A BRIGHT SHINING LIGHT, Discovering the Pretenders to it.  
Recommended to the People CALLED QUAKERS.  
PUBLISHED For throwing down of Idols, and all Idolatrous Worship, in and amongst that People; or in any other whatsoever.  
By Phil. Ang.  
His Spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the City wholly given to Idolatry.  
And the Lord said, I will cast off this City Jerusalem, which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, my Name shall be there.  
LONDON, Printed, and are to be sold by Francis Smith, Bookseller at the Elephant & Castle in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange, 1680.   

A bright shining Light, etc.  
THere is nothing to be known of Christ in the Spirit, and in the Mystery, by all the highest Forms in the whole World; For we see many live in them, yet never come to enjoy Christ in the Spirit; and all is, because they make these Forms, Duties, and Fellowships to be no other but Graven Images, wherein they rest, and bless themselves in their Idols, and say (in their hearts) These be thy Gods, O Israel. But be assured, for all these thy Graven Images which thou hast so bedecked, and that are so sacred that no Man may speak against them, but he shall be censured for a Devil, a Blasphemer, a Son of Belial; yet the Lord, when He comes with His Light, He will discover thy Nakedness, thy Witchcrafts, thy Sorceries; and He will let thee see thou art no Saint, as thou wouldst be thought to be, but a Devil transformed into an Angel of Light.  
2. But as sure as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, this is not the Way: but the Way is, for Man to be stripped, made naked, that he may be clothed upon. His strength is to sit still, to deny himself, and his own Life too, or else he cannot be Christ's Disciple.  
3. Nay, though thou art in the very Chariot of Religion, and highest profession of the Truth, and hast chosen to thyself the purest Form, and Church-Fellowship, or any thing else which can be named; In that Day when the Lord will arise, they shall be all cut off, all utterly overwhelmed, like Pharaoh and his Chariots in the Sea. Let it be what it will wherein thou trustest, all these shall be cut off from thine hand. Tho M●n may admire them, and esteem them the highest, the wisest, the gravest, the strictest of all the Sons of Men, yet the LORD sees them to be the worst, the wickedest, the purest Hypocrites of all others.  
4. All that Witchcraft which Men have used in the Things of God, in setting up Images, Forms and Shadows, and herein deluded Men, making them believe they were the Things themselves; and though they have wrought them up never so curiously, and made them as near the life as might be, yet in that Day they shall come to see they were but Images, and dead things, which could not help at all, though they were made after the best pattern, and never so like the Things of God.  
5. We may safely conclude, that All Men without distinction, until Christ be revealed in them, are joined in one way of Idolatry and  Worship; And though they may censure and condemn each other, yet to God they are all Idolaters, Enchanters, and are mad after Idols.  
They are still carried out very zealously to outward Observations, and carnal things; and if any shall in the least touch them in them, they are presently offended, raging and mad; for ye touch their Absalon, their very Lives. These Pharisees are always very much offended with the neglect of small matters, and of things indifferent, which either the doing, or leaving undone, is no sign of Sincerity or Insincerity: but they can neglect the weighty matters of the Law themselves, and suffer others to do so, and never be offended. They are more strict in observing the Traditions of their Church, and of Men, than of the Commandments of God, and the weighty matters of the Law. They are constant in observing outward Forms of Worship, and Times of Prayer, and the like; but never mind what is in their hearts, as evil Thoughts, Adulteries, Lies, Malice, Envy, Covetousness, Pride, etc. These things they neglect and pass by as small matters. They can hate the Truth, and belly the Truth, and persecute the Professors and Possessors thereof, but they cannot endure any should speak a word against their formal and outward Worship. They indeed are very strict and careful to follow all their outward Ceremonies and Worships, and they glory in these things; but for all this they are no other but Dissemblers and Hypocrites, being only gilded over with a form of Piety and Religion; but within they are rotten and stinking Sepulchers, which are full of stench and dead men's bones.  
6. And in the Day of the LORD they shall be ashamed of their Confidences, and of their Idols wherein they trusted, and which they have so decked up, to make the World believe they are the true Worshippers; when-as they have done nothing else but set up their own Inventions, and the works of their own hands; all savouring of Flesh, and of Man, and humane things, and nothing at all of Christ really, but merely in Words, in Names, and in Notions.  
