A DECLARATION OF THE WITNESS OF GOD Manifested in me from my YOUTH.  
FRom my Youth I was made sensible of something in me which was contrary to God: but that which made it manifest I knew not to be of God; although it was the seed of God in me which was Light, which made manifest my deeds to be wrought in darkness: for from that time that I was ten years of age, I knew Sin: but I knew not God: yea and before that time I knew it, but in many years after I knew not God: for when I would Lie, there was something within me which told me lying was a sin, & swearing was a sin, & evil speaking, and deceitful dealing, and fight, and backbiting, and such like was contrary to God; and it did not only discover such and such names of things unto me which were eivell, but it made the nature of them manifest unto me when they were acted, either by myself or others: this shown me that Lying was to speak falsely, Drunkeness, was to drink too much, and so forth; and when I had Lied, than it would reprove me, or dealt deceitfully, it would say open it to me, so that at all times when I committed evil this was ready to Condemn me, & this was always contrary to the evil and many times Terrors of endless Torments was laid before me: insomuch that I was restrained many times from accompanying with my familiars, and delighted to be alone: and something in me desired to know God: this I witnessed before I knew the Letter of the Scripture: but as I grew in years, I grew in wickedness, and the wicked one grew stronger and stronger in me, and the just grew weaker and weaker: So that I came to delight more & more in sin, and that which before reproved me, I found to be dead, than all my delight was in drunkenness, and vecleanness and was given up to Commit sin with greediness: yet at some times I was shown what I had done: But that which made manifest I knew no● After this I began to give some heed to the Priests of the World and heard them declare of a God and of a Christ which must be believed in for Salvation, and through Faith I must be saved, and Faith was to believe that Christ was the Son of God, and that he was Crucified for our sins, and risen again for our Justification, and then I began to search the Scriptures and I grew up in the knowledge of the Letter, and did believe according as the Priests told me, & there I thought myself to be safe, for when I was Convinced of sin in my Conscience, I was not long without a remedy, for there was not any promise in the Scripture which was to believers, but I could aply them unto myself because I did believe that Christ died at Jerusalem and was buried, and the third day risen again etc. In this State I continued for some years, yet still takeing pleasure in unrighteousness: but could speak much of the Letter of the Scripture, at the last I came amongst a people called Anabaptists and was diligent in hearing them, and was much taken with their words: and desired to be in fellowship with them, which was granted me; then newness of Life was required of me, by something within me which I knew not, but in that state I was not able to attain unto it, and although I was Baptised with water, yet repentance from dead works I could not witness; but I grew much in the wisdom and became a speaker amongst them: Yet that which I Preached down in others, was upheld within myself; and so whilst I preached to others I was Condemned myself by that in my Conscience; for that told me sin was alive in me, and that I was under the power of darkness, and many times when I was tempted to Commit uncleanes something within me would show me the Tempter, and the temptation; yet I found not any power to resist it: but with violence of lust was carried away to Commit it, and then something within me would mourn and groan under these Abominations so that sometimes Tears would proceed from mine eyes, yet a remedy I knew not, for that eye with which I should have beheld my Saviour was blinded by the God of this world: and in this State I was Chosen to be an Elder, because of my Wisdom in the Letter: and when I was so, there was none so forward as I to condemn Sin, and yet myself the greatest sinner, & would condemn them for not washing according to the rule, meaning the Scripture; whilst I myself was Condemned in my Conscience to be an Enemy to God: Then many times the Saints failings would be presented unto me, to comfort me in that State, and therein many times I took Courage and comforted myself in wickedness: which I acted privately, then as I grew higher in my wisdom I began the more to conform to the Letter of the Scripture for the Scripture declared against anger, than I began to abstain from it outwardly; and uncleanness, filthiness, and deceit outwardly, and pride outwardly, and so many of the branches of Sin were Cropped off: but the Root and ground from whence it proceeded was not moved for when my will was crossed I was filled with anger, and that remained in my heart and Lust had its abideing place within me, & my heart was puffed up with Pride: and deceit lodged within; and yet in this State I could speak of Saints, and of washing and cleansing, and purifying by the Blood of Christ, Redemption, and justification Sanctification, and Holiness, all these things I could speak of, and so the deceit which was out of the Life of the Saints, in the Curse got the Saints words for a Covering, & persuaded me that there was no freedom from Sin until I was dead, and then that faith which I had while I lived, by that I should be saved when I was dead: So that Faith which purifieth the heart I was a Stranger to, and always when the witness of God Convinced me of Sin in my Conscience the deceit drew out my mind from it, to look upon a Christ without me: and to mind the Scripture to be my rule, than many times it would be manifested to me wherein I walked Contrary to the Scripture, and contrary to the Saints walkings; then the deceit would persuade me that the Scripture did not declare how they did walk, and how they were, but how they should walk; and how they should be, but never any of them did attain to what they should be; and therefore Christ died, that his Righteousness might be Imputed unto us, and so we only believing in that should