A Measuring-Rule CONCERNING LIBERTY AND PERSECUTION, AND Who have been the Persecutors, and who have been the Sufferers from the beginning. ALSO, The Stock and Line from whence the Persecutor hath had his rise and descent, and of what stock they are that cumber Gods Earth. CHristians should love one another, that is the Command of Christ, and is a mark by which they are known to be his Disciples. Secondly, they should love their very Enemies; and by this they differ from the Jews and Heathens, and all other people. Now as for the late Act concerning the people of God called Quakers, there is no penalty laid upon any man for the not breaking up of their Meetings, or not putting the Oath to them; therefore it will try and manifest what spirit men are of, and that which is in people will be made manifest now, because the Act is left to the Executor of it, without any penalty: Which Act had it been in the dayes of the Apostles, would have taken hold upon Christ and his Apostles; for he had Twelve that often met together; and by this he might have but three, for if there were five, it had been in the transgression; who also had seventy Disciples more. Now I say, if it had been in the days of Christ, it would have taken hold of him and his Disciples. Would Christ( and his Disciples) the Wisdom of God, do you think, have obeied this Act, and not met with his Disciples? Or if the Jews should have made Laws to limit him but to four, do you think that Christ the Wisdom of God would have obeied it, or his Disciples? And also Christ said to his Disciples, that they should wait together at Jerusalem, and not depart; and they did meet together, and you know that their meetings were different from the Jews and Heathen; and they were to wait together at Jerusalem until they received Power from on high, before they were to go to gather the Churches: And this was according to the Wisdom of God; Which if the Jews now had spoken to them that they should not meet, do you think the Disciples would have obeied them, or the command of Christ? And when the Apostles had gathered Churches out of the Jews and the Gentiles, and settled them, to whom they wrote their Epistles, and builded up one another in the holy Faith, and not to forsake the assembling of themselves together: For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, then consider what is to be looked for:[ 80 now mark] if the Jews or the Heathen, out of whom the Hebrews, the Galatians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, were gathered into several Churches; if the Heathen and Jews had made Laws against them, that they should not meet saving four, do you think they would have obeied it? Therefore consider of these things, and do as you would be done by, that is the Law and the Prophets: Did not many suffer in the ten persecutions for meeting together, in the time about 650. years, before there was a Pope? And hath not many suffered for meeting together, by the Papists since; as look through the Book of Martyrs, how they suffered by the Papists, and called them Conventicles; and also in the time of the Martyrs sufferings in the ten Persecutions, and since the ten Persecutions, did they not make Laws they should not meet? And did they not call them Conventicles? And yet did they not meet in Barns or Houses, Woods and Fields? as you may red in the Book of Martyrs? Was these Martyrs disobedient in the ten Persecutions, and since to the Papists, in which so many thousands suffered for meeting together, for not paying tithes, and for not swearing, and not yielding to their principles and practise that persecuted them: Was it evil in them that persecuted them? And is it good now in you that make us to suffer for the same things? So are the Martyrs, and Persecutors, and you one, or the Marryrs and we one, who have suffered all along? Whether they have not the nature of the Heathen that make to suffer, and not the nature of the Apostles? Likewise, have not many suffered here, as we now, for meeting together, and not swearing, now in these dayes? As consider, in Oliver's dayes above three thousand suffered imprisonment, and some to death, who suffered for not swearing, and for Conscience-sake, as many of the Martyrs in the time of the ten Persecutions did, and by the Papists, and as we do now. Therefore consider these things, for it is Christ Command that we do obey, and the Apostles Doctrine, which saith, Swear not at all: Consider now, Would not they in the ten Persecutions, and the Papists, have punished Christ for preaching this Doctrine, and made him to suffer,( as we do now that own it) which saith, Swear not at all, but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, &c. and the Apostles for holding it forth; for we do not these things in contempt or rebellion to any man; for our love and tenderness is, that all Magistrates and People would live in God's fear, and receive his Wisdom, by which all things were made and created, that by that they might be ordered to God's glory, and order that which God hath given them under their hands, to his honor, that to God they may be a blessing in their generation. And consider, Daniel and the three children met, and disobeyed the King's command; and Mordecai, who would not bow, disobeyed the Kings command; and the Midwives disobeyed Pharoah's command for not putting the Children to death: And the Woman who had seven sons which suffered by the Kings Law, because they would not eat Swines flesh, and one of her sons spake to his Mother, I will not obey the Kings command, I will obey the Law of Moses, which our fore-fathers obeied. And Daniel disobeyed Darius his command, which was, that Daniel should not pray; and he prayed, and did not obey his command. And the Apostles disobeyed the High Priests and Counsels command, when they charged them that they should speak no more in that Name: Yet in the thing that is good, just and righteous, the righteous always have been, and are ever subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, to such as were for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well, that they might live a godly and peaceable life,[ Mark] a peaceable life; for this cause they both prayed and paid tribute, not that they should bring them into an ungodly life, and an unpeaceable life, but that they should punish the evil-doers, that went into an ungodly life, and unpeaceable; for to that end were the higher Powers ordained over the ungodly, that went into the ungodly and unpeaceable life; for the ungodly are unpeaceable; and this is for the praise of them that do well: For the Law was made for transgressors, and not for the righteous. So they that be in the higher power, are to distinguish the precious from the vile; for not doing so, the Prophets often cried against them; and when they turned against the righteous, peaceable and godly, then is the saying known which the Scripture speaks of, What