AN Awakening Word TO THE CHURCHES, SAINTS, AND PROFESSORS; In this Slumbering and Sleepy Day.  
Printed at London, in the year 1664   

A Brother in Tribulation, and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ, To the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, called to sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus; Together with those yet uncalled, or however distinguished, or scattered, greeting.  
My Brethren and dearly loved in Jesus the Christ,  
I Say the Truth in Christ, I lie not, my Conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow for you in my heart, out of an earnest and true Christian-affection to you, and an uncessant desire that you may prosper in soul and body, and may be made fit, and accounted worthy to stand with the Lamb at his appearing upon the Mount Zion: But though I have very strong persuasions upon my heart, that this Day of the Lord is very very very near, even at the door; yet I have a holy jealousy upon many, and fear that multitudes, whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, are wonderfully unfit and unprepared to meet their Lord.  
I am hereupon greatly pressed in my spirit to write in love to such, as a Brother, and beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ to accept it. I have cause out of deep sense and sad experience in myself, greatly to mourn over the sin and punishment of old Adam, as it is manifest in me to this very day, which exceedingly darkens the Glory of the New-Creation in me; So that by that Old-man's abiding still with me, I am greatly hindered from being so serviceable to Jesus Christ as I would be, and much detained from those Comforts in Divine Enjoyments through the Spirit, which I desire. I cannot indeed terminate the evil of the flesh in a person regenerate, nor am I able to discover the wills of the natural heart, or the advantages Satan hath by this Old man in the Saints: But this I can say of myself, through Grace, That though I delight in the Law of God, after the inward man, yet I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind, (and worse also) [bringing me into captivity] to the Law of sin which is in my Members; So that here, here I am driven out of self, my best self, and only by faith in the Promise and Covenant, flee to the Mercy-Seat, as sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and so I can say with Paul,— I thank God through Jesus Christ [our Lord;] I say Our Lord;— and not only my Lord, for he is, Jesus,— to save all his People from their sins. If this were only my particular state and case thus to be burdened with Corruption, hindering me from good, and inclining me to evil, this humble Acknowledgement lays a bond upon you, as Brethren, jointly to pray for me,— that I might be delivered from this body of death; But alas I may, I may say of you all what Paul writ to the Churches of Galatia;— The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; [so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,] but in many [in many things,] we offend all.  
I have (the Lord knows) tender bowels to all, yet am I humbly bold to say;— That such Persons (if any such be) as dream of a Perfection in the flesh in this world, are under dreadful delusions, and give little testimony of the in-being of the Spirit in them, though they pretend so much for it. I judge if such an estate in this life in the estate of the flesh were attainable, surely God would have magnified that degree of grace to some persons, more or less, at one time or other: But I find it only recorded of Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, who had no sin, and in whose mouth was found no guile; for he was God-man, in whom the divine and humane Natures were united in one Person, to make him a fit Mediator. Jesus Christ must have the true Nature of sinful man, to pay the price of sin; and yet he must not have the sin of that Nature, for than he had justly suffered for his own sin, and had not been a competent Surety for sinners, who must be himself harmless and holy. Bear with me though I mention these first Principles of Religion in this day: for, though according to that Light of the Gospel, which hath shined amongst us, we might all have been Preachers, yet by our corruptions, together with Satan's delusions, we have sadly overslipped the day of the Gospel-Liberty, and have gained little true spiritual Light, God knows, that most Saints (I fear) are babes, and but babes in Christ at this day. It will not now recall the day of Gospel-Liberty abused, to recount Saints failings; but I hope the smart of misspent time will help the Lord's People better to improve the day of mercy, when mercy again restores them. But the Lord knows, well might Saints be overcome with heat of an unwonted (if not unknown) prosperity, while they cannot keep close to God under the Rod. I intent not to stay upon this subject, but if I mistake not greatly, I discover some Professors (and well it were, if there were but some) to be in danger by letting out their hearts too much in lawful things (so called at least) I mean in the cares and pleasures of this life. O Friends, I cannot but mourn deeply to see (at this day) so many (formerly persons full of life and zeal for Christ) now marry themselves to, and indeed are buried in the world; so that the day of Christ is like to come upon them unawares, and I fear they will be found foolish virgins at last. I do but hint this by the way, but who knows to what ears and hearts the Lord may direct this holy jealousy by his Spirit, and give some poor souls that awakening, with sight and sorrow for this sin never more to be sorrowed for?  