be saved; and so God did not look upon us as we were sinners, but he looked upon us through his Son who had borne his indignation for us, & this was my Covering: And the Enemy got a place of abode within unmolested; and was transformed into an Angel of Light, Crying up the Ordinances of Christ, the Ordinances of Christ, Baptism, and breaking of Bread; and all that were not in this way were judged to be in the Kingdom of Satan, And out of the way of Christ. And so with the Saints words I was painted, but to the Life of the Saints I was a stranger: for the Cross of Christ I knew not, but the enmity remained alive within me by which I was shut out from God, and his Covenant of Light I knew not, yet in this state I was called a Minister of the Gospel: and an Administrator of the Ordinances of Christ, when I was a stranger to his Light, and an Elder of the Church, when I never witnessed a Child's State. And so in this condition I continued, having a high Conceit of myself and outwardly many evils I had left, with which the world lived in; because the Scripture declared against them, & not because I had a Light within me, which witnessed for God against them, but was a Stranger to it and yet in my fallen wisdom which was sensual and devilish I had got the Saints words to speak of, but the spirit which they had, by which they gave them forth I knew not not; And so in this Nature which is estranged from God, and is an enemy to him was our fellowship, and being in this Nature we called ourselves a Church of Christ, and Saints, when I knew not what a living Stone was: And I being in this State, many times that in my Conscience would tell me that I was not a member of Christ, for I never witnessed the new Birth, and sometimes this would strike Terror in me, and then it would be presented unto me that an Elder must be blameless, & that in my Conscience would lay open the wickedness of my heart, and let me know that I was not blameless, and that would let me see that the hand of the Lord was against me for I had only the form of Godliness, but power I wanted by which Sin might be overcome, & the good I was a Stranger to with which I should overcome evil, as saith the Scripture: Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good; and so Sin had Dominion, evil thoughts had Dominion Luft and Anger etc. And although I had Cropped off many branches in my will that my profession might not be shamed before the world, (which made it so much the more deceitful, because of its fair outside) yet the Root remained and the earth stood by which it was nourished, and the Axe was never laid to the Root, no it never came near it, but there it stood firm unmolested for the Devil had persuaded me I should never be freed from Sin whilst I lived, & much less from evil thoughts, and I believed him, for he had made me blind that I saw nothing to the contrary; and so in the height of my profession whilst I said I was a Jew, my heart was the Synagogue of Satan, and that he might get a peaceable habitation to Reign as 〈…〉 within me. He taught me to look without me, for Salvation and take the Prophet's words, and the Saints words to be my rule; for he persuaded me that there was no other rule in these days, or way to know God; then that which they had left in writing, so he having persuaded me herein, he obtainted his end; for I looking out with my first nature and fallen wisdom (run) unto the Letter of the Scripture, and so in that nature which is under the power of the devil and accursed from God, I had got a profession of words; and so I fed upon wind, but all this while the devil had his desire; for the seed of God which was Light within me, which let me see my Sin I knew not, though something convinced me of Sin, yet I knew not what it was; for the God of the world, who ruled in my heart had blinded my Eye, with which I should have seen my Redeemer; and so the seed of God was kept in Captivity, and death reigned even over that which had not transgressed, and the beloved of God (the Light) was delivered into the hand of the devourer; and the Just was oppressed: And so whilst I had took upon me the Name of a Saint I was an Enemy to God: Look (here you highest of professors behold this is your state) at last the Lord was pleased to begin his work in me, and did let me see that the longer we continued in our profession, the more wickedness and Confusion we grew into, and there was scarce any Sin that was Committed by the world: but it was to be found amongst us, who called ourselves Saints; as Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Envy, Eivill-speaking, Anger, Lying, Vaine-Jesting, Idle-talking etc. That in stead of growing up in purity, we wrew up in Impurity; differing nothing from the World, only in our profession, than I saw the vanity of all profession, and being out of all profession. Yet I knew not that which shown me the Vanity of it; for the wicked one having possession of my heart, kept my mind from that which shown me the deceit of my heart, and the deceit of all profession; and persuaded me that there was no God; and led me out into liberty to follow my own hearts lust; but still there was something within me though very low which did bear witness against Sin, but I knew not what it was although many times I was terrified with it, but it was his everlasting love that in this State I continued not long; for there being one who was sent by the Lord to declare his name whose Ministry I witness to be of God declared: that that which Convinced man of Sin, was the light of Christ with which he had enlightened every man that Come into the world, & this Doctrine pierced through me, yea it pierced through the earth and never ceased until it readied the witness which lay in the grave under death which was covered with earth, this heard the voice, and knew the voice, & owned the voice, and did arise out of the grave, then that which had kept it in bondage even the same which had got the Saints words to speak of, and had made a profession was dismayed, and fearesulness laid hold upon that nature, & that would have fled from the presence of the Light but I turning my mind to within to the Light, saw myself polluted, a den of Thiefs, a Cage of unclean