shall separate us from the love of God? Shall Principalities, or Powers, or Thrones, or Dominions? showing, that there are Principalities and Powers that would separate from the love of God which they had in Christ Jesus, and that is from a godly and peaceable life; and so there is a distinction, to be subject to that which punisheth the evil, and there is a suffering by that which would separate from the love of God: Now that which would separate, turns the Sword backward against the righteous; and persecurors were always blind, and could never see, but run upon their friends instead of their foes: And therefore these things consider and distinguish. God let Adam have liberty in the earth, into which he was driven when he disobeyed his command; and God let Gain have liberty in the earth, after he had killed his Brother about Religion; and God let wild Ishmael have liberty in the Wilderness, after he was put out of Abrahams Family, the Father of the faithful, and the Serpent he had his liberty to feed upon the dust of the earth. Now I say, consider who are they who would not have Christ the just to live upon the earth; were not they them that Christ called Serpents, the Jews, the great professors? It was not Gods mind that people should be put out of the earth: God let Adam and Eve have liberty in the earth, after they had transgressed, though they were not to have liberty in the Garden. And Ishmael, though he had not liberty in Abrahams Family, yet he had liberty in the Wilderness: And Cain, though he had not liberty in the presence of God, yet he had liberty to be a wanderer in the Land of Nod. Therefore consider what mind that is that would not let men have liberty in the Earth, though he be not of your Assembly, yet he should have liberty in the Earth. Therefore consider whether that be the mind of God, or against it, yea or nay, though the Just comes over all these things, and are redeemed from the earth. And if we must not meet together, how must we stir up one another, and Edifye one another, and provoke one another unto love and to good works, if we must not meet together to speak one to another. Consider this with understanding. The world saith, Kiss the Book: The Book saith, Kiss the Son lest he be angry: And the Son saith, Swear not at all, but keep to yea and nay in all your communications; for whatsoever is more than this, comes of evil. The World saith, Lay your hand on the Book; the Book saith, Handle the Word; and the Word saith, Handle not the traditions, inventions, nor the rudiments of the world; and, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him, saith God, who is the L●fe, and the Truth, and the Light, and the Way to God, who saith, Swear not at all. Therefore cumber not the ground you Adulterers, cumber not the earth you drunkards, cumber not the ground you swearers, cumber not the ground you proud, vain persons; cumber not the Earth you Earthworms, covetous persons; cumber not the ground you oppressors and exactors, and grinders of the poor, cumber not the ground; thou persecutor of the children of the Most High; cumber not the ground ye rich Gluttons; cumber not the earth you idle persons, that live in fullness of pleasures, and abundance of idleness, as the stalled Ox, so as he lieth in the mire and dirt; and as the full-fed horse, that must be breathed, with pleasures and sports, and your games of all sorts, and call it recreation for your idleness out of the service of the Lord; for thou who art so full, thou needest not work thyself down by pleasures, nor go to pleasures to get thee a stomach; if thou wilt wilt work it down with labour, work and chastity keeps all sweet, and labouring in the fear of the Lord, Cain the first birth, a persecutor; the first birth, a false worshipper; and Cain the first birth, that false worshipper, turned, and turneth against Abel; and Cain the first birth, out of his stock came up the false-worshipper, who was the inventor of Harps and Organs. Nimrods stock, false Worshippers, and out of Ham's stock he came, whose Spirit was not covered with truth, but with that which was from the truth; and so that spirit which runs from the truth, is not like Shem nor Japhet, and such worship not God in the spirit. And they of the old World, that went from the Spirit of the Lord, and grieved his Spirit, they could not worship God in the Spirit. And the Philistines grieved the Spirit of the Lord, and they were the persecutors, and they turned against the just. And the Sodomites were the persecutors of the Just; and the Sodomites were such as lived in abundance of idleness and fullness; and those that were idle and full, persecuted the righteous and the just, and the true Worshippers; and they that did, and do so, are the false Worshippers. And Ishmael and his stock, the first birth, who scoffed at the just, and turneth against the just, a persecutor; and so are all wild men now. And Esau the first birth, the profane person, a false Worshipper, a persecutor of Jacob; as many Esau's now, persecute them whom God loveth, who hate the first birth( being persecutors, profane, false worshippers whom God loveth not. And the egyptians were, and are persecutors, and of the first birth. And Balaam was a persecutor of the Just, and Balaam loved the Wages of unrighteousness; and such Balaams are now the lovers of the Wages of unrighteousness, and the persecutors. And the Jews that professed the Law, the Words of God, and did live out of the life of the Law of God; such did and do persecute the just; and such professors were always, and now are persecutors. And always such as preached for hire, and divined for money, and taught for filthy lucre, and such Snepherds, Bishops and Priests that taught for the Fleece and the Wool, and for handfuls of Barley, and for pieces of bread, and were covetous; such were, and are persecutors and false Worshippers, and persecutors of the just, and the true Worshippers of God in the Spirit; and they that did so, grieved it. And the Scribes, Pharisees and chief Priests, that had the Prophets and the Saints Words, and were not in the life of the Law and the Prophets, and Saints, and yet did profess their words, such did, and do persecute the Just, them that be in the life of the Saints. And also, likewise all Christians that do profess the Prophets and Christ, and the Apostles, and Moses, and the Saints Words, and be out of their life and spirit, are the false Worshippers, and are the persecutors of the Just, and that is the end of all the profession without the life and the Spirit of God that the Saints dwell and walk in, who are the true Worshippers of God in the Spirit and Truth; and such as are lead by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God; and the false Worshippers are such as grieve the Spirit of God, and yet will get the Saints words, and the sheeps clothing, and not live in their life. The first birth liveth in the Kingdom