My Brethren; if in the Apostles times, those were looked upon and called the last times, what then may we judge of these times [we are cast into] who live 1600 years after most of the Apostles and first Saints after Christ? Surely, if those were the last times, than our times must be the last part of the last times, and the very dregs of evil and sinful days. O! at what a high rate do men sin now (one or other) who slight, or oppose the glorious Gospel of Freegrace, and the remission of sin in the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, after this Gospel hath been so eminently preached and witnessed to, by the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and the Saints, for above 1600 years? The whole time of the Gentiles Tyranny was at first limited to 42 Months, and the Witnesses sackcloth-state to 1260 days: and if that time prophetically shall signify 1260 years, that time must now be very near its period, when Christ will again assume his Supreme Power in the World and over the World, according to the Promises and Covenant of the Father. My Brethren, do but at this day cast an eye back, and O what a very very little of all the Promises, Prophecies, and Visions too, of the Patriarches, Prophets and Apostles are yet to be fulfilled, if we thoroughly consider it? This very meditation hath been a wonderful help to my faith, when I have looked backward, and found, that from the time (especially) that God called forth Abraham, and engaged himself to him by Promise and Covenant (in Christ,) not one thing failed of all that ever God promised to Abraham or his Seed, though the most of the Promises were of great things, and after long time to have accomplishment: very little of all which is yet to be fulfilled at this day. To help you in your meditations, consider the Prophecies of the state of Abraham's Seed in Egypt, and how God fulfilled those; Consider the Prophecies of Christ's Incarnation and coming in the flesh, and how punctually all those have had their fulfilings; Look back to the Prophecies of all the monstrous beastly tyrannical Powers of the World, how they have had their actual fulfilling hitherto; Weigh seriously how Prophecies and Scriptures have had fulfilling in and at Christ's death, and how God brought about his own Counsels, and neither men nor Devils could hinder it. Let it be much upon your thoughts thoroughly to consider, how in all the reign and rage of the last Antichristian Powers in this Western World, who have far exceeded in Policy, Cruelty and Murder, all the four heathen beastly States before them, and in less than 1200 years hath shed more of the Blood of Saints by Persecution in this Western Empire, than all the Heathen Pagan Powers have done, take in Turk, Persian, and all the rest: and that yet God Almighty should in the days of these Antichristian Kings, and in their Kingdoms spread the Gospel, preserve Saints, and raise the Kingdom of his Son, notwithstanding all their power and rage (according to Promise and Prophecy) even where the Whore sits, and in the Kingdoms of those earthly Kings, over whom the Woman reigns: this is marvellous in my eyes, I say, that in all these Times and States Jesus Christ should yet preserve a competent number of Witnesses, even when and where they were tortured and martyred for their Testimony for Jesus Christ, and those beastly savage Powers yet could neither stop their mouths, nor wear and root them out, as they have attempted, but that they are still increased in their number, and in their witness for Christ against the Beast; this, this is the manifestation of the Power and Faithfulness of God to make good his Promises, and Covenant, and Oath to Abraham and his Seed.  
Now my Brethren, if you seriously take a view of all these Promises and Prophecies, what, what a little, a very very very little remains to be fulfilled, but the fall of these Beasts, and the exaltation of Jesus the Christ, the Lamb upon the Mount Zion; Blessed be God, we, we see so much of the Night is past, and therefore the day must be at hand: My dearly Beloved, the fields look white to the harvest, and the crop is ready to cut, yea, the harvestman is prepared, he hath his sharp Sickle in his hand ready to thrust it in, and the loud Cry of the Angel of the Temple will prevail. I say the fields begin to look white to the harvest; But alas, how few comparatively, even amongst the Lord's People, are there, who show they either see it or believe it? The Lord knows it is a very sleepy time with the Virgins; their long and sore afflictions make them heavy, and the night is dark, and there's none to say, How Long? This stay of the Bridegroom (I fear) deadens the Hopes, and sinks the Faith of many, which should indeed quicken them; Come it will, and that suddenly, all believe: And why not now? for certain this great Day of the Lord is very near, our Lord is coming; for his immediate Harbingers have been seen up & down above this three years, Signs in Heaven and Earth, and stay long he cannot; therefore why do ye not believe and make ready? Who knows but this very Epistle may be the last Alarm to awaken slumbering sleeping Saints? therefore slight it not. Or who can say but this may be the last Call from Jesus Christ to his Elect in these parts,— to come out of Babylon?  