7. These Pharisees are furnished at all times, they can preach and pray, etc. They are fitted at all times, they can at an hour command themselves; they can pray either in the Chamber, in the Temple, or in the Closet, and keep their set-rules and hours; and this is their Holiness. And all that do not follow their Modes and Forms, they account lose and profane. And they can judge and censure a Brother for a Mote in his Eye, but perceive not the Beam in their own Eye. These are the Men our LORD so much aimed at, and had so much ado to uncase and convince: and Him they so much hated, because He had such a slight opinion of them, and of their Holiness; and because He censured them for Hypocrites, and blind Pharisees, nay the worst of all Men, yea worse than Whoremongers, Thiefs, and Murderers.  
8. But the other, who worship God in the Spirit, and have their help and dependence on the LORD only, they see really their own Insufficiency, and they receive all by waiting on GOD only, they cannot speak, nor preach, nor pray, but when He doth all these in them. They will not be unjust to Men, because they have an inward principle that conforms them to the mind of Christ. In brief, the one keep a great deal of stir, and are very busy and exact about Outsides, Forms, Times, Places, and the like; when as the other see the vanity and folly of such things. For if any carnal or external thing be set up in the room of Christ, this is no less than Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Delusion.  
9 We will name one more of their Sorceries and Enchantments, and 'tis a very great one, in that they take upon them (whatever they say to the contrary) the very office and place of Christ, calling themselves Teachers, saying, Come to Us, and hearken to Us, and We will direct you and teach you what Means and what Rules you should use; Come, join yourselves in fellowship with Us, and conform to Us, and walk with Us, for We will show you the best Way. We have overlookt and examined all other Church-fellowships, and none like Ours; We are according to the Primitive Pattern, and to the Mind of Christ. And they say moreover, We have the Word of the LORD with Us, We have a Revelation, and We have seen a Vision. When indeed they have seen nothing, but boast of things without their measure, and speak not the things they have seen and heard: yet will say, The LORD hath spoken; and, This is the Word of the LORD. Herein the Prophet is not only deluded, but the People also: for they have joined themselves with these Prophets, and there they will stick, and their Faith is pinned upon their Sleeves; and so this Prophet (as thou takest him to be) becomes thy Pope. And this is the great Enchantment and Mischief in our times.  
10. And when they have got into this Chariot of Religion, and these Forms of Worship, than they think themselves safe. How many thousands of People are got into these ways, and joined themselves to these rich Citizens, and never yet were emptied, made miserable, and nothing; never lost their own Lives, never (fully) took up the Cross of Christ, nor forsook themselves? but having taken up a Form suitable to their liking, say, Now I am safe, now I am well; whatever others do, I am in a good condition; I am wiser than others, I am holier than they; stand further off, etc.  
11. These Men are become Masters of their Religion, 'tis true, for Religion was never yet Master over them.  
12. But when the LORD shall arise with His Light, than all these Enchantments, and all the Enchanters will be confounded. You shall no more be deceived with fine, smooth, soft words, There shall be no more a Magician, nor a Soothsayer, nor any that worketh a Divination; for He will deliver His People out of their hand.  
13. Nay, Tho they be old received Idols, and of long standing, and made by the most exact and curious Workmen, and scarce ever questioned, but received as if made by GOD Himself, yet even these things shall be discovered and detected, and the Idols and Idol-makers shall be confounded together.  
14. Were Men come to the True Light, and were able to stand in it, and walk in it, they would not go forth as they do in their own Name, in their own Wisdom and Power, etc. How many Speakers be there now, and with what confidence do they come unto you? when the Spirit from on high never came upon them; they never yet waited at Wisdoms Gate; never yet stayed at Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father. O that these Men did but know from whence they speak! O that they did but know whether they were sent from Christ or Antichrist! who indeed sit in the Temple of Christ, as if sent from Christ; Nay, let me tell you, they come with such deceivableness of unrighteousness, with such signs and lying wonders, that they are able to deceive, if it were possible, the very Elect of God. But the truth is, 'tis only They that can discover them, 'tis only the Spirit of Christ that can lay them open; only He that hath the True Light, can discover these hidden deeds of darkness.  