of the World, in strife, a Persecutor: The first birth is a Birth of strife, & the second birth is heir of the Kingdom of the Lord; and the fruits of this birth is love, &c. Therefore come out of the first birth, to the second. Cain, Ham, Nimrod, Ishmael, Esau, Balaam, Sodomites, philistines, Pharisees, Chief Priests, Babylon, were not these envious, wild, profane, idle, covetous, oppressors, persecutors, false worshippers; and so you that be of the same nature, and of the same Birth, Was it not, and is it not the first birth? If it be so, know your own Kindred, and come out of this Kindred. Scoffers, Scorners, Mockers, Reproachers, Revilers, Brawlers, Railers, envious men, Do you profess God and Christ? These be all evil weeds, and cumbers God's ground. The Babylonites were, & are persecutors of the Just, and the true Worshippers of God; and the Babylonites build up, and throw down, who be out of the standing Power, Life and Spirit of God, which the Apostles and we are in; and so are not upon the Rock Christ Jesus, upon which we are, that changeth not. G. F. THE END. THE pearl FOUND IN ENGLAND. This is for the poor distressed, scattered ones in foreign Nations. From the royal Seed of God and Heirs of Salvation, called Quakers, who are the Church of the Living God, built up together of living stones in England; A visitation and uniting to the Pearl of God which is hide in all the World, that every one may turn into himself, and there feel it and find it. G. F. LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons, at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1658. FRIENDS, THE Pearl is hide in the field, and the field is the World, and the World is in your hearts, and there you must dig deep to find it, and when you have digged deep & found it, you must sell all to purchase and redeem this field, and there you shall know the Merchants man that makes the Exchange, and there shall you know Christ in you the hope of glory, to save you, and redeem you, the Immanuel, God with us; and there shall you know the Woman that lost the piece of silver, and was seeking it without; but when the candle was lighted, and the house swept, she found it in her own house, and then she did know the joy, and went and told her neighbours; and then she did know the day-star rise in her heart, and the day dawning whereby the light shal be known, that shines from the East to the West, and the word of faith in the mouth and heart, & the oil is in thy Lamp if thou enter in with the Bridegroom; the light shines in thine own heart to give thee the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, from whence it comes, and the anointing which abideth in thee will teach thee, and as it doth teach thee thou shalt continue in the Father and the Son, from whence this holy Unction comes, and hast received it, and here thou shalt know that thou need no man to teach thee, but as the same anointing doth teach thee, and the engrafted word, able to save your souls, is in your hearts, and the hidden man of the heart, which is renewed day by day is found there, and the meek and quiet spirit, which is with the Lord of great price, is found in thee, and the Covenant of grace that brings salvation is in thy heart, and in thy mouth, to season it and thy words, and to teach thee to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and the heap of Teachers set up by mens lusts in the World, that turn this grace into wantonness, and lives wildly, and it will teach thee to live soberly. The Devil went from the truth, and deceived the nations, and abode not in it, and he rules in all the hearts of the children of disobedience, that obeys not the truth, he that went out of the truth, and so they become Synagogues of satan, and so murderers. Cain went from the truth, the Jews went from the truth, and so of the Devil the false prophets, Antichrists, inwardly ravened from the truth, and so all these turned against the just, murderers, & so who is come to the just that they ravened from, over all these they reign, and brings people to God, to reign over all this thatis out of the truth, and contrary to it. All you high gazing Professors and hypocrites. The Kingdom of heaven is within you( like unto a grain of mustard-seed, like unto leaven) that comes not by observations, who are and have been gazing for it without you. The Pearl found in ENGLAND. COme all ye wearied Souls who have been long traveling these many yeares since the dayes of apostasy from the true Apostles and Disciples, where darkness and mists has gone over the earth, and blinded and darkened the minds and eyes of the people, the true Ministry being lost since the dayes of apostasy, whereby people has run into heads and parties and sects, and truth amongst them held in the unrighteousness, the sin and the enemity in every ones mind, men slaying one another about Religion and for Religion, and about worship which was not the work of the true Christians, true Ministers and true Apostles, but they brought people into unity and wrestled against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses, which ruled in the children of disobedience, and brought them to the thing which they disobyed, so the enemity having been in all minds of professors upon earth, amongst Christians, Teachers, people and Rulers, who would slay one another, murder one another about worship, about Scriptures, the Prophets, Christs and the Apostles words; here is the Devil, the old adversary of man, got amongst professors, provoking to destroy one another, keeping up the form of the Saints words, in the nature of the Jews, that kept up the form of the Prophets and Moses words, which Christ said were of their Father the Devil, amongst whom the Pearl was lost, as has been lost since the dayes of apostasy from the Apostles life, Christs life; Nations covered with ignorance like unto waters; Now the Prophets, Christs and the Apostles they were in unity in the Spirit which lead them to speak forth the Scriptures, which now being professed amongst Christians in christendom, but the life of Christ, of the Prophets and the Apostles, they having been out of, they want the bond of peace, the unity; for the unity is in the Spirit which is the bond of peace, which Christ, the Prophets and Apostles were in that gave forth the Scriptures, so words, forms, traditions, inventions, idols, have people fallen out one with another about; But now that is manifest which comprehends the world, which was before the world was made; Christ Jesus the Covenant of God, which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world, that all through the light might believe and feel the witness in themselves, in which people come to have peace with God, and every one receiving the light, that they be enlightened withall; him they receive that hath enlightened them, Christ Jesus in their own particulars, which gives them to see their sins, and so to