Precious Souls! I have very strong impulses upon my heart, that I am moved by the Lord in tenderness to differing Saints, to write these lines, and deal plainly with you, as becomes a Brother: I have no other design in it (God knows) but the Glory of Christ, the Honour of the Gospel, and the present and eternal Comfort of Saints. I have by Providence been rolled up and down, and cast into several Families of Professors under various Forms, and have been a diligent Observer of such persons as I have been conversant with; so that (possibly) I may have better ground to write this General Epistle, than some others of the Lords Servants, who could perform it better than myself. But whatever imperfection any do discover in the Penman, cover but with Love, and then I know you may discern a Voice of the Spirit.  
Brethren, suffer, I beseech you, from me that by exhortation, which is the command of Jesus the Christ,— Come out of her my People, (that is, Babylon) that ye be not Partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:— of her plagues: This Call is by a Voice from Heaven, or out of the heavenly state; which Call, with the ground moving the Lord Jesus to give one Call more at last to his deceived People, is more fully expressed by Jeremiah,— Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man [his soul,] be not cut off in her iniquity: for this is the time of the Lords vengeance, he shall render unto her a recompense: I beseech you mistake me not, I press not this seasonable Exhortation upon you as if I intended to urge a new thing upon you, never heard of before; no, no, I know the Exhortation is old and common, and yet (I fear) the voice of Christ is not understood in it: I judge the words are frequently used and pressed in all Forms, yea even in Babylon, and by her Priests. Now the Light of the Gospel is so gloriously broken forth, and grosser Abominations are so discovered,— that the Devil and his Ministers are fain to transform themselves into Angels of Light, and learn the Language of heavenly Saints; and here he plays his last Game. Where is that Form of People at this day pretending to worship God, but they cry out of Babylon, and call— Come out of Babylon, yea, even in Babylon? O then what a deep undiscovered Mystery is Babylon! I profess, I know no Form of People pretending Religious Worship, but they look upon themselves as the only true Worshippers of God, and their Way the only true Way of Worship, and esteem all other Ways false and Antichristian, and therefore call upon People in other Forms to separate,— Come out of Babylon, and come to them. Did I not speak this knowingly, from the mouths of Leaders and Teachers, (and I believe is known to you all) I should not have dared to to have laid such a charge upon Saints: and what is all this but Babel and Babylon, Darkness and Confusion? This is the very spring and rise of Persecution, where the stronger Party carries it against the weaker or lesser, like Heathens, or mere men; and is not this Babylon? Look well into old Babylon, or new Babylon, and what were the one, or what are the other, but Models and Forms of Civil and Ecclesiastical Governments, framed and compiled by such as they took to be the wisest and most able men in their times, in great Councils, neither seeing nor seeking further than humane Reason, and the greater Vote; and Laws or Canons thus constituted, by the Sword and Power of Flesh to force and compel Obedience thereunto? And certainly this is Babylon.  
My Brethren, I confess I have a very narrow path to walk in, to deal faithfully between God and his People, and not offend one Party: but I can say, (if it were the will of God) I would neither provoke the One, nor offend the Other; yet if I become an Enemy to any, because I tell them the Truth, which they do not know, neither are willing to know, I shall beg that the Lord would both discover and pardon that sin also, that nothing may keep them from seeing the Lord in the Beauties of Holiness, in the approaching day of Refreshment.  
Object. But possibly a quick Retort is made, That I say my Charge too deep, when I charge Saints to be still in Babylon, whom they defy: for although the Saints are divided and distinguished into many Forms, yet those Forms or Models of Discipline and Government they are under, are not form by the Wit and Wills of men, but from the Word of God, and most of these Separate-People are so far from Persecution, that they would have none compelled against Conscience; but we ought to separate from evil Persons and Things.  
Answ. Here, here is the great point indeed, which would require a volumn to treat fully on; yet if the Lord would but give in the light of his Spirit in these things, Babylon was fallen, was fallen indeed, Breaches among Saints were made up, and the Glory of new Jerusalem would shine forth presently; for nothing hinders it (instrumentally) but Babylonish darkness and confusion amongst Saints, though yet they see it not. This therefore being the main work of our day, to seek and beg— That Spirit of Christ's mouth (the Spirit that gave and reveals the Mysteries of the Gospel) by which the Lord discovers Babylon, and will also destroy her with the brightness of his coming, as he is more manifested to the Saints: I shall humbly crave leave to commend some present brief thoughts to you, and the examination of them to you to improve, through the blessing of God, by the Spirit in Jesus.  
