CERTAIN PAPERS Given forth from the SPIRIT OF TRUTH Which witnesses against the wisdom of the world, and unrighteousness of men, both Priests and People, and against their false ways and false worship, and which witnesses of the Light of Jesus Christ in the conscience, wherein true wisdom is, that people may see with the true Light into the things that be invisible and be converted and healed of God in Christ. By Thomas Stubbs. I thank thee O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto Babes, even so Father for it pleased thee, Mat. 11.25.26. Luke 10.21. Every man is brutish in his knowledge, etc. Jer. 20.14.15. The Portion of Jacob is not like them, etc. Jer. 10. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness, Job 5.13. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces, gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces, gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces, take counsel together and it shall come to nought, speak the word and it shall not stand, for God is with us, Isai. 8.9, 10. LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldesgate. 1659. A Declaration of Life and Power in me. O LORD thou art my God. Thou art a Father to the fatherless. Thou art my shield and strong tower of defence. Nothing is to be compared to thee. My love, my Dove, my undefiled one. Thou art the chiefest among ten thousands. With thee is rest and peace. With thee, is love and joy. Keep me under the shadow of thy wings. Stay me with the flagons of thy love. Stay me in thy house. Let me not go from thy presence. Thou art my strong tower of defence. Thy love is better than wine. Thou art sweet and comely, Nothing is to be desired besides thee. Thou art meek and lowly. Because of thy precious ointment, Therefore do the virgins love thee. All things are nothing besides thee. What am I without thee? I have all things with thee. Never suffer me to flee from thee. With the sweetness of thy love stay me. Thou art sweet and lovely. With thee is lowliness and purity. With thee is meekness and chastity. With thee is true humility. Thou stillest the raging of the Sea. All enemies in me do submit to thee. There is no power besides thee. And all things shall obey thee. With thee is life eternal. For thy flesh is meat, and thy blood is drink, to all whose minds are stayed on thee. With thee is sweet simplicity. Oh do not thou forfake me. Draw me, and I will run after thee. With thy presence guard me. So shall be kept out the enemy. They are satisfied who wait on thee, Nothing is too hard for thee. All nations shall obey thee, and cast down their crowns before thee; for thou art worthy. For thy name is a strong tower to all that give up to thee. to whom be all honour and glory. Come down ye high and lofty ones. and submit to Jesus Christ. and to that pure simplicity. which lets you see the evil of your hearts; and so will be cut down the corrupt tree; But if ye follow the imaginations of your own hearts, and reject the chief corner stone. his indignation will be poured on thee. and thou shalt run to the ragged rocks, and cry to the mountains to fall on thee. To hid thee from the presence of the Lord; But thou shalt find no place to fly unto, but his judgements will follow thee. But blessed are all they that wait on him. They shall flourish like the green olive tree which is planted by the rivers of water which is sweet and comely. Sweeter than the honey, and the honey comb. Nothing can express thee. No tongue can declare thee. Thy love is appeared to me, and shall to all that wait on thee; for thou art just and holy. No unclean thing shall come to thee; For thou art all purity. The wells-springs of life are with thee: Never suffer me to run from thee, Keep me as the apple of thine eye, No tongue can declare thee, The sweetness that flows from thee Thee carnal heart knows it not. but that heart which is given to thee, Thy free love is tendered to all. none drinks of it but who are obedient to thee. Woe is to him that forsakes thee. Nothing is to be compared to thee. Oh unite me unto thee. Never suffer me to distrust thee. Thou hast brought me into thy banqueting house. Oh stay thou with me. Blessed are all they that trust in thee. All things below thee are vanity. My soul doth witness it forth, because it drinketh of thee. Oh let none be discouraged whose faces are set towards thee. Believe not the enemy. Give up, give up to be guided by the counsel of Jesus Christ in you; For he is worthy. Why will you spend your time in vanity? and forsake the living mercies, which are tendered freely. Return, return from every evil way. That ye may become branches of the living tree. Come forth, come forth of Babylon, and submit to that pure light in you which cries for holiness, and purity. Take heed of feeding upon vanity. Oh never suffer me to forsake thee, nor none whose souls thirst after thee. Nothing is to be compared to thee. Yea thou art sweeter than the hony-comb. No tongue can express thee, the sweetness of the love that is in thee. Oh sweet simplicity. Blessed are all they that wait on thee, and comes again to their first innocency, being regenerate and born again, who comes to feed upon the living-tree, and drinks of the pure streams that run from thee, which heals all that comes to thee; for thou art life and purity. Moved and written from the Spirit of the Lord by Thomas Stubbs called a Quaker. The Word of the Lord against them who do err, not knowing the Scriptures. THE Priests and people of the world wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, because they do deny the light within, wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world, which is the way that would lead up to the life which the Scriptures testify of; who abides in the light, and follow it, they have the light of life abiding in them; and who do deny the light within, are the enemies of Jesus Christ and are out of the Scriptures. Now the Scriptures testify of him that he is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world, and that he is the way, the Truth, and the Life; who follows him not, rejecting the light within, hath not life, and is out of the Scriptures, and the wrath of God abideth on him, for the light reproves him; and there is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. And they in whom the Prince of the power of the air rules, do not know the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, and so have not life; therefore they do err not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. All who reject the council of the Lord, in denying the light within Priests and people have not life, and are out of the Scriptures; they boast of the Letter of other men's lines made ready their hands; and they are to be kept out of the Scriptures; for they are thiefs, and climb up, coming not by the door, because they reject the light within; which is of Jesus Christ, who is the door, and the life of the Scriptures, but do speak of the Letter which is death and know not the power of life. They build an house upon the sand with untempered mortar; and it shall fall, and be dashed in pieces by the light within, the chief corner stone, which they stumble at, and they do greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God; And so the blind leads the blind, and both shall fall in the ditch; for they have eyes, and see not, because they deny the light within, their ears are dull of hearing, and they will not hear, but wrist the Scriptures to their own destruction, so to the Priests and people of the world the Scriptures are Parables (as it was, so it is) and they err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, because they deny the light within, wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightened, rejecting the Lord's counsel, and know not the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and therefore are shut out of the Kingdom because they deny the light within, wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightened every one, which opens the Scriptures to his disciples that follow him, and seals the Testimony among his disciples; but without are sorcerers unbelievers, whoremongers, and who works abomination, and trust in lies, who are to be kept out of the Scriptures, for in rejecting the light within, they speak not according to the Law and testimony, and have not the life of the Scriptures; And therefore they run to wizards that peep and mutter; and to the wise men of the world, whose wisdom is foolishness with God, and seek the living among the dead, and death speaks of the dead letter which is death, wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction, denying the light within, which would lead to life, & therefore do err, not knowing the Scriptures, which they are to be kept out of, for they are enemies to Jesus Christ, doing now as they ever did, who persecute those that live in the life of the Scriptures, as their forefathers did those that gave forth the Scriptures, and their Kingdom is of this world, as their forefathers were being out of the Kingdom of God, by rejecting the light within which leads to the Kingdom, and they hate and persecute those that are called out of the world, whose Kingdom is not of the world, but within, which the Princes and wise men of the world knows not, nor never did, but were enemies to it; Therefore howl and weep ye wise men of the world, who are rich in your wisdom, ye shall be consumed by the light within, which is contrary to it; for the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to the wise of the World now, as ever it was, therefore the Lord will confound the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent; Where is the wise? Where is the Scrib? Where is the disputer of this World? God hath chosen the foolish things of this World to confound the wise. Those that do follow the light of Christ within, which the wise of this World accounts foolishness and the preaching of the Cross, which now, as ever is to the unbelieving Jew a stumbling-block, and to the Gentiles, the wise of the World, foolishness, but to all that are saved it is the power of God to World Salvation, Jesus Christ made to us wisdom, and righteousness, which the World knows not of, but wisdom is justified of her Children, and they who hate it, the light within, they are without, in the world, and dare not come to the light because it doth reprove them, and it is a stumbling stone and rock of offence to them, being disobedient to it, and while they are so, whatsoever they do profess is dust, their profession is without ground, the foundation is false, they have not life, but are in death, wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction, stumbling at, the Rock Jesus Christ, the light within, which is the life of the scriptures, and who reject it, they build upon the sand, and their house shall fall and be made desolate. Therefore all people see upon what foundation you build, and what is the ground and hope of your calling. They who reject the light within, are the enemies of Jesus