see the Saviour of their Souls, and to know the Saviour of their Souls, Christ Jesus from whence the light comes; for saith God Ile give him for a Covenant, a light to the Gentiles, and a Leader to the people, and Ile make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah, them that had the old, Ile put my Laws in their minds, Ile writ them in their hearts, and they shall not need to say know the Lord, which thousands in England do witness this covenant, that they need not say know the Lord, in which they have unity one with another, and peace with God through Christ Jesus his covenant and witnesses the power, and feels the Covenant of light, the Leader, and Gods covenant fulfilled, him that Abraham, David, the prophets gave testimony of should come, him that the Apostles did give testimony of was come and risen, he is enjoyed, in which people comes to have unity one with another, and the Scriptures, and the thing the Scriptures speak of, & God; And in the light him by whom the world was made, there is no occasion of stumbling, so the covenant of light that God said he would give by his prophets for a Leader of the people, the way to the Father, thousands witness him leading of them out of the first Adam driven from the father, who is the end of the prophets, and he is leading of them up to God and is their Teacher, and they have found him in them and come to him and found rest for their Souls, and their Souls hast rest, and they have taken in Christs yoke that is easy, and his burden that is light, and he is become their Teacher; And mens yokes, and burdens, and teachings, and doctrines comes to be ceased from, and cast off, which have ruled since the dayes of the apostasy from the Apostles, and the Pearl that hath been hide in the Earth is found, and the Morning-star is risen, and the day is dawned, and the true light shines and wisdom,( which, all the knowledge, understanding and wisdom that man cannot comprehend nor find) cries in the streets to the simplo ones, and for all to fear God that they may receive it, the wisdom of God Christ Jesus, him by whom the world was made, the wisdom by which all things were made and created, and to come out of sin and transgression which all the world has lived in that have the form of godliness, but have been in the transgression from the life, and ravined from it, and have been in the sheeps clothing, but every where has been ready to worry the Lambs, them that has gotten their clothing, the outside, the form of godliness, but inwardly ravined from the life, which Christ said should come, John saw was come, which all the world hath been after, so there has been the Pearl hide, and the life of Christ the Prophets and Apostles has been lost, and the form they have had, but life and glory is risen that manifests and discovers all things, and Churches and Teachers that has not been made by the will of God, which has got up since the dayes of the Apostles, from all such is God bringing his people to teach them himself, and from all their ways to Christ the way to the Father, and from all their Churches to the Church in God, the pillar and ground of truth, and over them, and to the anointing which abideth within, to which people are come, which as it doth teach them, they continue in the Son of God and the Father, and need not that any man teach them, but as the same anointing doth teach them, which abideth in them, and as it doth teach them, they continue in the Son of God, in the wisdom of God, they continue in the life and in the truth; they continue in the covenant of God; they continue in the power of God, and the Rock Christ Jesus, him by whom the world was made, before it was made; in which comes people to have peace with God, and one with another, and the foundation of many generations is found and witnessed, that breaks down the bond of Iniquity that made the breach betwixt God and man, which makes up the breach betwixt God and man, whereby health and glory & peace in the rearward is felt, the election is known before the world was made, which hath obtained the promise of eternal life, and the power of an endless life is enjoyed, and the world to come. Therefore come all hither ye scattered ones over the world, the power of God in you feel, & then you feel Christ Jesus who hath enlightened every one that comes into the world, then you will feel the covenant, which you have with God, which will ●lot out your sin and transgression, then you will feel the blood of Christ Iesus which cleanseth from all sin, which light discovers as you walk in the light, as he is in the light, and you will have fellowship one with another; The Kingdom of Heaven is seen, which is as a grain of mustered seed which is within, and many have received it, and are become as little children, and them that be converted into the Kingdom, they bring forth their things new and their things old; and many are digging in the field, which is the world, which is set in their hearts seeking for the Pearl, and many have found it, and many merchant-men be exchanging, glory to the Lord for ever; so the Pearl is within you, that is found in the Nation of England, and all people upon the Earth come in to yourselves, find the pearl in you, the precious Pearl there has lain under the earth, and come out of your talk and profession in words, in which the Jews were, in whom the pearl was hide, that you may find the pearl in yourselves, and the kingdom there within you, though it be like a grain of mustard seed, itis like unto leaven, it will leaven you up into a new Lump; Teachings, Churches, Notions without life shall whither, fade like flowers, whither like grass, be burnt up like stubble, sticks and chaff that has cumbered the ground, the wheat is got out into the Garner, the Lambs are leaping, the Father carries them in his hands, the babes born of the immortal seed by the word of God, and are at the breast sucking, living riches is manifested, God the Father is known and is worshipped in the spirit and in the truth, in that which the Devil is out of, the blood of Jesus is witnessed, which flows and cleanseth from all sin, the fountain is opened where is the washing of all sores, and God is bringing people into the life that gave forth the Scriptures, that the Prophets, Christ and the Apostles were in, in which life they shall see their words and have unity with them, and with the Lord God, and one with another, and the word of faith is possessed and known in the heart, in the mouth, that divides asunder the precious thoughts from the vile thoughts, & precious desires from vile desires, & precious affections from vile affections, & it is in the mouth to divide asunder the precious words from the corrupt words, and this word that divides asunder the precious from the vile is quick and powerful, and sharper then a two edged sword, for vile separated from God, the word that divides it, the vile from the precious