First, If I assert, [That most Models and Forms for Worship, or in which God is worshipped at this day] are Babylonish, and form by the Wits and Wills of Men, even among Saints; I can retract my Words, but yet grieve and mourn that it is so, and that I should have cause in the Name of Jesus Christ to lay so deep and dreadful a Charge upon Saints and Professors after so long a time of Gospel light amongst Us. That the Charge is true, is too manifest: For if the various Forms of professing People were directed by the Spirit of Truth, and not by the Wits and Spirits of men, whence then comes all this Babylonish Confusion and Divisions among Saints both in Doctrine and Order? To charge this evil upon the Spirit of God, is blasphe my in a high Degree; and therefore the sin must lie upon Saints, for so yet I would account them. I shall not enlarge upon the subject, but must take the boldness to say,— That by want of the Light and Guidance of the Spirit of Truth, poor dark bewildered Saints mistake their Way and Work:— One taking the Scripture in one sense, another in another sense, and so doth a third, a fourth, and a fifth, etc. and so such persons under such a persuasion, (and Light, as they term it, which is Darkness oft times) fall into Parties and Forms; and is not this Babylon? Yet every Party cries out of Babylon, and calls— Come out of Babylon: O what hath sin brought that excellent Creature Man, to! that his Understanding should be so darkened, and the Man so deceived, that he verily thinks that he serves God, when indeed he serves the Devil! O what hath sin brought Man to! To take Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness! To take Error for Truth, and Truth for Error! And yet this is the state of most, if not all Saints, in one degree or other. That I may (through Grace) speak home to differing Saints, and clearly discover the bottom of Divisions, and set upon the hearts of the Elect a deep conviction of these common and dreadful Mistakes about several Forms and Models of Divine Worship, I shall fully demonstrate to them that while they are in this state, they are in Babylon, and that the Lord Jesus Christ hath a special respect to these Divisions, in this last call to his People,— To come out of Babylon. That I may do this Work with the more clearness to conviction, I shall observe this Order:  
First, Prove that People in this state, are in Babylon, or that this state is Babylon, where men's own Spirits are their Guides.  
Secondly, Demonstrate that people in these Forms, are not led into them by the Spirit of God.  
This is the Assertion I am to prove,— That those particular Forms and Models of Worship and Government, into which People of several Persuasions are form and united, accounting severally, that only they in such a Form have the Spirit of Truth with them, and that all other Persons and Forms are erroneous, false, and to be separated from, as in Babylon; and yet this is very Babylon. I hope it needs not be put upon me to prove that amongst us there are many Forms of Separate-people under these persuasions, and in this practice, while both are so common; but I judge it not convenient to give them by Name, but proceed to make good my Charge against the Thing. Therefore consider these few things seriously:  
First, That this practice is Babylonish and from Babylon, is evident: for thus mystical Babylon was founded, and raised her building— from the Scriptures, as her Leaders and Rulers judged the Scriptures spoke, or at least as they made them to speak, by corrupting and perverting the Scriptures: Who are so ignorant that they do not know that at this very day, Babylon would father all their Power and Jurisdiction they exercise, even to Idolatry and Murder, upon the Scriptures and Divine Authority from God? and yet are Babylon for all that, yea, and because of that: Now where do men raise their different persuasions, but from different taking (or mistaking) the true and right sense of the Scriptures? all is fathered there, and so they make the Scripture speak what their Reason or Understandings judge to be the mind of the Spirit, and so they close: and doth not Babylon the same, and hath as good Warrant as these?  
Secondly, That these several Sects and Divisions in and about the Worship of God and Government, do arise and grow out of the Wits and Wills of Men (as Men) is clear and undeniable upon this ground,— That however persons in their present persuasions seem high and fixed in their way, pretending the light and leading of the Spirit strongly, and therefore separate from all other forms, and deeply judge and censure all differing from them; yet after this, (supposing they have received better light) these very persons fall into some other Form, and sometimes into the same Form they a little before separated from, as Antichristian and Babylonish; and the utmost they can say for their change, is, They were then persuaded in their Judgements that was the Truth then, and this is the Truth now; and doth not Babylon say the same? Good Lord! what a deep Mystery is Babylon yet to most Saints! and what dreadful sins are the sins of Babylon!— that makes the holy God, the holy Spirit, and the holy Scriptures to be their Authority and Warrant to sin at this rate! and yet all this while cry,— Come out of Babylon?  