Christ, and Stone, and persecute, and imprison the messengers of the Lord, who live in the life of the Scriptures, as their forefathers did, those that gave forth the Scriptures, and the righteous blood will be required at your hands, who live in the same nature; your house shall be left unto you desolate; the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it; and did not the word of the Lord take hold of your forefathers, and they returned and said, like as the Lord of Hosts hath spoken, so hath he done unto us? Zeck. 1.5. etc. and the word of the Lord endures for ever, it is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. Now ye have time, prize it, this is the day of your visitation. In loving the light within, and obeying it, it will lead you to the life eternal; In looking out and disobeying the light within, you lie in death, feeding upon the dea●● letter, which is dea●● and do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, and are in Babylon, in your wisdom where is confusion, dashing one place of scripture against another in your imagined ways of it, not living in the life of the scripnures, and have the light within to be your condemnation, and it will dash you to pieces; while ye run out from it, ye are in darkness without God in the world; all return within and wait upon the Lord in the light, that your souls may be raised out of death. Hast, hast, to meet the Lord; harken to the voice of Jesus Christ in you and obey it, lest ye perish; whosoever stumbles at it shall be broken, and upon whomsoever it shall shall, it will grind him to powder. 11. mon. 30. day. 1653. Moved and written from the spirit of the Lord by Thomas Stubbes. To the Priests and people of the World that worship they know not what, being ignorant of the true and living God, who is worshipped in spirit and in truth, and a call out of false worships, to worship the living God in spirit and in truth. ALL who uphold an outward Temple and a steeple house, calling it the Church of God, they worship the work of their own hands and live in darkness without God in the World, and speak of God, but ignorantly worship him, not knowing the true and living God, who is worshipped in spirit and in truth, Io. 4.22.23. God that made the World and all things therein, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, Heaven is my Throne and Earth is thy footstool, what house will you build me, saith the Lord, seeing my hands hath made all these things? Act. 7. Steven was stoned to death, for witnessing forth the truth against the stiff necked and rebellious people of the World, who are uncircumcised in heart and ears, who do resist the holy Ghost, and as did your forefathers, so do ye hold up the same things, and do persecute, stone, and imprison the messengers of the Lord, who declare against your traditional worships and heathenish practices which are held up by priests and people, that they have no rule of Scripture for, Mat. 15.8, 9 Isa. 28. Therefore search the Scriptures; and every one examine yourselves, & see what ye hold up and worship, all you who call a steeple house the Church, are deceived through the ignorance that is in you, and your blind guides, who are your teachers, and have each of them a steeplehouse to creep into, one year after another, where they will let none come but themselves, and who they please, there they cause you to err & lead captive silly women, laden with sin & led away with divers lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 3.1.2. To that light of Christ in your consciences I speak, which will eternally witness the truth, and that this is your condition, you cannot deny it, unless you lie against the light in your consciences, your leaders live in pride and covetousness; while they promise you liberty, they themselves are the servauts of lust and uncleanness, being men of corrupt minds; so the blind leads the blind, and both falls into the ditch, Lu. 6.39. And know ye not that your hearts should be an house of prayer, and ye members of the Church of Christ? but while ye live in sin, and in the lusts of the flesh, ye yield your members to be servants to the Devil; And your hearts which should be a house of prayer, ye have made it a den of Thiefs, and a Cage of unclean birds, and a den of Vipers and venomous beasts to dwell in. And ye are not members of the Church of Christ, for no whoremonger, nor drunkard, nor sweater, nor liar, nor covetous person, nor proud and high minded one, nor who lives in pleasures and wantonness, nor deceitful person, nor whosoever works abominations, and do live in sin and uncleanness, these are not members of the Church of Christ, nor have any inheritance in the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. for all that filthiness defiles the flesh, and because of these things the wrath of God is for the children of disobedience, Eph. 5.4. And how full is the land of Priests, and people that worship they know not what, and hold up an outward temple and call a steeplehouse the Church of God? and thither do resort proud and covetous persons, drunkards, swearers, liars, oppressors, dissemblers, hypocritical persons, and professors, which are fair sayers, but not doers of what they say; and all these sorts of people now combined together, and are persecuters now, as their forefathers were, and as they did, so do these now, persecute, stone, and imprison those that do witness forth the truth, as Steven & the messengers of the Lord did against the stisnecked and rebellious people, who are