hammers it down, burns it up, cuts it down, reconciles to the father, and separates thatwch separated; so the word of God in you all feel, in all your occasions, and then you will have the word of wisdom, that will divide asunder your precious thoughts from your vile thoughts, your precious words from your vile words, and this will teach you in all your occasions; The pearl in you come to know, the seed in you come to know, which seed is Christ that inherits the promise, which now is risen in thousands, who are come to be Heires of the promise, and Heirs of God, and Heirs of the world that has no end; The anointing in you all come to know which abideth in you, and then you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing doth teach you, and as it doth teach you, you shall continue in the Son of God from whence it comes, in him by whom the world was made, before it was made. The Kingdom of Heaven in you all come to know, which is like but a grain of mustard seed, and you all come to receive it, you will all come to be as little children, and there you will come to feel the leaven, which leavens you up into a new Lump, and so to know the kingdom of the world, to become the kingdom of the Son of God, and this is the Kingdom of heaven like a grain of mustard seed in you, which never consented to sin, and receiving that, you come to be as little children, and to know the leaven that will leaven you up into a new Lump; which thousands do witness in England; And the light all come to know which shines in your Hearts, which must give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, in Christs face from whence the light comes, him by whom the world was made, glorified with the Father before the world began; I am the Light of the World, and do enlighten every one that comes into the World, saith Christ the second Adam, who is the way again to God, man being driven from God in the first Adam, Christ the second Adam, the Life, the Truth, the Way again to God, which every one that comes into the world is enlightened withall; or man being driven from God, he is driven from Life, and driven from God, he is driven from Truth, and driven from God, he is driven from his wisdom, and driven from God, he is driven from his righteousness, and from his power, under the power of satan; so Christ the power of God through death destroys death, and him that hath the power of death, the Devil, and is over it before the world was made, the Redeemer of man kind out of the fall, who doth enlighten every man that comes into the world, that all through him might believe, and he that is come into the light with which he is enlightened withall, he is come into the wisdom of God, into the righteousness of God, he is come into the way, he is come to Christ the power of God, to the Rock, him by whom the world was made, and so come to the life and rest and peace; he that believes is saved, he that doth not is condemned, and he that believeth hath the witness in himself, and hath set to his seal, that God is true, who hath performed his promise, and sees the Prince of this world is judged, and is come into the righteousness of God, Christ Jesus, so Christ Jesus he is the righteousness of God, he is the new and living way and the one way to the Father, and all the many ways be in the first Adam, driven from God, in the transgression, and Christ the second Adam the Lord from Heaven, as death came by the one, life came by the other, and as darkness came by the one, light comes by the other, who is the righteousness of God, the Truth, the Life, as unrighteousness by the one, righteousness by the other, as untruth by the one, so Truth by the other, as the many ways from the Father by one, so the one way to the Father by the other; there is disobedience by one which brings death, there is obedience by the other which brings life; him you must all come to find in you, Christ Jesus except you be reprobates, then you come to witness the substance, then you come to know the everlasting Covenant, then you come to know the Prince of peace, the Prince of life and comfort of what you do profess in your own particulars, in coming into the Covenant of the Father; Death has reigned from Adam till Moses, and the Law and the Prophets were until John, Moses had the Law which went over all transgression, and answered that in all people which was transgressed; Moses words people has had, but they have been out of the life of Moses, the Prophets words they have had, but they have been out of the life of the Prophets; Johns words they have had, but have been out of the life of John; Christs words they have had, but the life of Christ they have been out of the Apostles words they have had, but the life of the Apostles they have been out of; the Apostates since the dayes of the Apostles; Now Christ said in the 7. and 24. of matthew, that false Prophets and Antichrists should come, to his disciples before he was offered up, and Christ gave to his disciples the marks by which they should know them, that they should be inwardly ravening, that is, devourers, having sheep● clothing, that is the outside, but Wolves, do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? by their fruits you shall know them; Now before the Disciples decease which Christ said unto them false Prophets and Antichrists should come, they saw they were come already into the world, as saith 1 John, 2. and 4. little children I writ unto you that it is the last time, whereof you have heard, say Antichrist should come, whereby you know it is the last time, for there are many Antichrists, many false Prophets already in the world, and they went forth from us that it might be manifest, they were not of us, for had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us; but saith he, ye have an anointing which abideth in you, to the Saints, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing doth teach you, and as it doth teach you, ye shall continue in the Son of God and the Father; and Christ who said they should come, he bad them not go after them, the false Prophets and Antichrist which should be inwardly raveners; John saw they were come; he told the Saints the anointing was in them to teach them, and the false Prophets and Antichrists of which they had heard say should come, they were already in the world, and went out from them, and were inwardly Raveners, which all that dwelled upon the earth went after, and all the world came to worship the Beast and false Prophets, and all Nations drunk of the wine of her fornications, Rev. 13. and 17, 18. And now cries the professors and Teachers of the world, they are come but now, and now is the last time; but John did not say, it was the last time when all Nations had drunk the Cup of fornication, and all that dwelled upon the Earth had worshipped the beast; Now we say people are coming from the false Prophets, those which Christ said should come, John saw was