Thirdly, That these People and Sects are only form and founded in the Wits, Wills, and humane Reason of Men, also is very manifest from the Fruits and Effects following them:— What carnal and sinful prejudice, divisions and censuring is there, in these Parties, of their Brethren, who cannot come up to their present thoughts and persuasions? However poor souls deceive themselves, and are hurried by blind zeal, yet for certain the fruits most appearing in them, are fruits of the Flesh, and not of the Spirit: for Saints to be divided in heart, and into Parties about Teachers and Forms, so as to envy, revile and separate, so as to break the Bond of Christian Love and Order, this discovers such to be very Babes in the School of Christ, and to be more carnal than spiritual: This is not mine, but Paul's reasoning, (1 Cor. 3.3, 4.) and the Argument is not the weaker because it is old,— Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envyings, and strife, and divisions or factions, are ye not carnal and walk as men, or according to man? While one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollo's, are ye not carnal? I hope a word to the wise is enough, therefore I would only leave this to consideration,— That hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, and envyings (Gal. 5.19, 20, 21.) among Saints, in and about the Ways and Worship of God, are really the fruits of the flesh, as well as Adultery, Idolatry and Murder: And is it not then high time that the Lord should awaken dreaming deluded Saints, and indeed call them out of Babylon, that they lose not the Light of the Lamb in his Appearing and Glory with his holy Host, and they (outwardly) fall and perish with Babylon, while they think they are in Mount Zion?  
Secondly, I shall in the next place demonstrate the foresaid Position negatively, that these Forms and Factions are not from the Spirit of God, but arise in Peoples own deceived spirits, and as hurried by Satan, in such ignorant zeal; the very same which stirred up Saul (after, Paul) to persecute the true Christians, and the true Church of Christ, (Act. 22.3, 4, etc. Act. 26.1, 2, 3, etc. Act. 21.20, 21.) and thought he did well, and his duty; yea, it is the same spirit which stirred up the Christian Jews to persecute Paul, from mistaken zeal for the Law: My Brethren, I beseech you hear me patiently, examine and then judge; I assure you, my Bowels yern towards you, and Christian Compassion moves me only in the Lord to use this plainness for the good and comfort of your Souls, and that you may no longer deceive yourselves; and that when our Lord shall come (whom I hope ye look for) he may not find you in Babylon, smiting your fellow-servants, with heart, tongue, or hand, but that you may be ready to enter into your Lords Joy. Therefore consider,  
First, These sinful Sects and Divisions among Saints, are carnal, fleshly, and from men's own spirits, and not from the Spirit of God: for the Spirit of God is but one; there is but one God, one Christ, one Spirit, and one Way of true spiritual Worship of God, and not many: This the Apostle lays down (Ephes. 4.4, 5, 6.) as a general Principle,— There is one Body (of Christ) and one Spirit, one Lord (Jesus) one Faith, one Baptism (or Form of true Worship) one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Mark it, there is but one true Mystical Body of Christ, but one Spirit of Truth, but one Faith to Salvation, but one true Form of Gospel-Worship, but one Lord Jesus, and but one God and Father of all the Elect by Jesus Christ: Therefore all ways and forms of Worship [but one, revealed by the Spirit of Truth in the Scripture of Truth] are false, erroneous, Babylonish, and by the wits and wills of carnal deceived men, and not from the Spirit of God.  