uncircumcised in heart, and live in filthiness of the flesh, and in pride and covetousness, in pleasures and wantonness, in envy and persecution, both Priests and people; your lives do plainly make manifest whose children you are, and that you live in the same nature, and act the same things that the Pharisees; and your forefathers did, which held up the outward Temple and called truth heresy, and stoned the prophets, and despised the messengers of the Lord, and were the betrayers and murderers of the holy one and the just; and as did your forefathers so do ye hold up the false prophets, that seek every one their gain from their quarter, and such as Isaiah the true prophet was sent to cry out against, Isa. 56.10.11.12. Saith he, his watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant, they are greedy dogs that can never have enough, and they all look to their own way, every one seeks for his gain from his quarter; they did so then, and do not the Priests so now? they that have eyes to see may plainly see who are the false Prophets, by their fruits ye may know them. And do not the Priests now preach for hire, & cry peace peace to them who put into their mouths, and who put not into their mouths, they prepare war against them such Micah was sent to cry out against, Mic. 3. They preached for hire then, and do not they all so now? And have the chief place in the assemblies, stand praying in the Synagogues, and are called of men Master, as the Scribes and Pharisees did? and were? and which were the persecutors of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, and do they not take counsel together now, as the chief Priests, Pharisees, and Herodians did, and perrecute those who are sent of the Lord to cry out against their deceit and heathenish practices which are held up by Priests and people contrary to the Scriptures? And woe and judgement was their portion, and woe and judgement is yours, who lives in the same nature, and act the same things that the chief Priests and Pharisees and their followers did, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And did not the word of the Lord take hold of your forefathers, and they returned and said, like as the Lord of Hosts hath spoken, so hath he done to us, Zech. 1, 2, 3, 4. and the word of the Lord endures for ever, Therefore fear and tremble ye workers of iniqutity and seed of evil doers both Priests and People that bring forth fruits of unrighteousness, and as did your forefathers so do ye call the trueprophets' seducers, & deceivers but by your fruits ye are easily known, who are the falls prophets and corrupt trees, who are for the fire; and corrupt trees cannot bring forth good fruits, and Jesus Christ hath foretold, by their fruits ye shall know them, Mat. 7.16. &c Therefore if you will but search the scriptures: and look at the fruits that are brought forth, ye need not be deceived, but may see who are the false prophets, see in Jer. 5.30.31. and Jer. 6.13.14. etc. Jer. 8.8. and Jer. 23. ch. Mich 3. Jsa. 56.10, 11, 12. and Isa. 28.7. Ezek. 22.26. and 24. ch. Look these Scriptures, and you may see whether this sort of men be not now, as they have been of a long time; but now their kingdom is falling, and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these men resist the truth, being men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith: but they shall proceed no further, and their folly will be made more manifest, as theirs also was. Therefore come out of Babylon, come out from among them, and hold not up the false prophets and idol worships, and heathenish practices, which are held up by the priests and people, that know not the living God, whose sacrifice is not accepted, but is abomination before the Lord. And all that live in pride & earthly-mindedness, in lust & uncleanness are Gentiles that know not God, and they rage against those who are redeemed from their vain conversation that the people of the world live in, which run on the broad way to death, Hell, and destruction, living in swearing, lying, covetousness, pride and wantonness, both priests and people. But woe, woe, woe is to the wicked and all that worship the Beast, which the whole world wonders after, Rev. 17. Therefore all that desires the welfare of your souls, harken to the voice of Jesus Christ in you, in the conscience which he hath enlightened you with, mind to be guided by that which checks you when you swear, or lie or use any deceit in your callings, there is a light in your conscience that reproves you, and tells you, that you should not do so: And when your hearts runs after covetousness, and pleasures of this world, and when you spend your time in vain idle communications, foolish jestings, or laughter, the light in the conscience reproves you, and tells you that you should seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof before all things; and let not vain idle communication proceed out of your mouth, but fear the living God, and delight in him alone, now in loving this light of Christ in the conscience, and obeying it, it will lead you up to purity and holiness, and into the true fear of the Lord, but in hating the light of Jesus Christ, and giving liberty to your vain light minds, you run on the broad way to death, Hell, and destruction, and the light in the conscience is your condemnation, joh. 3.19, 20.21. and Jo. 8.12. So all people take heed to the light, by it you are left without excuse, Rom. 2.16. etc. now ye have time, prise it, whilst it is the day of your visitation. THE END.