come which went forth from them, which all people that dwelled upon the earth went after, and all Nations came to drink the cup of her fornications, and she sits upon the waters, and the waters are peoples, and Nations, and Tongues, and Languages and multitudes, Rev. 17. where she sits, tongues are waters, peoples waters, languages waters, Nations waters, multitudes waters, for they have been from the Rock, they which Christ said should come, and John saw was come that went forth from them; and so have been as waters, and so the first beast out of the Sea, and the second out of the earth; And all this Babylon building up and throwing down, and all these crosses and Images, pictures, and worshipping of Names and Idols, and all these pulpits, Priests, tithes, Churches with Crosses in the Church-yards and Church ends has been of them, and all this making of Ministers by the will of men, by their schools and colleges for covetous ends, & covetous practices are amongst the Apostates, which are apostatised from Christs Disciples, who went forth freely, sent forth by him & all these names amongst people called Christians are of the Beast, and given by the beast since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasy; in their dayes there was not so many Names given to Christians; so that which Christ said should come, John saw was come, which went forth from them which all the world went after and worshipped the beast and false Prophets, but who had their Names written in the Lambs Book of life before the foundation of the world, which kept the testimony of Jesus, against whom the beast and false Prophets should make war, and should overcome, and the Woman fled into the wilderness, and the man-child was caught up unto God, that which ravined forth, which was the Wolf from the life, turned against them that kept the life; the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit, but now the Lamb and the Saints have the victory, for every one that comes into the World being enlightened, they which go from the light which they be enlightened withall they inwardly ravine, and you may see these were not those called Heathens that got the sheeps clothing, that went forth from the Apostles which had been amongst them, but did not continue ravined from the life, had the sheeps clothing, kept the outside, but made war against those that kept the life, that kept the Spirit the testimony of Jesus and killed them; here began the apostasy; amongst these has come up all this trash, when they ravined from the life, stood not in the council of God, but made Ministers by their own wills, and apostatised from the true cross the power of God, and from the true Church, the Pillar and ground of Truth, and from the true Apostles, and set up a Church with a cross on the end of it, and these are they that have brought up all these pulpits, tithes, Temples, Saboths, Schools, colleges, and these are they that despise prophecy and quench the Spirit, and limits the holy one which sets them in confusion; the order and practise of the Church of the Apostles is; if any thing be revealed to one that sits by, let the first hold his peace, for you may all speak one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted; so from all these Apostates and apostasy, the beast and the number of his names, and his heads, and horns, and crowns, and his languages, and his crosses, and his Churches, pulpits, and his Teachers made by the will of man, is God bringing his people, and the Lamb and the Saints has the Victory, glory for ever to the highest, and the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth, for all that dwell upon the earth have worshipped the beast, and gone after them that inwardly ravined, that Christ said should come, John saw was come, that went out from them, and so all Nations has been like a wilderness, that briars and thorns and thistles may be gathered of them, and in this may every one see his fruits; but who had their Names written in the Lambs book of life, and kept the testimony of Jesus; for all Nations have drunk of the cup of her fornications, and this was that, that made war with the Saints and overcome them, but now the Lamb and the Saints have got the Victory over that which Christ said should come, John saw was come, which all the world went after, and now he is redeeming the pure mystery; now shall the Saints and the holy Peophets rejoice over her, who are come to that which she went from, now shall the holy Tabernacle be witnessed with man; now shall the holy City be witnessed, and the heavenly Jerusalem, now cries the Spirit come, and him that hears bids come, and the bride saith come, for the Lamb and the Saints has Victory, and now is the marriage of the Lamb, and to every one that thirsteth he will give of the water of life freely; so every one that comes into the world being enlightened, having a light from the Lamb, being turned to the light, that Christ Jesus the Lamb of God hath enlightened them withall, and believing in the light which will let you see your sins, with it you will see the Lamb of God which takes away sins; for all these tithes, and pulpits, and Temples, and Priests are come up since the dayes of the Apostles amongst them that apostatised from them, for the true Apostles witnessed against the true Temple which Solomon built, and said their bodies were the Temples of God, and the Apostles witnessed against the true Priest-hood whose lips were to preserve the peoples knowledge, and offered for his own sins and the sins of the people, and witnessed the everlasting Priesthood and the one offering, and Christ the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World, and said the light that shined in their hearts which came from him would give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, and with that light they saw the glory which was with the Father before the world began, from whom the light comes, him by whom the world was made; And the Apostles brought them off the true tithes, and said the Priesthood was changed, and the Law was changed also, and Commandement disannulled which gave them tithes, and Christ Jesus was come the Son of God, the end of all similitudes and likenesses, as Hebr. 7. So as was said before, these Priests, tithes, Temples, pulpits were made by the will of man since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasy, and these Churches amongst whom are all these Names and several worships, and opinions, and judgements, and having the sheeps clothing, but every one as a Wolf ravined from the life, and ready to devour one another, so the form of godliness has been long amongst people, but the life and power has been wanting, which they were in, that gave forth the Scriptures in which people have unity, from it they have been apostatised; the worship of God in Spirit and truth has been wanting, from this they have been apostatised, in which spirit they