Secondly, These sad and sinful Factions and Forms among Saints, are not from the Spirit of Truth, but from their own deceived spirits, is thus manifested;— The Spirit of Truth teacheth other things, and better things than these: Paul saith, The fruits of the flesh are manifest— Adultery, Idolatry, Murder— Hatred Variance, Emulation, Wrath, Strife;— But the fruit of the Spirit, is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness,— Gal. 5.22, 23. I may not enlarge here upon the particular Graces of the Spirit as they put forth themselves in Saints, but I may say this in general,— That the Spirit in Saints can distinguish between Saint and Saint, strong and weak, enlightened or dark, Saints at liberty and Saints under temptations; and so only the breach is made up, and the wound healed. O Brethren, if we were all acted more by the Spirit of Grace, and less by our own carnal selfish spirits, we should be more like Jesus Christ, more full of bowels and compassion to the ignorant, and such as are out of the way. I shall end this in that healing Exhortation of the Apostle, Gal. 6.1.— Brethren, if a man be over-taken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the Spirit of Meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  
Thirdly, These sinful Factions amongst Saints, are from men's own spirits, and not from the Spirit of God and Grace; for they have neither precept nor practice of Saints in the Gospel to warrant it, but the contrary altogether. The Old Testament is the declaration of one Covenant, of one God, one Church, and one Worship; The New Testament also declares of one New-Covenant, one of Jesus the Christ, one Faith, one Baptism, one Mystical Body: yet in that one Body many Members, or that Body divided into many Societies, Companies or Congregations by habitation or near co-habitation; but the whole Body of Christian Saints living together in one City, or a part in several Cities or Countries were all of one Faith, in one order of the Gospel, and all in mutual Love and Fellowship as one Body or Church. This was the state of the Primitive Churches of the Gospel founded by Christ and his Apostles, amongst which Jesus Christ walked, and amongst whom the Apostles laboured and conversed, and none other: therefore such Societies only are Churches of Christ. It is now (the Lord knows) a hard matter to number up the several Factions of People form and united in several Opinions which Christ & the Gospel knows not; and yet every party professing to worship God above others, each several Company accounting their way the only true way of Worship, and that only, and so they divide and separate from all other Persons and Forms as false, Antichristian, and in Babylon, while (I fear) their Doctrine and Practices are merely Babylonish, and were never known in the Churches of Saints till Antichrist arose. O what a wonderful cheat is Antichrist! and what dreadful Darkness & Delusion yet possesseth Saints, that they take themselves to be in Zion, when indeed they are in Babylon! and Christ knows it is so and therefore calls,— Come out of Her my People. Poor hearts, I speak my experience (and by light received) my soul mourns for you, and mourns after you, and to my Exhortation I join my prayers,— That yet the Lord would give forth the Spirit more fully to discover your present state and standing, for little do you think what spirits you are led by. Certainly persons under such singular Opinions discover woeful pride and ignorance (whoever they be;) and these two are the very Basis upon which Babylon is built, and the Pillars upon which she stands: remove these, and Babylon is in the dust. The better to manifest this to you, consider,  
First, Persons under these singular Opinions of their own Light and ways, so as to condemn all others, and separate from them as Antichristian, and account themselves only to have the Spirit and be the only People of God, and none but they; this discovers wonderful pride, arrogancy & rashness; and ordinarily these singular high thoughts prove but thoughts and mistakes at last. This is a sad dividing Spirit and Principle of Antichrist, and discovered to creep in early, in Paul's time. It was this Spirit which was got into the Church at Crinth, which caused them to despise the Apostles themselves, as men of little light, and of small gifts to them: What else can we make of those humble Rebukes Paul writes to that Church, 1 Cor. 4.8, 10.— Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as Kings without us; and I would to God that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you:— For we are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wife in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Such a spirit also was among the Romans, which the Apostle reproves, Rom. 2. Who make their boasts of God, and knowing his will, and are able to approve of the most excellent things and (are confident) that they are lights to the blind, instructors of the foolish;— who have the form of the knowledge of the Truth: and yet even these pers●●● caused the Name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. It is, it is a shame to mention the pride of deceived Professors, who professing themselves wise (above all others) become fools, or discover their weakness, being giddy and highminded, directly opposite to the Spirit of Saints, the Spirit of Christ, his Apostles, and the Gospel, which teacheth more humility, and to look upon the things of others as better than our own. It is wonderful strange that persons professing the Gospel, should yet be such strangers to the Spirit of the Gospel, to say no more.  