Birds, a habitation for Dragons; and the Sinagog of Satan: Then did the Just arise in fury and indignation than was the Sword drawn, and made ready for the slaughter, and the everlasting Arm was stretched out against the heathen to cut down and to destroy, and make desolate that great City Babylon, which had laid God's heritage waste; then did he arise in his power, and did slay on the right hand, and destroy on the left; then did her young Men fall in the Streets, and her Men of War were Cut off, and her strong ones did faint, and her mighty ones were dismayed before the presence of the Lamb that was dead and is alive, and liveth for ever more; for his hand did not spare neither did his eye pity, until he had avenged himself of his adversaries, and had goten himself a Name above all Names; and so keeping my mind to that of God, which was manifested in me, I Came to see the giving out of the Law, which was dreadful to that Nature which had Sinned, which Law was Light, by which Light, I saw myself, and my nakedness was discovered, and Gods Judgements made manifest against the transgressor; then rotenness possessed my Bones, and my flesh did stink, and a noisome sore brak-forth upon me, and all my joy was turned into mourning and bitter Lamentation; for there was no way to escape the Sword, if ever I came to the tree of Life; for it turned every way, and the seven Thunders uttered their voices, and the seven Plagues was powered forth upon that Nature the man of Sin: So here I came to witness the Lord to enter into the house of the Thief, and to be a swift witness against the Sorcerer and all evil doors. And so as I kept my mind to the Light, I came to witness my redemption and the first Nature to be destroyed, for as I came to mind the Light, I minded the Law of God which Law is Light, which Law I found written in my heart, and so keeping my mind to that which discovered Sin, I received power against Sin, & my mind being kept to that, mine eye was single & my whole body was full of Light, so that I could see the enemy, and comprehend his wiles, and see the temptation, and see that Nature which had joynded & would join with the tempter, but standing in the Light, I stood in that which crossed that Nature and did abide in the Counsel of God, and through this Cross that nature was slain, and a dying to Sin, I came to witness through the Light and I had no more need to be taught of Men or to look without me for a theacher, for this shown me what was good; & what the Lord had required of me, and when I looked out and gone from it, this would reprove me, and let me see wherein I had offended and this would rise up in Judgement against the offender & I keeping my mind to it the wicked could not escape, nor the deceiver could not be hid, for the things of Esau were searched out, & his hiden things sought up, and I found the Lord watching over me to pluck up and to throw down, and to make waste the habitabion of Esau, and here I came to witness a Disciples state, for my mind being kept to the Light, I was upon my watchtower, and there I could see the Enemy, for the Light made him manifest and every vain thought was brought to Judgement, and the house of joseph was a flame, and the house of Esau as sttubble, and the house of David grew stranger & stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker; and here I came to know the terrors of the Lord against that which had sinned and the Manchild came to be borne, which nothing could satisfy but the Bread of Life: and God gave me Manna from heaven, fro it to feed upon, and it was fed and grew strong in Battle, so that he slew on the right hand, and destroyed one the left; and his Name became dreadful to his adversaries, for all judgement was given unto him, & as he did over come, then pure joy would arise and the living would praise him from whom deliverance came. And here I came to witness Faith by which my heart was purified, and by which I overcame the world, which faith is the gift of God, to which faith, in the highest of my profession I was reprobate as all the world's professions are, for I only believed because it was Written; and so my fallen wisdom and first Nature which is accursed being sound in the transgression believed the report of a thing as of God and Christ without me, but I did not believe in the Light as Christ Commanded who saith believe in the Light, that you may be Children of the Light, but to this Light I was a stranger and an Enemy, my mind being alianated from it, looking for a Saviour without me, when when the Enemy of my happiness which alone I had need to be saved from, was within (O! all professors read your conditions) and so the door to the Father which is the Light, I was an Enemy unto, and so an Enemy to God being an Enemy to his Light; for how could I be reconciled to God whilst I was condemned for Sin in my Conscience by that measure of Light which he had given me to walk by, which is a measure of himself that Condemned me, then how could I be justified by him who is one with his Light, and so the reconciliation which the Saints witnessed I knew not, until my Sin came to be taken away by Christ, the Light; then I came to witness Salvation by Jesus who saved me from mine Enemy, mine Enemy was Sin, he saved me from Sin, the sting of death is Sin, in saving me from Sin I was freed from death, and the strength of Sin is the Law; in saving me from Sin, the righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in me, who walked not after the flesh. Take notice the flesh did not lead me but after the spirit; Take notice again by the spirit I was led, and and the spirit is Light which leadeth not into Sin, but into righteousness, and being led by the spirit I had peace with God; the spirit is Light, following the light, obeying this light, believing in the light, I was by the light reconciled to God, and by Christ the light, the middle wall of Partition was broken down and he was my Peace, the light. Hear all you professors of the World are shut out, whose mind is from the light, he is not your peace whilst you commit Sin, for Sin is reproved by the light, and that which is reproved is made manifest by the Light.  
WILLIAM AMES.   

¶ Printed in the Year 1656.