gave forth the Scriptures which is the bond of peace, in it is the unity, & the worship of the father in the truth, in that which the devil is out of, in which is no enmity, and so all having been inwardly Raveners that have been from the life within, they have been Wolves in sheeps clothing ravening one after another to devour one another, and their fruits has been briars and thorns so profession of Religion has been amongst people, but the life has been wanting, into which life God is now bringing his people to that which they all ravined from, with which they shall see all the Apostates in the apostasy, and fathom over the Heads of them all, with which they shall come to see the rock Christ Jesus the Covenant of light and life and peace; so that which may be known of God is manifest within people which God hath shewed unto them, that when they do the things that are not convenient, not righteous or worthy of death, with that of God in them all they can tell, and to that of God in them all they must come, before they do hold the Truth in the righteousness, or retain God in their knowledge, or retain his covenant of light in which is the peace with God and one with another; for the Jews they held truth, the Prophets, and Moses, and the Saints Words, but their minds being reprobated from that which might be known of God made manifest in them, which God had shewed unto them, they held it in the unrighteousness in the sin and enemity, so that was that age; now the ages since, people has held truth, Christs words, the Prophets words, Apostles words, but it has been in the unrighteousness that is in the sin, in the Enemity in every ones mind, and so there is the adversary and the wicked one amongst people, professors and Christians that has that name, and so they become Synagogues of satan, in enmity one against another, giving one another names, gathering together in Sects one against another, cages of unclean Spirits, habitations of Dragons, yet truth held, in the unrighteousness in the enmity which makes them to slay one another about it; and so there is the Devil puts men on to kill one another about Religion, wrestle against flesh and blood, and the while the power of darkness, & spiritual wickedness rules, but those are no true Christians, no Ministers of Christ that do so, but they are all from that which may be known of God made manifest in them, which God hath shewed to them as the Jews was, outward Jews, not inward, outward Christians, not inward; for he is a true Christian that hath Christ in him, as he was a true jew who was one inward, so to that which may be known of God manifest in them must all people be brought before they retain God in their knowledge, from whence it comes, or retain his Covevant Christ Jesus the end of the Prophets Abraham and David, whom the Apostles preached, before the world was made, before it was made, in which you come to have peace with God, in whom truth must be held, and spoken as it is in Jesus, and then it is held in righteousness and spoken in peace, the seed of God being brought forth, and the covenant of light and life witnessed, the Lamb being risen which makes the powers of the earth to rage that be out of the fear of God, and Christ Jesus is come to reign, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever, which makes all the Ministers, Teachers, Prophets, & Antichrist to rage that have been made by the will of man, and schools, and colleges, that speaks a divination of their own brain, and not from the month of the Lord, and all Ministers, Teachers, Prophets, Pastors, Shepherds, Guides, and Leaders of the people that has gotten Christs, the prophets, Apostles words, & professors of them, being found out of the life of the prophets, Christ and the Apostles with the life of Christ, of the prophets and Apostles are they all judged which makes them rage, which life is now made manifest, glory to the highest for ever, and the Lord is come to teach his people himself by his Spirit, and to gather them from all the worlds ways, Teachers, to himself, and so all upon the earth which profess Christs words, the prophets and Apostles, they are ragnig against their life, which is now manifest, and be raging against Christ which is now manifest in his Saints, Christ the same to day, yesterday and for ever, so the seed of God is risen, glory to the Highest for ever, which seed is Christ in the Male and in the female, whereby many males and females are come to confess Christ the seed, in them which is Christ who has the promise; and so are become Heires of the promise, Heires of God, Heires of life, and Heires of the world that has no end, and the Rulers of the Earth takes council together against the Lord, and against his anointed, and his babes as you may red, and as they may red, that now are taking council against him where the anointing is manifest, such are they that slays him in the particular, and are the builders that reject the Corner-stone, but the ston that is cut out of the mountains without hands shall dash the Head of gold to pieces, and the breast of silver the King of Babylon, who have an ear they may hear; And so the world is crying out for their honour, and crying out for their bendings and bowings and doffing their hats, and cries Jacob bowed to Esau, it seems that Esau is Lord among you yet, & not servant, itis granted there was a time, that Daniel bowed to nabuchadnezzar, and Jacob bowed to Pharaoh it s granted, and there was a time that Pharaoh and his host was in the Sea, the Family of Jacob rejoicing over them; there was a time that Esau must be as stubble, and Jacob ride over the high places of the Earth, and nabuchadnezzar brought down amongst the beasts to eat grass like an ox, until he knew that the most high did rule in the Kingdoms of men, and the elder must serve the younger; he that hath an ear let him hear, and as for the hat, its honour amongst men, honour below, and not honour above, while people are seeking for this honour below they lose the honour which is above which Christ commands to seek, and questioned them that were there receiving honour one of another, and seeking honour of men, how could they believe, and said moreover I receive not honour of men, I which am the Light of the World, him by whom the World was made, which enlightens every man that comes into the World, and does not come amongst the Sons of Adam driven from God to receive their honour, but to spoil it, deface it, slain their pride, deface their honour, mar their glory, slain their beauty; so the light which every man that comes into the World is enlightened withall, the light in him which hath enlightened him will not receive the honour below, but will condemn him if he receives it, and that is it which brings to seek honour from above, and slain the glory that is below; so the first Adam in the transgression receives honour of the Earth, but the second Adam receives it