15. They that have the True Light, and the True Spirit, dare not go forth to speak of the Things of God, but in trembling and fear. They know they must have the Inward Teaching before they can open their Mouths; the Coal from the Altar to touch their Lips, or else they dare not speak. They know the Spirit of their Father is an Almighty, Eternal, Free Spirit, (like the Wind that bloweth whither it listeth, Man neither knoweth whence it cometh, nor when:) Sometime the Cloud is removed, when He pleaseth; and then they may, yea, must go forth, than they may journey: but when the day is cloudy and dark, and the Spirit of the Lord doth not speak in them, than they must be content to sit still, till the Day that the LORD Himself takes up the Cloud. Man can never remove it, no not one hour or minute sooner, but when the Spirit listeth: But in the Day of Light than they may go forward; nay, than they shall go forth with Power; Then they shall not speak as the Scribes and Pharisees, but with Authority: Then they shall not regard the praise of Men, nor glory in those things that the foolish and vain heart of Man doth.  
16. O let no Woman be heard in the Church, but only the Voice of Christ: Let Him increase, but let Man, and all the Womanly Weakness in Man decrease, and whatever is of Man: Whenever he would have Glory, or be any thing, let him be confounded, and the Pit shut her mouth upon him; for it's not only unseemly, but a shame for the Woman to speak in the Church.  
17. Happy is that Soul who hath forsaken Himself, and all other Lights, and minds only this True Light from the Tabernacle, that cannot follow any other Counsel, that knows the Voice of Christ, and the Light and Life of Christ from all other Lights or Lives; and that will not follow the Voice of any Stranger. They know the Light, and Shinings forth of God, from all other Shinings. These are the true Wisemen, the spiritual and true Magicians; if they see any other Star, they can distinguish it, and follow His Star alone.  
18. Nay, further; Satan hath his Policy and Enchantment, he can cry down an Enchantment in one Form, that he may be more secure in another, and yet be Satan still. What a stir does all the World make about setting up of several Inventions and Forms? And every individual Fellowship say, We are in the right Way, our Way is the best, and we are nearest the Rule and Primitive Practice, and our Way is the Way of Peace and Rest. Such and such they miss the Rule in this and that; but our Way is the most exact, and most perfect of all. All which is no other but that which Christ foretells shall come, when they say, Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo, he is there: but Christ's Command is, Go not after them; for the Kingdom of God comes not with observation, nor consists in outward observation, nor in Meats or Drinks, nor in obeying the Commands or Rules of Men: for all things of that nature are far below these Spiritual things, in which consists the Kingdom of God, which is Righteousness, Joy, Peace in the Holy Ghost, and in being baptised with the Spirit, and with Fire.  
19 Christ says, Go not after Them, join not with them, for they lead thee from thy Beloved; and those thou runnest after, and thoughtest thy Friends, will be found Liars, Deceivers, and Blasphemers. If they say, Lo, He is in this Form, or that Mode only, in this Rule, or that Discipline; here thou shalt find Rest and Satisfaction; here is He whom thou seekest, here is thy Beloved: Know all things of this nature are but Lies and Delusions.  
20. If Christ appear not in these, and strip thee of thy Idols, and of thy Sorceries, thy ways lead down to darkness, and to the bottomless-pit, and thou shalt never enter into the New Jerusalem, but wilt be without amongst Liars, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Dogs for ever.  
21. My Friends, You that talk so much of Christ, and are very zealous for Him outwardly (as one would think) none more, and keep such a stir about your Forms and Orders; except you have found Christ in you, in vain do you pretend to Him: for you but draw nigh to Him with your Lips, when your Hearts are removed far from Him.  
22. Nay, I dare be bold to say, if Christ should but come to you (or send any) to convince you of your Bondage and Deliverance, You would hate Him, spit at Him, crucify Him with as much Malignity as ever the Jews did: for in truth, the whole World, in all their Religion and Forms, love not Christ, nor aim at Him, nor worship Him; but love and seek themselves. And certainly this is that Light which shall break forth in these latter days of the World, to strip, unmask, and discover all the Religion of Man.  
23. What do you mean to speak so harshly against the Church of Christ, and People of God? I answer: Far be such a thought from my heart, I would not do it for a World. But this I say, If they were the People of God, than they would not keep such a stir about an outward Gathering, and an external Membership, but they would own the Church of Christ, which is spiritual and mystical, for such is the Body of Christ; it is universal, and not locked up in this Way, or that Form: but here they pitch their Love, and all others they behold afar off, who are not squared to their Churchway. But in vain do they tell me of their Saintship, or of being the People of God; for while they rest in Shadows, Forms, or any outward thing, Christ in the Spirit, or Comforter, cannot come: Therefore 'tis expedient for You that He go away as to all these things, else He cannot send the Comforter, which leads into all Truth.  
FINIS.