ject to the requirings of God; and brings to know the true Church the body of Christ, and the true and perfect order thereof; but this is not a fancy or a naturall light, a thought or an imagination; but a cross to all such things; a living divine holy substantiall principle which mani­fests thoughts, imaginations and inventions, and the ground and rise of them, which is the earthly sensuall wisdome; in which God is not known nor served; for God is light, and in the light and truth is served and worshipped; the children of light, served God in the spirit, and gloried in Iesus Christ,Phil. 3. and put no confidence in the flesh; carnall professors, the upholders of carnal l Ordinances, Rudiments, weak and beggerly elements, are led by their fleshly imaginations to uphold such sha­dows without life, and be from the spirit, the substance in which is the life, wherein God is served and wor­shipped; in which the Saints in light served God in the former ages, as in this age, but the flesh delights in the [Page 28]observation of carnal ordinances, because they have their rise and foundation from its imagination; and it glories in what it doth invent; but all such glorying is vaine; he that glorieth let him glory in the truth, in the Lord; and let no man trust to the arme of flesh, nor put confi­dence in its imagination, for all that glory in the flesh, their glory will be turned into shame and confusion; Take notice the end of fleshly glory is confusion and shame, and ye who are highly pust up and exalted in your fleshly knowledge and wisdome, God will bring down and abase and confound, for no flesh shall glory in the pure presence of God; and the poor in spirit, the meek and lowly in heart, God will raise up and exalt o­ver all the earth, in this the day of his power, wherein he is bringing great and mervelous things to pass, which hath not been seen in many ages, his own sheep he will gather into his fold, and them preserve by the arme of his eternall power, and will scatter and consume the Wolves (who have got the Sheeps clothing) and all the renting, tearing, ravening and devouring Beasts, which hath rent and torne the Innocent Lambs.

And ye who be in the flesh, in the carnall ordinances, fly to the Magistrates sword for refuge, which likewise makes you clearly manifest to be out of the truth and true way of God; for the truth defends it self, and hath done in all ages, it needs not the help of the Magistrates sword, neither did ever the antient Christians, who gave forth the Scripture of truth, seek to the Magistrates to defend them, their weapons were not carnall they fought with but spirituall, the spirit of truth was their defence, the Magistrates sword (or the outward Law, the arme of flesh) hath been refuge of Anti-christ in all ages as it is at this day, for if any of the servants of the Lord the true worshippers, who worship him in spirit and in truth be moved of God, to goe into their meeting places (which they call Churches) and in obedience to the command [Page 29]of God, speak to the Priest, or a word of exhortation to the people, then cryes out both Priest and people haile him away, or words to that purpose, and calls it disturbance, (to performe the will of the Lord) and goes to the Magistrates for assistance, and cryes away with him, send him to pri­son or punish him, this is the practise of the carnall pro­fessours who uphold the externall Temple and Syna­gogues, therefore view your disorder and be ashamed of such gross and filthy practises; for ye Rulers, Priests and people in England, in these late years have outstript the Heathen in many ages, in your cruell persecution; which makes the hearts of the righteous sad, to see such fruits brought forth in the Nation, where so much liberty in words and writings is proclaimed for Religion, and ho­nest hearted people, by the supream in authority; but woe, woe, from the Almighty unto you, who make the hearts of the innocent sad, which God hath not made sad, a day of torment, and misery is coming upon you; where­in the righteous shall be glad, which ye have made sad, and over the smoke of your torment, they shal rejoyce, Did ever the Primitive Christians recorded in the holy Scri­pture, persecute any prison, whip, burn with hot Irons, or cast into Dungeons any sort of people, that came into their Assemblies, is not the Heathen your example, for these things, who persecuted and shamefully entreated and murdered the Christians, who could not submit to their unrighteous decrees and unreasonable wills, shew one example of cruelty if you can, from the practise of Christ or his Disciples, if not, number your selves amongst the Heathen your example for your cruell persecution; is not cruelty and persecution, a true marke to know the Synagogue of Satan by; from the body of Christ the Church in God? who in all ages hath suffered, but never persecuted any, but prayed for their enemies which per­secuted them, &c.

The order of the Church in God in this age.

THe body of Christ, the Church in God meet toge­ther, (as the Saints in light did in former ages) upon the first dayes of the week, and upon other dayes as the Lord affords opportunity, and wait upon the Lord in his fear and Counsell, and serve and worship the Lord, in the Spirit and in the truth; and doth preach the word of truth, the everlasting Gospel, and pray and ex­hort one another as they are moved of the Lord, and as the holy spirit gives utterance; but not in the wisdome of the world which is sensuall, but in the pure wisdome and power of God, which by the world is counted foo­lishness; And this is the true and onely way of God, the true way of worship, and order of the body of Christ, the Church of God, as the Scripture of truth doth make ma­nifest to the understanding Reader, and according to the doctrine of Christ, the order doctrine and practise of the antient holy Christians, which in the Scriptures of truth are recorded;Rom. 6. who worshipped God not in the oldness of the letter; but newness of spirit, which is the new and living way, wherein God is and will be served and worshipped.