Secondly, These singular Opinions and Practices, discover wondered ignorance and weakness, to accuse their Brethren, and separate from ●hem as in Babylon, and this is their own state; nay, possibly those they condemn, are nearer to the rule of the Gospel than themselves. Surely if this charge which some Professors lay upon others, shall not bear weight in the Balance of the Sanctuary, the accusers will be found to speak evil of the things they know not, but by a deceived carnal judgement; and that is sad. When that sad Division in the Church of Corinth was declared to Paul, that they said,— I am of Paul, and I am of Apollo's, I am of Cephas, and I am of Christ.— The Apostle chargeth this as a sin of ignorance, and to convince them, he useth this as his main argument;— Is Christ divided? hath Christ so many bodies? and leaves them that to consider. This was so contrary to the received Principles of the Gospel, that he judged the pondering upon that, was enough to discover their own carnal thoughts to be the spring of such divisions; for the Spirit of Christ and the Gospel teacheth the quite contrary;— Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, etc. bearing one another, burdens, and [so fulfilling the Law of Christ;] and therefore Paul presseth this general exhortation from the Prison,— I beseech you, that ye w●●k worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, [with all lowliness and meekness,] with long-suffering, forbear one another in love, [endeavouring] to keep the [unity of the Spirit] in the Bond of Peace, Ephes. 4.1, 33. And the ground of this Exhortation the Apostle draws from the Oneness of the Mystical Body of Christ, and of Gospel-Worship, vers. 4, 5, 6. Alas, alas, the Divisions among Saints sufficiently discover their infant-state, and their new breaking forth of Babylon, that they are so spotted and tinctured with Babylon; and no question, but as the Spirit of Light and Truth is more given forth, the Spirit of Antichrist will be more manifest in Satan's closest delusions, that he cannot deceive long. If I might not too much offend the weak, I could ascribe a great part of Saints divisions to arise from abused Liberty, and prejudice against the able Preachers of the Gospel; I do not, I dare not acquit them of sad failings, which have caused the way of Truth to be evil spoken of, and are an instrumental cause to move tender and weak Saints to draw into corners, and follow weak and unsound Teachers; (which was their weakness also) by which means the Ministers of Antichrist and Babylon have done their work, and brought the Saints into bondage, etc. But amongst, or above the rest, I would earnestly commend to you three Characters of Babylon to be heeded.  
First, Blasphemy, in denying or invalidating the holy Scriptures.  
Secondly, In corrupting the pure Doctrine of Justification in the Blood of Christ, by bringing in the Doctrine of Universal Redemption, or Christ's dying equally for all alike.  
Thirdly, By instituting or founding the Church, or Churches, in an Opinion, or submitting to an Opinion, this or that, and not in union with Christ. All these are in Babylon, and from 〈…〉, and will perish with Babylon.  
Fourthly, These Factions are 〈…〉 not from the Spirit of Grace; and it is too 〈…〉 ●●●●ons and forms are great strangers 〈…〉 a holy and inward close walking with 〈…〉 of Saint's closet-communion with God; but 〈…〉 that is a very lean Religion which stays in the 〈…〉 is worse which comes not to the Form of Godliness.  
My Paper and Prudence calls me to conclude, and therefore I beg of Saints to look more to their Souls, and to the Duties of Relation natural, civil and spiritual.  
It yet remains that I make some reply to the latter part of the Objection;— That these persons are against force and persecution for Conscience, but where persons walk disorderly, to withdraw and separate.  
For my part, I cannot say that all Corrections or restraint in abuses and corruptions in and about the Worship of God under the Gospel, is Persecution; yet I do confess, that withdrawing or separating from false Ways and false Worship, is a blessed Ordinance of God when rightly used; but for Saints to separate from Saints, and withdraw from Churches, and so un-saint the one, and un-church the other upon men's own bare opinions or self-conjectures, and not in the Ligh, Spirit and Power of Christ, becomes a sin of a high nature. Alas, many people know not what spirit they are led by, and it is much to be feared a change of state may change their minds in some things as well as in others.  
My Brethren, in tender Christian Bowels I have written these lines to you, and shall follow them with earnest and constant prayer, that the Lord would direct them seasonably to gracious souls by the Spirit of Grace and ●●●●th, that they may be made effectual to those great ends I have designed them to, Love, Unity and Peace amongst all Saints, and so shut up this Epistle in the words of Paul, 1 Cor. 1.10.— Now I beseech you, Brethren, by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same things, and that there be no Divisions or Schisms among you; but that ye 〈◊〉 perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgement in all the things of God, Christ, Spirit, Gospel and Saints, and things accompanying your peace and joy here, and glory hereafter. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, and thus rule and reign.  
From my Clift in the Rock, the 10th day of the ●th month, 1664. I hope in the year of Redemption (begun) from 〈…〉.  
THE END.