not, nor will the light in them receive it, which comes from the second Adam, so I have a witness in all mens consciences upon the earth, that will not receive honour of men below, but of God, and that comes from above. And the Teachers of the World, and Ministers, and Pastors, and Doctors, and Shepherds has told us that the Hebrew, Greek and latin was the original, and they were the orthodox Ministers to open the Scriptures to us, and they had the original, when as Moses said that all the earth was of one language before Babel, & Nimrod the mighty hunter whose stock was of Ham, whom God did confounded into the many languages, he was the beginning of the building of Babel; and Moses said like unto me will God raise up a Prophet, him shall you hear, and when this Prophet was come, Christ Jesus they crucified him, and when they crucified him, they writ a superscription over him in Letters of Hebrew, Greek and latin; now here stands the Worlds Original over Christ, over the life when they crucified him; the beginning of these many languages was Babel; and Pilate he could not open the Scriptures with Hebrew, Greek and latin, but crucified Christ who is the substance of the Scriptures, and when he had done, he set his many languages on the top of him; and said John in the Revelations, they must be redeemed out of languages, which they have told us was the Original, that which was set a top of Christ when he was crucified, a top of the life, but now the life is risen, Christ is risen, who had the many languages a top of him, Orthodox men a top of him, Christ is risen that fathoms Babel and Babylon before Babel or Babylon was, who had the many languages a top of him, which is the Worlds Original, so the life is risen a top of it, which they set a top of him and over them, and saith it is the Original, and say they must open the Scriptures with it, with which they run all into confusion Babylon, so betwixt Babel and Babylon they may walk and see by plain Scriptures how the many languages were set over Christ; and Pilate could not open the Scriptures with them, nor can they now open the Scriptures with their many languages, but breaks into heaps, heads and parties, for if they could open, they would satisfy one another, and come all into one, for that which gave forth is one, which must open them again; So all people, Teachers and Professors be all upon heaps in confusion about the words of the Scriptures, saying that is the Original, and they are stopped at Babel, for all the earth was of one language before, and they stood on the top of Christ, and the call is out of many languages, out of Babylon, Babylon is the end of them, and the life is risen that stains their pride, defaceth their glory, and mars their beauty, for they have a pride, a glory, a beauty in their languages, which they call the Original, the naturals, and the light lets see before Babel or Babylon was, or Pilate either, in the beginning the Covenant of light with God, and when that people did Imagine to build Babel, they went out of the life, which God confounded into the many languages, that they might not bescattered, and God scattered them as he will all other gatherings, that are gathered with Imaginations of him, and are the builders, and goes from the life of God within them, and so from God, and they that crucified Christ they were from the life, and they set the many languages a top of Christ which was the life, and they that were Babylon, were them that ravined from the Spirit of God in them, and went from the Apostles Doctrine into the many languages which the redemption is from, and so they cannot endure to hear talk of the life, and the Spirit of God within, and the light; and these are they that set up languages; but now the life is risen a top of the languages, which gathers to God, and lets see before Babel or Babylon was, or Pilate either: and exalted Babel shall fall and become a habitation of Devils; but over all the life is risen, that gives to see to the beginning before the world was made, which brings to peace with God, which opens the words of Christ, the Prophets and Apostles, and gives to every one his particular satisfaction concerning the words of the Prophets of Christ, of the Apostles, in which life, peace with God is known, which judgeth all them that has the words, and be out of the life. ILE break into pieces, Ile make Nations like dirt, Ile tread them into Mire; Ile make religions, professions, teachings, time-servers, callers upon me with their lips and hearts afar off, surfeiting in the earth, pride, hypocrisy and deceitfulness of heart, gathered into a Religion thatis vain, gatherings on heaps, gatherings of Multitudes, gatherings which they call Churches, fair shows, fair pretences, hypocritical teachings, winds, covetous practices, Ile make mire of them, Ile make mortar, Ile make dirt of them, the wrath of the Lamb is risen upon all Apostates, who are gathered in the apostasy, apostatised from the Prophets life, the Apostles life, the life of the Lamb, the Lamb is risen, the sceptre is gone out, the throne is set, beware every one what you profess, what foundations you are laying, you shall be shaken, not being in the possession, being out of the possession of the life of God, of the Prophets, of the Apostles of Christ. Ye diviners, ye dreamers, ye Notionists, in your curiosities in the air, Ile whirl you under hail-stones, viols, plagues, thunders, woes, judgments are come amongst you, upon your heads all Nations that be out of the life of the Lamb, dread, quakings, fears, shall surprise hypocrites, amazements, the pure life of God is risen, that has been lost, from it ye have been apostatised, without it have you been gathered, with it shall your gatherings be broken, scattered; From the life of my Apostles, of my Prophets have you been all scattered and apostatised, and so true ministry hath been lost, true Apostles life lost, true Prophets life lost, false Ministers got up, false Apostles got up, false Prophets got up, and reigned in their stead: my sheeps clothing you have had, wolves you have been, thorns and thistles your earth has brought forth, has lain like a wilderness unplowed-up, amongst whom are so many names and horns, setting up your inventions, but inwardly ravined, so apostatised, so the witness butted, whored, and then fornication; but the Rod is over you which must rule Nations, trumpets sounding and sounded, the just will rule, the Lamb will have the victory; woes, woes and miseries are out-going upon all the heads of the wicked, the judgements are come upon the World, the day of glory is appearing, and hath appeared, the Throne and the sceptre that is everlasting is come and witnessed and set over the World, which shall answer that of God in every one, which every one has ravined from, and all gatherings upon the earth from that, shall bee broken, and it shall answer the just in every one. THE END.